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Sample records for level ii prospective

  1. Reproducing a Prospective Clinical Study as a Computational Retrospective Study in MIMIC-II.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kury, Fabrício S P; Huser, Vojtech; Cimino, James J

    2015-01-01

    In this paper we sought to reproduce, as a computational retrospective study in an EHR database (MIMIC-II), a recent large prospective clinical study: the 2013 publication, by the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine (JAAM), about disseminated intravascular coagulation, in the journal Critical Care (PMID: 23787004). We designed in SQL and Java a set of electronic phenotypes that reproduced the study's data sampling, and used R to perform the same statistical inference procedures. All produced source code is available online at https://github.com/fabkury/paamia2015. Our program identified 2,257 eligible patients in MIMIC-II, and the results remarkably agreed with the prospective study. A minority of the needed data elements was not found in MIMIC-II, and statistically significant inferences were possible in the majority of the cases.

  2. Review of recent LHCb results and prospects for Run II

    CERN Document Server

    Hicheur, A

    2015-01-01

    As first Run II data acquisition has begun, it is useful to expose the pending questions by reviewing some of the most recent results obtained with Run I data analyses. Early results of the current data taking and middle-term prospects are also shown to illustrate the efficiency of the acquisition and analysis chain.

  3. Serum ARCHITECT PIVKA-II reference interval in healthy Chinese adults: Sub-analysis from a prospective multicenter study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Cunling; Hu, Jian; Yang, Jia; Chen, Zhaoyun; Li, Huijun; Wei, Lianhua; Zhang, Wei; Xing, Hao; Sang, Guoyao; Wang, Xiaoqin; Han, Ruilin; Liu, Ping; Li, Zhihui; Li, Zhiyan; Huang, Ying; Jiang, Li; Li, Shunjun; Dai, Shuyang; Wang, Nianyue; Yang, Yongfeng; Ma, Li; Soh, Andrew; Beshiri, Agim; Shen, Feng; Yang, Tian; Fan, Zhuping; Zheng, Yijie; Chen, Wei

    2018-04-01

    Protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) has been widely used as a biomarker for liver cancer diagnosis in Japan for decades. However, the reference intervals for serum ARCHITECT PIVKA-II have not been established in the Chinese population. Thus, this study aimed to measure serum PIVKA-II levels in healthy Chinese subjects. This is a sub-analysis from the prospective, cross-sectional and multicenter study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03047603). A total of 892 healthy participants (777 Han and 115 Uygur) with complete health checkup results were recruited from 7 regional centers in China. Serum PIVKA-II level was measured by ARCHITECT immunoassay. All 95% reference ranges were estimated by nonparametric method. The distribution of PIVKA-II values showed significant difference with ethnicity and sex, but not age. The 95% reference range of PIVKA-II was 13.62-40.38 mAU/ml in Han Chinese subjects and 15.16-53.74 mAU/ml in Uygur subjects. PIVKA-II level was significantly higher in males than in females (P < 0.001). The 95% reference range of PIVKA-II was 15.39-42.01 mAU/ml in Han males while 11.96-39.13 mAU/ml in Han females. The reference interval of serum PIVKA-II on the Architect platform was established in healthy Chinese adults. This will be valuable for future clinical and laboratory studies performed using the Architect analyzer. Different ethnic backgrounds and analytical methods underline the need for redefining the reference interval of analytes such as PIVKA-II, in central laboratories in different countries. Copyright © 2018 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Correlation between the Efficacy of Lamotrigine and the Serum Lamotrigine Level during the Remission Phase of Acute Bipolar II Depression: A Naturalistic and Unblinded Prospective Pilot Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kikkawa, Akiyoshi; Kitamura, Yoshihisa; Aiba, Tetsuya; Hiraki, Koichi; Sendo, Toshiaki

    2017-01-01

    Lamotrigine has acute antidepressant effects in patients with bipolar disorder. However, there is little information regarding appropriate serum levels of lamotrigine and the time until remission after the start of lamotrigine therapy in patients with bipolar II depression. This was a naturalistic and unblinded prospective pilot study. Twelve patients' depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) at the start of treatment and at the time of remission, and blood samples were obtained at the time of remission. Mahalanobis distance was used to analyze the relationship between the MADRS improvement rate and the serum lamotrigine level. Furthermore, we calculated the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient for the relationship between the MADRS improvement rate and the serum lamotrigine level, and produced box plots of the serum lamotrigine level at remission and the time until remission. The Mahalanobis distance for the patient that was co-administered lamotrigine and valproic acid differed significantly from those of the other patients (p<0.001). There was no linear relationship between the serum lamotrigine level and the MADRS improvement rate among the patients that did not receive valproic acid. The median time from the start of lamotrigine therapy until remission was 6 weeks. The serum lamotrigine level does not have an important impact on the acute therapeutic effects of lamotrigine on bipolar II depression. In addition, we consider that different treatment options should be considered for non-responders who do not exhibit any improvement after the administration of lamotrigine for approximately 6 weeks.

