DEZ ANOS DE EXPERIÊNCIA DO COMITÊ DE ÉTICA EM PESQUISA DA SECRETARIA DE SAÚDE DO DISTRITO FEDERAL, BRASIL

PubMed Central

Novaes, Maria Rita C. G.; Guilhem, Dirce; Lolas, Fernando

2009-01-01

O objetivo deste artigo é relatar a experiência do Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa da Secretaria de Estado de Saúde do Distrito Federal (CEP/SES/DF) Brasil, durante o período de 10 anos a partir de sua fundação. Trata-se de uma avaliação descritiva e documental, na modalidade estudo de caso, utilizando-se a totalidade de projetos protocolados no CEP/SES/DF (N° 052/08) nesse período. As pendências mais freqüentes dos projetos foram: termo de consentimento livre e esclarecido (30%), folha de rosto (25%), metodologia (20%), curriculum vitae (12%), planilha de orçamento (9%), outros (4%). O relato das atividades do CEP/SES/DF no período de 10 anos revelou, através de sua produtividade, a legitimidade do processo de análise ética dos protocolos visando à proteção dos participantes da pesquisa. PMID:19888441

Social representations of the health care of the Mbyá-Guarani indigenous population by health workers.

PubMed

Falkenberg, Mirian Benites; Shimizu, Helena Eri; Bermudez, Ximena Pamela Díaz

2017-02-06

to analyze the social representations of health care of the Mbyá-Guarani ethnic group by multidisciplinary teams from the Special Indigenous Health District in the south coast of Rio Grande do Sul state (Distrito Sanitário Especial Indígena Litoral Sul do Rio Grande do Sul), Brazil. a qualitative method based on the theory of social representations was used. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with 20 health workers and by participant observation. The interviews were analyzed with ALCESTE software, which conducts a lexical content analysis using quantitative techniques for the treatment of textual data. there were disagreements in the health care concepts and practices between traditional medicine and biomedicine; however, some progress has been achieved in the area of intermedicality. The ethnic boundaries established between health workers and indigenous peoples based on their representations of culture and family, together with the lack of infrastructure and organization of health actions, are perceived as factors that hinder health care in an intercultural context. a new basis for the process of indigenous health care needs to be established by understanding the needs identified and by agreement among individuals, groups, and health professionals via intercultural exchange. analisar as representações sociais do cuidado em saúde entre trabalhadores que atuam em equipes multidisciplinares no Distrito Sanitário Especial Indígena Litoral Sul do Rio Grande do Sul, junto à etnia Mbyá-Guarani. utilizou-se método qualitativo, fundamentado na teoria das Representações Sociais. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas com 20 trabalhadores e da observação participante. As entrevistas analisadas com o software ALCESTE, o qual realiza a análise lexical de conteúdo por meio de técnicas quantitativas de tratamento de dados textuais. verificou-se que existe tensão entre as concepções e práticas de cuidado da medicina tradicional e da biomedicina, mas observam-se alguns avanços na perspectiva da intermedicalidade. Fronteiras étnicas estabelecidas entre os trabalhadores e os indígenas, baseadas em suas representações de cultura e família, da mesma maneira que a falta de infraestrutura e os modos de organização do trabalho em saúde são percebidos como fatores que dificultam o cuidado em contextos de interculturalidade. é preciso estabelecer novas bases para o processo de cuidar em saúde indígena, a partir da compreensão das necessidades representadas, negociadas entre sujeitos individuais e coletivos e os profissionais nas instituições de saúde em um diálogo intercultural de múltiplas vozes. analizar las representaciones sociales de la atención de la salud del grupo étnico Mbyá-Guaraní por equipos multidisciplinarios del Distrito Sanitario Especial Indígena en la costa sur del estado de Rio Grande do Sul (Distrito Sanitário Especial Indígena Litoral Sul do Rio Grande do Sul), Brasil. se utilizó un método cualitativo basado en la teoría de las representaciones sociales. Los datos fueron recogidos a través de entrevistas semi-estructuradas con 20 trabajadores de la salud y por observación de los participantes. Las entrevistas fueron analizadas con el programa ALCESTE, que realiza un análisis de contenido léxico utilizando técnicas cuantitativas para el tratamiento de datos textuales. hubo desacuerdos en los conceptos y prácticas de atención médica entre medicina tradicional y biomedicina; sin embargo, se han logrado algunos avances en el área de la intermedicina. Las barreras étnicas establecidas entre los trabajadores de la salud y los pueblos indígenas basados en sus representaciones de la cultura y la familia, junto con la falta de infraestructura y organización de las acciones de salud, son percibidas como factores que obstaculizan la atención sanitaria en un contexto intercultural. es necesario establecer una nueva base para el proceso de atención de salud indígena mediante la comprensión de las necesidades identificadas y por acuerdo entre individuos, grupos y profesionales de la salud a través del intercambio intercultural.

Comparison of heavy metal toxicity in continuous flow and batch reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sengor, S. S.; Gikas, P.; Moberly, J. G.; Peyton, B. M.; Ginn, T. R.

2009-12-01

The presence of heavy metals may significantly affect microbial growth. In many cases, small amounts of particular heavy metals may stimulate microbial growth; however, larger quantities may result in microbial growth reduction. Environmental parameters, such as growth pattern may alter the critical heavy metal concentration, above which microbial growth stimulation turns to growth inhibition. Thus, it is important to quantify the effects of heavy metals on microbial activity for understanding natural or manmade biological reactors, either in situ or ex situ. Here we compare the toxicity of Zn and Cu on Arthrobacter sp., a heavy metal tolerant microorganism, under continuous flow versus batch reactor operations. Batch and continuous growth tests of Arthrobacter sp. were carried out at various individual and combined concentrations of Zn and Cu. Biomass concentration (OD) was measured for both the batch and continuous reactors, whereas ATP, oxygen uptake rates and substrate concentrations were additionally measured for the continuous system. Results indicated that Cu was more toxic than Zn under all conditions for both systems. In batch reactors, all tested Zn concentrations up to 150 uM showed a stimulatory effect on microbial growth. However, in the case of mixed Zn and Cu exposures, the presence of Zn either eliminated (at the 50 uM level both Zn and Cu) or reduced by ~25% (at the 100 and 150 uM levels both Zn and Cu) the Cu-induced inhibition. In the continuous system, only one test involved combined Cu (40uM) and Zn (125uM) and this test showed similar results to the 40uM Cu continuous test, i.e., no reduction in inhibition. The specific ATP concentration, i.e., ATP/OD, results for the continuous reactor showed an apparent recovery for both Cu-treated populations, although neither the OD nor glucose data showed any recovery. This may reflect that the individual microorganisms that survived after the addition of heavy metals, kept maintaining the usual ATP levels, as before metal addition. The last may imply a short of adaptation by some microorganisms to the presence of heavy metals. Overall, the batch reactor tests underestimated significantly the heavy metal inhibition, as compared to the continuous flow reactors. Therefore, the results of batch reactor tests should be used with some caution when heavy metal inhibition is to be interpreted for continuous flow natural environmental systems, such as rivers or wetlands.

Pseudoaneurisma de aorta abdominal como complicação de pancreatite crônica: relato de caso

PubMed Central

Barbosa, Eduardo Carvalho Horta; Nóbrega, Leonardo Pires de Sá; Rodrigues, Daniel Augusto de Souza; Cunha, Josué Rafael Ferreira; Kalume, Claudio Eluan

2017-01-01

Resumo A pancreatite crônica é uma enfermidade associada a diversas complicações vasculares, como pseudocisto hemorrágico, trombose do sistema venoso portal e formações varicosas e pseudoaneurismáticas. O pseudoaneurisma de aorta abdominal secundário à pancreatite crônica é uma complicação rara, de difícil suspeição clínica, que requer tratamento complexo. A fisiopatologia dessa condição envolve a corrosão enzimática tecidual após a liberação e ativação de enzimas exócrinas proteolíticas das células acinares do pâncreas. O presente estudo relata o caso de um paciente de 52 anos, etilista crônico, internado com dor abdominal difusa, cuja propedêutica revelou se tratar de um pseudoaneurisma em aorta infrarrenal. Optou-se pelo tratamento cirúrgico convencional, levando-se em consideração a idade, as condições clínicas do paciente e a disponibilidade de endopróteses compatíveis com o diâmetro da aorta. PMID:29930654

Revista Interamericana de Educacion de Adultos, 2002 (Interamerican Review of Adult Education, 2002).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guerra, Alfonso Rangel, Ed.

2002-01-01

This collection of Spanish-language articles includes the following: "La Importancia del Contexto en la Alfabetizacion" (Judith Kalman); "Profesorodo y Formadores: La Formacion para la Transformation de los Distritos y las Comunidades" (Concepcion Dominquez Garrido and Antonio Medina Rivilla); "Valoracion de los Resultados…

Correction to: Mercury Exposure: Protein Biomarkers of Mercury Exposure in Jaraqui Fish from the Amazon Region.

PubMed

Vieira, José Cavalcante Souza; Braga, Camila Pereira; de Oliveira, Grasieli; do Carmo Federici Padilha, Cilene; de Moraes, Paula Martin; Zara, Luiz Fabricio; de Lima Leite, Aline; Buzalaf, Marília Afonso Rabelo; de Magalhães Padilha, Pedro

2018-05-01

In the affiliation section, Luiz Fabricio Zara's affiliation "Pontifical Catholic University of Goiás (PUC), Goiânia, GO, Brazil" was incorrect. The correct affiliation is College of Planaltina, UnB - University of Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil.

Effects of Ex Vivo y-Tocopherol on Airway Macrophage ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Elevated inflammation and altered immune responses are features found in atopic asthmatic airways. Recent studies indicate y-tocopherol (GT) supplementation can suppress airway inflammation in allergic asthma. We studied the effects of in vitro GT supplementation on receptor-mediated phagocytosis and expression of cell surface molecules associated with innate and adaptive immunity on sputum-derived macrophages. Cells from nonsmoking healthy (n = 6)and mild house dust mite-sensitive allergic asthmatics (n =6) were treated ex vivo with GT (300 uM) or saline (control). Phagocytosis of opsonized zymosan A bioparticles (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and expression of surface molecules associated with innate and adaptive immunity were assessed using flow cytometry. GT caused significantly decreased (p < 0.05) internalization of attached zymosan bioparticles and decreased (p < 0.05) macrophage expression of CD206,CD36 and CD86 in allergic asthmatics but not in corntrols. Overall, GT caused down regulation of both innate and adaptive immune response elements, and atopic status appears to be an important factor. Recent studies on the effects of the fat-soluble steriod hormone vitamins D and E suggest that dietary suplementation with these vitamins may be helpful for the prevention or in the treatment of inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases, including atopic asthma.

76 FR 11561 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-02

....A., Cali, Colombia; c/o INVERSIONES CIFUENTES Y CIA. S. EN C., Medellin, Colombia; c/o PARQUES...., Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico; c/o INVERSIONES CIFUENTES Y CIA. S. EN C., Medellin, Colombia; c/o..., Colombia; c/o INVERSIONES CIFUENTES Y CIA. S. EN C., Medellin, Colombia; c/o LE CLAUDE, S.A. DE C.V...

Vínculos sobre um modelo de quartessência de Chaplygin usando observações do satélite chandra da fração de massa de gás em aglomerados de galáxias

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Souza, R. S.

2003-08-01

Observações de Supernovas do tipo Ia mostram que a expansão do Universo está acelerando. Segundo as equações de Einstein uma componente com pressão negativa (energia escura) é necessária para explicar a aceleração cósmica. Além da energia escura é usualmente admitido que no Universo há também uma matéria exótica com pressão zero, que é chamada de matéria escura. Essa componente possui um papel fundamental na formação de estruturas no Universo. Recentemente tem se explorado a possibilidade de que matéria e energia escura poderiam ser unificadas através de uma única componente, que tem sido denominada de quartessência. Um exemplo de fluido com essas características é o Gás de Chaplygin Generalizado, que possui uma equação de estado da forma p = -A/ra. Inicialmente consideramos o caso especial a = 1 (gás de Chaplygin) e vinculamos parâmetros do modelo utilizando observações em raios-X do satélite Chandra da fração de massa de gás em aglomerados de galáxias. Uma comparação dos vínculos obtidos com esse teste com outros testes, tais como supernovas e idade do Universo, mostra que esse teste é bastante restritivo. Exibiremos ainda resultados para o caso em que a curvatura é nula e o parâmetro a está compreendido no intervalo -1 < a 1.

76 FR 59483 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-26

...) [SDNTK] 3. MEJIA ZULUAGA, Omar, c/o AS INVERSIONES S.A., Bogota, Colombia; c/o C.I. PLANETA COMERCIAL S.A...) [SDNTK] Entities: 1. AS INVERSIONES S.A., Carrera 14A No. 151A-06 T4 104, Bogota, Colombia; NIT 800224826... CUBE MEXICO, S.A. DE C.V., Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico; c/o INVERSIONES CIFUENTES Y CIA. S...

VIII Olimpíada Brasileira de Astronomia e Astronáutica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia Canalle, João Batista; Villas da Rocha, Jaime Fernando; Wuensche de Souza, Carlos Alexandre; Pereira Ortiz, Roberto; Aguilera, Nuricel Villalonga; Padilha, Maria De Fátima Catta Preta; Pessoa Filho, José Bezerra; Soares Rodrigues, Ivette Maria

2007-07-01

Neste trabalho apresentamos as motivações pelas quais organizamos, em conjunto, pela primeira vez, a Olimpíada Brasileira de Astronomia incluindo a Astronáutica, em colaboração com a Agência Espacial Brasileira. Esta ampliação contribuiu para atrair ainda mais alunos, professores, escolas e patrocinadores para participarem desta Olimpíada. Em 2005 participaram da VIII Olimpíada Brasileira de Astronomia e Astronáutica (VIII OBA) 187.726 alunos distribuídos por 3.229 escolas, pertencentes a todos os estados brasileiros, incluindo o Distrito Federal. O crescimento em número de alunos participantes foi 52,4% maior do que em 2004. Em abril de 2005 organizamos, em Itapecerica da Serra, SP, um curso para os 50 alunos previamente selecionados e participantes da VII OBA e ao final selecionamos, dentre eles, uma equipe de 5 alunos, os quais representaram o Brasil na X Olimpíada Internacional de Astronomia, na China, em outubro de 2005. Ganhamos, pela primeira vez, uma medalha de ouro naquele evento. Em Agosto de 2005, organizamos a VIII Escola de Agosto para 50 alunos e respectivos professores, em Águas de Lindóia, SP, juntamente com a XXXI reunião anual da Sociedade Astronômica Brasileira (SAB). Em novembro de 2005 realizamos a I Jornada Espacial, em São José dos Campos, com 22 alunos e 22 professores selecionados dentre os participantes que melhores resultados obtiveram nas questões de Astronáutica da VIII OBA. Neste trabalho detalhamos os resultados da VIII OBA bem como as ações subseqüentes.

CHEOPS: CHaracterising ExOPlanets Satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isaak, Kate

2017-04-01

CHEOPS (CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite) is the first exoplanet mission dedicated to the search for transits of exoplanets by means of ultrahigh precision photometry of bright stars already known to host planets, with launch readiness foreseen by the end of 2018. It is also the first S-class mission in ESA's Cosmic Vision 2015-2025. The mission is a partnership between Switzerland and ESA's science programme, with important contributions from 10 other member states. It will provide the unique capability of determining accurate radii for a subset of those planets in the super- Earth to Neptune mass range, for which the mass has already been estimated from ground- based spectroscopic surveys. It will also provide precision radii for new planets discovered by the next generation of ground-based transits surveys (Neptune-size and smaller). The high photometric precision of CHEOPS will be achieved using a photometer covering the 0.35 - 1.1um waveband, designed around a single frame-transfer CCD which is mounted in the focal plane of a 30 cm equivalent aperture diameter, f/5 on-axis Ritchey-Chretien telescope. 20% of the observing time in the 3.5 year nominal mission will be available to Guest Observers from the Community. Proposals will be requested through open calls from ESA that are foreseen to be every year, with the first 6 months before launch. In this poster I will give a scientific and technical overview of the CHEOPS mission.

[Four stages in the history of the Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI of the IMSS].

PubMed

Fajardo-Ortiz, Guillermo

2015-01-01

This document presents four stages in the history of the Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI (Centro Médico Nacional XXI Century) of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social. The first stage started at the end of the third decade of the twentieth century and ended in 1961, it corresponded to the conception, planning and construction of what was to be the Centro Médico del Distrito Federal (Centro Médico of the Distrito Federal) belonging to the Secretaría de Salubridad y Asistencia (Ministry of Health and Assistance). The second stage began when the Center was acquired by the Institute, then was known like Centro Médico Nacional (Centro Médico Nacional ), being put into full operation in 1963, more than twenty-two years later, in 1985, an earthquake virtually ended it, immediately began its reconstruction, finishing the second stage. In 1989 began the third stage, different and new buildings complemented or replaced the structures damaged or destroyed by the earthquake which formed the now Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI (Centro Médico Nacional XXI Century). In 2004 the fourth stage opened when the four hospitals of the Center were categorized like Unidades Médicas de Alta Especialidad (High Specialized Medical Units).

Design, Implementation, Building and Evaluation of a Torus Double Transitive Closure Network of Transputers.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-06-01

especially ’Russell Whalen, Rosalie Johnson and Mike Williams, for all the aid lent to me during the lab research for this thesis. xi I. INTRODUCTION A...particular weather model. Finally is important to continue research in the field of graphic applications, especially that which pertains to the study of...San Bernardino, Caracas Distrito Federal, Armada-001-MSA, Venezuela, South America 14. Director de Educacion 01 Comandancia General de la Armada Ave

Negligencia en la Educacion de Estudiantes Mexico-Americanos en el Distrito Escolar Unificado Lucia Mar, Pismo Beach, California. (Educational Neglect of Mexican-American Students in Lucia Mar Unified School District, Pismo Beach, California.)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights.

California State Advisory Committee (SAC) of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights held hearings in Santa Maria, California (May 20, 1972) to collect information on civil rights problems of Mexican American students in the Lucia Mar School District. Major issues were community complaints about the arrest of 26 Mexican American students and some…

Rights and Responsibilities of Parents and Schools in the Education of Handicapped Children = Derechos y Responsabilidades de los Padres de Familia y los Distritos Escolares en la Educacion de los Ninos Incapacitados.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arizona State Dept. of Education, Phoenix. Div. of Career and Vocational Education.

The booklet is intended to help Arizona parents understand their role in the education of handicapped children. A question and answer format draws upon contents of P.L. 94-142, The Education for All Handicapped Children Act; Arizona revised statutes; and the State Board of Education rules and regulations. Four main topics are covered: (1)…

Ultrahigh resolution optical coherence tomography imaging of diseased rat lung using Gaussian shaped super continuum sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishizawa, N.; Ishida, S.; Kitatsuji, M.; Ohshima, H.; Hasegawa, Y.; Matsushima, M.; Kawabe, T.

2012-02-01

We have been investigating ultrahigh resolution optical coherence tomography (UHR-OCT) imaging of lung tissues using fiber super continuum sources. The high power, low-noise, Gaussian shaped supercontinuum generated with ultrashort pulses and optical fibers at several wavelengths were used as the broadband light sources for UHR-OCT. For the 800 nm wavelength region, the axial resolution was 3.0 um in air and 2.0 um in tissue. Since the lung consists of tiny alveoli which are separated by thin wall, the UHR-OCT is supposed to be effective for lung imaging. The clear images of alveoli of rat were observed with and without index matching effects by saline. In this work, we investigated the UHR-OCT imaging of lung disease model. The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced acute lung injury / acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) model of rat was prepared as the sample with disease and the UHR-OCT imaging of the disease part was demonstrated. The increment of signal intensity by pleural thickening was observed. The accumulation of exudative fluid in alveoli was also observed for two samples. By the comparison with normal lung images, we can obviously show the difference in the ALI/ARDS models. Since the lung consists of alveolar surrounded by capillary vessels, the effect of red-blood cells (RBC) is considered to be important. In this work, ex-vivo UHR-OCT imaging of RBC was demonstrated. Each RBC was able to be observed individually using UHR-OCT. The effect of RBC was estimated with the rat lung perfused with PBS.

Laser ablation of basal cell carcinomas guided by confocal microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sierra, Heidy; Cordova, Miguel; Nehal, Kishwer; Rossi, Anthony; Chen, Chih-Shan Jason; Rajadhyaksha, Milind

2016-02-01

Laser ablation offers precise and fast removal of superficial and early nodular types of basal cell carcinomas (BCCs). Nevertheless, the lack of histological confirmation has been a limitation. Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) imaging combined with a contrast agent can offer cellular-level histology-like feedback to detect the presence (or absence) of residual BCC directly on the patient. We conducted an ex vivo bench-top study to provide a set of effective ablation parameters (fluence, number of passes) to remove superficial BCCs while also controlling thermal coagulation post-ablation to allow uptake of contrast agent. The results for an Er:YAG laser (2.9 um and pulse duration 250us) show that with 6 passes of 25 J/cm2, thermal coagulation can be effectively controlled, to allow both the uptake of acetic acid (contrast agent) and detection of residual (or absence) BCCs. Confirmation was provided with histological examination. An initial in vivo study on 35 patients shows that the uptake of contrast agent aluminum chloride) and imaging quality is similar to that observed in the ex vivo study. The detection of the presence of residual tumor or complete clearance was confirmed in 10 wounds with (additional) histology and in 25 lesions with follow-up imaging. Our results indicate that resolution is sufficient but further development and use of appropriate contrast agent are necessary to improve sensitivity and specificity. Advances in RCM technology for imaging of lateral and deep margins directly on the patient may provide less invasive, faster and less expensive image-guided approaches for treatment of BCCs.

Shuttle Experimental Radar for Geological Exploration (SERGE) project: Field work relating to the Shuttle Experimental Radar A (SIR-A) in Brazil (phase 2)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balieiro, M. G.; Martini, P. R.; Dossantos, J. R.; Demattos, J. T.

1984-01-01

The ground observations undertaken over the northern position of Minas Gerais State, and part of Distrito Federal from 7 to 12 December 1982, along the Space Shuttle 2 flying orbit 22 of November 1981 are described. Field data related mostly with lithology, geological structures and forest cover, and specific geomorphological and pedological aspects were collected. Ground data are applied to evaluate the SIR-A Experiment, developed in the Space Shuttle-2 mission for natural resources mapping and prospecting.

Description of the puparium of Hermetia pulchra (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) from Brazil.

PubMed

Pujol-Luz, José Roberto; Godoi, Fabio Siqueira Pitaluga DE; Barros-Cordeiro, Karine Brenda

2016-12-07

The puparium of Hermetia pulchra is described, based on a single specimen reared in laboratory under controlled conditions until the emergence of an adult female. The puparium of H. pulchra was compared with puparium of H. illucens and some differential features were indicated. A checklist of the Brazilian species of the genus Hermetia is included, with new distributional records for H. pulchra in the Brazilian States of Bahia and Distrito Federal. Hermetia sphecodes is recorded for the first time for Brazil (State of Amazonas).

Family violence against children and adolescents in context: How the territories of care are imbricated in the picture.

PubMed

Carlos, Diene Monique; Ferriani, Maria das Graças Carvalho

2016-08-08

to understand the context of care addressed to the families involved in family violence against children and adolescents (IVCA), as produced in the context of the Primary Health Care (PHC), from the vantage point of the practitioners of a municipality in the State of Sao Paulo. qualitative research of the social-strategic type, based on the Complexity Paradigm. The participants were 41 health practitioners in five health units of the municipality under study, pertaining to the five districts of the municipality. Data collection was done through 5 focus groups and 10 semi-structured interviews from April 24th 2013 to December 12th 2013. Data analysis was oriented by the comprehension and contextualization mindset and based on the dialogic, recursive and hologramatic principles. two main issues regarding the care provided by the Health of the Family team were identified: the context of this violence (the domestic space) and the power relations that prevail in the territory where this violence surfaces. The community health workers are the targets of specific attention because they experience the live/work dialogic in this same area. paying attention to the territory, and considering the complexity of contexts and dimensions is inherently linked to the design of care to families involved in IVCA in the PHC environment. compreender o contexto de cuidado direcionado às famílias envolvidas na violência intrafamiliar contra crianças e adolescentes (VICCA), produzido a partir da Atenção Primária à Saúde (APS), sob a ótica de profissionais de um município do interior do estado de São Paulo. pesquisa qualitativa, do tipo social estratégica, fundamentada pelo Paradigma da Complexidade. Participaram do estudo 41 profissionais de saúde de cinco unidades do município estudado, cada qual pertencente a um de seus cinco Distritos Sanitários. A coleta de dados foi realizada por meio de 5 grupos focais e 10 entrevistas semiestruturadas, no período de 24/04/13 a 17/12/13. As noções de compreensão e contextualização, e os princípios dialógicos, recursivo e hologramático direcionaram a análise dos dados. identificou-se duas questões cruciais para o cuidado desenvolvido pela equipe de saúde às famílias: o contexto onde essa violência ocorre (O espaço doméstico), e as relações de poder existentes na emergência desse cuidado no território. Os agentes comunitários merecem especial atenção por viverem a dialógica do morar-trabalhar em uma mesma área. o olhar para o território, considerando a complexidade de contextos e dimensões, se apresenta como inerente para o delineamento do cuidado às famílias envolvidas na VICCA no âmbito da APS. comprender el contexto de cuidado dirigido hacia las familias involucradas en violencia familiar contra niños y adolescentes (VICNA) que resulta de la Atención Primaria de la Salud (PHC) desde la óptica de los profesionales de un municipio del interior de Sao Paulo. investigación cualitativa del tipo social-estratégica, fundamentada en el Paradigma de la Complejidad. Participaron en el estudio 41 profesionales de salud de cinco unidades del municipio en estudio, cada una perteneciente a uno de los cinco Distritos Sanitarios. La recolección de datos se realizó por medio de cinco grupos focales y 10 entrevistas semi-estructuradas en el período entre 24/04/2013 y 17/12/2013. Las nociones de comprensión y contextualización y los principios dialógicos, recursivo y hologramático guiaron el análisis de los datos. se identificaron dos cuestiones cruciales para el cuidado desarrollado por el equipo de salud de las familias: el contexto en ocurre esta violencia (El espacio doméstico) y las relaciones de poder que existen en la emergencia de ese cuidado en el territorio. Los trabajadores comunitarios merecen una atención especial ya que viven la dialógica de trabajar/habitar en la misma área. la mirada sobre el territorio, considerando la complejidad de contextos y dimensiones, se presenta como inherente al diseño del cuidado de las familias involucradas en la VICNA en el ámbito de la APS.

The Impact of Regional Differences on Elementary School Teachers' Attitudes towards Their Students' Use of Code Switching in a South Texas School District (El impacto de las diferencias regionales en las actitudes de docentes de primaria respecto a la alternancia de códigos por parte de los estudiantes en un distrito escolar del sur de Texas)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nava Gómez, Guadalupe Nancy; García, Hilda

2012-01-01

This study focused on investigating whether the teachers' geographical distribution influences their attitudes towards their students' use of code switching. The study was guided by the following research question: Are there differences between teachers' opinions of the north elementary schools and teachers' opinions of the south elementary…

A Novel Strategy to Inhibit Hedgehog Signaling and Control Growth of Androgen-Independent Prostate Cancer Cells

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

M TIME PPC1 Volume of Spheroid Ctrl (respective media) .2% DMSO 10 uM Free Curcumin 20 uM Free Curcumin 10 uM Tagged Curcumin 20 uM Tagged... Curcumin FIGURE 6 Ctrl media 10uM FC 20uM FC 20uM TC 10uM TC 2% DMSO PC3 t0 Div 8 FIGURE 7 Phospho-p65 NFκB subunit expression decreased In

Estudo de soluções locais e cosmológicas em teorias do tipo tensor-escalar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva E Costa, S.

2003-08-01

Teorias do tipo tensor-escalar são a mais simples extensão possí vel da Relatividade Geral. Nessas teorias, cujo modelo padrão é a teoria de Brans-Dicke, a curvatura do espaço-tempo, descrita por componentes tensoriais, aparece acoplada a um campo escalar que, de certo modo, representa uma variação na constante de acoplamento da gravitação. Tais teorias apresentam soluções locais e cosmológicas que, em determinados limites, recaem nas apresentadas pela Relatividade Geral, mas que em outros limites trazem novidades, tais como conseqüências observacionais da evolução de flutuações primordiais distintas daquelas previstas pela Relatividade Geral (ver, por ex., Nagata et al., PRD 66, p. 103510 (2002)). Graças a esta possibilidade de trazer à luz novidades em relação à gravitação, teorias do tipo tensor-escalar podem ser vistas como um interessante campo alternativo de pesquisas para soluções dos problemas de massa faltante (ou escura) e/ou energia escura. Seguindo tal linha, este trabalho, ainda em sua fase inicial, apresenta soluções gerais de teorias do tipo tensor-escalar para diversas situações, verificando-se em que consiste a divergência dessas soluções dos casos tradicionais possí veis na Relatividade Geral. Como exemplos das soluções aqui apresentadas pode-se destacar uma expressão geral para diferentes soluções cosmológicas englobando diferentes tipos de matéria (representados por diferentes equações de estado), e a expressão para uma solução local representando um buraco negro com rotação, similar à solução de Kerr da Relatividade Geral. Por fim, é importante ressaltar que, embora aqui apresentem-se poucos resultados novos, na literatura sobre o assunto a maior parte das soluções apresentadas limita-se a uns poucos casos especí ficos, tal como soluções cosmológicas apenas com curvatura nula, e que mesmo as soluções disponí veis são, em geral, pouco divulgadas e, portanto, pouco conhecidas, e é tal situação que este trabalho busca, em parte, reverter.

Predictors of Postpartum Exercise According to Prepregnancy Body Mass Index and Gestational Weight Gain.

PubMed

Downs, Danielle Symons; Leonard, Krista S; Beiler, Jessica S; Paul, Ian M

2017-10-01

The study purposes were to examine (1) differences in postpartum exercise (EX) and related personal/psychological correlates in women according to prepregnancy weight and pregnancy gestational weight gain (GWG) status and (2) predictors of EX at 2 weeks, 2 months, and 6 months postpartum. Participants (N = 891) were recruited at maternity hospitalization and completed interviews to assess EX (Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire) and personal correlates (demographics, anxiety/depressive symptoms) before/during pregnancy. Telephone interviews were conducted to assess postpartum EX/psychological correlates. Women were categorized according to prepregnancy weight (normal and overweight) and pregnancy GWG status (above or within weight gain guidelines): normal-above, normal-within, overweight-above, and overweight-within. Low levels of EX minutes were observed in all women with significant differences for strenuous EX minutes (overweight-within women had the lowest strenuous EX; normal-weight women had more strenuous EX than overweight women regardless of GWG). Correlates explained 14%-37% of the variance in postpartum EX; prepregnancy EX and pregnancy EX were strong determinants of early postpartum EX, and early postpartum EX predicted 6-month postpartum EX. Unique predictors of EX also emerged (eg, depressive symptoms for women with GWG above guidelines). These study findings highlight the benefits of EX before/during pregnancy for promoting postpartum EX and suggest tailoring postpartum EX interventions based on personal/psychological correlates to maximize effectiveness.

Attenuation of midinfrared free electron laser energy with eyewear

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joos, Karen M.; Gabella, William

2005-04-01

Purpose: To determine the attenuation of free electron laser (FEL) energy at several wavelengths through microscope objective and eyeglass lenses. Materials and Methods: The FEL at wavelengths of 2.3 um, 2.5 um, 3.0 um, 3.5 um, 4.0 um, 4.5 um, 5.0 um, 6.45 um, 7.0 um, 7.5 um, and 8.0 um was telescoped using a 500 mm nominal focal length lens and a 200 mm focal length lens. The beam had a final spot of about 3 mm and was passed through a 3 mm aperture and onto the 8 mm active area of a J9LP Molectron detector. The eyeglass sample was placed 3 cm in front of the detector. Energy readings were averaged over multiple pulses. Results: Attenuation varied greatly with wavelength and sample from a low attenuation of 0.46 dB, 90% transmission, for short wavelengths through common glass to greater than 60 dB attenuation (transmission at the detector noise level) for IR safe glass by Aura, Inc. Conclusion: Only the designated laser safety goggles effectively attenuate free electron laser energy at 2.3 um and 2.5 um. A microscope objective lens, polycarbonate, and silica glass eyewear is capable of effectively attenuating FEL energy at wavelengths greater than 4.5 um, but the polycarbonate lenses demonstrated material damage.

New state records and updated checklist of Aphodiini and Eupariini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae) from Mexico.

PubMed

Minor, Pablo

2017-03-22

Thirty one new state records of species of Aphodiinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) from Mexico are presented, 24 species belong to Aphodiini and seven species to Eupariini into the genera Agrilinellus, Alloblackburneus, Aphotaenius, Ataenius, Blackburneus, Cephalocyclus, Coelotrachelus, Euparia, Euparixia, Geomyphilus, Gonaphodiellus, Gonaphodiopsis, Haroldiellus, Liothorax, Nialaphodius, Odontolytes, Oscarinus, Pharaphodius, and Planolinellus. New records are from the states of Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Colima, Chiapas, Estado de México, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Puebla, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Zacatecas, and Distrito Federal. A checklist with updated nomenclature is included for the recorded species of Aphodiini and Eupariini from Mexico.

Two new Dolichothele Mello-Leitão, 1923 species from Brazil and Bolivia (Araneae, Theraphosidae)

PubMed Central

Revollo, Irene Soliz; Júnior, Pedro Ismael da Silva; Bertani, Rogério

2017-01-01

Abstract Two new species of Dolichothele Mello-Leitão, 1923 are described from Brazil and Bolivia, D. mottai sp. n. from Distrito Federal and the state of Goiás, Brazil, and D. camargorum sp. n. from the state of Rondônia, Brazil, and the La Paz region, Bolivia. Males of the two new species resemble Dolichothele bolivianum (Vol, 2001) in having a small subapical keel on the distal embolus and females in particular by the short spermatheca. Dolichothele bolivianum is redescribed, and its geographical distribution is herein restricted to Bolivia and the state of Mato Grosso in Brazil. PMID:29362529

Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Mutation as a Risk Factor for Recurrence in Lung Adenocarcinoma.

PubMed

Hayasaka, Kazuki; Shiono, Satoshi; Matsumura, Yuki; Yanagawa, Naoki; Suzuki, Hiroyuki; Abe, Jiro; Sagawa, Motoyasu; Sakurada, Akira; Katahira, Masato; Takahashi, Satomi; Endoh, Makoto; Okada, Yoshinori

2018-06-01

The presence of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations is an established prognostic factor for patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma. Here, we examined whether EGFR mutation status is a prognostic factor for patients who had undergone surgery. Clinicopathologic data from 1,463 patients who underwent complete surgical resection for lung adenocarcinoma between 2005 and 2012 were collected. Differences in postoperative recurrence-free survival and overall survival according to EGFR mutation status were evaluated. Of 835 eligible patients, the numbers of patients with wild-type EGFR (WT), exon 19 deletion (Ex19), and exon 21 L858R (Ex21) were 426, 175, and 234, respectively. Patients with Ex19 had a significantly higher incidence of extrathoracic recurrence than patients with Ex21 (p = 0.004). The 5-year recurrence-free survival rates for patients with WT, Ex19, and Ex21 were 63.0%, 67.5%, and 78.2%, respectively. The Ex21 group had a significantly longer recurrence-free survival than the WT group (p < 0.001) and the Ex19 group (p = 0.016). The 5-year overall survival for patients with WT, Ex19, and Ex21 were 76.9%, 86.5%, and 87.5%, respectively. Patients with Ex19 and Ex21 had a significantly longer overall survival than patients with WT (Ex19, p = 0.009; Ex21, p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis for recurrence-free survival showed that Ex19 was significantly associated with a worse prognosis than Ex21 (p = 0.019). Patients with Ex19 had significantly shorter recurrence-free survival and had extrathoracic recurrence more frequently than patients with Ex21 among patients with resected lung adenocarcinoma, implying that Ex19 could be a worse prognostic factor. Copyright © 2018 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Structural Analysis of the Regulatory Domain of ExsA, a Key Transcriptional Regulator of the Type Three Secretion System in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

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

Shrestha, Manisha; Xiao, Yi; Robinson, Howard

Pseudomonas aeruginosa employs a type three secretion system to facilitate infections in mammalian hosts. The operons encoding genes of structural components of the secretion machinery and associated virulence factors are all under the control of the AraC-type transcriptional activator protein, ExsA. ExsA belongs to a unique subfamily of AraC-proteins that is regulated through protein-protein contacts rather than small molecule ligands. Prior to infection, ExsA is inhibited through a direct interaction with the anti-activator ExsD. To activate ExsA upon host cell contact this interaction is disrupted by the anti-antiactivator protein ExsC. Here we report the crystal structure of the regulatory domainmore » of ExsA, which is known to mediate ExsA dimerization as well as ExsD binding. The crystal structure suggests two models for the ExsA dimer. Both models confirmed the previously shown involvement of helix α-3 in ExsA dimerization but one also suggest a role for helix α-2. These structural data are supported by the observation that a mutation in α-2 greatly diminished the ability of ExsA to activate transcription in vitro. Lastly, additional in vitro transcription studies revealed that a conserved pocket, used by AraC and the related ToxT protein for the binding of small molecule regulators, although present in ExsA is not involved in binding of ExsD.« less

Structural Analysis of the Regulatory Domain of ExsA, a Key Transcriptional Regulator of the Type Three Secretion System in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

DOE PAGES

Shrestha, Manisha; Xiao, Yi; Robinson, Howard; ...

2015-08-28

Pseudomonas aeruginosa employs a type three secretion system to facilitate infections in mammalian hosts. The operons encoding genes of structural components of the secretion machinery and associated virulence factors are all under the control of the AraC-type transcriptional activator protein, ExsA. ExsA belongs to a unique subfamily of AraC-proteins that is regulated through protein-protein contacts rather than small molecule ligands. Prior to infection, ExsA is inhibited through a direct interaction with the anti-activator ExsD. To activate ExsA upon host cell contact this interaction is disrupted by the anti-antiactivator protein ExsC. Here we report the crystal structure of the regulatory domainmore » of ExsA, which is known to mediate ExsA dimerization as well as ExsD binding. The crystal structure suggests two models for the ExsA dimer. Both models confirmed the previously shown involvement of helix α-3 in ExsA dimerization but one also suggest a role for helix α-2. These structural data are supported by the observation that a mutation in α-2 greatly diminished the ability of ExsA to activate transcription in vitro. Lastly, additional in vitro transcription studies revealed that a conserved pocket, used by AraC and the related ToxT protein for the binding of small molecule regulators, although present in ExsA is not involved in binding of ExsD.« less

Stair ascending–descending exercise accelerates the decrease in postprandial hyperglycemia more efficiently than bicycle exercise

PubMed Central

Takaishi, Tetsuo

2017-01-01

Objective Stair climbing–descending exercise (ST-EX) is a convenient method to increase exercise intensity. We compared the acute effect of ST-EX on lowering postprandial hyperglycemia with that of constant bicycle exercise (BI-EX) performed at the same heart rate (HR). Research design and methods Seven people with type 2 diabetes and seven with impaired glucose tolerance volunteered for this study. The step rate for ST-EX and work rate for BI-EX were individually determined to correspond to high-moderate to low-vigorous intensity (HR ~130 beats per minute). For the ST-EX trial, the subjects performed 16 repetitions of walking down one flight of stairs followed by climbing up to the starting point (~8 min in duration) 90 min after consuming a test meal. For the BI-EX trial, the subjects performed a constant pedaling exercise for the same duration at the same time after the meal. Results The reduction in blood glucose (BG) level between 90 and 105 min after a meal was significantly greater for ST-EX (–4.0±0.7mmol/L) than for BI-EX (–2.7±0.9mmol/L). The net reduction in BG between 90 and 105 min was also significantly greater for ST-EX (–3.2±0.7mmol/L) than for BI-EX (–2.0±0.6mmol/L). Serum insulin levels did not differ between the groups. Oxygen consumption for ST-EX was higher than that for BI-EX, but the blood lactate level and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) for ST-EX were lower than those for BI-EX. Conclusions Compared with BI-EX performed at the same HR, ST-EX more rapidly decreased postprandial BG level with lower blood lactate and RER responses. A short bout of ST-EX may be clinically useful to acutely ameliorate BG levels after meals. PMID:29071088

Exosomes derived from human mesenchymal stem cells promote gastric cancer cell growth and migration via the activation of the Akt pathway.

PubMed

Gu, Hongbing; Ji, Runbi; Zhang, Xu; Wang, Mei; Zhu, Wei; Qian, Hui; Chen, Yongchang; Jiang, Pengcheng; Xu, Wenrong

2016-10-01

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a component of the tumor microenvironment and can promote the development of gastric cancer through paracrine mechanism. However, the effects of MSC‑exosomes (MSC‑ex) on gastric cancer are less clear. The present study reported that MSC‑ex promoted the proliferative and metastatic potential of gastric cancer cells ex vivo. It was found that MSC‑ex enhanced the migration and invasion of HGC‑27 cells via the induction of the epithelial‑mesenchymal transition. MSC‑ex increased the expression of mesenchymal markers and reduced the expression of epithelial markers in gastric cancer cells. MSC‑ex also enhanced the tumorigenicity of gastric cancer cells ex vivo. MSC‑ex induced the stemness of gastric cancer cells. The expression of octamer‑binding transcription factor 4, ex determining region Y‑box 2 and Lin28B significantly increased in gastric cancer cells treated with MSC‑ex. The present study further demonstrated that MSC‑ex elicited these biological effects predominantly via the activation of the protein kinase B signaling pathway. Taken together, the present findings provided novel evidence for the role of MSC‑ex in gastric cancer and a new opportunity for improving the efficiency of gastric cancer treatment by targeting MSC‑ex.

Lower extremity reconstruction: epidemiology, management and outcomes of patients of the Federal District North Wing Regional Hospital.

PubMed

Macedo, Jefferson Lessa Soares; Rosa, Simone Corrêa; Botelho, Daniel Lobo; Santos, Clendes Pereira Dos; Queiroz, Murilo Neves DE; Gomes, Tabatha Gonçalves Andrade Castelo Branco

2017-01-01

to evaluate the management of lower limbs complex traumatic injuries by analyzing their characteristics, types, conduct and evolution, with emphasis on surgical treatment. we conducted a prospective study of patients treated by Plastic Surgery at a regional hospital of the Federal District during a one-year period. We collected data through serial evaluations and telephone contact records. we studied 40 patients, with a mean age of 25.6 years, predominantly male (62.5%). The most frequent wounds were of the distal third of the lower limb (37.5%). Bone or tendon exposures occurred in 55% had and there was a 35% rate of exposed lower limb fractures. The treatments employed were skin grafting (57.5%), local fasciocutaneous flap (15%), muscle flap (12.5%), cross-leg fasciocutaneous flap, reverse sural flap (12.5%) and microsurgical flap (2.5%). Short-term evaluation showed that 35 patients had excellent or good results (87.5%), four had a regular result (10%), and one had an unsatisfactory result (2.5%). In the long term, of the 18 patients who answered the questionnaire, ten resumed walking, even with support, in the first three months after surgery (55.6%). young men involved in motorcycle accidents during leisure time represented the profile of patients with lower limb trauma requiring surgical reconstruction; the distal third of the leg was the most affected region. Grafting was the most used technique for reconstruction and postoperative functional evaluation showed that, despite complex lesions, most patients evolved with a favorable healing process and successful functional evolution. avaliar o tratamento de feridas traumáticas complexas de membros inferiores analisando suas características, tipos, condutas e evolução, com ênfase no tratamento cirúrgico. estudo prospectivo de pacientes tratados pela Cirurgia Plástica em um hospital regional do Distrito Federal no período de um ano. Os dados foram coletados através de avaliações seriadas e registro de contatos telefônicos. foram estudados 40 pacientes com média de idade de 25,6 anos, predominantemente homens (62,5%). As feridas do terço distal do membro inferior foram mais frequentes (37,5%). 55% apresentavam exposições óssea ou tendinosa e 35%, fraturas expostas do membro inferior. O tratamento foi enxerto de pele (57,5%), retalho fascio-cutâneo local (15%), retalho muscular (12,5%), retalho fascio-cutâneo de perna cruzada, retalho sural reverso (12,5%) e retalho microcirúrgico (2,5%). A avaliação em curto prazo evidenciou que 35 pacientes tiveram resultado excelente ou bom (87,5%), quatro tiveram resultado regular (10%), e um teve resultado insatisfatório (2,5%). Em longo prazo, dos 18 pacientes que responderam ao questionário, dez deambularam, mesmo que com apoio, no primeiro trimestre após a cirurgia (55,6%). nosso estudo mostrou que o perfil dos pacientes com trauma de membros inferiores que necessitaram de reconstrução cirúrgica foi representado por homens jovens, envolvidos em acidentes motociclísticos, durante situação de lazer, sendo o terço distal da perna a região mais acometida. A enxertia foi a técnica mais utilizada para reconstrução e a avaliação funcional pós-operatória demonstrou que, apesar de lesões complexas, a maioria dos pacientes evoluiu com processo de cicatrização favorável e sucesso na evolução funcional.

Expedite the Processing of Unpressurized Payloads to the International Space Station Using the ExPRESS Pallet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bacskay, Allen S.; Gilbert, Paul A. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The Expedite the PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station (ExPRESS) Pallet will be used as an experiment platform for external/unpressurized payloads to be flown aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The purpose of the ExPRESS Pallet is to provide an easy access to the ISS for Scientific Investigators that require an external platform for their experiment hardware. As the name of the ExPRESS Pallet implies, the objective of the ExPRESS program is to provide a simplified integration process in a short time period (24 months) for payloads to be flown on the ISS. The ExPRESS Pallet provides unique opportunities for research across many science disciplines, including earth observation, communications, solar and deep space viewing, and long-term exposure. The ExPRESS Pallet provides access to Ram, Wake, Nadir, Zenith and Earth Limb for viewing and exposure to the space environment. The ExPRESS Pallet will provide standard physical payload interfaces, and a standard integration template. The ExPS consists of the Pallet structure, payload Adapters, a subsystem assembly that includes data controller, power distribution and conversion, and Extra Vehicular Robotics compatibility. The ExPRESS Pallet provides the capability to changeout payloads on-orbit via the ExPRESS Pallet Adapter (ExPA). The following paragraphs will describe the Services and Accommodations available to the Payload developers by the ExPRESS Pallet and a brief description of the Integration process. More detailed information on the ExPRESS Pallet can be found in the ExPRESS Pallet Payload Accommodations Handbook, SSP 52000-PAH-EPP.

Tendon vibration attenuates superficial venous vessel response of the resting limb during static arm exercise.

PubMed

Ooue, Anna; Sato, Kohei; Hirasawa, Ai; Sadamoto, Tomoko

2012-11-07

The superficial vein of the resting limb constricts sympathetically during exercise. Central command is the one of the neural mechanisms that controls the cardiovascular response to exercise. However, it is not clear whether central command contributes to venous vessel response during exercise. Tendon vibration during static elbow flexion causes primary muscle spindle afferents, such that a lower central command is required to achieve a given force without altering muscle force. The purpose of this study was therefore to investigate whether a reduction in central command during static exercise with tendon vibration influences the superficial venous vessel response in the resting limb. Eleven subjects performed static elbow flexion at 35% of maximal voluntary contraction with (EX + VIB) and without (EX) vibration of the biceps brachii tendon. The heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) in overall and exercising muscle were measured. The cross-sectional area (CSAvein) and blood velocity of the basilic vein in the resting upper arm were assessed by ultrasound, and blood flow (BFvein) was calculated using both variables. Muscle tension during exercise was similar between EX and EX + VIB. However, RPEs at EX + VIB were lower than those at EX (P <0.05). Increases in heart rate and mean arterial pressure during exercise at EX + VIB were also lower than those at EX (P <0.05). CSAvein in the resting limb at EX decreased during exercise from baseline (P <0.05), but CSAvein at EX + VIB did not change during exercise. CSAvein during exercise at EX was smaller than that at EX + VIB (P <0.05). However, BFvein did not change during the protocol under either condition. The decreases in circulatory response and RPEs during EX + VIB, despite identical muscle tension, showed that activation of central command was less during EX + VIB than during EX. Abolishment of the decrease in CSAvein during exercise at EX + VIB may thus have been caused by a lower level of central command at EX + VIB rather than EX. Diminished central command induced by tendon vibration may attenuate the superficial venous vessel response of the resting limb during sustained static arm exercise.

Role of insulin on exercise-induced GLUT-4 protein expression and glycogen supercompensation in rat skeletal muscle.

PubMed

Kuo, Chia-Hua; Hwang, Hyonson; Lee, Man-Cheong; Castle, Arthur L; Ivy, John L

2004-02-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of insulin on skeletal muscle GLUT-4 protein expression and glycogen storage after postexercise carbohydrate supplementation. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to one of six treatment groups: sedentary control (Con), Con with streptozocin (Stz/C), immediately postexercise (Ex0), Ex0 with Stz (Stz/Ex0), 5-h postexercise (Ex5), and Ex5 with Stz (Stz/Ex5). Rats were exercised by swimming (2 bouts of 3 h) and carbohydrate supplemented immediately after each exercise session by glucose intubation (1 ml of a 50% wt/vol). Stz was administered 72-h before exercise, which resulted in hyperglycemia and elimination of the insulin response to the carbohydrate supplement. GLUT-4 protein of Ex0 rats was 30% above Con in fast-twitch (FT) red and 21% above Con in FT white muscle. In Ex5, GLUT-4 protein was 52% above Con in FT red and 47% above Con in FT white muscle. Muscle glycogen in FT red and white muscle was also increased above Con in Ex5 rats. Neither GLUT-4 protein nor muscle glycogen was increased above Con in Stz/Ex0 or Stz/Ex5 rats. GLUT-4 mRNA in FT red muscle of Ex0 rats was 61% above Con but only 33% above Con in Ex5 rats. GLUT-4 mRNA in FT red muscle of Stz/C and Stz/Ex0 rats was similar but significantly elevated in Ex5/Stz rats. These results suggest that insulin is essential for the increase in GLUT-4 protein expression following postexercise carbohydrate supplementation.

Development of the Chinese-version of the exercise self-regulatory efficacy scale for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PubMed

Tsai, Yu-Han; Chen, Jyu-Lin; Davis, Amy H T; Yen, Wen-Jiuan; Lin, Yen-Ju; Chiang, Li-Chi; Chen, Yu-Ju

A valid and reliable instrument for assessing exercise self-regulatory efficacy (Ex-SRE) is lacking in Taiwan. To develop and validate a Chinese-version of the Ex-SRE scale (Ex-SRES-Chinese). Published guidelines were followed for cross-cultural adaptation of Ex-SRES-Chinese. Psychometric testing was conducted in 76 subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD). Ex-SRES-Chinese achieved clarity, culture appropriateness, and functional equivalence for measuring Ex-SRE. The scale-level content validity index of the Ex-SRES-Chinese was 0.99. The internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α) was 0.925. Factor analysis identified a single factor with a high eigenvalue of 7.6 accounting for 47.5% of the total variance. The construct validity of Ex-SRES-Chinese was supported by higher Ex-SRE in subjects who exercise regularly in the past than those who did not (p = 0.033). In addition, Ex-SRE was positively associated with weekly exercise time (r = 0.58; p < 0.0001). Ex-SRES-Chinese is a useful cross-culturally adapted instrument with good psychometric properties for measuring Ex-SRE in COPD patients in Taiwan. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of whole-body vibration exercise on bone mineral content and density in thermally injured children.

PubMed

Edionwe, Joel; Hess, Cameron; Fernandez-Rio, Javier; Herndon, David N; Andersen, Clark R; Klein, Gordon L; Suman, Oscar E; Amonette, William E

2016-05-01

Loss of bone mass, muscle mass, and strength leads to significant disability in severely burned children. We assessed the effects of exercise combined with whole-body vibration (WBV) on bone mass, lean mass (LM), and muscle strength in children recovering from burns. Nineteen burned children (≥30% total body surface area [TBSA] burns) were randomly assigned to a 6-week exercise regimen either alone (EX; n=10) or in combination with a 6-week WBV training regimen (EX+WBV; n=9). WBV was performed concurrent to the exercise regimen for 5days/week on a vibrating platform. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry quantified bone mineral content (BMC), bone mineral density (BMD), and LM; knee extension strength was assessed using isokinetic dynamometry before and after training. Alpha was set at p<0.05. Both groups were similar in age, height, weight, TBSA burned, and length of hospitalization. Whole-body LM increased in the EX group (p=0.041) and trended toward an increase in the EX+WBV group (p=0.055). On the other hand, there were decreases in leg BMC for both groups (EX, p=0.011; EX+WBV, p=0.047), and in leg BMD for only the EX group (EX, p<0.001; EX+WBV, p=0.26). Truncal BMC decreased in only the EX group (EX, p=0.009; EX+WBV, p=0.61), while BMD decreased in both groups (EX, p<0.001; EX+WBV group, p<0.001). Leg strength increased over time in the EX group (p<0.001) and the EX+WBV group (p<0.001; between-group p=0.31). Exercise in combination with WBV may help attenuate regional bone loss in children recovering from burns. Studies are needed to determine the optimal magnitude, frequency, and duration of the vibration protocol, with attention to minimizing any potential interference with wound healing and graft closure. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

A vitamin B12 conjugate of exendin-4 improves glucose tolerance without associated nausea or hypophagia in rodents.

PubMed

Mietlicki-Baase, Elizabeth G; Liberini, Claudia G; Workinger, Jayme L; Bonaccorso, Ron L; Borner, Tito; Reiner, David J; Koch-Laskowski, Kieran; McGrath, Lauren E; Lhamo, Rinzin; Stein, Lauren M; De Jonghe, Bart C; Holz, George G; Roth, Christian L; Doyle, Robert P; Hayes, Matthew R

2018-05-01

While pharmacological glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists are FDA-approved for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity, a major side effect is nausea/malaise. We recently developed a conjugate of vitamin B12 (B12) bound to the GLP-1R agonist exendin-4 (Ex4), which displays enhanced proteolytic stability and retention of GLP-1R agonism. Here, we evaluate whether the conjugate (B12-Ex4) can improve glucose tolerance without producing anorexia and malaise. We evaluated the effects of systemic B12-Ex4 and unconjugated Ex4 on food intake and body weight change, oral glucose tolerance and nausea/malaise in male rats, and on intraperitoneal glucose tolerance in mice. To evaluate whether differences in the profile of effects of B12-Ex4 vs unconjugated Ex4 are the result of altered CNS penetrance, rats received systemic injections of fluorescein-Ex4 (Flex), Cy5-B12 or Cy5-B12-Ex4 and brain penetrance was evaluated using confocal microscopy. Uptake of systemically administered Cy5-B12-Ex4 in insulin-containing pancreatic beta cells was also examined. B12-Ex4 conjugate improves glucose tolerance, but does not elicit the malaise and anorexia produced by unconjugated Ex4. While Flex robustly penetrates into the brain (dorsal vagal complex, paraventricular hypothalamus), Cy5-B12 and Cy5-B12-Ex4 fluorescence were not observed centrally, supporting an absence of CNS penetrance, in line with observed reduction in CNS-associated Ex4 side effects. Cy5-B12-Ex4 colocalizes with insulin in the pancreas, suggesting direct pancreatic action as a potential mechanism underlying the hypoglycaemic effects of B12-Ex4. These novel findings highlight the potential clinical utility of B12-Ex4 conjugates as possible future T2DM therapeutics with reduced incidence of adverse effects. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Protective effect of fermented Cyclopia intermedia against UVB-induced damage in HaCaT human keratinocytes.

PubMed

Im, A-Rang; Yeon, Sung Hum; Lee, Jung Seung; Um, Key An; Ahn, Young-Joon; Chae, Sungwook

2016-07-29

The fermented leaves and stems of Cyclopia intermedia are used to brew honeybush tea, a herbal tea indigenous to South Africa. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of fermented honeybush extracts (FH ex) and scale-up fermented honeybush extracts (SFH ex) against ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced damage in HaCaT keratinocytes. To this end, we examined UVB-induced cell viability, antioxidant enzymes, and inflammatory mediators in HaCaT cells. UVB significantly decreased HaCaT cell viability, whereas FH ex and SFH ex did not exhibit cytotoxic effects and increased the viability of the HaCaT cells. To further investigate the protective effects of FH ex on UVB-induced oxidative stress in HaCaT cells, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), pro-inflammatory cytokines and skin barrier function in terms of involucrin, filaggrin, and loricrin were analyzed. UVB-induced treatment reduced the activity of antioxidant enzymes and skin barrier function, while FH ex or SFH ex increased their activity. These results suggest that FH ex exerted cytoprotective activity against UVB-induced oxidative stress in HaCaT cells through stimulation of antioxidant enzymes activities. Furthermore, FH ex and SFH ex suppressed the UVB-induced expression of inflammatory mediators, such as IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8, at mRNA level together with down regulation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs). In addition, FH ex and SFH ex reversed the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) induced by UVB-irradiation. Notably, FH ex and SFH ex markedly inhibited UVB-induced activation of ERK, p38, and JNK. Thus, this agent exhibits anti-oxidative and -inflammatory effects via lowering ROS production, suppressing p38, ERK, and JNK activation, and down-regulating expression of MMPs. These findings suggest that FH ex and SFH ex can be used as a skin anti-photoaging agent.

Evaluation of Escherichia coli isolates from healthy chickens to determine their potential risk to poultry and human health.

PubMed

Stromberg, Zachary R; Johnson, James R; Fairbrother, John M; Kilbourne, Jacquelyn; Van Goor, Angelica; Curtiss, Roy; Mellata, Melha

2017-01-01

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) strains are important pathogens that cause diverse diseases in humans and poultry. Some E. coli isolates from chicken feces contain ExPEC-associated virulence genes, so appear potentially pathogenic; they conceivably could be transmitted to humans through handling and/or consumption of contaminated meat. However, the actual extraintestinal virulence potential of chicken-source fecal E. coli is poorly understood. Here, we assessed whether fecal E. coli isolates from healthy production chickens could cause diseases in a chicken model of avian colibacillosis and three rodent models of ExPEC-associated human infections. From 304 E. coli isolates from chicken fecal samples, 175 E. coli isolates were screened by PCR for virulence genes associated with human-source ExPEC or avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC), an ExPEC subset that causes extraintestinal infections in poultry. Selected isolates genetically identified as ExPEC and non-ExPEC isolates were assessed in vitro for virulence-associated phenotypes, and in vivo for disease-causing ability in animal models of colibacillosis, sepsis, meningitis, and urinary tract infection. Among the study isolates, 13% (40/304) were identified as ExPEC; the majority of these were classified as APEC and uropathogenic E. coli, but none as neonatal meningitis E. coli. Multiple chicken-source fecal ExPEC isolates resembled avian and human clinical ExPEC isolates in causing one or more ExPEC-associated illnesses in experimental animal infection models. Additionally, some isolates that were classified as non-ExPEC were able to cause ExPEC-associated illnesses in animal models, and thus future studies are needed to elucidate their mechanisms of virulence. These findings show that E. coli isolates from chicken feces contain ExPEC-associated genes, exhibit ExPEC-associated in vitro phenotypes, and can cause ExPEC-associated infections in animal models, and thus may pose a health threat to poultry and consumers.

Evaluation of Escherichia coli isolates from healthy chickens to determine their potential risk to poultry and human health

PubMed Central

Johnson, James R.; Fairbrother, John M.; Kilbourne, Jacquelyn; Van Goor, Angelica; Curtiss, Roy; Mellata, Melha

2017-01-01

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) strains are important pathogens that cause diverse diseases in humans and poultry. Some E. coli isolates from chicken feces contain ExPEC-associated virulence genes, so appear potentially pathogenic; they conceivably could be transmitted to humans through handling and/or consumption of contaminated meat. However, the actual extraintestinal virulence potential of chicken-source fecal E. coli is poorly understood. Here, we assessed whether fecal E. coli isolates from healthy production chickens could cause diseases in a chicken model of avian colibacillosis and three rodent models of ExPEC-associated human infections. From 304 E. coli isolates from chicken fecal samples, 175 E. coli isolates were screened by PCR for virulence genes associated with human-source ExPEC or avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC), an ExPEC subset that causes extraintestinal infections in poultry. Selected isolates genetically identified as ExPEC and non-ExPEC isolates were assessed in vitro for virulence-associated phenotypes, and in vivo for disease-causing ability in animal models of colibacillosis, sepsis, meningitis, and urinary tract infection. Among the study isolates, 13% (40/304) were identified as ExPEC; the majority of these were classified as APEC and uropathogenic E. coli, but none as neonatal meningitis E. coli. Multiple chicken-source fecal ExPEC isolates resembled avian and human clinical ExPEC isolates in causing one or more ExPEC-associated illnesses in experimental animal infection models. Additionally, some isolates that were classified as non-ExPEC were able to cause ExPEC-associated illnesses in animal models, and thus future studies are needed to elucidate their mechanisms of virulence. These findings show that E. coli isolates from chicken feces contain ExPEC-associated genes, exhibit ExPEC-associated in vitro phenotypes, and can cause ExPEC-associated infections in animal models, and thus may pose a health threat to poultry and consumers. PMID:28671990

Effects of Whole-Body Vibration Exercise on Bone Mineral Content and Density in Thermally Injured Children

PubMed Central

Edionwe, Joel; Hess, Cameron; Fernandez-Rio, Javier; Herndon, David N.; Andersen, Clark R.; Klein, Gordon L.; Suman, Oscar E.; Amonette, William E.

2015-01-01

Background Loss of bone mass, muscle mass, and strength leads to significant disability in severely burned children. We assessed the effects of exercise combined with whole-body vibration (WBV) on bone mass, lean mass (LM), and muscle strength in children recovering from burns. Methods Nineteen burned children (≥30% total body surface area [TBSA] burns) were randomly assigned to a 6-week exercise regimen either alone (EX; n = 10) or in combination with a 6-week WBV training regimen (EX+WBV; n = 9). WBV was performed concurrent to the exercise regimen for 5 days/week on a vibrating platform. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry quantified bone mineral content (BMC), bone mineral density (BMD) and LM; knee extension strength was assessed using isokinetic dynamometry before and after training. Alpha was set at p < 0.05. Results Both groups were similar in age, height, weight, TBSA burned, and length of hospitalization. Whole-body LM increased in the EX group (p = 0.041) and trended toward an increase in the EX+WBV group (p = 0.055). On the other hand, there were decreases in leg BMC for both groups (EX, p = 0.011; EX+WBV, p = 0.047), and in leg BMD for only the EX group (EX, p < 0.001; EX+WBV, p = 0.26). Truncal BMC decreased in only the EX group (EX, p = 0.009; EX+WBV, p = 0.61), while BMD decreased in both groups (EX, p < 0.001; EX+WBV group, p < 0.001). Leg strength increased over time in the EX group (p < 0.001) and the EX+WBV group (p < 0.001; between-group P = 0.31). Conclusions Exercise in combination with WBV may help attenuate regional bone loss in children recovering from burns. Studies are needed to determine the optimal magnitude, frequency, and duration of the vibration protocol, with attention to minimizing any potential interference with wound healing and graft closure. PMID:26796240

40 CFR 78.10 - Ex parte communications during pendency of a hearing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... ex parte communications and memoranda stating the substance of any such oral ex parte communication... 40 Protection of Environment 16 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Ex parte communications during... (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPEAL PROCEDURES § 78.10 Ex parte communications during pendency of a...

11 CFR 201.3 - Public funding, audits and litigation: Ex parte contacts prohibited.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...) A Commissioner or member of a Commissioner's staff who receives an oral ex parte communication... REGULATIONS EX PARTE COMMUNICATIONS § 201.3 Public funding, audits and litigation: Ex parte contacts... be made to any Commissioner or any member of any Commissioner's staff any ex parte communication...

Aquatic exercise for adults with type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Rees, Jordan L; Johnson, Steven T; Boulé, Normand G

2017-10-01

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine the effects of aquatic exercise (AquaEx) on indicators of glycemic control (i.e., glycated hemoglobin [A1c] and fasting plasma glucose) in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). It was hypothesized that AquaEx would improve glycemic control to a similar extent as land-based exercise (LandEx), but to a greater extent than non-exercise control (Ctrl). A literature search was completed in February 2017 for studies examining AquaEx training in adults with T2DM. Assessment of glycemic control was necessary for inclusion, while secondary outcomes such as quality of life and cardiometabolic risk factors (i.e., blood pressure, triglycerides and total cholesterol) were considered, but not required for inclusion. Outcomes were measured before and after at least 8 weeks of AquaEx, and data were analyzed using weighted mean differences (WMDs) and fixed effect models, when appropriate. Nine trials including 222 participants were identified. Three trials compared AquaEx to LandEx, two compared AquaEx to Crtl, and four had a pre-/post-design without a comparison group. Results indicate no difference in A1c between LandEx and AquaEx (WMD = -0.02%, 95% confidence interval = [-0.71, 0.66]). Post-intervention A1c was lower in AquaEx when compared to Crtl (WMD = -0.96%, [-1.87, -0.05]). Post-AquaEx A1c was lower compared to baseline (WMD = -0.48%, [-0.66, -0.30]). A1c can be reduced after eight-twelve weeks of AquaEx. However, at this time few studies have examined whether changes in A1c are different from LandEx or Crtl.

Effects of Alpha-Lactalbumin or Whey Protein Isolate on Muscle Damage, Muscle Pain, and Mood States Following Prolonged Strenuous Endurance Exercise

PubMed Central

Qin, Lu; Wong, Stephen H. S.; Sun, Feng-Hua; Huang, Yu; Sheridan, Sinead; Sit, Cindy H. P.

