Beneficial properties of probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii

OpenAIRE

Tomičić Zorica M.; Čolović Radmilo R.; Čabarkapa Ivana S.; Vukmirović Đuro M.; Đuragić Olivera M.; Tomičić Ružica M.

2016-01-01

Saccharomyces boulardii is unique probiotic and biotherapeutic yeast, known to survive in gastric acidity and it is not adversely affected or inhibited by antibiotics or does not alter or adversely affect the normal microbiota. S. boulardii has been utilized worldwide as a probiotic supplement to support gastrointestinal health. The multiple mechanisms of action of S. boulardii and its properties may explain its efficacy and beneficial effects in acute and chronic gastrointestinal diseases th...

Possible biochemical mechanisms involved in beneficial and adverse effects of folates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alla Shaljyan

2016-06-01

Whether increased circulating folic acid is a risk factor for certain pathologies, or it might have a beneficial effect is not clear at present. Scientific community does not have a true consensus view on whether mandatory fortification is true approach.

Strategies to enhance participant recruitment and retention in research involving a community-based population.

Science.gov (United States)

McCullagh, Marjorie C; Sanon, Marie-Anne; Cohen, Michael A

2014-11-01

Challenges associated with recruiting and retaining community-based populations in research studies have been recognized yet remain of major concern for researchers. There is a need for exchange of recruitment and retention techniques that inform recruitment and retention strategies. Here, the authors discuss a variety of methods that were successful in exceeding target recruitment and retention goals in a randomized clinical trial of hearing protector use among farm operators. Recruitment and retention strategies were 1) based on a philosophy of mutually beneficial engagement in the research process, 2) culturally appropriate, 3) tailored to the unique needs of partnering agencies, and 4) developed and refined in a cyclical and iterative process. Sponsoring organizations are interested in cost-effective recruitment and retention strategies, particularly relating to culturally and ethnically diverse groups. These approaches may result in enhanced subject recruitment and retention, concomitant containment of study costs, and timely accomplishment of study aims. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Beneficial Effects of Flavonoids.

Science.gov (United States)

Akhlaghi, Masoumeh

2016-10-01

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been known as the hepatic feature of metabolic syndrome. Extra fat depots, especially in visceral areas, develop insulin resistance as a result of mild oxidation and inflammation. Insulin resistance induces lipolysis and releases free fatty acids into the circulation, where they are transported to the liver. In the liver, free fatty acids are converted to triglycerides and accumulate, causing simple steatosis that, if left untreated, can lead to steatohepatitis, and subsequently liver necrosis and cirrhosis.Flavonoids, a group of plant compounds with incredible biological characteristics, have shown advantages in pathological conditions. Beneficial effects of flavonoids against NAFLD and its related disorders have been observed in both animal and human studies. Various mechanisms have been found for their protection. Flavonoids prevent hepatosteatosis by increasing fatty acid oxidation in the liver. They can also reduce caloric intake and decrease body weight and fat deposition in visceral tissues. Flavonoids are unique antioxidants that exert their beneficial effects through inhibition of nuclear factor κB, thereby attenuating release of inflammatory cytokines, which are triggers of insulin resistance. Finally, flavonoids have shown to increase adiponectin, improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, correct dyslipidemia, and reduce blood pressure in patients with NAFLD. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Modulation of Intestinal Barrier and Bacterial Endotoxin Production Contributes to the Beneficial Effect of Nicotinic Acid on Alcohol-Induced Endotoxemia and Hepatic Inflammation in Rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Zhong

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Alcohol consumption causes nicotinic acid deficiency. The present study was undertaken to determine whether dietary nicotinic acid supplementation provides beneficial effects on alcohol-induced endotoxin signaling and the possible mechanisms at the gut-liver axis. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were pair-fed the Lieber-DeCarli liquid diets containing ethanol or isocaloric maltose dextrin for eight weeks, with or without dietary supplementation with 750 mg/liter nicotinic acid. Chronic alcohol feeding elevated the plasma endotoxin level and activated hepatic endotoxin signaling cascade, which were attenuated by nicotinic acid supplementation. Alcohol consumption remarkably decreased the mRNA levels of claudin-1, claudin-5, and ZO-1 in the distal intestine, whereas nicotinic acid significantly up-regulated these genes. The concentrations of endotoxin, ethanol, and acetaldehyde in the intestinal contents were increased by alcohol exposure, and niacin supplementation reduced the intestinal endotoxin and acetaldehyde levels. Nicotinic acid supplementation upregulated the intestinal genes involved in aldehyde detoxification via transcriptional regulation. These results demonstrate that modulation of the intestinal barrier function and bacterial endotoxin production accounts for the inhibitory effects of nicotinic acid on alcohol-induced endotoxemia and hepatic inflammation.

Bile acids for primary sclerosing cholangitis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Weikeng; Gluud, C

2003-01-01

Bile acids have been used for treating primary sclerosing cholangitis, but their beneficial and harmful effects remain unclear.......Bile acids have been used for treating primary sclerosing cholangitis, but their beneficial and harmful effects remain unclear....

Lactic acid bacteria from raw milk as potentially beneficial strains to prevent bovine mastitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Espeche, M Carolina; Pellegrino, Matías; Frola, Ignacio; Larriestra, Alejandro; Bogni, Cristina; Nader-Macías, M E Fátima

2012-02-01

Bovine mastitis produces a wide variety of problems in the dairy farm. The treatment of this disease is based on the use of antibiotics which are not always effective. These drugs are also responsible for the presence of residues in the milk and the increase of antibiotic-resistant strains. Probiotic products were proposed as a valid alternative to antibiotic therapies and are also useful for the prevention of infectious syndromes. With the aim of designing a probiotic product to prevent bovine mastitis, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from foremilk samples from different dairy farms in Córdoba-Argentina. One hundred and seventeen LAB were isolated and their beneficial characteristics such as the production of inhibitory substances, surface properties and production of exopolysaccharides (EPS) were assessed. Most of them displayed low degree of hydrophobicity, autoaggregation, EPS negative phenotype and were identified as Enterococcus hirae and Pediococcus pentosaceus. Nine LAB strains inhibited three indicator bacteria. Some isolates were pre-selected and genetically identified according to the results obtained. Antibiotic resistance and virulence factors were studied for the assessment of the safety of the strains. The results obtained were compared to those reported previously from samples obtained in the North-western area of the country and some differences were found. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Beneficial nutritional properties of olive oil: implications for postprandial lipoproteins and factor VII.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, C M

2001-08-01

Previous research concerning protective cardiovascular properties of olive oil has focussed on the beneficial consequences on blood cholesterol levels of substituting dietary saturated fatty acids with oleic acid. Despite evidence implicating raised circulating triglycerides in the postprandial state in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and thrombosis, little research had been conducted to investigate effects of monounsaturated fatty acids on postprandial events. In a case control study of southern (n = 30) versus northern European (n = 30) men, significant differences in postprandial triglyceride and apolipoprotein (apo) B-48 response were observed, with evidence of attenuated and potentially beneficial responses in the Southern Europeans. In a randomised controlled study manufactured foods typical of the Northern European food culture, were used to deliver diets rich in either saturated or monounsaturated fatty acids (from olive oil). During the period of the olive oil enriched diet, LDL-cholesterol levels were 15% lower (p factor VII, as well as the production of factor VII antigen, was reduced on the olive oil diet. The study demonstrated significant improvements in biomarkers for cardiovascular disease in subjects osed to high olive oil diets (Southern Europeans) or transferred to such diets in the short term (Northern European volunteers). The study produced novel findings with respect to potential mechanisms by which diets high in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) can reduce population risk of cardiovascular disease.

Amino Acid Signatures to Evaluate the Beneficial Effects of Weight Loss

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nina Geidenstam

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Aims. We investigated the relationship between circulating amino acid levels and obesity; to what extent weight loss followed by weight maintenance can correct amino acid abnormalities; and whether amino acids are related to weight loss. Methods. Amino acids associated with waist circumference (WC and BMI were studied in 804 participants from the Malmö Diet and Cancer Cardiovascular Cohort (MDC-CC. Changes in amino acid levels were analyzed after weight loss and weight maintenance in 12 obese subjects and evaluated in a replication cohort (n=83. Results. Out of the eight identified BMI-associated amino acids from the MDC-CC, alanine, isoleucine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, and glutamate decreased after weight loss, while asparagine increased after weight maintenance. These changes were validated in the replication cohort. Scores that were constructed based on obesity-associated amino acids and known risk factors decreased in the ≥10% weight loss group with an associated change in BMI (R2=0.16–0.22, p<0.002, whereas the scores increased in the <10% weight loss group (p<0.0004. Conclusions. Weight loss followed by weight maintenance leads to differential changes in amino acid levels associated with obesity. Treatment modifiable scores based on epidemiological and interventional data may be used to evaluate the potential metabolic benefit of weight loss.

Recruitment of older adults to three preventative lifestyle improvement studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Chatters, Robin; Newbould, Louise; Sprange, Kirsty; Hind, Daniel; Mountain, Gail; Shortland, Katy; Powell, Lauren; Gossage-Worrall, Rebecca; Chater, Tim; Keetharuth, Anju; Lee, Ellen; Woods, Bob

2018-02-20

Recruiting isolated older adults to clinical trials is complex, time-consuming and difficult. Previous studies have suggested querying existing databases to identify appropriate potential participants. We aim to compare recruitment techniques (general practitioner (GP) mail-outs, community engagement and clinician referrals) used in three randomised controlled trial (RCT) studies assessing the feasibility or effectiveness of two preventative interventions in isolated older adults (the Lifestyle Matters and Putting Life In Years interventions). During the three studies (the Lifestyle Matters feasibility study, the Lifestyle Matters RCT, the Putting Life In Years RCT) data were collected about how participants were recruited. The number of letters sent by GP surgeries for each study was recorded. In the Lifestyle Matters RCT, we qualitatively interviewed participants and intervention facilitators at 6 months post randomisation to seek their thoughts on the recruitment process. Referrals were planned to be the main source of recruitment in the Lifestyle Matters feasibility study, but due to a lack of engagement from district nurses, community engagement was the main source of recruitment. District nurse referrals and community engagement were also utilised in the Lifestyle Matters and Putting Life In Years RCTs; both mechanisms yielded few participants. GP mail-outs were the main source of recruitment in both the RCTs, but of those contacted, recruiting yield was low (recruited. Participants recommended that direct contact with health professionals would be the most beneficial way to recruit. Recruitment to the Lifestyle Matters RCT did not mirror recruitment to the feasibility study of the same intervention. Direct district nurse referrals were not effective at recruiting participants. The majority of participants were recruited via GP mail-outs, which may have led to isolated individuals not being recruited to the trials. Further research is required into

A Dietary Medium-Chain Fatty Acid, Decanoic Acid, Inhibits Recruitment of Nur77 to the HSD3B2 Promoter In Vitro and Reverses Endocrine and Metabolic Abnormalities in a Rat Model of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Bao Hui; Indran, Inthrani Raja; Tan, Huey Min; Li, Yu; Zhang, Zhiwei; Li, Jun; Yong, Eu-Leong

2016-01-01

Hyperandrogenism is the central feature of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Due to the intricate relationship between hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance in PCOS, 50%-70% of these patients also present with hyperinsulinemia. Metformin, an insulin sensitizer, has been used to reduce insulin resistance and improve fertility in women with PCOS. In previous work, we have noted that a dietary medium-chain fatty acid, decanoic acid (DA), improves glucose tolerance and lipid profile in a mouse model of diabetes. Here, we report for the first time that DA, like metformin, inhibits androgen biosynthesis in NCI-H295R steroidogenic cells by regulating the enzyme 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Δ5-Δ4-isomerase type 2 (HSD3B2). The inhibitory effect on HSD3B2 and androgen production required cAMP stimulation, suggesting a mechanistic action via the cAMP-stimulated pathway. Specifically, both DA and metformin reduced cAMP-enhanced recruitment of the orphan nuclear receptor Nur77 to the HSD3B2 promoter, coupled with decreased transcription and protein expression of HSD3B2. In a letrozole-induced PCOS rat model, treatment with DA or metformin reduced serum-free testosterone, lowered fasting insulin, and restored estrous cyclicity. In addition, DA treatment lowered serum total testosterone and decreased HSD3B2 protein expression in the adrenals and ovaries. We conclude that DA inhibits androgen biosynthesis via mechanisms resulting in the suppression of HSD3B2 expression, an effect consistently observed both in vitro and in vivo. The efficacy of DA in reversing the endocrine and metabolic abnormalities of the letrozole-induced PCOS rat model are promising, raising the possibility that diets including DA could be beneficial for the management of both hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance in PCOS.

Beneficial Role of Coffee and Caffeine in Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Minireview

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yenisetti SC

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Coffee is among the most widespread and healthiest beverages in the world. Coffee typically contains more caffeine than most other beverages, and is widely and frequently consumed. Thus, it contributes significantly to the overall caffeine consumption within the general population, particularly in adults. Controversies regarding its benefits and risks still exist as reliable evidence is becoming available supporting its health-promoting potential. Several lines of evidence have highlighted the beneficial effects towards several disease conditions including Type II diabetes, hepatitis C virus, hepatocellular carcinoma, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD, Parkinson's disease (PD and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS. The health-promoting properties of coffee are largely attributed to its rich phytochemistry, including caffeine, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and hydroxy hydroquinone. In this minireview, an attempt has been made to discuss the various evidences which are mainly derived from animal and cell models. Various mechanisms chiefly responsible for the beneficial effects of caffeine have also been briefly outlined. A short note on the undesirable effects of excessive coffee intakes is also presented.

Mesenchymal stem cell recruitment by stromal derived factor-1-delivery systems based on chitosan/poly(γ-glutamic acid) polyelectrolyte complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonçalves, Raquel M; Antunes, Joana C; Barbosa, Mário A

2012-04-10

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have an enormous potential for tissue engineering and cell-based therapies. With a potential of differentiation into multiple lineages and immune-suppression, these cells play a key role in tissue remodelling and regeneration. Here a method of hMSC recruitment is described, based on the incorporation of a chemokine in Chitosan (Ch)/Poly(γ-glutamic acid) (γ-PGA) complexes. Ch is a non-toxic, cationic polysaccharide widely investigated. γ-PGA is a hydrophilic, non-toxic, biodegradable and negatively charged poly-amino acid. Ch and γ-PGA, being oppositely charged, can be combined through electrostatic interactions. These biocompatible structures can be used as carriers for active substances and can be easily modulated in order to control the delivery of drugs, proteins, DNA, etc. Using the layer-by-layer method, Ch and γ-PGA were assembled into polyelectrolyte multilayers films (PEMs) with thickness of 120 nm. The chemokine stromal-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) was incorporated in these complexes and was continuously released during 120 h. The method of SDF-1 incorporation is of crucial importance for polymers assembly into PEMs and for the release kinetics of this chemokine. The Ch/γ-PGA PEMs with SDF-1 were able to recruit hMSCs, increasing the cell migration up to 6 fold to a maximum of 16.2 ± 4.9 cells/mm2. The controlled release of SDF-1 would be of great therapeutic value in the process of hMSC homing to injured tissues. This is the first study suggesting Ch/γ-PGA PEMs as SDF-1 reservoirs to recruit hMSCs, describing an efficient method of chemokine incorporation that allows a sustained released up to 5 days and that can be easily scaled-up.

Mesenchymal stem cell recruitment by stromal derived factor-1-delivery systems based on chitosan/poly(γ-glutamic acid polyelectrolyte complexes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

RM Gonçalves

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs have an enormous potential for tissue engineering and cell-based therapies. With a potential of differentiation into multiple lineages and immune-suppression, these cells play a key role in tissue remodelling and regeneration. Here a method of hMSC recruitment is described, based on the incorporation of a chemokine in Chitosan (Ch/Poly(γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA complexes. Ch is a non-toxic, cationic polysaccharide widely investigated. γ-PGA is a hydrophilic, non-toxic, biodegradable and negatively charged poly-amino acid. Ch and γ-PGA, being oppositely charged, can be combined through electrostatic interactions. These biocompatible structures can be used as carriers for active substances and can be easily modulated in order to control the delivery of drugs, proteins, DNA, etc. Using the layer-by-layer method, Ch and γ-PGA were assembled into polyelectrolyte multilayers films (PEMs with thickness of 120 nm. The chemokine stromal-derived factor-1 (SDF-1 was incorporated in these complexes and was continuously released during 120 h. The method of SDF-1 incorporation is of crucial importance for polymers assembly into PEMs and for the release kinetics of this chemokine. The Ch/γ-PGA PEMs with SDF-1 were able to recruit hMSCs, increasing the cell migration up to 6 fold to a maximum of 16.2 ± 4.9 cells/mm2. The controlled release of SDF-1 would be of great therapeutic value in the process of hMSC homing to injured tissues. This is the first study suggesting Ch/γ-PGA PEMs as SDF-1 reservoirs to recruit hMSCs, describing an efficient method of chemokine incorporation that allows a sustained released up to 5 days and that can be easily scaled-up.

Branched-chain amino acids for hepatic encephalopathy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Als-Nielsen, B; Koretz, R L; Kjaergard, L L

2003-01-01

Hepatic encephalopathy may be caused by a decreased plasma ratio of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) to aromatic amino acids. Treatment with BCAA may therefore have a beneficial effect on patients with hepatic encephalopathy.......Hepatic encephalopathy may be caused by a decreased plasma ratio of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) to aromatic amino acids. Treatment with BCAA may therefore have a beneficial effect on patients with hepatic encephalopathy....

Beneficial reuse '97

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1997-01-01

The annual Beneficial Reuse Conference was conducted in Knoxville, Tennessee from August 5-7, 1997. Now in its fifth year, this conference has become the national forum for discussing the beneficial reuse and recycle of contaminated buildings, equipment and resources, and the fabrication of useful products from such resources. As in the past, the primary goal of Beneficial Reuse ''97 was to provide a forum for the practitioners of pollution prevention, decontamination and decommissioning, waste minimization, reindustrialization, asset management, privatization and recycling to share their successes and failures, as well as their innovative strategies and operational experiences with the assembled group of stakeholders. Separate abstracts have been indexed into the database for contributions to this conference proceedings

Identifying Beneficial Qualities of Trichoderma parareesei for Plants

Science.gov (United States)

Rubio, M. Belén; Quijada, Narciso M.; Pérez, Esclaudys; Domínguez, Sara; Hermosa, Rosa

2014-01-01

Trichoderma parareesei and Trichoderma reesei (teleomorph Hypocrea jecorina) produce cellulases and xylanases of industrial interest. Here, the anamorphic strain T6 (formerly T. reesei) has been identified as T. parareesei, showing biocontrol potential against fungal and oomycete phytopathogens and enhanced hyphal growth in the presence of tomato exudates or plant cell wall polymers in in vitro assays. A Trichoderma microarray was used to examine the transcriptomic changes in T6 at 20 h of interaction with tomato plants. Out of a total 34,138 Trichoderma probe sets deposited on the microarray, 250 showed a significant change of at least 2-fold in expression in the presence of tomato plants, with most of them being downregulated. T. parareesei T6 exerted beneficial effects on tomato plants in terms of seedling lateral root development, and in adult plants it improved defense against Botrytis cinerea and growth promotion under salt stress. Time course expression patterns (0 to 6 days) observed for defense-related genes suggest that T6 was able to prime defense responses in the tomato plants against biotic and abiotic stresses. Such responses undulated, with a maximum upregulation of the jasmonic acid (JA)/ethylene (ET)-related LOX1 and EIN2 genes and the salt tolerance SOS1 gene at 24 h and that of the salicylic acid (SA)-related PR-1 gene at 48 h after T6 inoculation. Our study demonstrates that the T. parareesei T6-tomato interaction is beneficial to both partners. PMID:24413597

Composition and variation of fatty acids among groundnut cultivars ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) contain approximately 44-56% oil made up of fatty acids. Oleic and linoleic acids comprise about 80% of fatty acids in groundnuts. Groundnuts with >80% oleic are beneficial health-wise and also improve groundnut quality, flavour, and extended shelf-life, which is beneficial to traders.

Beneficial Insects: Beetles

OpenAIRE

Hodgson, Erin W.; Patterson, Ron

2007-01-01

There are many beneficial beetles in Utah besides lady beetles or ladybugs. Beetles can significantly reduce common insect and weed problems and in some cases eliminate the need for chemical control. Examples of beneficial beetles include: ground beetles, rove beetles, tiger beetles and tortoise beetles. Many of these beetles are native to Utah, while others have been purposely introduced to help control damage from exotic insect and weed pests.

Amino Acid Signatures to Evaluate the Beneficial Effects of Weight Loss

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Geidenstam, Nina; Magnusson, Martin; Danielsson, Anders P H

2017-01-01

-associated amino acids from the MDC-CC, alanine, isoleucine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, and glutamate decreased after weight loss, while asparagine increased after weight maintenance. These changes were validated in the replication cohort. Scores that were constructed based on obesity-associated amino acids...

Pilot study for a trial of ursodeoxycholic acid and/or early delivery for obstetric cholestasis

Science.gov (United States)

Gurung, Vinita; Williamson, Catherine; Chappell, Lucy; Chambers, Jenny; Briley, Annette; Pipkin, Fiona Broughton; Thornton, Jim

2009-01-01

Background Obstetric cholestasis (OC) is a serious problem in pregnancy. It affects about 4500 women per year in the UK. Affected women develop itching and occasionally jaundice. More importantly, the condition is associated with premature delivery, fetal distress and is believed to be an important cause of stillbirth. However, even now, there is no clear evidence as to whether the most popular treatment, a drug called ursodeoxycholic acid is beneficial to the baby, or even if it is safe in pregnancy. Nor do we know whether planned early delivery of the baby at 37–38 weeks, another popular treatment, does more good than harm. A randomised trial to evaluate both ursodeoxycholic acid and timed delivery is needed but will be complicated and expensive. We plan a preliminary study, Pilot study for a trial of ursodeoxycholic acid and/or early delivery for obstetric cholestasis (Acronym PITCH- Pregnancy Intervention Trial in Cholestasis) trial, to evaluate the feasibility of a larger trial. The trial is funded by the NHS Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) Programme. Methods PITCH is a multi-centre, double blinded, randomised, controlled, factorial design trial. The trial is being run in six UK centres and women with obstetric cholestasis will be recruited for eighteen months. In this pilot trial we aim to collect data to finalise the design for the main trial. This will include measuring trial recruitment rate, including recruitment to each factorial comparison separately. We will also measure the spectrum of disease among recruits and non-recruits and compliance with the four possible treatment allocations. We will use these data to design the main trial. Discussion The ultimate aim of the main trial is to enable clinicians to manage this condition more effectively. If it transpires that ursodeoxycholic acid and early delivery are both safe and effective then steps will be taken to ensure that all women with OC who could benefit from them receives this treatment

Docosahexaenoic Acid-Derived Fatty Acid Esters of Hydroxy Fatty Acids (FAHFAs) With Anti-inflammatory Properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuda, Ondrej; Brezinova, Marie; Rombaldova, Martina; Slavikova, Barbora; Posta, Martin; Beier, Petr; Janovska, Petra; Veleba, Jiri; Kopecky, Jan; Kudova, Eva; Pelikanova, Terezie; Kopecky, Jan

2016-09-01

White adipose tissue (WAT) is a complex organ with both metabolic and endocrine functions. Dysregulation of all of these functions of WAT, together with low-grade inflammation of the tissue in obese individuals, contributes to the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) of marine origin play an important role in the resolution of inflammation and exert beneficial metabolic effects. Using experiments in mice and overweight/obese patients with type 2 diabetes, we elucidated the structures of novel members of fatty acid esters of hydroxy fatty acids-lipokines derived from docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and linoleic acid, which were present in serum and WAT after n-3 PUFA supplementation. These compounds contained DHA esterified to 9- and 13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (HLA) or 14-hydroxydocosahexaenoic acid (HDHA), termed 9-DHAHLA, 13-DHAHLA, and 14-DHAHDHA, and were synthesized by adipocytes at concentrations comparable to those of protectins and resolvins derived from DHA in WAT. 13-DHAHLA exerted anti-inflammatory and proresolving properties while reducing macrophage activation by lipopolysaccharides and enhancing the phagocytosis of zymosan particles. Our results document the existence of novel lipid mediators, which are involved in the beneficial anti-inflammatory effects attributed to n-3 PUFAs, in both mice and humans. © 2016 by the American Diabetes Association.

Electrostatic beneficiation of coal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mazumder, M.K.; Tennal, K.B.; Lindquist, D.

1994-10-01

Dry physical beneficiation of coal has many advantages over wet cleaning methods and post combustion flue gas cleanup processes. The dry beneficiation process is economically competitive and environmentally safe and has the potential of making vast amounts of US coal reserves available for energy generation. While the potential of the electrostatic beneficiation has been studied for many years in laboratories and in pilot plants, a successful full scale electrostatic coal cleaning plant has not been commercially realized yet. In this paper the authors review some of the technical problems that are encountered in this method and suggest possible solutions that may lead toward its full utilization in cleaning coal.

Oilseeds native to the Cerrado have fatty acid profile beneficial for cardiovascular health

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aline Medeiros ALVES

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: To assess and compare the fatty acid composition of edible seeds and a nut native to the Cerrado (Brazilian savannah to that of traditional oilseeds. Methods: Baru almonds, Cerrado cashew nuts, and pequi almonds were extracted from the fruits using appropriate equipment. All edible seeds and nuts were roasted, except for the Brazil nut. The sample lipids were extracted via cold pressing. The fatty acids were esterified, and the fatty acid esters were analyzed by gas chromatography. Results: The native and traditional edible seeds and nuts contain mostly monounsaturated fatty acids (42.72 g to 63.44 g/100 g, except for the Brazil nut, which showed predominance of polyunsaturated fatty acids (45.48 g/100 g. Pequi almond had the highest saturated fatty acid content (36.14 g/100 g. The fatty acids with the highest concentration were oleic and linoleic acids, and palmitic acid was also found in considerable concentration in the oilseeds studied. The Cerrado cashew nut and the traditional cashew nut have similar fatty acid profiles. As for the ratio of ω-6 to ω-3, the baru almond showed the highest ratio, 9:1, which was the closest to the recommended intake of these fatty acids. Conclusion: The fatty acid profile of the edible seeds and nuts native to the cerrado is similar to those of traditional oilseeds. We suggest the inclusion of native oilseeds in the diet aiming at reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially the baru almond and the cerrado cashew nut, due to the fact they have high ratio of monounsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids.

Fatty acids identified in the Burmese python promote beneficial cardiac growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Riquelme, Cecilia A; Magida, Jason A; Harrison, Brooke C; Wall, Christopher E; Marr, Thomas G; Secor, Stephen M; Leinwand, Leslie A

2011-10-28

Burmese pythons display a marked increase in heart mass after a large meal. We investigated the molecular mechanisms of this physiological heart growth with the goal of applying this knowledge to the mammalian heart. We found that heart growth in pythons is characterized by myocyte hypertrophy in the absence of cell proliferation and by activation of physiological signal transduction pathways. Despite high levels of circulating lipids, the postprandial python heart does not accumulate triglycerides or fatty acids. Instead, there is robust activation of pathways of fatty acid transport and oxidation combined with increased expression and activity of superoxide dismutase, a cardioprotective enzyme. We also identified a combination of fatty acids in python plasma that promotes physiological heart growth when injected into either pythons or mice.

Combining reduced glutathione and ascorbic acid has supplementary beneficial effects on boar sperm cryotolerance.

Science.gov (United States)

Giaretta, Elisa; Estrada, Efrén; Bucci, Diego; Spinaci, Marcella; Rodríguez-Gil, Joan E; Yeste, Marc

2015-02-01

The main aim of this work was to evaluate how supplementing freezing and thawing media with reduced glutathione (GSH) and l-ascorbic acid (AA) affected the quality parameters of frozen-thawed boar spermatozoa. With this purpose, semen samples of 12 ejaculates coming from 12 boars were used. Each ejaculate was split into seven aliquots to which 5 mM of GSH and 100 μM of AA were added separately or together at two different steps of freeze-thawing. Various sperm parameters (levels of free cysteine residues in sperm nucleoproteins, sperm viability, acrosome membrane integrity, intracellular peroxide and superoxide levels [ROS], and total and progressive motility) were evaluated before freezing and at 30 and 240 minutes after thawing. Both GSH and AA significantly improved boar sperm cryotolerance when they were separately added to freezing and thawing media. However, the highest improvement was recorded when both freezing and thawing media were supplemented with 5 mM of GSH plus 100 μM of AA. This improvement was observed in sperm viability and acrosome integrity, sperm motility, and nucleoprotein structure. Although ROS levels were not much increased by freeze-thawing procedures, the addition of GSH and AA to both freezing and thawing extenders significantly decreased intracellular peroxide levels and had no impact on superoxide levels. According to our results, we can conclude that supplementation of freezing and thawing media with both GSH and AA has a combined, beneficial effect on frozen-thawed boar sperm, which is greater than that obtained with the separate addition of either GSH or AA. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of Docosahexaenoic Acid on Neurotransmission

OpenAIRE

Tanaka, Kazuhiro; Farooqui, Akhlaq A.; Siddiqi, Nikhat J.; Alhomida, Abdullah S.; Ong, Wei-Yi

2012-01-01

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is the major polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) in the brain and a structural component of neuronal membranes. Changes in DHA content of neuronal membranes lead to functional changes in the activity of receptors and other proteins which might be associated with synaptic function. Accumulating evidence suggests the beneficial effects of dietary DHA supplementation on neurotransmission. This article reviews the beneficial effects of DHA on the brain; uptake, incorporat...

Employee recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

Breaugh, James A

2013-01-01

The way an organization recruits can influence the type of employees it hires, how they perform, and their retention rate. This article provides a selective review of research that has addressed recruitment targeting, recruitment methods, the recruitment message, recruiters, the organizational site visit, the job offer, and the timing of recruitment actions. These and other topics (e.g., the job applicant's perspective) are discussed in terms of their potential influence on prehire (e.g., the quality of job applicants) and posthire (e.g., new employee retention) recruitment outcomes. In reviewing research, attention is given to the current state of scientific knowledge, limitations of previous research, and important issues meriting future investigation.

Beneficial effects of cytokine induced hyperlipidemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Feingold, K R; Hardardóttir, I; Grunfeld, C

1998-01-01

Infection, inflammation and trauma induce marked changes in the plasma levels of a wide variety of proteins (acute phase response), and these changes are mediated by cytokines. The acute phase response is thought to be beneficial to the host. The host's response to injury also results in dramatic alterations in lipid metabolism and circulating lipoprotein levels which are mediated by cytokines. A large number of cytokines including TNF, the interleukins, and the interferons increase serum triglyceride levels. This rapid increase (1-2 h) is predominantly due to an increase in hepatic VLDL secretion while the late increase may be due to a variety of factors including increased hepatic production of VLDL or delayed clearance secondary to a decrease in lipoprotein lipase activity and/or apolipoprotein E levels on VLDL. In animals other than primates, cytokines also increase serum cholesterol levels, most likely by increasing hepatic cholesterol. Cytokines increase hepatic cholesterol synthesis by stimulating HMG CoA reductase gene expression and decrease hepatic cholesterol catabolism by inhibiting cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase, the key enzyme in bile acid synthesis. Injury and/or cytokines also decrease HDL cholesterol levels and induce alterations in the composition of HDL. The content of SAA and apolipoprotein J increase, apolipoprotein A1 may decrease, and the cholesterol ester content decreases while free cholesterol increases. Additionally, key proteins involved in HDL metabolism are altered by cytokines; LCAT activity, hepatic lipase activity, and CETP levels decrease. These changes in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism may be beneficial in a number of ways including: lipoproteins competing with viruses for cellular receptors, apolipoproteins neutralizing viruses, lipoproteins binding and targeting parasites for destruction, apolipoproteins lysing parasites, redistribution of nutrients to cells involved in the immune response and/or tissue repair, and

Recycling of wastes from fish beneficiation by composting: chemical characteristics of the compost and efficiency of their humic acids in stimulating the growth of lettuce.

Science.gov (United States)

Busato, Jader Galba; de Carvalho, Caroline Moreira; Zandonadi, Daniel Basilio; Sodré, Fernando Fabriz; Mol, Alan Ribeiro; de Oliveira, Aline Lima; Navarro, Rodrigo Diana

2017-11-23

Waste from the beneficiation of fish was composted with crushed grass aiming to characterize their chemical composition and investigate the possibility of the use of the final compost as source of humic acids (HA) able to stimulate the growth of lettuce. Compost presented pH value, C/N ratio, and electrical conductivity that allow its use as an organic fertilizer. The element content was present in the following order of abundance in the compost: P > Ca > N > Mg > K > Fe > Zn > Mn > Mo > Cu, and the humus composition was similar to that observed in others kind of organic residues composted. The high content of oxygen pointed out a high level of oxidation of HA, in line with the predominance of phenolic acidity in the functional groups. The 13 C-NMR spectra showed marked resonances due to the presence of lipids and other materials resistant to degradation as methoxy substituent and N-alkyl groups. A concentration of 20 mg L -1 HA increased significantly both dry and wet root matter in lettuce but the CO 2 assimilation, stomatal conductance, and number of lateral roots of the plants were not affected. However, increases of 64% in the water-use efficiency was observed due to the HA addition, probably related to the root morphology alteration which resulted in 1.6-fold increase of lateral root average length and due to the higher H + extrusion activity. Reuse of residues from the fish beneficiation activity by composting may represent a safe tool to increase the value of recycled organic residues and generate HA with potential use as plant growth stimulants.

Promoting Recruitment using Information Management Efficiently (PRIME): a stepped-wedge, cluster randomised trial of a complex recruitment intervention embedded within the REstart or Stop Antithrombotics Randomised Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Maxwell, Amy E; Parker, Richard A; Drever, Jonathan; Rudd, Anthony; Dennis, Martin S; Weir, Christopher J; Al-Shahi Salman, Rustam

2017-12-28

have been randomised using the audit reports. Respondents frequently reported resource and time pressures as being key barriers to running the audit reports. The PRIME complex intervention did not significantly improve the recruitment rate to RESTART. Further research is needed to establish if PRIME might be beneficial at an earlier stage in a prevention trial or for prevention dilemmas that arise more often in clinical practice.

Biotechnological applications for rosmarinic acid production in plant ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Biotechnological applications for rosmarinic acid production in plant. ... rosmarinic acid in medicinal plants, herbs and spices has beneficial and health promoting ... of rosmarinic acid starts with the amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine.

Motor unit recruitment by size does not provide functional advantages for motor performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Dideriksen, Jakob L; Farina, Dario

2013-12-15

It is commonly assumed that the orderly recruitment of motor units by size provides a functional advantage for the performance of movements compared with a random recruitment order. On the other hand, the excitability of a motor neuron depends on its size and this is intrinsically linked to its innervation number. A range of innervation numbers among motor neurons corresponds to a range of sizes and thus to a range of excitabilities ordered by size. Therefore, if the excitation drive is similar among motor neurons, the recruitment by size is inevitably due to the intrinsic properties of motor neurons and may not have arisen to meet functional demands. In this view, we tested the assumption that orderly recruitment is necessarily beneficial by determining if this type of recruitment produces optimal motor output. Using evolutionary algorithms and without any a priori assumptions, the parameters of neuromuscular models were optimized with respect to several criteria for motor performance. Interestingly, the optimized model parameters matched well known neuromuscular properties, but none of the optimization criteria determined a consistent recruitment order by size unless this was imposed by an association between motor neuron size and excitability. Further, when the association between size and excitability was imposed, the resultant model of recruitment did not improve the motor performance with respect to the absence of orderly recruitment. A consistent observation was that optimal solutions for a variety of criteria of motor performance always required a broad range of innervation numbers in the population of motor neurons, skewed towards the small values. These results indicate that orderly recruitment of motor units in itself does not provide substantial functional advantages for motor control. Rather, the reason for its near-universal presence in human movements is that motor functions are optimized by a broad range of innervation numbers.

Nursery function of coastal temperate benthic habitats: New insight from the bivalve recruitment perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Barbier, Pierrick; Meziane, Tarik; Forêt, Martin; Tremblay, Réjean; Robert, René; Olivier, Frédéric

2017-03-01

Marine habitat function has been typically investigated in terms of biogeochemical regulation but rarely in terms of population renewal, which is mainly controlled by recruitment dynamics. The recruitment phase is crucial for organisms with a bentho-pelagic life cycle, such as bivalves, and it regulates the population renewal success. This study provides new insight on the role of temperate benthic habitats on bivalve recruitment, as a function of nursery areas. Six dominant benthic habitats of the Chausey archipelago (Normandy, France) were studied. In each habitat, bivalve recruit assemblages were described at the end of two reproductive seasons. Furthermore, Ostrea edulis juveniles were immerged on each habitat during two months to compare growth performances and feeding status, estimated by fatty acid composition. Recruit assemblages differ from each habitat according to sediment grain-size composition and bathymetrical levels. Subtidal habitats, and especially Crepidula fornicata banks and Glycymeris glycymeris coarse sands, supported the highest species abundance and richness of recruits. All O. edulis juveniles fed on the same trophic resources but digestive glands of juveniles from C. fornicata banks were more concentrated in total fatty acids than those from subtidal G. glycymeris coarse sands and maerl banks. Our results depict the key role of subtidal and structured habitats, composed of ecosystem engineers, in enhancing bivalve recruitment and extending the bivalve population renewal. This study suggests that the crucial role of these habitats as bivalve nurseries must be integrated in management perspectives. 2-column fitting image. 1-column fitting image.

The role of beneficial bacteria wall elasticity in regulating innate immune response

OpenAIRE

?okrozub, Viktoria V.; Lazarenko, Liudmyla M.; Sichel, Liubov M.; Babenko, Lidia P.; Lytvyn, Petro M.; Demchenko, Olga M.; Melnichenko, Yulia O.; Boyko, Nadiya V.; Biavati, Bruno; DiGioia, Diana; Bubnov, Rostyslav V.; Spivak, Mykola Ya

2015-01-01

Background Probiotics have great potential to contribute to development of healthy dietary regimes, preventive care, and an integrated approach to immunity-related disease management. The bacterial wall is a dynamic entity, depending on many components and playing an essential role in modulating immune response. The impact of cell wall elasticity on the beneficial effects of probiotic strains has not been sufficiently studied. The aim was to investigate the effect of lactic acid bacteria (LAB...

E-recruitment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holm, Anna

2012-01-01

E-recruitment, also known as online or web-based recruitment, is little discussed in research from an organizational perspective. The purpose of this chapter is therefore to analyze and discuss the process of e-recruitment, its key constituents and organizing principles. In doing so I draw...... on the results of a qualitative study conducted in 2008-2009, and on data stemming from industrial reports, articles from practitioner magazines, and in-depth interviews. The chapter provides a summary of e-recruitment properties and a composite matrix of the overall elements of e-recruitment organizing. E-recruitment...... is viewed as a case of virtual organizing- the organization of processes and activities which, via technology and human agents, facilitate time- and space-independent interaction and collaboration. In closure I offer a brief discussion of implications of the findings for HR managers and professionals...

Cell Origin Dictates Programming of Resident versus Recruited Macrophages during Acute Lung Injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Mould, Kara J; Barthel, Lea; Mohning, Michael P; Thomas, Stacey M; McCubbrey, Alexandra L; Danhorn, Thomas; Leach, Sonia M; Fingerlin, Tasha E; O'Connor, Brian P; Reisz, Julie A; D'Alessandro, Angelo; Bratton, Donna L; Jakubzick, Claudia V; Janssen, William J

2017-09-01

Two populations of alveolar macrophages (AMs) coexist in the inflamed lung: resident AMs that arise during embryogenesis, and recruited AMs that originate postnatally from circulating monocytes. The objective of this study was to determine whether origin or environment dictates the transcriptional, metabolic, and functional programming of these two ontologically distinct populations over the time course of acute inflammation. RNA sequencing demonstrated marked transcriptional differences between resident and recruited AMs affecting three main areas: proliferation, inflammatory signaling, and metabolism. Functional assays and metabolomic studies confirmed these differences and demonstrated that resident AMs proliferate locally and are governed by increased tricarboxylic acid cycle and amino acid metabolism. Conversely, recruited AMs produce inflammatory cytokines in association with increased glycolytic and arginine metabolism. Collectively, the data show that even though they coexist in the same environment, inflammatory macrophage subsets have distinct immunometabolic programs and perform specialized functions during inflammation that are associated with their cellular origin.

Ore microscopy applied to beneficiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hagni, R.D.

1978-01-01

Ore microscopy can be an important adjunct to beneficiation, because it can be used not only to predict mill problems of undeveloped ore deposits but to identify the causes for the loss of minerals in the products of operating mines and mills. Mineral distribution among various mill products can be determined by examining polished sections prepared from samples obtained from each step of the beneficiation process. The degree of liberation of each mineral can be quantitatively determined for each mill product by counting locked vs. free particles. For many beneficiation problems, the preparation of a few polished sections of carefully selected mill products can yield useful information, which the mill dressing engineer can effectively use to alleviate those problems

A Diversified Recruitment Approach Incorporating Social Media Leads to Research Participation Among Young Adult-Aged Female Cancer Survivors.

Science.gov (United States)

Gorman, Jessica R; Roberts, Samantha C; Dominick, Sally A; Malcarne, Vanessa L; Dietz, Andrew C; Su, H Irene

2014-06-01

Purpose: Cancer survivors in their adolescent and young adult (AYA) years are an understudied population, possibly in part because of the high effort required to recruit them into research studies. The aim of this paper is to describe the specific recruitment strategies used in four studies recruiting AYA-aged female cancer survivors and to identify the highest yielding approaches. We also discuss challenges and recommendations. Methods: We recruited AYA-aged female cancer survivors for two studies conducted locally and two conducted nationally. Recruitment strategies included outreach and referral via: healthcare providers and clinics; social media and the internet; community and word of mouth; and a national fertility information hotline. We calculated the yield of each recruitment approach for the local and national studies by comparing the number that participated to the number of potential participants. Results: We recruited a total of 534 participants into four research studies. Seventy-one percent were diagnosed as young adults and 61% were within 3 years of their cancer diagnosis. The highest-yielding local recruitment strategy was healthcare provider and clinic referral. Nationally, social media and internet outreach yielded the highest rate of participation. Overall, internet-based recruitment resulted in the highest number and yield of participants. Conclusion: Our results suggest that outreach through social media and the internet are effective approaches to recruiting AYA-aged female cancer survivors. Forging collaborative relationships with survivor advocacy groups' members and healthcare providers also proved beneficial.

Beneficial properties of probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomičić Zorica M.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Saccharomyces boulardii is unique probiotic and biotherapeutic yeast, known to survive in gastric acidity and it is not adversely affected or inhibited by antibiotics or does not alter or adversely affect the normal microbiota. S. boulardii has been utilized worldwide as a probiotic supplement to support gastrointestinal health. The multiple mechanisms of action of S. boulardii and its properties may explain its efficacy and beneficial effects in acute and chronic gastrointestinal diseases that have been confirmed by clinical trials. Caution should be taken in patients with risk factors for adverse events. Its potential application in various dairy foods could offer an alternative probiotic product to people suffering from antibiotic-associated diarrhea. This review discusses the evidence for efficacy and safety of S. boulardii as a probiotic for the prevention and therapy of gastrointestinal disorders in humans.

All-trans retinoic acid inhibits the recruitment of ARNT to DNA, resulting in the decrease of CYP1A1 mRNA expression in HepG2 cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohno, Marumi; Ikenaka, Yoshinori; Ishizuka, Mayumi

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► AHR and ARNT transcriptionally regulate genes related to metabolisms such as CYP1A1. ► We investigated the effect of retinoic acid (RA) on the function of AHR/ARNT. ► RA inhibited the recruitment of ARNT, not AHR, to the regulatory region of CYP1A1. ► It resulted in a reduction of constitutive expression of CYP1A1 to less than half. -- Abstract: Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and AHR nuclear translocator (ARNT) are well-conserved transcription factors among species. However, there are a very limited number of reports on the physiological function of AHR, particularly on the regulation of AHR by endogenous compounds. We hence investigated the effects of all-trans retinoic acid (atRA) on cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1 gene transcription as a model of AHR-regulated transcription mechanisms in HepG2 cells, a human hepatoma cell line. Treatment with atRA significantly reduced transactivation and expression of CYP1A1 mRNA to less than half of its control value, and this inhibitory effect was mediated by RARα. The result of chromatin immunoprecipitation assay indicated that treatment with atRA at 1–100 nM drastically inhibited the recruitment of ARNT to DNA regions containing xenobiotic responsive elements. In conclusion, atRA at physiological concentrations could reduce AHR-mediated gene transcription via the inhibition of recruitment of ARNT to relevant DNA regions.

Retention of health-related beneficial components during household preparation of selenium-enriched African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) fillets

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mierke-Klemeyer, S.; Larsen, R.; Oehlenschlaeger, J.; Nunes, M.L.; Schram, E.; Luten, J.B.

2008-01-01

Industrial processing and heat treatment of fish muscle generally lead to losses of water-soluble components, some of which may have beneficial health effects. The aim of this work was to determine the retention of taurine, selenium and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids when preparing African catfish

Feasibility of Recruiting Families into a Heart Disease Prevention Program Based on Dietary Patterns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tracy L. Schumacher

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Offspring of parents with a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD inherit a similar genetic profile and share diet and lifestyle behaviors. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of recruiting families at risk of CVD to a dietary prevention program, determine the changes in diet achieved, and program acceptability. Families were recruited into a pilot parallel group randomized controlled trial consisting of a three month evidence-based dietary intervention, based on the Mediterranean and Portfolio diets. Feasibility was assessed by recruitment and retention rates, change in diet by food frequency questionnaire, and program acceptability by qualitative interviews and program evaluation. Twenty one families were enrolled over 16 months, with fourteen families (n = 42 individuals completing the study. Post-program dietary changes in the intervention group included small daily increases in vegetable serves (0.8 ± 1.3 and reduced usage of full-fat milk (−21%, cheese (−12% and meat products (−17%. Qualitative interviews highlighted beneficial changes in food purchasing habits. Future studies need more effective methods of recruitment to engage families in the intervention. Once engaged, families made small incremental improvements in their diets. Evaluation indicated that feedback on diet and CVD risk factors, dietetic counselling and the resources provided were appropriate for a program of this type.

Feasibility of Recruiting Families into a Heart Disease Prevention Program Based on Dietary Patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Schumacher, Tracy L; Burrows, Tracy L; Thompson, Deborah I; Spratt, Neil J; Callister, Robin; Collins, Clare E

2015-08-21

Offspring of parents with a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) inherit a similar genetic profile and share diet and lifestyle behaviors. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of recruiting families at risk of CVD to a dietary prevention program, determine the changes in diet achieved, and program acceptability. Families were recruited into a pilot parallel group randomized controlled trial consisting of a three month evidence-based dietary intervention, based on the Mediterranean and Portfolio diets. Feasibility was assessed by recruitment and retention rates, change in diet by food frequency questionnaire, and program acceptability by qualitative interviews and program evaluation. Twenty one families were enrolled over 16 months, with fourteen families (n = 42 individuals) completing the study. Post-program dietary changes in the intervention group included small daily increases in vegetable serves (0.8 ± 1.3) and reduced usage of full-fat milk (-21%), cheese (-12%) and meat products (-17%). Qualitative interviews highlighted beneficial changes in food purchasing habits. Future studies need more effective methods of recruitment to engage families in the intervention. Once engaged, families made small incremental improvements in their diets. Evaluation indicated that feedback on diet and CVD risk factors, dietetic counselling and the resources provided were appropriate for a program of this type.

Effect of Folic Acid Supplementation in Pregnancy on Preeclampsia: The Folic Acid Clinical Trial Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shi Wu Wen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Preeclampsia (PE is hypertension with proteinuria that develops during pregnancy and affects at least 5% of pregnancies. The Effect of Folic Acid Supplementation in Pregnancy on Preeclampsia: the Folic Acid Clinical Trial (FACT aims to recruit 3,656 high risk women to evaluate a new prevention strategy for PE: supplementation of folic acid throughout pregnancy. Pregnant women with increased risk of developing PE presenting to a trial participating center between 80/7 and 166/7 weeks of gestation are randomized in a 1 : 1 ratio to folic acid 4.0 mg or placebo after written consent is obtained. Intent-to-treat population will be analyzed. The FACT study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research in 2009, and regulatory approval from Health Canada was obtained in 2010. A web-based randomization system and electronic data collection system provide the platform for participating centers to randomize their eligible participants and enter data in real time. To date we have twenty participating Canadian centers, of which eighteen are actively recruiting, and seven participating Australian centers, of which two are actively recruiting. Recruitment in Argentina, UK, Netherlands, Brazil, West Indies, and United States is expected to begin by the second or third quarter of 2013. This trial is registered with NCT01355159.

