Concepts for NASA longitudinal health studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nicogossian, A. E.; Pool, S. L.; Leach, C. S.; Moseley, E.; Rambaut, P. C.

1983-01-01

Clinical data collected from a 15-year study of the homogenous group of pre-Shuttle astronauts have revealed no significant long-term effects from spaceflight. The current hypothesis suggests that repeated exposures to the space environment in the Shuttle era will similarly have no long-term health effects. However, a much more heterogenous group of astronauts and non-astronaut scientists will fly in Shuttle, and data on this group's adaptation to the space environment and readaptation to earth are currently sparse. In addition, very little information is available concerning the short- and long-term medical consequences of long duration exposure to space and subsequent readaptation to the earth environment. In this paper, retrospective clinical information on astronauts is reviewed and concepts for conducting epidemiological studies examining long-term health effects of spaceflight on humans, including associated occupational risks factors, are presented.

Long-Term Effects of a Home-Visiting Intervention for Depressed Mothers and Their Infants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kersten-Alvarez, Laura E.; Hosman, Clemens M. H.; Riksen-Walraven, J. Marianne; Van Doesum, Karin T. M.; Hoefnagels, Cees

2010-01-01

Background: Whereas preventive interventions for depressed mothers and their infants have yielded positive short-term outcomes, few studies have examined their long-term effectiveness. The present follow-up of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) is one of the first to examine the longer-term effects of an intervention for mothers with postpartum…

Impacts of 120 years of fertilizer addition on a temperate grassland ecosystem

PubMed Central

Kidd, Jonathan; Manning, Peter; Simkin, Janet; Peacock, Simon; Stockdale, Elizabeth

2017-01-01

The widespread application of fertilizers has greatly influenced many processes and properties of agroecosystems, and agricultural fertilization is expected to increase even further in the future. To date, most research on fertilizer impacts has used short-term studies, which may be unrepresentative of long-term responses, thus hindering our capacity to predict long-term impacts. Here, we examined the effects of long-term fertilizer addition on key ecosystem properties in a long-term grassland experiment (Palace Leas Hay Meadow) in which farmyard manure (FYM) and inorganic fertilizer treatments have been applied consistently for 120 years in order to characterize the experimental site more fully and compare ecosystem responses with those observed at other long-term and short-term experiments. FYM inputs increased soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, hay yield, nutrient availability and acted as a buffer against soil acidification (>pH 5). In contrast, N-containing inorganic fertilizers strongly acidified the soil (

Marital history, health and mortality among older men and women in England and Wales.

PubMed

Grundy, Emily M D; Tomassini, Cecilia

2010-09-15

Health benefits of marriage have long been recognised and extensively studied but previous research has yielded inconsistent results for older people, particularly older women. At older ages accumulated benefits or disadvantages of past marital experience, as well as current marital status, may be relevant, but fewer studies have considered effects of marital history. Possible effects of parity, and the extent to which these may contribute to marital status differentials in health, have also been rarely considered. We use data from the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study, a large record linkage study of 1% of the population of England & Wales, to analyse associations between marital history 1971-1991 and subsequent self-reported limiting long-term illness and mortality in a cohort of some 75,000 men and women aged 60-79 in 1991. We investigate whether prior marital status and time in current marital status influenced risks of mortality or long term illness using Poisson regression to analyse mortality differentials 1991-2001 and logistic regression to analyse differences in proportions reporting limiting long-term illness in 1991 and 2001. Co-variates included indicators of socio-economic status at two or three points of the adult life course and, for women, number of children borne (parity). Relative to men in long-term first marriages, never-married men, widowers with varying durations of widowerhood, men divorced for between 10 and twenty years, and men in long-term remarriages had raised mortality 1991-2001. Men in long-term remarriages and those divorced or widowed since 1971 had higher odds of long-term illness in 1991; in 2001 the long-term remarried were the only group with significantly raised odds of long-term illness. Among women, the long-term remarried also had higher odds of reporting long-term illness in 1991 and in 2001 and those remarried and previously divorced had raised odds of long-term illness and raised mortality 1991-2001; this latter effect was not significant in models including parity. All widows had raised mortality 1991-2001 but associations between widowhood of varying durations and long-term illness in 1991 or 2001 were not significant once socio-economic status was controlled. Some groups of divorced women had higher mortality risks 1991-2001 and raised odds of long-term illness in 1991. Results for never-married women showed a divergence between associations with mortality and with long-term illness. In models controlling for socio-economic status, mortality risk was raised but the association with 1991 long-term illness was not significant and in 2001 never-married women had lower odds of reporting long-term illness than women in long-term first marriages. Formally taking account of selective survival in the 20 years prior to entry to the study population had minor effects on results. Results were consistent with previous studies in showing that the relationship between marital experience and later life health and mortality is considerably modified by socio-economic factors, and additionally showed that taking women's parity into account further moderated associations. Considering marital history rather than simply current marital status provided some insights into differentials between, for example, remarried people according to prior marital status and time remarried, but these groups were relatively small and there were some disadvantages of the approach in terms of loss of statistical power. Consideration of past histories is likely to be more important for later born cohorts whose partnership experiences have been less stable and more heterogeneous.

Effectiveness of Career Counseling: A One-Year Follow-Up

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perdrix, Sophie; Stauffer, Sarah; Masdonati, Jonas; Massoudi, Koorosh; Rossier, Jerome

2012-01-01

The short-term effectiveness of career counseling is well supported in the literature. However, the long-term impact is often overlooked. This study quantitatively investigated the long-term stability of the positive effects gained through the career counseling process and qualitatively observed participants' levels of career project…

Fluoxetine Inhibits Natural Decay of Long-Term Memory via Akt/GSK-3β Signaling.

PubMed

Yi, Jee Hyun; Zhang, JiaBao; Ko, Sang Yoon; Kwon, Huiyoung; Jeon, Se Jin; Park, Se Jin; Jung, Jiwook; Kim, Byung C; Lee, Young Choon; Kim, Dong Hyun; Ryu, Jong Hoon

2018-02-09

Understanding the mechanisms underlying the natural decay of long-term memory can help us find means of extending the duration of long-term memory. However, the neurobiological processes involved in the decay of long-term memory are poorly understood. In the present study, we examined the effect of acute and chronic treatment of fluoxetine on natural decay of long-term memory and the possible mechanism. Late administration of fluoxetine prolonged the persistence of long-term memory in mice, as demonstrated by object location recognition and Barnes maze tests. Fluoxetine altered Akt/glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β)/β-catenin signaling in the hippocampus. Late short- and long-term pharmacological inhibition of GSK-3β mimicked the effect of fluoxetine on memory persistence. Pharmacological inhibition of Akt blocked the effect of fluoxetine on memory persistence. Finally, late infusion of fluoxetine increased hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) and pharmacological inhibition of GSK-3β blocked the natural decline in LTP. These results demonstrate that GSK-3β might be a key molecule in memory decay process, and fluoxetine extends the period of long-term memory maintenance via Akt/GSK-3β signaling.

Measuring short-term and long-term physiological stress effects by cortisol reactivity in saliva and hair.

PubMed

van Holland, Berry J; Frings-Dresen, Monique H W; Sluiter, Judith K

2012-11-01

The aims of this study were to investigate (1) the concurrent relationship between short-term and long-term stress reactivity measured by cortisol excretion and (2) the relationship of these physiological stress effects with self-reported stress and need for recovery after work (NFR). Participants were production workers in the meat-processing industry. Short-term cortisol excretion was calculated by summing 18 saliva samples, sampled over a 3-day period. Samples were delivered by 37 participants. Twenty-nine of them also supplied one hair sample of at least 3 cm in length for an analysis of long-term (3 months) cortisol excretion. All of them filled in a short questionnaire on self-reported stress and NFR. Self-reported stress was assessed by a three-item stress screener; NFR was assessed by an 11-item scale. Short-term and long-term cortisol excretion are significantly, but moderately, associated (r = 0.41, P = 0.03). Short-term and long-term cortisol excretion correlated weakly to self-reported stress and NFR (correlations varied from -0.04 to 0.21). Short-term and long-term physiological stress excretion levels are moderately associated. Physiological stress effects assessed from saliva and hair cannot be used interchangeably with self-reported stress because they only correlate weakly. To better predict long-term cortisol excretion in workers, the predictive value of short-term cortisol excretion must be evaluated in a prognostic longitudinal study in a working population.

Dispositional optimism as predictor of outcome in short- and long-term psychotherapy.

PubMed

Heinonen, Erkki; Heiskanen, Tiia; Lindfors, Olavi; Härkäpää, Kristiina; Knekt, Paul

2017-09-01

Dispositional optimism predicts various beneficial outcomes in somatic health and treatment, but has been little studied in psychotherapy. This study investigated whether an optimistic disposition differentially predicts patients' ability to benefit from short-term versus long-term psychotherapy. A total of 326 adult outpatients with mood and/or anxiety disorder were randomized into short-term (solution-focused or short-term psychodynamic) or long-term psychodynamic therapy and followed up for 3 years. Dispositional optimism was assessed by patients at baseline with the self-rated Life Orientation Test (LOT) questionnaire. Outcome was assessed at baseline and seven times during the follow-up, in terms of depressive (BDI, HDRS), anxiety (SCL-90-ANX, HARS), and general psychiatric symptoms (SCL-90-GSI), all seven follow-up points including patients' self-reports and three including interview-based measures. Lower dispositional optimism predicted faster symptom reduction in short-term than in long-term psychotherapy. Higher optimism predicted equally rapid and eventually greater benefits in long-term, as compared to short-term, psychotherapy. Weaker optimism appeared to predict sustenance of problems early in long-term therapy. Stronger optimism seems to best facilitate engaging in and benefiting from a long-term therapy process. Closer research might clarify the psychological processes responsible for these effects and help fine-tune both briefer and longer interventions to optimize treatment effectiveness for particular patients and their psychological qualities. Weaker dispositional optimism does not appear to inhibit brief therapy from effecting symptomatic recovery. Patients with weaker optimism do not seem to gain added benefits from long-term therapy, but instead may be susceptible to prolonged psychiatric symptoms in the early stages of long-term therapy. © 2016 The British Psychological Society.

Long-term efficacy of Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder with or without booster: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Andersson, E; Steneby, S; Karlsson, K; Ljótsson, B; Hedman, E; Enander, J; Kaldo, V; Andersson, G; Lindefors, N; Rück, C

2014-10-01

As relapse after completed cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is common, many treatment protocols include booster programs to improve the long-term effects. However, the effects of booster programs are not well studied. In this study, we investigated the long-term efficacy of Internet-based CBT (ICBT) with therapist support for OCD with or without an Internet-based booster program. A total of 101 participants were included in the long-term follow-up analysis of ICBT. Of these, 93 were randomized to a booster program or no booster program. Outcome assessments were collected at 4, 7, 12 and 24 months after receiving ICBT. The entire sample had sustained long-term effects from pre-treatment to all follow-up assessments, with large within-group effect sizes (Cohen's d = 1.58-2.09). The booster group had a significant mean reduction in OCD symptoms compared to the control condition from booster baseline (4 months) to 7 months, but not at 12 or 24 months. Participants in the booster group improved significantly in terms of general functioning at 7, 12 and 24 months, and had fewer relapses. Kaplan-Meier analysis also indicated a significantly slower relapse rate in the booster group. The results suggest that ICBT has sustained long-term effects and that adding an Internet-based booster program can further improve long-term outcome and prevent relapse for some OCD patients.

Long-term prehypertension treatment with losartan effectively prevents brain damage and stroke in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats.

PubMed

He, De-Hua; Zhang, Liang-Min; Lin, Li-Ming; Ning, Ruo-Bing; Wang, Hua-Jun; Xu, Chang-Sheng; Lin, Jin-Xiu

2014-02-01

Prehypertension has been associated with adverse cerebrovascular events and brain damage. The aims of this study were to investigate ⅰ) whether short‑ and long-term treatments with losartan or amlodipine for prehypertension were able to prevent blood pressure (BP)-linked brain damage, and ⅱ) whether there is a difference in the effectiveness of treatment with losartan and amlodipine in protecting BP-linked brain damage. In the present study, prehypertensive treatment with losartan and amlodipine (6 and 16 weeks treatment with each drug) was performed on 4-week‑old stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). The results showed that long-term (16 weeks) treatment with losartan is the most effective in lowering systolic blood pressure in the long term (up to 40 weeks follow-up). Additionally, compared with the amlodipine treatment groups, the short‑ and long-term losartan treatments protected SHRSP from stroke and improved their brains structurally and functionally more effectively, with the long-term treatment having more benefits. Mechanistically, the short‑ and long-term treatments with losartan reduced the activity of the local renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in a time-dependent manner and more effectively than their respective counterpart amlodipine treatment group mainly by decreasing AT1R levels and increasing AT2R levels in the cerebral cortex. By contrast, the amlodipine treatment groups inhibited brain cell apoptosis more effectively as compared with the losartan treatment groups mainly through the suppression of local oxidative stress. Taken together, the results suggest that long-term losartan treatment for prehypertension effectively protects SHRSP from stroke-induced brain damage, and this protection is associated with reduced local RAAS activity than with brain cell apoptosis. Thus, the AT1R receptor blocker losartan is a good candidate drug that may be used in the clinic for long-term treatment on prehypertensive populations in order to prevent BP-linked brain damage.

Reduced energy availability: implications for bone health in physically active populations.

PubMed

Papageorgiou, Maria; Dolan, Eimear; Elliott-Sale, Kirsty J; Sale, Craig

2018-04-01

The present review critically evaluates existing literature on the effects of short- and long-term low energy availability (EA) on bone metabolism and health in physically active individuals. We reviewed the literature on the short-term effects of low EA on markers of bone metabolism and the long-term effects of low EA on outcomes relating to bone health (bone mass, microarchitecture and strength, bone metabolic markers and stress fracture injury risk) in physically active individuals. Available evidence indicates that short-term low EA may increase markers of bone resorption and decrease markers of bone formation in physically active women. Bone metabolic marker responses to low EA are less well known in physically active men. Cross-sectional studies investigating the effects of long-term low EA suggest that physically active individuals who have low EA present with lower bone mass, altered bone metabolism (favouring bone resorption), reduced bone strength and increased risk for stress fracture injuries. Reduced EA has a negative influence on bone in both the short- and long-term, and every effort should be made to reduce its occurrence in physically active individuals. Future interventions are needed to explore the effects of long-term reduced EA on bone health outcomes, while short-term low EA studies are also required to give insight into the pathophysiology of bone alterations.

The short- and long-term consequences of directed forgetting in a working memory task.

PubMed

Festini, Sara B; Reuter-Lorenz, Patricia A

2013-01-01

Directed forgetting requires the voluntary control of memory. Whereas many studies have examined directed forgetting in long-term memory (LTM), the mechanisms and effects of directed forgetting within working memory (WM) are less well understood. The current study tests how directed forgetting instructions delivered in a WM task influence veridical memory, as well as false memory, over the short and long term. In a modified item recognition task Experiment 1 tested WM only and demonstrated that directed forgetting reduces false recognition errors and semantic interference. Experiment 2 replicated these WM effects and used a surprise LTM recognition test to assess the long-term effects of directed forgetting in WM. Long-term veridical memory for to-be-remembered lists was better than memory for to-be-forgotten lists-the directed forgetting effect. Moreover, fewer false memories emerged for to-be-forgotten information than for to-be-remembered information in LTM as well. These results indicate that directed forgetting during WM reduces semantic processing of to-be-forgotten lists over the short and long term. Implications for theories of false memory and the mechanisms of directed forgetting within working memory are discussed.

Public health impact of androgens.

PubMed

Kanayama, Gen; Kaufman, Marc J; Pope, Harrison G

2018-06-01

To summarize recent findings regarding the public health impact of androgen abuse. Abuse of androgens (also called 'anabolic-androgenic steroids') has grown into a major worldwide substance abuse problem involving tens of millions of individuals, of whom about 98% are men. Most androgen abusers are still under age 50 today, and thus, the long-term effects of these drugs are only beginning to be understood. Recent studies confirm that long-term supraphysiologic androgen exposure produces cardiovascular toxicity, characterized especially by cardiomyopathy and atherosclerotic disease. Withdrawal from androgens after long-term use may produce prolonged and sometimes irreversible hypogonadism in men. Supraphysiologic androgen levels may sometimes cause irritability, aggressiveness, and violence, whereas androgen withdrawal may cause depression. However, these psychiatric effects are idiosyncratic, affecting only a minority of users. Emerging evidence now also suggests that long-term androgen exposure may cause neurotoxicity, raising the possibility that aging androgen abusers may be at increased risk for dementia. Several recent studies have also described androgen-induced hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and adverse musculoskeletal effects. Recent studies have demonstrated marked adverse effects of long-term androgen abuse. As increasing numbers of androgen abusers reach middle age, these effects will likely represent an emerging public health problem.

Long-term outcomes of children undergoing video-assisted gastrostomy.

PubMed

Salö, Martin; Santimano, Ana; Helmroth, Sofia; Stenström, Pernilla; Arnbjornsson, Einar Ólafur

2017-01-01

The aims of this study were to assess the short- and long-term complication rates after video-assisted gastrostomy (VAG), the effects of age and gender on long-term complications and the effect of duration of gastrostomy tube retention on the need for gastroraphy when the gastrostomy device was removed. This was a retrospective study of children undergoing VAG at a single institution. Children who died or moved from the area were excluded. The rates of short- and long-term complications developing at 3-6 months or 2 or more years, respectively, were compared. A total of 170 children were studied, out of a cohort of 303 children. The median age at surgery was 2 years. The median duration of postoperative long-term follow-up was 5 years (2-9 years). The complications at the respective short and long-term follow-ups were as follows: granulation tissue, leakage, infection and vomiting. There were no differences in the short- versus long-term complication rates for gender and age. Children needing gastroraphy had used a gastrostomy device significantly longer compared with children with spontaneous closure. Complications after VAG decrease over time. A longer duration of gastrostomy device retention leads to increased need for gastroraphy.

Very long-term sequelae of craniopharyngioma.

PubMed

Wijnen, Mark; van den Heuvel-Eibrink, Marry M; Janssen, Joseph A M J L; Catsman-Berrevoets, Coriene E; Michiels, Erna M C; van Veelen-Vincent, Marie-Lise C; Dallenga, Alof H G; van den Berge, J Herbert; van Rij, Carolien M; van der Lely, Aart-Jan; Neggers, Sebastian J C M M

2017-06-01

Studies investigating long-term health conditions in patients with craniopharyngioma are limited by short follow-up durations and generally do not compare long-term health effects according to initial craniopharyngioma treatment approach. In addition, studies comparing long-term health conditions between patients with childhood- and adult-onset craniopharyngioma report conflicting results. The objective of this study was to analyse a full spectrum of long-term health effects in patients with craniopharyngioma according to initial treatment approach and age group at craniopharyngioma presentation. Cross-sectional study based on retrospective data. We studied a single-centre cohort of 128 patients with craniopharyngioma treated from 1980 onwards (63 patients with childhood-onset disease). Median follow-up since craniopharyngioma presentation was 13 years (interquartile range: 5-23 years). Initial craniopharyngioma treatment approaches included gross total resection ( n  = 25), subtotal resection without radiotherapy ( n  = 44), subtotal resection with radiotherapy ( n  = 25), cyst aspiration without radiotherapy ( n  = 8), and 90 Yttrium brachytherapy ( n  = 21). Pituitary hormone deficiencies (98%), visual disturbances (75%) and obesity (56%) were the most common long-term health conditions observed. Different initial craniopharyngioma treatment approaches resulted in similar long-term health effects. Patients with childhood-onset craniopharyngioma experienced significantly more growth hormone deficiency, diabetes insipidus, panhypopituitarism, morbid obesity, epilepsy and psychiatric conditions compared with patients with adult-onset disease. Recurrence-/progression-free survival was significantly lower after initial craniopharyngioma treatment with cyst aspiration compared with other therapeutic approaches. Survival was similar between patients with childhood- and adult-onset craniopharyngioma. Long-term health conditions were comparable after different initial craniopharyngioma treatment approaches and were generally more frequent in patients with childhood- compared with adult-onset disease. © 2017 European Society of Endocrinology.

Long- and short-term exposure to PM2.5 and mortality: using novel exposure models.

PubMed

Kloog, Itai; Ridgway, Bill; Koutrakis, Petros; Coull, Brent A; Schwartz, Joel D

2013-07-01

Many studies have reported associations between ambient particulate matter (PM) and adverse health effects, focused on either short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic) PM exposures. For chronic effects, the studied cohorts have rarely been representative of the population. We present a novel exposure model combining satellite aerosol optical depth and land-use data to investigate both the long- and short-term effects of PM2.5 exposures on population mortality in Massachusetts, United States, for the years 2000-2008. All deaths were geocoded. We performed two separate analyses: a time-series analysis (for short-term exposure) where counts in each geographic grid cell were regressed against cell-specific short-term PM2.5 exposure, temperature, socioeconomic data, lung cancer rates (as a surrogate for smoking), and a spline of time (to control for season and trends). In addition, for long-term exposure, we performed a relative incidence analysis using two long-term exposure metrics: regional 10 × 10 km PM2.5 predictions and local deviations from the cell average based on land use within 50 m of the residence. We tested whether these predicted the proportion of deaths from PM-related causes (cardiovascular and respiratory diseases). For short-term exposure, we found that for every 10-µg/m increase in PM 2.5 exposure there was a 2.8% increase in PM-related mortality (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.0-3.5). For the long-term exposure at the grid cell level, we found an odds ratio (OR) for every 10-µg/m increase in long-term PM2.5 exposure of 1.6 (CI = 1.5-1.8) for particle-related diseases. Local PM2.5 had an OR of 1.4 (CI = 1.3-1.5), which was independent of and additive to the grid cell effect. We have developed a novel PM2.5 exposure model based on remote sensing data to assess both short- and long-term human exposures. Our approach allows us to gain spatial resolution in acute effects and an assessment of long-term effects in the entire population rather than a selective sample from urban locations.

Long-Term Effects of Untreated Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Review of the Literature

PubMed Central

Karavidas, Nikos; Moramarco, Marc; Moramarco, Kathryn

2016-01-01

Currently, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is principally regarded as benign, but some researchers have cited serious or extreme effects, including severe pain, cardiopulmonary compromise, social isolation, and even early death. Therefore, exploration of the long-term effects of AIS, the most common type of idiopathic scoliosis, is warranted. The purpose of this review was to examine the long-term studies on the natural history of AIS and/or reviews concerning the long-term effects of untreated AIS. A PubMed search was conducted using the key words idiopathic scoliosis, long-term effects and idiopathic scoliosis, natural history. For further analysis, references cited in those studies were reviewed for additional, related evidence not retrieved in the initial PubMed search. A review of the pertinent bibliography showed that older natural history studies did not distinguish between late-onset scoliosis (referred to in this paper as AIS) and early-onset scoliosis (EOS). The more recent studies offer such important distinction and reach to the general conclusion that untreated AIS does not lead to severe consequences with respect to signs and symptoms of scoliosis. It is possible that earlier studies may have included patient populations with EOS, leading to the perception of untreated scoliosis as having an unusually high morbidity rate. Studies on the long-term effects of AIS that specifically excluded EOS patients conclude that AIS is a benign disorder. This indicates that for research and reporting purposes, it is important to distinguishing between AIS and EOS. This will allow the practitioner and patient and their families to decide on an optimal treatment plan based on the most appropriate prognosis. PMID:27994795

Long-Term Effectiveness of the SpeechEasy Fluency-Enhancement Device

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallop, Ronald F.; Runyan, Charles M.

2012-01-01

The SpeechEasy has been found to be an effective device for reduction of stuttering frequency for many people who stutter (PWS); published studies typically have compared stuttering reduction at initial fitting of the device to results achieved up to one year later. This study examines long-term effectiveness by examining whether effects of the…

Spiritually Based Resources in Adaptation to Long-Term Prostate Cancer Survival: Perspectives of Elderly Wives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ka'opua, Lana Sue I.; Gotay, Carolyn C.; Boehm, Patricia S.

2007-01-01

Spiritually based resources (SBR) generally have a salutary effect on coping with cancer diagnosis and treatment. Few studies address this relationship in long-term cancer survivorship, however. As part of a study on long-term prostate cancer survivorship, wives' ways of coping with cancer-related issues were explored through longitudinal…

The effect of physical rehabilitation on activities of daily living in older residents of long-term care facilities: systematic review with meta-analysis.

PubMed

Crocker, Tom; Young, John; Forster, Anne; Brown, Lesley; Ozer, Seline; Greenwood, Darren C

2013-11-01

the worldwide population is ageing. One expected consequence of this is an increase in morbidity and an associated increased demand for long-term care. Physical rehabilitation is beneficial in older people, but relatively little is known about effects in residents of long-term care facilities. to examine the effects of physical rehabilitation on activities of daily living (ADL) in elderly residents of long-term care facilities. systematic review with meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. We included studies that compared the effect of a physical rehabilitation intervention on independence in ADL with either no intervention or an alternative intervention in older people (over 60 years) living in long-term care facilities. We searched 19 databases including the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED, Web of Knowledge and Google Scholar. Two researchers independently screened papers and extracted data. Outcomes of included studies were combined in a standardised mean difference random-effects meta-analysis. thirteen of 14 studies identified were included in the meta-analysis. Independence in ADL was improved by 0.24 standard units (95% CI: 0.11-0.38; P = 0.0005). This is equivalent to 1.3 points on the Barthel Index (0-20 scale). No significant differences in effect were found based on participant or intervention characteristics. Larger sample size and low attrition were associated with smaller estimates of effect. All studies were assessed to be at risk of bias. physical rehabilitation may improve independence for elderly long-term care facility residents, but mean effects are small. It is unclear which interventions are most appropriate.

Effect of persistent menopausal symptoms on the wellbeing of Japanese breast cancer survivors.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Sena; Masutani, Eiko; Arao, Harue

2016-09-01

While more women with breast cancer survive because of advances in cancer treatment including hormonal therapy, they are at a risk of menopausal symptoms, which can threaten their psychological wellbeing. We examined the effect of menopausal symptoms on women's psychological wellbeing during three different phases of breast cancer: short-term (0-1 years since diagnosis), medium-term (2-5 years), and long-term (more than 5 years). In this cross-sectional study, 425 survivors treated with hormonal therapy were recruited from a convenience sample in Japan and completed an anonymous self-administered questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis revealed that menopausal symptoms significantly contributed to psychological wellbeing in all phases. In long-term survivors, menopausal symptoms were significantly milder; however, the negative effect was prolonged. One in three to four survivors was suspected to have poor psychological wellbeing, irrespective of time. Although the effect of menopausal symptoms on psychological wellbeing has been described in short-term survivors, little is known about the long-term effect. This study examines the effect of menopausal symptoms on psychological wellbeing, thereby providing useful information regarding long-term quality of life. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

The Lack of a Long-Term Growth Effect of Annosus Control in Southeastern United States

Treesearch

F. H. Tainter; J. G. Williams; N. J. Hess; S. W. Oak; D. A. Starkey

1989-01-01

An evaluation of basal area increment was made in 1988 of six pine plantations located across the southeastern United States. These plantations had been thinned in 1969-1970 and stumps treated with borax to measure long-term efficacy of annosus root rot control. In the present study, no long-term growth effects were identified. There were neither negative growth...

Effects of Joint Attention on Long-Term Memory in 9-Month-Old Infants: An Event-Related Potentials Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kopp, Franziska; Lindenberger, Ulman

2011-01-01

Joint attention develops during the first year of life but little is known about its effects on long-term memory. We investigated whether joint attention modulates long-term memory in 9-month-old infants. Infants were familiarized with visually presented objects in either of two conditions that differed in the degree of joint attention (high…

Misremembering what you see or hear: Dissociable effects of modality on short- and long-term false recognition.

PubMed

Olszewska, Justyna M; Reuter-Lorenz, Patricia A; Munier, Emily; Bendler, Sara A

2015-09-01

False working memories readily emerge using a visual item-recognition variant of the converging associates task. Two experiments, manipulating study and test modality, extended prior working memory results by demonstrating a reliable false recognition effect (more false alarms to associatively related lures than to unrelated lures) within seconds of encoding in either the visual or auditory modality. However, false memories were nearly twice as frequent when study lists were seen than when they were heard, regardless of test modality, although study-test modality mismatch was generally disadvantageous (consistent with encoding specificity). A final experiment that varied study-test modality using a hybrid short- and long-term memory test (Flegal, Atkins & Reuter-Lorenz, 2010) replicated the auditory advantage in the short term but revealed a reversal in the long term: The false memory effect was greater in the auditory study-test condition than in the visual study-test condition. Thus, the same encoding conditions gave rise to an opposite modality advantage depending on whether recognition was tested under short-term or long-term memory conditions. Although demonstrating continuity in associative processing across delay, the results indicate that delay condition affects the availability of modality-dependent features of the memory trace and, thus, distinctiveness, leading to dissociable patterns of short- and long-term memory performance. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Consider long-term care as service alternative.

PubMed

Loria, L S

1987-04-01

The increasing demand for elderly care services, pressures on inpatient average length of stay and payment levels, and potential financial rewards from providing additional services, makes long-term care look attractive to hospitals. Long-term care, however, is not for every hospital. Before deciding to establish long-term care services, management should examine how the service fits within the hospital's strategic plan. The action plan below provides guidance in evaluating a decision to use hospital facilities for long-term care. Examine how long-term care services fit within the hospital's strategic plan. Study area demographics and competitors to assess the need and supply of long-term care services. Survey the medical staff, consumers and payers to determine attitudes, perceptions and interests regarding long-term care services. Develop a facility plan that identifies areas of excess capacity that can be most easily converted into long-term care with minimal effects on hospital operations. Prepare a financial feasibility analysis of the contribution margin and return on investment attributable to long-term care services. Include an impact analysis on hospital operations. Establish a management task force to develop a detailed implementation plan including assigned individual responsibilities and related timetable. Develop an effective marketing plan designed to generate increased patient market share.

Bupropion (Wellbutrin) and Pregnancy

MedlinePlus

... have any long-term effect on my baby’s behavior and development? There is very little known about long term effects on children exposed to bupropion during pregnancy. One study has suggested an association between prenatal exposure to ...

The effect of hospital mergers on long-term sickness absence among hospital employees: a fixed effects multivariate regression analysis using panel data.

PubMed

Kjekshus, Lars Erik; Bernstrøm, Vilde Hoff; Dahl, Espen; Lorentzen, Thomas

2014-02-03

Hospitals are merging to become more cost-effective. Mergers are often complex and difficult processes with variable outcomes. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of mergers on long-term sickness absence among hospital employees. Long-term sickness absence was analyzed among hospital employees (N = 107 209) in 57 hospitals involved in 23 mergers in Norway between 2000 and 2009. Variation in long-term sickness absence was explained through a fixed effects multivariate regression analysis using panel data with years-since-merger as the independent variable. We found a significant but modest effect of mergers on long-term sickness absence in the year of the merger, and in years 2, 3 and 4; analyzed by gender there was a significant effect for women, also for these years, but only in year 4 for men. However, men are less represented among the hospital workforce; this could explain the lack of significance. Mergers has a significant effect on employee health that should be taken into consideration when deciding to merge hospitals. This study illustrates the importance of analyzing the effects of mergers over several years and the need for more detailed analyses of merger processes and of the changes that may occur as a result of such mergers.

Long-term integrated studies show complex and surprising effects of climate change in northern hardwood forests

Treesearch

Peter M. Groffman; Lindsey Rustad; Pamela H. Templer; John Campbell; Lynn M. Christenson; Nina K. Lany; Anne M. Socci; Matthew A. Vadeboncoeur; Paul Schaberg; Geoffrey F. Wilson; Charles T. Driscoll; Timothy J. Fahey; Melany C. Fisk; Christine L. Goodale; Mark B. Green; Steven P. Hamburg; Chris E. Johnson; Myron J. Mitchell; Jennifer L. Morse; Linda H. Pardo; Nicholas L. Rodenhouse

2012-01-01

Evaluations of the local effects of global change are often confounded by the interactions of natural and anthropogenic factors that overshadow the effects of climate changes on ecosystems. Long-term watershed and natural elevation gradient studies at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest and in the surrounding region show surprising results demonstrating the effects...

Intelligence as a predictor of outcome in short- and long-term psychotherapy.

PubMed

Knekt, Paul; Saari, Taru; Lindfors, Olavi

2014-12-30

Intelligence has been suggested as a suitability factor for short-term therapy whereas its possible effect on short-term versus long-term therapy still is unknown. The aim of this study was to compare the prediction of intelligence on the level of psychiatric symptoms and psychosocial functioning in psychotherapies of different lengths. A total of 251 outpatients from the Helsinki Psychotherapy Study, aged 20–46 years, and suffering from mood or anxiety disorders were allocated to two long-term and two short-term therapies. Intelligence was assessed at baseline with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-R). Psychiatric symptoms and psychosocial functioning were assessed 5–10 times during a 5-year follow-up using two primary symptom measures (HDRS and HARS) and one primary measure of psychosocial functioning (GAF). Short-term therapy was more effective than long-term therapy during the first year of follow-up. During the second to fourth follow-up year no differences between short- and long-term therapies or the intelligence groups were found. At the fifth follow-up year, however, long-term psychotherapy showed a statistically significantly larger change in all three primary measures compared to short-term therapy among those with higher intelligence. No differences between therapy groups were noted in those with lower intelligence. People with higher intelligence may benefit more from long-term than from short-term psychotherapy. These findings should be confirmed.

Long-term skeletal effects of high-pull headgear followed by fixed appliances for the treatment of Class II malocclusions.

PubMed

Bilbo, E Erin; Marshall, Steven D; Southard, Karin A; Allareddy, Verrasathpurush; Holton, Nathan; Thames, Allyn M; Otsby, Marlene S; Southard, Thomas E

2018-04-18

The long-term skeletal effects of Class II treatment in growing individuals using high-pull facebow headgear and fixed edgewise appliances have not been reported. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term skeletal effects of treatment using high-pull headgear followed by fixed orthodontic appliances compared to an untreated control group. Changes in anteroposterior and vertical cephalometric measurements of 42 Class II subjects (n = 21, mean age = 10.7 years) before treatment, after headgear correction to Class I molar relationship, after treatment with fixed appliances, and after long-term retention (mean 4.1 years), were compared to similar changes in a matched control group (n = 21, mean age = 10.9 years) by multivariable linear regression models. Compared to control, the study group displayed significant long-term horizontal restriction of A-point (SNA = -1.925°, P < .0001; FH-NA = -3.042°, P < .0001; linear measurement A-point to Vertical Reference = -3.859 mm, P < .0001) and reduction of the ANB angle (-1.767°, P < .0001), with no effect on mandibular horizontal growth or maxillary and mandibular vertical skeletal changes. A-point horizontal restriction and forward mandibular horizontal growth accompanied the study group correction to Class I molar, and these changes were stable long term. One phase treatment for Class II malocclusion with high-pull headgear followed by fixed orthodontic appliances resulted in correction to Class I molar through restriction of horizontal maxillary growth with continued horizontal mandibular growth and vertical skeletal changes unaffected. The anteroposterior molar correction and skeletal effects of this treatment were stable long term.

Modeling framework for representing long-term effectiveness of best management practices in addressing hydrology and water quality problems: Framework development and demonstration using a Bayesian method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yaoze; Engel, Bernard A.; Flanagan, Dennis C.; Gitau, Margaret W.; McMillan, Sara K.; Chaubey, Indrajeet; Singh, Shweta

2018-05-01

Best management practices (BMPs) are popular approaches used to improve hydrology and water quality. Uncertainties in BMP effectiveness over time may result in overestimating long-term efficiency in watershed planning strategies. To represent varying long-term BMP effectiveness in hydrologic/water quality models, a high level and forward-looking modeling framework was developed. The components in the framework consist of establishment period efficiency, starting efficiency, efficiency for each storm event, efficiency between maintenance, and efficiency over the life cycle. Combined, they represent long-term efficiency for a specific type of practice and specific environmental concern (runoff/pollutant). An approach for possible implementation of the framework was discussed. The long-term impacts of grass buffer strips (agricultural BMP) and bioretention systems (urban BMP) in reducing total phosphorus were simulated to demonstrate the framework. Data gaps were captured in estimating the long-term performance of the BMPs. A Bayesian method was used to match the simulated distribution of long-term BMP efficiencies with the observed distribution with the assumption that the observed data represented long-term BMP efficiencies. The simulated distribution matched the observed distribution well with only small total predictive uncertainties. With additional data, the same method can be used to further improve the simulation results. The modeling framework and results of this study, which can be adopted in hydrologic/water quality models to better represent long-term BMP effectiveness, can help improve decision support systems for creating long-term stormwater management strategies for watershed management projects.

Cervical cancer survivorship: Long-term quality of life and social support

PubMed Central

Pfaendler, Krista S.; Wenzel, Lari; Mechanic, Mindy B.; Penner, Kristine R.

2015-01-01

Purpose Surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the mainstays of cervical cancer treatment. Many patients receive multiple treatment modalities, each with its own long-term effects. Given the high 5 year survival rate for cervical cancer patients, evaluation and improvement of long-term quality of life are essential. Methods Pertinent articles were identified through searches of PubMed for literature published from 1993-2014. We summarize quality of life data from long-term follow up studies of cervical cancer patients. We additionally summarize small group interviews of Hispanic and non-Hispanic cervical cancer survivors regarding social support and coping. Findings Data is varied in terms of the long term impact of treatment on quality of life but consistent in suggesting that patients who receive radiotherapy as part of their treatment have the highest risk of increased long term dysfunction of bladder and bowel, as well as sexual dysfunction and psychosocial consequences. Rigorous investigations regarding long-term consequences of treatment modalities are lacking. Implications Continued work to improve treatment outcomes and survival should also include a focus on reducing adverse long-term side effects. Providing supportive care during treatment, and evaluating the effects of supportive care, may reduce the prevalence and magnitude of long-term sequelae of cervical cancer, which will in turn improve quality of life and quality of care. PMID:25592090

Randomized controlled trial evaluating the temporal effects of high-intensity exercise on learning, short-term and long-term memory, and prospective memory.

PubMed

Frith, Emily; Sng, Eveleen; Loprinzi, Paul D

2017-11-01

The broader purpose of this study was to examine the temporal effects of high-intensity exercise on learning, short-term and long-term retrospective memory and prospective memory. Among a sample of 88 young adult participants, 22 were randomized into one of four different groups: exercise before learning, control group, exercise during learning, and exercise after learning. The retrospective assessments (learning, short-term and long-term memory) were assessed using the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test. Long-term memory including a 20-min and 24-hr follow-up assessment. Prospective memory was assessed using a time-based procedure by having participants contact (via phone) the researchers at a follow-up time period. The exercise stimulus included a 15-min bout of progressive maximal exertion treadmill exercise. High-intensity exercise prior to memory encoding (vs. exercise during memory encoding or consolidation) was effective in enhancing long-term memory (for both 20-min and 24-h follow-up assessments). We did not observe a differential temporal effect of high-intensity exercise on short-term memory (immediate post-memory encoding), learning or prospective memory. The timing of high-intensity exercise may play an important role in facilitating long-term memory. © 2017 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Short-term and long-term effects of violent media on aggression in children and adults.

PubMed

Bushman, Brad J; Huesmann, L Rowell

2006-04-01

To test whether the results of the accumulated studies on media violence and aggressive behavior are consistent with the theories that have evolved to explain the effects. We tested for the existence of both short-term and long-term effects for aggressive behavior. We also tested the theory-driven hypothesis that short-term effects should be greater for adults and long-term effects should be greater for children. Meta-analysis. Children younger than 18 years and adults. Violent media, including TV, movies, video games, music, and comic books. Measures of aggressive behavior, aggressive thoughts, angry feelings, physiological arousal (eg, heart rate, blood pressure), and helping behavior. Effect size estimates were combined using meta-analytic procedures. As expected, the short-term effects of violent media were greater for adults than for children whereas the long-term effects were greater for children than for adults. The results also showed that there were overall modest but significant effect sizes for exposure to media violence on aggressive behaviors, aggressive thoughts, angry feelings, arousal levels, and helping behavior. The results are consistent with the theory that short-term effects are mostly due to the priming of existing well-encoded scripts, schemas, or beliefs, which adults have had more time to encode. In contrast, long-term effects require the learning (encoding) of scripts, schemas, or beliefs. Children can encode new scripts, schemas, and beliefs via observational learning with less interference and effort than adults.

Depletion of Serotonin Selectively Impairs Short-Term Memory without Affecting Long-Term Memory in Odor Learning in the Terrestrial Slug "Limax Valentianus"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santa, Tomofumi; Kirino, Yutaka; Watanabe, Satoshi; Shirahata, Takaaki; Tsunoda, Makoto

2006-01-01

The terrestrial slug "Limax" is able to acquire short-term and long-term memories during aversive odor-taste associative learning. We investigated the effect of the selective serotonergic neurotoxin 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT) on memory. Behavioral studies indicated that 5,7-DHT impaired short-term memory but not long-term memory. HPLC…

Accessibility of long-term family planning methods: a comparison study between Output Based Approach (OBA) clients verses non-OBA clients in the voucher supported facilities in Kenya.

PubMed

Oyugi, Boniface; Kioko, Urbanus; Kaboro, Stephen Mbugua; Gikonyo, Shadrack; Okumu, Clarice; Ogola-Munene, Sarah; Kalsi, Shaminder; Thiani, Simon; Korir, Julius; Odundo, Paul; Baltazaar, Billy; Ranji, Moses; Muraguri, Nicholas; Nzioka, Charles

2017-03-27

The study seeks to evaluate the difference in access of long-term family planning (LTFP) methods among the output based approach (OBA) and non-OBA clients within the OBA facility. The study utilises a quasi experimental design. A two tailed unpaired t-test with unequal variance is used to test for the significance variation in the mean access. The difference in difference (DiD) estimates of program effect on long term family planning methods is done to estimate the causal effect by exploiting the group level difference on two or more dimensions. The study also uses a linear regression model to evaluate the predictors of choice of long-term family planning methods. Data was analysed using SPSS version 17. All the methods (Bilateral tubal ligation-BTL, Vasectomy, intrauterine contraceptive device -IUCD, Implants, and Total or combined long-term family planning methods -LTFP) showed a statistical significant difference in the mean utilization between OBA versus non-OBA clients. The difference in difference estimates reveal that the difference in access between OBA and non OBA clients can significantly be attributed to the implementation of the OBA program for intrauterine contraceptive device (p = 0.002), Implants (p = 0.004), and total or combined long-term family planning methods (p = 0.001). The county of residence is a significant determinant of access to all long-term family planning methods except vasectomy and the year of registration is a significant determinant of access especially for implants and total or combined long-term family planning methods. The management level and facility type does not play a role in determining the type of long-term family planning method preferred; however, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as management level influences the choice of all methods (Bilateral tubal ligation, intrauterine contraceptive device, Implants, and combined methods) except vasectomy. The adjusted R 2 value, representing the percentage of the variance explained by various models, is larger than 18% for implants and total or combined long-term family planning. The study showed that the voucher services in Kenya has been effective in providing long-term family planning services and improving access of care provided to women of reproductive age. Therefore, voucher scheme can be used as a tool for bridging the gap of unmet needs of family planning in Kenya and could potentially be more effective if rolled out to other counties.

Effects of Intranasal Oxytocin on Long-Term Memory in Healthy Humans: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Brambilla, Michela; Manenti, Rosa; de Girolamo, Giovanni; Adenzato, Mauro; Bocchio-Chiavetto, Luisella; Cotelli, Maria

2016-12-01

Preclinical Research The neuropeptide oxytocin (Oxt) is implicated in complex emotional and social behaviors and appears to play an important role in learning and memory. Animal studies have shown that the effects of exogenous Oxt on memory vary according to the timing of administration, context, gender, and dose and may improve the memory of social, but not nonsocial stimuli. Oxt is intimately involved in a broad array of neuropsychiatric functions and may therefore be a pharmacological target for several psychiatric disorders. This review summarizes the potential effects of Oxt on long-term memory processes in healthy humans based on a PubMed search over the period 1980-2016. The effects of intranasal Oxt on human memory are controversial and the studies included in this review have applied a variety of learning paradigms, in turn producing variable outcomes. Specifically, data on the long-term memory of nonemotional stimuli found no effect or even worsening in memory, while studies using emotional stimuli showed an improvement of long-term memory performance. In conclusion, this review identified a link between long-term memory performance and exogenous intranasal Oxt in humans, although these results still warrant further confirmation in large, multicenter randomized controlled trials. Drug Dev Res 77 : 479-488, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Long-term treatment-related morbidity in differentiated thyroid cancer: a systematic review of the literature

PubMed Central

Parker, William AE; Edafe, Ovie; Balasubramanian, Sabapathy P

2017-01-01

Background Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) occurs in relatively young patients and is associated with a good prognosis and long survival. The management of this disease involves thyroidectomy, radioiodine therapy, and long-term thyroid-stimulating hormone suppression therapy (THST). The long-term effects of the treatment and the interaction between subclinical hyperthyroidism and long-term hypoparathyroidism are poorly understood. This review sought to examine the available evidence. Methods A PubMed search was carried out using the search terms “Thyroid Neoplasms” AND (“Thyroxine” OR “Hypocalcemia” OR “Thyrotropin”). Original English language articles published in the last 30 years studying the morbidity from thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) suppression and hypoparathyroidism following a surgery for DTC were retrieved and reviewed by 2 authors. Results Of the 3,000 results, 66 papers including 4,517 patients were selected for the present study. Studies reported on a range of skeletal (included in 34 studies, 1,647 patients), cardiovascular (17 studies, 957 patients), psychological (10 studies, 663 patients), and other outcomes (10 studies, 1,348 patients). Nine of 26 studies on patients who underwent THST showed a reduction in bone density, and 13 of 23 studies showed an increase in bone turnover markers. Skeletal effects were more marked in postmenopausal women. There was no evidence of increased fracture risk, and only little data were available on hypoparathyroidism. Four of five studies showed an increased left ventricular mass index on echocardiography, and one study showed a higher prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF). There was little difference in basic physiological parameters and limited literature regarding symptoms or significant events. Six studies showed associations between long-term TSH suppression and impaired quality of life. Impaired glucose metabolism and prothrombotic states were also found in DTC patients. Conclusion There is limited literature regarding long-term DTC treatment-related morbidity, particularly regarding the effects of long-term hypocalcemia. Most studies have focused on surrogate markers and not on clinical outcomes. A large prospective study on defined clinical outcomes would help characterize the morbidity of treatment and stimulate research on tailoring treatment strategies. PMID:28553154

The Effects of Occupational Stress, Work-Centrality, Self-Efficacy, and Job Satisfaction on Intent to Quit Among Long-Term Care Workers in Korea.

PubMed

Park, Jeongkyu; Yoon, Seokwon; Moon, Sung Seek; Lee, Kyoung Hag; Park, Jueun

2017-01-01

A large and growing population of elderly Koreans with chronic conditions necessitates an increase in long-term care. This study is aimed at investigating the effects of occupational stress, work-centrality, self-efficacy, and job satisfaction on intent to leave among long-term care workers in Korea. We tested the hypothesized structural equation model predicting the intention to quit among long-term care workers in Korea. Survey data were collected from 532 long-term care workers in Seoul, Korea. Results showed that occupational stress was positively associated with intention to leave the job. The study also identified several possible mediators (self-efficacy, work-centrality, job satisfaction) in the relationship between stress and intent to quit. Evidence-based stress management interventions are suggested to help the workers better cope with stressors. Mentoring programs should also be considered for new workers.

Building child trauma theory from longitudinal studies: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Alisic, Eva; Jongmans, Marian J; van Wesel, Floryt; Kleber, Rolf J

2011-07-01

Many children are exposed to traumatic events, with potentially serious psychological and developmental consequences. Therefore, understanding development of long-term posttraumatic stress in children is essential. We aimed to contribute to child trauma theory by focusing on theory use and theory validation in longitudinal studies. Forty studies measuring short-term predictors and long-term posttraumatic stress symptoms were identified and coded for theoretical grounding, sample characteristics, and correlational effect sizes. Explicit theoretical frameworks were present in a minority of the studies. Important predictors of long-term posttraumatic stress were symptoms of acute and short-term posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and parental posttraumatic stress. Female gender, injury severity, duration of hospitalization, and elevated heart rate shortly after hospitalization yielded small effect sizes. Age, minority status, and socioeconomic status were not significantly related to long-term posttraumatic stress reactions. Since many other variables were not studied frequently enough to compute effect sizes, existing theoretical frameworks could only be partially confirmed or falsified. Child trauma theory-building can be facilitated by development of encouraging journal policies, the use of comparable methods, and more intense collaboration. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Low-dose penicillin in early life induces long-term changes in murine gut microbiota, brain cytokines and behavior

PubMed Central

Leclercq, Sophie; Mian, Firoz M.; Stanisz, Andrew M.; Bindels, Laure B.; Cambier, Emmanuel; Ben-Amram, Hila; Koren, Omry; Forsythe, Paul; Bienenstock, John

2017-01-01

There is increasing concern about potential long-term effects of antibiotics on children's health. Epidemiological studies have revealed that early-life antibiotic exposure can increase the risk of developing immune and metabolic diseases, and rodent studies have shown that administration of high doses of antibiotics has long-term effects on brain neurochemistry and behaviour. Here we investigate whether low-dose penicillin in late pregnancy and early postnatal life induces long-term effects in the offspring of mice. We find that penicillin has lasting effects in both sexes on gut microbiota, increases cytokine expression in frontal cortex, modifies blood–brain barrier integrity and alters behaviour. The antibiotic-treated mice exhibit impaired anxiety-like and social behaviours, and display aggression. Concurrent supplementation with Lactobacillus rhamnosus JB-1 prevents some of these alterations. These results warrant further studies on the potential role of early-life antibiotic use in the development of neuropsychiatric disorders, and the possible attenuation of these by beneficial bacteria. PMID:28375200

The Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of AWE Feedback on ESL Students' Development of Grammatical Accuracy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Zhi; Feng, Hui-Hsien; Saricaoglu, Aysel

2017-01-01

This classroom-based study employs a mixed-methods approach to exploring both short-term and long-term effects of Criterion feedback on ESL students' development of grammatical accuracy. The results of multilevel growth modeling indicate that Criterion feedback helps students in both intermediate-high and advanced-low levels reduce errors in eight…

Associations of Short-Term and Long-Term Exposure to Ambient Air Pollutants With Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Cai, Yuanyuan; Zhang, Bo; Ke, Weixia; Feng, Baixiang; Lin, Hualiang; Xiao, Jianpeng; Zeng, Weilin; Li, Xing; Tao, Jun; Yang, Zuyao; Ma, Wenjun; Liu, Tao

2016-07-01

Hypertension is a major disease of burden worldwide. Previous studies have indicated that air pollution might be a risk factor for hypertension, but the results were controversial. To fill this gap, we performed a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies to investigate the associations of short-term and long-term exposure to ambient air pollutants with hypertension. We searched all of the studies published before September 1, 2015, on the associations of ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NO2 and NOX), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) with hypertension in the English electronic databases. A pooled odds ratio (OR) for hypertension in association with each 10 μg/m(3) increase in air pollutant was calculated by a random-effects model (for studies with significant heterogeneity) or a fixed-effect model (for studies without significant heterogeneity). A total of 17 studies examining the effects of short-term (n=6) and long-term exposure (n=11) to air pollutants were identified. Short-term exposure to SO2 (OR=1.046, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.012-1.081), PM2.5 (OR=1.069, 95% CI: 1.003-1.141), and PM10 (OR=1.024, 95% CI: 1.016-1.032) were significantly associated with hypertension. Long-term exposure (a 10 μg/m(3) increase) to NO2 (OR=1.034, 95% CI: 1.005-1.063) and PM10 (OR=1.054, 95% CI: 1.036-1.072) had significant associations with hypertension. Exposure to other ambient air pollutants (short-term exposure to NO2, O3, and CO and long-term exposure to NOx, PM2.5, and SO2) also had positive relationships with hypertension, but lacked statistical significance. Our results suggest that short-term or long-term exposure to some air pollutants may increase the risk of hypertension. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

A systematic review of the evidence regarding efficacy of obesity prevention interventions among adults.

PubMed

Lemmens, V E P P; Oenema, A; Klepp, K I; Henriksen, H B; Brug, J

2008-09-01

In the past, interventions aimed at reducing obesity have mainly targeted at weight loss treatment in obese adults, with limited long-term effects. With the increasing number of people being obese and being at risk for obesity, there has been a shift in focus towards prevention of obesity. We conducted a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature on the efficacy of obesity prevention interventions in adults in order to identify effective interventions and intervention elements. Pubmed, OVID, and Web of Science databases were searched from January 1996 to June 2006. Interventions aimed at primary prevention of weight gain among adults achieved by focusing on dietary intake, physical activity or the combination of both were included. The outcome measure had to be difference in change in body mass index or body weight between the intervention and the control groups. Nine studies were included, five long-term studies (at least 1 year) and four short-term (3 months to 1 year). Seven studies evaluated an intervention that focused on a combination of diet and physical activity to prevent weight gain, one on diet only and one on physical activity only. One dietary intervention (long-term), and three combined dietary and physical activity interventions (one long-term and two short-term) produced significantly positive results at end of follow-up. The two long-term, effective interventions consisted of intensive and long-term intervention implementation, including groups sessions designed to promote behavioural changes. The current evidence of efficacy of obesity prevention interventions is based on a very small number of studies. Some studies showed a positive impact on body mass index or weight status, but there was too much heterogeneity in terms of study design, theoretical underpinning and target population to draw firm conclusions about which intervention approaches are more effective than others. More research is urgently needed to extend the body of evidence.

Evidence from a rare case study for Hebbian-like changes in structural connectivity induced by long-term deep brain stimulation.

PubMed

van Hartevelt, Tim J; Cabral, Joana; Møller, Arne; FitzGerald, James J; Green, Alexander L; Aziz, Tipu Z; Deco, Gustavo; Kringelbach, Morten L

2015-01-01

It is unclear whether Hebbian-like learning occurs at the level of long-range white matter connections in humans, i.e., where measurable changes in structural connectivity (SC) are correlated with changes in functional connectivity. However, the behavioral changes observed after deep brain stimulation (DBS) suggest the existence of such Hebbian-like mechanisms occurring at the structural level with functional consequences. In this rare case study, we obtained the full network of white matter connections of one patient with Parkinson's disease (PD) before and after long-term DBS and combined it with a computational model of ongoing activity to investigate the effects of DBS-induced long-term structural changes. The results show that the long-term effects of DBS on resting-state functional connectivity is best obtained in the computational model by changing the structural weights from the subthalamic nucleus (STN) to the putamen and the thalamus in a Hebbian-like manner. Moreover, long-term DBS also significantly changed the SC towards normality in terms of model-based measures of segregation and integration of information processing, two key concepts of brain organization. This novel approach using computational models to model the effects of Hebbian-like changes in SC allowed us to causally identify the possible underlying neural mechanisms of long-term DBS using rare case study data. In time, this could help predict the efficacy of individual DBS targeting and identify novel DBS targets.

Centennial impacts of fragmentation on the canopy structure of tropical montane forest

Treesearch

Nicholas Vaughn; Greg Asner; Christian Giardina

2014-01-01

Fragmentation poses one of the greatest threats to tropical forests with short-term changes to the structure of forest canopies affecting microclimate, tree mortality, and growth. Yet the long-term effects of fragmentation are poorly understood because (1) most effects require many decades to materialize, but long-term studies are very rare, (2) the effects of edges on...

Non-invasive detection and monitoring of experimental hydrocephalus with distortion product otoacoustic emissions.

PubMed

Ezerarslan, Hande; Beriat, Güçlü Kaan; Nurhat, Raziye Handan; Kazancı, Burak; Çelikkan, Ferda Topal; Sabuncuoğlu, Bizden; Sabuncuoğlu, Hakan

2016-08-01

We aimed to find out the effects of short term and long term hydrocephalus and intracranial ventricular volume changes on cochlear functions by using distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) in experimental hydrocephalus rat models for the first time in literature. This study was performed with 48 healthy, adult (8 weeks old), Sprague-Dawley rats which weighed between 200 and 240g. Six groups were formed in this study: short term control, short term sham, short term hydrocephalus, long term control, long term sham and long term hydrocephalus groups. Each group contained eight rats. Short term period was 4 weeks and long term period was 8 weeks after the study started. At the end of these periods, DPOAE measurements were performed and then rats were sacrificed to determine ventricular volumes. DPOAE values at all frequencies were significantly decreased in the short term hydrocephalus group when compared to the short term control and short term sham groups. DPOAE values at all frequencies were significantly decreased in the long term hydrocephalus group when compared to the long term control and long term sham groups. Besides, long term sham group which had higher ventricular volumes than long term control group also had lower DPOAE measurements. Significant associations were present between DPOAE measurements and ventricular volumes in hydrocephalus models. The functional disturbances in cochlear functions due to hydrocephalus have been demonstrated with DPOAE measurements in this study. DPOAE measurements may be thought as an easily applicable non-invasive method in detection and follow-up of patients with hydrocephalus. Our findings should be supported with clinical studies in humans. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Musicians have better memory than nonmusicians: A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Talamini, Francesca; Altoè, Gianmarco; Carretti, Barbara; Grassi, Massimo

2017-01-01

Several studies have found that musicians perform better than nonmusicians in memory tasks, but this is not always the case, and the strength of this apparent advantage is unknown. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis with the aim of clarifying whether musicians perform better than nonmusicians in memory tasks. Education Source; PEP (WEB)-Psychoanalytic Electronic Publishing; Psychology and Behavioral Science (EBSCO); PsycINFO (Ovid); PubMed; ScienceDirect-AllBooks Content (Elsevier API); SCOPUS (Elsevier API); SocINDEX with Full Text (EBSCO) and Google Scholar were searched for eligible studies. The selected studies involved two groups of participants: young adult musicians and nonmusicians. All the studies included memory tasks (loading long-term, short-term or working memory) that contained tonal, verbal or visuospatial stimuli. Three meta-analyses were run separately for long-term memory, short-term memory and working memory. We collected 29 studies, including 53 memory tasks. The results showed that musicians performed better than nonmusicians in terms of long-term memory, g = .29, 95% CI (.08-.51), short-term memory, g = .57, 95% CI (.41-.73), and working memory, g = .56, 95% CI (.33-.80). To further explore the data, we included a moderator (the type of stimulus presented, i.e., tonal, verbal or visuospatial), which was found to influence the effect size for short-term and working memory, but not for long-term memory. In terms of short-term and working memory, the musicians' advantage was large with tonal stimuli, moderate with verbal stimuli, and small or null with visuospatial stimuli. The three meta-analyses revealed a small effect size for long-term memory, and a medium effect size for short-term and working memory, suggesting that musicians perform better than nonmusicians in memory tasks. Moreover, the effect of the moderator suggested that, the type of stimuli influences this advantage.

Musicians have better memory than nonmusicians: A meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Altoè, Gianmarco; Carretti, Barbara; Grassi, Massimo

2017-01-01

Background Several studies have found that musicians perform better than nonmusicians in memory tasks, but this is not always the case, and the strength of this apparent advantage is unknown. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis with the aim of clarifying whether musicians perform better than nonmusicians in memory tasks. Methods Education Source; PEP (WEB)—Psychoanalytic Electronic Publishing; Psychology and Behavioral Science (EBSCO); PsycINFO (Ovid); PubMed; ScienceDirect—AllBooks Content (Elsevier API); SCOPUS (Elsevier API); SocINDEX with Full Text (EBSCO) and Google Scholar were searched for eligible studies. The selected studies involved two groups of participants: young adult musicians and nonmusicians. All the studies included memory tasks (loading long-term, short-term or working memory) that contained tonal, verbal or visuospatial stimuli. Three meta-analyses were run separately for long-term memory, short-term memory and working memory. Results We collected 29 studies, including 53 memory tasks. The results showed that musicians performed better than nonmusicians in terms of long-term memory, g = .29, 95% CI (.08–.51), short-term memory, g = .57, 95% CI (.41–.73), and working memory, g = .56, 95% CI (.33–.80). To further explore the data, we included a moderator (the type of stimulus presented, i.e., tonal, verbal or visuospatial), which was found to influence the effect size for short-term and working memory, but not for long-term memory. In terms of short-term and working memory, the musicians’ advantage was large with tonal stimuli, moderate with verbal stimuli, and small or null with visuospatial stimuli. Conclusions The three meta-analyses revealed a small effect size for long-term memory, and a medium effect size for short-term and working memory, suggesting that musicians perform better than nonmusicians in memory tasks. Moreover, the effect of the moderator suggested that, the type of stimuli influences this advantage. PMID:29049416

A Field Experimental Design of a Strengths-Based Training to Overcome Academic Procrastination: Short- and Long-Term Effect.

PubMed

Visser, Lennart; Schoonenboom, Judith; Korthagen, Fred A J

2017-01-01

This study reports on the effect of a newly developed 4-week strengths-based training approach to overcome academic procrastination, given to first-year elementary teacher education students ( N = 54). The training was based on a strengths-based approach, in which elements of the cognitive behavioral approach were also used. The purpose of the training was to promote awareness of the personal strengths of students who experience academic procrastination regularly and to teach them how to use their personal strengths in situations in which they usually tend to procrastinate. With a pretest-posttest control group design (two experimental groups: n = 31, control group: n = 23), the effect of the training on academic procrastination was studied after 1, 11, and 24 weeks. Results of a one-way analysis of covariance revealed a significant short-term effect of the training. In the long term (after 11 and 24 weeks), the scores for academic procrastination for the intervention groups remained stable, whereas the scores for academic procrastination for the control group decreased to the same level as those of the intervention groups. The findings of this study suggest that a strengths-based approach can be helpful to students at an early stage of their academic studies to initiate their individual process of dealing with academic procrastination. The findings for the long term show the importance of measuring the outcomes of an intervention not only shortly after the intervention but also in the long term. Further research is needed to find out how the short-term effect can be maintained in the long-term.

Consolidation of episodic memories during sleep: long-term effects of retrieval practice.

PubMed

Racsmány, Mihály; Conway, Martin A; Demeter, Gyula

2010-01-01

Two experiments investigated the long-term effects of retrieval practice. In the retrieval-practice procedure, selected items from a previously studied list are repeatedly recalled. The typical retrieval-practice effects are considerably enhanced memory for practiced items accompanied by low levels of recall, relative to baseline, for previously studied items that are associated with the practiced items but were not themselves practiced. The two experiments demonstrated that the former effect persisted over 12 hr; the latter effect also persisted over 12 hr, but only if a period of nocturnal sleep occurred during the retention interval. We propose that consolidation processes occurring during sleep, and possibly featuring some form of off-line rehearsal, mediate these long-term effects of retrieval practice.

Comparative study on short- and long-term behavioral consequences of organophosphate exposure: relationship to AChE mRNA expression.

PubMed

López-Granero, Caridad; Cardona, Diana; Giménez, Estela; Lozano, Rafael; Barril, José; Aschner, Michael; Sánchez-Santed, Fernando; Cañadas, Fernando

2014-01-01

Organophosphates (OPs) affect behavior by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase (AChE). While the cognitive short-term effects may be directly attributed to this inhibition, the mechanisms that underlie OP's long-term cognitive effects remain controversial and poorly understood. Accordingly, two experiments were designed to assess the effects of OPs on cognition, and to ascertain whether both the short- and long-term effects of are AChE-dependent. A single subcutaneous dose of 250 mg/kg chlorpyrifos (CPF), 1.5mg/kg diisopropylphosphorofluoridate (DFP) or 15 mg/kg parathion (PTN) was administered to male Wistar rats. Spatial learning was evaluated 72 h or 23 weeks after exposure, and impulsive choice was tested at 10 and 30 weeks following OPs administration (experiment 1 and 2, respectively). Brain soluble and membrane-bound AChE activity, synaptic AChE-S mRNA, read-through AChE-R mRNA and brain acylpeptide hydrolase (APH) activity (as alternative non-cholinergic target) were analyzed upon completion of the behavioral testing (17 and 37 weeks after OPs exposure). Both short- and long-term CPF treatment caused statistically significant effects on spatial learning, while PTN treatment led only to statistically significant short-term effects. Neither CPF, DFP nor PTN affected the long-term impulsivity response. Long-term exposure to CPF and DFP significantly decreased AChE-S and AChE-R mRNA, while in the PTN treated group only AChE-S mRNA levels were decreased. However, after long-term OP exposure, soluble and membrane-bound AChE activity was indistinguishable from controls. Finally, no changes were noted in brain APH activity in response to OP treatment. Taken together, this study demonstrates long-term effects of OPs on AChE-S and AChE-R mRNA in the absence of changes in AChE soluble and membrane-bound activity. Thus, changes in AChE mRNA expression imply non-catalytic properties of the AChE enzyme. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pre-Primary Education and Long-Term Education Performance: Evidence from Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Thailand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pholphirul, Piriya

2017-01-01

Several research papers have assessed the long-term benefits of pre-primary education in terms of academic performance and labor market outcomes. This study analyzes data obtained from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) to estimate the effects of preschool enrollment of Thai students on producing long-term benefits in their…

[The effects of multimedia-assisted instruction on the skin care learning of nurse aides in long-term care facilities].

