The twelve colourful stones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doria, R.M.

1983-01-01

A dynamics with twelve colourful stones is created based on the concepts of gauge and colour. It is associated different gauge fields to the same group. A group of gauge invariant Lagrangians is established. A gauge invariant mass term is introduced. The colourful stones physical insight is to be building blocks for quarks and leptons. (Author) [pt

Twelve-Year Trends of PM10 and Visibility in the Hefei Metropolitan Area of China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lin Huang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available China has been experiencing severe air pollution and previous studies have mostly focused on megacities and a few hot spot regions. Hefei, the provincial capital city of Anhui province, has a population of near 5 million in its metropolitan area, but its air quality has not been reported in literature. In this study, daily PM10 and visibility data in 2001–2012 were analyzed to investigate the air quality status as well as the twelve-year pollution trends in Hefei. The results reveal that Hefei has been suffering high PM10 pollution and low visibility during the study period. The annual average PM10 concentrations are 2~3 times of the Chinese Ambient Air Quality Standard. PM10 shows fluctuating variation in 2001–2007 and has a slightly decreasing trend after 2008. The annual average visibility range is generally lower than 7 km and shows a worsening trend from 2001 to 2006 followed by an improving trend from 2007 to 2012. Wind speed, precipitation, and relative humidity have negative effects on PM10 concentrations in Hefei, while temperature could positively or negatively affect PM10. The results provide a general understanding of the status and long-term trends of PM10 pollution and visibility in a typical second-tier city in China.

Peucedanum ostruthium (L. Koch: Morphological and phytochemical variability of twelve accessions from the Swiss alpine region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

McCardell, Jessica Heather

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Ostruthin, a natural bioactive compound mainly occurring in the roots of Peucedanum ostruthium, is the focus of this study. P. ostruthium was collected from twelve locations in the Swiss alpine region and reared in an experimental field, subdivided into twelve lots over two years. In the spring and fall, a portion of each of the twelve accessions was harvested and separated into above and below ground plant parts. The dried plants were then extracted with 60 % ethanol using accelerated solvent extraction (ASE and analyzed using high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC.The above and below ground plant parts were then analyzed concerning their dry matter yield (DMY, their ostruthin concentration and their ostruthin yield. Focusing on ostruthin, it was found that the below ground plant parts harvested in the fall rendered the highest ostruthin yield. Furthermore, a variability concerning ostruthin among the twelve accessions was found. This variability among the accessions is of interest with regards to a breeding program used to develop a cultivar with a high ostruthin yield.

The twelve colourful stones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doria, R.M.

1984-01-01

The gauge symmetry is extended. It is associated differents matter and gauge fields to the same group. A group of gauge invariant Lagrangians is established. A gauge invariant mass term is introduced. A massive Yang Mills is obtained. A dynamics with twelve colourful stones is created based on the concepts of gauge and colour. Structures identified as quarks and leptons are generated. A discussion about colour meaning is presented. (Author) [pt

Mythematics Solving the Twelve Labors of Hercules

CERN Document Server

Huber, Michael

2009-01-01

How might Hercules, the most famous of the Greek heroes, have used mathematics to complete his astonishing Twelve Labors? From conquering the Nemean Lion and cleaning out the Augean Stables, to capturing the Erymanthean Boar and entering the Underworld to defeat the three-headed dog Cerberus, Hercules and his legend are the inspiration for this book of fun and original math puzzles. While Hercules relied on superhuman strength to accomplish the Twelve Labors, Mythematics shows how math could have helped during his quest. How does Hercules defeat the Lernean Hydra and stop its heads from multip

Development of twelve microsatellite loci in the red tree corals Primnoa resedaeformis and Primnoa pacifica

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison, Cheryl L.; Springmann, Marcus J.; Shroades, Kelsey; Stone, Robert P.

2015-01-01

A suite of tetra-, penta-, and hexa-nucleotide microsatellite loci were developed from Roche 454 pyrosequencing data for the cold-water octocorals Primnoa resedaeformis and P. pacifica. Twelve of 98 primer sets tested consistently amplified in 30 P. resedaeformis samples from Baltimore Canyon (western North Atlantic Ocean) and in 24 P. pacifica samples (Shutter Ridge, eastern Gulf of Alaska). The loci displayed moderate levels of allelic diversity (average 7.5 alleles/locus) and heterozygosity (average 47 %). Levels of genetic diversity were sufficient to produce unique multi-locus genotypes and to distinguish species. These common species are long-lived (hundreds of years) and provide essential fish habitat (P. pacifica), yet populations are provided little protection from human activities. These loci will be used to determine regional patterns of population connectivity to inform effective marine spatial planning and ecosystem-based fisheries management.

Twelve-year course and outcome predictors of anorexia nervosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Fichter, Manfred M; Quadflieg, Norbert; Hedlund, Susanne

2006-03-01

The current study presents the long-term course of anorexia nervosa (AN) over 12 years in a large sample of 103 patients diagnosed according to criteria in the 4th ed. of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Assessments were made at the beginning of therapy, at the end of therapy, at the 2-year follow-up, at the 6-year follow-up, and at the 12-year follow-up. Self-rating and an expert-rating interview data were obtained. The participation rate at the 12-year follow-up was 88% of those alive. There was substantial improvement during therapy, a moderate (in many instances nonsignificant) decline during the first 2 years posttreatment, and further improvement from 3 to 12 years posttreatment. Based on a global 12-year outcome score, 27.5% had a good outcome, 25.3% an intermediate outcome, 39.6% had a poor outcome, and 7 (7.7%) were deceased. At the 12-year follow-up 19.0% had AN, 9.5% had bulimia nervosa-purging type (BN-P), 19.0% were classified as eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS). A total of 52.4% showed no major DSM-IV eating disorder and 0% had binge eating disorder (BED). Systematic-strictly empirically based-model building resulted in a parsimonious model including four predictors of unfavorable 12-year outcome explaining 45% of the variance, that is, sexual problems, impulsivity, long duration of inpatient treatment, and long duration of an eating disorder. Mortality was high and symptomatic recovery protracted. Impulsivity, symptom severity, and chronicity were the important factors for predicting the 12-year outcome.

Twelve Years of Education and Public Outreach with the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope

Science.gov (United States)

Cominsky, Lynn R.; McLin, K. M.; Simonnet, A.; Fermi E/PO Team

2013-04-01

During the past twelve years, NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has supported a wide range of Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) activities, targeting K-14 students and the general public. The purpose of the Fermi E/PO program is to increase student and public understanding of the science of the high-energy Universe, through inspiring, engaging and educational activities linked to the mission’s science objectives. The E/PO program has additional more general goals, including increasing the diversity of students in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) pipeline, and increasing public awareness and understanding of Fermi science and technology. Fermi's multi-faceted E/PO program includes elements in each major outcome category: ● Higher Education: Fermi E/PO promotes STEM careers through the use of NASA data including research experiences for students and teachers (Global Telescope Network), education through STEM curriculum development projects (Cosmology curriculum) and through enrichment activities (Large Area Telescope simulator). ● Elementary and Secondary education: Fermi E/PO links the science objectives of the Fermi mission to well-tested, customer-focused and NASA-approved standards-aligned classroom materials (Black Hole Resources, Active Galaxy Education Unit and Pop-up book, TOPS guides, Supernova Education Unit). These materials have been distributed through (Educator Ambassador and on-line) teacher training workshops and through programs involving under-represented students (after-school clubs and Astro 4 Girls). ● Informal education and public outreach: Fermi E/PO engages the public in sharing the experience of exploration and discovery through high-leverage multi-media experiences (Black Holes planetarium and PBS NOVA shows), through popular websites (Gamma-ray Burst Skymap, Epo's Chronicles), social media (Facebook, MySpace), interactive web-based activities (Space Mysteries, Einstein@Home) and activities by

Human Spaceflight Conjunction Assessment: Lessons Learned

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Jason T.

2011-01-01

This viewgraph presentation reviews the process of a human space flight conjunction assessment and lessons learned from the more than twelve years of International Space Station (ISS) operations. Also, the application of these lessons learned to a recent ISS conjunction assessment with object 84180 on July 16, 2009 is also presented.

Twelve Years in the Life of Airline Websites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Michael Powell

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Perhaps no innovation in history has affected marketing management as pervasively as has the advent of e-commerce. This revolutionary new channel has required businesses to acquire an entirely new set of skills and approaches to promotion, pricing, and distribution. The necessity for e-commerce website operators to more deeply understand consumer behavior when engaged in e-commerce has become a central and crucial factor in website success or failure. As predicted nearly 20 years ago, travel bookings have moved almost entirely to the World Wide Web (WWW. For the past 12 years, data have been collected concerning traveler’s preferences, concerns, and perceptions of airline websites in particular. This research reviews and comments on the evolution of those sites and consumer perceptions of efficiency, ease of use, and usefulness. The results of this study are intended to guide airlines in their pursuit of customer satisfaction and increased profits.

Comparative analysis and supragenome modeling of twelve Moraxella catarrhalis clinical isolates.

Science.gov (United States)

Davie, Jeremiah J; Earl, Josh; de Vries, Stefan P W; Ahmed, Azad; Hu, Fen Z; Bootsma, Hester J; Stol, Kim; Hermans, Peter W M; Wadowsky, Robert M; Ehrlich, Garth D; Hays, John P; Campagnari, Anthony A

2011-01-26

M. catarrhalis is a gram-negative, gamma-proteobacterium and an opportunistic human pathogen associated with otitis media (OM) and exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). With direct and indirect costs for treating these conditions annually exceeding $33 billion in the United States alone, and nearly ubiquitous resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics among M. catarrhalis clinical isolates, a greater understanding of this pathogen's genome and its variability among isolates is needed. The genomic sequences of ten geographically and phenotypically diverse clinical isolates of M. catarrhalis were determined and analyzed together with two publicly available genomes. These twelve genomes were subjected to detailed comparative and predictive analyses aimed at characterizing the supragenome and understanding the metabolic and pathogenic potential of this species. A total of 2383 gene clusters were identified, of which 1755 are core with the remaining 628 clusters unevenly distributed among the twelve isolates. These findings are consistent with the distributed genome hypothesis (DGH), which posits that the species genome possesses a far greater number of genes than any single isolate. Multiple and pair-wise whole genome alignments highlight limited chromosomal re-arrangement. M. catarrhalis gene content and chromosomal organization data, although supportive of the DGH, show modest overall genic diversity. These findings are in stark contrast with the reported heterogeneity of the species as a whole, as wells as to other bacterial pathogens mediating OM and COPD, providing important insight into M. catarrhalis pathogenesis that will aid in the development of novel therapeutic regimens.

Ten colour photometry of twelve Ap-stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Musielok, B.; Lange, D.; Schoeneich, W.; Hildebrandt, G.; Zelwanowa, E.; Hempelmann, A.; Salmanov, G.

1980-01-01

Ten-colour photoelectric observations are presented for twelve Ap-stars. Improved ephemeris for seven of them is given. Phase relations between the light curves and line intensity variations are discussed. The problem of the electromagnetic flux conctancy of IOTA Cas is approached from a qualitative point of view. (author)

SU-F-T-491: Photon Beam Matching Analysis at Multiple Sites Up to Twelve Years Post Installation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Able, C [Florida Cancer Specialists - New Port Richey, New Port Richey, FL (United States); Zakikhani, R [Florida Cancer Specialists - Largo, Largo, FL (United States); Yan, K [Florida Cancer Specialists- Tampa, Tampa, FL (United States); Sha, D [Florida Cancer Specialist - New Port Richey, New Port Richey, FL (United States); Chopra, A [Florida Cancer Specialist - Brooksville, Spring Hill, FL (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To determine if the photon beams associated with several models of accelerators are matched with ‘Golden Beam’ data (VGBD) to assess treatment planning modeling and delivery. Methods: Six accelerators’ photon beams were evaluated to determine if they matched the manufacturer’s (Varian Medical Systems, Inc.) VGBD. Additional direct comparisons of the 6X and 18X beams using the manufacturer’s specification of Basic and Fine beam matching were also performed. The Cseries accelerator models were 21 EX (3), IX (2), and a IX Trilogy, ranging from three to twelve years post installation. Computerized beam scanning was performed (IBA Blue Phantom 2) with 2 CC13 ion chambers in water at 100 cm SSD. Dmax (10 cm2 field size), percentage depth dose (6 cm2, 10 cm2, 20 cm2, and 30 cm2 field sizes) and beam uniformity (10 cm2, 30 cm2 and 40 cm2 field sizes) were evaluated. Results: When comparing the beams with VGBD using the ‘Basic’ matching criteria, all beams were within the specifications ( 1.5mm at dmax, 1% PDD, and 2% Profiles). When considering the “Fine” matching criteria ( 1.5mm at dmax, 0.5% PDD, and 2% Profiles), only three of six 6MV beams and two of six high energy (five 18MV & one 15MV) beams passed. Direct comparisons between accelerators using the Clinac IX (installed 2012) as the reference beam datasets resulted in all 6 MV and 18MV beams meeting both the “Basic” and “Fine” criterion with the exception of two accelerators. Conclusion: Linear accelerators installed up to nine years apart are capable of meeting the manufacturers beam matching criteria for “Basic” matching. Without any adjustments most beams, when evaluated, may meet the “Fine” match criteria. The use of a single dataset (VGBD or designated accelerator reference data) for treatment planning commissioning is acceptable and can provide quality treatment delivery.

The effects of planting density and cultural intensity on loblolly pine crown characteristics at age twelve

Science.gov (United States)

Madison Akers; Michael Kane; Robert Teskey; Richard Daniels; Dehai Zhao; Santosh Subedi

2012-01-01

Twelve-year old loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) stands were analyzed for the effects of planting density and cultural intensity on tree and crown attributes. Four study installations were located in the Piedmont and Upper Coastal Plain regions of the U.S. South. The treatments included six planting densities (740, 1480, 2220, 2960, 3700, 4440 trees...

Stress, burnout and doctors' attitudes to work are determined by personality and learning style: a twelve year longitudinal study of UK medical graduates.

Science.gov (United States)

McManus, I C; Keeling, A; Paice, E

2004-08-18

The study investigated the extent to which approaches to work, workplace climate, stress, burnout and satisfaction with medicine as a career in doctors aged about thirty are predicted by measures of learning style and personality measured five to twelve years earlier when the doctors were applicants to medical school or were medical students. Prospective study of a large cohort of doctors. The participants were first studied when they applied to any of five UK medical schools in 1990. Postal questionnaires were sent to all doctors with a traceable address on the current or a previous Medical Register. The current questionnaire included measures of Approaches to Work, Workplace Climate, stress (General Health Questionnaire), burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory), and satisfaction with medicine as a career and personality (Big Five). Previous questionnaires had included measures of learning style (Study Process Questionnaire) and personality. Doctors' approaches to work were predicted by study habits and learning styles, both at application to medical school and in the final year. How doctors perceive their workplace climate and workload is predicted both by approaches to work and by measures of stress, burnout and satisfaction with medicine. These characteristics are partially predicted by trait measures of personality taken five years earlier. Stress, burnout and satisfaction also correlate with trait measures of personality taken five years earlier. Differences in approach to work and perceived workplace climate seem mainly to reflect stable, long-term individual differences in doctors themselves, reflected in measures of personality and learning style.

Comparative analysis and supragenome modeling of twelve Moraxella catarrhalis clinical isolates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hermans Peter WM

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background M. catarrhalis is a gram-negative, gamma-proteobacterium and an opportunistic human pathogen associated with otitis media (OM and exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD. With direct and indirect costs for treating these conditions annually exceeding $33 billion in the United States alone, and nearly ubiquitous resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics among M. catarrhalis clinical isolates, a greater understanding of this pathogen's genome and its variability among isolates is needed. Results The genomic sequences of ten geographically and phenotypically diverse clinical isolates of M. catarrhalis were determined and analyzed together with two publicly available genomes. These twelve genomes were subjected to detailed comparative and predictive analyses aimed at characterizing the supragenome and understanding the metabolic and pathogenic potential of this species. A total of 2383 gene clusters were identified, of which 1755 are core with the remaining 628 clusters unevenly distributed among the twelve isolates. These findings are consistent with the distributed genome hypothesis (DGH, which posits that the species genome possesses a far greater number of genes than any single isolate. Multiple and pair-wise whole genome alignments highlight limited chromosomal re-arrangement. Conclusions M. catarrhalis gene content and chromosomal organization data, although supportive of the DGH, show modest overall genic diversity. These findings are in stark contrast with the reported heterogeneity of the species as a whole, as wells as to other bacterial pathogens mediating OM and COPD, providing important insight into M. catarrhalis pathogenesis that will aid in the development of novel therapeutic regimens.

Bacteriological And Clinical Evaluation Of Twelve Cases Of Post ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Bacteriological And Clinical Evaluation Of Twelve Cases Of Post-Surgical Sepsis Of Odontogenic Tumours At A ... East African Medical Journal ... Intervention: Adequate review of patient\\'s medical history, bacteriological investigations and

Vegetative propagation of twelve fodder tree species indigenous to ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Vegetative propagation of twelve fodder tree species indigenous to the Sahel, West Africa. Catherine Ky-Dembele, Jules Bayala, Antoine Kalinganire, Fatoumata Tata Traoré, Bréhima Koné, Alain Olivier ...

Education and Development: Twelve Considerations for Transformative Practice

Science.gov (United States)

VanBalkom, W. Duffie; Eastham, Sarada

2011-01-01

Twelve factors that are essential to consider when embarking on the process of transformative development are examined in the context of international development programming in education and training. Each factor raises a number of questions for the deliberations of policy makers, development practitioners, scholars, international educators,…

Stress, burnout and doctors' attitudes to work are determined by personality and learning style: A twelve year longitudinal study of UK medical graduates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paice E

2004-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The study investigated the extent to which approaches to work, workplace climate, stress, burnout and satisfaction with medicine as a career in doctors aged about thirty are predicted by measures of learning style and personality measured five to twelve years earlier when the doctors were applicants to medical school or were medical students. Methods Prospective study of a large cohort of doctors. The participants were first studied when they applied to any of five UK medical schools in 1990. Postal questionnaires were sent to all doctors with a traceable address on the current or a previous Medical Register. The current questionnaire included measures of Approaches to Work, Workplace Climate, stress (General Health Questionnaire, burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory, and satisfaction with medicine as a career and personality (Big Five. Previous questionnaires had included measures of learning style (Study Process Questionnaire and personality. Results Doctors' approaches to work were predicted by study habits and learning styles, both at application to medical school and in the final year. How doctors perceive their workplace climate and workload is predicted both by approaches to work and by measures of stress, burnout and satisfaction with medicine. These characteristics are partially predicted by trait measures of personality taken five years earlier. Stress, burnout and satisfaction also correlate with trait measures of personality taken five years earlier. Conclusions Differences in approach to work and perceived workplace climate seem mainly to reflect stable, long-term individual differences in doctors themselves, reflected in measures of personality and learning style.

Stress, burnout and doctors' attitudes to work are determined by personality and learning style: A twelve year longitudinal study of UK medical graduates

Science.gov (United States)

McManus, IC; Keeling, A; Paice, E

2004-01-01

Background The study investigated the extent to which approaches to work, workplace climate, stress, burnout and satisfaction with medicine as a career in doctors aged about thirty are predicted by measures of learning style and personality measured five to twelve years earlier when the doctors were applicants to medical school or were medical students. Methods Prospective study of a large cohort of doctors. The participants were first studied when they applied to any of five UK medical schools in 1990. Postal questionnaires were sent to all doctors with a traceable address on the current or a previous Medical Register. The current questionnaire included measures of Approaches to Work, Workplace Climate, stress (General Health Questionnaire), burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory), and satisfaction with medicine as a career and personality (Big Five). Previous questionnaires had included measures of learning style (Study Process Questionnaire) and personality. Results Doctors' approaches to work were predicted by study habits and learning styles, both at application to medical school and in the final year. How doctors perceive their workplace climate and workload is predicted both by approaches to work and by measures of stress, burnout and satisfaction with medicine. These characteristics are partially predicted by trait measures of personality taken five years earlier. Stress, burnout and satisfaction also correlate with trait measures of personality taken five years earlier. Conclusions Differences in approach to work and perceived workplace climate seem mainly to reflect stable, long-term individual differences in doctors themselves, reflected in measures of personality and learning style. PMID:15317650

Rwanda: a country still in post war syndrome--twelve years later.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Geraldine

2006-01-01

Rwanda, a small country in Central Africa is still trying to survive and rebuild itself some 12 years after the initial deadly war between two ethnic rival groups, the Hutus and the Tutsis. Since my visit in October, 1994, with a handpicked health team (two senior nursing students, an internal medicine physician, social worker, and a nurse volunteer from the District of Columbia community) on a six week mission that was a collaborative effort between Howard University and the Washington, DC based organization, Africare, Inc., very little has happened to better the lives of the citizens. The task at-hand was to assist in the promotion and repairing of a near-fatal health care delivery system, that occurred just six months after the major attack in April. Rwanda experienced a war, noted as the most brutal in the memory of the country, that killed so many people and destroyed so much of the country and its resources. Since our mission, so much has been written and new concerns have surfaced such as "Hotel Rwanda", a million dollar plus movie that truthfully tells the story of how a real-life person actually saved some 1,200 countrymen in what is carefully termed a "genocide", and the book "Left to Tell", written by a female Tutsi survivor, Immaculee Ilibagiza tells the story of how she survived the genocide and discovered that "with God all things are possible." This present article has attempted to discuss the genocide and how it relates, bringing a connection from within the inner world to the outer world through my experience of "having been there and done that" as seen by the naked human eyes.

Secondary Textbook Review: English, Grades Nine through Twelve.

Science.gov (United States)

California State Dept. of Education, Sacramento.

This book is intended as a resource for teachers and curriculum developers who select textbooks for secondary English courses. It includes a compilation of 32 factual textbook reviews obtained from the application of a review instrument, which was based on the California "Model Curriculum Standards: Grades Nine through Twelve, English…

The social, cultural and medicinal use of kava for twelve Tongan born men living in Auckland, New Zealand.

Science.gov (United States)

Nosa, Vili; Ofanoa, Malakai

2009-02-01

Kava consumption is a very popular practise amongst Pacific people especially amongst the Tongan communities. The purpose of this paper is to identify some of the key cultural, social and medicinal elements of kava use amongst Tongan men. Twelve face to face interviews in this study were undertaken. The paper argues that kava drinking is strongly linked to many of the ceremonial, social and cultural obligations that are deeply embedded within the Tongan culture. The positive uses of kava include medicinal purposes, male bonding, alternative to alcohol consumption, reaffirming and establishing relationships amongst other Tongan men, The men also stated negative uses of kava such as it made them lazy, tired so they were not able to go to work, a lack of sexual activities by being too tired have sex with their partners, and very expensive to buy in New Zealand. The aim of this paper is to discuss and examine the social, cultural and medicinal kava use amongst twelve Tongan born men living in Auckland, New Zealand. The study used qualitative methods, specifically individual interviews were conducted in Tongan or English. Participants were recruited through community networks in Auckland. A number of Tongan churches, Tongan medical clinics such as Langimailie, and kava clubs were approached to recruit participants. The open ended interview schedule covered themes such as access, quantity, frequency, and problems associated with kava use. The interviews were conducted by a Tongan researcher either in English or Tongan. All interviews were translated and transcribed into English. A thematic analysis based on multiple readings of the transcripts was used The analysis identified commonalities and differences. The study was granted ethical approval by the University of Auckland Human Subjects Ethics Committee in December 2004. Interviews were conducted at the beginning of 2005. Interviews were undertaken in a place where the participants felt comfortable. Interview times

Safety of superconducting fusion magnets: twelve problem areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, L.R.

1979-01-01

Twelve problem areas of superconducting magnets for fusion reaction are described. These are: quench detection and energy dump, stationary normal region of conductor, current leads, electrical arcing, electrical shorts, conductor joints, forces from unequal currents, eddy current effects, cryostat rupture, vacuum failure, fringing field and instrumentation for safety. Priorities among these areas are suggested

Safety of superconducting fusion magnets: twelve problem areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, L.R.

1979-01-01

Twelve problem areas of superconducting magnets for fusion reaction are described. These are: Quench Detection and Energy Dump, Stationary Normal Region of Conductor, Current Leads, Electrical Arcing, Electrical Shorts, Conductor Joints, Forces from Unequal Currents, Eddy Current Effects, Cryostat Rupture, Vacuum Failure, Fringing Field and Instrumentation for Safety. Priorities among these areas are suggested

Indian monsoon cycles through the last twelve million years

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Gupta, S.M.

the planets depict forward drag (backward pull) effect of conjoined planets on Earth’s speed due to synod phenomenon that increases/decreases the length of summer/winter depending on the season of conjunction event. Also shown are the Kuiper meteoritic belt... cycles by amplitude modulation shown as incomplete envelops of larger cycles at ~600-, 5000-, and 8000 years. Synod effect on Earth: The gravitational pull/push of the planets like Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and the Trans Neptune...

A fabric phase sorptive extraction-High performance liquid chromatography-Photo diode array detection method for the determination of twelve azole antimicrobial drug residues in human plasma and urine.

Science.gov (United States)

Locatelli, Marcello; Kabir, Abuzar; Innosa, Denise; Lopatriello, Teresa; Furton, Kenneth G

2017-01-01

This paper reports a novel fabric phase sorptive extraction-high performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detection (FPSE-HPLC-PDA) method for the simultaneous extraction and analysis of twelve azole antimicrobial drug residues that include ketoconazole, terconazole, voriconazole, bifonazole, clotrimazole, tioconazole, econazole, butoconazole, miconazole, posaconazole, ravuconazole, and itraconazole in human plasma and urine samples. The selected azole antimicrobial drugs were well resolved by using a Luna C 18 column (250mm×4.6mm; 5μm particle size) in gradient elution mode within 36min. The analytical method was calibrated and validated in the range from 0.1 to 8μg/mL for all the drug compounds. Blank human plasma and urine were used as the sample matrix for the analysis; while benzyl-4-hydroxybenzoate was used as the internal standard (IS). The limit of quantification of the FPSE-HPLC-PDA method was found as 0.1μg/mL and the weighted-matrix matched standard calibration curves of the drugs showed a good linearity upto a concentration of 8μg/mL. The parallelism tests were also performed to evaluate whether overrange sample can be analyzed after dilution, without compromising the analytical performances of the validated method. The intra- and inter-day precision (RSD%) values were found ≤13.1% and ≤13.9%, respectively. The intra- and inter-day trueness (bias%) values were found in the range from -12.1% to 10.5%. The performances of the validated FPSE-HPLC-PDA were further tested on real samples collected from healthy volunteers after a single dose administration of itraconazole and miconazole. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first FPSE extraction procedure applied on plasma and urine samples for the simultaneous determination of twelve azole drugs possessing a wide range of logK ow values (extending from 0.4 for fluconazole to 6.70 of butoconazole) and could be adopted as a rapid and robust green analytical tool for clinical and

Twelve Theses on Reactive Rules for the Web

OpenAIRE

Bry, François; Eckert, Michael

2006-01-01

Reactivity, the ability to detect and react to events, is an essential functionality in many information systems. In particular, Web systems such as online marketplaces, adaptive (e.g., recommender) sys- tems, and Web services, react to events such as Web page updates or data posted to a server. This article investigates issues of relevance in designing high-level programming languages dedicated to reactivity on the Web. It presents twelve theses on features desira...

Twelve-year mortality in adults initiating antiretroviral therapy in South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Cornell, Morna; Johnson, Leigh F; Wood, Robin; Tanser, Frank; Fox, Matthew P; Prozesky, Hans; Schomaker, Michael; Egger, Matthias; Davies, Mary-Ann; Boulle, Andrew

2017-09-25

South Africa has the largest number of individuals living with HIV and the largest antiretroviral therapy (ART) programme worldwide. In September 2016, ART eligibility was extended to all 7.1 million HIV-positive South Africans. To ensure that further expansion of services does not compromise quality of care, long-term outcomes must be monitored. Few studies have reported long-term mortality in resource-constrained settings, where mortality ascertainment is challenging. Combining site records with data linked to the national vital registration system, sites in the International Epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS Southern Africa collaboration can identify >95% of deaths in patients with civil identification numbers (IDs). This study used linked data to explore long-term mortality and viral suppression among adults starting ART in South Africa. The study was a cohort analysis of routine data on adults with IDs starting ART 2004-2015 in five large ART cohorts. Mortality was estimated overall and by gender using the Kaplan-Meier estimator and Cox's proportional hazards regression. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated by dividing observed numbers of deaths by numbers expected if patients had been HIV-negative. Viral suppression in patients with viral loads (VLs) in their last year of follow-up was the secondary outcome. Among 72,812 adults followed for 350,376 person years (pyrs), the crude mortality rate was 3.08 (95% CI 3.02-3.14)/100 pyrs. Patients were predominantly female (67%) and the percentage of men initiating ART did not increase. Cumulative mortality 12 years after ART initiation was 23.9% (33.4% male and 19.4% female). Mortality peaked in patients enrolling in 2007-2009 and was higher in men than women at all durations. Observed mortality rates were higher than HIV-negative mortality, decreasing with duration. By 48 months, observed mortality was close to that in the HIV-negative population, and SMRs were similar for all baseline CD4

Twelve years of cooperation in the field of radiation protection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grapengiesser, Sten; Bennerstedt, Torkel

2005-06-01

SSI has pursued an international cooperation program since 1992 within the field of radiation protection and emergency preparedness for radiation accidents with the three Baltic countries as main beneficiaries. As the Baltic countries are members of the EU since May 2004, this bilateral support will now be phased out and replaced with other forms of cooperation. During the years passed, a large number of activities have been launched with a total budget of some 14 million ECU. The Baltic radiation protection authorities have played a big role in the cooperation and Baltic ministries, universities, nuclear technology installations and other industries using radiation have also been engaged in the projects. SKI, SKB, Studsvik and the Swedish nuclear power plants should be mentioned as major cooperation partners on the Swedish side. During autumn 2004 when such a large coordinated work program was coming to an end, SSI decided to hold a seminar with the purpose to follow up experiences from the work and discuss coming forms of cooperation. The seminar took place on the 18 of November 2004 and gathered some 80 participants, 29 of which from the Baltic countries. It was opened by Lars-Erik Holm, the SSI Director General, and the three Baltic countries then presented their views and impressions from the passed years of cooperation. The seminar was concluded with a panel discussion on 'How to proceed from today's situation'. The result was that SSI invited to a new coordination meeting during autumn 2005 to follow up and discuss coordination of radiation protection around the Baltic Sea together with the other Nordic radiation protection authorities.

Twelve years of cooperation in the field of radiation protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grapengiesser, Sten; Bennerstedt, Torkel

2005-06-01

SSI has pursued an international cooperation program since 1992 within the field of radiation protection and emergency preparedness for radiation accidents with the three Baltic countries as main beneficiaries. As the Baltic countries are members of the EU since May 2004, this bilateral support will now be phased out and replaced with other forms of cooperation. During the years passed, a large number of activities have been launched with a total budget of some 14 million ECU. The Baltic radiation protection authorities have played a big role in the cooperation and Baltic ministries, universities, nuclear technology installations and other industries using radiation have also been engaged in the projects. SKI, SKB, Studsvik and the Swedish nuclear power plants should be mentioned as major cooperation partners on the Swedish side. During autumn 2004 when such a large coordinated work program was coming to an end, SSI decided to hold a seminar with the purpose to follow up experiences from the work and discuss coming forms of cooperation. The seminar took place on the 18 of November 2004 and gathered some 80 participants, 29 of which from the Baltic countries. It was opened by Lars-Erik Holm, the SSI Director General, and the three Baltic countries then presented their views and impressions from the passed years of cooperation. The seminar was concluded with a panel discussion on 'How to proceed from today's situation'. The result was that SSI invited to a new coordination meeting during autumn 2005 to follow up and discuss coordination of radiation protection around the Baltic Sea together with the other Nordic radiation protection authorities

Twelve years of cooperation in the field of radiation protection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grapengiesser, Sten; Bennerstedt, Torkel

2005-06-01

SSI has pursued an international cooperation program since 1992 within the field of radiation protection and emergency preparedness for radiation accidents with the three Baltic countries as main beneficiaries. As the Baltic countries are members of the EU since May 2004, this bilateral support will now be phased out and replaced with other forms of cooperation. During the years passed, a large number of activities have been launched with a total budget of some 14 million ECU. The Baltic radiation protection authorities have played a big role in the cooperation and Baltic ministries, universities, nuclear technology installations and other industries using radiation have also been engaged in the projects. SKI, SKB, Studsvik and the Swedish nuclear power plants should be mentioned as major cooperation partners on the Swedish side. During autumn 2004 when such a large coordinated work program was coming to an end, SSI decided to hold a seminar with the purpose to follow up experiences from the work and discuss coming forms of cooperation. The seminar took place on the 18 of November 2004 and gathered some 80 participants, 29 of which from the Baltic countries. It was opened by Lars-Erik Holm, the SSI Director General, and the three Baltic countries then presented their views and impressions from the passed years of cooperation. The seminar was concluded with a panel discussion on 'How to proceed from today's situation'. The result was that SSI invited to a new coordination meeting during autumn 2005 to follow up and discuss coordination of radiation protection around the Baltic Sea together with the other Nordic radiation protection authorities.

7 CFR 984.7 - Marketing year.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Marketing year. 984.7 Section 984.7 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements... Regulating Handling Definitions § 984.7 Marketing year. Marketing year means the twelve months from September...

Twelve month follow-up on a randomised controlled trial of relaxation training for post-stroke anxiety.

Science.gov (United States)

Golding, Katherine; Fife-Schaw, Chris; Kneebone, Ian

2017-09-01

To follow up participants in a randomised controlled trial of relaxation training for anxiety after stroke at 12 months. Twelve month follow-up to a randomised controlled trial, in which the control group also received treatment. Community. Fifteen of twenty one original participants with post-stroke anxiety participated in a one year follow-up study. A self-help autogenic relaxation CD listened to five times a week for one month, immediately in the intervention group and after three months in the control group. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety subscale and the Telephone Interview of Cognitive Status for inclusion. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety subscale for outcome. All measures were administered by phone. Anxiety ratings reduced significantly between pre and post-intervention, and between pre-intervention and one year follow-up ( χ 2 (2) = 22.29, p autogenic relaxation CD appear to be maintained after one year.

Hidden twelve-dimensional super Poincare symmetry in eleven dimensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bars, Itzhak; Deliduman, Cemsinan; Pasqua, Andrea; Zumino, Bruno

2004-01-01

First, we review a result in our previous paper, of how a ten-dimensional superparticle, taken off-shell, has a hidden eleven-dimensional super Poincare symmetry. Then, we show that the physical sector is defined by three first-class constraints which preserve the full eleven-dimensional symmetry. Applying the same concepts to the eleven-dimensional superparticle, taken off-shell, we discover a hidden twelve-dimensional super Poincare symmetry that governs the theory

Twelve Weeks of Plyometric Training Improves Motor Performance of 7- to 9-Year-Old Boys Who Were Overweight/Obese: A Randomized Controlled Intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Nobre, Gabriela G; de Almeida, Marcelus B; Nobre, Isabele G; Dos Santos, Fernanda K; Brinco, Raphael A; Arruda-Lima, Thalison R; de-Vasconcelos, Kenya L; de-Lima, Jociellen G; Borba-Neto, Manoel E; Damasceno-Rodrigues, Emmanuel M; Santos-Silva, Steve M; Leandro, Carol G; Moura-Dos-Santos, Marcos A

2017-08-01

Nobre, GG, de Almeida, MB, Nobre, IG, dos Santos, FK, Brinco, RA, Arruda-Lima, TR, de-Vasconcelos, KL, de-Lima, JG, Borba-Neto, ME, Damasceno-Rodrigues, EM, Santos-Silva, SM, Leandro, CG, and Moura-dos-Santos, MA. Twelve weeks of plyometric training improves motor performance of 7- to 9-year-old boys who were overweight/obese: a randomized controlled intervention. J Strength Cond Res 31(8): 2091-2099, 2017-The prevalence of childhood overweight/obesity has increased, and physical training at school may to be effective to combat this scenario. We analyzed the effects of a protocol of plyometric training on body composition and motor performance of boys who were overweight/obese aged 7-9 years. The sample was randomly assigned into 2 groups: plyometric training group (T, n = 40) and control group (C, n = 19). Training consisted of 20 min·d (twice a week, during 12 weeks) of lower extremity plyometric exercise. Health-related physical fitness was measured by handgrip strength, standing long jump (SLJ), curl-ups, sit and reach, square test, running speed, and mile run test. Gross motor coordination was evaluated by means of the Körperkoordinations-test für Kinder (KTK) tests. Baseline and postintervention differences were investigated, and effect size was estimated through Cohen's d coefficient. Both groups showed increased body weight, height, and sitting height after intervention with a negligible effect size. Only T group showed increased fat-free mass (p = 0.011) compared with baseline values with small effect size. Plyometric training improved handgrip strength (d = 0.23), sit and reach (d = 0.18), curl-ups (d = 0.39), SLJ (d = 0.80), agility (d = 0.48), and time in the mile run test (d = 0.38). For gross motor coordination results, T group showed better performance in all tests after plyometric training with moderate/large effect size. Thus, 12 weeks of PT improved health-related physical fitness components and motor coordination acquisition of 7- to 9-year

Epidemiological trends of HIV/AIDS in Pakistan: a twelve year experience at the national AIDS Programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kazi, B.M.; Saleem, M.; Salman, M.; Bokhari, A.

1999-01-01

A total of 23,40,000 blood samples were screened for the presence of antibodies against Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) at various officially designated surveillance and diagnostic centers throughout the country, during the period of 12 years extending from 1986 to 1999. The reported positive cases screened before blood transfusion under the initiative launched in public sector hospitals during 1995 are also included in the total figure. A total of 1395 as symptomatic persons have been diagnosed and reported as HIV positive whereas 178 persons with signs and symptoms of full blown AIDS have been diagnosed. The tests were performed on selected categories of persons and include; persons with risky behavior, patients with sexually transmitted disease, professional blood donors, blood and blood product recipients intravenous drug injectors, patients with tuberculosis, women attending antenatal clinics, long distance drivers, and seaman. Apart from these identified groups, referred patients from the public and private hospitals, laboratories, clinics, nursing homes and HIV positive. The male to female ratio for HIV positive and AIDS cases as 7:1 and 8:1 respectively. Most of the cases acquired the disease through sexual contact including hetro, Homo and bisexual modes of transmission. Maximum numbers of the HIV positive individuals are between the age's 20-29 years. The data gives an overall prevalence rate of 0.07% which, although looking low, still deserves serious attention in view of system anomalies relating and under reporting and very long incubation period of the disease. (author)

Premarital sex in the last twelve months and its predictors among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Premarital sex increases the risk of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections including HIV if unprotected and contraception is not used. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess premarital sex in the last twelve months and its predictors among regular undergraduate students of Wollega ...

Twelve years of Neandertal genetic discoveries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Orlando, Ludovic Antoine Alexandre; Hänni, Catherine

2011-01-01

The first mitochondrial DNA sequence from a Neandertal specimen was recovered in 1997. Now the completion of the whole Neandertal genome has been announced to be completed in the forthcoming months. About one ­million nucleotides of nuclear DNA have already been sequenced and so far 15 Neandertal...

Safety of superconducting fusion magnets: twelve problem areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, L.R.

1979-05-01

Twelve problem areas of superconducting magnets for fusion reaction are described. These are: Quench Detection and Energy Dump, Stationary Normal Region of Conductor, Current Leads, Electrical Arcing, Electrical Shorts, Conductor Joints, Forces from Unequal Currents, Eddy Current Effects, Cryostat Rupture, Vacuum Failure, Fringing Field and Instrumentation for Safety. Each is described under the five categories: Identification and Definition, Possible Safety Effects, Current Practice, Adequacy of Current Practice for Fusion Magnets and Areas Requiring Further Analytical and Experimental Study. Priorities among these areas are suggested; application is made to the Large Coil Project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Twelve tips for creating an academic teaching portfolio.

Science.gov (United States)

Little-Wienert, Kim; Mazziotti, Mark

2018-01-01

An academic teaching portfolio is not only a requirement at many academic teaching institutions, but it is also important in a medical educator's growth and development through documentation, reflection, evaluation, and change. Creating an academic portfolio may appear daunting at first but with careful advanced preparation, organized evidence collection of your educational work, proof of scholarship, and thorough documentation of self-reflection and change, you can produce a successful product that accurately represents your educational beliefs, accomplishments, and growth throughout your career. This article provides medical educators with twelve steps for creating a successful academic teaching portfolio.

Human Capital Management Plan Fiscal Years 2003- 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2000-03-09

Western, like many other Federal agencies, will face significant and challenging human capital issues in the next decade. The Federal workforce is aging; baby boomers, with their valuable skills and experience, are drawing nearer to retirement and new employees joining the Federal workforce today have different career expectations from the generation that preceded them. The average age of Western’s workforce is approaching 48. Almost a third of the workforce is between 50 and 54 years and most will be eligible to retire in five years. Western has almost twice as many employees who are 55 and older as it has who are 35 and younger. As the workforce ages, the proportion of younger workers is shrinking. The U.S. Census Bureau says you can expect these developments for the next 20 years. The 45 to 65 year-old work group will grow by 54 percent but the 18 to 44 population will rise by only 4 percent. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics workers age 25 to 44 will decline by 3 million, dropping from 51 percent of the labor force in 1998 to 44 percent in 2008. Western employees who will retire include highly skilled workers in fields such as information technology, engineering, and craft occupations. Deregulation of the electric utility industry and the establishment of regional transmission organizations and independent system operators are also demanding new and different skill mixes than those currently available in Western. Changes in workforce demographic, in the education and skills that will be required in the future, and an increasingly competitive job market, will require flexible and responsive human capital tools to attract and retain talented employees. These trends were the reason for a comprehensive review of Western’s human capital programs to determine its readiness for the future. In July 2001, a team of managers conducted a comprehensive assessment of Western’s human capital needs. The team used the assessment to draft a framework that

After twelve years of exploration Cluff Lake uranium within Amok's grasp

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watson, L.M.

1979-01-01

Amok Ltd. recently began construction of a uranium mine and processing plant at Cluff Lake, Saskatchewan. The deposits occur in the Carswell Dome, a formation of basement rock intruding through the Athabaska sandstone which appears to have been caused by a meteorite impact approximately 467 million years ago. The uranium deposits are around 1 billion years old and are linked to organic compounds. Proven reserves are in the order of 23 000 million tonnes, averaging 7 percent U 3 O 8 but ranging from 0.3 to 45 percent. The D ore body, the richest, will be mined first in an open pit operation that will start up at 317 tpd in Sept. 1980. Special radiation protection precautions are necessary. Great care will be taken with mine wastes, waste water, and ore stockpiles to avoid groundwater contamination. High-grade ore can proceed directly to chemical treatment after crushing, while low-grade ore will receive gravity concentration. Sulphuric acid will be used to dissolve the uranium, followed by filtration, lime treatment to remove iron and aluminum, and neutralization with magnesium oxide to precipitate yellowcake. Radioactive wastes will be stored underground in concrete vaults; non-radioactive tailings will go to an impervious pond. (LL)

Who should do what in environmental management? Twelve principles for allocating responsibilities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mostert, E.

2015-01-01

In environmental management there is often discussion on the allocation of responsibilities. Such discussions can continue for a long time and can form an obstacle for effective action. In this article twelve normative principles for the allocation of responsibilities are identified, coming from

Twelve fundamental life histories evolving through allocation-dependent fecundity and survival.

Science.gov (United States)

Johansson, Jacob; Brännström, Åke; Metz, Johan A J; Dieckmann, Ulf

2018-03-01

An organism's life history is closely interlinked with its allocation of energy between growth and reproduction at different life stages. Theoretical models have established that diminishing returns from reproductive investment promote strategies with simultaneous investment into growth and reproduction (indeterminate growth) over strategies with distinct phases of growth and reproduction (determinate growth). We extend this traditional, binary classification by showing that allocation-dependent fecundity and mortality rates allow for a large diversity of optimal allocation schedules. By analyzing a model of organisms that allocate energy between growth and reproduction, we find twelve types of optimal allocation schedules, differing qualitatively in how reproductive allocation increases with body mass. These twelve optimal allocation schedules include types with different combinations of continuous and discontinuous increase in reproduction allocation, in which phases of continuous increase can be decelerating or accelerating. We furthermore investigate how this variation influences growth curves and the expected maximum life span and body size. Our study thus reveals new links between eco-physiological constraints and life-history evolution and underscores how allocation-dependent fitness components may underlie biological diversity.

Key lessons: Twelve factors critical to the success of WDM at the ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

English · Français ... Key lessons: Twelve factors critical to the success of WDM at the policy and at the operational levels ... from slums in central New Delhi to the city's desolate periphery face daily indignities and danger as they collect water o.

A Hidden Twelve-Dimensional SuperPoincare Symmetry In Eleven Dimensions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bars, Itzhak; Deliduman, Cemsinan; Pasqua, Andrea; Zumino, Bruno

2003-12-13

First, we review a result in our previous paper, of how a ten-dimensional superparticle, taken off-shell, has a hidden eleven-dimensional superPoincare symmetry. Then, we show that the physical sector is defined by three first-class constraints which preserve the full eleven-dimensional symmetry. Applying the same concepts to the eleven dimensional superparticle, taken off-shell, we discover a hidden twelve dimensional superPoincare symmetry that governs the theory.

A longitudinal study of human milk composition in the second year postpartum: implications for human milk banking.

Science.gov (United States)

Perrin, Maryanne T; Fogleman, April D; Newburg, David S; Allen, Jonathan C

2017-01-01

While the composition of human milk has been studied extensively in the first year of lactation, there is a paucity of data regarding human milk composition beyond one year postpartum. Policies vary at milk banks around the world regarding how long lactating women are eligible to donate their milk. The primary purpose of this study is to describe longitudinal changes in human milk composition in the second year postpartum to support the development of evidence based guidelines regarding how long lactating women can donate human milk to a milk bank. Nineteen lactating women in North Carolina provided monthly milk samples from 11 months to 17 months postpartum (N = 131), and two non-profit milk banks provided (N = 33) pooled, unpasteurized milk samples from 51 approved donors less than one year postpartum. There was a significant increase (P < 0.05) in the concentration of total protein, lactoferrin, lysozyme, Immunoglobulin A, oligosaccharides and sodium in longitudinal samples of mother's milk between 11 and 17 months postpartum, while zinc and calcium concentrations declined, and no changes were observed in lactose, fat, iron and potassium. Human milk in the second year postpartum contained significantly higher concentrations of total protein, lactoferrin, lysozyme and Immunoglobulin A, than milk bank samples, and significantly lower concentrations of zinc, calcium, iron and oligosaccharides. Accepting milk bank donations beyond one year postpartum is a potential strategy for increasing the supply of donor milk, but may require mineral fortification. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Human Research Program: 2012 Fiscal Year Annual Report

Science.gov (United States)

Effenhauser, Laura

2012-01-01

Crew health and performance are critical to successful human exploration beyond low Earth orbit. Risks to health and performance include physiologic effects from radiation, hypogravity, and planetary environments, as well as unique challenges in medical treatment, human factors, and support of behavioral health. The scientists and engineers of the Human Research Program (HRP) investigate and reduce the greatest risks to human health and performance, and provide essential countermeasures and technologies for human space exploration. In its seventh year of operation, the HRP continued to refine its management architecture of evidence, risks, gaps, tasks, and deliverables. Experiments continued on the International Space Station (ISS), on the ground in analog environments that have features similar to those of spaceflight, and in laboratory environments. Data from these experiments furthered the understanding of how the space environment affects the human system. These research results contributed to scientific knowledge and technology developments that address the human health and performance risks. As shown in this report, HRP has made significant progress toward developing medical care and countermeasure systems for space exploration missions which will ultimately reduce risks to crew health and performance.

Increased strength of the scapular stabilizer and lumbar muscles after twelve weeks of Pilates training using the Reformer machine: A pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Dos Santos, Núbia Tomain Otoni; Raimundo, Karoline Cipriano; da Silva, Sheila Aparecida; Souza, Lara Andrade; Ferreira, Karoline Carregal; Borges Santo Urbano, Zuleika Ferreira; Gasparini, Andréa Licre Pessina; Bertoncello, Dernival

2017-01-01

The aim of this work was to analyze muscle strength in Pilates novices who used the Reformer equipment during twelve training sessions. Twenty-four healthy young female volunteers, who were non-smokers and did not exercise regularly, were split into a control group (mean age 28 ± 4 years and BMI 24.55 ± 3.21 kg/m 2 ) and a training group (mean age 29 ± 4 years and BMI 22.69 ± 2.87 kgm 2 ). The data were checked for normality using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and were then analyzed using the t-test (p Pilates group). The corresponding values for the lumbar muscles were 53.83 ± 11.66/53.28 ± 11.14 (control group) and 54.75 ± 10.27/64.80 ± 10.20 (Pilates group). After twelve sessions of Pilates with the Reformer equipment, there were improvements in lumbar extensor and scapular stabilizer strength. Several benefits are reported by practitioners of Pilates, but until now, there has been limited scientific evidence of the improvement of strength in the trunk and limbs after application of the technique. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Isolation and characterization of twelve microsatellite loci for the Japanese Devilray (Mobula japanica)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Poortvliet, Marloes; Galvan-Magana, Felipe; Bernardi, Giacomo; Croll, Donald A.; Olsen, Jeanine L.

2011-01-01

Twelve polymorphic microsatellites loci were characterized for Mobula japanica (Japanese Devilray) using an enrichment protocol. All but two loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium with no evidence of linkage disequilibrium or null-alleles for a sample of 40 individuals from two populations. The

Definition of a Twelve-Point Polygonal SAA Boundary for the GLAST Mission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Djomehri, Sabra I.; UC, Santa Cruz; SLAC

2007-01-01

The Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST), set to launch in early 2008, detects gamma rays within a huge energy range of 100 MeV - 300 GeV. Background cosmic radiation interferes with such detection resulting in confusion over distinguishing cosmic from gamma rays encountered. This quandary is resolved by encasing GLAST's Large Area Telescope (LAT) with an Anti-Coincidence Detector (ACD), a device which identifies and vetoes charged particles. The ACD accomplishes this through plastic scintillator tiles; when cosmic rays strike, photons produced induce currents in Photomultiplier Tubes (PMTs) attached to these tiles. However, as GLAST orbits Earth at altitudes ∼550km and latitudes between -26 degree and 26 degree, it will confront the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), a region of high particle flux caused by trapped radiation in the geomagnetic field. Since the SAA flux would degrade the sensitivity of the ACD's PMTs over time, a determined boundary enclosing this region need be attained, signaling when to lower the voltage on the PMTs as a protective measure. The operational constraints on such a boundary require a convex SAA polygon with twelve edges, whose area is minimal ensuring GLAST has maximum observation time. The AP8 and PSB97 models describing the behavior of trapped radiation were used in analyzing the SAA and defining a convex SAA boundary of twelve sides. The smallest possible boundary was found to cover 14.58% of GLAST's observation time. Further analysis of defining a boundary safety margin to account for inaccuracies in the models reveals if the total SAA hull area is increased by ∼20%, the loss of total observational area is < 5%. These twelve coordinates defining the SAA flux region are ready for implementation by the GLAST satellite

Language Development of Three- to Twelve-Year-Old Twins Compared to Singletons.

Science.gov (United States)

Dʼhaeseleer, Evelien; Geenens, Eline; Parmentier, Sarah; Corthals, Paul; Van Lierde, Kristiane

2016-01-01

The language development of twins tends to lag behind in comparison to that of singletons. The purpose of this study was to compare expressive and receptive language skills of 3- to 12-year-old twins with singletons. Secondly, correlations between language differences between twins and singletons and age were investigated. Twenty-four twins with a mean age of 5.1 years participated in the study. The control group consisted of 24 singletons who were matched for gender and age. Language development was investigated using the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals. Twins scored significantly lower for expressive and receptive language skills compared to singletons. Even when excluding preterm-born children, twins still scored significantly lower for expressive language skills. There was no correlation between age and language differences between twins and their matched singletons. Twins score lower for expressive and receptive language skills compared to singletons, and preterm birth cannot be regarded as the main cause for the language delay. The language delay in twins is rather mild but does not seem to decrease with increasing age. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The U.S. Intelligence Community's Five Year Strategic Human Capital Plan

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

2006-01-01

.... The National Intelligence Strategy (NIS) requires a 5-year human capital strategy that will build an agile, "all source" workforce by projecting and planning for mission critical human resource requirements...

Millipedes (Diplopoda of twelve caves in Western Mecsek, Southwest Hungary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angyal, D.

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Twelve caves of Western Mecsek, Southwest Hungary were examined between September 2010 and April 2013from the millipede (Diplopoda faunistical point of view. Ten species were found in eight caves, which consistedeutroglophile and troglobiont elements as well. The cave with the most diverse fauna was the Törökpince Sinkhole, while thetwo previously also investigated caves, the Abaligeti Cave and the Mánfai-kőlyuk Cave provided less species, which couldbe related to their advanced touristic and industrial utilization.

Single Jejunum Metastasis from Breast Cancer Arising Twelve Years after the Initial Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cláudia Paiva

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Metastatic involvement of gastrointestinal tract from breast cancer is a rare event. We report the case of a 61-year-old woman presenting with bowel obstruction, related to metastasis of a primary breast cancer she had 12 years earlier (a triple-negative invasive ductal carcinoma treated with surgery and chemotherapy. Bowel obstruction was caused by a 20-centimeter tumor in the jejunum, involving also the transverse colon. The patient underwent en bloc resection of tumor with jejunum and transverse bowel segment and received adjuvant chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel. Twenty months later, she was alive without disease recurrence.

Commercializing Government-sponsored Innovations: Twelve Successful Buildings Case Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, M. A.; Berry, L. G.; Goel, R. K.

1989-01-01

This report examines the commercialization and use of R and D results funded by DOE's Office of Buildings and Community Systems (OBCS), an office that is dedicated to improving the energy efficiency of the nation's buildings. Three goals guided the research described in this report: to improve understanding of the factors that hinder or facilitate the transfer of OBCS R and D results, to determine which technology transfer strategies are most effective and under what circumstances each is appropriate, and to document the market penetration and energy savings achieved by successfully-commercialized innovations that have received OBCS support. Twelve successfully-commercialized innovations are discussed here. The methodology employed involved a review of the literature, interviews with innovation program managers and industry personnel, and data collection from secondary sources. Six generic technology transfer strategies are also described. Of these, contracting R and D to industrial partners is found to be the most commonly used strategy in our case studies. The market penetration achieved to date by the innovations studied ranges from less than 1% to 100%. For the three innovations with the highest predicted levels of energy savings (i.e., the flame retention head oil burner, low-E windows, and solid-state ballasts), combined cumulative savings by the year 2000 are likely to approach 2 quads. To date the energy savings for these three innovations have been about 0.2 quads. Our case studies illustrate the important role federal agencies can play in commercializing new technologies.

Morphology of the spermathecae of twelve species of Triatominae (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) vectors of Chagas disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Nascimento, Juliana Damieli; Ribeiro, Aline Rimoldi; Almeida, Larissa Aguiar; de Oliveira, Jader; Mendonça, Vagner José; Cilense, Mário; da Rosa, João Aristeu

2017-12-01

Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, is transmitted by triatomines that have been described in a large number of studies. Most of those studies are related to external morphology and taxonomy, but some biochemical, genetic and physiological studies have also been published. There are a few publications in the literature about the internal organs of Triatominae, for instance the spermathecae, which are responsible for storing and maintaining the viability of the spermatozoids until the fertilization of the oocytes. This work aims to study the spermathecae of twelve species of triatomines obtained from the Triatominae Insectarium of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UNESP, Araraquara, using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The spermathecae of the twelve species studied showed three morphological patterns: a) P. herreri sn, P. lignarius, P. megistus, Triatoma brasiliensis, T. juazeirensis, T. sherlocki and T. tibiamaculata have spermathecae with a thin initial portion and an oval-shaped final portion; b) R. montenegrensis, R. nasutus, R. neglectus, R. pictipes and R. prolixus have tubular and winding spermathecae; c) T. infestans has oval spermathecae. In addition to the three morphological patterns, it was noted that each of the twelve species has particular features that differentiate them. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fifty Years of THERP and Human Reliability Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ronald L. Boring

2012-06-01

In 1962 at a Human Factors Society symposium, Alan Swain presented a paper introducing a Technique for Human Error Rate Prediction (THERP). This was followed in 1963 by a Sandia Laboratories monograph outlining basic human error quantification using THERP and, in 1964, by a special journal edition of Human Factors on quantification of human performance. Throughout the 1960s, Swain and his colleagues focused on collecting human performance data for the Sandia Human Error Rate Bank (SHERB), primarily in connection with supporting the reliability of nuclear weapons assembly in the US. In 1969, Swain met with Jens Rasmussen of Risø National Laboratory and discussed the applicability of THERP to nuclear power applications. By 1975, in WASH-1400, Swain had articulated the use of THERP for nuclear power applications, and the approach was finalized in the watershed publication of the NUREG/CR-1278 in 1983. THERP is now 50 years old, and remains the most well known and most widely used HRA method. In this paper, the author discusses the history of THERP, based on published reports and personal communication and interviews with Swain. The author also outlines the significance of THERP. The foundations of human reliability analysis are found in THERP: human failure events, task analysis, performance shaping factors, human error probabilities, dependence, event trees, recovery, and pre- and post-initiating events were all introduced in THERP. While THERP is not without its detractors, and it is showing signs of its age in the face of newer technological applications, the longevity of THERP is a testament of its tremendous significance. THERP started the field of human reliability analysis. This paper concludes with a discussion of THERP in the context of newer methods, which can be seen as extensions of or departures from Swain’s pioneering work.

The ten-thousand year fever: rethinking human and wild primate malarias

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Cormier, Loretta A

2011-01-01

"Malaria is one of the oldest recorded diseases in human history, and its 10,000-year relationship to primates can teach us why it will be one of the most serious threats to humanity in the 21st century...

Humans (really) are animals: picture-book reading influences 5-year-old urban children's construal of the relation between humans and non-human animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Waxman, Sandra R; Herrmann, Patricia; Woodring, Jennie; Medin, Douglas L

2014-01-01

What is the relation between humans and non-human animals? From a biological perspective, we view humans as one species among many, but in the fables and films we create for children, we often offer an anthropocentric perspective, imbuing non-human animals with human-like characteristics. What are the consequences of these distinctly different perspectives on children's reasoning about the natural world? Some have argued that children universally begin with an anthropocentric perspective and that acquiring a biological perspective requires a basic conceptual change (cf. Carey, 1985). But recent work reveals that this anthropocentric perspective, evidenced in urban 5-year-olds, is not evident in 3-year-olds (Herrmann etal., 2010). This indicates that the anthropocentric perspective is not an obligatory first step in children's reasoning about biological phenomena. In the current paper, we introduced a priming manipulation to assess whether 5-year-olds' reasoning about a novel biological property is influenced by the perspectives they encounter in children's books. Just before participating in a reasoning task, each child read a book about bears with an experimenter. What varied was whether bears were depicted from an anthropomorphic (Berenstain Bears) or biological perspective (Animal Encyclopedia). The priming had a dramatic effect. Children reading the Berenstain Bears showed the standard anthropocentric reasoning pattern, but those reading the Animal Encyclopedia adopted a biological pattern. This offers evidence that urban 5-year-olds can adopt either a biological or a human-centered stance, depending upon the context. Thus, children's books and other media are double-edged swords. Media may (inadvertently) support human-centered reasoning in young children, but may also be instrumental in redirecting children's attention to a biological model.

Whole-Proteome Analysis of Twelve Species of Alphaproteobacteria Links Four Pathogens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yunyun Zhou

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Thousands of whole-genome and whole-proteome sequences have been made available through advances in sequencing technology, and sequences of millions more organisms will become available in the coming years. This wealth of genetic information will provide numerous opportunities to enhance our understanding of these organisms including a greater understanding of relationships among species. Researchers have used 16S rRNA and other gene sequences to study the evolutionary origins of bacteria, but these strategies do not provide insight into the sharing of genes among bacteria via horizontal transfer. In this work we use an open source software program called pClust to cluster proteins from the complete proteomes of twelve species of Alphaproteobacteria and generate a dendrogram from the resulting orthologous protein clusters. We compare the results with dendrograms constructed using the 16S rRNA gene and multiple sequence alignment of seven housekeeping genes. Analysis of the whole proteomes of these pathogens grouped Rickettsia typhi with three other animal pathogens whereas conventional sequence analysis failed to group these pathogens together. We conclude that whole-proteome analysis can give insight into relationships among species beyond their phylogeny, perhaps reflecting the effects of horizontal gene transfer and potentially providing insight into the functions of shared genes by means of shared phenotypes.

The twelve-flavor β-function and dilaton tests of the sextet scalar

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fodor Zoltan

2018-01-01

Full Text Available We discuss near-conformal gauge theories beyond the standard model (BSM where interesting results on the twelve-flavor β-function of massless fermions in the fundamental representation of the SU(3 color gauge group and dilaton tests of the light scalar with two massless fermions in the two-index symmetric tensor (sextet representation can be viewed as parts of the same BSM paradigm under investigation. The clear trend in the decreasing size of β-functions at fixed renormalized gauge coupling is interpreted as a first indicator how the conformal window (CW is approached in correlation with emergent near-conformal light scalars. BSM model building close to the CW will be influenced by differing expectations on the properties of the emergent light 0++ scalar either as a σ-particle of chiral symmetry breaking (ΧS B, or as a dilaton of scale symmetry breaking. The twelve-flavor β-function emerges as closest to the CW, perhaps near-conformal, or perhaps with an infrared fixed point (IRFP at some unexplored strong coupling inside the CW. It is premature to speculate on dilaton properties of the twelveflavor model since the near-conformal realization remains an open question. However, it is interesting and important to investigate dilaton tests of the light sextet scalar whose β-function is closest to the CW in the symmetry breaking phase and emerges as the leading candidate for dilaton tests of the light scalar. We report results from high precision analysis of the twelve-flavor β-function [1] refuting its published IRFP [2, 3]. We present our objections to recent claims [4, 5] for non-universal behavior of staggered fermions used in our analysis. We also report our first analysis of dilaton tests of the light 0++ scalar in the sextet model and comment on related post-conference developments. The dilaton test is the main thrust of this conference contribution including presentation #405 on the nf = 12 β-function and presentation #260 on dilaton

Twelve reasons to refuse the nuclear in the MDP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonduelle, A.

2000-01-01

The author presents twelve reasons which show that the nuclear energy has not a place in the MDP Mechanism of Clean Development: a main loophole for the developed countries, the doubtful ''additionality'' of the nuclear, the treaty ratification is more difficult with the nuclear, the domestic energy conservation is more efficient in Europe than the nuclear development, the nuclear white elephants facing the South debts, the technology transfers are doubtful, the developing countries and the sustainable development policies are evicted from the MDP, some options are more powerful in the South, the reactors and transport networks size are unsuited, the absence of democratic control, the nuclear proliferation, the nuclear safety and the wastes. (A.L.B.)

Commercializing government-sponsored innovations: Twelve successful buildings case studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, M.A.; Berry, L.G.; Goel, R.K.

1989-01-01

This report examines the commercialization and use of R and D results funded by DOE's Office of Buildings and Community Systems (OBCS), an office that is dedicated to improving the energy efficiency of the nation's buildings. Three goals guided the research described in this report: to improve understanding of the factors that hinder or facilitate the transfer of OBCS R and D results, to determine which technology transfer strategies are most effective and under what circumstances each is appropriate, and to document the market penetration and energy savings achieved by successfully-commercialized innovations that have received OBCS support. Twelve successfully-commercialized innovations are discussed here. The methodology employed involved a review of the literature, interviews with innovation program managers and industry personnel, and data collection from secondary sources. Six generic technology transfer strategies are also described. Of these, contracting R and D to industrial partners is found to be the most commonly used strategy in our case studies. The market penetration achieved to date by the innovations studied ranges from less than 1% to 100%. For the three innovations with the highest predicted levels of energy savings (i.e., the flame retention head oil burner, low-E windows, and solid-state ballasts), combined cumulative savings by the year 2000 are likely to approach 2 quads. To date the energy savings for these three innovations have been about 0.2 quads. Our case studies illustrate the important role federal agencies can play in commercializing new technologies. 27 refs., 21 figs., 4 tabs.

Two-dimensional liquid chromatography consisting of twelve second-dimension columns for comprehensive analysis of intact proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Jiangtao; Beckner, Matthew A; Lynch, Kyle B; Chen, Huang; Zhu, Zaifang; Yang, Yu; Chen, Apeng; Qiao, Zhenzhen; Liu, Shaorong; Lu, Joann J

2018-05-15

A comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography (LCxLC) system consisting of twelve columns in the second dimension was developed for comprehensive analysis of intact proteins in complex biological samples. The system consisted of an ion-exchange column in the first dimension and the twelve reverse-phase columns in the second dimension; all thirteen columns were monolithic and prepared inside 250 µm i.d. capillaries. These columns were assembled together through the use of three valves and an innovative configuration. The effluent from the first dimension was continuously fractionated and sequentially transferred into the twelve second-dimension columns, while the second-dimension separations were carried out in a series of batches (six columns per batch). This LCxLC system was tested first using standard proteins followed by real-world samples from E. coli. Baseline separation was observed for eleven standard proteins and hundreds of peaks were observed for the real-world sample analysis. Two-dimensional liquid chromatography, often considered as an effective tool for mapping proteins, is seen as laborious and time-consuming when configured offline. Our online LCxLC system with increased second-dimension columns promises to provide a solution to overcome these hindrances. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A natural human hand model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Nierop, O.A.; Van der Helm, A.; Overbeeke, K.J.; Djajadiningrat, T.J.P.