A splice variant of RILP induces lysosomal clustering independent of dynein recruitment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marsman, Marije; Jordens, Ingrid; Rocha, Nuno; Kuijl, Coenraad; Janssen, Lennert; Neefjes, Jacques

2006-01-01

The small GTPase Rab7 controls fusion and transport of late endocytic compartments. A critical mediator is the Rab7 effector RILP that recruits the minus-end dynein-dynactin motor complex to these compartments. We identified a natural occurring splice variant of RILP (RILPsv) lacking only 27 amino acids encoded by exon VII. Both variants bind Rab7, prolong its GTP-bound state, and induce clustering of late endocytic compartments. However, RILPsv does not recruit the dynein-dynactin complex, implicating exon VII in motor recruitment. Clustering might still occur via dimerization, since both RILP and RILPsv are able to form hetero- and homo-dimers. Moreover, both effectors compete for Rab7 binding but with different outcome for dynein-dynactin recruitment and transport. Hence, RILPsv provides an extra dimension to the control of vesicle fusion and transport by the small GTPase Rab7

Beneficial effect of Verminephrobacter nephridial symbionts on the fitness of the earthworm Aporrectodea tuberculata

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Marie Braad; Holmstrup, Martin; Lomstein, Bente Aagaard

2010-01-01

grown on the low nutrient diet. Thus, the Verminephrobacter nephridial symbionts do have a beneficial effect on their earthworm host. Cocoons with and without symbionts did not significantly differ in total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), or total hydrolysable amino acid (THAA) content, which...

In vitro study of beneficial properties and safety of lactic acid bacteria isolated from Portuguese fermented meat products.

Science.gov (United States)

Todorov, S D; Franco, B D G M; Wiid, I J

2014-09-01

Many lactic acid bacteria produce bacteriocins with a rather broad spectrum of inhibition, which could offer potential applications in food preservation. Bacteriocin production by starter cultures may bring advantage to these strains in competitive interactions with pathogenic bacteria from the food matrix. The objective of this study was to determine the safety of beneficial strains (Lactobacillus plantarum ST202Ch and ST216Ch, Enterococcus faecium ST211Ch, and Lactobacillus sakei ST22Ch, ST153Ch and ST154Ch) previously isolated from fermented meat products and characterised as bacteriocin producers. Auto-aggregation was strain-specific, and values of 28.97, 27.86 and 28.56% were recorded for L. sakei ST22Ch, ST153Ch and ST154Ch, respectively, 16.95 and 14.58% for L. plantarum ST202Ch and ST216Ch, respectively, and 12.77% for E. faecium ST211Ch. Various degrees of co-aggregation between 28.85 and 44.76% for Listeria monocytogenes 211 and 409, and between 23.60 to 34.96% for E. faecium ATCC 19443 were observed. According to the results of the diffusion method, the studied strains demonstrated susceptibility to penicillin G, ampicillin, amoxicillin, amoxicillin/clavulonic acid, imipenem, linezolid, and tetracycline. In addition, the susceptibility of the six strains to various non-antibiotic commercial drugs was examined. Production of β-galactosidase by L. sakei ST22Ch, ST153Ch and ST154Ch, L. plantarum ST202Ch and ST216Ch, and E. faecium ST211Ch was confirmed by employing sterile filter paper discs impregnated with o-nitrophenyl-β-D-galactopyranose. A statistically significant (P<0.001) inhibition of Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth by bacteriocins produced by L. plantarum ST202Ch (38.3%) and ST216Ch (48.6%), L. sakei ST153Ch (16.2%) and ST154Ch (16.1%), and E. faecium ST211Ch (21.7%) was observed. As determined by the polymerase chain reaction, the tested strains showed a low virulence gene profile.

All-trans retinoic acid inhibits the recruitment of ARNT to DNA, resulting in the decrease of CYP1A1 mRNA expression in HepG2 cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohno, Marumi; Ikenaka, Yoshinori [Laboratory of Toxicology, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, N18 W9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818 (Japan); Ishizuka, Mayumi, E-mail: ishizum@vetmed.hokudai.ac.jp [Laboratory of Toxicology, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, N18 W9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818 (Japan)

2012-01-06

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer AHR and ARNT transcriptionally regulate genes related to metabolisms such as CYP1A1. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We investigated the effect of retinoic acid (RA) on the function of AHR/ARNT. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer RA inhibited the recruitment of ARNT, not AHR, to the regulatory region of CYP1A1. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer It resulted in a reduction of constitutive expression of CYP1A1 to less than half. -- Abstract: Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and AHR nuclear translocator (ARNT) are well-conserved transcription factors among species. However, there are a very limited number of reports on the physiological function of AHR, particularly on the regulation of AHR by endogenous compounds. We hence investigated the effects of all-trans retinoic acid (atRA) on cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1 gene transcription as a model of AHR-regulated transcription mechanisms in HepG2 cells, a human hepatoma cell line. Treatment with atRA significantly reduced transactivation and expression of CYP1A1 mRNA to less than half of its control value, and this inhibitory effect was mediated by RAR{alpha}. The result of chromatin immunoprecipitation assay indicated that treatment with atRA at 1-100 nM drastically inhibited the recruitment of ARNT to DNA regions containing xenobiotic responsive elements. In conclusion, atRA at physiological concentrations could reduce AHR-mediated gene transcription via the inhibition of recruitment of ARNT to relevant DNA regions.

The Recruitment Process:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holm, Anna

, which were carried out in Denmark in 2008-2009 using qualitative research methods, revealed changes in the sequence, divisibility and repetitiveness of a number of recruitment tasks and subtasks. The new recruitment process design was identified and presented in the paper. The study concluded......The aim of this research was to determine whether the introduction of e-recruitment has an impact on the process and underlying tasks, subtasks and activities of recruitment. Three large organizations with well-established e-recruitment practices were included in the study. The three case studies...

Effect of military training stress on plasma adrenomedullin (ADM) levels in recruits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng Hong; Luo Nanping

2009-01-01

Objective: To investigate the effect of military training stress on the secretion and metabolism of adrenomedullin in recruits. Methods: Plasma ADM (with RIA) and urinary VMA (with colorimetric analysis) contents were determined both before and after 1h strenuous military exercise in 60 newly enlisted soldiers and once in 50 soliders served over 3 years (as controls). Results: For the recruits group, the plasma concentrations of ADM and urinary concentrations of VMA both before and after military training were significantly higher than those in veterans control (P<0.05, P<0.01, P<0.05, P<0.01). High strength military training resulted in significant elevation of concentrations of both ADM and VMA (P<0.01, P<0.05). The elevation of plasma ADM concentration was extremely significant with an amplitude about 9 times (23.72 ± 12.63 pg/ml before training and 214.97 ± 57.75 pg/ml after training). Conclusion: 1) The stress of enrollment and military training may result in increase of secretion of ADM and VMA in recruits. 2) Appropriate stress is beneficial in terms of rapid adaptation for changes of internal and external environment, while excessive acute and repeated stress may be harmful. (authors)

D-Amino acids incorporation in the frog skin-derived peptide esculentin-1a(1-21)NH2 is beneficial for its multiple functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Grazia, Antonio; Cappiello, Floriana; Cohen, Hadar; Casciaro, Bruno; Luca, Vincenzo; Pini, Alessandro; Di, Y Peter; Shai, Yechiel; Mangoni, Maria Luisa

2015-12-01

Naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent promising future antibiotics. We have previously isolated esculentin-1a(1-21)NH2, a short peptide derived from the frog skin AMP esculentin-1a, with a potent anti-Pseudomonal activity. Here, we investigated additional functions of the peptide and properties responsible for these activities. For that purpose, we synthesized the peptide, as well as its structurally altered analog containing two D-amino acids. The peptides were then biophysically and biologically investigated for their cytotoxicity and immunomodulating activities. The data revealed that compared to the wild-type, the diastereomer: (1) is significantly less toxic towards mammalian cells, in agreement with its lower α-helical structure, as determined by circular dichroism spectroscopy; (2) is more effective against the biofilm form of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (responsible for lung infections in cystic fibrosis sufferers), while maintaining a high activity against the free-living form of this important pathogen; (3) is more stable in serum; (4) has a higher activity in promoting migration of lung epithelial cells, and presumably in healing damaged lung tissue, and (5) disaggregates and detoxifies the bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), albeit less than the wild-type. Light scattering studies revealed a correlation between anti-LPS activity and the ability to disaggregate the LPS. Besides shedding light on the multifunction properties of esculentin-1a(1-21)NH2, the D-amino acid containing isomer may serve as an attractive template for the development of new anti-Pseudomonal compounds with additional beneficial properties. Furthermore, together with other studies, incorporation of D-amino acids may serve as a general approach to optimize the future design of new AMPs.

Glabridin and glycyrrhizic acid show no beneficial effect on the chemical composition and mechanical properties of bones in ovariectomized rats, when administered in moderate dose.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaczmarczyk-Sedlak, Ilona; Klasik-Ciszewska, Sylwia; Wojnar, Weronika

2016-10-01

One of the major causes of osteoporosis and bone fracture in postmenopausal women is estrogen deficiency. To prevent the fractures, and avoid the side effects of hormone replacement therapy, phytoestrogens including the isoflavonoids are used. In the presented study two constituents occurring in the licorice root-the isoflavane glabridin and triterpenoid saponin glycyrrhizic acid were examined on the skeletal system of ovariectomized rats. The female Wistar rats were divided into five groups: control group, ovariectomized group as well as three ovariectomized groups treated with estradiol (0.2mg/kg), glabridin (5mg/kg) or glycyrrhizic acid (15mg/kg). All substances were administered orally for 4 weeks. The estradiol served as a positive control. The mechanical properties of femoral diaphysis, tibial metaphysis and femoral neck were assessed using bending and compression tests. Moreover the chemical composition of the femur, tibia and L-4 vertebra - content of water, organic substances and minerals - was determined. Ovariectomy induced unfavorable changes in the skeletal system of the rats. Administration of glabridin and glycyrrhizic acid to the ovariectomized rats did not improve analyzed parameters of the bones. Obtained results indicate, that the tested substances revealed no beneficial effect on the mechanical properties and chemical composition of the tested bones, thus they cannot be used as the osteoporosis protective agents. Copyright © 2016 Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.

Effect of ursodeoxycholic acid on the kinetics of the major hydrophobic bile acids in health and in chronic cholestatic liver disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beuers, U.; Spengler, U.; Zwiebel, F. M.; PAULETZKI, J.; Fischer, S.; Paumgartner, G.

1992-01-01

Beneficial effects of ursodeoxycholic acid in chronic cholestatic liver diseases have been attributed to displacement of hydrophobic bile acids from the endogenous bile acid pool. To test this hypothesis, we determined pool sizes, fractional turnover rates, synthesis/input rates and serum levels of

The analysis of anode sludges, and their process solutions and beneficiation products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixon, K.; Russell, G.M.; Wall, G.J.; Eddy, B.T.; Mallett, R.C.; Royal, S.J.

1979-01-01

As previous methods for the analysis of anode slimes have required lengthy separations, instrumental procedures were developed that require no preparation of the sample or only simple procedures such as acid digestion and fusion. Comparative values for various techniques are given. Methods for the analysis of process solutions and beneficiation products are examined and the procedures that have been adopted together with their relative merits and applicability are discussed. Methods of analysis include: atomic-absorption spectrophotometry, x-ray-fluorescence spectrophotometry, x-ray-fluorescence spectrometry, instrumental neutron-activation analysis and optical emission spectrometry

Salinity Stress Is Beneficial to the Accumulation of Chlorogenic Acids in Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica Thunb.).

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Kun; Cui, Mingxing; Zhao, Shijie; Chen, Xiaobing; Tang, Xiaoli

2016-01-01

Honeysuckle ( Lonicera japonica Thunb.) is a traditional medicinal plant in China that is particularly rich in chlorogenic acids, which are phenolic compounds with various medicinal properties. This study aimed to examine the effects of salinity stress on accumulation of chlorogenic acids in honeysuckle, through hydroponic experiments and field trials, and to examine the mechanisms underlying the effects. NaCl stress stimulated the transcription of genes encoding key enzymes in the synthesis of chlorogenic acids in leaves; accordingly, the concentrations of chlorogenic acids in leaves were significantly increased under NaCl stress, as was antioxidant activity. Specifically, the total concentration of leaf chlorogenic acids was increased by 145.74 and 50.34% after 30 days of 150 and 300 mM NaCl stress, respectively. Similarly, the concentrations of chlorogenic acids were higher in the leaves of plants in saline, compared with non-saline, plots, with increases in total concentrations of chlorogenic acids of 56.05 and 105.29% in October 2014 and 2015, respectively. Despite leaf biomass reduction, absolute amounts of chlorogenic acids per plant and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity were significantly increased by soil salinity, confirming that the accumulation of chlorogenic acids in leaves was a result of stimulation of their synthesis under salinity stress. Soil salinity also led to elevated chlorogenic acid concentrations in honeysuckle flower buds, with significant increases in total chlorogenic acids concentration of 22.42 and 25.14% in May 2014 and 2015, respectively. Consistent with biomass reduction, the absolute amounts of chlorogenic acid per plant declined in flower buds of plants exposed to elevated soil salinity, with no significant change in PAL activity. Thus, salinity-induced chlorogenic acid accumulation in flower buds depended on an amplification effect of growth reduction. In conclusion, salinity stress improved the medicinal quality of

Salinity Stress is Beneficial to the Accumulation of Chlorogenic Acids in Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica Thunb.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kun Yan

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica Thunb. is a traditional medicinal plant in China that is particularly rich in chlorogenic acids, which are phenolic compounds with various medicinal properties. This study aimed to examine the effects of salinity stress on accumulation of chlorogenic acids in honeysuckle, through hydroponic experiments and field trials, and to examine the mechanisms underlying the effects. NaCl stress stimulated the transcription of genes encoding key enzymes in the synthesis of chlorogenic acids in leaves; accordingly, the concentrations of chlorogenic acids in leaves were significantly increased under NaCl stress, as was antioxidant activity. Specifically, the total concentration of leaf chlorogenic acids was increased by 145.74% and 50.34% after 30 days of 150 and 300 mM NaCl stress, respectively. Similarly, the concentrations of chlorogenic acids were higher in the leaves of plants in saline, compared with non-saline, plots, with increases in total concentrations of chlorogenic acids of 56.05% and 105.29% in October 2014 and 2015, respectively. Despite leaf biomass reduction, absolute amounts of chlorogenic acids per plant and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL activity were significantly increased by soil salinity, confirming that the accumulation of chlorogenic acids in leaves was a result of stimulation of their synthesis under salinity stress. Soil salinity also led to elevated chlorogenic acid concentrations in honeysuckle flower buds, with significant increases in total chlorogenic acids concentration of 22.42% and 25.14% in May 2014 and 2015, respectively. Consistent with biomass reduction, the absolute amounts of chlorogenic acid per plant declined in flower buds of plants exposed to elevated soil salinity, with no significant change in PAL activity. Thus, salinity-induced chlorogenic acid accumulation in flower buds depended on an amplification effect of growth reduction. In conclusion, salinity stress improves

Diacylglycerol Enrichment of Endoplasmic Reticulum or Lipid Droplets Recruits Perilipin 3/TIP47 during Lipid Storage and Mobilization*

Science.gov (United States)

Skinner, James R.; Shew, Trevor M.; Schwartz, Danielle M.; Tzekov, Anatoly; Lepus, Christin M.; Abumrad, Nada A.; Wolins, Nathan E.

2009-01-01

Fatty acid-induced triacylglycerol synthesis produces triacylglycerol droplets with a protein coat that includes perilipin 3/TIP47 and perilipin 4/S3-12. This study addresses the following two questions. Where do lipid droplets emerge, and how are their coat proteins recruited? We show that perilipin 3- and perilipin 4-coated lipid droplets emerge along the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Blocking membrane trafficking with AlF4− during fatty acid-induced triacylglycerol synthesis drove perilipin 3 to the tubular ER. Forskolin, which like AlF4− activates adenylate cyclase, did not redistribute perilipin 3, but when added together with AlF4− perilipin 3 was recruited to lipid droplets rather than the ER. Thus inhibiting trafficking with AlF4− redistributed perilipin 3 differently under conditions of triacylglycerol synthesis (fatty acid addition) versus hydrolysis (forskolin) suggesting a shared acylglycerol-mediated mechanism. We tested whether diacylglycerol (DG), the immediate precursor of triacylglycerol and its first hydrolytic product, affects the distribution of perilipin 3. Stabilizing DG with the DG lipase inhibitor RHC80267 enhanced the perilipin 3 recruited to lipid droplets and raised DG levels in this fraction. Treating cells with a membrane-permeable DG recruited perilipin 3 to the ER. Stabilizing DG, by blocking its hydrolysis with RHC80267 or its acylation with triacsin C, enhanced recruitment of perilipin 3 to the ER. Expressing the ER enzyme DGAT1, which removes DG by converting it to triacylglycerol, attenuated perilipin 3 DG-induced ER recruitment. Membrane-permeable DG also drove perilipin 4 and 5 onto the ER. Together the data suggest that these lipid droplet proteins are recruited to DG-enriched membranes thereby linking lipid coat proteins to the metabolic state of the cell. PMID:19748893

Use of media for recruiting clinical research volunteers in Ecuador.

Science.gov (United States)

Peñaherrera, Carlos Andrés; Palacios, Michael; Duarte, María Carolina; Santibáñez, Rocío; Tamariz, Leonardo; Palacio, Ana

2015-12-10

Up to this date, there are no reports made about the use of media for recruiting research volunteers in Latin American populations. Given the emergence of clinical research in Ecuador, a study of this kind in the local population will be beneficial for future research, and is probably applicable to other countries in the region. Two public calls were made for a cross-sectional study on cognitive function and diabetes. We only included people between 55 and 65 years of age without previous neurocognitive conditions. We invited individuals through interviews on the radio, television broadcasts and local newspapers, along with social media ads. Each individual was asked about the method by which they learned of the project. We calculated the frequency in which each method was reported and a chi-square test was used to assess gender differences in the results. A total of 274 patients were enrolled in the study, 64.2% are women and 35.8% men. We found that 29.93% learned of it from third persons, 20.8% through radio, 8.76% through social media, 8.39% by newspaper, and 5.11% by television, while a remaining 27.01% had not previously heard of the recruitment call. Methods reported varied significantly between men and women (p = 0.03). Traditional media were the most common method of recruitment, with radio interviews being the most frequently reported. Individually, none of them surpassed the frequency of people learning of the project from other people (snowball effect). Social networks play an important role, exceeding certain traditional media. We have described for the first time in Latin America the use of media as methods to recruit volunteers for research, and the importance of project dissemination by the participants to reach more people.

Chronic administration of ellagic acid improved the cognition in middle-aged overweight men.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ying; Yu, Shuyi; Wang, Fen; Yu, Haitao; Li, Xueli; Dong, Wanru; Lin, Ruichao; Liu, Qingshan

2018-03-01

This study aimed to investigate if ellagic acid has beneficial effects on cognitive deficits in middle-aged overweight individuals and to propose a possible mechanism. A total of 150 middle-aged male participants, including 76 normal-weight and 74 overweight men, aged between 45 to 55 years, were recruited for this study. Both normal-weight and overweight participants were administered either 50 mg ellagic acid or placebo cellulose daily for 12 weeks. Blood lipids, peripheral brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and saliva cortisol were assessed on the last day of the procedure to investigate the effects induced by ellagic acid. The results revealed that ellagic acid treatment improved the levels of blood lipid metabolism with a 4.7% decline in total cholesterol, 7.3% decline in triglycerides, 26.5% increase in high-density lipoprotein, and 6.5% decline in low-density lipoprotein. Additionally, ellagic acid increased plasma BDNF by 21.2% in the overweight group and showed no effects on normal-weight participants. Moreover, the increased saliva cortisol level in overweight individuals was inhibited by 22.7% in a 12-week ellagic acid treatment. Also, compared with placebo, overweight individuals who consumed ellagic acid showed enhanced cognitive function as measured by the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report showing that ellagic acid prevents cognitive deficits through normalization of lipid metabolism, increase in plasma BDNF level, and reduction of saliva cortisol concentration. These results indicate that ellagic acid has a potential to restore cognitive performance related to mild age-related declines.

Selective beneficial cardiometabolic effects of vertical sleeve gastrectomy are predominantly mediated through glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1 in Zucker diabetic fatty rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sunil Kumar

2016-12-01

Conclusion: Enhanced GLP-1 secretion post VSG imparted beneficial cardiometabolic effects on blood glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, bile acids and L-PGDS levels which were abated in the presence of GLP-1 antagonist.

Intestinal release and uptake of phenolic antioxidant diferulic acids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Mette Findal; Kroon, P A; Williamson, G

2001-01-01

Diferulic acids are potent antioxidants and are abundant structural components of plant cell walls, especially in cereal brans. As such, they are part of many human and animal diets and may contribute to the beneficial effect of cereal brans on health. However, these phenolics are ester-linked to......Diferulic acids are potent antioxidants and are abundant structural components of plant cell walls, especially in cereal brans. As such, they are part of many human and animal diets and may contribute to the beneficial effect of cereal brans on health. However, these phenolics are ester...... system. Our results suggest that the phenolic antioxidant diferulic acids are bioavailable. Udgivelsesdato: 2001-Aug-1...

Nice to meet you: genetic, epigenetic and metabolic controls of plant perception of beneficial associative and endophytic diazotrophic bacteria in non-leguminous plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho, T L G; Ballesteros, H G F; Thiebaut, F; Ferreira, P C G; Hemerly, A S

2016-04-01

A wide range of rhizosphere diazotrophic bacteria are able to establish beneficial associations with plants, being able to associate to root surfaces or even endophytically colonize plant tissues. In common, both associative and endophytic types of colonization can result in beneficial outcomes to the plant leading to plant growth promotion, as well as increase in tolerance against biotic and abiotic stresses. An intriguing question in such associations is how plant cell surface perceives signals from other living organisms, thus sorting pathogens from beneficial ones, to transduce this information and activate proper responses that will finally culminate in plant adaptations to optimize their growth rates. This review focuses on the recent advances in the understanding of genetic and epigenetic controls of plant-bacteria signaling and recognition during beneficial associations with associative and endophytic diazotrophic bacteria. Finally, we propose that "soil-rhizosphere-rhizoplane-endophytes-plant" could be considered as a single coordinated unit with dynamic components that integrate the plant with the environment to generate adaptive responses in plants to improve growth. The homeostasis of the whole system should recruit different levels of regulation, and recognition between the parties in a given environment might be one of the crucial factors coordinating these adaptive plant responses.

Beneficiation-hydroretort processing of US oil shales: Volume 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1989-01-01

This report has been divided into three volumes. Volume I describes the MRI beneficiation work. In addition, Volume I presents the results of joint beneficiation-hydroretorting studies and provides an economic analysis of the combined beneficiation-hydroretorting approach for processing Eastern oil shales. Volume II presents detailed results of hydroretorting tests made by HYCRUDE/IGT on raw and beneficiated oil shales prepared by MRI. Volume III comprises detailed engineering design drawings and supporting data developed by the Roberts and Schaefer Company, Engineers and Contractors, Salt Lake City, Utah, in support of the capital and operating costs for a conceptual beneficiation plant processing an Alabama oil shale.

28 CFR 54.310 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Recruitment. 54.310 Section 54.310... in Admission and Recruitment Prohibited § 54.310 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A... recruitment and admission of students. A recipient may be required to undertake additional recruitment efforts...

40 CFR 5.310 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Recruitment. 5.310 Section 5.310... in Admission and Recruitment Prohibited § 5.310 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A... recruitment and admission of students. A recipient may be required to undertake additional recruitment efforts...

43 CFR 41.310 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Recruitment. 41.310 Section 41.310 Public... in Admission and Recruitment Prohibited § 41.310 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A... recruitment and admission of students. A recipient may be required to undertake additional recruitment efforts...

14 CFR 1253.310 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Recruitment. 1253.310 Section 1253.310... in Admission and Recruitment Prohibited § 1253.310 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A... recruitment and admission of students. A recipient may be required to undertake additional recruitment efforts...

6 CFR 17.310 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 6 Domestic Security 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Recruitment. 17.310 Section 17.310 Domestic... in Admission and Recruitment Prohibited § 17.310 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A... recruitment and admission of students. A recipient may be required to undertake additional recruitment efforts...

Human Resources Marketing and Recruiting: Essentials of Digital Recruiting

CERN Document Server

Purvis, James

2016-01-01

This chapter will cover digital recruitment from its definition thru to its history in recruitment and trends. The subject itself could cover an entire book or an entire module at university, so this chapter will broadly touch upon the key elements and considerations. Under cultural perspective, the recruitment life cycle will be broken down into its individual parts, and digital solutions will be examined for each individual part of the process together with the impact this has on the knowledge and challenges for the manager and team. The economic perspective will assist in prioritizing initiatives and building a business case for the introduction of digital recruiting solutions. The risk perspective will raise awareness of the potential pitfalls and the operational perspective on the key considerations for a successful implementation. Finally, the key messages of this chapter are summarized in the Do’s and Don’ts.

eHealth Recruitment Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Debbe; Canada, Ashanti; Bhatt, Riddhi; Davis, Jennifer; Plesko, Lisa; Baranowski, Tom; Cullen, Karen; Zakeri, Issa

2006-01-01

Little is known about effective eHealth recruitment methods. This paper presents recruitment challenges associated with enrolling African-American girls aged 8-10 years in an eHealth obesity prevention program, their effect on the recruitment plan, and potential implications for eHealth research. Although the initial recruitment strategy was…

eHealth recruitment challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Debbe; Canada, Ashanti; Bhatt, Riddhi; Davis, Jennifer; Plesko, Lisa; Baranowski, Tom; Cullen, Karen; Zakeri, Issa

2006-11-01

Little is known about effective eHealth recruitment methods. This paper presents recruitment challenges associated with enrolling African-American girls aged 8-10 years in an eHealth obesity prevention program, their effect on the recruitment plan, and potential implications for eHealth research. Although the initial recruitment strategy was literature-informed, it failed to enroll the desired number of girls within a reasonable time period. Therefore, the recruitment strategy was reformulated to incorporate principles of social marketing and traditional marketing techniques. The resulting plan included both targeted, highly specific strategies (e.g., selected churches), and more broad-based approaches (e.g., media exposure, mass mailings, radio advertisements). The revised plan enabled recruitment goals to be attained. Media appeared to be particularly effective at reaching the intended audience. Future research should identify the most effective recruitment strategies for reaching potential eHealth audiences.

Navy Enlisted Recruiting: Alternatives for Improving Recruiter Productivity

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-01

Instruction CR Chief Recruiter CRF Career Recruiting Force CS Culinary Specialist CT Command Trainer CTI Cryptologic Technician...third week (Module 2) when the students are taught about trends in sales and marketplaces, the art and science of sales, how to prospect for new...8, Aviation Machinist Mates (AD), Aviation Structural Mechanic (AM), Culinary Specialists (CS), and Fire Controlman (FC) had the highest average

Recruitment of motor units in the medial gastrocnemius muscle during human quiet standing: is recruitment intermittent? What triggers recruitment?

Science.gov (United States)

Vieira, Taian M M; Loram, Ian D; Muceli, Silvia; Merletti, Roberto; Farina, Dario

2012-01-01

The recruitment and the rate of discharge of motor units are determinants of muscle force. Within a motoneuron pool, recruitment and rate coding of individual motor units might be controlled independently, depending on the circumstances. In this study, we tested whether, during human quiet standing, the force of the medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscle is predominantly controlled by recruitment or rate coding. If MG control during standing was mainly due to recruitment, then we further asked what the trigger mechanism is. Is it determined internally, or is it related to body kinematics? While seven healthy subjects stood quietly, intramuscular electromyograms were recorded from the MG muscle with three pairs of wire electrodes. The number of active motor units and their mean discharge rate were compared for different sway velocities and positions. Motor unit discharges occurred more frequently when the body swayed faster and forward (Pearson R = 0.63; P motor unit potentials was explained chiefly by the recruitment of additional units. During forward body shifts, the median number of units detected increased from 3 to 11 (P motor units did not discharge continuously throughout standing. They were recruited within individual, forward sways and intermittently, with a modal rate of two recruitments per second. This modal rate is consistent with previous circumstantial evidence relating the control of standing to an intrinsic, higher level planning process.

BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF KETO AMINO ACIDS FOR DIALYSIS PATIENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimir Teplan

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Nutritional status is an important predictor of clinical outcome in dialysed patients. Beside decreased serum protein/albumin,lower BMI with decreased muscle mass is the most significant predictor of morbidity and mortality. Keto amino acids (KA represent an additional source for protein anabolism influencing indirectly also carbohydrate and lipid metabolism,Ca-P and acid base balance.Additionaly,by concominant metabolic and hemodynamic effect on residual nefrons, KA can help to slow progression of residual renal function (RRF mainly in peritoneal dialysis patients. We conducted a long-term prospective randomized placebo controlled trial to test whether a modified low-protein diet (LPD with or without keto acids (KA would be safe ,well tolerated and associated with an increase of metabolic status and preservation of RRF in peritoneal dialysis (PD. We evaluated a total of 62 PD patients (32M/30F aged 26-72 yrs with creatinine clearance (Ccr 7.9-5.7 mL/min/1.73m2 for a period of 12 months. All patients were on modified LPD containing 0.8 protein/kg/IBW/day and 135/kJ/kg/IBW/day. LPD was randomly supplemented with KA at dosage of 100 mg/kg/IBW/day (30 patients, Group I while 30 patients (Group II received placebo. We analysed also muscle and fat metabolism by MR spectroscopy (MRS, m.tibialis anterior and imagining (MRI,visceral fat.Patients from Group I were before enrolment on conservative management using LPD + KA (0.6g P + 0.1g KA/kg/IBW/day for longer time (18-48 months, median 28 with good compliance (SGA. Patients from group II were never treated with LPD and KA.All patients were monitored at the beginning of PD and at every 3 months for 12 months.;A neutral or positive long- term nitrogen balance (nPCR in g/kg IBW/day was achieved in Group I (p<0.05 .RRF measured as Ccr remained stable in Group I (6.5 ± 2.18 to 5.9 ± 2.54 ml/min, p=NS,while it decreased in Group II (6.7 ± 2.22 to 3.2 ± 1.44 ml/min, p<0.02.There were no differences in

Beneficial Effects of Early Enteral Nutrition After Major Rectal Surgery: A Possible Role for Conditionally Essential Amino Acids? Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

van Barneveld, Kevin W Y; Smeets, Boudewijn J J; Heesakkers, Fanny F B M; Bosmans, Joanna W A M; Luyer, Misha D; Wasowicz, Dareczka; Bakker, Jaap A; Roos, Arnout N; Rutten, Harm J T; Bouvy, Nicole D; Boelens, Petra G

2016-06-01

better clinical outcome was observed. We conclude that plasma amino acids do not provide a causal explanation for the observed beneficial effects of early enteral feeding after major rectal surgery.

Purposive facebook recruitment endows cost-effective nutrition education program evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lohse, Barbara; Wamboldt, Patricia

2013-08-15

Recent legislation established a requirement for nutrition education in federal assistance programs to be evidence-based. Recruitment of low-income persons to participate and evaluate nutrition education activities can be challenging and costly. Facebook has been shown to be a cost-effective strategy to recruit this target audience to a nutrition program. The purpose of our study was to examine Facebook as a strategy to recruit participants, especially Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) eligible persons, to view and evaluate an online nutrition education program intended to be offered as having some evidence base for SNAP-Ed programming. English-speaking, low-income Pennsylvania residents, 18-55 years with key profile words (eg, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Food bank), responded to a Facebook ad inviting participation in either Eating Together as a Family is Worth It (WI) or Everyone Needs Folic Acid (FA). Participants completed an online survey on food-related behaviors, viewed a nutrition education program, and completed a program evaluation. Facebook set-up functions considered were costing action, daily spending cap, and population reach. Respondents for both WI and FA evaluations were similar; the majority were white, Cost per completed evaluation was US $25.48; cost per low-income completer was US $39.92. Results were similar for the FA evaluation; 795 Facebook users clicked on the ad with 110 unique site visitors, and 73 completing the evaluation (ie, 73/795, 9.2% of ad clickers and 73/110, 66% of site visitors completed the evaluation). Cost per valid completed survey with program evaluation was US $18.88; cost per low-income completer was US $27.53. With Facebook we successfully recruited low-income Pennsylvanians to online nutrition program evaluations. Benefits using Facebook as a recruitment strategy included real-time recruitment management with lower costs and more efficiency compared to previous data from

Genetic and functional characterization of culturable plant-beneficial actinobacteria associated with yam rhizosphere.

Science.gov (United States)

Arunachalam Palaniyandi, Sasikumar; Yang, Seung Hwan; Damodharan, Karthiyaini; Suh, Joo-Won

2013-12-01

Actinobacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere of yam plants from agricultural fields from Yeoju, South Korea and analyzed for their genetic and plant-beneficial functional diversity. A total of 29 highly occurring actinobacterial isolates from the yam rhizosphere were screened for various plant-beneficial traits such as antimicrobial activity on fungi and bacteria; biocontrol traits such as production of siderophore, protease, chitinase, endo-cellulase, and β-glucanase. The isolates were also screened for plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits such as auxin production, phosphate solubilization, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase activity, and in vitro Arabidopsis growth promotion. 16S rDNA sequence-based phylogenetic analysis was carried out on the actinobacterial isolates to determine their genetic relatedness to known actinobacteria. BOX-PCR analysis revealed high genetic diversity among the isolates. Several isolates were identified to belong to the genus Streptomyces and a few to Kitasatospora. The actinobacterial strains exhibited high diversity in their functionality and were identified as novel and promising candidates for future development into biocontrol and PGP agents. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Beneficial Effects of Dietary Nitrate on Endothelial Function and Blood Pressure Levels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jenifer d’El-Rei

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Poor eating habits may represent cardiovascular risk factors since high intake of fat and saturated fatty acids contributes to dyslipidemia, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. Thus, nutritional interventions are recognized as important strategies for primary prevention of hypertension and as adjuvants to pharmacological therapies to reduce cardiovascular risk. The DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension plan is one of the most effective strategies for the prevention and nonpharmacological management of hypertension. The beneficial effects of DASH diet on blood pressure might be related to the high inorganic nitrate content of some food products included in this meal plan. The beetroot and other food plants considered as nitrate sources account for approximately 60–80% of the daily nitrate exposure in the western population. The increased levels of nitrite by nitrate intake seem to have beneficial effects in many of the physiological and clinical settings. Several clinical trials are being conducted to determine the broad therapeutic potential of increasing the bioavailability of nitrite in human health and disease, including studies related to vascular aging. In conclusion, the dietary inorganic nitrate seems to represent a promising complementary therapy to support hypertension treatment with benefits for cardiovascular health.

45 CFR 86.23 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Recruitment. 86.23 Section 86.23 Public Welfare... in Admission and Recruitment Prohibited § 86.23 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A recipient to which this subpart applies shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment and...

10 CFR 1042.310 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Recruitment. 1042.310 Section 1042.310 Energy DEPARTMENT... Recruitment Prohibited § 1042.310 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A recipient to which §§ 1042.300 through 1042.310 apply shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment and admission...

49 CFR 25.310 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Recruitment. 25.310 Section 25.310 Transportation... Recruitment Prohibited § 25.310 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A recipient to which §§ 25.300 through 25.310 apply shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment and admission of...

22 CFR 146.310 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Recruitment. 146.310 Section 146.310 Foreign... Recruitment Prohibited § 146.310 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A recipient to which §§ 146.300 through 146.310 apply shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment and admission...

22 CFR 229.310 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Recruitment. 229.310 Section 229.310 Foreign... and Recruitment Prohibited § 229.310 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A recipient to which §§ 229.300 through 229.310 apply shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment and...

Endogenous Stem Cells Were Recruited by Defocused Low-Energy Shock Wave in Treating Diabetic Bladder Dysfunction.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Yang; Xu, Lina; Zhao, Yong; Wang, Muwen; Jin, Xunbo; Zhang, Haiyang

2017-04-01

Defocused low-energy shock wave (DLSW) has been shown effects on activating mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in vitro. In this study, recruitment of endogenous stem cells was firstly examined as an important pathway during the healing process of diabetic bladder dysfunction (DBD) treated by DLSW in vivo. Neonatal rats received intraperitoneal injection of 5-ethynyl-2-deoxyuridine (EdU) and then DBD rat model was created by injecting streptozotocin. Four weeks later, DLSW treatment was performed. Afterward, their tissues were examined by histology. Meanwhile, adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) were treated by DLSW in vitro. Results showed DLSW ameliorated voiding function of diabetic rats by recruiting EdU + Stro-1 + CD34 - endogenous stem cells to release abundant nerve growth factor (NGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Some EdU + cells overlapped with staining of smooth muscle actin. After DLSW treatment, ADSCs showed higher migration ability, higher expression level of stromal cell-derived factor-1 and secreted more NGF and VEGF. In conclusion, DLSW could ameliorate DBD by recruiting endogenous stem cells. Beneficial effects were mediated by secreting NGF and VEGF, resulting into improved innervation and vascularization in bladder.

Recruiting intensity

OpenAIRE

R. Jason Faberman

2014-01-01

To hire new workers, employers use a variety of recruiting methods in addition to posting a vacancy announcement. The intensity with which employers use these alternative methods can vary widely with a firm’s performance and with the business cycle. In fact, persistently low recruiting intensity helps to explain the sluggish pace of US job growth following the Great Recession.

Changes over time in muscle fatty acid composition of Malaysian ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

use

2011-12-12

Dec 12, 2011 ... Key words: Fatty acid, lipid, muscle, Malaysian mahseer, Tor tambroides. INTRODUCTION. The content of long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. (n-3 PUFAs) differentiates fish from the other food products. These fatty acids are important beneficial nutrients for the prevention of human coronary disease,.

[Prebiotics: concept, properties and beneficial effects].

Science.gov (United States)

Corzo, N; Alonso, J L; Azpiroz, F; Calvo, M A; Cirici, M; Leis, R; Lombó, F; Mateos-Aparicio, I; Plou, F J; Ruas-Madiedo, P; Rúperez, P; Redondo-Cuenca, A; Sanz, M L; Clemente, A

2015-02-07

Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients (oligosaccharides) that reach the colon and are used as substrate by microorganisms producing energy, metabolites and micronutrients used for the host; in addition they also stimulate the selective growth of certain beneficial species (mainly bifidobacteria and lactobacilli) in the intestinal microbiota. In this article, a multidisciplinary approach to understand the concept of prebiotic carbohydrates, their properties and beneficial effects in humans has been carried out. Definitions of prebiotics, reported by relevant international organizations and researchers, are described. A comprehensive description of accepted prebiotics having strong scientific evidence of their beneficial properties in humans (inulin-type fructans, FOS, GOS, lactulose and human milk oligosaccharides) is reported. Emerging prebiotics and those which are in the early stages of study have also included in this study. Taken into account that the chemical structure greatly influences carbohydrates prebiotic properties, the analytical techniques used for their analysis and characterization are discussed. In vitro and in vivo models used to evaluate the gastrointestinal digestion, absorption resistance and fermentability in the colon of prebiotics as well as major criteria to design robust intervention trials in humans are described. Finally, a comprehensive summary of the beneficial effects of prebiotics for health at systemic and intestinal levels is reported. The research effort on prebiotics has been intensive in last decades and has demonstrated that a multidisciplinary approach is necessary in order to claim their health benefits. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Allocation of Recruiting Resources Across Navy Recruiting Stations and Metropolitan Areas

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Jarosz, Suzanne

1999-01-01

.... However, the allocation of these resources across the 31 Navy recruiting districts must be made based on the characteristics of each district, and recruiters must be placed in geographic locations...

Attenuation of abnormalities in the lipid metabolism during experimental myocardial infarction induced by isoproterenol in rats: beneficial effect of ferulic acid and ascorbic acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Yogeeta, Surinder Kumar; Hanumantra, Rao Balaji Raghavendran; Gnanapragasam, Arunachalam; Senthilkumar, Subramanian; Subhashini, Rajakannu; Devaki, Thiruvengadam

2006-05-01

The present study aims at evaluating the effect of the combination of ferulic acid and ascorbic acid on isoproterenol-induced abnormalities in lipid metabolism. The rats were divided into eight groups: Control, isoproterenol, ferulic acid alone, ascorbic acid alone, ferulic acid+ascorbic acid, ferulic acid+isoproterenol, ascorbic acid+isoproterenol and ferulic acid+ascorbic acid+isoproterenol. Ferulic acid (20 mg/kg b.w.t.) and ascorbic acid (80 mg/kg b.w.t.) both alone and in combination was administered orally for 6 days and on the fifth and the sixth day, isoproterenol (150 mg/kg b.w.t.) was injected intraperitoneally to induce myocardial injury to rats. Induction of rats with isoproterenol resulted in a significant increase in the levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, free fatty acids, free and ester cholesterol in both serum and cardiac tissue. A rise in the levels of phospholipids, lipid peroxides, low density lipoprotein and very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol was also observed in the serum of isoproterenol-intoxicated rats. Further, a decrease in the level of high density lipoprotein in serum and in the phospholipid levels, in the heart of isoproterenol-intoxicated rats was observed, which was paralleled by abnormal activities of lipid metabolizing enzymes: total lipase, cholesterol ester synthase, lipoprotein lipase and lecithin: cholesterol acyl transferase. Pre-cotreatment with the combination of ferulic acid and ascorbic acid significantly attenuated these alterations and restored the levels to near normal when compared to individual treatment groups. Histopathological observations were also in correlation with the biochemical parameters. These findings indicate the synergistic protective effect of ferulic acid and ascorbic acid on isoproterenol-induced abnormalities in lipid metabolism.

Rare beneficial mutations can halt Muller's ratchet

Science.gov (United States)

Balick, Daniel; Goyal, Sidhartha; Jerison, Elizabeth; Neher, Richard; Shraiman, Boris; Desai, Michael

2012-02-01

In viral, bacterial, and other asexual populations, the vast majority of non-neutral mutations are deleterious. This motivates the application of models without beneficial mutations. Here we show that the presence of surprisingly few compensatory mutations halts fitness decay in these models. Production of deleterious mutations is balanced by purifying selection, stabilizing the fitness distribution. However, stochastic vanishing of fitness classes can lead to slow fitness decay (i.e. Muller's ratchet). For weakly deleterious mutations, production overwhelms purification, rapidly decreasing population fitness. We show that when beneficial mutations are introduced, a stable steady state emerges in the form of a dynamic mutation-selection balance. We argue this state is generic for all mutation rates and population sizes, and is reached as an end state as genomes become saturated by either beneficial or deleterious mutations. Assuming all mutations have the same magnitude selective effect, we calculate the fraction of beneficial mutations necessary to maintain the dynamic balance. This may explain the unexpected maintenance of asexual genomes, as in mitochondria, in the presence of selection. This will affect in the statistics of genetic diversity in these populations.

Electronic Recruitment at CERN

CERN Multimedia

2004-01-01

The Human Resources Department switches to electronic recruitment. From now on whenever you are involved in a recruitment action you will receive an e-mail giving you access to a Web folder. Inside you will find a shortlist of applications drawn up by the Human Resources Department. This will allow you to consult the folder, at the same time as everyone else involved in the recruitment process, for the vacancy you are interested in. This new electronic recruitment system, known as e-RT, will be introduced in a presentation given at 10 a.m. on 11 February in the Main Auditorium. Implemented by AIS (Administrative Information Services) and the Human Resources Department, e-RT will cover vacancies open in all of CERN's recruitment programmes. The electronic application system was initially made available to technical students in July 2003. By December it was extended to summer students, fellows, associates and Local Staff. Geraldine Ballet from the Recruitment Service prefers e-RT to mountains of paper! The Hu...

Recruitment efforts to reduce adverse impact: targeted recruiting for personality, cognitive ability, and diversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Newman, Daniel A; Lyon, Julie S

2009-03-01

Noting the presumed tradeoff between diversity and performance goals in contemporary selection practice, the authors elaborate on recruiting-based methods for avoiding adverse impact while maintaining aggregate individual productivity. To extend earlier work on the primacy of applicant pool characteristics for resolving adverse impact, they illustrate the advantages of simultaneous cognitive ability- and personality-based recruiting. Results of an algebraic recruiting model support general recruiting for cognitive ability, combined with recruiting for conscientiousness within the underrepresented group. For realistic recruiting effect sizes, this type of recruiting strategy greatly increases average performance of hires and percentage of hires from the underrepresented group. Further results from a policy-capturing study provide initial guidance on how features of organizational image can attract applicants with particular job-related personalities and abilities, in addition to attracting applicants on the basis of demographic background. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Omega-3 fatty acids and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Evidence of efficacy and mechanism of action.

Science.gov (United States)

Scorletti, Eleonora; Byrne, Christopher D

2018-03-22

For many years it has been known that high doses of long chain omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial in the treatment of hypertriglyceridaemia. Over the last three decades, there has also been a wealth of in vitro and in vivo data that has accumulated to suggest that long chain omega-3 fatty acid treatment might be beneficial to decrease liver triacylglycerol. Several biological mechanisms have been identified that support this hypothesis; notably, it has been shown that long chain omega-3 fatty acids have a beneficial effect: a) on bioactive metabolites involved in inflammatory pathways, and b) on alteration of nuclear transcription factor activities such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c) and carbohydrate-responsive element-binding protein (ChREBP), involved in inflammatory pathways and liver lipid metabolism. Since the pathogenesis of non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) begins with the accumulation of liver lipid and progresses with inflammation and then several years later with development of fibrosis; it has been thought in patients with NAFLD omega-3 fatty acid treatment would be beneficial in treating liver lipid and possibly also in ameliorating inflammation. Meta-analyses (of predominantly dietary studies and small trials) have tended to support the assertion that omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial in decreasing liver lipid, but recent randomised controlled trials have produced conflicting data. These trials have suggested that omega-3 fatty acid might be beneficial in decreasing liver triglyceride (docosahexanoic acid also possibly being more effective than eicosapentanoic acid) but not in decreasing other features of steatohepatitis (or liver fibrosis). The purpose of this review is to discuss recent evidence regarding biological mechanisms by which long chain omega-3 fatty acids might act to ameliorate liver disease in NAFLD; to consider the recent evidence from randomised

28 CFR 54.510 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Recruitment. 54.510 Section 54.510... in Employment in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 54.510 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment...

Does lipoic acid consumption affect the cytokine profile in multiple sclerosis patients: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Khalili, Mohammad; Azimi, Amirreza; Izadi, Vajihe; Eghtesadi, Shahryar; Mirshafiey, Abbas; Sahraian, Mohamad Ali; Motevalian, Abbas; Norouzi, Abbas; Sanoobar, Meisam; Eskandari, Ghazaleh; Farhoudi, Mehdi; Amani, Firouz

2014-01-01

A limited amount of data exists regarding the effect of lipoic acid (LA), an oral antioxidant supplement, on cytokine profiles among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. We aimed to assess the effect of daily consumption of LA on the cytokine profiles in MS patients. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial, 52 relapsing-remitting MS patients with an age range of 18-50 years were recruited into 2 groups: LA consumption (1,200 mg/day) or placebo. Patients followed their prescribed supplements for 12 weeks. Fasting blood samples for cytokine profile measurement were collected at baseline and after the intervention. Anthropometric parameters were measured based on the standard guidelines. INF-γ, ICAM-1, TGF-β and IL-4 were significantly reduced in the LA group compared to the placebo group [(INF-γ: 0.82 ± 0.2 vs. 0.2 ± 0.2 pg/ml, p consumption of 1,200 mg LA per day beneficially affects several inflammatory cytokines including INF-γ, ICAM-1 TGF-β and IL-4. Further investigations are needed to verify the beneficial role of LA on other cytokine profiles among MS patients.

41 CFR 101-4.310 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Recruitment. 101-4.310... Admission and Recruitment Prohibited § 101-4.310 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A recipient... recruitment and admission of students. A recipient may be required to undertake additional recruitment efforts...

44 CFR 19.310 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Recruitment. 19.310 Section... RECEIVING FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Discrimination on the Basis of Sex in Admission and Recruitment Prohibited § 19.310 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A recipient to which §§ 19.300 through 19...

34 CFR 106.53 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Recruitment. 106.53 Section 106.53 Education... Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment and hiring of employees. Where a recipient has been found to be presently...

22 CFR 229.510 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Recruitment. 229.510 Section 229.510 Foreign... in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 229.510 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment and hiring...

22 CFR 146.510 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Recruitment. 146.510 Section 146.510 Foreign... Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 146.510 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment and hiring of employees...

14 CFR 1253.510 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Recruitment. 1253.510 Section 1253.510... in Employment in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 1253.510 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment...

43 CFR 41.510 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Recruitment. 41.510 Section 41.510 Public... in Employment in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 41.510 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment...

