The 4th Thermodynamic Principle?

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

Montero Garcia, Jose de la Luz; Novoa Blanco, Jesus Francisco

2007-04-28

It should be emphasized that the 4th Principle above formulated is a thermodynamic principle and, at the same time, is mechanical-quantum and relativist, as it should inevitably be and its absence has been one of main the theoretical limitations of the physical theory until today.We show that the theoretical discovery of Dimensional Primitive Octet of Matter, the 4th Thermodynamic Principle, the Quantum Hexet of Matter, the Global Hexagonal Subsystem of Fundamental Constants of Energy and the Measurement or Connected Global Scale or Universal Existential Interval of the Matter is that it is possible to be arrived at a global formulationmore » of the four 'forces' or fundamental interactions of nature. The Einstein's golden dream is possible.« less

K, U, and Th behavior in Martian environmental conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zolotov, M. YU.; Krot, T. V.; Moroz, L. V.

1993-01-01

The possibility of K, U, and Th content determination from orbit and in situ allows consideration of those elements as geochemical indicators in the planetary studies. In the case of Mars the unambiguous interpretations of such data in terms of igneous rocks are remarkably constrained by the widespread rock alteration and the existence of exogenic deposits. Besides, the terrestrial experience indicates that K, U, and Th contents could be used as indicators of environmental geochemical processes. Thus the determination of K, U, and Th contents in the Martian surface materials could provide the indirect data on the conditions of some exogenic geological processes. The speculations on the K, U, and Th behavior in the Martian environments show that aeolian and aqueous processes leads to the preferential accumulation of K, U, and Th in fine dust material. The separation of K, U, and Th on Mars is smaller in scale to that on Earth.

20. TYPICAL VIEW OF FRONT WINDOWS FROM 4TH TO 9TH ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

20. TYPICAL VIEW OF FRONT WINDOWS FROM 4TH TO 9TH FLOOR WITH WHITE GLAZED TERRA COTTA SILL AND HEADERS. MULLIONS ARE ORANGE BROWN BRICKS LIKE THE WALLS. BRICKS ARE IN FLEMISH BOND PATTERN. - Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company Building, 1519 Franklin Street, Oakland, Alameda County, CA

Patterns of long bone growth in a mid-19th century documented sample of the urban poor from Bethnal Green, London, UK.

PubMed

Ives, Rachel; Humphrey, Louise

2017-05-01

Studies of male and female long bone growth in past populations are limited and usually constrained by the lack of personal identification. This article aimed to evaluate long bone growth in a series of mid-19 th century documented burials associated with the urban poor from Bethnal Green, London, UK. Maximum diaphyseal lengths from 74 males and 70 females (2 months to 12 years) were compared to modern reference data from North America. Diaphyseal lengths were expressed as a percentage of expected length and an average percentage value was calculated across all available long bones. An index of growth progression was introduced to explore differences in the progress of males and females towards their projected adult size. Deviation from the expected growth attainment was evident in both sexes in the archaeological series by 2-4 months of age. Only 19.4% (28/144) of the children had attained an average long bone length >90% of the predicted mean in the reference series. The percentage of expected growth attainment decreased steadily in both sexes during infancy and early childhood. Overall, females deviated further from their expected growth progression than males. Growth faltering in both males and females was established during infancy (<1 year) with no evidence for recovery in older age groups. Early weaning and inadequate artificial feeding, together with impoverished living conditions and limited sanitary provision, most likely impacted on childhood growth. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Comparing Science Learning among 4th-, 5th-, and 6th-Grade Students: STS versus Textbook-Based Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yager, Robert E.; Choi, AeRan; Yager, Stuart O.; Akcay, Hakan

2009-01-01

Fifteen 4th-, 5th-, and 6th-grade teachers from five school districts each taught two sections of science--one with a Science-Technology-Society (STS) approach and the other with a more traditional textbook approach in which basic science concepts were the major organizers. Local, current, and personally relevant issues provided the context and…

[Anti-feeding activity of total ginsenoside from Panax ginseng to 4th-instar Mythimna separata larvae].

PubMed

Tan, Shi-qiang; Ma, Lin; Xu, Yong-hua; Lei, Feng-jie; Zhang, Ai-hua; Zhang, Lian-xue

2015-07-01

This paper is in order to study the anti-feeding and growth inhibition activity of toatal ginsenoside of ginseng stems and leaves against 4th-instar Mythimna separata larvae. Simulating natural growing condition indoors, on the base, To study the anti-feeding and growth inhibition activity of toatal ginsenoside against 4th-instar M. separata larvae by leaf disc test. The toatal ginsenoside appeared to be of significant antifeeding activity against 4th-instar M. separata larvae. The 4th-instar M. separata larvae fed on the leaves of Sorghum bicolor treated with 20, 10, 5 g · L(-1) toatal ginsenoside. At 8 h, non-selective anti-feeding rate were 88.67%, 64.40% and 47.36%, and selective anti-feeding rate were 62.49% , 44.29% and 34.19%; Compared with the photographic, The toatal ginsenoside conld make the development period had prolonged 13h in treated group. The toatal ginsenoside had significant inhibition effect on feeding and growth and development against 4th-instar M. separata larvae, and inhibition effect increases as the increase of concentration ginsenoside.

Opposing effect of mesenchymal stem cells on Th1 and Th17 cell polarization according to the state of CD4+ T cell activation.

PubMed

Carrión, Flavio; Nova, Estefania; Luz, Patricia; Apablaza, Felipe; Figueroa, Fernando

2011-03-30

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent progenitors with broad immunosuppressive properties. However, their therapeutic use in autoimmune disease models has shown dissimilar effects when applied at different stages of disease. We therefore investigated the effect of the addition of MSCs on the differentiation of Th1, Treg and Th17 cells in vitro, at different states of CD4(+) T cell activation. CD4(+) T lymphocytes purified by negative selection from mouse C57BL/6 splenocytes were cultured under Th1, Th17 and Treg inducing conditions with IL-12, TGF-β+IL-6 or TGF-β, respectively. C57BL/6 bone marrow derived MSCs were added to CD4(+) T cell cultures at day 0 or after 3 days of T cell polarizing activation. Intracellular cytokines for Th1, Th17 and Treg cells were quantitated at day 6 by flow cytometry. While early addition (day 0) of MSCs suppressed all CD4(+) T cell lineages, addition at day 3 only decreased IFN-γ production by Th1 polarized cells by 64% (p<0.05) while markedly increased IL-17 production by Th17 polarized cells by 50% (p<0.05) and left IL-10 production by Treg polarized cells unchanged. MSCs exhibit their typical suppressive phenotype when added early to cell cultures in the presence of CD4(+) T cell polarizing stimuli. However, once T cell activation has occurred, MSCs show an opposite stimulating effect on Th17 cells, while leaving Treg IL-10 producing cells unchanged. These results suggest that the therapeutic use of MSCs in vivo might exert opposing effects on disease activity, according to the time of therapeutic application and the level of effector T cell activation. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermodynamic assessment of the LiF-ThF4-PuF3-UF4 system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capelli, E.; Beneš, O.; Konings, R. J. M.

2015-07-01

The LiF-ThF4-PuF3-UF4 system is the reference salt mixture considered for the Molten Salt Fast Reactor (MSFR) concept started with PuF3. In order to obtain the complete thermodynamic description of this quaternary system, two binary systems (ThF4-PuF3 and UF4-PuF3) and two ternary systems (LiF-ThF4-PuF3 and LiF-UF4-PuF3) have been assessed for the first time. The similarities between CeF3/PuF3 and ThF4/UF4 compounds have been taken into account for the presented optimization as well as in the experimental measurements performed, which have confirmed the temperatures predicted by the model. Moreover, the experimental results and the thermodynamic database developed have been used to identify potential compositions for the MSFR fuel and to evaluate the influence of partial substitution of ThF4 by UF4 in the salt.

Increase Reading Fluency of 4th and 5th Grade Students with Learning Disabilities Using Readers' Theatre

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mountford, Kathy A.

2007-01-01

The following Action Research Project Report is to improve the oral reading fluency of the 4th and 5th grade students with learning disabilities. The targeted population participating in this study consisted of a total of ten participants of which five were 4th grade students and five were 5th grade students located in a middle class community…

USNAVSO/4th Fleet

Science.gov Websites

. FOURTH Fleet (USNAVSO/FOURTHFLT) employs maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations in €­(Hidden)‬ USNAVSO/4th Fleet News Retrieving Data Links Secretary of the Navy Chief of Naval Operations Department of Defense U.S. Southern Command SOCIAL MEDIA Quick Links US Navy Recruiting | No Fear Act Data

Soil geohazard mapping for improved asset management of UK local roads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pritchard, O. G.; Hallett, S. H.; Farewell, T. S.

2015-09-01

Unclassified roads comprise 60 % of the road network in the United Kingdom (UK). The resilience of this locally important network is declining. It is considered by the Institution of Civil Engineers to be "at risk" and is ranked 26th in the world. Many factors contribute to the degradation and ultimate failure of particular road sections. However, several UK local authorities have identified that in drought conditions, road sections founded upon shrink-swell susceptible clay soils undergo significant deterioration compared with sections on non-susceptible soils. This arises from the local road network having little, if any, structural foundations. Consequently, droughts in East Anglia have resulted in millions of pounds of damage, leading authorities to seek emergency governmental funding. This paper assesses the use of soil-related geohazard assessments in providing soil-informed maintenance strategies for the asset management of the locally important road network of the UK. A case study draws upon the UK administrative county of Lincolnshire, where road assessment data have been analysed against mapped clay-subsidence risk. This reveals a statistically significant relationship between road condition and susceptible clay soils. Furthermore, incorporation of UKCP09 future climate projections within the geohazard models has highlighted roads likely to be at future risk of clay-related subsidence.

Soil geohazard mapping for improved asset management of UK local roads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pritchard, O. G.; Hallett, S. H.; Farewell, T. S.

2015-05-01

Unclassified roads comprise 60% of the road network in the United Kingdom (UK). The resilience of this locally important network is declining. It is considered by the Institution of Civil Engineers to be "at risk" and is ranked 26th in the world. Many factors contribute to the degradation and ultimate failure of particular road sections. However, several UK local authorities have identified that in drought conditions, road sections founded upon shrink/swell susceptible clay soils undergo significant deterioration compared with sections on non-susceptible soils. This arises from the local road network having little, if any structural foundations. Consequently, droughts in East Anglia have resulted in millions of pounds of damage, leading authorities to seek emergency governmental funding. This paper assesses the use of soil-related geohazard assessments in providing soil-informed maintenance strategies for the asset management of the locally important road network of the UK. A case study draws upon the UK administrative county of Lincolnshire, where road assessment data have been analysed against mapped clay-subsidence risk. This reveals a statistically significant relationship between road condition and susceptible clay soils. Furthermore, incorporation of UKCP09 future climate projections within the geohazard models has highlighted roads likely to be at future risk of clay-related subsidence.

UK role 4 military infection services: past, present and future.

PubMed

Dufty, Ngozi E; Bailey, M S

2013-09-01

NATO describes 'Role 4' military medical services as those provided for the definitive care of patients who cannot be treated within a theatre of operations and these are usually located in a military force's country of origin and may include the involvement of civilian medical services. The UK Defence Medical Services have a proud history of developing and providing clinical services in infectious diseases and tropical medicine, sexual health and HIV medicine, and medical microbiology and virology. These UK Role 4 Military Infection Services have adapted well to recent overseas deployments, but new challenges will arise due to current military cutbacks and a greater diversity of contingency operations in the future. Further evidence-based development of these services will require leadership by military clinicians and improved communication and support for 'reach-back' services.

Magendie and Luschka: Holes in the 4th ventricle.

PubMed

Engelhardt, Eliasz

2016-01-01

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a complex liquid formed mainly by the choroid plexuses. After filling the ventricular system where it circulates, CSF flows out to the subarachnoid spaces through openings in the 4 th ventricle. Following numerous studies on CSF pathways, these openings were first discovered in the 19 th century by two notable researchers, François Magendie and Hubert von Luschka, who described the median and lateral openings subsequently named after them. Even after the studies of Axel Key and Gustav Magnus Retzius confirming these openings, their existence was questioned by many anatomists, yet acknowledged by others. Finally gaining the acceptance of all, recognition of the holes endures to the present day. Interest in these openings may be attributed to the several congenital or acquired pathological conditions that may affect them, usually associated with hydrocephalus. We report some historical aspects of these apertures and their discoverers.

Systematically frameshifting by deletion of every 4th or 4th and 5th nucleotides during mitochondrial transcription: RNA self-hybridization regulates delRNA expression.

PubMed

Seligmann, Hervé

2016-01-01

In mitochondria, secondary structures punctuate post-transcriptional RNA processing. Recently described transcripts match the human mitogenome after systematic deletions of every 4th, respectively every 4th and 5th nucleotides, called delRNAs. Here I explore predicted stem-loop hairpin formation by delRNAs, and their associations with delRNA transcription and detected peptides matching their translation. Despite missing 25, respectively 40% of the nucleotides in the original sequence, del-transformed sequences form significantly more secondary structures than corresponding randomly shuffled sequences, indicating biological function, independently of, and in combination with, previously detected delRNA and thereof translated peptides. Self-hybridization decreases delRNA abundances, indicating downregulation. Systematic deletions of the human mitogenome reveal new, unsuspected coding and structural informations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effects of Conditioned Reinforcement for Reading on Reading Comprehension for 5th Graders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cumiskey Moore, Colleen

2017-01-01

In three experiments, I tested the effects of the conditioned reinforcement for reading (R+Reading) on reading comprehension with 5th graders. In Experiment 1, I conducted a series of statistical analyses with data from 18 participants for one year. I administered 4 pre/post measurements for reading repertoires which included: 1) state-wide…

The 4th order GISS model of the global atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kalnay-Rivas, E.; Bayliss, A.; Storch, J.

1977-01-01

The new GISS 4th order model of the global atmosphere is described. It is based on 4th order quadratically conservative differences with the periodic application of a 16th order filter on the sea level pressure and potential temperature equations, a combination which is approximately enstrophy conserving. Several short range forecasts indicate a significant improvement over 2nd order forecasts with the same resolution (approximately 400 km). However the 4th order forecasts are somewhat inferior to 2nd order forecasts with double resolution. This is probably due to the presence of short waves in the range between 1000 km and 2000 km, which are computed more accurately by the 2nd order high resolution model. An operation count of the schemes indicates that with similar code optimization, the 4th order model will require approximately the same amount of computer time as the 2nd order model with the same resolution. It is estimated that the 4th order model with a grid size of 200 km provides enough accuracy to make horizontal truncation errors negligible over a period of a week for all synoptic scales (waves longer than 1000 km).

Toll like Receptor 2 engagement on CD4+ T cells promotes TH9 differentiation and function.

PubMed

Karim, Ahmad Faisal; Reba, Scott M; Li, Qing; Boom, W Henry; Rojas, Roxana E

2017-09-01

We have recently demonstrated that mycobacterial ligands engage Toll like receptor 2 (TLR2) on CD4 + T cells and up-regulate T-cell receptor (TCR) triggered Th1 responses in vitro and in vivo. To better understand the role of T-cell expressed TLR2 on CD4 + T-cell differentiation and function, we conducted a gene expression analysis of murine naïve CD4 + T-cells stimulated in the presence or absence of TLR2 co-stimulation. Unexpectedly, naïve CD4 + T-cells co-stimulated via TLR2 showed a significant up-regulation of Il9 mRNA compared to cells co-stimulated via CD28. Under TH9 differentiation, we observed up-regulation of TH9 differentiation, evidenced by increases in both percent of IL-9 secreting cells and IL-9 in culture supernatants in the presence of TLR2 agonist both in polyclonal and Ag85B cognate peptide specific stimulations. Under non-polarizing conditions, TLR2 engagement on CD4 + T-cells had minimal effect on IL-9 secretion and TH9 differentiation, likely due to a prominent effect of TLR2 signaling on IFN-γ secretion and TH1 differentiation. We also report that, TLR2 signaling in CD4 + T cells increased expression of transcription factors BATF and PU.1, known to positively regulate TH9 differentiation. These results reveal a novel role of T-cell expressed TLR2 in enhancing the differentiation and function of TH9 T cells. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Structural study of dehydration mechanisms of NH4Th(NO3)5·9H2O

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knyazev, A. V.; Komshina, M. E.; Baranov, E. V.; Savushkin, I. A.; Nipruk, O. V.; Lukoyanov, A. Yu.

2017-12-01

The new pentanitrate thorium compounds NH4Th(NO3)5·nH2O were synthesized and their crystal structures were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis: space group P21/n, a = 10.5476(5), b = 14.0444(7), c = 15.5287(8) Å, β = 109.4999(7)°, Z = 4; R = 0.0246 (NH4Th(NO3)5·9H2O); space group P212121, a = 8.7039(4), b = 11.9985(6), c = 16.3531(8) Å, Z = 4; R = 0.0259 (NH4Th(NO3)5·5H2O). Features of structural changes in the dehydration were revealed. Conditions of thermal decomposition of the thorium compound were established using differential scanning calorimetry. The compound was investigated by IR spectroscopy and its bands are assigned.

UK Renal Registry 15th annual report: Chapter 6 haemoglobin, ferritin and erythropoietin amongst UK adult dialysis patients in 2011: national and centre-specific analyses.

PubMed

Rao, Anirudh; Gilg, Julie; Williams, Andrew

2013-01-01

The UK Renal Association (RA) and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have published Clinical Practice Guidelines which include recommendations for management of anaemia in established renal failure. To determine the extent to which the guidelines for anaemia management are met in the UK. Quarterly data were obtained for haemoglobin (Hb) and factors that influence Hb from renal centres in England, Wales, Northern Ireland (E, W, NI) and the Scottish Renal Registry for the incident and prevalent renal replacement therapy (RRT) cohorts for 2011. In the UK, in 2011 51% of patients commenced dialysis therapy with Hb ≥10.0 g/dl (median Hb 10 g/dl). Of patients in the early presentation group, 55% started dialysis with Hb ≥10.0 g/dl whilst 37% of patients presenting late started dialysis with Hb ≥10.0 g/dl. The UK median Hb of haemodialysis (HD) patients was 11.2 g/dl with an inter-quartile range (IQR) of 10.3-12.1 g/dl. Of UK HD patients, 82% had Hb ≥10.0 g/dl. The median Hb of peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients in the UK was 11.4 g/dl (IQR 10.5-12.3 g/dl). Of UK PD patients, 85% had Hb ≥10.0 g/dl. The median ferritin in HD patients in the UK was 436 mg/L (IQR 292-625) and 96% of HD patients had a ferritin ≥100 mg/ L. In EW&NI the median ferritin in PD patients was 273 mg/ L (IQR 153-446) with 86% of PD patients having a ferritin ≥100 mg/L. In EW&NI the mean erythropoietin stimulating agent (ESA) dose was higher for HD than PD patients (8,740 vs. 6,624 IU/week). Prevalent HD and PD patients had 56% and 53% respectively within the Hb ≥10 and ≤12 g/dl target. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

UK Renal Registry 16th annual report: chapter 10 haemoglobin, ferritin and erythropoietin amongst UK adult dialysis patients in 2012: national and centre-specific analyses.

PubMed

Rao, Anirudh; Gilg, Julie; Williams, Andrew

2013-01-01

Anaemia treatment in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients has changed dramatically since the implementation of erythropoietin stimulating agents (ESAs) and has shifted the emphasis from treating severe anaemia in dialysis patients to preventing anaemia. The aim of this chapter is to determine the extent to which the UK Renal Association (RA) and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines for anaemia management are met in the UK. Quarterly data were obtained for haemoglobin (Hb) and factors that influence Hb from UK renal centres for the incident and prevalent renal replacement therapy (RRT) cohorts for 2012. In the UK, in 2012, 51% of patients commenced dialysis therapy with Hb 100 g/L (median Hb 100 g/L). Of patients in the early presentation group, 54% started dialysis with Hb 100 g/L whilst 34% of patients presenting late started dialysis with Hb 100 g/L. The UK median Hb of haemodialysis (HD) patients was 112 g/L, with 82% of patients having Hb 100 g/L. The median Hb of peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients in the UK was 114 g/L, with 85% of patients having Hb 100 g/L. The median ferritin in HD patients in the UK was 431 µg/L and 95% of HD patients had a ferritin 100 µg/L. In EW&NI the median ferritin in PD patients was 285 µg/L (IQR 164-466) with 88% of PD patients having a ferritin 100 µg/L. In EW&NI the median ESA dose was higher for HD than PD patients (7,248 vs. 4,250 IU/week). The percentage of patients treated with an ESA and having Hb >120 g/L ranged between centres from 7-39% for HD and from 0-33% for PD. There was poor correlation between median Hb achieved and median ferritin and ESA usage across the EW&NI centres. There was also a significant variation between centres in the percentages of patients treated with an ESA and having Hb >120 g/L. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Assessment of an Engineering Technology Outreach Program for 4th-7th Grade Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dell, Elizabeth M.; Christman, Jeanne; Garrick, Robert D.

2011-01-01

This paper describes a workshop led by female Engineering Technology students, with support from female faculty, to provide an introduction to Engineering Technology to 4th-7th grade girls through a series of interactive laboratory experiments. This outreach program was developed to improve attitudes towards science and engineering in middle…

CXCR3-mediated opposite effects of CXCL10 and CXCL4 on TH1 or TH2 cytokine production.

PubMed

Romagnani, Paola; Maggi, Laura; Mazzinghi, Benedetta; Cosmi, Lorenzo; Lasagni, Laura; Liotta, Francesco; Lazzeri, Elena; Angeli, Roberta; Rotondi, Mario; Filì, Lucia; Parronchi, Paola; Serio, Mario; Maggi, Enrico; Romagnani, Sergio; Annunziato, Francesco

2005-12-01

Two variants of the CXCR3 receptor exist, one (CXCR3-A) reactive with CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11 and the other (CXCR3-B) also reactive with CXCL4. Both variants are contemporarily expressed by human T cells. We sought to investigate the in vitro effects of CXCL10 and CXCL4 on the production of TH1 or TH2 cytokines. The cytokine profile of antigen-specific human CD4+ T-cell lines obtained in the absence or presence of CXCL10 or CXCL4 was evaluated by means of quantitative RT-PCR, flow cytometry, and ELISA. CXCL10 upregulated IFN-gamma and downregulated IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 production, whereas CXCL4 downregulated IFN-gamma and upregulated TH2 cytokines. Similar effects were also observed on polyclonally activated pure naive CD4+ T cells. The opposite effects of CXCL10 and CXCL4 on TH1 and TH2 cytokine production were inhibited by an anti-CXCR3 antibody able to neutralize both CXCR3-A and CXCR3-B and were apparently related to the activation of distinct signal transduction pathways. Moreover, CXCL10 upregulated mRNA levels of T-box expressed in T cells and downregulated GATA-3 expression, whereas CXCL4 downregulated T-box expressed in T cells and upregulated GATA-3. Finally, CXCL4, but not CXCL10, induced direct activation of IL-5 and IL-13 promoters. CXCL10 and CXCL4 exert opposite effects on the production of human TH1 and TH2 cytokines, likely through their respective interaction with CXCR3-A or CXCR3-B and the consequent activation of different signal transduction pathways. This might represent an internal regulatory pathway of TH cell responses and might contribute to the modulation of chronic inflammatory reactions, including allergy.

Releasing Ski-Smad4 mediated suppression is essential to license Th17 differentiation

PubMed Central

Zhang, Song; Takaku, Motoki; Zou, Liyun; Gu, Ai-di; Chou, Wei-chun; Zhang, Ge; Wu, Bing; Kong, Qing; Thomas, Seddon Y.; Serody, Jonathan S.; Chen, Xian; Xu, Xiaojiang; Wade, Paul A.; Cook, Donald N.; Ting, Jenny P.; Wan, Yisong Y.

2017-01-01

Th17 cells are critically involved in host defense, inflammation, and autoimmunity1–5. TGF-β is instrumental in Th17 differentiation by cooperating with IL-66,7. Yet, the mechanism of how TGF-β enables Th17 differentiation remains elusive. Here we reveal that TGF-β licenses Th17 differentiation by releasing Ski-Smad4-complex suppressed RORγt expression. We found serendipitously that, unlike wild-type T cells, Smad4-deficient T cells differentiated into Th17 cells in the absence of TGF-β signaling in a RORγt-dependent manner. Ectopic Smad4 expression suppressed the RORγt expression and Th17 differentiation of Smad4-deficient T cells. Unexpectedly however, TGF-β neutralized Smad4 mediated suppression without affecting Smad4 binding to Rorc locus. Proteomic analysis revealed that Smad4 interacted with Ski, a transcriptional repressor degraded upon TGF-β stimulation. Ski controlled the histone acetylation/de-acetylation of Rorc locus and Th17 differentiation via Smad4 because ectopic Ski expression inhibited H3K9Ac of Rorc locus, Rorc expression and Th17 differentiation in a Smad4-dependent manner. Therefore, TGF-β-induced disruption of Ski releases Ski-Smad4 complex imposed suppression of RORγt to license Th17 differentiation. This study reveals a critical mechanism by which TGF-β controls Th17 differentiation and uncovers Ski-Smad4 axis as a potential therapeutic target for treating Th17 related diseases. PMID:29072299

Subjective depth of field in presence of 4th-order and 6th-order Zernike spherical aberration using adaptive optics technology.

PubMed

Benard, Yohann; Lopez-Gil, Norberto; Legras, Richard

2010-12-01

To study the impact on the subjective depth of field of 4th-order spherical aberration and its combination with 6th-order spherical aberration and analyze the accuracy of image-quality metrics in predicting the impact. Laboratoire Aimé Cotton, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, France. Case series. Subjective depth of field was defined as the range of defocus at which the target (3 high-contrast letters at 20/50) was perceived acceptable. Depth of field was measured using 0.18 diopter (D) steps in young subjects with the addition of the following spherical aberration values: ±0.3 μm and ±0.6 μm 4th-order spherical aberration with 3.0 mm and 6.0 mm pupils and ±0.3 μm 4th-order spherical aberration with ±0.1 μm 6th-order spherical aberration for 6.0 mm pupils. The addition of ±0.3 and ±0.6 μm 4th-order spherical aberration increased depth of field by 30% and 45%, respectively. The combination of 4th-order spherical aberration and 6th-order spherical aberration of opposite signs increased depth of field more than 4th-order spherical aberration alone (ie, 63%), while the combination of 4th-order spherical aberration and 6th-order spherical aberration of the same signs did not (ie, 24%). Whereas the midpoint of the depth of field could be predicted by image-quality metrics, none was found a good predictor of objectionable depth of field. Subjective depth of field increased when 4th-order spherical aberration and 6th-order spherical aberration of opposite signs were added but could not be predicted with image-quality metrics. Copyright © 2010 ASCRS and ESCRS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rapid stimulation of sodium intake combining aldosterone into the 4th ventricle and the blockade of the lateral parabrachial nucleus.

PubMed

Gasparini, S; Melo, M R; Leite, G F; Nascimento, P A; Andrade-Franzé, G M F; Menani, J V; Colombari, E

2017-03-27

Chronic infusion of aldosterone into the 4th ventricle (4th V) induces robust daily sodium intake, whereas acute injection of aldosterone into the 4th V produces no sodium intake. The inhibitory mechanism of the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN) restrains sodium intake induced by different natriorexigenic stimuli and might affect the acute response to aldosterone into the 4th V. In the present study, 1.8% NaCl and water intake was tested in rats treated with acute injections of aldosterone into the 4th V combined with the blockade of the inhibitory mechanisms with injections of moxonidine (α 2 adrenergic/imidazoline agonist) or methysergide (a serotonergic antagonist) into the LPBN. Male Holtzman rats with stainless steel cannulas implanted in the 4th V and bilaterally in the LPBN were used. Aldosterone (250 or 500ng) into the 4th V combined with vehicle into the LPBN induced no 1.8% NaClintake compared to control (1.5±1.1 and 1.1±0.4, respectively, vs. vehicle into 4th V: 1.0±0.5ml/2h). However, aldosterone (250 or 500ng) into the 4th V combined with moxonidine (0.5nmol) into the LPBN induced strong ingestion of 1.8% NaCl (12.7±4.6 and 17.6±3.7ml/2h, respectively). Aldosterone (250ng) into the 4th V combined with methysergide (4μg) into the LPBN also induced 1.8% NaCl intake (17.6±5.4ml/2h). These data suggest that the inhibitory mechanisms of the LPBN counteract the facilitation of sodium intake produced by aldosterone injected into the 4th, restraining sodium intake in this condition. Copyright © 2017 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of integrated radioactive waste packaging and conditioning solutions in the UK

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

Sibley, Peter; Butter, Kevin; Zimmerman, Ian

2013-07-01

In order to offer a more cost effective, safer and efficient Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) management service, EnergySolutions EU Ltd. and Gesellschaft fur Nuklear-Service mbH (GNS) have been engaged in the development of integrated radioactive waste retrieval, packaging and conditioning solutions in the UK. Recognising the challenges surrounding regulatory endorsement and on-site implementation in particular, this has resulted in an alternative approach to meeting customer, safety regulator and disposability requirements. By working closely with waste producers and the organisation(s) responsible for endorsing radioactive waste management operations in the UK, our proposed solutions are now being implemented. By combining GNS' off-the-shelf,more » proven Ductile Cast Iron Containers (DCICs) and water removal technologies, with EnergySolutions EU Ltd.'s experience and expertise in waste retrieval, safety case development and disposability submissions, a fully integrated service offering has been developed. This has involved significant effort to overcome technical challenges such as onsite equipment deployment, active commissioning, conditioning success criteria and disposability acceptance. Our experience in developing such integrated solutions has highlighted the importance of working in collaboration with all parties to achieve a successful and viable outcome. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure reliable, safe and effective delivery of waste management solutions. (authors)« less

Temperature-resolved study of three [M(M'O4)4(TBPO)4] complexes (MM' = URe, ThRe, ThTc).

PubMed

Helliwell, Madeleine; Collison, David; John, Gordon H; May, Iain; Sarsfield, Mark J; Sharrad, Clint A; Sutton, Andrew D

2006-02-01

The crystal structures of the title complexes were measured at several temperatures between room temperature and 100 K. Each sample shows reversible crystal-to-crystal phase transitions as the temperature is varied. The behaviour of [U(ReO4)4(TBPO)4] (I) and [Th(ReO4)4(TBPO)4] (II) (TBPO = tri-n-butylphosphine oxide) is very similar; at room temperature, crystals of (I) and (II) are isostructural, with space group I42m, and reducing the temperature to 100 K causes a lowering of the space-group symmetry to C-centred cells, space groups Cc for (I) and Cmc2(1) for (II). The variation of lattice symmetry of [Th(TcO4)4(TBPO)4] (III) was found to be somewhat different, with the body-centred cubic space group, I43m, occurring at 293 K, a reduction of symmetry at 230 K to the C-centred orthorhombic space group, Cmc2(1), and a further transition to the primitive orthorhombic space group, Pbc2(1), below 215 K. Elucidation of the correct space-group symmetry and the subsequent refinement was complicated in some cases by the twinning by pseudo-merohedry that arises from the lowering of the space-group symmetry, occurring as the temperature is reduced. All three of the crystal structures determined at room temperature have high atomic displacement parameters, particularly of the (n)Bu groups, and (III) shows disorder of some of the O atoms. The structures in the space group Cmc2(1), show some disorder of nBu groups, but are otherwise reasonably well ordered; the structures of (I) in Cc and (III) in Pbc2(1) are ordered, even to the ends of the alkyl chains. Inter-comparison of the structures measured below 293 K, using the program OFIT from the SHELXTL package, showed that generally, they are remarkably alike, with weighted r.m.s. deviations of the M, M' and P atoms of less than 0.1 A, as are the 293 K structures of (I) and (II) with their low-temperature counterparts. However, the structure of (III) measured in the space group Cmc2(1) is significantly different from both the

Insights into the role of Bcl6 in follicular Th cells using a new conditional mutant mouse model.

PubMed

Hollister, Kristin; Kusam, Saritha; Wu, Hao; Clegg, Ninah; Mondal, Arpita; Sawant, Deepali V; Dent, Alexander L

2013-10-01

The transcriptional repressor Bcl6 controls development of the follicular Th cell (T(FH)) lineage, but the precise mechanisms by which Bcl6 regulates this process are unclear. A model has been proposed whereby Bcl6 represses the differentiation of T cells into alternative effector lineages, thus favoring T(FH) cell differentiation. Analysis of T cell differentiation using Bcl6-deficient mice has been complicated by the strong proinflammatory phenotype of Bcl6-deficient myeloid cells. In this study, we report data from a novel mouse model where Bcl6 is conditionally deleted in T cells (Bcl6(fl/fl)Cre(CD4) mice). After immunization, programmed death -1 (PD-1)(high) T(FH) cells in Bcl6(fl/fl)Cre(CD4) mice are decreased >90% compared with control mice, and Ag-specific IgG is sharply reduced. Residual PD-1(high)CXCR5(+) T(FH) cells in Bcl6(fl/fl)Cre(CD4) mice show a significantly higher rate of apoptosis than do PD-1(high)CXCR5(+) T(FH) cells in control mice. Immunization of Bcl6(fl/fl)Cre(CD4) mice did not reveal enhanced differentiation into Th1, Th2, or Th17 lineages, although IL-10 expression by CD4 T cells was markedly elevated. Thus, T cell-extrinsic factors appear to promote the increased Th1, Th2, and Th17 responses in germline Bcl6-deficient mice. Furthermore, IL-10 may be a key target gene for Bcl6 in CD4 T cells, which enables Bcl6 to promote the T(FH) cell phenotype. Finally, our data reveal a novel mechanism for the role of Bcl6 in promoting T(FH) cell survival.

Kinetics of Cathode Processes in Separation of Thorium from Molten Salts. Part I. Investigation of ThF$sub 4$ and ThF$sub 4$-CaF$sub 2$; KINETYKA PROCESU KATODOWEGO PRZY OSADZANIU TORU ZE STOPIONYCH SOLI. CZESC I. BADANIA ThF$sub 4$ I ThF$sub 4$-CaF$sub 2$

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

Mints, S.; Rafal'skii, V.

1961-09-01

The current-intensity curves of non-electrolyzed salts and the curves of time-intensity and current-intensity in electrolyzed salts were plotted for molten ThF/sub 4/ and ThF /sub 4/CaF/sub 2/. The intensity of salt disintegration was determined, and electric conductivity in electrolyte was observed. (trauth)

A novel acute HIV infection staging system based on 4th generation immunoassay.

PubMed

Ananworanich, Jintanat; Fletcher, James L K; Pinyakorn, Suteeraporn; van Griensven, Frits; Vandergeeten, Claire; Schuetz, Alexandra; Pankam, Tippawan; Trichavaroj, Rapee; Akapirat, Siriwat; Chomchey, Nitiya; Phanuphak, Praphan; Chomont, Nicolas; Michael, Nelson L; Kim, Jerome H; de Souza, Mark

2013-05-29

Fourth generation (4thG) immunoassay (IA) is becoming the standard HIV screening method but was not available when the Fiebig acute HIV infection (AHI) staging system was proposed. Here we evaluated AHI staging based on a 4thG IA (4thG staging). Screening for AHI was performed in real-time by pooled nucleic acid testing (NAT, n=48,828 samples) and sequential enzyme immunoassay (EIA, n=3,939 samples) identifying 63 subjects with non-reactive 2nd generation EIA (Fiebig stages I (n=25), II (n=7), III (n=29), IV (n=2)). The majority of samples tested (n=53) were subtype CRF_01AE (77%). NAT+ subjects were re-staged into three 4thG stages: stage 1 (n=20; 4th gen EIA-, 3rd gen EIA-), stage 2 (n=12; 4th gen EIA+, 3rd gen EIA-), stage 3 (n=31; 4th gen EIA+, 3rd gen EIA+, Western blot-/indeterminate). 4thG staging distinguishes groups of AHI subjects by time since presumed HIV exposure, pattern of CD8+ T, B and natural killer cell absolute numbers, and HIV RNA and DNA levels. This staging system further stratified Fiebig I subjects: 18 subjects in 4thG stage 1 had lower HIV RNA and DNA levels than 7 subjects in 4thG stage 2. Using 4th generation IA as part of AHI staging distinguishes groups of patients by time since exposure to HIV, lymphocyte numbers and HIV viral burden. It identifies two groups of Fiebig stage I subjects who display different levels of HIV RNA and DNA, which may have implication for HIV cure. 4th generation IA should be incorporated into AHI staging systems.

Mesenchymal stem cells generate a CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cell population during the differentiation process of Th1 and Th17 cells.

PubMed

Luz-Crawford, Patricia; Kurte, Monica; Bravo-Alegría, Javiera; Contreras, Rafael; Nova-Lamperti, Estefania; Tejedor, Gautier; Noël, Danièle; Jorgensen, Christian; Figueroa, Fernando; Djouad, Farida; Carrión, Flavio

2013-06-04

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are adult, multipotent, stem cells with immunomodulatory properties. The mechanisms involved in the capacity of MSCs to inhibit the proliferation of proinflammatory T lymphocytes, which appear responsible for causing autoimmune disease, have yet to be fully elucidated. One of the underlying mechanisms studied recently is the ability of MSCs to generate T regulatory (Treg) cells in vitro and in vivo from activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), T-CD4+ and also T-CD8(+) cells. In the present work we investigated the capacity of MSCs to generate Treg cells using T-CD4(+) cells induced to differentiate toward the proinflammatory Th1 and Th17 lineages. MSCs were obtained from mouse bone marrow and characterized according to their surface antigen expression and their multilineage differentiation potential. CD4(+) T cells isolated from mouse spleens were induced to differentiate into Th1 or Th17 cells and co-cultured with MSCs added at day 0, 2 or 4 of the differentiation processes. After six days, CD25, Foxp3, IL-17 and IFN-γ expression was assessed by flow cytometry and helios and neuropilin 1 mRNA levels were assessed by RT-qPCR. For the functional assays, the 'conditioned' subpopulation generated in the presence of MSCs was cultured with concanavalin A-activated CD4(+) T cells labeled with carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester. Finally, we used the encephalomyelitis autoimmune diseases (EAE) mouse model, in which mice were injected with MSCs at day 18 and 30 after immunization. At day 50, the mice were euthanized and draining lymph nodes were extracted for Th1, Th17 and Treg detection by flow cytometry. MSCs were able to suppress the proliferation, activation and differentiation of CD4(+) T cells induced to differentiate into Th1 and Th17 cells. This substantial suppressive effect was associated with an increase of the percentage of functional induced CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells and IL-10 secretion. However

Promoting Maternal and Infant Health in the 4th Trimester

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verbiest, Sarah B.; Tully, Kristin P.; Stuebe, Alison M.

2017-01-01

The "4th trimester" refers to the transition period after childbirth when infants are adjusting to life outside the womb and mothers are adjusting to new parenthood. This critical period is marked by significant biological, psychological, and social changes, which are currently insufficiently supported. The 4th trimester perspective…

[The comparison of 4th, 5th and 6th year medical students knowledge of rules and practical skills in the interpretation of electrocardiograms at Jagiellonian University].

PubMed

Pudło, Joanna; Wierdak, Mateusz; Macioł, Karolina; Gumul, Katarzyna; Lelakowski, Jacek

2012-01-01

The electrocardiogram (ECG) examination is one of the most frequent administered diagnostic tests. It is commonly ordered by General Practitioners, and it has became a routinely administered examination during admission to the hospital. During their studies, medical students has numerous opportunities to review and interpret the results of these tests. The aim of our research was to statistically compare and contrast the knowledge of the rules and practical skills in the interpretation of ECGs in 4th, 5th and 6th year medical students at Jagiellonian University. We wanted to better define in which year the students acquire the most of their clinical skills and determine if 6th year students have sufficient knowledge and skills to adequately perform in their future career. We additionally wanted to understand from which source students draw their knowledge of the ECG. The population of 249- 4th, 5th and 6th year medical students of Jagiellonian University were asked to reply to an anonymous questionnaire. The questionnaire was comprised of three parts. The fist part contains four simple ECGs (STEMI, RBBB, PVC, normogram--sinus rhythm). The second part contained six questions regarding their theoretical knowledge. The third part contained seven questions which evaluated the students' background and approach to the problem. Students filled the questionnaire without prior preparation to avoid the short-term "examination knowledge". The question that was most frequent answered correctly was question regarding the proper time (in milliseconds) of QRS complex (24.1%). Differences in the percentage of correct answers to questionnaire amongst 4th and 5th year students were statistically uncharacteristic. The percentage of correct answers of 6th year students increased by about 16% (p < 0.0001). The comparison of answers between 6th year students - who in prior semester completed a cardiology course (group A 6th year) and 6th year students who did not yet complete cardiology

Different modulation by histamine of IL-4 and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) release according to the phenotype of human Th0, Th1 and Th2 clones

PubMed Central

LAGIER, B; LEBEL, B; BOUSQUET, J; PÈNE, J

1997-01-01

Histamine, an important inflammatory mediator in allergic diseases and asthma, has been reported to have modulator effects on T cells, suggesting that the bronchial microenvironment may regulate the function of resident T cells. We examined the effect of histamine on the release of the Th2-associated cytokines IL-4 and IL-5 and the Th1-associated cytokine IFN-γ by 30 CD4+ T cell clones from peripheral blood or bronchial biopsy of one atopic subject. Based on the IL-4/IFN-γ ratio, the clones were ascribed to the Th2 (ratio >1), Th0 (ratio ⩾ 0.1 and ⩽1) or Th1 (ratio <0.1) phenotype. Histamine inhibited IFN-γ production by Th1-like cells (P<0.02, Kruskall–Wallis), especially from bronchial biopsy, but had no effect on IL-4 release. Regarding Th0 clones, histamine inhibited IL-4 production (P<0.02) in a dose-dependent manner and slightly inhibited IFN-γ production, but had no effect on Th2-like cells. Histamine had a heterogeneous and insignificant effect on IL-5 production. The H2-receptor antagonist ranitidine completely reversed the inhibition of IL-4 and IFN-γ production, whereas the agonist dimaprit mimicked this effect. In contrast, H1- and H3-receptor agonists and antagonists had no significant effect. These data demonstrate that histamine has different effects on IL-4 and IFN-γ release by T helper cells according to their phenotype via H2-receptors. This study extends the immunomodulatory effects of histamine which may contribute to the perpetuation of airway inflammation in asthma. PMID:9182905

Comparison of Visual Assessment of Breast Density in BI-RADS 4th and 5th Editions With Automated Volumetric Measurement.

PubMed

Youk, Ji Hyun; Kim, So Jung; Son, Eun Ju; Gweon, Hye Mi; Kim, Jeong-Ah

2017-09-01

The purpose of this study was to compare visual assessments of mammographic breast density by radiologists using BI-RADS 4th and 5th editions in correlation with automated volumetric breast density measurements. A total of 337 consecutive full-field digital mammographic examinations with standard views were retrospectively assessed by two radiologists for mammographic breast density according to BI-RADS 4th and 5th editions. Fully automated measurement of the volume of fibroglandular tissue and total breast and percentage breast density was performed with a commercially available software program. Interobserver and intraobserver agreement was assessed with kappa statistics. The distributions of breast density categories for both editions of BI-RADS were compared and correlated with volumetric data. Interobserver agreement on breast density category was moderate to substantial (κ = 0.58-0.63) with use of BI-RADS 4th edition and substantial (κ = 0.63-0.66) with use of the 5th edition but without significant difference between the two editions. For intraobserver agreement between the two editions, the distributions of density category were significantly different (p < 0.0001), the proportions of dense breast increased, and the proportion of fatty breast decreased with use of the 5th edition compared with the 4th edition (p < 0.0001). All volumetric breast density data, including percentage breast density, were significantly different among density categories (p < 0.0001) and had significant correlation with visual assessment for both editions of BI-RADS (p < 0.01). Assessment using BI-RADS 5th edition revealed a higher proportion of dense breast than assessment using BI-RADS 4th edition. Nevertheless, automated volumetric density assessment had good correlation with visual assessment for both editions of BI-RADS.

Th1 cytokine-induced syndecan-4 shedding by airway smooth muscle cells is dependent on mitogen-activated protein kinases.

PubMed

Tan, Xiahui; Khalil, Najwa; Tesarik, Candice; Vanapalli, Karunasri; Yaputra, Viki; Alkhouri, Hatem; Oliver, Brian G G; Armour, Carol L; Hughes, J Margaret

2012-04-01

In asthma, airway smooth muscle (ASM) chemokine secretion can induce mast cell recruitment into the airways. The functions of the mast cell chemoattractant CXCL10, and other chemokines, are regulated by binding to heparan sulphates such as syndecan-4. This study is the first demonstration that airway smooth muscle cells (ASMC) from people with and without asthma express and shed syndecan-4 under basal conditions. Syndecan-4 shedding was enhanced by stimulation for 24 h with the Th1 cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) or tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), but not interferon-γ (IFNγ), nor the Th2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-13. ASMC stimulation with IL-1β, TNF-α, and IFNγ (cytomix) induced the highest level of syndecan-4 shedding. Nonasthmatic and asthmatic ASM cell-associated syndecan-4 protein expression was also increased by TNF-α or cytomix at 4-8 h, with the highest levels detected in cytomix-stimulated asthmatic cells. Cell-associated syndecan-4 levels were decreased by 24 h, whereas shedding remained elevated at 24 h, consistent with newly synthesized syndecan-4 being shed. Inhibition of ASMC matrix metalloproteinase-2 did not prevent syndecan-4 shedding, whereas inhibition of ERK MAPK activation reduced shedding from cytomix-stimulated ASMC. Although ERK inhibition had no effect on syndecan-4 mRNA levels stimulated by cytomix, it did cause an increase in cell-associated syndecan-4 levels, consistent with the shedding being inhibited. In conclusion, ASMC produce and shed syndecan-4 and although this is increased by the Th1 cytokines, the MAPK ERK only regulates shedding. ASMC syndecan-4 production during Th1 inflammatory conditions may regulate chemokine activity and mast cell recruitment to the ASM in asthma.

Successful 4th kidney transplantation: a case report from Iran.

PubMed

Nourbala, Mohammad Hossein; Ghadian, Alireza; Einollahi, Behzad; Azarabadi, Mehdi

2013-05-21

Kidney transplantation is generally considered the best option for most patients with end-stage renal disease requiring renal replacement therapy, even for patients with graft failure. Here, we describe a case of a 49-year-old man who received his 1st kidney transplant the United Kingdom from his brother when he was 18 years old in. Thirty-one year after the first transplant, he underwent successful 4th living-unrelated kidney transplantation with no serious complications at our transplant center. He continued to have excellent allograft function and his latest serum creatinine 33 months after his 4th transplant was 1.2 mg/dL. To our knowledge, this is the first case of 4th kidney transplantation from Iran.

Relationships between Grade Levels, Personal Factors, and Instructional Variation among 4th-12th Grade Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Jacquelyn M.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to investigate relationships between grade levels, personal factors of teachers, and instructional variety used by 4th-12th grade teachers in Kern County, California. The population under investigation included 2,844 teachers. 235 elementary, middle school/junior high, and secondary teachers…

UK Renal Registry 16th annual report: chapter 9 adequacy of haemodialysis in UK adult patients in 2012: national and centre-specific analyses.

PubMed

Shaw, Catriona; Steenkamp, Retha; Davenport, Andrew

2013-01-01

Outcomes in patients treated with haemodialysis (HD) are influenced by the delivered dose of dialysis. The UK Renal Association (RA) publishes clinical practice guidelines which include recommendations for dialysis dose. The urea reduction ratio (URR) is a widely used measure of dialysis dose and has historically been the measure of adequacy reported by the UKRR. This chapter aims to determine the extent to which patients achieved the recommended UK target. All 71 UK renal centres submitted data to the UK Renal Registry (UKRR). Two groups of patients were included in the analyses: the prevalent HD patient population on 30st September 2012 and the incident HD patient population for 2011. Centres returning data on <50% of their patient population or centres with <20 patients were excluded from centrespecific comparisons. Data regarding URR were available from 63 renal centres in the UK. Forty nine centres provided URR data on more than 90% of prevalent HD patients. The proportion of patients in the UK who met the UK clinical practice guideline for URR (>65%) increased from 69% in 2000 to 88% in 2012. There was persistent variation observed between centres, with 21 centres attaining the RA clinical practice guideline in >90% of patients, 38 centres attaining the guideline in 70-90% of patients and one centre in less than 70% of patients. The overall proportion of prevalent HD patients with a URR >65% has continued to improve over time. The delivered dose of HD, as measured by URR for patients with established renal failure, has increased over the last decade. Whilst the majority of UK patients achieved the target URR there was considerable variation between centres in the percentage of patients achieving the current guideline. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Primary Murine CD4+ T Cells Fail to Acquire the Ability to Produce Effector Cytokines When Active Ras Is Present during Th1/Th2 Differentiation

PubMed Central

Janardhan, Sujit V.; Marks, Reinhard; Gajewski, Thomas F.

2014-01-01

Constitutive Ras signaling has been shown to augment IL-2 production, reverse anergy, and functionally replace many aspects of CD28 co-stimulation in CD4+ T cells. These data raise the possibility that introduction of active Ras into primary T cells might result in improved functionality in pathologic situations of T cell dysfunction, such as cancer or chronic viral infection. To test the biologic effects of active Ras in primary T cells, CD4+ T cells from Coxsackie-Adenovirus Receptor Transgenic mice were transduced with an adenovirus encoding active Ras. As expected, active Ras augmented IL-2 production in naive CD4+ T cells. However, when cells were cultured for 4 days under conditions to promote effector cell differentiation, active Ras inhibited the ability of CD4+ T cells to acquire a Th1 or Th2 effector cytokine profile. This differentiation defect was not due to deficient STAT4 or STAT6 activation by IL-12 or IL-4, respectively, nor was it associated with deficient induction of T-bet and GATA-3 expression. Impaired effector cytokine production in active Ras-transduced cells was associated with deficient demethylation of the IL-4 gene locus. Our results indicate that, despite augmenting acute activation of naïve T cells, constitutive Ras signaling inhibits the ability of CD4+ T cells to properly differentiate into Th1/Th2 effector cytokine-producing cells, in part by interfering with epigenetic modification of effector gene loci. Alternative strategies to potentiate Ras pathway signaling in T cells in a more regulated fashion should be considered as a therapeutic approach to improve immune responses in vivo. PMID:25397617

75 FR 34636 - Safety Zone; Jameson Beach 4th of July Fireworks Display

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-18

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Jameson Beach 4th of July Fireworks Display AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION... waters of Lake Tahoe, for the Jameson Beach 4th of July Fireworks Display. This safety zone is... Safety Zone; Jameson Beach 4th of July Fireworks Display. (a) Location. This temporary safety zone is...

Irradiation performance of (Th,Pu)O2 fuel under Pressurized Water Reactor conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boer, B.; Lemehov, S.; Wéber, M.; Parthoens, Y.; Gysemans, M.; McGinley, J.; Somers, J.; Verwerft, M.

2016-04-01

This paper examines the in-pile safety performance of (Th,Pu)O2 fuel pins under simulated Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) conditions. Both sol-gel and SOLMAS produced (Th,Pu)O2 fuels at enrichments of 7.9% and 12.8% in Pu/HM have been irradiated at SCK·CEN. The irradiation has been performed under PWR conditions (155 bar, 300 °C) in a dedicated loop of the BR-2 reactor. The loop is instrumented with flow and temperature monitors at inlet and outlet, which allow for an accurate measurement of the deposited enthalpy.