PubMed

Wu, Yu-Ling; Kao, Yu-Hsiu

2014-08-01

Skin care is an important responsibility of nurse aides in long-term care facilities, and the nursing knowledge, attitudes, and skills of these aides significantly affects quality of care. However, the work schedule of nurse aides often limits their ability to obtain further education and training. Therefore, developing appropriate and effective training programs for nurse aides is critical to maintaining and improving quality of care in long-term care facilities. This study investigates the effects of multimedia assisted instruction on the skin care learning of nurse aides working in long-term care facilities. A quasi-experimental design and convenient sampling were adopted in this study. Participants included 96 nurse aides recruited from 5 long-term care facilities in Taoyuan County, Taiwan. The experimental group received 3 weeks of multimedia assisted instruction. The control group did not receive this instruction. The Skin Care Questionnaire for Nurse Aides in Long-term Care Facilities and the Skin Care Behavior Checklist were used for assessment before and after the intervention. (1) Posttest scores for skin care knowledge, attitudes, behavior, and the skin care checklist were significantly higher than pretest scores for the intervention group. There was no significant difference between pretest and posttest scores for the control group. (2) A covariance analysis of pretest scores for the two groups showed that the experimental group earned significantly higher average scores than their control group peers for skin care knowledge, attitudes, behavior, and the skin care checklist. The multimedia assisted instruction demonstrated significant and positive effects on the skin care leaning of nurse aides in long-term care facilities. This finding supports the use of multimedia assisted instruction in the education and training of nurse aides in long-term care facilities in the future.

Individual Differences in the Effects of Retrieval from Long-Term Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brewer, Gene A.; Unsworth, Nash

2012-01-01

The current study examined individual differences in the effects of retrieval from long-term memory (i.e., the testing effect). The effects of retrieving from memory make tested information more accessible for future retrieval attempts. Despite the broad applied ramifications of such a potent memorization technique there is a paucity of research…

Perpetuation Theory and the Long-Term Effects of School Desegregation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wells, Amy Stuart; Crain, Robert L.

1994-01-01

This review brings together 21 studies on the long-term effects of school desegregation on the life chances of African American students. These studies draw on perpetuation theory, a macro-micro theory of racial segregation. They support the idea that interracial contact in school can help blacks overcome perpetual segregation. (SLD)

The Effect of Five Smoking Cessation Pharmacotherapies on Smoking Cessation Milestones

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Japuntich, Sandra J.; Piper, Megan E.; Leventhal, Adam M.; Bolt, Daniel M.; Baker, Timothy B.

2011-01-01

Objective: Most smoking cessation studies have used long-term abstinence as their primary outcome measure. Recent research has suggested that long-term abstinence may be an insensitive index of important smoking cessation mechanisms. The goal of the current study was to examine the effects of 5 smoking cessation pharmacotherapies using Shiffman et…

Traumatic Brain Injury in Early Childhood: Developmental Effects and Interventions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowenthal, Barbara; Lowenthal, Barbara

1998-01-01

Describes the unique effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) on development in early childhood and offers suggestions for interventions in the cognitive, language, social-emotional, motor, and adaptive domains. Urges more intensive, long-term studies on the immediate and long-term effects of TBI. (Author/DB)

A Meta-Analysis of the Long-Term Effects of Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, and Reading Comprehension Interventions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suggate, Sebastian P.

2016-01-01

Much is known about short-term--but very little about the long-term--effects of reading interventions. To rectify this, a detailed analysis of follow-up effects as a function of intervention, sample, and methodological variables was conducted. A total of 71 intervention-control groups were selected (N = 8,161 at posttest) from studies reporting…

The effect of hospital mergers on long-term sickness absence among hospital employees: a fixed effects multivariate regression analysis using panel data

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Hospitals are merging to become more cost-effective. Mergers are often complex and difficult processes with variable outcomes. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of mergers on long-term sickness absence among hospital employees. Methods Long-term sickness absence was analyzed among hospital employees (N = 107 209) in 57 hospitals involved in 23 mergers in Norway between 2000 and 2009. Variation in long-term sickness absence was explained through a fixed effects multivariate regression analysis using panel data with years-since-merger as the independent variable. Results We found a significant but modest effect of mergers on long-term sickness absence in the year of the merger, and in years 2, 3 and 4; analyzed by gender there was a significant effect for women, also for these years, but only in year 4 for men. However, men are less represented among the hospital workforce; this could explain the lack of significance. Conclusions Mergers has a significant effect on employee health that should be taken into consideration when deciding to merge hospitals. This study illustrates the importance of analyzing the effects of mergers over several years and the need for more detailed analyses of merger processes and of the changes that may occur as a result of such mergers. PMID:24490750

Few long-term consequences after prolonged maternal separation in female Wistar rats

PubMed Central

Abelson, Klas S. P.; Nylander, Ingrid; Roman, Erika

2017-01-01

Environmental factors during the early-life period are known to have long-term consequences for the adult phenotype. An intimate interplay between genes and environment shape the individual and may affect vulnerability for psychopathology in a sex-dependent manner. A rodent maternal separation model was here used to study the long-term effects of different early-life rearing conditions on adult behavior, HPA axis activity and long-term voluntary alcohol intake in female rats. Litters were subjected to 15 min (MS15) or 360 min (MS360) of daily maternal separation during postnatal day 1–21. In adulthood, the behavioral profiles were investigated using the multivariate concentric square field™ (MCSF) test or examined for HPA axis reactivity by cat-odor exposure with subsequent characterization of voluntary alcohol intake and associated changes in HPA axis activity. Adult female MS360 offspring showed mostly no, or only minor, effects on behavior, HPA axis reactivity and long-term alcohol intake relative to MS15. Instead, more pronounced effects were found dependent on changes in the natural hormonal cycle or by the choice of animal supplier. However, changes were revealed in corticosterone load after long-term alcohol access, as females subjected to MS360 had higher concentrations of fecal corticosterone. The present findings are in line with and expand on previous studies on the long-term effects of maternal separation in female rats with regard to behavior, HPA axis activity and voluntary alcohol intake. It can also be a window into further studies detailing how early-life experiences interact with other risk and protective factors to impact the adult phenotype and how possible sex differences play a role. PMID:29267376

Fish passage through retrofitted culverts : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-11-01

Long term and short term studies of fish movement were conducted at several retrofitted culverts within Oregon. This was done to assess the effectiveness of retrofitting culverts with baffles to improve fish passage. The long term results showed that...

[Long-term effects of pulsed radiofrequency on the dorsal root ganglion and segmental nerve roots for lumbosacral radicular pain: a prospective controlled randomized trial with nerve root block].

PubMed

Fujii, Hiromi; Kosogabe, Yoshinori; Kajiki, Hideki

2012-08-01

Although pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) method for lumbosacral radicular pain (LSRP) is reportedly effective, there are no prospective controlled trials. We assessed the long-term efficacy of PRF of the dorsal root ganglion and nerve roots for LSRP as compared with nerve root block (RB). The study included 27 patients suffering from LSRP. The design of this study was randomized with a RB control. In the PRF group, the PRF current was applied for 120 seconds after RB. In the RB group, the patients received RB only. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was assessed immediately before, and immediately, 2 hours, 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after the procedure. P<0.05 was regarded as denoting statistical significance. In both groups, the VAS not only of short-term but also of long-term (6 months and 1 year after procedure) significantly decreased as compared with that before treatment (P<0.05). There were no significant differences of VAS between the two groups at the same time points. This study indicates that PRF adjacent to the dorsal root ganglion and nerve roots for LSRP has long-term effects. There were no significant differences of long-term effects between the two groups.

Substitution of sugar-sweetened beverages with other beverage alternatives: a review of long-term health outcomes.

PubMed

Zheng, Miaobing; Allman-Farinelli, Margaret; Heitmann, Berit Lilienthal; Rangan, Anna

2015-05-01

Excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has become an intractable public health concern worldwide, making investigation of healthy beverage alternatives for SSBs imperative. To summarize the available evidence on the effects of replacing SSBs with beverage alternatives on long-term health outcomes. We systematically retrieved studies from six electronic databases from inception to November 2013. Prospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effects of substituting beverage alternatives for SSBs on long-term health outcomes in both children and adults were included. The quality of included studies was assessed using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network 50 methodology checklists. Six cohort studies and four RCTs were included in the systematic review with the quality rating ranging from acceptable to high. Evidence from both cohort studies and RCTs showed substitution of SSBs by various beverage alternatives was associated with long-term lower energy intake and lower weight gain. However, evidence was insufficient to draw conclusions regarding the effect of beverage substitution on other health outcomes, and which beverage alternative is the best choice. Although studies on this topic are sparse, the available evidence suggests a potential beneficial effect on body weight outcomes when SSBs are replaced by water or low-calorie beverages. Further studies in this area are warranted to fully understand the long-term health implications of beverage substitutions. Copyright © 2015 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Sexual Functioning of Adult Women Molested as Children: A Review of Empirical Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarke, Julie Lynn

This paper reviews the research literature from 1978 to 1991 that addresses long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse on adult women's sexual functioning. Frequently reported long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse are noted, including both sexual dissatisfaction and sexual dysfunction. In terms of sexual dysfunction, it is noted that adult…

Effect of Short- and Long-Term Play Therapy Services on Teacher-Child Relationship Stress

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ray, Dee C.; Henson, Robin K.; Schottelkorb, April A.; Brown, April Garofano; Muro, Joel

2008-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to explore the effect of both short- and long term Child-Centered Play Therapy on teacher-student relationship stress. Teachers identified 58 students exhibiting emotional and behavioral difficulties who were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. Students in the short-term intensive play therapy…

Testing for effects of climate change on competitive relationships and coexistence between two bird species.

PubMed

Stenseth, Nils Chr; Durant, Joël M; Fowler, Mike S; Matthysen, Erik; Adriaensen, Frank; Jonzén, Niclas; Chan, Kung-Sik; Liu, Hai; De Laet, Jenny; Sheldon, Ben C; Visser, Marcel E; Dhondt, André A

2015-05-22

Climate change is expected to have profound ecological effects, yet shifts in competitive abilities among species are rarely studied in this context. Blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) and great tits (Parus major) compete for food and roosting sites, yet coexist across much of their range. Climate change might thus change the competitive relationships and coexistence between these two species. Analysing four of the highest-quality, long-term datasets available on these species across Europe, we extend the textbook example of coexistence between competing species to include the dynamic effects of long-term climate variation. Using threshold time-series statistical modelling, we demonstrate that long-term climate variation affects species demography through different influences on density-dependent and density-independent processes. The competitive interaction between blue tits and great tits has shifted in one of the studied sites, creating conditions that alter the relative equilibrium densities between the two species, potentially disrupting long-term coexistence. Our analyses show that long-term climate change can, but does not always, generate local differences in the equilibrium conditions of spatially structured species assemblages. We demonstrate how long-term data can be used to better understand whether (and how), for instance, climate change might change the relationships between coexisting species. However, the studied populations are rather robust against competitive exclusion. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

An idealised study for the long term evolution of crescentic bars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, W. L.; Dodd, N.; Tiessen, M. C. H.; Calvete, D.

2018-01-01

An idealised study that identifies the mechanisms in the long term evolution of crescentic bar systems in nature is presented. Growth to finite amplitude (i.e., equilibration, sometimes referred to as saturation) and higher harmonic interaction are hypothesised to be the leading nonlinear effects in long-term evolution of these systems. These nonlinear effects are added to a linear stability model and used to predict crescentic bar development along a beach in Duck, North Carolina (USA) over a 2-month period. The equilibration prolongs the development of bed patterns, thus allowing the long term evolution. Higher harmonic interaction enables the amplitude to be transferred from longer to shorter lengthscales, which leads to the dominance of shorter lengthscales in latter post-storm stages, as observed at Duck. The comparison with observations indicates the importance of higher harmonic interaction in the development of nearshore crescentic bar systems in nature. Additionally, it is concluded that these nonlinear effects should be included in models simulating the development of different bed patterns, and that this points a way forward for long-term morphodynamical modelling in general.

Evidence for effective interventions to reduce mental health-related stigma and discrimination in the medium and long term: systematic review.

PubMed

Mehta, N; Clement, S; Marcus, E; Stona, A-C; Bezborodovs, N; Evans-Lacko, S; Palacios, J; Docherty, M; Barley, E; Rose, D; Koschorke, M; Shidhaye, R; Henderson, C; Thornicroft, G

2015-11-01

Most research on interventions to counter stigma and discrimination has focused on short-term outcomes and has been conducted in high-income settings. To synthesise what is known globally about effective interventions to reduce mental illness-based stigma and discrimination, in relation first to effectiveness in the medium and long term (minimum 4 weeks), and second to interventions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We searched six databases from 1980 to 2013 and conducted a multi-language Google search for quantitative studies addressing the research questions. Effect sizes were calculated from eligible studies where possible, and narrative syntheses conducted. Subgroup analysis compared interventions with and without social contact. Eighty studies (n = 422 653) were included in the review. For studies with medium or long-term follow-up (72, of which 21 had calculable effect sizes) median standardised mean differences were 0.54 for knowledge and -0.26 for stigmatising attitudes. Those containing social contact (direct or indirect) were not more effective than those without. The 11 LMIC studies were all from middle-income countries. Effect sizes were rarely calculable for behavioural outcomes or in LMIC studies. There is modest evidence for the effectiveness of anti-stigma interventions beyond 4 weeks follow-up in terms of increasing knowledge and reducing stigmatising attitudes. Evidence does not support the view that social contact is the more effective type of intervention for improving attitudes in the medium to long term. Methodologically strong research is needed on which to base decisions on investment in stigma-reducing interventions. © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2015.

Evidence for effective interventions to reduce mental health-related stigma and discrimination in the medium and long term: systematic review

PubMed Central

Mehta, N.; Clement, S.; Marcus, E.; Stona, A.-C.; Bezborodovs, N.; Evans-Lacko, S.; Palacios, J.; Docherty, M.; Barley, E.; Rose, D.; Koschorke, M.; Shidhaye, R.; Henderson, C.; Thornicroft, G.

2015-01-01

Background Most research on interventions to counter stigma and discrimination has focused on short-term outcomes and has been conducted in high-income settings. Aims To synthesise what is known globally about effective interventions to reduce mental illness-based stigma and discrimination, in relation first to effectiveness in the medium and long term (minimum 4 weeks), and second to interventions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Method We searched six databases from 1980 to 2013 and conducted a multi-language Google search for quantitative studies addressing the research questions. Effect sizes were calculated from eligible studies where possible, and narrative syntheses conducted. Subgroup analysis compared interventions with and without social contact. Results Eighty studies (n = 422 653) were included in the review. For studies with medium or long-term follow-up (72, of which 21 had calculable effect sizes) median standardised mean differences were 0.54 for knowledge and −0.26 for stigmatising attitudes. Those containing social contact (direct or indirect) were not more effective than those without. The 11 LMIC studies were all from middle-income countries. Effect sizes were rarely calculable for behavioural outcomes or in LMIC studies. Conclusions There is modest evidence for the effectiveness of anti-stigma interventions beyond 4 weeks follow-up in terms of increasing knowledge and reducing stigmatising attitudes. Evidence does not support the view that social contact is the more effective type of intervention for improving attitudes in the medium to long term. Methodologically strong research is needed on which to base decisions on investment in stigma-reducing interventions. PMID:26527664

Short and Sweet: The Persuasive Effects of Message Framing and Temporal Context in Antismoking Warning Labels.

PubMed

Mollen, Saar; Engelen, Susanne; Kessels, Loes T E; van den Putte, Bas

2017-01-01

Current warning labels on cigarette packages are generally focused on long-term losses that can be incurred if one continues smoking. This study compares the effects of these labels against warning labels that stress short-term losses of smoking as well as labels that stress short- and long-term benefits that can be obtained when one quits smoking. A 2 (message frame: gain vs. loss) × 2 (temporal context: short vs. long term) between-subjects experiment was conducted among 132 smokers, with attitude toward quitting smoking and intention to quit smoking, as well as information-seeking behavior and message recall, as the dependent variables. Findings were in line with theory regarding message framing and temporal discounting, showing enhanced effects of gain over loss frames and short-term over long-term consequences on warning labels for attitudes and intentions. In addition, an interaction between message frame and temporal context was found. Especially, gain-framed messages showed stronger effects on intentions to quit smoking than loss-framed messages when warning labels concerned short-term outcomes. Findings suggest that current warning labels, with an emphasis on long-term negative health outcomes, should be reconsidered.

Effects of Different Types of True-False Questions on Memory Awareness and Long-Term Retention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaap, Lydia; Verkoeijen, Peter; Schmidt, Henk

2014-01-01

This study investigated the effects of two different true-false questions on memory awareness and long-term retention of knowledge. Participants took four subsequent knowledge tests on curriculum learning material that they studied at different retention intervals prior to the start of this study (i.e. prior to the first test). At the first and…

Comparison of the effects of dose-dependent zinc chloride on short-term and long-term memory in young male rats.

PubMed

Moazedi, A A; Ghotbeddin, Z; Parham, G H

2007-08-15

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of dose-dependent of zinc chloride on short-term and long-term memory in a shuttle box. Young Wistar rats (94+/-10 g) (age 27-30 days) consumed zinc chloride drinking water in five different doses (20, 30, 50, 70 and 100 mg kg(-1) day(-1)) for two weeks by gavage. After 14 days on experimental diets, a shuttle box used to test short- and long-term memory. Two criteria considering for behavioral test, including latency in entering dark chamber and time spent in the dark chamber. This experiment shows that after 2 weeks oral administration of ZnCl2 with (20, 30 and 50 mg kg(-1) day(-1)) doses, the rat's working (short-term) has been improved (p<0.05). Whereas ZnCl2 with 30 mg kg(-1) day(-1) dose has been more effected than other doses (p<0.001). But rat which received ZnCl2 with 100 mg kg(-1) day(-1), has been shown significant impairment in working memory (p<0.05) and there was no significant difference in reference (long-term) memory for any of groups. In general, this study has demonstrated that zinc chloride consumption with 30 mg kg(-1) day(-1) dose for two weeks was more effective than other doses on short-term memory. But consumption of ZnCl2 with 100 mg kg(-1) day(-1) dose for two week had the negative effect on short-term memory. On the other hand, zinc supplementation did not have an effect on long-term memory.

Effectiveness of psychological interventions to improve quality of life in people with long-term conditions: rapid systematic review of randomised controlled trials.

PubMed

Anderson, Niall; Ozakinci, Gozde

2018-03-27

Long-term conditions may negatively impact multiple aspects of quality of life including physical functioning and mental wellbeing. The rapid systematic review aimed to examine the effectiveness of psychological interventions to improve quality of life in people with long-term conditions to inform future healthcare provision and research. EBSCOhost and OVID were used to search four databases (PsychInfo, PBSC, Medline and Embase). Relevant papers were systematically extracted by one researcher using the predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria based on titles, abstracts, and full texts. Randomized controlled trial psychological interventions conducted between 2006 and February 2016 to directly target and assess people with long-term conditions in order to improve quality of life were included. Interventions without long-term condition populations, psychological intervention and/or patient-assessed quality of life were excluded. From 2223 citations identified, 6 satisfied the inclusion/exclusion criteria. All 6 studies significantly improved at least one quality of life outcome immediately post-intervention. Significant quality of life improvements were maintained at 12-months follow-up in one out of two studies for each of the short- (0-3 months), medium- (3-12 months), and long-term (≥ 12 months) study duration categories. All 6 psychological intervention studies significantly improved at least one quality of life outcome immediately post-intervention, with three out of six studies maintaining effects up to 12-months post-intervention. Future studies should seek to assess the efficacy of tailored psychological interventions using different formats, durations and facilitators to supplement healthcare provision and practice.

Long-Term Effects of Child Death on Parents' Health-Related Quality of Life: A Dyadic Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Song, Jieun; Floyd, Frank J.; Seltzer, Marsha Mailick; Greenberg, Jan S.; Hong, Jinkuk

2010-01-01

This study examines the long-term effects of child death on bereaved parents' health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we compared 233 bereaved couples and 229 comparison couples (mean age = 65.11 years) and examined the life course effects of child death on parents' HRQoL. Variations in bereavement…

[Side effects of biologic therapies in psoriasis].

PubMed

Altenburg, A; Augustin, M; Zouboulis, C C

2018-04-01

The introduction of biologics has revolutionized the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Due to the continuous expansion of biological therapies for psoriasis, it is particularly important to acknowledge efficacy and safety of the compounds not only in clinical trials but also in long-term registry-based observational studies. Typical side effects and significant risks of antipsoriatic biologic therapies considering psoriatic control groups are presented. A selective literature search was conducted in PubMed and long-term safety studies of the psoriasis registries PsoBest, PSOLAR and BADBIR were evaluated. To assess the long-term safety of biologics, the evaluation of the course of large patient cohorts in long-term registries is of particular medical importance. Newer biologic drugs seem to exhibit a better safety profile than older ones.

Comparison of Models of Stress Relaxation in Failure Analysis for Connectors under Long-term Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Yilin; Wan, Mengru

2018-03-01

Reliability requirements of the system equipment under long-term storage are put forward especially for the military products, so that the connectors in the equipment also need long-term storage life correspondingly. In this paper, the effects of stress relaxation of the elastic components on electrical contact of the connectors in long-term storage process were studied from the failure mechanism and degradation models. A wire spring connector was taken as an example to discuss the life prediction method for electrical contacts of the connectors based on stress relaxation degradation under long -term storage.

Long-term effects on nursing alumni: Assessing a course in public and global health.

PubMed

Palmer, Sheri P; Lundberg, Karen; de la Cruz, Karen; Corbett, Cheryl; Heaston, Sondra; Reed, Shelly; Williams, Mary

The impact of a cultural awareness course among nursing students may affect the particular person for years to come. Cultural awareness can be taught via many methods, often requiring study abroad and/or extreme investment of time, money and effort. There is little research on sustained effects on nursing alumni from such a course. The purpose of this descriptive survey study was to determine the long term outcomes of a cultural awareness course and 2) compare the long term effects between alumni who went abroad and those who chose to complete the course locally. One hundred and twenty-one nursing alumni completed the International Education Survey (IES) (Zorn, 1996) with additional open-ended questions. Quantitative and qualitative results concluded: 1) nursing alumni were influenced long term by a course dedicated to public and global health and 2) all alumni had statistically significant IES scores but alumni who studied abroad had the greatest increase. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Inflammatory markers in relation to long-term air pollution.

PubMed

Mostafavi, Nahid; Vlaanderen, Jelle; Chadeau-Hyam, Marc; Beelen, Rob; Modig, Lars; Palli, Domenico; Bergdahl, Ingvar A; Vineis, Paolo; Hoek, Gerard; Kyrtopoulos, Soterios Α; Vermeulen, Roel

2015-08-01

Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution can lead to chronic health effects such as cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory disease. Systemic inflammation has been hypothesized as a putative biological mechanism contributing to these adverse health effects. We evaluated the effect of long-term exposure to air pollution on blood markers of systemic inflammation. We measured a panel of 28 inflammatory markers in peripheral blood samples from 587 individuals that were biobanked as part of a prospective study. Participants were from Varese and Turin (Italy) and Umea (Sweden). Long-term air pollution estimates of nitrogen oxides (NOx) were available from the European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects (ESCAPE). Linear mixed models adjusted for potential confounders were applied to assess the association between NOx and the markers of inflammation. Long-term exposure to NOx was associated with decreased levels of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-8, IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor-α in Italy, but not in Sweden. NOx exposure levels were considerably lower in Sweden than in Italy (Sweden: median (5th, 95th percentiles) 6.65 μg/m(3) (4.8, 19.7); Italy: median (5th, 95th percentiles) 94.2 μg/m(3) (7.8, 124.5)). Combining data from Italy and Sweden we only observed a significant association between long-term exposure to NOx and decreased levels of circulating IL-8. We observed some indication for perturbations in the inflammatory markers due to long-term exposure to NOx. Effects were stronger in Italy than in Sweden, potentially reflecting the difference in air pollution levels between the two cohorts. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An update on the role of opioids in the management of chronic pain of nonmalignant origin.

PubMed

Højsted, Jette; Sjøgren, Per

2007-10-01

To summarize and reflect over primarily recent epidemiological and randomized controlled trials in opioid-treated chronic nonmalignant pain patients, focusing on effects, side effects, risks and long-term consequences of the treatment. In the western world opioids are increasingly being used for long-term treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain. While the long-term benefits of opioids regarding pain relief, functional capacity and health-related quality of life still remain to be proven, studies are emerging that describe serious long-term consequences such as addiction, opioid-induced hyperalgesia, cognitive disorders, and suppression of the immune and reproductive systems. Much more research is needed concerning long-time effects and consequences of opioid therapy in chronic nonmalignant pain patients; however, some clear warning signals have been sent out within recent years.

A Field Experimental Design of a Strengths-Based Training to Overcome Academic Procrastination: Short- and Long-Term Effect

PubMed Central

Visser, Lennart; Schoonenboom, Judith; Korthagen, Fred A. J.

2017-01-01

This study reports on the effect of a newly developed 4-week strengths-based training approach to overcome academic procrastination, given to first-year elementary teacher education students (N = 54). The training was based on a strengths-based approach, in which elements of the cognitive behavioral approach were also used. The purpose of the training was to promote awareness of the personal strengths of students who experience academic procrastination regularly and to teach them how to use their personal strengths in situations in which they usually tend to procrastinate. With a pretest-posttest control group design (two experimental groups: n = 31, control group: n = 23), the effect of the training on academic procrastination was studied after 1, 11, and 24 weeks. Results of a one-way analysis of covariance revealed a significant short-term effect of the training. In the long term (after 11 and 24 weeks), the scores for academic procrastination for the intervention groups remained stable, whereas the scores for academic procrastination for the control group decreased to the same level as those of the intervention groups. The findings of this study suggest that a strengths-based approach can be helpful to students at an early stage of their academic studies to initiate their individual process of dealing with academic procrastination. The findings for the long term show the importance of measuring the outcomes of an intervention not only shortly after the intervention but also in the long term. Further research is needed to find out how the short-term effect can be maintained in the long-term. PMID:29163317

Long-Term Effects of the Realfit Intervention on Self-Esteem and Food Craving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartelink, Nina H. M.; Mulkens, Sandra; Mujakovic, Suhreta; Jansen, Maria W. J.

2018-01-01

Background: RealFit is a 13-week weight-reduction programme for adolescents. This study investigated the programme's long-term effectiveness regarding the psychological outcomes of self-esteem and food craving. Methods: The study had a quasi-experimental design. Body mass index, self-esteem and food craving were assessed at baseline (T[subscript…

The Long-Term Effects of Florida's Third Grade Retention Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Andre K.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to evaluate the long-term effects of Florida's Third-Grade Retention policy on low performing students' subsequent academic performance as measured by FCAT reading scores. The study included a random stratified sample of 1500 retained third graders for failure to meet Florida's…

Impacts Of Long-Term Prescribed Fire On Decomposition And Litter Quality In Uneven-Aged Loblolly Pine Stands

Treesearch

Michele L. Renschin; Hal O. Liechty; Michael G. Shelton

2002-01-01

Abstract - Although fire has long been an important forest management tool in the southern United States, little is known concerning the effects of long-term fire use on nutrient cycling and decomposition. To better understand the effects of fire on these processes, decomposition rates, and foliage litter quality were quantified in a study...

Involvement of melatonin metabolites in the long-term inhibitory effect of the hormone on rat spinal nociceptive transmission.

PubMed

Mondaca, Mauricio; Hernández, Alejandro; Valladares, Luis; Sierralta, Walter; Noseda, Rodrigo; Soto-Moyano, Rubén

2004-02-01

There is evidence that melatonin and its metabolites could bind to nuclear sites in neurones, suggesting that this hormone is able to exert long-term functional effects in the central nervous system via genomic mechanisms. This study was designed to investigate (i) whether systemically administered melatonin can exert long-term effects on spinal cord windup activity, and (ii) whether blockade of melatonin degradation with eserine could prevent this effect. Rats receiving melatonin (10 mg/kg ip), the same dose of melatonin plus eserine (0.5 mg/kg ip), or saline were studied. Seven days after administration of the drugs or saline, spinal windup of rats was assessed in a C-fiber reflex response paradigm. Results show that rats receiving melatonin exhibited a reduction in spinal windup activity. This was not observed in the animals receiving melatonin plus eserine or saline, suggesting a role for melatonin metabolites in long-term changes of nociceptive transmission in the rat spinal cord.

Long-term mucocutaneous adverse effects of imatinib in Indian chronic myeloid leukemia patients.

PubMed

Vinay, Keshavamurthy; Yanamandra, Uday; Dogra, Sunil; Handa, Sanjeev; Suri, Vikas; Kumari, Savita; Khadwal, Alka; Prakash, Gaurav; Lad, Deepesh; Varma, Subhash; Malhotra, Pankaj

2018-03-01

Short-term mucocutaneous adverse effects are well documented with imatinib. However, studies on long-term adverse effects and in the ethnic population are lacking. To study the long-term mucocutaneous adverse effects of imatinib and factors predicting these adverse effects. In this cross-sectional study, consenting adult chronic myeloid leukemia patients on imatinib for more than 250 days were recruited. The details of imatinib treatment were retrieved from hematology clinic records. Four hundred and thirty-eight patients who were on imatinib for a mean duration of 1820 days were recruited. A mean number of 1.42 ± 0.98 cutaneous adverse effects were seen per patient. Melasma-like pigmentation, periorbital edema, oral lichenoid reaction, cutaneous hypopigmentation, and vesicobullous eruptions were seen in 236 (53.9%), 81 (18.5%), 70 (16%), 42 (9.6%), and 12 (2.7%) patients, respectively. Drug-induced cutaneous eruptions (9.1%) and cutaneous hypopigmentation (9.6%) were seen less frequently. Cutaneous hyperpigmentation was more likely seen in younger patients (P = 0.001) and females (P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, female gender was a significant risk factor for developing cutaneous hyperpigmentation and periorbital edema. Cutaneous hyperpigmentation and periorbital edema are common long-term adverse effects of imatinib in Indian patients. Female gender is a significant risk factor for the development of both these adverse effects. © 2017 The International Society of Dermatology.

Studies of long-term noopept and afobazol treatment in rats with learned helplessness neurosis.

PubMed

Uyanaev, A A; Fisenko, V P

2006-08-01

Long-lasting effects of new Russian psychotropic drugs Noopept and Afobazol on active avoidance conditioning and formation of learned helplessness neurosis were studied on an original experimental model in rats. Noopept eliminated the manifestations of learned helplessness after long-term (21-day) treatment by increasing the percent of trained animals. Afobazol was low effective in preventing manifestations of learned helplessness, but if used for a long time, it reduced the incidence of learned helplessness development by increasing the percent of untrained animals.

Conversion of short-term to long-term memory in the novel object recognition paradigm

PubMed Central

Moore, Shannon J.; Deshpande, Kaivalya; Stinnett, Gwen S.; Seasholtz, Audrey F.; Murphy, Geoffrey G.

2013-01-01

It is well-known that stress can significantly impact learning; however, whether this effect facilitates or impairs the resultant memory depends on the characteristics of the stressor. Investigation of these dynamics can be confounded by the role of the stressor in motivating performance in a task. Positing a cohesive model of the effect of stress on learning and memory necessitates elucidating the consequences of stressful stimuli independently from task-specific functions. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine the effect of manipulating a task-independent stressor (elevated light level) on short-term and long-term memory in the novel object recognition paradigm. Short-term memory was elicited in both low light and high light conditions, but long-term memory specifically required high light conditions during the acquisition phase (familiarization trial) and was independent of the light level during retrieval (test trial). Additionally, long-term memory appeared to be independent of stress-mediated glucocorticoid release, as both low and high light produced similar levels of plasma corticosterone, which further did not correlate with subsequent memory performance. Finally, both short-term and long-term memory showed no savings between repeated experiments suggesting that this novel object recognition paradigm may be useful for longitudinal studies, particularly when investigating treatments to stabilize or enhance weak memories in neurodegenerative diseases or during age-related cognitive decline. PMID:23835143

Conversion of short-term to long-term memory in the novel object recognition paradigm.

PubMed

Moore, Shannon J; Deshpande, Kaivalya; Stinnett, Gwen S; Seasholtz, Audrey F; Murphy, Geoffrey G

2013-10-01

It is well-known that stress can significantly impact learning; however, whether this effect facilitates or impairs the resultant memory depends on the characteristics of the stressor. Investigation of these dynamics can be confounded by the role of the stressor in motivating performance in a task. Positing a cohesive model of the effect of stress on learning and memory necessitates elucidating the consequences of stressful stimuli independently from task-specific functions. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine the effect of manipulating a task-independent stressor (elevated light level) on short-term and long-term memory in the novel object recognition paradigm. Short-term memory was elicited in both low light and high light conditions, but long-term memory specifically required high light conditions during the acquisition phase (familiarization trial) and was independent of the light level during retrieval (test trial). Additionally, long-term memory appeared to be independent of stress-mediated glucocorticoid release, as both low and high light produced similar levels of plasma corticosterone, which further did not correlate with subsequent memory performance. Finally, both short-term and long-term memory showed no savings between repeated experiments suggesting that this novel object recognition paradigm may be useful for longitudinal studies, particularly when investigating treatments to stabilize or enhance weak memories in neurodegenerative diseases or during age-related cognitive decline. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Long-term impacts of prescribed burns on soil thermal conductivity and soil heating at a Colorado Rocky Mountain site: a data/model fusion study

Treesearch

W. J. Massman; J. M. Frank; N. B. Reisch

2008-01-01

Heating any soil during a sufficiently intense wild fire or prescribed burn can alter that soil irreversibly, resulting in many significant, and well studied, long-term biological, chemical, and hydrological effects. On the other hand, much less is known about how fire affects the thermal properties and the long-term thermal regime of soils. Such knowledge is important...

Nuclear Winter: Uncertainties Surround the Long-Term Effects of Nuclear War. Report to the Congress.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC.

Nuclear winter, a term used to describe potential long-term climate and environmental effects of nuclear war, has been a subject of debate and controversy. This report examines and presents scientific and policy implications of nuclear winter. Contents include: (1) an executive summary (highlighting previous and current studies on the topic); (2)…

Does the Method of Weight Loss Effect Long-Term Changes in Weight, Body Composition or Chronic Disease Risk Factors in Overweight or Obese Adults? A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Washburn, Richard A.; Szabo, Amanda N.; Lambourne, Kate; Willis, Erik A.; Ptomey, Lauren T.; Honas, Jeffery J.; Herrmann, Stephen D.; Donnelly, Joseph E.

2014-01-01

Background Differences in biological changes from weight loss by energy restriction and/or exercise may be associated with differences in long-term weight loss/regain. Objective To assess the effect of weight loss method on long-term changes in weight, body composition and chronic disease risk factors. Data Sources PubMed and Embase were searched (January 1990-October 2013) for studies with data on the effect of energy restriction, exercise (aerobic and resistance) on long-term weight loss. Twenty articles were included in this review. Study Eligibility Criteria Primary source, peer reviewed randomized trials published in English with an active weight loss period of >6 months, or active weight loss with a follow-up period of any duration, conducted in overweight or obese adults were included. Study Appraisal and Synthesis Methods Considerable heterogeneity across trials existed for important study parameters, therefore a meta-analysis was considered inappropriate. Results were synthesized and grouped by comparisons (e.g. diet vs. aerobic exercise, diet vs. diet + aerobic exercise etc.) and study design (long-term or weight loss/follow-up). Results Forty percent of trials reported significantly greater long-term weight loss with diet compared with aerobic exercise, while results for differences in weight regain were inconclusive. Diet+aerobic exercise resulted in significantly greater weight loss than diet alone in 50% of trials. However, weight regain (∼55% of loss) was similar in diet and diet+aerobic exercise groups. Fat-free mass tended to be preserved when interventions included exercise. PMID:25333384

[Effects of long-term fertilization on enzyme activities in black soil of Northeast China].

PubMed

Wang, Shu-Qi; Han, Xiao-Zeng; Qiao, Yun-Fa; Wang, Shou-Yu

2008-03-01

In this paper, black soil samples at the depths of 0-20 cm and 20-40 cm were collected from the Hailun Agricultural Ecology Station of Chinese Academy of Sciences to study the effects of long-term fertilization on their urease, invertase, phosphatase and catalase activities and total C and N contents. The results showed that long-term application of chemical fertilizers and organic manure increased the activities of urease, invertase and phosphatase in 0-20 cm and 20-40 cm soil layers in different degree, and the combined application of them increased the activities of the three enzymes significantly, with an increment of 43.6%-113.2%, 25.9%-79.5% and 14.7%-134.4% in 0-20 cm soil layer and 56.1%-127.2%, 14.5%-113.8% and 16.2%-207.2% in 20-40 cm soil layer, respectively. However, long-term application of chemical fertilizers without organic manure had little effects on catalase activity. The activities of urease, invertase and phosphatase decreased with increasing soil depth. Long-term application of N fertilizer increased urease activity, and P fertilization had obvious positive effect on phosphatase activity. Long-term fertilization also had obvious effects on the soil total C and N contents and C/N ratio.

Long term costs and effects of reducing the number of twin pregnancies in IVF by single embryo transfer: the TwinSing study

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Pregnancies induced by in vitro fertilisation (IVF) often result in twin gestations, which are associated with both maternal and perinatal complications. An effective way to reduce the number of IVF twin pregnancies is to decrease the number of embryos transferred from two to one. The interpretation of current studies is limited because they used live birth as outcome measure and because they applied limited time horizons. So far, research on long-term outcomes of IVF twins and singletons is scarce and inconclusive. The objective of this study is to investigate the short (1-year) and long-term (5 and 18-year) costs and health outcomes of IVF singleton and twin children and to consider these in estimating the cost-effectiveness of single embryo transfer compared with double embryo transfer, from a societal and a healthcare perspective. Methods/Design A multi-centre cohort study will be performed, in which IVF singletons and IVF twin children born between 2003 and 2005 of whom parents received IVF treatment in one of the five participating Dutch IVF centres, will be compared. Data collection will focus on children at risk of health problems and children in whom health problems actually occurred. First year of life data will be collected in approximately 1,278 children (619 singletons and 659 twin children). Data up to the fifth year of life will be collected in approximately 488 children (200 singletons and 288 twin children). Outcome measures are health status, health-related quality of life and costs. Data will be obtained from hospital information systems, a parent questionnaire and existing registries. Furthermore, a prognostic model will be developed that reflects the short and long-term costs and health outcomes of IVF singleton and twin children. This model will be linked to a Markov model of the short-term cost-effectiveness of single embryo transfer strategies versus double embryo transfer strategies to enable the calculation of the long-term cost-effectiveness. Discussion This is, to our knowledge, the first study that investigates the long-term costs and health outcomes of IVF singleton and twin children and the long-term cost-effectiveness of single embryo transfer strategies versus double embryo transfer strategies. PMID:20961411

Long term costs and effects of reducing the number of twin pregnancies in IVF by single embryo transfer: the TwinSing study.

PubMed

van Heesch, Mirjam M J; Bonsel, Gouke J; Dumoulin, John C M; Evers, Johannes L H; van der Hoeven, Mark Ahbm; Severens, Johan L; Dykgraaf, Ramon H M; van der Veen, Fulco; Tonch, Nino; Nelen, Willianne L D M; van Zonneveld, Piet; van Goudoever, Johannes B; Tamminga, Pieter; Steiner, Katerina; Koopman-Esseboom, Corine; van Beijsterveldt, Catharina E M; Boomsma, Dorret I; Snellen, Diana; Dirksen, Carmen D

2010-10-20

Pregnancies induced by in vitro fertilisation (IVF) often result in twin gestations, which are associated with both maternal and perinatal complications. An effective way to reduce the number of IVF twin pregnancies is to decrease the number of embryos transferred from two to one. The interpretation of current studies is limited because they used live birth as outcome measure and because they applied limited time horizons. So far, research on long-term outcomes of IVF twins and singletons is scarce and inconclusive. The objective of this study is to investigate the short (1-year) and long-term (5 and 18-year) costs and health outcomes of IVF singleton and twin children and to consider these in estimating the cost-effectiveness of single embryo transfer compared with double embryo transfer, from a societal and a healthcare perspective. A multi-centre cohort study will be performed, in which IVF singletons and IVF twin children born between 2003 and 2005 of whom parents received IVF treatment in one of the five participating Dutch IVF centres, will be compared. Data collection will focus on children at risk of health problems and children in whom health problems actually occurred. First year of life data will be collected in approximately 1,278 children (619 singletons and 659 twin children). Data up to the fifth year of life will be collected in approximately 488 children (200 singletons and 288 twin children). Outcome measures are health status, health-related quality of life and costs. Data will be obtained from hospital information systems, a parent questionnaire and existing registries. Furthermore, a prognostic model will be developed that reflects the short and long-term costs and health outcomes of IVF singleton and twin children. This model will be linked to a Markov model of the short-term cost-effectiveness of single embryo transfer strategies versus double embryo transfer strategies to enable the calculation of the long-term cost-effectiveness. This is, to our knowledge, the first study that investigates the long-term costs and health outcomes of IVF singleton and twin children and the long-term cost-effectiveness of single embryo transfer strategies versus double embryo transfer strategies.

Epilepsy increases vulnerability of long-term face recognition to proactive interference.

PubMed

Bengner, T; Malina, T; Lindenau, M; Voges, B; Goebell, E; Stodieck, S

2006-02-01

Proactive interference (PI) decreases short- and long-term memory in healthy subjects. Neurological patients exhibit a heightened PI effect on short-term memory. It is, however, not known if PI affects long-term memory in neurological patients. We analyzed whether epilepsy heightens the negative effect of PI on long-term face memory. PI was induced by a list of 20 faces learned 24 hours prior to a target list of 20 faces. We tested immediate and 24-hour recognition for both lists. Twelve healthy controls and 42 patients with generalized epilepsy or temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) were studied. PI led to a decrease in 24-hour recognition in patients with generalized epilepsy and TLE but not in controls. Thus, PI may cause long-term memory disturbances in epilepsy patients. PI was also associated with decreased short-term memory, but only in right TLE. This confirms the dominant role of the right temporal lobe in short-term face memory.

Attention Problems, Phonological Short-Term Memory, and Visuospatial Short-Term Memory: Differential Effects on Near- and Long-Term Scholastic Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarver, Dustin E.; Rapport, Mark D.; Kofler, Michael J.; Scanlan, Sean W.; Raiker, Joseph S.; Altro, Thomas A.; Bolden, Jennifer

2012-01-01

The current study examined individual differences in children's phonological and visuospatial short-term memory as potential mediators of the relationship among attention problems and near- and long-term scholastic achievement. Nested structural equation models revealed that teacher-reported attention problems were associated negatively with…

Free recall in Williams syndrome: is there a dissociation between short- and long-term memory?

PubMed

Brock, Jon; Brown, Gordon D A; Boucher, Jill

2006-04-01

Two experiments used the free recall paradigm to investigate verbal memory abilities in Williams syndrome (WS)--a rare genetic disorder. In an earlier free recall study, Vicari et al. (1996a) reported that, unlike TD controls, children with WS showed a recency effect but failed to show a primacy effect. These authors interpreted their findings as evidence for a dissociation between relatively strong verbal short-term memory and relatively impaired verbal long-term memory. In Experiment 1 of the current study, children with WS and TD controls showed comparable improvements in performance with repeated testing of the same material, indicating similar long-term learning of the test items. Neither group showed evidence of primacy effects. However, the extent of primacy effects in free recall is known to depend on the rehearsal strategy that participants adopt. In Experiment 2, therefore, participants were encouraged to engage in overt cumulative rehearsal. This manipulation resulted in significant and comparable primacy effects in both groups, although neither group demonstrated a significant change in overall performance. There was therefore no evidence from either experiment for a dissociation between short- and long-term verbal memory in WS.

Effect of Treatment Modality on Long-Term Outcomes in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Arnold, L. Eugene; Hodgkins, Paul; Caci, Hervé; Kahle, Jennifer; Young, Susan

2015-01-01

Background Evaluation of treatments for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) previously focused on symptom control, but attention has shifted to functional outcomes. The effect of different ADHD treatment periods and modalities (pharmacological, non-pharmacological, and combination) on long-term outcomes needs to be more comprehensively understood. Methods A systematic search of 12 literature databases using Cochrane’s guidelines yielded 403 English-language peer-reviewed, primary studies reporting long-term outcomes (≥2 years). We evaluated relative effects of treatment modalities and durations and effect sizes of outcomes reported as statistically significantly improved with treatment. Results The highest proportion of improved outcomes was reported with combination treatment (83% of outcomes). Among significantly improved outcomes, the largest effect sizes were found for combination treatment. The greatest improvements were associated with academic, self-esteem, or social function outcomes. A majority of outcomes improved regardless of age of treatment initiation (60%–75%) or treatment duration (62%–72%). Studies with short treatment duration had shorter follow-up times (mean 3.2 years total study length) than those with longer treatment durations (mean 7.1 years total study length). Studies with follow-up times <3 years reported benefit with treatment for 93% of outcomes, whereas those with follow-up times ≥3 years reported treatment benefit for 57% of outcomes. Post-hoc analysis indicated that this result was related to the measurement of outcomes at longer periods (3.2 versus 0.4 years) after treatment cessation in studies with longer total study length. Conclusions While the majority of long-term outcomes of ADHD improve with all treatment modalities, the combination of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment was most consistently associated with improved long-term outcomes and large effect sizes. Older treatment initiation age or longer durations did not markedly affect proportion of improved outcomes reported, but measurement of outcomes long periods after treatment cessation may attenuate results. PMID:25714373

Snacking now or later? Individual differences in following intentions or habits explained by time perspective.

PubMed

Onwezen, M C; Van 't Riet, J; Dagevos, H; Sijtsema, S J; Snoek, H M

2016-12-01

Even when individuals are aware of long-term health effects of their diet, and form healthy intentions, they often engage in relatively unhealthy snacking habits. Some individuals fall back on unhealthy habits more easily than others. We aim to explore whether time perspective can explain why some individuals are more prone to rely on habits and others on intentions. Study 1 (N = 1503) provides a first exploration of the role of time perspective by exploring individual differences in perception of long-term and short-term consequences. In accordance with our hypotheses, Study 1 shows that habits are associated with short-term consequences and intentions with long-term consequences. Study 2 (N = 1497) shows that the effects of habits on snacking behaviour are strengthened by a present time perspective, whereas the effects of intentions on snacking behaviour are strengthened by a future time perspective. These findings imply that there is a fundamental difference in the guiding function of intentions and habits which might explain individual differences in following intentions versus habits. Individuals with a long-term perspective are more inclined to follow intentions and individuals with a short-term perspective are more inclined to follow habits. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long-term metapopulation study of the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia): survey methods, data management, and long-term population trends.

PubMed

Ojanen, Sami P; Nieminen, Marko; Meyke, Evgeniy; Pöyry, Juha; Hanski, Ilkka

2013-10-01

Long-term observational studies conducted at large (regional) spatial scales contribute to better understanding of landscape effects on population and evolutionary dynamics, including the conditions that affect long-term viability of species, but large-scale studies are expensive and logistically challenging to keep running for a long time. Here, we describe the long-term metapopulation study of the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia) that has been conducted since 1991 in a large network of 4000 habitat patches (dry meadows) within a study area of 50 by 70 km in the Åland Islands in Finland. We explain how the landscape structure has been described, including definition, delimitation, and mapping of the habitat patches; methods of field survey, including the logistics, cost, and reliability of the survey; and data management using the EarthCape biodiversity platform. We describe the long-term metapopulation dynamics of the Glanville fritillary based on the survey. There has been no long-term change in the overall size of the metapopulation, but the level of spatial synchrony and hence the amplitude of fluctuations in year-to-year metapopulation dynamics have increased over the years, possibly due to increasing frequency of exceptional weather conditions. We discuss the added value of large-scale and long-term population studies, but also emphasize the need to integrate more targeted experimental studies in the context of long-term observational studies. For instance, in the case of the Glanville fritillary project, the long-term study has produced an opportunity to sample individuals for experiments from local populations with a known demographic history. These studies have demonstrated striking differences in dispersal rate and other life-history traits of individuals from newly established local populations (the offspring of colonizers) versus individuals from old, established local populations. The long-term observational study has stimulated the development of metapopulation models and provided an opportunity to test model predictions. This combination of empirical studies and modeling has facilitated the study of key phenomena in spatial dynamics, such as extinction threshold and extinction debt.

Long-term metapopulation study of the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia): survey methods, data management, and long-term population trends

PubMed Central

Ojanen, Sami P; Nieminen, Marko; Meyke, Evgeniy; Pöyry, Juha; Hanski, Ilkka

2013-01-01

Long-term observational studies conducted at large (regional) spatial scales contribute to better understanding of landscape effects on population and evolutionary dynamics, including the conditions that affect long-term viability of species, but large-scale studies are expensive and logistically challenging to keep running for a long time. Here, we describe the long-term metapopulation study of the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia) that has been conducted since 1991 in a large network of 4000 habitat patches (dry meadows) within a study area of 50 by 70 km in the Åland Islands in Finland. We explain how the landscape structure has been described, including definition, delimitation, and mapping of the habitat patches; methods of field survey, including the logistics, cost, and reliability of the survey; and data management using the EarthCape biodiversity platform. We describe the long-term metapopulation dynamics of the Glanville fritillary based on the survey. There has been no long-term change in the overall size of the metapopulation, but the level of spatial synchrony and hence the amplitude of fluctuations in year-to-year metapopulation dynamics have increased over the years, possibly due to increasing frequency of exceptional weather conditions. We discuss the added value of large-scale and long-term population studies, but also emphasize the need to integrate more targeted experimental studies in the context of long-term observational studies. For instance, in the case of the Glanville fritillary project, the long-term study has produced an opportunity to sample individuals for experiments from local populations with a known demographic history. These studies have demonstrated striking differences in dispersal rate and other life-history traits of individuals from newly established local populations (the offspring of colonizers) versus individuals from old, established local populations. The long-term observational study has stimulated the development of metapopulation models and provided an opportunity to test model predictions. This combination of empirical studies and modeling has facilitated the study of key phenomena in spatial dynamics, such as extinction threshold and extinction debt. PMID:24198935

Projecting the effects of long-term care policy on the labor market participation of primary informal family caregivers of elderly with disability: insights from a dynamic simulation model.

PubMed

Ansah, John P; Matchar, David B; Malhotra, Rahul; Love, Sean R; Liu, Chang; Do, Young

2016-03-23

Using Singapore as a case study, this paper aims to understand the effects of the current long-term care policy and various alternative policy options on the labor market participation of primary informal family caregivers of elderly with disability. A model of the long-term care system in Singapore was developed using System Dynamics methodology. Under the current long-term care policy, by 2030, 6.9 percent of primary informal family caregivers (0.34 percent of the domestic labor supply) are expected to withdraw from the labor market. Alternative policy options reduce primary informal family caregiver labor market withdrawal; however, the number of workers required to scale up long-term care services is greater than the number of caregivers who can be expected to return to the labor market. Policymakers may face a dilemma between admitting more foreign workers to provide long-term care services and depending on primary informal family caregivers.

Joint association of sleep problems and psychosocial working conditions with registered long-term sickness absence. A Danish cohort study.

PubMed

Madsen, Ida Eh; Larsen, Ann D; Thorsen, Sannie V; Pejtersen, Jan H; Rugulies, Reiner; Sivertsen, Børge

2016-07-01

Sleep problems and adverse psychosocial working conditions are associated with increased risk of long-term sickness absence. Because sleep problems affect role functioning they may also exacerbate any effects of psychosocial working conditions and vice versa. We examined whether sleep problems and psychosocial working conditions interact in their associations with long-term sickness absence. We linked questionnaire data from participants to two surveys of random samples of the Danish working population (N=10 752) with registries on long-term sick leave during five years after questionnaire response. We defined sleep problems by self-reported symptoms and/or register data on hypnotics purchases of hypnotics. Psychosocial working conditions included quantitative and emotional demands, influence, supervisor recognition and social support, leadership quality, and social support from colleagues. Using time-to-event models, we calculated hazard ratios (HR) and differences and examined interaction as departure from multiplicativity and additivity. During 40 165 person-years of follow-up, we identified 2313 episodes of long-terms sickness absence. Sleep problems predicted risk of long-term sickness absence [HR 1.54, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.38-1.73]. This association was statistically significantly stronger among participants with high quantitative demands and weaker among those with high supervisor recognition (P<0.0001). High quantitative demands exacerbated the association of sleep problems with risk of long-term sickness absence whereas high supervisor recognition buffered this association. To prevent long-term sickness absence among employees with sleep problems, workplace modifications focusing on quantitative demands and supervisor recognition may be considered. Workplace interventions for these factors may more effectively prevent sickness absence when targeted at this group. The efficacy and effectiveness of such interventions needs to be established in future studies.

Air Pollution and Mortality in China.

PubMed

Lin, Hualiang; Wang, Xiaojie; Liu, Tao; Li, Xing; Xiao, Jianpeng; Zeng, Weilin; Ma, Wenjun

2017-01-01

Ambient air pollution has been an important environmental issue in most areas of China. This chapter summarized the mortality effects of short-term and long-term exposures to various air pollutants among Chinese population. The literature review identified sufficient information to support significant short-term mortality effects of various air pollutants from time series analyses and case-crossover studies, such as PM 10 , PM 2.5 , SO 2 , NO 2 , and O 3 . On the other hand, though the literature review suggested a positive effect of long-term exposure to air pollution on mortality and lung cancer risk, the evidence has been limited among Chinese population, indicating that more studies, especially cohort studies, are warranted.

Long-Term Effects of Child Corporal Punishment on Depressive Symptoms in Young Adults: Potential Moderators and Mediators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Heather A.; Muller, Paul A.

2004-01-01

Based on a sample of 649 students from 3 New England colleges, this study examined the long-term effects of childhood corporal punishment on symptoms of depression and considered factors that may moderate or mediate the association. Similar to national studies, approximately 40% of the sample reported experiencing some level of corporal punishment…

Development of Elementary School Students' Cognitive Structures and Information Processing Strategies under Long-Term Constructivist-Oriented Science Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Ying-Tien; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2005-01-01

The main purpose of this study was to explore the effects of long-term constructivist-oriented science instruction on elementary school students' process of constructing cognitive structures. Furthermore, such effects on different science achievers were also investigated. The subjects of this study were 69 fifth graders in Taiwan, while they were…

Does Student Philanthropy Work? A Study of Long-Term Effects of the "Learning by Giving" Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olberding, Julie Cencula

2012-01-01

Student philanthropy is a teaching strategy designed to engage students actively in the curriculum, increase awareness of social needs and nonprofit organizations, and teach grant-writing and grant-making skills. This is the first study to examine long-term effects of student philanthropy by surveying alumni years after their experience with this…

Effectiveness of a Psycho-Educational Staff Training Program on Attitudes of Staff in a Long-Term Care Facility: A Pilot Study and Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elpers, Kathy; Amano, Takashi; DeCoster, Vaughn; Johnson, Missy

2017-01-01

Managing Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) is a significant challenge for staff working in long-term care facilities. This study examines the effectiveness of a psycho-educational training aimed at changing staff's attitudes. The results indicated that participants' attitudes toward dementia were more positive,…

Long-Term Effect of Prefrontal Lobotomy on Verbal Fluency in Patients with Schizophrenia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stip, Emmanuel; Bigras, Marie-Josee.; Mancini-Marie, Adham; Cosset, Marie-Eve.; Black, Deborah; Lecours, Andre-Roch

2004-01-01

Objective: This study investigated the long-term effects of bilateral prefrontal leukotomy on lexical abilities in schizophrenia subjects. Method: We compared performances of leukotomized (LSP), non-leukotomized schizophrenia patients (NLSP) and normal controls, using a test of verbal fluency. Multiple case and triple comparison design were…

21 CFR 310.303 - Continuation of long-term studies, records, and reports on certain drugs for which new drug...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... approved for marketing unless it has been shown to be safe and effective for its intended use(s). After... effectiveness of long-term use of such drugs, extensive animal and clinical tests are required as a condition of...

Treatment with direct-current stimulation against cingulate seizure-like activity induced by 4-aminopyridine and bicuculline in an in vitro mouse model.

PubMed

Chang, Wei-Pang; Lu, Hsiang-Chin; Shyu, Bai-Chuang

2015-03-01

Clinical studies have shown that cathodal transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) application can produce long-term suppressive effects on drug-resistant seizures. Whether this long-term effect produced by cathodal tDCS can counterbalance the enhancement of synaptic transmission during seizures requires further investigation. Our hypothesis was that the long-term effects of DCS on seizure suppression by the application of cathodal DCS occur through a long-term depression (LTD)-like mechanism. We used a thalamocingulate brain slice preparation combined with a multielectrode array and patch recording to investigate the underlying mechanism of the suppressive effect of DCS on anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) seizures. Patch-clamp recordings showed that cathodal DCS significantly decreased spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) and epileptic EPSCs caused by the 4-aminopyridine. Fifteen minutes of DCS application reliably induced LTD, and the synaptic activation frequency was an important factor in LTD formation. The application of DCS alone without continuous synaptic activation did not induce LTD. Direct-current stimulation-induced LTD appeared to be N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-dependent, in which the application of the NMDA receptor antagonist D-1-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (APV) abolished DCS-induced LTD, and the immediate effect remained. Direct-current stimulation-induced LTD and the long-term effects of DCS on seizure-like activities were also abolished by okadaic acid, a protein phosphatase 1 inhibitor. The long-term effects of DCS on seizures were not influenced by the depotentiation blocker FK-506. Therefore, we conclude that the long-term effects of DCS on seizure-like activities in brain slice occur through an LTD-like mechanism. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Long-term statin therapy could be efficacious in reducing the lipoprotein (a) levels in patients with coronary artery disease modified by some traditional risk factors.

PubMed

Xu, Ming-Xing; Liu, Chang; He, Yong-Ming; Yang, Xiang-Jun; Zhao, Xin

2017-05-01

Lipoprotein (a) [Lp (a)] is a well-established risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). However, up till now, treatment of patients with higher Lp (a) levels is challenging. This current study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of short-, medium and long-term statin use on the Lp (a) reduction and its modifying factors. The therapeutic duration was categorized into short-term (median, 39 days), medium term (median, 219 days) and long-term (median, 677 days). The lipid profiles before therapy served as baselines. Patients at short-, medium or long-term exactly matched with those at baseline. Every patient's lipid profiles during the follow-ups were compared to his own ones at baselines. The current study demonstrated that long-term statin therapy significantly decreased the Lp (a) levels in CAD patients while short-term or medium term statin therapy didn't. When grouped by statin use, only long-term simvastatin use significantly decreased the Lp (a) levels while long-term atorvastatin use insignificantly decreased the Lp (a) levels. Primary hypertension (PH), DM, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) could modify the therapeutic effects of statin use on the Lp (a) levels in CAD patients. The long-term statin therapy could be efficacious in reducing the Lp (a) levels in CAD patients, which has been modified by some traditional risk factors. In the era of commercial unavailability of more reliable Lp (a) lowering drugs, our findings will bolster confidence in fighting higher Lp (a) abnormalities both for patients and for doctors.

Nonsurgical Outpatient Therapies for the Management of Female Stress Urinary Incontinence: Long-Term Effectiveness and Durability

PubMed Central

Davila, G. Willy

2011-01-01

Objective. To evaluate long-term effectiveness and safety of conservative and minimally invasive outpatient treatments for female stress urinary incontinence (SUI) through a review of the literature. Methods. PubMed was searched for reports on prospective clinical trials with at least 12-month follow-up of minimally invasive treatments, pelvic floor rehabilitation, or pharmacotherapy in women with SUI. Each report was examined for long-term rates of effectiveness and safety. Results. Thirty-two clinical trial reports were included. Prospective long-term studies of pelvic floor rehabilitation were limited but indicated significant improvements with treatment adherence for at least 12 months. Poor initial tolerability with duloxetine resulted in substantial discontinuation. Most patients receiving transurethral radiofrequency collagen denaturation or urethral bulking agents reported significant long-term improvements, generally good tolerability, and safety. Conclusions. Conservative therapy is an appropriate initial approach for female SUI, but if therapy fails, radiofrequency collagen denaturation or bulking agents may be an attractive intermediate management step or alternative to surgery. PMID:21738529

Interteaching and Lecture: A Comparison of Long-Term Recognition Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saville, Bryan K.; Bureau, Alex; Eckenrode, Claire; Fullerton, Alison; Herbert, Reanna; Maley, Michelle; Porter, Allen; Zombakis, Julie

2014-01-01

Although a number of studies suggest that interteaching is an effective alternative to traditional teaching methods, no studies have systematically examined whether interteaching improves long-term memory. In this study, we assigned students to different teaching conditions--interteaching, lecture, or control--and then gave them a multiple-choice…

Long-term exposure to ambient ozone and mortality: a quantitative systematic review and meta-analysis of evidence from cohort studies.

PubMed

Atkinson, R W; Butland, B K; Dimitroulopoulou, C; Heal, M R; Stedman, J R; Carslaw, N; Jarvis, D; Heaviside, C; Vardoulakis, S; Walton, H; Anderson, H R

2016-02-23

While there is good evidence for associations between short-term exposure to ozone and a range of adverse health outcomes, the evidence from narrative reviews for long-term exposure is suggestive of associations with respiratory mortality only. We conducted a systematic, quantitative evaluation of the evidence from cohort studies, reporting associations between long-term exposure to ozone and mortality. Cohort studies published in peer-reviewed journals indexed in EMBASE and MEDLINE to September 2015 and PubMed to October 2015 and cited in reviews/key publications were identified via search strings using terms relating to study design, pollutant and health outcome. Study details and estimate information were extracted and used to calculate standardised effect estimates expressed as HRs per 10 ppb increment in long-term ozone concentrations. 14 publications from 8 cohorts presented results for ozone and all-cause and cause-specific mortality. We found no evidence of associations between long-term annual O3 concentrations and the risk of death from all causes, cardiovascular or respiratory diseases, or lung cancer. 4 cohorts assessed ozone concentrations measured during the warm season. Summary HRs for cardiovascular and respiratory causes of death derived from 3 cohorts were 1.01 (95% CI 1.00 to 1.02) and 1.03 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.05) per 10 ppb, respectively. Our quantitative review revealed a paucity of independent studies regarding the associations between long-term exposure to ozone and mortality. The potential impact of climate change and increasing anthropogenic emissions of ozone precursors on ozone levels worldwide suggests further studies of the long-term effects of exposure to high ozone levels are warranted. 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/

Association of Long-term Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy with Bone Fractures and effects on Absorption of Calcium, Vitamin B12, Iron, and Magnesium

PubMed Central

Ito, Tetsuhide; Jensen, Robert T.

2010-01-01

Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are now one of the most widely used classes of drugs. PPIs have proven to have a very favorable safety profile and it is unusual for a patient to stop these drugs because of side effects. However, increasing numbers of patients are chronically taking PPIs for gastroesophageal reflux disease and a number of other common persistent conditions, therefore the long-term potential adverse effects are receiving increasing attention. One area that is receiving much attention and generally has been poorly studied, is the long-term effects of chronic acid suppression on the absorption of vitamins and nutrients. This area has received increased attention because of the reported potential adverse effect of chronic PPI treatment leading to an increased occurrence of bone fractures. This has led to an increased examination of the effects of PPIs on calcium absorption/metabolism as well as numerous cohort, case control and prospective studies of their ability to affect bone density and cause bone fractures. In this article these studies are systematically examined, as well as the studies of the effects of chronic PPI usage on VB12, iron and magnesium absorption. In general the studies in each of thee areas have led to differing conclusions, but when examined systematically, a number of the studies are showing consistent results that support the conclusion that long-term adverse effects on these processes can have important clinical implications. PMID:20882439

Short and long-term effects of sham-controlled prefrontal EEG-neurofeedback training in healthy subjects.