2007-01-01

We present a skeletal linked model of the human hand that has natural motion. We show how this can be achieved by introducing a new biology-based joint axis that simulates natural joint motion and a set of constraints that reduce an estimated 150 possible motions to twelve. The model is based on

Twelve-year survival after multiple recurrences and repeated metastasectomies for renal cell Carcinoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Jue

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC presents a therapeutic challenge for clinicians because of the unpredictable clinical course, resistance to chemotherapy or radiotherapy and the limited response to immunotherapy. Patients and Methods We report a case of a 62-year-old woman who underwent nephrectomy for T4N0 RCC, clear cell type, Fuhrman grade 3/4 in 1999. The patinet subsequently had multiple tumor recurrences. Results The patient underwent eight metastasectomies, including multiple partial left nephrectomies, right adrenalectomy, a complete left nephrectomy, and distal pancreatectomy. She remains well and tumor free 12 years after initial diagnosis. Conclusion Repeated resections after initial metastasectomy can be carried out safely and provide long-term survival in selected patients with recurrent metastasis from RCC. The findings from our case indicate that close follow-up for the early detection of recurrence and complete resection of metastases can improve the results after repeated resection.

Extended investigation of the twelve-flavor β-function

Science.gov (United States)

Fodor, Zoltán; Holland, Kieran; Kuti, Julius; Nógrádi, Dániel; Wong, Chik Him

2018-04-01

We report new results from high precision analysis of an important BSM gauge theory with twelve massless fermion flavors in the fundamental representation of the SU(3) color gauge group. The range of the renormalized gauge coupling is extended from our earlier work [1] to probe the existence of an infrared fixed point (IRFP) in the β-function reported at two different locations, originally in [2] and at a new location in [3]. We find no evidence for the IRFP of the β-function in the extended range of the renormalized gauge coupling, in disagreement with [2,3]. New arguments to guard the existence of the IRFP remain unconvincing [4], including recent claims of an IRFP with ten massless fermion flavors [5,6] which we also rule out. Predictions of the recently completed 5-loop QCD β-function for general flavor number are discussed in this context.

MODELOS SOCIALES DE ALUMNOS DE DOCE AÑOS DE LA ESCUELA PRIMARIA DE LA EDUCACIÓN PÚBLICA EN GRECIA SOCIAL MODELS OF TWELVE YEARS OLD STUDENTS OF THE PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL IN GREECE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vassilis Karnavas

2011-10-01

Full Text Available La multifacética crisis social que está sufriendo Grecia durante los últimos años, se imprenta, según nuestra opinión, en la manera que los alumnos de doce años optan por sus modelos sociales. La siguiente investigación se enmarca en el ámbito de la temprana socialización política. De los datos que se han coleccionado, se hace evidente que los alumnos griegos en esta edad recogen sus modelos sociales, principalmente, del mundo del espectáculo, mientras áreas como la política y la ciencia se encuentran en nivel bajo entre sus preferencias.The, mainly political, multiplex crisis which Greece is going through during the last years, is also reflects, to our opinion, on the way the twelve year old students choose their social models. The following research is included in the area of Early Political Socialization. The research concludes that Greek students of that age choose their social models mainly from the entertainment industry, while politics and science are in a very low level among their preferences.

Teenage Mothers' Anger over Twelve Years: Partner Conflict, Partner Transitions and Children's Anger

Science.gov (United States)

Jenkins, Jennifer M.; Shapka, Jennifer D.; Sorenson, Ann M.

2006-01-01

Background: This study examined the effects of maternal anger, partner transitions and partner conflict on later oppositional and angry behavior of the children of teenage mothers. Methods: One hundred and twenty-one teenage women were interviewed prior to the birth of the baby and at 3 points subsequently, when children were newborn, 7 years old…

Humans (really) are animals: picture-book reading influences 5-year-old urban children’s construal of the relation between humans and non-human animals

Science.gov (United States)

Waxman, Sandra R.; Herrmann, Patricia; Woodring, Jennie; Medin, Douglas L.

2014-01-01

What is the relation between humans and non-human animals? From a biological perspective, we view humans as one species among many, but in the fables and films we create for children, we often offer an anthropocentric perspective, imbuing non-human animals with human-like characteristics. What are the consequences of these distinctly different perspectives on children’s reasoning about the natural world? Some have argued that children universally begin with an anthropocentric perspective and that acquiring a biological perspective requires a basic conceptual change (cf. Carey, 1985). But recent work reveals that this anthropocentric perspective, evidenced in urban 5-year-olds, is not evident in 3-year-olds (Herrmann etal., 2010). This indicates that the anthropocentric perspective is not an obligatory first step in children’s reasoning about biological phenomena. In the current paper, we introduced a priming manipulation to assess whether 5-year-olds’ reasoning about a novel biological property is influenced by the perspectives they encounter in children’s books. Just before participating in a reasoning task, each child read a book about bears with an experimenter. What varied was whether bears were depicted from an anthropomorphic (Berenstain Bears) or biological perspective (Animal Encyclopedia). The priming had a dramatic effect. Children reading the Berenstain Bears showed the standard anthropocentric reasoning pattern, but those reading the Animal Encyclopedia adopted a biological pattern. This offers evidence that urban 5-year-olds can adopt either a biological or a human-centered stance, depending upon the context. Thus, children’s books and other media are double-edged swords. Media may (inadvertently) support human-centered reasoning in young children, but may also be instrumental in redirecting children’s attention to a biological model. PMID:24672493

Six years' experience of minicholecystostomy for acute calculous gallbladder disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, S.H.; Stoller, J.L.; Fache, J.S.; Gibney, R.G.; Burhenne, H.J.

1990-01-01

This paper assesses the value and outcome of combined surgical (mini-cholecystostomy) and radiologic stone extraction in high-risk patients with acute calculous gallbladder disease. Sixty-seven patients were treated over a 6-year period. Three were 37 women and 30 men (age range, 33-98 years; mean, 73 years). Fifty (74%) surgical procedures were performed under local anesthesia. Radiologic gallstone extraction was achieved in 49 patients (73%). Extra-corporeal shock wave lithotripsy was required in six patients to fragment large stones. Twelve patients (18%) also had bile duct stones, of which 8 (67%) were successfully cleared. There were 4 deaths (6%) within 30 days. Twelve cholecystectomies (18%) were performed between 3 and 19 weeks (mean, 9 weeks) after minicholecystostomy as a result of failed stone clearance. The long-term outcome for those patients whose gallstones were cleared are discussed

Human-specific HERV-K insertion causes genomic variations in the human genome.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wonseok Shin

Full Text Available Human endogenous retroviruses (HERV sequences account for about 8% of the human genome. Through comparative genomics and literature mining, we identified a total of 29 human-specific HERV-K insertions. We characterized them focusing on their structure and flanking sequence. The results showed that four of the human-specific HERV-K insertions deleted human genomic sequences via non-classical insertion mechanisms. Interestingly, two of the human-specific HERV-K insertion loci contained two HERV-K internals and three LTR elements, a pattern which could be explained by LTR-LTR ectopic recombination or template switching. In addition, we conducted a polymorphic test and observed that twelve out of the 29 elements are polymorphic in the human population. In conclusion, human-specific HERV-K elements have inserted into human genome since the divergence of human and chimpanzee, causing human genomic changes. Thus, we believe that human-specific HERV-K activity has contributed to the genomic divergence between humans and chimpanzees, as well as within the human population.

Transitioning HIV-Positive Adolescents to Adult Care: Lessons Learned From Twelve Adolescent Medicine Clinics.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanner, Amanda E; Philbin, Morgan M; DuVal, Anna; Ellen, Jonathan; Kapogiannis, Bill; Fortenberry, J Dennis

2016-01-01

To maximize positive health outcomes for youth with HIV as they transition from youth to adult care, clinical staff need strategies and protocols to help youth maintain clinic engagement and medication adherence. Accordingly, this paper describe transition processes across twelve clinics within the Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions (ATN) to provide lessons learned and inform the development of transition protocols to improve health outcomes as youth shift from adolescent to adult HIV care. During a large multi-method Care Initiative program evaluation, three annual visits were completed at each site from 2010-2012 and conducted 174 semi-structured interviews with clinical and program staff (baseline n=64, year 1 n=56, year 2=54). The results underscore the value of adhering to recent American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) transition recommendations, including: developing formal transition protocols, preparing youth for transition, facilitating youth's connection to the adult clinic, and identifying necessary strategies for transition evaluation. Transitioning youth with HIV involves targeting individual-, provider-, and system-level factors. Acknowledging and addressing key barriers is essential for developing streamlined, comprehensive, and context-specific transition protocols. Adolescent and adult clinic involvement in transition is essential to reduce service fragmentation, provide coordinated and continuous care, and support individual and community level health. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Developing and Testing Twelve-Step Facilitation for Adolescents with Substance Use Disorder: Manual Development and Preliminary Outcomes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John F. Kelly

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Adolescent substance use disorder treatment programs are often based on the 12-step philosophy of Alcoholics Anonymous and/or link adolescents to these free resources. Despite this, no studies have developed and rigorously tested a twelve-step facilitation (TSF intervention for young people, leaving a significant evidence gap. This study describes the first systematic development of an outpatient adolescent TSF treatment. An integrated twelve-step facilitation (iTSF treatment incorporated TSF, motivational enhancement therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy elements and was developed in an iterative manner with weekly feedback provided by 36 adolescents ( M age 17 years [SD = 1.4]; 52.8% white with DSM-IV substance use disorder recruited from the community. Assessments were conducted at baseline and at three and six months. Participants completed 6 of 10 sessions on average (8 participants completed all 10. Notable treatment developments were the inclusion of “in-services” led by Marijuana Anonymous members, including parents in a portion of individual sessions to provide a rationale for TSF, and use of a Socratic therapeutic interaction style. Acceptability and feasibility of the treatment were excellent (treatment satisfaction was 4.29 [SD = 0.59] out of 5. In keeping with TSF theory, the intervention substantially increased 12-step participation, and greater participation related to greater abstinence. iTSF is a replicable manualized treatment that can be implemented and tested in outpatient settings. Given the widespread compatibility of iTSF with the current adolescent treatment, if found efficacious, iTSF could be relatively easily adopted, implemented, and sustained and could provide an evidence-based option that could undergird current practice.

Heath Effects Sequence of Meet Halfa Radiological Accident After Twelve Years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shabon, M.H.

2013-01-01

The accident of Meet-Halfa developed consequent upon the loss of an industrial gamma radiography source. The source was found by a farmer resident of Meet-Halfa who took it to his house occupied by his family. The sequence of events developed over a period of seven weeks from the time the source was found on May 5, 2000, till the day of its retrieval from the house by the national authorities on June 26. The protracted exposure patterns of the family members during the period of source possession are not precisely known, however these exposures resulted in two fatalities, clinical forms of bone marrow depression, and several skin burns of different severities. The recent sequences of the accident is as follows:-The three survived siblings married and get good children. That mean there is no hereditary stochastic effects. The sister died at 2007 with 72 years old with senility and no specific disease. The youngest daughter amputate the left thumb and index fingers at 2001. The elder son amputate the terminal phalanx of the right thumb at 2009. The youngest daughter amputate the right index finger at 2009. The elder son graft the burn at the lower right quadrant of the abdomen for more than 20 times (3 of them were in the Mansheat Al-Bakry Millitary Hospital), but there is residual of burn untill now. Sever abdominal hernia in the elder son due to necroses in the right quadrant abdominal muscles. Grafting for these muscles occur but failed.

DISTRIBUTION OF GBM HEPARAN-SULFATE PROTEOGLYCAN CORE PROTEIN AND SIDE-CHAINS IN HUMAN GLOMERULAR-DISEASES

NARCIS (Netherlands)

VANDENBORN, J; VANDENHEUVEL, LPWJ; BAKKER, MAH; VEERKAMP, JH; ASSMANN, KJM; WEENING, JJ; BERDEN, JHM

Using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) recognizing either the core protein or the heparan sulfate (HS) side chain of human GBM heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG), we investigated their glomerular distribution on cryostat sections of human kidney tissues. The study involved 95 biopsies comprising twelve

Army Science and Technology Master Plan, Fiscal Year 1997 - Volume 1.

Science.gov (United States)

1996-12-01

municipal desalination trition, nutritional biochemistry, behavioral sciences, neurophysiology, chemical engineer- Twelve CRDAs include the following...areas: "* Distributed command and control (1) Nanotechnology "* Information processing (2) Photonics "* Distributed interactive simulation (3) Obscured...Technology "* Adaptive, anticipative systems b. Major Reference Areas "* Intelligent systems Nanotechnology -The objective of "* Human/machine interface

Humans (really are animals: Picture-book reading influences five-year-old urban children’s construal of the relation between humans and non-human animals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandra R Waxman

2014-03-01

Full Text Available What is the relation between humans and nonhuman animals? From a biological perspective, we view humans as one species among many, but in the fables and films we create for children, we often offer an anthropocentric perspective, imbuing nonhuman animals with human-like characteristics. What are the consequences of these distinctly different perspectives on children’s reasoning about the natural world? Some have argued that children universally begin with an anthropocentric perspective and that acquiring a biological perspective requires a basic conceptual change (cf. Carey 1985. But recent work reveals that this anthropocentric perspective, evidenced in urban five-year-olds, is not evident in three-year-olds (Herrmann et al. 2010. This indicates that the anthropocentric perspective is not an obligatory first step in children’s reasoning about biological phenomena. In the current paper, we introduced a priming manipulation to assess whether five-year-olds’ reasoning about a novel biological property is influenced by the perspectives they encounter in children’s books. Just before participating in a reasoning task, each child read a book about bears with an experimenter. What varied was whether bears were depicted from an anthropomorphic (Berenstain Bears or biological perspective (Animal Encyclopedia. The priming had a dramatic effect. Children reading the Berenstain Bears showed the standard anthropocentric reasoning pattern, but those reading the Animal Encyclopedia adopted a biological pattern. This offers evidence that urban five-year-olds can adopt either a biological or a human-centered stance, depending upon the context. Thus, children’s books and other media are double-edged swords. Media may (inadvertently support human-centered reasoning in young children, but may also be instrumental in redirecting children’s attention to a biological model.

Vitamin and mineral intake of twelve adolescent male Kalenjin runners in western Kenya

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Dirk Lund; Jakobsen, Jette; Friis, H

2005-01-01

runners was carried out to determine their micronutrient intake. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Over a two-week period, samples of the main eaten food were collected for analysis of micronutrient distribution and a daily 24 recall interview performed to determine additional food intake. RESULTS: The estimated...... mg, 1309 microg, and 79 microg, respectively. CONCLUSION: Total daily micronutrient intake of the twelve Kalenjin runners was far from adequate compared to FAO/WHO daily recommended and suggested adequate intake....

Effectiveness of community-based treatment for problem gambling: a quasi-experimental evaluation of cognitive-behavioral vs. twelve-step therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Toneatto, Tony; Dragonetti, Rosa

2008-01-01

With the increasing availability of gambling throughout North America, there is interest in developing more effective treatments. This study compares the effectiveness of two brief outpatient treatments for problem gambling: eight sessions of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (n = 65) and eight sessions of a twelve-step treatment-oriented approach based on the first five steps of Gamblers Anonymous (n = 61). There were no baseline group differences on gambling-relevant variables. Twelve months post-treatment showed no group differences on key gambling variables (eg, frequency, abstinence rates, money wagered) in an analysis of completers. Participants who attended more sessions and chose an initial abstinent treatment goal appeared to achieve better outcomes.

Twelve years before the quantum no-cloning theorem

Science.gov (United States)

Ortigoso, Juan

2018-03-01

The celebrated quantum no-cloning theorem establishes the impossibility of making a perfect copy of an unknown quantum state. The discovery of this important theorem for the field of quantum information is currently dated 1982. I show here that an article published in 1970 [J. L. Park, Found. Phys. 1, 23-33 (1970)] contained an explicit mathematical proof of the impossibility of cloning quantum states. I analyze Park's demonstration in the light of published explanations concerning the genesis of the better-known papers on no-cloning.

Runaway Children Twelve Years Later: A Follow-Up.

Science.gov (United States)

Olson, Lucy; And Others

1980-01-01

This study was based on intensive interviews with former runaways, nonrunaway siblings, parents, and other relatives. Differences in outcome were found between: (1) runaways and siblings; (2) runaway repeaters and nonrepeaters; and (3) runaways from working-class and middle-class backgrounds. (Author)

Update from a twelve-year nationwide fungaemia surveillance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Astvad, K M T; Johansen, H K; Røder, B L

2018-01-01

countries. This was particularly true for the fluconazole and itraconazole use in the primary healthcare sector which exceeded the combined national use of these compounds in each of the other Nordic countries. Fluconazole susceptibility decreased (68.5%, 65.2% and 60.6% in 2004-7, 2008-11 and 2012...

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease 38 years after diagnostic use of human growth hormone

NARCIS (Netherlands)

E.A. Croes (Esther); F. Forey; G.H. Jansen; P.C. Nijssen; C.M. van Duijn (Cornelia)

2002-01-01

textabstractA 47 year old man is described who developed pathology proven Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) 38 years after receiving a low dose of human derived growth hormone (hGH) as part of a diagnostic procedure. The patient presented with a cerebellar syndrome, which is compatible with iatrogenic

Environmental contaminants, ecosystems and human health

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Majumdar, S.K.; Miller, E.W.; Brenner, F.J. [eds.] [Lafayette College, Easton, PA (United States). Dept. of Biology

1995-12-31

The authors cover a variety of concerns regarding the adverse impacts of contaminants on ecosystems and human health. The twelve chapters in the first section of the text address the impact of contaminants on ecosystem function, and ten of the remaining twenty-two chapters are devoted to the effects of contaminants on human health. Part three presents eight case studies in humans, while the final four chapters provide the reader with an assessment of environmental problems and analyses. Two chapters, on the health effects of power plant generated air pollution and on black lung disease, have been abstracted separately for the IEA Coal Research CD-ROM.

Environmental and human health risk assessment of organic micro-pollutants occurring in a Spanish marine fish farm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Munoz, Ivan; Martinez Bueno, Maria J.; Agueera, Ana; Fernandez-Alba, Amadeo R.

2010-01-01

In this work the risk posed to seawater organisms, predators and humans is assessed, as a consequence of exposure to 12 organic micro-pollutants, namely metronidazole, trimethoprim, erythromycin, simazine, flumequine, carbaryl, atrazine, diuron, terbutryn, irgarol, diphenyl sulphone (DPS) and 2-thiocyanomethylthiobenzothiazole (TCMTB). The risk assessment study is based on a 1-year monitoring study at a Spanish marine fish farm, involving passive sampling techniques. The results showed that the risk threshold for irgarol concerning seawater organisms is exceeded. On the other hand, the risk to predators and especially humans through consumption of fish is very low, due to the low bioconcentration potential of the substances assessed. - Exposure and effects of twelve organic micro-pollutants are evaluated at a Spanish fish farm.

Environmental and human health risk assessment of organic micro-pollutants occurring in a Spanish marine fish farm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Munoz, Ivan, E-mail: ivanmuno@ual.e [Departamento de Hidrogeologia y Quimica Analitica, Universidad de Almeria, 04120 Almeria (Spain); Martinez Bueno, Maria J., E-mail: mjbueno@ual.e [Departamento de Hidrogeologia y Quimica Analitica, Universidad de Almeria, 04120 Almeria (Spain); Agueera, Ana, E-mail: aaguera@ual.e [Departamento de Hidrogeologia y Quimica Analitica, Universidad de Almeria, 04120 Almeria (Spain); Fernandez-Alba, Amadeo R., E-mail: amadeo@ual.e [Departamento de Hidrogeologia y Quimica Analitica, Universidad de Almeria, 04120 Almeria (Spain)

2010-05-15

In this work the risk posed to seawater organisms, predators and humans is assessed, as a consequence of exposure to 12 organic micro-pollutants, namely metronidazole, trimethoprim, erythromycin, simazine, flumequine, carbaryl, atrazine, diuron, terbutryn, irgarol, diphenyl sulphone (DPS) and 2-thiocyanomethylthiobenzothiazole (TCMTB). The risk assessment study is based on a 1-year monitoring study at a Spanish marine fish farm, involving passive sampling techniques. The results showed that the risk threshold for irgarol concerning seawater organisms is exceeded. On the other hand, the risk to predators and especially humans through consumption of fish is very low, due to the low bioconcentration potential of the substances assessed. - Exposure and effects of twelve organic micro-pollutants are evaluated at a Spanish fish farm.

A novel double quad-inverter configuration for multilevel twelve-phase open-winding converter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Padmanaban, Sanjeevi Kumar; Blaabjerg, Frede; Wheeler, Patrick William

2016-01-01

This paper describes a novel proposal of double quad-inverter configuration for multilevel twelve-phase open-winding ac converter. Modular power units are developed from reconfigured eight classical three-phase voltage source inverters (VSIs). Each VSI has one additional bi-directional switching...... numerical simulation software's (Matlab/PLECS) developments. Further, the results confirm the good agreement to the developed theoretical background. Proposed converter suits the need of low-voltage/high-current applications such as ac tractions and `More-Electric Aircraft' propulsion systems....

Twelve tips for teaching child development and disability to medical students.

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, Jenny

2018-02-01

Child development is a marker of well-being in childhood and recognition of developmental delay allows timely investigation and intervention for children with developmental disabilities. Despite this, child development and disabilities are not given emphasis in the medical curriculum. This under representation of teaching combined with the stigma associated with disabilities contributes to the sub-optimal health care of people with disabilities. As well as, addressing the stigma of disability a medical undergraduate curriculum should include: the key concepts of child development; the clinical presentation of the most common developmental disabilities; developmental history taking and the infant neurodevelopmental examination. The following twelve tips provide practical advice about how to teach this knowledge and these skills during medical training.

Salvage whole abdominal radiation therapy for ovarian cancer: a twelve year experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, Katherine; Reddy, Susheel; Lee, Myung-Sook; Geest, Koen de; Lincoln, Sarah; Sarin, Pramilla; Graham, James; Yordan, Edgardo; Reddy, Salitha

1996-01-01

Purpose: 1) To evaluate whole abdominal radiation therapy (WART) as a salvage modality in patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma who have failed one or more chemotherapeutic regimens; 2) To assess the feasibility and long-term toxicity of such treatment. Materials and Methods: Between June 1983 and October 1994, 51 patients who had failed one or more chemotherapeutic regimens received WART. Forty-seven patients had epithelial ovarian carcinoma, the remaining had primary carcinoma of the peritoneal cavity. Forty patients (78%) had FIGO stage III and IV disease. Grade III and IV tumors were seen in 29 patients (57%). The residual disease was classified as being either microscopic or macroscopic disease depending on the status after the laparotomy prior to radiation treatment, irrespective of the extent of disease prior to debulking. In 22 patients (43%) macroscopic disease was present after laparotomy, while the remaining 29 patients (57%) had only microscopic disease present. Twenty patients (39%) had residual disease limited to the pelvis, and 31 patients (61%) had upper abdominal involvement. An open field technique was used to deliver planned doses of 25Gy to the whole abdomen with shielding of the kidneys posteriorly after 12Gy. Boost fields to the pelvis and/or areas of gross residual disease were treated when indicated. The Kaplan-Meier Method was used to calculate survival data from the initiation of radiation until death or recurrence. Median follow-up for surviving patients was 53 months, with a range of 17 to 122 months. Results: Five patients (10%) were unable to complete therapy secondary to acute toxicity. An additional fourteen patients (27%) required a one to five week break usually secondary to cytopenias. Four year actuarial survival and recurrence-free survival rates for the entire group of patients were 32% and 23% respectively. For patients with microscopic residual disease, survival and recurrence-free survival rates were 48% and 37

Antifouling activity of twelve demosponges from Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SM. Ribeiro

Full Text Available Benthic marine organisms are constantly exposed to fouling, which is harmful to most host species. Thus, the production of secondary metabolites containing antifouling properties is an important ecological advantage for sessile organisms and may also provide leading compounds for the development of antifouling paints. High antifouling potential of sponges has been demonstrated in the Indian and Pacific oceans and in the Caribbean and Mediterranean seas. Brazilian sponges remain understudied concerning antifouling activities. Only two scientific articles reported this activity in sponges of Brazil. The objective of this study was to test crude extracts of twelve species of sponges from Brazil against the attachment of the mussel Perna perna through laboratorial assays, and highlight promising species for future studies. The species Petromica citrina, Amphimedon viridis, Desmapsamma anchorata, Chondrosia sp., Polymastia janeirensis, Tedania ignis, Aplysina fulva, Mycale angulosa, Hymeniacidon heliophila, Dysidea etheria, Tethya rubra, and Tethya maza were frozen and freeze-dried before extraction with acetone or dichloromethane. The crude extract of four species significantly inhibited the attachment of byssus: Tethya rubra (p = 0.0009, Tethya maza (p = 0.0039, Petromica citrina (p = 0.0277, and Hymeniacidon heliophila (p = 0.00003. These species, specially, should be the target of future studies to detail the substances involved in the ability antifouling well as to define its amplitude of action.

Energy and greenhouse effect. Twelve short notes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prevot, Henri

2013-12-01

The author proposes twelve brief notes aimed at discussing the reduction of fossil energy consumption in order to reduce CO 2 emissions and to improve the French energy supply security, without any useless expense. These notes address the reason for energy savings, the cost and price of a CO 2 ton, the issue of thermal regulation for buildings (it's not in compliance with the law, and results in higher expenses and increased CO 2 emissions), the introduction of a carbon tax to incite investments for energy saving, the status and health of the CO 2 European market, the support of actions aimed at reducing fossil energy consumption, the fact that bio-heat is ten times more efficient than bio-fuel and that therefore car holders should finance bio-heat, the development of hybrid uses of energy to avoid the difficulty of energy storage, the reduction of CO 2 emissions at low cost (by consuming as much renewable energy as nuclear energy but without wind or photovoltaic energy), the cost of less CO 2 , less fossil energy and less nuclear, and the interest of France to act on its own to reduce CO 2 emissions. The author proposes a brief synthesis of these notes and some proposals regarding thermal regulation for buildings, taxes, the European CO 2 market, the forest biomass, electricity production, and the European and word dimensions of these issues

Challenge of goodness: twelve humanitarian proposals based on the experience of 1991-1995 wars in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Science.gov (United States)

Lang, S

1998-03-01

Based on the 1991-1995 war experience of peoples of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, I made twelve proposals regarding the following aspects of health, humanitarian work, and human rights: 1. Broadening of the WHO definition of health by including spiritual well-being (absence of hatred) in it, 2. Inclusion of the term genocide into the Index Medicus (MeSH), 3. Establishment of concepts of prevention of hate, 4. Right to a home, 5. Right of civilians to participate in defense and renewal, 6. Right to deliberation from enslavement and right to find out the fate of missing persons, 7. Global hospital, 8. Monitoring of prisoner-of-war camps, 9. Refugee camps, 10. Providing of care for the abandoned - a new category of people suffering in war, 11. Introduction of the Helping Hand concept, 12. Organization of the Red Cross Forum after the cessation of hostilities. The fundamental objective was to establish the legitimacy of honesty in practice, regulative social mechanisms, and science.

The Challenges and Achievements in 50 Years of Human Spaceflight

Science.gov (United States)

Hawley, Steven A.

2012-01-01

On April 12, 1961 the era of human spaceflight began with the orbital flight of Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. On May 5, 1961 The United States responded with the launch of Alan Shepard aboard Freedom 7 on the first flight of Project Mercury. The focus of the first 20 years of human spaceflight was developing the fundamental operational capabilities and technologies required for a human mission to the Moon. The Mercury and Gemini Projects demonstrated launch and entry guidance, on-orbit navigation, rendezvous, extravehicular activity, and flight durations equivalent to a round-trip to the Moon. Heroes of this epoch included flight directors Chris Kraft, Gene Kranz, and Glynn Lunney along with astronauts like John Young, Jim Lovell, Tom Stafford, and Neil Armstrong. The "Race to the Moon” was eventually won by the United States with the landing of Apollo 11 on July 20, 1969. The Apollo program was truncated at 11 missions and a new system, the Space Shuttle, was developed which became the focus of the subsequent 30 years. Although never able to meet the flight rate or cost promises made in the 1970s, the Shuttle nevertheless left a remarkable legacy of accomplishment. The Shuttle made possible the launch and servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope and diverse activities such as life science research and classified national security missions. The Shuttle launched more than half the mass ever put into orbit and its heavy-lift capability and large payload bay enabled the on-orbit construction of the International Space Station. The Shuttle also made possible spaceflight careers for scientists who were not military test pilots - people like me. In this talk I will review the early years of spaceflight and share my experiences, including two missions with HST, from the perspective of a five-time flown astronaut and a senior flight operations manager.

Accumulation of aluminum and barium in twelve Punjab wheat varieties and their contents in the agricultural soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shar, G.Q.; Lashari, A.K.H.; Haider, S.I.

2003-01-01

Wheat samples of twelve varieties, grown by breeders at NIAB, Faisalabad Pakistan and its soil, were collected and analyzed for aluminum and barium content by atomic absorption spectroscopy using acetylene-nitroxide flame. For dissolution for heavy metals, aluminum and barium, wet acid digestion method was used. The experimental study was conducted using six samples for each twelve varieties of FSC and RD (Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department) as standard reference materials and representative samples, and the soil which was also collected from agricultural plot of Nuclear Inst. of Agricultural and Biology (NIAB), Faisalabad, Punjab. The characteristics mean of both elements in each variety of representative samples was found to be 28.32, 71.02, 37.41, 36.95, 28.32, 47.40, 30.14, 14.69, 25.41, 32.86, 30.14 and 41.95 for the aluminum and 12.67, 6.92, 5.67, 19.82, 3.28, 17.34, 10.25, 10.49, 8.01, 14.23, 15.16 and 6.92 mg/kg for the barium of Chakwal-86, Bakhatawar-92, Shahkar-95, Parwaz-94, Punjab-96, Bahawal pur-97, Shahkar-91, Inquilab-91, Pasban-90, Punjab-85, Faisalabad-85 and Pak-81 varieties respectively. The soil of that specific plot contains 35964.3 and 111.08 mg/kg of aluminum and barium respectively. The representative samples, which are compared with certified samples at 95% confidence limit. The purpose of this study was to study the variation in uptake of aluminum and barium in twelve different wheat varieties grown in same agricultural plot. (author)

Integrated Environmental Modelling: Human decisions, human challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Glynn, Pierre D.

2015-01-01

Integrated Environmental Modelling (IEM) is an invaluable tool for understanding the complex, dynamic ecosystems that house our natural resources and control our environments. Human behaviour affects the ways in which the science of IEM is assembled and used for meaningful societal applications. In particular, human biases and heuristics reflect adaptation and experiential learning to issues with frequent, sharply distinguished, feedbacks. Unfortunately, human behaviour is not adapted to the more diffusely experienced problems that IEM typically seeks to address. Twelve biases are identified that affect IEM (and science in general). These biases are supported by personal observations and by the findings of behavioural scientists. A process for critical analysis is proposed that addresses some human challenges of IEM and solicits explicit description of (1) represented processes and information, (2) unrepresented processes and information, and (3) accounting for, and cognizance of, potential human biases. Several other suggestions are also made that generally complement maintaining attitudes of watchful humility, open-mindedness, honesty and transparent accountability. These suggestions include (1) creating a new area of study in the behavioural biogeosciences, (2) using structured processes for engaging the modelling and stakeholder communities in IEM, and (3) using ‘red teams’ to increase resilience of IEM constructs and use.

Cerebral MRI of very low birth weight children at 6 years of age compared with the findings at 1 year

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skranes, J.S.; Nilsen, G.; Smevik, O.; Vik, T.; Brubakk, A.M.

1998-01-01

Background. We have previously reported the results of cerebral MRI examinations in an unselected year cohort of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants at one year of corrected age. Twenty-one (78 %) of 27 infants had abnormal myelination, mainly in the central occipital white matter (COWM) and in the centrum semiovale (CS), seen on T2-weighted images. Twelve infants had irregular and dilated lateral ventricles. We speculated whether these findings indicated perinatal periventricular leukomalacia (PVL). Only two infants had completely normal MRI at age 1 year. Objective. To determine whether the abnormal myelination seen at 1 year of age, was still present, either as delayed myelination or as gliosis caused by perinatal PVL. Materials and methods. In the present study, we report the results of follow-up cerebral MRI in 20 of these infants at 6 years of age. Results. Most of the children with MRI deviations at 1 year still had abnormalities at 6 years. Abnormal myelination in the central occipital white matter combined with abnormalities in the CS or with ventricular dilatation at age 1 year, presented as gliosis in 12 of 13 children at 6 years of age. Abnormalities solely in the COWM at age 1 year had normalised in two of five children and persisted as delayed myelination in three at age 6 years. Gliotic changes in periventricular white matter were found in 12 of 20 children (60 %). Areas most affected were the CS (11 children) and the COWM (9 children). Delayed myelination in COWM was found in six children (30 %), combined with gliosis in CS in three children. Twelve infants had ventricular dilatation both at 1 and 6 years of age. Conclusions. The MRI correlates of PVL, i. e. gliosis and ventricular dilatation, are common findings on cerebral MRI at 6 years of age in VLBW infants. (orig.)

Impedance planimetric description of normal rectoanal motility in humans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Inge S; Michelsen, Hanne B; Krogh, Klaus

2007-01-01

PURPOSE: Manometry and pressure-volume measurements are commonly used to study anorectal physiology. However, the methods are limited by several sources of error. Recently, a new impedance planimetric system has been introduced in a porcine model. It allows simultaneous determination of anorectal...... pressures and multiple rectal luminal cross-sectional areas. This study was designed to study normal human rectoanal motility by means of impedance planimetry with multiple rectal cross-sectional areas and rectal and anal pressure. METHODS: Twelve healthy volunteers (10 females), aged 24 to 53 years, were...... the experiment, the cross-sectional area at all channels showed strong cyclic contractile activity and the anal pressure increased by approximately 100 percent. CONCLUSIONS: The new rectal impedance planimetry system allows highly detailed description of rectoanal motility patterns. It has promise as a new...

Comparative assay of fluorescent antibody test results among twelve European National Reference Laboratories using various anti-rabies conjugates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Robardet, E.; Andrieu, S.; Rasmussen, Thomas Bruun

2013-01-01

Twelve National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) for rabies have undertaken a comparative assay to assess the comparison of fluorescent antibody test (FAT) results using five coded commercial anti-rabies conjugates (Biorad, Bioveta, Fujirebio, Millipore, and SIFIN conjugates). Homogenized positive...

Human daily rhythms measured for one year.

Science.gov (United States)

Binkley, S; Tome, M B; Crawford, D; Mosher, K

1990-08-01

Four human subjects recorded their wake-up and to-sleep times for one year each. The data were plotted to display individual circadian rhythms and the data were analyzed statistically. First, individuals had characteristic patterns in which visible changes in the patterns were observed mainly when time zones were changed because of travel. Second, the months with the latest wake-up and latest to-sleep times concentrated around the winter solstice; the months with the earliest wake-up and earliest to-sleep times concentrated around the fall equinox. Third, new moon versus full moon days were not different. Fourth, one-hour changes between standard and daylight savings time in the USA were reflected by near one-hour changes in two subjects, but not in a third. Fifth, weekend delays in wake-up time (0.8-1.6 hours), weekend delays in to-sleep time (0.1-0.5 hours), and shorter weekend awake time (0.8-1.3 hours) were observed. Sixth, throughout the year, wake-up times were close to the time of sunrise, but to-sleep times were several hours past sunset.

Periapical cemento-osseous dysplasia: a case report with twelve-year follow-up and review of literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Senia, E S; Sarao, M S

2015-11-01

To present a case report describing the long-term behaviour of periapical cemento-osseous dysplasia by observing the radiographic changes that took place over a period of 12 years. A review of the pertinent literature is also presented. A healthy 26-year-old white female was referred to the Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center Endodontic Department for evaluation of an asymptomatic radiolucency at the apex of the right mandibular lateral incisor. Following a clinical evaluation that included pulp testing, a diagnosis of periapical cemento-osseous dysplasia (PCOD) was made. No treatment was rendered but follow-up visits were recommended. The patient was subsequently re-evaluated 8 times over a period of 12 years. During that time the lesion changed in appearance, displaying the various phases of PCOD. At the same time, lesions affecting the three adjoining incisors appeared and behaved in a similar manner. At the 12-year recall, the right lateral and both central incisors revealed no evidence of PCOD and an almost normal trabecular pattern of bone could be seen. Misdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment of PCOD may be avoided with careful pulp testing and knowledge of its most common locations of occurrence, radiographic appearances (phases) and benign behaviour. © 2014 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Comparisons of High School Graduation Rates of Students with Disabilities and Their Peers in Twelve Southern States

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Theodore Scott; Manuel, Nancy; Stokes, Billy R.

2012-01-01

This study compared differences in diploma and graduation dropout rates among students with and without disabilities, analyzed differences in various graduation-types by disabilities, and offered recommendations to improve graduation rates through evidence-based practices. The geographic catchment area of this study was limited to twelve Southern…

The Impact of the Financial Crisis on the Content of Twelve Bestselling US Principles of Economics Textbooks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Poul Thøis

2013-01-01

How have authors of twelve bestselling introductory US textbooks in economics responded to the traumatizing financial crisis? In general the financial crisis is described with a couple of lines here and there or it is dealt with in boxes, separate sections, or specific isolated chapters. Some...

GH receptor blocker administration and muscle-tendon collagen synthesis in humans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Rie Harboe; Doessing, Simon; Goto, Kazushige

2011-01-01

Collagen is the predominant structural protein in tendons and ligaments, and can be controlled by hormonal changes. In animals, injections of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) has been shown to increase collagen synthesis in tendons and ligaments and to improve structural tissue healing......, but the effect of local IGF-I administration on tendon collagen synthesis in human has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to study whether local injections of IGF-I would have a stimulating effect on tendon collagen synthesis. Twelve healthy nonsmoking men [age 62 ± 1 years (mean ± SEM), BMI 27 ± 1......] participated. Two injections of either human recombinant IGF-I (0.1 mL Increlex©) or saline (control) into each patellar tendon were performed 24-h apart, respectively. Tendon collagen fractional synthesis rate (FSR) was measured by stable isotope technique in the hours after the second injection...

Ten-year-olds' reflections on their life in preschool

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Broström, Stig

2016-01-01

What do children think of their time in preschool? In the present study, twelve ten-year-old children collected data from their classmates. The children tend to remember their friends, and reflect on what games they played and with whom. Only about one in three respondents even mentioned the day...

Twelve-year prevalence of common neonatal congenital malformations in Zhejiang Province, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Ge; Xu, Zhe-Ming; Liang, Jian-Feng; Li, Lin; Tang, Da-Xing

2011-11-01

One of the challenges that pediatricians face when examining birth defects is to understand the trends in its occurrence and provide clues to etiology. This study was undertaken to retrospectively assess the prevalence of 10 common neonatal congenital malformations by reviewing a database of all deliveries from 28 weeks up until 7 days of birth from January 1998 to December 2009 in Zhejiang Province, China. Ten common neonatal congenital malformations were selected for analysis. The incidence and the Cochran-Armitage Trend were assessed via SAS9.2. A P value ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Of 83 888 perinatals, 374 (4.46‰) suffered from congenital heart diseases (CHD), 77 (0.92‰) from congenital hydrocephalus, 32 (0.38‰) from intestinal atresia/stenosis, 36 (0.43‰) from anorectal malformations, 149 (1.78‰) from kidney malformations, 139 (3.31‰) from hypospadias (male), 178 (2.12‰) from orofacial clefts (OFC), 188 (2.24‰) from polydactyly, 62 (0.74‰) from syndactyly, and 269 (3.21‰) from accessory auricle anomaly. Their trend of prevalence varied as follows: CHD, P=0.0026; hydrocephalus, P=0.0042; intestinal atresia/stenosis, P=0.0103; anorectal malformations, P=0.4332; kidney malformations, Pmalformations (Pmalformations (P=0.4332), polydactyly (P=0.0867) and syndactyly (P=0.1941). The incidences of CHD, intestinal atresia/stenosis, kidney malformations, hypospadias, OFC, and accessory auricle anomaly have increased in the last 12 years, but the incidences of anorectal malformations, polydactyly and syndactyly remain stable. The incidence of hydrocephalus shows a downward trend.

The effect of feeding frequency on insulin and ghrelin responses in human subjects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Solomon, Thomas; Chambers, Edward S; Jeukendrup, Asker E

2008-01-01

Recent work shows that increased meal frequency reduces ghrelin responses in sheep. Human research suggests there is an interaction between insulin and ghrelin. The effect of meal frequency on this interaction is unknown. Therefore, we investigated the effect of feeding frequency on insulin...... and ghrelin responses in human subjects. Five healthy male volunteers were recruited from the general population: age 24 (SEM 2)years, body mass 75.7 (SEM 3.2) kg and BMI 23.8 (SEM 0.8) kg/m(2). Volunteers underwent three 8-h feeding regimens: fasting (FAST); low-frequency(two) meal ingestion (LOFREQ......(MEAL)); high-frequency (twelve) meal ingestion (HIFREQ(MEAL)). Meals were equi-energetic within trials,consisting of 64% carbohydrate, 23% fat and 13% protein. Total energy intake was equal between feeding trials. Total area under the curve for serum insulin and plasma ghrelin responses did not differ between...

Work environment perceptions following relocation to open-plan offices: A twelve-month longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bergström, Jessica; Miller, Michael; Horneij, Eva

2015-01-01

A workplace's design can have various positive or negative effects on the employees and since the 1970s the advantages and disadvantages of open-plan offices have been discussed. The aim of this study was to investigate perceived health, work environment and self-estimated productivity one month before and at three, six and twelve months after relocation from individual offices to an open-plan office environment. Employees from three departments within the same company group and who worked with relatively similar tasks and who were planned to be relocated from private offices to open-plan offices were invited to participate. Questionnaires comprising items from The Salutogenic Health Indicator Scale, The Work Experience Measurement Scale, the questionnaire by Brennan et al. about perceived performance and one question from the Work Ability Index were sent to participants one month before relocation (baseline) to open-plan offices and then at three, six and twelve months after relocation. At baseline, 82 questionnaires were sent out. The response rate was 85%. At the follow-ups 77-79 questionnaires were sent out and the response-rate was 70%-81%. At follow-ups, perceived health, job satisfaction and performance had generally deteriorated. The results of the study indicate that employees' perception of health, work environment and performance decreased during a 12 month period following relocation from individual offices to open-plan offices.

IVF culture medium affects post-natal weight in humans during the first 2 years of life

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kleijkers, Sander H. M.; van Montfoort, Aafke P. A.; Smits, Luc J. M.; Viechtbauer, Wolfgang; Roseboom, Tessa J.; Nelissen, Ewka C. M.; Coonen, Edith; Derhaag, Josien G.; Bastings, Lobke; Schreurs, Inge E. L.; Evers, Johannes L. H.; Dumoulin, John C. M.

2014-01-01

Is post-natal growth during the first 2 years of life in IVF singletons affected by type of medium used for culturing human embryos during an IVF treatment? The in vitro culture of human embryos in medium from Cook resulted in singletons with a lower weight during the first 2 years of life compared

Transanal rectopexy - twelve case studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rubens Henrique Oleques Fernandes

2012-06-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: This study analyzed the results of transanal rectopexy and showed the benefits of this surgical technique. METHOD: Twelve patients were submitted to rectopexy between 1997 and 2011. The surgical technique used was transanal rectopexy, where the mesorectum was fixed to the sacrum with nonabsorbable suture. Three patients had been submitted to previous surgery, two by the Delorme technique and one by the Thiersch technique. RESULTS: Postoperative hospital stay ranged from 1 to 4 days. One patient (8.3% had intraoperative hematoma, which was treated with local compression and antibiotics. One patient (8.3% had residual mucosal prolapse, which was resected. Prolapse recurrence was seen in one case (8.3%. Improved incontinence occurred in 75% of patients and one patient reported obstructed evacuation in the first month after surgery. No death occurred. CONCLUSION: Transanal rectopexy is a simple, low cost technique, which has shown good efficacy in rectal prolapse control.OBJETIVO: O presente estudo analisou os resultados da retopexia pela via transanal e expôs os benefícios desta técnica cirúrgica. MÉTODO: Doze pacientes com prolapso foram operados no período de 1997 a 2011. A técnica cirúrgica usada foi a retopexia transanal, onde o mesorreto foi fixado ao sacro com fio inabsorvível. Três pacientes tinham cirurgia prévia, dois pela técnica de Delorme e um pela técnica de Thiersch. RESULTADOS: A permanência hospitalar pós-operatória variou de 1- 4 dias. Uma paciente (8,3% apresentou hematoma transoperatório que foi tratado com compressão local e antibioticoterapia. Um paciente apresentou prolapso mucoso residual (8,3%, que foi ressecado. Houve recidiva da procidência em um caso (8,3%. A melhora da incontinência ocorreu em 75% dos pacientes e uma paciente apresentou bloqueio evacuatório no primeiro mês após a cirurgia. Não houve mortalidade entre os pacientes operados. CONCLUSÃO: A retopexia transanal é uma t

Knee kinematics and kinetics in former soccer players with a 16-year-old ACL injury – the effects of twelve weeks of knee-specific training

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Holmström Eva

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Training of neuromuscular control has become increasingly important and plays a major role in rehabilitation of subjects with an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL. Little is known, however, of the influence of this training on knee stiffness during loading. Increased knee stiffness occurs as a loading strategy of ACL-injured subjects and is associated with increased joint contact forces. Increased or altered joint loads contribute to the development of osteoarthritis. The aim of the study was to determine if knee stiffness, defined by changes in knee kinetics and kinematics of gait, step activity and cross-over hop could be reduced through a knee-specific 12-week training programme. Methods A 3-dimensional motion analysis system (VICON and a force plate (AMTI were used to calculate knee kinetics and kinematics before and after 12 weeks of knee-specific training in 12 males recruited from a cohort with ACL injury 16 years earlier. Twelve uninjured males matched for age, sex, BMI and activity level served as a reference group. Self-reported patient-relevant data were obtained by the KOOS questionnaire. Results There were no significant changes in knee stiffness during gait and step activity after training. For the cross-over hop, increased peak knee flexion during landing (from 44 to 48 degrees, p = 0.031 and increased internal knee extensor moment (1.28 to 1.55 Nm/kg, p = 0.017 were seen after training, indicating reduced knee stiffness. The KOOS sport and recreation score improved from 70 to 77 (p = 0.005 and was significantly correlated with the changes in knee flexion during landing for the cross-over hop (r = 0.6, p = 0.039. Conclusion Knee-specific training improved lower extremity kinetics and kinematics, indicating reduced knee stiffness during demanding hop activity. Self-reported sport and recreational function correlated positively with the biomechanical changes supporting a clinical importance of the

Man and Nature: Cognitive and Emotional Elements in the Views of Twelve-Year-Old Schoolchildren.

Science.gov (United States)

Aho, Leena

1984-01-01

Studied viewpoints of 12-year-old Finnish students concerning the relation between man and nature and their own relation toward the natural world. Examined the cognitive level of thought processes, emotional considerations, and experiences shown in pupils' opinions. Found social, socio-economical, ecological, and ethical considerations had greater…

Thirty years of human infections caused by Yersinia enterocolitica in northern Spain: 1985-2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Marimon, J M; Figueroa, R; Idigoras, P; Gomariz, M; Alkorta, M; Cilla, G; Pérez-Trallero, E

2017-08-01

Yersinia enterocolitica infection is a zoonosis with worldwide distribution, gastroenteritis being by far the most common clinical manifestation of human infection. In Gipuzkoa, northern Spain, human Y. enterocolitica infections increased from the mid-1980s to the beginning of the 21st century (from 7·9 to 23·2 annual episodes per 100 000 population) to decrease to 7·2 annual episodes per 100 000 population in the last years of the study. The hospital admission rate due to yersiniosis during the last 15 years of the study was 7·3%. More than 99% of isolates were serotype O:3. Infection affected mainly children under 5 years of age (average rate: 140 episodes per 100 000 population). The incidence in adults was low but hospitalisation increased with age, exceeding 50% in people over 64 years old.

Effect of the composition of extra virgin olive oils on the differentiation and antioxidant capacities of twelve monovarietals.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuentes, Edwar; Paucar, Fiorela; Tapia, Francisco; Ortiz, Jaime; Jimenez, Paula; Romero, Nalda

2018-03-15

The effect of the composition of twelve varieties of extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) on their differentiation based in agronomic criteria and on the antioxidant capacity was studied. Principal component analysis permitted an overview of the samples and their compositions, showing evidence of grouping and correlation between antioxidant capacity, oleuropein and ligstroside derivatives (OLD) and specific extinction at 270. Oleic and linoleic acids, 3,4-DHPEA-EA and p-HPEA-EDA (OLD), unsaturated/saturated ratio and induction time (IT) allowed the correct classification of samples according to year of harvest, ripening stage and variety. The antioxidant capacity of EVOOs was satisfactory predicted through a partial least square model based on ΔK, hydroxytyrosol, pinoresinol, oleuropein derivate and IT. Validation of the model gave a correlation R>0.83 and an error of 7% for independent samples. This model could be a useful tool for the olive industry to highlight the nutritional quality of EVOOs and improve their marketing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Human milk adiponectin affects infant weight trajectory during the second year of life.

Science.gov (United States)

Woo, Jessica G; Guerrero, M Lourdes; Guo, Fukun; Martin, Lisa J; Davidson, Barbara S; Ortega, Hilda; Ruiz-Palacios, Guillermo M; Morrow, Ardythe L

2012-04-01

Serum adiponectin (APN) is associated with lower childhood obesity, and APN concentration in human milk is associated with slower growth during active breast-feeding. We examined infant weight gain in the second year of life after exposure to high or low levels of mother's milk APN. Breast-feeding mother-infant pairs were recruited in Mexico City and studied for 2 years; 192 infants with at least 12 months' follow-up were analyzed. Monthly milk samples were assayed for APN; mothers were classified as producing high or low levels of milk APN. Infant and maternal serum APN were assessed during year 1. Infant anthropometry was measured monthly (year 1) or bimonthly (year 2), and World Health Organization z scores were calculated. Longitudinal adjusted models assessed weight-for-age and weight-for-length z score trajectories from 1 to 2 years. Maternal serum APN modestly correlated with milk APN (r=0.37, Pmilk APN experienced increasing weight-for-age and weight-for-length z scores between age 1 and 2 years in contrast to low milk APN exposure (P for group × time=0.02 and 0.054, respectively), adjusting for growth in the first 6 months and other covariates. In contrast, infant serum APN in year 1 was not associated with the rate of weight gain in year 2. High human milk APN exposure was associated with accelerated weight trajectory during the second year of life, suggesting its role in catch-up growth after slower weight gain during the first year of life.

Twelve recommendations for integrating existing systematic reviews into new reviews: EPC guidance.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Karen A; Chou, Roger; Berkman, Nancy D; Newberry, Sydne J; Fu, Rongwei; Hartling, Lisa; Dryden, Donna; Butler, Mary; Foisy, Michelle; Anderson, Johanna; Motu'apuaka, Makalapua; Relevo, Rose; Guise, Jeanne-Marie; Chang, Stephanie

2016-02-01

As time and cost constraints in the conduct of systematic reviews increase, the need to consider the use of existing systematic reviews also increases. We developed guidance on the integration of systematic reviews into new reviews. A workgroup of methodologists from Evidence-based Practice Centers developed consensus-based recommendations. Discussions were informed by a literature scan and by interviews with organizations that conduct systematic reviews. Twelve recommendations were developed addressing selecting reviews, assessing risk of bias, qualitative and quantitative synthesis, and summarizing and assessing body of evidence. We provide preliminary guidance for an efficient and unbiased approach to integrating existing systematic reviews with primary studies in a new review. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Human Schedule Performance, Protocol Analysis, and the "Silent Dog" Methodology

Science.gov (United States)

Cabello, Francisco; Luciano, Carmen; Gomez, Inmaculada; Barnes-Holmes, Dermot

2004-01-01

The purpose of the current experiment was to investigate the role of private verbal behavior on the operant performances of human adults, using a protocol analysis procedure with additional methodological controls (the "silent dog" method). Twelve subjects were exposed to fixed ratio 8 and differential reinforcement of low rate 3-s schedules. For…

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: 50 Years Old but Still Coming of Age.

Science.gov (United States)

Flowers, Nancy

1998-01-01

Highlights the events of the past 50 years concerning the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that is the first document in human history to codify rights that apply to every person regardless of citizenship in a particular country. Explains why the United States does not comprehend the value of the declaration. (CMK)

The origins of human parasites: Exploring the evidence for endoparasitism throughout human evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Piers D

2013-09-01

It is important to determine the origins of human parasites if we are to understand the health of past populations and the effects of parasitism upon human evolution. It also helps us to understand emerging infectious diseases and the modern clinical epidemiology of parasites. This study aims to distinguish those heirloom parasites that have infected humans and their ancestors throughout their evolution in Africa from those recent souvenir species to which humans have only become exposed following contact with animals during their migration across the globe. Ten such heirloom parasites are proposed, which appear to have been spread across the globe. Six further heirlooms are noted to have limited spread due to the constraints of their life cycle. Twelve souvenir parasites of humans are described, along with their animal reservoirs. While the origins of 28 species of endoparasite have been determined, many more species require further assessment once a more systematic analysis of ancient parasites in other regions of Africa has been undertaken. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Interview with Joe McMann: Lessons Learned from Fifty Years of Observing Hardware and Human Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

McMann, Joe

2011-01-01

Pica Kahn conducted "An Interview with Joe McMann: Lessons Learned in Human and Hardware Behavior" on August 16, 2011. With more than 40 years of experience in the aerospace industry, McMann has gained a wealth of knowledge. This presentation focused on lessons learned in human and hardware behavior. During his many years in the industry, McMann observed that the hardware development process was intertwined with human influences, which impacted the outcome of the product.

Ultra pressure liquid chromatography-negative electrospray ionization mass spectrometry determination of twelve halobenzoquinones at ng/L levels in drinking water.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Rongfu; Wang, Wei; Qian, Yichao; Boyd, Jessica M; Zhao, Yuli; Li, Xing-Fang

2013-05-07

We report here the characterization of twelve halobenzoquinones (HBQs) using electrospray ionization (ESI) high resolution quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The high resolution negative ESI spectra of the twelve HBQs formed two parent ions, [M + H(+) + 2e(-)], and the radical M(-•). The intensities of these two parent ions are dependent on their chemical structures and on instrumental parameters such as the source temperature and flow rate. The characteristic ions of the HBQs were used to develop an ultra pressure liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method. At the UPLC flow rate (400 μL/min) and under the optimized ESI conditions, eleven HBQs showed the stable and abundant transitions [M + H(+) + 2e(-)] → X(-) (X(-) representing Cl(-), Br(-), or I(-)), while dibromo-dimethyl-benzoquinone (DBDMBQ) showed only the transition of M(-•) → Br(-). The UPLC efficiently separates all HBQs including some HBQ isomers, while the MS/MS offers exquisite limits of detection (LODs) at subng/mL levels for all HBQs except DBDMBQ. Combined with solid phase extraction (SPE), the method LOD is down to ng/L. The results from analysis of authentic samples demonstrated that the SPE-UPLC-MS/MS method is reliable, fast, and sensitive for the identification and quantification of the twelve HBQs in drinking water.

Buphthalmos: a Twelve-year Review at Ibadan | Bekibele | Nigerian ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Due to lack of appropriate facilities, visual acuity was not assessed objectively in 17 eyes. Conclusion: Buphthalmos is a rare disease in Ibadan and occurs predominantly in males. Majority of cases are bilateral. In this study, trabeculectomy achieved adequate pressure control in the majority of cases and as such, ...

Southern African ancient genomes estimate modern human divergence to 350,000 to 260,000 years ago.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlebusch, Carina M; Malmström, Helena; Günther, Torsten; Sjödin, Per; Coutinho, Alexandra; Edlund, Hanna; Munters, Arielle R; Vicente, Mário; Steyn, Maryna; Soodyall, Himla; Lombard, Marlize; Jakobsson, Mattias

2017-11-03

Southern Africa is consistently placed as a potential region for the evolution of Homo sapiens We present genome sequences, up to 13x coverage, from seven ancient individuals from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The remains of three Stone Age hunter-gatherers (about 2000 years old) were genetically similar to current-day southern San groups, and those of four Iron Age farmers (300 to 500 years old) were genetically similar to present-day Bantu-language speakers. We estimate that all modern-day Khoe-San groups have been influenced by 9 to 30% genetic admixture from East Africans/Eurasians. Using traditional and new approaches, we estimate the first modern human population divergence time to between 350,000 and 260,000 years ago. This estimate increases the deepest divergence among modern humans, coinciding with anatomical developments of archaic humans into modern humans, as represented in the local fossil record. Copyright © 2017 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

Molecular-level evaluation of selected periodontal pathogens from subgingival regions in canines and humans with periodontal disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Gołyńska, Magdalena; Polkowska, Izabela; Bartoszcze-Tomaszewska, Małgorzata; Sobczyńska-Rak, Aleksandra; Matuszewski, Łukasz

2017-03-30

Dogs commonly serve as a model for various human conditions, including periodontal diseases. The aim of this study was to identify the anaerobic bacteria that colonize the subgingival areas in dogs and humans by using rapid real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-based tests and to compare the results obtained in each species. Bacterial microflora evaluations, both quantitative and qualitative, were performed by applying ready-made tests on twelve dogs and twelve humans. Five samples were collected from each subject's deepest gingival pockets and joined to form a collective sample. The results of the study revealed interspecies similarities in the prevalences of Porphyromonas ( P .) gingivalis, Treponema denticola, Tannerella forsythia , and Fusobacterium nucleatum . Red complex bacteria comprised the largest portion of the studied bacterial complexes in all study groups, with P. gingivalis being the most commonly isolated bacterium. The results show similarities in the prevalence of bacterial microflora in dogs and humans. Microbiological analysis of gingival pockets by using rapid real-time PCR-based tests in clinical practice, both veterinary and human, can facilitate the choice of appropriate pharmacological treatment and can provide a basis for subsequent verification of the treatment's effectiveness.

Twelve years of follow up of cases with old 241Am internal contamination.

Science.gov (United States)

Malátová, Irena; Vrba, Tomás; Becková, Vera; Pospísilová, Helena

2010-10-01

A group of workers internally contaminated with Am have been followed for about 12 years. The source of contamination was AmO2 powder used for production of AmBe neutron sources and other applications. The production of some radionuclide sources included chemical treatment of the original material, which transformed the americium into the nitrate, but mostly powder metallurgy was used for production of sources for smoke detectors. In vivo measurement of the workers was performed with two LEGe detectors placed near the head of the measured person. Calibration was performed with four different physical skull phantoms of different origin and a voxel phantom with Monte Carlo simulation, which was developed to fit the head sizes of individual persons. Samples of urine and feces were analyzed by means of radiochemical separation followed by alpha-spectrometry. Separation of 241Am from mineralized excreta was performed by combined anion exchange and extraction chromatographic techniques. As a tracer, 243Am was used. When the measured data (83 data on skeletal activity, activity in 389 bioassay samples) were compared with International Commission on Radiological Protection's and Leggett's biokinetic models of americium, it was found that in most cases, after more than 15 y since the intake, the excretion rate was lower (or skeletal activity higher) than predicted. On the other hand, the ratio of excreted activity in urine and feces agrees well with model predictions.

Risk assessment of K basin twelve-inch drain valve failure from a postulated seismic initiating event

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MORGAN, R.G.

1999-01-01

The Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Project will transfer metallic SNF from the Hanford 105 K-East and 105 K-West Basins to safe interim storage in the Canister Storage Building in the 200 Area. The initial basis for design, fabrication, installation, and operation of the fuel removal systems was that the basin leak rates which could result from a postulated accident condition would not be excessive relative to reasonable recovery operations. However, an additional potential K Basin water leak path is through the K Basin drain valves. Three twelve-inch drain valves are located in the main basin bays along the north wall. The sumps containing the valves are filled with concrete which covers the drain valve body. Visual observations suggest that only the valve's bonnet and stem are exposed above the basin concrete floor. It was recognized, however, that damage of the drain valve bonnet or stem during a seismic initiating event could provide a potential K Basin water leak path. The objectives of this activity are to: (1) evaluate the risk of damaging the three twelve-inch drain valves located along the north wall of the main basin from a seismic initiating event, and (2) determine the associated potential leak rate from a damaged valve

Risk assessment of K basin twelve-inch drain valve failure from a postulated seismic initiating event

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

MORGAN, R.G.

1999-04-06

The Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Project will transfer metallic SNF from the Hanford 105 K-East and 105 K-West Basins to safe interim storage in the Canister Storage Building in the 200 Area. The initial basis for design, fabrication, installation, and operation of the fuel removal systems was that the basin leak rates which could result from a postulated accident condition would not be excessive relative to reasonable recovery operations. However, an additional potential K Basin water leak path is through the K Basin drain valves. Three twelve-inch drain valves are located in the main basin bays along the north wall. The sumps containing the valves are filled with concrete which covers the drain valve body. Visual observations suggest that only the valve's bonnet and stem are exposed above the basin concrete floor. It was recognized, however, that damage of the drain valve bonnet or stem during a seismic initiating event could provide a potential K Basin water leak path. The objectives of this activity are to: (1) evaluate the risk of damaging the three twelve-inch drain valves located along the north wall of the main basin from a seismic initiating event, and (2) determine the associated potential leak rate from a damaged valve.

EO-1/Hyperion: Nearing Twelve Years of Successful Mission Science Operation and Future Plans

Science.gov (United States)

Middleton, Elizabeth M.; Campbell, Petya K.; Huemmrich, K. Fred; Zhang, Qingyuan; Landis, David R.; Ungar, Stephen G.; Ong, Lawrence; Pollack, Nathan H.; Cheng, Yen-Ben

2012-01-01

The Earth Observing One (EO-1) satellite is a technology demonstration mission that was launched in November 2000, and by July 2012 will have successfully completed almost 12 years of high spatial resolution (30 m) imaging operations from a low Earth orbit. EO-1 has two unique instruments, the Hyperion and the Advanced Land Imager (ALI). Both instruments have served as prototypes for NASA's newer satellite missions, including the forthcoming (in early 2013) Landsat-8 and the future Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HyspIRI). As well, EO-1 is a heritage platform for the upcoming German satellite, EnMAP (2015). Here, we provide an overview of the mission, and highlight the capabilities of the Hyperion for support of science investigations, and present prototype products developed with Hyperion imagery for the HyspIRI and other space-borne spectrometers.

A survey of innovation through duplication in the reduced genomes of twelve parasites.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeremy D DeBarry

Full Text Available We characterize the prevalence, distribution, divergence, and putative functions of detectable two-copy paralogs and segmental duplications in the Apicomplexa, a phylum of parasitic protists. Apicomplexans are mostly obligate intracellular parasites responsible for human and animal diseases (e.g. malaria and toxoplasmosis. Gene loss is a major force in the phylum. Genomes are small and protein-encoding gene repertoires are reduced. Despite this genomic streamlining, duplications and gene family amplifications are present. The potential for innovation introduced by duplications is of particular interest. We compared genomes of twelve apicomplexans across four lineages and used orthology and genome cartography to map distributions of duplications against genome architectures. Segmental duplications appear limited to five species. Where present, they correspond to regions enriched for multi-copy and species-specific genes, pointing toward roles in adaptation and innovation. We found a phylum-wide association of duplications with dynamic chromosome regions and syntenic breakpoints. Trends in the distribution of duplicated genes indicate that recent, species-specific duplicates are often tandem while most others have been dispersed by genome rearrangements. These trends show a relationship between genome architecture and gene duplication. Functional analysis reveals: proteases, which are vital to a parasitic lifecycle, to be prominent in putative recent duplications; a pair of paralogous genes in Toxoplasma gondii previously shown to produce the rate-limiting step in dopamine synthesis in mammalian cells, a possible link to the modification of host behavior; and phylum-wide differences in expression and subcellular localization, indicative of modes of divergence. We have uncovered trends in multiple modes of duplicate divergence including sequence, intron content, expression, subcellular localization, and functions of putative recent duplicates that

An Analysis of Year-End Spending and the Feasibility of a Carryover Incentive for Federal Agencies

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

McPherson, Michael F

2007-01-01

This project investigates the year-end rush to spend and the origins. A secondary examination considers the feasibility of using carryover incentives to extend the obligation period by up to twelve months...

Twelve Years Since Importance of Cross-Cultural Competency Recognized: Where Are We Now?

Science.gov (United States)

Kessler, Remi A; Coates, Wendy C; Chanmugam, Arjun

2017-02-01

The objective of this study was to analyze the content and volume of literature that has been written on cultural competency in emergency medicine (EM) since its educational imperative was first described by the Institute of Medicine in 2002. We conducted a comprehensive literature search through the PubMed portal in January 2015 to identify all articles and reviews that addressed cultural competency in EM. Articles were included in the review if cultural competency was described or if its impact on healthcare disparities or curriculum development was described. Two reviewers independently investigated all relevant articles. These articles were then summarized. Of the 73 abstracts identified in the initial search, only 10 met criteria for inclusion. A common theme found among these 10 articles is that cultural competency in EM is essential to reducing healthcare disparities and improving patient care. These articles were consistent in their support for cross-cultural educational advancements in the EM curriculum. Despite the documented importance of cultural competency education in medicine, there appears to be only 10 articles over the past 12 years regarding its development and implementation in EM. This comprehensive literature review underscores the relative dearth of publications related to cultural competency in EM. The limited number of articles found is striking when compared to the growth of EM research over the same time period and can serve as a stimulus for further research in this significant area of EM education.

THE ELM SURVEY. II. TWELVE BINARY WHITE DWARF MERGER SYSTEMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kilic, Mukremin; Brown, Warren R.; Kenyon, S. J.; Prieto, Carlos Allende; Agueeros, M. A.; Heinke, Craig

2011-01-01

We describe new radial velocity and X-ray observations of extremely low-mass white dwarfs (ELM WDs, ∼0.2 M sun ) in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 4 and the MMT Hypervelocity Star survey. We identify four new short period binaries, including two merger systems. These observations bring the total number of short period binary systems identified in our survey to 20. No main-sequence or neutron star companions are visible in the available optical photometry, radio, and X-ray data. Thus, the companions are most likely WDs. Twelve of these systems will merge within a Hubble time due to gravitational wave radiation. We have now tripled the number of known merging WD systems. We discuss the characteristics of this merger sample and potential links to underluminous supernovae, extreme helium stars, AM CVn systems, and other merger products. We provide new observational tests of the WD mass-period distribution and cooling models for ELM WDs. We also find evidence for a new formation channel for single low-mass WDs through binary mergers of two lower mass objects.