4TH Marine Division Operation Plan Number 49-44

DTIC Science & Technology

1944-12-26

information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. 1. REPORT DATE MAY 1972 2. REPORT TYPE N/A 3. DATES COVERED - 4. TITLE AND...assigned (Annex DOG to Adm 0 No. ;44-44,. (2) 4th Tk Bn (less Cos A, B, & C), on landing, be prepared to assume control of Tk Elms as released and Spt...the Atk. (3) 41th Ned Bn, on landing Bn Ho and on Div order, assume control of Cos A, B, and C ashore, prepared to land the remainder of the Bn on Div

Chemical and structural evolution in the Th-SeO3(2-)/SeO4(2-) system: from simple selenites to cluster-based selenate compounds.

PubMed

Xiao, Bin; Langer, Eike; Dellen, Jakob; Schlenz, Hartmut; Bosbach, Dirk; Suleimanov, Evgeny V; Alekseev, Evgeny V

2015-03-16

While extensive success has been gained in the structural chemistry of the U-Se system, the synthesis and characterization of Th-based Se structures are widely unexplored. Here, four new Th-Se compounds, α-Th(SeO3)2, β-Th(SeO3)2, Th(Se2O5)2, and Th3O2(OH)2(SeO4)3, have been obtained from mild hydrothermal or low-temperature (180-220 °C) flux conditions and were subsequently structurally and spectroscopically characterized. The crystal structures of α-Th(SeO3)2 and β-Th(SeO3)2 are based on ThO8 and SeO3 polyhedra, respectively, featuring a three-dimensional (3D) network with selenite anions filling in the Th channels along the a axis. Th(Se2O5)2 is a 3D framework composed of isolated ThO8 polyhedra interconnected by [Se2O5](2-) dimers. Th3O2(OH)2(SeO4)3 is also a 3D framework constructed by octahedral hexathorium clusters [Th6(μ3-O)4(μ3-OH)4](12+), which are interlinked by selenate groups SeO4(2-). The positions of the vibrational modes associated with both Se(IV)O3(2-) and Se(VI)O4(2-) units, respectively, were determined for four compounds, and the Raman spectra of α- and β-Th(SeO3)2 are compared and discussed in detail.

Enhancing national Daily Landslide Hazard Assessments through inter-agency collaboration; lessons learned from storm Desmond (UK)/Synne (Norway), Dec 2015.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boje, Søren; Devoli, Graziella; Sund, Monica; Freeborough, Katy; Dijkstra, Tom; Reeves, Helen; Banks, Vanessa

2016-04-01

The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) and the British Geological Survey (BGS) compile daily landslide hazard assessments (DLHA) in their respective countries. NVE DLHA has been operational since 2013 and provides national daily assessments based on quantitative thresholds related to daily hydro-meteorological forecasts coupled with qualitative expert analysis of these forecasts. The BGS DLHA has been operational since 2012 and this is predominantly based on expert evaluation of antecedent hydro-meteorological conditions and triggering rainfall across Great Britain (GB). In both cases, the hydro-meteorological evaluation is coupled with observations derived from proprietary datasets on landslide events and landslide potential in order to specify, and limit, the spatial extent of the potentially impacted area. However, the DLHA are strongly driven by hydro-meteorological forecasts. In December 2015, a large extra-tropical cyclone developed over the Atlantic and delivered record-breaking precipitation over parts of the UK and Norway. The meteorological services started naming these events to enhance public uptake and awareness and the storms were named as Desmond (the 4th large storm in 2015/16 in the UK) and Synne (the 5th storm in 2015 in Norway). Desmond arrived in earnest on the 5th of December and brought intense precipitation and strong winds over a 48-hour period. In Cumbria (NW-England) record precipitation was measured (341.4 mm in 24-hour at Honister Pass which is more than twice the monthly average), with 48-hour accumulations exceeding 400 mm. Synne arrived shortly after in Norway and was also characterised by excessive rainfall of 140 mm in 24-hour, 236 mm in 48-hour and 299 mm in 72-hour at Maudal, SW-Norway. Both organisations managed to issue appropriate advance warnings, operating individually. In Norway, warnings were issued some 2 days in advance with a yellow level communicated on Friday 4th and an orange warning the 5th and 6

76 FR 37649 - Safety Zone; Northern California Annual Fireworks Events, July 4th Fireworks Display

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-28

... Zone; Northern California Annual Fireworks Events, July 4th Fireworks Display AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... annual July 4th Fireworks Display (Tahoe City 4th of July Fireworks Display). This action is necessary to... INFORMATION: The Coast Guard will enforce the safety zone for the annual Tahoe City 4th of July Fireworks in...

Relationship of workplace violence and perpetrators on sleep disturbance-data from the 4th Korean working conditions survey.

PubMed

Yoo, Taejun; Ye, Byeongjin; Kim, Jung-Il; Park, Siwoo

2016-01-01

The present study analyzed relationship of workplace violence and perpetrators of violence on sleep disturbance among wage workers in Korea. The present study used data from the 4th Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS) of 2014 in selecting a total of 25,138wage workers as the study population, which excluded those who failed or refused to respond to questions required for the present study. The workplace violence experience group included people who satisfied at least one of six relevant criteria (verbal abuse, unwanted sexual attention, threatening or humiliating behavior, physical violence, bullying/harassment, and sexual harassment) and the group was divided according to whether the perpetrator of violence was a client or colleague. Presence of sleep disturbance was determined based on subjective symptoms felt within the past 12 months by each individual. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the effects on sleep distance according to general, occupational, and psychosocial characteristics, as well as the types of workplace violence and perpetrators of violence. Workplace violence was found as a factor affecting sleep disturbance (OR = 3.773, 95 % CI = 3.058-4.655), and with respect to perpetrators of violence, complaint of sleep disturbance symptoms was higher when the perpetrator was a colleague or boss (OR = 5.688, 95 % CI 4.189-7.723) than a client (OR = 2.992, 95 % CI 2.301-3.890). Workplace violence had an effect on occurrence of sleep disturbance and when the perpetrators of violence was a boss or colleague at work, the risk for symptoms such as sleep disturbance increased, which indicated the need for appropriate intervention from a workplace healthcare perspective, including preventive education of workplace violence among employees.

Effectiveness of oxfendazole against early and later 4th-stage Strongylus vulgaris in ponies.

PubMed

Slocombe, J O; McCraw, B M; Pennock, P; Ducharme, N G; Baird, J D

1986-03-01

Twenty pony foals (reared worm free), 6.5 to 10 weeks of age, were inoculated with Strongylus vulgaris and allocated to 5 groups, each with 4 foals. One week after inoculation, 1 group of 4 foals was given oxfendazole (OFZ) at a dosage rate of 10 mg/kg of body weight, another group was given 2 such treatments 48 hours apart, and a 3rd group was given a placebo. All treatments were administered by stomach tube. Three weeks later, foals were euthanatized and necropsied in a test for efficacy against early 4th-stage larvae. Oxfendazole was 80% and 94.9% effective against early 4th-stage S vulgaris with 1 and 2 doses, respectively. A 4th group of 4 foals was given 2 treatments of OFZ, 48 hours apart, about 8 weeks after inoculation, and a 5th group was given a placebo. These foals were euthanatized and necropsied 5 weeks after treatment in a test for efficacy against later 4th-stage larvae. Two doses of OFZ were 96.6% effective against later 4th-stage larvae.

Structure of MyTH4-FERM domains in myosin VIIa tail bound to cargo.

PubMed

Wu, Lin; Pan, Lifeng; Wei, Zhiyi; Zhang, Mingjie

2011-02-11

The unconventional myosin VIIa (MYO7A) is one of the five proteins that form a network of complexes involved in formation of stereocilia. Defects in these proteins cause syndromic deaf-blindness in humans [Usher syndrome I (USH1)]. Many disease-causing mutations occur in myosin tail homology 4-protein 4.1, ezrin, radixin, moesin (MyTH4-FERM) domains in the myosin tail that binds to another USH1 protein, Sans. We report the crystal structure of MYO7A MyTH4-FERM domains in complex with the central domain (CEN) of Sans at 2.8 angstrom resolution. The MyTH4 and FERM domains form an integral structural and functional supramodule binding to two highly conserved segments (CEN1 and 2) of Sans. The MyTH4-FERM/CEN complex structure provides mechanistic explanations for known deafness-causing mutations in MYO7A MyTH4-FERM. The structure will also facilitate mechanistic and functional studies of MyTH4-FERM domains in other myosins.

75 FR 34639 - Safety Zone; Reedville July 4th Celebration, Cockrell's Creek, Reedville, VA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-18

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Reedville July 4th Celebration, Cockrell's Creek, Reedville, VA AGENCY: Coast Guard... Cockrell's Creek in the vicinity of Reedville, Virginia in support of the Reedville July 4th Celebration... notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) entitled Reedville July 4th Celebration, Cockrell's Creek, Reedville...

UK Renal Registry 13th Annual Report (December 2010): Chapter 9: haemoglobin, ferritin and erythropoietin amongst UK adult dialysis patients in 2009: national and centre-specific analyses.

PubMed

Gilg, Julie; Webb, Lynsey; Feest, Terry; Fogarty, Damian

2011-01-01

The UK Renal Association (RA) and National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) have published Clinical Practice Guidelines which include recommendations for management of anaemia in established renal failure. To determine the extent to which the guidelines for anaemia management are met in the UK. Quarterly data were obtained regarding haemoglobin (Hb) and factors that influence Hb from renal centres in England, Wales, Northern Ireland (EWNI) and the Scottish Renal Registry for the incident and prevalent renal replacement therapy (RRT) cohorts for 2009. In the UK, in 2009 55% of patients commenced dialysis therapy with Hb x10.0 g/dl (median Hb 10.2 g/dl). The median Hb of haemodialysis (HD) patients was 11.6 g/dl with an interquartile range (IQR) of 10.6 - 12.4 g/dl. Of HD patients 85% had Hb ≥ 10.0 g/dl. The median Hb of peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients in the UK was 11.7 g/dl (IQR 10.7-12.6 g/dl). Of UK PD patients, 88% had Hb ≥ 10.0 g/dl. The median ferritin in HD patients in EWNI was 441 mg/L (IQR 289-629) and 96% of HD patients had a ferritin ≥ 100 mg/L. The median ferritin in PD patients was 249 mg/L (IQR 142-412) with 86% of PD patients having a ferritin 5100 mg/L. In EWNI the mean Erythropoietin Stimulating Agent (ESA) dose was higher for HD than PD patients (9,507 vs. 6,212 IU/week). In 2009, 56% of prevalent HD patients had a Hb ≥ 10.5 and ≤ 12.5 g/dl compared with 54% in 2008 and 53% in 2007. Fifty-four percent of prevalent PD patients had a Hb ≥10.5 and ≤12.5 g/dl compared to 55% in 2008. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

4. LOOKING NORTHEAST TOWARDS LOCKS. 19TH CENTURY GRAVITY LOCKS ON ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

4. LOOKING NORTHEAST TOWARDS LOCKS. 19TH CENTURY GRAVITY LOCKS ON RIGHT. 20TH CENTURY ELECTRIC LIFT LOCKS ON LEFT. - New York State Barge Canal, Lockport Locks, Richmond Avenue, Lockport, Niagara County, NY

Evaluation of new in vitro efficacy test for antimicrobial surface activity reflecting UK hospital conditions.

PubMed

Ojeil, M; Jermann, C; Holah, J; Denyer, S P; Maillard, J-Y

2013-12-01

Antimicrobial surfaces aim to reduce microbial bioburden and improve hygiene. The current antimicrobial surface efficacy test (ISO22196) is an initial screening test but its conditions, high temperature (37°C) and relative humidity (RH) (100%) bear little relationship to in-use conditions. To develop an antimicrobial surface efficacy test providing a realistic second-tier test, simulating in-use conditions. Surface relative humidity, temperature and soiling were measured over one year at a UK hospital, enabling realistic parameters to be set for our surface efficacy test. A nebulizer, connected to a cascade impactor, aerosolized and uniformly deposited a Staphylococcus aureus suspension over test copper alloys and control stainless steel surfaces. Bacteria were enumerated following nebulization, and after a range of contact times, under [20°C, 50% RH] and [20°C, 40% RH] parameters reflecting in-use conditions; [37°C, 100% RH] was employed to reflect conditions used in ISO22196. All copper alloys produced a >4 log10 reduction after 24h under all conditions tested. Copper alloys were more effective at [37°C, 100% RH] showing a >4 log10 reduction after 30 min than at in-use conditions [20°C, 50% RH and 20°C, 40% RH], for which 60 min was required to achieve the same level of kill, for most but not all alloys. The use of the nebulizer to deposit bacterial inocula on surfaces showed little variability in results. Our method was more discriminatory than the ISO22196 enabling distinction between the bactericidal surface activity, which allows for a more rigorous selection of antimicrobial surfaces for potential use in healthcare settings. Copyright © 2013 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

75 FR 26157 - Safety Zone; Reedville July 4th Celebration, Cockrell's Creek, Reedville, VA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-11

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Reedville July 4th Celebration, Cockrell's Creek, Reedville, VA AGENCY: Coast Guard... Reedville July 4th Celebration event. This action is intended to restrict vessel traffic movement on... established in the interest of public safety during the Reedville July 4th Celebration event and will be...

Suppressive effects of a novel CC chemokine receptor 4 antagonist on Th2 cell trafficking in ligand- and antigen-induced mouse models.

PubMed

Komiya, Takaki; Sugiyama, Tetsuya; Takeda, Kazuhiko; Watanabe, Noriki; Imai, Masamichi; Kokubo, Masaya; Tokuda, Natsuko; Ochiai, Hiroshi; Habashita, Hiromu; Shibayama, Shiro

2013-11-15

CC chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4) has been implicated as a preferential marker for T helper type 2 (Th2) cells, and is believed to be involved in the pathology of allergic diseases by controlling Th2 cell trafficking into inflamed tissues. The objective of the study was to characterize the pharmacological properties of E0001-163, a novel CCR4 antagonist. E0001-163 was tested in both in vitro chemotaxis assays as well as in vivo mouse models of CCR4 ligand-induced air pouch and antigen-induced airway inflammation by utilizing in vitro-polarized Th2 cells. In vitro, E0001-163 inhibited migratory response of human Th2-polarized cells to CCL22, a CCR4 ligand, with an IC50 value of 11.9 nM. E0001-163 significantly suppressed CCL22-induced Th2 cell trafficking into mouse air pouch in a dose-dependent manner at doses of 3 and 10mg/kg, suggesting that E0001-163 has an inhibitory effect on CCR4-mediated T cell trafficking in vivo. In addition, E0001-163 partially decreased Th2 cell trafficking and the level of IL-4 in the lungs in Th2-tansferred and ovalbumin (OVA)-challenged mice. T cell trafficking involves multiple chemokine receptors both in acute and chronic phases, and our findings suggest that CCR4, together with other chemokine receptors, may be involved in Th2 cell trafficking under disease conditions. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Color duplex assessment of 4th and 5th internal mammary artery perforators: the pedicles of the medially based lower pole breast flaps.

PubMed

Abdel-Monem, Kareem; Elshahat, Ahmed; Abou-Gamrah, Sherif; Eldin Abol-Atta, Hossam; Abd Eltawab, Reda; Massoud, Karim

2012-01-01

Reconstruction of a breast after mastectomy using the contralateral lower pole breast flap is an appealing procedure because it uses the tissues that were going to be excised during reduction of the sound breast to achieve symmetry. Literature mentioned that these flaps are supplied by the lower internal mammary artery perforators (IMAPs) with no further details. The aim of this study was to determine the site, size, and number of the 4th and 5th IMAPs by using preoperative color Duplex ultrasound and intraoperative exploration. Twenty breasts in 10 patients who presented for reduction mammoplasty were included in this study. Preoperative color duplex was used to determine IMAPs in the 4th and 5th intercostal spaces. These perforators were localized intraoperatively. Intravenous fluorescein injection was used to determine the perfusion of the lower pole breast flap on the basis of these perforators. Statistically, the 4th IMAPs diameters were significantly larger than the 5th IMAPs diameters (P < .05). The lower pole breast flap was perfused through these perforators. Color Duplex ultrasound is an accurate tool to preoperatively determine the 4th and 5th IMAPs.

Color Duplex Assessment of 4th and 5th Internal Mammary Artery Perforators: The Pedicles of the Medially Based Lower Pole Breast Flaps

PubMed Central

Abdel-Monem, Kareem; Elshahat, Ahmed; Abou-Gamrah, Sherif; Eldin Abol-Atta, Hossam; Abd Eltawab, Reda; Massoud, Karim

2012-01-01

Objective: Reconstruction of a breast after mastectomy using the contralateral lower pole breast flap is an appealing procedure because it uses the tissues that were going to be excised during reduction of the sound breast to achieve symmetry. Literature mentioned that these flaps are supplied by the lower internal mammary artery perforators (IMAPs) with no further details. The aim of this study was to determine the site, size, and number of the 4th and 5th IMAPs by using preoperative color Duplex ultrasound and intraoperative exploration. Method: Twenty breasts in 10 patients who presented for reduction mammoplasty were included in this study. Preoperative color duplex was used to determine IMAPs in the 4th and 5th intercostal spaces. These perforators were localized intraoperatively. Intravenous fluorescein injection was used to determine the perfusion of the lower pole breast flap on the basis of these perforators. Results: Statistically, the 4th IMAPs diameters were significantly larger than the 5th IMAPs diameters (P < .05). The lower pole breast flap was perfused through these perforators. Conclusion: Color Duplex ultrasound is an accurate tool to preoperatively determine the 4th and 5th IMAPs. PMID:22292100

Multi-Dimensional Asymptotically Stable 4th Order Accurate Schemes for the Diffusion Equation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abarbanel, Saul; Ditkowski, Adi

1996-01-01

An algorithm is presented which solves the multi-dimensional diffusion equation on co mplex shapes to 4th-order accuracy and is asymptotically stable in time. This bounded-error result is achieved by constructing, on a rectangular grid, a differentiation matrix whose symmetric part is negative definite. The differentiation matrix accounts for the Dirichlet boundary condition by imposing penalty like terms. Numerical examples in 2-D show that the method is effective even where standard schemes, stable by traditional definitions fail.

A survey of occupational exposure to 4,4'-methylene-bis (2-chloroaniline) (MbOCA) in the UK.

PubMed

Cocker, J; Cain, J R; Baldwin, P; McNally, K; Jones, K

2009-07-01

The main objective of the study was to gather information about the current controls and levels of exposure to 4,4'-methylene-bis (2-chloroaniline) (MbOCA) in a representative cross section of workplaces that use it to manufacture polyurethane elastomers. The study also aimed to investigate whether controls and guidance could be improved and to investigate exposure to isocyanates in these workplaces using biological monitoring. An occupational hygienist and a field scientist visited the two UK suppliers and 20 out of the 25 workplaces known to be using MbOCA in the UK during 2005 and 2006. They collected air samples, surface wipes, gloves, and urine samples and made observations to assess exposure and the adequacy of controls. All samples were analysed for MbOCA and urine samples were additionally analysed for isocyanate metabolites. A statistical analysis was made of the results. Only 2.5% of the 80 personal inhalation exposures to MbOCA exceeded the workplace exposure limit of 5 microg m(-3) 8-h time-weighted average and 84% were below the limit of detection (LOD). Surface samples (n = 334) were collected from MbOCA users and suppliers and 60% had detectable levels of MbOCA ranging from 0.019 to 400 microg cm(-2). The highest levels were around a hopper, ovens, and the weighing and pouring areas. MbOCA was also detected in 8 of the 75 samples collected from areas not likely to be in contact with MbOCA. At the two suppliers, samples (n = 28) were collected from the outside surfaces of recently imported kegs, pallets, and the floor around kegs. Six samples had detectable levels and four of these (0.2, 0.8, 1, and 6 microg cm(-2)) were from the floor and pallets in both suppliers. The other two positive results were found on the outside rim (18 microg cm(-2)) and side (23 microg cm(-2)) of a keg at one supplier indicating contamination by the manufacturer. Urine samples (n = 79) were collected and 49% were below the LOD for MbOCA and only three samples had levels of

Effects of Streptococcus thermophilus TH-4 in a rat model of doxorubicin-induced mucositis.

PubMed

Wang, Hanru; Brook, Caitlin L; Whittaker, Alexandra L; Lawrence, Andrew; Yazbeck, Roger; Howarth, Gordon S

2013-08-01

Mucositis is a debilitating intestinal side effect of chemotherapeutic regimens. Probiotics have been considered a possible preventative treatment for mucositis. Streptococcus thermophilus TH-4 (TH-4), a newly identified probiotic, has been shown to partially alleviate mucositis induced by administration of the antimetabolite chemotherapy drug, methotrexate in rats; likely mediated through a mechanism of folate production. However, its effects against other classes of chemotherapy drug have yet to be determined. The authors investigated the effects of TH-4 in a rat model of mucositis induced by the anthracycline chemotherapy drug, doxorubicin. Gastrointestinal damage was induced in female Dark Agouti rats (148.3 ± 1.5 g) by intraperitoneal injection of doxorubicin (20 mg/kg). Animals recieved a daily oral gavage of TH-4 at 10(9) cfu/ml or skim milk (vehicle) from days 0 to 8. At day 6, rats were injected with either saline or doxorubicin. At kill, small intestinal tissues were collected for determination of sucrase and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activities and histological assessment. Body weight was significantly decreased by doxorubicin compared with normal controls (p < 0.05). Histological parameters, such as crypt depth and villus height, were also significantly decreased by doxorubicin. TH-4 partially prevented the loss of body weight induced by doxorubicin (2.3% compared with 4%), but provided no further therapeutic benefit. The minimal amelioration of doxorubicin-induced mucositis by TH-4 further supports folate production as a likely mechanism of TH-4 action against methotrexate-induced mucositis. Further studies into TH-4 are required to confirm its applicability to other conventional chemotherapy regimens.

16. 4th floor roof, view west, north side of setback ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

16. 4th floor roof, view west, north side of setback to left and delivery stair bulkhead to right - Sheffield Farms Milk Plant, 1075 Webster Avenue (southwest corner of 166th Street), Bronx, Bronx County, NY

Outcomes following surgical repair using layered closure of unrepaired 4th degree perineal tear in rural western Uganda.

PubMed

Goh, Judith T W; Tan, Stephanie B M; Natukunda, Harriet; Singasi, Isaac; Krause, Hannah G

2016-11-01

In many rural low-income countries, perineal tears at time of vaginal birth are not repaired at time of delivery. The aims of this study are to describe the surgical technique for management of the unrepaired 4th degree tear, performed without flaps, and short-term follow up on anal incontinence symptoms using a validated questionnaire. Women presenting to fistula camps in western Uganda with unrepaired 4th degree tears were interviewed using the Cleveland Clinic Continence Score. Interviews were undertaken pre-operatively, at 4-6 weeks post-operatively and 12 months following surgery. Repair of the 4th degree tear was performed in layers, with an overlapping anal sphincter repair and reconstruction of the perineal body, without flaps. All women were examined prior to discharge. 68 women completed pre-operative Cleveland Clinic Continence Scores. Prior to surgery, 59 % of women complained of daily incontinence to solid stools. Over 70 % of women complained of restriction to lifestyle due to the unrepaired 4th degree tear. About 50 % of the women are rejected by their husbands because of the condition. Only 1 woman had wound breakdown on Day 2. At 4 to 6 weeks follow-up, 61 women were contacted and all reported perfect continence. This study highlights the hidden problem of unrepaired 4th degree tears in rural areas of low-income countries where most deliveries are undertaken in the village without professional health care workers. These tears have significant impact on quality of life and anal incontinence. Short-term outcomes following surgical repair using a layered closure are promising.

Thermodynamic assessment of the LiF-NaF-BeF2-ThF4-UF4 system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capelli, E.; Beneš, O.; Konings, R. J. M.

2014-06-01

The present study describes the full thermodynamic assessment of the LiF-NaF-BeF2-ThF4-UF4 system which is one of the key systems considered for a molten salt reactor fuel. The work is an extension of the previously assessed LiF-NaF-ThF4-UF4 system with addition of BeF2 which is characterized by very low neutron capture cross section and a relatively low melting point. To extend the database the binary BeF2-ThF4 and BeF2-UF4 systems were optimized and the novel data were used for the thermodynamic assessment of BeF2 containing ternary systems for which experimental data exist in the literature. The obtained database is used to optimize the molten salt reactor fuel composition and to assess its properties with the emphasis on the melting behaviour.

33 CFR 165.166 - Safety Zone: Macy's July 4th Fireworks, East River, NY.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Safety Zone: Macy's July 4th... § 165.166 Safety Zone: Macy's July 4th Fireworks, East River, NY. (a) Regulated area. The following area.... on July 4th. If the event is cancelled due to inclement weather then this section is in effect from 6...

33 CFR 165.166 - Safety Zone: Macy's July 4th Fireworks, East River, NY.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Safety Zone: Macy's July 4th... § 165.166 Safety Zone: Macy's July 4th Fireworks, East River, NY. (a) Regulated area. The following area.... on July 4th. If the event is cancelled due to inclement weather then this section is in effect from 6...

33 CFR 165.166 - Safety Zone: Macy's July 4th Fireworks, East River, NY.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Safety Zone: Macy's July 4th... § 165.166 Safety Zone: Macy's July 4th Fireworks, East River, NY. (a) Regulated area. The following area.... on July 4th. If the event is cancelled due to inclement weather then this section is in effect from 6...

33 CFR 165.166 - Safety Zone: Macy's July 4th Fireworks, East River, NY.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Safety Zone: Macy's July 4th... § 165.166 Safety Zone: Macy's July 4th Fireworks, East River, NY. (a) Regulated area. The following area.... on July 4th. If the event is cancelled due to inclement weather then this section is in effect from 6...

Kids & Family Reading Report™. 4th Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scholastic Inc., 2013

2013-01-01

This report presents the 4th Edition of Scholastic's biannual study of children's and parents' attitudes and behaviors about reading. Much has changed since the first "Kids & Family Reading Report" was issued in 2006, but literacy remains the critical skill needed for school success. Today's children are growing up in a world full of…

Population Development of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) under Simulated UK Glasshouse Conditions

PubMed Central

Cuthbertson, Andrew G.S.; Mathers, James J.; Blackburn, Lisa F.; Korycinska, Anastasia; Luo, Weiqi; Jacobson, Robert J.; Northing, Phil

2013-01-01

Tomato leafminer Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) is a major pest of tomato plants in South America. It was first recorded in the UK in 2009 where it has been subjected to eradication policies. The current work outlines T. absoluta development under various UK glasshouse temperatures. The optimum temperature for Tuta development ranged from 19–23 °C. At 19 °C, there was 52% survival of T. absoluta from egg to adult. As temperature increased (23 °C and above) development time of the moth would appear to decrease. Population development ceases between 7 and 10 °C. Only 17% of eggs hatched at 10 °C but no larvae developed through to adult moths. No eggs hatched when maintained at 7 °C. Under laboratory conditions the total lifespan of the moth was longest (72 days) at 13 °C and shortest (35 days) at both 23 and 25 °C. Development from egg to adult took 58 days at 13 °C; 37 days at 19 °C and 23 days at 25 °C. High mortality of larvae occurred under all temperatures tested. First instar larvae were exposed on the leaf surface for approximately 82 minutes before fully tunnelling into the leaf. Adult longevity was longest at 10 °C with moths living for 40 days and shortest at 19 °C where they survived for 16 days. Generally more males than females were produced. The potential of Tuta absoluta to establish populations within UK protected horticulture is discussed. PMID:26464384

Adsorption characteristics of UO(2)(2+) and Th(4+) ions from simulated radioactive solutions onto chitosan/clinoptilolite sorbents.

PubMed

Humelnicu, Doina; Dinu, Maria Valentina; Drăgan, Ecaterina Stela

2011-01-15

Adsorption features of UO(2)(2+) and Th(4+) ions from simulated radioactive solutions onto a novel chitosan/clinoptilolite (CS/CPL) composite as beads have been investigated compared with chitosan cross-linked with epichlorohydrin. The effects of contact time, the initial metal ion concentration, sorbent mass and temperature on the adsorption capacity of the CS-based sorbents were investigated. The adsorption kinetics was well described by the pseudo-second order equation, and the adsorption isotherms were better fitted by the Sips model. The maximum experimental adsorption capacities were 328.32 mg Th(4+)/g composite, and 408.62 mg UO(2)(2+)/g composite. The overall adsorption tendency of CS/CPL composite toward UO(2)(2+) and Th(4+) radiocations in the presence of Cu(2+), Fe(2+) and Al(3+), under competitive conditions, followed the order: Cu(2+)>UO(2)(2+)>Fe(2+)>Al(3+), and Cu(2+)>Th(4+)>Fe(2+)>Al(3+), respectively. The negative values of Gibbs free energy of adsorption indicated the spontaneity of the adsorption of radioactive ions on both the CS/CPL composite and the cross-linked CS. The desorption level of UO(2)(2+) from the composite CS/CPL, by using 0.1M Na(2)CO(3), was around 92%, and that of Th(4+) ions, performed by 0.1M HCl, was around 85%, both values being higher than the desorption level of radiocations from the cross-linked CS, which were 89% and 83%, respectively. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A review of UK space activity and historiography, 1957-2007

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millard, Douglas

2010-04-01

In over 50 years the United Kingdom has designed, built, launched, operated or otherwise contributed to hundreds of spacecraft and space missions. Its scientists, engineers and officials have carved centres of astronautical excellence around the country, participated in a great number of international space programmes and missions and played a leading role in the establishment of the world's main pan-national space agency (ESA) and its two precursors, the European Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO) and the European Space Research Organization (ESRO). With its Skylark sounding rocket launch of November 1957 the UK was one of the first nations to gather new scientific data as part of the International Geophysical Year. Fifty years on, the UK is an enthusiastic supporter of the Global Exploration Strategy with major commitments to future missions to the moon and to the Mars that exploit the nation's expertise in small satellite and planetary robot technology. And while such mission involvement takes UK space technologies out into the solar system as never before the nation continues to excel in Earth orbit with its development and manufacture of large, increasingly powerful telecommunications satellites. The UK's space heritage and its ongoing and directed activities are rich and productive. And yet—the representation of UK space endeavour is all too often skewed—misleading and unduly pejorative: '…British space…more romance than reality.' Why does such partisan commentary occur and why has such an attitude prevailed for so long? This paper seeks some answers by reviewing UK space activity and its historiography in the wider and global context of astronautics between 1957 and 2007. In Praise of…the British Space Programme, The Guardian Newspaper, March 4th, 2008.

Modeling of Synergy Between 4th and 6th Harmonic Absorptions of Fast Waves on Injected Beams in DIII-D Tokamak

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

Choi, M.; Pinsker, R. I.; Chan, V. S.

2011-12-23

In recent moderate to high harmonic fast wave heating and current drive experiments in DIII-D, a synergy effect was observed when the 6{sup th} harmonic 90 MHz fast wave power is applied to the plasma preheated by neutral beams and the 4{sup th} harmonic 60 MHz fast wave. In this paper, we investigate how the synergy can occur using ORBIT-RF coupled with AORSA. Preliminary simulations suggest that damping of 4{sup th} harmonic FW on beam ions accelerates them above the injection energy, which may allow significant damping of 6{sup th} harmonic FW on beam ion tails to produce synergy.

The effect of nitrification inhibitors on nitrous oxide emissions from cattle urine depositions to grassland under summer conditions in the UK.

PubMed

Barneze, A S; Minet, E P; Cerri, C C; Misselbrook, T

2015-01-01

Nitrous oxide (N2O) has become the prime ozone depleting atmospheric emission and the third most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas, with a global warming potential approximately 300 times higher than CO2. Nitrification and denitrification are processes responsible for N2O emission from the soil after nitrogen input. The application of a nitrification inhibitor can reduce N2O emissions from these processes. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of two different nitrification inhibitors (dicyandiamide (DCD) and a commercial formulation containing two pyrazole derivatives (PD), 1H-1,2,4-triazole and 3-methylpyrazole) on N2O emissions from cattle urine applications for summer grazing conditions in the UK. Experiments were conducted under controlled conditions in a laboratory incubator and under field conditions on a grassland soil. The N2O emissions showed similar temporal dynamics in both experiments. DCD concentration in the soil showed an exponential degradation during the experiment, with a half-life of the order of only 10d (air temperature c. 15 °C). DCD (10 kg ha(-1)) and PD at the highest application rate (3.76 kg ha(-1)) reduced N2O emissions by 13% and 29% in the incubation experiment and by 33% and 6% in the field experiment, respectively, although these reductions were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Under UK summer grazing conditions, these nitrification inhibitors appear to be less effective at reducing N2O emissions than reported for other conditions elsewhere in the literature, presumably due to the higher soil temperature. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impacts of a Discussion-Based Academic Language Program on Classroom Interactions in 4th through 7th Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaRusso, Maria; Jones, Stephanie M.; Kim, Ha Yeon; Kim, James; Donovan, Suzanne; Snow, Catherine

2016-01-01

This paper presents an exploratory analysis of treatment-control differences in the quality of classroom interactions in 4th through 7th grade urban classrooms. Word Generation (WG) is a research-based academic language program for middle school students designed to teach novel vocabulary and literacy through language arts, math, science, and…

Two actinide-organic frameworks constructed by a tripodal flexible ligand: Occurrence of infinite {(UO2)O2(OH)3}4n and hexanuclear {Th6O4(OH)4} motifs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Lingling; Zhang, Ronglan; Zhao, Jianshe; Liu, Chiyang; Weng, Ng Seik

2016-11-01

Two new actinide metal-organic frameworks were constructed by using a tripodal flexible ligand tris (2-carboxyethyl) isocyanurate (H3tci) under hydrothermal condition. The combination of H3tci and uranyl nitrate hexahydrate in aqueous solution leads to the isolation of [(UO2)2(H2O)4]0.5(tci)2(UO2)4(OH)4·18H2O (1), which contains two distinct UO22+ coordination environments. Four uranyl cations, linked through μ3-OH respectively, result in the edge-sharing ribbons. Then, the layer structure is constructed by U-O clusters linked through other eight-coordinated uranyl unions, giving rise to a porous structure in the space. Topological analysis reveals that complex 1 belongs to a (4, 8)-connected net with a schläfli symbol of (34.26.3)2(34.46.56.68.73.8). Th3(tci)2O2(OH)2(H2O)3·12H2O (2) generated by the reaction of H3tci and thorium nitrate tetrahydrate, possesses nine-fold coodinated Th(IV) centers with a monocapped square antiprismatic geometry. The hexamers "Th6O4(OH)4" motifs are connected together by the carboxylate groups, showing a three-dimensional structures. Complex 2 takes on an 8-connected architecture and the point symbol is (424.64).

Psychosocial working conditions and work-related stressors among UK veterinary surgeons.

PubMed

Bartram, David J; Yadegarfar, Ghasem; Baldwin, David S

2009-08-01

Anecdotally, veterinary surgeons report high levels of work-related stress. To investigate psychosocial working conditions, self-reported causes of work-related stress and satisfaction among a representative sample of vets practising in the UK. A cross-sectional study using a questionnaire mailed to a stratified random sample of 3200 vets. The Health & Safety Executive Management Standards Indicator Tool and a series of bespoke questions were embedded in a 120 item questionnaire, which also assessed anxiety and depressive symptoms, alcohol consumption, suicidal ideation, positive mental well-being and work-home interaction. A total of 1796 useable questionnaires were returned (response rate 56%). Number of hours worked and making professional mistakes were the main reported contributors to stress. Good clinical outcomes and relationships with colleagues were the greatest sources of satisfaction. Anxiety and depressive symptoms are associated with less favourable working conditions. Compared to the general population, the sample reported higher risk of work-related stress for demands and managerial support but lower risk for relationships and change. The results could be used to inform the development of targeted interventions.

IL-10 suppresses Th17 cells and promotes regulatory T cells in the CD4+ T cell population of rheumatoid arthritis patients.

PubMed

Heo, Yu-Jung; Joo, Young-Bin; Oh, Hye-Jwa; Park, Mi-Kyung; Heo, Yang-Mi; Cho, Mi-La; Kwok, Seung-Ki; Ju, Ji-Hyeon; Park, Kyung-Su; Cho, Seok Goo; Park, Sung-Hwan; Kim, Ho-Youn; Min, Jun-Ki

2010-01-04

Interleukin-17-producing CD4(+) T cells (Th17 cells) are the dominant pathogenic cellular component in autoimmune inflammatory diseases, including autoimmune arthritis. IL-10 promotes the generation of Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells via the IL-10 receptor signal. The objective of this study was to examine whether IL-10, which acts as an anti-inflammatory cytokine, has a suppressive effect on the activation of human Th17 cells. Expression of IL-17 and IL-10 was examined immunohistochemically in tissue obtained from rheumatoid arthritis patients. Human peripheral blood CD4(+) T cells were isolated and cultured under various stimulatory conditions. Th17 cells and regulatory T (Treg) cells were detected by flow cytometry. The gene expression of related cytokines and transcription factors were assessed by ELISA and RT-PCR. IL-17 was overexpressed in rheumatoid arthritis patients. IL-10 treatment significantly decreased the numbers of IL-17-producing and RORc-expressing cells among human CD4(+) T cells that had been activated in vitro by Th17-differentiating conditions in autoimmune arthritis patients. IL-10 induced Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells in the human CD4(+) T cell population. Our results demonstrate that IL-17 is overexpressed in autoimmune disease patients and that IL-10 suppresses IL-17 expression. IL-10 may be useful in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

The risk of a second diagnostic window with 4th generation HIV assays: Two cases.

PubMed

Niederhauser, C; Ströhle, A; Stolz, M; Müller, F; Tinguely, C

2009-08-01

Despite the improved sensitivity of the 4th generation combined antigen/antibody HIV assays, detection of HIV in the early phase of an infection may still be ineffective. Description of two cases that highlight the existence of the "second diagnostic window phase" observed with commonly used sensitive 4th generation HIV assays. Samples were screened with different 4th generation HIV assays. HIV infection was confirmed with an HIV I/II antibody assay, a HIV-1 p24 antigen assay, the INNO-LIA HIV I/II Score Line immunoassay and HIV-1 PCR. In both investigated cases, the limitations of the 4th generation HIV assays within the second diagnostic window were apparent. The overall sensitivity of the commercial 4th generation HIV assays is currently higher than the 3rd generation HIV assays. Nevertheless, the rare occurrence of a second diagnostic window with 4th generation HIV assays strongly suggests that the following up testing algorithms need to be adjusted accordingly.

75 FR 35649 - Safety Zone; Northern California Annual Fireworks Events, July 4th Fireworks Display

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-23

... Zone; Northern California Annual Fireworks Events, July 4th Fireworks Display AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice of enforcement of regulation. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard will enforce the Tahoe City 4th of... safety zone for the annual Tahoe City 4th of July Fireworks in 33 CFR 165.1191 on July 4, 2010, from 9 a...

Crime rates and sedentary behavior among 4th grade Texas school children.

PubMed

Brown, H Shelton; Pérez, Adriana; Mirchandani, Gita G; Hoelscher, Deanna M; Kelder, Steven H

2008-05-14

Although per capita crime has generally fallen over the period which coincides with the obesity epidemic, it has not fallen uniformly across communities. It also has not fallen enough to allay fears on the part of parents. Over the past 30 years, technological changes have made the indoor alternatives to playing outside, where children are more vulnerable to criminal activity, more enjoyable (cable TV, video games, and the internet) and comfortable (the spread of air conditioning to low income neighborhoods). We determined whether indoor sedentary behavior patterns are associated with community crime statistics. 4th graders in the U.S. are typically 9 or 10 years old. We used data from the 2004-2005 Texas School Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) survey linked with U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics data for the years 2000 through 2005 and Texas State data on sexual offenders. The probability-based sample included a total of 7,907 children in grade four. Multistage probability sampling weights were used. The dependent variables included were hours of TV watching, video game playing, computer use and total indoor sedentary behavior after school. Incremental Relative Rates were computed for community crime rates including robberies, all violent crimes, murders, assaults, property crimes, rapes, burglaries, larcenies and motor vehicle thefts as well as for sexual offenders living in the neighborhood. The neighborhood refers to the areas where the students at each school live. In the case of sexual offenders, sexual offenders per capita are estimated using the per capita rate in the zip code of the school attended; all other crime statistics are estimated by the crimes per capita in the police department jurisdiction covering the school attended. After controlling for sex, age, and African-American and Hispanic, cross-sectional associations were determined using multivariate Poisson regression. 4th grade boys were

Crime rates and sedentary behavior among 4th grade Texas school children

PubMed Central

Brown, H Shelton; Pérez, Adriana; Mirchandani, Gita G; Hoelscher, Deanna M; Kelder, Steven H

2008-01-01

Introduction Although per capita crime has generally fallen over the period which coincides with the obesity epidemic, it has not fallen uniformly across communities. It also has not fallen enough to allay fears on the part of parents. Over the past 30 years, technological changes have made the indoor alternatives to playing outside, where children are more vulnerable to criminal activity, more enjoyable (cable TV, video games, and the internet) and comfortable (the spread of air conditioning to low income neighborhoods). We determined whether indoor sedentary behavior patterns are associated with community crime statistics. 4th graders in the U.S. are typically 9 or 10 years old. Methods We used data from the 2004–2005 Texas School Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) survey linked with U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics data for the years 2000 through 2005 and Texas State data on sexual offenders. The probability-based sample included a total of 7,907 children in grade four. Multistage probability sampling weights were used. The dependent variables included were hours of TV watching, video game playing, computer use and total indoor sedentary behavior after school. Incremental Relative Rates were computed for community crime rates including robberies, all violent crimes, murders, assaults, property crimes, rapes, burglaries, larcenies and motor vehicle thefts as well as for sexual offenders living in the neighborhood. The neighborhood refers to the areas where the students at each school live. In the case of sexual offenders, sexual offenders per capita are estimated using the per capita rate in the zip code of the school attended; all other crime statistics are estimated by the crimes per capita in the police department jurisdiction covering the school attended. After controlling for sex, age, and African-American and Hispanic, cross-sectional associations were determined using multivariate Poisson regression

Selenium status in U.K. pregnant women and its relationship with hypertensive conditions of pregnancy.

PubMed

Rayman, Margaret P; Bath, Sarah C; Westaway, Jacob; Williams, Peter; Mao, Jinyuan; Vanderlelie, Jessica J; Perkins, Anthony V; Redman, Christopher W G

2015-01-28

Dietary intake/status of the trace mineral Se may affect the risk of developing hypertensive conditions of pregnancy, i.e. pre-eclampsia and pregnancy-induced hypertension (PE/PIH). In the present study, we evaluated Se status in U.K. pregnant women to establish whether pre-pregnant Se status or Se supplementation affected the risk of developing PE/PIH. The samples originated from the SPRINT (Selenium in PRegnancy INTervention) study that randomised 230 U.K. primiparous women to treatment with Se (60 μg/d) or placebo from 12 weeks of gestation. Whole-blood Se concentration was measured at 12 and 35 weeks, toenail Se concentration at 16 weeks, plasma selenoprotein P (SEPP1) concentration at 35 weeks and plasma glutathione peroxidase (GPx3) activity at 12, 20 and 35 weeks. Demographic data were collected at baseline. Participants completed a FFQ. U.K. pregnant women had whole-blood Se concentration lower than the mid-range of other populations, toenail Se concentration considerably lower than U.S. women, GPx3 activity considerably lower than U.S. and Australian pregnant women, and low baseline SEPP1 concentration (median 3.00, range 0.90-5.80 mg/l). Maternal age, education and social class were positively associated with Se status. After adjustment, whole-blood Se concentration was higher in women consuming Brazil nuts (P= 0.040) and in those consuming more than two seafood portions per week (P= 0.054). A stepwise logistic regression model revealed that among the Se-related risk factors, only toenail Se (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.17, 0.87, P= 0.021) significantly affected the OR for PE/PIH. On excluding non-compliers with Se treatment, Se supplementation also significantly reduced the OR for PE/PIH (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.09, 1.00, P= 0.049). In conclusion, U.K. women have low Se status that increases their risk of developing PE/PIH. Therefore, U.K. women of childbearing age need to improve their Se status.

HTLV-1 induces a Th1-like state in CD4+CCR4+ T cells

PubMed Central

Araya, Natsumi; Sato, Tomoo; Ando, Hitoshi; Tomaru, Utano; Yoshida, Mari; Coler-Reilly, Ariella; Yagishita, Naoko; Yamauchi, Junji; Hasegawa, Atsuhiko; Kannagi, Mari; Hasegawa, Yasuhiro; Takahashi, Katsunori; Kunitomo, Yasuo; Tanaka, Yuetsu; Nakajima, Toshihiro; Nishioka, Kusuki; Utsunomiya, Atae; Jacobson, Steven; Yamano, Yoshihisa

2014-01-01

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is linked to multiple diseases, including the neuroinflammatory disease HTLV-1–associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) and adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma. Evidence suggests that HTLV-1, via the viral protein Tax, exploits CD4+ T cell plasticity and induces transcriptional changes in infected T cells that cause suppressive CD4+CD25+CCR4+ Tregs to lose expression of the transcription factor FOXP3 and produce IFN-γ, thus promoting inflammation. We hypothesized that transformation of HTLV-1–infected CCR4+ T cells into Th1-like cells plays a key role in the pathogenesis of HAM/TSP. Here, using patient cells and cell lines, we demonstrated that Tax, in cooperation with specificity protein 1 (Sp1), boosts expression of the Th1 master regulator T box transcription factor (T-bet) and consequently promotes production of IFN-γ. Evaluation of CSF and spinal cord lesions of HAM/TSP patients revealed the presence of abundant CD4+CCR4+ T cells that coexpressed the Th1 marker CXCR3 and produced T-bet and IFN-γ. Finally, treatment of isolated PBMCs and CNS cells from HAM/TSP patients with an antibody that targets CCR4+ T cells and induces cytotoxicity in these cells reduced both viral load and IFN-γ production, which suggests that targeting CCR4+ T cells may be a viable treatment option for HAM/TSP. PMID:24960164

Treatment-seeking behaviour and social status of women with pelvic organ prolapse, 4th-degree obstetric tears, and obstetric fistula in western Uganda.

PubMed

Krause, Hannah G; Natukunda, Harriet; Singasi, Isaac; Hicks, Sylvia S W; Goh, Judith T W

2014-11-01

This study looks at a trilogy of women's health issues including severe pelvic organ prolapse, unrepaired 4th degree obstetric tears and obstetric fistula, all of which can cause significant suffering in the lives of women and their families. Women undergoing surgery for severe pelvic organ prolapse, unrepaired 4th degree obstetric tears and obstetric fistulae, were interviewed to assess their perceptions of what caused their condition, subsequent impact on their social situation and sexual activity, and whether they had sought treatment previously. One hundred fifty women participated in the survey, including 69 undergoing surgery for genito-urinary fistula, 25 with faecal incontinence only (including 24 women with unrepaired 4th degree obstetric tears and 1 woman with an isolated rectovaginal fistula), and 56 women with severe pelvic organ prolapse. All groups of women were exposed to abandonment by their families with 42 % of women with genito-urinary fistula, 21 % with unrepaired 4th degree obstetric tear, and 25 % of women with severe pelvic organ prolapse rejected by their husbands. Most of the women had actively sought treatment for their condition with no success due to unavailability of treatment or misinformation. This study confirms the social stigma associated with obstetric fistula, however also highlights the social stigma faced by women suffering with severe pelvic organ prolapse and unrepaired 4th degree obstetric tears in western Uganda. There is an urgent need for education and training in obstetric management and pelvic organ prolapse management in such areas of limited resources.

Activation of CH4 by Th(+) as studied by guided ion beam mass spectrometry and quantum chemistry.

PubMed

Cox, Richard M; Armentrout, P B; de Jong, Wibe A

2015-04-06

The reaction of atomic thorium cations with CH4 (CD4) and the collision-induced dissociation (CID) of ThCH4(+) with Xe are studied using guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometry. In the methane reactions at low energies, ThCH2(+) (ThCD2(+)) is the only product; however, the energy dependence of the cross-section is inconsistent with a barrierless exothermic reaction as previously assumed on the basis of ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry results. The dominant product at higher energies is ThH(+) (ThD(+)), with ThCH3(+) (ThCD3(+)) having a similar threshold energy. The latter product subsequently decomposes at still higher energies to ThCH(+) (ThCD(+)). CID of ThCH4(+) yields atomic Th(+) as the exclusive product. The cross-sections of all product ions are modeled to provide 0 K bond dissociation energies (in eV) of D0(Th(+)-H) ≥ 2.25 ± 0.18, D0(Th(+)-CH) = 6.19 ± 0.16, D0(Th(+)-CH2) ≥ 4.54 ± 0.09, D0(Th(+)-CH3) = 2.60 ± 0.30, and D0(Th(+)-CH4) = 0.47 ± 0.05. Quantum chemical calculations at several levels of theory are used to explore the potential energy surfaces for activation of methane by Th(+), and the effects of spin-orbit coupling are carefully considered. When spin-orbit coupling is explicitly considered, a barrier for C-H bond activation that is consistent with the threshold measured for ThCH2(+) formation (0.17 ± 0.02 eV) is found at all levels of theory, whereas this barrier is observed only at the BHLYP and CCSD(T) levels otherwise. The observation that the CID of the ThCH4(+) complex produces Th(+) as the only product with a threshold of 0.47 eV indicates that this species has a Th(+)(CH4) structure, which is also consistent with a barrier for C-H bond activation. This barrier is thought to exist as a result of the mixed ((4)F,(2)D) electronic character of the Th(+) J = (3)/2 ground level combined with extensive spin-orbit effects.

77 FR 40266 - Safety Zone; Conneaut 4th of July Festival, Lake Erie, Conneaut, OH

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-09

... 1625-AA00 Safety Zone; Conneaut 4th of July Festival, Lake Erie, Conneaut, OH AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... the Conneaut 4th of July Festival Fireworks display. This temporary safety zone is necessary to... vessels during the Conneaut 4th of July Festival Fireworks. This zone will be effective and enforced from...

Painting of fourth and chromosome-wide regulation of the 4th chromosome in Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Johansson, Anna-Mia; Stenberg, Per; Bernhardsson, Carolina; Larsson, Jan

2007-05-02

Drosophila melanogaster exhibits two expression-regulating systems that target whole, specific chromosomes: the dosage compensation system whereby the male-specific lethal complex doubles transcription of genes on the male X-chromosome and the chromosome 4-specific protein Painting of fourth, POF. POF is the first example of an autosome-specific protein and its presence raises the question of the universality of chromosome-specific regulation. Here we show that POF and heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) are involved in the global regulation of the 4th chromosome. Contrary to previous conclusions, Pof is not essential for survival of diplo-4th karyotype flies. However, Pof is essential for survival of haplo-4th individuals and expression of chromosome 4 genes in diplo-4th individuals is decreased in the absence of Pof. Mapping of POF using chromatin immunoprecipitation suggested that it binds within genes. Furthermore, we show that POF binding is dependent on heterochromatin and that POF and HP1 bind interdependently to the 4th chromosome. We propose a balancing mechanism involving POF and HP1 that provides a feedback system for fine-tuning expression status of genes on the 4th chromosome.

