A Year in Space: Early Results and Lessons Learned from the First Year-Long Expedition Aboard the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Charles, J. B.; Bogomolov, V. V.

2016-01-01

Two ISS crewmembers recently completed the first year-long orbital stay in two decades. International cooperation was central to the success of Mikhail Kornienko from Russia and Scott Kelly from the United States. Their expedition leveraged current mission experience and capitalized on recent advances in health monitoring technology. This unique effort began in 2012 when the program managers of the ISS partner nations adopted two separate goals: greater multilateral cooperation to increase efficiency of inflight research and a year-long expedition to gain familiarity with in-flight durations approaching that required for a Mars mission. These goals were unified when a set of bilateral Russian and American human research investigations was assigned to the year-long mission, augmented by additional investigations from Europe and Japan. For example, Kelly was assigned 18 investigations (twice the complement on standard six-month missions) including two joint U.S.-Russian studies, and two Russian and two Japanese studies. The core set of American investigations was a repetition of six studies Kelly had done on his previous six-month ISS mission, to allow a direct comparison of physiological and behavioral responses of the longer and shorter durations in this single individual. The remainder of his assignments plus those of Kornienko were drawn from currently active national investigations documenting human adaptation to long-duration spaceflight factors or effectiveness of countermeasures against known deleterious adaptations. The two joint U.S.-Russian investigations were the flagship biomedical studies of the year-long expedition. The "Fluid Shifts" study collocated American research equipment alongside a Russian operational stressor device to document the pattern and impacts of the headward fluid shift long known to occur in weightlessness, including its role in ocular changes recently observed in some astronauts. The "Field Test" study investigated the ability of

Long-term importance of fundamental motor skills: a 20-year follow-up study.

PubMed

Lloyd, Meghann; Saunders, Travis J; Bremer, Emily; Tremblay, Mark S

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential long-term association of motor skill proficiency at 6 years of age and self-reported physical activity (PA) at age 26. Direct motor performance data were collected in 1991 with a follow-up study occurring in 1996, and then indirect questionnaires (self-report) administered in 2001 and 2011. In 2011, 17 participants who were identified as either having high motor proficiency (HMP) or low motor proficiency (LMP) in 1991 completed a series of 4 questionnaires. Analyses were conducted to determine whether there were differences between groups for motor skill proficiency, PA, or sedentary behavior, and whether these outcomes were related across ages. Motor skill proficiency at age 6 was related to self-reported proficiency at age 16 (r = .77, p = .006), and self-reported proficiency between 16 and 26 years (r = .85, p = .001). Motor skill proficiency at age 6 was positively associated with leisure time PA at age 26 in females and participants in the HMP group. The results may provide preliminary evidence about the importance of how early motor skill proficiency relates to long-term PA. More research with larger sample sizes is needed to investigate the importance of motor skills over time.

Long-Term Field Study of Microbial Community and Dechlorinating Activity Following Carboxymethyl Cellulose-Stabilized Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron Injection.

PubMed

Kocur, Chris M D; Lomheim, Line; Molenda, Olivia; Weber, Kela P; Austrins, Leanne M; Sleep, Brent E; Boparai, Hardiljeet K; Edwards, Elizabeth A; O'Carroll, Denis M

2016-07-19

Nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI) is an emerging technology for the remediation of contaminated sites. However, there are concerns related to the impact of nZVI on in situ microbial communities. In this study, the microbial community composition at a contaminated site was monitored over two years following the injection of nZVI stabilized with carboxymethyl cellulose (nZVI-CMC). Enhanced dechlorination of chlorinated ethenes to nontoxic ethene was observed long after the expected nZVI oxidation. The abundance of Dehalococcoides (Dhc) and vinyl chloride reductase (vcrA) genes, monitored using qPCR, increased by over an order of magnitude in nZVI-CMC-impacted wells. The entire microbial community was tracked using 16S rRNA gene amplicon pyrosequencing. Following nZVI-CMC injection, a clear shift in microbial community was observed, with most notable increases in the dechlorinating genera Dehalococcoides and Dehalogenimonas. This study suggests that coupled abiotic degradation (i.e., from reaction with nZVI) and biotic degradation fueled by CMC led to the long-term degradation of chlorinated ethenes at this field site. Furthermore, nZVI-CMC addition stimulated dehalogenator growth (e.g., Dehalococcoides) and biotic degradation of chlorinated ethenes.

Long-term disability progression in primary progressive multiple sclerosis: a 15-year study.

PubMed

Rocca, Maria A; Sormani, Maria Pia; Rovaris, Marco; Caputo, Domenico; Ghezzi, Angelo; Montanari, Enrico; Bertolotto, Antonio; Laroni, Alice; Bergamaschi, Roberto; Martinelli, Vittorio; Comi, Giancarlo; Filippi, Massimo

2017-11-01

Prognostic markers of primary progressive multiple sclerosis evolution are needed. We investigated the added value of magnetic resonance imaging measures of brain and cervical cord damage in predicting long-term clinical worsening of primary progressive multiple sclerosis compared to simple clinical assessment. In 54 patients, conventional and diffusion tensor brain scans and cervical cord T1-weighted scans were acquired at baseline and after 15 months. Clinical evaluation was performed after 5 and 15 years in 49 patients. Lesion load, brain and cord atrophy, mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy values from the brain normal-appearing white matter and grey matter were obtained. Using linear regression models, we screened the clinical and imaging variables as independent predictors of 15-year disability change (measured on the expanded disability status scale). At 15 years, 90% of the patients had disability progression. Integrating clinical and imaging variables at 15 months predicted disability changes at 15 years better than clinical factors at 5 years (R2 = 61% versus R2 = 57%). The model predicted long-term disability change with a precision within one point in 38 of 49 patients (77.6%). Integration of clinical and imaging measures allows identification of primary progressive multiple sclerosis patients at risk of long-term disease progression 4 years earlier than when using clinical assessment alone. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Constructivist-Informed Pedagogy in Teacher Education: An Overview of a Year-Long Study in Fiji.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Neil; Coll, Richard

2002-01-01

This year-long study exposed preservice elementary teachers in Fiji to pedagogy based on a constructivist view of learning in order to improve their content knowledge and provide them with greater confidence to teach science. Qualitative and quantitative analysis indicated that the constructivist-based teaching approach led to improved learning,…

Asian Tracer Experiment and Atmospheric Modeling (TEAM) Project: Draft Field Work Plan for the Asian Long-Range Tracer Experiment

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

Allwine, K Jerry; Flaherty, Julia E.

2007-08-01

This report provides an experimental plan for a proposed Asian long-range tracer study as part of the international Tracer Experiment and Atmospheric Modeling (TEAM) Project. The TEAM partners are China, Japan, South Korea and the United States. Optimal times of year to conduct the study, meteorological measurements needed, proposed tracer release locations, proposed tracer sampling locations and the proposed durations of tracer releases and subsequent sampling are given. Also given are the activities necessary to prepare for the study and the schedule for completing the preparation activities leading to conducting the actual field operations. This report is intended to providemore » the TEAM members with the information necessary for planning and conducting the Asian long-range tracer study. The experimental plan is proposed, at this time, to describe the efforts necessary to conduct the Asian long-range tracer study, and the plan will undoubtedly be revised and refined as the planning goes forward over the next year.« less

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

PubMed

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

2013-10-01

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

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

PubMed Central

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

2013-01-01

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

Gravity Field Changes due to Long-Term Sea Level Changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makarynskyy, O.; Kuhn, M.; Featherstone, W. E.

2004-12-01

Long-term sea level changes caused by climatic changes (e.g. global warming) will alter the system Earth. This includes the redistribution of ocean water masses due to the migration of cold fresh water from formerly ice-covered regions to the open oceans mainly caused by the deglaciation of polar ice caps. Consequently also a change in global ocean circulation patterns will occur. Over a longer timescale, such mass redistributions will be followed by isostatic rebound/depression due to the changed surface un/loading, resulting in variable sea level change around the world. These, in turn, will affect the gravity field, location of the geocentre, and the Earth's rotation vector. This presentation focuses mainly on gravity field changes induced by long-term (hundredths to many thousand years) sea level changes using an Earth System Climate Model (ESCM) of intermediate complexity. In this study, the coupled University of Victoria (Victoria, Canada) Earth System Climate Model (Uvic ESCM) was used, which embraces the primary thermodynamic and hydrological components of the climate system including sea and land-ice information. The model was implemented to estimate changes in global precipitation, ocean mass redistribution, seawater temperature and salinity on timescales from hundreds to thousands years under different greenhouse warming scenarios. The sea level change output of the model has been converted into real mass changes by removing the steric effect, computed from seawater temperature and salinity information at different layers also provided by Uvic ESCM. Finally the obtained mass changes have been converted into changes of the gravitational potential and subsequently of the geoid height using a spherical harmonic representation of the different data. Preliminary numerical results are provided for sea level change as well as change in geoid height.

Bibliography of literature pertaining to Long Valley Caldera and associated volcanic fields

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ewert, John W.; Harpel, Christopher J.; Brooks, Suzanna K.; Marcaida, Mae

2011-01-01

define the beginning of the Brunhes Chron and helps constrain the Brunhes-Matuyama boundary. The Bishop ash, which was dispersed as far east as Nebraska, Kansas, and Texas, provides an important tephrostratigraphic marker throughout the Western United States. The obsidian domes of both the Mono and Inyo Craters, which were produced by rhyolitic eruptions in the past 40,000 years, have been well studied, including extensive scientific drilling through the domes. Exploratory drilling to 3-km depth on the resurgent dome and subsequent instrumentation of the Long Valley Exploratory Well (LVEW) have led to a number of important new insights. Scientific drilling also has been done within the Casa Diablo geothermal field, which, aside from drilling, has been commercially developed and is currently feeding 40 MW of power into the Southern California Edison grid. Studies in all the above-mentioned volcanic fields have contributed to the extensive scientific literature published on the Long Valley region. Although most of this scientific literature has been published since 1970, a significant amount of historical literature extends backward to the late 1800s. The purpose of this bibliography is to compile references pertaining to the Long Valley region from all time periods and all Earth science fields into a single listing, thus providing an easily accessible guide to the published literature for current and future researchers.

The Impact of First-Year Seminars on College Students' Life-Long Learning Orientations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Padgett, Ryan D.; Keup, Jennifer R.; Pascarella, Ernest T.

2013-01-01

Using longitudinal data from the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education, this study measured the impact of first-year seminars on college students' life-long learning orientations. The findings suggest that first-year seminars enhance students' life-long learning orientations and that the effect of first-year seminars is mediated through…

Entanglement entropy for the long-range Ising chain in a transverse field.

PubMed

Koffel, Thomas; Lewenstein, M; Tagliacozzo, Luca

2012-12-28

We consider the Ising model in a transverse field with long-range antiferromagnetic interactions that decay as a power law with their distance. We study both the phase diagram and the entanglement properties as a function of the exponent of the interaction. The phase diagram can be used as a guide for future experiments with trapped ions. We find two gapped phases, one dominated by the transverse field, exhibiting quasi-long-range order, and one dominated by the long-range interaction, with long-range Néel ordered ground states. We determine the location of the quantum critical points separating those two phases. We determine their critical exponents and central charges. In the phase with quasi-long-range order the ground states exhibit exotic corrections to the area law for the entanglement entropy coexisting with gapped entanglement spectra.

Local technicians in long-term research projects: evaluation of 25 years experience in an active tropical research station.

PubMed

Hurtado, Johanna; Clark, David B

2011-12-01

Most field ecology is conceived and financed by scientists from urban areas but is actually carried out in rural areas. Field staff can either be imported from urban areas or recruited from local residents. We evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of involving rural residents as local technicians over a 25- year period at active field research site in Costa Rica. We defined "local technicians" as local residents with no university education who acquired significant experience in field data collection, data management and/or laboratory work. We analyzed the experiences of incorporating these technicians into field research in developing countries from the points of view of scientist and of the local technicians themselves. Primary data were written responses from to a standardized survey of 19 senior scientists and Ph.D. students,and results from standardized personal interviews with 22 local technicians. Researchers highlighted the advantages of highly-skilled technicians with minimal staff turnover, as well as the technicians' knowledge of local ecological conditions. Local technicians considered the primary advantages of their jobs to be opportunities for continuing education training in science as well as cultural enrichment through interactions with people of different cultures. The main challenges identified by researchers were the lack of long-term funding for projects and extended training required for local technicians. Local technicians can be of great benefit to research projects by providing high-quality data collection at reasonable costs with low staff turnover. Over the last 25 years the research model at the field station we studied has evolved to the point that most long-term projects now depend heavily on local technicians. This model of involving local technicians in long-term research has multiple benefits for the researchers, the technicians and the local community, and could be adapted to a variety of settings in rural areas of developing

Influences of extreme weather, climate and pesticide use on invertebrates in cereal fields over 42 years.

PubMed

Ewald, Julie A; Wheatley, Christopher J; Aebischer, Nicholas J; Moreby, Stephen J; Duffield, Simon J; Crick, Humphrey Q P; Morecroft, Michael B

2015-11-01

Cereal fields are central to balancing food production and environmental health in the face of climate change. Within them, invertebrates provide key ecosystem services. Using 42 years of monitoring data collected in southern England, we investigated the sensitivity and resilience of invertebrates in cereal fields to extreme weather events and examined the effect of long-term changes in temperature, rainfall and pesticide use on invertebrate abundance. Of the 26 invertebrate groups examined, eleven proved sensitive to extreme weather events. Average abundance increased in hot/dry years and decreased in cold/wet years for Araneae, Cicadellidae, adult Heteroptera, Thysanoptera, Braconidae, Enicmus and Lathridiidae. The average abundance of Delphacidae, Cryptophagidae and Mycetophilidae increased in both hot/dry and cold/wet years relative to other years. The abundance of all 10 groups usually returned to their long-term trend within a year after the extreme event. For five of them, sensitivity to cold/wet events was lowest (translating into higher abundances) at locations with a westerly aspect. Some long-term trends in invertebrate abundance correlated with temperature and rainfall, indicating that climate change may affect them. However, pesticide use was more important in explaining the trends, suggesting that reduced pesticide use would mitigate the effects of climate change. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Predictors of long-term recovery in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: Data from a 22-year longitudinal study.

PubMed

Franko, Debra L; Tabri, Nassim; Keshaviah, Aparna; Murray, Helen B; Herzog, David B; Thomas, Jennifer J; Coniglio, Kathryn; Keel, Pamela K; Eddy, Kamryn T

2018-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate predictors of long-term recovery from eating disorders 22 years after entry into a longitudinal study. One hundred and seventy-six of the 228 surviving participants (77.2%) were re-interviewed 20-25 years after study entry using the Longitudinal Interval Follow-up Evaluation to assess ED recovery. The sample consisted of 100 women diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (AN) and 76 with bulimia nervosa (BN) at study entry. A comorbid diagnosis of major depression at the start of the study strongly predicted having a diagnosis of AN-Restricting type at the 22-year assessment. A higher body mass index (BMI) at study intake decreased the odds of being diagnosed with AN-Binge Purge type, relative to being recovered, 22 years later. The only predictor that increased the likelihood of having a diagnosis of BN at the 22-year assessment was the length of time during the study when the diagnostic criteria for BN were met. Together, these results indicate that the presence and persistence of binge eating and purging behaviors were poor prognostic indicators and that comorbidity with depression is particularly pernicious in AN. Treatment providers might pay particular attention to these issues in an effort to positively influence recovery over the long-term. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Field Test: Results from the One Year Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reschke, M. F.; Kozlovskaya, I. B.; Kofman, I. S.; Tomilovskaya, E. S.; Cerisano, J. M.; Rosenberg, M. J. F.; Bloomberg, J. J.; Stenger, M. B.; Lee, S. M. C.; Laurie, S. S.;

Long-term thresholds of nonsteroidal permanent pacing leads: a 5-year study.

PubMed

Gumbrielle, T P; Bourke, J P; Sinkovic, M; Tynan, M; Kittpawong, P; Gold, R G

1996-05-01

The present commercial market supports many nonsteroidal endocardial pacing leads of differing construction. In order to compare the performance of these configurations, we studied the long-term pacing properties of three representative lead types by randomized clinical trial in 99 patients undergoing a first elective VVI implant. Thirty-one patients received sintered platinum leads, 36 activated pyrolytic carbon leads, and 32 vitreous carbon leads. All received generators capable of noninvasive threshold testing. Acute sensing parameters were R wave amplitude and ST segment elevation measured from the endocardial electrogram. Noninvasive voltage thresholds were measured at implantation, 2 days, 1, 3, and 6 months, and yearly thereafter for 5 years. There were no significant differences between leads in pacing or sensing capabilities at implantation. All three demonstrated similar increases in thresholds, peaking at 1 month, then falling to a plateau by 6 months and did not vary significantly thereafter. There were no significant differences in thresholds between leads during 5 years of follow-up. The lowest mean threshold at 5 years was 0.93 V at 0.5 ms. This study suggests that: (1) although these lead types all perform well, none offers any particular clinical advantage over another; (2) the degree of early threshold peaking precludes immediate postimplant output reduction, but later thresholds are sufficiently low to enable reductions in pacing output; (3) safe low energy pacing requires greater attention to the lead-generator combinations; (4) data obtained at subsequent annual follow-up provided no additional useful clinical information to that obtained at 1 year; and (5) in the absence of other differences, cost can be the deciding factor in lead selection.

Long-term quality of life in cervical dystonia after treatment with abobotulinum toxin A: a 2-year prospective study

PubMed Central

Kongsaengdao, Subsai; Maneeton, Narong; Maneeton, Benchalak

2018-01-01

Background The short-term quality of life (QoL) in cervical dystonia (CD) after treating with abobotulinum toxin A (Abo-BTX A) and neubotulinum toxin A (Neu-BTX A) have been studied in Thai CD patients. However; the long-term study has not been published. Objective The aim of the present study was to determine long-term improvement of the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after eight injections of Abo-BTX A over 2 years in CD patients. Patients and methods A 2-year prospective study on the QoL of CD patients, as measured by HRQoL, before and after receiving eight injections of Abo-BTX A at 3-month intervals over a 2-year treatment period was performed. The disease-specific HRQoL was assessed before and after the treatment by using the Cervical Dystonia Impact Profile-58 (CDIP-58) questionnaire. The general HRQoL was assessed by using the Medical Outcomes 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), while depressive disorder screening was assessed by using the Center of Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) questionnaire. The SF-36 and CES-D questionnaire were administered before treatment and every 3 months before the next injection for a 2-year period. Results A total of 20 CD patients were enrolled from January 2013 to December 2015. CDIP-58 showed a significant improvement after long-term injections of Abo-BTX A in all domains (P < 0.001). However, only vitality domain of SF-36, which assessed general HRQoL, showed a significant improvement after long-term injections (P = 0.037). There was no prevalence of depressive disorder in all patients (CES-D score <20) in this study. Conclusion The Abo-BTX A injections at 3-month intervals over a 2-year period improved the CDIP-58 scores, which assess disease-specific HRQoL, as well as an increased vitality domain of general HRQoL. No patient suffered from depression in this study. PMID:29731634

Long-term quality of life in cervical dystonia after treatment with abobotulinum toxin A: a 2-year prospective study.

PubMed

Kongsaengdao, Subsai; Maneeton, Narong; Maneeton, Benchalak

2018-01-01

The short-term quality of life (QoL) in cervical dystonia (CD) after treating with abobotulinum toxin A (Abo-BTX A) and neubotulinum toxin A (Neu-BTX A) have been studied in Thai CD patients. However; the long-term study has not been published. The aim of the present study was to determine long-term improvement of the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after eight injections of Abo-BTX A over 2 years in CD patients. A 2-year prospective study on the QoL of CD patients, as measured by HRQoL, before and after receiving eight injections of Abo-BTX A at 3-month intervals over a 2-year treatment period was performed. The disease-specific HRQoL was assessed before and after the treatment by using the Cervical Dystonia Impact Profile-58 (CDIP-58) questionnaire. The general HRQoL was assessed by using the Medical Outcomes 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), while depressive disorder screening was assessed by using the Center of Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) questionnaire. The SF-36 and CES-D questionnaire were administered before treatment and every 3 months before the next injection for a 2-year period. A total of 20 CD patients were enrolled from January 2013 to December 2015. CDIP-58 showed a significant improvement after long-term injections of Abo-BTX A in all domains ( P < 0.001). However, only vitality domain of SF-36, which assessed general HRQoL, showed a significant improvement after long-term injections ( P = 0.037). There was no prevalence of depressive disorder in all patients (CES-D score <20) in this study. The Abo-BTX A injections at 3-month intervals over a 2-year period improved the CDIP-58 scores, which assess disease-specific HRQoL, as well as an increased vitality domain of general HRQoL. No patient suffered from depression in this study.

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

PubMed

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

2006-11-01

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

Dupuytren disease is highly prevalent in male field hockey players aged over 60 years.

PubMed

Broekstra, Dieuwke C; van den Heuvel, Edwin R; Lanting, Rosanne; Harder, Tom; Smits, Inge; Werker, Paul M N

2016-09-22

Dupuytren disease is a fibroproliferative hand condition. The role of exposure to vibration as a risk factor has been studied with contradictory results. Since field hockey is expected to be a strong source of hand-arm vibration, we hypothesised that long-term exposure to field hockey is associated with Dupuytren disease. In this cross-sectional cohort study, the hands of 169 male field hockey players (IQR: 65-71 years) and 156 male controls (IQR: 59-71 years) were examined for signs of Dupuytren disease. Details about their age, lifestyle factors, medical history, employment history and leisure activities were gathered. Prior to the analyses, the groups were balanced in risk factors using propensity score matching. The association between field hockey and Dupuytren disease was determined using a subject-specific generalised linear mixed model with a binomial distribution and logit link function (matched pairs analysis). Dupuytren disease was observed in 51.7% of the field hockey players, and in 13.8% of the controls. After propensity score matching, field hockey playing as dichotomous variable, was associated with Dupuytren disease (OR=9.42, 95% CI 3.01 to 29.53). A linear dose-response effect of field hockey (hours/week x years) within the field hockey players could not be demonstrated (OR=1.03, 95% CI 0.68 to 1.56). We found that field hockey playing has a strong association with the presence of Dupuytren disease. Clinicians in sports medicine should be alert to this less common diagnosis in this sport. 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/

Thirteen-year prospective study between fish consumption, long-chain n-3 fatty acids intakes and cognitive function.

PubMed

Kesse-Guyot, E; Péneau, S; Ferry, M; Jeandel, C; Hercberg, S; Galan, P

2011-02-01

Because of their structural, anti-inflammatory and antithrombic properties, long-chain n-3 fatty acids may be key factors in the aging process. We sought to elucidate the association between intake of long-chain n-3 fatty acids and/or fish and cognitive function evaluated 13 years after dietary assessment. Prospective population-based study. 3,294 adults from the SU.VI.MAX study (Supplementation with Antioxidant Vitamins and Minerals study). MEASUREMENTS/STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Subjects underwent a standardized clinical examination which included cognitive tests and self-reported cognitive difficulties scale (2007-2009). Poor scores were defined using percentiles as cut-off. Dietary data were assessed through repeated 24-h dietary records. Odd ratio (OR), comparing the fourth (Q4) to the first quartile (Q1), of having a poor score were calculated using adjusted logistic regression. Self-reported cognitive difficulties were less frequent among subjects with higher intakes of total n-3 long chain fatty acids (OR = 0.72, CI 95%=0.56-0.92) and eicosapentaenoic acid (OR Q4 versus Q1 = 0.74, CI 95%=0.58-0.95), even after adjustment for depressive symptoms. A borderline significant association was also found with high fish consumption (OR Q4 versus Q1 = 0.80, CI 95%=0.63-1.01). Cognitive complaints, which may be an early indicator of cognitive decline, are less frequent among the elderly who have a high long-chain n-3 acids intake, as assessed 13 years earlier.

Long-term average non-dipole fields; how large or how small?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Der Voo, R.; Domeier, M. M.; Torsvik, T. H.

2012-12-01

Paul Louis Mercanton suggested already in the late 1920's that paleomagnetism might provide a test of continental drift. However, the absence of an adequate understanding of the ancient (!) geomagnetic field structure hampered such a test until some 25 years later. But then, the results of the paleomagnetic study of Neogene Icelandic lavas by Hospers in the early 1950's, provided a breakthrough. Two very important findings were: (1) that the field in the Neogene was predominantly dipolar, implying that higher-order fields (quadrupoles, octupoles) averaged to near-zero, and (2) that the dipole axis remained on average aligned with the rotation axis, during normal- as well as reversed-polarity fields intervals. The last conclusion prompted Creer, Irving, and Runcorn to remark that "The coincidence of the magnetic and rotation axes [ . . .] covering many reversals is explained by the dominance of the Coriolis force". The geocentric axial dipole (GAD) hypothesis remained ever after the main guiding principle of paleomagnetic analysis, allowing declination anomalies to be interpreted as rotations and inclinations as representative of paleolatitudes. It is generally agreed upon that the long-term averaged field structure is largely, but not perfectly, dipolar. The critical question about non-dipole fields is "how large" (or, perhaps, "how small"). Analysis of the magnitude of non-dipole fields is restricted to zonal fields of degree (n) two or three, i.e., axial quadrupole and octupole fields, characterized by Gaussian coefficient ratios (Gn) where G is the ratio of the appropriate higher-order field coefficient and the axial dipole field coefficient. For the last 5 million years G2 and G3 are small, but not zero (Johnson et al., 2008, G-cubed), and for earlier geological times (Permian, Triassic) some speculations by some of us have considered values up to 0.2, on the basis of inclination patterns. The underlying assumption that inclination anomalies were attributable

Convergence and divergence in a long-term old-field succession: the importance of spatial scale and species abundance.

PubMed

Li, Shao-Peng; Cadotte, Marc W; Meiners, Scott J; Pu, Zhichao; Fukami, Tadashi; Jiang, Lin

2016-09-01

Whether plant communities in a given region converge towards a particular stable state during succession has long been debated, but rarely tested at a sufficiently long time scale. By analysing a 50-year continuous study of post-agricultural secondary succession in New Jersey, USA, we show that the extent of community convergence varies with the spatial scale and species abundance classes. At the larger field scale, abundance-based dissimilarities among communities decreased over time, indicating convergence of dominant species, whereas incidence-based dissimilarities showed little temporal tend, indicating no sign of convergence. In contrast, plots within each field diverged in both species composition and abundance. Abundance-based successional rates decreased over time, whereas rare species and herbaceous plants showed little change in temporal turnover rates. Initial abandonment conditions only influenced community structure early in succession. Overall, our findings provide strong evidence for scale and abundance dependence of stochastic and deterministic processes over old-field succession. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

Survival and Competitiveness of Bradyrhizobium japonicum Strains 20 Years after Introduction into Field Locations in Poland

PubMed Central

Narożna, Dorota; Pudełko, Krzysztof; Króliczak, Joanna; Golińska, Barbara; Sugawara, Masayuki; Mądrzak, Cezary J.

2015-01-01

It was previously demonstrated that there are no indigenous strains of Bradyrhizobium japonicum forming nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbioses with soybean plants in arable field soils in Poland. However, bacteria currently classified within this species are present (together with Bradyrhizobium canariense) as indigenous populations of strains specific for nodulation of legumes in the Genisteae tribe. These rhizobia, infecting legumes such as lupins, are well established in Polish soils. The studies described here were based on soybean nodulation field experiments, established at the Poznań University of Life Sciences Experiment Station in Gorzyń, Poland, and initiated in the spring of 1994. Long-term research was then conducted in order to study the relation between B. japonicum USDA 110 and USDA 123, introduced together into the same location, where no soybean rhizobia were earlier detected, and nodulation and competitive success were followed over time. Here we report the extra-long-term saprophytic survival of B. japonicum strains nodulating soybeans that were introduced as inoculants 20 years earlier and where soybeans were not grown for the next 17 years. The strains remained viable and symbiotically competent, and molecular and immunochemical methods showed that the strains were undistinguishable from the original inoculum strains USDA 110 and USDA 123. We also show that the strains had balanced numbers and their mobility in soil was low. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing the extra-long-term persistence of soybean-nodulating strains introduced into Polish soils and the first analyzing the long-term competitive relations of USDA 110 and USDA 123 after the two strains, neither of which was native, were introduced into the environment almost 2 decades ago. PMID:26048934

Design and Field Test of a WSN Platform Prototype for Long-Term Environmental Monitoring

PubMed Central

Lazarescu, Mihai T.

2015-01-01

Long-term wildfire monitoring using distributed in situ temperature sensors is an accurate, yet demanding environmental monitoring application, which requires long-life, low-maintenance, low-cost sensors and a simple, fast, error-proof deployment procedure. We present in this paper the most important design considerations and optimizations of all elements of a low-cost WSN platform prototype for long-term, low-maintenance pervasive wildfire monitoring, its preparation for a nearly three-month field test, the analysis of the causes of failure during the test and the lessons learned for platform improvement. The main components of the total cost of the platform (nodes, deployment and maintenance) are carefully analyzed and optimized for this application. The gateways are designed to operate with resources that are generally used for sensor nodes, while the requirements and cost of the sensor nodes are significantly lower. We define and test in simulation and in the field experiment a simple, but effective communication protocol for this application. It helps to lower the cost of the nodes and field deployment procedure, while extending the theoretical lifetime of the sensor nodes to over 16 years on a single 1 Ah lithium battery. PMID:25912349

Assessing the long-term outcomes of minor lower limb amputations: a 5-year study.

PubMed

Uzzaman, Mohammed Mohsin; Jukaku, Saud; Kambal, Amir; Hussain, Syed Tahir

2011-07-01

Our aim was to assess the long-term outcome for minor forefoot amputations. A retrospective study of 126 patients who had such amputations between 1999 and 2004 was performed. Patients were divided into 2 groups, diabetic (group A: 79 patients) and nondiabetic (group B: 47 patients). Angiograms were requested in 45 patients in group A compared with 31 patients in group B (P = ·77). In group A, 11 patients underwent further ipsilateral amputations compared with 30 patients in group B (P = ·02.). The 2 groups were equally likely to have vascular reconstruction (35% vs 37%). The overall 5-year mortality was 27%, with 58% of deaths occurring within the first year. This study shows that foot amputees have high mortality and reintervention rates. Adequate utilization of vascular services, extra vigilance in the prevention of complications, and risk factor modifications are required to improve postoperative outcomes.

Behavioral Processes in Long-Lag Intervention Studies.

PubMed

Miller, Dale T; Dannals, Jennifer E; Zlatev, Julian J

2017-05-01

We argue that psychologists who conduct experiments with long lags between the manipulation and the outcome measure should pay more attention to behavioral processes that intervene between the manipulation and the outcome measure. Neglect of such processes, we contend, stems from psychology's long tradition of short-lag lab experiments where there is little scope for intervening behavioral processes. Studying process in the lab invariably involves studying psychological processes, but in long-lag field experiments it is important to study causally relevant behavioral processes as well as psychological ones. To illustrate the roles that behavioral processes can play in long-lag experiments we examine field experiments motivated by three policy-relevant goals: prejudice reduction, health promotion, and educational achievement. In each of the experiments discussed we identify various behavioral pathways through which the manipulated psychological state could have produced the observed outcome. We argue that if psychologists conducting long-lag interventions posited a theory of change that linked manipulated psychological states to outcomes via behavioral pathways, the result would be richer theory and more practically useful research. Movement in this direction would also permit more opportunities for productive collaborations between psychologists and other social scientists interested in similar social problems.

Long-term outcome of patients with dysthymia and panic disorder: a naturalistic 9-year follow-up study.

PubMed

Svanborg, Cecilia; Wistedt, Anna Aberg; Svanborg, Pär

2008-01-01

The highly prevalent psychiatric disorders dysthymia and panic disorder have often a chronic or recurrent course with superimposed major depression. The prominent comorbidity between these diagnoses constitutes a confounding factor in the study of long-term outcome. We performed a 9-year follow-up of 38 patients with "pure" diagnoses, i.e. without comorbid dysthymia and panic disorder, selected from two 2-year naturalistic treatment studies with psychotherapy and antidepressant medication. The aims of the present study were to investigate 1) the stability of change, and 2) the impact of comorbid personality disorders (PDs) on long-term outcome. Patients were reassessed with SCID-I and SCID-II interviews, SCL-90/BSI and a detailed, modified life-charting interview, investigating course and treatment over time. About 50% of patients showed substantial improvement, of whom about half were in remission. Comorbid PD was a negative prognostic factor independently of Axis I diagnosis. Although patients with panic disorder had a lower frequency of comorbid PD, later onset, shorter duration of illness and better outcome after the original studies, there was no difference in the long-term outcome. The less stable outcome among panic patients suggests that standard treatments are not resulting in enduring remission. In order to achieve remission, it is necessary to 1) address comorbid PDs, 2) perform careful assessments of all comorbid diagnoses, and 3) build routines for the follow-up and augmentation of treatments.

Long-term effectiveness of a back education programme in elementary schoolchildren: an 8-year follow-up study.

PubMed

Dolphens, Mieke; Cagnie, Barbara; Danneels, Lieven; De Clercq, Dirk; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Cardon, Greet

2011-12-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term effectiveness of a spine care education programme conducted in 9- to 11-year-old schoolchildren. The study sample included 96 intervention subjects and 98 controls (9- to 11-year-olds at baseline). Intervention consisted of a 6-week school-based back education programme (predominantly biomechanically oriented) and was implemented by a physical therapist. Self-reported outcomes on back care knowledge, spinal care behaviour, self-efficacy towards favourable back care behaviour, prevalence of back and neck pain during the week and fear-avoidance beliefs were evaluated by the use of questionnaires. Post-tests were performed within 1 week after programme completion, after 1 year and after 8 years. Whereas the educational back care programme resulted in increased back care knowledge up to adulthood (P < 0.001), intervention did not change spinal care behaviour or self-efficacy. Pain prevalence figures increased less in the experimental group compared to the controls over the 8-year time span, yet statistical significance was not reached. Dropout analysis revealed spinal pain prevalence rates to be different in both groups throughout the study, including at baseline. Back education at young age did not reinforce fear-avoidance beliefs up to adulthood. Predominantly biomechanical oriented back education in elementary schoolchildren is effective in improving the cognitive aspect of back care up to adulthood, yet not in changing actual behaviour or self-efficacy. The current study does not provide evidence that educational back care programmes have any impact on spinal pain in adulthood. The true long-term impact of school-based spinal health interventions on clinically relevant outcome measures merits further attention.

Long-term monitoring for conservation management: Lessons from a case study integrating remote sensing and field approaches in floodplain forests.

PubMed

Rodríguez-González, Patricia María; Albuquerque, António; Martínez-Almarza, Miguel; Díaz-Delgado, Ricardo

2017-11-01

Implementing long-term monitoring programs that effectively inform conservation plans is a top priority in environmental management. In floodplain forests, historical pressures interplay with the complex multiscale dynamics of fluvial systems and require integrative approaches to pinpoint drivers for their deterioration and ecosystem services loss. Combining a conceptual framework such as the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) with the development of valid biological indicators can contribute to the analysis of the driving forces and their effects on the ecosystem in order to formulate coordinated conservation measures. In the present study, we evaluate the initial results of a decade (2004-2014) of floodplain forest monitoring. We adopted the DPSIR framework to summarize the main drivers in land use and environmental change, analyzed the effects on biological indicators of foundation trees and compared the consistency of the main drivers and their effects at two spatial scales. The monitoring program was conducted in one of the largest and best preserved floodplain forests in SW Europe located within Doñana National Park (Spain) which is dominated by Salix atrocinerea and Fraxinus angustifolia. The program combined field (in situ) surveys on a network of permanent plots with several remote sensing sources. The accuracy obtained in spectral classifications allowed shifts in species cover across the whole forest to be detected and assessed. However, remote sensing did not reflect the ecological status of forest populations. The field survey revealed a general decline in Salix populations, especially in the first five years of sampling -a factor probably associated with a lag effect from past human impact on the hydrology of the catchment and recent extreme climatic episodes (drought). In spite of much reduced seed regeneration, a resprouting strategy allows long-lived Salix individuals to persist in complex spatial dynamics. This suggests the beginning

Long-Term Ecological Monitoring Field Sampling Plan for 2007

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

T. Haney

2007-07-31

This field sampling plan describes the field investigations planned for the Long-Term Ecological Monitoring Project at the Idaho National Laboratory Site in 2007. This plan and the Quality Assurance Project Plan for Waste Area Groups 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, and Removal Actions constitute the sampling and analysis plan supporting long-term ecological monitoring sampling in 2007. The data collected under this plan will become part of the long-term ecological monitoring data set that is being collected annually. The data will be used t determine the requirements for the subsequent long-term ecological monitoring. This plan guides the 2007more » investigations, including sampling, quality assurance, quality control, analytical procedures, and data management. As such, this plan will help to ensure that the resulting monitoring data will be scientifically valid, defensible, and of known and acceptable quality.« less

Long-term Changes of Relative Paleointensity From Sediments: Geomagnetic Field Behavior or Rock Magnetic Artifact?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamazaki, T.; Acton, G.; Channell, J. E.; Palmer, E. C.; Richter, C.; Yamamoto, Y.

2011-12-01

Since the 1960s, possible correlation between geomagnetic field strength and polarity length on 10^6 years or longer time scale has been suggested, and its relation to geodynamo processes has been discussed (e.g., Cox, 1968). Paleointensity estimation using single crystal silicate indicated that the geomagnetic field was stronger during Cretaceous Superchron, when polarity reversal was inhibited in geodynamo (e.g., Tarduno et al., 2001). However, it has not yet been understood well whether such correlation exists when polarity reversals frequently occur. Tauxe and Hartl (1997) suggested a weak correlation using Oligocene sediments (ca 23-34 Ma) from DSDP Site 522. This is the only continuous paleointensity data of these ages published so far. We have conducted a paleomagnetic study of sediment cores of Eocene and Oligocene ages taken at Sites U1331, U1332, and U1333 of IODP Exp. 320/321 "Pacific Equatorial Age Transect (PEAT)". The objective includes better understanding of long-term changes in relative paleointensity and revisiting the issue of intensity-polarity length correlation. Relative paleointensity records from individual sites showed good between-site consistency for variations of 10^4 to 10^5 year time scale, suggesting that geomagnetic field behavior was successfully recovered on these time scales. The results confirmed usefulness of relative paleointensity for high-resolution inter-core correlation, that is, paleointensity assisted chronostratigraphy. On the other hand, long-term changes (ca 10^6 years or longer) in normalized intensity showed obvious anti-correlation with ARM/SIRM, a rock magnetic proxy of magnetic grain size and/or magnetostatic interactions among magnetic grains. The normalized intensity also showed correlation with sedimentation rates. These results indicate lithological contamination to relative paleointensity records. We compare our records with that of Tauxe and Hartl (1997) during Oligocene derived from South Atlantic sediments

Normative Reference of Standing Long Jump for Colombian Schoolchildren Aged 9-17.9 Years: The FUPRECOL Study.

PubMed

Ramírez-Vélez, Robinson; Martínez, Martin; Correa-Bautista, Jorge E; Lobelo, Felipe; Izquierdo, Mikel; Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Fernando; Cristi-Montero, Carlos

2017-08-01

Ramírez-Vélez, R, Martínez, M, Correa-Bautista, JE, Lobelo, F, Izquierdo, M, Rodríguez-Rodríguez, F, and Cristi-Montero, C. Normative reference of standing long jump for Colombian schoolchildren aged 9-17.9 years: The FUPRECOL study. J Strength Cond Res 31(8): 2083-2090, 2017-The purpose of this study was to generate normative values for the standing long jump (SLJ) test in 9- to 17.9-year olds and to investigate sex and age-group differences. The sample comprised 8,034 healthy Colombian schoolchildren [boys n = 3,488 and girls n = 4,546; mean (SD) age 12.8 (±2.3) years old]. Each participant performed two SLJ. Centile smoothed curves, percentile, and tables for the third, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 97th percentiles were calculated using Cole's Lambda-Mu-Sigma method. The 2-way analysis of variance tests and Cohen's d showed that the maximum SLJ (centimeter) was higher in boys than in girls across age groups (p < 0.01), reaching the peak at 13 years. Posthoc analyses within the sexes showed yearly increases in SLJ in all ages. In boys, the 50th percentile SLJ score ranged from 109 to 165 cm. In girls, the 50th percentile jump ranged from 96 to 120 cm. For girls, jump scores increased yearly from age 9 to 12.9 years before reaching a plateau at an age between 13 and 15.9. Our results provide, for the first time, sex- and age-specific SLJ reference values for Colombian schoolchildren aged 9-17.9 years. The normative values presented in this study provide the basis for the determination of the proposed age- and sex-specific standards for the FUPRECOL (Association for Muscular Strength with Early Manifestation of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among Colombian Children and Adolescents) Study-Physical fitness battery for children and adolescents.

Birds choose long-term partners years before breeding

USGS Publications Warehouse

Teitelbaum, Claire S.; Converse, Sarah J.; Mueller, Thomas

2017-01-01

Pair bonds can provide social benefits to long-term monogamous species alongside their benefits for reproduction. However, little is known about when these bonds form, in particular how long they are present before breeding. Previous studies of pair formation in long-term monogamous birds have been rather data-limited, but for many migratory birds they report pair formation on the wintering grounds. We provide the first systematic investigation of prebreeding association patterns of long-term monogamous pairs by examining entire life histories based on tracking data of migratory whooping cranes, Grus americana. We found that a substantial portion (62%) of breeding pairs started associating at least 12 months before first breeding, with 16 of 58 breeding pairs beginning to associate over 2 years before first breeding. For most pairs, these associations with future breeding partners also became unique and distinguishable from association patterns with nonpartner individuals 12 months before first breeding. In addition, 60% of pair associations began before at least one partner had reached nominal sexual maturity. Most pairs began associating in the late spring upon arrival at the summer grounds, while associations beginning at other times of the year were rare. Patterns in the associations of pairs prior to breeding can point to the potential benefits of prebreeding relationships, for instance providing support in competitive interactions or increasing partner familiarity.

Survival and Competitiveness of Bradyrhizobium japonicum Strains 20 Years after Introduction into Field Locations in Poland.

PubMed

Narożna, Dorota; Pudełko, Krzysztof; Króliczak, Joanna; Golińska, Barbara; Sugawara, Masayuki; Mądrzak, Cezary J; Sadowsky, Michael J

2015-08-15

It was previously demonstrated that there are no indigenous strains of Bradyrhizobium japonicum forming nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbioses with soybean plants in arable field soils in Poland. However, bacteria currently classified within this species are present (together with Bradyrhizobium canariense) as indigenous populations of strains specific for nodulation of legumes in the Genisteae tribe. These rhizobia, infecting legumes such as lupins, are well established in Polish soils. The studies described here were based on soybean nodulation field experiments, established at the Poznań University of Life Sciences Experiment Station in Gorzyń, Poland, and initiated in the spring of 1994. Long-term research was then conducted in order to study the relation between B. japonicum USDA 110 and USDA 123, introduced together into the same location, where no soybean rhizobia were earlier detected, and nodulation and competitive success were followed over time. Here we report the extra-long-term saprophytic survival of B. japonicum strains nodulating soybeans that were introduced as inoculants 20 years earlier and where soybeans were not grown for the next 17 years. The strains remained viable and symbiotically competent, and molecular and immunochemical methods showed that the strains were undistinguishable from the original inoculum strains USDA 110 and USDA 123. We also show that the strains had balanced numbers and their mobility in soil was low. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing the extra-long-term persistence of soybean-nodulating strains introduced into Polish soils and the first analyzing the long-term competitive relations of USDA 110 and USDA 123 after the two strains, neither of which was native, were introduced into the environment almost 2 decades ago. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Long term analysis of wet and dry years in Seoul, Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoo, Chulsang

2006-03-01

This study investigated the recurrence characteristics of wet and dry years using the annual precipitation data collected in Seoul, Korea since 1776. More than one half of these 200 years of precipitation data are those collected in the Chosun Age using an old Korean rain gauge called Chukwooki. The recurrence characteristics of wet and dry years were investigated for several sets of thresholds, represented by use of the mean and standard deviation (stdv) of the annual precipitation such as mean±0.5stdv, mean±0.75stdv and mean±1.0stdv. These sets of thresholds have been decided so as to make the occurrence of wet and dry years follow the Poisson distribution. For a given set of thresholds, the wet, dry, and normal years are categorized, then the transition probabilities among those years were derived and compared. The average return periods were also derived using the stationary probabilities of wet and dry years. This analysis has been applied not only to the entire data but also to partial data sets composed of the data before and after the long dry period (lasting about 25 years) around 1900. This was to compare and detect the difference in the recurrence characteristics as well as the difference between the old Chukwooki and the modern flip-bucket style rain gauge data. As results, the overall recurrence patterns of wet and dry years have been found to be very similar. Only one obvious difference may be the return period of extremely dry years (for the threshold of mean-stdv), which after the long dry period was found to be longer than that before the long dry period (8.03 and 6.77 years, respectively). A similar result could also be found in the occurrence probability (or, the inverse of return period) of consecutive dry years estimated by applying the Poisson process. That is, for the lowest threshold of mean-stdv, the occurrence probability of consecutive dry years before the long dry period was higher than those after the long dry period. Thus, we may

Uncertainty of InSAR velocity fields for measuring long-wavelength displacement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fattahi, H.; Amelung, F.

2014-12-01

Long-wavelength artifacts in InSAR data are the main limitation to measure long-wavelength displacement; they are traditionally attributed mainly to the inaccuracy of the satellite orbits (orbital errors). However, most satellites are precisely tracked resulting in uncertainties of orbits of 2-10 cm. Orbits of these satellites are thus precise enough to obtain precise velocity fields with uncertainties better than 1 mm/yr/100 km for older satellites (e.g. Envisat) and better than 0.2 mm/yr/100 km for modern satellites (e.g. TerraSAR-X and Sentinel-1) [Fattahi & Amelung, 2014]. Such accurate velocity fields are achievable if long-wavelength artifacts from sources other than orbital errors are identified and corrected for. We present a modified Small Baseline approach to measure long-wavelength deformation and evaluate the uncertainty of these measurements. We use a redundant network of interferograms for detection and correction of unwrapping errors to ensure the unbiased estimation of phase history. We distinguish between different sources of long-wavelength artifacts and correct those introduced by atmospheric delay, topographic residuals, timing errors, processing approximations and hardware issues. We evaluate the uncertainty of the velocity fields using a covariance matrix with the contributions from orbital errors and residual atmospheric delay. For contributions from the orbital errors we consider the standard deviation of velocity gradients in range and azimuth directions as a function of orbital uncertainty. For contributions from the residual atmospheric delay we use several approaches including the structure functions of InSAR time-series epochs, the predicted delay from numerical weather models and estimated wet delay from optical imagery. We validate this InSAR approach for measuring long-wavelength deformation by comparing InSAR velocity fields over ~500 km long swath across the southern San Andreas fault system with independent GPS velocities and

Long-Term Prognosis of Plantar Fasciitis: A 5- to 15-Year Follow-up Study of 174 Patients With Ultrasound Examination

PubMed Central

Hansen, Liselotte; Krogh, Thøger Persson; Ellingsen, Torkell; Bolvig, Lars; Fredberg, Ulrich

2018-01-01

Background: Plantar fasciitis (PF) affects 7% to 10% of the population. The long-term prognosis is unknown. Purpose: Our study had 4 aims: (1) to assess the long-term prognosis of PF, (2) to evaluate whether baseline characteristics (sex, body mass index, age, smoking status, physical work, exercise-induced symptoms, bilateral heel pain, fascia thickness, and presence of a heel spur) could predict long-term outcomes, (3) to assess the long-term ultrasound (US) development in the fascia, and (4) to assess whether US-guided corticosteroid injections induce atrophy of the heel fat pad. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: From 2001 to 2011 (baseline), 269 patients were diagnosed with PF based on symptoms and US. At follow-up (2016), all patients were invited to an interview regarding their medical history and for clinical and US re-examinations. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates were used to estimate the long-term prognosis, and a multiple Cox regression analysis was used for the prediction model. Results: In all, 174 patients (91 women, 83 men) participated in the study. All were interviewed, and 137 underwent a US examination. The mean follow-up was 9.7 years from the onset of symptoms and 8.9 years from baseline. At follow-up, 54% of patients were asymptomatic (mean duration of symptoms, 725 days), and 46% still had symptoms. The risk of having PF was 80.5% after 1 year, 50.0% after 5 years, 45.6% after 10 years, and 44.0% after 15 years from the onset of symptoms. The risk was significantly greater for women (P < .01) and patients with bilateral pain (P < .01). Fascia thickness decreased significantly in both the asymptomatic and symptomatic groups (P < .01) from 6.9 mm and 6.7 mm, respectively, to 4.3 mm in both groups. Fascia thickness (P = .49) and presence of a heel spur (P = .88) at baseline had no impact on prognosis. At follow-up, fascia thickness and echogenicity had normalized in only 24% of the asymptomatic group. The mean fat pad

Busy as a Bee in an Economic Community: A Year Long Study for First Graders in Economics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Myra Gaylene

This year-long economics project helped first graders from a low-income area recognize and see themselves as participants in an economic world. Students studied their community to learn about the different types of work people do, goods and services, problems of scarcity, the necessity for rules and goals, the use of natural resources, the…

Risk factors for long-bone fractures in children up to 5 years of age: a nested case-control study.

PubMed

Baker, Ruth; Orton, Elizabeth; Tata, Laila J; Kendrick, Denise

2015-05-01

To investigate risk factors for first long-bone fractures in children up to 5 years old in order to provide evidence about which families could benefit from injury prevention interventions. Population-based matched nested case-control study using The Health Improvement Network, a UK primary care research database, 1988-2004. Maternal, household and child risk factors for injury were assessed among 2456 children with long-bone fractures (cases). 23,661 controls were matched to cases on general practice. Adjusted ORs and 95% CIs were estimated using conditional logistic regression. Fractures of long-bones were independently associated with younger maternal age and higher birth order, with children who were the fourth-born in the family, or later, having a threefold greater odds of fracture compared to first-born children (adjusted OR 3.12, 95% CI 2.08 to 4.68). Children over the age of 1 year had a fourfold (13-24 months, adjusted OR 4.09 95% CI 3.51 to 4.76) to fivefold (37+ months, adjusted OR 4.88 95% CI 4.21 to 5.66) increase in the odds of a long-bone fracture compared to children aged 0-12 months. Children in families with a history of maternal alcohol misuse had a raised odds of long-bone fracture (adjusted OR 2.33, 95% CI 1.13 to 4.82) compared to those with no documented history. Risk factors for long-bone fractures in children less than 5 years old included age above 1 year, increasing birth order, younger maternal age and maternal alcohol misuse. These risk factors should be used to prioritise families and communities for injury prevention interventions. 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.

A new estimate of average dipole field strength for the last five million years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cromwell, G.; Tauxe, L.; Halldorsson, S. A.

2013-12-01

The Earth's ancient magnetic field can be approximated by a geocentric axial dipole (GAD) where the average field intensity is twice as strong at the poles than at the equator. The present day geomagnetic field, and some global paleointensity datasets, support the GAD hypothesis with a virtual axial dipole moment (VADM) of about 80 ZAm2. Significant departures from GAD for 0-5 Ma are found in Antarctica and Iceland where paleointensity experiments on massive flows (Antarctica) (1) and volcanic glasses (Iceland) produce average VADM estimates of 41.4 ZAm2 and 59.5 ZAm2, respectively. These combined intensities are much closer to a lower estimate for long-term dipole field strength, 50 ZAm2 (2), and some other estimates of average VADM based on paleointensities strictly from volcanic glasses. Proposed explanations for the observed non-GAD behavior, from otherwise high-quality paleointensity results, include incomplete temporal sampling, effects from the tangent cylinder, and hemispheric asymmetry. Differences in estimates of average magnetic field strength likely arise from inconsistent selection protocols and experiment methodologies. We address these possible biases and estimate the average dipole field strength for the last five million years by compiling measurement level data of IZZI-modified paleointensity experiments from lava flows around the globe (including new results from Iceland and the HSDP-2 Hawaii drill core). We use the Thellier Gui paleointensity interpreter (3) in order to apply objective criteria to all specimens, ensuring consistency between sites. Specimen level selection criteria are determined from a recent paleointensity investigation of modern Hawaiian lava flows where the expected magnetic field strength was accurately recovered when following certain selection parameters. Our new estimate of average dipole field strength for the last five million years incorporates multiple paleointensity studies on lava flows with diverse global and

The association between alcohol use and long-term care placement among older Canadians: A 14-year population-based study

PubMed Central

Kaplan, Mark S.; Huguet, Nathalie; Feeny, David; McFarland, Bentson H.; Caetano, Raul; Bernier, Julie; Giesbrecht, Norman; Oliver, Lisa; Ramage-Morin, Pamela; Ross, Nancy A.

2013-01-01

Studies have shown that moderate alcohol use confers protection against some of the dominant predictors of long-term care placement, including diminished cognitive functioning, physical disability, and injury. But little is known about the association between alcohol use and the likelihood of placement in long-term care facilities. A nationally representative sample of 5,404 community-dwelling Canadians ages 50 years and older at baseline (1994/95) was obtained from the longitudinal National Population Health Survey. Alcohol use categories were developed based on the quantity and frequency of use in the 12 months before the interview. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the association between alcohol use at baseline and subsequent placement in long-term care facilities after adjusting for covariates measured at baseline. During the 14-year follow-up period, 14% of lifetime abstainers, 10% of former drinkers, 7% of infrequent drinkers, 4% of moderate drinkers, and 3% of heavy drinkers were placed in long-term care facilities. Furthermore, the multivariate analysis revealed that abstainers, former drinkers, and infrequent drinkers were more than twice as likely to be placed in long-term care as moderate drinkers. Moderate drinking was protective against placement in long-term care facilities even after adjusting for an array of well-known confounders. The strong protective effect of moderate alcohol use on long-term care entry is likely due to a complex mix of physical, cognitive and psychosocial health factors. PMID:24169370

Medulloblastoma: Long-term follow-up of patients treated with electron irradiation of the spinal field

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

Gaspar, L.E.; Dawson, D.J.; Tilley-Gulliford, S.A.

1991-09-01

Thirty-two patients with posterior fossa medulloblastoma underwent treatment with electron irradiation to the spinal field. The 5- and 10-year actuarial survival rates were 57% and 50%, respectively. Late complications observed in the 15 patients followed up for more than 5 years were short stature (six patients), decreased sitting-standing height ratio (four patients), scoliosis (two patients), poor school performance (seven patients), xerostomia (one patient), esophageal stricture (one patient), pituitary dysfunction (four patients), primary hypothyroidism (one patient), bilateral eighth-nerve deafness (one patient), and carcinoma of the thyroid (one patient). Complications following treatment with electrons to a spinal field are compared with reportedmore » complications following treatment with photons to the spinal field. Although short-term reactions were minimal, the authors found no difference in late complications. More sophisticated treatment planning may show such a long-term benefit in the future.« less

Long-term benefit of liposuction in patients with lipoedema: a follow-up study after an average of 4 and 8 years.