Near-peer role modeling: Can fourth-year medical students, recognized for their humanism, enhance reflection among second-year students in a physical diagnosis course?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mimi McEvoy

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Humanism is cultivated through reflection and self-awareness. We aimed to employ fourth-year medical students, recognized for their humanism, to facilitate reflective sessions for second-year medical students with the intention of positively influencing reflective process toward humanistic development. Methods/Analysis: A total of 186 students were randomly assigned to one of three comparison arms: eight groups of eight students (64 students were facilitated by a fourth-year student who was a Gold Humanism Honor Society member (GHHS; eight groups (64 students by a volunteer non-GHHS student; and seven groups (58 students were non-facilitated. Before sessions, second-year students set learning goals concerning interactions with patients; fourth-year students received training materials on facilitation. Groups met twice during their 10 clinical site visits. At the last session, students completed a reflective assignment on their goal progress. Comparative mixed method analyses were conducted among the three comparison arms on reflection (reflective score on in-session assignment and session satisfaction (survey in addition to a thematic analysis of responses on the in-session assignment. Results: We found significant differences among all three comparison arms on students’ reflective scores (p=0.0003 and satisfaction (p=0.0001. T-tests comparing GHHS- and non-GHHS-facilitated groups showed significantly higher mean reflective scores for GHHS-facilitated groups (p=0.033; there were no differences on session satisfaction. Thematic analysis of students’ reflections showed attempts at self-examination, but lacked depth in addressing emotions. There was a common focus on achieving comfort and confidence in clinical skills performance. Discussion/Conclusions: Near peers, recognized for their humanism, demonstrated significant influence in deepening medical students’ reflections surrounding patient interactions or humanistic

Twelve Tips for teaching medical professionalism at all levels of medical education.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Eraky, Mohamed Mostafa

2015-01-01

Review of studies published in medical education journals over the last decade reveals that teaching medical professionalism is essential, yet challenging. According to a recent Best Evidence in Medical Education (BEME) guide, there is no consensus on a theoretical or practical model to integrate the teaching of professionalism into medical education. The aim of this article is to outline a practical manual for teaching professionalism at all levels of medical education. Drawing from research literature and author's experience, Twelve Tips are listed and organised in four clusters with relevance to (1) the context, (2) the teachers, (3) the curriculum, and (4) the networking. With a better understanding of the guiding educational principles for teaching medical professionalism, medical educators will be able to teach one of the most challenging constructs in medical education.

Estimate of DMFT index using teeth most affected by dental caries in twelve-year-old children.

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, Stela Márcia; Tagliaferro, Elaine Pereira da Silva; Cortellazzi, Karine Laura; Ambrosano, Gláucia Maria Bovi; Mialhe, Fábio Luiz; Meneghim, Marcelo de Castro; Pereira, Antonio Carlos

2009-02-01

The objective of the study was to develop regression models to describe the epidemiological profile of dental caries in 12-year-old children in an area of low prevalence of caries. Two distinct random probabilistic samples of schoolchildren (n=1,763) attending public and private schools in Piracicaba, Southeastern Brazil, were studied. Regression models were estimated as a function of the most affected teeth using data collected in 2005 and were validated using a 2001 database. The mean (SD) DMFT index was 1.7 (2.08) in 2001 and the regression equations estimated a DMFT index of 1.67 (1.98), which corresponds to 98.2% of the DMFT index in 2001. The study provided detailed data on the caries profile in 12-year-old children by using an updated analytical approach. Regression models can be an accurate and feasible method that can provide valuable information for the planning and evaluation of oral health services.

Twelve years of coccidioidomycosis in Ceará State, Northeast Brazil: epidemiologic and diagnostic aspects.

Science.gov (United States)

Cordeiro, Rossana de Aguiar; Brilhante, Raimunda Sâmia Nogueira; Rocha, Marcos Fábio Gadelha; Bandeira, Silviane Praciano; Fechine, Maria Auxiliadora Bezerra; de Camargo, Zoilo Pires; Sidrim, José Júlio Costa

2010-01-01

Coccidioidomycosis is an endemic infection in the Americas caused by the dimorphic fungi Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii. Although the disease occurs in Brazil in sporadic form, little information about these cases is available. In this study, we summarize the most important clinical, epidemiologic, and diagnostic features of coccidioidomycosis in Ceará State (Northeast Brazil) during the past 12 years. In this period, 19 cases of coccidioidomycosis were diagnosed. All the patients were young males and came from semiarid areas of the state. The majority of cases were associated to armadillo hunting, and pulmonary disease was the most common clinical presentation. In our laboratory, coccidioidomycosis was confirmed by culture, serology, and polymerase chain reaction tests, which together were very suitable for the diagnosis of this disease. Based on our local experience, we believe many cases of this disease are misdiagnosed or not diagnosed in our region. Therefore, some strategies for improvement of diagnosis should be encouraged by local authorities.

NASA/JPL Solar System Educators Program: Twelve Years of Success and Looking Forward

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrari, K.; NASA/JPL Solar System Educators Program

2011-12-01

Since 1999, the NASA/JPL Solar System Educators Program (SSEP) has been the model of a successful master teacher volunteer program. Integrating nationwide volunteers in this professional development program helped optimize agency funding set aside for education. Through the efforts of these volunteers, teachers across the country became familiarized with NASA's STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) educational materials, schools added these products to their curriculum and students benefitted. The years since 1999 have brought about many changes. There have been advancements in technology that allow more opportunities for telecon and web based learning methods. Along with those advancements have also come significant challenges. With NASA budgets for education shrinking, this already frugal program has become more spartan. Teachers face their own hardships with school budget cuts, limited classroom time and little support for professional development. In order for SSEP to remain viable in the face of these challenges, the program management, mission funders and volunteers themselves are working together to find ways of maintaining the quality that made the program a success and at the same time incorporate new, cost-effective methods of delivery. The group will also seek new partnerships to provide enhancements that will aid educators in advancing their careers at the same time as they receive professional development. By working together and utilizing the talent and experience of these master teachers, the Solar System Educators Program can enjoy a revitalization that will meet the needs of today's educators at the same time as renewing the enthusiasm of the volunteers.

The poetics of comic in the «The Twelve Chairs» novel (to the problem of a funny word

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kildyaeva Yu.I.

2017-05-01

Full Text Available the article deals with the role of a funny word in the comic structure of «The Twelve Chairs» by I. Ilf and E. Petrov. The researcher reveals its different functions taking into account authors’ strategy, directed to the creation of a special type of comic.

Interaction studies reveal specific recognition of an anti-inflammatory polyphosphorhydrazone dendrimer by human monocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ledall, Jérémy; Fruchon, Séverine; Garzoni, Matteo; Pavan, Giovanni M; Caminade, Anne-Marie; Turrin, Cédric-Olivier; Blanzat, Muriel; Poupot, Rémy

2015-11-14

Dendrimers are nano-materials with perfectly defined structure and size, and multivalency properties that confer substantial advantages for biomedical applications. Previous work has shown that phosphorus-based polyphosphorhydrazone (PPH) dendrimers capped with azabisphosphonate (ABP) end groups have immuno-modulatory and anti-inflammatory properties leading to efficient therapeutic control of inflammatory diseases in animal models. These properties are mainly prompted through activation of monocytes. Here, we disclose new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory activation of human monocytes by ABP-capped PPH dendrimers. Following an interdisciplinary approach, we have characterized the physicochemical and biological behavior of the lead ABP dendrimer with model and cell membranes, and compared this experimental set of data to predictive computational modelling studies. The behavior of the ABP dendrimer was compared to the one of an isosteric analog dendrimer capped with twelve azabiscarboxylate (ABC) end groups instead of twelve ABP end groups. The ABC dendrimer displayed no biological activity on human monocytes, therefore it was considered as a negative control. In detail, we show that the ABP dendrimer can bind both non-specifically and specifically to the membrane of human monocytes. The specific binding leads to the internalization of the ABP dendrimer by human monocytes. On the contrary, the ABC dendrimer only interacts non-specifically with human monocytes and is not internalized. These data indicate that the bioactive ABP dendrimer is recognized by specific receptor(s) at the surface of human monocytes.

Postdramatic Theatre, 12 years later

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hans-Thies Lehmann

2013-09-01

Full Text Available This text takes stock of the twelve years of emergence of the practice and term Postdramatic and some of its developments and issues in the performing arts. It discusses the changes through which the contemporary scene has gone since 1999 and consequently the changes we should consider when reading and analysing the concept of postdramatic; among them, the focus on collaborative work; new relations between theatre and society; the focus on dance; and the return of words. Finally, the text raises the question of whether or not the term postdramatic should be reconsidered.

Space weather and human deaths distribution: 25 years' observation (Lithuania, 1989-2013).

Science.gov (United States)

Stoupel, Eliyahu G; Petrauskiene, Jadvyga; Kalediene, Ramune; Sauliune, Skirmante; Abramson, Evgeny; Shochat, Tzippy

2015-09-01

Human health is affected by space weather component [solar (SA), geomagnetic (GMA), cosmic ray (CRA) - neutrons, space proton flux] activity levels. The aim of this study was to check possible links between timing of human (both genders) monthly deaths distribution and space weather activity. Human deaths distribution in the Republic of Lithuania from 1989 to 2013 (25 years, i.e., 300 consecutive months) was studied, which included 1,050,503 deaths (549,764 male, 500,739 female). Pearson correlation coefficients (r) and their probabilities (p) were obtained for years: months 1-12, sunspot number, smoothed sunspot number, solar flux (2800 MGH, 10.7 cm), adjusted solar flux for SA; A, C indices of GMA; neutron activity at the earth's surface (imp/min) for CRA. The cosmophysical data were obtained from space science institutions in the USA, Russia and Finland. The mentioned physical parameters were compared with the total number of deaths, deaths from ischemic heart disease (n=376,074), stroke (n=132,020), non-cardiovascular causes (n=542,409), accidents (n=98,805), traffic accidents (n=21,261), oncology (n=193,017), diabetes mellitus (n=6631) and suicide (n=33,072). Space factors were interrelated as follows for the considered period: CRA was inversely related to SA and GMA, CRA/SA (r=-0.86, p>0.0001), CRA/GMA (r=-0.70, pweather component activity. Extreme levels of activities of both groups (SA, GMA, and opposite CRA - neutron) are related to some health risks. In the considered period, there were relatively few GMA storms and low GMA was dominating, accompanied by higher CRA (neutron) activity. The ways of action of the components of space weather on the human body need additional studies. There is a special need for the prevention of rising cerebral vascular accidents and oncology malignancies as the causes of death.

PSYCHOSOCIAL EFFECTS OF 2 YEARS OF HUMAN GROWTH-HORMONE TREATMENT IN TURNER SYNDROME

NARCIS (Netherlands)

SLIJPER, FME; SINNEMA, G; AKKERHUIS, GW; BRUGMANBOEZEMAN, A; FEENSTRA, J; DENHARTOG, L; HEUVEL, F

1993-01-01

Thirty-eight girls with Turner syndrome were treated for 2 years with human growth hormone. Both parents and patients carried out assessments of the effects of treatment on various aspects of psychosocial functioning. The children used the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale and the Social Anxiety Scale

Genetic diversity and evolution of human metapneumovirus fusion protein over twenty years

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liem Alexis

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Human metapneumovirus (HMPV is an important cause of acute respiratory illness in children. We examined the diversity and molecular evolution of HMPV using 85 full-length F (fusion gene sequences collected over a 20-year period. Results The F gene sequences fell into two major groups, each with two subgroups, which exhibited a mean of 96% identity by predicted amino acid sequences. Amino acid identity within and between subgroups was higher than nucleotide identity, suggesting structural or functional constraints on F protein diversity. There was minimal progressive drift over time, and the genetic lineages were stable over the 20-year period. Several canonical amino acid differences discriminated between major subgroups, and polymorphic variations tended to cluster in discrete regions. The estimated rate of mutation was 7.12 × 10-4 substitutions/site/year and the estimated time to most recent common HMPV ancestor was 97 years (95% likelihood range 66-194 years. Analysis suggested that HMPV diverged from avian metapneumovirus type C (AMPV-C 269 years ago (95% likelihood range 106-382 years. Conclusion HMPV F protein remains conserved over decades. HMPV appears to have diverged from AMPV-C fairly recently.

Genetic diversity and evolution of human metapneumovirus fusion protein over twenty years

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chin-Fen; Wang, Chiaoyin K; Tollefson, Sharon J; Piyaratna, Rohith; Lintao, Linda D; Chu, Marla; Liem, Alexis; Mark, Mary; Spaete, Richard R; Crowe, James E; Williams, John V

2009-01-01

Background Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is an important cause of acute respiratory illness in children. We examined the diversity and molecular evolution of HMPV using 85 full-length F (fusion) gene sequences collected over a 20-year period. Results The F gene sequences fell into two major groups, each with two subgroups, which exhibited a mean of 96% identity by predicted amino acid sequences. Amino acid identity within and between subgroups was higher than nucleotide identity, suggesting structural or functional constraints on F protein diversity. There was minimal progressive drift over time, and the genetic lineages were stable over the 20-year period. Several canonical amino acid differences discriminated between major subgroups, and polymorphic variations tended to cluster in discrete regions. The estimated rate of mutation was 7.12 × 10-4 substitutions/site/year and the estimated time to most recent common HMPV ancestor was 97 years (95% likelihood range 66-194 years). Analysis suggested that HMPV diverged from avian metapneumovirus type C (AMPV-C) 269 years ago (95% likelihood range 106-382 years). Conclusion HMPV F protein remains conserved over decades. HMPV appears to have diverged from AMPV-C fairly recently. PMID:19740442

Analysis of the intellectual structure of human space exploration research using a bibliometric approach: Focus on human related factors

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Tai Sik; Lee, Yoon-Sun; Lee, Jaeho; Chang, Byung Chul

2018-02-01

Human space exploration (HSE) is an interdisciplinary field composed of a range of subjects that have developed dramatically over the last few decades. This paper investigates the intellectual structure of HSE research with a focus on human related factors. A bibliometric approach with quantitative analytical techniques is applied to study the development and growth of the research. This study retrieves 1921 papers on HSE related to human factors from the year 1990 to the year 2016 from Web of Science and constructs a critical citation network composed of 336 papers. Edge-betweenness-based clustering is used to classify the citation network into twelve distinct research clusters based on four research themes: "biological risks from space radiation," "health and performance during long-duration spaceflight," "program and in-situ resources for HSE missions," and "habitat and life support systems in the space environment." These research themes are also similar to the classification results of a co-occurrence analysis on keywords for a total of 1921 papers. Papers with high centrality scores are identified as important papers in terms of knowledge flow. Moreover, the intermediary role of papers in exchanging knowledge between HSE sub-areas is identified using brokerage analysis. The key-route main path highlights the theoretical development trajectories. Due to the recent dramatic increase in investment by international governments and the private sector, the theoretical development trajectories of key research themes have been expanding from furthering scientific and technical knowledge to include various social and economic issues, thus encouraging massive public participation. This study contributes to an understanding of research trends and popular issues in the field of HSE by introducing a powerful way of determining major research themes and development trajectories. This study will help researchers seek the underlying knowledge diffusion flow from multifaceted

350 Years of Fire-Climate-Human Interactions in a Great Lakes Sandy Outwash Plain

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Richard P. Guyette

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Throughout much of eastern North America, quantitative records of historical fire regimes and interactions with humans are absent. Annual resolution fire scar histories provide data on fire frequency, extent, and severity, but also can be used to understand fire-climate-human interactions. This study used tree-ring dated fire scars from red pines (Pinus resinosa at four sites in the Northern Sands Ecological Landscapes of Wisconsin to quantify the interactions among fire occurrence and seasonality, drought, and humans. New methods for assessing the influence of human ignitions on fire regimes were developed. A temporal and spatial index of wildland fire was significantly correlated (r = 0.48 with drought indices (Palmer Drought Severity Index, PDSI. Fire intervals varied through time with human activities that included early French Jesuit missions, European trade (fur, diseases, war, and land use. Comparisons of historical fire records suggest that annual climate in this region has a broad influence on the occurrence of fire years in the Great Lakes region.

Impact of climate change and human activity on soil landscapes over the past 12,300 years.

Science.gov (United States)

Rothacker, Leo; Dosseto, Anthony; Francke, Alexander; Chivas, Allan R; Vigier, Nathalie; Kotarba-Morley, Anna M; Menozzi, Davide

2018-01-10

Soils are key to ecosystems and human societies, and their critical importance requires a better understanding of how they evolve through time. However, identifying the role of natural climate change versus human activity (e.g. agriculture) on soil evolution is difficult. Here we show that for most of the past 12,300 years soil erosion and development were impacted differently by natural climate variability, as recorded by sediments deposited in Lake Dojran (Macedonia/Greece): short-lived ( < 1,000 years) climatic shifts had no effect on soil development but impacted soil erosion. This decoupling disappeared between 3,500 and 3,100 years ago, when the sedimentary record suggests an unprecedented erosion event associated with the development of agriculture in the region. Our results show unambiguously how differently soils evolved under natural climate variability (between 12,300 and 3,500 years ago) and later in response to intensifying human impact. The transition from natural to anthropogenic landscape started just before, or at, the onset of the Greek 'Dark Ages' (~3,200 cal yr BP). This could represent the earliest recorded sign of a negative feedback between civilization and environmental impact, where the development of agriculture impacted soil resources, which in turn resulted in a slowdown of civilization expansion.

Do supervised weekly exercise programs maintain functional exercise capacity and quality of life, twelve months after pulmonary rehabilitation in COPD?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alison Jennifer A

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Pulmonary rehabilitation programs have been shown to increase functional exercise capacity and quality of life in COPD patients. However, following the completion of pulmonary rehabilitation the benefits begin to decline unless the program is of longer duration or ongoing maintenance exercise is followed. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine if supervised, weekly, hospital-based exercise compared to home exercise will maintain the benefits gained from an eight-week pulmonary rehabilitation program in COPD subjects to twelve months. Methods Following completion of an eight-week pulmonary rehabilitation program, COPD subjects will be recruited and randomised (using concealed allocation in numbered envelopes into either the maintenance exercise group (supervised, weekly, hospital-based exercise or the control group (unsupervised home exercise and followed for twelve months. Measurements will be taken at baseline (post an eight-week pulmonary rehabilitation program, three, six and twelve months. The exercise measurements will include two six-minute walk tests, two incremental shuttle walk tests, and two endurance shuttle walk tests. Oxygen saturation, heart rate and dyspnoea will be monitored during all these tests. Quality of life will be measured using the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Participants will be excluded if they require supplemental oxygen or have neurological or musculoskeletal co-morbidities that will prevent them from exercising independently. Discussion Pulmonary rehabilitation plays an important part in the management of COPD and the results from this study will help determine if supervised, weekly, hospital-based exercise can successfully maintain functional exercise capacity and quality of life following an eight-week pulmonary rehabilitation program in COPD subjects in Australia.

A Preliminary Study on the Measures to Assess the Organizational Safety: The Cultural Impact on Human Error Potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Yong Hee; Lee, Yong Hee

2011-01-01

The Fukushima I nuclear accident following the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011 occurred after twelve years had passed since the JCO accident which was caused as a result of an error made by JCO employees. These accidents, along with the Chernobyl accident, associated with characteristic problems of various organizations caused severe social and economic disruptions and have had significant environmental and health impact. The cultural problems with human errors occur for various reasons, and different actions are needed to prevent different errors. Unfortunately, much of the research on organization and human error has shown widely various or different results which call for different approaches. In other words, we have to find more practical solutions from various researches for nuclear safety and lead a systematic approach to organizational deficiency causing human error. This paper reviews Hofstede's criteria, IAEA safety culture, safety areas of periodic safety review (PSR), teamwork and performance, and an evaluation of HANARO safety culture to verify the measures used to assess the organizational safety

A Preliminary Study on the Measures to Assess the Organizational Safety: The Cultural Impact on Human Error Potential

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Yong Hee; Lee, Yong Hee [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2011-10-15

The Fukushima I nuclear accident following the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011 occurred after twelve years had passed since the JCO accident which was caused as a result of an error made by JCO employees. These accidents, along with the Chernobyl accident, associated with characteristic problems of various organizations caused severe social and economic disruptions and have had significant environmental and health impact. The cultural problems with human errors occur for various reasons, and different actions are needed to prevent different errors. Unfortunately, much of the research on organization and human error has shown widely various or different results which call for different approaches. In other words, we have to find more practical solutions from various researches for nuclear safety and lead a systematic approach to organizational deficiency causing human error. This paper reviews Hofstede's criteria, IAEA safety culture, safety areas of periodic safety review (PSR), teamwork and performance, and an evaluation of HANARO safety culture to verify the measures used to assess the organizational safety

[Human helminthiasis at the Gauls].

Science.gov (United States)

Rousset, J J; Heron, C; Metrot, P

1996-01-01

It was possible to realize a salvaging in urgency in a building site into the enclosure of the Hôpital Avicenne in Bobigny (seine-Saint-Denis). Into ditches, traces of a native farm from the second century AC, near miscellaneous objects (pots, hatchets, fibules, pieces) was found twelve skeletons. In the ground, extracted between the wings of ilium of an adult skeleton, with an appropriated technical, it was possible to find eggs of Trichuris trichiura and a lot of eggs of Ascaris lumbrocoides. It proves, the human manure was used very probably in the gaul gardens.

Minor and trace metals levels in human milk in north western cities of Libya

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahabbis, M. T.; Elkubat, M. S.; Kut, H. M.

2009-01-01

Levels of twelve minor and trace metals were determined by using (AAS, ES and ICP/MS) in breast milk obtained from 60 women living in north western cities of Libya. Samples were collected at one week up to two years after delivery. Women with age>21 years old to an age of <43 years old were investigated. (Author)

Genetic Variability Studies on Twelve Genotypes of Rice (Oryza sativa L. for Growth and Yield Performance in South Eastern Nigeria

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Vincent N. ONYIA

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Twelve genotypes of rice collected from the National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI, Badeggi, Bida, Niger State, Nigeria were evaluated to estimate the magnitude of genetic variability and relationship of some agronomic traits of rice and their contributions to yield. The results obtained showed a significant difference (p ≤ 0.05 among the genotypes in all the traits studied. Genotype ‘WAB 35-1-FX2’ produced a significantly higher grain yield of 3.40 t/ha compared with all the other genotypes in the two years combined. Genotypes ‘WAB 33-25’, ‘WAB 56-1-FX2’, ‘WAB 56-39’, ‘WAB 56-125’, ‘ITA 150’ and ‘FAROX 16 (LC’ were the most stable grain yielding genotypes across the two years of the experiment. High broad sense heritability (h2bs was associated with grain yield (h2bs = 98.63%, number of spikelets/panicle (98.78%, plant height (98.34% for the first year planting, whereas in the second year planting, days to 50% flowering (96.72%, days to maturity (94.14% and grain yield (83.33% were among the traits that showed high broad sense heritability. The two years combined correlation analysis showed that grain yield correlated significantly and positively with number of spikelets/panicle (r = 0.2358*, number of panicles/m2 (r = 0.1895*, number of fertile spikelets/panicle (r = 0.1672* and 1,000 grain weight (r = 0.1247*, indicating that these traits can be phenotypic basis for improving grain yield of rice. Conversely, grain yield exhibited negative correlation with days to 50% flowering (-0.3009 and days to maturity (-0.2650, though not significant. This suggests that rice grain yield can be improved by selecting early flowering and maturing genotypes especially under heat and drought prone conditions.

Impact of balancing-side tooth contact on clenching induced mandibular displacements in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Baba, K; Yugami, K; Yaka, T; Ai, M

2001-08-01

This study investigated mandibular displacements during clenching in the lateral mandibular position in relation to lateral occlusal relationships. Twelve healthy human subjects (mean=26.7 years) volunteered for this study. Acrylic occlusal devices were fabricated for the lower working-side canine, working-side second molar and balancing-side second molar in order to simulate a dominant canine guidance, working-side interference (WI), balancing-side interference (BI) and bilateral balanced occlusion (BO). Vertical displacements of the mandible were recorded by linear variable differential transformers during submaximal clenching in the right lateral position. The four experimental occlusal conditions were revealed to have a significant effect on mandibular displacement patterns (ANOVA, P experimental conditions. These results suggest that the nature of reaction forces at the temporomandibular (TM) joints caused by the elevation of the mandible varies in a predictable manner depending upon lateral occlusal relationships.

Humans thrived in South Africa through the Toba eruption about 74,000 years ago

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Eugene I.; Jacobs, Zenobia; Johnsen, Racheal; Ren, Minghua; Fisher, Erich C.; Oestmo, Simen; Wilkins, Jayne; Harris, Jacob A.; Karkanas, Panagiotis; Fitch, Shelby; Ciravolo, Amber; Keenan, Deborah; Cleghorn, Naomi; Lane, Christine S.; Matthews, Thalassa; Marean, Curtis W.

2018-03-01

Approximately 74 thousand years ago (ka), the Toba caldera erupted in Sumatra. Since the magnitude of this eruption was first established, its effects on climate, environment and humans have been debated. Here we describe the discovery of microscopic glass shards characteristic of the Youngest Toba Tuff—ashfall from the Toba eruption—in two archaeological sites on the south coast of South Africa, a region in which there is evidence for early human behavioural complexity. An independently derived dating model supports a date of approximately 74 ka for the sediments containing the Youngest Toba Tuff glass shards. By defining the input of shards at both sites, which are located nine kilometres apart, we are able to establish a close temporal correlation between them. Our high-resolution excavation and sampling technique enable exact comparisons between the input of Youngest Toba Tuff glass shards and the evidence for human occupation. Humans in this region thrived through the Toba event and the ensuing full glacial conditions, perhaps as a combined result of the uniquely rich resource base of the region and fully evolved modern human adaptation.

Hepatoprotective activity of twelve novel 7'-hydroxy lignan glucosides from Arctii Fructus.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Ya-Nan; Huang, Xiao-Ying; Feng, Zi-Ming; Jiang, Jian-Shuang; Zhang, Pei-Cheng

2014-09-17

Twelve novel 7'-hydroxy lignan glucosides (1-12), including two benzofuran-type neolignans, two 8-O-4' neolignans, two dibenzylbutyrolactone lignans, and six tetrahydrofuranoid lignans, together with six known lignan glucosides (13-18), were isolated from the fruit of Arctium lappa L. (Asteraceae), commonly known as Arctii Fructus. Their structures were elucidated using spectroscopy (1D and 2D NMR, MS, IR, ORD, and UV) and on the basis of chemical evidence. The absolute configurations of compounds 1-12 were confirmed using rotating frame nuclear overhauser effect spectroscopy (ROESY), the circular dichroic (CD) exciton chirality method, and Rh2(OCOCF3)4-induced CD spectrum analysis. All of the isolated compounds were tested for hepatoprotective effects against D-galactosamine-induced cytotoxicity in HL-7702 hepatic cells. Compounds 1, 2, 7-12, and 17 showed significantly stronger hepatoprotective activity than the positive control bicyclol at a concentration of 1 × 10(-5) M.

Burlington Bottoms wildlife mitigation site : five-year habitat management plan, 2001-2005

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beilke, Susan G.

2001-01-01

Historically the lower Columbia and Willamette River Basins were ecologically rich in both the habitat types and the species diversity they supported. This was due in part to the pattern of floods and periodic inundation of bottomlands that occurred, which was an important factor in creating and maintaining a complex system of wetland, meadow, and riparian habitats. This landscape has been greatly altered in the past 150 years, primarily due to human development and agricultural activities including cattle grazing, logging and the building of hydroelectric facilities for hydropower, navigation, flood control and irrigation in the Columbia and Willamette River Basins. The Burlington Bottoms (BB) wetlands contains some of the last remaining bottomlands in the area, supporting a diverse array of native plant and wildlife species. Located approximately twelve miles northwest of Portland and situated between the Tualatin Mountains to the west and Multnomah Channel and Sauvie Island to the east, the current habitats are remnant of what was once common throughout the region. In order to preserve and enhance this important site, a five-year habitat management plan has been written that proposes a set of actions that will carry out the goals and objectives developed for the site, which includes protecting, maintaining and enhancing wildlife habitat for perpetuity

Trends in Meningococcal Meningitis Over the Past Twelve Years at ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aim: To determine the trends in the occurrence of meningococcal meningitis at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu, Nigeria, as well as the antibiotic sensitivity pattern. Materials and Methods: The results of all cerebrospinal fluid samples received by the microbiology laboratory (UNTH), Enugu ...

8000 years of caribou and human seasonal migration in the Canadian Barrenlands

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Bryan C. Gordon

2005-05-01

Full Text Available Caribou (Rangifer tarandus are the common thread running through thousands of years of cultural evolution in northern mainland Canada. From the earliest Indian traditions, through the Pre-Dorset and Dene cultural evolution, up to historic times, the vast herds of migratory Barrenland caribou provided food, clothing and shelter. They determined the human cycle -- seasonal migrations, seasonal levels of fitness, and season of procreation. Caribou even permeated Dene mythology and supernatural beliefs. Within the Beverly caribou (R. t. groenlandicus range in the Canadian Barrenlands, investigation of 1002 archaeological sites points to long-term stability of human band and caribou herd interaction. Caribou bone and hunting tools occur in multiple levels, the earliest to 8000 years, based on 131 radiocarbon dates. Through time, specific hunting bands aligned with specific migratory barren-ground caribou herds. This relationship helps to explain observed archaeological and ethnological differences within different caribou ranges for these hunting bands. In general, biological evidence concurs with ethnographic and archaeological evidence. But short-term variations in migration routes between northern boreal forest, taiga and tundra may have followed changes in herd size and environment, e.g., unfavorable snow and ice conditions or forest fires. However, such influences were not discernible archaeologically.

Twelve weeks of BodyBalance® training improved balance and functional task performance in middle-aged and older adults

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Nicholson VP

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Vaughan P Nicholson, Mark R McKean, Brendan J Burkett School of Health and Sport Sciences, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast, QLD, Australia Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of BodyBalance® training on balance, functional task performance, fear of falling, and health-related quality of life in adults aged over 55 years.Participants and methods: A total of 28 healthy, active adults aged 66±5 years completed the randomized controlled trial. Balance, functional task performance, fear of falling, and self-reported quality of life were assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks. Participants either undertook two sessions of BodyBalance per week for 12 weeks (n=15 or continued with their normal activities (n=13.Results: Significant group-by-time interactions were found for the timed up and go (P=0.038, 30-second chair stand (P=0.037, and mediolateral center-of-pressure range in narrow stance with eyes closed (P=0.017. There were no significant effects on fear of falling or self-reported quality of life.Conclusion: Twelve weeks of BodyBalance training is effective at improving certain balance and functional based tasks in healthy older adults. Keywords: postural control, yoga, tai chi, center of pressure, exercise

Estudio exploratorio sobre la presencia del consumo de sustancias psicoactivas en niños entre 10 y 12 años y en sus padres o adultos responsables Preliminary study about the presence of the use of psychoactive substances among children between ten and twelve years old and in their parents or responsible adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Slapak

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Se presentan los resultados preliminares de un estudio cuyo propósito es indagar la presencia del consumo de sustancias psicoactivas en niños entre 10 y años y en sus padres o adultos responsables. Metodología: Muestras: niños de a años que reciben asistencia psicoterapéutica en una unidad de docencia en servicio de una cátedra universitaria; padres o adultos responsables de dichos niños. Instrumentos: CORIN. Fuente: CONICET. Cuestionario que indaga hábitos de consumo en los adultos. Anamnesis a los adultos. Protocolo de datos sociodemográficos. Conclusiones: Se registra consumo ocasional de alcohol durante el año de administración del instrumento entre los niños. De la misma manera, se observa un consumo habitual de diversas sustancias psicoactivas en su entorno familiar. Se concluye que el consumo ocasional de alcohol en los niños no se encuentra relacionado con su sintomatología, sino más bien con las características del contexto familiar.This paper presents the preliminaries results of a study which purpose is to inquire the presence of the use of psychoactive substances among children between ten and twelve years old and in their parents or responsible adults. Methodology: Samples: Children between ten and twelve years old that receive psychotherapeutical assistance in an academic unit in a service witch belongs to an university chair; parents or responsible adults of these children. Tools: CORIN. Source: CONICET. Questionnaire that inquires about consume habits in the adults. Adults anamnesis. Sociodemographic data protocol. Conclusions: During the year of the administration of the instrument, it is registred an occasional consume of alcohol among the children. In the same way, it is observed a habitual consume of diverse psychoactive substances in their family context. It is concluded that the occasionally use of alcohol in children it is not related with their sinthomatology, but with the characteristics of their family

On the Relationship between "Belief" and "Acceptance" of Evolution as Goals of Evolution Education: Twelve Years Later

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Mike U.; Siegel, Harvey

2016-01-01

The issue of the proper goals of science education and science teacher education have been a focus of the science education and philosophy of science communities in recent years. More particularly, the issue of whether belief/acceptance of evolution and/or understanding are the appropriate goals for evolution educators and the issue of the precise…

Is Human Papillomavirus Associated with Prostate Cancer Survival?

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Mariarosa Pascale

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The role of human papillomavirus (HPV in prostate carcinogenesis is highly controversial: some studies suggest a positive association between HPV infection and an increased risk of prostate cancer (PCa, whereas others do not reveal any correlation. In this study, we investigated the prognostic impact of HPV infection on survival in 150 primary PCa patients. One hundred twelve (74.67% patients had positive expression of HPV E7 protein, which was evaluated in tumour tissue by immunohistochemistry. DNA analysis on a subset of cases confirmed HPV infection and revealed the presence of genotype 16. In Kaplan-Meier analysis, HPV-positive cancer patients showed worse overall survival (OS (median 4.59 years compared to HPV-negative (median 8.24 years, P=0.0381. In multivariate analysis age (P<0.001, Gleason score (P<0.001, nuclear grading (P=0.002, and HPV status (P=0.034 were independent prognostic factors for OS. In our cohort, we observed high prevalence of HPV nuclear E7 oncoprotein and an association between HPV infection and PCa survival. In the debate about the oncogenic activity of HPV in PCa, our results further confirm the need for additional studies to clarify the possible role of HPV in prostate carcinogenesis.

The Glenwood Estate: our 32-year experience using Arbotect® 20-S to control Dutch elm disease

Science.gov (United States)

William L. MacDonald; Mark L. Double; Cameron M. Stauder; Kemp. Winfree

2017-01-01

We report a case study that demonstrates the successful use of the fungicide Arbotect® 20-S to protect American elms (Ulmus americana) from Dutch elm disease at a historic site in Charleston, WV. Standard injection protocols were used every 3 to 4 years to deliver the chemical into the root flares. Twelve of the original 16 trees remain 34 years...

New Eyes on the Universe Twelve Cosmic Mysteries and the Tools We Need to Solve Them

CERN Document Server

Webb, Stephen

2012-01-01

"New Eyes on the Universe -- Twelve Cosmic Mysteries and the Tools We Need to Solve Them" gives an up-to-date broad overview of some of the key issues in modern astronomy and cosmology. It describes the vast amount of observational data that the new generation of observatories and telescopes are currently producing, and how that data might solve some of the outstanding puzzles inherent in our emerging world view. Included are questions such as: What is causing the Universe to blow itself apart? What could be powering the luminous gamma-ray bursters? Where is all the matter in the Uni

The Geneva University Global Health and Human Rights Summer School: A 5-Year Intercultural Collaborative Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Chastonay, Philippe; Mpinga, Emmanuel K

2018-01-01

Education and training in human rights has been set as a priority by the United Nations. Health and human rights are closely related. Training professionals from various backgrounds in human rights might ultimately contribute to improve the health of individuals and communities. We present the 5 years' experience with a 3-week residential Global Health and Human Rights Course developed at the University of Geneva and implemented with the support/participation of international organizations (IOs) and non-governmental organizations active in the health and human rights sector. Over the years, roughly 150 students from 43 nationalities, with many different educational backgrounds, attended the course. The male/female ratio was 1/5. The adopted educational approach was multifold and comprised lectures from academics and experts with field experience, group work, individual case studies, journal clubs, and site visits. Evaluation data show that site visits at IOs were highly appreciated as well as networking opportunities among students, with academics and experts with field experience. The variety of topics discussed was, at times, "too much"; yet, it allowed students to measure the extent of the challenges the field is facing. The adopted active learning approach facilitated the exchange of experiences among students and allowed them to get acquainted with different cultural sensitivities. The Global Health and Human Rights Summer-School of the University of Geneva allowed its participants, coming from all over the world, to identify challenges of the interlinked fields of health and human rights, reflect upon their underlying causes, and imagine possible solutions. Sharing our experience will hopefully help passionate educators around the world to develop similar programs.

Depression Risk in Young Adults With Juvenile- and Adult-Onset Lupus: Twelve Years of Followup.

Science.gov (United States)

Knight, Andrea M; Trupin, Laura; Katz, Patricia; Yelin, Edward; Lawson, Erica F

2018-03-01

To compare major depression risk among young adults with juvenile-onset and adult-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and to determine demographic and health-related predictors of depression. Young adults with SLE ages 18-45 years (n = 546) in the Lupus Outcomes Study completed annual telephone surveys from 2002-2015, including assessment of depression using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and self-report measures of sociodemographics and health characteristics. Juvenile-onset SLE was defined as age adult-onset SLE. Older age, lower educational attainment, and physical function, higher disease activity, and a history of smoking were associated with an increased depression risk. Juvenile-onset SLE patients had a higher risk of major depression across all educational groups. Young adults with SLE, particularly those with juvenile-onset disease, are at high risk for major depression, which is associated with increased disease activity, poorer physical functioning, and lower educational attainment. Early depression intervention in young adults with SLE has the potential to improve both medical and psychosocial outcomes. © 2017, American College of Rheumatology.

Gastritis OLGA-staging and gastric cancer risk: a twelve-year clinico-pathological follow-up study.

Science.gov (United States)

Rugge, M; de Boni, M; Pennelli, G; de Bona, M; Giacomelli, L; Fassan, M; Basso, D; Plebani, M; Graham, D Y

2010-05-01

Intestinal-type gastric cancer (GC) still ranks among the high-incidence, highly lethal malignancies. Atrophic gastritis is the cancerization field in which GC develops. The current histological reporting formats for gastritis do not include any (atrophy-based) ranking of GC risk. To test the gastritis OLGA-staging (Operative Link for Gastritis Assessment) in prognosticating neoplastic progression. Ninety-three Italian patients were followed up for more than 12 years (range: 144-204 months). Clinical examinations, pepsinogen serology, endoscopy and histology (also assessing Helicobacter pylori status) were performed both at enrolment (T1) and at the end of the follow-up (T2). All invasive or intra-epithelial gastric neoplasia were consistently associated with high-risk (III/IV) OLGA stages. There was a significant inverse correlation between the mean pepsinogen ratio and the OLGA stage (test for trend; P gastritis OLGA-staging conveys relevant information on the clinico-pathological outcome of gastritis and therefore for patient management. According to OLGA-staging and H. pylori-status, gastritis patients could be confidently stratified and managed according to their different cancer risks.

Human sexuality education in the middle grades classroom: A review of curricula in a sample of Florida school districts

Science.gov (United States)

Myrick, Melinda D.

2007-12-01

This study examined the extent to which human sexuality topics are covered in Florida middle school science classrooms and the process by which curricular decisions are made regarding human sexuality education on a county-wide basis. Primary data included interviews with county-level administrators who oversee curricular decisions related to the middle-grades science curriculum or health curriculum in twelve school districts within the state. These districts represented four geographic locations and districts of various sizes. Administrators from four of the twelve studies in the sample chose to provide information regarding their human sexuality education curriculum. In two cases, teacher leads were identified and were interviewed to understand the implementation of the curriculum within the classroom. Additional data were collected from the district curriculum guides for human sexuality education and the adopted middle-grades science textbook for each county. The interview and documentary data were analyzed by comparison to established criteria for a comprehensive human sexuality education curriculum. The analysis revealed that the scope of human sexuality education varied considerably within the sample and that much of the curricula in place failed to include topics and activities that have been identified as important in a successful human sexuality education program. These findings are limited because few counties chose to fully participate. Additional research is clearly needed to examine the effectiveness of existing human sexuality education curricula in Florida. In addition, research is needed to understand the characteristics, values, and beliefs of successful human sexuality education instructors across the state.

Model of twelve properties of a set of organic solvents with graph-theoretical and/or experimental parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

Pogliani, Lionello

2010-01-30

Twelve properties of a highly heterogeneous class of organic solvents have been modeled with a graph-theoretical molecular connectivity modified (MC) method, which allows to encode the core electrons and the hydrogen atoms. The graph-theoretical method uses the concepts of simple, general, and complete graphs, where these last types of graphs are used to encode the core electrons. The hydrogen atoms have been encoded by the aid of a graph-theoretical perturbation parameter, which contributes to the definition of the valence delta, delta(v), a key parameter in molecular connectivity studies. The model of the twelve properties done with a stepwise search algorithm is always satisfactory, and it allows to check the influence of the hydrogen content of the solvent molecules on the choice of the type of descriptor. A similar argument holds for the influence of the halogen atoms on the type of core electron representation. In some cases the molar mass, and in a minor way, special "ad hoc" parameters have been used to improve the model. A very good model of the surface tension could be obtained by the aid of five experimental parameters. A mixed model method based on experimental parameters plus molecular connectivity indices achieved, instead, to consistently improve the model quality of five properties. To underline is the importance of the boiling point temperatures as descriptors in these last two model methodologies. Copyright 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Functional analysis of human and chimpanzee promoters.

Science.gov (United States)

Heissig, Florian; Krause, Johannes; Bryk, Jaroslaw; Khaitovich, Philipp; Enard, Wolfgang; Pääbo, Svante

2005-01-01

It has long been argued that changes in gene expression may provide an additional and crucial perspective on the evolutionary differences between humans and chimpanzees. To investigate how often expression differences seen in tissues are caused by sequence differences in the proximal promoters, we tested the expression activity in cultured cells of human and chimpanzee promoters from genes that differ in mRNA expression between human and chimpanzee tissues. Twelve promoters for which the corresponding gene had been shown to be differentially expressed between humans and chimpanzees in liver or brain were tested. Seven showed a significant difference in activity between the human promoter and the orthologous chimpanzee promoter in at least one of the two cell lines used. However, only three of them showed a difference in the same direction as in the tissues. Differences in proximal promoter activity are likely to be common between humans and chimpanzees, but are not linked in a simple fashion to gene-expression levels in tissues. This suggests that several genetic differences between humans and chimpanzees might be responsible for a single expression difference and thus that relevant expression differences between humans and chimpanzees will be difficult to predict from cell culture experiments or DNA sequences.

Epidemiology and genetic variability of human metapneumovirus during a 4-year-long study in Southeastern Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, Danielle B L; Durigon, Edison L; Carvalho, Ariane C L; Leal, Andréa L; Souza, Thereza S; Thomazelli, Luciano M; Moraes, Claudia T P; Vieira, Sandra E; Gilio, Alfredo E; Stewien, Klaus E

2009-05-01

Epidemiological and molecular characteristics of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) were compared with human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) in infants and young children admitted for acute lower respiratory tract infections in a prospective study during four consecutive years in subtropical Brazil. GeneScan polymerase chain assays (GeneScan RT-PCR) were used to detect hMPV and hRSV in nasopharyngeal aspirates of 1,670 children during January 2003 to December 2006. hMPV and hRSV were detected, respectively, in 191 (11.4%) and in 702 (42%) of the children admitted with acute lower respiratory tract infections at the Sao Paulo University Hospital. Sequencing data of the hMPV F gene revealed that two groups of the virus, each divided into two subgroups, co-circulated during three consecutive years. It was also shown that a clear dominance of genotype B1 occurred during the years 2004 and 2005, followed by genotype A2 during 2006. Copyright 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Recurrent dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans with pulmonary metastases presenting twelve years after initial diagnosis: 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging findings.

Science.gov (United States)

Suman, Sudhir; Sharma, Punit; Jain, Tarun Kumar; Sahoo, Manas Kumar; Bal, Chandrasekhar; Kumar, Rakesh

2014-01-01

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans is a rare cutaneous tumor that is locally aggressive and has a high rate of recurrence after surgical excision. The tumor grows slowly, typically over years. On rare occasions, metastasis to distant sites (especially the lung) or regional lymph nodes may occur. Here, we present F-FDG PET/CT imaging findings of a 52-year-old man with a local recurrence of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans in the anterior abdominal wall with metastases to bilateral lungs.

Changes in concentrations of perfluorinated compounds, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and polychlorinated biphenyls in Norwegian breast-milk during twelve months of lactation.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomsen, Cathrine; Haug, Line S; Stigum, Hein; Frøshaug, May; Broadwell, Sharon L; Becher, Georg

2010-12-15

At present, scientific knowledge on depuration rates of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is limited and the previous assumptions of considerable reduction of body burdens through breast-feeding have recently been challenged. We therefore studied elimination rates of important POPs in nine Norwegian primiparous mothers and one mother breast-feeding her second child by collecting breast-milk samples (n = 70) monthly from about two weeks to up to twelve months after birth. Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined in the breast-milk samples. Linear mixed effect models were established for selected compounds, and significant decreases in the range of 1.2-4.7% in breast-milk concentrations per month were observed for a wide range of PCBs and PBDEs. For the first time, depuration rates for perfluorooctylsulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are presented, being 3.8 and 7.8% per month, respectively (p changes during the lactation period. After a year of nursing the breast-milk concentrations of PFCs, PBDEs, and PCBs were reduced by 15-94%.

Interteaching within a Human Physiology Course: A Comparison of First- and Second-Year Students' Learning Skills and Perceptions

Science.gov (United States)

Byrne, Bruce; Guy, Richard

2016-01-01

This article describes student perceptions and outcomes in relation to the use of a novel interteaching approach. The study sample (n = 260) was taken from a large human physiology class, which included both first- and second-year students. However, unlike the first-year students, the second-year students had significant prior knowledge, having…

Macrobenthic Community Structure in the Northwestern Arabian Gulf, Twelve Years after the 1991 Oil Spill

KAUST Repository

Joydas, Thadickal V.

2017-08-03

The biota in the Arabian Gulf faces stress both from natural (i.e., hyper salinity and high sea surface temperature), and human (i.e., from oil-related activities) sources. The western Arabian Gulf was also impacted by world\\'s largest oil spill (1991 Oil Spill). However, benthic research in this region is scarce and most of the studies have been conducted only in small areas. Here, we present data on macrobenthos collected during 2002–2003 from the open waters and inner bays in the northwestern Arabian Gulf aimed to assess the ecological status and also to evaluate the long-term impact, if any, of the 1991 Oil Spill. A total of 392 macrobenthic taxa with an average (±SE) species richness (S) of 71 ± 2, Shannon-Wiener species diversity (H′) of 4.9 ± 0.1, and density of 3,181 ± 359 ind. m−2 was recorded from the open water stations. The open waters have “slightly disturbed” (according to AZTI\\'s Marine Biotic Index, AMBI) conditions, with “good-high” (according to multivariate-AMBI, M-AMBI) ecological status indicating the absence of long-term impacts of the oil spill. Overall, 162 taxa were recorded from inner bays with average (±SE) values of S 41 ± 9, H′ 3.48 ± 0.39, and density 4,203 ± 1,042 ind. m−2. The lower TPH (Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons) stations (LTS, TPH concentrations <70 mg kg−2) show relatively higher S, H\\' and density compared to the higher TPH stations (HTS, TPH concentrations ≥100 mg kg−2). In the inner bays, AMBI values indicate slightly disturbed conditions at all stations except one, which is moderately disturbed. M-AMBI values indicate good status at LTS, while, high, good, moderate, and poor status at HTS. The “moderately disturbed” conditions with “moderate-poor” ecological status in some locations of the inner bays specify a severe long-term impact of the oil spill.

Macrobenthic Community Structure in the Northwestern Arabian Gulf, Twelve Years after the 1991 Oil Spill

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thadickal V. Joydas

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The biota in the Arabian Gulf faces stress both from natural (i.e., hyper salinity and high sea surface temperature, and human (i.e., from oil-related activities sources. The western Arabian Gulf was also impacted by world's largest oil spill (1991 Oil Spill. However, benthic research in this region is scarce and most of the studies have been conducted only in small areas. Here, we present data on macrobenthos collected during 2002–2003 from the open waters and inner bays in the northwestern Arabian Gulf aimed to assess the ecological status and also to evaluate the long-term impact, if any, of the 1991 Oil Spill. A total of 392 macrobenthic taxa with an average (±SE species richness (S of 71 ± 2, Shannon-Wiener species diversity (H′ of 4.9 ± 0.1, and density of 3,181 ± 359 ind. m−2 was recorded from the open water stations. The open waters have “slightly disturbed” (according to AZTI's Marine Biotic Index, AMBI conditions, with “good-high” (according to multivariate-AMBI, M-AMBI ecological status indicating the absence of long-term impacts of the oil spill. Overall, 162 taxa were recorded from inner bays with average (±SE values of S 41 ± 9, H′ 3.48 ± 0.39, and density 4,203 ± 1,042 ind. m−2. The lower TPH (Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons stations (LTS, TPH concentrations <70 mg kg−2 show relatively higher S, H' and density compared to the higher TPH stations (HTS, TPH concentrations ≥100 mg kg−2. In the inner bays, AMBI values indicate slightly disturbed conditions at all stations except one, which is moderately disturbed. M-AMBI values indicate good status at LTS, while, high, good, moderate, and poor status at HTS. The “moderately disturbed” conditions with “moderate-poor” ecological status in some locations of the inner bays specify a severe long-term impact of the oil spill.

Macrobenthic Community Structure in the Northwestern Arabian Gulf, Twelve Years after the 1991 Oil Spill

KAUST Repository

Joydas, Thadickal V.; Qurban, Mohammad A.; Borja, Angel; Krishnakumar, Periyadan K.; Al-Suwailem, Abdulaziz M.

2017-01-01

The biota in the Arabian Gulf faces stress both from natural (i.e., hyper salinity and high sea surface temperature), and human (i.e., from oil-related activities) sources. The western Arabian Gulf was also impacted by world's largest oil spill (1991 Oil Spill). However, benthic research in this region is scarce and most of the studies have been conducted only in small areas. Here, we present data on macrobenthos collected during 2002–2003 from the open waters and inner bays in the northwestern Arabian Gulf aimed to assess the ecological status and also to evaluate the long-term impact, if any, of the 1991 Oil Spill. A total of 392 macrobenthic taxa with an average (±SE) species richness (S) of 71 ± 2, Shannon-Wiener species diversity (H′) of 4.9 ± 0.1, and density of 3,181 ± 359 ind. m−2 was recorded from the open water stations. The open waters have “slightly disturbed” (according to AZTI's Marine Biotic Index, AMBI) conditions, with “good-high” (according to multivariate-AMBI, M-AMBI) ecological status indicating the absence of long-term impacts of the oil spill. Overall, 162 taxa were recorded from inner bays with average (±SE) values of S 41 ± 9, H′ 3.48 ± 0.39, and density 4,203 ± 1,042 ind. m−2. The lower TPH (Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons) stations (LTS, TPH concentrations <70 mg kg−2) show relatively higher S, H' and density compared to the higher TPH stations (HTS, TPH concentrations ≥100 mg kg−2). In the inner bays, AMBI values indicate slightly disturbed conditions at all stations except one, which is moderately disturbed. M-AMBI values indicate good status at LTS, while, high, good, moderate, and poor status at HTS. The “moderately disturbed” conditions with “moderate-poor” ecological status in some locations of the inner bays specify a severe long-term impact of the oil spill.

Report of the Science and Engineering Research Council for the year 1986-87

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-01-01

The report covers the year to March 31 1987. The expenditure of the Council over the year is given. Highlights of the year are summarized -these include laser holography, supercomputers and aerodynamic design, achievements in the Alvey programme, the compact synchrotron X-ray source, observation of the w-boson decay, results form Giotto, fish farming and genetic fingerprinting. Reports of the four boards -astronomy and planetary science, engineering, nuclear physics and science -are presented. Twelve articles then review major advances in recent years. These include the UK at CERN, scanning tunnelling microscopy, recent research using synchrotron x radiation, the European X-ray observatory EXOSAT and global solar oscillations. (U.K.)

Analyses of Twelve New Whole Genome Sequences of Cassava Brown Streak Viruses and Ugandan Cassava Brown Streak Viruses from East Africa: Diversity, Supercomputing and Evidence for Further Speciation

Science.gov (United States)

Ndunguru, Joseph; Sseruwagi, Peter; Tairo, Fred; Stomeo, Francesca; Maina, Solomon; Djinkeng, Appolinaire; Kehoe, Monica; Boykin, Laura M.

2015-01-01

Cassava brown streak disease is caused by two devastating viruses, Cassava brown streak virus (CBSV) and Ugandan cassava brown streak virus (UCBSV) which are frequently found infecting cassava, one of sub-Saharan Africa’s most important staple food crops. Each year these viruses cause losses of up to $100 million USD and can leave entire families without their primary food source, for an entire year. Twelve new whole genomes, including seven of CBSV and five of UCBSV were uncovered in this research, doubling the genomic sequences available in the public domain for these viruses. These new sequences disprove the assumption that the viruses are limited by agro-ecological zones, show that current diagnostic primers are insufficient to provide confident diagnosis of these viruses and give rise to the possibility that there may be as many as four distinct species of virus. Utilizing NGS sequencing technologies and proper phylogenetic practices will rapidly increase the solution to sustainable cassava production. PMID:26439260

Analyses of Twelve New Whole Genome Sequences of Cassava Brown Streak Viruses and Ugandan Cassava Brown Streak Viruses from East Africa: Diversity, Supercomputing and Evidence for Further Speciation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseph Ndunguru

Full Text Available Cassava brown streak disease is caused by two devastating viruses, Cassava brown streak virus (CBSV and Ugandan cassava brown streak virus (UCBSV which are frequently found infecting cassava, one of sub-Saharan Africa's most important staple food crops. Each year these viruses cause losses of up to $100 million USD and can leave entire families without their primary food source, for an entire year. Twelve new whole genomes, including seven of CBSV and five of UCBSV were uncovered in this research, doubling the genomic sequences available in the public domain for these viruses. These new sequences disprove the assumption that the viruses are limited by agro-ecological zones, show that current diagnostic primers are insufficient to provide confident diagnosis of these viruses and give rise to the possibility that there may be as many as four distinct species of virus. Utilizing NGS sequencing technologies and proper phylogenetic practices will rapidly increase the solution to sustainable cassava production.

Fibrocartilage in various regions of the human glenoid labrum. An immunohistochemical study on human cadavers.

Science.gov (United States)

Ockert, Ben; Braunstein, Volker; Sprecher, Christoph M; Shinohara, Yasushi; Milz, Stefan

2012-06-01

The nature and the distribution of fibrocartilage at the human glenoid labrum are unclear, and a better understanding may help to restore its function in open and arthroscopic Bankart repair. Aim of this study was to describe the fibrocartilage extent within the labrum at clinically relevant sites of the glenoid in order to relate the molecular composition of the labrum to its mechanical environment. Twelve fresh frozen human cadaveric shoulders (mean age 38 years) were obtained, and sections perpendicular to the glenoid rim at the 12, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 9 o' clock position were labelled with antibodies against collagen I and II, aggrecan and link protein. A fibrocartilaginous transition zone with a characteristic collagen fibre orientation was found in 81% of cases, evenly distributed (83-92%) around the glenoid rim. The percentage of labrum cross-sectional area comprised of fibrocartilage averaged 28% and ranged from 26% at 12 o'clock on the glenoid clock face to 30% at 3 o'clock. The highest amount of fibrocartilage (82%) was found in the region neighbouring the hyaline articular cartilage. In the region beyond the bony edge of the glenoid, fibrocartilage cross-sectional area did not exceed 12-17%. Fibrocartilage is present at all examined positions around the glenoid rim and constitutes up to 1/3 of the cross-sectional area of the labrum. In turn, the percentage of fibrocartilage in different regions of its cross-section varies considerably. The findings suggest that the penetration of fibrocartilaginous tissue may be reduced by avoiding the highly fibrocartilage transition zone during restoration of labral detachment.

Retrospective evaluation of the five-year and ten-year CSEP-Italy earthquake forecasts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Wiemer

2010-11-01

Full Text Available On August 1, 2009, the global Collaboratory for the Study of Earthquake Predictability (CSEP launched a prospective and comparative earthquake predictability experiment in Italy. The goal of this CSEP-Italy experiment is to test earthquake occurrence hypotheses that have been formalized as probabilistic earthquake forecasts over temporal scales that range from days to years. In the first round of forecast submissions, members of the CSEP-Italy Working Group presented 18 five-year and ten-year earthquake forecasts to the European CSEP Testing Center at ETH Zurich. We have considered here the twelve time-independent earthquake forecasts among this set, and evaluated them with respect to past seismicity data from two Italian earthquake catalogs. We present the results of the tests that measure the consistencies of the forecasts according to past observations. As well as being an evaluation of the time-independent forecasts submitted, this exercise provides insight into a number of important issues in predictability experiments with regard to the specification of the forecasts, the performance of the tests, and the trade-off between robustness of results and experiment duration. We conclude with suggestions for the design of future earthquake predictability experiments.

Twelve years' experience with direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs in Canada: a cautionary tale.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barbara Mintzes

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA of prescription drugs is illegal in Canada as a health protection measure, but is permitted in the United States. However, in 2000, Canadian policy was changed to allow 'reminder' advertising of prescription drugs. This is a form of advertising that states the brand name without health claims. 'Reminder' advertising is prohibited in the US for drugs that have 'black box' warnings of serious risks. This study examines spending on DTCA in Canada from 1995 to 2006, 12 years spanning this policy shift. We ask how annual per capita spending compares to that in the US, and whether drugs with Canadian or US regulatory safety warnings are advertised to the Canadian public in reminder advertising.Prescription drug advertising spending data were extracted from a data set on health sector spending in Canada obtained from a market research company, TNS Media Inc. Spending was adjusted for inflation and compared with US spending. Inflation-adjusted spending on branded DTCA in Canada grew from under CAD$2 million per year before 1999 to over $22 million in 2006. The major growth was in broadcast advertising, accounting for 83% of spending in 2006. US annual per capita spending was on average 24 times Canadian levels. Celebrex (celecoxib, which has a US black box and was subject to three safety advisories in Canada, was the most heavily advertised drug on Canadian television in 2005 and 2006. Of 8 brands with >$500,000 spending, which together accounted for 59% of branded DTCA in all media, 6 were subject to Canadian safety advisories, and 4 had US black box warnings.Branded 'reminder' advertising has grown rapidly in Canada since 2000, mainly due to a growth in television advertising. Although DTCA spending per capita is much lower in Canada than in the US, there is no evidence of safer content or product choice; many heavily-advertised drugs in Canada have been subject to safety advisories. For governments searching for

Twelve years' experience with direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs in Canada: a cautionary tale.

Science.gov (United States)

Mintzes, Barbara; Morgan, Steve; Wright, James M

2009-05-27

Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs is illegal in Canada as a health protection measure, but is permitted in the United States. However, in 2000, Canadian policy was changed to allow 'reminder' advertising of prescription drugs. This is a form of advertising that states the brand name without health claims. 'Reminder' advertising is prohibited in the US for drugs that have 'black box' warnings of serious risks. This study examines spending on DTCA in Canada from 1995 to 2006, 12 years spanning this policy shift. We ask how annual per capita spending compares to that in the US, and whether drugs with Canadian or US regulatory safety warnings are advertised to the Canadian public in reminder advertising. Prescription drug advertising spending data were extracted from a data set on health sector spending in Canada obtained from a market research company, TNS Media Inc. Spending was adjusted for inflation and compared with US spending. Inflation-adjusted spending on branded DTCA in Canada grew from under CAD$2 million per year before 1999 to over $22 million in 2006. The major growth was in broadcast advertising, accounting for 83% of spending in 2006. US annual per capita spending was on average 24 times Canadian levels. Celebrex (celecoxib), which has a US black box and was subject to three safety advisories in Canada, was the most heavily advertised drug on Canadian television in 2005 and 2006. Of 8 brands with >$500,000 spending, which together accounted for 59% of branded DTCA in all media, 6 were subject to Canadian safety advisories, and 4 had US black box warnings. Branded 'reminder' advertising has grown rapidly in Canada since 2000, mainly due to a growth in television advertising. Although DTCA spending per capita is much lower in Canada than in the US, there is no evidence of safer content or product choice; many heavily-advertised drugs in Canada have been subject to safety advisories. For governments searching for compromise

The use of double-balloon enteroscopy in retrieving mucosal biopsies from the entire human gastrointestinal tract

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rhee, Nicolai Alexander; Vilmann, Peter; Hassan, Hazem

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this explorative study was to evaluate double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) as a new tool for collecting mucosal biopsies from well-defined parts of the entire small and large bowel in patients with type 2 diabetes and in matched healthy subjects. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twelve su...... possibility to access hitherto unexplored human anatomy and physiology....

Effects of ghrelin on circulating neuropeptide Y levels in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Coiro, Vittorio; Saccani-Jotti, Gloria; Rubino, Pasquale; Manfredi, Guido; Melani, Andrea; Chiodera, Paolo

2006-12-01

Ghrelin is a 28 amino-acid peptide with a strong GH-releasing activity and a complex role in regulation of appetite, fuel utilization, body weight and composition. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a well-known stimulator of pathways favouring food intake and energy storage. Recently, studies in rodents suggested a possible mediation of ghrelin action by NPY. In contrast, until now no evidence of ghrelin-NPY interaction in humans has been provided. In the present study, we examined whether ghrelin influences NPY secretion in normal men. Twelve healthy normal men (aged 24-35 years; body mass index (BMI) 22.3+/-0.93 kg/m2) were tested twice at 08.00 AM on two different days, in random order at weekly intervals, after an overnight fast and rest in bed. An intravenous bolus of 1 microg/kg body weight ghrelin (esperimental test) or an equal amount of normal saline (control test) was injected at time 0. Blood was taken before and over 90 minutes after injections, and was used for the measurement of plasma NPY levels. Plasma levels of NPY slightly, but significantly rose in response to ghrelin, with a mean peak level at 15 min after injection, whereas no significant change was observed after saline administration. Our results show a significant enhancement of plasma NPY levels under ghrelin stimulation. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a ghrelin-NPY interaction in humans, which may suggest a possible mediation of ghrelin action by NPY in humans.

Twelve-year analysis of cattle and buffalo slaughtering in Lazio Region (2000-2012: animal husbandry and veterinary public health implications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Selene Marozzi

2014-02-01

Full Text Available In recent years, beef meat chain has undergone major transformations due to Community legislation and market changes. The purpose of this work is to analyse the information recorded in Banca Dati Nazionale (BDN; Italian computerised database for the identification and registration of bovine animals on cattle and buffaloes slaughtered between 2000 and 2012 and related to Lazio Region as a result of breeding and/or slaughtering place. The analysis of the data showed a negative trend (-20.7% for cattle slaughtered from 2000 to 2012. Most of this animals had been raised in Lazio Region (86% and in particular in the province of Frosinone. The average age at slaughter for female is about 4 years (1417 days and for males of 547 days. The buffaloes, however, are intended for slaughter at an average age of about 8 years, if female, and about one year if male.

Twelve Years of Fogarty-Funded Bioethics Training in Latin America and the Caribbean: Achievements and Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Saenz, Carla; Heitman, Elizabeth; Luna, Florencia; Litewka, Sergio; Goodman, Kenneth W.; Macklin, Ruth

2017-01-01

The landscape in research ethics has changed significantly in Latin America and the Caribbean over the past two decades. Research ethics has gone from being a largely foreign concept and unfamiliar practice to an integral and growing feature of regional health research systems. Four bioethics training programs have been funded by the Fogarty International Center (FIC) in this region in the past 12 years. Overall, they have contributed significantly to changing the face of research ethics through the creation of locally relevant training materials and courses (including distance learning), academic publications, workshops, and conferences in Spanish, and strengthening ethics review committees and national systems of governance. This paper outlines their achievements and challenges, and reflects on current regional needs and what the future may hold for research ethics and bioethics training in Latin America and the Caribbean. PMID:24782074

Experiences of Women Who Donated Human Milk.

Science.gov (United States)

Candelaria, Laura M; Spatz, Diane L; Giordano, Noreen

2018-03-01

To examine the experiences of women who donated breast milk to a hospital-based milk bank regulated under the policies and procedures set forth by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA). Qualitative, phenomenological design. The Mothers' Milk Bank in a children's hospital in the Northeastern region of the United States. Twelve HMBANA-approved milk donors older than 21 years with infants hospitalized in the NICU. Edmund Husserl's design of interpretive phenomenology and Colaizzi's method of data analysis were used for this study. Participants were interviewed using a face-to-face, semistructured interview format. Four themes represented the experience of donating breast milk: Ripple of Hope and Help, Dynamic Interplay of Nurturance, Standing on the Shoulders of Others, and Sharing Their Stories. Donors felt proud and accomplished to provide hope for other infants and families. Nurses were crucial in facilitating and motivating donors and making donation achievable in a supportive environment. Donors felt compelled to share their experiences to teach and motivate others to donate. For our participants, donation of human milk was a positive, valuable, and nurturing experience. Donors reported feelings of increased self-esteem during donation that motivated them to "give back" and continue. The support of a well-trained nursing staff is essential for donors to meet their personal goals. Copyright © 2018 AWHONN, the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Organizing Principles of Human Cortical Development--Thickness and Area from 4 to 30 Years: Insights from Comparative Primate Neuroanatomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Amlien, Inge K; Fjell, Anders M; Tamnes, Christian K; Grydeland, Håkon; Krogsrud, Stine K; Chaplin, Tristan A; Rosa, Marcello G P; Walhovd, Kristine B

2016-01-01

The human cerebral cortex undergoes a protracted, regionally heterogeneous development well into young adulthood. Cortical areas that expand the most during human development correspond to those that differ most markedly when the brains of macaque monkeys and humans are compared. However, it remains unclear to what extent this relationship derives from allometric scaling laws that apply to primate brains in general, or represents unique evolutionary adaptations. Furthermore, it is unknown whether the relationship only applies to surface area (SA), or also holds for cortical thickness (CT). In 331 participants aged 4 to 30, we calculated age functions of SA and CT, and examined the correspondence of human cortical development with macaque to human expansion, and with expansion across nonhuman primates. CT followed a linear negative age function from 4 to 30 years, while SA showed positive age functions until 12 years with little further development. Differential cortical expansion across primates was related to regional maturation of SA and CT, with age trajectories differing between high- and low-expanding cortical regions. This relationship adhered to allometric scaling laws rather than representing uniquely macaque-human differences: regional correspondence with human development was as large for expansion across nonhuman primates as between humans and macaque. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Quantifying the ocean, freshwater and human effects on year-to-year variability of one-sea-winter Atlantic salmon angled in multiple Norwegian rivers.