Painting of fourth and chromosome-wide regulation of the 4th chromosome in Drosophila melanogaster

PubMed Central

Johansson, Anna-Mia; Stenberg, Per; Bernhardsson, Carolina; Larsson, Jan

2007-01-01

Drosophila melanogaster exhibits two expression-regulating systems that target whole, specific chromosomes: the dosage compensation system whereby the male-specific lethal complex doubles transcription of genes on the male X-chromosome and the chromosome 4-specific protein Painting of fourth, POF. POF is the first example of an autosome-specific protein and its presence raises the question of the universality of chromosome-specific regulation. Here we show that POF and heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) are involved in the global regulation of the 4th chromosome. Contrary to previous conclusions, Pof is not essential for survival of diplo-4th karyotype flies. However, Pof is essential for survival of haplo-4th individuals and expression of chromosome 4 genes in diplo-4th individuals is decreased in the absence of Pof. Mapping of POF using chromatin immunoprecipitation suggested that it binds within genes. Furthermore, we show that POF binding is dependent on heterochromatin and that POF and HP1 bind interdependently to the 4th chromosome. We propose a balancing mechanism involving POF and HP1 that provides a feedback system for fine-tuning expression status of genes on the 4th chromosome. PMID:17318176

4H-Chromene-based anticancer agents towards multi-drug resistant HL60/MX2 human leukemia: SAR at the 4th and 6th positions.

PubMed

Puppala, Manohar; Zhao, Xinghua; Casemore, Denise; Zhou, Bo; Aridoss, Gopalakrishnan; Narayanapillai, Sreekanth; Xing, Chengguo

2016-03-15

4H-Chromene-based compounds, for example, CXL017, CXL035, and CXL055, have a unique anticancer potential that they selectively kill multi-drug resistant cancer cells. Reported herein is the extended structure-activity relationship (SAR) study, focusing on the ester functional group at the 4th position and the conformation at the 6th position. Sharp SARs were observed at both positions with respect to cellular cytotoxic potency and selectivity between the parental HL60 and the multi-drug resistant HL60/MX2 cells. These results provide critical guidance for future medicinal optimization. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

77 FR 39172 - Safety Zone: Skagway Harbor, Skagway, AK for 4th of July Fireworks

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-02

...-AA00 Safety Zone: Skagway Harbor, Skagway, AK for 4th of July Fireworks AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... of the Small Boat Harbor, Skagway, Alaska, to limit access for the duration of the 4th of July... Inlet for the City of Skagway, Alaska, sponsored 4th of July fireworks display. A no-action alternative...

Quantitative analysis of peripheral blood Th0, Th1, Th2 and the Th1:Th2 cell ratio during normal human pregnancy and preeclampsia

PubMed Central

Saito, S; Sakai, M; Sasaki, Y; Tanebe, K; Tsuda, H; Michimata, T

1999-01-01

We calculated the percentage of Th1, Th2, Th0 cells and the Th1:Th2 cell ratio of peripheral blood from normal pregnant subjects and preeclampsia patients using flow cytometry which can analyse both the surface marker, CD4, and intracellular cytokines, interleukin (IL)-4 and interferon (IFN)-γ. In normal pregnancy, the percentage of Th1 cells was significantly lower in the third trimester, and the ratios of Th1:Th2 were significantly lower in the second and third trimester than in nonpregnant subjects. In contrast, the percentage of Th1 cells and the ratios of Th1:Th2 in preeclampsia were significantly higher than in normal third trimester pregnant subjects. The percentage of Th2 cells in preeclampsia was significantly lower than in third trimester of normal pregnancy. Additionally, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from these subjects and patients were cultured with phytohemagglutinin stimulation, and IL-4 and IFN-γ concentrations were determined in the supernatant by enzymed linked immunosorbent assays. The percentage of Th1 and Th2, and the ratios of Th1:Th2 were correlated with cytokine (IFN-γ and IL-4) secretion level. These results demonstrated that Th2 cells were predominant in the second and third trimesters of normal pregnancy, but Th1 cells predominated in preeclamptic patients. PMID:10469061

A novel antagonist of the prostaglandin E(2) EP(4) receptor inhibits Th1 differentiation and Th17 expansion and is orally active in arthritis models.

PubMed

Chen, Q; Muramoto, K; Masaaki, N; Ding, Y; Yang, H; Mackey, M; Li, W; Inoue, Y; Ackermann, K; Shirota, H; Matsumoto, I; Spyvee, M; Schiller, S; Sumida, T; Gusovsky, F; Lamphier, M

2010-05-01

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder involving subsets of activated T cells, in particular T helper (Th) 1 and Th17 cells, which infiltrate and damage tissues and induce inflammation. Prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) enhances the Th17 response, exacerbates collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and promotes inflammatory pain. The current study investigated whether selective antagonism of the PGE(2) EP(4) receptor would suppress Th1/Th17 cell development and inflammatory arthritis in animal models of RA. Effects of PGE(2) and a novel EP(4) receptor antagonist ER-819762 on Th1 differentiation, interleukin-23 (IL-23) production by dendritic cells (DCs), and Th17 development were assessed in vitro. The effect of ER-819762 was evaluated in CIA and glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI)-induced arthritis models. In addition, the effects of ER-819762 on pain were evaluated in a model of chronic inflammatory pain induced by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) in the rat. Stimulation of the EP(4) receptor enhanced Th1 differentiation via phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase signalling, selectively promoted Th17 cell expansion, and induced IL-23 secretion by activated DCs, effects suppressed by ER-819762 or anti-PGE(2) antibody. Oral administration of ER-19762 suppressed Th1 and Th17 cytokine production, suppressed disease in collagen- and GPI-induced arthritis in mice, and suppressed CFA-induced inflammatory pain in rats. PGE(2) stimulates EP(4) receptors to promote Th1 differentiation and Th17 expansion and is critically involved in development of arthritis in two animal models. Selective suppression of EP(4) receptor signalling may have therapeutic value in RA both by modifying inflammatory arthritis and by relieving pain.

Hypoxia-activated prodrug TH-302 decreased survival rate of canine lymphoma cells under hypoxic condition.

PubMed

Yamazaki, Hiroki; Lai, Yu-Chang; Tateno, Morihiro; Setoguchi, Asuka; Goto-Koshino, Yuko; Endo, Yasuyuki; Nakaichi, Munekazu; Tsujimoto, Hajime; Miura, Naoki

2017-01-01

We tested the hypotheses that hypoxic stimulation enhances growth potentials of canine lymphoma cells by activating hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), and that the hypoxia-activated prodrug (TH-302) inhibits growth potentials in the cells. We investigated how hypoxic culture affects the growth rate, chemoresistance, and invasiveness of canine lymphoma cells and doxorubicin (DOX)-resistant lymphoma cells, and influences of TH-302 on survival rate of the cells under hypoxic conditions. Our results demonstrated that hypoxic culture upregulated the expression of HIF-1α and its target genes, including ATP-binding cassette transporter B1 (ABCB1), ATP-binding cassette transporter G2 (ABCG2), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and survivin, and enhanced the growth rate, DOX resistance, and invasiveness of the cells. Additionally, TH-302 decreased the survival rate of the cells under hypoxic condition. Our studies suggest that hypoxic stimulation may advance the tumorigenicity of canine lymphoma cells, favoring malignant transformation. Therefore, the data presented may contribute to the development of TH-302-based hypoxia-targeting therapies for canine lymphoma.

11. 4TH FLOOR, HOTEL SOAP LINE No. 6 TO NORTHEAST, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

11. 4TH FLOOR, HOTEL SOAP LINE No. 6 TO NORTHEAST, WITH WRAPPER (LEFT), PRESS (CENTER), AND CUTTER (RIGHT, BEHIND CHUTE); BUCKET CONVEYOR AT RIGHT MOVED WASTE FROM PRESS TO 5TH FLOOR FOR RE-MANUFACTURE - Colgate & Company Jersey City Plant, Building No. B-14, 54-58 Grand Street, Jersey City, Hudson County, NJ

Guanine nucleotide-binding protein α subunit hypofunction in children with short stature and disproportionate shortening of the 4th and 5th metacarpals.

PubMed

Inta, Ioana Monica; Choukair, Daniela; Bender, Sebastian; Kneppo, Carolin; Knauer-Fischer, Sabine; Meyenburg, Kahina; Ivandic, Boris; Pfister, Stefan M; Bettendorf, Markus

2014-01-01

GNAS encodes the α subunit of the stimulatory G protein (Gsα). Maternal inherited Gsα mutations cause pseudohypoparathyroidism type Ia (PHP-Ia), associated with shortening of the 4th and 5th metacarpals. Here we investigated the Gsα pathway in short patients with distinct shortening of the 4th and 5th metacarpals. In 571 children with short stature and 4 patients with PHP-Ia metacarpal bone lengths were measured. In identified patients we analysed the Gsα protein function in platelets, performed GNAS sequencing, and epigenetic analysis of four significant differentially methylated regions. In 51 patients (8.9%) shortening of the 4th and 5th metacarpals was more pronounced than their height deficit. No GNAS coding mutations were identified in 20 analysed patients, except in 2 PHP-Ia patients. Gsα activity was reduced in all PHP-Ia patients and in 25% of the analysed patients. No significant methylation changes were identified. Our findings suggest that patients with short stature and distinct metacarpal bone shortening could be part of the wide variety of PHP/PPHP, therefore it was worthwhile analysing the Gsα protein function and GNAS gene in these patients in order to further elucidate the phenotype and genotype of Gsα dysfunction.

Graft-vs-leukemia activity and graft-vs-host disease induced by allogeneic Th1- and Th2-type CD4+ T cells in mice.

PubMed

Zeis, M; Uharek, L; Hartung, G; Glass, B; Steinmann, J; Schmitz, N

2001-01-01

The transfer of allogeneic lymphocytes contained in a hematopoietic stem cell graft confers an immune-mediated antileukemic effect, termed the graft-vs-leukemia (GVL) effect. Graft-vs-host disease (GVHD), the most detrimental complication of allogeneic BMT, largely resides within the same lymphocyte population. Therefore, separation of GVL- and GVH-reactions is a long-standing goal of experimental studies dealing with allogeneic transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells. The objective of the current study was to assess the potential of Th1- and Th2-type CD4+ T cells in mediating GVHD and GVL effects in a fully allogeneic murine transplant model. BALB/c (H-2d) mice were given a dose of A20 (H-2d, B-cell leukemia) cells two days prior to lethal total body irradiation (TBI) and transplantation of fully mismatched (C57BL/6, H-2b) T-cell depleted (anti-Thy1.2, CD90) bone marrow (TCD-BM) cells. Graded numbers of either unmanipulated, Th1- or Th2-polarized highly enriched CD4+ donor type T cells (10(6) or 10(7)) were administered 2 h posttransplant. Infusion of 10(6) of unmanipulated, Th1-, or Th2-primed CD4+ T cells resulted in moderate GVHD-related mortality (40%, 50%, 10%) and significantly improved long-term survival (50%, 45%, 46% surviving the observation period of 120 days) as compared to animals receiving TCD-BM alone (18%). The administration of 10(7) unmanipulated or Th1-type CD4+ T cells given shortly after transplantation led to death of all mice within 50 days due to fatal acute GVHD. In contrast, the adoptive transfer of 10(7) Th2-primed CD4+ T cells resulted in significant improvement of long-term survival (80%) compared to the TCD-BM group. This powerful GVL effect was associated with a substantially lower incidence of lethal acute GVHD (10%) if compared to the results of transplantation of Th1-type CD4+ T cells. These results demonstrate that allogeneic Th2-type CD4+ T cells given post BMT can induce GVL effects in a cell-dose-dependent manner without

76 FR 37650 - Safety Zone; 4th of July Festival Berkeley Marina Fireworks Display Berkeley, CA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-28

...-AA00 Safety Zone; 4th of July Festival Berkeley Marina Fireworks Display Berkeley, CA AGENCY: Coast... the 4th of July Festival Berkeley Marina Fireworks Display. Unauthorized persons or vessels are... display. Background and Purpose The City of Berkeley Marina will sponsor the 4th of July Festival Berkeley...

Upregulation of bacterial-specific Th1 and Th17 responses that are enriched in CXCR5+CD4+ T cells in non-small cell lung cancer.

PubMed

Ma, Qin-Yun; Huang, Da-Yu; Zhang, Hui-Jun; Wang, Shaohua; Chen, Xiao-Feng

2017-11-01

The microbial community in the mucosal surfaces is involved in the development of human cancers, including gastric cancer and colorectal cancer. The respiratory tract in the lung also hosts a distinctive microbial community, but the correlation between this community and lung cancer is largely unknown. Here, we examined the Th1 and Th17 responses toward several bacterial antigens, in CD4 + T cells sourced from the peripheral blood (PB), the lung cancer (LC) tissue, and the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Compared to healthy controls, the NSCLC patients presented significantly higher frequencies of Th1 and Th17 cells reacting to Streptococcus salivarius and S. agalactiae, in the PB, LC, and GI tract. Further investigation showed that the upregulation in anti-bacteria response was likely antigen-specific for two reasons. Firstly, the frequencies of Th1 and Th17 cells reacting to Escherichia coli, a typical GI bacterium, were not upregulated in the PB and the LC of NSCLC patients. Secondly, the S. salivarius and S. agalactiae responses could be partially blocked by Tü39, a MHC class II blocking antibody, suggesting that antigen-specific interaction between CD4 + T cells and antigen-presenting cells was required. We also found that S. salivarius and S. agalactiae could potently activate the monocytes to secrete higher levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor, which were Th1- and Th17-skewing cytokines. Interestingly, whereas CXCR5 + CD4 + T cells represented <20% of total CD4 + T cells, they represented 17%-82% of bacteria-specific Th1 or Th17 cells. Together, these data demonstrated that NSCLC patients presented a significant upregulation of bacterial-specific Th1 and Th17 responses that were enriched in CXCR5 + CD4 + T cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Collaborative study for the establishment of the 4(th) International Standard for Streptomycin.

PubMed

Jorajuria, S; Raphalen, C; Dujardin, V; Daas, A

2015-01-01

An international collaborative study was organised to establish the 4(th) World Health Organization (WHO) International Standard (IS) for Streptomycin. Fourteen laboratories from different countries participated. Potencies of the candidate material were estimated by microbiological assays with sensitive micro-organisms. To ensure continuity between consecutive batches, the 3(rd) IS for Streptomycin was used as a reference. Based on the results of the study, the 4(th) IS for Streptomycin was adopted at the meeting of the WHO Expert Committee for Biological Standardization (ECBS) in 2015 with an assigned potency of 76 000 International Units (IU) per vial. The 4(th) IS for Streptomycin is available from the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM).

77 FR 30242 - Safety Zone; City of Tonawanda July 4th Celebration, Niagara River, Tonawanda, NY

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-22

...-AA00 Safety Zone; City of Tonawanda July 4th Celebration, Niagara River, Tonawanda, NY AGENCY: Coast... vessels from a portion of the Niagara River during the City of Tonawanda July 4th Celebration fireworks... read as follows: Sec. 165.T09-0352 Safety Zone; City of Tonawanda July 4th Celebration, Niagara River...

Communicating Science to Impact Learning? A Phenomenological Inquiry into 4th and 5th Graders' Perceptions of Science Information Sources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gelmez Burakgazi, Sevinc; Yildirim, Ali; Weeth Feinstein, Noah

2016-01-01

Rooted in science education and science communication studies, this study examines 4th and 5th grade students' perceptions of science information sources (SIS) and their use in communicating science to students. It combines situated learning theory with uses and gratifications theory in a qualitative phenomenological analysis. Data were gathered…

ThMYC4E, candidate Blue aleurone 1 gene controlling the associated trait in Triticum aestivum

PubMed Central

Chen, Wenjie; Zhang, Bo; Wang, Daowen; Liu, Dengcai; Zhang, Huaigang

2017-01-01

Blue aleurone is a useful and interesting trait in common wheat that was derived from related species. Here, transcriptomes of blue and white aleurone were compared for isolating Blue aleurone 1 (Ba1) transferred from Thinopyrum ponticum. In the genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis, only a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor, ThMYC4E, had a higher transcript level in blue aleurone phenotype, and was homologous to the genes on chromosome 4 of Triticum aestivum. ThMYC4E carried the characteristic domains (bHLH-MYC_N, HLH and ACT-like) of a bHLH transcription factor, and clustered with genes regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis upon phylogenetic analysis. The over-expression of ThMYC4E regulated anthocyanin biosynthesis with the coexpression of the MYB transcription factor ZmC1 from maize. ThMYC4E existed in the genomes of the addition, substitution and near isogenic lines with the blue aleurone trait derived from Th. ponticum, and could not be detected in any germplasm of T. urartu, T. monococcum, T. turgidum, Aegilops tauschii or T. aestivum, with white aleurone. These results suggested that ThMYC4E was candidate Ba1 gene controlling the blue aleurone trait in T. aestivum genotypes carrying Th. ponticum introgression. The ThMYC4E isolation aids in better understanding the genetic mechanisms of the blue aleurone trait and in its more effective use during wheat breeding. PMID:28704468

Historical gridded reconstruction of potential evapotranspiration for the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanguy, Maliko; Prudhomme, Christel; Smith, Katie; Hannaford, Jamie

2018-06-01

Potential evapotranspiration (PET) is a necessary input data for most hydrological models and is often needed at a daily time step. An accurate estimation of PET requires many input climate variables which are, in most cases, not available prior to the 1960s for the UK, nor indeed most parts of the world. Therefore, when applying hydrological models to earlier periods, modellers have to rely on PET estimations derived from simplified methods. Given that only monthly observed temperature data is readily available for the late 19th and early 20th century at a national scale for the UK, the objective of this work was to derive the best possible UK-wide gridded PET dataset from the limited data available.To that end, firstly, a combination of (i) seven temperature-based PET equations, (ii) four different calibration approaches and (iii) seven input temperature data were evaluated. For this evaluation, a gridded daily PET product based on the physically based Penman-Monteith equation (the CHESS PET dataset) was used, the rationale being that this provides a reliable ground truth PET dataset for evaluation purposes, given that no directly observed, distributed PET datasets exist. The performance of the models was also compared to a naïve method, which is defined as the simplest possible estimation of PET in the absence of any available climate data. The naïve method used in this study is the CHESS PET daily long-term average (the period from 1961 to 1990 was chosen), or CHESS-PET daily climatology.The analysis revealed that the type of calibration and the input temperature dataset had only a minor effect on the accuracy of the PET estimations at catchment scale. From the seven equations tested, only the calibrated version of the McGuinness-Bordne equation was able to outperform the naïve method and was therefore used to derive the gridded, reconstructed dataset. The equation was calibrated using 43 catchments across Great Britain

Native American Students' Understanding of Geologic Time Scale: 4th-8th Grade Ojibwe Students' Understanding of Earth's Geologic History

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nam, Younkyeong; Karahan, Engin; Roehrig, Gillian

2016-01-01

Geologic time scale is a very important concept for understanding long-term earth system events such as climate change. This study examines forty-three 4th-8th grade Native American--particularly Ojibwe tribe--students' understanding of relative ordering and absolute time of Earth's significant geological and biological events. This study also…

Idaho National Laboratory Quarterly Occurrence Analysis 4th Quarter FY 2016

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

Mitchell, Lisbeth Ann

This report is published quarterly by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Quality and Performance Management Organization. The Department of Energy (DOE) Occurrence Reporting and Processing System, as prescribed in DOE Order 232.2, “Occurrence Reporting and Processing of Operations Information,” requires a quarterly analysis of events, both reportable and not reportable, for the previous 12 months. This report is the analysis of 84 reportable events (29 from the 4th quarter fiscal year 2016 and 55 from the prior three reporting quarters), as well as 39 other issue reports (including events found to be not reportable and Significant Category A and Bmore » conditions) identified at INL during the past 12 months (two from this quarter and 37 from the prior three quarters).« less

A Comparison of Spectacles Purchased Online and in UK Optometry Practice.

PubMed

Alderson, Alison J; Green, Alison; Whitaker, David; Scally, Andrew J; Elliott, David B

2016-10-01

To compare spectacles bought online with spectacles from optometry practices. Thirty-three participants consisting of single vision spectacle wearers with either a low (N = 12, mean age 34 ± 14 years) or high prescription (N = 11, mean age 28 ± 9 years) and 10 presbyopic participants (mean age 59 ± 4 years) wearing progressive addition lenses (PALs) purchased 154 pairs of spectacles online and 154 from UK optometry practices. The spectacles were compared via participant-reported preference, acceptability, and safety; the assessment of lens, frame, and fit quality; and the accuracy of the lens prescriptions to international standard ISO 21987:2009. Participants preferred the practice spectacles (median ranking 4th, IQR 1-6) more than online (6th, IQR 4-8; Mann-Whitney U = 7345, p < 0.001) and practice PALs (median ranking 2nd, IQR 1-4) were particularly preferred (online 6.5th, IQR 4-9, Mann-Whitney U = 455, p < 0.001). Of those deemed unacceptable and unsafe, significantly more were bought online (unacceptable: online 43/154 vs. practice 15/154, Fisher's exact p = 0.0001; unsafe: online 14/154 vs. practice 5/154, Fisher's exact p = 0.03). Participants preferred spectacles from optometry practice rather than those bought online, despite lens quality and prescription accuracy being similar. A greater number of online spectacles were deemed unsafe or unacceptable because of poor spectacle frame fit, poor cosmetic appearance, and inaccurate optical centration. This seems particularly pertinent to PAL lenses, which are known to increase falls risk. Recommendations are made to improve both forms of spectacle provision.

Staged residential post-acute rehabilitation for adults following acquired brain injury: A comparison of functional gains rated on the UK Functional Assessment Measure (UK FIM+FAM) and the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory (MPAI-4).

PubMed

Jackson, Diana; Seaman, Karla; Sharp, Kristylee; Singer, Rachel; Wagland, Janet; Turner-Stokes, Lynne

2017-01-01

To compare the UK Functional Assessment Measure (UK FIM+FAM) and Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory (MPAI-4) as measures of functional change in patients with brain injury receiving a staged residential post-acute community-based rehabilitation programme. Longitudinal cohort study of consecutive admissions (N = 42) over 3 years. Patients were assessed at admission and discharge/annual review. We examined groups according to stage of independence on admission: Maximum support (stages 1 and 2: N = 17); moderate/maximum self-care/household support (stage 3: N = 15); minimal self-care and moderate household/community support (stages 4-6: N = 10). Median (IQR) age: 50 (37-56) years. Male:female ratio: (71%:29%). Aetiology: stroke (50%), traumatic (36%) and other brain injuries (14%). Both tools demonstrated significant gains in overall scores and all subscales (p < 0.01). However, the UK FIM+FAM provides more detailed evaluation of personal activities of daily living and mobility, which were most relevant in clients admitted in graduation stages 1 and 2 of the programme, whereas the MPAI-4 was more sensitive to changes in adjustment and participation for clients admitted in the later stages (4-6). The UK FIM+FAM and MPAI-4 provide complementary evaluation across functional tasks ranging from self-care to participation. This study supports their use for longitudinal outcome evaluation in community residential rehabilitation services that take patients at different stages of recovery.

75 FR 38721 - Safety Zone; Munising 4th of July Fireworks, South Bay, Lake Superior, Munising, MI

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-06

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Munising 4th of July Fireworks, South Bay, Lake Superior, Munising, MI AGENCY: Coast... portion of South Bay during the Munising 4th of July Fireworks display, July 4, 2010. This temporary... from hazards associated with the Munising 4th of July Fireworks display. Based on the explosive hazards...

75 FR 34379 - Safety Zone; Mackinac Island 4th of July Fireworks, Lake Huron, Mackinac Island, MI

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-17

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Mackinac Island 4th of July Fireworks, Lake Huron, Mackinac Island, MI AGENCY: Coast... of Lake Huron during the Mackinac Island 4th of July Fireworks display on July 4, 2010. This... and vessels during the setup, and launching of fireworks in conjunction with the Mackinac Island 4th...

UK Role 4 military infectious diseases at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital in 2005-9.

PubMed

Glennie, J S; Bailey, M S

2010-09-01

Infectious diseases affecting British troops are mostly due to gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses, but these are usually minor in severity, easy to manage and short in duration. To assess the importance of infections that are more severe, difficult to manage or longer in duration, it is necessary to look at military cases that are evacuated or otherwise referred to the UK Role 4 (definitive care) medical facility for infectious diseases. Case notes from military infectious disease patients seen at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital in 2005-2009 were reviewed to extract data on demographics, origin of infection, diagnostic categories, exact diagnoses, type and duration of care, time off duty, quality of care and costs incurred. Over a 4-year period, 138 cases were referred, 131 (95%) were male and 98 (71%) were from the Army. The origin of infection was Afghanistan in 52 (38%) and Belize in 19 (14%). From 131 patients (95%) that attended, 59 (45%) had dermatological illnesses and 38 (29%) had undifferentiated febrile illnesses. Diagnoses included 35 (27%) with cutaneous leishmaniasis and 21 (16%) with "Helmand Fever" due to sandfly fever, acute Q fever or rickettsial infection. For 51 in-patients, the median (range) length of stay was 3 (1-17) days and time off duty was 20 (5-127) days. For 80 out-patients, the median (range) number of attendances was 1 (1-23) and time off duty was 22 (1-228) days. All cases were seen promptly (within 7 days for in-patients and 28 days for out-patients), but only 59 (45%) had appropriate letters sent to the referring medical officer and none had F Med 85 notifications of infectious disease submitted. Aeromedical evacuation costs could not be calculated, but UK hospital care cost approximately pound 78 000 per year. Dermatological infections and undifferentiated febrile illnesses that require management at a UK Role 4 facility are important causes of disease non-battle injury. Prospective collection of this data in the future

Th1/Th2 balance: the hypothesis, its limitations, and implications for health and disease.

PubMed

Kidd, Parris

2003-08-01

One theory of immune regulation involves homeostasis between T-helper 1 (Th1) and T-helper 2 (Th2) activity. The Th1/Th2 hypothesis arose from 1986 research suggesting mouse T-helper cells expressed differing cytokine patterns. This hypothesis was adapted to human immunity, with Th1- and Th2-helper cells directing different immune response pathways. Th1 cells drive the type-1 pathway ("cellular immunity") to fight viruses and other intracellular pathogens, eliminate cancerous cells, and stimulate delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) skin reactions. Th2 cells drive the type-2 pathway ("humoral immunity") and up-regulate antibody production to fight extracellular organisms; type 2 dominance is credited with tolerance of xenografts and of the fetus during pregnancy. Overactivation of either pattern can cause disease, and either pathway can down-regulate the other. But the hypothesis has major inconsistencies; human cytokine activities rarely fall into exclusive pro-Th1 or -Th2 patterns. The non-helper regulatory T cells, or the antigen-presenting cells (APC), likely influence immunity in a manner comparable to Th1 and Th2 cells. Many diseases previously classified as Th1 or Th2 dominant fail to meet the set criteria. Experimentally, Th1 polarization is readily transformed to Th2 dominance through depletion of intracellular glutathione, and vice versa. Mercury depletes glutathione and polarizes toward Th2 dominance. Several nutrients and hormones measurably influence Th1/Th2 balance, including plant sterols/sterolins, melatonin, probiotics, progesterone, and the minerals selenium and zinc. The long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) significantly benefit diverse inflammatory and autoimmune conditions without any specific Th1/Th2 effect. Th1/Th2-based immunotherapies, e.g., T-cell receptor (TCR) peptides and interleukin-4 (IL-4) injections, have produced mixed results to date.

10. 4TH FLOOR, HOTEL SOAP LINE No. 6 TO SOUTHWEST, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

10. 4TH FLOOR, HOTEL SOAP LINE No. 6 TO SOUTHWEST, WITH AUTOMATIC CUTTER (LEFT), PRESS (CENTER), AND WRAPPER (RIGHT); LARGE CHUTE AT CENTER FROM 5TH FLOOR BINS TO 3RD FLOOR SOAP MILLS; OVERHEAD AND FLOOR (LOWER RIGHT) FINISHED GOODS CONVEYORS TO G BLOCK (HAER NO. NJ-71-NN) - Colgate & Company Jersey City Plant, Building No. B-14, 54-58 Grand Street, Jersey City, Hudson County, NJ

What Are the Implications of Tier 4 UK Immigration Rules and Policy for Non-EU Students? The Experiences of Students from Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Achinewhu-Nworgu, Elizabeth; Nworgu, Queen Chioma; Ayinde, Helen

2015-01-01

Changes introduced in 2010 to the Tier 4 immigration rules that apply to non-EU students wishing to study in the UK have led to a reduction in the overall number of non-EU students gaining entry to the UK. This paper outlines the reasons for these changes to the UK's immigration rules and explores the experiences of one group of non-EU students in…

The school nutrition program's role in weight management of 4th grade elementary students

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We are attempting to uncover the school nutrition program's role in weight management of 4th grade elementary students. Data was collected within a time frame for the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) set at two months at the WT Cheney Elementary School and South Wood Elementary for 4th grade stud...

Comparison between Hardy-Rand-Rittler 4th edition and Ishihara color plate tests for detection of dyschromatopsia in optic neuropathy.

PubMed

Huna-Baron, Ruth; Glovinsky, Yoseph; Habot-Wilner, Zohar

2013-02-01

The aim of this work was to compare the specificity-sensitivity balance of the Hardy-Rand-Rittler (HRR) 4th edition with the Ishihara color plate tests for color-vision defects in patients with optic neuropathy. This is a prospective case-control study. The study group included 43 patients (48 eyes) with newly diagnosed optic neuropathy, and the control group included 33 patients (33 right eyes) who were referred to the eye clinic for conditions other than optic nerve or retinal macular disorders. Individuals with visual acuity of less than 20/70 (0.54 Log MAR) were excluded. All patients underwent comprehensive eye examination and color-vision evaluation with both tests in a random order under standardized lighting conditions. The scores of the Ishihara and HRR tests were set as the number of plates identified out of 12 and six respectively. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was statistically significantly better when using the HRR test (area under curve [AUC] = 0.93 ± 0.03) than for the Ishihara test (AUC = 0.77 ± 0.05) (P = 0.0006). The best specificity-sensitivity balance for the HRR was 100 % and 79 % respectively, and for the Ishihara test 100 % and 48 % respectively. The HRR 4th edition test proved to be superior to the Ishihara test in detecting acquired dyschromatopsia due to optic neuropathy. We recommend using the HRR 4th edition test as a screening method for detection of color-vision defects in patients with optic neuropathy.

75 FR 35294 - Safety Zone; Marquette 4th of July Fireworks, Marquette Harbor, Lake Superior, Marquette, MI

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-22

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Marquette 4th of July Fireworks, Marquette Harbor, Lake Superior, Marquette, MI... vessels from a portion of Marquette Harbor during the Marquette 4th of July Fireworks display. This... vessels during the setup and launching of fireworks in conjunction with the Marquette 4th of July...

11(th) National Meeting of Organic Chemistry and 4(th) Meeting of Therapeutic Chemistry.

PubMed

Sousa, Maria Emília; Araújo, Maria João; do Vale, Maria Luísa; Andrade, Paula B; Branco, Paula; Gomes, Paula; Moreira, Rui; Pinho E Melo, Teresa M V D; Freitas, Victor

2016-03-17

For the first time under the auspices of Sociedade Portuguesa de Química, the competences of two important fields of Chemistry are brought together into a single event, the 11st National Organic Chemistry Meeting and the the 4th National Medicinal Chemistry Meeting, to highlight complementarities and to promote new synergies. Abstracts of plenary lectures, oral communications, and posters presented during the meeting are collected in this report.

[A development of Byzantine Christian charities during the 4(th)-7(th) centuries and the birth of the hospital].

PubMed

Nam, Sung Hyun

2015-04-01

This study aims to examine the beginning and the development of Christian Charities during the 4(th)-6(th) centuries which would eventually result in the birth of the hospital in modern sense in the first half of the 7(th) century. For this purpose, I looked carefully into various primary sources concerning the early Christian institutions for the poor and the sick. Above all, it's proper to note that the first xenodocheion where hospitality was combined with a systematic caring, is concerned with the Trinitarian debate of the 4(th) century. In 356, Eustathios, one of the leaders of homoiousios group, established xenodocheion to care for the sick and the lepers in Sebaste of Armenia, whereas his opponent Aetios, doctor and leader of the heteroousios party, was reckoned to have combined the medical treatment with his clerical activities. Then, Basil of Caesarea, disciple of Eustathios of Sebaste, also founded in 372 a magnificent benevolent complex named 'Basileias' after its founder. I scrupulously analysed several contemporary materials mentioning the charitable institution of Caesarea which was called alternatively katagogia, ptochotropheion, xenodocheion. John Chrysostome also founded several nosokomeia in Constantinople at the end of the 4(th) century and the beginning of the 5(th) century. Apparently, the contemporary sources mention that doctors existed for these Charities, but there is no sufficient proof that these 'Christian Hospitals,' Basileias or nosokomeia of Constantinople were hospitals in modern sense. Imperial constitutions began to mention ptochotropheion, xenodocheion and orphanotropheion since the second half of the 5(th) century and then some Justinian laws evoked nosokomium, brephotrophia, gerontocomia. These laws reveal that 'Christian Hospitals' were well clarified and deeply rooted in Byzantine society already in these periods. And then, new benevolent institutions emerged in the 6(th) century: nosokomeia for a specific class and

The UK Biobank sample handling and storage validation studies.

PubMed

Peakman, Tim C; Elliott, Paul

2008-04-01

and aims UK Biobank is a large prospective study in the United Kingdom to investigate the role of genetic factors, environmental exposures and lifestyle in the causes of major diseases of late and middle age. It involves the collection of blood and urine from 500 000 individuals aged between 40 and 69 years. How the samples are collected, processed and stored will have a major impact on the future scientific usefulness of the UK Biobank resource. A series of validation studies was recommended to test the robustness of the draft sample handling and storage protocol. Samples of blood and urine were collected from 40 healthy volunteers and either processed immediately according to the protocol or maintained at specified temperatures (4 degrees C for all tubes with the exception of vacutainers containing acid citrate dextrose that were maintained at 18 degrees C) for 12, 24 or 36 h prior to processing. A further sample was maintained for 24 h at 4 degrees C, processed and the aliquots frozen at -80 degrees C for 20 days and then thawed under controlled conditions. The stability of the samples was compared for the different times in a wide variety of assays. The samples maintained at 4 degrees C were stable for at least 24 h after collection for a wide range of assays. Small but significant changes were observed in metabonomic studies in samples maintained at 4 degrees C for 36 h. There was no degradation of the samples for a range of biochemical assays after short-term freezing and thawing under controlled conditions. Whole blood maintained at 18 degrees C for 24 h in vacutainers containing acid citrate dextrose is suitable for viral immortalization techniques. The validation studies reported in this supplement provide justification for the sample handling and storage procedures adopted in the UK Biobank project.

High-pressure synthesis and characterization of new actinide borates, AnB4O8 (An=Th, U).

PubMed

Hinteregger, Ernst; Hofer, Thomas S; Heymann, Gunter; Perfler, Lukas; Kraus, Florian; Huppertz, Hubert

2013-11-18

New actinide borates ThB4O8 and UB4O8 were synthesized under high-pressure, high-temperature conditions (5.5 GPa/1100 °C for thorium borate, 10.5 GPa/1100 °C for the isotypic uranium borate) in a Walker-type multianvil apparatus from their corresponding actinide oxide and boron oxide. The crystal structure was determined on basis of single-crystal X-ray diffraction data that were collected at room temperature. Both compounds crystallized in the monoclinic space group C2/c (Z=4). Lattice parameters for ThB4O8: a=1611.3(3), b=419.86(8), c=730.6(2) pm; β=114.70(3)°; V=449.0(2) Å(3); R1=0.0255, wR2=0.0653 (all data). Lattice parameters for UB4O8: a=1589.7(3), b=422.14(8), c=723.4(2) pm; β=114.13(3)°; V=443.1(2) Å(3); R1=0.0227, wR2=0.0372 (all data). The new AnB4O8 (An=Th, U) structure type is constructed from corner-sharing BO4 tetrahedra, which form layers in the bc plane. One of the four independent oxygen atoms is threefold-coordinated. The actinide cations are located between the boron-oxygen layers. In addition to Raman spectroscopic investigations, DFT calculations were performed to support the assignment of the vibrational bands. © 2013 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA. This isan open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons AttributionLicense, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium,provided the original work is properly cited.

Report on the 4th International IUPAP Women in Physics Conference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Correa, Cynthia

2011-10-01

Stellenbosch, South Africa was the site of the 4^th International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) International Conference on Women in Physics, which took place on April 5^th-8^th. This conference brought together the diverse contributions of 250 female physicist attendees from nearly 60 countries worldwide to dissect the challenges faced by female physicists worldwide and to propose strategies to attract and retain more girls and women to the field. Having served as a member of the U.S. Delegation, I will discuss the resolutions reached and highlight the most important results of Global Survey of Physicists, where nearly 15,000 physicists shine light on how gender affects their lives and careers.

4th integrated transportation management systems (ITMS) conference : conference proceedings

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-08-01

This report documents the proceedings from the 4th Integrated Transportation Management Systems (ITMS) Conference, ITMS: A Key Strategy to Optimize Surface Transportation System Performance, held in Newark, New Jersey on July 15-18, 2001. The Confere...

4th International Plant Biomechanics Conference Proceedings (Abstracts)

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

Frank W. Telewski; Lothar H. Koehler; Frank W. Ewers

2003-07-20

The 4th International Plant Biomechanics Conference facilitated an interdisciplinary exchange between scientists, engineers, and educators addressing the major questions encountered in the field of Plant Biomechanics. Subjects covered by the conference include: Evolution; Ecology; Mechanoreception; Cell Walls; Genetic Modification; Applied Biomechanics of Whole Plants, Plant Products, Fibers & Composites; Fluid Dynamics; Wood & Trees; Fracture Mechanics; Xylem Pressure & Water Transport; Modeling; and Introducing Plant Biomechanics in Secondary School Education.

The Effects of Cooperative Learning Strategies on Vocabulary Skills of 4th Grade Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bilen, Didem; Tavil, Zekiye Müge

2015-01-01

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of cooperative learning strategies on the vocabulary skills of 4th grade students. The study was also designed to ascertain the attitudes of the students in the experimental group towards cooperative learning. Out of 96 4th grade students enrolled in the private school where the study took…

4th integrated transportation management systems (ITMS) conference : white papers

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-07-01

This report provides the technical papers prepared for the 4th Integrated Transportation Management Systems (ITMS) Conference held in Newark, New Jersey on July 15-18, 2001. The Conference was sponsored by the Transportation Research Board (TRB), the...

11th National Meeting of Organic Chemistry and 4th Meeting of Therapeutic Chemistry

PubMed Central

Sousa, Maria Emília; Araújo, Maria João; do Vale, Maria Luísa; Andrade, Paula B.; Branco, Paula; Gomes, Paula; Moreira, Rui; Pinho e Melo, Teresa M.V.D.; Freitas, Victor

2016-01-01

For the first time under the auspices of Sociedade Portuguesa de Química, the competences of two important fields of Chemistry are brought together into a single event, the 11st National Organic Chemistry Meeting and the the 4th National Medicinal Chemistry Meeting, to highlight complementarities and to promote new synergies. Abstracts of plenary lectures, oral communications, and posters presented during the meeting are collected in this report. PMID:27102166

CCL20 and β-defensin-2 induce arrest of human Th17 cells on inflamed endothelium in vitro under flow conditions.

PubMed

Ghannam, Soufiane; Dejou, Cécile; Pedretti, Nathalie; Giot, Jean-Philipe; Dorgham, Karim; Boukhaddaoui, Hassan; Deleuze, Virginie; Bernard, François-Xavier; Jorgensen, Christian; Yssel, Hans; Pène, Jérôme

2011-02-01

CCR6 is a chemokine receptor that is expressed at the cell surface of Th17 cells, an IL-17- and IL-22-secreting population of CD4(+) T cells with antipathogenic, as well as inflammatory, properties. In the current study, we have determined the involvement of CCR6 in human Th17 lymphocyte migration toward inflamed tissue by analyzing the capacity of its ligands to induce arrest of these cells onto inflamed endothelium in vitro under flow conditions. We show that polarized, in situ-differentiated, skin-derived Th17 clones activated via the TCR-CD3 complex produce CCL20 in addition to IL-17 and IL-22. The latter cytokines induce, in a synergic fashion, the production of human β-defensin (hBD)-2, but neither hBD-1 nor hBD-3, by epidermal keratinocytes. Both CCL20 and hBD-2 are capable of inducing the arrest of Th17 cells, but not Th1 or Th2 cells, on HUVEC in an CD54-dependent manner that is CCR6 specific and independent from the expression of CXCR4, reported to be an alternative receptor for hBD-2. In addition, Ag-specific activation induces a transient loss of CCR6 expression, both at the transcriptional and protein level, which occurs with slow kinetics and is not due to endogenous CCL20-mediated internalization of CCR6. Together, these results indicate that Ag-specific activation will initially contribute to CCR6-mediated Th17 cell trafficking toward and sequestration in inflamed tissue, but that it eventually results in a transitory state of nonresponsiveness to further stimulation of these cells with CCR6 ligands, thus permitting their subsequent migration out of the inflamed site.

A Comparison of Spectacles Purchased Online and in UK Optometry Practice

PubMed Central

Alderson, Alison J.; Green, Alison; Whitaker, David; Scally, Andrew J.; Elliott, David B.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Purpose To compare spectacles bought online with spectacles from optometry practices. Methods Thirty-three participants consisting of single vision spectacle wearers with either a low (N = 12, mean age 34 ± 14 years) or high prescription (N = 11, mean age 28 ± 9 years) and 10 presbyopic participants (mean age 59 ± 4 years) wearing progressive addition lenses (PALs) purchased 154 pairs of spectacles online and 154 from UK optometry practices. The spectacles were compared via participant-reported preference, acceptability, and safety; the assessment of lens, frame, and fit quality; and the accuracy of the lens prescriptions to international standard ISO 21987:2009. Results Participants preferred the practice spectacles (median ranking 4th, IQR 1–6) more than online (6th, IQR 4–8; Mann-Whitney U = 7345, p < 0.001) and practice PALs (median ranking 2nd, IQR 1–4) were particularly preferred (online 6.5th, IQR 4–9, Mann-Whitney U = 455, p < 0.001). Of those deemed unacceptable and unsafe, significantly more were bought online (unacceptable: online 43/154 vs. practice 15/154, Fisher’s exact p = 0.0001; unsafe: online 14/154 vs. practice 5/154, Fisher’s exact p = 0.03). Conclusions Participants preferred spectacles from optometry practice rather than those bought online, despite lens quality and prescription accuracy being similar. A greater number of online spectacles were deemed unsafe or unacceptable because of poor spectacle frame fit, poor cosmetic appearance, and inaccurate optical centration. This seems particularly pertinent to PAL lenses, which are known to increase falls risk. Recommendations are made to improve both forms of spectacle provision. PMID:27536974

Th1-like Plasmodium-Specific Memory CD4+ T Cells Support Humoral Immunity.

PubMed

Zander, Ryan A; Vijay, Rahul; Pack, Angela D; Guthmiller, Jenna J; Graham, Amy C; Lindner, Scott E; Vaughan, Ashley M; Kappe, Stefan H I; Butler, Noah S

2017-11-14

Effector T cells exhibiting features of either T helper 1 (Th1) or T follicular helper (Tfh) populations are essential to control experimental Plasmodium infection and are believed to be critical for resistance to clinical malaria. To determine whether Plasmodium-specific Th1- and Tfh-like effector cells generate memory populations that contribute to protection, we developed transgenic parasites that enable high-resolution study of anti-malarial memory CD4 T cells in experimental models. We found that populations of both Th1- and Tfh-like Plasmodium-specific memory CD4 T cells persist. Unexpectedly, Th1-like memory cells exhibit phenotypic and functional features of Tfh cells during recall and provide potent B cell help and protection following transfer, characteristics that are enhanced following ligation of the T cell co-stimulatory receptor OX40. Our findings delineate critical functional attributes of Plasmodium-specific memory CD4 T cells and identify a host-specific factor that can be targeted to improve resolution of acute malaria and provide durable, long-term protection against Plasmodium parasite re-exposure. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

75 FR 34374 - Safety Zone; Stockton Ports Baseball Club/City of Stockton, 4th of July Fireworks Display...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-17

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Stockton Ports Baseball Club/City of Stockton, 4th of July Fireworks Display... July 4th fireworks display. This safety zone is established to ensure the safety of participants and... will sponsor the Stockton Ports Baseball Club/City of Stockton 4th of July Fireworks Display on July 4...

Coexistence of Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg imbalances in patients with allergic asthma.

PubMed

Shi, Yu-heng; Shi, Guo-chao; Wan, Huan-ying; Jiang, Li-hua; Ai, Xiang-yan; Zhu, Hai-xing; Tang, Wei; Ma, Jia-yun; Jin, Xiao-yan; Zhang, Bo-ying

2011-07-05

Recent recognition is that Th2 response is insufficient to fully explain the aetiology of asthma. Other CD4(+) T cells subsets might play a role in asthma. We investigated the relative abundance and activities of Th1, Th2, Th17 and CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg cells in patients with allergic asthma. Twenty-two patients with mild asthma, 17 patients with moderate to severe asthma and 20 healthy donors were enrolled. All patients were allergic to house dust mites. Plasma total IgE, pulmonary function and Asthma Control Questionnaire were assessed. The proportions of peripheral blood Th1, Th2, Th17 and CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg cells were determined by flow cytometry. The expression of cytokines in plasma and in the culture supernatant of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was determined by enzyme linked, immunosorbent assay. The frequency of blood Th2 cells and IL-4 levels in plasma and culture supernatant of peripheral blood mononuclear cells were increased in all patients with allergic asthma. The frequency of Th17 cells and the plasma and culture supernatant levels of IL-17 were increased, whereas the frequency of CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg cells and plasma IL-10 levels were decreased in patients with moderate to severe asthma. Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus specific IgE levels were positively correlated with the percentage of blood Th2 cells and plasma IL-4 levels. Forced expiratory volume in the first second was negatively correlated with the frequency of Th17 cells and plasma IL-17 levels, and positively correlated with the frequency of Treg cells. However, mean Asthma Control Questionnaire scores were positively correlated with the frequency of Th17 cells and plasma IL-17 levels, and negatively correlated with the frequency of Treg cells. Imbalances in Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg were found in patients with allergic asthma. Furthermore, elevated Th17 cell responses, the absence of Tregs and an imbalance in Th17/Treg levels were associated with moderate to severe asthma.

Seismic Waves, 4th order accurate

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

2013-08-16

SW4 is a program for simulating seismic wave propagation on parallel computers. SW4 colves the seismic wave equations in Cartesian corrdinates. It is therefore appropriate for regional simulations, where the curvature of the earth can be neglected. SW4 implements a free surface boundary condition on a realistic topography, absorbing super-grid conditions on the far-field boundaries, and a kinematic source model consisting of point force and/or point moment tensor source terms. SW4 supports a fully 3-D heterogeneous material model that can be specified in several formats. SW4 can output synthetic seismograms in an ASCII test format, or in the SAC finarymore » format. It can also present simulation information as GMT scripts, whixh can be used to create annotated maps. Furthermore, SW4 can output the solution as well as the material model along 2-D grid planes.« less

Expression of tyrosine hydroxylase in CD4+ T cells contributes to alleviation of Th17/Treg imbalance in collagen-induced arthritis.

PubMed

Wang, Xiao-Qin; Liu, Yan; Cai, Huan-Huan; Peng, Yu-Ping; Qiu, Yi-Hua

2016-12-01

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), a rate-limiting enzyme for the synthesis of catecholamines, is expressed in T lymphocytes. However, the role of T cell-expressed TH in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is less clear. Herein, we aimed to show the contribution of TH expression by CD4 + T cells to alleviation of helper T (Th)17/regulatory T (Treg) imbalance in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), a mouse model of RA. CIA was prepared by intradermal injection of collagen type II (CII) at tail base of DBA1/J mice. Expression of TH in the spleen and the ankle joints was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. Percentages of TH-expressing Th17 and Treg cells in splenic CD4 + T cells were determined by flow cytometry. Overexpression and knockdown of TH gene in CD4 + T cells were taken to evaluate effects of TH on Th17 and Treg cells in CIA. TH expression was upregulated in both the inflamed tissues (spleen and ankle joints) and the CD4 + T cells of CIA mice. In splenic CD4 + T cells, the cells expressing TH were increased during CIA. These cells that expressed more TH in CIA were mainly Th17 cells rather than Treg cells. TH gene overexpression in CD4 + T cells from CIA mice reduced Th17 cell percentage as well as Th17-related transcription factor and cytokine expression and secretion, whereas TH gene knockdown enhanced the Th17 cell activity. In contrast, TH gene overexpression increased Treg-related cytokine expression and secretion in CD4 + T cells of CIA mice, while TH gene knockdown decreased the Treg cell changes. Collectively, these findings show that CIA induces TH expression in CD4 + T cells, particularly in Th17 cells, and suggest that the increased TH expression during CIA represents an anti-inflammatory mechanism.

THE FIRST LASING OF 193 NM SASE, 4TH HARMONIC HGHG AND ESASE AT THE NSLS SDL.

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

WANG, X.J.; SHEN Y.; WATANABE, T.

2006-08-28

The first lasing of three types of single-pass high-gain FELs, SASE at 193 nm, 4th harmonic HGHG at 199 nm and ESASE at the Source Development Lab (SDL) of Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is reported. The saturation of 4th harmonic HGHG and ESASE FELs was observed. We also observed the spectral broadening and instability of the 4th harmonic HGHG.

Interleukin 4 promotes the development of ex-Foxp3 Th2 cells during immunity to intestinal helminths.

PubMed

Pelly, Victoria S; Coomes, Stephanie M; Kannan, Yashaswini; Gialitakis, Manolis; Entwistle, Lewis J; Perez-Lloret, Jimena; Czieso, Stephanie; Okoye, Isobel S; Rückerl, Dominik; Allen, Judith E; Brombacher, Frank; Wilson, Mark S

2017-06-05

Immunity to intestinal helminth infections requires the rapid activation of T helper 2 cells (Th2 cells). However, simultaneous expansion of CD4 + Foxp3 + regulatory T cells (T reg cells) impedes protective responses, resulting in chronic infections. The ratio between T reg and effector T cells can therefore determine the outcome of infection. The redifferentiation of T reg cells into Th cells has been identified in hyperinflammatory diseases. In this study, we asked whether ex-T reg Th2 cells develop and contribute to type-2 immunity. Using multigene reporter and fate-reporter systems, we demonstrate that a significant proportion of Th2 cells derive from Foxp3 + cells after Heligmosomoides polygyrus infection and airway allergy. Ex-Foxp3 Th2 cells exhibit characteristic Th2 effector functions and provide immunity to H. polygyrus Through selective deletion of Il4ra on Foxp3 + cells, we further demonstrate IL-4 is required for the development of ex-Foxp3 Th2 cells. Collectively, our findings indicate that converting T reg cells into Th2 cells could concomitantly enhance Th2 cells and limit T reg cell-mediated suppression. © 2017 Pelly et al.