45 CFR 86.53 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Recruitment. 86.53 Section 86.53 Public Welfare... in Employment in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 86.53 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment...

49 CFR 25.510 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Recruitment. 25.510 Section 25.510 Transportation... Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 25.510 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment and hiring of employees...

40 CFR 5.510 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Recruitment. 5.510 Section 5.510... in Employment in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 5.510 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment...

38 CFR 23.510 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Recruitment. 23.510... Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment and hiring of employees. Where a recipient has been found to be presently...

6 CFR 17.510 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 6 Domestic Security 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Recruitment. 17.510 Section 17.510 Domestic... in Employment in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 17.510 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment...

44 CFR 19.510 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Recruitment. 19.510 Section... Programs or Activities Prohibited § 19.510 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment and hiring of employees. Where a...

10 CFR 1042.510 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Recruitment. 1042.510 Section 1042.510 Energy DEPARTMENT... Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 1042.510 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment and hiring of employees...

Recruitment of general practices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Riis, Allan; Jensen, Cathrine Elgaard; Maindal, Helle Terkildsen

2016-01-01

-factors as determinants for successfully recruiting healthcare professionals: relationships, reputation, requirements, rewards, reciprocity, resolution, and respect. Method: This is a process evaluation of the seven R-factors. We applied these factors to guide the design of our recruitment strategy as well as to make......Introduction: Health service research often involves the active participation of healthcare professionals. However, their ability and commitment to research varies. This can cause recruitment difficulties and thereby prolong the study period and inflate budgets. Solberg has identified seven R...... adjustments when recruiting general practices in a guideline implementation study. In the guideline implementation study, we studied the effect of outreach visits, quality reports, and new patient stratification tools for low back pain patients. Results: During a period of 15 months, we recruited 60 practices...

15 CFR 8a.310 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Recruitment. 8a.310 Section 8a.310... in Admission and Recruitment Prohibited § 8a.310 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A... recruitment and admission of students. A recipient may be required to undertake additional recruitment efforts...

36 CFR 1211.510 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Recruitment. 1211.510 Section... Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment and hiring of employees. Where a recipient has been found to be presently...

18 CFR 1317.510 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Recruitment. 1317.510... Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment and hiring of employees. Where a recipient has been found to be presently...

13 CFR 113.510 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Recruitment. 113.510 Section 113... Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment and hiring of employees. Where a recipient has been found to be presently...

45 CFR 618.510 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Recruitment. 618.510 Section 618.510 Public... Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment and hiring of employees. Where a recipient has been found to be presently...

45 CFR 2555.510 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Recruitment. 2555.510 Section 2555.510 Public... Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment and hiring of employees. Where a recipient has been found to be presently...

32 CFR 196.510 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Recruitment. 196.510 Section 196.510 National... Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment and hiring of employees. Where a recipient has been found to be presently...

34 CFR 106.23 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Recruitment. 106.23 Section 106.23 Education... Discrimination on the Basis of Sex in Admission and Recruitment Prohibited § 106.23 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A recipient to which this subpart applies shall not discriminate on the basis of sex...

24 CFR 3.510 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Recruitment. 3.510 Section 3.510... Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment and hiring of employees. Where a recipient has been found to be presently...

A stilbene synthase allele from a Chinese wild grapevine confers resistance to powdery mildew by recruiting salicylic acid signalling for efficient defence.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiao, Yuntong; Xu, Weirong; Duan, Dong; Wang, Yuejin; Nick, Peter

2016-10-01

Stilbenes are central phytoalexins in Vitis, and induction of the key enzyme stilbene synthase (STS) is pivotal for disease resistance. Here, we address the potential for breeding resistance using an STS allele isolated from Chinese wild grapevine Vitis pseudoreticulata (VpSTS) by comparison with its homologue from Vitis vinifera cv. 'Carigane' (VvSTS). Although the coding regions of both alleles are very similar (>99% identity on the amino acid level), the promoter regions are significantly different. By expression in Arabidopsis as a heterologous system, we show that the allele from the wild Chinese grapevine can confer accumulation of stilbenes and resistance against the powdery mildew Golovinomyces cichoracearum, whereas the allele from the vinifera cultivar cannot. To dissect the upstream signalling driving the activation of this promoter, we used a dual-luciferase reporter system in a grapevine cell culture. We show elevated responsiveness of the promoter from the wild grape to salicylic acid (SA) and to the pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) flg22, equal induction of both alleles by jasmonic acid (JA), and a lack of response to the cell death-inducing elicitor Harpin. This elevated SA response of the VpSTS promoter depends on calcium influx, oxidative burst by RboH, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling, and JA synthesis. We integrate the data in the context of a model where the resistance of V. pseudoreticulata is linked to a more efficient recruitment of SA signalling for phytoalexin synthesis. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Beneficial use of isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertel, E.; Stevens, G.H.

1998-01-01

The paper gives an outlook on the main isotopes currently used for beneficial applications, provides an overview on geographic distribution of isotope production capabilities and identifies the main suppliers world-wide. It analyses trends in different countries and regions, including the refurbishment and/or replacement of ageing facilities and the implementation of new capabilities. Issues related to adequate supply of isotopes and potential under or over capacity of production for some key products are discussed. The evolution of the isotope production sector is analysed. Issues such as lowering of governmental support to production facilities, emergence of international co-operation and agreements on production capabilities, and developments in non-OECD/NEA countries are addressed. The paper offers some concluding remarks on the importance of maintaining and enhancing beneficial uses of isotopes, the role of government policies, the need for co-operation between countries and between the private and public sectors. The paper addresses the role of international cooperation in making efficient use of existing isotope production capacity and investigates ways for reducing the need for investment in additional capacity. (author)

Hospital recruitment for a pragmatic cluster-randomized clinical trial: Lessons learned from the COMPASS study.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Anna M; Jones, Sara B; Duncan, Pamela W; Bushnell, Cheryl D; Coleman, Sylvia W; Mettam, Laurie H; Kucharska-Newton, Anna M; Sissine, Mysha E; Rosamond, Wayne D

2018-01-26

Pragmatic randomized clinical trials are essential to determine the effectiveness of interventions in "real-world" clinical practice. These trials frequently use a cluster-randomized methodology, with randomization at the site level. Despite policymakers' increased interest in supporting pragmatic randomized clinical trials, no studies to date have reported on the unique recruitment challenges faced by cluster-randomized pragmatic trials. We investigated key challenges and successful strategies for hospital recruitment in the Comprehensive Post-Acute Stroke Services (COMPASS) study. The COMPASS study is designed to compare the effectiveness of the COMPASS model versus usual care in improving functional outcomes, reducing the numbers of hospital readmissions, and reducing caregiver strain for patients discharged home after stroke or transient ischemic attack. This model integrates early supported discharge planning with transitional care management, including nurse-led follow-up phone calls after 2, 30, and 60 days and an in-person clinic visit at 7-14 days involving a functional assessment and neurological examination. We present descriptive statistics of the characteristics of successfully recruited hospitals compared with all eligible hospitals, reasons for non-participation, and effective recruitment strategies. We successfully recruited 41 (43%) of 95 eligible North Carolina hospitals. Leading, non-exclusive reasons for non-participation included: insufficient staff or financial resources (n = 33, 61%), lack of health system support (n = 16, 30%), and lack of support of individual decision-makers (n = 11, 20%). Successful recruitment strategies included: building and nurturing relationships, engaging team members and community partners with a diverse skill mix, identifying gatekeepers, finding mutually beneficial solutions, having a central institutional review board, sharing published pilot data, and integrating contracts and review board

31 CFR 28.510 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Recruitment. 28.510 Section 28.510... Basis of Sex in Employment in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 28.510 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment...

10 CFR 5.310 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Recruitment. 5.310 Section 5.310 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY... FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Discrimination on the Basis of Sex in Admission and Recruitment Prohibited § 5.310 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A recipient to which §§ 5.300 through 5.310 apply shall not...

45 CFR 83.12 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Recruitment. 83.12 Section 83.12 Public Welfare... § 83.12 Recruitment. (a) Comparable recruitment. A federally supported entity shall, with respect to... demonstrate that such action is part of a recruitment program which does not have the effect of discriminating...

45 CFR 2555.310 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Recruitment. 2555.310 Section 2555.310 Public... Discrimination on the Basis of Sex in Admission and Recruitment Prohibited § 2555.310 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A recipient to which §§ 2555.300 through 2555.310 apply shall not discriminate on the...

45 CFR 618.310 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Recruitment. 618.310 Section 618.310 Public... Discrimination on the Basis of Sex in Admission and Recruitment Prohibited § 618.310 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A recipient to which §§ 618.300 through 618.310 apply shall not discriminate on the...

13 CFR 113.310 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Recruitment. 113.310 Section 113... Discrimination on the Basis of Sex in Admission and Recruitment Prohibited § 113.310 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A recipient to which §§ 113.300 through 113.310 apply shall not discriminate on the...

36 CFR 1211.310 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Recruitment. 1211.310 Section... Discrimination on the Basis of Sex in Admission and Recruitment Prohibited § 1211.310 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A recipient to which §§ 1211.300 through 1211.310 apply shall not discriminate on the...

32 CFR 196.310 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Recruitment. 196.310 Section 196.310 National... Discrimination on the Basis of Sex in Admission and Recruitment Prohibited § 196.310 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A recipient to which §§ 196.300 through 196.310 apply shall not discriminate on the...

29 CFR 36.510 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Recruitment. 36.510 Section 36.510 Labor Office of the... Activities Prohibited § 36.510 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment and hiring of employees. Where a recipient has...

18 CFR 1317.310 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Recruitment. 1317.310... Discrimination on the Basis of Sex in Admission and Recruitment Prohibited § 1317.310 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A recipient to which §§ 1317.300 through 1317.310 apply shall not discriminate on the...

38 CFR 23.310 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Recruitment. 23.310... Discrimination on the Basis of Sex in Admission and Recruitment Prohibited § 23.310 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A recipient to which §§ 23.300 through 23.310 apply shall not discriminate on the...

10 CFR 5.510 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Recruitment. 5.510 Section 5.510 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY... Prohibited § 5.510 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment and hiring of employees. Where a recipient has been found...

29 CFR 36.310 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Recruitment. 36.310 Section 36.310 Labor Office of the... FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Discrimination on the Basis of Sex in Admission and Recruitment Prohibited § 36.310 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A recipient to which §§ 36.300 through 36.310...

Combustion characterization of beneficiated coal-based fuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chow, O.K.; Levasseur, A.A.

1995-11-01

The Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center (PETC) of the U.S. Department of Energy is sponsoring the development of advanced coal-cleaning technologies aimed at expanding the use of the nation`s vast coal reserves in an environmentally and economically acceptable manner. Because of the lack of practical experience with deeply beneficiated coal-based fuels, PETC has contracted Combustion Engineering, Inc. to perform a multi-year project on `Combustion Characterization of Beneficiated Coal-Based Fuels.` The objectives of this project include: (1) the development of an engineering data base which will provide detailed information on the properties of Beneficiated Coal-Based Fuels (BCs) influencing combustion, ash deposition, ash erosion, particulate collection, and emissions; and (2) the application of this technical data base to predict the performance and economic impacts of firing the BCFs in various commercial boiler designs.

Amino acid substitutions in random mutagenesis libraries: lessons from analyzing 3000 mutations.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Jing; Frauenkron-Machedjou, Victorine Josiane; Kardashliev, Tsvetan; Ruff, Anna Joëlle; Zhu, Leilei; Bocola, Marco; Schwaneberg, Ulrich

2017-04-01

The quality of amino acid substitution patterns in random mutagenesis libraries is decisive for the success in directed evolution campaigns. In this manuscript, we provide a detailed analysis of the amino acid substitutions by analyzing 3000 mutations of three random mutagenesis libraries (1000 mutations each; epPCR with a low-mutation and a high-mutation frequency and SeSaM-Tv P/P) employing lipase A from Bacillus subtilis (bsla). A comparison of the obtained numbers of beneficial variants in the mentioned three random mutagenesis libraries with a site saturation mutagenesis (SSM) (covering the natural diversity at each amino acid position of BSLA) concludes the diversity analysis. Seventy-six percent of the SeSaM-Tv P/P-generated substitutions yield chemically different amino acid substitutions compared to 64% (epPCR-low) and 69% (epPCR-high). Unique substitutions from one amino acid to others are termed distinct amino acid substitutions. In the SeSaM-Tv P/P library, 35% of all theoretical distinct amino acid substitutions were found in the 1000 mutation library compared to 25% (epPCR-low) and 26% (epPCR-high). Thirty-six percent of distinct amino acid substitutions found in SeSaM-Tv P/P were unobtainable by epPCR-low. Comparison with the SSM library showed that epPCR-low covers 15%, epPCR-high 18%, and SeSaM-Tv P/P 21% of obtainable beneficial amino acid positions. In essence, this study provides first insights on the quality of epPCR and SeSaM-Tv P/P libraries in terms of amino acid substitutions, their chemical differences, and the number of obtainable beneficial amino acid positions.

Voluntary wheel running is beneficial to the amino acid profile of lysine-deficient rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagao, Kenji; Bannai, Makoto; Seki, Shinobu; Kawai, Nobuhiro; Mori, Masato; Takahashi, Michio

2010-06-01

Rats voluntarily run up to a dozen kilometers per night when their cages are equipped with a running wheel. Daily voluntary running is generally thought to enhance protein turnover. Thus, we sought to determine whether running worsens or improves protein degradation caused by a lysine-deficient diet and whether it changes the utilization of free amino acids released by proteolysis. Rats were fed a lysine-deficient diet and were given free access to a running wheel or remained sedentary (control) for 4 wk. Amino acid levels in plasma, muscle, and liver were measured together with plasma insulin levels and tissue weight. The lysine-deficient diet induced anorexia, skeletal muscle loss, and serine and threonine aminoacidemia, and it depleted plasma insulin and essential amino acids in skeletal muscle. Allowing rats to run voluntarily improved these symptoms; thus, voluntary wheel running made the rats less susceptible to dietary lysine deficiency. Amelioration of the declines in muscular leucine and plasma insulin observed in running rats could contribute to protein synthesis together with the enhanced availability of lysine and other essential amino acids in skeletal muscle. These results indicate that voluntary wheel running under lysine-deficient conditions does not enhance protein catabolism; on the contrary, it accelerates protein synthesis and contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass. The intense nocturnal voluntary running that characterizes rodents might be an adaptation of lysine-deficient grain eaters that allows them to maximize opportunities for food acquisition.

Chicoric acid: chemistry, distribution, and production

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jungmin; Scagel, Carolyn

2013-12-01

Though chicoric acid was first identified in 1958, it was largely ignored until recent popular media coverage cited potential health beneficial properties from consuming food and dietary supplements containing this compound. To date, plants from at least 63 genera and species have been found to contain chicoric acid, and while the compound is used as a processing quality indicator, it may also have useful health benefits. This review of chicoric acid summarizes research findings and highlights gaps in research knowledge for investigators, industry stakeholders, and consumers alike. Additionally, chicoric acid identification and quantification methods, biosynthesis, processing improvements to increase chicoric acid retention, and potential areas for future research are discussed.

31 CFR 28.310 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Recruitment. 28.310 Section 28.310... Basis of Sex in Admission and Recruitment Prohibited § 28.310 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A recipient to which §§ 28.300 through 28.310 apply shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in...

24 CFR 3.310 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Recruitment. 3.310 Section 3.310... Discrimination on the Basis of Sex in Admission and Recruitment Prohibited § 3.310 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A recipient to which §§ 3.300 through 3.310 apply shall not discriminate on the basis...

Beneficial Use of Dredged Material

Science.gov (United States)

An important goal of managing dredged material is to ensure that the material is used or disposed of in an environmentally sound manner.Most of this dredged material could be used in a beneficial manner instead.

Boomerang recruitment: bridging the gap.

Science.gov (United States)

Hart, Karen A

2009-01-01

In today's competitive health care recruitment environment, one of the most cost-effective and successful recruitment strategies is alumni or "boomerang" recruitment. A proven business model, alumni recruitment is just beginning to be used in a significant way in the health care arena. The cost to recruit alumni is much lower than for those in the general workforce and the alumni population is a known quantity. Alumni will assimilate much more easily into your corporate culture, will need less orientation and onboarding, and will be more productive.

Intravenous tranexamic acid for hyperacute primary intracerebral hemorrhage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sprigg, Nikola; Robson, Katie; Bath, Philip

2016-01-01

RATIONALE: Outcome after intracerebral hemorrhage remains poor. Tranexamic acid is easy to administer, readily available, inexpensive, and effective in other hemorrhagic conditions. AIM: This randomized trial aims to test the hypothesis that intravenous tranexamic acid given within 8 h...... of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage reduces death or dependency. DESIGN: Phase III prospective double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial. Participants within 8 h of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage are randomized to receive either intravenous tranexamic acid 1 g 10 min bolus followed by 1 g 8 h......, and institutionalization. DISCUSSION: This pragmatic trial is assessing efficacy of tranexamic acid after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage. Recruitment started in 2013; as of 15th January 2016 1355 participants have been enrolled, from 95 centers in seven countries. Recruitment is due to end in 2017. TICH-2 Trial...

Recruitment strategies should not be randomly selected: empirically improving recruitment success and diversity in developmental psychology research

Science.gov (United States)

Sugden, Nicole A.; Moulson, Margaret C.

2015-01-01

Psychological and developmental research have been critiqued for the lack of diversity of research samples. Because differences in culture, race, and ethnicity can influence participant behavior, limited diversity limits the generalizability of the findings. These differences may also impact how participants behave in response to recruitment attempts, which suggests that recruitment itself may be leveraged to increase sample diversity. The goal of the current study was to determine what factors, within a recruitment interaction, could be leveraged to increase success and diversity when recruiting families with children for developmental research. Study 1 found three factors influenced success: (1) recruitment was more successful when other potential participants were also interested (i.e., recruiters were busy), (2) recruiters of particular races were more successful than recruiters of other races, and (3) differences in success were related to what the recruiter said to engage the potential participant (i.e., the script). The latter two factors interacted, suggesting some recruiters were using less optimal scripts. To improve success rates, study 2 randomly assigned scripts to recruiters and encouraged them to recruit more vigorously during busy periods. Study 2 found that two factors influenced success: (1) some scripts were more successful than others and (2) we were more successful at recruiting non-White potential participants than White participants. These two interacted, with some scripts being more successful with White and other scripts being more successful with non-White families. This intervention significantly increased recruitment success rate by 8.1% and the overall number of families recruited by 15.3%. These findings reveal that empirically evaluating and tailoring recruitment efforts based on the most successful strategies is effective in boosting diversity through increased participation of children from non-White families. PMID:25972829

Recruiting from within: Action-Oriented Research Solutions to Internal Student Recruitment in Collegiate Aviation Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Bowen, Brent; Carstenson, Larry; Hansen, Frederick

1999-01-01

Discusses student recruitment in aviation education and establishes that internal recruitment methods are the most productive and cost effective. Provides examples of recruitment strategies based on a model of action research. (JOW)

Recruitment dynamics in adaptive social networks

Science.gov (United States)

Shkarayev, Maxim S.; Schwartz, Ira B.; Shaw, Leah B.

2013-06-01

We model recruitment in adaptive social networks in the presence of birth and death processes. Recruitment is characterized by nodes changing their status to that of the recruiting class as a result of contact with recruiting nodes. Only a susceptible subset of nodes can be recruited. The recruiting individuals may adapt their connections in order to improve recruitment capabilities, thus changing the network structure adaptively. We derive a mean-field theory to predict the dependence of the growth threshold of the recruiting class on the adaptation parameter. Furthermore, we investigate the effect of adaptation on the recruitment level, as well as on network topology. The theoretical predictions are compared with direct simulations of the full system. We identify two parameter regimes with qualitatively different bifurcation diagrams depending on whether nodes become susceptible frequently (multiple times in their lifetime) or rarely (much less than once per lifetime).

Recruitment dynamics in adaptive social networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shkarayev, Maxim S; Shaw, Leah B; Schwartz, Ira B

2013-01-01

We model recruitment in adaptive social networks in the presence of birth and death processes. Recruitment is characterized by nodes changing their status to that of the recruiting class as a result of contact with recruiting nodes. Only a susceptible subset of nodes can be recruited. The recruiting individuals may adapt their connections in order to improve recruitment capabilities, thus changing the network structure adaptively. We derive a mean-field theory to predict the dependence of the growth threshold of the recruiting class on the adaptation parameter. Furthermore, we investigate the effect of adaptation on the recruitment level, as well as on network topology. The theoretical predictions are compared with direct simulations of the full system. We identify two parameter regimes with qualitatively different bifurcation diagrams depending on whether nodes become susceptible frequently (multiple times in their lifetime) or rarely (much less than once per lifetime). (paper)

Recruitment to the Norwegian fishing fleet: storylines, paradoxes, and pragmatism in Norwegian fisheries and recruitment policy

OpenAIRE

Sønvisen, Signe Annie

2013-01-01

The majority of actors in the Norwegian fisheries consider recruitment of fishers to be the main future challenge for the Norwegian fishing fleet. As fleet recruitment is a highly politicized field, the problem of how to mitigate the recruitment problem is a subject of heavy debate. Some argue that recruitment problems are caused by low fleet profitability, while others argue that recruitment problems are caused by fleet restructuring polices. This article aims to explore th...

Meeting the challenges of recruitment to multicentre, community-based, lifestyle-change trials: a case study of the BeWEL trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Treweek, Shaun; Wilkie, Erna; Craigie, Angela M; Caswell, Stephen; Thompson, Joyce; Steele, Robert J C; Stead, Martine; Anderson, Annie S

2013-12-18

Recruiting participants to multicentre, community-based trials is a challenge. This case study describes how this challenge was met for the BeWEL trial, which evaluated the impact of a diet and physical activity intervention on body weight in people who had had pre-cancerous bowel polyps. The BeWEL trial was a community-based trial, involving centres linked to the Scottish National Health Service (NHS) colorectal cancer screening programme. BeWEL had a recruitment target of 316 and its primary recruitment route was the colonoscopy clinics of the Scottish Bowel Screening Programme. BeWEL exceeded its recruitment target but needed a 6-month no-cost extension from the funder to achieve this. The major causes of delay were lower consent rates (49% as opposed to 70% estimated from earlier work), the time taken for NHS research and development department approvals and the inclusion of two additional sites to increase recruitment, for which there were substantial bureaucratic delays. A range of specific interventions to increase recruitment, for example, telephone reminders and a shorter participant information leaflet, helped to increase the proportion of eligible individuals consenting and being randomized. Recruitment to multicentre trials is a challenge but can be successfully achieved with a committed team. In a UK context, NHS research and development approval can be a substantial source of delay. Investigators should be cautious when estimating consent rates. If consent rates are less than expected, qualitative analysis might be beneficial, to try and identify the reason. Finally, investigators should select trial sites on the basis of a formal assessment of a site's past performance and the likelihood of success in the trial being planned. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN53033856.

Influence of n-3 fatty acids on cardiac autonomic activity among Nunavik Inuit adults

OpenAIRE

Valera, Beatriz; Dewailly, Eric; Anassour-Laouan-Sidi, Elhadji; Poirier, Paul

2012-01-01

Objectives. Inuit from Nunavik (northern Quebec) consume large amounts of fish and marine mammals, which are important sources of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs). These substances have a beneficial impact on heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV). However, it is unknown if this beneficial impact remains significant in populations with high mercury exposure. The study assessed the impact of n-3 PUFAs (Docosahexaenoic [DHA] and Eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA]) on resting HR an...

Chicoric acid: chemistry, distribution, and production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jungmin eLee

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Though chicoric acid was first identified in 1958, it was largely ignored until recent popular media coverage cited potential health beneficial properties from consuming food and dietary supplements containing this compound. To date, plants from at least 63 genera and species have been found to contain chicoric acid, and while the compound is used as a processing quality indicator, it may also have useful health benefits. This review of chicoric acid summarizes research findings and highlights gaps in research knowledge for investigators, industry stakeholders, and consumers alike. Additionally, chicoric acid identification and quantification methods, biosynthesis, processing improvements to increase chicoric acid retention, and potential areas for future research are discussed.

New technology-based recruitment methods

OpenAIRE

Oksanen, Reija

2018-01-01

The transformation that recruitment might encounter due to big data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) is particularly fascinating which is why this thesis focuses on the changes recruitment processes are and will be facing as new technological solutions are emerging. The aim and main objective of this study is to widen knowledge about new technology-based recruitment methods, focusing on how they are utilized by Finnish recruitment professionals and how the opportunities and risks th...

Rethinking Recruitment: The Comprehensive and Strategic Recruitment of Secondary Science Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Luft, Julie A.; Wong, Sissy S.; Semken, Steve

2011-01-01

The shortage of science teachers has spurred a discussion about their retention and recruitment. While discussion about retaining science teachers has increased dramatically in just the last few years, science teacher educators have not attended to the recruitment of science teachers with the same tenacity. This paper is our effort to initiate…

Recruitment in a changing environment: the 2000s North Sea herring recruitment failure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Payne, Mark; Hatfield, E.M.C.; Dickey-Collas, M.

2009-01-01

Environmentally induced change appears to be impacting the recruitment of North Sea herring (Clupea harengus). Despite simultaneously having a large adult population, historically low exploitation, and Marine Stewardship Council accreditation (implying sustainability), there have been an unpreced......Environmentally induced change appears to be impacting the recruitment of North Sea herring (Clupea harengus). Despite simultaneously having a large adult population, historically low exploitation, and Marine Stewardship Council accreditation (implying sustainability), there have been...... an unprecedented 6 sequential years of poor juvenile production (recruitment). Analysis suggests that the poor recruitment arises during the larval overwintering phase, with recent survival rates greatly reduced. Contemporary warming of the North Sea has caused significant changes in the plankton community...

Evaluation of conjugated linoleic acid and other health-related lipid ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Boiled samples preserved the total beneficial lipids of CLA, PUFA, MUFA and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids more than smoked samples. The major fatty acids found in the muscle analyzed are palmitic (C16:0), stearic (C18:0) and octadecenoic (C18:1). Omega 3 fatty acids are 1.05%, 1.16% and 1.30 % for boiled, smoked and ...

Technology and Navy Recruiting

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Golfin, Peggy

1997-01-01

Since November 1996, CNA has participated on a Technology Task Force established by the Commander, Navy Recruiting Command, to address several issues concerning the use of technology and Navy recruiting...

Trivaric acid, a new inhibitor of PTP1b with potent beneficial effect on diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Wenlong; Zhang, Bowei; Zheng, Haizhou; Zhuang, Chunlin; Li, Xia; Lu, Xinhua; Quan, Chunshan; Dong, Yuesheng; Zheng, Zhihui; Xiu, Zhilong

2017-01-15

To screen a potential PTP1b inhibitor from the microbial origin-based compound library and to investigate the potential anti-diabetic effects of the inhibitor in vivo and determine its primary anti-diabetic mechanism in vitro and in silico. PTP1b inhibitory activity was measured using recombination protein as the enzyme and p-NPP as the substrate. The binding of the inhibitor to PTP1b was analysed by docking in silico and confirmed by ITC experiments. The intracellular signalling pathway was detected by Western blot analysis in HepG2 cells. The anti-diabetic effects were evaluated using a diabetic mice model in vivo. Among 545 microbial origin-based pure compounds tested, trivaric acid, a tridepside, was selected as a PTP1B inhibitor exhibiting strong inhibitory activity with an IC 50 of 173nM. Docking and ITC studies showed that trivaric acid was able to spontaneously bind to PTP1b and may inhibit PTP1b by blocking the catalytic domain of the phosphatase. Trivaric acid also enhanced the ability of insulin to stimulate the IR/IRS/Akt/GLUT2 pathway and increase the glucose consumption in HepG2 cells. In diabetic mice, trivaric acid that had been encapsulated into Eudrgit L100-5.5 showed significant anti-diabetic effects, improving insulin resistance, leptin resistance and lipid profile and weight control at doses of 5mg/kg and 50mg/kg. Trivaric acid is a potential lead compound in the search for anti-diabetic agents targeting PTP1b. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Participant recruitment and retention in longitudinal preconception randomized trials: lessons learnt from the Calcium And Pre-eclampsia (CAP) trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawrie, Theresa A; Betrán, Ana Pilar; Singata-Madliki, Mandisa; Ciganda, Alvaro; Hofmeyr, G Justus; Belizán, José M; Purnat, Tina Dannemann; Manyame, Sarah; Parker, Catherine; Cormick, Gabriela

2017-10-26

The preconception period has the potential to influence pregnancy outcomes and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are needed to evaluate a variety of potentially beneficial preconception interventions. However, RCTs commencing before pregnancy have significant participant recruitment and retention challenges. The Calcium And Pre-eclampsia trial (CAP trial) is a World Health Organization multi-country RCT of calcium supplementation commenced before pregnancy to prevent recurrent pre-eclampsia in which non-pregnant participants are recruited and followed up until childbirth. This sub-study explores recruitment methods and preconception retention of participants of the CAP trial to inform future trials. Recruiters at the study sites in Argentina, South Africa and Zimbabwe completed post-recruitment phase questionnaires on recruitment methods used. Qualitative data from these questionnaires and quantitative data on pre-pregnancy trial visit attendance and pregnancy rates up to September 2016 are reported in this paper. RStudio (Version 0.99.903 https://www.rstudio.org ) statistical software was used for summary statistics. Between July 2011 and 8 September 2016, 1354 women with previous pre-eclampsia were recruited. Recruitment took 2 years longer than expected and was facilitated mainly through medical record/register and maternity ward/clinic-based strategies. Recruiters highlighted difficulties associated with inadequate medical records, redundant patient contact details, and follow-up of temporarily ineligible women as some of the challenges faced. Whilst the attendance rates at pre-pregnancy visits were high (78% or more), visits often occurred later than scheduled. Forty-five percent of participants became pregnant (614/1354), 33.5% (454/1354) within 1 year of randomization. In preconception trials, both retrospective and prospective methods are useful for recruiting eligible women with certain conditions. However, these are time-consuming in low

28 CFR 345.31 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Recruitment. 345.31 Section 345.31 Judicial Administration FEDERAL PRISON INDUSTRIES, INC., DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FEDERAL PRISON INDUSTRIES (FPI) INMATE WORK PROGRAMS Recruitment and Hiring Practices § 345.31 Recruitment. Inmate workers for...

Bile acids: regulation of apoptosis by ursodeoxycholic acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Amaral, Joana D; Viana, Ricardo J S; Ramalho, Rita M; Steer, Clifford J; Rodrigues, Cecília M P

2009-09-01

Bile acids are a group of molecular species of acidic steroids with peculiar physical-chemical and biological characteristics. At high concentrations they become toxic to mammalian cells, and their presence is pertinent in the pathogenesis of several liver diseases and colon cancer. Bile acid cytoxicity has been related to membrane damage, but also to nondetergent effects, such as oxidative stress and apoptosis. Strikingly, hydrophilic ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), and its taurine-conjugated form (TUDCA), show profound cytoprotective properties. Indeed, these molecules have been described as potent inhibitors of classic pathways of apoptosis, although their precise mode of action remains to be clarified. UDCA, originally used for cholesterol gallstone dissolution, is currently considered the first choice therapy for several forms of cholestatic syndromes. However, the beneficial effects of both UDCA and TUDCA have been tested in other experimental pathological conditions with deregulated levels of apoptosis, including neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases. Here, we review the role of bile acids in modulating the apoptosis process, emphasizing the anti-apoptotic effects of UDCA and TUDCA, as well as their potential use as novel and alternate therapeutic agents for the treatment of apoptosis-related diseases.

Sales Training for Army Recruiter Success: Interviews with Excellent Recruiters

Science.gov (United States)

1987-11-01

merit of an expert modeling system of the skills and strategies used by excel- lent Army recruiters. Neurolinguistic programming (NLP) was used as the...7. AUTHOR(&) 8. CONTRACT OR GRANT NUMBER(s) Steven R. Frieman 9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS 10. PROGRAM ELEMENT. PROJECT, TASK U.S...Recruiting 2M AUSTIRACT (rcnttm ame r orw am nssry i Identify by block number) s-This report describes a program of research on communication strategies and

Success of First-Term Soldiers. The Effects of Recruiting Practices and Recruit Characteristics

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Buddin, Richard J

2005-01-01

.... This has become more important in recent years because the Army, during the lean recruiting years in the late 1990s, vigorously expanded its recruiting effort by adding and expanding enlistment...

20 CFR 656.21 - Supervised recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Supervised recruitment. 656.21 Section 656.21... Supervised recruitment. (a) Supervised recruitment. Where the Certifying Officer determines it appropriate, post-filing supervised recruitment may be required of the employer for the pending application or...

Intestinal release and uptake of phenolic antioxidant diferulic acids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Mette Findal; Kroon, P A; Williamson, G

2001-01-01

Diferulic acids are potent antioxidants and are abundant structural components of plant cell walls, especially in cereal brans. As such, they are part of many human and animal diets and may contribute to the beneficial effect of cereal brans on health. However, these phenolics are ester-linked to......Diferulic acids are potent antioxidants and are abundant structural components of plant cell walls, especially in cereal brans. As such, they are part of many human and animal diets and may contribute to the beneficial effect of cereal brans on health. However, these phenolics are ester...... in oil. Our study also reveals that human and rat colonic microflora contain esterase activity able to release 5-5-, 8-O-4-, and 8-5-diferulic acids from model compounds and dietary cereal brans, hence providing a mechanism for release of dietary diferulates prior to absorption of the free acids....... In addition, cell-free extracts from human and rat small intestine mucosa exhibited esterase activity towards diferulate esters. Hence, we have shown that esterified diferulates can be released from cereal brans by intestinal enzymes, and that free diferulic acids can be absorbed and enter the circulatory...

Prophylactic Antioxidant Potential of Gallic Acid in Murine Model of Sepsis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harikesh Maurya

2014-01-01

healthy adult male albino mice (25–30 g and was divided into 3 groups each consisting of 6 animals, that is, sham-operated (SO group (Group I, SO + sepsis (Group II, and Gallic acid + sepsis (Group III. Group III animals were pretreated with Gallic acid at the dose rate of 20 mg/kg body weight for 2 days before induction of sepsis. Animals were sacrificed on 8th day and the tissue samples were obtained for further investigation on lipid peroxidation (LPO, malondialdehyde (MDA, superoxide dismutase (SOD, catalase (CAT, and glutathione reductase (GSH. Gallic acid pretreatment significant (P<0.05 reduces kidney, spleen, liver, and lungs’ malondialdehyde level in septic mice. However, it fails to improve reduced glutathione level in all given organs, while, Gallic acid pretreated mice showed significant improvement in SOD activity of kidney and spleen when compared to septic mice. Finally, the beneficial effects of Gallic acid pretreatment in sepsis are evident from the observations that Gallic acid partially restored SOD and catalase activity and completely reversed lipid peroxidation. Further studies are required to find out the possible mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of Gallic acid on large population.

Experimental Evolution of a Green Fluorescent Protein Composed of 19 Unique Amino Acids without Tryptophan

Science.gov (United States)

Kawahara-Kobayashi, Akio; Hitotsuyanagi, Mitsuhiro; Amikura, Kazuaki; Kiga, Daisuke

2014-04-01

At some stage of evolution, genes of organisms may have encoded proteins that were synthesized using fewer than 20 unique amino acids. Similar to evolution of the natural 19-amino-acid proteins GroEL/ES, proteins composed of 19 unique amino acids would have been able to evolve by accumulating beneficial mutations within the 19-amino-acid repertoire encoded in an ancestral genetic code. Because Trp is thought to be the last amino acid included in the canonical 20-amino-acid repertoire, this late stage of protein evolution could be mimicked by experimental evolution of 19-amino-acid proteins without tryptophan (Trp). To further understand the evolution of proteins, we tried to mimic the evolution of a 19-amino-acid protein involving the accumulation of beneficial mutations using directed evolution by random mutagenesis on the whole targeted gene sequence. We created active 19-amino-acid green fluorescent proteins (GFPs) without Trp from a poorly fluorescent 19-amino-acid mutant, S1-W57F, by using directed evolution with two rounds of mutagenesis and selection. The N105I and S205T mutations showed beneficial effects on the S1-W57F mutant. When these two mutations were combined on S1-W57F, we observed an additive effect on the fluorescence intensity. In contrast, these mutations showed no clear improvement individually or in combination on GFPS1, which is the parental GFP mutant composed of 20 amino acids. Our results provide an additional example for the experimental evolution of 19-amino-acid proteins without Trp, and would help understand the mechanisms underlying the evolution of 19-amino-acid proteins. (236 words)

Diversity employment and recruitment sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-08-01

Effective human resources management has been identified as one of four critical success factors in the Department of Energy Strategic Plan. The Plan states relative to this factor: ``The Department seeks greater alignment of resources with agency priorities and increased diversification of the workforce, including gender, ethnicity, age, and skills. This diversification will bring new thinking and perspectives that heretofore have not had a voice in departmental decision-making.`` This Guide has been developed as a key tool to assist Department of Energy management and administrative staff in achieving Goal 2 of this critical success factor, which is to ``Ensure a diverse and talented workforce.`` There are numerous sources from which to recruit minorities, women and persons with disabilities. Applying creativity and proactive effort, using traditional and non-traditional approaches, and reaching out to various professional, academic and social communities will increase the reservoir of qualified candidates from which to make selections. In addition, outreach initiatives will undoubtedly yield further benefits such as a richer cultural understanding and diversity awareness. The resource listings presented in this Guide are offered to encourage active participation in the diversity recruitment process. This Guide contains resource listings by state for organizations in the following categories: (1) African American Recruitment Sources; (2) Asian American/Pacific Islander Recruitment Sources; (3) Hispanic Recruitment Sources; (4) Native American/Alaskan Native Recruitment Sources; (5) Persons with Disabilities Recruitment Sources; and (6) Women Recruitment Sources.

Recruitment Practices And Institutional Change

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holm, Anna; Ulhøi, John Parm

Up to now, there has been little research on recruitment practices from an organizational perspective, and in part it lags behind practice. This paper attempts to rectify this by studying recent changes in the recruitment practices of Danish organizations. We employ new institutional theory......, and individuals’ social cognition. Among other things, this is reflected in the use of online recruitment and employer branding. The study concludes that the recruitment field has transformed and reviewed its practices due to institutional changes in how individuals search for employment and expect to be hired....

7 CFR 15a.23 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Recruitment. 15a.23 Section 15a.23 Agriculture Office... FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Discrimination on the Basis of Sex in Admission and Recruitment Prohibited § 15a.23 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment. A recipient to which this subpart applies shall...

20 CFR 655.30 - Supervised recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Supervised recruitment. 655.30 Section 655.30... Workers) § 655.30 Supervised recruitment. (a) Supervised recruitment. Where an employer is found to have... failed to adequately conduct recruitment activities or failed in any obligation of this part, the CO may...

41 CFR 101-4.510 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Recruitment. 101-4.510... Employment in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 101-4.510 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment and hiring...

Can misfolded proteins be beneficial? The HAMLET case.

Science.gov (United States)

Pettersson-Kastberg, Jenny; Aits, Sonja; Gustafsson, Lotta; Mossberg, Anki; Storm, Petter; Trulsson, Maria; Persson, Filip; Mok, K Hun; Svanborg, Catharina

2009-01-01

By changing the three-dimensional structure, a protein can attain new functions, distinct from those of the native protein. Amyloid-forming proteins are one example, in which conformational change may lead to fibril formation and, in many cases, neurodegenerative disease. We have proposed that partial unfolding provides a mechanism to generate new and useful functional variants from a given polypeptide chain. Here we present HAMLET (Human Alpha-lactalbumin Made LEthal to Tumor cells) as an example where partial unfolding and the incorporation of cofactor create a complex with new, beneficial properties. Native alpha-lactalbumin functions as a substrate specifier in lactose synthesis, but when partially unfolded the protein binds oleic acid and forms the tumoricidal HAMLET complex. When the properties of HAMLET were first described they were surprising, as protein folding intermediates and especially amyloid-forming protein intermediates had been regarded as toxic conformations, but since then structural studies have supported functional diversity arising from a change in fold. The properties of HAMLET suggest a mechanism of structure-function variation, which might help the limited number of human protein genes to generate sufficient structural diversity to meet the diverse functional demands of complex organisms.

15 CFR 8a.510 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Recruitment. 8a.510 Section 8a.510... in Employment in Education Programs or Activities Prohibited § 8a.510 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment...

7 CFR 15a.53 - Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Recruitment. 15a.53 Section 15a.53 Agriculture Office... Activities Prohibited § 15a.53 Recruitment. (a) Nondiscriminatory recruitment and hiring. A recipient shall not discriminate on the basis of sex in the recruitment and hiring of employees. Where a recipient has...

Identifying and recruiting smokers for preoperative smoking cessation--a systematic review of methods reported in published studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Fujian; Brown, Tracey J; Blyth, Annie; Maskrey, Vivienne; McNamara, Iain; Donell, Simon

2015-11-11

Smoking cessation before surgery reduces postoperative complications, and the benefit is positively associated with the duration of being abstinent before a surgical procedure. A key issue in providing preoperative smoking cessation support is to identify people who smoke as early as possible before elective surgery. This review aims to summarise methods used to identify and recruit smokers awaiting elective surgery. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO, and references of relevant reviews (up to May 2014) to identify prospective studies that evaluated preoperative smoking cessation programmes. One reviewer extracted and a second reviewer checked data from the included studies. Data extracted from included studies were presented in tables and narratively described. We included 32 relevant studies, including 18 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and 14 non-randomised studies (NRS). Smokers were recruited at preoperative clinics (n = 18), from surgery waiting lists (n = 6), or by general practitioners (n = 1), and the recruitment methods were not explicitly described in seven studies. Time points of preoperative recruitment of smokers was unclear in four studies, less than 4 weeks before surgery in 17 studies, and at least 4 weeks before surgery in only 11 studies. The recruitment rate tended to be lower in RCTs (median 58.2 %, range 9.1 to 90.9 %) than that in NRS (median 99.1 %, range 12.3 to 100 %) and lower in preoperative clinic-based RCTs (median 54.4 %, range 9.1 to 82.4 %) than that in waiting list-based RCTs (median 70.1 %, range 36.8 to 85.0 %). Smokers were recruited at least 4 weeks before surgery in four of the six waiting list-based studies and in only three of the 18 preoperative clinic-based studies. Published studies often inadequately described the methods for recruiting smokers into preoperative smoking cessation programmes. Although smoking cessation at any time is beneficial, many programmes recruited smokers at times

Prophylactic Antioxidant Potential of Gallic Acid in Murine Model of Sepsis

Science.gov (United States)

Maurya, Harikesh; Mangal, Vaishali; Gandhi, Sanjay; Prabhu, Kathiresan; Ponnudurai, Kathiresan

2014-01-01

Present study is to investigate the effect of Gallic acid pretreatment on survival of septic animals and oxidative stress in different organs like lungs, liver, kidney, spleen, and vascular dysfunction of mice. Sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) in healthy adult male albino mice (25–30 g) and was divided into 3 groups each consisting of 6 animals, that is, sham-operated (SO group (Group I), SO + sepsis (Group II), and Gallic acid + sepsis (Group III)). Group III animals were pretreated with Gallic acid at the dose rate of 20 mg/kg body weight for 2 days before induction of sepsis. Animals were sacrificed on 8th day and the tissue samples were obtained for further investigation on lipid peroxidation (LPO), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione reductase (GSH). Gallic acid pretreatment significant (P Gallic acid pretreated mice showed significant improvement in SOD activity of kidney and spleen when compared to septic mice. Finally, the beneficial effects of Gallic acid pretreatment in sepsis are evident from the observations that Gallic acid partially restored SOD and catalase activity and completely reversed lipid peroxidation. Further studies are required to find out the possible mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of Gallic acid on large population. PMID:25018890

Improving actuation efficiency through variable recruitment hydraulic McKibben muscles: modeling, orderly recruitment control, and experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Meller, Michael; Chipka, Jordan; Volkov, Alexander; Bryant, Matthew; Garcia, Ephrahim

2016-11-03

Hydraulic control systems have become increasingly popular as the means of actuation for human-scale legged robots and assistive devices. One of the biggest limitations to these systems is their run time untethered from a power source. One way to increase endurance is by improving actuation efficiency. We investigate reducing servovalve throttling losses by using a selective recruitment artificial muscle bundle comprised of three motor units. Each motor unit is made up of a pair of hydraulic McKibben muscles connected to one servovalve. The pressure and recruitment state of the artificial muscle bundle can be adjusted to match the load in an efficient manner, much like the firing rate and total number of recruited motor units is adjusted in skeletal muscle. A volume-based effective initial braid angle is used in the model of each recruitment level. This semi-empirical model is utilized to predict the efficiency gains of the proposed variable recruitment actuation scheme versus a throttling-only approach. A real-time orderly recruitment controller with pressure-based thresholds is developed. This controller is used to experimentally validate the model-predicted efficiency gains of recruitment on a robot arm. The results show that utilizing variable recruitment allows for much higher efficiencies over a broader operating envelope.

Using marketing theory to inform strategies for recruitment: a recruitment optimisation model and the txt2stop experience

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Recruitment is a major challenge for many trials; just over half reach their targets and almost a third resort to grant extensions. The economic and societal implications of this shortcoming are significant. Yet, we have a limited understanding of the processes that increase the probability that recruitment targets will be achieved. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to bring analytical rigour to the task of improving recruitment, thereby increasing the likelihood that trials reach their recruitment targets. This paper presents a conceptual framework that can be used to improve recruitment to clinical trials. Methods Using a case-study approach, we reviewed the range of initiatives that had been undertaken to improve recruitment in the txt2stop trial using qualitative (semi-structured interviews with the principal investigator) and quantitative (recruitment) data analysis. Later, the txt2stop recruitment practices were compared to a previous model of marketing a trial and to key constructs in social marketing theory. Results Post hoc, we developed a recruitment optimisation model to serve as a conceptual framework to improve recruitment to clinical trials. A core premise of the model is that improving recruitment needs to be an iterative, learning process. The model describes three essential activities: i) recruitment phase monitoring, ii) marketing research, and iii) the evaluation of current performance. We describe the initiatives undertaken by the txt2stop trial and the results achieved, as an example of the use of the model. Conclusions Further research should explore the impact of adopting the recruitment optimisation model when applied to other trials. PMID:24886627

Using marketing theory to inform strategies for recruitment: a recruitment optimisation model and the txt2stop experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Galli, Leandro; Knight, Rosemary; Robertson, Steven; Hoile, Elizabeth; Oladapo, Olubukola; Francis, David; Free, Caroline

2014-05-22

Recruitment is a major challenge for many trials; just over half reach their targets and almost a third resort to grant extensions. The economic and societal implications of this shortcoming are significant. Yet, we have a limited understanding of the processes that increase the probability that recruitment targets will be achieved. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to bring analytical rigour to the task of improving recruitment, thereby increasing the likelihood that trials reach their recruitment targets. This paper presents a conceptual framework that can be used to improve recruitment to clinical trials. Using a case-study approach, we reviewed the range of initiatives that had been undertaken to improve recruitment in the txt2stop trial using qualitative (semi-structured interviews with the principal investigator) and quantitative (recruitment) data analysis. Later, the txt2stop recruitment practices were compared to a previous model of marketing a trial and to key constructs in social marketing theory. Post hoc, we developed a recruitment optimisation model to serve as a conceptual framework to improve recruitment to clinical trials. A core premise of the model is that improving recruitment needs to be an iterative, learning process. The model describes three essential activities: i) recruitment phase monitoring, ii) marketing research, and iii) the evaluation of current performance. We describe the initiatives undertaken by the txt2stop trial and the results achieved, as an example of the use of the model. Further research should explore the impact of adopting the recruitment optimisation model when applied to other trials.

Overcoming barriers to recruiting ethnic minorities to mental health research: a typology of recruitment strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Waheed, Waquas; Hughes-Morley, Adwoa; Woodham, Adrine; Allen, Gill; Bower, Peter

2015-05-02

The ethnic minority population in developed countries is increasing over time. These groups are at higher risk of mental illness and demonstrate lower participation in research. Published evidence suggests that multiple factors like stigma, lack of trust, differences in explanatory models, logistical issues and lack of culturally aware researchers act as barriers to ethnic minority recruitment into mental health research. To reduce inequalities in participation, there is a need to devise innovative and culturally sensitive recruitment strategies. It is important that researchers share their experience of employing these strategies so that ethnic minority participation can be facilitated. We previously published a systematic review of barriers to recruiting ethnic minority participants into mental health research. The nine papers included in our prior review formed the basis for developing a typology of barriers to recruiting ethnic minorities into mental health research. This typology identified 33 barriers, described under five themes. We further extracted data on the strategies used to overcome these recruitment barriers, as described in the included studies. The strategies employed by the authors could be matched to all but two barriers (psychopathology/substance misuse and limited resource availability). There was evidence that multiple strategies were employed, and that these depended upon the population, clinical set-up and resources available. This typology of strategies to overcome barriers to recruiting ethnic minorities provides guidance on achieving higher rates of recruitment. It is important that researchers plan to deploy these strategies well in advance of initiating recruitment. Whilst adopting these strategies, the authors have not been able to quantify the positive impact of these strategies on recruitment. The typology should encourage researchers to employ these strategies in future research, refine them further and quantitatively evaluate their

Beneficial bread without preservatives

OpenAIRE

Denkova, Zapryana; Denkova, Rositsa

2014-01-01

Besides their inherent nutritional value functional foods contain substances that have beneficial impact on the functioning of organs and systems in the human body and reduce the risk of disease. Bread and bakery goods are basic foods in the diet of contemporary people. Preservatives are added to the composition of foods in order to ensure their microbiological safety, but these substances affect directly the balance of microflora in the tract. A great problem is mold and bacterial spoilage (...