Science.gov (United States)

Otero, Jaime; Jensen, Arne J; L'Abée-Lund, Jan Henning; Stenseth, Nils Chr; Storvik, Geir O; Vøllestad, Leif Asbjørn

2011-01-01

Many Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, populations are decreasing throughout the species' distributional range probably due to several factors acting in concert. A number of studies have documented the influence of freshwater and ocean conditions, climate variability and human impacts resulting from impoundment and aquaculture. However, most previous research has focused on analyzing single or only a few populations, and quantified isolated effects rather than handling multiple factors in conjunction. By using a multi-river mixed-effects model we estimated the effects of oceanic and river conditions, as well as human impacts, on year-to-year and between-river variability across 60 time series of recreational catch of one-sea-winter salmon (grilse) from Norwegian rivers over 29 years (1979-2007). Warm coastal temperatures at the time of smolt entrance into the sea and increased water discharge during upstream migration of mature fish were associated with higher rod catches of grilse. When hydropower stations were present in the course of the river systems the strength of the relationship with runoff was reduced. Catches of grilse in the river increased significantly following the reduction of the harvesting of this life-stage at sea. However, an average decreasing temporal trend was still detected and appeared to be stronger in the presence of salmon farms on the migration route of smolts in coastal/fjord areas. These results suggest that both ocean and freshwater conditions in conjunction with various human impacts contribute to shape interannual fluctuations and between-river variability of wild Atlantic salmon in Norwegian rivers. Current global change altering coastal temperature and water flow patterns might have implications for future grilse catches, moreover, positioning of aquaculture facilities as well as the implementation of hydropower schemes or other encroachments should be made with care when implementing management actions and searching for solutions to

Quantifying the ocean, freshwater and human effects on year-to-year variability of one-sea-winter Atlantic salmon angled in multiple Norwegian rivers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaime Otero

Full Text Available Many Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, populations are decreasing throughout the species' distributional range probably due to several factors acting in concert. A number of studies have documented the influence of freshwater and ocean conditions, climate variability and human impacts resulting from impoundment and aquaculture. However, most previous research has focused on analyzing single or only a few populations, and quantified isolated effects rather than handling multiple factors in conjunction. By using a multi-river mixed-effects model we estimated the effects of oceanic and river conditions, as well as human impacts, on year-to-year and between-river variability across 60 time series of recreational catch of one-sea-winter salmon (grilse from Norwegian rivers over 29 years (1979-2007. Warm coastal temperatures at the time of smolt entrance into the sea and increased water discharge during upstream migration of mature fish were associated with higher rod catches of grilse. When hydropower stations were present in the course of the river systems the strength of the relationship with runoff was reduced. Catches of grilse in the river increased significantly following the reduction of the harvesting of this life-stage at sea. However, an average decreasing temporal trend was still detected and appeared to be stronger in the presence of salmon farms on the migration route of smolts in coastal/fjord areas. These results suggest that both ocean and freshwater conditions in conjunction with various human impacts contribute to shape interannual fluctuations and between-river variability of wild Atlantic salmon in Norwegian rivers. Current global change altering coastal temperature and water flow patterns might have implications for future grilse catches, moreover, positioning of aquaculture facilities as well as the implementation of hydropower schemes or other encroachments should be made with care when implementing management actions and searching

4000 years of human dietary evolution in central Germany, from the first farmers to the first elites

Science.gov (United States)

Knipper, Corina; Oelze, Vicky M.; Nicklisch, Nicole; Stecher, Marcus; Schlenker, Björn; Ganslmeier, Robert; Fragata, Matthias; Friederich, Susanne; Dresely, Veit; Hubensack, Vera; Brandt, Guido; Döhle, Hans-Jürgen; Vach, Werner; Schwarz, Ralf; Metzner-Nebelsick, Carola; Meller, Harald; Alt, Kurt W.

2018-01-01

Investigation of human diet during the Neolithic has often been limited to a few archaeological cultures or single sites. In order to provide insight into the development of human food consumption and husbandry strategies, our study explores bone collagen carbon and nitrogen isotope data from 466 human and 105 faunal individuals from 26 sites in central Germany. It is the most extensive data set to date from an enclosed geographic microregion, covering 4,000 years of agricultural history from the Early Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age. The animal data show that a variety of pastures and dietary resources were explored, but that these changed remarkably little over time. In the human δ15N however we found a significant increase with time across the different archaeological cultures. This trend could be observed in all time periods and archaeological cultures (Bell Beaker phenomenon excluded), even on continuously populated sites. Since there was no such trend in faunal isotope values, we were able largely to exclude manuring as the cause of this effect. Based on the rich interdisciplinary data from this region and archaeological period we can argue that meat consumption increased with the increasing duration of farming subsistence. In δ13C, we could not observe any clear increasing or decreasing trends during the archaeological time periods, either for humans or for animals, which would have suggested significant changes in the environment and landscape use. We discovered sex-related dietary differences, with males of all archaeological periods having higher δ15N values than females, and an age-related increasing consumption of animal protein. An initial decrease of δ15N-values at the age of 1–2 years reveals partial weaning, while complete weaning took place at the age of 3–4 years. PMID:29584767

Risk factors for chronic noncontiguous diseases: Twelve-week prospective study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lapčević Mirjana

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Risk factors (RF of chronic noncontiguous diseases (CND are mutual and cannot be observed individually since there is an inter-reaction (interaction of RF in various combinations, what makes so-called personality risk profile for development of particular disease. Almost all CND belong to the group of preventable diseases, because their course may be influenced and changed through RF modification and reduction. Bad habits also contribute to CND incidence. CND prevention is the first priority of primary health care physicians. The main objective of our study was to detect RF in patients during everyday activities of general practitioner, to estimate the risk of CND within the existing RF combination, to show the results of 12-week active monitoring of population with RF of CND, and with already present CND; while the secondary goal was to assess how much population is interested in active collaboration as well as to evaluate the qualification of general medicine teams for work based on defined methodology. The study was multicentric, prospective and interventional. The study included 2086 subjects, aged from 25-64 years, and it was carried out in 17 health centers throughout Serbia in the period January-April 2002. The subjects were selected by method of open clinical experiment. Thereafter, 12-week medical intervention was initiated involving non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatment. The first control was scheduled after 8, and the second after 12 months of intervention. Congruence χ2 test, ANOVA for repeated measurements and Logistic regression were used for statistical data processing. Out of a total of 2086 subjects, the following proportion of them reported specific diagnosis in their medical histories: 77% of them reported arterial hypertension (HTA, 68% - increased body mass (BMI>27Kg/m2, 66% - hyperlipoproteinemia (HLP, 34% - diabetes mellitus (DM, 56% - inadequate physical activity (PA, and 23% - cigarette smoking (CS. On the

Dynamics and stabilization of the human gut microbiome during the first year of life

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bäckhed, Gert Fredrik; Roswall, Josefine; Peng, Yangqing

2015-01-01

The gut microbiota is central to human health, but its establishment in early life has not been quantitatively and functionally examined. Applying metagenomic analysis on fecal samples from a large cohort of Swedish infants and their mothers, we characterized the gut microbiome during the first...... of the microbiome. Our findings establish a framework for understanding the interplay between the gut microbiome and the human body in early life....... year of life and assessed the impact of mode of delivery and feeding on its establishment. In contrast to vaginally delivered infants, the gut microbiota of infants delivered by C-section showed significantly less resemblance to their mothers. Nutrition had a major impact on early microbiota...

Twelve Years' Experience with Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Drugs in Canada: A Cautionary Tale

Science.gov (United States)

Mintzes, Barbara; Morgan, Steve; Wright, James M.

2009-01-01

Background Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs is illegal in Canada as a health protection measure, but is permitted in the United States. However, in 2000, Canadian policy was changed to allow ‘reminder’ advertising of prescription drugs. This is a form of advertising that states the brand name without health claims. ‘Reminder’ advertising is prohibited in the US for drugs that have ‘black box’ warnings of serious risks. This study examines spending on DTCA in Canada from 1995 to 2006, 12 years spanning this policy shift. We ask how annual per capita spending compares to that in the US, and whether drugs with Canadian or US regulatory safety warnings are advertised to the Canadian public in reminder advertising. Methodology/Principal Findings Prescription drug advertising spending data were extracted from a data set on health sector spending in Canada obtained from a market research company, TNS Media Inc. Spending was adjusted for inflation and compared with US spending. Inflation-adjusted spending on branded DTCA in Canada grew from under CAD$2 million per year before 1999 to over $22 million in 2006. The major growth was in broadcast advertising, accounting for 83% of spending in 2006. US annual per capita spending was on average 24 times Canadian levels. Celebrex (celecoxib), which has a US black box and was subject to three safety advisories in Canada, was the most heavily advertised drug on Canadian television in 2005 and 2006. Of 8 brands with >$500,000 spending, which together accounted for 59% of branded DTCA in all media, 6 were subject to Canadian safety advisories, and 4 had US black box warnings. Conclusions/Significance Branded ‘reminder’ advertising has grown rapidly in Canada since 2000, mainly due to a growth in television advertising. Although DTCA spending per capita is much lower in Canada than in the US, there is no evidence of safer content or product choice; many heavily-advertised drugs in Canada have

Human factors considerations in control room modernization: Trends and personnel performance issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Hara, J.; Stubler, B.; Kramer, J.

1997-01-01

Advanced human-system interface (HSI) technology is being integrated into existing nuclear plants as part of plant modifications and upgrades. The result of this trend is that hybrid HSIs are created, i.e., HSIs containing a mixture of conventional (analog) and advanced (digital) technology. The purpose of the present research is to define the potential effects of hybrid HSIs on personnel performance and plant safety and to develop human factors guidance for safety reviews of them where necessary. In support of this objective, human factors topics associated with hybrid HSIs were identified. A human performance topic is an aspect of hybrid HSIs, such as a design or implementation feature, for which human performance concerns were identified. The topics were then evaluated for their potential significance to plant safety. Twelve topics were identified as potentially safety significant issues, i.e., their human performance concerns have the potential to compromise plant safety. The issues were then prioritized and a subset was selected for design review guidance development. 6 refs

The great controversy : the individual's struggle between good and evil in the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs and in their Jewish and Christian contexts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bruin, Tom de

2013-01-01

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs are an early Christian work. The argumentation in this work finds its foundation in the struggle between good and evil. In the Testaments this struggle is applied individually, which is a theme found only in Christian works.

Metabolic status of 1088 patients after renal transplantation: assessment of twelve years monitoring in Algiers Mustapha Hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Yargui, Lyece; Chettouh, Houria; Boukni, Hamama; Mokhtari, Nassima; Berhoune, Arezki

2014-01-01

Since the introduction of monitoring levels of immunosuppressive medications in our service in July 2000, 1088 kidney transplant patients were received for therapeutic drug monitoring and regular follow-up. The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze the data on these renal graft patients in Algeria and correlate with our 12 years' experience with calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) measurements. In addition, during this period, we also examined other bioche-mical parameters. The analysis was focused on the difference of effect of cyclosporin A (CsA; 623 patients) and Tacrolimus (Tac; 465 patients) on lipid and glucose metabolism and their side-effects, if any, on the renal function. The mean age at the time of transplantation was 36.1 years. A great majority of the transplanted kidneys had been taken from living related donors (88.6%). Three-quarters of all grafts were transplanted in our country (79.5%). Dyslipidemia and renal dysfunction were the most common adverse effects of CsA and Tac exposure, with a frequency of 21.4% and 10.3%, respectively. Both the CNIs had a similar effect on the lipid levels. The highest incidence occurred at 3-12 months after renal graft. Tac seemed to have more side-effects on glycemia, causing the onset of diabetes mellitus more than two-fold than CsA (6.9% vs. 3.1%). A significant difference was observed during 12-24 months after transplantation. However, Tac was associated with the most favorable effects on renal function estimated with the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) formula.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Proteins Mimic Human T Cell Receptors Inducing Cross-Reactive Antibodies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Root-Bernstein

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV hides from the immune system in part by mimicking host antigens, including human leukocyte antigens. It is demonstrated here that HIV also mimics the V-β-D-J-β of approximately seventy percent of about 600 randomly selected human T cell receptors (TCR. This degree of mimicry is greater than any other human pathogen, commensal or symbiotic organism studied. These data suggest that HIV may be evolving into a commensal organism just as simian immunodeficiency virus has done in some types of monkeys. The gp120 envelope protein, Nef protein and Pol protein are particularly similar to host TCR, camouflaging HIV from the immune system and creating serious barriers to the development of safe HIV vaccines. One consequence of HIV mimicry of host TCR is that antibodies against HIV proteins have a significant probability of recognizing the corresponding TCR as antigenic targets, explaining the widespread observation of lymphocytotoxic autoantibodies in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS. Quantitative enzyme-linked immunoadsorption assays (ELISA demonstrated that every HIV antibody tested recognized at least one of twelve TCR, and as many as seven, with a binding constant in the 10−8 to 10−9 m range. HIV immunity also affects microbiome tolerance in ways that correlate with susceptibility to specific opportunistic infections.

Management of Late Onset Perthes: Evaluation of Distraction by External Fixator?5-Year Follow-Up

OpenAIRE

Singh, Ajai; Srivastava, Rajeshwar N.; Shukla, Prashant; Pushkar, Amit; Ali, Sabir

2014-01-01

Background. Hip distraction in Perthes’ disease unloads the joint, which negates the harmful effect of the stresses on the articular surfaces, which may promote the sound healing of the area of necrosis. We have examined the effect of arthrodiastasis on the preservation of the femoral head in older children with Perthes’ disease. Methods and Materials. Twelve children with age more than 8 years with Perthes’ disease of less than one year were treated with hip distraction by a hinged monolater...

Twelve Middle-School Teachers' Planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Deborah Sardo

1988-01-01

Case studies described 12 middle-school teachers' instructional yearly, unit, weekly, and daily planning on the basis of a background questionnaire, interview protocols, an analysis of written plans, think-aloud typescripts, and a questionnaire. A process model best characterized teachers long-term planning, while an agenda-formulation model fit…

Measuring performance in off-patent drug markets: a methodological framework and empirical evidence from twelve EU Member States.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanavos, Panos

2014-11-01

This paper develops a methodological framework to help evaluate the performance of generic pharmaceutical policies post-patent expiry or after loss of exclusivity in non-tendering settings, comprising five indicators (generic availability, time delay to and speed of generic entry, number of generic competitors, price developments, and generic volume share evolution) and proposes a series of metrics to evaluate performance. The paper subsequently tests this framework across twelve EU Member States (MS) by using IMS data on 101 patent expired molecules over the 1998-2010 period. Results indicate that significant variation exists in generic market entry, price competition and generic penetration across the study countries. Size of a geographical market is not a predictor of generic market entry intensity or price decline. Regardless of geographic or product market size, many off patent molecules lack generic competitors two years after loss of exclusivity. The ranges in each of the five proposed indicators suggest, first, that there are numerous factors--including institutional ones--contributing to the success of generic entry, price decline and market penetration and, second, MS should seek a combination of supply and demand-side policies in order to maximise cost-savings from generics. Overall, there seems to be considerable potential for faster generic entry, uptake and greater generic competition, particularly for molecules at the lower end of the market. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Twelve tips for developing and delivering a massive open online course in medical education.

Science.gov (United States)

Pickering, James D; Henningsohn, Lars; DeRuiter, Marco C; de Jong, Peter G M; Reinders, Marlies E J

2017-07-01

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are a novel mode of online learning. They are typically based on higher education courses and can attract a high number of learners, often in the thousands. They are distinct from on-campus education and deliver the learning objectives through a series of short videos, recommended readings and discussion fora, alongside automated assessments. Within medical education the role of MOOCs remains unclear, with recent proposals including continuing professional development, interprofessional education or integration into campus-based blended learning curricula. In this twelve tips article, we aim to provide a framework for readers to use when developing, delivering and evaluating a MOOC within medical education based on the literature and our own experience. Practical advice is provided on how to design the appropriate curriculum, engage with learners on the platform, select suitable assessments, and comprehensively evaluate the impact of your course.

Determination of trace elements in the human hair reference material, HH-I, by neutron activation analysis and atomic absorption spectrophotometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coetzee, P.; Pieterse, H.

1986-01-01

Analytical procedures are presented and problem areas identified with regard to the determination of trace elements in IAEA powdered human hair reference material, HH-I, of limited sample size (100-200 mg), by NAA and graphite furnace AAS. Results obtained for the twelve elements As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Sb, Se, and Zn studied in human hair and other biological reference material like orchard leaves, seaplant material, and copepod compare satisfactorily with the certified values

Evolution of the human-water relationships in the Heihe River basin in the past 2000 years

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Z.; Wei, Y.; Xiao, H.; Zou, S.; Xie, J.; Ren, J.; Western, A.

2015-05-01

This paper quantitatively analyzed the evolution of human-water relationships in the Heihe River basin of northern China over the past 2000 years by reconstructing the catchment water balance by partitioning precipitation into evapotranspiration and runoff. The results provided the basis for investigating the impacts of societies on hydrological systems. Based on transition theory and the rates of changes of the population, human water consumption and the area of natural oases, the evolution of human-water relationships can be divided into four stages: predevelopment (206 BC-AD 1368), take-off (AD 1368-1949), acceleration (AD 1949-2000), and the start of a rebalancing between human and ecological needs (post AD 2000). Our analysis of the evolutionary process revealed that there were large differences in the rate and scale of changes and the period over which they occurred. The transition of the human-water relationship had no fixed pattern. This understanding of the dynamics of the human-water relationship will assist policy makers in identifying management practices that require improvement by understanding how today's problems were created in the past, which may lead to more sustainable catchment management in the future.

Human radiation studies: Remembering the early years. Oral history of biophysicist Robert Edmund Rowland, Ph.D., January 27, 1995

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-06-01

This report provides a transcript of an oral interview with Dr. Robert Edmund Rowland by representatives of the US DOE Office of Human Radiation Research on January 27, 1995. Dr. Rowland was involved with the study of radium in the human body since 1950 and relates his knowledge of over 40 years of study of radium in the human body including dial painters, inmates of Elgin State Hospital, and other treated therapeutically with radium

Effect of buspirone: An anxiolytic drug on blood glucose in humans

OpenAIRE

Ojha, S. K.; Nandave, M.; Sharma, C.

2006-01-01

The present study investigated the effect of an antianxiety drug, buspirone on blood glucose and plasma insulin level concerning the role of 5-HT1A receptors in blood glucose regulation in healthy humans. Twelve healthy male volunteers were administered single oral doses of buspirone (10 mg) or placebo, in a randomized, crossover way, followed by oral glucose load (75 gm in 200 ml) at reported Tmax i.e. the time of peak plasma concentration of the respective administered drug. The blood sampl...

Multiple Sclerosis and Subsequent Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection: A Case with the Rare Comorbidity, Focus on Novel Treatment Issues and Review of the Literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Skarlis, Charalampos; Gontika, Maria; Katsavos, Serafeim; Velonakis, Giorgios; Toulas, Panagiotis; Anagnostouli, Maria

2017-01-01

The comorbidity between Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection is particularly rare. Only a few cases of comorbidity of Clinically Definite(CD)-MS and HIV have been documented worldwide, while the potential beneficial role of antiretroviral therapy regarding MS activity has long been an area of debate. We present a 36-year old male, bearing a diagnosis of CD-MS for twelve years. He had been treated for ten years with interferon-beta-1b, when he voluntarily discontinued therapy, claiming clinical stability. One year later he was diagnosed positive for HIV and he started and continued only on efavirenz/emricitabine/tenofovir-disoproxil fumarate (ATRIPLA®), remaining relapse-free until today. This fact, in combination with the unique pharmaceutical composition of the drug, which contains a component similar to a newly-approved agent for MS, dimethyl fumarate, prompted us to review the literature regarding this rare comorbidity and to suggest that the role of the antiretroviral therapy should be further explored in MS. Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

Internally generated preactivation of single neurons in human medial frontal cortex predicts volition

OpenAIRE

Fried, Itzhak; Mukamel, Roy; Kreiman, Gabriel

2011-01-01

Understanding how self-initiated behavior is encoded by neuronal circuits in the human brain remains elusive. We recorded the activity of 1019 neurons while twelve subjects performed self-initiated finger movement. We report progressive neuronal recruitment over ∼1500 ms before subjects report making the decision to move. We observed progressive increase or decrease in neuronal firing rate, particularly in the supplementary motor area (SMA), as the reported time of decision was approached. A ...

Ten years of nuclear power

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1964-08-15

Ten years have elapsed since the world's first nuclear power station began to supply electricity in Russia, and this in turn marked the end of a twelve year stage following the first controlled nuclear chain reaction at Chicago. These periods mark major stages in the development of atomic energy from the realm of abstract ideas to that of everyday industrial application. They followed a period of fundamental research and laboratory work, culminating in Enrico Fermi's demonstration of a system whereby the forces of the atom could be brought under control. Then it was necessary to find ways and means of using the chain reaction for practical purposes and on an industrial scale. And after this had been shown in 1954 to be technically possible, it had still to be developed into an economic process. The nuclear power station has proved itself from the technical and engineering standpoint. The third phase of development has been to bring it to the stage of being economically competitive with alternative sources of energy, and it would appear that we are now reaching that goal - though more slowly than had been envisaged ten years ago

How Silent Is the "Silent Period" for Young Bilinguals in Early Years Settings in England?

Science.gov (United States)

Drury, Rose

2013-01-01

During the first decade of the twenty-first century there have been increasing numbers of bilingual children entering early years settings, many of whom are new to English. Twelve percent of school children in the UK are identified as having a mother tongue other than English and this number rises to 50% in urban areas such as inner London. In…

Twelve-year experience of radioembolization for colorectal hepatic metastases in 214 patients: survival by era and chemotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lewandowski, Robert J.; Memon, Khairuddin; Hickey, Ryan; Gates, Vanessa L.; Atassi, Bassel; Vouche, Michael; Atassi, Rohi; Desai, Kush; Hohlastos, Elias; Sato, Kent; Habib, Ali [Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Radiology, Section of Interventional Radiology, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL (United States); Mulcahy, Mary F.; Kircher, Sheetal; Newman, Steven B.; Nimeiri, Halla; Benson, Al B. [Northwestern University, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, IL (United States); Marshall, Karen; Williams, Melissa; Salzig, Krystina; Salem, Riad [Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Radiology, Section of Interventional Radiology, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL (United States); Northwestern University, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, IL (United States)

2014-10-15

The aim of this study was to analyze the safety, treatment characteristics and survival outcomes of Yttrium-90 (Y90) radioembolization for unresectable colorectal carcinoma (CRC) liver metastases refractory to standard of care therapy. A total of 214 patients with CRC metastases were treated with Y90 radioembolization over 12 years. Toxicity was assessed using National Cancer Institute common terminology criteria. Overall survival was analyzed from date of diagnosis of primary cancer, hepatic metastases and from the first Y90. Uni/multivariate analyses were performed. Substratification by era of chemotherapeutics was performed. Most patients were male (60 %) and <65 years old (61 %). Of them, 98 % had been exposed to chemotherapy. Grade 3 lymphocyte, bilirubin, albumin, ALP and AST toxicities were observed in 39 %, 11 %, 10 %, 8 % and 4 % of patients, respectively. Grade 4 lymphocyte and ALP toxicities were observed in 5 % and 3 % of patients, respectively. Median overall survival was 43.0, 34.6, and 10.6 months from date of diagnosis of primary cancer, hepatic metastases and first Y90, respectively. Survival was significantly longer in patients: (1) who received ≤2 cytotoxic drugs (n = 104) than those who received 3 (n = 110) (15.2 vs. 7.5 months, p = 0.0001); and (2) who received no biologic agents (n = 52) compared with those that did (n = 162) (18.6 vs. 9.4 months, p = 0.0001). Multivariate analyses identified ≤2 cytotoxic agents, no exposure to biologics, ECOG 0, tumor burden <25 %, lack of extrahepatic disease and albumin >3 g/dL as independent predictors of survival. In this largest metastatic CRC series published to date, Y90 radioembolization was found to be safe; survival varied by prior therapy. Further studies are required to further refine the role of Y90 in metastatic CRC. (orig.)

Region specific patella tendon hypertrophy in humans following resistance training

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kongsgaard, M.; Reitelseder, S; Pedersen, T.G.

2007-01-01

AIM: To examine if cross-sectional area (CSA) differs along the length of the human patellar tendon (PT), and if there is PT hypertrophy in response to resistance training. METHODS: Twelve healthy young men underwent baseline and post-training assessments. Maximal isometric knee extension strength...... (MVC) was determined unilaterally in both legs. PT CSA was measured at the proximal-, mid- and distal PT level and quadriceps muscle CSA was measured at mid-thigh level using magnetic resonance imaging. Mechanical properties of the patellar tendons were determined using ultrasonography. Subsequently....... CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this study is the first to report tendon hypertrophy following resistance training. Further, the data show that the human PT CSA varies along the length of the tendon....

What about Gender in Climate Change? Twelve Feminist Lessons from Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne Jerneck

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Adaptation and mitigation are two key responses to climate change. In the global South they prompt many questions: what is the direction and degree of change needed? How can new climate change policies be aligned with existing development initiatives? How are core social relations such as gender understood and prioritized in relation to technical and other solutions? In search of synergies between adaptation, development and mitigation, this article asks a pertinent question for sub-Saharan small-scale agriculture in particular: what can adaptation and mitigation learn from development debates on social goal setting, institutional change and gender equality? From the perspective of sustainability science and feminist literature, three main findings emerge. First, as regards social goal setting, adaptation and mitigation should, like development, support the escape out of poverty, ill-health and food-insecurity. Second, as regards institutions, adaptation and mitigation should address how gender regulates access to, use of and control over resources in terms of labor, land and strategic decision-making power. Third, as regards gender equality, adaptation and mitigation should learn from how development in theory and practice has addressed gender, women, nature and the environment. At its core, the analysis contributes twelve salient themes that can significantly inform adaptation and mitigation in research, policy and practice, thus serving as inspiration for a critical debate on much needed synergetic trajectories.

High-energy, twelve-channel laser facility (DEFIN) for spherical irradiation of thermonuclear targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basov, N.G.; Danilov, A.E.; Krokhin, O.N.; Kruglov, B.V.; Mikhailov, Yu.A.; Sklizkov, G.V.; Fedotov, S.I.; Fedorov, A.N.

This paper describes a high-energy, twelve-channel laser facility (DELFIN) intended for high-temperature heating of thermonuclear targets with spherical symmetry. The facility includes a neodymium-glass laser with the ultimate radiation energy of 10 kJ, a pulse length of approximately 10 -10 to 10 -9 s, beam divergence of 5 x 10 -4 radians, a vacuum chamber in which laser radiation interacts with the plasma, and a system of diagnostic instrumentation for the observation of laser beam and plasma parameters. Described are the optical scheme and construction details of the laser facility. Presented is an analysis of focusing schemes for target irradiation and described is the focusing scheme of the DELFIN facility, which is capable of attaining a high degree of spherical symmetry in irradiating targets with maximum beam intensity at the target surface of approximately 10 15 W/cm 2 . This paper examines the most important problems connected with the physical investigations of thermonuclear laser plasma and the basic diagnostic problems involved in their solution

Radio emission from supernovae. I. One to twelve year old supernovae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weiler, K.W.; Panagia, N.; Sramek, R.A.; Van Der Hulst, J.M.; Roberts, M.S.

1989-01-01

All recorded optical supernovae brighter than 14.0 mag from SN 1970A to SN 1981A were observed in May 1982 using VLA at 6 cm. Apart from the known radio supernovae (SN 1970G, SN 1979C, and SN 1980K), radio emissions were not detected from any of the objects to a limit of about 0.5 mJy. Limits on mass-loss rates from the presupernova systems are established. It is found that Type Ia Sns originate in systems which contain very little circumstellar material at the time of explosion. These systems are very different from those which originate Type Ib Sns. With some exceptions, Type II SNs originate with the high presupernova mass-loss rates expected from red supergiant progenitors with original main-sequence masses greater than about 8 solar masses. 16 references

Health impact of E-cigarettes: a prospective 3.5-year study of regular daily users who have never smoked.

Science.gov (United States)

Polosa, Riccardo; Cibella, Fabio; Caponnetto, Pasquale; Maglia, Marilena; Prosperini, Umberto; Russo, Cristina; Tashkin, Donald

2017-11-17

Although electronic cigarettes (ECs) are a much less harmful alternative to tobacco cigarettes, there is concern as to whether long-term ECs use may cause risks to human health. We report health outcomes (blood pressure, heart rate, body weight, lung function, respiratory symptoms, exhaled breath nitric oxide [eNO], exhaled carbon monoxide [eCO], and high-resolution computed tomography [HRCT] of the lungs) from a prospective 3.5-year observational study of a cohort of nine daily EC users (mean age 29.7 (±6.1) years) who have never smoked and a reference group of twelve never smokers. No significant changes could be detected over the observation period from baseline in the EC users or between EC users and control subjects in any of the health outcomes investigated. Moreover, no pathological findings could be identified on HRCT of the lungs and no respiratory symptoms were consistently reported in the EC user group. Although it cannot be excluded that some harm may occur at later stages, this study did not demonstrate any health concerns associated with long-term use of EC in relatively young users who did not also smoke tobacco.

Burlington Bottoms Wildlife Mitigation Site : Five-Year Habitat Management Plan, 2001-2005, 2000-2001 Progress Report.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beilke, Susan G.

2001-09-01

Historically the lower Columbia and Willamette River Basins were ecologically rich in both the habitat types and the species diversity they supported. This was due in part to the pattern of floods and periodic inundation of bottomlands that occurred, which was an important factor in creating and maintaining a complex system of wetland, meadow, and riparian habitats. This landscape has been greatly altered in the past 150 years, primarily due to human development and agricultural activities including cattle grazing, logging and the building of hydroelectric facilities for hydropower, navigation, flood control and irrigation in the Columbia and Willamette River Basins. The Burlington Bottoms (BB) wetlands contains some of the last remaining bottomlands in the area, supporting a diverse array of native plant and wildlife species. Located approximately twelve miles northwest of Portland and situated between the Tualatin Mountains to the west and Multnomah Channel and Sauvie Island to the east, the current habitats are remnant of what was once common throughout the region. In order to preserve and enhance this important site, a five-year habitat management plan has been written that proposes a set of actions that will carry out the goals and objectives developed for the site, which includes protecting, maintaining and enhancing wildlife habitat for perpetuity.

Clinical Features of Human Metapneumovirus Infection in Ambulatory Children Aged 5-13 Years.

Science.gov (United States)

Howard, Leigh M; Edwards, Kathryn M; Zhu, Yuwei; Griffin, Marie R; Weinberg, Geoffrey A; Szilagyi, Peter G; Staat, Mary A; Payne, Daniel C; Williams, John V

2018-05-15

We detected human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in 54 (5%) of 1055 children aged 5 to 13 years with acute respiratory illness (ARI) identified by outpatient and emergency department surveillance between November and May 2003-2009. Its clinical features were similar to those of HMPV-negative ARI, except a diagnosis of pneumonia was more likely (13% vs 4%, respectively; P = .005) and a diagnosis of pharyngitis (7% vs 24%, respectively; P = .005) was less likely in patients with HMPV- positive ARI than those with HMPV-negative ARI.

Phylogeny, diversity and host specialization in the phylum Synergistetes with emphasis on strains and clones of human origin.

Science.gov (United States)

Marchandin, Hélène; Damay, Audrey; Roudière, Laurent; Teyssier, Corinne; Zorgniotti, Isabelle; Dechaud, Hervé; Jean-Pierre, Hélène; Jumas-Bilak, Estelle

2010-03-01

Members of the phylum Synergistetes have been demonstrated in several environmental ecosystems and mammalian microflorae by culture-independent methods. In the past few years, the clinical relevance of some uncultivated phylotypes has been demonstrated in endodontic infections, and uncultured Synergistetes have been demonstrated in human mouth, gut and skin microbiota. However, Synergistetes are rarely cultured from human samples, and only 17 isolates are currently reported. Twelve members of Synergistetes isolated in the course of various infectious processes, including 3 Jonquetella anthropi, 2 Cloacibacillus evryensis, 2 Pyramidobacter piscolens and 5 unidentified strains, as well as 56 clones obtained by specific PCR from the normal vaginal microflora, were studied. 16S rRNA gene-based phylogeny showed that the clones were grouped into 3 clusters, corresponding to the genus Jonquetella, P. piscolens and one novel Synergistetes taxon. The presence and diversity of Synergistetes were reported for the first time in the vaginal microflora. Synergistetes were found in healthy patients, suggesting that they could play a functional role in human microflorae, but may also act as opportunistic pathogens. Studying the phylogenetic relationships between environmental and mammalian strains and clones revealed clearly delineated independent lineages according to the origin of the sequences. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Delayed manifestations of CNS effects in formerly exposed printers - A 20-year follow-up

OpenAIRE

Nilson, Linda Nordling; Karlson, Björn; Nise, Gun; Malmberg, Birgitta; Örbaek, Palle

2010-01-01

Whether long-term occupational exposure to organic solvents may affect mental and cognitive functioning later in life, remains unclear. In this study, twelve rotogravure printers formerly exposed to toluene and 19 referents, all initially examined in the mid-1980s, were reexamined after twenty years, applying neuropsychological tests, symptoms and social interaction questionnaires, medical examination, and exposure assessment of each individual's cumulative exposure. By far the most exten...

Proton MR spectroscopic features of the human liver: in-vivo application to the normal condition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Soon Gu; Kim, Mi Young; Kim, Young Soo; Choi, Won; Shin, Seok Hwan; Ok, Chul Soo; Suh, Chang Hae

1999-01-01

To determine the feasibility of MR spectroscopy in the living human liver, and to evaluate the corresponding proton MR spectroscopic features. In fifteen normal volunteers with neither previous nor present liver disease, the proton MR spectroscopic findings were reviewed. Twelve subjects were male and three were female ; they were aged between 28 and 32 (mean, 30) years. MR spectroscopy involved the use of a 1.5T GE Signa Horizon system with body coil(GE Medical System, Milwaukee, U.S.A). We used STEAM (Stimulated Echo-Acquisition Mode) with 3000/30 msec of TR/TE for signal acquisition, and the prone position without respiratory interruption. Mean and standard deviation of the ratios of glutamate+glutamine/lipids, phosphomonoesters/lipids, and glycogen+glucose/lipids were calculated from the area of their peaks. The proton MR spectroscopic findings of normal human livers showed four distinctive peaks, i.e. lipids, glutamate and glutamine complex, phosphomonoesters, and glycogen and glucose complex. The mean and standard deviation of the ratios of glutamate+glutamine/lipids, phosphomonoesters/lipids, and glycogen+glucose/lipids were 0.02±0.01, 0.01±0.01, and 0.04±0.03, respectively. In living normal human livers, MR spectroscopy can be successfully applied. When applied to a liver whose condition is pathologic, the findings can be used as a standard

Results of primary central nervous system lymphoma treated by radiation and chemotherapy. Retrospective analysis of twelve institutions in the Tokai district of Japan, 1995-1999

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawamura, Toshiki; Ishiguchi, Tsuneo; Shibamoto, Yuta

2006-01-01

We analyzed the therapeutic results and prognostic factors of 46 primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) patients who were treated at twelve institutions in the Tokai district of Japan between 1995 and 1999. We compared the results with those of a Japanese nationwide survey performed in the past. We sent each institution a questionnaire about the state of patients' disease, pathological type, method and doses of radiotherapy, regimen and intensity of chemotherapy, and patients' prognoses. The range of patients' ages was 33 to 93 years (median, 61 years). Thirty-one were men and 15 were women. The most prevalent histology was diffuse large B cell type (33 patients). We used the Kaplan-Meier method to calculate the survival rate and Cox's proportional hazards model to analyze the prognostic factors. The five-year cumulative survival rate was 25%, and the median survival time was 22.7 months. The five-year disease-free survival rate was 23%. In monovariate analysis, patients who were both younger than 60 years old and had a World Health Organization (WHO) performance status (PS) score equal to or less than 2 showed a better survival rate. Furthermore, the patients receiving systemic chemotherapy showed a significantly better local control rate. In addition, patients who received systemic chemotherapy achieved a higher complete remission rate than those not receiving it. However, no factors that significantly influenced survival rate were identified in multivariate analysis. We demonstrated that the therapeutic outcome of PCNSL patients has recently improved. In particular, patients with good PS showed better local control than those with poor PS. However, we could not identify any significant prognostic factors in PCNSL patients. (author)

Vibrational modes of isolated substitution impurities in twelve compounds AN B8-N with the blende structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plumelle, Pierre

1979-01-01

We have studied a particular point defect, the isolated substitution in twelve compounds CuCl, CuBr, CuI, ZnTe, CdTe, ZnS, ZnSe, GaAs, GaP, InSb, InP and GaSb. The model of the perfect lattice is a rigid ion model with eleven parameters. Infrared localized vibrational modes of impurities are observed in a series of samples. By comparison of these experimental results with the calculated values it is possible to determine the perturbation for each particular case. A relation obtained between a force constant of the perfect crystal and the force constant of the impurity suggests that no change is introduced by the isoelectronic impurities. (author) [fr

Implementation of Compulsory Study 12 Year Policy to Increase Education Quality in Kudus Regency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asih Widi Lestari

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Education is an important instrument in improving the human resources quality. Kudus Regency has implemented compulsory study since 2010 through Kudus Regency Regional Regulation Number 2/ 2010 about Compulsory Study 12 (Twelve Years. While, Central Government issued compulsory study 12 year policy in June 2013 through Ministry of Education and Culture Regulation Number 80/2013 about Universal Secondary Education. Obviously, this is a bold step of Kudus Regency Government in improving the education quality at Kudus Regency. The research objectives are: to know, analyze, and describe about Implementation of compulsory study 12 years policy to increase education in Kudus Regency; and to know, analyze, and describe about supporting and inhibiting factors toward implementation of compulsory study 12 years policy to increase education quality in Kudus Regency. This research resulted that the implementation compulsory study 12 years policy in Kudus Regency has been successfully, viewed from the actor that completely carry out their duties and responsibilities; the existence of funding and programs from Kudus Regency Government and Central Government is supporting the mechanism implementation in accordance with the provisions. The compulsory study 12 years policy in Kudus Regency had positive impact in improving the education quality at Kudus Regency, it is seen from the increase of Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER for secondary education from 60% in 2008 to 80,59% in 2013. The success in improving the education quality is also seen from achievement of Kudus Regency in obtained champions in various championships. The supporting factors are The content of the Kudus Regency Regional Regulation Number 2/ 2010 about Compulsory Study 12 Years and the Minister of Education and Culture Regulation Number 80/ 2013 about Universal Secondary Education which clear and easy to understand; the willingness of Kudus Society in receiving the compulsory study 12 years policy

Effects of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor on leucopenia in zidovudine-treated patients with AIDS and AIDS related complex, a phase I/II study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Wouw, P. A.; van Leeuwen, R.; van Oers, R. H.; Lange, J. M.; Danner, S. A.

1991-01-01

Twelve male patients, eight with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and four with AIDS related complex (ARC), who had zidovudine associated neutropenia (less than 1 x 10(9) neutrophils/l) were treated with recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in a phase I/II

Twenty-five years of Antarctic upper atmosphere research at Rhodes University

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gledhill, J.A.

1987-01-01

South Africa, as one of the twelve signatories of the Antarctic Treaty is required to establish presence in Antarctica. In this article the past 25 years of upper atmosphere research in Antarctica, and the ionosphere programme at SANAE (South African National Antarctic Expedition) are described. The use of ionograms, Barry ionosondes, airglow photometers, oblique incidence ionograms and the digitized FM ionosonde are discussed as well as anomalous daily variations, the ionospheric effects of particle precipitation, Atmosphere Explorer-C and project ISAAC (International South Atlantic Anomaly Campaign)

The effects of human land use on the winter habitat of the recovering Carcross woodland caribou herd in suburban Yukon Territory, Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rob Florkiewicz

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Carcross woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou numbers are increasing as a result of an intensive management and recovery program initiated in 1993. In the last 13 years, three overlapping First Nation land claim agreements were settled resulting in a complicated array of private and public land management authorities on this winter range, situated in the Whitehorse periphery. Twelve years of VHF radio-collar data (1994-2005 and 5 years of GPS radio-collar data (2000-2005 for female caribou were assessed to determine winter concentration areas and important winter habitats. We contrasted locations from 11 GPS radio-collared caribou with land cover classes, derived from classified Landsat 7 imagery, to evaluate the distribution and abundance of preferred habitats within this winter range. We found significant use of Open Needle Leaf lichen vegetation classes and avoidance of the relatively more abundant Closed Needle Leaf class. Our resource selection function model validated the preference for Open Needle Leaf Lichen and determined that caribou were spaced significantly further from an estimate of the human Zone of Influence (ZOI than was expected from random locations. While our assessment determined that 64% of the winter range was located outside of either private lands or land influenced by human activity, key winter vegetation classes were under-represented within this area. If caribou are to successfully recover on this landscape and persist through time it is essential to manage, through meaningful participation among land management authorities, the remaining caribou habitat for environmental rather than human consumptive values.

Twelve clinically significant points in medulloblastoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugiyama, Kazuhiko; Yamasaki, Fumiyuki; Kajiwara, Yoshinori; Watanabe, Yosuke; Takayasu, Takeshi; Kurisu, Kaoru

2011-01-01

Though medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor during childhood, only 80 newly-diagnosed tumors develos every year, as the annual incidence is extremely rare with an occurrence of 0.5 per 100,000 children younger than 15-year-old and of 0.7 per 100,000 for the entire population. Images obtained of medulloblastoma are characterized by a round heterogeously-enhanced mass in or adjacent to the VIth ventricle. Objectives of surgical treatment are the maximum resectioning of the main mass and the relief of the obstructive hydrocephalus. Cerebellar mutism occurs a few days after one fourth of medulloblastoma surgery, and lasts approximately for 50 days followed by subsequent dysarthria. Pathological subtypes include classic medulloblastoma, desmoplastic/nodular medulloblastoma, medulloblastoma with extensive nodularity, large cell/anaplastic medulloblastoma, all corresponding to World Health Organization (WHO) grade IV. According to age, residual tumor size, and disseminated staging, patients are divided into average-risk group, high-risk group, or baby-medulloblastoma after surgery. Standard treatment in average-risk group includes 23.4-Gy cranio-spinal irradiation (CSI) with posterior boost followed by chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin (CDDP), alkylating agents, and vincristine. Patients in high-risk group receive over 36-Gy CSI with boost radiotherapy to nodular lesions before, concomitantly with, or followed by dose-intensity chemotherapy. In cases with gross total removal, or desmoplastic/nodular pathology radiotherapy for patients younger than 3-year-old are often delayed until they turn 3-year-old, and are able to survive for long time by appropriate chemotherapy alone. Adolescent survivors with childhood medulloblastoma have a number of late adverse effects regarding another neoplasm, neuro-cognitive function, endocrine activity, cardiovascular organs, and skeletal system. Comprehensive follow-up and support system are mandatory. (author)

Granulomatous slack skin. Histopathology diagnosis preceding clinical manifestations by 12 years.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldsztajn, Karen O; Moritz Trope, Beatriz; Ribeiro Lenzi, Maria Elisa; Cuzzi, Tullia; Ramos-E-Silva, Marcia

2012-12-31

Granulomatous slack skin is a very rare subtype of T-cell cutaneous lymphoma, characterized by the slow development of cutaneous sagging, especially on flexural areas. Its behavior is indolent and the treatment, in the majority of cases, disappointing. We report a 54-year-old black patient with granulomatous slack skin, who at the beginning of the investigation showed intense xeroderma and generalized lymph node enlargement. The diagnosis was established based on histopathologic findings long before the disease's characteristic clinical presentation appeared. During the twelve years of follow-up, the clinical manifestation evolved to marked skin looseness, most predominant in flexural regions, illustrating the clinical hallmark of granulomatous slack skin, long after first histological abnormalities were observed.

Metagenomic binning reveals the functional roles of core abundant microorganisms in twelve full-scale biogas plants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Campanaro, Stefano; Treu, Laura; Kougias, Panagiotis

2018-01-01

and environmental factors on MAGs abundance and to investigate the methanogenic performance of the biogas plants. Prediction of the functional properties of MAGs was obtained analyzing their KEGG pathways and their carbohydrate active domains. Network analysis allowed investigation of species-species associations......The aim of this work was to elucidate the microbial ecology in twelve mesophilic and thermophilic full-scale biogas plants using a genome-centric metagenomic approach. In this study both biogas plants treating manure and those treating sludge from waste water treatment plants were considered...... and shed light on syntrophic interactions between members belonging to the anaerobic digestion dark matter (phylum Fermentibacteria). By stratifying and comparing different levels of information, it was predicted that some MAGs have a crucial role in the manure-supplemented thermophilic biogas plants...

Conjunctival papilloma caused by human papillomavirus type 11 treated with systemic interferon in a five-year-old boy.

Science.gov (United States)

Okan, Gökhan; Ayan, Inci; Karslioğlu, Safak; Altiok, Ender; Yenmiş, Güven; Vural, Gürcan

2010-01-01

Conjunctival papilloma is a benign tumor of the conjunctival mucosa. In childhood, papilloma represents 7-10% of conjunctival tumors. Human papillomavirus (HPV)-6 and HPV-11 are the major HPV types responsible for conjunctival lesions. A five-year-old boy with a two-year history of conjunctival papilloma caused by HPV type 11 treated with systemic interferon alpha is reported and the literature is reviewed.

Human transient response under local thermal stimulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Lijuan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Human body can operate physiological thermoregulation system when it is exposed to cold or hot environment. Whether it can do the same work when a local part of body is stimulated by different temperatures? The objective of this paper is to prove it. Twelve subjects are recruited to participate in this experiment. After stabilizing in a comfort environment, their palms are stimulated by a pouch of 39, 36, 33, 30, and 27°C. Subject’s skin temperature, heart rate, heat flux of skin, and thermal sensation are recorded. The results indicate that when local part is suffering from harsh temperature, the whole body is doing physiological thermoregulation. Besides, when the local part is stimulated by high temperature and its thermal sensation is warm, the thermal sensation of whole body can be neutral. What is more, human body is more sensitive to cool stimulation than to warm one. The conclusions are significant to reveal and make full use of physiological thermoregulation.

Peer teaching in medical education: twelve reasons to move from theory to practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Ten Cate, Olle; Durning, Steven

2007-09-01

To provide an estimation of how often peer teaching is applied in medical education, based on reports in the literature and to summarize reasons that support the use of this form of teaching. We surveyed the 2006 medical education literature and categorised reports of peer teaching according to educational distance between students teaching and students taught, group size, and level of formality of the teaching. Subsequently, we analysed the rationales for applying peer teaching. Most reports were published abstracts in either Medical Education's annual feature 'Really Good Stuff' or the AMEE's annual conference proceedings. We identified twelve distinct reasons to apply peer teaching, including 'alleviating faculty teaching burden', 'providing role models for junior students', 'enhancing intrinsic motivation' and 'preparing physicians for their future role as educators'. Peer teaching appears to be practiced often, but many peer teaching reports do not become full length journal articles. We conclude that specifically 'near-peer teaching' appears beneficial for student teachers and learners as well as for the organisation. The analogy of the 'journeyman', as intermediate between 'apprentice' and 'master', with both learning and teaching tasks, is a valuable but yet under-recognized source of education in the medical education continuum.

Estimation of admixture of twelve quark bag state in sup 4 He nucleus

CERN Document Server

Mosallem, A M

2002-01-01

The p sup 4 He elastic scattering at the energy range from 0.695 to 393 GeV is analyzed in the framework of the Glauber theory. The Glauber amplitudes were evaluated using isospin-averaged nucleon-nucleon amplitudes and the sup 4 He wave function as a superposition of the Gaussian functions. The values of the calculated differential cross sections usually exceed the experimental ones. In order to overcome the discrepancy, it is assumed following to the paper by L. G. Dakno and N. N. Nikolaev that the ground state wave function of sup 4 He has an admixture of a twelve quark bag. Neglecting all transition amplitudes, the p - 12q bag scattering amplitude was chosen in a simple Gaussian form.The inclusion of the 12q bag leads to decreasing the p sup 4 He differential cross section and to a shift of the dip position to a large values of t what is needed for a successful description of the experimental data. While fitting the data it is found that the weight of the 12q bag state in the ground state of the sup 4 He ...

The Use of Ethical Frameworks for Implementing Science as a Human Endeavour in Year 10 Biology

Science.gov (United States)

Yap, Siew Fong; Dawson, Vaille

2014-01-01

This research focuses on the use of ethical frameworks as a pedagogical model for socio-scientific education in implementing the "Science as a Human Endeavour" (SHE) strand of the Australian Curriculum: Science in a Year 10 biology class in a Christian college in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia. Using a case study approach, a mixed…

Human milk reduces outpatient upper respiratory symptoms in premature infants during their first year of life.

Science.gov (United States)

Blaymore Bier, Jo-Ann; Oliver, Tanya; Ferguson, Anne; Vohr, Betty R

2002-01-01

To determine if ingestion of human milk after discharge reduces symptoms of infections in premature infants. Follow-up of 39 infants with birth weights milk and 15 of whom received only formula after discharge, was carried out. Mothers were given a calendar on which they recorded any signs of infections and feeding and day-care information. Data were collected at 1 month after discharge and at 3, 7, and 12 months corrected age. Results show no differences between groups in birth weight, gestation, gender, maternal age, parental tobacco use, number of siblings, and day-care attendance. Socioeconomic status score was higher in the human milk group. Infants who received human milk had fewer days of upper respiratory symptoms at 1 month after discharge (pmilk post discharge is associated with a reduction of upper respiratory symptoms in premature infants during their first year of life.

[Ten years of human papillomavirus vaccination. From dermatology to oncology via infectology].

Science.gov (United States)

Moraga-Llop, Fernando A

2018-05-01

Human papillomavirus (HPV) was first identified in dermatology, and it was subsequently demonstrated that is was required for the development of uterine cervical cancer and other tumours, after a persistent infection by any of its oncogenic genotypes. Ten years ago, the most common infections and cancers associated with HPV could be prevented by immunisation with 2vaccines, one bivalent, and another tetravalent, and having just marketed a nonavalent one. During the period 2007-2008, the HPV vaccine was included in the Autonomous Communities vaccination calendar, and it is the second vaccine, after that of Hepatitis B, that prevents cancer. In these 10 years that these vaccines have been available the knowledge has progressed and there have been significant advances in vaccination strategies, as well as in the indications and recommendations. These include, lowering the age in the vaccination schedule, prescribing of 2doses at 9 years and at 13-14 years, systematic vaccination of the male in some countries, immunisation of the woman after adolescence, implementation of vaccination programmes in developed countries, prevention of other cancers, recommendations for vaccinations for populations at high risk of HPV infection, scientific evidence on the impact and effectiveness of vaccination, and confirmation of the safety of these vaccines, with more than 270 million doses administered, as has already been observed in clinical trials. The role of health professionals is essential to achieve and maintain high vaccine coverage. Copyright © 2017 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Risk assessment of K Basin twelve-inch and four-inch drain valve failure from a postulated seismic initiating event

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

MORGAN, R.G.

1999-06-23

The Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Project will transfer metallic SNF from the Hanford 105 K-East and 105 K-West Basins to safe interim storage in the Canister Storage Building in the 200 Area. The initial basis for design, fabrication, installation, and operation of the fuel removal systems was that the basin leak rate which could result from a postulated accident condition would not be excessive relative to reasonable recovery operations. However, an additional potential K Basin water leak path is through the K Basin drain valves. Three twelve-inch drain valves are located in the main basin bays along the north wall. Five four-inch drain valves are located in the north and south loadout pits (NLOP and SLOP), the weasel pit, the technical viewing pit, and the discharge chute pit. The sumps containing the valves are filled with concrete which covers the drain valve body. Visual observations indicate that only the valve's bonnet and stem are exposed above the basin concrete floor for the twelve-inch drain valve and that much less of the valve's bonnet and stem are exposed above the basin concrete floor for the five four-inch drain valves. It was recognized, however, that damage of the drain valve bonnet or stem during a seismic initiating event could provide a potential K Basin water leak path. The objectives of this analysis are to: (1) evaluate the likelihood of damaging the three twelve-inch drain valves located along the north wall of the main basin and the five four-inch drain valves located in the pits from a seismic initiating event, and (2) determine the likelihood of exceeding a specific consequence (initial leak rate) from a damaged valve. The analysis process is a risk-based uncertainty analysis where each variable is modeled using available information and engineering judgement. The uncertainty associated with each variable is represented by a probability distribution (probability density function). Uncertainty exists because of the inherent

Human Adipose Tissue Derived Stem Cells Promote Liver Regeneration in a Rat Model of Toxic Injury

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eva Koellensperger

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In the light of the persisting lack of donor organs and the risks of allotransplantations, the possibility of liver regeneration with autologous stem cells from adipose tissue (ADSC is an intriguing alternative. Using a model of a toxic liver damage in Sprague Dawley rats, generated by repetitive intraperitoneal application of retrorsine and allyl alcohol, the ability of human ADSC to support the restoration of liver function was investigated. A two-thirds hepatectomy was performed, and human ADSC were injected into one remaining liver lobe in group 1 (n = 20. Injection of cell culture medium performed in group 2 (n = 20 served as control. Cyclosporine was applied to achieve immunotolerance. Blood samples were drawn weekly after surgery to determine liver-correlated blood values. Six and twelve weeks after surgery, animals were sacrificed and histological sections were analyzed. ADSC significantly raised postoperative albumin (P < 0.017, total protein (P < 0.031, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (P < 0.001, and lactate dehydrogenase (P < 0.04 levels compared to injection of cell culture medium alone. Transplanted cells could be found up to twelve weeks after surgery in histological sections. This study points towards ADSC being a promising alternative to hepatocyte or liver organ transplantation in patients with severe liver failure.

Detailed semantic analyses of human error incidents occurring at domestic nuclear power plants to fiscal year 2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuge, Tadashi; Hirotsu, Yuko; Takano, Kenichi; Ebisu, Mitsuhiro; Tsumura, Joji

2003-01-01

Analysing and evaluating observed cases of human error incidents with the emphasis on human factors and behavior involved was essential for preventing recurrence of those. CRIEPI has been conducting detailed and structures analyses of all incidents reported during last 35 year based on J-HPES, from the beginning of the first Tokai nuclear power operation till fiscal year of 2000, in which total 212 human error cases are identified. Results obtained by the analyses have been stored into the J-HPES data-base. This summarized the semantic analyses on all case-studies stored in the above data-base to grasp the practical and concrete contents and trend of more frequently observed human errors (as are called trigger actions here), causal factors and preventive measures. These semantic analyses have been executed by classifying all those items into some categories that could be considered as having almost the same meaning using the KJ method. Followings are obtained typical results by above analyses: (1) Trigger action-Those could be classified into categories of operation or categories of maintenance. Operational timing errors' and 'operational quantitative errors' were major actions in trigger actions of operation, those occupied about 20% among all actions. At trigger actions of maintenance, 'maintenance quantitative error' were major actions, those occupied quarter among all actions; (2) Causal factor- 'Human internal status' were major factors, as in concrete factors, those occupied 'improper persistence' and 'lack of knowledge'; (3) Preventive measure-Most frequent measures got were job management changes in procedural software improvements, which was from 70% to 80%. As for preventive measures of operation, software improvements have been implemented on 'organization and work practices' and 'individual consciousness'. Concerning preventive measures of maintenance, improvements have been implemented on 'organization and work practices'. (author)

The nutritive and immunoprotective quality of human milk beyond 1 year postpartum: are lactation-duration-based donor exclusions justified?

Science.gov (United States)

Perrin, Maryanne Tigchelaar; Fogleman, April; Allen, Jonathan C

2013-08-01

Donor human milk is critical for the fragile preterm infant who does not have access to his or her mother's milk, improving survival rates and quality of survival and decreasing hospital stay. Despite the opening of donor milk banks around the world, shortages continue as demand for donor milk exceeds supply. One potential means of increasing supply is by reducing exclusion criteria that prohibit mothers from donating milk based on duration of lactation. Minimal research has been done on the composition of human milk during the second year of lactation, with most research focusing on the nutritive compounds and not the immunoprotective compounds. Several immunoprotective compounds, including lysozyme, lactoferrin, secretory immunoglobulin A, and oligosaccharides, are abundant in human milk compared to bovine-based infant formula and are partially or fully retained during Holder pasteurization, making them an important differentiating feature of donor milk. A PubMed search was conducted to review studies in human milk composition during the second year of lactation. Limitations of existing research include sample collection protocols, small study sizes, and use of populations that may have been at risk for nutritional deficiencies. Stable concentrations of several components were reported including protein, lactose, iron, copper, lactoferrin, and secretory immunoglobulin A. Lysozyme concentration increased during extended lactation, while zinc and calcium concentrations declined into the second year. Conflicting findings were reported on fat content, and no information was available regarding oligosaccharide content. More research is needed to create evidence-based guidelines regarding the nutritive and immunoprotective value of donor milk throughout the course of lactation.

[50 years anniversary of Research Institute for Occupational Medicine and Human Ecology with Siberian Division of RAMSc].

Science.gov (United States)

Rukavishnikov, V S; Shaiakhmetov, S F; Gus'kova, T M

2010-01-01

The article covers main steps of establishment and development of Research Institute for Occupational medicine and Human ecology with Siberian Division of RAMSc over 50 years of activities, major results of research, contribution of the Institute personnel into development of hygienic science and practical medicine in Siberia.

VR-1 training reactor in use for twelve years to train experts for the Czech nuclear power sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matejka, K.; Sklenka, L.

2003-01-01

The VR-1 training reactor has been serving students of the Faculty of Nuclear Science and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, for more than 12 years now. The operation history of the reactor is highlighted. The major changes made at the VR-1 reactor are outlined and the main experimentally verified core configurations are shown. Some components of the new equipment installed on the VR-1 reactor are described in detail. The fields of application are shown: the reactor serves not only the training of university students within whole Czech Republic but also the training of specialists, research activities, and information programmes in the nuclear power domain. (P.A.)

Human trafficking for organ removal in India: a victim-centered, evidence-based report.

Science.gov (United States)

Budiani-Saberi, Debra A; Raja, Kallakurichi Rajendiran; Findley, Katie C; Kerketta, Ponsian; Anand, Vijay

2014-02-27

Enhancements in the national transplant law to prohibit commercial transplants in India have curbed the trade. Yet, the human rights abuse of human trafficking for organ removal (HTOR) continues in various transplant centers throughout India. Beginning in September 2010 until May 2012, in-depth interviews were conducted with 103 victims of HTOR in India in which victims described their experiences of a commercial kidney removal in compelling detail. Victims were located in Tamil Nadu, and reference is made to the broader study that included 50 additional victims in small towns and villages in West Bengal and Karnataka. Fourteen cases (14%) in Tamil Nadu and an additional 20 cases (40%) from West Bengal and Karnataka occurred between 2009 to May 2012. The cases in Tamil Nadu ranged in age from 19 to 55 years, with an average age of 33 years in Erode and 36 years in Chennai. Fifty-seven percent of the victims in Erode are female, and 87% of the victims in Chennai are female. Twelve percent of the individuals were widowed or abandoned, 79% were married, and 91% were parents with an average of two kids. Of those interviewed, 28% had no formal education, 19% had some primary schooling, 22% had some secondary schooling, and no individuals reported schooling above high school. All victims interviewed lived in abject poverty with monthly income levels well below the national average. The majority of victims reported long lasting health, economic, social, and psychological consequences. No matter the reason expressed for an organ sale, all victims reported that they would not have agreed to the organ removal if their economic circumstances were not so dire. One hundred percent of the victims interviewed expressed that they need assistance to cope with these consequences. Human trafficking for an organ removal continues in private transplant centers throughout India, service to foreign patients is ongoing, and victims' consequences are long lasting. A rights-based response

Twelve massless flavors and three colors below the conformal window

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fodor, Zoltan; Holland, Kieran; Kuti, Julius; Nogradi, Daniel; Schroeder, Chris

2011-01-01

We report new results for a frequently discussed gauge theory with twelve fermion flavors in the fundamental representation of the SU(3) color gauge group. The model, controversial with respect to its conformality, is important in non-perturbative studies searching for a viable composite Higgs mechanism beyond the Standard Model (BSM). In comparison with earlier work, our new simulations apply larger volumes and probe deeper in fermion and pion masses toward the chiral limit. Investigating the controversy, we subject the model to opposite hypotheses with respect to the conformal window. In the first hypothesis, below the conformal window, we test chiral symmetry breaking (χSB) with its Goldstone spectrum, F π , the χSB condensate, and several composite hadron states as analytic functions of the fermion mass when varied in a limited range with our best effort to control finite volume effects. In the second test, for the alternate hypothesis inside the conformal window, we probe conformal behavior driven by a single anomalous mass dimension under the assumption of unbroken chiral symmetry at vanishing fermion mass. Our results at fixed gauge coupling, based on the assumptions of the two hypotheses we define, show low level of confidence in the conformal scenario with leading order scaling analysis. Relaxing the important assumption of leading mass-deformed conformality with its conformal finite size scaling would require added theoretical understanding of the scaling violation terms in the conformal analysis and a comprehensive test of its effects on the confidence level of the fits. Results for the running coupling, based on the force between static sources, and preliminary indications for the finite temperature transition are also presented. Staggered lattice fermions with stout-suppressed taste breaking are used throughout the simulations.

Two new genera and twelve new species of Graphidaceae from Puerto Rico: a case for higher endemism of lichenized fungi in islands of the Caribbean?

Science.gov (United States)

Joel A. Mercado-Diaz; Robert Lücking; Sittiporn Parnmen

2014-01-01

Two new genera and twelve new species of Graphidaceae are described from Puerto Rico. The two new genera, Borinquenotrema and Paratopeliopsis, are based on a combination of molecular sequence data and phenotype characters. Borinquenotrema, with the single new species B. soredicarpum, features rounded ascomata developing beneath and persistently covered with soralia and...

Understanding our genetic inheritance: The US Human Genome Project, The first five years FY 1991--1995

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1990-04-01

The Human Genome Initiative is a worldwide research effort with the goal of analyzing the structure of human DNA and determining the location of the estimated 100,000 human genes. In parallel with this effort, the DNA of a set of model organisms will be studied to provide the comparative information necessary for understanding the functioning of the human genome. The information generated by the human genome project is expected to be the source book for biomedical science in the 21st century and will by of immense benefit to the field of medicine. It will help us to understand and eventually treat many of the more than 4000 genetic diseases that affect mankind, as well as the many multifactorial diseases in which genetic predisposition plays an important role. A centrally coordinated project focused on specific objectives is believed to be the most efficient and least expensive way of obtaining this information. The basic data produced will be collected in electronic databases that will make the information readily accessible on convenient form to all who need it. This report describes the plans for the U.S. human genome project and updates those originally prepared by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) and the National Research Council (NRC) in 1988. In the intervening two years, improvements in technology for almost every aspect of genomics research have taken place. As a result, more specific goals can now be set for the project.

Atherosclerosis across 4000 years of human history: the Horus study of four ancient populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Randall C; Allam, Adel H; Lombardi, Guido P; Wann, L Samuel; Sutherland, M Linda; Sutherland, James D; Soliman, Muhammad Al-Tohamy; Frohlich, Bruno; Mininberg, David T; Monge, Janet M; Vallodolid, Clide M; Cox, Samantha L; Abd el-Maksoud, Gomaa; Badr, Ibrahim; Miyamoto, Michael I; el-Halim Nur el-Din, Abd; Narula, Jagat; Finch, Caleb E; Thomas, Gregory S

2013-04-06

Atherosclerosis is thought to be a disease of modern human beings and related to contemporary lifestyles. However, its prevalence before the modern era is unknown. We aimed to evaluate preindustrial populations for atherosclerosis. We obtained whole body CT scans of 137 mummies from four different geographical regions or populations spanning more than 4000 years. Individuals from ancient Egypt, ancient Peru, the Ancestral Puebloans of southwest America, and the Unangan of the Aleutian Islands were imaged. Atherosclerosis was regarded as definite if a calcified plaque was seen in the wall of an artery and probable if calcifications were seen along the expected course of an artery. Probable or definite atherosclerosis was noted in 47 (34%) of 137 mummies and in all four geographical populations: 29 (38%) of 76 ancient Egyptians, 13 (25%) of 51 ancient Peruvians, two (40%) of five Ancestral Puebloans, and three (60%) of five Unangan hunter gatherers (p=NS). Atherosclerosis was present in the aorta in 28 (20%) mummies, iliac or femoral arteries in 25 (18%), popliteal or tibial arteries in 25 (18%), carotid arteries in 17 (12%), and coronary arteries in six (4%). Of the five vascular beds examined, atherosclerosis was present in one to two beds in 34 (25%) mummies, in three to four beds in 11 (8%), and in all five vascular beds in two (1%). Age at time of death was positively correlated with atherosclerosis (mean age at death was 43 [SD 10] years for mummies with atherosclerosis vs 32 [15] years for those without; phuman beings raises the possibility of a more basic predisposition to the disease. National Endowment for the Humanities, Paleocardiology Foundation, The National Bank of Egypt, Siemens, and St Luke's Hospital Foundation of Kansas City. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of 6 and 10 Year-Old Child Human Body Models in Emergency Events.

Science.gov (United States)

Gras, Laure-Lise; Stockman, Isabelle; Brolin, Karin

2017-01-01

Emergency events can influence a child's kinematics prior to a car-crash, and thus its interaction with the restraint system. Numerical Human Body Models (HBMs) can help understand the behaviour of children in emergency events. The kinematic responses of two child HBMs-MADYMO 6 and 10 year-old models-were evaluated and compared with child volunteers' data during emergency events-braking and steering-with a focus on the forehead and sternum displacements. The response of the 6 year-old HBM was similar to the response of the 10 year-old HBM, however both models had a different response compared with the volunteers. The forward and lateral displacements were within the range of volunteer data up to approximately 0.3 s; but then, the HBMs head and sternum moved significantly downwards, while the volunteers experienced smaller displacement and tended to come back to their initial posture. Therefore, these HBMs, originally intended for crash simulations, are not too stiff and could be able to reproduce properly emergency events thanks, for instance, to postural control.