Interleukin 4 promotes the development of ex-Foxp3 Th2 cells during immunity to intestinal helminths

PubMed Central

Coomes, Stephanie M.; Kannan, Yashaswini; Entwistle, Lewis J.; Perez-Lloret, Jimena; Czieso, Stephanie

2017-01-01

Immunity to intestinal helminth infections requires the rapid activation of T helper 2 cells (Th2 cells). However, simultaneous expansion of CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (T reg cells) impedes protective responses, resulting in chronic infections. The ratio between T reg and effector T cells can therefore determine the outcome of infection. The redifferentiation of T reg cells into Th cells has been identified in hyperinflammatory diseases. In this study, we asked whether ex–T reg Th2 cells develop and contribute to type-2 immunity. Using multigene reporter and fate-reporter systems, we demonstrate that a significant proportion of Th2 cells derive from Foxp3+ cells after Heligmosomoides polygyrus infection and airway allergy. Ex-Foxp3 Th2 cells exhibit characteristic Th2 effector functions and provide immunity to H. polygyrus. Through selective deletion of Il4ra on Foxp3+ cells, we further demonstrate IL-4 is required for the development of ex-Foxp3 Th2 cells. Collectively, our findings indicate that converting T reg cells into Th2 cells could concomitantly enhance Th2 cells and limit T reg cell–mediated suppression. PMID:28507062

Accounts from 19th-century Canadian Arctic explorers' logs reflect present climate conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Overland, James E.; Wood, Kevin

The widely perceived failure of 19th-century expeditions to find and transit the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic is often attributed to extraordinary cold climatic conditions associated with the “Little Ice Age” evident in proxy records. However, examination of 44 explorers' logs for the western Arctic from 1818 to 1910 reveals that climate indicators such as navigability, the distribution and thickness of annual sea ice, monthly surface air temperature, and the onset of melt and freeze were within the present range of variability.The quest for the Northwest Passage through the Canadian archipelago during the 19th century is frequently seen as a vain and tragic failure. Polar exploration during the Victorian era seems to us today to have been a costly exercise in heroic futility, which in many respects it was. This perspective has been reinforced since the 1970s, when paleoclimate reconstructions based on Arctic ice core stratigraphy appeared to confirm the existence of exceptionally cold conditions consistent with the period glaciologists had termed the “Little Ice Age” (Figure 1a), with temperatures more than one standard deviation colder relative to an early 20th-century mean [Koerner, 1977; Koerner and Fisher, 1990; Overpeck et al., 1998]. In recent years, the view of the Little Ice Age as a synchronous worldwide and prolonged cold epoch that ended with modern warming has been questioned [Bradley and Jones, 1993; Jones and Briffa, 2001 ;Ogilvie, 2001].

Normal limits of pediatric Frank lead electrocardiograms. Differences in data obtained in 4th or 5th intercostal spaces.

PubMed

Robert, A; Derwael-Barchy, C; Fesler, R; Brasseur, L A; Brohet, C R

1984-01-01

Frank lead electrocardiograms (VCGs) were recorded from 970 young subjects in order to establish normal limits for pediatric VCGs. In 245 children and 231 adolescents, the thoracic electrodes were located at the levels of the 4th and of the 5th intercostal space with subjects in supine position. Pairwise comparisons of 211 linear and angular parameters were made, using the 4th interspace as the reference. In children, there were 155 parameters with statistically significant differences and 56 parameters without significant differences between levels 4 and 5. In adolescents, corresponding figures were 158 parameters with significant differences and 53 without. Results for selected measurements showed an increase of the amplitude of Q and R waves in leads X and Y, a decrease of Q and R waves in lead Z and an increase of maximal spatial and planar QRS vectors, with the QRS loop being more anteriorly oriented by shifting the electrodes from level 4 to level 5. The mean differences in amplitude and orientation were generally small and of little practical value. However, the percentile distribution of the differences indicated that substantial changes in either direction can occur in some subjects. Thus, quantitative analysis of the pediatric Frank VCGs can be critically affected by modification of electrode placement. It is suggested that normal limits should be determined for each recording level and that criteria for analysis should be applied only to VCGs recorded at the same specified level.

77 FR 39422 - Eighth Coast Guard District Annual Safety Zones; Niceville July 4th Fireworks Show; Boggy Bayou...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-03

...-AA00 Eighth Coast Guard District Annual Safety Zones; Niceville July 4th Fireworks Show; Boggy Bayou... Guard will enforce a Safety Zone for the Niceville July 4th Fireworks Show in Boggy Bayou, Niceville... July 4th Fireworks Show. During the enforcement period, entry into, transiting or anchoring in the...

29. VIEW OF 4TH FLOOR'S TELEPHONE RACKS WITH CABLE TRAYS ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

29. VIEW OF 4TH FLOOR'S TELEPHONE RACKS WITH CABLE TRAYS ABOVE. THESE ARE NEWER APPARATUS AND NOT ORIGINAL. - Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company Building, 1519 Franklin Street, Oakland, Alameda County, CA

1. WEST AND NORTH (OBLIQUE VIEW) SIDES, FROM ACROSS 4TH ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

1. WEST AND NORTH (OBLIQUE VIEW) SIDES, FROM ACROSS 4TH STREET, LOOKING SOUTHEAST. - Oakland Naval Supply Center, Warehouse, North of A Street, between Fourth & Maritime Streets, Oakland, Alameda County, CA

Prevention of autoantibody-mediated Graves'-like hyperthyroidism in mice with IL-4, a Th2 cytokine.

PubMed

Nagayama, Yuji; Mizuguchi, Hiroyuki; Hayakawa, Takao; Niwa, Masami; McLachlan, Sandra M; Rapoport, Basil

2003-04-01

Graves' hyperthyroidism has long been considered to be a Th2-type autoimmune disease because it is directly mediated by autoantibodies against the thyrotropin receptor (TSHR). However, several lines of evidence have recently challenged this concept. The present study evaluated the Th1/Th2 paradigm in Graves' disease using a recently established murine model involving injection of adenovirus expressing the TSHR (AdCMVTSHR). Coinjection with adenovirus expressing IL-4 (AdRGDCMVIL-4) decreased the ratio of Th1/Th2-type anti-TSHR Ab subclasses (IgG2a/IgG1) and suppressed the production of IFN-gamma by splenocytes in response to TSHR Ag. Importantly, immune deviation toward Th2 was accompanied by significant inhibition of thyroid-stimulating Ab production and reduction in hyperthyroidism. However, in a therapeutic setting, injection of AdRGDCMVIL-4 alone or in combination with AdCMVTSHR into hyperthyroid mice had no beneficial effect. In contrast, coinjection of adenoviruses expressing IL-12 and the TSHR promoted the differentiation of Th1-type anti-TSHR immune responses as demonstrated by augmented Ag-specific IFN-gamma secretion from splenocytes without changing disease incidence. Coinjection of adenoviral vectors expressing IL-4 or IL-12 had no effect on the titers of anti-TSHR Abs determined by ELISA or thyroid-stimulating hormone-binding inhibiting Ig assays, suggesting that Ab quality, not quantity, is responsible for disease induction. Our observations demonstrate the critical role of Th1 immune responses in a murine model of Graves' hyperthyroidism. These data may raise a cautionary note for therapeutic strategies aimed at reversing Th2-mediated autoimmune responses in Graves' disease in humans.

Effect of sintering atmosphere on the hardness of ThO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baena, Angela; Cardinaels, Thomas; Van Eyken, Jelle; Puzzolante, Jean Louis; Binnemans, Koen; Verwerft, Marc

2016-08-01

The hardness and toughness of ThO2 sintered under reducing and oxidizing conditions has been investigated and, quite unexpectedly, a significant difference in hardness was observed for the entire range of porosities studied. Reducing conditions systematically yielded higher hardness values than oxidizing conditions. Extrapolated to zero porosity, the hardness for ThO2 is H0 = 10.5 ± 0.3 GPa for oxidizing conditions and H0 = 12.4 ± 0.7 GPa for reducing conditions. Toughness values have been derived from Vickers indentations; differences in toughness were insignificant and only a single value is proposed: KIC = 0.97 ± 0.12 MPa √m. The difference in hardness is attributed to the presence of point defects, also acting as color centers and causing grey coloration of ThO2 sintered under reducing conditions. Furthermore, and of interest for nuclear fuel production, is the finding that ThO2 sintered under reducing conditions is significantly easier to grind compared to material sintered under oxidizing conditions.

75 FR 33170 - Safety Zone; City of Martinez 4th of July Fireworks, Martinez, CA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-11

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 165 [Docket No. USCG-2010-0371] RIN 1625-AA00 Safety Zone; City of Martinez 4th of July Fireworks, Martinez, CA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION... of Martinez 4th of July Fireworks, Martinez, CA. (a) Location. This temporary safety zone is...

Cyanidin-3-glucoside suppresses Th2 cytokines and GATA-3 transcription factor in EL-4 T cells.

PubMed

Pyo, Myoung Yun; Yoon, Soo Jeong; Yu, Yeonsil; Park, Sunyoung; Jin, Mirim

2014-01-01

Allergic disease is dominated by Th2 immune responses. Interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13, representative Th2 cytokines, play pivotal roles in the pathogenic activation of the Th2 immune response. In this study, we found that cyanidin-3-glucoside chloride (C3G), an anthocyanin suppressed IL-4 and IL-13 produced in activated EL-4 T cells but not Th1 cytokines including IL-2, interferon-γ, or IL-12. IL-4 and IL-13 mRNA levels and luciferase activation in cells transiently transfected with IL-4 and IL-13 promoter reporter plasmids were significantly inhibited by C3G, suggesting that suppression might be, at least in part, regulated at the transcriptional level. Data from western blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analyses of transcription factors involved in cytokine expression suggested that expression of GATA-3, but not T-bet, was downregulated in the nucleus by C3G. Taken together, our data indicate that C3G may has potential as an anti-allergic agent suppressing Th2 activation by downregulating Th2 cytokines and the GATA3 transcription factor in allergies.

Changes needed to medicine in the UK before senior UK-trained doctors, working outside the UK, will return: questionnaire surveys undertaken between 2004 and 2015.

PubMed

Lambert, Trevor W; Smith, Fay; Goldacre, Michael J

2017-12-01

To report the changes to UK medicine which doctors who have emigrated tell us would increase their likelihood of returning to a career in UK medicine. Questionnaire survey. UK-trained medical graduates. Questionnaires were sent 11 years after graduation to 7158 doctors who qualified in 1993 and 1996 in the UK: 4763 questionnaires were returned. Questionnaires were sent 17 and 19 years after graduation to the same cohorts: 4554 questionnaires were returned. Comments from doctors working abroad about changes needed to UK medicine before they would return. Eleven years after graduation, 290 (6%) of respondents were working in medicine abroad; 277 (6%) were doing so 17/19 years after graduation. Eleven years after graduation, 53% of doctors working abroad indicated that they did not intend to return, and 71% did so 17/19 years after graduation. These respondents reported a number of changes which would need to be made to UK medicine in order to increase the likelihood of them returning. The most frequently mentioned changes cited concerned 'politics/management/funding', 'pay/pension', 'posts/security/opportunities', 'working conditions/hours', and 'factors outside medicine'. Policy attention to factors including funding, pay, management and particularly the clinical-political interface, working hours, and work-life balance may pay dividends for all, both in terms of persuading some established doctors to return and, perhaps more importantly, encouraging other, younger doctors to believe that the UK and the National Health Service can offer them a satisfying and rewarding career.

18. DETAILED OFFSHORE VIEW OF 4TH TEE, LOOKING NORTHWEST, SHOWING ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

18. DETAILED OFFSHORE VIEW OF 4TH TEE, LOOKING NORTHWEST, SHOWING TRANSITION FROM WOOD BENTS TO CONCRETE BENTS - Huntington Beach Municipal Pier, Pacific Coast Highway at Main Street, Huntington Beach, Orange County, CA

Th1, Th2, and Th17 Cytokine Involvement in Thyroid Associated Ophthalmopathy

PubMed Central

Shen, Jie; Li, Zhangfang; Li, Wenting; Ge, Ying; Xie, Min; Lv, Meng; Fan, Yanfei; Chen, Zhi; Zhao, Defu; Han, Yajuan

2015-01-01

To determine serum cytokine profiles in Graves' disease (GD) patients with or without active and inactive thyroid associated ophthalmopathy (TAO), we recruited 65 subjects: 10 GD only (without TAO), 25 GD + active TAO, 20 GD + TAO, and 10 healthy controls. Liquid chip assay was used to measure serum Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokines including IFN-γ (interferon-gamma), TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-alpha), IL-1α (interleukin-1 alpha), IL-1Ra (IL-1 receptor antagonist), IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-17 and two chemokines: RANTES (regulated upon activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted) and IP-10 (IFN-γ-induced protein 10). Serum levels of TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) receptor autoantibodies (TRAb) were measured using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Compared with healthy controls, TAO patients showed significantly elevated serum levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-4, IL-6, IL-17, and IP-10. Comparing active and inactive TAO, serum Th1 cytokines IFN-γ and TNF-α were elevated in active TAO, while serum Th2 cytokine IL-4 was elevated in inactive TAO. Serum Th17 cytokine IL-17 was elevated in GD but reduced in both active and inactive TAO. A positive correlation was found between TRAb and IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-2, IL-4, and IL-6. Taken together, serum Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokines and chemokines reflect TAO disease activity and may be implicated in TAO pathogenesis. PMID:26089587

97. VIEW NORTHWEST OF 4TH FLOOR OF BUILDING 112; NOTE ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

97. VIEW NORTHWEST OF 4TH FLOOR OF BUILDING 112; NOTE REMNANTS OF BEARING SUPPORTS FOR OVERHEAD BELT AND PULLEY POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEM - Scovill Brass Works, 59 Mill Street, Waterbury, New Haven County, CT

4th floor sacking deck looking east from 1945 elevator to ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

4th floor sacking deck looking east from 1945 elevator to 1913 elevator indicating spout used to load bulk grain into rail cars - Stewart Company Grain Elevator, 16 West Carson Street, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, PA

UK Renal Registry 16th annual report: chapter 12 biochemical variables amongst UK adult dialysis patients in 2012: national and centre-specific analyses.

PubMed

Nicholas, Johann; Shaw, Catriona; Pitcher, David; Dawnay, Anne

2013-01-01

The UK Renal Association clinical practice guidelines include clinical performance measures for biochemical variables in dialysis patients. The UK Renal Registry (UKRR) annually audits dialysis centre performance against these measures as part of its role in promoting continuous quality improvement. Cross sectional performance analyses were undertaken to compare dialysis centre achievement of clinical audit measures for prevalent haemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) cohorts in 2012. The biochemical variables studied were phosphate, adjusted calcium, parathyroid hormone, bicarbonate and total cholesterol. In addition, longitudinal analyses were performed (2002-2012) to show changes in achievement of clinical performance measures over time. Fifty-six percent of HD and 61% of PD patients achieved a phosphate within the range recommended by the RA clinical practice guidelines. Seventy-seven percent of HD and 78% of PD patients had adjusted calcium between 2.2-2.5 mmol/L. Fifty-eight percent of HD and 65% of PD patients had parathyroid hormone between 16-72 pmol/L. Fifty-nine percent of HD and 80% of PD patients achieved the audit measure for bicarbonate. There was significant inter-centre variation for all variables studied. The UKRR consistently demonstrates significant inter-centre variation in achievement of biochemical clinical audit measures. Understanding the causes of this variation is an important part of improving the care of dialysis patients in the UK.

Report of the 4th European Zebrafish Principal Investigator Meeting.

PubMed

Lopes, Susana S; Distel, Martin; Linker, Claudia; Fior, Rita; Monteiro, Rui; Bianco, Isaac H; Portugues, Ruben; Strähle, Uwe; Saúde, Leonor

2016-12-01

The European Zebrafish Principal Investigator Meeting (EZPM) is an ideal forum for group leaders using this fantastic animal model not only to discuss science but also to strengthen their interactions, to push forward technological advances, and to define guidelines for the use of this fish in research. The city of Lisbon (Portugal) was voted by the European group leaders to be the setting for the 4th EZPM, and the organizing committee, composed by Leonor Saúde (iMM Lisboa, PT), Susana Lopes (CEDOC, PT), Michael Orger (Champalimaud Foundation, PT), Rui Oliveira (ISPA, PT), and António Jacinto (CEDOC, PT), was very enthusiastic to organize a productive event. The 4th EZPM took place from March 15 to 19 at Pavilhão do Conhecimento, a Science Museum and Educational Center winner of The Great Prize FAD of Arquitecture 1999 and The Society for Environmental Graphic Design Award 2011. Over 5 days, 135 group leaders (89 men and 46 women) coming from 19 different European countries and also from the United States, Turkey, Israel, Chile, and Singapore presented and discussed their recent research achievements. In addition to the scientific oral and poster presentations, the group leaders gathered in very lively community sessions on morphants versus mutants (chaired by Didier Stainier, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, DE), funding issues (chaired by Uwe Strahle, KIT-ITG, DE), and gender equality (chaired by Corinne Houart, KCL, United Kingdom). One of the highlights of the 4th EZPM was the guided visit to Oceanário de Lisboa, an international award-winning place that celebrates life with a stunning display of living aquatic creatures.

5. Double crib barn, main floor, 4th room from northeast, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

5. Double crib barn, main floor, 4th room from northeast, southeast and southwest walls - Wilkins Farm, Barn, South side of Dove Hollow Road, 6000 feet east of State Route 259, Lost City, Hardy County, WV

Charactering baseline shift with 4th polynomial function for portable biomedical near-infrared spectroscopy device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Ke; Ji, Yaoyao; Pan, Boan; Li, Ting

2018-02-01

The continuous-wave Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) devices have been highlighted for its clinical and health care applications in noninvasive hemodynamic measurements. The baseline shift of the deviation measurement attracts lots of attentions for its clinical importance. Nonetheless current published methods have low reliability or high variability. In this study, we found a perfect polynomial fitting function for baseline removal, using NIRS. Unlike previous studies on baseline correction for near-infrared spectroscopy evaluation of non-hemodynamic particles, we focused on baseline fitting and corresponding correction method for NIRS and found that the polynomial fitting function at 4th order is greater than the function at 2nd order reported in previous research. Through experimental tests of hemodynamic parameters of the solid phantom, we compared the fitting effect between the 4th order polynomial and the 2nd order polynomial, by recording and analyzing the R values and the SSE (the sum of squares due to error) values. The R values of the 4th order polynomial function fitting are all higher than 0.99, which are significantly higher than the corresponding ones of 2nd order, while the SSE values of the 4th order are significantly smaller than the corresponding ones of the 2nd order. By using the high-reliable and low-variable 4th order polynomial fitting function, we are able to remove the baseline online to obtain more accurate NIRS measurements.

Two actinide-organic frameworks constructed by a tripodal flexible ligand: Occurrence of infinite ((UO{sub 2})O{sub 2}(OH){sub 3}){sub 4n} and hexanuclear (Th{sub 6}O{sub 4}(OH){sub 4}) motifs

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

Liang, Lingling; Zhang, Ronglan; Zhao, Jianshe, E-mail: jszhao@nwu.edu.cn

Two new actinide metal-organic frameworks were constructed by using a tripodal flexible ligand tris (2-carboxyethyl) isocyanurate (H{sub 3}tci) under hydrothermal condition. The combination of H{sub 3}tci and uranyl nitrate hexahydrate in aqueous solution leads to the isolation of [(UO{sub 2}){sub 2}(H{sub 2}O){sub 4}]{sub 0.5}(tci){sub 2}(UO{sub 2}){sub 4}(OH){sub 4}·18H{sub 2}O (1), which contains two distinct UO{sub 2}{sup 2+} coordination environments. Four uranyl cations, linked through μ{sub 3}-OH respectively, result in the edge-sharing ribbons. Then, the layer structure is constructed by U-O clusters linked through other eight-coordinated uranyl unions, giving rise to a porous structure in the space. Topological analysis reveals thatmore » complex 1 belongs to a (4, 8)-connected net with a schläfli symbol of (3{sup 4.}2{sup 6.}3){sub 2}(3{sup 4.}4{sup 6.}5{sup 6.}6{sup 8.}7{sup 3.}8). Th{sub 3}(tci){sub 2}O{sub 2}(OH){sub 2}(H{sub 2}O){sub 3}·12H{sub 2}O (2) generated by the reaction of H{sub 3}tci and thorium nitrate tetrahydrate, possesses nine-fold coodinated Th(IV) centers with a monocapped square antiprismatic geometry. The hexamers “Th{sub 6}O{sub 4}(OH){sub 4}” motifs are connected together by the carboxylate groups, showing a three-dimensional structures. Complex 2 takes on an 8-connected architecture and the point symbol is (4{sup 24.}6{sup 4}). - Graphical abstract: Two new 3D actinide metal-organic frameworks were constructed by using a tripodal flexible ligand tris (2-carboxyethyl) isocyanurate (H3tci) and their topological structures were displayed. The infinite ((UO{sub 2})O{sub 2}(OH){sub 3}){sub 4n} and hexanuclear (Th{sub 6}O{sub 4}(OH){sub 4}) motifs were found in the title actinides networks.« less

A thermodynamic study of the gaseous thorium carbides, ThC, ThC2, ThC3, ThC4, ThC5, and ThC6

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Satish K.; Gingerich, Karl A.

1980-02-01

Six gaseous carbides of thorium, ThCn(n=1-6), have been identified in a Knudsen effusion mass spectrometric investigation of the vapor phase above a thorium-uranium-rhodium-graphite system at high temperatures. The partial pressures of the thorium containing species were measured as a function of temperature in the 2300-2700 °K range. Third law enthalpies for the reactions Th(g)+nC(graphite) =ThCn, n=1 to 6, and of various other homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions were evaluated. By combining the experimental enthalpies with appropriate thermodynamic data taken from literature, the following values for the atomization energies ΔH °at,298, and standard heats of formation ΔH °f,298 of thorium carbides have been derived:

Fine PM2.5 around July 4th

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Data used in these analyses was obtained from publically-available sources, specifically the EPA's AirNow website (https://www.epa.gov/outdoor-air-quality-data). The dataset provided includes the subset of data from AirNow that was used in our analyses.This dataset is associated with the following publication:Dickerson, A., A. Benson, B. Buckley, and E. Chan. Concentrations of individual fine particulate matter components in the United States around July 4th. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health. Springer Netherlands, NETHERLANDS, 1-10, (2016).

Changes needed to medicine in the UK before senior UK-trained doctors, working outside the UK, will return: questionnaire surveys undertaken between 2004 and 2015

PubMed Central

Lambert, Trevor W; Goldacre, Michael J

2017-01-01

Objective To report the changes to UK medicine which doctors who have emigrated tell us would increase their likelihood of returning to a career in UK medicine. Design Questionnaire survey. Setting UK-trained medical graduates. Participants Questionnaires were sent 11 years after graduation to 7158 doctors who qualified in 1993 and 1996 in the UK: 4763 questionnaires were returned. Questionnaires were sent 17 and 19 years after graduation to the same cohorts: 4554 questionnaires were returned. Main outcome measures Comments from doctors working abroad about changes needed to UK medicine before they would return. Results Eleven years after graduation, 290 (6%) of respondents were working in medicine abroad; 277 (6%) were doing so 17/19 years after graduation. Eleven years after graduation, 53% of doctors working abroad indicated that they did not intend to return, and 71% did so 17/19 years after graduation. These respondents reported a number of changes which would need to be made to UK medicine in order to increase the likelihood of them returning. The most frequently mentioned changes cited concerned ‘politics/management/funding’, ‘pay/pension’, ‘posts/security/opportunities’, ‘working conditions/hours’, and ‘factors outside medicine’. Conclusions Policy attention to factors including funding, pay, management and particularly the clinical–political interface, working hours, and work–life balance may pay dividends for all, both in terms of persuading some established doctors to return and, perhaps more importantly, encouraging other, younger doctors to believe that the UK and the National Health Service can offer them a satisfying and rewarding career. PMID:29230305

TID Test Results for 4th Generation iPad(TradeMark)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guertin, S. M.; Allen, G. R.; McClure, S. S.; LaBel, K. A.

2013-01-01

TID testing of 4th generation iPads is reported. Of iPad subsystems, results indicate that the charging circuitry and display drivers fail at lowest TID levels. Details of construction are investigated for additional testing of components.

29. 4TH STREET FROM NEAR ITS INTERSECTION WITH J STREET, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

29. 4TH STREET FROM NEAR ITS INTERSECTION WITH J STREET, LOOKING NORTH, WITH WAREHOUSE 333 AT LEFT AND WAREHOUSES 433, 432 & 431 AT RIGHT. - Oakland Naval Supply Center, Maritime Street at Seventh Street, Oakland, Alameda County, CA

Alzheimer disease genetic risk factor APOE e4 and cognitive abilities in 111,739 UK Biobank participants.

PubMed

Lyall, Donald M; Ward, Joey; Ritchie, Stuart J; Davies, Gail; Cullen, Breda; Celis, Carlos; Bailey, Mark E S; Anderson, Jana; Evans, Jon; Mckay, Daniel F; Mcintosh, Andrew M; Sattar, Naveed; Smith, Daniel J; Deary, Ian J; Pell, Jill P

2016-07-01

the apolipoprotein (APOE) e4 locus is a genetic risk factor for dementia. Carriers of the e4 allele may be more vulnerable to conditions that are independent risk factors for cognitive decline, such as cardiometabolic diseases. we tested whether any association with APOE e4 status on cognitive ability was larger in older ages or in those with cardiometabolic diseases. UK Biobank includes over 500,000 middle- and older aged adults who have undergone detailed medical and cognitive phenotypic assessment. Around 150,000 currently have genetic data. We examined 111,739 participants with complete genetic and cognitive data. baseline cognitive data relating to information processing speed, memory and reasoning were used. We tested for interactions with age and with the presence versus absence of type 2 diabetes (T2D), coronary artery disease (CAD) and hypertension. in several instances, APOE e4 dosage interacted with older age and disease presence to affect cognitive scores. When adjusted for potentially confounding variables, there was no APOE e4 effect on the outcome variables. future research in large independent cohorts should continue to investigate this important question, which has potential implications for aetiology related to dementia and cognitive impairment. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

4th level of 1913 elevator indicating sacking scale, part of ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

4th level of 1913 elevator indicating sacking scale, part of the bagging system and nate to the sewing machine. Discharge spout for the grain bin to the left - Stewart Company Grain Elevator, 16 West Carson Street, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, PA

Variability in the 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine content of 'ecstasy' tablets in the UK.

PubMed

Wood, David Michael; Stribley, Vasoulla; Dargan, Paul Ivor; Davies, Susannah; Holt, David W; Ramsey, John

2011-09-01

Toxicity, such as hyperpyrexia, associated with the use of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; 'ecstasy') appears to be related to serum MDMA concentrations. However, there does not appear to be a similar association with the number of tablets ingested, suggesting variation in the tablet content of MDMA. Although work has shown this variation in other areas of the world, no studies have reported on the variation of MDMA content in UK ecstasy tablets. Ecstasy tablets seized from individuals attending nightclubs were analysed qualitatively to determine if they contained MDMA and quantitatively to determine the MDMA content per tablet. The mean amount of MDMA hydrochloride in 101 seized ecstasy tablets was 58.7±22.9 mg per tablet, with a range of 20 mg to 131 mg per tablet. The majority (96.0%) of tablets contained less than 100 mg MDMA per tablet. There appeared to be a bimodal distribution of MDMA content at approximately 20-40 mg per tablet and 60-80 mg per tablet. There is variability in the MDMA content of ecstasy tablets in the UK. This variability could potentially put users at increased risk of acute harm due to inadvertent excess ingestion of MDMA, as they are unaware of the differences in the MDMA content. Repeat sampling and quantification of MDMA content of ecstasy tablets in the UK will allow better education of users about the potential harms associated with the variability in the MDMA content. In addition, it will provide information to allow the monitoring of changes in not only the MDMA content, but also other adulterants, in ecstasy tablets.

What do young people with rheumatic disease believe to be important to research about their condition? A UK-wide study.

PubMed

Parsons, Suzanne; Thomson, Wendy; Cresswell, Katharine; Starling, Bella; McDonagh, Janet E

2017-07-03

The involvement of people of all ages including young people in research is now widely advocated but prioritisation of research topics is still driven largely by professional agendas. Evidence from adult literature has reported a mismatch between a researcher and patient generated list of research topics. There have been no studies to date exploring the priorities of young people with long term conditions other than in SLE. The study aimed to explore the research priorities of young people across the UK with respect to rheumatic conditions. Focus groups were undertaken with young people aged 11-24 years with rheumatic conditions recruited across the UK via members of the Barbara Ansell National Network for Adolescent Rheumatology BANNAR and relevant national charities. Data was analysed using a Framework approach. Participants discussed their beliefs about what should be researched in: Basic Science; Clinical Medicine; Health Services, Psychosocial, and Public Health. They were then invited to prioritize these areas in terms of how much funding they should receive. Thirteen focus groups were held involving 63 participants (18 males: 45 females, mean age 16 years, range 10 to 24) in all four nations of the UK. Young people's research priorities were influenced by whether they felt research would achieve benefits for all or just some patients and long or short term goals. Another influence was whether participants felt that research areas were already well funded. Across all groups, Basic Science was a key priority and participants felt that psychosocial research should be prioritized more. Health Services Research was a lower priority, as the majority of participants were happy with their care. Clinical medicine was not a high priority as young people were happy with their medication or uncomfortable with trying new ones. Finally, for nearly all groups, Public Health was a low priority. Differences were also observed between the two age groups and across the

Immobilization of Alkali Metal Fluorides via Recrystallization in a Cationic Lamellar Material, [Th(MoO4)(H2O)4Cl]Cl·H2O.

PubMed

Lin, Jian; Bao, Hongliang; Qie, Meiying; Silver, Mark A; Yue, Zenghui; Li, Xiaoyun; Zhu, Lin; Wang, Xiaomei; Zhang, Linjuan; Wang, Jian-Qiang

2018-06-05

Searching for cationic extended materials with a capacity for anion exchange resulted in a unique thorium molybdate chloride (TMC) with the formula of [Th(MoO 4 )(H 2 O) 4 Cl]Cl·H 2 O. The structure of TMC is composed of zigzagging cationic layers [Th(MoO 4 )(H 2 O) 4 Cl] + with Cl - as interlamellar charge-balancing anions. Instead of performing ion exchange, alkali thorium fluorides were formed after soaking TMC in AF (A = Na, K, and Cs) solutions. The mechanism of AF immobilization is elucidated by the combination of SEM-EDS, PXRD, FTIR, and EXAFS spectroscopy. It was observed that four water molecules coordinating with the Th 4+ center in TMC are vulnerable to competition with F - , due to the formation of more favorable Th-F bonds compared to Th-OH 2 . This leads to a single crystal-to-polycrystalline transformation via a pathway of recrystallization to form alkali thorium fluorides.

Prevalence of pain medication prescriptions in France, Germany, and the UK - a cross-sectional study including 4,270,142 patients.

PubMed

Jacob, Louis; Kostev, Karel

2018-01-01

The goal of the present study was to analyze the prevalence of pain medication prescriptions in general practices in France, Germany, and the UK. This study included all patients aged ≥18 years followed in 2016 in general practitioner practices in France, Germany and the UK. The primary outcome was the prevalence of patients receiving prescriptions for pain medications in France, Germany, and the UK in 2016. The following drugs were included in the analysis: anti-inflammatory and antirheumatic products, non-steroids and analgesics including opioids, antimigraine preparations, and other analgesics and antipyretics. Demographic variables included age and gender. This study included 4,270,142 patients. The prevalences of pain medication prescriptions were 57.3% in France, 29.6% in Germany, and 21.7% in the UK. Although this prevalence generally remained consistent between age groups in France (54.3%-60.3%), it increased with age in Germany (18-30 years: 23.8%; >70 years: 35.8%) and in the UK (18-30 years: 9.3%; >70 years: 43.8%). Finally, the prevalence of pain medication prescriptions was higher in women than in men in all three countries. Paracetamol was prescribed to 82.3% and 60.1% of patients receiving pain medication in France and the UK, respectively, whereas ibuprofen was prescribed to 46.5% of individuals in Germany. The prevalence of pain medication prescriptions was higher in France than in Germany and the UK. Further research is needed to gain a better understanding of the differences in the prescription patterns between these three European countries.

Reading Development and Achievement of 4th-Grade Hmong Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahowald, Megan; Loughnane, Megan

2016-01-01

Researchers and practitioners alike have noted that Hmong students in the United States do not achieve as well as their monolingual peers and other bilingual students. The current mixed-methods study is designed to describe reading development and achievement of 4th-grade Hmong students in one large, urban school district. This study explores the…

Effect of environment on Pekin duck behaviour and its correlation with body condition on commercial farms in the UK.

PubMed

Jones, T A; Dawkins, M S

2010-06-01

1. Forty-six flocks of commercially-reared Pekin ducks were studied to determine the effects of housing system and environment on the behaviour of farmed ducks and its correlation with physical condition. Houses differed predominantly in their ventilation, drinking, feeding and brooding systems, and were indicative of systems currently in use in the UK. 2. At 41 d of age ducks spent 15% of the time feeding, 67% drinking, 42% rooting and 155% dry preening. They spent large amounts of time relatively inactive, 435%, or performing comfort behaviours, 17%. On average 46% of their time was spent walking and only 18% wet preening. 3. A greater proportion of the maximum number of ducks able to use the drinker at any one time used the trough; nipple use was least and Plasson use intermediate. The proportion of ducks wet preening was not affected by drinker type but increased with increasing drinker space (mm/bird). 4. Duck behaviour was little affected by commercial production system and was influenced more by environment, age and physical condition. Activity at an older age incorporated more of the behaviours associated with thermal comfort (panting) and maintenance of plumage condition (dry and wet preening). These behaviours increased with increasing temperature, relative humidity and atmospheric ammonia. Poor walking ability was correlated to increased frequency of panting, reduced activity at the drinker, and longer resting bouts.

Delayed Activation Kinetics of Th2- and Th17 Cells Compared to Th1 Cells.

PubMed

Duechting, Andrea; Przybyla, Anna; Kuerten, Stefanie; Lehmann, Paul V

2017-09-12

During immune responses, different classes of T cells arise: Th1, Th2, and Th17. Mobilizing the right class plays a critical role in successful host defense and therefore defining the ratios of Th1/Th2/Th17 cells within the antigen-specific T cell repertoire is critical for immune monitoring purposes. Antigen-specific Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells can be detected by challenging peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with antigen, and establishing the numbers of T cells producing the respective lead cytokine, IFN-γ and IL-2 for Th1 cells, IL-4 and IL-5 for Th2, and IL-17 for Th-17 cells, respectively. Traditionally, these cytokines are measured within 6 h in flow cytometry. We show here that 6 h of stimulation is sufficient to detect peptide-induced production of IFN-γ, but 24 h are required to reveal the full frequency of protein antigen-specific Th1 cells. Also the detection of IL-2 producing Th1 cells requires 24 h stimulation cultures. Measurements of IL-4 producing Th2 cells requires 48-h cultures and 96 h are required for frequency measurements of IL-5 and IL-17 secreting T cells. Therefore, accounting for the differential secretion kinetics of these cytokines is critical for the accurate determination of the frequencies and ratios of antigen-specific Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells.

Helminth-conditioned dendritic cells prime CD4+ T cells to IL-4 production in vivo.

PubMed

Connor, Lisa M; Tang, Shiau-Choot; Camberis, Mali; Le Gros, Graham; Ronchese, Franca

2014-09-15

Dendritic cells (DC) are critical for the initiation of immune responses; however, their role in priming IL-4-producing Th2 cells in vivo is not fully understood. We used a model of intradermal injection with fluorescent-labeled, nonviable larvae from the helminth parasite nonviable Nippostrongylus brasiliensis L3 larvae (Nb), a strong inducer of Th2 responses, together with IL-4-GFP reporter mice that enable a sensitive detection of IL-4 production to examine the contribution of DC to the priming of IL-4-producing CD4(+) T cells in vivo. We found that parasite material is taken up by two distinct DC populations in draining lymph nodes: a mostly CD11c(int)MHC class II (MHCII)(hi)CD11b(+)Ly6C(-) dermal DC population and a CD11c(hi)MHCII(int)CD11b(+)Ly6C(+) monocyte-derived DC population. After Nb treatment, these two DC populations appeared in the draining lymph nodes in comparable numbers and with similar kinetics; however, treatment with pertussis toxin blocked the migration of dermal DC and the priming of IL-4-producing T cells, but only partially affected monocyte-derived DC numbers. In line with this observation, transfer of OVA-loaded CD11c(int)MHCII(hi) DC from Nb-treated mice into naive hosts could sensitize OVA-specific CD4(+) T cells to IL-4 production, whereas transfer of CD11c(int)MHCII(hi) DC from naive mice, or CD11c(hi)MHCII(int) DC from Nb-treated or naive mice, induced CD4(+) T cell expansion but no IL-4 production. Phenotypic analysis of Nb-loaded CD11c(int)MHCII(hi) DC revealed expression of programmed death ligand 2, CD301b, IFN regulatory factor 4, and moderate upregulation of OX40 ligand. However, thymic stromal lymphopoietin and OX40 ligand were not required for Th2 priming. Thus, our data suggest that appropriate stimuli can induce DC to express the unique signals sufficient to direct CD4(+) T cells to Th2 differentiation. Copyright © 2014 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

77 FR 38486 - Safety Zone; City of Tonawanda July 4th Celebration, Niagara River, Tonawanda, NY

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-28

... 1625-AA00 Safety Zone; City of Tonawanda July 4th Celebration, Niagara River, Tonawanda, NY AGENCY... safety zone on the Niagara River, Tonawanda, New York. This safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of the Niagara River during the City of Tonawanda July 4th Celebration fireworks on July...

4. Photocopy of old 19th century photo showing a steam ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

4. Photocopy of old 19th century photo showing a steam engine in active use. Original photo in files of Insurance Company of North America, Philadelphia, Pa. Exact date not known. - Philadelphia Hose Company No. 1, Seventh & Filbert Streets, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA

55. TOP (4TH) FLOOR OF 187380 WING LOOKING NORTH, WEST ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

55. TOP (4TH) FLOOR OF 1873-80 WING LOOKING NORTH, WEST SIDE. NOTE SECTION, LEFT SIDE, MIDDLEGROUND, WHERE SMALL HIGH WINDOWS INDICATE POINT AT WHICH 1852 WING JOINS THIS WING. - Boston Manufacturing Company, 144-190 Moody Street, Waltham, Middlesex County, MA

Passage from normal mucosa to adenoma and colon cancer: alteration of normal sCD30 mechanisms regulating TH1/TH2 cell functions.

PubMed

Contasta, Ida; Berghella, Anna Maria; Pellegrini, Patrizia; Adorno, Domenico

2003-08-01

The pathogenesis of cancer is currently under intensive investigation to identify reliable prognostic indices for the early detection of disease. Adenomas have been identified as precursors of colorectal cancer and tumor establishment, and disease progression has been found to reflect a malfunction of the immune system. On the basis of the role of the CD30 molecule in the regulation of TH1/TH2 functions and our previous results, strongly suggesting the validity of serum TH1/TH2 cytokines in the study of tumor progression, we studied network interaction between the production of soluble (s) CD30/sBCl2 in whole blood culture [in basic conditions and after PHA, LPS, and anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (mAb) stimulation] and levels of TH1/TH2 cytokines (IL2, IFN gamma, IL12, IL4, IL5, IL10). Peripheral blood from a group of healthy subjects, as well as from patients with adenoma and colorectal cancer was used. Our objective was to gain a better insight into the role of the CD30 molecule in the passage from normal mucosa to adenoma and tumor and identify specific disease markers. Our results suggest that the decrease in CD30 expression and the abnormal increase in Bcl2 expression, observed in the peripheral cells of both adenoma and tumor groups determine an imbalance between TH1/TH2 functions. Consequently, changes in sCD30/sBcl2 culture production and TH1/TH2 cytokine serum levels may be reliable markers for tumor progression. In fact, our overall data show that a decrease of sCD30 levels in basic and PHA conditions and an increase of IFN gamma, IL4, IL5, and IL12 serum levels and sBcl2 in all activation condition are indicative of the passage from normal mucosa to adenoma; whilst a decrease of sBcl2 level in basic, LPS and anti-CD3 conditions and of IL2, IFN gamma serum levels, together with an increase of IL5 are indicative of the passage from adenoma to tumor.

45. Master plan of 4th floor, building 1, U.S. Naval ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

45. Master plan of 4th floor, building 1, U.S. Naval supply activities, New York, Brooklyn, New York, public works department, March 2, 1953. Drawing #BK-S1-4. Scale 1/16=1. - U.S. Navy Fleet Supply Base, Storehouse No. 1, 830 Third Avenue, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY

P(4-vinyl pyridine) hydrogel use for the removal of UO(2)(2+) and Th(4+) from aqueous environments.

PubMed

Ozay, Ozgur; Ekici, Sema; Aktas, Nahit; Sahiner, Nurettin

2011-12-01

4-vinyl pyridine (4-VP) based hydrogels with 2-hydroxyethylmetacrylate (HEMA) and magnetic composites were prepared and tested for use in the removal of UO(2)(2+) and Th(4+) ions from aqueous environments. It was found that the absorption of these metal ions from aqueous environments decreased with an increase in the amount of HEMA contained within p(4-VP-co-HEMA) hydrogels between 0.498 mmol for pure p(4-VP) and 0.027 mmol for pure p(HEMA). The characterization of the hydrogels was determined by swelling experiments, FT-IR and thermal analysis. The effects of initial metal ion concentration, hydrogel amount and the temperature of the medium on absorption of the ions were investigated. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were constructed for the absorption of UO(2)(2+) and Th(4+). Both isotherms demonstrated that these metal ions complied with monolayer absorption kinetics. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis and its association with major comorbid conditions: cross-sectional study of 502 649 UK Biobank participants

PubMed Central

Siebert, Stefan; Lyall, Donald M; Mackay, Daniel F; Porter, Duncan; McInnes, Iain B; Sattar, Naveed; Pell, Jill P

2016-01-01

Introduction To characterise the detailed phenotypic and comorbid characteristics of participants with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the large population-based UK Biobank, thereby enabling future longitudinal analyses. Methods We undertook a cross-sectional study using baseline data from the unique UK Biobank resource (n=502 649). RA was based on self-report, and type of medication was used as a proxy measure of valid diagnosis. Participants with and without RA were compared in terms of sociodemographic, lifestyle and other disease-related risk factors. Logistic regression models were used to determine whether participants with RA were more likely to report comorbid conditions, and whether this varied by RA severity. The models were adjusted for potential confounders and lifestyle risk factors. Results At baseline, 5657 (1.13%) eligible UK Biobank participants reported RA of whom 2849 (0.57%) had medically treated RA (median duration=10 years). Prevalence was significantly higher among female, South Asian and socioeconomically deprived participants. Participants with RA were significantly more likely to report diabetes (covariate-adjusted OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.32, p<0.01), hypertension (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.21 to 1.27, p<0.001) and cardiovascular disease (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.39 to 1.67, p<0.001). Conclusions UK Biobank provides extensive data concerning RA population-level comorbidity and risk factors. The frequency, distribution and characteristics of participants reporting RA in UK Biobank are largely consistent with other studies. It provides a unique opportunity to interrogate biomarkers, genetic data, detailed imaging and linkage to clinical records at the population level across primary and secondary care. PMID:27403335

Teaching systems thinking to 4th and 5th graders using Environmental Dashboard display technology.

PubMed

Clark, Shane; Petersen, John E; Frantz, Cindy M; Roose, Deborah; Ginn, Joel; Rosenberg Daneri, Daniel

2017-01-01

Tackling complex environmental challenges requires the capacity to understand how relationships and interactions between parts result in dynamic behavior of whole systems. There has been convincing research that these "systems thinking" skills can be learned. However, there is little research on methods for teaching these skills to children or assessing their impact. The Environmental Dashboard is a technology that uses "sociotechnical" feedback-information feedback designed to affect thought and behavior. Environmental Dashboard (ED) combines real-time information on community resource use with images and words that reflect pro-environmental actions of community members. Prior research indicates that ED supports the development of systems thinking in adults. To assess its impact on children, the technology was installed in a primary school and children were passively exposed to ED displays. This resulted in no measurable impact on systems thinking skills. The next stage of this research examined the impact of actively integrating ED into lessons on electricity in 4th and 5th grade. This active integration enhanced both content-related systems thinking skills and content retention.

Teaching systems thinking to 4th and 5th graders using Environmental Dashboard display technology

PubMed Central

Clark, Shane; Frantz, Cindy M.; Roose, Deborah; Ginn, Joel; Rosenberg Daneri, Daniel

2017-01-01

Tackling complex environmental challenges requires the capacity to understand how relationships and interactions between parts result in dynamic behavior of whole systems. There has been convincing research that these “systems thinking” skills can be learned. However, there is little research on methods for teaching these skills to children or assessing their impact. The Environmental Dashboard is a technology that uses “sociotechnical” feedback–information feedback designed to affect thought and behavior. Environmental Dashboard (ED) combines real-time information on community resource use with images and words that reflect pro-environmental actions of community members. Prior research indicates that ED supports the development of systems thinking in adults. To assess its impact on children, the technology was installed in a primary school and children were passively exposed to ED displays. This resulted in no measurable impact on systems thinking skills. The next stage of this research examined the impact of actively integrating ED into lessons on electricity in 4th and 5th grade. This active integration enhanced both content-related systems thinking skills and content retention. PMID:28448586

Registration of High Angular Resolution Diffusion MRI Images Using 4th Order Tensors⋆

PubMed Central

Barmpoutis, Angelos; Vemuri, Baba C.; Forder, John R.

2009-01-01

Registration of Diffusion Weighted (DW)-MRI datasets has been commonly achieved to date in literature by using either scalar or 2nd-order tensorial information. However, scalar or 2nd-order tensors fail to capture complex local tissue structures, such as fiber crossings, and therefore, datasets containing fiber-crossings cannot be registered accurately by using these techniques. In this paper we present a novel method for non-rigidly registering DW-MRI datasets that are represented by a field of 4th-order tensors. We use the Hellinger distance between the normalized 4th-order tensors represented as distributions, in order to achieve this registration. Hellinger distance is easy to compute, is scale and rotation invariant and hence allows for comparison of the true shape of distributions. Furthermore, we propose a novel 4th-order tensor re-transformation operator, which plays an essential role in the registration procedure and shows significantly better performance compared to the re-orientation operator used in literature for DTI registration. We validate and compare our technique with other existing scalar image and DTI registration methods using simulated diffusion MR data and real HARDI datasets. PMID:18051145

Identification of 4th intercostal space using sternal notch to xiphoid length for accurate electrocardiogram lead placement.

PubMed

Day, Kevin; Oliva, Isabel; Krupinski, Elizabeth; Marcus, Frank

2015-01-01

Precordial ECG lead placement is difficult in obese patients with increased chest wall soft tissues due to inaccurate palpation of the intercostal spaces. We investigated whether the length of the sternum (distance between the sternal notch and xiphoid process) can accurately predict the location of the 4th intercostal space, which is the traditional location for V1 lead position. Fifty-five consecutive adult chest computed tomography examinations were reviewed for measurements. The sternal notch to right 4th intercostal space distance was 67% of the sternal notch to xiphoid process length with an overall correlation of r=0.600 (p<0.001). The above measurement may be utilized to locate the 4th intercostal space for accurate placement of the precordial electrodes in adults in whom the 4th intercostal space cannot be found by physical exam. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

4. Photocopy of early 20th century photo of the bridge. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

4. Photocopy of early 20th century photo of the bridge. Donated to HAER for its collection at the Library of Congress; donation courtesy of the Erie Railroad Company. - Erie Railway, Moodna Creek Viaduct, Moodna Creek, Orrs Mill Road, Salisbury Mills, Orange County, NY

Th40 cells (CD4+CD40+ Tcells) drive a more severe form of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis than conventional CD4 T cells

PubMed Central

Vaitaitis, Gisela M.; Yussman, Martin G.; Waid, Dan M.; Wagner, David H.

2017-01-01

CD40-CD154 interaction is critically involved in autoimmune diseases, and CD4 T cells play a dominant role in the Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE) model of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). CD4 T cells expressing CD40 (Th40) are pathogenic in type I diabetes but have not been evaluated in EAE. We demonstrate here that Th40 cells drive a rapid, more severe EAE disease course than conventional CD4 T cells. Adoptively transferred Th40 cells are present in lesions in the CNS and are associated with wide spread demyelination. Primary Th40 cells from EAE-induced donors adoptively transfer EAE without further in-vitro expansion and without requiring the administration of the EAE induction regimen to the recipient animals. This has not been accomplished with primary, non-TCR-transgenic donor cells previously. If co-injection of Th40 donor cells with Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) in the recipient animals is done, the disease course is more severe. The CFA component of the EAE induction regimen causes generalized inflammation, promoting expansion of Th40 cells and infiltration of the CNS, while MOG-antigen shapes the antigen-specific TCR repertoire. Those events are both necessary to precipitate disease. In MS, viral infections or trauma may induce generalized inflammation in susceptible individuals with subsequent disease onset. It will be important to further understand the events leading up to disease onset and to elucidate the contributions of the Th40 T cell subset. Also, evaluating Th40 levels as predictors of disease onset would be highly useful because if either the generalized inflammation event or the TCR-honing can be interrupted, disease onset may be prevented. PMID:28192476

U.S. Dietary and Physical Activity Guideline Knowledge and Corresponding Behaviors among 4th and 5th Grade Students: A Multi-Site Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bea, Jennifer W.; Martinez, Stephanie; Armstrong-Florian, Traci; Farrell, Vanessa; Martinez, Cathy; Whitmer, Evelyn; Hartz, Vern; Blake, Samuel; Nicolini, Ariana; Misner, Scottie

2014-01-01

Knowledge of U.S. dietary and physical activity recommendations and corresponding behaviors were surveyed among 4th and 5th graders in five Arizona counties to determine the need for related education in SNAP-Ed eligible schools. A <70% target response rate was the criterion. Participants correctly identified recommendations for: fruit, 20%;…

STAT4 Deficiency Fails To Induce Lung Th2 or Th17 Immunity following Primary or Secondary Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Challenge but Enhances the Lung RSV-Specific CD8+ T Cell Immune Response to Secondary Challenge

PubMed Central

Dulek, Daniel E.; Newcomb, Dawn C.; Toki, Shinji; Goliniewska, Kasia; Cephus, Jacqueline; Reiss, Sara; Bates, John T.; Crowe, James E.; Boyd, Kelli L.; Moore, Martin L.; Zhou, Weisong

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT Immune-mediated lung injury is a hallmark of lower respiratory tract illness caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). STAT4 plays a critical role in CD4+ Th1 lineage differentiation and gamma interferon (IFN-γ) protein expression by CD4+ T cells. As CD4+ Th1 differentiation is associated with negative regulation of CD4+ Th2 and Th17 differentiation, we hypothesized that RSV infection of STAT4−/− mice would result in enhanced lung Th2 and Th17 inflammation and impaired lung Th1 inflammation compared to wild-type (WT) mice. We performed primary and secondary RSV challenges in WT and STAT4−/− mice and used STAT1−/− mice as a positive control for the development of RSV-specific lung Th2 and Th17 inflammation during primary challenge. Primary RSV challenge of STAT4−/− mice resulted in decreased T-bet and IFN-γ expression levels in CD4+ T cells compared to those of WT mice. Lung Th2 and Th17 inflammation did not develop in primary RSV-challenged STAT4−/− mice. Decreased IFN-γ expression by NK cells, CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells was associated with attenuated weight loss and enhanced viral clearance with primary challenge in STAT4−/− mice compared to WT mice. Following secondary challenge, WT and STAT4−/− mice also did not develop lung Th2 or Th17 inflammation. In contrast to primary challenge, secondary RSV challenge of STAT4−/− mice resulted in enhanced weight loss, an increased lung IFN-γ expression level, and an increased lung RSV-specific CD8+ T cell response compared to those of WT mice. These data demonstrate that STAT4 regulates the RSV-specific CD8+ T cell response to secondary infection but does not independently regulate lung Th2 or Th17 immune responses to RSV challenge. IMPORTANCE STAT4 is a protein critical for both innate and adaptive immune responses to viral infection. Our results show that STAT4 regulates the immune response to primary and secondary challenge with RSV but does not restrain RSV

Myosin MyTH4-FERM structures highlight important principles of convergent evolution.

