Chinese Adolescents' Emotional Intelligence, Perceived Social Support, and Resilience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Shitao

2017-01-01

The constructs of emotional intelligence, perceived social support and resilience have been primarily developed in a Western, individual-oriented societal context. The application of these constructs in Eastern cultures requires further investigation. The aim of the study was to examine the relationships among trait emotional intelligence,…

Online Collaboration for Programming: Assessing Students' Cognitive Abilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Othman, Mahfudzah; Muhd Zain, Nurzaid

2015-01-01

This study is primarily focused on assessing the students' logical thinking and cognitive levels in an online collaborative environment. The aim is to investigate whether the online collaboration has significant impact to the students' cognitive abilities. The assessment of the logical thinking involved the use of the online Group Assessment…

School Leadership Practice and Preparation: Comparative Perspectives on Organizational Learning (OL), Instructional Leadership (IL) and Culturally Responsive Practices (CRP)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ylimaki, Rose; Jacobson, Stephen

2013-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to utilize successful leadership practices drawn from seven nations to improve leadership preparation. Design/methodology/approach: This study used a case study approach to gain a contextualized understanding of successful leadership across seven nations. Data sources primarily featured interviews with principals,…

A Model for Instructors' Adoption of Learning Management Systems: Empirical Validation in Higher Education Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Findik Coskuncay, Duygu; Ozkan, Sevgi

2013-01-01

Through the rapid expansion of information technologies, Learning Management Systems have become one of the most important innovations for delivering education. However, successful implementation and management of these systems are primarily based on the instructors' adoption. In this context, this study aims to understand behavioral intentions…

The Effect of Presentation Strategy on Reading Comprehension of Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khoshsima, Hooshang; Rezaeiantiyar, Forouzan

2014-01-01

The present experimental study primarily aimed at examining the effect of presentation strategy on reading comprehension of Iranian intermediate EFL learners. To determine the effect of this strategy, 61 students who enrolled in English Language Center of Chabahar Maritime University were initially selected and then divided randomly into two…

Sex Differences in Arithmetical Performance Scores: Central Tendency and Variability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martens, R.; Hurks, P. P. M.; Meijs, C.; Wassenberg, R.; Jolles, J.

2011-01-01

The present study aimed to analyze sex differences in arithmetical performance in a large-scale sample of 390 children (193 boys) frequenting grades 1-9. Past research in this field has focused primarily on average performance, implicitly assuming homogeneity of variance, for which support is scarce. This article examined sex differences in…

Exploring Teaching Satisfaction of Public High School Teachers: Empirical Evidence from Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Büyükgöze, Hilal; Gün, Feyza

2017-01-01

The current paper primarily investigates teaching satisfaction of teachers working in public high schools of Ankara. The latter aim of this study is to determine whether teachers' satisfaction levels vary in relation to some demographic variables such as gender, education, type of high school, tenure, marital status, and membership to an…

The Learning Experiences of Students with Dyslexia in a Greek Higher Education Institution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stampoltzis , Aglaia; Tsitsou, Elisavet; Plesti, Helen; Kalouri, Rani

2015-01-01

Dyslexia is the most common declared disability at universities which primarily affects reading, writing, speed of processing and organization. Many students with dyslexia have "invisible" difficulties that require different types of accommodations. The aim of this study is to give voice to the learning experiences of ten students with…

The Impact of Learning Multiple Foreign Languages on Using Metacognitive Reading Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Razi, Salim

2008-01-01

This study aims primarily to investigate the impact of learning multiple foreign languages on the use of metacognitive reading strategies (MRSs) by foreign language teaching (FLT) department students. A number of factors such as gender, hand preference, class, and programme with reference to their belief orientation were also involved in the…

Effect on Preschoolers' Literacy when Never-Married Mothers Get Married

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fagan, Jay

2011-01-01

Healthy Marriage programs in the United States aim to promote marriage primarily among low-income individuals. There is little research assessing whether children fare better when their never-married mothers get married. The present study uses the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey-Birth Cohort to test the hypothesis that children have higher…

Prognostic Cell Biological Markers in Cervical Cancer Patients Primarily Treated With (Chemo)radiation: A Systematic Review

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

Noordhuis, Maartje G.; Eijsink, Jasper J.H.; Roossink, Frank

2011-02-01

The aim of this study was to systematically review the prognostic and predictive significance of cell biological markers in cervical cancer patients primarily treated with (chemo)radiation. A PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane literature search was performed. Studies describing a relation between a cell biological marker and survival in {>=}50 cervical cancer patients primarily treated with (chemo)radiation were selected. Study quality was assessed, and studies with a quality score of 4 or lower were excluded. Cell biological markers were clustered on biological function, and the prognostic and predictive significance of these markers was described. In total, 42 studies concerning 82 cell biologicalmore » markers were included in this systematic review. In addition to cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-ag) levels, markers associated with poor prognosis were involved in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling (EGFR and C-erbB-2) and in angiogenesis and hypoxia (carbonic anhydrase 9 and hypoxia-inducible factor-1{alpha}). Epidermal growth factor receptor and C-erbB-2 were also associated with poor response to (chemo)radiation. In conclusion, EGFR signaling is associated with poor prognosis and response to therapy in cervical cancer patients primarily treated with (chemo)radiation, whereas markers involved in angiogenesis and hypoxia, COX-2, and serum SCC-ag levels are associated with a poor prognosis. Therefore, targeting these pathways in combination with chemoradiation may improve survival in advanced-stage cervical cancer patients.« less

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

Tan, Lizhen; Yang, Ying; Chen, Tianyi

Advanced nuclear reactors as well as the life extension of light water reactors require advanced alloys capable of satisfactory operation up to neutron damage levels approaching 200 displacements per atom (dpa). Extensive studies, including fundamental theories, have demonstrated the superior resistance to radiation-induced swelling in ferritic steels, primarily inherited from their body-centered cubic (bcc) structure. This study aims at developing nanoprecipitates strengthened advanced ferritic alloys for advanced nuclear reactor applications. To be more specific, this study aims at enhancing the amorphization ability of some precipitates, such as Laves phase and other types of intermetallic phases, through smart alloying strategy, andmore » thereby promote the crystalline®amorphous transformation of these precipitates under irradiation.« less

Representational Flexibility and Problem-Solving Ability in Fraction and Decimal Number Addition: A Structural Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deliyianni, Eleni; Gagatsis, Athanasios; Elia, Iliada; Panaoura, Areti

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to propose and validate a structural model in fraction and decimal number addition, which is founded primarily on a synthesis of major theoretical approaches in the field of representations in Mathematics and also on previous research on the learning of fractions and decimals. The study was conducted among 1,701 primary…

Practice Leadership at the Front Line in Supporting People with Intellectual Disabilities and Challenging Behaviour: A Qualitative Study of Registered Managers of Community-Based, Staffed Group Homes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deveau, Roy; McGill, Peter

2016-01-01

Background: The front-line management role in services for people with intellectual disabilities remains rather under-researched. The aim of this study was to examine the experiences of registered managers in services for adults with intellectual disability who exhibit challenging behaviour. Method: Interviews, primarily focussed upon staff…

Can Global Learning Raise Standards within Pupils' Writing in the Primary Phase? Development Education Research Centre. Research Paper No. 16

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alcock, Hilary L.; Ramirez Barker, Linda

2016-01-01

This study was primarily undertaken by teachers for teachers, and focuses on the potential contribution of global learning and development education (DE) methodologies to a core aspect of curriculum provision, namely writing. The aim of the study is to explore whether using global learning and DE methodologies can have an impact on pupils'…

Transformative Undergraduate Science Courses for Non-Majors at a Historically Black Institution and at a Primarily White Institution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marbach-Ad, Gili; McGinnis, J. Randy; Pease, Rebecca; Dai, Amy; Benson, Spencer; Dantley, Scott Jackson

2010-01-01

We investigated curricular and pedagogical innovations in undergraduate science courses for non-science majors at a Historically Black Institution (HBI) and a Primarily White Institution (PWI). The aims were to improve students' understanding of science, increase their enthusiasm towards science by connecting their prior experience and interest to…

Parental monitoring in late adolescence: relations to ADHD symptoms and longitudinal predictors.

PubMed

Salari, Raziye; Thorell, Lisa B

2015-04-01

In this study, we aimed to replicate Stattin and Kerr's (2000) study on parental monitoring and adolescents' deviant behavior, to extend their findings to ADHD symptoms, and to examine the longitudinal predictors (8-18 years) of parental knowledge and child disclosure. Results showed that conduct problems were primarily associated with parental knowledge and child disclosure, but not with parental solicitation and control. A similar pattern was observed for ADHD symptoms. However, while the relations for conduct problems were generally independent of ADHD symptoms, the relations for ADHD symptoms were primarily non-significant after controlling for conduct problems. Moreover, early behavior problems, but not insecure/disorganized attachment, were associated with parental knowledge and child disclosure in adolescence. In conclusion, child disclosure is primarily associated with deviant behavior rather than ADHD, and early child problem behavior is a more important predictor of child disclosure (implicating reciprocal relations between these two constructs) than is insecure/disorganized attachment. Copyright © 2015 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

EFL Teachers' Attempts at Feedback Innovation in the Writing Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Icy; Mak, Pauline; Burns, Anne

2016-01-01

To date, research on feedback in second language (L2) writing has primarily focused on feedback per se, with little attention paid to the teachers' professional development with regard to feedback in writing. This study aims to explore the ways in which two secondary teachers in Hong Kong attempted to implement feedback innovation in their writing…

Managing Rapport in Lingua Franca Sales Negotiations: A Comparison of Professional and Aspiring Negotiators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Planken, B.

2005-01-01

This article presents selective findings from a study that investigated how facework is used to achieve interpersonal goals in intercultural sales negotiations. The article reports on linguistic analyses of what Spencer-Oatey has termed ''rapport management'' which, in a negotiation context, is aimed primarily, but not exclusively, at building a…

Marketing Mix Formulation for Higher Education: An Integrated Analysis Employing Analytic Hierarchy Process, Cluster Analysis and Correspondence Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ho, Hsuan-Fu; Hung, Chia-Chi

2008-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine how a graduate institute at National Chiayi University (NCYU), by using a model that integrates analytic hierarchy process, cluster analysis and correspondence analysis, can develop effective marketing strategies. Design/methodology/approach: This is primarily a quantitative study aimed at…

A School-Based Intervention Associated with Improvements in Cardiometabolic Risk Profiles in Young People with Intellectual Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallén, Eva Flygare; Müllersdorf, Maria; Christensson, Kyllike; Marcus, Claude

2013-01-01

This study evaluates a multifactorial school-based intervention with the aim of decreasing cardiometabolic risk factors by means of a healthy lifestyle, primarily with daily physical activity and healthy food during school hours, at an upper secondary school for students with intellectual disabilities. The outcome is measured in terms of…

Growing Plants and Scientists: Fostering Positive Attitudes toward Science among All Participants in an Afterschool Hydroponics Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patchen, Amie K.; Zhang, Lin; Barnett, Michael

2017-01-01

This study examines an out-of-school time program targeting elementary-aged youth from populations that are typically underrepresented in science fields (primarily African-American, Hispanic, and/or English Language Learner participants). The program aimed to foster positive attitudes toward science among youth by engaging them in growing plants…

Pre-Service Teachers' Conceptions of Effective Teacher Talk: Their Critical Reflections on a Sample Teacher-Student Dialogue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Ji-Eun; Kim, Kyoung-Tae

2016-01-01

This study aimed to explore pre-service elementary teachers' (PSTs') conceptions of effective teacher talk in mathematics instruction, which were interpreted primarily based on the concept of communicative approach. This was accomplished through a task that involves analyzing and evaluating a sample teacher-student dialogue. This study…

Approaches to Teaching Online: Exploring Factors Influencing Teachers in a Fully Online University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Badia, Antoni; Garcia, Consuelo; Meneses, Julio

2017-01-01

In recent years there has been widespread interest in the implementation of online courses in universities. While most studies about online learning environments primarily focus on technology-related issues or instructional methods, little attention has been given to online teachers and their teaching approaches. The aim of this paper is to…

Using Interviews and Peer Pairs to Better Understand How School Environments Affect Young Children's Playground Physical Activity Levels: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parrish, Anne-Maree; Yeatman, Heather; Iverson, Don; Russell, Ken

2012-01-01

School break times provide a daily opportunity for children to be active; however, research indicates this time is underutilized. Reasons for low children's playground activity levels have primarily focused on physical barriers. This research aimed to contribute to physical environmental findings affecting children's playground physical activity…

Learning to Solve Addition and Subtraction Word Problems in English as an Imported Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verzosa, Debbie Bautista; Mulligan, Joanne

2013-01-01

This paper reports an intervention phase of a design study aimed to assist second-grade Filipino children in solving addition word problems in English, a language they primarily encounter only in school. With Filipino as the medium of instruction, an out-of-school pedagogical intervention providing linguistic and representational scaffolds was…

Learning Outcomes of Factual Knowledge: A Comparison of Module and No Module Conditions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

IRIS Center, 2017

2017-01-01

During the 2004-2005 academic year, a study of the learning outcomes associated with the use of an IRIS Module was conducted at a large urban campus with a diverse student body. The module's content pertained to instructional accommodations for students with visual disabilities. In an introductory class aimed primarily at general and special…

Gender Differences among Israeli Adolescents in Residential Drug Treatment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isralowitz, Richard; Reznik, Alex

2007-01-01

Aims: The use of licit and illicit drugs is considered to be primarily a male problem. Numerous studies, however, question the extent of gender differences. This article reports on last 30 day drug use and related problem behaviour among male and female youth prior to residential treatment. Methods: Self-report data were collected from 95 male and…

The Adaptation Study of the Questionnaires of the Attitude towards CALL (A-CALL), the Attitude towards CAL (A-CAL), the Attitude towards Foreign Language Learning (A-FLL) to Turkish Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erdem, Cahit; Saykili, Abdullah; Kocyigit, Mehmet

2018-01-01

This study primarily aims to adapt the Foreign Language Learning (FLL), Computer assisted Learning (CAL) and Computer assisted Language Learning (CALL) scales developed by Vandewaetere and Desmet into Turkish context. The instrument consists of three scales which are "the attitude towards CALL questionnaire" ("A-CALL")…

[The results of strontium-90 contact therapy to prevent the recurrence of pterygium].

PubMed

Schultze, J; Hinrichs, M; Kimmig, B

1996-08-01

Aim of the study was the evaluation of the role of adjuvant radiation therapy in the prevention of recurrence after excision. Between July 1, 1985 and April 1, 1993, 64 patients (43 male, 21 female) were referred to radiation therapy after excision of a nasal pterygium. Radiation therapy was done with a strontium-90 eye applicator and a total dose of 30 Gy, fractionated in 6 fractions of 5 Gy each, 3 times a week. Forty-nine patients were treated primarily, 15 patients underwent radiation therapy for the first time in case of recurrent pterygium after multiple re-excisions. All patients had a following of 1 to 9 years with a median of 5.5 years. In 8 of 64 irradiated patients recurrent pterygium was detected (12.5%). Differentiated into the 2 groups 4 of the primarily treated patients had recurrent pterygium (8.16%), the other 4 were in the group with multiple former re-excisions (26.7%). With regard to the initiation of the irradiation after surgery pterygium did not recur in any of the primarily treated patients who were irradiated in between 3 days after surgery. In contrary 3 of 7 primarily treated patients (42.9%) who started radiation therapy between 7 and 10 days after surgery had recurrent pterygium. For the patients with primarily recurrent pterygium no dependence of the initiation of radiation therapy after surgery could be detected. Adjuvant radiation therapy after excision of pterygium lowers the rate of recurrence from about 40% to 12.5%, in a primarily adjuvant situation to 8.16%. In these patients radiation therapy should be initiated within 3 days after surgery. Patients with primarily recurrent pterygium have an elevated risk of recurrence independently of the initiation of radiation therapy.

A Cross-Cultural Longitudinal Examination of the Effect of Cumulative Adversity on the Mental and Physical Health of Older Adults

PubMed Central

Palgi, Yuval; Shrira, Amit

2015-01-01

Self-oriented adversity refers to traumatic events that primarily inflict the self, whereas other-oriented adversity refers to events that affect the self by primarily targeting others. The present study aimed to examine whether cultural background moderates the effects of self-oriented and other-oriented adversity on mental and physical health of older adults. Using longitudinal data from the Israeli component of the Survey of Health and Retirement, we focused on 370 Jews and 239 Arabs who reported their exposure to various adversities across the lifespan, and completed questionnaires regarding mental and physical health. Results showed that the effect of self-oriented adversity on health did not differ among Jews and Arabs. However, other-oriented adversity showed a stronger effect on Arabs’ mental and physical health than on Jews’ health. Our findings suggest that the accumulation of adverse events that affect the self by primarily targeting others may have a stronger impact in collectivist cultures than in individualist cultures. PMID:25961862

Student performance on argumentation task in the Swedish National Assessment in science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jönsson, Anders

2016-07-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of content knowledge on students' socio-scientific argumentation in the Swedish National Assessment in biology, chemistry and physics for 12-year-olds. In Sweden, the assessment of socio-scientific argumentation has been a major part of the National Assessment during three consecutive years and this study utilizes data on student performance to investigate (a) the relationship between tasks primarily addressing argumentation and tasks addressing primarily content knowledge as well as (b) students' performance on argumentation tasks, which differ in relation to content, subject, aspect of argumentation and assessment criteria. Findings suggest a strong and positive relationship between content knowledge and students' performance on argumentation tasks. The analysis also provides some hypotheses about the task difficulty of argumentation tasks that may be pursued in future investigations.

A Cost Benefit Analysis of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Implementation at the Naval Postgraduate School’s Dudley Knox Library

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-01

anecdotal. Even a study of California libraries conducted by Engel, which aimed primarily at providing guidance to future users by surveying the...only. This study has both quantitative and qualitative analyses. A Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) was conducted using data gathered from research which...included personal interviews, site visits, and a survey questionnaire. Time and motion studies of selected library processes were conducted at DKL

The Predictive Ability of IQ and Working Memory Scores in Literacy in an Adult Population

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alloway, Tracy Packiam; Gregory, David

2013-01-01

Literacy problems are highly prevalent and can persist into adulthood. Yet, the majority of research on the predictive nature of cognitive skills to literacy has primarily focused on development and adolescent populations. The aim of the present study was to extend existing research to investigate the roles of IQ scores and Working Memory…

An Analysis of a First-Year Class on the Self-Efficacy of University Students in Japan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, Kimie; Nakagami, Masafumi

2015-01-01

This study aimed to examine the effect of the first-year class in Japanese universities on developing students' self-efficacy. An analysis of the class design based on the theory of self-efficacy implies that such courses are primarily intended to develop students' self-efficacy by putting them through enactive mastery experiences. In addition,…

Perceived Economic Strain and Psychological Well-Being: The Mediational Role of Parental Relations in Turkish Early Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uçanok, Zehra; Güre, Ays?en

2014-01-01

This study primarily aims to explore the association between perceived economic strain, parent-adolescent relational qualities and psychological well-being and to investigate the dyadic parental relationships during early adolescence. A total of 414 adolescents between the ages of 10 and 14 (M= 12.58, SD = 0.90) from three different socioeconomic…

CEFR and Eye Movement Characteristics during EFL Reading: The Case of Intermediate Readers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dolgunsöz, Emrah; Sariçoban, Arif

2016-01-01

This study primarily aims to (1) examine the relationship between foreign language reading proficiency and eye movements during reading, and (2) to describe eye movement differences between two CEFR proficiency groups (B1 and B2) by using eye tracking technique. 57 learners of EFL were tested under two experimental conditions: Natural L2 reading…

Examining Family Outcomes in Special Education and Disability-Related Services: A Comparison of Korean-American and Korean Families of Children with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Jiyeon

2015-01-01

Family outcomes are important to the provision of services because families are increasingly considered as the primarily support unit for children with developmental disabilities. With emphasis on positivity and multidimensionality of the life of families who have children with disabilities, this study aimed to expand the applicability of the…

"Facebook Official," "Hooking Up," "Friends with Benefits": Decoding the Terminology, Relationship Status, and Sexual Behaviors of Female College Students to Best Target Health Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richman, Alice R.; Webb, Monica C.; Eicher, Lesley; Adams, Phyllis; Troutman, Jamie

2017-01-01

Objective: This study aimed to assist college healthcare providers with patient communication by determining the relationship terminology commonly used by college students. Participants: A total of 17 female college students participated in four focus groups across two Universities. Participants were primarily white (71%) and heterosexual (88%).…

Sibling Voices: The Self-Reported Mental Health of Siblings of Children with a Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giallo, Rebecca; Gavidia-Payne, Susana; Minett, Belinda; Kapoor, Aparna

2012-01-01

Background: There is increasing interest in the experiences and well-being of siblings growing up with a brother or sister with a disability in Australia. However, research to date has primarily obtained parent reports of sibling adjustment and mental health. Therefore, the aim of the current study was threefold: (1) to report on the mental health…

Sociometric Status and Social Drinking: Observations of Modelling and Persuasion in Young Adult Peer Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bot, Sander M.; Engels, Rutger C. M. E.; Knibbe, Ronald A.; Meeus, Wim H. J.

2007-01-01

Because young adult drinking occurs primarily in peer groups, this should be taken into account when studying influences on drinking behaviour. This paper aimed to assess influences on drinking by observing existing peer groups in a naturalistic setting. We first analysed the basic levels at which two types of influence take place. The first,…

More Ambitious Educational Choices in Urban Areas: A Matter of Local Labor Market Characteristics?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boone, Simon; Van Houtte, Mieke

2016-01-01

Urban-rural disparities in educational outcomes have so far primarily received attention in U.S.-based research. These studies show that pupils in rural areas are at a disadvantage compared with pupils in (sub)urban areas. This article aims to examine urban-nonurban differences in educational choice in a European context, namely Flanders (the…

The Use of a Narrative Simulation in Rural Residential Fire Prevention: A Preliminary Study in Changes of Behaviorial Intention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goetz, William Clark

2013-01-01

Rural Kentucky residents suffer twice as many fire residential deaths than the national average. Fire prevention programs are primarily aimed at elementary school children however these children do not make the decisions nor take the precautions necessary to alter these conditions; their adult parents do. There is little research into the…

Beef Cattle Production. An Instructional Unit for Teachers of Adult Vocational Education in Agriculture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metzger, Bruce; Iverson, Maynard J.

The unit on beef cattle production is designed primarily for the adult farmer program in Kentucky as an aid to making the beef enterprise more profitable. It is aimed primarily at the commercial producer. The lessons center on some of the more important economic points in beef cattle production. Ten lessons comprise the unit, which can be adapted…

Motivations for Sexual Risk Behavior across Commercial and Casual Partners among Male Urban Drug Users: Contextual Features and Clinical Correlates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bornovalova, Marina A.; Daughters, Stacey B.; Lejuez, Carl W.

2010-01-01

The current study aimed to develop a measure for assessing the various motivations for sexual risk behavior (SRB) across commercial (involving the exchange of sex for money or drugs) and casual (nonregular) partners in a sample of inner-city, primarily African American drug users, and to examine the relationship of these motivations with a history…

The Validity and Reliability of Turkish Version of Fair Play Questionnaire in Physical Education (FPQ-PE) and an Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mirzeoglu, Nevzat

2015-01-01

The study was primarily carried out with the aim of adaptation of Fair Play in Physical Education Questionnaire (FPQ-PE). In addition, the adapted questionnaire was implemented on Turkish children and youth aged between 11 and 18 and the results were presented. The questionnaire originally adapted by Hassandra et al. for Greek students was adapted…

Estimating foundation water vapor release using a simple moisture balance and AIM-2 : case study of a contemporary wood-frame house

Treesearch

C. R. Boardman; Samuel V. Glass; Charles G. Carll

2010-01-01

Proper management of indoor humidity in buildings is an essential aspect of durability. Following dissipation of moisture from construction materials, humidity levels during normal operation are generally assumed to primarily depend on the building volume, the number of building occupants and their behavior, the air exchange rate, and the water vapor content of outdoor...

Host Genetics and Vaccine Efficacy: Global gene expression differentiation induced by vaccine and MDV in MD resistant and susceptible chickens based on Next-Gen RNA-Seq reads

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Marek’s disease (MD) is a herpesvirus-induced disease of poultry and it continues to threaten the poultry industry worldwide as MD virus (MDV) evolves to escalate the virulence of field strains. MD has been primarily controlled by vaccination and management measures. This study aimed to compare the ...

Further Evidence on the Factorial Structure of the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) for Adults with and without a Clinical Diagnosis of Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lau, Winnie Yu Pow; Kelly, Adrian B.; Peterson, Candida Clifford

2013-01-01

The Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) has been widely used for measuring autistic traits however its factor structure has been primarily determined from nonclinic populations. This study aimed to establish an internally coherent and reliable factor structure for the AQ using a sample of 455 Australian adults of whom 141 had autism spectrum disorder…

Metaphors in the Press: The Effectiveness of Working with Newspaper Tropes to Improve Foreign Language Competence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zashchitina, Galina

2013-01-01

The given article intends to focus on some approaches to teaching English as a second language at an advanced or proficient level. The paper primarily deals with the ways in which stylistic aspect of newspaper language can be put to use by university students thus becoming an integral part of their classroom discourse. The study aims at presenting…

Characteristics of Rosai-Dorfman Disease Primarily Involved in the Central Nervous System: 3 Case Reports and Review of Literature.

PubMed

Luo, Zhengxiang; Zhang, Yansong; Zhao, Penglai; Lu, Hucheng; Yang, Kun; Zhang, Yuhai; Zeng, Yanjun

2017-01-01

This study aimed to summarize the clinical characteristics of Rosai-Dorfman disease primarily involving the central nervous system and to explore diagnosis and treatment. We analyzed the clinical, imaging, and pathologic characteristics; treatment; and prognosis in 3 cases of Rosai-Dorfman disease primarily involving the central nervous system. We also performed a literature review. The largest of multiple intracranial lesions was totally resected, and steroid administration and radiotherapy were performed in phases for the remaining lesions. During the 1-year follow-up period, the excised lesion did not recur, and no obvious variations were observed in the other lesions. Subtotal resection was performed of the largest of another group of multiple intracranial lesions, and the residual did not show any obvious variations during the 1-year follow-up period. The isolated lesion was totally resected and did not recur during a 2-year follow-up period. Rosai-Dorfman disease with multiple lesions primarily involving the central nervous system is rare. Imaging characteristics are similar to meningiomas, and the pathological features include lymphocytes and plasma cells reaching tissue cells with large volume and abundant cytoplasm. Surgery is the preferred treatment, as the effects of steroid administration and radiotherapy are not apparent. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effect of obesity prevention interventions according to socioeconomic position: a systematic review.

PubMed

Beauchamp, A; Backholer, K; Magliano, D; Peeters, A

2014-07-01

Obesity prevention is a major public health priority. It is important that all groups benefit from measures to prevent obesity, but we know little about the differential effectiveness of such interventions within particular population subgroups. This review aimed to identify interventions for obesity prevention that evaluated a change in adiposity according to socioeconomic position (SEP) and to determine the effectiveness of these interventions across different socioeconomic groups. A systematic search of published and grey literature was conducted. Studies that described an obesity prevention intervention and reported anthropometric outcomes according to a measure of SEP were included. Evidence was synthesized using narrative analysis. A total of 14 studies were analysed, representing a range of study designs and settings. All studies were from developed countries, with eight conducted among children. Three studies were shown to have no effect on anthropometric outcomes and were not further analysed. Interventions shown to be ineffective in lower SEP participants were primarily based on information provision directed at individual behaviour change. Studies that were shown to be effective in lower SEP participants primarily included community-based strategies or policies aimed at structural changes to the environment. Interventions targeting individual-level behaviour change may be less successful in lower SEP populations. It is essential that our efforts to prevent obesity do not leave behind the most disadvantaged members of society. © 2014 The Authors. obesity reviews © 2014 International Association for the Study of Obesity.

A cross-cultural longitudinal examination of the effect of cumulative adversity on the mental and physical health of older adults.

PubMed

Palgi, Yuval; Shrira, Amit

2016-03-01

Self-oriented adversity refers to traumatic events that primarily inflict the self, whereas other-oriented adversity refers to events that affect the self by primarily targeting others. The present study aimed to examine whether cultural background moderates the effects of self-oriented and other-oriented adversity on mental and physical health of older adults. Using longitudinal data from the Israeli component of the Survey of Health and Retirement, we focused on 370 Jews and 239 Arabs who reported their exposure to various adversities across the life span, and completed questionnaires regarding mental and physical health. Results showed that the effect of self-oriented adversity on health did not differ among Jews and Arabs. However, other-oriented adversity showed a stronger effect on Arabs' mental and physical health than on Jews' health. Our findings suggest that the accumulation of adverse events that affect the self by primarily targeting others may have a stronger impact in collectivist cultures than in individualist cultures. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

The Effects of Simultaneous Use of Careful Online Planning and Task Repetition on Accuracy, Complexity, and Fluency in EFL Learners' Oral Production

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmadian, Mohammad Javad; Tavakoli, Mansoor

2011-01-01

This article reports on a study that was primarily aimed at investigating the effects of simultaneous use of careful online planning and task repetition on accuracy, complexity, and fluency in the oral production of learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). The effects of four planning and task repetition conditions (i.e. careful online…

Meta-Concepts, Thinking Skills and Religious Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vermeer, Paul

2012-01-01

This paper proposes that the acquisition of meta-concepts and thinking skills in order to facilitate scholarly religious thought should be the principal aim of religious education in schools. As a result, the aim of religious education is primarily stated in cognitive terms and religious education is understood as closely related to education…

On small satellites for oceanography: A survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guerra, André G. C.; Francisco, Frederico; Villate, Jaime; Aguado Agelet, Fernando; Bertolami, Orfeu; Rajan, Kanna

2016-10-01

The recent explosive growth of small satellite operations driven primarily from an academic or pedagogical need, has demonstrated the viability of commercial-off-the-shelf technologies in space. They have also leveraged and shown the need for development of compatible sensors primarily aimed for Earth observation tasks including monitoring terrestrial domains, communications and engineering tests. However, one domain that these platforms have not yet made substantial inroads into, is in the ocean sciences. Remote sensing has long been within the repertoire of tools for oceanographers to study dynamic large scale physical phenomena, such as gyres and fronts, bio-geochemical process transport, primary productivity and process studies in the coastal ocean. We argue that the time has come for micro and nano-satellites (with mass smaller than 100 kg and 2-3 year development times) designed, built, tested and flown by academic departments, for coordinated observations with robotic assets in situ. We do so primarily by surveying SmallSat missions oriented towards ocean observations in the recent past, and in doing so, we update the current knowledge about what is feasible in the rapidly evolving field of platforms and sensors for this domain. We conclude by proposing a set of candidate ocean observing missions with an emphasis on radar-based observations, with a focus on Synthetic Aperture Radar.

DIY 3D printing of custom orthopaedic implants: a proof of concept study.

PubMed

Frame, Mark; Leach, William

2014-03-01

3D printing is an emerging technology that is primarily used for aiding the design and prototyping of implants. As this technology has evolved it has now become possible to produce functional and definitive implants manufactured using a 3D printing process. This process, however, previously required a large financial investment in complex machinery and professionals skilled in 3D product design. Our pilot study's aim was to design and create a 3D printed custom orthopaedic implant using only freely available consumer hardware and software.

Syllabus for Weizmann Course: Earth System Science 101

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wiscombe, Warren J.

2011-01-01

This course aims for an understanding of Earth System Science and the interconnection of its various "spheres" (atmosphere, hydrosphere, etc.) by adopting the view that "the microcosm mirrors the macrocosm". We shall study a small set of microcosims, each residing primarily in one sphere, but substantially involving at least one other sphere, in order to illustrate the kinds of coupling that can occur and gain a greater appreciation of the complexity of even the smallest Earth System Science phenomenon.

Risk-Taking: Individual and Family Interests.

PubMed

Iltis, Ana S

2015-08-01

Decisions regarding clinical procedures or research participation typically require the informed consent of individuals. When individuals are unable to give consent, the informed permission of a legally authorized representative or surrogate is required. Although many proposed procedures are aimed primarily at benefiting the individual, some are not. I argue that, particularly when individuals are asked to assume risks primarily or exclusively for the benefit of others, family members ought to be engaged in the informed consent process. Examples of procedures in which individuals are asked to assume risks primarily or exclusively for the benefit of others include living organ donation and research participation. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy Inc. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Clinical trial allocation in multinational pharmaceutical companies - a qualitative study on influential factors.

PubMed

Dombernowsky, Tilde; Haedersdal, Merete; Lassen, Ulrik; Thomsen, Simon F

2017-06-01

Clinical trial allocation in multinational pharmaceutical companies includes country selection and site selection. With emphasis on site selection, the overall aim of this study was to examine which factors pharmaceutical companies value most when allocating clinical trials. The specific aims were (1) to identify key decision makers during country and site selection, respectively, (2) to evaluate by which parameters subsidiaries are primarily assessed by headquarters with regard to conducting clinical trials, and (3) to evaluate which site-related qualities companies value most when selecting trial sites. Eleven semistructured interviews were conducted among employees engaged in trial allocation at 11 pharmaceutical companies. The interviews were analyzed by deductive content analysis, which included coding of data to a categorization matrix containing categories of site-related qualities. The results suggest that headquarters and regional departments are key decision makers during country selection, whereas subsidiaries decide on site selection. Study participants argued that headquarters primarily value timely patient recruitment and quality of data when assessing subsidiaries. The site-related qualities most commonly emphasized during interviews were study population availability, timely patient recruitment, resources at the site, and site personnel's interest and commitment. Costs of running the trials were described as less important. Site personnel experience in conducting trials was described as valuable but not imperative. In conclusion, multinational pharmaceutical companies consider recruitment-related factors as crucial when allocating clinical trials. Quality of data and site personnel's interest and commitment are also essential, whereas costs seem less important. While valued, site personnel experience in conducting clinical trials is not imperative.

Privacy and confidentiality--old concept, new challenges.

PubMed

Prudil, Lukas

2006-09-01

This paper concerns a privacy and confidentiality problem in cases of exceptional situations. It is primarily aimed at using DNA samples, and at a breach of genetic data protection. European legal provisions are especially mentioned.

Testing space weather connections in the solar system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grison, B.; Souček, J.; Krupař, V.; Píša, D.; Santolík, O.; Taubenschuss, U.; Němec, F.

2017-09-01

This study aims at testing and validating tools for prediction of the impact of solar events in the vicinity of inner and outer solar system planets using in-situ spacecraft data (primarily MESSENGER, STEREO and ACE, but also VEX and Cassini), remote Jovian observations (Hubble telescope, Nançay decametric array), existing catalogues (HELCATS and Tao et al. (2005)) and the tested propagating models (the ICME radial propagation tool of the CDPP and the 1-D MHD code propagation model presented in Tao et al. (2005)).

If Ego Identity Is the Envelope Then Adaptive Change Is the Note to Self: Scaffolding the Career Choices of Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowles, Terence V.; Brindle, Kimberley A.

2017-01-01

The first aim of the current article is to primarily propose a model to assist career counsellors in understanding and guiding adolescents towards career commitment. The second aim is to focus on the relationship between career identity and career certainty, and how these positively influence the achievement of ego identity and maturity. Finally,…

Prevalence and clinical correlates of explosive outbursts in Tourette Syndrome

PubMed Central

Chen, Kevin; Budman, Cathy L.; Herrera, Luis Diego; Witkin, Joanna E.; Weiss, Nicholas T.; Lowe, Thomas L.; Freimer, Nelson B.; Reus, Victor I.; Mathews, Carol A.

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and clinical correlates of explosive outbursts in two large samples of individuals with TS, including one collected primarily from non-clinical sources. Participants included 218 TS-affected individuals who were part of a genetic study (N=104 from Costa Rica (CR) and N=114 from the US). The relationship between explosive outbursts and comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), tic severity, and prenatal and perinatal complications were examined using regression analyses. Twenty percent of participants had explosive outbursts, with no significant differences in prevalence between the CR (non-clinical) and the US (primarily clinical) samples. In the overall sample, ADHD, greater tic severity, and lower age of tic onset were strongly associated with explosive outbursts. ADHD, prenatal exposure to tobacco, and male gender were significantly associated with explosive outbursts in the US sample. Lower age of onset and greater severity of tics were significantly associated with explosive outbursts in the CR sample. This study confirms previous studies that suggest that clinically significant explosive outbursts are common in TS and associated with ADHD and tic severity. An additional potential risk factor, prenatal exposure to tobacco, was also identified. PMID:23040794

[Prevalence of patients with HIV infection in an emergency department].

PubMed

Greco, G M; Paparo, R; Ventura, R; Migliardi, C; Tallone, R; Moccia, F

1995-01-01

The activity at an ED, primarily aiming at providing rational and qualified support to critically ill patients, is forced to manage very different nosographic entities, including infectious, often contagious, pathologies. In this context the diffusion of HIV infection poses a number of problems concerning both the kind of patients presenting to the ED and the professional risk of health-care workers. In the first four months of 1992 the incidence of patients with recognized or presumed HIV infection at the "Pronto Soccorso Medico" was of 1.78% of 2327 patients admitted. This study aims to contribute to the epidemiologic definition of the risk of HIV infection due to occupational exposure, stressing the peculiar conditions of urgency-emergency often characterizing the activity within the ED.

Discrete X-Ray Source Populations and Star Formation History in Nearby Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zezas, Andreas; Hasan, Hashima (Technical Monitor)

2005-01-01

This program aims in understanding the connection between the discrete X-ray source populations observed in nearby galaxies and the history of star-formation in these galaxies. The ultimate goal is to use this knowledge in order to constrain X-ray binary evolution channels. For this reason although the program is primarily observational it has a significant modeling component. During the second year of this study we focused on detailed studies of the Antennae galaxies and the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We also performed the initial analysis of the 5 galaxies forming a starburst-age sequence.

Tinea capitis and tinea faciei in the Zurich area - an 8-year survey of trends in the epidemiology and treatment patterns.

PubMed

Kieliger, S; Glatz, M; Cozzio, A; Bosshard, P P

2015-08-01

Tinea capitis and tinea faciei are dermatophyte infections of the scalp and glabrous skin of the face affecting mainly prepubertal children. During the past 30 years, a significant increase and a change in the pattern of infectious agents has been noted for tinea capitis. The aim of this study was to determine trends in the current epidemiological situation of tinea capitis and tinea faciei in the Zurich area, Switzerland and adjacent Central and Eastern Switzerland. Consecutive cases diagnosed between 2006 and 2013 were studied retrospectively. A total of 90 tinea capitis and 40 tinea faciei cases were observed. Anthropophilic isolates (primarily Trichophyton violaceum and Microsporum audouinii) accounted for 76% of tinea capitis cases. In contrast, zoophilic isolates (primarily T. interdigitale) were responsible for 73% of tinea faciei cases. The peak incidence in both conditions was in 4-8 year-old children. While the annual number of tinea faciei cases remained stable over the past 8 years, a trend for an increase in T. violaceum-positive tinea capitis has been observed. This was mainly due to patients of African ethnicity. Anthropophilic isolates accounted for three quarters of tinea capitis and one quarter of tinea faciei cases. T. violaceum-positive tinea capitis was primarily linked to patients of African ethnicity. Tinea capitis caused by Microsporum spp. was more refractory to therapy and needed longer treatment than Trichophyton spp.-induced infection. © 2014 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Pre-Mastering and CD-WO Evaluations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hecox, D.; Hyon, J.; Martin, M.; Marski, K.; Shields, E.; Sorensen, S.; Teramae, S.

1993-01-01

This article reviews the features and functionality of five desktop pre-mastering software packages for the PC. Desktop pre-mastering packages are aimed primarily at end-users interested in bringing CD-ROM publishing tasks in-house, rather than traditional CD-ROM developers.

Global Effects of Early Life Stress on Neurons and Glial Cells.

PubMed

Duenas, Zulma; Caicedo-Mera, Juan Carlos; Torner, Luz

2018-02-12

Early life stress is considered a risk factor for the development of many diseases in both adolescence and adulthood. It has been reported that chronic stress (for instance, due to maternal separation during breast feeding), causes damage to the central nervous system at the level of neurons and glial cells, which are reflected in behavioral disturbances and susceptibility to the development of primarily emotional psychopathology. The aim of this review is to identify the overall state of the scientific literature that relates the information about the consequences of early life stress, contextualizing the mechanisms that may be altered, the behavioral consequences that have been studied and the possible dimorphic effects and its causes. At the end a short overview of pharmacological treatments that have been proposed to reduce the behavioral and neuroendocrine consequences caused by early life stress is presented. This review pretends to integrate general but relevant information based primarily on studies in animal models, which allow the experimental approach and the study of the mechanisms involved. A series of questions remains for reflection and surely will be answered in the near future. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Assessing gross motor development of Brazilian infants.

PubMed

Gontijo, Ana Paula Bensemann; de Castro Magalhães, Lívia; Guerra, Miriam Queiroz Faria

2014-01-01

To determine whether the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) requires reference values specific for Brazilian infants. A total of 660 (330 girls) healthy full-term infants from Belo Horizonte were assessed using the AIMS. Scores and percentile curves were compared with the Canadian reference values. Differences were found in the 5th percentile (9-<10 and 10-<11 months) and the 10th percentile (4-<5, 9-<10, and 10-<11 months) curves. No significant differences were found between sexes on the basis of the economic classification or the criteria of the Human Development Index. Primarily because of the corrections made to the 5th and 10th percentile curves, we recommend the use of the Brazilian infant data curves reported here for further studies conducted in Brazil. Because the Human Development Index of Belo Horizonte is similar to that for Brazil as a whole, the results of this study should be relevant for clinicians throughout Brazil.

Pulsatile turbulent flow through pipe bends at high Dean and Womersley numbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalpakli, Athanasia; Örlü, Ramis; Tillmark, Nils; Alfredsson, P. Henrik

2011-12-01

Turbulent pulsatile flows through pipe bends are prevalent in internal combustion engine components which consist of bent pipe sections and branching conduits. Nonetheless, most of the studies related to pulsatile flows in pipe bends focus on incompressible, low Womersley and low Dean number flows, primarily because they aim in modeling blood flow, while internal combustion engine related flows have mainly been addressed in terms of integral quantities and consist of single point measurements. The present study aims at bridging the gap between these two fields by means of time-resolved stereoscopic particle image velocimetry measurements in a pipe bend with conditions that are close to those encountered in exhaust manifolds. The time/phase-resolved three-dimensional cross-sectional flow-field 3 pipe diameters downstream the pipe bend is captured and the interplay between different secondary motions throughout a pulse cycle is discussed.

Recruitment for an efficacy study in chemoprevention--the Concerned Smoker Study.

PubMed

Arnold, A; Johnstone, B; Stoskopf, B; Skingley, P; Browman, G; Levine, M; Hryniuk, W

1989-09-01

Efficacy studies are important for the development of long-term cancer prevention strategies. Recruitment aims for a highly motivated group of participants. The Concerned Smoker Study is aimed at smokers with at least a 15 pack-year history and bronchial atypia on sputum sampling Recruitment has been primarily through use of the media. During the first year of randomization 905 potential participants expressed interest. Of these, 80 were eventually randomized. With over 60 participants having completed the study only one has defaulted and compliance with the study protocol has been high. Participants became aware of the study through the following sources: daily newspaper 36.6%, weekly newspaper 16.2%, television 14.9%, radio 13.8%, community television 1.3%, other sources 13.3%. Over 90% of potential participants who initially express interest in such a chemoprevention project may not ultimately be suitable. The population chosen for such studies may not be very representative of the more general population; however, a high degree of compliance can be obtained which will provide valuable information on treatment efficacy.

Therapeutic Uses of Outdoor Education. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berman, Dene S.; Davis-Berman, Jennifer

This digest examines the positive effects on emotional well-being of several types of outdoor education programs. Although many outdoor education and experiential programs enhance emotional growth, such "therapeutic" outcomes may be considered incidental to program goals. In contrast, programs aimed primarily at "therapy"…

Vocational Education and Training in Denmark. Short Description

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cedefop - European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, 2012

2012-01-01

Vocational education and training in Denmark has embarked on a process of modernisation aiming at, primarily, increasing flexibility, and individualisation, quality and efficiency. Assessment and recognition of informal and non-formal learning, competence-based curricula, innovative approaches to teaching, and increased possibilities for partial…

EPA'S URBAN RESEARCH PROGRAM IN BMPS AND RESTORATION FOR WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

EPA Science Inventory

The Urban Watershed Management Branch is responsible for developing, and demonstrating technologies and methods required to manage the risk to public health, property and the environment from wet weather flows (WWF) in urban watersheds. The activities are primarily aimed at rest...

EPA'S URBAN RESEARCH PROGRAM IN BMPS AND RESTORATION FOR WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

EPA Science Inventory

The Urban Watershed Management Branch is responsible for developing, and demonstrating technologies and methods required to managing the risk to public health, property and the environment from wet weather flows (WWF) in urban watersheds. The activities are primarily aimed at re...

Set and setting, psychedelics and the placebo response: An extra-pharmacological perspective on psychopharmacology.

PubMed

Hartogsohn, Ido

2016-12-01

Placebo response theory and set and setting theory are two fields which examine how non-biological factors shape the response to therapy. Both consider factors such as expectancy, preparation and beliefs to be crucial for understanding the extra-pharmacological processes which shape the response to drugs. Yet there are also fundamental differences between the two theories. Set and setting concerns itself with response to psychoactive drugs only; placebo theory relates to all therapeutic interventions. Placebo theory is aimed at medical professionals; set and setting theory is aimed at professionals and drug users alike. Placebo theory is primarily descriptive, describing how placebo acts; set and setting theory is primarily prescriptive, educating therapists and users on how to control and optimize the effects of drugs. This paper examines how placebo theory and set and setting theory can complement and benefit each other, broadening our understanding of how non-biological factors shape response to drugs and other treatment interventions. © The Author(s) 2016.

A network analysis of DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder and functional impairment in UK treatment-seeking veterans.

PubMed

Ross, Jana; Murphy, Dominic; Armour, Cherie

2018-05-28

Network analysis is a relatively new methodology for studying psychological disorders. It focuses on the associations between individual symptoms which are hypothesized to mutually interact with each other. The current study represents the first network analysis conducted with treatment-seeking military veterans in UK. The study aimed to examine the network structure of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and four domains of functional impairment by identifying the most central (i.e., important) symptoms of PTSD and by identifying those symptoms of PTSD that are related to functional impairment. Participants were 331 military veterans with probable PTSD. In the first step, a network of PTSD symptoms based on the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 was estimated. In the second step, functional impairment items were added to the network. The most central symptoms of PTSD were recurrent thoughts, nightmares, negative emotional state, detachment and exaggerated startle response. Functional impairment was related to a number of different PTSD symptoms. Impairments in close relationships were associated primarily with the negative alterations in cognitions and mood symptoms and impairments in home management were associated primarily with the reexperiencing symptoms. The results are discussed in relation to previous PTSD network studies and include implications for clinical practice. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Contemporary Review of the Relationship between Red Meat Consumption and Cardiovascular Risk

PubMed Central

Bronzato, Sofia; Durante, Alessandro

2017-01-01

Cardiovascular diseases burden is increasing due to aging populations and represents one of the major health issues worldwide. Dietary habits have been extensively studied in the cardiovascular field despite the difficulty in the quantification of the assumption of each single food and the observation that several foods affect cardiovascular risk with opposite effects. Moreover, some older findings have been reverted by more recent studies. Red meat has been widely studied in this context, and it has been suggested to increase cardiovascular risk primarily by causing dyslipidemia. Our aim is to review the relationship between red meat assumption and cardiovascular risk and to present novel findings regarding their link. PMID:28656096

Assessment of analytical quality in Nordic clinical chemistry laboratories using data from contemporary national programs.

PubMed

Aronsson, T; Bjørnstad, P; Leskinen, E; Uldall, A; de Verdier, C H

1984-01-01

The aim of this investigation was primarily to assess analytical quality expressed as between-laboratory, within-laboratory, and total imprecision, not in order to detect laboratories with poor performance, but in the positive sense to provide data for improving critical steps in analytical methodology. The aim was also to establish the present state of the art in comparison with earlier investigations to see if improvement in analytical quality could be observed.

Changes in antibiotic prescribing for children after a community-wide campaign.

PubMed

Perz, Joseph F; Craig, Allen S; Coffey, Christopher S; Jorgensen, Daniel M; Mitchel, Edward; Hall, Stephanie; Schaffner, William; Griffin, Marie R

2002-06-19

Overuse of antibiotics has contributed to microbial resistance, compromising the treatment of bacterial infections. Very high levels (>50%) of antibiotic resistance among invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae have been documented in Knox County, Tennessee. To determine the effectiveness of a community-wide intervention aimed at reducing inappropriate antibiotic use among children. The Knox County Health Department led a multifaceted year-long campaign (May 1997 through April 1998) aimed at decreasing unnecessary antibiotic use among children. Tennessee's 3 other major urban counties (Shelby, Hamilton, and Davidson) did not conduct similar campaigns and served as controls. Evaluation included white and black children (aged <15 years) enrolled in Tennessee's Medicaid Managed Care Program in the 4 study counties, representing 36% of the study counties' children (464 200 person-years observed). Educational efforts were directed toward health care practitioners (primarily via peer leader presentations) and to the parents of young children and the public (primarily via printed materials). The intervention-attributable effect on antibiotic use, defined as the excess percentage change in oral antibiotic prescription rates in Knox County between the 12-month preintervention and postintervention periods, relative to that of control counties. Antibiotic prescription rates declined 19% and 8% among Knox County and control county children, respectively, yielding an 11% intervention-attributable decline (95% confidence interval, 8%-14%; P<.001). The intervention-attributable decrease in prescription rates was greatest among children aged 1 to less than 5 years (among white children, 8% [P<.001]; among black children, 18% [P<.001]). A community-wide educational intervention reduced antibiotic prescription levels among children in Knox County.

Business Plan Competitions in Tertiary Institutions: Encouraging Entrepreneurship Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Roslyn; Atchison, Mary; Brooks, Robert

2008-01-01

The development of entrepreneurial skills and knowledge is a priority for governments that want to encourage an innovative and enterprising society. Furthermore, education institutions are becoming increasingly required by employers to produce graduates that have practical, real-world skills. Business plan competitions, although primarily aimed at…

Understanding Taxes: A Survey of Users. Research Report Number 109.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agency for Instructional Technology, Bloomington, IN.

This report analyzes and describes the results of survey research conducted with teachers, curriculum consultants, instructional television specialists, and others regarding the instructional effectiveness and the uses of "Understanding Taxes," a taxpayer education program aimed primarily at high school students. Written surveys were mailed to…

Native American Curriculum Resource Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCoy, Melanie, Ed.

This guide aims to assist the faculty member who wishes to integrate Native American materials into core courses of the curriculum. The first section is a bibliography of over 350 entries, primarily books and journal articles, arranged in the following categories: Native American bibliographies and general sources, history, economics,…

Argument Reconceived?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coffin, Caroline; O'Halloran, Kieran A.

2009-01-01

Just over 10 years ago, "Educational Review" published an article "Reconceiving argument" by Richard Andrews. In the article, Andrews traced some of the changes in the conception of argument that had taken place within educational contexts (primarily within the UK) over the previous few years. An important aim of the authors'…

Unmet home healthcare needs and quality of life in cancer patients: a hospital-based Turkish sample.

PubMed

Ataman, Gülsen; Erbaydar, Tugrul

2017-07-01

Home healthcare services in Turkey are provided primarily to patients that are bedridden or seriously disabled. There are no such services integrated with hospital services that are specifically designed for cancer patients. The present study aimed to explore the home healthcare needs of cancer patients and their experiences related to unmet home healthcare needs. The study included 394 adult cancer patients who were followed up at the surgical oncology department of a university hospital. A 37-item, study-specific questionnaire and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire for cancer patients (EORTC-QLQ-C30) were administered, and patient clinical records were evaluated. Home healthcare was provided primarily by the patients' immediate family members; the professional home healthcare usage rate was only 2.8%. Patient quality of life (QoL) was negatively affected by cancer, especially those with stage three and four disease. The frequency of the need for home healthcare services due to disease-related health problems during the 30 days prior to administration of the questionnaires was as follows: pain (62.9%), surgical wound care (44.9%), injection of therapeutics (52.3%), gastrointestinal complaints (51.8%), anxiety (87.1%), psychosocial assistance (77.2%) and information about cancer (94.4%). In the absence of home healthcare services, the patients primarily used institutional healthcare services to meet their needs; otherwise, their needs were not met. The physical and psychosocial problems that cancer patients experience could be solved in most cases by professional home healthcare services. Hospital-integrated home healthcare services might not only improve cancer patient QoL but might also increase the effectiveness of hospital-based healthcare services. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Students with disabilities in higher education - perceptions of support needs and received support: a pilot study.