PubMed

Baumgartner, A; Hueppe, M; Schmeller, W

2016-05-01

Long-term results following liposuction in patients with lipoedema are available only for an average period of 4 years. To find out whether the improvement of complaints persists for a further 4 years. In a single-centre study, 85 patients with lipoedema had already been examined after 4 years. A mail questionnaire - often in combination with clinical controls - was repeated after another 4 years (8 years after liposuction). Compared with the results after 4 years, the improvement in spontaneous pain, sensitivity to pressure, oedema, bruising and restriction of movement persisted. The same held true for patient self-assessment of cosmetic appearance, quality of life and overall impairment. Eight years after surgery, the reduction in the amount of conservative treatment (combined decongestive therapy, compression garments) was similar to that observed 4 years earlier. These results demonstrate for the first time the long-lasting positive effects of liposuction in patients with lipoedema. © 2015 British Association of Dermatologists.

Relation of short-range and long-range lithium ion dynamics in glass-ceramics: Insights from 7Li NMR field-cycling and field-gradient studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haaks, Michael; Martin, Steve W.; Vogel, Michael

2017-09-01

We use various 7Li NMR methods to investigate lithium ion dynamics in 70Li 2S-30 P 2S5 glass and glass-ceramic obtained from this glass after heat treatment. We employ 7Li spin-lattice relaxometry, including field-cycling measurements, and line-shape analysis to investigate short-range ion jumps as well as 7Li field-gradient approaches to characterize long-range ion diffusion. The results show that ceramization substantially enhances the lithium ion mobility on all length scales. For the 70Li 2S-30 P 2S5 glass-ceramic, no evidence is found that bimodal dynamics result from different ion mobilities in glassy and crystalline regions of this sample. Rather, 7Li field-cycling relaxometry shows that dynamic susceptibilities in broad frequency and temperature ranges can be described by thermally activated jumps governed by a Gaussian distribution of activation energies g (Ea) with temperature-independent mean value Em=0.43 eV and standard deviation σ =0.07 eV . Moreover, use of this distribution allows us to rationalize 7Li line-shape results for the local ion jumps. In addition, this information about short-range ion dynamics further explains 7Li field-gradient results for long-range ion diffusion. In particular, we quantitatively show that, consistent with our experimental results, the temperature dependence of the self-diffusion coefficient D is not described by the mean activation energy Em of the local ion jumps, but by a significantly smaller apparent value whenever the distribution of correlation times G (logτ ) of the jump motion derives from an invariant distribution of activation energies and, hence, continuously broadens upon cooling. This effect occurs because the harmonic mean, which determines the results of diffusivity or also conductivity studies, continuously separates from the peak position of G (logτ ) when the width of this distribution increases.

Long-term Benefit of Tumor Volume-Directed Involved Field Radiation Therapy in the Management of Recurrent Ovarian Cancer.

PubMed

Albuquerque, Kevin; Patel, Mona; Liotta, Margaret; Harkenrider, Matthew; Guo, Rong; Small, William; Ronald, Potkul

2016-05-01

This study aimed to report on long-term effectiveness of involved field radiation therapy (IFRT) in the salvage of localized recurrent ovarian cancer (ROC). A retrospective analysis of 27 patients with a diagnosis of epithelial ovarian cancer who received tumor volume-directed IFRT for localized extraperitoneal recurrences (either as consolidation after cytoreductive surgery (CRS) or as attempted salvage if unresectable) forms the basis of this report. All patients were heavily pretreated with multiple chemotherapy regimens. Involved field radiation therapy was primarily with external beam (median dose, 50.4 Gy). Local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) was defined as freedom from in-field recurrences and was considered as a measure of effectiveness of radiotherapy. Statistical analyses evaluated association between disease-free survival, overall survival, LRFS, and various prognostic factors. Comparison was also made with a similar but unmatched cohort with localized recurrences salvaged by additional chemotherapy instead of local therapies (NIFRT group). Of 27 patients, 17 had optimal CRS before RT. The actuarial survival at 5 and 10 years (in parenthesis) from date of radiation were LRFS (70% and 60%), overall survival (30% and 19%), and disease-free survival (33% and 20%). None of the NIFRT patients survived beyond 5 years from initiation of salvage chemotherapy. Long-term follow-up in this selected series confirmed the benefit of IFRT (±CRS) in localized ROC. Chemotherapy salvage in a similar NIFRT group was not equivalent, suggesting a role for locoregional therapies in selected patients with ROC.

Relationship between long working hours and depression: a 3-year longitudinal study of clerical workers.

PubMed

Amagasa, Takashi; Nakayama, Takeo

2013-08-01

To clarify how long working hours affect the likelihood of current and future depression. Using data from four repeated measurements collected from 218 clerical workers, four models associating work-related factors to the depressive mood scale were established. The final model was constructed after comparing and testing the goodness-of-fit index using structural equation modeling. Multiple logistic regression analysis was also performed. The final model showed the best fit (normed fit index = 0.908; goodness-of-fit index = 0.936; root-mean-square error of approximation = 0.018). Its standardized total effect indicated that long working hours affected depression at the time of evaluation and 1 to 3 years later. The odds ratio for depression risk was 14.7 in employees who were not long-hours overworked according to the initial survey but who were long-hours overworked according to the second survey. Long working hours increase current and future risks of depression.

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

PubMed Central

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

2016-01-01

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

Impact of field of study, college and year on calculation of cumulative grade point average.

PubMed

Trail, Carla; Reiter, Harold I; Bridge, Michelle; Stefanowska, Patricia; Schmuck, Marylou; Norman, Geoff

2008-08-01

A consistent finding from many reviews is that undergraduate Grade Point Average (uGPA) is a key predictor of academic success in medical school. Curiously, while uGPA has established predictive validity, little is known about its reliability. For a variety of reasons, medical schools use different weighting schemas to combine years of study. Additional concerns relate to the equivalence of grades obtained from different fields of study and institutions, with little hard data to guide conclusions. At the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine Class of 2007 at McMaster University, every undergraduate grade of 2,138 applicants, along with field of study and post-secondary educational institution, was analyzed. Individual grades were aggregated into an overall uGPA using published algorithms from several medical school, and correlated with a non-weighted sum. Correlations of the different schemas with equal weights ranged from 0.973 to 0.990. The extent of the difference between fields of study was small, accounting for only 1.5% of the variance. However, differences among 16 Ontario universities were larger, and accounted for 9.3% of the variance. The results of this study suggest that all weighting schemas are virtually equivalent, making any formulation reasonable. Differences by field of study are small, but do not show any bias against non-science students. Differences by institution are larger, amounting to a range in average score from 78.7 to 84.6; however it is not clear whether this reflects candidate ability or institutional policy, so attempts to correct for institution may be difficult.

Mentoring Support and Power: A Three Year Predictive Field Study on Protege Networking and Career Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blickle, Gerhard; Witzki, Alexander H.; Schneider, Paula B.

2009-01-01

Career success of early employees was analyzed from a power perspective and a developmental network perspective. In a predictive field study with 112 employees mentoring support and mentors' power were assessed in the first wave, employees' networking was assessed after two years, and career success (i.e. income and hierarchical position) and…

Acceptability of the Conceptions of Higher Education Quality to First Year Students of the Study Field of Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Žibeniene, Gintaute; Savickiene, Izabela

2014-01-01

The article presents which conceptions of higher education quality are most acceptable to first-year students of the study field of pedagogy. It is significant to analyse students' opinions as more than 10 years ago the EU member states agreed that higher education institutions bear responsibility for the quality of higher education. Being members…

Long Term Results of Visual Field Progression Analysis in Open Angle Glaucoma Patients Under Treatment.

PubMed

Kocatürk, Tolga; Bekmez, Sinan; Katrancı, Merve; Çakmak, Harun; Dayanır, Volkan

2015-01-01

To evaluate visual field progression with trend and event analysis in open angle glaucoma patients under treatment. Fifteen year follow-up results of 408 eyes of 217 glaucoma patients who were followed at Adnan Menderes University, Department of Ophthalmology between 1998 and 2013 were analyzed retrospectively. Visual field data were collected for Mean Deviation (MD), Visual Field Index (VFI), and event occurrence. There were 146 primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), 123 pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (XFG) and 139 normal tension glaucoma (NTG) eyes. MD showed significant change in all diagnostic groups (p<0.001). The difference of VFI between first and last examinations were significantly different in POAG (p<0.001), and XFG (p<0.003) but not in NTG. VFI progression rates were -0.3, -0.43, and -0.2 % loss/year in treated POAG, XFG, and NTG, respectively. The number of empty triangles were statistically different between POAG-NTG (p=0.001), and XFG-NTG (p=0.002) groups. The number of half-filled (p=0.002), and full-filled (p=0.010) triangles were significantly different between XFG-NTG groups. Functional long-term follow-up of glaucoma patients can be monitored with visual field indices. We herein report our fifteen year follow-up results in open angle glaucoma.

Field studies courses open

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fourteen month-long courses combining applied academics with training in field research methodology are being offered this summer by the School for Field Studies. The courses, held in eight countries during May, June, July, and August, provide unique opportunities for participants to work as a team under primitive conditions.‘Our courses bind together the academic challenge of the research problem, the physical challenge of the site itself, and the interpersonal challenge of the expedition team in a dynamic way so that both cognitive and affective learning are accelerated,’ according to Jim Elder, the school's director.

“Studying Injured Minds” – The Vietnam Head Injury Study and 40 Years of Brain Injury Research

PubMed Central

Raymont, Vanessa; Salazar, Andres M.; Krueger, Frank; Grafman, Jordan

2011-01-01

The study of those who have sustained traumatic brain injuries (TBI) during military conflicts has greatly facilitated research in the fields of neuropsychology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, neurology, and neuroimaging. The Vietnam Head Injury Study (VHIS) is a prospective, long-term follow-up study of a cohort of 1,221 Vietnam veterans with mostly penetrating brain injuries, which has stretched over more than 40 years. The scope of this study, both in terms of the types of injury and fields of examination, has been extremely broad. It has been instrumental in extending the field of TBI research and in exposing pressing medical and social issues that affect those who suffer such injuries. This review summarizes the history of conflict-related TBI research and the VHIS to date, as well as the vast range of important findings the VHIS has established. PMID:21625624

Magnetic field oscillations of the critical current in long ballistic graphene Josephson junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakyta, Péter; Kormányos, Andor; Cserti, József

2016-06-01

We study the Josephson current in long ballistic superconductor-monolayer graphene-superconductor junctions. As a first step, we have developed an efficient computational approach to calculate the Josephson current in tight-binding systems. This approach can be particularly useful in the long-junction limit, which has hitherto attracted less theoretical interest but has recently become experimentally relevant. We use this computational approach to study the dependence of the critical current on the junction geometry, doping level, and an applied perpendicular magnetic field B . In zero magnetic field we find a good qualitative agreement with the recent experiment of M. Ben Shalom et al. [Nat. Phys. 12, 318 (2016), 10.1038/nphys3592] for the length dependence of the critical current. For highly doped samples our numerical calculations show a broad agreement with the results of the quasiclassical formalism. In this case the critical current exhibits Fraunhofer-like oscillations as a function of B . However, for lower doping levels, where the cyclotron orbit becomes comparable to the characteristic geometrical length scales of the system, deviations from the results of the quasiclassical formalism appear. We argue that due to the exceptional tunability and long mean free path of graphene systems a new regime can be explored where geometrical and dynamical effects are equally important to understand the magnetic field dependence of the critical current.

Enhanced decomposition of stable soil organic carbon and microbial catabolic potentials by long-term field warming

DOE PAGES

Feng, Wenting; Liang, Junyi; Hale, Lauren E.; ...

2017-06-09

Quantifying soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition under warming is critical to predict carbon–climate feedbacks. According to the substrate regulating principle, SOC decomposition would decrease as labile SOC declines under field warming, but observations of SOC decomposition under warming do not always support this prediction. This discrepancy could result from varying changes in SOC components and soil microbial communities under warming. This study aimed to determine the decomposition of SOC components with different turnover times after subjected to long-term field warming and/or root exclusion to limit C input, and to test whether SOC decomposition is driven by substrate lability under warming.more » Taking advantage of a 12-year field warming experiment in a prairie, we assessed the decomposition of SOC components by incubating soils from control and warmed plots, with and without root exclusion for 3 years. We assayed SOC decomposition from these incubations by combining inverse modeling and microbial functional genes during decomposition with a metagenomic technique (GeoChip). The decomposition of SOC components with turnover times of years and decades, which contributed to 95% of total cumulative CO 2 respiration, was greater in soils from warmed plots. But the decomposition of labile SOC was similar in warmed plots compared to the control. The diversity of C-degradation microbial genes generally declined with time during the incubation in all treatments, suggesting shifts of microbial functional groups as substrate composition was changing. Compared to the control, soils from warmed plots showed significant increase in the signal intensities of microbial genes involved in degrading complex organic compounds, implying enhanced potential abilities of microbial catabolism. These are likely responsible for accelerated decomposition of SOC components with slow turnover rates. Overall, the shifted microbial community induced by long-term warming

Enhanced decomposition of stable soil organic carbon and microbial catabolic potentials by long-term field warming

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

Feng, Wenting; Liang, Junyi; Hale, Lauren E.

Quantifying soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition under warming is critical to predict carbon–climate feedbacks. According to the substrate regulating principle, SOC decomposition would decrease as labile SOC declines under field warming, but observations of SOC decomposition under warming do not always support this prediction. This discrepancy could result from varying changes in SOC components and soil microbial communities under warming. This study aimed to determine the decomposition of SOC components with different turnover times after subjected to long-term field warming and/or root exclusion to limit C input, and to test whether SOC decomposition is driven by substrate lability under warming.more » Taking advantage of a 12-year field warming experiment in a prairie, we assessed the decomposition of SOC components by incubating soils from control and warmed plots, with and without root exclusion for 3 years. We assayed SOC decomposition from these incubations by combining inverse modeling and microbial functional genes during decomposition with a metagenomic technique (GeoChip). The decomposition of SOC components with turnover times of years and decades, which contributed to 95% of total cumulative CO 2 respiration, was greater in soils from warmed plots. But the decomposition of labile SOC was similar in warmed plots compared to the control. The diversity of C-degradation microbial genes generally declined with time during the incubation in all treatments, suggesting shifts of microbial functional groups as substrate composition was changing. Compared to the control, soils from warmed plots showed significant increase in the signal intensities of microbial genes involved in degrading complex organic compounds, implying enhanced potential abilities of microbial catabolism. These are likely responsible for accelerated decomposition of SOC components with slow turnover rates. Overall, the shifted microbial community induced by long-term warming

Enhanced decomposition of stable soil organic carbon and microbial catabolic potentials by long-term field warming.

PubMed

Feng, Wenting; Liang, Junyi; Hale, Lauren E; Jung, Chang Gyo; Chen, Ji; Zhou, Jizhong; Xu, Minggang; Yuan, Mengting; Wu, Liyou; Bracho, Rosvel; Pegoraro, Elaine; Schuur, Edward A G; Luo, Yiqi

2017-11-01

Quantifying soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition under warming is critical to predict carbon-climate feedbacks. According to the substrate regulating principle, SOC decomposition would decrease as labile SOC declines under field warming, but observations of SOC decomposition under warming do not always support this prediction. This discrepancy could result from varying changes in SOC components and soil microbial communities under warming. This study aimed to determine the decomposition of SOC components with different turnover times after subjected to long-term field warming and/or root exclusion to limit C input, and to test whether SOC decomposition is driven by substrate lability under warming. Taking advantage of a 12-year field warming experiment in a prairie, we assessed the decomposition of SOC components by incubating soils from control and warmed plots, with and without root exclusion for 3 years. We assayed SOC decomposition from these incubations by combining inverse modeling and microbial functional genes during decomposition with a metagenomic technique (GeoChip). The decomposition of SOC components with turnover times of years and decades, which contributed to 95% of total cumulative CO 2 respiration, was greater in soils from warmed plots. But the decomposition of labile SOC was similar in warmed plots compared to the control. The diversity of C-degradation microbial genes generally declined with time during the incubation in all treatments, suggesting shifts of microbial functional groups as substrate composition was changing. Compared to the control, soils from warmed plots showed significant increase in the signal intensities of microbial genes involved in degrading complex organic compounds, implying enhanced potential abilities of microbial catabolism. These are likely responsible for accelerated decomposition of SOC components with slow turnover rates. Overall, the shifted microbial community induced by long-term warming accelerates the

Long-term life and partnership satisfaction in infertile patients: a 5-year longitudinal study.

PubMed

Schanz, Stefan; Reimer, Thorisa; Eichner, Martin; Hautzinger, Martin; Häfner, Hans-Martin; Fierlbeck, Gerhard

2011-08-01

To describe the long-term effects of infertility on life and partnership satisfaction. Longitudinal cohort study. A university outpatient andrology and gynecology infertility clinic. 275 men and 272 women treated for infertility between August 2000 and December 2001. None. The Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (FLZ), the Partnership Questionnaire (PFB), and sociodemographic items at baseline (T1) and 5 years later (T2). Compared with a representative sample, our male and female participants had higher Finance and Partnership scores and lower Health scores on the FLZ at T1. They also had markedly higher PFB scores, with the exception of Conflict Behavior. After 5 years (T2), 101 men and 113 women rated the Partnership and Sexuality FLZ subscales as well as all the PFB subscales statistically significantly lower than at baseline. Only the women rated the Self-esteem FLZ subscale lower than at baseline (T1). Participants who became parents had lower Leisure and Partnership FLZ subscale scores, and fathers had lower Finance FLZ subscale scores. Satisfaction declined over 5 years for both men and women, but only in the partnership-related domains. Women were more affected than men. The success of infertility treatment had only a minor influence on a couple's future satisfaction. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Long-term Survival of Straumann Dental Implants with TPS Surfaces: A Retrospective Study with a Follow-up of 12 to 23 Years.

PubMed

Becker, Stephan T; Beck-Broichsitter, Benedicta E; Rossmann, Christian M; Behrens, Eleonore; Jochens, Arne; Wiltfang, Jörg

2016-06-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term dental implant survival rates of Straumann dental implants in a university hospital environment over 12 to 23 years. A total of 388 Straumann dental implants with titanium-sprayed surfaces (TPS) were inserted in 92 patients between 1988 and 1999 in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel, and they were reevaluated with standardized clinical and radiological exams. Kaplan-Meier analyses were performed for individual factors. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to detect the factors influencing long-term implant failure. The long-term implant survival rate was 88.03% after an observation time of 12.2 to 23.5 years. Cox regression revealed statistically significant influences of the International Team for Implantology (ITI) implantation type (p = .00354) and tobacco smoking (p = .01264) on implant failure. A proportion 82.8% of the patients with implant losses had a medical history of periodontitis. Peri-implantitis was diagnosed in 9.7% of the remaining implants in the long-term survey. This study emphasized the long-term rehabilitation capabilities of Straumann dental implants in complex cases. The survival rates after several years constitute important information for patients, as well as for clinicians, in deciding about different concepts of tooth replacement. Patient-related and technical factors - determined before implant placement - could help to predict the risk of implant loss. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Long-term studies of dopamine agonists.

PubMed

Hubble, Jean P

2002-02-26

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

Upward movement of plutonium to surface sediments during an 11-year field study.

PubMed

Kaplan, D I; Demirkanli, D I; Molz, F J; Beals, D M; Cadieux, J R; Halverson, J E

2010-05-01

An 11-year lysimeter study was established to monitor the movement of Pu through vadose zone sediments. Sediment Pu concentrations as a function of depth indicated that some Pu moved upward from the buried source material. Subsequent numerical modeling suggested that the upward movement was largely the result of invading grasses taking up the Pu and translocating it upward. The objective of this study was to determine if the Pu of surface sediments originated from atmosphere fallout or from the buried lysimeter source material (weapons-grade Pu), providing additional evidence that plants were involved in the upward migration of Pu. The (240)Pu/(239)Pu and (242)Pu/(239)Pu atomic fraction ratios of the lysimeter surface sediments, as determined by Thermal Ionization Mass Spectroscopy (TIMS), were 0.063 and 0.00045, respectively; consistent with the signatures of the weapons-grade Pu. Our numerical simulations indicate that because plants create a large water flux, small concentrations over multiple years may result in a measurable accumulation of Pu on the ground surface. These results may have implications on the conceptual model for calculating risk associated with long-term stewardship and monitored natural attenuation management of Pu contaminated subsurface and surface sediments. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long term (7 or more years) outcomes of the sleeve gastrectomy: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Clapp, Benjamin; Wynn, Matthew; Martyn, Colin; Foster, Chase; O'Dell, Montana; Tyroch, Alan

2018-03-06

The laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is now the most common bariatric operation in the United States and has become an established procedure in the armamentarium of the bariatric surgeon. However, this has happened without the strong support of long-term outcomes data, namely the rate of revision and durability of the weight loss. Newly published data from around the world are starting to show alarming trends in these 2 areas. This paper will examine the published and presented data with at least a 7-year follow-up. This is a meta-analysis on published data with at least 7 years of follow-up from the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Online published articles. We performed a meta-analysis of publications with at least 7 years of follow-up with the keywords "laparoscopic, bariatric, sleeve gastrectomy, sleeve, long-term, long, term, results, follow-up, follow up, conversion, 7 years, 8 years, 9 years, 10 years, 11 years." We queried the PubMed, MEDLINE, and ClinicalKey search engines, which included abstracts as well. The I 2 statistic was used to determine the heterogeneity across the studies. In presence of heterogeneity, a random effect model using the Dersimonian and Laird method was used to estimate the pooled estimates. The results were summarized using effect size along with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Meta-regression was also used to assess the effect of body mass index and follow-up years on the incidence of recidivism at ≥7 years. Nine cohort studies met the inclusion criteria, with a total of 2280 patients included initially. Only 652 patients had completed ≥7 years of follow-up. At ≥7 years, the long-term weight recidivism rate was estimated to be 27.8% (I 2 = .60%; 95% CI: 22.8%-32.7%) with a range of 14% to 37%. The overall revision rate was estimated to be 19.9% (I 2 = 93.8%; 95% CI: 11.3%-28.5%). This was broken down into 13.1% (I 2 = 93.8%; 95% CI: 5.6%-20.6%) due to weight regain (5 studies) and 2.9% (I 2 = 60.8%; 95% CI: 1%-4.9%) due to

Four-year weight losses in the Look AHEAD study: factors associated with long-term success.

PubMed

Wadden, Thomas A; Neiberg, Rebecca H; Wing, Rena R; Clark, Jeanne M; Delahanty, Linda M; Hill, James O; Krakoff, Jonathan; Otto, Amy; Ryan, Donna H; Vitolins, Mara Z

2011-10-01

This report provides a further analysis of the year 4 weight losses in the Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) study and identifies factors associated with long-term success. A total of 5,145 overweight/obese men and women with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) or a usual care group, referred to as Diabetes Support and Education (DSE). ILI participants were provided approximately weekly group or individual treatment in year 1; continued but less frequent contact was provided in years 2-4. DSE participants received three group educational sessions in all years. As reported previously, at year 4, ILI participants lost an average of 4.7% of initial weight, compared with 1.1% for DSE (P < 0.0001). More ILI than DSE participants lost ≥ 5% (46% vs. 25%, P < 0.0001) and ≥ 10% (23% vs. 10%, P < 0.0001) of initial weight. Within the ILI, achievement of both the 5% and 10% categorical weight losses at year 4 was strongly related to meeting these goals at year 1. A total of 887 participants in ILI lost ≥ 10% at year 1, of whom 374 (42.2%) achieved this loss at year 4. Participants who maintained the loss, compared with those who did not, attended more treatment sessions and reported more favorable physical activity and food intake at year 4. These results provide critical evidence that a comprehensive lifestyle intervention can induce clinically significant weight loss (i.e., ≥ 5%) in overweight/obese participants with type 2 diabetes and maintain this loss in more than 45% of patients at 4 years.

Semiclassical Wheeler-DeWitt equation: Solutions for long-wavelength fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salopek, D. S.; Stewart, J. M.; Parry, J.

1993-07-01

In the long-wavelength approximation, a general set of semiclassical wave functionals is given for gravity and matter interacting in 3+1 dimensions. In the long-wavelength theory, one neglects second-order spatial gradients in the energy constraint. These solutions satisfy the Hamilton-Jacobi equation, the momentum constraint, and the equation of continuity. It is essential to introduce inhomogeneities to discuss the role of time. The time hypersurface is chosen to be a homogeneous field in the wave functional. It is shown how to introduce tracer particles through a dust field χ into the dynamical system. The formalism can be used to describe stochastic inflation.

A Three-Year Field Validation Study to Improve the Integrated Pest Management of Hot Pepper

PubMed Central

Kim, Ji-Hoon; Yun, Sung-Chul

2013-01-01

To improve the integrated pest management (IPM) of hot pepper, field study was conducted in Hwasung from 2010 to 2012 and an IPM system was developed to help growers decide when to apply pesticides to control anthracnose, tobacco budworm, Phytophthora blight, bacterial wilt, and bacterial leaf spot. The three field treatments consisted of IPM sprays following the forecast model advisory, a periodic spray at 7-to-10-day intervals, and no spray (control). The number of annual pesticide applications for the IPM treatment ranged from six to eight, whereas the plots subjected to the periodic treatment received pesticide 11 or 12 times annually for three years. Compared to the former strategy, our improved IPM strategy features more intense pest management, with frequent spraying for anthracnose and mixed spraying for tobacco budworm or Phytophthora blight. The incidences for no pesticide control in 2010, 2011, and 2012 were 91, 97.6, and 41.4%, respectively. Conversely, the incidences for the IPM treatment for those years were 7.6, 62.6, and 2%, and the yields from IPM-treated plots were 48.6 kg, 12.1 kg, and 48.8 kg. The incidence and yield in the IPM-treated plots were almost the same as those of the periodic treatment except in 2011, in which no unnecessary sprays were given, meaning that the IPM control was quite successful. From reviewing eight years of field work, sophisticated forecasts that optimize pesticide spray timing reveal that reliance on pesticides can be reduced without compromising yield. Eco-friendly strategies can be implemented in the pest management of hot pepper. PMID:25288956

Long-term cropping systems study

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This long-term study has been conducted on the Agronomy Farm at ARDC since the early 1970’s. In the beginning, the objectives were mainly related to crop production as affected by different cropping systems. The cropping systems included in the study are Continuous Corn, Soybean, and Sorghum; 2-year...

Radial vibration and ultrasonic field of a long tubular ultrasonic radiator.

PubMed

Shuyu, Lin; Zhiqiang, Fu; Xiaoli, Zhang; Yong, Wang; Jing, Hu

2013-09-01

The radial vibration of a metal long circular tube is studied analytically and its electro-mechanical equivalent circuit is obtained. Based on the equivalent circuit, the radial resonance frequency equation is derived. The theoretical relationship between the radial resonance frequency and the geometrical dimensions is studied. Finite element method is used to simulate the radial vibration and the radiated ultrasonic field and the results are compared with those from the analytical method. It is concluded that the radial resonance frequency for a solid metal rod is larger than that for a metal tube with the same outer radius. The radial resonance frequencies from the analytical method are in good agreement with those from the numerical method. Based on the acoustic field analysis, it is concluded that the long metal tube with small wall thickness is superior to that with large wall thickness in producing radial vibration and ultrasonic radiation. Therefore, it is expected to be used as an effective radial ultrasonic radiator in ultrasonic sewage treatment, ultrasonic antiscale and descaling and other ultrasonic liquid handling applications. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Apprenticeships, Collaboration and Scientific Discovery in Academic Field Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madden, Derek Scott; Grayson, Diane J.; Madden, Erinn H.; Milewski, Antoni V.; Snyder, Cathy Ann

2012-11-01

Teachers may use apprenticeships and collaboration as instructional strategies that help students to make authentic scientific discoveries as they work as amateur researchers in academic field studies. This concept was examined with 643 students, ages 14-72, who became proficient at field research through cognitive apprenticeships with the Smithsonian Institute, School for Field Studies and Earthwatch. Control student teams worked from single research goals and sets of methods, while experimental teams varied goals, methods, and collaborative activities in Kenya, Costa Rica, Panama, and Ecuador. Results from studies indicate that students who conducted local pilot studies, collaborative symposia, and ongoing, long-term fieldwork generated significantly more data than did control groups. Research reports of the experimental groups were ranked highest by experts, and contributed the most data to international science journals. Data and anecdotal information in this report indicate that structured collaboration in local long-term studies using apprenticeships may increase the potential for students' academic field studies contribution of new information to science.

Ten-year results from the long-term soil productivity study in aspen ecosystems of the northern Great Lakes region

Treesearch

Richard Voldseth; Brian J. Palik; John Elioff

2011-01-01

Impacts of organic matter removal and compaction on soil properties and productivity are reported from the first 10 years of the Long-Term Soil Productivity Study in Great Lakes aspen ecosystems. Organic matter removal treatments included main bole, total tree harvest, and total tree harvest with forest floor removal. Compaction treatments included minimal compaction,...

An Innovative Approach to the Design and Implementation of an International Finance Field Study Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wynne, Kevin; Filante, Ronald W.

2004-01-01

Internationalization of a business school curriculum has long been an important objective of AACSB-accredited schools in the United States. During the past 4 years, the authors of this article have developed, taught, and guided an undergraduate finance field study course that has incorporated trips to London, Dublin, and Paris. In this article,…

Long-Term Persistence with Injectable Therapy in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: An 18-Year Observational Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Zhornitsky, Simon; Greenfield, Jamie; Koch, Marcus W.; Patten, Scott B.; Harris, Colleen; Wall, Winona; Alikhani, Katayoun; Burton, Jodie; Busche, Kevin; Costello, Fiona; Davenport, Jeptha W.; Jarvis, Scott E.; Lavarato, Dina; Parpal, Helene; Patry, David G.; Yeung, Michael; Metz, Luanne M.

2015-01-01

Disease modifying therapies (DMTs) reduce the frequency of relapses and accumulation of disability in multiple sclerosis (MS). Long-term persistence with treatment is important to optimize treatment benefit. This long-term, cohort study was conducted at the Calgary MS Clinic. All consenting adults with relapsing-remitting MS who started either glatiramer acetate (GA) or interferon-β 1a/1b (IFN-β) between January 1st, 1996 and July 1st, 2011 were included. Follow-up continued to February 1st, 2014. Time-to-discontinuation of the initial and subsequently-prescribed DMTs (switches) was analysed using Kaplan-Meier survival analyses. Group differences were compared using log-rank tests and multivariable Cox regression models. Analysis included 1471 participants; 906 were initially prescribed GA and 565 were initially prescribed IFN-β. Follow-up information was available for 87%; 29 (2%) were lost to follow-up and 160 (11%) moved from Southern Alberta while still using DMT. Median time-to-discontinuation of all injectable DMTs was 11.1 years. Participants with greater disability at treatment initiation, those who started treatment before age 30, and those who started between 2006 and 2011 were more likely to discontinue use of all injectable DMTs. Median time-to-discontinuation of the initial DMT was 8.6 years. Those initially prescribed GA remained on treatment longer. Of 610 participants who discontinued injectable DMT, 331 (54%) started an oral DMT, or a second-line DMT, or resumed injectable DMT after 90 days. Persistence with injectable DMTs was high in this long-term population-based study. Most participants who discontinued injectable DMT did not remain untreated. Further research is required to understand treatment outcomes and outcomes after stopping DMT. PMID:25867095

An Elementary School Environmental Education Field Trip: Long-Term Effects on Ecological and Environmental Knowledge and Attitude Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farmer, James; Knapp, Doug; Benton, Gregory M.

2007-01-01

Using phenomenological analysis, the authors examined the long-term effects of an environmental education school field trip on fourth grade elementary students who visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The authors' findings suggest that one year after the experience, many students remembered what they had seen and heard and had developed a…

Improving Classroom Acoustics (ICA): A Three-Year FM Sound Field Classroom Amplification Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenberg, Gail Gegg; Blake-Rahter, Patricia; Heavner, Judy; Allen, Linda; Redmond, Beatrice Myers; Phillips, Janet; Stigers, Kathy

1999-01-01

The Improving Classroom Acoustics (ICA) special project was designed to determine if students' listening and learning behaviors improved as a result of an acoustical environment enhanced through the use of FM sound field classroom amplification. The 3-year project involved 2,054 students in 94 general education kindergarten, first-, and…

Sensitivity of the central visual field in 70- to 81-year-old male athletes and in a population sample.

PubMed

Era, P; Pärssinen, O; Pykälä, P; Jokela, J; Suominen, H

1994-10-01

The sensitivity of the central visual field (0 degree-30 degrees) was studied using an automatic Octopus 500E perimeter in elderly male athletes and in a population sample of men of corresponding age. The athletes (N = 96) were endurance and power athletes, who were still active in competitive sports with training histories spanning tens of years. The athletes' results were compared with those of a sample of men of the same age (70-81 years, N = 41) randomly selected from the local population register. The sensitivity values of the athletes, and the endurance athletes in particular, were significantly better than those of the controls, with differences varying from 1 to 2.5 dB in the different areas of the central visual field. Multivariate analyses of the background factors of visual field sensitivity showed that the most important were age, amount of annual training, number of chronic diseases, HDL-cholesterol level, and vital capacity. The results suggest that a long training history, especially of the aerobic type, may be beneficial with respect to the sensitivity of the visual system.

Long-term outcomes five years after selective dorsal rhizotomy

PubMed Central

Nordmark, Eva; Josenby, Annika Lundkvist; Lagergren, Jan; Andersson, Gert; Strömblad, Lars-Göran; Westbom, Lena

2008-01-01

Background Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) is a well accepted neurosurgical procedure performed for the relief of spasticity interfering with motor function in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). The goal is to improve function, but long-term outcome studies are rare. The aims of this study were to evaluate long-term functional outcomes, safety and side effects during five postoperative years in all children with diplegia undergoing SDR combined with physiotherapy. Methods This study group consisted of 35 children, consecutively operated, with spastic diplegia, of which 26 were Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels III–V. Mean age was 4.5 years (range 2.5–6.6). They were all assessed by the same multidisciplinary team at pre- and at 6, 12, 18 months, 3 and 5 years postoperatively. Clinical and demographic data, complications and number of rootlets cut were prospectively registered. Deep tendon reflexes and muscle tone were examined, the latter graded with the modified Ashworth scale. Passive range of motion (PROM) was measured with a goniometer. Motor function was classified according to the GMFCS and measured with the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-88) and derived into GMFM-66. Parent's opinions about the children's performance of skills and activities and the amount of caregiver assistance were measured with Pediatric Evaluation Disability Inventory (PEDI). Results The mean proportion of rootlets cut in S2-L2 was 40%. Muscle tone was immediately reduced in adductors, hamstrings and dorsiflexors (p < 0.001) with no recurrence of spasticity over the 5 years. For GMFCS-subgroups I–II, III and IV–V significant improvements during the five years were seen in PROM for hip abduction, popliteal angle and ankle dorsiflexion (p = 0.001), capacity of gross motor function (GMFM) (p = 0.001), performance of functional skills and independence in self-care and mobility (PEDI) (p = 0.001). Conclusion SDR is a safe and effective method for

Examining Student Digital Artifacts during a Year-Long Technology Integration Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Prisca M.; Frey, Chris; Dawson, Kara; Liu, Feng; Ritzhaupt, Albert D.

2012-01-01

This study was situated within a year-long, statewide technology integration initiative designed to support technology integration within science, technology, engineering, and math classrooms. It examined the elements used in student artifacts in an attempt to investigate trends in digital artifact creation. Among several conclusions, this…

Applying "domino" model to study dipolar geomagnetic field reversals and secular variation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peqini, Klaudio; Duka, Bejo

2014-05-01

Aiming to understand the physical processes underneath the reversals events of geomagnetic field, different numerical models have been conceived. We considered the so named "domino" model, an Ising-Heisenberg model of interacting magnetic spins aligned along a ring [Mazaud and Laj, EPSL, 1989; Mori et al., arXiv:1110.5062v2, 2012]. We will present here some results which are slightly different from the already published results, and will give our interpretation on the differences. Following the empirical studies of the long series of the axial magnetic moment (dipolar moment or "magnetization") generated by the model varying all model parameters, we defined the set of parameters that supply the longest mean time between reversals. Using this set of parameters, a short time series (about 10,000 years) of axial magnetic moment was generated. After de-noising the fluctuation of this time series, we compared it with the series of dipolar magnetic moment values supplied by CALS10K.1b model for the last 10000 years. We found similar behavior of the both series, even if the "domino" model could not supply a full explanation of the geomagnetic field SV. In a similar way we will compare a 14000 years long series with the dipolar magnetic moment obtained by the model SHA.DIF.14k [Pavón-Carrasco et al., EPSL, 2014].

How International Field Experiences Promote Cross-Cultural Awareness in Preservice Teachers through Experiential Learning: Findings from a Six-Year Collective Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malewski, Erik; Sharma, Suniti; Phillion, JoAnn

2012-01-01

Background/Context: The article examines how international field experiences promote cross-cultural awareness in U.S. American preservice teachers through experiential learning. The findings presented here are based on a 6-year study of a short-term study abroad program in Honduras that included an international field experience component and took…

Leaching of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from oil shale processing waste deposit: a long-term field study.

PubMed

Jefimova, Jekaterina; Irha, Natalya; Reinik, Janek; Kirso, Uuve; Steinnes, Eiliv

2014-05-15

The leaching behavior of selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from an oil shale processing waste deposit was monitored during 2005-2009. Samples were collected from the deposit using a special device for leachate sampling at field conditions without disturbance of the upper layers. Contents of 16 priority PAHs in leachate samples collected from aged and fresh parts of the deposit were determined by GC-MS. The sum of the detected PAHs in leachates varied significantly throughout the study period: 19-315 μg/l from aged spent shale, and 36-151 μg/l from fresh spent shale. Among the studied PAHs the low-molecular weight compounds phenanthrene, naphthalene, acenaphthylene, and anthracene predominated. Among the high-molecular weight PAHs benzo[a]anthracene and pyrene leached in the highest concentrations. A spent shale deposit is a source of PAHs that could infiltrate into the surrounding environment for a long period of time. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Long-term bladder and bowel management after spinal cord injury: a 20-year longitudinal study.

PubMed

Savic, Gordana; Frankel, Hans L; Jamous, Mohamed Ali; Soni, Bakulesh M; Charlifue, Susan

2018-02-16

Prospective observational. The aim of this study was to analyse changes in bladder and bowel management methods in persons with long-standing spinal cord injury (SCI). Two spinal centres in UK. Data were collected through interviews and examinations between 1990 and 2010 in a sample of persons injured more than 20 years prior to 1990. For the 85 participants who completed the 2010 follow-up, the mean age was 67.7 years and the mean duration of injury was 46.3 years, 80% were male, 37.7% had tetraplegia AIS grade A, B, or C, 44.7% paraplegia AIS A, B, or C, and 17.6% an AIS D grade regardless of level. In all, 50.6% reported having changed their bladder method, 63.1% their bowel method, and 40.5% both methods since they enroled in the study. The reasons for change were a combination of medical and practical. In men, condom drainage remained the most frequent bladder method, and in women, suprapubic catheter replaced straining/expressing as the most frequent method. The use of condom drainage and straining/expressing bladder methods decreased, whereas the use of suprapubic and intermittent catheters increased. Manual evacuation remained the most frequent bowel management method. The percentage of participants on spontaneous/voluntary bowel emptying, straining and medications alone decreased, whereas the use of colostomy and transanal irrigation increased over time. More than half the sample, all living with SCI for more than 40 years, required change in their bladder and bowel management methods, for either medical or practical reasons. Regular follow-ups ensure adequate change of method if/when needed.

Long-term mortality of acetaminophen poisoning: a nationwide population-based cohort study with 10-year follow-up in Taiwan.

PubMed

Huang, Hung-Sheng; Ho, Chung-Han; Weng, Shih-Feng; Hsu, Chien-Chin; Wang, Jhi-Joung; Su, Shih-Bin; Lin, Hung-Jung; Huang, Chien-Cheng

2018-01-08

The long-term mortality of acetaminophen (APAP) poisoning has not yet been well studied; hence, we conducted this study to gain understanding of this issue. We conducted a nationwide population-based cohort study by identifying 3235 participants with APAP poisoning and 9705 participants without APAP poisoning in Taiwan between 2003 and 2012 in the Nationwide Poisoning Database and Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000. Participants with APAP poisoning and control subjects were compared for the risk of all-cause mortality by follow-up until 2013. Two hundred forty-one participants with APAP poisoning (7.5%) and ninety-four control subjects (1.0%) died during the follow-up. Participants with APAP poisoning had a higher risk of all-cause mortality than the control subjects (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 8.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 6.3-10.2), especially in the subgroup aged 20 years and younger (IRR, 27.3; 95% CI, 3.5-215.5) and in the first 12 months after poisoning (IRR, 16.0; 95% CI, 9.9-25.7). The increased risk of all-cause mortality was found even up to 2 years after the index poisoning. APAP poisoning was associated with increased long-term mortality. Early referral for intensive aftercare and associated interventions are suggested; however, further studies of the method are needed for clarification.

20 year long term air quality trends in Israel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luria, M.

2017-12-01

The Israeli air monitoring network was established in the mid 1990's with dozens of measuring sites near most populated areas. During these past 20 years the Israel economy has increased significantly. The population grew by 30%, energy consumption and power generation by more than 40% and the number of motor vehicles increased by nearly 50%. Most of the fossil energy is consumed by the electric power industry that has changed immensely during this period. Until the early 2000's the vast majority of the electricity was generated from coal and heavy oil. However, during the last ten years natural gas has gradually becomes the major source for power generation and for most of the heavy industry. In the present study we examined the impact of these economic trends on the major criteria air pollution parameters; O3, NOx, SO2 and PM10. The analyses was based on the long term trend of median value (50th percentile) and the 90th percentile. The results revealed that SO2 levels throughout the country decreased to very low levels, with the 90th percentile near the detection limit. The levels of PM10, that are relatively high compare with other global regions, did not show any trend during the 20 year period. This is consistent with the fact that most particulate matter results from long range transport of dust from the surrounding deserts. The long term trend of NOx indicates a gradual and steady increase at most measuring sites, which is consistent with the increase of fossil fuel consumption. The increase in NOx levels is most likely the cause for the significant increase in O3 levels found at most sites in a few of them to levels that are considered as an environmental hazard.

Wavelet analysis of long period oscillations in geomagnetic field over the magnetic equator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Issac, Molly; Renuka, G.; Venugopal, C.

2004-07-01

In this paper the complex Morlet Wavelet Transform is used to identify long period oscillations in the horizontal component (H) of the geomagnetic field over the magnetic equatorial location of Trivandrum (8.5°N 77°E dip lat. 0.5°N) during the solar maximum period 1990/1991 and solar minimum period 1995/1996. The Morlet WT of the geomagnetic data set indicates the presence of multiple timescales, which are localized in both frequency and time. Extra long period oscillations are observed in the period range of 40-80, and 80-130 days during 1995/1996 (October-April), and 30-60, 130-180 days during 1990/1991 (October-April). This is one of the first such observations in the nature of long period oscillations in the earth's magnetic field. These observations on the existence of different long wave periods in the geomagnetic field are consistent with their findings in the lower and middle atmosphere (J. Atmos. Sol. Terr. Phys. 63 (2001) 835; J. Atmos. Sci. 29 (1972) 1109). This analysis also brings out clearly the merging of long period oscillations with short period oscillations during conditions of geomagnetic disturbance.

Long term field evaluation reveals HLB resistance in Citrus relatives

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Citrus huanglongbing (HLB) is a destructive disease with no known cure. To identify sources of HLB resistance in the subfamily Aurantioideae to which citrus belongs, we conducted a six-year field trial under natural disease challenge conditions in an HLB endemic region. The study included 65 Citrus ...

Long Island Sound Tropospheric Ozone Study (LISTOS) Fact Sheet

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA scientists are collaborating on a multi-agency field study to investigate the complex interaction of emissions, chemistry and meteorological factors contributing to elevated ozone levels along the Long Island Sound shoreline.

Effect of long-term fertilization strategies on bacterial community composition in a 35-year field experiment of Chinese Mollisols.

PubMed

Ma, Mingchao; Zhou, Jing; Ongena, Marc; Liu, Wenzheng; Wei, Dan; Zhao, Baisuo; Guan, Dawei; Jiang, Xin; Li, Jun

2018-02-13

Bacteria play vital roles in soil biological fertility; however, it remains poorly understood about their response to long-term fertilization in Chinese Mollisols, especially when organic manure is substituted for inorganic nitrogen (N) fertilizer. To broaden our knowledge, high-throughput pyrosequencing and quantitative PCR were used to explore the impacts of inorganic fertilizer and manure on bacterial community composition in a 35-year field experiment of Chinese Mollisols. Soils were collected from four treatments: no fertilizer (CK), inorganic phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizer (PK), inorganic P, K, and N fertilizer (NPK), and inorganic P and K fertilizer plus manure (MPK). All fertilization differently changed soil properties. Compared with CK, the PK and NPK treatments acidified soil by significantly decreasing soil pH from 6.48 to 5.53 and 6.16, respectively, while MPK application showed no significant differences of soil pH, indicating alleviation of soil acidification. Moreover, all fertilization significantly increased soil organic matter (OM) and soybean yields, with the highest observed under MPK regime. In addition, the community composition at each taxonomic level varied considerably among the fertilization strategies. Bacterial taxa, associated with plant growth promotion, OM accumulation, disease suppression, and increased soil enzyme activity, were overrepresented in the MPK regime, while they were present at low abundant levels under NPK treatment, i.e. phyla Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, class Alphaproteobacteria, and genera Variovorax, Chthoniobacter, Massilia, Lysobacter, Catelliglobosispora and Steroidobacter. The application of MPK shifted soil bacterial community composition towards a better status, and such shifts were primarily derived from changes in soil pH and OM.

Pilot Field Test: Results of Tandem Walk Performance Following Long-Duration Spaceflight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cerisano, J. M.; Reschke, M. F.; Kofman, I. S.; Fisher, E. A.; Gadd, N. E.; Phillips, T. R.; Lee, S. M. C.; Laurie, S. S.; Stenger, M. B.; Bloomberg, J. J.;

[Long-term 10-year outcome after chemonucleolysis for lumbar disc herniation].

PubMed

Aribit, F; Charissoux, J L; Arnaud, J P

2002-05-01

We studied the efficacy of papaine for treatment of herniated discs at a mean 10-year follow-up and compared results with other series and other treatments. From an initial group of 160 patients, 96 patients, 53 men and 43 women, mean age 39 years, were selected for evaluation. These patients had 46 L4L5 herniations and 50 L5S1 herniations. All 96 patients were operated in the same department and received the same dose of papaine under the same anesthesia conditions. All patients were followed regularly to 3 months postoperatively then were reviewed 3 to 17 years after surgery. Inquiries were made about return to work, pain, and activity. Physical examination and x-rays were obtained for all patients. There were no neurological complications in our series. Seventeen patients required a second procedure for sciatic pain. Most of the patients continued their normal occupational and social activities after papaine treatment, but many of them had chronic lumbar pain. Our results were comparable with series reporting a similar long follow-up. Surgery is more efficient than papaine but long-term results are equivalent. Chemopapaine treatment provided good long-term results in our patients, similar to surgery. Chemonucleolysis may be employed as first line treatment for young patients with non-excluded disc herniation with sciatic pain.

Field Quality Study of a 1-m-Long Single-Aperture 11-T Nb$$_3$$Sn Dipole Model for LHC Upgrades

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

Chlachidze, G.; DiMarco, J.; Andreev, N.

2014-01-01

FNAL and CERN are carrying out a joint R&D program with the goal of building a 5.5-m-long twin-aperture 11-T Nb_3Sn dipole prototype that is suitable for installation in the LHC. An important part of the program is the development and test of a series of short single-aperture and twin-aperture dipole models with a nominal field of 11 T at the LHC operation current of 11.85 kA and 20% margin. This paper presents the results of magnetic measurements of a 1-m-long single-aperture Nb_3Sn dipole model fabricated and tested recently at FNAL, including geometrical field harmonics and effects of coil magnetization andmore » iron yoke saturation.« less

Relative Contributions of Geothermal Pumping and Long-Term Earthquake Rate to Seismicity at California Geothermal Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiser, D. A.; Jackson, D. D.

2015-12-01

In a tectonically active area, a definitive discrimination between geothermally-induced and tectonic earthquakes is difficult to achieve. We focus our study on California's 11 major geothermal fields: Amedee, Brawley, Casa Diablo, Coso, East Mesa, The Geysers, Heber, Litchfield, Salton Sea, Susanville, and Wendel. The Geysers geothermal field is the world's largest geothermal energy producer. California's Department of Oil Gas and Geothermal Resources provides field-wide monthly injection and production volumes for each of these sites, which allows us to study the relationship between geothermal pumping activities and seismicity. Since many of the geothermal fields began injecting and producing before nearby seismic stations were installed, we use smoothed seismicity since 1932 from the ANSS catalog as a proxy for tectonic earthquake rate. We examine both geothermal pumping and long-term earthquake rate as factors that may control earthquake rate. Rather than focusing only on the largest earthquake, which is essentially a random occurrence in time, we examine how M≥4 earthquake rate density (probability per unit area, time, and magnitude) varies for each field. We estimate relative contributions to the observed earthquake rate of M≥4 from both a long-term earthquake rate (Kagan and Jackson, 2010) and pumping activity. For each geothermal field, respective earthquake catalogs (NCEDC and SCSN) are complete above at least M3 during the test period (which we tailor to each site). We test the hypothesis that the observed earthquake rate at a geothermal site during the test period is a linear combination of the long-term seismicity and pumping rates. We use a grid search to determine the confidence interval of the weighting parameters.

A Four-Year Field Program Investigating Long-Term Effects of Repeated Exposure of Honey Bee Colonies to Flowering Crops Treated with Thiamethoxam

PubMed Central

Pilling, Edward; Campbell, Peter; Coulson, Mike; Ruddle, Natalie; Tornier, Ingo

2013-01-01

Neonicotinoid residues in nectar and pollen from crop plants have been implicated as one of the potential factors causing the declines of honey bee populations. Median residues of thiamethoxam in pollen collected from honey bees after foraging on flowering seed treated maize were found to be between 1 and 7 µg/kg, median residues of the metabolite CGA322704 (clothianidin) in the pollen were between 1 and 4 µg/kg. In oilseed rape, median residues of thiamethoxam found in pollen collected from bees were between <1 and 3.5 µg/kg and in nectar from foraging bees were between 0.65 and 2.4 µg/kg. Median residues of CGA322704 in pollen and nectar in the oilseed rape trials were all below the limit of quantification (1 µg/kg). Residues in the hive were even lower in both the maize and oilseed rape trials, being at or below the level of detection of 1 µg/kg for bee bread in the hive and at or below the level of detection of 0.5 µg/kg for hive nectar, honey and royal jelly samples. The long-term risk to honey bee colonies in the field was also investigated, including the sensitive overwintering stage, from four years consecutive single treatment crop exposures to flowering maize and oilseed rape grown from thiamethoxam treated seeds at rates recommended for insect control. Throughout the study, mortality, foraging behavior, colony strength, colony weight, brood development and food storage levels were similar between treatment and control colonies. Detailed examination of brood development throughout the year demonstrated that colonies exposed to the treated crop were able to successfully overwinter and had a similar health status to the control colonies in the following spring. We conclude that these data demonstrate there is a low risk to honey bees from systemic residues in nectar and pollen following the use of thiamethoxam as a seed treatment on oilseed rape and maize. PMID:24194871

A Scientometric Study of Iranian Scientific Productions in the Field of Substance Use and Addiction Research in the Years 2008 to 2012.

PubMed

Rahimi-Movaghar, Afarin; Amin-Esmaeili, Masoumeh; Safarcherati, Anousheh; Sarami, Hamid; Rafiey, Hassan

2015-01-01

We aimed to evaluate the current status of scientific production in the field of substance use and addiction in Iran, to determine its trend and pattern during a 5 years period (2008-2012). Using relevant keywords, we searched three international databases (Web of Science, Medline, and Scopus) and two local databases (SID and Iranmedex) to locate the papers published in the field of addiction by Iranian researchers during 2008-2012. The results indicated a significant increase in the number of studies published in the field during the 5 years study period, with more than half of the papers published in the last 2 years. Results also indicated that over half (53.5%) of the papers were published in Persian-language Iranian Journals, but the rate of increase in the number of papers published in English was slightly higher than that of Persian ones. Opioid substances were found to be the topic of approximately 75% of the papers. Studies on key topics, including national surveys, evaluation of current programs, addiction in women and children, and so forth, were found to be highly lacking. Results suggested a significant growth in the scientific production of Iran in the field of substance use and addiction. However, considering the significance of substance use and dependence in the country, and compared to the scientific production of developed countries, the amount of research conducted in the field of addiction in Iran is still limited.

A Scientometric Study of Iranian Scientific Productions in the Field of Substance Use and Addiction Research in the Years 2008 to 2012

PubMed Central

Rahimi-Movaghar, Afarin; Amin-Esmaeili, Masoumeh; Safarcherati, Anousheh; Sarami, Hamid; Rafiey, Hassan

2015-01-01

Background We aimed to evaluate the current status of scientific production in the field of substance use and addiction in Iran, to determine its trend and pattern during a 5 years period (2008-2012). Methods Using relevant keywords, we searched three international databases (Web of Science, Medline, and Scopus) and two local databases (SID and Iranmedex) to locate the papers published in the field of addiction by Iranian researchers during 2008-2012. Findings The results indicated a significant increase in the number of studies published in the field during the 5 years study period, with more than half of the papers published in the last 2 years. Results also indicated that over half (53.5%) of the papers were published in Persian-language Iranian Journals, but the rate of increase in the number of papers published in English was slightly higher than that of Persian ones. Opioid substances were found to be the topic of approximately 75% of the papers. Studies on key topics, including national surveys, evaluation of current programs, addiction in women and children, and so forth, were found to be highly lacking. Conclusion Results suggested a significant growth in the scientific production of Iran in the field of substance use and addiction. However, considering the significance of substance use and dependence in the country, and compared to the scientific production of developed countries, the amount of research conducted in the field of addiction in Iran is still limited. PMID:26885346

Kinematic Analysis of the Standing Long Jump in Children 6- to 12-Years-Old

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernandez-Santos, Jorge R.; Gonzalez-Montesinos, Jose Luis; Ruiz, Jonatan R.; Jiménez-Pavón, David; Castro-Piñero, Jose

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the kinematic variables that determine the performance of the standing long jump in children 6- to 12-years-old. There were 121 healthy children (58 girls) recorded while they performed the standing long jump test. All kinematic variables showed a significant correlation with calculated jump distance and…

[Application of variable magnetic fields in medicine--15 years experience].