PubMed

Planelles-Herrero, Vicente José; Blanc, Florian; Sirigu, Serena; Sirkia, Helena; Clause, Jeffrey; Sourigues, Yannick; Johnsrud, Daniel O; Amigues, Beatrice; Cecchini, Marco; Gilbert, Susan P; Houdusse, Anne; Titus, Margaret A

2016-05-24

Myosins containing MyTH4-FERM (myosin tail homology 4-band 4.1, ezrin, radixin, moesin, or MF) domains in their tails are found in a wide range of phylogenetically divergent organisms, such as humans and the social amoeba Dictyostelium (Dd). Interestingly, evolutionarily distant MF myosins have similar roles in the extension of actin-filled membrane protrusions such as filopodia and bind to microtubules (MT), suggesting that the core functions of these MF myosins have been highly conserved over evolution. The structures of two DdMyo7 signature MF domains have been determined and comparison with mammalian MF structures reveals that characteristic features of MF domains are conserved. However, across millions of years of evolution conserved class-specific insertions are seen to alter the surfaces and the orientation of subdomains with respect to each other, likely resulting in new sites for binding partners. The MyTH4 domains of Myo10 and DdMyo7 bind to MT with micromolar affinity but, surprisingly, their MT binding sites are on opposite surfaces of the MyTH4 domain. The structural analysis in combination with comparison of diverse MF myosin sequences provides evidence that myosin tail domain features can be maintained without strict conservation of motifs. The results illustrate how tuning of existing features can give rise to new structures while preserving the general properties necessary for myosin tails. Thus, tinkering with the MF domain enables it to serve as a multifunctional platform for cooperative recruitment of various partners, allowing common properties such as autoinhibition of the motor and microtubule binding to arise through convergent evolution.

The cost of pressure ulcers in the UK.

PubMed

Bennett, Gerry; Dealey, Carol; Posnett, John

2004-05-01

To estimate the annual cost of treating pressure ulcers in the UK. Costs were derived from a bottom-up methodology, based on the daily resources required to deliver protocols of care reflecting good clinical practice. Health and social care system in the UK. Patients developing a pressure ulcer. A bottom-up costing approach is used to estimate treatment cost per episode of care and per patient for ulcers of different grades and level of complications. Also, total treatment cost to the health and social care system in the UK. The cost of treating a pressure ulcer varies from pound 1,064 (Grade 1) to pound 10,551 (Grade 4). Costs increase with ulcer grade because the time to heal is longer and because the incidence of complications is higher in more severe cases. The total cost in the UK is pound 1.4- pound 2.1 billion annually (4% of total NHS expenditure). Most of this cost is nurse time. Pressure ulcers represent a very significant cost burden in the UK. Without concerted effort this cost is likely to increase in the future as the population ages. To the extent that pressure ulcers are avoidable, pressure damage may be indicative of clinical negligence and there is evidence that litigation could soon become a significant threat to healthcare providers in the UK, as it is in the USA.

4th level of 1945 warehouse indicating drag conveyor. From here ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

4th level of 1945 warehouse indicating drag conveyor. From here screenings were pumped from the elevator leg to this conveyor. The grains were ground, then conveyed back down to the first floor for bagging. - Stewart Company Grain Elevator, 16 West Carson Street, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, PA

94. VIEW OF PILINGS ON SOUTHEAST SIDE, WITH 4TH TEE ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

94. VIEW OF PILINGS ON SOUTHEAST SIDE, WITH 4TH TEE IN THE BACKGROUND, FACING WEST-SOUTHWEST FROM SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE TACKLE BOX. RAMP OF PIER EXTENSION IS VISIBLE ON RIGHT - Huntington Beach Municipal Pier, Pacific Coast Highway at Main Street, Huntington Beach, Orange County, CA

Improving 4th Grade Primary School Students' Reading Comprehension Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bulut, Aydin

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to carry out action research to investigate reading comprehension skills when using the SQ3R reading comprehension strategy. To that end, this strategy was used for improving the reading comprehension skills of 7 primary school 4th grade students who had problems with these skills. An action plan was prepared for 3hours a…

Mitigation potential of horizontal ground coupled heat pumps for current and future climatic conditions: UK environmental modelling and monitoring studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García González, Raquel; Verhoef, Anne; Vidale, Pier Luigi; Gan, Guohui; Wu, Yupeng; Hughes, Andrew; Mansour, Majdi; Blyth, Eleanor; Finch, Jon; Main, Bruce

2010-05-01

An increased uptake of alternative low or non-CO2 emitting energy sources is one of the key priorities for policy makers to mitigate the effects of environmental change. Relatively little work has been undertaken on the mitigation potential of Ground Coupled Heat Pumps (GCHPs) despite the fact that a GCHP could significantly reduce CO2 emissions from heating systems. It is predicted that under climate change the most probable scenario is for UK temperatures to increase and for winter rainfall to become more abundant; the latter is likely to cause a general rise in groundwater levels. Summer rainfall may reduce considerably, while vegetation type and density may change. Furthermore, recent studies underline the likelihood of an increase in the number of heat waves. Under such a scenario, GCHPs will increasingly be used for cooling as well as heating. These factors will affect long-term performance of horizontal GCHP systems and hence their economic viability and mitigation potential during their life span ( 50 years). The seasonal temperature differences encountered in soil are harnessed by GCHPs to provide heating in the winter and cooling in the summer. The performance of a GCHP system will depend on technical factors (heat exchanger (HE) type, length, depth, and spacing of pipes), but also it will be determined to a large extent by interactions between the below-ground parts of the system and the environment (atmospheric conditions, vegetation and soil characteristics). Depending on the balance between extraction and rejection of heat from and to the ground, the soil temperature in the neighbourhood of the HE may fall or rise. The GROMIT project (GROund coupled heat pumps MITigation potential), funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (UK), is a multi-disciplinary research project, in collaboration with EarthEnergy Ltd., which aims to quantify the CO2 mitigation potential of horizontal GCHPs. It considers changing environmental conditions and combines

T helper 2 (Th2) cell differentiation, type 2 innate lymphoid cell (ILC2) development and regulation of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-13 production

PubMed Central

Zhu, Jinfang

2015-01-01

Interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-5 and IL-13, the signature cytokines that are produced during type 2 immune responses, are critical for protective immunity against infections of extracellular parasites and are responsible for asthma and many other allergic inflammatory diseases. Although many immune cell types within the myeloid lineage compartment including basophils, eosinophils and mast cells are capable of producing at least one of these cytokines, the production of these “type 2 immune response-related” cytokines by lymphoid lineages, CD4 T helper 2 (Th2) cells and type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) in particular, are the central events during type 2 immune responses. In this review, I will focus on the signaling pathways and key molecules that determine the differentiation of naïve CD4 T cells into Th2 cells, and how the expression of Th2 cytokines, especially IL-4 and IL-13, is regulated in Th2 cells. The similarities and differences in the differentiation of Th2 cells, IL-4-producing T follicular helper (Tfh) cells and ILC2s as well as their relationships will also be discussed. PMID:26044597

Relationship of activities outside work to sleep and depression/anxiety disorders in Korean workers: the 4th Korean working condition survey.

PubMed

Lee, Kyung-Jae; Jung, Sung Won; Lee, Hee Sung; Kim, Guang Hwi; Lee, Jae Gwang; Lee, June-Hee; Kim, Joo Ja

2017-01-01

Sleep disorders and depression/anxiety disorders are long-standing and significant problem for mental health. Also there are already known so many negative health effect of these disorders. But there were few studies to examine the association between activities outside work and forementioned disorders. So this study aimed the association of those things by using the Republic of Korean data. Data from 32,232 wage workers were used in the 4th Korean Working Condition Survey. General and occupational characteristics, sleep disorders, depression/anxiety disorders and activities outside work are included in questionnaire. To find the relationship between activities outside work and sleep, depression/anxiety disorders, multivariate logistic regression analysis was used after adjusting for general and occupational characteristics. We observed that volunteer activities increased the odds ratio of both sleep disorders and depression/anxiety disorders(Odds ratio[OR] = 1.35, 95% confidence interval[CI]: 1.03-1.78 and OR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.29-1.84, respectively). And self-development activities increase the odds ratio of sleep disorders(OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.17-1.57). Gardening activities lowered the odds ratio of depression/anxiety disorders(OR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.59-0.94). Some of activities outside work were related to sleep disorders and depression/anxiety disorders among Korean wage workers. Our results showed negative health effect of some kinds of activities outside work such as volunteering and self-devlopment compared to other studies that emphasized positive effect of those activities for health.

Chronic cat allergen exposure induces a TH2 cell-dependent IgG4 response related to low sensitization.

PubMed

Renand, Amedee; Archila, Luis D; McGinty, John; Wambre, Erik; Robinson, David; Hales, Belinda J; Thomas, Wayne R; Kwok, William W

2015-12-01

In human subjects, allergen tolerance has been observed after high-dose allergen exposure or after completed allergen immunotherapy, which is related to the accumulation of anti-inflammatory IgG4. However, the specific T-cell response that leads to IgG4 induction during chronic allergen exposure remains poorly understood. We sought to evaluate the relationship between cat allergen-specific T-cell frequency, cat allergen-specific IgE and IgG4 titers, and clinical status in adults with cat allergy with and without cat ownership and the cellular mechanism by which IgG4 is produced. Fel d 1-, Fel d 4-, Fel d 7-, and Fel d 8-specific T-cell responses were characterized by CD154 expression after antigen stimulation. In allergic subjects without cat ownership, the frequency of cat allergen (Fel d 1 and Fel d 4)-specific TH2 (sTH2) cells correlates with higher IgE levels and is linked to asthma. Paradoxically, we observed that subjects with cat allergy and chronic cat exposure maintain a high frequency of sTH2 cells, which correlates with higher IgG4 levels and low sensitization. B cells from allergic, but not nonallergic subjects, are able to produce IgG4 after cognate interactions with sTH2 clones and Fel d 1 peptide or the Fel d 1 recombinant protein. These experiments suggest that (1) allergen-experienced B cells with the capacity to produce IgG4 are present in allergic subjects and (2) cat allergen exposure induces an IgG4 response in a TH2 cell-dependent manner. Thus IgG4 accumulation could be mediated by chronic activation of the TH2 response, which in turn drives desensitization. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. All rights reserved.

Galectin-7 promotes proliferation and Th1/2 cells polarization toward Th1 in activated CD4+ T cells by inhibiting The TGFβ/Smad3 pathway.

PubMed

Luo, Zhenlong; Ji, Yudong; Tian, Dean; Zhang, Yong; Chang, Sheng; Yang, Chao; Zhou, Hongmin; Chen, Zhonghua Klaus

2018-06-08

Galectin-7 (Gal-7) has been associated with cell proliferation and apoptosis. It is known that Gal-7 antagonises TGFβ-mediated effects in hepatocytes by interacting with Smad3. Previously, we have demonstrated that Gal-7 is related to CD4+ T cells responses; nevertheless, its effect and functional mechanism on CD4+ T cells responses remain unclear. The murine CD4+ T cells were respectively cultured with Gal-7, anti-CD3/CD28 mAbs, or with anti-CD3/CD28 mAbs & Gal-7. The effects of Gal-7 on proliferation and the phenotypic changes in CD4+ T cells were assessed by flow cytometry. The cytokines from CD4+ T cells were analysed by quantitative real-time PCR. Subcellular localisation and expression of Smad3 were determined by immunofluorescence staining and Western blot, respectively. Gal-7 enhanced the proliferation of activated CD4+ T cells in a dose- and β-galactoside-dependent manner. Additionally, Gal-7 treatment did not change the ratio of Th2 cells in activated CD4+ T cells, while it increased the ratio of Th1 cells. Gal-7 also induced activated CD4+ T cells to produce a higher level of IFN-γ and TNF-α and a lower level of IL-10. Moreover, Gal-7 treatment significantly accelerated nuclear export of Smad3 in activated CD4+ T cells. These results revealed a novel role of Gal-7 in promoting proliferation and Th1/2 cells polarization toward Th1 in activated CD4+ T cells by inhibiting the TGFβ/Smad3 pathway. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of UK Primary Care Policy Reforms on Short-Stay Unplanned Hospital Admissions for Children With Primary Care-Sensitive Conditions.

PubMed

Cecil, Elizabeth; Bottle, Alex; Sharland, Mike; Saxena, Sonia

2015-01-01

We aimed to assess the impact of UK primary care policy reforms implemented in April 2004 on potentially avoidable unplanned short-stay hospital admissions for children with primary care-sensitive conditions. We conducted an interrupted time series analysis of hospital admissions for all children aged younger than 15 years in England between April 2000 and March 2012 using data from National Health Service public hospitals in England. The main outcomes were annual short-stay (<2-day) unplanned hospital admission rates for primary care-sensitive infectious and chronic conditions. There were 7.8 million unplanned admissions over the study period. More than one-half (4,144,729 of 7,831,633) were short-stay admissions for potentially avoidable infectious and chronic conditions. The primary care policy reforms of April 2004 were associated with an 8% increase in short-stay admission rates for chronic conditions, equivalent to 8,500 additional admissions, above the 3% annual increasing trend. Policy reforms were not associated with an increase in short-stay admission rates for infectious illness, which were increasing by 5% annually before April 2004. The proportion of primary care-referred admissions was falling before the reforms, and there were further sharp reductions in 2004. The introduction of primary care policy reforms coincided with an increase in short-stay admission rates for children with primary care-sensitive chronic conditions, and with more children being admitted through emergency departments. Short-stay admission rates for primary care-sensitive infectious illness increased more steadily and could be related to lowered thresholds for hospital admission. © 2015 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

New insights on historic droughts in the UK: Analysis of 200 river flow reconstructions for 1890-2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parry, Simon; Barker, Lucy; Hannaford, Jamie; Prudhomme, Christel; Smith, Katie; Svensson, Cecilia; Tanguy, Maliko

2017-04-01

Hydrological droughts of the last 50 years in the UK have been well characterised owing to a relatively dense hydrometric network. Prior to this, observed river flow data were generally limited in their spatial coverage and often subject to considerable uncertainty. Whilst qualitative records indicate the occurrence of severe droughts in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including scenarios which may cause substantial impacts to contemporary water supply systems, existing observations are not sufficient to describe their spatio-temporal characteristics. As such, insights on drought in the UK are constrained and a range of stakeholders including water companies and regulators would benefit from a more thorough assessment of historic drought characteristics and their variability. The multi-disciplinary Historic Droughts project aims to rigorously characterise droughts in the UK to inform improved drought management and communication. Driven by rainfall and potential evapotranspiration data that have been extended using recovered records, lumped catchment hydrological models are used to reconstruct daily river flows from 1890 to 2015 for more than 200 catchments across the UK. The reconstructions are derived within a state-of-the-art modelling framework which allows a comprehensive assessment of model, structure and parameter uncertainty. Standardised and threshold-based indicators are applied to the river flow reconstructions to identify and characterise hydrological drought events. The reconstructions are most beneficial in comprehensively describing well known but poorly quantified late 19th and early 20th century droughts, placing the spatial and temporal footprint of these often extreme events within the context of modern episodes for the first time. Oscillations between drought-rich and drought-poor periods are shown not to be limited to the recent observational past, providing an increased sample size of events against which to test a range of airflow and

75 FR 38718 - Safety Zone; Sault Sainte Marie 4th of July Fireworks, St. Mary's River, Sault Sainte Marie, MI

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-06

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Sault Sainte Marie 4th of July Fireworks, St. Mary's River, Sault Sainte Marie, MI... restrict vessels from a portion of the St. Mary's River during the Sault Sainte Marie 4th of July Fireworks... the setup and launching of fireworks in conjunction with the Sault Sainte Marie 4th of July Fireworks...

Investigating the Impact of the Tier 4 Policy on International Students at Private Colleges in the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mughal, Abdul Waheed

2016-01-01

In 2009, the United Kingdom government introduced the Tier 4 (general) student visa policy for foreign students, out of European Economic Area and Switzerland, aged 16 or over. According to this policy, any institution recruiting international students must be a highly trusted sponsor--a status determined by the UK Border Agency. Further, right to…

Proceedings of the 4th fire in eastern oak forests conference

Treesearch

Daniel C. Dey; Michael C. Stambaugh; Stacy L. Clark; Callie J., eds. Schweitzer

2012-01-01

Contains 14 full-length papers and 40 abstracts of posters that were presented at the 4th Fire in Eastern Oak Forests conference, held in Springfield, MO, May 17-19, 2011. The conference was attended by over 250 people from 65 different organizations and entities, representing 22 states and 1 Canadian province.

78 FR 23866 - Safety Zone; Crescent City 4th of July Fireworks; Crescent City Harbor, Crescent City, CA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-23

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Crescent City 4th of July Fireworks; Crescent City Harbor, Crescent City, CA AGENCY... a temporary safety zone in the navigable waters near Crescent City, CA in support of the Crescent City 4th of July Fireworks on July 4, 2013. This safety zone is necessary to ensure the safety of...

Probing the Influence of Acidity and Temperature to Th(IV) on Hydrolysis, Nucleation, and Structural Topology.

PubMed

Lin, Jian; Qie, Meiying; Zhang, Linjuan; Wang, Xiaomei; Lin, Yuejian; Liu, Wei; Bao, Hongliang; Wang, Jianqiang

2017-11-20

Systematic control of the molar ratio between thorium hydroxides and selenic acid and their reaction temperature under hydrothermal conditions results in four novel thorium-based selenate complexes, namely, [Th 8 O 4 (OH) 8 (SeO 4 ) 6 (H 2 O) 16 ]·(SeO 4 ) 2 ·13H 2 O (Th-1), [Th 8 O 4 (OH) 8 (SeO 4 ) 8 (H 2 O) 13 ]·7H 2 O (Th-2), Th(OH) 2 (SeO 4 )H 2 O (Th-3), and Th 3 (SeO 4 ) 6 (H 2 O) 6 ·2.5H 2 O (Th-4), as well as the thorium mixed selenite selenate compound Th(SeO 3 )(SeO 4 ) (Th-5). Smaller [H 2 SeO 4 ]/[Th(IV)] ratio or lower temperature give rise to the formation of octameric [Th 8 (μ 3 -O) 4 (μ 2 -OH) 8 ] 16+ cores in Th-1/Th-2 and infinite [Th(μ 2 -OH) 2 H 2 O] 2+ chains in Th-3, respectively. Increasing the [H 2 SeO 4 ]/[Th(IV)] ratio or elevating the temperature generates a microporous (11.3 Å voids) open-framework Th-4, a monomeric thorium species without oxo/hydroxyl ligands, and a three-dimensional thorium structure Th-5. Formation of these compounds suggests that variables including acidity and temperature play a critical role in the hydrolysis and oligomerization of Th IV ions. Increasing acidity limits the deprotonation of water molecules and formation of nucleophilic hydroxo/oxo-aquo Th species, and high temperature appears to suppress the olation/oxolation hydrolysis reactions, which in both ways limit the formation of the thorium oligomers.

The impact of synoptic weather on UK surface ozone and implications for premature mortality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pope, R. J.; Butt, E. W.; Chipperfield, M. P.; Doherty, R. M.; Fenech, S.; Schmidt, A.; Arnold, S. R.; Savage, N. H.

2016-12-01

Air pollutants, such as ozone, have adverse impacts on human health and cause, for example, respiratory and cardiovascular problems. In the United Kingdom (UK), peak surface ozone concentrations typically occur in the spring and summer and are controlled by emission of precursor gases, tropospheric chemistry and local meteorology which can be influenced by large-scale synoptic weather regimes. In this study we composite surface and satellite observations of summer-time (April to September) ozone under different UK atmospheric circulation patterns, as defined by the Lamb weather types. Anticyclonic conditions and easterly flows are shown to significantly enhance ozone concentrations over the UK relative to summer-time average values. Anticyclonic stability and light winds aid the trapping of ozone and its precursor gases near the surface. Easterly flows (NE, E, SE) transport ozone and precursor gases from polluted regions in continental Europe (e.g. the Benelux region) to the UK. Cyclonic conditions and westerly flows, associated with unstable weather, transport ozone from the UK mainland, replacing it with clean maritime (North Atlantic) air masses. Increased cloud cover also likely decrease ozone production rates. We show that the UK Met Office regional air quality model successfully reproduces UK summer-time ozone concentrations and ozone enhancements under anticyclonic and south-easterly conditions for the summer of 2006. By using established ozone exposure-health burden metrics, anticyclonic and easterly condition enhanced surface ozone concentrations pose the greatest public health risk.

Th1 differentiation drives the accumulation of intravascular, non-protective CD4 T cells during tuberculosis

PubMed Central

Sallin, Michelle A.; Sakai, Shunsuke; Kauffman, Keith D.; Young, Howard A.; Zhu, Jinfang; Barber, Daniel L.

2017-01-01

SUMMARY Recent data indicate that the differentiation state of Th1 cells determines their protective capacity against tuberculosis. Therefore, we examined the role of Th1 polarizing factors in the generation of protective and non-protective subsets of Mtb-specific Th1 cells. We find IL-12/23p40 promotes Th1 cell expansion and maturation beyond the CD73+CXCR3+T-betdim stage, and T-bet prevents deviation of Th1 cells into Th17 cells. Nevertheless, IL-12/23p40 and T-bet are also essential for the production of a prominent subset of intravascular CX3CR1+KLRG1+ Th1 cells that persists poorly and can neither migrate into the lung parenchyma nor control Mtb growth. Furthermore, T-bet suppresses development of CD69+CD103+ tissue resident phenotype effectors in lung. In contrast, Th1 cell-derived IFNγ inhibits the accumulation of intravascular CX3CR1+KLRG1+ Th1 cells. Thus, although IL-12 and T-bet are essential host survival factors, they simultaneously oppose lung CD4 T cell responses at several levels, demonstrating the dual nature of Th1 polarization in tuberculosis. PMID:28355562

Assessing fugitive emissions of CH4 from high-pressure gas pipelines in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clancy, S.; Worrall, F.; Davies, R. J.; Almond, S.; Boothroyd, I.

2016-12-01

Concern over the greenhouse gas impact of the exploitation of unconventional natural gas from shale deposits has caused a spotlight to be shone on to the entire hydrocarbon industry. Numerous studies have developed life-cycle emissions inventories to assess the impact that hydraulic fracturing has upon greenhouse gas emissions. Incorporated within life-cycle assessments are transmission and distribution losses, including infrastructure such as pipelines and compressor stations that pressurise natural gas for transport along pipelines. Estimates of fugitive emissions from transmission, storage and distribution have been criticized for reliance on old data from inappropriate sources (1970s Russian gas pipelines). In this study, we investigate fugitive emissions of CH4 from the UK high pressure national transmission system. The study took two approaches. Firstly, CH4 concentration is detected by driving along roads bisecting high pressure gas pipelines and also along an equivalent distance along a route where no high pressure gas pipeline was nearby. Five pipelines and five equivalent control routes were driven and the test was that CH4 measurements, when adjusted for distance and wind speed, should be greater on any route with a pipe than any route without a pipe. Secondly, 5 km of a high pressure gas pipeline and 5 km of equivalent farmland, were walked and soil gas (above the pipeline where present) was analysed every 7 m using a tunable diode laser. When wind adjusted 92 km of high pressure pipeline and 72 km of control route were drive over a 10 day period. When wind and distance adjusted CH4 fluxes were significantly greater on routes with a pipeline than those without. The smallest leak detectable was 3% above ambient (1.03 relative concentration) with any leaks below 3% above ambient assumed ambient. The number of leaks detected along the pipelines correlate to the estimated length of pipe joints, inferring that there are constant fugitive CH4 emissions from

Prevalence and incidence of adults consulting for shoulder conditions in UK primary care; patterns of diagnosis and referral.

PubMed

Linsell, L; Dawson, J; Zondervan, K; Rose, P; Randall, T; Fitzpatrick, R; Carr, A

2006-02-01

To estimate the national prevalence and incidence of adults consulting for a shoulder condition and to investigate patterns of diagnosis, treatment, consultation and referral 3 yr after initial presentation. Prevalence and incidence rates were estimated for 658469 patients aged 18 and over in the year 2000 using a primary care database, the IMS Disease Analyzer-Mediplus UK. A cohort of 9215 incident cases was followed-up prospectively for 3 yr beyond the initial consultation. The annual prevalence and incidence of people consulting for a shoulder condition was 2.36% [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.32-2.40%] and 1.47% (95% CI 1.44-1.50%), respectively. Prevalence increased linearly with age whilst incidence peaked at around 50 yr then remained static at around 2%. Around half of the incident cases consulted once only, while 13.6% were still consulting with a shoulder problem during the third year of follow-up. During the 3 yr following initial presentation, 22.4% of patients were referred to secondary care, 30.8% were prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and 10.6% were given an injection by their general practitioner (GP). GPs tended to use a limited number of generalized codes when recording a diagnosis; just five of 426 possible Read codes relating to shoulder conditions accounted for 74.6% of the diagnoses of new cases recorded by GPs. The prevalence of people consulting for shoulder problems in primary care is substantially lower than community-based estimates of shoulder pain. Most referrals occur within 3 months of initial presentation, but only a minority of patients are referred to orthopaedic specialists or rheumatologists. GPs may lack confidence in applying precise diagnoses to shoulder conditions.

Can astronomy enhance UNESCO World Heritage recognition? The paradigm of 4th Dynasty Egyptian pyramids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belmonte, Juan Antonio

2015-08-01

The pyramids of Egypt, notably those of the 4th Dinasty as Giza, have always be considered an unmistikable part of human world heritage as the only surviving wonders of the Ancient World. Their majesty, technical hability and innovative character have always beeen considered as representative of ancient Egyptian ingenuity. However, past and present fringe theories about the pyramids and astronomy have always polluted the role of our discipline in the design, construction and symbolism of these impressive monuments. This is indeed unfear. Fortunately, things have started to change in the last couple of decades and now astronomy is interpreted as a neccessary tool for the correct interpretation of the astral eschatology present in the 5th and 6th Dynasty Texts of the Pyramids. Although the pyramid complexes of the 4th Dynasty are mute, there is however recent research showing that a strong astral symbolism could be hidden in many aspects of the complex architecture and in the design of these exceptional monuments. This idea comes from several hints obtained not only from planning and construction, but also from epigraphy and the analysis of celestial and local landscapes. Chronology also plays a most relevant role on this. The pyramid complexes of the 4th Dynasty at Meidum, Dahshur, Giza and Abu Rowash -- all of which enjoy UNESCO World Heritage recognition -- willl be scrutinized. As a consequence, we will show how astronomy can certainly enhance the face value of these extraordinary monuments as a definitive proof of the ancient Egyptian quest for Ma'at, i.e. their perennial obsesion for Cosmic Order.

PREFACE: 4th International Conference on Mathematical Modeling in Physical Sciences (IC-MSquare2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vlachos, Dimitrios; Vagenas, Elias C.

2015-09-01

The 4th International Conference on Mathematical Modeling in Physical Sciences (IC-MSQUARE) took place in Mykonos, Greece, from Friday 5th June to Monday 8th June 2015. The Conference was attended by more than 150 participants and hosted about 200 oral, poster, and virtual presentations. There were more than 600 pre-registered authors. The 4th IC-MSQUARE consisted of different and diverging workshops and thus covered various research fields where Mathematical Modeling is used, such as Theoretical/Mathematical Physics, Neutrino Physics, Non-Integrable Systems, Dynamical Systems, Computational Nanoscience, Biological Physics, Computational Biomechanics, Complex Networks, Stochastic Modeling, Fractional Statistics, DNA Dynamics, Macroeconomics etc. The scientific program was rather intense as after the Keynote and Invited Talks in the morning, three parallel oral and one poster session were running every day. However, according to all attendees, the program was excellent with a high quality of talks creating an innovative and productive scientific environment for all attendees. We would like to thank the Keynote Speaker and the Invited Speakers for their significant contribution to IC-MSQUARE. We also would like to thank the Members of the International Advisory and Scientific Committees as well as the Members of the Organizing Committee.

Role of Th17 Cells in the Pathogenesis of Human IBD

PubMed Central

Gálvez, Julio

2014-01-01

The gastrointestinal tract plays a central role in immune system, being able to mount efficient immune responses against pathogens, keeping the homeostasis of the human gut. However, conditions like Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC), the main forms of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), are related to an excessive and uncontrolled immune response against normal microbiota, through the activation of CD4+ T helper (Th) cells. Classically, IBD was thought to be primarily mediated by Th1 cells in CD or Th2 cells in UC, but it is now known that Th17 cells and their related cytokines are crucial mediators in both conditions. Th17 cells massively infiltrate the inflamed intestine of IBD patients, where they produce interleukin- (IL-) 17A and other cytokines, triggering and amplifying the inflammatory process. However, these cells show functional plasticity, and they can be converted into either IFN-γ producing Th1 cells or regulatory T cells. This review will summarize the current knowledge regarding the regulation and functional role of Th17 cells in the gut. Deeper insights into their plasticity in inflammatory conditions will contribute to advancing our understanding of the mechanisms that regulate mucosal homeostasis and inflammation in the gut, promoting the design of novel therapeutic approaches for IBD. PMID:25101191

Polarized Th2 like cells, in the absence of Th0 cells, are responsible for lymphocyte produced IL-4 in high IgE-producer schistosomiasis patients.

PubMed

Dutra, Walderez O; Correa-Oliveira, Rodrigo; Dunne, David; Cecchini, Luiza Fosenca; Fraga, Lúcia; Roberts, Morven; Soares-Silveira, Alda Maria; Webster, Michelle; Yssel, Hans; Gollob, Kenneth J

2002-07-06

Human resistance to re-infection with S. mansoni is correlated with high levels of anti-soluble adult worm antigens (SWAP) IgE. Although it has been shown that IL-4 and IL-5 are crucial in establishing IgE responses in vitro, the active in vivo production of these cytokines by T cells, and the degree of polarization of Th2 vs. Th0 in human schistosomiasis is not known. To address this question, we determined the frequency of IL-4 and IFN-gamma or IL-5 and IL-2 producing lymphocytes from schistosomiasis patients with high or low levels of IgE anti-SWAP. Our analysis showed that high and low IgE-producers responded equally to schistosomiasis antigens as determined by proliferation. Moreover, patients from both groups displayed similar percentages of circulating lymphocytes. However, high IgE-producers had an increased percentage of activated CD4+ T cells as compared to the low IgE-producers. Moreover, intracellular cytokine analysis, after short-term stimulation with anti-CD3/CD28 mAbs, showed that IgE high-producers display an increase in the percentage of T lymphocytes expressing IL-4 and IL-5 as compared to IgE low-responders. A coordinate control of the frequency of IL-4 and IL-5 producing lymphocytes in IgE high, but not IgE low-responders, was observed. High IgE phenotype human schistosomiasis patients exhibit a coordinate regulation of IL-4 and IL-5 producing cells and the lymphocyte derived IL-4 comes from true polarized Th2 like cells, in the absence of measurable Th0 cells as measured by co-production of IL-4 and IFN-gamma.

Polarized Th2 like cells, in the absence of Th0 cells, are responsible for lymphocyte produced IL-4 in high IgE-producer schistosomiasis patients

PubMed Central

Dutra, Walderez O; Correa-Oliveira, Rodrigo; Dunne, David; Cecchini, Luiza Fosenca; Fraga, Lúcia; Roberts, Morven; Soares-Silveira, Alda Maria; Webster, Michelle; Yssel, Hans; Gollob, Kenneth J

2002-01-01

Background Human resistance to re-infection with S. mansoni is correlated with high levels of anti-soluble adult worm antigens (SWAP) IgE. Although it has been shown that IL-4 and IL-5 are crucial in establishing IgE responses in vitro, the active in vivo production of these cytokines by T cells, and the degree of polarization of Th2 vs. Th0 in human schistosomiasis is not known. To address this question, we determined the frequency of IL-4 and IFN-γ or IL-5 and IL-2 producing lymphocytes from schistosomiasis patients with high or low levels of IgE anti-SWAP. Results Our analysis showed that high and low IgE-producers responded equally to schistosomiasis antigens as determined by proliferation. Moreover, patients from both groups displayed similar percentages of circulating lymphocytes. However, high IgE-producers had an increased percentage of activated CD4+ T cells as compared to the low IgE-producers. Moreover, intracellular cytokine analysis, after short-term stimulation with anti-CD3/CD28 mAbs, showed that IgE high-producers display an increase in the percentage of T lymphocytes expressing IL-4 and IL-5 as compared to IgE low-responders. A coordinate control of the frequency of IL-4 and IL-5 producing lymphocytes in IgE high, but not IgE low-responders, was observed. Conclusions High IgE phenotype human schistosomiasis patients exhibit a coordinate regulation of IL-4 and IL-5 producing cells and the lymphocyte derived IL-4 comes from true polarized Th2 like cells, in the absence of measurable Th0 cells as measured by co-production of IL-4 and IFN-γ. PMID:12100735

Assessing physical activity in adolescents: common activities of children in 6th-8th grades.

PubMed

Harrell, Joanne S; Pearce, Patricia F; Markland, Ella Trivett; Wilson, Kristina; Bradley, Chyrise B; McMurray, Robert G

2003-04-01

To provide data for physical activity assessment in practice by describing the leisure time activities of adolescents and determining if the activities and the metabolic equivalents (MET levels) of those activities differ for boys and girls. The study was conducted in five middle schools in three rural counties in North Carolina. Subjects were 1,211 6th, 7th, and 8th graders aged 11-14 (mean 12.2) years. Half (52.5%) were girls. The sample was 64% white, 24% African-American and 12% other races. The top five activities of boys were football, basketball, bicycling, running, and baseball; the top five activities of girls were talking, running, walking, bicycling, and dancing. The average MET was 5.3 for boys and 4.3 for girls (p = 0.000). By grade levels, 6th graders had an average MET of 4.9 and the MET of 8th graders was 4.5 (p < 0.05). Older youth, girls, and children of parents with more education reported significantly more sedentary activities than the other youth. Physical activity is an integral component of overall health. Once activities and activity levels are known, current practices can be augmented or changed to accommodate improved understanding of physical activity. Because an active lifestyle is important in preventing obesity and other chronic conditions and for general health, nurse practitioners (NPs) should ask adolescents about their common activities and encourage them to continue the more vigorous activities and reduce time spent in sedentary pursuits. Prescriptive physical activity can be included for primary, secondary, or even tertiary prevention, thus crossing all levels of NP practice.

Oral immunization with F4 fimbriae and CpG formulated with carboxymethyl starch enhances F4-specific mucosal immune response and modulates Th1 and Th2 cytokines in weaned pigs.

PubMed

Delisle, Benjamin; Calinescu, Carmen; Mateescu, Mircea Alexandru; Fairbrother, John Morris; Nadeau, Éric

2012-01-01

F4 fimbriae are a potential candidate for an oral subunit vaccine for prevention of post-weaning diarrhea in swine due to infection with F4-positive enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. However, large quantities of F4 fimbriae are required to induce a specific antibody response. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of supplementation of F4 fimbriae with Cytosine-phosphate-Guanosine-oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG-A D19) or with complete cholera toxin (CT) as adjuvants on the F4-specific antibody response and cytokine production in weaned pigs following oral administration of F4 fimbrial antigen formulated with Carboxymethyl Starch (CMS). Oral dosage forms of F4 fimbriae alone or supplemented with CpG-A D19 or with CT were formulated with CMS as monolithic tablets, obtained by direct compression, and administered to weaned pigs. Blood and faecal samples were collected to determine the systemic and mucosal immune status of animals at various times until necropsy. During necropsy, contents of the jejunum and ileum were collected for determination of mucosal F4 specific antibodies. Segments of jejunum and ileum were also used to measure mRNA cytokine production. The presence of CpG in the formulation of the fimbriae significantly increased F4-specific immunoglobulin (Ig) IgM and IgG levels in intestinal secretions, and enhanced Th1 (Interferon-gamma / IFN-γ, Tumour Necrosis Factor-alpha / TNF-α, Interleukin-12p40 / IL-12p40, IL-1β) and Th2 (IL-4, IL-6) cytokine production in intestinal tissues. Supplementation with CT did not result in induction of F4-specific antibodies in secretions, although a significant Th1 response (IFN-α, IFN-γ, IL-18) was detected in tissues. Neither F4-specific systemic antibodies, nor intestinally secreted IgA were detected throughout the immunization trial for all groups. CpG-A D19 appeared to be a promising adjuvant for an oral F4 subunit vaccine formulated with CMS excipient as monolithic tablets. This matrix afforded gastro

Serotonin decreases the production of Th1/Th17 cytokines and elevates the frequency of regulatory CD4+ T cell subsets in multiple sclerosis patients.

PubMed

Sacramento, Priscila M; Monteiro, Clarice; Dias, Aleida S O; Kasahara, Taissa M; Ferreira, Thaís B; Hygino, Joana; Wing, Ana Cristina; Andrade, Regis M; Rueda, Fernanda; Sales, Marisa C; Vasconcelos, Claudia Cristina; Bento, Cleonice A M

2018-05-02

Excessive levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the central nervous system (CNS) are associated with reduced serotonin (5-HT) synthesis, a neurotransmitter with diverse immune effects. In this study, we evaluated the ability of exogenous 5-HT to modulate the T-cell behavior of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), a demyelinating autoimmune disease mediated by Th1 and Th17 cytokines. Here, 5-HT attenuated, in vitro, T-cell proliferation and Th1 and Th17 cytokines production in cell cultures from MS patients. Additionally, 5-HT reduced IFN-γ and IL-17 release by CD8 + T-cells. By contrast, 5-HT increased IL-10 production by CD4 + T-cells from MS patients. A more accurate analysis of these IL-10-secreting CD4 + T-cells revealed that 5-HT favors the expansion of FoxP3 + CD39 + regulatory T cells (Tregs) and type 1 regulatory T cells. Notably, this neurotransmitter also elevated the frequency of Treg17 cells, a novel regulatory T-cell subset. The effect of 5-HT in up-regulating CD39 + Treg and Treg17 cells was inversely correlated with the number of active brain lesions. Finally, in addition to directly reducing cytokine production by purified Th1 and Th17 cells, 5-HT enhanced in vitro Treg function. In summary, our data suggest that serotonin may play a protective role in the pathogenesis of MS. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Report of the 4th Workshop for Technology Transfer for Intelligent Compaction Consortium.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-03-01

On October 2728, 2015, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) hosted the 4th workshop for : the Technology Transfer for Intelligent Compaction Consortium (TTICC), a Transportation Pooled Fund : (TPF5(233)) initiative designed to identify, s...

Understanding the fluvial loss of carbon from the UK - implications for terrestrial carbon, greenhouse gases and water quality.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Worrall, F.; Howden, N. J. K.

2016-12-01

to between 67 and 131 tonnes CO2eq/km2/yr with fluvial organic matter between 12,328 and 15,922 ktonnes CO2eq/yr in the proportion 5:86:8 - N2O:CO2:CH4. The emissions factor for 1 tonne of organic carbon entering the UK fluvial network has a median value of 3.01 tonnes CO2eq/yr with a 5th to 95th percentile range of 2.60 to 3.59 tonnes CO2eq/yr.

Pinus densiflora bark extract ameliorates 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene-induced atopic dermatitis in NC/Nga mice by regulating Th1/Th2 balance and skin barrier function.

PubMed

Lee, Jun Woo; Wu, Qianwen; Jang, Young Pyo; Choung, Se Young

2018-06-01

Korean red pine (Pinus densiflora) bark has been traditionally used in Korea and other parts of East Asia to relieve inflammatory diseases. Although many studies using P. densiflora bark have been reported, its effect on atopic dermatitis (AD) has not been elucidated. Thus, we investigated whether the P. densiflora bark extract (PBE) has potential to attenuate AD symptoms and elucidated the molecular mechanism. Oral administration of PBE to mice with 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced AD lessened dermatitis scores and scratching behavior and significantly reduced measures of epidermal thickness, infiltration of mast cells and eosinophils, levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE), and IgG 1 /IgG 2a ratio in serum. PBE not only inhibited IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 but also increased IFN-γ in splenic production. Furthermore, PBE significantly suppressed mRNA expression of thymic stromal lymphopoietin and further downregulated the mRNA expression of Th2 and Th17 cytokines such as IL-4, IL-13, IL-17, IL-31, and TNF-α. In addition, the protein expressions of filaggrin, involucrin, and loricrin in lesional skin were recovered by PBE. These results suggest that PBE attenuates DNCB-induced AD via regulating Th1/Th2 balance and skin barrier function. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Drought variability in six catchments in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwok-Pan, Chun; Onof, Christian; Wheater, Howard

2010-05-01

Drought is fundamentally related to consistent low precipitation levels. Changes in global and regional drought patterns are suggested by numerous recent climate change studies. However, most of the climate change adaptation measures are at a catchment scale, and the development of a framework for studying persistence in precipitation is still at an early stage. Two stochastic approaches for modelling drought severity index (DSI) are proposed to investigate possible changes in droughts in six catchments in the UK. They are the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and the generalised linear model (GLM) approach. Results of ARIMA modelling show that mean sea level pressure and possibly the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index are important climate variables for short term drought forecasts, whereas relative humidity is not a significant climate variable despite its high correlation with the DSI series. By simulating rainfall series, the generalised linear model (GLM) approach can provide the probability density function of the DSI. GLM simulations indicate that the changes in the 10th and 50th quantiles of drought events are more noticeable than in the 90th extreme droughts. The possibility of extending the GLM approach to support risk-based water management is also discussed.

Summary of the 4th Nordic Symposium on Digital Pathology.

PubMed

Lundström, Claes; Waltersson, Marie; Persson, Anders; Treanor, Darren

2017-01-01

The Nordic symposium on digital pathology (NDP) was created to promote knowledge exchange across stakeholders in health care, industry, and academia. In 2016, the 4 th NDP installment took place in Linköping, Sweden, promoting development and collaboration in digital pathology for the benefit of routine care advances. This article summarizes the symposium, gathering 170 attendees from 13 countries. This summary also contains results from a survey on integrated diagnostics aspects, in particular radiology-pathology collaboration.

Summary of the 4th Nordic Symposium on Digital Pathology

PubMed Central

Lundström, Claes; Waltersson, Marie; Persson, Anders; Treanor, Darren

2017-01-01

The Nordic symposium on digital pathology (NDP) was created to promote knowledge exchange across stakeholders in health care, industry, and academia. In 2016, the 4th NDP installment took place in Linköping, Sweden, promoting development and collaboration in digital pathology for the benefit of routine care advances. This article summarizes the symposium, gathering 170 attendees from 13 countries. This summary also contains results from a survey on integrated diagnostics aspects, in particular radiology-pathology collaboration. PMID:28382222

Seasonal variations of alkenones and UK37 in the Chesapeake Bay water column

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mercer, J.L.; Zhao, M.; Colman, Steven M.

2005-01-01

Alkenone unsaturation indices (UK37 and U K???37) have long been used as proxies for surface water temperature in the open ocean. Recent studies have suggested that in other marine environments, variables other than temperature may affect both the production of alkenones and the values of the indices. Here, we present the results of a reconnaissance field study in which alkenones were extracted from particulate matter filtered from the water column in Chesapeake Bay during 2000 and 2001. A multivariate analysis shows a strong positive correlation between UK37 (and UK???37) values and temperature, and a significant negative correlation between UK37 (and UK???37) values and nitrate concentrations. However, temperature and nitrate concentrations also co-vary significantly. The temperature vs. UK37 relationships (UK37=0.018 (T)-0.162, R2=0.84, UK???37=0.013 (T)-0.04, R2=0.80) have lower slopes than the open-ocean equations of Prahl et al. [1988. Further evaluation of long-chain alkenones as indicators of paleoceanographic conditions. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 52, 2303-2310] and Mu??ller et al. [1998. Calibration of the alkenone paleotemperature index UK???37 based on core-tops from the eastern South Atlantic and the global ocean (60??N-60??S). Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 62, 1757-1772], but are similar to the relationships found in controlled studies with elevated nutrient levels and higher nitrate:phosphate (N:P) ratios. This implies that high nutrient levels in Chesapeake Bay have either lowered the UK37 vs. temperature slope, or nutrient levels are the main controller of the U K37 index. In addition, particularly high abundances (>5% of total C37 alkenones) of the tetra-unsaturated ketone, C37:4, were found when water temperatures reached 25??C or higher, thus posing further questions about the controls on alkenone production as well as the biochemical roles of alkenones. ?? 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fast and Analytical EAP Approximation from a 4th-Order Tensor.

PubMed

Ghosh, Aurobrata; Deriche, Rachid

2012-01-01

Generalized diffusion tensor imaging (GDTI) was developed to model complex apparent diffusivity coefficient (ADC) using higher-order tensors (HOTs) and to overcome the inherent single-peak shortcoming of DTI. However, the geometry of a complex ADC profile does not correspond to the underlying structure of fibers. This tissue geometry can be inferred from the shape of the ensemble average propagator (EAP). Though interesting methods for estimating a positive ADC using 4th-order diffusion tensors were developed, GDTI in general was overtaken by other approaches, for example, the orientation distribution function (ODF), since it is considerably difficult to recuperate the EAP from a HOT model of the ADC in GDTI. In this paper, we present a novel closed-form approximation of the EAP using Hermite polynomials from a modified HOT model of the original GDTI-ADC. Since the solution is analytical, it is fast, differentiable, and the approximation converges well to the true EAP. This method also makes the effort of computing a positive ADC worthwhile, since now both the ADC and the EAP can be used and have closed forms. We demonstrate our approach with 4th-order tensors on synthetic data and in vivo human data.

Biofortification of UK food crops with selenium.

PubMed

Broadley, Martin R; White, Philip J; Bryson, Rosie J; Meacham, Mark C; Bowen, Helen C; Johnson, Sarah E; Hawkesford, Malcolm J; McGrath, Steve P; Zhao, Fang-Jie; Breward, Neil; Harriman, Miles; Tucker, Mark

2006-05-01

Se is an essential element for animals. In man low dietary Se intakes are associated with health disorders including oxidative stress-related conditions, reduced fertility and immune functions and an increased risk of cancers. Although the reference nutrient intakes for adult females and males in the UK are 60 and 75 microg Se/d respectively, dietary Se intakes in the UK have declined from >60 microg Se/d in the 1970s to 35 microg Se/d in the 1990s, with a concomitant decline in human Se status. This decline in Se intake and status has been attributed primarily to the replacement of milling wheat having high levels of grain Se and grown on high-Se soils in North America with UK-sourced wheat having low levels of grain Se and grown on low-Se soils. An immediate solution to low dietary Se intake and status is to enrich UK-grown food crops using Se fertilisers (agronomic biofortification). Such a strategy has been adopted with success in Finland. It may also be possible to enrich food crops in the longer term by selecting or breeding crop varieties with enhanced Se-accumulation characteristics (genetic biofortification). The present paper will review the potential for biofortification of UK food crops with Se.

Testing UK blood donors for exposure to human parvovirus 4 using a time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay to screen sera and Western blot to confirm reactive samples.

PubMed

Maple, Peter A C; Beard, Stuart; Parry, Ruth P; Brown, Kevin E

2013-10-01

Human parvovirus 4 (ParV4), a newly described member of the family Parvoviridae, like B19V, has been found in pooled plasma preparations. The extent, and significance, of ParV4 exposure in UK blood donors remain to be determined and reliable detection of ParV4 immunoglobulin (Ig)G, using validated methods, is needed. With ParV4 virus-like particles a ParV4 IgG time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay (TRFIA) was developed. There is no gold standard or reference assay for measuring ParV4 IgG and the utility of the TRFIA was first examined using a panel of sera from people who inject drugs (PWIDS)--a high-prevalence population for ParV4 infection. Western blotting was used to confirm the specificity of TRFIA-reactive sera. Two cohorts of UK blood donor sera comprising 452 sera collected in 1999 and 156 sera collected in 2009 were tested for ParV4 IgG. Additional testing for B19V IgG, hepatitis C virus antibodies (anti-HCV), and ParV4 DNA was also undertaken. The rate of ParV4 IgG seroprevalence in PWIDS was 20.7% and ParV4 IgG was positively associated with the presence of anti-HCV with 68.4% ParV4 IgG-positive sera testing anti-HCV-positive versus 17.1% ParV4 IgG-negative sera. Overall seropositivity for ParV4 IgG, in 608 UK blood donors was 4.76%. The ParV4 IgG seropositivity for sera collected in 1999 was 5.08%, compared to 3.84% for sera collected in 2009. No ParV4 IgG-positive blood donor sera had detectable ParV4 DNA. ParV4 IgG has been found in UK blood donors and this finding needs further investigation. © 2013 American Association of Blood Banks.

Thermodynamic study of the gaseous thorium carbides, ThC, ThC/sub 2/, ThC/sub 3/, ThC/sub 4/, ThC/sub 5/, and ThC/sub 6/

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

Gupta, S.K.; Gingerich, K.A.

Six gaseous carbides of thorium, ThC/sub n/(n=1--6), have been identified in a Knudsen effusion mass spectrometric investigation of the vapor phase above a thorium--uranium--rhodium--graphite system at high temperatures. The partial pressures of the thorium containing species were measured as a function of temperature in the 2300--2700 /sup 0/K range. Third law enthalpies for the reactions Th(g)+nC(graphite) =ThC/sub n/, n=1 to 6, and of various other homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions were evaluated. By combining the experimental enthalpies with appropriate thermodynamic data taken from literature, the following values for the atomization energies ..delta..H /sup 0//sub at,298/, and standard heats of formation ..delta..H/supmore » tsdegree//sub f/,298 of thorium carbides have been derived:« less

Assessing the Organization and Capabilities of 4th Marine Logistics Group

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-05-14

Logistics Group (MLG) should adopt further organizational changes within specific parameters to complement the structure and capabilities of the Active...In order to enhance operational effectiveness and continue its mandated responsibility to augment and reinforce, 4th MLG should adopt further...of the Deputy Commandant, Installations and Logistics (DC, I&L), Marine Forces Reserve ( MFR ), and the MLGs. The paper also relies heavily on the

Effect of Lactobacillus salivarius on Th1/Th2 cytokines and the number of spleen CD4⁺ CD25⁺ Foxp3⁺ Treg in asthma Balb/c mouse.

PubMed

Yun, Xiang; Shang, Yunxiao; Li, Miao

2015-01-01

Bronchial asthma is a chronic airway inflammatory disease that involves T lymphocytes. In order to explore the effect of Lactobacillus salivarius on Th1/Th2 cytokines and the number of spleen CD4(+) CD25(+) Foxp3(+) Treg in asthma Balb/c mouse, we constructed acute asthma model with ovalbumin to observe the mouse behavior change in Balb/c mice. The expression of GATA-3 mRNA and T-bet mRNA was measured by real-time PCR. The proportion of CD4(+) CD25(+) Foxp3(+) Treg/CD4(+) was determined by flow cytometry. The results demonstrated that oral gavage with Lactobacillus salivarius before sensitization could alleviate the clinical symptoms, airway hyper-reactivity and airway inflammation in asthma mouse to some extent; Lactobacillus salivarius may improve the imbalance of Th1/Th2 in asthma mouse through increasing the expression of T-bet mRNA at the transcriptional level and inhibiting the expression of GATA-3 mRNA simultaneously. CD4(+) CD25(+) Foxp3(+) Treg cells may be involved in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma, and may be the upstream regulatory mechanism of the improvement of Th1/Th2 imbalance by Lactobacillus salivarius.