2017-01-01

This study compared the effect of alpha-lactalbumin and whey protein on muscle damage, muscle pain, and mood states during short term recovery following strenuous prolonged exercise. In a two-stage crossover counterbalanced design, 12 endurance male runners were recruited (age: 30.4 ± 2.8 year, height: 172.7 ± 5.6 cm, body mass: 66.7 ± 6.5 kg, VO2max: 58.0 ± 6.9 ml/kg−/min), ran for 90 min at 70% VO2max, and followed by a 4-h recovery. Two treatments (carbohydrate+alpha-lactalbumin, CA; carbohydrate+whey protein isolate, CW) were applied during the main trials. During the first 2-h of recovery, CHO was served at the rate of 0.66 g/kg/h and PRO at 0.34 g/kg/h every 30 min. Creatine kinase (CK), interleukin-6 (IL-6), salivary cortisol, rating of muscle pain, pressure pain threshold (PPT), and mood states were evaluated before (Pre-ex), immediately (Post-ex0), 2 h (Post-ex2h) and 4 h (Post-ex4h) after exercise. 24 h after exercise (Post-ex24h), CK and IL-6, muscle pain, and PPT were evaluated. Compared with Pre-ex, Post-ex24h CK was higher in both trials of CA (398.16 ± 41.37 vs. 184.77 ± 22.68 IU/L, P = 0.039) and CW (418.17 ± 67.86 vs. 202.41 ± 22.26 IU/L, P = 0.037). IL-6 was also higher than Pre-ex at Post-ex0 and Post-ex2h in trials of CA (Post-ex0 vs. Pre-ex0: 7.87 ± 0.74 vs. 1.69 ± 0.23, P < 0.01; Post-ex2h vs. Pre-ex0: 5.39 ± 0.88 vs. 1.69 ± 0.23, P = 0.02) and CW (Post-ex0 vs. Pre-ex0: 8.63 ± 1.06 vs. 1.59 ± 0.19, P < 0.01; Post-ex2h vs. Pre-ex0: 5.75 ± 1.33 vs. 1.59 ± 0.19, P < 0.01). No difference was found in CK and IL-6 between two trials at all time points (all P > 0.05). Compared with Pre-ex0, salivary cortisol was elevated at Post-ex0 in both trials (CA: 0.96 ± 0.13 vs. 0.41 ± 0.05 ng/ml, P < 0.01; CW: 1.15 ± 0.18 vs. 0.43 ± 0.06 ng/ml, P < 0.01) and was lower at Post-ex24h than Pre-ex in CA trial (0.17 ± 0.02 vs. 0.41 ± 0.05 ng/ml, P < 0.01). Compared with CW, PPT was higher at Post-2h in CA trial (31.55 ± 3.09 vs. 26.99 ± 2.32 N/cm2, P < 0.01). Compared with Post-ex0, feeling of fatigue was lower at Post-ex2h (P = 0.014) and Post-ex4h (P < 0.01) in CA, while it was lower at Post-ex4h (P = 0.038) in CW. Compared with CW, feeling of fatigue was marginally lower in the CA trial at Post-ex2h (P = 0.056). In conclusion, compared with the co-ingestion of CHO and whey PRO isolate, co-ingestion of CHO and alpha-lactalbumin reduced sensitivity to the muscle pain, attenuated feeling of fatigue and was more beneficial to reduce the feeling of fatigue and cortisol responses during 4-h recovery following 90-min running at 70% VO2max. PMID:29033851

BME Estimation of Residential Exposure to Ambient PM10 and Ozone at Multiple Time Scales

PubMed Central

Yu, Hwa-Lung; Chen, Jiu-Chiuan; Christakos, George; Jerrett, Michael

2009-01-01

Background Long-term human exposure to ambient pollutants can be an important contributing or etiologic factor of many chronic diseases. Spatiotemporal estimation (mapping) of long-term exposure at residential areas based on field observations recorded in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality System often suffer from missing data issues due to the scarce monitoring network across space and the inconsistent recording periods at different monitors. Objective We developed and compared two upscaling methods: UM1 (data aggregation followed by exposure estimation) and UM2 (exposure estimation followed by data aggregation) for the long-term PM10 (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm) and ozone exposure estimations and applied them in multiple time scales to estimate PM and ozone exposures for the residential areas of the Health Effects of Air Pollution on Lupus (HEAPL) study. Method We used Bayesian maximum entropy (BME) analysis for the two upscaling methods. We performed spatiotemporal cross-validations at multiple time scales by UM1 and UM2 to assess the estimation accuracy across space and time. Results Compared with the kriging method, the integration of soft information by the BME method can effectively increase the estimation accuracy for both pollutants. The spatiotemporal distributions of estimation errors from UM1 and UM2 were similar. The cross-validation results indicated that UM2 is generally better than UM1 in exposure estimations at multiple time scales in terms of predictive accuracy and lack of bias. For yearly PM10 estimations, both approaches have comparable performance, but the implementation of UM1 is associated with much lower computation burden. Conclusion BME-based upscaling methods UM1 and UM2 can assimilate core and site-specific knowledge bases of different formats for long-term exposure estimation. This study shows that UM1 can perform reasonably well when the aggregation process does not alter the spatiotemporal structure of the original data set; otherwise, UM2 is preferable. PMID:19440491

Two distinct extracellular RNA signatures released by a single cell type identified by microarray and next-generation sequencing

PubMed Central

Lässer, Cecilia; Shelke, Ganesh Vilas; Yeri, Ashish; Kim, Dae-Kyum; Crescitelli, Rossella; Raimondo, Stefania; Sjöstrand, Margareta; Gho, Yong Song; Van Keuren Jensen, Kendall; Lötvall, Jan

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Cells secrete extracellular RNA (exRNA) to their surrounding environment and exRNA has been found in many body fluids such as blood, breast milk and cerebrospinal fluid. However, there are conflicting results regarding the nature of exRNA. Here, we have separated 2 distinct exRNA profiles released by mast cells, here termed high-density (HD) and low-density (LD) exRNA. The exRNA in both fractions was characterized by microarray and next-generation sequencing. Both exRNA fractions contained mRNA and miRNA, and the mRNAs in the LD exRNA correlated closely with the cellular mRNA, whereas the HD mRNA did not. Furthermore, the HD exRNA was enriched in lincRNA, antisense RNA, vault RNA, snoRNA, and snRNA with little or no evidence of full-length 18S and 28S rRNA. The LD exRNA was enriched in mitochondrial rRNA, mitochondrial tRNA, tRNA, piRNA, Y RNA, and full-length 18S and 28S rRNA. The proteomes of the HD and LD exRNA-containing fractions were determined with LC-MS/MS and analyzed with Gene Ontology term finder, which showed that both proteomes were associated with the term extracellular vesicles and electron microscopy suggests that at least a part of the exRNA is associated with exosome-like extracellular vesicles. Additionally, the proteins in the HD fractions tended to be associated with the nucleus and ribosomes, whereas the LD fraction proteome tended to be associated with the mitochondrion. We show that the 2 exRNA signatures released by a single cell type can be separated by floatation on a density gradient. These results show that cells can release multiple types of exRNA with substantial differences in RNA species content. This is important for any future studies determining the nature and function of exRNA released from different cells under different conditions. PMID:27791479

Ex-vivo quantitative susceptibility mapping of human brain hemispheres

PubMed Central

Kotrotsou, Aikaterini; Tamhane, Ashish A.; Dawe, Robert J.; Kapasi, Alifiya; Leurgans, Sue E.; Schneider, Julie A.; Bennett, David A.; Arfanakis, Konstantinos

2017-01-01

Ex-vivo brain quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) allows investigation of brain characteristics at essentially the same point in time as histopathologic examination, and therefore has the potential to become an important tool for determining the role of QSM as a diagnostic and monitoring tool of age-related neuropathologies. In order to be able to translate the ex-vivo QSM findings to in-vivo, it is crucial to understand the effects of death and chemical fixation on brain magnetic susceptibility measurements collected ex-vivo. Thus, the objective of this work was twofold: a) to assess the behavior of magnetic susceptibility in both gray and white matter of human brain hemispheres as a function of time postmortem, and b) to establish the relationship between in-vivo and ex-vivo gray matter susceptibility measurements on the same hemispheres. Five brain hemispheres from community-dwelling older adults were imaged ex-vivo with QSM on a weekly basis for six weeks postmortem, and the longitudinal behavior of ex-vivo magnetic susceptibility in both gray and white matter was assessed. The relationship between in-vivo and ex-vivo gray matter susceptibility measurements was investigated using QSM data from eleven older adults imaged both antemortem and postmortem. No systematic change in ex-vivo magnetic susceptibility of gray or white matter was observed over time postmortem. Additionally, it was demonstrated that, gray matter magnetic susceptibility measured ex-vivo may be well modeled as a linear function of susceptibility measured in-vivo. In conclusion, magnetic susceptibility in gray and white matter measured ex-vivo with QSM does not systematically change in the first six weeks after death. This information is important for future cross-sectional ex-vivo QSM studies of hemispheres imaged at different postmortem intervals. Furthermore, the linear relationship between in-vivo and ex-vivo gray matter magnetic susceptibility suggests that ex-vivo QSM captures information linked to antemortem gray matter magnetic susceptibility, which is important for translation of ex-vivo QSM findings to in-vivo. PMID:29261693

Iodine Plasma Species Measurements in a Hall Effect Thruster Plume

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-01

with an ExB probe , an electrostatic analyzer (ESA), and a combined ESA/ExB probe . The distribution of xenon ions was also measured. Multiply charge...of iodine ions was measured with an ExB probe , an electrostatic analyzer (ESA), and a combined ESA/ExB probe . • Results: – Multiply charged species...Test Hardware – Vacuum test facility (6’ diameter) – Faraday probe (MIT) – ESA, ExB, ESA/ExB Probes (Plasma Controls) – Rotary probe arm (about

Ex vivo MR volumetry of human brain hemispheres.

PubMed

Kotrotsou, Aikaterini; Bennett, David A; Schneider, Julie A; Dawe, Robert J; Golak, Tom; Leurgans, Sue E; Yu, Lei; Arfanakis, Konstantinos

2014-01-01

The aims of this work were to (a) develop an approach for ex vivo MR volumetry of human brain hemispheres that does not contaminate the results of histopathological examination, (b) longitudinally assess regional brain volumes postmortem, and (c) investigate the relationship between MR volumetric measurements performed in vivo and ex vivo. An approach for ex vivo MR volumetry of human brain hemispheres was developed. Five hemispheres from elderly subjects were imaged ex vivo longitudinally. All datasets were segmented. The longitudinal behavior of volumes measured ex vivo was assessed. The relationship between in vivo and ex vivo volumetric measurements was investigated in seven elderly subjects imaged both antemortem and postmortem. This approach for ex vivo MR volumetry did not contaminate the results of histopathological examination. For a period of 6 months postmortem, within-subject volume variation across time points was substantially smaller than intersubject volume variation. A close linear correspondence was detected between in vivo and ex vivo volumetric measurements. Regional brain volumes measured with this approach for ex vivo MR volumetry remain relatively unchanged for a period of 6 months postmortem. Furthermore, the linear relationship between in vivo and ex vivo MR volumetric measurements suggests that this approach captures information linked to antemortem macrostructural brain characteristics. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ex-vivo MR Volumetry of Human Brain Hemispheres

PubMed Central

Kotrotsou, Aikaterini; Bennett, David A.; Schneider, Julie A.; Dawe, Robert J.; Golak, Tom; Leurgans, Sue E.; Yu, Lei; Arfanakis, Konstantinos

2013-01-01

Purpose The aims of this work were to: a) develop an approach for ex-vivo MR volumetry of human brain hemispheres that does not contaminate the results of histopathological examination, b) longitudinally assess regional brain volumes postmortem, and c) investigate the relationship between MR volumetric measurements performed in-vivo and ex-vivo. Methods An approach for ex-vivo MR volumetry of human brain hemispheres was developed. Five hemispheres from elderly subjects were imaged ex-vivo longitudinally. All datasets were segmented. The longitudinal behavior of volumes measured ex-vivo was assessed. The relationship between in-vivo and ex-vivo volumetric measurements was investigated in seven elderly subjects imaged both ante-mortem and postmortem. Results The presented approach for ex-vivo MR volumetry did not contaminate the results of histopathological examination. For a period of 6 months postmortem, within-subject volume variation across time points was substantially smaller than inter-subject volume variation. A close linear correspondence was detected between in-vivo and ex-vivo volumetric measurements. Conclusion Regional brain volumes measured with the presented approach for ex-vivo MR volumetry remain relatively unchanged for a period of 6 months postmortem. Furthermore, the linear relationship between in-vivo and ex-vivo MR volumetric measurements suggests that the presented approach captures information linked to ante-mortem macrostructural brain characteristics. PMID:23440751

Secondary Release of Exosomes from Astrocytes Contributes to the Increase in Neural Plasticity and Improvement of Functional Recovery after Stroke in Rats Treated with Exosomes Harvested from MicroRNA 133b-Overexpressing Multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

PubMed Central

Xin, Hongqi; Wang, Fengjie; Li, Yanfeng; Lu, Qing-E; Cheung, Wing Lee; Zhang, Yi; Zhang, Zheng Gang; Chopp, Michael

2017-01-01

We previously demonstrated that multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) that overexpress microRNA 133b (miR-133b) significantly improve functional recovery in rats subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) compared with naive MSCs and that exosomes generated from naive MSCs mediate the therapeutic benefits of MSC therapy for stroke. Here we investigated whether exosomes isolated from miR-133b-overexpressing MSCs (Ex-miR-133b+) exert amplified therapeutic effects. Rats subjected to 2 h of MCAO were intra-arterially injected with Ex-miR-133b+, exosomes from MSCs infected by blank vector (Ex-Con), or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and were sacrificed 28 days after MCAO. Compared with the PBS treatment, both exosome treatment groups exhibited significant improvement of functional recovery. Ex-miR-133b+ treatment significantly increased functional improvement and neurite remodeling/brain plasticity in the ischemic boundary area compared with the Ex-Con treatment. Treatment with Ex-miR-133b+ also significantly increased brain exosome content compared with Ex-Con treatment. To elucidate mechanisms underlying the enhanced therapeutic effects of Ex-miR-133b+, astrocytes cultured under oxygen- and glucose-deprived (OGD) conditions were incubated with exosomes harvested from naive MSCs (Ex-Naive), miR-133b downregulated MSCs (Ex-miR-133b−), and Ex-miR-133b+. Compared with the Ex-Naive treatment, Ex-miR-133b+ significantly increased exosomes released by OGD astrocytes, whereas Ex-miR-133b− significantly decreased the release. Also, exosomes harvested from OGD astrocytes treated with Ex-miR-133b+ significantly increased neurite branching and elongation of cultured cortical embryonic rat neurons compared with the exosomes from OGD astrocytes subjected to Ex-Con. Our data suggest that exosomes harvested from miR-133b-overexpressing MSCs improve neural plasticity and functional recovery after stroke with a contribution from a stimulated secondary release of neurite-promoting exosomes from astrocytes. PMID:27677799

EX4 stabilizes and activates Nrf2 via PKCδ, contributing to the prevention of oxidative stress-induced pancreatic beta cell damage

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

Kim, Mi-Hwi; Kim, Eung-Hwi

Oxidative stress in pancreatic beta cells can inhibit insulin secretion and promote apoptotic cell death. Exendin-4 (EX4), a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, can suppress beta cell apoptosis, improve beta cell function and protect against oxidative damage. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms for antioxidative effects of EX4 in pancreatic beta cells. INS-1 cells, a rat insulinoma cell line, were pretreated with EX4 and exposed to palmitate or H{sub 2}O{sub 2}. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and glutathione and insulin secretion were measured. The mRNA and protein expression levels of antioxidant genes were examined. The level of nuclear factormore » erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), its binding to antioxidant response element (ARE), and its ubiquination in the presence of EX4 were determined. The Nrf2 signaling pathway was determined using rottlerin (protein kinase [PK]Cδ inhibitor), H89 (PKA inhibitor) and LY294002 (phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase [PI3K] inhibitor). EX4 treatment decreased ROS production, recovered cellular glutathione levels and insulin secretion in the presence of oxidative stress in INS-1 cells. The expression levels of glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit and heme oxygenase-1 were increased by EX4 treatment. EX4 promoted Nrf2 translocation, ARE binding activity and enhanced stabilization of Nrf2 by inhibition of ubiquitination. Knockdown of Nrf2 abolished the effect of EX4 on increased insulin secretion. Inhibition of PKCδ attenuated Nrf2 translocation and antioxidative gene expression by EX4 treatment. We suggest that EX4 activates and stabilizes Nrf2 through PKCδ activation, contributing to the increase of antioxidant gene expression and consequently improving beta cell function in the presence of oxidative stress. - Highlights: • EX4 protects against oxidative stress-induced pancreatic beta cell dysfunction. • EX4 increases antioxidant gene expression. • Antioxidative effect of EX4 is mediated by Nrf2. • EX4 increases Nrf2 level by stabilizing Nrf2 protein. • EX4 stabilizes Nrf2 by activation of PKCδ.« less

Resistance of uveal melanoma to the interstrand cross-linking agent mitomycin C is associated with reduced expression of CYP450R

PubMed Central

Gravells, P; Hoh, L; Canovas, D; Rennie, I G; Sisley, K; Bryant, H E

2011-01-01

Background: Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular tumour of adults, frequently metastasising to the liver. Hepatic metastases are difficult to treat and are mainly unresponsive to chemotherapy. To investigate why UM are so chemo-resistant we explored the effect of interstrand cross-linking agents mitomycin C (MMC) and cisplatin in comparison with hydroxyurea (HU). Methods: Sensitivity to MMC, cisplatin and HU was tested in established UM cell lines using clonogenic assays. The response of UM to MMC was confirmed in MTT assays using short-term cultures of primary UM. The expression of cytochrome P450 reductase (CYP450R) was analysed by western blotting, and DNA cross-linking was assessed using COMET analysis supported by γ-H2AX foci formation. Results: Both established cell lines and primary cultures of UM were resistant to the cross-linking agent MMC (in each case P<0.001 in Student's t-test compared with controls). In two established UM cell lines, DNA cross-link damage was not induced by MMC (in both cases P<0.05 in Students's t-test compared with damage induced in controls). In all, 6 out of 6 UMs tested displayed reduced expression of the metabolising enzyme CYP450R and transient expression of CYP450R increased MMC sensitivity of UM. Conclusion: We suggest that reduced expression of CYP450R is responsible for MMC resistance of UM, through a lack of bioactivation, which can be reversed by complementing UM cell lines with CYP450R. PMID:21386838

Comparison of in vivo and ex vivo imaging of the microvasculature with 2-photon fluorescence microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinman, Joe; Koletar, Margaret; Stefanovic, Bojana; Sled, John G.

2016-03-01

This study evaluates 2-Photon fluorescence microscopy of in vivo and ex vivo cleared samples for visualizing cortical vasculature. Four mice brains were imaged with in vivo 2PFM. Mice were then perfused with a FITC gel and cleared in fructose. The same regions imaged in vivo were imaged ex vivo. Vessels were segmented automatically in both images using an in-house developed algorithm that accounts for the anisotropic and spatially varying PSF ex vivo. Through non-linear warping, the ex vivo image and tracing were aligned to the in vivo image. The corresponding vessels were identified through a local search algorithm. This enabled comparison of identical vessels in vivo/ex vivo. A similar process was conducted on the in vivo tracing to determine the percentage of vessels perfused. Of all the vessels identified over the four brains in vivo, 98% were present ex vivo. There was a trend towards reduced vessel diameter ex vivo by 12.7%, and the shrinkage varied between specimens (0% to 26%). Large diameter surface vessels, through a process termed 'shadowing', attenuated in vivo signal from deeper cortical vessels by 40% at 300 μm below the cortical surface, which does not occur ex vivo. In summary, though there is a mean diameter shrinkage ex vivo, ex vivo imaging has a reduced shadowing artifact. Additionally, since imaging depths are only limited by the working distance of the microscope objective, ex vivo imaging is more suitable for imaging large portions of the brain.

The Mental Health Sequelae of Traumatic Head Injury in South Vietnamese Ex-Political Detainees Who Survived Torture

PubMed Central

Mollica, Richard F.; Chernoff, Miriam C.; Berthold, S. Megan; Lavelle, James; Lyoo, In Kyoon; Renshaw, Perry

2014-01-01

Little is known about the relationship between traumatic head injury (THI) and psychiatric morbidity in torture survivors. We examine the relationship between THI and depression, PTSD, post-concussive syndrome (PCS), disability and poor health status in Vietnamese ex-political detainees who survived incarceration in Vietnamese re-education camps. A community sample of ex-political detainees (n=337) and a non-THI, non-ex-detainee comparison group (n=82) were surveyed. 78% of the ex-political detainees had experienced THI. 90.6% of the ex-political detainees and 3.6% of the comparison group had experienced 7 or more trauma events. Depression and PTSD were greater in ex-detainees than the comparison group (40.9% vs 23.2% and 13.4% vs 0%). Dose-effect relationships for THI and trauma/torture in the ex-political detainee group were significant. Logistic regression in the pooled sample of ex-detainees and the comparison group confirmed the independent impact of THI from trauma/torture on psychiatric morbidity (OR for PTSD=22.4; 95% CI: 3.0-165.8). These results demonstrate important effects of THI on depression and PTSD in Vietnamese ex-detainees who have survived torture. PMID:24962448

Zoonotic Potential of Escherichia coli Isolates from Retail Chicken Meat Products and Eggs

PubMed Central

Mitchell, Natalie M.; Johnson, James R.; Johnston, Brian; Curtiss, Roy

2014-01-01

Chicken products are suspected as a source of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC), which causes diseases in humans. The zoonotic risk to humans from chicken-source E. coli is not fully elucidated. To clarify the zoonotic risk posed by ExPEC in chicken products and to fill existing knowledge gaps regarding ExPEC zoonosis, we evaluated the prevalence of ExPEC on shell eggs and compared virulence-associated phenotypes between ExPEC and non-ExPEC isolates from both chicken meat and eggs. The prevalence of ExPEC among egg-source isolates was low, i.e., 5/108 (4.7%). Based on combined genotypic and phenotypic screening results, multiple human and avian pathotypes were represented among the chicken-source ExPEC isolates, including avian-pathogenic E. coli (APEC), uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC), neonatal meningitis E. coli (NMEC), and sepsis-associated E. coli (SEPEC), as well as an undefined ExPEC group, which included isolates with fewer virulence factors than the APEC, UPEC, and NMEC isolates. These findings document a substantial prevalence of human-pathogenic ExPEC-associated genes and phenotypes among E. coli isolates from retail chicken products and identify key virulence traits that could be used for screening. PMID:25480753

Chewing lice of genus Ricinus (Phthiraptera, Ricinidae) deposited at the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia, with description of a new species

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

We revised a collection of chewing lice deposited at the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia. We studied 60 slides with 107 specimens of 10 species of the genus Ricinus (De Geer, 1778). The collection includes lectotype specimens of Ricinus ivanovi Blagoveshtchensky, 1951 and of Ricinus tugarinovi Blagoveshtchensky, 1951. We registered Ricinus elongatus Olfers, 1816 ex Turdus ruficollis, R. ivanovi ex Leucosticte tephrocotis and Ricinus serratus (Durrant, 1906) ex Calandrella acutirostris and Calandrella cheleensis which were not included in Price’s world checklist. New records for Russia are R. elongatus ex Turdus ruficollis; Ricinus fringillae De Geer, 1778 ex Emberiza aureola, Emberiza leucocephalos, Emberiza rustica, Passer montanus and Prunella modularis; Ricinus rubeculae De Geer, 1778 ex Erithacus rubecula and Luscinia svecica; Ricinus serratus (Durrant, 1906) ex Alauda arvensis. New records for Kyrgyzstan are R. fringillae ex E. leucocephalos and ex Fringilla coelebs. A new record for Tajikistan is R. serratus ex Calandrella acutirostris. The new species Ricinus vaderi Valan n. sp. is described with Calandra lark, Melanocorypha calandra; from Azerbaijan, as a type host. PMID:26902646

One night of sleep restriction following heavy exercise impairs 3-km cycling time-trial performance in the morning.

PubMed

Chase, John D; Roberson, Paul A; Saunders, Michael J; Hargens, Trent A; Womack, Christopher J; Luden, Nicholas D

2017-09-01

The goal of this project was to examine the influence of a single night of sleep restriction following heavy exercise on cycling time-trial (TT) performance and skeletal muscle function in the morning. Seven recreational cyclists (age, 24 ± 7 years; peak oxygen consumption, 62 ± 4 mL·kg -1 ·min -1 ) completed 2 phases, each comprising evening (EX1) and next-morning (EX2) exercise sessions. EX1 and EX2 were separated by an assigned sleep condition: a full night of rest (CON; 7.1 ± 0.3 h of sleep) or sleep restriction through early waking (SR; 2.4 ± 0.2 h). EX1 comprised baseline testing (muscle soreness, isokinetic torque, and 3-km TT performance) followed by heavy exercise that included 60 min of high-intensity cycling intervals and resistance exercise. EX2 was performed to assess recovery from EX1 and included all baseline measures. Magnitude-based inferences were used to evaluate all variables. SR had a negative effect (very likely) on the change in 3-km TT performance compared with CON. Specifically, 3-km TT performance was 'very likely' slower during EX2 compared with EX1 following SR (-4.0% ± 3.0%), whereas 3-km TT performance was 'possibly' slower during EX2 (vs. EX1) following CON (-0.5% ± 3.0%). Sleep condition did not influence changes in peak torque or muscle soreness from EX1 to EX2. A single night of sleep restriction following heavy exercise had marked consequences on 3-km TT performance the next morning. Because occasional sleep loss is likely, strategies to ameliorate the consequences of sleep loss on performance should be investigated.

Antitumor Activity of Osimertinib, an Irreversible Mutant-Selective EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, in NSCLC Harboring EGFR Exon 20 Insertions.

PubMed

Floc'h, Nicolas; Martin, Matthew J; Riess, Jonathan W; Orme, Jonathan P; Staniszewska, Anna D; Ménard, Ludovic; Cuomo, Maria Emanuela; O'Neill, Daniel J; Ward, Richard A; Finlay, M Raymond V; McKerrecher, Darren; Cheng, Mingshan; Vang, Daniel P; Burich, Rebekah A; Keck, James G; Gandara, David R; Mack, Philip C; Cross, Darren A E

2018-05-01

EGFR exon 20 insertions (Ex20Ins) account for 4% to 10% of EGFR activating mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). EGFR Ex20Ins tumors are generally unresponsive to first- and second-generation EGFR inhibitors, and current standard of care for NSCLC patients with EGFR Ex20Ins is conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy. Therefore, the development of an EGFR TKI that can more effectively target NSCLC with EGFR Ex20Ins mutations represents a major advance for this patient subset. Osimertinib is a third-generation EGFR TKI approved for the treatment of advanced NSCLC harboring EGFR T790M; however, the activity of osimertinib in EGFR Ex20Ins NSCLC has yet to be fully assessed. Using CRISPR-Cas 9 engineered cell lines carrying the most prevalent Ex20Ins mutations, namely Ex20Ins D770_N771InsSVD (22%) or Ex20Ins V769_D770InsASV (17%), and a series of patient-derived xenografts, we have characterized osimertinib and AZ5104 (a circulating metabolite of osimertinib) activities against NSCLC harboring Ex20Ins. We report that osimertinib and AZ5104 inhibit signaling pathways and cellular growth in Ex20Ins mutant cell lines in vitro and demonstrate sustained tumor growth inhibition of EGFR-mutant tumor xenograft harboring the most prevalent Ex20Ins in vivo The antitumor activity of osimertinib and AZ5104 in NSCLC harboring EGFR Ex20Ins is further described herein using a series of patient-derived xenograft models. Together these data support clinical testing of osimertinib in patients with EGFR Ex20Ins NSCLC. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(5); 885-96. ©2018 AACR . ©2018 American Association for Cancer Research.

Cessation of voluntary wheel running increases anxiety-like behavior and impairs adult hippocampal neurogenesis in mice.

PubMed

Nishijima, Takeshi; Llorens-Martín, María; Tejeda, Gonzalo Sanchez; Inoue, Koshiro; Yamamura, Yuhei; Soya, Hideaki; Trejo, José Luis; Torres-Alemán, Ignacio

2013-05-15

While increasing evidence demonstrates that physical exercise promotes brain health, little is known on how the reduction of physical activity affects brain function. We investigated whether the cessation of wheel running alters anxiety-like and depression-like behaviors and its impact on adult hippocampal neurogenesis in mice. Male C57BL/6 mice (4 weeks old) were assigned to one of the following groups, and housed until 21 weeks old; (1) no exercise control (noEx), housed in a standard cage; (2) exercise (Ex), housed in a running wheel cage; and (3) exercise-no exercise (Ex-noEx), housed in a running wheel cage for 8 weeks and subsequently in a standard cage. Behavioral evaluations suggested that Ex-noEx mice were more anxious compared to noEx control mice, but no differences were found in depression-like behavior. The number of BrdU-labeled surviving cells in the dentate gyrus was significantly higher in Ex but not in Ex-noEx compared with noEx, indicating that the facilitative effects of exercise on cell survival are reversible. Surprisingly, the ratio of differentiation of BrdU-positive cells to doublecortin-positive immature neurons was significantly lower in Ex-noEx compared to the other groups, suggesting that the cessation of wheel running impairs an important component of hippocampal neurogenesis in mice. These results indicate that hippocampal adaptation to physical inactivity is not simply a return to the conditions present in sedentary mice. As the impaired neurogenesis is predicted to increase a vulnerability to stress-induced mood disorders, the reduction of physical activity may contribute to a greater risk of these disorders. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Exercise prevents weight gain and alters the gut microbiota in a mouse model of high fat diet-induced obesity.

PubMed

Evans, Christian C; LePard, Kathy J; Kwak, Jeff W; Stancukas, Mary C; Laskowski, Samantha; Dougherty, Joseph; Moulton, Laura; Glawe, Adam; Wang, Yunwei; Leone, Vanessa; Antonopoulos, Dionysios A; Smith, Dan; Chang, Eugene B; Ciancio, Mae J

2014-01-01

Diet-induced obesity (DIO) is a significant health concern which has been linked to structural and functional changes in the gut microbiota. Exercise (Ex) is effective in preventing obesity, but whether Ex alters the gut microbiota during development with high fat (HF) feeding is unknown. Determine the effects of voluntary Ex on the gastrointestinal microbiota in LF-fed mice and in HF-DIO. Male C57BL/6 littermates (5 weeks) were distributed equally into 4 groups: low fat (LF) sedentary (Sed) LF/Sed, LF/Ex, HF/Sed and HF/Ex. Mice were individually housed and LF/Ex and HF/Ex cages were equipped with a wheel and odometer to record Ex. Fecal samples were collected at baseline, 6 weeks and 12 weeks and used for bacterial DNA isolation. DNA was subjected both to quantitative PCR using primers specific to the 16S rRNA encoding genes for Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes and to sequencing for lower taxonomic identification using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Data were analyzed using a one or two-way ANOVA or Pearson correlation. HF diet resulted in significantly greater body weight and adiposity as well as decreased glucose tolerance that were prevented by voluntary Ex (p<0.05). Visualization of Unifrac distance data with principal coordinates analysis indicated clustering by both diet and Ex at week 12. Sequencing demonstrated Ex-induced changes in the percentage of major bacterial phyla at 12 weeks. A correlation between total Ex distance and the ΔCt Bacteroidetes: ΔCt Firmicutes ratio from qPCR demonstrated a significant inverse correlation (r2 = 0.35, p = 0.043). Ex induces a unique shift in the gut microbiota that is different from dietary effects. Microbiota changes may play a role in Ex prevention of HF-DIO.

Chronic aerobic swimming exercise promotes functional and morphological changes in rat ileum

PubMed Central

da Cunha Araujo, Layanne Cabral; de Souza, Iara Leão Luna; Vasconcelos, Luiz Henrique César; de Freitas Brito, Aline; Queiroga, Fernando Ramos; Silva, Alexandre Sérgio; da Silva, Patrícia Mirella; de Andrade Cavalcante, Fabiana; da Silva, Bagnólia Araújo

2015-01-01

Several studies have reported the gastrointestinal (GI) effects promoted by the physical exercise. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the influence of swimming exercise on the contractile reactivity, lipid peroxidation and morphology of rat ileum. Wistar rats were divided into sedentary (SED) and groups exercised for two (EX2), four (EX4), six (EX6) or eight (EX8) weeks, 5 days/week. Animals were killed; the ileum was removed and suspended in organ baths where the isotonic contractions were recorded. Lipid peroxidation was evaluated by MDA (malondialdehyde) measurement with TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) assay and morphology by histological staining. Cumulative concentration-response curves to KCl were attenuated, as the Emax values were changed from 100% (SED) to 63.1±3.9 (EX2), 48.8±3.8 (EX4), 19.4±1.8 (EX6) and 59.4±2.8% (EX8). Similarly, cumulative concentration-response curves to carbamylcholine hydrochloride (CCh) were attenuated, as the Emax values were changed from 100% (SED) to 74.1±5.4 (EX2), 75.9±5.2 (EX4) and 62.9±4.6 (EX6), but not in the EX8 (89.7±3.4%). However, CCh potency was increased in this latter, as the EC50 was altered from 1.0±0.1×10−6 (SED) to 2.1±0.4×10−7 (EX8). MDA concentration was altered only in EX4 (44.3±4.4) compared with SED (20.6±3.6 μmol/l). Circular layer was reduced in SED when compared with the exercised groups. Conversely, longitudinal layer was increased. In conclusion, chronic swimming exercise reduces the ileum contraction, equilibrates the oxidative damage and promotes changes in tissue size to establish an adaptation to the exercise. PMID:26424698

Exercise Prevents Weight Gain and Alters the Gut Microbiota in a Mouse Model of High Fat Diet-Induced Obesity

PubMed Central

Evans, Christian C.; LePard, Kathy J.; Kwak, Jeff W.; Stancukas, Mary C.; Laskowski, Samantha; Dougherty, Joseph; Moulton, Laura; Glawe, Adam; Wang, Yunwei; Leone, Vanessa; Antonopoulos, Dionysios A.; Smith, Dan; Chang, Eugene B.; Ciancio, Mae J.

2014-01-01

Background Diet-induced obesity (DIO) is a significant health concern which has been linked to structural and functional changes in the gut microbiota. Exercise (Ex) is effective in preventing obesity, but whether Ex alters the gut microbiota during development with high fat (HF) feeding is unknown. Objective Determine the effects of voluntary Ex on the gastrointestinal microbiota in LF-fed mice and in HF-DIO. Methods Male C57BL/6 littermates (5 weeks) were distributed equally into 4 groups: low fat (LF) sedentary (Sed) LF/Sed, LF/Ex, HF/Sed and HF/Ex. Mice were individually housed and LF/Ex and HF/Ex cages were equipped with a wheel and odometer to record Ex. Fecal samples were collected at baseline, 6 weeks and 12 weeks and used for bacterial DNA isolation. DNA was subjected both to quantitative PCR using primers specific to the 16S rRNA encoding genes for Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes and to sequencing for lower taxonomic identification using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Data were analyzed using a one or two-way ANOVA or Pearson correlation. Results HF diet resulted in significantly greater body weight and adiposity as well as decreased glucose tolerance that were prevented by voluntary Ex (p<0.05). Visualization of Unifrac distance data with principal coordinates analysis indicated clustering by both diet and Ex at week 12. Sequencing demonstrated Ex-induced changes in the percentage of major bacterial phyla at 12 weeks. A correlation between total Ex distance and the ΔCt Bacteroidetes: ΔCt Firmicutes ratio from qPCR demonstrated a significant inverse correlation (r2 = 0.35, p = 0.043). Conclusion Ex induces a unique shift in the gut microbiota that is different from dietary effects. Microbiota changes may play a role in Ex prevention of HF-DIO. PMID:24670791

Clinical importance of detecting exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise on antihypertensive therapy.

PubMed

Mizuno, Reiko; Fujimoto, Shinichi; Saito, Yoshihiko; Yamazaki, Masaharu

2016-06-01

In patients with hypertension, regression of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is associated with improved prognosis. Impact of exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise (Ex-BP) seen in patients with hypertension undergoing antihypertensive therapy on the regression of LVH has not been evaluated. This prospective study investigated the relationship between Ex-BP on antihypertensive therapy and the regression of LVH. We prospectively studied 124 never-treated patients with hypertension with LVH. After a pretreatment evaluation, antihypertensive treatment was started and exercise test was performed in all patients. Patients with Ex-BP were divided into the Ex-BP (+) group and those without were divided into the Ex-BP (-) group. Regression of LVH over the follow-up period was compared between the groups. The follow-up duration was approximately 12 months in both the groups. Mean values of blood pressure at rest during the follow-up period were similar between the groups. Reduction of LVH was seen in both the groups. The magnitude of reduction of LVH was significantly smaller in the Ex-BP (+) group compared with the Ex-BP (-) group. Regression of LVH was much frequently seen in the Ex-BP (+) group compared with the Ex-BP (-) group. Multiple regression analysis determined that on-treatment Ex-BP was an independent negative determinant of antihypertensive treatment-induced reduction of LVH. This study suggests that on-treatment Ex-BP is associated with depressed regression of LVH in patients with hypertension with antihypertensive treatment. If Ex-BP is detected despite receiving antihypertensive agents, improvement of Ex-BP may be necessary to achieve an effective reduction of LVH. Active search of Ex-BP is recommended in patients with hypertension with antihypertensive treatment. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Correlations Between the EGFR Mutation Status and Clinicopathological Features of Clinical Stage I Lung Adenocarcinoma

PubMed Central

Isaka, Tetsuya; Yokose, Tomoyuki; Ito, Hiroyuki; Nagata, Masashi; Furumoto, Hideyuki; Nishii, Teppei; Katayama, Kayoko; Yamada, Kouzo; Nakayama, Haruhiko; Masuda, Munetaka

2015-01-01

Abstract Advanced lung cancers with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 19 deletions (Ex19s) and EGFR exon 21 L858R point mutations (Ex21s) exhibit different clinical behavior. However, these differences are unclear in resectable primary lung tumors. The clinicopathological features of 88 (20.9%) Ex19, 124 (29.4%) Ex21, and 198 (46.9%) EGFR wild-type (Wt) clinical stage I primary adenocarcinomas resected between January 1, 2012 and October 31, 2014 were compared by using Chi-square tests, residual error analysis, analysis of variance, and Tukey tests. Ex21 lesions occurred more frequently in women and never-smokers and had a higher tumor disappearance rate (TDR: 59.6% vs 43.9%; P < 0.001) and lower maximum standardized uptake value (maxSUV: 2.0 vs 3.5; P < 0.01) than Wt lesions; Ex19 lesions had intermediate values (52.8% and 2.6). There was a low frequency of vascular invasion in Ex21 lesions (12.1%; P < 0.05) and a high frequency in Wt lesions (22.7%; P < 0.05). Most Ex19 lesions were intermediate-grade adenocarcinoma (lepidic, acinar, and papillary predominant: 73.9%; P < 0.05). Wt and Ex21 lesions were predominately high-grade (micropapillary or solid predominant, mucinous variant) and low-grade (adenocarcinoma in situ and minimally invasive adenocarcinoma) adenocarcinoma, respectively. Wt lesions had smaller lepidic components (42.1% vs 56.3%; P < 0.001) and larger papillary and solid components (papillary: 15.5% vs 9.0%; P < 0.05; solid: 13.2% vs 3.2%; P < 0.001) than Ex21 lesions. Most Ex19 lesions had intermediate component rates. Most Ex21 lesions were low-grade adenocarcinoma with lepidic growth patterns. Wt high-grade adenocarcinomas included solid and papillary components with vascular invasion. Ex19 lesions were intermediate grade between Ex21 and Wt. PMID:26496308

Uveal melanoma hepatic metastases mutation spectrum analysis using targeted next-generation sequencing of 400 cancer genes.

PubMed

Luscan, A; Just, P A; Briand, A; Burin des Roziers, C; Goussard, P; Nitschké, P; Vidaud, M; Avril, M F; Terris, B; Pasmant, E

2015-04-01

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common malignant tumour of the eye. Diagnosis often occurs late in the course of disease, and prognosis is generally poor. Recently, recurrent somatic mutations were described, unravelling additional specific altered pathways in UM. Targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) can now be applied to an accurate and fast identification of somatic mutations in cancer. The aim of the present study was to characterise the mutation pattern of five UM hepatic metastases with well-defined clinical and pathological features. We analysed the UM mutation spectrum using targeted NGS on 409 cancer genes. Four previous reported genes were found to be recurrently mutated. All tumours presented mutually exclusive GNA11 or GNAQ missense mutations. BAP1 loss-of-function mutations were found in three UMs. SF3B1 missense mutations were found in the two UMs with no BAP1 mutations. We then searched for additional mutation targets. We identified the Arg505Cys mutation in the tumour suppressor FBXW7. The same mutation was previously described in different cancer types, and FBXW7 was recently reported to be mutated in UM exomes. Further studies are required to confirm FBXW7 implication in UM tumorigenesis. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying UM tumorigenesis holds the promise for novel and effective targeted UM therapies. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Timing of Exercise Affects Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes Patients Treated with Metformin.

PubMed

Huang, Tao; Lu, Chunyan; Schumann, Moritz; Le, Shenglong; Yang, Yifan; Zhuang, Haihui; Lu, Qingwei; Liu, Jinsheng; Wiklund, Petri; Cheng, Sulin

2018-01-01

The purpose of the study was to examine the acute effects of the timing of exercise on the glycemic control during and after exercise in T2D. This study included 26 T2D patients (14 women and 12 men) who were treated with metformin. All patients were tested on four occasions: metformin administration alone (Metf), high-intensity interval training (HIIT) performed at 30 minutes (EX30), 60 minutes (EX60), and 90 minutes (EX90) postbreakfast, respectively. Glucose, insulin, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were examined. Glucose decreased significantly after the exercise in EX30, EX60, and EX90. Compared with Metf, the decline in glucose immediately after the exercise was larger in EX30 (-2.58 mmol/L; 95% CI, -3.36 to -1.79 mmol/L; p < 0.001), EX60 (-2.13 mmol/L; 95% CI, -2.91 to -1.34 mmol/L; p < 0.001), and EX90 (-1.87 mmol/L; 95% CI, -2.65 to -1.08 mmol/L; p < 0.001), respectively. Compared with Metf, the decrease in insulin was larger in EX30 and EX60 (both p < 0.001). Timing of exercise is a factor to consider when prescribing exercise for T2D patients treated with metformin. This trial is registered with ChiCTR-IOR-16008469 on 13 May 2016.

Reasons for not using ecstasy: a qualitative study of non-users, ex-light users and ex-moderate users

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Although ecstasy is often consumed in the electronic music scene, not everyone with the opportunity to use it chooses to do so. The objective of this study was to understand the reasons for non-use or the cessation of use, which could provide information for public health interventions. Methods A qualitative reference method was used. Our “snowball” sample group consisted of 53 people who were split into three subgroups: non-users (NU, n = 23), ex-light users (EX-L, n = 12) and ex-moderate users (EX-M, n = 18). Individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed and subjected to content analysis with the aid of NVivo8. Results Adverse health effects and personal values were given as reasons for non-use in the three groups. Non-users (NU) and ex-light users (EX-L) provided reasons that included fear of possible effects as well as moral, family and religious objections. Ex-moderate users (EX-M) cited reasons related to health complications and concomitant withdrawal from the electronic music scene. However, most of the ex-moderate users did not rule out the possibility of future use. Conclusions Potential effects and undesirable consequences appear to guide the decisions within the different groups. Prevention might target these motivations. Individuals who have used ecstasy indicate that social and environmental factors are the most important factors. PMID:22583984

Acute phase lipocalin Ex-FABP is involved in heart development and cell survival.

PubMed

Gentili, C; Tutolo, G; Zerega, B; Di Marco, E; Cancedda, R; Cancedda, F Descalzi

2005-03-01

Ex-FABP is an extracellular fatty acid binding protein, expressed during chicken embryo development in cartilage, muscle fibers, and blood granulocytes. Transfection of chondrocytes and myoblasts with anti-sense Ex-FABP cDNA results in inhibition of cell proliferation and apoptosis induction. Ex-FABP expression is dramatically enhanced by inflammatory stimuli and in pathological conditions. In this paper, by in situ whole mount and immunohistochemistry analysis we show that, at early developmental stage, Ex-FABP is diffuse in all tissues of chick embryos. Particularly high level of transcript and protein are expressed in the heart. During acute phase response (APR) induced by endotoxin LPS injection, a marked increase of Ex-FABP mRNA was observed in embryos, highest Ex-FABP expression being in heart and liver. To investigate in vivo the biological role of Ex-FABP, we have directly microinjected chicken embryos with antibody against Ex-FABP. Almost 70% of chicken embryos died and the target tissue was the heart. We detected in heart of the treated embryos a significant increase of apoptotic cells and high level of fatty acids. We propose that the accumulation of fatty acid, specific ligand of Ex-FABP, in the cell microenvironment is responsible of heart cell death, and we suggest that Ex-FABP may act as a survival protein by playing a role as scavenger for fatty acids. 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

EX-PRESS Glaucoma Filtration Device: efficacy, safety, and predictability

PubMed Central

Chan, Jessica E; Netland, Peter A

2015-01-01

Trabeculectomy has been the traditional primary surgical therapy for open-angle glaucoma. While trabeculectomy is effective in lowering intraocular pressure, complications associated with the procedure have motivated the development of alternative techniques and devices, including the EX-PRESS Glaucoma Filtration Device. This review describes the efficacy, safety, complication rates, and potential advantages and disadvantages of the EX-PRESS Glaucoma Filtration Device. EX-PRESS implantation is technically simpler compared with that of trabeculectomy, with fewer surgical steps. Vision recovery has been more rapid after EX-PRESS implantation compared with trabeculectomy. Intraocular pressure variation is lower during the early postoperative period, indicating a more predictable procedure. While efficacy of the EX-PRESS implant has been comparable to trabeculectomy, postoperative complications appear less common after EX-PRESS implantation compared with trabeculectomy. The EX-PRESS Glaucoma Filtration Device appears to be safe and effective in the surgical management of open-angle glaucoma. PMID:26366105

Ex Ante Research Explored: Numbers, Types and Use of Ex Ante Policy Studies by the Dutch Government

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haarhuis, Carolien Maria Klein; Smit, Monika

2017-01-01

Ex ante research can contribute to evidence-informed policies. In this article, we explore numbers and types of ex ante studies as well as their use. First, we took stock of a potentially wide range of ex ante studies published by the Dutch government between 2005 and 2011, applying a systematic approach. Though unevenly distributed across…

Low-intensity treadmill exercise promotes rat dorsal wound healing.

PubMed

Zhou, Wu; Liu, Guo-hui; Yang, Shu-hua; Mi, Bo-bin; Ye, Shu-nan

2016-02-01

In order to investigate the promoting effect of low-intensity treadmill exercise on rat dorsal wound healing and the mechanism, 20 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups: exercise group (Ex) and non-exercise group (non-ex). The rats in Ex group were given treadmill exercise for one month, and those in non-ex group raised on the same conditions without treadmill exercise. Both groups received dorsal wound operation with free access to food and water. By two-week continuous observation and recording of the wound area, the healing rate was analyzed. The blood sample was collected at day 14 post-operation via cardiac puncture for determination of the number of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) by flow cytometry, and the concentrations of relevant cytokines such as basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured by ELISA. The skin tissue around the wound was dissected to observe the vascular density under the microscope after HE staining, to detect the mRNA level of VEGFR2 and angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) receptor using RT-qPCR, and protein expression of a-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) and type III collagen (ColIII) using Western blotting. It was found that the wound area in Ex group was smaller at the same time point than in non-ex group. The number of circulating EPCs was greater and the concentrations of vasoactive factors such as VEGF, eNOS and bFGF were higher in Ex group than in non-ex group. HE staining displayed a higher vessel density in Ex group than in non-ex group. Moreover, the mRNA expression of VEGFR2 and Ang-1 detected in the wound tissue in Ex group was higher than in non-ex group. Meanwhile, the protein expression of αSMA and ColIII was more abundant in Ex group than in non-ex group. Conclusively, the above results demonstrate Ex rats had a higher wound healing rate, suggesting low-intensity treadmill exercise accelerates wound healing. The present work may provide some hint for future study of treating refractory wound.

Ex post and ex ante willingness to pay (WTP) for the ICT Malaria Pf/Pv test kit in Myanmar.

PubMed

Cho-Min-Naing; Lertmaharit, S; Kamol-Ratanakul, P; Saul, A J

2000-03-01

Willingness to pay (WTP) for the ICT Malaria Pf/Pv test kit was assessed by the contingent valuation method using a bidding game approach in two villages in Myanmar. Kankone (KK) village has a rural health center (RHC) and Yae-Aye-Sann (YAS) is serviced by community health worker (CHW). The objectives were to assess WTP for the ICT Malaria Pf/Pv test kit and to determine factors affecting the WTP. In both villages WTP was assessed in two different conditions, ex post and ex ante. The ex post WTP was assessed at an RHC in the KK village and at the residence of a CHW in the YAS village on patients immediately following diagnosis of malaria. The ex ante WTP was assessed by household interviews in both villages on people with a prior history of malaria. Ordinary least squares (OLS) multiple regression analysis was used to analyze factors affecting WTP. The WTP was higher in ex post conditions than ex ante in both villages. WTP was significantly positively associated with the average monthly income of the respondents and severity of illness in both ex post and ex ante conditions (p < 0.001). Distance between the residence of the respondents and the health center was significantly positively associated (p < 0.05) in the ex ante condition in a household survey of YAS village. Traveling time to RHC had a negative relationship with WTP (p < 0.05) in the ex post condition in the RHC survey in KK village.

2D.03: IMPROVING DIAGNOSTIC STRATEGY IN PATIENTS WITH LONG-STANDING HYPERTENSION, CHEST PAIN AND NORMAL RESTING ECG: VALUE OF THE EXERCISE HIGH-FREQUENCY QRS VERSUS ST-SEGMENT ANALYSIS.

PubMed

Conti, A; Bianchi, S; Grifoni, C; Trausi, F; Angeli, E; Paolini, D; Catarzi, S; Perrotta, M E; Covelli, A; Renzi, N; Bertolini, P; Mazzucchelli, M

2015-06-01

The novel exercise computer-assisted high-frequency QRS-analysis (ex-HF/QRS) has demonstrated improved sensitivity and specificity over the conventional exercise-ST/ECG-segment-analysis (ex-ST/ECG) in the detection of myocardial ischemia. The aim of the present study was to test the implementation in diagnostic value of the ex-HF/QRS in patient with hypertension and chest pain (CP) versus the conventional ex-ST/ECG anlysis alone. Patients with long-standing hypertension, CP, normal ECG, troponin and echocardiography were enrolled. All patients underwent the ex-ST/ECG and ex-HF/QRS. A decrease >/=50% of the signal of ex-HF/QRS intensity recorded in two contiguous leads, at least, was considered as index of ischaemia, as ST-segment depression >/=2 mm or >/=1 mm and CP on ex-ST/ECG. Exclusion criteria were QRS duration >/=120 msec and inability to exercise. The end-point was the composite of coronary stenosis >50% or acute coronary syndrome, revascularization, cardiovascular death at 3-month follow-up. Six-hundred thirty-one patients were enrolled (age 61+/-15 y). The percentage of age-adjusted maximal predicted heart rate was 88+/-10 beat-per-minute and the maximal systolic blood pressure was 169+/-22 mmHg. Twenty-seven patients achieved the end-point. On multivariate analysis, both the ex-ST/ECG and ex-HF/QRS were predictors of the end-point. The ex-HF/QRS showed higher sensitivity (88% vs 50%; p = 0.003), lower specificity (77% vs 97%; p = 0.245) and comparable negative predictive value (99% vs 99%; p = NS) when compared to ex-ST/ECG. Receiver operator characteristics (ROC) analysis showed the incremental diagnostic value of the ex-HF/QRS (area: 0.64, 95% Confidence Intervals, CI 0.51-0.77) over conventional ex-ST/ECG (0.60, CI 0.52-0.66) and Chest Pain Score (0.53, CI 0.48-0.59); p = NS on pairwise C-statistic. In patients with long-standing hypertension and CP submitted to risk stratification with exercise tolerance test, the novel ex-HF/QRS shows a valuable incremental diagnostic value over ex-ST/ECG.

Characterization of Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli isolated from retail poultry meats from Alberta, Canada.

PubMed

Aslam, Mueen; Toufeer, Mehdi; Narvaez Bravo, Claudia; Lai, Vita; Rempel, Heidi; Manges, Amee; Diarra, Moussa Sory

2014-05-02

Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) have the potential to spread through fecal waste resulting in the contamination of both farm workers and retail poultry meat in the processing plants or environment. The objective of this study was to characterize ExPEC from retail poultry meats purchased from Alberta, Canada and to compare them with 12 human ExPEC representatives from major ExPEC lineages. Fifty-four virulence genes were screened by a set of multiplex PCRs in 700 E. coli from retail poultry meat samples. ExPEC was defined as the detection of at least two of the following virulence genes: papA/papC, sfa, kpsMT II and iutA. Genetic relationships between isolates were determined using pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Fifty-nine (8.4%) of the 700 poultry meat isolates were identified as ExPEC and were equally distributed among the phylogenetic groups A, B1, B2 and D. Isolates of phylogenetic group A possessed up to 12 virulence genes compared to 24 and 18 genes in phylogenetic groups B2 and D, respectively. E. coli identified as ExPEC and recovered from poultry harbored as many virulence genes as those of human isolates. In addition to the iutA gene, siderophore-related iroN and fyuA were detected in combination with other virulence genes including those genes encoding for adhesion, protectin and toxin while the fimH, ompT, traT, uidA and vat were commonly detected in poultry ExPEC. The hemF, iss and cvaC genes were found in 40% of poultry ExPEC. All human ExPEC isolates harbored concnf (cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1 altering cytoskeleton and causing necrosis) and hlyD (hemolysin transport) genes which were not found in poultry ExPEC. PFGE analysis showed that a few poultry ExPEC isolates clustered with human ExPEC isolates at 55-70% similarity level. Comparing ExPEC isolated from retail poultry meats provides insight into their virulence potential and suggests that poultry associated ExPEC may be important for retail meat safety. Investigations into the ability of our poultry ExPEC to cause human infections are warranted. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sources and functions of extracellular small RNAs in human circulation

PubMed Central

Fritz, Joëlle V.; Heintz-Buschart, Anna; Ghosal, Anubrata; Wampach, Linda; Etheridge, Alton; Galas, David; Wilmes, Paul

2017-01-01

Various biotypes of endogenous small RNAs (sRNAs) have been detected in human circulation including microRNAs, tRNA, rRNA and yRNA fragments. These extracellular sRNAs (ex-sRNAs) are packaged and secreted by many different cell types. Ex-sRNAs exhibit differences in abundance in several disease contexts and have therefore been proposed as well-suited biomarkers. Furthermore, exosome-borne ex-sRNAs have been reported to elicit physiological responses in receiving cells. Albeit controversial, exogenous ex-sRNAs derived from plants and microorganisms have also been described in human blood. Essential questions which remain to be conclusively addressed in the field concern the (i) presence and mechanistic sources of exogenous ex-sRNA in human bodily fluids, (ii) detection and measurement of ex-sRNA in human circulation, (iii) selectivity of ex-sRNA export and import, (iv) sensitivity and specificity of ex-sRNA delivery to cellular targets, and (v) cell-, tissue-, organ- and organism-wide impacts of ex-sRNAs. We will survey the present state of knowledge of most of these questions in this review. PMID:27215587

PubMed-EX: a web browser extension to enhance PubMed search with text mining features.

PubMed

Tsai, Richard Tzong-Han; Dai, Hong-Jie; Lai, Po-Ting; Huang, Chi-Hsin

2009-11-15

PubMed-EX is a browser extension that marks up PubMed search results with additional text-mining information. PubMed-EX's page mark-up, which includes section categorization and gene/disease and relation mark-up, can help researchers to quickly focus on key terms and provide additional information on them. All text processing is performed server-side, freeing up user resources. PubMed-EX is freely available at http://bws.iis.sinica.edu.tw/PubMed-EX and http://iisr.cse.yzu.edu.tw:8000/PubMed-EX/.

The mental health sequelae of traumatic head injury in South Vietnamese ex-political detainees who survived torture.

PubMed

Mollica, Richard F; Chernoff, Miriam C; Megan Berthold, S; Lavelle, James; Lyoo, In Kyoon; Renshaw, Perry

2014-10-01

Little is known about the relationship between traumatic head injury (THI) and psychiatric morbidity in torture survivors. We examine the relationship between THI and depression, PTSD, post-concussive syndrome (PCS), disability and poor health status in Vietnamese ex-political detainees who survived incarceration in Vietnamese re-education camps. A community sample of ex-political detainees (n=337) and a non-THI, non-ex-detainee comparison group (n=82) were surveyed. Seventy-eight percent of the ex-political detainees had experienced THI; 90.6% of the ex-political detainees and 3.6% of the comparison group had experienced 7 or more trauma events. Depression and PTSD were greater in ex-detainees than in the comparison group (40.9% vs 23.2% and 13.4% vs 0%). Dose-effect relationships for THI and trauma/torture in the ex-political detainee group were significant. Logistic regression in the pooled sample of ex-detainees and the comparison group confirmed the independent impact of THI from trauma/torture on psychiatric morbidity (OR for PTSD=22.4; 95% CI: 3.0-165.8). These results demonstrate important effects of THI on depression and PTSD in Vietnamese ex-detainees who have survived torture. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Zoonotic potential of Escherichia coli isolates from retail chicken meat products and eggs.

PubMed

Mitchell, Natalie M; Johnson, James R; Johnston, Brian; Curtiss, Roy; Mellata, Melha

2015-02-01

Chicken products are suspected as a source of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC), which causes diseases in humans. The zoonotic risk to humans from chicken-source E. coli is not fully elucidated. To clarify the zoonotic risk posed by ExPEC in chicken products and to fill existing knowledge gaps regarding ExPEC zoonosis, we evaluated the prevalence of ExPEC on shell eggs and compared virulence-associated phenotypes between ExPEC and non-ExPEC isolates from both chicken meat and eggs. The prevalence of ExPEC among egg-source isolates was low, i.e., 5/108 (4.7%). Based on combined genotypic and phenotypic screening results, multiple human and avian pathotypes were represented among the chicken-source ExPEC isolates, including avian-pathogenic E. coli (APEC), uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC), neonatal meningitis E. coli (NMEC), and sepsis-associated E. coli (SEPEC), as well as an undefined ExPEC group, which included isolates with fewer virulence factors than the APEC, UPEC, and NMEC isolates. These findings document a substantial prevalence of human-pathogenic ExPEC-associated genes and phenotypes among E. coli isolates from retail chicken products and identify key virulence traits that could be used for screening. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Anísio Teixeira on universities, research and public education.

PubMed

Xavier, Libânia Nacif

2012-06-01

The article investigates the issues that were central to the debate about Brazilian education in intellectual circles in the 1920s-1930s and 1950s-1960s. It analyzes the project for Universidade do Distrito Federal, highlighting what set it apart from other higher education models, and the articulation between education and social science that oriented the work of Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Educacionais, founded and run by Anísio Teixeira. The positions of Darcy Ribeiro and Anísio Teixeira concerning the plans for Universidade de Brasília are set forth. The changes in Brazil's intellectual field in the midst of competing university projects and the prospect of developing social science research and applying it to education policymaking are analyzed.

75 FR 56667 - Facilitating Shareholder Director Nominations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-16

... Company (``DuPont''); Eaton Corporation (``Eaton''); Michael Eng (``M. Eng''); FedEx Corporation (``FedEx... Corporation (``ExxonMobil''); FedEx; Financial Services Roundtable (``Financial Services Roundtable...; Cummins; Davis Polk; Dewey; DuPont; Eaton; M. Eng; FedEx; FMC Corp.; FPL Group; Frontier; GE; General...

Inhibition of selenocysteine tRNA[Ser]Sec aminoacylation provides evidence that aminoacylation is required for regulatory methylation of this tRNA

PubMed Central

Kim, Jin Young; Carlson, Bradley A.; Xu, Xue-Ming; Zeng, Yu; Chen, Shawn; Gladyshev, Vadim N.; Lee, Byeong Jae; Hatfield, Dolph L.

2011-01-01

There are two isoforms of selenocysteine (Sec) tRNA[Ser]Sec that differ by a single methyl group, Um34. The non-Um34 isoform supports the synthesis of a subclass of selenoproteins, designated housekeeping, while the Um34 isoform supports the expression of another subclass, designated stress-related selenoproteins. Herein, we investigated the relationship between tRNA[Ser]Sec aminoacylation and Um34 synthesis which is the last step in the maturation of this tRNA. Mutation of the discriminator base at position 73 in tRNA[Ser]Sec dramatically reduced aminoacylation with serine, as did an inhibitor of seryl-tRNA synthetase, SB-217452. Although both the mutation and the inhibitor prevented Um34 synthesis, neither precluded the synthesis of any other of the known base modifications on tRNA[Ser]Sec following microinjection and incubation of the mutant tRNA[Ser]Sec transcript, or the wild type transcript along with inhibitor, in Xenopus oocytes. The data demonstrate that Sec tRNA[Ser]Sec must be aminoacylated for Um34 addition. The fact that selenium is required for Um34 methylation suggests that Sec must be attached to its tRNA for Um34 methylation. This would explain why selenium is essential for the function of Um34 methylase and provides further insights into the hierarchy of selenoprotein expression. PMID:21624347

Aging impairs heat loss, but when does it matter?

PubMed Central

Stapleton, Jill M.; Poirier, Martin P.; Flouris, Andreas D.; Boulay, Pierre; Sigal, Ronald J.; Malcolm, Janine

2014-01-01

Aging is associated with an attenuated physiological ability to dissipate heat. However, it remains unclear if age-related impairments in heat dissipation only occur above a certain level of heat stress and whether this response is altered by aerobic fitness. Therefore, we examined changes in whole body evaporative heat loss (HE) as determined using whole body direct calorimetry in young (n = 10; 21 ± 1 yr), untrained middle-aged (n = 10; 48 ± 5 yr), and older (n = 10; 65 ± 3 yr) males matched for body surface area. We also studied a group of trained middle-aged males (n = 10; 49 ± 5 yr) matched for body surface area with all groups and for aerobic fitness with the young group. Participants performed intermittent aerobic exercise (30-min exercise bouts separated by 15-min rest) in the heat (40°C and 15% relative humidity) at progressively greater fixed rates of heat production equal to 300 (Ex1), 400 (Ex2), and 500 (Ex3) W. Results showed that HE was significantly lower in middle-aged untrained (Ex2: 426 ± 34; and Ex3: 497 ± 17 W) and older (Ex2: 424 ± 38; and Ex3: 485 ± 44 W) compared with young (Ex2: 472 ± 42; and Ex3: 558 ± 51 W) and middle-aged trained (474 ± 21; Ex3: 552 ± 23 W) males at the end of Ex2 and Ex3 (P < 0.05). No differences among groups were observed during recovery. We conclude that impairments in HE in older and middle-aged untrained males occur at exercise-induced heat loads of ≥400 W when performed in a hot environment. These impairments in untrained middle-aged males can be minimized through regular aerobic exercise training. PMID:25505030

Accuracy and reliability of pulp/tooth area ratio in upper canines by peri-apical X-rays.

PubMed

Azevedo, A C; Michel-Crosato, E; Biazevic, M G H; Galić, I; Merelli, V; De Luca, S; Cameriere, R

2014-11-01

Due to the real need for careful staff training in age assessment, in order to improve capacity, consistency and competence, new research on the reliability and repeatability of methods frequently used in age assessment are required. The aim of this study was twofold: first, to test the accuracy of this method for age estimation; second, to obtain data on the reliability of this technique. A sample of 81 peri-apical radiographs of upper canines (44 men and 37 women), aged between 19 and 74years, was used; the teeth were taken from the osteological collection of Sassari (Sardinia, Italy). Three blinded observers used the technique in order to perform the age estimation. The mean real age of the 81 observations was 37.21 (CI95% 34.37 40.05), and estimated ages ranged from 36.65 to 38.99 (CI95%-Ex1 35.42; 41.28; CI95%-Ex2 33.89; 39.41; CI95%-Ex3 35.92; 42.06). The module differences found by the three observers were 3.43, 4.24 and 4.45, respectively for Ex1×Ex2, Ex1×Ex3 and Ex2×Ex3. The module differences observed among real and observed ages were 2.55 (CI95% 1.90; 3.20), 2.22 (CI95% 1.65; 2.78) and 4.39 (CI95% 3.80; 5.75), respectively for Ex1, Ex2 and Ex3. No differences were observed among measurements. This technique can be reproduced and repeated after proper training, since it was found high reliability and accuracy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The enhanced susceptibility of ADAM-17 hypomorphic mice to DSS-induced colitis is not ameliorated by loss of RIPK3, revealing an unexpected function of ADAM-17 in necroptosis

PubMed Central

Luzius, Anne; Saggau, Carina; Ruder, Barbara; Bolik, Julia; Schmidt-Arras, Dirk; Linkermann, Andreas; Becker, Christoph; Rosenstiel, Philip; Rose-John, Stefan; Adam, Dieter

2018-01-01

The disintegrin metalloprotease ADAM17 has a critical role in intestinal inflammation and regeneration in mice, as illustrated by the dramatically increased susceptibility of ADAM17 hypomorphic (ADAM17ex/ex) mice to dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. Similarly, necroptosis has been implicated in inflammatory responses in the intestine. In this study, we have investigated the contribution of necroptosis to ADAM17-regulated intestinal inflammation in vivo by crossing ADAM17ex/ex mice with mice that lack the necroptotic core protein RIPK3. Despite the loss of RIPK3, ADAM17ex/ex/RIPK3−/− mice showed the same increased susceptibility as ADAM17ex/ex mice in both acute and chronic models of DSS-induced colitis. Mice of both genotypes revealed comparable results with regard to weight loss, disease activity index and colitis-associated changes of inner organs. Histopathological analyses confirmed similar tissue destruction, loss of barrier integrity, immune cell infiltration, and cell death; serum analyses revealed similar levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine KC. Resolving these unexpected findings, ADAM17ex/ex mice did not show phosphorylation of RIPK3 and its necroptotic interaction partner MLKL during DSS-induced colitis, although both proteins were clearly expressed. Consistent with these findings, murine embryonic fibroblasts derived from ADAM17ex/ex mice were protected from tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-induced necroptosis and failed to show phosphorylation of MLKL and RIPK3 after induction of necroptosis by TNF, revealing a novel, undescribed role of the protease ADAM17 in necroptosis. PMID:29560122

The enhanced susceptibility of ADAM-17 hypomorphic mice to DSS-induced colitis is not ameliorated by loss of RIPK3, revealing an unexpected function of ADAM-17 in necroptosis.

PubMed

Fuchslocher Chico, Johaiber; Falk-Paulsen, Maren; Luzius, Anne; Saggau, Carina; Ruder, Barbara; Bolik, Julia; Schmidt-Arras, Dirk; Linkermann, Andreas; Becker, Christoph; Rosenstiel, Philip; Rose-John, Stefan; Adam, Dieter

2018-02-27

The disintegrin metalloprotease ADAM17 has a critical role in intestinal inflammation and regeneration in mice, as illustrated by the dramatically increased susceptibility of ADAM17 hypomorphic (ADAM17 ex/ex ) mice to dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. Similarly, necroptosis has been implicated in inflammatory responses in the intestine. In this study, we have investigated the contribution of necroptosis to ADAM17-regulated intestinal inflammation in vivo by crossing ADAM17 ex/ex mice with mice that lack the necroptotic core protein RIPK3. Despite the loss of RIPK3, ADAM17 ex/ex /RIPK3 -/- mice showed the same increased susceptibility as ADAM17 ex/ex mice in both acute and chronic models of DSS-induced colitis. Mice of both genotypes revealed comparable results with regard to weight loss, disease activity index and colitis-associated changes of inner organs. Histopathological analyses confirmed similar tissue destruction, loss of barrier integrity, immune cell infiltration, and cell death; serum analyses revealed similar levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine KC. Resolving these unexpected findings, ADAM17 ex/ex mice did not show phosphorylation of RIPK3 and its necroptotic interaction partner MLKL during DSS-induced colitis, although both proteins were clearly expressed. Consistent with these findings, murine embryonic fibroblasts derived from ADAM17 ex/ex mice were protected from tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-induced necroptosis and failed to show phosphorylation of MLKL and RIPK3 after induction of necroptosis by TNF, revealing a novel, undescribed role of the protease ADAM17 in necroptosis.

ACE2-EPC-EXs protect ageing ECs against hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced injury through the miR-18a/Nox2/ROS pathway.

PubMed

Zhang, Cheng; Wang, Jinju; Ma, Xiaotang; Wang, Wenjun; Zhao, Bin; Chen, Yanfang; Chen, Can; Bihl, Ji C

2018-03-01

Oxidative stress is one of the mechanisms of ageing-associated vascular dysfunction. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and microRNA (miR)-18a have shown to be down-regulated in ageing cells. Our previous study has shown that ACE2-primed endothelial progenitor cells (ACE2-EPCs) have protective effects on endothelial cells (ECs), which might be due to their released exosomes (EXs). Here, we aimed to investigate whether ACE2-EPC-EXs could attenuate hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced injury in ageing ECs through their carried miR-18a. Young and angiotensin II-induced ageing ECs were subjected to H/R and co-cultured with vehicle (medium), EPC-EXs, ACE2-EPCs-EXs, ACE2-EPCs-EXs + DX600 or ACE2-EPCs-EXs with miR-18a deficiency (ACE2-EPCs-EXs anti-miR-18a ). Results showed (1) ageing ECs displayed increased senescence, apoptosis and ROS production, but decreased ACE2 and miR-18a expressions and tube formation ability; (2) under H/R condition, ageing ECs showed higher rate of apoptosis, ROS overproduction and nitric oxide reduction, up-regulation of Nox2, down-regulation of ACE2, miR-18a and eNOS, and compromised tube formation ability; (3) compared with EPC-EXs, ACE2-EPC-EXs had better efficiencies on protecting ECs from H/R-induced changes; (4) The protective effects were less seen in ACE2-EPCs-EXs + DX600 and ACE2-EPCs-EXs anti-miR-18a groups. These data suggest that ACE-EPCs-EXs have better protective effects on H/R injury in ageing ECs which could be through their carried miR-18a and subsequently down-regulating the Nox2/ROS pathway. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine.

PTSD symptoms and marital adjustment among ex-POWs' wives.

PubMed

Levin, Yafit; Greene, Talya; Solomon, Zahava

2016-02-01

This study prospectively assessed the implications of war captivity and former prisoners of war's (ex-POWs) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and PTSD trajectory on their wives' marital adjustment, adjusting for their secondary traumatization (ST). Results show that marital adjustment of the wives of ex-POWs with PTSD (N = 66) was lower compared to wives of ex-POWs (N = 37) and combat veterans (N = 55) without PTSD symptoms. Investigating the possible mechanism underlying the lower marital adjustment, via a mediating model, indicated that husbands' PTSD symptoms mediated the association between captivity and the wives' marital adjustment. Moreover, husbands' PTSD trajectories assessed over 17 years were implicated in their wives' marital adjustment; wives of ex-POWs with chronic PTSD reported lower marital adjustment compared to wives of resilient ex-POWs. The substantial novelty was revealed in prospective deterioration found in dyadic adjustment among wives of ex-POWs with delayed PTSD, but not for wives of chronic or resilient ex-POWs. Implications for research and practice are discussed. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Willingness to pay for rapid diagnostic tests for the diagnosis and treatment of malaria in southeast Nigeria: ex post and ex ante

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background The introduction of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) has improved the diagnosis and treatment of malaria. However, any successful control of malaria will depend on socio-economic factors that influence its management in the community. Willingness to pay (WTP) is important because consumer responses to prices will influence utilization of services and revenues collected. Also the consumer's attitude can influence monetary valuation with respect to different conditions ex post and ex ante. Methods WTP for RDT for Malaria was assessed by the contingent valuation method using a bidding game approach in rural and urban communities in southeast Nigeria. The ex post WTP was assessed at the health centers on 618 patients immediately following diagnosis of malaria with RDT and the ex ante WTP was assessed by household interviews on 1020 householders with a prior history of malaria. Results For the ex ante WTP, 51% of the respondents in urban and 24.7% in rural areas were willing to pay for RDT. The mean WTP (235.49 naira) in urban is higher than WTP (182.05 Naira) in rural areas. For the ex post WTP, 89 and 90.7% of the respondents in urban and rural areas respectively were WTP. The mean WTP (372.30 naira) in urban is also higher than (296.28 naira) in rural areas. For the ex post scenario, the lower two Social Economic Status (SES) quartiles were more willing to pay and the mean WTP is higher than the higher two SES while in the ex ante scenario, the higher two SES quartiles were more WTP and with a higher WTP than the lower two SES quartile. Ex ante and ex post WTP were directly dependent on costs. Conclusion The ex post WTP is higher than the ex ante WTP and both are greater than the current cost of RDTs. Urban dwellers were more willing to pay than the rural dwellers. The mean WTP should be considered when designing suitable financial strategies for making RDTs available to communities. PMID:20148118

Local versus whole-body sweating adaptations following 14 days of traditional heat acclimation.