PubMed

Sieroń, Aleksander; Cieślar, Grzegorz

2003-01-01

The results of 15-year own experimental and clinical research on application of variable magnetic fields in medicine were presented. In experimental studies analgesic effect (related to endogenous opioid system and nitrogen oxide activity) and regenerative effect of variable magnetic fields with therapeutical parameters was observed. The influence of this fields on enzymatic and hormonal activity, free oxygen radicals, carbohydrates, protein and lipid metabolism, dielectric and rheological properties of blood as well as behavioural reactions and activity of central dopamine receptor in experimental animals was proved. In clinical studies high therapeutic efficacy of magnetotherapy and magnetostimulation in the treatment of osteoarthrosis, abnormal ossification, osteoporosis, nasosinusitis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, spastic paresis, diabetic polyneuropathy and retinopathy, vegetative neurosis, peptic ulcers, colon irritable and trophic ulcers was confirmed.

Spirituality, religion, and health: over the last 15 years of field research (1999-2013).

PubMed

Lucchetti, Giancarlo; Lucchetti, Alessandra Lamas Granero

2014-01-01

Although several studies have examined the contribution of specific countries, journals, and authors in different scientific disciplines, little is known about the contribution of different world countries, journals, and authors to scientific research in the field of "Spirituality, religion, and health" (S/R). The present study aims to analyze the last 15 years of research in the field of spirituality and religiousness (S/R) through a bibliometric analysis. Using the Pubmed database, we retrieved all articles related to S/R field for the period 1999-2013. We then estimated the total number of publications, number of articles published per year, articles published per country, journals with most publications in S/R field, most productive authors, and most used keywords. We found a growth of publications in the last years, most from the United States and the United Kingdom and published in the English language. Noteworthy, some developing countries such as India, Brazil, Israel, and Iran are at higher positions in this list. The S/R articles were published in journals embracing all fields of research, including high impact journals. In the present study, we took a closer look at the field of "Spirituality, religion, and health," showing that this field of research has been constantly growing and consolidating in the scientific community.

Planning long-term vegetation studies at landscape scales

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stohlgren, Thomas J.

1995-01-01

Long-term ecological research is receiving more attention now than ever before. Two recent books, Long-term Studies in Ecology: Approaches and Alternatives, edited by Gene Likens (1989), and Long-term Ecological Research: An International Perspective, edited by Paul Risser (1991), prompt the question, “Why are these books so thin?” Except for data from paleoecological, retrospective studies (see below), there are exceptionally few long-term data sets in terrestrial ecology (Strayer et al. 1986; Tilman 1989; this volume). In a sample of 749 papers published in Ecology, Tilman (1989) found that only 1.7% of the studies lasted at least five field seasons. Only one chapter in each of the review books dealt specifically with expanding both the temporal and the spatial scales of ecological research (Berkowitz et al. 1989; Magnuson et al. 1991). Judging by the growing number of landscape-scale long-term studies, however, such as the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program (Callahan 1991), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP; Palmer et al. 1991), the U.S. Army’s Land Condition-Trend Analysis (LCTA) Program (Diersing et al. 1992), and various agencies’ global change research programs (CEES 1993), there is a growing interest to expand ecological research both temporally and spatially.

[Long-term effect of policosanol on the functional recovery of non-cardioembolic ischemic stroke patients: a one year study].

PubMed

Sanchez, J; Illnait, J; Mas, R; Mendoza, S; Fernandez, L; Mesa, M; Vega, H; Fernandez, J; Reyes, P; Ruiz, D

2017-02-16

Stroke is a leading cause of mortality and disability. Policosanol has been effective in brain ischemia models. The aim of this study is to investigate whether policosanol, added to aspirin therapy within 30 days of stroke onset, is better than placebo + aspirine for the long-term recovery of non-cardioembolic ischemic stroke subjects. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Eighty patients (mean age: 69 years) within 30 days of onset, with a modified Rankin Scale score (mRS) 2 to 4, were included. They were randomized in two groups (policosanol + aspirine or placebo + aspirine) for 12 months. Policosanol + aspirine decreased significantly mean mRS from the first interim check-up (1.5 months). The treatment even improved after long-term therapy. More policosanol + aspirin (87.5%) than placebo + aspirine (0%) patients achieved mRSs <= 1. Policosanol + aspirine increased significantly Barthel Index, lowered LDL-cholesterol and increased HDL-cholesterol versus placebo + aspirin. Long-term (12 months) administration of policosanol + aspirin given after suffering non-cardioembolic ischemic stroke was shown to be better than placebo + aspirin in improving functional outcomes when used among patients with non-cardioembolic ischemic stroke of moderate severity.

Health and re-employment in a two year follow up of long term unemployed.

PubMed

Claussen, B; Bjørndal, A; Hjort, P F

1993-02-01

The aim was to examine re-employment and changes in health during a two year follow up of a representative sample of long term unemployed. This was a cross sectional study and a two year follow up. Health was measured by psychometric testing, Hopkins symptom checklist, General health questionnaire, and medical examination. Health related selection to continuous unemployment and recovery by re-employment was estimated by logistic regression with covariances deduced from the labour market theories of human capital and segmented labour market. Four municipalities in Greenland, southern Norway. Participants were a random sample of 17 to 63 year old people registered as unemployed for more than 12 weeks. In the cross sectional study, the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and somatic illness was from four to 10 times higher than in a control group of employed people. In the follow up study, there was considerable health related selection to re-employment. A psychiatric diagnosis was associated with a 70% reduction in chances of obtaining a job. Normal performance on psychometric testing showed a two to three times increased chance of re-employment. Recovery of health following re-employment was less than expected from previous studies. Health related selection to long term unemployment seems to explain a substantial part of the excess mental morbidity among unemployed people. An increased proportion of the long term unemployed will be vocationally handicapped as years pass, putting a heavy burden on social services.

Long-term effectiveness of mailed nicotine replacement therapy: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial 5-year follow-up.

PubMed

Kushnir, Vladyslav; Selby, Peter; Zawertailo, Laurie; Tyndale, Rachel F; Leatherdale, Scott T; Cunningham, John A

2017-07-18

Our group recently completed a randomized controlled trial, evaluating the efficacy of providing 5 weeks of free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT; in the form of the nicotine patch) by expedited postal mail without behavioral assistance to regular adult smokers interested in receiving it. The findings revealed that mailed provision of nicotine patches resulted in more than a doubling of quit rates at a six-month follow-up compared to a no intervention control group. While this trial provided evidence for the effectiveness of mailed nicotine patches in promoting cessation, the findings speak only to the short term effectiveness of this approach. As relapse to smoking is known to occur beyond the 6 month period, it is important to evaluate whether the net benefit of NRT in naturalistic settings can be maintained long-term. The present study aims to perform a 5-year follow-up survey of participants in the original trial to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of mailed NRT. Trained interviewers will contact participants in the randomized controlled trial 5 years post-enrollment. A total of 924 participants will be eligible to be contacted. Interviewers will first assess participants' smoking status and their level of nicotine dependence. Participants reporting not currently smoking will be asked whether they have smoked tobacco, even a puff, in the last 30 days (primary outcome measure: 30-day point prevalence abstinence), past 6 months (secondary outcome measure: prolonged 6-month abstinence), and since the 8-week follow-up survey (secondary outcome measure: > 4 year continuous abstinence). Interviewers will be blind to experimental condition at the time the primary outcome measure will be assessed. It is hypothesized that participants who received nicotine patches at baseline will display significantly higher quit rates at the 5-year follow-up as compared to participants who did not receive nicotine patches at baseline. If the study finds that the mailed

Health and re-employment in a two year follow up of long term unemployed.

PubMed Central

Claussen, B; Bjørndal, A; Hjort, P F

1993-01-01

STUDY OBJECTIVE--The aim was to examine re-employment and changes in health during a two year follow up of a representative sample of long term unemployed. DESIGN--This was a cross sectional study and a two year follow up. Health was measured by psychometric testing, Hopkins symptom checklist, General health questionnaire, and medical examination. Health related selection to continuous unemployment and recovery by re-employment was estimated by logistic regression with covariances deduced from the labour market theories of human capital and segmented labour market. SETTING--Four municipalities in Greenland, southern Norway. SUBJECTS--Participants were a random sample of 17 to 63 year old people registered as unemployed for more than 12 weeks. MAIN RESULTS--In the cross sectional study, the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and somatic illness was from four to 10 times higher than in a control group of employed people. In the follow up study, there was considerable health related selection to re-employment. A psychiatric diagnosis was associated with a 70% reduction in chances of obtaining a job. Normal performance on psychometric testing showed a two to three times increased chance of re-employment. Recovery of health following re-employment was less than expected from previous studies. CONCLUSIONS--Health related selection to long term unemployment seems to explain a substantial part of the excess mental morbidity among unemployed people. An increased proportion of the long term unemployed will be vocationally handicapped as years pass, putting a heavy burden on social services. Images PMID:8436885

Construction of an interim storage field using recovered municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash: Field performance study.

PubMed

Sormunen, Laura Annika; Kolisoja, Pauli

2017-06-01

The leaching of hazardous substances from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) bottom ash (BA) has been studied in many different scales for several years. Less attention has been given to the mechanical performance of MSWI BA in actual civil engineering structures. The durability of structures built with this waste derived material can have major influence on the functional properties of such structures and also the potential leaching of hazardous substances in the long term. Hence, it is necessary to properly evaluate in which type of structures MSWI BA can be safely used in a similar way as natural and crushed rock aggregates. In the current study, MSWI BA treated with ADR (Advance Dry Recovery) technology was used in the structural layers of an interim storage field built within a waste treatment centre. During and half a year after the construction, the development of technical and mechanical properties of BA materials and the built structures were investigated. The aim was to compare these results with the findings of laboratory studies in which the same material was previously investigated. The field results showed that the mechanical performance of recovered BA corresponds to the performance of natural aggregates in the lower structural layers of field structures. Conversely, the recovered MSWI BA cannot be recommended to be used in the base layers as such, even though its stiffness properties increased over time due to material aging and changes in moisture content. The main reason for this is that BA particles are prone for crushing and therefore inadequate to resist the higher stresses occurring in the upper parts of road and field structures. These results were in accordance with the previous laboratory findings. It can thus be concluded that the recovered MSWI BA is durable to be used as a replacement of natural aggregates especially in the lower structural layers of road and field structures, whereas if used in the base layers, an additional base

The Influence of Study Methods and Knowledge Processing on Academic Success and Long-Term Recall of Anatomy Learning by First-Year Veterinary Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Peter J.; Walker, James J.

2008-01-01

The purpose of this investigation was to quantitatively and qualitatively identify the study methods and learning strategies that veterinary students used to study anatomy during their first year of professional school and to correlate these with their academic achievement and long-term recall of information. It was surmised that active study…

Microbiological parameters of aggregates in typical chernozems of long-term field experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhelezova, A. D.; Tkhakakhova, A. K.; Yaroslavtseva, N. V.; Garbuz, S. A.; Lazarev, V. I.; Kogut, B. M.; Kutovaya, O. V.; Kholodov, V. A.

2017-06-01

The changes in microbiological parameters of aggregates (1-2 mm) in typical chernozems under different land uses as dependent on the intensity and character of anthropogenic loads were studied with the help of the real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The samples from the following long-term field experiments were examined: permanent black fallow, continuous cultivation of potato, 17-year-old unmanaged fallow after permanent black fallow, and annually mown reserved steppe. The soil samples were treated in two ways. In the first case, the samples were air-dried, sieved through the screens to separate aggregate fraction of 1-2 mm, and microbiological parameters were determined in this fraction. In the second case, the samples were frozen immediately after the sampling, and the aggregates of 1-2 mm were manually separated from the samples before the PCR analysis. It was shown that air-dry aggregates of chernozems could be used for the quantitative analysis of DNA of microbial community in comparative studies. According to the quantitative estimate of the content of DNA fragments from different phylogenetic groups, the bacterial community was most sensitive to the type of the soil use, and its restoration after the removal of extreme anthropogenic loads proceeded faster than that of other microorganisms. The content of archaeal DNA in the chernozem under the 17-year-old unmanaged fallow did not differ significantly from its content in the annually plowed chernozems. The changes in the content of micromycetal DNA related to anthropogenic load decrease were intermediate between changes in the contents of archaeal and bacterial DNA.

Assessment of short/long term electric field strength measurements for a pilot district

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurnaz, Cetin; Yildiz, Dogan; Karagol, Serap

2018-03-01

The level of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) exposure increases day by day as natural consequences of technological developments. In recent years, the increasing use of cellular systems has made it necessary to measure and evaluate EMR originating from base stations. In this study, broadband and band selective electric field strength (E) measurements were taken at four different times in order to evaluate the change of short term E in Atakum district of Samsun, Turkey. The measurements were collected from 46 different locations using a SRM 3006 and a PMM 8053 EMR meter in a band from 100 kHz to 3 GHz, and the maximum E (Emax) and the average E (Eavg) were recorded. The highest values have been noticed in these measurements at 9.45 V/m and 17.53 V/m for Eavg and Emax respectively. Apart from these measurements, 24 hour long term E measurements were taken at a location where the highest value was observed and analyzed, to observe the change of Es during a day. At the end of the study, a tentative mathematical model that helps in computing the total E of the medium with 95% accuracy, was obtained.

A Note on Powers in Finite Fields

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aabrandt, Andreas; Hansen, Vagn Lundsgaard

2016-01-01

The study of solutions to polynomial equations over finite fields has a long history in mathematics and is an interesting area of contemporary research. In recent years, the subject has found important applications in the modelling of problems from applied mathematical fields such as signal analysis, system theory, coding theory and cryptology. In…

Report of the panel on geopotential fields: Magnetic field, section 9

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Achache, Jose J.; Backus, George E.; Benton, Edward R.; Harrison, Christopher G. A.; Langel, Robert A.

1991-01-01

The objective of the NASA Geodynamics program for magnetic field measurements is to study the physical state, processes and evolution of the Earth and its environment via interpretation of measurements of the near Earth magnetic field in conjunction with other geophysical data. The fields measured derive from sources in the core, the lithosphere, the ionosphere, and the magnetosphere. Panel recommendations include initiation of multi-decade long continuous scalar and vector measurements of the Earth's magnetic field by launching a five year satellite mission to measure the field to about 1 nT accuracy, improvement of our resolution of the lithographic component of the field by developing a low altitude satellite mission, and support of theoretical studies and continuing analysis of data to better understand the source physics and improve the modeling capabilities for different source regions.

Using TPCK as a Lens to Study the Practices of Math and Science Teachers Involved in a Year-Long Technology Integration Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dawson, Kara; Ritzhaupt, Albert; Liu, Feng; Rodriguez, Prisca; Frey, Christopher

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the ways teachers enact technological, pedagogical and content practices in math and science lessons and to document the change with teachers involved in a year-long technology integration initiative. Six hundred seventy-two lessons were analyzed in this research using Technological, Pedagogical Content…

The abilities of improved schizophrenia patients to work and live independently in the community: a 10-year long-term outcome study from Mumbai, India.

PubMed

Srivastava, Amresh Kumar; Stitt, Larry; Thakar, Meghana; Shah, Nilesh; Chinnasamy, Gurusamy

2009-10-13

The outcome of first episode schizophrenia has several determinants. Socioecological factors, particularly living conditions, migration, community and culture, not only affect the level of risk but also the outcome. Mega cities around the world show a unique socioecological condition that has several challenges for mental health. The present study reports on the long-term status of patients with schizophrenia in such a mega city: Mumbai, India. This study aims to reveal the long-term outcome of patients suffering from schizophrenia with special reference to clinical symptoms and social functioning. The cohort for this study was drawn from a 10-year follow-up of first episode schizophrenia. Patients having completed 10 years of consistent treatment after first hospitalisation were assessed on psychopathological and recovery criteria. Clinical as well as social parameters of recovery were evaluated. Descriptive statistics with 95% confidence intervals are provided. Of 200 patients recruited at the beginning of this study, 122 patients (61%) were present in the city of Mumbai at the end of 10-year follow-up study period. Among 122 available patients, 101 patients (50.5%) were included in the assessment at the end of 10-year follow-up study period, 6 patients (3.0%) were excluded from the study due to changed diagnosis, and 15 patients (7.5%) were excluded due to admission into long-term care facilities. This indicates that 107 out of 122 available patients (87.7%) were living in the community with their families. Out of 101 (50.5%) patients assessed at the end of 10 years, 61 patients (30.5%) showed improved recovery on the Clinical Global Impression Scale, 40 patients (20%) revealed no improvement in the recovery, 43 patients (72.9%) were able to live independently, and 24 patients (40%) were able to find employment. With 10 years of treatment, the recovery rate among schizophrenia patients in Mumbai was 30.5%. Among the patients, 87.7% of patients lived in the

Year-Long Metagenomic Study of River Microbiomes Across Land Use and Water Quality

PubMed Central

Van Rossum, Thea; Peabody, Michael A.; Uyaguari-Diaz, Miguel I.; Cronin, Kirby I.; Chan, Michael; Slobodan, Jared R.; Nesbitt, Matthew J.; Suttle, Curtis A.; Hsiao, William W. L.; Tang, Patrick K. C.; Prystajecky, Natalie A.; Brinkman, Fiona S. L.

2015-01-01

Select bacteria, such as Escherichia coli or coliforms, have been widely used as sentinels of low water quality; however, there are concerns regarding their predictive accuracy for the protection of human and environmental health. To develop improved monitoring systems, a greater understanding of bacterial community structure, function, and variability across time is required in the context of different pollution types, such as agricultural and urban contamination. Here, we present a year-long survey of free-living bacterial DNA collected from seven sites along rivers in three watersheds with varying land use in Southwestern Canada. This is the first study to examine the bacterial metagenome in flowing freshwater (lotic) environments over such a time span, providing an opportunity to describe bacterial community variability as a function of land use and environmental conditions. Characteristics of the metagenomic data, such as sequence composition and average genome size (AGS), vary with sampling site, environmental conditions, and water chemistry. For example, AGS was correlated with hours of daylight in the agricultural watershed and, across the agriculturally and urban-affected sites, k-mer composition clustering corresponded to nutrient concentrations. In addition to indicating a community shift, this change in AGS has implications in terms of the normalization strategies required, and considerations surrounding such strategies in general are discussed. When comparing abundances of gene functional groups between high- and low-quality water samples collected from an agricultural area, the latter had a higher abundance of nutrient metabolism and bacteriophage groups, possibly reflecting an increase in agricultural runoff. This work presents a valuable dataset representing a year of monthly sampling across watersheds and an analysis targeted at establishing a foundational understanding of how bacterial lotic communities vary across time and land use. The results

Long-Term Omalizumab Treatment: A Multicenter, Real-Life, 5-Year Trial.

PubMed

Yorgancıoğlu, Arzu; Öner Erkekol, Ferda; Mungan, Dilşad; Erdinç, Münevver; Gemicioğlu, Bilun; Özşeker, Zeynep Ferhan; Bayrak Değirmenci, Papatya; Naycı, Sibel; Çilli, Aykut; Erdenen, Füsun; Kırmaz, Cengiz; Ediger, Dane; Yalçın, Arzu Didem; Büyüköztürk, Suna; Öztürk, Sami; Güleç, Mustafa; Işık, Sacide Rana; Kalyoncu, Ali Fuat; Göksel, Özlem; Aydın, Ömür; Havlucu, Yavuz; Baloğlu Ar, İdilhan; Erdoğdu, Ahmet

2018-05-17

Omalizumab has demonstrated therapeutic benefits both in controlled clinical trials and real-life studies. However, research concerning the long-term effects and tolerability of omalizumab is needed. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of treatment with omalizumab for up to 5 years. A multicenter, retrospective, chart-based study was carried out to compare documented exacerbations, hospitalizations, systemic steroid requirement, FEV1, and asthma control test (ACT) results during 1 year prior to omalizumab treatment versus at 1, 3, and 5 years of treatment. Adverse events and reasons for discontinuation were also recorded at each time point. Four hundred and sixty-five patients were enrolled in the study. Outcome variables had improved after the 1st year and were sustained after the 3rd and 5th years of treatment with omalizumab. Omalizumab treatment reduced the asthma exacerbation rate by 71.3% (p < 0.001) at 1 year, 64.3% (p < 0.001) at 3 years, and 54.8% (p = 0.002) at 5 years. The hospitalization rate also decreased; by the 5th year of the treatment no patients were hospitalized. ACT results had also improved significantly: 12 (p < 0.001) at 1 year, 12 (p < 0.001) at 3 years, and 12 (p = 0.002) at 5 years. Overall, 12.7% of patients reported adverse events (most of these were mild-to-moderate) and the overall dropout rate was 9.0%. Omalizumab had a significant effect on asthma outcomes and this effect was maintained over 5 years. The drug was found to be generally safe and treatment compliance was good. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Thinking outside the Classroom: Integrating Field Trips into a First-Year Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forest, Kaya; Rayne, Sierra

2009-01-01

Studies on student learning during primary- and secondary-school course-related field trip activities have shown lasting cognitive and socio-cultural effects. However, fewer studies have investigated the potential benefits of incorporating field trip activities into post-secondary education. The curriculum in a first-year university chemistry…

Individual based, long term monitoring of acacia trees in hyper arid zone: Integration of a field survey and a remote sensing approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isaacson, Sivan; Blumberg, Dan G.; Ginat, Hanan; Shalmon, Benny

2013-04-01

Vegetation in hyper arid zones is very sparse as is. Monitoring vegetation changes in hyper arid zones is important because any reduction in the vegetation cover in these areas can lead to a considerable reduction in the carrying capacity of the ecological system. This study focuses on the impact of climate fluctuations on the acacia population in the southern Arava valley, Israel. The period of this survey includes a sequence of dry years with no flashfloods in most of the plots that ended in two years with vast floods. Arid zone acacia trees play a significant role in the desert ecosystem by moderating the extreme environmental conditions including radiation, temperature, humidity and precipitation. The trees also provide nutrients for the desert dwellers. Therefore, acacia trees in arid zones are considered to be `keystone species', because they have major influence over both plants and animal species, i.e., biodiversity. Long term monitoring of the acacia tree population in this area can provide insights into long term impacts of climate fluctuations on ecosystems in arid zones. Since 2000, a continuous yearly based survey on the three species of acacia population in seven different plots is conducted in the southern Arava (established by Shalmon, ecologist of the Israel nature and parks authority). The seven plots representing different ecosystems and hydrological regimes. A yearly based population monitoring enabled us to determine the mortality and recruitment rate of the acacia populations as well as growing rates of individual trees. This survey provides a unique database of the acacia population dynamics during a sequence of dry years that ended in a vast flood event during the winter of 2010. A lack of quantitative, nondestructive methods to estimate and monitor stress status of the acacia trees, led us to integrate remote sensing tools (ground and air-based) along with conventional field measurements in order to develop a long term monitoring of acacia

Long working hours and symptoms of anxiety and depression: a 5-year follow-up of the Whitehall II study.

PubMed

Virtanen, M; Ferrie, J E; Singh-Manoux, A; Shipley, M J; Stansfeld, S A; Marmot, M G; Ahola, K; Vahtera, J; Kivimäki, M

2011-12-01

Although long working hours are common in working populations, little is known about the effect of long working hours on mental health. We examined the association between long working hours and the onset of depressive and anxiety symptoms in middle-aged employees. Participants were 2960 full-time employees aged 44 to 66 years (2248 men, 712 women) from the prospective Whitehall II cohort study of British civil servants. Working hours, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and covariates were measured at baseline (1997-1999) followed by two subsequent measurements of depressive and anxiety symptoms (2001 and 2002-2004). In a prospective analysis of participants with no depressive (n=2549) or anxiety symptoms (n=2618) at baseline, Cox proportional hazard analysis adjusted for baseline covariates showed a 1.66-fold [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06-2.61] risk of depressive symptoms and a 1.74-fold (95% CI 1.15-2.61) risk of anxiety symptoms among employees working more than 55 h/week compared with employees working 35-40 h/week. Sex-stratified analysis showed an excess risk of depression and anxiety associated with long working hours among women [hazard ratios (HRs) 2.67 (95% CI 1.07-6.68) and 2.84 (95% CI 1.27-6.34) respectively] but not men [1.30 (0.77-2.19) and 1.43 (0.89-2.30)]. Working long hours is a risk factor for the development of depressive and anxiety symptoms in women.

Long-term 12 year follow-up of X-linked congenital retinoschisis

PubMed Central

Kjellström, Sten; Vijayasarathy, Camasamudram; Ponjavic, Vesna; Sieving, Paul A.; Andréasson, Sten

2010-01-01

Purpose To investigate the retinal structure and function during the progression of X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS) from childhood to adulthood. Methods Ten patients clinically diagnosed with XLRS were investigated at 6–15 years of age (mean age 9 years) with a follow-up 8 to 14 years later (mean 12 years). The patients underwent regular ophthalmic examination as well as testing of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), visual field (VF) and assessment of full-field electroretinography (ERG) during their first visit. During the follow-up, the same clinical protocols were repeated. In addition, macular structure and function was examined with multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). The patients were 18–25 years of age (mean age 21 years) at the follow-up examination. All exons and exon-intron boundaries of RS1-gene were sequenced for gene mutations in 9 out of the 10 patients. Results Best corrected VA and VF were stable during this follow-up period. No significant progression in cone or rod function could be measured by full-field ERG. Multifocal electroretinography and OCT demonstrated a wide heterogeneity of macular changes in retinal structure and function at the time of follow-up visit. Three different mutations were detected in these nine patients, including a known nonsense mutation in exon 3, a novel insertion in exon 5 and an intronic mutation at 5' splice site of intron 3. Conclusions Clinical follow-up (mean 12 years) of ten young XLRS patients (mean age of 9 years) with a typical congenital retinoschisis phenotype revealed no significant decline in retinal function during this time period. MfERG and OCT demonstrated a wide variety of macular changes including structure and dysfunction. The XLRS disease was relatively stable during this period of observation and would afford opportunity for therapy studies to judge benefit against baseline and against the fellow eye. PMID:20569020

Results of the long range position-determining system tests. [Field Army system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rhode, F. W.

1973-01-01

The long range position-determining system (LRPDS) has been developed by the Corps of Engineers to provide the Field Army with a rapid and accurate positioning capability. The LRPDS consists of an airborne reference position set (RPS), up to 30 ground based positioning sets (PS), and a position computing central (PCC). The PCC calculates the position of each PS based on the range change information provided by each Set. The positions can be relayed back to the PS again via RPS. Each PS unit contains a double oven precise crystal oscillator. The RPS contains a Hewlett-Packard cesium beam standard. Frequency drifts and off-sets of the crystal oscillators are taken in account in the data reduction process. A field test program was initiated in November 1972. A total of 54 flights were made which included six flights for equipment testing and 48 flights utilizing the field test data reduction program. The four general types of PS layouts used were: short range; medium range; long range; tactical configuration. The overall RMS radial error of the unknown positions varied from about 2.3 meters for the short range to about 15 meters for the long range. The corresponding elevation RMS errors vary from about 12 meters to 37 meters.

Long-term behavior of GFRP reinforced panels after eight years of field exposure.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-06-01

Since 1998, Missouri S&T/University of Missouri-Rolla investigators have been involved in more than 25 bridge repairs and/or new : bridge construction involving composite materials. To date, many of these projects have demonstrated reliable field per...

Analysis of long-channel nanotube field-effect-transistors (NT FETs)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toshishige, Yamada; Kwak, Dochan (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This viewgraph presentation provides an analysis of long-channel nanotube (NT) field effect transistors (FET) from NASA's Ames Research Center. The structure of such a transistor including the electrode contact, 1D junction, and the planar junction is outlined. Also mentioned are various characteristics of a nanotube tip-equipped scanning tunnel microscope (STM).

Long-term effects of sulfur mustard on civilians' mental health 20 years after exposure (The Sardasht-Iran Cohort Study).

PubMed

Roshan, Rasoul; Rahnama, Parvin; Ghazanfari, Zeinab; Montazeri, Ali; Soroush, Mohammad Reza; Naghizadeh, Mohammad Mehdi; Melyani, Mahdiyeh; Tavoli, Azadeh; Ghazanfari, Tooba

2013-04-24

Sulfur mustard (SM) is an alkylating agent that induces short and long term toxicity on various organs. The aim of this study was to assess the long-term psychological symptoms among samples of exposed to sulfur mustard gas compared with unexposed civilians 20 years after exposure. This historical cohort study was conducted on 495 civilians of Sardasht and Rabat in two age matched groups, including 367 sulfur mustard exposed participants from Sardasht and 128 unexposed subjects from Rabat. Psychological symptoms was assessed using the Symptom Check List-90 Revised (SCL-90-R) including measures of somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism providing three global distress indices namely: Global Severity Index (GSI), Positive Symptom Total (PST) and Positive Symptom Distress Index (PSDI). Comparison was made between exposed and unexposed civilians. There were significant differences in somatization (P = 0.002), obsessive-compulsive (P = 0.031), depression (P = 0.007), anxiety (P = 0.042), and hostility (P = 0.002), between the exposed and unexposed groups. In addition there were significant differences between two groups concerning the GSI (P = 0.045) and the PSDI (P < 0.001). The differences between two groups in other subscales were not significant. The findings from this study showed that civilians who exposed to sulfur mustard gas were suffering from a number of psychological symptoms even 20 years after exposure. Providing mental health services and more resource allocation for this community are highly recommended.

FIVE-YEAR OUTCOMES AFTER LONG-TERM OXANDROLONE ADMINISTRATION IN SEVERELY BURNED CHILDREN: A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL.

PubMed

Reeves, Patrick T; Herndon, David N; Tanksley, Jessica D; Jennings, Kristofer; Klein, Gordon L; Mlcak, Ronald P; Clayton, Robert P; Crites, Nancy N; Hays, Joshua P; Andersen, Clark; Lee, Jong O; Meyer, Walter; Suman, Oscar E; Finnerty, Celeste C

2016-04-01

Administration of oxandrolone, a nonaromatizable testosterone analog, to children for 12 months following severe burn injury has been shown to improve height, increase bone mineral content (BMC), reduce cardiac work, and augment muscle strength. Surprisingly, the increase in BMC persists well beyond the period of oxandrolone administration. This study was undertaken to determine if administration of oxandrolone for 2 years yields greater effects on long-term BMC and bone mineral density (BMD). Patients between 0 and 18 years of age with ≥30% of total body surface area burned were consented to an IRB-approved protocol and randomized to receive either placebo (n = 84) or 0.1 mg/kg oxandrolone orally twice daily for 24 months (n = 35). Patients were followed prospectively from the time of admission until 5 years postburn in a single-center, intent-to-treat setting. Height, weight, BMC, and BMD were recorded annually through 5 years postinjury. The long-term administration of oxandrolone for 16 ± 1 months postburn (range, 12.1-25.2 months) significantly increased whole-body (WB) BMC (p < 0.02) and lumbar spine (LS) BMC (p < 0.05); these effects were significantly pronounced for a longer time in patients who were in growth spurt years (7-18 years). When adjusted for height, sex, and age, LS BMD was found to significantly increase with long-term oxandrolone administration (p < 0.0009). Fewer patients receiving oxandrolone exhibited LS BMD z scores below -2.0 as compared with controls, indicating a significantly reduced risk for future fracture with oxandrolone administration. Long-term oxandrolone patients had significantly greater height velocity than controls throughout the first 2-year postburn (p < 0.05). No adverse side effects were attributed to the long-term administration of oxandrolone. A comparison of the current patients receiving long-term oxandrolone to previously described patients receiving 12 months of oxandrolone revealed that long-term oxandrolone

The Magnetic Field inside a Long Solenoid--A New Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrews, David; Carlton, Kevin; Lisgarten, David

2010-01-01

This article describes a technique for measuring the magnetic field inside a long solenoid using computer data logging. This is a new approach to a standard student practical. The design and construction of the sensors is described; they significantly reduce the cost of the apparatus. The approach of the practical is for the students to…

Interpersonal Emotional Behaviors and Physical Health: A 20-Year Longitudinal Study of Long-Term Married Couples

PubMed Central

Haase, Claudia M.; Holley, Sarah; Bloch, Lian; Verstaen, Alice; Levenson, Robert W.

2016-01-01

Objectively coded interpersonal emotional behaviors that emerged during a 15-minute marital conflict interaction predicted the development of physical symptoms in a 20-year longitudinal study of long-term marriages. Dyadic latent growth curve modeling showed that anger behavior predicted increases in cardiovascular symptoms and stonewalling behavior predicted increases in musculoskeletal symptoms. Both associations were found for husbands (although cross-lagged path models also showed some support for wives) and were controlled for sociodemographic characteristics (age, education) and behaviors (i.e., exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption, caffeine consumption) known to influence health. Both associations did not exist at the start of the study, but only emerged over the ensuing 20 years. There was some support for the specificity of these relationships (i.e., stonewalling behavior did not predict cardiovascular symptoms; anger behavior did not predict musculoskeletal symptoms; neither symptom was predicted by fear nor sadness behavior), with the anger-cardiovascular relationship emerging as most robust. Using cross-lagged path models to probe directionality of these associations, emotional behaviors predicted physical health symptoms over time (with some reverse associations found as well). These findings illuminate longstanding theoretical and applied issues concerning the association between interpersonal emotional behaviors and physical health and suggest opportunities for preventive interventions focused on specific emotions to help address major public health problems. PMID:27213730

Long-term outcomes after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: 10- to 13-year data.

PubMed

Obeid, Nabeel R; Malick, Waqas; Concors, Seth J; Fielding, George A; Kurian, Marina S; Ren-Fielding, Christine J

2016-01-01

Short- and mid-term data on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) indicate sustained weight loss and improvement in co-morbidities. Few long-term studies exist, some of which are outdated, based on open procedures or different techniques. To investigate long-term weight loss, co-morbidity remission, nutritional status, and complication rates among patients undergoing RYGB. An academic, university hospital in the United States. Between October 2000 and January 2004, patients who underwent RYGB≥10 years before study onset were eligible for chart review, office visits, and telephone interviews. Revisional surgery was an endpoint, ceasing eligibility for study follow-up. Outcomes included weight loss measures and rates of co-morbidity remission, complications, and nutritional deficiencies. RYGB was performed in 328 patients with a mean preoperative body mass index of 47.5 kg/m(2). Of 294 eligible patients, 134 (46%) were contacted for follow-up at ≥ 10 years (10+Year follow-up). Mean percentage excess weight loss (%EWL) was 58.9% at 10+Year. Higher %EWL was achieved by non-super-obese versus super-obese (61.3% versus 52.9%, P = .034). Blood pressure, lipid panel, and hemoglobin A1c improved significantly. At 10 years, remission of co-morbidities was 46% for hypertension and hyperlipidemia and 58% for diabetes mellitus. Thirty patients (9%) had revisional surgery for weight regain. Sixty-four patients (19.5%) had long-term complications requiring surgery. All-cause mortality was 2.7%. Nutritional deficiencies were seen in 87% of patients. Weight loss after RYGB appears to be significant and sustainable, especially in the non-super-obese. Co-morbidities are improved, with a substantial number in remission a decade later. Nutritional deficiencies are almost universal. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The relationship between long working hours and depression among first-year residents in Japan.

PubMed

Ogawa, Ryoko; Seo, Emiko; Maeno, Takami; Ito, Makoto; Sanuki, Masaru; Maeno, Tetsuhiro

2018-03-27

In Japan, some residents develop mental health problems. In previous studies, it was reported that long working hours might be a cause of stress reaction such as depression. There were some reports that compared residents with 80 or more working hours with those with less than 80 working hours. However, many residents are practically detained for extra-long time, designated as 100 h or more per week, for medical practice, training, self-study, etc. There have been few reports on extra-long hours of work. This study evaluated the working environment and the amount of stress experienced by first-year residents, and examined the relationship between long working hours and depression, especially in the group of extra-long working hours. The study included 1241 first-year residents employed at 250 training hospitals in 2011. A self-report questionnaire was administered at the beginning of the residency and 3 months later to collect data on demographics, depressive symptoms, and training conditions (e.g., duration of work, sleep, disposable time, and night shift). Depressive symptoms were rated using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. The mean duration of work per week was 79.4 h, with 97 residents (7.8%) working 100 h or more. At 3 months, clinically significant depressive symptoms were reported by 45.5% of residents working 100 or more h per week, which proportion was significantly greater than that for respondents working less than 60 h (P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a working week of 80 to 99.9 h was associated with a 2.83 fold higher risk and 100 h or more was associated with a 6.96-fold higher risk of developing depressive symptoms compared with a working week of less than 60 h. Working excessively long hours was significantly associated with development of depressive symptoms. Proper management of resident physicians' working hours is critical to maintaining their physical and mental health and

An Induction Heating Method with Traveling Magnetic Field for Long Structure Metal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sekine, Takamitsu; Tomita, Hideo; Obata, Shuji; Saito, Yukio

A novel dismantlable adhesion method for recycling operation of interior materials is proposed. This method is applied a high frequency induction heating and a thermoplastic adhesive. For an adhesion of interior material to long steel stud, a conventional spiral coil as like IH cooking heater gives inadequateness for uniform heating to the stud. Therefore, we have proposed an induction heating method with traveling magnetic field for perfect long structures bonding. In this paper, we describe on the new adhesion method using the 20kHz, three-phase 200V inverter and linear induction coil. From induction heating characteristics to thin steel plates and long studs, the method is cleared the usefulness for uniform heating to long structures.

Soluble and insoluble carbon content in fog: a 16 year long study in the Po Valley (Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuzzi, S.; Facchini, C.; Giulianelli, L.; Gilardoni, S.

2015-12-01

Fog samples have been collected throughout the fall-winter season during each dense fog episode since 1989 at the field station of San Pietro Capofiume (Bologna, Italy) located in a rural area in the south-eastern part of the Po Valley. Since the fall-winter season 1997/98 both soluble and insoluble carbon content was also measured and now a sixteen years long dataset is available. Carbonaceous matter accounts for a significant fraction of the insoluble material suspended in fog water. The sum of EC and water insoluble organic mass accounts on average for 46%-56% of the mass of total suspended material. Insoluble carbonaceous material is composed mainly by organic matter, EC accounting on average only for 17% of the total insoluble carbon. A good correlation observed between EC and OC through the different years, suggests that anthropogenic combustion processes, which represent the main source of EC, are also the most important source of OC in fog droplets. Recent results also show that a potential important contribution to WSOC in for water is derived by aqueous secondary organic aerosol from biomass burning emissions. The water soluble organic carbon (WSOC) represents on average 25% of the total solute mass and its contribution to the total organic carbon (TOC) ranges from 52 to 95% with an average of 86%. The high amount of carbonaceous compounds in the Po Valley fog detected and the simultaneous decrease of the main inorganic species concentration (Giulianelli et al., 2014) in the last two decades highlight the potential influence of organics on the decrease of fog frequency. Giulianelli L., Gilardoni S., Tarozzi L., Rinaldi M., Decesari S, Carbone C., Facchini M.C. and Fuzzi S., Atmos. Environ. 98, 394-401.

The risk of burn injury during long-term oxygen therapy: a 17-year longitudinal national study in Sweden

PubMed Central

Tanash, Hanan A; Huss, Fredrik; Ekström, Magnus

2015-01-01

Background Long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) improves the survival time in hypoxemic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Despite warnings about potential dangers, a considerable number of patients continue to smoke while on LTOT. The incidence of burn injuries related to LTOT is unknown. The aim of this study was to estimate the rate of burn injury requiring health care contact during LTOT. Methods Prospective, population-based, consecutive cohort study of people starting LTOT from any cause between January 1, 1992 and December 31, 2009 in the Swedish National Register of Respiratory Failure (Swedevox). Results In total, 12,497 patients (53% women) were included. The mean (standard deviation) age was 72±9 years. The main reasons for starting LTOT were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (75%) and pulmonary fibrosis (15%). Only 269 (2%) were active smokers when LTOT was initiated. The median follow-up time to event was 1.5 years (interquartile range, 0.55–3.1). In total, 17 patients had a diagnosed burn injury during 27,890 person-years of LTOT. The rate of burn injury was 61 (95% confidence interval, 36–98) per 100,000 person-years. There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of burn injury between ever-smokers and never-smokers, or between men and women. Conclusion The rate of burn injuries in patients on LTOT seems to be low in Sweden. The strict requirements in Sweden for smoking cessation before LTOT initiation may contribute to this finding. PMID:26622175

The abilities of improved schizophrenia patients to work and live independently in the community: a 10-year long-term outcome study from Mumbai, India

PubMed Central

Srivastava, Amresh Kumar; Stitt, Larry; Thakar, Meghana; Shah, Nilesh; Chinnasamy, Gurusamy

2009-01-01

Background The outcome of first episode schizophrenia has several determinants. Socioecological factors, particularly living conditions, migration, community and culture, not only affect the level of risk but also the outcome. Mega cities around the world show a unique socioecological condition that has several challenges for mental health. The present study reports on the long-term status of patients with schizophrenia in such a mega city: Mumbai, India. Aim This study aims to reveal the long-term outcome of patients suffering from schizophrenia with special reference to clinical symptoms and social functioning. Methods The cohort for this study was drawn from a 10-year follow-up of first episode schizophrenia. Patients having completed 10 years of consistent treatment after first hospitalisation were assessed on psychopathological and recovery criteria. Clinical as well as social parameters of recovery were evaluated. Descriptive statistics with 95% confidence intervals are provided. Results Of 200 patients recruited at the beginning of this study, 122 patients (61%) were present in the city of Mumbai at the end of 10-year follow-up study period. Among 122 available patients, 101 patients (50.5%) were included in the assessment at the end of 10-year follow-up study period, 6 patients (3.0%) were excluded from the study due to changed diagnosis, and 15 patients (7.5%) were excluded due to admission into long-term care facilities. This indicates that 107 out of 122 available patients (87.7%) were living in the community with their families. Out of 101 (50.5%) patients assessed at the end of 10 years, 61 patients (30.5%) showed improved recovery on the Clinical Global Impression Scale, 40 patients (20%) revealed no improvement in the recovery, 43 patients (72.9%) were able to live independently, and 24 patients (40%) were able to find employment. Conclusion With 10 years of treatment, the recovery rate among schizophrenia patients in Mumbai was 30.5%. Among the

One-year clinical outcomes of ultra long apollo polymer-based Paclitaxel-eluting stents in patients with complex, long coronary artery lesions.

PubMed

Salarifar, Mojtaba; Kassaian, Seyed Ebrahim; Alidoosti, Mohammad; Haji-Zeinali, Ali Mohammad; Poorhoseini, Hamid Reza; Nematipour, Ebrahim; Amirzadegan, Alireza; Saroukhani, Sepideh

2011-01-01

For all the wealth of research comparing the efficacy of the different types of the drug-eluting stent (DES) such as sirolimus-, paclitaxel-, and zotarolimus-eluting stents, there is still a dearth of data on the different brands of each DES type. We aimed to investigate the one-year clinical outcomes, including major adverse cardiac events (MACE), of the use of the ultra long Apollo paclitaxel-eluting stent in patients with long atherosclerotic coronary artery lesions. According to a retrospective review of the Tehran Heart Center Registry of Interventional Cardiology, a single-center nonrandomized computerized data registry in which all adult patients who undergo single or multi-vessel percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are enrolled without any specific exclusion criteria, the mixed use of long Apollo paclitaxel-eluting stents and other types of the DES as well as myocardial infarction within forty-eight hours prior to the procedure was excluded. In total, 122 patients were enrolled in the study, and their baseline clinical, angiographic, and procedural characteristics were obtained. In addition, the patients' follow-up data and, most importantly, MACE during a one-year period after intervention were recorded. The mean follow-up duration was 14.1 ± 3.8 months. The one-year clinical follow-up data were obtained in 95.9 % of all the patients. The incidence of MACE was 5.7% during the entire study period. There was 1 death, which occurred during the initial days after PCI. The incidence of non-fatal myocardial infarction was 2.5% (3 cases), including one patient who underwent target vessel revascularization seven months later. Also, 3 patients with single-vessel disease and in-stent restenosis underwent coronary artery bypass grafting between five to ten months later. Our results showed that the Apollo paclitaxel-eluting stent might be regarded as a safe and effective treatment for long coronary lesions.

How healthy are chronically ill patients after eight years of homeopathic treatment?--Results from a long term observational study.

PubMed

Witt, Claudia M; Lüdtke, Rainer; Mengler, Nils; Willich, Stefan N

2008-12-17

Homeopathy is a highly debated but often used medical treatment. With this cohort study we aimed to evaluate health status changes under homeopathic treatment in routine care. Here we extend former results, now presenting data of an 8-year follow-up. In a prospective, multicentre cohort study with 103 homeopathic primary care practices in Germany and Switzerland, data from all patients (age >1 year) consulting the physician for the first time were observed. The main outcome measures were: The patients' perceived change in complaint severity (numeric rating scales from 0 = no complaint to 10 = maximal severity) and quality of life as measured by the SF-36 at baseline, and after 2 and 8 years. A total of 3,709 patients were studied, 73% (2,722 adults, 72.8% female, age at baseline 41.0 +/- 12.3; 819 children, 48.4% female, age 6.5 +/- 4.0) contributed data to the 8-year follow-up. The most frequent diagnoses were allergic rhinitis and headache in adults, and atopic dermatitis and multiple recurrent infections in children. Disease severity decreased significantly (p < 0.001) between baseline, 2 and 8 years (adults from 6.2 +/- 1.7 to 2.9 +/- 2.2 and 2.7 +/- 2.1; children from 6.1 +/- 1.8 to 2.1 +/- 2.0 and 1.7 +/- 1.9). Physical and mental quality of life sores also increased considerably. Younger age, female gender and more severe disease at baseline were factors predictive of better therapeutic success. Patients who seek homeopathic treatment are likely to improve considerably. These effects persist for as long as 8 years.

Long time stability of lamps with nanostructural carbon field emission cathodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalenik, J.; Firek, P.; Szmidt, J.; Czerwosz, E.; Kozłowski, M.; Stepińska, I.; Wódka, T.

2017-08-01

A luminescent lamp with field emission cathode was constructed and tested. Phosphor excited by electrons from field emission cathode is the source of light. The cathode is covered with nickel-carbon film containing multilayer carbon nanotubes that enhance electron emission from the cathode. Results of luminance stability measurements are presented. Luminance of elaborated luminance lamp is high enough for lighting application. Long term stability (1000 hours) is satisfactory for mass lamp application. Initial short time decrease of luminance is still too high and it needs reduction.

Preserving a Unique Archive for Long-Term Solar Variability Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webb, David F.; Hewins, Ian; McFadden, Robert; Emery, Barbara; Gibson, Sarah; Denig, William

2016-05-01

In 1964 (solar cycle 20) Patrick McIntosh began creating hand-drawn synoptic maps of solar activity, based on Hydrogen alpha (Hα) imaging measurements. These synoptic maps were unique because they traced the polarity inversion lines (PILs), connecting widely separated filaments, fibril patterns and plage corridors to reveal the large-scale organization of the solar magnetic field. He and his assistants later included coronal hole (CH) boundaries to the maps, usually from ground-based He-I 10830 images. They continued making these maps until 2010 (the start of solar cycle 24), yielding more than 40 years (~ 540 Carrington rotations) or nearly four complete solar cycles (SCs) of synoptic maps. The McIntosh collection of maps forms a unique and consistent set of global solar magnetic field data, and are unique tools for studying the structure and evolution of the large-scale solar fields and polarity boundaries, because: 1) they have excellent spatial resolution for defining polarity boundaries, 2) the organization of the fields into long-lived, coherent features is clear, and 3) the data are relatively homogeneous over four solar cycles. After digitization and archiving, these maps -- along with computer codes permitting efficient searches of the map arrays -- will be made publicly available at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) in their final, searchable form. This poster is a progress report of the project so far and some suggested scientific applications.

FAA Long-Range Aviation Forecasts Fiscal Years 2005-2020

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-09-01

assumptions translate into somewhat slower growth of aviation activity and FAA workload measures during the extended 16 -year period (2004 to 2020) than was...OPERATIONS 1.8 1.2 INSTRUMENT OPERATIONS 2.0 1.3 IFR AIRCRAFT HANDLED 2.0 1.3 FLIGHT SERVICE STTIONS (0.2) 0.1 2 II. LONG-RANGE FORECAST ASSUMPTIONS The...product (GDP), adjusted for price changes and expressed in 1987 dollars, will average 1.9 percent annually over the extended 16 -year fore- cast period

GATEWAY Report Brief: SSL Demonstration: Long-Term Evaluation of Indoor Field Performance

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

None, None

Report brief summarizing a GATEWAY program evaluation of the long-term performance characteristics (chromaticity change, maintained illuminance, and operations and maintenance) of LED lighting systems in four field installations previously documented in separate DOE GATEWAY reports.

Stress-related endocrinological and psychopathological effects of short- and long-term 50Hz electromagnetic field exposure in rats.

PubMed

Szemerszky, Renáta; Zelena, Dóra; Barna, István; Bárdos, György

2010-01-15

It is believed that different electromagnetic fields do have beneficial and harmful biological effects. The aim of the present work was to study the long-term consequences of 50 Hz electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) exposure with special focus on the development of chronic stress and stress-induced psychopathology. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to ELF-EMF (50 Hz, 0.5 mT) for 5 days, 8h daily (short) or for 4-6 weeks, 24h daily (long). Anxiety was studied in elevated plus maze test, whereas depression-like behavior of the long-treated group was examined in the forced swim test. Some days after behavioral examination, the animals were decapitated among resting conditions and organ weights, blood hormone levels as well as proopiomelanocortin mRNA level from the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland were measured. Both treatments were ineffective on somatic parameters, namely none of the changes characteristic to chronic stress (body weight reduction, thymus involution and adrenal gland hypertrophy) were present. An enhanced blood glucose level was found after prolonged ELF-EMF exposure (p=0.013). The hormonal stress reaction was similar in control and short-term exposed rats, but significant proopiomelanocortin elevation (p<0.000) and depressive-like behavior (enhanced floating time; p=0.006) were found following long-term ELF-EMF exposure. Taken together, long and continuous exposure to relatively high intensity electromagnetic field may count as a mild stress situation and could be a factor in the development of depressive state or metabolic disturbances. Although we should stress that the average intensity of the human exposure is normally much smaller than in the present experiment.

Gender differences in personal and work-related determinants of return-to-work following long-term disability: a 5-year cohort study.

PubMed

Lederer, Valérie; Rivard, Michèle; Mechakra-Tahiri, Samia Djemaa

2012-12-01

To assess the differential effect of personal and work-related psychosocial, physical and organizational determinants by gender on time to return-to-work (RTW) following long-term disability. Data come from a larger study conducted in the province of Quebec, Canada. A cohort of 455 adults on long-term disability due to work-related musculoskeletal disorders at the back/neck/upper limb was followed for 5 years through structured interviews and administrative databases. Left-truncated Cox regression modeling stratified by gender was used to assess time to a first partial or full RTW of at least 3 days. Survival curves of time to RTW were similar between men and women on long-term disability (log-rank test p value = 0.920) but many personal and occupational factors influencing RTW differed by gender. Women's risk factors included older age (HR = 0.734--in 10 years unit), poor to very poor perceived economic status (HR = 0.625), working ≥40 h/week and having dependents (HR = 0.508) and awareness of workplace-based occupational health and safety program (HR = 0.598); higher gross annual income (in $10,000 s) was a facilitator (HR = 1.225). In men, being over 55 years old (HR = 0.458), poor perceived economic status (HR = 0.653), working ≥40 h/week and high perceived physical workload (HR = 0.720) and higher job insecurity (HR = 0.825) negatively influenced time to RTW. For both men and women, probabilities of not returning to work varied widely according to workers' specific profile of personal and occupational factors (high or low risk profile). Results confirm the importance of gender-sensitive strategies to investigate RTW determinants from a gender perspective.

Business Students' Choice of Short-Term or Long-Term Study Abroad Opportunities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzsimmons, Stacey R.; Flanagan, David J.; Wang, Xiaodan

2013-01-01

Recent years have seen a proliferation of short-term study abroad opportunities. Although they are both supplementing and replacing semester-long study abroad programs, research has focused primarily on semester (long-term) programs. We draw on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explore factors that predict why students choose long-term and…

Adherence to Web-Based Self-Assessments in Long-Term Direct-to-Patient Research: Two-Year Study of Multiple Sclerosis Patients.

PubMed

Jongen, Peter Joseph; Kremer, Ingrid E H; Hristodorova, Elena; Evers, Silvia M A A; Kool, Anton; van Noort, Esther M; Hiligsmann, Mickaël

2017-07-21

Direct-to-patient research via Web-based questionnaires is increasingly being used. Missed data or delayed reporting of data may negatively affect the quality of study results. It is insufficiently known to what degree patients adhere to agreed self-assessment schedule over the long term and whether questionnaires are filled out in a timely manner. The objective of this study was to investigate patients' adherence to a self-assessment schedule with low-frequency long questionnaires versus that with a high-frequency short questionnaire. In this study, the 36-item MS Impact Profile (MSIP) questionnaire measured (perceived) disabilities and the 54-item MS Quality of Life-54 (MSQoL-54) questionnaire measured health-related quality of life at 6-month intervals. Additionally, the 2-item Medication and Adherence (MA) questionnaire documented medication and adherence to disease-modifying medication every month. An experienced MS nurse assessed the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score via phone. For both the self-assessment schedules, we calculated the percentage of patients who had completed all the questionnaires in the first 2 years (completion adherence), the percentage of patients who completed all the questionnaires within set time frames (interval adherence), the relationship between adherence and the EDSS score, and the timing of EDSS assessment. Of the 331 patients who enrolled themselves, 301 patients completed at least one questionnaire. At month six (M6), M12, M18, and M24, the MSIP was completed by 83.4% (251/301), 71.8% (216/301), 68.1% (205/301), and 58.5% (176/301) of the patients, respectively; the MSQoL-54 by 82.1% (247/301), 71.8% (216/301), 66.8% (201/301), and 57.1% (172/301), respectively; and the MA questionnaire by 80.1% (241/301), 70.4% (212/301), 62.1% (187/301), and 53.5% (161/301), respectively. For the MSIP, 56.8% (171/301) of the patients were 2-year completion adherent; 55.5% (167/301) and 53.5% (161/301) of the patients were

Adherence to Web-Based Self-Assessments in Long-Term Direct-to-Patient Research: Two-Year Study of Multiple Sclerosis Patients

PubMed Central

Kremer, Ingrid E.H; Hristodorova, Elena; Evers, Silvia M.A.A; Kool, Anton; van Noort, Esther M; Hiligsmann, Mickaël

2017-01-01

Background Direct-to-patient research via Web-based questionnaires is increasingly being used. Missed data or delayed reporting of data may negatively affect the quality of study results. It is insufficiently known to what degree patients adhere to agreed self-assessment schedule over the long term and whether questionnaires are filled out in a timely manner. Objective The objective of this study was to investigate patients’ adherence to a self-assessment schedule with low-frequency long questionnaires versus that with a high-frequency short questionnaire. Methods In this study, the 36-item MS Impact Profile (MSIP) questionnaire measured (perceived) disabilities and the 54-item MS Quality of Life-54 (MSQoL-54) questionnaire measured health-related quality of life at 6-month intervals. Additionally, the 2-item Medication and Adherence (MA) questionnaire documented medication and adherence to disease-modifying medication every month. An experienced MS nurse assessed the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score via phone. For both the self-assessment schedules, we calculated the percentage of patients who had completed all the questionnaires in the first 2 years (completion adherence), the percentage of patients who completed all the questionnaires within set time frames (interval adherence), the relationship between adherence and the EDSS score, and the timing of EDSS assessment. Results Of the 331 patients who enrolled themselves, 301 patients completed at least one questionnaire. At month six (M6), M12, M18, and M24, the MSIP was completed by 83.4% (251/301), 71.8% (216/301), 68.1% (205/301), and 58.5% (176/301) of the patients, respectively; the MSQoL-54 by 82.1% (247/301), 71.8% (216/301), 66.8% (201/301), and 57.1% (172/301), respectively; and the MA questionnaire by 80.1% (241/301), 70.4% (212/301), 62.1% (187/301), and 53.5% (161/301), respectively. For the MSIP, 56.8% (171/301) of the patients were 2-year completion adherent; 55.5% (167/301) and 53

Tennessee long-range transportation plan : 10-year strategic investments program

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2005-12-01

The 10-Year Strategic Investments Program report identifies proposed spending priorities and policy initiatives that will address many of Tennessees transportation needs and help implement the states new Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) ov...