Impacts of the EA and SCA patterns on the 20th century NAO-winter precipitation relationship in Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Comas-Bru, Laia; McDermott, Frank

2013-04-01

Much of the 20th century multi-decadal variability in the NAO-winter precipitation relationship over the N. Atlantic / European sector can be ascribed to the combined effects of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and either the East Atlantic pattern (EA) or the Scandinavian pattern (SCA). The NAO, EA and SCA indices employed here are defined as the three leading vectors of the cross-correlation matrix calculated from monthly sea-level pressure anomalies for 138 complete winters from the 20CRv2 dataset (Compo et al., 2011). Winter precipitation data over Europe for the entire 20th century is derived from the high resolution CRU-TS3.1 climate dataset (Mitchell and Jones, 2005). Here we document for the first time, that different NAO/EA and NAO/SCA combinations systematically influence winter precipitation conditions in Europe as a consequence of NAO dipole migrations. We find that the zero-correlated line of the NAO-winter precipitation relationship migrates southwards when the EA is in the opposite phase to the NAO. This can be related to a south-westwards migration of the NAO dipole under these conditions, as shown by teleconnectivity maps. Similarly, a clockwise movement of the NAO-winter climate correlated areas occurs when the phase of the SCA is opposite to that of the NAO, reflecting a clockwise movement of the NAO dipole under these conditions. An important implication of these migrations is that they influence the spatial and temporal stationarity of climate-NAO relationships. As a result, the link between winter precipitation patterns and the NAO is not straightforward in some regions such as the southern UK, Ireland and France. For instance, much of the inter-annual variability in the N-S winter precipitation gradient in the UK, originally attributed to inter-annual and inter-decadal variability of the NAO, reflects the migration of the NAO dipole, linked to linear combinations of the NAO and the EA. Our results indicate that when the N-S winter

Americanization and UK Higher Education: Towards a History of Transatlantic Influence on Policy and Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, David; Baston, Lewis; Bocock, Jean; Scott, Peter

2002-01-01

Investigates history of US influence on UK higher education policy and practice during the second half of the 20th century within broader context of cultural and policy encounters between the two nations during these years and considers relevance of the contested concept of "Americanization." Concludes that US exercised an important but…

Homeopathic prescribing for chronic and acute periodontal conditions in 3 dental practices in the UK.

PubMed

Farrer, S; Baitson, E S; Gedah, L; Norman, C; Darby, P; Mathie, R T

2013-10-01

This investigation extends our previous dental data collection pilot study with the following main aims: to gain insight into the periodontal complaints that dentists in the UK treat using individualised homeopathic prescription; to record patient-assessed change in severity of treated complaint (acute or chronic); to determine periodontal pocket depth (PPD). Three dentists recorded data systematically at 249 homeopathic appointments in 51 patients over a period of 18 months. A spreadsheet enabled the data collection of the following records: date of appointment; anonymised patient identity; main periodontal problem treated; whether the condition was acute or chronic; patient-assessed clinical outcome on a 7-point Likert scale, ranging from -3 to +3, to compare the first and any subsequent appointments; whether any interventional dental surgery (IDS) had been carried out; clinician-assessed PPD measurements. At least one follow-up (FU) appointment was reported for each of 46 patients (22 chronic [6 with IDS, 16 without IDS]; 24 acute [10 with IDS, 14 without IDS]). In chronic cases, strongly positive outcomes (score of +2 or +3) were reported by 2 (33.3%) of 6 IDS patients and by 1 (6.3%) of 16 non-IDS patients. In acute cases, strongly positive outcomes were reported by 7 (70%) of 10 IDS patients and by 8 (57.2%) of 14 non-IDS patients (no statistically significant difference between sub-groups). The FU conditions most frequently treated with homeopathy were chronic periodontitis (19 patients) and acute periodontal abscess (11 patients). Analysis of PPD data was not feasible due to the small numbers of patients involved. Limited insight has been gained into the periodontal complaints treated by homeopathy in the UK. Due to small sample size and equivocal results, the interpretation of the patient-reported outcomes data is unclear. Positive findings obtained in the acute treatment setting suggest that this may be a promising area for research in periodontal

The medline UK filter: development and validation of a geographic search filter to retrieve research about the UK from OVID medline.

PubMed

Ayiku, Lynda; Levay, Paul; Hudson, Tom; Craven, Jenny; Barrett, Elizabeth; Finnegan, Amy; Adams, Rachel

2017-07-13

A validated geographic search filter for the retrieval of research about the United Kingdom (UK) from bibliographic databases had not previously been published. To develop and validate a geographic search filter to retrieve research about the UK from OVID medline with high recall and precision. Three gold standard sets of references were generated using the relative recall method. The sets contained references to studies about the UK which had informed National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance. The first and second sets were used to develop and refine the medline UK filter. The third set was used to validate the filter. Recall, precision and number-needed-to-read (NNR) were calculated using a case study. The validated medline UK filter demonstrated 87.6% relative recall against the third gold standard set. In the case study, the medline UK filter demonstrated 100% recall, 11.4% precision and a NNR of nine. A validated geographic search filter to retrieve research about the UK with high recall and precision has been developed. The medline UK filter can be applied to systematic literature searches in OVID medline for topics with a UK focus. © 2017 Crown copyright. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2017 Health Libraries GroupThis article is published with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.

Characteristics and practices of Traditional Chinese Medicine retail shops in London, UK: A cross-sectional study using an observational approach.

PubMed

Teng, Lida; Shaw, Debbie; Barnes, Joanne

2015-09-15

(133/794, 16.8%); obstetrics, gynaecology, and urinary-tract disorders (122/794, 15.4%); skin (102/794, 12.9%); gastrointestinal system (62/794, 7.8%). Specific conditions/uses that were frequently promoted included eczema (19/23 shops, 82.6%), arthritis (18/23, 78.3%), acne (17/23, 73.9%), obesity/weight loss/slimming (17/23, 73.9%) and psoriasis (17/23, 73.9%). Claimed conditions/uses included some serious medical conditions (e.g. diabetes, cancer and hypertension) and those focusing on vulnerable groups (e.g. children's diseases and pregnancy treatments). TCM shops in London, UK, typically displayed names of a wide range of medical conditions/uses for TCMs using readily understandable medical terms, implying TCM can be used to prevent or treat these conditions. However, many of these advertisements did not comply with UK regulations on medical claims for herbal medicines. Future studies should explore how these advertisements influence consumers' decisions to access TCM in the UK, practices of TCM shop staff towards the supply of TCMs in the UK, and what are the health implications at the individual and population levels. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

4th Generation ECR Ion Sources

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

Lyneis, Claude M.; Leitner, D.; Todd, D.S.

2008-12-01

The concepts and technical challenges related to developing a 4th generation ECR ion source with an RF frequency greater than 40 GHz and magnetic confinement fields greater than twice Becr will be explored in this paper. Based on the semi-empirical frequency scaling of ECR plasma density with the square of operating frequency, there should be significant gains in performance over current 3rd generation ECR ion sources, which operate at RF frequencies between 20 and 30 GHz. While the 3rd generation ECR ion sources use NbTi superconducting solenoid and sextupole coils, the new sources will need to use different superconducting materialsmore » such as Nb3Sn to reach the required magnetic confinement, which scales linearly with RF frequency. Additional technical challenges include increased bremsstrahlung production, which may increase faster than the plasma density, bremsstrahlung heating of the cold mass and the availability of high power continuous wave microwave sources at these frequencies. With each generation of ECR ion sources, there are new challenges to be mastered, but the potential for higher performance and reduced cost of the associated accelerator continue to make this a promising avenue for development.« less

The risk of hydraulic fracturing on public health in the UK and the UK's fracking legislation.

PubMed

Reap, Elisabeth

2015-01-01

Hydraulic fracturing to extract natural gas from shale rock is a new, rapidly expanding industry in the United States (US). However, there is concern that these operations could be having large negative impacts such as groundwater contamination, increased air pollution and seismic events. The United Kingdom (UK) is looking at the potential for emulating the success of 'shale gas' in the US. Differences in population density and geological conditions mean that the public health impacts recorded in the US cannot be directly extrapolated to the UK. There is limited academic literature available but findings suggest that the UK government is not fully recognising the inherent risks of hydraulic fracturing exposed by this literature. Government reports suggest a reliance on engineering solutions and better practice to overcome problems found in the US when evidence suggests that there are inherent risks and impacts that cannot be eliminated. This study applies US results to approximate the impact of one exposure pathway, inhalation of hydrocarbons by the public from operational air emissions over the 30 year lifetime of a well and finds that 7.2 extra cancer cases from exposure to air contamination would be expected in the UK if all test sites, approved test sites and test sites awaiting approval as of January 2015 went on to extract gas. In conclusion, limited assessment of the public health implications of hydraulic fracturing operations is available but the UK government appears to not be applying the precautionary principle to potentially significant legislation.

Recombinant ESAT-6-CFP10 Fusion Protein Induction of Th1/Th2 Cytokines and FoxP3 Expressing Treg Cells in Pulmonary TB.

PubMed

Jackson-Sillah, Dolly; Cliff, Jacqueline M; Mensah, Gloria Ivy; Dickson, Emmanuel; Sowah, Sandra; Tetteh, John K A; Addo, Kwasi K; Ottenhoff, Tom H M; Bothamley, Graham; Dockrell, Hazel M

2013-01-01

Early secretory antigenic target 6 (ESAT-6) and culture filtrate protein 10 (CFP-10) are Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-specific antigens that are secreted by actively metabolising bacteria and contribute to the virulence of the bacteria. Their ability to induce Treg and Th2 responses, particularly during the first two weeks of treatment, has not been comprehensively examined to date. The purpose of this work was to characterise Th1, Th2 and Treg responses to rESAT-6-CFP10 fusion protein in TB patients before and during the intensive phase of treatment and in healthy M.bovis BCG vaccinated donors. Forty-six newly diagnosed, HIV-negative, smear-positive pulmonary TB patients and 20 healthy donors were recruited in the UK and Ghana. Their peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were used in ex vivo ELISPOT and in vitro cultures to identify immunological parameters of interest. The study confirmed that protective immune responses to rESAT-6-CFP10 are impaired in active TB but improved during treatment: circulating antigen-specific IL-4-producing T-cells were increased in untreated TB but declined by two weeks of treatment while the circulating antigen-specific IFN-γ producing T cells which showed a transient rise at one week of treatment, persisted at baseline levels at two months of treatment. In vitro T cell proliferation and IFN-γ production were reduced, while IL-4 and CD4(+)FoxP3(+)CD25(hi) cell expression were increased in response to rESAT-6-CFP10 fusion protein in untreated TB. These responses were reversed during early treatment of TB. These observations support further investigations into the possible utility of these parameters as markers of active disease and favourable treatment outcomes.

Recombinant ESAT-6-CFP10 Fusion Protein Induction of Th1/Th2 Cytokines and FoxP3 Expressing Treg Cells in Pulmonary TB

PubMed Central

Jackson-Sillah, Dolly; Cliff, Jacqueline M.; Mensah, Gloria Ivy; Dickson, Emmanuel; Sowah, Sandra; Tetteh, John K A.; Addo, Kwasi K.; Ottenhoff, Tom H. M.; Bothamley, Graham; Dockrell, Hazel M.

2013-01-01

Background Early secretory antigenic target 6 (ESAT-6) and culture filtrate protein 10 (CFP-10) are Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)–specific antigens that are secreted by actively metabolising bacteria and contribute to the virulence of the bacteria. Their ability to induce Treg and Th2 responses, particularly during the first two weeks of treatment, has not been comprehensively examined to date. The purpose of this work was to characterise Th1, Th2 and Treg responses to rESAT-6-CFP10 fusion protein in TB patients before and during the intensive phase of treatment and in healthy M.bovis BCG vaccinated donors. Methods Forty-six newly diagnosed, HIV-negative, smear-positive pulmonary TB patients and 20 healthy donors were recruited in the UK and Ghana. Their peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were used in ex vivo ELISPOT and in vitro cultures to identify immunological parameters of interest. Results The study confirmed that protective immune responses to rESAT-6-CFP10 are impaired in active TB but improved during treatment: circulating antigen-specific IL-4-producing T-cells were increased in untreated TB but declined by two weeks of treatment while the circulating antigen-specific IFN-γ producing T cells which showed a transient rise at one week of treatment, persisted at baseline levels at two months of treatment. In vitro T cell proliferation and IFN-γ production were reduced, while IL-4 and CD4+FoxP3+CD25hi cell expression were increased in response to rESAT-6-CFP10 fusion protein in untreated TB. These responses were reversed during early treatment of TB. Conclusions These observations support further investigations into the possible utility of these parameters as markers of active disease and favourable treatment outcomes. PMID:23826366

An Introduction to ESERO-UK, the UK Space Education Office

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clements, Allan; Mather, Edward

2012-01-01

This article introduces the UK branch of the European Space Education Resource Office (ESERO-UK), also known as the UK Space Education Office. It is a teaching project designed to use space to enthuse primary and secondary students to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects. The office is funded by the European Space…

European Code against Cancer 4th Edition: Medical exposures, including hormone therapy, and cancer.

PubMed

Friis, Søren; Kesminiene, Ausrele; Espina, Carolina; Auvinen, Anssi; Straif, Kurt; Schüz, Joachim

2015-12-01

The 4th edition of the European Code against Cancer recommends limiting - or avoiding when possible - the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) because of the increased risk of cancer, nevertheless acknowledging that prescription of HRT may be indicated under certain medical conditions. Current evidence shows that HRT, generally prescribed as menopausal hormone therapy, is associated with an increased risk of cancers of the breast, endometrium, and ovary, with the risk pattern depending on factors such as the type of therapy (oestrogen-only or combined oestrogen-progestogen), duration of treatment, and initiation according to the time of menopause. Carcinogenicity has also been established for anti-neoplastic agents used in cancer therapy, immunosuppressants, oestrogen-progestogen contraceptives, and tamoxifen. Medical use of ionising radiation, an established carcinogen, can provide major health benefits; however, prudent practices need to be in place, with procedures and techniques providing the needed diagnostic information or therapeutic gain with the lowest possible radiation exposure. For pharmaceutical drugs and medical radiation exposure with convincing evidence on their carcinogenicity, health benefits have to be balanced against the risks; potential increases in long-term cancer risk should be considered in the context of the often substantial and immediate health benefits from diagnosis and/or treatment. Thus, apart from HRT, no general recommendations on reducing cancer risk were given for carcinogenic drugs and medical radiation in the 4th edition of European Code against Cancer. It is crucial that the application of these measures relies on medical expertise and thorough benefit-risk evaluation. This also pertains to cancer-preventive drugs, and self-medication with aspirin or other potential chemopreventive drugs is strongly discouraged because of the possibility of serious, potentially lethal, adverse events. Copyright © 2015 International

Potential pathogenetic role of Th17, Th0, and Th2 cells in erosive and reticular oral lichen planus.

PubMed

Piccinni, M-P; Lombardelli, L; Logiodice, F; Tesi, D; Kullolli, O; Biagiotti, R; Giudizi, Mg; Romagnani, S; Maggi, E; Ficarra, G

2014-03-01

The role of Th17 cells and associated cytokines was investigated in oral lichen planus. 14 consecutive patients with oral lichen planus were investigated. For biological studies, tissues were taken from reticular or erosive lesions and from normal oral mucosa (controls) of the same patient. mRNA expression for IL-17F, IL-17A, MCP-1, IL-13, IL-2, IL-10, IL-1β, RANTES, IL-4, IL-12B, IL-8, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-18, TGF-β1, IL-23R, IL-7, IL-15, IL-6, MIG, IP-10, LTB, VEGF, IL-5, IL-27, IL-23A, GAPDH, PPIB, Foxp3, GATA3, and RORC was measured using the QuantiGene 2.0. Results showed that Th17-type and Th0-type molecules' mRNAs, when compared with results obtained from tissue controls, were increased in biopsies of erosive lesions, whereas Th2-type molecules' mRNAs were increased in reticular lesions. When the CD4+ T-cell clones, derived from oral lichen planus tissues and tissue controls, were analyzed, a higher prevalence of Th17 (confirmed by an increased CD161 expression) and Th0 CD4+ T clones was found in erosive lesions, whereas a prevalence of Th2 clones was observed in reticular lesions. Our data suggest that Th17, Th0, and Th2 cells, respectively, may have a role in the pathogenesis of erosive and reticular oral lichen planus. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Improving UK Air Quality Modelling Through Exploitation of Satellite Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pope, Richard; Chipperfield, Martyn; Savage, Nick

2014-05-01

In this work the applicability of satellite observations to evaluate the operational UK Met Office Air Quality in the Unified Model (AQUM) have been investigated. The main focus involved the AQUM validation against satellite observations, investigation of satellite retrieval error types and of synoptic meteorological-atmospheric chemistry relationships simulated/seen by the AQUM/satellite. The AQUM is a short range forecast model of atmospheric chemistry and aerosols up to 5 days. It has been designed to predict potentially hazardous air pollution events, e.g. high concentrations of surface ozone. The AQUM has only been validated against UK atmospheric chemistry recording surface stations. Therefore, satellite observations of atmospheric chemistry have been used to further validate the model, taking advantage of better satellite spatial coverage. Observations of summer and winter 2006 tropospheric column NO2 from both OMI and SCIAMACHY show that the AQUM generally compares well with the observations. However, in northern England positive biases (AQUM - satellite) suggest that the AQUM overestimates column NO2; we present results of sensitivity experiments on UK emissions datasets suspected to be the cause. In winter, the AQUM over predicts background column NO2 when compared to both satellite instruments. We hypothesise that the cause is the AQUM winter night-time chemistry, where the NO2 sinks are not substantially defined. Satellite data are prone to errors/uncertainty such as random, systematic and smoothing errors. We have investigated these error types and developed an algorithm to calculate and reduce the random error component of DOAS NO2 retrievals, giving more robust seasonal satellite composites. The Lamb Weather Types (LWT), an objective method of classifying the daily synoptic weather over the UK, were used to create composite satellite maps of column NO2 under different synoptic conditions. Under cyclonic conditions, satellite observed UK column NO2 is

Effect of the SQ4R Technique on the Reading Comprehension of Elementary School 4th Grade Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basar, Murat; Gürbüz, Mehmet

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of SQ4R (Survey, Question, Read, Reflect, Recite, Review) technique of the reading comprehension ability of elementary school 4th grade students. The sampling was constituted by 57 students from two different branches of the Ataturk Elementary School in the center of Usak region during the 2nd…

α4+β7hiCD4+ Memory T cells Harbor Most Th-17 cells and are Preferentially Infected During Acute SIV Infection

PubMed Central

Kader, Muhamuda; Wang, Xiaolei; Piatak, Michael; Lifson, Jeffrey; Roederer, Mario; Veazey, Ronald; Mattapallil, Joseph J.

2009-01-01

HIV/SIV are thought to infect minimally activated CD4+ T cells after viral entry. Not much is known about why SIV selectively targets these cells. Here we show that CD4+ T cells that express high levels of the α4β7 heterodimer are preferentially infected very early during the course of SIV infection. At day 2–4 post infection, α4+β7hiCD4+ T cells had ∼ 5x more SIV-gag DNA than β7−CD4+ T cells. α4+β7hiCD4+ T cells displayed a predominantly central memory (CD45RA−CD28+CCR7+) and resting (CD25−CD69−HLA-DR−Ki-67−) phenotype. Though the expression of detectable CCR5 was variable on α4+β7hi and β7−CD4+ T cells, both CCR5+ and CCR5− subsets of α4+β7hi and β7−CD4+ T cells were found to express sufficient levels of CCR5 mRNA suggesting that both these subsets could be efficiently infected by SIV. In line with this, we found similar levels of SIV infection in β7−CD4+CCR5+ and β7−CD4+CCR5− T cells. α4β7hiCD4+ T cells were found to harbor most Th-17 cells that were significantly depleted during acute SIV infection. Taken together, our results show that resting memory α4+β7hiCD4+ T cells in blood are preferentially depleted during acute SIV infection, and the loss of these cells alters the balance between Th-17 and Th-1 responses thereby contributing to disease pathogenesis. PMID:19571800

Reforming the 4th-Year Curriculum as a Springboard to Graduate Medical Training: One School's Experiences and Lessons Learned.

PubMed

Wackett, Andrew; Daroowalla, Feroza; Lu, Wei-Hsin; Chandran, Latha

2016-01-01

Concerns regarding the quality of training in the 4th year of medical school and preparation of graduates to enter residency education persist and are borne out in the literature. We reviewed the published literature regarding Year 4 concerns as well as institutional efforts to improve the 4th-year curriculum from several schools. Based on input from key stakeholders, we established 4 goals for our Year 4 curriculum reform: (a) standardize the curricular structure, (b) allow flexibility and individualization, (c) improve the preparation for residency, and (d) improve student satisfaction. After the reform, we evaluated the outcomes using results from the Association of American Medical Colleges Questionnaire, student focus groups, and program director surveys. This article describes the context, process, and outcomes of the reform of the Year 4 curriculum at Stony Brook University School of Medicine. We were able to achieve all four stated goals for the reform. The significant components of the change included a flexible adaptable curriculum based on individual needs and preferences, standardized learning objectives across the year, standardized competency-based evaluations regardless of discipline, reinforcement of clinical skills, and training for the transition to the workplace as an intern. The reform resulted in increased student satisfaction, increased elective time, and increased preparedness for residency training as perceived by the graduates. The Program Director survey showed significant changes in ability to perform a medical history and exam, management of common medical conditions and emergencies, clinical reasoning and problem-solving skills, working and communication with the healthcare team, and overall professionalism in meeting obligations inherent in the practice of medicine. Lessons learned from our 4th-year reform process are discussed. Listening to the needs of the stakeholders was an important step in ensuring buy-in, having an institutional

Required and Elective Experiences During the 4th Year: An Analysis of ACGME Accredited Psychiatry Residency Program Websites.

PubMed

Vestal, Heather S; Belitsky, Richard; Bernstein, Carol A; Chaukos, Deanna; Cohen, Mitchell B; Dickstein, Leah J; Hilty, Donald M; Hutner, Lucy; Sakman, Ferda; Scheiber, Stephen C; Wrzosek, Marika I; Silberman, Edward K

2016-10-01

The objective of this study was to assess and describe required and elective components of the 4th post-graduate year (PGY4) in psychiatry residency programs. We reviewed the websites of all 193 2014-2015 ACGME accredited psychiatry residency programs for content describing the specific components of the PGY4 year. Nearly all residency programs (99 %) had some form of required experiences during the PGY4 year. Ninety-four percent had clinical requirements for PGY4 residents, with longitudinal outpatient clinic being the most common (77 %). All programs offered some elective time during PGY4, but the amount of time ranged from 2 months to 100 %. Virtually all residency programs include some requirements in the 4th year (most commonly didactics and outpatient clinic) in addition to a broad array of elective experiences. Although 3 years may suffice for residents to complete ACGME requirements, a variety of factors may motivate programs to include required 4th year curricula. Future studies should explore the rationales for and possible benefits of programmatic requirements throughout 4 versus only 3 years of psychiatric training.

Fast and Analytical EAP Approximation from a 4th-Order Tensor

PubMed Central

Ghosh, Aurobrata; Deriche, Rachid

2012-01-01

Generalized diffusion tensor imaging (GDTI) was developed to model complex apparent diffusivity coefficient (ADC) using higher-order tensors (HOTs) and to overcome the inherent single-peak shortcoming of DTI. However, the geometry of a complex ADC profile does not correspond to the underlying structure of fibers. This tissue geometry can be inferred from the shape of the ensemble average propagator (EAP). Though interesting methods for estimating a positive ADC using 4th-order diffusion tensors were developed, GDTI in general was overtaken by other approaches, for example, the orientation distribution function (ODF), since it is considerably difficult to recuperate the EAP from a HOT model of the ADC in GDTI. In this paper, we present a novel closed-form approximation of the EAP using Hermite polynomials from a modified HOT model of the original GDTI-ADC. Since the solution is analytical, it is fast, differentiable, and the approximation converges well to the true EAP. This method also makes the effort of computing a positive ADC worthwhile, since now both the ADC and the EAP can be used and have closed forms. We demonstrate our approach with 4th-order tensors on synthetic data and in vivo human data. PMID:23365552

IL-6-mediated environmental conditioning of defective Th1 differentiation dampens antitumour immune responses in old age.

PubMed

Tsukamoto, Hirotake; Senju, Satoru; Matsumura, Keiko; Swain, Susan L; Nishimura, Yasuharu

2015-04-07

Decline in immune function and inflammation concomitantly develop with ageing. Here we focus on the impact of this inflammatory environment on T cells, and demonstrate that in contrast to successful tumour elimination in young mice, replenishment of tumour-specific CD4(+) T cells fails to induce tumour regression in aged hosts. The impaired antitumour effect of CD4(+) T cells with their defective Th1 differentiation in an aged environment is restored by interleukin (IL)-6 blockade or IL-6 deficiency. IL-6 blockade also restores the impaired ability of CD4(+) T cells to promote CD8(+) T-cell-dependent tumour elimination in aged mice, which requires IFN-γ. Furthermore, IL-6-stimulated production of IL-4/IL-21 through c-Maf induction is responsible for impaired Th1 differentiation. IL-6 also contributes to IL-10 production from CD4(+) T cells in aged mice, causing attenuated responses of CD8(+) T cells. These findings suggest that IL-6 serves as an extrinsic factor counteracting CD4(+) T-cell-mediated immunity against tumour in old age.

76 FR 33157 - Safety Zones; July 4th Fireworks Displays Within the Captain of the Port Miami Zone, FL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-08

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 165 [Docket No. USCG-2011-0439] RIN 1625-AA00 Safety Zones; July 4th Fireworks Displays Within the Captain of the Port Miami Zone, FL AGENCY...-0439 Safety Zones; July 4th Fireworks Displays within the Captain of the Port Miami Zone, FL. (a...

APTWG: The 4th Asia-Pacific Transport Working Group Meeting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ida, K.; Kwon, J. M.; Leconte, M.; Ko, W. H.; Inagaki, S.; Todo, Y.; Kosuga, Y.

2015-01-01

This conference report summarizes the contributions to, and discussions at, the 4th Asia-Pacific Transport Working Group Meeting held at Kyushu University, Japan, during 10-13 June 2014. The topics of the meeting were organized under five main headings: turbulence suppression and transport barrier formation, effect of magnetic topology on MHD activity and transport, non-diffusive contribution of momentum and particle transport, non-local transport and turbulence spreading and coupling, energetic particles and instability. The Young Researchers' Forum which was held in this meeting is also described in this report.

The carbon component of the UK power price

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

Kris Voorspools

2006-08-01

CO{sub 2} emissions trading is in full swing in Europe and is already having an impact on the price of power in the UK. If EU allowances (EUAs) trade at euro 20/t-CO{sub 2}, the EUA component in the power price is estimated to be slightly < euro 10/MW.h. In the case of UK power for delivery 1 year ahead, this is {approximately} 10% of the market price of power. The introduction of a carbon components into the UK power prices took place along before the 'official' start of ETS in 2005. Analysis of historical data of the price of power,more » gas, coal and EUAs shows that the first trace of a CO{sub 2} component in UK power dates back to August 2003, shortly after EUAs first started to trade. In April 2004, CO{sub 2} was fully integrated into the UK power price. 4 refs., 5 figs.« less

75 FR 38723 - Safety Zone; St. Ignace 4th of July Fireworks, East Moran Bay, Lake Huron, St. Ignace, MI

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-06

...-AA00 Safety Zone; St. Ignace 4th of July Fireworks, East Moran Bay, Lake Huron, St. Ignace, MI AGENCY... safety zone on East Moran Bay, Lake Huron, St. Ignace, Michigan. This zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of East Moran Bay during the St. Ignace 4th of July Fireworks display, July 4, 2010...

78 FR 23869 - Safety Zone; Redwood City 4th of July Fireworks Show; Port of Redwood City, Redwood City, CA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-23

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Redwood City 4th of July Fireworks Show; Port of Redwood City, Redwood City, CA... establish a temporary safety zone in the navigable waters of the Port of Redwood City near Redwood City, CA in support of the Redwood City 4th of July Fireworks Show on July 4, 2013. This safety zone is...

Families' Roles in Children's Literacy in the UK throughout the 20th Century

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nutbrown, Cathy; Clough, Peter; Levy, Rachael; Little, Sabine; Bishop, Julia; Lamb, Terry; Yamada-Rice, Dylan

2017-01-01

This paper explores the changing roles of families in children's developing literacy in the UK in the last century. It discusses how, during this time, understandings of reading and writing have evolved into the more nuanced notion of "literacy." Further, in acknowledging changes in written communication practices, and shifting attitudes…

Soil-related geohazard assessments for maintaining the UK's minor road network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pritchard, Oliver; Hallett, Stephen; Farewell, Timothy

2015-04-01

The minor road network of the UK (United Kingdom) encompasses 98% of the overall road network. In recent years the UK's roads have been deteriorating, currently rated 26th in the world and considered at risk and declining by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). Many factors contribute to the degradation and ultimately, to the failure of particular road sections. However, several UK local authorities have identified that during drought conditions, road sections founded upon clay soils which are susceptible to volumetric shrinkage and swelling undergo significant deterioration compared to those sections on non-susceptible soils. Droughts in East Anglia recently resulted in estimated damages of £26 million, leading several local authorities to apply to Central Government for emergency funding. The minor or evolved road network is most at risk due to them having often little, if any, structural foundations. This paper addresses the use of soil-related geohazard assessments and GIS (Geographical Information Systems) in helping to provide a soil-informed maintenance strategy for the asset management of the important (both socially and commercially) local road network of the UK. Furthermore, to establish future subsidence risk, UKCP09 climate projections have been used to model the likely potential soil moisture deficit (PSMD) for baseline (1961-1990), 2030 (2020-2049) and 2050 (2040-2069) scenarios. The incorporation of probabilistic PSMD data into clay-related subsidence models has allowed an assessment of potential subsidence risk, with a range of uncertainties, for these scenarios. Intersection of road networks with future projections of subsidence risk has enabled metrics of potential vulnerability to be established. This will aid prioritisation of areas which require further maintenance to make them more climate resilient, avoiding emergency funding situations. Subsequently, this approach can then be extrapolated to the entire UK minor road network, on a local

Research investments for UK infectious disease research 1997-2013: A systematic analysis of awards to UK institutions alongside national burden of disease.

PubMed

Head, Michael G; Brown, Rebecca J; Clarke, Stuart C

2018-01-01

Infectious disease remains a significant burden in the UK and the focus of significant amounts of research investment each year. The Research Investments in Global Health study has systematically assessed levels of funding for infection research, and here considers investment alongside UK burden of individual infectious diseases. The study included awards to UK institutions between 1997 and 2013 that were related to infectious disease. Awards related to global health projects were excluded here. UK burden data (mortality, years lived with disability, and disability adjusted life years) was sourced from the Global Burden of Disease study (IHME, USA). Awards were categorised by pathogen, disease, disease area and by type of science along the research pipeline (pre-clinical, phase I-III trials, product development, public health, cross-disciplinary research). New metrics present relative levels of funding by comparing sum investment with measures of disease burden. There were 5685 relevant awards comprising investment of £2.4 billion. By disease, HIV received most funding (£369.7m; 15.6% of the total investment). Pre-clinical science was the predominant type of science (£1.6 billion, 68.7%), with the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) the largest funder (£714.8 million, 30.1%). There is a broad temporal trend to increased fundingper annum. Antimicrobial resistance received (£102.8 million, 4.2%), whilst sepsis received £23.6 million (1.0%). Compared alongside disease burden, acute hepatitis C and measles typically were relatively well-funded, whilst pneumonia, syphilis and gonorrhoea were poorly-funded. The UK has a broad research portfolio across a wide range of infectious diseases and disciplines. There are notable strengths including HIV, some respiratory infections and in pre-clinical science, though there was less funding for UK-relevant trials and public health research. Compared to the UK burden of disease, syphilis, gonorrhoea and pneumonia appear

Benchmarking ensemble streamflow prediction skill in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrigan, Shaun; Prudhomme, Christel; Parry, Simon; Smith, Katie; Tanguy, Maliko

2018-03-01

Skilful hydrological forecasts at sub-seasonal to seasonal lead times would be extremely beneficial for decision-making in water resources management, hydropower operations, and agriculture, especially during drought conditions. Ensemble streamflow prediction (ESP) is a well-established method for generating an ensemble of streamflow forecasts in the absence of skilful future meteorological predictions, instead using initial hydrologic conditions (IHCs), such as soil moisture, groundwater, and snow, as the source of skill. We benchmark when and where the ESP method is skilful across a diverse sample of 314 catchments in the UK and explore the relationship between catchment storage and ESP skill. The GR4J hydrological model was forced with historic climate sequences to produce a 51-member ensemble of streamflow hindcasts. We evaluated forecast skill seamlessly from lead times of 1 day to 12 months initialized at the first of each month over a 50-year hindcast period from 1965 to 2015. Results showed ESP was skilful against a climatology benchmark forecast in the majority of catchments across all lead times up to a year ahead, but the degree of skill was strongly conditional on lead time, forecast initialization month, and individual catchment location and storage properties. UK-wide mean ESP skill decayed exponentially as a function of lead time with continuous ranked probability skill scores across the year of 0.75, 0.20, and 0.11 for 1-day, 1-month, and 3-month lead times, respectively. However, skill was not uniform across all initialization months. For lead times up to 1 month, ESP skill was higher than average when initialized in summer and lower in winter months, whereas for longer seasonal and annual lead times skill was higher when initialized in autumn and winter months and lowest in spring. ESP was most skilful in the south and east of the UK, where slower responding catchments with higher soil moisture and groundwater storage are mainly located

Development of a parent version of the Manchester-Minneapolis quality of life survey for use by parents and carers of UK children: MMQL-UK (PF)

PubMed Central

Hutchings, Hayley A; Upton, Penney; Cheung, Wai-Yee; Maddocks, Alison; Eiser, Christine; Williams, John G; Russell, Ian T; Jackson, Sonia; Jenney, Meriel EM

2008-01-01

(PF)) took part in the study. The internal consistency of all the MMQL-UK (PF) components exceeding the accepted criterion of 0.70 and the construct validity was good with moderate correlations being evident between comparable components of the MMQL-UK (PF) and the proxy PedsQL™. Discriminant validity was demonstrated with significant differences being identified between parents of healthy children and those with chronic conditions. Intra-class correlations exceeded 0.65 for all MMQL-UK (PF) components demonstrating good reproducibility. Weak to moderate levels of responsiveness were demonstrated for all but social functioning. The MMQL-UK (PF) showed moderate parent-child correlation with the MMQL-UK (CF) for all components. The best correlations were seen for those components measuring the same construct (Pearson's r ranged from 0.31 to 0.61, p < 0.01 for equivalent components). Conclusion The MMQL-UK (PF) showed moderate to good correlations with the MMQL-UK (CF) component scores. The MMQL-UK (PF) will be of use when comparing child and parent/carer perception of the impact of a child's condition on their HRQL or where the child is too ill or young to provide their own report. PMID:18307771

ThOMAs: the other means of assessment.

PubMed

Williams, Andrew N; Debelle, Geoffrey D; Davies, Paul; Barrett, Tim G

2005-02-01

We describe a pilot study to investigate whether drawing "Thomas the Tank Engine" could be as effective a measure of developmental progress as the Goodenough-Harris Draw A Man test against the ThOMAs test (The Other Means of Assessment), with internal validation. The study included 95 children aged between 3 and 11 years of age, including a subgroup of 13 children with registered special needs from community and general pediatric clinics within Birmingham, UK, as a means of validation. There was no significant evidence that ThOMAS was either culturally or sex biased. Using regression analysis, nine items were found to correlate highly with actual age, and their total score gave a correlation of 0.563 with age. Adding further items did not increase this. After being converted into age-standardized scores, ThOMAS was as sensitive and specific as the Draw A Man test, and more so above a defined age-standardized threshold. This pilot study suggests that drawing Thomas the Tank Engine would appear to be as sensitive and specific a means of identifying children with special needs as the Goodenough-Harris Draw A Man test. The relatively small sample size means that further research is necessary to further define the age standardizations and to refine the ThOMAs test.

The Cleft Care UK study. Part 4: perceptual speech outcomes

PubMed Central

Sell, D; Mildinhall, S; Albery, L; Wills, A K; Sandy, J R; Ness, A R

2015-01-01

Structured Abstract Objectives To describe the perceptual speech outcomes from the Cleft Care UK (CCUK) study and compare them to the 1998 Clinical Standards Advisory Group (CSAG) audit. Setting and sample population A cross-sectional study of 248 children born with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate, between 1 April 2005 and 31 March 2007 who underwent speech assessment. Materials and methods Centre-based specialist speech and language therapists (SLT) took speech audio–video recordings according to nationally agreed guidelines. Two independent listeners undertook the perceptual analysis using the CAPS-A Audit tool. Intra- and inter-rater reliability were tested. Results For each speech parameter of intelligibility/distinctiveness, hypernasality, palatal/palatalization, backed to velar/uvular, glottal, weak and nasalized consonants, and nasal realizations, there was strong evidence that speech outcomes were better in the CCUK children compared to CSAG children. The parameters which did not show improvement were nasal emission, nasal turbulence, hyponasality and lateral/lateralization. Conclusion These results suggest that centralization of cleft care into high volume centres has resulted in improvements in UK speech outcomes in five-year-olds with unilateral cleft lip and palate. This may be associated with the development of a specialized workforce. Nevertheless, there still remains a group of children with significant difficulties at school entry. PMID:26567854

The Cleft Care UK study. Part 4: perceptual speech outcomes.

PubMed

Sell, D; Mildinhall, S; Albery, L; Wills, A K; Sandy, J R; Ness, A R

2015-11-01

To describe the perceptual speech outcomes from the Cleft Care UK (CCUK) study and compare them to the 1998 Clinical Standards Advisory Group (CSAG) audit. A cross-sectional study of 248 children born with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate, between 1 April 2005 and 31 March 2007 who underwent speech assessment. Centre-based specialist speech and language therapists (SLT) took speech audio-video recordings according to nationally agreed guidelines. Two independent listeners undertook the perceptual analysis using the CAPS-A Audit tool. Intra- and inter-rater reliability were tested. For each speech parameter of intelligibility/distinctiveness, hypernasality, palatal/palatalization, backed to velar/uvular, glottal, weak and nasalized consonants, and nasal realizations, there was strong evidence that speech outcomes were better in the CCUK children compared to CSAG children. The parameters which did not show improvement were nasal emission, nasal turbulence, hyponasality and lateral/lateralization. These results suggest that centralization of cleft care into high volume centres has resulted in improvements in UK speech outcomes in five-year-olds with unilateral cleft lip and palate. This may be associated with the development of a specialized workforce. Nevertheless, there still remains a group of children with significant difficulties at school entry. © The Authors. Orthodontics & Craniofacial Research Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Strengthening of the Coordination Shell by Counter Ions in Aqueous Th 4+ Solutions

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

Atta-Fynn, Raymond; Bylaska, Eric J.; de Jong, Wibe A.

The presence of counter ions in solutions containing highly charged metal cations can trigger processes such as ion-pair formation, hydrogen bond breakages and subsequent reformation, and ligand exchanges. In this work, it is shown how halide (Cl-, Br-) and perchlorate (ClO4-) anions affect the strength of the primary solvent coordination shells around Th4+ using explicit solvent and finite temperature ab initio molecular dynamics modeling methods. The 9-fold solvent geometry was found to be the most stable hydration structure in each aqueous solution. Relative to the dilute aqueous solution, the presence of the counter ions did not significantly alter the geometrymore » of the primary hydration shell. However, the free energy analyses indicated that the 10-fold hydrated states were thermodynamically accessible in dilute and bromide aqueous solutions within 1 kcal/mol. Analysis of the results showed that the hydrogen bond lifetimes were longer and solvent exchange energy barriers were larger in solutions with counter ions in comparison with the solution with no counter ions. This implies that the presence of the counter ions induces a strengthening of the Th4+ hydration shell.« less

Groupwise Registration and Atlas Construction of 4th-Order Tensor Fields Using the ℝ+ Riemannian Metric*

PubMed Central

Barmpoutis, Angelos

2010-01-01

Registration of Diffusion-Weighted MR Images (DW-MRI) can be achieved by registering the corresponding 2nd-order Diffusion Tensor Images (DTI). However, it has been shown that higher-order diffusion tensors (e.g. order-4) outperform the traditional DTI in approximating complex fiber structures such as fiber crossings. In this paper we present a novel method for unbiased group-wise non-rigid registration and atlas construction of 4th-order diffusion tensor fields. To the best of our knowledge there is no other existing method to achieve this task. First we define a metric on the space of positive-valued functions based on the Riemannian metric of real positive numbers (denoted by ℝ+). Then, we use this metric in a novel functional minimization method for non-rigid 4th-order tensor field registration. We define a cost function that accounts for the 4th-order tensor re-orientation during the registration process and has analytic derivatives with respect to the transformation parameters. Finally, the tensor field atlas is computed as the minimizer of the variance defined using the Riemannian metric. We quantitatively compare the proposed method with other techniques that register scalar-valued or diffusion tensor (rank-2) representations of the DWMRI. PMID:20436782

CD4+CD25+ Regulatory Cells Contribute to the Regulation of Colonic Th2 Granulomatous Pathology Caused by Schistosome Infection

PubMed Central

Turner, Joseph D.; Jenkins, Gavin R.; Hogg, Karen G.; Aynsley, Sarah A.; Paveley, Ross A.; Cook, Peter C.; Coles, Mark C.; Mountford, Adrian P.

2011-01-01

Eggs of the helminth Schistosoma mansoni accumulate in the colon following infection and generate Th2-biassed inflammatory granulomas which become down- modulated in size as the infection proceeds to chronicity. However, although CD4+CD25+FoxP3+regulatory T cells (Tregs) are known to suppress Th1-mediated colitis, it is not clear whether they control Th2 –associated pathologies of the large intestine which characterise several helminth infections. Here we used a novel 3D-multiphoton confocal microscopy approach to visualise and quantify changes in the size and composition of colonic granulomas at the acute and chronic phases of S. mansoni infection. We observed decreased granuloma size, as well as reductions in the abundance of DsRed+ T cells and collagen deposition at 14 weeks (chronic) compared to 8 weeks (acute) post-infection. Th2 cytokine production (i.e. IL-4, IL-5) in the colonic tissue and draining mesenteric lymph node (mLN) decreased during the chronic phase of infection, whilst levels of TGF-β1 increased, co-incident with reduced mLN proliferative responses, granuloma size and fibrosis. The proportion of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+Tregs: CD4+ cells in the mLN increased during chronic disease, while within colonic granulomas there was an approximate 4-fold increase. The proportion of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+Tregs in the mLN that were CD103+ and CCR5+ also increased indicating an enhanced potential to home to intestinal sites. CD4+CD25+ cells suppressed antigen-specific Th2 mLN cell proliferation in vitro, while their removal during chronic disease resulted in significantly larger granulomas, partial reversal of Th2 hypo-responsiveness and an increase in the number of eosinophils in colonic granulomas. Finally, transfer of schistosome infection-expanded CD4+CD25+Tregs down-modulated the development of colonic granulomas, including collagen deposition. Therefore, CD4+CD25+FoxP3+Tregs appear to control Th2 colonic granulomas during chronic infection, and are likely to play a

PTSD and Complex PTSD: ICD-11 updates on concept and measurement in the UK, USA, Germany and Lithuania

PubMed Central

Karatzias, Thanos; Cloitre, Marylene; Maercker, Andreas; Kazlauskas, Evaldas; Shevlin, Mark; Hyland, Philip; Bisson, Jonathan I.; Roberts, Neil P.; Brewin, Chris R.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT The 11th revision to the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) proposes two distinct sibling conditions: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD (CPTSD). In this paper, we aim to provide an update on the latest research regarding the conceptual structure and measurement of PTSD and CPTSD using the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) as per ICD-11 proposals in the USA, UK, Germany and Lithuania. Preliminary findings suggest that CPTSD is common in clinical and population samples, although there may be variations across countries in prevalence rates. In clinical samples, preliminary evidence suggests that CPTSD is a more commonly observed condition than PTSD. Preliminary evidence also suggests that the ITQ scores are reliable and valid and can adequately distinguish between PTSD and CPTSD. Further cross-cultural work is proposed to explore differences in PTSD and CPTSD across different countries with regard to prevalence, incidence, and predictors of PTSD and CPTSD. PMID:29372010

PTSD and Complex PTSD: ICD-11 updates on concept and measurement in the UK, USA, Germany and Lithuania.

PubMed

Karatzias, Thanos; Cloitre, Marylene; Maercker, Andreas; Kazlauskas, Evaldas; Shevlin, Mark; Hyland, Philip; Bisson, Jonathan I; Roberts, Neil P; Brewin, Chris R

2017-01-01

The 11th revision to the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) proposes two distinct sibling conditions: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD (CPTSD). In this paper, we aim to provide an update on the latest research regarding the conceptual structure and measurement of PTSD and CPTSD using the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) as per ICD-11 proposals in the USA, UK, Germany and Lithuania. Preliminary findings suggest that CPTSD is common in clinical and population samples, although there may be variations across countries in prevalence rates. In clinical samples, preliminary evidence suggests that CPTSD is a more commonly observed condition than PTSD. Preliminary evidence also suggests that the ITQ scores are reliable and valid and can adequately distinguish between PTSD and CPTSD. Further cross-cultural work is proposed to explore differences in PTSD and CPTSD across different countries with regard to prevalence, incidence, and predictors of PTSD and CPTSD.

7 CFR 1779.4 - Conditions of guarantee.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 12 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Conditions of guarantee. 1779.4 Section 1779.4 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) WATER AND WASTE DISPOSAL PROGRAMS GUARANTEED LOANS § 1779.4 Conditions of guarantee. A...

30 CFR 19.4 - Conditions governing investigations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Conditions governing investigations. 19.4 Section 19.4 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TESTING, EVALUATION, AND APPROVAL OF MINING PRODUCTS ELECTRIC CAP LAMPS § 19.4 Conditions governing investigations. (a...

42 CFR 61.4 - Establishment and conditions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Establishment and conditions. 61.4 Section 61.4 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FELLOWSHIPS, INTERNSHIPS, TRAINING FELLOWSHIPS Regular Fellowships § 61.4 Establishment and conditions. All regular fellowships in...

42 CFR 61.4 - Establishment and conditions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Establishment and conditions. 61.4 Section 61.4 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FELLOWSHIPS, INTERNSHIPS, TRAINING FELLOWSHIPS Regular Fellowships § 61.4 Establishment and conditions. All regular fellowships in...

42 CFR 61.4 - Establishment and conditions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Establishment and conditions. 61.4 Section 61.4 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FELLOWSHIPS, INTERNSHIPS, TRAINING FELLOWSHIPS Regular Fellowships § 61.4 Establishment and conditions. All regular fellowships in...

42 CFR 61.4 - Establishment and conditions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Establishment and conditions. 61.4 Section 61.4 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FELLOWSHIPS, INTERNSHIPS, TRAINING FELLOWSHIPS Regular Fellowships § 61.4 Establishment and conditions. All regular fellowships in...

42 CFR 61.4 - Establishment and conditions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Establishment and conditions. 61.4 Section 61.4 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FELLOWSHIPS, INTERNSHIPS, TRAINING FELLOWSHIPS Regular Fellowships § 61.4 Establishment and conditions. All regular fellowships in...

The Effect of the Thinking-Aloud Strategy on the Reading Comprehension Skills of 4th Grade Primary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sönmez, Yasemin; Sulak, Süleyman Erkam

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study, which is designed in quasi-experimental model, is to examine the effect of the thinking aloud strategy on the reading comprehension skills of the 4th grade primary school students. For this purpose, in the second semester of 2016-2017 academic year, the reading comprehension levels of 26 students in the 4th grade at a…

4th International Symposium on Autophagy: exploiting the frontiers of autophagy research.

PubMed

Eskelinen, Eeva-Liisa; Deretic, Vojo; Neufeld, Thomas; Levine, Beth; Cuervo, Ana Maria

2007-01-01

The 4th International Symposium on Autophagy was held in Mishima, a small town between Tokyo and Kyoto, October 1-5, 2006 (http://isa4th.umin.jp/). The meeting was organized by the group of Eiki Kominami. Approximately 150 participants took part in this well-organized meeting in the spacious and comfortable Toray Conference Hall (Fig. 1). The social program offered opportunities for informal discussions, Japanese culture (from karaoke singing to traditional drumming; Fig. 2), history and nature (a visit to a steaming volcano; Fig. 3), as well as delicious Japanese food. The scientific program started with two plenary lectures on Sunday evening. Daniel Klionsky gave an overview of Atg9 cycling in yeast and Shigekazu Nagata talked about apoptosis and engulfment of dead cells by macrophages. The meeting consisted of five oral sessions and two poster sessions covering a wide range of autophagy-related topics. Exciting unpublished results were presented in all sessions, showing how quickly autophagy research is progressing. Two themes were discussed in many sessions during the symposium: the role of autophagy in the degradation of aggregate-prone proteins and protein aggregates, and the possible role of p62 in autophagy.

4th Annual Predictive Toxicology Summit 2012.

PubMed

Cui, Zhanfeng

2013-08-01

This meeting report presents a brief summary on the 4th Annual Predictive Toxicology Summit 2012, which was held on 15 - 16 February 2012 in London. The majority of presentations came from global pharmaceutical companies, although small and medium enterprise (SME) and academic researchers were represented too. Major regulatory bodies were also present. The article highlights the summit, which was considered a good learning opportunity to catch up on the recent advances in predictive toxicology. Predictive toxicology has become more and more important due to social and economic pressure and scientific reasons. Technological developments are rapid, but there is a gulf between the technology developers and the pharmaceutical end users; hence, early engagement is desirable. Stem cell-derived cell-based assays as well as three-dimensional in vitro tissue/organ model development are within the reach now, but a lot needs to be done to optimise and validate the developed protocols and products. The field of predictive toxicology needs fundamental research of interdisciplinary nature, which requires much needed trained personnel and funding.

4th European Seminars in Virology on Oncogenic and Oncolytic Viruses, in Bertinoro (Bologna), Italy.

PubMed

Reale, Alberto; Messa, Lorenzo; Vitiello, Adriana; Loregian, Arianna; Palù, Giorgio

2017-10-01

The 4th European Seminars in Virology (EuSeV), which was focused on oncogenic and oncolytic viruses, was held in Bertinoro (Bologna), Italy, from June 10 to 12, 2016. This article summarizes the plenary lectures and aims to illustrate the main topics discussed at 4th EuSeV, which brought together knowledge and expertise in the field of oncogenic and oncolytic viruses from all over the world. The meeting was divided in two parts, "Mechanisms of Viral Oncogenesis" and "Viral Oncolysis and Immunotherapy," which were both focused on dissecting the complex and multi-factorial interplay between cancer and human viruses and on exploring new anti-cancer strategies. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 2641-2648, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

International consensus on military research priorities and gaps - Survey results from the 4th International Congress on Soldiers' Physical Performance.

PubMed

Lovalekar, Mita; Sharp, Marilyn A; Billing, Daniel C; Drain, Jace R; Nindl, Bradley C; Zambraski, Edward J

2018-06-06

The objectives of this study were to identify perceived priorities related to military personnel's health and physical performance, among attendees at the 4th International Congress on Soldiers' Physical Performance (ICSPP), and to determine if perceived priorities had changed between the 3rd ICSPP survey held in 2014 and the 4th ICSPP survey held in 2017. Electronic survey. Respondents were asked to grade priority areas on a Likert scale, and average ratings were used to rank priority areas. Responses to free text questions were analyzed qualitatively. Responses to the 4th ICSPP survey were described and compared to responses to the 3rd ICSPP survey. The 4th ICSPP survey respondents were a diverse group (40.6% military, 58.9% civilian). The two most important priority areas identified were physical demands in operational environments (mean score=4.41/5) and measuring physical performance/fitness (4.38/5), which were also the top two areas in the 3rd ICSPP survey. There was remarkable overlap in the rankings of priority areas between the two surveys. Sleep and nutrition were emerging priority areas and were perceived as relatively more important in the 4th ICSPP survey compared to the 3rd ICSPP survey. The greatest perceived emerging threat was resilience/psychological fitness of recruits (4.16/5). Physiological status monitoring (2.79/4) was identified as the most important technology. Despite the diverse backgrounds of the respondents, there was a clear continuing consensus about perceived important priority areas influencing military personnel's health and physical performance. Soldier resiliency and assessment of physiological status were research topics identified as top priorities. Copyright © 2018 Sports Medicine Australia. All rights reserved.