PubMed

Poirier, Martin P; Gagnon, Daniel; Kenny, Glen P

2016-08-01

The purpose of this study was to examine if local changes in sweat rate following 14 days of heat acclimation reflect those that occur at the whole-body level. Both prior to and following a 14-day traditional heat acclimation protocol, 10 males exercised in the heat (35 °C, ∼20% relative humidity) at increasing rates of heat production equal to 300 (Ex1), 350 (Ex2), and 400 (Ex3) W·m(-2). A 10-min recovery period followed Ex1, while a 20-min recovery period separated Ex2 and Ex3. The exercise protocol was performed in a direct calorimeter to measure whole-body sweat rate and, on a separate day, in a thermal chamber to measure local sweat rate (LSR), sweat gland activation (SGA), and sweat gland output (SGO) on the upper back, chest, and mid-anterior forearm. Post-acclimation, whole-body sweat rate was greater during each exercise bout (Ex1: 14.3 ± 0.9; Ex2: 17.3 ± 1.2; Ex3: 19.4 ± 1.3 g·min(-1), all p ≤ 0.05) relative to pre-acclimation (Ex1: 13.1 ± 0.6; Ex2: 15.4 ± 0.8; Ex3: 16.5 ± 1.3 g·min(-1)). In contrast, only LSR on the forearm increased with acclimation, and this increase was only observed during Ex2 (Post: 1.32 ± 0.33 vs. Pre: 1.06 ± 0.22 mg·min(-1)·cm(-2), p = 0.03) and Ex3 (Post: 1.47 ± 0.41 vs. Pre: 1.17 ± 0.23 mg·min(-1)·cm(-2), p = 0.05). The greater forearm LSR post-acclimation was due to an increase in SGO, as no changes in SGA were observed. Overall, these data demonstrate marked regional variability in the effect of heat acclimation on LSR, such that not all local measurements of sweat rate reflect the improvements observed at the whole-body level.

The motivation to stay abstinent in ex-smokers: comparing the present with the past.

PubMed

Dijkstra, Arie; Borland, Ron; Buunk, Bram P

2007-10-01

Little is known about the motivation of ex-smokers to stay abstinent. In the present study we argue that ex-smokers compare their present to their past when they still smoked to conclude whether they make good progress towards a satisfactory state of continued abstinence. These temporal comparisons are thought to be central in the motivation to stay abstinent in ex-smokers. The power of temporal comparisons to predict relapse was tested in two related samples of ex-smokers (N=152 and N=197), together with two other relevant psychological factors; positive outcome expectations of smoking and self-efficacy expectations. In the first sample of ex-smokers, only temporal comparisons predicted relapse after 2 months. In the second sample of ex-smokers, temporal comparisons mediated the relation between perceived positive outcomes of smoking and relapse after 6 months. In addition, in predicting relapse after 6 months, temporal comparisons interacted with self-efficacy. The present study suggests that temporal comparisons comprise the cognitive aspect of the motivation of ex-smokers to stay abstinent. This conceptualization of the motivation in ex-smokers can be used in practice to prevent relapse.

Clinical implications of exenatide as a twice-daily or once-weekly therapy for type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Aroda, Vanita R; DeYoung, Mary Beth

2011-09-01

Exenatide (exendin-4) is a 39-amino acid peptide belonging to the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist class that has been demonstrated to improve glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Exenatide can be injected twice daily (ExBID) before meals or once weekly (ExQW) when encompassed within dissolvable poly-(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) microspheres. The primary difference between these formulations is the plasma concentration of exenatide over time, with the long-acting form providing continuous delivery. Clinical trials have examined the similarities and differences in the efficacy and safety/tolerability outcomes of these formulations. In 2 clinical studies spanning 24 and 30 weeks, significant (P < 0.05) reductions from baseline were observed in fasting plasma glucose (ExBID, -12 and -25 mg/dL; ExQW, -35 and -41 mg/dL), postprandial glucose (ExBID, -124 mg/dL; ExQW, -95 mg/dL), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (ExBID, -0.9% and -1.5%; ExQW, -1.6% and -1.9%). Reductions in body weight from baseline were significant and similar with both treatments (ExBID, -1.4 and -3.6 kg; ExQW, -2.3 and -3.7 kg). Reductions in systolic blood pressure from baseline were observed with both formulations, particularly in patients who were hypertensive at baseline. Beneficial improvements in lipid profiles were small and fluctuated in significance. Patients reported greater treatment satisfaction with ExQW compared with ExBID dosing. Gastrointestinal adverse events were commonly observed with both formulations but were less frequent with ExQW. These events were of mild-to-moderate intensity and rarely led to discontinuation. Real-world data for ExBID demonstrated decreases in HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose, and body weight that were consistent with clinical trial results. Cases of pancreatitis or renal impairment have been reported in patients treated with ExBID, although no causal relationship with treatment has been shown. This review describes the similarities and differences between exenatide delivered as a twice-daily or as a once-weekly injection to provide a better understanding of the clinical effects and potential clinical uses of each.

At What Level of Heat Load Are Age-Related Impairments in the Ability to Dissipate Heat Evident in Females?

PubMed Central

Stapleton, Jill M.; Poirier, Martin P.; Flouris, Andreas D.; Boulay, Pierre; Sigal, Ronald J.; Malcolm, Janine; Kenny, Glen P.

2015-01-01

Studies have reported that older females have impaired heat loss responses during work in the heat compared to young females. However, it remains unclear at what level of heat stress these differences occur. Therefore, we examined whole-body heat loss [evaporative (HE) and dry heat loss, via direct calorimetry] and changes in body heat storage (∆Hb, via direct and indirect calorimetry) in 10 young (23±4 years) and 10 older (58±5 years) females matched for body surface area and aerobic fitness (VO2peak) during three 30-min exercise bouts performed at incremental rates of metabolic heat production of 250 (Ex1), 325 (Ex2) and 400 (Ex3) W in the heat (40°C, 15% relative humidity). Exercise bouts were separated by 15 min of recovery. Since dry heat gain was similar between young and older females during exercise (p=0.52) and recovery (p=0.42), differences in whole-body heat loss were solely due to HE. Our results show that older females had a significantly lower HE at the end of Ex2 (young: 383±34 W; older: 343±39 W, p=0.04) and Ex3 (young: 437±36 W; older: 389±29 W, p=0.008), however no difference was measured at the end of Ex1 (p=0.24). Also, the magnitude of difference in the maximal level of HE achieved between the young and older females became greater with increasing heat loads (Ex1=10.2%, Ex2=11.6% and Ex3=12.4%). Furthermore, a significantly greater ∆Hb was measured for all heat loads for the older females (Ex1: 178±44 kJ; Ex2: 151±38 kJ; Ex3: 216±25 kJ, p=0.002) relative to the younger females (Ex1: 127±35 kJ; Ex2: 96±45 kJ; Ex3: 146±46 kJ). In contrast, no differences in HE or ∆Hb were observed during recovery (p>0.05). We show that older habitually active females have an impaired capacity to dissipate heat compared to young females during exercise-induced heat loads of ≥325 W when performed in the heat. PMID:25790024

Thermodynamics of Anharmonic Systems: Uncoupled Mode Approximations for Molecules

DOE PAGES

Li, Yi-Pei; Bell, Alexis T.; Head-Gordon, Martin

2016-05-26

The partition functions, heat capacities, entropies, and enthalpies of selected molecules were calculated using uncoupled mode (UM) approximations, where the full-dimensional potential energy surface for internal motions was modeled as a sum of independent one-dimensional potentials for each mode. The computational cost of such approaches scales the same with molecular size as standard harmonic oscillator vibrational analysis using harmonic frequencies (HO hf). To compute thermodynamic properties, a computational protocol for obtaining the energy levels of each mode was established. The accuracy of the UM approximation depends strongly on how the one-dimensional potentials of each modes are defined. If the potentialsmore » are determined by the energy as a function of displacement along each normal mode (UM-N), the accuracies of the calculated thermodynamic properties are not significantly improved versus the HO hf model. Significant improvements can be achieved by constructing potentials for internal rotations and vibrations using the energy surfaces along the torsional coordinates and the remaining vibrational normal modes, respectively (UM-VT). For hydrogen peroxide and its isotopologs at 300 K, UM-VT captures more than 70% of the partition functions on average. By con trast, the HO hf model and UM-N can capture no more than 50%. For a selected test set of C2 to C8 linear and branched alkanes and species with different moieties, the enthalpies calculated using the HO hf model, UM-N, and UM-VT are all quite accurate comparing with reference values though the RMS errors of the HO model and UM-N are slightly higher than UM-VT. However, the accuracies in entropy calculations differ significantly between these three models. For the same test set, the RMS error of the standard entropies calculated by UM-VT is 2.18 cal mol -1 K -1 at 1000 K. By contrast, the RMS error obtained using the HO model and UM-N are 6.42 and 5.73 cal mol -1 K -1, respectively. For a test set composed of nine alkanes ranging from C5 to C8, the heat capacities calculated with the UM-VT model agree with the experimental values to within a RMS error of 0.78 cal mol -1 K -1 , which is less than one-third of the RMS error of the HO hf (2.69 cal mol -1 K -1) and UM-N (2.41 cal mol -1 K -1) models.« less

17 CFR 12.7 - Ex parte communications in reparation proceedings.

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2010-04-01

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24 CFR 26.3 - Ex parte communications.

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Radioiodinated Exendin-4 Is Superior to the Radiometal-Labelled Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Probes Overcoming Their High Kidney Uptake

PubMed Central

Läppchen, Tilman; Tönnesmann, Roswitha; Eersels, Jos; Meyer, Philipp T.; Maecke, Helmut R.; Rylova, Svetlana N.

2017-01-01

GLP-1 receptors are ideal targets for preoperative imaging of benign insulinoma and for quantifying the beta cell mass. The existing clinical tracers targeting GLP-1R are all agonists with low specific activity and very high kidney uptake. In order to solve those issues we evaluated GLP-1R agonist Ex-4 and antagonist Ex(9–39) radioiodinated at Tyr40 side by side with [Nle14,Lys40(Ahx-DOTA-68Ga)NH2]Ex-4 (68Ga-Ex-4) used in the clinic. The Kd, Bmax, internalization and binding kinetics of [Nle14,125I-Tyr40-NH2]Ex-4 and [Nle14,125I-Tyr40-NH2]Ex(9–39) were studied in vitro using Ins-1E cells. Biodistribution and imaging studies were performed in nude mice bearing Ins-1E xenografts. In vitro evaluation demonstrated high affinity binding of the [Nle14,125I-Tyr40-NH2]Ex-4 agonist to the Ins-1E cells with fast internalization kinetics reaching a plateau after 30 min. The antagonist [Nle14,125I-Tyr40-NH2]Ex(9–39) did not internalize and had a 4–fold higher Kd value compared to the agonist. In contrast to [Nle14,125I-Tyr40-NH2]Ex(9–39), which showed low and transient tumor uptake, [Nle14,125I-Tyr40-NH2]Ex-4 demonstrated excellent in vivo binding properties with tumor uptake identical to that of 68Ga-Ex-4, but substantially lower kidney uptake resulting in a tumor-to-kidney ratio of 9.7 at 1 h compared to 0.3 with 68Ga-Ex-4. Accumulation of activity in thyroid and stomach for both peptides, which was effectively blocked by irenat, confirms that in vivo deiodination is the mechanism behind the low kidney retention of iodinated peptides. The 124I congener of [Nle14,125I-Tyr40-NH2]Ex-4 demonstrated a similar favourable biodistribution profile in the PET imaging studies in contrast to the typical biodistribution pattern of [Nle14,Lys40(Ahx-DOTA-68Ga)NH2]Ex-4. Our results demonstrate that iodinated Ex-4 is a very promising tracer for imaging of benign insulinomas. It solves the problem of high kidney uptake of the radiometal-labelled tracers by improving the tumor-to-kidney ratio measured for [Nle14,Lys40(Ahx-DOTA-68Ga)NH2]Ex-4 by 32 fold. PMID:28103285

Extracellular nanovesicles released from the commensal yeast Malassezia sympodialis are enriched in allergens and interact with cells in human skin.

PubMed

Johansson, Henrik J; Vallhov, Helen; Holm, Tina; Gehrmann, Ulf; Andersson, Anna; Johansson, Catharina; Blom, Hans; Carroni, Marta; Lehtiö, Janne; Scheynius, Annika

2018-06-15

Malassezia sympodialis is a dominant commensal fungi in the human skin mycobiome but is also associated with common skin disorders including atopic eczema (AE). M. sympodialis releases extracellular vesicles, designated MalaEx, which are carriers of small RNAs and allergens, and they can induce inflammatory cytokine responses. Here we explored how MalaEx are involved in host-microbe interactions by comparing protein content of MalaEx with that of the parental yeast cells, and by investigating interactions of MalaEx with cells in the skin. Cryo-electron tomography revealed a heterogeneous population of MalaEx. iTRAQ based quantitative proteomics identified in total 2439 proteins in all replicates of which 110 were enriched in MalaEx compared to the yeast cells. Among the MalaEx enriched proteins were two of the M. sympodialis allergens, Mala s 1 and s 7. Functional experiments indicated an active binding and internalization of MalaEx into human keratinocytes and monocytes, and MalaEx were found in close proximity of the nuclei using super-resolution fluorescence 3D-SIM imaging. Our results provides new insights into host-microbe interactions, supporting that MalaEx may have a role in the sensitization and maintenance of inflammation in AE by containing enriched amounts of allergens and with their ability to interact with skin cells.

Escherichia coli and urinary tract infections: the role of poultry-meat.

PubMed

Manges, A R

2016-02-01

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) is the most common cause of community-acquired and hospital-acquired extraintestinal infections. The hypothesis that human ExPEC may have a food animal reservoir has been a topic of investigation by multiple groups around the world. Experimental studies showing the shared pathogenic potential of human ExPEC and avian pathogenic E. coli suggest that these extraintestinal E. coli may be derived from the same bacterial lineages or share common evolutionary roots. The consistent observation of specific human ExPEC lineages in poultry or poultry products, and rarely in other meat commodities, supports the hypothesis that there may be a poultry reservoir for human ExPEC. The time lag between human ExPEC acquisition (in the intestine) and infection is the fundamental challenge facing studies attempting to attribute ExPEC transmission to poultry or other environmental sources. Even whole genome sequencing efforts to address attribution will struggle with defining meaningful genetic relationships outside of a discrete food-borne outbreak setting. However, if even a fraction of all human ExPEC infections, especially antimicrobial-resistant ExPEC infections, is attributable to the introduction of multidrug-resistant ExPEC lineages through contaminated food product(s), the relevance to public health, food animal production and food safety will be significant. Copyright © 2016 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

STS-40 Exp. No. 192 urine monitoring system (UMS) on OV-102's middeck

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

STS-40 Experiment No. 192, Fluid-Electrolyte Regulation During Space Flight, urine monitoring system (UMS) is set up on the middeck of Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102, at the side hatch. The UMS is attached to OV-102's waste collection system (WCS). The urine specimen tray with sample tubes appears to the right of the UMS equipment.

Supporting Snow Research: SnowEx Data and Services at the NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center DAAC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leon, A.; Tanner, S.; Deems, J. S.

2017-12-01

The National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center (NSIDC DAAC), part of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder, will archive and distribute all primary data sets collected during the NASA SnowEx campaigns. NSIDC DAAC's overarching goal for SnowEx data management is to steward the diverse SnowEx data sets to provide a reliable long-term archive, to enable effective data discovery, retrieval, and usage, and to support end user engagement. This goal will be achieved though coordination and collaboration with SnowEx project management and investigators. NSIDC DAAC's core functions for SnowEx data management include: Data Creation: Advise investigators on data formats and structure as well as metadata creation and content to enable preservation, usability, and discoverability. Data Documentation: Develop comprehensive data set documentation describing the instruments, data collection and derivation methods, and data file contents. Data Distribution: Provide discovery and access through NSIDC and NASA data portals to make SnowEx data available to a broad user community Data & User Support: Assist user communities with the selection and usage of SnowEx data products. In an effort to educate and broaden the SnowEx user community, we will present an overview of the SnowEx data products, tools, and services which will be available at the NSIDC DAAC. We hope to gain further insight into how the DAAC can enable the user community to seamlessly and effectively utilize SnowEx data in their research and applications.

In vitro investigation of head and neck cancer stem cell proportions and their changes following X-ray irradiation as a function of HPV status.

PubMed

Reid, Paul; Wilson, Puthenparampil; Li, Yanrui; Marcu, Loredana G; Staudacher, Alexander H; Brown, Michael P; Bezak, Eva

2017-01-01

Some head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) have a distinct aetiology, which depends on the presence of oncogenic human papilloma virus (HPV). Also, HNSCC contains cancer stem cells (CSCs) that have greater radioresistance and capacity to change replication dynamics in response to irradiation compared to non-clonogenic cells. Since there is limited data on CSCs in HNSCC as a function of HPV status, better understanding of their radiobiology may enable improved treatment outcome. Baseline and post-irradiation changes in CSC proportions were investigated by flow cytometry in a HPV-negative (UM-SCC-1) and a HPV-positive (UM-SCC-47) HNSCC cell line, using fluorescent staining with CD44/ALDH markers. CSC proportions in both irradiated and unirradiated cultures were compared for the two cell lines at various times post-irradiation. To assess repopulation of CSCs, untreated cultures were depleted of CD44+/ALDH+ cells and re-cultured for 3 weeks before flow cytometry analysis. CSC proportions in untreated cell lines were 0.57% (UM-SCC-1) and 2.87% (UM-SCC-47). Untreated cell lines depleted of CD44+/ALDH+ repopulated this phenotype to a mean of 0.15% (UM-SCC-1) and 6.76% (UM-SCC-47). All UM-SCC-47 generations showed elevated CSC proportions after irradiation, with the most significant increase at 2 days post-irradiation. The highest elevation in UM-SCC-1 CSCs was observed at 1 day post-irradiation in the 2nd generation and at 3 days after irradiation in the 3rd generation. When measured after 10 days, only the 3rd generation of UM-SCC-1 showed elevated CSCs. CSC proportions in both cell lines were elevated after exposure and varied with time post irradiation. UM-SCC-47 displayed significant plasticity in repopulating the CSC phenotype in depleted cultures, which was not seen in UM-SCC-1.

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Rehabilitating Ex-Offenders through Non-Formal Education in Lesotho

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ngozwana, Nomazulu

2017-01-01

This paper reports on the rehabilitation of ex-offenders through non-formal education. It examines how non-formal education has addressed the ex-offenders' adaptive and transformative needs. Using an interpretive paradigm and qualitative approach, individual interviews were conducted with five ex-offenders who were chosen through purposive and…

Study of factors affecting growth and cold acclimation of Vitis callus cultures

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

Deng, L.

1987-01-01

In vitro grape tissue culture initiation, growth, and cold acclimation were studied. Factors involved were genotypes, media, plant growth regulators, age, light, temperature, antioxidant, clearing and adsorbing agents, sucrose level, osmotic potential, ABA, chilling and freezing treatments. Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 1 ..mu..M 2,4-d + 0.1 uM Ba, MS containing 1 uM 2,4-D, and woody plant medium containing 1 uM 2,4-D + 0.1 uM BA produced abundant callus tissue for most grape genotypes; either WPM or MS containing 1 uM BA stimulated shoot growth in all the 12 genotypes tested. Adding 1 uM abscisic acid (ABA) to themore » B5 medium with 1 uM 2,4-D and 0.5 uM BA enhanced growth and quality of Chancellor callus. /sup 3/H-ABA was taken up actively by callus tissue at 12 days after subculture, but by 20 d this effect disappeared. When /sup 14/C-sucrose was added to the medium. /sup 14/C level of cells reached a plateau after 48 h; this plateau was higher if ABA was also present in the medium. Cells on media containing ABA were larger in size, lighter in color, and more loosely connected.« less

Suicide Ideation and Deliberate Self-Harm among Ex-Prisoners of War.

PubMed

Levi-Belz, Yossi; Zerach, Gadi; Solomon, Zahava

2015-01-01

The current study aims to assess the relations among war captivity, PTSD, suicidal ideation (SI), and deliberate self-harm (DSH) among former prisoners of war (ex-POWs). Israeli ex-POWs (N = 176) and a matched control group of combat veterans (controls; N = 118) were assessed using self-report measures. Ex-POWs with PTSD reported higher levels of both SI and DSH compared to ex-POWs and comparable veterans without PTSD. Furthermore, captivity-related variables as well as PTSD symptom clusters were positively related to both SI and DSH. However, only loss of emotional control in captivity and posttraumatic intrusion and emotional numbing symptoms, predicted SI. Ex-POWs with PTSD endorse high levels of SI and DSH. Among ex-POWs, both SI and DSH share similar captivity-related and posttraumatic symptoms correlates but only posttraumatic intrusion and emotional numbing symptoms predict SI.

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Vocational Psychology and Ex-Offenders' Reintegration: A Call for Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Chris

2011-01-01

Failure to find steady and rewarding employment and stabilizing economic resources are key contributors to recidivism among ex-offenders. Within 3 years of their release, almost two thirds of ex-offenders return to prison. Ex-offenders face formidable barriers to employment including legal limitations and those specific to their skills, education,…

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37 CFR 1.510 - Request for ex parte reexamination.

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Nanoscale imaging of clinical specimens using pathology-optimized expansion microscopy

PubMed Central

Zhao, Yongxin; Bucur, Octavian; Irshad, Humayun; Chen, Fei; Weins, Astrid; Stancu, Andreea L.; Oh, Eun-Young; DiStasio, Marcello; Torous, Vanda; Glass, Benjamin; Stillman, Isaac E.; Schnitt, Stuart J.; Beck, Andrew H.; Boyden, Edward S.

2017-01-01

Expansion microscopy (ExM), a method for improving the resolution of light microscopy by physically expanding the specimen, has not been applied to clinical tissue samples. Here we report a clinically optimized form of ExM that supports nanoscale imaging of human tissue specimens that have been fixed with formalin, embedded in paraffin, stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), and/or fresh frozen. The method, which we call expansion pathology (ExPath), converts clinical samples into an ExM-compatible state, then applies an ExM protocol with protein anchoring and mechanical homogenization steps optimized for clinical samples. ExPath enables ~70 nm resolution imaging of diverse biomolecules in intact tissues using conventional diffraction-limited microscopes, and standard antibody and fluorescent DNA in situ hybridization reagents. We use ExPath for optical diagnosis of kidney minimal-change disease, which previously required electron microscopy (EM), and demonstrate high-fidelity computational discrimination between early breast neoplastic lesions that to date have challenged human judgment. ExPath may enable the routine use of nanoscale imaging in pathology and clinical research. PMID:28714966

Nanoscale imaging of clinical specimens using pathology-optimized expansion microscopy.

PubMed

Zhao, Yongxin; Bucur, Octavian; Irshad, Humayun; Chen, Fei; Weins, Astrid; Stancu, Andreea L; Oh, Eun-Young; DiStasio, Marcello; Torous, Vanda; Glass, Benjamin; Stillman, Isaac E; Schnitt, Stuart J; Beck, Andrew H; Boyden, Edward S

2017-08-01

Expansion microscopy (ExM), a method for improving the resolution of light microscopy by physically expanding a specimen, has not been applied to clinical tissue samples. Here we report a clinically optimized form of ExM that supports nanoscale imaging of human tissue specimens that have been fixed with formalin, embedded in paraffin, stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and/or fresh frozen. The method, which we call expansion pathology (ExPath), converts clinical samples into an ExM-compatible state, then applies an ExM protocol with protein anchoring and mechanical homogenization steps optimized for clinical samples. ExPath enables ∼70-nm-resolution imaging of diverse biomolecules in intact tissues using conventional diffraction-limited microscopes and standard antibody and fluorescent DNA in situ hybridization reagents. We use ExPath for optical diagnosis of kidney minimal-change disease, a process that previously required electron microscopy, and we demonstrate high-fidelity computational discrimination between early breast neoplastic lesions for which pathologists often disagree in classification. ExPath may enable the routine use of nanoscale imaging in pathology and clinical research.

Antioxidative potential of Duranta repens (Linn.) fruits against H2O2 induced cell death in vitro.

PubMed

Khan, Md Asaduzzaman; Rahman, Mohammad Mijanur; Tania, Mousumi; Shoshee, Nusrat Fatima; Xu, Ai-hua; Chen, Han-chun

2013-01-01

The effects of Duranta repens fruits were investigated on H2O2 induced oxidative cell death to evaluate its antioxidative potential in vitro. HEK293T cells were treated with different concentrations [0-1000 µg/ ml] of ethanol extract (E-Ex) and methanol extract (M-Ex) of D. repens for 24h, and then treated with 100 µM H2O2 for 24h. Cell viability, antioxidant parameters of cells, and antioxidant constituents of the extracts were determined. Treatment with limited dose of E-Ex or M-Ex increased the survival rate of H2O2-treated HEK293T cells, however the extra-high dose showed growth inhibitory effect. Treatment with E-Ex or M-Ex protected cellular lipid per-oxidation. In vitro analyses showed the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and H2O2 scavenging activities as well as reducing potential of the extracts. We report here that the limited dose of E-Ex and M-Ex possess antioxidative potential, which can protect H2O2-induced oxidative cell damage.

Financing long-term care: ex ante, ex post or both?

PubMed

Costa-Font, Joan; Courbage, Christophe; Swartz, Katherine

2015-03-01

This paper attempts to examine the heterogeneity in the public financing of long-term care (LTC) and the wide-ranging instruments in place to finance LTC services. We distinguish and classify the institutional responses to the need for LTC financing as ex ante (occurring prior to when the need arises, such as insurance) and ex post (occurring after the need arises, such as public sector and family financing). Then, we examine country-specific data to ascertain whether the two types of financing are complements or substitutes. Finally, we examine exploratory cross-national data on public expenditure determinants, specifically economic, demographic and social determinants. We show that although both ex ante and ex post mechanisms exist in all countries with advanced industrial economies and despite the fact that instruments are different across countries, ex ante and ex post instruments are largely substitutes for each other. Expenditure estimates to date indicate that the public financing of LTC is highly sensitive to a country's income, ageing of the population and the availability of informal caregiving. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Acute Exercise and Motor Memory Consolidation: The Role of Exercise Timing

PubMed Central

Christiansen, Lasse; Roig, Marc

2016-01-01

High intensity aerobic exercise amplifies offline gains in procedural memory acquired during motor practice. This effect seems to be evident when exercise is placed immediately after acquisition, during the first stages of memory consolidation, but the importance of temporal proximity of the exercise bout used to stimulate improvements in procedural memory is unknown. The effects of three different temporal placements of high intensity exercise were investigated following visuomotor skill acquisition on the retention of motor memory in 48 young (24.0 ± 2.5 yrs), healthy male subjects randomly assigned to one of four groups either performing a high intensity (90% Maximal Power Output) exercise bout at 20 min (EX90), 1 h (EX90+1), 2 h (EX90+2) after acquisition or rested (CON). Retention tests were performed at 1 d (R1) and 7 d (R7). At R1 changes in performance scores after acquisition were greater for EX90 than CON (p < 0.001) and EX90+2 (p = 0.001). At R7 changes in performance scores for EX90, EX90+1, and EX90+2 were higher than CON (p < 0.001, p = 0.008, and p = 0.008, resp.). Changes for EX90 at R7 were greater than EX90+2 (p = 0.049). Exercise-induced improvements in procedural memory diminish as the temporal proximity of exercise from acquisition is increased. Timing of exercise following motor practice is important for motor memory consolidation. PMID:27446616

Changes in Non-Enzymatic Antioxidants in the Blood Following Anaerobic Exercise in Men and Women

PubMed Central

Wiecek, Magdalena; Kantorowicz, Malgorzata

2015-01-01

Purpose The aim of this study was to compare changes in total oxidative status (TOS), total antioxidative capacity (TAC) and the concentration of VitA, VitE, VitC, uric acid (UA), reduced (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) in blood within 24 hours following anaerobic exercise (AnEx) among men and women. Methods 10 women and 10 men performed a 20-second bicycle sprint (AnEx). Concentrations of oxidative stress indicators were measured before AnEx and 3, 15 and 30 minutes and 1 hour afterwards. UA, GSH and GSSH were also measured 24 hours after AnEx. Lactate and H+ concentrations were measured before and 3 minutes after AnEx. Results The increase in lactate and H+ concentrations following AnEx was similar in both sexes. Changes in the concentrations of all oxidative stress indicators were significant and did not differ between men and women. In both sexes, TOS, TAC, TOS/TAC and VitA and VitE concentrations were the highest 3 minutes, VitC concentration was the highest 30 minutes, and UA concentration was the highest 1 hour after AnEx. GSH concentration was significantly lower than the initial concentration from 15 minutes to 24 hour after AnEx. GSSG concentration was significantly higher, while the GSH/GSSG ratio was significantly lower than the initial values 1 hour and 24 hour after AnEx. Conclusions With similar changes in lactate and H+ concentrations, AnEx induces the same changes in TAC, TOS, TOS/TAC and non-enzymatic antioxidants of low molecular weight in men and women. Oxidative stress lasted at least 24 hours after AnEx. PMID:26600020

Changes in Non-Enzymatic Antioxidants in the Blood Following Anaerobic Exercise in Men and Women.

PubMed

Wiecek, Magdalena; Maciejczyk, Marcin; Szymura, Jadwiga; Szygula, Zbigniew; Kantorowicz, Malgorzata

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare changes in total oxidative status (TOS), total antioxidative capacity (TAC) and the concentration of VitA, VitE, VitC, uric acid (UA), reduced (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) in blood within 24 hours following anaerobic exercise (AnEx) among men and women. 10 women and 10 men performed a 20-second bicycle sprint (AnEx). Concentrations of oxidative stress indicators were measured before AnEx and 3, 15 and 30 minutes and 1 hour afterwards. UA, GSH and GSSH were also measured 24 hours after AnEx. Lactate and H+ concentrations were measured before and 3 minutes after AnEx. The increase in lactate and H+ concentrations following AnEx was similar in both sexes. Changes in the concentrations of all oxidative stress indicators were significant and did not differ between men and women. In both sexes, TOS, TAC, TOS/TAC and VitA and VitE concentrations were the highest 3 minutes, VitC concentration was the highest 30 minutes, and UA concentration was the highest 1 hour after AnEx. GSH concentration was significantly lower than the initial concentration from 15 minutes to 24 hour after AnEx. GSSG concentration was significantly higher, while the GSH/GSSG ratio was significantly lower than the initial values 1 hour and 24 hour after AnEx. With similar changes in lactate and H+ concentrations, AnEx induces the same changes in TAC, TOS, TOS/TAC and non-enzymatic antioxidants of low molecular weight in men and women. Oxidative stress lasted at least 24 hours after AnEx.

Two fluorescent wavelengths, 440(ex)/520(em) nm and 370(ex)/440(em) nm, reflect advanced glycation and oxidation end products in human skin without diabetes.

PubMed

Beisswenger, Paul J; Howell, Scott; Mackenzie, Todd; Corstjens, Hugo; Muizzuddin, Neelam; Matsui, Mary S

2012-03-01

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and oxidation products (OPs) play an important role in diabetes complications, aging, and damage from sun exposure. Measurement of skin autofluorescence (SAF) has been promoted as a noninvasive technique to measure skin AGEs, but the actual products quantified are uncertain. We have compared specific SAF measurements with analytically determined AGEs and oxidative biomarkers in skin collagen and determined if these measurements can be correlated with chronological aging and actinic exposure. SAF at four excitation (ex)/emission (em) intensities was measured on the upper inner arm ("sun protected") and dorsal forearm ("sun exposed") in 40 subjects without diabetes 20-60 years old. Skin collagen from the same sites was analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for three AGEs-pentosidine, carboxymethyllysine (CML), and carboxyethyllysine (CEL)-and the OP methionine sulfoxide (MetSO). There was poor correlation of AGE-associated fluorescence spectra with AGEs and OP in collagen, with only pentosidine correlating with fluorescence at 370(ex)/440(em) nm. A little-studied SAF (440(ex)/520(em) nm), possibly reflecting elastin cross-links, correlated with all AGEs and OPs. Levels of CML, pentosidine, and MetSO, but not SAF, were significantly higher in sun-exposed skin. These AGEs and OPs, as well as SAF at 370(ex)/440(em) nm and 440(ex)/520(em) nm, increased with chronological aging. SAF measurements at 370(ex)/440(em) nm and 335(ex)/385(em) nm, except for pentosidine, which correlated with fluorescence at 370(ex)/440(em), correlate poorly with glycated and oxidatively modified protein in human skin and do not reflect actinic modification. A new fluorescence measurement (440(ex)/520(em) nm) appears to reflect AGEs and OPs in skin.

OH as an Alternate Tracer for Molecular Gas: Excitation Temperatures of the OH 18 cm Main Lines in W5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engelke, Philip D.; Allen, Ronald J.

2018-05-01

We present excitation temperatures T ex for the OH 18 cm main lines at 1665 and 1667 MHz measured directly in front of the W5 star-forming region, using observations from the Green Bank Telescope and the Very Large Array. We find unequivocally that T ex at 1665 MHz is greater than T ex at 1667 MHz. Our method exploits variations in the continuum emission from W5, and the fact that the continuum brightness temperatures T C in this nebula are close to the excitation temperatures of the OH lines in the foreground gas. The result is that an OH line can appear in emission in one location and in absorption in a neighboring location, and the value of T C where the profiles switch from emission to absorption indicates T ex. Absolute measurements of T ex for the main lines were subject to greater uncertainty because of unknown effects of geometry of the OH features. We also employed the traditional “expected profile” method for comparison with our “continuum background” method and found that the continuum background method provided more precise results and was the one to definitively show the T ex difference. Our best estimate values are {T}ex}65=6.0+/- 0.5 K, {T}ex}67=5.1+/- 0.2 K, and {T}ex}65-{T}ex}67=0.9+/- 0.5 K. The T ex values we have measured for the ISM in front of W5 are similar to those found in the quiescent ISM, indicating that proximity to massive star-forming regions does not generally result in widespread anomalous excitation of OH emission.

Perceived Exertion during Exercise is Associated with Children's Energy Intake

PubMed Central

Fearnbach, S. Nicole; Masterson, Travis D.; Schlechter, Haley A.; Loken, Eric; Downs, Danielle S.; Thivel, David; Keller, Kathleen L.

2016-01-01

PURPOSE To examine the individual-level factors that predict energy intake (EI) following imposed exercise (EX) and sedentary time (SED) in children. METHODS Healthy-weight children ages 9-12 years (n = 20) reported to the laboratory for 1 baseline and 2 experimental visits (EX and SED) each separated by 1 week in a randomized crossover design. Percent body fat, weight (kg), and height (m) were used to calculate fat-mass index (FM index) and fat-free mass index (FFM index; kg/m2). On the EX day, children exercised at 70% estimated VO2peak for 30 minutes on a cycle ergometer while cardiovascular responses and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured. Objective EI (kcal) was measured at identical meals (breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner) on the EX and SED days. RESULTS Total EI was not statistically different between the EX and SED days (t = 1.8, p = 0.09). FFM index was positively associated with EI on the EX day (r = 0.54, p < 0.05). RPE was also positively associated with EI on the EX day (r = 0.82, p < 0.001). Together, FFM index and RPE explained 77% of the variability in EX day EI (F(2,17) = 26.4, p < 0.001). For each unit increase in RPE, children consumed ~270 more calories on the EX day. A similar pattern of associations was observed on the SED day. CONCLUSION FFM index was positively associated with EI on the EX day. Despite experiencing the same 70% relative exercise intensity, increased perceived difficulty predicted greater EI on both the EX and SED day. These findings demonstrate a role for both FFM and RPE in explaining EI variability in children. PMID:27902529

Potassium kinetics in human muscle interstitium during repeated intense exercise in relation to fatigue.

PubMed

Mohr, Magni; Nordsborg, Nikolai; Nielsen, Jens Jung; Pedersen, Lasse Danneman; Fischer, Christian; Krustrup, Peter; Bangsbo, Jens

2004-07-01

Accumulation of K+ in skeletal muscle interstitium during intense exercise has been suggested to cause fatigue in humans. The present study examined interstitial K+ kinetics and fatigue during repeated, intense, exhaustive exercise in human skeletal muscle. Ten subjects performed three repeated, intense (61.6+/-4.1 W; mean+/-SEM), one-legged knee extension exercise bouts (EX1, EX2 and EX3) to exhaustion separated by 10-min recovery periods. Interstitial [K+] ([K+]interst) in the vastus lateralis muscle were determined using microdialysis. Time-to-fatigue decreased progressively (P<0.05) during the protocol (5.1+/-0.4, 4.2+/-0.3 and 3.2+/-0.2 min for EX1, EX2 and EX3 respectively). Prior to these bouts, [K+]interst was 4.1+/-0.2, 4.8+/-0.2 and 5.2+/-0.2 mM, respectively. During the initial 1.5 min of exercise the accumulation rate of interstitial K+ was 85% greater (P<0.05) in EX1 than in EX3. At exhaustion [K+]interst was 11.4+/-0.8 mM in EX1, which was not different from that in EX2 (10.4+/-0.8 mM), but higher (P<0.05) than in EX3 (9.1+/-0.3 mM). The study demonstrated that the rate of accumulation of K+ in the muscle interstitium declines during intense repetitive exercise. Furthermore, whilst [K+]interst at exhaustion reached levels high enough to impair performance, the concentration decreased with repeated exercise, suggesting that accumulation of interstitial K+ per se does not cause fatigue when intense exercise is repeated.

Long-acting inhalable chitosan-coated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles containing hydrophobically modified exendin-4 for treating type 2 diabetes

PubMed Central

Lee, Changkyu; Choi, Ji Su; Kim, Insoo; Oh, Kyung Taek; Lee, Eun Seong; Park, Eun-Seok; Lee, Kang Choon; Youn, Yu Seok

2013-01-01

Inhalable glycol chitosan-coated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles containing palmitic acid-modified exendin-4 (Pal-Ex4) (chitosan Pal-Ex4 PLGA NPs) were prepared and characterized. The surface morphology, particle size, and zeta potential of chitosan Pal-Ex4 PLGA NPs were investigated, and the adsorption and cytotoxicity of chitosan Pal-Ex4 PLGA NPs were evaluated in human lung epithelial cells (A549). Finally, the lung deposition characteristics and hypoglycemia caused by chitosan Pal-Ex4 PLGA NPs were evaluated after pulmonary administration in imprinting control region (ICR) and type 2 diabetic db/db mice. Results showed that chitosan Pal-Ex4 PLGA NPs were spherical, compact and had a diameter of ~700 nm and a positive surface charge of +28.5 mV Chitosan-coated PLGA NPs were adsorbed onto A549 cells much more so than non-coated PLGA NPs. Pal-Ex4 release from chitosan-coated PLGA NPs was delayed by as much as 1.5 days as compared with chitosan-coated Ex4 PLGA NPs. In addition, chitosan-coated PLGA NPs remained in the lungs for ~72 hours after pulmonary administration, whereas most non-coated PLGA NPs were lost at 8 hours after administration. Furthermore, the hypoglycemic efficacy of inhaled chitosan Pal-Ex4 PLGA NPs was 3.1-fold greater than that of chitosan Ex4 PLGA NPs in db/db mice. The authors believe chitosan Pal-Ex4 PLGA NPs have considerable potential as a long-acting inhalation delivery system for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. PMID:23976850

Irreversible Electroporation of Human Primary Uveal Melanoma in Enucleated Eyes

PubMed Central

Mandel, Yossi; Laufer, Shlomi; Belkin, Michael; Rubinsky, Boris; Pe'er, Jacob; Frenkel, Shahar

2013-01-01

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular tumor in adults and is characterized by high rates of metastatic disease. Although brachytherapy is the most common globe-sparing treatment option for small- and medium-sized tumors, the treatment is associated with severe adverse reactions and does not lead to increased survival rates as compared to enucleation. The use of irreversible electroporation (IRE) for tumor ablation has potential advantages in the treatment of tumors in complex organs such as the eye. Following previous theoretical work, herein we evaluate the use of IRE for uveal tumor ablation in human ex vivo eye model. Enucleated eyes of patients with uveal melanoma were treated with short electric pulses (50–100 µs, 1000–2000 V/cm) using a customized electrode design. Tumor bioimpedance was measured before and after treatment and was followed by histopathological evaluation. We found that IRE caused tumor ablation characterized by cell membrane disruption while sparing the non-cellular sclera. Membrane disruption and loss of cellular capacitance were also associated with significant reduction in total tumor impedance and loss of impedance frequency dependence. The effect was more pronounced near the pulsing electrodes and was dependent on time from treatment to fixation. Future studies should further evaluate the potential of IRE as an alternative method of uveal melanoma treatment. PMID:24039721

Measurement of the human esophageal cancer in an early stage with Raman spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maeda, Yasuhiro; Ishigaki, Mika; Taketani, Akinori; Andriana, Bibin B.; Ishihara, Ryu; Sato, Hidetoshi

2014-02-01

The esophageal cancer has a tendency to transfer to another part of the body and the surgical operation itself sometimes gives high risk in vital function because many delicate organs exist near the esophagus. So the esophageal cancer is a disease with a high mortality. So, in order to lead a higher survival rate five years after the cancer's treatment, the investigation of the diagnosis methods or techniques of the cancer in an early stage and support the therapy are required. In this study, we performed the ex vivo experiments to obtain the Raman spectra from normal and early-stage tumor (stage-0) human esophageal sample by using Raman spectroscopy. The Raman spectra are collected by the homemade Raman spectrometer with the wavelength of 785 nm and Raman probe with 600-um-diameter. The principal component analysis (PCA) is performed after collection of spectra to recognize which materials changed in normal part and cancerous pert. After that, the linear discriminant analysis (LDA) is performed to predict the tissue type. The result of PCA indicates that the tumor tissue is associated with a decrease in tryptophan concentration. Furthermore, we can predict the tissue type with 80% accuracy by LDA which model is made by tryptophan bands.

Hydrologic landscape units and adaptive management of intermountain wetlands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Custer, Stephen G.; Sojda, R.S.

2006-01-01

daptive management is often proposed to assist in the management of national wildlife refuges and allows the exploration of alternatives as well as the addition of ne w knowledge as it becomes available. The hydrological landscape unit can be a good foundation for such efforts. Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is in an intermountain basin dominated by vertical tectonics in the Northern Rocky Mountains. A geographic information system was used to define the boundaries for the hydrologic landscape units there. Units identified include alluvial fan, interfan, stream alluvi um and basin flat. Management alternatives can be informed by ex amination of processes that occu r on the units. For example, an ancient alluvial fan unit related to Red Rock Creek appear s to be isolated from stream flow today, with recharge dominated by precipitation and bedrock springs; while other alluvial fan units in the area have shallow ground water recharged from mountain streams and precipitation. The scale of hydrologic processes in interfan units differs from that in alluvial fan hydrologic landscape units. These differences are important when the refuge is evaluating habitat management activities. Hydrologic landscape units provide scientific unde rpinnings for the refuge’s comprehensive planning process. New geologic, hydrologic, and biologic knowledge can be integrated into the hydrologic landscape unit definition and improve adaptive management.

Dietary Intervention Restored Menses in Female Athletes with Exercise-Associated Menstrual Dysfunction with Limited Impact on Bone and Muscle Health

PubMed Central

Cialdella-Kam, Lynn; Guebels, Charlotte P.; Maddalozzo, Gianni F.; Manore, Melinda M.

2014-01-01

Exercise-related menstrual dysfunction (ExMD) is associated with low energy availability (EA), decreased bone mineral density (BMD), and increased risk of musculoskeletal injury. We investigated whether a 6-month carbohydrate-protein (CHO-PRO) supplement (360 kcal/day, 54 g CHO/day, 20 g PRO/day) intervention would improve energy status and musculoskeletal health and restore menses in female athletes (n = 8) with ExMD. At pre/post-intervention, reproductive and thyroid hormones, bone health (BMD, bone mineral content, bone markers), muscle strength/power and protein metabolism markers, profile of mood state (POMS), and energy intake (EI)/energy expenditure (7 day food/activity records) were measured. Eumenorrheic athlete controls with normal menses (Eumen); n = 10) were measured at baseline. Multiple linear regressions were used to evaluate differences between groups and pre/post-intervention blocking on participants. Improvements in EI (+382 kcal/day; p = 0.12), EA (+417 kcal/day; p = 0.17) and energy balance (EB; +466 kcal/day; p = 0.14) were observed with the intervention but were not statistically significant. ExMD resumed menses (2.6 ± 2.2-months to first menses; 3.5 ± 1.9 cycles); one remaining anovulatory with menses. Female athletes with ExMD for >8 months took longer to resume menses/ovulation and had lower BMD (low spine (ExMD = 3; Eumen = 1); low hip (ExMD = 2)) than those with ExMD for <8 months; for 2 ExMD the intervention improved spinal BMD. POMS fatigue scores were 15% lower in ExMD vs. Eumen (p = 0.17); POMS depression scores improved by 8% in ExMD (p = 0.12). EI, EA, and EB were similar between groups, but the intervention (+360 kcal/day) improved energy status enough to reverse ExMD despite no statistically significant changes in EI. Similar baseline EA and EB between groups suggests that some ExMD athletes are more sensitive to EA and EB fluctuations. PMID:25090245

Addition of transcranial direct current stimulation to quadriceps strengthening exercise in knee osteoarthritis: A pilot randomised controlled trial

PubMed Central

Chang, Wei-Ju; Bennell, Kim L.; Hodges, Paul W.; Hinman, Rana S.; Young, Carolyn L.; Buscemi, Valentina; Liston, Matthew B.

2017-01-01

A randomised, assessor- and participant-blind, sham-controlled trial was conducted to assess the safety and feasibility of adding transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to quadriceps strengthening exercise in knee osteoarthritis (OA), and provide data to inform a fully powered trial. Participants were randomised to receive active tDCS+exercise (AT+EX) or sham tDCS+exercise (ST+EX) twice weekly for 8 weeks whilst completing home exercises twice per week. Feasibility, safety, patient-perceived response, pain, function, pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) and conditioned pain modulation (CPM) were assessed before and after treatment. Fifty-seven people were screened for eligibility. Thirty (52%) entered randomisation and 25 (84%) completed the trial. One episode of headache in the AT+EX group was reported. Pain reduced in both groups following treatment (AT+EX: p<0.001, partial η2 = 0.55; ST+EX: p = 0.026, partial η2 = 0.18) but no between-group differences were observed (p = 0.18, partial η2 = 0.08). Function improved in the AT+EX (p = 0.01, partial η2 = 0.22), but not the ST+EX (p = 0.16, partial η2 = 0.08) group, between-group differences did not reach significance (p = 0.28, partial η2 = 0.052). AT+EX produced greater improvements in PPTs than ST+EX (p<0.05) (superolateral knee: partial η2 = 0.17; superior knee: partial η2 = 0.3; superomedial knee: partial η2 = 0.26). CPM only improved in the AT+EX group but no between-group difference was observed (p = 0.054, partial η2 = 0.158). This study provides the first feasibility and safety data for the addition of tDCS to quadriceps strengthening exercise in knee OA. Our data suggest AT+EX may improve pain, function and pain mechanisms beyond that of ST+EX, and provides support for progression to a fully powered randomised controlled trial. PMID:28665989

Dietary intervention restored menses in female athletes with exercise-associated menstrual dysfunction with limited impact on bone and muscle health.

PubMed

Cialdella-Kam, Lynn; Guebels, Charlotte P; Maddalozzo, Gianni F; Manore, Melinda M

2014-07-31

Exercise-related menstrual dysfunction (ExMD) is associated with low energy availability (EA), decreased bone mineral density (BMD), and increased risk of musculoskeletal injury. We investigated whether a 6-month carbohydrate-protein (CHO-PRO) supplement (360 kcal/day, 54 g CHO/day, 20 g PRO/day) intervention would improve energy status and musculoskeletal health and restore menses in female athletes (n = 8) with ExMD. At pre/post-intervention, reproductive and thyroid hormones, bone health (BMD, bone mineral content, bone markers), muscle strength/power and protein metabolism markers, profile of mood state (POMS), and energy intake (EI)/energy expenditure (7 day food/activity records) were measured. Eumenorrheic athlete controls with normal menses (Eumen); n = 10) were measured at baseline. Multiple linear regressions were used to evaluate differences between groups and pre/post-intervention blocking on participants. Improvements in EI (+382 kcal/day; p = 0.12), EA (+417 kcal/day; p = 0.17) and energy balance (EB; +466 kcal/day; p = 0.14) were observed with the intervention but were not statistically significant. ExMD resumed menses (2.6 ± 2.2-months to first menses; 3.5 ± 1.9 cycles); one remaining anovulatory with menses. Female athletes with ExMD for >8 months took longer to resume menses/ovulation and had lower BMD (low spine (ExMD = 3; Eumen = 1); low hip (ExMD = 2)) than those with ExMD for <8 months; for 2 ExMD the intervention improved spinal BMD. POMS fatigue scores were 15% lower in ExMD vs. Eumen (p = 0.17); POMS depression scores improved by 8% in ExMD (p = 0.12). EI, EA, and EB were similar between groups, but the intervention (+360 kcal/day) improved energy status enough to reverse ExMD despite no statistically significant changes in EI. Similar baseline EA and EB between groups suggests that some ExMD athletes are more sensitive to EA and EB fluctuations.

Whole-body heat exchange during heat acclimation and its decay.

PubMed

Poirier, Martin P; Gagnon, Daniel; Friesen, Brian J; Hardcastle, Stephen G; Kenny, Glen P

2015-02-01

The purpose of this study was to quantify how much whole-body heat loss increases during heat acclimation and the decay in these improvements after heat acclimation. Ten males underwent a 14-d heat acclimation protocol that consisted of 90 min of cycling in the heat (40°C, 20% relative humidity) at approximately 50% of maximum oxygen consumption. Before (day 0), during (day 7), and at the end (day 14) of the heat acclimation protocol as well as 7 and 14 d after heat acclimation (days 21 and 28), whole-body heat exchange (evaporative and dry) was measured using direct calorimetry during three bouts of 30-min exercise at 300 (Ex1), 350 (Ex2), and 400 W·m (Ex3), each separated by 10 and 20 min of recovery, respectively, at 35°C and 16% relative humidity. Concurrent measurements of metabolic heat production (indirect calorimetry) allowed for the direct calculation of change in body heat content (ΔHb). After accounting for an increase in net dry heat gain, increases in whole-body evaporative heat loss were evident for Ex2 and Ex3 on day 7 (Ex2, 4.9 ± 5.6%; Ex3, 9.0 ± 6.0%; both P ≤ 0.05) and all heat loads on day 14 (Ex1, 7.6 ± 8.3%; Ex2, 7.7 ± 5.5%; Ex3, 11.2 ± 4.6%; all P ≤ 0.05) relative to day 0 (Ex1, 494 ± 27 W; Ex2, 583 ± 21 W; Ex3, 622 ± 36 W). As a result, a lower cumulative ΔHb was measured on day 7 (-18 ± 8%, P ≤ 0.001) and day 14 (-26 ± 10%, P ≤ 0.001) compared with that measured on day 0 (1062 ± 123 kJ). Most of these improvements were retained after 2 wk of nonexposure to the heat. This is the first study to quantify how much 14 d of heat acclimation can increase whole-body evaporative heat loss, which can improve by as much as approximately 11%.

Evaluation of Freehand B-Mode and Power-Mode 3D Ultrasound for Visualisation and Grading of Internal Carotid Artery Stenosis.

PubMed

Pelz, Johann Otto; Weinreich, Anna; Karlas, Thomas; Saur, Dorothee

2017-01-01

Currently, colour-coded duplex sonography (2D-CDS) is clinical standard for detection and grading of internal carotid artery stenosis (ICAS). However, unlike angiographic imaging modalities, 2D-CDS assesses ICAS by its hemodynamic effects rather than luminal changes. Aim of this study was to evaluate freehand 3D ultrasound (3DUS) for direct visualisation and quantification of ICAS. Thirty-seven patients with 43 ICAS were examined with 2D-CDS as reference standard and with freehand B-mode respectively power-mode 3DUS. Stenotic value of 3D reconstructed ICAS was calculated as distal diameter respectively distal cross-sectional area (CSA) reduction percentage and compared with 2D-CDS. There was a trend but no significant difference in successful 3D reconstruction of ICAS between B-mode and power mode (examiner 1 {Ex1} 81% versus 93%, examiner 2 {Ex2} 84% versus 88%). Inter-rater agreement was best for power-mode 3DUS and assessment of stenotic value as distal CSA reduction percentage (intraclass correlation coefficient {ICC} 0.90) followed by power-mode 3DUS and distal diameter reduction percentage (ICC 0.81). Inter-rater agreement was poor for B-mode 3DUS (ICC, distal CSA reduction 0.36, distal diameter reduction 0.51). Intra-rater agreement for power-mode 3DUS was good for both measuring methods (ICC, distal CSA reduction 0.88 {Ex1} and 0.78 {Ex2}; ICC, distal diameter reduction 0.83 {Ex1} and 0.76 {Ex2}). In comparison to 2D-CDS inter-method agreement was good and clearly better for power-mode 3DUS (ICC, distal diameter reduction percentage: Ex1 0.85, Ex2 0.78; distal CSA reduction percentage: Ex1 0.63, Ex2 0.57) than for B-mode 3DUS (ICC, distal diameter reduction percentage: Ex1 0.40, Ex2 0.52; distal CSA reduction percentage: Ex1 0.15, Ex2 0.51). Non-invasive power-mode 3DUS is superior to B-mode 3DUS for imaging and quantification of ICAS. Thereby, further studies are warranted which should now compare power-mode 3DUS with the angiographic gold standard imaging modalities for quantification of ICAS, i.e. with CTA or CE-MRA.

The RNA Helicase DeaD Stimulates ExsA Translation To Promote Expression of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Type III Secretion System

PubMed Central

Intile, Peter J.; Balzer, Grant J.; Wolfgang, Matthew C.

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT The Pseudomonas aeruginosa type III secretion system (T3SS) is a primary virulence factor important for phagocytic avoidance, disruption of host cell signaling, and host cell cytotoxicity. ExsA is the master regulator of T3SS transcription. The expression, synthesis, and activity of ExsA is tightly regulated by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic regulation consists of the well-characterized ExsECDA partner-switching cascade, while extrinsic factors include global regulators that alter exsA transcription and/or translation. To identify novel extrinsic regulators of ExsA, we conducted a transposon mutagenesis screen in the absence of intrinsic control. Transposon disruptions within gene PA2840, which encodes a homolog of the Escherichia coli RNA-helicase DeaD, significantly reduced T3SS gene expression. Recent studies indicate that E. coli DeaD can promote translation by relieving inhibitory secondary structures within target mRNAs. We report here that PA2840, renamed DeaD, stimulates ExsA synthesis at the posttranscriptional level. Genetic experiments demonstrate that the activity of an exsA translational fusion is reduced in a deaD mutant. In addition, exsA expression in trans fails to restore T3SS gene expression in a deaD mutant. We hypothesized that DeaD relaxes mRNA secondary structure to promote exsA translation and found that altering the mRNA sequence of exsA or the native exsA Shine-Dalgarno sequence relieved the requirement for DeaD in vivo. Finally, we show that purified DeaD promotes ExsA synthesis using in vitro translation assays. Together, these data reveal a novel regulatory mechanism for P. aeruginosa DeaD and add to the complexity of global regulation of T3SS. IMPORTANCE Although members of the DEAD box family of RNA helicases are appreciated for their roles in mRNA degradation and ribosome biogenesis, an additional role in gene regulation is now emerging in bacteria. By relaxing secondary structures in mRNAs, DEAD box helicases are now thought to promote translation by enhancing ribosomal recruitment. We identify here an RNA helicase that plays a critical role in promoting ExsA synthesis, the central regulator of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa type III secretion system, and provide additional evidence that DEAD box helicases directly stimulate translation of target genes. The finding that DeaD stimulates exsA translation adds to a growing list of transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulatory mechanisms that control type III gene expression. PMID:26055113

Experience with the first 50 ex vivo lung perfusions in clinical transplantation.

PubMed

Cypel, Marcelo; Yeung, Jonathan C; Machuca, Tiago; Chen, Manyin; Singer, Lianne G; Yasufuku, Kazuhiro; de Perrot, Marc; Pierre, Andrew; Waddell, Thomas K; Keshavjee, Shaf

2012-11-01

Normothermic ex vivo lung perfusion is a novel method to evaluate and improve the function of injured donor lungs. We reviewed our experience with 50 consecutive transplants after ex vivo lung perfusion. A retrospective study using prospectively collected data was performed. High-risk brain death donor lungs (defined as Pao(2)/Fio(2) <300 mm Hg or lungs with radiographic or clinical findings of pulmonary edema) and lungs from cardiac death donors were subjected to 4 to 6 hours of ex vivo lung perfusion. Lungs that achieved stable airway and vascular pressures and Pao(2)/Fio(2) greater than 400 mm Hg during ex vivo lung perfusion were transplanted. The primary end point was the incidence of primary graft dysfunction grade 3 at 72 hours after transplantation. End points were compared with lung transplants not treated with ex vivo lung perfusion (controls). A total of 317 lung transplants were performed during the study period (39 months). Fifty-eight ex vivo lung perfusion procedures were performed, resulting in 50 transplants (86% use). Of these, 22 were from cardiac death donors and 28 were from brain death donors. The mean donor Pao(2)/Fio(2) was 334 mm Hg in the ex vivo lung perfusion group and 452 mm Hg in the control group (P = .0001). The incidence of primary graft dysfunction grade 3 at 72 hours was 2% in the ex vivo lung perfusion group and 8.5% in the control group (P = .14). One patient (2%) in the ex vivo lung perfusion group and 7 patients (2.7%) in the control group required extracorporeal lung support for primary graft dysfunction (P = 1.00). The median time to extubation, intensive care unit stay, and hospital length of stay were 2, 4, and 20 days, respectively, in the ex vivo lung perfusion group and 2, 4, and 23 days, respectively, in the control group (P > .05). Thirty-day mortality (4% in the ex vivo lung perfusion group and 3.5% in the control group, P = 1.00) and 1-year survival (87% in the ex vivo lung perfusion group and 86% in the control group, P = 1.00) were similar in both groups. Transplantation of high-risk donor lungs after 4 to 6 hours of ex vivo lung perfusion is safe, and outcomes are similar to those of conventional transplants. Ex vivo lung perfusion improved our center use of donor lungs, accounting for 20% of our current lung transplant activity. Copyright © 2012 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Twin- or single-screw extrusion of raw soybeans and preconditioned soybean meal and corn as individual ingredients or as corn-soybean product blends in diets for weanling swine.

PubMed

Veum, T L; Serrano, X; Hsieh, F H

2017-03-01

Two 28-d experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of extrusion of ground yellow corn, solvent-extracted soybean meal (SBM), and cracked whole soybeans (CWS) individually or as corn-soybean product blends on growth performance of weanling pigs. For Exp. 1, ground corn, SBM, and the corn-SBM blend were extruded at 137.5°C, 131.5°C, and 135.0°C, respectively, in a twin-screw extruder. Transit time was 60 s. Water was injected at 125 gmin during extrusion. The 5 treatments were the corn-SBM control diet and the diets with extruded (EX) corn + SBM, EX-SBM + corn, EX-corn + EX-SBM, and the EX-blend of corn-SBM. Ninety crossbred pigs with an initial average BW of 5.98 kg were allotted to 9 treatment replications with a barrow and gilt per pen. For Exp. 2, ground corn was preconditioned with water (10.0% of corn weight), and SBM was preconditioned with water and soybean oil (each at 20.0% of SBM weight) before extrusion. Raw CWS were not preconditioned. The corn, SBM, CWS, corn-SBM blend, and corn-CWS blend were extruded at 113.0°C, 132.0°C, 132.0°C, 88.0°C, and 102°C, respectively, with a single-screw extruder. Transit time was 30 s. The 8 isocaloric treatments were the corn-SBM control diet and the diets with EX-corn + SBM, EX-SBM + corn, EX-corn + EX-SBM, the EX-blend of corn-SBM, EX-CWS + corn, EX-CWS + EX-corn, and the EX-blend of corn-CWS. A total of 296 crossbred pigs with an initial average BW of 6.56 kg were allotted to 10 treatment replications. Sex and pigs per pen (3 or 4) were equalized within replication. Results for both experiments indicate that single- or twin-screw extrusion of ground corn or SBM as individual ingredients or as corn-SBM blends in diets for weanling pigs did not improve 28-d growth performance. However, for Exp. 2 weanling pigs fed the diets with EX-CWS + corn and EX-CWS + EX-corn had greater ( < 0.01) ADG and G:F, respectively, than pigs fed the corn-SBM control diet. The extrusion temperature of 102°C for the corn-CWS blend did not inactivate adequate protease inhibitors in CWS, and pigs fed that diet had poor growth performance. In conclusion, single-screw extrusion of CWS (132°C for 30 s) in diets for weanling pigs improved growth performance compared with pigs fed the corn-SBM control diet. However, twin- or single-screw extrusion of ground yellow corn or solvent-extracted SBM as individual ingredients or as corn-SBM blends in diets for weanling pigs did not improve growth performance compared with pigs fed the corn-SBM control diets.

Three-frequency Nd:YAG laser for dental treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadlecová, Martina; Dostálová, Tat'jana; Jelínková, Helena; Němec, Michal; Å ulc, Jan; Fibrich, Martin; Bradna, Pavel; Nejezchleb, Karel; Kapitch, Nickalai; Å koda, Václav

2018-02-01

In the last decade, lasers found a number of indications in dentistry. However, there is still one problem: the narrow spectrum of usefulness for individual radiation wavelengths. The aim of our study is to demonstrate the use of a compact three-frequency pulsed Nd-YAG laser for more than one treatment, namely disinfection, coagulation, selective ablation, and soft tissue removal. The laser wavelengths and the maximal energies achieved were the following: 1.06 um, 1.32 um, 1.44 um and 830 mJ, 425 mJ, and 200 mJ, respectively. It has been found that all of the investigated wavelengths exhibit disinfection properties. Moreover, radiation of 1.06 um wavelength removes soft tissue and exhibits also coagulation properties. Radiation of 1.44 um is most useful for selective ablation of initial caries and disinfection, and 1.32 um radiation can be used for precise ablation when higher energy is applied.

Recovery Act: Novel Kerf-Free PV Wafering that provides a low-cost approach to generate wafers from 150um to 50um in thickness

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

Fong, Theodore E.

2013-05-06

The technical paper summarizes the project work conducted in the development of Kerf-Free silicon wafering equipment for silicon solar wafering. This new PolyMax technology uses a two step process of implantation and cleaving to exfoliate 50um to 120um wafers with thicknesses ranging from 50um to 120um from a 125mm or 156mm pseudo-squared silicon ingot. No kerf is generated using this method of wafering. This method of wafering contrasts with the current method of making silicon solar wafers using the industry standard wire saw equipment. The report summarizes the activity conducted by Silicon Genesis Corporation in working to develop this technologymore » further and to define the roadmap specifications for the first commercial proto-type equipment for high volume solar wafer manufacturing using the PolyMax technology.« less

45 CFR 681.30 - Are ex parte communications between a party and the ALJ permitted?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Are ex parte communications between a party and... (Continued) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION PROGRAM FRAUD CIVIL REMEDIES ACT REGULATIONS Hearing Procedures § 681.30 Are ex parte communications between a party and the ALJ permitted? Ex parte communications between...

76 FR 72269 - Rules of Practice Before the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences in Ex Parte

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-22

... CFR Parts 1 and 41 Rules of Practice Before the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences in Ex Parte... and Interferences in Ex Parte Appeals AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce... rules governing practice before the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences (Board or BPAI) in ex...

Ex Ante or Ex Post? Risk, Hedging and Prudence in the Restructured Power Business

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

Makholm, Jeff D.; Meehan, Eugene T.; Sullivan, Julia E.

Inconsistent regulatory decisions continue to frustrate the establishment of a new ex ante regulatory equilibrium that will serve to prevent unfair and inefficient ex post prudence disallowances. Extreme volatility in gas and power markets will continue to tax the uneasy regulatory status quo until a new equilibrium can be established. (author)

9 CFR 202.122 - Rule 22: Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... be served on all parties. (e) For purposes of this section “ex parte communication” means an oral or... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Rule 22: Ex parte communications. 202....122 Rule 22: Ex parte communications. (a) At no stage of the proceeding between its docketing and the...

76 FR 28036 - Request for Comments and Announcement of Workshop on Standard-Setting Issues

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-13

... negotiated ex post? To what extent do concerns about antitrust liability deter ex ante disclosure or... reflects not only the ex ante market value of the patented invention, but also added value associated with...''). Third, they may require or allow ex ante disclosure of specific licensing terms as part of the standard...

77 FR 28497 - Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-15

...'', how ex-vessel value is calculated, the extent of description of Treaty Fisheries, and a request for an..._fish/EconomicGuidelines.pdf . Ex-vessel value is generally defined as the payments that fishermen... analysis, various levels of whiting harvests were converted into ex-vessel values using the ex-vessel...

77 FR 45604 - Notification of Two Public Teleconferences of the Science Advisory Board; Environmental Economics...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-01

... regulations after they were implemented (ex post). To improve future benefit-cost analyses, EPA is seeking to compare its predictions of costs (ex ante costs) with actual (ex post) costs and, if they differ substantially, to understand why. EPA has requested the SAB's review of its approach to assessing ex post costs...

19 CFR 207.5 - Ex parte meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Ex parte meetings. 207.5 Section 207.5 Customs... EXPORTS TO THE UNITED STATES General Provisions § 207.5 Ex parte meetings. There shall be included in the record of each investigation a record of ex parte meetings as required by section 777(a)(3) of the Act...

Spontaneous extrusion of a stainless steel glaucoma drainage implant (Ex-PRESS).

PubMed

Tavolato, M; Babighian, S; Galan, A

2006-01-01

To report a case of spontaneous extrusion of a stainless steel glaucoma drainage implant (Ex-PRESS). An Ex-PRESS was implanted under the conjunctiva in a 76-year-old man with primary open-angle glaucoma. Two years after implantation, the Ex-Press extruded spontaneously. Despite this adverse event, there was no increase in intraocular pressure. This is the first report of spontaneous extrusion of an Ex-PRESS device. Implanting the device under a scleral flap should be considered to avoid adverse events such as extrusion or conjunctival erosion.

Towards reducing the impacts of unwanted movements on identification of motion intentions.

PubMed

Li, Xiangxin; Chen, Shixiong; Zhang, Haoshi; Samuel, Oluwarotimi Williams; Wang, Hui; Fang, Peng; Zhang, Xiufeng; Li, Guanglin

2016-06-01

Surface electromyogram (sEMG) has been extensively used as a control signal in prosthesis devices. However, it is still a great challenge to make multifunctional myoelectric prostheses clinically available due to a number of critical issues associated with existing EMG based control strategy. One such issue would be the effect of unwanted movements (UMs) that are inadvertently done by users on the performance of movement classification in EMG pattern recognition based algorithms. Since UMs are not considered in training a classifier, they would decay the performance of a trained classifier in identifying the target movements (TMs), which would cause some undesired actions in control of multifunctional prostheses. In this study, the impact of UMs was systemically investigated in both able-bodied subjects and transradial amputees. Our results showed that the UMs would be unevenly classified into all classes of the TMs. To reduce the impact of the UMs on the performance of a classifier, a new training strategy that would categorize all possible UMs into a new movement class was proposed and a metric called Reject Ratio that is a measure of how many UMs is rejected by a trained classifier was adopted. The results showed that the average Reject Ratio across all the participants was greater than 91%, meanwhile the average classification accuracy of TMs was above 99% when UMs occurred. This suggests that the proposed training strategy could greatly reduce the impact of UMs on the performance of the trained classifier in identifying the TMs and may enhance the robustness of myoelectric control in clinical applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physiological responses and performance in a simulated trampoline gymnastics competition in elite male gymnasts.

PubMed

Jensen, Peter; Scott, Suzanne; Krustrup, Peter; Mohr, Magni

2013-01-01

Physiological responses and performance were examined during and after a simulated trampoline competition (STC). Fifteen elite trampoline gymnasts participated, of which eight completed two routines (EX1 and EX2) and a competition final (EX3). Trampoline-specific activities were quantified by video-analysis. Countermovement jump (CMJ) and 20 maximal trampoline jump (20-MTJ) performances were assessed. Heart rate (HR) and quadriceps muscle temperature (Tm) were recorded and venous blood was drawn. A total of 252 ± 16 jumps were performed during the STC. CMJ performance declined (P < 0.05) by 3.8, 5.2 and 4.2% after EX1, EX2 and EX3, respectively, and was 4.8% lower (P < 0.05) than baseline 24 h post-competition. 20-MTJ flight time was ~1% shorter (P < 0.05) for jump 1-10 after EX2 and 24 h post STC. Tm increased (P < 0.05) to ~39°C after the warm-up, but declined (P < 0.05) 1.0 and 0.6ºC before EX2 and EX3, respectively. Peak HR was 95-97% HRmax during EX1-3. Peak blood lactate, plasma K(+) and NH3 were 6.5 ± 0.5, 6.0 ± 0.2 mmol · l(-1) and 92 ± 10 µmol · l(-1), respectively. Plasma CK increased (P < 0.05) by ~50 and 65% 0 and 24 h after STC. In conclusion, a trampoline gymnastic competition includes a high number of repeated explosive and energy demanding jumps, which impairs jump performance during and 24 h post-competition.

Human Umbilical Cord MSC-Derived Exosomes Suppress the Development of CCl4-Induced Liver Injury through Antioxidant Effect.