Annual Papanicolaou screening for 5 years among human papillomavirus-negative women

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petry, Karl Ulrich; Rinnau, Franziska; Böhmer, Gerd; Hollwitz, Bettina; Luyten, Alexander; Buttmann, Nina; Brünger, Martin; Iftner, Thomas

2013-01-01

Primary human papilloma virus (HPV) screening is more effective than cytology in reducing the risk of cervical cancer, but screening intervals should be extended in HPV-negative women. However, some Markov models predicted that long intervals are associated with an excess risk of cervical cancer. The aim of this analysis was to estimate the real-life risks and benefits of annual Papanicolaou (Pap) screening in HPV-negative women with normal cytology. Women with negative Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2) results and normal cytology at the time of inclusion in the Hannover HPV screening trial underwent annual Pap smears for 5 years. A subgroup was randomly selected for retesting with cytology, HC2, and colposcopy 60–68 months after recruitment. Of 4236 women included, 3406 had at least one Pap smear, but only 1185 attended all five annual screening visits. The proportion of women with at least one abnormal smear was 14.4% in 60 months. The probability of abnormal smears increased continuously over time. No case of ≥ CIN2+ was observed during 5 years. Of 605 women selected for subgroup analysis, 292 agreed to be retested (48.3%). The rate of high-risk HPV at 60–68 months was 3.0% (9/296). The long-term risk of high-grade neoplasia after an initial negative HC2 test and normal cytology result was low, while the rate of false-positive abnormal Pap smears was significant and increased constantly over time. Pap smear screening of HPV-negative women more frequently than every 5 years could be potentially harmful and seems to be of little clinical value

The effects of eating marine- or vegetable-fed farmed trout on the human plasma proteome profiles of healthy men

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rentsch, Maria Louise; Lametsch, René; Bügel, Susanne

2015-01-01

Most human intervention studies have examined the effects on a subset of risk factors, some of which may require long-term exposure. The plasma proteome may reflect the underlying changes in protein expression and activation, and this could be used to identify early risk markers. The aim of the p......Most human intervention studies have examined the effects on a subset of risk factors, some of which may require long-term exposure. The plasma proteome may reflect the underlying changes in protein expression and activation, and this could be used to identify early risk markers. The aim...... of the present study was to evaluate the impact of regular fish intake on the plasma proteome. We recruited thirty healthy men aged 40 to 70 years, who were randomly allocated to a daily meal of chicken or trout raised on vegetable or marine feeds. Blood samples were collected before and after 8 weeks...... of intervention, and after the removal of the twelve most abundant proteins, plasma proteins were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Protein spots 4·3 visualised by silver staining were matched by two-dimensional imaging software. Within-subject changes in spots were compared...

Remote Sensing in Human Health: A 10-Year Bibliometric Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

João Viana

2017-11-01

Full Text Available A mixed methods bibliometric analysis was performed to ascertain the characteristic of scientific literature published in a 10-year period (2007–2016 regarding the application of remote sensing data in human health. A search was performed on the Scopus database, followed by manual revision using synthesis studies’ techniques, requiring the authors to sort through more than 8000 medical concepts to create the query, and to manually select relevant papers from over 2000 documents. From the initial 2752 papers identified, 520 articles were selected for analysis, showing that the United States ranked first, with a total of 250 (48.1% of the total documents, followed by France and the United Kingdom, with 67 (12.9% of the total and 54 (10.4% of the total documents, respectively. When considering authorship, the top three authors were Vounatsou P (22 articles, Utzinger J (19 articles, and Vignolles C (13 articles. Regarding disease-specific keywords, malaria, dengue, and schistosomiasis were the most frequent keywords, occurring 142, 34, and 24 times, respectively. For some infectious diseases and other highly pathogenic or emerging infectious diseases, remote sensing has become a very powerful instrument. Also, several studies relate different environmental factors retrieved by remote sensing data with other diseases, such as asthma exacerbations. Health-related remote sensing publications are increasing and this paper highlights the importance of these related technologies toward better information and, ideally, better provision of healthcare. On the other hand, this paper provides an overall picture of the state of the research regarding the application of remote sensing data in human health and identifies the most active stakeholders e.g., authors and institutions in the field, informing possible new collaboration research groups.

The Geneva University Global Health and Human Rights Summer School: A 5-Year Intercultural Collaborative Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philippe Chastonay

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Education and training in human rights has been set as a priority by the United Nations. Health and human rights are closely related. Training professionals from various backgrounds in human rights might ultimately contribute to improve the health of individuals and communities. We present the 5 years’ experience with a 3-week residential Global Health and Human Rights Course developed at the University of Geneva and implemented with the support/participation of international organizations (IOs and non-governmental organizations active in the health and human rights sector. Over the years, roughly 150 students from 43 nationalities, with many different educational backgrounds, attended the course. The male/female ratio was 1/5. The adopted educational approach was multifold and comprised lectures from academics and experts with field experience, group work, individual case studies, journal clubs, and site visits. Evaluation data show that site visits at IOs were highly appreciated as well as networking opportunities among students, with academics and experts with field experience. The variety of topics discussed was, at times, “too much”; yet, it allowed students to measure the extent of the challenges the field is facing. The adopted active learning approach facilitated the exchange of experiences among students and allowed them to get acquainted with different cultural sensitivities. The Global Health and Human Rights Summer-School of the University of Geneva allowed its participants, coming from all over the world, to identify challenges of the interlinked fields of health and human rights, reflect upon their underlying causes, and imagine possible solutions. Sharing our experience will hopefully help passionate educators around the world to develop similar programs.

Diachronic changes in size and shape of human proximal tibia in Central Europe during the latest 1200 years

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Brzobohatá, Hana; Krajíček, V.; Horák, Z.; Sedlak, P.; Velemínská, J.

2016-01-01

Roč. 67, č. 6 (2016), s. 433-446 ISSN 0018-442X Grant - others:GA UK(CZ) 613012 Institutional support: RVO:67985912 Keywords : human tibia * geometric morphometrics * diachronic trend Subject RIV: AC - Archeology, Anthropology, Ethnology Impact factor: 0.655, year: 2016

The impact of low level radioactive waste on humans and environment the next 100 thousands years

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andersson, E.; Saetre, P.; Lindborg, T.; Norden, S.; Kautsky, U. [Svensk Kaernbraenslehantering AB - SKB (Sweden); Loefgren, A. [Ecoanalytica, Stockholm (Sweden)

2014-07-01

A safety assessment for the extension of the low level repository of operational waste (SFR) has been performed (SR-PSU). The repository (both existing and planned extension) is situated c 60 - 120 m below the surface in archaean granitoid rock. SR-PSU evaluates the risk to humans and the environment for the next 100 000 years. During this time period considerable changes are expected in the surface environment due climate change and its effects on shore line displacement, terrestrialisation of lakes and expansion of forest and agricultural land. In this paper specific approaches and results for the surface ecosystems (i.e. biosphere) are presented. The transport and accumulation of radionuclides in marine, lake, and terrestrial ecosystems are modelled and expose of future human populations during present conditions, greenhouse warming, and peri-glacial climate conditions are estimated taking into account different habits and diets of future humans. A new radionuclide transport model was developed to improve the representation of C-14 in the ecosystem modelling. In SR-PSU it is shown that the primary release from the repository via the geosphere to the biosphere is focused to a small area that will be a mire in about 1000 year. The radionuclides can thereafter be transported to downstream lakes and sea ecosystems. The aquatic systems can be utilised for fish and water whereas the mire can either be utilised directly by e.g. collecting, mushroom berries, hay, or hunting, or the mire can be transformed to a small agricultural area and utilised for crops. Important dose contributing radionuclides from SFR are Cl-36, Mo-93, C-14, Ni-59 and I-129 and in some of the scenarios the dose is close to the regulatory limit of 14 μSv/y (i.e. the risk 10{sup -6}). For Non-human biota (NHB) doses are estimated with a novel implementation of the ERICA tool in Ecolego. Generally the same radionuclides contributes to dose to NHB (reference organisms and site -specific organisms) as

Influence of human population movements on urban climate of Beijing during the Chinese New Year holiday

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jingyong; Wu, Lingyun

2017-03-01

The population movements for the Chinese New Year (CNY) celebrations, known as the world’s largest yearly migration of human beings, have grown rapidly in the past several decades. The massive population outflows from urban areas largely reduce anthropogenic heat release and modify some other processes, and may thus have noticeable impacts on urban climate of large cities in China. Here, we use Beijing as an example to present observational evidence for such impacts over the period of 1990-2014. Our results show a significant cooling trend of up to 0.55 °C per decade, particularly at the nighttime during the CNY holiday relative to the background period. The average nighttime cooling effect during 2005-2014 reaches 0.94 °C relative to the 1990s, significant at the 99% confidence level. The further analysis supports that the cooling during the CNY holiday is attributable primarily to the population outflow of Beijing. These findings illustrate the importance of population movements in influencing urban climate despite certain limitations. As the world is becoming more mobile and increasingly urban, more efforts are called for to understand the role of human mobility at various spatial and temporal scales.

Numerical evaluation of the skull for human neuromodulation with transcranial focused ultrasound

Science.gov (United States)

Mueller, Jerel K.; Ai, Leo; Bansal, Priya; Legon, Wynn

2017-12-01

Objective. Transcranial focused ultrasound is an emerging field for human non-invasive neuromodulation, but its dosing in humans is difficult to know due to the skull. The objective of the present study was to establish modeling methods based on medical images to assess skull differences between individuals on the wave propagation of ultrasound. Approach. Computational models of transcranial focused ultrasound were constructed using CT and MR scans to solve for intracranial pressure. We explored the effect of including the skull base in models, different transducer placements on the head, and differences between 250 kHz or 500 kHz acoustic frequency for both female and male models. We further tested these features using linear, nonlinear, and elastic simulations. To better understand inter-subject skull thickness and composition effects we evaluated the intracranial pressure maps between twelve individuals at two different skull sites. Main results. Nonlinear acoustic simulations resulted in virtually identical intracranial pressure maps with linear acoustic simulations. Elastic simulations showed a difference in max pressures and full width half maximum volumes of 15% at most. Ultrasound at an acoustic frequency of 250 kHz resulted in the creation of more prominent intracranial standing waves compared to 500 kHz. Finally, across twelve model human skulls, a significant linear relationship to characterize intracranial pressure maps was not found. Significance. Despite its appeal, an inherent problem with the use of a noninvasive transcranial ultrasound method is the difficulty of knowing intracranial effects because of the skull. Here we develop detailed computational models derived from medical images of individuals to simulate the propagation of neuromodulatory ultrasound across the skull and solve for intracranial pressure maps. These methods allow for a much better understanding of the intracranial effects of ultrasound for an individual in order to

On the uptake of flexible working arrangements and the association with human resource and organisational performance outcomes

OpenAIRE

Berkery, Elaine; Morley, Michael J.; Tiernan, Siobhan; Purtill, Helen; Parry, Emma

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify bundles of flexible working arrangements (FWAs) from data provided by 1,064 organizations in seven EU countries, and to relate bundle membership to demographic variables and human resource (HR) and organizational performance outcomes. Using Ward's hierarchical clustering algorithm we identified four distinct bundles of FWAs based on the uptake of twelve individual FWAs across the sample of organizations. Bundle 1 represents organizations engaging in a hig...

4-Valent Human Papillomavirus (4vHPV) Vaccine in Preadolescents and Adolescents After 10 Years

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ferris, Daron G; Samakoses, Rudiwilai; Block, Stanley L

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVES: We describe the final 10-year data for the long-term follow-up study of the 4-valent human papillomavirus (4vHPV) vaccine in preadolescents and adolescents. METHODS: In the base study (V501-018), 1661 sexually inactive boys and girls received the 4vHPV vaccine (early vaccination group...... assessed. Effectiveness was estimated by calculating the incidence rate of the primary endpoints (HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18-related disease or persistent infection). RESULTS: For HPV types 6, 11, and 16, 89% to 96% of subjects remained seropositive through 10-years postvaccination. The preadolescents had...... 38% to 65% higher geometric mean titers at month 7, which remained 16% to 42% higher at 10 years compared with adolescents. No cases of HPV type 6, 11, 16, and 18-related diseases were observed. Ten subjects had a persistent infection of ≥6 months duration with vaccine-type HPV and 2 subjects had...

Co-evolutionary dynamics of the human-environment system in the Heihe River basin in the past 2000years.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Zhixiang; Wei, Yongping; Feng, Qi; Xie, Jiali; Xiao, Honglang; Cheng, Guodong

2018-09-01

There is limited quantitative understanding of interactions between human and environmental systems over the millennial scale. We aim to reveal the co-evolutionary dynamics of the human-environment system in a river basin by simulating the water use and net primary production (NPP) allocation for human and environmental systems over the last 2000years in Heihe River basin (HRB) in northwest China. We partition the catchment total evapotranspiration (ET) into ET for human and environmental systems with a social-hydrological framework and estimate the NPP for human and environmental systems using the Box-Lieth model, then classify the co-evolutionary processes of the human-environment system into distinct phases using the rate of changes of NPP over time, and discover the trade-offs or synergies relationships between them based on the elasticity of change of the NPP for humans to the change of NPP for environment. The co-evolutionary dynamics of human-environment system in the HRB can be divided into four periods, including: Phase I (Han Dynasty-Yuan Dynasty): predevelopment characterized by nearly no trade-offs between human and environment; Phase II (Yuan Dynasty-RC): slow agricultural development: characterized by a small human win due to small trade-offs between human and environment; Phase III (RC-2000): rapid agricultural development: characterized by a large human win due to large trade-offs between human and environment, and Phase IV (2000-2010): a rebalance characterized by large human wins with a small-environment win due to synergies, although these occurred very occasionally. This study provides a quantitative approach to describe the co-evolution of the human-environment system from the perspective of trade-offs and synergies in the millennial scale for the first time. The relationships between humans and environment changed from trade-off to synergy with the implementation of the water reallocation scheme in 2000. These findings improve the

Exploring Content Schemata Influence on L2 Reading: The Hunted Fox and Twelve and Not Stupid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amizura Hanadi Mohd Radzi

2014-10-01

Full Text Available This paper will discuss the aspects of content schemata in second language reading among diploma level students who were taking a reading course in Universiti Teknologi MARA Perlis. In this qualitative case study, the researcher had selected two short stories that are categorized as content-familiar texts, i.e. The Hunted Fox and Twelve and Not Stupid. Six participants were asked to write a 150-word entry response on the short story and a grading criteria was used to assess the participants’ level of comprehension. An in-depth interview was also conducted on each participant. The entry responses and the interview patterns were analyzed to determine whether content schemata had contributed to the learners’ understanding of the text. This study discovered that content schemata had contributed to the learners’ understanding of the text because the learners’ comprehension was facilitated by their background knowledge on the content-familiar texts.

Human Papillomavirus Assays and Cytology in Primary Cervical Screening of Women Aged 30 Years and Above

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rebolj, Matejka; Bonde, Jesper; Preisler, Sarah

2016-01-01

In women aged ≥30 years, Human Papillomavirus testing will replace cytology for primary cervical screening. We compared Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2), cobas, CLART, and APTIMA HPV assays with cytology on 2869 SurePath samples from women undergoing routine screening at 30-65 years in Copenhagen, Denmark....... Women with cytological abnormalities were managed according to routine recommendations, with 92% completeness. Those with cytology-normal/HPV-positive samples (on any of the four assays) were invited for repeated cytology and HPV testing in 1.5 year, and 58% had additional testing. HPV testing detected...... more ≥CIN3 than cytology (HC2: 35, cobas, CLART: 37, APTIMA: 34, cytology: 31), although statistically the differences were not significant. Cobas and CLART detected significantly more ≥CIN2 than cytology (cobas, CLART: 49, cytology: 39). The proportion of women with false-positive test results...

IVF culture medium affects post-natal weight in humans during the first 2 years of life.

Science.gov (United States)

Kleijkers, Sander H M; van Montfoort, Aafke P A; Smits, Luc J M; Viechtbauer, Wolfgang; Roseboom, Tessa J; Nelissen, Ewka C M; Coonen, Edith; Derhaag, Josien G; Bastings, Lobke; Schreurs, Inge E L; Evers, Johannes L H; Dumoulin, John C M

2014-04-01

Is post-natal growth during the first 2 years of life in IVF singletons affected by type of medium used for culturing human embryos during an IVF treatment? The in vitro culture of human embryos in medium from Cook resulted in singletons with a lower weight during the first 2 years of life compared with singletons born after embryo culture in medium from Vitrolife. In a previous study, we reported that type of medium used for culturing human IVF embryos during the first few days after fertilization until fresh embryo transfer significantly affects fetal growth and consequently birthweight of the resulting singletons. From July 2003 to December 2006, a total of 1432 IVF treatment cycles with fresh embryo transfer were randomly allocated to have all embryos cultured in medium from Vitrolife AB (n = 715) or from Cook (n = 717). Two years after delivery, questionnaires were sent to the parents of all children requesting data about weight, height and head circumference around 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7.5, 9, 11, 14, 18 and 24 months of age. These measurements were collected as part of the children's health programme at municipal infant welfare centres in the Netherlands by health professionals unaware of this study. Patients requiring donor oocytes or applying for PGD were excluded from the study. From the 294 live born singletons that fulfilled our inclusion criteria, 29 were lost to follow-up. The remaining 265 singletons (Cook group: 117, Vitrolife group: 148) were included in the analysis. Data analysis included linear regression, to compare cross-sectionally weight standard deviation score (SDS), height SDS and head circumference, and the first order Berkey-Reed model for a longitudinal analysis of the growth data. Singletons in the Vitrolife group were heavier during the first 2 years of life compared with singletons in the Cook group. Cross-sectional analyses showed that adjusted weight SDS differed between groups at 1 (0.35 ± 0.14, P = 0.010), 2 (0.39 ± 0.14, P = 0

Twelve years nuclear medicine - results and outlook - illustrated by 7414 cerebral scintigrams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klaeger, R.

1981-01-01

It is a fact that until the invention of computerized tomography, scintiscanning was an excellent method for diagnosing tumours, metastases, vascular processes, inflammations and traumatic lesions. Now even the differential diagnosis is possible, and also follow-up examinations are often carried out. On the basis of the 7414 considered and studied scintigrams we came to the positive result that in most cases with deliberate questions directed to specific facts, this examination procedure was applied. Scintigraphy can be considered as the predecessor of computerized tomography. With respect to differential diagnostics the following can be said: Cerebral scintigraphy measures in cases of cerebral lesions only masses, whereas the computerized tomograph permits within certain limits even the differentiation between lesion and perifocal oedema. The tomographs of the last generation even differentiate between white and grey cerebral substance. Nevertheless, the residual domaine of scintigraphy remains untouched: the patients with non-focal symptoms, including headaches, general behaviour disorders and psychiatric processes. (orig./MG) [de

Twelve-year history of late-life depression and subsequent feelings to God

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Braam, A.W.; Schaap - Jonker, H.; Horst, M.H.L.; Steunenberg, B.; Beekman, A.T.F.; Tilburg, W. van; Deeg, D.J.H.

2014-01-01

Objectives: Growing evidence shows several possible relations between religiousness and late-life depression. Emotional aspects of religiousness such as facets of the perceived relationship with God can be crucial in this connection. The aim of the current study was to examine the association

Twelve-year history of late-life depression and subsequent feelings to God

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Braam, A.W.; Schaap-Jonker, H.; van der Horst, M.H.L.; Steunenberg, B.; Beekman, A.T.F.; van Tilburg, W.; Deeg, D.J.H.

2014-01-01

Objectives Growing evidence shows several possible relations between religiousness and late-life depression. Emotional aspects of religiousness such as facets of the perceived relationship with God can be crucial in this connection. The aim of the current study was to examine the association between

Twelve-year analysis of microbial keratitis trends at a UK tertiary hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, S Z; Walkden, A; Au, L; Fullwood, C; Hamilton, A; Qamruddin, A; Armstrong, M; Brahma, A K; Carley, F

2017-08-01

PurposeTo investigate the frequencies, trends, and in vitro drug susceptibilities of the causative pathogens in microbial keratitis in Manchester Royal Eye Hospital.Patients and methodsCorneal scrape results recorded by the microbiology service between 2004 and 2015 were extracted from an established database. A total of 4229 corneal scrape specimens were identified from an established database. First-line antibiotic treatment in our centre during the study period was ofloxacin and second line was cefuroxime and gentamicin.ResultsMean age was 45.9±21.0. A total of 1379 samples (32.6%) were culture positive. One hundred forty-eight (10.7%) specimens cultured multiple organisms. Of the 1539 organisms identified, 63.3% were Gram-positive bacteria, 27.3% Gram-negative bacteria, 7.1% fungi, and 2.3% Acanthamoebae. A decreasing trend in Gram-positive isolates was found together with a stable trend in Gram negatives and an increasing trend in Acanthamoeba and fungi. There appeared to be a significant increasing trend of Moraxella infection (P=0.001). In all, 83.1 and 90.8% of Gram-positive and -negative isolates tested were susceptible to ofloxacin, respectively. Cefuroxime covered 86.6% of Gram-positive and 61.4% of Gram-negative isolates, whereas gentamicin covered 88.8 and 96.5% of Gram-positive and -negative isolates, respectively.ConclusionWe found a change in the type of Gram-negative organisms isolated over time, with the Moraxella species on the rise. Reassuringly, no significant increase in resistance was observed in vitro for any of the commonly used antibiotics. Ofloxacin remains a good first-line antibiotic treatment but duo-therapy does have broader coverage and should be considered in non-responsive cases.

Frequency of twelve carcinogenic human papilloma virus types among women from the South Backa region, Vojvodina, Serbia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kovacevic, Gordana; Nikolic, Natasa; Jovanovic-Galovic, Aleksandra; Hrnjakovic-Cvjetkovic, Iv; Vuleta, Dusan; Patic, Aleksandra; Radovanov, Jelena; Milosevic, Vesna

2016-01-05

The aim of this study was to determine the presence and age distribution of different oncogenic human papilloma virus (HPV) types in women in the South Backa region and its relationship to Pap results. In a group of 1087 women with normal and abnormal cytology, the commercial HR HPV Real-TM kit (Sacace Biotechnologies, Italy) was used. Overall, 50.5% of the women were HPV positive. The presence of HPV types 18, 31, 51, and 58 was significantly influenced by age, while the presence of HPV types 16 and 45 was significantly influenced by cervical cytology. Results of the LSD test show a wide spectrum of high risk HPV among women with normal cytology and women with a low grade cervical lesion rate (atypical squamous cell of undetermined significance (ASCUS) and low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL). The most prevalent HPV types found were 16, 31, 51, 18, and 52. In the HSIL group the most prevalent HPV types were 16 and 45. The reported results provide new data on the circulation of oncogenic HPV genotypes and frequency of multiple infections among women in Vojvodina and suggest that a prophylactic vaccine against HPV 16 and 18 has the potential to prevent approximately half of the high-grade lesions.

A 6900-year history of landscape modification by humans in lowland Amazonia

Science.gov (United States)

Bush, M. B.; Correa-Metrio, A.; McMichael, C. H.; Sully, S.; Shadik, C. R.; Valencia, B. G.; Guilderson, T.; Steinitz-Kannan, M.; Overpeck, J. T.

2016-06-01

A sedimentary record from the Peruvian Amazon provided evidence of climate and vegetation change for the last 6900 years. Piston cores collected from the center of Lake Sauce, a 20 m deep lake at 600 m elevation, were 19.7 m in length. The fossil pollen record showed a continuously forested catchment within the period of the record, although substantial changes in forest composition were apparent. Fossil charcoal, found throughout the record, was probably associated with humans setting fires. Two fires, at c. 6700 cal BP and 4270 cal BP, appear to have been stand-replacing events possibly associated with megadroughts. The fire event at 4270 cal BP followed a drought that caused lowered lake levels for several centuries. The successional trajectories of forest recovery following these large fires were prolonged by smaller fire events. Fossil pollen of Zea mays (cultivated maize) provided evidence of agricultural activity at the site since c. 6320 cal BP. About 5150 years ago, the lake deepened and started to deposit laminated sediments. Maize agriculture reached a peak of intensity between c. 3380 and 700 cal BP. Fossil diatom data provided a proxy for lake nutrient status and productivity, both of which peaked during the period of maize cultivation. A marked change in land use was evident after c. 700 cal BP when maize agriculture was apparently abandoned at this site. Iriartea, a hyperdominant of riparian settings in western Amazonia, increased in abundance within the last 1100 years, but declined markedly at c. 1070 cal BP and again between c. 80 and -10 cal BP.

Humoral and cellular immune responses to Yersinia pestis Pla antigen in humans immunized with live plague vaccine.

Science.gov (United States)

Feodorova, Valentina A; Lyapina, Anna M; Khizhnyakova, Maria A; Zaitsev, Sergey S; Sayapina, Lidiya V; Arseneva, Tatiana E; Trukhachev, Alexey L; Lebedeva, Svetlana A; Telepnev, Maxim V; Ulianova, Onega V; Lyapina, Elena P; Ulyanov, Sergey S; Motin, Vladimir L

2018-06-01

To establish correlates of human immunity to the live plague vaccine (LPV), we analyzed parameters of cellular and antibody response to the plasminogen activator Pla of Y. pestis. This outer membrane protease is an essential virulence factor that is steadily expressed by Y. pestis. PBMCs and sera were obtained from a cohort of naïve (n = 17) and LPV-vaccinated (n = 34) donors. Anti-Pla antibodies of different classes and IgG subclasses were determined by ELISA and immunoblotting. The analysis of antibody response was complicated with a strong reactivity of Pla with normal human sera. The linear Pla B-cell epitopes were mapped using a library of 15-mer overlapping peptides. Twelve peptides that reacted specifically with sera of vaccinated donors were found together with a major cross-reacting peptide IPNISPDSFTVAAST located at the N-terminus. PBMCs were stimulated with recombinant Pla followed by proliferative analysis and cytokine profiling. The T-cell recall response was pronounced in vaccinees less than a year post-immunization, and became Th17-polarized over time after many rounds of vaccination. The Pla protein can serve as a biomarker of successful vaccination with LPV. The diagnostic use of Pla will require elimination of cross-reactive parts of the antigen.

Aliphatic hydrocarbon and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon geochemistry of twelve major rivers in the Northwest Territories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Backus, S.; Swyripa, M.; Peddle, J.; Jeffries, D.S.

1995-01-01

Suspended sediment and water samples collected from twelve major rivers in the Northwest Territories were analyzed for aliphatic hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to assess the sources and transport of hydrocarbons entering the Arctic Ocean. Three stations on the Mackenzie River and one station near the mouth of eleven other northern rivers were selected for sampling. Samples were collected on the Mackenzie River on four occasions to characterize spring, summer and fall flow conditions and once on the remaining eleven rivers during high flow conditions. The Mackenzie River is distinctively different then the other eleven rivers. Naturally occurring hydrocarbons predominate in the river. These hydrocarbons include biogenic alkanes, diagenic PAHs, petrogenic alkanes, and PAHs from oil seeps and/or bitumens. Anthropogenic inputs of PAHs are low as indicated by low concentrations of combustion PAHs. Alkyl PAH distributions indicate that a significant component of the lower molecular weight PAH fraction is petrogenic. The majority of the high molecular weight PAHs, together with the petrogenic PAHs have a principal source in the Mackenzie River

Identification of twelve polymorphic microsatellite loci in the golden ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

ONLINE RESOURCES ... Pomacea canaliculata was introduced in Taiwan as human food around 1980 and ... the diversity and functioning of invaded natural wetlands. (Carlsson et ... Management strategies to control an invasive species can.

Comparative analysis of family poultry production in twelve African countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goodger, W.J.; Bennett, T.B.; Dwinger, R.H.

2002-01-01

The purpose of the research was to conduct a survey on family poultry to obtain information on disease prevalence, feeding practices, and the management of poultry housing in twelve African countries. The survey data were collected during both the wet and dry seasons and summarised (average and standard deviation) by country, village/region, season, and survey question. The disease data results show that three (greenish/bloody diarrhoea, swollen head, and coughing) of top four reported symptoms are part of Newcastle disease's presenting signs. Chick mortality was also higher in the wet season, when there is a higher incidence of Newcastle disease. This was also supported by the individual country data in that those countries with high chick mortality data also had low hatchability in the wet season with Egypt being the only exception. The types of housing used for shelter for family poultry was quite variable and presented a challenge to determine the level of cleaning/sanitation to assist in controlling Newcastle disease. On the one hand, a large percentage of households reported never cleaning the poultry house (e.g., Cameroon, Morocco, Mauritius, and Sudan). On the other hand, 34% of the responses to housing type were either trees or other forms of housing that would be difficult to clean i.e., old car, fence, surrounding wall, etc. Obviously, these results should be closely examined when instituting control programs for Newcastle disease. The large variety of available scavenged feed without any data on intake raises the question of how to balance the ration for the flock. Family poultry scientists need to determine a method to estimate intake which could assist in determining what supplementary feed is necessary if any. This challenge may be one of the most important aspects to family poultry management because of the importance of nutrition to poultry production with the added difficulty of providing balanced nutrition in an extensive system. (author)

Current Global Pricing For Human Papillomavirus Vaccines Brings The Greatest Economic Benefits To Rich Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Herlihy, Niamh; Hutubessy, Raymond; Jit, Mark

2016-02-01

Vaccinating females against human papillomavirus (HPV) prior to the debut of sexual activity is an effective way to prevent cervical cancer, yet vaccine uptake in low- and middle-income countries has been hindered by high vaccine prices. We created an economic model to estimate the distribution of the economic surplus-the sum of all health and economic benefits of a vaccine, minus the costs of development, production, and distribution-among different country income groups and manufacturers for a cohort of twelve-year-old females in 2012. We found that manufacturers may have received economic returns worth five times their original investment in HPV vaccine development. High-income countries gained the greatest economic surplus of any income category, realizing over five times more economic value per vaccinated female than low-income countries did. Subsidizing vaccine prices in low- and middle-income countries could both reduce financial barriers to vaccine adoption and still allow high-income countries to retain their economic surpluses and manufacturers to retain their profits. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Systematic Review of the Human Milk Microbiota.

Science.gov (United States)

Fitzstevens, John L; Smith, Kelsey C; Hagadorn, James I; Caimano, Melissa J; Matson, Adam P; Brownell, Elizabeth A

2017-06-01

Human milk-associated microbes are among the first to colonize the infant gut and may help to shape both short- and long-term infant health outcomes. We performed a systematic review to characterize the microbiota of human milk. Relevant primary studies were identified through a comprehensive search of PubMed (January 1, 1964, to June 31, 2015). Included studies were conducted among healthy mothers, were written in English, identified bacteria in human milk, used culture-independent methods, and reported primary results at the genus level. Twelve studies satisfied inclusion criteria. All varied in geographic location and human milk collection/storage/analytic methods. Streptococcus was identified in human milk samples in 11 studies (91.6%) and Staphylococcus in 10 (83.3%); both were predominant genera in 6 (50%). Eight of the 12 studies used conventional ribosomal RNA (rRNA) polymerase chain reaction (PCR), of which 7 (87.5%) identified Streptococcus and 6 (80%) identified Staphylococcus as present. Of these 8 studies, 2 (25%) identified Streptococcus and Staphylococcus as predominant genera. Four of the 12 studies used next-generation sequencing (NGS), all of which identified Streptococcus and Staphylococcus as present and predominant genera. Relative to conventional rRNA PCR, NGS is a more sensitive method to identify/quantify bacterial genera in human milk, suggesting the predominance of Streptococcus and Staphylococcus may be underestimated in studies using older methods. These genera, Streptococcus and Staphylococcus, may be universally predominant in human milk, regardless of differences in geographic location or analytic methods. Primary studies designed to evaluate the effect of these 2 genera on short- and long-term infant outcomes are warranted.

Antibody reaction of human anti-Toxoplasma gondii positive and negative sera with Neospora caninum antigens

OpenAIRE

Nam, Ho-Woo; Kang, Seung-Won; Choi, Won-Young

1998-01-01

Anti-Neospora caninum antibody was detected in anti-Toxoplasma gondii positive and negative human sera by ELISA, western blot and immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Twelve cases out of 172 (6.7%) Toxoplasma-positive sera cross-reacted with both T. gondii and N. caninum antigens, and one out of 110 Toxoplasma-negative sera reacted with N. caninum antigen by ELISA. By western blot, all 12 sera reacted with T. gondii antigens with various banding patterns but specifically at 30 kDa (SAG1) and 22 kD...

The Rise of the Anthroposphere since 50,000 Years: An Ecological Replacement of Megaherbivores by Humans in Terrestrial Ecosystems?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hervé Bocherens

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Megaherbivores fulfilled a number of important ecological functions in terrestrial ecosystems and behaved as ecological engineers since 300 million years until around 12,000 years ago. These essential ecological functions include opening vegetation cover, selective seed dispersal and nutrient recycling and spreading. Thanks to these effects, megaherbivores change the vegetation structure where they live, with cascading effects on smaller herbivores and also on climate. The late Pleistocene extinction strongly impacted the megaherbivores almost all over the world and led to the loss of these important ecological functions in terrestrial ecosystems. These functions were partially restored by agriculturist humans through an ecological replacement that occurred through an ecological shift within the species Homo sapiens. A better understanding of the differences and similarities between the ecological impacts of megaherbivores and those of agricultural humans should help to predict the future of terrestrial ecosystems.

Weight of preterm newborns during the first twelve weeks of life

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L.M. Anchieta

2003-06-01

Full Text Available A longitudinal and prospective study was carried out at two state-operated maternity hospitals in Belo Horizonte during 1996 in order to assess the weight of preterm appropriate-for-gestational-age newborns during the first twelve weeks of life. Two hundred and sixty appropriate-for-gestational-age preterm infants with birth weight <2500 g were evaluated weekly. The infants were divided into groups based on birth weight at 250-g intervals. Using weight means, somatic growth curves were constructed and adjusted to Count's model. Absolute (g/day and relative (g kg-1 day-1 velocity curves were obtained from a derivative of this model. The growth curve was characterized by weight loss during the 1st week (4-6 days ranging from 5.9 to 13.3% (the greater the percentage, the lower the birth weight, recovery of birth weight within 17 and 21 days, and increasingly higher rates of weight gain after the 3rd week. These rates were proportional to birth weight when expressed as g/day (the lowest and the highest birth weight neonates gained 15.9 and 30.1 g/day, respectively. However, if expressed as g kg-1 day-1, the rates were inversely proportional to birth weight (during the 3rd week, the lowest and the highest weight newborns gained 18.0 and 11.5 g kg-1 day-1, respectively. During the 12th week the rates were similar for all groups (7.5 to 10.2 g kg-1 day-1. The relative velocity accurately reflects weight gain of preterm infants who are appropriate for gestational age and, in the present study, it was inversely proportional to birth weight, with a peak during the 3rd week of life, and a homogeneous behavior during the 12th week for all weight groups.

The Arctic Human Health Initiative: a legacy of the International Polar Year 2007-2009.

Science.gov (United States)

Parkinson, Alan J

2013-01-01

The International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008 represented a unique opportunity to further stimulate cooperation and coordination on Arctic health research and increase the awareness and visibility of Arctic regions. The Arctic Human Health Initiative (AHHI) was a US-led Arctic Council IPY coordinating project that aimed to build and expand on existing International Union for Circumpolar Health (IUCH) and Arctic Council human health interests. The project aimed to link researchers with potential international collaborators and to serve as a focal point for human health research, education, outreach and communication activities during the IPY. The progress of projects conducted as part of this initiative up until the end of the Arctic Council Swedish chairmanship in May 2013 is summarized in this report. The overall goals of the AHHI was to increase awareness and visibility of human health concerns of Arctic peoples, foster human health research, and promote health strategies that will improve health and well-being of all Arctic residents. Proposed activities to be recognized through the initiative included: expanding research networks that will enhance surveillance and monitoring of health issues of concern to Arctic peoples, and increase collaboration and coordination of human health research; fostering research that will examine the health impact of anthropogenic pollution, rapid modernization and economic development, climate variability, infectious and chronic diseases, intentional and unintentional injuries, promoting education, outreach and communication that will focus public and political attention on Arctic health issues, using a variety of publications, printed and electronic reports from scientific conferences, symposia and workshops targeting researchers, students, communities and policy makers; promoting the translation of research into health policy and community action including implementation of prevention strategies and health promotion; and

Five year survival analysis of an oxidised zirconium total knee arthroplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Holland, Philip; Santini, Alasdair J A; Davidson, John S; Pope, Jill A

2013-12-01

Zirconium total knee arthroplasties theoretically have a low incidence of failure as they are low friction, hard wearing and hypoallergenic. We report the five year survival of 213 Profix zirconium total knee arthroplasties with a conforming all polyethylene tibial component. Data was collected prospectively and multiple strict end points were used. SF12 and WOMAC scores were recorded pre-operatively, at three months, at twelve months, at 3 years and at 5 years. Eight patients died and six were "lost to follow-up". The remaining 199 knees were followed up for five years. The mean WOMAC score improved from 56 to 35 and the mean SF12 physical component score improved from 28 to 34. The five year survival for failure due to implant related reasons was 99.5% (95% CI 97.4-100). This was due to one tibial component becoming loose aseptically in year zero. Our results demonstrate that the Profix zirconium total knee arthroplasty has a low medium term failure rate comparable to the best implants. Further research is needed to establish if the beneficial properties of zirconium improve long term implant survival. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Innate immune defense in the inner ear - mucines are expressed by the human endolymphatic sac

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Martin N; Kirkeby, Svend; Cayé-Thomasen, Per

2017-01-01

The human endolymphatic sac has been shown recently to have immunological capacities and has thus been proposed as the main entity protecting the inner ear from pathogen invasion, equivalent to mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). Although the sac expresses molecules of the innate immune...... system, the potential expression of members of the important mucin family has not been detailed. Thus, this paper explores endolymphatic sac expression of a number of mucins and mucin precursors. Twelve fresh tissue samples from the human endolymphatic sac were obtained during translabyrinthine surgery...... immunological tissue structure of the inner ear, equivalent to MALT in other organs. The mucins may also play a role in the formation and continuous homeostasis of the inner ear fluids, as well as the pathogenesis of Meniere's disease....

Comparison of virulence factors and capsular types of Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from human and bovine infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Emaneini, Mohammad; Khoramian, Babak; Jabalameli, Fereshteh; Abani, Samira; Dabiri, Hossein; Beigverdi, Reza

2016-02-01

Streptococcus agalactiae is a leading cause of human and bovine infections. A total of 194 S. agalactiae isolates, 55 isolates from bovines and 139 from humans, were analyzed for capsular types, virulence genes (scpB, hly, rib, bca and bac) and mobile genetic elements (IS1548 and GBSi1) using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and multiplex PCR. Capsular type III was predominant (61%), followed by types V, II, Ib, and IV. The scpB, hly, bca and bac virulence genes were only found among human isolates. Twelve and 2 distinct virulence gene profiles were identified among human and bovine isolates respectively. The virulence gene profiles scpB- hly- IS1548- rib-bca (51%) and scpB- hly- IS1548- bca (19%) were only predominant among human isolates. The rib gene was the most common virulence gene in both human and bovine isolates. The study showed a high prevalence of virulence genes in S. agalactiae strains isolated from human infections, these result can support the idea that S. agalactiae isolated from humans and bovines are generally unrelated and probably belonged to separate populations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

4-Valent Human Papillomavirus (4vHPV) Vaccine in Preadolescents and Adolescents After 10 Years.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferris, Daron G; Samakoses, Rudiwilai; Block, Stanley L; Lazcano-Ponce, Eduardo; Restrepo, Jaime Alberto; Mehlsen, Jesper; Chatterjee, Archana; Iversen, Ole-Erik; Joshi, Amita; Chu, Jian-Li; Krick, Andrea Likos; Saah, Alfred; Das, Rituparna

2017-12-01

We describe the final 10-year data for the long-term follow-up study of the 4-valent human papillomavirus (4vHPV) vaccine in preadolescents and adolescents. In the base study (V501-018), 1661 sexually inactive boys and girls received the 4vHPV vaccine (early vaccination group [EVG], managed for 9.9 years) or a placebo at day 1, month 2, and month 6. Thereafter, at month 30, the placebo group (catch-up vaccination group [CVG], managed for 7.4 years) received the 4vHPV vaccine by using the same dosing schedule. Long-term anti-HPV type 6, 11, 16, and 18 immune responses were assessed. Effectiveness was estimated by calculating the incidence rate of the primary endpoints (HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18-related disease or persistent infection). For HPV types 6, 11, and 16, 89% to 96% of subjects remained seropositive through 10-years postvaccination. The preadolescents had 38% to 65% higher geometric mean titers at month 7, which remained 16% to 42% higher at 10 years compared with adolescents. No cases of HPV type 6, 11, 16, and 18-related diseases were observed. Ten subjects had a persistent infection of ≥6 months duration with vaccine-type HPV and 2 subjects had persistent infection for ≥12 months. No new serious adverse events were reported through 10 years. A 3-dose regimen of the 4vHPV vaccine was immunogenic, clinically effective, and generally well tolerated in preadolescents and adolescents during 10 years of follow-up. These long-term findings support efforts to vaccinate this population against HPV before exposure. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Leptospiral agglutinins in captive and free ranging non-human primates in Sarawak, Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Thayaparan

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Aim: The proposed study was carried out to determine the extent of exposure to leptospirosis in non-human primates. Materials and Methods: Trapping of non-human primates was carried out opportunistically around the Bako National Park and the Matang Wildlife Center in the vicinity of human settlements and tourism areas of Sarawak. Blood samples were obtained from the saphenous vein to determine the presence of antibodies by the Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT to 17 serovars of Leptospira commonly found in Malaysia. Results: This study reports the screening of twelve primates (eight captive and four free ranging for leptospirosis. Eight of the 12 monkeys (66.6%; 95% CI 34.9-90.1 reacted against one or two serovars of Leptospira (Lai and Leptospira Lepto175. The serovar Lai is considered pathogenic for different mammals, including humans. Leptospira Lepto 175 has been identified as an intermediate strain and further studies are being undertaken on this serovar. Conclusion: These results are important as primates may act as reservoirs of Leptospira spp. for humans, which may potentially affect tourism (economic loss, conservation efforts and public health.

Does low-constraint mobile bearing knee prosthesis give satisfactory results for severe coronal deformities? A five to twelve year follow up study.

Science.gov (United States)

Czekaj, Jaroslaw; Fary, Camdon; Gaillard, Thierry; Lustig, Sebastien

2017-07-01

Severe varus and valgus knee deformities traditionally are replaced with constrained implants, with a number of disadvantages. We present our results in this challenging group using a low constraint deep-dish mobile bearing implant design. One hundred fifty-four patients (170 arthroplasties) who underwent primary TKA using a deep-dish, mobile bearing posterior-stabilized implant for severe varus (HKA  190°) deformity between 2004 and 2009 were evaluated at a mean of 6.6 years post-operatively (minimum of 5 years). Alignment improved from a pre-operative mean (±SD) varus deformity of 167.4° (±2.6°) and a mean (±SD) valgus deformity of 194.1° (±4.0°) to an overall mean (±SD) post-operative mechanical alignment of 178.6° (±3.2°). Twenty-three patients had post-operative varus alignment, five patients had post-operative valgus alignment and 134 knees were in neutral alignment (within 3° spread). Clinical scores at final follow-up were excellent (IKS score 93.8 (±7.4) and function score 82.4 (±20.2)). Three patients were re-operated upon: one deep infection, one periprosthetic fracture and one revision at 144 months for aseptic loosening of the femoral component. No patient was revised for instability or implant failure. The survival rate at five years was 99.4% and at ten years 98.6%. Satisfactory outcomes can be achieved in patients with substantial varus or valgus deformities using low constraint deep-dish mobile bearing implant, standard approach and appropriate soft tissue releases.

Long-Term Effects of Antibodies Against Human Leukocyte Antigens Detected by Flow Cytometry in the First Year After Renal Transplantation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tülay Kılıçaslan Ayna

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the incidence, dynamics and profiles of human leukocyte antigen (HLA-directed antibodies developed after transplantation and their impact on graft rejection and outcome in kidney recipients. Study Design: Prospective follow-up study. Material and Methods: A total of 56 kidney recipients were monitored at 1st, 6th and 12th months for the development of anti-HLA antibodies using bead based flow-cytometry assays (Flow PRA tests. Results: In 21 (37.5% patients, panel reactive antibodies (PRA was positive after transplantation, however, in 35 (62.5% patients PRA was found negative. Twelve (57.1% patients with post-transplantation HLA-reactive antibodies [PRA (+] and 8 (22.9% patients with no detectable alloantibodies [PRA (-] were developed allograft rejection (p=0.010. In the PRA positive patient group the rates of early period infection and delayed graft function (DGF were higher than the PRA negative patient group. Serum creatinine levels of PRA positive group at 6. and 12. months after transplantation were significantly higher than the PRA negative group (p=0.015 and p=0.048, respectively. The rejection rates of patients who had class I and II HLA antibodies were significantly higher than the patients who had either class I or II HLA antibodies (p=0.011. Acute rejection rates were significantly higher in patients who had class I and II HLA antibodies at the first month (p=0.007. Conclusion: Higher occurrence of rejection episodes in PRA positive group may show the importance of anti-HLA antibody monitoring using Flow-PRA after renal transplantation as a prognostic marker in terms of graft survival.

Supportive or suggestive: Do human figure drawings help 5- to 7-year-old children to report touch?

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Deirdre A; Pipe, Margaret-Ellen; Lewis, Charlie; Lamb, Michael E; Orbach, Yael

2007-02-01

The authors examined the accuracy of information elicited from seventy-nine 5- to 7-year-old children about a staged event that included physical contact-touching. Four to six weeks later, children's recall for the event was assessed using an interview protocol analogous to those used in forensic investigations with children. Following the verbal interview, children were asked about touch when provided with human figure drawings (drawings only), following practice using the human figure drawings (drawings with instruction), or without drawings (verbal questions only). In this touch-inquiry phase of the interview, most children provided new information. Children in the drawings conditions reported more incorrect information than those in the verbal questions condition. Forensically relevant errors were infrequent and were rarely elaborated on. Although asking children to talk about innocuous touch may lead them to report unreliable information, especially when human figure drawings are used as aids, errors are reduced when open-ended prompts are used to elicit further information about reported touches. Copyright 2007 APA, all rights reserved.

Workload-Adaptive Human Interface to Aid Robust Decision Making in Human-System Interface. Year 1 Report

Science.gov (United States)

2014-04-30

communicates the recommended films to the human before the human can complete the subsequent movie selection task (i.e., displays this information on...route creation game–titled Space Navigator, shown in Figure 6–inspired by others in the genre such as Harbor Master (Imangi Studios, L.L.C., 2011

The association between consumption of breakfast cereals and BMI in schoolchildren aged 12-17 years: The VYRONAS study

OpenAIRE

Kosti, Rena I.; Panagiotakos, Demosthenes B.; Zampelas, Antonis; Mihas, Costas; Alevizos, Alevizos; Leonard, Clare; Tountas, Yannis; Mariolis, Anargiros

2017-01-01

Abstract Objective To evaluate whether consumption of breakfast cereals is associated with BMI in a sample of Greek adolescents. Design A cross-sectional health and nutrition survey. Setting and subjects During 2004-5, 2008 schoolchildren aged 12-17 years were selected from twelve schools located in Vyronas region (Athens metropolitan area). Height and weight were measured and BMI was calculated. A semi-quantitative FFQ was applied and multiple logistic regression analysis was used. Results O...

IARC Monographs: 40 Years of Evaluating Carcinogenic Hazards to Humans

Science.gov (United States)

Blair, Aaron; Vineis, Paolo; Ahrens, Wolfgang; Andersen, Aage; Anto, Josep M.; Armstrong, Bruce K.; Baccarelli, Andrea A.; Beland, Frederick A.; Berrington, Amy; Bertazzi, Pier Alberto; Birnbaum, Linda S.; Brownson, Ross C.; Bucher, John R.; Cantor, Kenneth P.; Cardis, Elisabeth; Cherrie, John W.; Christiani, David C.; Cocco, Pierluigi; Coggon, David; Comba, Pietro; Demers, Paul A.; Dement, John M.; Douwes, Jeroen; Eisen, Ellen A.; Engel, Lawrence S.; Fenske, Richard A.; Fleming, Lora E.; Fletcher, Tony; Fontham, Elizabeth; Forastiere, Francesco; Frentzel-Beyme, Rainer; Fritschi, Lin; Gerin, Michel; Goldberg, Marcel; Grandjean, Philippe; Grimsrud, Tom K.; Gustavsson, Per; Haines, Andy; Hartge, Patricia; Hansen, Johnni; Hauptmann, Michael; Heederik, Dick; Hemminki, Kari; Hemon, Denis; Hertz-Picciotto, Irva; Hoppin, Jane A.; Huff, James; Jarvholm, Bengt; Kang, Daehee; Karagas, Margaret R.; Kjaerheim, Kristina; Kjuus, Helge; Kogevinas, Manolis; Kriebel, David; Kristensen, Petter; Kromhout, Hans; Laden, Francine; Lebailly, Pierre; LeMasters, Grace; Lubin, Jay H.; Lynch, Charles F.; Lynge, Elsebeth; ‘t Mannetje, Andrea; McMichael, Anthony J.; McLaughlin, John R.; Marrett, Loraine; Martuzzi, Marco; Merchant, James A.; Merler, Enzo; Merletti, Franco; Miller, Anthony; Mirer, Franklin E.; Monson, Richard; Nordby, Karl-Cristian; Olshan, Andrew F.; Parent, Marie-Elise; Perera, Frederica P.; Perry, Melissa J.; Pesatori, Angela Cecilia; Pirastu, Roberta; Porta, Miquel; Pukkala, Eero; Rice, Carol; Richardson, David B.; Ritter, Leonard; Ritz, Beate; Ronckers, Cecile M.; Rushton, Lesley; Rusiecki, Jennifer A.; Rusyn, Ivan; Samet, Jonathan M.; Sandler, Dale P.; de Sanjose, Silvia; Schernhammer, Eva; Costantini, Adele Seniori; Seixas, Noah; Shy, Carl; Siemiatycki, Jack; Silverman, Debra T.; Simonato, Lorenzo; Smith, Allan H.; Smith, Martyn T.; Spinelli, John J.; Spitz, Margaret R.; Stallones, Lorann; Stayner, Leslie T.; Steenland, Kyle; Stenzel, Mark; Stewart, Bernard W.; Stewart, Patricia A.; Symanski, Elaine; Terracini, Benedetto; Tolbert, Paige E.; Vainio, Harri; Vena, John; Vermeulen, Roel; Victora, Cesar G.; Ward, Elizabeth M.; Weinberg, Clarice R.; Weisenburger, Dennis; Wesseling, Catharina; Weiderpass, Elisabete; Zahm, Shelia Hoar

2015-01-01

, Cardis E, Cherrie JW, Christiani DC, Cocco P, Coggon D, Comba P, Demers PA, Dement JM, Douwes J, Eisen EA, Engel LS, Fenske RA, Fleming LE, Fletcher T, Fontham E, Forastiere F, Frentzel-Beyme R, Fritschi L, Gerin M, Goldberg M, Grandjean P, Grimsrud TK, Gustavsson P, Haines A, Hartge P, Hansen J, Hauptmann M, Heederik D, Hemminki K, Hemon D, Hertz-Picciotto I, Hoppin JA, Huff J, Jarvholm B, Kang D, Karagas MR, Kjaerheim K, Kjuus H, Kogevinas M, Kriebel D, Kristensen P, Kromhout H, Laden F, Lebailly P, LeMasters G, Lubin JH, Lynch CF, Lynge E, ‘t Mannetje A, McMichael AJ, McLaughlin JR, Marrett L, Martuzzi M, Merchant JA, Merler E, Merletti F, Miller A, Mirer FE, Monson R, Nordby KC, Olshan AF, Parent ME, Perera FP, Perry MJ, Pesatori AC, Pirastu R, Porta M, Pukkala E, Rice C, Richardson DB, Ritter L, Ritz B, Ronckers CM, Rushton L, Rusiecki JA, Rusyn I, Samet JM, Sandler DP, de Sanjose S, Schernhammer E, Seniori Costantini A, Seixas N, Shy C, Siemiatycki J, Silverman DT, Simonato L, Smith AH, Smith MT, Spinelli JJ, Spitz MR, Stallones L, Stayner LT, Steenland K, Stenzel M, Stewart BW, Stewart PA, Symanski E, Terracini B, Tolbert PE, Vainio H, Vena J, Vermeulen R, Victora CG, Ward EM, Weinberg CR, Weisenburger D, Wesseling C, Weiderpass E, Zahm SH. 2015. IARC Monographs: 40 years of evaluating carcinogenic hazards to humans. Environ Health Perspect 123:507–514; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409149 PMID:25712798

Training medical students in human rights: a fifteen-year experience in Geneva

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philippe Chastonay

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Training health professionals in the field of human rights has long been advocated by the United Nations. Over the past decade some medical schools have introduced health and human rights courses, yet by far not all. This paper describes the objectives and the content of the Health and Human Rights program developed at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva. Methods: The health and human rights program was developed through the identification of the course objectives, contents, and educational modalities using consensus techniques, and through a step by step implementation procedure integrating multiple evaluation processes. Results: Defined objectives included the familiarization with the concepts, instruments and mechanisms of human rights, the links between health and human rights, and the role of health professionals in promoting human rights. The content ultimately adopted focused on the typology of human rights, their mechanisms of protection, their instruments, as well as social inequalities and vulnerable groups of the population. The implementation proceeded through a step by step approach. Evaluation showed high satisfaction of students, good achievement of learning objectives, and some academic and community impact. Conclusions: High interest of students for a human rights course is encouraging. Furthermore, the community projects initiated and implemented by students may contribute to the social responsibility of the academic institution.

How can general paediatric training be optimised in highly specialised tertiary settings? Twelve tips from an interview-based study of trainees.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Yassin, Amina; Long, Andrew; Sharma, Sanjiv; May, Joanne

2017-01-01

Both general and subspecialty paediatric trainees undertake attachments in highly specialised tertiary hospitals. Trainee feedback suggests that mismatches in expectations between trainees and supervisors and a perceived lack of educational opportunities may lead to trainee dissatisfaction in such settings. With the 'Shape of Training' review (reshaping postgraduate training in the UK to focus on more general themes), this issue is likely to become more apparent. We wished to explore the factors that contribute to a positive educational environment and training experience and identify how this may be improved in highly specialised settings. General paediatric trainees working at all levels in subspecialty teams at a tertiary hospital were recruited (n=12). Semistructured interviews were undertaken to explore the strengths and weaknesses of training in such a setting and how this could be optimised. Appreciative inquiry methodology was used to identify areas of perceived best practice and consider how these could be promoted and disseminated. Twelve best practice themes were identified: (1) managing expectations by acknowledging the challenges; (2) educational contracting to identify learning needs and opportunities; (3) creative educational supervision; (4) centralised teaching events; (5) signposting learning opportunities; (6) curriculum-mapped pan-hospital teaching programmes; (7) local faculty groups with trainee representation; (8) interprofessional learning; (9) pastoral support systems; (10) crossover weeks to increase clinical exposure; (11) adequate clinical supervision; and (12) rota design to include teaching and clinic time. Tertiary settings have strengths, as well as challenges, for general paediatric training. Twelve trainee-generated tips have been identified to capitalise on the educational potential within these settings. Trainee feedback is essential to diagnose and improve educational environments and appreciative inquiry is a useful tool for

Tactile interactions activate mirror system regions in the human brain.

Science.gov (United States)

McKyton, Ayelet

2011-12-07

Communicating with others is essential for the development of a society. Although types of communications, such as language and visual gestures, were thoroughly investigated in the past, little research has been done to investigate interactions through touch. To study this we used functional magnetic resonance imaging. Twelve participants were scanned with their eyes covered while stroking four kinds of items, representing different somatosensory stimuli: a human hand, a realistic rubber hand, an object, and a simple texture. Although the human and the rubber hands had the same overall shape, in three regions there was significantly more blood oxygen level dependent activation when touching the real hand: the anterior medial prefrontal cortex, the ventral premotor cortex, and the posterior superior temporal cortex. The last two regions are part of the mirror network and are known to be activated through visual interactions such as gestures. Interestingly, in this study, these areas were activated through a somatosensory interaction. A control experiment was performed to eliminate confounds of temperature, texture, and imagery, suggesting that the activation in these areas was correlated with the touch of a human hand. These results reveal the neuronal network working behind human tactile interactions, and highlight the participation of the mirror system in such functions.

Renal and obstetric outcomes in pregnancy after kidney transplantation: Twelve-year experience in a Singapore transplant center.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwek, Jia Liang; Tey, Vanessa; Yang, Liying; Kanagalingam, Devendra; Kee, Terence

2015-09-01

Renal and obstetric outcomes in pregnancy after kidney transplantation in Singapore were last studied in 2002. A review of these outcomes in Singapore is now timely following advances in transplant and obstetric medicine. The aim was to evaluate the renal and obstetric outcomes in pregnancy after kidney transplantation in a Singapore tertiary center. Kidney transplant recipients who underwent pregnancy after transplantation at Singapore General Hospital between January 2001 and December 2012 were identified. Data on demographics, comorbidities and clinical outcomes were collected. There were 10 pregnancies identified in nine recipients. The median age of recipient at childbearing was 34.6 years (IQR, 32.8-36.8) and the median interval from transplantation to conception was 69 months (IQR, 38-97). There was no difference between the median pre-pregnancy estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (47.9 mL/min/1.73 m(2); IQR, 38.4-56.8) and median eGFR at time of last post-partum follow up (43.9 mL/min/1.73 m(2); IQR, 34.5-48.7, P = 0.549). Borderline allograft rejection occurred in one recipient (10.0%) 36 days after birth due to non-adherence to immunosuppressive medication, with subsequent allograft loss 37 months after birth. No mortalities were recorded during the study period. All the 10 pregnancies (100%) ended in singleton live births. Pre-eclampsia occurred in five pregnancies (50.0%), and there were seven (70.0%) preterm deliveries. The median gestational age was 35.4 weeks (IQR, 32.6-38.2) and the median birthweight was 2353 g (IQR, 1811-2648). Post-transplantation pregnancies ended successfully with no significant worsening of allograft function, but they were associated with risks to both recipients and newborns. © 2015 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

TRANSIT TIMING OBSERVATIONS FROM KEPLER. VIII. CATALOG OF TRANSIT TIMING MEASUREMENTS OF THE FIRST TWELVE QUARTERS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mazeh, Tsevi; Nachmani, Gil; Holczer, Tomer; Sokol, Gil [School of Physics and Astronomy, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978 (Israel); Fabrycky, Daniel C. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, 5640 Ellis Ave., Chicago, IL 60637 (United States); Ford, Eric B.; Ragozzine, Darin [Astronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32111 (United States); Sanchis-Ojeda, Roberto [Department of Physics and Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Rowe, Jason F.; Lissauer, Jack J. [NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States); Zucker, Shay [Department of Geophysical, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv (Israel); Agol, Eric [Department of Astronomy, Box 351580, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Carter, Joshua A. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Quintana, Elisa V. [SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Ave, Suite 100, Mountain View, CA 94043 (United States); Steffen, Jason H. [Fermilab Center for Particle Astrophysics, P.O. Box 500, MS 127, Batavia, IL 60510 (United States); Welsh, William [Astronomy Department, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182 (United States)

2013-10-01

Following the works of Ford et al. and Steffen et al. we derived the transit timing of 1960 Kepler objects of interest (KOIs) using the pre-search data conditioning light curves of the first twelve quarters of the Kepler data. For 721 KOIs with large enough signal-to-noise ratios, we obtained also the duration and depth of each transit. The results are presented as a catalog for the community to use. We derived a few statistics of our results that could be used to indicate significant variations. Including systems found by previous works, we have found 130 KOIs that showed highly significant times of transit variations (TTVs) and 13 that had short-period TTV modulations with small amplitudes. We consider two effects that could cause apparent periodic TTV—the finite sampling of the observations and the interference with the stellar activity, stellar spots in particular. We briefly discuss some statistical aspects of our detected TTVs. We show that the TTV period is correlated with the orbital period of the planet and with the TTV amplitude.

The ten-thousand year fever: rethinking human and wild primate malarias

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Cormier, Loretta A

2011-01-01

... relationships between culture and environment that shape the trajectory of a parasite. She argues against the entrenched distinction between human and non-human malarias, using ethnoprimatology to develop a new understanding of cross-species exchange...

In vitro and genetic diversity studies of twelve accessions of aerial yams (D. bulbifera and D. alata) in Ghana

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katsekpor, C.

2014-07-01

Aerial yams (D. bulbifera and D. alata) are usually among the dioscoreaceae, in that they are cultivated not only for their tubers but also for the bulbils that develop at the leaf axils of the vine. Twelve accessions collected from five geographic regions were evaluated for morphological characteristics. The results indicate that the 12 accessions exhibited similarity with respect to 11 traits but were variable with respect to 5. Bulbils from the twelve accessions of aerial yams collected from the experimental field, were analysed for proximate composition including moisture, crude protein, crude ash, crude fat, crude fibre and carbohydrate content using the Association of Official Analytical Chemist (AOAC) method. Elemental composition of the bulbils was also determined through instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Accession S recorded the highest crude protein (6.77 %), crude fibre (3.38 %) and carbohydrate (25.39 %) contents. Bulbils from D, G and T recorded the highest crude fat (0.56 %), moisture (72.97 %) and crude ash (7.96 %) content respectively. Accession V recorded the highest amount of magnesium (143.43 mg/100g), potassium (2644.4 mg/100g), chlorine (3272.2 mg/100g) and copper (1.116 mg/100g). Bulbils from accession F also recorded the highest amount of aluminum (5.26 mg/100g) and manganese (0.43 mg/100g), while accession B, C, E and R also recorded highest percentages of vanadium (0.037 mg/100g), sodium (26.63 mg/100g), calcium (333.5 mg/100g) and zinc (4.53 mg/100g) respectively. Nodal explants of 12 accessions of the aerial yam were cultured in vitro on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with varying concentrations of kinetin with or without activated charcoal, as assessed for ability to regenerate plantlets with distinct shoots, leaves and roots. The highest regeneration of plantlets was achieved at kinetin concentration of 2.0 mg/l with activated charcoal. Kinetin concentration beyond 2.0 mg/l proved to be phytotoxic and

[Virtual Campus of Public Health: six years of human resources education in Mexico].

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos Herrera, Igor; Alfaro Alfaro, Noé; Fonseca León, Joel; García Sandoval, Cristóbal; González Castañeda, Miguel; López Zermeño, María Del Carmen; Benítez Morales, Ricardo

2014-11-01

This paper discusses the gestation process, implementation methodology, and results obtained from the initiative to use e-learning to train human resources for health, six years after the launch of the Virtual Campus of Public Health of the University of Guadalajara (Mexico); the discussion is framed by Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) standards and practices. This is a special report on the work done by the institutional committee of the Virtual Campus in western Mexico to create an Internet portal that follows the guidelines of the strategic model established by Nodo México and PAHO for the Region of the Americas. This Virtual Campus began its activities in 2007, on the basis of the use of free software and institutional collaboration. Since the initial year of implementation of the node, over 500 health professionals have been trained using virtual courses, the node's educational platform, and a repository of virtual learning resources that are interoperable with other repositories in Mexico and the Region of the Americas. The University of Guadalajara Virtual Campus committee has followed the proposed model as much as possible, thereby achieving most of the goals set in the initial work plan, despite a number of administrative challenges and the difficulty of motivating committee members.

Evidence of authentic DNA from Danish Viking Age skeletons untouched by humans for 1,000 years.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linea Melchior

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Given the relative abundance of modern human DNA and the inherent impossibility for incontestable proof of authenticity, results obtained on ancient human DNA have often been questioned. The widely accepted rules regarding ancient DNA work mainly affect laboratory procedures, however, pre-laboratory contamination occurring during excavation and archaeological-/anthropological handling of human remains as well as rapid degradation of authentic DNA after excavation are major obstacles. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We avoided some of these obstacles by analyzing DNA from ten Viking Age subjects that at the time of sampling were untouched by humans for 1,000 years. We removed teeth from the subjects prior to handling by archaeologists and anthropologists using protective equipment. An additional tooth was removed after standard archaeological and anthropological handling. All pre-PCR work was carried out in a "clean- laboratory" dedicated solely to ancient DNA work. Mitochondrial DNA was extracted and overlapping fragments spanning the HVR-1 region as well as diagnostic sites in the coding region were PCR amplified, cloned and sequenced. Consistent results were obtained with the "unhandled" teeth and there was no indication of contamination, while the latter was the case with half of the "handled" teeth. The results allowed the unequivocal assignment of a specific haplotype to each of the subjects, all haplotypes being compatible in their character states with a phylogenetic tree drawn from present day European populations. Several of the haplotypes are either infrequent or have not been observed in modern Scandinavians. The observation of haplogroup I in the present study (<2% in modern Scandinavians supports our previous findings of a pronounced frequency of this haplogroup in Viking and Iron Age Danes. CONCLUSION: The present work provides further evidence that retrieval of ancient human DNA is a possible task provided adequate

Evidence of authentic DNA from Danish Viking Age skeletons untouched by humans for 1,000 years.

Science.gov (United States)

Melchior, Linea; Kivisild, Toomas; Lynnerup, Niels; Dissing, Jørgen

2008-05-28

Given the relative abundance of modern human DNA and the inherent impossibility for incontestable proof of authenticity, results obtained on ancient human DNA have often been questioned. The widely accepted rules regarding ancient DNA work mainly affect laboratory procedures, however, pre-laboratory contamination occurring during excavation and archaeological-/anthropological handling of human remains as well as rapid degradation of authentic DNA after excavation are major obstacles. We avoided some of these obstacles by analyzing DNA from ten Viking Age subjects that at the time of sampling were untouched by humans for 1,000 years. We removed teeth from the subjects prior to handling by archaeologists and anthropologists using protective equipment. An additional tooth was removed after standard archaeological and anthropological handling. All pre-PCR work was carried out in a "clean- laboratory" dedicated solely to ancient DNA work. Mitochondrial DNA was extracted and overlapping fragments spanning the HVR-1 region as well as diagnostic sites in the coding region were PCR amplified, cloned and sequenced. Consistent results were obtained with the "unhandled" teeth and there was no indication of contamination, while the latter was the case with half of the "handled" teeth. The results allowed the unequivocal assignment of a specific haplotype to each of the subjects, all haplotypes being compatible in their character states with a phylogenetic tree drawn from present day European populations. Several of the haplotypes are either infrequent or have not been observed in modern Scandinavians. The observation of haplogroup I in the present study (Viking and Iron Age Danes. The present work provides further evidence that retrieval of ancient human DNA is a possible task provided adequate precautions are taken and well-considered sampling is applied.