Allergic TH2 Response Governed by B-Cell Lymphoma 6 Function in Naturally Occurring Memory Phenotype CD4+ T Cells

PubMed Central

Ogasawara, Takashi; Kohashi, Yuko; Ikari, Jun; Taniguchi, Toshibumi; Tsuruoka, Nobuhide; Watanabe-Takano, Haruko; Fujimura, Lisa; Sakamoto, Akemi; Hatano, Masahiko; Hirata, Hirokuni; Fukushima, Yasutsugu; Fukuda, Takeshi; Kurasawa, Kazuhiro; Tatsumi, Koichiro; Tokuhisa, Takeshi; Arima, Masafumi

2018-01-01

Transcriptional repressor B-cell lymphoma 6 (Bcl6) appears to regulate TH2 immune responses in allergies, but its precise role is unclear. We previously reported that Bcl6 suppressed IL-4 production in naïve CD4+ T cell-derived memory TH2 cells. To investigate Bcl6 function in allergic responses in naturally occurring memory phenotype CD4+ T (MPT) cells and their derived TH2 (MPTH2) cells, Bcl6-manipulated mice, highly conserved intron enhancer (hcIE)-deficient mice, and reporter mice for conserved noncoding sequence 2 (CNS2) 3′ distal enhancer region were used to elucidate Bcl6 function in MPT cells. The molecular mechanisms of Bcl6-mediated TH2 cytokine gene regulation were elucidated using cellular and molecular approaches. Bcl6 function in MPT cells was determined using adoptive transfer to naïve mice, which were assessed for allergic airway inflammation. Bcl6 suppressed IL-4 production in MPT and MPTH2 cells by suppressing CNS2 enhancer activity. Bcl6 downregulated Il4 expression in MPTH2 cells, but not MPT cells, by suppressing hcIE activity. The inhibitory functions of Bcl6 in MPT and MPTH2 cells attenuated allergic responses. Bcl6 is a critical regulator of IL-4 production by MPT and MPTH2 cells in TH2 immune responses related to the pathogenesis of allergies. PMID:29696026

A follow up study of occupational exposure to 4,4'-methylene-bis(2-chloroaniline) (MbOCA) and isocyanates in polyurethane manufacture in the UK.

PubMed

Keen, C; Coldwell, M; McNally, K; Baldwin, P; McAlinden, J; Cocker, J

2012-08-13

This is a follow up survey of exposure to 4,4'-methylene-bis(2-chloroaniline) (MbOCA) and isocyanates in the UK polyurethane industry. Urine samples (n=446) were collected from 90 different workers. MbOCA levels were below the limit of detection in 170 samples and 26 were above the UK Biological Monitoring Guidance Value (BMGV) of 15 μmol MbOCA/mol creatinine. Detailed advice and guidance was given to each workplace at the end of the survey in 2008 and the 90% value reduced from 10 to 3 μmol MbOCA/mol creatinine in samples collected since. There was a positive correlation between glove contamination and urinary MbOCA and levels were dependent upon individual working practices especially how gloves were used. Of the 446 samples analysed for urinary metabolites of toluene diisocyanate 280 were below the detection limit and 126 were above the BMGV (1 μmol/mol creatinine). Of the 326 urine samples that were analysed for metabolites of methylenediphenyl diisocyanate, 270 were below the detection limit and 13 were above the BMGV for isocyanates. There was no correlation between urinary levels of isocyanates and MbOCA suggesting different routes of absorption, most likely inhalation and dermal respectively. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

SSTL UK-DMC SLIM-6 data quality assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chander, G.; Saunier, S.; Choate, M.J.; Scaramuzza, P.L.

2009-01-01

Satellite data from the Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) United Kingdom (UK) Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC) were assessed for geometric and radiometric quality. The UK-DMC Surrey Linear Imager 6 (SLIM-6) sensor has a 32-m spatial resolution and a ground swath width of 640 km. The UK-DMC SLIM-6 design consists of a three-band imager with green, red, and near-infrared bands that are set to similar bandpass as Landsat bands 2, 3, and 4. The UK-DMC data consisted of imagery registered to Landsat orthorectified imagery produced from the GeoCover program. Relief displacements within the UK-DMC SLIM-6 imagery were accounted for by using global 1-km digital elevation models available through the Global Land One-km Base Elevation (GLOBE) Project. Positional accuracy and relative band-to-band accuracy were measured. Positional accuracy of the UK-DMC SLIM-6 imagery was assessed by measuring the imagery against digital orthophoto quadrangles (DOQs), which are designed to meet national map accuracy standards at 1 : 24 000 scales; this corresponds to a horizontal root-mean-square accuracy of about 6 m. The UK-DMC SLIM-6 images were typically registered to within 1.0-1.5 pixels to the DOQ mosaic images. Several radiometric artifacts like striping, coherent noise, and flat detector were discovered and studied. Indications are that the SSTL UK-DMC SLIM-6 data have few artifacts and calibration challenges, and these can be adjusted or corrected via calibration and processing algorithms. The cross-calibration of the UK-DMC SLIM-6 and Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus was performed using image statistics derived from large common areas observed by the two sensors.

Th9 Cells: Probable players in ulcerative colitis pathogenesis.

PubMed

Shohan, Mojtaba; Elahi, Shokrollah; Shirzad, Hedayatollah; Rafieian-Kopaei, Mahmoud; Bagheri, Nader; Soltani, Emad

2018-04-19

T lymphocytes represent an important part of adaptive immune system undertaking different functions to regulate immune responses. CD4+ T cells are the most important activator cells in inflammatory conditions. Depending on the type of induced cells and inflamed sites, expression and activity of different subtypes of helper T cells are changed. Recent studies have confirmed the existence of a new subset of helper T lymphocytes called Th9. Naive T cells can differentiate into Th9 subtypes if they are exposed simultaneously by interleukin (IL) 4 and transforming growth factor β and also secondary activation of a complicated network of transcription factors such as interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) and Smads which are essential for adequate induction of this phenotype. Th9 cells specifically produce interleukin 9 and their probable roles in promoting intestinal inflammation are being investigated in human subjects and experimental models of ulcerative colitis (UC). Recently, infiltration of Th9 cells, overexpression of IL-9, and certain genes associated with Th9 differentiation have been demonstrated in inflammatory microenvironment of UC. Intestinal oversecretion of IL-9 protein is likely to break down epithelial barriers and compromise tolerance to certain commensal microorganisms which leads to inflammation. Th9 pathogenicity has not yet been adequately explored in UC and they are far from being considered as inflammatory cells in this milieu, therefore precise understanding the role of these newly identified cells in particular their potential role in gut pathogenesis may enable us to develop novel therapeutic approaches for inflammatory bowel disease. So, this article tries to discuss the latest knowledge on the above-mentioned field.

IL-4/IL-13 Heteroreceptor Influences Th17 Cell Conversion and Sensitivity to Regulatory T Cell Suppression To Restrain Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis.

PubMed

Barik, Subhasis; Ellis, Jason S; Cascio, Jason A; Miller, Mindy M; Ukah, Tobechukwu K; Cattin-Roy, Alexis N; Zaghouani, Habib

2017-10-01

IL-4 and IL-13 have been defined as anti-inflammatory cytokines that can counter myelin-reactive T cells and modulate experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. However, it is not known whether endogenous IL-4 and IL-13 contribute to the maintenance of peripheral tolerance and whether their function is coordinated with T regulatory cells (Tregs). In this study, we used mice in which the common cytokine receptor for IL-4 and IL-13, namely the IL-4Rα/IL-13Rα1 (13R) heteroreceptor (HR), is compromised and determined whether the lack of signaling by endogenous IL-4 and IL-13 through the HR influences the function of effector Th1 and Th17 cells in a Treg-dependent fashion. The findings indicate that mice-deficient for the HR (13R -/- ) are more susceptible to experimental allergic encephalomyelitis than mice sufficient for the HR (13R +/+ ) and develop early onset and more severe disease. Moreover, Th17 cells from 13R -/- mice had reduced ability to convert to Th1 cells and displayed reduced sensitivity to suppression by Tregs relative to Th17 effectors from 13R +/+ mice. These observations suggest that IL-4 and IL-13 likely operate through the HR and influence Th17 cells to convert to Th1 cells and to acquire increased sensitivity to suppression, leading to control of immune-mediated CNS inflammation. These previously unrecognized findings shed light on the intricacies underlying the contribution of cytokines to peripheral tolerance and control of autoimmunity. Copyright © 2017 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

Ar-40/Ar-39 and U-Th-Pb dating of separated clasts from the Abee E4 chondrite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bogard, D. D.; Unruh, D. M.; Tatsumoto, M.

1983-01-01

Ar-40/Ar-39 and U-Th-Pb are investigated for three clasts from the Abee (E4) enstatite chondrite, yielding Ar-40/Ar-39 plateau ages (and/or maximum ages) of 4.5 Gy, while two of the clasts give average ages of 4.4 Gy. The 4.4-4.5 Gy range does not resolve possible age differences among the clasts. The U-Th-Pb data are consistent with the interpretation that initial clast formation occurred 4.58 Gy ago, and that the clasts have since remained closed systems which have been contaminated with terrestrial Pb. The thermal history of Abee deduced from Ar data seems consistent with that deduced from magnetic data, suggesting that various Abee components experienced separate histories until brecciation no later than 4.4 Gy ago, experiencing no significant subsequent heating.

The Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg paradigm induced by stachydrine hydrochloride reduces uterine bleeding in RU486-induced abortion mice.

PubMed

Li, Xia; Wang, Bin; Li, Yuzhu; Wang, Li; Zhao, Xiangzhong; Zhou, Xianbin; Guo, Yuqi; Jiang, Guosheng; Yao, Chengfang

2013-01-09

The Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg paradigm plays an important role in achieving maternal-fetal immunotolerance and participates in RU486-induced abortion. Excessive uterine bleeding is the most common side effect of RU486-induced abortion; however, its etiopathogenesis has not been fully understood. Therefore, elucidating the correlation between the Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg paradigm and the volume of uterine bleeding may offer novel therapeutic target for reducing uterine bleeding in RU486-induced abortion. Leonurus sibiricus has been used in clinics to reduce postpartum hemorrhage with low toxicity and high efficiency; however, the effective constituents and therapeutic mechanism have not been described. Stachydrine hydrochloride is the main constituent of L. sibiricus, therefore L. sibiricus is regarded as a candidate for reducing uterine bleeding in RU486-induced abortion mice by regulating the Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg paradigm. The purpose of this study was to determine the Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg paradigm in uterine bleeding of RU486-induced abortion mice and to elucidate the immunopharmacologic effects of stachydrine hydrochloride on inducing the Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg paradigm in reducing the uterine bleeding volume in RU486-induced abortion mice. To investigate the Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg paradigm in uterine bleeding during RU486-induced abortion mice, pregnant BALB/c mice were treated with high- and low-dose RU486 (1.5mg/kg and 0.9 mg/kg, respectively), and the serum progesterone (P(4)) protein level, uterine bleeding volume, and proportions of Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg cells in mice at the maternal-fetal interface were detected by ELISA assay, alkaline hematin photometric assay, and flow cytometry, respectively. To determine the regulatory effect of stachydrine hydrochloride on the Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg paradigm in vitro, splenocytes of non-pregnant mice were separated and treated with P(4,) RU486, and/or stachydrine hydrochloride (10(-5)M, 10(-4)M, and 10(-3)M, respectively). The proportions of Th1/Th2/Th17

TH-302 in Combination with Radiotherapy Enhances the Therapeutic Outcome and Is Associated with Pretreatment [18F]HX4 Hypoxia PET Imaging.

PubMed

Peeters, Sarah G J A; Zegers, Catharina M L; Biemans, Rianne; Lieuwes, Natasja G; van Stiphout, Ruud G P M; Yaromina, Ala; Sun, Jessica D; Hart, Charles P; Windhorst, Albert D; van Elmpt, Wouter; Dubois, Ludwig J; Lambin, Philippe

2015-07-01

Conventional anticancer treatments are often impaired by the presence of hypoxia. TH-302 selectively targets hypoxic tumor regions, where it is converted into a cytotoxic agent. This study assessed the efficacy of the combination treatment of TH-302 and radiotherapy in two preclinical tumor models. The effect of oxygen modification on the combination treatment was evaluated and the effect of TH-302 on the hypoxic fraction (HF) was monitored using [(18)F]HX4-PET imaging and pimonidazole IHC stainings. Rhabdomyosarcoma R1 and H460 NSCLC tumor-bearing animals were treated with TH-302 and radiotherapy (8 Gy, single dose). The tumor oxygenation status was altered by exposing animals to carbogen (95% oxygen) and nicotinamide, 21% or 7% oxygen breathing during the course of the treatment. Tumor growth and treatment toxicity were monitored until the tumor reached four times its start volume (T4×SV). Both tumor models showed a growth delay after TH-302 treatment, which further increased when combined with radiotherapy (enhancement ratio rhabdomyosarcoma 1.23; H460 1.49). TH-302 decreases the HF in both models, consistent with its hypoxia-targeting mechanism of action. Treatment efficacy was dependent on tumor oxygenation; increasing the tumor oxygen status abolished the effect of TH-302, whereas enhancing the HF enlarged TH-302's therapeutic effect. An association was observed in rhabdomyosarcoma tumors between the pretreatment HF as measured by [(18)F]HX4-PET imaging and the T4×SV. The combination of TH-302 and radiotherapy is promising and warrants clinical testing, preferably guided by the companion biomarker [(18)F]HX4 hypoxia PET imaging for patient selection. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

Th17 cells and CD4(+) multifunctional T cells in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

PubMed

Araújo, Júlio Antônio Pereira; Mesquita, Danilo; de Melo Cruvinel, Wilson; Salmazi, Karina Inácio; Kallás, Esper Georges; Andrade, Luis Eduardo Coelho

2016-01-01

Recent evidence suggests that abnormalities involving Th17 lymphocytes are associated with the pathophysiology of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In addition, multifunctional T cells (MFT), i.e., those producing multiple cytokines simultaneously, are present in the inflammatory milieu and may be implicated in the autoimmune process observed in SLE. In the present study, we aimed to characterize the functional status of CD4(+) T cells in SLE by simultaneously determining the concentration of IL-2, IFN-γ and IL-17 in lymphocyte cultures under exogenous and self-antigenic stimuli. Eighteen patients with active disease, 18 with inactive disease, and 14 healthy controls had functional status of CD4(+) T cells analyzed. We found that SLE patients presented a decreased number of total CD4(+) cells, an increased number of activated T cells, and an increased frequency of Th17 cells compared to healthy controls (HC). MFT cells had increased frequency in SLE patients and there was an increased frequency of tri-functional MFT in patients with active SLE compared with those with inactive SLE. Interestingly, MTF cells produced larger amounts of IFNγ than mono-functional T cells in patients and controls. Taken together these data indicate the participation of recently activated Th17 cells and MTF cells in the SLE pathophysiology. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Breakfast patterns among low-income, ethnically-diverse 4th-6th grade children in an urban area.

PubMed

Lawman, Hannah G; Polonsky, Heather M; Vander Veur, Stephanie S; Abel, Michelle L; Sherman, Sandy; Bauer, Katherine W; Sanders, Tim; Fisher, Jennifer O; Bailey-Davis, Lisa; Ng, Janet; Van Wye, Gretchen; Foster, Gary D

2014-06-14

Increasing school breakfast participation has been advocated as a method to prevent childhood obesity. However, little is known about children's breakfast patterns outside of school (e.g., home, corner store). Policies that increase school breakfast participation without an understanding of children's breakfast habits outside of school may result in children consuming multiple breakfasts and may undermine efforts to prevent obesity. The aim of the current study was to describe morning food and drink consumption patterns among low-income, urban children and their associations with relative weight. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted of data obtained from 651 4th-6th graders (51.7% female, 61.2% African American, 10.7 years) in 2012. Students completed surveys at school that included all foods eaten and their locations that morning. Height and weight were measured by trained research staff. On the day surveyed, 12.4% of youth reported not eating breakfast, 49.8% reported eating one breakfast, 25.5% reported eating two breakfasts, and 12.3% reported eating three or more breakfasts. The number of breakfasts consumed and BMI percentile showed a significant curvilinear relationship, with higher mean BMI percentiles observed among children who did not consume any breakfast and those who consumed ≥ 3 breakfasts. Sixth graders were significantly less likely to have consumed breakfast compared to younger children. A greater proportion of obese youth had no breakfast (18.0%) compared to healthy weight (10.1%) and overweight youth (10.7%, p = .01). When promoting school breakfast, policies will need to be mindful of both over- and under-consumption to effectively address childhood obesity and food insecurity. NCT01924130 from http://clinicaltrials.gov/.

Child dental neglect: is it a neglected area in the UK?

PubMed

Sarri, G; Marcenes, W

2012-08-01

This commentary focuses on the condition of dental neglect (DN) in children in the UK. It is divided into three sections: the first section defines DN in children and its consequences, the second section discusses who may be responsible for dental diseases in children as a result of neglect and the third section proposes a holistic approach to address DN in children in the UK.

Characterising freeze in the UK: applications for the insurance industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raven, E. K.; Keef, C.; Busby, K.

2012-04-01

The UK winters of 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 were characterised by prolonged and widespread low temperatures. This was challenging for the UK insurance industry and organisations such as the emergency services, the Highways Agency and British Gas who had to manage the extra demands that resulted. In the 6-day period running to Christmas Eve 2010, British Gas reported 100,000 boiler repair call-outs, whilst those 190,000 homes and businesses left with frozen and subsequently burst pipes contributed to the ABI's estimated £ 900 million in insured losses for December 2010 alone; the highest payout by the industry for damages associated with cold weather. Unfortunately, the severity of these winters made the difference between profit and loss for some primary UK insurance companies. To enable better pricing of premiums in the future, insurance companies are looking to understand the potential risk from cold waves at a local, postcode-level, whilst reinsurance firms seek to determine the accumulated loss across the UK associated with spatially coherent events. Other industry sectors also strive to improve their understanding of weather extremes for planning and management. Underpinning this is the need to statistically characterise the physical hazard. Aimed primarily at the re/insurance industry, we have applied an established methodology for developing statistical event sets and applied this to generate a UK freeze event set. An event set provides a stochastic set of several thousand events over 10's of 1000's of years and is typically applied within probabilistic catastrophe models. Our method applies extreme value theory and dependence modelling to explain low-temperature relationships across the UK and over time using historical records. The resulting event set represents the spatial and temporal dependence of cold waves in the UK and is modelled against household factors that increase the vulnerability to freezing conditions, such as property type, age and condition

The fissured East Yorkshire Chalk, UK - a 'sustainable' aquifer under stress ?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elliot, T.; Younger, P. L.; Chadha, D. S.

2003-04-01

The fissured Chalk is an important regional aquifer in East Yorkshire, UK, with a large potential for water supply to the Humberside region and especially the City of Hull. It has been exploited since the end of the 19th Century, but although there are more than a dozen long-established pumping wells in the Chalk these currently abstract only 7% of the total recharge the aquifer receives. The classical notion of ‘safe aquifer yield' equates the quantity of groundwater available for abstraction with the long-term natural recharge to the aquifer. An incautious hydrogeologist might be lead to conclude that this is a secure, under-developed resource. In this case study, the aquifer is shown to be already displaying early symptoms of hydrological stress (eg drought effects, overexploitation), and hydrogeochemical indicators point to further effects of anthropogenic pollution impacts in the unconfined aquifer and both recent and ancient saline intrusion in its semi-confined and confined zones. The hydrochemical evidence clearly reveals the importance both of recent aquifer management decisions and palaeohydrogeology in determining the distribution of water qualities within the aquifer. Waters encountered in the confined aquifer are identified as complex (and potentially dynamic) mixtures between recently recharged waters, modern seawater intrusion, and ancient seawater which entered the aquifer many millennia ago. Elliot, T. Younger, P.L. &Chadha, D.S. (1998) The future sustainability of groundwater resources in East Yorkshire - past and present perspectives. In H. Wheater and C. Kirby (Eds.) Hydrology in a Changing Environment, Vol. II, Proc. British Hydrological Society (BHS) International Conference, 6-10 July 1998, Exeter, UK. pp.21-31. Elliot, T., Chadha, D.S. &Younger, P.L. (2001) Water Quality Impacts and Palaeohydrogeology in the East Yorkshire Chalk Aquifer, UK. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 34(4): 385-398. Younger, P.L., Teutsch

Fasciola hepatica reinfection potentiates a mixed Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg response and correlates with the clinical phenotypes of anemia

PubMed Central

Perez-Crespo, Ignacio; Chillón-Marinas, Carlos; Khoubbane, Messaoud; Quesada, Carla; Reguera-Gomez, Marta; Mas-Coma, Santiago; Fresno, Manuel; Gironès, Núria

2017-01-01

Background Fascioliasis is a severe zoonotic disease of worldwide extension caused by liver flukes. In human fascioliasis hyperendemic areas, reinfection and chronicity are the norm and anemia is the main sign. Herein, the profile of the Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg expression levels is analyzed after reinfection, correlating them with their corresponding hematological biomarkers of morbidity. Methodology/Principal findings The experimental design reproduces the usual reinfection/chronicity conditions in human fascioliasis endemic areas and included Fasciola hepatica primo-infected Wistar rats (PI) and rats reinfected at 8 weeks (R8), and at 12 weeks (R12), and negative control rats. In a cross-sectional study, the expression of the genes associated with Th1 (Ifng, Il12a, Il12b, Nos2), Th2 (Il4, Arg1), Treg (Foxp3, Il10, Tgfb, Ebi3), and Th17 (Il17) in the spleen and thymus was analyzed. After 20 weeks of primary infection, PI did not present significant changes in the expression of those genes when compared to non-infected rats (NI), but an increase of Il4, Arg1 and Ifng mRNA in the spleen was observed in R12, suggesting the existence of an active mixed Th1/Th2 systemic immune response in reinfection. Foxp3, Il10, Tgfb and Ebi3 levels increased in the spleen in R12 when compared to NI and PI, indicating that the Treg gene expression levels are potentiated in chronic phase reinfection. Il17 gene expression levels in R12 in the spleen increased when compared to NI, PI and R8. Gene expression levels of Il10 in the thymus increased when compared to NI and PI in R12. Ifng expression levels in the thymus increased in all reinfected rats, but not in PI. The clinical phenotype was determined by the fluke burden, the rat body weight and the hemogram. Multivariate mathematical models were built to describe the Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg expression levels and the clinical phenotype. In reinfection, two phenotypic patterns were detected: i) one which includes only increased splenic Ifng

Reduced immunomodulation potential of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells induced CCR4+CCR6+ Th/Treg cell subset imbalance in ankylosing spondylitis

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Introduction Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic autoimmune disease, and the precise pathogenesis is largely unknown at present. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) with immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory potential and Th17/Treg cells with a reciprocal relationship regulated by BMSCs have been reported to be involved in some autoimmune disorders. Here we studied the biological and immunological characteristics of BMSCs, the frequency and phenotype of CCR4+CCR6+ Th/Treg cells and their interaction in vitro in AS. Methods The biological and immunomodulation characteristics of BMSCs were examined by induced multiple-differentiation and two-way mixed peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) reactions or after stimulation with phytohemagglutinin, respectively. The interactions of BMSCs and PBMCs were detected with a direct-contact co-culturing system. CCR4+CCR6+ Th/Treg cells and surface markers of BMSCs were assayed using flow cytometry. Results The AS-BMSCs at active stage showed normal proliferation, cell viability, surface markers and multiple differentiation characteristics, but significantly reduced immunomodulation potential (decreased 68 ± 14%); the frequencies of Treg and Fox-P3+ cells in AS-PBMCs decreased, while CCR4+CCR6+ Th cells increased, compared with healthy donors. Moreover, the AS-BMSCs induced imbalance in the ratio of CCR4+CCR6+ Th/Treg cells by reducing Treg/PBMCs and increasing CCR4+CCR6+ Th/PBMCs, and also reduced Fox-P3+ cells when co-cultured with PBMCs. Correlation analysis showed that the immunomodulation potential of BMSCs has significant negative correlations with the ratio of CCR4+CCR6+ Th to Treg cells in peripheral blood. Conclusions The immunomodulation potential of BMSCs is reduced and the ratio of CCR4+CCR6+ Th/Treg cells is imbalanced in AS. The BMSCs with reduced immunomodulation potential may play a novel role in AS pathogenesis by inducing CCR4+CCR6+ Th/Treg cell imbalance. PMID:21338515

UK Renal Registry 18th Annual Report: Chapter 3 Demographic and Biochemistry Profile of Kidney Transplant Recipients in the UK in 2014: National and Centre-specific Analyses.

PubMed

Pruthi, Rishi; Casula, Anna; MacPhee, Iain

2016-01-01

There was a 2% fall in overall renal transplant numbers in 2014, with a significant fall in kidney donation from donors after circulatory death (10%). In 2014, death-censored renal transplant failure rates in prevalent patients were similar to previous years at 2.4% per annum. Transplant patient death rates remained stable at 2.3 per 100 patient years. The median age of incident and prevalent renal transplant patients in the UK was 50.6 and 53.3 years respectively. The median eGFR of prevalent renal transplant recipients was 52.5 ml/min/1.73 m2. The median eGFR of patients one year after transplantation was 57.4 ml/min/1.73 m2 post live transplant, 53.6 ml/min/1.73 m2 post brainstem death transplant and 50.1 ml/min/1.73 m2 post circulatory death transplant. In 2014, 13% of prevalent transplant patients had eGFR ,30 ml/min/1.73 m2. The median decline in eGFR slope beyond the first year after transplantation was −0.48 ml/min/1.73 m2/year.In 2014, malignancy (26%) and infection (24%) remained the commonest causes of death in patients with a functioning renal transplant.

PLAB and UK graduates' performance on MRCP(UK) and MRCGP examinations: data linkage study.

PubMed

McManus, I C; Wakeford, Richard

2014-04-17

To assess whether international medical graduates passing the two examinations set by the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB1 and PLAB2) of the General Medical Council (GMC) are equivalent to UK graduates at the end of the first foundation year of medical training (F1), as the GMC requires, and if not, to assess what changes in the PLAB pass marks might produce equivalence. Data linkage of GMC PLAB performance data with data from the Royal Colleges of Physicians and the Royal College of General Practitioners on performance of PLAB graduates and UK graduates at the MRCP(UK) and MRCGP examinations. Doctors in training for internal medicine or general practice in the United Kingdom. 7829, 5135, and 4387 PLAB graduates on their first attempt at MRCP(UK) Part 1, Part 2, and PACES assessments from 2001 to 2012 compared with 18,532, 14,094, and 14,376 UK graduates taking the same assessments; 3160 PLAB1 graduates making their first attempt at the MRCGP AKT during 2007-12 compared with 14,235 UK graduates; and 1411 PLAB2 graduates making their first attempt at the MRCGP CSA during 2010-12 compared with 6935 UK graduates. Performance at MRCP(UK) Part 1, Part 2, and PACES assessments, and MRCGP AKT and CSA assessments in relation to performance on PLAB1 and PLAB2 assessments, as well as to International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores. MRCP(UK), MRCGP, and PLAB results were analysed as marks relative to the pass mark at the first attempt. PLAB1 marks were a valid predictor of MRCP(UK) Part 1, MRCP(UK) Part 2, and MRCGP AKT (r=0.521, 0.390, and 0.490; all P<0.001). PLAB2 marks correlated with MRCP(UK) PACES and MRCGP CSA (r=0.274, 0.321; both P<0.001). PLAB graduates had significantly lower MRCP(UK) and MRCGP assessments (Glass's Δ=0.94, 0.91, 1.40, 1.01, and 1.82 for MRCP(UK) Part 1, Part 2, and PACES and MRCGP AKT and CSA), and were more likely to fail assessments and to progress more slowly than UK medical graduates. IELTS scores correlated

PLAB and UK graduates’ performance on MRCP(UK) and MRCGP examinations: data linkage study

PubMed Central

Wakeford, Richard

2014-01-01

Objectives To assess whether international medical graduates passing the two examinations set by the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB1 and PLAB2) of the General Medical Council (GMC) are equivalent to UK graduates at the end of the first foundation year of medical training (F1), as the GMC requires, and if not, to assess what changes in the PLAB pass marks might produce equivalence. Design Data linkage of GMC PLAB performance data with data from the Royal Colleges of Physicians and the Royal College of General Practitioners on performance of PLAB graduates and UK graduates at the MRCP(UK) and MRCGP examinations. Setting Doctors in training for internal medicine or general practice in the United Kingdom. Participants 7829, 5135, and 4387 PLAB graduates on their first attempt at MRCP(UK) Part 1, Part 2, and PACES assessments from 2001 to 2012 compared with 18 532, 14 094, and 14 376 UK graduates taking the same assessments; 3160 PLAB1 graduates making their first attempt at the MRCGP AKT during 2007-12 compared with 14 235 UK graduates; and 1411 PLAB2 graduates making their first attempt at the MRCGP CSA during 2010-12 compared with 6935 UK graduates. Main outcome measures Performance at MRCP(UK) Part 1, Part 2, and PACES assessments, and MRCGP AKT and CSA assessments in relation to performance on PLAB1 and PLAB2 assessments, as well as to International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores. MRCP(UK), MRCGP, and PLAB results were analysed as marks relative to the pass mark at the first attempt. Results PLAB1 marks were a valid predictor of MRCP(UK) Part 1, MRCP(UK) Part 2, and MRCGP AKT (r=0.521, 0.390, and 0.490; all P<0.001). PLAB2 marks correlated with MRCP(UK) PACES and MRCGP CSA (r=0.274, 0.321; both P<0.001). PLAB graduates had significantly lower MRCP(UK) and MRCGP assessments (Glass’s Δ=0.94, 0.91, 1.40, 1.01, and 1.82 for MRCP(UK) Part 1, Part 2, and PACES and MRCGP AKT and CSA), and were more likely to fail assessments

Chance UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGrath, Gracia

2003-01-01

Chance UK is a unique charity in the UK that specialises in mentoring programmes for primary schoolchildren with behavioural problems. It was founded in 1995 by a policeman, Chief Superintendent Paul Mathias, who believed that by stepping in early, young children with behavioural difficulties could be given the chance to develop the necessary…

Effectiveness of Web Quest in Enhancing 4th Grade Students' Spiritual Intelligence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jwaifell, Mustafa; Al-Mouhtadi, Reham; Aldarabah, Intisar

2015-01-01

Spiritual intelligence has gained great interest from a good number of the researchers and scholars, while there is a lack of using new technologies such as WebQuest as an instructional tool; which is one of the e-learning applications in education in enhancing spiritual intelligence of 4th graders in Jordanian schools. This study aimed at…

The relationship between the carrying angle and the distal extent of the 2nd and 4th fingertips.

PubMed

Sönmez, M; Tattemur, Y; Karacan, K; Erdal, M

2012-08-01

The angle towards the lateral side between the arm and forearm when the forearm is in full extension and supination is defined as the carrying angle. It is well known that the 2nd finger is longer in women whereas the 4th finger is longer in men, due to in-utero hormonal effects. In the present study, the relationship between the carrying angle and the distal extent of the 2nd and 4th fingertips is studied. The findings reveal that the carrying angle was greater both in left and right sides in women than in men. In addition, while the distal extent of the 2nd fingertips was longer in women, the 4th fingertip was longer in men. There was a moderately positive correlation between the carrying angle and the distal fingertip lengths. Therefore, it could be suggested that the morphometric factors play role on the distal extent of the fingertips other than the hormonal effects.

'1966 and all that': Trends and developments in UK ergonomics during the 1960s.

PubMed

Waterson, Patrick; Eason, Ken

2009-11-01

The 1960s represents a key decade in the expansion of ergonomics within the UK. This paper reviews trends and developments that emerged out of the 1960s and compares these with ergonomics research and practice today. The focus in particular is on the expansion of ergonomics as a discipline within industry, as well as more specific topics, such as the emergence of areas of interest, for example, computers and technology, automation and systems ergonomics and consumer ergonomics. The account is illustrated with a detailed timeline of developments, a set of industrial case studies and the contents of important publications during the decade. A key aim of the paper is to provide the opportunity to reflect on the past and the implications this may have for future directions for ergonomics within the UK. The paper provides practitioners with an insight into the development of ergonomics in the UK during one of the most important decades of its history. This is especially relevant given the fact that in 2009 the Ergonomics Society celebrates its 60th anniversary.

Symmetric Positive 4th Order Tensors & Their Estimation from Diffusion Weighted MRI⋆

PubMed Central

Barmpoutis, Angelos; Jian, Bing; Vemuri, Baba C.; Shepherd, Timothy M.

2009-01-01

In Diffusion Weighted Magnetic Resonance Image (DW-MRI) processing a 2nd order tensor has been commonly used to approximate the diffusivity function at each lattice point of the DW-MRI data. It is now well known that this 2nd-order approximation fails to approximate complex local tissue structures, such as fibers crossings. In this paper we employ a 4th order symmetric positive semi-definite (PSD) tensor approximation to represent the diffusivity function and present a novel technique to estimate these tensors from the DW-MRI data guaranteeing the PSD property. There have been several published articles in literature on higher order tensor approximations of the diffusivity function but none of them guarantee the positive semi-definite constraint, which is a fundamental constraint since negative values of the diffusivity coefficients are not meaningful. In our methods, we parameterize the 4th order tensors as a sum of squares of quadratic forms by using the so called Gram matrix method from linear algebra and its relation to the Hilbert’s theorem on ternary quartics. This parametric representation is then used in a nonlinear-least squares formulation to estimate the PSD tensors of order 4 from the data. We define a metric for the higher-order tensors and employ it for regularization across the lattice. Finally, performance of this model is depicted on synthetic data as well as real DW-MRI from an isolated rat hippocampus. PMID:17633709

MTORC1 EXPANDS TH17 AND IL-4+ DN T CELLS AND CONTRACTS TREGS IN SLE

PubMed Central

Kato, Hiroshi; Perl, Andras

2014-01-01

The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is activated in CD4−CD8− double-negative (DN) T cells and its blockade is therapeutic in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Murine studies showed the involvement of mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and 2 (mTORC2) in the differentiation of Th1/Th17 cells and Th2 cells, respectively. Here, we investigated the roles of mTORC1 and mTORC2 in T-cell lineage development in SLE and matched healthy control (HC) subjects. mTORC1 activity was increased while mTORC2 was reduced as assessed by phosphorylation of their substrates pS6K or pS6RP and pAkt, respectively. Rapamycin inhibited mTORC1 and enhanced mTORC2. IL-4 expression was increased in freshly isolated CD8+ lupus T cells (SLE: 8.09±1.93%, HC: 3.61±0.49%; p=0.01). DN T cells had greater IL-4 expression than CD4+ or CD8+ T cells of SLE patients after 3 day in vitro stimulation, which was suppressed by rapamycin (control: 9.26±1.48%, rapamycin: 5.03±0.66%; p<0.001). GATA-3 expression was increased in CD8+ lupus T cells (p<0.01) and insensitive to rapamycin treatment. IFN-γ expression was reduced in all lupus T cell subsets (p=1.0×10−5) and also resisted rapamycin. IL-17 expression was increased in CD4+ lupus T cells (SLE: 3.62±0.66%, HC: 2.29±0.27%; p=0.019), which was suppressed by rapamycin (control: 3.91±0.79%, rapamycin: 2.22±0.60%; p<0.001). Frequency of Tregs was reduced in SLE (SLE: 1.83±0.25%, HC: 2.97±0.27%; p=0.0012). Rapamycin inhibited mTORC1 in Tregs and promoted their expansion. Neutralization of IL-17 but not IL-4 also expanded Tregs in SLE and HC subjects. These results indicate that mTORC1 expands IL-4+ DN T and Th17 cells and contracts Tregs in SLE. PMID:24683191

Quantifying UK emissions of carbon dioxide using an integrative measurement strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzi, S.; Palmer, P.

2015-12-01

The main objective of the Greenhouse gAs Uk and Global Emissions (GAUGE) programme is to quantify the magnitude and uncertainty of CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes from the UK. GAUGE builds on the tall tower network established by the UK Government to estimate fluxes from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The GAUGE measurement programme includes two additional tall tower sites (one in North Yorkshire and one downwind of London); regular measurements of CO2 and CH4 isotopologues; instrumentation installed on a ferry that travels daily along the eastern coast of the UK from Scotland to Belgium; a research aircraft that has been deployed on a campaign basis; and a high-density network over East Anglia that is primarily focused on the agricultural sector. We have also included satellite observations from the Japanese Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) through ongoing activities within the UK National Centre for Earth Observation. In this presentation, we will present new CO2 flux estimates for the UK inferred from GAUGE measurements using a nested, high-resolution (25 km) version of the GEOS-Chem atmospheric transport model and an ensemble Kalman filter. We will present our current best estimate for CO2 fluxes and a preliminary assessment of the efficacy of individual GAUGE data sources to spatially resolve CO2 flux estimates over the UK. We will also discuss how flux estimates inferred from the different models used within GAUGE can help to assess the role of transport model error and to determine an ensemble CO2 flux estimate for the UK.

Differences in the 2nd to 4th digit length ratio in humans reflect shifts along the common allometric line

PubMed Central

Kratochvíl, Lukáš; Flegr, Jaroslav

2009-01-01

Ratios often lead to biased conclusions concerning the actual relationships between examined traits and comparisons of the relative size of traits among groups. Therefore, the use of ratios has been abandoned in most comparative studies. However, ratios such as body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio are widely used in evolutionary biology and medicine. One such, the ratio of the 2nd to the 4th finger (2D : 4D), has been the subject of much recent interest in both humans and animals. Most studies agree that 2D : 4D is sexually dimorphic. In men, the 2nd digit tends to be shorter than the 4th, while in women the 2nd digit tends to be of the same size or slightly longer than the 4th. Nevertheless, here we demonstrate that the sexes do not greatly differ in the scaling between the 2nd and 4th digit. Sexual differences in 2D : 4D are mainly caused by the shift along the common allometric line with non-zero intercept, which means 2D : 4D necessarily decreases with increasing finger length, and the fact that men have longer fingers than women. We conclude that previously published results on the 2D : 4D ratio are biased by its covariation with finger length. We strongly recommend regression-based approaches for comparisons of hand shape among different groups. PMID:19553247

Using 4th order Runge-Kutta method for solving a twisted Skyrme string equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadi, Miftachul; Anderson, Malcolm; Husein, Andri

2016-03-01

We study numerical solution, especially using 4th order Runge-Kutta method, for solving a twisted Skyrme string equation. We find numerically that the value of minimum energy per unit length of vortex solution for a twisted Skyrmion string is 20.37 × 1060 eV/m.

UK Announces Intention to Join ESO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2000-11-01

Summary The Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) , the UK's strategic science investment agency, today announced that the government of the United Kingdom is making funds available that provide a baseline for this country to join the European Southern Observatory (ESO) . The ESO Director General, Dr. Catherine Cesarsky , and the ESO Community warmly welcome this move towards fuller integration in European astronomy. "With the UK as a potential member country of ESO, our joint opportunities for front-line research and technology will grow significantly", she said. "This announcement is a clear sign of confidence in ESO's abilities, most recently demonstrated with the construction and operation of the unique Very Large Telescope (VLT) on Paranal. Together we will look forward with confidence towards new, exciting projects in ground-based astronomy." It was decided earlier this year to place the 4-m UK Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope (VISTA) at Paranal, cf. ESO Press Release 03/00. Following negotiations between ESO and PPARC, a detailed proposal for the associated UK/ESO Agreement with the various entry modalities will now be presented to the ESO Council for approval. Before this Agreement can enter into force, the ESO Convention and associated protocols must also be ratified by the UK Parliament. Research and key technologies According to the PPARC press release, increased funding for science, announced by the UK government today, will enable UK astronomers to prepare for the next generation of telescopes and expand their current telescope portfolio through membership of the European Southern Observatory (ESO). The uplift to its baseline budget will enable PPARC to enter into final negotiations for UK membership of the ESO. This will ensure that UK astronomers, together with their colleagues in the ESO member states, are actively involved in global scale preparations for the next generation of astronomy facilities. among these are ALMA

Clinical effectiveness of manual therapy for the management of musculoskeletal and non-musculoskeletal conditions: systematic review and update of UK evidence report

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background This systematic review updated and extended the "UK evidence report" by Bronfort et al. (Chiropr Osteopath 18:3, 2010) with respect to conditions/interventions that received an 'inconclusive’ or 'negative’ evidence rating or were not covered in the report. Methods A literature search of more than 10 general medical and specialised databases was conducted in August 2011 and updated in March 2013. Systematic reviews, primary comparative studies and qualitative studies of patients with musculoskeletal or non-musculoskeletal conditions treated with manual therapy and reporting clinical outcomes were included. Study quality was assessed using standardised instruments, studies were summarised, and the results were compared against the evidence ratings of Bronfort. These were either confirmed, updated, or new categories not assessed by Bronfort were added. Results 25,539 records were found; 178 new and additional studies were identified, of which 72 were systematic reviews, 96 were randomised controlled trials, and 10 were non-randomised primary studies. Most 'inconclusive’ or 'moderate’ evidence ratings of the UK evidence report were confirmed. Evidence ratings changed in a positive direction from inconclusive to moderate evidence ratings in only three cases (manipulation/mobilisation [with exercise] for rotator cuff disorder; spinal mobilisation for cervicogenic headache; and mobilisation for miscellaneous headache). In addition, evidence was identified on a large number of non-musculoskeletal conditions not previously considered; most of this evidence was rated as inconclusive. Conclusions Overall, there was limited high quality evidence for the effectiveness of manual therapy. Most reviewed evidence was of low to moderate quality and inconsistent due to substantial methodological and clinical diversity. Areas requiring further research are highlighted. PMID:24679336

Down-regulation of Notch signaling pathway reverses the Th1/Th2 imbalance in tuberculosis patients.

PubMed

Li, Qifeng; Zhang, Hui; Yu, Liang; Wu, Chao; Luo, Xinhui; Sun, He; Ding, Jianbing

2018-01-01

Th1/Th2 imbalance to Th2 is of significance in the peripheral immune responses in Tuberculosis (TB) development. However, the mechanisms for Th1/Th2 imbalance are still not well determined. Notch signaling pathway is involved in the peripheral T cell activation and effector cell differentiation. However, whether it affects Th1/Th2 imbalance in TB patients is still not known. Here, we used γ-secretase inhibitor (DAPT) to treat the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy people or individuals with latent or active TB infection in vitro, respectively. Then, the Th1/Th2 ratios were determined by flow cytometry, and cytokines of IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10 in the culture supernatant were measured by CBA method. The Notch signal pathway associated proteins Hes1, GATA3 and T-bet were quantitated by real-time PCR or immunoblotting. Our results showed that DAPT effectively inhibited the protein level of Hes1. In TB patients, the Th2 ratio increased in the PBMCs, alone with the high expression of GATA3 and IL-4, resulting in the high ratios of Th2/Th1 and GATA3/T-bet in TB patients. However, Th2 cells ratio decreased after blocking the Notch signaling pathway by DAPT and the Th2/Th1 ratio in TB patients were DAPT dose-dependent, accompanied by the decrease of IL-4 and GATA3. But, its influence on Th1 ratio and Th1 related T-bet and IFN-γ levels were not significant. In conclusion, our results suggest that blocking Notch signaling by DAPT could inhibit Th2 responses and restore Th1/Th2 imbalance in TB patients. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Coupled carbon-nitrogen land surface modelling for UK agricultural landscapes using JULES and JULES-ECOSSE-FUN (JEF)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Comyn-Platt, Edward; Clark, Douglas; Blyth, Eleanor

2016-04-01

The UK is required to provide accurate estimates of the UK greenhouse gas (GHG; CO2, CH4 and N2O) emissions for the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change). Process based land surface models (LSMs), such as the Joint UK Land Environment Simulator (JULES), attempt to provide such estimates based on environmental (e.g. land use and soil type) and meteorological conditions. The standard release of JULES focusses on the water and carbon cycles, however, it has long been suggested that a coupled carbon-nitrogen scheme could enhance simulations. This is of particular importance when estimating agricultural emission inventories where the carbon cycle is effectively managed via the human application of nitrogen based fertilizers. JULES-ECOSSE-FUN (JEF) links JULES with the Estimation of Carbon in Organic Soils - Sequestration and Emission (ECOSSE) model and the Fixation and Uptake of Nitrogen (FUN) model as a means of simulating C:N coupling. This work presents simulations from the standard release of JULES and the most recent incarnation of the JEF coupled system at the point and field scale. Various configurations of JULES and JEF were calibrated and fine-tuned based on comparisons with observations from three UK field campaigns (Crichton, Harwood Forest and Brattleby) specifically chosen to represent the managed vegetation types that cover the UK. The campaigns included flux tower and chamber measurements of CO2, CH4 and N2O amongst other meteorological parameters and records of land management such as application of fertilizer and harvest date at the agricultural sites. Based on the results of these comparisons, JULES and/or JEF will be used to provide simulations on the regional and national scales in order to provide improved estimates of the total UK emission inventory.

Design and validation of a methodology using the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, to identify secondary conditions in people with disabilities.

PubMed

Chan, Leighton; Shumway-Cook, Anne; Yorkston, Kathryn M; Ciol, Marcia A; Dudgeon, Brian J; Hoffman, Jeanne M

2005-05-01

To design and validate a methodology that identifies secondary conditions using International Classification of Disease, 9th Revision (ICD-9) codes. Secondary conditions were identified through a literature search and a survey of Washington State physiatrists. These conditions were translated into ICD-9 codes and this list was then validated against a national sample of Medicare survey respondents with differing levels of mobility and activities of daily living (ADL) disability. National survey. Participants (N=9731) in the 1999 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey with no, mild, moderate, and severe mobility and ADL disability. Not applicable. Percentage of survey respondents with a secondary condition. The secondary conditions were grouped into 4 categories: medical, psychosocial, musculoskeletal, and dysphagia related (problems associated with difficulty in swallowing). Our literature search and survey of 26 physiatrists identified 64 secondary conditions, including depression, decubitus ulcers, and deconditioning. Overall, 70.4% of all survey respondents were treated for a secondary condition. We found a significant relation between increasing mobility as well as ADL disability and increasing numbers of secondary conditions (chi 2 test for trend, P <.001). This relation existed for all categories of secondary conditions: medical (chi 2 test for trend, P <.001), psychosocial (chi 2 test for trend, P <.001), musculoskeletal (chi 2 test for trend, P <.001), and dysphagia related (chi 2 test for trend, P <.001). We created a valid ICD-9-based methodology that identified secondary conditions in Medicare survey respondents and discriminated between people with different degrees of disability. This methodology will be useful for health services researchers who study the frequency and impact of secondary conditions.

36th Annual Maintenance & Operations Cost Study: Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agron, Joe

2007-01-01

Colleges are focusing increased effort--and money--to improve the physical condition of existing facilities and address a huge backlog of deferred maintenance. According to "American School & University's" 36th annual Maintenance and Operations (M&O) Cost Study, the median college spends 16.4% of total college budget on M&O, up from 11% the year…

UK Secondary Schools under Surveillance: What Are the Implications for Race? A Critical Race and Butlerian Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chadderton, Charlotte

2012-01-01

Since September 11th 2001, and the London bombings of July 2005, the "war on terror" has led to the subjection of populations to new regimes of control and reinforced state sovereignty. This involves, in countries such as the UK and the US, the limiting of personal freedoms, increased regulation of immigration and constant surveillance,…

Outcomes following trauma laparotomy for hypotensive trauma patients: a UK military and civilian perspective.

PubMed

Marsden, Max; Carden, Rich; Navaratne, Lalin; Smith, Iain M; Penn-Barwell, Jowan G; Kraven, Luke M; Brohi, Karim; Tai, Nigel R M; Bowley, Douglas M

2018-05-25

The management of trauma patients has changed radically in the last decade and studies have shown overall improvements in survival. However, reduction in mortality for the many may obscure a lack of progress in some high-risk patients. We sought to examine the outcomes for hypotensive patients requiring laparotomy in UK military and civilian cohorts. We undertook a review of two prospectively maintained trauma databases; the UK Joint Theatre Trauma Registry (JTTR) for the military cohort (4th February 2003 to 21st September 2014), and the trauma registry of the Royal London Hospital MTC (1st January 2012 to 1st January 2017) for civilian patients. Adults undergoing trauma laparotomy within 90 minutes of arrival at the Emergency Department (ED) were included. Hypotension was present on arrival at the ED in 155/761 (20.4%) military patients. Mortality was higher in hypotensive casualties 25.8% vs 9.7% normotensive casualties (p<0.001). Hypotension was present on arrival at the ED in 63/176 (35.7%) civilian patients. Mortality was higher in hypotensive patients 47.6% vs 12.4% normotensive patients (p<0.001). In both cohorts of hypotensive patients neither the average injury severity, the prehospital time, the ED arrival SBP, nor mortality rate changed significantly during the study period. Despite improvements in survival after trauma for patients overall, the mortality for patients undergoing laparotomy who arrive at the Emergency Department with hypotension has not changed and appears stubbornly resistant to all efforts. Specific enquiry and research should continue to be directed at this high-risk group of patients. IV; Observational Cohort Study.

UK hazard assessment for a Laki-type volcanic eruption: modelling results for sulphur dioxide and sulphate aerosol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Witham, Claire; Vieno, Massimo; Schmidt, Anja; Aspinall, Willy; Braban, Christine; Hort, Matthew; Loughlin, Sue

2015-04-01

In response to the recent introduction of large gas-rich volcanic eruptions to the UK National Risk Register a modelling project has been conducted to improve our understanding of potential impacts to the UK from such an eruption on Iceland. A precautionary reasonable worst case eruption scenario based on the 1783-4 Laki eruption has been modelled 80 times using two different atmospheric chemistry and transport models (NAME and EMEP4UK) over 10 years of meteorology. The results provide information on the range of concentrations of sulphur dioxide gas (SO2), sulphate aerosol (SO4) and some halogen species that might be experienced in the UK during such an eruption and the likelihood of key thresholds being exceeded and over what durations. Data for the surface and for a range of key flight levels have been produced. In this presentation we will evaluate the ambient mass concentrations of SO2 and SO4 that could be experienced during and following such an eruption, as well as the likelihood of key health concentration thresholds being exceeded, and the maximum duration that levels could persist for. The prevailing meteorological conditions are the key influence on which parts of the North Atlantic and European region are affected at any time. The results demonstrate that the UK is unlikely to be affected by week after week of significantly elevated concentrations; rather there will a number of short (hours to days) pollution episodes where concentrations would be elevated above Moderate and High air quality index levels at the surface. This pattern fits with the generally changeable nature of the weather in the UK. Consecutive exceedance durations are longer for sulphate aerosol than SO2, and can be particularly lengthy in the low air quality index levels (1-2 weeks), which may be of relevance to health impact assessments. This work represents a detailed initial study but has not explored the full range of such an eruption. Nonetheless, the results from this project

Understanding drought propagation in the UK in the context of climatology and catchment properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barker, Lucy; Hannaford, Jamie; Bloomfield, John; Marchant, Ben

2017-04-01

Droughts are a complex natural phenomena that are challenging to plan and prepare for. The propagation of droughts through the hydrological cycle is one of many factors which contribute to this complexity, and a thorough understanding of drought propagation is crucial for informed drought management, particularly in terms of water resources management in both the short and long term. Previous studies have found that both climatological and catchment factors cause lags in drought propagation from meteorological to hydrological and hydrogeological droughts. There are strong gradients in both climatology and catchment properties across the UK. Catchments in the north and west of the UK are relatively impermeable, upland catchments with thin soils and receive the highest annual precipitation with relatively low mean annual temperatures. Conversely, in the south and east of the UK, characterised by higher mean temperatures and lower annual precipitation, catchments are underlain by a number of major aquifers (e.g. Chalk, limestone) and are typically associated with high baseflow rivers. Here we explore the effects of these gradients in climatology and catchments on the propagation of droughts. Using standardised drought indices (the Standardised Precipitation Index; the Standardised Streamflow Index; and the Standardised Groundwater Index) we analyse drought propagation characteristics for selected catchment-borehole pairs across the UK using reconstructed time series back to the 19th century. We investigate how the timing, nature and predictability of drought propagation changes across the UK, given gradients in climatology and catchment characteristics. We use probability of detection methods, usually used for forecast verification, to investigate how well precipitation and streamflow deficits predict deficits in streamflow and groundwater levels and how this varies across the UK.