PubMed

Simmeborn Fleischer, Ann; Adolfsson, Margareta; Granlund, Mats

2013-12-01

Students with disabilities in higher education frequently need support to succeed in their studies. Perceived problems in managing studies and everyday life may be the same for students with different disabilities, although the reasons for support may vary between them. In this pilot study, a questionnaire aimed to survey everyday functioning in students with disabilities was tested. Thirty-four students with Asperger syndrome, motor disabilities or deafness/hearing impairments were asked 55 close-ended and open-ended questions on participation restrictions and available support programmes. One aim of this study was to test the usefulness of the questionnaire, and another aim was to identify students' perceptions of their everyday student life and the support they are offered, with a special focus on comparing perceptions of needs and support between students with Asperger syndrome and other student groups. The results indicate the need to plan recruitment of participants carefully and that the questionnaire was useful. The descriptive analyses indicated that the groups primarily reported the same difficulties; however, the open-ended comments indicated that the reasons for the problems vary between the groups. It indicates that Likert-type responses to questions concerning perceived difficulties need to be supplemented by open-ended questions on the perceived reasons to problems.

Truth Disclosure Practices of Physicians in Jordan.

PubMed

Borgan, Saif M; Amarin, Justin Z; Othman, Areej K; Suradi, Haya H; Qwaider, Yasmeen Z

2018-03-01

Disclosure of health information is a sensitive matter, particularly in the context of serious illness. In conservative societies-those which predominate in the developing world-direct truth disclosure undoubtedly presents an ethical conundrum to the modern physician. The aim of this study is to explore the truth disclosure practices of physicians in Jordan, a developing country. In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, 240 physicians were initially selected by stratified random sampling. The sample was drawn from four major hospitals in Amman, Jordan. A closed-ended questionnaire was distributed and completed by self-report. A total of 164 physicians completed the questionnaire. Thirty-seven physicians (23 per cent) usually withheld the diagnosis of "serious illness" from patients, while 127 physicians (77 per cent) usually divulged the information directly. Among the latter, 108 physicians (86 per cent) made exceptions to their disclosure policy. Specialists were more likely to withhold health information (p = 0.04998). Non-disclosure was primarily motivated by request from the patient's family (seventy-one participants, 54 per cent). In twenty cases (15 per cent), non-disclosure was undertaken independently. In conclusion, most respondents opt to disclose the truth; however, the vast majority of these respondents make exceptions. Instances of non-disclosure are primarily motivated by sociocultural constructs.

Coworkers' Perspectives on Mentoring Relationships.

PubMed

Janssen, Suzanne; Tahitu, Joël; van Vuuren, Mark; de Jong, Menno D T

2018-04-01

Research into workplace mentoring is primarily focused on the experiences and perceptions of individuals involved in the relationship, while there is scarcely any research focusing on the impact of mentoring relationships on their social environment. This exploratory research aims to give insight into how coworkers' perceptions and experiences of informal mentoring relationships in their workgroup are related to their perceptions of workgroup functioning. The results of 21 semistructured interviews show that coworkers believe that mentoring relationships affect their workgroup's functioning by influencing both their workgroup's performance and climate . Coworkers applied an instrumental perspective and described how they think that mentoring relationships both improve and hinder their workgroup's performance as they influence the individual functioning of mentor and protégé, the workgroup's efficiency, and organizational outcomes. Furthermore, coworkers applied a relational perspective and described how mentoring relationships may influence their workgroup's climate in primarily negative ways as they may be perceived as a subgroup, cause feelings of distrust and envy, and are associated with power issues. The results of this study emphasize the importance of studying mentoring relationships in their broader organizational context and set the groundwork for future research on mentoring relationships in workgroups.

Validating the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale: testing factor structure and measurement invariance across child gender and age in a Dutch sample.

PubMed

Koomen, Helma M Y; Verschueren, Karine; van Schooten, Erik; Jak, Suzanne; Pianta, Robert C

2012-04-01

The Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS) is widely used to examine teachers' relationships with young students in terms of closeness, conflict, and dependency. This study aimed to verify the dimensional structure of the STRS with confirmatory factor analysis, test its measurement invariance across child gender and age, improve its measurement of the dependency construct, and extend its age range. Teachers completed a slightly adapted STRS for a Dutch sample of 2335 children aged 3 to 12. Overall, the 3-factor model showed an acceptable fit. Results indicated metric invariance across gender and age up to 8years. Scalar invariance generally did not hold. Lack of metric invariance at ages 8 to 12 primarily involved Conflict items, whereas scale differences across gender and age primarily involved Closeness items. The adapted Dependency scale showed strong invariance and higher internal consistencies than the original scale for this Dutch sample. Importantly, the revealed non-invariance for gender and age did not influence mean group comparisons. Copyright © 2011 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coworkers’ Perspectives on Mentoring Relationships

PubMed Central

Janssen, Suzanne; Tahitu, Joël; van Vuuren, Mark; de Jong, Menno D. T.

2016-01-01

Research into workplace mentoring is primarily focused on the experiences and perceptions of individuals involved in the relationship, while there is scarcely any research focusing on the impact of mentoring relationships on their social environment. This exploratory research aims to give insight into how coworkers’ perceptions and experiences of informal mentoring relationships in their workgroup are related to their perceptions of workgroup functioning. The results of 21 semistructured interviews show that coworkers believe that mentoring relationships affect their workgroup’s functioning by influencing both their workgroup’s performance and climate. Coworkers applied an instrumental perspective and described how they think that mentoring relationships both improve and hinder their workgroup’s performance as they influence the individual functioning of mentor and protégé, the workgroup’s efficiency, and organizational outcomes. Furthermore, coworkers applied a relational perspective and described how mentoring relationships may influence their workgroup’s climate in primarily negative ways as they may be perceived as a subgroup, cause feelings of distrust and envy, and are associated with power issues. The results of this study emphasize the importance of studying mentoring relationships in their broader organizational context and set the groundwork for future research on mentoring relationships in workgroups. PMID:29568215

Externalizing behavior from early childhood to adolescence: Prediction from inhibition, language, parenting, and attachment.

PubMed

Roskam, Isabelle

2018-03-22

The aim of the current research was to disentangle four theoretically sound models of externalizing behavior etiology (i.e., attachment, language, inhibition, and parenting) by testing their relation with behavioral trajectories from early childhood to adolescence. The aim was achieved through a 10-year prospective longitudinal study conducted over five waves with 111 referred children aged 3 to 5 years at the onset of the study. Clinical referral was primarily based on externalizing behavior. A multimethod (questionnaires, testing, and observations) approach was used to estimate the four predictors in early childhood. In line with previous studies, the results show a significant decrease of externalizing behavior from early childhood to adolescence. The decline was negatively related to mothers' coercive parenting and positively related to attachment security in early childhood, but not related to inhibition and language. The study has implications for research into externalizing behavior etiology recommending to gather hypotheses from various theoretically sound models to put them into competition with one another. The study also has implications for clinical practice by providing clear indications for prevention and early intervention.

Culture and Commerce in France: An Anthropological/Sociological Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Normand, Guessler

1986-01-01

The University of Toledo developed a course, primarily for its undergraduate business administration students, to hone their awareness of how business practices and approaches are shaped by culture. The course also aims to give students the opportunity to function effectively in the increasingly international environment of business. An outline…

Nutritional Management of Acute Diarrhea in Infants and Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council, Washington, DC. Food and Nutrition Board.

Written primarily for health professionals advising on programs and policy related to nutrition and diarrhea therapy, this report is aimed at management of diarrhea in less-developed countries, but its information and technical insights are relevant to an understanding of diarrhea and its management throughout the world. Technical in orientation…

The Sexuality Curriculum and Youth Culture. Counterpoints, Volume 392

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, Dennis, Ed.; Roseboro, Donyell L., Ed.

2011-01-01

The book aims to change the conversation about sexuality education for adolescents, making it consistent with a democratic cultural politics that is attuned to changes in youth and popular culture. Traditional sex education is nearly obsolete; sexuality curriculum is now primarily learned through popular culture and youth culture, which teach…

Perceptual and Subliminal Communication: A Business Teacher's Dream.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gratz, Elizabeth W.; Gratz, J. E.

1983-01-01

Aims to increase awareness of and sensitivity to perceptual and subliminal communication by focusing on selected applications of them in present day society. The basic theories are (1) communication is used to try to change a person's behavior and (2) it is being used primarily for deception rather than information. (JOW)

15 CFR 200.101 - Measurement research.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Measurement research. 200.101 Section..., PROCEDURES, AND FEES § 200.101 Measurement research. (a) The NIST staff continually reviews the advances in... research and development activities of NIST are primarily funded by direct appropriations, and are aimed at...

15 CFR 200.101 - Measurement research.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Measurement research. 200.101 Section..., PROCEDURES, AND FEES § 200.101 Measurement research. (a) The NIST staff continually reviews the advances in... research and development activities of NIST are primarily funded by direct appropriations, and are aimed at...

15 CFR 200.101 - Measurement research.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Measurement research. 200.101 Section..., PROCEDURES, AND FEES § 200.101 Measurement research. (a) The NIST staff continually reviews the advances in... research and development activities of NIST are primarily funded by direct appropriations, and are aimed at...

15 CFR 200.101 - Measurement research.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Measurement research. 200.101 Section..., PROCEDURES, AND FEES § 200.101 Measurement research. (a) The NIST staff continually reviews the advances in... research and development activities of NIST are primarily funded by direct appropriations, and are aimed at...

15 CFR 200.101 - Measurement research.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Measurement research. 200.101 Section..., PROCEDURES, AND FEES § 200.101 Measurement research. (a) The NIST staff continually reviews the advances in... research and development activities of NIST are primarily funded by direct appropriations, and are aimed at...

Principles and Practices Fostering Inclusive Excellence: Lessons from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Capstone Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiBartolo, Patricia Marten; Gregg-Jolly, Leslie; Gross, Deborah; Manduca, Cathryn A.; Iverson, Ellen; Cooke, David B., III; Davis, Gregory K.; Davidson, Cameron; Hertz, Paul E.; Hibbard, Lisa; Ireland, Shubha K.; Mader, Catherine; Pai, Aditi; Raps, Shirley; Siwicki, Kathleen; Swartz, Jim E.

2016-01-01

Best-practices pedagogy in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) aims for inclusive excellence that fosters student persistence. This paper describes principles of inclusivity across 11 primarily undergraduate institutions designated as Capstone Awardees in Howard Hughes Medical Institute's (HHMI) 2012 competition. The Capstones…

ESL: The Whole Person Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramsey, Cynthia, Ed.; Lopez, Trinidad, Ed.

This guide provides a model for training teachers of limited English proficient (LEP) students of Hispanic origins to eliminate sex bias in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) materials and teaching approaches. Although the guide aims primarily at the educational and personal empowerment of LEP Hispanic girls, it is also intended to assist in…

Drawing on Justice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeSimone, Bonnie

2006-01-01

In this article, the author describes the Comic Book Project, which encourages students to address social issues in their lives and schools with art and creativity. The project, founded and directed by Dr. Michael Bitz of Columbia University's Teachers' College in New York, aims primarily to promote literacy. It also gives children an empowering…

Contrastive Analysis of Sentence Patterns in English and Persian

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hajizadeh, Reza

2011-01-01

Complements, adjuncts and predicator are the three main elements of the clause structure. This paper primarily aims at presenting a general classification of clause structure in Persian. In this context, transitive and intransitive structures in Modern Persian are also analyzed. In this research, five canonical Persian constructions are identified…

A Hindu Perspective to Organizational Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shama Rao, Ashok; Kamath Burde, Jyothsna

2017-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to provide an overview of the relevance and applicability of the Hindu tradition to organizational learning. Design/methodology/approach: Attempting to separate the spiritual from the religious aspects, a primarily theoretical approach is used to delineate the basic concepts in Hinduism and their applicability to various…

Confronting World Hunger.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huddleston, Barbara

1983-01-01

The idea that food should be a universally accepted human right has been the focus of worldwide attention aimed primarily at increasing production at the national level and on reducing price fluctuations in world markets. However, the problem of individual human needs must be simultaneously addressed. The largest number of hungry people live in…

AirMSPI Level 1B2 V006 New Data for the CalWater-2 Campaign

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-06-07

... under NASA’s Instrument Incubator and Airborne Instrument Technology Transition Programs, and is aimed primarily at remote sensing of the ... for all spectral bands.  Wavelengths for which polarization information is available (470, 660, and 865 nm) also include the Stokes ...

The Adoption of e-Learning: An Institutional Theory Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jan, Pi-Tzong; Lu, Hsi-Peng; Chou, Tzu-Chuan

2012-01-01

Several models have been proposed in the literature to understand e-learning acceptance in which social environmental factors are not primarily addressed. This paper aims to improve understanding of what social forces influence employee's attitude and intention of e-learning adoption within an organizational context. Drawing upon the institutional…

Promoting School Success. Third Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lovitt, Thomas C.

2007-01-01

Like its two predecessors, "Preventing School Dropouts" [C1991] and "Preventing School Failure" [C2000], this third edition is a book about teaching. Although primarily written for teachers, tutors and parents may also find this book helpful. It is a collection of carefully selected teaching techniques aimed at helping young adults learn important…

Status of biological control in vegetation management in forestry

Treesearch

George P. Markin; Donald E. Gardner

1993-01-01

Biological control traditionally depends upon importing the natural enemies of introduced weeds. Since vegetation management in forestry has primarily been aimed at protecting economic species of trees from competition from other native plants, biological control has been of little use in forestry. An alternative approach to controlling unwanted native plants,...

New Directions in ASL-English Bilingual Ebooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stone, Adam

2014-01-01

The widespread adoption of smartphones and tablet computers have enabled the rapid creation and distribution of innovative American Sign Language (ASL) and written English bilingual ebooks, aimed primarily at deaf and hard-of-hearing children. These sign-print bilingual ebooks are unique in how they take advantage of digital platforms to display…

U.S. EPA'S URBAN WATERSHED RESEARCH PROGRAM IN BMPS AND RESTORATION FOR WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. EPA's Urban Watershed Management Branch is responsible for developing and demonstrating technologies and methods required managing the risk to public health, property and the environment from wet weather flows (WWF) in urban watersheds. The activities are primarily aimed...

Explanation in Biology: Reduction, Pluralism, and Explanatory Aims

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brigandt, Ingo

2013-01-01

This essay analyzes and develops recent views about explanation in biology. Philosophers of biology have parted with the received deductive-nomological model of scientific explanation primarily by attempting to capture actual biological theorizing and practice. This includes an endorsement of different kinds of explanation (e.g., mathematical and…

Positive Psychology and School Discipline: Positive Is Not Simply the Opposite of Punitive

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bear, George

2011-01-01

Historically, most educators have recognized two primary aims of school discipline: (a) managing student behavior, relying primarily on the use of teacher-centered techniques for preventing and correcting misbehavior; and (b) developing self-discipline, combining teacher-centered techniques with more student-centered techniques that focus on…

The Structured Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ljusberg, Anna-Lena

2011-01-01

The aim of this article is to highlight the organisation of the remedial classroom. The data were collected from observations and semi-structured interviews with 10 teachers in remedial classes for children seen and treated as having concentration deficits. The teachers use primarily compensatory language that places the deficits in the pupils.…

77 FR 27475 - Announcement of Funding Awards; Choice Neighborhoods Grant Program for Fiscal Years (FY) 2010 and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-10

... community development centered on housing transformation. The program aims to transform neighborhoods of...-functioning services, effective schools and education programs, public assets, public transportation, and improved access to jobs. Choice Neighborhoods grants primarily funds the transformation of public and/or...

Natural radioactivity in lignite samples from open pit mines "Kolubara", Serbia--risk assessment.

PubMed

Ðurašević, M; Kandić, A; Stefanović, P; Vukanac, I; Sešlak, B; Milošević, Z; Marković, T

2014-05-01

Coal as fossil fuel mainly contains naturally occurring radionuclides from the uranium and thorium series and (40)K. Use of coal, primarily in industry, as a result has dispersion of radioactive material from coal in and through air and water. The aim of this study was to determine the activity concentrations of natural radionuclides in coal samples from open pit mines "Kolubara" and to evaluate its effect on population health. The results showed that all measured and calculated values were below the limits recommended in international legislation. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Evaluation of physical activity interventions in children via the reach, efficacy/effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance (RE-AIM) framework: A systematic review of randomized and non-randomized trials.

PubMed

McGoey, Tara; Root, Zach; Bruner, Mark W; Law, Barbi

2016-01-01

Existing reviews of physical activity (PA) interventions designed to increase PA behavior exclusively in children (ages 5 to 11years) focus primarily on the efficacy (e.g., internal validity) of the interventions without addressing the applicability of the results in terms of generalizability and translatability (e.g., external validity). This review used the RE-AIM (Reach, Efficacy/Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance) framework to measure the degree to which randomized and non-randomized PA interventions in children report on internal and external validity factors. A systematic search for controlled interventions conducted within the past 12years identified 78 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Based on the RE-AIM criteria, most of the studies focused on elements of internal validity (e.g., sample size, intervention location and efficacy/effectiveness) with minimal reporting of external validity indicators (e.g., representativeness of participants, start-up costs, protocol fidelity and sustainability). Results of this RE-AIM review emphasize the need for future PA interventions in children to report on real-world challenges and limitations, and to highlight considerations for translating evidence-based results into health promotion practice. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Familial Lung Cancer: A Brief History from the Earliest Work to the Most Recent Studies

PubMed Central

Musolf, Anthony M.; Simpson, Claire L.; de Andrade, Mariza; Mandal, Diptasri; Gaba, Colette; Yang, Ping; Li, Yafang; You, Ming; Kupert, Elena Y.; Anderson, Marshall W.; Schwartz, Ann G.; Pinney, Susan M.; Amos, Christopher I.; Bailey-Wilson, Joan E.

2017-01-01

Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in the United States, killing roughly one of four cancer patients in 2016. While it is well-established that lung cancer is caused primarily by environmental effects (particularly tobacco smoking), there is evidence for genetic susceptibility. Lung cancer has been shown to aggregate in families, and segregation analyses have hypothesized a major susceptibility locus for the disease. Genetic association studies have provided strong evidence for common risk variants of small-to-moderate effect. Rare and highly penetrant alleles have been identified by linkage studies, including on 6q23–25. Though not common, some germline mutations have also been identified via sequencing studies. Ongoing genomics studies aim to identify additional high penetrance germline susceptibility alleles for this deadly disease. PMID:28106732

Biogastronomy: Factors that determine the biological response to meal ingestion.

PubMed

Pribic, T; Azpiroz, F

2018-02-02

The biological response to a meal includes physiological changes, primarily related to the digestive process, and a sensory experience, involving sensations related to the homeostatic control of food consumption, eg, satiety and fullness, with a hedonic dimension, ie associated with changes in digestive well-being and mood. The responses to a meal include a series of events before, during and after ingestion. While much attention has been paid to the events before and during ingestion, relatively little is known about the postprandial sensations, which are key to the gastronomical experience. The aim of this narrative review is to provide a comprehensive overview and to define the framework to investigate the factors that determine the postprandial experience. Based on a series of proof-of-concept studies and related information, we propose that the biological responses to a meal depend on the characteristics of the meal, primarily its palatability and composition, and the responsiveness of the guest, which may be influenced by multiple previous and concurrent conditioning factors. This information provides the scientific backbone to the development of personalized gastronomy. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Kinesthetic illusions attenuate experimental muscle pain, as do muscle and cutaneous stimulation.

PubMed

Gay, André; Aimonetti, Jean-Marc; Roll, Jean-Pierre; Ribot-Ciscar, Edith

2015-07-30

In the present study, muscle pain was induced experimentally in healthy subjects by administrating hypertonic saline injections into the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle. We first aimed at comparing the analgesic effects of mechanical vibration applied to either cutaneous or muscle receptors of the TA or to both types simultaneously. Secondly, pain alleviation was compared in subjects in whom muscle tendon vibration evoked kinesthetic illusions of the ankle joint. Muscle tendon vibration, which primarily activated muscle receptors, reduced pain intensity by 30% (p<0.01). In addition, tangential skin vibration reduced pain intensity by 33% (p<0.01), primarily by activating cutaneous receptors. Concurrently stimulating both sensory channels induced stronger analgesic effects (-51%, p<0.01), as shown by the lower levels of electrodermal activity. The strongest analgesic effects of the vibration-induced muscle inputs occurred when illusory movements were perceived (-38%, p=0.01). The results suggest that both cutaneous and muscle sensory feedback reduce muscle pain, most likely via segmental and supraspinal processes. Further clinical trials are needed to investigate these new methods of muscle pain relief. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The impact of sociodemographic factors on the utilisation of support services for family caregivers of elderly dependents – results from the German sample of the EUROFAMCARE study

PubMed Central

Lüdecke, Daniel; Mnich, Eva; Kofahl, Christopher

2012-01-01

Objectives: As in nearly all European countries, demographic developments in Germany have led to both a relative and an absolute increase in the country’s elderly population. The care and support needed by these people is primarily provided by relatives or friends and close acquaintances within the home environment. The major challenges for society are to sustain, promote and support these informal resources. In order to achieve this, it is crucial that family caregivers are provided with situation-specific services that support them and relieve their burden of care. The major challenges for society are therefore to sustain, promote and support informal resources and to provide the opportunity for the use of services aimed at assisting and relieving the burden of family caregivers. Methods: In the context of the EUROFAMCARE study, 1,003 family caregivers from Germany were interviewed at home about their experiences using a standardized questionnaire. Included in the study were primary caregivers providing at least four hours of personal care or support per week to a relative aged 65 years or older. Subjects solely providing financial support were excluded. In this paper, a linear regression analysis has been conducted to analyse impact of sociodemographic factors on the utilisation of support services. Results: The family caregivers were 54 years on average (SD=13.4), 76% of them were female. The dependent elderly were 80 years on average (SD=8.3), and 69% of them were women. 60% of them were receiving long-term care insurance benefits. Use of support services aimed directly at family caregivers is very low. After including certain services aimed primarily at those in need of care but also often serving as a source of relief for family caregivers, the percentage of caregivers using support services increased slightly. Among sociodemographic characteristics, caregivers’ gender and education level have the greatest influence on services use. Other influential factors are caregivers’ perception of their caregiving burden and their assessment of the dependent family member’s need for assistance and support. PMID:23133500

Venture funding for science-based African health innovation.

PubMed

Masum, Hassan; Chakma, Justin; Simiyu, Ken; Ronoh, Wesley; Daar, Abdallah S; Singer, Peter A

2010-12-13

While venture funding has been applied to biotechnology and health in high-income countries, it is still nascent in these fields in developing countries, and particularly in Africa. Yet the need for implementing innovative solutions to health challenges is greatest in Africa, with its enormous burden of communicable disease. Issues such as risk, investment opportunities, return on investment requirements, and quantifying health impact are critical in assessing venture capital's potential for supporting health innovation. This paper uses lessons learned from five venture capital firms from Kenya, South Africa, China, India, and the US to suggest design principles for African health venture funds. The case study method was used to explore relevant funds, and lessons for the African context. The health venture funds in this study included publicly-owned organizations, corporations, social enterprises, and subsidiaries of foreign venture firms. The size and type of investments varied widely. The primary investor in four funds was the International Finance Corporation. Three of the funds aimed primarily for financial returns, one aimed primarily for social and health returns, and one had mixed aims. Lessons learned include the importance of measuring and supporting both social and financial returns; the need to engage both upstream capital such as government risk-funding and downstream capital from the private sector; and the existence of many challenges including difficulty of raising capital, low human resource capacity, regulatory barriers, and risky business environments. Based on these lessons, design principles for appropriate venture funding are suggested. Based on the cases studied and relevant experiences elsewhere, there is a case for venture funding as one support mechanism for science-based African health innovation, with opportunities for risk-tolerant investors to make financial as well as social returns. Such funds should be structured to overcome the challenges identified, be sustainable in the long run, attract for-profit private sector funds, and have measurable and significant health impact. If this is done, the proposed venture approach may have complementary benefits to existing initiatives and encourage local scientific and economic development while tapping new sources of funding.

Venture funding for science-based African health innovation

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background While venture funding has been applied to biotechnology and health in high-income countries, it is still nascent in these fields in developing countries, and particularly in Africa. Yet the need for implementing innovative solutions to health challenges is greatest in Africa, with its enormous burden of communicable disease. Issues such as risk, investment opportunities, return on investment requirements, and quantifying health impact are critical in assessing venture capital’s potential for supporting health innovation. This paper uses lessons learned from five venture capital firms from Kenya, South Africa, China, India, and the US to suggest design principles for African health venture funds. Discussion The case study method was used to explore relevant funds, and lessons for the African context. The health venture funds in this study included publicly-owned organizations, corporations, social enterprises, and subsidiaries of foreign venture firms. The size and type of investments varied widely. The primary investor in four funds was the International Finance Corporation. Three of the funds aimed primarily for financial returns, one aimed primarily for social and health returns, and one had mixed aims. Lessons learned include the importance of measuring and supporting both social and financial returns; the need to engage both upstream capital such as government risk-funding and downstream capital from the private sector; and the existence of many challenges including difficulty of raising capital, low human resource capacity, regulatory barriers, and risky business environments. Based on these lessons, design principles for appropriate venture funding are suggested. Summary Based on the cases studied and relevant experiences elsewhere, there is a case for venture funding as one support mechanism for science-based African health innovation, with opportunities for risk-tolerant investors to make financial as well as social returns. Such funds should be structured to overcome the challenges identified, be sustainable in the long run, attract for-profit private sector funds, and have measurable and significant health impact. If this is done, the proposed venture approach may have complementary benefits to existing initiatives and encourage local scientific and economic development while tapping new sources of funding. PMID:21144072

Development of manipulation in capuchin monkeys during the first 6 months.

PubMed

Adams-Curtis, L E; Fragaszy, D M

1994-03-01

This study describes the orderly changes in manipulation over the first 6 months in capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella). By 6 months of age, all the basic forms of manipulation seen in adults have appeared. Actions that occur frequently in the first 8 weeks are gentle and involve sustained visual orientation and aimed reaching. Later actions are more vigorous, and involve grasping. Large increases in the rate of activity are evident over the period of development studied. The increase from the first 8 weeks to the second may be due to (a) an increase in the amount of time spent alert and active, (b) a decrease in the amount of time spent in a ventral position, (c) improvements in postural control and stamina and (d) the onset of independent locomotion. Changes in form can be attributed primarily to postural factors and to neuromuscular development (precisely aimed and controlled movements appearing in the 5th and 6th months).

How to write an introduction section of a scientific article?

PubMed

Armağan, Abdullah

2013-09-01

An article primarily includes the following sections: introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, and conclusion. Before writing the introduction, the main steps, the heading and the familiarity level of the readers should be considered. Writing should begin when the experimental system and the equipment are available. The introduction section comprises the first portion of the manuscript, and it should be written using the simple present tense. Additionally, abbreviations and explanations are included in this section. The main goal of the introduction is to convey basic information to the readers without obligating them to investigate previous publications and to provide clues as to the results of the present study. To do this, the subject of the article should be thoroughly reviewed, and the aim of the study should be clearly stated immediately after discussing the basic references. In this review, we aim to convey the principles of writing the introduction section of a manuscript to residents and young investigators who have just begun to write a manuscript.

Legislating Character: Moral Education in North Carolina's Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooley, Aaron

2008-01-01

This article analyzes the epistemological aims and justification of character education legislation passed by the North Carolina General Assembly. I take this specific state law as representative of the broader national trends in the character education movement. I primarily use the work of Richard Rorty as the theoretical lens for the analysis…

Education, Parenting and Family: The Social Geographies of Family Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wainwright, Emma; Marandet, Elodie

2017-01-01

This paper explores the relationship between education, parenting and family through the prism and particularities of family learning. Family learning is an example of an educational initiative, primarily aimed at parents and linked to wider policy concerns, which can be explored through a mapping of its social geographies; family learning is…

Peirce's Philosophy of Mathematical Education: Fostering Reasoning Abilities for Mathematical Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campos, Daniel G.

2010-01-01

I articulate Charles S. Peirce's philosophy of mathematical education as related to his conception of mathematics, the nature of its method of inquiry, and especially, the reasoning abilities required for mathematical inquiry. The main thesis is that Peirce's philosophy of mathematical education primarily aims at fostering the development of the…

The Value of Completing a Vocational Education and Training Qualification

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karmel, Tom; Nguyen, Nhi

2006-01-01

The aim of this report was to quantify the benefit, in terms of higher wages, of completing a vocational education and training (VET) qualification. Two factors influenced the direction of this research. First of all, VET is concerned primarily with improvements in skill levels (with a likely consequence of improved productivity and therefore…

Geographical ecology of dry forest tree communities in the West Indies

Treesearch

Janet Franklin; Riley Andrade; Mark L. Daniels; Patrick Fairbairn; Maria C. Fandino; Thomas W. Gillespie; Grizelle González; Otto Gonzalez; Daniel Imbert; Valerie Kapos; Daniel L. Kelly; Humfredo Marcano-Vega; Elvia J. Meléndez-Ackerman; Kurt P. McLaren; Morag A. McDonald; Julie Ripplinger; Julissa Rojas-Sandoval; Michael S. Ross; Jorge Ruiz; David W. Steadman; Edmund V. J. Tanner; Inge Terrill; Michel Vennetier

2018-01-01

Aim: Seasonally dry tropical forest (SDTF) of the Caribbean Islands (primarily West Indies) is floristically distinct from Neotropical SDTF in Central and South America. We evaluate whether tree species composition was associated with climatic gradients or geographical distance. Turnover (dissimilarity) in species composition of different islands or among more distant...

Must Dewey and Kierkegaard's Inquiry for World Peace Be Violent?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webster, R. Scott

2011-01-01

Amongst the many aims of education, surely the pursuit of global peace must be one of the most significant. The mandate of UNESCO is to pursue world peace through education by primarily promoting collaboration. The sort of collaboration that UNESCO endorses involves democratic dialogue, where various persons from differing backgrounds can come…

Transforming Curriculum for a Culturally Diverse Society.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollins, Etta R., Ed.

This book is primarily designed for graduate courses in curriculum development and theory, and aims to assist practitioners in facilitating the shift in public school curriculum to accommodate large-scale trends toward a more culturally diverse society. In Part 1, the ideologies and values that form the basis of school practices are examined from…

Behavioral Management of Medical Compliance: Its Role in the History of Group Psychotherapy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Ben; Lightner, Jean

Most histories of psychology and psychiatry attribute the first group psychotherapy to Joseph Pratt's 1905 class for tuberculosis patients. Pratt's actual treatment procedures are examined. They are shown to have consisted primarily of operant and social-learning techniques, aimed at increasing patient compliance with a demanding therapeutic…

Toward Clean Water: A Guide to Citizen Action.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Outen, Ronald, Ed.; Lawson, Simpson, Ed.

This guide identifies the major opportunities for participation under the 1976 Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments for citizens concerned with the improvement of water quality. The book is aimed primarily at fulfilling the direct needs of citizens at all levels. In addition to an explanation of the law and implementing regulations, this…

The Electric Journalist: An Introduction to Video.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Chuck

This book explores television as an art form and as a means of communication. Aimed primarily at the high school student, most of this book is devoted to the creative process involved in producing material for television programing. The effect of television on the individual and society is also examined, and certain concepts and procedures…

Environmental Education Publications Distributed by the U.S. Government, 1985-1990.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duffy, Paula, Comp.

This bibliography contains a selection of federal government materials distributed by various government agencies from 1985 to 1990. These materials are aimed primarily at elementary and secondary school teachers for classroom use or as resources for student activities on a broad range of environmental issues. An introduction contains information…

A Handbook for Teaching & Learning in Higher Education: Enhancing Academic Practice. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fry, Heather; Ketteridge, Steve; Marshall, Stephanie

This handbook, aimed primarily at the inexperienced teacher in higher education, but useful also for the more experienced faculty member, provides practical advice on teaching, learning, and assessment that incorporates recent research findings. Following a "User's Guide" (Heather Fry, Steve Ketteridge, and Stephanie Marshall), the chapters of…

Physical Education: Essential Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Ken, Ed.; Hardman, Ken, Ed.

2005-01-01

This book is aimed primarily at under and postgraduate students pursuing entire programmes or discrete courses and modules in the broad area of physical education and sport in schools. It consists of a collection of what is considered to be essential readings in the sense that they are contributions from eminent authors on a breadth of salient…

Teaching Perspectives of Chinese Teachers: Compatibility with the Goals of the Physical Education Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Lijuan; Ha, Amy Sau-ching; Wen, Xu

2014-01-01

This research primarily aimed to examine the compatibility of teaching perspectives of teachers with the Physical Education (PE) curriculum in China. The Teaching Perspective Inventory (Pratt, 1998) was used to collect data from 272 PE teachers. Descriptive statistics, MANOVAs, and correlational procedures were used for quantitative data analysis.…

Evaluating the Impact of the Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice (GCAP) Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chadha, Deesha

2015-01-01

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) and postgraduates in the UK are taking on greater responsibility for teaching, and therefore it has become increasingly necessary to explore the teacher training that supports them in this endeavour. This paper outlines an impact evaluation carried out on a graduate certificate programme primarily aimed at GTAs…

Cholinesterase-based biosensors.

PubMed

Štěpánková, Šárka; Vorčáková, Katarína

2016-01-01

Recently, cholinesterase-based biosensors are widely used for assaying anticholinergic compounds. Primarily biosensors based on enzyme inhibition are useful analytical tools for fast screening of inhibitors, such as organophosphates and carbamates. The present review is aimed at compilation of the most important facts about cholinesterase based biosensors, types of physico-chemical transduction, immobilization strategies and practical applications.

A hierarchical classification of freshwater mussel diversity in North America

Treesearch

Wendell R. Haag

2010-01-01

Aim North America harbours the most diverse freshwater mussel fauna on Earth. This fauna has high endemism at the continental scale and within individual river systems. Previous faunal classifications for North America were based on intuitive, subjective assessments of species distributions, primarily the occurrence of endemic species, and do not portray continent-wide...

Report Calls for Improvements to "Human Capital" Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maxwell, Lesli A.

2009-01-01

A report from a high-powered education task force called last week for states and school districts to overhaul how they recruit, prepare, evaluate, and compensate teachers. Released by Strategic Management of Human Capital, the series of 20 policy recommendations for state and district policymakers is aimed primarily at improving the teaching…

Smogbusters: Grassroots Action for Clean Air and Sustainable Transport in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manners, Eric; Wake, David; Carlisle, Rachel

2009-01-01

Smogbusters was a national, community-based, government-funded community education program promoting clean air and sustainable transport in Australia from 1994 to 2002. Smogbusters aimed to improve air quality primarily by raising awareness about motor vehicle transport and its negative impacts on health, the environment and communities, and by…

Native-Speaker and English as a Lingua Franca Pronunciation Norms: English Majors' Views

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wach, Aleksandra

2011-01-01

Within the communicative approach to English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching, the aims of instruction are primarily to enable learners to communicate; hence, functional and communicative intelligibility has become the goal of pronunciation training. On the other hand, contemporary approaches to EFL teaching leave sufficient room for…

Inversion in Copular Clauses and Its Consequences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Selvanathan, Nagarajan

2016-01-01

In this dissertation, I investigate specificational copular clauses (Higgins 1973). My aim is to not only propose an analysis for how such specificational copular clauses are derived but also to use such constructions as a testing ground for evaluating and/ or revising different aspects of linguistic theory. The language I primarily use towards…

Recent Advances in Modeling of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Land Surface in the Coupled WRF-CMAQ Model

EPA Science Inventory

Advances in the land surface model (LSM) and planetary boundary layer (PBL) components of the WRF-CMAQ coupled meteorology and air quality modeling system are described. The aim of these modifications was primarily to improve the modeling of ground level concentrations of trace c...

An Investigation into Perceptions of Facebook-Use in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellefsen, Lasse

2016-01-01

This paper reports the complete process for and findings resulting from an individual-led research project entitled "An Investigation into Perceptions of Facebook-use in Higher Education." The aim of the research project was primarily to investigate current perceptions of using Facebook as a means for interaction between students and…

The impact of arthritis on the early employment experiences of young adults: A literature review.

PubMed

Jetha, Arif

2015-07-01

Young adulthood is an important transitional life phase that can determine a person's career trajectory. To date, little research has examined the influence of arthritis on early work experiences. This literature review aims at examining the impact of arthritis on the early career phase of young adults and identifying the barriers to employment. Two independent reviewers searched bibliographic databases for arthritis conditions and a series of employment-related keywords and subject headings. Information on authors, publication year; study design, sample characteristics (e.g., number of participants, age, gender, arthritis type); work outcomes measured; and specific barriers to employment was recorded. Nine studies were uncovered in the review. All studies examined young people with juvenile arthritis (9 of 9 studies) and consisted of sample sizes with less then 150 participants (6 of 9 studies) who were primarily recruited from clinics (7 of 9 studies). All were cross-sectional designs. Employment status was primarily examined and ranged from 11% to 71%. Although not always statistically significant, young adults with arthritis were less likely to be employed when compared to their healthy peers. Greater disease severity, less educational attainment and being female were related to not participating in paid work. This review brings to light the paucity of studies examining the early employment experiences of young adults with arthritis. There is a need to expand research to contribute to recommendations for sustained and productive employment across the working life course. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Efficacy of High-volume Evacuator in Aerosol Reduction: Truth or Myth? A Clinical and Microbiological Study.

PubMed

Desarda, Hitesh; Gurav, Abhijit; Dharmadhikari, Chandrakant; Shete, Abhijeet; Gaikwad, Subodh

2014-01-01

Background and aims. Basic periodontal treatment aims at eliminating supra- and sub-gingival plaque and establishing conditions which will allow effective self-performed plaque control. This aim is primarily achieved with sonic and ultrasonic scalers. However, generation of bacterial aerosols during these procedures is of great concern to patients, the dentist and the dental assistant. The aim of this study was to compare the reduction in aerosol with and without high-volume evacuator through a microbiological study. Materials and methods. For this clinical study a fumigated closed operatory was selected. Maxillary incisors and canines were selected as an area for scaling. Piezoelectric ultrasonic scaling was performed in the absence and in the presence of a high-volume evacuator at 12 and 20 inches from the patient's oral cavity. In both groups scaling was carried out for 10 minutes. Nutrient agar plates were exposed for a total of 20 minutes. After this procedure, nutrient agar plates were incubated in an incubator at 37°C for 24 hours. The next day the nutrient agar plates were examined for colony forming units by a single microbiologist. Results. The results showed no statistically significant differences in colony forming units (CFU) with and without the use of a high-volume evacuator either at 12 or 20 inches from the patient's oral cavity. Conclusion. It was concluded that high-volume evacuator, when used as a separate unit without any modification, is not effective in reducing aerosol counts and environmental contamination.

Development and Sensitivity Analysis of a Frost Risk model based primarily on freely distributed Earth Observation data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Louka, Panagiota; Petropoulos, George; Papanikolaou, Ioannis

2015-04-01

The ability to map the spatiotemporal distribution of extreme climatic conditions, such as frost, is a significant tool in successful agricultural management and decision making. Nowadays, with the development of Earth Observation (EO) technology, it is possible to obtain accurately, timely and in a cost-effective way information on the spatiotemporal distribution of frost conditions, particularly over large and otherwise inaccessible areas. The present study aimed at developing and evaluating a frost risk prediction model, exploiting primarily EO data from MODIS and ASTER sensors and ancillary ground observation data. For the evaluation of our model, a region in north-western Greece was selected as test site and a detailed sensitivity analysis was implemented. The agreement between the model predictions and the observed (remotely sensed) frost frequency obtained by MODIS sensor was evaluated thoroughly. Also, detailed comparisons of the model predictions were performed against reference frost ground observations acquired from the Greek Agricultural Insurance Organization (ELGA) over a period of 10-years (2000-2010). Overall, results evidenced the ability of the model to produce reasonably well the frost conditions, following largely explainable patterns in respect to the study site and local weather conditions characteristics. Implementation of our proposed frost risk model is based primarily on satellite imagery analysis provided nowadays globally at no cost. It is also straightforward and computationally inexpensive, requiring much less effort in comparison for example to field surveying. Finally, the method is adjustable to be potentially integrated with other high resolution data available from both commercial and non-commercial vendors. Keywords: Sensitivity analysis, frost risk mapping, GIS, remote sensing, MODIS, Greece

Trust and Deception in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Social Learning Perspective.

PubMed

Yang, Yiying; Tian, Yuan; Fang, Jing; Lu, Haoyang; Wei, Kunlin; Yi, Li

2017-03-01

Previous research has demonstrated abnormal trust and deception behaviors in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), and we aimed to examine whether these abnormalities were primarily due to their specific deficits in social learning. We tested 42 high-functioning children with ASD and 38 age- and ability-matched typically developing (TD) children in trust and deception tasks and a novel condition with reduced social components. Results indicated that while TD children improved their performance with more social components, children with ASD lacked this additional performance gain, though they performed similarly as TD children in the condition with reduced social components. Our findings highlight that deficits of ASD in trust and deception are primarily associated with failure of use of social cues.

A review of low-level air pollution and adverse effects on human health: implications for epidemiological studies and public policy

PubMed Central

Olmo, Neide Regina Simões; do Nascimento Saldiva, Paulo Hilário; Braga, Alfésio Luís Ferreira; Lin, Chin An; de Paula Santos, Ubiratan; Pereira, Luiz Alberto Amador

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to review original scientific articles describing the relationship between atmospheric pollution and damage to human health. We also aimed to determine which of these studies mentioned public policy issues. Original articles relating to atmospheric pollution and human health published between 1995 and 2009 were retrieved from the PubMed database and analyzed. This study included only articles dealing with atmospheric pollutants resulting primarily from vehicle emissions. Three researchers were involved in the final selection of the studies, and the chosen articles were approved by at least two of the three researchers. Of the 84 non-Brazilian studies analyzed, 80 showed an association between atmospheric pollution and adverse effects on human health. Moreover, 66 showed evidence of adverse effects on human health, even at levels below the permitted emission standards. Three studies mentioned public policies aimed at changing emission standards. Similarly, the 29 selected Brazilian studies reported adverse associations with human health, and 27 showed evidence of adverse effects even at levels below the legally permitted emission standards. Of these studies, 16 mentioned public policies aimed at changing emission standards. Based on the Brazilian and non-Brazilian scientific studies that have been conducted, it can be concluded that, even under conditions that are compliant with Brazilian air quality standards, the concentration of atmospheric pollutants in Brazil can negatively affect human health. However, as little discussion of this topic has been generated, this finding demonstrates the need to incorporate epidemiological evidence into decisions regarding legal regulations and to discuss the public policy implications in epidemiological studies. PMID:21655765

How do informal self-care strategies evolve among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease managed in primary care? A qualitative study.

PubMed

Apps, Lindsay D; Harrison, Samantha L; Williams, Johanna E A; Hudson, Nicky; Steiner, Michael; Morgan, Mike D; Singh, Sally J

2014-01-01

There is much description in the literature of how patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) manage their breathlessness and engage in self-care activities; however, little of this is from the perspective of those with less severe disease, who are primarily managed in primary care. This study aimed to understand the self-care experiences of patients with COPD who are primarily managed in primary care, and to examine the challenges of engaging in such behaviors. Semistructured interviews were carried out with 15 patients with COPD as part of a larger project evaluating a self-management intervention. Thematic analysis was supported by NVivo software (version 8, QSR International, Melbourne, Australia). Three main themes are described, ie, experiencing and understanding symptoms of COPD, current self-care activities, and the importance of family perceptions in managing COPD. Self-care activities evolved spontaneously as participants experienced symptoms of COPD. However, there was a lack of awareness about whether these strategies would impact upon symptoms. Perceptions of COPD by family members posed a challenge to self-care for some participants. Health care professionals should elicit patients' prior disease experiences and utilize spontaneous attempts at disease management in future self-management. These findings have implications for promoting self-management and enhancing quality of life.

Job role quality and intention to leave current facility and to leave profession of direct care workers in Japanese residential facilities for elderly.

PubMed

Nakanishi, Miharu; Imai, Hisato

2012-01-01

The aim of the present study is to examine job role quality relating to intention to leave current facility and to leave profession among direct care workers in residential facilities for elderly in Japan. Direct care workers completed a paper questionnaire on October 2009. From 746 facilities in three prefectures (Tokyo, Shizuoka, and Yamagata) 6428 direct care workers with complete data were included in the analyses. The Job Role Quality (JRQ) scale was translated into Japanese language to assess job role quality. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that intention to leave current facility was primarily associated with job role quality: poor skill discretion, high job demand, and poor relationship with supervisor. Intention to leave profession was primarily associated with poor skill discretion. The results of the present study imply the strategies to direct care worker retention for each facility and policy efforts. Each facility can implement specific strategies such as enhanced variety of work and opportunity for use of skills, adequate job allocation, and improvement of supervisor-employee relationship in work place. Policy efforts should enhance broader career opportunities in care working such as advanced specialization and authorized medical practice. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

Boldon, Lauren; Sabharwall, Piyush; Bragg-Sitton, Shannon

Global energy needs are primarily being met with fossil fuel plants in both developed and developing nations. With the increase in emissions, it is necessary to promote and develop alternative energy technologies to meet the needs in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner. Furthermore, Nuclear and Renewable Energy Integration (NREI) may offer an effective and environmentally responsible energy solution that enhances energy use and productivity while reducing emissions. Our study of the NREI system provides background on sustainability and its drivers, outlines methods of developing a strong sustainability platform, and assesses sustainability based on the fundamental pillars of economy, environment, andmore » society—all of which aim to promote future sustainable development.« less

Hamp1 mRNA and plasma hepcidin levels are influenced by sex and strain but do not predict tissue iron levels in inbred mice.

PubMed

McLachlan, Stela; Page, Kathryn E; Lee, Seung-Min; Loguinov, Alex; Valore, Erika; Hui, Simon T; Jung, Grace; Zhou, Jie; Lusis, Aldons J; Fuqua, Brie; Ganz, Tomas; Nemeth, Elizabeta; Vulpe, Chris D

2017-11-01

Iron homeostasis is tightly regulated, and the peptide hormone hepcidin is considered to be a principal regulator of iron metabolism. Previous studies in a limited number of mouse strains found equivocal sex- and strain-dependent differences in mRNA and serum levels of hepcidin and reported conflicting data on the relationship between hepcidin ( Hamp1 ) mRNA levels and iron status. Our aim was to clarify the relationships between strain, sex, and hepcidin expression by examining multiple tissues and the effects of different dietary conditions in multiple inbred strains. Two studies were done: first, Hamp1 mRNA, liver iron, and plasma diferric transferrin levels were measured in 14 inbred strains on a control diet; and second, Hamp1 mRNA and plasma hepcidin levels in both sexes and iron levels in the heart, kidneys, liver, pancreas, and spleen in males were measured in nine inbred/recombinant inbred strains raised on an iron-sufficient or high-iron diet. Both sex and strain have a significant effect on both hepcidin mRNA (primarily a sex effect) and plasma hepcidin levels (primarily a strain effect). However, liver iron and diferric transferrin levels are not predictors of Hamp1 mRNA levels in mice fed iron-sufficient or high-iron diets, nor are the Hamp1 mRNA and plasma hepcidin levels good predictors of tissue iron levels, at least in males. We also measured plasma erythroferrone, performed RNA-sequencing analysis of liver samples from six inbred strains fed the iron-sufficient, low-iron, or high-iron diets, and explored differences in gene expression between the strains with the highest and lowest hepcidin levels. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Both sex and strain have a significant effect on both hepcidin mRNA (primarily a sex effect) and plasma hepcidin levels (primarily a strain effect). Liver iron and diferric transferrin levels are not predictors of Hamp1 mRNA levels in mice, nor are the Hamp1 mRNA and plasma hepcidin levels good predictors of tissue iron levels, at least in males. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Assessing the Clinical Skills of Dental Students: A Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Carly L.; Grey, Nick; Satterthwaite, Julian D.

2013-01-01

Education, from a student perspective, is largely driven by assessment. An effective assessment tool should be both valid and reliable, yet this is often not achieved. The aim of this literature review is to identify and appraise the evidence base for assessment tools used primarily in evaluating clinical skills of dental students. Methods:…

Using Control Heuristics as a Means to Explore the Educational Potential of Robotics Kits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaudiello, Ilaria; Zibetti, Elisabetta

2013-01-01

The educational potential of robotics kits as a form of control technology will remain undervalued until meaningful observation parameters are identified to enable a better understanding of children?s control strategies. For this reason, this paper aims primarily to identify and classify the heuristics spontaneously applied by 6-10 year old…

Genetic and environmental effects on myopia development and progression

PubMed Central

Goldschmidt, E; Jacobsen, N

2014-01-01

This review aims at elucidating the interaction between genetic and environmental factors in the aetiology of primarily low myopia. Genetics greatly influence the growth of the eye, but the fine correlation between the components of refraction for the eye to become emmetrope is affected by environmental factors such as education, metabolism, physical activity, and outdoor activity. PMID:24357837

Academic Workload: The Silent Barrier to the Implementation of Technology-Enhanced Learning Strategies in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gregory, Mary Sarah-Jane; Lodge, Jason Michael

2015-01-01

The effect of technology-enhanced learning (TEL) strategies in higher education has arguably been transformative despite the not-insignificant barriers existing in this context. Throughout the discourse very little attention has been paid to those primarily responsible for this implementation--academic teaching staff. This paper aims to highlight…

Against Inferential Statistics: How and Why Current Statistics Teaching Gets It Wrong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Patrick; Gorard, Stephen

2017-01-01

Recent concerns about a shortage of capacity for statistical and numerical analysis skills among social science students and researchers have prompted a range of initiatives aiming to improve teaching in this area. However, these projects have rarely re-evaluated the content of what is taught to students and have instead focussed primarily on…

Orientation Manual for Child Care Centres Involved in the Recognition of Overseas Trained Workers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

l'Anson, Christine, Comp.; Harris, Liz, Comp.

This manual has been primarily developed to assist child care center staff who are involved in the process of the recognition of the qualifications of overseas workers within the child care industry in Western Australia. The information and practical exercises provided aim to increase staff's level of awareness and acceptance of cultural…

Do You Know Your Music Users' Needs? A Library User Survey that Helps Enhance a User-Centered Music Collection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lai, Katie; Chan, Kylie

2010-01-01

While many surveys aim primarily at measuring general user satisfaction, this survey is dedicated to understanding music users' needs, usage patterns, and preferences towards various collections. Findings showed dissimilar use behavior and perceived importance of materials between academic- and performance-oriented music users. Needs for different…

Boycott as a Persuasive Tactic in Attempting to Ratify E. R. A.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larson, Charles U.

The Speech Communication Association's (SCA) decision to participate in a boycott of convention facilities to press for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) has been ineffective (not a single state has ratified the ERA since the inception of the boycott) and may be counterproductive. In Illinois, the boycott was aimed primarily at the…

Trust and Deception in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Social Learning Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Yiying; Tian, Yuan; Fang, Jing; Lu, Haoyang; Wei, Kunlin; Yi, Li

2017-01-01

Previous research has demonstrated abnormal trust and deception behaviors in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), and we aimed to examine whether these abnormalities were primarily due to their specific deficits in social learning. We tested 42 high-functioning children with ASD and 38 age- and ability-matched typically developing (TD)…

Microclimate predicts within-season distribution dynamics of montane forest birds

Treesearch

Sarah J.K. Frey; Adam S. Hadley; Matthew G. Betts; Mark Robertson

2016-01-01

Aim: Climate changes are anticipated to have pervasive negative effects on biodiversity and are expected to necessitate widespread range shifts or contractions. Such projections are based upon the assumptions that (1) species respond primarily to broad-scale climatic regimes, or (2) that variation in climate at fine spatial scales is less relevant at coarse spatial...

Engaging Micro-Businesses: A Guide for Learning Providers Delivering Skills Provision for Unemployed Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, 2012

2012-01-01

This guide is primarily aimed at skills providers for unemployed adults, but will also be of interest to learning providers that wish to engage micro-businesses for the purpose of delivering other forms of provision such as apprenticeships and work-based learning through full cost recovery. The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education…

Going Tactical Rather than Strategic: An Intervention That Helped Schools Pass the Grade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramesh, G.; Sucharita, V.

2016-01-01

This article analyses a tactical intervention aimed at improving the academic performance of students that brought about more than the intended positive changes in the target schools through contiguous effect. The intervention was primarily focused on student performance in examinations and was externally driven but led to many improvements in the…

Development of a Multi-Disciplinary Intervention for the Treatment of Childhood Obesity Based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bathrellou, Eirini; Yannakoulia, Mary; Papanikolaou, Katerina; Pehlivanidis, Artemios; Pervanidou, Panagiota; Kanaka-Gantenbein, Christina; Tsiantis, John; Chrousos, George P.; Sidossis, Labros S.

2010-01-01

Along the lines of the evidence-based recommendations, we developed a multi-disciplinary intervention for overweight children 7- to 12-years-old, primarily aiming at helping children to adopt healthier eating habits and a physically active lifestyle. The program combined nutrition intervention, based on a non-dieting approach, with physical…

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

Kartsaklis, Christos; Civario, G

This paper discusses an ongoing progress regarding the development of a Java-based library for rapid kernel prototyping in NVIDIA PTX and PTX instruction scheduling. It is aimed at developers seeking total control of emitted PTX, highly parametric emission of, and tunable instruction reordering. It is primarily used for code development at ICHEC but is also hoped that NVIDIA GPU community will also find it beneficial.