F-centers mechanism of long-term relaxation in lead zirconate-titanate based piezoelectric ceramics. 2. After-field relaxation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishchuk, V. M.; Kuzenko, D. V.

2016-08-01

The paper presents results of experimental study of the dielectric constant relaxation during aging process in Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 based solid solutions (PZT) after action of external DC electric field. The said process is a long-term one and is described by the logarithmic function of time. Reversible and nonreversible relaxation process takes place depending on the field intensity. The relaxation rate depends on the field strength also, and the said dependence has nonlinear and nonmonotonic form, if external field leads to domain disordering. The oxygen vacancies-based model for description of the long-term relaxation processes is suggested. The model takes into account the oxygen vacancies on the sample's surface ends, their conversion into F+- and F0-centers under external effects and subsequent relaxation of these centers into the simple oxygen vacancies after the action termination. F-centers formation leads to the violation of the original sample's electroneutrality, and generate intrinsic DC electric field into the sample. Relaxation of F-centers is accompanied by the reduction of the electric field, induced by them, and relaxation of the dielectric constant, as consequent effect.

SPEXTRA: Optimal extraction code for long-slit spectra in crowded fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkisyan, A. N.; Vinokurov, A. S.; Solovieva, Yu. N.; Sholukhova, O. N.; Kostenkov, A. E.; Fabrika, S. N.

2017-10-01

We present a code for the optimal extraction of long-slit 2D spectra in crowded stellar fields. Its main advantage and difference from the existing spectrum extraction codes is the presence of a graphical user interface (GUI) and a convenient visualization system of data and extraction parameters. On the whole, the package is designed to study stars in crowded fields of nearby galaxies and star clusters in galaxies. Apart from the spectrum extraction for several stars which are closely located or superimposed, it allows the spectra of objects to be extracted with subtraction of superimposed nebulae of different shapes and different degrees of ionization. The package can also be used to study single stars in the case of a strong background. In the current version, the optimal extraction of 2D spectra with an aperture and the Gaussian function as PSF (point spread function) is proposed. In the future, the package will be supplemented with the possibility to build a PSF based on a Moffat function. We present the details of GUI, illustrate main features of the package, and show results of extraction of the several interesting spectra of objects from different telescopes.

Summer half-year hailstorms in South Moravia, Czech Republic: a long-term chronology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chromá, Kateřina; Brázdil, Rudolf; Valášek, Hubert; Dolák, Lukáš; Řezníčková, Ladislava; Zahradníček, Pavel; Dobrovolný, Petr

2017-04-01

Hailstorms are natural phenomena of local or regional significance causing great material damage in present time, similarly as it was in the past. In Moravia (eastern part of the Czech Republic), systematic meteorological observations started generally in the latter half of the 19th century. Therefore, it is necessary to search for other sources of information in order to create long-term series of hailstorms. Documentary evidence is used in this study to extend the hailstorm information before the period of systematic observations and to complement existing systematic data. It allowed to compile a long-term series of summer half-year hailstorms in South Moravia using various types of documentary evidence (out of them taxation records, family archives, chronicles and newspapers are the most important) and systematic meteorological observations in the station network. Although available hailstorm data cover the 1435-2015 period, incomplete documentary evidence allows reasonable analysis of fluctuations in hailstorm frequency only since the 18th century (the frequency of hailstorms increases with the number of surviving documents). The long-term series compiled from documentary data and systematic meteorological observations is used to identify periods of lower and higher hailstorm frequency. The best temporal coverage of summer half-year hailstorm days in South Moravia starts in 1925 with a general decreasing trend of -0.05 days per 10 years up to 2015, more evident after 1961 (-1.4 days per 10 years). Existing data may also be used for the study of spatial hailstorm variability which is demonstrated on four particularly damaging hailstorms (on 20 June 1848, 1 July 1902, 10 July 1902 and 19 July 1903). Finally, uncertainties in the hailstorm chronology are discussed and differences related to various aspects of hailstorms detected from documentary and meteorological data in three 40 year periods are analysed. Despite some bias in hailstorm data, South

Long-term Outcomes after Truncus Arteriosus Repair: A Single-center Experience for More than 40 Years.

PubMed

Asagai, Seiji; Inai, Kei; Shinohara, Tokuko; Tomimatsu, Hirofumi; Ishii, Tetsuko; Sugiyama, Hisashi; Park, In-Sam; Nagashima, Mitsugi; Nakanishi, Toshio

2016-12-01

This study aimed to analyze long-term survival and functional outcomes after truncus arteriosus repair in a single institution with more than 40 years of follow-up. Medical records were analyzed retrospectively in 52 patients who underwent the Rastelli procedure for truncus arteriosus repair between 1974 and 2002. Thirty-five patients survived the initial repair. The median age at the initial operation was 2.8 months (range, 0.1-123 months) and the body weight was 3.9 kg (range, 1.6 to 15.0 kg). The median age at follow-up was 23.6 years (range, 12.4 to 44.5 years). The median follow-up duration was 23.4 years (range, 12.3 to 40.7 years). The actuarial survival rate was 97% at 10 years and 93% at both 20 years and 40 years after the initial operation. At follow-up, most patients were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classes I (73%) and II (24%). Thirty-six percent of patients had full-time jobs, 40% were students, and 21% were unemployed. Most patients (97%) had undergone conduit reoperations. Freedom from reoperation for right ventricular (RV) outflow and pulmonary artery (PA) stenosis was 59% at 5 years, 28% at 10 years, and 3% at 20 years after the initial operation. Freedom from catheter interventions for RV outflow and PA stenosis was 59% at 5 years, 47% at 10 years, and 38% at 20 years after the initial operation. Freedom from truncal valve replacement was 88% at 5 years, 85% at 10 years, and 70% at 20 years after the initial operation. In this single-center retrospective study, with long-term follow-up after repair of truncus arteriosus, long-term survival and functional outcomes were acceptable, despite the requirement for reoperation and multiple catheter interventions for RV outflow and PA stenosis in almost all patients, and the frequent requirement for late truncal valve operations. © 2016 The Authors. Congenital Heart Disease published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Benchmark study on glyphosate-resistant crop systems in the United States. Economics of herbicide resistance management practices in a 5 year field-scale study.

PubMed

Edwards, C Blake; Jordan, David L; Owen, Michael Dk; Dixon, Philip M; Young, Bryan G; Wilson, Robert G; Weller, Steven C; Shaw, David R

2014-12-01

Since the introduction of glyphosate-resistant (GR) crops, growers have often relied on glyphosate-only weed control programs. As a result, multiple weeds have evolved resistance to glyphosate. A 5 year study including 156 growers from Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Nebraska, North Carolina and Mississippi in the United States was conducted to compare crop yields and net returns between grower standard weed management programs (SPs) and programs containing best management practices (BMPs) recommended by university weed scientists. The BMPs were designed to prevent or mitigate/manage evolved herbicide resistance. Weed management costs were greater for the BMP approach in most situations, but crop yields often increased sufficiently for net returns similar to those of the less expensive SPs. This response was similar across all years, geographical regions, states, crops and tillage systems. Herbicide use strategies that include a diversity of herbicide mechanisms of action will increase the long-term sustainability of glyphosate-based weed management strategies. Growers can adopt herbicide resistance BMPs with confidence that net returns will not be negatively affected in the short term and contribute to resistance management in the long term. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Examining the Sustainability of Teacher Learning Following a Year-Long Science Professional Development Programme for Inservice Primary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drits-Esser, Dina; Gess-Newsome, Julie; Stark, Louisa A.

2017-01-01

This two-year, mixed-methods study explored teacher learning during a year-long professional development programme and during the year following the programme. The study examined patterns of change in primary school teachers' inquiry practices, inquiry beliefs and physical science content knowledge during both years as well as the effects of…

The Green River natural analogue as a field laboratory to study the long-term fate of CO2 in the subsurface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Busch, Andreas; Kampman, Niko; Hangx, Suzanne; Bertier, Pieter; Bickle, Mike; Harrington, Jon

2015-04-01

Understanding the long-term response of CO2 injected into porous reservoirs is one of the most important aspects to demonstrate safe and permanent storage. At the same time this is one of the least understood aspects of CCS in general. The reasons are that 'long-term', in the sense of hundreds to thousands of years, is impractical from a laboratory and rather idealised from a reservoir modelling perspective. However understanding the coupled long-term hydro-chemical-mechanical response of a reservoir-seal pair following CO2 injection is highly desirable to improve confidence and trust from a regulator and societal perspective, as well as to improve risk assessment and risk reduction. In order to provide one building block to advance understanding of this subject, in July 2012 Shell recovered some 300m of core from a scientific drill hole through a natural CO2 field near Green River, Utah. This core transected two sandstone formations (Entrada and Navajo) and one intervening seal layer, composed of interbedded marine clay-/silt and sandstones (Carmel Fm.). Fluid samples and core material were taken adjacent to the Little Grand Wash Fault (LGW), along which CO2-charged fluids traverse from depth to the surface and which is believed to be the migration pathway for CO2 inflow into the reservoirs. In-situ pH, CO2 concentrations, and fluid element and isotope geochemistry were determined from wireline downhole sampling of pressurized fluids taken from the Navajo reservoirs. The fluid geochemistry provides important constraints on reservoir filling by flow of CO2 -charged brines through the LGW fault damage zone, macro-scale fluid flow in the reservoirs and the state of fluid-mineral thermodynamic disequilibrium, from which the nature of the fluid-mineral reactions can be interpreted. In addition to core samples, we obtained control samples from stratigraphically equivalent outcrop locations and drill holes that were not subject to alterations by CO2 -charged fluids and

A study of the methods for the production and confinement of high energy plasmas. [injection of dense plasma into long magnetic field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, D. Y.; Wang, P.

1972-01-01

The injection of dense plasmas into a B sub z long magnetic field from both ends of the field coil was investigated. Deflagration plasma guns and continuous flow Z-pinch are discussed along with the possibility of a continuous flow Z-pinch fusion reactor. The injection experiments are described with emphasis on the synchronization of the two plasma deflagration guns, the collision of the two plasma beams, and the determination of plasma density.

Student evaluations of a year-long mentorship program: a quality improvement initiative.

PubMed

van Eps, Mary Ann; Cooke, Marie; Creedy, Debra K; Walker, Rachel

2006-08-01

Mentoring is an important teaching-learning process in undergraduate nursing curricula. There are relatively few studies specifically evaluating nursing students' perceptions of mentorship. In the period 1999-2002, 39 students were mentored during a year-long program. This descriptive, exploratory study used a quality improvement framework informed by the Deming cycle of Plan, Do, Check and Act [Deming, W.E., 1982. Quality, Productivity and Competitive Position. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge] to evaluate the mentorship program from the students' perspective. Information was gathered through surveys, focus group discussions and interviews and analyzed to identify themes of responses. Identified themes were 'The doing of nursing', 'The thinking of nursing' and 'Being a nurse'. The study confirmed the value of mentorship in undergraduate nursing and highlighted the importance of skill competence as a basis for professional role identity by graduating students. The benefits of mentorship were derived from a long term, supportive relationship with the same registered nurse who was committed to the student's professional development.

Long-term variation analysis of a tropical river's annual streamflow regime over a 50-year period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seyam, Mohammed; Othman, Faridah

2015-07-01

Studying the long-term changes of streamflow is an important tool for enhancing water resource and river system planning, design, and management. The aim of this work is to identify the long-term variations in annual streamflow regime over a 50-year period from 1961 to 2010 in the Selangor River, which is one of the main tropical rivers in Malaysia. Initially, the data underwent preliminary independence, normality, and homogeneity testing using the Pearson correlation coefficient and Shapiro-Wilk and Pettitt's tests, respectively. The work includes a study and analysis of the changes through nine variables describing the annual streamflow and variations in the yearly duration of high and low streamflows. The analyses were conducted via two time scales: yearly and sub-periodic. The sub-periods were obtained by segmenting the 50 years into seven sub-periods by two techniques, namely the change-point test and direct method. Even though analysis revealed nearly negligible changes in mean annual flow over the study period, the maximum annual flow generally increased while the minimum annual flow significantly decreased with respect to time. It was also observed that the variables describing the dispersion in streamflow continually increased with respect to time. An obvious increase was detected in the yearly duration of danger level of streamflow, a slight increase was noted in the yearly duration of warning and alert levels, and a slight decrease in the yearly duration of low streamflow was found. The perceived changes validate the existence of long-term changes in annual streamflow regime, which increase the probability of floods and droughts occurring in future. In light of the results, attention should be drawn to developing water resource management and flood protection plans in order to avert the harmful effects potentially resulting from the expected changes in annual streamflow regime.

Playing the Field(s): An Exploration of Change, Conformity and Conflict in Girls' Understandings of Gendered Physicality in Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hills, Laura A.

2006-01-01

This paper draws on data from a year-long ethnographic study of a group of 12- to 13-year-old girls that explored the processes through which they negotiated gendered physicality within the context of physical education. Bourdieu's concepts of habitus and social fields and McNay's extension of his work underpin a discussion of three contexts where…

Arsenic accumulation in a paddy field in Bangladesh: seasonal dynamics and trends over a three-year monitoring period.

PubMed

Dittmar, Jessica; Voegelin, Andreas; Roberts, Linda C; Hug, Stephan J; Saha, Ganesh C; Ali, M Ashraf; Badruzzaman, A Borhan M; Kretzschmar, Ruben

2010-04-15

Shallow groundwater, often rich in arsenic (As), is widely used for irrigation of dry season boro rice in Bangladesh. In the long term, this may lead to increasing As contents in rice paddy soils, which threatens rice yields, food quality, and human health. The objective of this study was to quantify gains and losses of soil As in a rice paddy field during irrigation and monsoon flooding over a three-year period. Samples were collected twice a year on a 3D-sampling grid to account for the spatially heterogeneous As distribution within the soil. Gains and losses of soil As in different depth segments were calculated using a mass-balance approach. Annual As input with irrigation water was estimated as 4.4 +/- 0.4 kg ha(-1) a(-1). Within the top 40 cm of soil, the mean As accumulation over three years amounted to 2.4 +/- 0.4 kg ha(-1) a(-1), implying that on average 2.0 kg ha(-1) a(-1) were lost from the soil. Seasonal changes of soil As showed that 1.05 to 2.1 kg ha(-1) a(-1) were lost during monsoon flooding. The remaining As-loss (up to 0.95 kg ha(-1) a(-1)) was attributed to downward flow with percolating irrigation water. Despite these losses, we estimate that total As within the top 40 cm of soil at our field site would further increase by a factor of 1.5 to 2 by the year 2050 under current cultivation practices.

Long-term effectiveness of varicella vaccine: a 14-Year, prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Baxter, Roger; Ray, Paula; Tran, Trung N; Black, Steve; Shinefield, Henry R; Coplan, Paul M; Lewis, Edwin; Fireman, Bruce; Saddier, Patricia

2013-05-01

Varicella vaccine was licensed in the United States in 1995 for individuals ≥12 months of age. A second dose was recommended in the United States in June 2006. Varicella incidence and vaccine effectiveness were assessed in a 14-year prospective study conducted at Kaiser Permanente Northern California. A total of 7585 children vaccinated with varicella vaccine in their second year of life in 1995 were followed up prospectively for breakthrough varicella and herpes zoster (HZ) through 2009. A total of 2826 of these children received a second dose in 2006-2009. Incidences of varicella and HZ were estimated and compared with prevaccine era rates. In this cohort of vaccinated children, the average incidence of varicella was 15.9 per 1000 person-years, nine- to tenfold lower than in the prevaccine era. Vaccine effectiveness at the end of the study period was 90%, with no indication of waning over time. Most cases of varicella were mild and occurred early after vaccination. No child developed varicella after a second dose. HZ cases were mild, and rates were lower in the cohort of vaccinated children than in unvaccinated children during the prevaccine era (relative risk: 0.61 [95% confidence interval: 0.43-0.89]). This study confirmed that varicella vaccine is effective at preventing chicken pox, with no waning noted over a 14-year period. One dose provided excellent protection against moderate to severe disease, and most cases occurred shortly after the cohort was vaccinated. The study data also suggest that varicella vaccination may reduce the risks of HZ in vaccinated children.

The students' intentions and satisfaction with the field of study and university

PubMed Central

NOORAFSHAN, ALI; POURAHMAD, SAEEDEH; SAGHEB, MOHAMMAD MAHDI; DEHGHANI NAZHVANI, ALI; DEHSHAHRI, ALI; ABDOLLAHI, MANIJEH; MOHEBBI, ZEYNAB; KESHTKARAN, ZAHRA; AHMADI, AFSANEH; KAVOUSIPOUR, SOMAYEH; FARAHMAND, FARIBA; KHORRAMI, HAMID REZA; SOLTANI, ROBABEH; KARBALAY DOUST, SAIED

2014-01-01

Introduction: The present study aimed to find an appropriate method to inform senior high school students to correctly select their academic field of study and their intentions. Methods: This is a descriptive-analytic and cross-sectional study. A verified questionnaire was given to a total of 2600 students selected by stratified random sampling method (ten different colleges and entrance year from the 1st to 4th are considered as the strata). The position of the present field of study (major) among the list of the fields in the entrance exam was asked. The students’ methods of familiarity with different fields of study in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS), the reasons for their selection, the students’ motivation and insistence on studying in the same field and university were asked in the questionnaire. Data were analyzed using independent two samples t-test, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Chi-Square test. Results: The most significant references for university field selection were high school teachers, the students' parents and the adjacency of university to one's living place. Also, the results revealed the good reputation of SUMS in the first year and its downward trend during the following years. 59.4% of the 1st year students were satisfied with their field of study and SUMS. 31.8% were satisfied with the university but not with their fields of study. 6.4% were dissatisfied with the university but not with their fields of study. 2% of the students were dissatisfied with both their fields of study and university. Dissatisfaction with SUMS and field of study increased little by little so that the results obtained among the students who had entered the university earlier (in the 4th year of their study) showed nearly 16.3% dissatisfaction with both the university and the study fields.   Conclusion: The methods for introducing the university are recommended to be revised. PMID:25512943

Response of Bacteria Community to Long-Term Inorganic Nitrogen Application in Mulberry Field Soil

PubMed Central

Hu, Xingming; Deng, Wen; Li, Yong; Han, Guangming; Xiong, Chao

2016-01-01

The bacterial community and diversity in mulberry field soils with different application ages of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer (4Y, 4-year-old; 17Y, 17-year-old; 32Y, 32-year- old) were investigated using next-generation sequencing. The results demonstrated that the application ages of nitrogen fertilizer significantly altered soil bacterial community and diversity. Soil bacterial Shannon diversity index and Chao 1 index decreased with the consecutive application of nitrogen fertilizer, and the 4Y soil exhibited the highest bacterial relative abundance and diversity. Of 45 bacterial genera (relative abundance ratio of genera greater than 0.3%), 18 were significantly affected by the plant age, and seven belong to Acidobacteria. The relative abundances of Acidobacteria Gp 1, Gp4 and Gp6 in the 4Y soil were significantly lower than that of in the 17Y and 32Y soils. However, the relative abundance of Pseudononas sp. in the 4Y soil was significantly higher than that of in the 17Y and 32Y soils. Most microbial parameters were significantly affected by soil pH and organic matter content which were significantly changed by long-term application of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer. PMID:27977728

Response of Bacteria Community to Long-Term Inorganic Nitrogen Application in Mulberry Field Soil.

PubMed

Yu, Cui; Hu, Xingming; Deng, Wen; Li, Yong; Han, Guangming; Xiong, Chao

2016-01-01

The bacterial community and diversity in mulberry field soils with different application ages of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer (4Y, 4-year-old; 17Y, 17-year-old; 32Y, 32-year- old) were investigated using next-generation sequencing. The results demonstrated that the application ages of nitrogen fertilizer significantly altered soil bacterial community and diversity. Soil bacterial Shannon diversity index and Chao 1 index decreased with the consecutive application of nitrogen fertilizer, and the 4Y soil exhibited the highest bacterial relative abundance and diversity. Of 45 bacterial genera (relative abundance ratio of genera greater than 0.3%), 18 were significantly affected by the plant age, and seven belong to Acidobacteria. The relative abundances of Acidobacteria Gp 1, Gp4 and Gp6 in the 4Y soil were significantly lower than that of in the 17Y and 32Y soils. However, the relative abundance of Pseudononas sp. in the 4Y soil was significantly higher than that of in the 17Y and 32Y soils. Most microbial parameters were significantly affected by soil pH and organic matter content which were significantly changed by long-term application of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer.

Evaluating the long-term hydrology of an evapotranspiration-capillary barrier with a 1000 year design life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Z. Fred

2016-06-01

A surface barrier is a commonly used technology for isolation of subsurface contaminants. Surface barriers for isolating radioactive waste are expected to perform for centuries to millennia, yet there are very few data for field-scale surface barriers for periods approaching a decade or longer. The Prototype Hanford Barrier (PHB) with a design life of 1000 years was constructed over an existing radioactive waste site in 1994 to demonstrate its long-term performance. The primary element of the PHB is an evapotranspiration-capillary (ETC) barrier in which precipitation water is stored in a fine-textured soil layer and later released to the atmosphere via evapotranspiration. To address the barrier performance under extreme conditions, this study included an enhanced precipitation stress test from 1995 to 1997 to determine barrier response to extreme precipitation events. During this period a 1000 year 24 h return rainstorm was simulated in March every year. The loss of vegetation on barrier hydrology was tested with a controlled fire test in 2008. The 19 year monitoring record shows that the store-and-release mechanism worked as well as or better than the design criterion. Average drainage from the ETC barrier amounted to an average of 0.005 mm yr-1, which is well below the design criterion of 0.5 mm yr-1. After a simulated wildfire, the naturally reestablished vegetation and increased evaporation combined to release the stored water and summer precipitation to the atmosphere such that drainage did not occur in the 5 years subsequent to the fire.

Sixty-five years of the long march in protein secondary structure prediction: the final stretch?

PubMed Central

Yang, Yuedong; Gao, Jianzhao; Wang, Jihua; Heffernan, Rhys; Hanson, Jack; Paliwal, Kuldip; Zhou, Yaoqi

2018-01-01

Abstract Protein secondary structure prediction began in 1951 when Pauling and Corey predicted helical and sheet conformations for protein polypeptide backbone even before the first protein structure was determined. Sixty-five years later, powerful new methods breathe new life into this field. The highest three-state accuracy without relying on structure templates is now at 82–84%, a number unthinkable just a few years ago. These improvements came from increasingly larger databases of protein sequences and structures for training, the use of template secondary structure information and more powerful deep learning techniques. As we are approaching to the theoretical limit of three-state prediction (88–90%), alternative to secondary structure prediction (prediction of backbone torsion angles and Cα-atom-based angles and torsion angles) not only has more room for further improvement but also allows direct prediction of three-dimensional fragment structures with constantly improved accuracy. About 20% of all 40-residue fragments in a database of 1199 non-redundant proteins have <6 Å root-mean-squared distance from the native conformations by SPIDER2. More powerful deep learning methods with improved capability of capturing long-range interactions begin to emerge as the next generation of techniques for secondary structure prediction. The time has come to finish off the final stretch of the long march towards protein secondary structure prediction. PMID:28040746

Termiticide field test report: New termiticides & emerging technologies

Treesearch

Bradford M. Kard

2000-01-01

Testing at our nationwide field sites detemines the years-of-effectiveness of currently marketed and potentially new termiticides as treatments to soil under long-term field conditions. Several new termiticide candidates and formulations have been placed in the field during the past four years and will be reported on after they complete five years of testing.

Occupational Electromagnetic Field Exposures Associated with Sleep Quality: A Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Liu, Hui; Chen, Guangdi; Pan, Yifeng; Chen, Zexin; Jin, Wen; Sun, Chuan; Chen, Chunjing; Dong, Xuanjun; Chen, Kun; Xu, Zhengping; Zhang, Shanchun; Yu, Yunxian

2014-01-01

Background Exposure to electromagnetic field (EMF) emitted by mobile phone and other machineries concerns half the world’s population and raises the problem of their impact on human health. The present study aims to explore the effects of electromagnetic field exposures on sleep quality and sleep duration among workers from electric power plant. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in an electric power plant of Zhejiang Province, China. A total of 854 participants were included in the final analysis. The detailed information of participants was obtained by trained investigators using a structured questionnaire, which including socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle variables, sleep variables and electromagnetic exposures. Physical examination and venous blood collection were also carried out for every study subject. Results After grouping daily occupational electromagnetic exposure into three categories, subjects with long daily exposure time had a significantly higher risk of poor sleep quality in comparison to those with short daily exposure time. The adjusted odds ratios were 1.68 (95%CI: 1.18, 2.39) and 1.57 (95%CI: 1.10, 2.24) across tertiles. Additionally, among the subjects with long-term occupational exposure, the longer daily occupational exposure time apparently increased the risk of poor sleep quality (OR (95%CI): 2.12 (1.23∼3.66) in the second tertile; 1.83 (1.07∼3.15) in the third tertile). There was no significant association of long-term occupational exposure duration, monthly electric fee or years of mobile-phone use with sleep quality or sleep duration. Conclusions The findings showed that daily occupational EMF exposure was positively associated with poor sleep quality. It implies EMF exposure may damage human sleep quality rather than sleep duration. PMID:25340654

Long-term change in incidence and risk factors of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in Crete, Greece: a 25-year study.

PubMed

Karageorgos, Spyridon A; Stratakou, Soultana; Koulentaki, Mairi; Voumvouraki, Argyro; Mantaka, Aikaterini; Samonakis, Dimitrios; Notas, George; Kouroumalis, Elias A

2017-01-01

No sequential long-term data exist for Greece on the etiological evolution and incidence of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Therefore, we studied their etiological evolution over a period of 25 years in the island of Crete. We studied 812 cases of cirrhosis (561 male, median age 69 years) and 321 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (234 male, median age 70 years) from the database of our Center. Cases were classified into five-year periods according to incidence and etiology (hepatitis B, hepatitis C, alcohol, alcohol plus viral, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease). Overall, there was an increase in the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma. A significant fourfold reduction in the incidence of hepatitis C-related cirrhosis was observed, which was degraded from first to third place as a risk factor for cirrhosis. Alcohol gradually became the first risk factor in cirrhosis (1990-94: 36.1%, 2010-14: 52.3%) and carcinoma, while the steepest increase in incidence of cirrhosis and carcinoma was associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The incidence of cirrhosis remained constant over the years, but the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma increased during the last decade. Risk factors for cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma have changed over the past 25 years in Crete. The initial high hepatitis C virus association has significantly decreased, with alcohol now ranking first among risk factors. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is continually increasing and is a prominent risk factor for cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Long-term functional and echocardiographic assessment after penetrating cardiac injury: 5-year follow-up results.

PubMed

Carr, John Alfred; Buterakos, Roxanne; Bowling, William M; Janson, Lisa; Kralovich, Kurt A; Copeland, Craig; Link, Renee; Roiter, Cecilia; Casey, Gregory; Wagner, James W

2011-03-01

There is almost no data describing the long-term functional outcome of patients after penetrating cardiac injury. A retrospective study at a Level I trauma center from 2000 to 2009. Sixty-three patients had penetrating cardiac injuries from 28 stabbings and 35 gunshots. Men comprised 89% (56) of the patients. Overall, there were 21 survivors (33%) and 42 died in the emergency room or perioperative period. The mean age did not significantly differ between survivors (36 years ± 12 years) compared with those who died (30 years ± 11 years; p=0.07). There was an increased chance of survival after being stabbed compared with being shot (17 patients vs. 4 patients; odds ratio=12; p=0.002). Thirteen (62%) had injuries to the right ventricle only. Three patients died during follow-up: one from lung cancer and two other patients died from myocardial infarctions, one 9 years later at the age of 45 years and the other 8 years later at the age of 55 years. The survivors had functional follow-up evaluations from 2 months to 114 months (median, 71; interquartile range, 34-92 months) and echocardiographic follow-up from 2 months to 107 months (median, 64; interquartile range, 31-84 months) after their injuries. Functionally, all patients were in NYHA class 1 status, except one patient in class II who was 54 years old and had a mild exertional limitation. The previously injured area could only be identified by echocardiogram in one patient who had a patch repair of a ventricular septal defect (VSD). The mean ejection fraction improved over time from a mean of 51% ± 8% in the immediate postoperative period to 60% ± 9% after a mean follow-up of 59 months (p=0.01). After surgery, 43% of patients had a mild to moderate pericardial effusion; however, the long-term follow-up studies showed that all these had resolved. Wall motion abnormalities occurred in 33% of patients in the immediate postoperative period and, again, all these resolved during long-term follow-up. Patients who

Bone Density Following Three Years of Recovery from Long-Duration Space-Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amin, S.; Achenbach, S. J.; Atkinson, E. J.; Sibonga, J.

2010-01-01

Bone loss during long-duration space flight is well recognized, but the long-term implications on bone health following return from flight remain unclear. Among US crew who were involved in long-duration missions in space (Mir and ISS), we have previously shown that at approximately 12 months following return, men, but not women, had BMD values at most sites that were still lower than would be expected had they not been exposed to a prolonged period of microgravity. We now extend our observations to 3 years of follow-up post-flight. Using their age, pre-flight BMD and follow-up time, post-flight BMD values for each US crew were predicted based on the model developed from the community sample. We found BMD measures to be either stable or improve by 3 years relative to their immediate post-flight BMD, however only total hip BMD still remains significantly lower than would be expected had they not been exposed to microgravity. Among male US crew, who have had their BMD measured following at least 3 years of recovery post long-duration flight, they continue to have lower BMD at the hip than would be expected, raising potential concerns regarding future hip fracture risk.

Field Scale Optimization for Long-Term Sustainability of Best Management Practices in Watersheds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samuels, A.; Babbar-Sebens, M.

2012-12-01

Agricultural and urban land use changes have led to disruption of natural hydrologic processes and impairment of streams and rivers. Multiple previous studies have evaluated Best Management Practices (BMPs) as means for restoring existing hydrologic conditions and reducing impairment of water resources. However, planning of these practices have relied on watershed scale hydrologic models for identifying locations and types of practices at scales much coarser than the actual field scale, where landowners have to plan, design and implement the practices. Field scale hydrologic modeling provides means for identifying relationships between BMP type, spatial location, and the interaction between BMPs at a finer farm/field scale that is usually more relevant to the decision maker (i.e. the landowner). This study focuses on development of a simulation-optimization approach for field-scale planning of BMPs in the School Branch stream system of Eagle Creek Watershed, Indiana, USA. The Agricultural Policy Environmental Extender (APEX) tool is used as the field scale hydrologic model, and a multi-objective optimization algorithm is used to search for optimal alternatives. Multiple climate scenarios downscaled to the watershed-scale are used to test the long term performance of these alternatives and under extreme weather conditions. The effectiveness of these BMPs under multiple weather conditions are included within the simulation-optimization approach as a criteria/goal to assist landowners in identifying sustainable design of practices. The results from these scenarios will further enable efficient BMP planning for current and future usage.

Engineering and agronomy aspects of a long-term precision agriculture field experiment

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Much research has been conducted on specific precision agriculture tools and implementation strategies, but little has been reported on long-term evaluation of integrated precision agriculture field experiments. In 2004 our research team developed and initiated a multi-faceted “precision agriculture...

Long-Term Impact of Service Learning in Environmental Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacFall, Janet

2012-01-01

Long-term impacts from a senior course in Environmental Studies were evaluated by a survey of program graduates (36 respondents, 50% response rate) who had participated in the course over an 8-year permiod. Each year, the Senior Seminar used a service-learning pedagogy with a different environmentally focused project ranging from web resource…

AN 11-YEAR FIELD STUDY WITH PASTEURIA PENETRANS: LESSONS LEARNED THE HARD WAY.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Beginning in 1998, a bioassay using second-stage juveniles (J2) from a greenhouse (GH) population of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne arenaria (Ma) was used to monitor endospore densities of the bacterium Pasteuria penetrans, which was parasitizing Ma in a long-term rotation study (begun in 1991)....

One-Year Data from a Long-Term Phase IV Study of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone in Short Children Born Small for Gestational Age.

PubMed

Schwarz, Hans-Peter; Birkholz-Walerzak, Dorota; Szalecki, Mieczyslaw; Walczak, Mieczyslaw; Galesanu, Corina; Metreveli, David; Khan-Boluki, Jasmin; Schuck, Ellen

2014-12-01

This prospective, open-label, non-comparative, multicentre, long-term phase IV study is examining the efficacy and safety of somatropin [recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH)] in short children born small for gestational age (SGA) and its impact on the incidence of diabetes. This report is the first interim analysis of patients who have completed 1 year of treatment. A total of 278 pre-pubertal patients were enrolled. Key eligibility criteria included height standard deviation score (HSDS) <-2.5; parental adjusted SDS <-1; birth weight and/or length <-2 SD and failure to show catch-up growth by ≥4 years of age. Patients were treated with rhGH 0.035 mg/kg/day. The primary objective was to evaluate the long-term effect of rhGH on carbohydrate metabolism [including fasting glucose, stimulated glucose (2-h oral glucose tolerance test, OGTT) and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c)]. Secondary objectives included evaluation of height parameters [body height, HSDS, height velocity (HV), HVSDS]; insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) serum levels during treatment; and incidence and severity of adverse events (AEs). None of the children developed diabetes mellitus within the first year of treatment. Mean levels of fasting glucose, HbA1c and 2-h OGTT values remained stable during the study period. Treatment with rhGH was effective, as documented by all height parameters. Mean HSDS improved from -3.39 at baseline to -2.57 at Year 1. Mean HV increased markedly from 4.25 cm/year at baseline to 8.99 cm/year during the first year. Similarly, mean peak-centred HVSDS increased from -2.13 at baseline to +4.16 at Year 1. Mean IGF-I SDS and IGFBP-3 SDS also increased within the first year (by +1.80 and +0.41, respectively). 13 patients (4.7%) did not respond adequately to treatment (HVSDS <1); they were withdrawn from the study. In total, 192 children (69.3%) experienced treatment-emergent AEs; most (98.7%) were mild

GATEWAY Demonstrations: Long-Term Evaluation of SSL Field Performance in Select Interior Projects

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

Davis, Tess E.; Davis, Robert G.; Wilkerson, Andrea M.

The GATEWAY program evaluated the long-term performance characteristics (chromaticity change, maintained illuminance, and operations and maintenance) of LED lighting systems in four field installations previously documented in separate DOE GATEWAY reports.

How healthy are chronically ill patients after eight years of homeopathic treatment? – Results from a long term observational study

PubMed Central

Witt, Claudia M; Lüdtke, Rainer; Mengler, Nils; Willich, Stefan N

2008-01-01

Background Homeopathy is a highly debated but often used medical treatment. With this cohort study we aimed to evaluate health status changes under homeopathic treatment in routine care. Here we extend former results, now presenting data of an 8-year follow-up. Methods In a prospective, multicentre cohort study with 103 homeopathic primary care practices in Germany and Switzerland, data from all patients (age >1 year) consulting the physician for the first time were observed. The main outcome measures were: The patients' perceived change in complaint severity (numeric rating scales from 0 = no complaint to 10 = maximal severity) and quality of life as measured by the SF-36 at baseline, and after 2 and 8 years. Results A total of 3,709 patients were studied, 73% (2,722 adults, 72.8% female, age at baseline 41.0 ± 12.3; 819 children, 48.4% female, age 6.5 ± 4.0) contributed data to the 8-year follow-up. The most frequent diagnoses were allergic rhinitis and headache in adults, and atopic dermatitis and multiple recurrent infections in children. Disease severity decreased significantly (p < 0.001) between baseline, 2 and 8 years (adults from 6.2 ± 1.7 to 2.9 ± 2.2 and 2.7 ± 2.1; children from 6.1 ± 1.8 to 2.1 ± 2.0 and 1.7 ± 1.9). Physical and mental quality of life sores also increased considerably. Younger age, female gender and more severe disease at baseline were factors predictive of better therapeutic success. Conclusion Patients who seek homeopathic treatment are likely to improve considerably. These effects persist for as long as 8 years. PMID:19091085

A Year-Long Research Experience Program in Solar and Atmospheric Physics at the Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York (CUNY)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Damas, M. C.; Cheung, T. D.; Ngwira, C.; Mohamed, A.; Knipp, D. J.; Johnson, L. P.; Zheng, Y.; Paglione, T.

2015-12-01

The Queensborough Community College (QCC) of the City University of New York (CUNY), a Hispanic and minority-serving institution, is the recipient of a 2-year NSF EAGER (Early Concept Grants for Exploratory Research) grant to design and implement a high-impact practice integrated research and education program in solar and atmospheric physics. Through a strong collaboration with CUNY/City College of New York and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC), the project engages underrepresented community college students in geosciences-related STEM fields through a year-long research experience with two components: 1) during the academic year, students are enrolled in a course-based introductory research (CURE) where they conduct research on real-world problems; and 2) during the summer, students are placed in research internships at partner institutions. We will present the results of the first year-long research experience, including successes and challenges.

Track and field athletics injuries--a one-year survey.

PubMed Central

D'Souza, D

1994-01-01

The training programmes and competitive performances of 147 track and field athletes, from many different clubs within the UK, were analysed retrospectively in order to study the incidence, severity and types of injuries which they had suffered during the year September 1989-September 1990. This information was then related to the particular event in which they specialized as well as a number of hypothetical risk factors proposed for making them more prone to injury. Of the athletes 96 (65.3%) were male and 51 (34.7%) were female, and their ages ranged from 14 to 32 years, with their levels of competition ranging from 'competitive spectators' to UK internationals. A marked correlation was noted between their age, level of competition, number of supervised training sessions which they attended, and their incidence of injuries. However, certain other factors which were studied, such as their sex, the hours they trained, and the particular event in which they specialized appeared to provide no obvious relationship. PMID:8000821

Long-term effects of high-intensity interval training in heart transplant recipients: A 5-year follow-up study of a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Yardley, Marianne; Gullestad, Lars; Bendz, Bjørn; Bjørkelund, Elisabeth; Rolid, Katrine; Arora, Satish; Nytrøen, Kari

2017-01-01

Previous studies have demonstrated that high-intensity interval training (HIT) is superior to moderate-continuous exercise in general and in cardiovascular diseases. Recently, we also found HIT safe and efficient after heart transplantation (HTx). This study reports the 5-year long-term effects. Forty-one HTx patients who had completed the previous 12-month randomized controlled trial, comparing HIT intervention with usual care, were eligible. In particular, we measured VO 2peak , muscular capacity, intravascular ultrasound, and questionnaires measuring physical and mental health. The baseline mean±SD values were as follows: age; 49.1±16.5 years, men; 68%, time since HTx: 4.1±2.2 years. Within the HIT group, initial VO 2peak increased significantly from 27.7±5.7 to 31.2±5.3 mL/kg/min. However, during the next 4 years, VO 2peak decreased to 26.0±6.2 mL/kg/min. The control group showed slightly decreasing VO 2peak values during the entire 5-year period. The HIT group reported significantly less anxiety symptoms, but there were no long-term differences in VO 2peak , muscular capacity, or cardiac allograft vasculopathy between the groups. The similar VO 2peak values correspond to our findings of similar everyday activity. Our findings suggest that intermittent periods of HIT may be necessary to maintain the initial benefits gained from the intervention. However, HIT probably reduces the burden of anxiety, which is a frequent health issue following HTx. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Long-term treatment of Cushing's disease with pasireotide: 5-year results from an open-label extension study of a Phase III trial.

PubMed

Petersenn, S; Salgado, L R; Schopohl, J; Portocarrero-Ortiz, L; Arnaldi, G; Lacroix, A; Scaroni, C; Ravichandran, S; Kandra, A; Biller, B M K

2017-07-01

Treating hypercortisolism in patients with Cushing's disease after failed surgery often requires chronic medication, underlining the need for therapies with favourable long-term efficacy and safety profiles. In a randomised, double-blind study, 162 adult patients with persistent/recurrent or de novo Cushing's disease received pasireotide. Patients with mean urinary free cortisol at/below the upper limit of normal or clinical benefit at month 12 could continue receiving pasireotide during an open-ended, open-label phase, the outcomes of which are described herein. Sixteen patients received 5 years of pasireotide treatment. Among these, median (95% confidence interval) percentage change from baseline in mean urinary free cortisol was -82.6% (-89.0, -41.9) and -81.8% (-89.8, -67.4) at months 12 and 60. Eleven patients had mean urinary free cortisol ≤ upper limit of normal at month 60. Improvements in clinical signs were sustained during long-term treatment. The safety profile of pasireotide at 5 years was similar to that reported after 12 months. Fifteen of 16 patients experienced a hyperglycaemia-related adverse event; glycated haemoglobin levels were stable between months 6 and 60. Adverse events related to hyperglycaemia, bradycardia, gallbladder/biliary tract, and liver safety were most likely to first occur by month 6; adverse event severity did not tend to worsen over time. This represents the longest prospective trial of a medical therapy for Cushing's disease to date. A subset of patients treated with pasireotide maintained biochemical and clinical improvements for 5 years, with no new safety signals emerging. These data support the use of pasireotide as an effective long-term therapy for some patients with Cushing's disease.

Effective Practices to Support Year-Long Student Teachers by Cooperating Teachers and the School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olson, Heather

2017-01-01

The purpose of the study was to determine what student teachers perceive as an effective practice used by their cooperating teacher and school district to enhance the success of the year-long student teaching experience. In addition, the study intended to determine the differences in what student teachers perceive as effective practice based on…

Long-term liver stiffness assessment in hepatitis C virus patients undergoing antiviral therapy: Results from a 5-year cohort study.

PubMed

Facciorusso, Antonio; Del Prete, Valentina; Turco, Antonio; Buccino, Rosario Vincenzo; Nacchiero, Maurizio Cosimo; Muscatiello, Nicola

2018-04-01

Observational studies showed significant liver stiffness regression after sustained virological response, but long-term effects of antiviral therapy are still unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the magnitude of change in stiffness up to 5 years after therapy in hepatitis C patients undergoing antiviral treatment. Data of 153 patients were retrieved. Stiffness was assessed by Fibroscan at baseline, end of treatment, 6 months after treatment, and every year hereafter up to 5 years. Seventy patients were treated with interferon-based regimens and 83 with direct antiviral agents. Baseline cirrhosis was diagnosed in 53 (34.6%) patients. Sustained virological response was achieved in 112 patients, whereas 41 were non-responders. In responders, stiffness decreased from 12.3 kPa (9-17.8) to 6.6 kPa (5.3-7.4) at 5 years. A sharper decline was observed immediately after treatment (-2.5 kPa at the end of treatment and -3.7 kPa at 6 months), while from 1 year onwards, the magnitude of stiffness decrease was progressively lower. In non-responders, stiffness showed a slight decrease at the end of treatment (from 19.2 to 18.1 kPa), then returned to baseline levels at 6 months (19.4 kPa), and finally increased over time up to 23.7 kPa (15-32.5) at 5 years. The proportion of cirrhotic patients decreased by 50% at 6 months and finally fell < 5% at 4 years after treatment. Stiffness declines significantly after achieving response, and the magnitude of decline is greater in the first year after treatment, while it tends to plateau from 1 year onwards. © 2017 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Four years into the Indian ocean field epidemiology training programme.

PubMed

Halm, Ariane; Seyler, Thomas; Mohamed, Sainda; Ali Mbaé, Saindou Ben; Randrianarivo-Solofoniaina, Armand Eugène; Ratsitorahina, Maherisoa; Nundlall, Ram; Aboobakar, Shahina; Bibi, Jastin; Filleul, Laurent; Piola, Patrice; Razafimandimby, Harimahefa; Rasamoelina, Harena; Valenciano, Marta; Moren, Alain; Cardinale, Eric; Lepec, Richard; Flachet, Loïc

2017-01-01

Following the 2005-6 chikungunya outbreak, a project to strengthen regional Public Health preparedness in the Indian Ocean was implemented. It includes the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion (France) and Seychelles. A Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP-OI) was started in 2011 to develop a pool of well-trained intervention epidemiologists. The FETP-OI consists of two years of supervised, learning-by-doing, on-the-job training at national sites involved in disease surveillance and response. It includes work placements at the Madagascar Pasteur Institute and the French regional epidemiology unit in Reunion and up to three training courses per year. Training objectives include epidemiological surveillance, outbreak investigations, research studies, scientific communication and transfer of competencies. In four years, two cohorts of in total 15 fellows originating from four countries followed the FETP-OI. They led 42 surveillance projects (71% routine management, 14% evaluations, 12% setup, 3% other) and investigated 36 outbreak alerts, 58% of them in Madagascar; most investigations (72%) concerned foodborne pathogens, plague or malaria. Fellows performed 18 studies (44% descriptive analyses, 22% disease risk factors, and 34% on other subjects), and presented results during regional and international conferences through 26 oral and 15 poster presentations. Four articles were published in regional Public Health bulletins and several scientific manuscripts are in process. The FETP-OI has created a regional force of intervention consisting of field epidemiologists and trained supervisors using the same technical language and epidemiological methods. The third cohort is now ongoing. Technically and financially sustainable FETP-OI projects help addressing public health priorities of the Indian Ocean.

Long-Term Results of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy for Morbid Obesity: 5 to 8-Year Results.

PubMed

Gadiot, Ralph P M; Biter, L Ulas; van Mil, Stefanie; Zengerink, Hans F; Apers, J; Mannaerts, Guido H H

2017-01-01

Although long-term results of sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) remain scarce in the literature, its popularity as a stand-alone procedure has accounted for a global increase in LSG performance. In this retrospective study, the authors present 5 to 8-year follow-up results in terms of weight loss, failure/revision rate, and comorbidity resolution from a single center. A prospectively maintained database was reviewed for patients who underwent LSG between 2007 and 2010. Data analysis on weight loss, comorbid conditions, revision surgery, and mortality was conducted. Median percentage excess BMI loss (%EBMIL) was 59.0, and 53.9 %, and median percentage total weight loss (%TWL) was 25.1, and 22.9 % at 5 and 8 years, respectively. Revision to gastric bypass due to insufficient weight loss or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) was performed in 42 patients (15.2 %). Resolution of comorbid condition was achieved in 91 % of patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), 68 % of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), 53 % of patients with hypertension, and 25 % of patients with dyslipedemia. Loss to follow-up rate was 45 % at 5 years, 28 % at 6 years, 23 % at 7 years, and 13 % at 8 years. This study adds to the currently available data confirming the LSG to be a safe and effective procedure at long term. Data from high-volume studies are needed to establish the definite role of the LSG in the spectrum of bariatric procedures.

Long survival in acute myelogenous leukaemia: an international collaborative study.

PubMed Central

Whittaker, J A; Reizenstein, P; Callender, S T; Cornwell, G G; Delamore, I W; Gale, R P; Gobbi, M; Jacobs, P; Lantz, B; Maiolo, A T; Rees, J K; Van Slyck, E J; Van, H V

1981-01-01

A group of 82 adult patients with acute myelogenous leukaemia had survived in continuous first remission for more than three years was studied. These long-surviving patients were being treated at 12 referral centres in Europe and the USA, and they were compared with other patients with acute myelogenous leukaemia from 10 of these centres. There was no clear difference in the amount of induction chemotherapy or the time taken to achieve remission. Immunotherapy was not found to improve chances of long-term survival. The 82 patients were also compared with a group of 115 patients who had no appreciable difference in the number of blood or marrow myeloblasts between these two groups at presentation, but the long survivors had significantly higher initial platelet counts and were slightly younger. The long survivors also tended to have a lower total white cell count at presentation and lower granulocyte counts; there was no obvious explanation for these differences. Eight of the 82 patients relapsed from three to four years after remission and two (of 69 patients) after four to five year. Thereafter relapse was rare, and it seems likely that some of the 40 patients who have survived for five years or more are cured. PMID:6781618

[Effects of long-term localized fertilization on soil humus combining form in sheltered vegetable field].

PubMed

Zhang, Hongling; Liang, Chenghua; Du, Liyu; Chen, Xinzhi; Li, Jibai

2006-05-01

The study showed that on a sheltered vegetable field, a long-term application of organic plus chemical fertilizers induced a higher content of loosely combined soil humus than applying chemical fertilizers alone, while there was no significant difference in firmly combined humus content among different fertilization treatments. More tightly combined humus was observed in organic fertilizer treatments than in chemical fertilizer treatments, and the highest content (11.53 g x kg(-1)) was in the treatment of organic fertilizer plus chemical NPK. The ratio of loosely/tightly combined humus tended to decrease after a long-term application of organic fertilizer, being the lowest (1.10) in the treatment of organic fertilizer plus chemical NPK.

Dupuytren Contracture Recurrence Following Treatment With Collagenase Clostridium histolyticum (CORDLESS [Collagenase Option for Reduction of Dupuytren Long-Term Evaluation of Safety Study]): 5-Year Data.

PubMed

Peimer, Clayton A; Blazar, Philip; Coleman, Stephen; Kaplan, F Thomas D; Smith, Ted; Lindau, Tommy

2015-08-01

Collagenase Option for Reduction of Dupuytren Long-Term Evaluation of Safety Study was a 5-year noninterventional follow-up study to determine long-term efficacy and safety of collagenase clostridium histolyticum (CCH) treatment for Dupuytren contracture. Patients from previous CCH clinical studies were eligible. Enrolled patients were evaluated annually for contracture and safety at 2, 3, 4, and 5 years after their first injection (0.58 mg) of CCH. In successfully treated joints (≤ 5° contracture following CCH treatment), recurrence was defined as 20° or greater worsening (relative to day 30 after the last injection) with a palpable cord or any medical/surgical intervention to correct new/worsening contracture. A post hoc analysis was also conducted using a less stringent threshold (≥ 30° worsening) for comparison with criteria historically used to assess surgical treatment. Of 950 eligible patients, 644 enrolled (1,081 treated joints). At year 5, 47% (291 of 623) of successfully treated joints had recurrence (≥ 20° worsening)-39% (178 of 451) of metacarpophalangeal and 66% (113 of 172) of proximal interphalangeal joints. At year 5, 32% (198 of 623) of successfully treated joints had 30° or greater worsening (metacarpophalangeal 26% [119 of 451] and proximal interphalangeal 46% [79 of 172] joints). Of 105 secondary interventions performed in the successfully treated joints, 47% (49 of 105) received fasciectomy, 30% (32 of 105) received additional CCH, and 23% (24 of 105) received other interventions. One mild adverse event was attributed to CCH treatment (skin atrophy [decreased ring finger circumference from thinning of Dupuytren tissue]). Antibodies to clostridial type I and/or II collagenase were found in 93% of patients, but over the 5 years of follow-up, this did not correspond to any reported clinical adverse events. Five years after successful CCH treatment, the overall recurrence rate of 47% was comparable with published recurrence rates after

Six years after the El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake: Transient far-field postseismic vertical motion observed by tide gauges and GPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith-Konter, B. R.; Gonzalez-Ortega, J. A.; Merrifield, M. A.; Tong, X.; Sandwell, D. T.; Hardy, S.; Howell, S. M.

2016-12-01

On April 4, 2010, the El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake (Mw 7.2) ruptured a 120 km long set of faults of the southernmost San Andreas Fault System in northeastern Baja California, Mexico. Near-field coseismic GPS observations revealed up to 1.1 m of horizontal surface slip and 0.6 m of vertical subsidence at near-field stations. Early near-field InSAR and GPS time series postseismic observations also suggested several tens of centimeters of afterslip occurred within the first two years, however postseismic transients due to viscoelastic or poroelastic relaxation have also been offered as candidate models. Here we investigate the role of viscoelastic transients from six years of regional far-field ( 200 km from rupture) tide gauge and vertical GPS time series observations to further constrain postseismic deformation mechanisms. Vertical viscoelastic postseismic models of the El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake suggest alternating quadrants of uplift and subsidence straddling the rupture, with uplift to the north near the Salton Trough and subsidence to the west spanning the San Diego and Ensenada regions. These decaying transient motions are confirmed by both vertical postseismic GPS and tide gauge-altimetry observations, in both the near- and far fields. For example, tide gauge data in San Diego, which typically record vertical land motions on the order of a few millimeters per year, recorded nearly 30 mm of transient land subsidence over the first 3 years. We find that the magnitude and decay of far-field postseismic subsidence can be attributed to viscoelastic relaxation of the mantle assuming a temporally varying rheology; viscosities as low as 1017 Pa-s for at least the first 6-12 months, followed by an increasing viscosity on the order of 1018 Pa-s in the years following, best fit the data. While transient viscosity anomalies have been previously suggested from GPS data spanning the first 1.5 years following the earthquake [Pollitz et al., 2012], the combined results from

Long-term field performance of a polyester-based long-lasting insecticidal mosquito net in rural Uganda

PubMed Central

Kilian, Albert; Byamukama, Wilson; Pigeon, Olivier; Atieli, Francis; Duchon, Stephan; Phan, Chi

2008-01-01

Background In order to evaluate whether criteria for LLIN field performance (phase III) set by the WHO Pesticide Evaluation Scheme are met, first and second generations of one of these products, PermaNet®, a polyester net using the coating technology were tested. Methods A randomized, double blinded study design was used comparing LLIN to conventionally treated nets and following LLIN for three years under regular household use in rural conditions. Primary outcome measures were deltamethrin residue and bioassay performance (60 minute knock-down and 24 hour mortality after a three minute exposure) using a strain of Anopheles gambiae s.s. sensitive to pyrethroid insecticides. Results Baseline concentration of deltamethrin was within targets for all net types but was rapidly lost in conventionally treated nets and first generation PermaNet® with median of 0.7 and 2.5 mg/m2 after six months respectively. In contrast, second generation PermaNet® retained insecticide well and had 41.5% of baseline dose after 36 months (28.7 mg/m2). Similarly, vector mortality and knockdown dropped to 18% and 70% respectively for first generation LLIN after six months but remained high (88.5% and 97.8% respectively) for second generation PermaNet® after 36 months of follow up at which time 90.0% of nets had either a knockdown rate ≥ 95% or mortality rate ≥ 80%. Conclusion Second generation PermaNet® showed excellent results after three years of field use and fulfilled the WHOPES criteria for LLIN. Loss of insecticide on LLIN using coating technology under field conditions was far more influenced by factors associated with handling rather than washing. PMID:18355408

[Effects of long-term applying sulfur- and chloride-containing chemical fertilizers on weed growth in paddy field].