PubMed

Engelbregt, H J; Keeser, D; van Eijk, L; Suiker, E M; Eichhorn, D; Karch, S; Deijen, J B; Pogarell, O

2016-04-01

In this study we evaluated long-term effects of frontal beta EEG-neurofeedback training (E-NFT) on healthy subjects. We hypothesized that E-NFT can change frontal beta activity in the long-term and that changes in frontal beta EEG activity are accompanied by altered cognitive performance. 25 healthy subjects were included and randomly assigned to active or sham E-NFT. On average the subjects underwent 15 E-NFT training sessions with a training duration of 45 min. Resting-state EEG was recorded prior to E-NFT training (t1) and in a 3-year follow-up (t3). Compared to sham E-NFT, which was used for the control group, real E-NFT increased beta activity in a predictable way. This increase was maintained over a period of three years post training. However, E-NFT did not result in significantly improved cognitive performance. Based on our results, we conclude that EEG-NFT can selectively modify EEG beta activity both in short and long-term. This is a sham controlled EEG neurofeedback study demonstrating long-term effects in resting state EEG. Copyright © 2016 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long-term effects of cannabis on oculomotor function in humans.

PubMed

Huestegge, L; Radach, R; Kunert, H J

2009-08-01

Cannabis is known to affect human cognitive and visuomotor skills directly after consumption. Some studies even point to rather long-lasting effects, especially after chronic tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) abuse. However, it is still unknown whether long-term effects on basic visual and oculomotor processing may exist. In the present study, the performance of 20 healthy long-term cannabis users without acute THC intoxication and 20 control subjects were examined in four basic visuomotor paradigms to search for specific long-term impairments. Subjects were asked to perform: 1) reflexive saccades to visual targets (prosaccades), including gap and overlap conditions, 2) voluntary antisaccades, 3) memory-guided saccades and 4) double-step saccades. Spatial and temporal parameters of the saccades were subsequently analysed. THC subjects exhibited a significant increase of latency in the prosaccade and antisaccade tasks, as well as prolonged saccade amplitudes in the antisaccade and memory-guided task, compared with the control subjects. The results point to substantial and specific long-term deficits in basic temporal processing of saccades and impaired visuo-spatial working memory. We suggest that these impairments are a major contributor to degraded performance of chronic users in a vital everyday task like visual search, and they might potentially also affect spatial navigation and reading.

Long Term Monitoring of Broken and Seated Pavements

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-05-01

This report presents details of a study conducted to evaluate the long term performance of asphalt overlays on broken and seated : (B/S) concrete p avements, us ing field expe riments. Th e primary p urpose o f this study is to evaluate the effective...

Examining the relationship between neighbourhood deprivation and mental health service use of immigrants in Ontario, Canada: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Durbin, Anna; Moineddin, Rahim; Lin, Elizabeth; Steele, Leah S; Glazier, Richard H

2015-01-01

Objective While newcomers are often disproportionately concentrated in disadvantaged areas, little attention is given to the effects of immigrants’ postimmigration context on their mental health and care use. Intersectionality theory suggests that understanding the full impact of disadvantage requires considering the effects of interacting factors. This study assessed the inter-relationship between recent immigration status, living in deprived areas and service use for non-psychotic mental health disorders. Study design Matched population-based cross-sectional study. Setting Ontario, Canada, where healthcare use data for 1999–2012 were linked to immigration data and area-based material deprivation scores. Participants Immigrants in urban Ontario, and their age-matched and sex-matched long-term residents (a group of Canadian-born or long-term immigrants, n=501 417 pairs). Primary and secondary outcome measures For immigrants and matched long-term residents, contact with primary care, psychiatric care and hospital care (emergency department visits or inpatient admissions) for non-psychotic mental health disorders was followed for 5 years and examined using conditional logistic regression models. Intersectionality was investigated by including a material deprivation quintile by immigrant status (immigrant vs long-term resident) interaction. Results Recent immigrants in urban Ontario were more likely than long-term residents to live in most deprived quintiles (immigrants—males: 22.8%, females: 22.3%; long-term residents—both sexes: 13.1%, p<0.001). Living in more deprived circumstances was associated with greater use of mental health services, but increases were smaller for immigrants than for long-term residents. Immigrants used less mental health services than long-term residents. Conclusions This study adds to existing research by suggesting that immigrant status and deprivation have a combined effect on recent immigrants’ care use for non-psychotic mental health disorders. In settings where immigrants are over-represented in deprived areas, policymakers focused on increasing immigrants’ access of mental health services should broadly address the influence of structural and cultural factors beyond the disadvantage. PMID:25770230

Uncovering the most effective active ingredients of antismoking public service announcements: the role of actor and message characteristics.

PubMed

Shadel, William G; Fryer, Craig S; Tharp-Taylor, Shannah

2009-05-01

This study examined whether the appeal of actors (i.e., their likeability and attractiveness) used in antismoking public service announcements (PSAs) interacts with adolescents' risk of future smoking to predict adolescents' smoking resistance self-efficacy and whether the antismoking messages in the PSAs further moderate this relationship. We used a 2 (future smoking risk: low, high) x 2 (actor appeal: low, high) x 3 (PSA antismoking message: tobacco industry manipulation, short-term smoking effects, long-term smoking effects) study design. A diverse sample of 110 adolescents (aged 11-17 years), with varying levels of experience with smoking, rated their smoking resistance self-efficacy after viewing each of the PSAs in each design cell. Overall, PSAs that used long-term smoking effects messages were associated with the strongest smoking resistance self-efficacy, followed in turn by PSAs that used short-term smoking effects messages and by tobacco industry manipulation messages. We found a significant interaction of actor appeal and PSA antismoking message. The use of more appealing actors was associated with stronger smoking resistance self-efficacy only in long-term smoking effects PSAs. The use of less appealing actors was associated with stronger smoking resistance self-efficacy for tobacco industry manipulation PSAs and short-term smoking effects PSAs. Future smoking risk did not moderate any of these findings. Antismoking PSAs that emphasize long-term smoking effects are most strongly associated with increased smoking resistance self-efficacy. The effect of these PSAs can be strengthened by using actors whom adolescents perceive to be appealing.

Uncovering the most effective active ingredients of antismoking public service announcements: The role of actor and message characteristics

PubMed Central

Fryer, Craig S.; Tharp-Taylor, Shannah

2009-01-01

Introduction: This study examined whether the appeal of actors (i.e., their likeability and attractiveness) used in antismoking public service announcements (PSAs) interacts with adolescents’ risk of future smoking to predict adolescents’ smoking resistance self-efficacy and whether the antismoking messages in the PSAs further moderate this relationship. Methods: We used a 2 (future smoking risk: low, high) × 2 (actor appeal: low, high) × 3 (PSA antismoking message: tobacco industry manipulation, short-term smoking effects, long-term smoking effects) study design. A diverse sample of 110 adolescents (aged 11–17 years), with varying levels of experience with smoking, rated their smoking resistance self-efficacy after viewing each of the PSAs in each design cell. Results: Overall, PSAs that used long-term smoking effects messages were associated with the strongest smoking resistance self-efficacy, followed in turn by PSAs that used short-term smoking effects messages and by tobacco industry manipulation messages. We found a significant interaction of actor appeal and PSA antismoking message. The use of more appealing actors was associated with stronger smoking resistance self-efficacy only in long-term smoking effects PSAs. The use of less appealing actors was associated with stronger smoking resistance self-efficacy for tobacco industry manipulation PSAs and short-term smoking effects PSAs. Future smoking risk did not moderate any of these findings. Discussion: Antismoking PSAs that emphasize long-term smoking effects are most strongly associated with increased smoking resistance self-efficacy. The effect of these PSAs can be strengthened by using actors whom adolescents perceive to be appealing. PMID:19372574

Long-term effects of traumatic experience: Comparison study in the adolescent IDPs in Serbia.

PubMed

Matsunaga, Chieko; Ristic, Dragana; Niregi, Mitsuki

2006-12-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the long term psychological effects of war stress regarded as traumatic experience. The subjects are Serbian internally displaced people (IDP) of adolescent population from Kosovo. It is a very big concern whether the adolescents would overcome the social and psychological difficulties caused by the war stress in order to reconstruct the better society. The result came out that the long-term effects still exist in PTSD, depression and hopelessness, which affects self-esteem and the attitude in purpose in life that are important factors for personality development. This paper also examines the difference between IDPs with war stress and the adolescent sufferers of the big earthquake in Japan.

HDAC inhibition modulates hippocampus-dependent long-term memory for object location in a CBP-dependent manner

PubMed Central

Haettig, Jakob; Stefanko, Daniel P.; Multani, Monica L.; Figueroa, Dario X.; McQuown, Susan C.; Wood, Marcelo A.

2011-01-01

Transcription of genes required for long-term memory not only involves transcription factors, but also enzymatic protein complexes that modify chromatin structure. Chromatin-modifying enzymes, such as the histone acetyltransferase (HAT) CREB (cyclic-AMP response element binding) binding protein (CBP), are pivotal for the transcriptional regulation required for long-term memory. Several studies have shown that CBP and histone acetylation are necessary for hippocampus-dependent long-term memory and hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP). Importantly, every genetically modified Cbp mutant mouse exhibits long-term memory impairments in object recognition. However, the role of the hippocampus in object recognition is controversial. To better understand how chromatin-modifying enzymes modulate long-term memory for object recognition, we first examined the role of the hippocampus in retrieval of long-term memory for object recognition or object location. Muscimol inactivation of the dorsal hippocampus prior to retrieval had no effect on long-term memory for object recognition, but completely blocked long-term memory for object location. This was consistent with experiments showing that muscimol inactivation of the hippocampus had no effect on long-term memory for the object itself, supporting the idea that the hippocampus encodes spatial information about an object (such as location or context), whereas cortical areas (such as the perirhinal or insular cortex) encode information about the object itself. Using location-dependent object recognition tasks that engage the hippocampus, we demonstrate that CBP is essential for the modulation of long-term memory via HDAC inhibition. Together, these results indicate that HDAC inhibition modulates memory in the hippocampus via CBP and that different brain regions utilize different chromatin-modifying enzymes to regulate learning and memory. PMID:21224411

The Impact of Policy Incentives on Long-Term Care Insurance and Medicaid Costs: Does Underwriting Matter?

PubMed

Cornell, Portia Y; Grabowski, David C

2018-05-16

To test whether underwriting modifies the effect of state-based incentives on individuals' purchase of long-term care insurance. Health and Retirement Study (HRS), 1996-2012. We estimated difference-in-difference regression models with an interaction of state policy indicators with individuals' probabilities of being approved for long-term care insurance. We imputed probabilities of underwriting approval for respondents in the HRS using a model developed with underwriting decisions from two U.S. insurance firms. We measured the elasticity response to long-term care insurance price using changes in simulated after-tax price as an instrumental variable for premium price. Tax incentives and Partnership programs increased insurance purchase by 3.62 percentage points and 1.8 percentage points, respectively, among those with the lowest risk (highest approval probability). Neither had any statistically significant effects among the highest risk individuals. We show that ignoring the effects of underwriting may lead to biased estimates of the potential state budget savings of long-term care insurance tax incentives. If the private market is to play a role in financing long-term care, policies need to address the underlying adverse selection problems. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Exercise mitigates cumulative associations between stress and BMI in girls age 10 to 19.

PubMed

Puterman, Eli; Prather, Aric A; Epel, Elissa S; Loharuka, Sheila; Adler, Nancy E; Laraia, Barbara; Tomiyama, A Janet

2016-02-01

Long-term psychological stress is associated with BMI increases in children as they transition to adulthood, whereas long-term maintenance of physical activity can slow excess weight gain. We hypothesized that in addition to these main effects, long-term physical activity mitigates the relationship between long-term stress and BMI increase. The NHLBI Growth and Health Study enrolled 2,379 10-year-old Black and White girls, following them annually for 10 measurement points. Growth curve modeling captured the dynamics of BMI, measured yearly, and stress and physical activity, measured at varying years. At average levels of activity and stress, with all covariates remaining fixed, average BMI at baseline was 19.74 (SE = 0.38) and increased 0.64 BMI (SE = 0.01, p < .001) units every year. However, this increase in BMI significantly varied as a function of cumulative stress and physical activity. Slower BMI gain occurred in those girls who were less stressed and more active (0.62 BMI units/year, SE = .02, p < .001), whereas the most rapid and largest growth occurred in girls who were more stressed and less active (0.92 BMI units/year, SE = .02, p < .001). Racial identification did not alter these effects. As hypothesized, in girls who maintained long-term activity, BMI growth was mitigated, even when reporting high long-term stress, compared with less physically active girls. This study adds to a converging literature in which physical activity, a modifiable prevention target, functions to potentially limit the damaging health effects of long-term psychological stress. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Exercise mitigates cumulative associations between stress and BMI in girls age 10–19

PubMed Central

Prather, Aric A.; Epel, Elissa S.; Loharuka, Sheila; Adler, Nancy E.; Laraia, Barbara

2015-01-01

Objective Long-term psychological stress is associated with BMI increases in children as they transition to adulthood, while long-term maintenance of physical activity can slow excess weight gain. We hypothesized that in addition to these main effects, long-term physical activity mitigates the relationship between long-term stress and BMI increase. Methods The NHLBI Growth and Health Study enrolled 2,379 10-year-old Black and White girls, following them annually for 10 measurement points. Growth curve modeling captured the dynamics of BMI, measured yearly, and stress and physical activity, measured every other year. Results At average levels of activity and stress, with all covariates remaining fixed, average BMI at baseline was 19.74 (SE = 0.38) and increased 0.64 BMI (SE= 0.01, p < .001) units every year. However, this increase in BMI significantly varied as a function of cumulative stress and physical activity. Slower BMI gain occurred in those girls who were less stressed and more active (0.62 BMI units/year, SE= .02, p < .001), whereas the most rapid and largest growth occurred in girls who were the more stressed and less active (0.92 BMI units/year, SE= .02, p < .001). Racial identification did not alter these effects. Conclusions As hypothesized, in girls who maintained long-term activity, BMI growth was mitigated, even when reporting high long-term stress, compared to less physically active girls. This study adds to a converging literature in which physical activity, a modifiable prevention target, functions to potentially limit the damaging health effects of long-term psychological stress. PMID:26301595

Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and Its Long-Term Effects on Educational and Labour Market Outcomes. Research Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Belle, Janna

2016-01-01

United States studies have shown that the provision of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) is associated with positive social and economic outcomes, both in the short and long term. This brief reviewed the available evidence on the short and long term outcomes of ECEC within the European context: how do existing differences between EU…

Biogeography and organic matter removal shape long-term effects of timber harvesting on forest soil microbial communities

Treesearch

Roland C Wilhelm; Erick Cardenas; Kendra R Maas; Hilary Leung; Larisa McNeil; Shannon Berch; William Chapman; Graeme Hope; J M Kranabetter; Stephane Dubé; Matt Busse; Robert Fleming; Paul Hazlett; Kara L Webster; David Morris; D Andrew Scott; William W Mohn

2017-01-01

The growing demand for renewable, carbon-neutral materials and energy is leading to intensified forest land-use. The long-term ecological challenges associated with maintaining soil fertility in managed forests are not yet known, in part due to the complexity of soil microbial communities and the heterogeneity of forest soils. This study determined the long-term...

Evaluating Quality Circles in U.S. Industry: A Feasibility Study.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-06-30

are the following: whether the ,.-~. .- "i. 24 circle is cost-effective, whether it deals with long-range rather than crisis problems, whether the...Chapter 4. The evolution of the Japanese instruments took into consideration the nature of the Japanese work setting. To assist in the transculturation ...crises rather than implementing long-term change? Name____________________ Short-term, Long-Term, Title______________________ crisis on-going oriented

MDMA, methamphetamine and their combination: possible lessons for party drug users from recent preclinical research.

PubMed

Clemens, Kelly J; McGregor, Iain S; Hunt, Glenn E; Cornish, Jennifer L

2007-01-01

The substituted amphetamines 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, 'Ecstasy') and methamphetamine (METH, 'ice', 'speed') are increasingly popular drugs amongst party-drug users. Studies with humans have investigated the acute and possible long-term adverse effects of these drugs, yet outcomes of such studies are often ambiguous due to a variety of confounding factors. Studies employing animal models have value in determining the acute and long-term effects of MDMA and METH on brain and behaviour. Self-administration studies show that intravenous METH is a particularly potent reinforcer in rats and other species. In contrast, MDMA appears to have powerful effects in enhancing social behaviour in laboratory animals. Brief exposure to MDMA or METH may produce long-term reductions in dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline in the brain and alterations in the density of various receptor and transporter proteins. However it is still unclear, particularly in the case of MDMA, whether this reflects a 'neurotoxic' effect of the drug. Lasting alterations in social behaviour, anxiety, depressive symptoms and memory have been demonstrated in laboratory rats given MDMA or METH and this matches long-term changes reported in some human studies. Recent laboratory studies suggest that MDMA/METH combinations may produce greater adverse neurochemical and behavioural effects than either drug alone. This is of some concern given recent evidence that party drug users may be frequently exposed to this combination of drugs.

A computational cognitive model of syntactic priming.

PubMed

Reitter, David; Keller, Frank; Moore, Johanna D

2011-01-01

The psycholinguistic literature has identified two syntactic adaptation effects in language production: rapidly decaying short-term priming and long-lasting adaptation. To explain both effects, we present an ACT-R model of syntactic priming based on a wide-coverage, lexicalized syntactic theory that explains priming as facilitation of lexical access. In this model, two well-established ACT-R mechanisms, base-level learning and spreading activation, account for long-term adaptation and short-term priming, respectively. Our model simulates incremental language production and in a series of modeling studies, we show that it accounts for (a) the inverse frequency interaction; (b) the absence of a decay in long-term priming; and (c) the cumulativity of long-term adaptation. The model also explains the lexical boost effect and the fact that it only applies to short-term priming. We also present corpus data that verify a prediction of the model, that is, that the lexical boost affects all lexical material, rather than just heads. Copyright © 2011 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Pediatric Sport-Related Concussion Education: Effectiveness and Long-Term Retention of the Head Safety in Youth Sports (HSYS) Program for Youth Athletes Aged 11-16

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elliott, Ross-Jordon S.; Batiste, Oliver; Hitto, Imran; Walker, Bridget; Leary, Linda D.

2016-01-01

Objective: The goals of this study are to evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum for youth athletes and determine long-term retention in those who have previously participated. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Middle schools. Participants: 887 male and female sixth- through eighth-grade Physical Education students, ranging from…

Phonotactic Probability Effect in Nonword Recall and Its Relationship with Vocabulary in Monolingual and Bilingual Preschoolers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Messer, Marielle H.; Leseman, Paul P. M.; Boom, Jan; Mayo, Aziza Y.

2010-01-01

The current study examined to what extent information in long-term memory concerning the distribution of phoneme clusters in a language, so-called long-term phonotactic knowledge, increased the capacity of verbal short-term memory in young language learners and, through increased verbal short-term memory capacity, supported these children's first…

[Interventions based on exercise and physical environment for preventing falls in cognitively impaired older people living in long-term care facilities: A systematic review and meta-analysis].

PubMed

González-Román, Loreto; Bagur-Calafat, Caritat; Urrútia-Cuchí, Gerard; Garrido-Pedrosa, Jèssica

2016-01-01

This systematic review aims to report the effectiveness of interventions based on exercise and/or physical environment for reducing falls in cognitively impaired older adults living in long-term care facilities. In July 2014, a literature search was conducted using main databases and specialised sources. Randomised controlled trials assessing the effectiveness of fall prevention interventions, which used exercise or physical environment among elderly people with cognitive impairment living in long-term care facilities, were selected. Two independent reviewers checked the eligibility of the studies, and evaluated their methodological quality. If it was adequate, data were gathered. Fourteen studies with 3,539 participants using exercise and/or physical environment by a single or combined approach were included. The data gathered from studies that used both interventions showed a significant reduction in fall rate. Further research is needed to demonstrate the effectiveness of those interventions for preventing falls in the elderly with cognitive impairment living in long-term care establishments. Copyright © 2015 SEGG. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

False memories and lexical decision: even twelve primes do not cause long-term semantic priming.

PubMed

Zeelenberg, René; Pecher, Diane

2002-03-01

Semantic priming effects are usually obtained only if the prime is presented shortly before the target stimulus. Recent evidence obtained with the so-called false memory paradigm suggests, however, that in both explicit and implicit memory tasks semantic relations between words can result in long-lasting effects when multiple 'primes' are presented. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether these effects would generalize to lexical decision. In four experiments we showed that even as many as 12 primes do not cause long-term semantic priming. In all experiments, however, a repetition priming effect was obtained. The present results are consistent with a number of other results showing that semantic information plays a minimal role in long-term priming in visual word recognition.

Long-term semantic representations moderate the effect of attentional refreshing on episodic memory.

PubMed

Loaiza, Vanessa M; Duperreault, Kayla A; Rhodes, Matthew G; McCabe, David P

2015-02-01

The McCabe effect (McCabe, Journal of Memory and Language 58:480-494, 2008) refers to an advantage in episodic memory (EM) retrieval for memoranda studied in complex span versus simple span tasks, particularly for memoranda presented in earlier serial positions. This finding has been attributed to the necessity to refresh memoranda during complex span tasks that, in turn, promotes content-context binding in working memory (WM). Several frameworks have conceptualized WM as being embedded in long-term memory. Thus, refreshing may be less efficient when memoranda are not well-established in long-term semantic memory (SM). To investigate this, we presented words and nonwords in simple and complex span trials in order to manipulate the long-term semantic representations of the memoranda with the requirement to refresh the memoranda during WM. A recognition test was administered that required participants to make a remember-know decision for each memorandum recognized as old. The results replicated the McCabe effect, but only for words, and the beneficial effect of refreshing opportunities was exclusive to recollection. These results extend previous research by indicating that the predictive relationship between WM refreshing and long-term EM is specific to recollection and, furthermore, moderated by representations in long-term SM. This supports the predictions of WM frameworks that espouse the importance of refreshing in content-context binding, but also those that view WM as being an activated subset of and, therefore, constrained by the contents of long-term memory.

The Long-Term Effects of Housing Assistance on Work and Welfare

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Sandra; Holupka, C. Scott; Harkness, Joseph

2009-01-01

This paper examines the long-term effect of project-based housing assistance--public housing and private assisted housing--on work, earnings, and welfare receipt. We use the Panel Study of Income Dynamics-Assisted Housing Database to identify women ever living in project-based assisted housing and to create comparison groups using propensity…

Long-term forest management and climate effects on streamflow

Treesearch

Shelby G. Laird; C.R. Ford; S.H. Laseter; J.M. Vose

2011-01-01

Long-term watershed studies are a powerful tool for examining interactions among management activities, streamflow, and climatic variability. Understanding these interactions is critical for exploring the potential of forest management to adapt to or mitigate against the effects of climate change. The Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, located in North Carolina, USA, is a...

Effects of Acute Exercise on Long-Term Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Labban, Jeffrey D.; Etnier, Jennifer L.

2011-01-01

In this study, we tested the effect of acute exercise on long-term memory, specifically the timing of exercise relative to the memory challenge. We assessed memory via paragraph recall, in which participants listened to two paragraphs (exposure) and recounted them following a 35-min delay. Participants (n = 48) were randomly assigned to one of…

Does Early Paternal Parenting Promote Low-Income Children's Long-Term Cognitive Skills?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coley, Rebekah Levine; Lewin-Bizan, Selva; Carrano, Jennifer

2011-01-01

Although scholars and policy makers herald the promotive influence of fathers' parenting involvement, limited research has carefully delineated effects of fathers' parenting on low-income children's development and whether early contributions from fathers confer long-term protective effects. Using data from the Three-City Study (N = 261), analyses…

Forecasting stock return volatility: A comparison between the roles of short-term and long-term leverage effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Zhiyuan; Liu, Li

2018-02-01

In this paper, we extend the GARCH-MIDAS model proposed by Engle et al. (2013) to account for the leverage effect in short-term and long-term volatility components. Our in-sample evidence suggests that both short-term and long-term negative returns can cause higher future volatility than positive returns. Out-of-sample results show that the predictive ability of GARCH-MIDAS is significantly improved after taking the leverage effect into account. The leverage effect for short-term volatility component plays more important role than the leverage effect for long-term volatility component in affecting out-of-sample forecasting performance.

Long-term efficacy of polyethylene glycol 3350 for the treatment of chronic constipation in children with and without encopresis.

PubMed

Pashankar, Dinesh S; Bishop, Warren P; Loening-Baucke, Vera

2003-01-01

Seventy-four children (43 with chronic constipation, 31 with constipation and encopresis) treated with polyethylene glycol 3350 (PEG) for longer than 3 months were studied to assess long-term efficacy. The mean duration of PEG therapy was 8.4 months (range, 3-30). Weekly stool frequency, stool consistency, and symptoms associated with constipation improved significantly with PEG therapy in all 74 patients. In 31 children with encopresis, soiling ceased completely in 16 patients and frequency of soiling decreased significantly in all others. The average effective long-term dose of PEG was 0.7 g/kg/day. Long-term PEG therapy is effective for the treatment of chronic constipation with and without encopresis in children.

Short- and long-term inhibition of cardiac inward-rectifier potassium channel current by an antiarrhythmic drug bepridil.

PubMed

Ma, Fangfang; Takanari, Hiroki; Masuda, Kimiko; Morishima, Masaki; Ono, Katsushige

2016-07-01

Bepridil is an effective antiarrhythmic drug on supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias, and inhibitor of calmodulin. Recent investigations have been elucidating that bepridil exerts antiarrhythmic effects through its acute and chronic application for patients. The aim of this study was to identify the efficacy and the potential mechanism of bepridil on the inward-rectifier potassium channel in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes in acute- and long-term conditions. Bepridil inhibited inward-rectifier potassium current (I K1) as a short-term effect with IC50 of 17 μM. Bepridil also reduced I K1 of neonatal cardiomyocytes when applied for 24 h in the culture medium with IC50 of 2.7 μM. Both a calmodulin inhibitor (W-7) and an inhibitor of calmodulin-kinase II (KN93) reduced I K1 when applied for 24 h as a long-term effect in the same fashion, suggesting that the long-term application of bepridil inhibits I K1 more potently than that of the short-term application through the inhibition of calmodulin kinase II pathway in cardiomyocytes.

Insulin treatment augments KCNQ1/KCNE1 currents but not KCNQ1 currents, which is associated with an increase in KCNE1 expression.

PubMed

Wu, Minghua; Obara, Yutaro; Ohshima, Shingo; Nagasawa, Yoshinobu; Ishii, Kuniaki

2017-11-04

Diabetes mellitus affects ion channel physiology. We have previously reported that acute application of insulin suppresses the KCNQ1/KCNE1 currents that play an important role in terminating ventricular action potential. In this study, we investigated the effect of long-term insulin treatment on KCNQ1/KCNE1 currents using the Xenopus oocyte expression system. Insulin treatment with a duration longer than 6 h had an opposite effect to acute insulin application, that is, it augmented the KCNQ1/KCNE1 currents. Inhibitors of PI3K, wortmannin and LY294002, and a MEK inhibitor, U0126, abolished the potentiating effect of long-term insulin treatment. The long-term treatment with insulin had no effect on KCNQ1 currents indicating an essential role of KCNE1 in the insulin effect, which is similar to the acute insulin effect. Cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis, and brefeldin A, an inhibitor of protein transport from endoplasmic reticulum, suppressed the long-term insulin effect. Western blotting analysis combined with these pharmacological data suggest that long-term insulin treatment augments KCNQ1/KCNE1 currents by increasing KCNE1 protein expression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of short term and long term Extremely Low Frequency Magnetic Field on depressive disorder in mice: Involvement of nitric oxide pathway.

PubMed

Madjid Ansari, Alireza; Farzampour, Shahrokh; Sadr, Ali; Shekarchi, Babak; Majidzadeh-A, Keivan

2016-02-01

Previous reports on the possible effects of Extremely Low Frequency Magnetic Fields (ELF MF) on mood have been paradoxical in different settings while no study has yet been conducted on animal behavior. In addition, it was shown that ELF MF exposure makes an increase in brain nitric oxide level. Therefore, in the current study, we aimed to assess the possible effect(s) of ELF MF exposure on mice Forced Swimming Test (FST) and evaluate the probable role of the increased level of nitric oxide in the observed behavior. Male adult mice NMRI were recruited to investigate the short term and long term ELF MF exposure (0.5 mT and 50 Hz, single 2h and 2 weeks 2h a day). Locomotor behavior was assessed by using open-field test (OFT) followed by FST to evaluate the immobility time. Accordingly, NΩ-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester 30 mg/kg was used to exert anti-depressant like effect. According to the results, short term exposure did not alter the immobility time, whereas long term exposure significantly reduces immobility time (p<0.01). However, it was revealed that the locomotion did not differ among all experimental groups. Short term exposure reversed the anti-depressant like effect resulting from 30 mg/kg of NΩ-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (p<0.01). It has been concluded that long term exposure could alter the depressive disorder in mice, whereas short term exposure has no significant effect. Also, reversing the anti-depressant activity of L-NAME indicates a probable increase in the brain nitric oxide. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of long-term (10 years) exposure to elevated CO2 and O3 on trembling Aspen carbon and nitrogen metabolism at the aspen FACE (Free-Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment) study site [Abstract

Treesearch

R. Minocha; S. Long; S. Minocha; P Marquardt; M. Kubiske

2010-01-01

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the long-term (10 years) effects of elevated CO2 and O3 on the carbon and nitrogen metabolism of aspen trees. The study was conducted at the Aspen Free-Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment (FACE) experimental site, Rhinelander, WI, (USA).

Embolization of renal angiomyolipomas: short-term and long-term outcomes, complications, and tumor shrinkage.

PubMed

Lee, Shen-Yang; Hsu, Hsiang-Hao; Chen, Yung-Chang; Huang, Chen-Chih; Wong, Yon-Cheong; Wang, Li-Jen; Chuang, Cheng-Keng; Yang, Chih-Wei

2009-11-01

This study retrospectively evaluated outcomes, complications, and tumor shrinkage in renal angiomyolipomas after transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE). All renal angiomyolipoma patients who underwent TAE between August 2000 and December 2008 and had short-term (6 months) follow-up images were evaluated. Complications and tumor relapse after TAE were reviewed. The sizes of embolized tumors were measured to calculate size reductions and reduction rates after TAE. Differences in tumor size, size reduction, and reduction rate between different time points (pre-TAE, short-term follow-up, and long-term follow-up) and groups (completely and incompletely embolized) were determined. Eleven renal angiomyolipoma patients who had undergone TAE were included. Seven (63.6%) patients had postembolization syndrome and one had abscess formation following TAE. Two patients had a tumor relapse (18.2%). The mean tumor size was 8.57+/-2.66 cm on pre-TAE images. The mean size reduction was 3.1 cm (33.3%) and 3.8 cm (43.0%) at short-term and long-term follow-up. Tumor sizes differed significantly between pre-TAE and short-term (p=0.004) or long-term images (p=0.022) but not between short-term and long-term images (p=0.059). Results stratified by the completeness of embolization indicate that only the short-term size reduction rate differed significantly (p=0.025), while the long-term reduction rate and short- and long-term follow-up tumor size and size reduction were comparable between the two groups. In conclusion, selective TAE is effective for tumor shrinkage in most renal angiomyolipomas, with acceptable complication and relapse rates. Tumor shrinkage occurring within 6 months after TAE may reflect the long-term effect of TAE.

Beyond post-marketing research and MedWatch: Long-term studies of drug risks.

PubMed

Resnik, David B

2007-10-01

Critics of the drug safety system have discussed many different potential reforms, ranging from mandatory registration of clinical trials to increasing the power of regulatory agencies, but few have discussed one of the most important ways of enhancing safety: increasing the number of long-term studies of medications. Long-term studies of the risks and benefits of drugs can provide useful information for regulators, healthcare professionals, and patients. Government funding agencies should lead the effort to conduct long-term studies of drugs, but private companies should also be required to lend financial support. Because cost-effectiveness is likely to be an important consideration in conducting this research, funding agencies should focus, at first, on drugs that are used to treat common, chronic conditions.

Beyond post-marketing research and MedWatch: Long-term studies of drug risks

PubMed Central

Resnik, David B

2007-01-01

Critics of the drug safety system have discussed many different potential reforms, ranging from mandatory registration of clinical trials to increasing the power of regulatory agencies, but few have discussed one of the most important ways of enhancing safety: increasing the number of long-term studies of medications. Long-term studies of the risks and benefits of drugs can provide useful information for regulators, healthcare professionals, and patients. Government funding agencies should lead the effort to conduct long-term studies of drugs, but private companies should also be required to lend financial support. Because cost-effectiveness is likely to be an important consideration in conducting this research, funding agencies should focus, at first, on drugs that are used to treat common, chronic conditions. PMID:19727333

Exposure to nitrogen dioxide and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Zhang, Zili; Wang, Jian; Lu, Wenju

2018-05-01

Exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) has long been linked to elevated mortality and morbidity from epidemiological evidences. However, questions remain unclear whether NO 2 acts directly on human health or being an indicator of other ambient pollutants. In this study, random-effect meta-analyses were performed on examining exposure to nitrogen oxide (NO x ) and its association with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The overall relative risk (RR) of COPD risk related to a 10 μg/m 3 increase in NO 2 exposure increased by 2.0%. The pooled effect on prevalence was 17% with an increase of 10 μg/m 3 in NO 2 concentration, and 1.3% on hospital admissions, and 2.6% on mortality. The RR of COPD cases related to NO 2 long-term exposure was 2.5 and 1.4% in short-term exposure. The COPD effect related with a 10 μg/m 3 increase in exposure to a general outdoor-sourced NO 2 was 1.7 and 17.8% to exposure to an exclusively traffic-sourced NO 2 ; importantly, we did observe the effect of NO 2 on COPD mortality with a large majority in lag0. Long-term traffic exerted more severe impairments on COPD prevalence than long-term or short-term outdoor effect; long-term mortality effect on COPD was serious in single model from this meta-analysis. Overall, our study reported consistent evidence of the potential positive association between NO 2 and COPD risk.

The effects of unemployment and perceived job insecurity: a comparison of their association with psychological and somatic complaints, self-rated health and life satisfaction.

PubMed

Griep, Yannick; Kinnunen, Ulla; Nätti, Jouko; De Cuyper, Nele; Mauno, Saija; Mäkikangas, Anne; De Witte, Hans

2016-01-01

Research has provided convincing evidence for the adverse effects of both short- and long-term unemployment, and perceived job insecurity on individuals' health and well-being. This study aims to go one critical step further by comparing the association between short- and long-term unemployment, and perceived job insecurity with a diverse set of health and well-being indicators. We compare four groups: (1) secure permanent employees (N = 2257), (2) insecure permanent employees (N = 713), (3) short-term unemployed (N = 662), and (4) long-term unemployed (N = 345) using cross-sectional data from the nationally representative Living Conditions Survey in Finland. Covariance analyses adjusted for background variables support findings from earlier studies that long-term unemployment and perceived job insecurity are detrimental: short-term unemployed and secure permanent employees experienced fewer psychological complaints and lower subjective complaints load, reported a higher self-rated health, and were more satisfied with their life compared to long-term unemployed and insecure permanent employees. Second, whereas unemployment was found to be more detrimental than insecure employment in terms of life satisfaction, insecure employment was found to be more detrimental than unemployment in terms of psychological complaints. No differences were found regarding subjective complaints load and self-rated health. Our findings suggest that (1) insecure employment relates to more psychological complaints than short-term unemployment and secure permanent employment, (2) insecure employment and long-term unemployment relate to more subjective complaints load and poorer health when compared to secure permanent employment, and (3) insecure employment relates to higher life satisfaction than both short- and long-term unemployment.

Acute and long-term in vitro effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles.

PubMed

Annangi, Balasubramanyam; Rubio, Laura; Alaraby, Mohamed; Bach, Jordi; Marcos, Ricard; Hernández, Alba

2016-09-01

Since most of the toxic studies of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) focused on acute and high-dose exposure conditions, the aim of the present study was to fill the existing knowledge gap of long-term effects of ZnO NPs at sub-toxic doses. To overcome this point, we have evaluated the toxic, genotoxic, and carcinogenic effects of ZnO NPs under long-term treatments (12 weeks), using a sub-toxic dose (1 µg/mL) according to acute 48-h exposure. Preliminarily, oxidative stress and genotoxic/oxidative DNA damage were determined under acute exposure and high-dose conditions. To determine the role of oxidative DNA damage, a wild-type mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF Ogg1 (+/+)) and its isogenic 8-oxo-guanine DNA glycosylase 1 (Ogg1) knockout partner (MEF Ogg1 (-/-)) cell lines were used. Although short-term exposure (24-h) experiments demonstrated that ZnO NPs were able to induce ROS, genotoxicity, and oxidative DNA damage in both cell lines, no effects were obtained under long-term exposure scenario. Thus, 1 µg/mL exposure over 12 weeks was unable to induce genotoxicity as well as cellular transformation in both cell types, as indicated by the lack of observed morphological cell changes, variations in the secretion of matrix metalloproteinases, and anchorage-independent cell growth ability, regarded as cancer-like phenotypic hallmarks. Our results indicate that short-term effects of ZnO NP exposure are not replicated under long-term and sub-toxic dose conditions. All together, the lack of genotoxic/carcinogenic effects after chronic treatments seem to indicate a reduced risk associated with ZnO NP exposure.

Outdoor fine particles and nonfatal strokes: systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Shin, Hwashin H; Fann, Neal; Burnett, Richard T; Cohen, Aaron; Hubbell, Bryan J

2014-11-01

Epidemiologic studies find that long- and short-term exposure to fine particles (PM2.5) is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes, including ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. However, few systematic reviews or meta-analyses have synthesized these results. We reviewed epidemiologic studies that estimated the risks of nonfatal strokes attributable to ambient PM2.5. To pool risks among studies we used a random-effects model and 2 Bayesian approaches. The first Bayesian approach assumes a normal prior that allows risks to be zero, positive or negative. The second assumes a gamma prior, where risks can only be positive. This second approach is proposed when the number of studies pooled is small, and there is toxicological or clinical literature to support a causal relation. We identified 20 studies suitable for quantitative meta-analysis. Evidence for publication bias is limited. The frequentist meta-analysis produced pooled risk ratios of 1.06 (95% confidence interval = 1.00-1.13) and 1.007 (1.003-1.010) for long- and short-term effects, respectively. The Bayesian meta-analysis found a posterior mean risk ratio of 1.08 (95% posterior interval = 0.96-1.26) and 1.008 (1.003-1.013) from a normal prior, and of 1.05 (1.02-1.10) and 1.008 (1.004-1.013) from a gamma prior, for long- and short-term effects, respectively, per 10 μg/m PM2.5. Sufficient evidence exists to develop a concentration-response relation for short- and long-term exposures to PM2.5 and stroke incidence. Long-term exposures to PM2.5 result in a higher risk ratio than short-term exposures, regardless of the pooling method. The evidence for short-term PM2.5-related ischemic stroke is especially strong.

Long-term care-service use and increases in care-need level among home-based elderly people in a Japanese urban area.

PubMed

Koike, Soichi; Furui, Yuji

2013-04-01

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of home-based long-term care insurance services on an increase in care need levels and discuss its policy implications. We analyzed care need certification and long-term care service use data for 3006 non-institutionalized elderly persons in a Tokyo ward effective as of October 2009 and 2010. Individual care need assessment intervals and their corresponding changes in care need level were calculated from data at two data acquisition points of care need assessment. Those who had been certified but did not use any long-term care insurance service were defined as the control group. The Cox proportionate hazard model was used to determine whether the use of a long-term care insurance service is associated with increased care need level. After adjusting for sex, age, and care need level, the hazard ratio for the probability of increased care need level among service users was calculated as 0.75 (95% confidence interval, 0.64-0.88; p < 0.001). Home-based long-term care service use may prevent an increase in care need level. Administrative data on care need certification and services use could be an effective tool for evaluating the long-term care insurance system. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A systematic review and analysis of long-term outcomes in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: effects of treatment and non-treatment

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background In childhood, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by age-inappropriate levels of inattentiveness/disorganization, hyperactivity/impulsiveness, or a combination thereof. Although the criteria for ADHD are well defined, the long-term consequences in adults and children need to be more comprehensively understood and quantified. We conducted a systematic review evaluating the long-term outcomes (defined as 2 years or more) of ADHD with the goal of identifying long-term outcomes and the impact that any treatment (pharmacological, non-pharmacological, or multimodal) has on ADHD long-term outcomes. Methods Studies were identified using predefined search criteria and 12 databases. Studies included were peer-reviewed, primary studies of ADHD long-term outcomes published between January 1980 to December 2010. Inclusion was agreed on by two independent researchers on review of abstracts or full text. Published statistical comparison of outcome results were summarized as poorer than, similar to, or improved versus comparators, and quantified as percentage comparisons of these categories. Results Outcomes from 351 studies were grouped into 9 major categories: academic, antisocial behavior, driving, non-medicinal drug use/addictive behavior, obesity, occupation, services use, self-esteem, and social function outcomes. The following broad trends emerged: (1) without treatment, people with ADHD had poorer long-term outcomes in all categories compared with people without ADHD, and (2) treatment for ADHD improved long-term outcomes compared with untreated ADHD, although not usually to normal levels. Only English-language papers were searched and databases may have omitted relevant studies. Conclusions This systematic review provides a synthesis of studies of ADHD long-term outcomes. Current treatments may reduce the negative impact that untreated ADHD has on life functioning, but does not usually 'normalize' the recipients. PMID:22947230

Testing Memories of Personally Experienced Events: The Testing Effect Seems Not to Persist in Autobiographical Memory.

PubMed

Emmerdinger, Kathrin J; Kuhbandner, Christof

2018-01-01

Numerous studies have shown that retrieving contents from memory in a test improves long-term retention for those contents, even when compared to restudying (i.e., the "testing effect"). The beneficial effect of retrieval practice has been demonstrated for many different types of memory representations; however, one particularly important memory system has not been addressed in previous testing effect research: autobiographical memory. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of retrieving memories for personally experienced events on long-term memory for those events. In an initial elicitation session, participants described memories for personally experienced events in response to a variety of cue words. In a retrieval practice/restudy session the following day, they repeatedly practiced retrieval for half of their memories by recalling and writing down the previously described events; the other half of memories was restudied by rereading and copying the event descriptions. Long-term retention of all previously collected memories was assessed at two different retention intervals (2 weeks and 13 weeks). In the retrieval practice session, a hypermnesic effect emerged, with memory performance increasing across the practice cycles. Long-term memory performance significantly dropped from the 2-weeks to the 13-weeks retention interval, but no significant difference in memory performance was observed between previously repeatedly retrieved and previously repeatedly restudied memories. Thus, in autobiographical memory, retrieval practice seems to be no more beneficial for long-term retention than repeated re-exposure.

The Development and Evaluation of a Life Skills Programme for Young Adult Offenders.

PubMed

Jordaan, Jacques; Beukes, Roelf; Esterhuyse, Karel

2017-10-01

The purpose of this research project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a Life Skills programme for young adult male long-term offenders with the aim of improving their life skills that, in turn, could enable them to adjust more effectively in the correctional environment. Experimental research was used to investigate the effectiveness of the programme. In this study, 96 literate young adult male offenders between the ages of 21 and 25 years, with long sentences, were selected randomly. The participants were assigned randomly into an experimental and a control group. The Solomon four-group design was utilized to control for the effect of pretest sensitization. The measurements of the effectiveness of the programme were conducted before the programme commenced, directly (short term) after, 3 months (medium term) after, and 6 months (long term) after. The findings indicated that the programme had limited success in equipping the offenders with the necessary skills crucial to their survival in a correctional centre. The programme did, however, have significant effects, especially on problem solving and anger management in the short and medium term. These improvements were not long lived.

Progesterone Regulation of Synaptic Transmission and Plasticity in Rodent Hippocampus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foy, Michael R.; Akopian, Garnik; Thompson, Richard F.

2008-01-01

Ovarian hormones influence memory formation by eliciting changes in neural activity. The effects of various concentrations of progesterone (P4) on synaptic transmission and plasticity associated with long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) were studied using in vitro hippocampal slices. Extracellular studies show that the…

Comparative study of different stochastic weather generators for long-term climate data simulation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Climate is one of the single most important factors affecting watershed ecosystems and water resources. The effect of climate variability and change has been studied extensively in some places; in many places, however, assessments are hampered by limited availability of long term continuous climate ...

Examining the Contemporaneous, Short-Term, and Long-Term Effects of Secondary Exposure to Violence on Adolescent Substance Use.

PubMed

Zimmerman, Gregory M; Kushner, Mackenzie

2017-09-01

The relationship between secondary exposure to violence-defined as witnessing violence in the home, community, or school-and adolescent substance use is well-documented. Yet, multi-wave empirical studies examining this relationship are sparse. In addition, studies have only begun to examine whether this relationship varies by the situational components of the violent event. Using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN), this study examines the contemporaneous, short-term, and long-term effects of secondary exposure to violence on substance use, and whether witnessing violence in which a weapon is present has a different impact on adolescent substance use than does witnessing violence without a weapon. Hierarchical logistic regression models on a racially and ethnically diverse sample of 1670 youth (51.5% female) residing in 79 neighborhoods indicated that: (1) the effects of secondary exposure to violence on alcohol and marijuana use were enduring, albeit attenuated, over time; (2) the effect of secondary exposure to violence on illicit drug use was suppressed in the short-term but significant in the long-term; (3) witnessing violence without a weapon was salient for alcohol and marijuana use at all time points; and (4) witnessing violence with a weapon impacted illicit drug use in the long-term. The results suggest that addressing the consequences of secondary exposure to violence requires prolonged intervention efforts and that the study of secondary exposure to violence requires a more nuanced approach that accounts for situational aspects of the violent event.

The long-term use of cyproterone acetate in pedophilia: a case study.

PubMed

Cooper, A J; Cernovsky, Z; Magnus, R V

1992-01-01

This investigation reports the long-term use of the antiandrogen cyproterone acetate (CPA) in a pedophile, who was studied continuously over 38 months. Measures of sexual arousal, serum testosterone, and gonadotropin levels were significantly reduced by the drug as compared with placebo and no treatment; prolactin levels were significantly elevated. Some workers have observed that long-term administration of CPA (more than one year, which was then discontinued) produced enduring (in some cases apparently permanent) anti-libidinal effects; however, in the case described, within three weeks of stopping the drug, all measures had returned to pretrial levels. The importance of continuous long-term monitoring in sex offenders receiving an antiandrogen is discussed.

Endorsement of Social and Personal Values Predicts the Desirability of Men and Women as Long-Term Partners.

PubMed

Lopes, Guilherme S; Barbaro, Nicole; Sela, Yael; Jeffery, Austin J; Pham, Michael N; Shackelford, Todd K; Zeigler-Hill, Virgil

2017-01-01

A prospective romantic partner's desirability as a long-term partner may be affected by the values that he or she endorses. However, few studies have examined the effects of "values" on a person's desirability as a long-term partner. We hypothesized that individuals who endorse social values (vs. personal values) will be perceived as more desirable long-term partners (Hypothesis 1) and that the endorsement of social values will be especially desirable in a male (vs. female) long-term partner (Hypothesis 2). The current study employed a 2 (sex of prospective partner: male vs. female) × 2 (values of prospective partner: personal vs. social) × 2 (physical attractiveness of prospective partner: unattractive vs. highly attractive) mixed-model design. Participants were 339 undergraduates (174 men, 165 women), with ages varying between 18 and 33 years ( M = 19.9, SD = 3.6), and mostly in a romantic relationship (53.7%). Participants reported interest in a long-term relationship with prospective partners depicted in four scenarios (within subjects), each varying along the dimensions of values (personal vs. social) and physical attractiveness (unattractive vs. highly attractive). Individuals endorsing personal values (vs. social values) and men (vs. women) endorsing personal values were rated as less desirable as long-term partners. The current research adds to the partner preferences literature by demonstrating that an individual's ascribed values influence others' perceptions of desirability as a long-term partner and that these effects are consistently sex differentiated, as predicted by an evolutionary perspective on romantic partner preferences.

A Long-Term Effect of Perceptual Individuation Training on Reducing Implicit Racial Bias in Preschool Children.

PubMed

Qian, Miao K; Quinn, Paul C; Heyman, Gail D; Pascalis, Olivier; Fu, Genyue; Lee, Kang

2017-10-12

This study tracked the long-term effect of perceptual individuation training on reducing 5-year-old Chinese children's (N = 95, M age  = 5.64 years) implicit pro-Asian/anti-Black racial bias. Initial training to individuate other-race Black faces, followed by supplementary training occurring 1 week later, resulted in a long-term reduction of pro-Asian/anti-Black bias (70 days). In contrast, training Chinese children to recognize White or Asian faces had no effect on pro-Asian/anti-Black bias. Theoretically, the finding that individuation training can have a long-term effect on reducing implicit racial bias in preschoolers suggests that a developmentally early causal linkage between perceptual and social processing of faces is not a transitory phenomenon. Practically, the data point to an effective intervention method for reducing implicit racism in young children. © 2017 The Authors. Child Development © 2017 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Near-Term Actions to Address Long-Term Climate Risk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lempert, R. J.

2014-12-01

Addressing climate change requires effective long-term policy making, which occurs when reflecting on potential events decades or more in the future causes policy makers to choose near-term actions different than those they would otherwise pursue. Contrary to some expectations, policy makers do sometimes make such long-term decisions, but not as commonly and successfully as climate change may require. In recent years however, the new capabilities of analytic decision support tools, combined with improved understanding of cognitive and organizational behaviors, has significantly improved the methods available for organizations to manage longer-term climate risks. In particular, these tools allow decision makers to understand what near-term actions consistently contribute to achieving both short- and long-term societal goals, even in the face of deep uncertainty regarding the long-term future. This talk will describe applications of these approaches for infrastructure, water, and flood risk management planning, as well as studies of how near-term choices about policy architectures can affect long-term greenhouse gas emission reduction pathways.

Calcium homeostasis and protein kinase/phosphatase balance participate in nicotine-induced memory improvement in passive avoidance task in mice.

PubMed

Michalak, Agnieszka; Biala, Grazyna

2017-01-15

Long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) depend on specific postsynaptic Ca 2+ /calmodulin concentration. LTP results from Ca 2+ influx through the activated NMDA receptors or voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) and is linked with activation of protein kinases including mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Weaker synaptic stimulation, as a result of low Ca 2+ influx, leads to activation of Ca 2+ /calmodulin-dependent phosphatase (calcineurin - CaN) and triggers LTD. Interestingly, both memory formation and drug addiction share similar neuroplastic changes. Nicotine, which is one of the most common addictive drugs, manifests its memory effects through nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Because nAChRs may also gate Ca 2+ , it is suggested that calcium signaling pathways are involved in nicotine-induced memory effects. Within the scope of the study was to evaluate the importance of calcium homeostasis and protein kinase/phosphatase balance in nicotine-induced short- and long-term memory effects. To assess memory function in mice passive avoidance test was used. The presented results confirm that acute nicotine (0.1mg/kg) improves short- and long-term memory. Pretreatment with L-type VGCC blockers (amlodipine, nicardipine verapamil) increased nicotine-induced memory improvement in the context of short- and long-term memory. Pretreatment with FK-506 (a potent CaN inhibitor) enhanced short- but not long-term memory effects of nicotine, while SL-327 (a selective MAPK/ERK kinase inhibitor) attenuated both nicotine-induced short- and long-term memory improvement. Acute nicotine enhances both types of memory via L-type VGCC blockade and via ERK1/2 activation. Only short- but not long-term memory enhancement induced by nicotine is dependent on CaN inhibition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Psychological distress, fatigue and long-term sickness absence: prospective results from the Maastricht Cohort Study.

PubMed

Bültmann, Ute; Huibers, Marcus J H; van Amelsvoort, Ludovic P G M; Kant, Ijmert; Kasl, Stanislav V; Swaen, Gerard M H

2005-09-01

Little is known about psychological distress as a risk factor for the onset of long-term sickness absence and even less about the influence of fatigue in this relationship. We examined the relationship between psychological distress and the onset of long-term sickness absence during 18 months of follow-up while considering fatigue. Analyses were based on 6403 employees participating in the Maastricht Cohort Study. Psychological distress was related to the onset of long-term sickness absence (women relative risk 1.45, 95% confidence interval = 1.23-1.72; men 1.33, 1.21-1.46). Adjustment for fatigue weakened the associations, particularly in women. Caseness analyses revealed different effects of psychological distress and fatigue in the onset of long-term sickness absence in men and women. The findings underline the need for interventions aiming at psychological distress and, depending on the gender, also at fatigue, to reduce the risk of long-term sickness absence.

[Effect of anemia on child development: long-term consequences].

PubMed

Zavaleta, Nelly; Astete-Robilliard, Laura

2017-01-01

Anemia in children younger than 3 years is a public health problem in Peru and worldwide. It is believed that one of the primary causes of anemia is iron deficiency. Numerous studies and reviews have reported that iron deficiency limited psychomotor development in children and that, despite the correction of anemia, children with iron deficiency experienced poorer long-term performance in cognitive, social, and emotional functioning. These outcomes were reported in observational studies, follow-up studies, and experimental studies with a control group. Anemia can decrease school performance, productivity in adult life, quality of life, and the general income of affected individuals. Here we describe possible mechanisms underlying the effect of iron deficiency, with or without anemia, on childhood development. The high rate of anemia in this age group is a cause for concern. Moreover, anemia should be prevented in the first year of life to avoid long-term negative effects on individual development.

Obesity: a systematic review on parental involvement in long-term European childhood weight control interventions with a nutritional focus.

PubMed

van der Kruk, J J; Kortekaas, F; Lucas, C; Jager-Wittenaar, H

2013-09-01

In Europe, about 20% of children are overweight. Focus on parental responsibility is an effective method in weight control interventions in children. In this systematic review we describe the intensity of parental involvement and behaviour change aimed at parents in long-term European childhood weight control interventions. We include European Union studies targeting parents in order to improve children's weight status in multi-component (parental, behaviour change and nutrition) health promotion or lifestyle interventions. The included studies have at least one objectively measured anthropometric outcome in the weight status of the child. Parental involvement was described and categorized based on the intensity of parental involvement and coded using a validated behaviour change taxonomy specific to childhood obesity. Twenty-four studies were analysed. In effective long-term treatment studies, medium and high intensity parental involvement were identified most frequently; whereas in prevention studies low intensity parental involvement was identified most frequently. Parenting skills, generic and specific to lifestyle behaviour, scored frequently in effective weight control interventions. To list parental skills in generic and specific to lifestyle, descriptions of the included studies were summarized. We conclude that intensity of parental involvement and behaviour change techniques are important issues in the effectiveness of long-term childhood weight control interventions. © 2013 The Authors. obesity reviews © 2013 International Association for the Study of Obesity.

Frontal lobe dysfunction in long-term cannabis users.

PubMed

Lundqvist, T; Jönsson, S; Warkentin, S

2001-01-01

This study examined the neurophysiological effects of cannabis. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured in 12 long-term cannabis users shortly after cessation of cannabis use (mean 1.6 days). The findings showed significantly lower mean hemispheric blood flow values and significantly lower frontal values in the cannabis subjects compared to normal controls. The results suggest that the functional level of the frontal lobes is affected by long-term cannabis use.

Clinical trials with rasagiline: evidence for short-term and long-term effects.

PubMed

Siderowf, Andrew; Stern, Matthew

2006-05-23

Rasagiline (N-propargyl-1 (R)-aminoindan) is a selective, potent irreversible inhibitor of MAO-B that possesses neuroprotective and anti-apoptotic properties in a variety of in vitro and in vivo animal models relevant to Parkinson's disease (PD). Several randomized controlled clinical trials have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of rasagiline as monotherapy in PD and as adjunctive therapy for patients receiving levodopa. In addition, the 1-year randomized, delayed-start analysis of the TEMPO study suggests that rasagiline may slow the rate of progression of PD. The randomized delayed-start paradigm has potential to differentiate short-term symptomatic effects from long-term effects of anti-parkinsonian agents. In the future, long-term trials to examine the potential disease-modifying effects of rasagiline, which incorporate biological markers as well as clinical endpoints, may further elucidate the role of rasagiline in the treatment of both early and advanced PD.

Serum S100B is a useful surrogate marker for long-term outcomes in photochemically-induced thrombotic stroke rat models.

PubMed

Tanaka, Yu; Koizumi, Chie; Marumo, Toshiyuki; Omura, Tomohiro; Yoshida, Shigeru

2007-08-02

In recent years, serum S100B has been used as a secondary endpoint in some clinical trials, in which serum S100B has successfully indicated the benefits or harm done by the tested agents. Compared to clinical stroke studies, few experimental stroke studies report using serum S100B as a surrogate marker for estimating the long-term effects of neuroprotectants. This study sought to observe serum S100B kinetics in PIT stroke models and to clarify the association between serum S100B and both final infarct volumes and long-term neurological outcomes. Furthermore, to demonstrate that early elevations in serum S100B reflect successful neuroprotective treatment, a pharmacological study was performed with a non-competitive NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist, MK-801. Serum S100B levels were significantly elevated after PIT stroke, reaching peak values 48 h after the onset and declining thereafter. Single measurements of serum S100B as early as 48 h after PIT stroke correlated significantly with final infarct volumes and long-term neurological outcomes. Elevated serum S100B was significantly attenuated by MK-801, correlating significantly with long-term beneficial effects of MK-801 on infarct volumes and neurological outcomes. Our results showed that single measurements of serum S100B 48 h after PIT stroke would serve as an early and simple surrogate marker for long-term evaluation of histological and neurological outcomes in PIT stroke rat models.

Implicit short- and long-term memory direct our gaze in visual search.

PubMed

Kruijne, Wouter; Meeter, Martijn

2016-04-01

Visual attention is strongly affected by the past: both by recent experience and by long-term regularities in the environment that are encoded in and retrieved from memory. In visual search, intertrial repetition of targets causes speeded response times (short-term priming). Similarly, targets that are presented more often than others may facilitate search, even long after it is no longer present (long-term priming). In this study, we investigate whether such short-term priming and long-term priming depend on dissociable mechanisms. By recording eye movements while participants searched for one of two conjunction targets, we explored at what stages of visual search different forms of priming manifest. We found both long- and short- term priming effects. Long-term priming persisted long after the bias was present, and was again found even in participants who were unaware of a color bias. Short- and long-term priming affected the same stage of the task; both biased eye movements towards targets with the primed color, already starting with the first eye movement. Neither form of priming affected the response phase of a trial, but response repetition did. The results strongly suggest that both long- and short-term memory can implicitly modulate feedforward visual processing.

Competitive short-term and long-term memory processes in spatial habituation.

PubMed

Sanderson, David J; Bannerman, David M

2011-04-01

Exposure to a spatial location leads to habituation of exploration such that, in a novelty preference test, rodents subsequently prefer exploring a novel location to the familiar location. According to Wagner's (1981) theory of memory, short-term and long-term habituation are caused by separate and sometimes opponent processes. In the present study, this dual-process account of memory was tested. Mice received a series of exposure training trials to a location before receiving a novelty preference test. The novelty preference was greater when tested after a short, rather than a long, interval. In contrast, the novelty preference was weaker when exposure training trials were separated by a short, rather than a long interval. Furthermore, it was found that long-term habituation was determined by the independent effects of the amount of exposure training and the number of exposure training trials when factors such as the intertrial interval and the cumulative intertrial interval were controlled. A final experiment demonstrated that a long-term reduction of exploration could be caused by a negative priming effect due to associations formed during exploration. These results provide evidence against a single-process account of habituation and suggest that spatial habituation is determined by both short-term, recency-based memory and long-term, incrementally strengthened memory.

Can a Robot Be Perceived as a Developing Creature? Effects of a Robot's Long-Term Cognitive Developments on Its Social Presence and People's Social Responses toward It

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Kwan Min; Park, Namkee; Song, Hayeon

2005-01-01

This study tests the effect of long-term artificial development of a robot on users' feelings of social presence and social responses toward the robot. The study is a 2 (developmental capability: developmental versus fully matured) x 2 (number of participants: individual versus group) between-subjects experiment (N = 40) in which participants…

The Effect of Long-Term Training Program on Balance in Children with Cerebral Palsy: Results of a Pilot Study for Individually Based Functional Exercises

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uzun, Selda

2013-01-01

This study examines the effects of long-term training program on balance and center of pressure (COP) for four male children (13 years of age) with cerebral palsy (CP). These children were classified into one hemiplegic (level II), one diplegic (level II) and two quadriplegic children (levels III and II) using the Gross Motor Function…

Long-term effects of UV light on contractility of rat arteries in vivo.

PubMed

Morimoto, Yuji; Kohyama, Shinya; Nakai, Kanji; Matsuo, Hirotaka; Karasawa, Fujio; Kikuchi, Makoto

2003-10-01

Several studies have shown that UV irradiation may be effective for preventing vascular restenosis or vasopasm. However, the long-term effects of UV light on the physiological properties of vessels such as arterial tension have not been elucidated. We therefore studied the long-term effects of UV using rat carotid arteries treated with UV-B light (wavelength = 313 nm, total energy = 14 mJ/mm2). The animals were sacrificed at 1, 7 and 14 days after UV light exposure, and the carotid arteries were studied by light microscopy and the contractile responses of isolated arterial rings were recorded under isometric tension. UV treatment had induced a substantial loss of smooth muscle cells (SMC) along the entire circumference of the media on days 7 and 14, whereas loss of SMC on day 1 was negligible. Contractile responses of arteries that had been exposed to UV light were significantly reduced on days, 1, 7 and 14. The susceptibility of UV-treated arteries to phenylephrine and prostaglandin F2 alpha was significantly decreased on days 1 and 7, but decreased susceptibility was not seen on day 14. Acetylcholine-induced relaxations were not altered by UV treatment. These results suggest that the long-term effect of UV light is an attenuation of smooth muscle contractility without impairment of endothelial function.

Effects of Formica ants on soil fauna-results from a short-term exclusion and a long-term natural experiment.

PubMed

Lenoir, Lisette; Bengtsson, Jan; Persson, Tryggve

2003-02-01

Wood ants (Formica spp.) were hypothesised to affect the composition and greatly reduce the abundance of large-sized soil fauna by predation. This was tested in two ways. Firstly, a 4-year-long experimental study was carried out in a mixed forest. Five ant-free 1.3-m(2) plots were created by fenced exclosures within an ant territory. Five nearby plots had fences with entrances for the ants. In addition, five non-fenced control plots were selected. Soil fauna (e.g. Coleoptera, Diptera larvae, Collembola and Araneae) was sampled during the summers of 1997-2000. The soil fauna was affected by the exclosures but there was no detectable effect of ants on the soil fauna. Secondly, soil fauna was studied within a large-scale natural experiment in which the long-term (30 years) effects of red wood ants could be assessed inside and outside ant territories. This long-term natural experiment revealed no significant effects of ants on the abundance or composition of soil fauna. The results from the two studies indicate that the effects of wood ants on soil fauna are fairly small. The hypothesis that wood ants are key-stone predators on soil fauna could, thus, not be supported.

Effects of family caregivers on the use of formal long-term care in South Korea.

PubMed

Kim, E-Y; Cho, E; Lee, N-J

2013-12-01

We investigated whether the presence and characteristics of a family caregiver affect the use of formal long-term care under the new Korean long-term care system. In July 2008, Korea introduced public long-term care insurance, a form of social insurance, in order to cope with the reality of the growing elderly population and the increasing demand for long-term care. The family caregivers of 271 applicants for long-term care insurance who had a caregiver and 36 applicants without a caregiver living in one city participated in this cross-sectional study. Data were collected from November 2010 to June 2011 using self-report questionnaires. Variables included the applicant's gender; age; physical and cognitive function; type of long-term care used; presence and type of family caregivers; caregiver's gender, age, education level, marital status, and employment status; and service use covered by long-term care insurance. Logistic multiple regression was used. The effect of the presence and characteristics of a family caregiver on the use of a long-term care facility was significant. A nursing home was used for care more frequently when the applicant had no family caregiver. An elderly subject who had a spouse as a caregiver used home healthcare services more often than nursing home services. The decision to use formal services may depend not only on the care level required by the applicant, but also on the presence and type of caregivers. To successfully implement the new long-term care insurance system, consideration of the caregiver situation should be included in policy development. © 2013 International Council of Nurses.