Beneficial reuse of US DOE Radioactive scrap metal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Motl, G.P.

1995-01-19

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has more than 2.5 million tons of radioactive scrap metal (RSM) that is either in inventory or expected to be generated over the next 25 years as major facilities within the weapons complex are decommissioned. Since much of this metal cannot be decontaminated easily, past practice has been to either retain this material in inventory or ship it to DOE disposal sites for burial. In an attempt to conserve natural resources and to avoid burial of this material at DOE disposal sites, options are now being explored to ``beneficially reuse`` this material. Under the beneficial reuse concept, RSM that cannot be decontaminated and free released is used in applications where the inherent contamination is not a detriment to its end use. This paper describes initiatives currently in progress in the United States that support the DOE beneficial reuse concept.

Beneficial reuse of US DOE Radioactive scrap metal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Motl, G.P.

1995-01-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has more than 2.5 million tons of radioactive scrap metal (RSM) that is either in inventory or expected to be generated over the next 25 years as major facilities within the weapons complex are decommissioned. Since much of this metal cannot be decontaminated easily, past practice has been to either retain this material in inventory or ship it to DOE disposal sites for burial. In an attempt to conserve natural resources and to avoid burial of this material at DOE disposal sites, options are now being explored to ''beneficially reuse'' this material. Under the beneficial reuse concept, RSM that cannot be decontaminated and free released is used in applications where the inherent contamination is not a detriment to its end use. This paper describes initiatives currently in progress in the United States that support the DOE beneficial reuse concept

Fast-Track Teacher Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

Grant, Franklin Dean

2001-01-01

Schools need a Renaissance human-resources director to implement strategic staffing and fast-track teacher-recruitment plans. The HR director must attend to customer satisfaction, candidate supply, web-based recruitment possibilities, stabilization of newly hired staff, retention of veteran staff, utilization of retired employees, and latest…

Proteins with Intrinsically Disordered Domains Are Preferentially Recruited to Polyglutamine Aggregates.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maggie P Wear

Full Text Available Intracellular protein aggregation is the hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases. Aggregates formed by polyglutamine (polyQ-expanded proteins, such as Huntingtin, adopt amyloid-like structures that are resistant to denaturation. We used a novel purification strategy to isolate aggregates formed by human Huntingtin N-terminal fragments with expanded polyQ tracts from both yeast and mammalian (PC-12 cells. Using mass spectrometry we identified the protein species that are trapped within these polyQ aggregates. We found that proteins with very long intrinsically-disordered (ID domains (≥ 100 amino acids and RNA-binding proteins were disproportionately recruited into aggregates. The removal of the ID domains from selected proteins was sufficient to eliminate their recruitment into polyQ aggregates. We also observed that several neurodegenerative disease-linked proteins were reproducibly trapped within the polyQ aggregates purified from mammalian cells. Many of these proteins have large ID domains and are found in neuronal inclusions in their respective diseases. Our study indicates that neurodegenerative disease-associated proteins are particularly vulnerable to recruitment into polyQ aggregates via their ID domains. Also, the high frequency of ID domains in RNA-binding proteins may explain why RNA-binding proteins are frequently found in pathological inclusions in various neurodegenerative diseases.

Folate/Folic Acid Knowledge, Intake, and Self-Efficacy of College-Aged Women: Impact of Text Messaging and Availability of a Folic Acid-Containing Supplement

Science.gov (United States)

Rampersaud, Gail C.; Sokolow, Andrew; Gruspe, Abigail; Colee, James C.; Kauwell, Gail P. A.

2016-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the impact of educational text messages (TMs) on folate/folic acid knowledge and consumption among college-aged women, and to evaluate the impact of providing folic acid supplements on folate/folic acid intake among college-aged women. Participants: A total of 162 women (18-24 years) recruited from a university. Methods: The…

Analysis of Recruit Attrition from the Navy's Delayed Entry Program and Recruit Training Command

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Neuhalfen, Jon K

2007-01-01

.... The analysis uses the PRIDE database, provided by Commander, Navy Recruiting Command. Trend analyses are used to identify significant changes in enlistment and attrition behavior for recruits who joined from fiscal years 1998 through 2005...

Evolution of proteomes: fundamental signatures and global trends in amino acid compositions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yeramian Edouard

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The evolutionary characterization of species and lifestyles at global levels is nowadays a subject of considerable interest, particularly with the availability of many complete genomes. Are there specific properties associated with lifestyles and phylogenies? What are the underlying evolutionary trends? One of the simplest analyses to address such questions concerns characterization of proteomes at the amino acids composition level. Results In this work, amino acid compositions of a large set of 208 proteomes, with significant number of representatives from the three phylogenetic domains and different lifestyles are analyzed, resorting to an appropriate multidimensional method: Correspondence analysis. The analysis reveals striking discrimination between eukaryotes, prokaryotic mesophiles and hyperthemophiles-themophiles, following amino acid usage. In sharp contrast, no similar discrimination is observed for psychrophiles. The observed distributional properties are compared with various inferred chronologies for the recruitment of amino acids into the genetic code. Such comparisons reveal correlations between the observed segregations of species following amino acid usage, and the separation of amino acids following early or late recruitment. Conclusion A simple description of proteomes according to amino acid compositions reveals striking signatures, with sharp segregations or on the contrary non-discriminations following phylogenies and lifestyles. The distribution of species, following amino acid usage, exhibits a discrimination between [high GC]-[high optimal growth temperatures] and [low GC]-[moderate temperatures] characteristics. This discrimination appears to coincide closely with the separation of amino acids following their inferred early or late recruitment into the genetic code. Taken together the various results provide a consistent picture for the evolution of proteomes, in terms of amino acid usage.

Recruitment in a Firm

OpenAIRE

Kubricht, Vojtěch

2015-01-01

This bachelor's thesis deals with human resources in company and focuses on personal strategy and recruitment. Its aim is to characterize and compare processes of recruitment and selection of new employees in two companies and propose solutions to increase the efficiency of these processes. The theoretical part is mainly focused on the overall characteristics of the recruitment and selection of new employees. In the practical is the theoretical knowledge confronted with real information from ...

5 CFR 330.402 - Direct recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Direct recruitment. 330.402 Section 330.402 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS RECRUITMENT, SELECTION, AND PLACEMENT (GENERAL) Positions Restricted to Preference Eligibles § 330.402 Direct recruitment...

Lipids of Amazon Caimans: A source of fatty acids | Junior | African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... protein and fatty acids that are beneficial to human health and can be industrially processed. The fatty acid profile of Caiman crocodilus and Melanosuchus niger (native to the Brazilian Amazon flooded forest) was determined in samples of a commercial cut (tail fillet) and fat (fat body and somatic fat) of these two species.

Glutamic acid and folic acid production in aerobic and anaerobic probiotics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zohre Taghi Abadi

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction:From an industrial application or commercial point of view, glutamic acid is one of the most important amino acids and its microbial production has been reported from some bacteria. Regarding the role of probiotics to modulate human health and the ever-increasing demand of prebiotics in the food industry, in the current study, production of glutamic acid and folic acid from three probiotic bacteria (Bifidobacterium, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Sporolactobacillus was evaluated for the first time. Materials and methods: MRS broth and exclusive media was used for probiotic culture. The glutamic acid was identified using thin-layer chromatography and folic acid production was measured by folate kit. Each bacterium in terms of quality and quantity were measured by high pressure liquid chromatography. Results: Production of glutamic acid confirmed is based on the thin layer chromatography analysis and high pressure liquid chromatography results. In addition, it was observed that all three probiotics produce folic acid. The prevalence of folate in Bifidobacterium was measured as 315 mg/ml that was more than two other bacteria. Discussion and conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of microbial production of glutamic acid and folate from the probiotic bacteria. These beneficial bacteria can be used as a good source for mass production of these valuable compounds.

Do dorsal raphe 5-HT neurons encode "beneficialness"?

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Minmin; Li, Yi; Zhong, Weixin

2016-11-01

The neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) affects numerous behavioral and physiological processes. Drugs that alter 5-HT signaling treat several major psychiatric disorders and may lead to widespread abuse. The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) in the midbrain provides a majority of 5-HT for the forebrain. The importance of 5-HT signaling propels the search for a general theoretical framework under which the diverse functions of the DRN 5-HT neurons can be interpreted and additional therapeutic solutions may be developed. However, experimental data so far support several seeming irreconcilable theories, suggesting that 5-HT neurons mediate behavioral inhibition, aversive processing, or reward signaling. Here, we review recent progresses and propose that DRN 5-HT neurons encode "beneficialness" - how beneficial the current environmental context represents for an individual. Specifically, we speculate that the activity of these neurons reflects the possible net benefit of the current context as determined by p·R-C, in which p indicates reward probability, R the reward value, and C the cost. Through the widespread projections of these neurons to the forebrain, the beneficialness signal may reconfigure neural circuits to bias perception, boost positive emotions, and switch behavioral choices. The "beneficialness" hypothesis can explain many conflicting observations, and at the same time raises new questions. We suggest additional experiments that will help elucidate the exact computational functions of the DRN 5-HT neurons. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interannual differences in growth and hatch-date distributions of early juvenile European anchovy in the Bay of Biscay: implications for recruitment

KAUST Repository

Aldanondo, Naroa

2016-01-22

© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. In order to understand better the recruitment variability in European anchovy in the Bay of Biscay, it is important to investigate the processes that affect survival during the early life stages. Anchovy juvenile growth trajectories and hatch-date distributions were inferred over a 3-year period based on otolith microstructure analysis. Otolith growth trajectories showed a characteristic shape depending on their hatch-date timing. Earlier-born juveniles had notably broader maximum increments than later born conspecifics, resulting in higher growth rates. This observation suggests that early hatching would be beneficial for larval and juvenile growth, and, therefore, survival. The estimated juvenile hatch-date distributions were relatively narrow compared with the extended anchovy spawning season (March-August) in the Bay of Biscay and indicated that only individuals originated mainly from the summer months (June-August) survived until autumn. Hatch-date distributions were markedly different among years and seemed to influence the interannual recruitment strength of anchovy. We conclude that years characterized by juvenile survivors originating from the peak spawning period (May and June) would lead to considerable recruitment success. Downwelling events during the peak spawning period seem to affect larval survival.

How to achieve the most success with online recruiting: the spread of online recruiting and its impact

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Jianan

2012-01-01

It is no news that the labour market is still highly competitive, attracting and retaining talent has now become the number one challenge facing all companies. With Internet penetrating in our daily life, organizations are taking advantage of it by adopting online recruiting methods. Recruitment processes have changed a lot since we entered into information era, recruiting efforts have evolved from traditional newspaper ads to sophisticated web sites. The whole complexion of recruiting has ch...

Does gratitude always work? Ambivalence over emotional expression inhibits the beneficial effect of gratitude on well-being.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Lung Hung; Chen, Mei-Yen; Tsai, Ying-Mei

2012-01-01

The psychological benefit of gratitude has been well demonstrated in previous studies. However, when we examined these studies closely, we found that the moderators were rarely investigated, suggesting that further work is needed to explore the boundaries of gratitude In this regard, the authors have proposed that ambivalence over emotional expression might be a potential moderator that would inhibit the beneficial effect of gratitude on well-being. Two studies were conducted to examine our hypothesis. Study 1 consisted of 353 Taiwanese college students who completed the Gratitude Questionnaire-Taiwan version (GQ-T), Ambivalence over Emotional Expression Questionnaire (AEQ), and one question about subjective happiness. We found that ambivalence over emotional expression significantly moderated the effect of gratitude on happiness. To validate our findings in Study 1, 233 Taiwanese college students were recruited for Study 2, and they completed the GQ-T, AEQ, subjective happiness short-form UCLA loneliness scale, as well as the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Both studies demonstrated that ambivalence over emotional expression moderated the relationship between gratitude and well-being indexes. Simply stated, the authors found that across the two independent samples, among students who are high in ambivalence over emotional expression, the beneficial effect of gratitude on subjective happiness was inhibited. However, the moderating pattern for loneliness and depression was contrary to our expectations, indicating that high ambivalence over emotional expression does not inhibit gratitude. Possible explanations and implications for social relationships and emotional expression are discussed.

Recruitment and selection of employees

OpenAIRE

Čermochová, Barbora

2017-01-01

The Bachelor's thesis focuses on the process of recruitment and selection of employees. The thesis is divided into theoretical and practical part. The theoretical part includes concepts that are important for understanding of issues of the process of recruitment and selection of employees. The practical part is divided into three chapters. The first chapter briefly describes the company xxx. Next two chapters deal with the process of recruitment and selection of employees in the company. The ...

Does Omegaven have beneficial effects on a rat model of ovarian ischemia/reperfusion?

Science.gov (United States)

Gungor, Ayse N Cakir; Turkon, Hakan; Albayrak, Aynur; Ovali, Mehmet; Islimye, Mine; Gencer, Meryem; Hacivelioglu, Servet; Cevizci, Sibel; Cesur, Ismet; Cosar, Emine

2014-10-01

The beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acids on an intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) model was shown previously. Therefore, we aimed to examine the potential beneficial effects of parenteral omega-3 fatty acids, a safe and inexpensive product, on a rat model of ovarian I/R. A group of 39 rats was divided into six groups. Group 1 (Sham Group; n=6) underwent two laparotomies with a 3-h interval and their ovaries were removed 3h later. Group 2 (torsion-detorsion Group; n=7) had their ovaries torsioned clockwise and fixed at 720°; 3h later a detorsion operation was done and after another 3h, their ovaries were removed. Group 3 (n=7) and Group 4 (n=7) received the same treatment as Group 2; however, half an hour prior to detorsion, these rats received Omegaven at 1mL/kg and 5mL/kg, respectively. Group 5 (n=6) and Group 6 (n=6) received the same treatment as Group 1; however, half an hour prior to the second laparotomy, these rats received Omegaven at 1mL/kg and 5mL/kg, respectively. One ovary from each rat was evaluated histologically by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and the other ovary was homogenized and evaluated for total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS) and oxidative stress index (OSI). While we failed to show any significant relationship among groups in oxidative parameters, there was a significant worsening in the torsion-detorsion group in histological evaluation. High Omegaven doses, but not low doses, improved tissue injury scores of torsioned and detorsioned ovaries to the levels observed in the control group. Omegaven improves the detrimental effects of ovarian I/R when used in sufficient doses. Its effects and dose adjustment on women with ovarian torsion must be investigated by further studies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

28 CFR 92.8 - Providing recruitment services.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... populations to a police department. The recruitment strategies employed may include: (a) A process for... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Providing recruitment services. 92.8... POLICING SERVICES (COPS) Police Recruitment Program Guidelines § 92.8 Providing recruitment services. The...

[Clinical characteristics and renal uric acid excretion in early-onset gout patients].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Q H; Liang, J J; Chen, L X; Mo, Y Q; Wei, X N; Zheng, D H; Dai, L

2018-03-01

Objective: To investigate clinical characteristics and renal uric acid excretion in early-onset gout patients. Methods: Consecutive inpatients with primary gout were recruited between 2013 and 2017. The patients with gout onset younger than 30 were defined as early-onset group while the others were enrolled as control group. Clinical characteristics and uric acid (UA) indicators were compared between two groups. Results: Among 202 recruited patients, the early-onset group included 36 patients (17.8%). Compared with control group, the early-onset group presented more patients with obesity [13 patients (36.1%) vs. 22 patients (13.3%), Pgout early onset. Conclusion: The gout patients with early-onset younger than 30 present high serum and glomerular load of uric acid which might be due to obesity and relative under-excretion of renal uric acid.

20 CFR 655.154 - Additional positive recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Additional positive recruitment. 655.154... recruitment. (a) Where to conduct additional positive recruitment. The employer must conduct positive recruitment within a multistate region of traditional or expected labor supply where the CO finds that there...

Additive effects of clofibric acid and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase isoenzyme 4 (PDK4) deficiency on hepatic steatosis in mice fed a high-saturated fat diet

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Byounghoon; Wu, Pengfei; Harris, Robert A.

2012-01-01

SUMMARY Although improving glucose metabolism by inhibition of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4) might prove beneficial in the treatment of type 2 diabetes or diet-induced obesity, it might induce detrimental effects by inhibiting fatty acid oxidation. PPARα agonists are often used to treat dyslipidemia in patients, especially in type 2 diabetes. Combinational treatment with a PDK4 inhibitor and PPARα agonists may prove beneficial. However, PPARα agonists may be less effective in the presence of a PDK4 inhibitor because PPARα agonists induce PDK4 expression. In the present study, the effects of clofibric acid, a PPARα agonist, on blood and liver lipids were determined in wild type and PDK4 knockout mice fed a high fat diet. As expected, treatment of wild type mice with clofibric acid resulted in less body weight gain, smaller epididymal fat pads, greater insulin sensitivity, and lower levels of serum and liver triacylglycerol. Surprisingly, rather than decreasing the effectiveness of clofibric acid, PDK4 deficiency enhanced the beneficial effects of clofibric acid on hepatic steatosis, lowered blood glucose levels, and did not prevent the positive effects of clofibric acid on serum triacylglycerols and free fatty acids. The metabolic effects of clofibric acid are therefore independent of the induction of PDK4 expression. The additive beneficial effects on hepatic steatosis may be due to induction of increased capacity for fatty acid oxidation and partial uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation by clofibric acid and a reduction in the capacity for fatty acid synthesis by PDK4 deficiency. PMID:22429297

Abscisic acid ameliorates atherosclerosis by suppressing macrophage and CD4+ T cell recruitment into the aortic wall.

Science.gov (United States)

Guri, Amir J; Misyak, Sarah A; Hontecillas, Raquel; Hasty, Alyssa; Liu, Dongmin; Si, Hongwei; Bassaganya-Riera, Josep

2010-12-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a natural phytohormone which improves insulin sensitivity and reduces adipose tissue inflammation when supplemented into diets of obese mice. The objective of this study was to investigate the mechanisms by which ABA prevents or ameliorates atherosclerosis. apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE(-/-)) mice were fed high-fat diets with or without ABA for 84 days. Systolic blood pressure was assessed on Days 0, 28, 56 and 72. Gene expression, immune cell infiltration and histological lesions were evaluated in the aortic root wall. Human aortic endothelial cells were used to examine the effect of ABA on 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and nitric oxide (NO) production in vitro. We report that ABA-treated mice had significantly improved systolic blood pressure and decreased accumulation of F4/80(+)CD11b(+) macrophages and CD4(+) T cells in aortic root walls. At the molecular level, ABA significantly enhanced aortic endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and tended to suppress aortic vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) expression and plasma MCP-1 concentrations. ABA also caused a dose-dependent increase in intracellular concentrations of cAMP and NO and up-regulated eNOS mRNA expression in human aortic endothelial cells. This is the first report showing that ABA prevents or ameliorates atherosclerosis-induced hypertension, immune cell recruitment into the aortic root wall and up-regulates aortic eNOS expression in ApoE(-/-) mice. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Involvement of Vacuolar Sequestration and Active Transport in Tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Hop Iso-?-Acids

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hazelwood, L.A.; Walsh, M.C.; Pronk, J.T.; Daran, J.M.

2009-01-01

The hop plant, Humulus lupulus L., has an exceptionally high content of secondary metabolites, the hop -acids, which possess a range of beneficial properties, including antiseptic action. Studies performed on the mode of action of hop iso--acids have hitherto been restricted to lactic acid bacteria.

IRS proposes ruling on physician recruitment. How a hospital recruits physicians would affect its tax-exempt status.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffith, G M

1996-01-01

On March 15, 1995, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced a proposed revenue ruling stating how certain physician recruitment practices could be implemented without threatening hospitals' tax-exemption. As proposed, the IRS ruling would provide flexibility for recruitment incentives rather than a list of strict physician recruitment guidelines. The proposed ruling is not legally binding until issued in final form, and there is no deadline for finalizing it. In the meantime, however, the standards outlined in the proposed ruling reflect arrangements the IRS likely would approve, which should be an incentive for tax-exempt hospitals to follow reasonable physician recruitment practices. Assuming a hospital complies with other legal requirements such as fraud and abuse laws, it must answer two key tax-exempt status questions for its recruitment or retention package: Will the incentives result in a disguised distribution of profits from the operation of the organization? Is the total incentive package reasonable under all the facts and circumstances, both in absolute total value for physician(s) recruited and in relation to services required by the hospital and the community? The proposed ruling also provides guidance on basic documentation requirements and a process for approving recruitment arrangements.

Omega-9 Oleic Acid Induces Fatty Acid Oxidation and Decreases Organ Dysfunction and Mortality in Experimental Sepsis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cassiano Felippe Gonçalves-de-Albuquerque

Full Text Available Sepsis is characterized by inflammatory and metabolic alterations, which lead to massive cytokine production, oxidative stress and organ dysfunction. In severe systemic inflammatory response syndrome, plasma non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA are increased. Several NEFA are deleterious to cells, activate Toll-like receptors and inhibit Na+/K+-ATPase, causing lung injury. A Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil is beneficial. The main component of olive oil is omega-9 oleic acid (OA, a monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA. We analyzed the effect of OA supplementation on sepsis. OA ameliorated clinical symptoms, increased the survival rate, prevented liver and kidney injury and decreased NEFA plasma levels in mice subjected to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP. OA did not alter food intake and weight gain but diminished reactive oxygen species (ROS production and NEFA plasma levels. Carnitine palmitoyltransferase IA (CPT1A mRNA levels were increased, while uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2 liver expression was enhanced in mice treated with OA. OA also inhibited the decrease in 5' AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK expression and increased the enzyme expression in the liver of OA-treated mice compared to septic animals. We showed that OA pretreatment decreased NEFA concentration and increased CPT1A and UCP2 and AMPK levels, decreasing ROS production. We suggest that OA has a beneficial role in sepsis by decreasing metabolic dysfunction, supporting the benefits of diets high in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA.

Beneficial Effects of N-acetylcysteine and N-mercaptopropionylglycine on Ischemia Reperfusion Injury in the Heart.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartekova, Monika; Barancik, Miroslav; Ferenczyova, Kristina; Dhalla, Naranjan S

2018-01-30

Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury of the heart as a consequence of myocardial infarction or cardiac surgery represents a serious clinical problem. One of the most prominent mechanisms of I/R injury is the development of oxidative stress in the heart. In this regard, I/R has been shown to enhance the production of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species in the heart which lead to the imbalance between the pro-oxidants and antioxidant capacities of the endogenous radical-scavenging systems. Increasing the antioxidant capacity of the heart by the administration of exogenous antioxidants is considered beneficial for the heart exposed to I/R. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and Nmercaptopropionylglycine (MPG) are two sulphur containing amino acid substances, which belong to the broad category of exogenous antioxidants that have been tested for their protective potential in cardiac I/R injury. Pretreatment of hearts with both NAC and MPG has demonstrated that these agents attenuate the I/R-induced alterations in sarcolemma, sarcoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria and myofibrils in addition to improving cardiac function. While experimental studies have revealed promising data suggesting beneficial effects of NAC and MPG in cardiac I/R injury, the results of clinical trials are not conclusive because both positive and no effects of these substances have been reported on the post-ischemic recovery of heart following cardiac surgery or myocardial infarction. It is concluded that both NAC and MPG exert beneficial effects in preventing the I/Rinduced injury; however, further studies are needed to establish their effectiveness in reversing the I/R-induced abnormalities in the heart. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Use of tannins to improve fatty acids profile of meat and milk quality in ruminants: A review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Morales

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This paper reviews how tannins, through their effects on rumen lipid metabolism, can affect the composition of ruminants' meat and milk fat. Tannins are a heterogeneous group of plant secondary compounds known for both beneficial and detrimental effects on animals' digestive physiology. Tannins supplementation of ruminants' diets alters both in vivo and in vitro unsaturated fatty acids biohydrogenation and hence the profile of fatty acids outflowing the rumen, which can influence milk and meat content of beneficial fatty acids such as linolenic acid (c9,c12,c15-18:3, vaccenic acid (ti 1-18:1 and rumenic acid (c9,t11-18:2, among others. Published information indicates that tannins could inhibit biohydrogenation though affecting ruminal microorganisms. Some studies found increments in linolenic, rumenic and/or vaccenic acids in meat and milk fat using different sources of tannins; however, the effects of tannins supplementation on milk and meat fatty acid profile are not consistent, and there are contradictory results published in the literature. Effects of tannin supplementation on fatty acids biohydrogenation are affected by the chemical type of tannins, the complexity of their interactions with dietary components, and the potential microbial adaptation to tannins. In addition, the duration of the tannins-feeding period may also affect milk and meat fatty acid profile. Characterizing the effects of each specific tannic compound on different biohydrogenation steps and on the microbial species conducting them, as well as the interaction between specific tannin compounds and other dietary components can help to take greater advantage of tannins potential to contribute to improve human health through promoting beneficial fatty acids in ruminants products.

Values-based recruitment in health care.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Sam Louise

2015-01-27

Values-based recruitment is a process being introduced to student selection for nursing courses and appointment to registered nurse posts. This article discusses the process of values-based recruitment and demonstrates why it is important in health care today. It examines the implications of values-based recruitment for candidates applying to nursing courses and to newly qualified nurses applying for their first posts in England. To ensure the best chance of success, candidates should understand the principles and process of values-based recruitment and how to prepare for this type of interview.

Randomized trial of BCG vaccination at birth to low-birth-weight children: beneficial nonspecific effects in the neonatal period?

Science.gov (United States)

Aaby, Peter; Roth, Adam; Ravn, Henrik; Napirna, Bitiguida Mutna; Rodrigues, Amabelia; Lisse, Ida Maria; Stensballe, Lone; Diness, Birgitte Rode; Lausch, Karen Rokkedal; Lund, Najaaraq; Biering-Sørensen, Sofie; Whittle, Hilton; Benn, Christine Stabell

2011-07-15

Observational studies have suggested that BCG may have nonspecific beneficial effects on survival. Low-birth-weight (LBW) children are not given BCG at birth in Guinea-Bissau; we conducted a randomized trial of BCG at birth (early BCG) vs delayed BCG. In the period 2004-2008 we recruited 2320 LBW children in Bissau. The children were visited at home at 2, 6, and 12 months of age. With a pretrial infant mortality of 250 per 1000, we hypothesized a 25% reduction in infant mortality for LBW children. Infant mortality was only 101 per 1000 during the trial. In the primary analysis, infant mortality was reduced insignificantly by 17% (mortality rate ratio [MRR] = .83 [.63-1.08]). In secondary analyses, early BCG vaccine was safe with an MRR of .49 (.21-1.15) after 3 days and .55 (.34-.89) after 4 weeks. The reduction in neonatal mortality was mainly due to fewer cases of neonatal sepsis, respiratory infection, and fever. The impact of early BCG on infant mortality was marked for children weighing <1.5 kg (MRR = .43 [.21-.85]) who had lower coverage for diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccinations. Though early BCG did not reduce infant mortality significantly, it may have a beneficial effect in the neonatal period. This could be important for public health because BCG is often delayed in low-income countries.

Essential Fatty Acids and Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review

Science.gov (United States)

Raz, Raanan; Gabis, Lidia

2009-01-01

Aim: Essential fatty acids (EFAs), also known as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, have been claimed to have beneficial effects as a treatment for attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Animal experiments have provided information about the role of EFA in the brain, and several mechanisms of EFA activity are well known. The current review…

Recruiting Diverse Smokers: Enrollment Yields and Cost

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaitlyn E. Brodar

2016-12-01

Full Text Available To help tobacco control research better include vulnerable populations, we sought to identify effective ways to recruit diverse smokers. In 2014–2015, we recruited 2149 adult cigarette smokers in California and North Carolina, United States, to participate in a randomized trial of pictorial cigarette pack warnings. The most effective means of recruiting smokers were the classified advertising website Craigslist (28% of participants, word of mouth (23%, Facebook (16%, and flyers or postcards (14%. Low-income and African American smokers were more likely to respond to interpersonal contact (including staff in-person recruitment and word of mouth than were high-income and non-African American smokers (all p < 0.05. Hispanic and gay, lesbian, and bisexual smokers were more likely to be recruited by Craigslist than non-Hispanic and straight smokers (both p < 0.05. Of the recruitment methods requiring cost, the cheapest was Craigslist ($3–7 per smoker. The most expensive methods were newspaper ads in California ($375 per smoker and staff in-person recruiting in North Carolina ($180 per smoker. Successfully recruiting diverse smokers requires using multiple methods including interpersonal, online, and other media. Craigslist and word of mouth are especially useful and low-cost ways to recruit diverse smokers.

Recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers in rural areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Monk, David H

2007-01-01

In examining recruitment and retention of teachers in rural areas, David Monk begins by noting the numerous possible characteristics of rural communities--small size, sparse settlement, distance from population concentrations, and an economic reliance on agricultural industries that are increasingly using seasonal and immigrant workers to minimize labor costs. Many, though not all, rural areas, he says, are seriously impoverished. Classes in rural schools are relatively small, and teachers tend to report satisfaction with their work environments and relatively few problems with discipline. But teacher turnover is often high, and hiring can be difficult. Monk observes that rural schools have a below-average share of highly trained teachers. Compensation in rural schools tends to be low, perhaps because of a lower fiscal capacity in rural areas, thus complicating efforts to attract and retain teachers. Several student characteristics, including relatively large shares of students with special needs and with limited English skills and lower shares of students attending college, can also make it difficult to recruit and retain high-quality teachers. Other challenges include meeting the needs of highly mobile children of low-income migrant farm workers. With respect to public policy, Monk asserts a need to focus on a subcategory of what might be called hard-to-staff rural schools rather than to develop a blanket set of policies for all rural schools. In particular, he recommends a focus on such indicators as low teacher qualifications, teaching in fields far removed from the area of training, difficulty in hiring, high turnover, a lack of diversity among teachers in the school, and the presence of migrant farm workers' children. Successful efforts to stimulate economic growth in these areas would be highly beneficial. He also calls attention to the potential for modern telecommunication and computing technologies to offset some of the drawbacks associated with teaching

Ecological enrichment in agroecosystems: Utilizing wildflowers to promote beneficial arthropod communities

Science.gov (United States)

Beneficial arthropods which provide important ecosystems services have come under threat as a result of intensive agricultural practices and landscape simplification. Engineering diverse heterogeneous agricultural landscapes to provide optimal resources for beneficial arthropods may recover and enha...

Chlorogenic Acid and Mental Diseases: From Chemistry to Medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Nabavi, Seyed Fazel; Tejada, Silvia; Setzer, William N; Gortzi, Olga; Sureda, Antoni; Braidy, Nady; Daglia, Maria; Manayi, Azadeh; Nabavi, Seyed Mohammad

2017-01-01

At present, much attention has been focused on the beneficial effects of natural products on the human health due to their high efficacy and low adverse effects. Among them, polyphenolic compounds are known as one of the most important and common classes of natural products, which possess multiple range of health-promotion effects including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. A plethora of scientific evidence has shown that polyphenolic compounds possess beneficial effects on the central nervous system. Data were collected from Web of Science (ISI Web of Knowledge), Medline, Pubmed, Scopus, Embase, and BIOSIS Previews (from 1950 to 2015), through searching of these keywords: "chlorogenic acid and mental diseases" and "chlorogenic acid and neuroprotection". Chlorogenic acid is known as one of the most common polyphenolic compounds, and is found in different types of fruits and vegetables, spices, wine, olive oil, as well as coffee. The potential neuroprotective effects of chlorogenic acid have been highlighted in several in vitro and in vivo studies. This review critically analyses the available scientific evidence regarding the neuroprotective effects of chlorogenic acid, and its neuropharmacological mechanisms of action. In addition, we also discuss its biosynthesis, sources, bioavailability and metabolism, to provide a broad perspective of the therapeutic implications of this compound in brain health and disease. The present review showed that chlorogenic acid possesses neuroprotective effects under the both in vitro and in vivo models. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

A novel method for monitoring functional lesion-specific recruitment of repair proteins in live cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Woodrick, Jordan; Gupta, Suhani; Khatkar, Pooja; Dave, Kalpana; Levashova, Darya; Choudhury, Sujata; Elias, Hadi; Saha, Tapas; Mueller, Susette; Roy, Rabindra, E-mail: rr228@georgetown.edu

2015-05-15

Highlights: • A method of monitoring lesion-specific recruitment of proteins in vivo is described. • Recruitment of repair enzymes to abasic sites is monitored by co-localization. • Repair protein recruitment is consistent with known protein–protein relationships. • Cells demonstrated complete repair of abasic sites by 90 min. - Abstract: DNA–protein relationships have been studied by numerous methods, but a particular gap in methodology lies in the study of DNA adduct-specific interactions with proteins in vivo, which particularly affects the field of DNA repair. Using the repair of a well-characterized and ubiquitous adduct, the abasic (AP) site, as a model, we have developed a comprehensive method of monitoring DNA lesion-specific recruitment of proteins in vivo over time. We utilized a surrogate system in which a Cy3-labeled plasmid containing a single AP-site was transfected into cells, and the interaction of the labeled DNA with BER enzymes, including APE1, Polβ, LIG1, and FEN1, was monitored by immunofluorescent staining of the enzymes by Alexafluor-488-conjugated secondary antibody. The recruitment of enzymes was characterized by quantification of Cy3-Alexafluor-488 co-localization. To validate the microscopy-based method, repair of the transfected AP-site DNA was also quantified at various time points post-transfection using a real time PCR-based method. Notably, the recruitment time kinetics for each enzyme were consistent with AP-site repair time kinetics. This microscopy-based methodology is reliable in detecting the recruitment of proteins to specific DNA substrates and can be extended to study other in vivo DNA–protein relationships in any DNA sequence and in the context of any DNA structure in transfectable proliferating or quiescent cells. The method may be applied to a variety of disciplines of nucleic acid transaction pathways, including repair, replication, transcription, and recombination.

A novel method for monitoring functional lesion-specific recruitment of repair proteins in live cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woodrick, Jordan; Gupta, Suhani; Khatkar, Pooja; Dave, Kalpana; Levashova, Darya; Choudhury, Sujata; Elias, Hadi; Saha, Tapas; Mueller, Susette; Roy, Rabindra

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A method of monitoring lesion-specific recruitment of proteins in vivo is described. • Recruitment of repair enzymes to abasic sites is monitored by co-localization. • Repair protein recruitment is consistent with known protein–protein relationships. • Cells demonstrated complete repair of abasic sites by 90 min. - Abstract: DNA–protein relationships have been studied by numerous methods, but a particular gap in methodology lies in the study of DNA adduct-specific interactions with proteins in vivo, which particularly affects the field of DNA repair. Using the repair of a well-characterized and ubiquitous adduct, the abasic (AP) site, as a model, we have developed a comprehensive method of monitoring DNA lesion-specific recruitment of proteins in vivo over time. We utilized a surrogate system in which a Cy3-labeled plasmid containing a single AP-site was transfected into cells, and the interaction of the labeled DNA with BER enzymes, including APE1, Polβ, LIG1, and FEN1, was monitored by immunofluorescent staining of the enzymes by Alexafluor-488-conjugated secondary antibody. The recruitment of enzymes was characterized by quantification of Cy3-Alexafluor-488 co-localization. To validate the microscopy-based method, repair of the transfected AP-site DNA was also quantified at various time points post-transfection using a real time PCR-based method. Notably, the recruitment time kinetics for each enzyme were consistent with AP-site repair time kinetics. This microscopy-based methodology is reliable in detecting the recruitment of proteins to specific DNA substrates and can be extended to study other in vivo DNA–protein relationships in any DNA sequence and in the context of any DNA structure in transfectable proliferating or quiescent cells. The method may be applied to a variety of disciplines of nucleic acid transaction pathways, including repair, replication, transcription, and recombination

Campus Recruiting: What the Recruiters Are Looking For.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Martha R.; And Others

1996-01-01

A survey of 111 campus recruiters of graduating students shows agreement that interviews are the most important selection method. Students' verbal communication skills, character, work experience, and academic performance were judged the most important personal characteristics in applicants. Work-related expectations and attitudes were the most…

Recruitment of dental pulp cells by dentine and pulp extracellular matrix components.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, J G; Smith, A J; Shelton, R M; Cooper, P R

2012-11-01

The present study aimed to determine whether dentine tissue and preparations of extracellular matrix (ECM) from pulp (pECM) and dentine (dECM), and breakdown products, influenced pulp cell migration. Chemotaxis transwell and agarose spot assays demonstrated that both dentine and pulp ECM molecules acted as chemoattractants for primary pulp cells. Chemoattractant activities of dECM and pECM were enhanced when subjected to acid and enzymatic breakdown, respectively. This enhanced activity following physiologically relevant breakdown may be pertinent to the disease environment. Pulp cell migration in response to dental ECMs was dependent on an active rho pathway. Recruited cells exhibited increased stem cell marker expression indicating that dental ECMs and their breakdown products selectively attract progenitor cells that contribute to repair processes. In conclusion, combined these results indicate that ECM molecules contribute to cell recruitment necessary for regeneration of the dentine-pulp complex after injury. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Organ- and species-specific biological activity of rosmarinic acid

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Iswandana, R.; Pham, B.T.; van Haaften, W.T.; Luangmonkong, T.; Oosterhuis, D.; Mutsaers, H.A.M.; Olinga, P.

2016-01-01

Rosmarinic acid (RA), a compound found in several plant species, has beneficial properties, including anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. We investigated the toxicity, anti-inflammatory, and antifibrotic effects of RA using precision-cut liver slices (PCLS) and precision-cut intestinal

Additive effects of clofibric acid and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase isoenzyme 4 (PDK4) deficiency on hepatic steatosis in mice fed a high saturated fat diet.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Byounghoon; Wu, Pengfei; Harris, Robert A

2012-05-01

Although improving glucose metabolism by inhibition of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4) may prove beneficial in the treatment of type 2 diabetes or diet-induced obesity, it may have detrimental effects by inhibiting fatty acid oxidation. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) agonists are often used to treat dyslipidemia in patients, especially in type 2 diabetes. Combinational treatment using a PDK4 inhibitor and PPARα agonists may prove beneficial. However, PPARα agonists may be less effective in the presence of a PDK4 inhibitor because PPARα agonists induce PDK4 expression. In the present study, the effects of clofibric acid, a PPARα agonist, on blood and liver lipids were determined in wild-type and PDK4 knockout mice fed a high-fat diet. As expected, treatment of wild-type mice with clofibric acid resulted in less body weight gain, smaller epididymal fat pads, greater insulin sensitivity, and lower levels of serum and liver triacylglycerol. Surprisingly, rather than decreasing the effectiveness of clofibric acid, PDK4 deficiency enhanced the beneficial effects of clofibric acid on hepatic steatosis, reduced blood glucose levels, and did not prevent the positive effects of clofibric acid on serum triacylglycerols and free fatty acids. The metabolic effects of clofibric acid are therefore independent of the induction of PDK4 expression. The additive beneficial effects on hepatic steatosis may be due to induction of increased capacity for fatty acid oxidation and partial uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation by clofibric acid, and a reduction in the capacity for fatty acid synthesis as a result of PDK4 deficiency. Journal compilation © 2012 FEBS. No claim to original US government works.

Nurse recruitment. Going places.

Science.gov (United States)

Buchan, James

2002-08-01

Overseas nurses account for 40 per cent of all new registrations in the UK and this may be rising to 50 per cent. This upward trend is likely to continue. International recruitment is to be part of the NHS's long-term strategy and is becoming the focus of increasing policy attention. The international labour market will become tighter: the US needs to recruit an extra million nurses of its own.

Antagonist Effects of Veratric Acid against UVB-Induced Cell Damages

OpenAIRE

Deokhoon Park; Jong-Kyung Youm; Kyung-Eun Lee; Seungbeom Kim; Eunsun Jung; Seoung Woo Shin

2013-01-01

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation induces DNA damage, oxidative stress, and inflammatory processes in human epidermis, resulting in inflammation, photoaging, and photocarcinogenesis. Adequate protection of skin against the harmful effect of UV irradiation is essential. In recent years naturally occurring herbal compounds such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, and high molecular weight polyphenols have gained considerable attention as beneficial protective agents. The simple phenolic veratric acid (VA, ...

Unusual binding of ursodeoxycholic acid to ileal bile acid binding protein: role in activation of FXRα[S

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Changming; Filipp, Fabian V.; Smith, Jeffrey W.

2012-01-01

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA, ursodiol) is used to prevent damage to the liver in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. The drug also prevents the progression of colorectal cancer and the recurrence of high-grade colonic dysplasia. However, the molecular mechanism by which UDCA elicits its beneficial effects is not entirely understood. The aim of this study was to determine whether ileal bile acid binding protein (IBABP) has a role in mediating the effects of UDCA. We find that UDCA binds to a single site on IBABP and increases the affinity for major human bile acids at a second binding site. As UDCA occupies one of the bile acid binding sites on IBABP, it reduces the cooperative binding that is often observed for the major human bile acids. Furthermore, IBABP is necessary for the full activation of farnesoid X receptor α (FXRα) by bile acids, including UDCA. These observations suggest that IBABP may have a role in mediating some of the intestinal effects of UDCA. PMID:22223860

Investigating the Effect of Recruitment Variability on Length-Based Recruitment Indices for Antarctic Krill Using an Individual-Based Population Dynamics Model

Science.gov (United States)

Thanassekos, Stéphane; Cox, Martin J.; Reid, Keith

2014-01-01

Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba; herein krill) is monitored as part of an on-going fisheries observer program that collects length-frequency data. A krill feedback management programme is currently being developed, and as part of this development, the utility of data-derived indices describing population level processes is being assessed. To date, however, little work has been carried out on the selection of optimum recruitment indices and it has not been possible to assess the performance of length-based recruitment indices across a range of recruitment variability. Neither has there been an assessment of uncertainty in the relationship between an index and the actual level of recruitment. Thus, until now, it has not been possible to take into account recruitment index uncertainty in krill stock management or when investigating relationships between recruitment and environmental drivers. Using length-frequency samples from a simulated population – where recruitment is known – the performance of six potential length-based recruitment indices is assessed, by exploring the index-to-recruitment relationship under increasing levels of recruitment variability (from ±10% to ±100% around a mean annual recruitment). The annual minimum of the proportion of individuals smaller than 40 mm (F40 min, %) was selected because it had the most robust index-to-recruitment relationship across differing levels of recruitment variability. The relationship was curvilinear and best described by a power law. Model uncertainty was described using the 95% prediction intervals, which were used to calculate coverage probabilities and assess model performance. Despite being the optimum recruitment index, the performance of F40 min degraded under high (>50%) recruitment variability. Due to the persistence of cohorts in the population over several years, the inclusion of F40 min values from preceding years in the relationship used to estimate recruitment in a given year improved its

Improving healthcare recruitment: the jupiter medical center experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Uomo, Paul Dell; Schwieters, Jill

2009-04-01

Hospitals that want to improve their recruitment efforts should: Make recruitment a priority within the organization. Take steps to reduce high vacancy rates and turnover among first-year employees. Develop a recruitment marketing plan for key positions. Establish human resources metrics to track costs and effectiveness of recruiting efforts. Enhance the recruitment process for hiring managers and job candidates.

(AJST) THE BENEFICIATION OF MUMBWA PHOSPHATE DEPOSIT ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

minerals, heavy media separation using Bromoform and subsequently flotation were applied in the beneficiation tests. ... of pegmatite bodies with high grade P2O5 were discovered by MINEX ..... presence of negatively charged ions such as.

Virtual HRM: A Case of e-Recruitment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holm, Anna

2009-01-01

Although electronic recruitment is a widespread managerial practice of acquiring personnel, it still remains unclear exactly which organisational processes fall under its existing definitions.  The research presented in this paper attempts to answer the fundamental question whether e-recruitment...... should be understood as means of automating the process of recruitment, or rather be treated as a more complex organisational concept.  To clarify this issue the paper discusses the phenomenon from the open-system organisational perspective of virtual organising. The paper draws on the results...... of the qualitative exploratory study conducted in Denmark in 2008-2009. It concludes that as organisational concept e-recruitment is not only about application of technology to recruitment tasks. The process of e-recruiting spans organisational boundaries and directed to and affected by external environment...

E-recruiting Platforms: Features that Influence the Efficiency of Online Recruitment Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ondina ROSOIU

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Twenty active e-recruitment platform users took part in this study for discovering the most asked for features in a web based hiring process. The respondents were chosen based on their history on such recruitment platforms. With the help of our Internet users we narrowed down the number of platforms, to research for outstanding features and tool efficiency, to five most impressive ones (e-jobs, hipo, bestjobs, LinkedIn, Freelancer. The results were as useful as we expected when we proposed an investigation related to the future of web recruiting platforms. They underlined in a specific manner that most of such web platform users need to have a professional and fully functional environment where they can list their accomplishments and experience and receive direct feedback from employers or employees. The study also shows in detail how much and why do users like to have certain functionalities when they are searching for a new job.

A Conceptual Model of Military Recruitment

Science.gov (United States)

2009-10-01

Hiring Expectancies – Expectancy (VIE) Theory ( Vroom , 1996) states individuals choose among a set of employment alternatives on the basis of the...A Conceptual Model of Military Recruitment Presented at NATO Technical Course HFM 180 – Strategies to Address Recruiting and Retention Issues in...the Military Fariya Syed October, 2009 Based on A Proposed Model Of Military Recruitment (Schreurs & Syed, 2007) Report Documentation Page

Federal Standard: Beneficial Use of Dredged Material

Science.gov (United States)

The purpose of this document is to provide national guidance that explains the role of the Federal Standard in implementing beneficial uses of dredged material from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ new and maintenance navigation projects.

Beneficial utilization of nuclear waste products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dix, G.P.

1975-01-01

A sufficient supply of isotopes exists to conduct demonstrational experiments in the 1975-1980 time frame to stimulate a market for waste products. A large potential market exists for a number of waste products, measured in terms of billions of dollars. Actinide by-products can become a feed stock for producing other energy producing isotopes by neutron irradiation whose value may exceed that of the fission products. Commercial reprocessors will not invest in the extraction and separation of isotopes from the waste stream until a proven market has evolved. Economic studies must be performed to establish the trade-offs between the beneficial use or disposal of wastes. Fundamental to these studies are process economics, safety analyses applications studies, and market analyses, both domestic and foreign. Regardless of the degree of beneficial utilization of wastes, some residual material from wastes not utilized and spent by-products after utilization will have to undergo ultimate disposal. Isotopic waste products have the potential for solving a number of societal and national security problems and represent a unique source of energy and materials

Branched-chain amino acids for people with hepatic encephalopathy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gluud, Lise Lotte; Dam, Gitte; Les, Iñigo

2015-01-01

-chain amino acids (BCAA) versus control interventions has evaluated if BCAA may benefit people with hepatic encephalopathy. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the beneficial and harmful effects of BCAA versus any control intervention for people with hepatic encephalopathy. SEARCH METHODS: We identified trials through...

Branched-chain amino acids for people with hepatic encephalopathy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gluud, Lise Lotte; Dam, Gitte; Les, Iñigo

2017-01-01

-chain amino acids (BCAA) versus control interventions has evaluated if BCAA may benefit people with hepatic encephalopathy. Objectives: To evaluate the beneficial and harmful effects of BCAA versus any control intervention for people with hepatic encephalopathy. Search methods: We identified trials through...

Costs of Recruiting Couples to a Clinical Trial

Science.gov (United States)

Sadler, Georgia Robins; Ko, Celine M.; Malcarne, Vanessa L.; Banthia, Rajni; Gutierrez, Ivan; Varni, James W.