PubMed

Jiang, Wenqian; Tan, Youwen; Cai, Mengjie; Zhao, Ting; Mao, Fei; Zhang, Xu; Xu, Wenrong; Yan, Zhixin; Qian, Hui; Yan, Yongmin

2018-01-01

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been increasingly applied into clinical therapy. Exosomes are small (30-100 nm in diameter) membrane vesicles released by different cell types and possess the similar functions with their derived cells. Human umbilical cord MSC-derived exosomes (hucMSC-Ex) play important roles in liver repair. However, the effects and mechanisms of hucMSC-Ex on liver injury development remain elusive. Mouse models of acute and chronic liver injury and liver tumor were induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) injection, followed by administration of hucMSC-Ex via the tail vein. Alleviation of liver injury by hucMSC-Ex was determined. We further explored the production of oxidative stress and apoptosis in the development of liver injury and compared the antioxidant effects of hucMSC-Ex with frequently used hepatic protectant, bifendate (DDB) in liver injury. hucMSC-Ex alleviated CCl 4 -induced acute liver injury and liver fibrosis and restrained the growth of liver tumors. Decreased oxidative stress and apoptosis were found in hucMSC-Ex-treated mouse models and liver cells. Compared to bifendate (DDB) treatment, hucMSC-Ex presented more distinct antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects. hucMSC-Ex may suppress CCl 4 -induced liver injury development via antioxidant potentials and could be a more effective antioxidant than DDB in CCl 4 -induced liver tumor development.

Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell Exosomes Enhance Angiogenesis Through the Wnt4/β-Catenin Pathway

PubMed Central

Zhang, Bin; Wu, Xiaodan; Zhang, Xu; Sun, Yaoxiang; Yan, Yongmin; Shi, Hui; Zhu, Yanhua; Wu, Lijun; Pan, Zhaoji; Zhu, Wei

2015-01-01

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hucMSCs) and their exosomes have been considered as potential therapeutic tools for tissue regeneration; however, the underlying mechanisms are still not well understood. In this study, we isolated and characterized the exosomes from hucMSCs (hucMSC-Ex) and demonstrated that hucMSC-Ex promoted the proliferation, migration, and tube formation of endothelial cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, we demonstrated that hucMSC-Ex promoted wound healing and angiogenesis in vivo by using a rat skin burn model. We discovered that hucMSC-Ex promoted β-catenin nuclear translocation and induced the increased expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen, cyclin D3, N-cadherin, and β-catenin and the decreased expression of E-cadherin. The activation of Wnt/β-catenin is critical in the induction of angiogenesis by hucMSC-Ex, which could be reversed by β-catenin inhibitor ICG-001. Wnt4 was delivered by hucMSC-Ex, and the knockdown of Wnt4 in hucMSC-Ex abrogated β-catenin nuclear translocation in endothelial cells. The in vivo proangiogenic effects were also inhibited by interference of Wnt4 expression in hucMSC-Ex. Taken together, these results suggest that hucMSC-Ex-mediated Wnt4 induces β-catenin activation in endothelial cells and exerts proangiogenic effects, which could be an important mechanism for cutaneous wound healing. PMID:25824139

"Salivary exRNA biomarkers to detect gingivitis and monitor disease regression".

PubMed

Kaczor-Urbanowicz, Karolina Elżbieta; Trivedi, Harsh M; Lima, Patricia O; Camargo, Paulo M; Giannobile, William V; Grogan, Tristan R; Gleber-Netto, Frederico O; Whiteman, Yair; Li, Feng; Lee, Hyo Jung; Dharia, Karan; Aro, Katri; Carerras-Presas, Carmen Martin; Amuthan, Saarah; Vartak, Manjiri; Akin, David; Al-Adbullah, Hiba; Bembey, Kanika; Klokkevold, Perry R; Elashoff, David; Barnes, Virginia Monsul; Richter, Rose; DeVizio, William; Masters, James G; Wong, David

2018-05-19

This study tests the hypothesis that salivary extracellular RNA (exRNA) biomarkers can be developed for gingivitis detection and monitoring disease regression. Salivary exRNA biomarker candidates were developed from a total of 100 gingivitis and non-gingivitis individuals using Affymetrix's expression microarrays. The top ten differentially expressed exRNAs were tested in a clinical cohort to determine if the discovered salivary exRNA markers for gingivitis were associated with clinical gingivitis and disease regression. For this purpose, unstimulated saliva was collected from 30 randomly selected gingivitis subjects, the gingival and plaque indexes scores were taken at baseline, 3 & 6 weeks and salivary exRNAs were assayed by means of reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Eight salivary exRNA biomarkers developed for gingivitis were statistically significantly changed over time, consistent with disease regression. A panel of four salivary exRNAs [SPRR1A, lnc-TET3-2:1, FAM25A, CRCT1] can detect gingivitis with a clinical performance of 0.91 area under the curve (AUC), with 71% sensitivity and 100% specificity. The clinical values of the developed salivary exRNA biomarkers are associated with gingivitis regression. They offer strong potential to be advanced for definitive validation and clinical laboratory development test (LDT). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Impact of single anaerobic exercise on delayed activation of endothelial xanthine oxidase in men and women.

PubMed

Wiecek, Magdalena; Maciejczyk, Marcin; Szymura, Jadwiga; Kantorowicz, Malgorzata; Szygula, Zbigniew

2017-11-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate the activity of xanthine oxidase (XO) in the blood of men and women during the first hour following a single anaerobic exercise (AN-EX), and after 24 hours of recovery, and to determine whether the changes in XO activity in the blood after AN-EX are dependent on anaerobic performance. Ten men and ten women performed a single AN-EX. Blood was collected before and five times after completion of the AN-EX. The activity of XO was determined. In both groups, a significant (P < 0.05) increase in blood XO activity was found only 24 hours after the AN-EX. The increased activity of XO in men was significantly lower than in women (P < 0.05). Negative correlations were found between the increase in XO activity in the blood plasma 24 hours after the AN-EX and anaerobic power, the total work performed during the AN-EX and the power decrease. In the first hour after the single AN-EX, XO activity in the blood of women and men did not change, but after 24 hours of recovery, it was significantly higher compared to baseline levels in both sexes. Single AN-EX causes a smaller increase in XO activity in people with higher anaerobic performance.

[Implementation of the nursing process in a patient with hepatic cirrhosis using the standardized terminologies NANDA, NIC and NOC].

PubMed

Vargas, Rosimeire da Silva; França, Fabiana Cláudia de Vasconcelos

2007-01-01

This case study aimed at describing the implementation the implementation of the Nursing Process to a patient with hepatic cirrhosis, and report the difficulties found on the implementation of the assistance. The conceptual model of Horfa was used, NANDA--Nursing Diagnosis, Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) and Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) were also applied in care composition. The present study was developed in a public hospital of Distrito Federal, in September 2005, at the Emergency Unit. Among the identified nursing diagnosis was included: acute confusion, constipation and knowledge deficit. Among the pointed difficulties, it was detached: the disinterest of the nursing team and of the pacient, knowledge deficit and unpreparedness of the professionals, lack of human and material resources to deliver the care.

77 FR 23325 - Groundfish Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska and Pacific Halibut Fisheries...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-18

... monitoring under the fisheries research plan (deployment plan). NMFS would use the ex-vessel value fee... conservation needs, with funds provided through a system of fees based on the ex- vessel value of groundfish... category would pay to NMFS an observer fee based upon the ex-vessel value of fish landed (ex-vessel value...

21 CFR 876.5885 - Tissue culture media for human ex vivo tissue and cell culture processing applications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Tissue culture media for human ex vivo tissue and... DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 876.5885 Tissue culture media for human ex vivo tissue and cell culture processing applications. (a) Identification. Tissue culture media for human ex vivo tissue and cell culture...

21 CFR 876.5885 - Tissue culture media for human ex vivo tissue and cell culture processing applications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Tissue culture media for human ex vivo tissue and... DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 876.5885 Tissue culture media for human ex vivo tissue and cell culture processing applications. (a) Identification. Tissue culture media for human ex vivo tissue and cell culture...

21 CFR 876.5885 - Tissue culture media for human ex vivo tissue and cell culture processing applications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Tissue culture media for human ex vivo tissue and... DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 876.5885 Tissue culture media for human ex vivo tissue and cell culture processing applications. (a) Identification. Tissue culture media for human ex vivo tissue and cell culture...

CHARACTERIZATION OF EXTRAINTESTINAL PATHOGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI FROM MEAT IN SOUTHERN THAILAND.

PubMed

Sukkua, Kannika; Pomwised, Rattanaruji; Rattanachuay, Pattamarat; Khianngam, Saowapar; Sukhumungoon, Pharanai

2017-01-01

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) is an E. coli group, which causes diseases in systems outside human intestinal tract. ExPEC isolates were recovered from fresh chicken (25%) and pork (10%) meats, but not beef and shrimp, from markets in southern Thailand. Among the 14 ExPEC strains isolated, all carried iutA and fimH, coding for aerobactin and type 1 fimbriae, respectively. Two ExPEC strains from chicken meat possessed kpsMTK1 coding for K1 capsular antigen, responsible for neonatal meningitis. Antimicrobial susceptibility assay revealed that all ExPEC were resistant to streptomycin and carried blaTEM, but susceptible to imipenem. Phylogenetic group analysis showed that 4, 4, and 6 ExPEC strains belonged to group A, B1 and D, respectively. ExPEC strains were classified into four serotypes, namely, O8 (2 strains), O15 (2 strains), O25 (1 strain), and O127a (1 strain), with the remaining untypeable. DNA profiling analysis by BOX-PCR revealed clonality of strains with the same serotype. The existence of ExPEC in meat products should cause concern regarding food safety and public health not only in southern Thailand but also throughout the country.

Phase-shift/transmittance measurements in a micro pattern using MPM193EX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nozawa, Hiroto; Ishida, Takayuki; Kato, Satoru; Sato, Osamu; Miyazaki, Koji; Takehisa, Kiwamu; Awamura, Naoki; Takizawa, Hideo; Kusunose, Hal

2009-04-01

A new direct Phase-shift/Transmittance measurement tool "MPM193EX" has been developed to respond to the growing demand for higher precision measurements of finer patterns in ArF Lithography. Specifications of MPM193EX are listed below along with corresponding specifications of the conventional tool MPM193. 1) Phase-shift [3 Sigma]: 0.5 deg. (MPM193) => 0.2 deg. (MPM193EX) 2) Transmittance [3 Sigma]: 0.20 % (MPM193) => 0.04 % (MPM193EX) 3) Minimum measurement pattern width: 7.5 μm (MPM193) => 1.0 μm (MPM193EX) Furthermore, new design optics using an ArF Laser and an objective lens with long working distance allows measurements of masks with pellicles. The new method for improving the measurement repeatability is based on elimination of influence from instantaneous fluctuation in interferometer fringes by scanning two adjacent areas simultaneously. Also, MPM193EX is equipped with high-resolution and stable optics. The newly employed auto-focus system in MPM193EX accurately adjusts, by a new image processing method using high-resolution optics, the focus height that is one of the most important factors for measurements in a micro pattern.

The exchangeable fraction of selectively sorbed 137Cs in soils and natural sorbents as a function of the K+ and NH{4/+} concentrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stepina, I. A.; Popov, V. E.

2011-06-01

The exchangeable portion of the selectively sorbed 137Cs extractable by a 1 M ammonium acetate solution (α Ex ) for soils, illite, bentonite, and tripolite was found to increase with the increasing concentration of the competitive cation M+ (K+ or NH{4/+}) and can be approximated by a logarithmic relationship. For clinoptilolite, the values of α Ex did not depend on the concentration of M+. The expression 1 - α Ex ( C M= n )/α Ex ( C M = 16) as a function of the M+ concentration (where α Ex ( C M= n ) is the α Ex value at the competitive cation concentration equal to 16 mmol/dm3) was proposed to compare the dependence of α Ex on the concentration of K+ or NH{4/+}in different sorbents. For soils and illite, these dependences almost coincided, which indicated that the selective sorption of 137Cs in soils is determined by the presence of illite-group minerals.

Galline Ex-FABP is an Antibacterial Siderocalin and a Lysophosphatidic Acid Sensor Functioning through Dual Ligand Specificities

PubMed Central

Correnti, Colin; Clifton, Matthew C.; Abergel, Rebecca J.; Allred, Ben; Hoette, Trisha M.; Ruiz, Mario; Cancedda, Ranieri; Raymond, Kenneth N.; Descalzi, Fiorella; Strong, Roland K.

2011-01-01

SUMMARY Galline Ex-FABP was identified as another candidate antibacterial, catecholate siderophore binding lipocalin (siderocalin) based on structural parallels with the family archetype, mammalian Siderocalin. Binding assays show that Ex-FABP retains iron in a siderophore-dependent manner in both hypertrophic and dedifferentiated chondrocytes, where Ex-FABP expression is induced after treatment with proinflammatory agents, and specifically binds ferric complexes of enterobactin, parabactin, bacillibactin and, unexpectedly, monoglucosylated enterobactin, which does not bind to Siderocalin. Growth arrest assays functionally confirm the bacteriostatic effect of Ex-FABP in vitro under iron-limiting conditions. The 1.8Å crystal structure of Ex-FABP explains the expanded specificity, but also surprisingly reveals an extended, multi-chambered cavity extending through the protein and encompassing two separate ligand specificities, one for bacterial siderophores (as in Siderocalin) at one end and one specifically binding co-purified lysophosphatidic acid, a potent cell signaling molecule, at the other end, suggesting Ex-FABP employs dual functionalities to explain its diverse endogenous activities. PMID:22153502

Histone deacetylase inhibitors induce growth arrest and differentiation in uveal melanoma

PubMed Central

Landreville, Solange; Agapova, Olga A.; Matatall, Katie A.; Kneass, Zachary T.; Onken, Michael D.; Lee, Ryan S.; Bowcock, Anne M.; Harbour, J. William

2011-01-01

Purpose Metastasis is responsible for the death of most cancer patients, yet few therapeutic agents are available which specifically target the molecular events that lead to metastasis. We recently showed that inactivating mutations in the tumor suppressor gene BAP1 are closely associated with loss of melanocytic differentiation in uveal melanoma and metastasis (UM). The purpose of this study was to identify therapeutic agents that reverse the phenotypic effects of BAP1 loss in UM. Experimental Design In silico screens were performed to identify therapeutic compounds predicted to differentiate UM cells using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis and Connectivity Map databases. Valproic acid, trichostatin A, LBH-589 and suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid were evaluated for their effects on UM cells using morphologic evaluation, MTS viability assays, BrdU incorporation, flow cytometry, clonogenic assays, gene expression profiling, histone acetylation and ubiquitination assays, and a murine xenograft tumorigenicity model. Results HDAC inhibitors induced morphologic differentiation, cell cycle exit, and a shift to a differentiated, melanocytic gene expression profile in cultured UM cells. Valproic acid inhibited the growth of UM tumors in vivo. Conclusions These findings suggest that HDAC inhibitors may have therapeutic potential for inducing differentiation and prolonged dormancy of micrometastatic disease in UM. PMID:22038994

[Current status and prospects of traditional Chinese medicine resource ex-situ conservation].

PubMed

Que, Ling; Yang, Guang; Miao, Jian-Hua; Wang, Hai-Yang; Chen, Min; Zang, Chun-Xin

2016-10-01

Protection of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) resources is the foundation of sustainable development of TCM industry, which includes the in-situ and ex-situ conservation. The development of TCM resource ex-situ conservation was reviewed, and hotpots in the conservation and its development practices were analyzed. Therefore national TCM resource ex-situ conservation systems were proposed, including the establishment of TCM resources introduction gardens, TCM resource in vitro conservation library and TCM resource bio-information sharing platform, rational distribution of TCM resources ex-situ conservation agencies, along with the advancement of TCM varieties breeding, and the perfection of Chinese herbal medicines seed and seedlings market, which are of significant importance on the guidance of TCM resource ex-situ conservation development. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Mathematisches Bewusstsein

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaenders, Rainer; Kvasz, Ladislav

Wenn jemand sagt, dass ein Bus um 9 Uhr abfährt - weiß man es dann? Angenommen, man ist darüber unterrichtet, dass die Busse unter der Woche immer zur vollen Stunde abfahren - von 7 Uhr morgens bis 7 Uhr abends, weiß man es dann mit dem Wissen um diese allgemeine Regel besser, dass der Bus um 9 Uhr abfährt? Macht es einen Unterschied, ob man den Fahrplan erstellt, den Bus lenkt oder nur mitfährt, um sich dieser Tatsache bewusst zu sein?

VizieR Online Data Catalog: YSOs in California Molecular Cloud (Lada+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lada, C. J.; Lewis, J. A.; Lombardi, M.; Alves, J.

2018-01-01

The CMC was observed by the all-sky Planck observatory and by the Herschel Space Observatory as part of the "Auriga-California" program (Harvey et al. 2013, Cat J/ApJ/764/133). The Herschel data we used consisted of observations obtained in parallel mode simultaneously using the PACS and SPIRE instruments. For the purposes of this study we use Herschel observations made in the PACS 160um band, and the SPIRE 250um, 350um and 500um bands. (1 data file).

From Metaphors to Formalism: A Heuristic Approach to Holistic Assessments of Ecosystem Health.

PubMed

Fock, Heino O; Kraus, Gerd

2016-01-01

Environmental policies employ metaphoric objectives such as ecosystem health, resilience and sustainable provision of ecosystem services, which influence corresponding sustainability assessments by means of normative settings such as assumptions on system description, indicator selection, aggregation of information and target setting. A heuristic approach is developed for sustainability assessments to avoid ambiguity and applications to the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and OSPAR assessments are presented. For MSFD, nineteen different assessment procedures have been proposed, but at present no agreed assessment procedure is available. The heuristic assessment framework is a functional-holistic approach comprising an ex-ante/ex-post assessment framework with specifically defined normative and systemic dimensions (EAEPNS). The outer normative dimension defines the ex-ante/ex-post framework, of which the latter branch delivers one measure of ecosystem health based on indicators and the former allows to account for the multi-dimensional nature of sustainability (social, economic, ecological) in terms of modeling approaches. For MSFD, the ex-ante/ex-post framework replaces the current distinction between assessments based on pressure and state descriptors. The ex-ante and the ex-post branch each comprise an inner normative and a systemic dimension. The inner normative dimension in the ex-post branch considers additive utility models and likelihood functions to standardize variables normalized with Bayesian modeling. Likelihood functions allow precautionary target setting. The ex-post systemic dimension considers a posteriori indicator selection by means of analysis of indicator space to avoid redundant indicator information as opposed to a priori indicator selection in deconstructive-structural approaches. Indicator information is expressed in terms of ecosystem variability by means of multivariate analysis procedures. The application to the OSPAR assessment for the southern North Sea showed, that with the selected 36 indicators 48% of ecosystem variability could be explained. Tools for the ex-ante branch are risk and ecosystem models with the capability to analyze trade-offs, generating model output for each of the pressure chains to allow for a phasing-out of human pressures. The Bayesian measure of ecosystem health is sensitive to trends in environmental features, but robust to ecosystem variability in line with state space models. The combination of the ex-ante and ex-post branch is essential to evaluate ecosystem resilience and to adopt adaptive management. Based on requirements of the heuristic approach, three possible developments of this concept can be envisioned, i.e. a governance driven approach built upon participatory processes, a science driven functional-holistic approach requiring extensive monitoring to analyze complete ecosystem variability, and an approach with emphasis on ex-ante modeling and ex-post assessment of well-studied subsystems.

From Metaphors to Formalism: A Heuristic Approach to Holistic Assessments of Ecosystem Health

PubMed Central

Kraus, Gerd

2016-01-01

Environmental policies employ metaphoric objectives such as ecosystem health, resilience and sustainable provision of ecosystem services, which influence corresponding sustainability assessments by means of normative settings such as assumptions on system description, indicator selection, aggregation of information and target setting. A heuristic approach is developed for sustainability assessments to avoid ambiguity and applications to the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and OSPAR assessments are presented. For MSFD, nineteen different assessment procedures have been proposed, but at present no agreed assessment procedure is available. The heuristic assessment framework is a functional-holistic approach comprising an ex-ante/ex-post assessment framework with specifically defined normative and systemic dimensions (EAEPNS). The outer normative dimension defines the ex-ante/ex-post framework, of which the latter branch delivers one measure of ecosystem health based on indicators and the former allows to account for the multi-dimensional nature of sustainability (social, economic, ecological) in terms of modeling approaches. For MSFD, the ex-ante/ex-post framework replaces the current distinction between assessments based on pressure and state descriptors. The ex-ante and the ex-post branch each comprise an inner normative and a systemic dimension. The inner normative dimension in the ex-post branch considers additive utility models and likelihood functions to standardize variables normalized with Bayesian modeling. Likelihood functions allow precautionary target setting. The ex-post systemic dimension considers a posteriori indicator selection by means of analysis of indicator space to avoid redundant indicator information as opposed to a priori indicator selection in deconstructive-structural approaches. Indicator information is expressed in terms of ecosystem variability by means of multivariate analysis procedures. The application to the OSPAR assessment for the southern North Sea showed, that with the selected 36 indicators 48% of ecosystem variability could be explained. Tools for the ex-ante branch are risk and ecosystem models with the capability to analyze trade-offs, generating model output for each of the pressure chains to allow for a phasing-out of human pressures. The Bayesian measure of ecosystem health is sensitive to trends in environmental features, but robust to ecosystem variability in line with state space models. The combination of the ex-ante and ex-post branch is essential to evaluate ecosystem resilience and to adopt adaptive management. Based on requirements of the heuristic approach, three possible developments of this concept can be envisioned, i.e. a governance driven approach built upon participatory processes, a science driven functional-holistic approach requiring extensive monitoring to analyze complete ecosystem variability, and an approach with emphasis on ex-ante modeling and ex-post assessment of well-studied subsystems. PMID:27509185

24 CFR 180.215 - Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY CONSOLIDATED HUD HEARING PROCEDURES FOR CIVIL RIGHTS MATTERS Administrative Law Judge § 180.215 Ex parte communications. (a) An ex parte communication is any direct or indirect...

An ethical leadership program for nursing unit managers.

PubMed

Jeon, Sang Hee; Park, Mihyun; Choi, Kyungok; Kim, Mi Kyoung

2018-03-01

The aims of this study were to evaluate the effect of an ethical leadership program (ELP) on ethical leadership, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), and job outcomes of nursing unit managers (UMs) and to examine changes in staff nurses' perception about UMs' EL, OCB, job outcomes, and ethical work environments (EWEs) post-ELP. A quasi-experimental (pre- and post-test design) study conducted six-month intervention (ELP) using self-reported UM survey (n=44), and staff nurses (n=158) were randomly extracted by two steps. The Korean version of Ethical Leadership at Work for UMs' self-ethical leadership, the Ethical Leadership Scale for staff nurses' perceived ethical leadership, a 19-item OCB scale, and six dimensions of the medium-sized Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire II for job outcomes and EWEs were administered at baseline and post-intervention. UMs' ethical leadership scores differed significantly over time in people orientation (p=0.041) and concern for ethical leadership sustainability (p=0.002) adjusting for UM experience duration and nursing unit type. Total mean and level of power-sharing of ethical leadership among UMs with <5years of UM experience improved significantly over time. Of staff nurses' perception changes about UMs' ethical leadership, OCB, job outcomes, and EWEs, significant improvement over time appeared only in EWEs' work influence level (p=0.007). This study provides useful information for clinical ELP development and examining the program's effect on leadership skills and followers' outcomes. Program facilitation relies on practical training methods, participant motivation, and assessment outcome designs by controlling clinical confounding factors. Findings have implications as an attempt for intervention to promote competencies related to ethical leadership of nursing unit managers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

77 FR 39767 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; National Stock Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-05

... has executed on average per trading day (excluding partial trading days) in AutoEx or Order Delivery... (``AutoEx'') shall mean only those executed shares of the ETP Holder that are submitted in AutoEx mode... period, a combined ADV in both AutoEx and Order Delivery of at least 11.5 million shares, of which at...

Acute effect of exercise intensity and duration on acylated ghrelin and hunger in men.

PubMed

Broom, David R; Miyashita, Masashi; Wasse, Lucy K; Pulsford, Richard; King, James A; Thackray, Alice E; Stensel, David J

2017-03-01

Acute exercise transiently suppresses the orexigenic gut hormone acylated ghrelin, but the extent to which exercise intensity and duration determine this response is not fully understood. The effects of manipulating exercise intensity and duration on acylated ghrelin concentrations and hunger were examined in two experiments. In experiment one, nine healthy males completed three, 4-h conditions (control, moderate-intensity running (MOD) and vigorous-intensity running (VIG)), with an energy expenditure of ~2.5 MJ induced in both MOD (55-min running at 52% peak oxygen uptake (V.O 2peak )) and VIG (36-min running at 75% V.O 2peak ). In experiment two, nine healthy males completed three, 9-h conditions (control, 45-min running (EX45) and 90-min running (EX90)). Exercise was performed at 70% V.O 2peak In both experiments, participants consumed standardised meals, and acylated ghrelin concentrations and hunger were quantified at predetermined intervals. In experiment one, delta acylated ghrelin concentrations were lower than control in MOD (ES = 0.44, P = 0.01) and VIG (ES = 0.98, P < 0.001); VIG was lower than MOD (ES = 0.54, P = 0.003). Hunger ratings were similar across the conditions (P = 0.35). In experiment two, delta acylated ghrelin concentrations were lower than control in EX45 (ES = 0.77, P < 0.001) and EX90 (ES = 0.68, P < 0.001); EX45 and EX90 were similar (ES = 0.09, P = 0.55). Hunger ratings were lower than control in EX45 (ES = 0.20, P = 0.01) and EX90 (ES = 0.27, P = 0.001); EX45 and EX90 were similar (ES = 0.07, P = 0.34). Hunger and delta acylated ghrelin concentrations remained suppressed at 1.5 h in EX90 but not EX45. In conclusion, exercise intensity, and to a lesser extent duration, are determinants of the acylated ghrelin response to acute exercise. © 2017 Society for Endocrinology.

Noninvasive quantification of alveolar morphometry in elderly never- and ex-smokers

PubMed Central

Paulin, Gregory A; Ouriadov, Alexei; Lessard, Eric; Sheikh, Khadija; McCormack, David G; Parraga, Grace

2015-01-01

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides a way to generate in vivo lung images with contrast sensitive to the molecular displacement of inhaled gas at subcellular length scales. Here, we aimed to evaluate hyperpolarized 3He MRI estimates of the alveolar dimensions in 38 healthy elderly never-smokers (73 ± 6 years, 15 males) and 21 elderly ex-smokers (70 ± 10 years, 14 males) with (n = 8, 77 ± 6 years) and without emphysema (n = 13, 65 ± 10 years). The ex-smoker and never-smoker subgroups were significantly different for FEV1/FVC (P = 0.0001) and DLCO (P = 0.009); while ex-smokers with emphysema reported significantly diminished FEV1/FVC (P = 0.02) and a trend toward lower DLCO (P = 0.05) than ex-smokers without emphysema. MRI apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) and CT measurements of emphysema (relative area–CT density histogram, RA950) were significantly different (P = 0.001 and P = 0.007) for never-smoker and ex-smoker subgroups. In never-smokers, the MRI estimate of mean linear intercept (260 ± 27 μm) was significantly elevated as compared to the results previously reported in younger never-smokers (210 ± 30 μm), and trended smaller than in the age-matched ex-smokers (320 ± 72 μm, P = 0.06) evaluated here. Never-smokers also reported significantly smaller internal (220 ± 24 μm, P = 0.01) acinar radius but greater alveolar sheath thickness (120 ± 4 μm, P < 0.0001) than ex-smokers. Never-smokers were also significantly different than ex-smokers without emphysema for alveolar sheath thickness but not ADC, while ex-smokers with emphysema reported significantly different ADC but not alveolar sheath thickness compared to ex-smokers without CT evidence of emphysema. Differences in alveolar measurements in never- and ex-smokers demonstrate the sensitivity of MRI measurements to the different effects of smoking and aging on acinar morphometry. PMID:26462748

Exercise training improves the defective centrally mediated erectile responses in rats with type I diabetes.

PubMed

Zheng, Hong; Mayhan, William G; Patel, Kaushik P

2011-11-01

Erectile dysfunction is a serious and common complication of diabetes mellitus. Apart from the peripheral actions, central mechanisms are also responsible for the penile erection. The goal of the present study was to determine the impact of exercise training (ExT) on the centrally mediated erectile dysfunction in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type I diabetic (T1D) rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with STZ to induce diabetes mellitus. Three weeks after STZ or vehicle injections, rats were assigned to either ExT (treadmill running for 3-4 weeks) or sedentary groups to produce four experimental groups: control + sedentary, T1D + sedentary, control + ExT, and T1D + ExT. After 3-4 weeks ExT, central N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) or sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-induced penile erectile responses were measured. Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) expression in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus was measured by using histochemistry, real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot approaches. In rats with T1D, ExT significantly improved the blunted erectile response, and the intracavernous pressure changes to NMDA (50 ng) microinjection within the PVN (T1D + ExT: 3.0 ± 0.6 penile erection/rat; T1D + sedentary: 0.5 ± 0.3 penile erection/rat within 20 minutes, P < 0.05). ExT improved erectile dysfunction induced by central administration of exogenous nitric oxide (NO) donor, SNP in T1D rats. Other behavior responses including yawning and stretching, induced by central NMDA and SNP microinjection were also significantly increased in T1D rats after ExT. Furthermore, we found that ExT restored the nNOS mRNA and protein expression in the PVN in T1D rats. These results suggest that ExT may have beneficial effects on the erectile dysfunction in diabetes through improvement of NO bioavailability within the PVN. Thus, ExT may be used as therapeutic modality to up-regulate nNOS within the PVN and improve the central component of the erectile dysfunction in diabetes mellitus. © 2011 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Stair climbing/descending exercise for a short time decreases blood glucose levels after a meal in people with type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Honda, Hiroto; Igaki, Makoto; Hatanaka, Yuki; Komatsu, Motoaki; Tanaka, Shin-Ichiro; Miki, Tetsuo; Suzuki, Taiga; Takaishi, Tetsuo; Hayashi, Tatsuya

2016-01-01

We examined whether stair climbing-descending exercise (ST-EX), a convenient method to increase physical activity in daily life, for a short period would acutely improve the postprandial blood glucose (BG) response in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). 16 people with T2D (age 65.4±1.1 years) participated in 2 separate sessions. After an overnight fast, each participant consumed a test meal and then kept resting for 180 min, except when performing each 3 min bout of ST-EX at 60 and 120 min after the meal (ST-EX session), or kept resting for 180 min (REST session). ST-EX comprised 6 continuous repetitions of climbing to the second floor (21 steps) at a rate of 80-110 steps/min followed by walking down slowly to the first floor at a free step rate. The BG at 60 min after the meal during the ST-EX session (immediately before the first ST-EX) did not differ from that during the REST session, but analysis of variance revealed a significant interaction between time and treatment (p<0.01). The BG at 150 min after the meal (30 min after the second ST-EX) was significantly lower than that during the REST session (p<0.01). The area under the curve was also 18% lower during the ST-EX session than during the REST session (p<0.05). The heart rate and blood lactate levels indicated that the actual intensity of ST-EX was 'hard'. In contrast, the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) indicated that the overall intensity of ST-EX was 'moderate' because of decreased RPE scores during descent. The present findings suggest that performing 3 min ST-EX 60 and 120 min after a meal may be a useful strategy to accelerate the decrease in postprandial BG levels in people with T2D.

Keeping All the PIECES: Phylogenetically Informed Ex Situ Conservation of Endangered Species.

PubMed

Larkin, Daniel J; Jacobi, Sarah K; Hipp, Andrew L; Kramer, Andrea T

2016-01-01

Ex situ conservation in germplasm and living collections is a major focus of global plant conservation strategies. Prioritizing species for ex situ collection is a necessary component of this effort for which sound strategies are needed. Phylogenetic considerations can play an important role in prioritization. Collections that are more phylogenetically diverse are likely to encompass more ecological and trait variation, and thus provide stronger conservation insurance and richer resources for future restoration efforts. However, phylogenetic criteria need to be weighed against other, potentially competing objectives. We used ex situ collection and threat rank data for North American angiosperms to investigate gaps in ex situ coverage and phylogenetic diversity of collections and to develop a flexible framework for prioritizing species across multiple objectives. We found that ex situ coverage of 18,766 North American angiosperm taxa was low with respect to the most vulnerable taxa: just 43% of vulnerable to critically imperiled taxa were in ex situ collections, far short of a year-2020 goal of 75%. In addition, species held in ex situ collections were phylogenetically clustered (P < 0.001), i.e., collections comprised less phylogenetic diversity than would be expected had species been drawn at random. These patterns support incorporating phylogenetic considerations into ex situ prioritization in a manner balanced with other criteria, such as vulnerability. To meet this need, we present the 'PIECES' index (Phylogenetically Informed Ex situ Conservation of Endangered Species). PIECES integrates phylogenetic considerations into a flexible framework for prioritizing species across competing objectives using multi-criteria decision analysis. Applying PIECES to prioritizing ex situ conservation of North American angiosperms, we show strong return on investment across multiple objectives, some of which are negatively correlated with each other. A spreadsheet-based decision support tool for North American angiosperms is provided; this tool can be customized to align with different conservation objectives.

Exercise Electrocardiogram Neither Predicts Nor Excludes Coronary Artery Disease in Women with Low to Intermediate Risk.

PubMed

Knol, Remco J J; Kan, Huub; Wondergem, Maurits; Cornel, Jan H; Umans, Victor A W M; van der Ploeg, Tjeerd; van der Zant, Friso M

2018-04-01

The value of exercise electrocardiogram (ExECG) in symptomatic female patients with low to intermediate risk for significant coronary artery disease (CAD) has been under debate for many years, and nondiagnostic or even erroneous test results are frequently encountered. Cardiac-CT may be more appropriate to exclude CAD in women. This study compares the results of ExECGs with those of cardiac-CTs, performed within a time frame of 1 month in an all-comers female chest pain population. Five hundred fifty-one consecutive female patients from a patient registry were included. ExECGs were negative in 324 (59%), positive in 14 (3%), and nondiagnostic in 213 (39%) patients. CAD was revealed by cardiac-CT in 57% of the women with negative ExECG. No signs of CAD were present on cardiac-CT in 64% of the women with a positive ExECG. Cardiac-CT showed presence of CAD in 268/551 (49%) patients, of whom 56/268 (21%) was diagnosed with ≥50% stenosis. The ExECG of the latter group was negative in 26 (46%), inconclusive in 29 (52%), and positive in 1 (2%). Considering ≥50% stenosis at cardiac-CT as the reference, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of ExECG for the present population were 3.7%, 95.7%, 7.1%, and 91.7%, respectively. Similar diagnostic performance was calculated when considering ≥70% stenosis at cardiac-CT as the reference. ExECG failed to detect CAD in more than half of this cohort and in almost half of women with >50% stenosis at cardiac-CT. Importantly, no CAD was detected by cardiac-CT in 64% of women with a positive ExECG. ExECG is therefore questionable as a diagnostic strategy in women with low-to-intermediate risk of CAD, although prospective studies are warranted to determine whether replacing ExECG by cardiac-CT provides better prognoses.

Use of bioreactor landfill for nitrogen removal to enhance methane production through ex situ simultaneous nitrification-denitrification and in situ denitrification.

PubMed

Sun, Xiaojie; Zhang, Hongxia; Cheng, Zhaowen

2017-08-01

High concentrations of nitrate-nitrogen (NO 3 - -N) derived from ex situ nitrification phase can inhibit methane production during ex situ nitrification and in situ denitrification bioreactor landfill. A combined process comprised of ex situ simultaneous nitrification-denitrification (SND) in an aged refuse bioreactor (ARB) and in situ denitrification in a fresh refuse bioreactor (FRB) was conducted to reduce the negative effect of high concentrationsof NO 3 - -N. Ex situ SND can be achieved because NO 3 - -N concentration can be reduced and the removal rate of ammonium-nitrogen (NH 4 + -N) remains largely unchanged when the ventilation rate of ARB-A2 is controlled. The average NO 3 - -N concentrations of effluent were 470mg/L in ex situ nitrification ARB-A1 and 186mg/L in ex situ SND ARB-A2. The average NH 4 + -N removal rates of ARB-A1 and ARB-A2 were 98% and 94%, respectively. Based on the experimental data from week 4 to week 30, it is predicted that NH 4 + -N concentration in FRB-F1 of the ex situ nitrification and in situ denitrification process would reach 25mg/L after 63weeks, and about 40weeks for the FRB-F2 of ex situ SND and in situ denitrification process . Ex situ SND and in situ denitrification process can improve themethane production of FRB-F2. The lag phase time of methane production for the FRB-F2 was 11weeks. This phase was significantly shorter than the 15-week phases of FRB-F1 in ex situ nitrification and in situ denitrification process. A seven-week stabilizationphase was required to increase methane content from 5% to 50% for FRB-F2. Methane content in FRB-F1 did not reach 50% but reached the 45% peak after 20weeks. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of intraportal exenatide on hepatic glucose metabolism in the conscious dog

PubMed Central

An, Zhibo; Johnson, Kathryn M. S.; Farmer, Tiffany; Farmer, Ben; Neal, Doss; Cherrington, Alan D.

2013-01-01

Incretins improve glucose metabolism through multiple mechanisms. It remains unclear whether direct hepatic effects are an important part of exenatide's (Ex-4) acute action. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of intraportal delivery of Ex-4 on hepatic glucose production and uptake. Fasted conscious dogs were studied during a hyperglycemic clamp in which glucose was infused into the hepatic portal vein. At the same time, portal saline (control; n = 8) or exenatide was infused at low (0.3 pmol·kg−1·min−1, Ex-4-low; n = 5) or high (0.9 pmol·kg−1·min−1, Ex-4-high; n = 8) rates. Arterial plasma glucose levels were maintained at 160 mg/dl during the experimental period. This required a greater rate of glucose infusion in the Ex-4-high group (1.5 ± 0.4, 2.0 ± 0.7, and 3.7 ± 0.7 mg·kg−1·min−1 between 30 and 240 min in the control, Ex-4-low, and Ex-4-high groups, respectively). Plasma insulin levels were elevated by Ex-4 (arterial: 4,745 ± 428, 5,710 ± 355, and 7,262 ± 1,053 μU/ml; hepatic sinusoidal: 14,679 ± 1,700, 15,341 ± 2,208, and 20,445 ± 4,020 μU/ml, 240 min, area under the curve), whereas the suppression of glucagon was nearly maximal in all groups. Although glucose utilization was greater during Ex-4 infusion (5.92 ± 0.53, 6.41 ± 0.57, and 8.12 ± 0.54 mg·kg−1·min−1), when indices of hepatic, muscle, and whole body glucose uptake were expressed relative to circulating insulin concentrations, there was no indication of insulin-independent effects of Ex-4. Thus, this study does not support the notion that Ex-4 generates acute changes in hepatic glucose metabolism through direct effects on the liver. PMID:23673158

Keeping All the PIECES: Phylogenetically Informed Ex Situ Conservation of Endangered Species

PubMed Central

Larkin, Daniel J.; Jacobi, Sarah K.; Hipp, Andrew L.; Kramer, Andrea T.

2016-01-01

Ex situ conservation in germplasm and living collections is a major focus of global plant conservation strategies. Prioritizing species for ex situ collection is a necessary component of this effort for which sound strategies are needed. Phylogenetic considerations can play an important role in prioritization. Collections that are more phylogenetically diverse are likely to encompass more ecological and trait variation, and thus provide stronger conservation insurance and richer resources for future restoration efforts. However, phylogenetic criteria need to be weighed against other, potentially competing objectives. We used ex situ collection and threat rank data for North American angiosperms to investigate gaps in ex situ coverage and phylogenetic diversity of collections and to develop a flexible framework for prioritizing species across multiple objectives. We found that ex situ coverage of 18,766 North American angiosperm taxa was low with respect to the most vulnerable taxa: just 43% of vulnerable to critically imperiled taxa were in ex situ collections, far short of a year-2020 goal of 75%. In addition, species held in ex situ collections were phylogenetically clustered (P < 0.001), i.e., collections comprised less phylogenetic diversity than would be expected had species been drawn at random. These patterns support incorporating phylogenetic considerations into ex situ prioritization in a manner balanced with other criteria, such as vulnerability. To meet this need, we present the ‘PIECES’ index (Phylogenetically Informed Ex situ Conservation of Endangered Species). PIECES integrates phylogenetic considerations into a flexible framework for prioritizing species across competing objectives using multi-criteria decision analysis. Applying PIECES to prioritizing ex situ conservation of North American angiosperms, we show strong return on investment across multiple objectives, some of which are negatively correlated with each other. A spreadsheet-based decision support tool for North American angiosperms is provided; this tool can be customized to align with different conservation objectives. PMID:27257671

Modeling and validating HL7 FHIR profiles using semantic web Shape Expressions (ShEx).

PubMed

Solbrig, Harold R; Prud'hommeaux, Eric; Grieve, Grahame; McKenzie, Lloyd; Mandel, Joshua C; Sharma, Deepak K; Jiang, Guoqian

2017-03-01

HL7 Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) is an emerging open standard for the exchange of electronic healthcare information. FHIR resources are defined in a specialized modeling language. FHIR instances can currently be represented in either XML or JSON. The FHIR and Semantic Web communities are developing a third FHIR instance representation format in Resource Description Framework (RDF). Shape Expressions (ShEx), a formal RDF data constraint language, is a candidate for describing and validating the FHIR RDF representation. Create a FHIR to ShEx model transformation and assess its ability to describe and validate FHIR RDF data. We created the methods and tools that generate the ShEx schemas modeling the FHIR to RDF specification being developed by HL7 ITS/W3C RDF Task Force, and evaluated the applicability of ShEx in the description and validation of FHIR to RDF transformations. The ShEx models contributed significantly to workgroup consensus. Algorithmic transformations from the FHIR model to ShEx schemas and FHIR example data to RDF transformations were incorporated into the FHIR build process. ShEx schemas representing 109 FHIR resources were used to validate 511 FHIR RDF data examples from the Standards for Trial Use (STU 3) Ballot version. We were able to uncover unresolved issues in the FHIR to RDF specification and detect 10 types of errors and root causes in the actual implementation. The FHIR ShEx representations have been included in the official FHIR web pages for the STU 3 Ballot version since September 2016. ShEx can be used to define and validate the syntax of a FHIR resource, which is complementary to the use of RDF Schema (RDFS) and Web Ontology Language (OWL) for semantic validation. ShEx proved useful for describing a standard model of FHIR RDF data. The combination of a formal model and a succinct format enabled comprehensive review and automated validation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Laminar flow assisted anisotropic bacteria absorption for chemotaxis delivery of bacteria-attached microparticle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huh, Keon; Oh, Darong; Son, Seok Young; Yoo, Hyung Jung; Song, Byeonghwa; Cho, Dong-il Dan; Seo, Jong-Mo; Kim, Sung Jae

2016-12-01

The concepts of microrobots has been drawn significant attentions recently since its unprecedented applicability in nanotechnology and biomedical field. Bacteria attached microparticles presented in this work are one of pioneering microrobot technology for self-propulsion or producing kinetic energy from ambient for their motions. Microfluidic device, especially utilizing laminar flow characteristics, were employed for anisotropic attachment of Salmonella typhimurium flagellated chemotactic bacteria to 30 um × 30 um and 50 um × 50 um microparticles that made of biodegradable polymer. Any toxic chemicals or harmful treatments were excluded during the attachment process and it finished within 100 s for the anisotropic attachment. The attachments were directly confirmed by fluorescent intensity changes and SEM visualization. Chemotaxis motions were tracked using aspartate and the maximum velocity of the bacteria-attached microrobot was measured to be 5 um/s which is comparable to prior state of art technologies. This reusable and scalable method could play a key role in chemotaxis delivery of functional microparticles such as drug delivery system.

Exendin-4 increases blood glucose levels acutely in rats by activation of the sympathetic nervous system.

PubMed

Pérez-Tilve, Diego; González-Matías, Lucas; Aulinger, Benedikt A; Alvarez-Crespo, Mayte; Gil-Lozano, Manuel; Alvarez, Elias; Andrade-Olivie, Amalia M; Tschöp, Matthias H; D'Alessio, David A; Mallo, Federico

2010-05-01

Exendin-4 (Ex-4), an agonist of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R), shares many of the actions of GLP-1 on pancreatic islets, the central nervous system (CNS), and the gastrointestinal tract that mediates glucose homeostasis and food intake. Because Ex-4 has a much longer plasma half-life than GLP-1, it is an effective drug for reducing blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Here, we report that acute administration of Ex-4, in relatively high doses, into either the peripheral circulation or the CNS, paradoxically increased blood glucose levels in rats. This effect was independent of the insulinotropic and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activating actions of Ex-4 and could be blocked by a GLP-1R antagonist. Comparable doses of GLP-1 did not induce hyperglycemia, even when protected from rapid metabolism by a dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitor. Acute hyperglycemia induced by Ex-4 was blocked by hexamethonium, guanethidine, and adrenal medullectomy, indicating that this effect was mediated by sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activation. The potency of Ex-4 to elevate blood glucose waned with chronic administration such that after 6 days the familiar actions of Ex-4 to improve glucose tolerance were evident. These findings indicate that, in rats, high doses of Ex-4 activate a SNS response that can overcome the expected benefits of this peptide on glucose metabolism and actually raise blood glucose. These results have important implications for the design and interpretation of studies using Ex-4 in rats. Moreover, since there are many similarities in the response of the GLP-1R system across mammalian species, it is important to consider whether there is acute activation of the SNS by Ex-4 in humans.

Planning for ex situ conservation in the face of uncertainty

USGS Publications Warehouse

Canessa, Stefano; Converse, Sarah J.; West, Matt; Clemann, Nick; Gillespie, Graeme; McFadden, Michael; Silla, Aimee J; Parris, Kirsten M; McCarthy, Michael A

2016-01-01

Ex situ conservation strategies for threatened species often require long-term commitment and financial investment to achieve management objectives. We present a framework that considers the decision to adopt ex situ management for a target species as the end point of several linked decisions. We used a decision tree to intuitively represent the logical sequence of decision making. The first decision is to identify the specific management actions most likely to achieve the fundamental objectives of the recovery plan, with or without the use of ex-situ populations. Once this decision has been made, one decides whether to establish an ex situ population, accounting for the probability of success in the initial phase of the recovery plan, for example, the probability of successful breeding in captivity. Approaching these decisions in the reverse order (attempting to establish an ex situ population before its purpose is clearly defined) can lead to a poor allocation of resources, because it may restrict the range of available decisions in the second stage. We applied our decision framework to the recovery program for the threatened spotted tree frog (Litoria spenceri) of southeastern Australia. Across a range of possible management actions, only those including ex situ management were expected to provide >50% probability of the species’ persistence, but these actions cost more than use of in situ alternatives only. The expected benefits of ex situ actions were predicted to be offset by additional uncertainty and stochasticity associated with establishing and maintaining ex situ populations. Naïvely implementing ex situ conservation strategies can lead to inefficient management. Our framework may help managers explicitly evaluate objectives, management options, and the probability of success prior to establishing a captive colony of any given species.

Wound healing potential of adipose tissue stem cell extract

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

Na, You Kyung; Ban, Jae-Jun; Lee, Mijung

Adipose tissue stem cells (ATSCs) are considered as a promising source in the field of cell therapy and regenerative medicine. In addition to direct cell replacement using stem cells, intercellular molecule exchange by stem cell secretory factors showed beneficial effects by reducing tissue damage and augmentation of endogenous repair. Delayed cutaneous wound healing is implicated in many conditions such as diabetes, aging, stress and alcohol consumption. However, the effects of cell-free extract of ATSCs (ATSC-Ex) containing secretome on wound healing process have not been investigated. In this study, ATSC-Ex was topically applied on the cutaneous wound and healing speed wasmore » examined. As a result, wound closure was much faster in the cell-free extract treated wound than control wound at 4, 6, 8 days after application of ATSC-Ex. Dermal fibroblast proliferation, migration and extracellular matrix (ECM) production are critical aspects of wound healing, and the effects of ATSC-Ex on human dermal fibroblast (HDF) was examined. ATSC-Ex augmented HDF proliferation in a dose-dependent manner and migration ability was enhanced by extract treatment. Representative ECM proteins, collagen type I and matrix metalloproteinase-1, are significantly up-regulated by treatment of ATSC-Ex. Our results suggest that the ATSC-Ex have improving effect of wound healing and can be the potential therapeutic candidate for cutaneous wound healing. - Highlights: • Topical application of ATSC-Ex results in faster wound closure than normal wound in vivo. • ATSC-Ex enhances dermal fibroblast proliferation, migration and extracellular matrix production. • This study suggests that ATSC-Ex is an effective source to augment wound healing.« less

Comparison of multiple enzyme activatable near infrared fluorescent molecular probes for detection and quantification of inflammation in murine colitis models

PubMed Central

Ding, Shengli; Blue, Randal E.; Morgan, Douglas R.; Lund, Pauline K.

2015-01-01

Background Activatable near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) probes have been used for ex vivo and in vivo detection of intestinal tumors in animal models. We hypothesized that NIRF probes activatable by cathepsins or MMPs will detect and quantify dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) induced acute colonic inflammation in wild type (WT) mice or chronic colitis in IL-10 null mice ex vivo or in vivo. Methods WT mice given DSS, water controls and IL-10 null mice with chronic colitis were administered probes by retro-orbital injection. FMT2500 LX system imaged fresh and fixed intestine ex vivo and mice in vivo. Inflammation detected by probes was verified by histology and colitis scoring. NIRF signal intensity was quantified using 2D region of interest (ROI) ex vivo or 3D ROI-analysis in vivo. Results Ex vivo, seven probes tested yielded significant higher NIRF signals in colon of DSS treated mice versus controls. A subset of probes was tested in IL-10 null mice and yielded strong ex vivo signals. Ex vivo fluorescence signal with 680 series probes was preserved after formalin fixation. In DSS and IL-10 null models, ex vivo NIRF signal strongly and significantly correlated with colitis scores. In vivo, ProSense680, CatK680FAST and MMPsense680 yielded significantly higher NIRF signals in DSS treated mice than controls but background was high in controls. Conclusion Both cathepsin or MMP-activated NIRF-probes can detect and quantify colonic inflammation ex vivo. ProSense680 yielded the strongest signals in DSS colitis ex vivo and in vivo, but background remains a problem for in vivo quantification of colitis. PMID:24374874

The effects of physical exercise with music on cognitive function of elderly people: Mihama-Kiho project.

PubMed

Satoh, Masayuki; Ogawa, Jun-ichi; Tokita, Tomoko; Nakaguchi, Noriko; Nakao, Koji; Kida, Hirotaka; Tomimoto, Hidekazu

2014-01-01

Physical exercise has positive effects on cognitive function in elderly people. It is unknown, however, if combinations of non-pharmaceutical interventions can produce more benefits than single ones. This study aimed to identify if physical exercise combined with music improves cognitive function in normal elderly people more than exercise alone. We enrolled 119 subjects (age 65-84 years old). Forty subjects performed physical exercise (once a week for an hour with professional trainers) with musical accompaniment (ExM group), developed by YAMAHA Music Foundation; 40 subjects performed the same exercise without music (Ex group); 39 subjects were the control group (Cont group). Before and after the year-long intervention, each patient was assessed by neuropsychological batteries. MRIs were performed before and after intervention; the Voxel-based Specific Regional analysis system for Alzheimer's Disease (VSRAD) was used to assess medial temporal lobe atrophy. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was significant only in visuospatial function. The multiple comparison (ExM vs. Ex, ExM vs. Cont, Ex vs. Cont) was significant between the ExM and Cont group. Intra-group analyses before and after intervention revealed significant improvement in visuospatial function in the ExM group, and significant improvements in other batteries in all three groups. The VSRAD score significantly worsened in the ExM and Ex groups. Physical exercise combined with music produced more positive effects on cognitive function in elderly people than exercise alone. We attributed this improvement to the multifaceted nature of combining physical exercise with music, which can act simultaneously as both cognitive and physical training. UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR) UMIN000012148.

Identity change among smokers and ex-smokers: Findings from the ITC Netherlands Survey.

PubMed

Meijer, Eline; van Laar, Colette; Gebhardt, Winifred A; Fokkema, Marjolein; van den Putte, Bas; Dijkstra, Arie; Fong, Geoffrey T; Willemsen, Marc C

2017-06-01

Successful smoking cessation appears to be facilitated by identity change, that is, when quitting or nonsmoking becomes part of smokers' and ex-smokers' self-concepts. The current longitudinal study is the first to examine how identity changes over time among smokers and ex-smokers and whether this can be predicted by socioeconomic status (SES) and psychosocial factors (i.e., attitude, perceived health damage, social norms, stigma, acceptance, self-evaluative emotions, health worries, expected social support). We examined identification with smoking (i.e., smoker self-identity) and quitting (i.e., quitter self-identity) among a large sample of smokers (n = 742) and ex-smokers (n = 201) in a cohort study with yearly measurements between 2009 and 2014. Latent growth curve modeling was used as an advanced statistical technique. As hypothesized, smokers perceived themselves more as smokers and less as quitters than do ex-smokers, and identification with smoking increased over time among smokers and decreased among ex-smokers. Furthermore, psychosocial factors predicted baseline identity and identity development. Socioeconomic status (SES) was particularly important. Specifically, lower SES smokers and lower SES ex-smokers identified more strongly with smoking, and smoker and quitter identities were more resistant to change among lower SES groups. Moreover, stronger proquitting social norms were associated with increasing quitter identities over time among smokers and ex-smokers and with decreasing smoker identities among ex-smokers. Predictors of identity differed between smokers and ex-smokers. Results suggest that SES and proquitting social norms should be taken into account when developing ways to facilitate identity change and, thereby, successful smoking cessation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

The Effects of Physical Exercise with Music on Cognitive Function of Elderly People: Mihama-Kiho Project

PubMed Central

Satoh, Masayuki; Ogawa, Jun-ichi; Tokita, Tomoko; Nakaguchi, Noriko; Nakao, Koji; Kida, Hirotaka; Tomimoto, Hidekazu

2014-01-01

Background Physical exercise has positive effects on cognitive function in elderly people. It is unknown, however, if combinations of non-pharmaceutical interventions can produce more benefits than single ones. This study aimed to identify if physical exercise combined with music improves cognitive function in normal elderly people more than exercise alone. Methods We enrolled 119 subjects (age 65–84 years old). Forty subjects performed physical exercise (once a week for an hour with professional trainers) with musical accompaniment (ExM group), developed by YAMAHA Music Foundation; 40 subjects performed the same exercise without music (Ex group); 39 subjects were the control group (Cont group). Before and after the year-long intervention, each patient was assessed by neuropsychological batteries. MRIs were performed before and after intervention; the Voxel-based Specific Regional analysis system for Alzheimer's Disease (VSRAD) was used to assess medial temporal lobe atrophy. Results Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was significant only in visuospatial function. The multiple comparison (ExM vs. Ex, ExM vs. Cont, Ex vs. Cont) was significant between the ExM and Cont group. Intra-group analyses before and after intervention revealed significant improvement in visuospatial function in the ExM group, and significant improvements in other batteries in all three groups. The VSRAD score significantly worsened in the ExM and Ex groups. Conclusions Physical exercise combined with music produced more positive effects on cognitive function in elderly people than exercise alone. We attributed this improvement to the multifaceted nature of combining physical exercise with music, which can act simultaneously as both cognitive and physical training. Trial Registration UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR) UMIN000012148 PMID:24769624

Multiscale multimodal fusion of histological and MRI volumes for characterization of lung inflammation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusu, Mirabela; Wang, Haibo; Golden, Thea; Gow, Andrew; Madabhushi, Anant

2013-03-01

Mouse lung models facilitate the investigation of conditions such as chronic inflammation which are associated with common lung diseases. The multi-scale manifestation of lung inflammation prompted us to use multi-scale imaging - both in vivo, ex vivo MRI along with ex vivo histology, for its study in a new quantitative way. Some imaging modalities, such as MRI, are non-invasive and capture macroscopic features of the pathology, while others, e.g. ex vivo histology, depict detailed structures. Registering such multi-modal data to the same spatial coordinates will allow the construction of a comprehensive 3D model to enable the multi-scale study of diseases. Moreover, it may facilitate the identification and definition of quantitative of in vivo imaging signatures for diseases and pathologic processes. We introduce a quantitative, image analytic framework to integrate in vivo MR images of the entire mouse with ex vivo histology of the lung alone, using lung ex vivo MRI as conduit to facilitate their co-registration. In our framework, we first align the MR images by registering the in vivo and ex vivo MRI of the lung using an interactive rigid registration approach. Then we reconstruct the 3D volume of the ex vivo histological specimen by efficient group wise registration of the 2D slices. The resulting 3D histologic volume is subsequently registered to the MRI volumes by interactive rigid registration, directly to the ex vivo MRI, and implicitly to in vivo MRI. Qualitative evaluation of the registration framework was performed by comparing airway tree structures in ex vivo MRI and ex vivo histology where airways are visible and may be annotated. We present a use case for evaluation of our co-registration framework in the context of studying chronic inammation in a diseased mouse.

Role of lateral septum glucagon-like peptide 1 receptors in food intake.

PubMed

Terrill, Sarah J; Jackson, Christine M; Greene, Hayden E; Lilly, Nicole; Maske, Calyn B; Vallejo, Samantha; Williams, Diana L

2016-07-01

Hindbrain glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) neurons project to numerous forebrain areas, including the lateral septum (LS). Using a fluorescently labeled GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist, Exendin 4 (Ex4), we demonstrated GLP-1 receptor binding throughout the rat LS. We examined the feeding effects of Ex4 and the GLP-1R antagonist Exendin (9-39) (Ex9) at doses subthreshold for effect when delivered to the lateral ventricle. Intra-LS Ex4 suppressed overnight chow and high-fat diet (HFD) intake, and Ex9 increased chow and HFD intake relative to vehicle. During 2-h tests, intra-LS Ex9 significantly increased 0.25 M sucrose and 4% corn oil. Ex4 can cause nausea, but intra-LS administration of Ex4 did not induce pica. Furthermore, intra-LS Ex4 had no effect on anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze. We investigated the role of LS GLP-1R in motivation for food by examining operant responding for sucrose on a progressive ratio (PR) schedule, with and without a nutrient preload to maximize GLP-1 neuron activation. The preload strongly suppressed PR responding, but blockade of GLP-1R in the intermediate subdivision of the LS did not affect motivation for sucrose under either load condition. The ability of the nutrient load to suppress subsequent chow intake was significantly attenuated by intermediate LS Ex9 treatment. By contrast, blockade of GLP-1R in the dorsal subdivision of the LS increased both PR responding and overnight chow intake. Together, these studies suggest that endogenous activity of GLP-1R in the LS influence feeding, and dLS GLP-1Rs, in particular, play a role in motivation. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Effect of evening postexercise cold water immersion on subsequent sleep.

PubMed

Robey, Elisa; Dawson, Brian; Halson, Shona; Gregson, Warren; King, Stuart; Goodman, Carmel; Eastwood, Peter

2013-07-01

This study investigated the effect of cold water immersion after evening exercise on subsequent sleep quality and quantity in trained cyclists. In the evenings (~1900 h) on three separate occasions, male cyclists (n = 11) underwent either no exercise (control, CON), exercise only (EX), or exercise followed by cold water immersion (CWI). EX comprised cycling for 15 min at 75% peak power, then a 15-min maximal time trial. After each condition, a full laboratory-based sleep study (polysomnography) was performed. Core and skin temperature, heart rate, salivary melatonin, ratings of perceived fatigue, and recovery were measured in each trial. No differences were observed between conditions for any whole night sleep measures, including total sleep time, sleep efficiency, sleep onset latency, rapid eye movement onset latency, wake after sleep onset, or proportion of the night spent in different sleep stages. Core temperature in EX and CWI trials was higher than CON, until it decreased below that of EX and CON until bedtime in CWI. After bedtime, core temperature was similar for all conditions throughout the night, except for a 90-min period where it was lower for CWI than EX and CON (3.5-4.5 h postexercise). Heart rates for EX and CWI were both significantly higher than CON postexercise until bedtime, whereas skin temperature after CWI was significantly lower than EX and CON, remaining lower than EX until 3 h postexercise. Melatonin levels and recovery ratings were similar between conditions. Fatigue ratings were significantly elevated after exercise in both CWI and EX conditions, with EX still being elevated compared with CON at bedtime. Whole night sleep architecture is not affected by evening exercise alone or when followed by CWI.

Role of lateral septum glucagon-like peptide 1 receptors in food intake

PubMed Central

Jackson, Christine M.; Greene, Hayden E.; Lilly, Nicole; Maske, Calyn B.; Vallejo, Samantha

2016-01-01

Hindbrain glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) neurons project to numerous forebrain areas, including the lateral septum (LS). Using a fluorescently labeled GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist, Exendin 4 (Ex4), we demonstrated GLP-1 receptor binding throughout the rat LS. We examined the feeding effects of Ex4 and the GLP-1R antagonist Exendin (9–39) (Ex9) at doses subthreshold for effect when delivered to the lateral ventricle. Intra-LS Ex4 suppressed overnight chow and high-fat diet (HFD) intake, and Ex9 increased chow and HFD intake relative to vehicle. During 2-h tests, intra-LS Ex9 significantly increased 0.25 M sucrose and 4% corn oil. Ex4 can cause nausea, but intra-LS administration of Ex4 did not induce pica. Furthermore, intra-LS Ex4 had no effect on anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze. We investigated the role of LS GLP-1R in motivation for food by examining operant responding for sucrose on a progressive ratio (PR) schedule, with and without a nutrient preload to maximize GLP-1 neuron activation. The preload strongly suppressed PR responding, but blockade of GLP-1R in the intermediate subdivision of the LS did not affect motivation for sucrose under either load condition. The ability of the nutrient load to suppress subsequent chow intake was significantly attenuated by intermediate LS Ex9 treatment. By contrast, blockade of GLP-1R in the dorsal subdivision of the LS increased both PR responding and overnight chow intake. Together, these studies suggest that endogenous activity of GLP-1R in the LS influence feeding, and dLS GLP-1Rs, in particular, play a role in motivation. PMID:27194565

The effects of running exercise on oxidative capacity and PGC-1α mRNA levels in the soleus muscle of rats with metabolic syndrome.

PubMed

Nagatomo, Fumiko; Fujino, Hidemi; Kondo, Hiroyo; Kouzaki, Motoki; Gu, Ning; Takeda, Isao; Tsuda, Kinsuke; Ishihara, Akihiko

2012-03-01

Skeletal muscles in animals with metabolic syndrome exhibit reduced oxidative capacity. We investigated the effects of running exercise on fiber characteristics, oxidative capacity, and mRNA levels in the soleus muscles of rats with metabolic syndrome [SHR/NDmcr-cp (cp/cp); CP]. We divided 5-week-old CP rats into non-exercise (CP) and exercise (CP-Ex) groups. Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) were used as the control group. CP-Ex rats were permitted voluntary exercise on running wheels for 10 weeks. Triglyceride levels were higher and adiponectin levels lower in the CP and CP-Ex groups than in the WKY group. However, triglyceride levels were lower and adiponectin levels higher in the CP-Ex group than in the CP group. The soleus muscles in CP-Ex rats contained only high-oxidative type I fibers, whereas those in WKY and CP rats contained type I, IIA, and IIC fibers. Muscle succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity was higher in the CP-Ex group than in the CP group; there was no difference in SDH activity between the WKY and CP-Ex groups. Muscle proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) mRNA levels were higher in the CP-Ex group than in the CP group; there was no difference in PGC-1α mRNA levels between the WKY and CP-Ex groups. In CP-Ex rats, longer running distance was associated with increased muscle SDH activity and PGC-1α mRNA levels. We concluded that running exercise restored decreased muscle oxidative capacity and PGC-1α mRNA levels and improved hypertriglyceridemia in rats with metabolic syndrome.

Unique Spectroscopy and Imaging of Terrestrial Planets with JWST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villanueva, Geronimo Luis; JWST Mars Team

2017-06-01

In this talk, I will present the main capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) for performing observations of terrestrial planets, using Mars as a test case. The distinctive vantage point of JWST at the Sun-Earth Lagrange point (L2) will allow sampling the full observable disk, permitting the study of short-term phenomena, diurnal processes (across the East-West axis) and latitudinal processes between the hemispheres (including seasonal effects) with excellent spatial resolutions (0.07 arcsec at 2 um). Spectroscopic observations will be achievable in the 0.7-5 um spectral region with NIRSpec at a maximum resolving power of 2700, and with 8000 in the 1-1.25 um range. Imaging will be attainable with NIRCam at 4.3 um and with two narrow filters near 2 um, while the nightside will be accessible with several filters in the 0.5 to 2 um. Such a powerful suite of instruments will be a major asset for the exploration and characterization of Mars, and terrestrial planets in general. Some science cases include the mapping of the water D/H ratio, investigations of the Martian mesosphere via the characterization of the non-LTE CO2 emission at 4.3 um, studies of chemical transport via observations of the O2 nightglow at 1.27 um, high cadence mapping of the variability dust and water ice clouds, and sensitive searches for trace species and hydrated features on the planetary surface.

Development and External Validation of a Prognostic Nomogram for Metastatic Uveal Melanoma

PubMed Central

Valpione, Sara; Moser, Justin C.; Parrozzani, Raffaele; Bazzi, Marco; Mansfield, Aaron S.; Mocellin, Simone; Pigozzo, Jacopo; Midena, Edoardo; Markovic, Svetomir N.; Aliberti, Camillo; Campana, Luca G.; Chiarion-Sileni, Vanna

2015-01-01

Background Approximately 50% of patients with uveal melanoma (UM) will develop metastatic disease, usually involving the liver. The outcome of metastatic UM (mUM) is generally poor and no standard therapy has been established. Additionally, clinicians lack a validated prognostic tool to evaluate these patients. The aim of this work was to develop a reliable prognostic nomogram for clinicians. Patients and Methods Two cohorts of mUM patients, from Veneto Oncology Institute (IOV) (N=152) and Mayo Clinic (MC) (N=102), were analyzed to develop and externally validate, a prognostic nomogram. Results The median survival of mUM was 17.2 months in the IOV cohort and 19.7 in the MC cohort. Percentage of liver involvement (HR 1.6), elevated levels of serum LDH (HR 1.6), and a WHO performance status=1 (HR 1.5) or 2–3 (HR 4.6) were associated with worse prognosis. Longer disease-free interval from diagnosis of UM to that of mUM conferred a survival advantage (HR 0.9). The nomogram had a concordance probability of 0.75 (SE .006) in the development dataset (IOV), and 0.80 (SE .009) in the external validation (MC). Nomogram predictions were well calibrated. Conclusions The nomogram, which includes percentage of liver involvement, LDH levels, WHO performance status and disease free-interval accurately predicts the prognosis of mUM and could be useful for decision-making and risk stratification for clinical trials. PMID:25780931

VizieR Online Data Catalog: A dust model for bet Pic from 0.58 to 870um (Ballering+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballering, N. P.; Su, K. Y. L.; Rieke, G. H.; Gaspar, A.

2016-08-01

β Pic was imaged with the HST/STIS CCD in coronagraphic (50CORON) mode under program GO-12551 (PI: Apai), and the results of these observations were published in Apai et al. (2015ApJ...800..136A). The instrument bandpass is set by the response of the CCD and centered at 0.58um. We searched the HST archive and found previously unpublished observations of β Pic with the WFC3 instrument in the IR channel (filter F110W at ~1.16um) from program GO-11150 (PI: Graham). The Spitzer/MIPS observations of β Pic were taken under the Spitzer Guaranteed Time Observing Program 90 (PI: M. Werner). The data at all three bands (24, 70, and 160um) are published here for the first time. Two sets of 24um observations were obtained. The first set was obtained on 2004 March 20, the second set of data was obtained on 2004 April 11. Two sets of 70um observations were obtained. The first set was obtained on 2004 April 12. The second set was obtained on 2005 April 4. Herschel/PACS 70um scan map observations of β Pic (PI G. Olofsson, observation IDs 1342186612 and 1342186613) were published by Vandenbussche et al. (2010A&A...518L.133V). We used the ALMA 870um continuum image previously published by Dent et al. (2014Sci...343.1490D). (1 data file).

3D morphological analysis of the mouse cerebral vasculature: Comparison of in vivo and ex vivo methods

PubMed Central

Steinman, Joe; Koletar, Margaret M.; Stefanovic, Bojana; Sled, John G.