Understanding the NAO from Iberian and UK paleoclimate records. The NAOSIPUK project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Alix, Antonio; Toney, Jaime L.; Jiménez-Moreno, Gonzalo; Slaymark, Charlotte; José Ramos-Román, Maria; Camuera, Jon; Jiménez-Espejo, Francisco J.; Anderson, R. Scott

2017-04-01

comparison between north/central UK and southern Iberia shows a more stable middle Holocene (from ˜7.0 to ˜5.0 cal ky BP) at higher latitudes. On the other hand, the environmental and climatic changes in southern Spain are abrupt during this period. This might be related to the beginning or increasing influence of the NAO during the middle Holocene, which is coeval with a change in the precipitation source in this area. The UK records mainly show abrupt environmental changes between 4.5 and 4.0 cal ky BP and during the last millennia. These environmental changes are especially abrupt in both areas during the last one-hundred years, agreeing with the regional and global industrial development. References Hurrell, J.W., 1995. Decadal Trends in the North Atlantic Oscillation: Regional Temperatures and Precipitation. Science 269, 676-679. NAOSIPUK. http://www.naosipuk.org. Last access: 9th January 2017.

The immunological response and post-treatment survival of DC-vaccinated melanoma patients are associated with increased Th1/Th17 and reduced Th3 cytokine responses.

PubMed

Durán-Aniotz, Claudia; Segal, Gabriela; Salazar, Lorena; Pereda, Cristián; Falcón, Cristián; Tempio, Fabián; Aguilera, Raquel; González, Rodrigo; Pérez, Claudio; Tittarelli, Andrés; Catalán, Diego; Nervi, Bruno; Larrondo, Milton; Salazar-Onfray, Flavio; López, Mercedes N

2013-04-01

Immunization with autologous dendritic cells (DCs) loaded with a heat shock-conditioned allogeneic melanoma cell lysate caused lysate-specific delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions in a number of patients. These responses correlated with a threefold prolonged long-term survival of DTH(+) with respect to DTH(-) unresponsive patients. Herein, we investigated whether the immunological reactions associated with prolonged survival were related to dissimilar cellular and cytokine responses in blood. Healthy donors and melanoma patient's lymphocytes obtained from blood before and after vaccinations and from DTH biopsies were analyzed for T cell population distribution and cytokine release. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from melanoma patients have an increased proportion of Th3 (CD4(+) TGF-β(+)) regulatory T lymphocytes compared with healthy donors. Notably, DTH(+) patients showed a threefold reduction of Th3 cells compared with DTH(-) patients after DCs vaccine treatment. Furthermore, DCs vaccination resulted in a threefold augment of the proportion of IFN-γ releasing Th1 cells and in a twofold increase of the IL-17-producing Th17 population in DTH(+) with respect to DTH(-) patients. Increased Th1 and Th17 cell populations in both blood and DTH-derived tissues suggest that these profiles may be related to a more effective anti-melanoma response. Our results indicate that increased proinflammatory cytokine profiles are related to detectable immunological responses in vivo (DTH) and to prolonged patient survival. Our study contributes to the understanding of immunological responses produced by DCs vaccines and to the identification of follow-up markers for patient outcome that may allow a closer individual monitoring of patients.

Dietary Fructo-Oligosaccharides Attenuate Early Activation of CD4+ T Cells Which Produce both Th1 and Th2 Cytokines in the Intestinal Lymphoid Tissues of a Murine Food Allergy Model.

PubMed

Tsuda, Masato; Arakawa, Haruka; Ishii, Narumi; Ubukata, Chihiro; Michimori, Mana; Noda, Masanari; Takahashi, Kyoko; Kaminogawa, Shuichi; Hosono, Akira

2017-01-01

Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) are prebiotic agents with immunomodulatory effects involving improvement of the intestinal microbiota and metabolome. In this study, we investigated the cellular mechanisms through which FOS modulate intestinal antigen-specific CD4+ T cell responses in food allergy, using OVA23-3 mice. OVA23-3 mice were fed an experimental diet containing either ovalbumin (OVA) or OVA and FOS for 1 week. Body weight and mucosal mast cell protease 1 in the serum were measured as the indicator of intestinal inflammation. Single-cell suspensions were prepared from intestinal and systemic lymphoid tissues for cellular analysis. Cytokine production was measured by ELISA. Activation markers and intracellular cytokines in CD4+ T cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Activated CD4+ T cells were purified to examine cytokine production. Dietary intake of FOS provided moderate protection from the intestinal inflammation induced by the OVA-containing diet. FOS significantly reduced food allergy-induced Th2 cytokine responses in intestinal tissues but not in systemic tissues. FOS decreased OVA diet-induced IFN-γ+IL-4+ double-positive CD4+ T cells and early-activated CD45RBhighCD69+CD4+ T cells in the mesenteric lymph nodes. Furthermore, we confirmed that these CD45RBhighCD69+CD4+ T cells are able to produce high levels of IFN-γ and moderate level of IL-4, IL-10, and IL-13. Dietary intake of FOS during the development of food allergy attenuates the induction of intestinal Th2 cytokine responses by regulating early activation of naïve CD4+ T cells, which produce both Th1 and Th2 cytokines. Our results suggest FOS might be a potential food agent for the prevention of food allergy by modulating oral sensitization to food antigens. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Electroacupuncture promotes a decrease in inflammatory response associated with Th1/Th2 cytokines, nitric oxide and leukotriene B4 modulation in experimental asthma.

PubMed

Carneiro, E R; Xavier, R A N; De Castro, M A Pedreira; Do Nascimento, C M Oller; Silveira, V L F

2010-06-01

Previously, we have shown that electroacupuncture (EA) in rats decreased eosinophil infiltration into the pulmonary tissue (PT) and in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in an experimental model of asthma. Th2 cytokines, leukotriene B4 (LTB4) and nitric oxide (NO) are involved in the asthma inflammatory process. The aim of this study was to verify the effects of EA on these asthma mediators. Male Wistar rats were divided into control (C), immobilized (I), sham acupuncture (SA), and acupuncture (A) groups. All rats were sensitized, and EA treatment using clinical acupuncture points was started 24h after antigen priming. EA was done every other day for 2weeks. Subsequently, animals were challenged by inhalation and sacrificed 24h later. At this time, the BAL and lungs were collected and used to analyze cytokine production, LTB4 and NO. The EA increased IL-1 and IFN-gamma and decreased IL-4, IL-10, NO and LTB4 in the BAL and PT compared to the C and SA groups. The presence of eosinophils in the BAL negatively correlated with IL-1 and IFN-gamma production and positively correlated with IL-4 and IL-10 production. Our results show that the beneficial anti-inflammatory action of EA on asthma is related to the balance of the Thl/Th2 response and the reduction of LTB4 and NO. These results suggest that EA therapy could be an important complementary treatment for asthma. Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

UK-trained junior doctors' intentions to work in UK medicine: questionnaire surveys, three years after graduation

PubMed Central

Surman, Geraldine; Goldacre, Michael J

2017-01-01

Objective To report on the career intentions, three years after qualification, of 12 national cohorts of UK-trained doctors who qualified between 1974 and 2012, and, specifically, to compare recent UK medical graduates’ intentions to work in medicine in the UK with earlier graduates. Design Questionnaire surveys of cohorts of UK medical graduates defined by year of graduation. Setting UK. Participants 30,272 UK medical graduates. Main outcome measures Stated level of intention to pursue a long-term career in medicine in the UK. Results The response rate was 62% (30,272/48,927). We examined responses to the question ‘Apart from temporary visits abroad, do you intend to practise medicine in the United Kingdom for the foreseeable future?' Of doctors from UK homes, 90% had specified that they would ‘definitely or probably’ practise medicine in the UK in the surveys of 1977–1986, 81% in 1996–2011 and 64% in 2015. Those who said that they would probably or definitely not practise medicine in the UK comprised 5% in 1977–1986, 8% in 1996–2011 and 15% in 2015. Most who were not definite about a future career in UK medicine indicated that they would wish to practise medicine outside the UK rather than to leave medicine. Conclusions The wish to remain in UK medical practice in the 2015 survey was unprecedentedly low in this unique series of 40 years of surveys. PMID:29116902

UK-trained junior doctors' intentions to work in UK medicine: questionnaire surveys, three years after graduation.

PubMed

Surman, Geraldine; Goldacre, Michael J; Lambert, Trevor W

2017-12-01

Objective To report on the career intentions, three years after qualification, of 12 national cohorts of UK-trained doctors who qualified between 1974 and 2012, and, specifically, to compare recent UK medical graduates' intentions to work in medicine in the UK with earlier graduates. Design Questionnaire surveys of cohorts of UK medical graduates defined by year of graduation. Setting UK. Participants 30,272 UK medical graduates. Main outcome measures Stated level of intention to pursue a long-term career in medicine in the UK. Results The response rate was 62% (30,272/48,927). We examined responses to the question ' Apart from temporary visits abroad, do you intend to practise medicine in the United Kingdom for the foreseeable future?' Of doctors from UK homes, 90% had specified that they would 'definitely or probably' practise medicine in the UK in the surveys of 1977-1986, 81% in 1996-2011 and 64% in 2015. Those who said that they would probably or definitely not practise medicine in the UK comprised 5% in 1977-1986, 8% in 1996-2011 and 15% in 2015. Most who were not definite about a future career in UK medicine indicated that they would wish to practise medicine outside the UK rather than to leave medicine. Conclusions The wish to remain in UK medical practice in the 2015 survey was unprecedentedly low in this unique series of 40 years of surveys.

Aberrant expression of IFN-γ in Th2 cells from Th2 LCR-deficient mice.

PubMed

Hwang, Soo Seok; Kim, Kiwan; Lee, Wonyong; Lee, Gap Ryol

2012-08-03

The Th2 locus control region (LCR) has been shown to be a crucial cis-acting element for Th2 cytokine expression and Th2 cell differentiation. To study the role of Th2 LCR in ifng locus regulation, we examined the expression of IFN-γ in Th2 cells from Th2 LCR-deficient mice. We found IFN-γ to be aberrantly up-regulated. In addition, histone 3(H3)-acetylation and histone 3 lysine 4 (H3-K4)-methylation greatly increased at the ifng locus of the Th2 cells. GATA-3 and STAT6 bound to the ifng promoter in Th2 cells from the wild type but not from the Th2 LCR-deficient mice, and they directly repressed ifng expression in transient reporter assay. Moreover, ectopic expression of GATA-3 and STAT6-VT repressed the aberrant expression of the ifng gene and restored repressive chromatin state at the ifng locus in Th2 cells from Th2 LCR-deficient mice. These results suggest that expression of the ifng gene and chromatin remodeling of the ifng locus are under the control of a Th2 LCR-mediated Th2 differentiation program. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transcription factor-dependent chromatin remodeling of Il18r1 during Th1 and Th2 differentiation 1

PubMed Central

Yu, Qing; Chang, Hua-Chen; Ahyi, Ayele-Nati N.; Kaplan, Mark H.

2008-01-01

The IL-18Rα chain is expressed on Th1 but not Th2 cells. We have recently shown that Stat4 is an important component of programming the Il18r1 locus (encoding IL-18Rα) for maximal expression in Th1 cells. Il18r1 is reciprocally repressed during Th2 development. In this report we demonstrate that the establishment of DNase hypersensitivity patterns that are distinct among undifferentiated CD4 T cells, Th1 and Th2 cells. Stat6 is required for the repression of Il18r1 expression and in Stat6-deficient Th2 cultures, mRNA levels, histone acetylation and H3K4 methylation levels are intermediate between levels observed in Th1 and Th2 cells. Despite the repressive effects of IL-4 during Th2 differentiation, we observed only modest binding of Stat6 to the Il18r1 locus. In contrast, we observed robust GATA-3 binding to a central region of the locus where DNase hypersensitivity sites overlapped with conserved non-coding sequences in Il18r1 introns. Ectopic expression of GATA-3 in differentiated Th1 cells repressed Il18r1 mRNA and surface expression of IL-18Rα. These data provide further mechanistic insight into transcription factor dependent establishment of Th subset-specific patterns of gene expression. PMID:18714006

Gas-fired power in the UK: Bridging supply gaps and implications of domestic shale gas exploitation for UK climate change targets.

PubMed

Turk, Jeremy K; Reay, David S; Haszeldine, R Stuart

2018-03-01

There is a projected shortcoming in the fourth carbon budget of 7.5%. This shortfall may be increased if the UK pursues a domestic shale gas industry to offset projected decreases in traditional gas supply. Here we estimate that, if the project domestic gas supply gap for power generation were to be met by UK shale gas with low fugitive emissions (0.08%), an additional 20.4MtCO 2 e 1 would need to be accommodated during carbon budget periods 3-6. We find that a modest fugitive emissions rate (1%) for UK shale gas would increase global emissions compared to importing an equal quantity of Qatari liquefied natural gas. Additionally, we estimate that natural gas electricity generation would emit 420-466MtCO 2 e (460 central estimate) during the same time period within the traded EU emissions cap. We conclude that domestic shale gas production with even a modest 1% fugitive emissions rate would risk exceedance of UK carbon budgets. We also highlight that, under the current production-based greenhouse gas accounting system, the UK is incentivized to import natural gas rather than produce it domestically. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

4th Annual Conference for African-American Researchers in the Mathematical Sciences (CAARMS4). Preliminary Program

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

Tapia, Richard

1998-06-01

In June, The Center for Research on Parallel Computation (CRPC), an NSF-funded Science and Technology Center, hosted the 4th Annual Conference for African-American Reserachers in the Mathematical Sciences (CAARMS4) at Rice University. The main goal of this conference was to highlight current work by African-American researchers and graduate students in mathematics. This conference strengthened the mathematical sciences by encouraging the increased participation of African-American and underrepresented groups into the field, facilitating working relationships between them and helping to cultivate their careers. In addition to the talks there was a graduate student poster session and tutorials on topics in mathematics andmore » computer science. These talks, presentations, and discussions brought a broader perspective to the critical issues involving minority participation in mathematics.« less

Semiconducting cubic titanium nitride in the Th 3 P 4 structure

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

Bhadram, Venkata S.; Liu, Hanyu; Xu, Enshi

We report the discovery of a long-sought-after phase of titanium nitride with stoichiometry Ti 3 N 4 using diamond anvil cell experiments combined with in situ high-resolution x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy techniques, supported by ab initio calculations. Ti 3 N 4 crystallizes in the cubic Th 3 P 4 structure [space group I ¯ 4 3 d (220)] from a mixture of TiN and N 2 above ≈ 75 GPa and ≈ 2400 K. The density ( ≈ 5.22 g/cc) and bulk modulus ( K 0 = 290 GPa) of cubic- Ti 3 N 4 ( c - Timore » 3 N 4 ) at 1 atm, estimated from the pressure-volume equation of state, are comparable to rocksalt TiN. Ab initio calculations based on the GW approximation and using hybrid functionals indicate that c - Ti 3 N 4 is a semiconductor with a direct band gap between 0.8 and 0.9 eV, which is larger than the previously predicted values. The c - Ti 3 N 4 phase is not recoverable to ambient pressure due to dynamic instabilities, but recovery of Ti 3 N 4 in the defect rocksalt (or related) structure may be feasible.« less

Adsorptive features of polyacrylamide-apatite composite for Pb2+, UO(2)2+ and Th4+.

PubMed

Ulusoy, Ulvi; Akkaya, Recep

2009-04-15

Micro-composite of polyacrylamide (PAA) and apatite (Apt) was prepared by direct polymerization of acrylamide in a suspension of Apt and characterized by means of FT-IR, XRD, SEM and BET analysis. The adsorptive features of PAA-Apt and Apt were then investigated for Pb(2+), UO(2)(2+) and Th(4+) in view of dependency on ion concentration, temperature, kinetics, ion selectivity and reusability. Experimentally obtained isotherms were evaluated with reference to Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich (DR) models. Apt in PAA-Apt had higher adsorption capacity (0.81, 1.27 and 0.69 mol kg(-1)) than bare Apt (0.28, 0.41 and 1.33 mol kg(-1)) for Pb(2+) and Th(4+), but not for UO(2)(2+). The affinity to PAA-Apt increased for Pb(2+) and UO(2)(2+) but not changed for Th(4+). The values of enthalpy and entropy changed were positive for all ions for both Apt and PAA-Apt. Free enthalpy change was DeltaG<0. Well compatibility of adsorption kinetics to the pseudo-second-order model predicated that the rate-controlling step was a chemical sorption. This was consistent with the free energy values derived from DR model. The reusability tests for Pb(2+) for five uses proved that the composite was reusable to provide a mean adsorption of 53.2+/-0.7% from 4x10(-3)M Pb(2+) solution and complete recovery of the adsorbed ion was possible (98+/-1%). The results of this investigation suggested that the use of Apt in the micro-composite form with PAA significantly enhanced the adsorptive features of Apt.

Promoting SETI in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penny, Alan

2013-10-01

MEETING REPORT What does the UK presently do in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence and what are the plans for the future? Alan Penny reports on a meeting of UK academics active in SETI, held as sessions in the recent National Astronomy Meeting in Scotland - and the formation of the UK SETI Research Network to promote UK academic work.

CHANGES IN THE REGIONAL PREVALENCE OF CHILD OBESITY IN 4th, 8th, AND 11th GRADE STUDENTS IN TEXAS FROM 2000–2002 TO 2004–2005

PubMed Central

Kelder, S. H.; Pérez, A.; Day, R. S.; Benoit, J.; Frankowski, R. F.; Walker, J. L.; Lee, E. S.

2016-01-01

Although national and state estimates of child obesity are available, data at these levels are insufficient to monitor effects of local obesity prevention initiatives. The purpose of this study was to examine regional changes in the prevalence of obesity due to state-wide policies and programs among children in grades 4, 8, and 11 in Texas Health Service Regions (HSR) between 2000–2002 and 2004–2005, and nine selected counties in 2004–2005. A cross-sectional, probability-based sample of 23,190 Texas students in grades 4, 8, and 11 were weighed and measured to obtain body mass index (BMI). Obesity was greater than 95th percentile for BMI by age/sex using CDC growth charts. Child obesity prevalence significantly decreased between 2000–2002 and 2004–2005 for 4th grade students in the El Paso HSR (−7.0%, p=0.005). A leveling off in the prevalence of obesity was noted for all other regions for grades 4, 8 and 11. County-level data supported the statistically significant decreases noted in the El Paso region. The reduction of child obesity levels observed in the El Paso area is one of the few examples of effective programs and policies based on a population-wide survey: in this region, a local foundation funded extensive regional implementation of community programs for obesity prevention, including an evidence-based elementary school-based health promotion program, adult nutrition and physical activity programs, and a radio and television advertising campaign. Results emphasize the need for sustained school, community and policy efforts, and that these efforts can result in decreases in child obesity at the population level. PMID:19798066

Association of Grade Configuration with School Climate for 7th and 8th Grade Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malone, Marisa; Cornell, Dewey; Shukla, Kathan

2017-01-01

Educational authorities have questioned whether middle schools provide the best school climate for 7th and 8th grade students, and proposed that other grade configurations such as K-8th grade schools may provide a better learning environment. The purpose of this study was to compare 7th and 8th grade students' perceptions of 4 key features of…

Parents in Partnership for Proficiency: For 3rd & 4th Graders and Their Families.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neiner, Christine; And Others

This document contains a series of learning materials for 3rd and 4th graders and their families. The materials are designed to augment classroom learning. Included are worksheets, games, and other skill building activities for writing, reading, math, citizenship, and science. These activities are meant to help children prepare for proficiency…

Crucial role of gamma interferon-producing CD4+ Th1 cells but dispensable function of CD8+ T cell, B cell, Th2, and Th17 responses in the control of Brucella melitensis infection in mice.

PubMed

Vitry, Marie-Alice; De Trez, Carl; Goriely, Stanislas; Dumoutier, Laure; Akira, Shizuo; Ryffel, Bernhard; Carlier, Yves; Letesson, Jean-Jacques; Muraille, Eric

2012-12-01

Brucella spp. are facultative intracellular bacterial pathogens responsible for brucellosis, a worldwide zoonosis that causes abortion in domestic animals and chronic febrile disease associated with serious complications in humans. There is currently no approved vaccine against human brucellosis, and antibiotic therapy is long and costly. Development of a safe protective vaccine requires a better understanding of the roles played by components of adaptive immunity in the control of Brucella infection. The importance of lymphocyte subsets in the control of Brucella growth has been investigated separately by various research groups and remains unclear or controversial. Here, we used a large panel of genetically deficient mice to compare the importance of B cells, transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP-1), and major histocompatibility complex class II-dependent pathways of antigen presentation as well as T helper 1 (Th1), Th2, and Th17-mediated responses on the immune control of Brucella melitensis 16 M infection. We clearly confirmed the key function played by gamma interferon (IFN-γ)-producing Th1 CD4(+) T cells in the control of B. melitensis infection, whereas IFN-γ-producing CD8(+) T cells or B cell-mediated humoral immunity plays only a modest role in the clearance of bacteria during primary infection. In the presence of a Th1 response, Th2 or Th17 responses do not really develop or play a positive or negative role during the course of B. melitensis infection. On the whole, these results could improve our ability to develop protective vaccines or therapeutic treatments against brucellosis.

New high-pressure polymorph of In{sub 2}S{sub 3} with defect Th{sub 3}P{sub 4}-type structure

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

Lai, Xiaojing; Zhu, Feng; Wu, Ye

The high pressure behavior of β-In{sub 2}S{sub 3} (I4{sub 1}/amd and Z=16) has been studied by in situ synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction combined with diamond anvil cell up to 71.7 GPa. Three pressure-induced phase transitions are evidenced at ∼6.6 GPa, ∼11.1 GPa at room temperature and 35.6 GPa after the high-temperature annealing using a portable laser heating system. The new polymorph of In{sub 2}S{sub 3} at 35.6 GPa is assigned to the denser cubic defect Th{sub 3}P{sub 4} structure (I4¯3d and Z=5.333), whose unit-cell parameters are a=7.557(1) Å and V=431.6(2) Å{sup 3}. The Th{sub 3}P{sub 4}-type phase can be stablemore » at least up to 71.7 GPa and cannot be preserved at ambient pressure. The pressure–volume relationship is well described by the second-order Birch–Murnaghan Equation of State, which yields B{sub 0}=63(3) GPa and B{sub 0}′=4 (fixed) for the β-In{sub 2}S{sub 3} phase and B{sub 0}=87(3) GPa and B{sub 0}′=4 (fixed) for the defect Th{sub 3}P{sub 4}-type phase respectively. - Graphical abstract: The structure and Rietveld refinement of new polymorph the defect Th{sub 3}P{sub 4}-type In{sub 2}S{sub 3}. This structure was observed at 35.6 GPa after laser heating by X-ray diffraction. Display Omitted - Highlights: Three pressure-induced phase transitions of β-In{sub 2}S{sub 3} were observed. β-In{sub 2}S{sub 3} was stable up to 6.6 GPa. The defect Th{sub 3}P{sub 4}-type In{sub 2}S{sub 3} was identified at 35.6 GPa after laser heating and was stable up to 71.7 GPa. Elastic properties of β-In{sub 2}S{sub 3} and Th{sub 3}P{sub 4}-type In{sub 2}S{sub 3} are well presented by Birch–Murnaghan EoS.« less

Spiritual Health Scale 2011: Defining and Measuring 4th Dimension of Health

PubMed Central

Dhar, Neera; Chaturvedi, SK; Nandan, Deoki

2011-01-01

In the midst of physical comforts provided by the unprecedented developments in all spheres of life, the humanity is at cross roads and looking at something beyond these means. Spirituality has now been identified globally as an important aspect for providing answers to many questions related to health and happiness. The World Health Organization is also keen at looking beyond physical, mental and social dimensions of the health, and the member countries are actively exploring the 4th Dimension of the health i.e. the spiritual health and its impact on the overall health and happiness of an individual. National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (NIHFW), realized this need and initiated a research study in this direction. In this study, an effort was made to define this 4th Dimension of health from a common worldly person's perspective and measure it. 3 Domains, 6 Constructs and 27 Determinants of spiritual health were identified through a scientific process. A statistically reliable and valid Spiritual Health Scale (SHS 2011) containing 114 items has been developed. Construct validity and test- retest reliability has been established for urban educated adult population. The scale is first of its kind in the world to measure the spiritual health of a common worldly person, which is devoid of religious and cultural bias. Its items have universal applicability. PMID:22279257

Reliability of a new 4th generation FloTrac algorithm to track cardiac output changes in patients receiving phenylephrine.

PubMed

Ji, Fuhai; Li, Jian; Fleming, Neal; Rose, David; Liu, Hong

2015-08-01

Phenylephrine is often used to treat intra-operative hypotension. Previous studies have shown that the FloTrac cardiac monitor may overestimate cardiac output (CO) changes following phenylephrine administration. A new algorithm (4th generation) has been developed to improve performance in this setting. We performed a prospective observational study to assess the effects of phenylephrine administration on CO values measured by the 3rd and 4th generation FloTrac algorithms. 54 patients were enrolled in this study. We used the Nexfin, a pulse contour method shown to be insensitive to vasopressor administration, as the reference method. Radial arterial pressures were recorded continuously in patients undergoing surgery. Phenylephrine administration times were documented. Arterial pressure recordings were subsequently analyzed offline using three different pulse contour analysis algorithms: FloTrac 3rd generation (G3), FloTrac 4th generation (G4), and Nexfin (nf). One minute of hemodynamic measurements was analyzed immediately before phenylephrine administration and then repeated when the mean arterial pressure peaked. A total of 157 (4.6 ± 3.2 per patient, range 1-15) paired sets of hemodynamic recordings were analyzed. Phenylephrine induced a significant increase in stroke volume (SV) and CO with the FloTrac G3, but not with FloTrac G4 or Nexfin algorithms. Agreement between FloTrac G3 and Nexfin was: 0.23 ± 1.19 l/min and concordance was 51.1%. In contrast, agreement between FloTrac G4 and Nexfin was: 0.19 ± 0.86 l/min and concordance was 87.2%. In conclusion, the pulse contour method of measuring CO, as implemented in FloTrac 4th generation algorithm, has significantly improved its ability to track the changes in CO induced by phenylephrine.

22 Years of predictive testing for Huntington's disease: the experience of the UK Huntington's Prediction Consortium.

PubMed

Baig, Sheharyar S; Strong, Mark; Rosser, Elisabeth; Taverner, Nicola V; Glew, Ruth; Miedzybrodzka, Zosia; Clarke, Angus; Craufurd, David; Quarrell, Oliver W

2016-10-01

Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition. At-risk individuals have accessed predictive testing via direct mutation testing since 1993. The UK Huntington's Prediction Consortium has collected anonymised data on UK predictive tests, annually, from 1993 to 2014: 9407 predictive tests were performed across 23 UK centres. Where gender was recorded, 4077 participants were male (44.3%) and 5122 were female (55.7%). The median age of participants was 37 years. The most common reason for predictive testing was to reduce uncertainty (70.5%). Of the 8441 predictive tests on individuals at 50% prior risk, 4629 (54.8%) were reported as mutation negative and 3790 (44.9%) were mutation positive, with 22 (0.3%) in the database being uninterpretable. Using a prevalence figure of 12.3 × 10(-5), the cumulative uptake of predictive testing in the 50% at-risk UK population from 1994 to 2014 was estimated at 17.4% (95% CI: 16.9-18.0%). We present the largest study conducted on predictive testing in HD. Our findings indicate that the vast majority of individuals at risk of HD (>80%) have not undergone predictive testing. Future therapies in HD will likely target presymptomatic individuals; therefore, identifying the at-risk population whose gene status is unknown is of significant public health value.

Cytokine production in peripheral blood cells of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer: elevated Th2/Th9 cytokine production before and reduced Th2 cytokine production after radioactive iodine therapy.

PubMed

Simonovic, Snezana Zivancevic; Mihaljevic, Olgica; Majstorovic, Ivana; Djurdjevic, Predrag; Kostic, Irena; Djordjevic, Olivera Milosevic; Teodorovic, Ljiljana Mijatovic

2015-01-01

Cytokines play a key role in the regulation of cells of the immune system and also have been implicated in the pathogenesis of malignant diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate cytokine profiles in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) before and 7 days after radioactive iodine (131-I) therapy. Cytokine levels were determined in supernatants obtained from phytohemagglutinin-stimulated whole blood cultures of 13 patients with DTC and 13 control subjects. The concentrations of selected cytokines: Th1-interferon gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin 2 (IL-2) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α); Th2-interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin 5 (IL-5), interleukin 13 (IL-13) and interleukin 10 (IL-10); Th9-interleukin-9 (IL-9); and Th17-interleukin 17 (IL-17A) were measured using multiplex cytokine detection systems for Human Th1/Th2/Th9/Th17/Th22. We have shown that peripheral blood cells of DTC patients produce significantly higher concentrations of Th2/Th9 cytokines (IL-5, IL-13 and IL-9) than control subjects. The 131-I therapy led to reduced secretion of Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13). Despite this, the calculated cytokine ratios (Th1/Th2) in DTC patients before and 7 days after 131-I therapy were not different from those in healthy subjects. DTC patients have significantly higher concentrations of Th2/Th9 cytokines (IL-5, IL-13 and IL-9) than control subjects. There is no influence of hypothyroidism or stage of disease on cytokine production in DTC patients before 131-I therapy. The radioactive 131-I therapy leads to reduced secretion of Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13). Additional studies are needed to determine the significance of these findings.

9 CFR 91.4 - Other movements and conditions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Other movements and conditions. 91.4 Section 91.4 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF... HANDLING OF LIVESTOCK FOR EXPORTATION General Provisions § 91.4 Other movements and conditions. The...

Early pediatric atopic dermatitis shows only a cutaneous lymphocyte antigen (CLA)(+) TH2/TH1 cell imbalance, whereas adults acquire CLA(+) TH22/TC22 cell subsets.

PubMed

Czarnowicki, Tali; Esaki, Hitokazu; Gonzalez, Juana; Malajian, Dana; Shemer, Avner; Noda, Shinji; Talasila, Sreya; Berry, Adam; Gray, Jayla; Becker, Lauren; Estrada, Yeriel; Xu, Hui; Zheng, Xiuzhong; Suárez-Fariñas, Mayte; Krueger, James G; Paller, Amy S; Guttman-Yassky, Emma

2015-10-01

Identifying differences and similarities between cutaneous lymphocyte antigen (CLA)(+) polarized T-cell subsets in children versus adults with atopic dermatitis (AD) is critical for directing new treatments toward children. We sought to compare activation markers and frequencies of skin-homing (CLA(+)) versus systemic (CLA(-)) "polar" CD4 and CD8 T-cell subsets in patients with early pediatric AD, adults with AD, and control subjects. Flow cytometry was used to measure CD69/inducible costimulator/HLA-DR frequency in memory cell subsets, as well as IFN-γ, IL-13, IL-9, IL-17, and IL-22 cytokines, defining TH1/cytotoxic T (TC) 1, TH2/TC2, TH9/TC9, TH17/TC17, and TH22/TC22 populations in CD4 and CD8 cells, respectively. We compared peripheral blood from 19 children less than 5 years old and 42 adults with well-characterized moderate-to-severe AD, as well as age-matched control subjects (17 children and 25 adults). Selective inducible costimulator activation (P < .001) was seen in children. CLA(+) TH2 T cells were markedly expanded in both children and adults with AD compared with those in control subjects, but decreases in CLA(+) TH1 T-cell numbers were greater in children with AD (17% vs 7.4%, P = .007). Unlike in adults, no imbalances were detected in CLA(-) T cells from pediatric patients with AD nor were there altered frequencies of TH22 T cells within the CLA(+) or CLA(-) compartments. Adults with AD had increased frequencies of IL-22-producing CD4 and CD8 T cells within the skin-homing population, compared with controls (9.5% vs 4.5% and 8.6% vs 2.4%, respectively; P < .001), as well as increased HLA-DR activation (P < .01). These data suggest that TH2 activation within skin-homing T cells might drive AD in children and that reduced counterregulation by TH1 T cells might contribute to excess TH2 activation. TH22 "spreading" of AD is not seen in young children and might be influenced by immune development, disease chronicity, or recurrent skin infections

Computational investigations of the band structure, and thermodynamic and optical features of thorium-based oxide ThGeO4 using the full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave plus local orbital approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiker, F.; Khachai, H.; Mathieu, C.; Bin-Omran, S.; Kada, Belkacem; Sun, Xiao-Wei; Sandeep; Rai, D. P.; Khenata, R.

2018-05-01

In this study, first-principles investigations were performed using the full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave method of the structural and optoelectronic properties of thorium germinate (ThGeO4), a high-K dielectric material. Under ambient conditions, the structural properties calculated for ThGeO4 in the zircon phase were in excellent agreement with the available experimental data. Furthermore, using the modified Becke -Johnson correction method, the calculated band gaps and optical constants accurately described this compound. Finally, the thermal properties were predicted over a temperature range of 0-700 K and pressures up to 11 GPa using the quasi-harmonic Debye model, where the variations in the heat capacity, primitive cell volume, and thermal expansion coefficients were determined successfully.

The ThPOK transcription factor differentially affects the development and function of self-specific CD8(+) T cells and regulatory CD4(+) T cells.

PubMed

Twu, Yuh-Ching; Teh, Hung-Sia

2014-03-01

The zinc finger transcription factor ThPOK plays a crucial role in CD4 T-cell development and CD4/CD8 lineage decision. In ThPOK-deficient mice, developing T cells expressing MHC class II-restricted T-cell receptors are redirected into the CD8 T-cell lineage. In this study, we investigated whether the ThPOK transgene affected the development and function of two additional types of T cells, namely self-specific CD8 T cells and CD4(+) FoxP3(+) T regulatory cells. Self-specific CD8 T cells are characterized by high expression of CD44, CD122, Ly6C, 1B11 and proliferation in response to either IL-2 or IL-15. The ThPOK transgene converted these self-specific CD8 T cells into CD4 T cells. The converted CD4(+) T cells are no longer self-reactive, lose the characteristics of self-specific CD8 T cells, acquire the properties of conventional CD4 T cells and survive poorly in peripheral lymphoid organs. By contrast, the ThPOK transgene promoted the development of CD4(+) FoxP3(+) regulatory T cells resulting in an increased recovery of CD4(+) FoxP3(+) regulatory T cells that expressed higher transforming growth factor-β-dependent suppressor activity. These studies indicate that the ThPOK transcription factor differentially affects the development and function of self-specific CD8 T cells and CD4(+) FoxP3(+) regulatory T cells. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

21st Century Projections of High Streamflow Events in the UK and Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cioffi, Francesco; Rosario Conticello, Federico; Lall, Upmanu; Merz, Bruno

2017-04-01

Radiative effects of anthropogenic changes in atmospheric composition are expected to enhance the hydrological cycle leading to more frequent and intense floods. To explore if there will be an increased risk of river flooding in the future, 21st century projections under global warming scenarios of High Streamflow Events (HSEs) for UK and German rivers are carried out, using a model that statistically relates large-scale atmospheric predictors - 850 hPa Geopotential Height (GPH850) and Integrated Water Vapor Transport (IVT) - to the occurrence of HSEs in one or simultaneously in several streamflow gauges. Here, HSE is defined as the streamflow exceeding the 99th percentile of daily flowrate time series measured at streamflow gauges. For the common period 1960-2012, historical data from 57 streamflow gauges in UK and 61 streamflow gauges in Germany, as well as, reanalysis data of GPH850 and IVT fields, bounded from 90W to 70E and from 20N to 80N are used. The link between GPH850 configurations and HSEs, and more precisely, identification of the GPH850 states potentially able to generate HSEs, is performed by a combined Kohonen Networks (Self Organized Map, SOM) and Event Syncronization approach. Complex network and modularity methods are used to cluster streamflow gauges that share common GPH850 configurations. Then a model based on a conditional Poisson distribution, in which the parameter of the Poisson distribution is assumed to be a nonlinear function of GPH850 and IVT, allows for the identification of GPH850 state and threshold of IVT beyond which there is the HSE highest probability. Using that model, projections of 21st century changes in frequency of HSEs occurrence in UK and Germany are estimated using the simulated fields of GPH850 and IVT from selected GCMs belonging to the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5). Among the different GCMs, those are selected whose retrospective predictor fields have consistent statistics with the

Direct Measurement of Initial 230TH/ 232TH Ratios in Central Texas Speleothems for More Accurate Age Determination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wortham, B. E.; Banner, J. L.; James, E.; Loewy, S. L.

2013-12-01

, 14.6 × 0.83 ppm, 5.8 × 0.56 ppm, and 5.9 × 0.60 ppm, which are higher and more precise than the value commonly assumed for initial 230Th/232Th, 4.4 × 4.4 ppm. Soil sampled above Westcave, a potential source of detrital Th incorporated into speleothems, also has a high calculated 230Th/232Th. We calculate soil 230Th/232Th from measured U and Th concentrations of soil leachates (using DI water and ammonium acetate). Calculated 230Th/232Th for Westcave soils range from 0.39 to 28.4 ppm, which encompasses the range of initial 230Th/232Th values found in the modern calcite. Soil leachates from Natural Bridge Caverns and Inner Space Cavern were analyzed by the same method, yielding calculated 230Th/232Th ranging from 1.5 to 12.6 ppm (Natural Bridge), and from 1.43 to 272 ppm (Inner Space). Soil and calcite data indicate that the commonly assumed initial 230Th/232Th is not always applicable and that initial 230Th/232Th can be estimated more accurately by measuring Th isotope ratios in modern calcite and soils to determine speleothem U-series ages.

Climatic changes and social transformations in the Near East and North Africa during the 'long' 4th millennium BC: A comparative study of environmental and archaeological evidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clarke, Joanne; Brooks, Nick; Banning, Edward B.; Bar-Matthews, Miryam; Campbell, Stuart; Clare, Lee; Cremaschi, Mauro; di Lernia, Savino; Drake, Nick; Gallinaro, Marina; Manning, Sturt; Nicoll, Kathleen; Philip, Graham; Rosen, Steve; Schoop, Ulf-Dietrich; Tafuri, Mary Anne; Weninger, Bernhard; Zerboni, Andrea

2016-03-01

This paper explores the possible links between rapid climate change (RCC) and social change in the Near East and surrounding regions (Anatolia, central Syria, southern Israel, Mesopotamia, Cyprus and eastern and central Sahara) during the 'long' 4th millennium (∼4500-3000) BC. Twenty terrestrial and 20 marine climate proxies are used to identify long-term trends in humidity involving transitions from humid to arid conditions and vice versa. The frequency distribution of episodes of relative aridity across these records is calculated for the period 6300-2000 BC, so that the results may be interpreted in the context of the established arid episodes associated with RCC around 6200 and 2200 BC (the 8.2 and 4.2 kyr events). We identify two distinct episodes of heightened aridity in the early-mid 4th, and late 4th millennium BC. These episodes cluster strongly at 3600-3700 and 3100-3300 BC. There is also evidence of localised aridity spikes in the 5th and 6th millennia BC. These results are used as context for the interpretation of regional and local archaeological records with a particular focus on case studies from western Syria, the middle Euphrates, southern Israel and Cyprus. Interpretation of the records involves the construction of plausible narratives of human-climate interaction informed by concepts of adaptation and resilience from the literature on contemporary (i.e. 21st century) climate change and adaptation. The results are presented alongside well-documented examples of climatically-influenced societal change in the central and eastern Sahara, where detailed geomorphological studies of ancient environments have been undertaken in tandem with archaeological research. While the narratives for the Near East and Eastern Mediterranean remain somewhat speculative, the use of resilience and adaptation frameworks allows for a more nuanced treatment of human-climate interactions and recognises the diversity and context-specificity of human responses to climatic

Th2 LCR is essential for regulation of Th2 cytokine genes and for pathogenesis of allergic asthma.

PubMed

Koh, Byung Hee; Hwang, Soo Seok; Kim, Joo Young; Lee, Wonyong; Kang, Min-Jong; Lee, Chun Geun; Park, Jung-Won; Flavell, Richard A; Lee, Gap Ryol

2010-06-08

Previous studies have shown that Th2 cytokine genes on mouse chromosome 11 are coordinately regulated by the Th2 locus control region (LCR). To examine the in vivo function of Th2 LCR, we generated CD4-specific Th2 LCR-deficient (cLCR KO) mice using Cre-LoxP recombination. The number of CD4 T cells in the cLCR KO mouse was comparable to that in wild-type mice. The expression of Th2 cytokines was dramatically reduced in in vitro-stimulated naïve CD4 T cells. Deletion of the LCR led to a loss of general histone H3 acetylation and histone H3-K4 methylation, and demethylation of DNA in the Th2 cytokine locus. Upon ovalbumin challenge in the mouse model of allergic asthma, cLCR KO mice exhibited marked reduction in the recruitment of eosinophils and lymphocytes in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, serum IgE level, lung airway inflammation, mucus production in the airway walls, and airway hyperresponsiveness. These results directly demonstrate that the Th2 LCR is critically important in the regulation of Th2 cytokine genes, in chromatin remodeling of the Th2 cytokine locus, and in the pathogenesis of allergic asthma.

The permanent electric dipole moment of thorium sulfide, ThS.

PubMed

Le, Anh; Heaven, Michael C; Steimle, Timothy C

2014-01-14

Numerous rotational lines of the {18.26}1-X(1)Σ(+) band system of thorium sulfide, ThS, were recorded near 547.6 nm at a resolution of approximately 30 MHz. Measurements were made under field-free conditions, and in the presence of a static electric field. The field-free spectrum was analyzed to produce rotational and Λ-doubling parameters. The Stark shifts induced by the electric field were analyzed to determine permanent electric dipole moments, μ⃗el, of 4.58(10) D and 6.72(5) D for the X(1)Σ(+) (v = 0) and {18.26}1 states, respectively. The results are compared with the predictions of previous and new electronic structure calculations for ThS, and the properties of isovalent ThO.

(232)Th(d,4n)(230)Pa cross-section measurements at ARRONAX facility for the production of (230)U.

PubMed

Duchemin, C; Guertin, A; Haddad, F; Michel, N; Métivier, V

2014-05-01

(226)Th (T1/2=31 min) is a promising therapeutic radionuclide since results, published in 2009, showed that it induces leukemia cells death and activates apoptosis pathways with higher efficiencies than (213)Bi. (226)Th can be obtained via the (230)U α decay. This study focuses on the (230)U production using the (232)Th(d,4n)(230)Pa(β-)(230)U reaction. Experimental cross sections for deuteron-induced reactions on (232)Th were measured from 30 down to 19 MeV using the stacked-foil technique with beams provided by the ARRONAX cyclotron. After irradiation, all foils (targets as well as monitors) were measured using a high-purity germanium detector. Our new (230)Pa cross-section values, as well as those of (232)Pa and (233)Pa contaminants created during the irradiation, were compared with previous measurements and with results given by the TALYS code. Experimentally, same trends were observed with slight differences in orders of magnitude mainly due to the nuclear data change. Improvements are ongoing about the TALYS code to better reproduce the data for deuteron-induced reactions on (232)Th. Using our cross-section data points from the (232)Th(d,4n)(230)Pa reaction, we have calculated the thick-target yield of (230)U, in Bq/μA·h. This value allows now to a full comparison between the different production routes, showing that the proton routes must be preferred. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Overview of Epidemic Typhus in the World and Iran during the 19th and 20th Centuries.

PubMed

Azizi, Mohammad Hossein; Bahadori, Moslem; Azizi, Farzaneh

2016-10-01

The present article provides a concise historical review on classical epidemic typhus (exanthemata typhus) in the world as well its outbreaks in Iran mainly during the 19th and 20th centuries. Typhus is still a potential public health threat under certain conditions, despite the fact that nowadays, efficient antibiotics are accessible and sanitary conditions which lead to typhus outbreaks have improved significantly.

K-8th Grade Korean Students' Conceptions of 'Changes of State' and 'Conditions for Changes of State'. Research Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paik, Seoung-Hey; Kim, Hyo-Nam; Cho, Boo-Kyoung; Park, Jae-Won

2004-01-01

This study investigates the various conceptions held by K-8th Korean grade students regarding the 'changes of state' and the 'conditions for changes of state'. The study used a sample of five kindergarteners, five secondgrade students, five fourth-grade students, five sixth-grade students, and five eighth-grade students. The 25 students attend…

Performance of the JULES land surface model for UK Biogenic VOC emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayman, Garry; Comyn-Platt, Edward; Vieno, Massimo; Langford, Ben

2017-04-01

Emissions of biogenic non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) are important for air quality and tropospheric composition. Through their contribution to the production of tropospheric ozone and secondary organic aerosol (SOA), biogenic VOCs indirectly contribute to climate forcing and climate feedbacks [1]. Biogenic VOCs encompass a wide range of compounds and are produced by plants for growth, development, reproduction, defence and communication [2]. There are both biological and physico-chemical controls on emissions [3]. Only a few of the many biogenic VOCs are of wider interest and only two or three (isoprene and the monoterpenes, α- and β-pinene) are represented in chemical transport models. We use the Joint UK Land Environment Simulator (JULES), the UK community land surface model, to estimate biogenic VOC emission fluxes. JULES is a process-based model that describes the water, energy and carbon balances and includes temperature, moisture and carbon stores [4, 5]. JULES currently provides emission fluxes of the 4 largest groups of biogenic VOCs: isoprene, terpenes, methanol and acetone. The JULES isoprene scheme uses gross primary productivity (GPP), leaf internal carbon and the leaf temperature as a proxy for the electron requirement for isoprene synthesis [6]. In this study, we compare JULES biogenic VOC emission estimates of isoprene and terepenes with (a) flux measurements made at selected sites in the UK and Europe and (b) gridded estimates for the UK from the EMEP/EMEP4UK atmospheric chemical transport model [7, 8], using site-specific or EMEP4UK driving meteorological data, respectively. We compare the UK-scale emission estimates with literature estimates. We generally find good agreement in the comparisons but the estimates are sensitive to the choice of the base or reference emission potentials. References (1) Unger, 2014: Geophys. Res. Lett., 41, 8563, doi:10.1002/2014GL061616; (2) Laothawornkitkul et al., 2009: New Phytol., 183, 27, doi

Role of T-bet, the master regulator of Th1 cells, in the cytotoxicity of murine CD4+ T cells.

PubMed

Eshima, Koji; Misawa, Kana; Ohashi, Chihiro; Iwabuchi, Kazuya

2018-05-01

Although CD4 + T cells are generally regarded as helper T cells, some activated CD4 + T cells have cytotoxic properties. Given that CD4 + cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) often secrete IFN-γ, CTL activity among CD4 + T cells may be attributable to Th1 cells, where a T-box family molecule, T-bet serves as the "master regulator". However, although the essential contribution of T-bet to expression of IFN-γ has been well-documented, it remains unclear whether T-bet is involved in CD4 + T cell-mediated cytotoxicity. In this study, to investigate the ability of T-bet to confer cytolytic activity on CD4 + T cells, the T-bet gene (Tbx21) was introduced into non-cytocidal CD4 + T cell lines and their cytolytic function analyzed. Up-regulation of FasL (CD178), which provided the transfectant with cytotoxicity, was observed in Tbx21transfected CD4 + T cells but not in untransfected parental cells. In one cell line, T-bet transduction also induced perforin gene (Prf1) expression and Tbx21 transfectants efficiently killed Fas - target cells. Although T-bet was found to repress up-regulation of CD40L (CD154), which controls FasL-mediated cytolysis, the extent of CD40L up-regulation on in vitro-differentiated Th1 cells was similar to that on Th2 cells, suggesting the existence of a compensatory mechanism. These results collectively indicate that T-bet may be involved in the expression of genes, such as FasL and Prf1, which confer cytotoxicity on Th1 cells. © 2018 The Societies and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Special Issue: 4th International Workshop on Space Radiation (IWSRR)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cucinotta, Francis A.

2007-01-01

This special issue of the journal "Radiation and Environmental Biophysics" contains 20 peer-reviewed papers contributed by leading space radiation researcher's world-wide attending the 4th IWSRR. Manuscripts cover a broad range of topics ranging from radiation environments and transport in shielding and planetary surfaces to new results in understanding the biological effects of protons and high-charge and energy (HZE) nuclei on the risk of cancer, and degenerative diseases such as central nervous system effects, heart disease, and cataracts. The issue provides a snapshot of the state-of-the-art of the research in this field, demonstrating both the important results gathered in the past few years with experiments at accelerators, and the need for more research to quantify the risk and develop countermeasures.

The role of long-range transport and domestic emissions in determining atmospheric secondary inorganic particle concentrations across the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vieno, M.; Heal, M. R.; Hallsworth, S.; Famulari, D.; Doherty, R. M.; Dore, A. J.; Tang, Y. S.; Braban, C. F.; Leaver, D.; Sutton, M. A.; Reis, S.

2013-12-01

Surface concentrations of secondary inorganic particle components over the UK have been analysed for 2001-2010 using the EMEP4UK regional atmospheric chemistry transport model. In early 2003 an episode of substantially elevated surface concentrations of ammonium nitrate was measured across the UK by the AGANET network. The EMEP4UK model was able accurately to represent both the long-term decadal surface concentrations and the episode in 2003. The latter was identified as consisting of three separate episodes, each of less than 1 month duration, in February, March and April. The primary cause of the elevated nitrate levels across the UK was meteorological, a persistent high pressure system, but whose varying location impacted the relative importance of transboundary vs. domestic emissions. Whilst long-range transport dominated the elevated nitrate in February, in contrast it was domestic emissions that mainly contributed to the March episode, and for the April episode both domestic emissions and long-range transport contributed. A prolonged episode such as the one in early 2003 can have substantial impact on annual average concentrations. The episode led to annual concentration differences at the regional scale of similar magnitude to those driven by long-term changes in precursor emissions over the full decade investigated here. The results demonstrate that a substantial part of the UK, particularly the south and south-east, may be close to or actually exceeding annual mean limit values because of import of inorganic aerosol components from continental Europe under specific conditions. The results reinforce the importance of employing multiple year simulations in the assessment of emissions reduction scenarios on PM concentrations and the need for international agreements to address the transboundary component of air pollution.

The role of long-range transport and domestic emissions in determining atmospheric secondary inorganic particle concentrations across the UK