  5. Sum-Trigger-II status and prospective physics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dazzi, Francesco; Mirzoyan, Razmik; Schweizer, Thomas; Teshima, Masahiro [Max Planck Institut fuer Physik, Munich (Germany); Herranz, Diego; Lopez, Marcos [Universidad Complutense, Madrid (Spain); Mariotti, Mose [Universita degli Studi di Padova (Italy); Nakajima, Daisuke [The University of Tokio (Japan); Rodriguez Garcia, Jezabel [Max Planck Institut fuer Physik, Munich (Germany); Instituto Astrofisico de Canarias, Tenerife (Spain)

    2015-07-01

    MAGIC is a stereoscopic system of 2 Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) for very high energy gamma-ray astronomy, located at La Palma (Spain). Lowering the energy threshold of IACTs is crucial for the observation of Pulsars, high redshift AGNs and GRBs. A novel trigger strategy, based on the analogue sum of a patch of pixels, can lead to a lower threshold compared to conventional digital triggers. In the last years, a major upgrade of the MAGIC telescopes took place in order to optimize the performances, mainly in the low energy domain. The PMTs camera and the reflective surface of MAGIC-I, as well as both readout systems, have been deeply renovated. The last important milestone is the implementation of a new stereoscopic analogue trigger, dubbed Sum-Trigger-II. The installation successfully ended in 2014 and the first data set has been already taken. Currently the fine-tuning of the main parameters as well as the comparison with Monte Carlo studies is ongoing. In this talk the status of Sum-Trigger-II and the future prospective physics cases at very low energy are presented.

  6. Increased mortality associated with HTLV-II infection in blood donors: a prospective cohort study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Smith James W

    2004-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background HTLV-I is associated with adult T-cell leukemia, and both HTLV-I and -II are associated with HTLV-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP. Several published reports suggest that HTLV-I may lead to decreased survival, but HTLV-II has not previously been associated with mortality. Results We examined deaths among 138 HTLV-I, 358 HTLV-II, and 759 uninfected controls enrolled in a prospective cohort study of U.S. blood donors followed biannually since 1992. Proportional hazards models yielded hazard ratios (HRs for the association between mortality and HTLV infection, controlling for sex, race/ethnicity, age, income, educational level, blood center, smoking, injection drug use history, alcohol intake, hepatitis C status and autologous donation. After a median follow-up of 8.6 years, there were 45 confirmed subject deaths. HTLV-I infection did not convey a statistically significant excess risk of mortality (unadjusted HR 1.9, 95%CI 0.8–4.4; adjusted HR 1.9, 95%CI 0.8–4.6. HTLV-II was associated with death in both the unadjusted model (HR 2.8, 95%CI 1.5–5.5 and in the adjusted model (HR 2.3, 95%CI 1.1–4.9. No single cause of death appeared responsible for the HTLV-II effect. Conclusions After adjusting for known and potential confounders, HTLV-II infection is associated with increased mortality among healthy blood donors. If replicated in other cohorts, this finding has implications for both HTLV pathogenesis and counseling of infected persons.

  7. Level II Ergonomic Analyses, Dover AFB, DE

    Science.gov (United States)

    1999-02-01

    IERA-RS-BR-TR-1999-0002 UNITED STATES AIR FORCE IERA Level II Ergonomie Analyses, Dover AFB, DE Andrew Marcotte Marilyn Joyce The Joyce...Project (070401881, Washington, DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Level II Ergonomie Analyses, Dover...1.0 INTRODUCTION 1-1 1.1 Purpose Of The Level II Ergonomie Analyses : 1-1 1.2 Approach 1-1 1.2.1 Initial Shop Selection and Administration of the

  8. Examining Media Literacy Levels of Prospective Teachers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taskın INAN

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available As in many other countries, following the 2007-2008 education year when media literacy courses began to be included in the curricula, media literacy has become one of the discussion topics among educators and decision makers in Turkey. Discussion topics related to media literacy have included who is going to give the media literacy courses, what qualifications will be sought out in media literacy education teachers, what will be included in the media literacy curriculum in terms of its content, and at what level the media literacy course will be given. The current study which aims to examine media literacy levels of prospective teachers utilized thesurvey method. The sample of the study included prospective teachers (480 attending Elementary School Education, Social Studies Education and Turkish Language Education departments in the Education Faculty at the Dumlupinar University in the 2008-2009 education year. The results of the study showed that prospective teachers have a low level of reaction to media messages, do not educate people around enough about the effects of media, but make use of different sources of media to gain information, and are cognizant of media literacy.