2009-01-01

Multiple barriers contribute to the slow recruitment of participants to research studies, which in turn extends the time required to translate promising scientific discoveries into proven therapeutic interventions. A small but growing literature is developing on the extraordinary costs of recruiting participants to studies, and thereby demonstrating that underestimating the cost of participant recruitment can contribute to these recruitment problems. These recruitment challenges and costs are exacerbated when the participants’ study eligibility is determined by relatively narrowly defined illness parameters. Recruitment challenges are further compounded when dyads (two individuals engaged in a sociologically significant relationship, such as husbands and wives, siblings or extended families) must be recruited to an illness-focused study. For these latter groups, there are no data to guide researchers in how to anticipate those participant recruitment costs. This paper describes the staff costs for a variety of strategies used to recruit participants to a randomized supportive care study for couples who were within 18 months of a prostate cancer diagnosis. Pegged to the value of the U.S. dollar for the period, the average cost of staff time was $288 per recruited and enrolled dyad, plus a promised additional $100 incentive for study retention. Within the strategies used, the staff costs per recruited dyad ranged from $ 152 to $1,688. Accrual per strategy ranged from zero to 107 enrolled couples. When asked for secondary sources of information about the study, many participants reported more than one source of study referral, reflective of the multifaceted recruitment strategies deployed. In spite of innovative, culturally competent, and broad based recruitment methods, attainment of a diverse sample was difficult to accomplish in this study. Having estimates of the actual cost of recruiting dyads to research studies can help investigators prepare realistic study

Exploring recruitment strategies to hire occupational therapists.

Science.gov (United States)

Mulholland, Susan; Derdall, Michele

2005-02-01

Recruitment issues in occupational therapy have been a long-standing concern for the profession. This descriptive study explored the strategies currently being used by employers to recruit occupational therapists for employment purposes. An 18-item survey was mailed to 251 sites where occupational therapists work in Alberta and Saskatchewan. There was a 64% response rate and data from 130 surveys were analyzed. The results indicate that employers continue to rely on a wide variety of strategies for advertising and recruiting, the most prevalent being word of mouth, postings at universities, and providing student fieldwork placements. In turn, the most effective recruitment strategies were listed as word of mouth, advertising in the general media, and providing student fieldwork placements. Various examples of financial incentives offered by employers were also listed. Many participants identified recent changes in recruitment strategies such as making a move towards web site job postings. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. The results suggest strategies for employers to target for recruiting occupational therapists and illustrate to both employers and students the importance of fieldwork in recruitment and hiring.

Recruiting Diverse Smokers: Enrollment Yields and Cost

Science.gov (United States)

Brodar, Kaitlyn E.; Hall, Marissa G.; Butler, Eboneé N.; Parada, Humberto; Stein-Seroussi, Al; Hanley, Sean; Brewer, Noel T.

2016-01-01

To help tobacco control research better include vulnerable populations, we sought to identify effective ways to recruit diverse smokers. In 2014–2015, we recruited 2149 adult cigarette smokers in California and North Carolina, United States, to participate in a randomized trial of pictorial cigarette pack warnings. The most effective means of recruiting smokers were the classified advertising website Craigslist (28% of participants), word of mouth (23%), Facebook (16%), and flyers or postcards (14%). Low-income and African American smokers were more likely to respond to interpersonal contact (including staff in-person recruitment and word of mouth) than were high-income and non-African American smokers (all p cost, the cheapest was Craigslist ($3–7 per smoker). The most expensive methods were newspaper ads in California ($375 per smoker) and staff in-person recruiting in North Carolina ($180 per smoker). Successfully recruiting diverse smokers requires using multiple methods including interpersonal, online, and other media. Craigslist and word of mouth are especially useful and low-cost ways to recruit diverse smokers. PMID:27999280

Developing Online Recruitment Process for Cinnabon Finland

OpenAIRE

Lopyrev, Sergey

2015-01-01

Since the times internet started to become accessible to the general public, employers noticed its effectiveness as a recruitment tool. Nowadays, a big percentage of recruitment happens online. Internet presents cost-effective opportunities to reach large pool of candidates, compared to pre-internet era recruitment tools. In this thesis, the aim is to develop online recruitment process for Finnish franchisee of Cinnabon – an international chain of bakeries famous for its cinnamon rolls. T...

Views on clinical trial recruitment, biospecimen collection, and cancer research: population science from landscapes of the Haudenosaunee (People of the Longhouse).

Science.gov (United States)

Haring, Rodney C; Henry, Whitney Ann; Hudson, Maui; Rodriguez, Elisa M; Taualii, Maile

2018-02-01

Biomedical research in culturally distinct communities is often a challenge. Potential barriers to participation occur because science is presented in a format that lacks cultural acknowledgement. Investigations may also fail to showcase beneficial relevance to the communities or include them in true partnership. The history of biomedical research within Native American societies has been complicated by these issues. Historical trauma among many Native groups sometimes transcends into contemporary challenges in both recruitment to and participation particularly in biobanking research. The participants for this study included members of the Haudenosaunee, the People of the Longhouse. Native Americans, including the Haudenosaunee, endure some of the worst health disparities in the country. These include high rates of cancer, obesity, and diabetes which may be linked at least partially to genetic predisposition. Results from a Haudenosaunee urban population shared response on ways to improve recruitment strategies for biospecimen, cancer, and other health-related clinical trials. Mixed methods approaches were used, and community responses indicated the importance of creating trust through respectful partnership; promoting culturally appropriate recruitment materials; the need for a greater understanding of consenting and signature processes; the necessity for concise summary sheets; and a desire to have information that community member understand. Discussion items also include international Indigenous perspectives to biobanking and genetic-related health disparity research.

Recruiting vulnerable populations into research: a systematic review of recruitment interventions.

Science.gov (United States)

UyBico, Stacy J; Pavel, Shani; Gross, Cary P

2007-06-01

Members of vulnerable populations are underrepresented in research studies. To evaluate and synthesize the evidence regarding interventions to enhance enrollment of vulnerable populations into health research studies. Studies were identified by searching MEDLINE, the Web of Science database, personal sources, hand searching of related journals, and article references. Studies that contained data on recruitment interventions for vulnerable populations (minority, underserved, poor, rural, urban, or inner city) and for which the parent study (study for which recruitment was taking place) was an intervention study were included. A total of 2,648 study titles were screened and 48 articles met inclusion criteria, representing 56 parent studies. Two investigators extracted data from each study. African Americans were the most frequently targeted population (82% of the studies), while 46% targeted Hispanics/Latinos. Many studies assessed 2 or more interventions, including social marketing (82% of studies), community outreach (80%), health system recruitment (52%), and referrals (28%). The methodologic rigor varied substantially. Only 40 studies (71%) incorporated a control group and 21% used statistical analysis to compare interventions. Social marketing, health system, and referral recruitment were each found to be the most successful intervention about 35-45% of the studies in which they were attempted, while community outreach was the most successful intervention in only 2 of 16 studies (13%) in which it was employed. People contacted as a result of social marketing were no less likely to enroll than people contacted through other mechanisms. Further work with greater methodologic rigor is needed to identify evidence-based strategies for increasing minority enrollment in research studies; community outreach, as an isolated strategy, may be less successful than other strategies.

Effects of rare sugar D-allulose on acid production and probiotic activities of dairy lactic acid bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimoto-Nira, H; Moriya, N; Hayakawa, S; Kuramasu, K; Ohmori, H; Yamasaki, S; Ogawa, M

2017-07-01

It has recently been reported that the rare sugar d-allulose has beneficial effects, including the suppression of postprandial blood glucose elevation in humans, and can be substituted for sucrose as a low-calorie food ingredient. To examine the applications of d-allulose in the dairy industry, we investigated the effects of d-allulose on the acid production of 8 strains of yogurt starter (Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus) and 4 strains of lactococci, including potential probiotic candidates derived from dairy products. Acid production by 2 L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus yogurt starter strains in milk was suppressed by d-allulose, but this phenomenon was also observed in some strains with another sugar (xylose), a sugar alcohol (sorbitol), or both. In contrast, among the dairy probiotic candidates, Lactococcus lactis H61, which has beneficial effects for human skin when drunk as part of fermented milk, was the only strain that showed suppression of acid production in the presence of d-allulose. Strain H61 did not metabolize d-allulose. We did not observe suppression of acid production by strain H61 with the addition of xylose or sorbitol, and xylose and sorbitol were not metabolized by strain H61. The acid production of strain H61 after culture in a constituted medium (tryptone-yeast extract-glucose broth) was also suppressed with the addition of d-allulose, but growth efficiency and sugar fermentation style were not altered. Probiotic activities-such as the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activity of H61-fermented milk and the superoxide dismutase activity of H61 cells grown in tryptone-yeast extract-glucose broth-were not affected by d-allulose. d-Allulose may suppress acid production in certain lactic acid bacteria without altering their probiotic activity. It may be useful for developing new probiotic dairy products from probiotic strains such as Lactococcus lactis H61. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science

Management of Diabetes and Its Complications with Banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa L. and Corosolic Acid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Toshihiro Miura

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa L. extracts have been used for many years in folk medicine to treat diabetes, with the first published research study being reported in 1940. This paper summarizes the current literature regarding Banaba and its constituents. The hypoglycemic effects of Banaba have been attributed to both corosolic acid as well as ellagitannins. Studies have been conducted in various animal models, human subjects, and in vitro systems using water soluble Banaba leaf extracts, corosolic acid, and ellagitannins. Corosolic acid has been reported to decrease blood sugar levels within 60 min in human subjects. Corosolic acid also exhibits antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant activities. The beneficial effects of Banaba and corosolic acid with respect to various aspects of glucose and lipid metabolism appear to involve multiple mechanisms, including enhanced cellular uptake of glucose, impaired hydrolysis of sucrose and starches, decreased gluconeogenesis, and the regulation of lipid metabolism. These effects may be mediated by PPAR and other signal transduction factors. Banaba extract, corosolic acid, and other constituents may be beneficial in addressing the symptoms associated with metabolic syndrome, as well as offering other health benefits.

Phytochemicals in quinoa and amaranth grains and their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and potential health beneficial effects: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Yao; Tsao, Rong

2017-07-01

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) and amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus L.) are pseudocereal grains rich in both macronutrients and micronutrients including vitamins and minerals. The proteins are particularly of high nutritional quality due to the outstanding balance of essential amino acids. However, recent research strongly suggests that nonessential nutrients such as phytochemicals of quinoa and amaranth may also have potential health beneficial effects. This review focuses on the phytochemical composition of quinoa and amaranth seeds, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of hydrophilic (e.g. phenolics, betacyanins) and lipophilic (e.g. fatty acids, tocopherols, and carotenoids) nutrients, and how these contribute to the potential health benefits, especially in lowering the risk of the oxidative stress related diseases e.g. cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. The gap between current knowledge and future research needs have also been identified. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The Challenge of Recruiting Control Groups

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

O'Connor, Maja

2011-01-01

. This study was a direct reaction to the first recruitment attempt that had a 10% response rate. This study consisted of four groups of randomly selected elderly married people (65-81 years) receiving a postal questionnaire measuring depression, social support, coping style, adult attachment, life......  Recruitment of a large and reliable control group is a challenge in psychological survey based research. The effect of recruitment styles and age on response-rate, data quality, and individual differences were investigated in a control group for a postal survey of elderly bereaved people...... incentive had the highest response-rate (51%), good data quality, and no sampling bias in individual differences. This method can be highly recommended in future control group recruitment....

Recruiting Young Adult Cancer Survivors for Behavioral Research

Science.gov (United States)

Horowitz, Santina; Marcus, Bess

2012-01-01

Young adults have been dramatically underrepresented in cancer survivorship research. One contributing factor is the difficulty recruiting this population. To identify effective recruitment strategies, the current study assessed the yield of strategies used to recruit young survivors for an exercise intervention including: clinic-based recruitment, recruitment at cancer-related events, mailings, telephone-based recruitment, advertising on the internet, radio, television and social networking media, distributing brochures and word-of-mouth referrals. When taking into account the strategies for which we could track the number of survivors approached, recruitment at an oncology clinic was the most productive: 38 % of those approached were screened and 8 % enrolled. When evaluating which strategy yielded the greatest percentage of the sample, however, mailings were the most productive. Given widespread use of the internet and social networking by young adults, investigators should also consider these low-cost recruitment strategies. PMID:22810954

Recruiting young adult cancer survivors for behavioral research.

Science.gov (United States)

Rabin, Carolyn; Horowitz, Santina; Marcus, Bess

2013-03-01

Young adults have been dramatically underrepresented in cancer survivorship research. One contributing factor is the difficulty recruiting this population. To identify effective recruitment strategies, the current study assessed the yield of strategies used to recruit young survivors for an exercise intervention including: clinic-based recruitment, recruitment at cancer-related events, mailings, telephone-based recruitment, advertising on the internet, radio, television and social networking media, distributing brochures and word-of-mouth referrals. When taking into account the strategies for which we could track the number of survivors approached, recruitment at an oncology clinic was the most productive: 38 % of those approached were screened and 8 % enrolled. When evaluating which strategy yielded the greatest percentage of the sample, however, mailings were the most productive. Given widespread use of the internet and social networking by young adults, investigators should also consider these low-cost recruitment strategies.

Fluidized bed dry dense medium coal beneficiation

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

North, Brian C

2017-10-01

Full Text Available medium beneficiation using a fluidized bed was investigated. Bed materials of sand, magnetite and ilmenite were used in a laboratory sized cylindrical fluidized bed. The materials were individually tested, as were mixes of sand and heavy minerals. Coal...

Dietary α‐Linolenic Acid, Marine ω‐3 Fatty Acids, and Mortality in a Population With High Fish Consumption: Findings From the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED) Study

OpenAIRE

Sala‐Vila, Aleix; Guasch‐Ferré, Marta; Hu, Frank B.; Sánchez‐Tainta, Ana; Bulló, Mònica; Serra‐Mir, Mercè; López‐Sabater, Carmen; Sorlí, Jose V.; Arós, Fernando; Fiol, Miquel; Muñoz, Miguel A.; Serra‐Majem, Luis; Martínez, J. Alfredo; Corella, Dolores; Fitó, Montserrat

2016-01-01

Background: Epidemiological evidence suggests a cardioprotective role of α‐linolenic acid (ALA), a plant‐derived ω‐3 fatty acid. It is unclear whether ALA is beneficial in a background of high marine ω‐3 fatty acids (long‐chain n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids) intake. In persons at high cardiovascular risk from Spain, a country in which fish consumption is customarily high, we investigated whether meeting the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids recommendation for die...

The non-target impact of spinosyns on beneficial arthropods.

Science.gov (United States)

Biondi, Antonio; Mommaerts, Veerle; Smagghe, Guy; Viñuela, Elisa; Zappalà, Lucia; Desneux, Nicolas

2012-12-01

Spinosyn-based products, mostly spinosad, have been widely recommended by extension specialists and agribusiness companies; consequently, they have been used to control various pests in many different cropping systems. Following the worldwide adoption of spinosad-based products for integrated and organic farming, an increasing number of ecotoxicological studies have been published in the past 10 years. These studies are primarily related to the risk assessment of spinosad towards beneficial arthropods. This review takes into account recent data with the aim of (i) highlighting potentially adverse effects of spinosyns on beneficial arthropods (and hence on ecosystem services that they provide in agroecosystems), (ii) clarifying the range of methods used to address spinosyn side effects on biocontrol agents and pollinators in order to provide new insights for the development of more accurate bioassays, (iii) identifying pitfalls when analysing laboratory results to assess field risks and (iv) gaining increasing knowledge on side effects when using spinosad for integrated pest management (IPM) programmes and organic farming. For the first time, a thorough review of possible risks of spinosad and novel spinosyns (such as spinetoram) to beneficial arthropods (notably natural enemies and pollinators) is provided. The acute lethal effect and multiple sublethal effects have been identified in almost all arthropod groups studied. This review will help to optimise the future use of spinosad and new spinosyns in IPM programmes and for organic farming, notably by preventing the possible side effects of spinosyns on beneficial arthropods. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of dietary fatty acids on the postprandial fatty acid composition of triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins in healthy male subjects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bysted, Anette; Holmer, G.; Lund, Pia

2005-01-01

interesterified test fats with equal amounts of palmitic acid ( P fat), stearic acid (S fat), trans-18: 1 isomers (T fat), oleic acid (O fat), or linoleic acid (L fat) were tested. Subjects: A total of 16 healthy, normolipidaemic males ( age 23 +/- 2 y) were recruited. Interventions: The participants ingested fat......Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of trans-18: 1 isomers compared to other fatty acids, especially saturates, on the postprandial fatty acid composition of triacylglycerols ( TAG) in chylomicrons and VLDL. Design: A randomised crossover experiment where five......-rich test meals ( 1 g fat per kg body weight) and the fatty acid profiles of chylomicron and VLDL TAG were followed for 8 h. Results: The postprandial fatty acid composition of chylomicron TAG resembled that of the ingested fats. The fatty acids in chylomicron TAG were randomly distributed among the three...

Internet and social network recruitment: two case studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Kathy A; Peace, Jane

2012-01-01

The recruitment of study participants is a significant research challenge. The Internet, with its ability to reach large numbers of people in networks connected by email, Facebook and other social networking mechanisms, appears to offer new avenues for recruitment. This paper reports recruitment experiences from two research projects that engaged the Internet and social networks in different ways for study recruitment. Drawing from the non-Internet recruitment literature, we speculate that the relationship with the source of the research and the purpose of the engaged social network should be a consideration in Internet or social network recruitment strategies.

Navy Recruitment Potential in Junior Colleges

Science.gov (United States)

1975-07-01

could be employed in recruitment advertising directed to this target market segment. ~~iZ Uncla ssifie d SECURITY CLAUIPIC~f(ATION OFf THIS PA09(Wh•l...Alexandria, Virginia, CR-ED-74-1, July 1974. Grey Advertising . Market Target Recruitmen~t Incentive Study for Enlisted Personnel (draft report, internal NRC...college students with respect to alternative recruitment strategies . This zeaTs involved the evaluation of preferred alternative modes of contact, e.g

Spatial synchrony in cisco recruitment

Science.gov (United States)

Myers, Jared T.; Yule, Daniel L.; Jones, Michael L.; Ahrenstorff, Tyler D.; Hrabik, Thomas R.; Claramunt, Randall M.; Ebener, Mark P.; Berglund, Eric K.

2015-01-01

We examined the spatial scale of recruitment variability for disparate cisco (Coregonus artedi) populations in the Great Lakes (n = 8) and Minnesota inland lakes (n = 4). We found that the scale of synchrony was approximately 400 km when all available data were utilized; much greater than the 50-km scale suggested for freshwater fish populations in an earlier global analysis. The presence of recruitment synchrony between Great Lakes and inland lake cisco populations supports the hypothesis that synchronicity is driven by climate and not dispersal. We also found synchrony in larval densities among three Lake Superior populations separated by 25–275 km, which further supports the hypothesis that broad-scale climatic factors are the cause of spatial synchrony. Among several candidate climate variables measured during the period of larval cisco emergence, maximum wind speeds exhibited the most similar spatial scale of synchrony to that observed for cisco. Other factors, such as average water temperatures, exhibited synchrony on broader spatial scales, which suggests they could also be contributing to recruitment synchrony. Our results provide evidence that abiotic factors can induce synchronous patterns of recruitment for populations of cisco inhabiting waters across a broad geographic range, and show that broad-scale synchrony of recruitment can occur in freshwater fish populations as well as those from marine systems.

Internet and Social Network Recruitment: Two Case Studies

OpenAIRE

Johnson, Kathy A.; Peace, Jane

2012-01-01

The recruitment of study participants is a significant research challenge. The Internet, with its ability to reach large numbers of people in networks connected by email, Facebook and other social networking mechanisms, appears to offer new avenues for recruitment. This paper reports recruitment experiences from two research projects that engaged the Internet and social networks in different ways for study recruitment. Drawing from the non-Internet recruitment literature, we speculate that th...

Biosynthesis, natural sources, dietary intake, pharmacokinetic properties, and biological activities of hydroxycinnamic acids.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Seedi, Hesham R; El-Said, Asmaa M A; Khalifa, Shaden A M; Göransson, Ulf; Bohlin, Lars; Borg-Karlson, Anna-Karin; Verpoorte, Rob

2012-11-07

Hydroxycinnamic acids are the most widely distributed phenolic acids in plants. Broadly speaking, they can be defined as compounds derived from cinnamic acid. They are present at high concentrations in many food products, including fruits, vegetables, tea, cocoa, and wine. A diet rich in hydroxycinnamic acids is thought to be associated with beneficial health effects such as a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. The impact of hydroxycinnamic acids on health depends on their intake and pharmacokinetic properties. This review discusses their chemistry, biosynthesis, natural sources, dietary intake, and pharmacokinetic properties.

Music is Beneficial for Awake Craniotomy Patients: A Qualitative Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jadavji-Mithani, Radhika; Venkatraghavan, Lashmi; Bernstein, Mark

2015-01-01

Patients undergoing awake craniotomy may experience high levels of stress. Minimizing anxiety benefits patients and surgeons. Music has many therapeutic effects in altering human mood and emotion. Tonality of music as conveyed by composition in major or minor keys can have an impact on patients' emotions and thoughts. Assessing the effects of listening to major and minor key musical pieces on patients undergoing awake craniotiomy could help in the design of interventions to alleviate anxiety, stress and tension. Twenty-nine patients who were undergoing awake craniotomy were recruited and randomly assigned into two groups: Group 1 subjects listened to major key music and Group 2 listened to minor key compositions. Subjects completed a demographics questionnaire, a pre- and post-operative Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and a semi-structured open-ended interview. RESULTS were analyzed using modified thematic analysis through open and axial coding. Overall, patients enjoyed the music regardless of the key distinctions and stated they benefitted from listening to the music. No adverse reactions to the music were found. Subjects remarked that the music made them feel more at ease and less anxious before, during and after their procedure. Patients preferred either major key or minor key music but not a combination of both. Those who preferred major key pieces said it was on the basis of tonality while the individuals who selected minor key pieces stated that tempo of the music was the primary factor. Overall, listening to music selections was beneficial for the patients. Future work should further investigate the effects of audio interventions in awake surgery through narrative means.

Social networks and regional recruitment of foreign labour: Firm recruitment methods and spatial sorting in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmidt, Torben Dall; Jensen, Peter Sandholt

2012-01-01

This paper tests the hypothesis that social networks are crucial for regional recruitment and inflows of foreign labour. New survey data on 971 firms located in Region Southern Denmark show that the predominant recruitment method of foreign labour was through networks. Danish municipal data from...... 1997–2006 furthermore reveal spatial sorting since initial shares of employees with a foreign background out of total regional employment predict foreign labour inflow rates to regional employment. Thus, social networks appear crucial for the recruitment and inflows of foreign labour, suggesting...

E-recruitment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holm, Anna B.

2012-01-01

tasks and subtasks. For management, the main task is now that of communicating with candidates. In addition, a new on-going task of maintaining a corporate career website has become an integral part of the new recruitment process. The new design is presented in the following, and its implications...

Barley β-Glucans-Containing Food Enhances Probiotic Performances of Beneficial Bacteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mattia P. Arena

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Currently, the majority of prebiotics in the market are derived from non-digestible oligosaccharides. Very few studies have focused on non-digestible long chain complex polysaccharides in relation to their potential as novel prebiotics. Cereals β-glucans have been investigated for immune-modulating properties and beneficial effects on obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cholesterol levels. Moreover, β-glucans have been reported to be highly fermentable by the intestinal microbiota in the caecum and colon, and can enhance both growth rate and lactic acid production of microbes isolated from the human intestine. In this work, we report the effects of food matrices containing barley β-glucans on growth and probiotic features of four Lactobacillus strains. Such matrices were able to improve the growth rate of the tested bacteria both in unstressed conditions and, importantly, after exposure to in vitro simulation of the digestive tract. Moreover, the effect of β-glucans-containing food on bacterial adhesion to enterocyte-like cells was analyzed and a positive influence on probiotic-enterocyte interaction was observed.

A review of zinc oxide mineral beneficiation using flotation method.

Science.gov (United States)

Ejtemaei, Majid; Gharabaghi, Mahdi; Irannajad, Mehdi

2014-04-01

In recent years, extraction of zinc from low-grade mining tailings of oxidized zinc has been a matter of discussion. This is a material which can be processed by flotation and acid-leaching methods. Owing to the similarities in the physicochemical and surface chemistry of the constituent minerals, separation of zinc oxide minerals from their gangues by flotation is an extremely complex process. It appears that selective leaching is a promising method for the beneficiation of this type of ore. However, with the high consumption of leaching acid, the treatment of low-grade oxidized zinc ores by hydrometallurgical methods is expensive and complex. Hence, it is best to pre-concentrate low-grade oxidized zinc by flotation and then to employ hydrometallurgical methods. This paper presents a critical review on the zinc oxide mineral flotation technique. In this paper, the various flotation methods of zinc oxide minerals which have been proposed in the literature have been detailed with the aim of identifying the important factors involved in the flotation process. The various aspects of recovery of zinc from these minerals are also dealt with here. The literature indicates that the collector type, sulfidizing agent, pH regulator, depressants and dispersants types, temperature, solid pulp concentration, and desliming are important parameters in the process. The range and optimum values of these parameters, as also the adsorption mechanism, together with the resultant flotation of the zinc oxide minerals reported in the literature are summarized and highlighted in the paper. This review presents a comprehensive scientific guide to the effectiveness of flotation strategy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Beneficial behavior of nitric oxide in copper-treated medicinal plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Shiliang, E-mail: liushiliang9@163.com [College of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130 (China); Yang, Rongjie; Pan, Yuanzhi [College of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130 (China); Ren, Bo [Institute of Biotechnology & Breeding, Sichuan Academy of Forestry, Chengdu, Sichuan 610081 (China); Chen, Qibing; Li, Xi [College of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130 (China); Xiong, Xi [College of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211 (United States); Tao, Jianjun [College of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130 (China); Cheng, Qingsu [Division of Life Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Department of Electrical & Biomedical Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557 (United States); Ma, Mingdong, E-mail: 610245498@qq.com [College of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130 (China)

2016-08-15

Highlights: • Endogenous NO and ROS accumulation were inversely related. • Selected amino acids in the roots were increased by SNP. • NO induced regulation of phenolic metabolism for protection against Cu toxicity. • SNP improved the vincristine, vinblastine and total alkaloid contents in Cu-treated plants. - Abstract: Despite numerous reports implicating nitric oxide (NO) in the environmental-stress responses of plants, the specific metabolic and ionic mechanisms of NO-mediated adaptation to metal stress remain unclear. Here, the impacts of copper (Cu) and NO donor (SNP, 50 μM) alone or in combination on the well-known medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus L. were investigated. Our results showed that Cu markedly increased Cu{sup 2+} accumulation, decreased NO production, and disrupted mineral equilibrium and proton pumps, thereby stimulating a burst of ROS; in addition, SNP ameliorates the negative toxicity of Cu, and cPTIO reverses this action. Furthermore, the accumulations of ROS and NO resulted in reciprocal changes. Interestingly, nearly all of the investigated amino acids and the total phenolic content in the roots were promoted by the SNP treatment but were depleted by the Cu + SNP treatment, which is consistent with the self-evident increases in phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity and total soluble phenol content induced by SNP. Unexpectedly, leaf vincristine and vinblastine as well as the total alkaloid content (ca. 1.5-fold) were decreased by Cu but markedly increased by SNP (+38% and +49% of the control levels). This study provides the first evidence of the beneficial behavior of NO, rather than other compounds, in depleting Cu toxicity by regulating mineral absorption, reestablishing ATPase activities, and stimulating secondary metabolites.

Recruiting physicians without inviting trouble.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoch, L J

1989-05-01

Many hospitals use physician recruitment strategies--generally assistance or employment strategies--to ensure medical staff loyalty. Although these strategies appeal to both hospitals and physicians, they are becoming increasingly problematic. Over the past three years, the government has issued pronouncements that question their legality. Thus any hospital considering physician recruitment strategies would be wise to evaluate them in light of various legal issues. such as reimbursement, nonprofit taxation, corporate practice of medicine, and certificate-of-need statutes. The consequences of failing to consider these issues can be ominous. The penalties for violating the proscribed remuneration provision of the Medicare act can include a fine, imprisonment, suspension from the Medicare and Medicaid programs, or loss of license. Payment issues can result in reduced reimbursement levels. Nonprofit taxation issues can trigger the loss of tax exemption. As a result of the corporate practice of medicine, a physician recruitment strategy may not be reimbursable by third-party payers or may even constitute the unauthorized practice of medicine. Finally, in some states, physician recruitment may trigger certificate-of-need review.

Faculty Recruitment in an Era of Change

Science.gov (United States)

Levine, Marilyn; Schimpf, Martin

2010-01-01

Faculty recruitment is a challenge for administration and departments, especially in an era of change in the academy. This article builds on information from an interactive conference panel session that focused on faculty recruitment best practices. The article addresses faculty recruitment strategies that focus on the optimization of search…

48 CFR 31.205-34 - Recruitment costs.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Recruitment costs. 31.205....205-34 Recruitment costs. (a) Subject to paragraph (b) of this subsection, the following costs are... positions; or (2) Includes material that is not relevant for recruitment purposes, such as extensive...

Recruiting Vulnerable Populations into Research: A Systematic Review of Recruitment Interventions

Science.gov (United States)

UyBico, Stacy J.; Pavel, Shani

2007-01-01

Background Members of vulnerable populations are underrepresented in research studies. Objective To evaluate and synthesize the evidence regarding interventions to enhance enrollment of vulnerable populations into health research studies. Data sources Studies were identified by searching MEDLINE, the Web of Science database, personal sources, hand searching of related journals, and article references. Studies that contained data on recruitment interventions for vulnerable populations (minority, underserved, poor, rural, urban, or inner city) and for which the parent study (study for which recruitment was taking place) was an intervention study were included. A total of 2,648 study titles were screened and 48 articles met inclusion criteria, representing 56 parent studies. Two investigators extracted data from each study. Results African Americans were the most frequently targeted population (82% of the studies), while 46% targeted Hispanics/Latinos. Many studies assessed 2 or more interventions, including social marketing (82% of studies), community outreach (80%), health system recruitment (52%), and referrals (28%). The methodologic rigor varied substantially. Only 40 studies (71%) incorporated a control group and 21% used statistical analysis to compare interventions. Social marketing, health system, and referral recruitment were each found to be the most successful intervention about 35–45% of the studies in which they were attempted, while community outreach was the most successful intervention in only 2 of 16 studies (13%) in which it was employed. People contacted as a result of social marketing were no less likely to enroll than people contacted through other mechanisms. Conclusions Further work with greater methodologic rigor is needed to identify evidence-based strategies for increasing minority enrollment in research studies; community outreach, as an isolated strategy, may be less successful than other strategies. PMID:17375358

Recruiting Diverse Smokers: Enrollment Yields and Cost.

Science.gov (United States)

Brodar, Kaitlyn E; Hall, Marissa G; Butler, Eboneé N; Parada, Humberto; Stein-Seroussi, Al; Hanley, Sean; Brewer, Noel T

2016-12-16

To help tobacco control research better include vulnerable populations, we sought to identify effective ways to recruit diverse smokers. In 2014-2015, we recruited 2149 adult cigarette smokers in California and North Carolina, United States, to participate in a randomized trial of pictorial cigarette pack warnings. The most effective means of recruiting smokers were the classified advertising website Craigslist (28% of participants), word of mouth (23%), Facebook (16%), and flyers or postcards (14%). Low-income and African American smokers were more likely to respond to interpersonal contact (including staff in-person recruitment and word of mouth) than were high-income and non-African American smokers (all p word of mouth are especially useful and low-cost ways to recruit diverse smokers.

17 CFR 229.403 - (Item 403) Security ownership of certain beneficial owners and management.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... of certain beneficial owners and management. 229.403 Section 229.403 Commodity and Securities... Management and Certain Security Holders § 229.403 (Item 403) Security ownership of certain beneficial owners and management. (a) Security ownership of certain beneficial owners. Furnish the following information...

The Canadian Forces Recruitment/Attrition Model

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Wait, Tracey

1998-01-01

...). This model is designed to look at both demand, that is what recruitment is required to meet a Canadian Forces human resource scenario, and supply, that is what is the potential recruitable population...

Effects of simple rain-shelter cultivation on fatty acid and amino acid accumulation in 'Chardonnay' grape berries.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Nan; Ren, Zhi-Yuan; Yang, Xiao-Fan; Pan, Qiu-Hong

2018-02-01

Fatty acids and amino acids are the precursors of aliphatic and aromatic volatile compounds, higher alcohols and esters. They are also nutrition for yeast metabolism during fermentation. However, few reports have been concerned about the effect of viticulture practices on the accumulation of fatty acids and amino acids in wine grapes. This study aimed to explore the accumulation of these compounds in developing Vitis vinifera L. cv. Chardonnay grape berries under two vintages, and compare the influences of the rain-shelter cultivation and open-field cultivation. Fifteen fatty acids and 21 amino acids were detected in total. The rain-shelter cultivation led to an increase in the total concentration of fatty acids, and a decrease in the total concentration of amino acids compared with the open-field cultivation in 2012, while no significant difference was observed between two cultivation modes in 2013 vintage. Concentrations of palmitoleic acid, isoleucine and cysteine were significantly promoted in the rain-shelter grape berries, whereas those of tyrosine and ornithine were markedly reduced in both vintages. The rain-shelter cultivation of wine grapes in the rainy region is beneficial for improving grape quality and fermentation activity by influence on the concentration of fatty acids and amino acids. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Successful recruitment to trials: findings from the SCIMITAR+ Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Peckham, Emily; Arundel, Catherine; Bailey, Della; Callen, Tracy; Cusack, Christina; Crosland, Suzanne; Foster, Penny; Herlihy, Hannah; Hope, James; Ker, Suzy; McCloud, Tayla; Romain-Hooper, Crystal-Bella; Stribling, Alison; Phiri, Peter; Tait, Ellen; Gilbody, Simon

2018-01-19

Randomised controlled trials (RCT) can struggle to recruit to target on time. This is especially the case with hard to reach populations such as those with severe mental ill health. The SCIMITAR+ trial, a trial of a bespoke smoking cessation intervention for people with severe mental ill health achieved their recruitment ahead of time and target. This article reports strategies that helped us to achieve this with the aim of aiding others recruiting from similar populations. SCIMITAR+ is a multi-centre pragmatic two-arm parallel-group RCT, which aimed to recruit 400 participants with severe mental ill health who smoke and would like to cut down or quit. The study recruited primarily in secondary care through community mental health teams and psychiatrists with a smaller number of participants recruited through primary care. Recruitment opened in October 2015 and closed in December 2016, by which point 526 participants had been recruited. We gathered information from recruiting sites on strategies which led to the successful recruitment in SCIMITAR+ and in this article present our approach to trial management along with the strategies employed by the recruiting sites. Alongside having a dedicated trial manager and trial management team, we identified three main themes that led to successful recruitment. These were: clinicians with a positive attitude to research; researchers and clinicians working together; and the use of NHS targets. The overriding theme was the importance of relationships between both the researchers and the recruiting clinicians and the recruiting clinicians and the participants. This study makes a significant contribution to the limited evidence base of real-world cases of successful recruitment to RCTs and offers practical guidance to those planning and conducting trials. Building positive relationships between clinicians, researchers and participants is crucial to successful recruitment.

Exploiting the Adaptation Dynamics to Predict the Distribution of Beneficial Fitness Effects.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sona John

Full Text Available Adaptation of asexual populations is driven by beneficial mutations and therefore the dynamics of this process, besides other factors, depends on the distribution of beneficial fitness effects. It is known that on uncorrelated fitness landscapes, this distribution can only be of three types: truncated, exponential and power law. We performed extensive stochastic simulations to study the adaptation dynamics on rugged fitness landscapes, and identified two quantities that can be used to distinguish the underlying distribution of beneficial fitness effects. The first quantity studied here is the fitness difference between successive mutations that spread in the population, which is found to decrease in the case of truncated distributions, remains nearly a constant for exponentially decaying distributions and increases when the fitness distribution decays as a power law. The second quantity of interest, namely, the rate of change of fitness with time also shows quantitatively different behaviour for different beneficial fitness distributions. The patterns displayed by the two aforementioned quantities are found to hold good for both low and high mutation rates. We discuss how these patterns can be exploited to determine the distribution of beneficial fitness effects in microbial experiments.

Wetland dynamics influence mid-continent duck recruitment

Science.gov (United States)

Anteau, Michael J.; Pearse, Aaron T.; Szymankski, Michael L.

2013-01-01

Recruitment is a key factor influencing duck population dynamics. Understanding what regulates recruitment of ducks is a prerequisite to informed habitat and harvest management. Quantity of May ponds (MP) has been linked to recruitment and population size (Kaminski and Gluesing 1987, Raveling and Heitmeyer 1989). However, wetland productivity (quality) is driven by inter-annual hydrological fluctuations. Periodic drying of wetlands due to wet-dry climate cycles releases nutrients and increases invertebrate populations when wet conditions return (Euliss et al. 1999). Wetlands may also become wet or dry within a breeding season. Accordingly, inter-annual and intra-seasonal hydrologic variation potentially influence duck recruitment. Here, we examined influences of wetland quantity, quality, and intra-seasonal dynamics on recruitment of ducks. We indexed duck recruitment by vulnerability-corrected age ratios (juveniles/adult females) for mid-continent Gadwall (Anas strepera). We chose Gadwall because the majority of the continental population breeds in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR), where annual estimates of MP exist since 1974. We indexed wetland quality by calculating change in MP (?MP) over the past two years (?MP = 0.6[MPt – MPt-1] + 0.4[MPt – MPt-2]). We indexed intra-seasonal change in number of ponds by dividing the PPR mean standardized precipitation index for July by MP (hereafter summer index). MP and ?MP were positively correlated (r = 0.65); therefore, we calculated residual ?MP (?MPr) with a simple linear regression using MP, creating orthogonal variables. Finally, we conducted a multiple regression to examine how MP, ?MPr, and summer index explained variation in recruitment of Gadwall from 1976–2010. Our model explained 67% of the variation in mid-continent Gadwall recruitment and all three hydrologic indices were positively correlated with recruitment (Figure 1). Type II semi-partial R2 estimates indicated that MP accounted for 41%, ?MPr

Sales Training for Army Recruiter Success: Modeling the Sales Strategies and Skills of Excellent Recruiters

Science.gov (United States)

1987-11-01

strategies used by excellent Army recruiters. Neurolinguistic programming (NLP) was used as the protocol for modeling performance and acquiring...Behavioral and Social Sciences 3001 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22333-5600 10. PROGRAM ELEMENT. PROJECT. TASK ARE* 4 WORK UNIT...Modeling ’Expert knowledge,, Neurolinguistics Knowledge engineering; Recruiting Sales, &’ Sales cycle Sales skills Sales strategies 20

U.S. Army Recruiter Allocation Model

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Brence, John

2004-01-01

.... Our methodology will build on both the new and old schools of recruiting by conducting stakeholder interviews that will lead us to a model that is an efficient starting point for the Recruiter Mission Allocation (RMA...

Human development recruiting and selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maksimović Marijana

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Along with the development of trends towards internationalization and globalization, human resource management and, especially, international human resource management, attracted overall theoretical and practical interest. International environment is complex, made of numerous elements like social organization, laws, education, values and attitudes, religion language, politics, material and technological culture. In multicultural environment, strategic activities could be multiplied through economical political, cultural, social and technological spheres of action, making the recruitment, selection and successful resource allocation in the international human resource management a real challenge for top management. In international human resource management practice, several approaches to the recruitment have differentiated, playing the key roles in hiring talented individuals and retaining efficient workforce KW resources, labor force, recruiting, managers, education

Enhancement of Marine Corps' Recruiting and Retention Programs

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Davis, Shalisa W

2008-01-01

Though the Marine Corps has historically met its recruitment and retention goals, recruiting has become more challenging and cultural indicators show that recruiting will become even more difficult in the future...

Informal Practices of Inequality in Recruitment in Finland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tuija Koivunen

2015-10-01

Full Text Available In this article, we explore the policies and processes of selection and recruitment from the perspective of equality. Focusing on tacit ideas of the ‘ideal worker,’ ideal recruitment, and selection that direct the recruitment process, we examine the ways in which implicit ideas and recruitmentrelated settings of daily interaction become informal practices of inequality. In this analysis, we rely on the conceptual framework of inequality regimes. The qualitative analysis of the semi-structured interviews focuses on the categories of gender, ethnicity, and age. We identified three categories of informal practices of inequality, which we have named as recruitment by the book, relocation of responsibility, and recruiting by addressing the difference. The findings suggest that although recruiters follow the legislation concerning equal treatment in recruitment, they do so because they want to avoid problems and possible litigation rather than because they are committed to promoting equality as an end in itself. However, equality promotion requires that gender, ethnicity, and age equality is itself the goal. If equality serves other goals, such as avoiding litigation or boosting business, the everyday practices of recruitment may turn into informal practices of inequality.

Certain dietary patterns are beneficial for the metabolic syndrome: reviewing the evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Calton, Emily K; James, Anthony P; Pannu, Poonam K; Soares, Mario J

2014-07-01

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a global public health issue of increasing magnitude. The Asia-Pacific region is expected to be hardest hit due to large population numbers, rising obesity, and insulin resistance (IR). This review assessed the protective effects of dietary patterns and their components on MetS. A literature search was conducted using prominent electronic databases and search terms that included in combination: diet, dietary components, dietary patterns, and metabolic syndrome. Articles were restricted to prospective studies and high quality randomized controlled trials that were conducted on humans, reported in the English language, and within the time period of 2000 to 2012. Traditional factors such as age, gender, physical activity, and obesity were associated with risk of MetS; however, these potential confounders were not always accounted for in study outcomes. Three dietary patterns emerged from the review; a Mediterranean dietary pattern, dietary approaches to stop hypertension diet, and the Nordic Diet. Potential contributors to their beneficial effects on prevalence of MetS or reduction in MetS components included increases in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy and dairy components, calcium, vitamin D, and whey protein, as well as monounsaturated fatty acids, and omega-3 fatty acids. Additional prospective and high quality randomized controlled trial studies that investigate Mediterranean dietary pattern, the dietary approaches to stop hypertension diet, and the Nordic Diet would cement the protective benefits of these diets against the MetS. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Participant Recruitment and Engagement in Automated eHealth Trial Registration: Challenges and Opportunities for Recruiting Women Who Experience Violence.

Science.gov (United States)

Koziol-McLain, Jane; McLean, Christine; Rohan, Maheswaran; Sisk, Rose; Dobbs, Terry; Nada-Raja, Shyamala; Wilson, Denise; Vandal, Alain C

2016-10-25

Automated eHealth Web-based research trials offer people an accessible, confidential opportunity to engage in research that matters to them. eHealth trials may be particularly useful for sensitive issues when seeking health care may be accompanied by shame and mistrust. Yet little is known about people's early engagement with eHealth trials, from recruitment to preintervention autoregistration processes. A recent randomized controlled trial that tested the effectiveness of an eHealth safety decision aid for New Zealand women in the general population who experienced intimate partner violence (isafe) provided the opportunity to examine recruitment and preintervention participant engagement with a fully automated Web-based registration process. The trial aimed to recruit 340 women within 24 months. The objective of our study was to examine participant preintervention engagement and recruitment efficiency for the isafe trial, and to analyze dropout through the registration pathway, from recruitment to eligibility screening and consent, to completion of baseline measures. In this case study, data collection sources included the trial recruitment log, Google Analytics reports, registration and program metadata, and costs. Analysis included a qualitative narrative of the recruitment experience and descriptive statistics of preintervention participant engagement and dropout rates. A Koyck model investigated the relationship between Web-based online marketing website advertisements (ads) and participant accrual. The isafe trial was launched on September 17, 2012. Placement of ads in an online classified advertising platform increased the average number of recruited participants per month from 2 to 25. Over the 23-month recruitment period, the registration website recorded 4176 unique visitors. Among 1003 women meeting eligibility criteria, 51.55% (517) consented to participate; among the 501 women who enrolled (consented, validated, and randomized), 412 (82.2%) were

Different temperatures select distinctive acetic acid bacteria species and promotes organic acids production during Kombucha tea fermentation.

Science.gov (United States)

De Filippis, Francesca; Troise, Antonio Dario; Vitaglione, Paola; Ercolini, Danilo

2018-08-01

Kombucha is a traditional beverage produced by tea fermentation, carried out by a symbiotic consortium of bacteria and yeasts. Acetic Acid Bacteria (AAB) usually dominate the bacterial community of Kombucha, driving the fermentative process. The consumption of this beverage was often associated to beneficial effects for the health, due to its antioxidant and detoxifying properties. We characterized bacterial populations of Kombucha tea fermented at 20 or 30 °C by using culture-dependent and -independent methods and monitored the concentration of gluconic and glucuronic acids, as well as of total polyphenols. We found significant differences in the microbiota at the two temperatures. Moreover, different species of Gluconacetobacter were selected, leading to a differential abundance of gluconic and glucuronic acids. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Purposes of double taxation treaties and interpretation of beneficial owner concept in Ukraine

OpenAIRE

Pavlo Selezen

2017-01-01

The term ‟beneficial owner” has been interpreted by Ukrainian courts concerning the application of double taxation treaties’ provisions since the adoption of the Tax Code of Ukraine in 2010. Changing nature of the beneficial owner concept, its importance as an instrument for treaty shopping counteraction and the necessity of its proper interpretation in the Ukrainian reality are the main factors that have a strong impact on the development of court practice concerning beneficial ownership....

Energy Drink Consumption: Beneficial and Adverse Health Effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Alsunni, Ahmed Abdulrahman

2015-10-01

Consumption of energy drinks has been increasing dramatically in the last two decades, particularly amongst adolescents and young adults. Energy drinks are aggressively marketed with the claim that these products give an energy boost to improve physical and cognitive performance. However, studies supporting these claims are limited. In fact, several adverse health effects have been related to energy drink; this has raised the question of whether these beverages are safe. This review was carried out to identify and discuss the published articles that examined the beneficial and adverse health effects related to energy drink. It is concluded that although energy drink may have beneficial effects on physical performance, these products also have possible detrimental health consequences. Marketing of energy drinks should be limited or forbidden until independent research confirms their safety, particularly among adolescents.

Academic faculty governance and recruitment decisions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Prüfer, J.; Walz, U.

2013-01-01

We analyze the implications of the governance structure in academic faculties for their recruitment decisions when competing for new researchers. The value to individual members through social interaction within the faculty depends on the average status of their fellow members. In recruitment

Academic Faculty Governance and Recruitment Decisions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Prüfer, J.; Walz, U.

2009-01-01

We analyze the implications of the governance structure in academic faculties for their recruitment decisions when competing for new researchers. The value to individual members through social interaction within the faculty depends on the average status of their fellow members. In recruitment

Mcm1p binding sites in ARG1 positively regulate Gcn4p binding and SWI/SNF recruitment

OpenAIRE

Yoon, Sungpil; Hinnebusch, Alan G.

2009-01-01

Transcription of the arginine biosynthetic gene ARG1 is activated by Gcn4p, a transcription factor induced by starvation for any amino acid. Previously we showed that Gcn4p binding stimulates the recruitment of Mcm1p and co-activator SWI/SNF to ARG1 in cells via Gcn4p induction through amino acid starvation. Here we report that Gcn4p binding is reduced by point mutations of the Mcm1p binding site and increased by overexpression of Mcm1p. This result suggests that Mcm1p plays a positive role i...

Erythroid Kruppel-like factor (EKLF) is recruited to the γ-globin gene promoter as a co-activator and is required for γ-globin gene induction by short-chain fatty acid derivatives

Science.gov (United States)

Perrine, Susan P.; Mankidy, Rishikesh; Boosalis, Michael S.; Bieker, James J.; Faller, Douglas V.

2011-01-01

Objectives The erythroid Kruppel-like factor (EKLF) is an essential transcription factor for β-type globin gene switching, and specifically activates transcription of the adult β-globin gene promoter. We sought to determine if EKLF is also required for activation of the γ-globin gene by short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) derivatives, which are now entering clinical trials. Methods The functional and physical interaction of EKLF and co-regulatory molecules with the endogenous human globin gene promoters was studied in primary human erythroid progenitors and cell lines, using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays and genetic manipulation of the levels of EKLF and co-regulators. Results and conclusions Knockdown of EKLF prevents SCFA-induced expression of the γ-globin promoter in a stably expressed μLCRβprRlucAγprFluc cassette, and prevents induction of the endogenous γ-globin gene in primary human erythroid progenitors. EKLF is actively recruited to endogenous γ-globin gene promoters after exposure of primary human erythroid progenitors, and murine hematopoietic cell lines, to SCFA derivatives. The core ATPase BRG1 subunit of the human SWI/WNF complex, a ubiquitous multimeric complex that regulates gene expression by remodeling nucleosomal structure, is also required for γ-globin gene induction by SCFA derivatives. BRG1 is actively recruited to the endogenous γ-globin promoter of primary human erythroid progenitors by exposure to SCFA derivatives, and this recruitment is dependent upon the presence of EKLF. These findings demonstrate that EKLF, and the co-activator BRG1, previously demonstrated to be required for definitive or adult erythropoietic patterns of globin gene expression, are co-opted by SCFA derivatives to activate the fetal globin genes. PMID:19220418

Evolutionary transitions between beneficial and phytopathogenic Rhodococcus challenge disease management.