The effect of zinc supplementation of lactating rats on short-term and long-term memory of their male offspring.

PubMed

Karami, Mohammad; Ehsanivostacolaee, Simin; Moazedi, Ali Ahmad; Nosrati, Anahita

2013-01-01

In this study the effect of zinc chloride (ZnCl2) administration on the short-term and long-term memory of rats were assessed. We enrolled six groups of adult female and control group of eight Wistar rats in each group. One group was control group with free access to food and water, and five groups drunk zinc chloride in different doses (20, 30, 50, 70 and 100 mg/kg/day) in drinking water for two weeks during lactation .One month after birth, a shuttle box used to short- term and long-term memory and the latency in entering the dark chamber as well. This experiment showed that maternal 70 mg/kg dietary zinc during lactation influenced the working memory of rats' offspring in all groups. Rats received 100 mg/kg/day zinc during lactation so they had significant impairment in working memory (short-term) of their offspring (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in reference (long-term) memory of all groups. Drug consumption below70 mg/kg/day zinc chloride during lactation had no effect. While enhanced 100 mg/ kg/ day zinc in lactating rats could cause short-term memory impairment.

The Long-Term Effectiveness of a Selective, Personality-Targeted Prevention Program in Reducing Alcohol Use and Related Harms: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newton, Nicola C.; Conrod, Patricia J.; Slade, Tim; Carragher, Natacha; Champion, Katrina E.; Barrett, Emma L.; Kelly, Erin V.; Nair, Natasha K.; Stapinski, Lexine; Teesson, Maree

2016-01-01

Background: This study investigated the long-term effectiveness of Preventure, a selective personality-targeted prevention program, in reducing the uptake of alcohol, harmful use of alcohol, and alcohol-related harms over a 3-year period. Methods: A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted to assess the effectiveness of Preventure.…

The effects of DHEA, 3beta-hydroxy-5alpha-androstane-6,17-dione, and 7-amino-DHEA analogues on short term and long term memory in the mouse.

PubMed

Bazin, Marc-Antoine; El Kihel, Laïla; Boulouard, Michel; Bouët, Valentine; Rault, Sylvain

2009-11-01

Neurosteroids have been reported to modulate memory processes in rodents. Three analogues of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), two of them previously described (7beta-aminoDHEA and 7beta-amino-17-ethylenedioxy-DHEA), and a new one (3beta-hydroxy-5alpha-androstane-6,17-dione) were synthesized, and their effects were evaluated on memory. This study examined their effects on long term and short term memory in male (6 weeks old) NMRI mice in comparison with the reference drug. Long term memory was assessed using the passive avoidance task and short term memory (spatial working memory) using the spontaneous alternation task in a Y maze. Moreover, the effects of DHEA and its analogues on spontaneous locomotion were measured. In all tests, DHEA and analogues were injected at three equimolar doses (0.300-1.350-6.075 microM/kg). DHEA and its three analogues administered immediately post-training at the highest doses (6.075 microM/kg, s.c.) improved retention in passive avoidance test. Without effect per se in the spatial working memory task, the four compounds failed to reverse scopolamine (1mg/kg, i.p.)-induced deficit in spontaneous alternation. These data suggested an action of DHEA and analogues in consolidation of long term memory particularly when emotional components are implied. Moreover, data indicated that pharmacological modulation of DHEA as performed in this study provides derivatives giving the same mnemonic profile than reference molecule.

Long term chemo-hydro-mechanical behavior of compacted soil bentonite polymer complex submitted to synthetic leachate.

PubMed

Razakamanantsoa, Andry Rico; Djeran-Maigre, Irini

2016-07-01

An experimental program is carried out to investigate the long term hydro-mechanical behavior correlated with chemical one of compacted soils with low concentration of Ca-bentonite and Ca-bentonite polymer mixture. The effect of prehydration on the hydraulic performance is compared to the polymer adding effect. All specimens are submitted to synthetic leachate (LS) under different permeation conditions. Several issues are studied: mechanical stability, hydraulic performance, chemical exchange of cations validated with microstructure observations. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) observations demonstrate two distinct behaviors: dispersive for Bentonite (B) and B with Polymer P1 (BP1) and flocculated for B with Polymer P2 (BP2). Direct shear tests show that bentonite adding increases the Soil (S) cohesion and decreases the friction angle. Polymer adding behaves similarly by maintaining the soil cohesion and increasing the friction angle. Hydraulic conductivity of prehydrated soil bentonite (SB) and direct permeation of polymer added soil bentonite are studied (SBP1 and SBP2). Hydraulic test duration are in range of 45days to 556days long. Prehydration allows to delay the aggressive effect of the LS in short term but seems to increase its negative effect on the hydraulic conductivity value in long term exposure. SB and SBP1 behave similarly and seem to act in the long term as a granular filler effect. SBP2 presents positive results comparing to the other mixtures: it maintains the hydraulic conductivity and the chemical resistance. Chemical analysis confirms that all specimens are subjected to Na(+) dissolution and Ca(2+) retention which are more pronounced for prehydrated specimen. The short term effect of prehydration and the positive effect of SBP2 are also confirmed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long-term consequences of adolescent cannabis use: Examining intermediary processes.

PubMed

Green, Kerry M; Doherty, Elaine E; Ensminger, Margaret E

2017-09-01

In the United States, perceptions of marijuana's acceptability are at an all-time high, risk perceptions among youth are low, and rates are rising among Black youth. Thus, it is imperative to increase the understanding of long-term effects of adolescent marijuana use and ways to mitigate adverse consequences. To identify the midlife consequences of heavy adolescent marijuana use and the mechanisms driving effects among a Black, urban population. This study analyzed the propensity score-matched prospective data from the Woodlawn Study, a community cohort study of urban Black youth followed from ages 6-42. After matching the 165 adolescents who used marijuana heavily to 165 non-heavy/nonusers on background confounders to reduce selection effects (64.5% male), we tested the association of heavy marijuana use by age 16 with social, economic, and physical and psychological health outcomes in midlife and the ability of adult drug trajectories (marijuana, cocaine, and heroin use from ages 17-42) and school dropout to mediate effects. Heavy adolescent marijuana use was associated with an increased risk of being poor and of being unmarried in midlife. Marijuana use also predicted lower income and greater anxious mood in midlife. Both adult drug use trajectories and school dropout significantly mediated socioeconomic effects but not marital or anxious mood outcomes. Heavy adolescent marijuana use seems to set Black, urban youth on a long-term trajectory of disadvantage that persists into midlife. It is critical to interrupt this long-term disadvantage through the prevention of heavy adolescent marijuana use, long-term marijuana and other drug use, and school dropout.

The Price of Fame: The Impact of Stimulus Familiarity on Proactive Interference Resolution

PubMed Central

Prabhakaran, Ranjani; Thompson-Schill, Sharon L.

2013-01-01

Interference from previously learned information, known as proactive interference (PI), limits our memory retrieval abilities. Previous studies of PI resolution have focused on the role of short-term familiarity, or recency, in causing PI. In the present study, we investigated the impact of long-term stimulus familiarity on PI resolution processes. In two behavioral experiments and one event-related fMRI experiment, long-term familiarity was manipulated through the use of famous and nonfamous stimuli, and short-term familiarity was manipulated through the use of recent and nonrecent probe items in an item recognition task. The right middle frontal gyrus demonstrated greater sensitivity to famous stimuli, suggesting that long-term stimulus familiarity plays a role in influencing PI resolution processes. Further examination of the effect of long-term stimulus familiarity on PI resolution revealed a larger behavioral interference effect for famous stimuli, but only under speeded response conditions. Thus, models of memory retrieval—and of the cognitive control mechanisms that guide retrieval processes—should consider the impact of and interactions among sources of familiarity on multiple time scales. PMID:20429858

The price of fame: the impact of stimulus familiarity on proactive interference resolution.

PubMed

Prabhakaran, Ranjani; Thompson-Schill, Sharon L

2011-04-01

Interference from previously learned information, known as proactive interference (PI), limits our memory retrieval abilities. Previous studies of PI resolution have focused on the role of short-term familiarity, or recency, in causing PI. In the present study, we investigated the impact of long-term stimulus familiarity on PI resolution processes. In two behavioral experiments and one event-related fMRI experiment, long-term familiarity was manipulated through the use of famous and nonfamous stimuli, and short-term familiarity was manipulated through the use of recent and nonrecent probe items in an item recognition task. The right middle frontal gyrus demonstrated greater sensitivity to famous stimuli, suggesting that long-term stimulus familiarity plays a role in influencing PI resolution processes. Further examination of the effect of long-term stimulus familiarity on PI resolution revealed a larger behavioral interference effect for famous stimuli, but only under speeded response conditions. Thus, models of memory retrieval--and of the cognitive control mechanisms that guide retrieval processes--should consider the impact of and interactions among sources of familiarity on multiple time scales.

Long-term studies of dopamine agonists.

PubMed

Hubble, Jean P

2002-02-26

Dopamine agonists have long been used as adjunctive therapy for the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). In more recent years these drugs have also been proved safe and effective as initial therapy in lieu of levodopa in the treatment of PD. Long-term levodopa therapy is associated with motor complications, including fluctuating response patterns and dyskinesia. By initially introducing a dopamine agonist as symptomatic drug therapy, it may be possible to postpone the use of levodopa and delay or prevent the development of motor complications. Recently, four clinical trials have explored this hypothesis by comparing the long-term response and side effects of levodopa with dopamine agonist therapy. The drugs studied have included ropinirole, pramipexole, cabergoline, and pergolide. In each of these projects, the occurrence of motor complications, such as wearing off and dyskinesia, was significantly less in the subjects assigned to initiation of therapy with a dopamine agonist. The addition of levodopa could be postponed by many months or even several years. Therefore, these long-term studies of dopamine agonists support the initiation of a dopamine agonist instead of levodopa in an effort to postpone levodopa-related motor complications. This therapeutic approach may be particularly appropriate in PD patients with a long treatment horizon on the basis of age and general good health. The extension phase of the long-term study comparing pramipexole with levodopa is ongoing, and follow-up information may help to establish the value of this treatment strategy.

Changes in soil surface chemistry after fifty years of tillage and nitrogen fertilization

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Knowledge gained on the long-term effects of crop management practices on soil fertility is critical in developing nutrient management strategies to optimize crop yields. This study examined the long-term effects of nitrogen (N) fertilizer application (N rates of 0, 22, 45 and 67 kg N ha-1) and till...

Long-term sedimentation effects of different patterns of timber harvesting

Treesearch

R. R. Ziemer; J. Lewis; T. E. Lisle; Rice. R. M.

1991-01-01

Abstract - It is impractical to address the long-term effect of forest management strategies on erosion, sedimentation, and the resultant damage to fish habitat experimentally because to do so would require studying large watersheds for a century or more. Monte Carlo simulations were conducted on three hypothetical 10 000 ha, fifth-order forested watersheds. One...

Political Youth Education in Germany. Presenting a Qualitative Study on Its Biographically Long-Term Effects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balzter, Nadine; Ristau, Yan; Schröder, Achim

2017-01-01

Purpose: There is an impact analysis presented, which explores the long-term effect of extra-curricular political youth education from the perspective of participants. Methods: The former participants retell their own education and life stories about five years later. Life stories were then interpreted in the course of research workshops and…

The Long-Term Effects of Parental Divorce on the Mental Health of Young Adults: A Developmental Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chase-Lansdale, P. Lindsay; And Others

1995-01-01

Examined effects on young adults (23 years) of parental divorce during childhood and adolescence using data from Britain's longitudinal National Child Development study. Found that divorce had a moderate, long-term negative impact on young adults' mental health; the relative risk of serious emotional disorders increased in the aftermath of…

Comprehensive assessment of long-term effects of reducing intake of energy phase 2 (CALERIE Phase 2) screening and recruitment: Methods and results

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Comprehensive Assessment of the Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy Phase 2 (CALERIE) study is a systematic investigation of sustained 25% calorie restriction (CR) in non-obese humans. CALERIE is a multicenter (3 clinical sites, one coordinating center), parallel group, randomized con...

Acoustic Studies of the Effects of Environmental Stresses on Marine Mammals in Large Ocean Basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sidorovskaia, N.; Ma, B.; Ackleh, A. S.; Tiemann, C.; Ioup, G. E.; Ioup, J. W.

2014-12-01

Effects of environmental stresses on deep-diving marine mammal populations have not been studied systematically. Long-term regional passive acoustic monitoring of phonating marine mammals opens opportunities for such studies. This paper presents a unique multi-year study conducted by the Littoral Acoustic Demonstration Center (LADC) in the Northern Gulf of Mexico to understand short-term and long-term effects of anthropogenic stresses on resident populations of endangered sperm and elusive beaked whales. Both species spend many hours each day in deep dives which last about one hour each, so any visual observations for population estimates and behavioral responses are very limited. However, much more cost-efficient acoustic recordings of the phonations during dives on bottom-mounted hydrophones are not skewed by weather conditions or daylight requirements. Broadband passive acoustic data were collected by LADC in 2007 and 2010 at three ranges, 15, 40, and 80 km away from the 2010 Deep Water Horizon oil spill site. Pre-spill and post-spill data processing and comparison allow observing responses of both species to local short-term environmental condition changes and long-term responses to the spill. The short-term effects are studied by correlating daily activity cycles with anthropogenic noise curve daily and weekly cycles at different sites. The strong correlation between the decrease in overall daily activity and the increase in anthropogenic noise level associated with seismic exploration signals can be seen. After streaming raw acoustic data through detection algorithms and detailed assessment of false detection rates, the temporal densities of acoustic phonations are passed into statistical algorithms for resident population estimations. The statistically significant results have shown different regional abundance trends, associated with long-term responses to environmental stresses, for these two species.

Viability of long-term gene therapy in the cochlea.

PubMed

Atkinson, Patrick J; Wise, Andrew K; Flynn, Brianna O; Nayagam, Bryony A; Richardson, Rachael T

2014-04-22

Gene therapy has been investigated as a way to introduce a variety of genes to treat neurological disorders. An important clinical consideration is its long-term effectiveness. This research aims to study the long-term expression and effectiveness of gene therapy in promoting spiral ganglion neuron survival after deafness. Adenoviral vectors modified to express brain derived neurotrophic factor or neurotrophin-3 were unilaterally injected into the guinea pig cochlea one week post ototoxic deafening. After six months, persistence of gene expression and significantly greater neuronal survival in neurotrophin-treated cochleae compared to the contralateral cochleae were observed. The long-term gene expression observed indicates that gene therapy is potentially viable; however the degeneration of the transduced cells as a result of the original ototoxic insult may limit clinical effectiveness. With further research aimed at transducing stable cochlear cells, gene therapy may be an efficacious way to introduce neurotrophins to promote neuronal survival after hearing loss.

Effects of long-term elevated temperature on covering, sheltering and righting behaviors of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius

PubMed Central

Zhang, Lisheng; Zhang, Lingling; Shi, Dongtao; Wei, Jing; Chang, Yaqing

2017-01-01

Increases in ocean temperature due to climate change are predicted to change the behaviors of marine invertebrates. Altered behaviors of keystone ecosystem engineers such as echinoderms will have consequences for the fitness of individuals, which are expected to flow on to the local ecosystem. Relatively few studies have investigated the behavioral responses of echinoderms to long-term elevated temperature. We investigated the effects of exposure to long-term (∼31 weeks) elevated temperature (∼3 °C above the ambient water temperature) on covering, sheltering and righting behaviors of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius. Long-term elevated temperature showed different effects on the three behaviors. It significantly decreased covering behavior, including both covering behavior reaction (time to first covering) and ability (number of covered sea urchins and number of shells used for covering). Conversely, exposure to long-term elevated temperature significantly increased sheltering behavior. Righting response in S. intermedius was not significantly different between temperature treatments. The results provide new information into behavioral responses of echinoderms to ocean warming. PMID:28348933

Immunomodulatory effect of ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides (GLP) on long-term heavy-load exercising mice.

PubMed

Shi, Yali; Cai, Dehua; Wang, Xiaojie; Liu, Xinshen

2012-12-01

Long-term heavy-load exercise can lead to a decrease in the organism's immune response. In this study, we used 100 Kunming (KM) mice to investigate the immune-regulatory effects of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides (GLP) on long-term heavy-load exercising mice. Peripheral white blood cells (WBC), the absolute value of neutrophils (NEUT), the phagocytic function of macrophages, serum agglutination valence, and the number of plaque-forming cells (PFC) were evaluated 4 weeks after gavaging long-term heavy-load exercising mice with GLP. After exercise, the WBC count in peripheral blood, absolute neutrophil count, macrophage phagocytic index, serum agglutination valence, and the number of plaque-forming cells were significantly reduced in the mice not fed GLP. Both medium and high doses of GLP drastically increased peripheral WBC, absolute neutrophil count, macrophage phagocytic index, serum agglutination valence, and the number of plaque-forming cells in long-term heavy-load exercising mice. High doses of GLP increased peritoneal macrophage phagocytic rate considerably. With this study, we demonstrate that 4 weeks of heavy-load exercise can lead to exercise-induced immunosuppression in mice. A supplement of GLP fed to these mice improves both non-specific and specific immune responses among these mice. The effect for the high-dose GLP treatment is especially significant.

Strong and long: effects of word length on phonological binding in verbal short-term memory.

PubMed

Jefferies, Elizabeth; Frankish, Clive; Noble, Katie

2011-02-01

This study examined the effects of item length on the contribution of linguistic knowledge to immediate serial recall (ISR). Long words are typically recalled more poorly than short words, reflecting the greater demands that they place on phonological encoding, rehearsal, and production. However, reverse word length effects--that is, better recall of long than short words--can also occur in situations in which phonological maintenance is difficult, suggesting that long words derive greater support from long-term lexical knowledge. In this study, long and short words and nonwords (containing one vs. three syllables) were presented for immediate serial recall in (a) pure lists and (b) unpredictable mixed lists of words and nonwords. The mixed-list paradigm is known to disrupt the phonological stability of words, encouraging their phonemes to recombine with the elements of other list items. In this situation, standard length effects were seen for nonwords, while length effects for words were absent or reversed. A detailed error analysis revealed that long words were more robust to the mixed-list manipulation than short words: Their phonemes were less likely to be omitted and to recombine with phonemes from other list items. These findings support an interactive view of short-term memory, in which long words derive greater benefits from lexical knowledge than short words-especially when their phonological integrity is challenged by the inclusion of nonwords in mixed lists.

Disability in long-term care residents explained by prevalent geriatric syndromes, not long-term care home characteristics: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Lane, Natasha E; Wodchis, Walter P; Boyd, Cynthia M; Stukel, Thérèse A

2017-02-10

Self-care disability is dependence on others to conduct activities of daily living, such as bathing, eating and dressing. Among long-term care residents, self-care disability lowers quality of life and increases health care costs. Understanding the correlates of self-care disability in this population is critical to guide clinical care and ongoing research in Geriatrics. This study examines which resident geriatric syndromes and chronic conditions are associated with residents' self-care disability and whether these relationships vary across strata of age, sex and cognitive status. It also describes the proportion of variance in residents' self-care disability that is explained by residents' geriatric syndromes versus long-term care home characteristics. We conducted a cross-sectional study using a health administrative cohort of 77,165 long-term care home residents residing in 614 Ontario long-term care homes. Eligible residents had their self-care disability assessed using the RAI-MDS 2.0 activities of daily living long-form score (range: 0-28) within 90 days of April 1st, 2011. Hierarchical multivariable regression models with random effects for long-term care homes were used to estimate the association between self-care disability and resident geriatric syndromes, chronic conditions and long-term care home characteristics. Differences in findings across strata of sex, age and cognitive status (cognitively intact versus cognitively impaired) were examined. Geriatric syndromes were much more strongly associated with self-care disability than chronic conditions in multivariable models. The direction and size of some of these effects were different for cognitively impaired versus cognitively intact residents. Residents' geriatric syndromes explained 50% of the variation in their self-care disability scores, while characteristics of long-term care homes explained an additional 2% of variation. Differences in long-term care residents' self-care disability are largely explained by prevalent geriatric syndromes. After adjusting for resident characteristics, there is little variation in self-care disability associated with long-term care home characteristics. This suggests that residents' geriatric syndromes-not the homes in which they live-may be the appropriate target of interventions to reduce self-care disability, and that such interventions may need to differ for cognitively impaired versus unimpaired residents.

The Long Term Effectiveness of Intensive Stuttering Therapy: A Mixed Methods Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irani, Farzan; Gabel, Rodney; Daniels, Derek; Hughes, Stephanie

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of client perceptions of an intensive stuttering therapy program that utilizes a multi-faceted approach to therapy. The study also proposed to gain a deeper understanding about the process involved in long-term maintenance of meaningful changes made in therapy. Methods: The…

Chronic Intranasal Oxytocin Causes Long-term Impairments in Partner Preference Formation in Male Prairie Voles

PubMed Central

Bales, Karen L.; Perkeybile, Allison M.; Conley, Olivia G.; Lee, Meredith H.; Guoynes, Caleigh D.; Downing, Griffin M.; Yun, Catherine R.; Solomon, Marjorie; Jacob, Suma; Mendoza, Sally P.

2012-01-01

Background Oxytocin (OT) is a hormone shown to be involved in social bonding in animal models. Intranasal OT is currently in clinical trials for use in disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. We examined long-term effects of intranasal OT given developmentally in the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), a socially monogamous rodent, often used as an animal model to screen drugs that have therapeutic potential for social disorders. Methods We treated voles with one of three dosages of intranasal OT, or saline, from day 21 (weaning) through day 42 (sexual maturity). We examined both social behavior immediately following administration, as well as long-term changes in social and anxiety behavior after treatment ceased. Group sizes varied from 8 to 15 voles (n = 89 voles total). Results Treatment with OT resulted in acute increases in social behavior in males with familiar partners, as seen in humans. However, long-term developmental treatment with low doses of intranasal OT resulted in a deficit in partner preference behavior (a reduction of contact with a familiar opposite-sex partner, used to index pair-bond formation) by males. Conclusions Long-term developmental treatment with OT may show results different to those predicted by short-term studies, as well as significant sex differences and dosage effects. Further animal study is crucial to determining safe and effective strategies for use of chronic intranasal OT, especially during development. PMID:23079235

Long-term effects of transference interpretation in dynamic psychotherapy of personality disorders.

PubMed

Høglend, P; Dahl, H-S; Hersoug, A G; Lorentzen, S; Perry, J C

2011-10-01

Only a few treatment studies of personality disorders (PD) patients are on longer-term psychotherapy, general outcome measures are used, and follow-up periods are usually short. More studies of long-term therapies, using outcome measures of core psychopathology, are needed. This study is a dismantling randomized controlled clinical trial, specifically designed to study long-term effects of transference interpretation. Forty-six patients with mainly cluster C personality disorders were randomly assigned to 1 year of dynamic psychotherapy with or without transference interpretations. The outcome measures were remission from PD, improvement in interpersonal functioning, and use of mental health resources in the 3-year period after treatment termination. After therapy with transference interpretation PD-patients improved significantly more in core psychopathology and interpersonal functioning, the drop-out rate was reduced to zero, and use of health services was reduced to 50%, compared to therapy without this ingredient. Three years after treatment termination, 73% no longer met diagnostic criteria for any PD in the transference group, compared to 44% in the comparison group. PD-patients with co-morbid disorders improved in both treatment arms in this study. However, transference interpretation improved outcome substantially more. Long-term psychotherapy that includes transference interpretation is an effective treatment for cluster C personality disorders and milder cluster B personality disorders. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Assessing the associative deficit of older adults in long-term and short-term/working memory.

PubMed

Chen, Tina; Naveh-Benjamin, Moshe

2012-09-01

Older adults exhibit a deficit in associative long-term memory relative to younger adults. However, the literature is inconclusive regarding whether this deficit is attenuated in short-term/working memory. To elucidate the issue, three experiments assessed younger and older adults' item and interitem associative memory and the effects of several variables that might potentially contribute to the inconsistent pattern of results in previous studies. In Experiment 1, participants were tested on item and associative recognition memory with both long-term and short-term retention intervals in a single, continuous recognition paradigm. There was an associative deficit for older adults in the short-term and long-term intervals. Using only short-term intervals, Experiment 2 utilized mixed and blocked test designs to examine the effect of test event salience. Blocking the test did not attenuate the age-related associative deficit seen in the mixed test blocks. Finally, an age-related associative deficit was found in Experiment 3, under both sequential and simultaneous presentation conditions. Even while accounting for some methodological issues, the associative deficit of older adults is evident in short-term/working memory.

Drugs affecting blood pressure variability: an update.

PubMed

Hocht, Christian; Del Mauro, Julieta Sofia; Bertera, Facundo Martín; Taira, Carlos Alberto

2015-01-01

Blood pressure variability (BPV) is considered nowadays a novel risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Clinical evidences support that short-term and long-term BPV independently contribute to target organ damage, cardiovascular events and mortality in patients with hypertension or diabetes. Attenuation of excessive fluctuations of systolic and diastolic BPV has been suggested as an additional therapeutic target in cardiovascular prevention. A growing number of preclinical and clinical studies have focused in the assessment of drug effects or other interventions on the different types of BPV and their contribution in the prevention of cardiovascular events. Prospective clinical trials have shown that antihypertensive classes differ in their ability to control excessive BP fluctuations with an impact in clinical outcomes. Current evidences suggest that calcium channel blockers are more effective than other blood pressure lowering drugs for the reduction of short-term, mid-term and long-term BPV. In order to increase actual knowledge regarding the therapeutic significance of BPV in cardiovascular disease, there is a need for additional clinical studies specifically designed for the study of the relevance of short-term and long-term BPV control by antihypertensive drugs.

The Effects of Antenatal Corticosteroids on Short- and Long-Term Outcomes in Small-for-Gestational-Age Infants

PubMed Central

Ishikawa, Hiroshi; Miyazaki, Ken; Ikeda, Tomoaki; Murabayashi, Nao; Hayashi, Kazutoshi; Kai, Akihiko; Ishikawa, Kaoru; Miyamoto, Yoshihiro; Nishimura, Kunihiro; Kono, Yumi; Kusuda, Satoshi; Fujimura, Masanori

2015-01-01

Aim: To evaluate the effect of antenatal corticosteroids (ANS) on short- and long-term outcomes in small-for-gestational age (SGA) infants. Methods: A retrospective database analysis was performed. A total of 1,931 single infants (birth weight <1,500 g) born at a gestational age between 22 weeks and 33 weeks 6 days who were determined to be SGA registered in the Neonatal Research Network Database in Japan between 2003 and 2007 were evaluated for short-term outcome and long-term outcome. Results: ANS was administered to a total of 719 infants (37%) in the short-term outcome evaluation group and 344 infants (36%) in the long-term outcome evaluation group. There were no significant differences between the ANS group and the no-ANS group for primary short-term outcome (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.73; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.45-1.20; P-value 0.22) or primary long-term outcome (adjusted OR 0.69; 95% CI 0.40-1.17; P-value 0.17). Conclusions: Our results show that ANS does not affect short- or long-term outcome in SGA infants when the birth weight is less than 1500 g. This study strongly suggests that administration of ANS resulted in few benefits for preterm FGR fetuses. PMID:25897289

The Effects of Antenatal Corticosteroids on Short- and Long-Term Outcomes in Small-for-Gestational-Age Infants.

PubMed

Ishikawa, Hiroshi; Miyazaki, Ken; Ikeda, Tomoaki; Murabayashi, Nao; Hayashi, Kazutoshi; Kai, Akihiko; Ishikawa, Kaoru; Miyamoto, Yoshihiro; Nishimura, Kunihiro; Kono, Yumi; Kusuda, Satoshi; Fujimura, Masanori

2015-01-01

To evaluate the effect of antenatal corticosteroids (ANS) on short- and long-term outcomes in small-for-gestational age (SGA) infants. A retrospective database analysis was performed. A total of 1,931 single infants (birth weight <1,500 g) born at a gestational age between 22 weeks and 33 weeks 6 days who were determined to be SGA registered in the Neonatal Research Network Database in Japan between 2003 and 2007 were evaluated for short-term outcome and long-term outcome. ANS was administered to a total of 719 infants (37%) in the short-term outcome evaluation group and 344 infants (36%) in the long-term outcome evaluation group. There were no significant differences between the ANS group and the no-ANS group for primary short-term outcome (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.73; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.45-1.20; P-value 0.22) or primary long-term outcome (adjusted OR 0.69; 95% CI 0.40-1.17; P-value 0.17). Our results show that ANS does not affect short- or long-term outcome in SGA infants when the birth weight is less than 1500 g. This study strongly suggests that administration of ANS resulted in few benefits for preterm FGR fetuses.

Effects of ethanolic extract and naphthoquinones obtained from the bulbs of Cipura paludosa on short-term and long-term memory: involvement of adenosine A₁ and A₂A receptors.

PubMed

Lucena, Greice M R S; Matheus, Filipe C; Ferreira, Vania M; Tessele, Priscila B; Azevedo, Mariangela S; Cechinel-Filho, Valdir; Prediger, Rui D

2013-04-01

Previous studies from our group have indicated important biological properties of the ethanolic extract and isolated compounds from the bulbs of Cipura paludosa (Iridaceae), a native plant widely distributed in northern Brazil, including antioxidant, neuroprotective and anti-nociceptive activities. In the present study, the effects of the ethanolic extract and its two naphthoquinones (eleutherine and isoeleutherine) on the short- and long-term memory of adult rodents were assessed in social recognition and inhibitory avoidance tasks. Acute pre-training oral administration of the ethanolic extract improved the short-term social memory in rats as well as facilitated the step-down inhibitory avoidance short- and long-term memory in mice. Moreover, the co-administration of 'non-effective' doses of the extract of Cipura paludosa and the adenosine receptor antagonists caffeine (non-selective), DPCPX (adenosine A1 receptor antagonist) and ZM241385 (adenosine A2A receptor antagonist) improved the social recognition memory of rats. In the inhibitory avoidance task, the co-administration of sub-effective doses of the extract with caffeine or ZM241385, but not with DPCPX, improved the short- and long-term memory of mice. Finally, the acute oral administration of eleutherine and isoeleutherine facilitated the inhibitory avoidance short- and long-term memory in mice. These results demonstrate for the first time the cognitive-enhancing properties of the extract and isolated compounds from the bulbs of Cipura paludosa in rodents and suggest a possible involvement of adenosine A1 and A2A receptors in these effects. © 2012 The Authors Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology © 2012 Nordic Pharmacological Society.

The prediction of the level of personality organization on reduction of psychiatric symptoms and improvement of work ability in short- versus long-term psychotherapies during a 5-year follow-up.

PubMed

Knekt, Paul; Lindfors, Olavi; Keinänen, Matti; Heinonen, Erkki; Virtala, Esa; Härkänen, Tommi

2017-09-01

How level of personality organization (LPO) predicts psychiatric symptoms and work ability in short- versus long-term psychotherapies is poorly known. We investigated the importance of the LPO on the benefits of short-term versus long-term psychotherapies. A cohort study based on 326 outpatients with mood or anxiety disorder was allocated to long-term (LPP) and short-term (SPP) psychodynamic psychotherapy, and solution-focused therapy (SFT). The LPO was assessed by interview at baseline and categorized into neuroses and higher level borderline. Outcome was assessed at baseline and 4-9 times during a 5-year follow-up, using self-report and interview-based measures of symptoms and work ability. For patients receiving SPP, improvement in work ability, symptom reduction, and the remission rate were more considerable in patients with neuroses than in higher level borderline patients, whereas LPP or SFT showed no notable differences in effectiveness in the two LPO groups. In patients with neuroses, improvement was more considerable in the short-term therapy groups during the first year of follow-up, and in higher level borderline patients LPP was more effective after 3 years of follow-up. The remission rate, defined as both symptom reduction and lack of auxiliary treatment, was higher in LPP than in SPP for both the LPO groups considered. In neuroses, short-term psychotherapy was associated with a more rapid reduction of symptoms and increase in work ability, whereas LPP was more effective for longer follow-ups in both LPO groups. Further large-scale studies are needed. Level of personality organization is relevant for selection between short- and long-term psychotherapies. Short-term therapy gives faster benefits for neurotic patients but not for patients with higher level borderline personality organization. Sustained remission from symptoms is more probable after long-term than short-term therapy. © 2016 The British Psychological Society.

Testing Memories of Personally Experienced Events: The Testing Effect Seems Not to Persist in Autobiographical Memory

PubMed Central

Emmerdinger, Kathrin J.; Kuhbandner, Christof

2018-01-01

Numerous studies have shown that retrieving contents from memory in a test improves long-term retention for those contents, even when compared to restudying (i.e., the “testing effect”). The beneficial effect of retrieval practice has been demonstrated for many different types of memory representations; however, one particularly important memory system has not been addressed in previous testing effect research: autobiographical memory. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of retrieving memories for personally experienced events on long-term memory for those events. In an initial elicitation session, participants described memories for personally experienced events in response to a variety of cue words. In a retrieval practice/restudy session the following day, they repeatedly practiced retrieval for half of their memories by recalling and writing down the previously described events; the other half of memories was restudied by rereading and copying the event descriptions. Long-term retention of all previously collected memories was assessed at two different retention intervals (2 weeks and 13 weeks). In the retrieval practice session, a hypermnesic effect emerged, with memory performance increasing across the practice cycles. Long-term memory performance significantly dropped from the 2-weeks to the 13-weeks retention interval, but no significant difference in memory performance was observed between previously repeatedly retrieved and previously repeatedly restudied memories. Thus, in autobiographical memory, retrieval practice seems to be no more beneficial for long-term retention than repeated re-exposure. PMID:29881365

Interventions aimed at reducing obesity in early childhood: a meta-analysis of programs that involve parents.

PubMed

Yavuz, H Melis; van Ijzendoorn, Marinus H; Mesman, Judi; van der Veek, Shelley

2015-06-01

Obesity is a growing problem even in very young childhood, resulting in high costs for individuals and society. As a response, numerous obesity prevention and intervention programs have been developed. Previous research has shown that early intervention programs are more effective when parents are involved, but the effectiveness of specific aspects of programs with parental involvement has not been investigated. This meta-analysis aims to investigate the features related to the effectiveness of different types of obesity intervention programs involving parents and targeting young children (0-6-year-olds). The Web of Science, PubMed, PsycInfo, CINAHL, and ERIC databases were searched for childhood obesity prevention and intervention programs involving parents. Data were analyzed using the Comprehensive Meta-analysis (CMA) software. Fifty studies with effect sizes measured at short-term follow-up (within 3 months from the end of the intervention) and 26 studies with effect sizes measured at long-term follow-up (all reported in a total of 49 publications) were identified. The combined effect size of interventions was small but significant at short-term follow-up (d = .08, p < .01). The results suggested the presence of a potential publication bias in studies providing results at long-term follow-up, with a nonsignificant adjusted effect size (d = .02), which indicated that obesity interventions were not effective at long-term follow-up. Multivariate meta-regression analyses showed that interventions were more effective when including either interactive sessions or educational materials as opposed to those including both interactive sessions and noninteractive educational materials. No other moderators regarding sample characteristics, study design, or methodological quality were significant. Interventions targeting young children that require parental involvement are effective at short-term follow-up, specifically when interventions include one mode of intervention rather than two. However, results were not retained in the long run. © 2014 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Antidepressant-like effects of long-term sarcosine treatment in rats with or without chronic unpredictable stress.

PubMed

Chen, Kuang-Ti; Wu, Ching-Hsiang; Tsai, Mang-Hung; Wu, Ya-Chieh; Jou, Ming-Jia; Huang, Chih-Chia; Wei, I-Hua

2017-01-01

Sarcosine, an N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor enhancer, can improve depression-like behavior in rodent models and depression in humans. We found that a single dose of sarcosine exerted antidepressant-like effects with rapid concomitant increases in the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway activation and enhancement of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate receptor (AMPAR) membrane insertion. Sarcosine may play a crucial role in developing novel therapy for depression. For a detailed understanding of sarcosine, this study examined the effects of long-term sarcosine treatment on the forced swim test (FST), mTOR signaling, and AMPAR membrane insertion in rats. The effects of long-term sarcosine treatment were examined in naive rats and rats exposed to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS). Long-term sarcosine treatment (560mg/kg/d for 21 d) significantly ameliorated the increased immobility induced by CUS in the FST, reaffirming the potential role of sarcosine as an antidepressant for depressed patients. The same long-term treatment exhibited no such effect in naive rats despite increased mTOR activation and AMPAR membrane insertion in both groups. Our findings clearly show CUS-exposed rats are sensitive to long-term sarcosine treatment in FST and the response at the same dose is absent in naïve rats. Nevertheless, the distinct sensitivity to long-term sarcosine treatment in rats with or without CUS is not associated with the activated mTOR signaling pathway or increased AMPAR membrane insertion. Additionally, understanding the behavioral and molecular basis of distinct responses is vital important for developing personalized treatment programs to increase the probability of success when treating depression. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Mutual Support Groups for Long-Term Recipients of TANF

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson-Butcher, Dawn; Khairallah, Angela Oliver; Race-Bigelow, Janis

2004-01-01

This study examined the effect of involvement in mutual support groups on long-term recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and other vulnerable individuals. From qualitative interviews with nine group members, the study identified key themes, benefits, and barriers related to involvement in the groups. Content analysis of the…

Long-term benthic monitoring studies in the freshwater portion of the Potomac River. Final report. Research report, 1983-1991

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

Shaughnessy, A.T.; Ranasinghe, J.A.; Wilson, H.

1992-11-01

The goal of the long-term benthic study in the Potomac River was to define power plants effects in the context of overall ecological conditions in the river, so that the ecological impacts associated with power plant operations could be assessed.

Research gaps: adaptive management to cross-cutting issues

Treesearch

Jonathan W. Long; Carl Skinner; Malcolm North; Lenya Quinn-Davidson

2014-01-01

A number of studies undertaken by the Forest Service within the synthesis area have been designed and implemented to better understand both more immediate and long-term effects of treatments, including the Blacks Mountain Ecological Research Project (Oliver 2000); Goosenest Adaptive Management Area Project (Ritchie 2005); Long-Term Soil Productivity Study (Powers 2006...

Long-Term Effectiveness and Safety of Maxillomandibular Advancement for Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

PubMed Central

Boyd, Scott B.; Walters, Arthur S.; Waite, Peter; Harding, Susan M.; Song, Yanna

2015-01-01

Study Objective: To determine the long-term clinical effectiveness and safety of maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) for the treatment of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods: A prospective two-center cohort study design was used to evaluate OSA patients who underwent MMA > 2 years ago. The primary outcome measure was the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). Secondary outcome measures included blood pressure (BP), sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale [ESS]), and quality of life (Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire [FOSQ]). Results: 30 adult patients (80% men, age 50.5 ± 9.6 years [mean ± SD]) participated in the study. The AHI decreased from a mean of 49 to 10.9 events/h (p < 0.0001) at the time of long-term evaluation (6.6 ± 2.8 years after MMA), with 46.7% of patients obtaining an AHI < 5 and 83.4% of patients attaining an AHI ≤ 15 events/h. The mean diastolic BP decreased from 83.7 to 79.0 mm Hg (p < 0.05). ESS decreased from a mean of 12.1 to 6.0 (p < 0.01). FOSQ increased from a mean of 12.6 to 17.3 (p < 0.05). Few long-term treatment-related adverse events occurred, which had minimal impact on quality of life (QOL). Conclusions: MMA is a clinically effective and safe long-term treatment for most patients with moderate-to-severe OSA as demonstrated by significant decreases in AHI, diastolic BP, and subjective sleepiness, with concomitant significant improvements in QOL. The results of this small cohort study suggest that MMA should be considered as the alternative treatment of choice for patients with severe OSA who cannot fully adhere to CPAP therapy. Citation: Boyd SB, Walters AS, Waite P, Harding SM, Song Y. Long-term effectiveness and safety of maxillomandibular advancement for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. J Clin Sleep Med 2015;11(7):699–708. PMID:25766718

DO HERBAL AGENTS HAVE A PLACE IN THE TREATMENT OF SLEEP PROBLEMS IN LONG-TERM CARE?

PubMed Central

Shimazaki, Mark; Martin, Jennifer L.

2007-01-01

Sleep disruption is common in the long-term care setting. This paper discusses the available literature on two herbal approaches to sleep problems in long-term care. The largest body of evidence exists for the use of the dietary/herbal supplements valerian and melatonin. While these agents appear to have a modest positive effect on sleep quality among older adults, most studies were small in size and included only subjective assessments of sleep quality. In addition, it is unclear whether these agents pose risks to long-term care residents due to potential drug interactions. Additional research is needed prior to making conclusive recommendations about the use of these interventions for sleep in the long-term care setting. PMID:17498609

Long-term survival after burns in a Swedish population.

PubMed

Pompermaier, Laura; Steinvall, Ingrid; Fredrikson, Mats; Thorfinn, Johan; Sjöberg, Folke

2017-02-01

As widely reported, the progress in burn care during recent decades has reduced the hospital mortality. The effect of the burns on long-term outcome has not received so much attention, and more study is indicated. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the long-time survival among patients who had been treated for burns. We studied 1487 patients who were discharged alive from the Linköping University Hospital Burn Centre during the period 1993 until the end of December 2012. We used Cox's regression analysis to study the effect of burns on long-term survival after adjustment for different factors. Age and a full-thickness burn were significantly associated with mortality after discharge (p<0.001), whereas percentage of total body surface area burned (TBSA %), need for mechanical ventilation, and gender were not. Less than 1% of the patients with burns (13/1487) died within 30 days of discharge and a total of 176/1487 (12%) died during follow-up. Age and full-thickness burns reduce the long-time survival after discharge from the Burn Centre, whereas the effect of TBSA% and need for artificial ventilation ends with discharge. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Red blood cell storage duration and long-term mortality in patients undergoing cardiac intervention: a Danish register study.

PubMed

Dencker, D; Pedersen, F; Engstrøm, T; Schroeder, T V; Lönn, L; Johansson, P I; De Backer, O

2017-08-01

To study the effect of red blood cell (RBC) storage duration on long-term mortality in patients undergoing cardiac intervention. RBCs undergo numerous structural and functional changes during storage. Observational studies have assessed the association between RBC storage duration and patient outcomes with conflicting results. Between January 2006 and December 2014, 82 408 patients underwent coronary angiography. Of these, 1856 patients received one to four RBC units within 30 days after this procedure. Patients were allocated according to length of RBC storage duration: short-term (≤11 days), intermediate (IM)-term (12-23 days) and long-term (≥24 days). The study endpoints were 30-day and long-term all-cause mortality. A total of 4168 RBC units were given to 1856 patients. The mean RBC storage duration was 8.5 ± 2.1, 17.7 ± 3.4 and 29.9 ± 3.4 days in the short-term, IM-term and long-term storage groups, respectively. There was no difference in baseline characteristics between the groups. The long-term storage group received significantly more units (2.4 ± 1.0 units) as compared to the short-term (2.0 ± 1.0 units; P < 0.001) and IM-term storage group (2.2 ± 1.0 units; P < 0.01). In the survival analysis, there was no significant difference in all-cause mortality between the groups (log-rank: 0.509 for 30-days mortality; 0.493 for 5-year mortality). Additional stratified analysis demonstrated no association between RBC storage duration and long-term mortality. This study did not find an association between RBC storage duration and 30-days or long-term mortality in patients undergoing cardiac intervention. © 2017 British Blood Transfusion Society.

Effects of introducing a specialized nurse in the care of community-dwelling women suffering from urinary incontinence: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Du Moulin, M F M T; Hamers, J P H; Paulus, A; Berendsen, C L; Halfens, R

2007-01-01

Urinary incontinence (UI) often remains inadequately treated. In the literature, there are indications that continence nurses' diagnoses and treatment advices are beneficial in terms of clinical outcomes. However, the precise short-term and long-term effects are unclear. This study investigates the short-term and long-term effects of the introduction of a continence nurse in the care of community-dwelling women suffering from UI. In a cluster randomized study, 38 women were referred to the continence nurse who, guided by a protocol, assessed and advised the patients about therapy, lifestyle, or medication. If progress was disappointing, therapy was revised. Results were compared to a group of 13 women who received "usual care" by the general practitioner. Data on frequency and volume of incontinence, quality of life, and patient satisfaction were collected at baseline and after 3, 6, and 12 months. After 6 months, women in the intervention group reported a greater reduction in "moderate" incontinent episodes when compared to women in the control group. No treatment effect was found after 12 months. Although there was a stronger improvement in scores as regards to quality of life in the intervention group, with the exception of the dimension "physical," no treatment effect was found. The introduction of a continence nurse demonstrates short-term benefit to community-dwelling women suffering from UI. However, the long-term effects should be further explored with larger study populations. ISRCTN15553880.

Effects of early developmental conditions on innate immunity are only evident under favourable adult conditions in zebra finches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Coster, Greet; Verhulst, Simon; Koetsier, Egbert; de Neve, Liesbeth; Briga, Michael; Lens, Luc

2011-12-01

Long-term effects of unfavourable conditions during development can be expected to depend on the quality of the environment experienced by the same individuals during adulthood. Yet, in the majority of studies, long-term effects of early developmental conditions have been assessed under favourable adult conditions only. The immune system might be particularly vulnerable to early environmental conditions as its development, maintenance and use are thought to be energetically costly. Here, we studied the interactive effects of favourable and unfavourable conditions during nestling and adult stages on innate immunity (lysis and agglutination scores) of captive male and female zebra finches ( Taeniopygia guttata). Nestling environmental conditions were manipulated by a brood size experiment, while a foraging cost treatment was imposed on the same individuals during adulthood. This combined treatment showed that innate immunity of adult zebra finches is affected by their early developmental conditions and varies between both sexes. Lysis scores, but not agglutination scores, were higher in individuals raised in small broods and in males. However, these effects were only present in birds that experienced low foraging costs. This study shows that the quality of the adult environment may shape the long-term consequences of early developmental conditions on innate immunity, as long-term effects of nestling environment were only evident under favourable adult conditions.

Comparison of Long-Term Outcomes in Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa Treated with Family Therapy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lock, James; Couturier, Jennifer; Agras, W. Stewart

2006-01-01

Objective: To describe the relative effectiveness of a short versus long course of family-based therapy (FBT) for adolescent anorexia nervosa at long-term follow-up. Method: This study used clinical and structured interviews to assess psychological and psychosocial outcomes of adolescents (ages 12-18 years at baseline) who were previously treated…

Windows into the forest: extending long-term small-watershed research

Treesearch

Sally Duncan

2004-01-01

Interactions among forests, forestry, and water remain a critical aspect of Forest Service land stewardship. Small, experimental watershed studies managed by Forest Service Research and Development have a long history of advancing science and management and have resulted in a rich collection of long-term data. Early work addressed effects of forestry practices in...

Interaction of Inhibitory and Facilitatory Effects of Conditioning Trials on Long-Term Memory Formation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hosono, Shouhei; Matsumoto, Yukihisa; Mizunami, Makoto

2016-01-01

Animals learn through experience and consolidate the memories into long-time storage. Conditioning parameters to induce protein synthesis-dependent long-term memory (LTM) have been the subject of extensive studies in many animals. Here we found a case in which a conditioning trial inhibits or facilitates LTM formation depending on the intervals…

Planning for Long-Term Follow-Up: Strategies Learned from Longitudinal Studies.

PubMed

Hill, Karl G; Woodward, Danielle; Woelfel, Tiffany; Hawkins, J David; Green, Sara

2016-10-01

Preventive interventions are often designed and tested with the immediate program period in mind, and little thought that the intervention sample might be followed up for years or even decades beyond the initial trial. However, depending on the type of intervention and the nature of the outcomes, long-term follow-up may well be appropriate. The advantages of long-term follow-up of preventive interventions are discussed and include the capacity to examine program effects across multiple later life outcomes, the ability to examine the etiological processes involved in the development of the outcomes of interest, and the ability to provide more concrete estimates of the relative benefits and costs of an intervention. In addition, researchers have identified potential methodological risks of long-term follow-up such as inflation of type 1 error through post hoc selection of outcomes, selection bias, and problems stemming from attrition over time. The present paper presents a set of seven recommendations for the design or evaluation of studies for potential long-term follow-up organized under four areas: Intervention Logic Model, Developmental Theory and Measurement Issues; Design for Retention; Dealing with Missing Data; and Unique Considerations for Intervention Studies. These recommendations include conceptual considerations in the design of a study, pragmatic concerns in the design and implementation of the data collection for long-term follow-up, as well as criteria to be considered for the evaluation of an existing intervention for potential for long-term follow-up. Concrete examples from existing intervention studies that have been followed up over the long term are provided.

Planning for Long-Term Follow-up: Strategies Learned from Longitudinal Studies

PubMed Central

Hill, Karl G.; Woodward, Danielle; Woelfel, Tiffany; Hawkins, J. David; Green, Sara

2017-01-01

Preventive interventions are often designed and tested with the immediate program period in mind, and little thought that the intervention sample might be followed up for years, or even decades beyond the initial trial. However, depending on the type of intervention and the nature of the outcomes, long-term follow-up may well be appropriate. The advantages of long-term follow-up of preventive interventions are discussed, and include the capacity to examine program effects across multiple later life outcomes, the ability to examine the etiological processes involved in the development of the outcomes of interest and the ability to provide more concrete estimates of the relative benefits and costs of an intervention. In addition, researchers have identified potential methodological risks of long-term follow-up such as inflation of type 1 error through post-hoc selection of outcomes, selection bias and problems stemming from attrition over time. The present paper presents a set of seven recommendations for the design or evaluation of studies for potential long-term follow-up organized under four areas: Intervention Logic Model, Developmental Theory and Measurement Issues; Design for Retention; Dealing with Missing Data; and Unique Considerations for Intervention Studies. These recommendations include conceptual considerations in the design of a study, pragmatic concerns in the design and implementation of the data collection for long-term follow-up, as well as criteria to be considered for the evaluation of an existing intervention for potential for long-term follow-up. Concrete examples from existing intervention studies that have been followed up over the long-term are provided. PMID:26453453

[Attention therapy for children - long-term affects of the ATTENTIONER].

PubMed

Jacobs, Claus; Petermann, Franz

2008-11-01

A high percentage of children are affected by attention deficit disorders. For a large proportion the cardinal symptom is inattention; in particular, deficits in selective attention prevail. The ATTENTIONER offers an effective training method for the treatment of selective attention deficit. In 2007, long-term effects of therapy were already reported by Jacobs and Petermann, who examined children ten weeks after therapy on average. In the current study three measurements were conducted: pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at follow-up ten to 76 months after post-intervention. Significant long-term effects on measures of selective attention were observed. At follow-up the majority of patients achieved average results which were not clinically relevant. For most children stable therapy effects can be achieved with the ATTENTIONER.

Effects of Autogenic Drainage on Sputum Recovery and Pulmonary Function in People with Cystic Fibrosis: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Morgan, Kimbly; Osterling, Kristin; Gilbert, Robert; Dechman, Gail

2015-01-01

To determine the effects of short- and long-term use of autogenic drainage (AD) on pulmonary function and sputum recovery in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). The authors conducted a systematic review of randomized and quasi-randomized clinical trials in which participants were people with CF who use AD as their sole airway clearance technique. Searches in 4 databases and secondary sources using 5 key terms yielded 735 articles, of which 58 contained the terms autogenic drainage and cystic fibrosis. Ultimately, 4 studies, 2 of which were long term, were included. All measured forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and found no change. The long-term studies were underpowered to detect change in FEV1; however, the short-term studies found a clinically significant sputum yield (≥4 g). AD has been shown to produce clinically significant sputum yields in a limited number of investigations. The effect of AD on the function of the pulmonary system remains uncertain, and questions have emerged regarding the appropriateness of FEV1 as a valid measure of airway clearance from peripheral lung regions. Further consideration should be given to the use of FEV1 as a primary measure of the effect of AD.

Effects of Autogenic Drainage on Sputum Recovery and Pulmonary Function in People with Cystic Fibrosis: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Osterling, Kristin; Gilbert, Robert; Dechman, Gail

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Purpose: To determine the effects of short- and long-term use of autogenic drainage (AD) on pulmonary function and sputum recovery in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). Methods: The authors conducted a systematic review of randomized and quasi-randomized clinical trials in which participants were people with CF who use AD as their sole airway clearance technique. Results: Searches in 4 databases and secondary sources using 5 key terms yielded 735 articles, of which 58 contained the terms autogenic drainage and cystic fibrosis. Ultimately, 4 studies, 2 of which were long term, were included. All measured forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and found no change. The long-term studies were underpowered to detect change in FEV1; however, the short-term studies found a clinically significant sputum yield (≥4 g). Conclusion: AD has been shown to produce clinically significant sputum yields in a limited number of investigations. The effect of AD on the function of the pulmonary system remains uncertain, and questions have emerged regarding the appropriateness of FEV1 as a valid measure of airway clearance from peripheral lung regions. Further consideration should be given to the use of FEV1 as a primary measure of the effect of AD. PMID:27504031

Long-term academic stress increases the late component of error processing: an ERP study.

PubMed

Wu, Jianhui; Yuan, Yiran; Duan, Hongxia; Qin, Shaozheng; Buchanan, Tony W; Zhang, Kan; Zhang, Liang

2014-05-01

Exposure to long-term stress has a variety of consequences on the brain and cognition. Few studies have examined the influence of long-term stress on event related potential (ERP) indices of error processing. The current study investigated how long-term academic stress modulates the error related negativity (Ne or ERN) and the error positivity (Pe) components of error processing. Forty-one male participants undergoing preparation for a major academic examination and 20 non-exam participants completed a Go-NoGo task while ERP measures were collected. The exam group reported higher perceived stress levels and showed increased Pe amplitude compared with the non-exam group. Participants' rating of the importance of the exam was positively associated with the amplitude of Pe, but these effects were not found for the Ne/ERN. These results suggest that long-term academic stress leads to greater motivational assessment of and higher emotional response to errors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Short and long-lasting behavioral consequences of agonistic encounters between male Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Trannoy, Séverine; Penn, Jill; Lucey, Kenia; Popovic, David; Kravitz, Edward A

2016-04-26

In many animal species, learning and memory have been found to play important roles in regulating intra- and interspecific behavioral interactions in varying environments. In such contexts, aggression is commonly used to obtain desired resources. Previous defeats or victories during aggressive interactions have been shown to influence the outcome of later contests, revealing loser and winner effects. In this study, we asked whether short- and/or long-term behavioral consequences accompany victories and defeats in dyadic pairings between male Drosophila melanogaster and how long those effects remain. The results demonstrated that single fights induced important behavioral changes in both combatants and resulted in the formation of short-term loser and winner effects. These decayed over several hours, with the duration depending on the level of familiarity of the opponents. Repeated defeats induced a long-lasting loser effect that was dependent on de novo protein synthesis, whereas repeated victories had no long-term behavioral consequences. This suggests that separate mechanisms govern the formation of loser and winner effects. These studies aim to lay a foundation for future investigations exploring the molecular mechanisms and circuitry underlying the nervous system changes induced by winning and losing bouts during agonistic encounters.

Effects of lactic acid bacteria silage inoculation on methane emission and productivity of Holstein Friesian dairy cattle.

PubMed

Ellis, J L; Hindrichsen, I K; Klop, G; Kinley, R D; Milora, N; Bannink, A; Dijkstra, J

2016-09-01

Inoculants of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are used to improve silage quality and prevent spoilage via increased production of lactic acid and other organic acids and a rapid decline in silage pH. The addition of LAB inoculants to silage has been associated with increases in silage digestibility, dry matter intake (DMI), and milk yield. Given the potential change in silage and rumen fermentation conditions accompanying these silage additives, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of LAB silage inoculants on DMI, digestibility, milk yield, milk composition, and methane (CH4) production from dairy cows in vivo. Eight mid-lactation Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were grouped into 2 blocks of 4 cows (multiparous and primiparous) and used in a 4×4 double Latin square design with 21-d periods. Methane emissions were measured by indirect calorimetry. Treatments were grass silage (mainly ryegrass) with no inoculant (GS), with a long-term inoculant (applied at harvest; GS+L), with a short-term inoculant (applied 16h before feeding; GS+S), or with both long and short-term inoculants (GS+L+S). All diets consisted of grass silage and concentrate (75:25 on a dry matter basis). The long-term inoculant consisted of a 10:20:70 mixture of Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactococcus lactis, and Lactobacillus buchneri, and the short-term inoculant was a preparation of Lc. lactis. Dry matter intake was not affected by long-term or short-term silage inoculation, nor was dietary neutral detergent fiber or fat digestibility, or N or energy balance. Milk composition (except milk urea) and fat and protein-corrected milk yield were not affected by long- or short-term silage inoculation, nor was milk microbial count. However, milk yield tended to be greater with long-term silage inoculation. Methane expressed in units of grams per day, grams per kilogram of DMI, grams per kilogram of milk, or grams per kilogram of fat and protein-corrected milk yield was not affected by long- or short-term silage inoculation. However, CH4 expressed in units of kilojoules per kilogram of metabolic body weight per day tended to be greater with long-term silage inoculation. Results of this study indicate minimal responses in animal performance to both long- and short-term inoculation of grass silage with LAB. Strain and dose differences as well as different basal silages and ensiling conditions are likely responsible for the lack of significant effects observed here, although positive effects have been observed in other studies. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer and cognitive impairment.

PubMed

Marín, Alvaro Pinto; Sánchez, Andrés Redondo; Arranz, Enrique Espinosa; Auñón, Pilar Zamora; Barón, Manuel González

2009-09-01

Complaints of loss of memory and lack of concentration have been reported by long-term survivors of breast cancer. This mild cognitive impairment (MCI), also called "chemobrain" or "chemofog," has been the subject of a number of studies in the last few years. This cognitive impairment, although usually mild, must be studied to define possible risk factors for its development, and for future research into a preventive or therapeutic treatment approach. Long-term survivors of breast cancer must be followed to detect possible treatment sequelae as soon as possible. Since the number of these long-term survivors has increased in the last years, in part because of more active adjuvant treatments, our knowledge about the long-term side effects of these therapies has also grown.

Long-term effects of hypnotherapy in patients with refractory irritable bowel syndrome.

PubMed

Lindfors, Perjohan; Unge, Peter; Nyhlin, Henry; Ljótsson, Brjánn; Björnsson, Einar S; Abrahamsson, Hasse; Simrén, Magnus

2012-04-01

Gut-directed hypnotherapy is considered to be an effective treatment in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) but few studies report the long-term effects. This retrospective study aims to evaluate the long-term perceived efficacy of gut-directed hypnotherapy given outside highly specialized hypnotherapy centers. 208 patients, who all had received gut-directed hypnotherapy, were retrospectively evaluated. The Subjective Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) was used to measure changes in IBS symptoms, and patients were classified as responders and non-responders. Patients were also asked to report changes in health-care seeking, use of drugs for IBS symptoms, use of alternative non-pharmacological treatments, and if they still actively used hypnotherapy. Immediately after hypnotherapy, 103 of 208 patients (49%) were responders and 75 of these (73%) had improved further at the follow-up 2-7 years after hypnotherapy (mean 4 years). A majority of the responders still used hypnotherapy on a regular basis at follow-up (73%), and the responders reported a greater reduction in health-care seeking than non-responders. A total of 87% of all patients reported that they considered gut-directed hypnotherapy to be worthwhile, and this differed between responders and non-responders (100% vs. 74%; p < 0.0001). This long-term follow-up study indicates that gut-directed hypnotherapy in refractory IBS is an effective treatment option with long-lasting effects, also when given outside highly specialized hypnotherapy centers. Apart from the clinical benefits, the reduction in health-care utilization has the potential to reduce the health-care costs.

Long-term Vihangam Yoga meditation and scores on tests of attention.

PubMed

Prakash, Ravi; Dubey, Indu; Abhishek, Priyadarshee; Gupta, Sanjeev Kumar; Rastogi, Priyanka; Siddiqui, Shazia Veqar

2010-06-01

Although the literature indicates that meditation has beneficial effects on several aspects of human functioning, few studies have specifically investigated the effects of meditation on various domains of attention. This study was conducted to examine the differences in various domains of attention between long-term concentrative meditators versus matched controls. 15 practitioners of Vihangam Yoga (> 10 yr. experience) were enrolled in the study. Controls matched on age, sex, and years of education were recruited. Both groups were administered the Stroop, Trail-Making, and Digit Symbol Substitution tests as well as the Digit Forward and Digit Backward tests. The group of Vihangam Yogis had significantly better mean performance on all tests of attention. Long-term Vihangam Yoga meditation improves attention span, processing speed, attention alternation ability, and performance in interference tests.

Follow-up Medical Care After Cancer Treatment

MedlinePlus

... long-term effects, and to study health-related quality of life and behaviors in long-term survivors. Healthcare Delivery ... perceptions, knowledge, and practices of primary care and oncology specialist physicians about follow-up care of adult cancer survivors after treatment. ... for Childhood Cancer Survivors ...

Fire effects on soils in Lake States forests: A compilation of published research to facilitate long-term investigations

Treesearch

Jessica Miesel; P. Goebel; R. Corace; David Hix; Randall Kolka; Brian Palik; David Mladenoff

2012-01-01

Fire-adapted forests of the Lake States region are poorly studied relative to those of the western and southeastern United States and our knowledge base of regional short- and long-term fire effects on soils is limited. We compiled and assessed the body of literature addressing fire effects on soils in Lake States forests to facilitate the re-measurement of previous...

The roles of long-term phonotactic and lexical prosodic knowledge in phonological short-term memory.

PubMed

Tanida, Yuki; Ueno, Taiji; Lambon Ralph, Matthew A; Saito, Satoru

2015-04-01

Many previous studies have explored and confirmed the influence of long-term phonological representations on phonological short-term memory. In most investigations, phonological effects have been explored with respect to phonotactic constraints or frequency. If interaction between long-term memory and phonological short-term memory is a generalized principle, then other phonological characteristics-that is, suprasegmental aspects of phonology-should also exert similar effects on phonological short-term memory. We explored this hypothesis through three immediate serial-recall experiments that manipulated Japanese nonwords with respect to lexical prosody (pitch-accent type, reflecting suprasegmental characteristics) as well as phonotactic frequency (reflecting segmental characteristics). The results showed that phonotactic frequency affected the retention not only of the phonemic sequences, but also of pitch-accent patterns, when participants were instructed to recall both the phoneme sequence and accent pattern of nonwords. In addition, accent pattern typicality influenced the retention of the accent pattern: Typical accent patterns were recalled more accurately than atypical ones. These results indicate that both long-term phonotactic and lexical prosodic knowledge contribute to phonological short-term memory performance.

rhEPO Enhances Cellular Anti-oxidant Capacity to Protect Long-Term Cultured Aging Primary Nerve Cells.

PubMed

Wang, Huqing; Fan, Jiaxin; Chen, Mengyi; Yao, Qingling; Gao, Zhen; Zhang, Guilian; Wu, Haiqin; Yu, Xiaorui

2017-08-01

Erythropoietin (EPO) may protect the nervous system of animals against aging damage, making it a potential anti-aging drug for the nervous system. However, experimental evidence from natural aging nerve cell models is lacking, and the efficacy of EPO and underlying mechanism of this effect warrant further study. Thus, the present study used long-term cultured primary nerve cells to successfully mimic the natural aging process of nerve cells. Starting on the 11th day of culture, cells were treated with different concentrations of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO). Using double immunofluorescence labeling, we found that rhEPO significantly improved the morphology of long-term cultured primary nerve cells and increased the total number of long-term cultured primary cells. However, rhEPO did not improve the ratio of nerve cells. A 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to measure nerve cell activity and showed that rhEPO significantly improved the activity of long-term cultured primary nerve cells. Moreover, Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)/propidium iodide (PI) double immunofluorescence labeling flow cytometry revealed that rhEPO reduced the apoptotic rate of long-term cultured primary nerve cells. Senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) immunohistochemistry staining showed that rhEPO significantly reduced the aging rate of long-term cultured primary nerve cells. Immunochemistry revealed that rhEPO enhanced intracellular superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and glutathione (GSH) abundance and reduced the intracellular malondialdehyde (MDA) level. In addition, this effect depended on the dose, was maximized at a dose of 100 U/ml and was more pronounced than that of vitamin E. In summary, this study finds that rhEPO protects long-term cultured primary nerve cells from aging in a dose-dependent manner. The mechanism of this effect may be associated with the enhancement of the intracellular anti-oxidant capacity. These findings provide a theoretical basis to further the anti-aging mechanism of EPO in the nervous system, and they provide experimental evidence at the cellular level for the clinical application of EPO to protect the nervous system from aging.