Career Satisfaction as a Factor Influencing Retention. System Development Corporation Technical Report No. 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grace, Gloria L.; And Others

This research aimed at determining the feasibility of developing a technique for measuring career satisfaction of Navy enlisted personnel. Attitudinal data and personnel records were used to predict actual reenlistment behavior of a sample of 898 enlisted personnel composed primarily of those in the first term of enlistment. Attitudinal data were…

Of Gateways and Gatekeepers: Language, Education and Mobility in Francophone Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trudell, Barbara

2012-01-01

Over the past 15 years, a range of alternative education programs have been launched in Burkina Faso. The programs have been developed primarily by international or national NGOs, within a supportive policy space provided by the national government. They aim to respond to the widely recognized inadequacy of the French-language ecoles classiques to…

["...cause in such a big hospital ... visually impaired persons like me, alone, can't get anywhere"--the experience of visually impaired people of the in-patient care--an empirical, explorative study].

PubMed

Golde, Christian

2007-02-01

The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of people with visual impairment within in-patient care. Actually, in nursing literature, no similar research is known in the German speaking area. Therefore, an qualitative research framework was used. By using a convenience sampling eight participants have been chosen. Mainly, the thematic content analysis of Burnard has been applied to the analysis of the empirical data. Mental spatial concepts for orientation, primarily acoustically made communicative resonance fields, and Action techniques constitute three major topics, which have been categorised in this study. These concepts are discussed in the cause of the research with respect to their implications on nursing care.

SPICAM: studying the global structure and composition of the Martian atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertaux, J.-L.; Fonteyn, D.; Korablev, O.; Chassefre, E.; Dimarellis, E.; Dubois, J. P.; Hauchecorne, A.; Lefèvre, F.; Cabane, M.; Rannou, P.; Levasseur-Regourd, A. C.; Cernogora, G.; Quemerais, E.; Hermans, C.; Kockarts, G.; Lippens, C.; de Maziere, M.; Moreau, D.; Muller, C.; Neefs, E.; Simon, P. C.; Forget, F.; Hourdin, F.; Talagrand, O.; Moroz, V. I.; Rodin, A.; Sandel, B.; Stern, A.

2004-08-01

The SPICAM (SPectroscopy for the Investigation of the Characteristics of the Atmosphere of Mars) instrument consists of two spectrometers. The UV spectrometer addresses key issues about ozone and its H2O coupling, aerosols, the atmospheric vertical temperature structure and the ionosphere. The IR spectrometer is aimed primarily at H2O and abundances and vertical profiling of H2O and aerosols. SPICAM's density/temperature profiles will aid the development of meteorological and dynamical atmospheric models from the surface up to 160 km altitude. UV observations of the upper atmosphere will study the ionosphere and its direct interaction with the solar wind. They will also allow a better understanding of escape mechanisms, crucial for insight into the long-term evolution of the atmosphere.

Variability of morphometric parameters of human trabecular tissue from coxo-arthritis and osteoporotic samples.

PubMed

Marinozzi, Franco; Marinozzi, Andrea; Bini, Fabiano; Zuppante, Francesca; Pecci, Raffaella; Bedini, Rossella

2012-01-01

Morphometric and architectural bone parameters change in diseases such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. The mechanical strength of bone is primarily influenced by bone quantity and quality. Bone quality is defined by parameters such as trabecular thickness, trabecular separation, trabecular density and degree of anisotropy that describe the micro-architectural structure of bone. Recently, many studies have validated microtomography as a valuable investigative technique to assess bone morphometry, thanks to micro-CT non-destructive, non-invasive and reliability features, in comparison to traditional techniques such as histology. The aim of this study is the analysis by micro-computed tomography of six specimens, extracted from patients affected by osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, in order to observe the tridimensional structure and calculate several morphometric parameters.

Spatially confined photoinactivation of bacteria: towards novel tools for detailed mechanistic studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomsen, Hanna; James, Jeemol; Farewell, Anne; Ericson, Marica B.

2018-02-01

Antimicrobial resistance is a serious global threat fueling an accelerated field of research aimed at developing novel antimicrobial therapies. A particular challenge is the treatment of microbial biofilms formed upon bacterial growth and often associated with chronic infections. Biofilms comprise bacteria that have adhered to a surface and formed 3D microcolonies, and demonstrate significantly increased antimicrobial resistance compared to the planktonic counterpart. A challenge in developing novel strategies for fighting these chronic infections is a lack of mechanistic understanding of what primarily contributes to enhanced drug resistance. Tools for noninvasive study of live biofilms are necessary to begin to understand these mechanisms on both a single cell and 3D level. Herein, a method by which multiphoton microscopy is implemented to study a biofilm model of Staphylococcus epidermidis to noninvasively visualize and measure penetration of compounds in 3D biofilm structure and two photon excitation was exploited for spatially confined photoinactivation and microscopy optimized for evaluation of microbiological viability at a microscopic level. Future studies are aimed at future development of the proposed techniques for detailed studies of, e.g., quorum sensing and mechanisms contributing to antimicrobial resistance.

Functional foods: health claim-food product compatibility and the impact of health claim framing on consumer evaluation.

PubMed

van Kleef, Ellen; van Trijp, Hans C M; Luning, Pieternel

2005-06-01

Two studies are reported, which aim to strengthen the scientific underpinning of strategic decisions regarding functional food development, as to (1) which health benefits to claim, (2) with which product (category), and (3) in which communication format. The first exploratory study is a secondary analysis of 10 different health claims systematically combined with 10 different food carriers to evaluate their combined suitability for functional food positioning. The results show that consumers tend to prefer functional food concepts that primarily communicate disease-related health benefits in carriers with a healthy image or health positioning history. Study 2 examines health claim format and systematically varies the way in which specific health benefits are being communicated to the consumer. Two physiologically oriented claims (heart disease and osteoporosis) and two psychologically oriented food claims (stress and lack of energy) are expressed in enhanced function format versus disease risk reduction format. Also, it includes the individual difference variable of 'regulatory focus' and the health status of the respondent to explore how these factors impact health claim evaluation. The results show that consumer evaluations primarily differ to the extent that health claims are personally relevant in addressing an experienced disease state. Framing is important, but its effect differs by health benefit. No strong effects for consumers' regulatory focus were found. Underlying mechanisms of these effects and their implications for the development of functional foods are discussed.

Restoring normal eating behaviour in adolescents with anorexia nervosa: A video analysis of nursing interventions.

PubMed

Beukers, Laura; Berends, Tamara; de Man-van Ginkel, Janneke M; van Elburg, Annemarie A; van Meijel, Berno

2015-12-01

An important part of inpatient treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa is to restore normal eating behaviour. Health-care professionals play a significant role in this process, but little is known about their interventions during patients' meals. The purpose of the present study was to describe nursing interventions aimed at restoring normal eating behaviour in patients with anorexia nervosa. The main research question was: 'Which interventions aimed at restoring normal eating behaviour do health-care professionals in a specialist eating disorder centre use during meal times for adolescents diagnosed with anorexia nervosa? The present study was a qualitative, descriptive study that used video recordings made during mealtimes. Thematic data analysis was applied. Four categories of interventions emerged from the data: (i) monitoring and instructing; (ii) encouraging and motivating; (iii) supporting and understanding; and (iv) educating. The data revealed a directive attitude aimed at promoting behavioural change, but always in combination with empathy and understanding. In the first stage of clinical treatment, health-care professionals focus primarily on changing patients' eating behaviour. However, they also address the psychosocial needs that become visible in patients as they struggle to restore normal eating behaviour. The findings of the present study can be used to assist health-care professionals, and improve multidisciplinary guidelines and health-care professionals' training programmes. © 2015 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Entrepreneurship education revisited: perceived entrepreneurial role models increase perceived behavioural control.

PubMed

Fellnhofer, Katharina

2017-01-01

Relying on Bandura's (1986) social learning theory, Ajzen's (1988) theory of planned behaviour (TPB), and Dyer's (1994) model of entrepreneurial careers, this study aims to highlight the potential of entrepreneurial role models to entrepreneurship education. The results suggest that entrepreneurial courses would greatly benefit from real-life experiences, either positive or negative. The results of regression analysis based on 426 individuals, primarily from Austria, Finland, and Greece, show that role models increase learners' entrepreneurial perceived behaviour control (PBC) by increasing their self-efficacy. This study can inform the research and business communities and governments about the importance of integrating entrepreneurs into education to stimulate entrepreneurial PBC. This study is the first of its kind using its approach, and its results warrant more in-depth studies of storytelling by entrepreneurial role models in the context of multimedia entrepreneurship education.

Role of videofluoroscopy in evaluation of neurologic dysphagia

PubMed Central

Rugiu, MG

2007-01-01

Summary For many years, videofluoroscopy was considered the gold standard for studies on swallowing disorders, and only recently has its role been challenged, due primarily to the widespread use of videoendoscopy in the evaluation of dysphagia. Albeit, videofluoroscopy still maintains its key role in this area and, in particular, in studies on dysphagia of neurological origin, on account not only of the possibility, with this procedure, to achieve complete and dynamic evaluation of all phases of deglutition, but also the high sensitivity and specificity in revealing the presence of inhalation. Aim of the present investigation was to analyse the technical procedure of videofluoroscopy and the principal indications in the study of dysphagia of neurological origin, in the attempt to reveal the advantages and disadvantages occurring in this examination, also with respect to other methods adopted in the evaluation of dyphagia. In conclusion, at present, no instrumental examination can be defined as ideal for the study of swallowing, but it can be seen that, with each of these procedures, the information forthcoming is actually complementary, thus achieving the aim to proceed as correctly and rapidly as possible, with the management of patients with dysphagia. PMID:18320837

Framework for modelling the cost-effectiveness of systemic interventions aimed to reduce youth delinquency.

PubMed

Schawo, Saskia J; van Eeren, Hester; Soeteman, Djira I; van der Veldt, Marie-Christine; Noom, Marc J; Brouwer, Werner; Busschbach, Jan J V; Hakkaart, Leona

2012-12-01

Many interventions initiated within and financed from the health care sector are not necessarily primarily aimed at improving health. This poses important questions regarding the operationalisation of economic evaluations in such contexts. We investigated whether assessing cost-effectiveness using state-of-the-art methods commonly applied in health care evaluations is feasible and meaningful when evaluating interventions aimed at reducing youth delinquency. A probabilistic Markov model was constructed to create a framework for the assessment of the cost-effectiveness of systemic interventions in delinquent youth. For illustrative purposes, Functional Family Therapy (FFT), a systemic intervention aimed at improving family functioning and, primarily, reducing delinquent activity in youths, was compared to Treatment as Usual (TAU). "Criminal activity free years" (CAFYs) were introduced as central outcome measure. Criminal activity may e.g. be based on police contacts or committed crimes. In absence of extensive data and for illustrative purposes the current study based criminal activity on available literature on recidivism. Furthermore, a literature search was performed to deduce the model's structure and parameters. Common cost-effectiveness methodology could be applied to interventions for youth delinquency. Model characteristics and parameters were derived from literature and ongoing trial data. The model resulted in an estimate of incremental costs/CAFY and included long-term effects. Illustrative model results point towards dominance of FFT compared to TAU. Using a probabilistic model and the CAFY outcome measure to assess cost-effectiveness of systemic interventions aimed to reduce delinquency is feasible. However, the model structure is limited to three states and the CAFY measure was defined rather crude. Moreover, as the model parameters are retrieved from literature the model results are illustrative in the absence of empirical data. The current model provides a framework to assess the cost-effectiveness of systemic interventions, while taking into account parameter uncertainty and long-term effectiveness. The framework of the model could be used to assess the cost-effectiveness of systemic interventions alongside (clinical) trial data. Consequently, it is suitable to inform reimbursement decisions, since the value for money of systemic interventions can be demonstrated using a decision analytic model. Future research could be focussed on testing the current model based on extensive empirical data, improving the outcome measure and finding appropriate values for that outcome.

Predictors of Postoperative Wound Necrosis Following Primary Wound Closure of Open Ankle Fractures.

PubMed

Ovaska, Mikko T; Madanat, Rami; Mäkinen, Tatu J

2016-04-01

Most open malleolar ankle fracture wounds can be closed primarily after meticulous debridement. However, the development of wound necrosis following operative treatment of open malleolar ankle fractures can have catastrophic consequences. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors predisposing to postoperative wound necrosis following primary wound closure of open malleolar ankle fractures. A total of 137 patients with open malleolar ankle fractures were identified. The open fracture wound was primarily closed in 110 of 137 (80%) patients, and postoperative wound necrosis occurred in 18 (16%) of these patients. These patients were compared to the open fracture patients without wound necrosis. Twenty possible risk factors for the development of wound necrosis were studied with logistic regression analysis. The variables that were independently associated with an increased risk for postoperative wound necrosis included ASA class ≥2, Gustilo grade III open injury, and the use of pulsatile lavage at index surgery. Our study showed that ASA class ≥2, Gustilo grade III open injury, and the use of pulsatile lavage at index surgery were the most important factors predisposing to postoperative wound necrosis following primary wound closure of open malleolar ankle fractures. The findings warrant a further study specifically comparing primary and delayed wound closure in patients with Gustilo grade III open malleolar ankle fractures and different ASA classes. Also, the role of pulsatile lavage should be re-evaluated. Level III, retrospective comparative series. © The Author(s) 2016.

Effect of aminoalkyl methacrylate copolymer E/HCl on in vivo absorption of poorly water-soluble drug.

PubMed

Yoshida, Takatsune; Kurimoto, Ippei; Yoshihara, Keiichi; Umejima, Hiroyuki; Ito, Naoki; Watanabe, Shunsuke; Sako, Kazuhiro; Kikuchi, Akihiko

2013-11-01

This study aimed to investigate in vivo absorption of tacrolimus formulated as a solid dispersion using Eudragit E®/HCl (E-SD). E-SD is an aminoalkyl methacrylate copolymer that can be dissolved under neutral pH conditions. E-SD was used alone as a solid dispersion carrier and/or was mixed with tacrolimus primarily dispersed with hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC). Tacrolimus was formulated with E-SD at several different ratios. Formulations with tacrolimus/E-SD ratio of 1/3 showed higher in vivo absorption, compared to tacrolimus dispersed in the excipients (primarily HPMC) found in commercially available tacrolimus capsules, using a rat in situ closed loop method. Good correlation was observed between in vitro drug solubility and in vivo drug absorption. In vitro solubility tests and rat oral absorption studies of tacrolimus/HPMC solid dispersion formulations were also conducted after mixing the HPMC dispersion with several ratios of E-SD. E-SD/tacrolimus/HPMC formulations yielded high in vitro drug solubility but comparatively low in vivo absorption. Dog oral absorption studies were conducted using capsules containing a formulation of tacrolimus/E-SD at a ratio of 1/5. The E-SD formulation-containing capsule showed higher in vivo drug absorption than tacrolimus dispersed in the standard HPMC capsule. These studies report enhancement of the in vivo absorption of a poorly water-soluble drug following dispersion with E-SD when compared to formulation in HPMC.

Medical Efforts and Injury Patterns of Military Hospital Patients Following the 2013 Lushan Earthquake in China: A Retrospective Study

PubMed Central

Kang, Peng; Tang, Bihan; Liu, Yuan; Liu, Xu; Liu, Zhipeng; Lv, Yipeng; Zhang, Lulu

2015-01-01

The aim of this paper is to investigate medical efforts and injury profiles of victims of the Lushan earthquake admitted to three military hospitals. This study retrospectively investigated the clinical records of 266 admitted patients evacuated from the Lushan earthquake area. The 2005 version of the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS-2005) was used to identify the severity of each injury. Patient demographic data, complaints, diagnoses, injury types, prognosis, means of transportation, and cause of injury were all reviewed individually. The statistical analysis of the study was conducted primarily using descriptive statistics. Of the 266 patients, 213 (80.1%) were admitted in the first two days. A total of 521 injury diagnoses were recorded in 266 patients. Earthquake-related injuries were primarily caused by buildings collapsing (38.4%) and victims being struck by objects (33.8%); the most frequently injured anatomic sites were the lower extremities and pelvis (34.2%) and surface area of the body (17.9%). Fracture (41.5%) was the most frequent injury, followed by soft tissue injury (27.5%), but crush syndrome was relatively low (1.2%) due to the special housing structures in the Lushan area. The most commonly used procedure was suture and dressings (33.7%), followed by open reduction and internal fixation (21.9%).The results of this study help formulate recommendations to improve future disaster relief and emergency planning in remote, isolated, and rural regions of developing countries. PMID:26334286

Medical Efforts and Injury Patterns of Military Hospital Patients Following the 2013 Lushan Earthquake in China: A Retrospective Study.

PubMed

Kang, Peng; Tang, Bihan; Liu, Yuan; Liu, Xu; Liu, Zhipeng; Lv, Yipeng; Zhang, Lulu

2015-08-31

The aim of this paper is to investigate medical efforts and injury profiles of victims of the Lushan earthquake admitted to three military hospitals. This study retrospectively investigated the clinical records of 266 admitted patients evacuated from the Lushan earthquake area. The 2005 version of the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS-2005) was used to identify the severity of each injury. Patient demographic data, complaints, diagnoses, injury types, prognosis, means of transportation, and cause of injury were all reviewed individually. The statistical analysis of the study was conducted primarily using descriptive statistics. Of the 266 patients, 213 (80.1%) were admitted in the first two days. A total of 521 injury diagnoses were recorded in 266 patients. Earthquake-related injuries were primarily caused by buildings collapsing (38.4%) and victims being struck by objects (33.8%); the most frequently injured anatomic sites were the lower extremities and pelvis (34.2%) and surface area of the body (17.9%). Fracture (41.5%) was the most frequent injury, followed by soft tissue injury (27.5%), but crush syndrome was relatively low (1.2%) due to the special housing structures in the Lushan area. The most commonly used procedure was suture and dressings (33.7%), followed by open reduction and internal fixation (21.9%).The results of this study help formulate recommendations to improve future disaster relief and emergency planning in remote, isolated, and rural regions of developing countries.

Determinants of Children's Mental Health in War-Torn Settings: Translating Research Into Action.

PubMed

Miller, Kenneth E; Jordans, Mark J D

2016-06-01

Research on the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of children in conflict-affected settings has undergone a significant paradigm shift in recent years. Earlier studies based on a war exposure model primarily emphasized the effects of direct exposure to armed conflict; this has gradually given way to a broader understanding of the diverse pathways by which organized violence affects children. A robustly supported comprehensive model includes risk factors at multiple points in time (prior war exposure, ongoing daily stressors) and at all levels of the social ecology. In particular, findings suggest that material deprivation and a set of family variables, including harsh parenting, parental distress, and witnessing intimate partner violence, are important mediators of the relationship between armed conflict and children's wellbeing. To date, however, interventions aimed at supporting war-affected children's wellbeing, both preventive and treatment-focused, have focused primarily on direct work with children, while paying only modest attention to ongoing risk factors in their families and broader environments. Possible reasons for the ongoing prioritization of child-focused interventions are considered, and examples are provided of recent evidence-based interventions that have reduced toxic stressors (harsh parenting and the use of violent discipline by teachers) in conflict-affected communities.

Economic dependence and unprotected sex: the role of sexual assertiveness among young urban mothers.

PubMed

Biello, Katie Brooks; Sipsma, Heather L; Ickovics, Jeannette R; Kershaw, Trace

2010-05-01

In the USA, sexual intercourse is the leading route of human immunodeficiency virus transmission among women, primarily through their main partner. Because male condom use is not directly under a woman's control, gender inequalities may help shape this sexual risk behavior. To examine this association, data came from follow-up interviews of young, primarily minority, pregnant women enrolled in a prospective, randomized controlled trial. Specifically, we aimed to determine the relationship between economic dependence on a male partner and condom use, and to establish whether this relationship was mediated by sexual assertiveness. Overall, 28% of women reported being economically dependent on a male partner. Young women dependent on a male partner were 1.6 times more likely to report not using a condom at last sex than women not dependent on their partner (95% confidence interval = 1.11-2.32; p = 0.01). Sexual assertiveness mediated the relationship between economic dependence and condom use (Sobel = 2.05, p = 0.04). Coupled with past research, this study supports the premise that sexual behaviors may be rooted in a complex web of social determinants. Addressing gender inequalities in contextual factors may promote healthier decisions within sexual relationships.

Zoonotic Onchocerca lupi Infection in Dogs, Greece and Portugal, 2011–2012

PubMed Central

Dantas-Torres, Filipe; Giannelli, Alessio; Latrofa, Maria Stefania; Papadopoulos, Elias; Cardoso, Luís; Cortes, Helder

2013-01-01

Onchocerca lupi infection is reported primarily in symptomatic dogs. We aimed to determine the infection in dogs from areas of Greece and Portugal with reported cases. Of 107 dogs, 9 (8%) were skin snip–positive for the parasite. DNA sequences of parasites in specimens from distinct dog populations differed genetically from thoses in GenBank. PMID:24274145

Restructuring Schools: An International Perspective on the Movement To Transform the Control and Performance of Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beare, H., Ed.; Boyd, W. Lowe, Ed.

The decade 1980-90 saw a spate of educational reconstruction occurring simultaneously in many countries. This book argues that the school restructuring of the past 10 years has been called the "education-reform movement," but that term is somewhat misleading. The current reform efforts seem to aim primarily at the control and governance of both…

Hate Crime in Los Angeles County 1990. A Report to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hatcher, Bunny Nightwalker

A report on 1990 hate crimes in Los Angeles County (California) found 275 racially motivated hate crimes, 150 religiously motivated hate crimes, and 125 sexual orientation hate crimes. The data were collected primarily from law enforcement and community agencies. Of the racially motivated crimes, most were aimed at Blacks, followed by Asians. Jews…

Immigration to the United States from Latin America: Past and Present. The Latin American Project: Volume 1, No. 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

League of United Latin American Citizens, Washington, DC.

Immigration legislation in the United States is aimed primarily at Mexican migrants, who account for over half of all undocumented immigrants in the United States. Citizens of Central American and Caribbean countries contribute another 20%. The first section of this booklet traces the development of United States immigration legislation from the…

A Game-Theoretic Model of Curriculum Integration and School Leadership. Publication Series No. 4

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stull, William J.

2004-01-01

Curriculum integration (CI) is an educational strategy aimed primarily at students who take significant numbers of both academic and vocational courses either as part of a formal program or on their own. Its goal is to enhance the learning of these students by breaking down the traditional barrier that exists in most schools between the two…

Art and Education in Dewey: Accomplishing Unity, Bringing Newness to the Fore

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

d'Agnese, Vasco

2016-01-01

The aim of this paper is to discuss the role of art in Deweyan thought, making a case for the relationship among art, experience, and education. I will do so by drawing on both Deweyan works--primarily "Art as Experience" and chapter nine of "Experience and Nature"--and scholarly literature devoted to the issue. Based on those…

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

Fernández Cristóbal, Jose Ma, E-mail: jmariaffc@gmail.com

Under the generic designation of unimodular theory, two theoretical models of gravity are considered: the unimodular gravity and the TDiff theory. Our approach is primarily pedagogical. We aim to describe these models both from a geometric and a field-theoretical point of view. In addition, we explore connections with the cosmological-constant problem and outline some applications. We do not discuss the application of this theory to the quantization of gravity.

The United States Enters the Korean Conflict. Teaching with Documents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC.

After World War II the United States centered its foreign policy on the containment of communism, at home and abroad. Although it was aimed primarily at containing the spread of communism in Europe, the policy also extended to Asia. Asia proved to be the site of the first major battle waged in the name of containment: the Korean War. Dividing…

A Curriculum Guide for Speech Communication--Grades 8-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brilhart, Barbara L., Comp.

This curriculum guide is a result of a graduate seminar in improvement of speech instruction given in 1971 at the University of Nebraska (Omaha). It is designed primarily for a full-year high school course, but individual sections can be used for a semester course or units. The aim of the curriculum is to integrate new approaches in communication…

Safe Drinking Water for Alaska: Curriculum for Grades 1-6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

South East Regional Resource Center, Juneau, AK.

Presented is a set of 10 lessons on safe drinking water in Alaska for use by elementary school teachers. The aim is to provide students with an understanding of the sources of the water they drink, how drinking water can be made safe, and the health threat that unsafe water represents. Although this curriculum relates primarily to science, health,…

Return to sports after stress fractures of the tibial diaphysis: a systematic review.

PubMed

Robertson, G A J; Wood, A M

2015-06-01

This review aims to provide information on the time taken to resume sport following tibial diaphyseal stress fractures (TDSFs). A systematic search of Medline, EMBASE, CINHAL, Cochrane, Web of Science, PEDro, Sports Discus, Scopus and Google Scholar was performed using the keywords 'tibial', 'tibia', 'stress', 'fractures', 'athletes', 'sports', 'non-operative', 'conservative', 'operative' and 'return to sport'. Twenty-seven studies were included: 16 reported specifically on anterior TDSFs and 5 on posterior TDSFs. The general principles were to primarily attempt non-operative management for all TDSFs and to consider operative intervention for anterior TDSFs that remained symptomatic after 3-6 months. Anterior TDSFs showed a prolonged return to sport. The best time to return to sport and the optimal management modalities for TDSFs remain undefined. Management of TDSFs should include a full assessment of training methods, equipment and diet to modify pre-disposing factors. Future prospective studies should aim to establish the optimal treatment modalities for TDSFs. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Tannins, peptic ulcers and related mechanisms.

PubMed

de Jesus, Neyres Zinia Taveira; de Souza Falcão, Heloina; Gomes, Isis Fernandes; de Almeida Leite, Thiago Jose; de Morais Lima, Gedson Rodrigues; Barbosa-Filho, Jose Maria; Tavares, Josean Fechine; da Silva, Marcelo Sobral; de Athayde-Filho, Petrônio Filgueiras; Batista, Leonia Maria

2012-01-01

This review of the current literature aims to study correlations between the chemical structure and gastric anti-ulcer activity of tannins. Tannins are used in medicine primarily because of their astringent properties. These properties are due to the fact that tannins react with the tissue proteins with which they come into contact. In gastric ulcers, this tannin-protein complex layer protects the stomach by promoting greater resistance to chemical and mechanical injury or irritation. Moreover, in several experimental models of gastric ulcer, tannins have been shown to present antioxidant activity, promote tissue repair, exhibit anti Helicobacter pylori effects, and they are involved in gastrointestinal tract anti-inflammatory processes. The presence of tannins explains the anti-ulcer effects of many natural products.

Microhydration and the Enhanced Acidity of Free Radicals.

PubMed

Walton, John C

2018-02-14

Recent theoretical research employing a continuum solvent model predicted that radical centers would enhance the acidity (RED-shift) of certain proton-donor molecules. Microhydration studies employing a DFT method are reported here with the aim of establishing the effect of the solvent micro-structure on the acidity of radicals with and without RED-shifts. Microhydration cluster structures were obtained for carboxyl, carboxy-ethynyl, carboxy-methyl, and hydroperoxyl radicals. The numbers of water molecules needed to induce spontaneous ionization were determined. The hydration clusters formed primarily round the CO₂ units of the carboxylate-containing radicals. Only 4 or 5 water molecules were needed to induce ionization of carboxyl and carboxy-ethynyl radicals, thus corroborating their large RED-shifts.

Is complementary and alternative therapy effective for women in the climacteric period?

PubMed

Kim, Mi Young; Choi, Seung Do; Ryu, Aeli

2015-04-01

Vasomotor symptoms start about 2 years prior to menopause in women who are approaching menopause, and early menopause symptoms appear including emotional disturbance and anxiety, followed by physical changes such as vaginal dryness, urinary incontinence and skin wrinkles. As time progresses, osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases, and dementia occur consecutively. Hormone therapy is primarily considered for the relief of menopause symptoms in postmenopausal women. However, as hormone replacement has emerged as a therapy that increases the potential risk of thrombosis, cerebral infarction and breast cancer, complementary and alternative medicine has drawn much attention. This study aimed to examine the types and effects of evidence-based complementary and alternative therapies that are currently used.

Antisocial personality disorder--stable and unstable subtypes.

PubMed

Ullrich, Simone; Coid, Jeremy

2010-04-01

There have been criticisms that the criteria for antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) are over-dependent on criminal behavior. This study aimed to identify unrelated criteria of social and behavioral problems and instability, and to investigate their associations in a representative household sample of adults in the UK. Approximately one third of adults with ASPD did not fulfill any of the criteria for instability. They were less aggressive and involved in illegal activities but expressed less remorse for their behaviors. Instability in ASPD was mediated primarily through comorbid anxiety disorders and borderline personality disorder. The concept of Secondary Psychopathy, which has not generally been applied to ASPD, demonstrated many similarities to the unstable subtype.

Social support and sleep: A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Kent de Grey, Robert G; Uchino, Bert N; Trettevik, Ryan; Cronan, Sierra; Hogan, Jasara N

2018-05-28

While the implications of social support are increasingly well understood, no meta-analytic review to date has examined the intersection of the social support and sleep literatures. The aims of this meta-analysis were primarily to review the association between social support and sleep and additionally to test several proposed moderators from prior work. Using a literature search and the ancestry approach, the review identified 61 studies with a total of 105,437 participants. Random-effects modeling showed that greater social support was significantly related to improved sleep outcomes (Zr = -.152). These results were not moderated by the operationalization of support, study design, or chronic conditions. These data indicate a robust association between social support and favorable sleep outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Bioethics in the Malay-Muslim Community in Malaysia: A Study on the Formulation of Fatwa on Genetically Modified Food by the National Fatwa Council.

PubMed

Isa, Noor Munirah; Baharuddin, Azizan; Man, Saadan; Chang, Lee Wei

2015-12-01

The field of bioethics aims to ensure that modern scientific and technological advancements have been primarily developed for the benefits of humankind. This field is deeply rooted in the traditions of Western moral philosophy and socio-political theory. With respect to the view that the practice of bioethics in certain community should incorporate religious and cultural elements, this paper attempts to expound bioethical tradition of the Malay-Muslim community in Malaysia, with shedding light on the mechanism used by the National Fatwa Council to evaluate whether an application of biological sciences is ethical or not. By using the application of the genetically modified food as a case study, this study has found that the council had reviewed the basic guidelines in the main references of shari'ah in order to make decision on the permissibility of the application. The fatwa is made after having consultation with the experts in science field. The council has taken all factors into consideration and given priority to the general aim of shari'ah which to serve the interests of mankind and to save them from harm. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Qualitative analysis of factors affecting adherence to the phenylketonuria diet in adolescents.

PubMed

Sharman, Rachael; Mulgrew, Kate; Katsikitis, Mary

2013-01-01

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an inborn error of metabolism that is primarily treated with a severely restricted, low-protein diet to prevent permanent neurological damage. Despite the recognition of the importance of strict dietary adherence in the prevention of intellectual impairment in individuals with PKU, apathy and attrition from diet, especially during adolescence, remain a threat to normal development in this population. This study's aim was to examine adolescents' perception of factors that encourage or inhibit their dietary adherence. This was a qualitative study, with the authors using thematic analysis to interpret the findings. The study was conducted as part of a Metabolic Disorders Association conference. Eight adolescents with PKU were recruited through convenience sampling. A focus group was conducted with the adolescents to gather information about factors that encourage and discourage dietary adherence. Thematic analysis revealed that the adolescents encountered problems explaining the nature and food requirements of their condition to other people. Friends, family, and wanting to maintain "normal" cognitive abilities were identified as factors that encouraged dietary adherence. Adolescents with PKU appear to share several barriers and incentives for maintaining the strict dietary regimen. Considering such perceptions may aid future interventions aiming to reduce diet attrition rates among adolescents.

Late recovery in cerebral fat embolism

PubMed Central

Srikanth, KP; Sundararajan, SR; Rajasekaran, S

2014-01-01

Fat embolism syndrome presenting primarily with cerebral manifestations is rarely reported. We report here two such patients who showed complete recovery following initial deterioration. The aim of these reports is to highlight that prolonged intensive care and good rehabilitation can lead to normal neurologic recovery despite poor clinical picture initially. The importance of adequate oxygenation to prevent secondary brain damage is emphasized during prolonged recovery. PMID:24600071

Prefocused objective-pinhole unit for beam expanding and spatial filtering.

PubMed

Antes, G P

1973-03-01

A beam-expanding and spatial-filtering device, the prefocused objective-pinhole unit (POP unit), is presented. The design is primarily aimed at greater simplicity in handling and construction than the commercially available lens-pinhole spatial filters (LPSF), for once the pinhole is fixed in the correct position with respect to the objective, the alignment of the whole unit can be made an easy matter.

East Europe Report.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-02-09

role of the council you chair in supporting and bolstering the development of small manufacturing? [Answer]: I would not exaggerate my assessment of...postwar period of the development of our economy there has been an unsatisfied demand for food articles. This was especially evident in the second half...results. Comprehensive measures, aimed primarily at restoring full confidence in farm policy and establishing long-range goals in the development of

Guide de mise en oeuvre de la gestion scolaire francophone. Revise (Guide for the Implementation of French-Language Education. Revised).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Learning, Edmonton. Direction de l'education francaise.

This guide, aimed primarily at school administrators and school counselors, is a reference manual to be used in conjunction with the corresponding sections of the School Act, RSA 2000 and the Local Authorities Election Act RSA, and any other related legislation. The document provides historical background on the right to choose the language of…

Associations among maternal nutrition and infant birth outcomes in a cohort of pregnant, primarily African American, rural, Southern women: Delta Healthy Sprouts

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background and aims: At no point during a woman’s life is good nutrition more important than during her reproductive years as her dietary choices affect not only her health but also that of her child. Delta Healthy Sprouts is a randomized, controlled, comparative trial testing the impact of two Ma...

Entrepreneurship education revisited: perceived entrepreneurial role models increase perceived behavioural control

PubMed Central

Fellnhofer, Katharina

2017-01-01

Relying on Bandura’s (1986) social learning theory, Ajzen’s (1988) theory of planned behaviour (TPB), and Dyer’s (1994) model of entrepreneurial careers, this study aims to highlight the potential of entrepreneurial role models to entrepreneurship education. The results suggest that entrepreneurial courses would greatly benefit from real-life experiences, either positive or negative. The results of regression analysis based on 426 individuals, primarily from Austria, Finland, and Greece, show that role models increase learners’ entrepreneurial perceived behaviour control (PBC) by increasing their self-efficacy. This study can inform the research and business communities and governments about the importance of integrating entrepreneurs into education to stimulate entrepreneurial PBC. This study is the first of its kind using its approach, and its results warrant more in-depth studies of storytelling by entrepreneurial role models in the context of multimedia entrepreneurship education. PMID:29104604

Does Working Memory Impact Functional Outcomes in Individuals With ADHD: A Qualitative and Comprehensive Literature Review.

PubMed

Fried, Ronna; Abrams, Jessica; Hall, Anna; Feinberg, Leah; Pope, Amanda; Biederman, Joseph

2017-09-01

Working Memory (WM) is a domain of executive functioning often impaired in individuals with ADHD. Although assumed to cause difficulties across functioning, the scope of impairments from WM deficits in ADHD has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to examine outcomes associated with WM deficits in ADHD. We conducted a search of the scientific literature on WM deficits, and Freedom From Distractibility (FFD), in ADHD using PubMed and PsycInfo databases. The final sample included 11 controlled studies of WM/FFD deficits in ADHD with operationalized assessment of outcomes in academic, social, and emotional areas. WM assessment was divided into auditory-verbal memory (AVM) and spatial-visual memory (SWM). Seven studies examined WM deficits in academic functioning, eight studies assessed WM deficits in social functioning, and three assessed WM deficits in psychopathology. The majority of the literature suggests that WM deficits affect primarily academic functioning.

Pointing control system design and performance evaluation of TPF coronagraph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Kuo-Chia; Blaurock, Carl; Mosier, Gary E.

2004-09-01

The Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) project aims to detect and characterize extra-solar Earth-like planets. The coronagraph telescope is one of the two mission concepts being studied. To reject the star flux and detect the planet flux in the visible light range, the coronagraph telescope must achieve a rejection ratio on the order of a billion to one. Dynamic jitter, introduced by environmental and on-board mechanical disturbances, degrades the optical performance, as characterized primarily by contrast ratio. The feasibility of using passive vibration isolation combined with active attitude and line-of-sight (LOS) control systems to stabilize the spacecraft and the optical components to the requisite level is being studied. The telescope is also required to slew between targets or rotate around the LOS. The slew mode control law must be designed to balance the need for efficient large-angle maneuvers while simultaneously avoiding the excitation of flexible modes in order to minimize settling time. This paper provides an overview of the current control design concept and sensor/actuator topology for TPF Coronagraph and illustrates the fine pointing performance of the telescope. This performance is primarily a function of the rejection of high-frequency dynamic disturbances, in this case due to reaction wheel disturbance forces/torques transmitted through the passive isolation stage. Trade studies between isolator force rejection and disturbance level reduction via wheel redesign are also presented to illustrate the requirements imposed on current technologies. Finally, the paper summarizes preliminary results on the slew/settle performance of the telescope.

Frequency and clinical features of patients who attempted suicide by Hara-Kiri in Japan.

PubMed

Kato, Koji; Kimoto, Keitaro; Kimoto, Kousuke; Takahashi, Yuki; Sato, Reiko; Matsumoto, Hideo

2014-09-01

Hara-kiri is a unique Japanese custom, primarily stemming from the manners and customs that a samurai held. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical features of individuals who attempted suicide by hara-kiri. We enrolled 647 patients who had attempted suicide. Clinical features were compared between those who had employed hara-kiri and those who had used other methods. 25 of the 647 subjects had attempted suicide by hara-kiri. The ratio of men to women and the proportion of patients with mood disorders were significantly higher in the hara-kiri group than in the other methods group. The average length of stay in either the hospital or in the intensive care unit was also longer in the hara-kiri group than in the other methods group. Hara-kiri is an original Japanese method of attempting suicide, and suicide attempts by hara-kiri may be aimed at maintaining a reputation or taking responsibility. © 2014 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Principles and Overview of Sampling Methods for Modeling Macromolecular Structure and Dynamics

PubMed Central

Moffatt, Ryan; Ma, Buyong; Nussinov, Ruth

2016-01-01

Investigation of macromolecular structure and dynamics is fundamental to understanding how macromolecules carry out their functions in the cell. Significant advances have been made toward this end in silico, with a growing number of computational methods proposed yearly to study and simulate various aspects of macromolecular structure and dynamics. This review aims to provide an overview of recent advances, focusing primarily on methods proposed for exploring the structure space of macromolecules in isolation and in assemblies for the purpose of characterizing equilibrium structure and dynamics. In addition to surveying recent applications that showcase current capabilities of computational methods, this review highlights state-of-the-art algorithmic techniques proposed to overcome challenges posed in silico by the disparate spatial and time scales accessed by dynamic macromolecules. This review is not meant to be exhaustive, as such an endeavor is impossible, but rather aims to balance breadth and depth of strategies for modeling macromolecular structure and dynamics for a broad audience of novices and experts. PMID:27124275

Pharmaceutical evaluation of different shampoo brands in local Saudi market.

PubMed

AlQuadeib, Bushra T; Eltahir, Eram K D; Banafa, Rana A; Al-Hadhairi, Lama A

2018-01-01

Shampooing is the most common form of hair treatment. Shampoos are primarily products aimed at cleansing the hair and scalp. There are many brands of shampoos in Saudi Arabia, available from different sources, locally and imported from other countries. This study aims to investigate whether such brands comply with the Saudi standard specifications for shampoos, issued by the National Center for Specifications and Standards, and to what extent these specifications are applied. Six shampoo brands were randomly collected from Riyadh market (Pantene®, Sunsilk®, Herbal essences®, Garnier Ultra Doux®, Syoss® and L'Oreal Elvive®). The selected shampoos were evaluated according to their physicochemical properties, including organoleptic characterization, pH measurement, percentage of solid content, rheological measurements, dirt dispersion level, foaming ability and foam stability, and surface tension. All shampoos had a good percentage of solids, excellent foam formation with stable foam and a highly viscous nature. Regarding the pH measurement, all shampoo samples were within the specified range with good wetting ability.

Principles and Overview of Sampling Methods for Modeling Macromolecular Structure and Dynamics.

PubMed

Maximova, Tatiana; Moffatt, Ryan; Ma, Buyong; Nussinov, Ruth; Shehu, Amarda

2016-04-01

Investigation of macromolecular structure and dynamics is fundamental to understanding how macromolecules carry out their functions in the cell. Significant advances have been made toward this end in silico, with a growing number of computational methods proposed yearly to study and simulate various aspects of macromolecular structure and dynamics. This review aims to provide an overview of recent advances, focusing primarily on methods proposed for exploring the structure space of macromolecules in isolation and in assemblies for the purpose of characterizing equilibrium structure and dynamics. In addition to surveying recent applications that showcase current capabilities of computational methods, this review highlights state-of-the-art algorithmic techniques proposed to overcome challenges posed in silico by the disparate spatial and time scales accessed by dynamic macromolecules. This review is not meant to be exhaustive, as such an endeavor is impossible, but rather aims to balance breadth and depth of strategies for modeling macromolecular structure and dynamics for a broad audience of novices and experts.

Oral and Cutaneous Lymphomas other than Mycosis Fungoides and Sézary Syndrome in a Mexican Cohort: Recategorization and Evaluation of International Geographical Disparities

PubMed Central

Hernández-Salazar, Amparo; García-Vera, Jorge Andrés; Charli-Joseph, Yann; Ortiz-Pedroza, Guadalupe; Méndez-Flores, Silvia; Orozco-Topete, Rocío; Morales-Leyte, Ana Lilia; Domínguez-Cherit, Judith; Lome-Maldonado, Carmen

2017-01-01

Background: Nonmycosis fungoides/Sézary syndrome (non-MF/SS) primary cutaneous lymphomas (PCL) are currently categorized under the 2005-World Health Organization/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (WHO-EORTC) classification for PCL. These differ in behavior from secondary cutaneous lymphomas (SCL) and to lymphomas limited to the oral cavity (primary oral lymphomas [POL]) both categorized under the 2016-WHO classification for lymphoid neoplasms. Aims: This study aims to report the first series of non-MF/SS PCL, SCL, and POL in a Mexican cohort, examine the applicability of current classification systems and compare our findings with those from foreign cohorts. Materials and Methods: Eighteen non-MF/SS PCL, four SCL, and two POL with available tissue for morphology and immunophenotypic assessment were reclassified according to the 2005-WHO/EORTC and 2016-WHO classifications. Results: Non-MF/SS PCLs were primarily of T-cell origin (61%) where CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorders predominated, followed by Epstein–Barr virus-induced lymphomas, and peripheral T-cell lymphomas, not otherwise specified. Primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas (BCL) were primarily of follicle center cell origin followed by postgerminal lymphomas of the diffuse large BCL variety. Conclusions: Most non-MF/SS PCL, SCL, and POL can be adequately categorized according to the 2005-WHO/EORTC and 2016-WHO classification systems, even when dealing with clinically atypical cases. The relative frequencies in our cohort hold closer similarities to Asian registries than from those of Europe/USA, supporting the concept of individual and/or racial susceptibility, and the notion of geographical variances in the rate of lymphomas. In particular, such disparity may arise from viral-induced lymphomas which might show partial geographical restriction. PMID:28400635

Relative Contribution of Genetic and Non-genetic Modifiers to Intestinal Obstruction in Cystic Fibrosis

PubMed Central

Blackman, Scott M.; Deering-Brose, Rebecca; McWilliams, Rita; Naughton, Kathleen; Coleman, Barbara; Lai, Teresa; Algire, Marilyn; Beck, Suzanne; Hoover-Fong, Julie; Hamosh, Ada; Fallin, M. Daniele; West, Kristen; Arking, Dan E.; Chakravarti, Aravinda; Cutler, David J.; Cutting, Garry R

2006-01-01

Background & Aims Neonatal intestinal obstruction (meconium ileus or MI) occurs in 15% of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Our aim was to determine the relative contribution of genetic and non-genetic modifiers to the development of this major complication of CF. Methods Using clinical data and DNA collected by the CF Twin and Sibling Study, 65 monozygous twin pairs, 23 dizygous twin/triplet sets, and 349 sets of siblings with CF were analyzed for MI status, significant covariates, and genome-wide linkage. Results Specific mutations in CFTR, the gene responsible for CF, correlated with MI indicating a role for CFTR genotype. Monozygous twins showed substantially greater concordance for MI than dizygous twins and siblings (p=1×10−5) demonstrating that modifier genes independent of CFTR contribute substantially to this trait. Regression analysis revealed that MI was correlated with distal intestinal obstruction syndrome (DIOS; p=8×10−4). Unlike MI, concordance analysis indicated that the risk for development of DIOS in CF patients is primarily due to non-genetic factors. Regions of suggestive linkage (logarithm of the odds of linkage >2.0) for modifier genes that cause MI (chromosomes 4q35.1, 8p23.1, and 11q25) or protect from MI (chromosomes 20p11.22 and 21q22.3) were identified by genome-wide analyses. These analyses did not support the existence of a major modifier gene within the CFM1 region on chromosome 19 that had previously been linked to MI. Conclusions The CFTR gene along with two or more modifier genes are the major determinants of intestinal obstruction in newborn CF patients, while intestinal obstruction in older CF patients is primarily due to non-genetic factors. PMID:17030173

Association between vitamin K intake from fermented soybeans, natto, and bone mineral density in elderly Japanese men: the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men (FORMEN) study.

PubMed

Fujita, Y; Iki, M; Tamaki, J; Kouda, K; Yura, A; Kadowaki, E; Sato, Y; Moon, J-S; Tomioka, K; Okamoto, N; Kurumatani, N

2012-02-01

A cross-sectional analysis of 1,662 community dwelling elderly Japanese men suggested that habitual natto intake was significantly associated with higher bone mineral density (BMD). When adjustment was made for undercarboxylated osteocalcin levels, this association was insignificant, showing the natto-bone association to be primarily mediated by vitamin K. Low vitamin K intake is associated with an increased risk of hip fracture, but reports have been inconsistent on its effect on BMD. Our first aim was to examine the association between BMD and intake of fermented soybeans, natto, which contain vitamin K1 (20 μg/pack) and K2 (380 μg/pack). Our second aim was to examine the association between undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC), a biomarker of vitamin K intake, and BMD to evaluate the role of vitamin K in this association. Of the Japanese men aged ≥65 years who participated in the baseline survey of the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men study, 1,662 men without diseases or medications known to affect bone metabolism were examined for associations between self-reported natto intake or serum ucOC levels with lumbar spine or hip BMD. The subjects with greater intake of natto showed significantly lower level of serum ucOC. Analysis after adjustment for confounding variables showed an association of greater intake of natto with both significantly higher BMD and lower risk of low BMD (T-score < -1 SD) at the total hip and femoral neck. This association became insignificant after further adjustment for ucOC level. Habitual intake of natto was associated with a beneficial effect on bone health in elderly men, and this association is primarily due to vitamin K content of natto, although the lack of information on dietary nutrient intake, including vitamin K1 and K2, prevented us from further examining the association.

Pilot Study of Agricultural Literacy. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birkenholz, Robert H.; And Others

A study assessed the knowledge and perceptions of U.S. citizens regarding agriculture, food, and natural resources. Data were collected from 2,005 respondents representing the following groups: purposely selected primarily white Indiana high school students and primarily black Michigan high school students, randomly selected rural Missouri adults…

Our evolving understanding of aeolian bedforms, based on observation of dunes on different worlds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diniega, Serina; Kreslavsky, Mikhail; Radebaugh, Jani; Silvestro, Simone; Telfer, Matt; Tirsch, Daniela

2017-06-01

Dunes, dune fields, and ripples are unique and useful records of the interaction between wind and granular materials - finding such features on a planetary surface immediately suggests certain information about climate and surface conditions (at least during the dunes' formation and evolution). Additionally, studies of dune characteristics under non-Earth conditions allow for ;tests; of aeolian process models based primarily on observations of terrestrial features and dynamics, and refinement of the models to include consideration of a wider range of environmental and planetary conditions. To-date, the planetary aeolian community has found and studied dune fields on Mars, Venus, and the Saturnian moon Titan. Additionally, we have observed candidate ;aeolian bedforms; on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the Jovian moon Io, and - most recently - Pluto. In this paper, we hypothesize that the progression of investigations of aeolian bedforms and processes on a particular planetary body follows a consistent sequence - primarily set by the acquisition of data of particular types and resolutions, and by the maturation of knowledge about that planetary body. We define that sequence of generated knowledge and new questions (within seven investigation phases) and discuss examples from all of the studied bodies. The aim of such a sequence is to better define our past and current state of understanding about the aeolian bedforms of a particular body, to highlight the related assumptions that require re-analysis with data acquired during later investigations, and to use lessons learned from planetary and terrestrial aeolian studies to predict what types of investigations could be most fruitful in the future.

Identification and Characterization of Novel FMRP-Associated miRNAs

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

further - primarily because of advantages of the approaches described below (Figures 6 and 7). We next tried FMRP antibody covalently crosslinked to...hands, crosslinked FMRP antibody did not always efficiently pull down FMRP from fly brain extract (as shown in Figure 3A) and inconsistently pulled...these goals has shed light on the molecular pathogenesis of FXS. Progress towards completion of aims: First, after significant setbacks developing novel

Bridging the San Francisco System: 21st Century Strategic Partnerships for the Asian Pacific

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-08

apparatuses characterized their newly obtained national sovereignty. Further, a union of these disparate and distant archipelagic states in a multilateral...the Nixon administration released the Guam Doctrine in 1969. Later known as the Nixon Doctrine , this policy aimed primarily at Asia, promoted...allies to the North, the archipelagic regional states also continue to offer the United States key regional defense positioning. Moreover, these

Founding the "Spokane Press": E. W. Scripps and an Ambitious New Publisher Debated the Issues of Newspaper Journalism.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jordan, Mike

In the early 1900s, the small, penny newspapers of E. W. Scripps were aimed primarily at working class readers, had a policy of limited advertising, and relied upon circulation to provide the bulk of revenues. The "Spokane Press" was conceived in 1902 with E. W. Scripps, his sister Ellen Browning Scripps, and George Putnam as copartners.…

An Analysis of the 3D Video and Interactive Response Approach Effects on the Science Remedial Teaching for Fourth Grade Underachieving Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chou, Chin-Cheng

2017-01-01

Elementary school remedial teaching has been promoted for many years in Taiwan but it has primarily been aimed at Chinese and mathematics with little attention being paid to natural sciences. Due to the current shortage of natural science teachers, along with limitations in school budget and manpower, it is difficult to put natural science…

Laying the Foundation for Successful Non-Academic Writing: Professional Communication Principles in the K-5 Curricula of the McKinney Independent School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trevino, Marlea

2009-01-01

Traditionally, K-5 students' writing has had a primarily academic aim--to help students master concepts and express themselves. Even if students take a professional writing course later, they typically do not have the opportunity to practice--over the long period of time mastery requires--the non-academic writing skills they will be required to…

An Analysis of the Emergence of Transnational Terrorism in Southeast Asia

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-06-06

means to achieve primarily domestic separatist aims. Linkages with Al Qaeda Terrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna provides further insights into why...Desker and Kumar Ramakrishna , “Forging an Indirect Strategy in Southeast Asia,” The Washington Quarterly (Spring 2002): 162. 8Robert C. Bone...and Kumar Ramakrishna . “Forging an Indirect Strategy in Southeast Asia.” The Washington Quarterly (Spring 2002): 161-176. Dillon, Dana R. and

Black Students in Interracial Schools. A Guide for Students, Teachers, and Parents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Ed

This book is written to address the needs of Black youth who attend interracial schools. By interracial is meant a school in which students and staff of more than one race are found at the same time. Aimed primarily at the high school student, the book is a guide to success in school and is designed to assist in the development of skills to cope…

"There's No Other Way to Describe It": Images of Disability and Challenging Behaviour on "A Current Affair"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Symonds, Gwyn

2006-01-01

This paper is written primarily as a call to those of us in the special education field in Australia to become more actively involved in responding to the popular culture construction of disability as it takes place in the mainstream media. It is not the aim to define the form such activism should take but rather to raise awareness of the issue…

The dynamics of migration-related stress and coping of female domestic workers from the Philippines: an exploratory study.

PubMed

van der Ham, Alida Joanna; Ujano-Batangan, Maria Theresa; Ignacio, Raquel; Wolffers, Ivan

2015-01-01

Female domestic workers face many migration-related stressors that affect their mental health, but we know little about the dynamics of stress and coping in different migration phases. This exploratory study aims to assess stress and coping of female migrant domestic workers from the Philippines in different phases of the migration process; prior to migration, in the country of destination and upon return to the Philippines. Data were collected in 2010 using questionnaires (N = 500). Validation of findings took place in a work shop (23 participants) and two focus groups (13 and 8 participants). Stress levels of women were significantly higher abroad than in the Philippines. Stress and coping in the Philippines was primarily related to financial issues, while stress and coping abroad related more strongly loneliness, working conditions and employers. Findings from this study provide insight in the phase-specific and transnational dimensions of stress and coping.

The effect of age, sex, and physical activity on entheseal morphology in a contemporary Italian skeletal collection.