2017-01-01

Ex vivo 2-photon fluorescence microscopy (2PFM) with optical clearing enables vascular imaging deep into tissue. However, optical clearing may also produce spherical aberrations if the objective lens is not index-matched to the clearing material, while the perfusion, clearing, and fixation procedure may alter vascular morphology. We compared in vivo and ex vivo 2PFM in mice, focusing on apparent differences in microvascular signal and morphology. Following in vivo imaging, the mice (four total) were perfused with a fluorescent gel and their brains fructose-cleared. The brain regions imaged in vivo were imaged ex vivo. Vessels were segmented in both images using an automated tracing algorithm that accounts for the spatially varying PSF in the ex vivo images. This spatial variance is induced by spherical aberrations caused by imaging fructose-cleared tissue with a water-immersion objective. Alignment of the ex vivo image to the in vivo image through a non-linear warping algorithm enabled comparison of apparent vessel diameter, as well as differences in signal. Shrinkage varied as a function of diameter, with capillaries rendered smaller ex vivo by 13%, while penetrating vessels shrunk by 34%. The pial vasculature attenuated in vivo microvascular signal by 40% 300 μm below the tissue surface, but this effect was absent ex vivo. On the whole, ex vivo imaging was found to be valuable for studying deep cortical vasculature. PMID:29053753

Amelioration of radiation-induced hematopoietic and gastrointestinal damage by Ex-RAD® in mice

PubMed Central

Ghosh, Sanchita P.; Kulkarni, Shilpa; Perkins, Michael W.; Hieber, Kevin; Pessu, Roli L.; Gambles, Kristen; Maniar, Manoj; Kao, Tzu-Cheg; Seed, Thomas M.; Kumar, K. Sree

2012-01-01

The aim of the present study was to assess recovery from hematopoietic and gastrointestinal damage by Ex-RAD®, also known as ON01210.Na (4-carboxystyryl-4-chlorobenzylsulfone, sodium salt), after total body radiation. In our previous study, we reported that Ex-RAD, a small-molecule radioprotectant, enhances survival of mice exposed to gamma radiation, and prevents radiation-induced apoptosis as measured by the inhibition of radiation-induced protein 53 (p53) expression in cultured cells. We have expanded this study to determine best effective dose, dose-reduction factor (DRF), hematological and gastrointestinal protection, and in vivo inhibition of p53 signaling. A total of 500 mg/kg of Ex-RAD administered at 24 h and 15 min before radiation resulted in a DRF of 1.16. Ex-RAD ameliorated radiation-induced hematopoietic damage as monitored by the accelerated recovery of peripheral blood cells, and protection of granulocyte macrophage colony-forming units (GM-CFU) in bone marrow. Western blot analysis on spleen indicated that Ex-RAD treatment inhibited p53 phosphorylation. Ex-RAD treatment reduces terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay (TUNEL)-positive cells in jejunum compared with vehicle-treated mice after radiation injury. Finally, Ex-RAD preserved intestinal crypt cells compared with the vehicle control at 13 and 14 Gy. The results demonstrated that Ex-RAD ameliorates radiation-induced peripheral blood cell depletion, promotes bone marrow recovery, reduces p53 signaling in spleen and protects intestine from radiation injury. PMID:22843617

The gut microbiota metabolism of pomegranate or walnut ellagitannins yields two urolithin-metabotypes that correlate with cardiometabolic risk biomarkers: Comparison between normoweight, overweight-obesity and metabolic syndrome.

PubMed

Selma, María V; González-Sarrías, Antonio; Salas-Salvadó, Jordi; Andrés-Lacueva, Cristina; Alasalvar, Cesarettin; Örem, Asım; Tomás-Barberán, Francisco A; Espín, Juan C

2018-06-01

Urolithins are microbial metabolites produced after consumption of ellagitannin-containing foods such as pomegranates and walnuts. Parallel to isoflavone-metabolizing phenotypes, ellagitannin-metabolizing phenotypes (urolithin metabotypes A, B and 0; UM-A, UM-B and UM-0, respectively) can vary among individuals depending on their body mass index (BMI), but correlations between urolithin metabotypes (UMs) and cardiometabolic risk (CMR) factors are unexplored. We investigated the association between UMs and CMR factors in individuals with different BMI and health status. UM was identified using UPLC-ESI-qToF-MS in individuals consuming pomegranate or nuts. The associations between basal CMR factors and the urine urolithin metabolomic signature were explored in 20 healthy normoweight individuals consuming walnuts (30 g/d), 49 healthy overweight-obese individuals ingesting pomegranate extract (450 mg/d) and 25 metabolic syndrome (MetS) patients consuming nuts (15 g-walnuts, 7.5 g-hazelnuts and 7.5 g-almonds/d). Correlations between CMR factors and urolithins were found in overweight-obese individuals. Urolithin-A (mostly present in UM-A) was positively correlated with apolipoprotein A-I (P ≤ 0.05) and intermediate-HDL-cholesterol (P ≤ 0.05) while urolithin-B and isourolithin-A (characteristic from UM-B) were positively correlated with total-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol (P ≤ 0.001), apolipoprotein B (P ≤ 0.01), VLDL-cholesterol, IDL-cholesterol, oxidized-LDL and apolipoprotein B:apolipoprotein A-I ratio (P ≤ 0.05). In MetS patients, urolithin-A only correlated inversely with glucose (P ≤ 0.05). Statin-treated MetS patients with UM-A showed a lipid profile similar to that of healthy normoweight individuals while a poor response to lipid-lowering therapy was observed in MB patients. UMs are potential CMR biomarkers. Overweight-obese individuals with UM-B are at increased risk of cardiometabolic disease, whereas urolithin-A production could protect against CMR factors. Further research is warranted to explore these associations in larger cohorts and whether the effect of lipid-lowering drugs or ellagitannin-consumption on CMR biomarkers depends on individuals' UM. NCT01916239 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01916239) and ISRCTN36468613 (http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN36468613). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

Abacus Training Modulates the Neural Correlates of Exact and Approximate Calculations in Chinese Children: An fMRI Study

PubMed Central

Du, Fenglei; Chen, Feiyan; Li, Yongxin; Hu, Yuzheng; Tian, Mei; Zhang, Hong

2013-01-01

Exact (EX) and approximate (AP) calculations rely on distinct neural circuits. However, the training effect on the neural correlates of EX and AP calculations is largely unknown, especially for the AP calculation. Abacus-based mental calculation (AMC) is a particular arithmetic skill that can be acquired by long-term abacus training. The present study investigated whether and how the abacus training modulates the neural correlates of EX and AP calculations by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Neural activations were measured in 20 abacus-trained and 19 nontrained Chinese children during AP and EX calculation tasks. Our results demonstrated that: (1) in nontrained children, similar neural regions were activated in both tasks, while the size of activated regions was larger in AP than those in the EX; (2) in abacus-trained children, no significant difference was found between these two tasks; (3) more visuospatial areas were activated in abacus-trained children under the EX task compared to the nontrained. These results suggested that more visuospatial strategies were used by the nontrained children in the AP task compared to the EX; abacus-trained children adopted a similar strategy in both tasks; after long-term abacus training, children were more inclined to apply a visuospatial strategy during processing EX calculations. PMID:24288683

Hematopoietic Stem Cells: Transcriptional Regulation, Ex Vivo Expansion and Clinical Application

PubMed Central

Aggarwal, R.; Lu, J.; Pompili, V.J.; Das, H.

2012-01-01

Maintenance of ex vivo hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) pool and its differentiated progeny is regulated by complex network of transcriptional factors, cell cycle proteins, extracellular matrix, and their microenvironment through an orchestrated fashion. Strides have been made to understand the mechanisms regulating in vivo quiescence and proliferation of HSCs to develop strategies for ex vivo expansion. Ex vivo expansion of HSCs is important to procure sufficient number of stem cells and as easily available source for HSC transplants for patients suffering from hematological disorders and malignancies. Our lab has established a nanofiber-based ex vivo expansion strategy for HSCs, while preserving their stem cell characteristics. Ex vivo expanded cells were also found biologically functional in various disease models. However, the therapeutic potential of expanded stem cells at clinical level still needs to be verified. This review outlines transcriptional factors that regulate development of HSCs and their commitment, genes that regulate cell cycle status, studies that attempt to develop an effective and efficient protocol for ex vivo expansion of HSCs and application of HSC in various non-malignant and malignant disorders. Overall the goal of the current review is to deliver an understanding of factors that are critical in resolving the challenges that limit the expansion of HSCs in vivo and ex vivo. PMID:22082480

Improved human islet preparations using Glucocorticoid and Exendin-4

PubMed Central

Miki, Atsushi.; Ricordi, Camillo.; Yamamoto, Toshiyuki.; Sakuma, Yasunaru.; Misawa, Ryosuke.; Mita, Atsuyoshi.; Inverardi, Luca.; Alejandro, Rodolfo; Ichii, Hirohito.

2014-01-01

Objectives The effects of Glucocorticoid during culture on human islet cells have been controversial. Exendin-4 (EX) enhances the insulin secretion and significantly improves clinical outcomes in islet cell transplantation. In this study, we examined the effects of Glucocorticoids and exendin-4 on human islet cells during pre-transplant culture. Methods Methylprednisolone (MP) and/or EX were added to the standard culture medium for clinical islet cell transplantation. Islets were cultured for 24 hours with three different conditions (Control: no additives, MP alone, MP+EX). Beta cell fractional viability, cellular composition, multiple cytokine/chemokine production, multiple phosphorylation proteins and glucose induced insulin secretion were evaluated. Results Viable beta cell survival in MP and MP+EX group was significantly higher than in the control group. EX prevented MP induced reduction of insulin secretion. MP supplementation to the culture medium decreased cytokine and chemokine production. Moreover, Erk1/2 phosphorylation was significantly increased by MP and MP+EX. Conclusions Glucocorticoid supplementation into culture media significantly decreased the cytokine/chemokine production and increased the Erk1/2 phosphorylation, resulting in the improvement of human beta cell survival. In addition, EX maintained the insulin secretion suppressed by MP. The supplementation of MP and EX together could be a useful strategy to create suitable human islets for transplantation. PMID:25036907

Effects of continuous low-carbohydrate diet after long-term exercise on GLUT-4 protein content in rat skeletal muscle.

PubMed

Kubota, M; Koshinaka, K; Kawata, Y; Koike, T; Oshida, Y

2008-01-01

Stimulation of AMPK and decreased glycogen levels in skeletal muscle have a deep involvement in enhanced insulin action and GLUT-4 protein content after exercise training. The present study examined the chronic effects of a continuous low-carbohydrate diet after long-term exercise on GLUT-4 protein content, glycogen content, AMPK, and insulin signaling in skeletal muscle. Rats were divided randomly into four groups: normal chow diet sedentary (N-Sed), low carbohydrate diet sedentary (L-Sed), normal chow diet exercise (N-Ex), and low carbohydrate diet exercise (L-Ex) groups. Rats in the exercise groups (N-Ex and L-Ex) were exercised by swimming for 6 hours/day in two 3-hour bouts separated by 45 minutes of rest. The 10-day exercise training resulted in a significant increase in the GLUT-4 protein content (p<0.01). Additionally, the GLUT-4 protein content in L-Ex rats was increased by 29% above that in N-Ex rats (p<0.01). Finally, the glycogen content in skeletal muscle of L-Ex rats was decreased compared with that of N-Ex rats. Taken together, we suggest that the maintenance of glycogen depletion after exercise by continuous low carbohydrate diet results in the increment of the GLUT-4 protein content in skeletal muscle.

ANÁLISE DA INSERÇÃO DOS TEMAS DE HUMANIDADES E ÉTICA, COM METODOLOGIA DE APRENDIZAGEM BASEADA EM PROBLEMAS, EM CURRICULO MÉDICO INTEGRADO EM ESCOLA PÚBLICA NO DISTRITO FEDERAL, BRASIL

PubMed Central

Novaes, Maria Rita Carvalho Garbi; Novaes, Luiz Carlos Garcez; Guilhem, Dirce; Lolas, Fernando; Silveira, Carla; Guiotti, Murilo

2009-01-01

Objetivo Realizar uma análise da inserção da ética e humanidades no currículo do Curso de Medicina da Escola Superior em Ciências da Saúde - ESCS, escola pública do Distrito Federal, Brasil, de forma a contribuir com o processo de gestão curricular. Metodologia O Estudo é de coorte e documental. Foram pesquisados 37 termos relacionados à ética e 36 referentes à humanização nos objetivos educacionais e conteúdo dos módulos temáticos, habilidades e atitudes e interação ensino-serviço-comunidade, de 1a a 4a série e no programa do internato no currículo (ano 2006) e no projeto pedagógico do Curso de Medicina (2001). Resultados Maior inserção da humanização, ética e bioética na 1a e 2a série, quando comparado à inserção na 3a e 4a série e no internato, (IC95%-α=0,034, pvalue=0,007). Unidade de habilidades e atitudes: freqüência das 3 temáticas no currículo da 1a a 4a séries (IC95%-α=0,026, pvalue=0,013). Quando comparada a inserção entre o internato e as quatro primeiras séries, observa-se que nestas a inserção da temática humanização é superior (IC95%-α=0,042, pvalue=0,029). Conclusão O currículo desenvolvido no ano de 2006 na ESCS apresentou correlação com o projeto pedagógico do curso e contemplou a temática de forma abrangente, em todas as séries e internato. PMID:20396594

Identification of ex-sand mining area using optical and SAR imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Indriasari, Novie; Kusratmoko, Eko; Indra, Tito Latif; Julzarika, Atriyon

2018-05-01

Open mining activities in Sumedang Regency has been operated since 1984 impacted to degradation of environment due to large area of ex-mining. Therefore, identification of ex-mining area which generally been used for sand mining is crucial and important to detect and monitor recent environmental degradation impacted from the ex-mining activities. In this research, identification ex-sand mining area using optical and SAR data in Sumedang Regency will be discussed. We use Landsat 5 TM acquisition date August 01, 2009 and Landsat 8 OLI acquired on June 24, 2016 to identify location of sand mining area, processed using Tasselled Cap Trasformation (TCT), while the landform deformation approached using ALOS PALSAR in 2009 and ALOS PALSAR 2 in 2016 processed using SAR interferometry (InSAR) method. The results show that TCT and InSAR method can can be used to identify the areas of ex-sand mining clearly. In 2016 the total area of ex-mining were 352.92 Ha. The land deformation show that during 7 years period since 2009 has impacted to the deformation at 7 meters.

The environmental sustainability of microalgae as feed for aquaculture: a life cycle perspective.

PubMed

Taelman, S E; De Meester, S; Roef, L; Michiels, M; Dewulf, J

2013-12-01

The environmental sustainability of microalgae production for aquaculture purposes was analyzed using exergy analysis (EA) and life cycle assessment (LCA). A production process (pilot 2012, 240 m(2)) was assessed and compared with two upscaling scenarios (pilot 2013, 1320 m(2) and first production scale 2015, 2.5 ha). The EA at process level revealed that drying and cultivation had the lowest efficiencies. The LCA showed an improvement in resource efficiency after upscaling: 55.5 MJ(ex,CEENE)/MJ(ex) DW biomass was extracted from nature in 2012, which was reduced to 21.6 and 2.46 MJ(ex,CEENE)/MJ(ex) DW in the hypothetical 2013 and 2015 scenarios, respectively. Upscaling caused the carbon footprint to decline by factor 20 (0.09 kg CO2,eq/MJ(ex) DW in 2015). In the upscaling scenarios, microalgae production for aquaculture purposes appeared to be more sustainable in resource use than a reference fish feed (7.70 MJ(ex,CEENE) and 0.05 kg CO2,eq per MJ(ex) DW). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

mirEX: a platform for comparative exploration of plant pri-miRNA expression data.

PubMed

Bielewicz, Dawid; Dolata, Jakub; Zielezinski, Andrzej; Alaba, Sylwia; Szarzynska, Bogna; Szczesniak, Michal W; Jarmolowski, Artur; Szweykowska-Kulinska, Zofia; Karlowski, Wojciech M

2012-01-01

mirEX is a comprehensive platform for comparative analysis of primary microRNA expression data. RT-qPCR-based gene expression profiles are stored in a universal and expandable database scheme and wrapped by an intuitive user-friendly interface. A new way of accessing gene expression data in mirEX includes a simple mouse operated querying system and dynamic graphs for data mining analyses. In contrast to other publicly available databases, the mirEX interface allows a simultaneous comparison of expression levels between various microRNA genes in diverse organs and developmental stages. Currently, mirEX integrates information about the expression profile of 190 Arabidopsis thaliana pri-miRNAs in seven different developmental stages: seeds, seedlings and various organs of mature plants. Additionally, by providing RNA structural models, publicly available deep sequencing results, experimental procedure details and careful selection of auxiliary data in the form of web links, mirEX can function as a one-stop solution for Arabidopsis microRNA information. A web-based mirEX interface can be accessed at http://bioinfo.amu.edu.pl/mirex.

High frequency of luteal phase deficiency and anovulation in recreational women runners: blunted elevation in follicle-stimulating hormone observed during luteal-follicular transition.

PubMed

De Souza, M J; Miller, B E; Loucks, A B; Luciano, A A; Pescatello, L S; Campbell, C G; Lasley, B L

1998-12-01

The purposes of this investigation were to evaluate the characteristics of three consecutive menstrual cycles and to determine the frequency ofluteal phase deficiency (LPD) and anovulation in a sample of sedentary and moderately exercising, regularly menstruating women. For three consecutive menstrual cycles, subjects collected daily urine samples for analysis of FSH, estrone conjugates (E1C), pregnanediol-3-glucuronide (PdG), and creatinine (Cr). Sedentary (n=11) and exercising (n=24) groups were similar in age (27.0+/-1.3 yr), weight (60.3+/-3.1 kg), gynecological age (13.8+/-1.2 yr), and menstrual cycle length (28.3+/-0.8 days). Menstrual cycles were classified by endocrine data as ovulatory, LPD, or anovulatory. No sedentary women (0%) had inconsistent menstrual cycle classifications from cycle to cycle, but 46% of the exercising women were inconsistent. The sample prevalence of LPD in the exercising women was 48%, and the 3-month sample incidence was 79%. In the sedentary women, 90% of all menstrual cycles were ovulatory (SedOvul; n=28), whereas in the exercising women only 45% were ovulatory (ExOvul; n=30); 43% were LPD (ExLPD; n=28), and 12% were anovulatory (ExAnov; n=8). In ExLPD cycles, the follicular phase was significantly longer (17.9+/-0.7 days), and the luteal phase was significantly shorter (8.2+/-0.5 days) compared to ExOvul (14.8+/-0.9 and 12.9+/-0.3 days) and SedOvul (15.9+/-0.6 and 12.9+/-0.4 days) cycles. Luteal phase PdG excretion was lower (P < 0.001) in ExLPD (2.9+/-0.3 microg/mg Cr) and ExAnov (0.8+/-0.1 microg/mg Cr) cycles compared to SedOvul cycles (5.0+/-0.4 microg/mg Cr). ExOvul cycles also had less (P < 0.01) PdG excretion during the luteal phase (3.7+/-0.3 microg/mg Cr) than the SedOvul cycles. E1C excretion during follicular phase days 2-5 was lower (P=0.05) in ExOvul, ExLPD, and ExAnov cycles compared to SedOvul cycles and remained lower (P < 0.02) in the ExLPD and ExAnov cycles during days 6-12. The elevation in FSH during the luteal-follicular transition was lower (P < 0.007) in ExLPD (0.7+/-0.1 ng/mg Cr) cycles compared to SedOvul and ExOvul cycles (1.0+/-0.1 and 1.1+/-0.1 ng/mg Cr, respectively). Energy balance and energy availability were lower (P < 0.05) in ExAnov cycles than in other menstrual cycle categories. The blunted elevation in FSH during the luteal-follicular transition in exercising women with LPD may explain their lower follicular estradiol levels. These alterations in FSH may act in concert with disrupted LH pulsatility as a primary and proximate factor in the high frequency of luteal phase and ovulatory disturbances in regularly menstruating, exercising women.

Unit 5, STA. 50+00+RB, Orner Building, First U.M. Church Rectory, ...

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

Unit 5, STA. 50+00+RB, Orner Building, First U.M. Church Rectory, & First U.M. Church-context - Johnstown Local Flood Protection Project, Beginning on Conemaugh River approx 3.8 miles downstream from confluence of Little Conemaugh & Stony Creek Rivers at Johnstown, Johnstown, Cambria County, PA

VizieR Online Data Catalog: 24um excesses in clusters & membership of NGC2244 (Meng+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, H. Y. A.; Rieke, G. H.; Su, K. Y. L.; Gaspar, A.

2017-09-01

We re-measured the Spitzer/MIPS 24um photometry for all the clusters except for a few noted in Appendix A. We obtained the 24um data from the Spitzer Heritage Archive between 2004 Jan 28 and 2008 Oct 23. (3 data files).

VizieR Online Data Catalog: X-ray AGNs with Subaru/FMOS NIR observations (Suh+, 2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suh, H.; Hasinger, G.; Steinhardt, C.; Silverman, J. D.; Schramm, M.

2016-03-01

We performed NIR spectroscopic observations for the AGN sources with the FMOS high-resolution spectrographs on the Subaru telescope; in J-short (0.92-1.12um), J-long (1.11-1.35um), H-short (1.40-1.60um), and H-long (1.60-1.80um) coverage with a spectral resolution of R~2200. The data span the 2012 Mar 25-2013 Oct 24 period. In addition to NIR spectra, we use existing optical spectroscopy (see section 3.2). (2 data files).

VizieR Online Data Catalog: MILO. I. HD 7449 radial velocities (Rodigas+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodigas, T. J.; Arriagada, P.; Faherty, J.; Anglada-Escude, G.; Kaib, N.; Butler, R. P.; Shectman, S.; Weinberger, A.; Males, J. R.; Morzinski, K. M.; Close, L. M.; Hinz, P. M.; Crane, J. D.; Thompson, I.; Teske, J.; Diaz, M.; Minniti, D.; Lopez-Morales, M.; Adams, F. C.; Boss, A. P.

2016-04-01

We observed HD 7449 using the Magellan Clay Telescope at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile on the nights of UT 2014 November 5 and 22. We observed the star with VisAO at Ys (0.99um) and with Clio-2 at H (1.65um) and Ks (2.15um) on the first night and with VisAO at r' (0.63um), i' (0.77um), z' (0.91um), and with Clio-2 at J (1.1um) on the second night. RV data on HD 7449 were first acquired as part of the Magellan Planet Search Program, which originally made use of the MIKE echelle spectrometer (R~70000 in the blue and ~50000 in the red; wavelength coverage ranges from 3900 to 6200Å) on the Magellan Clay telescope until 2009 September. HD 7449 was subsequently observed using the Carnegie Magellan/PFS (3880-6680Å with R~80000 in the iodine region). We also included in our analysis RVs measured with HARPS and CORALIE. These RVs were originally reported in Dumusque et al. (2011, J/A+A/535/A55). HARPS data on HD 7449 has been supplemented by the ESO archive. See section 2.2 for further explanations. (1 data file).

An Evidence Based Approach to Designing Medical Support for Long Duration, Interplanetary Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watkins, S. D.; McGrath, T. L.; Bauman, D. K.; Wu, J. H.; Barsten, K. N.; Barr, Y. R.; Kerstman, E. L.

2011-01-01

The Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) element is one of six elements under NASA's Human Research Program (HRP). The goal of the ExMC element is to address the risk of the "inability to adequately recognize or treat an ill or injured crewmember." This poster highlights the evidence-based approach that the ExMC element has taken to address this goal, and the ExMC element's current areas of interest.

Predicted Exoplanet Yields for the HabEx Mission Concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stark, Christopher; Mennesson, Bertrand; HabEx STDT

2018-01-01

The Habitable Exoplanet Imaging Mission (HabEx) is a concept for a flagship mission to directly image and characterize extrasolar planets around nearby stars and to enable a broad range of general astrophysics. The HabEx Science and Technology Definition Team (STDT) is currently studying two architectures for HabEx. Here we summarize the exoplanet science yield of Architecture A, a 4 m monolithic off-axis telescope that uses a vortex coronagraph and a 72m external starshade occulter. We summarize the instruments' capabilities, present science goals and observation strategies, and discuss astrophysical assumptions. Using a yield optimization code, we predict the yield of potentially Earth-like extrasolar planets that could be detected, characterized, and searched for signs of habitability and/or life by HabEx. We demonstrate that HabEx could also detect and characterize a wide variety of exoplanets while searching for potentially Earth-like planets.

Aleocharine rove beetles (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) associated with Leptogenys Roger, 1861 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) I. Review of three genera associated with L. distinguenda (Emery, 1887) and L. mutabilis (Smith, 1861)

PubMed Central

Maruyama, Munetoshi; von Beeren, Christoph; Hashim, Rosli

2010-01-01

Abstract Three myrmecophilous genera of Aleocharinae (Staphylinidae) associated with Leptogenys distinguenda (Emery, 1887) and Leptogenys mutabilis (Smith, 1861) are reviewed with descriptions of new taxa: Maschwitzia Kistner, 1989, Togpelenys Kistner, 1989 and Witteia Maruyama & von Beeren, gen. n. (type species: Witteia dentilabrumMaruyama & von Beeren, sp. n.). The following new combinations are proposed: Zyras (s. lat.) aenictophila (Kistner, 1997),comb. n. (ex Maschwitzia), Zyras (s. lat.) dichthadiaphila (Kistner in Kistner et al., 2003), comb. n. (ex Maschwitzia), Maschwitzia derougemonti (Pace, 1984), comb. n. (ex Wroughtonilla Wasmann, 1899), Maschwitzia watanabei (Maruyama, 2004), comb. n. (ex Wroughtonilla), Maschwitzia dilatata (Pace, 2005), comb. n. (ex Wroughtonilla), Witteia borneensis (Pace, 1986), comb. n. (ex Wroughtonilla). These genera belong to the Wroughtonilla genus group of the tribe Lomechusini. PMID:21594195

Low impact weight-bearing exercise in an upright posture achieves greater lumbopelvic stability than overground walking.

PubMed

Gibbon, K C; Debuse, D; Caplan, N

2013-10-01

The aim of this study was to determine the kinematic differences between movements on a new exercise device (EX) that promotes a stable trunk over a moving, unstable base of support, and overground walking (OW). Sixteen male participants performed EX and OW trials while their movements were tracked using a 3D motion capture system. Trunk and pelvis range of motion (ROM) were similar between EX and OW in the sagittal and frontal planes, and reduced for EX in the transverse plane. The pelvis was tilted anteriorly, on average, by about 16° in EX compared to OW. Hip and knee ROM were reduced in EX compared to OW. The exercise device appears to promote similar or reduced lumbopelvic motion, compared to walking, which could contribute to more tonic activity of the local lumbopelvic musculature. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cost-effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation and exercise in preventing injurious falls among older home-dwelling women: findings from an RCT.

PubMed

Patil, R; Kolu, P; Raitanen, J; Valvanne, J; Kannus, P; Karinkanta, S; Sievänen, H; Uusi-Rasi, K

2016-01-01

This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation and exercise, separately and combined, in preventing medically attended injurious falls among older home-dwelling Finnish women. Given a willingness to pay of €3,000 per injurious fall prevented, the exercise intervention had an 86 % probability of being cost-effective in this population. The costs of falling in older persons are high, both to the individual and to society. Both vitamin D and exercise have been suggested to reduce the risk of falls. This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation and exercise, separately and combined, in preventing medically attended injurious falls among older Finnish women. Economic evaluation was based on the results of a previously published 2-year randomized controlled trial (RCT) where 409 community-dwelling women aged 70 to 80 years were recruited into four groups: (1) no exercise + placebo (D-Ex-), (2) no exercise + vitamin D 800 IU/day (D+Ex-), (3) exercise + placebo (D-Ex+), and (4) exercise + vitamin D 800 IU/day (D+Ex+). The outcomes were medically attended injurious falls and fall-related health care utilization costs over the intervention period, the latter evaluated from a societal perspective based on 2011 unit costs. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) were calculated for the number of injurious falls per person-year prevented and uncertainty estimated using bootstrapping. Incidence rate ratios (95 % CI) for medically attended injurious falls were lower in both Ex+ groups compared with D-Ex-: 0.46 (0.22 to 0.95) for D-Ex+, 0.38 (0.17 to 0.81) for D+Ex+. Step-wise calculation of ICERs resulted in exclusion of D+Ex- as more expensive and less effective. Recalculated ICERs were €221 for D-Ex-, €708 for D-Ex+, and €3,820 for D+Ex+; bootstrapping indicated 93 % probability that each injurious fall avoided by D-Ex+ per person year costs €708. At a willingness to pay €3,000 per injurious fall prevented, there was an 85.6 % chance of the exercise intervention being cost-effective in this population. Exercise was effective in reducing fall-related injuries among community-dwelling older women at a moderate cost. Vitamin D supplementation had marginal additional benefit. The results provide a firm basis for initiating feasible and cost-effective exercise interventions in this population.

Utility of Serum Creatinine, Creatine Kinase and Urinary Myoglobin in Detecting Acute Renal Failure due to Rhabdomyolysis in Trauma and Electrical Burns Patients.

PubMed

Bhavsar, Preetish; Rathod, Kirtikumar Jagdish; Rathod, Darshana; Chamania, C S

2013-02-01

Rhabdomyolysis due to trauma and burns is an important cause of acute renal failure (ARF) secondary to myoglobinuria. To prevent morbidity and mortality from ARF due to rhabdomyolysis, early detection of ARF by monitoring the biochemical parameters such as serum creatinine, serum creatine kinase (CK), and urinary myoglobin (UM) can be helpful. The aims of the study were (1) to detect ARF due to rhabdomyolysis using serum creatinine, serum CK, and UM in trauma and electrical burn patients (2) to compare utility of these parameters in early prediction of ARF in patients of rhabdomyolysis. A total of 50 patients with trauma and electrical burns were included in the study. Serum creatinine, serum CK, and UM measurements were done at the time of admission and after 48 h. Diagnosis of ARF was made in the patients by Rifle's criteria. The presence of significant elevation of creatinine, serum CK, and UM at the time of admission and after 48 h was compared in patients developing ARF by Fisher's exact test. Fifteen of the 50 patients developed ARF as per the defined criteria. Of these, 9 patients (60 %) had raised level of serum creatinine above 1.4 mg% at admission and 14 patients (93.33 %) had CK level >1250 U/L at admission, whereas UM was positive in 6 (40 %) patients. Serum creatinine was significantly raised in all of the 15 ARF patients (100 %) after 48 h of admission and serum CK was raised in 14 of the 15 ARF patients (93.33 %). UM was negative in all the patients after 48 h of admission. Statistical analysis showed that rise in serum CK on admission was significantly increased in patients developing ARF as compared with serum creatinine and UM (P < 0.0001). On admission, CK is a better predictor of ARF due to rhabdomyolysis than creatinine and UM. Initial creatinine is a better predictor of ARF due to rhabdomyolysis than UM. UM assay is not a good investigation for early prediction of ARF in rhabdomyolysis.

The Preventive Effect of Calcium Supplementation on Weak Bones Caused by the Interaction of Exercise and Food Restriction in Young Female Rats During the Period from Acquiring Bone Mass to Maintaining Bone Mass.

PubMed

Aikawa, Yuki; Agata, Umon; Kakutani, Yuya; Kato, Shoyo; Noma, Yuichi; Hattori, Satoshi; Ogata, Hitomi; Ezawa, Ikuko; Omi, Naomi

2016-01-01

Increasing calcium (Ca) intake is important for female athletes with a risk of weak bone caused by inadequate food intake. The aim of the present study was to examine the preventive effect of Ca supplementation on low bone strength in young female athletes with inadequate food intake, using the rats as an experimental model. Seven-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: the sedentary and ad libitum feeding group (SED), voluntary running exercise and ad libitum feeding group (EX), voluntary running exercise and 30% food restriction group (EX-FR), and a voluntary running exercise, 30% food-restricted and high-Ca diet group (EX-FR+Ca). To Ca supplementation, we used 1.2% Ca diet as "high-Ca diet" that contains two-fold Ca of normal Ca diet. The experiment lasted for 12 weeks. As a result, the energy availability, internal organ weight, bone strength, bone mineral density, and Ca absorption in the EX-FR group were significantly lower than those in the EX group. The bone strength and Ca absorption in the EX-FR+Ca group were significantly higher than those in the EX-FR group. However, the bone strength in the EX-FR+Ca group did not reach that in the EX group. These results suggested that Ca supplementation had a positive effect on bone strength, but the effect was not sufficient to prevent lower bone strength caused by food restriction in young female athletes.

[Analysis of fluorescence spectrum of petroleum-polluted water].

PubMed

Huang, Miao-Fen; Song, Qing-Jun; Xing, Xu-Feng; Jian, Wei-Jun; Liu, Yuan; Zhao, Zu-Long

2014-09-01

In four ratio experiments, natural waters, sampled from the mountain reservoir and the sea water around Dalian city, were mixed with the sewage from petroleum refinery and petroleum exploitation plants. The fluorescence spectra of water samples containing only chromophoric dissolved organic matters(CDOM), samples containing only petroleum, and samples containing a mixture of petroleum and CDOM were analyzed, respectively. The purpose of this analysis is to provide a basis for determining the contribution of petroleum substances and CDOM to the total absorption coefficient of the petroleum-contaminated water by using fluorescence technique. The results showed that firstly, CDOM in seawater had three main fluorescence peaks at Ex: 225-230 nm/Em: 320-330 nm, Ex: 280 nm/Em: 340 nm and Ex: 225-240 nm/Em: 430-470 nm, respectively, and these may arise from the oceanic chlorophyll. CDOM in natural reservoir water had two main fluorescence peaks at EX: 240- 260 nm/Em: 420-450 nm and Ex: 310~350 nm/Em: 420--440 nm, respectively, and these may arise from the terrestrial sources; secondly, the water samples containing only petroleum extracted with n-hexane had one to three fluorescence spectral peaksat Ex: 220-240 nm/Em: 320-340 nm, Ex: 270-290 nm/Em: 310-340 nm and Ex: 220-235 nm/Em: 280-310 nm, respectively, caused by their hydrocarbon component; finally, the water samples containing both petroleum and CDOM showed a very strong fluorescence peak at Ex: 230-250 nm/Em: 320-370 nm, caused by the combined effect of CDOM and petroleum hydrocarbons.

Comparison of Body Composition Measurements Using a New Caliper, Two Established Calipers, Hydrostatic Weighing, and BodPod.

PubMed

Talbert, Erin E; Flynn, Michael G; Bell, Jeffrey W; Carrillo, Andres E; Dill, Marquita D; Christensen, Christiania N; Thompson, Colleen M

2009-01-01

(1) To compare the Lafayette Instruments (LI) skinfold caliper to the Lange (L) and Harpenden (H) calipers using a diverse subject population. (2) To determine the validity of the LI caliper in a subset of subjects by comparing body compositions from skinfold thicknesses to those measured by hydrostatic weighing (HW) and air displacement plethysmography (ADP). (3) To compare measurements obtained by experienced (EX) and inexperienced (IX) technicians using all three calipers. Skinfold measurements were performed by both EX and IX technicians using three different calipers on 21 younger (21.2 ± 1.5 yrs) and 20 older (59.2 ± 4 yrs) subjects. Body compositions were calculated using the Jackson-Pollock seven-site and three-site formulas. HW and ADP tests were performed on a subset of subjects (10 younger, 10 older). No significant differences existed between LI and L or H when measurements were made by EX. Further, the LI-EX measurements were highly correlated to both H-EX and L-EX. No significant differences existed in the subgroup between LI-EX and HW or ADP. Skinfold determinations made by EX and IX were similar. Similar body compositions determined using LI, H, and L suggest that LI determines body composition as effectively as H and L. High correlations between the three calipers support this notion. Similar results between LI and HW/ADP subgroup suggest that the LI caliper may be a valid method of measuring body composition. Overall, performance by IX was similar to EX and suggests similar ease of use for all three calipers.

Comparison of Body Composition Measurements Using a New Caliper, Two Established Calipers, Hydrostatic Weighing, and BodPod

PubMed Central

TALBERT, ERIN E.; FLYNN, MICHAEL G.; BELL, JEFFREY W.; CARRILLO, ANDRES E.; DILL, MARQUITA D.; CHRISTENSEN, CHRISTIANIA N.; THOMPSON, COLLEEN M.

2009-01-01

Purposes (1) To compare the Lafayette Instruments (LI) skinfold caliper to the Lange (L) and Harpenden (H) calipers using a diverse subject population. (2) To determine the validity of the LI caliper in a subset of subjects by comparing body compositions from skinfold thicknesses to those measured by hydrostatic weighing (HW) and air displacement plethysmography (ADP). (3) To compare measurements obtained by experienced (EX) and inexperienced (IX) technicians using all three calipers. Methods Skinfold measurements were performed by both EX and IX technicians using three different calipers on 21 younger (21.2 ± 1.5 yrs) and 20 older (59.2 ± 4 yrs) subjects. Body compositions were calculated using the Jackson-Pollock seven-site and three-site formulas. HW and ADP tests were performed on a subset of subjects (10 younger, 10 older). Results No significant differences existed between LI and L or H when measurements were made by EX. Further, the LI-EX measurements were highly correlated to both H-EX and L-EX. No significant differences existed in the subgroup between LI-EX and HW or ADP. Skinfold determinations made by EX and IX were similar. Conclusions Similar body compositions determined using LI, H, and L suggest that LI determines body composition as effectively as H and L. High correlations between the three calipers support this notion. Similar results between LI and HW/ADP subgroup suggest that the LI caliper may be a valid method of measuring body composition. Overall, performance by IX was similar to EX and suggests similar ease of use for all three calipers. PMID:28572871

Exendin-4 in combination with adipose-derived stem cells promotes angiogenesis and improves diabetic wound healing.

PubMed

Seo, Eunhui; Lim, Jae Soo; Jun, Jin-Bum; Choi, Woohyuk; Hong, In-Sun; Jun, Hee-Sook

2017-02-15

Diminished wound healing is a major complication of diabetes mellitus and can lead to foot ulcers. However, there are limited therapeutic methods to treat this condition. Exendin-4 (Ex-4), a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, is known to have many beneficial effects on diabetes. In addition, mesenchymal stem cells are known to have wound healing effects. We investigated the effects of Ex-4 in combination with human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) on diabetic wound healing in a diabetic animal model. Diabetic db/db (blood glucose levels, >500 mg/dl) or C57BL/6 mice were subjected to wounding on the skin of the back. One day after wounding, each wound received ADSCs (2.5 × 10 5 cells) injected intradermally around the wound and/or Ex-4 (50 μl of 100 nM Ex-4) topically applied on the wound with a fine brush daily. Wound size was monitored and wound histology was examined. Human endothelial cells and keratinocyte cells were used to assess angiogenesis and vascular endothelial growth factor expression in vitro. Topical administration of Ex-4 or injection of ADSCs resulted in a rapid reduction of wound size in both diabetic and normoglycemic animals compared with vehicle treatment. Histological analysis also showed rapid skin reconstruction in Ex-4-treated or ADSC-injected wounds. A combination of Ex-4 and ADSCs showed a significantly better therapeutic effect over either treatment alone. In vitro angiogenesis assays showed that both Ex-4 and ADSC-conditioned media (CM) treatment improved migration, invasion and proliferation of human endothelial cells. ADSC-CM also increased migration and proliferation of human keratinocytes. In addition, both Ex-4 and ADSC-CM increased the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor. Co-culture with ADSCs increased migration and proliferation of these cells similar to that found after ADSC-CM treatment. We suggest that Ex-4 itself is effective for the treatment of diabetic skin wounds, and a combination of topical treatment of Ex-4 and injection of ADSCs has a better therapeutic effect. Thus, a combination of Ex-4 and ADSCs might be an effective therapeutic option for the treatment of diabetic wounds, such as foot ulcers.

Ga Lithography in Sputtered Niobium for Superconductive Micro and Nanowires.

DOE PAGES

Henry, Michael David; Lewis, Rupert M.; Wolfley, Steven L.; ...

2014-08-18

This work demonstrates the use of FIB implanted Ga as a lithographic mask for plasma etching of Nb films. Using a highly collimated Ga beam of a FIB, Nb is implanted 12 nm deep with a 14 nm thick Ga layer providing etch selectivity better than 15:1 with fluorine based etch chemistry. Implanted square test patterns, both 10 um by and 10 um and 100 um by 100 um, demonstrate that doses above than 7.5 x 1015 cm-2 at 30 kV provide adequate mask protection for a 205 nm thick, sputtered Nb film. The resolution of this dry lithographic techniquemore » is demonstrated by fabrication of nanowires 75 nm wide by 10 um long connected to 50 um wide contact pads. The residual resistance ratio of patterned Nb films was 3. The superconducting transition temperature, Tc =7.7 K, was measured using MPMS. This nanoscale, dry lithographic technique was extended to sputtered TiN and Ta here and could be used on other fluorine etched superconductors such as NbN, NbSi, and NbTi.« less

Security and Efficiency Concerns With Distributed Collaborative Networking Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-09-01

have the ability to access Web communications services of the WebEx MediaTone Network from a single login. [24] WebEx provides a range of secure...Web. WebEx services enable secure data, voice and video communications through the browser and are supported by the WebEx MediaTone Network, a global...designed to host large-scale, structured events and conferences, featuring a Q&A Manager that allows multiple moderators to handle questions while

Hardiness and sensation seeking as potential predictors of former prisoners of wars' posttraumatic stress symptoms trajectories over a 17-year period.

PubMed

Zerach, Gadi; Karstoft, Karen-Inge; Solomon, Zahava

2017-08-15

Little is known about trajectories of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among former prisoners of war (ex-POWs) and the predictors of those trajectories. This study aimed to assess long-term PTSS trajectories among ex-POWs and comparable veterans and the role of hardiness and sensation seeking in predicting PTSS trajectory. A sample of 189 Israeli ex-POWs and 160 comparable combatants participated in a 17 year longitudinal study with three waves of measurements following the 1973 Yom Kippur War (T1: 1991, T2: 2003, T3: 2008). Participants completed validated self-report measures. Latent growth mixture modeling (LGMM) identified four longitudinal PTSS trajectories. Among ex-POWs, the majority of participants were classified in trajectories with "low-increasing" or "medium-increasing" levels of PTSS. Among the comparable veterans, however, the majority of participants were classified in a trajectory with "low" levels of PTSS. Ex-POWs with high levels of hardiness were less likely to belong to the "high" or "medium-increasing" PTSS trajectories, compared to the low-fluctuating trajectory. The long-term course of PTSS is heterogeneous among both veterans and ex-POWs, with chronic and increasing symptom patterns being more prevalent amongst ex-POWs. Ex-POWs should be considered an at-risk population for exacerbated PTSS trajectories that is related to hardiness personality construct. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Internet-Based Exposure and Behavioral Activation for Complicated Grief and Rumination: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Eisma, Maarten C; Boelen, Paul A; van den Bout, Jan; Stroebe, Wolfgang; Schut, Henk A W; Lancee, Jaap; Stroebe, Margaret S

2015-11-01

This study examined the effectiveness and feasibility of therapist-guided Internet-delivered exposure (EX) and behavioral activation (BA) for complicated grief and rumination. Forty-seven bereaved individuals with elevated levels of complicated grief and grief rumination were randomly assigned to three conditions: EX (N=18), BA (N=17), or a waiting-list (N=12). Treatment groups received 6 homework assignments over 6 to 8weeks. Intention-to-treat analyses showed that EX reduced complicated grief, posttraumatic stress, depression, grief rumination, and brooding levels relative to the control group at posttreatment (d=0.7-1.2). BA lowered complicated grief, posttraumatic stress, and grief rumination levels at posttreatment (d=0.8-0.9). At 3-month follow-up, effects of EX were maintained on complicated grief and grief rumination (d=0.6-1.2), and for BA on complicated grief, posttraumatic stress, and grief rumination (d=0.8-0.9). EX reduced depression more strongly than BA (d=0.6). Completers analyses corroborated results for EX, and partially those for BA, but no group differences were detected. BA suffered from high dropout (59%), relative to EX (33%) and the waiting-list (17%). Feasibility appeared higher for EX than BA. Results supported potential applicability of online exposure but not behavioral activation to decrease complicated grief and rumination. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Ex Vivo Adenoviral Vector Gene Delivery Results in Decreased Vector-associated Inflammation Pre- and Post–lung Transplantation in the Pig

PubMed Central

Yeung, Jonathan C; Wagnetz, Dirk; Cypel, Marcelo; Rubacha, Matthew; Koike, Terumoto; Chun, Yi-Min; Hu, Jim; Waddell, Thomas K; Hwang, David M; Liu, Mingyao; Keshavjee, Shaf

2012-01-01

Acellular normothermic ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) is a novel method of donor lung preservation for transplantation. As cellular metabolism is preserved during perfusion, it represents a potential platform for effective gene transduction in donor lungs. We hypothesized that vector-associated inflammation would be reduced during ex vivo delivery due to isolation from the host immune system response. We compared ex vivo with in vivo intratracheal delivery of an E1-, E3-deleted adenoviral vector encoding either green fluorescent protein (GFP) or interleukin-10 (IL-10) to porcine lungs. Twelve hours after delivery, the lung was transplanted and the post-transplant function assessed. We identified significant transgene expression by 12 hours in both in vivo and ex vivo delivered groups. Lung function remained excellent in all ex vivo groups after viral vector delivery; however, as expected, lung function decreased in the in vivo delivered adenovirus vector encoding GFP (AdGFP) group with corresponding increases in IL-1β levels. Transplanted lung function was excellent in the ex vivo transduced lungs and inferior lung function was seen in the in vivo group after transplantation. In summary, ex vivo delivery of adenoviral gene therapy to the donor lung is superior to in vivo delivery in that it leads to less vector-associated inflammation and provides superior post-transplant lung function. PMID:22453765

Combined magnetic resonance, fluorescence, and histology imaging strategy in a human breast tumor xenograft model

PubMed Central

Jiang, Lu; Greenwood, Tiffany R.; Amstalden van Hove, Erika R.; Chughtai, Kamila; Raman, Venu; Winnard, Paul T.; Heeren, Ron; Artemov, Dmitri; Glunde, Kristine

2014-01-01

Applications of molecular imaging in cancer and other diseases frequently require combining in vivo imaging modalities, such as magnetic resonance and optical imaging, with ex vivo optical, fluorescence, histology, and immunohistochemical (IHC) imaging, to investigate and relate molecular and biological processes to imaging parameters within the same region of interest. We have developed a multimodal image reconstruction and fusion framework that accurately combines in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI), ex vivo brightfield and fluorescence microscopic imaging, and ex vivo histology imaging. Ex vivo brightfield microscopic imaging was used as an intermediate modality to facilitate the ultimate link between ex vivo histology and in vivo MRI/MRSI. Tissue sectioning necessary for optical and histology imaging required generation of a three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction module for 2D ex vivo optical and histology imaging data. We developed an external fiducial marker based 3D reconstruction method, which was able to fuse optical brightfield and fluorescence with histology imaging data. Registration of 3D tumor shape was pursued to combine in vivo MRI/MRSI and ex vivo optical brightfield and fluorescence imaging data. This registration strategy was applied to in vivo MRI/MRSI, ex vivo optical brightfield/fluorescence, as well as histology imaging data sets obtained from human breast tumor models. 3D human breast tumor data sets were successfully reconstructed and fused with this platform. PMID:22945331

11 CFR 201.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Elections FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS EX PARTE COMMUNICATIONS § 201.2 Definitions. As used in this part: (a) Ex parte communication means any written or oral communication by any... opinion request. (b) Ex parte communications does not include the following communications. (1) Statements...

Fir dwarf mistletoe (FIDL).

Treesearch

Gregory M. Filip; Jerome S. Beatty; Robert L. Mathiasen

2000-01-01

Fir dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium abietinum Engelmann ex Munz) is a common and damaging parasite of white fir (Abies concolor (Gord. & Glend.) Lindl. ex Hildebr.), grand fir (Abies grandis (Dougl. ex D. Don) Lindl.), and California red fir (A. magnifica A. Murr.) in the western...

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Reflectance spectra of 12 Trojans and Hildas (Marsset+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marsset, M.; Vernazza, P.; Gourgeot, F.; Dumas, C.; Birlan, M.; Lamy, P.; Binzel, R. P.

2014-07-01

We present 17 reflectance spectra of 12 high albedo (pv>0.14) Trojans (8 objects) and Hildas (4 objects) obtained with the ESO/VLT Echelle spectrograph X-SHOOTER in the 0.3-2.2um spectral range (14 spectra) and with the NASA/IRTF spectrograph SpeX in the 0.8-2.5um spectral range (3 spectra). X-SHOOTER spectra were normalized to unity at 0.55um and SpeX spectra were normalized to unity at 2.2um . The spectra presented in this work were collected between April and December 2013. (18 data files).

Peroxidases, lignin and anatomy during in vitro and ex vitro rooting of gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides Ellis) microshoots.

PubMed

Hatzilazarou, Stefanos P; Syros, Thomas D; Yupsanis, Traianos A; Bosabalidis, Artemios M; Economou, Athanasios S

2006-07-01

In vitro and ex vitro rooting of gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides Ellis) microshoots with or without indolic-3-butyric acid (IBA) was studied in order to improve acclimatization of microplants after root formation and transplantation. Peroxidase (POD) activity and isoforms, lignin content and anatomical observations were evaluated in the course of the three interdependent phases (induction, initiation and expression) of microshoot rooting. Microshoots treated or not treated with IBA achieved high rooting percentages both in vitro and ex vitro. At the end of the 2-week acclimatization period, the percentage of surviving microplants ranged from 80% to 100%, for in vitro and ex vitro rooted microshoots, respectively. Microshoots rooted in vitro and ex vitro showed a relationship between rooting and POD activity but in a different time course. It appeared that root formation occurred after the microshoots had reached and passed a peak of maximum enzyme activity. In all treatments, electrophoretic analysis (native PAGE) of PODs revealed the appearance of one anionic and three cationic POD isoforms (C(1), C(3) and C(4)). An additional cationic POD isoform (C(2)) appeared only in the ex vitro rooting. The lignin content was similar in microshoots rooted both in vitro and ex vitro. The sequential anatomical changes during the rooting process were similar in both in vitro and ex vitro rooting treatments. In the case of in vitro rooting, pith cells had vacuoles entirely filled with a dark substance, while in the case of ex vitro rooting, pith cells contained many amyloplasts. The origin of the adventitious roots, in both rooting conditions, was located in the cambial ring. Roots with organized tissue systems emerged from the microshoot stem 10-14 days after the root induction treatments; on day 10 for rooting in vitro, while a 4-day delay was noted in microshoots rooted ex vitro.

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

Cobb, Corie Lynn

The development of mass markets for large-format batteries, including electric vehicles (EVs) and grid support, depends on both cost reductions and performance enhancements to improve their economic viability. Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) has developed a multi-material, advanced manufacturing process called co-extrusion (CoEx) to remove multiple steps in a conventional battery coating process with the potential to simultaneously increase battery energy and power density. CoEx can revolutionize battery manufacturing across most chemistries, significantly lowering end-product cost and shifting the underlying economics to make EVs and other battery applications a reality. PARC’s scale-up of CoEx for electric vehicle (EV) batteries buildsmore » on a solid base of experience in applying CoEx to solar cell manufacturing, deposition of viscous ceramic pastes, and Li-ion battery chemistries. In the solar application, CoEx has been deployed commercially at production scale where multi-channel CoEx printheads are used to print viscous silver gridline pastes at full production speeds (>40 ft/min). This operational scale-up provided invaluable experience with the nuances of speed, yield, and maintenance inherent in taking a new technology to the factory floor. PARC has leveraged this experience, adapting the CoEx process for Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery manufacturing. To date, PARC has worked with Li-ion battery materials and structured cathodes with high-density Li-ion regions and low-density conduction regions, documenting both energy and power performance. Modeling results for a CoEx cathode show a path towards a 10-20% improvement in capacity for an EV pouch cell. Experimentally, we have realized a co-extruded battery structure with a Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) cathode at print speeds equivalent to conventional roll coating processes. The heterogeneous CoEx cathode enables improved capacity in thick electrodes at higher C-rates. The proof-of-principle coin cells demonstrate the feasibility of the CoEx technology and a path towards higher energy and higher power EV pouch cells.« less

Effects of different strength training frequencies on maximum strength, body composition and functional capacity in healthy older individuals.

PubMed

Turpela, Mari; Häkkinen, Keijo; Haff, Guy Gregory; Walker, Simon

2017-11-01

There is controversy in the literature regarding the dose-response relationship of strength training in healthy older participants. The present study determined training frequency effects on maximum strength, muscle mass and functional capacity over 6months following an initial 3-month preparatory strength training period. One-hundred and six 64-75year old volunteers were randomly assigned to one of four groups; performing strength training one (EX1), two (EX2), or three (EX3) times per week and a non-training control (CON) group. Whole-body strength training was performed using 2-5 sets and 4-12 repetitions per exercise and 7-9 exercises per session. Before and after the intervention, maximum dynamic leg press (1-RM) and isometric knee extensor and plantarflexor strength, body composition and quadriceps cross-sectional area, as well as functional capacity (maximum 7.5m forward and backward walking speed, timed-up-and-go test, loaded 10-stair climb test) were measured. All experimental groups increased leg press 1-RM more than CON (EX1: 3±8%, EX2: 6±6%, EX3: 10±8%, CON: -3±6%, P<0.05) and EX3 improved more than EX1 (P=0.007) at month 9. Compared to CON, EX3 improved in backward walk (P=0.047) and EX1 in timed-up-and-go (P=0.029) tests. No significant changes occurred in body composition. The present study found no evidence that higher training frequency would induce greater benefit to maximum walking speed (i.e. functional capacity) despite a clear dose-response in dynamic 1-RM strength, at least when predominantly using machine weight-training. It appears that beneficial functional capacity improvements can be achieved through low frequency training (i.e. 1-2 times per week) in previously untrained healthy older participants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Planning for ex situ conservation in the face of uncertainty.

PubMed

Canessa, Stefano; Converse, Sarah J; West, Matt; Clemann, Nick; Gillespie, Graeme; McFadden, Michael; Silla, Aimee J; Parris, Kirsten M; McCarthy, Michael A

2016-06-01

Ex situ conservation strategies for threatened species often require long-term commitment and financial investment to achieve management objectives. We present a framework that considers the decision to adopt ex situ management for a target species as the end point of several linked decisions. We used a decision tree to intuitively represent the logical sequence of decision making. The first decision is to identify the specific management actions most likely to achieve the fundamental objectives of the recovery plan, with or without the use of ex-situ populations. Once this decision has been made, one decides whether to establish an ex situ population, accounting for the probability of success in the initial phase of the recovery plan, for example, the probability of successful breeding in captivity. Approaching these decisions in the reverse order (attempting to establish an ex situ population before its purpose is clearly defined) can lead to a poor allocation of resources, because it may restrict the range of available decisions in the second stage. We applied our decision framework to the recovery program for the threatened spotted tree frog (Litoria spenceri) of southeastern Australia. Across a range of possible management actions, only those including ex situ management were expected to provide >50% probability of the species' persistence, but these actions cost more than use of in situ alternatives only. The expected benefits of ex situ actions were predicted to be offset by additional uncertainty and stochasticity associated with establishing and maintaining ex situ populations. Naïvely implementing ex situ conservation strategies can lead to inefficient management. Our framework may help managers explicitly evaluate objectives, management options, and the probability of success prior to establishing a captive colony of any given species. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Plasma Irisin Modestly Increases during Moderate and High-Intensity Afternoon Exercise in Obese Females

PubMed Central

Winn, Nathan C.; Grunewald, Zachary I.; Liu, Ying; Heden, Timothy D.; Nyhoff, Lauren M.; Kanaley, Jill A.

2017-01-01

Background and Purpose Irisin is an exercise-responsive myokine that has been proposed to exert anti-obesity benefits; yet its response during exercise in obese women is not described. This study characterized plasma irisin levels during a single bout of afternoon isocaloric-exercise of different intensities (moderate- vs high-intensity) in obese females. Methods Eleven obese females participated in 3 randomized study days beginning at 1600h: 1) no exercise (NoEx), 2) moderate exercise (ModEx; 55%VO2max) and 3) high intensity interval exercise (IntEx; 4 min (80%VO2max)/3 min (50% VO2max). Frequent blood samples were analyzed for glucose and lactate (whole-blood), and insulin, c-peptide, glucagon, and irisin (plasma) throughout 190 min of testing. Results Plasma irisin increased above baseline during ModEx and IntEx (P<0.05), but not NoEx (P>0.05). Peak irisin levels during ModEx and IntEx exercise were 11.9± 3.4% and 12.3 ± 4.1% relative to baseline (P<0.05), respectively, with no differences between exercise intensities (P>0.05). Irisin levels remained elevated above resting for 125 minutes post-exercise during ModEx, whereas levels returned to baseline within 15 minutes post-exercise during IntEx. Similarly, no associations were found between plasma irisin levels and circulating lactate, glucose, insulin, c-peptide, or glucagon among study days (P>0.05). However, there was an inverse association between basal irisin and lean mass (r = -0.70, P = 0.01). Conclusion A single bout of moderate and high intensity afternoon exercise induces modest increases in circulating irisin concentrations during exercise; however the regulation post-exercise appears to be dimorphic between exercise intensity in obese females. Future studies are needed to compare morning and afternoon exercise on irisin secretion. PMID:28125733

Effect of Bronchodilation and Exercise Training with Behavior Modification on Exercise Tolerance and Downstream Effects on Symptoms and Physical Activity in COPD.

PubMed

Troosters, Thierry; Maltais, François; Leidy, Nancy; Lavoie, Kim L; Sedeno, Maria; Janssens, Wim; Garcia-Aymerich, Judith; Erzen, Damijan; De Sousa, Dorothy; Korducki, Lawrence; Hamilton, Alan; Bourbeau, Jean

2018-04-17

Bronchodilation and exercise training (ExT) improve exercise tolerance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); however, behavior modification is required to impact on daily physical activity (PA). To assess whether tiotropium/olodaterol, ±ExT, would improve exercise endurance time (EET) and PA compared with placebo in patients participating in a self-management behavior-modification (SMBM) program. A 12-week, randomized, partially double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial in patients with COPD (PHYSACTO®; NCT02085161). All patients were enrolled into SMBM and randomized 1:1:1:1 to once-daily placebo, tiotropium 5 µg, tiotropium/olodaterol 5/5 µg, or tiotropium/olodaterol 5/5 µg plus 8 weeks ExT. EET, measured by endurance shuttle walk test after 8 weeks, was the primary endpoint. Additional endpoints assessed downstream effects on PA (measured via accelerometry), and activity-related dyspnea and difficulty (using validated patient-reported questionnaires). SMBM + tiotropium/olodaterol, ±ExT, significantly improved EET at Week 8 versus SMBM + placebo (treatment ratio versus placebo: with ExT 1.46 [95% CI: 1.20, 1.78]; P=0.0002; without ExT 1.29 [1.06, 1.57]; P=0.0109). No significant increases in steps per day from baseline were observed over SMBM + placebo at Week 12 (increase of 1,098) when other therapies were added. Adding tiotropium/olodaterol, ±ExT, to SMBM reduced activity-related dyspnea versus placebo, while adding tiotropium/olodaterol + ExT reduced activity-related difficulty. Tiotropium/olodaterol, ±ExT, improved EET in patients with COPD taking part in an SMBM program. Combination bronchodilation, ±ExT, did not provide additional increases in objective PA compared with SMBM alone, but did reduce physical activity-related dyspnea and difficulty. Clinical trial registration available at www.clinicaltrials.gov, ID NCT02085161.

Severe Extraarticular Manifestations in a Community-based Cohort of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: Risk Factors and Incidence in Relation to Treatment with Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors.

PubMed

Theander, Lisa; Nyhäll-Wåhlin, Britt-Marie; Nilsson, Jan-Åke; Willim, Minna; Jacobsson, Lennart T H; Petersson, Ingemar F; Turesson, Carl

2017-07-01

The aims of this study were to evaluate whether treatment with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects the risk of developing severe extraarticular rheumatoid arthritis (ExRA) manifestations and to investigate potential predictors for developing ExRA. A dynamic community-based cohort of patients with RA was studied (n = 1977). Clinical records were reviewed and cases of severe ExRA were identified. Information on exposure to TNF inhibitors was obtained from a regional register. Exposure to TNF inhibitors was analyzed in a time-dependent fashion and the incidence of severe ExRA in exposed patients was compared with the incidence in unexposed patients. Cox regression models were used to assess potential predictors of severe ExRA. During treatment with TNF inhibitors, there were 17 patients with new onset of severe ExRA in 2400 person-years at risk (PY; 0.71/100 PY, 95% CI 0.41-1.13) compared with 104 in 15,599 PY (0.67/100 PY, 95% CI 0.54-0.81) in patients without TNF inhibitors. This corresponded to an incidence rate ratio of 1.06 (95% CI 0.60-1.78). The age- and sex-adjusted HR for ExRA in anti-TNF-treated patients was 1.21 (95% CI 1.02-1.43), with similar findings in models adjusted for time-dependent Health Assessment Questionnaire and propensity for anti-TNF treatment. Male sex, positive rheumatoid factor (RF), long disease duration, and greater disability were predictors for ExRA. This study suggests that patients treated with TNF inhibitors are at a slightly increased risk of developing severe ExRA. RF-positive patients with disabling disease of long duration were more likely to develop severe ExRA.

DFT study of ethyl xanthate interaction with sphalerite (1 1 0) surface in the absence and presence of copper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jian; Wen, Shuming; Deng, Jiushuai; Chen, Xiumin; Feng, Qicheng

2014-08-01

The interaction among sphalerite (1 1 0) surface, copper and ethyl xanthate (EX) was simulated using the density functional theory (DFT). The results of DFT indicate that four types of stable interaction models exist among sphalerite surface, copper and EX, i.e., EX interacts with the Cu substituted for Zn, Cu adsorbed on the top site of S, Cu adsorbed on the bridge site of S and Cu(OH)2 adsorbed on the sphalerite surface. The four interaction models can result in the activation flotation of sphalerite. Density of states (DOS) analysis shows that the energy level discrepancy of the Zn 3d orbital in ZnS and the bonding S 3p orbital in EX results in the weak adsorption of EX on un-activated sphalerite surface. However, after copper activation, the Cu 3d orbital peak and bonding S 3p orbital peak are just maximally overlapped nearby the Fermi level. This study provides an insight into the nature that sphalerite responds not well to EX and also a comprehensive understanding on the possible interaction cases existing among sphalerite surface, copper and EX.

Prompt Photon Measurements with the PHENIX MPC-EX Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lajoie, John

2012-10-01

The MPC-EX detector is a Si-W preshower extension to the existing PHENIX Muon Piston Calorimeter (MPC). The MPC-EX consists of eight layers of alternating W absorber and Si mini-pad sensors. Covering a large pseudorapidity range, 3.1 < |η| < 3.8, the MPC-EX and MPC access low-x partons in the Au nucleus in d+Au collisions through prompt photon measurements. With the addition of the MPC-EX, the neutral pion reconstruction range extends to energies > 80 GeV, a factor of four improvement over current capabilities. Not only will the MPC-EX strengthen PHENIX's existing forward 0̂ and jet measurements, it also provides the necessary 0̂ rejection to make a prompt photon measurement feasible. With this 0̂ rejection, prompt photon yields at high pT, pT> 3 GeV, can be statistically extracted using a double ratio method. The prompt photon RdAu measured with the MPC-EX will quantify the level of gluon shadowing or saturation in the Au nucleus at low-x, x˜ 10-3, with a projected systematic error band a factor of four smaller than current global fits to current measurements.

A Method for Whole Brain Ex Vivo Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Minimal Susceptibility Artifacts

PubMed Central

Shatil, Anwar S.; Matsuda, Kant M.; Figley, Chase R.

2016-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-destructive technique that is capable of localizing pathologies and assessing other anatomical features (e.g., tissue volume, microstructure, and white matter connectivity) in postmortem, ex vivo human brains. However, when brains are removed from the skull and cerebrospinal fluid (i.e., their normal in vivo magnetic environment), air bubbles and air–tissue interfaces typically cause magnetic susceptibility artifacts that severely degrade the quality of ex vivo MRI data. In this report, we describe a relatively simple and cost-effective experimental setup for acquiring artifact-free ex vivo brain images using a clinical MRI system with standard hardware. In particular, we outline the necessary steps, from collecting an ex vivo human brain to the MRI scanner setup, and have also described changing the formalin (as might be necessary in longitudinal postmortem studies). Finally, we share some representative ex vivo MRI images that have been acquired using the proposed setup in order to demonstrate the efficacy of this approach. We hope that this protocol will provide both clinicians and researchers with a straight-forward and cost-effective solution for acquiring ex vivo MRI data from whole postmortem human brains. PMID:27965620

Incidence, clinical features, laboratory findings and outcome of patients with multiple myeloma presenting with extramedullary relapse.

PubMed

Papanikolaou, Xenofon; Repousis, Panagiotis; Tzenou, Tatiana; Maltezas, Dimitris; Kotsopoulou, Maria; Megalakaki, Katerina; Angelopoulou, Maria; Dimitrakoloulou, Elektra; Koulieris, Efstathios; Bartzis, Vassiliki; Pangalis, Gerasimos; Panayotidis, Panagiotis; Kyrtsonis, Marie-Christine

2013-07-01

Extramedullary plasmacytomas constitute a rare and not well studied subset of multiple myeloma (MM) relapses. We report the incidence, clinical-laboratory features and outcome of patients with MM and extramedullary relapse (ExMeR). A total of 303 patients with symptomatic MM were recorded in a 13-year period in two institutions. Twenty-eight cases of ExMeR (9%) were recorded. There was an increased frequency of elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (p = 0.026), bone plasmacytomas (p = 0.001) and fractures (p = 0.002) at diagnosis, in patients with ExMeR compared to the others. ExMeR was associated with an ominous outcome, high LDH, constitutional symptoms and a statistically significant decrease of monoclonal paraprotein compared to levels at diagnosis (p = 0.009). Prior treatment with bortezomib was associated with a decreased hazard of ExMeR (p = 0.041). Overall survival (OS) was decreased in patients with ExMeR compared to the others (38 vs. 59 months, p = 0.006). Patients with MM with ExMeR have a lower OS and their clinical and laboratory features differ from those without.

Effect of exercise on the maternal outcome in pregnancy of spontaneously hypertensive rats.

PubMed

Rocha, Renato; Peraçoli, José Carlos; Volpato, Gustavo Tadeu; Damasceno, Débora Cristina; Campos, Kleber Eduardo de

2014-09-01

To evaluate the effect of exercise (swimming) on pregnancy in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Thirty three pregnant female SHR were distributed into three groups (n=11 animals/group): SHR Control=non-exercised (sedentary); SHR Ex0 = exercised from day zero to day 20 of pregnancy; and SHR Ex7 = exercised from day 7 to 20 of pregnancy. Body weight and systolic blood pressure were indirectly measured during pregnancy. On gestational day 21, the rats were anaesthetized and uterine content was withdrawn for analysis of maternal reproductive outcome parameters and fetal development. The reduced blood pressure percentage was higher in SHR Ex0 and SHR Ex7 compared to SHR Control group. Weight gain was present in all pregnancy periods, but it was lower in SHR Ex7 than in SHR Control dams. The exercise increased the pre-implantation loss rate. The post-implantation loss rate was lower in SHR Ex0 group. SHR Ex7 group showed a significantly higher percentage of fetuses classified as small for gestational age as compared to others groups. The exercise contributed to lowering gestational blood pressure in SHR rats, but had a negative impact on the developing embryo.

BCR ligation induced by IgM stimulation results in gene expression and functional changes only in IgV H unmutated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells.

PubMed

Guarini, Anna; Chiaretti, Sabina; Tavolaro, Simona; Maggio, Roberta; Peragine, Nadia; Citarella, Franca; Ricciardi, Maria Rosaria; Santangelo, Simona; Marinelli, Marilisa; De Propris, Maria Stefania; Messina, Monica; Mauro, Francesca Romana; Del Giudice, Ilaria; Foà, Robert

2008-08-01

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients exhibit a variable clinical course. To investigate the association between clinicobiologic features and responsiveness of CLL cells to anti-IgM stimulation, we evaluated gene expression changes and modifications in cell-cycle distribution, proliferation, and apoptosis of IgV(H) mutated (M) and unmutated (UM) samples upon BCR cross-linking. Unsupervised analysis highlighted a different response profile to BCR stimulation between UM and M samples. Supervised analysis identified several genes modulated exclusively in the UM cases upon BCR cross-linking. Functional gene groups, including signal transduction, transcription, cell-cycle regulation, and cytoskeleton organization, were up-regulated upon stimulation in UM cases. Cell-cycle and proliferation analyses confirmed that IgM cross-linking induced a significant progression into the G(1) phase and a moderate increase of proliferative activity exclusively in UM patients. Moreover, we observed only a small reduction in the percentage of subG(0/1) cells, without changes in apoptosis, in UM cases; contrariwise, a significant increase of apoptotic levels was observed in stimulated cells from M cases. These results document that a differential genotypic and functional response to BCR ligation between IgV(H) M and UM cases is operational in CLL, indicating that response to antigenic stimulation plays a pivotal role in disease progression.

"Uh" and "Um" Revisited: Are They Interjections for Signaling Delay?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Connell, Daniel C.; Kowal, Sabine

2005-01-01

Clark and Fox Tree (2002) have presented empirical evidence, based primarily on the London-Lund corpus (LL; Svartvik & Quirk, 1980), that the fillers "uh" and "um" are conventional English words that signal a speaker's intention to initiate a minor and a major delay, respectively. We present here empirical analyses of "uh" and "um" and of silent…

Cholinergic neurons of the basal forebrain mediate biochemical and electrophysiological mechanisms underlying sleep homeostasis.