PubMed

Shen, Pu; Gao, Ju-sheng; Xu, Ming-gang; Li, Dong-chu; Niu, De-kui; Qin, Dao-zhu

2011-04-01

An investigation was made at a double-rice paddy field in the Qiyang Red Soil Field Experimental Station, Hunan Province, China to study the species and biomass of weeds growing in rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth season after 34-year application of sulfur (SO4(2-)) and chloride (Cl(-))-containing chemical fertilizers under the same application rates of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Long-term application of Cl(-)-containing chemical fertilizer resulted in the greatest species number of weeds and the highest biomass of floating weeds and wet weeds, compared with long-term application of SO4(2-) and Cl(-) +SO4(2-)-containing chemical fertilizers. In early rice growth season, the biomass of weeds after applying Cl(-)-containing chemical fertilizer was 51.4% and 17.6% higher than that after applying Cl(-) + SO4(2-) and SO4(2-)-containing chemical fertilizers, respectively; in late rice growth season, the increment was 144% and 242%, respectively. More floating weeds were observed after applying Cl(-) + SO4(2-) and SO4(2-)-containing chemical fertilizers, but few of them were found after applying Cl(-)-containing chemical fertilizer. The total dry mass of weeds and the dry mass of wet weeds were positively correlated with soil Cl(-) content (r = 0.764, P < 0.01 and r = 0.948, P < 0.01, respectively), but negatively correlated with soil SO4(2-)-S content (r = 0.849, P < 0.01 and r = 0.641, P < 0.05). Soil alkali-hydrolyzable N and available P, under the co-effects of soil SO4(2-)-S, Cl(-), and pH, had indirect effects on the total dry mass of weeds. By adopting various fertilization measures to maintain proper soil pH and alkali-hydrolyzable N and available P contents, increase soil SO42(-)-S content, and decrease soil Cl(-) content, it could be possible to effectively inhibit the growth of wet weeds and to decrease the total biomass of weeds in double-rice paddy field.

The emerging dental workforce: long-term career expectations and influences. A quantitative study of final year dental students' views on their long-term career from one London Dental School.

PubMed

Gallagher, Jennifer E; Patel, Resmi; Wilson, Nairn H F

2009-12-23

Research into the motivation and expectations of the emerging workforce and their short-term expectations has already been reported with a view to informing professional and policy decisions. The objective of this component of the research programme was to examine the long-term goals and perceived influences on final year dental students' professional careers. Univariate analysis of a self completed questionnaire survey of all final year dental students from King's College London, comprising questions on demography, long-term career goals and influences, proposed commitment to dentistry, commitment to healthcare systems and the influences thereon. Statistical analysis included Chi Squared tests for linear association. Ninety per cent of students responded to this survey (n = 126), the majority of whom were aged 23 years (59%), female (58%) and Asian (70%). Long-term career goals were fairly evenly split between 'dentist with a special interest' (27%), 'primary dental care practitioner' (26%) and 'specialist' (25%), with 19% not certain. Only 60% of total respondents anticipated working full-time in the long-term (79% males cf 52% females; p = 0.00). The vast majority of respondents (> or =80%) identified 'work-life balance', 'financial stability' and 'professional development' as 'important' or 'very important' influences on the number of future sessions. Females were significantly more likely to rate childcare commitments as an important influence on their future working capacity compared with males (p = 0.00). A wide range of factors were considered important or very important in making the NHS attractive, led by support for professional development (88%) and feeling valued by patients (88%), as well as funding, time with patients, rewards for prevention and practical issues such as dental materials and premises. Females were significantly more likely than males to be attracted to work within the NHS by 'childcare support' (p = 0.02), 'retraining facilities after

An Analysis of Deaf Students' Spelling Skills during a Year-Long Instructional Writing Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowers, Lisa M.; Dostal, Hannah; McCarthy, Jillian H.; Schwarz, Ilsa; Wolbers, Kimberly

2016-01-01

Numerous studies have shown that spelling presents unique challenges for children who are deaf or hard of hearing (d/hh), and most do not develop age appropriate spelling skills. Spelling errors from 29 middle school d/hh students were analyzed from writing samples that were gathered at the beginning, middle, and end of a year-long writing…

Long-term magnetic field monitoring of the Sun-like star ξ Bootis A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgenthaler, A.; Petit, P.; Saar, S.; Solanki, S. K.; Morin, J.; Marsden, S. C.; Aurière, M.; Dintrans, B.; Fares, R.; Gastine, T.; Lanoux, J.; Lignières, F.; Paletou, F.; Ramírez Vélez, J. C.; Théado, S.; Van Grootel, V.

2012-04-01

Aims: We aim to investigate the long-term temporal evolution of the magnetic field of the solar-type star ξ Bootis A, both from direct magnetic field measurements and from the simultaneous estimate of indirect activity indicators. Methods: We obtained seven epochs of high-resolution, circularly-polarized spectra from the NARVAL spectropolarimeter between 2007 and 2011, for a total of 76 spectra. Using approximately 6100 photospheric spectral lines covering the visible domain, we employed a cross-correlation procedure to compute a mean polarized line profile from each spectrum. The large-scale photospheric magnetic field of the star was then modelled by means of Zeeman-Doppler Imaging, allowing us to follow the year-to-year evolution of the reconstructed magnetic topology. Simultaneously, we monitored the width of several magnetically sensitive spectral lines, the radial velocity, the line asymmetry of intensity line profiles, and the chromospheric emission in the cores of the Ca II H and Hα lines. Results: During the highest observed activity states, in 2007 and 2011, the large-scale field of ξ Bootis A is almost completely axisymmetric and is dominated by its toroidal component. The toroidal component persists with a constant polarity, containing a significant fraction of the magnetic energy of the large-scale surface field through all observing epochs. The magnetic topologies reconstructed for these activity maxima are very similar, suggesting a form of short cyclicity in the large-scale field distribution. The mean unsigned large-scale magnetic flux derived from the magnetic maps varies by a factor of about 2 between the lowest and highest observed magnetic states. The chromospheric flux is less affected and varies by a factor of 1.2. Correlated temporal evolution, due to both rotational modulation and seasonal variability, is observed between the Ca II emission, the Hα emission and the width of magnetically sensitive lines. The rotational dependence of

Insights From the Development of an Environmental Science Professional Development Field Course for Undergraduates from Two-Year and Four-Year Colleges.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, C. M.; Hall, S. R.; Walker, B.; Paul, J.

2017-12-01

Existing STEM retention and diversity programs have identified access to field and professional experiences as critical to helping students identify as scientists, form networks, and gain important skills necessary for employment. This program reimagines the traditional geology field course as a professional development experience for students at 2-year and 4-year institutions interested in environmental careers. Students participate in a summer field course in the Sierra Nevada of California, during which time they complete geology, geomorphology, hydrology, and ecology field projects designed to compliment the curriculum of Environmental Geoscience, Environmental Science, and Environmental Studies programs. During the course students interact with local professionals in the environmental sector and work to earn badges based on the skills demonstrated during field projects. Badges create transparent documentation of skill mastery for students and provide a new way for students to understand and market their skills and competencies to potential employers. We will report on the curriculum development, implementation and assessment of the first cohort of students to participate in the program. Preliminary results of formative and summative assessments and their implications for student success and program design will be addressed.

Long-Term Effects of Primary Schools on Educational Positions of Students 2 and 4 Years after the Start of Secondary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vanwynsberghe, Griet; Vanlaar, Gudrun; Van Damme, Jan; De Fraine, Bieke

2017-01-01

Although the importance of primary schools in the long term is of interest in educational effectiveness research, few studies have examined the long-term effects of schools over the past decades. In the present study, long-term effects of primary schools on the educational positions of students 2 and 4 years after starting secondary education are…

Bone Density Following Three Years of Recovery from Long-Duration Space Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amin, Shreyasee; Achenbach, Sara J.; Atkinson, Elizabeth J.; Sibonga, Jean

2011-01-01

It is well recognized that bone mineral density [BMD] at load-bearing sites of the hip and spine sustain significant loss during space flight, estimated at approximately 0.5-1.0% per month. However, the long-term effects on bone health following return from long-duration space flight remain unclear. It is unknown whether BMD for men recovers beyond 1 year following return from space to what would be predicted or if deficits persist. Using our previously created prediction models, we compared the observed BMD of male US crew following 3 years since returning from longduration space flight with what would be predicted if they had not been exposed to microgravity.

Salary-Trend Studies of Faculty for the Years 1994-95 and 1997-98 in the Following Academic Disciplines/Major Fields: Accounting, ..., Geology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howe, Richard D.

This document provides comparative salary trend data for full-time faculty in 27 academic disciplines/major fields for the baseline year 1994-95 and the trend year 1997-98 for 262 public and 387 private institutions. For each discipline/major field surveyed, the report provides a Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) definition, data…

Individualized Fracture Risk Feedback and Long-term Benefits After 10 Years.

PubMed

Wu, Feitong; Wills, Karen; Laslett, Laura L; Riley, Malcolm D; Oldenburg, Brian; Jones, Graeme; Winzenberg, Tania

2018-02-01

This study aimed to determine if beneficial effects of individualized feedback of fracture risk on osteoporosis preventive behaviors and bone mineral density observed in a 2-year trial were sustained long-term. This was a 10-year follow-up of a 2-year RCT in 470 premenopausal women aged 25-44 years, who were randomized to one of two educational interventions (the Osteoporosis Prevention and Self-Management Course [OPSMC] or an osteoporosis information leaflet) and received tailored feedback of their relative risk of fracture in later life (high versus normal risk groups). Bone mineral density of lumbar spine and femoral neck were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Physical activity, dietary calcium intake, calcium and vitamin D supplements, and smoking status were measured by questionnaires. From 2 to 12 years, the high-risk group had a smaller decrease in femoral neck bone mineral density (β=0.023, 95% CI=0.005, 0.041 g/cm 2 ) but similar lumbar spine bone mineral density change as the normal-risk group. They were more likely to use calcium (relative risk=1.66, 95% CI=1.22, 2.24) and vitamin D supplements (1.99, 95% CI=1.27, 3.11). The OPSMC had no effects on bone mineral density change. Both high-risk (versus normal-risk) and the OPSMC groups (versus leaflet) had a more favorable pattern of smoking behavior change (relative risk=1.85, 95% CI=0.70, 4.89 and relative risk=2.27, 95% CI=0.86, 6.01 for smoking cessation; relative risk=0.33, 95% CI=0.13, 0.80 and relative risk=0.28, 95% CI=0.10, 0.79 for commenced or persistent smoking). Feedback of high fracture risk to younger women was associated with long-term improvements in osteoporosis preventive behaviors and attenuated femoral neck bone mineral density loss. Therefore, this could be considered as a strategy to prevent osteoporosis. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) NCT00273260. Copyright © 2018 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights

The Cryptophlebia Leucotreta Granulovirus—10 Years of Commercial Field Use

PubMed Central

Moore, Sean D.; Kirkman, Wayne; Richards, Garth I.; Stephen, Peter R.

2015-01-01

In the last 15 years, extensive work on the Cryptophlebia leucotreta granulovirus (CrleGV) has been conducted in South Africa, initially in the laboratory, but subsequently also in the field. This culminated in the registration of the first CrleGV-based biopesticide in 2004 (hence, the 10 years of commercial use in the field) and the second one three years later. Since 2000, more than 50 field trials have been conducted with CrleGV against the false codling moth, Thaumatotibia leucotreta, on citrus in South Africa. In a representative sample of 13 field trials reported over this period, efficacy (measured by reduction in larval infestation of fruit) ranged between 30% and 92%. Efficacy was shown to persist at a level of 70% for up to 17 weeks after application of CrleGV. This only occurred where the virus was applied in blocks rather than to single trees. The addition of molasses substantially and sometimes significantly enhanced efficacy. It was also established that CrleGV should not be applied at less than ~2 × 1013 OBs per ha in order to avoid compromised efficacy. As CrleGV-based products were shown to be at least as effective as chemical alternatives, persistent and compatible with natural enemies, their use is recommended within an integrated program for control of T. leucotreta on citrus and other crops. PMID:25809025

Vacuum polarization of a quantized scalar field in the thermal state in a long throat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popov, Arkady A.

2016-12-01

Vacuum polarization of scalar fields in the background of a long throat is investigated. The field is assumed to be both massive or massless, with arbitrary coupling to the scalar curvature, and in a thermal state at an arbitrary temperature. Analytical approximation for ⟨φ2⟩ren is obtained.

GUMICS-4 Year Run: Ground Magnetic Field Predictions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Honkonen, I. J.; Viljanen, A.; Juusola, L.; Facsko, G.; Vanhamäki, H.

2013-12-01

Space weather can have severe effects even at ground level when Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GIC) disrupt power transmission networks, the worst case being a complete blackout affecting millions of people. The importance of space weather forecasting as well as the need for model improvement and validation has been recognized internationally. The recently concluded GUMICS-4 one year run, in which solar wind observations obtained from OMNIWeb for the period 2002-01-29 to 2003-02-02 were given as input to the model, will allow GUMICS to be validated against observations on an unprecedented scale. The performance of GUMICS can be quantified statistically, as a function of, for example, the solar wind driver, various geomagnetic indices, magnetic local time and other parameters. Here we concentrate on the ability of GUMICS to predict ground magnetic field observations for one year of simulated results. The ground magnetic field predictions are compared to observations of the mainland IMAGE magnetometer stations located at CGM latitudes 54-68 N. Furthermore the GIC derived from ground magnetic field predictions are compared to observations along the natural gas pipeline at Mäntsälä, South Finland. Various metrics are used to objectively evaluate the performance of GUMICS as a function of different parameters, thereby providing significant insight into the space weather forecasting ability of models based on first principles.

Four years into the Indian ocean field epidemiology training programme

PubMed Central

Halm, Ariane; Seyler, Thomas; Mohamed, Sainda; Ali Mbaé, Saindou Ben; Randrianarivo-Solofoniaina, Armand Eugène; Ratsitorahina, Maherisoa; Nundlall, Ram; Aboobakar, Shahina; Bibi, Jastin; Filleul, Laurent; Piola, Patrice; Razafimandimby, Harimahefa; Rasamoelina, Harena; Valenciano, Marta; Moren, Alain; Cardinale, Eric; Lepec, Richard; Flachet, Loïc

2017-01-01

Introduction Following the 2005-6 chikungunya outbreak, a project to strengthen regional Public Health preparedness in the Indian Ocean was implemented. It includes the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion (France) and Seychelles. A Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP-OI) was started in 2011 to develop a pool of well-trained intervention epidemiologists. Methods The FETP-OI consists of two years of supervised, learning-by-doing, on-the-job training at national sites involved in disease surveillance and response. It includes work placements at the Madagascar Pasteur Institute and the French regional epidemiology unit in Reunion and up to three training courses per year. Training objectives include epidemiological surveillance, outbreak investigations, research studies, scientific communication and transfer of competencies. Results In four years, two cohorts of in total 15 fellows originating from four countries followed the FETP-OI. They led 42 surveillance projects (71% routine management, 14% evaluations, 12% setup, 3% other) and investigated 36 outbreak alerts, 58% of them in Madagascar; most investigations (72%) concerned foodborne pathogens, plague or malaria. Fellows performed 18 studies (44% descriptive analyses, 22% disease risk factors, and 34% on other subjects), and presented results during regional and international conferences through 26 oral and 15 poster presentations. Four articles were published in regional Public Health bulletins and several scientific manuscripts are in process. Conclusion The FETP-OI has created a regional force of intervention consisting of field epidemiologists and trained supervisors using the same technical language and epidemiological methods. The third cohort is now ongoing. Technically and financially sustainable FETP-OI projects help addressing public health priorities of the Indian Ocean. PMID:28674588

Epidemiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Minnesota: a year-long population based study.

PubMed

Harper, Caitlin J; Sorenson, Eric J; Mandrekar, Jay

2015-01-01

This is the largest population based study of ALS in the U.S., encompassing the population of Minnesota (> 5.4 million people) from July 2013 to July 2014. Data on gender, age at diagnosis, and residential county were collected for all Minnesota residents who registered with the Minnesota/North Dakota/South Dakota chapter of the ALS Association from July 2013 to July 2014. Incidence rates were calculated as the number of new cases of ALS per 100,000 people per year. The standardized incidence rates for the 2013 U.S. population and the 2013 European standard population were also reported. Results showed that the crude incidence rate of ALS was 2.2 cases per 100,000 person-years. Incidence increased with age, peaking at 70-79 years (8.3 per 100,000) with mean age at diagnosis 64 years, and was greater in males (2.4 per 100,000) than in females (1.5 per 100,000). Standardized incidence rates for the 2013 U.S. and European standard population were 2.2 and 2.39 cases per 100,000 person-years, respectively. In conclusion, the overall incidence and age and gender patterns of ALS in Minnesota are comparable to those reported by European studies ( 1-5 ).

Long-term (10 year) trends in the chemistry of urban streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Groffman, P. M.; Band, L. E.; Belt, K. T.; Kaushal, S.; Fisher, G. T.

2010-12-01

Weekly sampling of eight streams in the Baltimore metropolitan area has been carried out since 1998 as part of the NSF funded Baltimore urban Long-Term Ecological Research (BES LTER) project. The BES watersheds include 100% forested and agricultural catchments and developed watersheds ranging from very low-density (<1% impervious surface) suburban watersheds serviced by septic systems to more dense (> 40% impervious surface) urban watersheds. Stream discharge is continuously monitored at these sites by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Stream samples are collected weekly regardless of flow conditions (no bias towards storm versus baseflow) and analyzed for nitrate, total nitrogen (N), phosphate, total phosphorus (P), chloride and sulfate. Ten-year analysis of the BES long-term study sites reveals several interesting spatial and temporal patterns. For N, the highest concentrations were found in the agricultural and suburban watersheds, followed by the urban sites, and finally by the forested site. Organic N was most important as a proportion of total N in the urban and forested sites. Spatial patterns in P were more complex, with urban, suburban and agricultural sites having the highest values. Over the ten year record, many sites showed significant changes in N concentrations, but few sites showed consistent patterns in P. The patterns in N were quite variable however, with some sites showing striking increases, while others showed striking decreases. Most (7 of 8) sites showed a decrease in the proportion of organic N, the trend was significant at 4 of the sites. There were few trends in the proportion of organic P. Discharge was a significant driver of variation in N and P export at some (mostly smaller watersheds) sites, for some solutes, but was not an overwhelmingly important driver of temporal variation. Key factors driving long-term patterns include climate variation and efforts to improve urban stream water quality by municipal authorities.

Long-term effects of exercise in postmenopausal women: 16-year results of the Erlangen Fitness and Osteoporosis Prevention Study (EFOPS).

PubMed

Kemmler, Wolfgang; Kohl, Matthias; von Stengel, Simon

2017-01-01

Multimorbidity related to menopause and/or increased age will put healthcare systems in western nations under ever-greater strain. Effective strategies to prevent diseases are thus of high priority and should be started earlier in life. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the long-term effect of exercise on different important health parameters in initially early postmenopausal women over a 16-year period. In 1998, 137 early postmenopausal women with osteopenia living in Erlangen-Nürnberg were included in the study. Eighty-six women joined the exercise group (EG) and conducted two supervised group and two home training sessions per week, whereas the control group (CG: n = 51) maintained their physical activity level. Primary outcome parameters were clinical overall fractures incidence; secondary study endpoint was Framingham study-based 10-year risk of coronary death/myocardial infarction and low back pain. In 2014, 59 women of the EG and 46 women of the CG were included in the 16-year follow-up analysis. Framingham study-based 10-year risk of myocardial infarction/coronary death increased significantly (P < 0.001) in both groups; however, changes were significantly more favorable in the EG (5.00% ± 2.94% vs CG: 6.90% ± 3.98%; P = 0.02). The ratio for clinical "overall" fractures was 0.47 (95% CI: 0.24-0.92; P = 0.03), and thus significantly lower in the EG. Although we focused on a high-intensity exercise strategy, low back pain was favorably affected in the EG. Multipurpose exercise programs demonstrated beneficial effects on various relevant risk factors and diseases of menopause or/and increased age, and should thus be preferentially applied for primary or secondary prevention in postmenopausal women.

Long Reads: their Purpose and Place.

PubMed

Pollard, Martin O; Gurdasani, Deepti; Mentzer, Alexander J; Porter, Tarryn; Sandhu, Manjinder S

2018-05-14

In recent years long read technologies have moved from being a niche and specialist field to a point of relative maturity likely to feature frequently in the genomic landscape. Analogous to next generation sequencing (NGS), the cost of sequencing using long read technologies has materially dropped whilst the instrument throughput continues to increase. Together these changes present the prospect of sequencing large numbers of individuals with the aim of fully characterising genomes at high resolution. In this article, we will endeavour to present an introduction to long read technologies showing: what long reads are; how they are distinct from short reads; why long reads are useful; and how they are being used. We will highlight the recent developments in this field, and the applications and potential of these technologies in medical research, and clinical diagnostics and therapeutics.

Promoting Field Trip Confidence: Teachers Providing Insights for Pre-Service Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ateskan, Armagan; Lane, Jennie F.

2016-01-01

Pre-service teachers need experiences in practical matters as a part of field trip preparations programmes. For 14 years, a private, non-profit university in Turkey has involved pre-service teachers in field trip planning, implementation and evaluation. A programme assessment was conducted through a case study to examine the long-term effects of…

Is the First-Year Predictive for Study Success in Subsequent Years? Findings from an Academy of Music

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mennen, Josien; van der Klink, Marcel

2017-01-01

In higher education, departments are under increasing pressure to improve study success. Research in this field focusing on higher music education is scarce. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the predictive capability of the first year for study success of students at an academy of music in subsequent years. Data on study progression…

Long-term effects on the progress of neuropathy after diabetic Charcot foot: an 8.5-year prospective case-control study.

PubMed

Jansen, Rasmus Bo; Møller Christensen, Tomas; Bülow, Jens; Rørdam, Lene; Holstein, Per E; Lander Svendsen, Ole

2018-02-20

Charcot foot is a severe complication to diabetes mellitus, associated with diabetic neuropathy. Any long-term effects of a Charcot foot on the progress of neuropathy are still largely unexplored. The objective was to investigate whether a previous Charcot foot had any long-term effects on the progress of neuropathy. An 8.5-year follow-up case-control study of 49 individuals with diabetes mellitus, 24 of whom also had Charcot foot at baseline visit in 2005-2007. Neuropathy was assessed with a questionnaire, biothesiometry, heart rate variability and venous occlusion plethysmography. Of the 49 baseline participants, 22 were able to participate in the follow-up. Twelve had passed away in the meantime. Heart rate variability was unchanged in both groups; from 9.7 to 7.2 beats/min (p = 0.053) in the Charcot group, and 14.3 to 12.6 beats/min (p = 0.762) in the control group. Somato-sensoric neuropathy showed no difference between baseline and follow-up in the Charcot group (from 39.1 to 38.5 V) (p = 0.946), but a significantly worsened sensitivity in the control group (from 25.1 to 38.9 V) (p = 0.002). In conclusion, we found that any differences in somatic or cardial autonomic neuropathy present at baseline had disappeared at follow-up after 8.5 years.

The Association Between Self-Assessed Future Work Ability and Long-Term Sickness Absence, Disability Pension and Unemployment in a General Working Population: A 7-Year Follow-Up Study.

PubMed

Lundin, A; Kjellberg, K; Leijon, O; Punnett, L; Hemmingsson, T

2016-06-01

Purpose Work ability is commonly measured with self-assessments, in the form of indices or single items. The validity of these assessments lies in their predictive ability. Prospective studies have reported associations between work ability and sickness absence and disability pension, but few examined why these associations exist. Several correlates of work ability have been reported, but their mechanistic role is largely unknown. This study aims to investigate to what extent individual's own prognosis of work ability predicts labor market participation and whether this was due to individual characteristics and/or working conditions. Methods Self-assessed prognosis of work ability, 2 years from "now," in the Stockholm Public Health Questionnaire (2002-2003) was linked to national registers on sickness absence, disability pension and unemployment up to year 2010. Effects were studied with Cox regression models. Results Of a total of 12,064 individuals 1466 reported poor work ability. There were 299 cases of disability pension, 1466 long-term sickness absence cases and 765 long-term unemployed during follow-up. Poor work ability increased the risk of long-term sickness absence (HR 2.25, CI 95 % 1.97-2.56), disability pension (HR 5.19, CI 95 % 4.07-6.62), and long-term unemployment (HR 2.18, CI 95 % 1.83-2.60). These associations were partially explained by baseline health conditions, physical and (less strongly) psychosocial aspects of working conditions. Conclusions Self-assessed poor ability predicted future long-term sickness absence, disability pension and long-term unemployment. Self-assessed poor work ability seems to be an indicator of future labor market exclusion of different kinds, and can be used in public health monitoring.

Cardiovascular Effects of Long-Term Exposure to Air Pollution: A Population-Based Study With 900 845 Person-Years of Follow-up.

PubMed

Kim, Hyeanji; Kim, Joonghee; Kim, Sunhwa; Kang, Si-Hyuck; Kim, Hee-Jun; Kim, Ho; Heo, Jongbae; Yi, Seung-Muk; Kim, Kyuseok; Youn, Tae-Jin; Chae, In-Ho

2017-11-08

Studies have shown that long-term exposure to air pollution such as fine particulate matter (≤2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter [PM 2.5 ]) increases the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. To date, however, there are limited data on the impact of air pollution on specific cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to evaluate cardiovascular effects of long-term exposure to air pollution among residents of Seoul, Korea. Healthy participants with no previous history of cardiovascular disease were evaluated between 2007 and 2013. Exposure to air pollutants was estimated by linking the location of outdoor monitors to the ZIP code of each participant's residence. Crude and adjusted analyses were performed using Cox regression models to evaluate the risk for composite cardiovascular events including cardiovascular mortality, acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and stroke. A total of 136 094 participants were followed for a median of 7.0 years (900 845 person-years). The risk of major cardiovascular events increased with higher mean concentrations of PM 2.5 in a linear relationship, with a hazard ratio of 1.36 (95% confidence interval, 1.29-1.43) per 1 μg/m 3 PM 2.5 . Other pollutants including PM 2.5-10 of CO, SO 2 , and NO 2 , but not O 3 , were significantly associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events. The burden from air pollution was comparable to that from hypertension and diabetes mellitus. This large-scale population-based study demonstrated that long-term exposure to air pollution including PM 2.5 increases the risk of major cardiovascular disease and mortality. Air pollution should be considered an important modifiable environmental cardiovascular risk factor. © 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

Assessment of Drywells as Effective Tools for Stormwater Management and Aquifer Recharge: Results of a Two-Year Field and Numerical Modeling Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, E.; Washburn, B.; Harter, T.; Fogg, G. E.; Nelson, C.; Lock, B.; Li, X.

2016-12-01

Drywells are gravity-fed, excavated pits with perforated casings used to facilitate stormwater infiltration and groundwater recharge in areas with low permeability soils or cover. Stormwater runoff that would otherwise be routed to streams or drains in urban areas can be used as a source of aquifer recharge, potentially mitigating the effects of drought and harm to natural water bodies. However, the potential for groundwater contamination caused by urban runoff bypassing surface soil and near surface sediment attenuation processes has prevented more widespread use of drywells as a recharge mechanism. A field study was conducted in Elk Grove, CA, to determine the effects of drywell-induced stormwater infiltration on the local hydrogeologic system. Two drywells 13.5 meters in depth were constructed for the project: one in a preexisting drainage basin fed by residential lots, and one at an industrial site. Both sites were outfitted with vegetated pretreatments, and upgradient and downgradient groundwater monitoring wells. Site stormwater and groundwater were sampled between November, 2014, and May, 2016, and analyzed for contaminants. Results of water quality sampling have been statistically analyzed for trends and used to determine the contaminants of interest and the concentrations of these contaminants in influent stormwater. The fate and transport of these contaminants have been simulated using a 1D variably saturated flow and transport model and site specific parameters to predict long-term effects of stormwater infiltration on the surrounding hydrogeologic system. The potential for remobilization of geogenic heavy metals from changes in subsurface hydrochemistry caused by drywell infiltration have also been assessed. The results of the field study and numerical modeling assessment indicate that the study's drywells do not pose a long-term threat to groundwater quality and may be an effective source of aquifer recharge and tool for urban stormwater management.

Long-term field metal extraction by Pelargonium: phytoextraction efficiency in relation to plant maturity.

PubMed

Shahid, Muhammad; Arshad, Muhammad; Kaemmerer, Michel; Pinelli, Eric; Probst, Anne; Baque, David; Pradere, Philippe; Dumat, Camille

2012-01-01

The long length of periods required for effective soil remediation via phytoextraction constitutes a weak point that reduces its industrial use. However, these calculated periods are mainly based on short-term and/or hydroponic controlled experiments. Moreover, only a few studies concern more than one metal, although soils are scarcely polluted by only one element. In this scientific context, the phytoextraction of metals and metalloids (Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, and As) by Pelargonium was measured after a long-term field experiment. Both bulk and rhizosphere soils were analyzed in order to determine the mechanisms involved in soil-root transfer. First, a strong increase in lead phytoextraction was observed with plant maturity, significantly reducing the length of the period required for remediation. Rhizosphere Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, and As accumulation was observed (compared to bulk soil), indicating metal mobilization by the plant, perhaps in relation to root activity. Moreover, metal phytoextraction and translocation were found to be a function of the metals' nature. These results, taken altogether, suggest that Pelargonium could be used as a multi-metal hyperaccumulator under multi-metal soil contamination conditions, and they also provide an interesting insight for improving field phytoextraction remediation in terms of the length of time required, promoting this biological technique.

Scanned-probe field-emission studies of vertically aligned carbon nanofibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merkulov, Vladimir I.; Lowndes, Douglas H.; Baylor, Larry R.

2001-02-01

Field emission properties of dense and sparse "forests" of randomly placed, vertically aligned carbon nanofibers (VACNFs) were studied using a scanned probe with a small tip diameter of ˜1 μm. The probe was scanned in directions perpendicular and parallel to the sample plane, which allowed for measuring not only the emission turn-on field at fixed locations but also the emission site density over large surface areas. The results show that dense forests of VACNFs are not good field emitters as they require high extracting (turn-on) fields. This is attributed to the screening of the local electric field by the neighboring VACNFs. In contrast, sparse forests of VACNFs exhibit moderate-to-low turn-on fields as well as high emission site and current densities, and long emission lifetime, which makes them very promising for various field emission applications.

Long-term mobile phone use and the risk of vestibular schwannoma: a Danish nationwide cohort study.

PubMed

Schüz, Joachim; Steding-Jessen, Marianne; Hansen, Søren; Stangerup, Sven-Eric; Cayé-Thomasen, Per; Poulsen, Aslak Harbo; Olsen, Jørgen H; Johansen, Christoffer

2011-08-15

Vestibular schwannomas grow in the region within the brain where most of the energy by radiofrequency electromagnetic fields from using mobile phones is absorbed. The authors used 2 Danish nationwide cohort studies, one a study of all adult Danes subscribing for a mobile phone in 1995 or earlier and one on sociodemographic factors and cancer risk, and followed subjects included in both cohorts for occurrence of vestibular schwannoma up to 2006 inclusively. In this study including 2.9 million subjects, a long-term mobile phone subscription of ≥11 years was not related to an increased vestibular schwannoma risk in men (relative risk estimate = 0.87, 95% confidence interval: 0.52, 1.46), and no vestibular schwannoma cases among long-term subscribers occurred in women versus 1.6 expected. Vestibular schwannomas did not occur more often on the right side of the head, although the majority of Danes reported holding their mobile phone to the right ear. Vestibular schwannomas in long-term male subscribers were not of larger size than expected. Overall, no evidence was found that mobile phone use is related to the risk of vestibular schwannoma. Because of the usually slow growth of vestibular schwannoma and possible diagnostic delay, further surveillance is indicated.

Does long-term care use within primary health care reduce hospital use among older people in Norway? A national five-year population-based observational study

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Population ageing may threaten the sustainability of future health care systems. Strengthening primary health care, including long-term care, is one of several measures being taken to handle future health care needs and budgets. There is limited and inconsistent evidence on the effect of long-term care on hospital use. We explored the relationship between the total use of long-term care within public primary health care in Norway and the use of hospital beds when adjusting for various effect modifiers and confounders. Methods This national population-based observational study consists of all Norwegians (59% women) older than 66 years (N = 605676) (13.2% of total population) in 2002-2006. The unit of analysis was defined by municipality, age and sex. The association between total number of recipients of long-term care per 1000 inhabitants (LTC-rate) and hospital days per 1000 inhabitants (HD-rate) was analysed in a linear regression model. Modifying and confounding effects of socioeconomic, demographic and geographic variables were included in the final model. We defined a difference in hospitalization rates of more than 1000 days per 1000 inhabitants as clinically important. Results Thirty-one percent of women and eighteen percent of men were long-term care users. Men had higher HD-rates than women. The crude association between LTC-rate and HD-rate was weakly negative. We identified two effect modifiers (age and sex) and two strong confounders (travel time to hospital and mortality). Age and sex stratification and adjustments for confounders revealed a positive statistically significant but not clinically important relationship between LTC-rates and hospitalization for women aged 67-79 years and all men. For women 80 years and over there was a weak but negative relationship which was neither statistically significant nor clinically important. Conclusions We found a weak positive adjusted association between LTC-rates and HD-rates. Opposite to common

Long-Term Monitoring of Field Trial Sites with Genetically Modified Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus L.) in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Fifteen Years Persistence to Date but No Spatial Dispersion

PubMed Central

Belter, Anke

2016-01-01

Oilseed rape is known to persist in arable fields because of its ability to develop secondary seed dormancy in certain agronomic and environmental conditions. If conditions change, rapeseeds are able to germinate up to 10 years later to build volunteers in ensuing crops. Extrapolations of experimental data acted on the assumption of persistence periods for more than 20 years after last harvest of rapeseed. Genetically-modified oilseed rape—cultivated widely in Northern America since 1996—is assumed not to differ from its conventional form in this property. Here, experimental data are reported from official monitoring activities that verify these assumptions. At two former field trial sites in Saxony-Anhalt genetically-modified herbicide-resistant oilseed rape volunteers are found up to fifteen years after harvest. Nevertheless, spatial dispersion or establishment of GM plants outside of the field sites was not observed within this period. PMID:26784233

Inversion of deformation fields time-series from optical images, application to the long term kinematics of slow-moving landslides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bontemps, Noélie; Lacroix, Pascal; Doin, Marie-Pierre

2017-04-01

Slow-moving landslides are one of the major risks in mountainous areas. They are the cause of a lot of damages, both material and human as they can at any time exhibit sudden acceleration phases and flows that are generally difficult to predict. Landslide kinematic is driven by, inter alia, precipitation and water infiltration, river erosion, earthquakes and human activities. Complex interactions have been observed between climatic forcing and earthquakes. However, observations of these complex interactions on slow-moving landslides are very few, restricting the comprehension that we have on involved mechanisms. In this context, it is necessary to monitor slow-moving landslides over time. We propose to answer this problematic by studying slow-moving landslides over a long time period in the Colca valley, Peru, affected by both earthquakes and rainfalls. We will base our study on the 30-years long SPOT1-7/Pleiades archive, that confronts us with (1) low dynamic of images, (2) difference of pixel resolution between all acquired images and (3) long time span in between images leading to ground surface changes. To overcome these three limitations, this study proposes an adaptation to optical images of a method originally used for InSAR time-series analysis. This method uses the full redundancy of information to derive robust time-series of displacement from deformation fields. The retrieved displacement time-series obtained on the three largest landslides of the area are robust and coherent in time. The developed method allows decreasing the displacement uncertainties by approximately 25%. Eventually, we discuss the impact of the different forcing on the three main landslides of the region.

Prematures with and without Regressed Retinopathy of Prematurity: Comparison of Long-Term (6-10 Years) Ophthalmological Morbidity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cats, Bernard P.; Tan, Karel E. W. P.

Reporting long-term ophthalmologic sequelae among ex-prematures at 6 to 10 years of age, this study compares 42 ex-premature infants who had had regressed forms of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) during the neonatal period with 42 matched non-ROP ex-premature controls at 6 to 10 years of age. Subjects were subdivided into four groups: (1) ROP…

Rotational stability of a long field-reversed configuration

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

Barnes, D. C., E-mail: coronadocon@msn.com; Steinhauer, L. C.

2014-02-15

Rotationally driven modes of long systems with dominantly axial magnetic field are considered. We apply the incompressible model and order axial wavenumber small. A recently developed gyro-viscous model is incorporated. A one-dimensional equilibrium is assumed, but radial profiles are arbitrary. The dominant toroidal (azimuthal) mode numbers ℓ=1 and ℓ=2 modes are examined for a variety of non-reversed (B) and reversed profiles. Previous results for both systems with rigid rotor equilibria are reproduced. New results are obtained by incorporation of finite axial wavenumber and by relaxing the assumption of rigid electron and ion rotation. It is shown that the frequently troublesomemore » ℓ=2 field reversed configuration (FRC) mode is not strongly affected by ion kinetic effects (in contrast to non-reversed cases) and is likely stabilized experimentally only by finite length effects. It is also shown that the ℓ=1 wobble mode has a complicated behavior and is affected by a variety of configuration and profile effects. The rotationally driven ℓ=1 wobble is completely stabilized by strong rotational shear, which is anticipated to be active in high performance FRC experiments. Thus, observed wobble modes in these systems are likely not driven by rotation alone.« less

Soil-water movement under natural-site and waste-site conditions: A multiple-year field study in the Mojave Desert, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Andraski, Brian J.

1997-01-01

Soil-water movement under natural-site and simulated waste-site conditions were compared by monitoring four experimental sites in the Mojave Desert, Nevada, during a 5-year period: one vegetated soil profile, one soil profile where vegetation was removed, and two nonvegetated test trenches. Precipitation ranged from 14 to 162 mm/yr. Temporal changes in water content measured by neutron probe were limited to the upper 0.5–1 m; values ranged from 0.01 to 0.19 m3/m3. Water potential and temperature were measured by thermocouple psychrometers; 77% remained operable for ≥4.5 years. For vegetated soil, precipitation that accumulated in the upper 0.75 m of soil was removed by evapotranspiration: water potentials decreased seasonally by 4 to >8 MPa. During 2 years with below-average precipitation, water potentials below the app arent root zone decreased by 2.3 (1.2-m depth) to 0.4 MPa (5-m depth), and the gradients became predominantly upward. Water potentials then rebounded during 2 years with near- and above-average precipitation, and seasonally variant water potential gradients were reestablished above the 4.2-m depth. Under nonvegetated waste-site conditions, data indicated the long-term accumulation and shallow, but continued, penetration of precipitation: water potentials showed moisture penetration to depths of 0.75−1.85 m. The method of simulated-waste drum placement (stacked versus random) and the associated differences in subsidence showed no measurable influence on the water balance of the trenches: subsidence totaled ≤13 mm during the study. Water potentials below the trenches and below the 2-m depth for the nonvegetated soil remained low (≈−5.5 to −7.5 MPa) and indicated the persistence of typically upward driving forces for isothermal water flow. Water fluxes estimated from water potential and temperature data suggested that isothermal liquid, isothermal vapor, and nonisothermal vapor flow need to be considered in the conceptualization of

eLISA Telescope In-field Pointing and Scattered Light Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Livas, J.; Sankar, S.; West, G.; Seals, L.; Howard, J.; Fitzsimons, E.

2017-05-01

The orbital motion of the three spacecraft that make up the eLISA Observatory constellation causes long-arm line of sight variations of approximately ± one degree over the course of a year. The baseline solution is to package the telescope, the optical bench, and the gravitational reference sensor (GRS) into an optical assembly at each end of the measurement arm, and then to articulate the assembly. An optical phase reference is exchanged between the moving optical benches with a single mode optical fiber (“backlink” fiber). An alternative solution, referred to as in-field pointing, embeds a steering mirror into the optical design, fixing the optical benches and eliminating the backlink fiber, but requiring the additional complication of a two-stage optical design for the telescope. We examine the impact of an in-field pointing design on the scattered light performance.

Long term and transitional intermittent smokers: a longitudinal study

PubMed Central

Lindstrom, M; Isacsson, S

2002-01-01

Objective: To investigate differences in snuff consumption, sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics between baseline intermittent smokers that had become daily smokers, stopped smoking or remained intermittent smokers at the one year follow up. Design/setting/participants/measurements: A population of 12 507 individuals interviewed at baseline in 1992-94 and at a one year follow up, aged 45–69 years, was investigated in a longitudinal study. The three groups of baseline intermittent smokers were compared to the reference population (all others) according to sociodemographic, psychosocial, and snuff consumption characteristics. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to assess differences in psychosocial conditions, adjusting for age, sex, country of origin, marital status, education, and snuff consumption. Results: 60% of all baseline intermittent smokers had remained intermittent smokers, 16% had become daily smokers, and 24% had stopped smoking at the one year follow up. The long term intermittent smokers and those who had stopped smoking were young, unmarried, highly educated, and snuff consumers to a higher extent than the reference population. They also had more psychosocial resources than the reference population, while the psychosocial resources of those who had become daily smokers were poorer. Conclusions: The majority of intermittent smokers are long term intermittent smokers. The results suggest that long term intermittent smokers have other psychosocial characteristics than daily smokers. PMID:11891370

AC field exposure study: human exposure to 60-Hz electric fields

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

Silva, J.M.

1985-04-01

The objective of this study was to develop a method of estimating human exposure to the 60 Hz electric fields created by transmission lines. The Activity Systems Model simulates human activities in a variety of situations where exposure to electric fields is possible. The model combines maps of electric fields, activity maps, and experimentally determined activity factors to provide histograms of time spent in electric fields of various strengths in the course of agricultural, recreational, and domestic activities. For corroboration, the study team measured actual human exposure at locations across the United States near transmission lines ranging in voltage frommore » 115 to 1200 kV. The data were collected with a specially designed vest that measures exposure. These data demonstrate the accuracy of the exposure model presented in this report and revealed that most exposure time is spent in fields of magnitudes similar to many household situations. The report provides annual exposure estimates for human activities near transmission lines and in the home and compares them with exposure data from typical laboratory animal experiments. For one exposure index, the cumulative product of time and electric field, exposure during some of the laboratory animal experiments is two to four orders of magnitude greater than cumulative exposure for a human during one year of outdoor work on a farm crossed by a transmission line.« less

Personality Factors in the Long Life Family Study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Objectives. To evaluate personality profiles of Long Life Family Study participants relative to population norms and offspring of centenarians from the New England Centenarian Study. Method. Personality domains of agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism, and openness were assessed with the NEO Five-Factor Inventory in 4,937 participants from the Long Life Family Study (mean age 70 years). A linear mixed model of age and gender was implemented adjusting for other covariates. Results. A significant age trend was found in all five personality domains. On average, the offspring generation of long-lived families scored low in neuroticism, high in extraversion, and within average values for the other three domains. Older participants tended to score higher in neuroticism and lower in the other domains compared with younger participants, but the estimated scores generally remained within average population values. No significant differences were found between long-lived family members and their spouses. Discussion. Personality factors and more specifically low neuroticism and high extraversion may be important for achieving extreme old age. In addition, personality scores of family members were not significantly different from those of their spouses, suggesting that environmental factors may play a significant role in addition to genetic factors. PMID:23275497

A reservoir optimization study--El Bunduq Field, Abu Dhabi, Qatar

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

Blashbush, J.L.; Nagai, R.B.; Ogimoto, T.

El Bunduq reservoir is located in the offshore area of Abu Dhabi and Qatar. The field was shut-in in July 1979 due to production with high gas-oil ratios. Pressure differences of 200-400 psi between the flanks and the central part of the reservoir were still present almost four years after the field was shut-in. A comprehensive reservoir engineering study determined that the reasons for this behavior were the deteriorating qualities of the reservoir rock downstructure and the presence of a tar mat around the field. After the field behavior was history matched, model studies of a representative sector of themore » field indicated that peripheral waterflooding would recover less than 15 percent of the OOIP in a period of 30 years. However, pattern injection recoveries were calculated to be at least twice as high. Several full field alternatives were investigated to optimize the development of the reservoir under a pattern waterflood. This paper summarizes the various studies that led to the acceptance of the idea of pattern development over peripheral injection, as a result of the unique characteristics of this field.« less

Long-term Variability of Beach Cusps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pianca, C.; Holman, R. A.; Siegle, E.

2016-02-01

The most curious morphological features observed on beaches are the cusps. Due to their rhythmic spacing, beach cusps have attracted many observers and many, often contradictory, theories as to their form. Moreover, most of the research about beach cusps has focused on their formation. Few had available long time series to study such things as the variability of alongshore and cross-shore position and spacing on the cusp field, the presence, longevity and interactions between higher and lower sets of cusps, and the processes by which cusp fields extend, shrink or change length scale. The purpose of this work is to use long-term data sets of video images from two study sites, an intermediate (Duck, USA, 26 years) and a reflective beach (Massaguaçu, Brazil, 3 years), to investigate the temporal and spatial changes of cusps conditions. Time-evolving shoreline data were first extracted using an algorithm called ASLIM (Pianca et al 2015). Cusps were then identified based on the band-passed variability of time exposure image data about this shoreline as a function of elevation relative to MSL. The identified beaches cusps will be analyzed for cusp spacing, positions (upper or lower cusps), alongshore variability, merging events, percentage of cusp events, patterns of the events and time scales of variability. Finally, the relationship of these characteristics to environmental conditions (wave, tides, beach conditions) will be studied.

Long-term results of viscocanalostomy and phacoviscocanalostomy: a twelve-year follow-up study

PubMed Central

Gunenc, Uzeyir; Ozturk, Taylan; Arikan, Gul; Kocak, Nilufer

2015-01-01

AIM To evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety results of viscocanalostomy and phacoviscocanalostomy. METHODS The charts of 49 glaucoma patients who underwent viscocanalostomy or phacoviscocanalostomy surgery between February 1999 and August 2004 were reviewed retrospectively. Thirty-one eyes of 21 glaucoma patients who underwent filtering procedure with a postoperative follow-up of at least 5y were included in the study. Results of complete ophthalmologic examinations were recorded and statistically analyzed. Long-term surgical outcome was defined as an overall success when intraocular pressure (IOP) was found as ≤20 mm Hg with or without antiglaucomatous medication at the last follow-up visit, while it was defined as a complete success when IOP was measured ≤20 mm Hg without antiglaucomatous medication. RESULTS Mean age was 68.1±9.6y (range: 32-81y). Mean follow-up time was 101.5±27.3mo (range: 60-144mo). Viscocanalostomy was performed in 8 eyes (25.8%) and phacoviscocanalostomy was performed in 23 eyes (74.2%). The mean preoperative IOP was 23.1±7.6 mm Hg with 2.1±1.0 medications, while mean IOP was 16.8±3.8 mm Hg with 0.9±1.1 medication at the last follow-up visit. Both the IOP decrease and the reduction in the antiglaucomatous medication were statistically significant (P<0.001 and P<0.001). No case required further glaucoma surgery. Overall success and complete success were found as 87.1% and 51.6%, respectively. Complete success rate was statistically higher in phacoviscocanalostomy group compared with the viscocanalostomy group (P=0.031), however there was no significant difference in overall success rate between two groups (P=0.072). CONCLUSION Both viscocanalostomy and phacoviscocanalostomy provide good IOP reduction in the long-term period. PMID:26682166

Gastroesophageal Acid Reflux Control 5 Years After Antireflux Surgery, Compared With Long-term Esomeprazole Therapy.

PubMed

Hatlebakk, Jan G; Zerbib, Frank; Bruley des Varannes, Stanislas; Attwood, Stephen E; Ell, Christian; Fiocca, Roberto; Galmiche, Jean-Paul; Eklund, Stefan; Långström, Göran; Lind, Tore; Lundell, Lars R

2016-05-01

We compared the ability of laparoscopic antireflux surgery (LARS) and esomeprazole to control esophageal acid exposure, over a 5-year period, in patients with chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). We also studied whether intraesophageal and intragastric pH parameters off and on therapy were associated with long-term outcomes. We analyzed data from a prospective, randomized, open-label trial comparing the efficacy and safety of LARS vs esomeprazole (20 or 40 mg/d) over 5 years in patients with chronic GERD. Ambulatory intraesophageal and intragastric 24-hour pH monitoring data were compared between groups before LARS or the start of esomeprazole treatment, and 6 months and 5 years afterward. A secondary aim was to evaluate the association between baseline and 6-month pH parameters and esomeprazole dose escalation, reappearance of GERD symptoms, and treatment failure over 5 years in patients receiving LARS or esomeprazole. In the LARS group (n = 116), the median 24-hour esophageal acid exposure was 8.6% at baseline and 0.7% after 6 months and 5 years (P < .001 vs baseline). In the esomeprazole group (n = 151), the median 24-hour esophageal acid exposure was 8.8% at baseline, 2.1% after 6 months, and 1.9% after 5 years (P < .001, therapy vs baseline, and LARS vs esomeprazole). Gastric acidity was stable in both groups. Patients who required a dose increase to 40 mg/d had more severe supine reflux at baseline, and decreased esophageal acid exposure (P < .02) and gastric acidity after dose escalation. Esophageal and intragastric pH parameters, off and on therapy, did not predict long-term symptom breakthrough. In a prospective study of patients with chronic GERD, esophageal acid reflux was reduced greatly by LARS or esomeprazole therapy. However, patients receiving LARS had significantly greater reductions in 24-hour esophageal acid exposure after 6 months and 5 years. Esophageal and gastric pH, off and on therapy, did not predict long-term outcomes of

The emerging dental workforce: long-term career expectations and influences. A quantitative study of final year dental students' views on their long-term career from one London Dental School

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Research into the motivation and expectations of the emerging workforce and their short-term expectations has already been reported with a view to informing professional and policy decisions. The objective of this component of the research programme was to examine the long-term goals and perceived influences on final year dental students' professional careers. Methods Univariate analysis of a self completed questionnaire survey of all final year dental students from King's College London, comprising questions on demography, long-term career goals and influences, proposed commitment to dentistry, commitment to healthcare systems and the influences thereon. Statistical analysis included Chi Squared tests for linear association. Results Ninety per cent of students responded to this survey (n = 126), the majority of whom were aged 23 years (59%), female (58%) and Asian (70%). Long-term career goals were fairly evenly split between 'dentist with a special interest' (27%), 'primary dental care practitioner' (26%) and 'specialist' (25%), with 19% not certain. Only 60% of total respondents anticipated working full-time in the long-term (79% males cf 52% females; p = 0.00). The vast majority of respondents (≥80%) identified 'work-life balance', 'financial stability' and 'professional development' as 'important' or 'very important' influences on the number of future sessions. Females were significantly more likely to rate childcare commitments as an important influence on their future working capacity compared with males (p = 0.00). A wide range of factors were considered important or very important in making the NHS attractive, led by support for professional development (88%) and feeling valued by patients (88%), as well as funding, time with patients, rewards for prevention and practical issues such as dental materials and premises. Females were significantly more likely than males to be attracted to work within the NHS by 'childcare support' (p = 0

One-dimensional long-range percolation: A numerical study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gori, G.; Michelangeli, M.; Defenu, N.; Trombettoni, A.

2017-07-01

In this paper we study bond percolation on a one-dimensional chain with power-law bond probability C /rd +σ , where r is the distance length between distinct sites and d =1 . We introduce and test an order-N Monte Carlo algorithm and we determine as a function of σ the critical value Cc at which percolation occurs. The critical exponents in the range 0 <σ <1 are reported. Our analysis is in agreement, up to a numerical precision ≈10-3 , with the mean-field result for the anomalous dimension η =2 -σ , showing that there is no correction to η due to correlation effects. The obtained values for Cc are compared with a known exact bound, while the critical exponent ν is compared with results from mean-field theory, from an expansion around the point σ =1 and from the ɛ -expansion used with the introduction of a suitably defined effective dimension deff relating the long-range model with a short-range one in dimension deff. We finally present a formulation of our algorithm for bond percolation on general graphs, with order N efficiency on a large class of graphs including short-range percolation and translationally invariant long-range models in any spatial dimension d with σ >0 .