PubMed

Milella, Marco; Giovanna Belcastro, Maria; Zollikofer, Christoph P E; Mariotti, Valentina

2012-07-01

Entheseal changes are traditionally included in a large array of skeletal features commonly referred to as "skeletal markers of activity." However, medical studies and recent anthropological analyses of identified skeletal series suggest a complex combination of physiological and biomechanical factors underlying the variability of such "markers." The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between age, sex, physical activity, and entheseal variability. To this end, 23 postcranial entheses are examined in a large (N = 484) Italian contemporary skeletal series using standardized scoring methods. The sample comprises subjects of known age, sex and, mostly, occupation. Results show a strong relationship between age and entheseal changes. Differences between sexes are also highlighted, while the effects of physical activity appear moderate. Altogether, our study indicates that entheseal morphology primarily reflects the age of an individual, while correlation with lifetime activity remains ambiguous. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Educational Knowledge Brokerage and Mobilization: The "Marshall Memo" Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malin, Joel R.; Paralkar, Vijay Keshaorao

2017-01-01

The importance of intermediation between communities primarily engaged in research production and those primarily engaged in practice is increasingly acknowledged, yet our understanding of the nature and influence of this work in education remains limited. Accordingly, this study utilizes case study methodology and aspires to understand the…

Female Mecp2+/− mice display robust behavioral deficits on two different genetic backgrounds providing a framework for pre-clinical studies

PubMed Central

Samaco, Rodney C.; McGraw, Christopher M.; Ward, Christopher S.; Sun, Yaling; Neul, Jeffrey L.; Zoghbi, Huda Y.

2013-01-01

Rett syndrome (RTT) is an X-linked neurological disorder caused by mutations in the gene encoding the transcriptional modulator methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2). Typical RTT primarily affects girls and is characterized by a brief period of apparently normal development followed by the loss of purposeful hand skills and language, the onset of anxiety, hand stereotypies, autistic features, seizures and autonomic dysfunction. Mecp2 mouse models have extensively been studied to demonstrate the functional link between MeCP2 dysfunction and RTT pathogenesis. However, the majority of studies have focused primarily on the molecular and behavioral consequences of the complete absence of MeCP2 in male mice. Studies of female Mecp2+/− mice have been limited because of potential phenotypic variability due to X chromosome inactivation effects. To determine whether reproducible and reliable phenotypes can be detected Mecp2+/− mice, we analyzed Mecp2+/− mice of two different F1 hybrid isogenic backgrounds and at young and old ages using several neurobehavioral and physiological assays. Here, we report a multitude of phenotypes in female Mecp2+/− mice, some presenting as early as 5 weeks of life. We demonstrate that Mecp2+/− mice recapitulate several aspects of typical RTT and show that mosaic expression of MeCP2 does not preclude the use of female mice in behavioral and molecular studies. Importantly, we uncover several behavioral abnormalities that are present in two genetic backgrounds and report on phenotypes that are unique to one background. These findings provide a framework for pre-clinical studies aimed at improving the constellation of phenotypes in a mouse model of RTT. PMID:23026749

The integration between Business Model Canvas and Manufacturing System Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasetyawan, Y.; Maulida, N.; Lutvitasari, M. R.

2018-04-01

Business Model Canvas (BMC) is an increasingly popular business design tool especially for a start-up business and new business player. In general, BMC seeks a balance between effective working patterns with suppliers, good relation with customers and ability to understand and manage internal resources. This balance will expedite the implementation of Manufacturing System Design (MSD). The existing use of BMC and MSD is frequently applied separately at various business levels. BMC business plan is primarily to have engagement with customers and explore potential revenue to increase profits, while MSD primarily aims to meet production targets with available resources. The purpose of this research is to provide a roadmap to align BMC and MSD. A series of simple mathematical (modified) and integration models are created to connect BMC and MSD. Several results in various industries (new, developed and mature) are presented and used as examples of implementation.

MASS SPECTROMETRY-BASED METABOLOMICS

PubMed Central

Dettmer, Katja; Aronov, Pavel A.; Hammock, Bruce D.

2007-01-01

This review presents an overview of the dynamically developing field of mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. Metabolomics aims at the comprehensive and quantitative analysis of wide arrays of metabolites in biological samples. These numerous analytes have very diverse physico-chemical properties and occur at different abundance levels. Consequently, comprehensive metabolomics investigations are primarily a challenge for analytical chemistry and specifically mass spectrometry has vast potential as a tool for this type of investigation. Metabolomics require special approaches for sample preparation, separation, and mass spectrometric analysis. Current examples of those approaches are described in this review. It primarily focuses on metabolic fingerprinting, a technique that analyzes all detectable analytes in a given sample with subsequent classification of samples and identification of differentially expressed metabolites, which define the sample classes. To perform this complex task, data analysis tools, metabolite libraries, and databases are required. Therefore, recent advances in metabolomics bioinformatics are also discussed. PMID:16921475

Dissolving the engineering moral dilemmas within the Islamic ethico-legal praxes.

PubMed

Solihu, Abdul Kabir Hussain; Ambali, Abdul Rauf

2011-03-01

The goal of responsible engineers is the creation of useful and safe technological products and commitment to public health, while respecting the autonomy of the clients and the public. Because engineers often face moral dilemma to resolve such issues, different engineers have chosen different course of actions depending on their respective moral value orientations. Islam provides a value-based mechanism rooted in the Maqasid al-Shari'ah (the objectives of Islamic law). This mechanism prioritizes some values over others and could help resolve the moral dilemmas faced in engineering. This paper introduces the Islamic interpretive-evaluative maxims to two core issues in engineering ethics: genetically modified foods and whistleblowing. The study aims primarily to provide problem-solving maxims within the Maqasid al-Shari'ah matrix through which such moral dilemmas in science and engineering could be studied and resolved.

Sociometric status and social drinking: observations of modelling and persuasion in young adult peer groups.

PubMed

Bot, Sander M; Engels, Rutger C M E; Knibbe, Ronald A; Meeus, Wim H J

2007-12-01

Because young adult drinking occurs primarily in peer groups, this should be taken into account when studying influences on drinking behaviour. This paper aimed to assess influences on drinking by observing existing peer groups in a naturalistic setting. We first analysed the basic levels at which two types of influence take place. The first, modelling (imitating others' drinking), was found to significantly influence individual drinking, whereas for the second one, persuasion (drinking resulting from others offering drinks), no predictions were found. Subsequently, we examined whether peer group members' sociometric status in the group affected the amount of influence and persuasion exerted and received. No indications were found that sociometric status had an impact on influence in alcohol consumption within a drinking situation. Features and weaknesses of the study are discussed.

Attitudes and beliefs about childbirth among college students: results of an educational intervention.

PubMed

Cleeton, E R

2001-09-01

Research on knowledge of childbirth has focused primarily on expectant mothers. The purpose of this study was to investigate college student beliefs, knowledge of, and interest in learning more about childbirth. Qualitative research methods were used to analyze college students' written responses to a childbirth video as the first stage in a research project aimed at understanding nulliparous and prepaternity knowledge of childbirth among adolescents and young adults. Participants were 65 students at a liberal arts college in upstate New York. The findings demonstrated a range of levels of awareness, interest, and knowledge. In their responses, students described childbirth as a miraculous event associated with fear of pain; students primarily knew that childbirth takes place in the hospital, where "safe and effective" pain medication is administered; students liked seeing the experiential aspect of birth; and students wanted to know about the risks and benefits of various hospital procedures, and the "spiritual" emotional aspects of giving birth. The findings contribute insights into how college students think about pain in childbirth, suggesting that their fear is associated with a lack of knowledge. Teaching high school students specifics about pregnancy and childbirth practices and procedures holds promise for reducing anxiety, increasing maternal control, and supporting positive birth experiences.

Thermal coupling potential of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells with metal hydride tanks: Thermodynamic and design considerations towards integrated systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yiotis, Andreas G.; Kainourgiakis, Michael E.; Kosmidis, Lefteris I.; Charalambopoulou, Georgia C.; Stubos, Athanassios K.

2014-12-01

We study the thermal coupling potential between a high temperature metal hydride (MH) tank and a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) aiming towards the design of an efficient integrated system, where the thermal power produced during normal SOFC operation is redirected towards the MH tank in order to maintain H2 desorption without the use of external heating sources. Based on principles of thermodynamics, we calculate the energy balance in the SOFC/MH system and derive analytical expressions for both the thermal power produced during SOFC operation and the corresponding thermal power required for H2 desorption, as a function of the operating temperature, efficiency and fuel utilization ratio in the SOFC, and the MH enthalpy of desorption in the tank. Based on these calculations, we propose an integrated SOFC/MH design where heat is transferred primarily by radiation to the tank in order to maintain steady-state desorption conditions. We develop a mathematical model for this particular design that accounts for heat/mass transfer and desorption kinetics in the tank, and solve for the dynamics of the system assuming MgH2 as a storage material. Our results focus primarily on tank operating conditions, such as pressure, temperature and H2 saturation profiles vs operation time.

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness After Inspiratory Threshold Loading in Healthy Adults

PubMed Central

Mathur, Sunita; Sheel, A. William; Road, Jeremy D.; Reid, W. Darlene

2010-01-01

Purpose: Skeletal muscle damage occurs following high-intensity or unaccustomed exercise; however, it is difficult to monitor damage to the respiratory muscles, particularly in humans. The aim of this study was to use clinical measures to investigate the presence of skeletal muscle damage in the inspiratory muscles. Methods: Ten healthy subjects underwent 60 minutes of voluntary inspiratory threshold loading (ITL) at 70% of maximal inspiratory pressure. Maximal inspiratory and expiratory mouth pressures, delayed onset muscle soreness on a visual analogue scale and plasma creatine kinase were measured prior to ITL, and at repeated time points after ITL (4, 24 and 48 hours post-ITL). Results: Delayed onset muscle soreness was present in all subjects 24 hours following ITL (intensity = 22 ± 6 mm; significantly higher than baseline p = 0.02). Muscle soreness was reported primarily in the anterior neck region, and was correlated to the amount of work done by the inspiratory muscles during ITL (r = 0.72, p = 0.02). However, no significant change was observed in maximal inspiratory or expiratory pressures or creatine kinase. Conclusions: These findings suggest that an intense bout of ITL results in muscle soreness primarily in the accessory muscles of inspiration, however, may be insufficient to cause significant muscle damage in healthy adults. PMID:20467514

Biofortification and phytoremediation of selenium in China

PubMed Central

Wu, Zhilin; Bañuelos, Gary S.; Lin, Zhi-Qing; Liu, Ying; Yuan, Linxi; Yin, Xuebin; Li, Miao

2015-01-01

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for humans and animals but at high concentrations, Se becomes toxic to organisms due to Se replacing sulfur in proteins. Selenium biofortification is an agricultural process that increases the accumulation of Se in crops, through plant breeding, genetic engineering, or use of Se fertilizers. Selenium phytoremediation is a green biotechnology to clean up Se-contaminated environments, primarily through phytoextraction and phytovolatilization. By integrating Se phytoremediation and biofortification technologies, Se-enriched plant materials harvested from Se phytoremediation can be used as Se-enriched green manures or other supplementary sources of Se for producing Se-biofortified agricultural products. Earlier studies primarily aimed at enhancing efficacy of phytoremediation and biofortification of Se based on natural variation in progenitor or identification of unique plant species. In this review, we discuss promising approaches to improve biofortification and phytoremediation of Se using knowledge acquired from model crops. We also explored the feasibility of applying biotechnologies such as inoculation of microbial strains for improving the efficiency of biofortification and phytoremediation of Se. The key research and practical challenges that remain in improving biofortification and phytoremediation of Se have been highlighted, and the future development and uses of Se-biofortified agricultural products in China has also been discussed. PMID:25852703

Ecology and management of grapevine leafroll disease.

PubMed

Almeida, Rodrigo P P; Daane, Kent M; Bell, Vaughn A; Blaisdell, G Kai; Cooper, Monica L; Herrbach, Etienne; Pietersen, Gerhard

2013-01-01

Grapevine leafroll disease (GLD) is caused by a complex of vector-borne virus species in the family Closteroviridae. GLD is present in all grape-growing regions of the world, primarily affecting wine grape varieties. The disease has emerged in the last two decades as one of the major factors affecting grape fruit quality, leading to research efforts aimed at reducing its economic impact. Most research has focused on the pathogens themselves, such as improved detection protocols, with limited work directed toward disease ecology and the development of management practices. Here we discuss the ecology and management of GLD, focusing primarily on Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3, the most important virus species within the complex. We contextualize research done on this system within an ecological framework that forms the backbone of the discussion regarding current and potential GLD management strategies. To reach this goal, we introduce various aspects of GLD biology and ecology, followed by disease management case studies from four different countries and continents (South Africa, New Zealand, California-USA, and France). We review ongoing regional efforts that serve as models for improved strategies to control this economically important and worldwide disease, highlighting scientific gaps that must be filled for the development of knowledge-based sustainable GLD management practices.

Ecology and management of grapevine leafroll disease

PubMed Central

Almeida, Rodrigo P. P.; Daane, Kent M.; Bell, Vaughn A.; Blaisdell, G. Kai; Cooper, Monica L.; Herrbach, Etienne; Pietersen, Gerhard

2013-01-01

Grapevine leafroll disease (GLD) is caused by a complex of vector-borne virus species in the family Closteroviridae. GLD is present in all grape-growing regions of the world, primarily affecting wine grape varieties. The disease has emerged in the last two decades as one of the major factors affecting grape fruit quality, leading to research efforts aimed at reducing its economic impact. Most research has focused on the pathogens themselves, such as improved detection protocols, with limited work directed toward disease ecology and the development of management practices. Here we discuss the ecology and management of GLD, focusing primarily on Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3, the most important virus species within the complex. We contextualize research done on this system within an ecological framework that forms the backbone of the discussion regarding current and potential GLD management strategies. To reach this goal, we introduce various aspects of GLD biology and ecology, followed by disease management case studies from four different countries and continents (South Africa, New Zealand, California-USA, and France). We review ongoing regional efforts that serve as models for improved strategies to control this economically important and worldwide disease, highlighting scientific gaps that must be filled for the development of knowledge-based sustainable GLD management practices. PMID:23630520

Pharyngeal Dystonia Mimicking Spasmodic Dysphonia.

PubMed

Shi, Lucy L; Simpson, C Blake; Hapner, Edie R; Jinnah, Hyder A; Johns, Michael M

2018-03-01

The aim of this study was to describe the presentation of pharyngeal dystonia (PD), which can occur as a focal or segmental dystonia with a primarily pharyngeal involvement for the discussion of treatment methods for controlling consequent symptoms. PD is specific to speech-related tasks. A retrospective medical record review of four patients with PD was performed. All patients were initially misdiagnosed with adductor spasmodic dysphonia and failed standard treatment with botulinum toxin type A (BTX). On laryngoscopy, the patients were discovered to have segmental or focal dystonia primarily affecting the pharyngeal musculature contributing to their vocal manifestations. A novel treatment regimen was designed, which involved directing BTX injections into the muscles involved in spasmodic valving at the oropharyngeal level. After titrating to an optimal dose, all patients showed improvement in their voice and speech with only mild dysphagia. These patients have maintained favorable results with repeat injections at 6- to 12-week intervals. PD, or dystonia with predominant pharyngeal involvement, is a rare entity with vocal manifestations that are not well described. It can be easily mistaken for spasmodic dysphonia. PD is specific to speech-related tasks. A novel method of BTX injections into the involved muscles results in a significant improvement in voice without significant dysphagia. Copyright © 2018 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Monitoring and Prediction of Precipitable Water Vapor using GPS data in Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ansari, Kutubuddin; Althuwaynee, Omar F.; Corumluoglu, Ozsen

2016-12-01

Although Global Positioning System (GPS) primarily provide accurate estimates of position, velocity and time of the receiver, as the signals pass through the atmoshphere carrying its signatures, thus offers opportunities for atmoshpheric applications. Precipitable water vapor (PWV) is a vital component of the atmosphere and significantly influences atmospheric processes like rainfall and atmospheric temperature. The developing networks of continuously operating GPS can be used to efficiently estimate PWV. The Turkish Permanent GPS Network (TPGN) is employed to monitor PWV information in Turkey. This work primarily aims to derive long-term data of PWV by using atmospheric path delays observed through continuously operating TPGN from November 2014 to October 2015. A least square mathematical approach was then applied to establish the relation of the observed PWV to rainfall and temperature. The modeled PWV was correlated with PWV estimated from GPS data, with an average correlation of 67.10 %-88.60 %. The estimated root mean square error (RMSE) varied from 2.840 to 6.380, with an average of 4.697. Finally, data of TPGN, rainfall, and temperature were obtained for less than 2 months (November 2015 to December 2015) and assessed to validate the mathematical model. This study provides a basis for determining PWV by using rainfall and temperature data.

Economic Dependence and Unprotected Sex: The Role of Sexual Assertiveness among Young Urban Mothers

PubMed Central

Sipsma, Heather L.; Ickovics, Jeannette R.; Kershaw, Trace

2010-01-01

In the USA, sexual intercourse is the leading route of human immunodeficiency virus transmission among women, primarily through their main partner. Because male condom use is not directly under a woman's control, gender inequalities may help shape this sexual risk behavior. To examine this association, data came from follow-up interviews of young, primarily minority, pregnant women enrolled in a prospective, randomized controlled trial. Specifically, we aimed to determine the relationship between economic dependence on a male partner and condom use, and to establish whether this relationship was mediated by sexual assertiveness. Overall, 28% of women reported being economically dependent on a male partner. Young women dependent on a male partner were 1.6 times more likely to report not using a condom at last sex than women not dependent on their partner (95% confidence interval = 1.11–2.32; p = 0.01). Sexual assertiveness mediated the relationship between economic dependence and condom use (Sobel = 2.05, p = 0.04). Coupled with past research, this study supports the premise that sexual behaviors may be rooted in a complex web of social determinants. Addressing gender inequalities in contextual factors may promote healthier decisions within sexual relationships. PMID:20352355

Tannins, Peptic Ulcers and Related Mechanisms

PubMed Central

de Jesus, Neyres Zinia Taveira; de Souza Falcão, Heloina; Gomes, Isis Fernandes; de Almeida Leite, Thiago Jose; de Morais Lima, Gedson Rodrigues; Barbosa-Filho, Jose Maria; Tavares, Josean Fechine; da Silva, Marcelo Sobral; de Athayde-Filho, Petrônio Filgueiras; Batista, Leonia Maria

2012-01-01

This review of the current literature aims to study correlations between the chemical structure and gastric anti-ulcer activity of tannins. Tannins are used in medicine primarily because of their astringent properties. These properties are due to the fact that tannins react with the tissue proteins with which they come into contact. In gastric ulcers, this tannin-protein complex layer protects the stomach by promoting greater resistance to chemical and mechanical injury or irritation. Moreover, in several experimental models of gastric ulcer, tannins have been shown to present antioxidant activity, promote tissue repair, exhibit anti Helicobacter pylori effects, and they are involved in gastrointestinal tract anti-inflammatory processes. The presence of tannins explains the anti-ulcer effects of many natural products. PMID:22489149

Place shaping to create health and wellbeing using health impact assessment: health geography applied to develop evidence-based practice.

PubMed

Learmonth, Alyson; Curtis, Sarah

2013-11-01

In a political milieu where there is pressure towards localised and participative decisionmaking, and an environment of global recession and environmental degradation, it is crucial that population health considerations inform strategic decisions. The paper puts forward 'place shaping to create health and wellbeing' as a strategic tool, drawing on ideas that are fundamental in health geography, and argues that this is an important emerging application of Health Impact Assessment (HIA), as part of evidence-based practice. These views developed primarily from case study work in the North East of England aiming to enhance health and wellbeing in a population with significant health disadvantages. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Citrus bergamia essential oil: from basic research to clinical application.

PubMed

Navarra, Michele; Mannucci, Carmen; Delbò, Marisa; Calapai, Gioacchino

2015-01-01

Citrus bergamia Risso et Poiteau, also known as "Bergamot," is a plant belonging to the Rutaceae family, defined as a hybrid of bitter orange and lemon. It is an endemic plant of the Calabria region (Italy). Bergamot fruit is primarily used for the extraction of its essential oil (bergamot essential oil: BEO), employed in perfume, cosmetics, food, and confections. The aim of this review was to collect recent data from the literature on C. bergamia essential oil and, through a critical analysis, focus on safety and the beneficial effects on human health. Clinical studies on the therapeutic applications of BEO exclusively focus on the field of aromatherapy, suggesting that its use can be useful for reducing anxiety and stress.

Citrus bergamia essential oil: from basic research to clinical application

PubMed Central

Navarra, Michele; Mannucci, Carmen; Delbò, Marisa; Calapai, Gioacchino

2015-01-01

Citrus bergamia Risso et Poiteau, also known as “Bergamot,” is a plant belonging to the Rutaceae family, defined as a hybrid of bitter orange and lemon. It is an endemic plant of the Calabria region (Italy). Bergamot fruit is primarily used for the extraction of its essential oil (bergamot essential oil: BEO), employed in perfume, cosmetics, food, and confections. The aim of this review was to collect recent data from the literature on C. bergamia essential oil and, through a critical analysis, focus on safety and the beneficial effects on human health. Clinical studies on the therapeutic applications of BEO exclusively focus on the field of aromatherapy, suggesting that its use can be useful for reducing anxiety and stress. PMID:25784877

Prevalence of Neoplastic Diseases in Pet Birds Referred for Surgical Procedures

PubMed Central

Castro, Patrícia F.; Fantoni, Denise T.; Miranda, Bruna C.; Matera, Julia M.

2016-01-01

Neoplastic disease is common in pet birds, particularly in psittacines, and treatment should be primarily aimed at tumor eradication. Nineteen cases of pet birds submitted to diagnostic and/or therapeutic surgical procedures due to neoplastic disease characterized by the presence of visible masses were retrospectively analyzed; affected species, types of neoplasms and respective locations, and outcomes of surgical procedures were determined. All birds undergoing surgery belonged to the order Psittaciformes; the Blue-fronted parrot (Amazona aestiva) was the prevalent species. Lipoma was the most frequent neoplasm in the sample studied. Most neoplasms affected the integumentary system, particularly the pericloacal area. Tumor resection was the most common surgical procedure performed, with high resolution and low recurrence rates. PMID:26981315

Harnessing health information to foster disadvantaged teens' community engagement, leadership skills, and career plans: a qualitative evaluation of the Teen Health Leadership Program.

PubMed

Keselman, Alla; Ahmed, Einas A; Williamson, Deborah C; Kelly, Janice E; Dutcher, Gale A

2015-04-01

This paper describes a qualitative evaluation of a small-scale program aiming to improve health information literacy, leadership skills, and interest in health careers among high school students in a low-income, primarily minority community. Graduates participated in semi-structured interviews, transcripts of which were coded with a combination of objectives-driven and data-driven categories. The program had a positive impact on the participants' health information competency, leadership skills, academic orientation, and interest in health careers. Program enablers included a supportive network of adults, novel experiences, and strong mentorship. The study suggests that health information can provide a powerful context for enabling disadvantaged students' community engagement and academic success.

Sustainability Development Platform for Nuclear-Renewable Energy Integration: Environmental Impacts, Economics, and Socio-Political Implications

DOE PAGES

Boldon, Lauren; Sabharwall, Piyush; Bragg-Sitton, Shannon; ...

2015-12-01

Global energy needs are primarily being met with fossil fuel plants in both developed and developing nations. With the increase in emissions, it is necessary to promote and develop alternative energy technologies to meet the needs in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner. Furthermore, Nuclear and Renewable Energy Integration (NREI) may offer an effective and environmentally responsible energy solution that enhances energy use and productivity while reducing emissions. Our study of the NREI system provides background on sustainability and its drivers, outlines methods of developing a strong sustainability platform, and assesses sustainability based on the fundamental pillars of economy, environment, andmore » society—all of which aim to promote future sustainable development.« less

Data extraction for complex meta-analysis (DECiMAL) guide.

PubMed

Pedder, Hugo; Sarri, Grammati; Keeney, Edna; Nunes, Vanessa; Dias, Sofia

2016-12-13

As more complex meta-analytical techniques such as network and multivariate meta-analyses become increasingly common, further pressures are placed on reviewers to extract data in a systematic and consistent manner. Failing to do this appropriately wastes time, resources and jeopardises accuracy. This guide (data extraction for complex meta-analysis (DECiMAL)) suggests a number of points to consider when collecting data, primarily aimed at systematic reviewers preparing data for meta-analysis. Network meta-analysis (NMA), multiple outcomes analysis and analysis combining different types of data are considered in a manner that can be useful across a range of data collection programmes. The guide has been shown to be both easy to learn and useful in a small pilot study.

Comparative analysis of diabetes self-management education programs in the European Union Member States.

PubMed

Saha, Sarama; Riemenschneider, Henna; Müller, Gabriele; Levin-Zamir, Diane; Van den Broucke, Stephan; Schwarz, Peter E H

2017-12-01

Diabetes self-management education (DSME) is generally considered as an integral part of diabetes care. The availability of different types of self-management in the European Union Member States (EUMS) remains uncertain. The aim of this study is to perform a comparative analysis of existing DSME programs (DSMEP) implemented in EUMS. Unpublished data regarding DSME in the EUMS was assessed with Diabetes Literacy Survey using wiki tool (WT) targeting patients and different stakeholders. An additional literature review (LR) was performed in PubMed to identify published studies regarding DSMEP in the EUMS from 2004 to 2014. A total of 102 DSMEP implemented in EUMS were reported in the WT and 154 programs were identified from the LR. Comparative analysis of the data indicated that a majority of programs are aimed at adults and only a minority at children and elderly. Only a small percentage of the programs utilize information technology for teaching and learning, and only one out of five programs pay attention to depression. The identified DSMEP aimed primarily to empower patients through increasing knowledge and changing attitudes and beliefs towards diabetes. This study provides an overview of the present state-of-the-art on diabetes self-management education programs in the 28 EUMS. To increase participation, existing DSMEP should be made more accessible to the patients as well as tailored to specific patient groups. Copyright © 2017 Primary Care Diabetes Europe. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Epidemiological Characteristics of Male Sexual Assault in a Criminological Database

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choudhary, Ekta; Gunzler, Douglas; Tu, Xin; Bossarte, Robert M.

2012-01-01

Sexual assault among males, compared with females, is understudied, and may also be significantly underreported. Past studies have relied primarily on population-based survey data to estimate the prevalence of sexual assault and associated health outcomes. However, survey-based studies rely primarily on self-reports of victimization and may not…

Acculturation-Based and Everyday Family Conflict in Chinese American Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Juang, Linda P.; Syed, Moin; Cookston, Jeffrey T.; Wang, Yijie; Kim, Su Yeong

2012-01-01

Everyday conflict (studied primarily among European American families) is viewed as an assertion of autonomy from parents that is normative during adolescence. Acculturation-based conflict (studied primarily among Asian- and Latino-heritage families) is viewed as a threat to relatedness with parents rather than the normative assertion of autonomy.…

Creating and testing regulatory focus messages to enhance medication adherence.

PubMed

O'Connor, Ashley; Ladebue, Amy; Peterson, Jamie; Davis, Ryan; Jung Grant, Susan; McCreight, Marina; Lambert-Kerzner, Anne

2018-01-01

Objectives Strategies were explored to improve patient adherence to cardioprotective medications by borrowing from a motivational framework used in psychology, regulatory focus theory. The current study is part of a larger randomized control trial and was aimed at understanding what written educational messages, based on patients' regulatory focus tendency, resonated with each individual as a potential reminder to take medications. This study was also aimed at understanding why messages resonated with the patients. Methods Twenty veterans were tested for regulatory fitand presented with messages dependent on focus tendency. In-person semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect feedback of messages. An iterative analysis drawing primarily on matrix and reflexive team analyses was conducted. Result Six promotion and six prevention messages emerged, such as "team up with your provider to create a combination of medications to prevent illness" and "Live your best life - Take your medications". Five themes related to types of health messages that spoke to patients' regulatory fit were discovered: relatability; empowerment and control; philosophy on life; relationship with provider and medications; and vocabulary effect on the impact of messages. Discussion Motivational messages based on regulatory fit may be useful in improving patient medication adherence, leading to improved cardiovascular outcomes.

Combining large number of weak biomarkers based on AUC.

PubMed

Yan, Li; Tian, Lili; Liu, Song

2015-12-20

Combining multiple biomarkers to improve diagnosis and/or prognosis accuracy is a common practice in clinical medicine. Both parametric and non-parametric methods have been developed for finding the optimal linear combination of biomarkers to maximize the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), primarily focusing on the setting with a small number of well-defined biomarkers. This problem becomes more challenging when the number of observations is not order of magnitude greater than the number of variables, especially when the involved biomarkers are relatively weak. Such settings are not uncommon in certain applied fields. The first aim of this paper is to empirically evaluate the performance of existing linear combination methods under such settings. The second aim is to propose a new combination method, namely, the pairwise approach, to maximize AUC. Our simulation studies demonstrated that the performance of several existing methods can become unsatisfactory as the number of markers becomes large, while the newly proposed pairwise method performs reasonably well. Furthermore, we apply all the combination methods to real datasets used for the development and validation of MammaPrint. The implication of our study for the design of optimal linear combination methods is discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Combining large number of weak biomarkers based on AUC

PubMed Central

Yan, Li; Tian, Lili; Liu, Song

2018-01-01

Combining multiple biomarkers to improve diagnosis and/or prognosis accuracy is a common practice in clinical medicine. Both parametric and non-parametric methods have been developed for finding the optimal linear combination of biomarkers to maximize the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), primarily focusing on the setting with a small number of well-defined biomarkers. This problem becomes more challenging when the number of observations is not order of magnitude greater than the number of variables, especially when the involved biomarkers are relatively weak. Such settings are not uncommon in certain applied fields. The first aim of this paper is to empirically evaluate the performance of existing linear combination methods under such settings. The second aim is to propose a new combination method, namely, the pairwise approach, to maximize AUC. Our simulation studies demonstrated that the performance of several existing methods can become unsatisfactory as the number of markers becomes large, while the newly proposed pairwise method performs reasonably well. Furthermore, we apply all the combination methods to real datasets used for the development and validation of MammaPrint. The implication of our study for the design of optimal linear combination methods is discussed. PMID:26227901

Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Disruption of F-Actin Polymerization, and Transcriptomic Alterations in Zebrafish Larvae Exposed to Trichloroethylene.

PubMed

Wirbisky, Sara E; Damayanti, Nur P; Mahapatra, Cecon T; Sepúlveda, Maria S; Irudayaraj, Joseph; Freeman, Jennifer L

2016-02-15

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is primarily used as an industrial degreasing agent and has been in use since the 1940s. TCE is released into the soil, surface, and groundwater. From an environmental and regulatory standpoint, more than half of Superfund hazardous waste sites on the National Priority List are contaminated with TCE. Occupational exposure to TCE occurs primarily via inhalation, while environmental TCE exposure also occurs through ingestion of contaminated drinking water. Current literature links TCE exposure to various adverse health effects including cardiovascular toxicity. Current studies aiming to address developmental cardiovascular toxicity utilized rodent and avian models, with the majority of studies using relatively higher parts per million (mg/L) doses. In this study, to further investigate developmental cardiotoxicity of TCE, zebrafish embryos were treated with 0, 10, 100, or 500 parts per billion (ppb; μg/L) TCE during embryogenesis and/or through early larval stages. After the appropriate exposure period, angiogenesis, F-actin, and mitochondrial function were assessed. A significant dose-response decrease in angiogenesis, F-actin, and mitochondrial function was observed. To further complement this data, a transcriptomic profile of zebrafish larvae was completed to identify gene alterations associated with the 10 ppb TCE exposure. Results from the transcriptomic data revealed that embryonic TCE exposure caused significant changes in genes associated with cardiovascular disease, cancer, and organismal injury and abnormalities with a number of targets in the FAK signaling pathway. Overall, results from our study support TCE as a developmental cardiovascular toxicant, provide molecular targets and pathways for investigation in future studies, and indicate a need for continued priority for environmental regulation.

Museum Monsters and Victorious Viruses: Improving Public Understanding of Emerging Biomedical Research

PubMed Central

Diamond, Judy; Jee, Benjamin; Matuk, Camilla; McQuillan, Julia; Spiegel, Amy N.; Uttal, David

2015-01-01

Although microbes directly impact everyone's health, most people have limited knowledge about them. In this article, we describe a museum and media public education campaign aimed at helping diverse audiences better understand emerging knowledge about microbes and infectious disease. Funded primarily by the Science Education Partnership (SEPA) program of the National Institutes of Health, this campaign involved crosscutting programs designed to extend impacts throughout a broad public audience. PMID:26392634

United States and Western European Terrorist Groups - Current Status and Future Perspective.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-06-07

State, p. 173, 174 A respected commentator on terrorism, Walter Laqueur, Chairman of the International Research Council of the Center for Strategic ...American Nazi Party), the Black Panther Party, ( BPP ) and the American Indian Movement (AIM) were primarily involved in terrorist efforts in the late 60s...claiming to represent the JDL telephoned news organizations and said that the militant group was responsible for the fire. Subsequently leaders of the JDL

SSC_2016_2016-06-30 - NASA In NOLA - Essence Fest Overview-w-astrocamp

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-08-12

The Essence Music Festival, known as "the party with a purpose", is an annual music festival which started in 1994 as a one-time event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Essence, a magazine aimed primarily towards African-American women. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essence_Music_Festival] Employees from various NASA centers, including, Stennis, Marshall and Headquarters, demonstrated technology, answered questions and entertained the public at the festival.

[Nikola Tesla in medicine, too].

PubMed

Hanzek, Branko; Jakobović, Zvonimir

2007-12-01

Using primary and secondary sources we have shown in this paper the influence of Nikola Tesla's work on the field of medicine. The description of his experiments conduced within secondary-school education programs aimed to present the popularization of his work in Croatia. Although Tesla was dedicated primarily to physics and was not directly involved in biomedical research, his work significantly contributed to paving the way of medical physics particularly radiology and high-frequency electrotherapy.

Educational responses to unethical healthcare practice.

PubMed

Grob, Catherine; Leng, Jane; Gallagher, Ann

The aim of this article is to explore explanations for unethical healthcare practice and identify educational responses. The meaning of unethical practice is outlined and causes of it are suggested, primarily relating to individual perpetrators and organisational culture or climate. Empirical and theoretical literature is reviewed and research findings are discussed. Individual resilience and the ethical climate of healthcare organisations are considered as responses to unethical practice. Role modelling is explored, acknowledging the role of effective leadership.

[Is childhood migraine an immature form of adult migraine?].

PubMed

Ozge, Aynur

2007-01-01

Childhood migraine is a common problem among the primary complaints of the pediatric population. But for the general practitioners there are little known about clinical characteristics and management strategies. Headache practitioners commonly notice the age related differences of headache characteristics and management schedules. This paper primarily aimed to answer the question if pediatric migraine is an unmaturated form of adult migraine, by discussing the pathophysiological basis, clinical forms and management strategies.

Report of the FELASA Working Group on evaluation of quality systems for animal units.

PubMed

Howard, B; van Herck, H; Guillen, J; Bacon, B; Joffe, R; Ritskes-Hoitinga, M

2004-04-01

This report compares and considers the merits of existing, internationally available quality management systems suitable for implementation in experimental animal facilities. These are: the Good Laboratory Practice Guidelines, ISO 9000:2000 (International Organization for Standardization) and AAALAC International (Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International). Good laboratory practice (GLP) is a legal requirement for institutions undertaking non-clinical health and environmental studies for the purpose of registering or licensing for use and which have to be 'GLP-compliant'. GLP guidelines are often only relevant for and obtainable by those institutions. ISO is primarily an external business standard, which provides a management tool to master and optimize a business activity; it aims to implement and enhance 'customer satisfaction'. AAALAC is primarily a peer-reviewed system of accreditation which evaluates the organization and procedures in programmes of animal care and use to ensure the appropriate use of animals, safeguard animal well-being (ensuring state-of-the-art housing, management, procedural techniques, etc.) as well as the management of health and safety of staff. Management needs to determine, on the basis of a facility's specific goals, whether benefits would arise from the introduction of a quality system and, if so, which system is most appropriate. The successful introduction of a quality system confers peer-recognition against an independent standard, thereby providing assurance of standards of animal care and use, improving the quality of animal studies, and contributing to the three Rs-reduction, refinement and replacement.

The Genetic and Environmental Contributions to Internet Use and Associations With Psychopathology: A Twin Study.

PubMed

Long, Elizabeth C; Verhulst, Brad; Neale, Michael C; Lind, Penelope A; Hickie, Ian B; Martin, Nicholas G; Gillespie, Nathan A

2016-02-01

Excessive internet use has been linked to psychopathology. Therefore, understanding the genetic and environmental risks underpinning internet use and their relation to psychopathology is important. This study aims to explore the genetic and environmental etiology of internet use measures and their associations with internalizing disorders and substance use disorders. The sample included 2,059 monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) young adult twins from the Brisbane Longitudinal Twin Study (BLTS). Younger participants reported more frequent internet use, while women were more likely to use the internet for interpersonal communication. Familial aggregation in 'frequency of internet use' was entirely explained by additive genetic factors accounting for 41% of the variance. Familial aggregation in 'frequency of use after 11 pm', 'using the internet to contact peers', and 'using the internet primarily to access social networking sites' was attributable to varying combinations of additive genetic and shared environmental factors. In terms of psychopathology, there were no significant associations between internet use measures and major depression (MD), but there were positive significant associations between 'frequency of internet use' and 'frequency of use after 11 pm' with social phobia (SP). 'Using the internet to contact peers' was positively associated with alcohol abuse, whereas 'using the internet to contact peers' and 'using the internet primarily to access social networking sites' were negatively associated with cannabis use disorders and nicotine symptoms. Individual differences in internet use can be attributable to varying degrees of genetic and environmental risks. Despite some significant associations of small effect, variation in internet use appears mostly unrelated to psychopathology.

The relationship between prenatal care, personal alcohol abuse and alcohol abuse in the home environment

PubMed Central

GREKIN, EMILY R.; ONDERSMA, STEVEN J.

2013-01-01

Aims Nearly one-fourth of African-American women receive no prenatal care during the first trimester of pregnancy. The aim of the current study is to identify factors that underlie inadequate prenatal care among African-American women. Maternal alcohol abuse has been examined as one risk factor for inadequate prenatal care, but findings have been inconsistent, perhaps because (a) alcohol use during pregnancy is substantially under-reported and (b) studies have not considered the wider social network in which maternal alcohol use takes place. The current study attempts to clarify relationships between personal alcohol use, alcohol use in the home environment, and prenatal care in a sample of post-partum women. Methods Participants were 107 low-income, primarily African-American women. All participants completed a computer-based screening which assessed personal and environmental alcohol use, prenatal care and mental health. Findings Environmental alcohol use was related to delayed prenatal care while personal alcohol use was not. More specifically, after controlling for demographic variables, the presence of more than three person-episodes of binge drinking in a woman’s home environment increased the odds of seriously compromized prenatal care by a factor of seven. Conclusions Findings suggest the need to further assess environmental alcohol use and to examine the reliability of personal alcohol use measures. PMID:24391354

Trends of Gallbladder Cancer in Jordan Over 2 Decades: Where Are We?

PubMed Central

Al Manasra, Abdel Rahman; Bani Hani, Mohammed; Qandeel, Haitham; Al Asmar, Samer; Alqudah, Mohammad; Al-Zoubi, Nabil; Nadig, Satish; Hamouri, Shadi; Obeidat, Khaled; Al-Muqaimi, Nada

2018-01-01

Background and Study Aims: The prevalence of gallbladder cancer (GBC) varies between different parts of the world. This study is a review of literature and an update of a previously published study conducted in our university and aims to reassess the incidence of GBC over the past 2 decades. Patients and Methods: We conducted a retrospective study between 2002 and 2016. Data regarding demographics, clinical presentation, risk factors, histopathology, investigations, and treatments were obtained. A diagnosis of GBC established during surgery or primarily detected in the surgical specimen was classified as incidental. Results: Of 11 391 cholecystectomies performed, 31 cases (0.27%) of GBC were found. The mean age of patients with GBC was 68 years (43-103 years), 74% were women. The annual incidence of GBC was 0.2/100 000 (men: 0.1/100 000; women: 0.3/100 000). Biliary colic and acute cholecystitis were the main presentations. Diagnosis of GBC was “incidental” in 67% of cases. About 75% of patients with GBC had gallstones, 13% had polyps, and 3% had porcelain gallbladder. Adenocarcinoma was the dominant (87%) histologic type. Conclusions: The GBC rate in our region, similar to others parts of the world, is still low and has not changed over the past 2 decades. This study consolidates the previously published recommendations regarding the high index of suspicion of GBC in elderly with cholelithiasis. PMID:29760576

[Liver volume, intrahepatic fat and body weight in the course of a lifestyle interventional study: Analysis with quantitative MR-based methods].

PubMed

Bongers, M N; Stefan, N; Fritsche, A; Häring, H-U; Nikolaou, K; Schick, F; Machann, J

2015-04-01

The aim of this study was to investigate potential associations between changes in liver volume, the amount of intrahepatic lipids (IHL) and body weight during lifestyle interventions. In a prospective study 150 patients with an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus were included who followed a caloric restriction diet for 6 months. In the retrospective analysis 18 women and 9 men (age range 22-71 years) with an average body mass index (BMI) of 32 kg/m(2) were enrolled. The liver volume was determined at the beginning and after 6 months by three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (3D-MRI, echo gradient, opposed-phase) and IHLs were quantified by volume-selective MR spectroscopy in single voxel stimulated echo acquisition mode (STEAM). Univariable and multivariable correlation analyses between changes of liver volume (Δliver volume), intrahepatic lipids (ΔIHL) and body weight (ΔBW) were performed. Univariable correlation analysis in the whole study cohort showed associations between ΔIHL and ΔBW (r = 0.69; p < 0.0001), ΔIHL and Δliver volume (r = 0.66; p = 0.0002) as well as ΔBW and Δliver volume (r = 0.5; p = 0.0073). Multivariable correlation analysis revealed that changes of liver volume are primarily determined by changes in IHL independent of changes in body weight (β = 0.0272; 95% CI: 0.0155-0.034; p < 0.0001). Changes of liver volume during lifestyle interventions are independent of changes of body weight primarily determined by changes of IHL. These results show the reversibility of augmented liver volume in steatosis if it is possible to reduce IHLs during lifestyle interventions.

A non-equilibrium thermodynamic model for tumor extracellular matrix with enzymatic degradation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Shi-Lei; Li, Bo; Feng, Xi-Qiao; Gao, Huajian

2017-07-01

The extracellular matrix (ECM) of a solid tumor not only affords scaffolding to support tumor architecture and integrity but also plays an essential role in tumor growth, invasion, metastasis, and therapeutics. In this paper, a non-equilibrium thermodynamic theory is established to study the chemo-mechanical behaviors of tumor ECM, which is modeled as a poroelastic polyelectrolyte consisting of a collagen network and proteoglycans. By using the principle of maximum energy dissipation rate, we deduce a set of governing equations for drug transport and mechanosensitive enzymatic degradation in ECM. The results reveal that osmosis is primarily responsible for the compression resistance of ECM. It is suggested that a well-designed ECM degradation can effectively modify the tumor microenvironment for improved efficiency of cancer therapy. The theoretical predictions show a good agreement with relevant experimental observations. This study aimed to deepen our understanding of tumor ECM may be conducive to novel anticancer strategies.

The pursuit of muscularity among adolescent boys in Fiji and Tonga.

PubMed

Ricciardelli, Lina A; McCabe, Marita P; Mavoa, Helen; Fotu, Kalesita; Goundar, Ramneek; Schultz, Jimaima; Waqa, Gade; Swinburn, Boyd A

2007-12-01

The desire for muscularity is tied to Western views of the male gender role, which prescribe that men be strong, physically fit and athletically successful. Although, these ideals have been primarily studied among Western adolescent boys, there is emerging evidence that the same ideals are valued and promoted among males from the Pacific Islands. The aim of the present study was to examine body image concerns associated with muscularity and the reasons for these concerns among Fijian and Tongan adolescent boys. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 Indigenous Fijian, 24 Indo-Fijian, and 24 Tongan boys aged between 13 and 20 years. A thematic analysis of boys' narratives showed that the pursuit of muscularity was a dominant theme for many boys. Boys' reasons for pursing muscularity included the attainment of strength and fitness, sporting performance, physical work, dominance, and health. These findings are examined in relation to previous research with Western adolescent boys.

Pointing Control System Design and Performance Evaluation for TPF Coronagraph

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Kuo-Chia; Blaurock, Carl; Mosier, Gary

2004-01-01

The Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) program aims to detect and characterize extra-solar Earth-like planets. The coronagraph telescope is one of the four mission concepts being studied. In order to reject the star flux and detect the planet flux in the visible light range, the coronagraph telescope must achieve a rejection ratio on the order of a billion to one. Dynamic jitter, introduced by environmental and on-board mechanical disturbances, degrades the optical performance, as characterized primarily by contrast ratio. The feasibility of using passive vibration isolation combined with active attitude and line-of- sight control systems to stabilize the spacecraft and the optical components to the requisite level is being studied. The telescope is also required to slew between targets. The slew mode control law must be designed to balance the need for efficient large-angle maneuvers while simultaneously avoiding the excitation of flexible modes in order to minimize settling time.

Hierarchy of evidence: a simple system for orthopaedic research?

PubMed

Pemberton, Julia; Kraeva, Juliana; Bhandari, Mohit

2007-01-01

To be able to make a sound recommendation for a treatment based on the best available evidence, it is necessary to follow specific steps in acquiring literature, appraising the study design and quality, and assessing the results. Evidence-based medicine is founded on the concepts of using best evidence, levels of evidence, and grades of recommendation, and aims to provide clinicians with standardized rules to help them appraise the validity of published research. A number of systems have been developed to categorize research studies into consistent levels of evidence. These systems are based primarily on consensus expert opinion, and have not been validated to any extent. The use of different systems does not allow for effective communication between users; there is a lack of accord even between users of the same system. The GRADE working group has devised a new rating system that attempts to address deficiencies seen within other systems.

Heroin overdose.

PubMed

Darke, Shane

2016-11-01

This narrative review aims to provide a brief history of the development of the heroin overdose field by discussing a selection of major 'classics' from the latter part of the 20th century. Papers considered landmarks were selected from 1972, 1977, 1983, 1984 and 1999. Findings of earlier works suggest much of what later research was to demonstrate. These include arguing that overdoses occurred primarily among tolerant older users, that most 'overdose' deaths involved low morphine concentrations, that most overdoses involve polypharmacy, that drug purity has only a moderate influence on overdose rates and that instant death following heroin administration is rare. Landmark studies of heroin overdose from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s laid the foundations for subsequent overdose research, mainly by identifying the major demographic characteristics of overdose cases, risk factors, survival times and behaviours at overdose events. © 2016 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Strategies for Development of Palliative Care From the Perspectives of General Population and Health Care Professionals: A Japanese Outreach Palliative Care Trial of Integrated Regional Model Study.

PubMed

Yoshida, Saran; Miyashita, Mitsunori; Morita, Tatsuya; Akizuki, Nobuya; Akiyama, Miki; Shirahige, Yutaka; Ichikawa, Takayuki; Eguchi, Kenji

2015-09-01

This study primarily aimed to identify future actions required to promote palliative care in Japan. The future actions regarded as effective by the general population were "improve physicians' skill in palliative care" (61%), "create a counseling center for cancer" (61%), and "improve nurses' skill in palliative care" (60%). In contrast, future actions regarded as effective by the health care professionals were "set up a Web site that provides information about cancer" (72%), "promote consultation with specialists in palliative care" (71%), and "open an outpatient department specializing in palliative care" (70%). The results suggest (1) development and maintenance of settings; (2) enhancement of palliative care education and training programs for health care providers; and (3) improvement in distributing information about cancer and regional palliative care resources to the general population. © The Author(s) 2014.

A photovoice study of school belongingness among high school students in Norway.

PubMed

Lieblein, Vaiva Sunniva Deraas; Warne, Maria; Huot, Suzanne; Laliberte Rudman, Debbie; Raanaas, Ruth Kjærsti

2018-12-01

Although high school graduation is important for living conditions and health throughout life, many students do not complete. In Norway's northern most county, Finnmark, up to 45% of students do not complete high school. Contrary to prior research that has primarily focused on causes for dropout, this study's aim was to deepen understanding of factors that support high school attendance. A strengths-based participatory approach using photovoice addressed attendance factors as perceived by seven participating students from one high school in Finnmark. Qualitative content analysis of data generated through group dialogue about participant-generated photos and individual interviews identified six factors important for students' school attendance: a supportive school environment, a good learning environment, recuperation and recreation, family and friends, goals and ambitions, and place attachment. Related aspects of a supportive environment and belongingness, where school staff made important contributions to promoting a positive environment, were essential.

TargetCompare: A web interface to compare simultaneous miRNAs targets

PubMed Central

Moreira, Fabiano Cordeiro; Dustan, Bruno; Hamoy, Igor G; Ribeiro-dos-Santos, André M; dos Santos, Ândrea Ribeiro

2014-01-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding nucleotide sequences between 17 and 25 nucleotides in length that primarily function in the regulation of gene expression. A since miRNA has thousand of predict targets in a complex, regulatory cell signaling network. Therefore, it is of interest to study multiple target genes simultaneously. Hence, we describe a web tool (developed using Java programming language and MySQL database server) to analyse multiple targets of pre-selected miRNAs. We cross validated the tool in eight most highly expressed miRNAs in the antrum region of stomach. This helped to identify 43 potential genes that are target of at least six of the referred miRNAs. The developed tool aims to reduce the randomness and increase the chance of selecting strong candidate target genes and miRNAs responsible for playing important roles in the studied tissue. Availability http://lghm.ufpa.br/targetcompare PMID:25352731

TargetCompare: A web interface to compare simultaneous miRNAs targets.

PubMed

Moreira, Fabiano Cordeiro; Dustan, Bruno; Hamoy, Igor G; Ribeiro-Dos-Santos, André M; Dos Santos, Andrea Ribeiro

2014-01-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding nucleotide sequences between 17 and 25 nucleotides in length that primarily function in the regulation of gene expression. A since miRNA has thousand of predict targets in a complex, regulatory cell signaling network. Therefore, it is of interest to study multiple target genes simultaneously. Hence, we describe a web tool (developed using Java programming language and MySQL database server) to analyse multiple targets of pre-selected miRNAs. We cross validated the tool in eight most highly expressed miRNAs in the antrum region of stomach. This helped to identify 43 potential genes that are target of at least six of the referred miRNAs. The developed tool aims to reduce the randomness and increase the chance of selecting strong candidate target genes and miRNAs responsible for playing important roles in the studied tissue. http://lghm.ufpa.br/targetcompare.

Observational study of differences in head position for high notes in famous classical and non-classical male singers.

PubMed

Amarante Andrade, Pedro; Švec, Jan G

2016-07-01

Differences in classical and non-classical singing are due primarily to aesthetic style requirements. The head position can affect the sound quality. This study aimed at comparing the head position for famous classical and non-classical male singers performing high notes. Images of 39 Western classical and 34 non-classical male singers during live performances were obtained from YouTube. Ten raters evaluated the frontal rotational head position (depression versus elevation) and transverse head position (retraction versus protraction) visually using a visual analogue scale. The results showed a significant difference for frontal rotational head position. Most non-classical singers in the sample elevated their heads for high notes while the classical singers were observed to keep it around the neutral position. This difference may be attributed to different singing techniques and phonatory system adjustments utilized by each group.

Improve employee engagement to retain your workforce.

PubMed

Tullar, Jessica M; Amick, Benjamin C; Brewer, Shelley; Diamond, Pamela M; Kelder, Steven H; Mikhail, Osama

2016-01-01

Turnover hurts patient care quality and is expensive to hospitals. Improved employee engagement could encourage employees to stay at their organization. The aim of the study was to test whether participants in an employee engagement program were less likely than nonparticipants to leave their job. Health care workers (primarily patient care technicians and assistants, n = 216) were recruited to participate in an engagement program that helps employees find meaning and connection in their work. Using human resources data, we created a longitudinal study to compare participating versus nonparticipating employees in the same job titles on retention time (i.e., termination risk). Participants were less likely to leave the hospital compared to nonparticipating employees (hazard ratio = 0.22, 95% CI [0.11, 0.84]). This finding remained significant after adjusting for covariates (hazard ratio = 0.37, 95% CI [0.17, 0.57]). Improving employee engagement resulted in employees staying longer at the hospital.

An update on PPAR activation by cannabinoids

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Some cannabinoids activate the different isoforms of PPARs (α, β and γ), as shown through the use of reporter gene assays, binding studies, selective antagonists and knockout studies. Activation of all isoforms, but primarily PPARα and γ, mediates some (but not all) of the analgesic, neuroprotective, neuronal function modulation, anti‐inflammatory, metabolic, anti‐tumour, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular effects of some cannabinoids, often in conjunction with activation of the more traditional target sites of action such as the cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors and the TRPV1 ion channel. PPARs also mediate some of the effects of inhibitors of endocannabinoid degradation or transport. Cannabinoids may be chaperoned to the PPARs by fatty acid binding proteins. The aims of this review are to update the evidence supporting PPAR activation by cannabinoids and to review the physiological responses to cannabinoids that are mediated, and not mediated, by PPAR activation. PMID:27077495

An update on PPAR activation by cannabinoids.