Science.gov (United States)

Savory, Elizabeth A; Fuller, Skylar L; Weisberg, Alexandra J; Thomas, William J; Gordon, Michael I; Stevens, Danielle M; Creason, Allison L; Belcher, Michael S; Serdani, Maryna; Wiseman, Michele S; Grünwald, Niklaus J; Putnam, Melodie L; Chang, Jeff H

2017-12-12

Understanding how bacteria affect plant health is crucial for developing sustainable crop production systems. We coupled ecological sampling and genome sequencing to characterize the population genetic history of Rhodococcus and the distribution patterns of virulence plasmids in isolates from nurseries. Analysis of chromosome sequences shows that plants host multiple lineages of Rhodococcus , and suggested that these bacteria are transmitted due to independent introductions, reservoir populations, and point source outbreaks. We demonstrate that isolates lacking virulence genes promote beneficial plant growth, and that the acquisition of a virulence plasmid is sufficient to transition beneficial symbionts to phytopathogens. This evolutionary transition, along with the distribution patterns of plasmids, reveals the impact of horizontal gene transfer in rapidly generating new pathogenic lineages and provides an alternative explanation for pathogen transmission patterns. Results also uncovered a misdiagnosed epidemic that implicated beneficial Rhodococcus bacteria as pathogens of pistachio. The misdiagnosis perpetuated the unnecessary removal of trees and exacerbated economic losses.

A Comparative Study of the Radical-scavenging Activity of the Phenolcarboxylic Acids Caffeic Acid, p-Coumaric Acid, Chlorogenic Acid and Ferulic Acid, With or Without 2-Mercaptoethanol, a Thiol, Using the Induction Period Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seiichiro Fujisawa

2008-10-01

/ME mixture was approximately 1. The reported beneficial antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects of caffeic acid and p-coumaric acid may be related to their prooxidant-antioxidant balance in the presence of GSH.

The Relationship between the Introvert and Extravert Dichotomy and Small Unit Recruiting Volume Production within the Watertown Recruiting Company

Science.gov (United States)

2016-05-22

RECRUITING COMPANY A thesis presented to the Faculty of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in partial fulfillment of the...including suggestions for reducing this burden to Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and...Unit Recruiting Volume Production Within The Watertown Recruiting Company 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER

Comparing sexual minority cancer survivors recruited through a cancer registry to convenience methods of recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

Boehmer, Ulrike; Clark, Melissa A; Timm, Alison; Glickman, Mark; Sullivan, Mairead

2011-01-01

Sexual minority women, defined as having a lesbian or bisexual identity or reporting a preference for a female partner, are not considered by cancer surveillance. This study assesses the representativeness of sexual minority breast cancer survivors, defined as having a lesbian or bisexual identity or reporting a preference for a female partner, who were recruited into a convenience sample compared with a population-based registry sample of sexual minority breast cancer survivors. Long-term survivors of non-metastatic breast cancer who self-reported as sexual minority were recruited from a cancer registry and subsequently from the community using convenience recruitment methods. Sexual minority breast cancer survivors who screened eligible participated in a telephone survey about their quality of life and factors associated therewith. Participants in the convenience sample were similar to the registry-based sample with respect to adjustment to cancer, physical health, trust in physician, coping, social support, and sexual minority experiences. Compared with the convenience sample, breast cancer survivors in the registry sample were more likely married, more educated, diagnosed more recently, at an earlier stage of cancer, and more likely treated with breast-conserving surgery; they differed on adjuvant therapies. Because sexual minority breast cancer survivors who volunteered for the community-based sample shared most characteristics of the sample recruited from the cancer registry, we concluded that the community sample had comparable representational quality. In the absence of cancer surveillance of sexual minorities, thoughtful convenience recruitment methods provide good representational quality convenience samples. Copyright © 2011 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Strategies to improve recruitment to randomised trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Treweek, Shaun; Pitkethly, Marie; Cook, Jonathan; Fraser, Cynthia; Mitchell, Elizabeth; Sullivan, Frank; Jackson, Catherine; Taskila, Tyna K; Gardner, Heidi

2018-02-22

Recruiting participants to trials can be extremely difficult. Identifying strategies that improve trial recruitment would benefit both trialists and health research. To quantify the effects of strategies for improving recruitment of participants to randomised trials. A secondary objective is to assess the evidence for the effect of the research setting (e.g. primary care versus secondary care) on recruitment. We searched the Cochrane Methodology Review Group Specialised Register (CMR) in the Cochrane Library (July 2012, searched 11 February 2015); MEDLINE and MEDLINE In Process (OVID) (1946 to 10 February 2015); Embase (OVID) (1996 to 2015 Week 06); Science Citation Index & Social Science Citation Index (ISI) (2009 to 11 February 2015) and ERIC (EBSCO) (2009 to 11 February 2015). Randomised and quasi-randomised trials of methods to increase recruitment to randomised trials. This includes non-healthcare studies and studies recruiting to hypothetical trials. We excluded studies aiming to increase response rates to questionnaires or trial retention and those evaluating incentives and disincentives for clinicians to recruit participants. We extracted data on: the method evaluated; country in which the study was carried out; nature of the population; nature of the study setting; nature of the study to be recruited into; randomisation or quasi-randomisation method; and numbers and proportions in each intervention group. We used a risk difference to estimate the absolute improvement and the 95% confidence interval (CI) to describe the effect in individual trials. We assessed heterogeneity between trial results. We used GRADE to judge the certainty we had in the evidence coming from each comparison. We identified 68 eligible trials (24 new to this update) with more than 74,000 participants. There were 63 studies involving interventions aimed directly at trial participants, while five evaluated interventions aimed at people recruiting participants. All studies were in

Pharmacological and other beneficial effects of anti- nutritional ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2008-12-29

Dec 29, 2008 ... Key words: Pharmacological, beneficial effects, anti-nutritional factors, plants. INTRODUCTION ...... Rankin SM, DeWhalley CV, Hoult S, Jessup W, Willins GM, Collard J, .... saponins from alfalfa on weeds and wheat. Bot. Bull ...

Participant Recruitment and Engagement in Automated eHealth Trial Registration: Challenges and Opportunities for Recruiting Women Who Experience Violence

Science.gov (United States)

McLean, Christine; Rohan, Maheswaran; Sisk, Rose; Dobbs, Terry; Nada-Raja, Shyamala; Wilson, Denise; Vandal, Alain C

2016-01-01

Background Automated eHealth Web-based research trials offer people an accessible, confidential opportunity to engage in research that matters to them. eHealth trials may be particularly useful for sensitive issues when seeking health care may be accompanied by shame and mistrust. Yet little is known about people’s early engagement with eHealth trials, from recruitment to preintervention autoregistration processes. A recent randomized controlled trial that tested the effectiveness of an eHealth safety decision aid for New Zealand women in the general population who experienced intimate partner violence (isafe) provided the opportunity to examine recruitment and preintervention participant engagement with a fully automated Web-based registration process. The trial aimed to recruit 340 women within 24 months. Objective The objective of our study was to examine participant preintervention engagement and recruitment efficiency for the isafe trial, and to analyze dropout through the registration pathway, from recruitment to eligibility screening and consent, to completion of baseline measures. Methods In this case study, data collection sources included the trial recruitment log, Google Analytics reports, registration and program metadata, and costs. Analysis included a qualitative narrative of the recruitment experience and descriptive statistics of preintervention participant engagement and dropout rates. A Koyck model investigated the relationship between Web-based online marketing website advertisements (ads) and participant accrual. Results The isafe trial was launched on September 17, 2012. Placement of ads in an online classified advertising platform increased the average number of recruited participants per month from 2 to 25. Over the 23-month recruitment period, the registration website recorded 4176 unique visitors. Among 1003 women meeting eligibility criteria, 51.55% (517) consented to participate; among the 501 women who enrolled (consented, validated

SRS stainless steel beneficial reuse program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boettinger, W.L.

1997-02-01

The US Department of Energy`s (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS) has thousands of tons of stainless steel radioactive scrap metal (RSNI). Much of the metal is volumetrically contaminated. There is no {open_quotes}de minimis{close_quotes} free release level for volumetric material, and therefore no way to recycle the metal into the normal commercial market. If declared waste, the metal would qualify as low level radioactive waste (LLW) and ultimately be dispositioned through shallow land buried at a cost of millions of dollars. The metal however could be recycled in a {open_quotes}controlled release{close_quote} manner, in the form of containers to hold other types of radioactive waste. This form of recycle is generally referred to as {open_quotes}Beneficial Reuse{close_quotes}. Beneficial reuse reduces the amount of disposal space needed and reduces the need for virgin containers which would themselves become contaminated. Stainless steel is particularly suited for long term storage because of its resistance to corrosion. To assess the practicality of stainless steel RSM recycle the SRS Benficial Reuse Program began a demonstration in 1994, funded by the DOE Office of Science and Technology. This paper discusses the experiences gained in this program.

A Strategic Systems Model for Effective Recruiting

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Woolever, Daniel

2003-01-01

.... After introducing a model for effective and efficient recruiting, this Strategic Research Project describes the Air Force recruiting organizational structure, management processes and practices...

Beneficial Insect Attraction to Milkweeds (Asclepias speciosa, Asclepias fascicularis in Washington State, USA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David G. James

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Native plant and beneficial insect associations are relatively unstudied yet are important in native habitat restoration programs for improving and sustaining conservation biological control of arthropod pests in agricultural crops. Milkweeds (Asclepias spp. are currently the focus of restoration programs in the USA aimed at reversing a decline in populations of the milkweed-dependent monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus; however, little is known of the benefits of these plants to other beneficial insects. Beneficial insects (predators, parasitoids, pollinators attracted to two milkweed species (Asclepias speciosa, Asclepias fascicularis in central Washington State, WA, USA were identified and counted on transparent sticky traps attached to blooms over five seasons. Combining all categories of beneficial insects, means of 128 and 126 insects per trap were recorded for A. speciosa and A. fascicularis, respectively. Predatory and parasitic flies dominated trap catches for A. speciosa while parasitic wasps were the most commonly trapped beneficial insects on A. fascicularis. Bees were trapped commonly on both species, especially A. speciosa with native bees trapped in significantly greater numbers than honey bees. Beneficial insect attraction to A. speciosa and A. fascicularis was substantial. Therefore, these plants are ideal candidates for habitat restoration, intended to enhance conservation biological control, and for pollinator conservation. In central Washington, milkweed restoration programs for enhancement of D. plexippus populations should also provide benefits for pest suppression and pollinator conservation.

Beneficial Insect Attraction to Milkweeds (Asclepias speciosa, Asclepias fascicularis) in Washington State, USA.

Science.gov (United States)

James, David G; Seymour, Lorraine; Lauby, Gerry; Buckley, Katie

2016-06-29

Native plant and beneficial insect associations are relatively unstudied yet are important in native habitat restoration programs for improving and sustaining conservation biological control of arthropod pests in agricultural crops. Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) are currently the focus of restoration programs in the USA aimed at reversing a decline in populations of the milkweed-dependent monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus); however, little is known of the benefits of these plants to other beneficial insects. Beneficial insects (predators, parasitoids, pollinators) attracted to two milkweed species (Asclepias speciosa, Asclepias fascicularis) in central Washington State, WA, USA were identified and counted on transparent sticky traps attached to blooms over five seasons. Combining all categories of beneficial insects, means of 128 and 126 insects per trap were recorded for A. speciosa and A. fascicularis, respectively. Predatory and parasitic flies dominated trap catches for A. speciosa while parasitic wasps were the most commonly trapped beneficial insects on A. fascicularis. Bees were trapped commonly on both species, especially A. speciosa with native bees trapped in significantly greater numbers than honey bees. Beneficial insect attraction to A. speciosa and A. fascicularis was substantial. Therefore, these plants are ideal candidates for habitat restoration, intended to enhance conservation biological control, and for pollinator conservation. In central Washington, milkweed restoration programs for enhancement of D. plexippus populations should also provide benefits for pest suppression and pollinator conservation.

Omega-3 fatty acids as treatments for mental illness: which disorder and which fatty acid?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sieswerda Lee E

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A growing number of observational and epidemiological studies have suggested that mental illness, in particular mood disorders, is associated with reduced dietary intake and/or cellular abundance of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA. This has prompted researchers to test the efficacy of omega-3 PUFA in a range of different psychiatric disorders. We have critically reviewed the double blind placebo controlled clinical trials published prior to April 2007 to determine whether omega-3 PUFA are likely to be efficacious in these disorders. Results Most trials involved a small number of participants but were largely well designed. Omega-3 PUFA were well tolerated by both children and adults with mild gastrointestinal effects being the only consistently reported adverse event. For schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder we found little evidence of a robust clinically relevant effect. In the case of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and related disorders, most trials showed at most small benefits over placebo. A limited meta-analysis of these trials suggested that benefits of omega-3 PUFA supplementation may be greater in a classroom setting than at home. Some evidence indicates that omega-3 PUFA may reduce symptoms of anxiety although the data is preliminary and inconclusive. The most convincing evidence for beneficial effects of omega-3 PUFA is to be found in mood disorders. A meta-analysis of trials involving patients with major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder provided evidence that omega-3 PUFA supplementation reduces symptoms of depression. Furthermore, meta-regression analysis suggests that supplementation with eicosapentaenoic acid may be more beneficial in mood disorders than with docosahexaenoic acid, although several confounding factors prevented a definitive conclusion being made regarding which species of omega-3 PUFA is most beneficial. The mechanisms underlying the apparent efficacy of

Fitness effects of beneficial mutations: the mutational landscape model in experimental evolution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Betancourt, Andrea J.; Bollback, Jonathan Paul

2006-01-01

of beneficial mutations should be roughly exponentially distributed. The prediction appears to be borne out by most of these studies, at least qualitatively. Another study showed that a modified version of the model was able to predict, with reasonable accuracy, which of a ranked set of beneficial alleles...

E-recruiting Platforms: Features that Influence the Efficiency of Online Recruitment Systems

OpenAIRE

Ondina ROSOIU; Cristian POPESCU

2016-01-01

Twenty active e-recruitment platform users took part in this study for discovering the most asked for features in a web based hiring process. The respondents were chosen based on their history on such recruitment platforms. With the help of our Internet users we narrowed down the number of platforms, to research for outstanding features and tool efficiency, to five most impressive ones (e-jobs, hipo, bestjobs, LinkedIn, Freelancer). The results were as useful as we expected when we proposed a...

Recruitment of bloom-forming cyanobacteria and its driving factors ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Based on most of the literature, this paper reviewed the progress made in following aspects: cognition to cyanobacteria recruitment, various traps for studying cyanobacteria recruitment in lakes, recruitment patterns of some species of cyanobacteria, and the driving factors for recruitment. Additionally, perspective studies of ...

Beneficial Re-Use of Metal from Decommissioning of Power Reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eshleman, Troy; Raw, Graham; Moloney, Barry

2014-01-01

Utilities and contractors decommissioning nuclear power reactors can recycle a high proportion of the scrap metal generated during dismantling either by free release for general re-use directly from the point of generation, or by recycling off-site at facilities specifically licensed for radioactive material. The worldwide commercial vendors operate different commercial models of volumetric decontamination of ferrous metals by thermal treatment. Some aim to achieve free release of output metals for general use, while others accept higher activity metals as feedstock for the manufacture of steel products which contain residual radioactivity, which we term 'Beneficial Re-use'. It is estimated that 10-30% of metals from light water reactor decommissioning have been exposed to neutron radiation (activated) and/or are contaminated to such an extent that free release is not achievable. This paper outlines a cost-effective alternative to managed storage or disposal for lightly activated or contaminated metal, utilising a 'Beneficial Re-Use' programme which has been in routine operation in the United States for over 20 years. 'Beneficial Re-Use' describes the manufacture of products such as radiation shielding from radioactive scrap metal. Unlike recycling practised in Europe, such products remain under control in licensed facilities and the metal does not find its way into general circulation or consumer products. Since 1992, EnergySolutions and its predecessor Duratek has been melting scrap at their Bear Creek, Tennessee facility to produce shield blocks for use in high energy research facilities. Over 62,300 t of scrap steel have been re-used, and the demand for shielding products continues long into the future. 3,000 t of this feedstock originated outside the US. This paper proposes the potential for activated steel that will not be acceptable at European recycling facilities to enter the Beneficial Re-use programme. Acceptance criteria

Microvascular Recruitment in Insulin Resistance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sjøberg, Kim Anker

the resonating sound from the microbubbles in the systemic circulation were recorded for determination of microvascular recruitment in designated muscle segments. Results showed that microvascular recruitment increased with insulin stimulation by ~30% in rats and ~40% in humans (study I). Furthermore......, it was observed that muscle contractions increased muscle perfusion rapidly by 3-4 fold and by 1-2 fold compared to basal and insulin, respectively, in both rat and human skeletal muscle (study I). The real-time contrast-enhanced ultrasound method was applied to investigate the vaso-active effect of the incretin...... hormone glucagon-like-peptide-1 (GLP-1) in the microcirculation. Glucagon-like-peptide-1 analogs are drugs used for treatments of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes but the vascular effects of GLP-1 in vivo are elusive. Here it was shown that GLP-1 rapidly increased the microvascular recruitment...

Ursodeoxycholic acid for primary biliary cirrhosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rudic, Jelena S; Poropat, Goran; Krstic, Miodrag N; Bjelakovic, Goran; Gluud, Christian

2012-12-12

Ursodeoxycholic acid is administered to patients with primary biliary cirrhosis, a chronic progressive inflammatory autoimmune-mediated liver disease with unknown aetiology. Despite its controversial effects, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its usage for primary biliary cirrhosis. To assess the beneficial and harmful effects of ursodeoxycholic acid in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. We searched for eligible randomised trials in The Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Group Controlled Trials Register, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Science Citation Index Expanded, LILACS, Clinicaltrials.gov, and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. The literature search was performed until January 2012. Randomised clinical trials assessing the beneficial and harmful effects of ursodeoxycholic acid versus placebo or 'no intervention' in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. Two authors independently extracted data. Continuous data were analysed using mean difference (MD) and standardised mean difference (SMD). Dichotomous data were analysed using risk ratio (RR). Meta-analyses were conducted using both a random-effects model and a fixed-effect model, with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Random-effects model meta-regression was used to assess the effects of covariates across the trials. Trial sequential analysis was used to assess risk of random errors (play of chance). Risks of bias (systematic error) in the included trials were assessed according to Cochrane methodology bias domains. Sixteen randomised clinical trials with 1447 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis were included. One trial had low risk of bias, and the remaining fifteen had high risk of bias. Fourteen trials compared ursodeoxycholic acid with placebo and two trials compared ursodeoxycholic acid with 'no intervention'. The percentage of patients with advanced primary biliary cirrhosis at baseline varied

Effects of cooking techniques on fatty acid and oxylipin content of farmed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Science.gov (United States)

Rainbow trout is an excellent source of long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) which have beneficial health effects. We determined the fatty acid and oxylipin content of 2-year old rainbow trout fillets that were raw, baked, broiled, microwaved, or pan-fried in corn (CO), canola (CaO...

Lung volume recruitment in multiple sclerosis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadim Srour

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary function abnormalities have been described in multiple sclerosis including reductions in forced vital capacity (FVC and cough but the time course of this impairment is unknown. Peak cough flow (PCF is an important parameter for patients with respiratory muscle weakness and a reduced PCF has a direct impact on airway clearance and may therefore increase the risk of respiratory tract infections. Lung volume recruitment is a technique that improves PCF by inflating the lungs to their maximal insufflation capacity. OBJECTIVES: Our goals were to describe the rate of decline of pulmonary function and PCF in patients with multiple sclerosis and describe the use of lung volume recruitment in this population. METHODS: We reviewed all patients with multiple sclerosis referred to a respiratory neuromuscular rehabilitation clinic from February 1999 until December 2010. Lung volume recruitment was attempted in patients with FVC <80% predicted. Regular twice daily lung volume recruitment was prescribed if it resulted in a significant improvement in the laboratory. RESULTS: There were 79 patients included, 35 of whom were seen more than once. A baseline FVC <80% predicted was present in 82% of patients and 80% of patients had a PCF insufficient for airway clearance. There was a significant decline in FVC (122.6 mL/y, 95% CI 54.9-190.3 and PCF (192 mL/s/y, 95% 72-311 over a median follow-up time of 13.4 months. Lung volume recruitment was associated with a slower decline in FVC (p<0.0001 and PCF (p = 0.042. CONCLUSION: Pulmonary function and cough decline significantly over time in selected patients with multiple sclerosis and lung volume recruitment is associated with a slower rate of decline in lung function and peak cough flow. Given design limitations, additional studies are needed to assess the role of lung volume recruitment in patients with multiple sclerosis.

20 CFR 655.156 - Recruitment report.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Recruitment report. 655.156 Section 655.156... FOREIGN WORKERS IN THE UNITED STATES Labor Certification Process for Temporary Agricultural Employment in the United States (H-2A Workers) Post-Acceptance Requirements § 655.156 Recruitment report. (a...

Minority Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Kearney-Gissendaner, Janet E.

2010-01-01

The tools and resources in this book help school leaders seamlessly incorporate minority teacher recruitment and retention programs into current human-resources activities. With details about exemplary minority teacher recruitment and retention programs, this book also showcases strategies for how to replicate such programs in your own school or…

Impacts of Rotation Schemes on Ground-Dwelling Beneficial Arthropods.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunbar, Mike W; Gassmann, Aaron J; O'Neal, Matthew E

2016-10-01

Crop rotation alters agroecosystem diversity temporally, and increasing the number of crops in rotation schemes can increase crop yields and reduce reliance on pesticides. We hypothesized that increasing the number of crops in annual rotation schemes would positively affect ground-dwelling beneficial arthropod communities. During 2012 and 2013, pitfall traps were used to measure activity-density and diversity of ground-dwelling communities within three previously established, long-term crop rotation studies located in Wisconsin and Illinois. Rotation schemes sampled included continuous corn, a 2-yr annual rotation of corn and soybean, and a 3-yr annual rotation of corn, soybean, and wheat. Insects captured were identified to family, and non-insect arthropods were identified to class, order, or family, depending upon the taxa. Beneficial arthropods captured included natural enemies, granivores, and detritivores. The beneficial community from continuous corn plots was significantly more diverse compared with the community in the 2-yr rotation, whereas the community in the 3-yr rotation did not differ from either rotation scheme. The activity-density of the total community and any individual taxa did not differ among rotation schemes in either corn or soybean. Crop species within all three rotation schemes were annual crops, and are associated with agricultural practices that make infield habitat subject to anthropogenic disturbances and temporally unstable. Habitat instability and disturbance can limit the effectiveness and retention of beneficial arthropods, including natural enemies, granivores, and detritivores. Increasing non-crop and perennial species within landscapes in conjunction with more diverse rotation schemes may increase the effect of biological control of pests by natural enemies. © The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Combined Efficacy of Gallic Acid and MiADMSA with Limited Beneficial Effects Over MiADMSA Against Arsenic-induced Oxidative Stress in Mouse

OpenAIRE

Pachauri, Vidhu; Flora, SJS

2015-01-01

Gallic acid is an organic acid known for its antioxidant and anticancer properties. The present study is focused on evaluating the role of gallic acid in providing better therapeutic outcomes against arsenic-induced toxicity. Animals pre-exposed to arsenic were treated with monoisoamyl meso -2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (MiADMSA), a new chelating drug, alone and in combination with gallic acid, consecutively for 10 days. The study suggests that (1) gallic acid in presence of MiADMSA is only mo...

Improving Human Resources Recruitment in Maritime Domain

OpenAIRE

Surugiu Felicia; Dragomir Cristina

2011-01-01

In order to improve maritime human resources recruitment, most crewing and shipping companies implement an internal procedure of recruitment and management of ship’s crew. Based on observations at several crewing companies, this paper presents an example of such procedure meant to ensure that qualified and competent personnel is recruited and all ships in the fleet have crew members understanding their roles, duties and responsibilities and capable of working effectively in teams

Beneficial Effects of Temperate Forage Legumes that Contain Condensed Tannins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer W. MacAdam

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The two temperate forage legumes containing condensed tannins (CT that promote ruminant production are birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.; BFT and sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.; SF. Both are well-adapted to the cool-temperate climate and alkaline soils of the Mountain West USA. Condensed tannins comprise a diverse family of bioactive chemicals with multiple beneficial functions for ruminants, including suppression of internal parasites and enteric methane. Birdsfoot trefoil contains 10 to 40 g·CT·kg−1 dry matter (DM, while SF contains 30 to 80 g·CT·kg−1 DM. Our studies have focused on these two plant species and have demonstrated consistently elevated rates of gain for beef calves grazing both BFT and SF. Novel results from our BFT research include carcass dressing percentages and consumer sensory evaluations equivalent to feedlot-finished steers and significantly greater than grass-finished steers, but with omega-3 fatty acid concentrations equal to grass-finished beef. We have further demonstrated that ruminants fed BFT or SF will consume more endophyte-infected tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb. Dumort. forage or seed than ruminants fed a non-CT forage legume. There is great potential value for sustainable livestock production in the use of highly digestible, nitrogen-fixing legumes containing tannins demonstrated to improve ruminant productivity.

20 CFR 655.158 - Duration of positive recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Duration of positive recruitment. 655.158 Section 655.158 Employees' Benefits EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TEMPORARY... recruitment. Except as otherwise noted, the obligation to engage in positive recruitment described in §§ 655...

Effect of botanical extracts containing carnosic acid or rosmarinic acid on learning and memory in SAMP8 mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Farr, Susan A; Niehoff, Michael L; Ceddia, Michael A; Herrlinger, Kelli A; Lewis, Brandon J; Feng, Shulin; Welleford, Andrew; Butterfield, D Allan; Morley, John E

2016-10-15

Oxidative damage is one of the hallmarks of the aging process. The current study evaluated effects of two proprietary antioxidant-based ingredients, rosemary extract and spearmint extract containing carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid, respectively, on learning and memory in the SAMP8 mouse model of accelerated aging. The two rosemary extracts contained carnosic acid (60% or 10% carnosic acid) and one spearmint extract contained 5% rosmarinic acid. Three doses of actives in each extract were tested: 32, 16, 1.6 or 0mg/kg. After 90days of treatment mice were tested in T-maze foot shock avoidance, object recognition and lever press. Rosemary extract containing 60% carnosic acid improved acquisition and retention in T-maze foot shock, object recognition and lever press. Rosemary extract with 10% carnosic acid improved retention in T-maze foot shock avoidance and lever press. Spearmint with 5% rosmarinic acid improved acquisition and retention in T-maze foot shock avoidance and object recognition. 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) was reduced in the brain cortex after treatment with all three extracts (Prosemary with 10% carnosic acid (Prosemary have beneficial effects on learning and memory and brain tissue markers of oxidation that occur with age in SAMP8 mice. Published by Elsevier Inc.

E-recruitment and Selection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holm, Anna B.; Haahr, Lars

2018-01-01

The use of information and communication technologies has revolutionized e-recruitment and selection function in many organizations, especially transforming it into a time- and space-independent process of sourcing and evaluating candidates. In the process, organizations rely on websites, social...... media and job portals for sourcing candidates and deploy computerized and online assessment tools when selecting the best-qualified applicants. Similarly, their communication with jobseekers has moved to cyberspace and is often performed through applicant tracking systems, where hiring managers use...... mobile technologies to track and evaluate candidates. In this chapter, we present an overview of e-recruitment and selection practices and discuss the use of technology throughout the hiring process....

20 CFR 655.205 - Recruitment period.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Recruitment period. 655.205 Section 655.205... FOREIGN WORKERS IN THE UNITED STATES Labor Certification Process for Logging Employment and Non-H-2A Agricultural Employment § 655.205 Recruitment period. (a) If the OFLC Administrator determines that the...

Recruitment Of International Students Into Cameroon Tertiary ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Recruitment Of International Students Into Cameroon Tertiary Institutions In The Absence Of International Offices. ... The present system of recruiting international students is haphazardly been handled by ... AJOL African Journals Online.

Soy protein is beneficial but high-fat diet and voluntary running are detrimental to bone structure in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Lin; Graef, George L; Nielsen, Forrest H; Johnson, LuAnn K; Cao, Jay

2015-06-01

Physical activity and soy protein isolate (SPI) augmentation have been reported to be beneficial for bone health. We hypothesized that combining voluntary running and SPI intake would alleviate detrimental changes in bone induced by a high-fat diet. A 2 × 2 × 2 experiment was designed with diets containing 16% or 45% of energy as corn oil and 20% SPI or casein fed to sedentary or running male C57BL/6 mice for 14 weeks. Distal femurs were assessed for microstructural changes. The high-fat diet significantly decreased trabecular number (Tb.N) and bone mineral density (BMD) and increased trabecular separation (Tb.Sp). Soy protein instead of casein, regardless of fat content, in the diet significantly increased bone volume fraction, Tb.N, connectivity density, and BMD and decreased Tb.Sp. Voluntary running, regardless of fat content, significantly decreased bone volume fraction, Tb.N, connectivity density, and BMD and increased Tb.Sp. The high-fat diet significantly decreased osteocalcin and increased tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRAP 5b) concentrations in plasma. Plasma concentrations of osteocalcin were increased by both SPI and running. Running alleviated the increase in TRAP 5b induced by the high-fat diet. These findings demonstrate that a high-fat diet is deleterious, and SPI is beneficial to trabecular bone properties. The deleterious effect of voluntary running on trabecular structural characteristics indicates that there may be a maximal threshold of running beyond which beneficial effects cease and detrimental effects occur. Increases in plasma osteocalcin and decreases in plasma TRAP 5b in running mice suggest that a compensatory response occurs to counteract the detrimental effects of excessive running. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Recruiting for Prior Service Market

Science.gov (United States)

2008-06-01

perceptions, expectations and issues for re-enlistment • Develop potential marketing and advertising tactics and strategies targeted to the defined...01 JUN 2008 2. REPORT TYPE N/A 3. DATES COVERED - 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Recruiting for Prior Service Market 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT...Command First Handshake to First Unit of Assignment An Army of One Proud to Be e e to Serve Recruiting for Prior Service Market MAJ Eric Givens / MAJ Brian

Recruitment strategies and colony size in social insects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Planque, R.; van den Berg, G.J.B.; Franks, N.R.

2010-01-01

Ants use a great variety of recruitment methods to forage for food or find new nests, including tandem running, group recruitment and scent trails. It has been known for some time that there is a loose correlation across many taxa between species-specific mature colony size and recruitment method.

Evaluating outcome-correlated recruitment and geographic recruitment bias in a respondent-driven sample of people who inject drugs in Tijuana, Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Rudolph, Abby E; Gaines, Tommi L; Lozada, Remedios; Vera, Alicia; Brouwer, Kimberly C

2014-12-01

Respondent-driven sampling's (RDS) widespread use and reliance on untested assumptions suggests a need for new exploratory/diagnostic tests. We assessed geographic recruitment bias and outcome-correlated recruitment among 1,048 RDS-recruited people who inject drugs (Tijuana, Mexico). Surveys gathered demographics, drug/sex behaviors, activity locations, and recruiter-recruit pairs. Simulations assessed geographic and network clustering of active syphilis (RPR titers ≥1:8). Gender-specific predicted probabilities were estimated using logistic regression with GEE and robust standard errors. Active syphilis prevalence was 7 % (crude: men = 5.7 % and women = 16.6 %; RDS-adjusted: men = 6.7 % and women = 7.6 %). Syphilis clustered in the Zona Norte, a neighborhood known for drug and sex markets. Network simulations revealed geographic recruitment bias and non-random recruitment by syphilis status. Gender-specific prevalence estimates accounting for clustering were highest among those living/working/injecting/buying drugs in the Zona Norte and directly/indirectly connected to syphilis cases (men: 15.9 %, women: 25.6 %) and lowest among those with neither exposure (men: 3.0 %, women: 6.1 %). Future RDS analyses should assess/account for network and spatial dependencies.

Uncover the recruiter in you!

CERN Multimedia

2013-01-01

2013 saw the launch of the one-day training course "Selecting the best person for CERN". So far, 10 courses have taken place and over 100 participants have taken part in this interactive, hands on experience.   The course has been met with much enthusiasm and positive feedback, with participants not only feeling better prepared and organised for the recruitment boards, but also equipped with concrete tools on how to prepare and conduct an effective selection interview. Following on from this success, further sessions are planned in 2014: we look forward to welcoming recruiting supervisors and board members who are likely to take part in a recruitment process, whether for LD or LD2IC, and who are interested in finding out more about how to get the most out of this important process! To enrol to this course, please follow this link: "Selecting the best person for CERN".

Recruitment of ethnic minorities for public health research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Annemette Ljungdalh; Smith Jervelund, Signe; Villadsen, Sarah Fredsted

2017-01-01

Aims: This paper examines the importance of recruitment site in relation to the recruitment of ethnic minorities into health research. It presents a synthesis of experiences drawn from six interlinked Danish studies which applied different methods and used healthcare facilities and educational...... study designs also depended on the possibility of singling out specific locations with a high proportion of the relevant ethnic minority target population. Conclusions:The findings, though based on a small number of cases, indicate that health professionals and healthcare institutions, despite...... settings as sites for recruitment. Methods: Inspired by interpretive reviewing, data on recruitment methods from the different studies were synthesized with a focus on the various levels of recruitment success achieved. This involved an iterative process of comparison, analysis and discussion...

Recruiting Transcultural Qualitative Research Participants: A Conceptual Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Phyllis Eide

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Working with diverse populations poses many challenges to the qualitative researcher who is a member of the dominant culture. Traditional methods of recruitment and selection (such as flyers and advertisements are often unproductive, leading to missed contributions from potential participants who were not recruited and researcher frustration. In this article, the authors explore recruitment issues related to the concept of personal knowing based on experiences with Aboriginal Hawai'ian and Micronesian populations, wherein knowing and being known are crucial to successful recruitment of participants. They present a conceptual model that incorporates key concepts of knowing the other, cultural context, and trust to guide other qualitative transcultural researchers. They also describe challenges, implications, and concrete suggestions for recruitment of participants.

Controlled release of sphingosine-1-phosphate agonist with gelatin hydrogels for macrophage recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

Murakami, Masahiro; Saito, Takashi; Tabata, Yasuhiko

2014-11-01

The objective of this study is to design a drug delivery system (DDS) for the in vivo promotion of macrophage recruitment. As the drug, a water-insoluble agonist of sphingosine-1-phosphate type 1 receptor (SEW2871) was selected. SEW2871 (SEW) was water-solubilized by micelle formation with gelatin grafted by L-lactic acid oligomer. SEW micelles were mixed with gelatin, followed by dehydrothermal crosslinking of gelatin to obtain gelatin hydrogels incorporating SEW micelles. SEW was released from the hydrogels incorporating SEW micelles in vitro and in vivo. The water-solubilized SEW showed in vitro macrophage migration activity. When implanted into the back subcutis or the skin wound defect of mice, the hydrogel incorporating SEW micelles promoted macrophage migration toward the tissue around the implanted site to a significantly great extent compared with SEW-free hydrogel and that mixed with SEW micelles. The hydrogel is a promising DDS to enhance macrophage recruitment in vivo. Copyright © 2014 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Social, economic and environmental evaluation of agri-environmental beneficial management practices

OpenAIRE

Kitchen, Amy Elizabeth

2012-01-01

In British Columbia, the Canada-British Columbia Environmental Farm Plan Beneficial Management Practices Program (BMP Program) encourages the adoption of agri-environmental practices on farms. The BMP Program is a voluntary and confidential program, which is jointly funded by the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Since 2005 the BMP Program has provided funding to farmers to adopt agri-environmental Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) and during this time no e...

Beneficial Effects of Probiotic and Food Borne Yeasts on Human Health

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saloomeh Moslehi-Jenabian

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Besides being important in the fermentation of foods and beverages, yeasts have shown numerous beneficial effects on human health. Among these, probiotic effects are the most well known health effects including prevention and treatment of intestinal diseases and immunomodulatory effects. Other beneficial functions of yeasts are improvement of bioavailability of minerals through the hydrolysis of phytate, folate biofortification and detoxification of mycotoxins due to surface binding to the yeast cell wall.

Beneficiation strategy for some low grade ores of strategic metals in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krishna Rao, N.

1997-01-01

In developing indigenous resources of strategic metals, beneficiation strategy has a major role to play, particularly where the ores are of low tenor. Presently India imports most of its requirements of metals like tin, tungsten, molybdenum, nickel and cobalt. In all these cases important low grade resources occur in the country. Beneficiation strategy necessary for exploitation of these deposits are discussed based mainly on vast batch and semi plant scale data generated in the Ore Dressing Section of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. Also discussed is the case of strategic metal uranium where, in certain cases pre-concentration by beneficiation has the potential to make it feasible the exploitation of otherwise difficult to process ore resources. (author)

Changing Recruitment Outcomes: The "Why" and the "How"

Science.gov (United States)

MacLean, Lisa; Pato, Michele T.

2011-01-01

Objective: Residency programs compete for applicants and commit extensive resources to the recruitment process. After failing to fill in the match for 5 years (1999-2004), this program decided to make changes in its recruitment process. The authors describe one program's experience in improving recruitment outcomes. Methods: The new training…

Recruitment to Intellectual Disability Research: A Qualitative Study

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholson, L.; Colyer, M.; Cooper, S. -A.

2013-01-01

Background: Difficulties in the recruitment of adults with intellectual disability (ID) to research studies are well described but little studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the difficulties in recruiting to a specific research project, in order to inform future recruitment to ID research. Methods: Individual semi-structured…

Recruiting for addiction research via Facebook.

Science.gov (United States)

Thornton, Louise K; Harris, Keith; Baker, Amanda L; Johnson, Martin; Kay-Lambkin, Frances J

2016-07-01

This study aimed to examine the feasibility of recruiting participants to addiction research via Facebook. Participants were recruited via an advertisement on Facebook, a local research register and university psychology courses. Participants completed a self-report survey regarding substance use, history of mental health issues and current psychological distress. The 524 participants recruited via Facebook cost $1.86 per participant; and 418 participants were recruited via more traditional methods. There were significantly fewer women in the Facebook sample compared with the non-Facebook sample (χ(2)  = 196.61, P Facebook participants reported current use of tobacco (women: Facebook = 57%, non-Facebook = 21%, χ(2)  = 39.71, P Facebook = 62%, non-Facebook = 21%, χ(2)  = 32.429, P Facebook = 26%, non-Facebook = 7%, χ(2)  = 14.364, P Facebook = 46%, non-Facebook = 24%, χ(2)  = 6.765, P Facebook sample contained a higher percentage of high-severity cannabis users (women: Facebook = 24%, non-Facebook = 4%, χ(2)  = 18.12, P Facebook = 43%, non-Facebook = 16%, χ(2)  = 10.00, P Facebook, we were able to capture a greater proportion of people with high-severity substance use and mental health issues and were able to capture a greater and more severe range of substance use behaviours. This suggests social networking sites are efficient, cost-effective ways to recruit large numbers of participants, with relevant behaviours and conditions, to addiction research. [Thornton LK, Harris K, Baker AL, Johnson M, Kay-Lambkin FJ. Recruiting for addiction research via Facebook. Drug Alcohol Rev 2016;35:494-502]. © 2015 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Protective effects of dietary glycine and glutamic acid toward the toxic effects of oxidized mustard oil in rabbits.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeb, Alam; Rahman, Saleem Ur

2017-01-25

The protective role of glycine and glutamic acid against the toxic effects of oxidized oil was studied for the first time. Mustard seed oil was thermally oxidized and characterized for quality characteristics and polyphenolic composition using reversed phase HPLC-DAD. Significant changes in the quality characteristics occurred with thermal oxidation. Fourteen polyphenolic compounds were identified and quantified in oils. Quercetin-3-glucoside, quercetin-3-feruloylsophoroside, catechin, quercetin-3-rutinoside, quercetin-3,7-diglucoside, sinapic acid and vanillic acid hexoside were the major compounds in the fresh and oxidized oil. Oxidized, un-oxidized mustard oils, glycine and glutamic acid were given to rabbits alone or in combination. The biochemical responses were studied in terms of haematological and biochemical parameters and histopathology. It has been observed that biochemical and haematological parameters were adversely affected by the oxidized oil, while supplementation of both amino acids was beneficial in normalizing these parameters. Both amino acids alone have no significant effects, however, oxidized oil affected the liver by enhancing fat accumulation, causing hepatitis, reactive Kupffer cells and necrosis. The co-administration of oxidized oils with glycine or glutamic acid revealed significant recovery of the liver structure and function. In conclusion, glycine or glutamic acid is beneficial and protective against food toxicity and can be considered as an ameliorative food supplement.

[Alveolar ventilation and recruitment under lung protective ventilation].

Science.gov (United States)

Putensen, Christian; Muders, Thomas; Kreyer, Stefan; Wrigge, Hermann

2008-11-01

Goal of mechanical ventilation is to improve gas exchange and reduce work of breathing without contributing to further lung injury. Besides providing adequate EELV and thereby arterial oxygenation PEEP in addition to a reduction in tidal volume is required to prevent cyclic alveolar collapse and tidal recruitment and hence protective mechanical ventilation. Currently, there is no consensus if and if yes at which price alveolar recruitment with high airway pressures should be intended ("open up the lung"), or if it is more important to reduce the mechanical stress and strain to the lungs as much as possible ("keep the lung closed"). Potential of alveolar recruitment differs from patient to patient but also between lung regions. Potential for recruitment depends probably more on regional lung mechanics - especially on lung elastance - than on the underlying disease. Based on available data neither high PEEP nor other methods used for alveolar recruitment could demonstrate a survival benefit in patients with ARDS. These results may support an individualized titration of PEEP or other manoeuvres used for recruitment taking into consideration the regional effects. Bedside imaging techniques allowing titration of PEEP or other manoeuvres to prevent end-expiratory alveolar collapse (tidal recruitment) and inspiratory overinflation may be a promising development.

Recruitment for Competencies in Public and Private Sectors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Codruța OSOIAN

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The capacity to attract highly skilled human resources is dependent on the employee recruitment process implemented by organizations, which plays an important role for their competitiveness on the market. As the concern for the success of the recruitment process in public sectors is becoming more salient, the present study compares the use of recruitment practices in public and private sectors through a survey applied to 97 organizations. It also explores the outcomes in terms of quantity and quality of applications received when using various recruitment methods. Common points and differences were identified. Internal recruitment methods and e-recruitment based on job posting on the website of the organization are favored regardless of the type of organization (private or public. The differences weight mostly against public sector as public institutions use less often the recommendations received from acquaintances and networks, post fewer job adds on specialized online job boards, get fewer direct applications from candidates, and participate less often in job fairs. The largest number of applications is received through the use of online job boards, job posting on the website of the hiring organization and job advertising in written press. On the other hand, internal recruitment is perceived to result in attracting the highest quality applications.  

20 CFR 655.15 - Required pre-filing recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Required pre-filing recruitment. 655.15... States (H-2B Workers) § 655.15 Required pre-filing recruitment. (a) Time of filing of application. An... recruitment steps set forth in this section have been fully satisfied, except where specifically exempted from...

Beneficial Insect Borders Provide Northern Bobwhite Brood Habitat

Science.gov (United States)

Moorman, Christopher E.; Plush, Charles J.; Orr, David B.; Reberg-Horton, Chris

2013-01-01

Strips of fallow vegetation along cropland borders are an effective strategy for providing brood habitat for declining populations of upland game birds (Order: Galliformes), including northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), but fallow borders lack nectar-producing vegetation needed to sustain many beneficial insect populations (e.g., crop pest predators, parasitoids, and pollinator species). Planted borders that contain mixes of prairie flowers and grasses are designed to harbor more diverse arthropod communities, but the relative value of these borders as brood habitat is unknown. We used groups of six human-imprinted northern bobwhite chicks as a bioassay for comparing four different border treatments (planted native grass and prairie flowers, planted prairie flowers only, fallow vegetation, or mowed vegetation) as northern bobwhite brood habitat from June-August 2009 and 2010. All field border treatments were established around nine organic crop fields. Groups of chicks were led through borders for 30-min foraging trials and immediately euthanized, and eaten arthropods in crops and gizzards were measured to calculate a foraging rate for each border treatment. We estimated arthropod prey availability within each border treatment using a modified blower-vac to sample arthropods at the vegetation strata where chicks foraged. Foraging rate did not differ among border treatments in 2009 or 2010. Total arthropod prey densities calculated from blower-vac samples did not differ among border treatments in 2009 or 2010. Our results showed plant communities established to attract beneficial insects should maximize the biodiversity potential of field border establishment by providing habitat for beneficial insects and young upland game birds. PMID:24376759

Short chain and polyunsaturated fatty acids in host gut health and foodborne bacterial pathogen inhibition.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Mengfei; Biswas, Debabrata

2017-12-12

As a major source of microbes and their numerous beneficial effects, the gut microflora/microbiome is intimately linked to human health and disease. The exclusion of enteric pathogens by these commensal microbes partially depends upon the production of bioactive compounds such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). These key intestinal microbial byproducts are crucial to the maintenance of a healthy gut microbial community. Moreover, SCFAs and PUFAs play multiple critical roles in host defense and immunity, including anti-cancer, anti-inflammation, and anti-oxidant activities, as well as out-competition of enteric bacterial pathogens. In this review article, we hereby aim to highlight the importance of SCFAs and PUFAs and the microbes involved in production of these beneficial intestinal components, and their biological functions, specifically as to their immunomodulation and interactions with enteric bacterial pathogens. Finally, we also advance potential applications of these fatty acids with regards to food safety and human gut health.

Strong microsite control of seedling recruitment in tundra

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Graae, Bente J; Ejrnæs, Rasmus; Lang, Simone I

2011-01-01

The inclusion of environmental variation in studies of recruitment is a prerequisite for realistic predictions of the responses of vegetation to a changing environment. We investigated how seedling recruitment is affected by seed availability and microsite quality along a steep environmental......, the experimental seed addition showed that the microsite environment was even more important. For all species, seedling emergence peaked at the productive end of the gradient, irrespective of the adult niches realized. Disturbance promoted recruitment at all positions along the environmental gradient, not just...... at high productivity. Early seedling emergence constituted the main temporal bottleneck in recruitment for all species. Surprisingly, winter mortality was highest at what appeared to be the most benign end of the gradient. The results highlight that seedling recruitment patterns are largely determined...

Researchers' perspectives on pediatric obesity research participant recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

Parikh, Yasha; Mason, Maryann; Williams, Karen

2016-12-01

Childhood obesity prevalence has tripled over the last three decades. Pediatric obesity has important implications for both adult health as well as the United States economy. In order to combat pediatric obesity, exploratory studies are necessary to create effective interventions. Recruitment is an essential part of any study, and it has been challenging for all studies, especially pediatric obesity studies. The objective of this study was to understand barriers to pediatric obesity study recruitment and review facilitators to overcome recruitment difficulties. Twenty four childhood obesity researchers were contacted. Complete data for 11 researchers were obtained. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using content analysis. Grounded Theory methodological approach was used, as this was an exploratory study. Investigators YP and MM coded the interviews using 28 codes. Barriers to recruitment included: family and study logistics, family economics, lack of provider interest, invasive protocols, stigma, time restraints of clinicians, lack of patient motivation/interest, groupthink of students in a classroom, and participants who do not accept his or her own weight status. Facilitators to enhance recruitment practices included accommodating participants outside of regular clinic hours, incentivizing participants, cultivating relationships with communities, schools and clinics prior to study recruitment, emphasizing benefits of a study for the patient, and shifting language to focus on health rather than obesity. Pediatric obesity researchers face many standard and some unique challenges to recruitment, reflecting challenges common to clinical research as well as some specific to pediatrics and some specific to obesity research. Both pediatric studies as well as obesity studies are an added challenge to the already-difficult task of general study recruitment. Our findings can be used to make researchers more aware of potential difficulties, approaches and on

Regulation of adipokine production in human adipose tissue by propionic acid

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Al-Lahham, S.H.; Roelofsen, H.; Priebe, M.; Weening, D.; Dijkstra, M.; Hoek, A.; Rezaee, F.; Venema, K.; Vonk, R.J.

2010-01-01

Background Dietary fibre (DF) has been shown to be protective for the development of obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Short-chain fatty acids, produced by colonic fermentation of DF might mediate this beneficial effect. Adipose tissue plays a key role in the regulation of energy

Implementing learnerships: learner recruitment and selection B ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Implementing learnerships: learner recruitment and selection B lessons learnt from the KwaZulu-Natal pilot projects. ... 2001 in KwaZulu-Natal, with specific reference to the recruitment and selection of learners. ... AJOL African Journals Online.

Fibroblast Growth Factor-21 and the Beneficial Effects of Long-Chain n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Villarroya, J.; Flachs, Pavel; Redondo-Angulo, I.; Giralt, M.; Medříková, Daša; Villarroya, F.; Kopecký, Jan; Planavila, A.