  9. Examining media literacy levels of prospective teachers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taşkın İnan

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available As in many other countries, following the 2007-2008 education year when media literacy courses began to be included in the curricula, media literacy has become one of the discussion topics among educators and decision makers in Turkey. Discussion topics related to media literacy have included who is going to give the media literacy courses, what qualifications will be sought out in media literacy education teachers, what will be included in the media literacy curriculum in terms of its content, and at what level the media literacy course will be given. The current study which aims to examine media literacy levels of prospective teachers utilized the survey method. The sample of the study included prospective teachers (480 attending Elementary School Education, Social Studies Education and Turkish Language Education departments in the Education Faculty at the Dumlupinar University in the 2008-2009 education year. The results of the study showed that prospective teachers have a low level of reaction to media messages, do not educate people around enough about the effects of media, but make use of different sources of media to gain information, and are cognizant of media literacy.

  10. Some findings on prospect and refuge theory: II.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stamps, Arthur E

    2008-08-01

    This article presents four new studies on the efficacy of predictions based on prospect and refuge theory and summarizes the results over eight studies. New data covered 49 participants and 36 environments. The eight studies included in the summary covered 144 participants and 80 widely diverse environments (Japanese Tatami rooms, Western rooms, porch, meadow, neighborhood commercial, shopping mall, vacation landscapes). Data were available for hypotheses about five factors: prospect, refuge, light, venue, and spatial transition. Efficacy was represented by correlations for the levels of the factors with responses of preference or comfort. Overall, venue was the most efficacious factor (r = .42, 95% CI = .14, .64). Efficacies for the other factors were very near zero. It is suggested that a considerable amount of additional formal inquiry be conducted before assuming the utility of prospect and refuge theory.

  11. Oral Assessment Kit, Levels II & III. Draft.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agrelo-Gonzalez, Maria; And Others

    The assessment packet includes a series of oral tests to help develop speaking as an integral part of second language instruction at levels II and III. It contains: 8 mini-tests for use at level II; 9 mini-tests for use at level III; a rating scale and score sheet masters for evaluating performance on these tests; and a collection of suggested…

  12. Dark matter signals from Draco and Willman 1: prospects for MAGIC II and CTA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bringmann, Torsten; Doro, Michele; Fornasa, Mattia

    2009-01-01

    The next generation of ground-based Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes will play an important role in indirect dark matter searches. In this article, we consider two particularly promising candidate sources for dark matter annihilation signals, the nearby dwarf galaxies Draco and Willman 1, and study the prospects of detecting such a signal for the soon-operating MAGIC II telescope system as well as for the planned installation of CTA, taking special care of describing the experimental features that affect the detectional prospects. For the first time in such studies, we fully take into account the effect of internal bremsstrahlung, which has recently been shown to considerably enhance, in some cases, the gamma-ray flux in the high energies domain where Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes operate, thus leading to significantly harder annihilation spectra than traditionally considered. While the detection of the spectral features introduced by internal bremsstrahlung would constitute a smoking gun signature for dark matter annihilation, we find that for most models the overall flux still remains at a level that will be challenging to detect, unless one adopts somewhat favorable descriptions of the smooth dark matter distribution in the dwarfs.

  13. Skill Levels of Prospective Physics Teachers on Problem Posing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cildir, Sema; Sezen, Nazan

    2011-01-01

    Problem posing is one of the topics which the educators thoroughly accentuate. Problem posing skill is defined as an introvert activity of a student's learning. In this study, skill levels of prospective physics teachers on problem posing were determined and their views on problem posing were evaluated. To this end, prospective teachers were given…

  14. Prospective double blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial of the pectoral nerves (Pecs) block type II

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Versyck, B.; Geffen, G.J. van; Houwe, P. Van

    2017-01-01

    STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim of this clinical trial was to test the hypothesis whether adding the pectoral nerves (Pecs) block type II to the anesthetic procedure reduces opioid consumption during and after breast surgery. DESIGN: A prospective randomized double blind placebo-controlled study. SETTING:

  15. Wavelengths, energy levels and hyperfine structure of Mn II and Sc II.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nave, Gillian; Pickering, Juliet C.; Townley-Smith, Keeley I. M.; Hala, .