PubMed

Kalinchuk, Anna V; Porkka-Heiskanen, Tarja; McCarley, Robert W; Basheer, Radhika

2015-01-01

The tight coordination of biochemical and electrophysiological mechanisms underlies the homeostatic sleep pressure (HSP) produced by sleep deprivation (SD). We have reported that during SD the levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), extracellular nitric oxide (NO), adenosine [AD]ex , lactate [Lac]ex and pyruvate [Pyr]ex increase in the basal forebrain (BF). However, it is not clear whether all of them contribute to HSP leading to increased electroencephalogram (EEG) delta activity during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) recovery sleep (RS) following SD. Previously, we showed that NREM delta increase evident during RS depends on the presence of BF cholinergic (ChBF) neurons. Here, we investigated the role of ChBF cells in coordination of biochemical and EEG changes seen during SD and RS in the rat. Increases in low-theta power (5-7 Hz), but not high-theta (7-9 Hz), during SD correlated with the increase in NREM delta power during RS, and with the changes in nitrate/nitrite [NOx ]ex and [AD]ex . Lesions of ChBF cells using IgG 192-saporin prevented increases in [NOx ]ex , [AD]ex and low-theta activity, during SD, but did not prevent increases in [Lac]ex and [Pyr]ex . Infusion of NO donor DETA NONOate into the saporin-treated BF failed to increase NREM RS and delta power, suggesting ChBF cells are important for mediating NO homeostatic effects. Finally, SD-induced iNOS was mostly expressed in ChBF cells, and the intensity of iNOS induction correlated with the increase in low-theta activity. Together, our data indicate ChBF cells are important in regulating the biochemical and EEG mechanisms that contribute to HSP. © 2014 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Exploring forward physics with the PHENIX MPC-EX upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novitzky, Norbert; Phenix Collaboration

2014-09-01

The MPC-EX detector is a Si-W preshower extension to the existing Muon Piston Calorimeter (MPC) at PHENIX. Located at forward rapidity, 3 . 1 < | η | < 3 . 8 , the MPC-EX consists of eight layers of alternating W absorber and Si minipad sensors. Covering a large range at forward rapidity makes the MPC-EX and MPC ideal to access low-x partons in the A nucleus of p + A collisions. The neutral pion and direct photon are excellent probes to separate between the initial and final state effects of the pA collisions. Isolating the direct photon signal requires the MPC-EX to be able to distinguish single showers from double showers. The single versus double shower separation was tested with an electron beam at the SLAC test beam facility. Results from the test beam data will be presented in this talk. The MPC-EX detector is a Si-W preshower extension to the existing Muon Piston Calorimeter (MPC) at PHENIX. Located at forward rapidity, 3 . 1 < | η | < 3 . 8 , the MPC-EX consists of eight layers of alternating W absorber and Si minipad sensors. Covering a large range at forward rapidity makes the MPC-EX and MPC ideal to access low-x partons in the A nucleus of p + A collisions. The neutral pion and direct photon are excellent probes to separate between the initial and final state effects of the pA collisions. Isolating the direct photon signal requires the MPC-EX to be able to distinguish single showers from double showers. The single versus double shower separation was tested with an electron beam at the SLAC test beam facility. Results from the test beam data will be presented in this talk. Norbert Novitzky for PHENIX collaboration.

Assessing the population health impact of market interventions to improve access to antiretroviral treatment

PubMed Central

Bärnighausen, Till; Kyle, Margaret; Salomon, Joshua A; Waning, Brenda

2012-01-01

Despite extraordinary global progress in increasing coverage of antiretroviral treatment (ART), the majority of people needing ART currently are not receiving treatment. Both the number of people needing ART and the average ART price per patient-year are expected to increase in coming years, which will dramatically raise funding needs for ART. Several international organizations are using interventions in ART markets to decrease ART price or to improve ART quality, delivery and innovation, with the ultimate goal of improving population health. These organizations need to select those market interventions that are most likely to substantially affect population health outcomes (ex ante assessment) and to evaluate whether implemented interventions have improved health outcomes (ex post assessment). We develop a framework to structure ex ante and ex post assessment of the population health impact of market interventions, which is transmitted through effects in markets and health systems. Ex ante assessment should include evaluation of the safety and efficacy of the ART products whose markets will be affected by the intervention; theoretical consideration of the mechanisms through which the intervention will affect population health; and predictive modelling to estimate the potential population health impact of the intervention. For ex post assessment, analysts need to consider which outcomes to estimate empirically and which to model based on empirical findings and understanding of the economic and biological mechanisms along the causal pathway from market intervention to population health. We discuss methods for ex post assessment and analyse assessment issues (unintended intervention effects, interaction effects between different interventions, and assessment impartiality and cost). We offer seven recommendations for ex ante and ex post assessment of population health impact of market interventions. PMID:21914713

Validity of a traffic air pollutant dispersion model to assess exposure to fine particles.

PubMed

Kostrzewa, Aude; Reungoat, Patrice; Raherison, Chantal

2009-08-01

Fine particles (PM(2.5)) are an important component of air pollution. Epidemiological studies have shown health effects due to ambient air particles, particularly allergies in children. Since the main difficulty is to determine exposure to such pollution, traffic air pollutant (TAP) dispersions models have been developed to improve the estimation of individual exposure levels. One such model, the ExTra index, has been validated for nitrogen oxide concentrations but not for other pollutants. The purpose of this study was to assess the validity of the ExTra index to assess PM(2.5) exposure. We compared PM(2.5) concentrations calculated by the ExTra index to reference measures (passive samplers situated under the covered part of the playground), in 15 schools in Bordeaux, in 2000. First, we collected the input data required by the ExTra index: background and local pollution depending on traffic, meteorology and topography. Second, the ExTra index was calculated for each school. Statistical analysis consisted of a graphic description; then, we calculated an intraclass correlation coefficient. Concentrations calculated with the ExTra index and the reference method were similar. The ExTra index underestimated exposure by 2.2 microg m(-3) on average compared to the reference method. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.85 and its 95% confidence interval was [0.62; 0.95]. The results suggest that the ExTra index provides an assessment of PM(2.5) exposure similar to that of the reference method. Although caution is required in interpreting these results owing to the small number of sites, the ExTra index could be a useful epidemiological tool for reconstructing individual exposure, an important challenge in epidemiology.

Time-course effects of aerobic exercise training on cardiovascular and renal parameters in 2K1C renovascular hypertensive rats.

PubMed

Maia, R C A; Sousa, L E; Santos, R A S; Silva, M E; Lima, W G; Campagnole-Santos, M J; Alzamora, A C

2015-11-01

Exercise training (Ex) has been recommended for its beneficial effects in hypertensive states. The present study evaluated the time-course effects of Ex without workload on mean arterial pressure (MAP), reflex bradycardia, cardiac and renal histology, and oxidative stress in two-kidney, one-clip (2K1C) hypertensive rats. Male Fischer rats (10 weeks old; 150-180 g) underwent surgery (2K1C or SHAM) and were subsequently divided into a sedentary (SED) group and Ex group (swimming 1 h/day, 5 days/week for 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 weeks). Until week 4, Ex decreased MAP, increased reflex bradycardia, prevented concentric hypertrophy, reduced collagen deposition in the myocardium and kidneys, decreased the level of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) in the left ventricle, and increased the catalase (CAT) activity in the left ventricle and both kidneys. From week 6 to week 10, however, MAP and reflex bradycardia in 2K1C Ex rats became similar to those in 2K1C SED rats. Ex effectively reduced heart rate and prevented collagen deposition in the heart and both kidneys up to week 10, and restored the level of TBARS in the left ventricle and clipped kidney and the CAT activity in both kidneys until week 8. Ex without workload for 10 weeks in 2K1C rats provided distinct beneficial effects. The early effects of Ex on cardiovascular function included reversing MAP and reflex bradycardia. The later effects of Ex included preventing structural alterations in the heart and kidney by decreasing oxidative stress and reducing injuries in these organs during hypertension.

Combination of exercise training and diet restriction normalizes limited exercise capacity and impaired skeletal muscle function in diet-induced diabetic mice.

PubMed

Suga, Tadashi; Kinugawa, Shintaro; Takada, Shingo; Kadoguchi, Tomoyasu; Fukushima, Arata; Homma, Tsuneaki; Masaki, Yoshihiro; Furihata, Takaaki; Takahashi, Masashige; Sobirin, Mochamad A; Ono, Taisuke; Hirabayashi, Kagami; Yokota, Takashi; Tanaka, Shinya; Okita, Koichi; Tsutsui, Hiroyuki

2014-01-01

Exercise training (EX) and diet restriction (DR) are essential for effective management of obesity and insulin resistance in diabetes mellitus. However, whether these interventions ameliorate the limited exercise capacity and impaired skeletal muscle function in diabetes patients remains unexplored. Therefore, we investigated the effects of EX and/or DR on exercise capacity and skeletal muscle function in diet-induced diabetic mice. Male C57BL/6J mice that were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 8 weeks were randomly assigned for an additional 4 weeks to 4 groups: control, EX, DR, and EX+DR. A lean group fed with a normal diet was also studied. Obesity and insulin resistance induced by a HFD were significantly but partially improved by EX or DR and completely reversed by EX+DR. Although exercise capacity decreased significantly with HFD compared with normal diet, it partially improved with EX and DR and completely reversed with EX+DR. In parallel, the impaired mitochondrial function and enhanced oxidative stress in the skeletal muscle caused by the HFD were normalized only by EX+DR. Although obesity and insulin resistance were completely reversed by DR with an insulin-sensitizing drug or a long-term intervention, the exercise capacity and skeletal muscle function could not be normalized. Therefore, improvement in impaired skeletal muscle function, rather than obesity and insulin resistance, may be an important therapeutic target for normalization of the limited exercise capacity in diabetes. In conclusion, a comprehensive lifestyle therapy of exercise and diet normalizes the limited exercise capacity and impaired muscle function in diabetes mellitus.

CHOLINERGIC NEURONS OF THE BASAL FOREBRAIN MEDIATE BIOCHEMICAL AND ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING SLEEP HOMEOSTASIS

PubMed Central

Kalinchuk, Anna V.; Porkka-Heiskanen, Tarja; McCarley, Robert W.; Basheer, Radhika

2015-01-01

The tight coordination of biochemical and electrophysiological mechanisms underlies the homeostatic sleep pressure (HSP) produced by sleep deprivation (SD). We have reported that during SD the levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), extracellular nitric oxide (NO), adenosine [AD]ex, lactate [Lac]ex and pyruvate [Pyr]ex increase in the basal forebrain (BF). However, it is not clear whether all of them contribute to HSP leading to increased electroencephalogram (EEG) delta activity during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) recovery sleep (RS) following SD. Previously, we showed that NREM delta increase evident during RS depends on the presence of BF cholinergic (ChBF) neurons. Here, we investigated the role of ChBF cells in coordination of biochemical and EEG changes seen during SD and RS in the rat. Increases in low theta power (5–7Hz), but not high theta (7–9Hz), during SD correlated with the increase in NREM delta power during RS, and with the changes in nitrate/nitrite [NOx]ex and [AD]ex. Lesions of ChBF cells using IgG 192-saporin prevented increases in [NOx]ex, [AD]ex and low theta activity, during SD, but did not prevent increases in [Lac]ex and [Pyr]ex. Infusion of NO donor DETA NONOate into the saporin-treated BF failed to increase NREM RS and delta power, suggesting ChBF cells are important for mediating NO homeostatic effects. Finally, SD-induced iNOS was mostly expressed in ChBF cells, and the intensity of iNOS induction correlated with the increase in low theta activity. Together, our data indicate ChBF cells are important in regulating the biochemical and EEG mechanisms that contribute to HSP. PMID:25369989

Evaluation of the in vivo and ex vivo optical properties in a mouse ear model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salomatina, E.; Yaroslavsky, A. N.

2008-06-01

Determination of in vivo optical properties is a challenging problem. Absorption and scattering measured ex vivo are often used for in vivo applications. To investigate the validity of this approach, we have obtained and compared the optical properties of mouse ears in vivo and ex vivo in the spectral range from 370 to 1650 nm. Integrating sphere spectrophotometry in combination with the inverse Monte Carlo technique was employed to determine absorption coefficients, μa, scattering coefficients, μs, and anisotropy factors, g. Two groups of mice were used for the study. The first group was measured in vivo and ex vivo within 5-10 min post mortem. The second group was measured in vivo and ex vivo every 24 h for up to 72 h after sacrifice. Between the measurements the tissues were kept at 4 °C wrapped in a gauze moistened with saline solution. Then the specimens were frozen at -25 °C for 40 min, thawed and measured again. The results indicate that the absorption coefficients determined in vivo and ex vivo within 5-10 min post mortem differed considerably only in the spectral range dominated by hemoglobin. These changes can be attributed to rapid deoxygenation of tissue and blood post mortem. Absorption coefficients determined ex vivo up to 72 h post mortem decreased gradually with time in the spectral regions dominated by hemoglobin and water, which can be explained by the continuing loss of blood. Absorption properties of the frozen-thawed ex vivo tissues showed increase in oxygenation, which is likely caused by the release of hemoglobin from hemolyzed erythrocytes. Scattering of the ex vivo tissues decreased gradually with time in the entire spectral range due to the continuing loss of blood and partial cell damage. Anisotropy factors did not change considerably.

Dose response of exercise training following roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery: A randomized trial.

PubMed

Woodlief, Tracey L; Carnero, Elvis A; Standley, Robert A; Distefano, Giovanna; Anthony, Steve J; Dubis, Gabe S; Jakicic, John M; Houmard, Joseph A; Coen, Paul M; Goodpaster, Bret H

2015-12-01

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery can cause profound weight loss and improve overall cardiometabolic risk factors. Exercise (EX) training following RYGB can provide additional improvements in insulin sensitivity (SI ) and cardiorespiratory fitness. However, it remains unknown whether a specific amount of EX post-RYGB is required to achieve additional benefits. We performed a post hoc analysis of participants who were randomized into either a 6-month structured EX program or a health education control (CON). The EX group (n = 56) was divided into tertiles according to the amount of weekly exercise performed, compared with CON (n = 42): low-EX = 54 ± 8; middle-EX = 129 ± 4; and high-EX = 286 ± 40 min per week. The high-EX lost a significantly greater amount of body weight, total fat mass, and abdominal deep subcutaneous abdominal fat compared with CON (P < 0.005). SI improved to a greater extent in both the middle-EX and high-EX compared with CON (P < 0.04). Physical fitness (VO2 max) significantly improved in the high-EX (9.3% ± 4.2%) compared with CON (-6.0 ± 2.4%) (P < 0.001). Skeletal muscle mitochondrial State 4 (P < 0.002) and 3 (P < 0.04) respiration was significantly higher in the high-EX compared with CON. A modest volume of structured exercise provides additional improvements in insulin sensitivity following RYGB, but higher volumes of exercise are required to induce additional weight loss, changes in body composition, and improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness and skeletal muscle mitochondrial capacity. © 2015 The Obesity Society.

Evaluation of the in vivo and ex vivo optical properties in a mouse ear model.

PubMed

Salomatina, E; Yaroslavsky, A N

2008-06-07

Determination of in vivo optical properties is a challenging problem. Absorption and scattering measured ex vivo are often used for in vivo applications. To investigate the validity of this approach, we have obtained and compared the optical properties of mouse ears in vivo and ex vivo in the spectral range from 370 to 1650 nm. Integrating sphere spectrophotometry in combination with the inverse Monte Carlo technique was employed to determine absorption coefficients, mu(a), scattering coefficients, mu(s), and anisotropy factors, g. Two groups of mice were used for the study. The first group was measured in vivo and ex vivo within 5-10 min post mortem. The second group was measured in vivo and ex vivo every 24 h for up to 72 h after sacrifice. Between the measurements the tissues were kept at 4 degrees C wrapped in a gauze moistened with saline solution. Then the specimens were frozen at -25 degrees C for 40 min, thawed and measured again. The results indicate that the absorption coefficients determined in vivo and ex vivo within 5-10 min post mortem differed considerably only in the spectral range dominated by hemoglobin. These changes can be attributed to rapid deoxygenation of tissue and blood post mortem. Absorption coefficients determined ex vivo up to 72 h post mortem decreased gradually with time in the spectral regions dominated by hemoglobin and water, which can be explained by the continuing loss of blood. Absorption properties of the frozen-thawed ex vivo tissues showed increase in oxygenation, which is likely caused by the release of hemoglobin from hemolyzed erythrocytes. Scattering of the ex vivo tissues decreased gradually with time in the entire spectral range due to the continuing loss of blood and partial cell damage. Anisotropy factors did not change considerably.

Posttraumatic symptoms, marital intimacy, dyadic adjustment, and sexual satisfaction among ex-prisoners of war.

PubMed

Zerach, Gadi; Anat, Ben-David; Solomon, Zahava; Heruti, Rafi

2010-08-01

The aversive impact of combat and combat-induced posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on marital intimacy and sexual satisfaction has been examined in several studies. Nevertheless, the toll of war captivity on marital intimacy in relation to dyadic adjustment and sexual satisfaction remains unknown. In particular, the mediating role of marital intimacy in the relationship between PTSD symptoms and dyadic adjustment and between PTSD symptoms and sexual satisfaction has not yet been systematically explored thus far. Aims.  This study aimed to examine the interrelationships of PTSD symptoms, dyadic adjustment, sexual satisfaction, and marital intimacy among ex-prisoners of war (ex-POWs). A sample of Israeli veterans ex-POWs (ex-POWs: N = 105) from the 1973 Yom Kippur War and a matched comparison group of veterans who participated in the same war but were not held captive (control: N = 94) were compared in the study variables. The PTSD inventory, dyadic adjustment scale, index of sexual satisfaction, and capacity for intimacy questionnaire. Results.  Findings revealed that ex-POWs reported higher levels of PTSD symptoms and lower levels of dyadic adjustment and sexual satisfaction than comparable controls. There were also differences between the groups in the pattern of relations between PTSD symptoms, dyadic adjustment, sexual satisfaction, and marital intimacy. Finally, for ex-POWs, marital intimacy partially mediated the relationships between PTSD symptoms and dyadic adjustment and sexual satisfaction outcome measures. PTSD symptoms are implicated in marital problems of ex-POWs. A significant relationship was found between the traumatized ex-POW's capacity for intimacy and both their sexual satisfaction and dyadic adjustment. © 2010 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Project EX: A Program of Empirical Research on Adolescent Tobacco Use Cessation

PubMed Central

Sussman, Steve; McCuller, William J; Zheng, Hong; Pfingston, Yvonne M; Miyano, James; Dent, Clyde W

2004-01-01

This paper presents the Project EX research program. The historical background for Project EX is presented, including a brief summary of reasons youth fail to quit tobacco use, the disappointing status of previous cessation research, and the teen cessation trial that provided the template for the current project (Project TNT). Next, program development studies for Project EX are described. Through use of focus groups, a theme study (concept evaluation of written activity descriptions), a component study, and pilot studies, an eight-session program was developed. This program involves novel activities (e.g., "talk show enactments," games, and alternative medicine-type activities such as yoga and meditation) in combination with motivation enhancement and cognitive-behavioral strategies to motivate and instruct in cessation initiation and maintenance efforts. The outcomes of the first experimental trial of Project EX, a school-based clinic program, are described, followed by a posthoc analysis of its effects mediation. A second EX study, a multiple baseline single group pilot study design in Wuhan, China, is described next. Description of a second experimental trial follows, which tested EX with nicotine gum versus a natural herb. A third experimental trial that tests a classroom prevention/cessation version of EX is then introduced. Finally, the implications of this work are discussed. The intent-to-treat quit rate for Project EX is approximately 15% across studies, double that of a standard care comparison. Effects last up to a six-month post-program at regular and alternative high schools. Through a systematic protocol of empirical program development and field trials, an effective and replicable model teen tobacco use cessation program is established. Future cessation work might expand on this work.

Project EX: A Program of Empirical Research on Adolescent Tobacco Use Cessation

PubMed Central

Sussman, Steve; McCuller, William J; Zheng, Hong; Pfingston, Yvonne M; Miyano, James; Dent, Clyde W

2004-01-01

This paper presents the Project EX research program. The historical background for Project EX is presented, including a brief summary of reasons youth fail to quit tobacco use, the disappointing status of previous cessation research, and the teen cessation trial that provided the template for the current project (Project TNT). Next, program development studies for Project EX are described. Through use of focus groups, a theme study (concept evaluation of written activity descriptions), a component study, and pilot studies, an eight-session program was developed. This program involves novel activities (e.g., "talk show enactments," games, and alternative medicine-type activities such as yoga and meditation) in combination with motivation enhancement and cognitive-behavioral strategies to motivate and instruct in cessation initiation and maintenance efforts. The outcomes of the first experimental trial of Project EX, a school-based clinic program, are described, followed by a posthoc analysis of its effects mediation. A second EX study, a multiple baseline single group pilot study design in Wuhan, China, is described next. Description of a second experimental trial follows, which tested EX with nicotine gum versus a natural herb. A third experimental trial that tests a classroom prevention/cessation version of EX is then introduced. Finally, the implications of this work are discussed. The intent-to-treat quit rate for Project EX is approximately 15% across studies, double that of a standard care comparison. Effects last up to a six-month post-program at regular and alternative high schools. Through a systematic protocol of empirical program development and field trials, an effective and replicable model teen tobacco use cessation program is established. Future cessation work might expand on this work. PMID:19570278

The attitudes, role & knowledge of mental health nurses towards euthanasia because of unbearable mental suffering in Belgium: a pilot study.

PubMed

Demedts, Dennis; Roelands, Marc; Libbrecht, Julien; Bilsen, Johan

2018-05-26

Euthanasia because of unbearable mental suffering (UMS euthanasia) has been legal in Belgium since 2002, under certain circumstances that govern careful practice. Despite the legal framework, there are specific difficulties and concerns regarding UMS euthanasia. Mental health nurses are often involved in the process, but little is known about their attitudes towards UMS euthanasia, their role and their knowledge. To determine the attitudes, role and knowledge of mental health nurses regarding UMS euthanasia. A cross-sectional survey was performed at a convenience sample of four psychiatric hospitals in Belgium (n=133) as a pilot study. Self-administered questionnaires were provided to mental health nurses. Half the nurses in our sample had been involved at least once in the process of UMS euthanasia. A large majority of mental health nurses were supportive of UMS euthanasia. Nurses show differences in attitudes related to the different psychiatric pathologies of the patients, and in whether or not minors are involved. In some cases, they believed that the mental suffering of psychiatric patients can be unbearable and irreversible and that psychiatric patients can be competent to voluntarily request UMS euthanasia. Nurses stated that they have an important role in the UMS euthanasia process, but also demanded more knowledge and clear guidelines to implement the procedure. Nurses have a key role regarding UMS euthanasia but face several challenges: the recent process, resistance to a multidisciplinary approach by psychiatrists and an unclear role defined by the legal framework. Nurses do not appear to have a common voice on the topic and the development of clear guidelines appears to be essential. Social recovery can offer a way out of an UMS euthanasia request, but it will not always offer a solution. Sufficient attention must be paid to how mental health nurses can be involved in the process of UMS euthanasia at various levels: bedside practice, healthcare management, education and policy. A form of systematic cooperation between nurses, physicians and patients can contribute to the utmost careful decision-making process needed in these cases. There is a need for proper training in: knowledge of psychiatric pathologies and remaining treatment options; communication skills; the legal framework and all its difficulties; transdisciplinary and multicultural approaches; ethical reflection and how nurses handle their own emotions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The short form of the recombinant CAL-A-type lipase UM03410 from the smut fungus Ustilago maydis exhibits an inherent trans-fatty acid selectivity.

PubMed

Brundiek, Henrike; Saß, Stefan; Evitt, Andrew; Kourist, Robert; Bornscheuer, Uwe T

2012-04-01

The Ustilago maydis lipase UM03410 belongs to the mostly unexplored Candida antarctica lipase (CAL-A) subfamily. The two lipases with [corrected] the highest identity are a lipase from Sporisorium reilianum and the prototypic CAL-A. In contrast to the other CAL-A-type lipases, this hypothetical U. maydis lipase is annotated to possess a prolonged N-terminus of unknown function. Here, we show for the first time the recombinant expression of two versions of lipase UM03410: the full-length form (lipUMf) and an Nterminally truncated form (lipUMs). For comparison to the prototype, the expression of recombinant CAL-A in E. coli was investigated. Although both forms of lipase UM03410 could be expressed functionally in E. coli, the N-terminally truncated form (lipUMs) demonstrated significantly higher activities towards p-nitrophenyl esters. The functional expression of the N-terminally truncated lipase was further optimized by the appropriate choice of the E. coli strain, lowering the cultivation temperature to 20 °C and enrichment of the cultivation medium with glucose. Primary characteristics of the recombinant lipase are its pH optimum in the range of 6.5-7.0 and its temperature optimum at 55 °C. As is typical for lipases, lipUM03410 shows preference for long chain fatty acid esters with myristic acid ester (C14:0 ester) being the most preferred one.More importantly, lipUMs exhibits an inherent preference for C18:1Δ9 trans and C18:1Δ11 trans-fatty acid esters similar to CAL-A. Therefore, the short form of this U. maydis lipase is the only other currently known lipase with a distinct trans-fatty acid selectivity.

Uh and um revisited: are they interjections for signaling delay?

PubMed

O'Connell, Daniel C; Kowal, Sabine

2005-11-01

Clark and Fox Tree (2002) have presented empirical evidence, based primarily on the London-Lund corpus (LL; Svartvik & Quirk, 1980), that the fillers uh and um are conventional English words that signal a speaker's intention to initiate a minor and a major delay, respectively. We present here empirical analyses of uh and um and of silent pauses (delays) immediately following them in six media interviews of Hillary Clinton. Our evidence indicates that uh and um cannot serve as signals of upcoming delay, let alone signal it differentially: In most cases, both uh and um were not followed by a silent pause, that is, there was no delay at all; the silent pauses that did occur after um were too short to be counted as major delays; finally, the distributions of durations of silent pauses after uh and um were almost entirely overlapping and could therefore not have served as reliable predictors for a listener. The discrepancies between Clark and Fox Tree's findings and ours are largely a consequence of the fact that their LL analyses reflect the perceptions of professional coders, whereas our data were analyzed by means of acoustic measurements with the PRAAT software (www.praat.org). A comparison of our findings with those of O'Connell, Kowal, and Ageneau (2005) did not corroborate the hypothesis of Clark and Fox Tree that uh and um are interjections: Fillers occurred typically in initial, interjections in medial positions; fillers did not constitute an integral turn by themselves, whereas interjections did; fillers never initiated cited speech, whereas interjections did; and fillers did not signal emotion, whereas interjections did. Clark and Fox Tree's analyses were embedded within a theory of ideal delivery that we find inappropriate for the explication of these phenomena.

Clustering according to urolithin metabotype explains the interindividual variability in the improvement of cardiovascular risk biomarkers in overweight-obese individuals consuming pomegranate: A randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

González-Sarrías, Antonio; García-Villalba, Rocío; Romo-Vaquero, María; Alasalvar, Cesarettin; Örem, Asim; Zafrilla, Pilar; Tomás-Barberán, Francisco A; Selma, María V; Espín, Juan Carlos

2017-05-01

The pomegranate lipid-lowering properties remain controversial, probably due to the interindividual variability in polyphenol (ellagitannins) metabolism. We aimed at investigating whether the microbially derived ellagitannin-metabolizing phenotypes, i.e. urolithin metabotypes A, (UM-A), B (UM-B), and 0 (UM-0), influence the effects of pomegranate extract (PE) consumption on 18 cardiovascular risk biomarkers in healthy overweight-obese individuals. A double-blind, crossover, dose-response, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted. The study (POMEcardio) consisted of two test phases (dose-1 and dose-2, lasting 3 weeks each) and a 3-week washout period between each phase. Forty-nine participants (BMI > 27 kg/m 2 ) daily consumed one (dose-1, 160 mg phenolics/day) or four (dose-2, 640 mg phenolics/day) PE or placebo capsules. Notably, UM-B individuals showed the highest baseline cardiovascular risk. After dose-2, total cholesterol (-15.5 ± 3.7%), LDL-cholesterol (-14.9 ± 2.1%), small LDL-cholesterol (-47 ± 7%), non-HDL-cholesterol (-11.3 ± 2.5%), apolipoprotein-B (-12 ± 2.2%), and oxidized LDL-cholesterol -24 ± 2.5%) dose dependently decreased (P < 0.05) but only in UM-B subjects. These effects were partially correlated with urolithin production and the increase in Gordonibacter levels. Three (50%) nonproducers (UM-0) became producers following PE consumption. UM clustering suggests a personalized effect of ellagitannin-containing foods and could explain the controversial pomegranate benefits. Research on the specific role of urolithins and the microbiota associated with each UM is warranted. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Medical condition and care of undocumented migrants in ambulatory clinics in Tel Aviv, Israel: assessing unmet needs.

PubMed

Mor, Zohar; Raveh, Yuval; Lurie, Ido; Leventhal, Alex; Gamzu, Roni; Davidovitch, Nadav; Benari, Orel; Grotto, Itamar

2017-07-14

Approximately 150,000 undocumented migrants (UM) who are medically uninsured reside in Israel, including ~50,000 originating from the horn of Africa (MHA). Free medical-care is provided by two walk-in clinics in Tel-Aviv. This study aims to compare the medical complaints of UM from different origins, define their community health needs and assess gaps between medical needs and available services. This cross-sectional study included a random sample of 610 UM aged 18-64 years, who were treated in these community clinics between 2008 and 2011. The study compared UM who had complex medical conditions which necessitated referral to more equipped medical settings with UM having mild/simple medical conditions, who were treated at the clinics. MHA were younger, unemployed and more commonly males compared with UM originating from other countries. MHA also had longer referral-delays and visited the clinics less frequently. UM with complex medical conditions were more commonly females, had chronic diseases and demonstrated longer referral-delays than those who had mild/simple medical conditions. The latter more commonly presented with complained of respiratory, muscular and skeletal discomfort. In multivariate analysis, the variables which predicted complex medical conditions included female gender, chronic illnes and self-referral to the clinics. The ambulatory clinics were capable of responding to mild/simple medical conditions. Yet, the health needs of women and migrants suffering from complex medical conditions and chronic diseases necessitated referrals to secondary/tertiary medical settings, while jeopardizing the continuity of care. The health gaps can be addressed by a more holistic social approach, which includes integration of UM in universal health insurance.

40 CFR 304.25 - Ex parte communication.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Ex parte communication. 304.25 Section 304.25 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SUPERFUND, EMERGENCY... CLAIMS Jurisdiction of Arbitrator, Referral of Claims, and Appointment of Arbitrator § 304.25 Ex parte...

Online adaptive decision trees: pattern classification and function approximation.

PubMed

Basak, Jayanta

2006-09-01

Recently we have shown that decision trees can be trained in the online adaptive (OADT) mode (Basak, 2004), leading to better generalization score. OADTs were bottlenecked by the fact that they are able to handle only two-class classification tasks with a given structure. In this article, we provide an architecture based on OADT, ExOADT, which can handle multiclass classification tasks and is able to perform function approximation. ExOADT is structurally similar to OADT extended with a regression layer. We also show that ExOADT is capable not only of adapting the local decision hyperplanes in the nonterminal nodes but also has the potential of smoothly changing the structure of the tree depending on the data samples. We provide the learning rules based on steepest gradient descent for the new model ExOADT. Experimentally we demonstrate the effectiveness of ExOADT in the pattern classification and function approximation tasks. Finally, we briefly discuss the relationship of ExOADT with other classification models.

A study of deterioration of pulmonary function parameters among smokers and recovery among ex-smokers in bus depot workers.

PubMed

Sreenivas, B Sudha; Sunitha, M S; Nataraj, S M; Dhar, Murali

2012-01-01

Smoking has deleterious effects on Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) parameters; however, evidences about recovery in ex-smokers are ambiguous. Therefore present study was conducted to quantify relative deterioration of PFT parameters and to assess reversibility of the same. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 84 bus-depot workers consisting of equal number of smokers, ex-smokers and non-smokers. PFT observations were obtained using Medspiror following standard methods and precautions. Comparisons among three groups were performed employing one-way ANOVA and post-hoc tests. There were substantial effects of smoking on PFT parameters (deterioration was up-to half). Partial recovery was found in all the parameters of ex-smokers. Frequency and duration of smoking were negatively correlated with some of the parameters. In conclusion, present study has demonstrated considerable deterioration of PFT parameters in smokers and indications of recovery in ex-smokers. Further detailed study with larger sample size and stricter definition of ex-smokers is recommended.

High-speed, large-area, p-i-n InGaAs photodiode linear array at 2-micron wavelength

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joshi, Abhay; Datta, Shubhashish

2012-06-01

We present 16-element and 32-element lattice-mismatched InGaAs photodiode arrays having a cut-off wavelength of ~2.2 um. Each 100 um × 200 um large pixel of the 32-element array has a capacitance of 2.5 pF at 5 V reverse bias, thereby allowing a RC-limited bandwidth of ~1.3 GHz. At room temperature, each pixel demonstrates a dark current of 25 uA at 5 V reverse bias. Corresponding results for the 16-element array having 200 um × 200 um pixels are also reported. Cooling the photodiode array to 150K is expected to reduce its dark current to < 50 nA per pixel at 5 V reverse bias. Additionally, measurement results of 2-micron single photodiodes having 16 GHz bandwidth and corresponding PIN-TIA photoreceiver having 6 GHz bandwidth are also reported.

Development of a non-contextual model for determining the autonomy level of intelligent unmanned systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durst, Phillip J.; Gray, Wendell; Trentini, Michael

2013-05-01

A simple, quantitative measure for encapsulating the autonomous capabilities of unmanned systems (UMS) has yet to be established. Current models for measuring a UMS's autonomy level require extensive, operational level testing, and provide a means for assessing the autonomy level for a specific mission/task and operational environment. A more elegant technique for quantifying autonomy using component level testing of the robot platform alone, outside of mission and environment contexts, is desirable. Using a high level framework for UMS architectures, such a model for determining a level of autonomy has been developed. The model uses a combination of developmental and component level testing for each aspect of the UMS architecture to define a non-contextual autonomous potential (NCAP). The NCAP provides an autonomy level, ranging from fully non- autonomous to fully autonomous, in the form of a single numeric parameter describing the UMS's performance capabilities when operating at that level of autonomy.

Ex vivo blood vessel bioreactor for analysis of the biodegradation of magnesium stent models with and without vessel wall integration

PubMed Central

Wang, Juan; Liu, Lumei; Wu, Yifan; Maitz, Manfred F.; Wang, Zhihong; Koo, Youngmi; Zhao, Ansha; Sankar, Jagannathan; Kong, Deling; Huang, Nan; Yun, Yeoheung

2017-01-01

Current in vitro models fail in predicting the degradation rate and mode of magnesium (Mg) stents in vivo. To overcome this, the microenvironment of the stent is simulated here in an ex vivo bioreactor with porcine aorta and circulating medium, and compared with standard static in vitro immersion and with in vivo rat aorta models. In ex vivo and in vivo conditions, pure Mg wires were exposed to the aortic lumen and inserted into the aortic wall to mimic early- and long-term implantation, respectively. Results showed that: 1) Degradation rates of Mg were similar for all the fluid diffusion conditions (in vitro static, aortic wall ex vivo and in vivo); however, Mg degradation under flow condition (i.e. in the lumen) in vivo was slower than ex vivo; 2) The corrosion mode in the samples can be mainly described as localized (in vitro), mixed localized and uniform (ex vivo), and uniform (in vivo); 3) Abundant degradation products (MgO/Mg(OH)2 and Ca/P) with gas bubbles accumulated around the localized degradation regions ex vivo, but a uniform and thin degradation product layer was found in vivo. It is concluded that the ex vivo vascular bioreactor provides an improved test setting for magnesium degradation between static immersion and animal experiments and highlights its promising role in bridging degradation behavior and biological response for vascular stent research. PMID:28013101

Self-monitoring of spontaneous physical activity and sedentary behavior to prevent weight regain in older adults.

PubMed

Nicklas, Barbara J; Gaukstern, Jill E; Beavers, Kristen M; Newman, Jill C; Leng, Xiaoyan; Rejeski, W Jack

2014-06-01

The objective was to determine whether adding a self-regulatory intervention (SRI) focused on self-monitoring of spontaneous physical activity (SPA) and sedentary behavior to a standard weight loss intervention improved maintenance of lost weight. Older (65-79 years), obese (BMI = 30-40 kg/m(2) ) adults (n = 48) were randomized to a 5-month weight loss intervention involving a hypocaloric diet (DIET) and aerobic exercise (EX) with or without the SRI to promote SPA and decrease sedentary behavior (SRI + DIET + EX compared with DIET + EX). Following the weight loss phase, both groups transitioned to self-selected diet and exercise behavior during a 5-month follow-up. Throughout the 10-months, the SRI + DIET + EX group utilized real-time accelerometer feedback for self-monitoring. There was an overall group by time effect of the SRI (P < 0.01); DIET + EX lost less weight and regained more weight than SRI + DIET + EX. The average weight regain during follow-up was 1.3 kg less in the SRI + DIET + EX group. Individuals in this group maintained approximately 10% lower weight than baseline compared with those in the DIET + EX group whom maintained approximately 5% lower weight than baseline. Addition of a SRI, designed to increase SPA and decrease sedentary behavior, to a standard weight loss intervention enhanced successful maintenance of lost weight. Copyright © 2014 The Obesity Society.

Prediction of functional aerobic capacity without exercise testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jackson, A. S.; Blair, S. N.; Mahar, M. T.; Wier, L. T.; Ross, R. M.; Stuteville, J. E.

1990-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop functional aerobic capacity prediction models without using exercise tests (N-Ex) and to compare the accuracy with Astrand single-stage submaximal prediction methods. The data of 2,009 subjects (9.7% female) were randomly divided into validation (N = 1,543) and cross-validation (N = 466) samples. The validation sample was used to develop two N-Ex models to estimate VO2peak. Gender, age, body composition, and self-report activity were used to develop two N-Ex prediction models. One model estimated percent fat from skinfolds (N-Ex %fat) and the other used body mass index (N-Ex BMI) to represent body composition. The multiple correlations for the developed models were R = 0.81 (SE = 5.3 ml.kg-1.min-1) and R = 0.78 (SE = 5.6 ml.kg-1.min-1). This accuracy was confirmed when applied to the cross-validation sample. The N-Ex models were more accurate than what was obtained from VO2peak estimated from the Astrand prediction models. The SEs of the Astrand models ranged from 5.5-9.7 ml.kg-1.min-1. The N-Ex models were cross-validated on 59 men on hypertensive medication and 71 men who were found to have a positive exercise ECG. The SEs of the N-Ex models ranged from 4.6-5.4 ml.kg-1.min-1 with these subjects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS).

Human plasma and serum extracellular small RNA reference profiles and their clinical utility.

PubMed

Max, Klaas E A; Bertram, Karl; Akat, Kemal Marc; Bogardus, Kimberly A; Li, Jenny; Morozov, Pavel; Ben-Dov, Iddo Z; Li, Xin; Weiss, Zachary R; Azizian, Azadeh; Sopeyin, Anuoluwapo; Diacovo, Thomas G; Adamidi, Catherine; Williams, Zev; Tuschl, Thomas

2018-06-05

Circulating extracellular RNAs (exRNAs) have the potential to serve as biomarkers for a wide range of medical conditions. However, limitations in existing exRNA isolation methods and a lack of knowledge on parameters affecting exRNA variability in human samples may hinder their successful discovery and clinical implementation. Using combinations of denaturants, reducing agents, proteolysis, and revised organic extraction, we developed an automated, high-throughput approach for recovery of exRNAs and exDNA from the same biofluid sample. We applied this method to characterize exRNAs from 312 plasma and serum samples collected from 13 healthy volunteers at 12 time points over a 2-month period. Small RNA cDNA library sequencing identified nearly twofold increased epithelial-, muscle-, and neuroendocrine-cell-specific miRNAs in females, while fasting and hormonal cycle showed little effect. External standardization helped to detect quantitative differences in erythrocyte and platelet-specific miRNA contributions and in miRNA concentrations between biofluids. It also helped to identify a study participant with a unique exRNA phenotype featuring a miRNA signature of up to 20-fold elevated endocrine-cell-specific miRNAs and twofold elevated total miRNA concentrations stable for over 1 year. Collectively, these results demonstrate an efficient and quantitative method to discern exRNA phenotypes and suggest that plasma and serum RNA profiles are stable over months and can be routinely monitored in long-term clinical studies. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

Nickel Nanocatalyst Ex-Solution from Ceria-Nickel Oxide Solid Solution for Low Temperature CO Oxidation.

PubMed

Singhania, Amit; Gupta, Shipra Mital

2018-07-01

In this work, in situ growth of Ni nanocatalysts to attach onto the ceria (CeO2) surface through direct Ni ex-solution from the NiO-CeO2 solid solution in a reducing atmosphere at high temperatures with an aim to improve the catalytic activity, and stability for low temperature carbon monoxide (CO) oxidation reaction have been reported. The NiO-CeO2 solid solutions were prepared by solution combustion method, and the results of XRD and RAMAN showed that doping of Ni increases the oxygen vacancies due to charge compensation. Ni is clearly visible in XRD and TEM of Ni ex-solved sample (R-UCe5Ni10) after reduction of NiO-CeO2 (UCe5Ni10) sample by 5% H2/Ar reduction at 1000 °C. TEM analysis revealed a size of 9.2 nm of Ni nanoparticle that is ex-solved on the surface CeO2. This ex-solved sample showed very high catalytic activity (T50 ~ 110 °C), and stability (100 h) for CO oxidation reaction as compared to prepared solid solution samples. This is due to the highly active metallic nano-phase which is ex-solved on the surface of CeO2 and strongly adherent to the support. The apparent activation energy Ni ex-solved sample is found out to be 48.4 kJ mol-1. Thus, the above Ni ex-solved sample shows a practical applicability for the CO reaction.

Lessons from the Auriga discs: the hunt for the Milky Way's ex situ disc is not yet over

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gómez, Facundo A.; Grand, Robert J. J.; Monachesi, Antonela; White, Simon D. M.; Bustamante, Sebastian; Marinacci, Federico; Pakmor, Rüdiger; Simpson, Christine M.; Springel, Volker; Frenk, Carlos S.

2017-12-01

We characterize the contribution from accreted material to the galactic discs of the Auriga Project, a set of high-resolution magnetohydrodynamic cosmological simulations of late-type galaxies performed with the moving-mesh code AREPO. Our goal is to explore whether a significant accreted (or ex situ) stellar component in the Milky Way disc could be hidden within the near-circular orbit population, which is strongly dominated by stars born in situ. One-third of our models shows a significant ex situ disc but this fraction would be larger if constraints on orbital circularity were relaxed. Most of the ex situ material (≳50 per cent) comes from single massive satellites (>6 × 1010 M⊙). These satellites are accreted with a wide range of infall times and inclination angles (up to 85°). Ex situ discs are thicker, older and more metal poor than their in situ counterparts. They show a flat median age profile, which differs from the negative gradient observed in the in situ component. As a result, the likelihood of identifying an ex situ disc in samples of old stars on near-circular orbits increases towards the outskirts of the disc. We show three examples that, in addition to ex situ discs, have a strongly rotating dark matter component. Interestingly, two of these ex situ stellar discs show an orbital circularity distribution that is consistent with that of the in situ disc. Thus, they would not be detected in typical kinematic studies.

Exercise therapy and recovery after SCI: evidence that shows early intervention improves recovery of function

PubMed Central

Brown, AK; Woller, SA; Moreno, G; Grau, JW; Hook, MA

2011-01-01

Study design This was designed as an experimental study. Objectives Locomotor training is one of the most effective strategies currently available for facilitating recovery of function after an incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). However, there is still controversy regarding the timing of treatment initiation for maximal recovery benefits. To address this issue, the present study compares the effects of exercise initiated in the acute and secondary phase of SCI. Setting Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA. Methods Rats received a moderate spinal contusion injury and began an exercise program 1 (D1-EX) or 8 days (D8-EX) later. They were individually placed into transparent exercise balls for 60 min per day, for 14 consecutive days. Control rats were placed in exercise balls that were rendered immobile. Motor and sensory recovery was assessed for 28 days after injury. Results The D1-EX rats recovered significantly more locomotor function (BBB scale) than controls and D8-EX rats. Moreover, analyses revealed that rats in the D8-EX group had significantly lower tactile reactivity thresholds compared with control and D1-EX rats, and symptoms of allodynia were not reversed by exercise. Rats in the D8-EX group also had significantly larger areas of damage across spinal sections caudal to the injury center compared with the D1-EX group. Conclusion These results indicate that implementing an exercise regimen in the acute phase of SCI maximizes the potential for recovery of function. PMID:21242998

Muscle damage and immune responses to prolonged exercise in environmental extreme conditions.

PubMed

Hassan, Emad S

2016-10-01

This study aimed to investigate the effect of prolonged exercise with and without a thermal clamp on leukocyte cell, stress hormones, cytokine and muscle damage responses. Fifteen healthy male volunteers (means±SD: age 22±3 yr; mass 75.8±3.2 kg; maximal oxygen uptake 55±7 mL/min/kg) randomly completed four chamber trials of 1 hour each, in different environment and separated by 7 days. Trials were: 1) exercise induced heating (EX-heating [EX-H]: temperature/humidity, 38° C/50%); 2) exercise with a thermal clamp (EX-cooling [EX-C]: temperature/humidity, 18° C/50%); 3) passive heating (PA-H: temperature/ humidity, 38° C/50%); 4) passive cooling (PA-C: temperature/ humidity, 18° C/50%). EX-H and EX-C were composed of 1h treadmill runs at 80% individual anaerobic threshold (IAT). Blood samples were collected at pre-post, and 1h postenvironments exposure. Compared to EX-H, exercise-induced increases in core temperature, heart rate, cortisol, human growth hormone (hGH)), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), leukocyte counts and creatine kinase (CK) and Myoglobin (Mb) were significantly (P<0.01) more pronounced than in EX-C. These results suggest that the additional impact of elevated ambient temperatures on stress responses to endurance exercise in trained subjects seems to affect primarily the hormonal systems and resulting changes in leukocyte number, creatine kinase, Myoglobin and interleukine-6.

Comparing outcomes of pediatric and adult external dacryocystorhinostomy in Nepal: Is age a prognostic factor?

PubMed

Limbu, Ben; Katwal, Sulaxmi; Lim, Nicole S; Faierman, Michelle L; Gushchin, Anna G; Saiju, Rohit

2017-08-01

We determine whether age is a prognostic factor for surgical outcomes of external dacryocystorhinostomy (Ex-DCR). This retrospective cohort study conducted at Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology (Kathmandu, Nepal) compared pediatric Ex-DCR procedures (age ≤ 15 years) to adult Ex-DCR procedures (age > 15 years) and was performed between January 2013 and December 2013, with a minimum follow-up period of 6 months. Primary outcome measure was rate of success, defined as complete resolution of subjective symptom(s) of epiphora (subjective success), combined with patent lacrimal passage on syringing (anatomical success) at last follow-up visit. Other outcome measures included clinical presentation, diagnosis, intraoperative complications and post-operative complications. In total, 154 Ex-DCR procedures were included, with an age range of 8 months to 81 years (mean age 36.4 ± 21.0 years). In all, 38 pediatric Ex-DCR procedures were compared to 116 adult procedures. Success rates were 97% in the pediatric group and 95% in the adult group, with no clinically or statistically significant difference in success rate or complication rate between groups (p > 0.05). Our study yielded high success rates of Ex-DCR in both pediatric and adult age groups suggesting that Ex-DCR remains an optimal treatment choice for all age groups. With no difference in surgical outcomes between pediatric and adult patients, including complication rate, we conclude that age is not a prognostic factor for Ex-DCR failure. We do not recommend adjuvant therapy for pediatric patients.

Intimate partner violence reported by female and male users of healthcare units.

PubMed

Barros, Claudia Renata Dos Santos; Schraiber, Lilia Blima

2017-02-16

To analyze nonfatal violence suffered and committed by adult men and women, in an intimate relationship. The participants in the research were women aged between 15 and 49 years and men between 18 and 60 years, interviewed by face-to-face questionnaire application. The sample selection was of consecutive type, according to the order of arrival of the users. We conducted temporarily independent investigations and covered different health services to avoid couples and relationships in which the retaliation could be overvalued. To improve the comparison, we also examined reports of men and women from the same service, i.e., a service that was common to both investigations. We compared the situations suffered by women according to their reports and cross-linked the information to what men, according to their own reports, do against intimate partners or ex-partners. We also examined the cross-linked situation in reverse: the violence committed by women against their partners, according to their reports, in comparison with the violence suffered by men, also according to their reports, even if, in this case, the exam refers only to physical violence. The variables were described using mean, standard deviation, frequencies and proportions, and the hypothesis testing used was: Fisher's exact and Pearson's Chi-square tests, adopting a significance level of 5%. Victimization was greater among women, regardless of the type of violence, when perpetrated by intimate partner. The perception of violence was low in both genders; however, women reported more episodes of multiple recurrences of any violence and sexual abuse suffered than men acknowledged to have perpetrated. The study in its entirety shows significant gender differences, whether about the prevalence of violence, whether about the perception of these situations. Analisar as violências não fatais sofridas e praticadas por homens e mulheres adultos, em situação de parceria íntima. Os sujeitos da pesquisa foram mulheres entre 15 a 49 anos e homens entre 18 a 60 anos, entrevistados por aplicação de questionário face a face. A seleção amostral foi do tipo consecutivo, captando-se os participantes por ordem de chegada ao serviço. Foram conduzidos como investigações temporalmente independentes e abrangendo diferentes serviços, para evitar o estudo em casais, nos quais o revide poderia estar supervalorizado. Para adensar um pouco mais a comparação, também examinamos relatos de homens e mulheres pertencentes a um mesmo serviço, ou seja, um serviço que foi participante comum às duas investigações. Comparamos as situações sofridas pelas mulheres segundo seus relatos e, de modo entrecruzado, as situações que os homens, segundo seus relatos, praticam contra as mulheres, suas parceiras íntimas ou ex-parceiras. Também examinamos a situação entrecruzada reversa: a violência praticada pelas mulheres contra seus parceiros, segundo seus próprios relatos, comparativamente à violência sofrida pelos homens, segundo seus relatos, ainda que, neste caso, o exame se refere apenas à violência física. As variáveis foram descritas por meio de média, desvio padrão, frequências e proporções e os testes de hipóteses utilizados foram: Exato de Fisher e Qui-quadrado de Pearson, adotando-se nível de significância de 5%. A vitimização foi maior entre as mulheres, independentemente do tipo de violência, quando perpetrada por parceiro íntimo. A percepção da violência foi baixa em ambos os sexos; entretanto, mulheres relataram mais episódios de múltiplas recorrências de quaisquer violências e de violência sexual sofrida do que os homens reconheceram que perpetraram. O estudo em seu todo mostra importantes diferenças de gênero, quer quanto às prevalências das violências, quer quanto à percepção dessas situações.

78 FR 58973 - Airworthiness Directives; Dassault Aviation Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-25

... 2000EX type design are included in Dassault Aviation Falcon 2000EX (F2000EX) Aircraft Maintenance Manual... numbers. (d) Subject Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 05, Time Limits/ Maintenance Checks... to introduce a corrosion prevention control program, among other changes, to the maintenance...

13 CFR 400.106 - Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Ex parte communications. 400.106 Section 400.106 Business Credit and Assistance EMERGENCY STEEL GUARANTEE LOAN BOARD EMERGENCY STEEL GUARANTEE LOAN PROGRAM Board Procedures § 400.106 Ex parte communications. Oral or written communication...

45 CFR 160.510 - Ex parte contacts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Ex parte contacts. 160.510 Section 160.510 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ADMINISTRATIVE DATA STANDARDS AND RELATED REQUIREMENTS GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS Procedures for Hearings § 160.510 Ex parte contacts. No party or...

45 CFR 160.510 - Ex parte contacts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Ex parte contacts. 160.510 Section 160.510 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ADMINISTRATIVE DATA STANDARDS AND RELATED REQUIREMENTS GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS Procedures for Hearings § 160.510 Ex parte contacts. No party or...

40 CFR 57.809 - Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Ex parte communications. 57.809 Section 57.809 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED... Technology § 57.809 Ex parte communications. (a) General. (1) No interested person outside the Agency or...

78 FR 14121 - Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications for Strategies Targeting...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-04

... Solicitation for Grant Applications for Strategies Targeting Characteristics Common to Female Ex-Offenders... will be targeted to females, but must also be open to eligible male ex-offenders. Strategies Targeting Characteristics Common to Female Ex-Offenders grants [[Page 14122

EIT based pulsatile impedance monitoring during spontaneous breathing in cystic fibrosis.

PubMed

Krueger-Ziolek, Sabine; Schullcke, Benjamin; Gong, Bo; Müller-Lisse, Ullrich; Moeller, Knut

2017-06-01

Evaluating the lung function in patients with obstructive lung disease by electrical impedance tomography (EIT) usually requires breathing maneuvers containing deep inspirations and forced expirations. Since these maneuvers strongly depend on the patient's co-operation and health status, normal tidal breathing was investigated in an attempt to develop continuous maneuver-free measurements. Ventilation related and pulsatile impedance changes were systematically analyzed during normal tidal breathing in 12 cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and 12 lung-healthy controls (HL). Tidal breaths were subdivided into three inspiratory (In1, In2, In3) and three expiratory (Ex1, Ex2, Ex3) sections of the same amplitude of global impedance change. Maximal changes of the ventilation and the pulsatile impedance signal occurring during these sections were determined (▵I V and ▵I P ). Differences in ▵I V and ▵I P among sections were ascertained in relation to the first inspiratory section. In addition, ▵I V /▵I P was calculated for each section. Medians of changes in ▵I V were  <0.05% in all sections for both subject groups. Both groups showed a similar pattern of ▵I P changes during tidal breathing. Changes in ▵I P first decreased during inspiration (In2), then increased towards the end of inspiration (In3) and reached a maximum at the beginning of expiration (Ex1). During the last two sections of expiration (Ex2, Ex3) ▵I P changes decreased. The CF patients showed higher variations in ▵I P changes compared to the controls (CF:  -426.5%, HL:  -158.1%, coefficient of variation). Furthermore, ▵I V /▵I P significantly differed between expiratory sections for the CF patients (Ex1-Ex2, p  <  0.01; Ex1-Ex3, p  <  0.001; Ex2-Ex3, p  <  0.05), but not for the controls. No significant differences in ▵I V /▵I P between inspiratory sections were determined for both groups. Differences in ▵I P changes and in ▵I V /▵I P between both subject groups were speculated to be caused by higher breathing efforts of the CF patients due to airway obstruction leading to higher intrathoracic pressures, and thus to greater changes in lung perfusion.

REDUCTIVE DEHALOGENATION OF HEXACHLOROETHANE, CARBON TETRACHLORIDE, AND BROMOFORM BY ANAHYDROQUINONE DISULFONATE AND HUMIC ACID

EPA Science Inventory

The reductive dehalogenation of hexachloroethane (C2CI6), carbon tetrachloride (CC14), and bromoform (CHBr3) was examined at 50 degrees C in aqueous solutions containing either (1) 500 uM of 2,6-anthrahydroquinone disulfonate (AHQDS), (2) 250 uM Fe2+, or (3) 250 uM HS. The pH ran...

Assessment of Teams and Teamwork in the University of Maryland Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baughman, M. Sue

2008-01-01

Teams play an important role in the University of Maryland (UM) Libraries. Since 1998, teams and collaborative teamwork have become the way librarians address the myriad of issues affecting the needs of UM's faculty, students, and staff. There has been much change in the UM Libraries over the past nine years, and the development is ongoing.…

Somatic embryogenesis in immature cotyledons of Manchurian ash (Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr.)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Somatic embryogenesis was obtained from immature cotyledon explants that were cultured on half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) salts and vitamins with 5.4 uM naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 0.2 uM thidiazuron (TDZ) plus a 4x4 factorial combination of 0,9.8, 34.6, or 49.2 uM indole-3-butyric acid ...

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Young clumps embedded in IRDC (Traficante+, 2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Traficante, A.; Fuller, G. A.; Peretto, N.; Pineda, J. E.; Molinari, S.

2015-06-01

Photometric parameters for 667 starless clumps (sources identified at 160um with a counterpart at 250 and 350um) and 1056 protostellar clumps (sources identified at 160um with a counterpart at 70, 250 and 350um). Photometric parameters obtained with Hyper photometry code (2015A&A...574A.119T). The photometry is corrected for aperture and colour corrections. The parameter list is the standard Hyper output (see description below). SED fit parameters for 650 starless clumps and 1034 protostellar clumps (all clumps with good SED fitting: Chi2<10, Temperature<40K. See the paper for details) (4 data files).

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Draco nebula Herschel 250um map (Miville-Deschenes+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miville-Deschenes, M.-A.; Salome, Q.; Martin, P. G.; Joncas, G.; Blagrave, K.; Dassas, K.; Abergel, A.; Beelen, A.; Boulanger, F.; Lagache, G.; Lockman, F. J.; Marshall, D. J.

2017-03-01

Draco was observed with Herschel PACS (110 and 170um) and SPIRE (250, 350 and 500um) as part of the open-time program "First steps toward star formation: unveiling the atomic to molecular transition in the diffuse interstellar medium" (P.I. M-A Miville-Deschenes). A field of 3.85x3.85 was observed in parallel mode. Unfortunately, an error occurred during the acquisition of the PACS data making them unusable. Therefore, the results presented here are solely based on SPIRE data, especially the 250um map that has the highest angular resolution. (2 data files).

High Frequency GaAs Bulk Acousto-Optic Devices For Modulators And Frequency Shifters At 1.3um And 1.5um In Fiber-Optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soos, J. I.; Rosemeier, R. G.

1989-02-01

The edge of a transmission window for a GaAs Bragg cell starts about lum, which allows this material to be used for infrared fiber-optic applications, especially at 1.3um and 1.5um. The single crystal of GaAs is acoustically anisotropic and has the highest figure of merit, M2, along <111> direction for a longitudinal mode sound wave. Recently, Brimrose has designed and fabricated an acousto-optic modulator from GaAs operating at a carrier frequency of 2.3 GHz with a diffraction efficiency of 4%/RF watt.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: LRLL54361 protostar Herschel/PACS fluxes (Balog+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balog, Z.; Muzerolle, J.; Flaherty, K.; Detre, O. H.; Bouwmann, J.; Furlan, E.; Gutermuth, R.; Juhasz, A.; Bally, J.; Nielbock, M.; Klaas, U.; Krause, O.; Henning, T.; Marton, G.

2017-03-01

We observed a 14'x14' area in IC348 with the Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS; Poglitsch et al. 2010A&A...518L...2P) Herschel Space Observatory (Pilbratt et al. 2010A&A...518L...1P) simultaneously at 70 and 160um 24 times in scan map mode. An additional five epoch were observed during a later pulse phase of LRLL54361 in all three PACS photometer bands. The PACS spectrograph consists of a 5x5 array of 9.4" x 9.4" spatial pixels (hereafter referred to as spaxels) covering the spectral range from 52-210 um with λ/δλ ~1000-3000. Spectra were obtained in two spectral orders simultaneously, with the second order ranging from 51 to 105um and the first order from 102 to 210um. The spatial resolution of PACS-S ranges from ~9'' at 50um to ~18'' at 210um. Our target was observed in the standard range-scan spectroscopy mode with a grating step size corresponding to Nyquist sampling (see further Poglitsch et al. 2010A&A...518L...2P). (1 data file).

[Estimation of uncertainty of measurement in clinical biochemistry].

PubMed

Enea, Maria; Hristodorescu, Cristina; Schiriac, Corina; Morariu, Dana; Mutiu, Tr; Dumitriu, Irina; Gurzu, B

2009-01-01

The uncertainty of measurement (UM) or measurement uncertainty is known as the parameter associated with the result of a measurement. Repeated measurements usually reveal slightly different results for the same analyte, sometimes a little higher, sometimes a little lower, because the results of a measurement are depending not only by the analyte itself, but also, by a number of error factors that could give doubts about the estimate. The uncertainty of the measurement represent the quantitative, mathematically expression of this doubt. UM is a range of measured values which is probably to enclose the true value of the measured. Calculation of UM for all types of laboratories is regularized by the ISO Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (abbreviated GUM) and the SR ENV 13005 : 2003 (both recognized by European Accreditation). Even if the GUM rules about UM estimation are very strictly, the offering of the result together with UM will increase the confidence of customers (patients or physicians). In this study the authors are presenting the possibilities of UM assessing in labs from our country by using the data obtained in the procedures of methods validation, during the internal and external quality control.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Spectrophotometric distances of HII regions (Moises+, 2011)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moises, A. P.; Damineli, A.; Figueredo, E.; Blum, R. D.; Conti, P. S.; Barbosa, C. L.

2011-11-01

The J-band (λ1.28um, δλ=0.3um), H-band (λ1.63um, δλ=0.3um) and Ks-band (λ2.19um, δλ=0.4um) images were obtained on the nights of 1999 May 1, 4 and 20, 2000 May 19 and 21 and 2001 July 10 and 12, at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) 4-m Blanco telescope, using the facility's infrared imager OSIRIS, which has a field of view (FOV) of 93x93arcsec2 and a pixel scale of 0.161arcsec/pixel. On the nights of 2005 Jult 3-6 and 11 and 2006 June 3-7, we obtained images using the facility's infrared imager ISPI (with a FOV of 10.25x10.25arcmin2 and a pixel scale of 0.3arcsec/pix), also at the 4-m Blanco telescope. Also, on the nights of 1998 August 28 and 29, we obtained images on the CTIO 4-m telescope using the facility's infrared imager CIRIM (with a FOV of 102x102arcsec2 and a pixel scale of 0.40arcsec/pix). (3 data files).

Unconsummated marriage: can it still be considered a consequence of vaginismus?

PubMed

Michetti, P M; Silvaggi, M; Fabrizi, A; Tartaglia, N; Rossi, R; Simonelli, C

2014-01-01

Unconsummated marriage (UM) is the failure to perform successful sexual intercourse at the beginning of the marriage. Vaginismus has been traditionally reported as the leading cause. ED is also a leading cause for UM. This appears to be a significant problem in the conservative middle-Eastern societies and in the developing countries, where couples are strongly prevented by religious rules and cultural taboos from sexual experiences before wedding. One could think that according to major sexual freedom and information, in Western countries UM is now disappearing, but the number of observed cases by the authors in 2008-2012 was relevant. The aim of this study is to compare the literature data from non-Western countries with the features of UM in Western ones, focusing on cases observed by the authors, and to verify whether the etiology of UM proposed in the '70s is still relevant, outlining any changes that occur in current reality. In our series, traditional appearance of UM is no more effective, while the role of man is undervalued, because of his frailty, lack of self-confidence and ignorance, expressing a social and cultural change of man's role in the couple.

Elucidating the role of the FoxO3a transcription factor in the IGF-1-induced migration and invasion of uveal melanoma cancer cells.

PubMed

Yan, Fengxia; Liao, Rifang; Farhan, Mohd; Wang, Tinghuai; Chen, Jiashu; Wang, Zhong; Little, Peter J; Zheng, Wenhua

2016-12-01

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular malignant tumor of adults. It has high mortality rate due to liver metastasis. However, the epidemiology and pathogenesis of liver metastasis in UM are not elucidated and there is no effective therapy available for preventing the development of this disease. IGF-1 is a growth factor involved in cell proliferation, malignant transformation and inhibition of apoptosis. In previous report, IGF-1 receptor was found to be highly expressed in UM and this was related to tumor prognosis. FoxO3a is a Forkhead box O (FOXO) transcription factor and a downstream target of the IGF-1R/PI3K/Akt pathway involved in a number of physiological and pathological processes including cancer. However, the role of FoxO3a in UM is unknown. In the present study, we investigated fundamental mechanisms in the growth, migration and invasion of UM and the involvement of FoxO3a. IGF-1 increased the cell viability, invasion, migration and S-G2/M cell cycle phase accumulation of UM cells. Western blot analysis showed that IGF-1 led to activation of Akt and concomitant phosphorylation of FoxO3a. FoxO3a phosphorylation was associated with its translocation into the cytoplasm from the nucleus and its functional inhibition led to the inhibition of expression of Bim and p27, but an increase in the expression of Cyclin D1. The effects of IGF-1 on UM cells were reversed by LY294002 (a PI3K inhibitor) or Akt siRNA, and the overexpression of FoxO3a also attenuated basal invasion and migration of UM. Taken all together, these results suggest that inhibition of FoxO3a by IGF-1 via the PI3K/Akt pathway has an important role in IGF-1 induced proliferation and invasion of UM cells. These findings also support FoxO3a and IGF signaling may represent a valid target for investigating the development of new strategies for the treatment and prevention of the pathology of UM. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

50 CFR 18.80 - Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Ex parte communications. 18.80 Section 18... WILDLIFE AND PLANTS (CONTINUED) MARINE MAMMALS Notice and Hearing on Section 103 Regulations § 18.80 Ex parte communications. (a) After notice of a hearing is published in the Federal Register, all...

75 FR 10761 - Certain Coated Paper from Indonesia: Preliminary Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-09

... Nancy Decker, regarding ``Ex- Parte Meeting with Counsel to Respondents'' (March 1, 2010). On February... at this ex parte meeting. On February 22, 2010, representatives of petitioners met with Department officials to discuss their scope comments. See Memorandum to the File from Nancy Decker, regarding ``Ex...

Research Topic | Research Site Name | NREL

Science.gov Websites

exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Capabilities Width of 1746px - Height can , quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Subtopic Heading 2 ex ea commodo consequat. Publications Article Title, Journal Name (Year) Conference Paper Title

6 CFR 27.320 - Prohibition on ex parte communications during proceedings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 6 Domestic Security 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Prohibition on ex parte communications during proceedings. 27.320 Section 27.320 Domestic Security DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CHEMICAL FACILITY ANTI-TERRORISM STANDARDS Orders and Adjudications § 27.320 Prohibition on ex parte...

6 CFR 27.320 - Prohibition on ex parte communications during proceedings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 6 Domestic Security 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Prohibition on ex parte communications during proceedings. 27.320 Section 27.320 Domestic Security DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CHEMICAL FACILITY ANTI-TERRORISM STANDARDS Orders and Adjudications § 27.320 Prohibition on ex parte...

6 CFR 27.320 - Prohibition on ex parte communications during proceedings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 6 Domestic Security 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Prohibition on ex parte communications during proceedings. 27.320 Section 27.320 Domestic Security DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CHEMICAL FACILITY ANTI-TERRORISM STANDARDS Orders and Adjudications § 27.320 Prohibition on ex parte...

6 CFR 27.320 - Prohibition on ex parte communications during proceedings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 6 Domestic Security 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Prohibition on ex parte communications during proceedings. 27.320 Section 27.320 Domestic Security DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CHEMICAL FACILITY ANTI-TERRORISM STANDARDS Orders and Adjudications § 27.320 Prohibition on ex parte...

6 CFR 27.320 - Prohibition on ex parte communications during proceedings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 6 Domestic Security 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Prohibition on ex parte communications during proceedings. 27.320 Section 27.320 Domestic Security DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CHEMICAL FACILITY ANTI-TERRORISM STANDARDS Orders and Adjudications § 27.320 Prohibition on ex parte...

45 CFR 79.15 - Ex parte contacts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Ex parte contacts. 79.15 Section 79.15 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM FRAUD CIVIL REMEDIES § 79.15 Ex parte contacts. No party or person (except employees of the ALJ's office) shall communciate in...

Reducing the Matthew Effect: Lessons from the "ExCELL" Head Start Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hindman, Annemarie H.; Erhart, Amber C.; Wasik, Barbara A.

2012-01-01

Evidence shows that the Matthew effect is a persistent problem among early education interventions. The current study examined the degree to which the "ExCELL" ("Ex"ceptional "C"oaching for "E"arly "L"anguage and "L"iteracy) language and literacy professional development intervention for…

32 CFR 728.71 - Ex-service maternity care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Ex-service maternity care. 728.71 Section 728.71 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY PERSONNEL MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE FOR ELIGIBLE PERSONS AT NAVY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT FACILITIES Other Persons § 728.71 Ex-service maternity...

32 CFR 728.71 - Ex-service maternity care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 32 National Defense 5 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Ex-service maternity care. 728.71 Section 728.71 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY PERSONNEL MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE FOR ELIGIBLE PERSONS AT NAVY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT FACILITIES Other Persons § 728.71 Ex-service maternity...

32 CFR 728.71 - Ex-service maternity care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 32 National Defense 5 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Ex-service maternity care. 728.71 Section 728.71 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY PERSONNEL MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE FOR ELIGIBLE PERSONS AT NAVY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT FACILITIES Other Persons § 728.71 Ex-service maternity...

32 CFR 728.71 - Ex-service maternity care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 32 National Defense 5 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Ex-service maternity care. 728.71 Section 728.71 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY PERSONNEL MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE FOR ELIGIBLE PERSONS AT NAVY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT FACILITIES Other Persons § 728.71 Ex-service maternity...

41 CFR 60-30.20 - Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 1 2011-07-01 2009-07-01 true Ex parte communications. 60-30.20 Section 60-30.20 Public Contracts and Property Management Other Provisions Relating to... EXECUTIVE ORDER 11246 Hearings and Related Matters § 60-30.20 Ex parte communications. The Administrative...

41 CFR 60-30.20 - Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Ex parte communications. 60-30.20 Section 60-30.20 Public Contracts and Property Management Other Provisions Relating to... EXECUTIVE ORDER 11246 Hearings and Related Matters § 60-30.20 Ex parte communications. The Administrative...

46 CFR 201.183 - Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... officer in connection with the disposition of the case. (b) Written or oral communications involving any... 46 Shipping 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Ex parte communications. 201.183 Section 201.183... PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE Judicial Standards of Practice (Rule 19) § 201.183 Ex parte communications. (a...

12 CFR 308.9 - Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...) Definition—(1) Ex parte communication means any material oral or written communication relevant to the merits... this section, that person shall cause all such written communications (or, if the communication is oral... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Ex parte communications. 308.9 Section 308.9...

12 CFR 1780.8 - Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... communications. (a) Definition. (1) Ex parte communication means any material oral or written communication... section, that person shall cause all such written communications (or, if the communication is oral, a... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Ex parte communications. 1780.8 Section 1780.8...