The Cannona Data Base: long-term field data for studies on soil management impact on runoff and erosion processes.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biddoccu, Marcella; Ferraris, Stefano; Opsi, Francesca; Cavallo, Eugenio

2014-05-01

Long-term data have been collected by IMAMOTER-CNR from field-scale vineyard plots within the Tenuta Cannona Vine and Wine Experimental Centre of Regione Piemonte, which is located in a valuable vine production area in north-western Italy. Since 2000, runoff and soil erosion monitoring has been carried out under natural rainfall conditions on three parallel field plots (75 m long and 16,5 m wide, slope gradient about 15%) that are conducted with different inter-rows soil management techniques (conventional tillage, reduced tillage, controlled grass cover). Experimental plots are part of a 16-hectars experimental vineyard, managed in according to conventional farming for wine production. Recurrent surveys have been carried out in the runoff plots to investigate spatial and temporal variability of the soil bulk density, soil moisture and penetration resistance. The primary intent of the program was to evaluate the effects of agricultural management practices and tractor traffic on the hydrologic, soil erosion and soil compaction processes in vineyard. The Cannona Data Base (CDB) represents a data collection which is unique in Italy, showing the response of soil to rainfall in terms of runoff and soil erosion over more than a decade. It includes data for more than 200 runoff events and over 70 soil loss events; moreover, periodic measurements for soil physical characteristics are included for the three plots. The CDB can now be accessed via a website supported by the CNR, that is addressed to water and land management researchers and professionals. The CDB is currently used to calibrate a model for runoff and soil erosion prediction in vineyard environment. The CDB website includes a descriptive and informative section, which contains results of over than 10 years of experimental activity, reports and presentations, addressed to enhance the awareness of citizens and stakeholders about land degradation processes and about impacts of different soil management practices

Simulation of the Chang'E-5 mission contribution in lunar long wavelength gravity field improvement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Jianguo; Yang, Xuan; Ping, Jinsong; Ye, Mao; Liu, Shanhong; Jin, Weitong; Li, Fei; Barriot, Jean-Pierre

2018-06-01

The precision of lunar gravity field estimation has improved by means of three to five orders of magnitude since the successful GRAIL lunar mission. There are still discrepancies however, in the low degree coefficients and long wavelength components of the solutions developed by two space research centers (JPL and GSFC). These discrepancies hint at the possibilities for improving the accuracy in the long wavelength part of the lunar gravity field. In the near future, China will launch the Chang'E-5 lunar mission. In this sample-return mission, there will be a chance to do KBRR measurements between an ascending module and an orbiting module. These two modules will fly around lunar at an inclination of ˜49 degrees, with an orbital height of 100 km and an inter-satellite distance of 200 km. In our research, we simulated the contribution of the KBRR tracking mode for different GRAIL orbital geometries. This analysis indicated possible deficiencies in the low degree coefficient solutions for the polar satellite-to-satellite tracking mode at various orbital heights. We also investigated the potential contributions of the KBRR to the Chang'E-5 mission goal of lunar gravity field recovery, especially in the long wavelength component. Potential improvements were assessed using various power spectrums of the lunar gravity field models. In addition, we also investigated possible improvements in solving lunar tidal Love number K2. These results may assist the implementation of the Chang'E-5 mission.

Long-term outcome and risk assessment in premature acute myocardial infarction: A 10-year follow-up study.

PubMed

Winter, Max-Paul; Blessberger, Hermann; Alimohammadi, Arman; Pavo, Noemi; Huber, Kurt; Wojta, Johann; Lang, Irene M; Wiesbauer, Franz; Goliasch, Georg

2017-08-01

Premature acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a rare disease carrying significant morbidity and mortality. Existing data on outcome in these patients is based on retrospective analysis of angiographic reports or refer to time periods with incomparable treatment regimes, making them unusable for risk assessment in times of widespread use of reperfusion therapy. Aim of this study was to assess the outcome of premature AMI in a prospectively recruited study population enrolled in the times of modern reperfusion therapy. We included 102 consecutive AMI survivors (≤40years) in this prospective multicentre study. Outcome was assessed via retrieval query of the Austrian Death Registry and the centralized patient management system of Vienna. During a median follow up time of 10.3years (IQR:8.9-11.1), 23% of all patients experienced MACE, of those 6% died, 17% experienced re-AMI and 5% patients an ischemic stroke. Furthermore, forty patients underwent cardiac re-catheterization and twenty-five needed recurrent revascularization. MACE were associated among the classic cardiovascular risk factors with elevated levels of HbA1c (adj. HR 1.32; 95%CI 1.06-1.64; P=0.012), total cholesterol (adj. HR 2.16; 95%CI 1.27-3.48; P=0.004), and c-reactive protein (adj. HR 1.67; 95%CI 1.29-2.17; P=0-003) for an increase of 1-standard deviation. Although myocardial re-infarction was the driving force of morbidity in premature myocardial infarction, we observed an excellent long-term survival opposed to previous reports. We found that persistence risk factors rather than the clinical risk profile at baseline influences the outcome in these patients, emphasizing the importance of secondary prevention in young patients after AMI. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships in a long-term non-weeded field experiment.

PubMed

Veen, Ciska G F; van der Putten, Wim H; Bezemer, T Martijn

2018-05-30

Many grassland biodiversity experiments show a positive relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, however, in most these experiments plant communities are established by sowing and natural colonization is prevented by selective weeding of non-sown species. During ecosystem restoration, for example on abandoned fields, plant communities start on bare soil, and diversity is often manipulated in a single sowing event. How such initial plant diversity manipulations influence plant biodiversity development and ecosystem functioning is not well understood. We examined how relationships between taxonomic and functional diversity, biomass production and stability develop over 16 years in non-weeded plots sown with 15 species, 4 species, or that were not sown. We found that sown plant communities become functionally similar to unsown, naturally colonized plant communities. However, initial sowing treatments had long-lasting effects on species composition and taxonomic diversity. We found only few relationships between biomass production, or stability in biomass production, and functional or taxonomic diversity, and the ones we observed were negative. In addition, the cover of dominant plant species was positively related to biomass production and stability. We conclude that effects of introducing plant species at the start of secondary succession can persist for a long time, and that in secondary succession communities with natural plant species dynamics diversity-functioning relationships can be weak or negative. Moreover, our findings indicate that in systems where natural colonization of species is allowed effects of plant dominance may underlie diversity-functioning relationships. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Fifty Years of "Comparative Education Review" Bibliographies: Reflections on the Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raby, Rosalind Latiner

2007-01-01

For the past three years, the "Comparative Education Review" ("CER") has published annual bibliographic essays reflecting the changes in the field over the previous year. This year, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES), the author analyzed "CER" bibliographies since 1959, in addition to…

A Year-Long Comparison of GPS TEC and Global Ionosphere-Thermosphere Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perlongo, N. J.; Ridley, A. J.; Cnossen, I.; Wu, C.

2018-02-01

The prevalence of GPS total electron content (TEC) observations has provided an opportunity for extensive global ionosphere-thermosphere model validation efforts. This study presents a year-long data-model comparison using the Global Ionosphere-Thermosphere Model (GITM) and the Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIE-GCM). For the entire year of 2010, each model was run and compared to GPS TEC observations. The results were binned according to season, latitude, local time, and magnetic local time. GITM was found to overestimate the TEC everywhere, except on the midlatitude nightside, due to high O/N2 ratios. TIE-GCM produced much less TEC and had lower O/N2 ratios and neutral wind speeds. Seasonal and regional biases in the models are discussed along with ideas for model improvements and further validation efforts.

Entering the Field of Physical Education: The Journey of Fifteen First-Year Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ensign, Julene; Mays Woods, Amelia; Kulinna, Pamela Hodges

2018-01-01

Purpose: Given the significant challenges facing today's physical educators, the purpose of this study was to examine the expectations of induction teachers and identify the factors in both their personal and organizational environments enhanced or constrained their assimilation into the field during their 1st year. Method: Using occupational…

Accounting for differing exposure patterns between laboratory tests and the field in the assessment of long-term risks of pesticides to terrestrial vertebrates.

PubMed

Fischer, David L

2005-11-01

Long-term risks of pesticides to birds and mammals are currently assessed by comparing effects thresholds determined in chronic laboratory studies to exposure levels expected to occur in the field. However, there is often a mismatch between exposure patterns tested in the laboratory tests (exposure levels held constant) and those experienced by animals in the field (exposure levels varying over time). Three methods for addressing this problem are presented and discussed. Time-weighted averaging (TWA) converts a variable field exposure regime to a single value that can be compared directly to the laboratory test results. Body-burden modeling (BBM) is applied to both laboratory and field exposure regimes allowing a straightforward comparison of body residue levels expected for each situation. Temporal analysis (TA) uses expert judgment to decide if the length of time exposure exceeds a toxicity threshold is long enough to cause biologically significant effects. To reduce uncertainty in long-term assessments, the conduct of specialized laboratory tests in which test subjects are administered a time-varying exposure that mimics what occurs in the field should be considered. Such tests may also be useful testing the validity of each of these assessment methods.

Ten years later: Evaluation of the effectiveness of 12.5% amitraz against a field population of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus using field studies, artificial infestation (Stall tests) and adult immersion tests.

PubMed

Maciel, Willian Giquelin; Lopes, Welber Daniel Zanetti; Cruz, Breno Cayeiro; Gomes, Lucas Vinicius Costa; Teixeira, Weslen Fabrício Pires; Buzzulini, Carolina; Bichuette, Murilo Abud; Campos, Gabriel Pimentel; Felippelli, Gustavo; Soares, Vando Edésio; de Oliveira, Gilson Pereira; da Costa, Alvimar José

2015-12-15

Using field trials, artificial infestations (Stall tests) and in vitro adult immersion tests, the present study evaluated the acaricidal efficacy of 12.5% amitraz administered via whole body spraying against a Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus population that did not have any contact with chemical products belonging to this acaricide family for 10 years (approximately 40 generations). Two natural infestation trials, two artificial infestation trials (Stall tests) and two adult immersion tests were performed in two different stages in 2005 and 2015. Between 2002 and 2015, the bovine herd of this property was formed by approximately 450 animals from the Simmental breed that were divided into nine paddocks formed by Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. For the natural infestation experiments in 2005 and 2015, we selected nearly 70 animals naturally infested with ticks from the same herd that belonged to the "São Paulo" farm located in São José do Rio Pardo, São Paulo, Brazil. Field studies were performed in the same paddock (9). To evaluate anti-R. (B.) microplus activity in the artificially infested cattle (Stall tests) and adult immersion tests, two experiments of each methodology were performed at CPPAR (the Center of Research in Animal Health located on the FCAV/UNESP campus in Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil) in 2005 and 2015. R. (B.) microplus used in the artificial infestation, and adult immersion test experiments were obtained from paddocks 1-9 in 2005 and 2015 from the commercial farm where the field studies were performed. Based on the obtained results, it was possible to conclude that amitraz use in rotation with pyrethroids every 28 days for three consecutive years (2002-2004) previous to the beginning of the first trial (2005) was sufficient to generate a R. (B.) microplus strain resistant to amitraz. Moreover, using field trials, artificial infestations (Stall tests) and adult immersion tests, we verified that 40 generations of the tick species with no

Collembola population levels 7 years after installation of the North Carolina long term soil productivity study

Treesearch

Robert J. Eaton

2006-01-01

Collembola are among the most abundant microarthropods in terrestrial ecosystems and have been shown to affect litter decomposition and nutrient release rates. Previous work 0-n the Croatan National Forest Long Term Soil Productivity (LTSP) study indicated organic matter removal and vegetation control treatments affected collembolan populations. The present study...

Life in the Atacama - Year 2: Geologic Reconnaissance Through Long-Range Roving and Implications on the Search for Life

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dohm, J. M.; Cabrol, N. A.; Grin, E. A.; Moersch, J.; Diaz, G. Chong; Cockell, C.; Coppin, P.; Fisher, G.; Hock, A. N.; Ori, G. G.

2005-01-01

The "Life in the Atacama" (LITA) project included two field trials during the 2004 field season, each of which lasted about a week. The remote science team had no prior knowledge of the local geology, and relied entirely on orbital images and rover-acquired data to make interpretations. The sites for these trials were in different locations, and are designated "Site B" and "Site C" respectively. The primary objective of the experiment is to develop and test the means to locate, characterize, and identify habitats and life remotely through long-range roving, which included field testing the rover, named Zoe. Zoe has onboard autonomous navigation for long-range roving, a plow to overturn rocks and expose near-surface rock materials, and high-resolution imaging, spectral, and fluorescence sampling capabilities. Highlights from the experiment included characterizing the geology in and near the landing ellipse, assessing pre-mission, satellite-based hypotheses, and improving the approach and procedures used by the remote and field teams for upcoming experiments through combined satellite, field-based, and microscopic perspectives and long-range roving.

Residential Exposure to 50 Hz Magnetic Fields and the Association with Miscarriage Risk: A 2-Year Prospective Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Wang, Qiang; Cao, Zhaojin; Qu, Yingli; Peng, Xiaowu; Guo, Shu; Chen, Li

2013-01-01

Objective The hypothesis of whether exposure to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) may increase miscarriage risk is controversial. A 2-year prospective cohort study was designed to study the association between exposure to 50 Hz magnetic fields (MF) and the miscarriage risk for women residing in the area of the Pearl-River Delta of China. Method Two towns with densely distributed power supply constructions were selected as the study sites. From 2010 to 2012, 552 women in the region who were at approximately 8 weeks of gestation or who planned to have a baby within 1 year were selected as candidate subjects. Exposure to MF was estimated by measurements at their front doors and in the alley in front of the subjects’ houses. The average exposure level was used as a cutoff point to define the exposed group. Clinical miscarriage was diagnosed by local obstetricians. Staffs from the local population and family planning service stations were responsible for the follow-up interviews every 2 months. Results Four hundred and thirteen pregnant women were selected for the cohort study. The average residential exposure to MF was 0.099 µT. No significantly increased risk of miscarriage was found to be associated with the average front-door exposure (p>0.05). However, miscarriage risk was found to be significantly associated with maximum alley exposure (p=0.001). The relative risk (RR) of miscarriage from maximum alley exposure was 2.35 (95% C.I.: 1.18-4.71). In addition, Cox regression analysis showed that the adjusted hazard ratio of maximum alley exposure for miscarriage was 1.72 (95% C.I.:1.10-2.69). Conclusion Although the miscarriage incidence was shown to be positively associated with the maximum alley MF exposure, the association between miscarriage risk and the exposure to MF was not confirmed in the study. The results of this study are of interest concerning MF exposure assessment and pregnancy outcomes. PMID:24312633

Evaluation of the leucine incorporation technique for detection of pollution-induced community tolerance to copper in a long-term agricultural field trial with urban waste fertilizers.

PubMed

Lekfeldt, Jonas Duus Stevens; Magid, Jakob; Holm, Peter E; Nybroe, Ole; Brandt, Kristian Koefoed

2014-11-01

Copper (Cu) is known to accumulate in agricultural soils receiving urban waste products as fertilizers. We here report the use of the leucine incorporation technique to determine pollution-induced community tolerance (Leu-PICT) to Cu in a long-term agricultural field trial. A significantly increased bacterial community tolerance to Cu was observed for soils amended with organic waste fertilizers and was positively correlated with total soil Cu. However, metal speciation and whole-cell bacterial biosensor analysis demonstrated that the observed PICT responses could be explained entirely by Cu speciation and bioavailability artifacts during Leu-PICT detection. Hence, the agricultural application of urban wastes (sewage sludge or composted municipal waste) simulating more than 100 years of use did not result in sufficient accumulation of Cu to select for Cu resistance. Our findings also have implications for previously published PICT field studies and demonstrate that stringent PICT detection criteria are needed for field identification of specific toxicants. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geologic field-trip guide to Long Valley Caldera, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hildreth, Wes; Fierstein, Judy

2017-07-26

This guide to the geology of Long Valley Caldera is presented in four parts: (1) An overview of the volcanic geology; (2) a chronological summary of the principal geologic events; (3) a road log with directions and descriptions for 38 field-trip stops; and (4) a summary of the geophysical unrest since 1978 and discussion of its causes. The sequence of stops is arranged as a four-day excursion for the quadrennial General Assembly of the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior (IAVCEI), centered in Portland, Oregon, in August 2017. Most stops, however, are written freestanding, with directions that allow each one to be visited independently, in any order selected.

Observed Enhancement of Reflectivity and Electric Field in Long-Lived Florida Anvils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dye, James E.; Willett, John C.

2007-01-01

A study of two long-lived Florida anvils showed that reflectivity >20 dBZ increased in area, thickness and sometimes magnitude at mid-level well downstream of the convective cores. In these same regions electric fields maintained strengths >10 kV m1 for many tens of minutes and became quite uniform over tens of kilometers. Millimetric aggregates persisted at 9 to 10 km for extended times and distances. Aggregation of ice particles enhanced by strong electric fields might have contributed to reflectivity growth in the early anvil, but is unlikely to explain observations further out in the anvil. The enhanced reflectivity and existence of small, medium and large ice particles far out into the anvil suggest that an updraft was acting, perhaps in weak convective cells formed by instability generated from the evaporation and melting of falling ice particles. We conclude that charge separation must have occurred in these anvils, perhaps at the melting level but also at higher altitudes, in order to maintain fields >10 kV m 1 at 9 to 10 km for extended periods of time over large distances. We speculate that charge separation occurred as a result of ice-ice particle collisions (without supercooled water being present) via either a non-inductive or perhaps even an inductive mechanism, given the observed broad ice particle spectra, the strong pre-existing electric fields and the many tens of minutes available for particle interactions. The observations, particularly in the early anvil, show that the charge structure in these anvils was quite complex.

Field performance of transgenic citrus trees: assessment of the long-term expression of uidA and nptII transgenes and its impact on relevant agronomic and phenotypic characteristics.

PubMed

Pons, Elsa; Peris, Josep E; Peña, Leandro

2012-07-15

The future of genetic transformation as a tool for the improvement of fruit trees depends on the development of proper systems for the assessment of unintended effects in field-grown GM lines. In this study, we used eight transgenic lines of two different citrus types (sweet orange and citrange) transformed with the marker genes β-glucuronidase (uidA) and neomycin phosphotransferase II (nptII) as model systems to study for the first time in citrus the long-term stability of transgene expression and whether transgene-derived pleiotropic effects occur with regard to the morphology, development and fruit quality of orchard-grown GM citrus trees. The stability of the integration and expression of the transgenes was confirmed in 7-year-old, orchard-grown transgenic lines by Southern blot analysis and enzymatic assays (GUS and ELISA NPTII), respectively. Little seasonal variation was detected in the expression levels between plants of the same transgenic line in different organs and over the 3 years of analysis, confirming the absence of rearrangements and/or silencing of the transgenes after transferring the plants to field conditions. Comparisons between the GM citrus lines with their non-GM counterparts across the study years showed that the expression of these transgenes did not cause alterations of the main phenotypic and agronomic plant and fruit characteristics. However, when comparisons were performed between diploid and tetraploid transgenic citrange trees and/or between juvenile and mature transgenic sweet orange trees, significant and consistent differences were detected, indicating that factors other than their transgenic nature induced a much higher phenotypic variability. Our results indicate that transgene expression in GM citrus remains stable during long-term agricultural cultivation, without causing unexpected effects on crop characteristics. This study also shows that the transgenic citrus trees expressing the selectable marker genes that are most

Field performance of transgenic citrus trees: Assessment of the long-term expression of uidA and nptII transgenes and its impact on relevant agronomic and phenotypic characteristics

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The future of genetic transformation as a tool for the improvement of fruit trees depends on the development of proper systems for the assessment of unintended effects in field-grown GM lines. In this study, we used eight transgenic lines of two different citrus types (sweet orange and citrange) transformed with the marker genes β-glucuronidase (uidA) and neomycin phosphotransferase II (nptII) as model systems to study for the first time in citrus the long-term stability of transgene expression and whether transgene-derived pleiotropic effects occur with regard to the morphology, development and fruit quality of orchard-grown GM citrus trees. Results The stability of the integration and expression of the transgenes was confirmed in 7-year-old, orchard-grown transgenic lines by Southern blot analysis and enzymatic assays (GUS and ELISA NPTII), respectively. Little seasonal variation was detected in the expression levels between plants of the same transgenic line in different organs and over the 3 years of analysis, confirming the absence of rearrangements and/or silencing of the transgenes after transferring the plants to field conditions. Comparisons between the GM citrus lines with their non-GM counterparts across the study years showed that the expression of these transgenes did not cause alterations of the main phenotypic and agronomic plant and fruit characteristics. However, when comparisons were performed between diploid and tetraploid transgenic citrange trees and/or between juvenile and mature transgenic sweet orange trees, significant and consistent differences were detected, indicating that factors other than their transgenic nature induced a much higher phenotypic variability. Conclusions Our results indicate that transgene expression in GM citrus remains stable during long-term agricultural cultivation, without causing unexpected effects on crop characteristics. This study also shows that the transgenic citrus trees expressing the

Arsenic in soil and irrigation water affects arsenic uptake by rice: complementary insights from field and pot studies.

PubMed

Dittmar, Jessica; Voegelin, Andreas; Maurer, Felix; Roberts, Linda C; Hug, Stephan J; Saha, Ganesh C; Ali, M Ashraf; Badruzzaman, A Borhan M; Kretzschmar, Ruben

2010-12-01

Groundwater rich in arsenic (As) is extensively used for dry season boro rice cultivation in Bangladesh, leading to long-term As accumulation in soils. This may result in increasing levels of As in rice straw and grain, and eventually, in decreasing rice yields due to As phytotoxicity. In this study, we investigated the As contents of rice straw and grain over three consecutive harvest seasons (2005-2007) in a paddy field in Munshiganj, Bangladesh, which exhibits a documented gradient in soil As caused by annual irrigation with As-rich groundwater since the early 1990s. The field data revealed that straw and grain As concentrations were elevated in the field and highest near the irrigation water inlet, where As concentrations in both soil and irrigation water were highest. Additionally, a pot experiment with soils and rice seeds from the field site was carried out in which soil and irrigation water As were varied in a full factorial design. The results suggested that both soil As accumulated in previous years and As freshly introduced with irrigation water influence As uptake during rice growth. At similar soil As contents, plants grown in pots exhibited similar grain and straw As contents as plants grown in the field. This suggested that the results from pot experiments performed at higher soil As levels can be used to assess the effect of continuing soil As accumulation on As content and yield of rice. On the basis of a recently published scenario of long-term As accumulation at the study site, we estimate that, under unchanged irrigation practice, average grain As concentrations will increase from currently ∼0.15 mg As kg(-1) to 0.25-0.58 mg As kg(-1) by the year 2050. This translates to a 1.5-3.8 times higher As intake by the local population via rice, possibly exceeding the provisional tolerable As intake value defined by FAO/WHO.

Many-body localization in a long range XXZ model with random-field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Bo

2016-12-01

Many-body localization (MBL) in a long range interaction XXZ model with random field are investigated. Using the exact diagonal method, the MBL phase diagram with different tuning parameters and interaction range is obtained. It is found that the phase diagram of finite size results supplies strong evidence to confirm that the threshold interaction exponent α = 2. The tuning parameter Δ can efficiently change the MBL edge in high energy density stats, thus the system can be controlled to transfer from thermal phase to MBL phase by changing Δ. The energy level statistics data are consistent with result of the MBL phase diagram. However energy level statistics data cannot detect the thermal phase correctly in extreme long range case.

Quasi-experimental Studies in the Fields of Infection Control and Antibiotic Resistance, Ten Years Later: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Alsaggaf, Rotana; O'Hara, Lyndsay M; Stafford, Kristen A; Leekha, Surbhi; Harris, Anthony D

2018-02-01

OBJECTIVE A systematic review of quasi-experimental studies in the field of infectious diseases was published in 2005. The aim of this study was to assess improvements in the design and reporting of quasi-experiments 10 years after the initial review. We also aimed to report the statistical methods used to analyze quasi-experimental data. DESIGN Systematic review of articles published from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2014, in 4 major infectious disease journals. METHODS Quasi-experimental studies focused on infection control and antibiotic resistance were identified and classified based on 4 criteria: (1) type of quasi-experimental design used, (2) justification of the use of the design, (3) use of correct nomenclature to describe the design, and (4) statistical methods used. RESULTS Of 2,600 articles, 173 (7%) featured a quasi-experimental design, compared to 73 of 2,320 articles (3%) in the previous review (P<.01). Moreover, 21 articles (12%) utilized a study design with a control group; 6 (3.5%) justified the use of a quasi-experimental design; and 68 (39%) identified their design using the correct nomenclature. In addition, 2-group statistical tests were used in 75 studies (43%); 58 studies (34%) used standard regression analysis; 18 (10%) used segmented regression analysis; 7 (4%) used standard time-series analysis; 5 (3%) used segmented time-series analysis; and 10 (6%) did not utilize statistical methods for comparisons. CONCLUSIONS While some progress occurred over the decade, it is crucial to continue improving the design and reporting of quasi-experimental studies in the fields of infection control and antibiotic resistance to better evaluate the effectiveness of important interventions. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:170-176.

The long-term outcome of delinquent children: a 30-year follow-up study.

PubMed

Remschmidt, Helmut; Walter, Reinhard

2010-05-01

This study reports the results of a longitudinal study of unselected samples of German delinquent children, stratified by frequency of offences recorded before and after the age of criminal responsibility (14 years). A total of 256 young adults (mean age, 22 years), juvenile offenders and control non-offenders, were assessed using the following: a standardized interview regarding family, child development and life history; a multidimensional personality inventory (the Freiburg Personality Inventory, FPI); a version of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale; a self-report questionnaire on the delinquency for which the subject was not apprehended during childhood; and a questionnaire concerning parental child-rearing style. The subsequent criminal records of subjects were followed over the next 20 years. It was possible to define three outcome groups (non-offenders, persisters and desisters), which differed in many respects. The outcome was significantly predicted by several variables. Psychosocial risk variables were the most effective predictors, followed by personality variables and childhood delinquency for which the subject had not been apprehended. The distinction between early-onset and late-onset delinquency as a predictor of adult criminality proved valid only if non-apprehended childhood offending was taken into account. The implications of the study for preventive intervention are discussed.

GLOBE Aerosol Field Campaign - U.S. Pilot Study 2016

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pippin, Margaret; Marentette, Christina; Bujosa, Robert; Taylor, Jessica; Lewis, Preston

2016-01-01

During the spring of 2016, from April 4 - May 27, sixteen GLOBE schools participated in the GLOBE Aerosol Field Campaign - U.S. Pilot Study. Thirteen teachers from these schools had previously participated in the NASA LEARN program (Long-term Experience in Authentic Research with NASA) where they were GLOBE trained in Atmosphere protocols, and engaged in 1-3 years of research under the mentorship of NASA scientists. Each school was loaned two aerosol instruments for the Campaign duration, either 2 GLOBE sun photometers, 2 Calitoo sun photometers, or 1 of each. This allowed for students to make measurements side-by-side and in the case of the Calitoos, to compare AOT results immediately with each other for better consistency in data collection. Additionally, as part of the Field Campaign evaluation, multiple instruments allow for an assessment of the ease of use of each instrument for grade level of students, whether in middle school or high school. Before the Campaign, all GLOBE and Calitoo instruments were 'checked out' against an AERONET, then checked again upon return after the Campaign. By examining all data, before, during and after the Campaign, this gives an indication of instrument performance and proficiency obtained by the students. Support was provided to each teacher and their students at the level requested, via email, phone or video conferencing.

Lamont-Doherty's Secondary School Field Research Program: 10 years of field research-based education.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newton, R.; Vincent, S.; Gribbin, S.; Peteet, D. M.; Sambrotto, R.; Bostick, B. C.; Corbett, E.; Nguyen, K.; Bjornton, J.; Lee, D.; Dubossi, D.; Reyes, N.

2014-12-01

This fall marks the 10th year in which we have run a research-project-based educational program for high school students and science teachers at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. This summer's cohort included 31 teenagers, 7 science teachers, and 16 college students, most of whom are returning to the program to help run the research projects. Nearly all of our students attend non-competitive-entry public schools in NYC or the neighborhoods around the Observatory. Over 80% are from under-served minority populations. Most receive Title I/III assistance. About 60% are young women. During the past 10 years, nearly all of our participants have gone on to 4-year colleges. About half are declaring science and engineering majors. Our students receive scholarship support at rates several times higher than their graduating peers, including 5 Gates Millennium scholars over the past 5 years. Our science is centered on studies of a nearby tidal wetland, where we have expanded from fish collections in year one to include everything from sediment core analysis to soil chemistry to nutrient cycles to the local food web. In this presentation we will look back over 10 years of experience and focus on what lessons can be learned about (1) how to engage teams of young investigators in authentic scientific research; (2) what cultural/organizational structures encourage them to make use of place- and project-based learning and (3) what the participants themselves report as the most useful aspects of our programming. The presentation will include video clips from the students' field experiences and from reflective interviews with "graduates".

First-Year Growth and Survival Of Long Cottonwood Cuttings

Treesearch

W.K. Randall; R.M. Krinard

1977-01-01

When five Stoneville cottonwood clones were grown in a nursery for one season, lifted with about a foot of root, and planted in 3-foot deep holes, they averaged 9.6 feet in height growth and 92 percent survival after 1 year in the field. Planted height averaged 8.3 feet. The same clonal material planted without roots averaged only 36 percent survival. These results...

A Launch Requirements Trade Study for Active Space Radiation Shielding for Long Duration Human Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singleterry, Robert C., Jr.; Bollweg, Ken; Martin, Trent; Westover, Shayne; Battiston, Roberto; Burger, William J.; Meinke, Rainer

2015-01-01

A trade study for an active shielding concept based on magnetic fields in a solenoid configuration versus mass based shielding was developed. Monte Carlo simulations were used to estimate the radiation exposure for two values of the magnetic field strength and the mass of the magnetic shield configuration. For each field strength, results were reported for the magnetic region shielding (end caps ignored) and total region shielding (end caps included but no magnetic field protection) configurations. A value of 15 cSv was chosen to be the maximum exposure for an astronaut. The radiation dose estimate over the total shield region configuration cannot be used at this time without a better understanding of the material and mass present in the end cap regions through a detailed vehicle design. The magnetic shield region configuration, assuming the end cap regions contribute zero exposure, can be launched on a single Space Launch System rocket and up to a two year mission can be supported. The magnetic shield region configuration results in two versus nine launches for a comparable mass based shielding configuration. The active shielding approach is clearly more mass efficient because of the reduced number of launches than the mass based shielding for long duration missions.

Cardiovascular mortality and exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields: a cohort study of Swiss railway workers

PubMed Central

Röösli, Martin; Egger, Matthias; Pfluger, Dominik; Minder, Christoph

2008-01-01

Background Exposure to intermittent magnetic fields of 16 Hz has been shown to reduce heart rate variability, and decreased heart rate variability predicts cardiovascular mortality. We examined mortality from cardiovascular causes in railway workers exposed to varying degrees to intermittent 16.7 Hz magnetic fields. Methods We studied a cohort of 20,141 Swiss railway employees between 1972 and 2002, including highly exposed train drivers (median lifetime exposure 120.5 μT-years), and less or little exposed shunting yard engineers (42.1 μT-years), train attendants (13.3 μT-years) and station masters (5.7 μT-years). During 464,129 person-years of follow up, 5,413 deaths were recorded and 3,594 deaths were attributed to cardio-vascular diseases. We analyzed data using Cox proportional hazards models. Results For all cardiovascular mortality the hazard ratio compared to station masters was 0.99 (95%CI: 0.91, 1.08) in train drivers, 1.13 (95%CI: 0.98, 1.30) in shunting yard engineers, and 1.09 (95%CI: 1.00, 1.19) in train attendants. Corresponding hazard ratios for arrhythmia related deaths were 1.04 (95%CI: 0.68, 1.59), 0.58 (95%CI: 0.24, 1.37) and 10 (95%CI: 0.87, 1.93) and for acute myocardial infarction 1.00 (95%CI: 0.73, 1.36), 1.56 (95%CI: 1.04, 2.32), and 1.14 (95%CI: 0.85, 1.53). The hazard ratio for arrhythmia related deaths per 100 μT-years of cumulative exposure was 0.94 (95%CI: 0.71, 1.24) and 0.91 (95%CI: 0.75, 1.11) for acute myocardial infarction. Conclusion This study provides evidence against an association between long-term occupational exposure to intermittent 16.7 Hz magnetic fields and cardiovascular mortality. PMID:18593477

Serratia marcescens in a neonatal intensive care unit: two long-term multiclone outbreaks in a 10-year observational study.

PubMed

Casolari, Chiara; Pecorari, Monica; Della Casa, Elisa; Cattani, Silvia; Venturelli, Claudia; Fabio, Giuliana; Tagliazucchi, Sara; Serpini, Giulia Fregni; Migaldi, Mario; Marchegiano, Patrizia; Rumpianesi, Fabio; Ferrari, Fabrizio

2013-10-01

We investigated two consecutive Serratia marcescens (S. marcescens) outbreaks which occurred in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a tertiary level hospital in North Italy in a period of 10 years (January 2003-December 2012). Risk factors associated with S. marcescens acquisition were evaluated by a retrospective case-control study. A total of 21,011 clinical samples was examined: S. marcescens occurred in 127 neonates: 43 developed infection and 3 died. Seven clusters were recorded due to 12 unrelated clones which persisted for years in the ward, although no environmental source was found. The main epidemic clone A sustaining the first cluster in 2003 reappeared in 2010 as an extended spectrum ?-lactamase (ESBL)-producing strain and supporting the second epidemic. Birth weight, gestational age, use of invasive devices and length of stay in the ward were significantly related to S. marcescens acquisition. The opening of a new ward for non-intensive care-requiring neonates, strict adherence to alcoholic hand disinfection, the timely identification and isolation of infected and colonized neonates assisted in containing the epidemics. Genotyping was effective in tracing the evolution and dynamics of the clones demonstrating their long-term persistence in the ward.

Assessing Long-Term Seagrass Changes by Integrating a High-Spatial Resolution Image, Historical Aerial Photography and Field Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leon-Perez, M.; Hernandez, W. J.; Armstrong, R.

2016-02-01

Reported cases of seagrass loss have increased over the last 40 years, increasing the awareness of the need for assessing seagrass health. In situ monitoring has been the main method to assess spatial and temporal changes in seagrass ecosystem. Although remote sensing techniques with multispectral imagery have been recently used for these purposes, long-term analysis is limited to the sensor's mission life. The objective of this project is to determine long-term changes in seagrass habitat cover at Caja de Muertos Island Nature Reserve, by combining in situ data with a satellite image and historical aerial photography. A current satellite imagery of the WorldView-2 sensor was used to generate a 2014 benthic habitat map for the study area. The multispectral image was pre-processed using: conversion of digital numbers to radiance, and atmospheric and water column corrections. Object-based image analysis was used to segment the image into polygons representing different benthic habitats and to classify those habitats according to the classification scheme developed for this project. The scheme include the following benthic habitat categories: seagrass (sparse, dense and very dense), colonized hard bottom (sparse, dense and very dense), sand and mix algae on unconsolidated sediments. Field work was used to calibrate the satellite-derived benthic maps and to asses accuracy of the final products. In addition, a time series of satellite imagery and historic aerial photography from 1950 to 2014 provided data to assess long-term changes in seagrass habitat cover within the Reserve. Preliminary results show an increase in seagrass habitat cover, contrasting with the worldwide declining trend. The results of this study will provide valuable information for the conservation and management of seagrass habitat in the Caja de Muertos Island Nature Reserve.

A prospective study of reduced-dose three-course CHOP followed by involved-field radiotherapy for patients 70 years old or more with localized aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

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

Shikama, Naoto; Oguchi, Masahiko; Isobe, Koichi

2006-09-01

Purpose: We conducted a multicenter prospective study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of reduced-dose three-course CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone) followed by involved-field radiotherapy for elderly patients with localized aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The primary endpoint was compliance with the combined modality. Methods and Materials: This study included untreated patients, {>=}70 years old, with diffuse aggressive lymphoma, Stage IA or contiguous nonbulky Stage IIA. 80%-CHOP (cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m{sup 2}, doxorubicin 40 mg/m{sup 2}, vincristine 1.1 mg/m{sup 2}, and prednisolone at 80 mg/day for 5 days) was repeated every 3 weeks. After three cycles of chemotherapy, involved-field radiotherapy was performedmore » with a radiation dose of 30-50 Gy in 15-28 fractions. Results: Twenty-four patients with a median age of 75 years (range, 70-84 years) were enrolled. The compliance rate of the protocol study was 87.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 67.6-97.3). Three patients received only two cycles of chemotherapy because of toxicity or second neoplasm. There were no deaths caused by severe toxicity. The 3-year progression-free and overall survival rates were 83.1% (95% CI, 75.4-90.8) and 82.9% (95% CI, 75.1-90.6), respectively. Conclusion: Three-course 80%-CHOP followed by involved-field radiotherapy may be safe for administration to elderly patients over 70 years old. The next step is to evaluate three-course 80%-CHOP and rituximab followed by radiotherapy in elderly patients with localized disease.« less

Long-term effects of a factory closure: unemployment and disability during ten years' follow-up.

PubMed

Westin, S; Schlesselman, J J; Korper, M

1989-01-01

The consequences of a factory closure on future employment, disability and death were investigated in a 10-year prospective follow-up study in a general practice setting. The study population consisted of 85 persons who lost their jobs when a brisling sardine factory close to Bergen in Norway was shut down in 1975. The employees of a nearby "sister factory" within the same company were chosen as a control population, consisting of 87 persons. After the factory closure, the annual employment rate of the study group showed a steady rise to a maximum level of 44% within 6 years, but even after 10 years never matched the employment rate of the controls. The cumulative rates of disability pension, granted for medical conditions only, was more than three times higher in the study group than among controls from the second through the fourth year of follow-up. This excess of disabilities then stayed relatively constant at approximately 17 per 100 persons from 5 to 10 years after the shut-down. Given present days' unemployment, the results of this investigation point to the importance of acknowledging a long-term effect of job-loss on health and social readjustment.

Twenty-year follow-up study of long-term survival of limited-stage small-cell lung cancer and overview of prognostic and treatment factors.

PubMed

Tai, Patricia; Tonita, Jon; Yu, Edward; Skarsgard, David

2003-07-01

To predict the long-term survival results of clinical trials earlier than using actuarial methods and to assess the factors predictive of long-term cure in patients with limited-stage small-cell lung cancer. Between 1981 and 1998, 1417 new cases of small-cell lung cancer were diagnosed in Saskatchewan, Canada, of which 244 were limited stage and treated with curative intent. They were followed to the end of February 2002. A parametric lognormal statistical model was retrospectively validated to determine whether long-term survival rates could be estimated several years earlier than is possible using the standard life-table actuarial method. The survival time of the uncured group followed a lognormal distribution. Four 2-year periods of diagnosis were combined, and patients were followed as a cohort for an additional 2 years. The estimated 10-year cause-specific survival rate was 13% by the lognormal model. The Kaplan-Meier calculation for 10-year cause-specific survival rate was 15% +/- 3%. The data also showed that the absence of mediastinal lymphadenopathy and higher chest radiotherapy dose were significant prognostic factors on multivariate analysis (p < 0.05). Among the 163 patients given prophylactic cranial irradiation, a higher biologically effective dose to the brain did not improve survival or decrease the incidence of brain metastases. The lognormal model has been validated for the estimation of survival in patients with limited-stage small-cell lung cancer. A higher biologically effective dose to the brain did not improve survival or decrease the incidence of brain metastases.

Training Psychiatry Residents in Quality Improvement: An Integrated, Year-Long Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arbuckle, Melissa R.; Weinberg, Michael; Cabaniss, Deborah L.; Kistler; Susan C.; Isaacs, Abby J.; Sederer, Lloyd I.; Essock, Susan M.

2013-01-01

Objective: The authors describe a curriculum for psychiatry residents in Quality Improvement (QI) methodology. Methods: All PGY3 residents (N=12) participated in a QI curriculum that included a year-long group project. Knowledge and attitudes were assessed before and after the curriculum, using a modified Quality Improvement Knowledge Assessment…

Seventeen-Year Nationwide Trends in Use of Long-acting Bronchodilators and Inhaled Corticosteroids among Adults - A Danish Drug Utilization Study.

PubMed

Reilev, Mette; Pottegård, Anton; Davidsen, Jesper Rømhild; Rasmussen, Lotte; Søndergaard, Jens; Laursen, Christian B; Henriksen, Daniel Pilsgaard

2018-02-08

Long-acting bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the cornerstones in treatment of chronic obstructive and inflammatory pulmonary diseases. However, non-adherence to guidelines is widespread. Detailed information on real-life treatment patterns is needed to promote rational use. We aimed to investigate nationwide time trends in individual-level treatment patterns of long-acting bronchodilators and ICS. Using nationwide Danish health registries, we identified all Danish adults with a prescription for long-acting bronchodilators and/or ICS from 2000 to 2016. We investigated the total use of long-acting bronchodilators and ICS, the proportion of current users and the rate of new users over time. Finally, we assessed treatment persistence. We included 23,061,681 prescriptions for long-acting bronchodilators and ICS issued to 805,860 individuals from 2000 to 2016. Over this period, the total annual amount of prescribed long-acting bronchodilators and ICS increased by 39%. Similarly, the proportion of adult users increased from 2.6% to 4.5%, mainly driven by the introduction of combination therapy and long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA). Although the rate of new users of fixed-dose combination drugs increased substantially over time, the overall rate of new users was stable. In general, the proportion of patients on therapy after 1 year was low (25-53%), especially among young individuals and users of ICS. We document a pronounced increase in the total use of long-acting bronchodilators and ICS over time, mainly driven by the introduction of combination drugs and LAMA. Special attention should be paid to the low level of persistence, especially among young individuals and users of ICS. © 2018 Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society).

Maintaining Long-Term Therapeutic Programmes: A Qualitative Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, J. F.

2006-01-01

Maintaining therapeutic programmes for people with learning disabilities over long periods of time presents a major challenge to care systems as the limited and slow pace of client behavioural change is often insufficient to sustain staff behaviour. In this study, a 17-year-old young man with profound learning difficulties was successfully…

Long-term outcomes of Botulinum toxin in the treatment of chronic anal fissure: 5 years of follow-up.

PubMed

Barbeiro, Sandra; Atalaia-Martins, Catarina; Marcos, Pedro; Gonçalves, Cláudia; Canhoto, Manuela; Arroja, Bruno; Silva, Filipe; Cotrim, Isabel; Eliseu, Liliana; Santos, Antonieta; Vasconcelos, Helena

2017-03-01

Chronic anal fissure is a frequent and disabling disease, often affecting young adults. Botulinum toxin and lateral internal sphincterotomy are the main therapeutic options for refractory cases. Botulinum toxin is minimally invasive and safer compared with surgery, which carries a difficult post-operative recovery and fecal incontinence risk. The long-term efficacy of Botulinum toxin is not well known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of Botulinum toxin in the treatment of chronic anal fissure. This was a retrospective study at a single center, including patients treated with Botulinum toxin from 2005 to 2010, followed over at least a period of 5 years. All patients were treated with injection of 25U of Botulinum toxin in the intersphincteric groove. The response was registered as complete, partial, refractory and relapse. Botulinum toxin was administered to 126 patients, 69.8% ( n  = 88) were followed over a period of 5 years. After 3 months, 46.6% ( n  = 41) had complete response, 23.9% ( n  = 21) had partial response and 29.5% ( n  = 26) were refractory. Relapse was observed in 1.2% ( n  = 1) at 6 months, 11.4% ( n  = 10) at 1 year, 2.3% ( n  = 2) at 3 years; no relapse at 5 years. The overall success rate was 64.8% at 5 years of follow-up. Botulinum toxin was well tolerated by all patients and there were no complications. The use of Botulinum toxin to treat patients with chronic anal fissure was safe and effective in long-term follow-up.

Toward a Field of Interfaith Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patel, Eboo

2013-01-01

Scholars from a range of fields have long taken an interest in how people who orient around religion differently interact with one another. Indeed, this phenomenon has been the subject of important works in political science ("The Clash of Civilizations" by Samuel Huntington), sociology ("American Grace" by Robert Putnam and…

Communication: Influence of external static and alternating electric fields on water from long-time non-equilibrium ab initio molecular dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Futera, Zdenek; English, Niall J.

2017-07-01

The response of water to externally applied electric fields is of central relevance in the modern world, where many extraneous electric fields are ubiquitous. Historically, the application of external fields in non-equilibrium molecular dynamics has been restricted, by and large, to relatively inexpensive, more or less sophisticated, empirical models. Here, we report long-time non-equilibrium ab initio molecular dynamics in both static and oscillating (time-dependent) external electric fields, therefore opening up a new vista in rigorous studies of electric-field effects on dynamical systems with the full arsenal of electronic-structure methods. In so doing, we apply this to liquid water with state-of-the-art non-local treatment of dispersion, and we compute a range of field effects on structural and dynamical properties, such as diffusivities and hydrogen-bond kinetics.

Numerical Models for Sound Propagation in Long Spaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Chenly Yuen Cheung

Both reverberation time and steady-state sound field are the key elements for assessing the acoustic condition in an enclosed space. They affect the noise propagation, speech intelligibility, clarity index, and definition. Since the sound field in a long space is non diffuse, classical room acoustics theory does not apply in this situation. The ray tracing technique and the image source methods are two common models to fathom both reverberation time and steady-state sound field in long enclosures nowadays. Although both models can give an accurate estimate of reverberation times and steady-state sound field directly or indirectly, they often involve time-consuming calculations. In order to simplify the acoustic consideration, a theoretical formulation has been developed for predicting both steady-state sound fields and reverberation times in street canyons. The prediction model is further developed to predict the steady-state sound field in a long enclosure. Apart from the straight long enclosure, there are other variations such as a cross junction, a long enclosure with a T-intersection, an U-turn long enclosure. In the present study, an theoretical and experimental investigations were conducted to develop formulae for predicting reverberation times and steady-state sound fields in a junction of a street canyon and in a long enclosure with T-intersection. The theoretical models are validated by comparing the numerical predictions with published experimental results. The theoretical results are also compared with precise indoor measurements and large-scale outdoor experimental results. In all of previous acoustical studies related to long enclosure, most of the studies are focused on the monopole sound source. Besides non-directional noise source, many noise sources in long enclosure are dipole like, such as train noise and fan noise. In order to study the characteristics of directional noise sources, a review of available dipole source was conducted. A dipole was

Clinical performance of long-span zirconia frameworks for fixed dental prostheses: 5-year results.

PubMed

Schmitter, M; Mussotter, K; Rammelsberg, P; Gabbert, O; Ohlmann, B

2012-07-01

The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to assess the performance of tooth-supported, long-span, zirconia fixed dental prostheses (FDPs). Thirty FDPs with span lengths from 36 to 46 mm (mean 40·33 mm), with 4-7 units and with connector dimensions ∼9 mm(2) were inserted (19 in the posterior region, 11 including anterior teeth) using glass-ionomer cement. The performance of the FDPs was assessed (aesthetic evaluation, failures, hypersensitivity/tooth vitality, secondary caries, pocket depth, decementation, and chipping) at baseline and after 5 years. Cox regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors. There were 16 failures after 5 years. Framework fracture occurred for two FDPs, four FDPs had to be re-cemented, one abutment tooth had to be treated endodontically, one abutment tooth fractured and cohesive failure of the veneer occurred for eight. Four FDPs had to be replaced, so survival was 82%. The aesthetics were rated as excellent by the patients at baseline and good at the 5-year recall. Cox regression analysis showed that both length [P = 0·05, exp(B) = 1·22] and location [P = 0·019, exp(B) = 4·09] of the FDP were risk factors for failure. Compared with the previously published 2-year results, the incidence of complications increased dramatically. Additionally, it was shown that long-span FDPs in the molar region are at greater risk of failure than FDPs in the anterior region. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Genetic and epigenetic divergence between disturbed and undisturbed subpopulations of a Mediterranean shrub: a 20-year field experiment.

PubMed

Herrera, Carlos M; Bazaga, Pilar

2016-06-01

Little is known on the potential of ecological disturbance to cause genetic and epigenetic changes in plant populations. We take advantage of a long-term field experiment initiated in 1986 to study the demography of the shrub Lavandula latifolia , and compare genetic and epigenetic characteristics of plants in two adjacent subplots, one experimentally disturbed and one left undisturbed, 20 years after disturbance. Experimental setup was comparable to an unreplicated 'Before-After-Control-Impact' (BACI) design where a single pair of perturbed and control areas were compared. When sampled in 2005, plants in the two subplots had roughly similar ages, but they had established in contrasting environments: dense conspecific population ('Undisturbed' subpopulation) versus open area with all conspecifics removed ('Disturbed' subpopulation). Plants were characterized genetically and epigenetically using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and two classes of methylation-sensitive AFLP (MSAP) markers. Subpopulations were similar in genetic diversity but differed in epigenetic diversity and multilocus genetic and epigenetic characteristics. Epigenetic divergence between subpopulations was statistically unrelated to genetic divergence. Bayesian clustering revealed an abrupt linear boundary between subpopulations closely coincident with the arbitrary demarcation line between subplots drawn 20 years back, which supports that genetic and epigenetic divergence between subpopulations was caused by artificial disturbance. There was significant fine-scale spatial structuring of MSAP markers in both subpopulations, which in the Undisturbed one was indistinguishable from that of AFLP markers. Genetic differences between subpopulations could be explained by divergent selection alone, while the concerted action of divergent selection and disturbance-driven appearance of new methylation variants in the Disturbed subpopulation is proposed to explain epigenetic differences. This

Experimental study of the thermal-acoustic efficiency in a long turbulent diffusion-flame burner

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mahan, J. R.

1983-01-01

A two-year study of noise production in a long tubular burner is described. The research was motivated by an interest in understanding and eventually reducing core noise in gas turbine engines. The general approach is to employ an acoustic source/propagation model to interpret the sound pressure spectrum in the acoustic far field of the burner in terms of the source spectrum that must have produced it. In the model the sources are assumed to be due uniquely to the unsteady component of combustion heat release; thus only direct combustion-noise is considered. The source spectrum is then the variation with frequency of the thermal-acoustic efficiency, defined as the fraction of combustion heat release which is converted into acoustic energy at a given frequency. The thrust of the research was to study the variation of the source spectrum with the design and operating parameters of the burner.

The Study of Effects of Time Variations in the Earth's Gravity Field on Geodetic Satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shum, C. K.

1998-01-01

The temporal variations in the Earth's gravity field are the consequences of complex interactions between atmosphere, ocean, solid Earth, hydrosphere and cryosphere. The signal ranges from several hours to 18.6 years to geological time scale. The direct and indirect consequences of these variations are manifested in such phenomena as changes in the global sea level and in the global climate pattern. These signals produce observable geodetic satellites. The primary objectives of the proposed effects on near-Earth orbiting investigation include (1) the improved determination of the time-varying gravity field parameters (scale from a few hour to 18.6 year and secular) using long-term satellite laser rs ranging (SLR) observations to multiple geodetic satellites, and (2) the enhanced understanding of these variations with their associated meteorological and geophysical consequences.

Two-Year Data from a Long-Term Phase IV Study of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone in Short Children Born Small for Gestational Age.

PubMed

Schwarz, Hans-Peter; Walczak, Mieczysław; Birkholz-Walerzak, Dorota; Szalecki, Mieczyslaw; Nanu, Michaela; Woehling, Heike; Schuck, Ellen

2016-03-01

This ongoing, prospective, open-label, non-comparative, multicenter phase IV study is evaluating the safety and efficacy of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH; Omnitrope(®), Sandoz GmbH) in short children born small for gestational age (SGA). Here we report data from patients who have completed 2 years' treatment. Eligibility criteria included prepubertal children born SGA with growth disturbances defined as current height standard deviation score (HSDS) <-2.5 and parental adjusted SDS <-1; birth weight and/or length <-2 SDS; and failure of catch-up growth [height velocity (HV) SDS <0 during the last year] by 4 years of age or later. The primary study objective is to assess the long-term effect of Omnitrope treatment on the development of diabetes in short children born SGA. Secondary objectives include evaluation of efficacy, incidence and severity of adverse events (AEs), occurrence of malignancies during treatment, and detection of anti-rhGH antibodies during treatment. In total, 278 children have been enrolled and received study medication; 249 have completed 2 years of treatment. No child has developed diabetes mellitus during the first 2 years; no fasting glucose or 2-h oral glucose tolerance test value exceeded the pre-defined limits of >126 or >200 mg/dL, respectively. No adverse alterations in body mass were noted. Treatment-emergent AEs were experienced by 211 (76.2%) children; most of these were of mild-to-moderate intensity (99.3%) and considered unrelated to study medication (97.6%). Treatment with Omnitrope was effective; mean HSDS was -3.39 at baseline, -2.57 at 1 year and -2.15 at 2 years of treatment. Mean HVSDS (peak-centered) also improved, from -2.13 at baseline to +4.16 at 1 year and +2.23 at 2 years. In this second interim analysis, short children born SGA were safely and effectively treated with rhGH (Omnitrope), and 2 years' treatment had no major adverse impact on carbohydrate metabolism or body mass. Sandoz.

Long-term weight regain after gastric bypass: a 5-year prospective study.

PubMed

Magro, Daniéla Oliveira; Geloneze, Bruno; Delfini, Regis; Pareja, Bruna Contini; Callejas, Francisco; Pareja, José Carlos

2008-06-01

A certain weight gain occurs after obesity surgery compared to the lower weight usually observed between 18 and 24 months postsurgery. The objective of this study was to evaluate weight regain in patients submitted to gastric bypass over a 5-year follow-up period. A longitudinal prospective study was conducted on 782 obese patients of both genders. Only patients with at least 2 years of surgery were included. The percentage of excess body mass index (BMI) loss at 24, 36, 48, and 60 months postsurgery was compared to the measurements obtained at 18 months after surgery. Surgical therapeutic failure was also evaluated. Percent excess BMI loss was significant up to 18 months postsurgery (p < 0.001), with a mean difference in BMI of 1.06 kg/m2 compared to 12 months postsurgery. Percent BMI loss was no longer significant after 24 months, and weight regain became significant within 48 months after surgery (p < 0.01). Among the patients who presented weight regain, a mean 8% increase was observed within 60 months compared to the lowest weight obtained at 18 months after surgery. The percentage of surgical failure was higher in the superobese group at all times studied, reaching 18.8% at 48 months after surgery. Weight regain was observed within 24 months after surgery in approximately 50% of patients. Both weight regain and surgical failure were higher in the superobese group. Studies in regard to metabolic and hormonal mechanisms underlying weight regain might elucidate the causes of this finding.

Implementing a Year-Long Reading While Listening Program for Japanese University EFL Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gobel, Peter; Kano, Makimi

2014-01-01

This paper describes the implementation and evaluation of a year-long reading while listening (RWL) program run for university first-year students at a private university in Japan. The program was developed to give students practice in listening to a large volume of spoken English--a practice that the majority of Japanese students lack. The…

Course of alcoholic chronic pancreatitis: a prospective clinicomorphological long-term study.

PubMed

Ammann, R W; Heitz, P U; Klöppel, G

1996-07-01

The pathogenesis of alcoholic chronic pancreatitis and its relationship to alcoholic acute pancreatitis are debated. According to our recent clinical long-term study, alcoholic chronic pancreatitis seems to evolve from severe acute pancreatits. The aim of this study was to correlate clinical findings to the pancreatic histopathology at early and advanced stages of the disease. Morphological changes (pseudocysts, autodigestive necrosis, calcification, and perilobular and intralobular fibrosis) were recorded in 37 surgical and 46 postmortem pancreas specimens of 73 patients from our long-term series, who progressed from clinically acute to chronic pancreatitis (mean follow-up, 12 years). Pancreatic function was monitored at yearly intervals. Surgical interventions were performed at a mean of 4.1 years from onset. Histologically, focal necrosis (49%) and mild perilobular fibrosis (54%) predominated, Pseudocysts (n = 41, mostly postnecrotic) occurred in 88% within 6 years from onset. Autopsy specimens were obtained at a mean of 12 years. These pancreata often showed severe perilobular and intralobular fibrosis (85%) and calcifications (74%), but rarely necrosis (4%). Fibrosis correlated with progressive pancreatic dysfunction (P < 0.001), particularly in the 10 patients with two histological assessments (mean interval between biopsy and autopsy, 8 years). The data support an evolution from severe alcoholic acute pancreatitis to chronic pancreatitis.