    2015-08-01

    For many decades, the Atomic Spectroscopy Groups at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Imperial College London (ICL) have measured atomic data of astronomical interest. Our spectrometers include Fourier transform (FT) spectrometers at NIST and ICL covering the region 1350 Å to 5.5 μm and a 10.7-m grating spectrometer at NIST covering wavelengths from 300 - 5000 Å. Sources for these spectra include high-current continuous and pulsed hollow cathode (HCL) lamps, Penning discharges, and sliding spark discharges. Recent work has focused on the measurement and analysis of wavelengths, energy levels, and hyperfine structure (HFS) constants for iron-group elements. The analysis of FT spectra of Cr I, Mn I, and Mn II is being led by ICL and is described in a companion poster [1]. Current work being led by NIST includes the analysis of HFS in Mn II, analysis of Mn II in the vacuum ultraviolet, and a comprehensive analysis of Sc II.Comprehensive HFS constants for Mn II are needed for the interpretation of stellar spectra and incorrect abundances may be obtained when HFS is omitted. Holt et al. [2] have measured HFS constants for 59 levels of Mn II using laser spectroscopy. We used FT spectra of Mn/Ni and Mn/Cu HCLs covering wavelength ranges from 1350 Å to 5.4 μm to confirm 26 of the A constants of Holt et al. and obtain values for roughly 40 additional levels. We aim to obtain HFS constants for the majority of lines showing significant HFS that are observed in chemically-peculiar stars.Spectra of Sc HCLs have been recorded from 1800 - 6700 Å using a vacuum ultraviolet FT spectrometer at NIST. Additional measurements to cover wavelengths above 6700 Å and below 1800 Å are in progress. The spectra are being analyzed by NIST and Alighar Muslim University, India in order to derive improved wavelengths, energy levels, and hyperfine structure parameters.This work was partially supported by NASA, the STFC and PPARC (UK), the Royal Society of the UK

  16. Levels of Cd (II, Mn (II, Pb (II, Cu (II, and Zn (II in Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo from Sicily (Italy by Derivative Stripping Potentiometry

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    P. Licata

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to determine the concentrations of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cu, Mn, and Zn in different organs (liver, kidney, muscle, lung, skin, and feathers of buzzards (Buteo buteo, utilized as a “biological indicator” for environmental contamination, from different areas of Sicily and to investigate the relationships between birds sex, age, and weight and metal levels in these samples. All samples of common buzzards were collected at the “Recovery Center of Wild Fauna” of Palermo, through the Zooprophilactic Institute. Potentiometric stripping analysis (PSA was used to determine the content of Cd(II, Cu(II, Mn(II, Pb(II, and Zn(II in bird tissues. For toxic metals, the highest levels of Pb were in liver and those of Cd in lung; Zn levels were higher than Cu and Mn in all tissues analyzed. The concentrations in liver, lung, kidney, and muscle could be considered as an indicative of chronic exposure to metals while the presence of metals in skin could be consequential to storing and elimination processes. The found concentrations of metals in the studied matrices required a highly sensitive method for their determination and a simple sample preparation procedure, and the proposed method was well suited for this purpose.

  17. Levels of prospective science teachers’ ability to structure 5E model

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    Kaçan Sibel Demir

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The research was conducted with 3rd year prospective science students, who study at the science teaching department of a university in Istanbul province. For that purpose, 34 prospective science teachers cooperated and participated in the study. In the study, the prospective teachers were asked to select a certain subject and plan that subject in accordance with the 5E model. Therefore, the objective of the study is to determine the levels of prospective science teachers’ ability to structure the 5E model. The data retrieved from the study were analyzed ad compared through content analysis and percentages. The results of the study suggest that some prospective teachers are not sufficient at each phase of the 5E model, thereby the researchers made suggestions for that situation.

  18. Low plasma leptin level at admission predicts delirium in critically ill patients: A prospective cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Guicheng; Lei, Xiaobao; Ai, Chenmu; Li, Tao; Chen, Zhongqing

    2017-07-01

    The pathophysiology of delirium remains poorly understood. Low leptin level has been associated with features leading to delirium such as dysregulated immune functions and loss of neuroprotective effects. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between plasma leptin level at intensive care unit (ICU) entry and subsequent occurrence of delirium in critically ill patients. This single-center prospective cohort study in China allocated 336 critically ill patients admitted to ICU between 05/2015 and 05/2016 into a delirium group (n=102) and non-delirium group (n=234) based on whether delirium occurred during their stay at the ICU. Patients were examined at least twice daily and delirium was diagnosed using the Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU). Blood samples were obtained after ICU entry. Plasma leptin concentrations were measured by ELISA. Delirium occurred in 30.4% (102/336) of patients. Patients who developed delirium showed significantly lower leptin level at ICU entry than those who did not (6.1±3.2 vs. 9.2±5.9ng/mL; Pdelirium (OR, 0.865; 95%CI, 0.802-0.934; Pdelirium included increasing age (OR, 1.050; 95%CI, 1.020-1.080; P=0.001) and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation-II (APACHE-II) score (OR, 1.148; 95%CI, 1.092-1.208; Pdelirium had a prolonged duration of ICU stay and higher mortality. Low plasma leptin level at ICU entry was associated with the occurrence of delirium in critically ill patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. New levels of Ta II with energies higher than 72,000 cm−1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uddin, Zaheer; Windholz, Laurentius