Effectiveness of Mindfulness-based interventions on physiological and psychological complications in adults with diabetes: A systematic review.

PubMed

Noordali, Farhan; Cumming, Jennifer; Thompson, Janice L

2017-07-01

This systematic review aimed to examine the effectiveness of Mindfulness-based interventions in reducing diabetes-related physiological and psychological symptoms in adults with types 1 and 2 diabetes. Five databases were systematically searched. A total of 11 studies satisfied the inclusion criteria. Mindfulness-based intervention effectiveness for physiological outcomes (glycaemic control and blood pressure) was mixed. Mindfulness-based interventions appear to have psychological benefits reducing depression, anxiety and distress symptoms across several studies. Studies' short-term follow-up periods may not allow sufficient time to observe physiological changes or illustrate Mindfulness-based interventions' potential long-term efficacy. More long-term studies that include a consistent, standardised set of outcome measures are required.

Factors associated with the effectiveness of continuing education in long-term care.

PubMed

Stolee, Paul; Esbaugh, Jacquelin; Aylward, Sandra; Cathers, Tamzin; Harvey, David P; Hillier, Loretta M; Keat, Nancy; Feightner, John W

2005-06-01

This article examines factors within the long-term-care work environment that impact the effectiveness of continuing education. In Study 1, focus group interviews were conducted with staff and management from urban and rural long-term-care facilities in southwestern Ontario to identify their perceptions of the workplace factors that affect transfer of learning into practice. Thirty-five people were interviewed across six focus groups. In Study 2, a Delphi technique was used to refine our list of factors. Consensus was achieved in two survey rounds involving 30 and 27 participants, respectively. Management support was identified as the most important factor impacting the effectiveness of continuing education. Other factors included resources (staff, funding, space) and the need for ongoing expert support. Organizational support is necessary for continuing education programs to be effective and ongoing expert support is needed to enable and reinforce learning.

Long-term priming of neighbours biases the word recognition process: evidence from a lexical decision task.

PubMed

Wagenmakers, Eric-Jan; Raaijmakers, Jeroen G W

2006-12-01

The role of orthographically similar words (i.e., neighbours) in the word recognition process has been studied extensively using short-term priming paradigms (e.g., Colombo, 1986). Here we demonstrate that long-term effects of neighbour priming can also be obtained. Experiment 1 showed that prior study of a neighbour (e.g., TANGO) increased later lexical decision performance for similar words (e.g., MANGO), but decreased performance for similar pseudowords (e.g., LANGO). Experiment 2 replicated this bias effect and showed that the increase in lexical decision performance due to neighbour priming is selectively due to words from a relatively sparse neighbourhood. Explanations of the bias effect in terms of lexical activation and episodic memory retrieval are discussed.

Long-Term Exercise in Older Adults: 4-Year Outcomes of Music-Based Multitask Training

PubMed Central

Herrmann, François R.; Fielding, Roger A.; Reid, Kieran F.; Rizzoli, René; Trombetti, Andrea

2016-01-01

Prospective controlled evidence supporting the efficacy of long-term exercise to prevent physical decline and reduce falls in old age is lacking. The present study aimed to assess the effects of long-term music-based multitask exercise (i.e., Jaques-Dalcroze eurhythmics) on physical function and fall risk in older adults. A 3-year follow-up extension of a 1-year randomized controlled trial (NCT01107288) was conducted in Geneva (Switzerland), in which 134 community-dwellers aged ≥65 years at increased risk of falls received a 6-month music-based multitask exercise program. Four years following original trial enrolment, 52 subjects (baseline mean ± SD age, 75 ± 8 years) who (i) have maintained exercise program participation through the 4-year follow-up visit (“long-term intervention group”, n = 23) or (ii) have discontinued participation following original trial completion (“control group”, n = 29) were studied. They were reassessed in a blind fashion, using the same procedures as at baseline. At 4 years, linear mixed-effects models showed significant gait (gait speed, P = 0.006) and balance (one-legged stance time, P = 0.015) improvements in the long-term intervention group, compared with the control group. Also, long-term intervention subjects did better on Timed Up & Go, Five-Times-Sit-to-Stand and handgrip strength tests, than controls (P < 0.05, for all comparisons). Furthermore, the exercise program reduced the risk of falling (relative risk, 0.69; 95 % confidence interval, 0.5–0.9; P = 0.008). These findings suggest that long-term maintenance of a music-based multitask exercise program is a promising strategy to prevent age-related physical decline in older adults. They also highlight the efficacy of sustained long-term adherence to exercise for falls prevention. PMID:25148876

Effectiveness of Surgical and Postsurgical Interventions for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome-A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Huisstede, Bionka M; van den Brink, Janneke; Randsdorp, Manon S; Geelen, Sven J; Koes, Bart W

2017-05-31

To present an evidence-based overview of the effectiveness of surgical and postsurgical interventions for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PEDro were searched for relevant systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) up to April 8, 2016. Two reviewers independently applied the inclusion criteria to select potential studies. Two reviewers independently extracted the data and assessed the methodologic quality. A best-evidence synthesis was performed to summarize the results. Four systematic reviews and 33 RCTs were included. Surgery versus nonsurgical interventions, timing of surgery, and various surgical techniques and postoperative interventions were studied. Corticosteroid injection was more effective than surgery (strong evidence, short-term). Surgery was more effective than splinting or anti-inflammatory drugs plus hand therapy (moderate evidence, midterm and long-term). Manual therapy was more effective than surgical treatment (moderate evidence, short-term and midterm). Within surgery, corticosteroid irrigation of the median nerve before skin closure as additive to CTS release or the direct vision plus tunneling technique was more effective than standard open CTS release (moderate evidence, short-term). Furthermore, short was more effective than long bulky dressings, and a sensory retraining program was more effective than no program after surgery (moderate evidence, short-term). For all other interventions only conflicting, limited, or no evidence was found. Surgical treatment seems to be more effective than splinting or anti-inflammatory drugs plus hand therapy in the short-term, midterm, and/or long-term to treat CTS. However there is strong evidence that a local corticosteroid injection is more effective than surgery in the short-term, and moderate evidence that manual therapy is more effective than surgery in the short-term and midterm. There is no unequivocal evidence that suggests one surgical treatment is more effective than the other. Postsurgical, a short- (2-3 days) favored a long-duration (9-14 days) bulky dressing and a sensory retraining program seems to be more effective than no program in short-term. More research regarding the optimal timing of surgery for CTS is needed. Copyright © 2017 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender-related asymmetric brain vasomotor response to color stimulation: a functional transcranial Doppler spectroscopy study.

PubMed

Njemanze, Philip C

2010-11-30

The present study was designed to examine the effects of color stimulation on cerebral blood mean flow velocity (MFV) in men and women. The study included 16 (8 men and 8 women) right-handed healthy subjects. The MFV was recorded simultaneously in both right and left middle cerebral arteries in Dark and white Light conditions, and during color (Blue, Yellow and Red) stimulations, and was analyzed using functional transcranial Doppler spectroscopy (fTCDS) technique. Color processing occurred within cortico-subcortical circuits. In men, wavelength-differencing of Yellow/Blue pairs occurred within the right hemisphere by processes of cortical long-term depression (CLTD) and subcortical long-term potentiation (SLTP). Conversely, in women, frequency-differencing of Blue/Yellow pairs occurred within the left hemisphere by processes of cortical long-term potentiation (CLTP) and subcortical long-term depression (SLTD). In both genders, there was luminance effect in the left hemisphere, while in men it was along an axis opposite (orthogonal) to that of chromatic effect, in women, it was parallel. Gender-related differences in color processing demonstrated a right hemisphere cognitive style for wavelength-differencing in men, and a left hemisphere cognitive style for frequency-differencing in women. There are potential applications of fTCDS technique, for stroke rehabilitation and monitoring of drug effects.

Short- and long-term black tea consumption reverses endothelial dysfunction in patients with coronary artery disease.

PubMed

Duffy, S J; Keaney , J F; Holbrook, M; Gokce, N; Swerdloff, P L; Frei, B; Vita, J A

2001-07-10

Epidemiological studies suggest that tea consumption decreases cardiovascular risk, but the mechanisms of benefit remain undefined. Endothelial dysfunction has been associated with coronary artery disease and increased oxidative stress. Some antioxidants have been shown to reverse endothelial dysfunction, and tea contains antioxidant flavonoids. Methods and Results-- To test the hypothesis that tea consumption will reverse endothelial dysfunction, we randomized 66 patients with proven coronary artery disease to consume black tea and water in a crossover design. Short-term effects were examined 2 hours after consumption of 450 mL tea or water. Long-term effects were examined after consumption of 900 mL tea or water daily for 4 weeks. Vasomotor function of the brachial artery was examined at baseline and after each intervention with vascular ultrasound. Fifty patients completed the protocol and had technically suitable ultrasound measurements. Both short- and long-term tea consumption improved endothelium- dependent flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery, whereas consumption of water had no effect (P<0.001 by repeated-measures ANOVA). Tea consumption had no effect on endothelium-independent nitroglycerin-induced dilation. An equivalent oral dose of caffeine (200 mg) had no short-term effect on flow-mediated dilation. Plasma flavonoids increased after short- and long-term tea consumption. Short- and long-term black tea consumption reverses endothelial vasomotor dysfunction in patients with coronary artery disease. This finding may partly explain the association between tea intake and decreased cardiovascular disease events.

The influence of organizational characteristics on employee solidarity in the long-term care sector

PubMed Central

Cramm, Jane M; Strating, Mathilde MH; Nieboer, Anna P

2013-01-01

Aim This article is a report of a study that identifies organizational characteristics explaining employee solidarity in the long-term care sector. Background Employee solidarity reportedly improves organizations’ effectiveness and efficiency. Although general research on solidarity in organizations is available, the impact of the organizational context on solidarity in long-term care settings is lacking. Design Cross-sectional survey. Method The study was carried out in Dutch long-term care. A total of 313 nurses, managers and other care professionals in 23 organizations were involved. Organizational characteristics studied were centralization, hierarchical culture, formal and informal exchange of information and leadership style. The study was carried out in 2009. Findings All organizational characteristics significantly correlated with employee solidarity in the univariate analyses. In the multivariate analyses hierarchical culture, centralization, exchange of formal and informal information and transformational leadership appears to be important for solidarity among nurses, managers and other professionals in long-term care organizations, but not transactional and passive leadership styles. Conclusion The study increased our knowledge of solidarity among nurses, managers and other professionals in the long-term care settings. Organizational characteristics that enhance solidarity are high levels of formal and informal information exchange, less hierarchical authority, decentralization and transformational leadership styles. PMID:22551056

The influence of organizational characteristics on employee solidarity in the long-term care sector.

PubMed

Cramm, Jane M; Strating, Mathilde M H; Nieboer, Anna P

2013-03-01

This article is a report of a study that identifies organizational characteristics explaining employee solidarity in the long-term care sector. Employee solidarity reportedly improves organizations' effectiveness and efficiency. Although general research on solidarity in organizations is available, the impact of the organizational context on solidarity in long-term care settings is lacking. Cross-sectional survey. The study was carried out in Dutch long-term care. A total of 313 nurses, managers and other care professionals in 23 organizations were involved. Organizational characteristics studied were centralization, hierarchical culture, formal and informal exchange of information and leadership style. The study was carried out in 2009. Findings.  All organizational characteristics significantly correlated with employee solidarity in the univariate analyses. In the multivariate analyses hierarchical culture, centralization, exchange of formal and informal information and transformational leadership appears to be important for solidarity among nurses, managers and other professionals in long-term care organizations, but not transactional and passive leadership styles. The study increased our knowledge of solidarity among nurses, managers and other professionals in the long-term care settings. Organizational characteristics that enhance solidarity are high levels of formal and informal information exchange, less hierarchical authority, decentralization and transformational leadership styles. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Forest landscape models, a tool for understanding the effect of the large-scale and long-term landscape processes

Treesearch

Hong S. He; Robert E. Keane; Louis R. Iverson

2008-01-01

Forest landscape models have become important tools for understanding large-scale and long-term landscape (spatial) processes such as climate change, fire, windthrow, seed dispersal, insect outbreak, disease propagation, forest harvest, and fuel treatment, because controlled field experiments designed to study the effects of these processes are often not possible (...

Hearing Loss and Cognitive-Communication Test Performance of Long-Term Care Residents With Dementia: Effects of Amplification

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopper, Tammy; Slaughter, Susan E.; Hodgetts, Bill; Ostevik, Amberley; Ickert, Carla

2016-01-01

Purpose: The study aims were (a) to explore the relationship between hearing loss and cognitive-communication performance of individuals with dementia, and (b) to determine if hearing loss is accurately identified by long-term care (LTC) staff. The research questions were (a) What is the effect of amplification on cognitive-communication test…

Effect of Long-Term Physical Activity Practice after Cardiac Rehabilitation on Some Risk Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freyssin, Celine, Jr.; Blanc, Philippe; Verkindt, Chantal; Maunier, Sebastien; Prieur, Fabrice

2011-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of long-term physical activity practice after a cardiac rehabilitation program on weight, physical capacity and arterial compliance. The Dijon Physical Activity Score was used to identify two groups: sedentary and active. Weight, distance at the 6-min walk test and the small artery elasticity…

Is Constructivist Learning Environment Really Effective on Learning and Long-Term Knowledge Retention in Mathematics? Example of the Infinity Concept

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Narli, Serkan

2011-01-01

This study investigates the long-term effects of instructing Cantor set theory using constructivist learning approach on student knowledge retention. The participants included 60 first-year secondary mathematics pre-service teachers. Students were divided into two classes one of which was taught via traditional lecture (n = 30) and the other was…

Effects of Long-Term Atomoxetine Treatment for Young Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kratochvil, Christopher J.; Wilens, Timothy E.; Greenhill, Laurence L.; Gao, Haitao; Baker, Kurt D.; Feldman, Peter D.; Gelowitz, Douglas L.

2006-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this 13-study (seven double-blind/placebo-controlled, six open-label) meta-analysis is to determine the effectiveness and tolerability of long-term atomoxetine treatment among young children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Method: Data were pooled from 6- and 7-year-olds (N = 272) who met DSM-IV…

Temperature dependent GaAs MMIC radiation effects

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

Anderson, W.T.; Roussos, J.A.; Gerdes, J.

1993-12-01

The temperature dependence of pulsed neutron and flash x-ray radiation effects was studied in GaAs MMICs. Above room temperature the long term current transients are dominated by electron trapping in previously existing defects. At low temperature in the range 126 to 259 K neutron induced lattice damage appears to play an increasingly important role in producing long term current transients.

The Long-Term Effects of Bilingualism on Children of Immigration: Student Bilingualism and Future Earnings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agirdag, Orhan

2014-01-01

In this study, we examine the largely neglected long-term effects of bilingualism for students with roots in immigration. Our central research question is whether students' bilingual proficiencies have an impact on their future earnings in the USA. For this purpose, we used two different data-sets, i.e. the National Education Longitudinal…

Simulated heat waves during maize reproductive stages alter reproductive growth but have no lasting effect when applied during vegetative stages

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Due to climate change, heat waves are predicted to become more frequent and severe. While long-term studies on temperature stress have been conducted on important crops such as maize (Zea mays), the immediate and or long-term effects of short duration but extreme high temperature events during key d...

Context-dependence of long-term responses of terrestrial gastropod populations to large-scale disturbance.

Treesearch

Christopher P. Bloch; Michael R. Willi

2006-01-01

Large-scale natural disturbances, such as hurricanes, can have profound effects on animal populations. Nonetheless, generalizations about the effects of disturbance are elusive, and few studies consider long-term responses of a single population or community to multiple large-scale disturbance events. In the last 20 y, twomajor hurricanes (Hugo and Georges) have struck...

Insights into Fluency Instruction: Short- and Long-Term Effects of Two Reading Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwanenflugel, Paula J.; Kuhn, Melanie R.; Morris, Robin D.; Morrow, Lesley Mandel; Meisinger, Elizabeth B.; Woo, Deborah Gee; Quirk, Matthew; Sevcik, Rose

2009-01-01

The purpose of the study was to examine short- and long-term effects of two instructional approaches designed to improve the reading fluency of second-grade children: Fluency-Oriented Reading Instruction (or FORI; Stahl & Heubach, 2005) and a wide reading approach (Kuhn et al., 2006). By the end of second grade, children in the wide reading…

Improvement of Glucose Metabolism in Patients with Impaired Glucose Tolerance or Diabetes by Long-Term Administration of a Palatinose-Based Liquid Formula as a Part of Breakfast

PubMed Central

Sakuma, Masae; Arai, Hidekazu; Mizuno, Akira; Fukaya, Makiko; Matsuura, Motoi; Sasaki, Hajime; Yamanaka-Okumura, Hisami; Yamamoto, Hironori; Taketani, Yutaka; Doi, Toshio; Takeda, Eiji

2009-01-01

A palatinose-based liquid formula (palatinose-formula), suppresses postprandial plasma glucose and insulin levels in healthy men. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of long-term palatinose-formula ingestion on glucose metabolism in patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or type 2 diabetes. Two patients with IGT and 7 patients with type 2 diabetes participated in the palatinose-formula and dextrin-based liquid formula (dextrin-formula) loading test and long-term palatinose-formula administration study. After a 3-month control period, palatinose-formula (1046 kJ) was ingested daily by patients as a part of breakfast for 5 months. In the loading test, palatinose-formula suppressed postprandial plasma glucose and insulin levels and areas under the curve compared with those after dextrin-formula ingestion. In the long-term study, glycated hemoglobin levels (after 3 months and 5 months of treatment) and serum 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine levels (after 5 months of treatment) were markedly decreased comparing with those at baseline. Intake of 1046 kJ palatinose-formula as a part of breakfast over a long-term period may be effective for improvement of glucose metabolism in patients with IGT or type 2 diabetes. PMID:19794923

The Impact of Consumer Numeracy on the Purchase of Long-Term Care Insurance.

PubMed

McGarry, Brian E; Temkin-Greener, Helena; Chapman, Benjamin P; Grabowski, David C; Li, Yue

2016-08-01

To determine the effect of consumers' numeric abilities on the likelihood of owning private long-term care insurance. The 2010 wave of the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative survey of Americans age 50 and older, was used (n = 12,796). Multivariate logistic regression was used to isolate the relationship between numeracy and long-term care insurance ownership. Each additional question answered correctly on a numeracy scale was associated with a 13 percent increase in the likelihood of holding LTCI, after controlling for predictors of policy demand, education, and cognitive function. Poor numeracy may create barriers to long-term care insurance purchase. Policy efforts aimed at increasing consumer decision support or restructuring the marketplace for long-term care insurance may be needed to increase older adults' ability to prepare for future long-term care expenses. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Immediate recall influences the effects of pre-encoding stress on emotional episodic long-term memory consolidation in healthy young men.

PubMed

Wolf, Oliver T

2012-05-01

The stress-associated activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis influences memory. Several studies have supported the notion that post-learning stress enhances memory consolidation, while pre-retrieval stress impairs retrieval. Findings regarding the effects of pre-encoding stress, in contrast, have been rather inconsistent. In the current two studies, the impact of an immediate retrieval task on these effects was explored. In the first study, 24 healthy young male participants were exposed to a psychosocial laboratory stressor (Trier Social Stress Test) or a control condition before viewing positive, negative, and neutral photographs, which were accompanied by a brief narrative. Immediate as well as delayed (24 h later) free recall was assessed. Stress was expected to enhance emotional long-term memory without affecting immediate recall performance. Stress caused a significant increase in salivary cortisol concentrations but had no significant effects on immediate or delayed retrieval performance, even though a trend toward poorer memory of the stress group was apparent. Based on these findings, the second experiment tested the hypothesis that the beneficial effects of stress on emotional long-term memory performance might be abolished by an immediate recall test. In the second study (n = 32), the same design was used, except for the omission of the immediate retrieval test. This time stressed participants recalled significantly more negative photographs compared to the control group. The present study indicates that an immediate retrieval attempt of material studied after stress exposure can prevent or even reverse the beneficial effects of pre-encoding stress on emotional long-term memory consolidation.

A Long-Term Follow-Up of the Efficacy of Nature-Based Therapy for Adults Suffering from Stress-Related Illnesses on Levels of Healthcare Consumption and Sick-Leave Absence: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Corazon, Sus Sola; Nyed, Patrik Karlsson; Sidenius, Ulrik; Poulsen, Dorthe Varning; Stigsdotter, Ulrika Karlsson

2018-01-15

Stress-related illnesses are a growing health problem in the Western world; which also has economic significance for society. As a consequence; there is a growing demand for effective treatments. The study investigates the long-term efficacy of the Nacadia ® nature-based therapy (NNBT) by comparing it to the efficacy of a validated cognitive behavioral therapy, called STreSS. The study is designed as a randomized controlled trial in which 84 participants are randomly allocated between the treatments. Long-term efficacy is investigated through data extracts from the national database of Statistics Denmark on the sick leave and the health-care consumption. The results show that both the NNBT and the STreSS lead to a significant decrease in number of contacts with a general practitioner in the period from twelve months prior to treatment to twelve months after treatment; and, a significant decrease in long-term sick leave from the month prior to treatment to twelve months after treatment. The positive long-term effects provide validation for the NNBT as an efficient treatment of stress-related illnesses.

A Long-Term Follow-Up of the Efficacy of Nature-Based Therapy for Adults Suffering from Stress-Related Illnesses on Levels of Healthcare Consumption and Sick-Leave Absence: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Corazon, Sus Sola; Nyed, Patrik Karlsson; Sidenius, Ulrik

2018-01-01

Stress-related illnesses are a growing health problem in the Western world; which also has economic significance for society. As a consequence; there is a growing demand for effective treatments. The study investigates the long-term efficacy of the Nacadia® nature-based therapy (NNBT) by comparing it to the efficacy of a validated cognitive behavioral therapy, called STreSS. The study is designed as a randomized controlled trial in which 84 participants are randomly allocated between the treatments. Long-term efficacy is investigated through data extracts from the national database of Statistics Denmark on the sick leave and the health-care consumption. The results show that both the NNBT and the STreSS lead to a significant decrease in number of contacts with a general practitioner in the period from twelve months prior to treatment to twelve months after treatment; and, a significant decrease in long-term sick leave from the month prior to treatment to twelve months after treatment. The positive long-term effects provide validation for the NNBT as an efficient treatment of stress-related illnesses. PMID:29342952

Effects of roadside memorials on traffic flow.

PubMed

Tay, Richard; Churchill, Anthony; de Barros, Alexandre G

2011-01-01

Despite their growing popularity in North America, little research has been conducted on understanding the effects of roadside memorials on drivers' behaviour. In this study, we examined the short-term effects of roadside memorials on traffic speed and headways on a high speed intercity freeway as well as its long-term effect on traffic speed on a high speed urban freeway. Our study found that the placement of roadside memorials did not have any significant effect on traffic speeds or headways, either in the short or long term. Therefore, concerns about the negative effects on driver behaviour were not supported by this research, at least with regards to speeding and following too closely. However, no positive effects on safety were found either. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of an Exercise-Based Patient Education Programme in People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Haas, Christian T.

2017-01-01

Background. Although people with Multiple Sclerosis (pwMS) benefit from physical exercise, they still show reduced physical activity and exercise behaviour. This study aimed to investigate short- and long-term effects of an exercise-based patient education programme (ePEP) that focuses on empowering pwMS to a sustainable and self-regulated exercise training management. Methods. Fourteen pwMS were randomly assigned to immediate experimental group (EG-I: n = 8) and waitlist-control group (EG-W: n = 6) and attended biweekly in a six-week ePEP. All participants were measured for walking ability, quality of life, fatigue, and self-efficacy towards physical exercise before and after the ePEP, after 12 weeks, and one year after baseline. Short-term effects were analysed in a randomised control trial and long-term effects of all ePEP participants (EG-I + EG-W = EG-all) in a quasi-experimental design. Results. Only functional gait significantly improved in EG-I compared to EG-W (p = 0.008, r = −0.67). Moderate to large effects were found in EG-all for walking ability. Not significant, however, relevant changes were detected for quality of life and fatigue. Self-efficacy showed no changes. Conclusion. The ePEP seems to be a feasible option to empower pwMS to a self-regulated and sustainable exercise training management shown in long-term walking improvements. PMID:28900546

Effect of Anisotropy on the Long-Term Strength of Granite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nara, Yoshitaka

2015-05-01

Granite rock mass is used for various rock engineering purposes. To ensure long-term stability, information about the subcritical crack growth (SCG) and an estimate of the long-term strength (LTS) of the rock are necessary. The influence of the anisotropy of granite on its LTS has not yet been clarified. In this study, the anisotropy of the long-term rock strength was investigated for two types of granite rocks, Oshima granite and Inada granite. Specifically, the effect of the anisotropy in crack propagation on the LTS was examined. The results showed that the LTS of granite is anisotropic, as are the fracture toughness and Brazilian tensile strength measured in this study. The LTS was lowest when crack propagation occurred parallel to the rift plane, where most of the microcracks occur. For Inada granite, which has an anisotropic SCG index, the degree of anisotropy of the LTS increased as the time-to-failure increased. This suggests that the LTS of granite is anisotropic.

Long-term effects of interference on short-term memory performance in the rat.

PubMed

Missaire, Mégane; Fraize, Nicolas; Joseph, Mickaël Antoine; Hamieh, Al Mahdy; Parmentier, Régis; Marighetto, Aline; Salin, Paul Antoine; Malleret, Gaël

2017-01-01

A distinction has always been made between long-term and short-term memory (also now called working memory, WM). The obvious difference between these two kinds of memory concerns the duration of information storage: information is supposedly transiently stored in WM while it is considered durably consolidated into long-term memory. It is well acknowledged that the content of WM is erased and reset after a short time, to prevent irrelevant information from proactively interfering with newly stored information. In the present study, we used typical WM radial maze tasks to question the brief lifespan of spatial WM content in rodents. Groups of rats were submitted to one of two different WM tasks in a radial maze: a WM task involving the repetitive presentation of a same pair of arms expected to induce a high level of proactive interference (PI) (HIWM task), or a task using a different pair in each trial expected to induce a low level of PI (LIWM task). Performance was effectively lower in the HIWM group than in LIWM in the final trial of each training session, indicative of a "within-session/short-term" PI effect. However, we also observed a different "between-session/long-term" PI effect between the two groups: while performance of LIWM trained rats remained stable over days, the performance of HIWM rats dropped after 10 days of training, and this impairment was visible from the very first trial of the day, hence not attributable to within-session PI. We also showed that a 24 hour-gap across training sessions known to allow consolidation processes to unfold, was a necessary and sufficient condition for the long-term PI effect to occur. These findings suggest that in the HIWM task, WM content was not entirely reset between training sessions and that, in specific conditions, WM content can outlast its purpose by being stored more permanently, generating a long-term deleterious effect of PI. The alternative explanation is that WM content could be transferred and stored more permanently in an intermediary form or memory between WM and long-term memory.

Time series smoother for effect detection.

PubMed

You, Cheng; Lin, Dennis K J; Young, S Stanley

2018-01-01

In environmental epidemiology, it is often encountered that multiple time series data with a long-term trend, including seasonality, cannot be fully adjusted by the observed covariates. The long-term trend is difficult to separate from abnormal short-term signals of interest. This paper addresses how to estimate the long-term trend in order to recover short-term signals. Our case study demonstrates that the current spline smoothing methods can result in significant positive and negative cross-correlations from the same dataset, depending on how the smoothing parameters are chosen. To circumvent this dilemma, three classes of time series smoothers are proposed to detrend time series data. These smoothers do not require fine tuning of parameters and can be applied to recover short-term signals. The properties of these smoothers are shown with both a case study using a factorial design and a simulation study using datasets generated from the original dataset. General guidelines are provided on how to discover short-term signals from time series with a long-term trend. The benefit of this research is that a problem is identified and characteristics of possible solutions are determined.

Time series smoother for effect detection

PubMed Central

Lin, Dennis K. J.; Young, S. Stanley

2018-01-01

In environmental epidemiology, it is often encountered that multiple time series data with a long-term trend, including seasonality, cannot be fully adjusted by the observed covariates. The long-term trend is difficult to separate from abnormal short-term signals of interest. This paper addresses how to estimate the long-term trend in order to recover short-term signals. Our case study demonstrates that the current spline smoothing methods can result in significant positive and negative cross-correlations from the same dataset, depending on how the smoothing parameters are chosen. To circumvent this dilemma, three classes of time series smoothers are proposed to detrend time series data. These smoothers do not require fine tuning of parameters and can be applied to recover short-term signals. The properties of these smoothers are shown with both a case study using a factorial design and a simulation study using datasets generated from the original dataset. General guidelines are provided on how to discover short-term signals from time series with a long-term trend. The benefit of this research is that a problem is identified and characteristics of possible solutions are determined. PMID:29684033

Short- and long-term effectiveness of a three-month individualized need-supportive physical activity counseling intervention at the workplace.

PubMed

Arrogi, Anass; Schotte, Astrid; Bogaerts, An; Boen, Filip; Seghers, Jan

2017-01-09

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the short- and long-term intervention and mediation effects of a 3-month individualized need-supportive physical activity (PA) counseling intervention on employees' PA and sedentary behavior. Insufficiently active employees (n = 300; mean age 42 ± 9 years; 78% female) were recruited from a large pharmaceutical company in Flanders, Belgium. A quasi-experimental design was used in which the intervention group (N = 246) was recruited separately from the reference group (N = 54). Intervention group participants received a 3-month behavioral support intervention, which consisted of two one-hour face-to-face counseling sessions and three follow-up counseling contacts by e-mail or telephone at weeks three, six and nine. PA counseling, delivered by qualified PA counselors, aimed to satisfy participants' basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Reference group participants did not receive individualized PA counseling. Outcome measures included objectively assessed and self-reported PA and sedentary time and psychological need satisfaction. Assessments were held at baseline, immediately after the intervention (short-term) and 6 months post-intervention (long-term). Mixed model analyses and bootstrapping analyses were used to determine intervention and mediation effects, respectively. The intervention group increased weekday daily steps both in the short- and long-term, while the reference group showed reductions in daily step count (ES = .65 and ES = .48 in the short- and long-term, respectively). In the short-term, weekday moderate-to-vigorous PA increased more pronouncedly in the intervention group compared to the reference group (ES = .34). Moreover, the intervention group demonstrated reductions in self-reported sitting time during weekends both in the short- and long-term, whereas the reference group reported increased sitting time (ES = .44 and ES = .32 in the short- and long-term, respectively). Changes in perceived autonomy and competence need satisfaction mediated the long-term intervention effects on daily step count. A 3-month individualized need-supportive PA counseling intervention among employees resulted in significant and sustained improvements in weekday daily step count and in decreased self-reported sitting during weekends. Our findings contribute to the growing evidence of the long-term effectiveness of need-supportive PA counseling. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01759927 . Registered December 30, 2012.

Long-term consequences of adolescent cannabis use: Examining intermediary processes

PubMed Central

Green, Kerry M.; Doherty, Elaine E.; Ensminger, Margaret E.

2018-01-01

Background In the United States, perceptions of marijuana’s acceptability are at an all-time high, risk perceptions among youth are low, and rates are rising among Black youth. Thus, it is imperative to increase the understanding of long-term effects of adolescent marijuana use and ways to mitigate adverse consequences. Objectives To identify the midlife consequences of heavy adolescent marijuana use and the mechanisms driving effects among a Black, urban population. Methods This study analyzed the propensity score-matched prospective data from the Woodlawn Study, a community cohort study of urban Black youth followed from ages 6–42. After matching the 165 adolescents who used marijuana heavily to 165 non-heavy/nonusers on background confounders to reduce selection effects (64.5% male), we tested the association of heavy marijuana use by age 16 with social, economic, and physical and psychological health outcomes in midlife and the ability of adult drug trajectories (marijuana, cocaine, and heroin use from ages 17–42) and school dropout to mediate effects. Results Heavy adolescent marijuana use was associated with an increased risk of being poor and of being unmarried in midlife. Marijuana use also predicted lower income and greater anxious mood in midlife. Both adult drug use trajectories and school dropout significantly mediated socioeconomic effects but not marital or anxious mood outcomes. Conclusion Heavy adolescent marijuana use seems to set Black, urban youth on a long-term trajectory of disadvantage that persists into midlife. It is critical to interrupt this long-term disadvantage through the prevention of heavy adolescent marijuana use, long-term marijuana and other drug use, and school dropout. PMID:27929672

Statewide Longitudinal Follow-up Study of Former Secondary Level Vocational Education Students (Project SEE). Report of Accomplishments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Calvin E.; Kim, Yungho

A longitudinal followup study, entitled Project Student Employment Experiences (SEE), examined the long-term employment experiences of former vocational education students, especially special needs population students, and the long-term effects of their training. During the project, researchers collected a 3-year followup information file on their…

Description of the Fork Mountain long-term soil productivity study: site characterization

Treesearch

Mary Beth Adams; James Burger; Lucian Zelazny; John Baumgras

2004-01-01

The effects of air pollution and timber harvesting on soil resources continue to be an important issue in eastern hardwood forests. This publication describes the Fork Mountain Long-term Soil Productivity Study (LTSP), located on the Fernow Experimental Forest, WV, and the pretreatment stand, soil and climatic conditions. Extensive vegetation surveys, biomass...

Examining why patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder lack adherence to medication over the long term: a review and analysis.

PubMed

Frank, Elliot; Ozon, Cristina; Nair, Vinitha; Othee, Karandeep

2015-11-01

To investigate the reasons why patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) adhere poorly to medications over the long term (≥ 1 year). PubMed was reviewed for studies between 1997 and January 2015 citing the reasons for medication nonadherence using these main keywords: ADHD, amphetamine, methylphenidate, atomoxetine, guanfacine, clonidine, long term, and adverse effects. Non-English language articles were excluded as were those that had a follow-up of < 1 year. Of 1,137 entries, 41 published articles citing reasons for subject withdrawal from treatment were included. None were included for clonidine. Similar reasons for drug or study withdrawal were grouped together for analysis using a normalized numerical average, while unique reasons were analyzed individually. Reasons for discontinuing Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medication after 1 year included "own wish/remission/don't need" (19.9%; 95% CI, 9.0-30.80), "withdrew consent" (16.2%; 95% CI, 10.0-22.5), "adverse effects" (15.1%; 95% CI, 10.4-19.8) and "suboptimal effect" (14.6%; 95% CI, 8.5-20.6), with the most common adverse event being "reduction in weight/appetite" (19.2%; 95% CI, 5.1-33.4). Other important factors included age, long- versus short-acting medication, psychosocial stressors, and "stop feeling like him/herself" on medication. The reasons why patients do not adhere to stimulant medication remain poorly studied and understood, especially over the long term. Standardizing the way studies evaluate patients who stop treatment and including more qualitative measures should lead to better treatment outcome and adherence to medication over the long term. © Copyright 2015 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

The effects of short- and long-term air pollutants on plant phenology and leaf characteristics.

PubMed

Jochner, Susanne; Markevych, Iana; Beck, Isabelle; Traidl-Hoffmann, Claudia; Heinrich, Joachim; Menzel, Annette

2015-11-01

Pollution adversely affects vegetation; however, its impact on phenology and leaf morphology is not satisfactorily understood yet. We analyzed associations between pollutants and phenological data of birch, hazel and horse chestnut in Munich (2010) along with the suitability of leaf morphological parameters of birch for monitoring air pollution using two datasets: cumulated atmospheric concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and ozone derived from passive sampling (short-term exposure) and pollutant information derived from Land Use Regression models (long-term exposure). Partial correlations and stepwise regressions revealed that increased ozone (birch, horse chestnut), NO2, NOx and PM levels (hazel) were significantly related to delays in phenology. Correlations were especially high when rural sites were excluded suggesting a better estimation of long-term within-city pollution. In situ measurements of foliar characteristics of birch were not suitable for bio-monitoring pollution. Inconsistencies between long- and short-term exposure effects suggest some caution when interpreting short-term data collected within field studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Literature Review on the Experience of Long-Term Mental Illness.

PubMed

Collier, Elizabeth; Grant, Maria J

2018-06-01

To illuminate long-term experiences of mental illness from both research and autobiographical accounts. A literature review of English-language papers, 1950-2014, relating to the experience of long-term mental illness indexed in AgeInfo, AMED, ASSIA, British Nursing Index (BNI), CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycEXTRA, and PsychINFO. Twenty-five research papers and nine autobiographic accounts met the review criteria. Thematic analysis revealed nine themes: fear, explanation seeking, stigma, disability, coping strategies, control, support, change and learning, and life history. Specific gaps of note relate to age differences, acknowledgement of longevity of mental illnesses, and different cultural perspectives. Research Implications: There is an absence of longitudinal studies focused on experiences of long-term mental illness. The considerable length-of-time implicated in the experiences suggests that more individual life experience rather than illness focused studies are needed, enabling a holistic understanding. This includes studies from cultures other than the Western world. Greater transparency is needed in justifying age inclusions or passive exclusion of older peoples' perspectives. Knowledge of long-term mental illness experiences is of great importance to mental health practitioners. Evidence-based services cannot be provided if we do not have an holistic understanding of long-term mental illness. Social Implications: This review questions our ability to provide effective support for those experiencing long-term mental illness, in particular older people and different cultural perspectives. There appear to be no literature reviews that focus on the individual experience of long-term mental illness. It highlights the surprisingly small number of research studies available to inform mental health practitioners.

The Effects of Psychoeducation on Long-term Inpatients with Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder.

PubMed

Yanagida, Nobuhiko; Uchino, Toshiro; Uchimura, Naohisa

2017-05-08

This study aimed to examine the significance of intervention to improve medication adherence in long-term inpatients by providing psychoeducation and then elucidating the effects of this training in terms of patient knowledge and attitudes. Subjects were patients who had been hospitalized for more than 1 year after being admitted to a psychiatric hospital, had been diagnosed as F2 (schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder) according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition, and were capable of verbal communication. Patients suspected of having dementia were excluded. Items surveyed were patient background, prescriptions, Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) score, Drug Attitude Inventory-10 (DAI-10) score, and Knowledge of Illness and Drugs Inventory (KIDI) score. The amount of medication taken and GAF, DAI-10, and KIDI scores were evaluated within 1 week of starting psychoeducation and within 1 week of completing psychoeducation. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test and McNemar test was used to compare scores before and after intervention. The mean overall KIDI score increased significantly, and the mean overall DAI-10 score improved significantly after intervention. Furthermore, the mean overall KIDI score of very long-term inpatients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder increased significantly after intervention. Psychoeducation produced improvement in some areas of knowledge and attitudes towards medication among long-term inpatients. These results demonstrate that psychoeducation has an effect on long-term inpatients that is similar to the effect observed in earlier studies on patients leading community lives, including patients who have just been admitted or discharged and patients attending day care or outpatient visits.

Evaluation of long term solar activity effects on GPS derived TEC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mansoori, Azad A.; Khan, Parvaiz A.; Ahmad, Rafi; Atulkar, Roshni; M, Aslam A.; Bhardwaj, Shivangi; Malvi, Bhupendra; Purohit, P. K.; Gwal, A. K.

2016-10-01

The solar activity hence the solar radiance follows a long term periodic variability with eleven years periodicity, known as solar cycle. This drives the long term variability of the ionosphere. In the present problem we investigate the long term behaviour of the ionosphere with the eleven year cyclic solar activity. Under the present study we characterize the ionospheric variability by Total Electron Content (TEC) using measurements made by Global Positioning System (GPS) and solar cycle variability by various solar activity indices. We make use of five solar activity indices viz. sunspot number (Rz), solar radio Flux (F10.7 cm), EUV Flux (26-34 nm), flare index and CME occurrences. The long term variability of these solar activity indices were then compared and correlated with the variability of ionospheric TEC, at a mid latitude station, Usuda (36.13N, 138.36E), of Japan, during the solar cycle 23 and ascending phase of cycle 24. From our study, we found that long term changes in the ionospheric TEC vary synchronously with corresponding changes in the solar activity indices. The correlation analysis shows that all the solar activity indices exhibit a very strong correlation with TEC (R =0.76 -0.99). Moreover the correlation between the two is stronger in the descending phase of the solar cycle. The correlation is found to be remarkably strongest during the deep minimum of the solar cycle 24 i.e. between 2007- 2009. Also we noticed a hysteresis effect exists with solar radio flux (F10.7 cm) and solar EUV flux (26-34 nm). This effect is absent with other parameters.

The mediating effects of job satisfaction on turnover intention for long-term care nurses in Taiwan.

PubMed

Kuo, Huai-Ting; Lin, Kuan-Chia; Li, I-Chuan

2014-03-01

This study explores the mediating effects of job satisfaction on work stress and turnover intention among long-term care nurses in Taiwan. Healthcare institutions face a nursing shortage, and it is important to examine the factors that influence turnover intention among nurses. Excessive levels of work stress may lead to employee dissatisfaction and a significant inverse relationship between work stress and job satisfaction, including subsequent effects on turnover among nurses. However, little is known about the mediating role of job satisfaction on work stress and turnover intention among long-term care nurses. A cross-sectional survey and a correlation design were used. Multistage linear regression was used to test the mediation model. This study showed that job satisfaction significantly mediated the relationship between work stress and turnover intention. Thirty-eight percent of the variance in turnover intention explained by work stress was accounted for by the mediation pathway. The results of this study showed that higher job satisfaction significantly decreased work stress and turnover intention among long-term care nurses. This study provides nursing administrators with a resource to build a supportive environment to increase nurses' job satisfaction and to decrease their stress and turnover. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Early nutrition and health: short- and long-term outcomes.

PubMed

Gruszfeld, Dariusz; Socha, Piotr

2013-01-01

Maternal diet, nutritional status during pregnancy, and the early diet of the offspring play an important role in later health. The short- and long-term outcomes of early nutrition have been extensively studied in recent decades. One of the most commonly investigated nutritional interventions is breastfeeding, which is associated with a number of positive short- and long-term outcomes. A short-term effect of breastfeeding is reduced morbidity and mortality in children from poor living conditions and in preterm infants. Breastfeeding is associated with better cognitive development and also has a long-term protective effect on obesity risk, prevalence of type 2 diabetes, and a lowering effect on blood pressure. Selected nutrients have undergone extensive investigation to show their role in disease prevention or improved development, e.g. protein intake in infancy seems to be associated with a later risk of obesity or docosahexaenoic acid supplementation has a positive impact on cognitive function. Another consideration is the fast catch-up growth in small for gestational age infants as an important factor associated with adult risk of cardiovascular problems. On the other hand, high protein and energy intake seems to be positively associated with some indicators of cognitive development. Most of the evidence comes from observational studies that cannot exclude potential confounders. Animal studies demonstrate causality but should not be directly extrapolated to humans. The number of randomized controlled studies is increasing but long-term follow-ups are necessary to obtain convincing results. The majority of these trials compare different infant formula compositions and macro- or micronutrient supplementation. One of the major questions is to define a critical (or opportunity) window and a mechanism of nutritional influence on several health outcomes. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The social integration of healthcare agency workers in long-term care facilities: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Lapalme, Marie-Ève; Doucet, Olivier

2018-06-01

Patient care quality is a key concern for long-term care facilities and is directly related to effective collaboration between healthcare professionals. The use of agency staff in long-term care facilities creates important challenges in terms of coordination and communication within work units. The purpose of this study is to assess the mediating effect of common in-group identity in the relationship between permanent employees' perceptions regarding the use of agency workers -namely distributive justice, perceptions of threat, perceived similarities with agency workers, and leader inclusiveness toward agency staff- and the permanent employees' adoption of collaborative behaviours. Cross-sectional study. Three long-term care facilities. 290 regular healthcare employees (nurses and care attendants). Data were obtained through questionnaires filled out by employees. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation analyses. The results showed the indirect effects of perceived distributive justice, perceived similarity and leader inclusiveness toward agency workers on permanent employees' cooperation behaviours through common group identification. Perceptions of threat were not related to common group identification or collaborative behaviours. The results also showed that common in-group identification is related to cooperation behaviours only for employees without previous experience as agency workers. This study suggests that permanent healthcare employees who feel they are fairly compensated relative to agency workers, who consider these workers as similar to them, and who believe their supervisor appreciates agency workers' contributions tend to develop a common in-group identity, which fosters collaborative behaviours. Managers of long-term care facilities who wish to foster collaboration among their blended workforce should thus create an environment conducive of a more inclusive identity, particularly if their employees have no previous experience as agency workers. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long-term efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy by general practitioners for fatigue: a 4-year follow-up study.

PubMed

Leone, Stephanie S; Huibers, Marcus J H; Kant, Ijmert; van Amelsvoort, Ludovic G P M; van Schayck, Constant P; Bleijenberg, Gijs; Knottnerus, J André

2006-11-01

In an earlier study, we found that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) delivered by general practitioners (GPs) for fatigue among employees on sick leave was not effective after 12 months. In this study we aim to assess the long-term efficacy of CBT by GPs for fatigue. It was hypothesized that the intervention could prevent deterioration as well as relapse of fatigue complaints and relapse into absenteeism in the long term. Patients who participated in the original randomized controlled trial were followed up 4 years later. Fatigue and absenteeism were the main outcomes. Fatigue and absenteeism were high in the intervention and control groups at the 4-year follow-up. There was no significant difference between the intervention group and the control group on fatigue and absenteeism. The intervention group however tended toward less-favorable outcomes as compared with the control group. Like that of chronic fatigue syndrome, the prognosis of less-advanced fatigue is rather poor. CBT delivered by GPs is not effective in the long term.

Long-term priority effects among insects and fungi colonizing decaying wood.

PubMed

Weslien, Jan; Djupström, Line B; Schroeder, Martin; Widenfalk, Olof

2011-11-01

1. Priority effects have been hypothesized to have long-lasting impact on community structure in natural ecosystems. Long-term studies of priority effects in natural ecosystems are however sparse, especially in terrestrial ecosystems. 2. Wood decay is a slow process involving a high diversity of insect and fungus species. Species interactions that drive change in communities of insects and fungi during wood decay are poorly understood because of a lack of sufficient long-term studies. 3. In this paper, we followed the colonization and succession of wood-living insects and fungi on cut trees during 15 years, from tree death and onwards, in a boreal forest landscape. We test the long-term priority effects hypothesis that the identity and abundance of species that colonize first affect the colonization success of later-arriving species. We also hypothesize that species interact in both facilitative and inhibitory ways, which ultimately affect habitat quality for a red-listed late-succession beetle species. 4. Possible causal associations between species were explored by path analysis. The results indicate that one bark beetle species, Hylurgops palliatus, and one wood-borer species, Monochamus sutor, which colonized the wood during the first year after cutting, influenced the occurrence of a rare, wood-living beetle, Peltis grossa, that started to emerge from the stumps about 10 years later. The positive effects of Hylurgops palliatus and negative effects of M. sutor were largely mediated through the wood-decaying fungus species Fomitopsis pinicola. 5. The study shows that variable priority effects may have long-lasting impact on community assembly in decaying wood. The study also exemplifies new possibilities for managing populations of threatened species by exploring links between early, well-understood species guilds and late, more poorly understood species guilds. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2011 British Ecological Society.

Long-Term Cumulative Effects of Childcare on Children's Mental Development and Socioemotional Adjustment in a Non-Risk Sample: The Moderating Effects of Gender

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bornstein, Marc H.; Hahn, Chun-Shin; Gist, Nancy F.; Haynes, O. Maurice

2006-01-01

We studied the long-term cumulative effects of two common indices of childcare--the total number of hours of non-maternal care and the mean hour-weighted child-to-caregiver ratio per caregiving situation--on mental development and socioemotional adjustment from birth to 4.5 years old in a non-risk middle-class sample of girls and boys after taking…

Long-term luminescence of sensibilizers in tissues at the conditions of oxygen deficiency due to photodynamic effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishemgulov, A. T.; Letuta, S. N.; Pashkevich, S. N.; Alidzhanov, E. K.; Lantukh, Yu. D.

2017-11-01

Long-term luminescence of organic dyes (xanthene dyes, halogen substituted fluoroscein) was used for an in vitro study of the photodynamic effect of exogenic probes in malignant tumors and healthy tissues of mice. It is shown that the photodynamic activity of oxygen and the dynamics of its concentration in tissues can be estimated from the delayed fluorescence of exogenic probes caused by singlet-triplet annihilation of singlet oxygen and excited triplet states of the molecules of photosensitizer dyes. It is found that quenching of long-term luminescence of photosensitizers significantly differs in tumors and normal tissues.

Maintenance of smoking cessation in the postpartum period: which interventions work best in the long-term?

PubMed

Su, Anny; Buttenheim, Alison M

2014-04-01

Smoking during pregnancy has been linked to a variety of adverse outcomes for both maternal and child health. Decades of studies have sought to increase cessation antepartum and reduce relapse postpartum. A number of effective interventions exist to significantly reduce smoking rates during pregnancy; however, less is known about how to prevent relapse in the postpartum period. This review investigates interventions to prevent relapse in the long-term postpartum period. We focus specifically on nonspontaneous quitters (individuals who quit smoking as a result of an external intervention) to reveal differences in long-term response to interventions for this population compared to spontaneous quitters. A systematic literature search yielded 32 relevant studies of pharmacological, behavioral, and incentives-based interventions. Results were compiled, analyzed, and compared in order to evaluate success factors in maintaining cessation postpartum. Though intervention groups showed consistently higher quit rates during pregnancy than control groups, none of the intervention types were effective at preventing relapse in the longer-term postpartum period. One study maintained significantly higher abstinence in the longer-term period postpartum using a mix of behavioral and incentives strategies. Additional research in this area is needed to identify optimal intervention strategies to reduce long-term postpartum relapse, particularly for nonspontaneous quitters.

Long-term Kinetics of Uranyl Desorption from Sediments Under Advective Conditions

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

Shang, Jianying; Liu, Chongxuan; Wang, Zheming

2014-02-15

Long-term (> 4 months) column experiments were performed to investigate the kinetics of uranyl (U(VI)) desorption in sediments collected from the Integrated Field Research Challenge (IFRC) site at the US Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford 300 Area. The experimental results were used to evaluate alternative multi-rate surface complexation reaction (SCR) approaches to describe the short- and long-term kinetics of U(VI) desorption under flow conditions. The SCR stoichiometry, equilibrium constants, and multi-rate parameters were independently characterized in batch and stirred flow-cell reactors. Multi-rate SCR models that were either additively constructed using the SCRs for individual size fractions (e.g., Shang et al.,more » 2011), or composite in nature could effectively describe short-term U(VI) desorption under flow conditions. The long-term desorption results, however, revealed that using a labile U concentration measured by carbonate extraction under-estimated desorbable U(VI) and the long-term rate of U(VI) desorption. An alternative modeling approach using total U as the desorbable U(VI) concentration was proposed to overcome this difficulty. This study also found that the gravel size fraction (2-8 mm), which is typically treated as non-reactive in modeling U(VI) reactive transport because of low external surface area, can have an important effect on the U(VI) desorption in the sediment. This study demonstrates an approach to effectively extrapolate U(VI) desorption kinetics for field-scale application, and identifies important parameters and uncertainties affecting model predictions.« less

The Effectiveness of Singing or Playing a Wind Instrument in Improving Respiratory Function in Patients with Long-Term Neurological Conditions: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Ang, Kexin; Maddocks, Matthew; Xu, Huiying; Higginson, Irene J

2017-03-01

Many long-term neurological conditions adversely affect respiratory function. Singing and playing wind instruments are relatively inexpensive interventions with potential for improving respiratory function; however, synthesis of current evidence is needed to inform research and clinical use of music in respiratory care. To critically appraise, analyze, and synthesize published evidence on the effectiveness of singing or playing a wind instrument to improve respiratory function in people with long-term neurological conditions. Systematic review of published randomized controlled trials and observational studies examining singing or playing wind instruments to improve respiratory function in individuals with long-term neurological conditions. Articles meeting specified inclusion criteria were identified through a search of the Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Web of Science, CAIRSS for Music, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform Search Portal, and AMED databases as early as 1806 through March 2015. Information on study design, clinical populations, interventions, and outcome measures was extracted and summarized using an electronic standardized coding form. Methodological quality was assessed and summarized across studies descriptively. From screening 584 references, 68 full texts were reviewed and five studies included. These concerned 109 participants. The studies were deemed of low quality, due to evidence of bias, in part due to intervention complexity. No adverse effects were reported. Overall, there was a trend toward improved respiratory function, but only one study on Parkinson's disease had significant between-group differences. The positive trend in respiratory function in people with long-term neurological conditions following singing or wind instrument therapy is of interest, and warrants further investigation. © the American Music Therapy Association 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Long-term perchloroethylene exposure: a limited meta-analysis of neurobehavorial deficits in occupationally and residentially exposed groups

EPA Science Inventory

The literature concerning the neurobehavioral and neurophysiological effects of long-term exposure to perchloroethylene (PERC) in humans was meta-analyzed to provide a quantitative review and synthesis. The useable data base from this literature comprised studies reporting effec...

Long term response of rats to single intratracheal exposure of Libby amphibole or amosite

EPA Science Inventory

In former mine workers and residents of Libby, Montana, exposure to amphibolecontaminated vermiculite has been associated with increased incidences of asbestosis and mesothelioma. In this study, we investigated long-term effects of Libby amphibole (LA) exposure relative to the w...

Long-term impact of precision agriculture on a farmer’s field

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Targeting management practices and inputs with precision agriculture has high potential to meet some of the grand challenges of sustainability in the coming century. Although potential is high, few studies have documented long-term effects of precision agriculture on crop production and environmenta...

Long term management practices influenced soil aggregation and carbon dynamics

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil aggregation protects soil organic C (SOC) against rapid decomposition, improves soil quality, and reduces soil erosion potential. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the effects of long-term (21 yrs.) management practices on SOC, water stable aggregate (WSA), and aggregate-associated ...

Off the rails in rural South Carolina: a qualitative study of healthcare provider perspectives on the long-term health impact of the Graniteville train disaster.

PubMed

Annang Ingram, Lucy; Tinago, Chiwoneso B; Estrada, Robin; Wilson, Sacoby; Wright Sanders, Louisiana; Bevington, Tina; Carlos, Bethany; Cornelius, Evangeline; Svendsen, Erik R; Ball, Julia

2016-01-01

In 2005, a train derailment and subsequent chlorine spill ravaged the rural town of Graniteville in South Carolina, resulting in one of the worst chlorine gas exposures in US. Significant health and economic challenges persist in the community more than a decade later. Healthcare providers offered healthcare services to community members in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, and many still live in the community and continue to provide healthcare services. As such, healthcare professionals provide a unique and important perspective to help understand the impact of the disaster on the community's health. The purpose of this study was to explore healthcare providers' perspectives about the long-term effects of the disaster on community health, healthcare access, and wellbeing. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 healthcare providers who treated survivors of the Graniteville train disaster. A qualitative, essentialist, inductive thematic analytic approach was used to analyze study data. Four themes emerged regarding the disaster's long-term impact: effects of chlorine exposure on physical health, issues with healthcare access, residual effects of the disaster on personal and community wellbeing, and improving health and community wellbeing. Disaster recovery should not be considered solely an acute event; agencies must be prepared for long-term, potentially chronic ailments, particularly in underserved, rural communities. Efforts to address the long-term health needs of communities post-disaster should consider the perspectives of healthcare providers to offer a well-rounded assessment of community needs. Study findings can help inform future disaster response strategies in communities locally and globally.

The effect of functional hearing loss and age on long- and short-term visuospatial memory: evidence from the UK biobank resource.

PubMed

Rönnberg, Jerker; Hygge, Staffan; Keidser, Gitte; Rudner, Mary

2014-01-01

The UK Biobank offers cross-sectional epidemiological data collected on >500,000 individuals in the UK between 40 and 70 years of age. Using the UK Biobank data, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of functional hearing loss and hearing aid usage on visuospatial memory function. This selection of variables resulted in a sub-sample of 138,098 participants after discarding extreme values. A digit triplets functional hearing test was used to divide the participants into three groups: poor, insufficient and normal hearers. We found negative relationships between functional hearing loss and both visuospatial working memory (i.e., a card pair matching task) and visuospatial, episodic long-term memory (i.e., a prospective memory task), with the strongest association for episodic long-term memory. The use of hearing aids showed a small positive effect for working memory performance for the poor hearers, but did not have any influence on episodic long-term memory. Age also showed strong main effects for both memory tasks and interacted with gender and education for the long-term memory task. Broader theoretical implications based on a memory systems approach will be discussed and compared to theoretical alternatives.

Antimicrobial stewardship in long term care facilities: what is effective?

PubMed

Nicolle, Lindsay E

2014-02-12

Intense antimicrobial use in long term care facilities promotes the emergence and persistence of antimicrobial resistant organisms and leads to adverse effects such as C. difficile colitis. Guidelines recommend development of antimicrobial stewardship programs for these facilities to promote optimal antimicrobial use. However, the effectiveness of these programs or the contribution of any specific program component is not known. For this review, publications describing evaluation of antimicrobial stewardship programs for long term care facilities were identified through a systematic literature search. Interventions included education, guidelines development, feedback to practitioners, and infectious disease consultation. The studies reviewed varied in types of facilities, interventions used, implementation, and evaluation. Comprehensive programs addressing all infections were reported to have improved antimicrobial use for at least some outcomes. Targeted programs for treatment of pneumonia were minimally effective, and only for indicators of uncertain relevance for stewardship. Programs focusing on specific aspects of treatment of urinary infection - limiting treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria or prophylaxis of urinary infection - were reported to be effective. There were no reports of cost-effectiveness, and the sustainability of most of the programs is unclear. There is a need for further evaluation to characterize effective antimicrobial stewardship for long term care facilities.

Cognitive Behavioral Treatment for Childhood Anxiety Disorders: Long-Term Effects on Anxiety and Secondary Disorders in Young Adulthood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saavedra, Lissette M.; Silverman, Wendy K.; Morgan-Lopez, Antonio A.; Kurtines, William M.

2010-01-01

Background: The present study's aim was to examine the long-term effects (8 to 13 years post-treatment; M = 9.83 years; SD = 1.71) of the most widely used treatment approaches of exposure-based cognitive behavioral treatment for phobic and anxiety disorders in children and adolescents (i.e., group treatment and two variants of individual…

The "Athlete's Heart": relation to gender and race.

PubMed

Di Paolo, F M; Pelliccia, Antonio

2007-08-01

Long-term athletic training is associated with changes in cardiac morphology, commonly described as "athlete's heart." Although numerous studies have investigated the effects of training on cardiac dimensions, most are limited to male Caucasian athletes, and few data are available regarding the effect of long-term exercise training on the woman's heart. This article reviews the athlete's heart in relation to gender and race.

Short- and Long-Term Effects of Over-Reporting of Grades on Academic Self-Concept and Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sticca, Fabio; Goetz, Thomas; Nett, Ulrike E.; Hubbard, Kyle; Haag, Ludwig

2017-01-01

This study examined the short- and long-term effects of self-enhancement (i.e., overreporting of academic grades) on academic self-concept and academic achievement. A total of 916, 719, and 647 students participated in the first, second, and third waves of assessment, respectively (mean age at T1 = 15.6 years). At each assessment, students…

Long-term monitoring of air pollution effects on selected forest ecosystems in the Bucegi-Piatra Craiului and Retezat Mountains, southern Carpathians (Romania)

Treesearch

O. Badea; S. Neagu; Andrzej Bytnerowicz; D. Silaghi; I. Barbu; C. Iacoban; F. Popescu; M. Andrei; E. Preda; C. Iacob; I. Dumitru; H. Iuncu; C. Vezeanu; V. Huber

2011-01-01

The monitoring studies carried out in the southern Romanian Carpathians (Retezat and Bucegi - Piatra Craiului Mts) provide a scientific support for long term ecosystem research (LTER). Their general objective is to characterize the air pollution and its potential effects upon forest ecosystems' status and biodiversity in close connection with climatic changes. Two...

The Short- and Long-Term Effects of Secondary Schools upon Students' Academic Success and Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Antoniou, Panayiotis

2012-01-01

This paper presents the results of a study investigating the short- and long-term effects of secondary schools upon student academic success and development. A questionnaire was administered to a randomly selected sample of 15% of Cypriot students who graduated in June 2004 and June 2005 from secondary schools. A good response rate (i.e., 66%) was…

Long-Term Tolerability and Effectiveness of Once-Daily Mixed Amphetamine Salts (Adderall XR) in Children with ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGough, James J.; Biederman, Joseph; Wigal, Sharon B.; Lopez, Frank A.; McCracken, James T.; Spencer, Thomas; Zhang, Yuxin; Tulloch, Simon J.

2005-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the long-term tolerability and effectiveness of extended-release mixed amphetamine salts (MAS XR; Adderall XR[R]) in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Method: This was a 24-month, multicenter, open-label extension of TWO placebo-controlled studies of MAS XR in children with ADHD aged 6 to 12…

Direct and indirect effects of nutritional status, physical function and cognitive function on activities of daily living in Japanese older adults requiring long-term care.

PubMed

Kamo, Tomohiko; Nishida, Yuusuke

2014-10-01

To identify the direct and indirect effects of nutritional status, physical function, and cognitive function on activities of daily living in Japanese older adults requiring long-term care. In total, 179 participants aged ≥ 65 years who were eligible for long-term care insurance (mean age 85.5 ± 7.8 years) were recruited for this study. Nutritional status (Mini Nutritional Assessment, Short Form) and physical function (Short Physical Performance Battery) were examined. Activities of daily living, cognitive function and frailty were assessed using the Barthel Index, Mini-Mental State Examination and Clinical Frailty Scale, respectively. Path analysis was used to determine relationships between these factors and the activities of daily living. For Japanese older adults requiring long-term care, pathways were modeled for nutritional status, physical function and the activities of daily living. The total effect of nutritional status was 0.516 (P<0.001). The indirect effect of nutritional status through physical function on the activities of daily living was 0.458 (P<0.001). Finally, no significant direct effect of nutritional status on activities of daily living was observed (b=0.058, P=0.258). The present study identified the complex pathway from nutritional status to the activities of daily living through physical function in aged Japanese people requiring long-term care. These findings suggest that maintaining good nutritional status and nutritional support might delay physical function decline, and prolong the activities of daily living. © 2013 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Quality of life in Brazilian obese adolescents: effects of a long-term multidisciplinary lifestyle therapy

PubMed Central

Lofrano-Prado, Mara Cristina; Antunes, Hanna Karen Moreira; Prado, Wagner Luiz do; de Piano, Aline; Caranti, Danielle Arisa; Tock, Lian; Carnier, June; Tufik, Sergio; de Mello, Marco Túlio; Dâmaso, Ana R

2009-01-01

Background Obesity has adverse physical, social, and economic consequences that can negatively affect quality of life (QOL). Thus the aim of this study was to verify the effects of a long-term multidisciplinary lifestyle intervention on QOL, body image, anxiety, depression and binge eating in obese adolescents. Methods Sixty-six obese adolescents (41 girls and 25 boys; BMI: 35.62 ± 4.18 kg/m2) were recruited from the Multidisciplinary Obesity Intervention Program outpatient clinic, and were submitted to a multidisciplinary lifestyle therapy (short-term = 12 weeks and long-term = 24 weeks), composed of medical, dietary, exercise and psychological programs. Validated self-report questionnaires were used to assess symptoms of anxiety Trait/State (STAI); depression (BDI); binge eating (BES), body image dissatisfaction (BSQ) and QOL (SF-36). Data were analyzed by means of scores; comparisons were made by ANOVA for repeated measures, and Tukey's test as post-hoc and Students T test. Results Long-term therapy decreased depression and binge eating symptoms, body image dissatisfaction, and improved QOL in girls, whereas, for boys, 24 weeks, were effective to reduce anxiety trait/state and symptoms of binge eating, and to improve means of dimensions of QOL (p < .05). Conclusion A long-term multidisciplinary lifestyle therapy is effective to control psychological aspects and to improve QOL in obese adolescents. PMID:19575801

Age and CD4 count at initiation of antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected children: effects on long-term T-cell reconstitution.