Magnetic Fusion Science Fellowship program: Summary of program activities for calendar year 1986

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-01-01

This report describes the 1985-1986 progress of the Magnetic Fusion Science Fellowship program (MFSF). The program was established in January of 1985 by the Office of Fusion Energy (OFE) of the US Department of Energy (DOE) to encourage talented undergraduate and first-year graduate students to enter qualified graduate programs in the sciences related to fusion energy development. The program currently has twelve fellows in participating programs. Six new fellows are being appointed during each of the program's next two award cycles. Appointments are for one year and are renewable for two additional years with a three year maximum. The stipend level also continues at a $1000 a month or $12,000 a year. The program pays all tuition and fee expenses for the fellows. Another important aspect of the fellowship program is the practicum. During the practicum fellows receive three month appointments to work at DOE designated fusion science research and development centers. The practicum allows the MFSF fellows to directly participate in on-going DOE research and development programs

Human Technology and Human Affects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fausing, Bent

2009-01-01

Human Technology and Human Affects  This year Samsung introduced a mobile phone with "Soul". It was made with a human touch and included itself a magical touch. Which function does technology and affects get in everyday aesthetics like this, its images and interactions included this presentation...... will ask and try to answer. The mobile phone and its devices are depicted as being able to make a unique human presence, interaction, and affect. The medium, the technology is a necessary helper to get towards this very special and lost humanity. Without the technology, no special humanity - soul....... The paper will investigate how technology, humanity, affects, and synaesthesia are presented and combined with examples from everyday aesthetics, e.g. early computer tv-commercial, net-commercial for mobile phones. Technology and affects point, is the conclusion, towards a forgotten pre-human and not he...

Service use and costs for people with long-term neurological conditions in the first year following discharge from in-patient neuro-rehabilitation: a longitudinal cohort study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diana Jackson

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Knowledge of the configuration and costs of community rehabilitation and support for people with long-term neurological conditions (LTNCs is needed to inform future service development and resource allocation. In a multicentre prospective cohort study evaluating community service delivery during the year post-discharge from in-patient neuro-rehabilitation, a key objective was to determine service use, costs, and predictors of these costs. METHODS: Patients consecutively admitted over one year to all nine London specialised (Level 1 in-patient neuro-rehabilitation units were recruited on discharge. They or their carers completed postal/web-based questionnaires at discharge and six and twelve months later, providing demographic data and measures of impairment, disability, service needs and provision. This paper describes health and social care service use, informal care and associated costs. Regression models using non-parametric boot-strapping identified predictors of costs over time. RESULTS: Overall, 152 patients provided consistent data. Mean formal service costs fell significantly from £13,290 (sd £19,369 during the first six months to £9,335 (sd £19,036 from six-twelve months, (t = 2.35, P<0.05, mainly due to declining health service use. At six months, informal care was received on average for 8.2 hours/day, mean cost £14,615 (sd 23,305, comprising 52% of overall care costs. By twelve months, it had increased to 8.8 hours per day, mean cost £15,468 (sd £25,534, accounting for 62% of overall care costs. Being younger and more disabled predicted higher formal care costs, explaining 32% and 30% of the variation in costs respectively at six and twelve months. CONCLUSION: Community services for people with LTNCs carry substantial costs that shift from health to social care over time, increasing the burden on families. Prioritising rehabilitation services towards those in greatest need could limit access to others needing on

Reading faces: differential lateral gaze bias in processing canine and human facial expressions in dogs and 4-year-old children.

Science.gov (United States)

Racca, Anaïs; Guo, Kun; Meints, Kerstin; Mills, Daniel S

2012-01-01

Sensitivity to the emotions of others provides clear biological advantages. However, in the case of heterospecific relationships, such as that existing between dogs and humans, there are additional challenges since some elements of the expression of emotions are species-specific. Given that faces provide important visual cues for communicating emotional state in both humans and dogs, and that processing of emotions is subject to brain lateralisation, we investigated lateral gaze bias in adult dogs when presented with pictures of expressive human and dog faces. Our analysis revealed clear differences in laterality of eye movements in dogs towards conspecific faces according to the emotional valence of the expressions. Differences were also found towards human faces, but to a lesser extent. For comparative purpose, a similar experiment was also run with 4-year-old children and it was observed that they showed differential processing of facial expressions compared to dogs, suggesting a species-dependent engagement of the right or left hemisphere in processing emotions.

Reading faces: differential lateral gaze bias in processing canine and human facial expressions in dogs and 4-year-old children.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anaïs Racca

Full Text Available Sensitivity to the emotions of others provides clear biological advantages. However, in the case of heterospecific relationships, such as that existing between dogs and humans, there are additional challenges since some elements of the expression of emotions are species-specific. Given that faces provide important visual cues for communicating emotional state in both humans and dogs, and that processing of emotions is subject to brain lateralisation, we investigated lateral gaze bias in adult dogs when presented with pictures of expressive human and dog faces. Our analysis revealed clear differences in laterality of eye movements in dogs towards conspecific faces according to the emotional valence of the expressions. Differences were also found towards human faces, but to a lesser extent. For comparative purpose, a similar experiment was also run with 4-year-old children and it was observed that they showed differential processing of facial expressions compared to dogs, suggesting a species-dependent engagement of the right or left hemisphere in processing emotions.

Four thousand years of environmental change and human activity in the Cochabamba Basin, Bolivia

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Joseph J.; Gosling, William D.; Coe, Angela L.; Brooks, Stephen J.; Gulliver, Pauline

The Cochabamba Basin (Bolivia) is on the ancient road network connecting Andean and lowland areas. Little is known about the longevity of this trade route or how people responded to past environmental changes. The eastern end of the Cochabamba valley system constricts at the Vacas Lake District, constraining the road network and providing an ideal location in which to examine past human-environmental interactions. Multi-proxy analysis of sediment from Lake Challacaba has allowed a c. 4000 year environmental history to be reconstructed. Fluctuations in drought tolerant pollen taxa and calcium carbonate indicate two periods of reduced moisture availability ( c. 4000-3370 and c. 2190-1020 cal yr BP) compared to adjacent wetter episodes ( c. 3370-2190 and c. 1020 cal yr BP-present). The moisture fluctuations broadly correlate to El Niño/Southern Oscillation variations reported elsewhere. High charcoal abundance from c. 4000 to 2000 yr ago indicates continuous use of the ancient road network. A decline in charcoal and an increase in dung fungus ( Sporormiella) c. 1340 -1210 cal yr BP, suggests that cultural changes were a major factor in shaping the modern landscape. Despite undisputable impacts of human populations on the Polylepis woodlands today, we see no evidence of woodland clearance in the Challacaba record.

The Social Origins of Sustained Attention in One-Year-Old Human Infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Chen; Smith, Linda B

2016-05-09

The ability to sustain attention is a major achievement in human development and is generally believed to be the developmental product of increasing self-regulatory and endogenous (i.e., internal, top-down, voluntary) control over one's attention and cognitive systems [1-5]. Because sustained attention in late infancy is predictive of future development, and because early deficits in sustained attention are markers for later diagnoses of attentional disorders [6], sustained attention is often viewed as a constitutional and individual property of the infant [6-9]. However, humans are social animals; developmental pathways for seemingly non-social competencies evolved within the social group and therefore may be dependent on social experience [10-13]. Here, we show that social context matters for the duration of sustained attention episodes in one-year-old infants during toy play. Using head-mounted eye tracking to record moment-by-moment gaze data from both parents and infants, we found that when the social partner (parent) visually attended to the object to which infant attention was directed, infants, after the parent's look, extended their duration of visual attention to the object. Looks to the same object by two social partners is a well-studied phenomenon known as joint attention, which has been shown to be critical to early learning and to the development of social skills [14, 15]. The present findings implicate joint attention in the development of the child's own sustained attention and thus challenge the current understanding of the origins of individual differences in sustained attention, providing a new and potentially malleable developmental pathway to the self-regulation of attention. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The role of pars flaccida in human middle ear sound transmission.

Science.gov (United States)

Aritomo, H; Goode, R L; Gonzalez, J

1988-04-01

The role of the pars flaccida in middle ear sound transmission was studied with the use of twelve otoscopically normal, fresh, human temporal bones. Peak-to-peak umbo displacement in response to a constant sound pressure level at the tympanic membrane was measured with a noncontacting video measuring system capable of repeatable measurements down to 0.2 micron. Measurements were made before and after pars flaccida modifications at 18 frequencies between 100 and 4000 Hz. Four pars flaccida modifications were studied: (1) acoustic insulation of the pars flaccida to the ear canal with a silicone rubber baffle, (2) stiffening the pars flaccida with cyanoacrylate cement, (3) decreasing the tension of the pars flaccida with a nonperforating incision, and (4) perforation of the pars flaccida. All of the modifications (except the perforation) had a minimal effect on umbo displacement; this seems to imply that the pars flaccida has a minor acoustic role in human beings.

SOCIOECONOMIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC VARIATION IN NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF UNDER-FIVE BANGLADESHI CHILDREN AND TREND OVER THE TWELVE-YEAR PERIOD 1996-2007.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohsena, Masuda; Goto, Rie; Mascie-Taylor, C G Nicholas

2017-03-01

The nutritional status of under-five-year-old children is a sensitive indicator of a country's health status as well as economic condition. The objectives of this study were to analyse trends in the nutritional status in Bangladeshi children over the period 1996-2007 and to examine the associations between nutritional and socioeconomic status variables. Bangladesh Demographic Health Surveys (BDHS) were the source of data, and a total of 16,278 children were examined. The Z-scores of the children were analysed as continuous as well as categorical variables (stunted, underweight and wasted). The socioeconomic status variables used were region, urban-rural residence, education and occupation of the parents, house type and household possession score. A series of General Linear Model and Sequential Linear and Binary Logistic Regression analyses were done to assess the relationship between demographic and socioeconomic variables and nutritional status. The trends of Z-scores were analysed by survey, as well as by child birth cohort. Region, house type, educational level of parents and household possession score showed significant associations with all three Z-scores of children after removing the effects of age, period of DHS and other explanatory variables in the model. No significant sex difference was observed between any of the Z-scores. There were improvements in mean WAZ and HAZ between 1996 and 2007 but deterioration in mean WHZ over this period. The obesity rate was below 2% in 2007, although the absolute numbers of obese children had nearly doubled in this 12-year period. Children from poorer households showed greater improvement than their better-off counterparts. The study reveals that over the years there has been substantial improvement in nutritional status of under-five children in Bangladesh and the main gains have been amongst the lower socioeconomic groups; it is also evident that malnutrition in Bangladesh is a multidimensional problem, like poverty

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis A Twelve Years After the Implementation of Toddlers' Vaccination: A Population-Based Study in Israel.

Science.gov (United States)

Bassal, Ravit; Weil, Merav; Cohen, Daniel; Sofer, Danit; Mendelson, Ella; Shohat, Tamy

2017-10-01

In 1999, Israel became the first country to introduce an inactivated hepatitis A vaccine into its national childhood vaccination program. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus antibodies in the Israeli population before and after the introduction of the program. A cross-sectional serosurvey using the National Serum Bank was conducted on 1883 and 2027 serum samples collected before and after introduction of the vaccine, respectively. Serologic tests for the presence of hepatitis A IgG antibodies were performed using an automated enzyme-linked fluorescent assay. The age-adjusted seroprevalence rates of hepatitis A virus antibodies before implementation of hepatitis A vaccination program were 47.1% [95% confidence interval (CI): 44.7%-49.5%] among Jews and 82.8% (95% CI: 79.6%-85.9%) among Arabs, increasing 12 years after to 67.4% (95% CI: 64.7%-70.0%) and 88.2% (95% CI: 86.1%-90.2%), respectively. The seropositivity rate among Jews and Arabs increased significantly among the cohorts included in the program. However, among Jews, a significant increase in seropositivity was also detected among age groups not included in the vaccination program. The decrease in the incidence of hepatitis A in Israel is a consequence of high vaccine uptake, persistent seropositivity rates after vaccination and the considerable number of people vaccinated beyond the program.

Nucleic acids in mummified plant seeds: screening of twelve specimens by gel-electrophoresis, molecular hybridization and DNA cloning.

Science.gov (United States)

Rollo, F; La Marca, A; Amici, A

1987-02-01

Twelve seed specimens of varying ages and from different archaeological sites were analyzed for the presence of polymerized DNA and RNA. Amongst the samples tested, one of Vitis vinifera from an archaeological site in Iran (2,000-3,000 B.C.) was found to be completely devoid of nucleic acids. Zea mais seeds of Precolumbial age from Peru (about 800 A.D.) contained depolymerized DNA and RNA. Samples of Vitis vinifera and Rubus sp. from a Lombard archaeological site (800 A.D.) as well as radiocarbon dated seeds from the site of the "Spring Sanctuary" near Metaponto (I-IV century B.C.) were found to contain polymerized DNA and rRNA bands. However the electrophoretic properties of the rRNAs in one case and hybridization experiments performed with cloned seed DNA in the other, clearly demonstrated that the polymerized nucleic acids were not of plant origin.

Stimulus-Elicited Connectivity Influences Resting-State Connectivity Years Later in Human Development: A Prospective Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gabard-Durnam, Laurel Joy; Gee, Dylan Grace; Goff, Bonnie; Flannery, Jessica; Telzer, Eva; Humphreys, Kathryn Leigh; Lumian, Daniel Stephen; Fareri, Dominic Stephen; Caldera, Christina; Tottenham, Nim

2016-04-27

Although the functional architecture of the brain is indexed by resting-state connectivity networks, little is currently known about the mechanisms through which these networks assemble into stable mature patterns. The current study posits and tests the long-term phasic molding hypothesis that resting-state networks are gradually shaped by recurring stimulus-elicited connectivity across development by examining how both stimulus-elicited and resting-state functional connections of the human brain emerge over development at the systems level. Using a sequential design following 4- to 18-year-olds over a 2 year period, we examined the predictive associations between stimulus-elicited and resting-state connectivity in amygdala-cortical circuitry as an exemplar case (given this network's protracted development across these ages). Age-related changes in amygdala functional connectivity converged on the same regions of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and inferior frontal gyrus when elicited by emotional stimuli and when measured at rest. Consistent with the long-term phasic molding hypothesis, prospective analyses for both connections showed that the magnitude of an individual's stimulus-elicited connectivity unidirectionally predicted resting-state functional connectivity 2 years later. For the amygdala-mPFC connection, only stimulus-elicited connectivity during childhood and the transition to adolescence shaped future resting-state connectivity, consistent with a sensitive period ending with adolescence for the amygdala-mPFC circuit. Together, these findings suggest that resting-state functional architecture may arise from phasic patterns of functional connectivity elicited by environmental stimuli over the course of development on the order of years. A fundamental issue in understanding the ontogeny of brain function is how resting-state (intrinsic) functional networks emerge and relate to stimulus-elicited functional connectivity. Here, we posit and test the long

Cryopreservation of human oocytes, zygotes, embryos and blastocysts: A comparison study between slow freezing and ultra rapid (vitrification methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tahani Al-Azawi

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Preservation of female genetics is currently done primarily by means of oocyte and embryo cryopreservation. The field has seen much progress during its four-decade history, progress driven predominantly by research in humans. It can also be done by preservation of ovarian tissue or entire ovary for transplantation, followed by oocyte harvesting or natural fertilization. Two basic cryopreservation techniques rule the field, slow-rate freezing, the first to be developed and vitrification which in recent years, has gained a foothold. The slow-rate freezing method previously reported had low survival and pregnancy rates, along with the high cost of cryopreservation. Although there are some recent data indicating better survival rates, cryopreservation by the slow freezing method has started to discontinue. Vitrification of human embryos, especially at early stages, became a more popular alternative to the slow rate freezing method due to reported comparable clinical and laboratory outcomes. In addition, vitrification is relatively simple, requires no expensive programmable freezing equipment, and uses a small amount of liquid nitrogen for freezing. Moreover, oocyte cryopreservation using vitrification has been proposed as a solution to maintain women’s fertility by serving and freezing their oocytes at the optimal time. The aim of this research is to compare slow freezing and vitrification in cryopreservation of oocytes, zygotes, embryos and blastocysts during the last twelve years. Therefore, due to a lot of controversies in this regard, we tried to achieve an exact idea about the subject and the best technique used.

Observed Human Actions, and Not Mechanical Actions, Induce Searching Errors in Infants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yusuke Moriguchi

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Recent neurophysiological studies have shown that several human brain regions involved in executing actions are activated by merely observing such actions via a human, and not by a mechanical hand. At a behavioral level, observing a human’s movements, but not those of a robot, significantly interferes with ongoing executed movements. However, it is unclear whether the biological tuning in the observation/execution matching system are functional during infancy. The present study examines whether a human’s actions, and not a mechanical action, influence infants’ execution of the same actions due to the observation/execution matching system. Twelve-month-old infants were given a searching task. In the tasks, infants observed an object hidden at location A, after which either a human hand (human condition or a mechanical one (mechanical condition searched the object correctly. Next, the object was hidden at location B and infants were allowed to search the object. We examined whether infants searched the object at location B correctly. The results revealed that infants in the human condition were more likely to search location A than those in the mechanical condition. Moreover, the results suggested that infants’ searching behaviors were affected by their observations of the same actions by a human, but not a mechanical hand. Thus, it may be concluded that the observation/execution matching system may be biologically tuned during infancy.

Prevalence, causes, and correlates of traumatic dental injuries among seven-to-twelve-year-old school children in Dera Bassi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rohini Dua

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Aim : The paper aims to present a study conducted in Dera Bassi, Mohali, India. The purpose of the study was to ascertain the prevalence of traumatic dental injuries (TDI in children of age group 7-12 years in private schools in Gulabgarh village. Material & Method : Age & sex distribution, etiological factors, risk factors and cause of injury were the parameters taken into consideration. The data collected was processed and analyzed using the SPSS statistical software program. Results : The overall prevalence of dental trauma was 14.5%, amongst the 880 subjects examined, out of which, 63.2% males and 36.4% females were found to be affected. The maxillary central incisor was found to be most commonly affected tooth (43.8%. The most common cause of injury reported was fall during playing (37.5%. Conclusion : Enamel fracture was most prevalent (50%. No risk factor was significantly higher than others; however children with Angle′s class II div 1 malocclusion exhibited greater risk factor for traumatic injuries.

Research on plant utilization and adaptation to environment of human in Guangxi of Southern China during the latest 30000 years

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Y.; Xie, G.

2017-12-01

It is an important scientific problem in the study of the relationship between man and land to select the key areas and important periods of human evolution. In the latest 30 thousand years, it is an important period for late Pleistocene climate change, which has a profound impact on human evolution. Southern China including Guangxi has a unique geographical landscape pattern and unique vegetation and climate background, which is not only an important channel for the diffusion and migration of ancient humans but also an ideal refuge to avoid climate changes. It preserved the rich archaeological remains of the evolution and development of human beings, and provided a rare place for the adaptive strategies of human survival and early the environment. In this paper, Yahuai cave site in Guangxi will be selected for investigation. We will analyze the continuous accumulation of ancient human remains, and utilized AMS14C to reconstruct the dating framework. We will also extract the plant information and environment of the site through pollen, phytolith, grain and starch grains. We will further explore the succession mode of utilization of plant resources and its relationship with climate change and reveal the adaptability to the environment and strategy.

Cancer epidemiology from Guayaquil city, years 1990-2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arreaga, Carlos; Paulson, Guillermo; Ceballos, Francisco; Grijalva, Peter; Rhor, Alba

2003-01-01

All sites cancer is in increase in Guayaquil, Ecuador, while the expectations of life when being born they go improving and being infectious contagious illnesses controlled continue adult it will be the increase the cancer like illness causing morbidity and death, in the year 2000 according to official publications the National Institute Statistical and Censuses (INEC) there were 56.420 deaths for different causes, 56.7% corresponded to masculine sex and 43.3% to feminine sex. All registered deaths in Ecuador during the year 2000, 10% corresponded to cancer in men and 14% was in women. According world statistical information it is calculated that in next twenty years, on the world population eight thousand millions inhabitants, annually twenty millions will appear new cancer cases, which twelve millions for this cause will die. For our cancer registry, of Guayaquil city, taking figures published in the periods 1990-2000, the numbers give annual incident cases they have had an increment in men 21% and in women 15%. The reason man/woman has stayed stable 0.6/1, that is to say the woman has more probability to suffer some type cancer that the man and this is due to the great impact gynecological carcinoma. (The author)

The ten-thousand year fever: rethinking human and wild primate malarias

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Cormier, Loretta A

2011-01-01

.... She also shows how current human-environment interactions, including deforestation and development, create the potential for new forms of malaria to threaten human populations. This book is a model of interdisciplinary integration that will be essential reading in fields from anthropology and biology to public health"--Provided by publisher.

Twelve-year retrospective review of unintended pregnancies after Essure sterilization in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hitzerd, Emilie; Schreuder, Henk W R; Vleugels, Michel P H; Veersema, Sebastiaan

2016-01-01

Objective To identify factors contributing to the occurrence of unintended pregnancies after Essure sterilization in the Netherlands. Even though Essure is a permanent method of contraception, unintended pregnancies have been reported.  Design  Retrospective case series analysis. Setting Not

Twelve-year retrospective review of unintended pregnancies after Essure sterilization in the Netherlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Hitzerd, Emilie; Schreuder, Henk W R; Vleugels, Michel P H; Veersema, Sebastiaan

2016-04-01

To identify factors contributing to the occurrence of unintended pregnancies after Essure sterilization in the Netherlands. Even though Essure is a permanent method of contraception, unintended pregnancies have been reported. Retrospective case series analysis. Not applicable. Thirty-five pregnancies were reported in the Netherlands after Essure sterilization from 2002 through 2014 out of 27,346 placements. Data regarding Essure placement procedure, confirmation tests, and pregnancy outcome of the reported cases were obtained and analyzed to identify a possible cause of failure. Four causes of failure were identified: perforation (n = 10), expulsion (n = 7), unilateral placement (n = 7), and luteal pregnancy (n = 2). The occurrence of most pregnancies was related to physician noncompliance (n = 14). The other cases were associated with patient noncompliance (n = 5) or misinterpretation of the confirmation test (n = 9). Most pregnancies occurred within the first 24 months after the 3-month confirmation test (n = 23). The results of this study show that the incidence of pregnancies after Essure sterilization is low. Most pregnancies were related to incorrect positioning of a device or unilateral placement, and seem therefore preventable. Unilateral placement without prior history of salpingectomy should always be considered as unsuccessful sterilization. Furthermore, interpretation of the confirmation tests should be done by trained physicians, and with caution. We want to emphasize the importance of strictly adhering to placement and follow-up protocols. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Twelve years of chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia scanning in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels in the Netherlands: Towards a more precise phenotype.

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Katrien Wijnrocx

Full Text Available Chiari-like malformation (CM, syringomyelia (SM and middle ear effusion (also called PSOM are three conditions that frequently occur in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCS. Both CM and SM are currently screened in the Netherlands prior to breeding and are graded according to the British Veterinary Association's Kennel Club (BVA/KC scheme. This study evaluated the prevalence and estimated genetic parameter of CM, SM and middle ear effusion from 12 years of screening results. For SM, the classical method using the BVA/KC scheme, was compared with exact measuring of the central canal dilation. For CM, the BVA/KC scheme was compared with a more detailed scheme. Next to this the presence of microchip artifacts was assessed. 1249 screening of 1020 dogs were re-evaluated. Results indicated the presence of CM in all dogs, suggesting it has become a breed-specific characteristic. And although different grades of CM were observed, the condition did not deteriorate over time. SM was present in 39% of the dogs and a clear age effect was demonstrated, with SM increasing with age. This emphasizes the importance of screening at appropriate age, since SM can worsen with increasing age. One alternative is to promote repeated measures. The presence of middle ear effusion in this study was 19%-21% for dogs younger than 3 years, and 32%-38% for dogs older than 3 years. In as much as 60%, microchip artifacts were noticed, leading to the recommendation to place microchips in another location in breeds that are susceptible to developing SM. Finally, this study estimated the heritability of CM in this population, due to the lack of phenotypic variance, to be very low at 0.02-0.03. The heritability for SM central canal dilatation to be 0.30, compared to 0.13 for the classical BVA/KC method, using a model including the age effect and the combined effect of veterinary clinic and year of the evaluation. Genetic correlations were rather small, ranging from 0.16-0.33. As a

Meeting the oral health needs of 12-year-olds in China: human resources for oral health.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Xiangyu; Bernabé, Eduardo; Liu, Xuenan; Zheng, Shuguo; Gallagher, Jennifer E

2017-06-20

An appropriate level of human resources for oral health [HROH] is required to meet the oral health needs of population, and enable maximum improvement in health outcomes. The aim of this study was to estimate the required HROH to meet the oral health needs of the World Health Organization [WHO] reference group of 12-year-olds in China and consider the implications for education, practice, policy and HROH nationally. We estimated the need of HROH to meet the needs of 12-year-olds based on secondary analysis of the epidemiological and questionnaire data from the 3rd Chinese National Oral Health Survey, including caries experience and periodontal factors (calculus), dentally-related behaviour (frequency of toothbrushing and sugar intake), and social factors (parental education). Children's risk for dental caries was classified in four levels from low (level 1) to high (level 4). We built maximum and minimum intervention models of dental care for each risk level, informed by contemporary evidence-based practice. The needs-led HROH model we used in the present study incorporated need for treatment and risk-based prevention using timings verified by experts in China. These findings were used to estimate HROH for the survey sample, extrapolated to 12-year-olds nationally and the total population, taking account of urban and rural coverage, based on different levels of clinical commitment (60-90%). We found that between 40,139 and 51,906 dental professionals were required to deliver care for 12-year-olds nationally based on 80% clinical commitment. We demonstrated that the majority of need for HROH was in the rural population (72.5%). Over 93% of HROH time was dedicated to prevention within the model. Extrapolating the results to the total population, the estimate for HROH nationally was 3.16-4.09 million to achieve national coverage; however, current HROH are only able to serve an estimated 5% of the population with minimum intervention based on a HROH spending 90% of

Human Capital and Higher Education in Romania in the Last Years

OpenAIRE

Adina Popovici (Bărbulescu)

2011-01-01

The paper underlines and analyses the role of human capital, as well as some issues related to higher education and research in Romania, both in figures and from a humanistic perspective of regarding them as fundamental investments in the future of nations, preservers of the supreme values of the humanity.

Twelve Monkeys, the Kassandra dilemma and innovation diffusion: transdisciplinary lessons for animal and environmental activism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah Rutherford Smith

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Animal activists and environmental activists believe that the world and its inhabitants face devastating consequences in the future if behaviour towards and the treatment of animals and the environment do not change. However, despite their predictions many people are not swayed to change their behaviour. This article suggests that these activists experience what is known as Kassandra’s dilemma; the conundrum of knowing what the future holds but being unable to prevent events from happening. Drawing on the film, Twelve Monkeys and Greek mythology this article explores this mythological dilemma and explains how this dilemma is a lived experience for activists. The article suggests that activists can resolve Kassandra’s dilemma by taking a transdisciplinary approach towards animal and environmental activism. Thus, in order to escape Kassandra’s dilemma the article suggests that animal and environmental activists require transdisciplinary knowledge; knowledge of the actual and potential harm done to animals and the environment and how this can be prevented as well as knowledge on how to successfully convey this knowledge to others. The article highlights innovation diffusion theory as an example of the type of transdisciplinary knowledge that could assist in escaping from Kassandra’s dilemma and in order to better advocate on behalf of animals and the environment.

Correlation between clinical severity and type and degree of pectus excavatum in twelve brachycephalic dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Hassan, Elham A; Hassan, Marwa H; Torad, Faisal A

2018-05-18

The aim of the study was to correlate the clinical severity of pectus excavatum with its type and degree based on objective radiographic evaluation. Twelve brachycephalic dogs were included. Grading of the clinical severity was done based on a 6-point grading score. Thoracic radiographs were used to calculate the frontosagittal and vertebral indices at the tenth thoracic vertebra and the vertebra overlying the excavatum. Correlation between the clinical severity score and frontosagittal and vertebral indices was evaluated using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Typical pectus excavatum was recorded in the caudal sternum in seven dogs, with a mean clinical severity score of 1.7 ± 1.4, whereas in five dogs, atypical mid-sternal deviation was recorded with a mean clinical severity score of 3.8 ± 0.7. A strong correlation (r=0.7) was recorded between the clinical severity score and vertebral index in the atypical form, whereas a weak correlation (r=0.02) was recorded in the typical form (Pcorrelated (r=0.3) in the typical form of pectus excavatum, whereas it was strongly correlated (r=0.9) in the atypical form. Pectus excavatum in dogs is associated with compressive cardiopulmonary dysfunction, which depends mainly on the site/type of deviation rather than the degree of deviation.

HUMAN CAPITAL AND HIGHER EDUCATION IN ROMANIA IN THE LAST YEARS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ADINA POPOVICI (BĂRBULESCU

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The paper underlines and analyses the role of human capital, as well as some issues related to higher education and research in Romania, both in figures and from a humanistic perspective of regarding them as fundamental investments in the future of nations, preservers of the supreme values of the humanity.

Autoradiographic analysis of alpha 1-noradrenergic receptors in the human brain postmortem. Effect of suicide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gross-Isseroff, R.; Dillon, K.A.; Fieldust, S.J.; Biegon, A.

1990-01-01

In vitro quantitative autoradiography of alpha 1-noradrenergic receptors, using tritiated prazosin as a ligand, was performed on 24 human brains postmortem. Twelve brains were obtained from suicide victims and 12 from matched controls. We found significant lower binding to alpha 1 receptors in several brain regions of the suicide group as compared with matched controls. This decrease in receptor density was evident in portions of the prefrontal cortex, as well as the temporal cortex and in the caudate nucleus. Age, sex, presence of alcohol, and time of death to autopsy did not affect prazosin binding, in our sample, as measured by autoradiography

Blood pressure and incidence of twelve cardiovascular diseases: lifetime risks, healthy life-years lost, and age-specific associations in 1·25 million people.

Science.gov (United States)

Rapsomaniki, Eleni; Timmis, Adam; George, Julie; Pujades-Rodriguez, Mar; Shah, Anoop D; Denaxas, Spiros; White, Ian R; Caulfield, Mark J; Deanfield, John E; Smeeth, Liam; Williams, Bryan; Hingorani, Aroon; Hemingway, Harry

2014-05-31

The associations of blood pressure with the different manifestations of incident cardiovascular disease in a contemporary population have not been compared. In this study, we aimed to analyse the associations of blood pressure with 12 different presentations of cardiovascular disease. We used linked electronic health records from 1997 to 2010 in the CALIBER (CArdiovascular research using LInked Bespoke studies and Electronic health Records) programme to assemble a cohort of 1·25 million patients, 30 years of age or older and initially free from cardiovascular disease, a fifth of whom received blood pressure-lowering treatments. We studied the heterogeneity in the age-specific associations of clinically measured blood pressure with 12 acute and chronic cardiovascular diseases, and estimated the lifetime risks (up to 95 years of age) and cardiovascular disease-free life-years lost adjusted for other risk factors at index ages 30, 60, and 80 years. This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01164371. During 5·2 years median follow-up, we recorded 83,098 initial cardiovascular disease presentations. In each age group, the lowest risk for cardiovascular disease was in people with systolic blood pressure of 90-114 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure of 60-74 mm Hg, with no evidence of a J-shaped increased risk at lower blood pressures. The effect of high blood pressure varied by cardiovascular disease endpoint, from strongly positive to no effect. Associations with high systolic blood pressure were strongest for intracerebral haemorrhage (hazard ratio 1·44 [95% CI 1·32-1·58]), subarachnoid haemorrhage (1·43 [1·25-1·63]), and stable angina (1·41 [1·36-1·46]), and weakest for abdominal aortic aneurysm (1·08 [1·00-1·17]). Compared with diastolic blood pressure, raised systolic blood pressure had a greater effect on angina, myocardial infarction, and peripheral arterial disease, whereas raised diastolic blood pressure had a greater effect on

The Impact of Human Activities on Microbial Quality of Rivers in the Vhembe District, South Africa

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Afsatou N. Traoré

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Water quality testing is dictated by microbial agents found at the time of sampling in reference to their acceptable risk levels. Human activities might contaminate valuable water resources and add to the microbial load present in water bodies. Therefore, the effects of human activities on the microbial quality of rivers collected from twelve catchments in the Vhembe District in South Africa were investigated, with samples analyzed for total coliform (TC and Eschericha coli (E. coli contents. Methods: Physical parameters and various human activities were recorded for each sampling site. The Quanti-Tray® method was adopted for the assessment of TC and E. coli contents in the rivers over a two-year period. A multiplex polymerase chain (PCR method was used to characterize the strains of E. coli found. Results: The microbial quality of the rivers was poor with both TC and E. coli contents found to be over acceptable limits set by the South African Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS. No significant difference (p > 0.05 was detected between TC and E. coli risks in dry and wet seasons. All six pathogenic E. coli strains were identified and Enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC, atypical Enteropathogenic E. coli (a-EPEC and Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC were the most prevalent E. coli strains detected (respectively, 87%, 86% and 83%. Conclusions: The study indicated that contamination in the majority of sampling sites, due to human activities such as car wash, animal grazing and farming, poses health risks to communities using the rivers for various domestic chores. It is therefore recommended that more education by the respective departments is done to avert pollution of rivers and prevent health risks to the communities in the Vhembe District.

Very Low Prevalence of Vaccine Human Papillomavirus Types Among 18- to 35-Year Old Australian Women 9 Years Following Implementation of Vaccination.

Science.gov (United States)

Machalek, Dorothy A; Garland, Suzanne M; Brotherton, Julia M L; Bateson, Deborah; McNamee, Kathleen; Stewart, Mary; Rachel Skinner, S; Liu, Bette; Cornall, Alyssa M; Kaldor, John M; Tabrizi, Sepehr N

2018-04-23

A quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccination program targeting females aged 12-13 years commenced in Australia in 2007, with catch-up vaccination of 14-26 year olds through 2009. We evaluated the program's impact on HPV prevalence among women aged 18-35 in 2015. HPV prevalence among women aged 18-24 and 25-35 was compared with prevalence in these age groups in 2005-2007. For women aged 18-24, we also compared prevalence with that in a postvaccine study conducted in 2010-2012. For the 2015 sample, Vaccination Register-confirmed 3-dose coverage was 53.3% (65.0% and 40.3% aged 18-24 and 25-35, respectively). Prevalence of vaccine HPV types decreased from 22.7% (2005-2007) and 7.3% (2010-2012), to 1.5% (2015) (P trend women aged 18-24, and from 11.8% (2005-2007) to 1.1% (2015) (P = .001) among those aged 25-35. This study, reporting the longest surveillance follow-up to date, shows prevalence of vaccine-targeted HPV types has continued to decline among young women. A substantial fall also occurred in women aged 25-35, despite lower coverage. Strong herd protection and effectiveness of less than 3 vaccine doses likely contributed to these reductions.

Ecological conversion efficiency and its influencers in twelve species of fish in the Yellow Sea Ecosystem

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Qisheng; Guo, Xuewu; Sun, Yao; Zhang, Bo

2007-09-01

The ecological conversion efficiencies in twelve species of fish in the Yellow Sea Ecosystem, i.e., anchovy ( Engraulis japonicus), rednose anchovy ( Thrissa kammalensis), chub mackerel ( Scomber japonicus), halfbeak ( Hyporhamphus sajori), gizzard shad ( Konosirus punctatus), sand lance ( Ammodytes personatus), red seabream ( Pagrus major), black porgy ( Acanthopagrus schlegeli), black rockfish ( Sebastes schlegeli), finespot goby ( Chaeturichthys stigmatias), tiger puffer ( Takifugu rubripes), and fat greenling ( Hexagrammos otakii), were estimated through experiments conducted either in situ or in a laboratory. The ecological conversion efficiencies were significantly different among these species. As indicated, the food conversion efficiencies and the energy conversion efficiencies varied from 12.9% to 42.1% and from 12.7% to 43.0%, respectively. Water temperature and ration level are the main factors influencing the ecological conversion efficiencies of marine fish. The higher conversion efficiency of a given species in a natural ecosystem is acquired only under the moderate environment conditions. A negative relationship between ecological conversion efficiency and trophic level among ten species was observed. Such a relationship indicates that the ecological efficiency in the upper trophic levels would increase after fishing down marine food web in the Yellow Sea ecosystem.

Brain Serotonin Transporter Occupancy by Oral Sibutramine Dosed to Steady State: A PET Study Using 11C-DASB in Healthy Humans

Science.gov (United States)

Talbot, Peter S; Bradley, Stefan; Clarke, Cyril P; Babalola, Kola O; Philipp, Andrew W; Brown, Gavin; McMahon, Adam W; Matthews, Julian C

2010-01-01

Sibutramine is a centrally acting monoamine reuptake inhibitor prescribed as an appetite suppressant in the management of obesity. Its effects are mostly attributable to serotonin and norepinephrine transporter (SERT and NET, respectively) inhibition by its potent metabolites mono-desmethylsibutramine (M1) and di-desmethylsibutramine (M2). However, there is a paucity of in vivo data in humans about mechanisms underlying both clinical efficacy and the dose-independent non-response observed in a minority of patients. Twelve healthy male patients (mean age 41 years) completed a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject crossover investigation of brain SERT occupancy by sibutramine 15 mg daily at steady state. Correlations were measured between occupancy and (i) plasma concentrations of sibutramine, M1 and M2; (ii) appetite suppression. 11C-DASB PET scans were performed on the HRRT camera. Binding potentials (BPND) were calculated by the Logan reference tissue (cerebellum) method. SERT occupancy was modest (mean 30±10%), was similar across brain regions, but varied widely across subjects (15–46%). Occupancy was correlated positively (p=0.09) with M2 concentration, but not with sibutramine or M1. No significant appetite suppression was seen at sibutramine is of modest magnitude and may be mediated predominantly by M2 in humans. 5-HT reuptake inhibition may be necessary but is not sufficient for sibutramine's efficacy in humans, supporting preclinical data suggesting that the hypophagic effect requires the co-inhibition of both SERT and NET. PMID:19890256

The Arctic Human Health Initiative: a legacy of the International Polar Year 2007–2009

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alan J. Parkinson

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Background . The International Polar Year (IPY 2007–2008 represented a unique opportunity to further stimulate cooperation and coordination on Arctic health research and increase the awareness and visibility of Arctic regions. The Arctic Human Health Initiative (AHHI was a US-led Arctic Council IPY coordinating project that aimed to build and expand on existing International Union for Circumpolar Health (IUCH and Arctic Council human health interests. The project aimed to link researchers with potential international collaborators and to serve as a focal point for human health research, education, outreach and communication activities during the IPY. The progress of projects conducted as part of this initiative up until the end of the Arctic Council Swedish chairmanship in May 2013 is summarized in this report. Design . The overall goals of the AHHI was to increase awareness and visibility of human health concerns of Arctic peoples, foster human health research, and promote health strategies that will improve health and well-being of all Arctic residents. Proposed activities to be recognized through the initiative included: expanding research networks that will enhance surveillance and monitoring of health issues of concern to Arctic peoples, and increase collaboration and coordination of human health research; fostering research that will examine the health impact of anthropogenic pollution, rapid modernization and economic development, climate variability, infectious and chronic diseases, intentional and unintentional injuries, promoting education, outreach and communication that will focus public and political attention on Arctic health issues, using a variety of publications, printed and electronic reports from scientific conferences, symposia and workshops targeting researchers, students, communities and policy makers; promoting the translation of research into health policy and community action including implementation of prevention

Human Modeling for Ground Processing Human Factors Engineering Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Stambolian, Damon B.; Lawrence, Brad A.; Stelges, Katrine S.; Steady, Marie-Jeanne O.; Ridgwell, Lora C.; Mills, Robert E.; Henderson, Gena; Tran, Donald; Barth, Tim

2011-01-01

There have been many advancements and accomplishments over the last few years using human modeling for human factors engineering analysis for design of spacecraft. The key methods used for this are motion capture and computer generated human models. The focus of this paper is to explain the human modeling currently used at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), and to explain the future plans for human modeling for future spacecraft designs

Bright ideas: Twelve steps to break our energy addiction - with technologies and policy options that are available today

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2004-12-31

The deleterious effects of excessive energy use, the effects of climate change and Canadian commitments under the Kyoto Protocol are discussed. The discussion takes the form of a series of recommendations to show that contrary to skeptics, it is possible to achieve our Kyoto commitments and even exceed them, with technology already at our disposal. A series of twelve recommendations are made, each recommendation accompanied by a brief discussion of its major virtues and contributions to a more sustainable energy future. The recommendations are: (1) reward efficiency and responsibility; (2) set mandatory efficiency targets for industry; (3) build more efficient and livable cities; (4) impose fuel efficiency standards; (5) increase funding for public transportation; (6) improve freight transportation; (7) adopt energy-efficient building code standards for new buildings; (8) introduce a national retrofit program for existing buildings; (9) set higher efficiency standards for appliances; (10) support the renewable energy industry; (11) reduce demand for electric power; and (12) implement a renewable portfolio standard.

An Evaluation of Twenty Years of EU Framework Programme-funded Immune-mediated Inflammatory Translational Research in Non-human Primates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krista Geraldine Haanstra

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Ageing western societies are facing an increasing prevalence of chronic inflammatory and degenerative diseases for which often no effective treatments exist, resulting in increasing health care expenditure. Despite high investments in drug development, the number of promising new drug candidates decreases. We propose that preclinical research in non-human primate can help to bridge the gap between drug discovery and drug prescription.Translational research covers various stages of drug development of which pre-clinical efficacy tests in valid animal models is usually the last stage. Pre-clinical research in non-human primates may be essential in the evaluation of new drugs or therapies when a relevant rodent model is not available. Non-human primate models for life-threatening or severely debilitating diseases in humans are available at the Biomedical Primate Research Centre (BPRC. These have been instrumental in translational research for several decades.In order to stimulate European health research and innovation from bench to bedside, the European Commission (EC has invested heavily in access to non-human primate research for more than 20 years. BPRC has hosted European users in a series of transnational access programs covering a wide range of research areas with the common theme being immune-mediated inflammatory disorders. We present an overview of the results and give an account of the studies performed as part of European Union Framework Programme (EU FP-funded translational non-human primate research performed at the BPRC. The data illustrate value of translational non-human primate research for the development of new therapies and emphasize the importance of EU FP funding

Twenty Years of Creativity Research in Human-Computer Interaction: Current State and Future Directions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frich Pedersen, Jonas; Biskjaer, Michael Mose; Dalsgaard, Peter

2018-01-01

Creativity has been a growing topic within the ACM community since the 1990s. However, no clear overview of this trend has been offered. We present a thorough survey of 998 creativity-related publications in the ACM Digital Library collected using keyword search to determine prevailing approaches......, topics, and characteristics of creativity-oriented Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research. . A selected sample based on yearly citations yielded 221 publications, which were analyzed using constant comparison analysis. We found that HCI is almost exclusively responsible for creativity......-oriented publications; they focus on collaborative creativity rather than individual creativity; there is a general lack of definition of the term ‘creativity’; empirically based contributions are prevalent; and many publications focus on new tools, often developed by researchers. On this basis, we present three...

Dichotic listening in patients with situs inversus: brain asymmetry and situs asymmetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, S; Kanzaki, R; Yoshibayashi, M; Kamiya, T; Sugishita, M

1999-06-01

In order to investigate the relation between situs asymmetry and functional asymmetry of the human brain, a consonant-vowel syllable dichotic listening test known as the Standard Dichotic Listening Test (SDLT) was administered to nine subjects with situs inversus (SI) that ranged in age from 6 to 46 years old (mean of 21.8 years old, S.D. = 15.6); the four males and five females all exhibited strong right-handedness. The SDLT was also used to study twenty four age-matched normal subjects that were from 6 to 48 years old (mean 21.7 years old, S.D. = 15.3); the twelve males and twelve females were all strongly right-handed and served as a control group. Eight out of the nine subjects (88.9%) with SI more often reproduced the sounds from the right ear than sounds from the left ear; this is called right ear advantage (REA). The ratio of REA in the control group was almost the same, i.e., nineteen out of the twenty-four subjects (79.1%) showed REA. Results of the present study suggest that the left-right reversal in situs inversus does not involve functional asymmetry of the brain. As such, the system that produces functional asymmetry in the human brain must independently recognize laterality from situs asymmetry.

Alcoholics Anonymous and twelve-step recovery: a model based on social and cognitive neuroscience.

Science.gov (United States)

Galanter, Marc

2014-01-01

In the course of achieving abstinence from alcohol, longstanding members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) typically experience a change in their addiction-related attitudes and behaviors. These changes are reflective of physiologically grounded mechanisms which can be investigated within the disciplines of social and cognitive neuroscience. This article is designed to examine recent findings associated with these disciplines that may shed light on the mechanisms underlying this change. Literature review and hypothesis development. Pertinent aspects of the neural impact of drugs of abuse are summarized. After this, research regarding specific brain sites, elucidated primarily by imaging techniques, is reviewed relative to the following: Mirroring and mentalizing are described in relation to experimentally modeled studies on empathy and mutuality, which may parallel the experiences of social interaction and influence on AA members. Integration and retrieval of memories acquired in a setting like AA are described, and are related to studies on storytelling, models of self-schema development, and value formation. A model for ascription to a Higher Power is presented. The phenomena associated with AA reflect greater complexity than the empirical studies on which this article is based, and certainly require further elucidation. Despite this substantial limitation in currently available findings, there is heuristic value in considering the relationship between the brain-based and clinical phenomena described here. There are opportunities for the study of neuroscientific correlates of Twelve-Step-based recovery, and these can potentially enhance our understanding of related clinical phenomena. © American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

Final efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety analyses of a nine-valent human papillomavirus vaccine in women aged 16-26 years

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Huh, Warner K; Joura, Elmar A; Giuliano, Anna R

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Primary analyses of a study in young women aged 16-26 years showed efficacy of the nine-valent human papillomavirus (9vHPV; HPV 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58) vaccine against infections and disease related to HPV 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58, and non-inferior HPV 6, 11, 16, and 18...... antibody responses when compared with quadrivalent HPV (qHPV; HPV 6, 11, 16, and 18) vaccine. We aimed to report efficacy of the 9vHPV vaccine for up to 6 years following first administration and antibody responses over 5 years. METHODS: We undertook this randomised, double-blind, efficacy, immunogenicity......, and safety study of the 9vHPV vaccine study at 105 study sites in 18 countries. Women aged 16-26 years old who were healthy, with no history of abnormal cervical cytology, no previous abnormal cervical biopsy results, and no more than four lifetime sexual partners were randomly assigned (1:1) by central...

An evaluation by midwives and gynecologists of treatability of cervical lesions by cryotherapy among human papillomavirus-positive women.

Science.gov (United States)

Gage, Julia C; Rodriguez, Ana Cecilia; Schiffman, Mark; Adadevoh, Sydney; Larraondo, Manuel J Alvarez; Chumworathayi, Bandit; Lejarza, Sandra Vargas; Araya, Luis Villegas; Garcia, Francisco; Budihas, Scott R; Long, Rodney; Katki, Hormuzd A; Herrero, Rolando; Burk, Robert D; Jeronimo, Jose

2009-05-01

To estimate efficacy of a visual triage of human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive women to either immediate cryotherapy or referral if not treatable (eg, invasive cancer, large precancers). We evaluated visual triage in the HPV-positive women aged 25 to 55 years from the 10,000-woman Guanacaste Cohort Study (n = 552). Twelve Peruvian midwives and 5 international gynecologists assessed treatability by cryotherapy using digitized high-resolution cervical images taken at enrollment. The reference standard of treatability was determined by 2 lead gynecologists from the entire 7-year follow-up of the women. Women diagnosed with histologic cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse or 5-year persistence of carcinogenic HPV infection were defined as needing treatment. Midwives and gynecologists judged 30.8% and 41.2% of women not treatable by cryotherapy, respectively (P cryotherapy. The proportion of women judged not treatable by a reviewer varied widely and ranged from 18.6% to 61.1%. Interrater agreement was poor with mean pairwise overall agreement of 71.4% and 66.3% and kappa's of 0.33 and 0.30 for midwives and gynecologists, respectively. In future "screen-and-treat" cervical cancer prevention programs using HPV testing and cryotherapy, practitioners will visually triage HPV-positive women. The suboptimal performance of visual triage suggests that screen-and-treat programs using cryotherapy might be insufficient for treating precancerous lesions. Improved, low-technology triage methods and/or improved safe and low-technology treatment options are needed.

Attention effects at auditory periphery derived from human scalp potentials: displacement measure of potentials.

Science.gov (United States)

Ikeda, Kazunari; Hayashi, Akiko; Sekiguchi, Takahiro; Era, Shukichi

2006-10-01

It is known in humans that electrophysiological measures such as the auditory brainstem response (ABR) are difficult to identify the attention effect at the auditory periphery, whereas the centrifugal effect has been detected by measuring otoacoustic emissions. This research developed a measure responsive to the shift of human scalp potentials within a brief post-stimulus period (13 ms), that is, displacement percentage, and applied it to an experiment to retrieve the peripheral attention effect. In the present experimental paradigm, tone pips were exposed to the left ear whereas the other ear was masked by white noise. Twelve participants each conducted two conditions of either ignoring or attending to the tone pips. Relative to averaged scalp potentials in the ignoring condition, the shift of the potentials was found within early component range during the attentive condition, and displacement percentage then revealed a significant magnitude difference between the two conditions. These results suggest that, using a measure representing the potential shift itself, the peripheral effect of attention can be detected from human scalp potentials.

Level of action of cathodal DC polarisation induced inhibition of the human motor cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Nitsche, Michael A; Nitsche, Maren S; Klein, Cornelia C; Tergau, Frithjof; Rothwell, John C; Paulus, Walter

2003-04-01

To induce prolonged motor cortical excitability reductions by transcranial direct current stimulation in the human. Cathodal direct current stimulation was applied transcranially to the hand area of the human primary motor cortex from 5 to 9 min in separate sessions in twelve healthy subjects. Cortico-spinal excitability was tested by single pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation. Transcranial electrical stimulation and H-reflexes were used to learn about the origin of the excitability changes. Neurone specific enolase was measured before and after the stimulation to prove the safety of the stimulation protocol. Five and 7 min direct current stimulation resulted in motor cortical excitability reductions, which lasted for minutes after the end of stimulation, 9 min stimulation induced after-effects for up to an hour after the end of stimulation, as revealed by transcranial magnetic stimulation. Muscle evoked potentials elicited by transcranial electric stimulation and H-reflexes did not change. Neurone specific enolase concentrations remained stable throughout the experiments. Cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation is capable of inducing prolonged excitability reductions in the human motor cortex non-invasively. These changes are most probably localised intracortically.

Cryosat: ESA'S Ice Explorer Mission. Five years in operations: status and achievements

Science.gov (United States)

Parrinello, Tommaso; Mardle, Nicola; Krassenburg, Mike; Badessi, Stefano; Bouffard, Jerome; Frommknecht, Bjorn; Fornari, Marco; Scagliola, Michele

2015-04-01

CryoSat-2 was launched on the 8th April 2010 and it is the first European ice mission dedicated to monitoring precise changes in the thickness of polar ice sheets and floating sea ice over a 3-year period. CryoSat-2 carries an innovative radar altimeter called the Synthetic Aperture Interferometric Altimeter (SIRAL) with two antennas and with extended capabilities to meet the measurement requirements for ice-sheets elevation and sea-ice freeboard. Initial results have shown that data is of high quality thanks to an altimeter that is behaving exceptional well within its design specifications. The CryoSat mission reached its 5th years of operational life in April 2015. Since its launch has delivered high quality products to the worldwide cryospheric and marine community that is increasing every year. Scope of this paper is to describe the current mission status and the main scientific achievements in the last twelve months. Topics will also include programmatic highlights and information on the next scientific development of the mission in its extended period of operations.

Human factors and safety: 10 years of experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chevallon; Colas; Ellia-Hervy

1990-01-01

The impact of TMI Accident on the operation of French PWR was great. The analysis of TMI accident and the conclusions have been displayed during 5-6 years until 1986. The main points of the reflexion are the formalization of instructions used in accidental conditions, the ergonomy of control rooms, the development of methods and organizations for retiring lessons of incidents. After 10 years of ergonomy, instructions changes, automation and organization amelioration, the result is globally positive [fr

Heat shock proteins on the human sperm surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Naaby-Hansen, Soren; Herr, John C

2010-01-01

The sperm plasma membrane is known to be critical to fertilization and to be highly regionalized into domains of head, mid- and principal pieces. However, the molecular composition of the sperm plasma membrane and its alterations during genital tract passage, capacitation and the acrosome reaction remains to be fully dissected. A two-dimensional gel-based proteomic study previously identified 98 human sperm proteins which were accessible for surface labelling with both biotin and radioiodine. In this report twelve dually labelled protein spots were excised from stained gels or PDVF membranes and analysed by mass spectrometry (MS) and Edman degradation. Seven members from four different heat shock protein (HSP) families were identified including HYOU1 (ORP150), HSPC1 (HSP86), HSPA5 (Bip), HSPD1 (HSP60), and several isoforms of the two testis-specific HSP70 chaperones HSPA2 and HSPA1L. An antiserum raised against the testis-specific HSPA2 chaperone reacted with three 65kDa HSPA2 isoforms and three high molecular weight surface proteins (78-79kDa, 84kDa and 90-93kDa). These proteins, together with seven 65kDa HSP70 forms, reacted with human anti-sperm IgG antibodies that blocked in vitro fertilization in humans. Three of these surface biotinylated human sperm antigens were immunoprecipitated with a rabbit antiserum raised against a linear peptide epitope in Chlamydia trachomatis HSP70. The results indicate diverse HSP chaperones are accessible for surface labelling on human sperm. Some of these share epitopes with C. trachomatis HSP70, suggesting an association between genital tract infection, immunity to HSP70 and reproductive failure. 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predominant antitumor effects by fully human anti-TRAIL-receptor2 (DR5) monoclonal antibodies in human glioma cells in vitro and in vivo

Science.gov (United States)

Nagane, Motoo; Shimizu, Saki; Mori, Eiji; Kataoka, Shiro; Shiokawa, Yoshiaki

2010-01-01

Tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL/Apo2 L) preferentially induces apoptosis in human tumor cells through its cognate death receptors DR4 or DR5, thereby being investigated as a potential agent for cancer therapy. Here, we applied fully human anti-human TRAIL receptor monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to specifically target one of death receptors for TRAIL in human glioma cells, which could also reduce potential TRAIL-induced toxicity in humans. Twelve human glioma cell lines treated with several fully human anti-human TRAIL receptor mAbs were sensitive to only anti-DR5 mAbs, whereas they were totally insensitive to anti-DR4 mAb. Treatment with anti-DR5 mAbs exerted rapid cytotoxicity and lead to apoptosis induction. The cellular sensitivity was closely associated with cell-surface expression of DR5. Expression of c-FLIPL, Akt, and Cyclin D1 significantly correlated with sensitivity to anti-DR5 mAbs. Primary cultures of glioma cells were also relatively resistant to anti-DR5 mAbs, exhibiting both lower DR5 and higher c-FLIPL expression. Downregulation of c-FLIPL expression resulted in the sensitization of human glioma cells to anti-DR5 mAbs, whereas overexpression of c-FLIPL conferred resistance to anti-DR5 mAb. Treatment of tumor-burden nude mice with the direct agonist anti-DR5 mAb KMTR2 significantly suppressed growth of subcutaneous glioma xenografts leading to complete regression. Similarly, treatment of nude mice bearing intracerebral glioma xenografts with KMTR2 significantly elongated lifespan without tumor recurrence. These results suggest that DR5 is the predominant TRAIL receptor mediating apoptotic signals in human glioma cells, and sensitivity to anti-DR5 mAbs was determined at least in part by the expression level of c-FLIPL and Akt. Specific targeting of death receptor pathway through DR5 using fully human mAbs might provide a novel therapeutic strategy for intractable malignant gliomas. PMID:20511188

Natural remediation of an unremediated soil twelve years after a mine accident: trace element mobility and plant composition.

Science.gov (United States)

Burgos, Pilar; Madejón, Paula; Madejón, Engracia; Girón, Ignacio; Cabrera, Francisco; Murillo, José Manuel

2013-01-15

The long-term influence of a mine spill in soil was studied 12 years after the Aznalcóllar accident. Soils where the pyritic sludge was not removed, a fenced plot established for research purposes (2000 m(2)) and soils where the process of remediation was accomplished successfully were sampled and studied in detail. Soils were characterized at different depths, down to 100 cm depth, determining chemical parameters and total concentrations of major and trace elements. Moreover plants colonizing remediated (RE) and non remediated (NRE) soils were also analysed attending their potential risk for herbivores. Strong acidification was observed in the NRE soil except in surface (0-10 cm). The progressive colonization of natural vegetation, more than 90% of the fenced plot covered by plants, could facilitate this increased pH values in the top soil (pH 6). In the NRE soil, the successive oxidation and hydrolysis of sulphide in the deposited sludge on the surface after the accident resulted in a re-dissolution of the most mobile element (Cd, Cu and Zn) and a penetration to deeper layers. Trace element concentrations in plants growing in the NRE soil showed normal contents for higher plants and tolerable for livestock. Nitrogen and mineral nutrients were of the same order in both soils, and also normal for high plants and adequate for animal nutrition. Despite of the natural remediation of the NRE soil, results demonstrate that the remediation tasks carried out in all the area, the Guadiamar Green Corridor at present, were necessary to avoid the leaching of the most mobile elements and minimize the risk of contamination of groundwater sources, many of them close to the Doñana National Park. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Twelve-Year Follow-Up of American Women’s Awareness of Cardiovascular Disease Risk and Barriers to Heart Health

Science.gov (United States)

Mosca, Lori; Mochari-Greenberger, Heidi; Dolor, Rowena J.; Newby, L. Kristin; Robb, Karen J.

2010-01-01

Background Awareness of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk has been linked to taking preventive action in women. The purpose of this study was to assess contemporary awareness of CVD risk and barriers to prevention in a nationally representative sample of women and to evaluate trends since 1997 from similar triennial surveys. Methods and Results A standardized survey about awareness of CVD risk was completed in 2009 by 1142 women ≥25 years of age, contacted through random digit dialing oversampled for racial/ethnic minorities, and by 1158 women contacted online. There was a significant increase in the proportion of women aware that CVD is the leading cause of death since 1997 (P for trend=<0.0001). Awareness among telephone participants was greater in 2009 compared with 1997 (54% versus 30%, P<0.0001) but not different from 2006 (57%). In multivariate analysis, African American and Hispanic women were significantly less aware than white women, although the gap has narrowed since 1997. Only 53% of women said they would call 9-1-1 if they thought they were having symptoms of a heart attack. The majority of women cited therapies to prevent CVD that are not evidence-based. Common barriers to prevention were family/caretaking responsibilities (51%) and confusion in the media (42%). Community-level changes women thought would be helpful were access to healthy foods (91%), public recreation facilities (80%), and nutrition information in restaurants (79%). Conclusions Awareness of CVD as the leading cause of death among women has nearly doubled since 1997 but is stabilizing and continues to lag in racial/ethnic minorities. Numerous misperceptions and barriers to prevention persist and women strongly favored environmental approaches to facilitate preventive action. PMID:20147489

DSM Science & Technology Awards (south) event 2011: the role of micronutrients in human nutrition.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-01

On 21 June 2011, the DSM Science & Technology Awards recognized and rewarded outstanding innovative young scientists active in fundamental and applied research. As in previous years, an international judging committee honored creative and groundbreaking PhD research. Twelve finalists, the top candidates from Switzerland, Austria, France and southern Germany, were invited for the final competition followed by the award ceremony attended by numerous representatives of universities, non-governmental organizations, institutes of technology and industry. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Eighteen-Year Cryopreservation Does Not Negatively Affect the Pluripotency of Human Embryos: Evidence from Embryonic Stem Cell Derivation

Science.gov (United States)

Rungsiwiwut, Ruttachuk; Numchaisrika, Pranee; Ahnonkitpanit, Vichuda; Isarasena, Nipan; Virutamasen, Pramuan

2012-01-01

Abstract Human embryonic stem (hES) cells are considered to be a potential source for the therapy of human diseases, drug screening, and the study of developmental biology. In the present study, we successfully derived hES cell lines from blastocysts developed from frozen and fresh embryos. Seventeen- to eighteen-year-old frozen embryos were thawed, cultured to the blastocyst stage, and induced to form hES cells using human foreskin fibroblasts. The Chula2.hES cell line and the Chula4.hES and Chula5.hES cell lines were derived from blastocysts developed from frozen and fresh embryos, respectively. The cell lines expressed pluripotent markers, including alkaline phosphatase (AP), Oct3/4, stage-specific embryonic antigen (SSEA)-4, and tumor recognition antigen (TRA)-1-60 and TRA-1-81 as detected with immunocytochemistry. The real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results showed that the cell lines expressed pluripotent genes, including OCT3/4, SOX2, NANOG, UTF, LIN28, REX1, NODAL, and E-Cadherin. In addition, the telomerase activities of the cell lines were higher than in the fibroblast cells. Moreover, the cell lines differentiated into all three germ layers both in vitro and in vivo. The cell lines had distinct identities, as revealed with DNA fingerprinting, and maintained their normal karyotype after a long-term culture. This study is the first to report the successful derivation of hES cell lines in Thailand and that frozen embryos maintained their pluripotency similar to fresh embryos, as shown by the success of hES cell derivation, even after years of cryopreservation. Therefore, embryos from prolonged cryopreservation could be an alternative source for embryonic stem cell research. PMID:23514952

Meeting the oral health needs of 12-year-olds in China: human resources for oral health

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Xiangyu Sun

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background An appropriate level of human resources for oral health [HROH] is required to meet the oral health needs of population, and enable maximum improvement in health outcomes. The aim of this study was to estimate the required HROH to meet the oral health needs of the World Health Organization [WHO] reference group of 12-year-olds in China and consider the implications for education, practice, policy and HROH nationally. Methods We estimated the need of HROH to meet the needs of 12-year-olds based on secondary analysis of the epidemiological and questionnaire data from the 3rd Chinese National Oral Health Survey, including caries experience and periodontal factors (calculus, dentally-related behaviour (frequency of toothbrushing and sugar intake, and social factors (parental education. Children’s risk for dental caries was classified in four levels from low (level 1 to high (level 4. We built maximum and minimum intervention models of dental care for each risk level, informed by contemporary evidence-based practice. The needs-led HROH model we used in the present study incorporated need for treatment and risk-based prevention using timings verified by experts in China. These findings were used to estimate HROH for the survey sample, extrapolated to 12-year-olds nationally and the total population, taking account of urban and rural coverage, based on different levels of clinical commitment (60-90%. Results We found that between 40,139 and 51,906 dental professionals were required to deliver care for 12-year-olds nationally based on 80% clinical commitment. We demonstrated that the majority of need for HROH was in the rural population (72.5%. Over 93% of HROH time was dedicated to prevention within the model. Extrapolating the results to the total population, the estimate for HROH nationally was 3.16–4.09 million to achieve national coverage; however, current HROH are only able to serve an estimated 5% of the population with

In vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities of twelve sponges collected from the Anambas Islands, Indonesia

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Masteria Yunovilsa Putra

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate antimicrobial activities in methanolic extracts of twelve sponges collected from the Anambas Islands, Indonesia. Methods: The antibacterial activity of methanolic extracts was tested against two Grampositive bacteria, viz. Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633 and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923, and two Gram-negative bacteria, viz. Eschericia coli (ATCC 25922 and Vibrio anguillarum (ATCC 19264 using the disk diffusion assay. The antifungal activity was similarly tested against Candida albicans (ATCC 10231 and Aspergillus niger (ATCC 16404. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of promising sponges extracts were determined by the microdilution technique. Results: All the sponge species in this study showed antimicrobial activities against at least one of the test strains. Antibacterial activities were observed in 66.7% of the sponges extracts, while 30.0% of the extracts exhibited antifungal activities. Among them, the extracts of the sponges Stylissa massa and Axinyssa sp. were the most active against four tested bacteria and the yeast Candida albicans. The sponge Theonella swinhoei and two species of Xestospongia also displayed significant activities against two fungal pathogens Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger. Conclusions: Antimicrobial activities were demonstrated in extracts from various marine sponges collected from the Anambas Islands, Indonesia. The most promising sponges among them were Stylissa massa and Axinyssa sp. This is the first report of antimicrobial activity in extracts of marine sponges from the Indonesian Anambas Islands.

Perceptions of nursing undergraduate students concerning the human dimension in the learning process.

Science.gov (United States)

de Oliveira Camillo, Simone; Lúcia da Silva, Ana; Jefferson do Nascimento, Alan

2007-01-01

This study aimed to identify and interpret the perceptions presented by undergraduate students of a Nursing course after internship in Mental Health. Twelve nursing undergraduate students at the Nursing School of ABC Foundation - Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil were interviewed. These interviews using a semi-structure script were performed and recorded in August 2004. Through Content Analysis, thematic modality, four categories were identified, 1. mental health: providing understanding of the other; 2. respect for the human being: the importance of listening, 3. mental health: contributing for a contextualized view of the patient and 4. nursing graduation: undesirable "signs and symptoms" of the profession. The analysis and the discussion of these categories suggest the possibility of teaching based on the human condition. Thus, we support the idea of new research been carried out, considering that the Mental Health discipline must be valued in the Political and Pedagogical projects of the Nursing Undergraduate Courses.

The contribution of the psychosocial work environment to sickness absence in human service workers : Results of a 3-year follow-up study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rugulies, Reiner; Christensen, Karl B.; Borritz, Marianne; Villadsen, Ebbe; Bultmann, Ute; Kristensen, Tage S.