    2014-01-01

    We studied the hyperfine structure of Tantalum lines appearing in a high-resolution Fourier transform spectrum. Hundreds of lines of Ta in this spectrum are still unclassified; most of them, especially in the UV region, belong to Ta II. When investigating such lines we found 14 new levels of Ta II. These new levels are the highest-lying known Ta II levels and do not belong to the already known configurations. - Highlights: • We report the discovery of 14 even energy levels of the first ion of Tantalum (Ta II). • Their energy ranges from 72,000 to 81,000 cm −1 . • For comparison, up to now only even levels between 0 and 44,000 cm −1 were known. • These levels belong to up to now unknown electron configurations. • With help of these levels, approximately 100 spectral lines of Ta II can be classified

  20. Radioembolisation for liver metastases: results from a prospective 151 patient multi-institutional phase II study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benson, Al B; Geschwind, Jean-Francois; Mulcahy, Mary F; Rilling, William; Siskin, Gary; Wiseman, Greg; Cunningham, James; Houghton, Bonny; Ross, Mason; Memon, Khairuddin; Andrews, James; Fleming, Chad J; Herman, Joseph; Nimeiri, Halla; Lewandowski, Robert J; Salem, Riad

    2013-10-01

    To investigate the safety, response rate, progression-free and overall survival of patients with liver metastases treated with (90)Y (glass) radioembolisation in a prospective, multicenter phase II study. 151 patients with liver metastases (colorectal n=61, neuroendocrine n=43 and other tumour types n=47) refractory to standard of care therapies were enrolled in this prospective, multicenter, phase II study under an investigational device exemption. Clinical/laboratory/imaging follow-up were obtained at 30 days followed by 3-month intervals for 1 year and every 6 months thereafter. The primary end-point was progression-free survival (PFS); secondary end-points included safety, hepatic progression-free survival (HPFS), response rate and overall survival. Median age was 66 (range 25-88). Grade 3/4 adverse events included pain (12.8%), elevated alkaline phospatase (8.1%), hyperbilirubinemia (5.3%), lymphopaenia (4.1%), ascites (3.4%) and vomiting (3.4%). Treatment parameters including dose delivery were reproducible among centers. Disease control rates were 59%, 93% and 63% for colorectal, neuroendocrine and other primaries, respectively. Median PFS was 2.9 and 2.8 months for colorectal and other primaries, respectively. PFS was not achieved in the neuroendocrine group. Median survival from (90)Y treatment was 8.8 months for colorectal and 10.4 months for other primaries. Median survival for neuroendocrine patients has not been reached. Patients with liver metastases can be safely treated with (90)Y microspheres. This study is the first to demonstrate technical and dose reproducibility of (90)Y glass microspheres between centers in a prospective setting. Based on these promising data, three international, multicenter, randomised phase III studies in colorectal and hepatocellular carcinoma have been initiated. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II production is a strong predictive marker for extrahepatic metastases in early hepatocellular carcinoma: a prospective evaluation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bae, Hyun-Mi; Lee, Jeong-Hoon; Yoon, Jung-Hwan; Kim, Yoon Jun; Heo, Dae Seog; Lee, Hyo-Suk

    2011-01-01

    Clinicians often experience extrahepatic metastases associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), even if no evidence of intrahepatic recurrence after treatment is observed. We investigated the pretreatment predictors of extrahepatic metastases in HCC patients. Patients diagnosed with HCC without evidence of extrahepatic metastases were prospectively enrolled. We evaluated the correlation between extrahepatic metastases and pretreatment clinical variables, including serum tumor markers. A total of 354 patients were included. Seventy-six patients (21%) had extrahepatic metastases during the observation period (median, 25.3 months; range, 0.6-51.3 months). Cox regression multivariate analysis showed that serum protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) production levels, the intrahepatic tumor stage, platelet count, and portal vein thrombosis were independent risk factors for extrahepatic metastases. Patients with a PIVKA-II production ≥ 300 mAU/mL had a 2.7-fold (95% confidence interval; 1.5-4.8; P < 0.001) and 3.7-fold (95% confidence interval; 2.0-6.6; P < 0.001) increased risk for extrahepatic metastases after adjustment for stage, platelet count, alpha-fetoprotein ≥ 400 ng/mL, and portal vein thrombosis according to the AJCC and BCLC staging systems, respectively. PIVKA-II production levels might be a good candidate predictive marker for extrahepatic HCC metastases, especially in patients with smaller and/or fewer tumors in the liver with in stages regardless of serum alpha-fetoprotein

  2. Changes of serum cortisol and plasma angiotensin-II (AT-II) levels in patients with open chest surgery during peri-operative stage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu Yunyun; Tian Runhua; Zhao Huiyuan; Li Xiaoqin; Wang Ling