PubMed

Lewis, Joanna; Walker, A Sarah; Castro, Hannah; De Rossi, Anita; Gibb, Diana M; Giaquinto, Carlo; Klein, Nigel; Callard, Robin

2012-02-15

Effective therapies and reduced AIDS-related morbidity and mortality have shifted the focus in pediatric human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from minimizing short-term disease progression to maintaining optimal long-term health. We describe the effects of children's age and pre-antiretroviral therapy (ART) CD4 count on long-term CD4 T-cell reconstitution. CD4 counts in perinatally HIV-infected, therapy-naive children in the Paediatric European Network for the Treatment of AIDS 5 trial were monitored following initiation of ART for a median 5.7 years. In a substudy, naive and memory CD4 counts were recorded. Age-standardized measurements were analyzed using monophasic, asymptotic nonlinear mixed-effects models. One hundred twenty-seven children were studied. Older children had lower age-adjusted CD4 counts in the long term and at treatment initiation (P < .001). At all ages, lower counts before treatment were associated with impaired recovery (P < .001). Age-adjusted naive CD4 counts increased on a timescale comparable to overall CD4 T-cell reconstitution, whereas age-adjusted memory CD4 counts increased less, albeit on a faster timescale. It appears the immature immune system can recover well from HIV infection via the naive pool. However, this potential is progressively damaged with age and/or duration of infection. Current guidelines may therefore not optimize long-term immunological health.

Protective effects of long-term lithium administration in a slowly progressive SMA mouse model.

PubMed

Biagioni, Francesca; Ferrucci, Michela; Ryskalin, Larisa; Fulceri, Federica; Lazzeri, Gloria; Calierno, Maria Teresa; Busceti, Carla L; Ruffoli, Riccardo; Fornai, Francesco

2017-12-01

In the present study we evaluated the long-term effects of lithium administration to a knock-out double transgenic mouse model (Smn-/-; SMN1A2G+/-; SMN2+/+) of Spinal Muscle Atrophy type III (SMA-III). This model is characterized by very low levels of the survival motor neuron protein, slow disease progression and motor neuron loss, which enables to detect disease-modifying effects at delayed time intervals. Lithium administration attenuates the decrease in motor activity and provides full protection from motor neuron loss occurring in SMA-III mice, throughout the disease course. In addition, lithium prevents motor neuron enlargement and motor neuron heterotopy and suppresses the occurrence of radial-like glial fibrillary acidic protein immunostaining in the ventral white matter of SMA-III mice. In SMA-III mice long-term lithium administration determines a dramatic increase of survival motor neuron protein levels in the spinal cord. These data demonstrate that long-term lithium administration during a long-lasting motor neuron disorder attenuates behavioural deficit and neuropathology. Since low level of survival motor neuron protein is bound to disease severity in SMA, the robust increase in protein level produced by lithium provides solid evidence which calls for further investigations considering lithium in the long-term treatment of spinal muscle atrophy.

Short-term and long-term effects of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with renal impairment: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

PubMed

Li, Ruifei; Wang, Rui; Li, Haixia; Sun, Sihao; Zou, Meijuan; Cheng, Gang

2016-09-01

To assess the short-term and long-term effects of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with renal impairment, a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials of DPP-4 inhibitor interventions in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with renal impairment was performed. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched through the end of March 2015. Randomized clinical trials were selected if (1) DPP-4 inhibitors were compared with a placebo or other active-comparators, (2) the treatment duration was ≥12 weeks and (3) data regarding changes in haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c ), changes in fasting plasma glucose or hypoglycaemia and other adverse events were reported. Of 790 studies, ten studies on eight randomized clinical trials were included. Compared with the control group, DPP-4 inhibitors were associated with a greater HbA1c reduction in both the short-term [mean differences (MD) = -0.45, 95% confidence intervals (-0.57, -0.33), p < 0.0001] and long-term [MD = -0.33, 95% confidence intervals (-0.63, -0.03), p = 0.03] treatments. However, the long-term greater reduction in HbA1c with DPP-4 inhibitor treatment was only significant when the control treatment comprised placebo plus stable background treatment, but not glipizide plus stable background treatment. DPP-4 inhibitors were associated with a greater fasting plasma glucose reduction [MD = -12.59, 95% confidence intervals (-22.01, -3.17), p = 0.009] over the short-term; however, this effect was not present over the long-term. Regarding the hypoglycaemia adverse events assessment, the long-term treatment data indicated there was no increased risk of hypoglycaemia compared with placebo or active-controlled anti-diabetic drugs. The present meta-analysis confirms that DPP-4 inhibitors are effective and equivalent to other agents in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with renal impairment. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Prospective evaluation of the long-term effects of clinical voiding reeducation or voiding school for lower urinary tract conditions in children.

PubMed

Van den Broeck, C; de Mettelinge, T Roman; Deschepper, E; Van Laecke, E; Renson, C; Samijn, B; Hoebeke, P

2016-02-01

Although the short-term effects of urotherapy as a treatment strategy for lower urinary tract (LUT) conditions have been well documented, the long-term effects remain largely unknown. A better insight into the long-term effects of urotherapy could improve the clinical guidelines for children with incontinence. This study aimed to investigate the long-term effects (i.e., from 6 months to 2 years) from a clinical voiding reeducation program among children with LUT conditions. This study was a prospective continuation of the follow-up study of Hoebeke et al. (2011). Thirty-eight children (mean age 9 years) with LUT conditions completed an extensive clinical voiding reeducation program (VS). Data on medication, voiding, drinking, pelvic floor tone, uroflowmetry, and incontinence were recorded 2 years after the VS. These data were compared with the outcomes at 6 months follow-up and at intake before voiding school. Six months after voiding school, 22 children continued having daytime incontinence (ID) and/or enuresis (EN). Six of them became dry at 2 years. Conversely, 16 children were dry at 6 months, of which eight relapsed at 2 years. Whereas all parameters significantly improved 6 months after VS, further improvements from 6 months to 2 years could only be noticed for the proportion of children suffering from overactive bladder (92% at intake, 55% at 6-month follow-up and 18% at 2-year follow-up) (Figure). Fluid intake and pelvic floor tone improved after 6 months, but showed a significant relapse after 2 years (P = 0.013, P = 0.031, respectively). Hoebeke et al. (2011) concluded that results continued to improve after VS. No further improvements could be noticed 2 years after VS, although individual shifts were present. The results of the present study underline the value of long-term follow-up to detect those needing ongoing treatment to prevent relapse. Fluid intake and pelvic floor tone deteriorated from 6 months to 2 years. It could be hypothesized that inadequate fluid intake, possibly leading to decreased voided volumes, may be seen as an indicator for upcoming incontinence relapse. It could be stated that adequate fluid intake and pelvic floor tone may play a role in remaining continent for the long term. Study limitations should be considered. The study population was heterogeneous and rather small. Together with other missing values, this could have influenced the results. Close individual, long-term follow-up after clinical voiding reeducation in children is recommended in order to timely detect and prevent potential relapse. Copyright © 2015 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Early Programming of Uterine Tissue by Bisphenol A: Critical Evaluation of Evidence from Animal Exposure Studies

PubMed Central

Suvorov, Alexander; Waxman, David J.

2015-01-01

Exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA) during the critical window of uterine development has been proposed to program the uterus for increased disease susceptibility based on well-documented effects of the potent xenoestrogen diethylstilbestrol. To investigate this proposal, we reviewed 37 studies of prenatal and/or perinatal BPA exposure in animal models and evaluated evidence for: molecular signatures of early BPA exposure; the development of adverse uterine health effects; and epigenetic changes linked to long-term dysregulation of uterine gene expression and health effects. We found substantial evidence for adult uterine effects of early BPA exposure. In contrast, experimental support for epigenetic actions of early BPA exposure is very limited, and largely consists of effects on Hoxa gene DNA methylation. Critical knowledge gaps were identified, including the need to fully characterize short-term and long-term uterine gene responses, interactions with estrogens and other endogenous hormones, and any long-lasting epigenetic signatures that impact adult disease. PMID:26028543

Maintaining Engagement in Long-term Interventions with Relational Agents

PubMed Central

Bickmore, Timothy; Schulman, Daniel; Yin, Langxuan

2011-01-01

We discuss issues in designing virtual humans for applications which require long-term voluntary use, and the problem of maintaining engagement with users over time. Concepts and theories related to engagement from a variety of disciplines are reviewed. We describe a platform for conducting studies into long-term interactions between humans and virtual agents, and present the results of two longitudinal randomized controlled experiments in which the effect of manipulations of agent behavior on user engagement was assessed. PMID:21318052

Synthesis of published and unpublished corrosion data from long term tests of fasteners embedded in wood : calculation of corrosion rates and the effect of corrosion on lateral joint strength

Treesearch

Samuel L. Zelinka; Douglas R. Rammer

2011-01-01

In the past 5 years, several accelerated test methods have been developed to measure the corrosion of metals in contact with wood. It is desirable to contrast these accelerated results against those of long term exposure tests. While there have been several published long-term exposure tests performed on metals in treated wood, the data from these studies could not be...

The Effect of Temperature on Key Aspects of the Nitrogen Cycle: Comparisons Across Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warren, V.

2016-02-01

The nitrogen cycle sustains life by converting inert di-nitrogen gas (N2) into fixed bio-available forms (e.g. ammonium, nitrate), as well as returning it via gases such as N2 and nitrous oxide (N2O) back into the atmosphere. Recently, the effects of long term warming on key components of the carbon cycle, which is tightly coupled to the nitrogen cycle, have been highlighted but how global warming might systematically affect the balance of the nitrogen cycle is still largely unknown. The effect of long term warming on denitrification and nitrification were investigated using long-term, experimental mesocosm (2006 to present), allowing us to study the effect of warming on natural communities of bacteria involved in these processes. Denitrification activity responded to warming in the short-term in a predictable way, however, long-term moderate warming of 3-5oC (the predicted global increase by the end of the century) increased the specific activity of the sediment and had a pronounced effect on the ratio of N2O to N2. The latter suggesting that with sustained warming, denitrifying bacteria become more efficient at complete denitrification. Molecular analysis of denitrifying communities in our long-term mesocosm experiment also suggested a profound alteration of the communities underlying these differences in process. Similar short-term experiments were carried out on sediments and the water column of the North Eastern Tropical Pacific Oxygen minimum zone (NETP OMZ) including its effect on N2 fixation and here we contrast the findings from those markedly different settings. This research has indicated that we may see similar effects on the nitrogen cycle as we have previously determined in the carbon cycle, with the balance of N-species consumed and created becoming out of balance.

Changes in cerebral [18F]-FDG uptake induced by acute alcohol administration in a rat model of alcoholism.

PubMed

Gispert, Juan D; Figueiras, Francisca P; Vengeliene, Valentina; Herance, José R; Rojas, Santiago; Spanagel, Rainer

2017-06-01

Several [ 18 F]-FDG positron emission tomography (PET) studies in alcoholics have consistently reported decreases in overall brain glucose metabolism at rest and following acute alcohol administration. However, changes in cerebral glucose utilization associated with the transition to addiction are not well understood and require longitudinal translational imaging studies in animal models of alcoholism. Here, we studied brain glucose uptake in alcohol drinking rats in order to provide convergent evidence to what has previously been reported in human studies. Brain glucose metabolism was measured by [ 18 F]-FDG microPET imaging in different male Wistar rat groups: short-term drinking (three months), long-term drinking (twelve months) and alcohol-naïve. Global and regional cerebral glucose uptake was measured at rest and following acute alcohol administration. We showed that alcohol significantly reduced the whole-brain glucose metabolism. This effect was most pronounced in the parietal cortex and cerebellum. Alcohol-induced decreases in brain [ 18 F]-FDG uptake was most apparent in alcohol-naïve rats, less intense in short-term drinkers and absent in long-term drinkers. The latter finding indicates the occurrence of tolerance to the intoxicating effects of alcohol in long-term drinking individuals. In contrast, some regions, like the ventral striatum and entorhinal cortex, showed enhanced metabolic activity, an effect that did not undergo tolerance during long-term alcohol consumption. Our findings are comparable to those described in human studies using the same methodology. We conclude that [ 18 F]-FDG PET studies in rat models of alcoholism provide good translation and can be used for future longitudinal studies investigating alterations in brain function during different stages of the addiction cycle. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Value of Animations in Biology Teaching: A Study of Long-Term Memory Retention

PubMed Central

2007-01-01

Previous work has established that a narrated animation is more effective at communicating a complex biological process (signal transduction) than the equivalent graphic with figure legend. To my knowledge, no study has been done in any subject area on the effectiveness of animations versus graphics in the long-term retention of information, a primary and critical issue in studies of teaching and learning. In this study, involving 393 student responses, three different animations and two graphics—one with and one lacking a legend—were used to determine the long-term retention of information. The results show that students retain more information 21 d after viewing an animation without narration compared with an equivalent graphic whether or not that graphic had a legend. Students' comments provide additional insight into the value of animations in the pedagogical process, and suggestions for future work are proposed. PMID:17785404

The value of animations in biology teaching: a study of long-term memory retention.

PubMed

O'Day, Danton H

2007-01-01

Previous work has established that a narrated animation is more effective at communicating a complex biological process (signal transduction) than the equivalent graphic with figure legend. To my knowledge, no study has been done in any subject area on the effectiveness of animations versus graphics in the long-term retention of information, a primary and critical issue in studies of teaching and learning. In this study, involving 393 student responses, three different animations and two graphics-one with and one lacking a legend-were used to determine the long-term retention of information. The results show that students retain more information 21 d after viewing an animation without narration compared with an equivalent graphic whether or not that graphic had a legend. Students' comments provide additional insight into the value of animations in the pedagogical process, and suggestions for future work are proposed.

An fMRI investigation of the effects of attempted naming on word retrieval in aphasia

PubMed Central

Heath, Shiree; McMahon, Katie L.; Nickels, Lyndsey A.; Angwin, Anthony; MacDonald, Anna D.; van Hees, Sophia; McKinnon, Eril; Johnson, Kori; Copland, David A.

2015-01-01

In healthy controls, picture naming performance can be facilitated by a single prior exposure to the same picture (“priming”). This priming phenomenon is utilized in the treatment of aphasia, which often includes repeated picture naming as part of a therapeutic task. The current study sought to determine whether single and/or multiple exposures facilitate subsequent naming in aphasia and whether such facilitatory effects act through normal priming mechanisms. A functional magnetic resonance imaging paradigm was employed to explore the beneficial effects of attempted naming in two individuals with aphasia and a control group. The timing and number of prior exposures was manipulated, with investigation of both short-term effects (single prior exposure over a period of minutes) and long-term effects (multiple presentations over a period of days). Following attempted naming, both short-term and long-term facilitated items showed improvement for controls, while only the long-term condition showed benefits at a behavioral level for the participants with aphasia. At a neural level, effects of long-term facilitation were noted in the left precuneus for one participant with aphasia, a result also identified for the equivalent contrast in controls. It appears that multiple attempts are required to improve naming performance in the presence of anomia and that for some individuals with aphasia the source of facilitation may be similar to unimpaired mechanisms engaged outside the language network. PMID:26074801

Race, gender, and the response to stress: autoworkers' vulnerability to long-term unemployment.

PubMed

Broman, C L; Hamilton, V L; Hoffman, W S; Mavaddat, R

1995-12-01

A three-wave panel study of auto plant closings focused on the mental health effects of unemployment on blue-collar workers. This paper explores how the impact of long-term unemployment varies across race and gender. We also examine whether other demographic factors can themselves modify the impacts of race and gender. Dependent variables include two measures of distress and two drinking measures. Results showed that the effect of long-term unemployment on distress and drinking was more severe among less educated workers, and responses of blacks were especially sensitive to level of education. In addition, men showed a greater association of long-term unemployment with depression (and to some extent anxiety) than did women. Marriage affected the responses of men but not of women, and of whites but not of blacks. Explanatory variables--the worker's experiences of financial hardship, other negative life events, and lack of a confidant--largely accounted for male-female differences. We conclude by discussing theoretical implications of these effects and address the limitations of the traditional term "vulnerability" in describing them.

Interaction between air pollution exposure and genes in relation to levels of inflammatory markers and risk of myocardial infarction

PubMed Central

Panasevich, Sviatlana; Leander, Karin; Ljungman, Petter; Bellander, Tom; de Faire, Ulf; Pershagen, Göran; Nyberg, Fredrik

2013-01-01

Objectives Air pollution exposure induces cardiovascular effects, possibly via systemic inflammation and coagulation misbalance. Genetic variation may determine individual susceptibility. Our aim was to investigate effect modification by inflammation (Interleukin6 (IL6), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)) and coagulation (fibrinogen Bβ, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1)) gene variants on the effect of long-term or short-term air pollution exposure on both blood marker levels and non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) risk. Design Population-based case–control study with a nested case-crossover study. Gene-environment interactions for short-term and long-term air pollution on blood marker levels were studied in population controls, for long-term exposure on MI risk using case–control design, and for short-term exposure on MI onset using case-crossover design. Setting The Stockholm Heart Epidemiology Programme (SHEEP) conducted in 1992–1994 in Stockholm, Sweden. Spatial modelling was used to assess long-term (up to 30 years retrospectively) air pollution exposure to traffic-NO2 and heating-SO2 emissions at home addresses. Urban background NO2, SO2, PM10 and O3 measurements were used to estimate short-term (up to 5 days) air pollution exposure. Participants 1192 MI cases and 1506 population controls aged 45–70 years. Outcomes The levels of blood markers of inflammation (IL-6, TNF-α) and coagulation (fibrinogen, PAI-1) and MI risk. Results We observed gene–environment interaction for several IL6 and TNF SNPs in relation to inflammation blood marker levels. One-year traffic-NO2 exposure was associated with higher IL-6 levels with each additional IL6-174C allele, and 1-year heating-SO2 exposure with higher levels of TNF-α in TNF-308AA homozygotes versus −308G carriers. Short-term air pollution exposure also interacted with IL6 and TNF in relation to marker levels. The risk of MI followed the effect on blood markers in each genotype group. Conclusions Genetic variants in IL6 and TNF may modify effects of long-term and short-term air pollution exposure on inflammatory marker levels and MI risk. PMID:24056475

With a little help from my assistant: buffering the negative effects of emotional dissonance on dentist performance.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Sánchez, Alma M; Hakanen, Jari J; Perhoniemi, Riku; Salanova, Marisa

2013-10-01

In this study, we hypothesized that dentist' interpersonal resources (good cooperation with one's assistant) together with their personal resources (optimism) buffer the negative effects of emotional dissonance (a demand that occurs when there is a difference between felt and displayed emotions) on job performance (in-role and extra-role performance) over time. We carried out Hierarchical Regression Modeling on a sample of 1954 Finnish dentists who participated in a two-wave 4-year longitudinal study. Results showed that good cooperation with dental assistants buffered the negative effects of emotional dissonance on both in-role and extra-role performance among the dentists in the long term. However, unexpectedly, dentists' high optimism did not buffer their in-role nor extra-role performance over time under conditions of experiencing high emotional dissonance. We conclude that interpersonal job resources such as good cooperation with one's colleagues may buffer the negative effect of emotional dissonance on dentists' job performance even in the long term, whereas the role of personal resources (e.g., optimism) may be less important for maintaining high job performance under conditions of emotional dissonance. The study novelties include the test of the negative effects of emotional dissonance on long-term performance in dentistry and the identification of the job rather than personal resources as the buffers against the negative effects of emotional dissonance on long-term performance. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Long-term follow-up for noninvasive body contouring treatment in Asians.

PubMed

Chang, Shyue-Luen; Huang, Yau-Li; Lee, Mei-Ching; Chang, Chih-Hsiang; Lin, Ying-Fang; Cheng, Chun Yu; Hu, Sindy

2016-02-01

There are versatile modalities to achieve noninvasive fat reduction, and most of them have proven to be effective for circumferential reduction of local fat tissue, without any serious or permanent adverse effects. However, the follow-up time is short, ranging from 1 to 24 weeks. Most of the patients would like to know how long will its effect last and whether there is long-term side effect or not. The aim of this study was to assess the long-term efficacy and safety of combination therapy of focused ultrasound and radio frequency for noninvasive body contouring. Thirty-two Asian subjects received three sequential combination therapies of focused ultrasound and radio-frequency treatments every 2 weeks in the abdominal region and were followed up 1 month and 1 year after the last treatment. After a year, 5 patients were loss follow-up and 2 were pregnant. Finally, 25 healthy Asian subjects (18 females and 7 males) were enrolled in this study. Safety parameters and adverse events were recorded. The mean body weight change remained constant without a significant change 1 year after treatment and was 0.1 ± 1.2 kg (p = 0.513). The mean abdominal circumference change between 1 month and 1 year after the last treatment was 0.4 ± 1.2 cm and was not significant (p = 0.169). The relationships between weight change and circumference change of the 23 patients were tested using Spearman's rho correlation coefficient. There was a correlation between weight change and circumference change (0.73; p = 0.000). The procedure was safe without a recordable long-term adverse event. The combination therapies of nonthermally focused ultrasound and radio-frequency treatments for body contouring in the abdominal region are effective and may show positive results for at least a year if patients can maintain their body weight. The procedure is safe without recordable long-term adverse events in this study.

Effect of Real and Simulated Microgravity on Muscle Function

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

In this session, Session JA3, the discussion focuses on the following topics: Changes in Calf Muscle Performance, Energy Metabolism, and Muscle Volume Caused by Long Term Stay on Space Station MIR; Vibrografic Signs of Autonomous Muscle Tone Studied in Long Term Space Missions; Reduction of Muscle Strength After Long Duration Space Flights is Associated Primarily with Changes in Neuromuscular Function; The Effects of a 115-Day Spaceflight on Neuromuscular Function in Crewman; Effects of 17-Day Spaceflight on Human Triceps Surae Electrically-Evoked Contractions; Effects of Muscle Unloading on EMG Spectral Parameters; and Myofiber Wound-Mediated FGF Release and Muscle Atrophy During Bedrest.

The antihypertensive drug pindolol attenuates long-term but not short-term binge-like ethanol consumption in mice.

PubMed

Patkar, Omkar L; Belmer, Arnauld; Holgate, Joan Y; Tarren, Josephine R; Shariff, Masroor R; Morgan, Michael; Fogarty, Matthew J; Bellingham, Mark C; Bartlett, Selena E; Klenowski, Paul M

2017-05-01

Alcohol dependence is a debilitating disorder with current therapies displaying limited efficacy and/or compliance. Consequently, there is a critical need for improved pharmacotherapeutic strategies to manage alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Previous studies have shown that the development of alcohol dependence involves repeated cycles of binge-like ethanol intake and abstinence. Therefore, we used a model of binge-ethanol consumption (drinking-in-the-dark) in mice to test the effects of compounds known to modify the activity of neurotransmitters implicated in alcohol addiction. From this, we have identified the FDA-approved antihypertensive drug pindolol, as a potential candidate for the management of AUDs. We show that the efficacy of pindolol to reduce ethanol consumption is enhanced following long-term (12 weeks) binge-ethanol intake, compared with short-term (4 weeks) intake. Furthermore, pindolol had no effect on locomotor activity or consumption of the natural reward sucrose. Because pindolol acts as a dual beta-adrenergic antagonist and 5-HT 1A/1B partial agonist, we examined its effect on spontaneous synaptic activity in the basolateral amygdala (BLA), a brain region densely innervated by serotonin and norepinephrine-containing fibres. Pindolol increased spontaneous excitatory post-synaptic current frequency of BLA principal neurons from long-term ethanol-consuming mice but not naïve mice. Additionally, this effect was blocked by the 5-HT 1A/1B receptor antagonist methiothepin, suggesting that altered serotonergic activity in the BLA may contribute to the efficacy of pindolol to reduce ethanol intake following long-term exposure. Although further mechanistic investigations are required, this study demonstrates the potential of pindolol as a new treatment option for AUDs that can be fast-tracked into human clinical studies. © 2016 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Does Controlling for Temporal Parameters Change the Levels-of-Processing Effect in Working Memory?

PubMed Central

Loaiza, Vanessa M.; Camos, Valérie

2016-01-01

The distinguishability between working memory (WM) and long-term memory has been a frequent and long-lasting source of debate in the literature. One recent method of identifying the relationship between the two systems has been to consider the influence of long-term memory effects, such as the levels-of-processing (LoP) effect, in WM. However, the few studies that have examined the LoP effect in WM have shown divergent results. This study examined the LoP effect in WM by considering a theoretically meaningful methodological aspect of the LoP span task. Specifically, we fixed the presentation duration of the processing component a priori because such fixed complex span tasks have shown differences when compared to unfixed tasks in terms of recall from WM as well as the latent structure of WM. After establishing a fixed presentation rate from a pilot study, the LoP span task presented memoranda in red or blue font that were immediately followed by two processing words that matched the memoranda in terms of font color or semantic relatedness. On presentation of the processing words, participants made deep or shallow processing decisions for each of the memoranda before a cue to recall them from WM. Participants also completed delayed recall of the memoranda. Results indicated that LoP affected delayed recall, but not immediate recall from WM. These results suggest that fixing temporal parameters of the LoP span task does not moderate the null LoP effect in WM, and further indicate that WM and long-term episodic memory are dissociable on the basis of LoP effects. PMID:27152126

Does Controlling for Temporal Parameters Change the Levels-of-Processing Effect in Working Memory?

PubMed

Loaiza, Vanessa M; Camos, Valérie

2016-01-01

The distinguishability between working memory (WM) and long-term memory has been a frequent and long-lasting source of debate in the literature. One recent method of identifying the relationship between the two systems has been to consider the influence of long-term memory effects, such as the levels-of-processing (LoP) effect, in WM. However, the few studies that have examined the LoP effect in WM have shown divergent results. This study examined the LoP effect in WM by considering a theoretically meaningful methodological aspect of the LoP span task. Specifically, we fixed the presentation duration of the processing component a priori because such fixed complex span tasks have shown differences when compared to unfixed tasks in terms of recall from WM as well as the latent structure of WM. After establishing a fixed presentation rate from a pilot study, the LoP span task presented memoranda in red or blue font that were immediately followed by two processing words that matched the memoranda in terms of font color or semantic relatedness. On presentation of the processing words, participants made deep or shallow processing decisions for each of the memoranda before a cue to recall them from WM. Participants also completed delayed recall of the memoranda. Results indicated that LoP affected delayed recall, but not immediate recall from WM. These results suggest that fixing temporal parameters of the LoP span task does not moderate the null LoP effect in WM, and further indicate that WM and long-term episodic memory are dissociable on the basis of LoP effects.

Adaptations of the vestibular system to short and long-term exposures to altered gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruce, L. L.

2003-10-01

Long-term space flight creates unique environmental conditions to which the vestibular system must adapt for optimal survival of a given organism. The development and maintenance of vestibular connections are controlled by environmental gravitational stimulation as well as genetically controlled molecular interactions. This paper describes the effects of hypergravity on axonal growth and dendritic morphology, respectively. Two aspects of this vestibular adaptation are examined: (1) How does long-term exposure to hypergravity affect the development of vestibular axons? (2) How does short-term exposure to extremely rapid changes in gravity, such as those that occur during shuttle launch and landing, affect dendrites of the vestibulocerebellar system? To study the effects of longterm exposures to altered gravity, embryonic rats that developed in hypergravity were compared to microgravity-exposed and control rats. Examination of the vestibular projections from epithelia devoted to linear and angular acceleration revealed that the terminal fields segregate differently in rat embryos that gestated in each of the gravitational environments.To study the effects of short-term exposures to altered gravity, mice were exposed briefly to strong vestibular stimuli and the vestibulocerebellum was examined for any resulting morphological changes. My data show that these stimuli cause intense vestibular excitation of cerebellar Purkinje cells, which induce up-regulation of clathrin-mediated endocytosis and other morphological changes that are comparable to those seen in long-term depression. This system provides a basis for studying how the vestibular environment can modify cerebellar function, allowing animals to adapt to new environments.

Interdisciplinarity and Impact: Distinct Effects of Variety, Balance, and Disparity

PubMed Central

Wang, Jian; Thijs, Bart; Glänzel, Wolfgang

2015-01-01

Interdisciplinary research is increasingly recognized as the solution to today’s challenging scientific and societal problems, but the relationship between interdisciplinary research and scientific impact is still unclear. This paper studies the association between the degree of interdisciplinarity and the number of citations at the paper level. Different from previous studies compositing various aspects of interdisciplinarity into a single indicator, we use factor analysis to uncover distinct dimensions of interdisciplinarity corresponding to variety, balance, and disparity. We estimate Poisson models with journal fixed effects and robust standard errors to analyze the divergent relationships between these three factors and citations. We find that long-term (13-year) citations (1) increase at an increasing rate with variety, (2) decrease with balance, and (3) increase at a decreasing rate with disparity. Furthermore, interdisciplinarity also affects the process of citation accumulation: (1) although variety and disparity have positive effects on long-term citations, they have negative effects on short-term (3-year) citations, and (2) although balance has a negative effect on long-term citations, its negative effect is insignificant in the short run. These findings have important implications for interdisciplinary research and science policy. PMID:26001108

Automatic attention towards face or body as a function of mating motivation.

PubMed

Lu, Hui Jing; Chang, Lei

2012-03-22

Because women's faces and bodies carry different cues of reproductive value, men may attend to different perceptual cues as functions of their long-term versus short-term mating motivations. We tested this hypothesis in three experiments on 135 male and 132 female participants. When influenced by short-term rather than long-term mating motivations, men's attention was captured by (Study 1), was shifted to (Study 2), and was distracted by (Study 3) the waist/hip area rather than the face on photographs of attractive women. Similar effects were not found among the female participants in response to photographs of attractive men. These results support the evolutionary view that, similar to the attentional selectivity found in other domains of life, male perceptual attention has evolved to selectively capture and hold reproductive information about the opposite sex as a function of short-term versus long-term mating goals.

Women with Chronic Physical Disabilities: Correlates of Their Long-Term Psychosocial Adaptation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dangoor, Nira; Florian, Victor

1994-01-01

This study examined the effects of demographic factors, disability status, and individual internal resources to the long-term psychosocial adjustment of 88 married women with orthopedic, neurological, and internal chronic diseases. Results suggest that sense of coherence and socioeconomic status, rather than disability status variables, accounted…

LONG TERM RESPONSE OF RATS TO SINGLE INTRATRACHEAL EXPOSURE OF LIBBY AMPHIBOLE (LA) OR AMOSITE

EPA Science Inventory

In former mine workers of Libby, Montana, exposure to amphibole-contaminated vermiculite has been associated with increased incidences of asbestosis and mesothelioma. In this study, we investigated long term effects of Libby amphibole (LA) exposure in a rat model. Rat respirable ...

CHILDHOOD RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS, HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS, AND LONG-TERM EXPOSURE TO AIRBORNE PARTICULATE MATTER

EPA Science Inventory

The effects of long-term exposure to air pollution on respiratory symptoms and respiratory hospitalization (for asthma, bronchitis or pneumonia) were assessed in a cross-sectional study of children (ages 7--11 years, N=667) living in a moderately industrialized city in Central Sl...

The Mediating Role of Insight for Long-Term Improvements in Psychodynamic Therapy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johansson, Paul; Hoglend, Per; Ulberg, Randi; Amlo, Svein; Marble, Alice; Bogwald, Kjell-Petter; Sorbye, Oystein; Sjaastad, Mary Cosgrove; Heyerdahl, Oscar

2010-01-01

Objective: According to psychoanalytic theory, interpretation of transference leads to increased insight that again leads to improved interpersonal functioning over time. In this study, we performed a full mediational analysis to test whether insight gained during treatment mediates the long-term effects of transference interpretation in dynamic…

Patterns of antimicrobial use for respiratory tract infections in older residents of long-term care facilities

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

OBJECTIVE: To describe patterns of antimicrobial use for respiratory tract infections (RTIs) among elderly residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs). DESIGN: Data from a prospective, randomized, controlled study conducted from April 1998 through August 2001 to investigate the effect of vitamin ...

Speaking up and Speaking Out? Long-Term Impact of Critical Multicultural Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flynn, Jill Ewing

2017-01-01

This study explores the long-term effects of critical multicultural pedagogy on seven adolescents. Four years later, participants continued to demonstrate awareness of privilege and racism, yet few were actively engaged in antiracist work. Participants also expressed disillusionment and lamented the lack of productive discussions of critical…

Long-Term Outcomes of Early Reading Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hurry, Jane; Sylva, Kathy

2007-01-01

This study explores the long-term effectiveness of two differing models of early intervention for children with reading difficulties: Reading Recovery and a specific phonological training. Approximately 400 children were pre-tested, 95 were assigned to Reading Recovery, 97 to Phonological Training and the remainder acted as controls. In the short…

Long-term incorporation of manure with chemical fertilizers reduced total nitrogen loss in rain-fed cropping systems

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Improving soil fertility/productivity and reducing environmental impact of nitrogen (N) fertilization in intensive farming systems are essential for sustainable agriculture and food security around the world. The objective of this study was to determine the long-term effects of various fertilization...

Long-term rotation history and previous crop effects on corn seedling health

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Diverse rotations provide benefits to agroecosystems through changes in the soil environment. A long term experiment was established to study four different four-year rotation sequences in which the crop phase prior to corn was sampled. Soils from rotations ending with soybean, sunflower, corn and p...

Impact of long-term tillage and manure application on soil physical properties

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil physical properties play an integral role in maintaining soil quality for sustainable agricultural practices. Agronomic practices such as tillage systems and organic amendments have been shown to influence soil physical properties. Thus, a study was conducted to evaluate effects of long-term ma...

Long-term effects of parental divorce timing on depression: A population-based longitudinal study.

PubMed

Chun, Sung-Youn; Jang, Suk-Yong; Choi, Jae-Woo; Shin, Jaeyong; Park, Eun-Cheol

2016-09-08

We examined the long-term effects of parental divorce timing on depression using longitudinal data from the Korean Welfare Panel Study. Depression symptoms were measured using the 11 items of Center for Epidemiologic Scale for Depression (CES-D-11), and we categorized parental divorce timing into 'early childhood', 'adolescent' and 'none'. Although participants who experienced parental divorce during adolescence exhibited a significantly higher CES-D-11 score (p = .0468), 'early childhood' participants displayed the most increased CES-D-11 score compared to the control group (p = .0007). Conversely, among participants who were unsatisfied with their marriage, those who experienced parental divorce in early childhood showed lower CES-D-11 scores, while 'adolescent period' participants exhibited significantly higher CES-D-11 scores (p = .0131). We concluded that timing of parental divorce exerts substantial yet varied effects on long-term depression symptoms and future marriage satisfaction. © The Author(s) 2016.

Long-term safety and real-world effectiveness of fingolimod in relapsing multiple sclerosis

PubMed Central

Druart, Charlotte; El Sankari, Souraya; van Pesch, Vincent

2018-01-01

With a growing number of disease-modifying therapies becoming available for relapsing multiple sclerosis, there is an important need to gather real-world evidence data regarding long-term treatment effectiveness and safety in unselected patient populations. Although not providing as high a level of evidence as randomized controlled trials, and prone to bias, real-world studies from observational studies or registries nevertheless provide crucial information on real-world outcomes of a given therapy. In addition, evaluation of treatment satisfaction and impact on quality of life are increasingly regarded as complementary outcome measures. Fingolimod was the first oral disease-modifying therapy approved for relapsing multiple sclerosis. This review aims to summarize current knowledge on the long-term effectiveness and safety outcomes of multiple sclerosis patients on fingolimod. Impact on treatment satisfaction and quality of life will be discussed according to available data. PMID:29317850

Early Life Exposure to Fructose and Offspring Phenotype: Implications for Long Term Metabolic Homeostasis

PubMed Central

Sloboda, Deborah M.; Li, Minglan; Patel, Rachna; Clayton, Zoe E.; Yap, Cassandra; Vickers, Mark H.

2014-01-01

The consumption of artificially sweetened processed foods, particularly high in fructose or high fructose corn syrup, has increased significantly in the past few decades. As such, interest into the long term outcomes of consuming high levels of fructose has increased significantly, particularly when the exposure is early in life. Epidemiological and experimental evidence has linked fructose consumption to the metabolic syndrome and associated comorbidities—implicating fructose as a potential factor in the obesity epidemic. Yet, despite the widespread consumption of fructose-containing foods and beverages and the rising incidence of maternal obesity, little attention has been paid to the possible adverse effects of maternal fructose consumption on the developing fetus and long term effects on offspring. In this paper we review studies investigating the effects of fructose intake on metabolic outcomes in both mother and offspring using human and experimental studies. PMID:24864200

Short- and Long-Term Effects of CBT-I in Groups for School-Age Children Suffering From Chronic Insomnia: The KiSS-Program.

PubMed

Schlarb, Angelika A; Bihlmaier, Isabel; Velten-Schurian, Kerstin; Poets, Christian F; Hautzinger, Martin

2018-01-01

This intervention study evaluates the short- and long-term effects of cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) in groups for school-age children and their parents, named the KiSS-program. CBT-I was implemented in three sessions for children and three sessions for parents. All in all, 112 children with chronic childhood insomnia were randomly assigned to a wait-list (WL) control or treatment condition. According to subjective measures as well as objective wrist actigraphy, children in the CBT-I condition reported greater improvements in sleep behavior immediately after the treatment compared to the WL group. Improvements in sleep behavior after CBT-I persisted over the 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up assessments. The present study is the first randomized controlled trial that provides evidence for the long-term effectiveness of CBT-I in treating school-age children with chronic insomnia.

Can ACTH therapy improve the long-term outcome of drug-resistant frontal lobe epilepsy?

PubMed

Gobbi, Giuseppe; Loiacono, Giulia; Boni, Antonella; Marangio, Lucia; Verrotti, Alberto

2014-06-01

Frontal lobe epilepsy is a common focal epilepsy in children and is often difficult to treat. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) or steroids have been used for patients with several forms of medically intractable epilepsy. We evaluated the short, medium, and long-term evolution of patients with frontal lobe epilepsy and secondary bilateral synchrony on the EEG, who received ACTH treatment. Patients were recruited for an add-on trial during clinical practice, and data was retrospectively analysed. The study group comprised 6 patients treated with ACTH. The effects of ACTH were assessed in the short term (at the end of a 6-week period of ACTH treatment), medium term (at 6 months after the end of treatment), and long term (at 12 months after the end of treatment). At short-term follow-up, ACTH treatment was effective for all types of seizures in 5 of 6 patients and ineffective in 1 patient. All patients who were seizure-free at the end of ACTH treatment maintained an excellent outcome, remaining seizure-free at the end of follow-up. Our study demonstrates that ACTH may represent an effective treatment for frontal lobe epilepsy with secondary bilateral synchrony. Further double-blind prospective studies are required to confirm our initial findings.

Specific memory impairment following neonatal encephalopathy in term-born children.

PubMed

van Handel, Mariëlle; de Sonneville, Leo; de Vries, Linda S; Jongmans, Marian J; Swaab, Hanna

2012-01-01

This study examines short-term memory, verbal working memory, episodic long-term memory, and intelligence in 32 children with mild neonatal encephalopathy (NE), 39 children with moderate NE, 10 children with NE who developed cerebral palsy (CP), and 53 comparison children, at the age of 9 to 10 years. in addition to a global effect on intelligence, NE had a specific effect on verbal working memory, verbal and visuo-spatial long-term memory, and learning, which was associated with degree of NE. Although these memory problems occurred in children without CP, they were more pronounced when children had also developed CP.

A Contract-Based Training System for Rural Physicians: Follow-Up of Jichi Medical University Graduates (1978-2006)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matsumoto, Masatoshi; Inoue, Kazuo; Kajii, Eiji

2008-01-01

Context: The number of studies on long-term effects of rural medical education programs is limited. Personal factors that are associated with long-term retention of physicians in rural areas are scarcely known. Purpose: The authors studied the outcomes of Jichi Medical University (JMU), whose mission is to produce rural doctors, and analyzed the…

Moral Emotion Attributions and Personality Traits as Long-Term Predictors of Antisocial Conduct in Early Adulthood: Findings from a 20-Year Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krettenauer, Tobias; Asendorpf, Jens B.; Nunner-Winkler, Gertrud

2013-01-01

The study investigated long-term relations between moral emotion attributions in childhood and adolescence and antisocial conduct in early adulthood while taking into account potentially confounding personality factors. Specifically, onset of prediction, unique and indirect effects of moral emotion attributions were examined. In a longitudinal…

Long-Term Effects of Interparental Violence and Child Physical Maltreatment Experiences on PTSD and Behavior Problems: A National Survey of Taiwanese College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shen, April Chiung-Tao

2009-01-01

Objectives: This study investigated the joint long-term impact of witnessing interparental violence and experiencing child physical maltreatment on young adults' trauma symptoms and behavior problems. It also explored Chinese traditional beliefs as a possible contributor to young adults' trauma and behavior. Methods: This study used self-reporting…

Sexual dimorphism of male face shape, partnership status and the temporal context of relationship sought modulate women's preferences for direct gaze.

PubMed

Conway, Claire A; Jones, Benedict C; DeBruine, Lisa M; Little, Anthony C

2010-02-01

Most previous studies of face preferences have investigated the physical cues that influence face preferences. Far fewer studies have investigated the effects of cues to the direction of others' social interest (i.e. gaze direction) on face preferences. Here we found that unpartnered women demonstrated stronger preferences for direct gaze (indicating social interest) from feminine male faces than from masculine male faces when judging men's attractiveness for long-term relationships, but not when judging men's attractiveness for short-term relationships. Moreover, unpartnered women's preferences for direct gaze from feminine men were stronger for long-term than short-term relationships, but there was no comparable effect for judgements of masculine men. No such effects were evident among women with romantic partners, potentially reflecting different motivations underlying partnered and unpartnered women's judgements of men's attractiveness. Collectively these findings (1) complement previous findings whereby women demonstrated stronger preferences for feminine men as long-term than short-term partners, (2) demonstrate context-sensitivity in the integration of physical and social cues in face preferences, and (3) suggest that gaze preferences may function, at least in part, to facilitate efficient allocation of mating effort.

Safety and Efficacy of Rivastigmine in Adolescents with Down Syndrome: Long-Term Follow-Up

PubMed Central

Spiridigliozzi, Gail A.; Crissman, Blythe G.; McKillop, Jane Anne; Yamamoto, Haru; Kishnani, Priya S.

2010-01-01

Abstract Following the completion of a 20-week, open-label study of the safety and efficacy of liquid rivastigmine for adolescents with Down syndrome, 5 of the 10 adolescents in the clinical trial continued long-term rivastigmine therapy and 5 did not. After an average period of 38 months, all 10 subjects returned for a follow-up assessment to determine the safety and efficacy of long-term rivastigmine use. Rivastigmine was well tolerated and overall health appeared to be unaffected by long-term rivastigmine use. Performance change on cognitive and language measures administered at the termination of the open-label clinical trial was compared between the two groups. No between-group difference in median performance change across the long-term period was found, suggesting that the long-term use of rivastigmine does not improve cognitive and language performance. However, two subjects demonstrated remarkable improvement in adaptive function over the long-term period. Both subjects had received long-term rivastigmine therapy. The discussion addresses the challenge of assessing cognitive change in clinical trials using adolescents with Down syndrome as subjects and the use of group versus individual data to evaluate the relevance of medication effects. PMID:21186971

Long-term Follow-up of Psilocybin-facilitated Smoking Cessation

PubMed Central

Johnson, Matthew W.; Garcia-Romeu, Albert; Griffiths, Roland R.

2017-01-01

Background A recent open-label pilot study (N=15) found that two to three moderate to high doses (20 and 30 mg/70 kg) of the serotonin 2A receptor agonist psilocybin, in combination with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for smoking cessation, resulted in substantially higher 6-month smoking abstinence rates than are typically observed with other medications or CBT alone. Objectives To assess long-term effects of a psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation program at ≥12 months after psilocybin administration. Methods The present report describes biologically verified smoking abstinence outcomes of the previous pilot study at ≥12 months, and related data on subjective effects of psilocybin. Results All 15 participants completed a 12-month follow-up, and 12 (80%) returned for a long-term (≥16 months) follow-up, with a mean interval of 30 months (range = 16 – 57 months) between target-quit date (i.e., first psilocybin session) and long-term follow-up. At 12-month follow-up, 10 participants (67%) were confirmed as smoking abstinent. At long-term follow-up, nine participants (60%) were confirmed as smoking abstinent. At 12-month follow-up 13 participants (86.7%) rated their psilocybin experiences among the 5 most personally meaningful and spiritually significant experiences of their lives. Conclusion These results suggest that in the context of a structured treatment program, psilocybin holds considerable promise in promoting long-term smoking abstinence. The present study adds to recent and historical evidence suggesting high success rates when using classic psychedelics in the treatment of addiction. Further research investigating psilocybin-facilitated treatment of substance use disorders is warranted. PMID:27441452

Long-term follow-up of psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation.

PubMed

Johnson, Matthew W; Garcia-Romeu, Albert; Griffiths, Roland R

2017-01-01

A recent open-label pilot study (N = 15) found that two to three moderate to high doses (20 and 30 mg/70 kg) of the serotonin 2A receptor agonist, psilocybin, in combination with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for smoking cessation, resulted in substantially higher 6-month smoking abstinence rates than are typically observed with other medications or CBT alone. To assess long-term effects of a psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation program at ≥12 months after psilocybin administration. The present report describes biologically verified smoking abstinence outcomes of the previous pilot study at ≥12 months, and related data on subjective effects of psilocybin. All 15 participants completed a 12-month follow-up, and 12 (80%) returned for a long-term (≥16 months) follow-up, with a mean interval of 30 months (range = 16-57 months) between target-quit date (i.e., first psilocybin session) and long-term follow-up. At 12-month follow-up, 10 participants (67%) were confirmed as smoking abstinent. At long-term follow-up, nine participants (60%) were confirmed as smoking abstinent. At 12-month follow-up 13 participants (86.7%) rated their psilocybin experiences among the five most personally meaningful and spiritually significant experiences of their lives. These results suggest that in the context of a structured treatment program, psilocybin holds considerable promise in promoting long-term smoking abstinence. The present study adds to recent and historical evidence suggesting high success rates when using classic psychedelics in the treatment of addiction. Further research investigating psilocybin-facilitated treatment of substance use disorders is warranted.

Long-term treatment of deep-vein thrombosis with low-molecular-weight heparin: an update of the evidence.

PubMed

Hull, Russell D; Townshend, Grace

2013-07-01

This article reviews updated evidence-based knowledge on long-term treatment of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) or vitamin K antagonists (VKAs). Eleven trials were identified comparing the two treatments in a broad spectrum of patients with DVT and with >100 study participants. Four comparative trials were identified in patients with cancer and DVT (in whom anticoagulation treatment is more complex and bleeding complications more frequent). In the 11 trials in broad patient populations, LMWHs were as effective as VKAs in preventing recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE), and there were no consistent differences in the incidence of bleeding complications during long-term treatment. In patients with cancer, VTE recurrence was significantly reduced with LMWH versus VKA in two studies, while major bleeding complications did not differ between groups in any of the four trials. Current evidence-based European and American guidelines recommend LMWH over VKA for the long-term treatment of DVT in patients with cancer. LMWH and VKA are recommended over the new oral anticoagulant drugs, for which there are limited data on use in long-term treatment. Post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS), a common complication of DVT, causes considerable morbidity. Long-term use of tinzaparin reduced the risk of PTS compared with VKA in one trial, and a meta-analysis of nine studies in total demonstrated a consistently favourable effect of LMWHs versus VKA on PTS-related outcomes. Given the limited treatment options available for PTS, this suggests that LMWHs provide a useful therapeutic option in any patient particularly at risk of developing PTS.

Medicare Long-Term CPAP Coverage Policy: A Cost-Utility Analysis

PubMed Central

Billings, Martha E.; Kapur, Vishesh K.

2013-01-01

Study Objectives: CPAP is an effective treatment for OSA that may reduce health care utilization and costs. Medicare currently reimburses the costs of long-term CPAP therapy only if the patient is adherent during a 90-day trial. If not, Medicare requires a repeat polysomnogram (PSG) and another trial which seems empirically not cost-effective. We modeled the cost-effectiveness of current Medicare policy compared to an alternative policy (clinic-only) without the adherence criterion and repeat PSG. Design: Cost-utility and cost-effectiveness analysis. Setting: U.S. Medicare Population. Patients or Participants: N/A. Interventions: N/A. Measurements and Results: We created a decision tree modeling (1) clinic only follow-up vs. (2) current Medicare policy. Costs were assigned based on Medicare reimbursement rates in 2012. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to test our assumptions. We estimated cumulative costs, overall adherence, and QALY gained for a 5-year time horizon from the perspective of Medicare as the payer. Current Medicare policy is more costly than the clinic-only policy but has higher net adherence and improved utility. Current Medicare policy compared to clinic-only policy costs $30,544 more per QALY. Conclusions: Current CMS policy promotes early identification of those more likely to adhere to CPAP therapy by requiring strict adherence standards. The policy effect is to deny coverage to those unlikely to use CPAP long-term and prevent wasted resources. Future studies are needed to measure long-term adherence in an elderly population with and without current adherence requirements to verify the cost-effectiveness of a policy change. Citation: Billings ME; Kapur VK. Medicare long-term CPAP coverage policy: a cost-utility analysis. J Clin Sleep Med 2013;9(10):1023-1029. PMID:24127146

Effectiveness of Psychotherapy in Personality Disorders Not Otherwise Specified: A Comparison of Different Treatment Modalities.

PubMed

Horn, Eva K; Bartak, Anna; Meerman, Anke M M A; Rossum, Bert V; Ziegler, Uli M; Thunnissen, Moniek; Soons, Mirjam; Andrea, Helene; Hamers, Elisabeth F M; Emmelkamp, Paul M G; Stijnen, Theo; Busschbach, Jan J V; Verheul, Roel

2015-01-01

Although personality disorder not otherwise specified (PDNOS) is highly prevalent and associated with a high burden of disease, only a few treatment studies in this patient group exist. This study is the first to investigate the effectiveness of different modalities of psychotherapy in patients with PDNOS, i.e., short-term (up to 6 months) and long-term (more than 6 months) outpatient, day hospital, and inpatient psychotherapy. A total of 205 patients with PDNOS were assigned to one of six treatment modalities. Effectiveness was assessed over 60 months after baseline. The primary outcome measure was symptom severity, and the secondary outcome measures included psychosocial functioning and quality of life. The study design was quasi-experimental, and the multiple propensity score was used to control for initial differences between treatment groups. All treatment modalities showed positive outcomes, especially in terms of improvements of symptom severity and social role functioning. At 12-month follow-up, after adjustment for initial differences between the treatment groups, short-term outpatient psychotherapy and short-term inpatient psychotherapy showed most improvement and generally outperformed the other modalities concerning symptom severity. At 60 months after baseline, effectiveness remained but observed differences between modalities mostly diminished. Patients with PDNOS benefit from psychotherapy both at short-term and long-term follow-up. Short-term outpatient psychotherapy and short-term inpatient psychotherapy seem to be superior to the other treatment modalities at 12-month follow-up. At 60-month follow-up, treatments showed mostly comparable effectiveness. The effectiveness of different modalities of psychotherapy in patients with PDNOS (i.e., short-term vs long-term; outpatient versus day hospital versus inpatient psychotherapy) has not yet been compared. Different modalities of psychotherapy are effective for patients with PDNOS, and positive effects remain after 5 years. In patients with PDNOS short-term (less than 6 months) outpatient psychotherapy and short-term inpatient psychotherapy seem to be superior to the four other treatment modalities at 12-month follow-up. At 60-month follow-up, treatments showed mostly comparable effectiveness. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effects of L-threo-3,4-dihydroxyphenylserine on orthostatic hypotension in hemodialysis patients.

PubMed

Iida, Nobutoshi; Koshikawa, Syozo; Akizawa, Tadao; Tsubakihara, Yoshiharu; Marumo, Fumiaki; Akiba, Takashi; Kawaguchi, Yoshindo; Imada, Akio; Yamazaki, Chikao; Suzuki, Masashi

2002-01-01

Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is a serious complication observed in hemodialysis (HD) patients after HD as well as during the interdialytic period. L-Threo-3,4-dihydroxyphenylserine (L-DOPS) is a nonphysiological neutral amino acid that is directly converted to the neurotransmitter norepinephrine by aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase. A placebo-controlled double-blind study for 4 consecutive weeks and a long-term study (24-52 weeks) were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of L-DOPS for OH after HD. The drug was administered orally 30 min before the start of each HD period in both studies. Doses of 400 mg of L-DOPS or placebo were given to HD patients with OH (45 and 41 patients, respectively) in the double-blind study, and doses of 200 or 400 mg of L-DOPS were given to 74 HD patients in the long-term study. In the double-blind study, L-DOPS significantly ameliorated subjective symptoms related to OH, including dizziness/light-headed feeling, and malaise, throughout the interdialytic period. For 19 patients with delayed-type OH, hypotension with the lowest blood pressure recorded 10 min after standing, the decrease in blood pressure was suppressed significantly after L-DOPS treatment (10 patients) as compared with the placebo-treated group (9 patients). In the long-term study, the efficacy of L-DOPS was not attenuated, and the marked fluctuations in the plasma L-DOPS and norepinephrine levels were not noted after long-term use, without increases in incidence or severity of adverse reactions. These results indicate that L-DOPS is effective for improving OH-related interdialytic subjective symptoms in HD patients after short-term as well as after long-term administration. Copyright 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel

Symptoms Experienced by Long Term Users of Mobil Phones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kucer, Nermin

2007-04-01

In this study was investigated the possible effects of long term usage of mobile phone. The studied symptoms are headache, dizziness, extreme irritation, forgetfulness, neuropsychological discomfort, decrease of the reflex, clicking sound in the ears, and increase in carelessness. This survey study, using questionnaire, was conducted among randomly selected 146 university students in Kocaeli, Turkey. There is no effect on neuropsychological discomfort, increase in carelessness, headache, and clicking sound in the ears, but some statistical evidences are found that mobile phone may cause extreme irritation, decrease of the reflex, dizziness, and forgetfulness.

The evaluation of long-term effects of cinnamon bark and olive leaf on toxicity induced by streptozotocin administration to rats.

PubMed

Onderoglu, S; Sozer, S; Erbil, K M; Ortac, R; Lermioglu, F

1999-11-01

The effects of cinnamon bark and olive leaf have been investigated on streptozotocin-induced tissue injury, and some biochemical and haematological changes in rats. The effects on glycaemia were also evaluated. Long-term administration of olive leaf caused significant improvement in tissue injury induced by streptozotocin treatment; the effect of cinnamon bark was less extent. No effects on blood glucose levels were detected. However, significant decreases in some increased biochemical and haematological parameters of streptozotocin-treated rats were observed. Aspartate aminotransferase, urea and cholesterol levels were significantly decreased by treatment with both plant materials, and alanine aminotransferase by treatment with olive leaf. Cinnamon bark also caused a significant decrease in platelet counts. In addition, any visible toxicity, except decrease in body weight gain, attributable to the long-term use of plant materials was not established in normal rats. The data indicate that long-term use of olive leaf and cinnamon bark may provide benefit against diabetic conditions. Determination of underlying mechanism(s) of beneficial effects, toxicity to other systems and clinical assessments of related plant materials are major topics requiring further studies.

Forest restoration treatments have subtle long-term effects on soil C and N cycling in mixed conifer forests.

PubMed

Ganzlin, Peter W; Gundale, Michael J; Becknell, Rachel E; Cleveland, Cory C

2016-07-01

Decades of fire suppression following extensive timber harvesting have left much of the forest in the intermountain western United States exceedingly dense, and forest restoration techniques (i.e., thinning and prescribed fire) are increasingly being used in an attempt to mitigate the effects of severe wildfire, to enhance tree growth and regeneration, and to stimulate soil nutrient cycling. While many of the short-term effects of forest restoration have been established, the long-term effects on soil biogeochemical and ecosystem processes are largely unknown. We assessed the effects of commonly used forest restoration treatments (thinning, burning, and thinning + burning) on nutrient cycling and other ecosystem processes 11 yr after restoration treatments were implemented in a ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum)/Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca) forest at the Lubrecht Fire and Fire Surrogates Study (FFS) site in western Montana, USA. Despite short-term (<3 yr) increases in soil inorganic nitrogen (N) pools and N cycling rates following prescribed fire, long-term soil N pools and N mineralization rates showed only subtle differences from untreated control plots. Similarly, despite a persistent positive correlation between fuels consumed in prescribed burns and several metrics of N cycling, variability in inorganic N pools decreased significantly since treatments were implemented, indicating a decline in N spatial heterogeneity through time. However, rates of net nitrification remain significantly higher in a thin + burn treatment relative to other treatments. Short-term declines in forest floor carbon (C) pools have persisted in the thin + burn treatment, but there were no significant long-term differences among treatments in extractable soil phosphorus (P). Finally, despite some short-term differences, long-term foliar nutrient concentrations, litter decomposition rates, and rates of free-living N fixation in the experimental plots were not different from control plots, suggesting nutrient cycles and ecosystem processes in temperate coniferous forests are resilient to disturbance following long periods of fire suppression. Overall, this study provides forest managers and policymakers valuable information showing that the effects of these commonly used restoration prescriptions on soil nutrient cycling are ephemeral and that use of repeated treatments (i.e., frequent fire) will be necessary to ensure continued restoration success. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

The Risks of Chronic Corticosteroid Exposure.

PubMed

Money, Sarah

2017-06-01

Questions from patients about pain conditions and analgesic pharmacotherapy and responses from authors are presented to help educate patients and make them more effective self-advocates. This article focuses on the use of corticosteroids to decrease inflammation and treat painful conditions as well as their long-term side effects and risks. Their long-term use can expose the body to side effects and can cause long-term health concerns. It therefore is important to be aware of the risks of long-term corticosteroid use.

Long-term impact of wildfire on soils exposed to different fire severities. A case study in Cadiretes Massif (NE Iberian Peninsula).

PubMed

Francos, Marcos; Úbeda, Xavier; Pereira, Paulo; Alcañiz, Meritxell

2018-02-15

Wildfires affect ecosystems depending on the fire regime. Long-term studies are needed to understand the ecological role played by fire, especially as regards its impact on soils. The aim of this study is to monitor the long-term effects (18years) of a wildfire on soil properties in two areas affected by low and high fire severity regimes. The properties studied were total nitrogen (TN), total carbon (TC), C/N ratio, soil organic matter (SOM) and extractable calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na) and potassium (K). The study was carried out in three phases: short- (immediately after the wildfire), medium- (seven years after the wildfire) and long-term (18years after the wildfire). The results showed that in both fire regimes TN decreased with time, TC and SOM were significantly lower in the burned plots than they were in the control in the medium- and long-terms. C/N ratio was significantly lower at short-term in low wildfire severity area. Extractable Ca and Mg were significantly higher in control plot than in the burned plots in the medium-term. In the long-term, extractable Ca and Mg were significantly lower in the area exposed to a high severity burning. No differences were identified in the case of extractable Na between plots on any of the sampling dates, while extractable K was significantly higher in the plot exposed to low wildfire than it was in the control. Some restoration measures may be required after the wildfire, especially in areas affected by high severity burning, to avoid the long-term impacts on the essential soil nutrients of TC, SOM, extractable Ca and Mg. This long-term nutrient depletion is attributable to vegetation removal, erosion, leaching and post-fire vegetation consumption. Soils clearly need more time to recover from wildfire disturbance, especially in areas affected by high severity fire regimes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Is Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation an Effective Predictor for Invasive Occipital Nerve Stimulation Treatment Success in Fibromyalgia Patients?

PubMed

Plazier, Mark; Tchen, Stephanie; Ost, Jan; Joos, Kathleen; De Ridder, Dirk; Vanneste, Sven

2015-10-01

Fibromyalgia is a disorder distinguished by pervasive musculoskeletal pain that has pervasive effects on affected individuals magnifying the importance of finding a safe and viable treatment option. The goal of this study is to investigate if transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) treatment can predict the outcome of occipital nerve field stimulation (ONFS) via a subcutaneous electrode. Nine patients with fibromyalgia were selected fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology-90 criteria. The patients were implanted with a subcutaneous trial-lead in the C2 dermatome innervated by the occipital nerve. After the treatment phase of ONFS using a C2 implant, each patient participated in three sessions of tDCS. Stimulation outcomes for pain suppression were examined between the two methods to determine possible correlations. Positive correlation of stimulation effect was noted between the numeric rating scale changes for pain obtained by tDCS treatments and short-term measures of ONFS, but no correlation was noted between tDCS and long-term ONFS outcomes. A correlation also was noted between short-term ONS C2 implant pain suppression and long-term ONS C2 implant treatment success. This pilot study suggests that tDCS is a predictive measure for success of OFNS in short-term but cannot be used as a predictive measure for success of long-term OFNS. Our data confirm previous findings that ONFS via an implanted electrode can improve fibromyalgia pain in a placebo-controlled way and exert a long-term pain suppression effect for ONFS via an implanted electrode. © 2015 International Neuromodulation Society.

Long-Acting Phospholipid Gel of Exenatide for Long-Term Therapy of Type II Diabetes.

PubMed

Hu, Mei; Zhang, Yu; Xiang, Nanxi; Zhong, Ying; Gong, Tao; Zhang, Zhi-Rong; Fu, Yao

2016-06-01

This study aimed to develop a sustained-release formulation of exenatide (EXT) for the long-term therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of type II diabetes. In this study, we present an injectable phospholipid gel by mixing biocompatible phospholipid S100, medium chain triglyceride (MCT) with 85% (w/w) ethanol. A systemic pre-formulation study has been carried out to improve the stability of EXT during formulation fabrication. With the optimized formulation, the pharmacokinetic profiles in rats were studied and two diabetic animal models were employed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of EXT phospholipid gel via a single subcutaneous injection versus repeated injections of normal saline and EXT solution. With optimized formulation, sustained release of exenatide in vivo for over three consecutive weeks was observed after one single subcutaneous injection. Moreover, the pharmacodynamic study in two diabetic models justified that the gel formulation displayed a comparable hypoglycemic effect and controlled blood glucose level compared with exenatide solution treated group. EXT-loaded phospholipid gel represents a promising controlled release system for long-term therapy of type II diabetes.

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

Bishop, L.; Hill, W.J.

A method is proposed to estimate the effect of long-term variations in total ozone on the error incurred in determining a trend in total ozone due to man-made effects. When this method is applied to data from Arosa, Switzerland over the years 1932--1980, a component of the standard error of the trend estimate equal to 0.6 percent per decade is obtained. If this estimate of long-term trend variability at Arosa is not too different from global long-term trend variability, then the threshold ( +- 2 standard errors) for detecting an ozone trend in the 1970's that is outside of whatmore » could be expected from natural variation alone and hence be man-made would range from 1.35% (Reinsel et al, 1981) to 1.8%. The latter value is obtained by combining the Reinsel et al result with the result here, assuming that the error variations that both studies measure are independent and additive. Estimates for long-term trend variation over other time periods are also derived. Simulations that measure the precision of the estimate of long-term variability are reported.« less

Long-term effects of bottom trawling on large sponges in the Gulf of Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malecha, Patrick; Heifetz, Jonathan

2017-11-01

Manipulative studies that characterize short-term effects of bottom trawls on seafloor habitats are numerous, but studies that examine long-term effects are rare. The long-term (13 years) effects of a single bottom trawl on large (>20 cm) erect sponges were investigated by revisiting the site of prior experimental trawling studies. In prior studies, large sponges were assessed immediately after trawling and 1 yr post-trawling. Thirteen years post-trawling, the average density of large sponges was 31.7% lower (range 1.5-53.0%) and the incidence of sponge damage (torn, necrotic, missing tissue, prone) was 58.8% higher within strip transects in trawled versus untrawled reference areas. For all sponge species combined, the mean density of large sponges was 3.19 individuals 100 m-2 in trawled areas and 4.67 individuals 100 m-2 in reference areas. The most abundant sponge species in both trawled and reference areas was Rhabdocalyptus dawsoni. Mean density of this species differed greatly between trawled (1.57 individuals 100 m-2) and reference areas (2.91 individuals 100 m-2). Thirteen years after trawling, the mean percentage of damaged sponges on strip transects was 15.3% in trawled areas and 6.3% in reference areas. The rate of damage in trawled areas was less than that observed both immediately after trawling and 1 year later. The persistence of damage (lower sponge densities and higher rates of injury in trawled areas) and the potential resultant changes to benthic communities where deepwater habitat-forming biota, such as large erect sponges, are present provide rationale for cautious management of the long term effects of bottom trawling.