44 CFR 1.6 - Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Ex parte communications. 1.6... HOMELAND SECURITY GENERAL RULEMAKING; POLICY AND PROCEDURES General § 1.6 Ex parte communications. In rulemaking proceedings subject only to the procedural requirements of 5 U.S.C. 553: (a) All oral...

12 CFR 509.9 - Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... communications. (a) Definition—(1) Ex parte communication means any material oral or written communication... shall cause all such written communications (or, if the communication is oral, a memorandum stating the... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Ex parte communications. 509.9 Section 509.9...

11 CFR 7.15 - Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... in handling enforcement actions who receives an oral offer or any communication concerning any... 11 Federal Elections 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Ex parte communications. 7.15 Section 7.15... Employees or Commissioners § 7.15 Ex parte communications. In order to avoid the possibility of prejudice...

12 CFR 908.24 - Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... communications. (a) Definition.(1) Ex parte communication means any material oral or written communication... oral, a memorandum stating the substance of the communication) to be placed on the record of the... days of receipt of service of the ex parte communication or the written record of an oral communication...

12 CFR 263.9 - Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

.... (a) Definition—(1) Ex parte communication means any material oral or written communication relevant... oral, a memorandum stating the substance of the communication) to be placed on the record of the... 12 Banks and Banking 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Ex parte communications. 263.9 Section 263.9...

78 FR 22877 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-17

... Bank has developed an electronic disbursement approval processing system for guaranteed lenders with... authorized by Ex-Im Bank and legal documentation has been completed, the lender will obtain and review the... application system (ExIm Online). Ex-Im Bank's action (approved or declined) will be posted on the lender's...

78 FR 10169 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-13

... Bank has developed an electronic disbursement approval processing system for guaranteed lenders with... authorized by Ex-Im Bank and legal documentation has been completed, the lender will obtain and review the... application system (ExIm Online). Ex-Im Bank's action (approved or declined) will be posted on the lender's...

50 CFR 18.80 - Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 8 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Ex parte communications. 18.80 Section 18... WILDLIFE AND PLANTS (CONTINUED) MARINE MAMMALS Notice and Hearing on Section 103 Regulations § 18.80 Ex parte communications. (a) After notice of a hearing is published in the Federal Register, all...

42 CFR 3.510 - Ex parte contacts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Ex parte contacts. 3.510 Section 3.510 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL PROVISIONS PATIENT SAFETY ORGANIZATIONS AND PATIENT SAFETY WORK PRODUCT Enforcement Program § 3.510 Ex parte contacts. No party or person...

42 CFR 3.510 - Ex parte contacts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Ex parte contacts. 3.510 Section 3.510 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL PROVISIONS PATIENT SAFETY ORGANIZATIONS AND PATIENT SAFETY WORK PRODUCT Enforcement Program § 3.510 Ex parte contacts. No party or person...

42 CFR 8.29 - Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Ex parte communications. 8.29 Section 8.29 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL PROVISIONS CERTIFICATION OF..., and of Adverse Action Regarding Withdrawal of Approval of an Accreditation Body § 8.29 Ex parte...

42 CFR 8.29 - Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Ex parte communications. 8.29 Section 8.29 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL PROVISIONS CERTIFICATION OF..., and of Adverse Action Regarding Withdrawal of Approval of an Accreditation Body § 8.29 Ex parte...

40 CFR 78.10 - Ex parte communications during pendency of a hearing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Ex parte communications during pendency of a hearing. 78.10 Section 78.10 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPEAL PROCEDURES § 78.10 Ex parte communications during pendency of a...

7 CFR 1200.18 - Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Ex parte communications. 1200.18 Section 1200.18 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (MARKETING... Governing Proceedings To Formulate and Amend an Order § 1200.18 Ex parte communications. (a) At no stage of...

7 CFR 1200.18 - Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Ex parte communications. 1200.18 Section 1200.18 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (MARKETING... Governing Proceedings To Formulate and Amend an Order § 1200.18 Ex parte communications. (a) At no stage of...

42 CFR 93.507 - Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Ex parte communications. 93.507 Section 93.507 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HEALTH ASSESSMENTS AND... Actions Hearing Process § 93.507 Ex parte communications. (a) No party, attorney, or other party...

45 CFR 81.113 - Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Ex parte communications. 81.113 Section 81.113 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE FOR HEARINGS UNDER PART 80 OF THIS TITLE Judicial Standards of Practice § 81.113 Ex parte communications. Only...

45 CFR 16.17 - Ex parte communications (communications outside the record).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Ex parte communications (communications outside the record). 16.17 Section 16.17 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION PROCEDURES OF THE DEPARTMENTAL GRANT APPEALS BOARD § 16.17 Ex parte communications (communications...

15 CFR 904.255 - Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... rule shall place in the record of decision: (1) All such written communications; (2) Memoranda stating... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Ex parte communications. 904.255... PROCEDURES Hearing and Appeal Procedures Hearings § 904.255 Ex parte communications. (a) Except to the extent...

13 CFR 134.220 - Prohibition against ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Prohibition against ex parte communications. 134.220 Section 134.220 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION RULES OF....220 Prohibition against ex parte communications. No person shall consult or communicate with a Judge...

10 CFR 2.347 - Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Ex parte communications. 2.347 Section 2.347 Energy..., Selection of Specific Hearing Procedures, Presiding Officer Powers, and General Hearing Management for NRC Adjudicatory Hearings § 2.347 Ex parte communications. In any proceeding under this subpart— (a)(1) Interested...

9 CFR 202.122 - Rule 22: Ex parte communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Rule 22: Ex parte communications. 202.122 Section 202.122 Animals and Animal Products GRAIN INSPECTION, PACKERS AND STOCKYARDS....122 Rule 22: Ex parte communications. (a) At no stage of the proceeding between its docketing and the...

Ex-ante and ex-post measurement of equality of opportunity in health: a normative decomposition.

PubMed

Donni, Paolo Li; Peragine, Vito; Pignataro, Giuseppe

2014-02-01

This paper proposes and discusses two different approaches to the definition of inequality in health: the ex-ante and the ex-post approach. It proposes strategies for measuring inequality of opportunity in health based on the path-independent Atkinson equality index. The proposed methodology is illustrated using data from the British Household Panel Survey; the results suggest that in the period 2000-2005, at least one-third of the observed health equalities in the UK were equalities of opportunity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Ex Vivo Artifacts and Histopathologic Pitfalls in the Lung.

PubMed

Thunnissen, Erik; Blaauwgeers, Hans J L G; de Cuba, Erienne M V; Yick, Ching Yong; Flieder, Douglas B

2016-03-01

Surgical and pathologic handling of lung physically affects lung tissue. This leads to artifacts that alter the morphologic appearance of pulmonary parenchyma. To describe and illustrate mechanisms of ex vivo artifacts that may lead to diagnostic pitfalls. In this study 4 mechanisms of ex vivo artifacts and corresponding diagnostic pitfalls are described and illustrated. The 4 patterns of artifacts are: (1) surgical collapse, due to the removal of air and blood from pulmonary resections; (2) ex vivo contraction of bronchial and bronchiolar smooth muscle; (3) clamping edema of open lung biopsies; and (4) spreading of tissue fragments and individual cells through a knife surface. Morphologic pitfalls include diagnostic patterns of adenocarcinoma, asthma, constrictive bronchiolitis, and lymphedema. Four patterns of pulmonary ex vivo artifacts are important to recognize in order to avoid morphologic misinterpretations.

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

Nozaki, T., E-mail: nozaki@ecei.tohoku.ac.jp; Oida, M.; Ashida, T.

We investigated the effect of Pt insertion on a Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Co exchange coupling system. The perpendicular exchange bias μ{sub 0}H{sub ex} decreased with increasing Pt insertion layer thickness, and we observed positive μ{sub 0}H{sub ex} for samples with relatively thick Pt insertion layers. We also examined the cooling field μ{sub 0}H{sub fc} dependence of μ{sub 0}H{sub ex} for the samples. At small μ{sub 0}H{sub fc}, all samples exhibited negative μ{sub 0}H{sub ex}. With increasing μ{sub 0}H{sub fc}, a shift of μ{sub 0}H{sub ex} from negative to positive was observed. In the past, similar behaviors were observed for FeF{sub 2}/Femore » systems exhibiting positive μ{sub 0}H{sub ex}. In addition, the μ{sub 0}H{sub fc} dependence of μ{sub 0}H{sub ex} was well fitted by an equation taking into account the Zeeman energy at the surface of an antiferromagnet as well as an antiferromagnetic exchange coupling. The results strongly suggest that (1) Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} surface spin is affected by the external magnetic field and (2) the coupling at the Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Pt/Co interface is antiferromagnetic.« less

Superresolution imaging of Drosophila tissues using expansion microscopy.

PubMed

Jiang, Nan; Kim, Hyeon-Jin; Chozinski, Tyler J; Azpurua, Jorge E; Eaton, Benjamin A; Vaughan, Joshua C; Parrish, Jay Z

2018-06-15

The limited resolving power of conventional diffraction-limited microscopy hinders analysis of small, densely packed structural elements in cells. Expansion microscopy (ExM) provides an elegant solution to this problem, allowing for increased resolution with standard microscopes via physical expansion of the specimen in a swellable polymer hydrogel. Here, we apply, validate, and optimize ExM protocols that enable the study of Drosophila embryos, larval brains, and larval and adult body walls. We achieve a lateral resolution of ∼70 nm in Drosophila tissues using a standard confocal microscope, and we use ExM to analyze fine intracellular structures and intercellular interactions. First, we find that ExM reveals features of presynaptic active zone (AZ) structure that are observable with other superresolution imaging techniques but not with standard confocal microscopy. We further show that synapses known to exhibit age-dependent changes in activity also exhibit age-dependent changes in AZ structure. Finally, we use the significantly improved axial resolution of ExM to show that dendrites of somatosensory neurons are inserted into epithelial cells at a higher frequency than previously reported in confocal microscopy studies. Altogether, our study provides a foundation for the application of ExM to Drosophila tissues and underscores the importance of tissue-specific optimization of ExM procedures.

The Effects of Combined Treatment with Naringin and Treadmill Exercise on Osteoporosis in Ovariectomized Rats

PubMed Central

SUN, Xiaolei; Fengbo, LI; Xinlong, MA; Jianxiong, MA; ZHAO, Bin; ZHANG, Yang; Yanjun, LI; Jianwei, LV; MENG, Xinmin

2015-01-01

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by low bone mass and progressive destruction of bone microstructure, resulting in increased the risk of fracture. Previous studies have demonstrated the effect of naringin (NG) or treadmill exercise (EX) on osteoporosis, however, reports about effects of NG plus EX on osteoporosis are limited. This study was designed to investigate the impact of combined treatment with naringin and treadmill exercise on osteoporosis in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Three months after bilateral ovariectomy, Seventy-five rats were randomly assigned to the following treatment groups: OVX, sham-operated (SHAM), NG, EX, or NG plus EX treatment. Treatments were administered for 60 days. Bone metabolism, bone mineral density, trabecular bone parameters, immunohistochemistry, and the bone strength were evaluated. Compared to the OVX groups, all treatments increased bone volume (BV/TV), trabecula number (Tb.N), trabecula thickness (Tb.Th), bone mineral density (BMD), and mechanical strength. NG + EX showed the strongest effects on BV/TV, Tb.Th, and biomechanical strength. Additionally, decreased C-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen (CTX-1) and enhanced osteocalcin (OCN) expression were observed in the NG + EX group. The present study demonstrates that the NG + EX may have a therapeutic advantage over each monotherapy for the treatment of osteoporosis. PMID:26260240

Assessment of the effect of prolonged forced swimming on CD-1 mice sperm morphology with and without antioxidant supplementation.

PubMed

Rodriguez, I; Diaz, A; Vaamonde, D

2016-04-01

As physical exercise has been shown to negatively affect sperm morphology, this study was undertaken to assess the effect of a 3-min forced swimming protocol during 50 days, with and without administration of antioxidants [N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and trans-resveratrol], on sperm morphology in CD-1 mice. Forty-four 13-week-old CD-1 mice were randomly allocated to four different groups: mice not submitted to exercise, control group (CG), mice submitted to swimming without administration of antioxidants (EX), mice submitted to swimming that received trans-resveratrol supplementation [exercise group (EX)+Resv] and mice submitted to swimming exercise that received NAC supplementation (EX+NAC). The EX showed 30.5% of spermatozoa with normal morphology, showing significant differences with regard to the CG, which showed 58.5%. The groups receiving antioxidant supplements showed significantly higher percentages of spermatozoa with normal morphology in comparison with the EX group (EX+Resv: 64.1%, EX+NAC: 48.2%). The imposed model of forced swimming caused alterations in sperm morphology. The antioxidants employed seem to be suitable antioxidants for avoiding exercise-associated sperm morphology anomalies in prolonged forced swimming exercise. Trans-resveratrol has proven to be more efficient for this purpose. © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Serum albumin level during intestinal exfoliative rejection: a potential predictor of graft recovery and patient outcome.

PubMed

Zambernardi, Agustina; Gondolesi, Gabriel; Cabanne, Ana; Martinez, María I; Solar, Héctor; Rumbo, Martín; Rumbo, Carolina

2013-01-01

Exfoliative rejection is a severe complication after intestinal transplant. The assessment of mucosa histology is restricted to the area reached by endoscopy. We aim to evaluate the serum albumin (SA) value as a parameter of graft damage and clinical prognosis in intestinal exfoliative rejection (ExR). The present study is a retrospective analysis of 11 episodes of ExR occurred in a cohort of 26 patients. SA levels were measured 24 h after diagnosis and twice a week thereafter and then correlated with parameters of clinical and graft histological recovery (HR). During ExR, all patients had very low SA levels, reaching a minimum average of 1.9 ± 0.3 g/dL. According to the value of albumin levels at ExR diagnosis, the patients were grouped finding a correlation with their clinical evolution. Six ExR episodes presented with severe hipoalbuminemia (<2.2 g/dL; p < 0.05) that correlated with worse patient and graft outcome, ranging from graft loss and need for re-transplantation to delayed clinical and HR. SA at ExR diagnosis may be an indicator of the severity of the ExR process, and it could also be used as an early predictor of patient and graft outcome. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Broiler chickens, broiler chicken meat, pigs and pork as sources of ExPEC related virulence genes and resistance in Escherichia coli isolates from community-dwelling humans and UTI patients.

PubMed

Jakobsen, Lotte; Spangholm, Daniel J; Pedersen, Karl; Jensen, Lars B; Emborg, Hanne-Dorthe; Agersø, Yvonne; Aarestrup, Frank M; Hammerum, Anette M; Frimodt-Møller, Niels

2010-08-15

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common bacterial infections. UTI is primarily caused by extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) from the patients' own fecal flora. The ExPEC often belong to phylogroups B2 and D, the groups which include potent human ExPEC isolates causing UTI, bacteremia, and meningitis. The external sources of these ExPEC in the human intestine are unknown. The food supply may transmit ExPEC to humans. However, evidence of this hypothesis is limited. To assess this hypothesis, the objective of our study was to investigate the presence of ExPEC related virulence genes in E. coli isolates from UTI patients, community-dwelling humans, meat, and production animals. Accordingly, we included 964 geographically and temporally matched E. coli isolates from UTI patients (n=102), community-dwelling humans (n=109), fresh Danish (n=197) and imported broiler chicken meat (n=86), broiler chickens (n=138), fresh Danish (n=177) and imported pork (n=10), and pigs (n=145) in the study. All isolates were investigated for the presence of eight ExPEC related genes (kpsM II, papA, papC, iutA, sfaS, focG, afa, hlyD) using PCR. To investigate any similarities between isolates from the different origins, we performed a cluster analysis including antimicrobial resistance data previously published. We detected seven of the eight ExPEC related genes in isolates from broiler chicken meat, broiler chickens, pork and pigs. Our findings suggest that broiler chicken meat, broiler chickens, pork and pigs could be the source of strains with these ExPEC related virulence genes in community-dwelling humans and UTI patients. Especially detection of ExPEC related virulence genes in isolates belonging to phylogroups B2 and D is very concerning and may have a significant medical impact. The cluster analysis of virulence gene and antimicrobial resistance profiles showed strong similarities between UTI patient, community-dwelling human isolates, meat, and production animal isolates. Thus, these strains from meat and production animals may pose a zoonotic risk. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Troponin release following exercise test in patients with stable angina pectoris - risk factors and prognostic significance].

PubMed

Kokowicz, Piotr; Stec, Sebastian; Flasińska, Katarzyna; Budaj, Andrzej

2010-04-01

Increase of troponin (cTn) is a marker of myocardial injury caused by different mechanisms. Exercise testing (ExT) is a useful clinical tool in predicting the risk of myocardial ischemia, especially in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD), who are more often endangered by medical complications. The test is however limited by its low sensitivity and specificity. To evaluate the reasons for troponin I (cTnI) release after ExT, and to determine its clinical and prognostic implications in patients with stable CAD, referred for elective coronary angiography (ANG). 118 patients without signs of systolic heart failure, referred for planned coronary ANG were included in the analysis. After baseline measurements of NT-proBNP, hsCRP, cTnI, CK-MB levels, maximal ExT was performed, followed by the consecutive measurements of cTnI and CK-MB 12 and 24 hours after examination. All patients underwent coronary ANG and ECHO within 7 days of taking blood samples. All patients were followed up on average for 35.5 months. The cTnI elevation > or = 0.14 ng/mL (> or = 99th percentile value of the reference group) after 24 hours of the ExT was observed in 11 (9%) patients. Predictors of cTnI release in patients after ExT were as follows: ejection fraction < or = 50%, lack or insufficient physical activity, max systolic blood pressure > 160 mm Hg at peak of ExT (OR 6.6, 95% CI 1.2-35.4, p = 0.027; OR 5.5, 95% CI 1.1-28.8, p = 0.04; OR 6.3, 95% CI 1.3-31.6, p = 0.025, respectively). Increase of cTnI after ExT did not correlate with multivessel CAD nor with future adverse clinical events. The cTnI release post ExT is more frequently observed in patients with stable CAD with ejection fraction < or = 50%, low physical activity, and max systolic blood pressure > 160 mm Hg at peak ExT. Post ExT cTnI increase in patients with stable CAD did not correlate with the number of atherosclerotic coronary vessels, and had no prognostic implications. Increase of cTnI after ExT did not have any predictive value in respect to acute coronary syndrome and/or death during long-term follow up.

Analysis of the effects of growth hormone, exercise and food restriction on cancellous bone in different bone sites in middle-aged female rats.

PubMed

Banu, J; Orhii, P B; Okafor, M C; Wang, L; Kalu, D N

2001-06-01

The aim of this study is to determine the effects of growth hormone (GH), exercise (EX), GH+EX and food restriction on cancellous bone in middle-aged female rats. Female F344 rats aged 13 months were divided into (1) age-matched controls; (2) GH treated (2.5 mg/kg. 5 day/week); (3) EX (voluntary wheel running); (4) GH+EX; and (5) food restricted (FR) (fed 60% of the ad libitum food intake). The animals were treated for 18 weeks, at the end of which they were sacrificed. Cancellous bone and cortical bone in the fourth lumbar vertebra, proximal tibial metaphysis (PTM), distal femoral metaphysis (DFM) and femoral neck (NF) were analyzed using peripheral quantitative computerized tomography (pQCT) densitometry. Growth hormone increased cancellous bone area, cancellous bone mineral content, cortical bone area and cortical bone mineral content in the vertebra, PTM, DFM and NF. The tibial muscle wet weight was increased significantly after GH treatment. Exercise increased the cancellous bone area in the vertebra, PTM and DFM. Cortical bone area and cortical bone mineral content increased after EX in the vertebra, PTM, DFM and NF. No significant change was seen in the tibial muscle wet weight after EX. Growth hormone+EX increased cancellous bone area in the vertebra PTM and DFM but had no effect in neck of the femur. Cancellous bone mineral content, cortical bone area and cortical bone mineral content increased with GH+EX in the vertebra, PTM, DFM and NF. The tibial muscle wet weight was increased significantly with GH+EX. Food restriction decreased cancellous bone area and cancellous bone mineral content in all the bones studied. The decrease was statistically significant only at the distal femoral metaphysis. The tibial muscle wet weight decreased when compared with the age-matched control, but this decrease was not statistically significant. We conclude that the effect of the dose of GH used and the levels of voluntary wheel running EX used increased cancellous bone in intact rats; the effect of GH is much greater and different bones respond with varying intensities. The effects of combined treatment of GH and EX on cancellous bone are not always significantly higher than those of GH alone. FR at the level studied has a mostly negative effect on cancellous bone.

Undermethylated DNA as a source of microsatellites from a conifer genome.

PubMed

Zhou, Y; Bui, T; Auckland, L D; Williams, C G

2002-02-01

Developing microsatellites from the large, highly duplicated conifer genome requires special tools. To improve the efficiency of developing Pinus taeda L. microsatellites, undermethylated (UM) DNA fragments were used to construct a microsatellite-enriched copy library. A methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme, McrBC, was used to enrich for UM DNA before library construction. Digested DNA fragments larger than 9 kb were then excised and digested with RsaI and used to construct nine dinucleotide and trinucleotide libraries. A total of 1016 microsatellite-positive clones were detected among 11 904 clones and 620 of these were unique. Of 245 primer sets that produced a PCR product, 113 could be developed as UM microsatellite markers and 70 were polymorphic. Inheritance and marker informativeness were tested for a random sample of 36 polymorphic markers using a three-generation outbred pedigree. Thirty-one microsatellites (86%) had single-locus inheritance despite the highly duplicated nature of the P. taeda genome. Nineteen UM microsatellites had highly informative intercross mating type configurations. Allele number and frequency were estimated for eleven UM microsatellites using a population survey. Allele numbers for these UM microsatellites ranged from 3 to 12 with an average of 5.7 alleles/locus. Frequencies for the 63 alleles were mostly in the low-common range; only 14 of the 63 were in the rare allele (q < 0.05) class. Enriching for UM DNA was an efficient method for developing polymorphic microsatellites from a large plant genome.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: UKIDSS-DR8 LAS, GCS and DXS Surveys (Lawrence+ 2012)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawrence, A.; Warren, S. J.; Almaini, O.; Edge, A. C.; Hambly, N. C.; Jameson, R. F.; Lucas, P.; Casali, M.; Adamson, A.; Dye, S.; Emerson, J. P.; Foucaud, S.; Hewett, P.; Hirst, P.; Hodgkin, S. T.; Irwin, M. J.; Lodieu, N.; McMahon, R. G.; Simpson, C.; Smail, I.; Mortlock, D.; Folger, M.

2012-03-01

The UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) is a large-scale near-IR survey which aim is to cover 7500 square degrees of the Northern sky. The survey is carried out using the Wide Field Camera (WFCAM), with a field of view of 0.21 square degrees, mounted on the 3.8m United Kingdom Infra-red Telescope (UKIRT) in Hawaii. The project comprises five surveys (LAS, GCS, DXS, GPS and UDS). The Large Area Survey (LAS) covers an area of 4000 square degrees in high Galactic latitudes (extragalactic) in the four bands Y(1.0um) J(1.2um) H(1.6um) and K(2.2um) to a depth of K=18.4. The Galactic Clusters Survey (GCS) aims to survey ten large open star clusters and star formation associations, covering a total of 1067 square degrees in the five bands Z (0.9um), Y(1.0um) J(1.2um) H(1.6um) and K(2.2um), plus a second pass in K for proper motions, to a depth of Z=20.4, Y=20.3, J=19.5, H=18.6, K=18.6. The Deep Extragalactic Survey (DXS) aims to map 35 square degrees of sky to a 5-σ point-source sensitivity of J=22.3 and K=20.8 in four carefully selected, multi-wavelength survey areas. The central regions of each field will also be mapped to H=21.8. The primary aim of the survey is to produce a photometric galaxy sample at a redshift of 1-2, within a volume comparable to that of the SDSS, selected in the same passband (rest frame optical). Details of the surveys can be found in the in the paper by Lawrence et al. (2007MNRAS.379.1599L), and at the UKIDSS Surveys site (http://www.ukidss.org/surveys/surveys.html). The data described here represent a subset of the UKIDSS data, limited to the public data and most representative columns. In the "Byte-by-byte Description" below the original names of the columns are given as bracketed names. (3 data files).

Excited delirium syndrome (ExDS): treatment options and considerations.

PubMed

Vilke, Gary M; Bozeman, William P; Dawes, Donald M; Demers, Gerard; Wilson, Michael P

2012-04-01

The term Excited Delirium Syndrome (ExDS) has traditionally been used in the forensic literature to describe findings in a subgroup of patients with delirium who suffered lethal consequences from their untreated severe agitation.(1-5) Excited delirium syndrome, also known as agitated delirium, is generally defined as altered mental status and combativeness or aggressiveness. Although the exact signs and symptoms are difficult to define precisely, clinical findings often include many of the following: tolerance to significant pain, rapid breathing, sweating, severe agitation, elevated temperature, delirium, non-compliance or poor awareness to direction from police or medical personnel, lack of fatiguing, unusual or superhuman strength, and inappropriate clothing for the current environment. It has become increasingly recognized that individuals displaying ExDS are at high risk for sudden death, and ExDS therefore represents a true medical emergency. Recently the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) published the findings of a white paper on the topic of ExDS to better find consensus on the issues of definition, diagnosis, and treatment.(6) In so doing, ACEP joined the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) in recognizing ExDS as a medical condition. For both paramedics and physicians, the difficulty in diagnosing the underlying cause of ExDS in an individual patient is that the presenting clinical signs and symptoms of ExDS can be produced by a wide variety of clinical disease processes. For example, agitation, combativeness, and altered mental status can be produced by hypoglycemia, thyroid storm, certain kinds of seizures, and these conditions can be difficult to distinguish from those produced by cocaine or methamphetamine intoxication.(7) Prehospital personnel are generally not expected to differentiate between the multiple possible causes of the patient's presentation, but rather simply to recognize that the patient has a medical emergency and initiate appropriate stabilizing treatment. ExDS patients will generally require transfer to an emergency department (ED) for further management, evaluation, and definitive care. In this paper, we present a typical ExDS case and then review existing literature for current treatment options. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Decreased expression of endogenous feline leukemia virus in cat lymphomas: a case control study.

PubMed

Krunic, Milica; Ertl, Reinhard; Hagen, Benedikt; Sedlazeck, Fritz J; Hofmann-Lehmann, Regina; von Haeseler, Arndt; Klein, Dieter

2015-04-10

Cats infected with exogenous feline leukemia virus (exFeLV) have a higher chance of lymphoma development than uninfected cats. Furthermore, an increased exFeLV transcription has been detected in lymphomas compared to non-malignant tissues. The possible mechanisms of lymphoma development by exFeLV are insertional mutagenesis or persistent stimulation of host immune cells by viral antigens, bringing them at risk for malignant transformation. Vaccination of cats against exFeLV has in recent years decreased the overall infection rate in most countries. Nevertheless, an increasing number of lymphomas have been diagnosed among exFeLV-negative cats. Endogenous feline leukemia virus (enFeLV) is another retrovirus for which transcription has been observed in cat lymphomas. EnFeLV provirus elements are present in the germline of various cat species and share a high sequence similarity with exFeLV but, due to mutations, are incapable of producing infectious viral particles. However, recombination between exFeLV and enFeLV could produce infectious particles. We examined the FeLV expression in cats that have developed malignant lymphomas and discussed the possible mechanisms that could have induced malignant transformation. For expression analysis we used next-generation RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) and for validation reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). First, we showed that there was no expression of exFeLV in all samples, which eliminates the possibility of recombination between exFeLV and enFeLV. Next, we analyzed the difference in expression of three enFeLV genes between control and lymphoma samples. Our analysis showed an average of 3.40-fold decreased viral expression for the three genes in lymphoma compared to control samples. The results were confirmed by RT-qPCR. There is a decreased expression of enFeLV genes in lymphomas versus control samples, which contradicts previous observations for the exFeLV. Our results suggest that a persistent stimulation of host immune cells is not an appropriate mechanism responsible for malignant transformation caused by feline endogenous retroviruses.

Impaired vascular function in physically active premenopausal women with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea is associated with low shear stress and increased vascular tone.

PubMed

O'Donnell, Emma; Goodman, Jack M; Mak, Susanna; Harvey, Paula J

2014-05-01

Exercise-trained hypoestrogenic premenopausal women with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (ExFHA) exhibit impaired endothelial function. The vascular effects of an acute bout of exercise, a potent nitric oxide stimulus, in these women are unknown. Three groups were studied: recreationally active ExFHA women (n = 12; 24.2 ± 1.2 years of age; mean ± SEM), and recreationally active (ExOv; n = 14; 23.5 ± 1.2 years of age) and sedentary (SedOv; n = 15; 23.1 ± 0.5 years of age) ovulatory eumenorrheic women. Calf blood flow (CBF) and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) were evaluated using plethysmographic and ultrasound techniques, respectively, both before and 1 hour after 45 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise. Endothelium-independent dilation was assessed at baseline using glyceryl trinitrate. Calf vascular resistance (CVR) and brachial peak shear rate, as determined by the area under the curve (SRAUCpk), were also calculated. FMD and glyceryl trinitrate responses were lower (P < .05) in ExFHA (2.8% ± 0.4% and 11.6% ± 0.7%, respectively) than ExOv (8.8% ± 0.7% and 16.7% ± 1.3%) and SedOv (8.0% ± 0.5% and 17.1% ± 1.8%). SRAUCpk was also lower (P < .05) in ExFHA. Normalization of FMD for SRAUCpk (FMD/SRAUCpk) did not alter (P > .05) the findings. CBF was lower (P < .05) and CVR higher (P < .05) in ExFHA. After exercise, FMD and SRAUCpk were augmented (P < .05), but remained lower (P < .05), in ExFHA. FMD/SRAUCpk no longer differed (P > .05) between the groups. CBF in ExFHA was increased (P < .05) and CVR decreased (P < .05) to levels observed in ovulatory women. Acute dynamic exercise improves vascular function in ExFHA women. Although the role of estrogen deficiency per se is unclear, our findings suggest that low shear rate and increased vasoconstrictor tone may play a role in impaired basal vascular function in these women.

Large-Scale Phenotyping of an Accurate Genetic Mouse Model of JNCL Identifies Novel Early Pathology Outside the Central Nervous System

PubMed Central

Staropoli, John F.; Haliw, Larissa; Biswas, Sunita; Garrett, Lillian; Hölter, Sabine M.; Becker, Lore; Skosyrski, Sergej; Da Silva-Buttkus, Patricia; Calzada-Wack, Julia; Neff, Frauke; Rathkolb, Birgit; Rozman, Jan; Schrewe, Anja; Adler, Thure; Puk, Oliver; Sun, Minxuan; Favor, Jack; Racz, Ildikó; Bekeredjian, Raffi; Busch, Dirk H.; Graw, Jochen; Klingenspor, Martin; Klopstock, Thomas; Wolf, Eckhard; Wurst, Wolfgang; Zimmer, Andreas; Lopez, Edith; Harati, Hayat; Hill, Eric; Krause, Daniela S.; Guide, Jolene; Dragileva, Ella; Gale, Evan; Wheeler, Vanessa C.; Boustany, Rose-Mary; Brown, Diane E.; Breton, Sylvie; Ruether, Klaus; Gailus-Durner, Valérie; Fuchs, Helmut; de Angelis, Martin Hrabě; Cotman, Susan L.

2012-01-01

Cln3Δex7/8 mice harbor the most common genetic defect causing juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL), an autosomal recessive disease involving seizures, visual, motor and cognitive decline, and premature death. Here, to more thoroughly investigate the manifestations of the common JNCL mutation, we performed a broad phenotyping study of Cln3Δex7/8 mice. Homozygous Cln3Δex7/8 mice, congenic on a C57BL/6N background, displayed subtle deficits in sensory and motor tasks at 10–14 weeks of age. Homozygous Cln3Δex7/8 mice also displayed electroretinographic changes reflecting cone function deficits past 5 months of age and a progressive decline of retinal post-receptoral function. Metabolic analysis revealed increases in rectal body temperature and minimum oxygen consumption in 12–13 week old homozygous Cln3Δex7/8mice, which were also seen to a lesser extent in heterozygous Cln3Δex7/8 mice. Heart weight was slightly increased at 20 weeks of age, but no significant differences were observed in cardiac function in young adults. In a comprehensive blood analysis at 15–16 weeks of age, serum ferritin concentrations, mean corpuscular volume of red blood cells (MCV), and reticulocyte counts were reproducibly increased in homozygous Cln3 Δ ex7/8 mice, and male homozygotes had a relative T-cell deficiency, suggesting alterations in hematopoiesis. Finally, consistent with findings in JNCL patients, vacuolated peripheral blood lymphocytes were observed in homozygous Cln3 Δ ex7/8 neonates, and to a greater extent in older animals. Early onset, severe vacuolation in clear cells of the epididymis of male homozygous Cln3 Δ ex7/8 mice was also observed. These data highlight additional organ systems in which to study CLN3 function, and early phenotypes have been established in homozygous Cln3 Δ ex7/8 mice that merit further study for JNCL biomarker development. PMID:22701626

Cytochrome P450 genes from the aquatic midge Chironomus tentans: Atrazine-induced up-regulation of CtCYP6EX3 enhanced the toxicity of chlorpyrifos.

PubMed

Tang, Guanghui; Yao, Jianxiu; Li, Daqi; He, Yanping; Zhu, Yu-Cheng; Zhang, Xin; Zhu, Kun Yan

2017-11-01

The open reading frames of 19 cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYP) genes were sequenced from Chironomus tentans, a commonly used freshwater invertebrate model. Phylogenetic analysis of the 19 CYPs along with a previously reported CYP (CtCYP4G33) revealed that they belong to three different clans, including 3 in CYP4, 15 in CYP3, and 2 in mitochondria clan. When third-instar larvae were exposed to atrazine at 5000 μg/L, the transcription of CtCYP6EX3, CtCYP6EV3, CtCYP9AT1 and CtCYPEX1 was significantly up-regulated. To examine whether CtCYP6EX3 played a role in oxidative activation of chlorpyrifos to chlorpyrifos-oxon, we evaluated larval susceptibility to chlorpyrifos after CtCYP6EX3 transcript was suppressed by RNAi. The larvae fed chitosan/dsCtCYP6EX3 nanoparticles showed a significantly decreased CtCYP6EX3 transcript (53.1%) as compared with the control larvae fed chitosan/dsGFP nanoparticles. When the CtCYP6EX3-silenced larvae were exposed to chlorpyrifos at 6 μg/L or its binary mixture with atrazine (chlorpyrifos at 3 μg/L and atrazine at 1000 μg/L), the larvae became less susceptible to the pesticides as their mortalities decreased by 24.1% and 20.5%, respectively. These results along with our previous findings suggested that the increased toxicity of chlorpyrifos was likely due to an enhanced oxidative process from chlorpyrifos to chlorpyrifos-oxon by CtCYP6EX3 as RNAi of CtCYP6EX3 led to decreased susceptibility of C. tentans larvae to chlorpyrifos alone and the binary mixture of atrazine and chlorpyrifos. However, further study would be necessary to validate our results by functional assays using heterologously expressed CtCYP6EX3 enzyme. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of trabeculectomy versus Ex-PRESS: 3-year follow-up.

PubMed

Gonzalez-Rodriguez, Johanna M; Trope, Graham E; Drori-Wagschal, Lilach; Jinapriya, Delan; Buys, Yvonne M

2016-09-01

To compare the outcomes of Ex-PRESS versus trabeculectomy at 3 years. Consenting patients aged 18-85 years with medically uncontrolled open-angle glaucoma scheduled for trabeculectomy were included in this study. 63 subjects were randomised to undergo Ex-PRESS (32) or trabeculectomy (31). Follow-up data included intraocular pressure (IOP), glaucoma medications, visual acuity (VA), complications and additional interventions. Complete success was defined as IOP between 5 and 18 mm Hg and 20% reduction from baseline without glaucoma medications, while qualified success was with or without glaucoma medications. Complete success at 2 and 3 years was 43% vs 42% (p=0.78) and 35% vs 38% (p=0.92) in Ex-PRESS versus trabeculectomy, respectively. Qualified success at 2 and 3 years was 59% vs 76% (p=0.20) and 52% vs 61% (p=0.43) in Ex-PRESS versus trabeculectomy, respectively. Mean IOP at 2 and 3 years was 12.5±5.1 mm Hg vs 10.3±3.7 mm Hg (p=0.07) and 13.3±4.5 mm Hg vs 11.1±4.4 mm Hg (p=0.10) for Ex-PRESS versus trabeculectomy, respectively. At 3 years, 47.6% of Ex-PRESS and 50% of trabeculectomy patients were on glaucoma medications (p=1.00). No difference in VA was found after 3 years (logarithm of minimum angle of resolution 0.43±0.4 vs 0.72±0.8 for Ex-PRESS vs trabeculectomy, p=0.11). When excluding patients who underwent reoperation VA was better in the Ex-PRESS group at 1, 2 and 3 years. There were no complications after the first year in either group. We found no difference in success rates, mean IOP or other secondary outcomes between Ex-PRESS and trabeculectomy after 3 years of follow-up. NCT01263561; post results. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Regadenoson pharmacologic stress for myocardial perfusion imaging: a three-way comparison between regadenoson administered at peak exercise, during walk recovery, or no-exercise.

PubMed

Thompson, Randall C; Patil, Harshal; Thompson, Elaine C; Thomas, Gregory S; Al-Amoodi, Mohammed; Kennedy, Kevin F; Bybee, Kevin A; Iain McGhie, A; O'Keefe, James H; Oakes, Lisa; Bateman, Timothy M

2013-04-01

Regadenoson (Reg) is being administered with increasing frequency either at peak exercise (ExPeak-Reg) or during a slow-down/walking recovery state (ExRec-Reg) rather than at rest (Rest-Reg). The aim of this study was to compare the clinical response of ExPeak-Reg, ExRec-Reg, and Rest-Reg. We compared 531 patients divided equally between Rest-Reg, ExPeak-Reg, and ExRec-Reg matched for age, sex, and BMI. The average systolic blood pressure (SBP) rise following Reg was modest, but there was considerable heterogeneity and the ExPeak-Reg group had a higher percentage of patients who had a SBP rise of 40 mm Hg or a fall of 20 mm Hg than either the ExRec-Reg or the Rest-Reg groups (≥40 mm Hg rise 6.8%, 1.7%, and 1.7%, respectively) (P < .02) (≥20 mm Hg fall 15.8%, 13.0%, and 7.3%, respectively) (P < .05). Chest discomfort, nausea, dizziness, and interfering abdominal radiotracer activity were less common in both exercise Reg groups compared to Rest-Reg (P < .05). Regadenoson injected at peak of symptom-limited exercise was generally well tolerated, but some patients had a significant rise or drop in SBP. There is no apparent advantage of administering regadenoson at peak exercise rather than during walk recovery, and the latter approach may have a greater safety margin.

Increasing blood flow to exercising muscle attenuates systemic cardiovascular responses during dynamic exercise in humans

PubMed Central

Ichinose-Kuwahara, Tomoko; Kondo, Narihiko; Nishiyasu, Takeshi

2015-01-01

Reducing blood flow to working muscles during dynamic exercise causes metabolites to accumulate within the active muscles and evokes systemic pressor responses. Whether a similar cardiovascular response is elicited with normal blood flow to exercising muscles during dynamic exercise remains unknown, however. To address that issue, we tested whether cardiovascular responses are affected by increases in blood flow to active muscles. Thirteen healthy subjects performed dynamic plantarflexion exercise for 12 min at 20%, 40%, and 60% of peak workload (EX20, EX40, and EX60) with their lower thigh enclosed in a negative pressure box. Under control conditions, the box pressure was the same as the ambient air pressure. Under negative pressure conditions, beginning 3 min after the start of the exercise, the box pressure was decreased by 20, 45, and then 70 mmHg in stepwise fashion with 3-min step durations. During EX20, the negative pressure had no effect on blood flow or the cardiovascular responses measured. However, application of negative pressure increased blood flow to the exercising leg during EX40 and EX60. This increase in blood flow had no significant effect on systemic cardiovascular responses during EX40, but it markedly attenuated the pressor responses otherwise seen during EX60. These results demonstrate that during mild exercise, normal blood flow to exercising muscle is not a factor eliciting cardiovascular responses, whereas it elicits an important pressor effect during moderate exercise. This suggests blood flow to exercising muscle is a major determinant of cardiovascular responses during dynamic exercise at higher than moderate intensity. PMID:26377556

Remotely Delivered Exercise-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation: Design and Content Development of a Novel mHealth Platform.

PubMed

Rawstorn, Jonathan C; Gant, Nicholas; Meads, Andrew; Warren, Ian; Maddison, Ralph

2016-06-24

Participation in traditional center-based cardiac rehabilitation exercise programs (exCR) is limited by accessibility barriers. Mobile health (mHealth) technologies can overcome these barriers while preserving critical attributes of center-based exCR monitoring and coaching, but these opportunities have not yet been capitalized on. We aimed to design and develop an evidence- and theory-based mHealth platform for remote delivery of exCR to any geographical location. An iterative process was used to design and develop an evidence- and theory-based mHealth platform (REMOTE-CR) that provides real-time remote exercise monitoring and coaching, behavior change education, and social support. The REMOTE-CR platform comprises a commercially available smartphone and wearable sensor, custom smartphone and Web-based applications (apps), and a custom middleware. The platform allows exCR specialists to monitor patients' exercise and provide individualized coaching in real-time, from almost any location, and provide behavior change education and social support. Intervention content incorporates Social Cognitive Theory, Self-determination Theory, and a taxonomy of behavior change techniques. Exercise components are based on guidelines for clinical exercise prescription. The REMOTE-CR platform extends the capabilities of previous telehealth exCR platforms and narrows the gap between existing center- and home-based exCR services. REMOTE-CR can complement center-based exCR by providing an alternative option for patients whose needs are not being met. Remotely monitored exCR may be more cost-effective than establishing additional center-based programs. The effectiveness and acceptability of REMOTE-CR are now being evaluated in a noninferiority randomized controlled trial.

Dissociating the therapeutic effects of environmental enrichment and exercise in a mouse model of anxiety with cognitive impairment

PubMed Central

Rogers, J; Vo, U; Buret, LS; Pang, TY; Meiklejohn, H; Zeleznikow-Johnston, A; Churilov, L; van den Buuse, M; Hannan, AJ; Renoir, T

2016-01-01

Clinical evidence indicates that serotonin-1A receptor (5-HT1AR) gene polymorphisms are associated with anxiety disorders and deficits in cognition. In animal models, exercise (Ex) and environmental enrichment (EE) can change emotionality-related behaviours, as well as enhance some aspects of cognition and hippocampal neurogenesis. We investigated the effects of Ex and EE (which does not include running wheels) on cognition and anxiety-like behaviours in wild-type (WT) and 5-HT1AR knock-out (KO) mice. Using an algorithm-based classification of search strategies in the Morris water maze, we report for we believe the first time that Ex increased the odds for mice to select more hippocampal-dependent strategies. In the retention probe test, Ex (but not EE) corrected long-term spatial memory deficits displayed by KO mice. In agreement with these findings, only Ex increased hippocampal cell survival and BDNF protein levels. However, only EE (but not Ex) modified anxiety-like behaviours, demonstrating dissociation between improvements in cognition and innate anxiety. EE enhanced hippocampal cell proliferation in WT mice only, suggesting a crucial role for intact serotonergic signalling in mediating this effect. Together, these results demonstrate differential effects of Ex vs EE in a mouse model of anxiety with cognitive impairment. Overall, the 5-HT1AR does not seem to be critical for those behavioural effects to occur. These findings will have implications for our understanding of how Ex and EE enhance experience-dependent plasticity, as well as their differential impacts on anxiety and cognition. PMID:27115125

Acute aerobic exercise differentially alters acylated ghrelin and perceived fullness in normal-weight and obese individuals.

PubMed

Heden, Timothy D; Liu, Ying; Park, Youngmin; Dellsperger, Kevin C; Kanaley, Jill A

2013-09-01

Adiposity alters acylated ghrelin concentrations, but it is unknown whether adiposity alters the effect of exercise and feeding on acylated ghrelin responses. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether adiposity [normal-weight (NW) vs. obese (Ob)] influences the effect of exercise and feeding on acylated ghrelin, hunger, and fullness. Fourteen NW and 14 Ob individuals completed two trials in a randomized counterbalanced fashion, including a prior exercise trial (EX) and a no exercise trial (NoEX). During the EX trial, the participants performed 1 h of treadmill walking (55-60% peak O2 uptake) during the evening, 12 h before a 4-h standardized mixed meal test. Frequent blood samples were taken and analyzed for acylated ghrelin, and a visual analog scale was used to assess perceived hunger and fullness. In NW individuals, EX, compared with NoEX, reduced fasting acylated ghrelin concentrations by 18% (P = 0.03), and, in response to feeding, the change in acylated ghrelin (P = 0.02) was attenuated by 39%, but perceived hunger and fullness were unaltered. In Ob individuals, despite no changes in fasting or postprandial acylated ghrelin concentrations with EX, postprandial fullness was attenuated by 46% compared with NoEX (P = 0.05). In summary, exercise performed the night before a meal suppresses acylated ghrelin concentrations in NW individuals without altering perceived hunger or fullness. In Ob individuals, despite no changes in acylated ghrelin concentrations, EX reduced the fullness response to the test meal. Acylated ghrelin and perceived fullness responses are differently altered by acute aerobic exercise in NW and Ob individuals.

Effects of resistance exercise on the HPA axis response to psychological stress during short-term smoking abstinence in men.

PubMed

Ho, Jen-Yu; Kraemer, William J; Volek, Jeff S; Vingren, Jakob L; Fragala, Maren S; Flanagan, Shawn D; Maladouangdock, Jesse; Szivak, Tunde K; Hatfield, Disa L; Comstock, Brett A; Dunn-Lewis, Courtenay; Ciccolo, Joseph T; Maresh, Carl M

2014-03-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of resistance exercise on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) response to mental challenge, withdrawal symptoms, urge to smoke, and cognitive stress during 24-hour smoking abstinence. 8 sedentary smokers (mean±SD age: 20.1±1.7y; height: 171.6±10.8cm; body mass: 70.4±12.0kg; smoking history: 2.9±0.8y) completed a 24-hour ad libitum smoking trial (SMO) followed by two 24-hour smoking abstinence trials. During abstinence trials, participants performed six whole body resistance exercises (EX) or a control condition (CON) in the morning, followed by mental challenge tasks in the afternoon. Plasma adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH), and salivary and serum cortisol were measured during each visit at rest (REST), and then before (PRE-EX), immediately after (IP-EX), and 30min after exercise (30-EX); and before (PRE-MC), immediately after (IP-MC), and 30min after mental challenge (30-MC). Resistance exercise significantly (p≤0.05) elevated plasma ACTH and serum cortisol at IP-EX during EX compared with SMO and CON trials. Resting ACTH, salivary and serum cortisol concentrations at Pre-MC did not differ between EX and CON trials. The HPA axis response to mental challenge was similar after EX and CON trials. Finally, resistance exercise did not reduce withdrawal symptoms, urge to smoke, or stress. Resistance exercise did not substantially alter resting HPA hormones or the HPA response to mental challenge tasks during 24h of smoking abstinence. © 2013.

Low-intensity endurance exercise plus nandrolone decanoate modulates cardiac adiponectin and its receptors.

PubMed

Karimi, A; Joukar, S; Najafipour, H; Masoumi-Ardakani, Y; Shahouzehi, B

2017-03-01

Vast adverse effects of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AASs) on athletes' cardiovascular systems have been reported. However, there is still a lack of adequate information regarding the pathways and mechanisms involved. We tested the hypothesis that adiponectin and its receptors in the heart may be affected by long-term use of AASs alongside exercising. Male Wistar rats were randomized into the control (CTL), exercise (EX), nandrolone (Nan), arachis (Arach) group which treated with arachis as vehicle, trained vehicle (EX+Arach) and trained nandrolone (EX+Nan) groups that were treated for 8 weeks. One day after the end of the protocol, animals were sacrificed and their hearts were frozen. TNF-α and adiponectin proteins of hearts were evaluated quantitatively by ELISA kits, and Western blot analysis was used for measuring adiponectin receptor protein expression. TNF-α protein increased significantly in the EX+Nan group (P<.05 vs CTL group). The AdipoR1 protein was significantly higher in the presence of nandrolone alongside exercise (P<.05 vs Nan and EX+Arach groups, P<.01 vs CTL and Arach groups). In addition, AdipoR2 protein enhanced in the EX+Nan group when compared with the other groups (P<.05 vs EX and EX+Arach groups, P<.01 vs CTL, Arach and Nan groups). Chronic nandrolone plus mild endurance exercise may be associated with imbalance in pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokines and may induce a positive modulatory effect on cardiac adiporeceptors in rat. Further studies are required before these findings can be generalized to humans. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The SIRT1 inhibitor EX-527 suppresses mTOR activation and alleviates acute lung injury in mice with endotoxiemia.

PubMed

Huang, Jing; Tian, Rui; Yang, Yongqiang; Jiang, Rong; Dai, Jie; Tang, Li; Zhang, Li

2017-11-01

It is generally regarded that Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), a longevity factor in mammals, acts as a negative regulator of inflammation. However, recent studies also found that SIRT1 might be a detrimental factor under certain inflammatory circumstance. In this study, the potential pathophysiological roles and the underlying mechanisms of SIRT1 in a mouse model with endotoxemia-associated acute lung injury were investigated. The results indicated that treatment with the selective SIRT1 inhibitor EX-527 suppressed LPS-induced elevation of TNF-α and IL-6 in plasma. Treatment with EX-527 attenuated LPS-induced histological abnormalities in lung tissue, which was accompanied with decreased myeloperoxidase level and suppressed induction of tissue factor and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. Treatment with EX-527 also suppressed LPS-induced phosphorylation of eukaryotic translation initiation factor-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1). Co-administration of a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activator 3-benzyl-5-[(2-nitrophenoxy) methyl]-dihydrofuran-2 (3H)-one (3BDO) abolished the inhibitory effects of EX-527 on 4E-BP1 phosphorylation. Meanwhile, the inhibitory effects of EX-527 on IL-6 induction and the beneficial effects of EX-527 on lung injury were partially reversed by 3BDO. This study suggests that selective inhibition of SIRT1 by EX-527 might alleviate endotoxemia-associated acute lung injury partially via suppression of mTOR, which implies that SIRT1 selective inhibitors might have potential value for the pharmacological intervention of inflammatory lung injury.

A novel endpoint for exacerbations in asthma to accelerate clinical development: a post-hoc analysis of randomised controlled trials.

PubMed

Fuhlbrigge, Anne L; Bengtsson, Thomas; Peterson, Stefan; Jauhiainen, Alexandra; Eriksson, Göran; Da Silva, Carla A; Johnson, Anthony; Sethi, Tariq; Locantore, Nicholas; Tal-Singer, Ruth; Fagerås, Malin

2017-07-01

Occurrence of severe asthma exacerbations are the cornerstone of the evaluation of asthma management, but severe asthma exacerbations are rare events. Therefore, trials that assess drug efficacy on exacerbations are done late in clinical development programmes. We aimed to establish an endpoint capturing clinically relevant deteriorations (diary events) that, when combined with severe exacerbations, create a composite outcome (CompEx). CompEx needs to strongly mirror results seen with the severe exacerbation-validated outcome, to allow the design of clinical trials of shorter duration and that include fewer patients than trials assessing severe exacerbations. Data from 12 asthma trials of 6 months or 12 months duration and, with standardised collection of exacerbations and diary card variables, were used to construct and test CompEx. The study populations had a mean age of 35-53 years, 59-69% were female, and had a mean FEV 1 percentage of predicted normal of 63-84%. With data from five trials, we established a series of diary events based on peak expiratory flow (P), reliever use (R), symptoms (S), awakenings (A), and threshold values for change from baseline and slopes to assess trends. For the development phase, we evaluated different variable combinations and deterioration criteria to select the most robust algorithm to define a diary event for the composite outcome. We defined a composite outcome, CompEx, as first occurrence of a diary event or a severe exacerbation. We assessed the performance of CompEx in seven trials by comparing the event frequency, treatment effect (hazard ratio; HR), and the sample size needed for future trials for the CompEx versus episodes of severe exacerbations. CompEx (based on PRS) was the algorithm that best fulfilled our two-set criteria. When censored at 3 months, CompEx resulted in 2·8 times more events than severe exacerbations, and while preserving the treatment effect observed on severe exacerbations (CompEx over severe exacerbation average HR 1·01). The increased number of events, together with the sustained treatment effect, resulted in a large net gain in power, with a 67% mean reduction in the number of patients required in a drug trial for severe exacerbations. In six of seven comparisons tested, CompEx reduced the sample size needed by at least 50%. Validation of independent test populations confirmed the ability of CompEx to increase event frequencies, preserve treatment effect, and reduce the number of patients needed. CompEx is a composite outcome for evaluation of new asthma therapies. CompEx allows design of shorter trials that require fewer patients than studies of severe exacerbations, while preserving the ability to show a treatment effect compared with severe exacerbations. AstraZeneca. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Social participation of diabetes and ex-leprosy patients in the Netherlands and patient preference for combined self-care groups.

PubMed

de Vries, Henry J C; de Groot, Roos; van Brakel, Wim H

2014-01-01

Earlier, we showed that neuropathic complications limit social participation of ex-leprosy patients, even in a non-endemic leprosy setting like the Netherlands. Self-care groups for ex-leprosy patients can strengthen self-worth of participants, prevent further handicap, and enable the exchange of coping strategies. For non-endemic leprosy settings with a very low rate of leprosy patients, a self-care group exclusively for (ex)leprosy patients is not likely to be feasible. A combined group with patients facing comparable morbidity would be more efficient than disease-specific self-care groups. Here, we studied the comparability in social constraints of diabetic patients and ex-leprosy patients. Moreover, we investigated if combined self-care groups for ex-leprosy patients and diabetic patients would be desirable and acceptable for possible participants. Social participation was studied based on in-depth interviews and Participation Scale information collected from 41 diabetic patients and compared with the data of 31 ex-leprosy patients from a prior study. Moreover, we made an inventory of potential strengths and limitations and attitudes toward combined self-care groups for diabetic patients with neuropathy. The following themes emerged among diabetic patients: disease confrontation, dependency, conflict with partner or relatives, feelings of inferiority, stigma, abandoning social activities, fear of the future, lack of information, and hiding the disease. These themes were very similar to those voiced by the previously interviewed ex-leprosy patients. The latter more often mentioned stigma and disease ignorance among Dutch health care workers. Whereas ex-leprosy patients perceived stigma on multiple fronts, diabetic patients only mentioned feeling inferior. Diabetic patients experienced some form of participation restriction in 39% of the cases as opposed to 71% of the ex-leprosy patients. Diabetic patients did acknowledge the comparability with leprosy as far as their neuropathic complaints concerned. Yet only 17% showed interest in combined self-care groups. The majority preferred disease-specific self-care groups only focused on diabetic patients. This might have been caused partly by the perception that a self-care group is yet another disease-related demand on their time, rather than an opportunity to become less dependent on health care services. The physical complications and social problems in ex-leprosy and diabetic patients with neuropathy are similar. Both groups show social participation limitations, yet in contrast to diabetic patients, ex-leprosy patients perceive stigma in more domains in life. Despite the fact that diabetic patients preferred disease-specific, homogeneous self-care groups, we believe that the option of combined groups with ex-leprosy patients and possibly even other people needing chronic wound care is a promising strategy. Therefore, further research is warranted into the acceptance and impact of self-care groups as a strategy to reduce social constraints by diseases causing neuropathy.

78 FR 35191 - 2000 Biennial Regulatory Review, Separate Affiliate Requirements of the Commission's Rules

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75 FR 82463 - Yuri I. Montgomery, Respondent; Final Decision and Order

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78 FR 51821 - Sentencing Guidelines for United States Courts

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Impacts | Research Site Name | NREL

Science.gov Websites

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Utility Bill Calibration Test Cases | Buildings | NREL

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37 CFR 1.520 - Ex parte reexamination at the initiative of the Director.

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46 CFR 502.11 - Ex parte communications.

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21 CFR 10.55 - Separation of functions; ex parte communications.

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21 CFR 10.55 - Separation of functions; ex parte communications.

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21 CFR 10.55 - Separation of functions; ex parte communications.

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21 CFR 10.55 - Separation of functions; ex parte communications.

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Constraining Exoplanet Habitability with HabEx

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, Tyler

2018-01-01

The Habitable Exoplanet Imaging mission, or HabEx, is one of four flagship mission concepts currently under study for the upcoming 2020 Decadal Survey of Astronomy and Astrophysics. The broad goal of HabEx will be to image and study small, rocky planets in the Habitable Zones of nearby stars. Additionally, HabEx will pursue a range of other astrophysical investigations, including the characterization of non-habitable exoplanets and detailed observations of stars and galaxies. Critical to the capability of HabEx to understand Habitable Zone exoplanets will be its ability to search for signs of surface liquid water (i.e., habitability) and an active biosphere. Photometry and moderate resolution spectroscopy, spanning the ultraviolet through near-infrared spectral ranges, will enable constraints on key habitability-related atmospheric species and properties (e.g., surface pressure). In this poster, we will discuss approaches to detecting signs of habitability in reflected-light observations of rocky exoplanets. We will also present initial results for modeling experiments aimed at demonstrating the capabilities of HabEx to study and understand Earth-like worlds around other stars.

The NASA Human Research Wiki - An Online Collaboration Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barr, Yael; Rasbury, Jack; Johnson, Jordan; Barstend, Kristina; Saile, Lynn; Watkins, Sharmi

2012-01-01

The Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) element is one of six elements of the Human Research Program (HRP). ExMC is charged with decreasing the risk of: "Inability to adequately recognize or treat an ill or injured crew member" for exploration-class missions In preparation for exploration-class missions, ExMC has compiled a large evidence base, previously available only to persons within the NASA community. ExMC has developed the "NASA Human Research Wiki" in an effort to make the ExMC information available to the general public and increase collaboration within and outside of NASA. The ExMC evidence base is comprised of several types of data, including: (1)Information on more than 80 medical conditions which could occur during space flight (a)Derived from several sources (b)Including data on incidence and potential outcomes, as captured in the Integrated Medical Model s (IMM) Clinical Finding Forms (CliFFs). (2)Approximately 25 gap reports (a)Identify any "gaps" in knowledge and/or technology that would need to be addressed in order to provide adequate medical support for these novel missions.

GenAlEx 6.5: genetic analysis in Excel. Population genetic software for teaching and research--an update.

PubMed

Peakall, Rod; Smouse, Peter E

2012-10-01

GenAlEx: Genetic Analysis in Excel is a cross-platform package for population genetic analyses that runs within Microsoft Excel. GenAlEx offers analysis of diploid codominant, haploid and binary genetic loci and DNA sequences. Both frequency-based (F-statistics, heterozygosity, HWE, population assignment, relatedness) and distance-based (AMOVA, PCoA, Mantel tests, multivariate spatial autocorrelation) analyses are provided. New features include calculation of new estimators of population structure: G'(ST), G''(ST), Jost's D(est) and F'(ST) through AMOVA, Shannon Information analysis, linkage disequilibrium analysis for biallelic data and novel heterogeneity tests for spatial autocorrelation analysis. Export to more than 30 other data formats is provided. Teaching tutorials and expanded step-by-step output options are included. The comprehensive guide has been fully revised. GenAlEx is written in VBA and provided as a Microsoft Excel Add-in (compatible with Excel 2003, 2007, 2010 on PC; Excel 2004, 2011 on Macintosh). GenAlEx, and supporting documentation and tutorials are freely available at: http://biology.anu.edu.au/GenAlEx. rod.peakall@anu.edu.au.

ExAtlas: An interactive online tool for meta-analysis of gene expression data.

PubMed

Sharov, Alexei A; Schlessinger, David; Ko, Minoru S H

2015-12-01

We have developed ExAtlas, an on-line software tool for meta-analysis and visualization of gene expression data. In contrast to existing software tools, ExAtlas compares multi-component data sets and generates results for all combinations (e.g. all gene expression profiles versus all Gene Ontology annotations). ExAtlas handles both users' own data and data extracted semi-automatically from the public repository (GEO/NCBI database). ExAtlas provides a variety of tools for meta-analyses: (1) standard meta-analysis (fixed effects, random effects, z-score, and Fisher's methods); (2) analyses of global correlations between gene expression data sets; (3) gene set enrichment; (4) gene set overlap; (5) gene association by expression profile; (6) gene specificity; and (7) statistical analysis (ANOVA, pairwise comparison, and PCA). ExAtlas produces graphical outputs, including heatmaps, scatter-plots, bar-charts, and three-dimensional images. Some of the most widely used public data sets (e.g. GNF/BioGPS, Gene Ontology, KEGG, GAD phenotypes, BrainScan, ENCODE ChIP-seq, and protein-protein interaction) are pre-loaded and can be used for functional annotations.

Extraordinarily soft, medium-hard and hard Indian wheat varieties: Composition, protein profile, dough and baking properties.

PubMed

Katyal, Mehak; Singh, Narpinder; Virdi, Amardeep Singh; Kaur, Amritpal; Chopra, Nidhi; Ahlawat, Arvind Kumar; Singh, Anju Mahendru

2017-10-01

Hard wheat (HW), medium-hard wheat (MHW) and extraordinarily soft wheat (Ex-SW) varieties with grain hardness index (GHI) of 83 to 95, 72 to 80, 17 to 29 were evaluated for pasting, protein molecular weight (MW) distribution, dough rheology and baking properties. Flours from varieties with higher GHI had more protein content, ash content and paste viscosities. Ex-SW had more glutenins proportion as compared to HW and MHW. Flours from Ex-SW varieties showed lower NaSRC, WA and mixographic parameters as compared to HW and MHW. Dough from flours milled from Ex-SW had higher Intermolecular-β-sheets (IM-β-sheets) than those from MHW and HW. Muffins volume increased with decrease in GHI, Ex-SW varieties had more muffin volume and less air space. The accumulation of polypeptides (PPs) varied significantly in different varieties. Ex-SW variety (QBP12-10) showed accumulation of 98, 90, 81 and 79kDa PPs, which was unique and was different from other varieties. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Facebook Surveillance of Former Romantic Partners: Associations with PostBreakup Recovery and Personal Growth

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Abstract Previous research has found that continuing offline contact with an ex-romantic partner following a breakup may disrupt emotional recovery. The present study examined whether continuing online contact with an ex-partner through remaining Facebook friends and/or engaging in surveillance of the ex-partner's Facebook page inhibited postbreakup adjustment and growth above and beyond offline contact. Analysis of the data provided by 464 participants revealed that Facebook surveillance was associated with greater current distress over the breakup, more negative feelings, sexual desire, and longing for the ex-partner, and lower personal growth. Participants who remained Facebook friends with the ex-partner, relative to those who did not remain Facebook friends, reported less negative feelings, sexual desire, and longing for the former partner, but lower personal growth. All of these results emerged after controlling for offline contact, personality traits, and characteristics of the former relationship and breakup that tend to predict postbreakup adjustment. Overall, these findings suggest that exposure to an ex-partner through Facebook may obstruct the process of healing and moving on from a past relationship. PMID:22946958

Facebook surveillance of former romantic partners: associations with postbreakup recovery and personal growth.

PubMed

Marshall, Tara C

2012-10-01

Previous research has found that continuing offline contact with an ex-romantic partner following a breakup may disrupt emotional recovery. The present study examined whether continuing online contact with an ex-partner through remaining Facebook friends and/or engaging in surveillance of the ex-partner's Facebook page inhibited postbreakup adjustment and growth above and beyond offline contact. Analysis of the data provided by 464 participants revealed that Facebook surveillance was associated with greater current distress over the breakup, more negative feelings, sexual desire, and longing for the ex-partner, and lower personal growth. Participants who remained Facebook friends with the ex-partner, relative to those who did not remain Facebook friends, reported less negative feelings, sexual desire, and longing for the former partner, but lower personal growth. All of these results emerged after controlling for offline contact, personality traits, and characteristics of the former relationship and breakup that tend to predict postbreakup adjustment. Overall, these findings suggest that exposure to an ex-partner through Facebook may obstruct the process of healing and moving on from a past relationship.

Study on extrusion process of SiC ceramic matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Xiao-Yuan; Shen, Fan; Ji, Jia-You; Wang, Shu-Ling; Xu, Man

2017-11-01

In this thesis, the extrusion process of SiC ceramic matrix has been systematically studied.The effect of different cellulose content on the flexural strength and pore size distribution of SiC matrix was discussed.Reselts show that with the increase of cellulose content, the flexural strength decreased.The pore size distribution in the sample was 1um-4um, and the 1um-2um concentration was more concentrated. It is found that the cellulose content has little effect on the pore size distribution.When the cellulose content is 7%, the flexural strength of the sample is 40.9Mpa. At this time, the mechanical properties of the sample are the strongest.

Prevalence of and factors associated with self-reported high blood pressure in Brazilian adults.

PubMed

Malta, Deborah Carvalho; Bernal, Regina Tomie Ivata; Andrade, Silvânia Suely Caribé de Araújo; Silva, Marta Maria Alves da; Velasquez-Melendez, Gustavo

2017-06-01

To analyze factors associated with self-reported high blood pressure among adults in Brazilian state capitals. The study uses data from Sistema de Vigilância de Fatores de Risco e Proteção para Doenças Crônicas por Inquérito Telefônico (Vigitel - Surveillance System of Risk and Protection Factors of Noncommunicable Diseases by Telephone Survey) collected in 2013. Prevalence rates and their respective 95% confidence intervals by gender were estimated according to sociodemographic variables, lifestyle, reported noncommunicable diseases and self-rated health status. Multivariate logistic regression modeling was used to identify variables associated with self-reported high blood pressure with α < 0.05. Prevalence of self-reported high blood pressure among adults living in Brazilian state capitals and the Federal District was 24.1%. The following variables were associated with self-reported high blood pressure: age group, taking 18-24 as reference (all age groups presented increased risk - from 25-34 years [OR = 2.6; 95%CI 2.0-3.4] up to 65 years or more [OR = 28.1; 95%CI 21.7-36.4]); low education level (9 to 11 years of study [OR = 0.8; 95%CI 0.7-0.9] and 12 years or more [OR = 0.6; 95%CI 0.6-0.7]); Black race or skin color (OR = 1.3; 95%CI 1.1-1.5); being a former smoker (OR = 1.2; 95%CI 1.1-1.3); obesity (OR = 2.7; 95%CI 2.4-3.0); diabetes (OR = 2.9; 95%CI 2.5-3.5%), and high cholesterol (OR = 1.9; 95%CI 1.8-2.2). Approximately one quarter of the adult population living in Brazilian state capitals reported having high blood pressure. Information from Vigitel is useful to monitor high blood pressure and identity its associated factors, supporting public policies for health promotion, surveillance and care. Analisar os fatores associados à hipertensão arterial autorreferida entre adultos nas capitais brasileiras. Estudo com os dados do Sistema de Vigilância de Fatores de Risco e Proteção para Doenças Crônicas por Inquérito Telefônico (Vigitel) coletados no ano de 2013. Foram estimadas as prevalências e seus respectivos intervalos de confiança 95% por sexo segundo variáveis sociodemográficas, estilos de vida, doenças crônicas relatadas e avaliação do estado de saúde. Modelagem de regressão logística multivariada foi utilizada para identificar as variáveis associadas à hipertensão arterial autorreferida com α < 0,05. A prevalência de hipertensão arterial autorreferida entre os adultos residentes nas capitais brasileiras e Distrito Federal foi de 24,1%. Foram identificadas as seguintes associações com hipertensão arterial autorreferida: faixa etária, tomando 18 a 24 anos como referência, todas as faixas etárias apresentaram maior chance - de 25 a 34 anos (RC = 2,6; IC95% 2,0-3,4) até 65 anos ou mais (RC = 28,1; IC95% 21,7-36,4); baixa escolaridade (9 a 11 anos de estudo - RC = 0,8; IC95% 0,7-0,9; e 12 anos ou mais - RC = 0,6; IC95% 0,6-0,7); raça/cor da pele preta (RC = 1,3; IC95% 1,1-1,5); ser ex-fumante (RC = 1,2; IC95% 1,1-1,3); obesidade (RC = 2,7; IC95% 2,4-3,0); diabetes (RC = 2,9; IC95% 2,5-3,5); e colesterol elevado (RC = 1,9; IC95% 1,8-2,2). Cerca de um quarto da população adulta residente nas capitais brasileiras refere ter hipertensão arterial. As informações do Vigitel são úteis para o monitoramento da hipertensão arterial e identificação de seus fatores associados, subsidiando políticas públicas de promoção, vigilância e atenção à saúde.

General Astrophysics with the HabEx Workhorse Camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stern, Daniel; Clarke, John; Gaudi, B. Scott; Kiessling, Alina; Krause, Oliver; Martin, Stefan; Scowen, Paul; Somerville, Rachel; HabEx STDT

2018-01-01

The Habitable Exoplanet Imaging Mission (HabEx) concept has been designed to enable an extensive suite of science, broadly put under the rubric of General Astrophysics, in addition to its exoplanet direct imaging science. General astrophysics directly addresses multiple NASA programmatic branches, and HabEx will enable investigations ranging from cosmology, to galaxy evolution, to stellar population studies, to exoplanet transit spectroscopy, to Solar System studies. This poster briefly describes one of the two primary HabEx General Astrophysics instruments, the HabEx Workhorse Camera (HWC). HWC will be a dual-detector UV-to-near-IR imager and multi-object grism spectrometer with a microshutter array and a moderate (3' x 3') field-of-view. We detail some of the key science we expect HWC to undertake, emphasizing unique capabilities enabled by a large-aperture, highly stable space-borne platform at these wavelengths.