    2005-01-01

    Objective: To assess the systemic stress reaction in patients with open chest surgery through measurement of the changes of serum cortisol and plasma AT-II levels during peri-operative stage. Methods: Serum cortisol and plasma AT-II levels were measured with RIA in 35 patients underwent open chest surgery both before and after the operative procedure. Results: The serum level of cortisol and plasma levels of AT-II were significantly higher after operation than those before operation ( P < 0.05 ). Also, the systolic pressure and heart rate were increased significantly (P<0.05). The post-operative heart rate was significantly positively correlated with both cortisol and AT-II levels (P<0.05). Conclusion: Stress reaction is evident in patients after open chest surgery with increase of serum cortisol and plasma AT-II levels. The stress reaction, if excessive, should be properly dealt with. (authors)

  3. A six-year prospective randomized study of a nano-hybrid and a conventional hybrid resin composite in Class II restorations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    van Dijken, Jan W V; Pallesen, Ulla

    2013-01-01

    The objective of this 6 year prospective randomized equivalence trial was to evaluate the long-term clinical performance of a new nano-hybrid resin composite (RC) in Class II restorations in an intraindividual comparison with its well-established conventional hybrid RC predecessor....

  4. Serum homocysteine level in gestational diabetes: a prospective study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Davari Tanha F

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available "n Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Background: Increased total plasma homocysteine (Hcy is an accepted risk factor of cardiovascular disease (CVD, stroke, preclampsia, recurrent abortion and diabetes type I and II. The aim of the current study was to assess serum homocysteine and its relation with serum folat, vitamine B12 and lipid profile in gestational diabetes mellitus and to compare these with those of pregnant women."n"n Methods: In a prospective controlled survey 80 pregnant women (24-28 weeks with uncomplicated pregnancies were evaluated. They were assigned to one of two groups according to the results of 100g-OGTT. In the case group there were pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus according to the OGTT and in the control group women who had normal OGTT results were put. Levels of fasting glucose, homocysteine, vit B12, and folic acid, uric acid, total cholesterol, triglyceride, Low Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL and High Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL were measured in both groups."n"nResults: The mean level of homocysteine in GDM group was significantly higher than control group (p=0.000. The mean level of folic acid and vit B12 was significantly lower than the level in control group (p=0.001, p=0.004 respectively. Body

  5. 12 CFR 1282.18 - Affordability-Income level definitions-family size not known (actual or prospective tenants).

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ....18 Affordability—Income level definitions—family size not known (actual or prospective tenants). In... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Affordability-Income level definitions-family size not known (actual or prospective tenants). 1282.18 Section 1282.18 Banks and Banking FEDERAL...

  6. Emotional Intelligence Levels and Counselling Skills of Prospective Psychological Counsellors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Odaci, Hatice; Degerli, Fatma Irem; Bolat, Neslihan

    2017-01-01

    This research aimed to determine the correlation between emotional intelligence (EI) and counselling skills of Turkish prospective psychological counsellors and to investigate differences in both EI and counselling skills in terms of sex, previous experience of group studies, and class levels. Within a correlational pattern, the sample of the…

  7. Prospects for regional safeguards systems - State-level Approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peixoto, O.J.M.

    2013-01-01

    The increased co-operation with Regional Safeguard's System (RSAC) is a relevant tool for strengthening effectiveness and improving the efficiency of the international safeguard. The new safeguards system that emerges from the application of the Additional Protocol (INFCIRC/540) and the full use of State-level Concept is a challenge and an opportunity for effectively incorporate RSAC into the international safeguards scheme. The challenge is to determine how the co-operation and coordination will be implemented on this new safeguards scheme. This paper presents some discussions and prospects on the issues to be faced by RSAC and IAEA during the implementation of State-level Approach (SLA) using all information available. It is also discussed how different levels of co-operation could be achieved when SLA is applied by IAEA safeguards. The paper is followed by the slides of the presentation. (authors)

  8. Early changes of serum insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) levels in patients with acute brain injury

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Cegang; Zhang Xinlu; Tao Jin; Xu Anding; Xu Shanshui; Huang Zhenpeng

    2003-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the early changes and clinical significance of serum Insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) levels in patients with acute brain injury. Methods: Radioimmunoassay was used for measurement of the serum IGF-II concentration in 30 controls and 29 acute brain injury patients before and after treatment (within 1 day, at 3 and 7 days). Results: The serum IGF-II levels in brain injury patients at 1 day, 3 day 7 days after injury were 0.131 ± 0.047 ng/ml, 0.117 ± 0.046 ng/ml and 0.123 ±0.050 ng/ml respectively and were significantly lower than those in controls 0.44 ± 0.014 ng/ml, p<0.01. Differences among the values of the three days were not significant. Conclusion: IGF-II might play important role in the pathophysiological process of early acute brain injury