PubMed

O'Sullivan, Saoirse Elizabeth

2016-06-01

Some cannabinoids activate the different isoforms of PPARs (α, β and γ), as shown through the use of reporter gene assays, binding studies, selective antagonists and knockout studies. Activation of all isoforms, but primarily PPARα and γ, mediates some (but not all) of the analgesic, neuroprotective, neuronal function modulation, anti-inflammatory, metabolic, anti-tumour, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular effects of some cannabinoids, often in conjunction with activation of the more traditional target sites of action such as the cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors and the TRPV1 ion channel. PPARs also mediate some of the effects of inhibitors of endocannabinoid degradation or transport. Cannabinoids may be chaperoned to the PPARs by fatty acid binding proteins. The aims of this review are to update the evidence supporting PPAR activation by cannabinoids and to review the physiological responses to cannabinoids that are mediated, and not mediated, by PPAR activation. © 2016 The British Pharmacological Society.

Ecological influences of early childhood obesity: a multilevel analysis.

PubMed

Boonpleng, Wannaporn; Park, Chang Gi; Gallo, Agatha M; Corte, Colleen; McCreary, Linda; Bergren, Martha Dewey

2013-07-01

This study aims to determine the contributing factors for early childhood overweight/obesity within the contexts of the child's home, school, and community, and to determine how much each of the ecological contexts contributes to childhood overweight/obesity. The framework was developed from Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. Data for 2,100 children from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort, were used in a series of multilevel modeling analyses. There was significant variation in childhood overweight/obesity by school and community. The majority of variation in childhood overweight/obesity was explained by the child and family factors in addition to school and community factors. Explained variance of childhood overweight/obesity at the school level was 27% and at the community level, 2%. The variance composition at children's family level alone was 71%. Therefore, overweight/obesity prevention efforts should focus primarily on child, family, and school factors and then community factors, to be more effective.

Assessing understanding of relative clauses: a comparison of multiple-choice comprehension versus sentence repetition.

PubMed

Frizelle, Pauline; O'Neill, Clodagh; Bishop, Dorothy V M

2017-11-01

Although sentence repetition is considered a reliable measure of children's grammatical knowledge, few studies have directly compared children's sentence repetition performance with their understanding of grammatical structures. The current study aimed to compare children's performance on these two assessment measures, using a multiple-choice picture-matching sentence comprehension task and a sentence repetition task. Thirty-three typically developing children completed both assessments, which included relative clauses representing a range of syntactic roles. Results revealed a similar order of difficulty of constructions on both measures but little agreement between them when evaluating individual differences. Interestingly, repetition was the easier of the two measures, with children showing the ability to repeat sentences they did not understand. This discrepancy is primarily attributed to the additional processing load resulting from the design of multiple-choice comprehension tasks, and highlights the fact that these assessments are invoking skills beyond those of linguistic competence.

VLTI and KI Interferometric Observations of Massive Evolved Stars and Their Dusty Circumstellar Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallace, Debra J.; Danchi, W. C.; Rajagopal, J.; Chesneau, O.; Lopez, B.; Menut, J.; Monnier, J.; Tuthill, P.; Ireland, M.; Barry, R.; Richardson, L. J.

2007-12-01

Recent aperture-masking and interferometric observations of late-type WC Wolf-Rayet stars strongly support the theory that dust formation in these objects is a result of colliding winds in binary systems. To explore and quantify this possible explanation, we have conducted a high-resolution interferometric survey of late-type massive stars utilizing the VLTI, KI, IOTA, and FGS1r interferometers. We present here the motivation for this study. We also present the first results from the MIDI instrument on the VLTI, and the KI and IOTA observations. Our VLTI study is aimed primarily at resolving and characterizing the dust around the WC9 star WR 85a and the LBV WR 122, both dust-producing but at different phases of massive star evolution. Our IOTA and KI interferometric observations resolve the WR star WR 137 into a dust-producing binary system.

Assessment of Sensory Processing Characteristics in Children between 3 and 11 Years Old: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Jorquera-Cabrera, Sara; Romero-Ayuso, Dulce; Rodriguez-Gil, Gemma; Triviño-Juárez, José-Matías

2017-01-01

The assessment of sensory perception, discrimination, integration, modulation, praxis, and other motor skills, such as posture, balance, and bilateral motor coordination, is necessary to identify the sensory and motor factors influencing the development of personal autonomy. The aim of this work is to study the assessment tools currently available for identifying different patterns of sensory processing. There are 15 tests available that have psychometric properties, primarily for the US population. Nine of them apply to children in preschool and up to grade 12. The assessment of sensory processing is a process that includes the use of standardized tests, administration of caregiver questionnaires, and clinical observations. The review of different studies using PRISMA criteria or Osteba Critical Appraisal Cards reveals that the most commonly used tools are the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test, the Sensory Processing Measure, and the Sensory Profile.

Assessment of Sensory Processing Characteristics in Children between 3 and 11 Years Old: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Jorquera-Cabrera, Sara; Romero-Ayuso, Dulce; Rodriguez-Gil, Gemma; Triviño-Juárez, José-Matías

2017-01-01

The assessment of sensory perception, discrimination, integration, modulation, praxis, and other motor skills, such as posture, balance, and bilateral motor coordination, is necessary to identify the sensory and motor factors influencing the development of personal autonomy. The aim of this work is to study the assessment tools currently available for identifying different patterns of sensory processing. There are 15 tests available that have psychometric properties, primarily for the US population. Nine of them apply to children in preschool and up to grade 12. The assessment of sensory processing is a process that includes the use of standardized tests, administration of caregiver questionnaires, and clinical observations. The review of different studies using PRISMA criteria or Osteba Critical Appraisal Cards reveals that the most commonly used tools are the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test, the Sensory Processing Measure, and the Sensory Profile. PMID:28424762

Endowing non-cellulolytic microorganisms with cellulolytic activity aiming for consolidated bioprocessing.

PubMed

Yamada, Ryosuke; Hasunuma, Tomohisa; Kondo, Akihiko

2013-11-01

With the exhaustion of fossil fuels and with the environmental issues they pose, utilization of abundant lignocellulosic biomass as a feedstock for biofuels and bio-based chemicals has recently become an attractive option. Lignocellulosic biomass is primarily composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin and has a very rigid and complex structure. It is accordingly much more expensive to process than starchy grains because of the need for extensive pretreatment and relatively large amounts of cellulases for efficient hydrolysis. Efficient and cost-effective methods for the production of biofuels and chemicals from lignocellulose are required. A consolidated bioprocess (CBP), which integrates all biological steps consisting of enzyme production, saccharification, and fermentation, is considered a promising strategy for reducing production costs. Establishing an efficient CBP using lignocellulosic biomass requires both lignocellulose degradation into glucose and efficient production of biofuels or chemicals from glucose. With this aim, many researchers are attempting to endow selected microorganisms with lignocellulose-assimilating ability. In this review, we focus on studies aimed at conferring lignocellulose-assimilating ability not only to yeast strains but also to bacterial strains by recombinant technology. Recent developments in improvement of enzyme productivity by microorganisms and in improvement of the specific activity of cellulase are emphasized. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Secrecy as embodied practice: beyond the confessional imperative.

PubMed

Hardon, Anita; Posel, Deborah

2012-01-01

This introduction to this special issue of Culture, Health & Sexuality aims to intervene critically in debates in public health about sexual rights and ways of de-stigmatising HIV/AIDS, in which silence and secrets are seen to undermine well-being and perpetuate stigma. It presents key insights from collaborative studies on HIV/AIDS and youth sexual health, arguing that advocates of disclosure and sexual rights need to think more contextually and tactically in promoting truth-telling. The authors aim to enhance current thinking on secrecy, which examines it primarily as a social practice, by emphasising the centrality of the body and the experience of embodiment in the making and unmaking of secrets. To understand secrecy as embodied practice requires understanding how it simultaneously involves the body as subject - as the basis from which we experience the world - and the body as object - that can be actively manipulated, silenced and 'done'. The authors show how tensions emerge when bodies reveal reproductive mishaps and describe how the dissonances are resolved through a variety of silencing practices. The paper ends by discussing the implications of these insights for sexual-health programmes.

Improving Turbine Performance with Ceramic Matrix Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DiCarlo, James A.

2007-01-01

Under the new NASA Fundamental Aeronautics Program, efforts are on-going within the Supersonics Project aimed at the implementation of advanced SiC/SiC ceramic composites into hot section components of future gas turbine engines. Due to recent NASA advancements in SiC-based fibers and matrices, these composites are lighter and capable of much higher service temperatures than current metallic superalloys, which in turn will allow the engines to operate at higher efficiencies and reduced emissions. This presentation briefly reviews studies within Task 6.3.3 that are primarily aimed at developing physics-based concepts, tools, and process/property models for micro- and macro-structural design, fabrication, and lifing of SiC/SiC turbine components in general and airfoils in particular. Particular emphasis is currently being placed on understanding and modeling (1) creep effects on residual stress development within the component, (2) fiber architecture effects on key composite properties such as design strength, and (3) preform formation processes so that the optimum architectures can be implemented into complex-shaped components, such as turbine vanes and blades.

NASA photovoltaic research and technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flood, Dennis J.

1988-01-01

NASA photovoltaic R and D efforts address future Agency space mission needs through a comprehensive, integrated program. Activities range from fundamental studies of materials and devices to technology demonstrations of prototype hardware. The program aims to develop and apply an improved understanding of photovoltaic energy conversion devices and systems that will increase the performance, reduce the mass, and extend the lifetime of photovoltaic arrays for use in space. To that end, there are efforts aimed at improving cell efficiency, reducing the effects of space particulate radiation damage (primarily electrons and protons), developing ultralightweight cells, and developing advanced ray component technology for high efficiency concentrator arrays and high performance, ultralightweight arrays. Current goals that have been quantified for the program are to develop cell and array technology capable of achieving 300 watts/kg for future missions for which mass is a critical factor, or 300 watts/sq m for future missions for which array size is a major driver (i.e., Space Station). A third important goal is to develop cell and array technology which will survive the GEO space radiation environment for at least 10 years.

[Biased objectivity--images of women in 19th century German neuroscience].

PubMed

Schröter, A; Riha, O; Steinberg, H

2012-09-01

At the beginning of the 19 (th) century German scholars wanted to differentiate men and women on the basis of anatomic brain or cerebrum particularities. With the help of scientific criteria such as the weight of the brain they aimed not only to prove pre-postulated intellectual differences, but also to find scientific justification for the inferiority of women in general and their inferior position and treatment in society. This paper presents insights into and excerpts from studies written by renowned scientists such as S. T. von Soemmerring, J. F. Ackermann, K. F. Burdach, F. Tiedemann, E. Huschke, H. Schaaffhausen, or P. J. Möbius. Covering the years from 1780 to 1900, these materials show how at the beginning the interest was primarily in comparative anatomic studies and results, but was soon mingled with sociological intentions. Hence this study gives insights into the history of modern gender studies of neurosciences. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Comparison of the effectiveness of sterilizing endodontic files by 4 different methods: an in vitro study.

PubMed

Venkatasubramanian, R; Das, U M; Bhatnagar, S

2010-01-01

Sterilization is the best method to counter the threats of microorganisms. The purpose of sterilization in the field of health care is to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. In dentistry, it primarily relates to processing reusable instruments to prevent cross-infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of 4 methods of sterilizing endodontic instruments: Autoclaving, carbon dioxide laser sterilization, chemical sterilization (with glutaraldehyde) and glass-bead sterilization. The endodontic file was sterilized by 4 different methods after contaminating it with bacillus stearothermophillus and then checked for sterility by incubating after putting it in test tubes containing thioglycollate medium. The study showed that the files sterilized by autoclave and lasers were completely sterile. Those sterilized by glass bead were 90% sterile and those with glutaraldehyde were 80% sterile. The study concluded that autoclave or laser could be used as a method of sterilization in clinical practice and in advanced clinics; laser can be used also as a chair side method of sterilization.

Guidance concepts for time-based flight operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vicroy, Dan D.

1990-01-01

Airport congestion and the associated delays are severe in today's airspace system and are expected to increase. NASA and the FAA is investigating various methods of alleviating this problem through new technology and operational procedures. One concept for improving airspace productivity is time-based control of aircraft. Research to date has focused primarily on the development of time-based flight management systems and Air Traffic Control operational procedures. Flight operations may, however, require special onboard guidance in order to satisfy the Air Traffic Control imposed time constraints. The results are presented of a simulation study aimed at evaluating several time-based guidance concepts in terms of tracking performance, pilot workload, and subjective preference. The guidance concepts tested varied in complexity from simple digital time-error feedback to an advanced time-referenced-energy guidance scheme.

Influence of temperature and hydraulic retention on the production of volatile fatty acids during anaerobic fermentation of cow manure and maize silage.

PubMed

Cavinato, Cristina; Da Ros, Cinzia; Pavan, Paolo; Bolzonella, David

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to verify the efficiency of a separate hydrolysis step by testing different working temperatures (37-55°C) and hydraulic retention times (two, four and six days) and by evaluating readily biodegradable carbon production. The fermentation products included primarily acetic, propionic and butyric acids. These acids can be easily converted into biogas or can be recovered in a biorefinery approach, for example, to produce polyhydroxyalkanoates. The optimal condition was found by applying an organic loading rate of 17.9gTVSm -3 with a four-day retention time at 37°C for an acidification yield of 183.2gCOD VFA kgVS fed -1 . Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Lipoprotein Electrophoresis and Apolipoprotein E Genotyping in Investigating Dysbetalipoproteinemia.

PubMed

Ahmed, Farhan; El-Kadiki, Alia; Gibbons, Stephen

2017-06-01

Dysbetalipoproteinemia is often associated with apolipoprotein E2E2 homozygosity; however, lipoprotein electrophoresis may also be used to assist in the diagnosis. The aim of this study was to compare apolipoprotein E (apo E) genotyping and lipoprotein electrophoresis in investigating dysbetalipoproteinemia. Data were collected over a three-year period from a lipid clinic in a tertiary referral centre and reviewed for apo E genotyping and lipoprotein electrophoresis. Sixty-two patients had both apo E genotyping and lipoprotein electrophoresis. Of these, 16 patients showed broad beta band on electrophoresis. However, only 3 of them had apo E2E2 homozygosity on genotyping. Lipoprotein electrophoresis and apo E genotyping results showed poor concordance. This was primarily due to visual interpretation error of lipoprotein electrophoresis which may over diagnose dysbetalipoproteinemia.

Microarray analysis of glial cells resistant to JCV infection suggests a correlation between viral infection and inflammatory cytokine gene expression

PubMed Central

Manley, Kate; Gee, Gretchen V; Simkevich, Carl P; Sedivy, John M; Atwood, Walter J

2007-01-01

The human polyomavirus, JCV, has a highly restricted tropism and primarily infects glial cells. The mechanisms restricting infection of cells by JCV are poorly understood. Previously we developed and described a glial cell line that was resistant to JCV infection with the aim of using these cells to identify factors that determine JCV tropism. Gene expression profiling of susceptible and resistant glial cells revealed a direct correlation between the expression of inflammatory cytokines and susceptibility to JCV infection. This correlation manifested at the level of viral gene transcription. Previous studies have suggested a link between an increase in cytokine gene expression in HIV patients and the development of PML and these data support this hypothesis. PMID:17555786

MASTERPLAN: study of the role of nurse practitioners in a multifactorial intervention to reduce cardiovascular risk in chronic kidney disease patients.

PubMed

Van Zuilen, Arjan D; Wetzels, Jack F M; Bots, Michiel L; Van Blankestijn, Peter J

2008-01-01

Moderate to severe chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Usually nephrologists are primarily responsible for the care of CKD patients. However, in many cases treatment goals, as formulated in guidelines, are not met. The addition of a nurse practitioner might improve the quality of care. The Multifactorial Approach and Superior Treatment Efficacy in Renal Patients with the Aid of Nurse Practitioners (MASTERPLAN) study is a randomized controlled multicenter trial, aimed at investigating whether a multifactorial approach in patients with moderate to severe CKD (stage 3 and 4) to achieving treatment goals using both a polydrug strategy and lifestyle treatment either with or without the addition of a nurse practitioner will reduce cardiovascular risk and slow the decline of kidney function. Patients (n=793) have been randomized to nurse care or physician care. In the nurse-care arm of the study, nurse practitioners use flowcharts to address risk factors requiring drug and/or lifestyle modification. They have been trained to coach patients by motivational interviewing with the aim of improving patient self-management. At baseline, both treatment groups show equal distributions with regard to key variables in the study. Moreover, in only 1 patient were all risk factors within the limits as defined in various guidelines, which underscores the relevance of our initiative.

An fMRI study of differences in brain activity among elite, expert, and novice archers at the moment of optimal aiming.

PubMed

Kim, Woojong; Chang, Yongmin; Kim, Jingu; Seo, Jeehye; Ryu, Kwangmin; Lee, Eunkyung; Woo, Minjung; Janelle, Christopher M

2014-12-01

We investigated brain activity in elite, expert, and novice archers during a simulated archery aiming task to determine whether neural correlates of performance differ by skill level. Success in shooting sports depends on complex mental routines just before the shot, when the brain prepares to execute the movement. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, 40 elite, expert, or novice archers aimed at a simulated 70-meter-distant target and pushed a button when they mentally released the bowstring. At the moment of optimal aiming, the elite and expert archers relied primarily on a dorsal pathway, with greatest activity in the occipital lobe, temporoparietal lobe, and dorsolateral pre-motor cortex. The elites showed activity in the supplementary motor area, temporoparietal area, and cerebellar dentate, while the experts showed activity only in the superior frontal area. The novices showed concurrent activity in not only the dorsolateral pre-motor cortex but also the ventral pathways linked to the ventrolateral pre-motor cortex. The novices exhibited broad activity in the superior frontal area, inferior frontal area, ventral prefrontal cortex, primary motor cortex, superior parietal lobule, and primary somatosensory cortex. The more localized neural activity of elite and expert archers than novices permits greater efficiency in the complex processes subserved by these regions. The elite group's high activity in the cerebellar dentate indicates that the cerebellum is involved in automating simultaneous movements by integrating the sensorimotor memory enabled by greater expertise in self-paced aiming tasks. A companion article comments on and generalizes our findings.

Growing Plants and Scientists: Fostering Positive Attitudes toward Science among All Participants in an Afterschool Hydroponics Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patchen, Amie K.; Zhang, Lin; Barnett, Michael

2017-06-01

This study examines an out-of-school time program targeting elementary-aged youth from populations that are typically underrepresented in science fields (primarily African-American, Hispanic, and/or English Language Learner participants). The program aimed to foster positive attitudes toward science among youth by engaging them in growing plants hydroponically (in water without soil). Participants' attitudes toward science, including anxiety, desire, and self-concept, were examined through pre-post survey data ( n = 234) over the course of an afterschool program at three separate sites. Data showed that participants' anxiety decreased and desire increased for both male and female participants over the program. Self-concept increased for female participants at all three sites but did not change significantly for male participants. Participants' first language (English or Spanish) was not a factor in attitude outcomes. The primarily positive outcomes suggest that hydroponics can be a useful educational platform for engaging participants in garden-based programming year round, particularly for settings that do not have the physical space or climate to conduct outdoor gardening. Similarities in positive attitude outcomes at the three sites despite differences in format, implementation, and instructor background experience suggest that the program is resilient to variation in context. Understanding which aspects of the program facilitated positive outcomes in the varied contexts could be useful for the design of future programs.

Accumulating Evidence for a Drug–Drug Interaction Between Methotrexate and Proton Pump Inhibitors

PubMed Central

Mackey, Ann Corken; Kluetz, Paul; Jappar, Dilara; Korvick, Joyce

2012-01-01

Background. A number of medications are known to interact with methotrexate through various mechanisms. The aim of this article is to apprise practitioners of a new labeling change based on the accumulating evidence for a possible drug–drug interaction between methotrexate (primarily at high doses) and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). Methods. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) database of spontaneous adverse event reports and the published literature were searched for cases reporting an interaction between methotrexate and PPIs. Results. A search of the AERS database and existing literature found several individual case reports of drug–drug interactions and three additional supportive studies that suggest potential underlying mechanisms for the interaction. Conclusion. There is evidence to suggest that concomitant use of methotrexate (primarily at high doses) with PPIs such as omeprazole, esomeprazole, and pantoprazole may decrease methotrexate clearance, leading to elevated serum levels of methotrexate and/or its metabolite hydroxymethotrexate, possibly leading to methotrexate toxicities. In several case reports, no methotrexate toxicity was found when a histamine H2 blocker was substituted for a PPI. Based on the reviewed data, the FDA updated the methotrexate label to include the possible drug–drug interaction between high-dose methotrexate and PPIs. Physicians should be alerted to this potential drug–drug interaction in patients receiving concomitant high-dose methotrexate and PPIs. PMID:22477728

Teens Engaged in Collaborative Health: The Feasibility and Acceptability of an Online Skill-Building Intervention for Adolescents at Risk for Depression.

PubMed

Lattie, Emily G; Ho, Joyce; Sargent, Elizabeth; Tomasino, Kathryn N; Smith, J D; Brown, C Hendricks; Mohr, David C

2017-06-01

There is an ongoing need for effective and accessible preventive interventions for adolescent depression and substance abuse. This paper reports on a field trial of an online indicated preventive intervention, ProjectTECH, which is based on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques. The study aims to gather information about the feasibility and acceptability of this program. Secondary aims of this study were to examine the impact of the program on depression symptoms, perceived stress, positive affect, and substance use and to compare differences between groups that were led by a peer versus those that were led by a licensed clinician. High school students (n = 39) were recruited primarily through social media advertisements, and assigned to four groups of 8-12 individuals to collaboratively participate in an 8 week peer network-based online preventive intervention which were led by a trained peer guide or a licensed clinician. Participants were provided with didactic lessons, CBT-based mood management tools, and peer networking features, and completed quantitative and qualitative feedback at baseline, midpoint, end of intervention, and 1 month follow up. The program attracted and retained users primarily from social media and was used frequently by many of the participants (system login M = 25.62, SD = 16.58). Participants rated the program as usable, and offered several suggestions for improving the program, including allowing for further personalization by the individual user, and including more prompts to engage with the social network. From baseline to end of intervention, significant decreases were observed in depressive symptoms and perceived stress ( p 's < .05). Significant increases in positive affect were observed from baseline to midpoint ( p < .05) and no changes were observed in substance use, although the rate of substance use was low in this sample. While this study had low power to detect group differences, no consistent differences were observed between participants in a peer-led group and those in a clinician-led group. Results of this study indicates that ProjectTECH, an indicated preventive intervention for high school-aged adolescents, demonstrates both feasibility, acceptability, and short-term, longitudinal psychological benefits for participants. Future iterations of the program may benefit from close attention to user interface design and the continued use of trained peer support guides.

Distributional consequences of the transition from age-based to income-based prescription drug coverage in British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Hanley, Gillian E; Morgan, Steve; Hurley, Jeremiah; van Doorslaer, Eddy

2008-12-01

In May, 2003, British Columbia transitioned from an age-based public drug program, with public subsidy primarily based on age, to an age-irrelevant income-based drug program, in which public subsidy is based primarily on household income. As one of the specific aims of the policy change was to improve fairness by increasing the extent to which payment for drugs is based on ability to pay, we measure the progressivity of pharmaceutical financing before and after the policy change in BC using Kakwani indices. Our results suggest that pharmaceutical financing became less regressive after the policy change. However, this decrease in regressivity arose primarily because high-income seniors were making greater direct contributions to pharmaceutical financing and not because low-income households were making smaller direct contributions. Our results also suggest that if the public financing of pharmaceuticals were maintained or increased, a change from age-based to income-based eligibility can unambiguously improve equity in finance. As populations in developed countries age, governments will increasingly consider reforms to publicly financed health-care programs with age-based eligibility. In assessing policy options, financial equity is likely to be a key consideration. These results suggest that income-based pharmacare can improve financial equity especially when implemented with a commitment to maintain or increase public funding for prescription drugs.

Endoscopic Repair of CSF Fistulae: A Ten Year Experience

PubMed Central

Alexander, Arun; Mathew, John; Varghese, Ajoy Mathew

2016-01-01

Introduction Cerebrospinal Fluid (CFF) fistulae are repaired endoscopically with varying degrees of success around the world. Large series are still uncommon, and the results varied primarily because of the different techniques by different surgeons and also because of a variation in the patient profile in each series, for example, many series deal primarily with traumatic CSF leaks where the defects are larger and outcomes poorer. Aim To analyse the surgical outcomes of Endoscopic CSF rhinorrhea closure. Materials and Methods This is a series of 34 cases operated upon primarily by one surgeon in two different centres over a period of 10 years. Results Of the 34 cases, 76% of the patients were women. Among the patients only 20.6% patients had a history of trauma preceding the CSF leak. The most common site of leak was in the fovea ethmoidalis in 19 (55.8%) followed by 10 (29.4%) in the cribriform plate. An overlay technique of placing the multiple layers of fascia and mucosa was used in 26 (76.5%) patients and underlay technique in the remaining. Postoperative lumbar drain was used in all patients. Conclusion Based on the treatment outcome of the 34 patients, it can be concluded that the success rate of a single endoscopic procedure in our experience is 97% and 100% following the second. Endoscopic approach for closure of CSF leak is safe with minimal complications and little morbidity. PMID:27656471

Stochastic approach to error estimation for image-guided robotic systems.

PubMed

Haidegger, Tamas; Gyõri, Sándor; Benyo, Balazs; Benyó, Zoltáán

2010-01-01

Image-guided surgical systems and surgical robots are primarily developed to provide patient safety through increased precision and minimal invasiveness. Even more, robotic devices should allow for refined treatments that are not possible by other means. It is crucial to determine the accuracy of a system, to define the expected overall task execution error. A major step toward this aim is to quantitatively analyze the effect of registration and tracking-series of multiplication of erroneous homogeneous transformations. First, the currently used models and algorithms are introduced along with their limitations, and a new, probability distribution based method is described. The new approach has several advantages, as it was demonstrated in our simulations. Primarily, it determines the full 6 degree of freedom accuracy of the point of interest, allowing for the more accurate use of advanced application-oriented concepts, such as Virtual Fixtures. On the other hand, it becomes feasible to consider different surgical scenarios with varying weighting factors.

An exploration of the socio-economic profile of women and costs of receiving abortion services at public health facilities of Madhya Pradesh, India.

PubMed

Banerjee, Sushanta K; Kumar, Rakesh; Warvadekar, Janardan; Manning, Vinoj; Andersen, Kathryn Louise

2017-03-21

Maternal mortality, which primarily burdens developing countries, reflects the greatest health divide between rich and poor. This is especially pronounced for access to safe abortion services which alone avert 1 of every 10 maternal deaths in India. Primarily due to confidentiality concerns, poor women in India prefer private services which are often offered by untrained providers and may be expensive. In 2006 the state government of Madhya Pradesh (population 73 million) began a concerted effort to ensure access to safe abortion services at public health facilities to both rural and urban poor women. This study aims to understand the socio-economic profile of women seeking abortion services in public health facilities across this state and out of pocket cost accessing abortion services. In particular, we examine the level of access that poor women have to safe abortion services in Madhya Pradesh. This study consisted of a cross-sectional client follow-up design. A total of 19 facilities were selected using two-stage random sampling and 1036 women presenting to chosen facilities with abortion and post-abortion complications were interviewed between May and December 2014. A structured data collection tool was developed. A composite wealth index computed using principal component analysis derived weights from consumer durables and asset holding and classified women into three categories, poor, moderate, and rich. Findings highlight that overall 57% of women who received abortion care at public health facilities were poor, followed by 21% moderate and 22% rich. More poor women sought care at primary level facilities (58%) than secondary level facilities and among women presenting for postabortion complications (67%) than induced abortion. Women reported spending no money to access abortion services as abortion services are free of cost at public facilities. However, poor women spend INR 64 (1 USD) while visiting primary level facilities and INR 256 (USD 4) while visiting urban hospitals, primarily for transportation and food. Improved availability of safe abortion services at the primary level in Madhya Pradesh has helped meeting the need of safe abortion services among poor, which eventually will help reducing the maternal mortality and morbidity due to unsafe abortion.

ARTs and the problematic conceptualisation of declining reproduction.

PubMed

Majumdar, Anindita

2018-01-01

The routinisation of assisted reproduction in India has led to its proliferation and the easy identification of infertility. However, clinical and popular discourse tends to focus primarily on age-related deficiencies in reproduction. Here, both the "dangers" of declining reproduction as well as the facilitation of delayed reproduction are areas of focus and eulogisation. Bringing together the diverse elements of the medico-social conversation, the aim of this commentary is to examine the ways in which the ARTs are used to make sense of declining reproduction.

Metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents: Old concepts in a young population.

PubMed

Titmuss, Angela Therese; Srinivasan, Shubha

2016-10-01

Many years after first being described, there is still no clear consensus on diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome, particularly in children. However, identification of this cluster of cardiovascular risk factors especially in children with co-morbidities, is important in order to reduce their future risk of chronic disease and morbidity. Sustained multidisciplinary and family-based early intervention is required, aiming primarily at life-style change. © 2016 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

[Non-autoimmune thyroiditis].

PubMed

Rizzo, Leonardo F L; Mana, Daniela L; Bruno, Oscar D

2014-01-01

The term thyroiditis comprises a group of thyroid diseases characterized by the presence of inflammation, including autoimmune and non-autoimmune entities. It may manifest as an acute illness with severe thyroid pain (subacute thyroiditis and infectious thyroiditis), and conditions in which the inflammation is not clinically evident evolving without pain and presenting primarily thyroid dysfunction and/or goiter (drug-induced thyroiditis and Riedel thyroiditis). The aim of this review is to provide an updated approach on non-autoimmune thyroiditis and its clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects.

VHF (Very High Frequency)-AM Communications Equipment Selection and Installation Practices for Helicopters.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-09-01

available for VHF ground stations. It examines In detail the options available in the avionics market place, and the problems associated with comparing...Appendix A presents the results of a survey of manufacturer’s specifications for 49 different models of airborne VHF communicatons avionics. A review...aimed primarily at the ’rbine aircraft market ). They are much stronger than "cat’s whisker" types and are capable of withstanding the drag and g

A new paradigm for retrieval medicine.

PubMed

Moloney, John

2018-06-12

A number of new time critical medical interventions are highly specialised. As such, they are not available in many hospitals and EDs. This necessitates transfer to another facility, which is often associated with some degree of delay. Processes to facilitate timely access to these interventions should aim to replicate or improve on that which would have been available should the patient have been in the community, and responded to, primarily, by an emergency medical service. © 2018 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

Performance assessment of improved composting system for food waste with varying aeration and use of microbial inoculum.

PubMed

Manu, M K; Kumar, Rakesh; Garg, Anurag

2017-06-01

Wet waste recycling at generation point will alleviate burden on the overflowing waste dumpsites in developing nations. Drum composting is a potential treatment option for such waste at individual or community level. The present study was aimed to produce compost from wet waste (primarily comprising food waste) in composting drums modified for improved natural air circulation. Effect of microbial inoculum and waste turning on composting process was also studied. The final results showed the production of matured and stable compost in the modified drums. Addition of the microbial inoculum resulted in thermophilic phase within a week time. The self-heating test and germination index (>80%) showed the production of non-phytotoxic and mature compost in the modified drums after 60days. The change in microbial population, humic substances and biological parameters (lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose) during the study is discussed. Moreover, the reduction in waste mass and volume is also reported. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adsorption of the astatine species on a gold surface: A relativistic density functional theory study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demidov, Yuriy; Zaitsevskii, Andréi

2018-01-01

We report first-principle based studies of the adsorption interaction of astatine species on a gold surface. These studies are aimed primarily at the support and interpretation of gas chromatographic experiments with superheavy elements, tennessine (Ts, Z = 117), a heavier homologue of At, and possibly its pseudo-homologue nihonium (Nh, Z = 113). We use gold clusters with up to 69 atoms to simulate the adsorption sites and estimate the desorption energies of At & AtOH from a stable gold (1 1 1) surface. To describe the electronic structure of At -Aun and AtOH -Aun complexes, we combine accurate shape-consistent relativistic pseudopotentials and non-collinear two-component relativistic density functional theory. The predicted desorption energies of At and AtOH on gold are 130 ± 10 kJ/mol and 90 ± 10 kJ/mol, respectively. These results confirm the validity of the estimates derived from chromatographic data (147 ± 15 kJ/mol for At, and 100-10+20 kJ/mol for AtOH).

Primary postural instability: a cause of recurrent sudden falls in the elderly.

PubMed

Djaldetti, R; Lorberboym, M; Melamed, E

2006-12-01

Elderly patients with recurrent falls are frequently diagnosed with an extrapyramidal syndrome. This study aims to characterise a distinct group of patients with recurrent falls and postural instability as a hallmark of the clinical examination. The study took place in the Movement Disorders Unit, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tiqva, Israel among 26 patients with recurrent falls who had no clinical evidence of a neurodegenerative disease. Medical records, neurological examination and brain imaging studies were assessed. Falls in these patients were sudden, unprovoked, with no vertigo or loss of consciousness. All had postural instability with minimal or no abnormality on the neurological examination. Brain imaging showed diffuse ischaemic changes in 65%. [(123)I]-FPCIT SPECT with the dopamine transporter ligand, performed in five patients, was normal in all. Recurrent falls might be caused by a neurological syndrome that primarily affects balance control. The importance of identifying this disorder is its distinction from other parkinsonian syndromes causing falls.

A systematic review of health literacy interventions for people living with HIV

PubMed Central

Perazzo, Joseph; Reyes, Darcel; Webel, Allison

2017-01-01

Health literacy significantly impacts health-related outcomes among people living with HIV. Our aim was to systematically review current literature on health literacy interventions for people living with HIV. The authors conducted a thorough literature search following the PRISMA statement and the AMSTAR checklist as a guide, and found six studies that met inclusion/exclusion criteria. The majority of these interventions were designed to improve HIV treatment adherence as well as HIV knowledge and treatment-related skills, with one study focusing on e-Health literacy. Several of the studies demonstrated trends toward improvement in medication adherence, but most did not achieve statistical significance primarily due to methodological limitations. Significant improvements in knowledge, behavioral skills, and e-Health literacy were found following interventions (p = 0·001–0·05). Health literacy interventions have the potential to promote HIV-related knowledge, behavioral skills, and self-management practices. More research is needed to assess the efficacy of interventions to promote a variety of self-management practices. PMID:26864691

The Meyerhoff Way: How the Meyerhoff Scholarship Program Helps Black Students Succeed in the Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stolle-McAllister, Kathy; Sto. Domingo, Mariano R.; Carrillo, Amy

2011-02-01

The Meyerhoff Scholarship Program (MSP) is widely recognized for its comprehensive approach of integrating students into the science community. The supports provided by the program aim to develop students, primarily Blacks, into scientists by offering them academic, social, and professional opportunities to achieve their academic and career goals. The current study allowed for a rich understanding of the perceptions of current Meyerhoff students and Meyerhoff alumni about how the program works. Three groups of MSP students were included in the study: (1) new Meyerhoff students participating in Summer Bridge ( n = 45), (2) currently enrolled Meyerhoff students ( n = 92), and (3) graduates of the MSP who were currently enrolled in STEM graduate studies or had completed an advanced STEM degree ( n = 19). Students described the importance of several key aspects of the MSP: financial support, the Summer Bridge Program, formation of Meyerhoff identity, belonging to the Meyerhoff family, and developing networks—all of which serve to integrate students both academically and socially.

The Meyerhoff Way: How the Meyerhoff Scholarship Program Helps Black Students Succeed in the Sciences

PubMed Central

Stolle-McAllister, Kathy; Sto. Domingo, Mariano R.; Carrillo, Amy

2011-01-01

The Meyerhoff Scholarship Program (MSP) is widely recognized for its comprehensive approach of integrating students into the science community. The supports provided by the program aim to develop students, primarily Blacks, into scientists by offering them academic, social, and professional opportunities to achieve their academic and career goals. The current study allowed for a rich understanding of the perceptions of current Meyerhoff students and Meyerhoff alumni about how the program works. Three groups of MSP students were included in the study: 1) new Meyerhoff students participating in Summer Bridge (n=45), 2) currently enrolled Meyerhoff students (n=92), and 3) graduates of the MSP who were currently enrolled in STEM graduate studies or had completed an advanced STEM degree (n=19). Students described the importance of several key aspects of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program: financial support, the Summer Bridge Program, formation of Meyerhoff identity, belonging to the Meyerhoff family, and developing networks - all of which serve to integrate students both academically and socially. PMID:21850153

Increasing health inequalities between women in and out of work--the impact of recession or policy change? A repeated cross-sectional study in Stockholm county, 2006 and 2010.

PubMed

Blomqvist, Sandra; Burström, Bo; Backhans, Mona C

2014-07-25

The social insurance system in Sweden underwent extensive change between 2006 and 2010, with the overall aim of making people enter the labour market. At the same time, economic recession hit Sweden. Previous studies suggest that the economic recession particularly affected women. In light of these changes, the aim of this study is to investigate whether health inequalities between employed women and groups outside the labour market changed between 2006 and 2010. A second aim is to examine the explanatory weight of socio-demographic factors vs social and economic conditions. Data consists of the Stockholm Public Health Surveys (SPHS) for 2006 and 2010. Women aged 18-64 were studied. Through logistic regression, levels of mental distress and limiting longstanding illness (LLI), were compared between four labour market groups; employed and unemployed, sickness absentees and disability pension recipients, at the two time points. Mental distress increased among women in all four labour market groups between 2006 and 2010. Differences in mental distress between those employed and groups outside the labour market also increased. These were explained primarily by social and economic conditions. Levels of LLI were unchanged except among the unemployed. The difference in LLI between the unemployed and the employed was mostly explained by social and economic conditions. In the other groups socio-demographic factors were more salient. For both health outcomes, the weight of social and economic conditions had increased in 2010 compared to 2006. Results indicate that levels of mental distress increased in all groups, but more so among groups outside the labour market, possibly due to stricter eligibility criteria and lower benefit levels, which particularly affected their social and economic conditions.

Spectroscopic properties of a two-dimensional time-dependent Cepheid model. I. Description and validation of the model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasilyev, V.; Ludwig, H.-G.; Freytag, B.; Lemasle, B.; Marconi, M.

2017-10-01

Context. Standard spectroscopic analyses of Cepheid variables are based on hydrostatic one-dimensional model atmospheres, with convection treated using various formulations of mixing-length theory. Aims: This paper aims to carry out an investigation of the validity of the quasi-static approximation in the context of pulsating stars. We check the adequacy of a two-dimensional time-dependent model of a Cepheid-like variable with focus on its spectroscopic properties. Methods: With the radiation-hydrodynamics code CO5BOLD, we construct a two-dimensional time-dependent envelope model of a Cepheid with Teff = 5600 K, log g = 2.0, solar metallicity, and a 2.8-day pulsation period. Subsequently, we perform extensive spectral syntheses of a set of artificial iron lines in local thermodynamic equilibrium. The set of lines allows us to systematically study effects of line strength, ionization stage, and excitation potential. Results: We evaluate the microturbulent velocity, line asymmetry, projection factor, and Doppler shifts. The microturbulent velocity, averaged over all lines, depends on the pulsational phase and varies between 1.5 and 2.7 km s-1. The derived projection factor lies between 1.23 and 1.27, which agrees with observational results. The mean Doppler shift is non-zero and negative, -1 km s-1, after averaging over several full periods and lines. This residual line-of-sight velocity (related to the "K-term") is primarily caused by horizontal inhomogeneities, and consequently we interpret it as the familiar convective blueshift ubiquitously present in non-pulsating late-type stars. Limited statistics prevent firm conclusions on the line asymmetries. Conclusions: Our two-dimensional model provides a reasonably accurate representation of the spectroscopic properties of a short-period Cepheid-like variable star. Some properties are primarily controlled by convective inhomogeneities rather than by the Cepheid-defining pulsations. Extended multi-dimensional modelling offers new insight into the nature of pulsating stars.

Towards a more practical attention bias test to assess affective state in sheep

PubMed Central

Doyle, Rebecca E.; Colditz, Ian G.; Belson, Sue; Cronin, Greg M.; Lee, Caroline

2018-01-01

Tests for attention bias potentially offer more rapid assessment of affective state in animals than existing cognitive methods. An attention bias test has previously been developed for sheep and validated as a measure of anxious states. The 3 minute test assessed behavioural responses of sheep in an enclosed arena after brief exposure to the threat of a dog. Experiment 1 of the current study aimed to refine the previously developed method, removing the need for a habituation period and shortening the test duration. Sheep were given either an anxiolytic drug, an anxiogenic drug or a control treatment prior to testing to induce contrasting affective states. Differences in behaviour were found between the treatment groups within the first 45s of the test, indicating the original test duration could be shortened from 180 s. During testing, 36 of 40 animals in the control and anxiolytic groups ate the novel feed offered in the test, indicating it is not necessary to habituate animals to a feed container. Experiment 2 aimed to confirm the responses measured in the test were primarily towards the dog rather than other aspects of the test environment. Sheep exposed to an empty window at the beginning of the test behaved differently to those which were exposed to a dog, indicating sheep behaviour in the test is at least partially a response to the dog. A third group of sheep were also tested with the dog immediately after having small data loggers attached to their necks. Behaviour of these sheep did not differ from the sheep tested without loggers, indicating data logger attachment did not impact their behaviour in the test. In both experiments, treatments did not appear to modify activity (zones crossed), which we propose indicates the test was primarily detecting valence of the affective state rather than arousal. PMID:29293636

Post-Boreotropical dispersals explain the pantropical disjunction in Paederia (Rubiaceae)

PubMed Central

Nie, Ze-Long; Deng, Tao; Meng, Ying; Sun, Hang; Wen, Jun

2013-01-01

Background and Aims Pantropical intercontinental disjunction is a common biogeographical pattern in flowering plants exhibiting a discontinuous distribution primarily in tropical Asia, Africa and the Americas. Only a few plant groups with this pattern have been investigated at the generic level with molecular phylogenetic and biogeographical methods. Paederia (Rubiaceae) is a pantropical genus of 31 species of woody lianas, with the greatest species diversity in continental Asia and Madagascar and only two species from tropical America. The aim of this study was to reconstruct the biogeographical history of Paederia based on phylogenetic analyses to explore how the genus attained its pantropical distribution. Methods Maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference were used for phylogenetic analyses using sequences of five plastid markers (the rbcL gene, rps16 intron, trnT-F region, atpB-rbcL spacer and psbA-trnH spacer). Biogeographical inferences were based on a Bayesian uncorrelated lognormal relaxed molecular clock together with both Bayesian and likelihood ancestral area reconstructions. Key Results The data suggest an early diverged Asian lineage sister to the clade of the remaining species consisting of a predominantly Asian sub-clade and a primarily Malagasy sub-clade. Paederia is inferred to have originated in the Oligocene in tropical continental Asia. It then reached Africa in the early to middle Miocene, most probably via long-distance dispersal across the Indian Ocean. The two Neotropical species are inferred to have derived independently in the late Miocene from ancestors of Asia and East Africa, respectively. Conclusions The results demonstrate the importance of post-Boreotropical long-distance dispersals (across three major oceans) in shaping the global pantropical disjunction in some plants, such as Paederia, with small, winged diaspores adapted to long-distance dispersal by various agents including wind, ocean currents or birds. Overland migration is less likely to explain its palaeotropical disjunction between Asia and Africa. PMID:23478944

Communication and Social Exchange Processes in Community Theater Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kramer, Michael W.

2005-01-01

This study explores the communication experiences of two volunteer groups involved in the production of community theater musicals. Based on social exchange theory, it examined what group members perceived to be the positive benefits (primarily meeting people and having an opportunity to perform) and the negative costs (primarily disorganization,…

Trends in Intimate Partner Violence: 1980-2008

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powers, Rachael A.; Kaukinen, Catherine Elizabeth

2012-01-01

Research on trends in partner violence has primarily relied on official measures of victimization focusing primarily on women's risk for intimate partner homicide. The current study uses 28 years of data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) to examine the trends of intimate partner violence against female victims and identify…

The use of pre-test and post-test probability values as criteria before selecting patients to undergo coronary angiography in patients who have ischemic findings on myocardial perfusion scintigraphy.

PubMed

Karahan Şen, Nazlı Pınar; Bekiş, Recep; Ceylan, Ali; Derebek, Erkan

2016-07-01

Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) is a diagnostic test which is frequently used in the diagnosis of coronary heart disease (CHD). MPS is generally interpreted as ischemia present or absent; however, it has a power in predicting the disease, similar to other diagnostic tests. In this study, we aimed to assist in directing the high-risk patients to undergo coronary angiography (CA) primarily by evaluating patients without prior CHD history with pre-test and post-test probabilities. The study was designed as a retrospective study. Between January 2008 and July 2011, 139 patients with positive MPS results and followed by CA recently (<6 months) were evaluated from patient files. Patients' pre-test probabilities based on the Diamond and Forrester method and the likelihood ratios that were obtained from the literature were used to calculate the patients' post exercise and post-MPS probabilities. Patients were evaluated in risk groups as low, intermediate, and high, and an ROC curve analysis was performed for the post-MPS probabilities. Coronary artery stenosis (CAS) was determined in 59 patients (42.4%). A significant difference was determined between the risk groups according to CAS, both for the pre-test and post-test probabilities (p<0.001, p=0.024). The ROC analysis provided a cut-off value of 80.4% for post- MPS probability in predicting CAS with 67.9% sensitivity and 77.8% specificity. When the post-MPS probability is ≥80% in patients who have reversible perfusion defects on MPS, we suggest interpreting the MPS as "high probability positive" to improve the selection of true-positive patients to undergo CA, and these patients should be primarily recommended CA.

The use of pre-test and post-test probability values as criteria before selecting patients to undergo coronary angiography in patients who have ischemic findings on myocardial perfusion scintigraphy

PubMed Central

Şen, Nazlı Pınar Karahan; Bekiş, Recep; Ceylan, Ali; Derebek, Erkan

2016-01-01

Objective: Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) is a diagnostic test which is frequently used in the diagnosis of coronary heart disease (CHD). MPS is generally interpreted as ischemia present or absent; however, it has a power in predicting the disease, similar to other diagnostic tests. In this study, we aimed to assist in directing the high-risk patients to undergo coronary angiography (CA) primarily by evaluating patients without prior CHD history with pre-test and post-test probabilities. Methods: The study was designed as a retrospective study. Between January 2008 and July 2011, 139 patients with positive MPS results and followed by CA recently (<6 months) were evaluated from patient files. Patients’ pre-test probabilities based on the Diamond and Forrester method and the likelihood ratios that were obtained from the literature were used to calculate the patients’ post-exercise and post-MPS probabilities. Patients were evaluated in risk groups as low, intermediate, and high, and an ROC curve analysis was performed for the post-MPS probabilities. Results: Coronary artery stenosis (CAS) was determined in 59 patients (42.4%). A significant difference was determined between the risk groups according to CAS, both for the pre-test and post-test probabilities (p<0.001, p=0.024). The ROC analysis provided a cut-off value of 80.4% for post-MPS probability in predicting CAS with 67.9% sensitivity and 77.8% specificity. Conclusion: When the post-MPS probability is ≥80% in patients who have reversible perfusion defects on MPS, we suggest interpreting the MPS as “high probability positive” to improve the selection of true-positive patients to undergo CA, and these patients should be primarily recommended CA. PMID:27004704

The Genetic and Environmental Contributions to Internet Use and Associations With Psychopathology: A Twin Study

PubMed Central

Long, Elizabeth C.; Verhulst, Brad; Neale, Michael C.; Lind, Penelope A.; Hickie, Ian B.; Martin, Nicholas G.; Gillespie, Nathan A.

2016-01-01

Excessive internet use has been linked to psychopathology. Therefore, understanding the genetic and environmental risks underpinning internet use and their relation to psychopathology is important. This study aims to explore the genetic and environmental etiology of internet use measures and their associations with internalizing disorders and substance use disorders. The sample included 2,059 monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) young adult twins from the Brisbane Longitudinal Twin Study (BLTS). Younger participants reported more frequent internet use, while women were more likely to use the internet for interpersonal communication. Familial aggregation in ‘frequency of internet use’ was entirely explained by additive genetic factors accounting for 41% of the variance. Familial aggregation in ‘frequency of use after 11 pm’, ‘using the internet to contact peers’, and ‘using the internet primarily to access social networking sites’ was attributable to varying combinations of additive genetic and shared environmental factors. In terms of psychopathology, there were no significant associations between internet use measures and major depression (MD), but there were positive significant associations between ‘frequency of internet use’ and ‘frequency of use after 11 pm’ with social phobia (SP). ‘Using the internet to contact peers’ was positively associated with alcohol abuse, whereas ‘using the internet to contact peers’ and ‘using the internet primarily to access social networking sites’ were negatively associated with cannabis use disorders and nicotine symptoms. Individual differences in internet use can be attributable to varying degrees of genetic and environmental risks. Despite some significant associations of small effect, variation in internet use appears mostly unrelated to psychopathology. PMID:26693596

An association between central aortic pressure and subclinical organ damage of the heart among a general Japanese cohort: Circulatory Risk in Communities Study (CIRCS).

PubMed

Cui, Renzhe; Li, Yuanying; Krisztina, Gero; Yamagishi, Kazumasa; Umesawa, Mitsumasa; Imano, Hironori; Ohira, Tetsuya; Kiyama, Masahiko; Okada, Takeo; Kitamura, Akihiko; Hitsumoto, Shinichi; Tanigawa, Takeshi; Iso, Hiroyasu

2014-01-01

This study aimed to investigate associations between central aortic pressure (CAP) and subclinical organ damage of the heart amongst the general population. We conducted a cross-sectional study in a community-based population, consisting of 3002 men and women aged between 40 and 79 years. The CAP was measured using the HEM-9000AI device, an automated tonometer. Electrocardiograms (ECG) were read according to the Minnesota Code. Subclinical organ damage in the heart was defined as measurable left high amplitude R waves (LHAR), major and minor ST-T abnormalities, and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of LHAR, major and minor ST-T abnormalities, and LVH was higher for subjects in the highest tertile of CAP levels than those in the lowest tertile. After further adjustments for other cardiovascular risk factors, these associations did not change substantially. The multivariable odds ratios (ORs) (95% CI) of LHAR, major and minor ST-T abnormalities, and LVH for the highest tertile of CAP levels compared to the lowest tertile were 2.7(1.9-3.9), 1.8(1.1-2.9), 1.7(1.3-2.3) and 3.2(1.3-8.1), respectively. The positive associations with LHAR and minor ST-T abnormalities were observed primarily among non-hypertensive subjects. The respective corresponding ORs were 2.8(1.7-4.6) and 1.7(1.2-2.4) for non-hypertensive subjects, and 1.7(0.9-3.3) and 1.1(0.7-1.8) for hypertensive subjects. CAP levels were associated with subclinical organ damage of the heart independent of cardiovascular risk factors, and these associations were primarily seen in non-hypertensive subjects. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aspergillus tubingensis: a major filamentous fungus found in the airways of patients with lung disease.

PubMed

Gautier, Magali; Normand, Anne-Cécile; L'Ollivier, Coralie; Cassagne, Carole; Reynaud-Gaubert, Martine; Dubus, Jean-Christophe; Brégeon, Fabienne; Hendrickx, Marijke; Gomez, Carine; Ranque, Stéphane; Piarroux, Renaud

2016-07-01

The black Aspergillus group comprises A. niger and 18 other species, which are morphologically indistinguishable. Among this species subset, A. tubingensis, described in less than 30 human cases before 2014, is primarily isolated from ear, nose, and throat samples. Recently, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry has emerged as a powerful technique to identify microbes in diagnostic settings. We applied this method to identify 1,720 filamentous fungi routinely isolated from clinical samples our laboratory over a two-year study period. Accordingly, we found 85 isolates of A. niger, 58 of A. tubingensis, and six other black Aspergillus (4 A. carbonarius and 2 A. japonicus). A. tubingensis was the fifth most frequent mold isolated in our mycology laboratory, primarily isolated from respiratory samples (40/58 isolates). In this study, we mainly aimed to describe the clinical pattern of Aspergillus tubingensisWe analyzed the clinical features of the patients in whom A. tubingensis had been isolated from 40 respiratory samples. Thirty patients suffered from cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or other types of chronic respiratory failure. Strikingly, 20 patients were experiencing respiratory acute exacerbation at the time the sample was collected. Antifungal susceptibility testing of 36 A. tubingensis isolates showed lower amphotericin B MICs (P < 10(-4)) and higher itraconazole and voriconazole MICs (P < 10(-4) and P = .0331, respectively) compared with 36 A. niger isolates. Further studies are required to better establish the role that this fungus plays in human diseases, especially in the context of cystic fibrosis and chronic pulmonary diseases. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Iron metabolism modulation in Atlantic salmon infested with the sea lice Lepeophtheirus salmonis and Caligus rogercresseyi: A matter of nutritional immunity?