2014-01-01

Roč. 49, č. 11 (2014), s. 1081-1089 ISSN 0024-4201 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA13-00871S Institutional support: RVO:67985823 Keywords : fibroblast growth factor-21 * long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fat ty acids Subject RIV: FB - Endocrinology, Diabetology, Metabolism, Nutrition Impact factor: 1.854, year: 2014

A summation of online recruiting practices for health care organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Gautam, Kanak S

2005-01-01

Worker shortage is among the foremost challenges facing US health care today. Health care organizations are also confronted with rising costs of recruiting and compensating scarce workers in times of declining reimbursement. Many health care organizations are adopting online recruitment as a nontraditional, low-cost method for hiring staff. Online recruitment is the fastest growing method of recruitment today, and has advantages over traditional recruiting in terms of cost, reach, and time-saving. Several health care organizations have achieved great success in recruiting online. Yet awareness of online recruiting remains lower among health care managers than managers in other industries. Many health care organizations still search for job candidates within a 30-mile radius using traditional methods. This article describes the various aspects of online recruitment for health care organizations. It is meant to help health care managers currently recruiting online by answering frequently asked questions (eg, Should I be advertising on national job sites? Why is my Web site not attracting job seekers? Is my online ad effective?). It is also meant to educate health care managers not doing online recruiting so that they try recruiting online. The article discusses the salient aspects of online recruiting: (a) using commercial job boards; (b) building one's own career center; (c) building one's own job board; (d) collecting and storing resumes; (e) attracting job seekers to one's Web site; (f) creating online job ads; (g) screening and evaluating candidates online; and (h) building long-term relationships with candidates. Job seekers in health care are adopting the Internet faster than health care employers. To recruit successfully during the current labor shortage, it is imperative that employers adopt and expand online recruiting.

Considering Family and Significant Others in the Faculty Recruitment Process: A Study of Social Work Recruiting Practices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael E. Sherr

2007-12-01

Full Text Available One of the most important facets of quality social work education is the recruitment and retention of faculty. This mixed methods study uses findings from an on-line survey of 106 recent (within three years faculty hires and their (n=24 spouse/partner/significant others (S/P/SO to determine the degree to which family- integrative recruitment strategies were being used in recruiting social work faculty and the impact with which the presence or absence of these strategies have on retention. A majority of respondents reported that S/P/SO were excluded from the recruitment process.Though the few respondents who felt included were pleased with their current position and planned to pursue tenure to stay with the school, a significant number of faculty whose S/P/SO were not involved were already contemplating their next position.The authors suggest family integrative strategies that help S/P/SO connect with the community may give social work programs the competitive edge they need to attract and retain the best and brightest social work faculty.

Bio-inspired online variable recruitment control of fluidic artificial muscles

Science.gov (United States)

Jenkins, Tyler E.; Chapman, Edward M.; Bryant, Matthew

2016-12-01

This paper details the creation of a hybrid variable recruitment control scheme for fluidic artificial muscle (FAM) actuators with an emphasis on maximizing system efficiency and switching control performance. Variable recruitment is the process of altering a system’s active number of actuators, allowing operation in distinct force regimes. Previously, FAM variable recruitment was only quantified with offline, manual valve switching; this study addresses the creation and characterization of novel, on-line FAM switching control algorithms. The bio-inspired algorithms are implemented in conjunction with a PID and model-based controller, and applied to a simulated plant model. Variable recruitment transition effects and chatter rejection are explored via a sensitivity analysis, allowing a system designer to weigh tradeoffs in actuator modeling, algorithm choice, and necessary hardware. Variable recruitment is further developed through simulation of a robotic arm tracking a variety of spline position inputs, requiring several levels of actuator recruitment. Switching controller performance is quantified and compared with baseline systems lacking variable recruitment. The work extends current variable recruitment knowledge by creating novel online variable recruitment control schemes, and exploring how online actuator recruitment affects system efficiency and control performance. Key topics associated with implementing a variable recruitment scheme, including the effects of modeling inaccuracies, hardware considerations, and switching transition concerns are also addressed.

Effective recruitment of minority populations through community-led strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Horowitz, Carol R; Brenner, Barbara L; Lachapelle, Susanne; Amara, Duna A; Arniella, Guedy

2009-12-01

Traditional research approaches frequently fail to yield representative numbers of people of color in research. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) may be an important strategy for partnering with and reaching populations that bear a greater burden of illness but have been historically difficult to engage. The Community Action Board, consisting of 20 East Harlem residents, leaders, and advocates, used CBPR to compare the effectiveness of various strategies in recruiting and enrolling adults with prediabetes into a peer-led, diabetes prevention intervention. The board created five recruitment strategies: recruiting through clinicians; recruiting at large public events such as farmers markets; organizing special local recruitment events; recruiting at local organizations; and recruiting through a partner-led approach, in which community partners developed and managed the recruitment efforts at their sites. In 3 months, 555 local adults were approached; 249 were appropriate candidates for further evaluation (overweight, nonpregnant, East Harlem residents without known diabetes); 179 consented and returned in a fasting state for 1/2 day of prediabetes testing; 99 had prediabetes and enrolled in a pilot randomized trial. The partner-led approach was highly successful, recruiting 68% of those enrolled. This strategy was also the most efficient; 34% of those approached through partners were ultimately enrolled, versus 0%-17% enrolled through the other four strategies. Participants were predominantly low-income, uninsured, undereducated, Spanish-speaking women. This CBPR approach highlights the value of partner-led recruitment to identify, reach out to, and motivate a vulnerable population into participation in research, using techniques that may be unfamiliar to researchers but are nevertheless rigorous and effective.

Frequent beneficial mutations during single-colony serial transfer of Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kathleen E Stevens

2011-08-01

Full Text Available The appearance of new mutations within a population provides the raw material for evolution. The consistent decline in fitness observed in classical mutation accumulation studies has provided support for the long-held view that deleterious mutations are more common than beneficial mutations. Here we present results of a study using a mutation accumulation design with the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae in which the fitness of the derived populations increased. This rise in fitness was associated specifically with adaptation to survival during brief stationary phase periods between single-colony population bottlenecks. To understand better the population dynamics behind this unanticipated adaptation, we developed a maximum likelihood model describing the processes of mutation and stationary-phase selection in the context of frequent population bottlenecks. Using this model, we estimate that the rate of beneficial mutations may be as high as 4.8×10(-4 events per genome for each time interval corresponding to the pneumococcal generation time. This rate is several orders of magnitude higher than earlier estimates of beneficial mutation rates in bacteria but supports recent results obtained through the propagation of small populations of Escherichia coli. Our findings indicate that beneficial mutations may be relatively frequent in bacteria and suggest that in S. pneumoniae, which develops natural competence for transformation, a steady supply of such mutations may be available for sampling by recombination.

Control approach development for variable recruitment artificial muscles

Science.gov (United States)

Jenkins, Tyler E.; Chapman, Edward M.; Bryant, Matthew

2016-04-01

This study characterizes hybrid control approaches for the variable recruitment of fluidic artificial muscles with double acting (antagonistic) actuation. Fluidic artificial muscle actuators have been explored by researchers due to their natural compliance, high force-to-weight ratio, and low cost of fabrication. Previous studies have attempted to improve system efficiency of the actuators through variable recruitment, i.e. using discrete changes in the number of active actuators. While current variable recruitment research utilizes manual valve switching, this paper details the current development of an online variable recruitment control scheme. By continuously controlling applied pressure and discretely controlling the number of active actuators, operation in the lowest possible recruitment state is ensured and working fluid consumption is minimized. Results provide insight into switching control scheme effects on working fluids, fabrication material choices, actuator modeling, and controller development decisions.

Participant Outcomes from Methods of Recruitment for Videogame Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, Courtney; Dadabhoy, Hafza; Baranowski, Tom

2018-02-01

The most productive methods of recruitment for a videogame for health (G4H) trial are not known. Success or failure of recruitment methods has been reported for a variety of clinical trials, but few specifically for G4H trials. This study's goal was to recruit 444 overweight or obese (body mass index percentile between the 84.5th-99.4th percentiles) children between the ages of 10-12 years. The article reports the results of different methods of participant recruitment. Participants had to agree to three fasting blood samples (baseline, immediately after, and 2 months later); be willing to wear an accelerometer for 7 days at each assessment; read and speak English fluently (because the games were in English); have no history of any condition that would affect what he/she could eat or how much physical activity he/she could get; and have an eligible home computer purchased in the last 5 years with high-speed internet. Hardware criteria reflected the types of computers upon which Diab-Nano could be effectively played. Recruitment was conducted over a 35-month period and included electronic media, print advertising, community recruitment, and an internal volunteer list. Respondents were guided to a web-based screening questionnaire that asked for source of hearing about the study. Although diverse recruitment methods were used, slow recruitment resulted in obtaining only 45% of the recruitment goal (n = 199). Electronic media (e.g., radio, television, and internet), which reached millions of targeted parents, resulted in only 76 respondents, of whom 13 became participants; print media (e.g., magazine, newsletter/newspaper, and mail), which also reached large numbers of parents, resulted in 192 respondents, of whom 19 became participants; community recruitment (e.g., school, friend or family, doctors office, flyer, work, community program) resulted in 162 respondents, of whom 38 became participants; and the internal volunteer list resulted in 413 respondents, of

Facebook or Twitter?: Effective recruitment strategies for family caregivers.

Science.gov (United States)

Herbell, Kayla; Zauszniewski, Jaclene A

2018-06-01

This brief details recent recruitment insights from a large all-online study of family caregivers that aimed to develop a measure to assess how family caregivers manage daily stresses. Online recruitment strategies included the use of Twitter and Facebook. Overall, 800 individuals responded to the recruitment strategy; 230 completed all study procedures. The most effective online recruitment strategy for targeting family caregivers was Facebook, yielding 86% of the sample. Future researchers may find the use of social media recruitment methods appealing because they are inexpensive, simple, and efficient methods for obtaining National samples. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Recruiting primary care practices for practice-based research: a case study of a group-randomized study (TRANSLATE CKD) recruitment process.

Science.gov (United States)

Loskutova, Natalia Y; Smail, Craig; Ajayi, Kemi; Pace, Wilson D; Fox, Chester H

2018-01-16

We assessed the challenging process of recruiting primary care practices in a practice-based research study. In this descriptive case study of recruitment data collected for a large practice-based study (TRANSLATE CKD), 48 single or multiple-site health care organizations in the USA with a total of 114 practices were invited to participate. We collected quantitative and qualitative measures of recruitment process and outcomes for the first 25 practices recruited. Information about 13 additional practices is not provided due to staff transitions and limited data collection resources. Initial outreach was made to 114 practices (from 48 organizations, 41% small); 52 (45%) practices responded with interest. Practices enrolled in the study (n = 25) represented 22% of the total outreach number, or 48% of those initially interested. Average time to enroll was 71 calendar days (range 11-107). There was no difference in the number of days practices remained under recruitment, based on enrolled versus not enrolled (44.8 ± 30.4 versus 46.8 ± 25.4 days, P = 0.86) or by the organization size, i.e. large versus small (defined by having ≤4 distinct practices; 52 ± 23.6 versus 43.6 ± 27.8 days; P = 0.46). The most common recruitment barriers were administrative, e.g. lack of perceived direct organizational benefit, and were more prominent among large organizations. Despite the general belief that the research topic, invitation method, and interest in research may facilitate practice recruitment, our results suggest that most of the recruitment challenges represent managerial challenges. Future research projects may need to consider relevant methodologies from businesses administration and marketing fields. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Recruitment to publicly funded trials--are surgical trials really different?

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Jonathan A; Ramsay, Craig R; Norrie, John

2008-09-01

Good recruitment is integral to the conduct of a high-quality randomised controlled trial. It has been suggested that recruitment is particularly difficult for evaluations of surgical interventions, a field in which there is a dearth of evidence from randomised comparisons. While there is anecdotal speculation to support the inference that recruitment to surgical trials is more challenging than for medical trials we are unaware of any formal assessment of this. In this paper, we compare recruitment to surgical and medical trials using a cohort of publicly funded trials. Overall recruitment to trials was assessed using of a cohort of publicly funded trials (n=114). Comparisons were made by using the Recruitment Index, a simple measure of recruitment activity for multicentre randomised controlled trials. Recruitment at the centre level was also investigated through three example surgical trials. The Recruitment Index was found to be higher, though not statistically significantly, in the surgical group (n=18, median=38.0 IQR (10.7, 77.4)) versus (n=81, median=34.8 IQR (11.7, 98.0)) days per recruit for the medical group (median difference 1.7 (-19.2, 25.1); p=0.828). For the trials where the comparison was between a surgical and a medical intervention, the Recruitment Index was substantially higher (n=6, 68.3 (23.5, 294.8)) versus (n=93, 34.6 (11.7, 90.0); median difference 25.9 (-35.5, 221.8); p=0.291) for the other trials. There was no clear evidence that surgical trials differ from medical trials in terms of recruitment activity. There was, however, support for the inference that medical versus surgical trials are more difficult to recruit to. Formal exploration of the recruitment data through a modelling approach may go some way to tease out where important differences exist.

Recruitment of Dual-Career Academic Medicine Couples.

Science.gov (United States)

Putnam, Charles W; DiMarco, Judy; Cairns, Charles B

2017-11-28

Today it is not uncommon to discover that a candidate for a faculty position has a partner or spouse who is also an academician, adding complexity to the recruitment process. Here, the authors address two practical obstacles to the recruitment of faculty who have an academic partner: dual recruitment and conflict-of-interest. The authors have found that tandem recruitment works best when suitable positions for both spouses are first identified so that recruitment can proceed synchronously. This approach decreases misperceptions of favoritism toward either's candidacy. Managing conflict-of-interest, generated by the appointment of one spouse in a supervisory position over the other, requires a proactive, transparent, well-designed plan. After canvassing human resource policies and conducting interviews with national academic leaders, the authors have developed an administrative structure that places "key" decisions (hiring and retention; promotion and tenure; salary, bonuses, and benefits; performance evaluations; and disciplinary matters) regarding the supervised spouse in the jurisdiction of an alternate administrator or committee. The authors also offer suggestions both for mitigating misperceptions of bias in day-to-day decisions and for the support and mentoring of the supervised partner or spouse.

Microbial Beneficiation of Salem Iron Ore Using Penicillium purpurogenum

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, M.; Pradhan, M.; Sukla, L. B.; Mishra, B. K.

2011-02-01

High alumina and silica content in the iron ore affects coke rate, reducibility, and productivity in a blast furnace. Iron ore is being beneficiated all around the world to meet the quality requirement of iron and steel industries. Choosing a beneficiation treatment depends on the nature of the gangue present and its association with the ore structure. The advanced physicochemical methods used for the beneficiation of iron ore are generally unfriendly to the environment. Biobeneficiation is considered to be ecofriendly, promising, and revolutionary solutions to these problems. A characterization study of Salem iron ore indicates that the major iron-bearing minerals are hematite, magnetite, and goethite. Samples on average contains (pct) Fe2O3-84.40, Fe (total)-59.02, Al2O3-7.18, and SiO2-7.53. Penicillium purpurogenum (MTCC 7356) was used for the experiment . It removed 35.22 pct alumina and 39.41 pct silica in 30 days in a shake flask at 10 pct pulp density, 308 K (35 °C), and 150 rpm. In a bioreactor experiment at 2 kg scale using the same organism, it removed 23.33 pct alumina and 30.54 pct silica in 30 days at 300 rpm agitation and 2 to 3 l/min aeration. Alumina and silica dissolution follow the shrinking core model for both shake flask and bioreactor experiments.

Evaluation of the possible inclusion of certain fish species in chronic kidney disease diets based on their adverse and beneficial nutrient ratios.

Science.gov (United States)

Castro-González, I; Maafs-Rodríguez, A G; Silencio-Barrita, J L; Galindo-Gómez, C; Pérez-Gil, F

2013-02-01

The goal of this study was to quantify the adverse (phosphorus, protein, sodium, potassium and cholesterol) and beneficial [n-3 fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) + docosahexaenoic acid (DHA); vitamins D(3) and E] nutrients in 14 fish species in order to evaluate their inclusion in chronic kidney disease (CKD) diets. Using AOAC methods, we obtained the following results per 100 g of fish: 50.86-227.52 mg phosphorus, 14.7-30.6 g protein and 3.83-1667.35 mg EPA+DHA. CKD patients with protein or phosphorus restrictions should avoid broadbill swordfish, black bullhead and spotted scorpionfish. However, patients may include parrot sand bass, black bullhead, broadbill swordfish, longjaw leatherjacket, oilfish, Atlantic tripletail, spotted scorpionfish and round herring in their diets based on the (P)/(EPA+DHA) ratios of these fish. Some fish species may be included in CKD diets because of their high biological value protein content - associated with cardiovascular and renal protective nutrients (EPA+DHA) - and low P, Na, K and cholesterol content, their consumption by CKD patients should be encouraged.

Purposes of double taxation treaties and interpretation of beneficial owner concept in Ukraine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavlo Selezen

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The term ‟beneficial owner” has been interpreted by Ukrainian courts concerning the application of double taxation treaties’ provisions since the adoption of the Tax Code of Ukraine in 2010. Changing nature of the beneficial owner concept, its importance as an instrument for treaty shopping counteraction and the necessity of its proper interpretation in the Ukrainian reality are the main factors that have a strong impact on the development of court practice concerning beneficial ownership. The article focuses on the prevention of tax avoidance as one of the purposes of double taxation treaties and its role in the interpretation of the term ‟beneficial owner”. The analysis is based on the practice of the Supreme Administrative Court of Ukraine on interpretation of the relevant provisions of the Convention between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of Switzerland on Avoidance of Double Taxation with respect to Taxes on Income and Capital as of 30 October 2000.

Recruitment and Retention.

Science.gov (United States)

Combs, Jolene

1986-01-01

Suggests ways community college journalism instructors can recruit and retain students in journalism classes (e.g., host a high school press day, fund a journalism scholarship, sponsor events for high school journalism teachers and advisers, serve as counselor for journalism majors, have a yearly journalism convocation, and involve campus…

The 1998 DoD Recruiter Survey: Profiles and Trends

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Condon, K

2000-01-01

.... The survey results clearly validated the challenge of recruiting in 1998. Overall, military recruiters were more experienced, more likely to want to stay in recruiting and more likely to be working long hours than in 1996...

Beneficial Effects of Vildagliptin on Metabolic Parameters in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimodaira, Masanori; Niwa, Tomohiro; Nakajima, Koji; Kobayashi, Mutsuhiro

2015-01-01

Blood pressure and lipid profile are important determinants of cardiovascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). To identify the pleiotropic effects of vildagliptin other than blood glucose lowering effect, a retrospective study was conducted in 128 patients with T2DM treated with vildagliptin 50 mg twice daily. The patients were separated into two groups: patients who were initiated with vildagliptin as monotherapy or add-on therapy (add-on group, n = 66) and patients who were switched from sitagliptin 100 mg once daily to vildagliptin (switching group, n = 62). Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), body mass index (BMI), systolic/diastolic blood pressure, lipid profiles, and uric acid (UA) at 3, 6, and 12 months of vildagliptin therapy were compared with those at baseline in each group. At baseline, there were no significant differences in HbA1c, BMI, blood pressures, lipid profiles, and UA levels between the two groups. After vildagliptin initiation, HbA1c decreased significantly but BMI and blood pressure did not change in both groups. Only in the add-on group, total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased significantly from baseline to 3, 6, and 12 months. On the other hand, triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol did not change in both groups. Serum UA levels decreased only in the switching group from baseline to 3, 6, and 12 months. These results indicate that vildagliptin add-on treatment may have beneficial effects on lipid profiles, and switching from sitagliptin to vildagliptin reduces UA in patients with T2DM; these are important findings linked to the beneficial effects of vildagliptin on lipid and UA metabolisms in the treatment of T2DM.

Ursodeoxycholic acid reduces protein levels and nucleation-promoting activity in human gallbladder bile

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Erpecum, K. J.; Portincasa, P.; Eckhardt, E.; Go, P. M.; vanBerge-Henegouwen, G. P.; Groen, A. K.

1996-01-01

Background & Aims: Ursodeoxycholic acid prevents gallstone formation in selected patients. The aim of this study was to examine whether decreased concentration and nucleation-promoting activity of various proteins contribute to this beneficial effect. Methods: Gallbladder bile of 13 patients with

Links between the recruitment success of northern European hake (Merluccius merluccius L.) and a regime shift on the NE Atlantic continental shelf

KAUST Repository

Goikoetxea, Nerea

2013-07-01

The distribution of northern European hake (Merluccius merluccius L.) extends from the Bay of Biscay up to Norwegian waters. However, despite its wide geographical distribution, there have been few studies on fluctuations in the European hake populations. Marine ecosystem shifts have been investigated worldwide and their influence on trophic levels has been studied, from top predator fish populations down to planktonic prey species, but there is little information on the effect of atmosphere-ocean shifts on European hake. This work analyses hake recruitment success (recruits per adult biomass) in relation to environmental changes over the period 1978-2006 in order to determine whether the regime shift identified in several abiotic and biotic variables in the North Sea also affected the Northeast Atlantic shelf oceanography. Hake recruitment success as well as parameters such as the sea surface temperature, wind patterns and copepod abundance changed significantly at the end of the 1980s, demonstrating an ecological regime shift in the Northeast Atlantic. Despite the low reproductive biomass recorded during the last decades, hake recruitment success has been higher since the change in 1989/90. The higher productivity may have sustained the population despite the intense fishing pressure; copepod abundance, warmer water temperatures and moderate eastward transport were found to be beneficial. In conclusion, in 1988/89 the Northeast Atlantic environment shifted to a favourable regime for northern hake production. This study supports the hypothesis that the hydro-climatic regime shift that affected the North Sea in the late 1980s may have influenced a wider region, such as the Northeast Atlantic. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Regulation of adipokine production in human adipose tissue by propionic acid

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Al-Lahham, Sa'ad H.; Roelofsen, Han; Priebe, Marion; Weening, Desiree; Dijkstra, Martijn; Hoek, Annemieke; Rezaee, Farhad; Venema, Koen; Vonk, Roel J.

P>Background Dietary fibre (DF) has been shown to be protective for the development of obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Short-chain fatty acids, produced by colonic fermentation of DF might mediate this beneficial effect. Adipose tissue plays a key role in the regulation of energy

Limited Impact of a Fall-Seeded, Spring-Terminated Rye Cover Crop on Beneficial Arthropods.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunbar, Mike W; Gassmann, Aaron J; O'Neal, Matthew E

2017-04-01

Cover crops are beneficial to agroecosystems because they decrease soil erosion and nutrient loss while increasing within-field plant diversity. Greater plant diversity within cropping systems can positively affect beneficial arthropod communities. We hypothesized that increasing plant diversity within annually rotated corn and soybean with the addition of a rye cover crop would positively affect the beneficial ground and canopy-dwelling communities compared with rotated corn and soybean grown without a cover crop. From 2011 through 2013, arthropod communities were measured at two locations in Iowa four times throughout each growing season. Pitfall traps were used to sample ground-dwelling arthropods within the corn and soybean plots and sweep nets were used to measure the beneficial arthropods in soybean canopies. Beneficial arthropods captured were identified to either class, order, or family. In both corn and soybean, community composition and total community activity density and abundance did not differ between plots that included the rye cover crop and plots without the rye cover crop. Most taxa did not significantly respond to the presence of the rye cover crop when analyzed individually, with the exceptions of Carabidae and Gryllidae sampled from soybean pitfall traps. Activity density of Carabidae was significantly greater in soybean plots that included a rye cover crop, while activity density of Gryllidae was significantly reduced in plots with the rye cover crop. Although a rye cover crop may be agronomically beneficial, there may be only limited effects on beneficial arthropods when added within an annual rotation of corn and soybean. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Recruiting leaders: an analysis of leadership advertisements

NARCIS (Netherlands)

den Hartog, D.N.; Caley, A.; Dewe, P.

2007-01-01

Recruiting the right leaders is an important challenge for organisations. How do organisations find these leaders? This article looks at the recruitment of leaders through advertisements. We address to what extent the 'vocabulary of leadership' originating in influential leadership theories is

Do recruitment ties affect wages?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Anna Folke; Rand, John; Torm, Nina Elisabeth

This paper examines the extent to which recruitment ties affect individual wage outcomes in small and medium scale manufacturing firms. Based on a unique matched employer-employee dataset from Vietnam we find that there is a significant positive wage premium associated with obtaining a job through...... an informal contact, when controlling for standard determinants of wage compensation. Moreover, we show that the mechanism through which informal contacts affect wages depends on the type of recruitment tie used. The findings are robust across location, firm size categories and different worker types....

The effect of plant sterols and different low doses of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil on lipoprotein subclasses

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jacobs, D.M.; Mihaleva, V.V.; Schalkwijk, D.B. van; Graaf, A.A. de; Vervoort, J.; Dorsten, F.A. van; Ras, R.T.; Demonty, I.; Trautwein, E.A.; Duynhoven, J. van

2015-01-01

Scope: Consumption of a low-fat spread enriched with plant sterols (PS) and different low doses (<2 g/day) of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from fish oil reduces serum triglycerides (TGs) and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-Chol) and thus beneficially affects

Real-time images of tidal recruitment using lung ultrasound.

Science.gov (United States)

Tusman, Gerardo; Acosta, Cecilia M; Nicola, Marco; Esperatti, Mariano; Bohm, Stephan H; Suarez-Sipmann, Fernando

2015-12-01

Ventilator-induced lung injury is a form of mechanical damage leading to a pulmonary inflammatory response related to the use of mechanical ventilation enhanced by the presence of atelectasis. One proposed mechanism of this injury is the repetitive opening and closing of collapsed alveoli and small airways within these atelectatic areas-a phenomenon called tidal recruitment. The presence of tidal recruitment is difficult to detect, even with high-resolution images of the lungs like CT scan. The purpose of this article is to give evidence of tidal recruitment by lung ultrasound. A standard lung ultrasound inspection detected lung zones of atelectasis in mechanically ventilated patients. With a linear probe placed in the intercostal oblique position. We observed tidal recruitment within atelectasis as an improvement in aeration at the end of inspiration followed by the re-collapse at the end of expiration. This mechanism disappeared after the performance of a lung recruitment maneuver. Lung ultrasound was helpful in detecting the presence of atelectasis and tidal recruitment and in confirming their resolution after a lung recruitment maneuver.

Role and functions of beneficial microorganisms in sustainable aquaculture.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Qunlan; Li, Kangmin; Jun, Xie; Bo, Liu

2009-08-01

This paper aims to review the development of scientific concepts of microecology and ecology of microbes and the role and functions of beneficial microorganisms in aquaculture and mariculture. Beneficial microorganisms play a great role in natural and man-made aquatic ecosystems based on the co-evolution theory in living biosphere on earth. Their functions are to adjust algal population in water bodies so as to avoid unwanted algal bloom; to speed up decomposition of organic matter and to reduce CODmn, NH3-N and NO2-N in water and sediments so as to improve water quality; to suppress fish/shrimp diseases and water-borne pathogens; to enhance immune system of cultured aquatic animals and to produce bioactive compounds such as vitamins, hormones and enzymes that stimulate growth, thus to decrease the FCR of feed.

Virtual Recruiting Analysis and Process Development Study: Final Report

Science.gov (United States)

2017-11-01

Century, so everyone has a mobile device or tablet . They have access to all this information but sometimes you can’t specifically find the right...Integrated Reporting System MRI Mobile Recruiting Initiative; Laptop and IT solution for recruiters that uses wireless computing with 3G (third-generation...students are given a practice ASVAB (i.e., EST which is loaded on MRI recruiter laptops) and are blueprinted prior to recruiters meeting with parents

Critical factors in recruiting health maintenance organization physicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, N B; Smith, H L; Pasternak, D P

1993-01-01

What factors facilitate successful physician recruiting by health care organizations? Answers surfaced in a study of physician recruiting by a large HMO in the Southwest. Professional networking and word-of-mouth advertising appear to be the prominent means by which physicians learn of attractive staff positions. Successful recruiting also depends on a practice setting that fosters quality care, emphasis on patient care delivery, and collegial interaction.

Recycled industrial and construction waste for mutual beneficial use.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-08-01

Instead of going to landfills, certain waste materials from industry and building construction can be recycled in transportation infrastructure projects, such as roadway paving. The beneficial use of waste materials in the construction of transportat...

A data-rich recruitment core to support translational clinical research.

Science.gov (United States)

Kost, Rhonda G; Corregano, Lauren M; Rainer, Tyler-Lauren; Melendez, Caroline; Coller, Barry S

2015-04-01

Underenrollment of clinical studies wastes resources and delays assessment of research discoveries. We describe the organization and impact of a centralized recruitment core delivering comprehensive recruitment support to investigators. The Rockefeller University Center for Clinical and Translational Science supports a centralized recruitment core, call center, Research Volunteer Repository, data infrastructure, and staff who provide expert recruitment services to investigators. During protocol development, consultations aim to optimize enrollment feasibility, develop recruitment strategy, budget, and advertising. Services during study conduct include advertising placement, repository queries, call management, prescreening, referral, and visit scheduling. Utilization and recruitment outcomes are tracked using dedicated software. For protocols receiving recruitment services during 2009-2013: median time from initiation of recruitment to the first enrolled participant was 10 days; of 4,047 first-time callers to the call center, 92% (n = 3,722) enrolled in the Research Volunteer Repository, with 99% retention; 23% of Repository enrollees subsequently enrolled in ≥1 research studies, with 89% retention. Of volunteers referred by repository queries, 49% (280/537) enrolled into the study, with 92% retained. Provision of robust recruitment infrastructure including expertise, a volunteer repository, data capture and real-time analysis accelerates protocol accrual. Application of recruitment science improves the quality of clinical investigation. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Data‐Rich Recruitment Core to Support Translational Clinical Research

Science.gov (United States)

Corregano, Lauren M.; Rainer, Tyler‐Lauren; Melendez, Caroline; Coller, Barry S.

2014-01-01

Abstract Background Underenrollment of clinical studies wastes resources and delays assessment of research discoveries. We describe the organization and impact of a centralized recruitment core delivering comprehensive recruitment support to investigators. Methods The Rockefeller University Center for Clinical and Translational Science supports a centralized recruitment core, call center, Research Volunteer Repository, data infrastructure, and staff who provide expert recruitment services to investigators. During protocol development, consultations aim to optimize enrollment feasibility, develop recruitment strategy, budget, and advertising. Services during study conduct include advertising placement, repository queries, call management, prescreening, referral, and visit scheduling. Utilization and recruitment outcomes are tracked using dedicated software. Results For protocols receiving recruitment services during 2009–2013: median time from initiation of recruitment to the first enrolled participant was 10 days; of 4,047 first‐time callers to the call center, 92% (n = 3,722) enrolled in the Research Volunteer Repository, with 99% retention; 23% of Repository enrollees subsequently enrolled in ≥1 research studies, with 89% retention. Of volunteers referred by repository queries, 49% (280/537) enrolled into the study, with 92% retained. Conclusions Provision of robust recruitment infrastructure including expertise, a volunteer repository, data capture and real‐time analysis accelerates protocol accrual. Application of recruitment science improves the quality of clinical investigation. PMID:25381717

Coal beneficiation by gas agglomeration

Science.gov (United States)

Wheelock, Thomas D.; Meiyu, Shen

2003-10-14

Coal beneficiation is achieved by suspending coal fines in a colloidal suspension of microscopic gas bubbles in water under atmospheric conditions to form small agglomerates of the fines adhered by the gas bubbles. The agglomerates are separated, recovered and resuspended in water. Thereafter, the pressure on the suspension is increased above atmospheric to deagglomerate, since the gas bubbles are then re-dissolved in the water. During the deagglomeration step, the mineral matter is dispersed, and when the pressure is released, the coal portion of the deagglomerated gas-saturated water mixture reagglomerates, with the small bubbles now coming out of the solution. The reagglomerate can then be separated to provide purified coal fines without the mineral matter.

Probiotic lactic acid bacteria ? the fledgling cuckoos of the gut?

OpenAIRE

Berstad, Arnold; Raa, Jan; Midtvedt, Tore; Valeur, J?rgen

2016-01-01

It is tempting to look at bacteria from our human egocentric point of view and label them as either ‘good’ or ‘bad’. However, a microbial society has its own system of government – ‘microcracy’ – and its own rules of play. Lactic acid bacteria are often referred to as representatives of the good ones, and there is little doubt that those belonging to the normal intestinal flora are beneficial for human health. But we should stop thinking of lactic acid bacteria as always being ‘friendly’ – th...

Probiotic lactic acid bacteria - the fledgling cuckoos of the gut?

Science.gov (United States)

Berstad, Arnold; Raa, Jan; Midtvedt, Tore; Valeur, Jørgen

2016-01-01

It is tempting to look at bacteria from our human egocentric point of view and label them as either 'good' or 'bad'. However, a microbial society has its own system of government - 'microcracy' - and its own rules of play. Lactic acid bacteria are often referred to as representatives of the good ones, and there is little doubt that those belonging to the normal intestinal flora are beneficial for human health. But we should stop thinking of lactic acid bacteria as always being 'friendly' - they may instead behave like fledgling cuckoos.

Participation and successful patient recruitment in primary care.

Science.gov (United States)

de Wit, N J; Quartero, A O; Zuithoff, A P; Numans, M E

2001-11-01

The demand for family physicians (FPs) to participate in research is growing. The delicate balance between research participation and the daily practice routine might explain the often-disappointing number of patients recruited. We analyzed practice and physician characteristics associated with successful patient recruitment. We used a survey to conduct this study. There was a total of 165 FPs who participated in a combined randomized clinical trial/cohort study on drug treatment of dyspepsia in the Netherlands. We surveyed FPs about personal and practice characteristics and their motivation for participation in the project. These data were then related to the number of patients recruited. Univariate associations were calculated; relevant factors were entered into a logistic model that predicted patient recruitment. Data on 128 FPs could be analyzed (80% response rate); these FPs recruited 793 patients in the cohort study (mean = 6.3 per FP) and 527 in the clinical trial (mean = 4.2 per FP). The main reasons for participation were the research topic (59%) and the participation of an academic research group in the study (63%). Many FPs felt that participation was a professional obligation (39%); the financial incentive played a minor role (15%). The number of recruited patients was only independently associated with the participation of an academic research group. Successful patient recruitment in primary care research is determined more by motivation driven by the research group than by financial incentives, the research topic, or research experience.

Microstructures of the Sulfonic Acid-Functionalized Ionic Liquid/Sulfuric Acid and Their Interactions: A Perspective from the Isobutane Alkylation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Weizhong; Huang, Chizhou; Sun, Weizhen; Zhao, Ling

2018-02-01

The all-atom force field for concentrated sulfuric acid (98.30 wt %) was developed in this work based on ab initio calculations. The structural and dynamical properties of sulfuric acid and the mixing behaviors of sulfuric acid with ionic liquids (ILs), i.e., SFIL (1-methyl-3-(propyl-3-sulfonate) imidazolium bisulfate ([PSMim][HSO 4 ])) and non-SFIL (1-methyl-3-propyl imidazolium bisulfate ([PMim][HSO 4 ])), were investigated using a molecular dynamics simulation. For sulfuric acid, most H 3 O + ions were found beside HSO 4 - ions, forming a contact ion pair with the HSO 4 - ions, and three-dimensional hydrogen-bonding networks existed in the sulfuric acid. Analyses indicate that both ILs could be miscible with sulfuric acid with a strong exothermic character. The new strong interaction site between the sulfonic acid group of SFIL and an H 2 SO 4 molecule through a strong hydrogen-bonding interaction was observed, which was beneficial to the catalytic activity and stability of the sulfuric acid. This observation is in good agreement with the experimental results that indicate SFILs could enhance the reusability of sulfuric acid for the isobutane alkylation about 4-fold compared to that of non-SFILs. Hopefully this work will provide insights into the screening and designing of new isobutane alkylation catalysts based on sulfuric acid and SFILs.

Problem-Oriented Conceptual Model and Ontology for Enterprise e-Recruitment

OpenAIRE

Alamro, S.; Dogan, Huseyin; Cetinkaya, Deniz; Jiang, N.

2018-01-01

Internet-led labour market has become so competitive forcing many organisations from different sectors to embrace e-recruitment. However, realising the value of the e-recruitment from a Requirements Engineering (RE) analysis perspective is challenging. The research is motivated by the results of a failed e-recruitment project as a case study by focusing on the difficulty of scoping and representing recruitment problem knowledge to systematically inform the RE process towards an e-recruitment ...

Evolutionary engineering reveals divergent paths when yeast is adapted to different acidic environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fletcher, Eugene; Feizi, Amir; Bisschops, Markus M. M.

2017-01-01

Tolerance of yeast to acid stress is important for many industrial processes including organic acid production. Therefore, elucidating the molecular basis of long term adaptation to acidic environments will be beneficial for engineering production strains to thrive under such harsh conditions....... Previous studies using gene expression analysis have suggested that both organic and inorganic acids display similar responses during short term exposure to acidic conditions. However, biological mechanisms that will lead to long term adaptation of yeast to acidic conditions remains unknown and whether...... factor in the evolutionary process since cells evolved on two different carbon sources (raffinose and glucose) generated a different set of mutations in response to the presence of lactic acid. Therefore, different strategies are required for a rational design of low pH tolerant strains depending...

Recruiting and Retaining Cyberwarriors

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Westermeyer, Roger H

2008-01-01

.... Recruiting and retaining this highly skilled workforce is a significant challenge for the Air Force due to the high public and private sector demand for people with IT and related engineering skills...

Enhancing Fatty Acid Production of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as an Animal Feed Supplement.

Science.gov (United States)

You, Seung Kyou; Joo, Young-Chul; Kang, Dae Hee; Shin, Sang Kyu; Hyeon, Jeong Eun; Woo, Han Min; Um, Youngsoon; Park, Chulhwan; Han, Sung Ok

2017-12-20

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is used for edible purposes, such as human food or as an animal feed supplement. Fatty acids are also beneficial as feed supplements, but S. cerevisiae produces small amounts of fatty acids. In this study, we enhanced fatty acid production of S. cerevisiae by overexpressing acetyl-CoA carboxylase, thioesterase, and malic enzyme associated with fatty acid metabolism. The enhanced strain pAMT showed 2.4-fold higher fatty acids than the wild-type strain. To further increase the fatty acids, various nitrogen sources were analyzed and calcium nitrate was selected as an optimal nitrogen source for fatty acid production. By concentration optimization, 672 mg/L of fatty acids was produced, which was 4.7-fold higher than wild-type strain. These results complement the low level fatty acid production and make it possible to obtain the benefits of fatty acids as an animal feed supplement while, simultaneously, maintaining the advantages of S. cerevisiae.

Dynamin-dependent amino acid endocytosis activates mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1).

Science.gov (United States)

Shibutani, Shusaku; Okazaki, Hana; Iwata, Hiroyuki

2017-11-03

The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is a master regulator of protein synthesis and potential target for modifying cellular metabolism in various conditions, including cancer and aging. mTORC1 activity is tightly regulated by the availability of extracellular amino acids, and previous studies have revealed that amino acids in the extracellular fluid are transported to the lysosomal lumen. There, amino acids induce recruitment of cytoplasmic mTORC1 to the lysosome by the Rag GTPases, followed by mTORC1 activation by the small GTPase Ras homolog enriched in brain (Rheb). However, how the extracellular amino acids reach the lysosomal lumen and activate mTORC1 remains unclear. Here, we show that amino acid uptake by dynamin-dependent endocytosis plays a critical role in mTORC1 activation. We found that mTORC1 is inactivated when endocytosis is inhibited by overexpression of a dominant-negative form of dynamin 2 or by pharmacological inhibition of dynamin or clathrin. Consistently, the recruitment of mTORC1 to the lysosome was suppressed by the dynamin inhibition. The activity and lysosomal recruitment of mTORC1 were rescued by increasing intracellular amino acids via cycloheximide exposure or by Rag overexpression, indicating that amino acid deprivation is the main cause of mTORC1 inactivation via the dynamin inhibition. We further show that endocytosis inhibition does not induce autophagy even though mTORC1 inactivation is known to strongly induce autophagy. These findings open new perspectives for the use of endocytosis inhibitors as potential agents that can effectively inhibit nutrient utilization and shut down the upstream signals that activate mTORC1. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Temperature and food-mediated variability of European Atlantic sardine recruitment

Science.gov (United States)

Garrido, Susana; Silva, Alexandra; Marques, Vitor; Figueiredo, Ivone; Bryère, Philippe; Mangin, Antoine; Santos, A. Miguel P.

2017-12-01

The influence of the environmental conditions during larval development on the resulting recruitment strength was investigated for European sardine (Sardina pilchardus) at Atlanto-Iberian waters. Satellite-derived Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Chlorophyll-a concentration (Chla) data from the previous spawning seasons (January to March/April and October to December of the previous year) were related to recruitment success data in the main recruitment hotspots. Recruitment data was taken from yearly acoustic scientific cruises and from the ICES recruitment index estimated by an age-structured model for the entire stock. A linear discriminant analysis model using SST, Chla, and the abundance of spawners during the spawning season identified years of high and low recruitment for all the recruitment hotspots with an accuracy of ≥79%. In general, high recruitment years were associated with high Chla and low SST, although the most important variables to discriminate between the groups were area-specific. High recruitment years were mostly related to high food availability (Chla), particularly during the last quarter of the previous year. In Western Iberia and in the Gulf of Cadiz, high recruitment years were also associated to lower SST, whereas in the Bay of Biscay, where SST during the winter was generally below the optimal range ≈11-12 °C for sardine larval development, higher recruitment was associated with high SST. For ICES data of the southern European sardine stock, lower SST and higher Chla during the last quarter of the previous year were associated with high recruitment years and SST alone was able to discriminate between the two recruitment groups with 73% accuracy. Although the time-series of available data are still small, these significant relationships are consistent with field and laboratory studies relating larval growth and mortality with main environmental drivers. These relationships should be further investigated in the following years to

Phospho switch triggers Brd4 chromatin binding and activator recruitment for gene-specific targeting.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Shwu-Yuan; Lee, A-Young; Lai, Hsien-Tsung; Zhang, Hong; Chiang, Cheng-Ming

2013-03-07

Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (Brd4) is an epigenetic reader and transcriptional regulator recently identified as a cancer therapeutic target for acute myeloid leukemia, multiple myeloma, and Burkitt's lymphoma. Although chromatin targeting is a crucial function of Brd4, there is little understanding of how bromodomains that bind acetylated histones are regulated, nor how the gene-specific activity of Brd4 is determined. Via interaction screen and domain mapping, we identified p53 as a functional partner of Brd4. Interestingly, Brd4 association with p53 is modulated by casein kinase II (CK2)-mediated phosphorylation of a conserved acidic region in Brd4 that selectively contacts either a juxtaposed bromodomain or an adjacent basic region to dictate the ability of Brd4 binding to chromatin and also the recruitment of p53 to regulated promoters. The unmasking of bromodomains and activator recruitment, concurrently triggered by the CK2 phospho switch, provide an intriguing mechanism for gene-specific targeting by a universal epigenetic reader. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

International nurse recruitment in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Khadria, Binod

2007-06-01

This paper describes the practice of international recruitment of Indian nurses in the model of a "business process outsourcing" of comprehensive training-cum-recruitment-cum-placement for popular destinations like the United Kingdom and United States through an agency system that has acquired growing intensity in India. Despite the extremely low nurse to population ratio in India, hospital managers in India are not concerned about the growing exodus of nurses to other countries. In fact, they are actively joining forces with profitable commercial ventures that operate as both training and recruiting agencies. Most of this activity is concentrated in Delhi, Bangalore, and Kochi. Gaps in data on nursing education, employment, and migration, as well as nonstandardization of definitions of "registered nurse," impair the analysis of international migration of nurses from India, making it difficult to assess the impact of migration on vacancy rates. One thing is clear, however, the chain of commercial interests that facilitate nurse migration is increasingly well organized and profitable, making the future growth of this business a certainty.

Glucose-lowering effects and mechanisms of the bile acid-sequestering resin sevelamer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brønden, Andreas; Mikkelsen, Kristian; Sonne, David P

2018-01-01

AIMS: Sevelamer, a non-absorbable amine-based resin used for treatment of hyperphosphatemia, has been demonstrated to hold a marked bile acid-binding potential alongside beneficial effects on lipid and glucose metabolism. The aim of this study was to investigate the glucose-lowering effect and me...

Beneficial and Detrimental Effects of UV on Aquatic Organisms: Implications of Spectral Variation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Williamson, C.E.; Neale, P.J.; Grad, G.; Lange, de H.J.; Hargreaves, B.R.

2001-01-01

Solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) may have beneficial as well as detrimental effects on living systems. For example, UV-B radiation (280¿320 nm) is generally damaging, while UV-A radiation (320¿400 nm) may cause damage or stimulate beneficial photorepair of UV-B damage. The nature of both direct and

Autoxidation of conjugated linoleic acid methyl ester in the presence of α-tocopherol: the hydroperoxide pathway

OpenAIRE

Pajunen, Taina

2009-01-01

The autoxidation of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is poorly understood in spite of increasing interest in the beneficial biological properties of CLA and growing consumption of CLA-rich foods. In this thesis, the autoxidation reactions of the two major CLA isomers, 9-cis,11-trans-octadecadienoic acid and 10-trans,12-cis-octadecadienoic acid, are investigated. The results contribute to an understanding of the early stages of the autoxidation of CLA methyl ester, and provide for the first time...

Structural and Functional Impacts of ER Coactivator Sequential Recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Ping; Wang, Zhao; Feng, Qin; Chou, Chao-Kai; Pintilie, Grigore D; Shen, Hong; Foulds, Charles E; Fan, Guizhen; Serysheva, Irina; Ludtke, Steven J; Schmid, Michael F; Hung, Mien-Chie; Chiu, Wah; O'Malley, Bert W

2017-09-07

Nuclear receptors recruit multiple coactivators sequentially to activate transcription. This "ordered" recruitment allows different coactivator activities to engage the nuclear receptor complex at different steps of transcription. Estrogen receptor (ER) recruits steroid receptor coactivator-3 (SRC-3) primary coactivator and secondary coactivators, p300/CBP and CARM1. CARM1 recruitment lags behind the binding of SRC-3 and p300 to ER. Combining cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure analysis and biochemical approaches, we demonstrate that there is a close crosstalk between early- and late-recruited coactivators. The sequential recruitment of CARM1 not only adds a protein arginine methyltransferase activity to the ER-coactivator complex, it also alters the structural organization of the pre-existing ERE/ERα/SRC-3/p300 complex. It induces a p300 conformational change and significantly increases p300 HAT activity on histone H3K18 residues, which, in turn, promotes CARM1 methylation activity on H3R17 residues to enhance transcriptional activity. This study reveals a structural role for a coactivator sequential recruitment and biochemical process in ER-mediated transcription. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Recruitment process of a Chinese immigrant study in Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Ping

2017-08-01

The objectives of this article were to provide a comprehensive overview of the recruitment experience and participant characteristics in an antihypertensive dietary educational intervention pilot trial among Chinese Canadians. The recruitment was conducted in a community centre. Two recruitment approaches, self-referral and proactive recruitment, were used. Among 618 Chinese Canadians in the blood pressure screening, 105 (17.0%) individuals were eligible to participate in this trial. Of the 105 eligible individuals, 45 (42.9%) declined enrollment and 60 (57.1%) consented to participate in the trial and were recruited. The most common reason for refusal was being unable to access to the education location (n=19, 42.2%) followed by being too busy to participate (n=18, 40.0%). All participants were Chinese immigrants and the mean number of years living in Canada was 9.2. Most participants had low English proficiency, accepted Chinese culture more than Western culture, and had strong traditional health beliefs. It is concluded that both self-referral and proactive recruitment approaches were effective. Home-based interventions using Internet and telephone should be used as alternative delivery approaches to improve recruitment rate and facilitate participation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Corrosion protection of metals by phosphate coatings and ecologically beneficial alternatives. Properties and mechanisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weng Duan.