  9. Energy Levels, wavelengths and hyperfine structure measurements of Sc II

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hala, Fnu; Nave, Gillian

    2018-01-01

    Lines of singly ionized Scandium (Sc II) along with other Iron group elements have been observed [1] in the region surrounding the massive star Eta Carinae [2,3] called the strontium filament (SrF). The last extensive analysis of Sc II was the four-decade old work of Johansson & Litzen [4], using low-resolution grating spectroscopy. To update and extend the Sc II spectra, we have made observation of Sc/Ar, Sc/Ne and Sc/Ge/Ar hollow cathode emission spectrum on the NIST high resolution FT700 UV/Vis and 2 m UV/Vis/IR Fourier transform spectrometers (FTS). More than 850 Sc II lines have been measured in the wavelength range of 187 nm to 3.2 μm. connecting a total of 152 energy levels. The present work also focuses to resolve hyperfine structure (HFS) in Sc II lines. We aim to obtain accurate transition wavelengths, improved energy levels and HFS constants of Sc II. The latest results from work in progress will be presented.Reference[1] Hartman H, Gull T, Johansson S and Smith N 2004 Astron. Astrophys. 419 215[2] Smith N, Morse J A and Gull T R 2004 Astrophys. J. 605 405[3] Davidson K and Humphreys R M 1997 Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 35[4] Johansson S and Litzén U 1980 Phys. Scr. 22 49

  10. Progression of function and pain relief as indicators for returning to sports after arthroscopic isolated type II SLAP repair-a prospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boesmueller, Sandra; Tiefenboeck, Thomas M; Hofbauer, Marcus; Bukaty, Adam; Oberleitner, Gerhard; Huf, Wolfgang; Fialka, Christian

    2017-06-13

    One of the currently used surgical techniques in isolated type II SLAP lesions is arthroscopic SLAP repair. Postoperatively, patients tend to suffer from a prolonged period of pain and are restricted in their sports activities for at least 6 months. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the clinical outcome as well as the postoperative course of pain after arthroscopic type II SLAP repair. Outcome measures were assessed using the Individual Relative Constant Score (CS indiv ), the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) Score, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and the Short Form 36 (SF-36). Data were collected preoperatively, as well as at 3, 6, 12 and >24 months postoperatively. Eleven patients with an average age of 31.8 years (range: 22.8-49.8 years) underwent arthroscopic repair of isolated type II SLAP lesions. Mean follow-up time was 41.9 months (range: 36.1-48.4 months). 6 months after surgery, there was a statistically significant improvement of function according to the CS indiv (p = 0.004), the ASES Score (p = 0.006), and the SF-36 subscale "physical functioning" (p = 0.014) and a statistically significant decrease of pain according to the VAS (p = 0.007) and the SF-36 subscale "bodily pain" (p = 0.022) compared to preoperative levels. Arthroscopic repair of isolated type II SLAP lesions with suture anchors leads to a satisfactory functional outcome and return to pre-injury sports levels, with delayed, but significant pain relief observed 6 months after surgery. Thus, a return to sports should not be allowed earlier than 6 months after surgery, when patients have reached pain-free function and recovered strength. Researchregistry1761 (UIN).

  11. Significance of determination of the serum levels of homocysteine (Hcy) and insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) in patients with cerebrovascular diseases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tong Haijiang; Wang Yaling; Wang Lin; Xia Weiren; Shi Min; Lu Yaling

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the clinical significance of the changes of homocysteine (Hcy) and insulin-like growth factor H (IGF-II) in patients with cerebrovascular diseases (CVD). Methods: The serum Hcy (with CLIA) and IGF-II (with RIA) levels were measured in 123 patients with CVD (cerebral infarction 69 and cerebral hemorrhage 54) and 43 controls. Results: The levels of Hcy and IGF-II in patients with CVD were significantly higher than those in the controls (P 0.05). Conclusion: The serum Hcy and IGF-II levels in patients with CVD are elevated, Hcy and IGF-II may be involved in the development and pathogenesis of CVD. (authors)

  12. Identification of new fluorescence processes in the UV spectra of cool stars from new energy levels of Fe II and Cr II

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johansson, Sveneric; Carpenter, Kenneth G.

    1988-01-01

    Two fluorescence processes operating in atmospheres of cool stars, symbiotic stars, and the Sun are presented. Two emission lines, at 1347.03 and 1360.17 A, are identified as fluorescence lines of Cr II and Fe II. The lines are due to transitions from highly excited levels, which are populated radiatively by the hydrogen Lyman alpha line due to accidental wavelength coincidences. Three energy levels, one in Cr II and two in Fe II, are reported.