PubMed

Valenzuela-Muñoz, Valentina; Gallardo-Escárate, Cristian

2017-01-01

Sea lice are copepodid ectoparasites that produce high economic losses and environmental issues, thus impacting the salmon aquaculture worldwide. Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) from Northern and Southern Hemispheres are primarily parasitized by Lepeophtheirus salmonis and Caligus rogercresseyi, respectively. To cope L. salmonis infestation, studies suggest that Atlantic salmon can restrict iron availability as a mechanism of nutritional immunity. However, no molecular studies of iron regulation from salmonids infected with C. rogercresseyi have been reported. The aim of this study was to determine if there are differences in the regulation of iron metabolism in Atlantic salmon infested with L. salmonis or C. rogercresseyi. For comparisons, skin and head kidney were profiled using qPCR of 15 genes related to iron regulation in Atlantic salmons infected with each sea louse species in Norway and Chile, respectively. Prior to infestation, no significant differences were observed between fish group. However, genes involved in iron transport and Heme biosynthesis were highly upregulated in Atlantic salmon infested with L. salmonis. Interestingly, hepcidin and Heme oxygenase, a component of the Heme degradation pathway, were upregulated during C. rogercresseyi infestation. Oxidative stress related genes were also evaluated, showing higher transcription activity in the head kidney than in the skin of Atlantic salmon infested with L. salmonis. These comparative results suggest pathogen-specific responses in infected Atlantic salmon, where iron metabolism is primarily regulated during the infestation with L. salmonis than C. rogercresseyi. Feeding behavior, for instance haematophagy, of the infesting sea lice species in relation to iron modulation is discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A next-generation in-situ nanoprobe beamline for the Advanced Photon Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maser, Jörg; Lai, Barry; Buonassisi, Tonio; Cai, Zhonghou; Chen, Si; Finney, Lydia; Gleber, Sophie-Charlotte; Harder, Ross; Jacobsen, Chris; Liu, Wenjun; Murray, Conal; Preissner, Curt; Roehrig, Chris; Rose, Volker; Shu, Deming; Vine, David; Vogt, Stefan

2013-09-01

The Advanced Photon Source is currently developing a suite of new hard x-ray beamlines, aimed primarily at the study of materials and devices under real conditions. One of the flagship beamlines of the APS Upgrade is the In-Situ Nanoprobe beamline (ISN beamline), which will provide in-situ and operando characterization of advanced energy materials and devices under change of temperature and gases, under applied fields, in 3D. The ISN beamline is designed to deliver spatially coherent x-rays with photon energies between 4 keV and 30 keV to the ISN instrument. As an x-ray source, a revolver-type undulator with two interchangeable magnetic structures, optimized to provide high brilliance throughout the range of photon energies of 4 keV - 30 keV, will be used. The ISN instrument will provide a smallest hard x-ray spot of 20 nm using diffractive optics, with sensitivity to sub-10 nm sample structures using coherent diffraction. Using nanofocusing mirrors in Kirkpatrick-Baez geometry, the ISN will also provide a focus of 50 nm with a flux of 8·1011 Photons/s at a photon energy of 10 keV, several orders of magnitude larger than what is currently available. This will allow imaging of trace amounts of most elements in the periodic table, with a sensitivity to well below 100 atoms for most metals in thin samples. It will also enable nanospectroscopic studies of the chemical state of most materials relevant to energy science. The ISN beamline will be primarily used to study inorganic and organic photovoltaic systems, advanced batteries and fuel cells, nanoelectronics devices, and materials and systems diesigned to reduce the environmental impact of combustion.

Health-care decision-making processes in Latin America: problems and prospects for the use of economic evaluation.

PubMed

Iglesias, Cynthia P; Drummond, Michael F; Rovira, Joan

2005-01-01

The use of economic evaluation studies (EE) in the decision-making process within the health-care system of nine Latin American (LA) and three European countries was investigated. The aim was to identify the opportunities, obstacles, and changes needed to facilitate the introduction of EE as a formal tool in health-care decision-making processes in LA. A comparative study was conducted based on existing literature and information provided through a questionnaire applied to decision makers in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Portugal Spain, United Kingdom, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Systematic electronic searches of HEED, NHS EED, and LILACS were conducted to identify published economic evaluation studies in LA from 1982 onward. There is relatively little evidence of the conduct and use of EE within the health care systems in LA. Electronic searches retrieved 554 records; however, only 93 were EE. In the nine LA participating countries, broad allocation of health-care resources is primarily based on political criteria, historical records, geographical areas, and specific groups of patients and diseases. Public-health provision and inclusion of services in health-insurance package are responsibilities of the Ministry of Health. Decisions regarding the purchase of medicines are primarily made through public tenders, and mainly based on differences in clinical efficacy and the price of health technologies of interest. To expedite the process of incorporating EE as a formal tool to inform decision-making processes within the health-care systems in LA countries, two main conditions need to be fulfilled. First, adequate resources and skills need to be available to conduct EE of good quality. Second, decision-making procedures need to be modified to accommodate "evidence-based" approaches such as EE.

SN2-Palmitate Reduces Fatty Acid Excretion in Chinese Formula-fed Infants.

PubMed

Bar-Yoseph, Fabiana; Lifshitz, Yael; Cohen, Tzafra; Malard, Patrice; Xu, Chungdi

2016-02-01

Palmitic acid (PA) comprises 17% to 25% of human milk fatty acids, of which 70% to 75% are esterified to the SN2 position of the triglyceride (SN2-palmitate). In vegetable oils, which are commonly used in infant formulas, palmitate is primarily esterified to other positions, resulting in reduced calcium and fat absorption and hard stools. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of SN2-palmitate on nutrient excretion. In total, 171 Chinese infants were included (within 14 days of birth) in this multicenter study. Formula-fed infants were randomly assigned to receive either SN2-palmitate formula (INFAT, n = 57) or control formula (n = 57). The formulas (Biostime, China) differed only in their SN2 PA proportions. Stool was collected at 6 postnatal weeks. The stool dry weight and fat content of the SN2-palmitate group were lower compared with the control group (dry weight 4.25 g vs 7.28 g, P < 0.05; fat 0.8 g vs 1.2 g, P < 0.05). The lipid component was also significantly lower for the SN2-palmitate group (0.79 g vs 1.19 g, P < 0.05). PA, representing ∼50% of the saponified fatty acids, was significantly lower in the SN2-palmitate group compared with the control group (0.3 g vs 0.7 g, P < 0.01). Breast-fed infants had a significantly lower stool dry weight, fat content, and saponified fat excretion compared with formula-fed infants (P < 0.01). Similar to breast milk, the SN2-palmitate infant formula primarily reduced calcium-saponified fat excretion. The results of this study further emphasize the nutritional importance of SN2-palmitate structured fat for infants.

Meta-analysis of genome-wide scans for blood pressure in African American and Nigerian samples. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute GeneLink Project.

PubMed

Rice, Treva; Cooper, Richard S; Wu, Xiaodong; Bouchard, Claude; Rankinen, Tuomo; Rao, D C; Jaquish, Cashell E; Fabsitz, Richard R; Province, Michael A

2006-03-01

In many genetic studies of complex traits, sample sizes are often too small to detect linkages of low-to-moderate effects. However, the combined linkage evidence across several studies can be synthesized using meta-analysis with the aim of providing more definitive support of linkage. In the current study using the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) GeneLink Project, a meta-analysis based on a modification of Fisher's method of pooling P values was used to investigate linkage for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) values across three studies involving African American and Nigerian families (HyperGEN, Health, Risk Factors, Exercise Training and Genetics [HERITAGE], and Genetics of Hypertension in Blacks). The meta results suggest two regions (2p and 7p) provide enhanced linkage evidence compared with the individual study results. The maximal meta Lod score of 2.9 on 2p14-p13.1 (64-78 cM) represented approximately 1-Lod unit increase over the respective individual study scores. This general region has been implicated previously involving primarily families of white ethnicity and provides confirmatory evidence that this QTL is common across ethnic groups. The second finding at 7p21.3-p15.3 (8-25 cM) provided a meta Lod of 3.5. Although region was implicated primarily in the Nigerian subjects the low-level but consistent support involving the African American families (individual Lod score of 1.0) suggests a novel QTL with respect to BP variation in individuals of black ethnicity. Follow-up studies involving positional cloning efforts of the combined families showing linkage evidence in these regions (particularly 2p) may be warranted to verify these findings and identify the genes and causative variants.

Nutritional and health benefits of semi-elemental diets: A comprehensive summary of the literature

PubMed Central

Alexander, Dominik D; Bylsma, Lauren C; Elkayam, Laura; Nguyen, Douglas L

2016-01-01

AIM: To critically review and summarize the literature on nutritional and health outcomes of semi-elemental formulations on various nutritionally vulnerable patient populations who are unable to achieve adequate nutrition from standard oral diets. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive literature search of Pubmed and Embase databases. We manually screened articles that examined nutritional and health outcomes (e.g., growth, disease activity, gastrointestinal impairment, mortality, and economic impact) among various patient groups receiving semi-elemental diets. This review focused on full-text articles of randomized controlled clinical trials and other intervention studies, but pertinent abstracts and case studies were also included. Results pertaining primarily to tolerance, digestion, and absorption were summarized for each patient population in this systematic review. RESULTS: Results pertaining primarily to tolerance, digestion, and absorption were summarized for each patient population. The efficacy of semi-elemental whey hydrolyzed protein (WHP) diet have been reported in various nutritionally high risk patient populations including - Crohn’s disease, short bowel syndrome, acute and chronic pancreatitis, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, cerebrovascular accidents, human immunodeficiency virus, critically ill, and geriatrics. Collectively, the evidence from the medical literature indicates that feeding with a semi-elemental diet performs as well or better than parenteral or amino acid based diets in terms of tolerance, digestion, and nutrient assimilation measures across various disease conditions. CONCLUSION: Based on this comprehensive review of the literature, patient populations who have difficulty digesting or absorbing standard diets may be able to achieve improved health and nutritional outcomes through the use of semi-elemental WHP diets. PMID:27158547

Impact of Educational Activities in Reducing Pre-Analytical Laboratory Errors

PubMed Central

Al-Ghaithi, Hamed; Pathare, Anil; Al-Mamari, Sahimah; Villacrucis, Rodrigo; Fawaz, Naglaa; Alkindi, Salam

2017-01-01

Objectives Pre-analytic errors during diagnostic laboratory investigations can lead to increased patient morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to ascertain the effect of educational nursing activities on the incidence of pre-analytical errors resulting in non-conforming blood samples. Methods This study was conducted between January 2008 and December 2015. All specimens received at the Haematology Laboratory of the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, during this period were prospectively collected and analysed. Similar data from 2007 were collected retrospectively and used as a baseline for comparison. Non-conforming samples were defined as either clotted samples, haemolysed samples, use of the wrong anticoagulant, insufficient quantities of blood collected, incorrect/lack of labelling on a sample or lack of delivery of a sample in spite of a sample request. From 2008 onwards, multiple educational training activities directed at the hospital nursing staff and nursing students primarily responsible for blood collection were implemented on a regular basis. Results After initiating corrective measures in 2008, a progressive reduction in the percentage of non-conforming samples was observed from 2009 onwards. Despite a 127.84% increase in the total number of specimens received, there was a significant reduction in non-conforming samples from 0.29% in 2007 to 0.07% in 2015, resulting in an improvement of 75.86% (P <0.050). In particular, specimen identification errors decreased by 0.056%, with a 96.55% improvement. Conclusion Targeted educational activities directed primarily towards hospital nursing staff had a positive impact on the quality of laboratory specimens by significantly reducing pre-analytical errors. PMID:29062553

Risk and benefit perceptions of mobile phone and base station technology in Bangladesh.

PubMed

van Kleef, Ellen; Fischer, Arnout R H; Khan, Moin; Frewer, Lynn J

2010-06-01

Research in developed countries showed that many citizens perceive that radio signals transmitted by mobile phones and base stations represent potential health risks. Less research has been conducted in developing countries focused on citizen perceptions of risks and benefits, despite the recent and rapid introduction of mobile communication technologies. This study aims to identify factors that are influential in determining the tradeoffs that Bangladeshi citizens make between risks and benefits in terms of mobile phone technology acceptance and health concerns associated with the technology. Bangladesh was selected as representative of many developing countries inasmuch as terrestrial telephone infrastructure is insubstantial, and mobile phone use has expanded rapidly over the last decade, even among the poor. Issues of importance were identified in a small-scale qualitative study among Bangladeshi citizens (n = 13), followed by a survey within a sample of Bangladeshi citizens (n = 500). The results demonstrate that, in general, the perceived benefits of mobile phone technology outweigh the risks. The perceived benefits are primarily related to the social and personal advantages of mobile phone use, including the ability to receive emergency news about floods, cyclones, and other natural disasters. Base stations were seen as a symbol of societal advance. The results furthermore suggest that overall risk perceptions are relatively low, in particular health risks, and are primarily driven by perceptions that related to crime and social inconvenience. Perceived health risks are relatively small. These findings show that risk communication and management may be particularly effective when contextual factors of the society where the system is implemented are taken into consideration.

Impact of Educational Activities in Reducing Pre-Analytical Laboratory Errors: A quality initiative.

PubMed

Al-Ghaithi, Hamed; Pathare, Anil; Al-Mamari, Sahimah; Villacrucis, Rodrigo; Fawaz, Naglaa; Alkindi, Salam

2017-08-01

Pre-analytic errors during diagnostic laboratory investigations can lead to increased patient morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to ascertain the effect of educational nursing activities on the incidence of pre-analytical errors resulting in non-conforming blood samples. This study was conducted between January 2008 and December 2015. All specimens received at the Haematology Laboratory of the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, during this period were prospectively collected and analysed. Similar data from 2007 were collected retrospectively and used as a baseline for comparison. Non-conforming samples were defined as either clotted samples, haemolysed samples, use of the wrong anticoagulant, insufficient quantities of blood collected, incorrect/lack of labelling on a sample or lack of delivery of a sample in spite of a sample request. From 2008 onwards, multiple educational training activities directed at the hospital nursing staff and nursing students primarily responsible for blood collection were implemented on a regular basis. After initiating corrective measures in 2008, a progressive reduction in the percentage of non-conforming samples was observed from 2009 onwards. Despite a 127.84% increase in the total number of specimens received, there was a significant reduction in non-conforming samples from 0.29% in 2007 to 0.07% in 2015, resulting in an improvement of 75.86% ( P <0.050). In particular, specimen identification errors decreased by 0.056%, with a 96.55% improvement. Targeted educational activities directed primarily towards hospital nursing staff had a positive impact on the quality of laboratory specimens by significantly reducing pre-analytical errors.

Co-ingestion of energy drinks with alcohol and other substances among a sample of people who regularly use ecstasy.

PubMed

Peacock, Amy; Sindicich, Natasha; Dunn, Matthew; Whittaker, Elizabeth; Sutherland, Rachel; Entwistle, Gavin; Burns, Lucinda; Bruno, Raimondo

2016-05-01

Despite the potential harms of mixing unregulated drugs with energy drinks (ED), research to date has primarily been focused on EDs co-ingested with alcohol. Consequently, the aim of the present study was to explore the rate of use, harms and correlates of EDs co-ingested with alcohol and other drugs among a sample of people who regularly use illicit stimulant drugs. In 2010, 693 Australians who regularly used ecstasy completed a 1-h interview about their past six-month ED and drug use. Three-quarters of the sample (77%) had recently consumed EDs with other substances, primarily alcohol (70%) and ecstasy (57%). People who consumed ED with alcohol versus those who had consumed ED with ecstasy and with alcohol (only 8% reported only consuming ED with ecstasy) had similar profiles in regards to demographics, drug use, mental health and drug-related problems. Primary motives for consuming ED with alcohol included increased alertness (59%), the taste (25%), to party for longer (23%) and to combat fatigue (16%). One-half (52%) and one-quarter (27%) of participants who consumed EDs with alcohol and with ecstasy respectively had recently experienced adverse outcomes post-consumption, primarily headaches (24% and 11%) and heart palpitations (21% and 14%). Co-ingestion of EDs with licit and illicit drugs is common among people who regularly use ecstasy and related drugs. Adverse outcomes of co-ingestion suggest that targeted education regarding negative interactive drug effects is crucial for harm reduction. [Peacock A, Sindicich N, Dunn M, Whittaker E, Sutherland R, Entwistle G, Burns L, Bruno R. Co-Ingestion of Energy Drinks with Alcohol and Other Substances among a Sample of People Who Regularly Use Ecstasy. Drug Alcohol Rev 2016;35:352-358]. © 2015 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Overcoming barriers to work participation for patients with postpoliomyelitis syndrome.

PubMed

Ten Katen, Kim; Beelen, Anita; Nollet, Frans; Frings-Dresen, Monique H W; Sluiter, Judith K

2011-01-01

This study aimed to explore the perceived work ability of patients with postpoliomyelitis syndrome (PPS), to identify barriers and factors that are impeding or conducive, respectively, to work participation, and to identify possible interventions. Qualitative cross-sectional interview study with 17 subjects with PPS, 12 women and 5 men, mean age 49 years (SD: 11). Semi-structured interviews were held with the subjects in their homes, with the aid of a topic list. The COREQ criteria list for qualitative research was used as guideline in design and analysis. Thirteen out of 17 subjects rated their work ability six or higher on a scale from 0 to 10. Most subjects worked in an administrative, educational or managerial function. Five subjects stopped working, four worked between 0 and 20 h/week and eight worked between 20 and 40 h/week. Factors conducive to working were physical adaptations in the workplace, accessibility of the workplace and high decision latitude. Barriers to full work ability in PPS patients were high physical job demands, low social support and the symptoms of PPS, especially fatigue and pain. These findings suggest that work-oriented interventions aimed at preventing PPS patients from dropping out of the workforce should primarily focus on reducing physical job demands, arranging adaptations in the workplace and increasing job control.

Is the impact of depressive complaints on the use of general health care services dependent on severity of somatic morbidity?

PubMed

Koopmans, Gerrit T; Lamers, Leida M

2006-07-01

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of depressive complaints and chronic medical illnesses on prospective somatic health care utilization and the possible heterogeneity of the effect of depressive complaints across levels of medical illness severity. Data from a community-based sample of adults (n=9428) were used, of whom a health survey and claims data, indicating health care use, were available. Assessments of depressive complaints and somatic illnesses were based on self-report. Binomial regression analyses were used to study the expected relations. Depressive complaints and somatic morbidity were both positively related to general health care utilization. Somatic morbidity has an attenuating effect on the impact of depressive complaints: If it becomes more severe, the impact of depressive complaints on utilization is reduced. Depressive complaints are especially related to the use of paramedic services, use of prescription drugs, and consultations of medical specialists. Depressive complaints predict somatic health care utilization, but somatic morbidity attenuates this relation. Future research on this subject should include interaction effects of depressive complaints and somatic morbidity. Interventions aiming to reduce excess use related to mental distress should be primarily targeted on subjects with mental distress who have no comorbid somatic morbidity.

Rule breaking mediates the developmental association between GABRA2 and adolescent substance abuse.

PubMed

Trucco, Elisa M; Villafuerte, Sandra; Heitzeg, Mary M; Burmeister, Margit; Zucker, Robert A

2014-12-01

This study's primary aim was to examine age-specific associations between GABRA2, rule breaking, problematic alcohol use, and substance abuse symptomatology. The secondary aim was to examine the extent to which rule breaking mediates the GABRA2-substance abuse relationship. A sample (n = 518) of primarily male (70.9%) and White (88.8%) adolescents from the Michigan Longitudinal Study was assessed from ages 11-18. Age-specific effects of GABRA2 on rule breaking, problematic alcohol use, and substance abuse symptomatology were examined using nested path models. The role of rule breaking as a mediator in the association between GABRA2 and substance abuse outcomes was tested using prospective cross-lagged path models. GABRA2 is significantly (p < 0.05) associated with rule breaking in mid- to late-adolescence, but not substance abuse symptomatology across adolescence. GABRA2 effects on problematic alcohol use and substance abuse symptomatology operate largely (45.3% and 71.1%, respectively, p < 0.05) via rule breaking in midadolescence. GABRA2 represents an early risk factor for an externalizing pathway to the development of problematic alcohol and drug use. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. © 2014 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Biomimetic poly(lactide) based fibrous scaffolds for ligament tissue engineering.

PubMed

Surrao, Denver C; Waldman, Stephen D; Amsden, Brian G

2012-11-01

The aim of this study was to fabricate a fibrous scaffold that closely resembled the micro-structural architecture and mechanical properties of collagen fibres found in the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). To achieve this aim, fibrous scaffolds were made by electrospinning L-lactide based polymers. L-Lactide was chosen primarily due to its demonstrated biocompatibility, biodegradability and high modulus. The electrospun fibres were collected in tension on a rotating wire mandrel. Upon treating these fibres in a heated aqueous environment, they possessed a crimp-like pattern having a wavelength and amplitude similar to that of native ACL collagen. Of the polymer fibre scaffolds studied, those made from poly(L-lactide-co-D,L-lactide) PLDLA exhibited the highest modulus and were also the most resilient to in vitro hydrolytic degradation, undergoing a slight decrease in modulus compared to the other polymeric fibres over a 6 month period. Bovine fibroblasts seeded on the wavy, crimp-like PLDLA fibres attached, proliferated and deposited extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules on the surface of the fibrous scaffold. In addition, the deposited ECM exhibited bundle formation that resembled the fascicles found in native ACL. These findings demonstrate the importance of replicating the geometric microenvironment in developing effective tissue engineering scaffolds. Copyright © 2012 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding diagnostic variability in breast pathology: lessons learned from an expert consensus review panel

PubMed Central

Allison, Kimberly H; Reisch, Lisa M; Carney, Patricia A; Weaver, Donald L; Schnitt, Stuart J; O’Malley, Frances P; Geller, Berta M; Elmore, Joann G

2015-01-01

Aims To gain a better understanding of the reasons for diagnostic variability, with the aim of reducing the phenomenon. Methods and results In preparation for a study on the interpretation of breast specimens (B-PATH), a panel of three experienced breast pathologists reviewed 336 cases to develop consensus reference diagnoses. After independent assessment, cases coded as diagnostically discordant were discussed at consensus meetings. By the use of qualitative data analysis techniques, transcripts of 16 h of consensus meetings for a subset of 201 cases were analysed. Diagnostic variability could be attributed to three overall root causes: (i) pathologist-related; (ii) diagnostic coding/study methodology-related; and (iii) specimen-related. Most pathologist-related root causes were attributable to professional differences in pathologists’ opinions about whether the diagnostic criteria for a specific diagnosis were met, most frequently in cases of atypia. Diagnostic coding/study methodology-related root causes were primarily miscategorizations of descriptive text diagnoses, which led to the development of a standardized electronic diagnostic form (BPATH-Dx). Specimen-related root causes included artefacts, limited diagnostic material, and poor slide quality. After re-review and discussion, a consensus diagnosis could be assigned in all cases. Conclusions Diagnostic variability is related to multiple factors, but consensus conferences, standardized electronic reporting formats and comments on suboptimal specimen quality can be used to reduce diagnostic variability. PMID:24511905

Community perceptions of state forest ownership and management: a case study of the Sundarbans Mangrove Forest in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Roy, Anjan Kumer Dev; Alam, Khorshed; Gow, Jeff

2013-03-15

The Sundarbans Mangrove Forest (SMF) is the world's largest mangrove forest and it provides livelihoods to 3.5 million forest-dependent people in coastal Bangladesh. The first study aim was to analyse the efficacy of the state property regime in managing the forest through a close examination of the relationship between property rights and mangrove conservation practices. The second study aim was to explore forest-dependent communities' (FDCs) perceptions about their participation in management and conservation practices. The Schlager and Ostrom theoretical framework was adopted to examine the role of potential ownership variations in a common property resource regime. A survey of 412 FDC households was undertaken. Current management by the Bangladesh Forest Department (BFD) does not result in implementation of mandated mangrove conservation practices. It was found that allocation of property rights to FDCs would be expected to increase conservation practices. 92% of respondents expressed the view that the evidenced rapid degradation over the past 30 years was due primarily to corruption in the BFD. About half of FDCs (46%) surveyed are willing to participate in mangrove conservation through involvement in management as proprietors. Consistent with Schlager and Ostrom's theory, the results indicate the necessity for de facto and de jure ownership and management change from a state to common property regime to ensure FDCs' participation in conservation practices. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Waiting list randomized controlled trial within a case-finding design: methodological considerations.

PubMed

Ronaldson, Sarah; Adamson, Joy; Dyson, Lisa; Torgerson, David

2014-10-01

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are widely used in health care research to provide high-quality evidence of effectiveness of an intervention. However, sometimes a study does not require an RCT in order to answer its primary objective; a case-finding design may be more appropriate. The aim of this paper was to introduce a new study design that nests a waiting list RCT within a case-finding study. An example of the new study design is the DOC Study, which primarily aims to determine the diagnostic accuracy of lung function tests for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It also investigates the impact of lung function tests on smoking behaviour through use of a waiting list design. The first step of the study design is to obtain participants' consent. Individuals are then randomized to one of two groups; either the 'intervention now' group or the 'intervention later' group, that is, participants are placed on a waiting list. All participants receive the same intervention; the only difference between the groups is the timing of the intervention. The design addresses patient preference issues and recruitment issues that can arise in other trial designs. Potential limitations include differential attrition between study groups and potential demoralization for the 'intervention later' group. The 'waiting list case-finding trial' design is a valuable method that could be applied to case-finding studies; the design enables the case-finding component of a study to be maintained while simultaneously exploring additional hypotheses through conducting a trial. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The process of whistleblowing in a Japanese psychiatric hospital.

PubMed

Ohnishi, Kayoko; Hayama, Yumiko; Asai, Atsushi; Kosugi, Shinji

2008-09-01

This study aims to unveil the process of whistleblowing. Two nursing staff members who worked in a psychiatric hospital convicted of large-scale wrongdoing were interviewed. Data were analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach. Analysis of the interviews demonstrated that they did not decide to whistleblow when they were suspicious or had an awareness of wrongdoing. They continued to work, driven by appreciation, affection, and a sense of duty. Their decision to whistleblow was ultimately motivated by firm conviction. Shortly after whistleblowing, wavering emotions were observed, consisting of a guilty conscience, fear of retribution, and pride, which subsequently transformed to stable emotions containing a sense of relief and regret for delayed action. It is necessary for nurses to recognize that their professional responsibility is primarily to patients, not to organizations. Nurses should also have professional judgment about appropriate allegiance and actions.

LeishVet guidelines for the practical management of canine leishmaniosis

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

The LeishVet group has formed recommendations designed primarily to help the veterinary clinician in the management of canine leishmaniosis. The complexity of this zoonotic infection and the wide range of its clinical manifestations, from inapparent infection to severe disease, make the management of canine leishmaniosis challenging. The recommendations were constructed by combining a comprehensive review of evidence-based studies, extensive clinical experience and critical consensus opinion discussions. The guidelines presented here in a short version with graphical topic displays suggest standardized and rational approaches to the diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, control and prevention of canine leishmaniosis. A staging system that divides the disease into four stages is aimed at assisting the clinician in determining the appropriate therapy, forecasting prognosis, and implementing follow-up steps required for the management of the leishmaniosis patient. PMID:21599936

Anger and hostility from the perspective of the Big Five personality model.

PubMed

Sanz, Jesús; García-Vera, María Paz; Magán, Inés

2010-06-01

This study was aimed at examining the relationships of the personality dimensions of the five-factor model or Big Five with trait anger and with two specific traits of hostility (mistrust and confrontational attitude), and identifying the similarities and differences between trait anger and hostility in the framework of the Big Five. In a sample of 353 male and female adults, the Big Five explained a significant percentage of individual differences in trait anger and hostility after controlling the effects due to the relationship between both constructs and content overlapping across scales. In addition, trait anger was primarily associated with neuroticism, whereas mistrust and confrontational attitude were principally related to low agreeableness. These findings are discussed in the context of the anger-hostility-aggression syndrome and the capability of the Big Five for organizing and clarifying related personality constructs.

Sleep Differences by Race in Preschool Children: The Roles of Parenting Behaviors and Socioeconomic Status.

PubMed

Patrick, Kristina E; Millet, Genevieve; Mindell, Jodi A

2016-01-01

This study aimed to examine whether socioeconomic variables (SES) and parenting behaviors mediate differences in sleep problems between Black and White preschool-aged children. Parents of 191 preschool-aged children (53% male; 77% White) completed questionnaires regarding SES and sleep behaviors. Parenting behaviors and SES were analyzed as mediators of differences in sleep problems between Black and White children. Parent behaviors related to bedtime routine and independence mediated the relationship between race and parent-reported bedtime difficulty, parent confidence managing sleep, and sleep onset latency. SES mediated the relationship between race and sleep onset latency. Sleep differences between Black and White preschool children were primarily mediated by parent behaviors rather than socioeconomic variables. Results may reflect differences in cultural practices and provide important information for treatment and parent-directed intervention regarding improving sleep in young children.

Sensory determinants of the autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR): understanding the triggers.

PubMed

Barratt, Emma L; Spence, Charles; Davis, Nick J

2017-01-01

The autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is an atypical sensory phenomenon involving electrostatic-like tingling sensations in response to certain sensory, primarily audio-visual, stimuli. The current study used an online questionnaire, completed by 130 people who self-reported experiencing ASMR. We aimed to extend preliminary investigations into the experience, and establish key multisensory factors contributing to the successful induction of ASMR through online media. Aspects such as timing and trigger load, atmosphere, and characteristics of ASMR content, ideal spatial distance from various types of stimuli, visual characteristics, context and use of ASMR triggers, and audio preferences are explored. Lower-pitched, complex sounds were found to be especially effective triggers, as were slow-paced, detail-focused videos. Conversely, background music inhibited the sensation for many respondents. These results will help in designing media for ASMR induction.

Sensory determinants of the autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR): understanding the triggers

PubMed Central

Barratt, Emma L.; Spence, Charles

2017-01-01

The autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is an atypical sensory phenomenon involving electrostatic-like tingling sensations in response to certain sensory, primarily audio-visual, stimuli. The current study used an online questionnaire, completed by 130 people who self-reported experiencing ASMR. We aimed to extend preliminary investigations into the experience, and establish key multisensory factors contributing to the successful induction of ASMR through online media. Aspects such as timing and trigger load, atmosphere, and characteristics of ASMR content, ideal spatial distance from various types of stimuli, visual characteristics, context and use of ASMR triggers, and audio preferences are explored. Lower-pitched, complex sounds were found to be especially effective triggers, as were slow-paced, detail-focused videos. Conversely, background music inhibited the sensation for many respondents. These results will help in designing media for ASMR induction. PMID:29018601

Understanding waste for lean health information systems: a preliminary review.

PubMed

Kalong, Nadia Awang; Yusof, Maryati Mohd

2013-01-01

Despite the rapid application of the Lean method in healthcare, its study in IT environments, particularly in Health Information Systems (HIS), is still limited primarily by a lack of waste identification. This paper aims to review the literature to provide an insight into the nature of waste in HIS from the perspective of Lean management. Eight waste frameworks within the context of healthcare and information technology were reviewed. Based on the review, it was found that all the seven waste categories from the manufacturing sector also exist in both the healthcare and IT domains. However, the nature of the waste varied depending on the processes of the domains. A number of additional waste categories were also identified. The findings reveal that the traditional waste model can be adapted to identify waste in both the healthcare and IT sectors.

Connecting Teacher Professional Development and Student Mathematics Achievement: Mediating Belonging With Multimodal Explorations in Language, Identity, and Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kutaka, Traci Shizu; Smith, Wendy M.; Albano, Anthony D.; Edwards, Carolyn Pope; Ren, Lixin; Beattie, Heidi Lynn; Lewis, W. James; Heaton, Ruth M.; Stroup, Walter W.

2017-01-01

The present study investigated the effects of "Primarily Math", an inservice elementary mathematics specialist program. "Primarily Math" sought to augment the mathematical knowledge for teaching of kindergarten through third-grade teachers using a longitudinal multiple cohort design. Two sets of analyses were conducted. The…

Smoking cessation apps for smartphones: content analysis with the self-determination theory.

PubMed

Choi, Jounghwa; Noh, Ghee-Young; Park, Dong-Jin

2014-02-12

Smartphones are increasingly receiving attention from public health scholars and practitioners as a means to assist individuals' health management. A number of smartphone apps for smoking cessation are also available; however, little effort has been made to evaluate the content and functions of these apps employing a theoretical framework. The present study aims to analyze and evaluate the contents of smoking cessation apps available in South Korea employing the self-determination theory (SDT) as a theoretical framework for analysis. This study analyzes the extent to which smoking cessation apps have features that satisfy the basic needs identified in the SDT, which stimulate autonomous motivation. The type of motivational goal content manifested in the apps and how the goal content was framed are also explored. By assessing the features of smoking cessation apps based on the SDT, this study aims to offer direction for improvement for these apps. Out of 309 apps identified from the iTunes store and Google Play (excluding 27 duplications), 175 apps were randomly drawn and analyzed. The coding scheme was drafted by the authors based on the SDT and gain/loss framing theory and was further finely tuned through the process of coder training and by establishing intercoder reliability. Once the intercoder reliability was established, the coders divided up the rest of the sample and coded them independently. The analysis revealed that most apps (94.3%, 165/175) had at least one feature that tapped at least 1 of the 3 basic needs. Only 18 of 175 apps (10.3%) addressed all 3 basic needs. For goal content, money (53.7%, 94/175) showed the highest frequency, followed by health (32.0%, 56/175), time (7.4%, 13/175), and appearance (1.1%, 2/175), suggesting that extrinsic goals are more dominantly presented in smoking cessation apps. For the framing of goal content, gain framing appeared more frequently (41.7%, 73/175). The results suggest that these smoking cessation apps may not sufficiently stimulate autonomous motivation; a small number of apps addressed all 3 basic needs suggested by the SDT (ie, autonomy, competence, and relatedness). The apps also tended to present extrinsic goal content (primarily in terms of money) over intrinsic ones (ie, health) by primarily adopting gain framing. Implications of these findings for public health practitioners and consumers are discussed.

Smoking Cessation Apps for Smartphones: Content Analysis With the Self-Determination Theory

PubMed Central

Noh, Ghee-Young; Park, Dong-Jin

2014-01-01

Background Smartphones are increasingly receiving attention from public health scholars and practitioners as a means to assist individuals’ health management. A number of smartphone apps for smoking cessation are also available; however, little effort has been made to evaluate the content and functions of these apps employing a theoretical framework. Objective The present study aims to analyze and evaluate the contents of smoking cessation apps available in South Korea employing the self-determination theory (SDT) as a theoretical framework for analysis. This study analyzes the extent to which smoking cessation apps have features that satisfy the basic needs identified in the SDT, which stimulate autonomous motivation. The type of motivational goal content manifested in the apps and how the goal content was framed are also explored. By assessing the features of smoking cessation apps based on the SDT, this study aims to offer direction for improvement for these apps. Methods Out of 309 apps identified from the iTunes store and Google Play (excluding 27 duplications), 175 apps were randomly drawn and analyzed. The coding scheme was drafted by the authors based on the SDT and gain/loss framing theory and was further finely tuned through the process of coder training and by establishing intercoder reliability. Once the intercoder reliability was established, the coders divided up the rest of the sample and coded them independently. Results The analysis revealed that most apps (94.3%, 165/175) had at least one feature that tapped at least 1 of the 3 basic needs. Only 18 of 175 apps (10.3%) addressed all 3 basic needs. For goal content, money (53.7%, 94/175) showed the highest frequency, followed by health (32.0%, 56/175), time (7.4%, 13/175), and appearance (1.1%, 2/175), suggesting that extrinsic goals are more dominantly presented in smoking cessation apps. For the framing of goal content, gain framing appeared more frequently (41.7%, 73/175). Conclusions The results suggest that these smoking cessation apps may not sufficiently stimulate autonomous motivation; a small number of apps addressed all 3 basic needs suggested by the SDT (ie, autonomy, competence, and relatedness). The apps also tended to present extrinsic goal content (primarily in terms of money) over intrinsic ones (ie, health) by primarily adopting gain framing. Implications of these findings for public health practitioners and consumers are discussed. PMID:24521881

Telemedicine and diabetes: achievements and prospects.

PubMed

Franc, S; Daoudi, A; Mounier, S; Boucherie, B; Dardari, D; Laroye, H; Neraud, B; Requeda, E; Canipel, L; Charpentier, G

2011-12-01

Health authorities currently have high expectations for telemedicine (TM), as it addresses several major challenges: to improve access to healthcare (especially for patients in underserved or remote areas); to overcome the scarcity of specialists faced with epidemic disease; and to reduce the costs of healthcare while improving quality. The aims of TM in the field of diabetes differ according to the type of diabetes. In type 1 diabetes (T1DM) associated with complex insulin regimens, the goal of TM is to help patients achieve better control of their blood glucose levels through accurate adjustment of insulin doses. In type 2 diabetes (T2DM), while therapeutic adjustments may be necessary, improvement in blood glucose control is based primarily on behavioural changes (reduced calorie and carbohydrate intakes, increased physical activity). Many TM studies focusing on management of blood glucose levels have been published, but most failed to demonstrate any superiority of TM vs traditional care. While previously published meta-analyses have shown a slight advantage at best for TM, these meta-analyses included a mix of studies of varying durations and different populations (both T1DM and T2DM patients, adults and children), and tested systems of inconsistent quality. Studies published to date on TM suggest two currently promising approaches. First, handheld communicating devices, such as smartphones, loaded with software to apply physicians' prescriptions, have been shown to improve glycaemic control. These systems provide immediate assistance to the patient (such as insulin-dose calculation and food choice optimization at meals), and all data stored in the smartphone can be transmitted to authorized caregivers, enabling remote monitoring and even teleconsultation. These systems, initially developed for T1DM, appear to offer many possibilities for T2DM, too. Second, systems combining an interactive Internet system (or a mobile phone coupled to a remote server) with a system of communication between the healthcare provider and the patient by e-mail, texting or phone calls have also shown certain benefits for glycaemic control. These systems, primarily aimed at T2DM patients, generally provide motivational support as well. Although the individual benefits of these systems for glycaemic control are fewer than with smartphones, their widespread use should be of particular value for overcoming the relative shortage of doctors and reducing the health costs associated with a disease of such epidemic proportions. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Effects of balneotherapy and spa therapy on levels of cortisol as a stress biomarker: a systematic review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antonelli, Michele; Donelli, Davide

2018-06-01

Balneotherapy and spa therapy are well-known practices, even though limited evidence has been produced about their biological effects. This systematic review primarily aims at assessing if balneotherapy, mud/peloid therapy, and spa therapy may influence cortisol levels. Secondarily, it aims at understanding if these interventions may improve stress resilience. PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched for relevant articles in English or Italian about studies involving healthy and sub-healthy subjects or patients with a diagnosed disease about effects of balneotherapy, mud/peloid therapy, and spa therapy on serum and salivary cortisol levels. Fifteen studies involving 684 subjects were included. Five studies investigated biological effects of balneotherapy alone. Two of them reported significant changes of cortisol levels in healthy participants. The other three studies reported no significant variations in patients with rheumatic conditions. No studies investigated biological effects of mud/peloid therapy alone. Ten studies investigated biological effects of spa therapy with or without included mud/peloid therapy, and in all but two studies, significant variations of cortisol levels were reported. Our main findings suggest that balneotherapy may have the potential to influence cortisol levels in healthy subjects, in such a way as to improve stress resilience. Spa therapy with or without included mud/peloid therapy demonstrated the same potential to influence cortisol levels also in sub-healthy subjects and in patients with a diagnosed disease. Therefore, balneotherapy and spa therapy may be considered as useful interventions for the management of stress conditions. Further investigation is needed because of limited available data.

Effects of balneotherapy and spa therapy on levels of cortisol as a stress biomarker: a systematic review.

PubMed

Antonelli, Michele; Donelli, Davide

2018-02-18

Balneotherapy and spa therapy are well-known practices, even though limited evidence has been produced about their biological effects. This systematic review primarily aims at assessing if balneotherapy, mud/peloid therapy, and spa therapy may influence cortisol levels. Secondarily, it aims at understanding if these interventions may improve stress resilience. PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched for relevant articles in English or Italian about studies involving healthy and sub-healthy subjects or patients with a diagnosed disease about effects of balneotherapy, mud/peloid therapy, and spa therapy on serum and salivary cortisol levels. Fifteen studies involving 684 subjects were included. Five studies investigated biological effects of balneotherapy alone. Two of them reported significant changes of cortisol levels in healthy participants. The other three studies reported no significant variations in patients with rheumatic conditions. No studies investigated biological effects of mud/peloid therapy alone. Ten studies investigated biological effects of spa therapy with or without included mud/peloid therapy, and in all but two studies, significant variations of cortisol levels were reported. Our main findings suggest that balneotherapy may have the potential to influence cortisol levels in healthy subjects, in such a way as to improve stress resilience. Spa therapy with or without included mud/peloid therapy demonstrated the same potential to influence cortisol levels also in sub-healthy subjects and in patients with a diagnosed disease. Therefore, balneotherapy and spa therapy may be considered as useful interventions for the management of stress conditions. Further investigation is needed because of limited available data.

Effects of balneotherapy and spa therapy on levels of cortisol as a stress biomarker: a systematic review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antonelli, Michele; Donelli, Davide

2018-02-01

Balneotherapy and spa therapy are well-known practices, even though limited evidence has been produced about their biological effects. This systematic review primarily aims at assessing if balneotherapy, mud/peloid therapy, and spa therapy may influence cortisol levels. Secondarily, it aims at understanding if these interventions may improve stress resilience. PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched for relevant articles in English or Italian about studies involving healthy and sub-healthy subjects or patients with a diagnosed disease about effects of balneotherapy, mud/peloid therapy, and spa therapy on serum and salivary cortisol levels. Fifteen studies involving 684 subjects were included. Five studies investigated biological effects of balneotherapy alone. Two of them reported significant changes of cortisol levels in healthy participants. The other three studies reported no significant variations in patients with rheumatic conditions. No studies investigated biological effects of mud/peloid therapy alone. Ten studies investigated biological effects of spa therapy with or without included mud/peloid therapy, and in all but two studies, significant variations of cortisol levels were reported. Our main findings suggest that balneotherapy may have the potential to influence cortisol levels in healthy subjects, in such a way as to improve stress resilience. Spa therapy with or without included mud/peloid therapy demonstrated the same potential to influence cortisol levels also in sub-healthy subjects and in patients with a diagnosed disease. Therefore, balneotherapy and spa therapy may be considered as useful interventions for the management of stress conditions. Further investigation is needed because of limited available data.

[Work-family conflict in call center].

PubMed

Ghislieri, Chiara; Ricotta, Simona; Colombo, Lara

2012-01-01

The working environment of call centers, which have seen a significant growth in recent years, has been the subject of several studies aiming at understanding its specific dynamics, with particular attention to the possible causes of stress and discomfort. Despite the fact that the work-family conflict is considered a source of stress responsible for undermining workers' well-being, and as such has been explored in many work environments, there is still very little research specific to call centers. This study had the following aims: to explore work-family conflict perceived by call-center operators taking account of any differences related to respondents'professional and personal characteristics; to understand which demands and resources can have an impact on work-family conflict in this context. The study was carried out on a sample of 898 call center operators in a telecommunications company through the administration of a self-reporting questionnaire. Data analysis included: t-test, one-way analysis of variance, linear correlations and multiple regressions. A higher perception of work-family conflict among workers having a full-time contract was observed compared to those having part-time contracts. Multiple regression analysis identified as sources of influence on work-family conflict: emotional dissonance, uneasiness due customer dissatisfaction, workload, avoidance coping and working hours. Work-family conflict in the context studied is not particularly critical: it is in part influenced by professional and personal characteristics of respondents and primarily caused by work demands. Managerial implications are discussed, especially referred to training activities.

Patient access to healthcare services and optimisation of self-management for ethnic minority populations living with diabetes: a systematic review.

PubMed

Wilson, Charlotte; Alam, Rahul; Latif, Saima; Knighting, Katherine; Williamson, Susan; Beaver, Kinta

2012-01-01

A higher risk of diabetes mellitus in South Asian and Black African populations combined with lower reported access and self-management-related health outcomes informed the aims of this study. Our aims were to synthesise and evaluate evidence relating to patient self-management and access to healthcare services for ethnic minority groups living with diabetes. A comprehensive search strategy was developed capturing a full range of study types from 1995-2010, including relevant hand-searched literature pre-dating 1995. Systematic database searches of MEDLINE, Cochrane, DARE, HTA and NHSEED, the British Nursing Index, CAB abstracts, EMBASE, Global Health, Health Management Information Consortium and PsychInfo were conducted, yielding 21,288 abstracts. Following search strategy refinement and the application of review eligibility criteria; 11 randomised controlled trials (RCTs), 18 qualitative studies and 18 quantitative studies were evaluated and principal results extracted. Results suggest that self-management practices are in need of targeted intervention in terms of patients' knowledge and understanding of their illness, inadequacy of information and language and communication difficulties arising from cultural differences. Access to health-care is similarly hindered by a lack of cultural sensitivity in service provision and under use of clinic-based interpreters and community-based services. Recommendations for practice and subsequent intervention primarily rest at the service level but key barriers at patient and provider levels are also identified. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Comparison of attention training and cognitive therapy in the treatment of social phobia: a preliminary investigation.

PubMed

Donald, Juliet; Abbott, Maree J; Smith, Evelyn

2014-01-01

Prominent models of social phobia highlight the role played by attentional factors, such as self-focused attention, in the development and maintenance of social phobia. Elevated self-focused attention is associated with increases in self-rated anxiety. Treatments that aim to modify and change attentional processes, specifically self-focused attention, will have a direct effect on social phobia symptoms. Thus, Attention Training targets attentional focus. The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy of Attention Training in comparison to an established treatment for social phobia, Cognitive Therapy. Participants (Intention-to-treat = 45; completers = 30) were allocated to either 6 weeks of Attention Training or Cognitive Therapy. It was hypothesized that both treatments would be effective in reducing social phobia symptoms, but that Attention Training would work primarily by reducing levels of self-focused attention. The results found an overall effectiveness of both treatment conditions in reducing social phobia symptoms. However, Attention Training significantly improved scores on the Self-Focused Attention questionnaire and the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation questionnaire compared to Cognitive Therapy. Attention Training seems to be a promising treatment for social phobia.

The Influence of Health Behaviours in Childhood on Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder in Adolescence

PubMed Central

Wu, Xiuyun; Ohinmaa, Arto; Veugelers, Paul J.

2016-01-01

Attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents is a global public health burden. Identification of health-related behavioral risk factors including diet quality and physical and sedentary activities for ADHD is important for prioritizing behavioral intervention strategies to improve mental health. This study aimed to examine the association of diet quality, physical activity, and sedentary behaviours in childhood with ADHD throughout adolescence. We linked data from grade five students aged primarily 10 and 11 years old who participated in a population-based lifestyle survey in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia with their administrative health care data. We applied negative binomial regression methods to examine the associations between health behaviours and ADHD. Of the 4875 students, 9.7% had one or more diagnoses of ADHD between the ages of 10/11 and 18 years. The number of primary diagnoses with ADHD was statistically significantly lower among students with better diet quality, higher levels of physical activity, and those that spent less time playing computers and video games (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that health promotion programs aiming to improve children’s diets and active lifestyles may also reduce the public health burden of ADHD. PMID:27918425

PubMed Central

LAURIELLO, M.; ANGELONE, A.M.; RIENZO BUSINCO, L.; PASSALI, D.; BELLUSSI, L.M.; PASSALI, F.M.

2011-01-01

SUMMARY Aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of allergy in patients affected by both organic and/or functional vocal fold disorders. The secondary aim was to assess the correlation between sex and allergy in dysphonic patients. A retrospective chart review was performed on dysphonic patients. A total of 76 patients underwent fiberoptic endoscopy to assess the objective picture. Logistic regression analyses have been conducted to assess the association between sex and the outcome variables. The laryngoscopic examination revealed the presence of poor glottic closure in 32.9%, hyperkinesias in 11.8%, redness in 11.84%, polyps in 5.3%, oedema in 3.95%, vocal fold hypertrophy in 5.3%, nodules in 42.1%, cordectomy in 2.6%. Allergic rhinitis was present in 56.6%, milk intolerance in 13.2%, asthma in 9.2%, atopic dermatitis in 3.9%, drugs intolerance in 11.8%. A total of 76.32% patients presenting with dysphonia were allergic. A statistically significant association was found between female sex and presence of allergy. In conclusion, allergy testing should be performed routinely on female professional voice users. Mild respiratory disorders must be taken into serious consideration in female professional voice users, who may primarily complain of vocal dysfunction rather than upper and lower respiratory diseases. PMID:22064840

The Influence of Health Behaviours in Childhood on Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder in Adolescence.

PubMed

Wu, Xiuyun; Ohinmaa, Arto; Veugelers, Paul J

2016-12-02

Attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents is a global public health burden. Identification of health-related behavioral risk factors including diet quality and physical and sedentary activities for ADHD is important for prioritizing behavioral intervention strategies to improve mental health. This study aimed to examine the association of diet quality, physical activity, and sedentary behaviours in childhood with ADHD throughout adolescence. We linked data from grade five students aged primarily 10 and 11 years old who participated in a population-based lifestyle survey in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia with their administrative health care data. We applied negative binomial regression methods to examine the associations between health behaviours and ADHD. Of the 4875 students, 9.7% had one or more diagnoses of ADHD between the ages of 10/11 and 18 years. The number of primary diagnoses with ADHD was statistically significantly lower among students with better diet quality, higher levels of physical activity, and those that spent less time playing computers and video games ( p < 0.05). These findings suggest that health promotion programs aiming to improve children's diets and active lifestyles may also reduce the public health burden of ADHD.

Occupational therapists' perceptions about the clinical utility of the 3D interior design software.

PubMed

Atwa, Anita; Money, Arthur G; Spiliotopoulou, Georgia; Mcintyre, Anne

2013-07-01

The 3D interior design software (3DIDS) is a technology, which primarily allows users to simulate their homes and visualize any changes prior to implementing them. This feasibility study aimed to examine occupational therapists' perceptions about the clinical utility of the 3DIDS. A secondary aim was to explore the attitudes of occupational therapists towards technology in general. Three focus groups were conducted with 25 occupational therapists working with older people in the UK. The qualitative data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. The three main themes that were identified were usage and attitudes of technology, opportunities for realistic application of the 3DIDS and related threats and benefits for the occupational therapy profession. Occupational therapists had a positive attitude towards technology. They suggested that the 3DIDS could be used in discharge planning and in rehabilitation. They viewed it as a tool that could enhance their status within the health care profession and improve communication, but not as a tool that should replace the role of the occupational therapist. This research offers new and important findings about the utilization of the 3DIDS by occupational therapists and provides information as to where this technology should be trialled.

A person-centred intervention for providing information to parents of children with cancer. Experiences and effects.

PubMed

Ringnér, Anders; Karlsson, Stig; Hällgren Graneheim, Ulla

2015-06-01

The aim of this paper is to describe the experiences of participating in a person-centred information intervention aimed at parents of children with cancer. Eight parents participated in the intervention, beginning two months after their child's diagnosis. The intervention was based upon the representational approach to patient education and a mixed method approach was employed in the study. The experiences of parents and intervention nurses were captured via qualitative interviews and the effects of the intervention on parental psychosocial measures, primarily perceived stress, were evaluated using a single-case design with web-based questionnaires. Parents expressed high satisfaction with the intervention, as reported in the follow-up interviews and on the scale measuring satisfaction. However, no changes were seen in the quantitative measures of psychosocial distress. The nurses performing the intervention felt it was useful and feasible. A representational approach to providing person-centred information to parents of children with cancer was appreciated and considered feasible by both the parents and the intervention nurses. However, further research is needed considering the lack of effect on the parents' perceived stress. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Calculus Students' Representation Use in Group-Work and Individual Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zazkis, Dov

2013-01-01

The study of student representation use and specifically the distinction between analytic and visual representations has fueled a long line of mathematics education literature that began more than 35 years ago. This literature can be partitioned into two bodies of work, one that is primarily cognitive and one that is primarily social. In spite of…

Financing of Public Baccalaureate Institutions in Michigan: A Staff Report Analyzing Trends from 1965-1974.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agor, Weston H.

The focus of this study is primarily on the financing of public baccalaureate institutions in Michigan for the entire decade 1965-1974, drawing primarily on HEGIS (Higher Education General Information Survey) data submitted to the State Department of Education by the institutions themselves. The Education Agencies Program Section of the Department…

Nanoparticles affect PCR primarily via surface interactions with PCR components: using amino-modified silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles as a main model

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Nanomaterials have been widely reported to affect the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). However, many studies in which these effects were observed were not comprehensive, and many of the proposed mechanisms have been primarily speculative. In this work, we used amino-modified silica-coated magnetic n...