Cognitive and Guided Mastery Therapies for Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia: 18-Year Long-Term Outcome and Predictors of Long-Term Change.

PubMed

Hoffart, Asle; Hedley, Liv M; Svanøe, Karol; Sexton, Harold

2016-01-01

In this study, we wished to compare the long-term outcome of (medication-free) panic disorder with agoraphobia patients randomized to cognitive or guided mastery therapy. Thirty-one (67.4%) of 46 patients who had completed treatment were followed up about 18 years after end of treatment. In the combined sample and using intent-to-follow-up analyses, there were large within-group effect sizes of -1.79 and -1.63 on the primary interview-based and self-report outcome measures of avoidance of situations when alone, and 56.5% no longer had a panic disorder and/or agoraphobia diagnosis. No outcome differences between the two treatments emerged. Guided mastery was associated with greater beneficial changes in catastrophic beliefs and self-efficacy. For two of five outcome measures, more reduction in panic-related beliefs about physical and mental catastrophes from pre- to post-treatment predicted lower level of anxiety from post-treatment to 18-year follow-up when the effect of treatment changes in (a) self-efficacy and (b) anxiety was controlled. However, for one of the outcome measures, this effect attenuated with time. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The results suggest that the very-long-term outcome of both cognitive therapy and guided mastery therapy for agoraphobia is positive. The results support the role of catastrophic beliefs as mediator of change. The pattern of results suggests that learning processes other than catastrophic beliefs may be important for long-term outcome as well. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Long-term safety and efficacy of deferasirox in young pediatric patients with transfusional hemosiderosis: Results from a 5-year observational study (ENTRUST).

PubMed

Vichinsky, Elliott; El-Beshlawy, Amal; Al Zoebie, Azzam; Kamdem, Annie; Koussa, Suzanne; Chotsampancharoen, Thirachit; Bruederle, Andreas; Gilotti, Geralyn; Han, Jackie; Elalfy, Mohsen

2017-09-01

Children with red blood cell disorders may receive regular transfusions from an early age and consequently accumulate iron. Adequate iron chelation therapy can prevent organ damage and delayed growth/development. Deferasirox is indicated for treatment of pediatric patients with chronic iron overload due to transfusional hemosiderosis; however, fewer than 10% of patients in the registration studies were aged 2 to less than 6 years. Deferasirox, a once-daily oral iron chelator, was evaluated in young pediatric patients with transfusional hemosiderosis during the observational 5-year ENTRUST study. Patients aged 2 to less than 6 years at enrollment received deferasirox according to local prescribing information, with the primary objective of evaluating safety, specifically renal and hepatic function. Serum ferritin was observed as a surrogate efficacy parameter. In total, 267 patients (mean age 3.2 years) predominantly with β-thalassemia (n = 176, 65.9%) were enrolled. Mean ± standard deviation deferasirox dose was 25.8 ± 6.5 mg/kg per day over a median of 59.9 months. A total of 145 patients (54.3%) completed 5 years' treatment. The proportion of patients with two or more consecutive postbaseline measurements (≥7 days apart) of serum creatinine higher than age-adjusted upper limit of normal (ULN) and alanine aminotransferase more than five times the ULN was 4.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.1-7.9) and 4.0% (95% CI: 1.8-7.4), respectively. Median serum ferritin decreased from 1,702 ng/ml at baseline to 1,127 ng/ml at 5 years. There were no new safety signals. Safety and efficacy of deferasirox in young pediatric patients in this long-term, observational study in everyday clinical practice were consistent with the known deferasirox profile. © 2017 The Authors. Pediatric Blood & Cancer Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Long-term (5 years), high daily dosage of dietary agmatine--evidence of safety: a case report.

PubMed

Gilad, Gad M; Gilad, Varda H

2014-11-01

There is presently a great interest in the therapeutic potential of agmatine, decarboxylated arginine, for various diseases. Recent clinical studies have already shown that oral agmatine sulfate given for up to 3 weeks provides a safe and, as compared with current therapeutics, more effective treatment for neuropathic pain. These studies have ushered in the use of dietary agmatine as a nutraceutical. However, in view of information paucity, assessment of long-term safety of oral agmatine treatment is now clearly required. The authors of this report undertook to assess their own health status during ongoing consumption of a high daily dosage of oral agmatine over a period of 4-5 years. A daily dose of 2.67 g agmatine sulfate was encapsulated in gelatin capsules; the regimen consists of six capsules daily, each containing 445 mg, three in the morning and three in the evening after meals. Clinical follow-up consists of periodic physical examinations and laboratory blood and urine analyses. All measurements thus far remain within normal values and good general health status is sustained throughout the study period, up to 5 years. This case study shows for the first time that the recommended high dosage of agmatine may be consumed for at least 5 years without evidence of any adverse effects. These initial findings are highly important as they provide significant evidence for the extended long-term safety of a high daily dosage of dietary agmatine--a cardinal advantage for its utility as a nutraceutical.

Electric-Field-Oriented Growth of Long Hair-Like Silica Microfibrils and Derived Functional Monolithic Solids

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

Hu, Michael Z.; DePaoli, David W.; Kuritz, Tanya

We present a “bottom-up” fabrication approach to first grow a new class of inorganic (silica) long hair-like microfibers or microwires and then to form monolithic solid pellet that contains parallel arrays of bundled microfibers with a controlled orientation. During the sol-gel solution processing, reactive precursor species are utilized as molecular “building blocks” for the field-directed assembly growth of microfibers driven by an electric field of pulsed direct current (dc) with controlled frequency. In principle, this reactive electrofibrilation process that combines an external field with a solid-phase nucleation and growth process has no limitation on reactions (such as the one heremore » that involves sol-gel reaction chemistry) and on materials compositions (such as the example silica oxide), thus will enable bulk production of long microfibers of wide variety of inorganic materials (other oxides or metals). Furthermore, we have fabricated uniquely architectured monolithic solid materials containing aligned microfibers by “wet press” of the in-situ grown microfiber structure in the electric field. The consolidated monolithic slabs (1 cm x 1 cm x 3 mm) have shown anisotropic properties and desirable retention of DNA molecule fragments, thus, could serve as a platform stationary-phase materials for future development of capillary electrochromatography for biomolecule separations.« less

Electric-Field-Oriented Growth of Long Hair-Like Silica Microfibrils and Derived Functional Monolithic Solids

DOE PAGES

Hu, Michael Z.; DePaoli, David W.; Kuritz, Tanya; ...

2017-09-11

We present a “bottom-up” fabrication approach to first grow a new class of inorganic (silica) long hair-like microfibers or microwires and then to form monolithic solid pellet that contains parallel arrays of bundled microfibers with a controlled orientation. During the sol-gel solution processing, reactive precursor species are utilized as molecular “building blocks” for the field-directed assembly growth of microfibers driven by an electric field of pulsed direct current (dc) with controlled frequency. In principle, this reactive electrofibrilation process that combines an external field with a solid-phase nucleation and growth process has no limitation on reactions (such as the one heremore » that involves sol-gel reaction chemistry) and on materials compositions (such as the example silica oxide), thus will enable bulk production of long microfibers of wide variety of inorganic materials (other oxides or metals). Furthermore, we have fabricated uniquely architectured monolithic solid materials containing aligned microfibers by “wet press” of the in-situ grown microfiber structure in the electric field. The consolidated monolithic slabs (1 cm x 1 cm x 3 mm) have shown anisotropic properties and desirable retention of DNA molecule fragments, thus, could serve as a platform stationary-phase materials for future development of capillary electrochromatography for biomolecule separations.« less

Sonic boom startle effects : report of a field study.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1973-07-01

The study reports the results of a sonic boom field study conducted in Sweden during October 1972. Ten female subjects were tested indoors on each of six days. Two age groups were studied: 20-35 and 50-65 years. Fighter aircraft flying at various hei...

Improving the Agronomy of Alyssum murale for Extensive Phytomining: A Five-Year Field Study.

PubMed

Bani, Aida; Echevarria, Guillaume; Sulçe, Sulejman; Morel, Jean Louis

2015-01-01

Large ultramafic areas exist in Albania, which could be suitable for phytomining with native Alyssum murale. We undertook a five-year field experiment on an ultramafic Vertisol, aimed at optimizing a low-cost Ni-phytoextraction crop of A. murale which is adapted to the Balkans. The following aspects were studied on 18-m2 plots in natural conditions: the effect of (i) plant phenology and element distribution, (ii) plant nutrition and fertilization, (iii) plant cover and weed control and (iv), planting technique (natural cover vs. sown crop). The optimal harvest time was set at the mid-flowering stage when Ni concentration and biomass yield were highest. The application of N, P, and K fertilizers, and especially a split 100-kg ha(-1) N application, increased the density of A. murale against all other species. It significantly increased shoot yield, without reducing Ni concentration. In natural stands, the control of graminaceous weeds required the use of an anti-monocots herbicide. However, after the optimization of fertilization and harvest time, weed control procured little benefit. Finally, cropping sown A. murale was more efficient than enhancing native stands and gave higher biomass and phytoextraction yields; biomass yields progressively improved from 0.3 to 9.0 t ha(-1) and phytoextracted Ni increased from 1.7 to 105 kg ha(-1).

Sick leave patterns as predictors of disability pension or long-term sick leave: a 6.75-year follow-up study in municipal eldercare workers

PubMed Central

Stapelfeldt, Christina Malmose; Nielsen, Claus Vinther; Andersen, Niels Trolle; Krane, Line; Borg, Vilhelm; Fleten, Nils; Jensen, Chris

2014-01-01

Objectives The aim was to study whether a workplace-registered frequent short-term sick leave spell pattern was an early indicator of future disability pension or future long-term sick leave among municipal eldercare workers. Setting The municipal healthcare sector in the city of Aarhus, which is the second largest city in Denmark. Participants All elder care employees who worked the entire year of 2004 in the municipality of Aarhus, Denmark (N=2774). The employees’ sick leave days during 2004 were categorised into: 0–2 and 3–17 short (1–7 days) spells, 2–13 mixed short and long (8+ days) spells and long spells only. Student workers (n=180), employees who were absent due to maternal/paternal leave (n=536) and employees who did not work the entire year of 2004 (n=1218) were not included. Primary outcome Disability pension and long-term sick leave (≥8 weeks) were subsequently identified in a National register. The cumulative incidence proportion as a function of follow-up weeks was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier curve. The relative cumulative incidence (RR) of experiencing events within 352 weeks was analysed in a generalised linear regression model using the pseudo values method adjusted for age, occupation, unfavourable work factors and sick leave length. Results A frequent short-term and a mixed sick leave pattern showed RRs of being granted a disability pension of 2.08 (95% CI 1.00 to 4.35) and 2.61 (95% CI 1.33 to 5.12) compared with 0–2 short spells. The risk of long-term sick leave was significantly increased for all sick leave patterns compared with 0–2 short spells. Adding sick leave length to the models attenuated all RRs and they became non-significant. Conclusions Sick leave length was a better indicator of future workability than spell frequency. Preventive actions should target employees engaged in homecare. The more sick leave days the greater the preventive potential seems, irrespective of spell frequency. PMID:24508850

Status of SRNL radiological field lysimeter experiment-Year 1

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

Kaplan, D.; Roberts, K.; Bagwell, L.

The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) Radiological Field Lysimeter Experiment is a one-of-a-kind field facility designed to study radionuclide geochemical processes at a larger spatial scale (from grams to tens of kilograms sediment) and temporal scale (from months to 10 years) than is readily afforded through laboratory studies. The lysimeter facility is intended to capture the natural heterogeneity of moisture and temperature regimes in the vadose zone, the unsaturated subsurface region between the surface soil and the underlying aquifer. The 48 lysimeter columns, which contain various radionuclides (and stable iodine), were opened to rainfall infiltration on July 5, 2012. Themore » objective of this report is to provide a status of the lysimeter facility operations and to compile data collected during FY13, including leachate volume, rainfall, and soil moisture and temperature in situ probe data. Radiological leachate data are not presented in this document but will be the subject of a separate document.1 Leachate samples were collected quarterly and shipped to Clemson University for radiological analyses. Rainfall, leachate volume, moisture and temperature probe data were collected continuously. During operations of the facility this year, there were four safety or technical concerns that required additional maintenance: 1) radioactivity was detected in one of the overflow bottles (captured water collected from the secondary containment that does not come in contact with the radiological source material); 2) rainwater accumulated within the sample-bottle storage sheds; 3) overflow containers collected more liquid than anticipated; and 4) significant spider infestation occurred in the sample-bottle storage sheds. To address the first three concerns, each of the lysimeter columns was re-plumbed to improve and to minimize the number of joint unions. To address the fourth concern regarding spiders, new sample-bottle water sheds were purchased and a pest

The Montpellier Leishmania Collection, from a Laboratory Collection to a Biological Resource Center: A 39-Year-Long Story.

PubMed

Pratlong, Francine; Balard, Yves; Lami, Patrick; Talignani, Loïc; Ravel, Christophe; Dereure, Jacques; Lefebvre, Michèle; Serres, Ghislaine; Bastien, Patrick; Dedet, Jean-Pierre

2016-12-01

We report the development of a laboratory collection of Leishmania that was initiated in 1975 and, after 39 years, has become an international Biological Resource Center (BRC-Leish, Montpellier, France, BioBank No. BB-0033-00052), which includes 6353 strains belonging to 36 Leishmania taxa. This is a retrospective analysis of the technical and organizational changes that have been adopted over time to take into account the technological advances and related modifications in the collection management and quality system. The technical improvements concerned the culture and cryopreservation techniques, strain identification by isoenzymatic and molecular techniques, data computerization and quality management to meet the changes in international standards, and in the cryogenic and microbiological safety procedures. The BRC is working toward obtaining the NF-S 96-900 certification in the coming years. Our long-term expertise in Leishmania storage and typing and collection maintenance should encourage field epidemiologists and clinical practitioners in endemic countries to secure their own strain collection with the help of the French BRC-Leish.

Graves' disease in 2.5 years old girl - 6-years-long observation.

PubMed

Jonak, Olimpia; Połubok, Joanna; Barg, Ewa

2016-01-01

Pediatric Graves' disease is rare in young children, more frequent in children with other autoimmune diseases or with family history of autoimmune thyroid disease. The 2.5 year old girl was admitted to the hospital with tachycardia and subfebrile temperature. The girl presented symptoms of atopic dermatitis. Child's mother was diagnosed with Hashimoto disease two months after the child's diagnosis. In physical examination of the child, enlarged thyroid was found. At the admission, the laboratory tests revealed decreased TSH (0.001 uIU/ml), increased both FT3 (>30 pg/ml) and FT4 (3.43 ng/dl), but normal levels of anti-thyreoglobulin antibodies (ATG - 0.64 IU/ml) and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies (ATPO - 0 IU/ml); thyrotropin receptor antibodies (TRAb) were not identified. The Graves' disease was diagnosed. The girl started treatment with methimazole (2x5mg) and propranolol (due to tachycardia, 2x5mg). The thyroid function (TSH, FT4 and FT3) normalized 1 year after diagnosis and hormone levels remained within normal reference values, but she received methimazole for 18 months. At presen, the patient is 8 years old. She is not receiving any treatment and her thyroid function is correct. The girl still presents symptoms of atopy. In case of symptoms of tachycardia in children, the hyperthyroidism should be taken into consideration. Numerous methods of treatment provide a therapy appropriate to the age and condition of patients. Long remission after treatment with antithyroid drugs could also be achieved in younger (prepubertal) children. © Polish Society for Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology.

Design study of long-life PWR using thorium cycle

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

Subkhi, Moh. Nurul; Su'ud, Zaki; Waris, Abdul

2012-06-06

Design study of long-life Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) using thorium cycle has been performed. Thorium cycle in general has higher conversion ratio in the thermal spectrum domain than uranium cycle. Cell calculation, Burn-up and multigroup diffusion calculation was performed by PIJ-CITATION-SRAC code using libraries based on JENDL 3.2. The neutronic analysis result of infinite cell calculation shows that {sup 231}Pa better than {sup 237}Np as burnable poisons in thorium fuel system. Thorium oxide system with 8%{sup 233}U enrichment and 7.6{approx} 8%{sup 231}Pa is the most suitable fuel for small-long life PWR core because it gives reactivity swing less than 1%{Delta}k/kmore » and longer burn up period (more than 20 year). By using this result, small long-life PWR core can be designed for long time operation with reduced excess reactivity as low as 0.53%{Delta}k/k and reduced power peaking during its operation.« less

Short- and long-term outcomes following pelvic exenteration for gynae-oncological and colorectal cancers: A 9 year consecutive single-centre cohort study.

PubMed

Katory, Mark; McLean, Ross; Paez, Edgar; Kucukmetin, Ali; Naik, Raj

2017-07-01

Radical pelvic exenteration can be undertaken for locally invasive or recurrent disease in both colorectal and gynaecological malignancies. In the UK this procedure is usually undertaken by the respective surgical specialties who have undergone divergent surgical training. This study describes and compares outcomes between colorectal and gynae-oncological teams following pelvic exenteration for primary and recurrent gynaecological and colorectal cancers in a single-centre multi-disciplinary team. A retrospective review of consecutive pelvic exenteration patients undertaken over a nine-year period in a tertiary referral centre. Analyses comparing short- and long-term morbidity and mortality outcomes were undertaken by chi-square test for categorical variables and Mann-Whitney U for continuous variables. Cumulative survival rates were calculated according to the Kaplan-Meier method and factors associated with recurrence and survival determined using a Cox regression model. Thirty-four exenterations were undertaken; fourteen colorectal and twenty gynae-oncological. Morbidity was seen in 50% of colorectal and 75% of gynae-oncological patients. Recurrence was seen earlier and with greater frequency in the gynaeoncology group (44.4% and median time 11 months) than the colorectal group (21.4%, median time 41 months; p > 0.05). Survival in the gynae-oncology group was also lower than the colorectal group at 1-year (69.6% vs. 92.9%) and 5-years (58.0% vs. 92.9%; p = 0.115). The majority of gynae-oncological mortality occurred within 3-years of surgery, whilst the majority of mortality in the colorectal group was after 5-years. Long-term patient outcome measures, including disease recurrence and 5-year survival, for colorectal exenteration appear better than for gynaeoncology patients, however, no statistical significant difference exists between short-term outcome measures between specialties. This is likely to be caused by different baseline pathologies and disease

A long term field study of the effect of fungicides penconazole and sulfur on yeasts in the vineyard.

PubMed

Cordero-Bueso, Gustavo; Arroyo, Teresa; Valero, Eva

2014-10-17

This research deals with how two fungicide treatments against powdery mildew, penconazole as a systematic fungicide and sulfur as an inorganic broad-spectrum fungicide, affect the diversity and density of wine yeasts associated with grape berry surfaces and subsequent spontaneous fermentations. Unlike other studies in this area, this work aims to evaluate this effect on the population dynamics in the environment, the conditions of which are not reproducible in the laboratory. A long term (three year) sampling plan was thus devised. A minimum inhibitory concentration assay was also carried out in the laboratory in order to prove the influence of these antifungals on yeast populations. While both antifungal treatments (penconazole and sulfur) were similarly effective against powdery mildew, each had a very different effect on yeast populations. Penconazole showed the most negative effect on biodiversity in the vineyard and was the fungicide to which the isolated yeasts showed the greatest sensitivity. This study therefore evidences the suitability of treatment with sulfur, in both conventional and organic viticulture, to preserve the yeast population associated with grape berries, in particular the Saccharomyces cerevisiae species. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The long-term impact of bereavement upon spouse health: a 10-year follow-up.

PubMed

Jones, Michael P; Bartrop, Roger W; Forcier, Lina; Penny, Ronald

2010-10-01

Jones MP, Bartrop RW, Forcier L, Penny R. The long-term impact of bereavement upon spouse health: a 10-year follow-up. This study is the first to examine the effect of bereavement of a first-degree family member on subsequent morbidity over a 10-year follow-up period. A sample of bereaved subjects (n = 72) were compared with a control group (n = 80) recruited in the same period with respect to morbidity experience during follow-up. Morbidity events were ascertained from the subject themselves, their health care providers and these sources were also compared. Bereavement was associated with an elevated total burden of illness as well as with mental health and circulatory system categories diagnosed according to the International Classification of Diseases - Clinically Modified (ICD-9) classification system. The elevation ranged from approximately 20% for any illness to 60-100% among circulatory system disorders. Although in an earlier study there was a downregulation of T-cell function in the bereaved during the first 8 weeks, there was no evidence that the bereavement was associated with increased morbidity in the respiratory or immune system ICD-9 categories long-term. Past epidemiological research has indicated that bereavement of a close family member is associated with adverse health consequences of a generalised morbidity. Our study suggests an increase in mental health and circulatory system effects in particular. Further research is required to determine whether other systems are also affected by bereavement.

Effects of long-term fixed orthodontic treatment on salivary nickel and chromium levels: a 1-year prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Amini, Fariborz; Rakhshan, Vahid; Mesgarzadeh, Nasim

2012-12-01

Effect of long-term orthodontic treatment on salivary nickel and chromium has not been quite assessed except in few retrospective studies with controversial results. The aim of this prospective study was to measure salivary levels of these ions during 1 year of orthodontic treatment. Saliva samples were collected from 20 orthodontic patients, before treatment (control) and 6 and 12 months later. Nickel and chromium concentrations were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Data were analyzed using one- and two-way repeated-measures ANOVA, Bonferroni, Friedman (α = 0.05), and Wilcoxon signed-ranks tests (α = 0.016). Average nickel level changed from 9.75 ± 5.02 to 10.37 ± 6.94 and then to 8.32 ± 4.36 μg/L in 1 year. Average chromium concentration changed from 3.86 ± 1.34 to 4.6 ± 6.11 and then to 2.04 ± 1.66 μg/L. Alterations in nickel values were not statistically significant [P = 0.468 (ANOVA)], but fluctuations in chromium levels were [P = 0.021 (Friedman)]. The decrease in chromium concentration after 12 months was significant compared to the control [P = 0.004 (Wilcoxon)]. Although slightly increased after 6 months, the concentration of both ions dropped to levels slightly lower than the control groups after 12 months.

Temperature field analysis of single layer TiO2 film components induced by long-pulse and short-pulse lasers.

PubMed

Wang, Bin; Zhang, Hongchao; Qin, Yuan; Wang, Xi; Ni, Xiaowu; Shen, Zhonghua; Lu, Jian

2011-07-10

To study the differences between the damaging of thin film components induced by long-pulse and short-pulse lasers, a model of single layer TiO(2) film components with platinum high-absorptance inclusions was established. The temperature rises of TiO(2) films with inclusions of different sizes and different depths induced by a 1 ms long-pulse and a 10 ns short-pulse lasers were analyzed based on temperature field theory. The results show that there is a radius range of inclusions that corresponds to high temperature rises. Short-pulse lasers are more sensitive to high-absorptance inclusions and long-pulse lasers are more easily damage the substrate. The first-damage decision method is drawn from calculations. © 2011 Optical Society of America

Correlation between electric field pulse induced long-lived permeabilization and fusogenicity in cell membranes.

PubMed Central

Teissié, J; Ramos, C

1998-01-01

Electric field pulses have been reported to induce long-lived permeabilization and fusogenicity on cell membranes. The two membrane property alterations are under the control of the field strength, the pulse duration, and the number of pulses. Experiments on mammalian cells pulsed by square wave form pulses and then brought into contact randomly through centrifugation revealed an even stronger analogy between the two processes. Permeabilization was known to affect well-defined regions of the cell surface. Fusion can be obtained only when permeabilized surfaces on the two partners were brought into contact. Permeabilization was under the control of the pulse duration and of the number of pulses. A similar relationship was observed as far as fusion is concerned. But a critical level of local permeabilization must be present for fusion to take place when contacts are created. The same conclusions are obtained from previous experiments on ghosts subjected to exponentially decaying field pulses and then brought into contact by dielectrophoresis. These observations are in agreement with a model of membrane fusion in which the merging of local random defects occurs when the two membranes are brought into contact. The local defects are considered part of the structural membrane reorganization induced by the external field. Their density is dependent on the pulse duration and number of pulses. They support the long-lived permeabilization. Their number must be very large to support the occurrence of membrane fusion. PMID:9545050

Correlation between electric field pulse induced long-lived permeabilization and fusogenicity in cell membranes.

PubMed

Teissié, J; Ramos, C

1998-04-01

Electric field pulses have been reported to induce long-lived permeabilization and fusogenicity on cell membranes. The two membrane property alterations are under the control of the field strength, the pulse duration, and the number of pulses. Experiments on mammalian cells pulsed by square wave form pulses and then brought into contact randomly through centrifugation revealed an even stronger analogy between the two processes. Permeabilization was known to affect well-defined regions of the cell surface. Fusion can be obtained only when permeabilized surfaces on the two partners were brought into contact. Permeabilization was under the control of the pulse duration and of the number of pulses. A similar relationship was observed as far as fusion is concerned. But a critical level of local permeabilization must be present for fusion to take place when contacts are created. The same conclusions are obtained from previous experiments on ghosts subjected to exponentially decaying field pulses and then brought into contact by dielectrophoresis. These observations are in agreement with a model of membrane fusion in which the merging of local random defects occurs when the two membranes are brought into contact. The local defects are considered part of the structural membrane reorganization induced by the external field. Their density is dependent on the pulse duration and number of pulses. They support the long-lived permeabilization. Their number must be very large to support the occurrence of membrane fusion.

Molecular Characterization of Human-Pathogenic Microsporidia and Cyclospora cayetanensis Isolated from Various Water Sources in Spain: a Year-Long Longitudinal Study

PubMed Central

Galván, Ana Luz; Magnet, Angela; Izquierdo, Fernando; Fenoy, Soledad; Rueda, Cristina; Fernández Vadillo, Carmen; Henriques-Gil, Nuno

2013-01-01

Recent studies suggest the involvement of water in the epidemiology of Cyclospora cayetanensis and some microsporidia. A total of 223 samples from four drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs), seven wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and six locations of influence (LI) on four river basins from Madrid, Spain, were analyzed from spring 2008 to winter 2009. Microsporidia were detected in 49% of samples (109/223), Cyclospora spp. were detected in 9% (20/223), and both parasites were found in 5.4% (12/223) of samples. Human-pathogenic microsporidia were detected, including Enterocytozoon bieneusi (C, D, and D-like genotypes), Encephalitozoon intestinalis, Encephalitozoon cuniculi (genotypes I and III), and Anncaliia algerae. C. cayetanensis was identified in 17 of 20 samples. To our knowledge, this is the first study that shows a year-long longitudinal study of C. cayetanensis in drinking water treatment plants. Additionally, data about the presence and molecular characterization of the human-pathogenic microsporidia in drinking water, wastewater, and locations of influence during 1 year in Spain are shown. It is noteworthy that although the DWTPs and WWTPs studied meet European and national regulations on water sanitary quality, both parasites were found in water samples from these plants, supporting the idea that new and appropriate controls and regulations for drinking water, wastewater, and recreational waters should be proposed to avoid health risks from these pathogens. PMID:23124243

Long-term health benefits of physical activity – a systematic review of longitudinal studies

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The treatment of noncommunicable diseases (NCD), like coronary heart disease or type 2 diabetes mellitus, causes rising costs for the health system. Physical activity is supposed to reduce the risk for these diseases. Results of cross-sectional studies showed that physical activity is associated with better health, and that physical activity could prevent the development of these diseases. The purpose of this review is to summarize existing evidence for the long-term (>5 years) relationship between physical activity and weight gain, obesity, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Methods Fifteen longitudinal studies with at least 5-year follow up times and a total of 288,724 subjects (>500 participants in each study), aged between 18 and 85 years, were identified using digital databases. Only studies published in English, about healthy adults at baseline, intentional physical activity and the listed NCDs were included. Results The results of these studies show that physical activity appears to have a positive long-term influence on all selected diseases. Conclusions This review revealed a paucity of long-term studies on the relationship between physical activity and the incidence of NCD. PMID:24010994

Gravity fields of the terrestrial planets - Long-wavelength anomalies and tectonics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phillips, R. J.; Lambeck, K.

1980-01-01

The paper discusses the gravity and topography data available for four terrestrial planets (earth, moon, Mars, and Venus), with particular emphasis on drawing inferences regarding the relationship of long-wavelength anomalies to tectonics. The discussion covers statistical analyses of global planetary gravity fields, relationship of gravity anomalies to elastic and viscoelastic models, relationship of gravity anomalies to convection models, finite strength, and isostasy (or the state of isostatic compensation). The cases of the earth and the moon are discussed in some detail. A summary of comparative planetology is presented.

Multibar sawless lint cleaner: fiber quality analysis after 3rd year of field testing

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

After two years of field testing a prototype spiked-tooth lint cleaner, the Multibar Sawless Lint Cleaner (MBSLC), a final year of field evaluation was conducted at commercial cotton gin in West Texas located approximately 30 miles Southwest of Lubbock, Texas.The cotton lint cleaner was tested in a ...

Charged Particle Dynamics in the Magnetic Field of a Long Straight Current-Carrying Wire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prentice, A.; Fatuzzo, M.; Toepker, T.

2015-01-01

By describing the motion of a charged particle in the well-known nonuniform field of a current-carrying long straight wire, a variety of teaching/learning opportunities are described: 1) Brief review of a standard problem; 2) Vector analysis; 3) Dimensionless variables; 4) Coupled differential equations; 5) Numerical solutions.

Long-term weather predictability: Ural case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubyshen, Alexander; Shopin, Sergey

2016-04-01

The accuracy of the state-of-the-art long-term meteorological forecast (at the seasonal level) is still low. Here it is presented approach (RAMES method) realizing different forecasting methodology. It provides prediction horizon of up to 19-22 years under equal probabilities of determination of parameters in every analyzed period [1]. Basic statements of the method are the following. 1. Long-term forecast on the basis of numerical modeling of the global meteorological process is principally impossible. Extension of long-term prediction horizon could be obtained only by the revealing and using a periodicity of meteorological situations at one point of observation. 2. Conventional calendar is unsuitable for generalization of meteorological data and revealing of cyclicity of meteorological processes. RAMES method uses natural time intervals: one day, synodic month and one year. It was developed a set of special calendars using these natural periods and the Metonic cycle. 3. Long-term time series of meteorological data is not a uniform universal set, it is a sequence of 28 universal sets appropriately superseding each other in time. The specifics of the method are: 1. Usage of the original research toolkit consisting of - a set of calendars based on the Metonic cycle; - a set of charts (coordinate systems) for the construction of sequence diagrams (of daily variability of a meteorological parameter during the analyzed year; of daily variability of a meteorological parameter using long-term dynamical time series of periods-analogues; of monthly and yearly variability of accumulated value of meteorological parameter). 2. Identification and usage of new virtual meteorological objects having several degrees of generalization appropriately located in the used coordinate systems. 3. All calculations are integrated into the single technological scheme providing comparison and mutual verification of calculation results. During the prolonged testing in the Ural region, it was

Bacterial Chemotaxis: The Early Years of Molecular Studies

PubMed Central

Hazelbauer, Gerald L.

2014-01-01

This review focuses on the early years of molecular studies of bacterial chemotaxis and motility, beginning in the 1960s with Julius Adler's pioneering work. It describes key observations that established the field and made bacterial chemotaxis a paradigm for the molecular understanding of biological signaling. Consideration of those early years includes aspects of science seldom described in journals: the accidental findings, personal interactions, and scientific culture that often drive scientific progress. PMID:22994495

Mapping field spatial distribution patterns of isoproturon-mineralizing activity over a three-year winter wheat/rape seed/barley rotation.

PubMed

Hussain, S; Devers-Lamrani, M; Spor, A; Rouard, N; Porcherot, M; Beguet, J; Martin-Laurent, F

2013-03-01

The temporal and spatial variability of the activity of soil microorganisms able to mineralize the herbicide isoproturon (IPU) pesticide was investigated over a three-year long crop rotation between 2008 and 2010. Isoproturon mineralization was higher in 2008, when winter wheat was treated with this herbicide, than in 2009 and 2010, when rape seed and barley were treated with different herbicides. Under laboratory conditions, we showed that isoproturon mineralization was not promoted by sulfonylurea herbicide applied on barley crop in 2010. IPU mineralization was shown to be highly variable at the field scale in years 2009 and 2010. Principal component analyses and analyses of similarities revealed that soil pH and equivalent humidity, and to a lesser extent soil organic matter content and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were the main drivers of isoproturon-mineralizing activity variance. Using a rather simple model that yields the rate of isoproturon mineralization as a function of soil pH and equivalent humidity, we explained up to 85% of the variance observed. Mapping field-scale distribution of isoproturon mineralization over the three-year survey indicated higher variability in 2009 and in 2010 as compared to 2008, suggesting that isoproturon treatment applied to winter wheat promoted isoproturon mineralization activity and reduced its spatial variability. Field-scale distribution of isoproturon mineralization showed important similarity to the distribution of soil pH, equivalent humidity and to a lesser extent to soil organic matter and cation exchange capacity (CEC) thereby confirming our model. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Amazonian landscapes and the bias in field studies of forest structure and biomass.

PubMed

Marvin, David C; Asner, Gregory P; Knapp, David E; Anderson, Christopher B; Martin, Roberta E; Sinca, Felipe; Tupayachi, Raul

2014-12-02

Tropical forests convert more atmospheric carbon into biomass each year than any terrestrial ecosystem on Earth, underscoring the importance of accurate tropical forest structure and biomass maps for the understanding and management of the global carbon cycle. Ecologists have long used field inventory plots as the main tool for understanding forest structure and biomass at landscape-to-regional scales, under the implicit assumption that these plots accurately represent their surrounding landscape. However, no study has used continuous, high-spatial-resolution data to test whether field plots meet this assumption in tropical forests. Using airborne LiDAR (light detection and ranging) acquired over three regions in Peru, we assessed how representative a typical set of field plots are relative to their surrounding host landscapes. We uncovered substantial mean biases (9-98%) in forest canopy structure (height, gaps, and layers) and aboveground biomass in both lowland Amazonian and montane Andean landscapes. Moreover, simulations reveal that an impractical number of 1-ha field plots (from 10 to more than 100 per landscape) are needed to develop accurate estimates of aboveground biomass at landscape scales. These biases should temper the use of plots for extrapolations of forest dynamics to larger scales, and they demonstrate the need for a fundamental shift to high-resolution active remote sensing techniques as a primary sampling tool in tropical forest biomass studies. The potential decrease in the bias and uncertainty of remotely sensed estimates of forest structure and biomass is a vital step toward successful tropical forest conservation and climate-change mitigation policy.

Long-term adherence to apomorphine infusion in patients with Parkinson disease: a 10-year observational study.

PubMed

Kimber, Thomas E; Fang, Jing; Huddy, Lynda J; Thompson, Philip D

2017-05-01

Patients with Parkinson disease (PD) commonly experience motor fluctuations and dyskinesias in response to oral dopaminergic medications. Affected patients may benefit from device-assisted therapy, such as medication infusion or deep brain stimulation surgery. This is the first Australian study of the long-term adherence to apomorphine infusion (AI) in patients with PD. To assess the adherence to AI in patients with PD in a single centre over a 10-year period and to find the reasons for discontinuation in patients who discontinued AI. This is an observational study of patients with PD treated with AI between 2004 and 2014. Outcome measures included changes in motor function and quality of life following AI, change in dose of other dopaminergic medications following AI, duration of infusion, adverse effects, reasons for cessation of AI and subsequent treatment after cessation. Mean duration of AI was 21.65 months. No patient achieved apomorphine monotherapy, and the mean reduction in the levodopa-equivalent dose of other dopaminergic medications after AI was 22.7%. The benefit of AI on motor function and quality of life was rated as 'much improved' or 'better' in 83% of patients. The most common reasons for discontinuation of AI were adverse effects and inadequate motor benefit. Most patients who discontinued AI were subsequently treated with another device-assisted therapy. AI is an effective therapy for severe motor response complications in PD, especially in the short and medium term. However, many patients cannot be maintained on AI in the longer term. © 2017 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Applications of long-term watershed research to forest management in California: 50 Years of Learning from the Caspar Creek Watershed Study

Treesearch

Cafferata Peter; Leslie Reid

2013-01-01

For over 50 years, the Caspar Creek Experimental Watersheds, located in western Mendocino County, California, have been the site of long-term cooperative watershed research carried out by the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station (PSW) and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). Preliminary stream flow, suspended...

Long-term outcome study of growth factor-treated pressure ulcers.

PubMed

Payne, W G; Ochs, D E; Meltzer, D D; Hill, D P; Mannari, R J; Robson, L E; Robson, M C

2001-01-01

Exogenous application of growth factors have been reported in an attempt to accelerate healing of chronic wounds. Most of the trials were of brief duration with short to no follow-up periods. Long-term outcome studies are sparse for pressure ulcer therapies with success rates around 30% for both operative and nonoperative treatments. Follow-up evaluations were performed serially up to 12 months for patients completing a 35 day blinded, placebo-controlled cytokine clinical trial of pressure ulcers. Fifty-four of 61 patients completed the follow-up period with 68.5% of the patients (37 of 54) being healed after 1 year. Of patients healing > or =85% during the active treatment phase, 84.6% were healed after 1 year compared with 61% of those that healed <85% during treatment (P <0.05). Long-term outcome was better in this growth factor trial than with surgical or standard nonoperative treatment of pressure ulcers. Since only patients receiving exogenously applied cytokines achieved >85% closure during the treatment phase of the trial, the excellent long-term outcome appears attributable to the cytokine therapy.

Exploring the new long-term (150 years) precipitation dataset in Azores archipelago

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernández, Armand; Trigo, Ricardo M.; Kutiel, Haim; Valente, Maria A.; Sigró, Javier

2015-04-01

Within the scope of the two major international projects of long-term reanalysis for the 20th century coordinated by NOAA (Compo et al. 2011) and ECMWF (Hersbach et al. 2013) the IDL Institute from the University of Lisbon has digitized a large number of long-term stations records from Portugal and former Portuguese Colonies (Stickler et al. 2014). Recently we have finished the digitization of all precipitation values from Ponta Delgada (capital of the Azores archipelago) obtaining an uninterrupted precipitation monthly time series since 1864 and additionally an almost complete corresponding daily precipitation series, with the exception of some years (1864/1872; 1878/1879; 1888/1905; 1931; 1936 and 1938) for which only monthly values are available. Here, we present an annually, seasonally and daily resolution study of the rainfall regime in Ponta Delgada for the last 150 years and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) influence over this precipitation regime. The distribution of precipitation presents an evident seasonal pattern, with a strong difference between the 'rainy season' (November/March) and the 'dry season' (June/August) with very little rainfall. April/May and September/October correspond to the transitional seasons. The mean annual rainfall in Ponta Delgada is approximately 910 mm and is accumulated (on average) in about 120 rainy days. The precipitation regime in Azores archipelago reveals large inter-annual and intra-annual variability and both have increased considerably in the last decades. The entire studied period (1865-2012) shows an increase in the rainfall conditions between a drier earlier period (1865-1938) and a wetter recent period (1939-2012). At daily resolution, we have used an approach based on different characteristics of rain spells (consecutive days with rainfall accumulation) that has been proved to be satisfactory for the analysis of the different parameters related to the rainfall regime (Kutiel and Trigo, 2014). This approach

Early intervention with tafamidis provides long-term (5.5-year) delay of neurologic progression in transthyretin hereditary amyloid polyneuropathy

PubMed Central

Waddington Cruz, Márcia; Amass, Leslie; Keohane, Denis; Schwartz, Jeffrey; Li, Huihua; Gundapaneni, Balarama

2016-01-01

Abstract Transthyretin hereditary amyloid polyneuropathy, also traditionally known as transthyretin familial amyloid polyneuropathy (ATTR-FAP), is a rare, relentless, fatal hereditary disorder. Tafamidis, an oral, non-NSAID, highly specific transthyretin stabilizer, demonstrated safety and efficacy in slowing neuropathy progression in early-stage ATTRV30M-FAP in a 1.5-year, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, and 1-year open-label extension study, with a second long-term open-label extension study ongoing. Subgroup analysis of the effectiveness of tafamidis in the pivotal study and its open-label extensions revealed a relatively cohesive cohort of patients with mild neuropathy (i.e. Neuropathy Impairment Score for Lower Limbs [NIS-LL] ≤ 10) at the start of active treatment. Early treatment with tafamidis for up to 5.5 years (≥1 dose of tafamidis meglumine 20 mg once daily during the original trial or after switching from placebo in its extension) resulted in sustained delay in neurologic progression and long-term preservation of nutritional status in this cohort. Mean (95% CI) changes from baseline in NIS-LL and mBMI were 5.3 (1.6, 9.1) points and −7.8 (−44.3, 28.8) kg/m2 × g/L at 5.5 years, respectively. No new safety issues or side effects were identified. These data represent the longest prospective evaluation of tafamidis to date, confirm a favorable safety profile, and underscore the long-term benefits of early intervention with tafamidis. Trial Registration: ClincalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00409175, NCT00791492, and NCT00925002. PMID:27494299

Early intervention with tafamidis provides long-term (5.5-year) delay of neurologic progression in transthyretin hereditary amyloid polyneuropathy.

PubMed

Waddington Cruz, Márcia; Amass, Leslie; Keohane, Denis; Schwartz, Jeffrey; Li, Huihua; Gundapaneni, Balarama

2016-09-01

Transthyretin hereditary amyloid polyneuropathy, also traditionally known as transthyretin familial amyloid polyneuropathy (ATTR-FAP), is a rare, relentless, fatal hereditary disorder. Tafamidis, an oral, non-NSAID, highly specific transthyretin stabilizer, demonstrated safety and efficacy in slowing neuropathy progression in early-stage ATTRV30M-FAP in a 1.5-year, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, and 1-year open-label extension study, with a second long-term open-label extension study ongoing. Subgroup analysis of the effectiveness of tafamidis in the pivotal study and its open-label extensions revealed a relatively cohesive cohort of patients with mild neuropathy (i.e. Neuropathy Impairment Score for Lower Limbs [NIS-LL] ≤ 10) at the start of active treatment. Early treatment with tafamidis for up to 5.5 years (≥1 dose of tafamidis meglumine 20 mg once daily during the original trial or after switching from placebo in its extension) resulted in sustained delay in neurologic progression and long-term preservation of nutritional status in this cohort. Mean (95% CI) changes from baseline in NIS-LL and mBMI were 5.3 (1.6, 9.1) points and -7.8 (-44.3, 28.8) kg/m 2 × g/L at 5.5 years, respectively. No new safety issues or side effects were identified. These data represent the longest prospective evaluation of tafamidis to date, confirm a favorable safety profile, and underscore the long-term benefits of early intervention with tafamidis. ClincalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00409175, NCT00791492, and NCT00925002.

TWENTY-THREE-YEAR LONG-TERM HEALTH OUTCOME AFTER THE WAR IN VUKOVAR.

PubMed

Habek, Dubravko; Dujaković, Tatjana; Habek, Jasna Cerkez; Jurković, Ivana

2016-03-01

Results of the first research of this kind on the 23-year long-term outcome in children born during the war in Vukovar are presented. This retrospective clinical study surveyed the potential 23-year long-term consequences and morbidity of children born between May 1, 1991 and November 19, 1991, during the siege and occupation of Vukovar. Data were obtained from women having delivered their babies in that period and from delivery protocols of the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Vukovar County Hospital. According to the survey and the data collected, there were 9 (3.98%) preterm deliveries, 60 (81%) of the total of 77 subjects were breastfed, 14 (19%) were not breastfed, while three babies died in the postpartum period. However, the breastfeeding period was evidently shorter, as only 10 women breastfed for a period longer than 6 months, while the mean length of the breastfeeding period was 9.9 weeks, i.e. 2.5 months. Allergy-related illnesses and proneness to infections in childhood and preschool age were found in 27.3% and 16.9% of children, respectively, while two children developed diabetes type 1. One child had atopic diathesis, two started speaking after the age of two, one child started walking late (after 20 months) and started speaking after the age of two, one child had loud sound phobia, and one used to overreact and express anger in inconvenient situations, all of them being of female gender and born prematurely. Cognitive and attention disorders and stress reactions were found in 6.5% of the children. Regular elementary school education was completed by 74 (96%) children, while three (3.8%) children experienced failure at school due bad behavior, i.e. delinquency. At the age of 23, 34 (46%) children had developed bad habits, i.e. 33 of them smoked, 2 were addicted to alcohol, whereas one was addicted to both smoking and alcohol. Forty (54%) subjects did not use any harmful substances. Psychiatric disorders related to anxiety, depression or other

Ageing and long-term CD4 cell count trends in HIV-positive patients with 5 years or more combination antiretroviral therapy experience.

PubMed

Wright, S T; Petoumenos, K; Boyd, M; Carr, A; Downing, S; O'Connor, C C; Grotowski, M; Law, M G

2013-04-01

The aim of this study was to describe the long-term changes in CD4 cell counts beyond 5 years of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). If natural ageing leads to a long-term decline in the immune system via low-grade chronic immune activation/inflammation, then one might expect to see a greater or earlier decline in CD4 counts in older HIV-positive patients with increasing duration of cART. Retrospective and prospective data were examined from long-term virologically stable HIV-positive adults from the Australian HIV Observational Database. We estimated mean CD4 cell count changes following the completion of 5 years of cART using linear mixed models. A total of 37 916 CD4 measurements were observed for 892 patients over a combined total of 9753 patient-years. Older patients (> 50 years old) at cART initiation had estimated mean (95% confidence interval) changes in CD4 counts by year-5 CD4 count strata (< 500, 500-750 and > 750 cells/μL) of 14 (7 to 21), 3 (-5 to 11) and -6 (-17 to 4) cells/μL/year. Of the CD4 cell count rates of change estimated, none were indicative of long-term declines in CD4 cell counts. Our results suggest that duration of cART and increasing age do not result in decreasing mean changes in CD4 cell counts for long-term virologically suppressed patients, indicating that the level of immune recovery achieved during the first 5 years of treatment is sustained through long-term cART. © 2012 British HIV Association.

Overview of long-term field experiments in Germany - metadata visualization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muqit Zoarder, Md Abdul; Heinrich, Uwe; Svoboda, Nikolai; Grosse, Meike; Hierold, Wilfried

2017-04-01

BonaRes ("soil as a sustainable resource for the bioeconomy") is conducting to collect data and metadata of agricultural long-term field experiments (LTFE) of Germany. It is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under the umbrella of the National Research Strategy BioEconomy 2030. BonaRes consists of ten interdisciplinary research project consortia and the 'BonaRes - Centre for Soil Research'. BonaRes Data Centre is responsible for collecting all LTFE data and regarding metadata into an enterprise database upon higher level of security and visualization of the data and metadata through data portal. In the frame of the BonaRes project, we are compiling an overview of long-term field experiments in Germany that is based on a literature review, the results of the online survey and direct contacts with LTFE operators. Information about research topic, contact person, website, experiment setup and analyzed parameters are collected. Based on the collected LTFE data, an enterprise geodatabase is developed and a GIS-based web-information system about LTFE in Germany is also settled. Various aspects of the LTFE, like experiment type, land-use type, agricultural category and duration of experiment, are presented in thematic maps. This information system is dynamically linked to the database, which means changes in the data directly affect the presentation. An easy data searching option using LTFE name, -location or -operators and the dynamic layer selection ensure a user-friendly web application. Dispersion and visualization of the overlapping LTFE points on the overview map are also challenging and we make it automatized at very zoom level which is also a consistent part of this application. The application provides both, spatial location and meta-information of LTFEs, which is backed-up by an enterprise geodatabase, GIS server for hosting map services and Java script API for web application development.

Long-term effect of biochar application on yield-scaled greenhouse gas emissions in a rice paddy cropping system: A four-year case study in south China.

PubMed

Qin, Xiaobo; Li, Yu'e; Wang, Hong; Liu, Chong; Li, Jianling; Wan, Yunfan; Gao, Qingzhu; Fan, Fenliang; Liao, Yulin

2016-11-01

To evaluate long-term effect of biochar application on yield-scaled greenhouse gas emissions (YSGE) in a paddy rice cropping system, a 4-year field experiment by static chamber - gas chromatograph method was conducted in South China. Principal component analysis and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and real-time qPCR was used to unravel the microbial mechanisms of biochar addition. Six treatments were included: control (CK), application of 5tha(-1) biochar (BC1), application of 10tha(-1) biochar (BC2), application of 10tha(-1) biochar (BC3), rice straw return at 2400kgha(-1)(RS) and inoculated rice straw return at 2400kgha(-1)(RI). The results indicated that biochar amendment significantly decreased methane (CH4) and gross greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This may primarily be ascribed to the stimulated biodiversity and abundance of methanotrophic microbes, increased soil pH and improved aeration by reducing bulk density after biochar incorporation. Compared with CK, RS and RI, 26.18%, 70.02%, 66.47% of CH4 flux and 26.14%, 70.16%, 66.46% of gross GHG emissions were reduced by biochar (mean of three biochar treatments), respectively. Furthermore, biochar significantly increased harvest index of double rice production (p<0.05). In comparison with CK, RS and RI, 29.14%, 68.04%, 62.28% of YSGE was reduced by biochar, respectively, and the highest biochar addition rate (20tha(-1)) contributed most to the mitigation of GHG emissions (36.24% decrease compared to CK) and improvement of rice yield (7.65% increase compared to CK). Results of our study suggested that long-term application of biochar should be the potential way to mitigate GHGs emissions and simultaneously improve rice productivity in the paddy rice system. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of different agronomic management practices on greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient cycling in a long-term field trial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koal, Philipp; Schilling, Rolf; Gerl, Georg; Pritsch, Karin; Munch, Jean Charles

2015-04-01

In order to achieve a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, modern agronomic management practices need to be established. Therefore, to assess the effect of different farming practices on greenhouse gas emissions, reliable data are required. The experiment covers and compares two main aspects of agricultural management for a better implementation of sustainable land use. The focus lies on the determination and interpretation of greenhouse gas emissions, however, regarding in each case a different agricultural management system, namely an organic farming system and an integrated farming system where the effect of diverse tillage systems and fertilisation practices are observed. In addition, with analysis of the alterable biological, physical and chemical soil properties a link between the impact of different management systems on greenhouse gas emissions and the observed cycle of matter in the soil, especially the nitrogen and carbon cycle, will be enabled. Measurements have been carried out on long-term field trials at the Research Farm Scheyern located in a Tertiary hilly landscape approximately 40 km north of Munich (South Germany). The long-term field trials of the organic and integrated farming system were started in 1992. Since then parcels of land (each around 0.2-0.4 ha) with a particular interior plot set-up have been conducted with the same crop rotation, tillage and fertilisation practice referring to organic and integrated farming management. Thus, the management impacts on the soil of more than 20 years are being examined. Fluxes of CH4, N2O and CO2 have been monitored since 2007 for the integrated farming system trial and since 2012 for the organic farming system trial using an automated system which consists of chambers (0.4 m2 area) with a motor-driven lid, an automated gas sampling unit, an on-line gas chromatographic analysis system, and a control and data logging unit. Precipitation and temperature data have been observed for each experimental

A note on powers in finite fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aabrandt, Andreas; Lundsgaard Hansen, Vagn

2016-08-01

The study of solutions to polynomial equations over finite fields has a long history in mathematics and is an interesting area of contemporary research. In recent years, the subject has found important applications in the modelling of problems from applied mathematical fields such as signal analysis, system theory, coding theory and cryptology. In this connection, it is of interest to know criteria for the existence of squares and other powers in arbitrary finite fields. Making good use of polynomial division in polynomial rings over finite fields, we have examined a classical criterion of Euler for squares in odd prime fields, giving it a formulation that is apt for generalization to arbitrary finite fields and powers. Our proof uses algebra rather than classical number theory, which makes it convenient when presenting basic methods of applied algebra in the classroom.

Two Year Field Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of Mamestra brassicae Nucleopolyhedrovirus Combined with Proteins Derived from Xestia c-nigrum Granulovirus

PubMed Central

Goto, Chie; Mukawa, Shigeyuki; Mitsunaga, Takayuki

2015-01-01

Japan has only three registered baculovirus biopesticides despite its long history of studies on insect viruses. High production cost is one of the main hindrances for practical use of baculoviruses. Enhancement of insecticidal effect is one possible way to overcome this problem, so there have been many attempts to develop additives for baculoviruses. We found that alkaline soluble proteins of capsules (GVPs) of Xestia c-nigrum granulovirus can increase infectivity of some viruses including Mamestra brassicae nucleopolyhedrovirus (MabrNPV), and previously reported that MabrNPV mixed with GVPs was highly infectious to three important noctuid pests of vegetables in the following order, Helicoverpa armigera, M. brassicae, and Autographa nigrisigna. In this study, small-plot experiments were performed to assess concentrations of MabrNPV and GVPs at three cabbage fields and a broccoli field for the control of M. brassicae. In the first experiment, addition of GVPs (10 µg/mL) to MabrNPV at 106 OBs/mL resulted in a significant increase in NPV infection (from 53% to 66%). In the second experiment, the enhancing effect of GVP on NPV infection was confirmed at 10-times lower concentrations of MabrNPV. In the third and fourth experiments, a 50% reduction in GVPs (from 10 µg/mL to 5 µg/mL) did not result in a lowering of infectivity of the formulations containing MabrNPV at 105 OBs/mL. These results indicate that GVPs are promising additives for virus insecticides. PMID:25760139

Long term continuous field survey to assess nutrient emission impact from irrigated paddy field into river catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kogure, Kanami; Aichi, Masaatsu; Zessner, Matthias

2017-04-01

P balance. N and P surplus are calculated by difference between input and output in a paddy field. As to nutrient balance in 2015 surplus shows minus value between input as fertilizer and output as rice product. However, by taking account of input via irrigation water as nutrient source, N and P input and output balance with errors by 9% and 14%. Results of long term continuous survey suggest that irrigation water is one of nutrient sources in rice cultivation.

Impaired quality of life in patients with treated acromegaly despite long-term biochemically stable disease: Results from a 5-years prospective study.