2007-01-01

We investigated to what extent psychosocial. work characteristics predict sickness absence in a cohort of 890 human service professionals (84% women), followed-up for 3 years. We measured 16 different psychosocial work characteristics at baseline and analysed their associations with number of

Part Twelve. The Voyages of John Matthias

OpenAIRE

Printz-Påhlson, Göran

2013-01-01

In August 1974, when the Watergate scandal was moving into its last phase, the American poet John Matthias returned to his home, in South Bend, Indiana, after a year’s stay in England, traveling on the Polish ocean-liner Stefan Bathory. In June of 1976 he set out to sea again, this time on a Russian ship, the Mikhail Lermontov, in order to spend another year in England, as a Visiting Fellow in Poetry in Clare Hall, Cambridge. The voyages took approximately nine days each, and on both ships he...

Strontium-90 concentrations in human teeth in South Ukraine, 5 years after the Chernobyl accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kulev, Y.D.; Polikarpov, G.G.; Prigodey, E.V.; Assimakopoulos, P.A.

1994-01-01

Approximately 1000 human teeth, collected in South Ukraine, in 1990-1991, were measured for 90 Sr concentration. The teeth were grouped into 18 samples according to the age and sex of the donors. Measured levels of 90 Sr concentrations were lower by a factor of 10 than measurements taken in the mid-1960s and mid-1970s. An interesting feature of the data is a 3-fold enhancement of contamination levels in the 25-45 year-old age group of the male population. A possible explanation for this anomaly is that this age group contains a significant number of men who were mobilized immediately after the Chernobyl accident for clean-up operations within the 30-km zone around the damaged nuclear power plant

Lack of association between human plasma oxytocin and interpersonal trust in a Prisoner's Dilemma paradigm.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James C Christensen

Full Text Available Expanding interest in oxytocin, particularly the role of endogenous oxytocin in human social behavior, has created a pressing need for replication of results and verification of assay methods. In this study, we sought to replicate and extend previous results correlating plasma oxytocin with trust and trustworthy behavior. As a necessary first step, the two most commonly used commercial assays were compared in human plasma via the addition of a known quantity of exogenous oxytocin, with and without sample extraction. Plasma sample extraction was found to be critical in obtaining repeatable concentrations of oxytocin. In the subsequent trust experiment, twelve samples in duplicate, from each of 82 participants, were collected over approximately six hours during the performance of a Prisoner's Dilemma task paradigm that stressed human interpersonal trust. We found no significant relationship between plasma oxytocin concentrations and trusting or trustworthy behavior. In light of these findings, previous published work that used oxytocin immunoassays without sample extraction should be reexamined and future research exploring links between endogenous human oxytocin and trust or social behavior should proceed with careful consideration of methods and appropriate biofluids for analysis.

Construction of 'Monju' to begin this year

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

In March, 1980, the Atomic Energy Commission, Japan, modified its basic policy on fast breeder reactors, which is the first modification in twelve years. It postponed the target time of commercializing FBRs by ten years, in accordance with the present level of the development, from the original target of 1985. But the construction of the prototype FBR ''Monju'' will be started this year in Fukui Prefecture as the successor to the experimental FBR ''Joyo'' of 75 MWt. The attainment of criticality is expected around 1987. The percentage of the construction cost to be borne by the electric utilities and manufacturers was decided at 20% by the AEC as it increased to some 400 billion yen do to inflation. In the budget for FY 1980, the government has set aside 15.6 billion yen for the construction of ''Monju''. The environmental assessment concerning the planned construction of ''Monju'' in Tsuruga City, submitted by the PNC, was approved by the Fukui Prefectural Council for the Preservation of Natural Environment. The construction will be approved by the end of 1980 by the governor of Fukui. ''Monju'' is a sodium-cooled fast neutron reactor of loop type with 300 MWe output. Its design has been continued from 1968 to 1976. The outline of ''Monju'', its core and fuel, the equipment for the cooling system, the steam generators, the treatment of radioactive wastes and buildings are described. (Kako, I.)

Expectation prior to human papilloma virus vaccination: 11 to 12-Year-old girls' written narratives.

Science.gov (United States)

Forsner, M; Nilsson, S; Finnström, B; Mörelius, E

2016-09-01

Expectations prior to needle-related procedures can influence individuals' decision making and compliance with immunization programmes. To protect from human papilloma virus (HPV) and cervical cancer, the immunization needs to be given before sexual debut raising interest for this study's aim to investigate how 11 to 12-year-old girls narrate about their expectations prior to HPV vaccination. A total of 27 girls aged 11 to 12 years participated in this qualitative narrative study by writing short narratives describing their expectations. The requirement for inclusion was to have accepted HPV vaccination. Data were subjected to qualitative content analysis. Findings showed the following expectations: going to hurt, going to be scared and going to turn out fine. The expectations were based on the girls' previous experiences, knowledge and self-image. The latent content revealed that the girls tried to transform uneasiness to confidence. The conclusion drawn from this study is that most girls of this age seem confident about their ability to cope with possible unpleasantness related to vaccinations. However, nurses need to find strategies to help those children who feel uneasy about needle-related procedures. © The Author(s) 2015.

[In vitro activity of human bone marrow cells after cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen for 21 - 25 years].

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, You-Zhang; Shen, Jian-Liang; Gong, Li-Zhong; Zheng, Pei-Hao; Liu, Yi; Yin, Wen-Jie; Cen, Jian; Wang, Ning; Zhao, De-Feng

2010-02-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the best method to preserve human bone marrow cells and the effectiveness of long term cryopreservation at -80 degrees C. The human bone marrow cells in 20 samples were firstly frozen by a programmed freezer or -80 degrees C refrigerator, and then were preserved in liquid nitrogen with DMSO-AuP (10% dimethylsulfonamide, 10% autologous plasma) or DMSO-HES-HuA (5% dimethylsulfonamide, 6% hydroxyethyl starch, 4% human serum albumin) as cryoprotectant for 21 to 25 years. They were thawed in 38 degrees C. The cell sample frozen in -80 degrees C refrigerator was frozen at a low frozen speed of 1 degrees C/min which was the same as the programmed freezer before -30 degrees C. Before detection the bone marrow cells were taken from liquid nitrogen and were thawed in 38 degrees C, then the suspension of bone marrow cells was prepared for detection. The cell morphology and recovery rate of erythrocytes, nucleocytes and platelets; the recovery rate of hematopoietic stem progenitors cells, as well as mesenchymal stem cells were determined. The results showed that the protective effectiveness of DMSO-HES-HuA was better than DMSO-AuP. The mature erythrocytes were destroyed lightly [(3.5 +/- 1.5)% versus (12.6 +/- 4.8)%], the hemolysis rate was lower [(3.3 +/- 1.6)% versus (23.1 +/- 5.1)%]. Osmotic fragility of erythrocytes in the former was not changed, but was dropped in the latter. The recovery rates of red cell, platelet, granulocyte-macrophage colony forming units and long term culture-initiating cells were higher in the former than that in the latter [(96.1 +/- 1.8)%, (70.0 +/- 9.5)%, (49.2 +/- 10.9)%, (54.2 +/- 13.8)% versus (76.3 +/- 5.6)%, (52.7 +/- 8.1)%, (43.5 +/- 12.3)%, (47.2 +/- 13.6)% respectively]. With each kind of cryoprotectant or frozen method, the frozen MSC could keep the original growth properties. With the same cryoprotectant and different frozen method, the cryopreservative effectiveness was not different. The

Environmental radioactivity measurements at BNL during the year following the Chernobyl accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hancock, R.; Woollam, P.B.

1987-07-01

The accident which destroyed Unit 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station on 26 April 1986 provided the world's scientists with an opportunity, unique in recent years, to study many of the processes which follow the release of large quantities of radioactivity into the atmosphere. BNL undertook a wide ranging programme of environmental measurements after the accident, the immediate aim being to supply HM Government with data to help assess the radiological consequences to the UK population. As it became clear that the UK dose commitment was relatively low, the thrust of the measurements began to be concentrated on airborne radioactivity and the movement of nuclides in the grass-soil system. The aim of these studies was to assess dispersion and diffusion of radioactivity in these particular compartments of the environment. The measurements have continued over the twelve month period since the Chernobyl accident. This report aims to disseminate the year's data and to offer some initial interpretations of the trends. (U.K.)

Dosage-dependent non-linear effect of L-dopa on human motor cortex plasticity.

Science.gov (United States)

Monte-Silva, Katia; Liebetanz, David; Grundey, Jessica; Paulus, Walter; Nitsche, Michael A

2010-09-15

The neuromodulator dopamine affects learning and memory formation and their likely physiological correlates, long-term depression and potentiation, in animals and humans. It is known from animal experiments that dopamine exerts a dosage-dependent, inverted U-shaped effect on these functions. However, this has not been explored in humans so far. In order to reveal a non-linear dose-dependent effect of dopamine on cortical plasticity in humans, we explored the impact of 25, 100 and 200 mg of L-dopa on transcranial direct current (tDCS)-induced plasticity in twelve healthy human subjects. The primary motor cortex served as a model system, and plasticity was monitored by motor evoked potential amplitudes elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation. As compared to placebo medication, low and high dosages of L-dopa abolished facilitatory as well as inhibitory plasticity, whereas the medium dosage prolonged inhibitory plasticity, and turned facilitatory plasticity into inhibition. Thus the results show clear non-linear, dosage-dependent effects of dopamine on both facilitatory and inhibitory plasticity, and support the assumption of the importance of a specific dosage of dopamine optimally suited to improve plasticity. This might be important for the therapeutic application of dopaminergic agents, especially for rehabilitative purposes, and explain some opposing results in former studies.

Magnetostrictive energy generator for harvesting the rotation of human knee joint

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baiping Yan

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the design and fabrication of a rotary-impact magnetostrictive energy generator, used to harvest the rotation of human knee joint. The harvester consists of twelve movable Terfenol-D rods, surrounded by the picked up coils respectively, and alternate permanent magnet (PM array sandwiched in each part of the shell. Rotational electromagnetic power generating effect and impacted magnetostrictive power generating effect are designed in the harvester. Modeling and simulation are used to validate the concept. Then, magnetic field and leakage of the harvester are analyzed, electromagnetic force in the harvester is simulated. A prototype of harvester is fabricated, and subjected to the experimental characterization. It can be concluded that huge induced voltage generated in the short-time impact situation and that induced voltage in the harvester can reach up to 60-80 volts at 0.91Hz low frequency rotation. Also, the presented harvester has good harvesting effects at low frequency human walking and periodic swing crus situation, which are suitable to be used for future researches of wearable knee joint applications.

Magnetostrictive energy generator for harvesting the rotation of human knee joint

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Baiping; Zhang, Chengming; Li, Liyi

2018-05-01

This paper presents the design and fabrication of a rotary-impact magnetostrictive energy generator, used to harvest the rotation of human knee joint. The harvester consists of twelve movable Terfenol-D rods, surrounded by the picked up coils respectively, and alternate permanent magnet (PM) array sandwiched in each part of the shell. Rotational electromagnetic power generating effect and impacted magnetostrictive power generating effect are designed in the harvester. Modeling and simulation are used to validate the concept. Then, magnetic field and leakage of the harvester are analyzed, electromagnetic force in the harvester is simulated. A prototype of harvester is fabricated, and subjected to the experimental characterization. It can be concluded that huge induced voltage generated in the short-time impact situation and that induced voltage in the harvester can reach up to 60-80 volts at 0.91Hz low frequency rotation. Also, the presented harvester has good harvesting effects at low frequency human walking and periodic swing crus situation, which are suitable to be used for future researches of wearable knee joint applications.

The development of human behaviour analysis techniques -The development of human factors technologies-

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jung Woon; Cheon, Se Woo; Shu, Sang Moon; Park, Geun Ok; Lee, Yong Hee; Lee, Han Yeong; Park, Jae Chang; Lee, Eu Jin; Lee, Seung Hee

1994-04-01

This project has two major areas ; one is the development of an operator task simulation software and another is the development of human error analysis and application technologies. In this year project, the second year, for the development of an operator task simulation software, we studied the followings: - analysis of the characteristics of operator tasks, - development of operator task structures : Macro Structures, - development of an operator task simulation analyzes, - analysis of performance measures. And the followings for the development of human error analysis and application technologies : - analysis of human error mechanisms, - analysis of human error characteristics in tasks, - analysis of human error occurrence in Korean Nuclear Power Plants, - establishment of an experimental environment for human error data collection with Compact Nuclear Simulator, - basic design of a Multimedia-based Human Error Representing System. (Author)

Chapter Twelve

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

okada na obere jenareto ai passi mai nebo·. 17 ... Oluchukwu Micro-Finance Bank gbasara aka inyere ndi 10. Mmadu aka n'uzo di .... Nigeria· This in no small measure has been helping unemployed people, graduates ... Even in the transport sector people have been empowered to be self reliant· This could be seen in the ...

CryoSat: ESA's ice explorer mission. 4 years in operations: status and achievements

Science.gov (United States)

Parrinello, T.; Mardle, N.; Ortega, B.; Bouffard, J.; Badessi, S.; Frommknecht, B.; Davidson, M.

2014-12-01

CryoSat-2 was launched on the 8th April 2010 and it is the first European ice mission dedicated to monitoring precise changes in the thickness of polar ice sheets and floating sea ice over a 3-year period. CryoSat-2 carries an innovative radar altimeter called the Synthetic Aperture Interferometric Altimeter (SIRAL) with two antennas and with extended capabilities to meet the measurement requirements for ice-sheets elevation and sea-ice freeboard. Initial results have shown that data is of high quality thanks to an altimeter that is behaving exceptional well within its design specifications. The CryoSat mission reached its 4th years of operational life in April 2014. Since its launch has delivered high quality products to the worldwide cryospheric and marine community that is increasing every year. Scope of this paper is to describe the current mission status and the main scientific achievements in the last twelve months. Topics will also include programmatic highlights and information on the next scientific development of the mission in its extended period of operations.

Caco-2 accumulation of lutein is greater from human milk than from infant formula despite similar bioaccessibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Lipkie, Tristan E; Banavara, Dattatreya; Shah, Bhavini; Morrow, Ardythe L; McMahon, Robert J; Jouni, Zeina E; Ferruzzi, Mario G

2014-10-01

Clinical evidence suggests that the bioavailability of lutein is lower from infant formula than from human milk. The purpose of this study was to assess characteristics of human milk and lutein-fortified infant formula that may impact carotenoid delivery. Carotenoid bioaccessibility and intestinal absorption were modeled by in vitro digestion coupled with Caco-2 human intestinal cell culture. Twelve human milk samples were assessed from 1-6 months postpartum, and 10 lutein-fortified infant formula samples from three lutein sources in both ready-to-use and reconstituted powder forms. The relative bioaccessibility of lutein was not different (p > 0.05) between human milk (29 ± 2%) and infant formula (36 ± 4%). However, lutein delivery was 4.5 times greater from human milk than infant formula when including Caco-2 accumulation efficiency. Caco-2 accumulation of lutein was increasingly efficient with decreasing concentration of lutein from milk. Carotenoid bioaccessibility and Caco-2 accumulation were not affected by lactation stage, total lipid content, lutein source, or form of infant formula (powder vs. liquid). These data suggest that the bioavailability of carotenoids is greater from human milk than infant formula primarily due to intestinal absorptive processes, and that absorption of lutein is potentiated by factors from human milk especially at low lutein concentration. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Twelve Kids' Albums You Can't Live Without

Science.gov (United States)

Truitt, Warren

2007-01-01

In the last 10 years, the once-comatose preschool children's music scene has been resuscitated. Many musicians who were rockers in a former lifetime are now parents, and they are writing some terrific tunes for children. In this article, the author presents a list of 12 albums that are terrific for preschool children.

Impact of space weather on human heart rate during the years 2011-2013

Science.gov (United States)

Galata, E.; Ioannidou, S.; Papailiou, M.; Mavromichalaki, H.; Paravolidakis, K.; Kouremeti, M.; Rentifis, L.; Simantirakis, E.; Trachanas, K.

2017-08-01

During the last years a possible link between different levels of solar and geomagnetic disturbances and human physiological parameters is suggested by several published studies. In this work the examination of the potential association between heart rate variations and specific space weather activities was performed. A total of 482 individuals treated at Hippocratio General Hospital in Athens, the Cardiology clinics of Nikaia General Hospital in Piraeus and the Heraklion University Hospital in Crete, Greece, were assessed from July 2011 to April 2013. The heart rate of the individuals was recorded by a Holter monitor on a n hourly basis, while the hourly variations of the cosmic ray intensity measured by the Neutron Monitor Station of the Athens University and of the geomagnetic index Dst provided by the Kyoto Observatory were used. The ANalysis Of VAriance (ANOVA) and the Multiple Linear Regression analysis were used for analysis of these data. A statistically significant effect of both cosmic rays and geomagnetic activity on heart rate was observed, which may indicate that changes in space weather could be linked to heart rate variations.

A human-scale perspective on global warming: Zero emission year and personal quotas

Science.gov (United States)

Rojas, Maisa; Mac Lean, Claudia

2017-01-01

This article builds on the premise that human consumption of goods, food and transport are the ultimate drivers of climate change. However, the nature of the climate change problem (well described as a tragedy of the commons) makes it difficult for individuals to recognise their personal duty to implement behavioural changes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Consequently, this article aims to analyse the climate change issue from a human-scale perspective, in which each of us has a clearly defined personal quota of CO2 emissions that limits our activity and there is a finite time during which CO2 emissions must be eliminated to achieve the “well below 2°C” warming limit set by the Paris Agreement of 2015 (COP21). Thus, this work’s primary contribution is to connect an equal per capita fairness approach to a global carbon budget, linking personal levels with planetary levels. Here, we show that a personal quota of 5.0 tons of CO2 yr-1 p-1 is a representative value for both past and future emissions; for this level of a constant per-capita emissions and without considering any mitigation, the global accumulated emissions compatible with the “well below 2°C” and 2°C targets will be exhausted by 2030 and 2050, respectively. These are references years that provide an order of magnitude of the time that is left to reverse the global warming trend. More realistic scenarios that consider a smooth transition toward a zero-emission world show that the global accumulated emissions compatible with the “well below 2°C” and 2°C targets will be exhausted by 2040 and 2080, respectively. Implications of this paper include a return to personal responsibility following equity principles among individuals, and a definition of boundaries to the personal emissions of CO2. PMID:28628676

A human-scale perspective on global warming: Zero emission year and personal quotas.

Science.gov (United States)

de la Fuente, Alberto; Rojas, Maisa; Mac Lean, Claudia

2017-01-01

This article builds on the premise that human consumption of goods, food and transport are the ultimate drivers of climate change. However, the nature of the climate change problem (well described as a tragedy of the commons) makes it difficult for individuals to recognise their personal duty to implement behavioural changes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Consequently, this article aims to analyse the climate change issue from a human-scale perspective, in which each of us has a clearly defined personal quota of CO2 emissions that limits our activity and there is a finite time during which CO2 emissions must be eliminated to achieve the "well below 2°C" warming limit set by the Paris Agreement of 2015 (COP21). Thus, this work's primary contribution is to connect an equal per capita fairness approach to a global carbon budget, linking personal levels with planetary levels. Here, we show that a personal quota of 5.0 tons of CO2 yr-1 p-1 is a representative value for both past and future emissions; for this level of a constant per-capita emissions and without considering any mitigation, the global accumulated emissions compatible with the "well below 2°C" and 2°C targets will be exhausted by 2030 and 2050, respectively. These are references years that provide an order of magnitude of the time that is left to reverse the global warming trend. More realistic scenarios that consider a smooth transition toward a zero-emission world show that the global accumulated emissions compatible with the "well below 2°C" and 2°C targets will be exhausted by 2040 and 2080, respectively. Implications of this paper include a return to personal responsibility following equity principles among individuals, and a definition of boundaries to the personal emissions of CO2.

[Vomiting as main symptom: unusual presentation of a hyperthyroidism in a 12-year-old boy].

Science.gov (United States)

Müller-Michaels, J; Bürk, G; Andler, W

1997-01-01

A twelve year old boy presented with a sudden onset of recurrent nausea and vomiting. During the past six weeks he had a weight loss of 13 kg. While he was in the hospital, persistent tachycardia and a slightly elevated blood pressure were noted. The gastroenterologic, cardiologic and neuropediatric examinations were normal. To exclude the differential diagnosis of hyperthyroidism, thyroid hormones were checked. They showed clearly elevated levels of tri-iodothyronine and thyroxine, while thyrotropin was suppressed. The boy did not have a goiter. Under thyrostatic therapy his clinical condition improved quickly. Among our 20 patients with hyperthyroidism he was the only one whose main symptom was severe vomiting.

Postnatal width changes in the internal structures of the human mandible: a longitudinal three-dimensional cephalometric study using implants.

Science.gov (United States)

Baumrind, S; Korn, E L

1992-12-01

This paper presents case-specific quantitative evidence of the systematic lateral displacement of metallic implants in the mandibles of treated and untreated human subjects between the ages of 8.5 and 15.5 years. This evidence appears to be consistent with the inference of small, but systematic increases in distance between the internal structures of the two sides of the osseous mandible during growth. Such a conclusion, however, is inconsistent with traditional beliefs that the internal structures of the mandibular symphysis fuse at the midline during the first post-natal year and remain dimensionally constant thereafter. We recently published evidence of statistically significant transverse displacement of metallic implants in the mandibular body region for 12 of 28 subjects for whom longitudinal data were available. Of the twelve subjects for whom statistically significant changes were observed, widening occurred in eleven cases and narrowing in one. Matching data are now available on concurrent ramus changes for 22 of the same 28 subjects, including 11 of the 12 for whom statistically significant width changes had previously been noted in the body region. In eight of these 11 subjects, statistically significant widening in the ramus region was also observed. No subject had statistically significant widening in the ramus region without also having statistically significant widening in the body region. No subject had statistically significant trans-ramus narrowing.

Human bite wounds: a swiss emergency department experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabbara, Malek; Hatzigianni, Panagiota; Fux, Christoph; Zimmermann, Heinz; Exadaktylos, Aristomenis K

2012-04-01

 Human bites (HB) are the third most common bite wound diagnosed in emergency departments, after dog and cat bites. Management of HB can be challenging, given the high risk of infection associated with multiorganism-rich oral flora. Recognition and early aggressive treatment are essential steps in preventing infections and other associated complications. A retrospective, 10-year electronic chart review was performed, which identified 104 HB. Diagnosis, treatment, and outcome were noted for each case. Most of the patients were male, with a male:female ratio of 4:1. A majority of patients (n = 53, 51%) presented with finger and hand injuries. Only 13.8% were bitten on the head or neck, and 25% on the upper limbs. The remainder (35.2%) of patients sustained injuries to other body parts. Twelve operations were necessary and performed by plastic and hand surgeons. More than half of the patients (60.5%) received antibiotic therapy, and 84.6% of the patients had their tetanus prophylaxis administered or received a booster by the time of treatment. Only 40.4% of patients had a post-bite serology test to rule out bloodborne viral infections, none of whom tested positive. The viral status of the biter was known in two cases. The goals of HB management are to minimize infection risk and its complications, and to prevent the transmission of systemic infections, such as hepatitis B/C and HIV. Accurate documentation and a management algorithm should be instituted in emergency departments in order to achieve these goals. .

Human Document Project

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Vries, Jeroen; Abelmann, Leon; Manz, A; Elwenspoek, Michael Curt

2012-01-01

“The Human Document Project‿ is a project which tries to answer all of the questions related to preserving information about the human race for tens of generations of humans to come or maybe even for a future intelligence which can emerge in the coming thousands of years. This document mainly

Production and standing crop of litter and humus in a forest exposed to chronic gamma irradiation for twelve years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Armentano, T.V.; Woodwell, G.M.

1976-01-01

Continuous exposure since 1961 of an oak-pine forest at Brookhaven National Laboratory to chronic gamma irradiation has shown: (1) progressive reduction in litter production from the first year through 1965; (2) greater litter production in 1973 compared to 1965 at exposure rates below 9 R/day primarily because of the prolific sprouting of the oaks, especially Quercus alba; (3) further reduction in litter production in intermediate zones (14-49 R/day) from 1965 to 1973 as a result of replacement of the forest by a Carex pensylvanica mat; (4) increased litter production in the high exposure zone (125 R/day) in 1973 as a result of colonization by adventive species; (5) reduction in the standing crop of litter by 1973 at the lowest exposure rate studied (3.5 R/day) although in 1965 there was no reduction at exposure rates up to 15 R/day; (6) decline in humus content at 4.6 R/day and above with the standing crop in the Carex zone exceeding that of the shrub and damaged forest zones of lower exposures. Both further losses and partial recovery in the production and storage of organic matter have occurred since 1965. These changes constitute a portion of the long-term response of the forest to chronic disturbance. The pattern of response is the result of ecosystem processes that are still not in equilibrium with the chronic disturbance and which were not predictable from short-term studies, even those spanning as much as 4 yr

Comparative analysis and supragenome modeling of twelve Moraxella catarrhalis clinical isolates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J.J. Davie (Jeremiah ); J. Earl (Josh); S.P.W. de Vries (Stefan); A. Ahmed (Azad); F.Z. Hu (Fen); H.J. Bootsma (Hester); K. Stol (Kim); P.W.M. Hermans (Peter); R.M. Wadowsky (Robert M.); G.D. Ehrlich (Garth); J.P. Hays (John); A.A. Campagnari (Anthony)

2011-01-01

textabstractBackground: M. catarrhalis is a gram-negative, gamma-proteobacterium and an opportunistic human pathogen associated with otitis media (OM) and exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). With direct and indirect costs for treating these conditions annually exceeding

One-year results of vital pulp therapy in permanent molars with irreversible pulpitis: an ongoing multicenter, randomized, non-inferiority clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Asgary, Saeed; Eghbal, Mohammad Jafar; Ghoddusi, Jamileh; Yazdani, Shahram

2013-03-01

Root canal therapy (RCT) and tooth extraction have been conventional treatment options for management of human mature teeth with irreversible pulpitis. Excellent short-term treatment outcomes of vital pulp therapy with calcium-enriched mixture cement (VPT/CEM), as a new treatment option, on postoperative pain relief was demonstrated; if intermediate- and long-term treatment outcomes of the new treatment are also non-inferior compared to RCT, then VPT/CEM may become a viable treatment option for management of mature teeth with irreversible pulpitis. In 23 healthcare centers, 407 9- to 65-year-old patients were randomly allocated into two study arms including one-visit RCT (reference treatment; n = 202) and VPT/CEM (alternative treatment; n = 205). Six- and twelve-month clinical and radiographic successes were assessed. Mean follow-up times at 6- and 12-month follow-ups were "6.70 ± 0.68 and 6.72 ± 0.71 months" and "12.96 ± 0.67 and 12.90 ± 0.66 months" in the available cases of RCT and VPT/CEM arms, respectively. Favorable clinical success rates in the two study arms did not show statistical difference; however, the radiographic success rate in the VPT/CEM was significantly greater than RCT arm at the two follow-ups (P pulpitis. The performance of biomaterials such CEM cement may assist in the shift towards more biologic treatments. VPT/CEM may be a realistic alternative treatment for human mature molar teeth with symptoms of irreversible pulpitis; the use of VPT/CEM is highly beneficial for patients as well as general dentists.

The INEL Human Reliability Program: The first two years of experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minner, D.E.

1986-01-01

This paper provides a review of the design, implementation, and operation of the INEL Human Reliability Program from January 1984 through June of 1986. Human Reliability Programs are defined in terms of the ''insider threat'' to security of nuclear facilities. The design of HRP's are discussed with special attention given the special challenge of the disgruntled employee. Each component of an HRP is reviewed noting pitfalls and opportunities with each: drug testing of applicants and incumbents, psychological evaluation by management, security clearance procedures and administration including the use of an Employee Review Board to recommend action prior to final management decision

60 more years of Science for Peace: carrying the message forward

CERN Multimedia

2014-01-01

At the end of 2013, we were just about to embark on a year of celebrations marking 60 years of science for peace at CERN. Our message was that science is an inescapable driver of peaceful relations among cultures and nations, a force for sustainability and a necessity in confronting the major challenges facing society today. Twelve months on, we can safely say that we’ve been successful in delivering that message.    At 130 events in 25 countries, at UNESCO in Paris on 1 July, throughout our week of celebrations at CERN leading up to our 60th birthday on 29 September, and at UN Headquarters in New York on 20 October, members of the CERN community have been tireless in promoting the essential role of science in society. However, the message remains as true as it was 12 months ago, and as we move into 2015, we must continue to take every opportunity we have to ensure that those who shape our futures fully appreciate the essential role that science must play. To that end, th...

Comparative analysis and supragenome modeling of twelve Moraxella catarrhalis clinical isolates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Davie, J.J.; Earl, J.; Vries, S.P. de; Ahmed, A.; Hu, F.Z.; Bootsma, H.J.; Stol, K.; Hermans, P.W.M.; Wadowsky, R.M.; Ehrlich, G.D.; Hays, J.P.; Campagnari, A.A.

2011-01-01

BACKGROUND: M. catarrhalis is a gram-negative, gamma-proteobacterium and an opportunistic human pathogen associated with otitis media (OM) and exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). With direct and indirect costs for treating these conditions annually exceeding $33 billion in

Inhibition of isolated human myometrium contractility by minoxidil and reversal by glibenclamide.

Science.gov (United States)

Prabhakaran, S S; Dhanasekar, K R; Thomas, E; Jose, R; Peedicayil, J; Samuel, P

2010-03-01

This study investigated the ability of the antihypertensive drug minoxidil to inhibit potassium chloride (KCl)-induced contractility of the isolated human myometrium. Twelve strips of myometrium obtained from 12 patients who underwent hysterectomy were triggered to contract with 55 mM KCl before and after incubation with 3 concentrations (1, 3 and 10 microM) of minoxidil. The percent inhibition by minoxidil on the extent of contraction, and the area under the contractile curve of KCl-induced contraction of the myometrial strips was determined. Furthermore, the effect of 10 microM glibenclamide on the inhibition generated by 3 microM minoxidil on KCl-induced contractility was studied. It was found that minoxidil produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of KCl-induced contractility of the myometrium and that glibenclamide reversed this inhibitory effect. These results suggest that the inhibitory effect of minoxidil on isolated human myometrium contractility may prove useful in clinical conditions requiring relaxation of the myometrium. 2010 Prous Science, S.A.U. or its licensors. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of molar incisor hypomineralization in 7–9-year-old children of Bengaluru City, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Priya Subramaniam

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH is a developmental defect. The prevalence of MIH ranges widely from 2.4% to 40.2%. Aim: This study was under taken to determine the prevalence of MIH in 7–9-year-old children of Bengaluru City, India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted in a representative sample of 2500 school children aged 7–9 years of Bengaluru, India. Oral examination was carried out by a single trained calibrated examiner under natural daylight. Results: Twelve children (0.48% were diagnosed with MIH. A total of 68 teeth were observed with MIH. All four first permanent molars were affected in 50% of children. In the molar group, mandibular molars (29.41% were more frequently affected than maxillary molars (27.94%. Conclusion: The prevalence of MIH in 7–9-year-old children of Bengaluru was 0.48%, with no gender predilection.

Relationship transitions and change in health behavior: A four-phase, twelve-year longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Josefsson, Kim; Elovainio, Marko; Stenholm, Sari; Kawachi, Ichiro; Kauppi, Maarit; Aalto, Ville; Kivimäki, Mika; Vahtera, Jussi

2018-03-19

Extensive scientific evidence shows an association between involvement in social relationships and healthy lifestyle. Prospective studies with many participants and long follow-ups are needed to study the dynamics and change in social factors within individuals over time. Our aim was to determine whether a change in relationship status (single, married, divorced, widow, cohabiting) is followed by a change in health behavior (smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and body mass index). We used data from 81,925 healthy adults participating in the prospective longitudinal Finnish Public Sector Study in the period 2000-2013. We analyzed 327,700 person-observations from four data collection phases. Missing data were multiply imputed. A within-individual methodology was used to minimize the possibility of selection effects affecting the interpretation. All four health behaviors showed associations with relationship status. The effects were very similar and in the same direction in women and men, although there were gender differences in the magnitudes of the effects. The end of a relationship was followed by a decrease in body mass index, increased odds of being a smoker, increase in physical activity, and increase in alcohol consumption (widowed men). The effects were reverse when forming a new relationship. A change in relationship status is associated with a change in health behavior. The association is not explained by socioeconomic status, subjective health status, or anxiety level. People leaving or losing a relationship are at increased risk of unhealthy behavior (smoking and alcohol consumption), but at the same time they have a lower BMI and show higher physical activity compared to the time they were in a relationship. It is not clear if the cumulative health effect of these health behavior changes is positive or negative. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

"Her Story Was Complex": A Twine Workshop for Ten- to Twelve-Year-Old Girls

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, Kelly M.

2016-01-01

In this study, I discuss the need to increase girls' involvement with game design due to the numerous benefits that engaging in this practice might have. In particular, I discuss the tool Twine, an accessible and relatively easy-to-use platform for creating text-based games. I provide an overview of the tool and its potential benefits for…

Ancient humans and the origin of modern humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelso, Janet; Prüfer, Kay

2014-12-01

Recent advances in sequencing technologies and molecular methods have facilitated the sequencing of DNA from ancient human remains which has, in turn, provided unprecedented insight into human history. Within the past 4 years the genomes of Neandertals and Denisovans, as well as the genomes of at least two early modern humans, have been sequenced. These sequences showed that there have been several episodes of admixture between modern and archaic groups; including admixture from Neandertals into modern human populations outside of Africa, and admixture from Denisovans into modern human populations in Oceania. Recent results indicate that some of these introgressed regions may have been advantageous for modern humans as they expanded into new regions outside of Africa. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Human papillomavirus infects placental trophoblast and Hofbauer cells, but appears not to play a causal role in miscarriage and preterm labor.

Science.gov (United States)

Ambühl, Lea M M; Leonhard, Anne K; Widen Zakhary, Carina; Jørgensen, Annemette; Blaakaer, Jan; Dybkaer, Karen; Baandrup, Ulrik; Uldbjerg, Niels; Sørensen, Suzette

2017-10-01

Recently, an association between human papillomavirus infection and both spontaneous abortion and spontaneous preterm delivery was suggested. However, the reported human papillomavirus prevalence in pregnant women varies considerably and reliable conclusions are difficult. We aimed to investigate human papillomavirus infection in placental tissue of a Danish study cohort. Furthermore, we studied the cellular localization of human papillomavirus. In this prospective case-control study, placental tissue was analyzed for human papillomavirus infection by nested PCR in the following four study groups: full-term delivery (n = 103), spontaneous preterm delivery (n = 69), elective abortion (n = 54), and spontaneous abortion (n = 44). Moreover, human papillomavirus cellular target was identified using in situ hybridization. Human papillomavirus prevalence in placental tissue was 8.7% in full-term deliveries, 8.8% in spontaneous preterm deliveries, 10.9% in spontaneous abortions, and 20.4% in elective abortions. Twelve different human papillomavirus types were detected, and placental human papillomavirus infection was associated to a disease history of cervical cancer. Human papillomavirus DNA was identified in trophoblast cells, cells of the placental villi mesenchyme including Hofbauer cells, and in parts of the encasing endometrium. Placental human papillomavirus infections are not likely to constitute a risk factor for spontaneous preterm labor or spontaneous abortions in the Danish population, although an effect of human papillomavirus DNA in placental cells cannot be excluded. © 2017 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Puncturing and Bloodletting at Twelve Hand Jing Points to Treat Acute Carbon Monoxide Poisoning as Adjunct to First Aid Treatment: A Study Protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying Yue

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Acute carbon monoxide poisoning (ACOP is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in many countries. Twelve Hand Jing Points (THJP have been believed to be effective to treat all kinds of emergency calls in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM for more than 3000 years. This randomized controlled trial (RCT is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of THJP in curing acute carbon monoxide poisoning in first aid treatment. This paper reports the protocol of the trial. Methods/Design. This RCT is a multicenter, randomized, controlled study undergoing in China. The compliant patients are divided into the bloodletting group and standard of care group. With first aid treatments given to both of the groups, the bloodletting group is bleeding at THJP upon being hospitalized. Primary outcomes and secondary outcomes will be measured and compared between these two groups. Before treatment, immediately after treatment, and 30 minutes, 1 hour, and 4 hours after treatment, patients’ basic vital signs and state of consciousness were observed. Before treatment and 1 and 4 hours after treatment, carboxyhemoglobin concentration in venous blood samples was detected. Discussion. The objective of this study is to provide convincing evidence to clarify the efficacy and safety of THJP for early treatment of acute carbon monoxide poisoning.

Fifty years of driving safety research.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, John D

2008-06-01

This brief review covers the 50 years of driving-related research published in Human Factors, its contribution to driving safety, and emerging challenges. Many factors affect driving safety, making it difficult to assess the impact of specific factors such as driver age, cell phone distractions, or collision warnings. The author considers the research themes associated with the approximately 270 articles on driving published in Human Factors in the past 50 years. To a large extent, current and past research has explored similar themes and concepts. Many articles published in the first 25 years focused on issues such as driver impairment, individual differences, and perceptual limits. Articles published in the past 25 years address similar issues but also point toward vehicle technology that can exacerbate or mitigate the negative effect of these issues. Conceptual and computational models have played an important role in this research. Improved crash-worthiness has contributed to substantial improvements in driving safety over the past 50 years, but future improvements will depend on enhancing driver performance and perhaps, more important, improving driver behavior. Developing models to guide this research will become more challenging as new technology enters the vehicle and shifts the focus from driver performance to driver behavior. Over the past 50 years, Human Factors has accumulated a large base of driving-related research that remains relevant for many of today's design and policy concerns.

An Evaluation by Midwives and Gynecologists of Treatability of Cervical Lesions by Cryotherapy Among Human Papillomavirus–Positive Women

Science.gov (United States)

Gage, Julia C.; Rodriguez, Ana Cecilia; Schiffman, Mark; Adadevoh, Sydney; Alvarez Larraondo, Manuel J.; Chumworathayi, Bandit; Lejarza, Sandra Vargas; Araya, Luis Villegas; Garcia, Francisco; Budihas, Scott R.; Long, Rodney; Katki, Hormuzd A.; Herrero, Rolando; Burk, Robert D.; Jeronimo, Jose

2010-01-01

Objectives To estimate efficacy of a visual triage of human papillomavirus (HPV)– positive women to either immediate cryotherapy or referral if not treatable (eg, invasive cancer, large precancers). Methods We evaluated visual triage in the HPV-positive women aged 25 to 55 years from the 10,000-woman Guanacaste Cohort Study (n = 552). Twelve Peruvian midwives and 5 international gynecologists assessed treatability by cryotherapy using digitized high-resolution cervical images taken at enrollment. The reference standard of treatability was determined by 2 lead gynecologists from the entire 7-year follow-up of the women. Women diagnosed with histologic cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse or 5-year persistence of carcinogenic HPV infection were defined as needing treatment. Results Midwives and gynecologists judged 30.8% and 41.2% of women not treatable by cryotherapy, respectively (P cryotherapy. The proportion of women judged not treatable by a reviewer varied widely and ranged from 18.6%to 61.1%. Interrater agreement was poor with mean pairwise overall agreement of 71.4% and 66.3% and κ ’s of 0.33 and 0.30 for midwives and gynecologists, respectively. Conclusions In future “screen-and-treat” cervical cancer prevention programs using HPV testing and cryotherapy, practitioners will visually triage HPV-positive women. The suboptimal performance of visual triage suggests that screen-and-treat programs using cryotherapy might be insufficient for treating precancerous lesions. Improved, low-technology triage methods and/or improved safe and low-technology treatment options are needed. PMID:19509579

From Performance to Decision Processes in 33 Years: A History of Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes under James C. Naylor.

Science.gov (United States)

Weber

1998-12-01

For the past 33 years, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes has thrived under a single editor. That editor, James C. Naylor, is retiring from his long stewardship. This article chronicles the course of the journal under Jim's direction and marks some of the accomplishments and changes over the past three decades that go to his credit. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.

STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF TWELVE WEEKS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASS ON PHYSICAL FITNESS AND MOTOR ABILITY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

OpenAIRE

Dr.Zaher Etemad*and Amrallah Taavon Kerdar

2017-01-01

Since the complications of obesity each year impose many social and financial costs, such as health care, disabilities, disabilities and early death, and reduce productivity for human societies. Therefore, accurate evaluation of the status of obesity in different societies can be effective in identifying, treating and preventing obesity in any society, and reducing these costs. Cardiovascular endurance is one of the factors of physical fitness that plays a role in long-term activities Plays a...

Frontal impact response of a virtual low percentile six years old human thorax developed by automatic down-scaling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Špička J.

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Traffic accidents cause one of the highest numbers of severe injuries in the whole population spectrum. The numbers of deaths and seriously injured citizens prove that traffic accidents and their consequences are still a serious problem to be solved. The paper contributes to the field of vehicle safety technology with a virtual approach. Exploitation of the previously developed scaling algorithm enables the creation of a specific anthropometric model based on a validated reference model. The aim of the paper is to prove the biofidelity of the small percentile six years old virtual human model developed by automatic down-scaling in a frontal impact. For the automatically developed six years old virtual specific anthropometric model, the Kroell impact test is simulated and the results are compared to the experimental data. The chosen approach shows good correspondence of the scaled model performance to the experimental corridors.

Think Human

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Charlotte Marie Bisgaard

2013-01-01

years' campaigns suggests that the theory of communication underlying the campaign has its basis in mechanical action rather than in human communication. The practice of 'Communication design' is investigated in relation to this metaphorical 'machine thinking' model of communication and contrasted...... with the human-centered theory of communication advocated by integrationism....

IARC monographs: 40 years of evaluating carcinogenic hazards to humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Pearce, Neil; Blair, Aaron; Vineis, Paolo; Ahrens, Wolfgang; Andersen, Aage; Anto, Josep M; Armstrong, Bruce K; Baccarelli, Andrea A; Beland, Frederick A; Berrington, Amy; Bertazzi, Pier Alberto; Birnbaum, Linda S; Brownson, Ross C; Bucher, John R; Cantor, Kenneth P; Cardis, Elisabeth; Cherrie, John W; Christiani, David C; Cocco, Pierluigi; Coggon, David; Comba, Pietro; Demers, Paul A; Dement, John M; Douwes, Jeroen; Eisen, Ellen A; Engel, Lawrence S; Fenske, Richard A; Fleming, Lora E; Fletcher, Tony; Fontham, Elizabeth; Forastiere, Francesco; Frentzel-Beyme, Rainer; Fritschi, Lin; Gerin, Michel; Goldberg, Marcel; Grandjean, Philippe; Grimsrud, Tom K; Gustavsson, Per; Haines, Andy; Hartge, Patricia; Hansen, Johnni; Hauptmann, Michael; Heederik, Dick; Hemminki, Kari; Hemon, Denis; Hertz-Picciotto, Irva; Hoppin, Jane A; Huff, James; Jarvholm, Bengt; Kang, Daehee; Karagas, Margaret R; Kjaerheim, Kristina; Kjuus, Helge; Kogevinas, Manolis; Kriebel, David; Kristensen, Petter; Kromhout, Hans; Laden, Francine; Lebailly, Pierre; LeMasters, Grace; Lubin, Jay H; Lynch, Charles F; Lynge, Elsebeth; 't Mannetje, Andrea; McMichael, Anthony J; McLaughlin, John R; Marrett, Loraine; Martuzzi, Marco; Merchant, James A; Merler, Enzo; Merletti, Franco; Miller, Anthony; Mirer, Franklin E; Monson, Richard; Nordby, Karl-Cristian; Olshan, Andrew F; Parent, Marie-Elise; Perera, Frederica P; Perry, Melissa J; Pesatori, Angela Cecilia; Pirastu, Roberta; Porta, Miquel; Pukkala, Eero; Rice, Carol; Richardson, David B; Ritter, Leonard; Ritz, Beate; Ronckers, Cecile M; Rushton, Lesley; Rusiecki, Jennifer A; Rusyn, Ivan; Samet, Jonathan M; Sandler, Dale P; de Sanjose, Silvia; Schernhammer, Eva; Costantini, Adele Seniori; Seixas, Noah; Shy, Carl; Siemiatycki, Jack; Silverman, Debra T; Simonato, Lorenzo; Smith, Allan H; Smith, Martyn T; Spinelli, John J; Spitz, Margaret R; Stallones, Lorann; Stayner, Leslie T; Steenland, Kyle; Stenzel, Mark; Stewart, Bernard W; Stewart, Patricia A; Symanski, Elaine; Terracini, Benedetto; Tolbert, Paige E; Vainio, Harri; Vena, John; Vermeulen, Roel; Victora, Cesar G; Ward, Elizabeth M; Weinberg, Clarice R; Weisenburger, Dennis; Wesseling, Catharina; Weiderpass, Elisabete; Zahm, Shelia Hoar

2015-06-01

Recently, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Programme for the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans has been criticized for several of its evaluations, and also for the approach used to perform these evaluations. Some critics have claimed that failures of IARC Working Groups to recognize study weaknesses and biases of Working Group members have led to inappropriate classification of a number of agents as carcinogenic to humans. The authors of this Commentary are scientists from various disciplines relevant to the identification and hazard evaluation of human carcinogens. We examined criticisms of the IARC classification process to determine the validity of these concerns. Here, we present the results of that examination, review the history of IARC evaluations, and describe how the IARC evaluations are performed. We concluded that these recent criticisms are unconvincing. The procedures employed by IARC to assemble Working Groups of scientists from the various disciplines and the techniques followed to review the literature and perform hazard assessment of various agents provide a balanced evaluation and an appropriate indication of the weight of the evidence. Some disagreement by individual scientists to some evaluations is not evidence of process failure. The review process has been modified over time and will undoubtedly be altered in the future to improve the process. Any process can in theory be improved, and we would support continued review and improvement of the IARC processes. This does not mean, however, that the current procedures are flawed. The IARC Monographs have made, and continue to make, major contributions to the scientific underpinning for societal actions to improve the public's health.

Einstein's Miraculous Year

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The revolution of the earth around the sun has given us a natural unit of time, the year ... are watershed events for the human race itself, in a far more profound sense ..... the conflict was to modify Newtonian mechanics while retaining Maxwell's ...

Potential lives saved in 73 countries by adopting multi-cohort vaccination of 9-14-year-old girls against human papillomavirus.

Science.gov (United States)

Jit, Mark; Brisson, Marc

2018-02-15

Up to 2016, low- and middle-income countries mostly introduced routine human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for just a single age-cohort of girls each year. However, high-income countries have reported large reductions in HPV prevalence following "catch-up" vaccination of multiple age-cohorts in the year of HPV vaccine introduction. We used the mathematical model PRIME to project the incremental impact of vaccinating 10- to 14-year-old girls compared to routine HPV vaccination only in the same year that routine vaccination is expected to be introduced for 9-year-old girls across 73 low- and lower-middle-income countries. Adding multiple age-cohort vaccination could increase the number of cervical cancer deaths averted by vaccine introductions in 2015-2030 by 30-40% or an additional 1.23-1.79 million over the lifetime of the vaccinated cohorts. The number of girls needed to vaccinate to prevent one death is 101 in the most pessimistic scenario, which is only slightly greater than that for routine vaccination of 9-year-old girls (87). These results hold even when assuming that girls who have sexually debuted do not benefit from vaccination. Results suggest that multiple age-cohort vaccination of 9- to 14-year-old girls could accelerate HPV vaccine impact and be cost-effective. © 2018 The Authors International Journal of Cancer published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of UICC.

In-vitro archaeacidal activity of biocides against human-associated archaea.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saber Khelaifia

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Several methanogenic archaea have been detected in the human intestinal microbiota. These intestinal archaea may contaminate medical devices such as colonoscopes. However, no biocide activity has been reported among these human-associated archaea. METHODOLOGY: The minimal archaeacidal concentration (MAC of peracetic acid, chlorhexidine, squalamine and twelve parent synthetic derivatives reported in this study was determined against five human-associated methanogenic archaea including Methanobrevibacter smithii, Methanobrevibacter oralis, Methanobrevibacter arboriphilicus, Methanosphaera stadtmanae, Methanomassiliicoccus luminyensis and two environmental methanogens Methanobacterium beijingense and Methanosaeta concilii by using a serial dilution technique in Hungates tubes. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: MAC of squalamine derivative S1 was 0.05 mg/L against M. smithii strains, M. oralis, M. arboriphilicus, M. concilii and M. beijingense whereas MAC of squalamine and derivatives S2-S12 varied from 0.5 to 5 mg/L. For M. stadtmanae and M. luminyensis, MAC of derivative S1 was 0.1 mg/L and varied from 1 to ≥ 10 mg/L for squalamine and its parent derivatives S2-S12. Under the same experimental conditions, chlorhexidine and peracetic acid lead to a MAC of 0.2 and 1.5 mg/L, respectively against all tested archaea. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Squalamine derivative S1 exhibited a 10-200 higher archaeacidal activity than other tested squalamine derivatives, on the majority of human-associated archaea. As previously reported and due to their week corrosivity and their wide spectrum of antibacterial and antifungal properties, squalamine and more precisely derivative S1 appear as promising compounds to be further tested for the decontamination of medical devices contaminated by human-associated archaea.

Effects of the H(2)-receptor antagonist ranitidine on gastric motor function after a liquid meal in healthy humans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Jan Lysgård; Graff, J

2008-01-01

Objective. Studies on animals have shown that histamine may be involved in the regulation of gastrointestinal smooth muscle tone. However, the role of histamine in the regulation of human gastric motor function is not clear. This study examined the effect of ranitidine, an H(2)-receptor antagonist......, on gastric volume and gastric emptying after a liquid meal in healthy humans. Material and methods. Twelve healthy volunteers participated in a randomized crossover study with 50 mg ranitidine as a bolus intravenously versus no medication. Gastric volume at baseline was determined with single photon emission...... computed tomography (SPECT) after intravenous injection of 99(m)Tc-pertechnetate. After ingestion of a 600-mL liquid meal radiolabelled with (111)In-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, dual-isotope technique with SPECT and planar imaging assessed gastric volume as well as gastric emptying. Results...

Effects of the H2-receptor antagonist ranitidine on gastric motor function after a liquid meal in healthy humans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, J.L.; Graff, J.

2008-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Studies on animals have shown that histamine may be involved in the regulation of gastrointestinal smooth muscle tone. However, the role of histamine in the regulation of human gastric motor function is not clear. This study examined the effect of ranitidine, an H(2)-receptor antagonist......, on gastric volume and gastric emptying after a liquid meal in healthy humans. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twelve healthy volunteers participated in a randomized crossover study with 50 mg ranitidine as a bolus intravenously versus no medication. Gastric volume at baseline was determined with single photon emission...... computed tomography (SPECT) after intravenous injection of 99(m)Tc-pertechnetate. After ingestion of a 600-mL liquid meal radiolabelled with (111)In-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, dual-isotope technique with SPECT and planar imaging assessed gastric volume as well as gastric emptying. RESULTS...

Use of economic evaluation guidelines: 2 years' experience in Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Baladi, J F; Menon, D; Otten, N

1998-05-01

Considerable effort has been expended in recent years in the development of methodology guidelines for economic evaluation of pharmaceutical products, driven in part by the desire to improve the rigour and quality of economic evaluations and to help decision making. Canada was one of the first countries to develop such guidelines and to encourage their use. This paper examines the extent to which the economic evaluations that were submitted to the Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment in the last two years adhered to Canadian guidelines. The analytic technique employed by twelve studies as well as the comparator used, the perspective taken, the outcome measure selected, the cost items that were taken into consideration and the extent of sensitivity analyses that were performed are reviewed in this paper. It can be concluded that although studies have been of variable quality, the majority of them were well presented, complete and transparent, due in part to the guidelines. Except for the perspective of the analysis, guidelines were, in many respects, adhered to and did not restrict investigators to specific methodologies or specific techniques. They were also instrumental in ensuring a minimum set of standards.

Does a one year age gap modify the influence of age, maturation and anthropometric parameters as determinants of performance among youth elite soccer players?

Science.gov (United States)

Bidaurrazaga-Letona, Iraia; Lekue, José Antonio; Amado, Markos; Gil, Susana Maria

2017-08-22

Since age-groups in soccer often comprise children born within a two-year timeframe, characteristics that define the profile of a successful player may not be appropriate for the oldest or youngest players of the same age group. Therefore, this study aimed to determine to what extent performance was influenced by age, maturation and body size in elite soccer players with barely one year age gap. Anthropometry, 15-m sprint test, modified Barrow´s agility test, Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1, countermovement jump, and handgrip test were conducted in players aged twelve and under (n=82, 11.1 ± 0.6 years; Mean ± SD) and between twelve and thirteen (n=79, 12.8 ± 0.6 years; Mean ± SD). A total score of performance, chronological age and age at peak height velocity were calculated. Descriptive statistics, Student's t-tests, and multiple linear regressions were performed. The explained variance in composite score was greater in the older (54%) than in the younger (30%) players. Sum of skinfolds was the primary predictor of 15-m sprint and countermovement jump in the younger group whereas in the older group chronological age and body size appeared as predictors of performance (41%). Body size explained the variance in most tests in older players. In the younger group biological maturity status explained the variance in endurance (35%) and handgrip (59%) tests. In summary, chronological age and sum of skinfolds influenced most tests; however, predictors differed between age groups. These findings highlight the importance of assessing individual differences in young male soccer players regardless of their similarity in age.

An Individualized, Perception-Based Protocol to Investigate Human Physiological Responses to Cooling

Science.gov (United States)

Coolbaugh, Crystal L.; Bush, Emily C.; Galenti, Elizabeth S.; Welch, E. Brian; Towse, Theodore F.

2018-01-01

Cold exposure, a known stimulant of the thermogenic effects of brown adipose tissue (BAT), is the most widely used method to study BAT physiology in adult humans. Recently, individualized cooling has been recommended to standardize the physiological cold stress applied across participants, but critical experimental details remain unclear. The purpose of this work was to develop a detailed methodology for an individualized, perception-based protocol to investigate human physiological responses to cooling. Participants were wrapped in two water-circulating blankets and fitted with skin temperature probes to estimate BAT activity and peripheral vasoconstriction. We created a thermoesthesia graphical user interface (tGUI) to continuously record the subject's perception of cooling and shivering status during the cooling protocol. The protocol began with a 15 min thermoneutral phase followed by a series of 10 min cooling phases and concluded when sustained shivering (>1 min duration) occurred. Researchers used perception of cooling feedback (tGUI ratings) to manually adjust and personalize the water temperature at each cooling phase. Blanket water temperatures were recorded continuously during the protocol. Twelve volunteers (ages: 26.2 ± 1.4 years; 25% female) completed a feasibility study to evaluate the proposed protocol. Water temperature, perception of cooling, and shivering varied considerably across participants in response to cooling. Mean clavicle skin temperature, a surrogate measure of BAT activity, decreased (−0.99°C, 95% CI: −1.7 to −0.25°C, P = 0.16) after the cooling protocol, but an increase in supraclavicular skin temperature was observed in 4 participants. A strong positive correlation was also found between thermoesthesia and peripheral vasoconstriction (ρ = 0.84, P < 0.001). The proposed individualized, perception-based protocol therefore has potential to investigate the physiological responses to cold stress applied across populations with

The special programme of research in human reproduction: forty years of activities to achieve reproductive health for all.

Science.gov (United States)

Benagiano, Giuseppe; d'Arcangues, Catherine; Harris Requejo, Jennifer; Schafer, Alessandra; Say, Lale; Merialdi, Mario

2012-01-01

The Special Programme of Research in Human Reproduction (HRP), co-sponsored by the UNDP, UNFPA, WHO, and the World Bank, is celebrating 40 years of activities with an expansion of its mandate and new co-sponsors. When it began, in 1972, the main focus was on evaluating the acceptability, effectiveness, and safety of existing fertility-regulating methods, as well as developing new, improved modalities for family planning. In 1994, HRP not only made major contributions to the Plan of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD); it also broadened its scope of work to include other aspects of health dealing with sexuality and reproduction, adding a specific perspective on gender issues and human rights. In 2002, HRP's mandate was once again broadened to include sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS and in 2003 it was further expanded to research activities on preventing violence against women and its many dire health consequences. Today, the work of the Programme includes research on: the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents, women, and men; maternal and perinatal health; reproductive tract and sexually transmitted infections (including HIV/AIDS); family planning; infertility; unsafe abortion; sexual health; screening for cancer of the cervix in developing countries, and gender and reproductive rights. Additional activities by the Programme have included: fostering international cooperation in the field of human reproduction; the elaboration of WHO's first Global Reproductive Health Strategy; work leading to the inclusion of ICPD's goal 'reproductive health for all by 2015' into the Millennium Development Goal framework; the promotion of critical interagency statements on the public health, legal, and human rights implications of female genital mutilation and gender-biased sex selection. Finally, HRP has been involved in the creation of guidelines and tools, such as the 'Medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use

Simulating human behavior for national security human interactions.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernard, Michael Lewis; Hart, Dereck H.; Verzi, Stephen J.; Glickman, Matthew R.; Wolfenbarger, Paul R.; Xavier, Patrick Gordon

2007-01-01

This 3-year research and development effort focused on what we believe is a significant technical gap in existing modeling and simulation capabilities: the representation of plausible human cognition and behaviors within a dynamic, simulated environment. Specifically, the intent of the ''Simulating Human Behavior for National Security Human Interactions'' project was to demonstrate initial simulated human modeling capability that realistically represents intra- and inter-group interaction behaviors between simulated humans and human-controlled avatars as they respond to their environment. Significant process was made towards simulating human behaviors through the development of a framework that produces realistic characteristics and movement. The simulated humans were created from models designed to be psychologically plausible by being based on robust psychological research and theory. Progress was also made towards enhancing Sandia National Laboratories existing cognitive models to support culturally plausible behaviors that are important in representing group interactions. These models were implemented in the modular, interoperable, and commercially supported Umbra{reg_sign} simulation framework.

Dual-resolution Raman spectroscopy for measurements of temperature and twelve species in hydrocarbon–air flames

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Magnotti, Gaetano; Barlow, Robert S.

2016-07-12

This study introduces dual-resolution Raman spectroscopy as a novel diagnostics approach for measurements of temperature and species in flames where multiple hydrocarbons are present. Simultaneous measurement of multiple hydrocarbons is challenging because their vibrational Raman spectra in the C–H stretch region are closely overlapped and are not well known over the range of temperature encountered in flames. Overlap between the hydrocarbon spectra is mitigated by adding a second spectrometer, with a higher dispersion grating, to collect the Raman spectra in the C–H stretch region. A dual-resolution Raman spectroscopy instrument has been developed and optimized for measurements of major species (N₂, O₂, H₂O, CO₂, CO, H₂, DME) and major combustion intermediates (CH₄, CH₂O, C₂H₂, C₂H₄ and C₂H₆) in DME–air flames. The temperature dependences of the hydrocarbon Raman spectra over fixed spectral regions have been determined through a series of measurements in laminar Bunsen-burner flames, and have been used to extend a library of previously acquired Raman spectra up to flame temperature. The paper presents the first Raman measurements of up to twelve species in hydrocarbon flames, and the first quantitative Raman measurements of formaldehyde in flames. Lastly, the accuracy and precision of the instrument are determined from measurements in laminar flames and the applicability of the instrument to turbulent DME–air flames is discussed.

Climate change and human occupations in the Lake Daihai basin, north-central China over the last 4500 years: A geo-archeological perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Lichen; Liu, Yan; Sun, Qianli; Chen, Jing; Cheng, Peng; Chen, Zhongyuan

2017-05-01

High-resolution climate variations since the last 4500 years in the monsoonal-arid transition zone of north-central China were revealed through the integration of proxies from sediment cores in the Lake Daihai basin. Human occupations in the lake basin deduced from archeological findings and historical literatures were then incorporated into the climate sequence to demonstrate the patterns of human responses to the climate changes, and the recent anthropogenic effects. It indicated that: (1) Climate dominated human-environment adaptations prevailed prior to ∼2700 cal yr BP. An amicable climate setting before ∼4100 cal yr BP would facilitate the growth of the Laohushan Culture (LC) in the lake basin, while a pronounced deterioration of water thermal condition after that had led to human exodus and the collapse of the LC. The reduced human activity in the lake basin indicated at ∼3800-3500 cal yr BP and a subsequent cultural blank at ∼3500-2700 cal yr BP, were both in response to the climate and lake level fluctuations during ∼3800-2800 cal yr BP. (2) Transition to a positive human adaptation was seen at ∼2700-1100 cal yr BP, represented by the exploitation of arable land for cultivation and animal husbandry as the lake contracted. (3) An increasing human presence that affected environmental processes became more severe over the last ∼1100 cal yr BP. This was basically due to the ongoing lake shore reclamation for cropping, and more recently heavy metals emissions from fossil fuel combustion and local industries.

Gender differences in sport injury risk and types of inju-ries: a retrospective twelve-month study on cross-country skiers, swimmers, long-distance runners and soccer players.

Science.gov (United States)

Ristolainen, Leena; Heinonen, Ari; Waller, Benjamin; Kujala, Urho M; Kettunen, Jyrki A

2009-01-01

This twelve months survey compared injury risk and injury types by genders (312 females, 262 males) in 15- to 35-year-old cross-country skiers, swimmers, long- distance runners and soccer players. More male than female athletes reported at least one acute injury (44% vs. 35%, p gender differences in either of these comparisons. After adjustment for sport event males were at increased risk for posterior thigh overuse injuries compared to females (relative risk (RR) 5.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3 to 26.4, p difference between the sexes in overuse injury to the ankle persisted (female 0.11 vs. male 0.02 injuries/1000 exposure hours, p difference was found in such injuries when calculated per 1000 exposure hours. In conclusion, we found some gender differences in sport-related injuries, but most of these differences seemed to be explained at least in part by differences in the amount of training. Key pointsOnly a few sport injury studies have compared in-jury rates between the sexesOverall gender-related risk for acute and overuse injuries in top-level athletes between the sexes was smallSome gender differences in the specific anatomical locations of injuries as well as in specific injuries in sports were foundSome of these differences seem to be explained by the differences in the amount of training.

The ACE gene and human performance: 12 years on.

Science.gov (United States)

Puthucheary, Zudin; Skipworth, James R A; Rawal, Jai; Loosemore, Mike; Van Someren, Ken; Montgomery, Hugh E

2011-06-01

Some 12 years ago, a polymorphism of the angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) gene became the first genetic element shown to impact substantially on human physical performance. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) exists not just as an endocrine regulator, but also within local tissue and cells, where it serves a variety of functions. Functional genetic polymorphic variants have been identified for most components of RAS, of which the best known and studied is a polymorphism of the ACE gene. The ACE insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism has been associated with improvements in performance and exercise duration in a variety of populations. The I allele has been consistently demonstrated to be associated with endurance-orientated events, notably, in triathlons. Meanwhile, the D allele is associated with strength- and power-orientated performance, and has been found in significant excess among elite swimmers. Exceptions to these associations do exist, and are discussed. In theory, associations with ACE genotype may be due to functional variants in nearby loci, and/or related genetic polymorphism such as the angiotensin receptor, growth hormone and bradykinin genes. Studies of growth hormone gene variants have not shown significant associations with performance in studies involving both triathletes and military recruits. The angiotensin type-1 receptor has two functional polymorphisms that have not been shown to be associated with performance, although studies of hypoxic ascent have yielded conflicting results. ACE genotype influences bradykinin levels, and a common gene variant in the bradykinin 2 receptor exists. The high kinin activity haplotye has been associated with increased endurance performance at an Olympic level, and similar results of metabolic efficiency have been demonstrated in triathletes. Whilst the ACE genotype is associated with overall performance ability, at a single organ level, the ACE genotype and related polymorphism have significant

Human Resource Construction

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

2015-01-01

Centering on strategic objective of reform and development,CIAE formulated its objectives in human resource construction for the 13th Five-year Plan period,and achieved new apparent progress in human resource construction in 2015.1 Implementation of"LONGMA Project"

Human-centred automation programme: review of experiment related studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grimstad, Tone; Andresen, Gisle; Skjerve, Ann Britt Miberg

2000-04-01

Twenty-three empirical studies concerning automation and performance have been reviewed. The purposes of the review are to support experimental studies in the Human-Centred Automation (HCA) programme and to develop a general theory on HCA. Each study was reviewed with regard to twelve study characteristics: domain, type of study, purpose, definition of automation, variables, theoretical basis, models of operator performance, methods applied, experimental design, outcome, stated scope of results, strengths and limitations. Seven of the studies involved domain experts, the rest used students as participants. The majority of the articles originated from the aviation domain: only the study conducted in HAMMLAB considered process control in power plants. In the experimental studies, the independent variable was level of automation, or reliability of automation, while the most common dependent variables were workload, situation awareness, complacency, trust, and criteria of performance, e.g., number of correct responses or response time. Although the studies highlight important aspects of human-automation interaction, it is still unclear how system performance is affected. Nevertheless, the fact that many factors seem to be involved is taken as support for the system-oriented approach of the HCA programme. In conclusion, the review provides valuable input both to the design of experiments and to the development of a general theory. (Author). refs

Crossing Human Boundaries: Apocalypse and Posthumanism in Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valeria Mosca

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake (2003 and The Year of the Flood (2009 are the first and second novels in an as-yet-unfinished trilogy. The two works share a complex structure in which scenes from different moments in the future follow one another. A post-apocalyptic narrative line is intertwined with one that depicts events from a nearer future, all of them leading up to an environmental catastrophe of huge proportions. The nearest scenario is one of extreme genetic manipulation, in which the boundaries between species are blatantly crossed. Biopolitics strictly controls the environment and those who inhabit it; identities can be bought, and only some of them grant access to the Compounds – the only safe areas left after open spaces have become radioactive. In the meantime, all kinds of technological and genetic enhancements to human capabilities are being employed, some of them resulting in the creation of para-human populations. An environmental catastrophe follows, and both books feature last-man-on-earth narratives. Whether – or, more appropriately, how – the apocalyptic destruction is linked to an attempt to cross the boundary of the human is the issue this essay addresses. The first section deals with more classical interpretations of Atwood’s fiction as a cautionary tale about current environmental policies, whereas a new hypothesis is made in the second section, a post-humanist reading of Atwood's novels. Philosophical support will be provided by Jacques Derrida’s reflections on the fine line between animals and humans and Cary Wolfe’s theory of posthumanism.

From Narrative Slave to Movie: Adaptation Theory

OpenAIRE

Fathu Rahman, Dr.,M.Hum.

2017-01-01

Twelve Years a Slave is one of literary works that adapted in movie version with the same title. Twelve Years a Slave is a work was written by Solomon Northup which is based on his journey life when he was become slave for Twelve Years. In 2013, this work was adapted into movie by English film director with the same title. In the process of adapting a literary works into movie, it will be occurs many changes due the differences between two mediums. Although it ...