Examining Change in K-3 Teachers' Mathematical Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs: The Case of Primarily Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kutaka, T. S.; Ren, L.; Smith, W. M.; Beattie, H. L.; Edwards, C. P.; Green, J. L.; Chernyavskiy, P.; Stroup, W.; Heaton, R. M.; Lewis, W. J.

2018-01-01

This study examines the impact of the Primarily Math Elementary Mathematics Specialist program on K-3 teachers' mathematical content knowledge for teaching, attitudes toward learning mathematics, and beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning. Three cohorts of teachers participating in the program were compared to a similar group of…

"That Truly Meant a Lot to Me": A Qualitative Examination of Meaningful Faculty-Student Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grantham, Ashley; Robinson, Emily Erin; Chapman, Diane

2015-01-01

The majority of research on faculty-student interaction has been primarily quantitative to date and has focused primarily on determining what kinds of interactions students have with faculty. This study furthers the literature on faculty-student interaction, taking a qualitative approach to examine what types of interactions with faculty students…

The goal of ape pointing.

PubMed

Halina, Marta; Liebal, Katja; Tomasello, Michael

2018-01-01

Captive great apes regularly use pointing gestures in their interactions with humans. However, the precise function of this gesture is unknown. One possibility is that apes use pointing primarily to direct attention (as in "please look at that"); another is that they point mainly as an action request (such as "can you give that to me?"). We investigated these two possibilities here by examining how the looking behavior of recipients affects pointing in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus). Upon pointing to food, subjects were faced with a recipient who either looked at the indicated object (successful-look) or failed to look at the indicated object (failed-look). We predicted that, if apes point primarily to direct attention, subjects would spend more time pointing in the failed-look condition because the goal of their gesture had not been met. Alternatively, we expected that, if apes point primarily to request an object, subjects would not differ in their pointing behavior between the successful-look and failed-look conditions because these conditions differed only in the looking behavior of the recipient. We found that subjects did differ in their pointing behavior across the successful-look and failed-look conditions, but contrary to our prediction subjects spent more time pointing in the successful-look condition. These results suggest that apes are sensitive to the attentional states of gestural recipients, but their adjustments are aimed at multiple goals. We also found a greater number of individuals with a strong right-hand than left-hand preference for pointing.

Genome-wide association analysis of secondary imaging phenotypes from the Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging initiative study.

PubMed

Zhu, Wensheng; Yuan, Ying; Zhang, Jingwen; Zhou, Fan; Knickmeyer, Rebecca C; Zhu, Hongtu

2017-02-01

The aim of this paper is to systematically evaluate a biased sampling issue associated with genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) of imaging phenotypes for most imaging genetic studies, including the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Specifically, the original sampling scheme of these imaging genetic studies is primarily the retrospective case-control design, whereas most existing statistical analyses of these studies ignore such sampling scheme by directly correlating imaging phenotypes (called the secondary traits) with genotype. Although it has been well documented in genetic epidemiology that ignoring the case-control sampling scheme can produce highly biased estimates, and subsequently lead to misleading results and suspicious associations, such findings are not well documented in imaging genetics. We use extensive simulations and a large-scale imaging genetic data analysis of the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) data to evaluate the effects of the case-control sampling scheme on GWAS results based on some standard statistical methods, such as linear regression methods, while comparing it with several advanced statistical methods that appropriately adjust for the case-control sampling scheme. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Subtypes in bulimia nervosa: the role of eating disorder symptomatology, negative affect, and interpersonal functioning.

PubMed

Lunn, Susanne; Poulsen, Stig; Daniel, Sarah I F

2012-11-01

The aim of the study was to investigate whether patients with bulimia nervosa (BN) could be subdivided into clinically meaningful groups reflecting the complex patterns of eating disorder symptoms and personality characteristics that face the clinician. Seventy patients diagnosed with BN using the Eating Disorder Examination were assessed with measures of negative affect, attachment patterns, and interpersonal problems. An exploratory hierarchical cluster analysis was performed. The study found two main subtypes differing primarily in terms of symptom severity and level of negative affect, but these subtypes were further subdivided into four clinically relevant subtypes: A dietary restraint/negative affect/high symptomatic group, an emotionally overcontrolled group, a low dietary restraint/emotionally underregulated group, and a high functioning/securely attached group. The study indicates that cluster-analytic studies, including a broad range of instruments measuring eating disorder symptoms as well as negative affect, relational patterns, and other personality characteristics, may contribute to an integration of previously suggested models of subtypes in BN. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Acculturation-Based and Everyday Family Conflict in Chinese American Families

PubMed Central

Juang, Linda P.; Syed, Moin; Cookston, Jeffrey T.; Wang, Yijie; Kim, Su Yeong

2016-01-01

Everyday conflict (studied primarily among European American families) is viewed as an assertion of autonomy from parents that is normative during adolescence. Acculturation-based conflict (studied primarily among Asian-and Latino-heritage families) is viewed as a threat to relatedness with parents rather than the normative assertion of autonomy. Our overarching goal for the chapter is to integrate our knowledge of these two types of family conflict that have been studied separately to arrive at a new understanding of what family conflict means for Chinese American adolescents and their parents. PMID:22407880

Anatomy of the nerves and ganglia of the aortic plexus in males

PubMed Central

Beveridge, Tyler S; Johnson, Marjorie; Power, Adam; Power, Nicholas E; Allman, Brian L

2015-01-01

It is well accepted that the aortic plexus is a network of pre- and post-ganglionic nerves overlying the abdominal aorta, which is primarily involved with the sympathetic innervation to the mesenteric, pelvic and urogenital organs. Because a comprehensive anatomical description of the aortic plexus and its connections with adjacent plexuses are lacking, these delicate structures are prone to unintended damage during abdominal surgeries. Through dissection of fresh, frozen human cadavers (n = 7), the present study aimed to provide the first complete mapping of the nerves and ganglia of the aortic plexus in males. Using standard histochemical procedures, ganglia of the aortic plexus were verified through microscopic analysis using haematoxylin & eosin (H&E) and anti-tyrosine hydroxylase stains. All specimens exhibited four distinct sympathetic ganglia within the aortic plexus: the right and left spermatic ganglia, the inferior mesenteric ganglion and one previously unidentified ganglion, which has been named the prehypogastric ganglion by the authors. The spermatic ganglia were consistently supplied by the L1 lumbar splanchnic nerves and the inferior mesenteric ganglion and the newly characterized prehypogastric ganglion were supplied by the left and right L2 lumbar splanchnic nerves, respectively. Additionally, our examination revealed the aortic plexus does have potential for variation, primarily in the possibility of exhibiting accessory splanchnic nerves. Clinically, our results could have significant implications for preserving fertility in men as well as sympathetic function to the hindgut and pelvis during retroperitoneal surgeries. PMID:25382240

Nature and consequences of non-covalent interactions between flavonoids and macronutrients in foods.

PubMed

Bordenave, Nicolas; Hamaker, Bruce R; Ferruzzi, Mario G

2014-01-01

Many of the potential health benefits of flavonoids have been associated with their specific chemical and biological properties including their ability to interact and bind non-covalently to macronutrients in foods. While flavonoid-protein interactions and binding have been the subject of intensive study, significantly less is understood about non-covalent interactions with carbohydrates and lipids. These interactions with macronutrients are likely to impact both the flavonoid properties in foods, such as their radical scavenging activity, and the food or beverage matrix itself, including their taste, texture and other sensorial properties. Overall, non-covalent binding of flavonoids with macronutrients is primarily driven by van der Waals interactions. From the flavonoid perspective, these interactions are modulated by characteristics such as degree of polymerization, molecular flexibility, number of external hydroxyl groups, or number of terminal galloyl groups. From the macronutrient standpoint, electrostatic and ionic interactions are generally predominant with carbohydrates, while hydrophobic interactions are generally predominant with lipids and mainly limited to interactions with flavonols. All of these interactions are involved in flavonoid-protein interactions. While primarily associated with undesirable characteristics in foods and beverages, such as astringency, negative impact on macronutrient digestibility and hazing, more recent efforts have attempted to leverage these interactions to develop controlled delivery systems or strategies to enhance flavonoids bioavailability. This paper aims at reviewing the fundamental bases for non-covalent interactions, their occurrence in food and beverage systems and their impact on the physico-chemical, organoleptic and some nutritional properties of food.

Cytokine patterns in paediatric patients presenting serious gastrointestinal and respiratory bacterial infections

PubMed Central

Palacios-Martínez, Monika; Rodríguez-Cruz, Leonor; Cortés-Bejar, Consuelo Del Carmen; Valencia-Chavarría, Fernando; Martínez-Gómez, Daniel; González-Torres, María Cristina

2014-01-01

In the adaptive immune response, the types of cytokines produced define whether there is a cellular (T1) or a humoral (T2) response. Specifically, in the T1 response, interleukin 2 (IL-2), interferon γ (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor β (TNF-β) are produced, whereas in the T2 response, IL-4, IL-5, IL- 6, IL-10 and IL-13 are primarily produced. Cytokines are primarily involved in the regulation of immune system cells. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the cytokine patterns (Type 1/Type 2) and TNF-α expression levels in children with severe gastrointestinal and respiratory bacterial infections. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique was used to identify the cytokines and the infectious agents. The results obtained demonstrated that, in general, children with bacterial infections experienced an increase in IL-2, IFN-γ and IL-4 concentrations and a decrease in TNF-α, IL-5 and IL-6 concentrations when compared to healthy children. Specifically, type 1 cytokines and an increased TNF-α concentration were found in children with gastrointestinal infections. However, patients with respiratory infections showed increased concentrations of both T2 (IL-4, IL-6 and IL-10) and T1 (IL-2 and IFN-γ) components. Thus, it was concluded that children with gastrointestinal infections exclusively developed a T1 response, whereas children with respiratory infections developed a T1/T2 response to fight the infection. PMID:26155128

The contribution of online peer-to-peer communication among patients with adrenal disease to patient-centered care.

PubMed

Kauw, Dirkjan; Repping-Wuts, Han; Noordzij, Alida; Stikkelbroeck, Nike; Hermus, Ad; Faber, Marjan

2015-02-25

Addison's disease and Cushing's syndrome are rare. The Dutch Adrenal Society offers an online forum for Dutch adrenal patients to meet and communicate. However, little is known about the added value such a forum has for the delivery of patient-centered care. Our aim was to analyze the purposes of online patient-to-patient forum conversations, within the context of patient-centered care. For this study a consecutive sample of 300 questions ("threads") from the past 3.5 years was selected from the forum. The content of these patient-driven questions was analyzed based on the dimensions of patient-centeredness of the Picker Institute. This analysis was performed using ATLAS.ti. From the 390 questions analyzed, 80.8% (N=315) were intended to gain more information about the disease, the treatment, and to verify if other patients had similar complaints. To a much lesser extent (38/390, 9.7%), questions expressed a call for emotional support. Patients answered primarily by giving practical tips to fellow patients and to share their own experiences. On an online patient forum for Cushing's syndrome and Addison's disease, patients appear to primarily gain knowledge and, to a lesser extent, emotional support from their peers. This experience-based knowledge has become a very important information source. As such, patients can make a substantial contribution to the creation of patient-centered care if this knowledge is integrated into the care provided by health care professionals.

Hydraulics of wells

USGS Publications Warehouse

McLaughlin, Thad G.

1955-01-01

Although the subject of this lecture is supposed to be concerned primarily with the hydraulics of wells, Professor Weers has asked that I also discuss the effects tat geological formations have on the quantity and quality of water available to wells. I will discuss the geology of Colorado in relation to the availability and quality of water with particular reference to the most productive aquifers or water-bearing formations in the State. I will then discuss the hydraulics of wells with the aim of emphasizing the differences between water-table and artesian conditions.

Hydrologic almanac of Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heath, Richard C.; Conover, Clyde Stuart

1981-01-01

This first edition is a ready reference source of information on various facts and features about water in Florida. It is aimed primarily to help bust politicians, writers, agency officials, water managers, planners, consultants, educators, hydrologists, engineers, scientists, and the general public answer questions that arise on comparative and statistical aspects on the hydrology of Florida. It contains statistical comparative data, much of which was especially prepared for the almanac, a glossary of technical terms, tabular material, and conversion factors. Also included is a selective bibliography of 174 reports on water in Florida. (USGS)

Chapter 23: Combined Heat and Power Evaluation Protocol. The Uniform Methods Project: Methods for Determining Energy Efficiency Savings for Specific Measures

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

Kurnik, Charles W.; Simons, George; Barsun, Stephan

The main focus of most evaluations is to determine the energy-savings impacts of the installed measure. This protocol defines a combined heat and power (CHP) measure as a system that sequentially generates both electrical energy and useful thermal energy from one fuel source at a host customer's facility or residence. This protocol is aimed primarily at regulators and administrators of ratepayer-funded CHP programs; however, project developers may find the protocol useful to understand how CHP projects are evaluated.

Named Entity Recognition in a Hungarian NL Based QA System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tikkl, Domonkos; Szidarovszky, P. Ferenc; Kardkovacs, Zsolt T.; Magyar, Gábor

In WoW project our purpose is to create a complex search interface with the following features: search in the deep web content of contracted partners' databases, processing Hungarian natural language (NL) questions and transforming them to SQL queries for database access, image search supported by a visual thesaurus that describes in a structural form the visual content of images (also in Hungarian). This paper primarily focuses on a particular problem of question processing task: the entity recognition. Before going into details we give a short overview of the project's aims.

The periodontal – endodontic continuum: A review

PubMed Central

Sunitha V, Raja; Emmadi, Pamela; Namasivayam, Ambalavanan; Thyegarajan, Ramakrishnan; Rajaraman, Vijayalakshmi

2008-01-01

Periodontal therapy deals with many aspects of the supporting structures, including the prevention and repair of lesions of the gingival sulcus. Endodontics deals primarily with disease of the pulp and periapical tissues. The success of both periodontal and endodontic therapy depends on the elimination of both disease processes, whether they exist separately or as a combined lesion. The relationship between periodontal and endodontic disease has been a subject of speculation for many years. This paper aims at presenting a comprehensive review of several aspects of perio-endo lesions. PMID:20142886

Etiology, evaluation, and management of xerostomia.

PubMed

Millsop, Jillian W; Wang, Elizabeth A; Fazel, Nasim

Xerostomia is defined as the complaint of oral dryness. It is a condition that primarily affects older adults and can have a significant negative effect on one's quality of life. Patients with xerostomia often do not have objective signs of hyposalivation. The underlying etiology of xerostomia includes a variety of systemic diseases and local factors. Our aim is to provide a comprehensive review of the differential diagnosis, evaluation, and management of xerostomia. Prompt diagnosis and management can alleviate the clinical manifestations of this debilitating condition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Male sexuality in the elderly].

PubMed

Rinnab, L; Schrader, A J; Schrader, M; Zengerling, F

2012-10-01

Male sexuality in the elderly is an important issue with a growing relevance. In contrast to the assumption of an asexual state when becoming older, recent representative surveys show that the majority of men maintain sexual desires and fantasies into old age. Sexual activity primarily depends on the availability of a partner and on maintaining intimacy and sexuality in the face of changes in the sexual response cycle and increasing comorbidity. This review aims to clarify the normal aging process, the sexual behavior of aging males and the prevalence of sexual dysfunction.

[Specialty specific reference values in linen use in public health and social service as a basis for determining laundry capacities].

PubMed

Rietdorf, M; Häse, I

1990-01-01

The use of linen in health and social care should primarily be seen from a hygienic angle. Disproportions between the use of linen in the various fields of health care and the available laundry capacities have a negative hygienic and economic effect. Laundry capacities should, therefore, be calculated on the basis of specialty-specific guidevalues. The authors propose indicators suitable to this aim and present the results of a comprehensive analysis for the inpatient departments of internal medicine, surgery, urology, ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology.

Analysis of the energy efficiency of the implementation power electric generated modules in the CHS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sukhikh, A. A.; Milyutin, V. A.; Lvova, A. M.

2017-11-01

Application on the Central heat source (CHS) local generation of electricity is primarily aimed at solving problems of own needs of electric energy that not only guarantees the independence of the work of the CHS from external electrical networks, but will prevent the stop of heat supply of consumers and defrosting heating networks in case of accidents in electrical networks caused by natural or anthropogenic factors. Open the prospects of electric power supply stand-alone objects, such commercial or industrial objects on the territory of a particular neighborhood.

Comparative effectiveness of adalimumab and etanercept for rheumatoid arthritis in the Brazilian Public Health System

PubMed Central

dos Santos, Jéssica Barreto Ribeiro; Almeida, Alessandra Maciel; Acurcio, Francisco de Assis; de Oliveira Junior, Haliton Alves; Kakehasi, Adriana Maria; Guerra Junior, Augusto Afonso; Bennie, Marion; Godman, Brian; Alvares, Juliana

2016-01-01

Aim: Biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) are used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with adalimumab and etanercept the most used bDMARDs in Brazil. This open prospective cohort study evaluated their effectiveness and safety among RA patients in the Brazilian Public Health System given their costs. Methods: The Clinical Disease Activity Index was primarily used to assess their effectiveness after 6 and 12 months of follow-up. The Health Assessment Questionnaire and EuroQol-5D were also used. Results: A total of 266 RA patients started treatment with adalimumab or etanercept. Adalimumab was the most widely used bDMARD (70%). In total, 46% achieved remission or low-disease activity at 12 months with no difference in effectiveness between them (p = 0.306). bDMARDs were more effective in patients who had better functionality at treatment onset and had spent longer in education. Conclusion: This real-world study demonstrated that adalimumab and etanercept are equal alternatives for RA treatment and both were well tolerated. PMID:27641309

An analysis of the public perception of flood risk on the Belgian coast.

PubMed

Kellens, Wim; Zaalberg, Ruud; Neutens, Tijs; Vanneuville, Wouter; De Maeyer, Philippe

2011-07-01

In recent years, perception of flood risks has become an important topic to policy makers concerned with risk management and safety issues. Knowledge of the public risk perception is considered a crucial aspect in modern flood risk management as it steers the development of effective and efficient flood mitigation strategies. This study aimed at gaining insight into the perception of flood risks along the Belgian coast. Given the importance of the tourism industry on the Belgian coast, the survey considered both inhabitants and residential tourists. Based on actual expert's risk assessments, a high and a low risk area were selected for the study. Risk perception was assessed on the basis of scaled items regarding storm surges and coastal flood risks. In addition, various personal and residence characteristics were measured. Using multiple regression analysis, risk perception was found to be primarily influenced by actual flood risk estimates, age, gender, and experience with previous flood hazards. © 2011 Society for Risk Analysis.

Bioelectrochemically-assisted reductive dechlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane by a Dehalococcoides-enriched microbial culture.

PubMed

Leitão, Patrícia; Rossetti, Simona; Nouws, Henri P A; Danko, Anthony S; Majone, Mauro; Aulenta, Federico

2015-11-01

The aim of this study was to verify the possibility to use a polarized graphite electrode as an electron donor for the reductive dechlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane, an ubiquitous groundwater contaminant. The rate of 1,2-DCA dechlorination almost linearly increased by decreasing the set cathode potential over a broad range of set cathode potentials (i.e., from -300 mV to -900 mV vs. the standard hydrogen electrode). This process was primarily dependent on electrolytic H2 generation. On the other hand, reductive dechlorination proceeded (although quite slowly) with a very high Coulombic efficiency (near 70%) at a set cathode potential of -300 mV, where no H2 production occurred. Under this condition, reductive dechlorination was likely driven by direct electron uptake from the surface of the polarized electrode. Taken as a whole, this study further extends the range of chlorinated contaminants which can be treated with bioelectrochemical systems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How automated image analysis techniques help scientists in species identification and classification?

PubMed

Yousef Kalafi, Elham; Town, Christopher; Kaur Dhillon, Sarinder

2017-09-04

Identification of taxonomy at a specific level is time consuming and reliant upon expert ecologists. Hence the demand for automated species identification increased over the last two decades. Automation of data classification is primarily focussed on images, incorporating and analysing image data has recently become easier due to developments in computational technology. Research efforts in identification of species include specimens' image processing, extraction of identical features, followed by classifying them into correct categories. In this paper, we discuss recent automated species identification systems, categorizing and evaluating their methods. We reviewed and compared different methods in step by step scheme of automated identification and classification systems of species images. The selection of methods is influenced by many variables such as level of classification, number of training data and complexity of images. The aim of writing this paper is to provide researchers and scientists an extensive background study on work related to automated species identification, focusing on pattern recognition techniques in building such systems for biodiversity studies.

Structured Matrix Completion with Applications to Genomic Data Integration.

PubMed

Cai, Tianxi; Cai, T Tony; Zhang, Anru

2016-01-01

Matrix completion has attracted significant recent attention in many fields including statistics, applied mathematics and electrical engineering. Current literature on matrix completion focuses primarily on independent sampling models under which the individual observed entries are sampled independently. Motivated by applications in genomic data integration, we propose a new framework of structured matrix completion (SMC) to treat structured missingness by design. Specifically, our proposed method aims at efficient matrix recovery when a subset of the rows and columns of an approximately low-rank matrix are observed. We provide theoretical justification for the proposed SMC method and derive lower bound for the estimation errors, which together establish the optimal rate of recovery over certain classes of approximately low-rank matrices. Simulation studies show that the method performs well in finite sample under a variety of configurations. The method is applied to integrate several ovarian cancer genomic studies with different extent of genomic measurements, which enables us to construct more accurate prediction rules for ovarian cancer survival.

Valeriu Bologa’s studies on the history of science

PubMed Central

BÂRSU, CRISTIAN

2016-01-01

History of science is a vast and complex domain, comprising many sub-domains, such as: the history of medicine, history of chemistry, history of physics etc. Different specialists in these sub-domains, trying to reach the general and integrative understanding of the history of science, succeeded only after they acquired a rich scientific experience in their fields of activity. One of the scientists who had interesting papers on the history of science was Valeriu Bologa (1892–1971). He was the first Romanian professor of history of medicine. Our paper presents some milestones regarding his preoccupations on the history of science. The aim of our study is to prove that, although he was primarily a historian of medicine, he surpassed this framework, proving to be a skillful historian of science. The topics of his works on the history of science included: the value of the unity of science, the ethical aspects of science during centuries, the interferences between the history of science and the history of medicine etc. PMID:27547069

Inverted-U Function Relating Cortical Plasticity and Task Difficulty

PubMed Central

Engineer, Navzer D.; Engineer, Crystal T.; Reed, Amanda C.; Pandya, Pritesh K.; Jakkamsetti, Vikram; Moucha, Raluca; Kilgard, Michael P.

2012-01-01

Many psychological and physiological studies with simple stimuli have suggested that perceptual learning specifically enhances the response of primary sensory cortex to task-relevant stimuli. The aim of this study was to determine whether auditory discrimination training on complex tasks enhances primary auditory cortex responses to a target sequence relative to non-target and novel sequences. We collected responses from more than 2,000 sites in 31 rats trained on one of six discrimination tasks that differed primarily in the similarity of the target and distractor sequences. Unlike training with simple stimuli, long-term training with complex stimuli did not generate target specific enhancement in any of the groups. Instead, cortical receptive field size decreased, latency decreased, and paired pulse depression decreased in rats trained on the tasks of intermediate difficulty while tasks that were too easy or too difficult either did not alter or degraded cortical responses. These results suggest an inverted-U function relating neural plasticity and task difficulty. PMID:22249158

High-frequency ultrasound as an adjunct to neural electrophysiology: Evaluation and prognosis of Bell's palsy.

PubMed

Li, Shuo; Guo, Rui-Jun; Liang, Xiao-Ning; Wu, Yue; Cao, Wen; Zhang, Zhen-Ping; Zhao, Wei; Liang, Hai-Dong

2016-01-01

Bell's palsy is a form of temporary facial nerve paralysis that occurs primarily in young adults. Previously, various methods were used to assess outcomes in facial nerve disease. The aim of the present study was to characterize the main branches of the normal and abnormal facial nerve using high-frequency ultrasonography (HFUS). A total of 104 healthy volunteers, 40 patients with acute onset of Bell's palsy and 30 patients who underwent 3-month routine therapy for Bell's palsy disease were included in the study. The healthy volunteers and patients were selected for HFUS examination and VII nerve conduction. The results showed significant differences in nerve diameter, echogenicity, delitescence and amplitude in different groups. Statistically significant correlations were identified for severity grading in one of the experimental groups during HFUS examinations. In conclusion, HFUS as a complementary technique paired with neural electrophysiology may establish the normal values of facial nerve. Additionally, HFUS was beneficial in the process of evaluation and prognosis of Bell's palsy disease.

Valeriu Bologa's studies on the history of science.

PubMed

Bârsu, Cristian

2016-01-01

History of science is a vast and complex domain, comprising many sub-domains, such as: the history of medicine, history of chemistry, history of physics etc. Different specialists in these sub-domains, trying to reach the general and integrative understanding of the history of science, succeeded only after they acquired a rich scientific experience in their fields of activity. One of the scientists who had interesting papers on the history of science was Valeriu Bologa (1892-1971). He was the first Romanian professor of history of medicine. Our paper presents some milestones regarding his preoccupations on the history of science. The aim of our study is to prove that, although he was primarily a historian of medicine, he surpassed this framework, proving to be a skillful historian of science. The topics of his works on the history of science included: the value of the unity of science, the ethical aspects of science during centuries, the interferences between the history of science and the history of medicine etc.

Enacted Sexual Stigma, Stigma Consciousness, and Subjective Happiness Scale Adaptation: A Two-Country Study.

PubMed

Strizzi, Jenna; Fernández-Agis, Inmaculada; Parrón-Carreño, Tesifon; Alarcón-Rodríguez, Raquel

2016-01-01

Violence against people due to their sexual orientation is a phenomenon that exists within a framework of sexual stigma and sexual prejudice that can result in enacted stigma. The present study primarily aimed to validate the Stigma Consciousness Questionnaire (SCQ) and the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS; for lesbian, gay, and bisexual [LGB] populations) in the Spanish context by using samples from two countries (Spain [N = 157] and the United States [N = 83]). Also, to examine how the construct of stigma consciousness correlates with anti-LGBQ (anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer) hate crime victimization and violent incidents, as well as examine whether the former influences subjective happiness. The population from the United States reported higher stigma consciousness and received more anti-LGBQ threats and insults. Hate crime victimization was the same across the two samples and positively correlated with violent incidents in both samples. Subjective happiness was negatively correlated with SCQ, although its subscales it did not correlate with enacted stigma measures. © The Author(s) 2014.

Antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of propolis from Melipona orbignyi (Hymenoptera, Apidae).

PubMed

Campos, Jaqueline Ferreira; dos Santos, Uilson Pereira; Macorini, Luis Fernando Benitez; de Melo, Adriana Mary Mestriner Felipe; Balestieri, José Benedito Perrella; Paredes-Gamero, Edgar Julian; Cardoso, Claudia Andrea Lima; de Picoli Souza, Kely; dos Santos, Edson Lucas

2014-03-01

Propolis from stingless bees is well known for its biologic properties; however, few studies have demonstrated these effects. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the chemical composition and antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of propolis from the stingless bee Melipona orbignyi, found in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The chemical composition of the ethanol extract of propolis (EEP) indicated the presence of aromatic acids, phenolic compounds, alcohols, terpenes and sugars. The EEP was active against the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and the fungus Candida albicans. The EEP showed antioxidant activity by scavenging free radicals and inhibiting hemolysis and lipid peroxidation in human erythrocytes incubated with an oxidizing agent. Additionally, EEP promoted cytotoxic activity and primarily necrotic death in K562 erythroleukemia cells. Taken together, these results indicate that propolis from M. orbignyi has therapeutic potential for the treatment and/or prevention of diseases related to microorganism activity, oxidative stress and tumor cell proliferation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Surgical management of inverted papilloma: approaching a new standard for surgery.

PubMed

Carta, Filippo; Blancal, Jean-Philippe; Verillaud, Benjamin; Tran, Hugo; Sauvaget, Elisabeth; Kania, Romain; Herman, Philippe

2013-10-01

Inverted papilloma surgery is currently performed primarily with an endoscopic approach, a technique that has a recurrence rate of 12%. However, a recent study reported a recurrence rate of 5% with a strategy based on subperiosteal dissection of the tumor, with limited indications for using an external approach. The aim of this work was to evaluate whether different teams using the same surgical concepts could reproduce the excellent results that were recently reported. This study is a retrospective chart review of 71 consecutive patients with inverted papilloma who were treated during the last 10 years. In all, 80% of the patients were treated using a purely endoscopic approach. The mean follow-up period was 31.6 months. The recurrence rate was 3.3% for cases with at least a 12-month follow-up. This work confirms the results described in recent literature and further supports transnasal endoscopic surgery to manage inverted papilloma. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sleep-wake patterns reported by parents in hyperactive children diagnosed according to ICD-10, as compared to paired controls.

PubMed

Gomes, Ana Allen; Parchão, Carla; Almeida, Anabela; Clemente, Vanda; Pinto de Azevedo, Maria Helena

2014-10-01

This study aimed primarily to compare the parent-reported sleep of children with ICD-10 hyperkinetic disorder (HKD) versus community children. Thirty children aged 5-13 years (83.3% boys) diagnosed with HKD by their child and adolescent psychiatrists took part in this study, plus 30 community children, matched for sex, age, and school year. Compared to the controls, the HKD children showed significantly later bedtimes, stronger bedtime resistance, longer sleep latency, shorter sleep; more frequent behaviors and symptoms concerning falling asleep into parents bed, needing something special to initiate sleep, nightmares, sleep talking, sleep bruxism, fear from darkness, bedwetting, and, most notably, loud snoring (26.7%); they also tended to show higher daytime somnolence. Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)/HKD children may thus have more sleep-related problems than typically developing children. Alternatively, our results may reflect misdiagnoses; thus, special attention should be directed to comorbidity and differential diagnosis issues between sleep disturbances and ADHD/HKD.

[Stress and autonomic dysregulation in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome].

PubMed

Friederich, H-C; Schellberg, D; Mueller, K; Bieber, C; Zipfel, S; Eich, W

2005-06-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate to what extent the orthostatic dysregulation of FMS patients can be attributed primarily to reduced baroreceptor-mediated activation of the sympathetic nervous system and whether a hyporeactive sympathetic nervous system can also be confirmed for mental stress. A total of 28 patients with primary FMS were examined and compared with 15 healthy subjects. Diagnostic investigations of the autonomic nervous system were based on measuring HRV in frequency range and assessing spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity (sBRS) under mental stress and passive orthostatism. Both under orthostatic and mental stress FMS patients exhibited reduced activation of the sympathetic nervous system as measured by the spectral power of HRV in the low-frequency range and the mean arterial blood pressure or heart rate. The present study provided no indications for dysregulation of sBRS. The results obtained confirm the hypothesis of a hyporeactive stress system in FMS patients for both peripherally and centrally mediated stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system.

Studying Sex: A Content Analysis of Sexuality Research in Counseling Psychology

PubMed Central

Crowell, Candice; Mosley, Della V.; Stevens-Watkins, Danelle

2016-01-01

Using a sex positive framework, the authors conducted a 61-year (1954–2015) content analysis of sexuality research in the flagship counseling psychology journals, the Journal of Counseling Psychology and The Counseling Psychologist. Given counseling psychology’s core strengths- and multiculturalism-related values, this study aimed to uncover which human sexuality topics were published most, whether publications aligned with a sex positive, neutral, or negative discourse, what methodologies were used, and differences in how populations were investigated across race. Researchers used an integrative approach to content analysis and human coding (Neuendorf, 2011). Results highlighted that out of 188 articles meeting criteria, a slight majority (38.05%) focused on sexual orientation, identity, and minorities topics. Only 4.78% utilized a sex-positive perspective. Quantitative and conceptual pieces were most published, and publications disproportionately focused on primarily White populations. When people of color were included, the discourse was sex negative. Implications for research and practice are discussed. PMID:28867823

[Scoping review about working conditions and health of immigrant workers in Spain].

PubMed

Ronda-Pérez, Elena; Agudelo-Suárez, Andrés A; López-Jacob, María José; García, Ana M; Benavides, Fernando G

2014-01-01

The relationship between immigration, work, and health is one of the most important challenges in occupational health at current, particularly in Spain, by the significant increase in the migrant workers in the labor market occurred. This investigation aims to know the relationship betwen working conditions and their effects on migrant workers. Scoping review of scientific papers on this topic at the Medline and Medes databases in Spanish and English (1998-2012). The articles included were full text reviewed. 20 studies were included, 13 with quantitative methodology and 7 qualitative. The topics address specific health problems related to work (primarily occupational accidents), disability, and differences in working conditions and employment. The findings of the studies show a higher incidence of injury accidents, lower rates of disability, higher prevalence of work presenteeism, exposure to psychosocial factors, and precariousness. Despite the uniqueness of the demographic process migration happened in Spain, health problems and determinants identified no different from those referenced in other countries, in other contexts and in other times.

Using Oxygen and Carbon Isotopic Signatures in Order to Infer Climatic and Dietary Information in Roman Edessa, Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michael, Dimitra-Ermioni; Dotsika, Elissavet

2017-12-01

Even though many isotopic studies have been conducted on ancient populations from Greece for the purpose of dietary reconstruction; mostly through carbon and nitrogen isotopic signals of bone collagen, less attention has been given to the utility of apatite signatures (oxygen and carbon) as dietary and palaeoenvironmental tools. Moreover, until recently the isotopic signal of tooth enamel for both the purposes of environmental and dietary reconstructions has been rarely assessed in ancient Greek societies. Therefore, the present study aims to provide with novel isotopic information regarding Edessa; a town in Northern Greece, during the Roman period. The current study primarily aims to explore the possible differentiation between the present climatic conditions in Edessa in relation to those occurring at the Roman period. Secondly, this study aims to reveal the significant utility of enamel isotopic signatures (carbon and oxygen) in palaeoenvironmental and palaeodietary studies regarding ancient human remains. The isotopic analyses have been conducted at the Stable Isotope and Radiocarbon Unit of INN, NCSR “Demokritos”. The population of Roman Edessa (2nd-4th c. AD) consists of 22 individuals, providing with 19 bone samples and 16 enamel ones. The mean enamel oxygen value is at -7.7 ±1.1 %0, the bone apatite mean oxygen value at -9.2 ±1.9 %0, and finally the mean carbon enamel value is at -11.7 ±1.2 %0. Oxygen values probably indicate that Edessa had a cooler climate during the Roman times in relation to present conditions, even though more research should be carried out in order to be more certain. In addition, the possible existence of non-local individuals has been revealed through the oxygen teeth enamel-bone apatite spacing. Finally, the carbon enamel signature has pointed out possible differentiations between the adult and the juvenile diet. Based on Edessa’s findings, the stated study strongly encourages the enamel oxygen and carbon isotopic signals as palaeoclimatological and palaeodietary tools respectively.

An Exploratory Study of the Relationship of Family Support and Coping with Adjustment: Implications for College Students with a Chronic Illness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wodka, Ericka L.; Barakat, Lamia P.

2007-01-01

To examine the role of family support and coping in the adjustment of adolescents with chronic illness (CI) transitioning into college, college freshmen and sophomores (N[subscript chronic illness] = 32, N[subscript primarily negative life event] = 53, N[subscript primarily positive life event] = 16) were administered standard measures. CI group…

It's All Good: Children's Personality Attributions after Repeated Success and Failure in Peer and Computer Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boseovski, Janet J.; Shallwani, Sadaf; Lee, Kang

2009-01-01

The present study examined children's use of behavioural outcome information to make personality attributions in social and non-social contexts. One hundred and twenty-eight 3- to 6-year-olds were told about a story actor who engaged in primarily successful or primarily unsuccessful interactions with several different people (social context) or…

Solar power satellite system definition study. Part 2, volume 5: Space operations (construction and transportation)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, K.; Davis, E. E.

1977-01-01

Construction and transportation systems and operations are described for the following combinations: (1) silicon photovoltaic CR=1 satellite constructed primarily in low earth orbit (LEO); (2) silicon photovoltaic CR=1 satellite constructed in geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO); (3) Rankine thermal engine satellite constructed primarily in LEO; and (4) Rankine thermal engine satellite constructed in GEO.

Comparison of injection drug users accessing syringes from pharmacies, syringe exchange programs, and other syringe sources to inform targeted HIV prevention and intervention strategies

PubMed Central

Rudolph, Abby E.; Crawford, Natalie D.; Ompad, Danielle C.; Benjamin, Ebele O.; Stern, Rachel J.; Fuller, Crystal M.

2011-01-01

Objective In New York, syringe exchange programs (SEPs) and pharmacies provide syringe access for IDUs but may be unable to meet the needs of all IDUs. This analysis aims to describe IDUs who access syringes through different outlets to help inform the prevention needs of IDUs who under-utilize safe syringe sources in a city where syringe availability is high relative to other U.S. cities. Design Cross-sectional study Setting New York City (2005–2007) Participants 285 IDUs recruited using street-intercept sampling Intervention(s) Not Applicable Main outcome measure(s) IDUs using SEPs, pharmacies, or other outlets as a primary syringe source were compared by sociodemographic characteristics, injection practices and medical service utilization. Results Chi-square tests and polytomous logistic regression were used to compare IDUs with different self-reported primary syringe sources used 6 months prior to study entry. Compared with IDUs using other syringe sources, those using primarily SEPs were less likely to be Black (AOR:0.26 95%CI:0.11–0.57), more likely to inject daily (AOR:3.32; 95%CI:1.58–6.98), and more likely to inject with a new syringe (AOR:2.68; 95%CI:1.30–5.54). Compared with IDUs using other syringe sources, those using primarily pharmacies were less likely to be Black (AOR:0.39; 95%CI0.17–0.90). Conclusion These data suggest that pharmacies and SEPs may be reaching different populations of IDUs and highlight a sub-population of highly marginalized IDUs (Black and infrequent injectors) who are under-utilizing safe syringe sources in New York City. Targeted interventions are needed to reduce racial disparities and increase utilization of safe syringe outlets. PMID:20199954

Changes in the makeup of bariatric surgery: a national increase in use of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

PubMed

Nguyen, Ninh T; Nguyen, Brian; Gebhart, Alana; Hohmann, Samuel

2013-02-01

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is gaining popularity in the US; however, there has been no study examining the use of sleeve gastrectomy at a national level and its impact on the use of other bariatric operations. The aim of this study was to examine contemporary changes in use and outcomes of bariatric surgery performed at academic medical centers. Using ICD-9 diagnosis and procedure codes, clinical data obtained from the University HealthSystem Consortium database for all bariatric procedures performed for the treatment of morbid obesity between October 1, 2008 and September 30, 2012 were reviewed. Quartile trends in use for the 3 most commonly performed bariatric operations were examined, and a comparison of perioperative outcomes between procedures was performed within a subset of patients with minor severity of illness. A total of 60,738 bariatric procedures were examined. In 2008, the makeup of bariatric surgery consisted primarily of gastric bypass (66.8% laparoscopic, 8.6% open), followed by laparoscopic gastric banding (23.8%). In 2012, there was a precipitous increase in use of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (36.3 %), with a concurrent reduction in the use of laparoscopic (56.4%) and open (3.2%) gastric bypass, and a major reduction in laparoscopic gastric banding (4.1%). The length of hospital stay, in-hospital morbidity and mortality, and costs for laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy were found to be between those of laparoscopic gastric banding and laparoscopic gastric bypass. Within the context of academic medical centers, there has been a recent change in the makeup of bariatric surgery. There has been an increase in the use of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, which has had an impact primarily on reducing the use of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding. Copyright © 2013 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characteristics and publication patterns of theses from a Peruvian medical school.

PubMed

Arriola-Quiroz, Isaias; Curioso, Walter H; Cruz-Encarnacion, Maria; Gayoso, Oscar

2010-06-01

Many medical schools require a student thesis before graduation. Publishing results in a peer-reviewed journal could be an indicator of scientific value and acceptability by the scientific community. The publication pattern of theses published by medical students in Peru is unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the characteristics and publication pattern of theses in biomedical-indexed journals conducted by medical students in a university with the highest research output in Peru. Data from registered theses between 2000 and 2003 were obtained from the university library. Publication of theses in biomedical journals was assessed in 2008 by a search strategy using PubMed, Google Scholar, LILACS, LIPECS and SciELO. Four hundred and eighty-two medical theses were registered between 2000 and 2003; 85 (17.6%) were published in biomedical-indexed journals. Of the published theses, 28 (5.8%) were published in MEDLINE-indexed journals, 55 (11.4%) in SciELO-indexed journals, 61 (12.6%) in LILACS-indexed journals and 68 (14.1%) in LIPECS-indexed journals. Most of the published theses (80%) were in Spanish and published in Peruvian journals; and 17 theses (20%) were published in foreign journals (all of them indexed in MEDLINE). In addition, 37 (43.5%) belong primarily to internal medicine, and 24 (28.2%) belong primarily to infectious diseases. Medical students were first authors in 71 (83.5%) of the articles. In this study, most of the published theses were in Spanish, published in local journals and indexed in LIPECS. The percentage of published theses in biomedical journals at this university is comparable with others coming from developed countries.

Age at exposure to ionising radiation and cancer mortality among Hanford workers: follow up through 1994

PubMed Central

Wing, S; Richardson, D

2005-01-01

Background: Studies of workers at the plutonium production factory in Hanford, WA have led to conflicting conclusions about the role of age at exposure as a modifier of associations between ionising radiation and cancer. Aims: To evaluate the influence of age at exposure on radiation risk estimates in an updated follow up of Hanford workers. Methods: A cohort of 26 389 workers hired between 1944 and 1978 was followed through 1994 to ascertain vital status and causes of death. External radiation dose estimates were derived from personal dosimeters. Poisson regression was used to estimate associations between mortality and cumulative external radiation dose at all ages, and in specific age ranges. Results: A total of 8153 deaths were identified, 2265 of which included cancer as an underlying or contributory cause. Estimates of the excess relative risk per Sievert (ERR/Sv) for cumulative radiation doses at all ages combined were negative for all cause and leukaemia and positive for all cancer and lung cancer. Cumulative doses accrued at ages below 35, 35–44, and 45–54 showed little association with mortality. For cumulative dose accrued at ages 55 and above (10 year lag), the estimated ERR/Sv for all cancers was 3.24 (90% CI: 0.80 to 6.17), primarily due to an association with lung cancer (ERR/Sv: 9.05, 90% CI: 2.96 to 17.92). Conclusions: Associations between radiation and cancer mortality in this cohort are primarily a function of doses at older ages and deaths from lung cancer. The association of older age radiation exposures and cancer mortality is similar to observations from several other occupational studies. PMID:15961623

Bi-scale analysis of multitemporal land cover fractions for wetland vegetation mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michishita, Ryo; Jiang, Zhiben; Gong, Peng; Xu, Bing

2012-08-01

Land cover fractions (LCFs) derived through spectral mixture analysis are useful in understanding sub-pixel information. However, few studies have been conducted on the analysis of time-series LCFs. Although multi-scale comparisons of spectral index, hard classification, and land surface temperature images have received attention, rarely have these approaches been applied to LCFs. This study compared the LCFs derived through Multiple Endmember Spectral Mixture Analysis (MESMA) using the time-series Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data acquired in the Poyang Lake area, China between 2004 and 2005. Specifically, we aimed to: (1) propose an approach for optimal endmember (EM) selection in time-series MESMA; (2) understand the trends in time-series LCFs derived from the TM and MODIS data; and (3) examine the trends in the correlation between the bi-scale LCFs derived from the time-series TM and MODIS data. Our results indicated: (1) the EM spectra chosen according to the proposed hierarchical three-step approach (overall, seasonal, and individual) accurately modeled the both the TM and MODIS images; (2) green vegetation (GV) and NPV/soil/impervious surface (N/S/I) classes followed sine curve trends in the overall area, while the two water classes displayed the water level change pattern in the areas primarily covered with wetland vegetation; and (3) GV, N/S/I, and bright water classes indicated a moderately high agreement between the TM and MODIS LCFs in the whole area (adjusted R2 ⩾ 0.6). However, low levels of correlations were found in the areas primarily dominated by wetland vegetation for all land cover classes.

Predictive validity of four bioelectrical impedance equations in determining percent fat mass in overweight and obese children.

PubMed

Cleary, Jane; Daniells, Suzie; Okely, Anthony D; Batterham, Marijka; Nicholls, Jessie

2008-01-01

Bioelectrical impedance equations are frequently used by food and nutrition professionals to estimate percent fat mass in overweight and obese children. However, it is not known whether they are accurate for such children, as they have been primarily developed for children of varying body weights. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the predictive validity of four previously published prediction equations developed for the pediatric population, among a sample of overweight and obese children. Thirty overweight or obese children (mean age=7.57+/-1.28 years) underwent measurement of fat mass, percent fat mass, and fat-free mass using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Impedance values from the BIA were entered into the four prediction equations and Pearson correlations used to determine the significance of associations between each of the BIA prediction equations and DEXA for percent fat mass, fat mass, and fat-free mass. For percent fat mass, paired t tests were used to assess differences between the methods and the technique of Bland and Altman was used to determine bias and error. Results showed that the mean percent fat mass as determined by DEXA for this age group was 40.79%. In comparison with other BIA prediction equations, the Schaefer equation had the closest mean value of 41.98%, and was the only equation not to significantly differ from the DEXA (P=0.121). This study suggests that the Schaefer equation is the only accurate BIA prediction equation for assessing percent fat mass in this sample of overweight and obese children from primarily white backgrounds.

National Trends in Emergency Room Visits of Dialysis Patients for Adverse Drug Reactions.

PubMed

Chan, Lili; Saha, Aparna; Poojary, Priti; Chauhan, Kinsuk; Naik, Nidhi; Coca, Steven; Garimella, Pranav S; Nadkarni, Girish N

2018-06-12

Various medications are cleared by the kidneys, therefore patients with impaired renal function, especially dialysis patients are at risk for adverse drug events (ADEs). There are limited studies on ADEs in maintenance dialysis patients. We utilized a nationally representative database, the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, from 2008 to 2013, to compare emergency department (ED) visits for dialysis and propensity matched non-dialysis patients. Log binomial regression was used to calculate relative risk of hospital admission and logistic regression to calculate ORs for in-hospital mortality while adjusting for patient and hospital characteristics. While ED visits for ADEs decreased in both groups, they were over 10-fold higher in dialysis patients than non-dialysis patients (65.8-88.5 per 1,000 patients vs. 4.6-5.4 per 1,000 patients respectively, p < 0.001). The top medication category associated with ED visits for ADEs in dialysis patients is agents primarily affecting blood constituents, which has increased. After propensity matching, patient admission was higher in dialysis patients than non-dialysis patients, (88 vs. 76%, p < 0.001). Dialysis was associated with a 3% increase in risk of admission and 3 times the odds of in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR 3, 95% CI 2.7-2.3.3). ED visits for ADEs are substantially higher in dialysis patients than non-dialysis patients. In dialysis patients, ADEs associated with agents primarily affecting blood constituents are on the rise. ED visits for ADEs in dialysis patients have higher inpatient admissions and in-hospital mortality. Further studies are needed to identify and implement measures aimed at reducing ADEs in dialysis patients. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Validation of Catquest-9SF-A Visual Disability Instrument to Evaluate Patient Function After Corneal Transplantation.

PubMed

Claesson, Margareta; Armitage, W John; Byström, Berit; Montan, Per; Samolov, Branka; Stenvi, Ulf; Lundström, Mats

2017-09-01

Catquest-9SF is a 9-item visual disability questionnaire developed for evaluating patient-reported outcome measures after cataract surgery. The aim of this study was to use Rasch analysis to determine the responsiveness of Catquest-9SF for corneal transplant patients. Patients who underwent corneal transplantation primarily to improve vision were included. One group (n = 199) completed the Catquest-9SF questionnaire before corneal transplantation and a second independent group (n = 199) completed the questionnaire 2 years after surgery. All patients were recorded in the Swedish Cornea Registry, which provided clinical and demographic data for the study. Winsteps software v.3.91.0 (Winsteps.com, Beaverton, OR) was used to assess the fit of the Catquest-9SF data to the Rasch model. Rasch analysis showed that Catquest-9SF applied to corneal transplant patients was unidimensional (infit range, 0.73-1.32; outfit range, 0.81-1.35), and therefore, measured a single underlying construct (visual disability). The Rasch model explained 68.5% of raw variance. The response categories of the 9-item questionnaire were ordered, and the category thresholds were well defined. Item difficulty matched the level of patients' ability (0.36 logit difference between the means). Precision in terms of person separation (3.09) and person reliability (0.91) was good. Differential item functioning was notable for only 1 item (satisfaction with vision), which had a differential item functioning contrast of 1.08 logit. Rasch analysis showed that Catquest-9SF is a valid instrument for measuring visual disability in patients who have undergone corneal transplantation primarily to improve vision.

Implementation and value of using a split-plot reader design in a study of digital breast tomosynthesis in a breast cancer assessment clinic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mall, Suneeta; Brennan, Patrick C.; Mello-Thoms, Claudia

2015-03-01

The rapid evolution in medical imaging has led to an increased number of recurrent trials, primarily to ensure that the efficacy of new imaging techniques is known. The cost associated with time and resources in conducting such trials is usually high. The recruitment of participants, in a medium to large reader study, is often very challenging as the demanding number of cases discourages involvement with the trial. We aim to evaluate the efficacy of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) in a recall assessment clinic in Australia in a prospective multi-reader-multi-case (MRMC) trial. Conducting such a study with the more commonly used fully crossed MRMC study design would require more cases and more cases read per reader, which was not viable in our setting. With an aim to perform a cost effective yet statistically efficient clinical trial, we evaluated alternative study designs, particularly the alternative split-plot MRMC study design and compared and contrasted it with more commonly used fully crossed MRMC study design. Our results suggest that `split-plot', an alternative MRMC study design, could be very beneficial for medium to large clinical trials and the cost associated with conducting such trials can be greatly reduced without adversely effecting the variance of the study. We have also noted an inverse dependency between number of required readers and cases to achieve a target variance. This suggests that split-plot could also be very beneficial for studies that focus on cases that are hard to procure or readers that are hard to recruit. We believe that our results may be relevant to other researchers seeking to design a medium to large clinical trials.

Getting from A to IRB: developing an institutional review board at a historically black university.

PubMed

Howard, Daniel L; Boyd, Carlton L; Nelson, Daniel K; Godley, Paul

2010-03-01

Shaw University, the oldest historically black college or university in the southern USA, recently partnered with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a major research institution in North Carolina, to further develop Shaw's research infrastructure. One aim of the partnership involved establishing a human research ethics committee and an accompanying administrative structure and research ethics education program. This paper describes the process of developing an entire human research protection program de novo through collaboration with and mentoring by the members of the human research protection program at a nearby major research institution. This paper provides a detailed description of the aims, procedures, accomplishments, and challenges involved in such a project, which may serve as a useful model for other primarily teaching institutions wishing to develop research infrastructure and ethical capacity.

Getting From A to IRB: Developing an Institutional Review Board at a Historically Black University

PubMed Central

Howard, Daniel L.; Boyd, Carlton L.; Nelson, Daniel K.; Godley, Paul

2011-01-01

Shaw University, the oldest historically black college or university in the southern USA, recently partnered with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a major research institution in North Carolina, to further develop Shaw’s research infrastructure. One aim of the partnership involved establishing a human research ethics committee and an accompanying administrative structure and research ethics education program. This paper describes the process of developing an entire human research protection program de novo through collaboration with and mentoring by the members of the human research protection program at a nearby major research institution. This paper provides a detailed description of the aims, procedures, accomplishments, and challenges involved in such a project, which may serve as a useful model for other primarily teaching institutions wishing to develop research infrastructure and ethical capacity. PMID:20235865

Vorticity Dynamics in Single and Multiple Swirling Reacting Jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Travis; Aguilar, Michael; Emerson, Benjamin; Noble, David; Lieuwen, Tim

2015-11-01

This presentation describes an analysis of the unsteady flow structures in two multinozzle swirling jet configurations. This work is motivated by the problem of combustion instabilities in premixed flames, a major concern in the development of modern low NOx combustors. The objective is to compare the unsteady flow structures in these two configurations for two separate geometries and determine how certain parameters, primarily distance between jets, influence the flow dynamics. The analysis aims to differentiate between the flow dynamics of single nozzle and triple nozzle configurations. This study looks at how the vorticity in the shear layers of one reacting swirling jet can affect the dynamics of a nearby similar jet. The distance between the swirling jets is found to have an effect on the flow field in determining where swirling jets merge and on the dynamics upstream of the merging location. Graduate Student, School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA.

Microbiological and Pharmacological Evaluation of the Micropropagated Rubus liebmannii Medicinal Plant

PubMed Central

Jiménez-Arellanes, Adelina; Cornejo-Garrido, Jorge; Rojas-Bribiesca, Gabriela; Nicasio-Torres, María del Pilar; Said-Fernández, Salvador; Mata-Cárdenas, Benito David; Molina-Salinas, Gloria María; Tortoriello, Jaime; Meckes-Fischer, Mariana

2012-01-01

Rubus liebmannii is an endemic species from Mexico used in traditional medicine primarily to treat dysentery and cough. The in vitro activity against Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica that produces the ethanolic extract of the aerial parts of the plant led us to expand the pharmacological and phytochemical research of this species. Gastrointestinal disorders including amebiasis remain one of the health problems that need to be addressed and it is of interest to find alternatives that improve their treatment. Also, it is important to emphasize that R. liebmannii grows wild in the country and is not found in abundance; therefore, alternatives that avoid overexploitation of the natural resource are mandatory. Ongoing with the evaluation of the potentialities that R. liebmannii possesses for treating infectious gastrointestinal diseases, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the biological effects and the chemical composition of the micropropagated plant. PMID:22966243

Tutorial: Parallel Computing of Simulation Models for Risk Analysis.