PubMed

Kyriakakis, Nikolaos; Lynch, Julie; Gilbey, Stephen G; Webb, Susan M; Murray, Robert D

2017-06-01

Patients with acromegaly demonstrate impaired quality of life (QoL), but data on long-term QoL changes in treated acromegaly are limited. This study evaluates and identifies factors that influence QoL in patients with long-term biochemical remission. The study consists of a cross-sectional arm comparing QoL between patients with treated and controlled acromegaly and healthy controls; and a longitudinal arm assessing QoL changes in patients with biochemically stable disease during 5.7±0.6 years of follow-up. A total of 58 patients and 116 matched controls were recruited for the cross-sectional arm; 28 patients completed the longitudinal arm. Three generic questionnaires (Psychological General Well-Being Schedule [PGWBS], 36-item Short-Form [SF-36], EuroQoL [EQ-5D]) and the disease-specific acromegaly QoL questionnaire (AcroQoL) were applied. Quality of life assessment was performed 11.6±8.2 years following diagnosis and treatment of acromegaly. Patients with treated acromegaly had lower QoL scores compared with controls in all questionnaires with the exception of the PGWBS "Anxiety" subscale. The AcroQoL "Appearance" subscale and the "Physical Function" subscales of the remaining questionnaires were the most underscored domains. No difference in the total and subscale scores of all questionnaires was observed between baseline and follow-up, with the exception of the SF-36 "Physical Function," where a decline was found (58.5±24.7% vs 43.1±31.1%; P=.002). However, after adjusting for covariates, no significant change in any of the QoL scores was seen. Duration of IGF-1/GH control was positively correlated with QoL scores in most questionnaires at baseline, whereas use of GH lowering therapy at the time of QoL assessment was a negative predictive factor of QoL. Patients with biochemically controlled acromegaly demonstrate impaired QoL, which persists despite long-term disease control. This primarily consists of impaired physical function and secondly of impaired

Declining Academic Fields in U.S. Four-Year Colleges and Universities, 1970-2006

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brint, Steven; Proctor, Kristopher; Mulligan, Kerry; Rotondi, Matthew B.; Hanneman, Robert A.

2012-01-01

This research identifies 22 fields that declined in absolute numbers and/or prevalence over a 35-year period. Most were basic fields in the arts and sciences. Steep declines were evident only in a few fields, notably European languages and literatures. Larger, higher status, and historically liberal arts oriented institutions were less likely to…

LONG-TERM ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD MEASUREMENT AND ASSESSMENT FOR A SHOPPING MALL.

PubMed

Engiz, Begum Korunur; Kurnaz, Cetin

2017-07-01

As a result of the dense deployment of wireless devices and base stations, measuring and evaluating the electromagnetic (EM) exposure levels they emit have become important to human health especially if they exceed the limits defined in the standards. Base stations, Wi-Fi equipment and other electronic devices are used heavily, especially in densely crowded places like shopping centers. In this study, electric field strength (E) measurements were conducted at one of the largest shopping malls in Turkey. Broadband E measurements were performed using PMM 8053 EM field strength meter for 24 h a day for the duration of one week while frequency selective measurements were carried out with SRM-3006 EM field strength meter. It is concluded from the measurements that the mean measured total E in the band between 100 kHz and 3 GHz is 0.59 V/m while the maximum E is 7.88 V/m, which are both below the limit determined by International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. Evolutions show that E can increase by up to 55% during the daytime. Analyses demonstrate that 71.3% of total E is caused by UMTS2100, 16.3% is produced by GSM900, 6.2% by LTE, 3.5% by Wi-Fi, and 2.7% is generated by devices that use the remaining frequency bands. Based on the detailed statistical analysis of long-term E measurement results, it can be concluded that the measured E levels are not in normal distribution and that they are statistically different with respect to days. Furthermore, distribution of E can be best modeled with the non-parametric approach. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Academic and Linguistic Gains during a Semester-Long Study Abroad: A Cohort Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cai, Wei; Li, Xiangrong; Liu, Meihua

2013-01-01

The present case study investigated university students' academic and linguistic gains during a semester-long exchange program abroad. Thirty three third-year English majors from a Chinese university answered a battery of questionnaires and 13 of them participated in semi-structured interviews both prior to and after the program. Analyses of the…

Studies of earthquakes and microearthquakes using near-field seismic and geodetic observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Toole, Thomas Bartholomew

The Centroid-Moment Tensor (CMT) method allows an optimal point-source description of an earthquake to be recovered from a set of seismic observations, and, for over 30 years, has been routinely applied to determine the location and source mechanism of teleseismically recorded earthquakes. The CMT approach is, however, entirely general: any measurements of seismic displacement fields could, in theory, be used within the CMT inversion formulation, so long as the treatment of the earthquake as a point source is valid for that data. We modify the CMT algorithm to enable a variety of near-field seismic observables to be inverted for the source parameters of an earthquake. The first two data types that we implement are provided by Global Positioning System receivers operating at sampling frequencies of 1,Hz and above. When deployed in the seismic near field, these instruments may be used as long-period-strong-motion seismometers, recording displacement time series that include the static offset. We show that both the displacement waveforms, and static displacements alone, can be used to obtain CMT solutions for moderate-magnitude earthquakes, and that performing analyses using these data may be useful for earthquake early warning. We also investigate using waveform recordings - made by conventional seismometers deployed at the surface, or by geophone arrays placed in boreholes - to determine CMT solutions, and their uncertainties, for microearthquakes induced by hydraulic fracturing. A similar waveform inversion approach could be applied in many other settings where induced seismicity and microseismicity occurs..

Long series of geomagnetic measurements - unique at satellite era

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandea, Mioara; Balasis, Georgios

2017-04-01

We have long appreciated that magnetic measurements obtained at Earth's surface are of great value in characterizing geomagnetic field behavior and then probing the deep interior of our Planet. The existence of new magnetic satellite missions data offer a new detailed global understanding of the geomagnetic field. However, when our interest moves over long-time scales, the very long series of measurements play an important role. Here, we firstly provide an updated series of geomagnetic declination in Paris, shortly after a very special occasion: its value has reached zero after some 350 years of westerly values. We take this occasion to emphasize the importance of long series of continuous measurements, mainly when various techniques are used to detect the abrupt changes in geomagnetic field, the geomagnetic jerks. Many novel concepts originated in dynamical systems or information theory have been developed, partly motivated by specific research questions from the geosciences. This continuously extending toolbox of nonlinear time series analysis is a key to understand the complexity of geomagnetic field. Here, motivated by these efforts, a series of entropy analysis are applied to geomagnetic field time series aiming to detect dynamical complex changes associated with geomagnetic jerks.

Long-term immigrant adaptation: eight-year follow-up study among immigrants from Russia and Estonia living in Finland.

PubMed

Jasinskaja-Lahti, Inga

2008-02-01

This study was a longitudinal investigation of the three different dimensions of long-term immigrant adaptation (i.e., psychological, sociocultural, and socioeconomic adaptation) and the relationships between them in an 8-year follow-up with panel data. The 282 respondents were immigrants in Finland, born between 1961 and 1976, coming from the former Soviet Union. The results suggest that the adaptation of these immigrants has developed favourably. In 8 years, the respondents had improved their Finnish language skills and their position in the labour market. No differences were observed in their levels of psychological well-being between the two assessments. Of the three adaptation dimensions assessed, sociocultural adaptation, measured as proficiency in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing Finnish, turned out to be the most significant predictor of the two other long-term outcomes of immigrant adaptation (i.e., socioeconomic and psychological). In particular, the better the initial command of the Finnish language, the better were their socioeconomic and psychological adaptation outcomes after 8 years of residence. These results demonstrate the importance of parallel and longitudinal assessments of the different outcomes of immigrant adaptation in order to address which particular dimensions of adaptation are most critical in the beginning of acculturation in terms of determining positive development and long-term immigrant adaptation. This study was supported by City of Helsinki Urban Facts. The author gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Anniina Lahtinen and Riku Perhoniemi in the data collection, and in addition, Riku Perhoniemi for the preliminary data analysis, and advice on the Amos analyses. Cette étude longitudinale a examiné trois différentes dimensions de l'adaptation à long-terme de l'immigré (i.e., adaptation psychologique, socio-culturelle et socio-économique) et de la relation entre elles dans un suivi de 8 ans avec des données de

20 Years of sea-levels, accretion, and vegetation on two Long ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The long-term 1939-2013 rate of RSLR (Relative Sea-Level Rise) at the New London, CT tide gauge is ~2.6 mm/yr, near the maximum rate of salt marsh accretion reported in eastern Long Island Sound salt marshes. Consistent with recent literature RSLR at New London has accelerated since the 1980s; inter-annual variability can be high, but over the last three decades rates have averaged ~4.5 mm/yr, more than double the first 40 years of the New London record. Marsh surface elevation has been followed for 10 years with a SET array at the Barn Island system on Little Narragansett Bay and 20 years using an accretion pin array at Mamacoke Marsh on the Thames River. From 2003 – 2013 accretion averaged 2.3 mm/yr on the Barn Island marshes while RSLR increased 5.4 mm/yr. The increased hydroperiod is driving vegetation change at Barn Island, particularly in areas that started with lower “elevation capital”. Over two decades Mamacoke accretion closely matched RSLR: 4.7 vs 4.9 mm/yr, with no significant shifts in vegetation. For the 1st 12 years at Mamacoke, accretion was slower than RSLR: 3.2 vs 8.1 mm/yr. From 2006 to 2014, however elevation increase averaged 7.0 mm/yr while sea level rose just 7 mm. By 2014 accretion rates across the marsh ranged from 1.3 to 16.1 mm /yr. Preliminary core analysis confirms highly organic peat, but reveals sand concentrations at 2–4 cm in some areas, suggesting that Hurricanes Irene (2011) and Sandy (2012) may have contributed to Mama

The Long-Term Impact of Early Life Poverty on Orbitofrontal Cortex Volume in Adulthood: Results from a Prospective Study Over 25 Years

PubMed Central

Holz, Nathalie E; Boecker, Regina; Hohm, Erika; Zohsel, Katrin; Buchmann, Arlette F; Blomeyer, Dorothea; Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine; Baumeister, Sarah; Hohmann, Sarah; Wolf, Isabella; Plichta, Michael M; Esser, Günter; Schmidt, Martin; Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas; Banaschewski, Tobias; Brandeis, Daniel; Laucht, Manfred

2015-01-01

Converging evidence has highlighted the association between poverty and conduct disorder (CD) without specifying neurobiological pathways. Neuroimaging research has emphasized structural and functional alterations in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) as one key mechanism underlying this disorder. The present study aimed to clarify the long-term influence of early poverty on OFC volume and its association with CD symptoms in healthy participants of an epidemiological cohort study followed since birth. At age 25 years, voxel-based morphometry was applied to study brain volume differences. Poverty (0=non-exposed (N=134), 1=exposed (N=33)) and smoking during pregnancy were determined using a standardized parent interview, and information on maternal responsiveness was derived from videotaped mother–infant interactions at the age of 3 months. CD symptoms were assessed by diagnostic interview from 8 to 19 years of age. Information on life stress was acquired at each assessment and childhood maltreatment was measured using retrospective self-report at the age of 23 years. Analyses were adjusted for sex, parental psychopathology and delinquency, obstetric adversity, parental education, and current poverty. Individuals exposed to early life poverty exhibited a lower OFC volume. Moreover, we replicated previous findings of increased CD symptoms as a consequence of childhood poverty. This effect proved statistically mediated by OFC volume and exposure to life stress and smoking during pregnancy, but not by childhood maltreatment and maternal responsiveness. These findings underline the importance of studying the impact of early life adversity on brain alterations and highlight the need for programs to decrease income-related disparities. PMID:25315195

The long-term impact of early life poverty on orbitofrontal cortex volume in adulthood: results from a prospective study over 25 years.

PubMed

Holz, Nathalie E; Boecker, Regina; Hohm, Erika; Zohsel, Katrin; Buchmann, Arlette F; Blomeyer, Dorothea; Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine; Baumeister, Sarah; Hohmann, Sarah; Wolf, Isabella; Plichta, Michael M; Esser, Günter; Schmidt, Martin; Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas; Banaschewski, Tobias; Brandeis, Daniel; Laucht, Manfred

2015-03-01

Converging evidence has highlighted the association between poverty and conduct disorder (CD) without specifying neurobiological pathways. Neuroimaging research has emphasized structural and functional alterations in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) as one key mechanism underlying this disorder. The present study aimed to clarify the long-term influence of early poverty on OFC volume and its association with CD symptoms in healthy participants of an epidemiological cohort study followed since birth. At age 25 years, voxel-based morphometry was applied to study brain volume differences. Poverty (0=non-exposed (N=134), 1=exposed (N=33)) and smoking during pregnancy were determined using a standardized parent interview, and information on maternal responsiveness was derived from videotaped mother-infant interactions at the age of 3 months. CD symptoms were assessed by diagnostic interview from 8 to 19 years of age. Information on life stress was acquired at each assessment and childhood maltreatment was measured using retrospective self-report at the age of 23 years. Analyses were adjusted for sex, parental psychopathology and delinquency, obstetric adversity, parental education, and current poverty. Individuals exposed to early life poverty exhibited a lower OFC volume. Moreover, we replicated previous findings of increased CD symptoms as a consequence of childhood poverty. This effect proved statistically mediated by OFC volume and exposure to life stress and smoking during pregnancy, but not by childhood maltreatment and maternal responsiveness. These findings underline the importance of studying the impact of early life adversity on brain alterations and highlight the need for programs to decrease income-related disparities.

Long-term changes of the glacial seismicity: case study from Spitsbergen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gajek, Wojciech; Trojanowski, Jacek; Malinowski, Michał

2016-04-01

Changes in global temperature balance have proved to have a major impact on the cryosphere, and therefore withdrawing glaciers are the symbol of the warming climate. Our study focuses on year-to-year changes in glacier-generated seismicity. We have processed 7-year long continuous seismological data recorded by the HSP broadband station located in the proximity of Hansbreen glacier (Hornsund, southern Spitsbergen), obtaining seismic activity distribution between 2008 and 2014. We developed a new fuzzy logic algorithm to distinguish between glacier- and non-glacier-origin events. The algorithm takes into account the frequency of seismic signal and the energy flow in certain time interval. Our research has revealed that the number of detected glacier-origin events over last two years has doubled. Annual events distribution correlates well with temperature and precipitation curves, illustrating characteristic yearlong behaviour of glacier seismic activity. To further support our observations, we have analysed 5-year long distribution of glacier-origin tremors detected in the vicinity of the Kronebreen glacier using KBS broadband station located in Ny-Ålesund (western Spitsbergen). We observe a steady increase in the number of detected events. detected each year, however not as significant as for Hornsund dataset.

Long-term monitoring of ULF electromagnetic fields at Parkfield, CA

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

Kappler, K.N.; Morrison, H.F.; Egbert, G.D.

2009-08-01

Electric and magnetic fields in the (10{sup -4}-1.0) Hz band were monitored at two sites adjacent to the San Andreas Fault near Parkfield and Hollister, California from 1995 to present. A data window [2002-2005], enclosing the September 28, 2004 M6 Parkfield earthquake, was analyzed to determine if anomalous electric or magnetic fields, or changes in ground conductivity, occurred before the earthquake. The data were edited, removing intervals of instrument malfunction leaving 875 days in the four-year period. Frequent, spike-like disturbances were common, but were not more frequent around the time of the earthquake; these were removed before subsequent processing. Signalmore » to noise amplitude spectra, estimated via magnetotelluric processing showed the behavior of the ULF fields to be remarkably constant over the period of analysis. These first-order plots make clear that most of the recorded energy is coherent over the spatial extent of the array. Three main statistical techniques were employed to separate local anomalous electrical or magnetic fields from the dominant coherent natural fields: transfer function estimates between components at each site were employed to subtract the dominant field, and look deeper at the 'residual' fields; the data were decomposed into principal components to identify the dominant coherent array modes; and the technique of canonical coherences was employed to distinguish anomalous fields which are spatially broad from anomalies which occur at a single site only, and furthermore to distinguish anomalies which are present in both the electric and magnetic fields from those which are present in only one field type. Standard remote reference apparent resistivity estimates were generated daily at Parkfield. A significant seasonal component of variability was observed suggesting local distortion due to variations in near surface resistance. In all cases, high levels of sensitivity to subtle electromagnetic effects were demonstrated

Long-Term Protection against Diphtheria in the Netherlands after 50 Years of Vaccination: Results from a Seroepidemiological Study

PubMed Central

Swart, E. M.; van Gageldonk, P. G. M.; de Melker, H. E.; van der Klis, F. R.; Berbers, G. A. M.; Mollema, L.

2016-01-01

Background and Aims To evaluate the National Immunisation Programme (NIP) a population-based cross-sectional seroepidemiological study was performed in the Netherlands. We assessed diphtheria antitoxin levels in the general Dutch population and in low vaccination coverage (LVC) areas where a relatively high proportion of orthodox Protestants live who decline vaccination based on religious grounds. Results were compared with a nationwide seroepidemiological study performed 11 years earlier. Methods In 2006/2007 a national serum bank was established. Blood samples were tested for diphtheria antitoxin IgG concentrations using a multiplex immunoassay for 6383 participants from the national sample (NS) and 1518 participants from LVC municipalities. A cut-off above 0.01 international units per ml (IU/ml) was used as minimum protective level. Results In the NS 91% of the population had antibody levels above 0.01 IU/ml compared to 88% in the 1995/1996 serosurvey (p<0.05). On average, 82% (vs. 78% in the 1995/1996 serosurvey, p<0.05) of individuals from the NS born before introduction of diphtheria vaccination in the NIP and 46% (vs. 37% in the 1995/1996 serosurvey, p = 0.11) of orthodox Protestants living in LVC areas had antibody levels above 0.01 IU/ml. Linear regression analysis among fully immunized individuals (six vaccinations) without evidence of revaccination indicated a continuous decline in antibodies in both serosurveys, but geometric mean antibodies remained well above 0.01 IU/ml in all age groups. Conclusions The NIP provides long-term protection against diphtheria, although antibody levels decline after vaccination. As a result of natural waning immunity, a substantial proportion of individuals born before introduction of diphtheria vaccination in the NIP lack adequate levels of diphtheria antibodies. Susceptibility due to lack of vaccination is highest among strictly orthodox Protestants. The potential risk of spread of diphtheria within the geographically

Academic Year Abroad, 1991-92: An IIE Guide to Study Abroad.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steen, Sara J., Ed.; Battle, Ed, Ed.

This directory provides information on 1,800 postsecondary study programs that take place in countries other than the United States during the academic year, ranging in length from 1 week to 1 year. An introductory section describes the organization of the listings, which provide program sponsor and name, location, dates, fields of study offered,…

Incidence, Mechanisms, and Severity of Match-Related Collegiate Men's Soccer Injuries on FieldTurf and Natural Grass Surfaces: A 6-Year Prospective Study.

PubMed

Meyers, Michael C

2017-03-01

Numerous injuries have been attributed to playing on artificial turf. More recently, newer generations of artificial turf have been developed to duplicate the playing characteristics of natural grass. Although artificial turf has been deemed safer than natural grass in some studies, few long-term studies have been conducted comparing match-related collegiate soccer injuries between the 2 playing surfaces. Collegiate male soccer athletes do not experience any difference in the incidence, mechanisms, or severity of match-related injuries between FieldTurf and natural grass. Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. Male soccer athletes from 11 universities were evaluated over 6 seasons. Demographic features and predictors included player position, cleat design, player weight, turf age, and environmental factors. Outcomes of interest included injury incidence, injury category, time loss, injury mechanism and situation, type of injury, injury grade and anatomic location, injury severity, head and lower extremity trauma, and elective medical procedures. All match-related injuries were evaluated by the attending head athletic trainer and team physicians on site and subsequently in the physician's office when further follow-up and treatment were deemed necessary. In sum, 765 collegiate games were evaluated for match-related soccer injuries sustained on FieldTurf or natural grass during 6 seasons. Overall, 380 team games (49.7%) were played on FieldTurf versus 385 team games (50.3%) played on natural grass. A total of 722 injuries were documented, with 268 (37.1%) occurring on FieldTurf and 454 (62.9%) on natural grass. Multivariate analysis per 10 team games indicated a significant playing surface effect: F 2,720 = 7.260, P = .001. A significantly lower total injury incidence rate (IIR) of 7.1 (95% CI, 6.6-7.5) versus 11.8 (95% CI, 11.3-12.2; P < .0001) and lower rate of substantial injuries, 0.7 (95% CI, 0.5-1.0) versus 1.9 (95% CI, 1.5-2.3; P < .03), were documented on Field

Manipulation of long-term dynamics in a colloidal active matter system using speckle light fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pince, Ercag; Velu, Sabareesh K. P.; Callegari, Agnese; Elahi, Parviz; Gigan, Sylvain; Volpe, Giovanni; Volpe, Giorgio

Particles undergoing a stochastic motion within a disordered medium is a ubiquitous physical and biological phenomena. Examples can be given from organelles performing tasks in the cytoplasm to large animals moving in patchy environment. Here, we use speckle light fields to study the anomalous diffusion in an active matter system consisting of micron-sized silica particles(diameter 5 μm) and motile bacterial cells (E. coli). The speckle light fields are generated by mode mixing inside a multimode optical fiber where a small amount of incident laser power is needed to obtain an effective disordered optical landscape for the purpose of optical manipulation. We experimentally show how complex potentials contribute to the long-term dynamics of the active matter system and observed an enhanced diffusion of particles interacting with the active bacterial bath in the speckle light fields. We showed that this effect can be tuned and controlled by varying the intensity and the statistical properties of the speckle pattern. Potentially, these results could be of interest for many technological applications, such as the manipulation of microparticles inside optically disordered media of biological interest.

Life after colectomy for fulminant Clostridium difficile colitis: a 7-year follow up study.

PubMed

Dallas, Kai B; Condren, Audree; Divino, Celia M

2014-04-01

The long-term prognosis of patients undergoing colectomy for fulminant Clostridium difficile colitis has not been well studied. The authors present 7-year survival trends in such patients. Patients were identified through a pathologic database. Medical records were reviewed and follow-up phone calls made to determine relevant patient history, longevity, and quality of life. The 61 patients identified had mean and median survival of 18.1 and 3.2 months, respectively, and 1-year, 2-year, 5-year, and 7-year mortality of 68.5%, 79.6%, 88.9%, and 90.7%, respectively. Previous C difficile infection, hypotension, requirement of vasopressors, mental status changes, elevated arterial lactate, decreased platelet counts, intubation, and longer duration on nonoperative therapy were associated with in-hospital mortality. There were no factors correlated with long-term survival. Patients who require colectomy for fulminant C difficile colitis have a poor prognosis with poor long-term survival and significant morbidity. Although there are several factors associated with in-hospital mortality, there were no factors correlated with long-term survival. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Geoscience Research at Storm Peak (GRASP), a year-long program providing exceptional field research for a diverse group of undergraduate students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hallar, A. G.; McCubbin, I. B.; Hallar, B. L.; Stockwell, W.; Kittelson, J.; Lopez, J.

2008-12-01

Geoscience Research at Storm Peak (GRASP) was designed to engage students from underrepresented groups through a partnership between Minority Serving Institutions and the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). The program exposed the GRASP participants to potential careers in the geosciences, provided them with an authentic research experience at Storm Peak Laboratory (SPL), and gave them an opportunity to explore dynamic scenery. Undergraduate students from Howard University, Colorado State at Pueblo, Leman College, and SUNY Oneonta, gathered at SPL in June of 2008 via funding from the National Science Foundation Opportunity for Enhancing Diversity. The students reunited at Howard University in November to present the results of their research project. Throughout the year-long GRASP program students encountered the scientific process-creating a hypothesis, collecting and analyzing data, and presenting their results. Results from surveys, focus groups, and individual interviews will be discussed in this presentation.

Medical and non-medical predictors of initiating long-term use of proton pump inhibitors: a nationwide cohort study of first-time users during a 10-year period.

PubMed

Haastrup, P F; Paulsen, M S; Christensen, R D; Søndergaard, J; Hansen, J M; Jarbøl, D E

2016-07-01

Studies of the increasing use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have mainly focused on prevalent long-term use and associations with gastrointestinal morbidity and comedication. Little is known about non-medical characteristics of first-time users of PPI, and predictors of initiating long-term use of PPIs. To describe medical and non-medical characteristics of first-time PPI users during a 10-year period and to analyse predictors of initiation of long-term use (>60 defined daily doses (DDDs) within 6 months) of PPIs. A nationwide cohort study of first-time users of PPI. Data were collected from Danish national registers. Individuals redeeming their first prescription for a PPI (omeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole, rabeprazole, esomeprazole) in 2001 and 2011 were identified. Redemption of more than 60 DDDs of PPI within 6 months defined long-term use. Logistic regression models were used to determine the associations between previous diagnoses, comedication and socio-economic characteristics and initiation of long-term use of PPIs in 2011. From 2001 to 2011 incidence of first-time users increased with an incidence rate ratio of 1.53 and mean quantity of PPI redeemed at first prescription increased by 44.6%. In 2011 a total of 37.6% redeemed >60 DDDs within 6 months, and 96% of the long-term users did not have a diagnosis registered which indicated treatment. New onset long-term use was significantly associated with low income and low educational level when adjusting for other predisposing variables. Proton pump inhibitor treatment is increasingly initiated with larger quantities prescribed for indications that are unidentifiable from the registers. Morbidity and comedication seem to be the strongest predictors of new onset long-term use of PPIs. However, there is also an independent social gradient. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Development of a positive corona from a long grounded wire in a growing thunderstorm field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mokrov, M. S.; Raizer, Yu P.; Bazelyan, E. M.

2013-11-01

The properties of a non-stationary corona initiated from a long grounded wire suspended horizontally above the ground and coronating in a slowly varying thundercloud electric field are studied. A two-dimensional (2D) model of the corona is developed. On the basis of this model, characteristics of the corona produced by a lightning protection wire are calculated under thunderstorm conditions. The corona characteristics are also found by using approximate analytical and quasi-one-dimensional numerical models. The results of these models agree reasonably well with those obtained from the 2D simulation. This allows one to estimate the corona parameters without recourse to the cumbersome simulation. This work was performed with a view to study the efficiency of lightning protection wires later on.

Surgical Treatment of Nonlesional Neocortical Epilepsy: Long-term Longitudinal Study.

PubMed

Kim, Dong Wook; Lee, Sang Kun; Moon, Hye-Jin; Jung, Ki-Young; Chu, Kon; Chung, Chun-Ki

2017-03-01

The proportion of surgery for nonlesional neocortical epilepsy has recently increased, with a decrease in surgery for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. However, there are only a few studies regarding the long-term surgical outcome and the potential prognostic factors for patients with nonlesional neocortical epilepsy. To evaluate the long-term surgical outcome and to identify possible prognostic factors in patients with nonlesional neocortical epilepsy. In a surgical cohort from September 1995 to December 2005 at the Seoul National University Hospital, we included 109 consecutive patients without lesions identifiable by magnetic resonance imaging who underwent focal surgical resection for drug-resistant neocortical epilepsy. Follow-up information for at least 10 years was available for all but 1 patient. Univariate and standard multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the predictors of surgical outcomes, and a generalized estimation equation model was used for the longitudinal multiple logistic regression analysis of up to 21 years of follow-up. The patients consisted of 64 men and 45 women with ages at surgery ranging from 7 to 56 years (mean [SD], 27.1 [7.8] years). At 1 year after surgery, 59 of 109 patients (54.1%) achieved seizure freedom, and 64 of 108 patients (59.3%) achieved seizure freedom at the last follow-up. Only 11 of 108 patients (10.2%) experienced definite changes in postoperative seizure status. Localizing patterns in functional neuroimaging (strongest odds ratio [OR], 0.30 [95% CI, 0.14-0.66] for fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography; 0.37 [95% CI, 0.15-0.87] for ictal single-photon emission computed tomography), concordant results in presurgical diagnostic evaluations (OR, 3.15 [95% CI, 1.42-7.02]), the presence of aura (OR, 3.49 [95% CI, 1.54-7.92]), and complete resection of areas of ictal onset with frequent interictal spikes during the intracranial electroencephalographic study (OR, 0.37 [95% CI, 0

Evaluation of pharmacotherapy complexity in residents of long-term care facilities: a cross-sectional descriptive study.

PubMed

Alves-Conceição, Vanessa; Silva, Daniel Tenório da; Santana, Vanessa Lima de; Santos, Edileide Guimarães Dos; Santos, Lincoln Marques Cavalcante; Lyra, Divaldo Pereira de

2017-07-25

Polypharmacy is a reality in long-term care facilities. However, number of medications used by the patient should not be the only predictor of a complex pharmacotherapy. Although the level of complexity of pharmacotherapy is considered an important factor that may lead to side effects, there are few studies in this field. The aim of this study was to evaluate the complexity of pharmacotherapy in residents of three long-term care facilities. A cross-sectional study was performed to evaluate the complexity of pharmacotherapy using the protocols laid out in the Medication Regimen Complexity Index instrument in three long-term care facilities in northeastern Brazil. As a secondary result, potential drug interactions, potentially inappropriate medications, medication duplication, and polypharmacy were evaluated. After the assessment, the association among these variables and the Medication Regimen Complexity Index was performed. In this study, there was a higher prevalence of women (64.4%) with a high mean age among the study population of 81.8 (±9.7) years. The complexity of pharmacotherapy obtained a mean of 15.1 points (±9.8), with a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 59. The highest levels of complexity were associated with dose frequency, with a mean of 5.5 (±3.6), followed by additional instructions of use averaging 4.9 (±3.7) and by the dosage forms averaging 4.6 (±3.0). The present study evaluated some factors that complicate the pharmacotherapy of geriatric patients. Although polypharmacy was implicated as a factor directly related to complexity, other indicators such as drug interactions, potentially inappropriate medications, and therapeutic duplication can also make the use of pharmacotherapy in such patients more difficult.

Élie Metchnikoff (1845-1916): celebrating 100 years of cellular immunology and beyond.

PubMed

Underhill, David M; Gordon, Siamon; Imhof, Beat A; Núñez, Gabriel; Bousso, Philippe

2016-10-01

The year 2016 marks 100 years since the death of Élie Metchnikoff (1845-1916), the Russian zoologist who pioneered the study of cellular immunology and who is widely credited with the discovery of phagocytosis, for which he was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1908. However, his long scientific career spanned many disciplines and has had far-reaching effects on modern immunology beyond the study of phagocytosis. In this Viewpoint article, five leading immunologists from the fields of phagocytosis, macrophage biology, leukocyte migration, the microbiota and intravital imaging tell Nature Reviews Immunology how Metchnikoff's work has influenced past, present and future research in their respective fields.

Long-term (up to 4.5 years) treatment with fingolimod in multiple sclerosis: results from the extension of the randomised TRANSFORMS study.

PubMed

Cohen, Jeffrey A; Khatri, Bhupendra; Barkhof, Frederik; Comi, Giancarlo; Hartung, Hans-Peter; Montalban, Xavier; Pelletier, Jean; Stites, Tracy; Ritter, Shannon; von Rosenstiel, Philipp; Tomic, Davorka; Kappos, Ludwig

2016-05-01

The 12-month (M), phase 3, double-blind, randomised TRANSFORMS study demonstrated significant benefits of fingolimod 0.5 or 1.25 mg over interferon β-1a (IFNβ-1a) in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. We report the results of long-term (up to 4.5 years) extension of TRANSFORMS. Patients randomised to fingolimod (0.5/1.25 mg) in the core phase continued the same dose (continuous-fingolimod) in the extension, whereas those on IFNβ-1a were re-randomised (1:1) to fingolimod (IFN-switch; IFN: 0.5/1.25 mg). Outcomes included annualised relapse rate (ARR), confirmed disability progression and MRI measures. Results are presented here for the continuous-fingolimod 0.5 mg and pooled IFN-switch groups. Of the 1027 patients who entered the extension, 772 (75.2%) completed the study. From baseline to the end of the study (EOS), ARR in patients on continuous-fingolimod 0.5 mg was significantly lower than in the IFN-switch group (M0-EOS: 0.17 vs 0.27). After switching to fingolimod (M0-12 vs M13-EOS), patients initially treated with IFN had a 50% reduction in ARR (0.40 vs 0.20), reduced MRI activity and a lower rate of brain volume loss. In a post hoc analysis, the proportion of IFN-switch patients with no evidence of disease activity increased by approximately 50% in the first year after switching to fingolimod treatment (44.3% to 66.0%). The safety profile was consistent with that observed in the core phase. These results support a continued effect of long-term fingolimod therapy in maintaining a low rate of disease activity and sustained improved efficacy after switching from IFNβ-1a to fingolimod. NCT00340834. 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/

Supramolecular control of the spin-dependent dynamics of long-lived charge-separated states at the micellar interface as studied by magnetic field effect.

PubMed

Miura, Tomoaki

2013-05-30

Spin selectivity in long-lived charge separation at the micellar interface is studied using the magnetic field effect (MFE). An amphiphilic viologen is complexed with a nonionic surfactant to form a supramolecular acceptor cage, of which the size is controlled by the acceptor concentration, as confirmed by dynamic light scattering measurement. Photoinduced electron transfer (ET) from a guest polyaromatic molecule to the viologen moiety is observed spin-dependently with time-resolved fluorescence (trFL) and transient absorption (TA). A negative MFE on the radical yield is successfully observed, which indicates generation of singlet-born long-lived radical pair that is realized by supramolecular control of the donor-acceptor (D-A) distances. The dominance of the singlet-precursor MFE is sensitive to the acceptor concentration, which presumably affects the D-A distance as well as the cage size. However, theoretical analysis of the MFE gives large recombination rates of ca. 10(8) s(-1), which indicate the contribution of spin-allowed recombination of the pseudocontact radical pair generated by still active in-cage diffusion. Dependence of the viologen concentration and alkyl chain length on the recombination and escape dynamics is discussed in terms of precursor spin states and the microenvironments in the cage.

Integrating Field-Centered, Project Based Activities with Academic Year Coursework: A Curriculum Wide Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelso, P. R.; Brown, L. M.

2015-12-01

Based upon constructivist principles and the recognition that many students are motivated by hands-on activities and field experiences, we designed a new undergraduate curriculum at Lake Superior State University. One of our major goals was to develop stand-alone field projects in most of the academic year courses. Examples of courses impacted include structural geology, geophysics, and geotectonics, Students learn geophysical concepts in the context of near surface field-based geophysical studies while students in structural geology learn about structural processes through outcrop study of fractures, folds and faults. In geotectonics students learn about collisional and rifting processes through on-site field studies of specific geologic provinces. Another goal was to integrate data and samples collected by students in our sophomore level introductory field course along with stand-alone field projects in our clastic systems and sequence stratigraphy courses. Our emphasis on active learning helps students develop a meaningful geoscience knowledge base and complex reasoning skills in authentic contexts. We simulate the activities of practicing geoscientists by engaging students in all aspects of a project, for example: field-oriented project planning and design; acquiring, analyzing, and interpreting data; incorporating supplemental material and background data; and preparing oral and written project reports. We find through anecdotal evidence including student comments and personal observation that the projects stimulate interest, provide motivation for learning new concepts, integrate skill and concept acquisition vertically through the curriculum, apply concepts from multiple geoscience subdisiplines, and develop soft skills such as team work, problem solving, critical thinking and communication skills. Through this projected-centered Lake Superior State University geology curriculum students practice our motto of "learn geology by doing geology."

Long-Term Outcomes of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using Either Synthetics With Remnant Preservation or Hamstring Autografts: A 10-Year Longitudinal Study.

PubMed

Chen, Tianwu; Zhang, Peng; Chen, Jiwu; Hua, Yinghui; Chen, Shiyi

2017-10-01

The optimal graft choice of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction remains controversial. To compare the outcomes, especially the long-term cumulative failure rate, of ACL reconstruction using either synthetics with remnant preservation or hamstring autografts (4-strand semitendinosus and gracilis tendons). Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. A total of 133 patients who underwent ACL reconstruction (synthetics: n = 43; hamstring autografts: n = 90) between July 2004 and December 2007 were included. Questionnaires (Tegner activity scale, Lysholm knee scale, and International Knee Documentation Committee [IKDC] subjective form) were completed preoperatively and at 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years postoperatively. The Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) was additionally applied at 10 years' follow-up. The physical examination was based on the 2000 IKDC form. The manual maximum side-to-side difference (KT-1000 arthrometer), single-hop test, thigh muscle atrophy, and joint degeneration (Kellgren and Lawrence classification) were evaluated. The Kaplan-Meier curve and log-rank test (Mantel-Cox, 95% CI) were used to compare graft survivorship. Ten years postoperatively, 111 patients were available, with 38 (88.4%) patients (mean age, 27.6 ± 9.3 years; 28 men) with synthetics and 73 (81.1%) patients (mean age, 28.6 ± 8.8 years; 64 men) with hamstring autografts. Among them, 104 patients (synthetics: n = 35 [81.4%]; hamstring autografts: n = 69 [76.7%]) completed subjective evaluations, and 89 patients (synthetics: n = 30 [69.8%]; hamstring autografts: n = 59 [65.6%]) completed objective evaluations. For hamstring autografts and synthetics, the cumulative failure rates were 8.2% and 7.9%, respectively, and the log-rank test demonstrated no significant difference between the 2 Kaplan-Meier survival curves ( P = .910). At 6 months postoperatively, for hamstring autografts and synthetics, the mean Lysholm score was 83.0 ± 7.8 and 88.1 ± 7

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

PubMed

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

2016-10-01

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

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

PubMed Central

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

2017-01-01

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

Safety, Efficacy, and Persistence of Long-Term Mirabegron Treatment for Overactive Bladder in the Daily Clinical Setting: Interim (1-Year) Report from a Japanese Post-Marketing Surveillance Study.

PubMed

Kato, Daisuke; Tabuchi, Hiromi; Uno, Satoshi

2017-08-01

To report interim 1-year results from a 3-year surveillance study evaluating safety, efficacy, and persistence of long-term mirabegron for overactive bladder (OAB). Patients starting treatment with mirabegron for urinary urgency, daytime frequency, and urgency incontinence associated with OAB were registered and followed up for 3 years. Data were collected on adverse drug reactions (ADR), changes in OAB symptoms, changes in Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS), and treatment discontinuations. Treatment persistence rates were calculated by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Eighty-one ADR were observed in 72/1139 patients (6.3%) through 1 year of mirabegron treatment, with the incidence highest during the first month. No significant change in residual urine volume was observed at any observation point up to 1 year of mirabegron treatment. Mirabegron was deemed "effective" in 883/1091 patients (80.9%) at 1 year/discontinuation. Total OABSS was decreased with statistical significance at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year, or at discontinuation (P < 0.001 at each time point). Kaplan-Meier treatment persistence rates were 84.8% at 3 months, 77.6% at 6 months, and 66.0% at 1 year. Treatment persistence rates were similar for male and female patients but significantly higher for patients aged ≥65 years (67.3%; n = 908) compared with those aged <65 years (59.8%; n = 231; log-rank test: P = 0.032). Long-term OAB treatment with mirabegron was well-tolerated, with effectiveness maintained through 1 year. Mirabegron treatment persistence was higher than has been previously reported, and was greater in patients aged ≥65 years compared with those aged <65 years. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Surface Magnetic Fields on Giants and Supergiants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebre, Agnès

2018-04-01

After a short introduction to spectropolarimetry and the tecnics allowing for the detection of surface fields, I will review the numerous and various detections of magnetic fields at the surface of giant and supergiant stars. On Betelgeuse, the prototype of Red Supergiants, I will present recent results collected after a 10 years long spectropolarimetric survey.

Methods to Prove 20+ Year Life of CPV Products (in less than 20 Years)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowman, John; Spencer, Mark

2011-12-01

Due to the long term life expectations of photovoltaic products and the short duration of most introduced CPV technologies, it is critical for CPV companies to carefully construct field trials to prove product life. Because of the complicated geometric, thermal, and spectral characteristics of CPV systems, conducting very precise power output measurements reproducibly over many months is very difficult. Robust normalization methods specific to the exact optical system and PV cell type must be developed. Once the performance over a specific duration, e.g. one year, is established, then some justification is required to extrapolate to future performance. Comparisons to accelerated test results provide this justification. SolFocus has been conducting field trials of the SF-1100S CPV system for over two years. These field trials consist of controlled populations of SF-1100P modules, operating in grid-tied systems, which have been repeatedly measured at the individual module level over the duration of the trials. In this paper, field data will be presented along with normalization methodology and statistical methods for determining power degradation slope distributions for populations of individual modules. These results will be correlated with accelerated field tests which have been ongoing for 1.5 years and are estimated to be equivalent to 10 to 15 years of non-accelerated operation.

Modeling and risk assessment of a 30-Year-old subsurface radioactive-liquid drain field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dawson, Lon A.; Pohl, Phillip I.

1997-11-01

The contamination from a 30-year-old radioactive liquid drain field was assessed for movement in the subsurface and potential risks to humans. This assessment included determining field concentrations of cesium 137 (137Cs) and other inorganic contaminants and modeling of the flow and transport of the liquid waste that was sent to the drain field. The field investigation detected no contamination deeper than 15 feet (4.6 m) from the bottom of the drain field. Prediction of the water content of the vadose zone showed no saturated conditions for times greater than 10 years after the known infiltration. Sensitivity analysis of the modeling parameters showed the equilibrium sorption coefficient to be the most important factor in predicting the contaminant plumes. Calibration of modeling results with field data gave a 137Cs sorption coefficient that is within the range of values found in the literature. The risk assessment for the site showed that the contamination poses no significant risk to human health.

Analysis of Surface Electric Field Measurements from an Array of Electric Field Mills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucas, G.; Thayer, J. P.; Deierling, W.

2016-12-01

Kennedy Space Center (KSC) has operated an distributed array of over 30 electric field mills over the past 18 years, providing a unique data set of surface electric field measurements over a very long timespan. In addition to the electric field instruments there are many meteorological towers around KSC that monitor the local meteorological conditions. Utilizing these datasets we have investigated and found unique spatial and temporal signatures in the electric field data that are attributed to local meteorological effects and the global electric circuit. The local and global scale influences on the atmospheric electric field will be discussed including the generation of space charge from the ocean surf, local cloud cover, and a local enhancement in the electric field that is seen at sunrise.

The Montpellier Leishmania Collection, from a Laboratory Collection to a Biological Resource Center: A 39-Year-Long Story

PubMed Central

Pratlong, Francine; Balard, Yves; Lami, Patrick; Talignani, Loïc; Ravel, Christophe; Dereure, Jacques; Lefebvre, Michèle; Serres, Ghislaine; Bastien, Patrick

2016-01-01

We report the development of a laboratory collection of Leishmania that was initiated in 1975 and, after 39 years, has become an international Biological Resource Center (BRC-Leish, Montpellier, France, BioBank No. BB-0033-00052), which includes 6353 strains belonging to 36 Leishmania taxa. This is a retrospective analysis of the technical and organizational changes that have been adopted over time to take into account the technological advances and related modifications in the collection management and quality system. The technical improvements concerned the culture and cryopreservation techniques, strain identification by isoenzymatic and molecular techniques, data computerization and quality management to meet the changes in international standards, and in the cryogenic and microbiological safety procedures. The BRC is working toward obtaining the NF-S 96-900 certification in the coming years. Our long-term expertise in Leishmania storage and typing and collection maintenance should encourage field epidemiologists and clinical practitioners in endemic countries to secure their own strain collection with the help of the French BRC-Leish. PMID:27379470

Blue Whale Behavioral Response Study & Field Testing of the New Bioacoustic Probe

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-30

L. T. HATCH and C. W. CLARK. 2003. Variation in humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) song length in relation to low-frequency sound broadcasts...1 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Blue Whale Behavioral Response Study & Field Testing of...ucsd.edu Award Number: N000140811221 LONG-TERM GOALS Task 1: Blue Whales Behavioral Response Study The behavioral response of large whales

Evaluation of the long-term efficacy of K-Othrine® PolyZone on three surfaces against laboratory reared Anopheles gambiae in semi-field conditions.

PubMed

Dunford, James C; Estep, Alden S; Waits, Christy M; Richardson, Alec G; Hoel, David F; Horn, Karin; Walker, Todd W; Blersch, Jessika S; Kerce, Jerry D; Wirtz, Robert A

2018-02-23

In this semi-field study, a new polymer-enhanced deltamethrin formulation, K-Othrine ® PolyZone, was compared to a standard deltamethrin product for residual activity against a susceptible strain of laboratory-reared Anopheles gambiae using standard WHO cone bioassays. Residual insecticide efficacy was recorded after exposure to metal, cement and wood panels maintained in experimental huts in sub-tropical environmental conditions in north central Florida, USA, and panels stored in a climate controlled chamber located at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Georgia, USA. K-Othrine ® PolyZone demonstrated 100% control on metal and cement panels 1 year post application and > 80% control on wood panels up to 6 mo. The new formulation should be considered for use in indoor residual spray programmes requiring long-term control of malaria vectors.

Long-Range Planning: A Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vance, Carmen L.; And Others

1987-01-01

Describes the use of one model to guide the long-range planning process of the Department of Residential Life, within the Division of Student Affairs and Services, at the University of Connecticut. Suggestions derived from the use of the model over a three-year planning cycle are presented for other housing officers to consider. (NB)

Long-term 4-year safety of saxagliptin in drug-naive and metformin-treated patients with Type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Rosenstock, J; Gross, J L; Aguilar-Salinas, C; Hissa, M; Berglind, N; Ravichandran, S; Fleming, D

2013-12-01

To evaluate the safety of saxagliptin ± metformin over 4 years in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Drug-naive (n = 401; study 11) or metformin-treated (n = 743; study 14) adults with HbA(1c) of 53-86 mmol/mol (7.0-10%) were enrolled in two randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials of saxagliptin 2.5, 5 or 10 mg/day. Patients rescued during or completing 24 weeks of treatment could continue in a 42-month long-term blinded phase, for which the primary goal was assessment of safety and tolerability. Between-group efficacy was not evaluated in the long-term phase of study 11. Time to rescue or discontinuation because of inadequate glycaemic control, change from baseline in HbA(1c) and percentages of patients achieving HbA(1c) < 53 mmol/mol (< 7.0%) were assessed in study 14. No new safety findings were noted during the long-term phase. Most adverse events were mild or moderate, with slightly greater frequency of upper respiratory infections with saxagliptin. Hypoglycaemic event rates were similar with saxagliptin and placebo. In study 14, time to rescue or discontinuation because of inadequate glycaemic control was longer with saxagliptin plus metformin than for placebo plus metformin. From baseline to week 154, HbA(1c) decreased with saxagliptin but increased with placebo. Saxagliptin monotherapy or add-on to metformin is generally safe and well tolerated, with no increased risk of hypoglycaemia, for up to 4 years. © 2013 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine © 2013 Diabetes UK.

Long-term safety and efficacy of deferasirox (Exjade) for up to 5 years in transfusional iron-overloaded patients with sickle cell disease.

PubMed

Vichinsky, Elliott; Bernaudin, Françoise; Forni, Gian Luca; Gardner, Renee; Hassell, Kathryn; Heeney, Matthew M; Inusa, Baba; Kutlar, Abdullah; Lane, Peter; Mathias, Liesl; Porter, John; Tebbi, Cameron; Wilson, Felicia; Griffel, Louis; Deng, Wei; Giannone, Vanessa; Coates, Thomas

2011-08-01

To date, there is a lack of long-term safety and efficacy data for iron chelation therapy in transfusion-dependent patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). To evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of deferasirox (a once-daily oral iron chelator), patients with SCD completing a 1-year, Phase II, randomized, deferoxamine (DFO)-controlled study entered a 4-year extension, continuing to receive deferasirox, or switching from DFO to deferasirox. Average actual deferasirox dose was 19·4 ± 6·3 mg/kg per d. Of 185 patients who received at least one deferasirox dose, 33·5% completed the 5-year study. The most common reasons for discontinuation were withdrawal of consent (23·8%), lost to follow-up (9·2%) and adverse events (AEs) (7·6%). Investigator-assessed drug-related AEs were predominantly gastrointestinal [including nausea (14·6%), diarrhoea (10·8%)], mild-to-moderate and transient in nature. Creatinine clearance remained within the normal range throughout the study. Despite conservative initial dosing, serum ferritin levels in patients with ≥ 4 years deferasirox exposure significantly decreased by -591 μg/l (95% confidence intervals, -1411, -280 μg/l; P = 0·027; n = 67). Long-term deferasirox treatment for up to 5 years had a clinically acceptable safety profile, including maintenance of normal renal function, in patients with SCD. Iron burden was substantially reduced with appropriate dosing in patients treated for at least 4 years. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Salary-Trend Studies of Faculty for the Years 1994-95 and 1997-98 in the Following Academic Disciplines/Major Fields: History, General, ...,Visual and Performing Arts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howe, Richard D.

This document provides comparative salary trend data for full-time faculty in 26 academic disciplines/major fields for the baseline year 1994-95 and the trend year 1997-98 for 262 public and 387 private institutions. For each discipline/major field surveyed, the report provides a Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) definition, data…

Standardizing flow cytometric assays in long-term population-based studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melzer, Susanne; Bocsi, Jozsef; Tárnok, Attila

2015-03-01

Quantification of leukocyte subpopulations and characterization of antigen-expression pattern on the cellular surface can play an important role in diagnostics. The state of cellular immunology on the single-cell level was analyzed by polychromatic flow cytometry in a recent comparative study within the average Leipzig population (LIFE - Leipzig Research Centre for Civilization Diseases). Data of 1699 subjects were recorded over a long-time period of three years (in a total of 1126 days). To ensure compatibility of such huge data sets, quality-controls on many levels (stability of instrumentation, low intra-laboratory variance and reader independent data analysis) are essential. The LIFE study aims to analyze various cytometric pattern to reveal the relationship between the life-style, the environmental effects and the individual health. We therefore present here a multi-step quality control procedure for long-term comparative studies.

Field Instructors' Perspectives on Foundation Year MSW Students' Preplacement Anxiety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenthal Gelman, Caroline

2011-01-01

This study elicited 39 field instructors' perspectives on the anxiety that students experience as they begin field placements. Field instructors rated students as significantly more anxious than did students themselves, and although field instructors believed anxiety interferes with learning to a greater extent than did students, they did not…

Educational attainment among long-term survivors of cancer in childhood and adolescence: a Norwegian population-based cohort study.

PubMed

Ghaderi, Sara; Engeland, Anders; Gunnes, Maria Winther; Moster, Dag; Ruud, Ellen; Syse, Astri; Wesenberg, Finn; Bjørge, Tone

2016-02-01

The number of young cancer survivors has increased over the past few decades due to improvement in treatment regimens, and understanding of long-term effects among the survivors has become even more important. Educational achievements and choice of educational fields were explored here. Five-year cancer survivors born in Norway during 1965-1985 (diagnosed <19 years) were included in our analysis by linking Norwegian population-based registries. Cox regression was applied to study the educational attainment among survivors of central nervous system (CNS) tumours, those assumed to have received CNS-directed therapy, and other cancer survivors relative to the cancer-free population. Logistic regression was used to compare the choice of educational fields between the cancer survivors at undergraduate and graduate level and the cancer-free population. Overall, a lower proportion of the cancer survivors completed intermediate (67 vs. 70 %), undergraduate (31 vs. 35 %) and graduate education (7 vs. 9 %) compared with the cancer-free population. Deficits in completion of an educational level were mainly observed among survivors of CNS-tumours and those assumed to have received CNS-directed therapy. Choices of educational fields among cancer survivors were in general similar with the cancer-free population at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Survivors of CNS-tumours and those assumed to have received CNS-directed therapy were at increased risk for educational impairments compared with the cancer-free population. Choices of educational fields were in general similar. Careful follow-up of the survivors of CNS-tumours and those assumed to have received CNS-directed therapy is important at each level of education.

Five-year field trials using preservative-treated, second-growth Douglas-fir exposed in ground contact in Australia

Treesearch

Rodney C. De Groot; Douglas M. Crawford; Jack Norton; John Keith

2000-01-01

The durability of preservative-treated stakes of second-growth Coastal Douglas-fir was evaluated in a field plot in northern Queensland, Australia. Results from this field trial indicate that second-growth Douglas-fir can be treated with preservatives to meet Australian standards and will provide long-term durability in adverse environments. Data presented indicate...

Los Angeles study of residential magnetic fields and childhood brain tumors.

PubMed

Preston-Martin, S; Navidi, W; Thomas, D; Lee, P J; Bowman, J; Pogoda, J

1996-01-15

A measurement study of residential magnetic fields and brain tumors in children that was added onto an ongoing case-control interview study in Los Angeles County, California, include 298 children under age 20 years with a primary brain tumor diagnosed from 1984 to 1991 and 298 control children identified by random digit dialing. Magnetic fields were determined for all Los Angeles homes where these 596 children lived from conception to diagnosis (1,131 homes) by mapping and coding the wiring configurations outside the home and by taking a series of exterior spot and profile measurements. In addition, for a subset of subjects (35%; 211 homes) 24-hour measurements were taken in the child's room and one other room. Although measured fields are consistently highest in the highest of the five wire code categories, fields in homes in this category are much lower in Los Angeles than in Denver, where the code originated. Brain tumor risk appears not to relate to measured fields inside (p for trend for child's room = 0.98) or outside (p for trend for front wall = 0.82) the home. An apparent increase in risk among children living at diagnosis in homes with underground wiring appears to be an artifact introduced by using current controls for historical cases because this apparent excess risk disappeared in an analysis restricted to the later years of the study when cases and controls were accrued concurrently. Our study does not show an overall association of pediatric brain tumors with measured fields, with "very high" wiring configurations, or with any of several other potential sources of exposure, such as use of various electrical appliances, but the prevalence of high fields (> 2 mG) and very high fields (> 3 mG) in Los Angeles homes was too low to detect a moderate effect of the magnitude reported in other studies.

First faint dual-field off-axis observations in optical long baseline interferometry

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

Woillez, J.; Wizinowich, P.; Ragland, S.

2014-03-10

Ground-based long baseline interferometers have long been limited in sensitivity in part by the short integration periods imposed by atmospheric turbulence. The first observation fainter than this limit was performed on 2011 January 22 when the Keck Interferometer observed a K = 11.5 target, about 1 mag fainter than its K = 10.3 atmospherically imposed limit; the currently demonstrated limit is K = 12.5. These observations were made possible by the Dual-Field Phase-Referencing (DFPR) instrument, part of the NSF-funded ASTrometry and phase-Referenced Astronomy project; integration times longer than the turbulence time scale are made possible by its ability to simultaneouslymore » measure the real-time effects of the atmosphere on a nearby bright guide star and correct for it on the faint target. We present the implementation of DFPR on the Keck Interferometer. Then, we detail its on-sky performance focusing on the accuracy of the turbulence correction and the resulting fringe contrast stability.« less