Applying Spatial Audio to Human Interfaces: 25 Years of NASA Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Begault, Durand R.; Wenzel, Elizabeth M.; Godfrey, Martine; Miller, Joel D.; Anderson, Mark R.

2010-01-01

From the perspective of human factors engineering, the inclusion of spatial audio within a human-machine interface is advantageous from several perspectives. Demonstrated benefits include the ability to monitor multiple streams of speech and non-speech warning tones using a cocktail party advantage, and for aurally-guided visual search. Other potential benefits include the spatial coordination and interaction of multimodal events, and evaluation of new communication technologies and alerting systems using virtual simulation. Many of these technologies were developed at NASA Ames Research Center, beginning in 1985. This paper reviews examples and describes the advantages of spatial sound in NASA-related technologies, including space operations, aeronautics, and search and rescue. The work has involved hardware and software development as well as basic and applied research.

Direct assessment of hepatic mitochondrial oxidative and anaplerotic fluxes in humans using dynamic 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Befroy, Douglas E; Perry, Rachel J; Jain, Nimit

2014-01-01

that rates of mitochondrial oxidation and anaplerosis in human liver can be directly determined noninvasively. Using this approach, we found the mean rates of hepatic tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle flux (VTCA) and anaplerotic flux (VANA) to be 0.43 ± 0.04 μmol g(-1) min(-1) and 0.60 ± 0.11 μmol g(-1) min(-1......), respectively, in twelve healthy, lean individuals. We also found the VANA/VTCA ratio to be 1.39 ± 0.22, which is severalfold lower than recently published estimates using an indirect approach. This method will be useful for understanding the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes...

Theories about evolutionary origins of human hepatitis B virus in primates and humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Souza, Breno Frederico de Carvalho Dominguez; Drexler, Jan Felix; Lima, Renato Santos de; Rosário, Mila de Oliveira Hughes Veiga do; Netto, Eduardo Martins

2014-01-01

The human hepatitis B virus causes acute and chronic hepatitis and is considered one of the most serious human health issues by the World Health Organization, causing thousands of deaths per year. There are similar viruses belonging to the Hepadnaviridae family that infect non-human primates and other mammals as well as some birds. The majority of non-human primate virus isolates were phylogenetically close to the human hepatitis B virus, but like the human genotypes, the origins of these viruses remain controversial. However, there is a possibility that human hepatitis B virus originated in primates. Knowing whether these viruses might be common to humans and primates is crucial in order to reduce the risk to humans. To review the existing knowledge about the evolutionary origins of viruses of the Hepadnaviridae family in primates. This review was done by reading several articles that provide information about the Hepadnaviridae virus family in non-human primates and humans and the possible origins and evolution of these viruses. The evolutionary origin of viruses of the Hepadnaviridae family in primates has been dated back to several thousand years; however, recent analyses of genomic fossils of avihepadnaviruses integrated into the genomes of several avian species have suggested a much older origin of this genus. Some hypotheses about the evolutionary origins of human hepatitis B virus have been debated since the '90s. One theory suggested a New World origin because of the phylogenetic co-segregation between some New World human hepatitis B virus genotypes F and H and woolly monkey human hepatitis B virus in basal sister-relationship to the Old World non-human primates and human hepatitis B virus variants. Another theory suggests an Old World origin of human hepatitis B virus, and that it would have been spread following prehistoric human migrations over 100,000 years ago. A third theory suggests a co-speciation of human hepatitis B virus in non-human primate

Tobacco Metabolites and Caffeine in Human Milk Purchased via the Internet.

Science.gov (United States)

Geraghty, Sheela R; McNamara, Kelly; Kwiek, Jesse J; Rogers, Lynette; Klebanoff, Mark A; Augustine, Molly; Keim, Sarah A

2015-11-01

Chemicals inhaled or ingested by mothers can be present in their milk. Our objective was to determine levels of nicotine, cotinine, and caffeine in human milk purchased via the Internet. We purchased human milk (n=102) via the Internet and abstracted seller advertisements for information volunteered about tobacco and caffeine use. Nicotine, cotinine, and caffeine levels in the milk were quantified by mass spectrometry according to published protocols. No sellers indicated smoking in their advertisement. Many of the milk samples (58%) had detectable nicotine or cotinine; four (4%) of the samples had nicotine or cotinine levels high enough to indicate active smoking. Twelve (12%) sellers said in their advertisements that they specifically limit (4%) or avoid (8%) caffeine entirely. Five (5%) of the samples had caffeine levels consistent with consuming at least 1 cup of coffee 2 hours prior to milk expression. Detectable amounts of caffeine were found in almost all of the samples (97%). In 102 milk samples, we detected evidence of active smoking, secondhand smoke exposure, and almost ubiquitous caffeine consumption. Buyers of human milk on the Internet should be aware that advertisements do not always include accurate information as to what substances may be present. Sellers may misrepresent their health behaviors or be unaware of lifestyle factors that can lead to exposure to nicotine and caffeine.

Use human urine as fertilizer in producing lettuce Waldmann green (Lactuca sativa L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mamani-Mamani Virginia

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The objective was to evaluate the response of growing lettuce, variety Waldmann Green, to the application of fermented human urine (HUF at different times. Urine was obtained from ecological toilets in the 7th district of El Alto municipal- ity. These exudates, fermentation took during different times: 3, 6 and 12 months, in order to eliminate the possible presence of pathogens. The treatments were T-1, with no urine, T-2, three months of fermentation, T-3 six months of fermentations and T-4 twelve months of fermentation. The highest value obtained was 14.75 cm plant height, which corresponds to T-3 treatment and the control (T-1 reached 17.71 cm, plant height. The T-3 applied with six months of obtained a performance of 5.52 kg m-2. This result could be due to the high concentration of nitrogen that has human urine and the witness presented a performance of 3.04 kg m-2. Likewise, we realize product compositional analysis to evaluate the presence of potential pathogens and according to the results did not present infestation of pathogens such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. It is therefore suitable for human consumption without presenting health risk.

Human nature, human culture: the case of cultural evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewens, Tim

2017-10-06

In recent years, far from arguing that evolutionary approaches to our own species permit us to describe the fundamental character of human nature, a prominent group of cultural evolutionary theorists has instead argued that the very idea of 'human nature' is one we should reject. It makes no sense, they argue, to speak of human nature in opposition to human culture. The very same sceptical arguments have also led some thinkers-usually from social anthropology-to dismiss the intimately related idea that we can talk of human culture in opposition to human nature. How, then, are we supposed to understand the cultural evolutionary project itself, whose proponents seem to deny the distinction between human nature and human culture, while simultaneously relying on a closely allied distinction between 'genetic' (or sometimes 'organic') evolution and 'cultural' evolution? This paper defends the cultural evolutionary project against the charge that, in refusing to endorse the concept of human nature, it has inadvertently sabotaged itself.

Neotropical echinococcosis caused by Echinococcus vogeli in a 6-year-old child: the second case report in humans in French Guiana.

Science.gov (United States)

Debourgogne, Anne; Blanchet, Denis; Fior, Angela; Umhang, Gérald; Simon, Stéphane; Aznar, Christine

2017-02-01

Human polycystic echinococcosis is a parasitic infection caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus vogeli which occurs in rural areas of Central and South America. Abdominal echinococcosis caused by E. vogeli is reported for the first time in a child, a 6-year-old boy in French Guiana. The diagnosis was made by histological and molecular techniques. In tropical regions, this neglected disease must be considered even in children.

Twelve-month and lifetime health service use in Te Rau Hinengaro: The New Zealand Mental Health Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Oakley Browne, Mark A; Wells, J Elisabeth; McGee, Magnus A

2006-10-01

To estimate the 12 month and lifetime use of health services for mental health problems. A nationwide face-to-face household survey carried out in 2003-2004. A fully structured diagnostic interview, the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 3.0) was used. There were 12 992 completed interviews from participants aged 16 years and over. The overall response rate was 73.3%. In this paper, the outcomes reported are 12 month and lifetime health service use for mental health and substance use problems. Of the population, 13.4% had a visit for a mental health reason in the 12 months before interview. Of all 12 month cases of mental disorder, 38.9% had a mental health visit to a health or non-health-care provider in the past 12 months. Of these 12 month cases, 16.4% had contact with a mental health specialist, 28.3% with a general medical provider, 4.8% within the human services sector and 6.9% with a complementary or alternative medicine practitioner. Most people with lifetime disorders eventually made contact if their disorder continued. However, the percentages seeking help at the age of onset were small for most disorders and several disorders had large percentages who never sought help. The median duration of delay until contact varies from 1 year for major depressive disorder to 38 years for specific phobias. A significant unmet need for treatment for people with mental disorder exists in the New Zealand community, as in other comparable countries.

Closest to the Heart--The Life of Emerson Hynes: A Biographical Study of Human Goodness with a Focus on the College Years

Science.gov (United States)

Cofell, Jeanne Lorraine

2014-01-01

This study examined human goodness as lived through the life of Emerson Hynes with a focus on the college years. Emerson Hynes was an ethics and sociology professor at St. John's University during the 1940s and 50s before he became legislative assistant to Senator Eugene McCarthy. He cared deeply about ethics and was a leader in family life,…

Common risk indicators for oral diseases and obesity in 12-year-olds: a South Pacific cross sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tubert-Jeannin, Stéphanie; Pichot, Hélène; Rouchon, Bernard; Pereira, Bruno; Hennequin, Martine

2018-01-08

Despite the increasing need to prevent obesity and oral diseases in adolescents worldwide, few studies have investigated the link existing between these conditions and their common risk factors. This study aims to evaluate the oral health and weight status of New Caledonian Children (aged 6,9,12 years) and to identify, amongst 12-year-olds, risk indicators that may characterize the groups of children affected by oral diseases, obesity or both diseases. This survey evaluated in 2011-2012 the oral health and stature-weight status and related risk indicators in a national representative sample of 6, 9 and 12 years-old children in New Caledonia. Dental status, chewing efficiency, height, weight and waist circumference were clinically recorded at school. The body mass index (BMI) and the waist to height ratio (WtHR) were calculated. For BMI the WHO Cut-offs were used. Twelve years-old participants responded to a questionnaire concerning socio-demographic and behavioural variables. For statistical analysis, the Clinical Oral and Global Health Index (COGHI) was developed and used. Twelve years-old children were categorised into four groups; Oral Diseases (ODG), Obesity (OG), Obesity and Oral Diseases (ODOG) and a Healthy Group (HG). A multivariate analysis was conducted using mixed-effects multinomial logistic regression models. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was greatly increasing from 6 years (respectively 10.8% [8.8;13.3] and 7.8% [6.0;9.9]) to 12 years (respectively 22.2% [19.9;24.7] and 20.5% [18.2;22.9]) and one third of the 12-yr-olds had an excess of abdominal adiposity. At age 12, 36.6% of the children were healthy (HG), 27.3% had oral diseases (ODG), 19.7% were obese (OG) and 16.5% had both conditions (ODOG). Geographical location, ethnicity, tooth-brushing frequency and masticatory disability were significant risk factors for the OG, ODOG and ODG groups. Ethnicity and masticatory impairment were common risk indicators for the association of oral

Data report - charts and graphs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1995-01-01

This article is the summary report of uranium transactions. Specific data includes: (1) last month's deals, (2) uranium prices, both ranges and historical trends over twelve year period, and (3) SWU prices and ranges over a twelve year period

Evolutionary trends of European bat lyssavirus type 2 including genetic characterization of Finnish strains of human and bat origin 24 years apart.

Science.gov (United States)

Jakava-Viljanen, Miia; Miia, Jakava-Viljanen; Nokireki, Tiina; Tiina, Nokireki; Sironen, Tarja; Tarja, Sironen; Vapalahti, Olli; Olli, Vapalahti; Sihvonen, Liisa; Liisa, Sihvonen; Huovilainen, Anita; Anita, Huovilainen

2015-06-01

Among other Lyssaviruses, Daubenton's and pond-bat-related European bat lyssavirus type 2 (EBLV-2) can cause human rabies. To investigate the diversity and evolutionary trends of EBLV-2, complete genome sequences of two Finnish isolates were analysed. One originated from a human case in 1985, and the other originated from a bat in 2009. The overall nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence identity of the two Finnish isolates were high, as well as the similarity to fully sequenced EBLV-2 strains originating from the UK and the Netherlands. In phylogenetic analysis, the EBLV-2 strains formed a monophyletic group that was separate from other bat-type lyssaviruses, with significant support. EBLV-2 shared the most recent common ancestry with Bokeloh bat lyssavirus (BBLV) and Khujan virus (KHUV). EBLV-2 showed limited diversity compared to RABV and appears to be well adapted to its host bat species. The slow tempo of viral evolution was evident in the estimations of divergence times for EBLV-2: the current diversity was estimated to have built up during the last 2000 years, and EBLV-2 diverged from KHUV about 8000 years ago. In a phylogenetic tree of partial N gene sequences, the Finnish EBLV-2 strains clustered with strains from Central Europe, supporting the hypothesis that EBLV-2 circulating in Finland might have a Central European origin. The Finnish EBLV-2 strains and a Swiss strain were estimated to have diverged from other EBLV-2 strains during the last 1000 years, and the two Finnish strains appear to have evolved from a common ancestor during the last 200 years.

Hippocampal Neuron Number Is Unchanged 1 Year After Fractionated Whole-Brain Irradiation at Middle Age

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Lei; Molina, Doris P.; Robbins, Michael E.; Wheeler, Kenneth T.; Brunso-Bechtold, Judy K.

2008-01-01

Purpose: To determine whether hippocampal neurons are lost 12 months after middle-aged rats received a fractionated course of whole-brain irradiation (WBI) that is expected to be biologically equivalent to the regimens used clinically in the treatment of brain tumors. Methods and Materials: Twelve-month-old Fischer 344 X Brown Norway male rats were divided into WBI and control (CON) groups (n = 6 per group). Anesthetized WBI rats received 45 Gy of 137 Cs γ rays delivered as 9 5-Gy fractions twice per week for 4.5 weeks. Control rats were anesthetized but not irradiated. Twelve months after WBI completion, all rats were anesthetized and perfused with paraformaldehyde, and hippocampal sections were immunostained with the neuron-specific antibody NeuN. Using unbiased stereology, total neuron number and the volume of the neuronal and neuropil layers were determined in the dentate gyrus, CA3, and CA1 subregions of hippocampus. Results: No differences in tissue integrity or neuron distribution were observed between the WBI and CON groups. Moreover, quantitative analysis demonstrated that neither total neuron number nor the volume of neuronal or neuropil layers differed between the two groups for any subregion. Conclusions: Impairment on a hippocampal-dependent learning and memory test occurs 1 year after fractionated WBI at middle age. The same WBI regimen, however, does not lead to a loss of neurons or a reduction in the volume of hippocampus

The Gap in Noise test in 11 and 12-year-old children.

Science.gov (United States)

Perez, Ana Paula; Pereira, Liliane Desgualdo

2010-01-01

gap detection in 11 and 12-year-old children. to investigate temporal resolution through the Gap in Noise test in children of 11 and 12 years in order to establish criteria of normal development. participants were 92 children, with ages of 11 and 12 years, enrolled in elementary school, with no evidences of otologic, and/or neurologic, and/or cognitive disorders, as well as with no history of learning difficulties or school failure. Besides that, participants' hearing thresholds were within normal limits and their verbal recognition in the dichotic test of digits was equal or superior to 95% of hits. All were submitted to the Gap in Noise test. The statistical analysis was performed by non-parametric tests with significance level of 0.05 (5%). the average of the gap thresholds was 5.05 ms, and the average percentage of correct answers was 71.70%. There was no significant statistical difference between the responses by age (eleven and twelve years), by ear (right and left), by gender (male and female). However, when comparing the tests, it was observed that the 1st test showed a higher percentage of identifications of gap, statistically significant than the 2nd test. in 78.27% of the population of this study, the gap thresholds were up to 5 ms, response recommended as normality reference for the age group searched.

Epidemiological and molecular characteristics of Chlamydia psittaci from 8 human cases of psittacosis and 4 related birds in Argentina.

Science.gov (United States)

Cadario, María E; Frutos, María C; Arias, Maite B; Origlia, Javier A; Zelaya, Vanina; Madariaga, María J; Lara, Claudia S; Ré, Viviana; Cuffini, Cecilia G

In Argentina, the epidemiological and molecular characteristics of Chlamydia psittaci infections are still not sufficiently known. A total of 846 respiratory and 10 ocular samples from patients with suspected human psittacosis were tested for C. psittaci from January 2010 to March 2015. Four samples of birds related to these patients were also studied. Forty-eight samples were positive for C. psittaci by a nested PCR. The molecular characterization of twelve C. psittaci PCR-positive samples received in the National Reference Laboratory INEI-ANLIS "Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán", Buenos Aires, Argentina was performed. Eight positive samples from humans and four from birds were genotyped by ompA gene sequencing. C. psittaci genotype A was found in all human samples and in the related birds. This report contributes to our increasing knowledge of the epidemiological and molecular characteristics of C. psittaci to conduct effective surveillance of its zoonotic infections. Copyright © 2017 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Occurrence, course and prognosis during the first year of disease in a European population-based inception cohort

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burisch, Johan

2014-01-01

subsequent to diagnosis in terms of clinical presentation, disease outcome, treatment choices, frequency of environmental risk factors, as well as patient-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and quality of care (QoC). Finally, we assessed resource utilization during the initial year of disease......-specific HRQoL improved in all IBD patients and at twelve months follow-up the majority of patients had a good disease-specific HRQoL score. Differences in how, and from whom, patients received disease-specific education and information were noted between the geographic regions; for instance IBD specialist...

The Knowledge, Attitude and Behaviours of Women above 18 Years Old about Genital Warts, Cervical Cancer and Human Papilloma Virus Vaccination

OpenAIRE

Fatma Gökşin Cihan; Arzu Ataseven; İlkay Özer; Zeynep Can Turhan

2016-01-01

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of women on genital warts, cervical cancer and human papilloma virus (HPV). Methods: Women aged 18 years old and over, admitting dermatology outpatient clinics of Konya Training and Research Hospital for any reason, were included in this cross sectional descriptive study. A 19-question survey was administered to 543 women to evaluate their knowledge and attitudes on genital warts, cervical cancer, smear test, protection met...

Twelve previously unknown phage genera are ubiquitous in global oceans.

Science.gov (United States)

Holmfeldt, Karin; Solonenko, Natalie; Shah, Manesh; Corrier, Kristen; Riemann, Lasse; Verberkmoes, Nathan C; Sullivan, Matthew B

2013-07-30

Viruses are fundamental to ecosystems ranging from oceans to humans, yet our ability to study them is bottlenecked by the lack of ecologically relevant isolates, resulting in "unknowns" dominating culture-independent surveys. Here we present genomes from 31 phages infecting multiple strains of the aquatic bacterium Cellulophaga baltica (Bacteroidetes) to provide data for an underrepresented and environmentally abundant bacterial lineage. Comparative genomics delineated 12 phage groups that (i) each represent a new genus, and (ii) represent one novel and four well-known viral families. This diversity contrasts the few well-studied marine phage systems, but parallels the diversity of phages infecting human-associated bacteria. Although all 12 Cellulophaga phages represent new genera, the podoviruses and icosahedral, nontailed ssDNA phages were exceptional, with genomes up to twice as large as those previously observed for each phage type. Structural novelty was also substantial, requiring experimental phage proteomics to identify 83% of the structural proteins. The presence of uncommon nucleotide metabolism genes in four genera likely underscores the importance of scavenging nutrient-rich molecules as previously seen for phages in marine environments. Metagenomic recruitment analyses suggest that these particular Cellulophaga phages are rare and may represent a first glimpse into the phage side of the rare biosphere. However, these analyses also revealed that these phage genera are widespread, occurring in 94% of 137 investigated metagenomes. Together, this diverse and novel collection of phages identifies a small but ubiquitous fraction of unknown marine viral diversity and provides numerous environmentally relevant phage-host systems for experimental hypothesis testing.

A randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover, double-blind trial of the NK1 receptor antagonist aprepitant on gastrointestinal motor function in healthy humans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fuglsang, S.; Madsen, Jan Lysgård

2008-01-01

emptying, small intestinal transit and colonic transit of a radiolabelled, 1600-kJ mixed liquid and solid meal ingested on day 2. RESULTS: Aprepitant did not change gastric retention at 15 min, gastric half emptying time, gastric mean transit time, time to small intestinal transit of 10%, small intestinal...... in healthy humans. METHODS: Twelve healthy volunteers participated in a crossover, double-blind study. In random order, each volunteer had a 125-mg capsule of aprepitant or placebo on day 1 followed by an 80-mg capsule of aprepitant or placebo on days 2-5. Gamma camera imaging was used to measure gastric...

High-affinity human leucocyte antigen class I binding variola-derived peptides induce CD4(+) T cell responses more than 30 years post-vaccinia virus vaccination

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, M.; Tang, Sheila Tuyet; Lund, Ole

2009-01-01

Interferon-gamma secreting T lymphocytes against pox virus-derived synthetic 9-mer peptides were tested by enzyme-linked immunospot in peripheral blood of individuals vaccinated with vaccinia virus more than 30 years ago. The peptides were characterized biochemically as high-affinity human leucoc...

Digital Humanities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brügger, Niels

2016-01-01

, and preserving material to study, as an object of study in its own right, as an analytical tool, or for collaborating, and for disseminating results. The term "digital humanities" was coined around 2001, and gained currency within academia in the following years. However, computers had been used within......Digital humanities is an umbrella term for theories, methodologies, and practices related to humanities scholarship that use the digital computer as an integrated and essential part of its research and teaching activities. The computer can be used for establishing, finding, collecting...

Esprit: A Humanities Magazine.

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Donald G.; Capella, Barry John

In March 1984, the first issue of "Esprit," a semi-annual humanities magazine for the 56 two-year colleges in New York State, was published. The magazine seeks to confront the apparent decline of student interest in the humanities, community doubts about the relevance of the humanities, and the seeming indifference to the special truths…

Sex Differences in Occupational Attainment: A Twelve-Nation Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Roos, Patricia A.

Differences in the occupational attainment patterns of men and women were investigated by using data from 12 industrial societies. The sample consisted of employed persons 20 to 64 years of age working full- or part-time in the United States, Australia, Denmark, Finland, West Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Sweden,…

Tracking the origins and diet of an endemic island canid (Urocyon littoralis) across 7300 years of human cultural and environmental change

Science.gov (United States)

Hofman, Courtney A.; Rick, Torben C.; Maldonado, Jesús E.; Collins, Paul W.; Erlandson, Jon M.; Fleischer, Robert C.; Smith, Chelsea; Sillett, T. Scott; Ralls, Katherine; Teeter, Wendy; Vellanoweth, René L.; Newsome, Seth D.

2016-08-01

Understanding how human activities have influenced the foraging ecology of wildlife is important as our planet faces ongoing and impending habitat and climatic change. We review the canine surrogacy approach (CSA)-a tool for comparing human, dog, and other canid diets in the past-and apply CSA to investigate possible ancient human resource provisioning in an endangered canid, the California Channel Islands fox (Urocyon littoralis). We conducted stable isotope analysis of bone collagen samples from ancient and modern island foxes (n = 214) and mainland gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus, n = 24). We compare these data to isotope values of ancient humans and dogs, and synthesize 29 Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates that fine-tune the chronology of island foxes. AMS dates confirm that island foxes likely arrived during the early Holocene (>7300 cal BP) on the northern islands in the archipelago and during the middle Holocene (>5500 cal BP) on the southern islands. We found no evidence that island foxes were consistently using anthropogenic resources (e.g., food obtained by scavenging around human habitation sites or direct provisioning by Native Americans), except for a few individuals on San Nicolas Island and possibly on San Clemente and Santa Rosa islands. Decreases in U. littoralis carbon and nitrogen isotope values between prehistoric times and the 19th century on San Nicolas Island suggest that changes in human land use from Native American hunter-gatherer occupations to historical ranching had a strong influence on fox diet. Island foxes exhibit considerable dietary variation through time and between islands and have adapted to a wide variety of climatic and cultural changes over the last 7300 years. This generalist foraging strategy suggests that endemic island foxes may be resilient to future changes in resource availability.

Interaction of transcranial magnetic stimulation and electrical transmastoid stimulation in human subjects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Taylor, Janet L; Petersen, Nicolas Caesar; Butler, Jane E

2002-01-01

Transcranial magnetic stimulation activates corticospinal neurones directly and transsynaptically and hence, activates motoneurones and results in a response in the muscle. Transmastoid stimulation results in a similar muscle response through activation of axons in the spinal cord. This study...... was designed to determine whether the two stimuli activate the same descending axons. Responses to transcranial magnetic stimuli paired with electrical transmastoid stimuli were examined in biceps brachii in human subjects. Twelve interstimulus intervals (ISIs) from -6 ms (magnet before transmastoid) to 5 ms......-wave, facilitation still occurred at ISIs of -6 and -5 ms and depression of the paired response at ISIs of 0, 1, 4 and 5 ms. The interaction of the response to transmastoid stimulation with the multiple descending volleys elicited by magnetic stimulation of the cortex is complex. However, depression of the response...

Economy, Movement Dynamics, and Muscle Activity of Human Walking at Different Speeds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Raffalt, Peter Christian; Guul, Martin Kjær; Nielsen, A. N.

2017-01-01

The complex behaviour of human walking with respect to movement variability, economy and muscle activity is speed dependent. It is well known that a U-shaped relationship between walking speed and economy exists. However, it is an open question if the movement dynamics of joint angles and centre...... of mass and muscle activation strategy also exhibit a U-shaped relationship with walking speed. We investigated the dynamics of joint angle trajectories and the centre of mass accelerations at five different speeds ranging from 20 to 180% of the predicted preferred speed (based on Froude speed) in twelve...... healthy males. The muscle activation strategy and walking economy were also assessed. The movement dynamics was investigated using a combination of the largest Lyapunov exponent and correlation dimension. We observed an intermediate stage of the movement dynamics of the knee joint angle and the anterior...

[Meteorology and the human body: two hundred years of history].

Science.gov (United States)

Forrai, Judit

2010-07-04

Modern meteorology was started in the 18th century, with the establishment of observer networks through countries. Since then, temperature, pressure and purity of air, quantity of powder have been measured and the effects of changes on the human body have been studied. New theories have been set relating to the atmospheric properties of microorganisms. Changes of pathogens in the context of climatic changes have been also studied.

Novel polyomaviruses of nonhuman primates: genetic and serological predictors for the existence of multiple unknown polyomaviruses within the human population.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nelly Scuda

Full Text Available Polyomaviruses are a family of small non-enveloped DNA viruses that encode oncogenes and have been associated, to greater or lesser extent, with human disease and cancer. Currently, twelve polyomaviruses are known to circulate within the human population. To further examine the diversity of human polyomaviruses, we have utilized a combinatorial approach comprised of initial degenerate primer-based PCR identification and phylogenetic analysis of nonhuman primate (NHP polyomavirus species, followed by polyomavirus-specific serological analysis of human sera. Using this approach we identified twenty novel NHP polyomaviruses: nine in great apes (six in chimpanzees, two in gorillas and one in orangutan, five in Old World monkeys and six in New World monkeys. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that only four of the nine chimpanzee polyomaviruses (six novel and three previously identified had known close human counterparts. To determine whether the remaining chimpanzee polyomaviruses had potential human counterparts, the major viral capsid proteins (VP1 of four chimpanzee polyomaviruses were expressed in E. coli for use as antigens in enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA. Human serum/plasma samples from both Côte d'Ivoire and Germany showed frequent seropositivity for the four viruses. Antibody pre-adsorption-based ELISA excluded the possibility that reactivities resulted from binding to known human polyomaviruses. Together, these results support the existence of additional polyomaviruses circulating within the human population that are genetically and serologically related to existing chimpanzee polyomaviruses.

Novel Polyomaviruses of Nonhuman Primates: Genetic and Serological Predictors for the Existence of Multiple Unknown Polyomaviruses within the Human Population

Science.gov (United States)

Scuda, Nelly; Madinda, Nadege Freda; Akoua-Koffi, Chantal; Adjogoua, Edgard Valerie; Wevers, Diana; Hofmann, Jörg; Cameron, Kenneth N.; Leendertz, Siv Aina J.; Couacy-Hymann, Emmanuel; Robbins, Martha; Boesch, Christophe; Jarvis, Michael A.; Moens, Ugo; Mugisha, Lawrence; Calvignac-Spencer, Sébastien; Leendertz, Fabian H.; Ehlers, Bernhard

2013-01-01

Polyomaviruses are a family of small non-enveloped DNA viruses that encode oncogenes and have been associated, to greater or lesser extent, with human disease and cancer. Currently, twelve polyomaviruses are known to circulate within the human population. To further examine the diversity of human polyomaviruses, we have utilized a combinatorial approach comprised of initial degenerate primer-based PCR identification and phylogenetic analysis of nonhuman primate (NHP) polyomavirus species, followed by polyomavirus-specific serological analysis of human sera. Using this approach we identified twenty novel NHP polyomaviruses: nine in great apes (six in chimpanzees, two in gorillas and one in orangutan), five in Old World monkeys and six in New World monkeys. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that only four of the nine chimpanzee polyomaviruses (six novel and three previously identified) had known close human counterparts. To determine whether the remaining chimpanzee polyomaviruses had potential human counterparts, the major viral capsid proteins (VP1) of four chimpanzee polyomaviruses were expressed in E. coli for use as antigens in enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). Human serum/plasma samples from both Côte d'Ivoire and Germany showed frequent seropositivity for the four viruses. Antibody pre-adsorption-based ELISA excluded the possibility that reactivities resulted from binding to known human polyomaviruses. Together, these results support the existence of additional polyomaviruses circulating within the human population that are genetically and serologically related to existing chimpanzee polyomaviruses. PMID:23818846

Intraindividual variability in reaction time predicts cognitive outcomes 5 years later.

Science.gov (United States)

Bielak, Allison A M; Hultsch, David F; Strauss, Esther; Macdonald, Stuart W S; Hunter, Michael A

2010-11-01

Building on results suggesting that intraindividual variability in reaction time (inconsistency) is highly sensitive to even subtle changes in cognitive ability, this study addressed the capacity of inconsistency to predict change in cognitive status (i.e., cognitive impairment, no dementia [CIND] classification) and attrition 5 years later. Two hundred twelve community-dwelling older adults, initially aged 64-92 years, remained in the study after 5 years. Inconsistency was calculated from baseline reaction time performance. Participants were assigned to groups on the basis of their fluctuations in CIND classification over time. Logistic and Cox regressions were used. Baseline inconsistency significantly distinguished among those who remained or transitioned into CIND over the 5 years and those who were consistently intact (e.g., stable intact vs. stable CIND, Wald (1) = 7.91, p < .01, Exp(β) = 1.49). Average level of inconsistency over time was also predictive of study attrition, for example, Wald (1) = 11.31, p < .01, Exp(β) = 1.24. For both outcomes, greater inconsistency was associated with a greater likelihood of being in a maladaptive group 5 years later. Variability based on moderately cognitively challenging tasks appeared to be particularly sensitive to longitudinal changes in cognitive ability. Mean rate of responding was a comparable predictor of change in most instances, but individuals were at greater relative risk of being in a maladaptive outcome group if they were more inconsistent rather than if they were slower in responding. Implications for the potential utility of intraindividual variability in reaction time as an early marker of cognitive decline are discussed. (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved

Twelve tips for effective body language for medical educators.

Science.gov (United States)

Hale, Andrew J; Freed, Jason; Ricotta, Daniel; Farris, Grace; Smith, C Christopher

2017-09-01

A significant proportion of human communication is nonverbal. Although the fields of business and psychology have significant literature on effectively using body language in a variety of situations, there is limited literature on effective body language for medical educators. To provide 12 tips to highlight effective body language strategies and techniques for medical educators. The tips provided are based on our experiences and reflections as clinician-educators and the available literature. The 12 tips presented offer specific strategies to engage learners, balance learner participation, and bring energy and passion to teaching. Medical educators seeking to maximize their effectiveness would benefit from an understanding of how body language affects a learning environment and how body language techniques can be used to engage audiences, maintain attention, control challenging learners, and convey passion for a topic. Understanding and using body language effectively is an important instructional skill.

Efficacy of a monovalent human-bovine (116E) rotavirus vaccine in Indian children in the second year of life.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhandari, Nita; Rongsen-Chandola, Temsunaro; Bavdekar, Ashish; John, Jacob; Antony, Kalpana; Taneja, Sunita; Goyal, Nidhi; Kawade, Anand; Kang, Gagandeep; Rathore, Sudeep Singh; Juvekar, Sanjay; Muliyil, Jayaprakash; Arya, Alok; Shaikh, Hanif; Abraham, Vinod; Vrati, Sudhanshu; Proschan, Michael; Kohberger, Robert; Thiry, Georges; Glass, Roger; Greenberg, Harry B; Curlin, George; Mohan, Krishna; Harshavardhan, G V J A; Prasad, Sai; Rao, T S; Boslego, John; Bhan, Maharaj Kishan

2014-08-11

Rotavirus gastroenteritis is one of the leading causes of diarrhea in Indian children less than 2 years of age. The 116E rotavirus strain was developed as part of the Indo-US Vaccine Action Program and has undergone efficacy trials. This paper reports the efficacy and additional safety data in children up to 2 years of age. In a double-blind placebo controlled multicenter trial, 6799 infants aged 6-7 weeks were randomized to receive three doses of an oral human-bovine natural reassortant vaccine (116E) or placebo at ages 6, 10, and 14 weeks. The primary outcome was severe (≥11 on the Vesikari scale) rotavirus gastroenteritis. Efficacy outcomes and adverse events were ascertained through active surveillance. We randomly assigned 4532 and 2267 subjects to receive vaccine and placebo, respectively, with over 96% subjects receiving all three doses of the vaccine or placebo. The per protocol analyses included 4354 subjects in the vaccine and 2187 subjects in the placebo group. The overall incidence of severe RVGE per 100 person years was 1.3 in the vaccine group and 2.9 in the placebo recipients. Vaccine efficacy against severe rotavirus gastroenteritis in children up to 2 years of age was 55.1% (95% CI 39.9 to 66.4; pvaccine efficacy in the second year of life of 48.9% (95% CI 17.4 to 68.4; p=0.0056) was only marginally less than in the first year of life [56.3% (95% CI 36.7 to 69.9; pvaccine dose and all were reported only after the third dose. The sustained efficacy of the 116E in the second year of life is reassuring. The trial is registered with Clinical Trial Registry-India (# CTRI/2010/091/000102) and Clinicaltrials.gov (# NCT01305109). Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Varicella vaccination coverage of children under two years of age in Germany

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reuss Annicka M

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Since July 2004, routine varicella vaccination is recommended by the German Standing Vaccination Committee in Germany. Health Insurance Funds started to cover vaccination costs at different time points between 2004 and 2006 in the Federal States. Nationwide representative data on vaccination coverage against varicella of children under two years of age are not available. We aimed to determine varicella vaccination coverage in statutory health insured children under two years of age in twelve German Federal States using data from associations of statutory health insurance physicians (ASHIPs, in order to investigate the acceptance of the recommended routine varicella vaccination programme. Methods We analysed data on varicella vaccination from 13 of 17 ASHIPs of the years 2004 to 2007. The study population consisted of all statutory health insured children under two years of age born in 2004 (cohort 2004 or 2005 (cohort 2005 in one of the studied regions. Vaccination coverage was determined by the number of children vaccinated under 2 years of age within the study population. Results Varicella vaccination coverage of children under two years of age with either one dose of the monovalent varicella vaccine or two doses of the measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella vaccine increased from 34% (cohort 2004 to 51% (cohort 2005 in the studied regions (p Conclusions Our study shows increasing varicella vaccination coverage of young children, indicating a growing acceptance of the routine varicella vaccination programme by the parents and physicians. We recommend further monitoring of vaccination coverage using data from ASHIPs to investigate acceptance of the routine vaccination programmes over time.

[Acceptance of the vaccine against human papilloma virus from mothers to daughters aged 9 to 13 years old].

Science.gov (United States)

Godoy Verdugo, Melissa Karina; Zonana Nacach, Abraham; Anzaldo Campos, Maria Cecilia

2013-11-01

If you consider that at some point in life 50% of sexually active women have had an infection with the human papilloma virus is indisputable that any attempt to reduce the prevalence worth undertaking it. The vaccine to prevent HIV infection has not enjoyed the same degree of acceptance than others, hence the interest in knowing some of the reasons that has not achieved universal vaccination. To examine human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine acceptability among mothers with adolescents girls between 9 and 13 years old. The mothers were interrogated about HVP vaccine acceptability, reasons provided for acceptance or non-acceptance and if mothers know that vaccine is offered free for public health institutions We interview a 250 mothers with 281 daughters, 38 daughters have already received the vaccine. Eighty nine percent of the mothers reacted positively to the possibility of vaccinating theirs daughters. The reasons of vaccine non-acceptance were because not knowing enough about infection, mother felt that their daughters were not at risk for acquiring HVP infection, the vaccine is new and mothers unknown side effects. Thirty nine percent of the mothers want to know more about the vaccine safety, 21% about length protection duration and 16% concerning about if the vaccine is effective. Fifty seven per cent of the mothers know that Health Secretary offers vaccine free. Mothers whom have been vaccinated their daughters, had daughters with lower age (9.8 +/- 0.9 vs 10.8 +/- 1.3 years, p = 0.0001), were more frequently married (79 vs 51%, p = 0.002) and more likely to report that they had heard about VPH vaccine from some source (100 vs 66%, p = 0.0001) that mothers have not yet vaccinated their daughters. The acceptability of VPH vaccine was 89%. Continued health education and propaganda is needed to promote a better knowledge of VPH vaccine.

MRI-tracking of transplanted human ASC in a SCID mouse model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Siegmund, Birte J.; Kasten, Annika [Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Facial Plastic Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center (Germany); Kühn, Jens-Peter [Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, Greifswald University Medical Center (Germany); Winter, Karsten [Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig (Germany); Grüttner, Cordula [Micromod Partikeltechnologie GmbH, Rostock (Germany); Frerich, Bernhard, E-mail: bernhard.frerich@med.uni-rostock.de [Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Facial Plastic Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center (Germany)

2017-04-01

Background: Regarding strategies improving the efficacy of stem cell transplantation in adipose tissue engineering, cell tracking might be useful. Here we report the in vivo tracking of adipose tissue derived stem cells (ASC) by means of nanoparticle labeling and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Here we report the in vivo tracking of adipose tissue derived stromal cells (ASC) by means of nanoparticle labeling and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and methods: Human ASC were amplified and labeled with two types of magnetic nanoparticles (MNP), BNF starch and nanomag®-D-spio. Adipose tissue constructs were fabricated by seeding collagen scaffolds with labeled and unlabeled ASCs. Constructs were implanted subcutaneously in the back of severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice (n =69, group 1: control with cells w/o label, group 2: BNF starch labeled cells, group 3: nanomag®-D-spio labeled cells). MRI scans were performed at 24 hours, four, twelve and 28 days and four months in a 7.1 T animal device. Explanted constructs were analyzed histomorphometrically. Results: MRI scans showed high contrast of the labeled cells in t2-tse-sequence compared to unlabeled controls. Loss of volume of the implants was observed over time due to partial loss for transplanted cells without significant difference (level of significance p<0.017). Compared to histomorphometry, there was found a positiv correlations in measurement of implant size with a significant at day four (correlation coefficient =0.643; p=0.024) and day twelve (correlation coefficient =0.687; p=0.010). Additional Prussian blue stain showed iron in all implants. Significant differences between the three groups (significance level p<0.017) were found after twelve days between control group and group 3 (p=0.008) and after 28 days between control group and group 2 and 3 (p=0.011). Conclusion: Both MNPs might be suitable for tracking of ASC in vivo and show long term stability over 4 months. - Highlights: �

Integrating Access to Arctic Environmental Change and Human Health Research for the International Polar Year and Beyond

Science.gov (United States)

Garrett, C. L.

2006-12-01

hosting the Arctic Human Health Initiative (AHHI), the human health focus of the International Polar Year activities. AHHI will coordinate research in the areas of infectious disease; the effects of anthropogenic pollution, UV radiation, and climate variability on human health; and telehealth innovations. A major goal of AHHI is the better integration of the findings of Arctic health research through outreach programs and public education.

Male anorexia and bulimia nervosa: Disorder symptoms and impulsive behaviour during hospital treatment and one year follow-up period.

Science.gov (United States)

Sernec, Karin; Mrevlje, Gorazd V; Čarapič, Jadranka; Weber, Urška; Zalar, Bojan

2015-09-01

The study aimed to evaluate treatment efficacy in male patients with anorexia (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) treated at the Eating Disorder Unit, University Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana, Slovenia (EDU UPCL), using longitudinal assessments of eating disorder (ED) symptoms and selected impulsive behaviours highly correlated with these entities from hospital admission till twelve months after. 35 male AN and 35 male BN patients were included. Participants were aged 17 or more and somatically stable with the BMI>12 kg/m(2). Patients with psychiatric comorbidity, mental disorder due to a general medical condition, or serious somatic or neurological disease were excluded. Intensity of ED symptoms and presence of selected impulsive behaviours were evaluated at hospital admission and discharge, and three, six and twelve months after, using an internal Eating Disorder Unit Questionnaire. For statistical analysis multivariate analysis of variance was used. Throughout the research period the appropriate changes in BMI were observed in both patient groups. In both, AN and BN patient groups, the evaluation of longitudinal differences regarding the intensity of all ED symptoms and the presence of studied impulsive behaviours showed a significant decline at discharge and all subsequent assessments compared to the results obtained upon admission to the hospital. The re-hospitalization rates of patients with AN and BN in the first year after discharge from the hospital were 3.84% vs. 3.7% respectively. In male patients with AN and BN treated at the EDU UPCL, ED symptoms, BMI, and studied impulsive behaviours show a substantial improvement during hospital treatment. These changes seem to be long lasting, still being effective through one-year post-hospitalization follow-up.

The world's first human-to-human heart transplant at Groote Schuur ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The world's first human-to-human heart transplant at Groote Schuur Hospital: 50 years later. Johan Brink, Tim Pennel, Karen Seele, Peter Zilla. Abstract. No Abstract. Full Text: EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT · AJOL African Journals Online. HOW TO ...

Analysis of twelve-month degradation in three polycrystalline photovoltaic modules

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, T.; Potter, B. G.; Simmons-Potter, K.

2016-09-01

Polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) modules have the advantage of lower manufacturing cost as compared to their monocrystalline counterparts, but generally exhibit both lower initial module efficiencies and more significant early-stage efficiency degradation than do similar monocrystalline PV modules. For both technologies, noticeable deterioration in power conversion efficiency typically occurs over the first two years of usage. Estimating PV lifetime by examining the performance degradation behavior under given environmental conditions is, therefore, one of continual goals for experimental research and economic analysis. In the present work, accelerated lifecycle testing (ALT) on three polycrystalline PV technologies was performed in a full-scale, industrial-standard environmental chamber equipped with single-sun irradiance capability, providing an illumination uniformity of 98% over a 2 x 1.6m area. In order to investigate environmental aging effects, timedependent PV performance (I-V characteristic) was evaluated over a recurring, compressed day-night cycle, which simulated local daily solar insolation for the southwestern United States, followed by dark (night) periods. During a total test time of just under 4 months that corresponded to a year equivalent exposure on a fielded module, the temperature and humidity varied in ranges from 3°C to 40°C and 5% to 85% based on annual weather profiles for Tucson, AZ. Removing the temperature de-rating effect that was clearly seen in the data enabled the computation of normalized efficiency degradation with time and environmental exposure. Results confirm the impact of environmental conditions on the module long-term performance. Overall, more than 2% efficiency degradation in the first year of usage was observed for all thee polycrystalline Si solar modules. The average 5-year degradation of each PV technology was estimated based on their determined degradation rates.

Big History or the 13800 million years from the Big Bang to the Human Brain

Science.gov (United States)

Gústafsson, Ludvik E.

2017-04-01

Big History is the integrated history of the Cosmos, Earth, Life, and Humanity. It is an attempt to understand our existence as a continuous unfolding of processes leading to ever more complex structures. Three major steps in the development of the Universe can be distinguished, the first being the creation of matter/energy and forces in the context of an expanding universe, while the second and third steps were reached when completely new qualities of matter came into existence. 1. Matter comes out of nothing Quantum fluctuations and the inflation event are thought to be responsible for the creation of stable matter particles in what is called the Big Bang. Along with simple particles the universe is formed. Later larger particles like atoms and the most simple chemical elements hydrogen and helium evolved. Gravitational contraction of hydrogen and helium formed the first stars und later on the first galaxies. Massive stars ended their lives in violent explosions releasing heavier elements like carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur and iron into the universe. Subsequent star formation led to star systems with bodies containing these heavier elements. 2. Matter starts to live About 9200 million years after the Big Bang a rather inconspicous star of middle size formed in one of a billion galaxies. The leftovers of the star formation clumped into bodies rotating around the central star. In some of them elements like silicon, oxygen, iron and many other became the dominant matter. On the third of these bodies from the central star much of the surface was covered with an already very common chemical compound in the universe, water. Fluid water and plenty of various elements, especially carbon, were the ingredients of very complex chemical compounds that made up even more complex structures. These were able to replicate themselves. Life had appeared, the only occasion that we human beings know of. Life evolved subsequently leading eventually to the formation of multicellular

Comparison of the refractive error changes among young children in ten years interval

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hai-Yan Li

2013-07-01

Full Text Available AIM: To compare the optometric examination results of myopic young children between those diagnosed in the period from 1998 to 2000 and those diagnosed in the period from 2008 to 2010; and to find out the causes of myopia and factors that worsen the condition, and suggest methods of its prevention and treatment.METHODS: This study was a retrospective case study. We randomly selected sample from out-patient department register of cases and divided them into two main groups, ‘ten year before group'(TYBG(1998/2000 year casesand ‘ten years later group'(2008/2010 year cases(TYLG. Each group was further subdivided into three sub-groups by age: under-six years old children group(CG, seven-twelve years old primary-school group(PSGand thirteen-eighteen years old middle-school group(MSG. The optometric examination results were statistically analyzed.RESULTS: The difference of the mean dioptre between the TYBG and TYLG was strongly statistically significant, also forward-lead trend of age when children suffered from myopia was found(P0.01. There was a significant increase of dioptre among PSG and MSG in TYLG compared to TYBG(PCONCLUSION: Our study shows that the age of getting myopia was forward lead, the dioptre increases by 1.00 degree and the prevalence of myopia is increasing gradually. This situation may due to the modern life style and changes of living standard of the population. Therefore, prevention of myopia should concentrate more on younger children at kindergarten and primary school stage students.

Twelve-month-olds' understanding of intention transfer through communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Him; Xiao, Wen; Lai, Ching Man

2012-01-01

Do infants understand that intention can be transferred through communication? We answered this question by examining 12-month-olds' looking times in a violation-of-expectation paradigm with two human agents. In familiarization, the non-acting agent spoke, clapped her hands, read aloud a book, or remained silent before the acting agent grasped one (the target) of two objects. During test only the non-actor remained, grasping either the target or distractor. The infants looked longer in the distractor than target condition, suggesting violation of expectation, only if the non-actor had spoken or clapped in familiarization. Because the non-actor never had grasped any of the objects in familiarization, the infants' expectation on her behavior could have developed from the understanding that her intention was transferred to the actor, who executed it by grasping the target in familiarization, via speaking and clapping as acts of communication (but not reading aloud and remaining silent).

Statistical analysis of the structure and dynamics of material and human resources in public education over the past two academic years in Bacau

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eugenia Harja

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The public university education in Bacau, represented by “Vasile Alecsandri” University from Bacau has developed over the past two years not only in terms of student numbers, but as human and material resources available to them. After the number of students per teacher, public higher education from Bacau is situated on the second place after Iasi, the number of teachers representing 1% of the country. The structure by scientific degrees of teachers has improved in the last year, reaching over 36% professors and lecturers and 144 PhDs. Over 55% of the teachers are younger than 40 years. The material basis has improved both quantitatively and qualitatively by putting into use a new building, bringing an additional 27 classrooms and 11 seminar rooms and providing the conditions of modern higher education.

Human Computation

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2008-01-01

What if people could play computer games and accomplish work without even realizing it? What if billions of people collaborated to solve important problems for humanity or generate training data for computers? My work aims at a general paradigm for doing exactly that: utilizing human processing power to solve computational problems in a distributed manner. In particular, I focus on harnessing human time and energy for addressing problems that computers cannot yet solve. Although computers have advanced dramatically in many respects over the last 50 years, they still do not possess the basic conceptual intelligence or perceptual capabilities...

The Pace of Peace on the Viability of Bosnia and Herzegovina Twelve Years after Dayton

Science.gov (United States)

2007-06-01

Martin van Creveld, “Before the State: Prehistory to AD 1300,” in The Rise and Decline of the State (Cambridge University Press, 1999), 1. 12 Yale H...4, no. 1 (March 2005): 58. 55 Kirsti Samuels and Vanessa Hawkins Wyeth, “State-Building and Constitutional Design after Conflict,” IPA Report...who benefit from violent conflict. Spoilers are intrinsically destabilizing. Edward Newman contends that “at the core of this broad definition are

Comparison of outcomes twelve years after antireflux surgery or omeprazole maintenance therapy for reflux esophagitis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lundell, Lars; Miettinen, Pekka; Myrvold, Helge E

2009-01-01

with esophagitis enrolled from outpatient clinics in Nordic countries. Of the 155 patients randomly assigned to each arm of the study, 154 received omeprazole (1 withdrew before therapy began), and 144 received surgery (11 withdrew before surgery). In patients who remained in remission after treatment, post....... Heartburn and regurgitation were significantly more common in patients given omeprazole, whereas dysphagia, rectal flatulence, and the inability to belch or vomit were significantly more common in surgical patients. The therapies were otherwise well-tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: As long-term therapeutic...

Leaching of Glyphosate and Aminomethylphosphonic Acid from an Agricultural Field over a Twelve-Year Period

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Norgaard, Trine; Moldrup, Per; Ferré, Ty P A

2014-01-01

content at the time of application and the level of the groundwater table relative to the drain depth was essential for whether solutes were detected in the drainage runoff. We present a leaching risk chart to illustrate the dependence of glyphosate, AMPA, and soil particle leaching based on precipitation......, and particles. Glyphosate and AMPA leaching were highly event driven, controlled by the time and intensity of the first precipitation event after glyphosate application. A high similarity in time-accumulated curves for drainage and leached pesticide masses suggests near-constant drainage and leaching rates...

Twelve years of continuous measurements of atmospheric electrical activity in Mexico's Tropical highland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Troncoso Lozada, O. [Centro de Ciencias de la Atmosfera, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), Mexico, D.F. (Mexico)

2004-04-01

Atmospheric electric activity measurements have been recorded continuously by a punctual lightning system at a tropical highland observatory from 1988 onwards, and were analyzed to obtain lightning statistical confident results for thunderstorms occurrence on the leeward side of the southern mountain ridge of Mexico's Valley. Shown, as examples, are individual profiles of the atmospheric electrical activity, associated with severe storms. The results make clear that the fastest possible sequence of electrical measurements is required to obtain significant and applications oriented data in connection with a whole series of thunderstorms taking into account the mean time variation of the atmospheric electricity measurements at an altitude of 2270 m a.s.l. The seasonal variation indicates that the lightning flash peak currents were found to be larger in summer with less than 10% occurring in the autumn and winter. With rainfall data from a network of 66 stations, we obtained a significant correlation with the lightning frequency. Special attention was undertaken concerning the question of the atmospheric electrical activity and climate at Valley of Mexico. [Spanish] Se midieron ininterrumpidamente las variaciones de la actividad electrica en la atmosfera, de enero de 1988 a diciembre de 1999, en un observatorio de altura (2,250 m s.n.m.), y se analizaron para obtener resultados estadisticos confiables con relacion a la ocurrencia de tormentas en la region sur del Valle de Mexico. Como ejemplos, se muestran los perfiles individuales de la actividad electrica atmosferica asociada con tormentas severas. Los resultados dejan claro que se requiere de la secuencia de medidas electricas lo mas rapida posible para obtener datos significativos y aplicables en relacion con una serie completa de tormentas, considerando la media del tiempo de variacion de las mediciones de la actividad electrica atmosferica a una altitud de 2,270 m s.n.m. La validacion estacional indica que la mayor actividad de tormentas electricas se produce en el verano, con menos de 10% en otono e invierno. Se obtuvo una correlacion significativa entre los datos de precipitacion de una red de 66 estaciones y la frecuencia de descargas. Se dio especial atencion a la cuestion de la actividad electrica atmosferica y el clima en el Valle de Mexico.

Intoxication by mining revenues. San Marcos district politics after twelve years of Antamina’s presence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guillermo Salas Carreño

2010-12-01

Full Text Available This paper describes and analyses the changes in local politicstaken place in the district of San Marcos (Huari, Ancash associatedwith the arrival of the Canon Minero – a fraction of taxes paid byAntamina mining company to the Peruvian State. Canon Minero hasincreased sudden and spectacularly the municipality’s funds so muchthat currently San Marcos in «ones of the Peruvian richest districts».The paper pays attention to the municipal elections of 2006 and theimplementation of the Plan Piloto de Mantenimiento de la InfraestructuraPública, a program of temporary work for all San Marcos’citizens. The latter was key for launching a novel alliance betweenthe municipality and the rural population, particularly with the ConoSur composed by hamlets which were traditionally unimportantactors in district politics. Hence, district politics had stopped to bedominated by the struggle between two factions of former landlordfamilies and had become articulated by the opposition between therural hamlets and the town of San Marcos with the emergence ofethnic political claims. Also, local politics ceased to revolve aroundAntamina and has become entangled with struggles over the administrationof Canon Minero. Rural communities which have directnegotiations with Antamina remain important political actors whichare independent from the municipality and are even oppose to it.

Intoxication by mining revenues. San Marcos district politics after twelve years of Antamina’s presence

OpenAIRE

Salas Carreño, Guillermo

2012-01-01

This paper describes and analyses the changes in local politicstaken place in the district of San Marcos (Huari, Ancash) associatedwith the arrival of the Canon Minero – a fraction of taxes paid byAntamina mining company to the Peruvian State. Canon Minero hasincreased sudden and spectacularly the municipality’s funds so muchthat currently San Marcos in «ones of the Peruvian richest districts».The paper pays attention to the municipal elections of 2006 and theimplementation of the Plan Piloto...

Patient reported outcomes in NRG Oncology RTOG 0938, evaluating two ultrahypofractionated regimens for prostate cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Lukka, Himanshu R; Pugh, Stephanie L; Bruner, Deborah W; Bahary, Jean-Paul; Lawton, Colleen A F; Efstathiou, Jason A; Kudchadker, Rajat J; Ponsky, Lee E; Seaward, Samantha A; Dayes, Ian S; Gopaul, Darindra D; Michalski, Jeff M; Delouya, Guila; Kaplan, Irving D; Horwitz, Eric M; Roach, Mack; Pinover, Wayne H; Beyer, David C; Amanie, John O; Sandler, Howard M; Kachnic, Lisa A

2018-06-15

There is considerable interest in very short (ultrahypofractionated) radiotherapy regimens to treat prostate cancer based on potential radiobiological advantages, patient convenience and resource allocation benefits. To demonstrate that detectable changes in health related quality of life measured by the bowel and urinary domains of the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC-50) were not substantially worse than baseline. XXXX is a non-blinded randomized phase II study of NCCN low risk prostate cancer where each arm is compared to a historical control. Patients were randomized to five fractions (7.25Gy in two weeks), or twelve fractions (4.3Gy in 2.5 weeks). The co-primary endpoints were the proportion of patients with a change in EPIC bowel score at one year (baseline to one-year) >five points and in EPIC urinary score >two points tested with a one-sample binomial test. and Limitations: 127 patients were enrolled to five fractions (121 analyzed) and 128 to twelve fractions (125 analyzed). Median follow-up for all patients at the time of analysis was 3.8 years. The one year frequency for >five point change in bowel score for five and twelve fractions were 29.8%(ptwo point change in urinary score for five and twelve fractions were 45.7%(p<0.001) and 42.2%(p<0.001) respectively. For five and twelve fractions 32.9% of patients had a drop in 1 year EPIC sexual score ≥ 11 points (p=0.34) while 30.9% of patients had a drop in 1 year EPIC sexual score ≥11 points (p=0.20) in the twelve fraction arm respectively. DFS at two years is 93.3% (95% CI: 88.8, 97.8) and 88.3% (95% CI: 82.5, 94.0) in the five and twelve fraction arms, respectively. There was no late grade 4 or 5 treatment-related urinary or bowel toxicity. This study confirms that based on changes in bowel and urinary domains and toxicity (acute and late) the five and twelve fractions regimens are well tolerated. These ultrahypofractionated approaches need to be compared to current standard radiotherapy

Managing human performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strucic, M.; Kavsek, D.

2004-01-01

Human performance remains a significant factor for management attention not only from a reactor safety perspective, but also from a financial one. Recent significant events analysis shows that human errors are still dominant causes and contributors to them. An analysis of significant events in nuclear industry occurred through 15-years period revealed that three of four significant events were triggered by human error, although the number of events have dropped by more than a factor of four. A number of human performance breakdowns occurred in the application of errorprevention techniques. These included a lack of pre-job briefs, inadequate turnover of tasks, ineffective use of peer checking, inadequate procedure adherence, and failure to apply a questioning attitude when unexpected changes were encountered in the task. Attempts by the industry to improve human performance have traditionally focused at the worker level. However, human error occurs within the context of the organization, which can either foster or resist human error. The greatest room for improvement lies not only in the continued improvement of front-line worker performance but more so in the identification and elimination of weaknesses in the organizational and managerial domains that contributes to worker performance at the job site. Based on mentioned analysis, other industrial sources and own operating experience, NPP Krsko is paying more attention to improve human performance among own as well as contractor workers. Through series of programs and activities, such as Reactivity Management Program, Safety Culture Program, Self-assessment Program, Corrective Action Program, Plant Performance Monitoring Program, developed in last few years, and through new procedures, written guides and publications, training and management efforts, number of human errors is going to be reduced. Involvement of higher levels of NPP Krsko organization in promotion and use of Human Performance techniques is

Human papillomavirus 16/18 AS04-adjuvanted cervical cancer vaccine: immunogenicity and safety in 15-25 years old healthy Korean women

OpenAIRE

Kim, Seung Cheol; Song, Yong Sang; Kim, Young-Tae; Kim, Young Tak; Ryu, Ki-Sung; Gunapalaiah, Bhavyashree; Bi, Dan; Bock, Hans L; Park, Jong-Sup

2011-01-01

Objective The study assessed the immunogenicity and safety of human papillomavirus (HPV)-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted cervical cancer vaccine in healthy Korean women aged 15-25 years. Methods Phase IIIB, double-blind, randomised (2:1), multi-centre trial was conducted in Korea from June 2007 to March 2008. The study enrolled 225 women in the HPV (N=149) and placebo (N=76) groups who received three doses of HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine or placebo (aluminium hydroxide) administered intramuscularl...

Tracking food consumption frequency of children from age 4 to 6 years: the Pacific Islands Families study.

Science.gov (United States)

Savila, Fa'asisila; Obolonkin, Victor; Rush, Elaine

2015-08-21

To report longitudinal food frequency consumption and evaluate tracking of food frequency among a cohort of New Zealand-born Pacific children. Identify the most commonly consumed foods and estimate tracking among Pacific children aged 4 and 6 years. A qualitative food frequency questionnaire was administered to n>1,000 caregivers of children aged 4 and 6 years. Consumption scores were developed from averaged frequency of daily food. Foods and food groups were examined for tracking. Caregivers completed questionnaires for 646 children at both ages. Twelve most frequently consumed foods were identified, accounting for up to 25% of all food consumed daily. Across ages 4 and 6, the association for frequency of the most frequently consumed foods was moderate (r(2)=0.53). Food groups: breads and cereals; meat and alternates; and vegetables and fruit constituted approximately 72% of all foods consumed daily. The association of frequency of consumption within food groups across the two measurement periods was strong (r(2)=0.96). Pacific children consume similar foods that track from age 4 through age 6 years.

Humans reclaimed lands in NorthEastern Italy and artificial drainage networks: effects of 30 years of Agricultural Surface Water Management

Science.gov (United States)

Sofia, Giulia; Pizzulli, Federica; Tarolli, Paolo

2017-04-01

Agriculture and land-use management has changed drastically in Italy since the end of the Second World War, driven by local but also European agricultural policies. As a result of these changes in farming practices and land use, many drainage networks have changed producing a greater exposure to flooding with a broad range of impacts on society, also because of climate inputs coupling with the human drivers. This study focuses on two main points: which kind of land use and farming changes have been observed in the most recent years ( 30 years)? How do these changes interact with climate and soil conditions? An open challenge to understand how these changes influence the watershed response, is, in fact, to understand if rainfall characteristics and climate have a synergistic effect, if their interaction matters, or to understand what element has the greatest influence on the watershed response connected to agricultural changes. The work is based on a simple model of water infiltration due to soil properties, and a connected evaluation of the distributed surface water storage offered by artificial drainage networks in a study area in Veneto (north-eastern Italy). The analysis shows that economic changes control the development of agro-industrial landscapes, with effects on the hydrological response. However, these changes deeply interact with antecedent soil conditions and climate characteristics. Intense and irregular rainfall events and events with a high recurrence should be expected to be the most critical. The presented outcomes highlight the importance of understanding how agricultural practices can be the driver of or can be used to avoid, or at least mitigate, flooding. The proposed methods can be valuable tools in evaluating the costs and benefits of the management of water in agriculture to inform better policy decision-making. References Sofia G, Tarolli P. 2017. Hydrological Response to 30 years of Agricultural Surface Water Management. Land 6 (1): 3 DOI

Human bipedalism and body-mass index.

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Su Do; Noh, Jae Dong; Minnhagen, Petter; Song, Mi-Young; Chon, Tae-Soo; Kim, Beom Jun

2017-06-16

Body-mass index, abbreviated as BMI and given by M/H 2 with the mass M and the height H, has been widely used as a useful proxy to measure a general health status of a human individual. We generalise BMI in the form of M/H p and pursue to answer the question of the value of p for populations of animal species including human. We compare values of p for several different datasets for human populations with the ones obtained for other animal populations of fish, whales, and land mammals. All animal populations but humans analyzed in our work are shown to have p ≈ 3 unanimously. In contrast, human populations are different: As young infants grow to become toddlers and keep growing, the sudden change of p is observed at about one year after birth. Infants younger than one year old exhibit significantly larger value of p than two, while children between one and five years old show p ≈ 2, sharply different from other animal species. The observation implies the importance of the upright posture of human individuals. We also propose a simple mechanical model for a human body and suggest that standing and walking upright should put a clear division between bipedal human (p ≈ 2) and other animals (p ≈ 3).

Exploring the Role of Humans and Climate over the Balkan Landscape: 500 Years of Vegetational History of Serbia

Science.gov (United States)

Kulkarni, Charuta; Peteet, Dorothy; Boger, Rebecca; Heusser, Linda

2016-01-01

We present the first, well-dated, high-resolution record of vegetation and landscape change from Serbia, which spans the past 500 years. Biological proxies (pollen, spores, and charcoal), geochemical analysis through X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), and a detailed chronology based on AMS C-14 dating from a western Serbian sinkhole core suggest complex woodland-grassland dynamics and strong erosional signals throughout the Little Ice Age (LIA). An open landscape with prominent steppe vegetation (e.g. Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae) and minor woodland exists during 1540-1720 CE (early LIA), while the late LIA (1720-1850 CE) in this record shows higher tree percentages possibly due to increased moisture availability. The post LIA Era (1850-2012 CE) brings a disturbed type of vegetation with the presence of weedy genera and an increase in regional woodland. Anthropogenic indicators for agricultural, pastoral and fire practices in the region together attest to the dominant role of humans in shaping this Balkan landscape throughout the interval. The changing nature of human interference, potentially as a response to underlying climatic transitions, is evident through large-scale soil depletion resulting from grazing and land clearance during the early LIA and stabilization of arable lands during the late and post-LIA eras.

Plutonium in coniferous forests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rantavaara, A.; Kostiainen, E.

2002-01-01

Our aim was to study the uptake of plutonium by trees, undervegetation and some wild foods. The ratio of 238 Pu/ 239,240 Pu in soil samples was determined for comparisons of the fallout origin. In twelve years the Chernobyl derived plutonium has not reached the mineral soil. This refers to a very slow downward migration in podsolic soil. The study confirmed also the low Pu uptake by vegetation and an insignificant contribution to human doses through wild foods. (au)

Narrow- (3.0 mm) Versus Standard-Diameter (4.0 and 4.5 mm) Implants for Splinted Partial Fixed Restoration of Posterior Mandibular and Maxillary Jaws: A 5-Year Retrospective Cohort Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Pieri, Francesco; Forlivesi, Caterina; Caselli, Ernesto; Corinaldesi, Giuseppe

2017-04-01

Evidence concerning predictability of narrow-diameter implants (NDIs) (3.0 mm) and standard-diameter implants (SDIs) (4.0 to 4.5 mm) supporting fixed partial dentures (FPDs) in posterior mandibular and maxillary jaws. All patients treated with at least two adjacent NDIs or SDIs according to available bone thickness and with a minimum follow-up of 5 years after placement were invited to undergo a clinical and radiologic examination. Outcome measures were implant and FPD failures, biologic and prosthetic complications, and marginal bone loss. A total of 107 out of 127 patients attended the examination: 49 (113 implants) of the NDI group, and 58 (126 implants) of the SDI group. Two NDIs failed in one patient versus four SDIs in four patients (P = 0.37). One FPD failed in the NDI group versus two FPDs in the SDI group (P >0.99). Nine biologic complications occurred in the NDI group and twelve in the SDI group (P = 0.81). Twelve prosthetic complications occurred in the NDI group and only two in the SDI group (P = 0.001). Peri-implant marginal bone loss at 5 years was 0.95 ± 0.84 mm for the NDI group and 1.2 ± 0.86 mm for the SDI group (P = 0.06). Five-year data indicate that FPD treatment in posterior mandibular and maxillary jaws with NDIs was as reliable as with SDIs, although NDIs showed a higher risk of prosthetic complications.