1995-01-01

The corrosion and protection characteristics of inorganic zinc and manganese phosphate coatings in aqueous solution have been examined by physical methods, accelerated corrosion tests and electrochemical polarization and impedance measurements. Some water-soluble organic films have been evaluated for the temporary protection of metal parts as the ecologically beneficial alternatives to phosphate coatings. The results show that zinc phosphate is a better insulator than manganese phosphate, but the porosity of the former is inferior to that of the latter. In neutral and alkaline solutions the anodic current of both zinc and manganese phosphates decreases and their open potential moves in a positive direction. In acidic medium both the polarization current and the open potential are close to those of the substrate. Confirmed by the impedance measurements, the corrosion of phosphated steel in acidic solution is controlled by a dissolution reaction, in neutral medium is first reaction controlled then diffusion controlled, and in alkaline environment only diffusion controlled. The insulation of acrylate+copolymer, epoxy and inhibitor+bonding materials is superior to that of zinc or manganese phosphates. In general, most of the alternatives can afford a better temporary protection for metal parts compared to inorganic phosphate coatings. The corrosion failure of inorganic phosphate coatings is mainly induced by the electrochemical dissolution of the substrate. This electrochemical process initiates at the bottom of the pores within the coating. In neutral solution, the hydrolysis of corrosion products decrease the pH value of the solution in the anodic zone, resulting in an acidic dissolution of phosphate coatings. At the same time, the depolarization of oxygen increases the pH value in the cathodic zone, causing an alkaline hydrolysis of phosphates. (author) figs., tabs., 149 refs

Tetradecylthioacetic acid prevents high fat diet induced adiposity and insulin resistance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Lise; Guerre-Millo, Michéle; Flindt, Esben N

2002-01-01

Tetradecylthioacetic acid (TTA) is a non-beta-oxidizable fatty acid analog, which potently regulates lipid homeostasis. Here we evaluate the ability of TTA to prevent diet-induced and genetically determined adiposity and insulin resistance. In Wistar rats fed a high fat diet, TTA administration...... completely prevented diet-induced insulin resistance and adiposity. In genetically obese Zucker (fa/fa) rats TTA treatment reduced the epididymal adipose tissue mass and improved insulin sensitivity. All three rodent peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) subtypes were activated by TTA...... that a TTA-induced increase in hepatic fatty acid oxidation and ketogenesis drains fatty acids from blood and extrahepatic tissues and that this contributes significantly to the beneficial effects of TTA on fat mass accumulation and peripheral insulin sensitivity....

Next-Generation Beneficial Microbes: The Case of Akkermansia muciniphila

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrice D. Cani

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Metabolic disorders associated with obesity and cardiometabolic disorders are worldwide epidemic. Among the different environmental factors, the gut microbiota is now considered as a key player interfering with energy metabolism and host susceptibility to several non-communicable diseases. Among the next-generation beneficial microbes that have been identified, Akkermansia muciniphila is a promising candidate. Indeed, A. muciniphila is inversely associated with obesity, diabetes, cardiometabolic diseases and low-grade inflammation. Besides the numerous correlations observed, a large body of evidence has demonstrated the causal beneficial impact of this bacterium in a variety of preclinical models. Translating these exciting observations to human would be the next logic step and it now appears that several obstacles that would prevent the use of A. muciniphila administration in humans have been overcome. Moreover, several lines of evidence indicate that pasteurization of A. muciniphila not only increases its stability but more importantly increases its efficacy. This strongly positions A. muciniphila in the forefront of next-generation candidates for developing novel food or pharma supplements with beneficial effects. Finally, a specific protein present on the outer membrane of A. muciniphila, termed Amuc_1100, could be strong candidate for future drug development. In conclusion, as plants and its related knowledge, known as pharmacognosy, have been the source for designing drugs over the last century, we propose that microbes and microbiomegnosy, or knowledge of our gut microbiome, can become a novel source of future therapies.

Sales Force Recruitment

OpenAIRE

Flaviu MEGHISAN

2008-01-01

The sales plan is put into practice through the tasks associated with sales plan implementation. Whereas sales plan formulation focuses on "doing the right things," implementation emphasizes "doing things right." The three major tasks involved in implementing a sales plan are (1) salesforce recruitment and selection, (2) salesforce training, and (3) salesforce motivation and compensation.

A Comparison of Three Online Recruitment Strategies for Engaging Parents.

Science.gov (United States)

Dworkin, Jodi; Hessel, Heather; Gliske, Kate; Rudi, Jessie H

2016-10-01

Family scientists can face the challenge of effectively and efficiently recruiting normative samples of parents and families. Utilizing the Internet to recruit parents is a strategic way to find participants where they already are, enabling researchers to overcome many of the barriers to in-person recruitment. The present study was designed to compare three online recruitment strategies for recruiting parents: e-mail Listservs, Facebook, and Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Analyses revealed differences in the effectiveness and efficiency of data collection. In particular, MTurk resulted in the most demographically diverse sample, in a short period of time, with little cost. Listservs reached a large number of participants and resulted in a comparatively homogeneous sample. Facebook was not successful in recruiting a general sample of parents. Findings provide information that can help family researchers and practitioners be intentional about recruitment strategies and study design.

Pervasive adaptive protein evolution apparent in diversity patterns around amino acid substitutions in Drosophila simulans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shmuel Sattath

2011-02-01

Full Text Available In Drosophila, multiple lines of evidence converge in suggesting that beneficial substitutions to the genome may be common. All suffer from confounding factors, however, such that the interpretation of the evidence-in particular, conclusions about the rate and strength of beneficial substitutions-remains tentative. Here, we use genome-wide polymorphism data in D. simulans and sequenced genomes of its close relatives to construct a readily interpretable characterization of the effects of positive selection: the shape of average neutral diversity around amino acid substitutions. As expected under recurrent selective sweeps, we find a trough in diversity levels around amino acid but not around synonymous substitutions, a distinctive pattern that is not expected under alternative models. This characterization is richer than previous approaches, which relied on limited summaries of the data (e.g., the slope of a scatter plot, and relates to underlying selection parameters in a straightforward way, allowing us to make more reliable inferences about the prevalence and strength of adaptation. Specifically, we develop a coalescent-based model for the shape of the entire curve and use it to infer adaptive parameters by maximum likelihood. Our inference suggests that ∼13% of amino acid substitutions cause selective sweeps. Interestingly, it reveals two classes of beneficial fixations: a minority (approximately 3% that appears to have had large selective effects and accounts for most of the reduction in diversity, and the remaining 10%, which seem to have had very weak selective effects. These estimates therefore help to reconcile the apparent conflict among previously published estimates of the strength of selection. More generally, our findings provide unequivocal evidence for strongly beneficial substitutions in Drosophila and illustrate how the rapidly accumulating genome-wide data can be leveraged to address enduring questions about the genetic basis

Pervasive adaptive protein evolution apparent in diversity patterns around amino acid substitutions in Drosophila simulans.

Science.gov (United States)

Sattath, Shmuel; Elyashiv, Eyal; Kolodny, Oren; Rinott, Yosef; Sella, Guy

2011-02-10

In Drosophila, multiple lines of evidence converge in suggesting that beneficial substitutions to the genome may be common. All suffer from confounding factors, however, such that the interpretation of the evidence-in particular, conclusions about the rate and strength of beneficial substitutions-remains tentative. Here, we use genome-wide polymorphism data in D. simulans and sequenced genomes of its close relatives to construct a readily interpretable characterization of the effects of positive selection: the shape of average neutral diversity around amino acid substitutions. As expected under recurrent selective sweeps, we find a trough in diversity levels around amino acid but not around synonymous substitutions, a distinctive pattern that is not expected under alternative models. This characterization is richer than previous approaches, which relied on limited summaries of the data (e.g., the slope of a scatter plot), and relates to underlying selection parameters in a straightforward way, allowing us to make more reliable inferences about the prevalence and strength of adaptation. Specifically, we develop a coalescent-based model for the shape of the entire curve and use it to infer adaptive parameters by maximum likelihood. Our inference suggests that ∼13% of amino acid substitutions cause selective sweeps. Interestingly, it reveals two classes of beneficial fixations: a minority (approximately 3%) that appears to have had large selective effects and accounts for most of the reduction in diversity, and the remaining 10%, which seem to have had very weak selective effects. These estimates therefore help to reconcile the apparent conflict among previously published estimates of the strength of selection. More generally, our findings provide unequivocal evidence for strongly beneficial substitutions in Drosophila and illustrate how the rapidly accumulating genome-wide data can be leveraged to address enduring questions about the genetic basis of adaptation.

Higher Serum Uric Acid Levels in Multiple Sclerosis Patients After Longterm Interferon Beta Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Toncev Gordana

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Interferon beta is a safe and efficacious treatment for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS. However, there is some evidence that uric acid, a scavenger of peroxynitrite, is involved in MS pathology and that increasing serum uric acid levels might have beneficial therapeutic effects. The aim of this study is to investigate serum uric acid levels in MS patients before and after long-term interferon beta treatment. Blood samples from 101 MS patients (53 receiving interferon beta 1a treatment and 48 receiving interferon beta 1b treatment; 28 male and 73 female; mean age at treatment onset 32,4±7,3 years; mean duration of disease at treatment onset 5,1±3,2 years; mean EDSS 2±1,3 before and after interferon beta treatment (mean treatment duration 3±2 years were analysed. Serum uric acid levels were measured using a quantitative enzymatic assay (Elitech Diagnostic, Sees, France. MS patients had significantly increased serum uric acid levels after treatment compared with those at the beginning of treatment (272,31±78,21 μmol/l vs. 210,17±53,65 μmol/l; p=0,019, Wilcoxon Mann-Whitney U-test. We did not find significant differences in serum uric acid levels between the interferon beta 1a and interferon beta 1b groups (p=0.98. These results indicate that one of the beneficial effects of interferon beta in MS might be based on the elevation of serum uric acid levels as a natural scavenger of peroxynitrite.

Recruitment of Hispanic Students into MIS Curricula

Science.gov (United States)

McHaney, Roger; Martin, Dawne

2007-01-01

This paper provides several suggestions Hispanic student recruitment and retention in MIS or other business curricula. Cultural considerations like allocentrism and familialism are discussed along with the situation at K-State. It is believed that the recruitment and retention of Hispanic students can be influenced positively by considering…

The role of social media in recruiting for clinical trials in pregnancy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahvash Shere

Full Text Available Recruitment of women in the periconceptional period to clinical studies using traditional advertising through medical establishments is difficult and slow. Given the widespread use of the internet as a source for medical information and research, we analyze the impact of social media in the second phase of an ongoing randomized, open-label clinical trial among pregnant women. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of social media as a recruitment tool through the comparison of diverse recruitment techniques in two different phases of the trial.Recruitment in Phase 1 of the study consisted solely of traditional healthcare-based sources. This was compared to Phase 2 of the study where traditional recruitment was continued and expanded, while social media was used as a supplementary source. Yearly recruitment and recruitment rates in the two phases were compared using the Mann Whitney U test. The contributions of each recruitment source to overall recruitment were analyzed, and the impact of potential confounders on recruitment rate was evaluated using a multiple regression and Interrupted Time Series Analysis.In the first phase of the study, with over 56 months of recruitment using traditional sources, 35 women were enrolled in the study, resulting in a mean rate of ±0.62 recruits/month. In the 6 months implementing recruitment through social media, 45 women were recruited, for a 12-fold higher rate of ±7.5 recruits/month. Attrition rates remained constant, suggesting that social media had a positive impact on recruitment. The Interrupted Time Series Analysis detected a significant difference in recruitment after the intervention of social media (p<0.0001 with an evident increase in the number of recruits observed after the use of social media.Clinicians and scientists recruiting for clinical studies should learn how to use online social media platforms to improve recruitment rates, thus increasing recruitment efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

A review on the beneficial aspects of food processing.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boekel, van M.A.J.S.; Fogliano, V.; Pellegrini, N.; Stanton, C.; Scholz, G.; Lalljie, S.P.D.; Somoza, V.; Knorr, D.; Rao Jasti, P.; Eisenbrand, G.

2010-01-01

The manuscript reviews beneficial aspects of food processing with main focus on cooking/heat treatment, including other food-processing techniques (e.g. fermentation). Benefits of thermal processing include inactivation of food-borne pathogens, natural toxins or other detrimental constituents,

Recruitment barriers for prophylactic vaccine trials: A study in Belgium.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrington, Lauriane; Van Damme, Pierre; Vandermeulen, Corinne; Mali, Stéphanie

2017-12-04

Recruitment of volunteers is one of the main challenges in clinical trial management, and there is little information about recruitment barriers for preventative vaccine trials. We investigated both the recruitment barriers and recruitment strategies for preventive vaccine trials in Belgium. A 10 min survey was used as well as interviews of staff at all clinical trial sites in Belgium that regularly perform vaccine trials. We observed that there are successful recruitment strategies and few recruitment issues for trials involving healthy adults and those over 65 years old. However, challenges face the recruitment of paediatric populations, pregnant women, patients and the very elderly (over 85 years old). From these results, we identified three priority areas to increase recruitment for prophylactic vaccine trials in Belgium. These are: the lack of public knowledge about infectious diseases; the lack of resources of healthcare professionals to take part in clinical trials; and the burden to potential volunteers to take part in a trial. These were discussed with stakeholders and solutions were proposed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recruitment rates in workplace physical activity interventions: characteristics for success.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryde, Gemma C; Gilson, Nicholas D; Burton, Nicola W; Brown, Wendy J

2013-01-01

To conduct a systematic review to assess recruitment rates in workplace physical activity (PA) intervention studies and describe characteristics of studies with high recruitment rates. Data Source. Electronic and manual searches were conducted. Workplace PA intervention studies that reported the number of employees invited to participate and the number who responded were included. Studies with recruitment rates of ≥70% were categorized as high with the remaining studies (recruitment rate. Seventy-six percent of studies failed to report recruitment rates (n = 30 included for review). Studies with high recruitment rates (n = 8) tended to have longer study duration (mean 1.6 years) and target smaller cohorts of employees (mean n = 199) than comparison studies (3.9 months; n = 1241). For recruitment strategies and intervention components of high studies, involvement of employees was driven by the organization, with PA interventions provided as part of the working day in paid time. These findings suggest a potential to improve recruitment through targeting small cohorts of employees, incorporating PA as a long-term strategy, facilitating organizationally driven employee involvement, and providing PA interventions during paid time.

A co-culture system with three different primary human cell populations reveals that biomaterials and MSC modulate macrophage-driven fibroblast recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

Caires, Hugo R; Barros da Silva, Patrícia; Barbosa, Mário A; Almeida, Catarina R

2018-03-01

The biological response to implanted biomaterials is a complex and highly coordinated phenomenon involving many different cell types that interact within 3D microenvironments. Here, we increased the complexity of a 3D platform to include at least 3 cell types that play a role in the host response upon scaffold implantation. With this system, it was possible to address how immune responses triggered by 3D biomaterials mediate recruitment of stromal cells that promote tissue regeneration, mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSC), or a foreign body response, fibroblasts. Primary human macrophages yielded the highest fibroblast recruitment when interacting with chitosan scaffolds but not polylactic acid. Interestingly, when there were MSC and fibroblasts in the same environment, macrophages in chitosan scaffolds again promoted a significant increase on fibroblast recruitment, but not of MSC. However, macrophages that were firstly allowed to interact with MSC within the scaffolds were no longer able to recruit fibroblasts. This study illustrates the potential to use different scaffolds to regulate the dynamics of recruitment of proregenerative or fibrotic cell types through immunomodulation. Overall, this work strengths the idea that ex vivo predictive systems need to consider the different players involved in the biological response to biomaterials and that timing of arrival of specific cell types will affect the outcome. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Beneficial Properties of Probiotics

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Lye Huey; Balakrishnan, Kunasundari; Thiagarajah, Kokila; Mohd Ismail, Nor Ismaliza; Yin, Ooi Shao

2016-01-01

Probiotics are live microorganisms that can be found in fermented foods and cultured milk, and are widely used for the preparation of infant food. They are well-known as “health friendly bacteria”, which exhibit various health beneficial properties such as prevention of bowel diseases, improving the immune system, for lactose intolerance and intestinal microbial balance, exhibiting antihypercholesterolemic and antihypertensive effects, alleviation of postmenopausal disorders, and reducing traveller’s diarrhoea. Recent studies have also been focused on their uses in treating skin and oral diseases. In addition to that, modulation of the gut-brain by probiotics has been suggested as a novel therapeutic solution for anxiety and depression. Thus, this review discusses on the current probiotics-based products in Malaysia, criteria for selection of probiotics, and evidences obtained from past studies on how probiotics have been used in preventing intestinal disorders via improving the immune system, acting as an antihypercholesterolemic factor, improving oral and dermal health, and performing as anti-anxiety and anti-depressive agents. PMID:27688852

Stock-environment recruitment analysis for Namibian Cape hake ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Stock-environment recruitment analysis for Namibian Cape hake Merluccius capensis. ... The factors modulating recruitment success of Cape hake Merluccius capensis in Namibian waters are still unresolved. ... AJOL African Journals Online.

Recruiting Adolescent Research Participants: In-Person Compared to Social Media Approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno, Megan A; Waite, Alan; Pumper, Megan; Colburn, Trina; Holm, Matt; Mendoza, Jason

2017-01-01

Recruiting adolescent participants for research is challenging. The purpose of this study was to compare traditional in-person recruitment methods to social media recruitment. We recruited adolescents aged 14-18 years for a pilot physical activity intervention study, including a wearable physical activity tracking device and a Facebook group. Participants were recruited (a) in person from a local high school and an adolescent medicine clinic and (b) through social media, including Facebook targeted ads, sponsored tweets on Twitter, and a blog post. Data collected included total exposure (i.e., reach), engagement (i.e., interaction), and effectiveness. Effectiveness included screening and enrollment for each recruitment method, as well as time and resources spent on each recruitment method. In-person recruitment reached a total of 297 potential participants of which 37 enrolled in the study. Social media recruitment reached a total of 34,272 potential participants of which 8 enrolled in the study. Social media recruitment methods utilized an average of 1.6 hours of staff time and cost an average of $40.99 per participant enrolled, while in-person recruitment methods utilized an average of 0.75 hours of staff time and cost an average of $19.09 per participant enrolled. Social media recruitment reached more potential participants, but the cost per participant enrolled was higher compared to traditional methods. Studies need to consider benefits and downsides of traditional and social media recruitment methods based on study goals and population.

Motor unit recruitment for dynamic tasks: current understanding and future directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Hodson-Tole, Emma F; Wakeling, James M

2009-01-01

Skeletal muscle contains many muscle fibres that are functionally grouped into motor units. For any motor task there are many possible combinations of motor units that could be recruited and it has been proposed that a simple rule, the 'size principle', governs the selection of motor units recruited for different contractions. Motor units can be characterised by their different contractile, energetic and fatigue properties and it is important that the selection of motor units recruited for given movements allows units with the appropriate properties to be activated. Here we review what is currently understood about motor unit recruitment patterns, and assess how different recruitment patterns are more or less appropriate for different movement tasks. During natural movements the motor unit recruitment patterns vary (not always holding to the size principle) and it is proposed that motor unit recruitment is likely related to the mechanical function of the muscles. Many factors such as mechanics, sensory feedback, and central control influence recruitment patterns and consequently an integrative approach (rather than reductionist) is required to understand how recruitment is controlled during different movement tasks. Currently, the best way to achieve this is through in vivo studies that relate recruitment to mechanics and behaviour. Various methods for determining motor unit recruitment patterns are discussed, in particular the recent wavelet-analysis approaches that have allowed motor unit recruitment to be assessed during natural movements. Directions for future studies into motor recruitment within and between functional task groups and muscle compartments are suggested.

Beneficial effects of prolonged blood pressure control after carotid artery stenting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chang A

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Anna Chang,1 Huei-Fong Hung,2 Fang-I Hsieh,3 Wei-Hung Chen,1,4 Hsu-Ling Yeh,1,5 Jiann-Horng Yeh,1,6 Hou-Chang Chiu,1,6 Li-Ming Lien1,4 1Department of Neurology, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei, 2Department of Cardiology, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei, 3School of Public Health, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, 4School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, 5Institute of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, 6School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan Objectives: The main purpose of this study was to investigate whether carotid artery stenting (CAS plus medicine in patients with severe carotid artery stenosis provide a better long-term blood pressure (BP control compared to other medical treatments alone. The other aim was to explore the correlation between post-CAS hypotension within 6 h and long-term BP reductions after CAS. Materials and methods: Patients with severe carotid stenosis were recruited either in the CAS group or in the medication group. BPs and the number of classes of antihypertensive agents were recorded at baseline, 6, and 12 months. Extra BP information was collected at 6 h, 3 days, and 1 month after CAS. Univariate and multivariate linear regressions were performed to test the relationship of BP changes among CAS and medication groups after 6 and 12 months of follow-up. Univariate linear regressions were also used to determine the correlations between the mean or maximal systolic BP (SBP reductions at 6 h and 1 year post-CAS. Results: In total, 72 members in the CAS group and 82 members in the medication group were recruited. Compared with the medication group, patients in the CAS group had greater BP reductions at 6 and 12 months of follow-up after adjusting for confounding factors (13.56 mmHg at 6 months, P=0.0002; 16.98 mmHg at 12 months, P<0.0001. This study also shows significant

Recruitment of black and Latina women to a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Anika; Negron, Rennie; Balbierz, Amy; Bickell, Nina; Howell, Elizabeth A

2013-08-01

Minority women are often not adequately represented in randomized controlled trials, limiting the generalizability of research trial results. We implemented a recruitment strategy for a postpartum depression prevention trial that utilized patient feedback to identify and understand the recruitment barriers of black and Latina postpartum women. Feedback on patients' reasons for trial refusal informed adaptations to the recruitment process. We calculated weekly recruitment rates and analyzed qualitative and quantitative data from patient refusals. Of the 668 women who were approached and completed the consent process, 540 enrolled in the trial and 128 declined participation. Over 52-weeks of recruitment, refusal rates decreased from 40% to 19%. A taxonomy of eight reasons for refusal derived from patient responses identified barriers to recruitment and generated targeted revisions to the recruitment message. A recruitment strategy designed to incorporate and respond to patient feedback improved recruitment of Black and Latina women to a clinical trial.

Identifying British Army infantry recruit population characteristics using biographical data.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiernan, M D; Arthur, A; Repper, J; Mukhuty, S; Fear, N T

2016-04-01

The infantry accounts for more than a quarter of the British Army but there is a lack of data about the social and educational background of its recruits. To provide an insight into British Army infantry recruits' personal, social and educational background prior to enlistment. The study sample consisted of infantry recruits who enlisted into the British Army School of Infantry. Each recruit completed a 95-item biographical questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample in terms of demographic, physical, personal, social and educational attributes. The study sample consisted of 1000 male recruits. Over half of the recruits were consuming alcohol at a hazardous or harmful level prior to enlistment and 60% of recruits had used cannabis prior to joining the Army. Academic attainment was low, with the majority of recruits achieving GCSE grade C and below in most subjects, with 15% not taking any examinations. Over half the recruits had been in trouble with the police and either been suspended or expelled from school. Substance misuse and poor behaviour are highly prevalent among recruits prior to enlistment. Taken alongside existing evidence that some of these problems are commonplace among personnel in regular service, the assumption that the British Army infantry is, in itself, a cause of these behaviours should be questioned. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Engaging workplace representatives in research: what recruitment strategies work best?

Science.gov (United States)

Coole, C; Nouri, F; Narayanasamy, M; Baker, P; Khan, S; Drummond, A

2018-05-23

Workplaces are key stakeholders in work and health but little is known about the methods used to recruit workplace representatives (WRs), including managers, occupational health advisers and colleagues, to externally funded healthcare research studies. To detail the strategies used in recruiting WRs from three areas of the UK to a qualitative study concerning their experience of employees undergoing hip or knee replacement, to compare the strategies and inform recruitment methods for future studies. Six strategies were used to recruit WRs from organizations of different sizes and sectors. Data on numbers approached and responses received were analysed descriptively. Twenty-five WRs were recruited. Recruitment had to be extended outside the main three study areas, and took several months. It proved more difficult to recruit from non-service sectors and small- and medium-sized enterprises. The most successful strategies were approaching organizations that had participated in previous research studies, or known professionally or personally to team members. Recruiting a diverse sample of WRs to healthcare research requires considerable resources and persistence, and a range of strategies. Recruitment is easier where local relationships already exist; the importance of building and maintaining these relationships cannot be underestimated. However, the potential risks of bias and participant fatigue need to be acknowledged and managed. Further studies are needed to explore how WRs can be recruited to health research, and to identify the researcher effort and costs involved in achieving unbiased and representative samples.

The role of social media in recruiting for clinical trials in pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Shere, Mahvash; Zhao, Xiu Yan; Koren, Gideon

2014-01-01

Recruitment of women in the periconceptional period to clinical studies using traditional advertising through medical establishments is difficult and slow. Given the widespread use of the internet as a source for medical information and research, we analyze the impact of social media in the second phase of an ongoing randomized, open-label clinical trial among pregnant women. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of social media as a recruitment tool through the comparison of diverse recruitment techniques in two different phases of the trial. Recruitment in Phase 1 of the study consisted solely of traditional healthcare-based sources. This was compared to Phase 2 of the study where traditional recruitment was continued and expanded, while social media was used as a supplementary source. Yearly recruitment and recruitment rates in the two phases were compared using the Mann Whitney U test. The contributions of each recruitment source to overall recruitment were analyzed, and the impact of potential confounders on recruitment rate was evaluated using a multiple regression and Interrupted Time Series Analysis. In the first phase of the study, with over 56 months of recruitment using traditional sources, 35 women were enrolled in the study, resulting in a mean rate of ±0.62 recruits/month. In the 6 months implementing recruitment through social media, 45 women were recruited, for a 12-fold higher rate of ±7.5 recruits/month. Attrition rates remained constant, suggesting that social media had a positive impact on recruitment. The Interrupted Time Series Analysis detected a significant difference in recruitment after the intervention of social media (precruits observed after the use of social media. Clinicians and scientists recruiting for clinical studies should learn how to use online social media platforms to improve recruitment rates, thus increasing recruitment efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

The Role of Social Media in Recruiting for Clinical Trials in Pregnancy

Science.gov (United States)

Shere, Mahvash; Zhao, Xiu Yan; Koren, Gideon

2014-01-01

Background Recruitment of women in the periconceptional period to clinical studies using traditional advertising through medical establishments is difficult and slow. Given the widespread use of the internet as a source for medical information and research, we analyze the impact of social media in the second phase of an ongoing randomized, open-label clinical trial among pregnant women. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of social media as a recruitment tool through the comparison of diverse recruitment techniques in two different phases of the trial. Methods Recruitment in Phase 1 of the study consisted solely of traditional healthcare-based sources. This was compared to Phase 2 of the study where traditional recruitment was continued and expanded, while social media was used as a supplementary source. Yearly recruitment and recruitment rates in the two phases were compared using the Mann Whitney U test. The contributions of each recruitment source to overall recruitment were analyzed, and the impact of potential confounders on recruitment rate was evaluated using a multiple regression and Interrupted Time Series Analysis. Results In the first phase of the study, with over 56 months of recruitment using traditional sources, 35 women were enrolled in the study, resulting in a mean rate of ±0.62 recruits/month. In the 6 months implementing recruitment through social media, 45 women were recruited, for a 12-fold higher rate of ±7.5 recruits/month. Attrition rates remained constant, suggesting that social media had a positive impact on recruitment. The Interrupted Time Series Analysis detected a significant difference in recruitment after the intervention of social media (psocial media. Conclusions Clinicians and scientists recruiting for clinical studies should learn how to use online social media platforms to improve recruitment rates, thus increasing recruitment efficiency and cost-effectiveness. PMID:24671210

Recruitment for Competencies in Public and Private Sectors

OpenAIRE

Codruța OSOIAN; Monica ZAHARIE

2014-01-01

The capacity to attract highly skilled human resources is dependent on the employee recruitment process implemented by organizations, which plays an important role for their competitiveness on the market. As the concern for the success of the recruitment process in public sectors is becoming more salient, the present study compares the use of recruitment practices in public and private sectors through a survey applied to 97 organizations. It also explores the outcomes in terms of quantity and...

Can understanding squid life-history strategies and recruitment ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Can understanding squid life-history strategies and recruitment improve management? ... range of potentially limiting conditions in different years, they store genetic diversity and stabilize recruitment in time. ... AJOL African Journals Online.

Population structure and recruitment of penaeid shrimps in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Population structure and recruitment of penaeid shrimps in mozambique. ... This study characterizes the population structure and identifies nursery areas and recruitment seasons of penaeid shrimps in the ... AJOL African Journals Online.

Recruiting a young adolescent rural cohort: Costs and lessons learnt

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krestina L. Amon

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Adolescent recruitment into longitudinal health studies is challenging. The aim of this paper is to report the detailed process and costs of recruiting young adolescents and their families into an intensive longitudinal study of the effects of puberty hormones on health, behaviour and wellbeing in early adolescence, based in regional/rural Australia. Methods: Participants were recruited using a saturation strategy of targeted methods (including school visits and community events and non-targeted recruitment approaches (including print and electronic media advertising, and social media. Direct (face-to-face contact with the public and indirect (behind-the-scenes preparatory activities researcher hours were calculated for each of the recruitment strategies. Results: The study recruited 342 adolescent participants and a parent/guardian over two years. School and community-based recruitment required 6.2 and 6.0 researcher hours per activity, respectively. Direct researcher hours were primarily spent on delivering presentations and connecting with community members at community events. The majority of indirect hours were spent preparing and assembling information packs for distribution to students and parents during school visits. Non-targeted recruitment strategies using media advertising were the most frequently used methods. Researchers were estimated to have spent less than one hour for each media activity. In 27 months, an estimated $250,000 was spent on recruitment activities and resources. A combination of methods was used to recruit young adolescents and their families into a longitudinal health study. Conclusions: The financial costs and researcher time committed to this study highlight the labour-intensive nature of recruitment. The data presented are useful for researchers planning longitudinal studies in adolescents.

Recruitment variability of alewives in Lake Michigan

Science.gov (United States)

Madenjian, C.P.; Hook, T.O.; Rutherford, E.S.; Mason, D.M.; Croley, T.E.; Szalai, E.B.; Bence, J.R.

2005-01-01

We used a long-term series of observations on alewife Alosa pseudoharengus abundance that was based on fall bottom-trawl catches to assess the importance of various abiotic and biotic factors on alewife recruitment in Lake Michigan during 1962–2002. We first fit a basic Ricker spawner–recruit model to the lakewide biomass estimates of age-3 recruits and the corresponding spawning stock size; we then fit models for all possible combinations of the following four external variables added to the basic model: an index of salmonine predation on an alewife year-class, an index for the spring–summer water temperatures experienced by alewives during their first year in the lake, an index of the severity of the first winter experienced by alewives in the lake, and an index of lake productivity during an alewife year-class's second year in the lake. Based on an information criterion, the best model for alewife recruitment included indices of salmonine predation and spring–summer water temperatures as external variables. Our analysis corroborated the contention that a decline in alewife abundance during the 1970s and early 1980s in Lake Michigan was driven by salmonine predation. Furthermore, our findings indicated that the extraordinarily warm water temperatures during the spring and summer of 1998 probably led to a moderately high recruitment of age-3 alewives in 2001, despite abundant salmonines.

Selectivity lists of pesticides to beneficial arthropods for IPM programs in carrot--first results.

Science.gov (United States)

Hautier, L; Jansen, J-P; Mabon, N; Schiffers, B

2005-01-01

In order to improve IPM programs in carrot, 7 fungicides, 12 herbicides and 9 insecticides commonly used in Belgium were tested for their toxicity towards five beneficial arthropods representative of most important natural enemies encountered in carrot: parasitic wasps - Aphidius rhopalosiphi (De Stefani-Perez) (Hym., Aphidiidae), ladybirds - Adalia bipunctata (L.) (Col., Coccinellidae), hoverfly - Episyrphus balteatus (Dipt.. Syrphidae), rove beetle - Aleochara bilineata (Col., Staphylinidae) and carabid beetle - Bembidion lampros (Col., Carabidae). Initialy, all plant protection products were tested on inert substrate glass plates or sand according to the insect. Products with a corrected mortality (CM) or a parasitism reduction (PR) lower than 30% were kept for the constitution of positive list (green list). The other compounds were further tested on plant for A. rhopalosiphi, A. bipunctata, E. balteatus and soil for B. lampros and A. bilineata. With these extended laboratory tests results, products were listed in toxicity class: green category [CM or PR harmless to beneficials except Tebuconazole, which was slightly harmful for A. bipunctata. Herbicides were also harmless for soil beneficials, except Chlorpropham. This product was very toxic on sand towards A. bilineata and must be tested on soil. All soil insecticides tested were very toxic for ground beneficials and considered as non-selective. Their use in IPM is subject to questioning in view of negative impacts on beneficials. Among foliar insecticides, Dimethoate and Deltamethrin are not recommended for IPM because their high toxicity for all beneficials. The other foliar insecticides were more selective; any of them were harmless for all species tested.

Combination of soya pulp and Bacillus coagulans lilac-01 improves intestinal bile acid metabolism without impairing the effects of prebiotics in rats fed a cholic acid-supplemented diet.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Yeonmi; Yoshitsugu, Reika; Kikuchi, Keidai; Joe, Ga-Hyun; Tsuji, Misaki; Nose, Takuma; Shimizu, Hidehisa; Hara, Hiroshi; Minamida, Kimiko; Miwa, Kazunori; Ishizuka, Satoshi

2016-08-01

Intestinal bacteria are involved in bile acid (BA) deconjugation and/or dehydroxylation and are responsible for the production of secondary BA. However, an increase in the production of secondary BA modulates the intestinal microbiota due to the bactericidal effects and promotes cancer risk in the liver and colon. The ingestion of Bacillus coagulans improves constipation via the activation of bowel movement to promote defaecation in humans, which may alter BA metabolism in the intestinal contents. BA secretion is promoted with high-fat diet consumption, and the ratio of cholic acid (CA):chenodeoxycholic acid in primary BA increases with ageing. The dietary supplementation of CA mimics the BA environment in diet-induced obesity and ageing. We investigated whether B. coagulans lilac-01 and soya pulp influence both BA metabolism and the maintenance of host health in CA-supplemented diet-fed rats. In CA-fed rats, soya pulp significantly increased the production of secondary BA such as deoxycholic acid and ω-muricholic acids, and soya pulp ingestion alleviated problems related to plasma adiponectin and gut permeability in rats fed the CA diet. The combination of B. coagulans and soya pulp successfully suppressed the increased production of secondary BA in CA-fed rats compared with soya pulp itself, without impairing the beneficial effects of soya pulp ingestion. In conclusion, it is possible that a combination of prebiotics and probiotics can be used to avoid an unnecessary increase in the production of secondary BA in the large intestine without impairing the beneficial functions of prebiotics.

STI patients are effective recruiters of undiagnosed cases of HIV: results of a social contact recruitment study in Malawi.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenberg, Nora E; Kamanga, Gift; Pettifor, Audrey E; Bonongwe, Naomi; Mapanje, Clement; Rutstein, Sarah E; Ward, Michelle; Hoffman, Irving F; Martinson, Francis; Miller, William C

2014-04-15

Patients with newly diagnosed HIV may be part of social networks with elevated prevalence of undiagnosed HIV infection. Social network recruitment by persons with newly diagnosed HIV may efficiently identify undiagnosed cases of HIV infection. We assessed social network recruitment as a strategy for identifying undiagnosed cases of HIV infection. In a sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi, 3 groups of 45 "seeds" were enrolled: STI patients with newly diagnosed HIV, STI patients who were HIV-uninfected, and community controls. Seeds were asked to recruit up to 5 social "contacts" (sexual or nonsexual). Mean number of contacts recruited per group was calculated. HIV prevalence ratios (PRs) and number of contacts needed to test to identify 1 new case of HIV were compared between groups using generalized estimating equations with exchangeable correlation matrices. Mean number of contacts recruited was 1.3 for HIV-infected clinic seeds, 1.8 for HIV-uninfected clinic seeds, and 2.3 for community seeds. Contacts of HIV-infected clinic seeds had a higher HIV prevalence (PR: 3.2, 95% confidence interval: 1.3 to 7.8) than contacts of community seeds, but contacts of HIV-uninfected clinic seeds did not (PR: 1.1, 95% confidence interval: 0.4 to 3.3). Results were similar when restricted to nonsexual contacts. To identify 1 new case of HIV, it was necessary to test 8 contacts of HIV-infected clinic seeds, 10 contacts of HIV-uninfected clinic seeds, and 18 contacts of community seeds. Social contact recruitment by newly diagnosed STI patients efficiently led to new HIV diagnoses. Research to replicate findings and guide implementation is needed.

Perceived infrastructural factors afffecting adoption of e-recruitment ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Perceived infrastructural factors afffecting adoption of e-recruitment among Human ... The emerging Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become a vital tool in the conduct of staff recruitment. ... AJOL African Journals Online.

Seedling recruitment of Colophospermum mopane on the Highveld ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Seedling recruitment of Colophospermum mopane on the Highveld of Zimbabwe: research note. ... Open areas with bare ground or sparse grass cover were favourable sites for seedling recruitment. Seedlings ... AJOL African Journals Online.

Intestinal innate antiviral immunity and immunobiotics: beneficial effects against rotavirus infection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julio Villena

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The mucosal tissues of the gastrointestinal tract are the main portal entry of pathogens such as rotavirus (RVs, which is a leading cause of death due to diarrhea among young children across the globe and a major cause of severe acute intestinal infection in livestock animals. The interactions between intestinal epithelial cells (IECs and immune cells with RVs have been studied for several years, and now it is known that the innate immune responses triggered by this virus can have both beneficial and detrimental effects for the host. It was demonstrated that natural RVs infection in infants and experimental challenges in mice result in the intestinal activation of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs like Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3 and striking secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators that can lead to increased local tissue damage and immunopathology. Therefore, modulating desregulated intestinal immune responses triggered by PRRs activation are a significant promise for reducing the burden of RVs diseases. The ability of immunoregulatory probiotic microorganisms (immunobiotics to protect against intestinal infections such as those caused by RVs, are among the oldest effects studied for these important group of beneficial microbes. In this review, we provide an update of the current status on the modulation of intestinal antiviral innate immunity by immunobiotics, and their beneficial impact on RVs infection. In addition, we describe the research of our group that demonstrated the capacity of immunobiotic strains to beneficially modulated TLR3-triggered immune response in IECs, reduce the disruption of intestinal homeostasis caused by intraepithelial lymphocytes, and improve the resistance to RVs infections.

Chemical compounds of the foraging recruitment pheromone in bumblebees

Science.gov (United States)

Granero, Angeles Mena; Sanz, José M. Guerra; Gonzalez, Francisco J. Egea; Vidal, José L. Martinez; Dornhaus, Anna; Ghani, Junaid; Serrano, Ana Roldán; Chittka, Lars

2005-08-01

When the frenzied and irregular food-recruitment dances of bumblebees were first discovered, it was thought that they might represent an evolutionary prototype to the honeybee waggle dance. It later emerged that the primary function of the bumblebee dance was the distribution of an alerting pheromone. Here, we identify the chemical compounds of the bumblebee recruitment pheromone and their behaviour effects. The presence of two monoterpenes and one sesquiterpene (eucalyptol, ocimene and farnesol) in the nest airspace and in the tergal glands increases strongly during foraging. Of these, eucalyptol has the strongest recruitment effect when a bee nest is experimentally exposed to it. Since honeybees use terpenes for marking food sources rather than recruiting foragers inside the nest, this suggests independent evolutionary roots of food recruitment in these two groups of bees.

Recruiting for health, medical or psychosocial research using Facebook: Systematic review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Louise Thornton

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Recruiting participants is a challenge for many health, medical and psychosocial research projects. One tool more frequently being used to improve recruitment is the social networking website Facebook. A systematic review was conducted to identify studies that have used Facebook to recruit participants of all ages, to any psychosocial, health or medical research. 110 unique studies that used Facebook as a recruitment source were included in the review. The majority of studies used a cross-sectional design (80% and addressed a physical health or disease issue (57%. Half (49% of the included studies reported specific details of the Facebook recruitment process. Researchers paid between $1.36 and $110 per completing participants (Mean = $17.48, SD = $23.06. Among studies that examined the representativeness of their sample, the majority concluded (86% their Facebook-recruited samples were similarly representative of samples recruited via traditional methods. These results indicate that Facebook is an effective and cost-efficient recruitment method. Researchers should consider their target group, advertisement wording, offering incentives and no-cost methods of recruitment when considering Facebook as a recruitment source. It is hoped this review will assist researchers to make decisions regarding the use of Facebook as a recruitment tool in future research.

Orderly recruitment of motor units under optical control in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Llewellyn, Michael E; Thompson, Kimberly R; Deisseroth, Karl; Delp, Scott L

2010-10-01

A drawback of electrical stimulation for muscle control is that large, fatigable motor units are preferentially recruited before smaller motor units by the lowest-intensity electrical cuff stimulation. This phenomenon limits therapeutic applications because it is precisely the opposite of the normal physiological (orderly) recruitment pattern; therefore, a mechanism to achieve orderly recruitment has been a long-sought goal in physiology, medicine and engineering. Here we demonstrate a technology for reliable orderly recruitment in vivo. We find that under optical control with microbial opsins, recruitment of motor units proceeds in the physiological recruitment sequence, as indicated by multiple independent measures of motor unit recruitment including conduction latency, contraction and relaxation times, stimulation threshold and fatigue. As a result, we observed enhanced performance and reduced fatigue in vivo. These findings point to an unanticipated new modality of neural control with broad implications for nervous system and neuromuscular physiology, disease research and therapeutic innovation.

Church-Based Recruitment to Reach Korean Immigrants: An Integrative Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Chorong; Jang, Myoungock; Nam, Soohyun; Grey, Margaret; Whittemore, Robin

2017-04-01

Although the Korean church has been frequently used to recruit Korean immigrants in research, little is known about the specific strategies and process. The purpose of this integrative review was to describe recruitment strategies in studies of Korean immigrants and to identify the process of Korean church-based recruitment. Thirty-three studies met inclusion criteria. Four stages of church-based recruitment were identified: initiation, endorsement, advertisement, and implementation. This review identified aspects of the church-based recruitment process in Korean immigrants, which are different from the Black and Hispanic literature, due to their hierarchical culture and language barriers. Getting permission from pastors and announcing the study by pastors at Sunday services were identified as the key components of the process. Using the church newsletter to advertise the study was the most effective strategy for the advertisement stage. Despite several limitations, church-based recruitment is a very feasible and effective way to recruit Korean immigrants.

Paid and Unpaid Online Recruitment for Health Interventions in Young Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Musiat, Peter; Winsall, Megan; Orlowski, Simone; Antezana, Gaston; Schrader, Geoffrey; Battersby, Malcolm; Bidargaddi, Niranjan

2016-12-01

There is a growing need to identify new and innovative approaches to recruit representative samples of young adults in health intervention research. The current study used a data set of screening information from an online well-being intervention trial of young adults, to investigate cost-effectiveness of different recruitment strategies and whether the clinical and demographic characteristics of participants differed depending on paid or unpaid online recruitment sources. Data were collected from 334 18- to 25-year-old Australians. The study was advertised through a variety of paid and unpaid online recruitment channels (e.g., Google, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, recruitment agency), with response rates to different recruitment channels tracked using unique Web links. Well-being of participants was measured using the Mental Health Continuum Short Form. Analyses consisted of independent t tests and χ 2 tests. Overall, unpaid recruitment channels had a considerably higher yield than paid recruitment channels. Of paid recruitment channels, a recruitment agency and paid Facebook advertisements attracted the largest number of individuals. This study also found differences between paid and unpaid online recruitment channels with regard to the well-being and mood of participants. Although the success of online recruitment channels is likely subject to a complex interplay between the number of exposures, the targeted sample, the wording, and placement of the advertisement, as well as study characteristics, our study demonstrated that unpaid recruitment channels are more effective than paid channels and that paid and unpaid channels may result in samples with different characteristics. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. All rights reserved.

The Use of Gamification at Different Levels of E-Recruitment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacek WOŹNIAK

2015-06-01

Full Text Available E-recruitment is a field of human resources where ICT tools are frequently used. We popularly assume that the scope with which they are used differs between countries, and that technical structure is the main reason for these differences. However, we lack the tools to explain why e-recruitment is considered more common in the US than in Poland, for instance, despite similar access to the Internet among employees and employers in both countries. The article presents a typology of four levels of e-recruitment methods, as a tool for explaining the differences in the maturity of using e-recruitment methods in these two countries. Additionally, for each of the four groups of e-recruitment methods, strong and weak points are shown, and the keys to their successful use are described. It has been also shown that a positive image of a company’s brand is a necessary condition for higher levels of e-recruitment to be successful. A special analysis is conducted of the use of gamification and games for e-recruitment purposes, and examples are given of their use on each of the four e-recruitment levels.

Osteoblast recruitment routes in human cancellous bone remodeling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Helene Bjørg; Andersen, Thomas Levin; Marcussen, Niels

2014-01-01

It is commonly proposed that bone forming osteoblasts recruited during bone remodeling originate from bone marrow perivascular cells, bone remodeling compartment canopy cells, or bone lining cells. However, an assessment of osteoblast recruitment during adult human cancellous bone remodeling...... is lacking. We addressed this question by quantifying cell densities, cell proliferation, osteoblast differentiation markers, and capillaries in human iliac crest biopsy specimens. We found that recruitment occurs on both reversal and bone-forming surfaces, as shown by the cell density and osterix levels...

Dietary fatty acids alter blood pressure, behavior and brain membrane composition of hypertensive rats

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Wilde, MC; Hogyes, E; Kiliaan, AJ; Farkas, T; Luiten, PGM; Farkas, E; Wilde, Martijn C. de; Hőgyes, Endre; Kiliaan, Amanda J.

2003-01-01

The beneficial effect of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on developing hypertension has been repeatedly demonstrated. However. related changes in brain membrane composition and its cognitive correlates have remained unclear. Our study aimed at a comprehensive analysis of behavior and

Recruiting and Retaining Cyberwarriors

Science.gov (United States)

2008-02-07

2007 hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Information Policy, Gregory Wilshusen, director of Information Technology at...Abbott Laboratories in Chicago, recruiters are reaching out to College students by offering flexible work schedules, telecommuting , full tuition

Recruitment bias in chronic pain research: whiplash as a model.

Science.gov (United States)

Nijs, Jo; Inghelbrecht, Els; Daenen, Liesbeth; Hachimi-Idrissi, Said; Hens, Luc; Willems, Bert; Roussel, Nathalie; Cras, Patrick; Wouters, Kristien; Bernheim, Jan

2011-11-01

In science findings which cannot be extrapolated to other settings are of little value. Recruitment methods vary widely across chronic whiplash studies, but it remains unclear whether this generates recruitment bias. The present study aimed to examine whether the recruitment method accounts for differences in health status, social support, and personality traits in patients with chronic whiplash-associated disorders (WAD). Two different recruitment methods were compared: recruiting patients through a local whiplash patient support group (group 1) and local hospital emergency department (group 2). The participants (n=118) filled in a set of questionnaires: the Neck Disability Index, Medical Outcome Study Short-Form General Health Survey, Anamnestic Comparative Self-Assessment measure of overall well-being, Symptom Checklist-90, Dutch Personality Questionnaire, and the Social Support List. The recruitment method (either through the local emergency department or patient support group) accounted for the differences in insufficiency, somatization, disability, quality of life, self-satisfaction, and dominance (all p values recruitment methods generated chronic WAD patients comparable for psychoneurotism, social support, self-sufficiency, (social) inadequacy, rigidity, and resentment (p>.01). The recruitment of chronic WAD patients solely through patient support groups generates bias with respect to the various aspects of health status and personality, but not social support. In order to enhance the external validity of study findings, chronic WAD studies should combine a variety of recruitment procedures.

FFAR4 (GPR120) signaling is not required for anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitizing effects of omega-3 fatty acids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pærregaard, Simone Isling; Andersen, Marianne Agerholm; Serup, Annette Karen Lundbeck

2016-01-01

Free fatty acid receptor-4 (FFAR4), also known as GPR120, has been reported to mediate the beneficial effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω3-PUFAs) by inducing an anti-inflammatory immune response. Thus, activation of FFAR4 has been reported to ameliorate chronic low-grade inflammation...

Making the most of on-line recruiting.

Science.gov (United States)

Cappelli, P

2001-03-01

Ninety percent of large U.S. companies are already recruiting via the Internet. By simply logging on to the Web, company recruiters can locate vast numbers of qualified candidates for jobs at every level, screen them in minutes, and contact the most promising ones immediately. The payoffs can be enormous: it costs substantially less to hire someone on-line, and the time saved is equally great. In this article, Peter Cappelli examines some of the emerging service providers and technologies--matchmakers, job boards, hiring management systems software, and applicant-screening mechanisms that test skills and record interests. He also looks at some of the strategies companies are adopting as they enter on-line labor markets. Recruiting needs to be refashioned to resemble marketing, he stresses. Accordingly, smart companies are designing Web pages, and even product ads, with potential recruits in mind. They're giving line managers authority to hire so that candidates in cyberspace aren't lost. They're building internal on-line job networks to retain talent. Integrating recruiting efforts with overall marketing campaigns, especially through coordination and identification with the company's brand, is the most important thing companies can do to ensure success in on-line hiring. Along the way, Cappelli sounds two cautionary notes. First, a human touch, not electronic contact, is vital in the last steps of a successful hiring process. Second, companies must make sure that on-line testing and hiring criteria do not discriminate against women, disabled people, workers over 40, or members of minority groups. When competition for talent is fierce, companies that master the art and science of on-line recruiting will be the ones that attract and keep the best people.