PubMed

Reilly, Allison C; Staid, Andrea; Gao, Michael; Guikema, Seth D

2016-10-01

Simulation models are widely used in risk analysis to study the effects of uncertainties on outcomes of interest in complex problems. Often, these models are computationally complex and time consuming to run. This latter point may be at odds with time-sensitive evaluations or may limit the number of parameters that are considered. In this article, we give an introductory tutorial focused on parallelizing simulation code to better leverage modern computing hardware, enabling risk analysts to better utilize simulation-based methods for quantifying uncertainty in practice. This article is aimed primarily at risk analysts who use simulation methods but do not yet utilize parallelization to decrease the computational burden of these models. The discussion is focused on conceptual aspects of embarrassingly parallel computer code and software considerations. Two complementary examples are shown using the languages MATLAB and R. A brief discussion of hardware considerations is located in the Appendix. © 2016 Society for Risk Analysis.

Adult Children's Education and Parents' Functional Limitations in Mexico.

PubMed

Yahirun, Jenjira J; Sheehan, Connor M; Hayward, Mark D

2016-04-01

This article asks how adult children's education influences older parents' physical health in Mexico, a context where older adults often lack access to institutional resources and rely on kin, primarily children, as a main source of support. Using logistic and negative binomial regression models and data from the first wave of the Mexican Health and Aging Study (N = 9,661), we find that parents whose children all completed high school are less likely to report any functional limitations as well as fewer limitations compared to parents with no children who completed high school. This association remains significant even after accounting for parent and offspring-level characteristics, including parents' income that accounts for children's financial transfers to parents. Future research should aim to understand the mechanisms that explain the association between adult children's education and changes to parents' health over time. © The Author(s) 2015.

Usefulness of the protection motivation theory in explaining hearing protection device use among male industrial workers.

PubMed

Melamed, S; Rabinowitz, S; Feiner, M; Weisberg, E; Ribak, J

1996-05-01

The present study examined the usefulness of personal variables: noise annoyance, and components of the protection motivation theory (R. W. Rogers, 1983) along with social-organizational factors in explaining hearing protection device (HPD) use among Israeli manufacturing workers. Participants were 281 men exposed to harmful noise levels for which routine HPD use is required by regulation. In practice, 3 HPD user groups were identified: nonusers (n = 38), occasional users (n = 125), and regular users (n = 118). HPD use was objectively verified. HPD use was primarily related to the personal variables but not to management pressure, coworker pressure, or family support. The most powerful predictors of HPD use were perceived self-efficacy (for long-term HPD use), perceived susceptibility (to hearing loss), and noise annoyance, together explaining 48% of the outcome variance. These findings have implications for interventions aimed at motivating workers to use HPDs regularly.

Professional development in inquiry-based science for elementary teachers of diverse student groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Okhee; Hart, Juliet E.; Cuevas, Peggy; Enders, Craig

2004-12-01

As part of a larger project aimed at promoting science and literacy for culturally and linguistically diverse elementary students, this study has two objectives: (a) to describe teachers' initial beliefs and practices about inquiry-based science and (b) to examine the impact of the professional development intervention (primarily through instructional units and teacher workshops) on teachers' beliefs and practices related to inquiry-based science. The research involved 53 third- and fourth-grade teachers at six elementary schools in a large urban school district. At the end of the school year, teachers reported enhanced knowledge of science content and stronger beliefs about the importance of science instruction with diverse student groups, although their actual practices did not change significantly. Based on the results of this first year of implementation as part of a 3-year longitudinal design, implications for professional development and further research are discussed.

Pharmacokinetics of Rhodamine 110 and Its Organ Distribution in Rats.

PubMed

Jiang, Shiau-Han; Cheng, Yung-Yi; Huo, Teh-Ia; Tsai, Tung-Hu

2017-09-06

Rhodamine dyes have been banned as food additives due to their potential tumorigenicity. Rhodamine 110 is illegal as a food additive, although its pharmacokinetics have not been characterized, and no accurate bioanalytical methods are available to quantify rhodamine 110. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a fast, stable, and sensitive method to quantify rhodamine 110 using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) to assess its pharmacokinetics and organ distribution in awake rats. Rhodamine 110 exhibited linear pharmacokinetics and slow elimination after oral administration. Furthermore, its oral bioavailability was approximately 34-35%. The distribution in the liver and kidney suggests that these organs are primarily responsible for rhodamine 110 metabolism and elimination. Our investigation describes the pharmacokinetics and a quantification method for rhodamine 110, improving our understanding of the food safety of rhodamine dyes.

Applying comparative effectiveness research to public and population health initiatives.

PubMed

Teutsch, Steven M; Fielding, Jonathan E

2011-02-01

Comparative effectiveness research to date has focused primarily on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and injuries in individuals. Yet the greatest drivers of people's overall health are found in their social and physical environments. We recommend that the comparative effectiveness research agenda focus on the public health issues responsible for the greatest overall illness and death levels, such as programs to increase high school graduation rates, which are strongly associated with improvements in long-term illness and death rates. In so doing, the agenda should spotlight efforts to address widely recognized social and environmental determinants of health, such as improving access to early childhood development programs and education, as well as interventions aimed at affecting climate change and addressing behavioral risk factors such as smoking. We also urge federal health agencies to invest in further development of methods to compare public health interventions and to use those methods to conduct the studies.

Staff Training on the Use of Health Information Systems: What Do We Know?

PubMed

Bygholm, Ann

2018-01-01

Staff training is acknowledged as an important activity when implementing health information systems (HISs). This paper reviews the literature on staff training in connection with HIS implementation. The aim is to identify critical issues to reflect on when planning or evaluating this type of training. Searches were conducted in three research databases, resulting in 423 hits. Sixty-four papers were retrieved for more detailed examination, and 12 papers were selected for analysis. The analysis focused on the content, organization and pedagogical approach. In general, the review revealed minor primarily descriptive studies focused on aspects of staff training rather than strategies for staff training. The review revealed specific agreed-upon issues that are considered important for the success of the training. The issues identified are transfer of knowledge and skills is not enough, ongoing training is important, training should be related to practice and address individual learning needs, and super-users are important facilitators.

Hebbian learning in a model with dynamic rate-coded neurons: an alternative to the generative model approach for learning receptive fields from natural scenes.

PubMed

Hamker, Fred H; Wiltschut, Jan

2007-09-01

Most computational models of coding are based on a generative model according to which the feedback signal aims to reconstruct the visual scene as close as possible. We here explore an alternative model of feedback. It is derived from studies of attention and thus, probably more flexible with respect to attentive processing in higher brain areas. According to this model, feedback implements a gain increase of the feedforward signal. We use a dynamic model with presynaptic inhibition and Hebbian learning to simultaneously learn feedforward and feedback weights. The weights converge to localized, oriented, and bandpass filters similar as the ones found in V1. Due to presynaptic inhibition the model predicts the organization of receptive fields within the feedforward pathway, whereas feedback primarily serves to tune early visual processing according to the needs of the task.

The evolutionary and ecological consequences of animal social networks: emerging issues.

PubMed

Kurvers, Ralf H J M; Krause, Jens; Croft, Darren P; Wilson, Alexander D M; Wolf, Max

2014-06-01

The first generation of research on animal social networks was primarily aimed at introducing the concept of social networks to the fields of animal behaviour and behavioural ecology. More recently, a diverse body of evidence has shown that social fine structure matters on a broader scale than initially expected, affecting many key ecological and evolutionary processes. Here, we review this development. We discuss the effects of social network structure on evolutionary dynamics (genetic drift, fixation probabilities, and frequency-dependent selection) and social evolution (cooperation and between-individual behavioural differences). We discuss how social network structure can affect important coevolutionary processes (host-pathogen interactions and mutualisms) and population stability. We also discuss the potentially important, but poorly studied, role of social network structure on dispersal and invasion. Throughout, we highlight important areas for future research. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Shopping for clothes: Body satisfaction, appearance investment, and functions of clothing among female shoppers.

PubMed

Tiggemann, Marika; Lacey, Catherine

2009-09-01

The present study aimed to investigate the link between clothing and body experience in women of different ages. Participants were 162 female clothes shoppers between the ages of 18 and 55 who completed questionnaire measures of body image, functions of clothing, self-esteem, and enjoyment of clothes shopping. It was found that clothing was worn primarily for assurance and fashion by women of all ages. On the other hand, BMI and body dissatisfaction were related to the use of clothing for camouflage purposes and to a more negative clothes shopping experience. Both components of appearance investment were related to choice of clothes for fashion and assurance. However, the self-evaluative salience component was negatively related, while the motivational salience was positively related, to enjoyment of clothes shopping. It was concluded that although clothing is an under-researched aspect of body image, it represents an important part of women's appearance management, whatever their age.

Carers' perceptions of the impact of home telehealth monitoring on the provision of care and sustainability of use.

PubMed

Wade, Rachael; Cartwright, Colleen; Shaw, Kelly

2015-06-01

This paper aims to report carers' perceptions of the impact of home telehealth on the provision of care and the sustainability of home telehealth use. This paper is reporting on a sample of 15 carers who were involved in the telehealth arm of a larger controlled trial. Carers primarily believed that telehealth helped to provide better care. None of the carers had organised, or planned to organise, ongoing telehealth monitoring beyond the study. The main reason given for non-sustained usage was the belief that the person they cared for no longer required, or would benefit from, the monitoring. As the person being cared for was a frail older person with multiple chronic diseases and a history of recent hospitalisation, the non-sustained usage of home telehealth by carers raises questions about what is needed to ensure sustainability of use; this requires further investigation. © 2014 AJA Inc.

Predictive factors for the occurrence of idiopathic menorrhagia: evidence for a hereditary trait.

PubMed

Kuzmina, Natalia; Palmblad, Jan; Mints, Miriam

2011-01-01

The aim of the present study was to assess predictive factors for occurrence of idiopathic menorrhagia (IM), a disease characterized by abnormal endometrial blood vessel morphology. It was hypothesized that IM exhibits familial clustering (suggesting inheritance) and is associated with other vascular abnormalities, primarily cutaneous hemangiomas. Women with IM (n=152) and healthy, regularly menstruating (n=56) women answered a questionnaire concerning menstrual pattern, susceptibility to bleeding and family history of abnormal gynecological bleeding. Factor analysis with principal component extraction was used to separate predictive factors that may be associated with IM. A total of 35 different items were analyzed. A strong association was found between IM and a family history of heavy menstrual bleeding (r=0.68), but not with cutaneous vascular abnormalities. Our results revealed that a family history of heavy menstrual bleeding may have the highest predictive value for the diagnosis of IM, indicating a hereditary trait.

Neuropsychological functioning in posttraumatic stress disorder following forced displacement in older adults and their offspring.

PubMed

Jelinek, Lena; Wittekind, Charlotte E; Moritz, Steffen; Kellner, Michael; Muhtz, Christoph

2013-12-15

The aim of the present study was to investigate neuropsychological performance in an untried trauma sample of older adults displaced during childhood at the end of World War II (WWII) with and without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as transgenerational effects of trauma and PTSD on their offspring. Displaced older adults with (n=20) and without PTSD (n=24) and nondisplaced healthy individuals (n=11) as well as one of their respective offspring were assessed with a large battery of cognitive tests (primarily targeting memory functioning). No evidence for deficits in neuropsychological performance was found in the aging group of displaced people with PTSD. Moreover, no group difference emerged in the offspring groups. Findings may be interpreted as first evidence for a rather resilient PTSD group of older adults that is available for assessment 60 years after displacement. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Carbon monoxide shifts energetic metabolism from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation in endothelial cells.

PubMed

Kaczara, Patrycja; Motterlini, Roberto; Kus, Kamil; Zakrzewska, Agnieszka; Abramov, Andrey Y; Chlopicki, Stefan

2016-10-01

Carbon monoxide (CO) modulates mitochondrial respiration, but the mechanisms involved are not completely understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate the acute effects of CO on bioenergetics and metabolism in intact EA.hy926 endothelial cells using live cell imaging techniques. Our findings indicate that CORM-401, a compound that liberates CO, reduces ATP production from glycolysis, and induces a mild mitochondrial depolarization. In addition, CO from CORM-401 increases mitochondrial calcium and activates complexes I and II. The subsequent increase in mitochondrial respiration leads to ATP production through oxidative phosphorylation. Thus, our results show that nonactivated endothelial cells rely primarily on glycolysis, but in the presence of CO, mitochondrial Ca 2+ increases and activates respiration that shifts the metabolism of endothelial cells from glycolysis- to oxidative phosphorylation-dependent ATP production. © 2016 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

The influence of nutrigenetics on the lipid profile: interaction between genes and dietary habits.

PubMed

de Andrade, Fabiana M; Bulhões, Andréa C; Maluf, Sharbel W; Schuch, Jaqueline B; Voigt, Francine; Lucatelli, Juliana F; Barros, Alessandra C; Hutz, Mara H

2010-04-01

Nutrigenetics is a new field with few studies in Latin America. Our aim is to investigate the way in which different genes related to the lipid profile influence the response to specific dietary habits. Eight polymorphisms on seven genes were investigated in a sample (n = 567) from Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. All the volunteers completed a food diary that was then assessed and classified into nine food groups. A number of nutrigenetic interactions were detected primarily related to the apolipoprotein E (apoE) gene. For example, frequent consumption of foods rich in polyunsaturated fat resulted in the beneficial effect of increasing HDL-C only in individuals who were not carriers of the E*4 allele of the APOE gene, whereas variations in eating habits of E*4 carriers did not affect their HDL-C (P = 0.018). Our data demonstrate for the first time nutrigenetic interactions in a Brazilian population.

Democratizing Process Innovation? On Citizen Involvement in Public Sector BPM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niehaves, Björn; Malsch, Robert

‘Open Innovation’ has been heavily discussed for product innovations; however, an information systems (IS) perspective on ‘process innovation’ has not yet been taken. Analyzing the example of the public sector in Germany, the paper seeks to investigate the factors that hinder and support ‘open process innovation’, a concept we define as the involvement of citizens in business process management (BPM) activities. With the help of a quantitative study (n=358), six factors are examined for their impact on citizen involvement in local government BPM initiatives. The results show that citizen involvement in reform processes is not primarily motivated by the aim of cost reduction, but rather related to legitimacy reasons and the intent to increase employee motivation. Based on these findings, implications for (design) theory and practice are discussed: Instead of detailed collaborative business processes modeling, the key of citizen involvement in public sector BPM lies in communication and mutual understanding.

Epidemiology, Comorbidity, and Behavioral Genetics of Antisocial Personality Disorder and Psychopathy

PubMed Central

Werner, Kimberly B.; Few, Lauren R.; Bucholz, Kathleen K.

2015-01-01

Psychopathy is theorized as a disorder of personality and affective deficits while antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) diagnosis is primarily behaviorally based. While ASPD and psychopathy are similar and are highly comorbid with each other, they are not synonymous. ASPD has been well studied in community samples with estimates of its lifetime prevalence ranging from 1-4% of the general population.4,5 In contrast, psychopathy is almost exclusively investigated within criminal populations so that its prevalence in the general population has been inferred by psychopathic traits rather than disorder (1%). Differences in etiology and comorbidity with each other and other psychiatric disorders of these two disorders are also evident. The current article will briefly review the epidemiology, etiology, and comorbidity of ASPD and psychopathy, focusing predominately on research completed in community and clinical populations. This paper aims to highlight ASPD and psychopathy as related, but distinct disorders. PMID:26594067

Epidemiology, Comorbidity, and Behavioral Genetics of Antisocial Personality Disorder and Psychopathy.

PubMed

Werner, Kimberly B; Few, Lauren R; Bucholz, Kathleen K

2015-04-01

Psychopathy is theorized as a disorder of personality and affective deficits while antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) diagnosis is primarily behaviorally based. While ASPD and psychopathy are similar and are highly comorbid with each other, they are not synonymous. ASPD has been well studied in community samples with estimates of its lifetime prevalence ranging from 1-4% of the general population. 4,5 In contrast, psychopathy is almost exclusively investigated within criminal populations so that its prevalence in the general population has been inferred by psychopathic traits rather than disorder (1%). Differences in etiology and comorbidity with each other and other psychiatric disorders of these two disorders are also evident. The current article will briefly review the epidemiology, etiology, and comorbidity of ASPD and psychopathy, focusing predominately on research completed in community and clinical populations. This paper aims to highlight ASPD and psychopathy as related, but distinct disorders.

Endometrial cancer in elderly women: Which disease, which surgical management? A systematic review of the literature.

PubMed

Bourgin, C; Saidani, M; Poupon, C; Cauchois, A; Foucher, F; Leveque, J; Lavoue, V

2016-02-01

Endometrial cancer primarily affects elderly women. The aim of the present literature review is to define the population of elderly women with this disease and to define the characteristics of this cancer in elderly people as well as its surgical treatment. A systematic review of the English-language literature of the last 20 years indexed in the PubMed database. Endometrial cancer is more aggressive in elderly women. However, surgical staging performed in elderly patients is often not concomitant with the disease's aggressiveness in this group. Mini-invasive surgery is performed less often, for no obvious reason. Of note, oncogeriatric evaluation was not usually ruled out to determine the most appropriate surgical modality. Studies are needed to evaluate surgical management of endometrial cancer in elderly women, notably with the aid of oncogeriatric scores to predict surgical morbidity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Motivations for sexual risk behavior across commercial and casual partners among male urban drug users: contextual features and clinical correlates.

PubMed

Bornovalova, Marina A; Daughters, Stacey B; Lejuez, Carl W

2010-05-01

The current study aimed to develop a measure for assessing the various motivations for sexual risk behavior (SRB) across commercial (involving the exchange of sex for money or drugs) and casual (nonregular) partners in a sample of inner-city, primarily African American drug users, and to examine the relationship of these motivations with a history of childhood trauma, as well as current symptoms of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and borderline personality disorder (BPD). Exploratory factor analysis indicated a 5-factor solution for commercial partner type, and a 4-factor solution for casual partner type, including the motivations of sexual sensation-seeking, intimacy seeking, reassurance-seeking, emotional avoidance, and emotional expressivity. Emotional avoidance and emotional expressivity were strongly related to childhood trauma and PTSD and BPD symptoms. These results provide initial results for mechanisms underlying the relationship between SRB and a history of trauma and psychopathology.

[Physical methods and molecular biology].

PubMed

Serdiuk, I N

2009-01-01

The review is devoted to the description of the current state of physical and chemical methods used for studying the structural and functional bases of living processes. Special attention is focused on the physical methods that have opened a new page in the research of the structure of biological macromolecules. They include primarily the methods of detecting and manipulating single molecules using optical and magnetic traps. New physical methods, such as two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and magnetic resonance microscopy are also analyzed briefly in the review. The path that physics and biology have passed for the latest 55 years shows that there is no single method providing all necessary information on macromolecules and their interactions. Each method provides its space-time view of the system. All physical methods are complementary. It is just complementarity that is the fundamental idea justifying the existence in practice of all physical methods, whose description is the aim of the review.

Factors affecting physical therapists’ job satisfaction: questionnaire survey targeting first-year physical therapists

PubMed Central

Kota, Munetsugu; Kudo, Hiroyuki; Okita, Kazuhiko

2018-01-01

[Purpose] The survey aimed to clarify the factors that affect physiotherapists’ job satisfaction. [Subjects and Methods] To examine factors affecting physical therapists’ job satisfaction using a cross-sectional study with a questionnaire survey. Subjects were 193 first-year physical therapists who participated in a newcomer orientation at Hiroshima Prefectural Physical Therapy Association. The questionnaire comprised items concerning physical therapists’ satisfaction with their work, motives for becoming physical therapists, education in school, internships, the workplace, and comfort in the workplace. [Results] Subjects were divided into two groups according to their satisfaction with their occupation. The “high satisfaction” group included 157 subjects, and the group “low satisfaction” group included 36 subjects. Using logistic regression analysis, items concerning comfort in the workplace, motives for becoming physical therapists, and learning in school were analysed. [Conclusion] Factors affecting physical therapists’ job satisfaction were primarily influenced by previous experience and working conditions. PMID:29706706

Factors affecting physical therapists' job satisfaction: questionnaire survey targeting first-year physical therapists.

PubMed

Kota, Munetsugu; Kudo, Hiroyuki; Okita, Kazuhiko

2018-04-01

[Purpose] The survey aimed to clarify the factors that affect physiotherapists' job satisfaction. [Subjects and Methods] To examine factors affecting physical therapists' job satisfaction using a cross-sectional study with a questionnaire survey. Subjects were 193 first-year physical therapists who participated in a newcomer orientation at Hiroshima Prefectural Physical Therapy Association. The questionnaire comprised items concerning physical therapists' satisfaction with their work, motives for becoming physical therapists, education in school, internships, the workplace, and comfort in the workplace. [Results] Subjects were divided into two groups according to their satisfaction with their occupation. The "high satisfaction" group included 157 subjects, and the group "low satisfaction" group included 36 subjects. Using logistic regression analysis, items concerning comfort in the workplace, motives for becoming physical therapists, and learning in school were analysed. [Conclusion] Factors affecting physical therapists' job satisfaction were primarily influenced by previous experience and working conditions.

Utility of video-EEG monitoring in a tertiary care epilepsy center.

PubMed

Kumar-Pelayo, M; Oller-Cramsie, M; Mihu, N; Harden, C

2013-09-01

Our video-EEG monitoring (VEEG) unit is part of a typical metropolitan tertiary care center that services a diverse patient population. We aimed to determine if the specific clinical reason for inpatient VEEG was actually resolved. Our method was to retrospectively determine the stated goal of inpatient VEEG and to analyze the outcome of one hundred consecutive adult patients admitted for VEEG. The reason for admission fit into one of four categories: 1) to characterize paroxysmal events as either epileptic or nonepileptic, 2) to localize epileptic foci, 3) to characterize the epilepsy syndrome, and 4) to attempt safe antiepileptic drug adjustment. We found that VEEG was successful in accomplishing the goal of admission in 77% of cases. The remaining 23% failed primarily due to lack of typical events during monitoring. Furthermore, of the overall study cohort, VEEG outcomes altered medical management in 53% and surgery was pursued in 5%. © 2013.

Adult Children’s Education and Parents’ Functional Limitations in Mexico

PubMed Central

Yahirun, Jenjira J.; Sheehan, Connor M.; Hayward, Mark D.

2016-01-01

This article asks how adult children’s education influences older parents’ physical health in Mexico, a context where older adults often lack access to institutional resources and rely on kin, primarily children, as a main source of support. Using logistic and negative binomial regression models and data from the first wave of the Mexican Health and Aging Study (N = 9,661), we find that parents whose children all completed high school are less likely to report any functional limitations as well as fewer limitations compared to parents with no children who completed high school. This association remains significant even after accounting for parent and offspring-level characteristics, including parents’ income that accounts for children’s financial transfers to parents. Future research should aim to understand the mechanisms that explain the association between adult children’s education and changes to parents’ health over time. PMID:26966254

Deep convolutional neural network for the classification of hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Midya, Abhishek; Chakraborty, Jayasree; Pak, Linda M.; Zheng, Jian; Jarnagin, William R.; Do, Richard K. G.; Simpson, Amber L.

2018-02-01

Liver cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide.1 Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer accounting for approximately 80% of cases. Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a rare liver cancer, arising in patients with the same risk factors as HCC, but treatment options and prognosis differ. The diagnosis of HCC is based primarily on imaging but distinguishing between HCC and ICC is challenging due to common radiographic features.2-4 The aim of the present study is to classify HCC and ICC in portal venous phase CT. 107 patients with resected ICC and 116 patients with resected HCC were included in our analysis. We developed a deep neural network by modifying a pre-trained Inception network by retraining the final layers. The proposed method achieved the best accuracy and area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 69.70% and 0.72, respectively on the test data.

Molecular identification of leishmania species using samples obtained from negative stained smears.

PubMed

Mohaghegh, Ma; Fata, A; Salehi, Gh; Berenji, F; Bazzaz, M Mousavi; Rafatpanah, H; Parian, M; Movahedi, A

2013-04-01

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is a parasitic skin disease. Diagnosis primarily is based on clinical signs and microscopic observation of parasite on direct stained smears or tissue sections. Sensitivity of direct smear is not as high as molecular methods. The aim of this study was to identify and characterize Leishmania species among the negative direct smears obtained from skin ulcers suspected to CL by PCR method. Among 81 patients with suspicious skin lesions to CL referred to the Parasitology lab, negative Giemsa stained smears were collected. DNA extraction performed by scraping stained smears, then PCR was performed. Among the DNA extracted from smears, L. tropica was isolated from 9 (11.1%) of the smears and L.major was not isolated from any samples. Direct microscopy on stained smears for diagnosis of leishmaniasis is not enough accurate. PCR is recommended for clinically suspected lesions with negative result of direct smear.

Family-friendly policies: general nurses' preferences and experiences.

PubMed

Robinson, Sarah; Davey, Barbara; Murrells, Trevor

2003-01-01

While European Union policy emphasises that one of the aims of family-friendly working arrangements is to increasing gender equality, in the UK the focus has been primarily on workforce retention. Drawing on a study of Registered General Nurses who returned to work after breaks for maternity leave, this paper considers their preferences and experiences in light of current UK family-friendly policies and the implications of the findings for increasing gender equality. Questionnaires were completed by respondents in three regional health authorities and focused on the four to eight year period after qualification. The following topics were investigated: views about length of maternity break and reasons for returning to work sooner than preferred; hours sought after a return and hours obtained; the availability of preferred patterns of work and of flexible hours; retention of grade on return; the availability and use of workplace crèches, and childcare arrangements when children were unwell.

Mechanical properties and production quality of hand-layup and vacuum infusion processed hybrid composite materials for GFRP marine structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sang-Young; Shim, Chun Sik; Sturtevant, Caleb; Kim, Dave (Dae-Wook); Song, Ha Cheol

2014-09-01

Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) structures are primarily manufactured using hand lay-up or vacuum infusion techniques, which are cost-effective for the construction of marine vessels. This paper aims to investigate the mechanical properties and failure mechanisms of the hybrid GFRP composites, formed by applying the hand lay-up processed exterior and the vacuum infusion processed interior layups, providing benefits for structural performance and ease of manufacturing. The hybrid GFRP composites contain one, two, and three vacuum infusion processed layer sets with consistent sets of hand lay-up processed layers. Mechanical properties assessed in this study include tensile, compressive and in-plane shear properties. Hybrid composites with three sets of vacuum infusion layers showed the highest tensile mechanical properties while those with two sets had the highest mechanical properties in compression. The batch homogeneity, for the GFRP fabrication processes, is evaluated using the experimentally obtained mechanical properties

Gaussian processes for personalized e-health monitoring with wearable sensors.

PubMed

Clifton, Lei; Clifton, David A; Pimentel, Marco A F; Watkinson, Peter J; Tarassenko, Lionel

2013-01-01

Advances in wearable sensing and communications infrastructure have allowed the widespread development of prototype medical devices for patient monitoring. However, such devices have not penetrated into clinical practice, primarily due to a lack of research into "intelligent" analysis methods that are sufficiently robust to support large-scale deployment. Existing systems are typically plagued by large false-alarm rates, and an inability to cope with sensor artifact in a principled manner. This paper has two aims: 1) proposal of a novel, patient-personalized system for analysis and inference in the presence of data uncertainty, typically caused by sensor artifact and data incompleteness; 2) demonstration of the method using a large-scale clinical study in which 200 patients have been monitored using the proposed system. This latter provides much-needed evidence that personalized e-health monitoring is feasible within an actual clinical environment, at scale, and that the method is capable of improving patient outcomes via personalized healthcare.

Gastrostomy Tube Feeding in Children With Developmental or Acquired Disorders: A Longitudinal Comparison on Healthcare Provision and Eating Outcomes 4 Years After Gastrostomy.

PubMed

Backman, Ellen; Karlsson, Ann-Kristin; Sjögreen, Lotta

2018-03-30

Studies on long-term feeding and eating outcomes in children requiring gastrostomy tube feeding (GT) are scarce. The aim of this study was to describe children with developmental or acquired disorders receiving GT and to compare longitudinal eating and feeding outcomes. A secondary aim was to explore healthcare provision related to eating and feeding. This retrospective cohort study reviewed medical records of children in 1 administrative region of Sweden with GT placement between 2005 and 2012. Patient demographics, primary diagnoses, age at GT placement, and professional healthcare contacts prior to and after GT placement were recorded and compared. Feeding and eating outcomes were assessed 4 years after GT placement. The medical records of 51 children, 28 boys and 23 girls, were analyzed and grouped according to "acquired" (n = 13) or "developmental" (n = 38) primary diagnoses. At 4 years after GT placement, 67% were still using GT. Only 6 of 37 (16%) children with developmental disorders transferred to eating all orally, as opposed to 10 of 11 (91%) children with acquired disorders. Children with developmental disorders were younger at the time of GT placement and displayed a longer duration of GT activity when compared with children with acquired disorders. This study demonstrates a clear difference between children with developmental or acquired disorders in duration of GT activity and age at GT placement. The study further shows that healthcare provided to children with GT is in some cases multidisciplinary, but primarily focuses on feeding rather than eating. © 2018 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

Identification of clinical phenotypes in knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review of the literature.

PubMed

Dell'Isola, A; Allan, R; Smith, S L; Marreiros, S S P; Steultjens, M

2016-10-12

Knee Osteoarthritis (KOA) is a heterogeneous pathology characterized by a complex and multifactorial nature. It has been hypothesised that these differences are due to the existence of underlying phenotypes representing different mechanisms of the disease. The aim of this study is to identify the current evidence for the existence of groups of variables which point towards the existence of distinct clinical phenotypes in the KOA population. A systematic literature search in PubMed was conducted. Only original articles were selected if they aimed to identify phenotypes of patients aged 18 years or older with KOA. The methodological quality of the studies was independently assessed by two reviewers and qualitative synthesis of the evidence was performed. Strong evidence for existence of specific phenotypes was considered present if the phenotype was supported by at least two high-quality studies. A total of 24 studies were included. Through qualitative synthesis of evidence, six main sets of variables proposing the existence of six phenotypes were identified: 1) chronic pain in which central mechanisms (e.g. central sensitisation) are prominent; 2) inflammatory (high levels of inflammatory biomarkers); 3) metabolic syndrome (high prevalence of obesity, diabetes and other metabolic disturbances); 4) Bone and cartilage metabolism (alteration in local tissue metabolism); 5) mechanical overload characterised primarily by varus malalignment and medial compartment disease; and 6) minimal joint disease characterised as minor clinical symptoms with slow progression over time. This study identified six distinct groups of variables which should be explored in attempts to better define clinical phenotypes in the KOA population.

Of genes and microbes: solving the intricacies in host genomes.

PubMed

Wang, Jun; Chen, Liang; Zhao, Na; Xu, Xizhan; Xu, Yakun; Zhu, Baoli

2018-05-01

Microbiome research is a quickly developing field in biomedical research, and we have witnessed its potential in understanding the physiology, metabolism and immunology, its critical role in understanding the health and disease of the host, and its vast capacity in disease prediction, intervention and treatment. However, many of the fundamental questions still need to be addressed, including the shaping forces of microbial diversity between individuals and across time. Microbiome research falls into the classical nature vs. nurture scenario, such that host genetics shape part of the microbiome, while environmental influences change the original course of microbiome development. In this review, we focus on the nature, i.e., the genetic part of the equation, and summarize the recent efforts in understanding which parts of the genome, especially the human and mouse genome, play important roles in determining the composition and functions of microbial communities, primarily in the gut but also on the skin. We aim to present an overview of different approaches in studying the intricate relationships between host genetic variations and microbes, its underlying philosophy and methodology, and we aim to highlight a few key discoveries along this exploration, as well as current pitfalls. More evidence and results will surely appear in upcoming studies, and the accumulating knowledge will lead to a deeper understanding of what we could finally term a "hologenome", that is, the organized, closely interacting genome of the host and the microbiome.

Prescriptions of opioids to children and adolescents; a study from a national prescription database in Norway.

PubMed

Fredheim, Olav Magnus S; Log, Tomas; Olsen, Wenche; Skurtveit, Svetlana; Sagen, Øystein; Borchgrevink, Petter C

2010-06-01

Analgesics are among the groups of drugs most frequently prescribed to children and adolescents. The prevalence of opioid use in children and adolescents is, however, not known. The primary aim was to determine the 1-year periodic prevalence of opioid dispension in Norwegian children and adolescents below 18 years of age. The secondary aim was to determine to which extent children and adolescents receive opioids for acute or chronic pain. All pharmacies in Norway submit data electronically to the Norwegian Prescription Database on all dispensed prescriptions. All prescriptions to any individual are identified with a pseudonym. All Norwegians who were dispensed opioids from 2004 to 2007 are included in the study. In 2004, 6386 children and adolescents received opioid dispensions, a number which had increased by 35% to 8607 in 2007. These numbers correspond to an increase in 1-year periodic prevalence from 0.59 to 0.79%. Each year during the study period, approximately 95% of the patients received only one or two opioid dispensions. Only 262 Norwegian children and adolescents below 18 years of age received opioid dispensions in three successive years from 2005 to 2007. About 93-95% of children and adolescents receiving opioids each year received the weak opioid codeine. The 1-year periodic prevalence of opioid use in Norwegian children and adolescents is only one-sixteenth of the previously reported prevalence in the Norwegian adult population. Children and adolescents primarily receive opioids for acute pain.

The Utilisation of Music by Casino Managers: An Interview Study.

PubMed

Bramley, Stephanie; Dibben, Nicola; Rowe, Richard

2016-12-01

Music is ubiquitous in retail and commercial environments, with some managers believing that music can enhance the customer experience, increase footfall and sales and improve consumer satisfaction. Casino gambling is popular in the United Kingdom and anecdotal evidence suggests that music is often present. However, little is known about the rationale for music use from the perspective of casino managers. In this study semi-structured interviews were conducted with five casino managers to establish their motivations for utilising music, the factors informing their choice of music and the extent to which music is used with the intention of influencing gambling behaviour. Results showed that casino managers utilised two types of music-recorded background music, often sourced via external music supply companies and live music. Live music was often situated away from the gaming floor and used primarily to accompany participation in non-gambling activities. Recorded background music was not used with the direct aim of influencing customers' gambling behaviour, but to create the right atmosphere for gambling and to promote certain moods within the casinos. To achieve these aims casino managers manipulated the tempo, volume and genre of the recorded background music. Casino managers also reported that some gamblers listen to music via portable music players, possibly with the intention of customising their gambling experience. This study is unique as it has provided a first-hand account of casino managers' implicit theories with regards to why they utilise music and the roles which music is considered to fulfil in casinos.

A Chinese young adult non-scientist's epistemologies and her understandings of the concept of speed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Ying; Brizuela, Barbara M.

2015-08-01

Past research has investigated students' epistemologies while they were taking courses that required an integrated understanding of mathematical and scientific concepts. However, past studies have not investigated students who are not currently enrolled in such classes. Additionally, past studies have primarily focused on individuals who are native English speakers from Western cultures. In this paper, we aim to investigate whether Hammer and his colleagues' claims concerning learners' epistemologies could be extended to individuals who lack advanced mathematics and science training, have had different cultural and learning experiences, and have grown up speaking and learning in another language. To this end, we interviewed a participant with these characteristics about her understandings of the concept of speed. Our findings show that previous theoretical frameworks can be used to explain the epistemologies of the individual examined in this study. The case suggests that these theories may be relevant regardless of the learner's mathematics and science background, language, educational experience, and cultural background. In the future, more cases should be examined with learners from different academic backgrounds and cultures to further support this finding.

Beyond surgical care improvement program compliance: antibiotic prophylaxis implementation gaps.

PubMed

Hawkins, Russell B; Levy, Shauna M; Senter, Casey E; Zhao, Jane Y; Doody, Kaitlin; Kao, Lillian S; Lally, Kevin P; Tsao, KuoJen

2013-10-01

Despite increased compliance with Surgical Care Improvement Project infection measures, surgical-site infections are not decreasing. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that documented compliance with antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines on a pediatric surgery service does not reflect implementation fidelity or adherence to guidelines as intended. A 7-week observational study of elective pediatric surgical cases was conducted. Adherence was evaluated for appropriate administration, type, timing, weight-based dosing, and redosing of antibiotics. Prophylactic antibiotics were administered appropriately in 141 of 143 cases (99%). Of 100 cases (70%) in which antibiotic prophylaxis was indicated, compliance was documented in 100% cases in the electronic medical record, but only 48% of cases adhered to all 5 guidelines. Lack of adherence was due primarily to dosing or timing errors. Lack of implementation fidelity in antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines may partly explain the lack of expected reduction in surgical-site infections. Future studies of Surgical Care Improvement Project effectiveness should measure adherence and implementation fidelity rather than just documented compliance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Patterns of ecology and distribution of the tree crickets Oecanthus dulcisonans and O. pellucens (Orthoptera: Gryllidae; Oecanthinae) in southern Italy.

PubMed

Labadessa, Rocco; Todisco, Simone

2016-09-21

Ecological proclivities of the tree cricket Oecanthus dulcisonans, which has been recently separated from the well known O. pellucens, have been poorly investigated. Moreover, studies on the patterns driving niche segregation between these related species are still needed. This study aims to explore the role of macro-habitat in shaping the distribution of O. dulcisonans and O. pellucens in southern Italy. Occurrence data were sampled by means of a rapid acoustic survey scheme at a regional scale. The significance of difference in ecological and habitat parameters was tested between the two species. While confirming species behavioural patterns, new findings are provided with regard to their ecological difference. Species distribution proves to be primarily driven by elevation gradient and temperature variation, with O. dulcisonans common and widespread in warmer lowlands and O. pellucens limited to higher altitudes. The two species also show significant spatial segregation within vegetation layers. These findings also provide cues for future studies on species interaction, as well as for the assessment of a monitoring scheme which may help interpreting the effects of broad environmental changes.

Exploring Cultural Competence amongst OT Students.

PubMed

Govender, Pragashnie; Mpanza, December M; Carey, Tarryn; Jiyane, Kwenzile; Andrews, Bicolé; Mashele, Sam

2017-01-01

Occupational therapy relies primarily on communication between the therapist and client for effective intervention. Adequate communication may be influenced by language and cultural differences between the therapist and client. Cultural competence in relation to language and culture is thus a vital part in practice. Limited research exists on cultural competence in occupational therapy students. This study thus aimed to explore the cultural competence of final year students and their perceptions of their own cultural competence, with respect to language and culture in their practice as students. An explorative qualitative study design was utilised with a nonprobability purposeful sample of 21 final year undergraduate students at a tertiary institute in South Africa. Three focus groups were conducted, comprising between 6 and 8 students in each group. Thematic analysis using inductive reasoning was undertaken in order to analyse the students' experiences and understanding of cultural competence. Findings of the study suggest that cultural competence, in relation to language and culture, influences the occupational therapy intervention process. It was shown to both positively and negatively influence intervention through supporting or hindering rapport building, client centeredness, and effective intervention.

Risk Estimates and Risk Factors Related to Psychiatric Inpatient Suicide—An Overview

PubMed Central

Madsen, Trine; Erlangsen, Annette; Nordentoft, Merete

2017-01-01

People with mental illness have an increased risk of suicide. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of suicide risk estimates among psychiatric inpatients based on the body of evidence found in scientific peer-reviewed literature; primarily focusing on the relative risks, rates, time trends, and socio-demographic and clinical risk factors of suicide in psychiatric inpatients. Psychiatric inpatients have a very high risk of suicide relative to the background population, but it remains challenging for clinicians to identify those patients that are most likely to die from suicide during admission. Most studies are based on low power, thus compromising quality and generalisability. The few studies with sufficient statistical power mainly identified non-modifiable risk predictors such as male gender, diagnosis, or recent deliberate self-harm. Also, the predictive value of these predictors is low. It would be of great benefit if future studies would be based on large samples while focusing on modifiable predictors over the course of an admission, such as hopelessness, depressive symptoms, and family/social situations. This would improve our chances of developing better risk assessment tools. PMID:28257103

Disentangling the Contribution of Spatial Reference Frames to Executive Functioning in Healthy and Pathological Aging: An Experimental Study with Virtual Reality.

PubMed

Serino, Silvia; Morganti, Francesca; Colombo, Desirée; Pedroli, Elisa; Cipresso, Pietro; Riva, Giuseppe

2018-06-01

A growing body of evidence pointed out that a decline in effectively using spatial reference frames for categorizing information occurs both in normal and pathological aging. Moreover, it is also known that executive deficits primarily characterize the cognitive profile of older individuals. Acknowledging this literature, the current study was aimed to specifically disentangle the contribution of the cognitive abilities related to the use of spatial reference frames to executive functioning in both healthy and pathological aging. 48 healthy elderly individuals and 52 elderly suffering from probable Alzheimer's Disease (AD) took part in the study. We exploited the potentiality of Virtual Reality to specifically measure the abilities in retrieving and syncing between different spatial reference frames, and then we administrated different neuropsychological tests for evaluating executive functions. Our results indicated that allocentric functions contributed significantly to the planning abilities, while syncing abilities influenced the attentional ones. The findings were discussed in terms of previous literature exploring relationships between cognitive deficits in the first phase of AD.

Frequent use of opioids in patients with dementia and nursing home residents: A study of the entire elderly population of Denmark.

PubMed

Jensen-Dahm, Christina; Gasse, Christiane; Astrup, Aske; Mortensen, Preben Bo; Waldemar, Gunhild

2015-06-01

Pain is believed to be undertreated in patients with dementia; however, no larger studies have been conducted. The aim was to investigate prevalent use of opioids in elderly with and without dementia in the entire elderly population of Denmark. A register-based cross-sectional study in the entire elderly (≥65 years) population in 2010 was conducted. Opioid use among elderly with dementia (N = 35,455) was compared with elderly without (N = 870,645), taking age, sex, comorbidity, and living status into account. Nursing home residents (NHRs) used opioids most frequently (41%), followed by home-living patients with dementia (27.5%) and home-living patients without dementia (16.9%). Buprenorphine and fentanyl (primarily patches) were commonly used among NHRs (18.7%) and home-living patients with dementia (10.7%) but less often by home-living patients without dementia (2.4%). Opioid use in the elderly Danish population was frequent but particularly in patients with dementia and NHR, which may challenge patient safety and needs further investigation. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Suicide in Canada

PubMed Central

McFaull, Steven; Rhodes, Anne E.; Bowes, Matthew; Rockett, Ian R. H.

2016-01-01

Objective: The aim of this study is to compare Canadian suicide rates with other external causes of death to examine potential poisoning misclassifications as a contributor to suicide underreporting. Method: The study used Statistics Canada mortality data from 2000 to 2011 to calculate sex-and age-specific ratios by external cause of injury codes. Results: The overall Canadian suicide rate, as well as the poisoning suicide rate, declined over the study timeframe by an average annual percentage change (AAPC) of 1.0% each year. However, unintentional and undetermined poisonings increased significantly during the timeframe. Unintentional poisoning mortality (primarily narcotics and hallucinogens, including opioids) increased in proportion to suicides for both sexes, although females were consistently higher. The undetermined death to suicide ratio was higher and increasing for females. Poisonings of undetermined intent increased over time to comprise 47% to 80% of the undetermined death category for males and females combined. Conclusions: Canadian poisoning suicide rates declined, in contrast to rising unintentional and undetermined poisoning mortality rates. This trend is similar to that of the United States, supporting the hypothesis that misclassification of poisoning deaths may also be an issue in Canada.

Assessment of anxiety and depression in patients with burning mouth syndrome: A clinical trial

PubMed Central

Malik, Rohit; Goel, Sumit; Misra, Deepankar; Panjwani, Sapna; Misra, Akansha

2012-01-01

Introduction: Burning mouth syndrome is a chronic pain syndrome primarily affecting elderly women with hormonal changes or psychological disorders. It is multifactorial in origin, often idiopathic and its etiopathogenesis, majorly being neuropathic, largely remains enigmatic. Aim: To determine the prevalence of burning mouth symptom, in elderly women and evaluate local and systemic causes responsible for burning sensation. Materials and Methods: 100 elderly postmenopausal women were included in the study out of which 56 had a chief complaint of burning sensation. These patients were evaluated for the levels of anxiety and depression by means of questionnaire. The severity of burning and the response to the treatment was assessed with a five point Visual Analog Scale. The results were analyzed using “Chi-square test”. Results: There was statistically significant increase in the levels of anxiety and depression in the study group. Conclusion: The present study clearly indicates that most of the patients had moderate to severe levels of depression, which suggests that anxiety and depression are constant features in postmenopausal female patients. PMID:22923978

Looking for boomerang effects: a pre-post experimental study of the effects of exposure of youth to television advertising for nicotine replacement therapy and Zyban.

PubMed

Durkin, Sarah; Wakefield, Melanie; Spittal, Matt

2006-12-01

In the context of concerns about unintended "boomerang" influences of advertising, this study aimed to examine effects of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and Zyban advertising on youth perceptions of the ease of quitting, health risks of smoking and future intentions to smoke. 718 youth aged 14-16years were randomly allocated to view four television ads promoting either: NRT; Zyban; non-pharmaceutical cessation services (telephone Quitline); or non-cessation messages on sun protection. Questionnaire measures were administered before and after viewing ads. There were no effects of advertising exposure on perceived health effects of smoking or intentions to smoke. Compared with the sun protection ads, but not the Quitline ads, those exposed to NRT ads reported stronger perceptions about the ease of quitting, but non-susceptible non-smokers primarily drove this difference. This study suggests that exposure to NRT and Zyban advertising in an experimental context does not reliably influence youth smoking-related beliefs, especially those vulnerable to becoming regular smokers.

Animal Models of Hemophilia

PubMed Central

Sabatino, Denise E.; Nichols, Timothy C.; Merricks, Elizabeth; Bellinger, Dwight A.; Herzog, Roland W.; Monahan, Paul E.

2013-01-01

The X-linked bleeding disorder hemophilia is caused by mutations in coagulation factor VIII (hemophilia A) or factor IX (hemophilia B). Unless prophylactic treatment is provided, patients with severe disease (less than 1% clotting activity) typically experience frequent spontaneous bleeds. Current treatment is largely based on intravenous infusion of recombinant or plasma-derived coagulation factor concentrate. More effective factor products are being developed. Moreover, gene therapies for sustained correction of hemophilia are showing much promise in pre-clinical studies and in clinical trials. These advances in molecular medicine heavily depend on availability of well-characterized small and large animal models of hemophilia, primarily hemophilia mice and dogs. Experiments in these animals represent important early and intermediate steps of translational research aimed at development of better and safer treatments for hemophilia, such a protein and gene therapies or immune tolerance protocols. While murine models are excellent for studies of large groups of animals using genetically defined strains, canine models are important for testing scale-up and for longer-term follow-up as well as for studies that require larger blood volumes. PMID:22137432

Gender Differences and Socioeconomic Factors Related to Osteoporosis: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Nationally Representative Data.

PubMed

Noh, Jin-Won; Park, Hyunchun; Kim, Minji; Kwon, Young Dae

2018-02-01

Osteoporosis has been considered a disease that primarily affects women, but recently male osteoporosis is also attracting attention. This study aims to comparatively analyze socioeconomic and other factors that are related to the prevalence of osteoporosis in both men and women. This study used data from the Korean Community Health Survey conducted in 2013. To determine factors related to osteoporosis prevalence, researchers applied a binary logistic regression model, first for all research participants, then separately for male and female participants. Women were more likely than men to have osteoporosis (odds ratio 12.33, 95% confidence interval 11.55-13.17). Factors related to osteoporosis prevalence included age, education level, region, economic activity, alcohol consumption, salt intake, depression, and body mass index in both genders. Low education and income levels were more highly associated with osteoporosis prevalence in women than in men. Most of the factors were not gender specific, but some socioeconomic determinants varied by gender. Future studies that will focus on the effects of socioeconomic factors on osteoporosis, as well as gender-related differences in prevention and control of osteoporosis, are needed.

Exploring Cultural Competence amongst OT Students

PubMed Central

Mpanza, December M.; Carey, Tarryn; Jiyane, Kwenzile; Andrews, Bicolé; Mashele, Sam

2017-01-01

Occupational therapy relies primarily on communication between the therapist and client for effective intervention. Adequate communication may be influenced by language and cultural differences between the therapist and client. Cultural competence in relation to language and culture is thus a vital part in practice. Limited research exists on cultural competence in occupational therapy students. This study thus aimed to explore the cultural competence of final year students and their perceptions of their own cultural competence, with respect to language and culture in their practice as students. An explorative qualitative study design was utilised with a nonprobability purposeful sample of 21 final year undergraduate students at a tertiary institute in South Africa. Three focus groups were conducted, comprising between 6 and 8 students in each group. Thematic analysis using inductive reasoning was undertaken in order to analyse the students' experiences and understanding of cultural competence. Findings of the study suggest that cultural competence, in relation to language and culture, influences the occupational therapy intervention process. It was shown to both positively and negatively influence intervention through supporting or hindering rapport building, client centeredness, and effective intervention. PMID:29097961

Sexual Murderers: Sex Offender, Murderer, or Both?

PubMed

Beauregard, Eric; DeLisi, Matt; Hewitt, Ashley

2017-06-01

Sexual murderers perpetrate homicide and rape/sexual abuse, but it is unclear whether they should primarily be considered homicide offenders, sexual offenders, or both. Most studies have merged together different types of non-homicidal sex offenders (NHSOs), neglecting to consider the potential differences between the nonviolent and violent sex offenders. Here, we suggest it is important to isolate those violent sex offenders who inflict severe physical injuries that could potentially lead to a lethal outcome. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to compare different measures of the criminal career on three groups of sex offenders: NHSOs, violent NHSOs, and sexual homicide offenders (SHOs) using data from 616 incarcerated male sex offenders in a Federal penitentiary in Canada. Interestingly, the group of sex offenders with the worst criminal career profile was not the SHOs, but the violent NHSOs. Violent NHSOs had the greatest number of prior convictions and the most varied and versatile criminal career. Therefore, we suggest that based on their criminal career, SHOs should be considered more as murderers than sex offenders. However, to fully answer this question, future studies should include a group of non-sexual homicide offenders.

Acculturation-based and everyday family conflict in Chinese American families.

PubMed

Juang, Linda P; Syed, Moin; Cookston, Jeffrey T; Wang, Yijie; Kim, Su Yeong

2012-01-01

Everyday conflict (studied primarily among European American families) is viewed as an assertion of autonomy from parents that is normative during adolescence. Acculturation-based conflict (studied primarily among Asian- and Latino-heritage families) is viewed as a threat to relatedness with parents rather than the normative assertion of autonomy. Our overarching goal for the chapter is to integrate our knowledge of these two types of family conflict that have been studied separately to arrive at a new understanding of what family conflict means for Chinese American adolescents and their parents. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

Association between haptoglobin and IgM levels and the clinical progression of caseous lymphadenitis in sheep

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Sheep caseous lymphadenitis (CLA), caused by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (Cp), is associated with direct economic losses and presents significant zoonotic potential. Despite the importance of the disease, a satisfactory vaccine model has not been developed. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the association between haptoglobin (Hp) and IgM levels and the clinical progression of CLA in primarily infected sheep and in sheep immunized with Cp- secreted antigens adjuvanted with Quillaja saponaria saponins. These animals were kept with CLA-positive sheep to simulate natural exposure that occurs in field conditions. During the experiment, the Hp and IgM levels were monitored for 21 days, and the development of internal CLA lesions was investigated through necropsies on day182 post-immunization. Results Primarily infected sheep in Group 2 (inoculated with 2x105 Cp virulent strain) had higher Hp values between the first and ninth days post inoculation (PI) than sheep in Group 1 (control; P < 0.05). Immunized animals in Group 3 had significantly higher Hp values between the third and seventh days PI, compared with the control group (P < 0.01). Binary logistic regression (BLR) analysis of primarily infected sheep indicated an association between Hp concentration and CLA clinical progression: animals with high Hp values had 99.9% less risk of having CLA abscesses than animals with low Hp levels (Odds ratio = 0.001, P < 0.05). Both experimental groups had significantly higher IgM titers than the control group around the ninth and eleventh days PI (P < 0.05). The BLR analysis for immunized sheep indicated an association between IgM levels and clinical progression: sheep with high IgM titers had 100.0% less risk of having CLA abscesses than animals with low IgM levels (Odds ratio = 0.000, P < 0.05). Conclusions Resistance to C. pseudotuberculosis infection is supported by the early acute phase response, in which up-regulation of Hp and IgM were predictive of a lower risk of CLA lesion development. Because the immunogen used in this study induced a high production of both Hp and IgM, Q. saponaria saponin should be considered a promising candidate in vaccine formulations against sheep CLA. PMID:24330714