[Cost-effectiveness research in elderly residents in long-term care: prevention is better than cure, but not always cheaper].

PubMed

Achterberg, Wilco P; Gussekloo, Jacobijn; van den Hout, Wilbert B

2015-01-01

Cost-effectiveness research in elderly residents in long-term care facilities is based on general principals of cost-effectiveness research; these have been developed primarily from the perspective of relatively healthy adults in curative medicine. These principals are, however, inadequate when evaluating interventions for the fragile elderly in long-term care, both in terms of the value attached to the health of patients and to the specific decision-making context of the institution. Here we discuss the pitfalls of cost-effectiveness research in long-term care facilities, illustrated by two prevention interventions for prevalent conditions in nursing homes: pressure ulcers and urinary tract infections. These turned out to be effective, but not cost-effective.

Work-Related Demands and Life Satisfaction: The Effects of Engagement and Disengagement among Employed and Long-Term Unemployed People

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korner, Astrid; Reitzle, Matthias; Silbereisen, Rainer K.

2012-01-01

Social change has accentuated various demands in people's work lives including, for instance, fears of being laid off, anticipated or experienced difficulties in finding a new and/or appropriate job or a lack of security in career planning. The present study on N=1751 employed, short-term unemployed, and long-term (greater than 12 months)…

The long arm of community: the influence of childhood community contexts across the early life course.

PubMed

Wickrama, K A S; Noh, Samuel

2010-08-01

This study examines the longitudinal effects of childhood community contexts on young adult outcomes. The study uses a sample of 14,000 adolescents (52% female) derived from the 1990 US Census and the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Addhealth). The study examines whether community and family environments exert separate and/or joint long-term influences on young adult achievement and depression. We found both direct and indirect long-term influences of childhood community adversity on young adult educational attainment. The indirect influences of childhood community adversity operated through family and individual-level factors. The long-term influence of childhood community adversity on young adult depression was only indirect. Overall, community influences on young adult achievement outcomes were mediated by family context and by the adolescents' adjustments and transitions, including adolescent depression, school adjustment, and disruptive transitional events. The moderating effect of childhood community adversity suggests that the protective effects of family resources on young adult outcomes dissipate significantly in extremely adverse neighborhoods. The findings demonstrate the importance of integrating multiple theoretical perspectives for longitudinal research to capture pathways of community influence on adolescent developmental and young adulthood outcomes.

Transarterial onyx embolization of cranial dural arteriovenous fistulas: long-term follow-up.

PubMed

Chandra, R V; Leslie-Mazwi, T M; Mehta, B P; Yoo, A J; Rabinov, J D; Pryor, J C; Hirsch, J A; Nogueira, R G

2014-09-01

Endovascular therapy with liquid embolic agents is a common treatment strategy for cranial dural arteriovenous fistulas. This study evaluated the long-term effectiveness of transarterial Onyx as the single embolic agent for curative embolization of noncavernous cranial dural arteriovenous fistulas. We performed a retrospective review of 40 consecutive patients with 41 cranial dural arteriovenous fistulas treated between March 2006 and June 2012 by using transarterial Onyx embolization with intent to cure. The mean age was 57 years; one-third presented with intracranial hemorrhage. Most (85%) had cortical venous drainage. Once angiographic cure was achieved, long-term treatment effectiveness was assessed with DSA and clinical follow-up. Forty-nine embolization sessions were performed; 85% of cranial dural arteriovenous fistulas were treated in a single session. The immediate angiographic cure rate was 95%. The permanent neurologic complication rate was 2% (mild facial palsy). Thirty-five of the 38 patients with initial cure underwent short-term follow-up DSA (median, 4 months). The short-term recurrence rate was only 6% (2/35). All patients with occlusion at short-term DSA undergoing long-term DSA (median, 28 months) had durable occlusion. No patient with long-term clinical follow-up (total, 117 patient-years; median, 45 months) experienced hemorrhage. Transarterial embolization with Onyx as the single embolic agent results in durable long-term cure of noncavernous cranial dural arteriovenous fistulas. Recurrence rates are low on short-term follow-up, and all patients with angiographic occlusion on short-term DSA follow-up have experienced a durable long-term cure. Thus, angiographic cure should be defined at short-term follow-up angiography instead of at the end of the final embolization session. Finally, long-term DSA follow-up may not be necessary if occlusion is demonstrated on short-term angiographic follow-up. © 2014 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

A meta-analysis of smoking cessation interventions with individuals in substance abuse treatment or recovery.

PubMed

Prochaska, Judith J; Delucchi, Kevin; Hall, Sharon M

2004-12-01

This meta-analysis examined outcomes of smoking cessation interventions evaluated in 19 randomized controlled trials with individuals in current addictions treatment or recovery. Smoking and substance use outcomes at posttreatment and long-term follow-up (> or = 6 months) were summarized with random effects models. Intervention effects for smoking cessation were significant at posttreatment and comparable for participants in addictions treatment and recovery; however, intervention effects for smoking cessation were nonsignificant at long-term follow-up. Smoking cessation interventions provided during addictions treatment were associated with a 25% increased likelihood of long-term abstinence from alcohol and illicit drugs. Short-term smoking cessation effects look promising, but innovative strategies are needed for long-term cessation. Contrary to previous concerns, smoking cessation interventions during addictions treatment appeared to enhance rather than compromise long-term sobriety. Copyright 2004 APA.

Long term weight maintenance after advice to consume low carbohydrate, higher protein diets--a systematic review and meta analysis.

PubMed

Clifton, P M; Condo, D; Keogh, J B

2014-03-01

Meta analysis of short term trials indicates that a higher protein, lower carbohydrate weight loss diet enhances fat mass loss and limits lean mass loss compared with a normal protein weight loss diet. Whether this benefit persists long term is not clear. We selected weight loss studies in adults with at least a 12 month follow up in which a higher percentage protein/lower carbohydrate diet was either planned or would be expected for either weight loss or weight maintenance. Studies were selected regardless of the success of the advice but difference in absolute and percentage protein intake at 12 months was used as a moderator in the analysis. Data was analysed using Comprehensive Meta analysis V2 using a random effects analysis. As many as 32 studies with 3492 individuals were analysed with data on fat and lean mass, glucose and insulin from 18 to 22 studies and lipids from 28 studies. A recommendation to consume a lower carbohydrate, higher protein diet in mostly short term intensive interventions with long term follow up was associated with better weight and fat loss but the effect size was small-standardised means of 0.14 and 0.22, p = 0.008 and p < 0.001 respectively (equivalent to 0.4 kg for both). A difference of 5% or greater in percentage protein between diets at 12 mo was associated with a 3 fold greater effect size compared with <5% (p = 0.038) in fat mass (0.9 vs. 0.3 kg). Fasting triglyceride and insulin were also lower with high protein diets with effect sizes of 0.17 and 0.22, p = 0.003 and p = 0.042 respectively. Other lipids and glucose were not different. The short term benefit of higher protein diets appears to persist to a small degree long term. Benefits are greater with better compliance to the diet. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enhancing Quality of Life of Families Who Use Adult Day Services: Short- and Long-Term Effects of the Adult Day Services Plus Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gitlin, Laura N.; Reever, Karen; Dennis, Marie P.; Mathieu, Esther; Hauck, Walter W.

2006-01-01

Purpose: This study examined the short- and long-term effects of Adult Day Services Plus (ADS Plus), a low-cost care management intervention designed to enhance family caregiver well-being, increase service utilization, and decrease nursing home placement of impaired older adults enrolled in adult day care. Design and Methods: We used a…

Cost-Effectiveness of a Long-Term Internet-Delivered Worksite Health Promotion Programme on Physical Activity and Nutrition: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robroek, Suzan J. W.; Polinder, Suzanne; Bredt, Folef J.; Burdorf, Alex

2012-01-01

This study aims to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a long-term workplace health promotion programme on physical activity (PA) and nutrition. In total, 924 participants enrolled in a 2-year cluster randomized controlled trial, with departments (n = 74) within companies (n = 6) as the unit of randomization. The intervention was compared with a…

Endocrine and metabolic effects of consuming beverages sweetened with fructose, glucose, sucrose, or high-fructose corn syrup.

PubMed

Stanhope, Kimber L; Havel, Peter J

2008-12-01

Our laboratory has investigated 2 hypotheses regarding the effects of fructose consumption: 1) the endocrine effects of fructose consumption favor a positive energy balance, and 2) fructose consumption promotes the development of an atherogenic lipid profile. In previous short- and long-term studies, we showed that consumption of fructose-sweetened beverages with 3 meals results in lower 24-h plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin, and leptin in humans than does consumption of glucose-sweetened beverages. We have also tested whether prolonged consumption of high-fructose diets leads to increased caloric intake or decreased energy expenditure, thereby contributing to weight gain and obesity. Results from a study conducted in rhesus monkeys produced equivocal results. Carefully controlled and adequately powered long-term studies are needed to address these hypotheses. In both short- and long-term studies, we showed that consumption of fructose-sweetened beverages substantially increases postprandial triacylglycerol concentrations compared with glucose-sweetened beverages. In the long-term studies, apolipoprotein B concentrations were also increased in subjects consuming fructose, but not in those consuming glucose. Data from a short-term study comparing consumption of beverages sweetened with fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, and sucrose suggest that high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose increase postprandial triacylglycerol to an extent comparable with that induced by 100% fructose alone. Increased consumption of fructose-sweetened beverages along with increased prevalence of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes underscore the importance of investigating the metabolic consequences of fructose consumption in carefully controlled experiments.

Long-term mesocosms study of the effects of ocean acidification on growth and physiology of the sea urchin Echinometra mathaei.

PubMed

Moulin, Laure; Grosjean, Philippe; Leblud, Julien; Batigny, Antoine; Collard, Marie; Dubois, Philippe

2015-02-01

Recent research on the impact of ocean acidification (OA) has highlighted that it is important to conduct long-term experiments including ecosystem interactions in order to better predict the possible effects of elevated pCO2. The goal of the present study was to assess the long-term impact of OA on a suite of physiological parameters of the sea urchin Echinometra mathaei in more realistic food conditions. A long-term experiment was conducted in mesocosms provided with an artificial reef in which the urchins principally fed on algae attached to the reef calcareous substrate. Contrasted pH conditions (pH 7.7 vs control) were established gradually over six months and then maintained for seven more months. Acid-base parameters of the coelomic fluid, growth and respiration rate were monitored throughout the experiment. Results indicate that E. mathaei should be able to regulate its extracellular pH at long-term, through bicarbonate compensation. We suggest that, within sea urchins species, the ability to accumulate bicarbonates is related to their phylogeny but also on the quantity and quality of available food. Growth, respiration rate and mechanical properties of the test were not affected. This ability to resist OA levels expected for 2100 at long-term could determine the future of coral reefs, particularly reefs where E. mathaei is the major bioeroder. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consortium for Accelerated Pine Production Studies (CAPPS): Long-term Trends in Loblolly Pine Stand Productivity and Characteristics In Georgia

Treesearch

B.E. Borders; Rodney E. Will; R. L. Hendrick; D. Markewitz; T. Harrington; R. O. Teskey; A. Clark

2002-01-01

Beginning in 1987, a series of long-term study plots were installed to determine the effects of annual nitrogen fertilization and complete control of competing vegetation on loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) stand growth and development. The study had two locations, one at the Dixon State Forest (DSF) near Waycross, GA on the lower coastal plain and...

Short- and long-term effects of synchronized metronome training in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy: a two case study.

PubMed

Johansson, Anna-Maria; Domellöf, Erik; Rönnqvist, Louise

2012-01-01

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) require individualized long-term management to maintain and improve motor functions. The objective of this study was to explore potential effects of synchronized metronome training (SMT) on movement kinematics in two children diagnosed with spastic hemiplegic CP (HCP). Both children underwent 4-weeks/12 sessions of SMT by means of the Interactive Metronome (IM). Optoelectronic registrations of goal-directed uni- and bimanual upper-limb movements were made at three occasions; pre-training, post completed training and at 6-months post completed training. Significant changes in kinematic outcomes following IM training were found for both cases. Findings included smoother and shorter movement trajectories in the bimanual condition, especially for the affected side. In the unimanual condition, Case I also showed increased smoothness of the non-affected side. The observed short- and long-term effects on the spatio-temporal organization of upper-limb movements need to be corroborated and extended by further case-control studies.

The effects of gender, long-term need for recovery and trait inhibition-rumination on morning and evening saliva cortisol secretion.

PubMed

Rydstedt, Leif W; Cropley, Mark; Devereux, Jason J; Michalianou, Georgia

2009-07-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term effects of need for recovery from work and trait rumination on saliva cortisol secretion. The sample consisted of 76 white-collar workers, 52 men and 24 women who had previously provided baseline data four years earlier and volunteered to participate in the present study. In the present study, saliva cortisol secretion was measured over seven consecutive days, on awakening, and at 10 p.m. No relationships were found between the independent variables and morning saliva cortisol levels. High trait rumination at baseline, however, was significantly related to higher evening cortisol levels for both women and men. Baseline need for recovery from work was strongly related to evening cortisol secretion for women, but in the opposite direction than expected. The present results add to the small but equivocal body of literature that has examined the long-term effects of work strain on cortisol secretion.

Short- and Long-Term Consequences of Adolescent Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mihalic, Sharon Wofford; Elliott, Delbert

1997-01-01

Examines the short- and long-term consequences of working during adolescence. Responses from 1,725 adolescents reveal that the negative short-term effects are in the domains of school, family and friend bonding, beliefs, and substance use. The long-term beneficial effect is that the duration of early work helps employability in adulthood. (GR)

Reorganization increases long-term sickness absence at all levels of hospital staff: panel data analysis of employees of Norwegian public hospitals.

PubMed

Ingelsrud, Mari H

2014-09-19

The Norwegian specialist health service has undergone many processes of reorganization during the last three decades. Changes are mainly initiated to increase the efficiency and quality of health care serving an ageing population under the condition of a diminishing labour supply. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of reorganization on long-term sickness absence among different levels of hospital staff. The study draws on panel data on employees of Norwegian public hospitals in 2005 and 2007 (N = 106,715). National register data on individual employees' days of medically certified long-term (>16 days) sickness absence were linked with survey measures of actual reorganization executed at each hospital in each year. The surveys, answered by hospital administration staff, measured five types of reorganization: merging units, splitting up units, creating new units, shutting down units and reallocation of employees. The variation in sickness absence days was analysed using random and fixed effects Poisson regression with level of reorganization as the main explanatory variable. The fixed effects analysis shows that increasing the degree of organizational change at a hospital from a low to a moderate or high degree leads to an increase in the number of days of long-term sickness absence of respectively 9% (95% CI: 1.03-1.15) and 8% (95% CI: 1.02-1.15). There are few significant differences between employees in different education categories. Only physicians have a significantly higher relative increase in days of long-term sickness absence than the control group with lower tertiary education. Increased long-term sickness absence is a risk following reorganization. This risk affects all levels of hospital staff.

The temporal structure of intergenerational exchange: a within-family analysis of parent-child reciprocity.

PubMed

Leopold, Thomas; Raab, Marcel

2013-08-01

Previous studies of parent-child reciprocity have focused either on the long term (generalized exchange over the life course) or on the short term (concurrent exchange in later life). The purpose of this research was to investigate the linkage between both temporal patterns of reciprocity within an integrative conceptual framework. We assessed whether long-term and short-term reciprocity operated as interdependent mechanisms that initially selected and subsequently relieved intergenerational caregiving relationships. We used data from the Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old study (AHEAD) provided by frail, single-living parents of at least two children (N=1010 respondents comprising 3768 parent-child dyads). Fixed-effects conditional logit models estimated between-sibling differences in assistance provided to parents, measured by instrumental help (i.e., assistance with IADLs) and hands-on care (i.e., assistance with ADLs). Key predictors were two measures of financial transfers given to children referring to longer and shorter recall periods. Receiving earlier and current financial transfers increased adult children's propensity to support their parents in later life. The effect of earlier transfers pertained to help rather than care whereas the reverse was true for the effect of current transfers. We found no evidence for a linkage between long-term and short-term reciprocity. Overall, the results indicate that adult children might balance long-term support accounts relative to their siblings, suggesting an intra-generational orientation on equity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

EMR continuance usage intention of healthcare professionals.

PubMed

Sayyah Gilani, Mina; Iranmanesh, Mohammad; Nikbin, Davoud; Zailani, Suhaiza

2017-03-01

Electronic medical records (EMRs) have been proven to be effective tools for improving the safety and quality of healthcare despite their relatively low usage rate in hospitals. The long-term development by EMRs depends on the continued use of healthcare professionals. In this study, technology continuance theory (TCT) was used to evaluate the short-term and long-term continuance acceptance of EMRs among healthcare professionals. Data were gathered by surveying 195 medical professionals in Iran. The data were analyzed using the partial least squares (PLS) technique. The analysis showed that the TCT provided a deep understanding of user continuance intention toward EMRs. In addition, the findings illustrated that the determinants of continuance intention vary between short-term and long-term users. The theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed.

Enhancement of cancer stem-like and epithelial−mesenchymal transdifferentiation property in oral epithelial cells with long-term nicotine exposure: Reversal by targeting SNAIL

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

Yu, Cheng-Chia; School of Dentistry, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Dentistry, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan

Cigarette smoking is one of the major risk factors in the development and further progression of tumorigenesis, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Recent studies suggest that interplay cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) and epithelial−mesenchymal transdifferentiation (EMT) properties are responsible for the tumor maintenance and metastasis in OSCC. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of long-term exposure with nicotine, a major component in cigarette, on CSCs and EMT characteristics. The possible reversal regulators were further explored in nicotine-induced CSCs and EMT properties in human oral epithelial (OE) cells. Long-term exposure with nicotine was demonstrated to up-regulatemore » ALDH1 population in normal gingival and primary OSCC OE cells dose-dependently. Moreover, long-term nicotine treatment was found to enhance the self-renewal sphere-forming ability and stemness gene signatures expression and EMT regulators in OE cells. The migration/cell invasiveness/anchorage independent growth and in vivo tumor growth by nude mice xenotransplantation assay was enhanced in long-term nicotine-stimulated OE cells. Knockdown of Snail in long-term nicotine-treated OE cells was found to reduce their CSCs properties. Therapeutic delivery of Si-Snail significantly blocked the xenograft tumorigenesis of long-term nicotine-treated OSCC cells and largely significantly improved the recipient survival. The present study demonstrated that the enrichment of CSCs coupled EMT property in oral epithelial cells induced by nicotine is critical for the development of OSCC tumorigenesis. Targeting Snail might offer a new strategy for the treatment of OSCC patients with smoking habit. -- Highlights: ► Sustained nicotine treatment induced CSCs properties of oral epithelial cells. ► Long-term nicotine treatment enhance EMT properties of oral epithelial cells. ► Long-term nicotine exposure increased tumorigenicity of oral epithelial cells. ► Si-Snail blocked xenograft tumorigenesis of long-term nicotine-treated OSCC cells.« less

Long-Term Pharmacotherapy of Adults With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Literature Review and Clinical Study.

PubMed

Fredriksen, Mats; Peleikis, Dawn E

2016-01-01

This MiniReview reports and discusses the main findings of the author's thesis including a literature study of long-term pharmacological treatment of adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and a clinical study of 1-year medication. Electronic databases were systematically reviewed for original studies on pharmacotherapy of the defined duration, 24 weeks or more. Although few trials were found with limitations such as excluding comorbidities, treatment with stimulants and atomoxetine was reported tolerated and effective compared to non-treatment. The clinical study of the thesis was conducted on 250 medication-naïve patients with ADHD referred to a specialized outpatient clinic. Comorbid psychiatric disorders were diagnosed among 75% of the patients. About 56% had not completed secondary school, and 51% had been unable to work the preceding year. Persisting inattentive symptoms and comorbid mental disorders in adulthood were related to long-term work disability. In the prospective observational study of the thesis, patients were treated with methylphenidate as first-line drug and atomoxetine or dexamphetamine as second-line drugs, according to current treatment guidelines. At 12-month follow-up, 232 patients completed evaluation and 70% persisted on medication. About 80% of these used methylphenidate. Sustained improvement of symptoms and functioning was related to continued medication. Comorbid mental disorders and side effects were related to lower effectiveness and adherence, and 12% stopped medication due to side effects. Summing up the MiniReview, treatment with stimulants and atomoxetine of adults with ADHD has long-term beneficial effects and is tolerated but more longitudinal studies should be performed. With stated limitations, the findings of the thesis should contribute to a relevant guidance for clinical practice. © 2015 Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society).

A review of evidence-based early intervention for behavioural problems in children with autism spectrum disorder: the core components of effective programs, child-focused interventions and comprehensive treatment models.

PubMed

Tonge, Bruce J; Bull, Kerry; Brereton, Avril; Wilson, Rebecca

2014-03-01

This article reviews recent evidence and other earlier relevant articles regarding early intervention studies for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There is a well-established body of empirical evidence for the effectiveness of Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention (EIBI) with young children with ASD. The importance of parent skills training, education and positive behaviour support is also a key factor in influencing outcomes. Drug treatment is of short-term benefit for disruptive behaviour but long-term outcome and metabolic side-effects have not been studied. Few studies have measured the long-term value and effectiveness of early intervention treatments, and currently there are no articles published on effects into adulthood of such treatments. Such research would indicate whether early intervention results in reduced reliance on health services into adulthood.

Temporal Consequences, Message Framing, and Consideration of Future Consequences: Persuasion Effects on Adult Fruit Intake Intention and Resolve.

PubMed

de Bruijn, Gert-Jan; Budding, Jeen

2016-08-01

Message framing is a persuasive strategy that has seen mixed evidence for promoting fruit intake intentions, potentially because framed messages for fruit intake have not (a) explicitly compared short-term consequences versus long-term consequences, (b) considered individual-level differences in time perspective, and (c) used alternative measures of fruit intake intentions. In the present online study, the effects of persuasive messages created from temporal context (short term vs. long term) and message frame (gain framed vs. loss framed) were investigated on fruit intake intentions and resolve among a sample of Dutch adults who were categorized as either present oriented or future oriented. For intention and resolve, results showed a significant Type of Frame × Type of Temporal Context interaction, such that gain-framed messages were more persuasive when combined with long-term consequences and loss-framed messages were more persuasive when combined with short-term consequences. The effect sizes for these differences were similar for resolve and intention, but only differences for intentions were significant. No other effects were found. These results demonstrate that message framing theory may usefully consider the inclusion of temporal context of outcomes and alternative motivation measures to maximize their persuasive effects.

Medical and Social Determinants of Subsequent Labour Market Marginalization in Young Hospitalized Suicide Attempters.

PubMed

Niederkrotenthaler, Thomas; Tinghög, Petter; Goldman-Mellor, Sidra; Wilcox, Holly C; Gould, Madelyn; Mittendorfer-Rutz, Ellenor

2016-01-01

Individuals with a history of suicide attempt have a high risk for subsequent labour market marginalization. This study aimed at assessing the effect of individual and parental factors on different measures of marginalization. Prospective cohort study based on register linkage of 5 649 individuals who in 1994 were 16-30 years old, lived in Sweden and were treated in inpatient care for suicide attempt during 1992-1994. Hazard ratios (HRs) for labour market marginalization defined as long-term unemployment (>180 days), sickness absence (>90 days), or disability pension in 1995-2010 were calculated with Cox regression. Medical risk factors, particularly any earlier diagnosed specific mental disorders (e.g., schizophrenia: HR 5.4 (95% CI: 4.2, 7.0), personality disorders: HR 3.9, 95% CI: 3.1, 4.9), repetitive suicide attempts (HR 1.6, 95% CI: 1.4, 1.9) were associated with a higher relative risk of disability pension. Individual medical factors were of smaller importance for long-term sickness absence, and of only marginal relevance to long-term unemployment. Country of birth outside Europe had an opposite effect on disability pension (HR 0.6, 95% CI: 0.4, 0.8) and long-term unemployment (HR 1.5, 95% CI: 1.3, 1.8). Female sex was positively correlated with long-term sickness absence (HR 1.6, 95% CI: 1.4, 1.7), and negatively associated with long-term unemployment (HR: 0.8, 95% CI: 0.7, 0.9). As compared to disability pension, long-term sickness absence and unemployment was more strongly related to socio-economic variables. Marginalization pathways seemed to vary with migration status and sex. These findings may contribute to the development of intervention strategies which take the individual risk for marginalization into account.

Genetic Drift, Not Life History or RNAi, Determine Long-Term Evolution of Transposable Elements

PubMed Central

Szitenberg, Amir; Cha, Soyeon; Opperman, Charles H.; Bird, David M.; Blaxter, Mark L.; Lunt, David H.

2016-01-01

Abstract Transposable elements (TEs) are a major source of genome variation across the branches of life. Although TEs may play an adaptive role in their host’s genome, they are more often deleterious, and purifying selection is an important factor controlling their genomic loads. In contrast, life history, mating system, GC content, and RNAi pathways have been suggested to account for the disparity of TE loads in different species. Previous studies of fungal, plant, and animal genomes have reported conflicting results regarding the direction in which these genomic features drive TE evolution. Many of these studies have had limited power, however, because they studied taxonomically narrow systems, comparing only a limited number of phylogenetically independent contrasts, and did not address long-term effects on TE evolution. Here, we test the long-term determinants of TE evolution by comparing 42 nematode genomes spanning over 500 million years of diversification. This analysis includes numerous transitions between life history states, and RNAi pathways, and evaluates if these forces are sufficiently persistent to affect the long-term evolution of TE loads in eukaryotic genomes. Although we demonstrate statistical power to detect selection, we find no evidence that variation in these factors influence genomic TE loads across extended periods of time. In contrast, the effects of genetic drift appear to persist and control TE variation among species. We suggest that variation in the tested factors are largely inconsequential to the large differences in TE content observed between genomes, and only by these large-scale comparisons can we distinguish long-term and persistent effects from transient or random changes. PMID:27566762

Long-term effects of interference on short-term memory performance in the rat

PubMed Central

Missaire, Mégane; Fraize, Nicolas; Joseph, Mickaël Antoine; Hamieh, Al Mahdy; Parmentier, Régis; Marighetto, Aline; Salin, Paul Antoine; Malleret, Gaël

2017-01-01

A distinction has always been made between long-term and short-term memory (also now called working memory, WM). The obvious difference between these two kinds of memory concerns the duration of information storage: information is supposedly transiently stored in WM while it is considered durably consolidated into long-term memory. It is well acknowledged that the content of WM is erased and reset after a short time, to prevent irrelevant information from proactively interfering with newly stored information. In the present study, we used typical WM radial maze tasks to question the brief lifespan of spatial WM content in rodents. Groups of rats were submitted to one of two different WM tasks in a radial maze: a WM task involving the repetitive presentation of a same pair of arms expected to induce a high level of proactive interference (PI) (HIWM task), or a task using a different pair in each trial expected to induce a low level of PI (LIWM task). Performance was effectively lower in the HIWM group than in LIWM in the final trial of each training session, indicative of a “within-session/short-term” PI effect. However, we also observed a different “between-session/long-term” PI effect between the two groups: while performance of LIWM trained rats remained stable over days, the performance of HIWM rats dropped after 10 days of training, and this impairment was visible from the very first trial of the day, hence not attributable to within-session PI. We also showed that a 24 hour-gap across training sessions known to allow consolidation processes to unfold, was a necessary and sufficient condition for the long-term PI effect to occur. These findings suggest that in the HIWM task, WM content was not entirely reset between training sessions and that, in specific conditions, WM content can outlast its purpose by being stored more permanently, generating a long-term deleterious effect of PI. The alternative explanation is that WM content could be transferred and stored more permanently in an intermediary form or memory between WM and long-term memory. PMID:28288205

An expectancy-value theory approach to the long-term modification of smoking behavior.

PubMed

Rogers, R W; Deckner, C W; Mewborn, C R

1978-04-01

Despite the research interest in modifying smoking behavior, therapeutic treatments that can produce long-term cessation have not been demonstrated rigorously. A follow-up study of two attitude change experiments (N = 173) examined the effects of a fear appeal, that is, increasing smokers' awareness and appreciation of the highly noxious consequences of smoking. Although this familiar type of information may be an integral component of many smoking treatment programs, its long-term suppressive effect has not been demonstrated in well-controlled experiments. The results disclosed that 3 months and also 1 year after treatment, a high-fear manipulation had increased significantly the percentage of smokers who were able to stop smoking completely.

Effects of perceptual body image distortion and early weight gain on long-term outcome of adolescent anorexia nervosa.

PubMed

Boehm, Ilka; Finke, Beatrice; Tam, Friederike I; Fittig, Eike; Scholz, Michael; Gantchev, Krassimir; Roessner, Veit; Ehrlich, Stefan

2016-12-01

Anorexia nervosa (AN), a severe mental disorder with an onset during adolescence, has been found to be difficult to treat. Identifying variables that predict long-term outcome may help to develop better treatment strategies. Since body image distortion and weight gain are central elements of diagnosis and treatment of AN, the current study investigated perceptual body image distortion, defined as the accuracy of evaluating one's own perceived body size in relation to the actual body size, as well as total and early weight gain during inpatient treatment as predictors for long-term outcome in a sample of 76 female adolescent AN patients. Long-term outcome was defined by physical, psychological and psychosocial adjustment using the Morgan-Russell outcome assessment schedule as well as by the mere physical outcome consisting of menses and/or BMI approximately 3 years after treatment. Perceptual body image distortion and early weight gain predicted long-term outcome (explained variance 13.3 %), but not the physical outcome alone. This study provides first evidence for an association of perceptual body image distortion with long-term outcome of adolescent anorexia nervosa and underlines the importance of sufficient early weight gain.

Acute Sleep Deprivation Blocks Short- and Long-Term Operant Memory in Aplysia

PubMed Central

Krishnan, Harini C.; Gandour, Catherine E.; Ramos, Joshua L.; Wrinkle, Mariah C.; Sanchez-Pacheco, Joseph J.; Lyons, Lisa C.

2016-01-01

Study Objectives: Insufficient sleep in individuals appears increasingly common due to the demands of modern work schedules and technology use. Consequently, there is a growing need to understand the interactions between sleep deprivation and memory. The current study determined the effects of acute sleep deprivation on short and long-term associative memory using the marine mollusk Aplysia californica, a relatively simple model system well known for studies of learning and memory. Methods: Aplysia were sleep deprived for 9 hours using context changes and tactile stimulation either prior to or after training for the operant learning paradigm, learning that food is inedible (LFI). The effects of sleep deprivation on short-term (STM) and long-term memory (LTM) were assessed. Results: Acute sleep deprivation prior to LFI training impaired the induction of STM and LTM with persistent effects lasting at least 24 h. Sleep deprivation immediately after training blocked the consolidation of LTM. However, sleep deprivation following the period of molecular consolidation did not affect memory recall. Memory impairments were independent of handling-induced stress, as daytime handled control animals demonstrated no memory deficits. Additional training immediately after sleep deprivation failed to rescue the induction of memory, but additional training alleviated the persistent impairment in memory induction when training occurred 24 h following sleep deprivation. Conclusions: Acute sleep deprivation inhibited the induction and consolidation, but not the recall of memory. These behavioral studies establish Aplysia as an effective model system for studying the interactions between sleep and memory formation. Citation: Krishnan HC, Gandour CE, Ramos JL, Wrinkle MC, Sanchez-Pacheco JJ, Lyons LC. Acute sleep deprivation blocks short- and long-term operant memory in Aplysia. SLEEP 2016;39(12):2161–2171. PMID:27748243

Cognitive effects of pregabalin in the treatment of long-term benzodiazepine-use and dependence.

PubMed

Oulis, Panagiotis; Kalogerakou, Stamatina; Anyfandi, Eleni; Konstantakopoulos, George; Papakosta, Vassiliki-Maria; Masdrakis, Vasilios; Tsaltas, Eleftheria

2014-05-01

Long-term benzodiazepine (BDZ) use and dependence affect cognitive functioning adversely and partly irreversibly. Emerging evidence suggests that pregabalin (PGB) might be a safe and efficacious treatment of long-term BDZ use. The aim of the present study was to investigate the changes in several core cognitive functions after successful treatment of long-term BDZ use and dependence with PGB. Fourteen patients with long-term BDZ use (mean duration >15 years) underwent neuropsychological assessment with the mini-mental state examination and four tests from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) battery before the initiation of PGB treatment and at a two months follow-up after the cessation of BDZs. Patients' CANTAB percentile score distributions were compared with normative CANTAB data. Patients improved on cognitive measures of global cognitive functioning, time orientation, psychomotor speed, and visuospatial memory and learning with strong effect sizes. By contrast, they failed to improve on measures of attentional flexibility. Despite their significant improvement, patients' scores on most tests remained still at the lower percentiles of CANTAB normative scores. Although preliminary, our findings suggest that successful treatment of long-term BDZ use with PGB is associated with a substantial, though only partial, recovery of BDZ-compromised neuropsychological functioning, at least at a 2-month follow-up. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The effects of a secondary-treated bleached kraft mill effluent on aquatic organisms as assessed by short-term and long-term laboratory tests.

PubMed

Kovacs, T G; Gibbons, J S; Tremblay, L A; O'Connor, B I; Martel, P H; Voss, R H

1995-06-01

The chronic effects of secondary-treated effluent from a bleached kraft mill were assessed by means of long-term and short-term laboratory tests. In the long-term test, the effects of the effluent on the life cycle of fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) were studied. In this experiment, which began with the egg stage and continued through to sexual maturity and reproduction, the fish were exposed in the laboratory to well water (control) and five concentrations (viz., 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, or 20%) of effluent for 275 days. The effluent concentrations did not significantly affect the hatching of the eggs, the mortality of the hatched fish, the incidence of visible morphological abnormalities, the mortality and the hatchability of the first generation eggs and larvae, and the weights of minnows at various stages of development. Based on a conservative evaluation of the data, a significant finding of this work was that effluent concentrations > or = 2.5% caused lower egg production as well as changes in the gender balance (i.e., increased numbers of individuals with male secondary sexual characteristics) of the fish. Further work is required to understand the causes and ecological significance of these findings. Two short-term tests, each lasting 7 days, were also run. In one, even 100% effluent did not reduce the survival or growth of minnow larvae, correctly predicting the lack of effluent effects on similar endpoints in the long-term test. In the other short-term test, while the survival of Ceriodaphnia was also unaffected by 100% effluent, their reproductive capacity was reduced, but only at effluent concentrations an order of magnitude greater than those affecting the reproduction of minnows in the long-term test.

Long-term health outcomes of youth sports injuries.

PubMed

Maffulli, N; Longo, U G; Gougoulias, N; Loppini, M; Denaro, V

2010-01-01

Injuries can counter the beneficial effects of sports participation at a young age if a child or adolescent is unable to continue to participate because of residual effects of injury. This paper reviews current knowledge in the field of long-term health outcomes of youth sports injuries to evaluate the evidence regarding children dropping out of sport due to injury, physeal injuries and growth disturbance, studies of injuries affecting the spine and knee of young and former athletes and surgical outcome of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in children. Studies of dropping out of sport due to injury are limited primarily to gymnasts and implicate such injuries as ACL rupture and osteochondritis dissecans of the elbow joint in the early retirement of young athletes. Although most physeal injuries resolve with treatment and rest, there is evidence of disturbed physeal growth as a result of injury. Radiological findings implicate the effects of intense physical loading and injury in the development of spinal pathology and back pain during the growth of youth athletes; however, long-term effects are unclear. Follow-up studies of young athletes and adults indicate a high risk of osteoarthritis after meniscus or ACL injury. Prospective cohort studies with a follow-up into adulthood are needed to clarify the long-term health outcomes of youth sports injuries. Important to this research is meticulous documentation of injuries on injury report forms that include age-appropriate designations of the type of injury and accurate determination of exposure-based injury rates.

Long-term clinical evaluation of a 800-nm long-pulsed diode laser with a large spot size and vacuum-assisted suction for hair removal.

PubMed

Ibrahimi, Omar A; Kilmer, Suzanne L

2012-06-01

The long-pulsed diode (800-810-nm) laser is one of the most commonly used and effective lasers for hair removal. Limitations of currently available devices include a small treatment spot size, treatment-associated pain, and the need for skin cooling. To evaluate the long-term hair reduction capabilities of a long-pulsed diode laser with a large spot size and vacuum assisted suction. Thirty-five subjects were enrolled in a prospective, self-controlled, single-center study of axillary hair removal. The study consisted of three treatments using a long-pulsed diode laser with a large spot size and vacuum-assisted suction at 4- to 6-week intervals with follow-up visits 6 and 15 months after the last treatment. Hair clearance was quantified using macro hair-count photographs taken at baseline and at 6- and 15-month follow-up visits. Changes in hair thickness and color, levels of treatment-associated pain, and adverse events were additional study endpoints. There was statistically significant hair clearance at the 6 (54%) and 15-month (42%) follow-up visits. Remaining hairs were thinner and lighter at the 15-month follow-up visit, and the majority of subjects reported feeling up to mild to moderate pain during treatment without the use of pretreatment anesthesia or skin cooling. A long-pulsed diode laser with a large spot size and vacuum-assisted suction is safe and effective for long-term hair removal. This is the largest prospective study to evaluate long-term hair removal and the first to quantify decreases in hair thickness and darkness with treatment. © 2012 by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Inc. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Establishing Long-Term Efficacy in Chronic Disease: Use of Recursive Partitioning and Propensity Score Adjustment to Estimate Outcome in MS

PubMed Central

Goodin, Douglas S.; Jones, Jason; Li, David; Traboulsee, Anthony; Reder, Anthony T.; Beckmann, Karola; Konieczny, Andreas; Knappertz, Volker

2011-01-01

Context Establishing the long-term benefit of therapy in chronic diseases has been challenging. Long-term studies require non-randomized designs and, thus, are often confounded by biases. For example, although disease-modifying therapy in MS has a convincing benefit on several short-term outcome-measures in randomized trials, its impact on long-term function remains uncertain. Objective Data from the 16-year Long-Term Follow-up study of interferon-beta-1b is used to assess the relationship between drug-exposure and long-term disability in MS patients. Design/Setting To mitigate the bias of outcome-dependent exposure variation in non-randomized long-term studies, drug-exposure was measured as the medication-possession-ratio, adjusted up or down according to multiple different weighting-schemes based on MS severity and MS duration at treatment initiation. A recursive-partitioning algorithm assessed whether exposure (using any weighing scheme) affected long-term outcome. The optimal cut-point that was used to define “high” or “low” exposure-groups was chosen by the algorithm. Subsequent to verification of an exposure-impact that included all predictor variables, the two groups were compared using a weighted propensity-stratified analysis in order to mitigate any treatment-selection bias that may have been present. Finally, multiple sensitivity-analyses were undertaken using different definitions of long-term outcome and different assumptions about the data. Main Outcome Measure Long-Term Disability. Results In these analyses, the same weighting-scheme was consistently selected by the recursive-partitioning algorithm. This scheme reduced (down-weighted) the effectiveness of drug exposure as either disease duration or disability at treatment-onset increased. Applying this scheme and using propensity-stratification to further mitigate bias, high-exposure had a consistently better clinical outcome compared to low-exposure (Cox proportional hazard ratio = 0.30–0.42; p<0.0001). Conclusions Early initiation and sustained use of interferon-beta-1b has a beneficial impact on long-term outcome in MS. Our analysis strategy provides a methodological framework for bias-mitigation in the analysis of non-randomized clinical data. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00206635 PMID:22140424

Safety of vedolizumab in the treatment of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

PubMed

Hagan, Matilda; Cross, Raymond K

2015-01-01

Vedolizumab is the latest FDA-approved anti-integrin therapy for treatment of moderate-to-severe inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The safety and efficacy of vedolizumab have been studied in short-term clinical trials. This paper reviews the safety profile of vedolizumab compared with other biologics. It also highlights the mechanism of action of the medication. We discuss the current position of vedolizumab in our current algorithm for IBD management and comment on future prospects of the drug. Vedolizumab appears to be a safe and effective option in the treatment of moderate-to-severe IBD in the short term. Long-term observational studies and post-marketing safety data are needed to ascertain the long-term efficacy and side effect profile.

MHC-driven HIV-1 control on the long run is not systematically determined at early times post-HIV-1 infection.

PubMed

Antoni, Guillemette; Guergnon, Julien; Meaudre, Céline; Samri, Assia; Boufassa, Faroudy; Goujard, Cécile; Lambotte, Olivier; Autran, Brigitte; Rouzioux, Christine; Costagliola, Dominique; Meyer, Laurence; Theodorou, Ioannis

2013-07-17

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I-driven long-term protection against HIV-1 is mainly associated with HLA-B*27 and HLA-B*57. This effect is observed early after infection. Clarification needs to be established concerning the moment of action for the other HLA-B or HLA-C alleles. HLA-B and HLA-C alleles from 111 individuals that control HIV-1 disease for over 8 years and from 747 seroconverters frequencies were compared. Also, HLA-B and HLA-C influence on early levels of plasma HIV-RNA, cellular HIV-DNA, CD4, CD8 and CD4/CD8 ratio was evaluated among the seroconverters. We performed univariate, multivariate and haplotypic analyses in order to disentangle the respective contribution of the HLA-B and HLA-C genes. The haplotypes analysis shows three patterns of protective effects of HLA-B and HLA-C alleles or haplotypes. First, the HLA B*57, HLA-B*27, HLA-B*13 and HLA-C*14 alleles, which have a strong effect on long-term disease control, also influence at least one of the early infection phenotypes. Second, HLA-B*52 has a strong effect during early time points on HIV-RNA without significant effect on the long-term control of HIV-1. Finally, the HLA-B*14-C*08 haplotype has a strong effect on the long-term protection, without influencing early viral control. Our study highlighted independent effects of HLA-B and HLA-C alleles on HIV-disease progression. Furthermore, some alleles appeared to be specifically associated with either long-term control or early virological parameters, suggesting different immunological mechanisms according to the disease stages.

From ultrasocial to antisocial: a role for oxytocin in the acute reinforcing effects and long-term adverse consequences of drug use?

PubMed

McGregor, I S; Callaghan, P D; Hunt, G E

2008-05-01

Addictive drugs can profoundly affect social behaviour both acutely and in the long-term. Effects range from the artificial sociability imbued by various intoxicating agents to the depressed and socially withdrawn state frequently observed in chronic drug users. Understanding such effects is of great potential significance in addiction neurobiology. In this review we focus on the 'social neuropeptide' oxytocin and its possible role in acute and long-term effects of commonly used drugs. Oxytocin regulates social affiliation and social recognition in many species and modulates anxiety, mood and aggression. Recent evidence suggests that popular party drugs such as MDMA and gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) may preferentially activate brain oxytocin systems to produce their characteristic prosocial and prosexual effects. Oxytocin interacts with the mesolimbic dopamine system to facilitate sexual and social behaviour, and this oxytocin-dopamine interaction may also influence the acquisition and expression of drug-seeking behaviour. An increasing body of evidence from animal models suggests that even brief exposure to drugs such as MDMA, cannabinoids, methamphetamine and phencyclidine can cause long lasting deficits in social behaviour. We discuss preliminary evidence that these adverse effects may reflect long-term neuroadaptations in brain oxytocin systems. Laboratory studies and preliminary clinical studies also indicate that raising brain oxytocin levels may ameliorate acute drug withdrawal symptoms. It is concluded that oxytocin may play an important, yet largely unexplored, role in drug addiction. Greater understanding of this role may ultimately lead to novel therapeutics for addiction that can improve mood and facilitate the recovery of persons with drug use disorders.

The association between alcohol use and long-term care placement among older Canadians: A 14-year population-based study

PubMed Central

Kaplan, Mark S.; Huguet, Nathalie; Feeny, David; McFarland, Bentson H.; Caetano, Raul; Bernier, Julie; Giesbrecht, Norman; Oliver, Lisa; Ramage-Morin, Pamela; Ross, Nancy A.

2013-01-01

Studies have shown that moderate alcohol use confers protection against some of the dominant predictors of long-term care placement, including diminished cognitive functioning, physical disability, and injury. But little is known about the association between alcohol use and the likelihood of placement in long-term care facilities. A nationally representative sample of 5,404 community-dwelling Canadians ages 50 years and older at baseline (1994/95) was obtained from the longitudinal National Population Health Survey. Alcohol use categories were developed based on the quantity and frequency of use in the 12 months before the interview. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the association between alcohol use at baseline and subsequent placement in long-term care facilities after adjusting for covariates measured at baseline. During the 14-year follow-up period, 14% of lifetime abstainers, 10% of former drinkers, 7% of infrequent drinkers, 4% of moderate drinkers, and 3% of heavy drinkers were placed in long-term care facilities. Furthermore, the multivariate analysis revealed that abstainers, former drinkers, and infrequent drinkers were more than twice as likely to be placed in long-term care as moderate drinkers. Moderate drinking was protective against placement in long-term care facilities even after adjusting for an array of well-known confounders. The strong protective effect of moderate alcohol use on long-term care entry is likely due to a complex mix of physical, cognitive and psychosocial health factors. PMID:24169370

Long-term Effect of Biomineralized Insulin Nanoparticles on Type 2 Diabetes Treatment

PubMed Central

Xiao, Yun; Wang, Xiaoyu; Wang, Ben; Liu, Xueyao; Xu, Xurong; Tang, Ruikang

2017-01-01

Intracellular insulin may exhibit a long-term effect in regulating protein synthesis, DNA synthesis, and gene transcription. However, the intracellular delivery of insulin is a great challenge. Here, we describe how a simple biomineralization modification of insulin can transport it into intact cells on a large scale, leading to a long-term therapeutic effect on diabetes mellitus. Using insulin-resistant HepG2 cell and diabetic KKAy mice as models, in vitro and in vivo assessments have demonstrated that biomineralized insulin nanoparticles can trigger glucose metabolism, and this improvement extends after the treatment. The potential exists to improve the current treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus through biomineralized modifications of insulin. This study provides a new paradigm of biomimetic nanotechnology for biomedical applications. PMID:29158827

Long-term effect of set potential on biocathodes in microbial fuel cells: electrochemical and phylogenetic characterization.

PubMed

Xia, Xue; Sun, Yanmei; Liang, Peng; Huang, Xia

2012-09-01

The long-term effect of set potential on oxygen reducing biocathodes was investigated in terms of electrochemical and biological characteristics. Three biocathodes were poised at 200, 60 and -100 mV vs. saturated calomel electrode (SCE) for 110 days, including the first 17 days for startup. Electrochemical analyses showed that 60 mV was the optimum potential during long-term operation. The performance of all the biocathodes kept increasing after startup, suggesting a period longer than startup time needed to make potential regulation more effective. The inherent characteristics without oxygen transfer limitation were studied. Different from short-term regulation, the amounts of biomass were similar while the specific electrochemical activity was significantly influenced by potential. Moreover, potential showed a strong selection for cathode bacteria. Clones 98% similar with an uncultured Bacteroidetes bacterium clone CG84 accounted for 75% to 80% of the sequences on the biocathodes that showed higher electrochemical activity (60 and -100 mV). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Aging-Time Reference on the Long Term Behavior of the IM7/K3B Composite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Veazie, David R.; Gates, Thomas S.

1998-01-01

An analytical study was undertaken to investigate the effects of the time-based shift reference on the long term behavior of the graphite reinforced thermoplastic polyimide composite IM7/K3B at elevated temperature. Creep compliance and the effects of physical aging on the time dependent response was measured for uniaxial loading at several isothermal conditions below the glass transition temperature (T(sub g). Two matrix dominated loading modes, shear and transverse, were investigated in tension and compression. The momentary sequenced creep/aging curves were collapsed through a horizontal (time) shift using the shortest, middle and longest aging time curve as the reference curve. Linear viscoelasticity was used to characterize the creep/recovery behavior and superposition techniques were used to establish the physical aging related material constants. The use of effective time expressions in a laminated plate model allowed for the prediction of long term creep compliance. The effect of using different reference curves with time/aging-time superposition was most sensitive to the physical aging shift rate at lower test temperatures. Depending on the loading mode, the reference curve used can result in a more accurate long term prediction, especially at lower test temperatures.

The Alsea Watershed Study: a comparison with other multi-year investigations in the Pacific Northwest

Treesearch

Peter A. Bisson; Stanley V. Gregory; Thomas E. Nickelson; James D. Hall

2008-01-01

The Alsea Watershed Study (AWS) was the first long-term fisheries research project to address the effects of forestry operations on salmonid populations in the Pacific Northwest using a watershed approach. To this day it remains one of a very limited number of investigations that have provided long-term information on salmon and trout responses to forestry operations....

Long-Term Effects of Early-Life Otitis Media on Language Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zumach, Anne; Gerrits, Ellen; Chenault, Michelene; Anteunis, Lucien

2010-01-01

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to examine the long-term consequences of early-life otitis media (OM) and the associated hearing loss (HL) on language skills of school-aged children. Method: In a prospective study, the middle-ear status of 65 Dutch healthy-born children was documented every 3 months during their first 2 years of life;…

Soil Profile Characteristics of a 25-Year-Old Windrowed Loblolly Pine Plantation in Louisiana

Treesearch

William B. Patterson; John C. Adams; Spencer E. Loe; R. Jarod Patterson

2002-01-01

Windrowing site preparation, the raking and piling of long rows of logging debris, has been reported to displace surface soil, redistribute nutrients, and reduce volume growth of southern pine forests. Many of these studies have reported short-term results, and there are few long-term studies of the effects of windrowing on soil properties and pine growth. A 16.2...

Long-Term Effectiveness and Safety of Dexmethylphenidate Extended-Release Capsules in Adult ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adler, Lenard A.; Spencer, Thomas; McGough, James J.; Jiang, Hai; Muniz, Rafael

2009-01-01

Objective: This study evaluates dexmethylphenidate extended release (d-MPH-ER) in adults with ADHD. Method: Following a 5-week, randomized, controlled, fixed-dose study of d-MPH-ER 20 to 40 mg/d, 170 adults entered a 6-month open-label extension (OLE) to assess long-term safety, with flexible dosing of 20 to 40 mg/d. Exploratory effectiveness…

Mutual support groups for long-term recipients of TANF.

PubMed

Anderson-Butcher, Dawn; Khairallah, Angela Oliver; Race-Bigelow, Janis

2004-01-01

This study examined the effect of involvement in mutual support groups on long-term recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and other vulnerable individuals. From qualitative interviews with nine group members, the study identified key themes, benefits, and barriers related to involvement in the groups. Content analysis of the data revealed insights about characteristics of effective self-help and mutual support groups, which social workers and other professionals can use to develop effective support groups in the future. Participants discussed benefits for themselves and their families, such as enhanced parenting and social skills, increased knowledge, and enhanced self-esteem.

Health effects associated with waterpipe smoking

PubMed Central

El-Zaatari, Ziad M; Chami, Hassan A; Zaatari, Ghazi S

2015-01-01

Objective It is widely held that waterpipe smoking (WPS) is not associated with health hazards. However, several studies have documented the uptake of several toxicants and carcinogens during WPS that is strongly associated with harmful health effects. This paper reviews the literature on the health effects of WPS. Data sources Three databases-PubMed, MEDLINE and EMBASE-were searched until August 2014 for the acute and long-term health effects of WPS using the terms ‘waterpipe’ and its synonyms (hookah, shisha, goza, narghileh, arghileh and hubble-bubble) in various spellings. Study selection We included original clinical studies, case reports and systematic reviews and focused on clinical human studies. ∼10% of the identified studies met the selection criteria. Data extraction Data were abstracted by all three authors and summarised into tables. Abstracted data included study type, results and methodological limitations and were analysed jointly by all three authors. Data synthesis WPS acutely leads to increased heart rate, blood pressure, impaired pulmonary function and carbon monoxide intoxication. Chronic bronchitis, emphysema and coronary artery disease are serious complications of long-term use. Lung, gastric and oesophageal cancer are associated with WPS as well as periodontal disease, obstetrical complications, osteoporosis and mental health problems. Conclusions Contrary to the widely held misconception, WPS is associated with a variety of adverse short-term and long-term health effects that should reinforce the need for stronger regulation. In addition, this review highlights the limitations of the published work, which is mostly cross-sectional or retrospective. Prospective studies should be undertaken to assess the full spectrum of health effects of WPS, particularly in view of its growing popularity and attractiveness to youth. PMID:25661414

Effects of subsurface drainage systems on water and nitrogen footprints simulated with RZWQM2

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

When considering the use of drainage water management (DWM) in the Midwest to reduce nutrient contributions to the Northern Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone, it is essential to understand the long-term performance of these systems. Few studies have evaluated long-term impacts of DWM and the simulation of...

Post-Learning Arousal Change and Long-Term Retention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumar, V.K.; Farley, Frank H.

This study examined the effects on long-term retention of variations in intensity and of temporal parameters of arousal following a single learning trial in a paired-associate task. The subjects were 56 female university students. Intensity of arousal was manipulated by using two levels of white noise--75 decibels and 90 decibels sound pressure…

Success in Early Intervention: The Chicago Child-Parent Centers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reynolds, Arthur J.

Although early intervention programs have enjoyed popular and legislative support, little hard data exist on the long-term consequences of these efforts. This study examined the long-term effects of the Child-Parent Center (CPC) program in Chicago. Begun in 1967, the program operates out of 24 centers, located in proximity to the elementary…

Teacher Self-Efficacy as a Long-Term Predictor of Instructional Quality in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Künsting, Josef; Neuber, Victoria; Lipowsky, Frank

2016-01-01

In this longitudinal study, we examined teachers' self-efficacy as a long-term predictor of their mastery goal orientation and three dimensions of instructional quality: supportive classroom climate, effective classroom management, and cognitive activation. Mastery goal orientation was also analyzed as a predictor of instructional quality.…

Corn response to long-term applications of cattle manure, swine effluent, and inorganic nitrogen fertilizer

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cattle (Bos taurus) manure and swine (Sus scrofa) effluent are applied to cropland to recycle nutrients, build soil quality, and increase crop productivity. The objective of this study was to determine the long-term effects of land application of cattle manure and swine effluent using the Kansas Nut...

Long-Term Outcome of Social Skills Intervention Based on Interactive LEGO[C] Play

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Legoff, Daniel B.; Sherman, Michael

2006-01-01

LEGO[C] building materials have been adapted as a therapeutic modality for increasing motivation to participate in social skills intervention, and providing a medium through which children with social and communication handicaps can effectively interact. A 3 year retrospective study of long-term outcome for autistic spectrum children participating…

Long-Term Effects of Peace Workshops in Protracted Conflicts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malhotra, Deepak; Liyanage, Sumanasiri

2005-01-01

The current study evaluates the efficacy of an intensive four-day contact intervention (a peace workshop) organized in Sri Lanka and represents an initial step toward understanding the long-term impact of such interventions on attitudes and behaviors in the context of protracted ethnic conflict. Compared with two control groups, the participant…

Analyzing the Effects of Horizontal Resolution on Long-Term Coupled WRF-CMAQ Simulations

EPA Science Inventory

The objective of this study is to determine the adequacy of using a relatively coarse horizontal resolution (i.e. 36 km) to simulate long-term trends of pollutant concentrations and radiation variables with the coupled WRF-CMAQ model. To this end, WRF-CMAQ simulations over the co...

Long-term effects of biosolid-amended soils on phosphorus, copper, manganese and zinc uptake by wheat

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Biosolids have been applied to agricultural land for many years as a source of plant nutrients. There are growing concerns of residual phosphorus and metals from long-term biosolids amended fields and their potential impact on the environment. Objectives of this study were to determine, i) phosphor...

Long-Term Learning, Achievement Tests, and Learner Centered Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salinas, Moises F.; Kane-Johnson, Sarah E.; Vasil-Miller, Melissa A.

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of achievement tests to measure long-term learning at the higher education level in traditional verses learner-centered classrooms. Volunteer instructors who use comprehensive achievement tests as an important component of their grading system were asked to complete an instrument that…

SUBCHRONIC TOXICITY OF INHALED TOLUENE IN RATS: IMMUNOLOGY, CARDIAC GENE EXPRESSION AND MARKERS OF OXIDATIVE STRESS.

EPA Science Inventory

The health effects of long-term exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are poorly understood, due primarily to insufficient human exposure data and inconsistent animal models. To develop a rodent model of long-term exposure to VOCs, a sub-chronic inhalation study with mult...

The Effect of a Short-Term and Long-Term Whole-Body Vibration in Healthy Men upon the Postural Stability

PubMed Central

Piecha, Magdalena; Juras, Grzegorz; Król, Piotr; Sobota, Grzegorz; Polak, Anna; Bacik, Bogdan

2014-01-01

The study aimed to establish the short-term and long-term effects of whole-body vibration on postural stability. The sample consisted of 28 male subjects randomly allocated to four comparative groups, three of which exercised on a vibration platform with parameters set individually for the groups. The stabilographic signal was recorded before the test commenced, after a single session of whole-body vibration, immediately after the last set of exercises of the 4-week whole-body vibration training, and one week after the training ended. The subjects were exposed to vibrations 3 times a week for 4 weeks. Long-term vibration training significantly shortened the rambling and trembling paths in the frontal plane. The path lengths were significantly reduced in the frontal plane one week after the training end date. Most changes in the values of the center of pressure (COP) path lengths in the sagittal and frontal plane were statistically insignificant. We concluded that long-term vibration training improves the postural stability of young healthy individuals in the frontal plane. PMID:24520362

Epigenetic Regulation of Immunological Alterations Following Prenatal Exposure to Marijuana Cannabinoids and its Long Term Consequences in Offspring

PubMed Central

Zumbrun, Elizabeth E.; Sido, Jessica M.; Nagarkatti, Prakash S.

2015-01-01

Use of marijuana during pregnancy is fairly commonplace and can be expected increase in frequency as more states legalize its recreational use. The cannabinoids present in marijuana have been shown to be immunosuppressive, yet the effect of prenatal exposure to cannabinoids on the immune system of the developing fetus, its long term consequences during adult stage of life, and transgenerational effects have not been well characterized. Confounding factors such as coexisting drug use make the impact of cannabis use on progeny inherently difficult to study in a human population. Data from various animal models suggests that in utero exposure to cannabinoids results in profound T cell dysfunction and a greatly reduced immune response to viral antigens. Furthermore, evidence from animal studies indicates that the immunosuppressive effects of cannabinoids can be mediated through epigenetic mechanisms such as altered microRNA, DNA methylation and histone modification profiles. Such studies support the hypothesis that that parental or prenatal exposure to cannabis can trigger epigenetic changes that could have significant immunological consequences for offspring as well as long term transgenerational effects. PMID:25618446

Long-term effective population size dynamics of an intensively monitored vertebrate population

PubMed Central

Mueller, A-K; Chakarov, N; Krüger, O; Hoffman, J I

2016-01-01

Long-term genetic data from intensively monitored natural populations are important for understanding how effective population sizes (Ne) can vary over time. We therefore genotyped 1622 common buzzard (Buteo buteo) chicks sampled over 12 consecutive years (2002–2013 inclusive) at 15 microsatellite loci. This data set allowed us to both compare single-sample with temporal approaches and explore temporal patterns in the effective number of parents that produced each cohort in relation to the observed population dynamics. We found reasonable consistency between linkage disequilibrium-based single-sample and temporal estimators, particularly during the latter half of the study, but no clear relationship between annual Ne estimates () and census sizes. We also documented a 14-fold increase in between 2008 and 2011, a period during which the census size doubled, probably reflecting a combination of higher adult survival and immigration from further afield. Our study thus reveals appreciable temporal heterogeneity in the effective population size of a natural vertebrate population, confirms the need for long-term studies and cautions against drawing conclusions from a single sample. PMID:27553455

[Effect of long-term application of nitrogen fertilizer on the diversity of nitrifying genes (amoA and hao) in paddy soil].

PubMed

Chen, Chun-lan; Wu, Min-na; Wei, Wen-xue

2011-05-01

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of long-term (16 years) application of nitrogen fertilizer on the diversity of nitrifying genes (amoA and hao) in paddy soil on the basis of long-term paddy field experimental station (started in 1990) located in Taoyuan, with the molecular approaches of PCR, constructing libraries and sequencing. The fertilizer was urea and no fertilizer was as control. The Shannon index showed that long-term application of nitrogen fertilizer made the diversity of amoA gene descend while no effect on the diversity of hao gene. The LIBSHUFF statistical analyses demonstrated that both amoA and hao libraries of CK and N treatments were significantly different from each other and the rarefaction curves of libraries failed to meet the plateaus indicating that there were lots kinds of genes haven't been detected. The results of blasting with GenBank and the phylogenetic tree showed that the amoA genes detected in our study had a similarity with the uncultured gene of amoA, which showed some similar to Nitrosospira. Otherwise, the hao genes cloned showed a relationship to the genes of cultured bacteria such as Silicibacteria, Nitrosospira and Methylococcus, and the hao genes found in the N treatment dominated in alpha-Proteobacteria. These results suggest that long-term fertilization of nitrogen had significant impacts on the diversity or community of amoA and hao genes.

Long-Term Effects of Tetanus Toxoid Inoculation on the Demography and Life Expectancy of the Cayo Santiago Rhesus Macaques

PubMed Central

KESSLER, MATTHEW J.; PACHECO, RAISA HERNÁNDEZ; RAWLINS, RICHARD G.; RUIZ-LAMBRIDES, ANGELINA; DELGADO, DIANA L.; SABAT, ALBERTO M.

2014-01-01

Tetanus was a major cause of mortality in the free-ranging population of rhesus monkeys on Cayo Santiago prior to 1985 when the entire colony was given its first dose of tetanus toxoid. The immediate reduction in mortality that followed tetanus toxoid inoculation (TTI) has been documented, but the long-term demographic effects of eliminating tetanus infections have not. This study uses the Cayo Santiago demographic database to construct comparative life tables 12 years before, and 12 years after, TTI. Life tables and matrix projection models are used to test for differences in: (i) survival among all individuals as well as among social groups, (ii) long-term fitness of the population, (iii) age distribution, (iv) reproductive value, and (v) life expectancy. A retrospective life table response experiment (LTRE) was performed to determine which life cycle transition contributed most to observed changes in long-term fitness of the population post-TTI. Elimination of clinical tetanus infections through mass inoculation improved the health and well-being of the monkeys. It also profoundly affected the population by increasing survivorship and long-term fitness, decreasing the differences in survival rates among social groups, shifting the population’s age distribution towards older individuals, and increasing reproductive value and life expectancy. These findings are significant because they demonstrate the long-term effects of eradicating a major cause of mortality at a single point in time on survival, reproduction, and overall demography of a naturalistic population of primates. PMID:25230585

Gay male attraction toward muscular men: does mating context matter?

PubMed

Varangis, Eleanna; Lanzieri, Nicholas; Hildebrandt, Tom; Feldman, Matthew

2012-03-01

The purpose of this study was to examine gay men's perceived attractiveness of male figures based on short-term and long-term partner contexts. A sample of 190 gay adult men rated the attractiveness of line-drawings depicting male figures varying systematically in muscularity and body fat percentage in both short-term and long-term dating contexts. Mixed effects modeling was used to estimate the effects of figure (muscularity and body fat), dating context (short-term vs. long-term), and individual rater characteristics on attractiveness ratings. Results indicated that figure muscularity and body-fat had significant non-linear (i.e., quadratic) relationships with attractiveness ratings, and short-term dating context was associated with more discriminating ratings of attractiveness. Interactions between individual characteristics and figure characteristics indicated that the more available the individual and lower body fat, the more discriminating they were in ratings of attractiveness. The implications for future investigations considering both object and observer characteristics of attractiveness preferences are discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

75 FR 70006 - Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-16

... addresses an important public health need to assess the potential short-term and long-term health effects... potential adverse health effects among children. Plans involve a two-year Feasibility Study to investigate... Children's Health Study--NEW--National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), Centers for Disease Control...

A Longitudinal Study on the Effects of Negative Rearing Experiences on Adolescents' Social Withdrawal and Aggression.