In vivo and ex vivo characterization of a novel Er fiber laser system for fractional treatment of soft oral tissues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shatilova, Ksenia; Aloian, Georgii; Karabut, Maria; Ryabova, Valentina; Yaroslavsky, Ilya V.; Altshuler, Gregory

2018-02-01

In this work, we present the first histological in vivo and ex vivo study of effects of fractional Er fiber laser (wavelength 1550 nm, peak power 25 W) on keratinized gum and alveolar mucosa for gum regeneration. Biopsy with subsequent NBTC staining was used as primary evaluation technique. Ex vivo, porcine tissue model was used. Effects of pulse energy, beam diameter, and beam divergence were investigated in detail. It has been demonstrated that under optimal conditions columns up to 800 μm in depth could be reliably produced with 130 mJ pulses. Clinically, 2 subjects were treated and 4 punch biopsies were collected. The results were compared with ex vivo data. Both ex vivo and in vivo datasets suggest feasibility of a dental fractional system intended for gum regeneration.

Study and optimization of the macroscopic electrical response of carbon based nanocomposites for advanced applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, Jaime Pedro Oliveira da

A presente tese centrou-se no estudo da resposta da constante dieletrica e condutividade eletrica em materiais compositos nos quais o reforco tinha uma elevada proporcao entre comprimento e diametro. O objeto de estudo foi o efeito de um reforco com uma elevada razao entre comprimento e diametro, concentracao e orientacao na resposta eletrica e dieletrica de um composito. Estes compositos tem uma grande importancia no desenvolvimento de materiais para sensores e atuadores. Num primeiro momento da dissertacao, explorou-se a resposta da constante dieletrica de um composito constituido por nanotubos de carbono como reforco e uma matriz polimerica. Verificou-se que um aumento da razao entre comprimento e diametro do reforco tem o efeito de aumentar a constante dieletrica do composito para uma igual fracao volumetrica de reforco. Constatou-se tambem que materiais na fase nematica demonstram uma constante dieletrica mais baixa quando comparados com materiais onde o reforco esta distribuido aleatoriamente. Ficou ainda demonstrado nesta dissertacao que materiais na fase nematica com razoes entre o comprimento e diametro diferentes a constante dieletrica segue uma lei de potencia. Numa segunda fase do trabalho, foi explorada a condutividade de nanocompositos polimericos reforcados com nanotubos de carbono, atraves de um modelo baseado em cilindros impenetraveis. Ficou demonstrado que o modelo e apropriado para descrever a condutividade eletrica de um nanocomposito polimerico reforcado com nanotubos. As simulacoes desenvolvidas demonstram que, aumentando a razao entre o comprimento e o diametro dos nanotubos de carbono, aumenta a condutividade eletrica do nanocomposito. No entanto, verifica-se que aumentando a anisotropia diminui a condutividade, sendo este efeito mais evidente para fracoes volumetricas maiores. Nesta dissertacao comprovou-se ainda que uma microestrutura gerada por um algoritmo de empacotamento sequencial pode ser descrita por um grafo aleatorio e que a condutividade num composito reforcado com nanofibras de carbono pode ser descrito por uma rede de Bethe. Atraves do uso da teoria das redes complexas, chegou-se a uma expressao para o limite de percolacao e, do mesmo modo, demonstrou-se que “hopping” entre fibras adjacentes resulta numa expressao que corresponde a um regime de desordem fraca. No trabalho desenvolvido tambem foi calculado os expoentes criticos, atraves da teoria das redes, para um sistema 3D composto por cilindros impenetraveis com uma interacao de curto alcance, demonstrando que os expoentes criticos estao relacionados por uma relacao de hiperescala comum para 3D e nao pertencem a mesma classe de universalidade como a percolacao numa rede. A aplicacao do modelo desenvolvido a compositos de epoxy reforcada, com diferentes metodos de dispersao de nanofibras de carbono, revelou que os metodos de dispersao usados para preparar os compositos tem uma forte influencia nas propriedades eletricas que podem ser capturadas pelo modelo. Neste contexto, ficou ainda demonstrado que a condutividade eletrica pode ser descrita por um regime de desordem fraca, isto ´e, um regime onde todas as conexoes fibra-fibra participam na condutividade do composito. O modelo desenvolvido foi aplicado igualmente a compositos de poly (vinylidene fluoride) reforcado com nanotubos de carbono com diferentes tratamentos de termicos de oxidacao. Verificou-se que os tratamentos de superficie aumentam o limite de percolacao e diminuem a condutividade. Nesta dissertacao provamos ainda que a condutividade do composito pode ser atribuida a um mecanismo de “hopping”, fortemente afetado pelos tratamentos de superficie dos reforcos.

Biomechanics of Two External Fixator Devices Used in Rat Femoral Fractures.

PubMed

Osagie-Clouard, Liza; Kaufmann, Joshua; Blunn, Gordon; Coathup, Melanie; Pendegrass, Catherine; Meeson, Richard; Briggs, Timothy; Moazen, Mehran

2018-05-04

The use of external fixators allows for the direct investigation of newly formed interfragmentary bone, and the radiographic evaluation of the fracture. We validated the results of a finite element model with the in vitro stiffness' of two widely used external fixator devices used for in vivo analysis of fracture healing in rat femoral fractures with differing construction (Ti alloy ExFix1 and PEEK ExFix2). Rat femoral fracture fixation was modelled using two external fixators. For both constructs an osteotomy of 2.75 mm was used, and offset maintained at 5 mm. Tufnol, served as standardized substitutes for rat femora. Constructs were loaded under axial compression and torsion. Overall axial and torsional stiffness were compared between the in vitro models and FE results. FE models were also used to compare the fracture movement and overall pattern of von Mises stress across the external fixators. In vitro axial stiffness of ExFix1 was 29.26 N/mm ± 3.83 compared to ExFix2 6.31 N/mm ± 0.67 (p* < 0.05). Torsional stiffness of ExFix1 was 47.5 Nmm/° ± 2.71 compared to ExFix2 at 19.1 Nmm/° ± 1.18 (p* < 0.05). FE results predicted similar comparative ratios between the ExFix1 and 2 as the in vitro studies. FE results predicted considerably larger interfragmentary motion in the ExFix2 comparing to ExFix1. We demonstrated significant differences in the stiffness' of the two external fixators as one would expect from such variable designs; yet, importantly we validated the utility of an FE model for the analysis and prediction of changes in fracture mechanics dependent on fixator choice. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Functional characterization of ExFadLO, an outer membrane protein required for exporting oxygenated long-chain fatty acids in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

PubMed

Martínez, Eriel; Estupiñán, Mónica; Pastor, F I Javier; Busquets, Montserrat; Díaz, Pilar; Manresa, Angeles

2013-02-01

Bacterial proteins of the FadL family have frequently been associated to the uptake of exogenous hydrophobic substrates. However, their outer membrane location and involvement in substrate uptake have been inferred mainly from sequence similarity to Escherichia coli FadL, the first well-characterized outer membrane transporters of Long-Chain Fatty Acids (LCFAs) in bacteria. Here we report the functional characterization of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa outer membrane protein (ORF PA1288) showing similarities to the members of the FadL family, for which we propose the name ExFadLO. We demonstrate herein that this protein is required to export LCFAs 10-HOME and 7,10-DiHOME, derived from a diol synthase oxygenation activity on oleic acid, from the periplasm to the extracellular medium. Accumulation of 10-HOME and 7,10-DiHOME in the extracellular medium of P. aeruginosa was abolished by a transposon insertion mutation in exFadLO (ExFadLO¯ mutant). However, intact periplasm diol synthase activity was found in this mutant, indicating that ExFadLO participates in the export of these oxygenated LCFAs across the outer membrane. The capacity of ExFadLO¯ mutant to export 10-HOME and 7,10-DiHOME was recovered after complementation with a wild-type, plasmid-expressed ExFadLO protein. A western blot assay with a variant of ExFadLO tagged with a V5 epitope confirmed the location of ExFadLO in the bacterial outer membrane under the experimental conditions tested. Our results provide the first evidence that FadL family proteins, known to be involved in the uptake of hydrophobic substrates from the extracellular environment, also function as secretion elements for metabolites of biological relevance. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Impact of exercise pulmonary hypertension on postoperative outcome in primary mitral regurgitation.

PubMed

Magne, Julien; Donal, Erwan; Mahjoub, Haifa; Miltner, Beatrice; Dulgheru, Raluca; Thebault, Christophe; Pierard, Luc A; Pibarot, Philippe; Lancellotti, Patrizio

2015-03-01

The management of asymptomatic patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) remains controversial. Exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension (ExPHT) was recently reported as a strong predictor of rapid onset of symptoms. We hypothesised that ExPHT is a predictor of postoperative cardiovascular events in patients with primary MR. One hundred and two patients with primary MR, no or mild symptoms (New York heart association (NYHA) ≤2), and no LV dysfunction/dilatation, were prospectively recruited in 3 centres and underwent exercise-stress echocardiography. The presence of ExPHT was defined as an exercise systolic pulmonary arterial pressure >60 mm Hg. All patients were closely followed up and operated on when indication for surgery was reached. Postoperative events were defined as the occurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF), stroke, cardiac-related hospitalisation or death. Among the 102 patients included, 59 developed ExPHT (58%). These patients were significantly older than those without ExPHT (p=0.01). During a mean postoperative follow-up of 50±23 months, 28 patients (26%) experienced a predefined cardiovascular event. Patients with ExPHT had significantly higher rate of postoperative events (39% vs 12%, p=0.005); the rate of events was still higher in these patients (32% vs 9%, p=0.013), even when excluding early postoperative AF (ie, within 48 h). Event-free survival was significantly lower in the ExPHT group (all events: 5-year: 60±8% vs 88±5%, p=0.007, events without early AF: 5-year: 67±7% vs 90±4%, p=0.02). Using Cox multivariable analysis, ExPHT remained independently associated with higher risk of postoperative events in all models (all p≤0.04). ExPHT is associated with increased risk of adverse cardiac events following mitral valve surgery in patients with primary MR. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Genomic copy number analysis of a spectrum of blue nevi identifies recurrent aberrations of entire chromosomal arms in melanoma ex blue nevus.

PubMed

Chan, May P; Andea, Aleodor A; Harms, Paul W; Durham, Alison B; Patel, Rajiv M; Wang, Min; Robichaud, Patrick; Fisher, Gary J; Johnson, Timothy M; Fullen, Douglas R

2016-03-01

Blue nevi may display significant atypia or undergo malignant transformation. Morphologic diagnosis of this spectrum of lesions is notoriously difficult, and molecular tools are increasingly used to improve diagnostic accuracy. We studied copy number aberrations in a cohort of cellular blue nevi, atypical cellular blue nevi, and melanomas ex blue nevi using Affymetrix's OncoScan platform. Cases with sufficient DNA were analyzed for GNAQ, GNA11, and HRAS mutations. Copy number aberrations were detected in 0 of 5 (0%) cellular blue nevi, 3 of 12 (25%) atypical cellular blue nevi, and 6 of 9 (67%) melanomas ex blue nevi. None of the atypical cellular blue nevi displayed more than one aberration, whereas complex aberrations involving four or more regions were seen exclusively in melanomas ex blue nevi. Gains and losses of entire chromosomal arms were identified in four of five melanomas ex blue nevi with copy number aberrations. In particular, gains of 1q, 4p, 6p, and 8q, and losses of 1p and 4q were each found in at least two melanomas. Whole chromosome aberrations were also common, and represented the sole finding in one atypical cellular blue nevus. When seen in melanomas, however, whole chromosome aberrations were invariably accompanied by partial aberrations of other chromosomes. Three melanomas ex blue nevi harbored aberrations, which were absent or negligible in their precursor components, suggesting progression in tumor biology. Gene mutations involving GNAQ and GNA11 were each detected in two of eight melanomas ex blue nevi. In conclusion, copy number aberrations are more common and often complex in melanomas ex blue nevi compared with cellular and atypical cellular blue nevi. Identification of recurrent gains and losses of entire chromosomal arms in melanomas ex blue nevi suggests that development of new probes targeting these regions may improve detection and risk stratification of these lesions.

Exercise, Manual Therapy, and Booster Sessions in Knee Osteoarthritis: Cost-Effectiveness Analysis From a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Bove, Allyn M; Smith, Kenneth J; Bise, Christopher G; Fritz, Julie M; Childs, John; Brennan, Gerard P; Abbott, J Haxby; Fitzgerald, G Kelley

2018-01-01

Limited information exists regarding the cost-effectiveness of rehabilitation strategies for individuals with knee osteoarthritis (OA). The study objective was to compare the cost-effectiveness of 4 different combinations of exercise, manual therapy, and booster sessions for individuals with knee OA. This economic evaluation involved a cost-effectiveness analysis performed alongside a multicenter randomized controlled trial. The study took place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Salt Lake City, Utah; and San Antonio, Texas. The study participants were 300 individuals taking part in a randomized controlled trial investigating various physical therapy strategies for knee OA. Participants were randomized into 4 treatment groups: exercise only (EX), exercise plus booster sessions (EX+B), exercise plus manual therapy (EX+MT), and exercise plus manual therapy and booster sessions (EX+MT+B). For the 2-year base case scenario, a Markov model was constructed using the United States societal perspective and a 3% discount rate for costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were calculated to compare differences in cost per QALY gained among the 4 treatment strategies. In the 2-year analysis, booster strategies (EX+MT+B and EX+B) dominated no-booster strategies, with both lower health care costs and greater effectiveness. EX+MT+B had the lowest total health care costs. EX+B cost ${\\$}$1061 more and gained 0.082 more QALYs than EX+MT+B, for an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of ${\\$}$12,900/QALY gained. The small number of total knee arthroplasty surgeries received by individuals in this study made the assessment of whether any particular strategy was more successful at delaying or preventing surgery in individuals with knee OA difficult. Spacing exercise-based physical therapy sessions over 12 months using periodic booster sessions was less costly and more effective over 2 years than strategies not containing booster sessions for individuals with knee OA. © 2017 American Physical Therapy Association

Exendin-4 Ameliorates Motor Neuron Degeneration in Cellular and Animal Models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

PubMed Central

Li, Yazhou; Chigurupati, Srinivasulu; Holloway, Harold W.; Mughal, Mohamed; Tweedie, David; Bruestle, Daniel A.; Mattson, Mark P.; Wang, Yun; Harvey, Brandon K.; Ray, Balmiki; Lahiri, Debomoy K.; Greig, Nigel H.

2012-01-01

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease characterized by a progressive loss of lower motor neurons in the spinal cord. The incretin hormone, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), facilitates insulin signaling, and the long acting GLP-1 receptor agonist exendin-4 (Ex-4) is currently used as an anti-diabetic drug. GLP-1 receptors are widely expressed in the brain and spinal cord, and our prior studies have shown that Ex-4 is neuroprotective in several neurodegenerative disease rodent models, including stroke, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Here we hypothesized that Ex-4 may provide neuroprotective activity in ALS, and hence characterized Ex-4 actions in both cell culture (NSC-19 neuroblastoma cells) and in vivo (SOD1 G93A mutant mice) models of ALS. Ex-4 proved to be neurotrophic in NSC-19 cells, elevating choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity, as well as neuroprotective, protecting cells from hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress and staurosporine-induced apoptosis. Additionally, in both wild-type SOD1 and mutant SOD1 (G37R) stably transfected NSC-19 cell lines, Ex-4 protected against trophic factor withdrawal-induced toxicity. To assess in vivo translation, SOD1 mutant mice were administered vehicle or Ex-4 at 6-weeks of age onwards to end-stage disease via subcutaneous osmotic pump to provide steady-state infusion. ALS mice treated with Ex-4 showed improved glucose tolerance and normalization of behavior, as assessed by running wheel, compared to control ALS mice. Furthermore, Ex-4 treatment attenuated neuronal cell death in the lumbar spinal cord; immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated the rescue of neuronal markers, such as ChAT, associated with motor neurons. Together, our results suggest that GLP-1 receptor agonists warrant further evaluation to assess whether their neuroprotective potential is of therapeutic relevance in ALS. PMID:22384126

Effects of the combined treatment of bone marrow stromal cells with mild exercise and thyroid hormone on brain damage and apoptosis in a mouse focal cerebral ischemia model.

PubMed

Akhoundzadeh, Kobar; Vakili, Abedin; Sameni, Hamid Reza; Vafaei, Abbas Ali; Rashidy-Pour, Ali; Safari, Manouchehr; Mohammadkhani, Razieh

2017-08-01

This study examined whether post-stroke bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) therapy combined with exercise (EX) and/or thyroid hormone (TH) could reduce brain damage in an experimental ischemic stroke in mice. Focal cerebral ischemia was induced under Laser Doppler Flowmetry (LDF) guide by 45 min of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), followed by 7 days of reperfusion in albino mice. BMSCs were injected into the right cerebral ventricle 24 h after MCAO, followed by daily injection of T3 (20 μg/100 g weight S.C) and 6 days of running on a treadmill. Infarct size, neurobehavioral test, TUNEL and BrdU positive cells were evaluated at 7 days after MCAO. Treatment with BMSCs and mild EX alone significantly reduced the infarct volume by 23% and 44%, respectively (both, p < 0.001). The BMSCs + TH, BMSCs + EX, and BMSCs + EX + TH combination therapies significantly reduced the infarct volume by 26%, 51%, and 70%, respectively (all, p < 0.001). A significant improvement in the neurobehavioral functioning was observed in the EX, BMSCs + EX, and BMSCs + EX+ TH groups (p < 0.001). The number of TUNEL-positive cells (a marker of apoptosis) was significantly reduced in the EX, BMSCs, BMSCs + EX, BMSCs + TH, and BMSCs + EX + TH groups (all, p < 0.001). Moreover, the combination therapy considerably increased BrdU-labeled cells in the subventricular zone (SVZ) (p < 0.01). Our findings indicated that the combined treatment of BMSCs with mild EX and TH more efficiently reduces the cerebral infarct size after stroke. More likely, these effects mediate via enchaining generation of new neuronal cells and the attenuation of apoptosis in ischemia stroke in young mice.

Effect of voluntary hypocapnic hyperventilation or moderate hypoxia on metabolic and heart rate responses during high-intensity intermittent exercise.

PubMed

Dobashi, Kohei; Fujii, Naoto; Watanabe, Kazuhito; Tsuji, Bun; Sasaki, Yosuke; Fujimoto, Tomomi; Tanigawa, Satoru; Nishiyasu, Takeshi

2017-08-01

To investigate the effect of voluntary hypocapnic hyperventilation or moderate hypoxia on metabolic and heart rate responses during high-intensity intermittent exercise. Ten males performed three 30-s bouts of high-intensity cycling [Ex1 and Ex2: constant-workload at 80% of the power output in the Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT), Ex3: WAnT] interspaced with 4-min recovery periods under normoxic (Control), hypocapnic or hypoxic (2500 m) conditions. Hypocapnia was developed through voluntary hyperventilation for 20 min prior to Ex1 and during each recovery period. End-tidal CO 2 pressure was lower before each exercise in the hypocapnia than control trials. Oxygen uptake ([Formula: see text]) was lower in the hypocapnia than control trials (822 ± 235 vs. 1645 ± 245 mL min -1 ; mean ± SD) during Ex1, but not Ex2 or Ex3, without a between-trial difference in the power output during the exercises. Heart rates (HRs) during Ex1 (127 ± 8 vs. 142 ± 10 beats min -1 ) and subsequent post-exercise recovery periods were lower in the hypocapnia than control trials, without differences during or after Ex2, except at 4 min into the second recovery period. [Formula: see text] did not differ between the control and hypoxia trials throughout. These results suggest that during three 30-s bouts of high-intensity intermittent cycling, (1) hypocapnia reduces the aerobic metabolic rate with a compensatory increase in the anaerobic metabolic rate during the first but not subsequent exercises; (2) HRs during the exercise and post-exercise recovery periods are lowered by hypocapnia, but this effect is diminished with repeated exercise bouts, and (3) moderate hypoxia (2500 m) does not affect the metabolic response during exercise.

Discordant orthostatic reflex renin-angiotensin and sympathoneural responses in premenopausal exercising-hypoestrogenic women.

PubMed

O'Donnell, Emma; Goodman, Jack M; Mak, Susanna; Murai, Hisayoshi; Morris, Beverley L; Floras, John S; Harvey, Paula J

2015-05-01

Our prior observations in normotensive postmenopausal women stimulated the hypotheses that compared with eumenorrheic women, active hypoestrogenic premenopausal women with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea would demonstrate attenuated reflex renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system responses to an orthostatic challenge, whereas to defend blood pressure reflex increases in muscle, sympathetic nerve activity would be augmented. To test these hypotheses, we assessed, in recreationally active women, 12 with amenorrhea (ExFHA; aged 25 ± 1 years; body mass index 20.7 ± 0.7 kg/m(2); mean ± SEM) and 17 with eumenorrhea (ExOv; 24 ± 1 years; 20.9 ± 0.5 kg/m(2)), blood pressure, heart rate, plasma renin, angiotensin II, aldosterone, and muscle sympathetic nerve activity at supine rest and during graded lower body negative pressure (-10, -20, and -40 mm Hg). At baseline, heart rate and systolic blood pressure were lower (P<0.05) in ExFHA (47 ± 2 beats/min and 94 ± 2 mm Hg) compared with ExOv (56 ± 2 beats/min and 105 ± 2 mm Hg), but muscle sympathetic nerve activity and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system constituents were similar (P>0.05). In response to graded lower body negative pressure, heart rate increased (P<0.05) and systolic blood pressure decreased (P<0.05) in both groups, but these remained consistently lower in ExFHA (P<0.05). Lower body negative pressure elicited increases (P<0.05) in renin, angiotensin II, and aldosterone in ExOv, but not in ExFHA (P>0.05). Muscle sympathetic nerve activity burst incidence increased reflexively in both groups, but more so in ExFHA (P<0.05). Otherwise, healthy hypoestrogenic ExFHA women demonstrate low blood pressure and disruption of the normal circulatory response to an orthostatic challenge: plasma renin, angiotensin II, and aldosterone fail to increase and blood pressure is defended by an augmented sympathetic vasoconstrictor response. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Emergency department utilization among recently released prisoners: a retrospective cohort study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The population of ex-prisoners returning to their communities is large. Morbidity and mortality is increased during the period following release. Understanding utilization of emergency services by this population may inform interventions to reduce adverse outcomes. We examined Emergency Department utilization among a cohort of recently released prisoners. Methods We linked Rhode Island Department of Corrections records with electronic health record data from a large hospital system from 2007 to 2009 to analyze emergency department utilization for mental health disorders, substance use disorders and ambulatory care sensitive conditions by ex-prisoners in the year after release from prison in comparison to the general population, controlling for patient- and community-level factors. Results There were 333,369 total ED visits with 5,145 visits by a cohort of 1,434 ex-prisoners. In this group, 455 ex-prisoners had 3 or more visits within 1 year of release and 354 had a first ED visit within 1 month of release. ED visits by ex-prisoners were more likely to be made by men (85% vs. 48%, p < 0.001) and by blacks (26% vs. 16%, p < 0.001) compared to the Rhode Island general population. Ex-prisoners were more likely to have an ED visit for a mental health disorder (6% vs. 4%, p < 0.001) or substance use disorder (16%vs. 4%, p < 0.001). After controlling for patient- and community-level factors, ex-prisoner visits were significantly more likely to be for mental health disorders (OR 1.43; 95% CI 1.27-1.61), substance use disorders (OR 1.93; 95% CI 1.77-2.11) and ambulatory care sensitive conditions (OR 1.09; 95% CI 1.00-1.18). Conclusions ED visits by ex-prisoners were significantly more likely due to three conditions optimally managed in outpatient settings. Future work should determine whether greater access to outpatient services after release from prison reduces ex-prisoners’ utilization of emergency services. PMID:24188513

Modulation of GABA-stimulated chloride influx into membrane vesicles from rat cerebral cortex by triazolobenzodiazepines

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

Obata, T.; Yamamura, H.I.

1988-01-01

The effects of triazolobenzodiazepines of GABA-stimulated /sup 36/Cl/sup -/ uptake by membrane vesicles from rat cerebral cortex were examined. Triazolam and alprazolam showed a significant enhancement of GABA-stimulated /sup 36/Cl/sup -/ uptake at 0.01-10 uM. On the other hand, adinazolam showed a small enhancement at 0.1-1 uM followed by a significant inhibition of GABA-stimulated /sup 36/Cl/sup -/ uptake at 100 uM. The enhancement of GABA-stimulated /sup 36/Cl/sup -/ uptake by 1 uM alprazolam was antagonized by Ro15-1788, a benzodiazepine antagonist, but the inhibition of this response by 30 uM adinazolam was not antagonized by Ro15-1788. These results indicate that triazolobenzodiazepinesmore » enhanced GABA-stimulated /sup 36/Cl/sup -/ uptake through benzodiazepine receptors. High concentrations of adinazolam inhibit GABA-stimulated /sup 36/Cl/sup -/ uptake which may be due to the direct blockade of GABA-gated chloride channel. 23 references, 4 figures.« less

Selumetinib-based therapy in uveal melanoma patient-derived xenografts

PubMed Central

Decaudin, Didier; El Botty, Rania; Diallo, Béré; Massonnet, Gerald; Fleury, Justine; Naguez, Adnan; Raymondie, Chloé; Davies, Emma; Smith, Aaron; Wilson, Joanne; Howes, Colin; Smith, Paul D.; Cassoux, Nathalie; Piperno-Neumann, Sophie; Roman-Roman, Sergio; Némati, Fariba

2018-01-01

The prognosis of metastatic uveal melanoma (UM) is among the worst of all human cancers. The identification of near-ubiquitous GNAQ/GNA11 mutations and the activation of MAPK signaling in UM have raised hopes of more effective, targeted therapies, based on MEK inhibition, for example. We evaluated the potential of drug combinations to increase the efficacy of the MEK inhibitor selumetinib (AZD6244, ARRY-142886), in UM cell lines and Patient-Derived Xenografts. We first evaluated the combination of selumetinib and DTIC. We found that DTIC did not improve the in vitro or in vivo antitumor efficacy of selumetinib, consistent with the outcome of the SUMIT clinical trial assessing the efficacy of this combination in UM. We then tested additional selumetinib combinations with the chemotherapy agent docetaxel, the ERK inhibitor AZ6197, and the mTORC1/2 inhibitor, vistusertib (AZD2014). Combinations of selumetinib with ERK and mTORC1/2 inhibitors appeared to be the most effective in UM PDX models. PMID:29774094

Immunostaining, dehydration, and clearing of mouse embryos for ultramicroscopy.

PubMed

Becker, Klaus; Jährling, Nina; Saghafi, Saiedeh; Dodt, Hans-Ulrich

2013-08-01

This protocol describes the preparation of mouse embryos for ultramicroscopy (UM), a powerful imaging technique that achieves precise and accurate three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions of intact macroscopic specimens with micrometer resolution. In UM, a specimen in the size range of ∼1-15 mm is illuminated perpendicular to the observation pathway by two thin counterpropagating sheets of laser light. In combination with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) immunostaining, UM allows visualization of somatic motor and sensorial nerve fibers in whole mouse embryos. Even the fine branches of the sensomotoric fibers can be visualized over a distance of up to several millimeters. In this protocol, mouse embryos are fixed and immunostained in preparation for UM. Because UM requires the excitation light sheet to travel throughout the entire horizontal width of the specimen, specimens usually have to be rendered transparent before microscope inspection. Here, the embryos are dehydrated in ethanol and then cleared in a solution of benzyl alcohol and benzyl benzoate.

The mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors on arrival in the host country.

PubMed

Vervliet, Marianne; Meyer Demott, Melinda A; Jakobsen, Marianne; Broekaert, Eric; Heir, Trond; Derluyn, Ilse

2014-02-01

Despite increasing numbers of unaccompanied refugee minors (UM) in Europe and heightened concerns for this group, research on their mental health has seldom included the factor "time since arrival." As a result, our knowledge of the mental health statuses of UM at specific points in time and over periods in their resettlement trajectories in European host countries is limited. This study therefore examined the mental health of UM shortly after their arrival in Norway (n = 204) and Belgium (n = 103) through the use of self-report questionnaires (HSCL-37A, SLE, RATS, HTQ). High prevalence scores of anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were found. In addition, particular associations were found with the number of traumatic events the UM reported. The results indicate that all UM have high support needs on arrival in the host country. Longitudinal studies following up patterns of continuity and change in their mental health during their trajectories in the host country are necessary. © 2014 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Evaluation of the selection methods used in the exIWO algorithm based on the optimization of multidimensional functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kostrzewa, Daniel; Josiński, Henryk

2016-06-01

The expanded Invasive Weed Optimization algorithm (exIWO) is an optimization metaheuristic modelled on the original IWO version inspired by dynamic growth of weeds colony. The authors of the present paper have modified the exIWO algorithm introducing a set of both deterministic and non-deterministic strategies of individuals' selection. The goal of the project was to evaluate the modified exIWO by testing its usefulness for multidimensional numerical functions optimization. The optimized functions: Griewank, Rastrigin, and Rosenbrock are frequently used as benchmarks because of their characteristics.

Development and Testing of DAVID: A Close-in EMP Coupling Code for Arbitrarily Shaped Objects

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-11-07

5.OE-9 sec. (Ambient boundary condition, 0 = 0, Y - YAMAX ). 65 13 b. Approximate contours of constant Ex at T -5.8E-9 sec. (Ambient boundary...condition, 0 =0 Y -YMAX). 65 13 c. Appro<imate contours of constant Ex at T = 9.8E-9 sec. (Ambient boundary condition, 0 = 0 °, Y = YAMAX ). 66 13 d...Approximate contours of constant Ex at T 2.9E-8 sec. (Ambient boundary condition, 0% Y = YAMAX ). 66 - 14 a. Approximate contours of constant Ex at T = 9.8E-9

CD-ROM-aided Databases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagatsuka, Takashi

This paper introduces the CD-ROM-aided products and their utilization in foreign countries, mainly in U.S.A. CD-ROM is being used in various fields recently. Author classified its products into four groups:1. CD-ROM that substitutes for printed matters such as encyclopedias and dictionaries (ex. Grolier's Electronic Encyclopedia), 2. CD-ROM that substitutes for online databases (ex. Disclosure, Medline), 3. CD-ROM that has some functions such as giving orders for books besides information retrieval (ex. Books in Print Plus), 4. CD-ROM that contains literatures including pictures and figures (ex. ADONIS). The future trends of CD-ROM utilization are also suggested.

Driving bubbles out of glass

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mattox, D. M.

1981-01-01

Surface tension gradient in melt forces gas bubbles to surface, increasing glass strength and transparency. Conventional chemical and buoyant fining are extremely slow in viscous glasses, but tension gradient method moves 250 um bubbles as rapidly as 30 um/s. Heat required for high temperature part of melt is furnished by stationary electrical or natural-gas heater; induction and laser heating are also possible. Method has many applications in industry processes.

Cloning and expression analysis of a novel G-protein-coupled receptor selectively expressed on granulocytes.

PubMed

Yousefi, S; Cooper, P R; Potter, S L; Mueck, B; Jarai, G

2001-06-01

The migration of neutrophils into sites of acute and chronic inflammation is mediated by chemokines. We used degenerate-primer reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to analyze chemokine receptor expression in neutrophils and identify novel receptors. RNA was isolated from human peripheral blood neutrophils and from neutrophils that had been stimulated for 5 h with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor or by coculturing with primary human bronchial epithelial cells. Amplification products were cloned, and clone redundancy was determined. Seven known G-protein-coupled receptors were identified among 38 clones-CCR1, CCR4, CXCR1, CXCR2, CXCR4, HM63, and FPR1-as well as a novel gene, EX33. The full-length EX33 clone was obtained, and an in silico approach was used to identify the putative murine homologue. The EX33 gene encodes a 396-amino-acid protein with limited sequence identity to known receptors. Expression studies of several known chemokine receptors and EX33 revealed that resting neutrophils expressed higher levels of CXCRs and EX33 compared with activated neutrophils. Northern blot experiments revealed that EX33 is expressed mainly in bone marrow, lung, and peripheral blood leukocytes. Using RT-PCR analysis, we showed more abundant expression of EX33 in neutrophils and eosinophils, in comparison with that in T- or B-lymphocytes, indicating cell-specific expression among leukocytes.

Destabilizing Mutations Alter the Hydrogen Exchange Mechanism in Ribonuclease A

PubMed Central

Bruix, Marta; Ribó, Marc; Benito, Antoni; Laurents, Douglas V.; Rico, Manuel; Vilanova, Maria

2008-01-01

The effect of strongly destabilizing mutations, I106A and V108G of Ribonuclease A (RNase A), on its structure and stability has been determined by NMR. The solution structures of these variants are essentially equivalent to RNase A. The exchange rates of the most protected amide protons in RNase A (35°C), the I106A variant (35°C), and the V108G variant (10°C) yield stability values of 9.9, 6.0, and 6.8 kcal/mol, respectively, when analyzed assuming an EX2 exchange mechanism. Thus, the destabilization induced by these mutations is propagated throughout the protein. Simulation of RNase A hydrogen exchange indicates that the most protected protons in RNase A and the V108G variant exchange via the EX2 regime, whereas those of I106A exchange through a mixed EX1 + EX2 process. It is striking that a single point mutation can alter the overall exchange mechanism. Thus, destabilizing mutations joins high temperatures, high pH and the presence of denaturating agents as a factor that induces EX1 exchange in proteins. The calculations also indicate a shift from the EX2 to the EX1 mechanism for less protected groups within the same protein. This should be borne in mind when interpreting exchange data as a measure of local stability in less protected regions. PMID:18192347

Action Mechanism of Ginkgo biloba Leaf Extract Intervened by Exercise Therapy in Treatment of Benign Prostate Hyperplasia

PubMed Central

Peng, Chiung-Chi; Liu, Jia-Hong; Chang, Chi-Huang; Chung, Jin-Yuan; Chen, Kuan-Chou

2013-01-01

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), an imbalance between androgen/estrogen, overexpression of stromal, and epithelial growth factors associated with chronic inflammation, has become an atypical direct cause of mortality of aged male diseases. Ginkgo possesses anti-inflammatory, blood flow-enhancing, and free radical scavenging effects. Considering strenuous exercise can reduce BPH risks, we hypothesize Ginkgo + exercise (Ginkgo + Ex) could be beneficial to BPH. To verify this, rat BPH model was induced by s.c. 3.5 mg testosterone (T) and 0.1 mg estradiol (E2) per head per day successively for 8 weeks, using mineral oil as placebo. Cerenin® 8.33 μL/100 g was applied s.c. from the 10th to the 13th week, and simultaneously, Ex was applied (30 m/min, 3 times/week). In BPH, Ginkgo alone had no effect on T, 5α-reductase, and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), but suppressed androgen receptor (AR), aromatase, E2 and estrogen receptor (ER), and the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA); Ex alone significantly reduced T, aromatase, E2, ER, AR, and PCNA, but highly raised DHT. While Ginkgo + Ex androgenically downregulated T, aromatase, E2, and ER, but upregulated DHT, AR, and PCNA, implying Ginkgo + Ex tended to worsen BPH. Conclusively, Ginkgo or Ex alone may be more beneficial than Ginkgo + Ex for treatment of BPH. PMID:23690843

The Habitable Exoplanet Imaging Mission (HabEx)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaudi, B. Scott; Habitable Exoplanet Imaging Mission Science and Technology Definition Team

2018-01-01

The Habitable Exoplanet Imaging Mission (HabEx) is a candidate flagship mission being studied by NASA and the astrophysics community in preparation of the 2020 Decadal Survey. The HabEx mission concept is a large (~4 to 6.5m) diffraction-limited optical space telescope, providing unprecedented resolution and contrast in the optical, with likely extensions into the near UV and near infrared domains. We discuss the primary science goals of HabEx. First, HabEx will survey a large sample of stars to search for planets potentially habitable planets: roughly Earth-sized planets with separations consistent with being in the habitable zones of their parent stars. Promising candidates will be followed up in detail, in order to characterize their orbits and atmospheres, and so confirm that they are indeed terrestrial-sized planets in the habitable zones of their parent stars, and search for signatures of habitability and potentially biosignatures. Second, HabEx will perform a ‘deep dive’ survey of roughly a dozen of the nearest and most promising stellar systems, providing the first complete “family portraits” of planets around our nearest Sun-like neighbors, and placing the solar system in the context of a diverse set of these planetary systems. Additionally, HabEx will enable a wide range of other astrophysical investigations, including detailed characterization of the properties of nearby stars and galaxies.

Extracting and standardizing medication information in clinical text - the MedEx-UIMA system.

PubMed

Jiang, Min; Wu, Yonghui; Shah, Anushi; Priyanka, Priyanka; Denny, Joshua C; Xu, Hua

2014-01-01

Extraction of medication information embedded in clinical text is important for research using electronic health records (EHRs). However, most of current medication information extraction systems identify drug and signature entities without mapping them to standard representation. In this study, we introduced the open source Java implementation of MedEx, an existing high-performance medication information extraction system, based on the Unstructured Information Management Architecture (UIMA) framework. In addition, we developed new encoding modules in the MedEx-UIMA system, which mapped an extracted drug name/dose/form to both generalized and specific RxNorm concepts and translated drug frequency information to ISO standard. We processed 826 documents by both systems and verified that MedEx-UIMA and MedEx (the Python version) performed similarly by comparing both results. Using two manually annotated test sets that contained 300 drug entries from medication list and 300 drug entries from narrative reports, the MedEx-UIMA system achieved F-measures of 98.5% and 97.5% respectively for encoding drug names to corresponding RxNorm generic drug ingredients, and F-measures of 85.4% and 88.1% respectively for mapping drug names/dose/form to the most specific RxNorm concepts. It also achieved an F-measure of 90.4% for normalizing frequency information to ISO standard. The open source MedEx-UIMA system is freely available online at http://code.google.com/p/medex-uima/.

Wound healing potential of adipose tissue stem cell extract.

PubMed

Na, You Kyung; Ban, Jae-Jun; Lee, Mijung; Im, Wooseok; Kim, Manho

2017-03-25

Adipose tissue stem cells (ATSCs) are considered as a promising source in the field of cell therapy and regenerative medicine. In addition to direct cell replacement using stem cells, intercellular molecule exchange by stem cell secretory factors showed beneficial effects by reducing tissue damage and augmentation of endogenous repair. Delayed cutaneous wound healing is implicated in many conditions such as diabetes, aging, stress and alcohol consumption. However, the effects of cell-free extract of ATSCs (ATSC-Ex) containing secretome on wound healing process have not been investigated. In this study, ATSC-Ex was topically applied on the cutaneous wound and healing speed was examined. As a result, wound closure was much faster in the cell-free extract treated wound than control wound at 4, 6, 8 days after application of ATSC-Ex. Dermal fibroblast proliferation, migration and extracellular matrix (ECM) production are critical aspects of wound healing, and the effects of ATSC-Ex on human dermal fibroblast (HDF) was examined. ATSC-Ex augmented HDF proliferation in a dose-dependent manner and migration ability was enhanced by extract treatment. Representative ECM proteins, collagen type I and matrix metalloproteinase-1, are significantly up-regulated by treatment of ATSC-Ex. Our results suggest that the ATSC-Ex have improving effect of wound healing and can be the potential therapeutic candidate for cutaneous wound healing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetic heterogeneity in uveal melanoma assessed by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification.

PubMed

Dopierala, Justyna; Damato, Bertil E; Lake, Sarah L; Taktak, Azzam F G; Coupland, Sarah E

2010-10-01

To determine intratumor genetic heterogeneity in uveal melanoma (UM) by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor tissues. DNA was extracted from whole tumor sections and from two to nine different areas microdissected from 32 FFPE UMs. Thirty-one loci on chromosomes 1, 3, 6, and 8 were tested with MLPA for copy number changes. The tumor was considered heterogeneous at a locus if (1) the difference in dosage quotients (DQs) of any two areas was 0.2 or more, and (2) the DQs of the areas belonged to different ranges. Comparison of MLPA data obtained from microdissected areas of the UMs showed heterogeneity in 1 to 26 examined loci in 24 (75%) tumors, with only 25% of the tumors being homogeneous. Intratumor heterogeneity of 3p12.2, 6p21.2, and 8q11.23 was most common, occurring in >30% of the UMs. Gains of chromosome 3 were observed in four UMs, with three of these tumors showing the highest degree of heterogeneity. Copy number variation was associated with differences in tumor cell type, but not with differences in tumor pigmentation or reactive inflammation. UMs with genetic heterogeneity across multiple sample sites showed equivocal MLPA results when the whole tumor section was examined. These results suggest that different clones dilute MLPA results. Heterogeneity of chromosomal abnormalities of chromosomes 1, 3, 6, and 8 is present in most UMs. This heterogeneity causes equivocal MLPA results. One random tumor sample may not be representative of the whole tumor and, therefore, may be insufficient for prognostic testing.

Genomic insight into pathogenicity of dematiaceous fungus Corynespora cassiicola

PubMed Central

Looi, Hong Keat; Toh, Yue Fen; Yew, Su Mei; Na, Shiang Ling; Tan, Yung-Chie; Chong, Pei-Sin; Khoo, Jia-Shiun; Yee, Wai-Yan; Ng, Kee Peng

2017-01-01

Corynespora cassiicola is a common plant pathogen that causes leaf spot disease in a broad range of crop, and it heavily affect rubber trees in Malaysia (Hsueh, 2011; Nghia et al., 2008). The isolation of UM 591 from a patient’s contact lens indicates the pathogenic potential of this dematiaceous fungus in human. However, the underlying factors that contribute to the opportunistic cross-infection have not been fully studied. We employed genome sequencing and gene homology annotations in attempt to identify these factors in UM 591 using data obtained from publicly available bioinformatics databases. The assembly size of UM 591 genome is 41.8 Mbp, and a total of 13,531 (≥99 bp) genes have been predicted. UM 591 is enriched with genes that encode for glycoside hydrolases, carbohydrate esterases, auxiliary activity enzymes and cell wall degrading enzymes. Virulent genes comprising of CAZymes, peptidases, and hypervirulence-associated cutinases were found to be present in the fungal genome. Comparative analysis result shows that UM 591 possesses higher number of carbohydrate esterases family 10 (CE10) CAZymes compared to other species of fungi in this study, and these enzymes hydrolyses wide range of carbohydrate and non-carbohydrate substrates. Putative melanin, siderophore, ent-kaurene, and lycopene biosynthesis gene clusters are predicted, and these gene clusters denote that UM 591 are capable of protecting itself from the UV and chemical stresses, allowing it to adapt to different environment. Putative sterigmatocystin, HC-toxin, cercosporin, and gliotoxin biosynthesis gene cluster are predicted. This finding have highlighted the necrotrophic and invasive nature of UM 591. PMID:28149676

Origins Space Telescope: The Far Infrared Imager and Polarimeter FIP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staguhn, Johannes G.; Chuss, David; Howard, Joseph; Meixner, Margaret; Vieira, Joaquin; Amatucci, Edward; Bradley, Damon; Carter, Ruth; Cooray, Asantha; Flores, Anel; Leisawitz, David; Moseley, Samuel Harvey; Wollack, Edward; Origins Space Telescope Study Team

2018-01-01

The Origins Space Telescope (OST)* is the mission concept for the Far-Infrared Surveyor, one of the four science and technology definition studies of NASA Headquarters for the 2020 Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal survey. The current "concept 1", which envisions a cold (4K) 9m space telescope, includes 5 instruments, providing a wavelength coverage ranging from 6um and 667um. The achievable sensitivity of the observatory will provide three to four orders of magnitude of improvement in sensitivity over current observational capabilities, allowing to address a wide range of new and so far inaccessible scientific questions, ranging from bio-signatures on exo-planets to mapping primordial H_2 from the "dark ages" before the universe went through the phase of re-ionization.Here we present the Far Infrared Imager and Polarimeter (FIP) for OST. The cameral will cover four bands, 40um, 80um, 120um, and 240um. It will allow for differential polarimetry in those bands with the ability to observe two colors in polarimtery mode simultaneously, while all four bands can be observed simultaneously in total power mode. While the confusion limit will be reached in only 32ms at 240um, at 40um the source density on the sky is so low, that at the angular resolution of 1" of OST at this wavelength there will be no source confusion, even for the longest integration times. Science topics that can be addressed by FIP include but are not limited to galactic and extragalactic magnetic field studies, Deep Galaxy Surveys, and Outer Solar System objects..*Origins will enable flagship-quality general observing programs led by the astronomical community in the 2030s. We welcome you to contact the Science and Technology Definition Team (STDT) with your science needs and ideas by emailing us at ost_info@lists.ipac.caltech.edu

Measuring Broadband IR Irradiance in the Direct Solar Beam and Recent Developments

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

Reda, Ibrahim; Andreas, Afshin; Dooraghi, Mike

2016-12-14

Solar and atmospheric science radiometers such as pyranometers, pyrheliometers, and photovoltaic cells are calibrated with traceability to a consensus reference which is maintained by Absolute Cavity Radiometers (ACRs). An ACR is an open cavity with no window, developed to measure the extended broadband spectrum of the terrestrial direct solar beam irradiance that extends beyond the ultraviolet and infrared bands; i.e. below 0.2 um and above 50 um, respectively. On the other hand, the pyranometers and pyrheliometers were developed to measure broadband shortwave irradiance from approximately 0.3 um to 3 um, while the present photovoltaic cells are limited to the spectralmore » range of approximately 0.3 um to 1 um. The broadband mismatch of ACR versus such radiometers causes discrepancy in radiometers' calibration methods that has not been discussed or addressed in the solar and atmospheric science literature. Pyrgeometers, which measure the atmospheric longwave irradiance, are also used for solar and atmospheric science applications and calibrated with traceability to a consensus reference, yet they are calibrated during nighttime only, because no consensus reference has been established for the daytime longwave irradiance. This poster describes a method to measure the broadband longwave irradiance in the terrestrial direct solar beam from 3 um to 50 um, as a first step that might be used to help develop calibration methods to address the mismatch between broadband ACR and shortwave radiometers, and the lack of a daytime reference for pyrgeometers. The described method is used to measure the irradiance from sunrise to sunset; the irradiance varied from approximately 1 Wm-2 to 16 Wm-2 with an estimated uncertainty of 1.5 Wm-2, for a solar zenith angle range from 80 degrees to 16 degrees, respectively. Recent development shows that there is greater than 1.1 percent bias in measuring shortwave solar irradiance.« less

Foreword: special issue on the geology of Northwestern Mexico and adjacent areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González-León, Carlos M.; Barajas, Arturo Martin

2001-10-01

The eight papers presented in this special issue are contributions that were received following the Fourth Meeting on the Geology of Northwestern Mexico and Adjacent Areas that took place from March 6- 8, 2000, in Hermosillo, México. The meeting was organized by the Estación Regional del Noroeste, Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; Departamento de Geología, Universidad de Sonora; Departamento de Geología, Centro de Investigación Científica y Estudios Superiores de Ensenada; Departamento de Geociencias, Centro de Estudios Superiores del Estado de Sonora; Distrito Sonora, Asociación de Ingenieros de Minas, Metalurgistas y Geólogos de México and Sociedad Geológica Mexicana. The manuscripts present new result that constitute recent advances to our understanding of the geology of southwestern North America.

Neurotransmitter Receptors and Their Ionic Channels as Targets for Drugs and Toxins

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-01-06

Albuquerque, E.X. Acetylcholine receptors in normal and myasthenic muscle. In: Myasthenia Gravis (E.X. Albuquerque and A.T. Eldefrawi, eds.), Chapman and...M-asthenia Gravis (E.X. Albuquerque and A.T. E1defrawi, eds.), Chapman and Hall, London, pp. 189-214, 1983. 13. Warnick, J.E., Spivak, C.E., and

Line and Rabble: Drill, Doctrine, and Military Books in Revolutionary America

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-04-20

professionalism demanded the de facto wholesale adoption of European military knowledge. Yet, in addition to more sophisticated works suited for...angustiis, feroci hostium saevitiae, belloque crudeli ex inopinato patriae nostrae illato debitis, maxime accommodata. (Philadelphiae: Ex officina...civitatum pertinentis ; hodiernae nostrae inopiae rerumque angustiis, feroci hostium saevitiae, belloque crudeli ex inopinato patriae nostrae illato

75 FR 81849 - Office of the Attorney General; Applicability of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-29

... convictions would violate the Constitution's prohibition of ex post facto laws or other provisions of the... purposes, and accordingly do not implicate the Constitution's prohibition of ex post facto laws. See 42 U.S... distinction for ex post facto purposes between the SORNA requirements and the sex offender registration and...

Building Physics Test Cases | Buildings | NREL

Science.gov Websites

building physics test cases in BESTEST-EX. In these cases, the model inputs that describe the house are programs. This diagram provides an overview of the BESTEST-EX physics case process. On the left side of the diagram is a box labeled "BESTEST-EX Document" with a list that contains two bulleted items. The

NOAA Office of Exploration and Research > About OER > Organization

Science.gov Websites

the break of the continental shelf between Virginia and New England. May 2011: OER EX Program hosts an Atlantic Basin Workshop to identify exploration targets for the 2012 EX field season. May 2011: OER -U.S. exploration and NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer's (EX) maiden voyage. Jul 2009: Renewed Joint Project

Thermochemical Process Integration, Scale-Up, and Piloting Publications |

Science.gov Websites

-Economic Assessment of Ex Situ Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis of Biomass: A Fixed Bed Reactor Implementation Scenario for Future Feasibility, Topics in Catalysis Image of a schematic of hot gas filter and ex situ Research Pathways with In Situ and Ex Situ Upgrading of Fast Pyrolysis Vapors, NREL Technical Report Image

78 FR 78401 - Advisory Committee for Education and Human Resources; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-26

... 1235, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22230. To attend virtually via WebEX video, the web address... you need assistance joining the meeting, contact WebEx Technical Support at 1-800-857-8777, and reference WebEx meeting number 749 890 295 at URL: https://nsf.webex.com . Operated assisted teleconference...

Patient Adherence Predicts Outcome from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simpson, Helen Blair; Maher, Michael J.; Wang, Yuanjia; Bao, Yuanyuan; Foa, Edna B.; Franklin, Martin

2011-01-01

Objective: To examine the effects of patient adherence on outcome from exposure and response prevention (EX/RP) therapy in adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Method: Thirty adults with OCD were randomized to EX/RP (n = 15) or EX/RP augmented by motivational interviewing strategies (n = 15). Both treatments included 3 introductory…

76 FR 10226 - Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Model 757 Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-24

... contents of the proposed rule. Request To Revise the Compliance Time FedEx, US Airways, Delta, European Air Transport Leipzig GmbH (European Air)/DHL Air requested a change in the compliance time. FedEx, Delta, and..., dated July 16, 2007. FedEx and Delta stated that fuel tank access occurs at 72-month intervals. European...

12 CFR 404.21 - Submission of social security and passport numbers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Submission of social security and passport... passport numbers. (a) Policy. Ex-Im Bank recognizes the importance of assessing, to the extent reasonably... an Ex-Im Bank transaction, Ex-Im Bank may request social security and/or U.S. passport numbers from...

12 CFR 404.21 - Submission of social security and passport numbers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Submission of social security and passport... passport numbers. (a) Policy. Ex-Im Bank recognizes the importance of assessing, to the extent reasonably... an Ex-Im Bank transaction, Ex-Im Bank may request social security and/or U.S. passport numbers from...

12 CFR 404.21 - Submission of social security and passport numbers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Submission of social security and passport... passport numbers. (a) Policy. Ex-Im Bank recognizes the importance of assessing, to the extent reasonably... an Ex-Im Bank transaction, Ex-Im Bank may request social security and/or U.S. passport numbers from...

12 CFR 404.21 - Submission of social security and passport numbers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Submission of social security and passport... passport numbers. (a) Policy. Ex-Im Bank recognizes the importance of assessing, to the extent reasonably... an Ex-Im Bank transaction, Ex-Im Bank may request social security and/or U.S. passport numbers from...

12 CFR 404.21 - Submission of social security and passport numbers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Submission of social security and passport... passport numbers. (a) Policy. Ex-Im Bank recognizes the importance of assessing, to the extent reasonably... an Ex-Im Bank transaction, Ex-Im Bank may request social security and/or U.S. passport numbers from...

21 CFR 876.5885 - Tissue culture media for human ex vivo tissue and cell culture processing applications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... cell culture processing applications. 876.5885 Section 876.5885 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG... DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 876.5885 Tissue culture media for human ex vivo tissue and cell culture processing applications. (a) Identification. Tissue culture media for human ex vivo tissue and cell culture...

10 CFR 13.15 - Ex parte contacts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Ex parte contacts. 13.15 Section 13.15 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION PROGRAM FRAUD CIVIL REMEDIES § 13.15 Ex parte contacts. No party or person (except employees of the ALJ's office) shall communicate in any way with the ALJ on any matter at issue in a case...

26 CFR 20.2056A-2 - Requirements for qualified domestic trust.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... United States, Estate Tax Group, Assistant Commissioner (International), 950 L'Enfant Plaza, CP:IN:D:C:EX..., Assistant Commissioner (International), 950 L'Enfant Plaza, CP:IN:D:C:EX:HQ:1114, Washington, DC 20024..., CP:IN:D:C:EX:HQ:1114, Washington, DC 20024). The Internal Revenue Service will not draw on the letter...

26 CFR 20.2056A-2 - Requirements for qualified domestic trust.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... United States, Estate Tax Group, Assistant Commissioner (International), 950 L'Enfant Plaza, CP:IN:D:C:EX..., Assistant Commissioner (International), 950 L'Enfant Plaza, CP:IN:D:C:EX:HQ:1114, Washington, DC 20024..., CP:IN:D:C:EX:HQ:1114, Washington, DC 20024). The Internal Revenue Service will not draw on the letter...

26 CFR 20.2056A-2 - Requirements for qualified domestic trust.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... United States, Estate Tax Group, Assistant Commissioner (International), 950 L'Enfant Plaza, CP:IN:D:C:EX..., Assistant Commissioner (International), 950 L'Enfant Plaza, CP:IN:D:C:EX:HQ:1114, Washington, DC 20024..., CP:IN:D:C:EX:HQ:1114, Washington, DC 20024). The Internal Revenue Service will not draw on the letter...

26 CFR 20.2056A-2 - Requirements for qualified domestic trust.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... United States, Estate Tax Group, Assistant Commissioner (International), 950 L'Enfant Plaza, CP:IN:D:C:EX..., Assistant Commissioner (International), 950 L'Enfant Plaza, CP:IN:D:C:EX:HQ:1114, Washington, DC 20024..., CP:IN:D:C:EX:HQ:1114, Washington, DC 20024). The Internal Revenue Service will not draw on the letter...

26 CFR 20.2056A-2 - Requirements for qualified domestic trust.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... United States, Estate Tax Group, Assistant Commissioner (International), 950 L'Enfant Plaza, CP:IN:D:C:EX..., Assistant Commissioner (International), 950 L'Enfant Plaza, CP:IN:D:C:EX:HQ:1114, Washington, DC 20024..., CP:IN:D:C:EX:HQ:1114, Washington, DC 20024). The Internal Revenue Service will not draw on the letter...

50 CFR 622.22 - Individual fishing quota (IFQ) program for Gulf groupers and tilefishes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., but is not limited to, date, time, and location of transaction; weight and actual ex-vessel price of... fee cannot exceed 3 percent of the ex-vessel value of Gulf groupers and tilefishes landed under the... Access System Administration Fund (LASAF). Initially, the fee will be 3 percent of the actual ex-vessel...

77 FR 3666 - Changes To Implement the Supplemental Examination Provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-25

...., ex parte or inter partes reexamination, reissue, supplemental examination, post-grant review, or... proposing to adjust the fee for filing a request for ex parte reexamination and to set a fee for petitions filed in ex parte and inter partes reexamination proceedings to more accurately reflect the cost of...

50 CFR 622.20 - Individual fishing quota (IFQ) program for Gulf groupers and tilefishes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... actual ex-vessel price of groupers and tilefishes landed and sold; and information necessary to identify... groupers and tilefishes. The fee cannot exceed 3 percent of the ex-vessel value of Gulf groupers and... actual ex-vessel price of Gulf groupers and tilefishes landed per trip under the IFQ program, as...

77 FR 48827 - Changes To Implement the Supplemental Examination Provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-14

... enforceability of the patent during litigation. The Office is also adjusting the fee for filing a request for ex parte reexamination and setting a fee for petitions filed in ex parte and inter partes reexamination... raises a substantial new question of patentability, the Office will order ex parte reexamination of the...

50 CFR 622.16 - Gulf red snapper individual fishing quota (IFQ) program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

.... Factors considered in the review include the catch subject to the IFQ cost recovery, projected ex-vessel..., and location of transaction; weight and actual ex-vessel price of red snapper landed and sold; and... snapper IFQ program. The fee cannot exceed 3 percent of the ex-vessel value of Gulf red snapper landed...

Hyperandrogenism in female athletes with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea: a distinct phenotype.

PubMed

Javed, Asma; Kashyap, Rahul; Lteif, Aida N

2015-01-01

To compare the reproductive, metabolic, and skeletal profiles of young athletic women with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) as well as clinical or biochemical hyperandrogenism (FHA-EX+HA) with body mass index matched women with FHA due to exercise (FHA-EX) or anorexia nervosa (FHA-AN) alone. Retrospective cohort study. Tertiary care teaching hospital. Adolescents and young women, 15-30 years of age, diagnosed with FHA along with concurrent signs of hyperandrogenism (n=22) and body mass index matched control groups consisting of 22 women in each group of FHA-EX and FHA-AN. 1) Reproductive hormone profile: luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), total testosterone, pelvic ultrasound features. 2) Metabolic function and skeletal health markers: fasting glucose, cholesterol, number of stress fractures and bone mineral density as assessed by spine dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry z scores. FHA-EX+HA group was older at diagnosis compared to the other groups with a median (interquartile range [IQR]) age of 22 (18.75-25.25) years versus (vs) 17.5 (15.75-19) for FHA-EX; (P<0.01) and 18 (16-22.25) years for FHA-AN (P=0.01). There were no differences among the groups based on number of hours of exercise per week, type of physical activity or duration of amenorrhea. Median (IQR) LH/FSH ratio was higher in FHA-EX+HA than both other groups, 1.44 (1.03-1.77) vs 0.50 (0.20-0.94) for FHA-EX and 0.67 (0.51-0.87) for FHA-AN (P<0.01 for both). Total testosterone concentrations were not different among the groups. Median (IQR) fasting serum glucose concentration was higher in FHA-EX+HA vs FHA-EX, 88.5 mg/dL (82.8-90 mg/dL) vs 83.5 mg/dL (78.8-86.3 mg/dL) (P=0.01) but not different from FHA-AN (P=0.31). Percentage of women with stress fractures was lower in FHA-EX+HA (4.5%) as compared to both FHA-EX (27.3%) and FHA-AN (50%); P=0.04 and 0.01 respectively. The LH/FSH ratio was weakly positively associated with serum glucose (adjusted r (2)=0.102; P=0.01) as well as with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry spine score (adjusted r (2)=0.191; P=0.04) in the entire cohort. In a small cohort of female athletes with hyperandrogenism, a distinct reproductive hormone profile consisting of higher LH to FHS ratio may be associated with adverse metabolic health markers but improved skeletal health.

Application of the new comprehensive X-ray spectral model to the two brightest intermediate polars EX Hydrae and V1223 Sagittarii

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayashi, Takayuki; Ishida, Manabu

2014-07-01

We applied the new comprehensive X-ray spectral model for the post-shock accretion column (PSAC) of the intermediate polars (IPs) constructed by Hayashi and Ishida to the Suzaku data of the two brightest IPs EX Hydrae and V1223 Sagittarii. The white dwarf (WD) mass and the specific accretion rate of EX Hya are estimated to be M_WD= 0.63_{-0.14}^{+0.17} M⊙ and a=0.049_{-0.035}^{+0.66} g cm-2 s-1. Our WD mass of EX Hya is greater than that of previous X-ray estimations (˜0.4-0.5 M⊙), where higher specific accretion rate than ours is assumed, and marginally consistent with 0.790 ± 0.026 M⊙ measured by Beuermann and Reinsch using a binary motion. On the other hand, with the aid of the PSAC height of V1223 Sgr hV1223 < 0.07RWD, we estimated M_WD= 0.87_{-0.06}^{+0.10} M_{⊙} and a > 2.0 g cm-2 s-1 for V1223 Sgr. We evaluated the fractional accreting area of EX Hya and V1223 Sgr at 0.0033_{-0.0030}^{+0.0067} and <0.007, respectively. Calculation of the hydrodynamical equations with these best-fitting parameters show that the PSAC height of EX Hya is 0.33 RWD = 2.8 × 108 cm. The maximum temperature of the EX Hya and V1223 Sgr are calculated at 18.0 keV and 43.1 keV, respectively. In EX Hya, the temperature distribution is flatter and the density at the top of the PSAC is smaller than those of the previous PSAC models because of its low specific accretion rate.

The Extracellular Zn2+ Concentration Surrounding Excited Neurons Is High Enough to Bind Amyloid-β Revealed by a Nanowire Transistor.

PubMed

Anand, Ankur; Chi, Chih-Hung; Banerjee, Subhasree; Chou, Ming-Yi; Tseng, Fan-Gang; Pan, Chien-Yuan; Chen, Yit-Tsong

2018-06-01

The Zn 2+ stored in the secretory vesicles of glutamatergic neurons is coreleased with glutamate upon stimulation, resulting in the elevation of extracellular Zn 2+ concentration (CZn2+ex). This elevation of CZn2+ex regulates the neurotransmission and facilitates the fibrilization of amyloid-β (Aβ). However, the exact CZn2+ex surrounding neurons under (patho)physiological conditions is not clear and the connection between CZn2+ex and the Aβ fibrilization remains obscure. Here, a silicon nanowire field-effect transistor (SiNW-FET) with the Zn 2+ -sensitive fluorophore, FluoZin-3 (FZ-3), to quantify the CZn2+ex in real time is modified. This FZ-3/SiNW-FET device has a dissociation constant of ≈12 × 10 -9 m against Zn 2+ . By placing a coverslip seeded with cultured embryonic cortical neurons atop an FZ-3/SiNW-FET, the CZn2+ex elevated to ≈110 × 10 -9 m upon stimulation with α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA). Blockers against the AMPA receptor or exocytosis greatly suppress this elevation, indicating that the Zn 2+ stored in the synaptic vesicles is the major source responsible for this elevation of CZn2+ex. In addition, a SiNW-FET modified with Aβ could bind Zn 2+ with a dissociation constant of ≈633 × 10 -9 m and respond to the Zn 2+ released from AMPA-stimulated neurons. Therefore, the CZn2+ex can reach a level high enough to bind Aβ and the Zn 2+ homeostasis can be a therapeutic strategy to prevent neurodegeneration. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Changes in Function After a 6-Month Walking Intervention in Patients With Intermittent Claudication Who Are Obese or Nonobese.

PubMed

Addison, Odessa; Ryan, Alice S; Prior, Steven J; Katzel, Leslie I; Kundi, Rishi; Lal, Brajesh K; Gardner, Andrew W

Both obesity and peripheral artery disease (PAD) limit function and may work additively to reduce mobility. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a 6-month, center-based walking program on mobility function between adults who are weight-stable obese and nonobese with PAD. This is a secondary data analysis of 2 combined studies taken from previous work. Fifty-three adults with PAD and intermittent claudication participated in 6 months of treadmill training or standard of care. Patients were divided into 4 groups for analyses: exercise nonobese (Ex), exercise obese (ExO), standard-of-care nonobese (SC), and standard-of-care obese (SCO). Mobility was assessed by a standardized treadmill test to measure claudication onset time (COT) and peak walking time (PWT) as well as the distance walked during a 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) test. There was a significant (P < .001) interaction (intervention × obesity) effect on 6MWD, wherein both exercise groups improved (Ex = 7%, ExO = 16%; P < .02), the SC group did not change (0.9%; P > .05), and the SCO group tended to decline (-18%; P = .06). Both exercise intervention groups significantly improved COT (Ex = 92%, ExO = 102%; P < .01) and PWT (Ex = 54%, ExO = 103%; P < .001). There was no change (P > .05) in either standard-of-care group. Individuals who are obese and nonobese with PAD made similar improvements after a 6-month, center-based walking program. However, patients who are obese with PAD and do not exercise may be susceptible to greater declines in mobility. Exercise may be particularly important in patients who are obese with PAD to avoid declines in mobility.

Pomegranate extract and exercise provide additive benefits on improvement of immune function by inhibiting inflammation and oxidative stress in high-fat-diet-induced obesity in rats.

PubMed

Zhao, Fei; Pang, Wentao; Zhang, Ziyi; Zhao, Jialong; Wang, Xin; Liu, Ye; Wang, Xun; Feng, Zhihui; Zhang, Yong; Sun, Wenyan; Liu, Jiankang

2016-06-01

Obesity is reported to be associated with immune dysfunction and a state of low-grade, chronic inflammation. Either pomegranate extract (PomE) or exercise (Ex) has been shown to have antiobesity, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Nevertheless, no study has addressed the additive benefits of PomE and Ex on the restoration of obesity-induced immune defects. The present work aims to study the effect of PomE and Ex as a combined intervention on immune function and the underlying mechanism involved in inflammation and oxidative stress in rats with high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced obesity. Our results demonstrate that the combination of PomE and Ex showed additive benefits on inhibition of HFD-induced body weight increase and improvement of HFD-induced immune dysfunction, including (a) attenuating the abnormality of histomorphology of the spleen, (b) increasing the ratio of the CD4+:CD8+ T cell subpopulations in splenocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), (c) inhibition of apoptosis in splenocytes and PBMC, (d) normalizing peritoneal macrophage phenotypes and (e) restoring immunomodulating factors in serum. We also find that immune dysfunction in HFD-fed rats was associated with increased inflammatory cytokine secretion and oxidative stress biomarkers, and that the combination of PomE and Ex effectively inhibited the inflammatory response and decreased oxidative damage. The effect of PomE and Ex as a combined intervention is greater than the effect of either PomE or Ex alone, showing that PomE and Ex may be additively effective in improving immune function in HFD-fed rats by inhibiting inflammation and decreasing oxidative stress. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic performance of coronary computed tomography angiography versus exercise electrocardiography for coronary artery disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Yin, Xinxin; Wang, Jiali; Zheng, Wen; Ma, Jingjing; Hao, Panpan; Chen, Yuguo

2016-07-01

Both coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and exercise electrocardiography (ExECG) are non-invasive testing methods for the evaluation of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, there was controversy on the diagnostic performance of these methods due to the limited data in each single study. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to address these issues. We searched PubMed and Embase databases up to May 22, 2015. Two authors identified eligible studies, extracted data and accessed quality. Pooled estimation of sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), summary receiver-operating characteristic curve (SROC) and the area under curve (AUC) of CCTA and ExECG for the diagnosis of CAD were calculated using Stata, Meta-Disc and Review Manager statistical software. Seven articles were included. Pooled sensitivity of CCTA and ExECG were 0.98 [95% confidence intervals (CIs): 0.95-0.99] and 0.66 (95% CIs: 0.59-0.72); pooled specificity of CCTA and ExECG were 0.84 (95% CIs: 0.81-0.87) and 0.75 (95% CIs: 0.71-0.79); pooled DOR of CCTA and ExECG were 110.24 (95% CIs: 35.07-346.55) and 6.28 (95% CIs: 2.06-19.13); and AUC of CCTA and ExECG were 0.9950±0.0046 and 0.7727±0.0638, respectively. There is no heterogeneity caused by threshold effect in CCTA or ExECG analysis. The Deeks' test showed no potential publication bias (P=0.17). CCTA has better diagnostic performance than ExECG in the evaluation of CAD, which can provide a better solution for the clinical problem of the diagnosis for CAD.

Plasma volume shifts with immersion at rest and two exercise intensities.

PubMed

Ertl, A C; Bernauer, E M; Hom, C A

1991-04-01

Eight men were studied to determine the effect of cycling exercise on plasma volume (PV) during water immersion to the xiphoid process (WIX). In all protocols the subjects were seated upright. After 30 min of rest, subjects were immersed in 34.5 degrees C water and seated on a cycling ergometer. During three 1 h WIX protocols, subjects either remained at rest (No Ex) or pedaled from minutes 20 to 30 at 38% (Ex1) or 62% (Ex2) of peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak). Hematocrit (Hct) and hemoglobin concentration [( Hb]) from venous blood samples were compared pre-WIX and at minutes 20, 30, 40, and 60. Percent change in PV (delta PV) was calculated from pre-WIX Hct and [Hb] within each protocol. Hct and [Hb] decreased after 20 min of resting WIX (P less than 0.017). In the No Ex protocol, there were no further significant changes in these variables, with delta PV values of +10.4% at minute 20 and at a peak of +13.5% at minute 40. In Ex1 and Ex2, cycling increased Hct and [Hb] (P less than 0.01, minute 30 vs No Ex), with delta PV values at minute 30 of +3.7% and -0.9%, respectively, vs +12.8% in No Ex. Minute 60 values between protocols were not significantly different (mean delta PV of +10.8 +/- 0.6% SD). The hemodilution associated with WIX was either partially or completely attenuated by cycling exercise; the degree of hemoconcentration was related to exercise intensity. The exercise-induced hemoconcentration was reversed by 30 min of resting WIX. Exercise during WIX appears to cause similar decreases in PV, as does exercise in air provided that postural hemoconcentration prior to exercise is not already maximal.