PubMed

Lee, Kyung-Suk; Choi, Ok-Joo; Kim, Joon-Ho

2017-09-01

Children who have experienced negative rearing behaviors show a lack of self-confidence due to emotional instability and are reserved in interpersonal relationships. This can lead to failure in social adaptation and a high risk of depression, suicide, criminal acts, and anti-social behaviors. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the effects of experiencing negative parental rearing behaviors, such as neglect and abuse, on adolescents' social withdrawal and aggression, by utilizing multivariate latent growth models. Data from the Korean Children and Youth Panel Study (KCYPS), a survey conducted by the National Youth Policy Institute targeting a cohort of three different age groups (grade 1, grade 4, and grade 7), from 2010 to 2016 was used. Multi-stage stratified sampling methods were used in the KCYPS, which surveyed the students and parents of the selected grade levels. This study analyzed the data for grade 7, from second year (grade 8) to fourth year (grade 10). Negative rearing experiences had a significant effect on social withdrawal and aggression, and this influence was shown to persist over the long term. This study examined the long-term developmental trajectory in the relationship between risk factors for adolescent development. Furthermore, the relationship between risk factors was shown to have not only short term but long-term effects as well, which reinforces the limitations of previous studies.

A Longitudinal Study on the Effects of Negative Rearing Experiences on Adolescents' Social Withdrawal and Aggression

PubMed Central

Lee, Kyung-Suk; Choi, Ok-Joo

2017-01-01

Background Children who have experienced negative rearing behaviors show a lack of self-confidence due to emotional instability and are reserved in interpersonal relationships. This can lead to failure in social adaptation and a high risk of depression, suicide, criminal acts, and anti-social behaviors. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the effects of experiencing negative parental rearing behaviors, such as neglect and abuse, on adolescents' social withdrawal and aggression, by utilizing multivariate latent growth models. Methods Data from the Korean Children and Youth Panel Study (KCYPS), a survey conducted by the National Youth Policy Institute targeting a cohort of three different age groups (grade 1, grade 4, and grade 7), from 2010 to 2016 was used. Multi-stage stratified sampling methods were used in the KCYPS, which surveyed the students and parents of the selected grade levels. This study analyzed the data for grade 7, from second year (grade 8) to fourth year (grade 10). Results Negative rearing experiences had a significant effect on social withdrawal and aggression, and this influence was shown to persist over the long term. Conclusion This study examined the long-term developmental trajectory in the relationship between risk factors for adolescent development. Furthermore, the relationship between risk factors was shown to have not only short term but long-term effects as well, which reinforces the limitations of previous studies. PMID:29026488

[Long-term effect of policosanol on the functional recovery of non-cardioembolic ischemic stroke patients: a one year study].

PubMed

Sanchez, J; Illnait, J; Mas, R; Mendoza, S; Fernandez, L; Mesa, M; Vega, H; Fernandez, J; Reyes, P; Ruiz, D

2017-02-16

Stroke is a leading cause of mortality and disability. Policosanol has been effective in brain ischemia models. The aim of this study is to investigate whether policosanol, added to aspirin therapy within 30 days of stroke onset, is better than placebo + aspirine for the long-term recovery of non-cardioembolic ischemic stroke subjects. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Eighty patients (mean age: 69 years) within 30 days of onset, with a modified Rankin Scale score (mRS) 2 to 4, were included. They were randomized in two groups (policosanol + aspirine or placebo + aspirine) for 12 months. Policosanol + aspirine decreased significantly mean mRS from the first interim check-up (1.5 months). The treatment even improved after long-term therapy. More policosanol + aspirin (87.5%) than placebo + aspirine (0%) patients achieved mRSs <= 1. Policosanol + aspirine increased significantly Barthel Index, lowered LDL-cholesterol and increased HDL-cholesterol versus placebo + aspirin. Long-term (12 months) administration of policosanol + aspirin given after suffering non-cardioembolic ischemic stroke was shown to be better than placebo + aspirin in improving functional outcomes when used among patients with non-cardioembolic ischemic stroke of moderate severity.

Long-term watershed research and monitoring to understand ecosystem change in parks and equivalent reserves

USGS Publications Warehouse

Herrmann, R.

1997-01-01

Integrated watershed ecosystem studies in National Parks or equivalent reserves suggest that effects of external processes on 'protected' resources are subtle, chronic, and long-term. Ten years of data from National Park watersheds suggests that temperature and precipitation changes are linked to nitrogen levels in lakes and streams. We envision measurable biotic effects in these remote watersheds, if expected climate trends continue. The condition of natural resources within areas set aside for preservation are difficult to ascertain, but gaining this knowledge is the key to understanding ecosystem change and of processes operating among biotic and abiotic ecosystem components. There is increasing evidence that understanding the magnitude of variation within and between such processes can provide an early indication of environmental change and trends attributable to human-induced stress. The following four papers are case studies of how this concept has been implemented. These long-term studies have expanded our knowledge of ecosystem response to natural and human-induced stress. The existence of these sites with a commitment to gathering 'long-term' ecosystem-level data permits research activities aimed at testing more important hypotheses on ecosystem processes and structure.

Role of calcitonin gene-related peptide in cardioprotection of short-term and long-term exercise preconditioning.

PubMed

Sun, Xiao-Juan; Pan, Shan-Shan

2014-07-01

To examine the role of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in cardioprotection of short-term and long-term exercise preconditioning (EP). Male Sprague-Dawley rats were, respectively, subjected to continuous intermittent treadmill training 3 days or 3 weeks as short-term or long-term EP protocols. The myocardial injury induced by isoproterenol (ISO) was performed 24 hours after short-term and long-term EP. The myocardial injury was evaluated in terms of the serum cardiac troponin levels and the hematoxylin-basic fuchsin-picric acid staining. Additionally, serum CGRP levels, CGRP expression in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG), and heart were analyzed as possible mechanisms to explain short-term and long-term EP-induced cardioprotection. Both short-term and long-term EP markedly attenuated the isoproterenol-induced myocardial ischemia with lower serum cardiac troponin levels. Short-term EP does not alter serum CGRP levels and CGRP expression in the DRG and heart. Long-term EP significantly increases serum CGRP levels and CGRP expression in the DRG and heart. The results indicate that short-term EP does not increase the synthesis and release of CGRP. Therefore, the cardioprotective effect of short-term EP does not involve CGRP adaptation. Furthermore, long-term EP increases CGRP synthesis in the DRG and promotes CGRP release in the blood and heart. Hence, CGRP may play an important role in the cardioprotective effect of long-term EP.

Cognitive, physical, and mental health outcomes between long-term cannabis and tobacco users.

PubMed

Lovell, M E; Bruno, R; Johnston, J; Matthews, A; McGregor, I; Allsop, D J; Lintzeris, N

2018-04-01

Cannabis intoxication adversely affects health, yet persistent effects following short-term abstinence in long-term cannabis users are unclear. This matched-subjects, cross-sectional study compared health outcomes of long-term cannabis and long-term tobacco-only users, relative to population norms. Nineteen long-term (mean 32.3years of use, mean age 55.7years), abstinent (mean 15h) cannabis users and 16 long-term tobacco users (mean 37.1years of use, mean age 52.9years), matched for age, educational attainment, and lifetime tobacco consumption, were compared on measures of learning and memory, response inhibition, information-processing, sustained attention, executive control, and mental and physical health. Cannabis users exhibited poorer overall learning and delayed recall and greater interference and forgetting than tobacco users, and exhibited poorer recall than norms. Inhibition and executive control were similar between groups, but cannabis users had slower reaction times during information processing and sustained attention tasks. Cannabis users had superior health satisfaction and psychological, somatic, and general health than tobacco users and had similar mental and physical health to norms whilst tobacco users had greater stress, role limitations from emotional problems, and poorer health satisfaction. Long-term cannabis users may exhibit deficits in some cognitive domains despite short-term abstinence and may therefore benefit from interventions to improve cognitive performance. Tobacco alone may contribute to adverse mental and physical health outcomes, which requires appropriate control in future studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of long-term and short-term progestagen treatment on follicular development and pregnancy rate in cyclic ewes.

PubMed

Viñoles, C; Forsberg, M; Banchero, G; Rubianes, E

2001-03-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the length of a progestagen treatment (12 d vs. 6 d) on follicular dynamics, estrus synchronization and pregnancy rate using medroxyprogesterone acetate (MAP) with or without an eCG dose at the end of MAP treatment. One hundred sixty Polwarth ewes were divided into four equal groups: long-term treated (LT, n=40); short-term treated (ST, n=40); long-term treated plus eCG (LTeCG, n=40); and short-term treated plus eCG (STeCG, n=40). Five ewes of each group were separated to undergo daily transrectal ultrasonography, and blood samples were taken for hormone determination. Until 96 h after sponge withdrawal the number of ewes in estrus was higher in both long-term-treated groups than in both short-term-treated groups but at the end of the observational period (144 h) no significant differences were found among groups. The pregnancy rate was higher in the ST group (87%) than in the other groups (LT, 63%; LTeCG, 67%; and STeCG, 58%; P< or =0.03). The ovulatory follicle emerged before sponge withdrawal in long-term-treated ewes (-3.8+/-0.4 d and -2.2+/-0.8 d for LT and LTeCG, respectively), whereas in short-term-treated ewes it emerges around sponge removal (0.4+/-1.1 d and 0.5+/-0.5 d for ST and STeCG, respectively; P< or =0.01). The ovulatory follicle in the LT group had a longer lifespan and attained a larger (P< or =0.05) maximum diameter than in the ST group. We conclude: a) that the lower pregnancy rate observed after long-term progestagen treatment was related to a slower follicular turnover that promoted the ovulation of persistent dominant follicles; (b) that short-term treatment resulted in a higher pregnancy rate probably due to the ovulation of newly recruited growing follicles; and (c) treatment with eCG had no advantage in association with long-term treatment and had a deleterious effect in combination with short-term treatment with MAP.

Effects of trawl selectivity and genetic parameters on fish body length under long-term trawling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Yang; Sun, Peng; Cui, He; Sheng, Huaxiang; Zhao, Fenfang; Tang, Yanli; Chen, Zelin

2015-10-01

Long-term fishing pressure affects the biological characteristics of exploited fish stocks. The biological characteristics of hairtail ( Trichiurus lepturus) in the East China Sea are unable to recover because of long-term trawling. Fishing induces evolutionary effects on the fish's biological characteristics. Evidence of these changes includes small size at age, a shift to earlier age structure, and early maturation. Natural and artificial selection usually affect the fish's life history. Selection can induce different chances of reproduction, and individual fish can give a different genetic contribution to the next generation. In this study, analysis of time-dependent probability of significance and test of sensitivity were used to explore the effects of fish exploitation rate, mesh size, and heritability with long-term trawling. Results showed that fishing parameters were important drivers to exploited fish population. However, genetic traits altered by fishing were slow, and the changes in biological characteristics were weaker than those caused by fishing selection. Exploitation rate and mesh size exhibited similar evolutionary trend tendency under long-term fishing. The time-dependent probability of significance trend showed a gradual growth and tended to be stable. Therefore, the direction of fishing-induced evolution and successful management of fish species require considerable attention to contribute to sustainable fisheries in China.

Phosphodiesterase 10A inhibition attenuates sleep deprivation-induced deficits in long-term fear memory.

PubMed

Guo, Lengqiu; Guo, Zhuangli; Luo, Xiaoqing; Liang, Rui; Yang, Shui; Ren, Haigang; Wang, Guanghui; Zhen, Xuechu

2016-12-02

Sleep, particularly rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, is implicated in the consolidation of emotional memories. In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of a phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) inhibitor MP-10 on deficits in long-term fear memory induced by REM sleep deprivation (REM-SD). REM-SD caused deficits in long-term fear memory, however, MP-10 administration ameliorated the deleterious effects of REM-SD on long term fear memory. Brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) and phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein (pCREB) were altered in specific brain regions associated with learning and memory in REM-SD rats. Accordingly, REM-SD caused a significant decrease of pCREB in hippocampus and striatum and a significant decrease of BDNF in the hippocampus, striatum and amygdala, however, MP-10 reversed the effects of REM-SD in a dose-dependent manner. Our findings suggest that REM-SD disrupts the consolidation of long-term fear memory and that administration of MP-10 protects the REM-SD-induced deficits in fear memory, which may be due to the MP-10-induced expression of BDNF in the hippocampus, striatum and amygdala, and phosphorylation of CREB in the hippocampus and striatum. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Short- and long-term clinical outcomes of use of beta-interferon or glatiramer acetate for people with clinically isolated syndrome: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials and network meta-analysis.

PubMed

Armoiry, X; Kan, A; Melendez-Torres, G J; Court, R; Sutcliffe, P; Auguste, P; Madan, J; Counsell, C; Clarke, A

2018-05-01

Beta-interferon (IFN-β) and glatiramer acetate (GA) have been evaluated in people with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) with the aim to delay a second clinical attack and a diagnosis of clinically definite multiple sclerosis (CDMS). We systematically reviewed trials evaluating the short- and long-term clinical effectiveness of these drugs in CIS. We searched multiple electronic databases. We selected randomised controlled studies (RCTs) conducted in CIS patients and where the interventions were IFN-β and GA. Main outcomes were time to CDMS, and discontinuation due to adverse events (AE). We compared interventions using random-effect network meta-analyses (NMA). We also reported outcomes from long-term open-label extension (OLE) studies. We identified five primary studies. Four had open-label extensions following double-blind periods comparing outcomes between early vs delayed DMT. Short-term clinical results (double-blind period) showed that all drugs delayed CDMS compared to placebo. Indirect comparisons did not suggest superiority of any one active drug over another. We could not undertake a NMA for discontinuation due to AE. Long-term clinical results (OLE studies) showed that the risk of developing CDMS was consistently reduced across studies after early DMT treatment compared to delayed DMT (HR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.55, 0.74). No data supported the benefit of DMTs in reducing the time to, and magnitude of, disability progression. Meta-analyses confirmed that IFN-β and GA delay time to CDMS compared to placebo. In the absence of evidence that early DMTs can reduce disability progression, future research is needed to better identify patients most likely to benefit from long-term DMTs.

Acute and Chronic Stress: The Effects of Loss of Control

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-07-31

stressor affecting the health and well-being of the unemployed and their families. This study was designed to test how loss of control associated with...status: short-term ( unemployed for less than two months); long-term ( unemployed for longer than two months); and, employed controls. Perceptions of...the laboratory stressor resulting in performance deficits and helpless behavior. As predicted. compared to the other two groups. long-term unemployed

Effect of aromatherapy massage on elderly patients under long-term hospitalization in Japan.

PubMed

Satou, Tadaaki; Chikama, Mizuki; Chikama, Yoshiko; Hachigo, Masato; Urayama, Haruna; Murakami, Shio; Hayashi, Shinichiro; Koikem, Kazuo

2013-03-01

To verify the effectiveness of aromatherapy massage on elderly patients under long-term hospitalization. Aromatherapy massage was performed twice a week for a total of eight times. Nursing home. Elderly women under long-term hospitalization. Questionnaire and measurement of stress marker levels (salivary amylase activity) before and after the first, fifth, and eighth aromatherapy massages. Questionnaire (Face scale, General Health Questionnaire-12 [GHQ-12]), measurement of salivary amylase activity. A decrease in stress after aromatherapy massage compared to before each massage was confirmed at all measurement times and with the stress marker. No marked reduction was observed in Face scale or saliva amylase activity as a whole over the long term, although decreasing tendencies were seen. Marked reductions in GHQ-12 were observed over the long term. Aroma massage appears likely to prove effective in reducing psychological stress among elderly patients under long-term hospitalization.

Effect of complete or partial proteinuria recovery on long-term outcomes of lupus nephritis.

PubMed

Medina-Rosas, Jorge; Fung, William A; Su, Jiandong; Touma, Zahi

2018-02-01

We aimed to evaluate the effect of complete recovery (CR), partial recovery (PR), and no recovery (NR) of proteinuria at 2 years from the diagnosis of LN on long-term renal and extra-renal outcomes. Patients with LN and proteinuria attending the Lupus Center from 1970 to 2015 were analyzed. At 2 years from diagnosis of LN, patients were divided into three groups (CR, PR, and NR), and long-term outcomes were studied up to 15 years or last visit available. CR was defined as resolution of proteinuria, PR as a reduction ≥50% in baseline proteinuria, and NR as a reduction <50% compared to baseline. Long-term outcomes examined included renal outcomes [low eGFR, ESRD, and composite renal (low eGFR, ESRD, and dialysis/transplant)], cardiovascular outcomes, damage, and death. Kaplan-Meier plots, time-independent and time-dependent Cox proportional hazards models were applied to examine the effect of CR, PR, or NR on long-term outcomes. Of 277 patients, 71.8% achieved CR, 18.4% PR, and 9.8% NR at 2 years. CR compared to NR and CR compared to PR were protective against low eGFR and composite renal outcome in time-independent and time-dependent analyses. CR compared to PR protected against damage in the time-independent analysis. Overall, the comparison of CR and PR favored CR for long-term renal outcomes. CR at 2 years from diagnosis of LN protected against renal outcomes (low eGFR, ESRD/dialysis, and transplant). CR is more favorable compared to PR and clinicians should aim for CR to improve long-term outcomes in LN. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Long-term effects of a single exposure to stress in adult rats on behavior and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal responsiveness: comparison of two outbred rat strains.

PubMed

Belda, Xavier; Márquez, Cristina; Armario, Antonio

2004-10-05

We have previously observed that a single exposure to immobilization (IMO), a severe stressor, caused long-term (days to weeks) desensitization of the response of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to the homotypic stressor, with no changes in behavioral reactivity to novel environments. In contrast, other laboratories have reported that a single exposure to footshock induced a long-term sensitization of both HPA and behavioral responses to novel environments. To test whether these apparent discrepancies can be explained by the use of different stressors or different strains of rats, we studied in the present work the long-term effects of a single exposure to two different stressors (footshock or IMO) in two different strains of rats (Sprague-Dawley from Iffa-Credo and Wistar rats from Harlan). We found that both strains showed desensitization of the HPA response to the same (homotypic) stressor after a previous exposure to either shock or IMO. The long-term effects were higher after IMO than shock. No major changes in behavior in two novel environments (circular corridor, CC and elevated plus-maze, EPM) were observed after a single exposure to shock or IMO in neither strain, despite the fact that shocked rats showed a conditioned freezing response to the shock boxes. The present results demonstrate that long-term stress-induced desensitization of the HPA axis is a reliable phenomenon that can be observed with different stressors and strains. However, only behavioral changes related to shock-induced conditioned fear were found, which suggests that so far poorly characterized factors are determining the long-term behavioral consequences of a single exposure to stress.

Effect of microalgal treatments on pesticides in water.

PubMed

Hultberg, Malin; Bodin, Hristina; Ardal, Embla; Asp, Håkan

2016-01-01

The effect of the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris on a wide range of different pesticides in water was studied. Treatments included short-term exposure (1 h) to living and dead microalgal biomass and long-term exposure (4 days) to actively growing microalgae. The initial pesticide concentration was 63.5 ± 3.9 µg L(-1). There was no significant overall reduction of pesticides after short-term exposure. A significant reduction of the total amount of pesticides was achieved after the long-term exposure to growing microalgae (final concentration 29.7 ± 1.0 µg L(-1)) compared with the long-term control (37.0 ± 1.2 µg L(-1)). The concentrations of 10 pesticides out of 38 tested were significantly lowered in the long-term algal treatment. A high impact of abiotic factors such as sunlight and aeration for pesticide reduction was observed when the initial control (63.5 ± 3.9 µg L(-1)) and the long-term control (37.0 ± 1.2 µg L(-1)) were compared. The results suggest that water treatment using microalgae, natural inhabitants of polluted surface waters, could be further explored not only for removal of inorganic nutrients but also for removal of organic pollutants in water.

Graphene as a long-term metal oxidation barrier: worse than nothing.

PubMed

Schriver, Maria; Regan, William; Gannett, Will J; Zaniewski, Anna M; Crommie, Michael F; Zettl, Alex

2013-07-23

Anticorrosion and antioxidation surface treatments such as paint or anodization are a foundational component in nearly all industries. Graphene, a single-atom-thick sheet of carbon with impressive impermeability to gases, seems to hold promise as an effective anticorrosion barrier, and recent work supports this hope. We perform a complete study of the short- and long-term performance of graphene coatings for Cu and Si substrates. Our work reveals that although graphene indeed offers effective short-term oxidation protection, over long time scales it promotes more extensive wet corrosion than that seen for an initially bare, unprotected Cu surface. This surprising result has important implications for future scientific studies and industrial applications. In addition to informing any future work on graphene as a protective coating, the results presented here have implications for graphene's performance in a wide range of applications.

Oral contraceptives in polycystic ovary syndrome: risk-benefit assessment.

PubMed

Yildiz, Bulent O

2008-01-01

Combined oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) have been a key component of the chronic treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) by improving androgen excess and regulating menstrual cycles. Earlier epidemiologic studies with second- and third-generation OCPs in the general population have raised important questions regarding long-term cardiometabolic effects of these agents. In PCOS, there are only a few short-term studies with contradictory results evaluating potential adverse effects of OCPs on cardiovascular risk factors and glucose homeostasis. These studies included a small number of participants and did not take into account several confounding factors that might influence the outcome. Nevertheless, limited available data support the benefits of long-term OCP use in PCOS. By contrast, solid evidence for cardiometabolic adverse outcome with the use of these agents, especially with newer OCPs containing antiandrogenic progestins, is lacking. More studies are needed to resolve controversies regarding the safety of long-term OCP use in PCOS. Meanwhile, assessment of each PCOS patient's personal cardiometabolic risk profile should be an essential component of the evaluation before prescribing OCPs and also during follow-up.

Long-term effects of sulfidized silver nanoparticles in sewage sludge on soil microflora.

PubMed

Kraas, Marco; Schlich, Karsten; Knopf, Burkhard; Wege, Franziska; Kägi, Ralf; Terytze, Konstantin; Hund-Rinke, Kerstin

2017-12-01

The use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in consumer products such as textiles leads to their discharge into wastewater and consequently to a transfer of the AgNPs to soil ecosystems via biosolids used as fertilizer. In urban wastewater systems (e.g., sewer, wastewater treatment plant [WWTP], anaerobic digesters) AgNPs are efficiently converted into sparingly soluble silver sulfides (Ag 2 S), mitigating the toxicity of the AgNPs. However, long-term studies on the bioavailability and effects of sulfidized AgNPs on soil microorganisms are lacking. Thus we investigated the bioavailability and long-term effects of AgNPs (spiked in a laboratory WWTP) on soil microorganisms. Before mixing the biosolids into soil, the sludges were either anaerobically digested or directly dewatered. The effects on the ammonium oxidation process were investigated over 140 d. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) suggested an almost complete sulfidation of the AgNPs analyzed in all biosolid samples and in soil, with Ag 2 S predominantly detected in long-term incubation experiments. However, despite the sulfidation of the AgNPs, soil ammonium oxidation was significantly inhibited, and the degree of inhibition was independent of the sludge treatment. The results revealed that AgNPs sulfidized under environmentally relevant conditions were still bioavailable to soil microorganisms. Consequently, Ag 2 S may exhibit toxic effects over the long term rather than the short term. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:3305-3313. © 2017 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC. © 2017 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.

The role of media violence in violent behavior.

PubMed

Huesmann, L Rowell; Taylor, Laramie D

2006-01-01

Media violence poses a threat to public health inasmuch as it leads to an increase in real-world violence and aggression. Research shows that fictional television and film violence contribute to both a short-term and a long-term increase in aggression and violence in young viewers. Television news violence also contributes to increased violence, principally in the form of imitative suicides and acts of aggression. Video games are clearly capable of producing an increase in aggression and violence in the short term, although no long-term longitudinal studies capable of demonstrating long-term effects have been conducted. The relationship between media violence and real-world violence and aggression is moderated by the nature of the media content and characteristics of and social influences on the individual exposed to that content. Still, the average overall size of the effect is large enough to place it in the category of known threats to public health.

Mitigating the Effects of Poverty and Crime: The Long-Term Effects of an Early Intervention Programme for Children Who Were Developmentally Delayed and Prenatally Exposed to Cocaine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ullery, Mary Anne; Gonzalez, Antonio; Katz, Lynne

2016-01-01

This study explores the long-term impact on participation in the Linda Ray Intervention Program (LRIP) for children (n = 54) who were developmentally delayed and prenatally exposed to cocaine. By identifying a group of programme graduates from a high crime/high poverty neighbourhood in Miami-Dade County using ArcGIS 10.2 software, a…

Effect of environment on the long-term consequences of chronic pain

PubMed Central

Bushnell, MC; Case, LK; Ceko, M; Cotton, VA; Gracely, JL; Low, LA; Pitcher, MH; Villemure, C

2014-01-01

Much evidence from pain patients and animal models shows that chronic pain does not exist in a vacuum, but has varied co-morbidities and far-reaching consequences. Patients with long-term pain often develop anxiety and depression and can manifest changes in cognitive functioning, particularly with working memory. Longitudinal studies in rodent models also show the development of anxiety-like behavior and cognitive changes weeks to months after an injury causing long-term pain. Brain imaging studies in pain patients and rodent models find that chronic pain is associated with anatomical and functional alterations in the brain. Nevertheless, studies in humans reveal that life-style choices, such as the practice of meditation or yoga, can reduce pain perception and have the opposite effect on the brain as does chronic pain. In rodent models, studies show that physical activity and a socially enriched environment reduce pain behavior and normalize brain function. Together, these studies suggest that the burden of chronic pain can be reduced by non-pharmacological interventions. PMID:25789436

Short- and long-term clinical skin effects of testosterone treatment in trans men.

PubMed

Wierckx, Katrien; Van de Peer, Fleur; Verhaeghe, Evelien; Dedecker, David; Van Caenegem, Eva; Toye, Kaatje; Kaufman, Jean Marc; T'Sjoen, Guy

2014-01-01

Our knowledge concerning the effects of testosterone (T) therapy on the skin of trans men (female-to-male transsexuals) is scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short- and long-term clinical effects of T treatment on the skin of trans men. We conducted a prospective intervention study in 20 hormone naive trans men and a cross-sectional study in 50 trans men with an average of 10 years on T therapy. Acne lesions were assessed using the Gradual Acne Grading Scale, hair patterns using the Ferriman and Gallwey classification (F&G), and androgenetic alopecia using the Norwood Hamilton Scale. T treatment increased facial and body hair growth. The F&G score increased progressively from a median value of 0.5 at baseline to a value of 12 after 12 months of T administration. After long-term T treatment, all but one trans man achieved an F&G score indicative of hirsutism in women, with a median value of 24. Only one trans man acquired mild frontotemporal hair loss during the first year of T treatment, whereas 32.7% of trans men had mild frontotemporal hair loss and 31% had moderate to severe androgenetic alopecia after long-term T therapy. The presence and severity of acne increased during the first year of T therapy, and peaked at 6 months. After long-term T treatment, most participants had no or mild acne lesions (93.9%). Dermatological outcome was not demonstrably related to individual serum T or dihydrotestosterone levels. T treatment increased facial and body hair in a time-dependent manner. The prevalence and severity of acne in the majority of trans men peaked 6 months after beginning T therapy. Severe skin problems were absent after short- and long-term T treatment. © 2013 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Yale and the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission.

PubMed Central

Bowers, J. Z.

1983-01-01

This is a description, based largely on personal discussions, of the contributions of men from the Yale University School of Medicine to the saga of the immediate and long-term studies on the medical effects of the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They played key roles in the immediate studies of bomb effects, in the creation of long-term studies of delayed effects, and in elevating the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission after 1955 to a position of excellence in its studies and relations with the Japanese. The accumulation of the information presented in this paper derives from research for the preparation of the history of the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission. In 1975, the commission was passed to Japanese leadership as the Radiation Effects Research Foundation. PMID:6349145

Effects of Exercise on Falls, Balance, and Gait Ability in Parkinson's Disease: A Meta-analysis.

PubMed

Shen, Xia; Wong-Yu, Irene S K; Mak, Margaret K Y

2016-07-01

Postural instability and falls are complex and disabling features of Parkinson's disease (PD) and respond poorly to anti-Parkinsonian medication. There is an imperative need to evaluate the effectiveness of exercise interventions in enhancing postural stability and decreasing falls in the PD population. The objectives of our study were to determine the effects of exercise training on the enhancement of balance and gait ability and reduction in falls for people with PD and to investigate potential factors contributing to the training effects on balance and gait ability of people with PD. We included 25 randomized control trials of a moderate methodological quality in our meta-analysis. The trials examined the effects of exercise training on balance and gait ability and falls against no intervention and placebo intervention. The results showed positive effects of exercise intervention on enhancing balance and gait performance (Hedges' g = 0.303 over the short-term in 24 studies and 0.419 over the long-term in 12 studies; P < .05) and reducing the fall rate (rate ratio = 0.485 over the short-term in 4 studies and 0.413 over the long-term in 5 studies; P < .05). The longest follow-up duration was 12 months. There was no evidence that training decreased the number of fallers over the short- or long-term (P > .05). The results of our metaregression and subgroup analysis showed that facility-based training produced greater training effects on improving PD participants' balance and gait ability (P < .05). The findings support the application of exercise training to improve balance and gait ability and prevent falls in people with PD. © The Author(s) 2015.

Long-term interactive effects of N addition with P and K availability on N status of Sphagnum.

PubMed

Chiwa, Masaaki; Sheppard, Lucy J; Leith, Ian D; Leeson, Sarah R; Tang, Y Sim; Neil Cape, J

2018-06-01

Little information exists concerning the long-term interactive effect of nitrogen (N) addition with phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) on Sphagnum N status. This study was conducted as part of a long-term N manipulation on Whim bog in south Scotland to evaluate the long-term alleviation effects of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) on N saturation of Sphagnum (S. capillifolium). On this ombrotrophic peatland, where ambient deposition was 8 kg N ha -1 yr -1 , 56 kg N ha -1 yr -1 of either ammonium (NH 4 + , N red ) or nitrate (NO 3 - , N ox ) with and without P and K, were added over 11 years. Nutrient concentrations of Sphagnum stem and capitulum, and pore water quality of the Sphagnum layer were assessed. The N-saturated Sphagnum caused by long-term (11 years) and high doses (56 kg N ha -1 yr -1 ) of reduced N was not completely ameliorated by P and K addition; N concentrations in Sphagnum capitula for N red 56 PK were comparable with those for N red 56, although N concentrations in Sphagnum stems for N red 56 PK were lower than those for N red 56. While dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations in pore water for N red 56 PK were not different from N red 56, they were lower for N ox 56 PK than for N ox 56 whose stage of N saturation had not advanced compared to N red 56. These results indicate that increasing P and K availability has only a limited amelioration effect on the N assimilation of Sphagnum at an advanced stage of N saturation. This study concluded that over the long-term P and K additions will not offset the N saturation of Sphagnum. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Simulated effects of recruitment variability, exploitation, and reduced habitat area on the muskellunge population in Shoepack Lake, Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frohnauer, N.K.; Pierce, C.L.; Kallemeyn, L.W.

2007-01-01

The genetically unique population of muskellunge Esox masquinongy inhabiting Shoepack Lake in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota, is potentially at risk for loss of genetic variability and long-term viability. Shoepack Lake has been subject to dramatic surface area changes from the construction of an outlet dam by beavers Castor canadensis and its subsequent failure. We simulated the long-term dynamics of this population in response to recruitment variation, increased exploitation, and reduced habitat area. We then estimated the effective population size of the simulated population and evaluated potential threats to long-term viability, based on which we recommend management actions to help preserve the long-term viability of the population. Simulations based on the population size and habitat area at the beginning of a companion study resulted in an effective population size that was generally above the threshold level for risk of loss of genetic variability, except when fishing mortality was increased. Simulations based on the reduced habitat area after the beaver dam failure and our assumption of a proportional reduction in population size resulted in an effective population size that was generally below the threshold level for risk of loss of genetic variability. Our results identified two potential threats to the long-term viability of the Shoepack Lake muskellunge population, reduction in habitat area and exploitation. Increased exploitation can be prevented through traditional fishery management approaches such as the adoption of no-kill, barbless hook, and limited entry regulations. Maintenance of the greatest possible habitat area and prevention of future habitat area reductions will require maintenance of the outlet dam built by beavers. Our study should enhance the long-term viability of the Shoepack Lake muskellunge population and illustrates a useful approach for other unique populations. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2007.

The effects of state-level expenditures for home- and community-based services on the risk of becoming a long-stay nursing home resident after hip fracture.

PubMed

Blackburn, J; Locher, J L; Morrisey, M A; Becker, D J; Kilgore, M L

2016-03-01

This study measures the effect of spending policies for long-term care services on the risk of becoming a long-stay nursing home resident after a hip fracture. Relative spending on community-based services may reduce the risk of long-term nursing home residence. Policies favoring alternative sources of care may provide opportunities for older adults to remain community-bound. This study aims to understand how long-term care policies affect outcomes by investigating the effect of state-level spending for home- and community-based services (HCBSs) on the likelihood of an individual's nursing home placement following hip fracture. This study uses data from the 5% sample of Medicare beneficiaries from 2005 to 2010 to identify incident hip fractures among dual-eligibility, community-dwelling adults aged at least 65 years. A multilevel generalized estimating equation (GEE) model estimated the association between an individual's risk of nursing home residence within 1 year and the percent of states' Medicaid long-term support service (LTSS) budget allocated to HCBS. Other covariates included expenditures for Title III services and individual demographic and health status characteristics. States vary considerably in HCBS spending, ranging from 17.7 to 83.8% of the Medicaid LTSS budget in 2009. Hip fractures were observed from claims among 7778 beneficiaries; 34% were admitted to a nursing home and 25% died within 1 year. HCBS spending was associated with a decreased risk of nursing home residence by 0.17 percentage points (p 0.056). Consistent with other studies, our findings suggest that state policies favoring an emphasis on HCBS may reduce nursing home residence among low-income older adults with hip fracture who are at high risk for institutionalization.

Effects of caffeine on performance and mood: withdrawal reversal is the most plausible explanation.

PubMed

James, Jack E; Rogers, Peter J

2005-10-01

Although it is widely believed that caffeine can enhance human performance and mood, the validity of this belief has been questioned, giving rise to debate. The central question is whether superior performance and mood after caffeine represent net benefits, or whether differences between caffeine and control conditions are due to reversal of adverse withdrawal effects. To provide a focussed review of relevant experimental studies with the aim of clarifying current understanding regarding the effects of caffeine on human performance and mood. To avoid the shortcomings of standard placebo-controlled studies, which are ambiguous due to failure to control for the confounding influence of withdrawal reversal, three main experimental approaches have been employed: studies that compare consumers and low/non-consumers, pre-treatment and ad lib consumption studies, and long-term withdrawal studies. Of the three approaches, only long-term withdrawal studies are capable of unambiguously revealing the net effects of caffeine. Overall, there is little evidence of caffeine having beneficial effects on performance or mood under conditions of long-term caffeine use vs abstinence. Although modest acute effects may occur following initial use, tolerance to these effects appears to develop in the context of habitual use of the drug. Appropriately controlled studies show that the effects of caffeine on performance and mood, widely perceived to be net beneficial psychostimulant effects, are almost wholly attributable to reversal of adverse withdrawal effects associated with short periods of abstinence from the drug.

Telephone communication between practice nurses and older patients with long term conditions - a systematic review.

PubMed

Raphael, Deborah; Waterworth, Susan; Gott, Merryn

2017-01-01

Background and aims Long term conditions are a significant health problem faced by older people worldwide. Telephone communication is often used to deliver health care to patients and is an important tool in improving access to care. Previous research has shown that primary health care nurses communicate with patients by telephone, but little is known about the way in which telephone communication can be used to benefit older patients with long term conditions. The aims of this review were to identify the range and scope of telephone use between practice nurses working in primary health care and older people with long term conditions, explore which elements of this communication has been successful, and determine whether older people see telephone communication as useful for their needs. Methods A systematic search of the literature was conducted through CINAHL, Medline, Web of Science and EMBASE between July and August 2015. Included were English language articles containing older adults, primary care nurses and both qualitative and quantitative designs. Results Five studies met the inclusion criteria. All were intervention studies, and none looked at routine telephone communication between nurse and patient. Most studies showed that telephone based interventions were successful in improving pre-determined disease-specific health indicators. Conclusions All telephone communication interventions in this review focused on a specific long term condition, which they aimed to help patients self-manage. While all studies' samples included older patients, they did not consider them separately in relation to the effectiveness of the intervention. What was also lacking was the patient perspective regarding effectiveness in all but one study.

Labor productivity, perceived effectiveness, and sustainability of innovative projects.

PubMed

Makai, Peter; Cramm, Jane M; van Grotel, Marloes; Nieboer, Anna P

2014-01-01

To assess labor productivity, perceived effectiveness, and sustainability of a national quality program that sought to stimulate efficiency gains through increased labor productivity while maintaining quality through implementing small-scale innovation projects. Longitudinal measures of labor productivity and quality were collected at baseline and after completion of the innovation projects. Perceived effectiveness and sustainability (measured by routinization) were assessed cross-sectionally after project completion. This study was conducted in The Netherlands. Ninety-eight improvement projects in long-term care organizations. A national quality program to stimulate innovative approaches in long-term care. Labor productivity, perceived effectiveness, and sustainability were the main outcome measures. Labor productivity data were available for only 37 (38%) of the 98 projects, 33 (89%) of which demonstrated significantly improved efficiency. Perceived effectiveness was significantly associated with sustainability (0.29; p < .05), but not labor productivity. To achieve sustainability in long-term care, developers of innovative projects must collect better quality information on efficiency gains in terms of labor productivity and focus more on efficiency improvement. More research is necessary to explore relationships between labor productivity, perceived effectiveness, and sustainability. © 2012 National Association for Healthcare Quality.

The influence of disturbance events on survival and dispersal rates of Florida box turtles

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dodd, C.K.; Ozgul, A.; Oli, M.K.

2006-01-01

Disturbances have the potential to cause long-term effects to ecosystem structure and function, and they may affect individual species in different ways. Long-lived vertebrates such as turtles may be at risk from such events, inasmuch as their life histories preclude rapid recovery should extensive mortality occur. We applied capture–mark–recapture models to assess disturbance effects on a population of Florida box turtles (Terrapene carolina bauri) on Egmont Key, Florida, USA. Near the midpoint of the study, a series of physical disturbances affected the island, from salt water overwash associated with several tropical storms to extensive removal of nonindigenous vegetation. These disturbances allowed us to examine demographic responses of the turtle population and to determine if they affected dispersal throughout the island. Adult survival rates did not vary significantly either between sexes or among years of the study. Survival rates did not vary significantly between juvenile and adult turtles, or among years of the study. Furthermore, neither adult nor juvenile survival rates differed significantly between pre- and post-disturbance. However, dispersal rates varied significantly among the four major study sites, and dispersal rates were higher during the pre-disturbance sampling periods compared to post-disturbance. Our results suggest few long-term effects on the demography of the turtle population. Florida box turtles responded to tropical storms and vegetation control by moving to favorable habitats minimally affected by the disturbances and remaining there. As long as turtles and perhaps other long-lived vertebrates can disperse to non-disturbed habitat, and high levels of mortality do not occur in a population, a long life span may allow them to wait out the impact of disturbance with potentially little effect on long-term population processes.

Reciprocal relations between perceived parental knowledge and adolescent substance use and delinquency: The moderating role of parent-teen relationship quality.

PubMed

Abar, Caitlin C; Jackson, Kristina M; Wood, Mark

2014-09-01

The current study prospectively examined hypothesized short- and long-term reciprocal relations between perceived parental knowledge and adolescent heavy episodic drinking, marijuana use, and delinquency. Using the contextual model of parenting style (Darling & Steinberg, 1993), we examined the extent to which the bidirectional nature of associations between knowledge and adolescent outcomes is dependent on a facet of parenting style: the quality of the parent-child relationship. Data came from the first 4 waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Youth 1997. The sample for the current study consisted of 5,419 students between 12 and 14 years of age at baseline (52% male) surveyed annually for 4 years. Parallel process, autoregressive latent trajectory models were used to examine relations between initial levels and change over time in perceived parental knowledge and adolescent risk, and short-term cross-lagged paths were included to examine bidirectionality while accounting for long-term associations. Results showed significant short-term and long-term bidirectionality between perceived parental knowledge and adolescent outcomes, with parent effects on students and student effects on parents. Long-term associations across constructs were negative, whereas short-term associations were positive. These reciprocal associations were shown to differ across levels of parent-child relationship quality with regard to adolescent heavy episodic drinking and delinquency, providing support for the contextual model of parenting style. Implications for future work on parent-child bidirectional relationships and parent-based interventions are discussed.

Neuropeptide Trefoil factor 3 improves learning and retention of novel object recognition memory in mice.

PubMed

Shi, Hai-Shui; Yin, Xi; Song, Li; Guo, Qing-Jun; Luo, Xiang-Heng

2012-02-01

Accumulating evidence has implicated neuropeptides in modulating recognition, learning and memory. However, to date, no study has investigated the effects of neuropeptide Trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) on the process of learning and memory. In the present study, we evaluated the acute effects of TFF3 administration (0.1 and 0.5mg/kg, i.p.) on the acquisition and retention of object recognition memory in mice. We found that TFF3 administration significantly enhanced both short-term and long-term memory during the retention test, conducted 90 min and 24h after training respectively. Remarkably, acute TFF3 administration transformed a learning event that would not normally result in long-term memory into an event retained for a long-term period and produced no effect on locomotor activity in mice. In conclusion, the present results provide an important role of TFF3 in improving object recognition memory and reserving it for a longer time, which suggests a potential therapeutic application for diseases with recognition and memory impairment. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Effects of Arts Integration on Long-Term Retention of Academic Content

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardiman, Mariale; Rinne, Luke; Yarmolinskaya, Julia

2014-01-01

Previous correlational and quasi-experimental studies of arts integration--the pedagogical practice of "teaching through the arts"--suggest its value for enhancing cognitive, academic, and social skills. This study reports the results of a small, preliminary classroom-based experiment that tested effects of arts integration on long-term…

Long-term administration of inulin-type fructans has no significant lipid-lowering effect in normolipidemic humans.

PubMed

Forcheron, Fabien; Beylot, Michel

2007-08-01

Short-term studies have shown that the addition to diet of inulin-type fructans, a nondigestible carbohydrate, may have a plasma lipid-lowering effect in humans. Whether this beneficial effect persists during long-term administration has not been determined. The study was aimed at determining whether a prolonged (6 months) administration of inulin-type fructans to healthy subjects has a lipid-lowering action. In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, 17 healthy subjects were studied before and after 6 months of daily administration of placebo (8 subjects) or 10 g of a mix of inulin and oligofructose (9 subjects). During this 6-month period, they consumed their usual diet and did not modify their everyday way of life. We measured plasma lipid concentrations; cholesterol synthesis and hepatic lipogenesis; and adipose tissue and circulating mononuclear cell messenger RNA concentrations of key regulatory genes of cholesterol metabolism. Compared with the administration of placebo, the administration of inulin-type fructans had no effect on plasma triacylglycerol concentrations and hepatic lipogenesis and induced only a nonsignificant trend for decreased plasma total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration. Cholesterol synthesis was not significantly modified. Of all the messenger RNA concentrations measured, none was significantly modified by the administration of inulin-type fructans. In conclusion, contrary to what was observed in short-term studies, we observed no significant beneficial effect of a long-term (6-month) administration of inulin-type fructans on plasma lipids in healthy human subjects.

Blonanserin: a review of its use in the management of schizophrenia.

PubMed

Deeks, Emma D; Keating, Gillian M

2010-01-01

Oral blonanserin (Lonasen) is an atypical antipsychotic agent indicated for use in patients with schizophrenia in Japan and Korea. It is effective in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia, providing short- and long-term efficacy against both the positive and negative symptoms of the disorder in several randomized and noncomparative trials. Notably, in two randomized, double-blind trials of 8 weeks' duration, blonanserin was noninferior to haloperidol or risperidone for primary endpoints, although it appeared to be better than haloperidol in improving negative symptoms. Blonanserin is generally well tolerated and appears to have an acceptable profile in terms of bodyweight gain. Potential tolerability benefits of the drug in short-term trials included fewer extrapyramidal symptoms than haloperidol and fewer reports of prolactin level increases or hyperprolactinaemia than risperidone. Nevertheless, extrapyramidal symptoms and hyperprolactinaemia were among the most common adverse reactions associated with blonanserin in noncomparative long-term studies. Further prospective and long-term comparative studies are required in order to definitively position blonanserin with respect to other antipsychotic agents. In the meantime, available clinical data suggest that blonanserin is an effective and generally well tolerated option for the short-term treatment of schizophrenia and for those requiring longer-term therapy.

Math Self-Concept, Grades, and Achievement Test Scores: Long-Term Reciprocal Effects across Five Waves and Three Achievement Tracks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arens, A. Katrin; Marsh, Herbert W.; Pekrun, Reinhard; Lichtenfeld, Stephanie; Murayama, Kou; vom Hofe, Rudolf

2017-01-01

This study examines reciprocal effects between self-concept and achievement by considering a long time span covering grades 5 through 9. Extending previous research on the reciprocal effects model (REM), this study tests (1) the assumption of developmental equilibrium as time-invariant cross-lagged paths from self-concept to achievement and from…

The Mnemonic Keyword Method: Effects on the Vocabulary Acquisition and Retention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siriganjanavong, Vanlee

2013-01-01

The objectives of the study were to introduce the technique called "Mnemonic Keyword Method" ("MKM") to low proficiency English learners, and to explore the effectiveness of the method in terms of short-term and long-term retention. The sample was purposefully drawn from one intact class consisting of 44 students. They were…

Accepting the challenge: what academic health sciences library directors do to become effective leaders.

PubMed

Fought, Rick L; Misawa, Mitsunori

2018-04-01

This study sought to better understand effective leadership through the lived experiences of academic health sciences library directors. Phenomenological interviews were conducted with eight academic health sciences library directors to capture the essence of their shared leadership experiences. The research question that guided the study was: How do academic health sciences library directors understand their leadership effectiveness? The interviews were transcribed and coded, and the data were analyzed thematically. Three main themes emerged from data after analysis: assessment of the environment, strategies and decisions, and critical skills. Assessment of the environment includes awareness not only of trends in libraries and technology, but also the trends in health information, higher education, and current events and politics of their institutions and states. The strategies and decisions theme is about the ability to think both in the long-term and short-term when leading the library. Finally, critical skills are those leadership skills that the research participants identified as most important to their leadership effectiveness. The study identified three main themes capturing the essence of the research participants' leadership experiences. The three themes constitute a wide array of leadership skills that are important to learn, understand, and develop to increase leadership effectiveness. Effective leadership is fundamental to obtaining long-term strategic goals and is critical to the long-term future of the libraries.

Accepting the challenge: what academic health sciences library directors do to become effective leaders

PubMed Central

Fought, Rick L.; Misawa, Mitsunori

2018-01-01

Objective This study sought to better understand effective leadership through the lived experiences of academic health sciences library directors. Methods Phenomenological interviews were conducted with eight academic health sciences library directors to capture the essence of their shared leadership experiences. The research question that guided the study was: How do academic health sciences library directors understand their leadership effectiveness? The interviews were transcribed and coded, and the data were analyzed thematically. Results Three main themes emerged from data after analysis: assessment of the environment, strategies and decisions, and critical skills. Assessment of the environment includes awareness not only of trends in libraries and technology, but also the trends in health information, higher education, and current events and politics of their institutions and states. The strategies and decisions theme is about the ability to think both in the long-term and short-term when leading the library. Finally, critical skills are those leadership skills that the research participants identified as most important to their leadership effectiveness. Conclusions The study identified three main themes capturing the essence of the research participants’ leadership experiences. The three themes constitute a wide array of leadership skills that are important to learn, understand, and develop to increase leadership effectiveness. Effective leadership is fundamental to obtaining long-term strategic goals and is critical to the long-term future of the libraries. PMID:29632444

[Health promotion for long-term unemployed. Effects on motivation for a healthy lifestyle].

PubMed

Horns, K; Seeger, K; Heinmüller, M; Limm, H; Waldhoff, H-P; Salman, R; Gündel, H; Angerer, P

2012-05-01

Among the long-term unemployed ill health is often a hindrance to successful reintegration in the job market. In a quasi-experimental controlled study we examined the effects of a health promotion intervention program tailored to the specific needs of the long-term unemployed combining individual sessions based on motivational interviewing and participatory group sessions including physical activity. Over a period of 3 months the participants of the intervention group (n = 179) showed more improvement compared to the control group (n = 108) in terms of motivation for lifestyle changes towards more physical activity and healthier nutrition. Participants of the intervention group developed an intention to act significantly more often (active lifestyle: odds ratio 4.44; 95% CI: 2.00-9.83; healthy nutrition: odds ratio 3.94; 95% CI: 1.55-10.00) and actually implemented a behavior change significantly more often (active lifestyle: odds ratio 2.77; 95% CI: 1.35-5.71; healthy nutrition: odds ratio 4.34; 95% CI: 1.92-9.78). In terms of smoking and alcohol consumption no significant intervention effects were detected. The results of the study show the effectiveness of the described health promotion program regarding a lifestyle change towards more healthy nutrition and more physical activity.

Validity, Significance, Strengths, Limitations, and Evidentiary Value of Real-World Clinical Data for Combination Therapy in Alzheimer's Disease: Comparison of Efficacy and Effectiveness Studies

PubMed Central

Atri, Alireza; Rountree, Susan D.; Lopez, Oscar L.; Doody, Rachelle S.

2012-01-01

Background Randomized controlled efficacy trials (RCTs), the scientific gold standard, are required for regulatory approval of Alzheimer's disease (AD) interventions, yet provide limited information regarding real-world therapeutic effectiveness. Objective: To compare the nature of evidence regarding the combination of approved AD treatments from RCTs versus long-term observational controlled studies (LTOCs). Methods Comparisons of strengths, limitations, and evidence level for monotherapy [cholinesterase inhibitor (ChEI) or memantine] and combination therapy (ChEI + memantine) in RCTs versus LTOCs. Results RCTs examined highly selected populations over months. LTOCs collected data across multiple AD stages in large populations over many years. RCTs and LTOCs show similar patterns favoring combination over monotherapy over placebo/no treatment. Long-term combination therapy compared to monotherapy reduced cognitive and functional decline and delayed time to nursing home admission. Persistent treatment was associated with slower decline. While LTOCs used control groups, adjusted for multiple covariates, had higher external validity, and favorable ethical, practical and cost considerations, their limitations included potential selection bias due to lack of placebo comparisons and randomization. Conclusions Naturalistic LTOCs provide complementary long-term level II evidence to complement level I evidence from short-term RCTs regarding therapeutic effectiveness in AD that may otherwise be unobtainable. A coordinated strategy/consortium to pool LTOC data from multiple centers to estimate long-term comparative effectiveness, risks/benefits, and costs of AD treatments is needed. PMID:22327239

Energy Density, Energy Intake, and Body Weight Regulation in Adults12345

PubMed Central

Karl, J. Philip; Roberts, Susan B.

2014-01-01

The role of dietary energy density (ED) in the regulation of energy intake (EI) is controversial. Methodologically, there is also debate about whether beverages should be included in dietary ED calculations. To address these issues, studies examining the effects of ED on EI or body weight in nonelderly adults were reviewed. Different approaches to calculating dietary ED do not appear to alter the direction of reported relations between ED and body weight. Evidence that lowering dietary ED reduces EI in short-term studies is convincing, but there are currently insufficient data to determine long-term effectiveness for weight loss. The review also identified key barriers to progress in understanding the role of ED in energy regulation, in particular the absence of a standard definition of ED, and the lack of data from multiple long-term clinical trials examining the effectiveness of low-ED diet recommendations for preventing both primary weight gain and weight regain in nonobese individuals. Long-term clinical trials designed to examine the impact of dietary ED on energy regulation, and including multiple ED calculation methods within the same study, are still needed to determine the importance of ED in the regulation of EI and body weight. PMID:25398750

Order information is used to guide recall of long lists: Further evidence for the item-order account.

PubMed

Forrin, Noah D; MacLeod, Colin M

2016-06-01

Differences in memory for item order have been used to explain the absence of between-subjects (i.e., pure-list) effects in free recall for several encoding techniques, including the production effect, the finding that reading aloud benefits memory compared with reading silently. Notably, however, evidence in support of the item-order account (Nairne, Riegler, & Serra, 1991) has derived primarily from short-list paradigms. We provide novel evidence that the item-order account also applies when recalling long lists. In Experiment 1, participants studied and then free recalled 3 different long lists of words: pure aloud, pure silent, and mixed (half aloud, half silent). A Bayesian analysis supported a null pure-list production effect, and subsequent order analyses were largely consistent with the item-order account. These findings indicate that order information is retained in long-term memory and is useful in guiding subsequent free recall. In Experiment 2, a distractor task was inserted between the study and test phases, ensuring that only long-term memory processes were involved in recall: The pattern of results remained consistent with the item-order account. Order information can be retained in long-term memory for long lists, and is useful in guiding subsequent free recall, extending the domain of the item-order account. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Immunomodulatory effects of macrolide antibiotics - part 2: advantages and disadvantages of long-term, low-dose macrolide therapy.

PubMed

Altenburg, J; de Graaff, C S; van der Werf, T S; Boersma, W G

2011-01-01

The available evidence for long-term, low-dose treatment with 14- and 15-membered ring macrolides in non-cystic fibrosis (CF) bronchiectasis, COPD, chronic sinusitis, and asthma is reviewed with special attention to possible adverse effects and the emergence of resistance during long-term macrolide treatment. Macrolide maintenance therapy has been proven to be of benefit in diffuse panbronchiolitis and CF, presumably due to an anti-inflammatory mechanism of action in addition to its direct antimicrobial effect. Solid evidence to justify this treatment regimen for non-CF bronchiectasis, asthma, or sinusitis is still lacking, although a beneficial effect of long-term macrolide therapy has been found in small clinical trials on these subjects. Data from randomized trials of long-term macrolide treatment in COPD are conflicting. A sufficiently long duration of treatment and the careful selection of patients appears to be crucial. Aside from its beneficial effects, possible side effects of macrolide treatment should be taken into account, the most important of these being gastrointestinal upset and cardiac arrhythmias. Development of macrolide resistance among respiratory pathogens is very common during long-term macrolide treatment. Whether this finding is clinically significant is a matter of debate. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Long-term tillage frequency effects on dryland soil physical and hydraulic properties

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Long-term tillage influences physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil environment and thereby crop production and quality. We evaluated the effect of long-term (> 22 years) tillage frequency [no-till (NT), spring till (ST), and fall and spring till (FST)] under continuous spring whe...

The Parable of the Sower and the Long-Term Effects of Early Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suggate, Sebastian P.

2015-01-01

Previous work on the long-term effects of early reading focuses on whether children can read early (i.e. capability) not on whether this is beneficial (i.e. optimality). The Luke Effect is introduced to predict long-term reading development as a function of when children learn to read. A review of correlational, intervention, and comparative…

Effects of long-term use by big game and livestock in the Blue Mountains forest ecosystems.

Treesearch

Larry L. Irwin; John G. Cook; Robert A. Riggs; Jon M. Skovlin

1994-01-01

The effects on eastside forest ecosystems from long-term grazing by large mammals are assessed, because long-term herbivory can reduce or increase ecosystem productivity. The assessment emphasizes elk and cattle in the Blue Mountains of northeast Oregon and southeast Washington. Histories of populations of large mammals and their effects in the Blue Mountains are...

Modeling framework for representing long-term effectiveness of best management practices in addressing hydrology and water quality problems: Framework development and demonstraton using a Bayesian method

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Best management practices (BMPs) are popular approaches used to improve hydrology and water quality. Uncertainties in BMP effectiveness over time may result in overestimating long-term efficiency in watershed planning strategies. To represent varying long-term BMP effectiveness in hydrologic/water q...

Long tree-ring chronologies provide evidence of recent tree growth decrease in a Central African tropical forest.

PubMed

Battipaglia, Giovanna; Zalloni, Enrica; Castaldi, Simona; Marzaioli, Fabio; Cazzolla-Gatti, Roberto; Lasserre, Bruno; Tognetti, Roberto; Marchetti, Marco; Valentini, Riccardo

2015-01-01

It is still unclear whether the exponential rise of atmospheric CO2 concentration has produced a fertilization effect on tropical forests, thus incrementing their growth rate, in the last two centuries. As many factors affect tree growth patterns, short -term studies might be influenced by the confounding effect of several interacting environmental variables on plant growth. Long-term analyses of tree growth can elucidate long-term trends of plant growth response to dominant drivers. The study of annual rings, applied to long tree-ring chronologies in tropical forest trees enables such analysis. Long-term tree-ring chronologies of three widespread African species were measured in Central Africa to analyze the growth of trees over the last two centuries. Growth trends were correlated to changes in global atmospheric CO2 concentration and local variations in the main climatic drivers, temperature and rainfall. Our results provided no evidence for a fertilization effect of CO2 on tree growth. On the contrary, an overall growth decline was observed for all three species in the last century, which appears to be significantly correlated to the increase in local temperature. These findings provide additional support to the global observations of a slowing down of C sequestration in the trunks of forest trees in recent decades. Data indicate that the CO2 increase alone has not been sufficient to obtain a tree growth increase in tropical trees. The effect of other changing environmental factors, like temperature, may have overridden the fertilization effect of CO2.

Long Tree-Ring Chronologies Provide Evidence of Recent Tree Growth Decrease in a Central African Tropical Forest

PubMed Central

Battipaglia, Giovanna; Zalloni, Enrica; Castaldi, Simona; Marzaioli, Fabio; Cazzolla- Gatti, Roberto; Lasserre, Bruno; Tognetti, Roberto; Marchetti, Marco; Valentini, Riccardo

2015-01-01

It is still unclear whether the exponential rise of atmospheric CO2 concentration has produced a fertilization effect on tropical forests, thus incrementing their growth rate, in the last two centuries. As many factors affect tree growth patterns, short -term studies might be influenced by the confounding effect of several interacting environmental variables on plant growth. Long-term analyses of tree growth can elucidate long-term trends of plant growth response to dominant drivers. The study of annual rings, applied to long tree-ring chronologies in tropical forest trees enables such analysis. Long-term tree-ring chronologies of three widespread African species were measured in Central Africa to analyze the growth of trees over the last two centuries. Growth trends were correlated to changes in global atmospheric CO2 concentration and local variations in the main climatic drivers, temperature and rainfall. Our results provided no evidence for a fertilization effect of CO2 on tree growth. On the contrary, an overall growth decline was observed for all three species in the last century, which appears to be significantly correlated to the increase in local temperature. These findings provide additional support to the global observations of a slowing down of C sequestration in the trunks of forest trees in recent decades. Data indicate that the CO2 increase alone has not been sufficient to obtain a tree growth increase in tropical trees. The effect of other changing environmental factors, like temperature, may have overridden the fertilization effect of CO2. PMID:25806946

Effects of organic matter removal, soil compaction, and vegetation control on 5-year seedling performance: a regional comparison of long-term soil productivity sites

Treesearch

Robert L. Fleming; Robert F. Powers; Neil W. Foster; J. Marty Kranabetter; D. Andrew Scott; Felix Jr. Ponder; Shannon Berch; William K. Chapman; Richard D. Kabzems; Kim H. Ludovici; David M. Morris; Deborah S. Page-Dumroese; Paul T. Sanborn; Felipe G. Sanchez; Douglas M. Stone; Allan E. Tiarks

2006-01-01

We examined fifth-year seedling response to soil disturbance and vegetation control at 42 experimental locations representing 25 replicated studies within the North American Long-Term Soil Productivity (LTSP) program. These studies share a common experimental design while encompassing a wide range of climate, site conditions, and forest types. Whole-tree harvest had...

Effects of long-term prescribed burning on timber value in hardwood forests of the Missouri Ozarks

Treesearch

Benjamin O. Knapp; Joseph M. Marschall; Michael C. Stambaugh

2017-01-01

Prescribed fire is commonly used for restoring and managing oak woodlands but raises concern over the risk of value loss to timber products. We used a long-term prescribed burning study to quantify standing timber volume and stumpage value, fire scar presence and size, and timber value loss in comparison to unburned stands. Three study treatments were initiated in 1949...

Ethanol, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy) and their combination: long-term behavioral, neurochemical and neuropharmacological effects in the rat.

PubMed

Cassel, Jean-Christophe; Riegert, Céline; Rutz, Susanne; Koenig, Julie; Rothmaier, Katharina; Cosquer, Brigitte; Lazarus, Christine; Birthelmer, Anja; Jeltsch, Hélène; Jones, Byron C; Jackisch, Rolf

2005-10-01

This study investigated long-term behavioral, neurochemical, and neuropharmacological effects of ethanol-(+/-)-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) combinations. Over 4 consecutive days, male Long-Evans rats received 1.5 g/kg ethanol and/or 10 mg/kg MDMA, or saline. Rectal temperatures were taken in some rats. Starting 4 days after the last injection, we tested working memory, sensory-motor coordination, and anxiety. Subsequently, we measured cortical, striatal, septal, and hippocampal monoamines (last MDMA injection-euthanasia delay: 20 days), or electrically evoked release of serotonin (5-HT) in cortical and hippocampal slices, and its modulation in the presence of CP 93,129 (3-(1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyrid-4-yl)pyrrollo[3,2-b]pyrid-5-one) or methiotepin (last MDMA injection-euthanasia delays: 3-6 weeks). Ethanol attenuated the MDMA-induced hyperthermia, but only on the first day. In the long-term, MDMA reduced 5-HT and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) content in most brain regions. The behavioral and neurochemical effects of the ethanol-MDMA combination were comparable to those of MDMA alone; sensory-motor coordination was altered after ethanol and/or MDMA. In hippocampal slices from rats given ethanol and MDMA, the CP 93,129-induced inhibition and methiotepin-induced facilitation of 5-HT release were stronger and weaker, respectively, than in the other groups. This is the first study addressing long-term effects of repeated MDMA and EtOH combined treatments in experimental animals. Whereas the drug combination produced the same behavioral and neurochemical effects as MDMA alone, our neuropharmacological results suggest that MDMA-EtOH interactions may have specific long-term consequences on presynaptic modulation of hippocampal 5-HT release, but not necessarily related to MDMA-induced depletion of 5-HT. Thus, it is likely that the psycho(patho)logical problems reported by ecstasy users drinking alcohol are not solely due to the consumption of MDMA.

Immediate and long-term somatic effects, and health-related quality of life of BM donation during early childhood. A single-center report in 210 pediatric donors.

PubMed

van Walraven, S M; Straathof, L M; Switzer, G E; Lankester, A; Korthof, E T; Brand, A; Ball, L M

2013-01-01

Since 1968, when Leiden undertook the first successful European pediatric BM transplantation with a 7-year-old sibling donor, more than 300 young children have donated BM in our unit. We first retrospectively studied a cohort of 210 donors, younger than 13 years at donation, to survey procedures of donor eligibility and study immediate effects of BM donation. We then performed a long-term follow-up (FU) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) study. Despite documentation of previous medical conditions, no child was declared unfit to donate. We found that iron deficiency anemia or low-iron stores in BM did not result in treatment or extended FU. Harvest volumes exceeded 15 mL/kg in 65% of donors, with more than half requiring allogeneic blood transfusions. Donors had no structured FU after their first post-donation control. In this study, 25% of donors reported at least one somatic complaint at long-term FU. Finally long-term HRQoL revealed high scores in most subdomains (representing a higher QoL), compared to norm groups. These results indicate the need for development of (inter)national guidelines for pediatric stem cell donor care management.

Long-term effects of child punishment on Mexican women: a structural model.

PubMed

Frias-Armenta, Martha

2002-04-01

The aim of this study was to investigate long-term effects of parental use of physical and verbal punishment on Mexican women. To study both direct and indirect effects of these phenomena, a structural model was developed and tested. One hundred and fifty Mexican women were interviewed with regard to their history of child abuse, their level of depression, alcohol use, antisocial behavior, and punishment of their own children. Factors representing such constructs were specified within a structural equation model and their inter-relations were estimated. Women's history of abuse was considered as an exogenous latent variable directly affecting three other factors: mothers' antisocial behavior, their alcohol consumption, and their levels of depression or anxiety. These factors, in turn, were specified as influencing mothers' harsh discipline of their own children. Data supported this model, indicating that a history of abuse has long-term effects on women's behavior and psychological functioning, which in turn cause women's punitive behavior against their children. These results are discussed in terms of the theoretical framework of intergenerational transmission of violence. The direct consequences (depression, anxiety, alcohol consumption, and antisocial behavior) of child punishment act as risk factors for the next generation of child abuse.