  13. Stable Versus Unstable Grade II High Ankle Sprains: A Prospective Study Predicting the Need for Surgical Stabilization and Time to Return to Sports.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calder, James D; Bamford, Richard; Petrie, Aviva; McCollum, Graham A

    2016-04-01

    To investigate grade II syndesmosis injuries in athletes and identify factors important in differentiating stable from dynamically unstable ankle sprains and those associated with a longer time to return to sports. Sixty-four athletes with an isolated syndesmosis injury (without fracture) were prospectively assessed, with a mean follow-up period of 37 months (range, 24 to 66 months). Those with an associated deltoid ligament injury or osteochondral lesion were included. Those whose injuries were considered stable (grade IIa) were treated conservatively with a boot and rehabilitation. Those whose injuries were clinically unstable underwent arthroscopy, and if instability was confirmed (grade IIb), the syndesmosis was stabilized. Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging assessments of injury to individual ligaments were recorded, along with time to return to play. A power analysis estimated that each group would need 28 patients. All athletes returned to the same level of professional sport. The 28 patients with grade IIa injuries returned at a mean of 45 days (range, 23 to 63 days) compared with 64 days (range, 27 to 104 days) for those with grade IIb injuries (P < .0001). There was a highly significant relationship between clinical and magnetic resonance imaging assessments of ligament injury (anterior tibiofibular ligament [ATFL], anterior-inferior tibiofibular ligament [AITFL], and deltoid ligament, P < .0001). Instability was 9.5 times as likely with a positive squeeze test and 11 times as likely with a deltoid injury. Combined injury to the anterior-inferior tibiofibular ligament and deltoid ligament was associated with a delay in return to sports. Concomitant injury to the ATFL indicated a different mechanism of injury-the syndesmosis is less likely to be unstable and is associated with an earlier return to sports. A positive squeeze test and injury to the ATFL and deltoid ligament are important factors in differentiating stable from dynamically unstable grade

  14. Work stress, caregiving, and allostatic load: prospective results from the Whitehall II cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dich, Nadya; Lange, Theis; Head, Jenny; Rod, Naja Hulvej

    2015-06-01

    Studies investigating health effects of work and family stress usually consider these factors in isolation. The present study investigated prospective interactive effects of job strain and informal caregiving on allostatic load (AL), a multisystem indicator of physiological dysregulation. Participants were 7007 British civil servants from the Whitehall II cohort study. Phase 3 (1991-1994) served as the baseline, and Phases 5 (1997-1999) and 7 (2002-2004) served as follow-ups. Job strain (high job demands combined with low control) and caregiving (providing care to aged or disabled relatives) were assessed at baseline. AL index (possible range, 0-9) was assessed at baseline and both follow-ups based on nine cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune biomarkers. Linear mixed-effect models were used to examine the association of job strain and caregiving with AL. High caregiving burden (above the sample median weekly hours of providing care) predicted higher AL levels, with the effect strongest in those also reporting job strain (b = 0.36, 95% confidence interval = 0.01-0.71); however, the interaction between job strain and caregiving was not significant (p = .56). Regardless of job strain, participants with low caregiving burden (below sample median) had lower subsequent AL levels than did non-caregivers (b = -0.22, 95% confidence interval = -0.06--0.37). The study provides some evidence for adverse effects of stress at work combined with family demands on physiological functioning. However, providing care to others may also have health protective effects if it does not involve excessive time commitment.

  15. The optimal level of tax burden on payroll: estimation and prospects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kudryakov Eldar

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available This article examines citizens’ income taxation and institutional framework for charging a unified social tax as well as prospects for their development as a result of tax system reform in Ukraine. The study determines the optimal level of tax burden on the payroll to enable both maximizing budget revenues and reducing shadow income level. It also reveals the relationship between excessive taxation of payroll and the high level of the shadow economy resulted from inefficiency of existing tax rates and charging a unified social tax.

  16. Prospect theory or construal level theory? Diminishing sensitivity vs. psychological distance in risky decisions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trautmann, Stefan T; van de Kuilen, Gijs

    2012-01-01

    Attitudes toward risks are central to organizational decisions. These attitudes are commonly modeled by prospect theory. Construal level theory has been proposed as an alternative theory of risky choice, accounting for psychological distance deriving from temporal, spatial and social aspects of risk that are typical of agency situations. Unnoticed in the literature, the two theories make contradicting predictions. The current study investigates which theory provides a better description of risky decisions in the presence of temporal, spatial, and social factors. We find that the psychophysical effects modeled by prospect theory dominate the psychological distance effects of construal level theory. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Prospective Physics Teachers' Level of Understanding Energy, Power and Force Concepts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saglam-Arslan, Aysegul; Kurnaz, Mehmet Altan

    2009-01-01

    The aim of this study is to determine prospective physics teachers' level of understanding of the concepts of energy and the related concepts of force and power. The study was carried out with the participation of 56 physics education department students at a university in Karadeniz region. All participants had previously taken an introductory…

  18. Determination of serum insulinlike growth factor II levels in coronary heart disease patient and its significance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fan Bifu; Ji Naijun; Mei Yibin; Wang Chengyao; Zhao Junfei; Guan Lihua; Gao Meiying; Li Jiangao

    2002-01-01

    Objective: To explore the changes and clinical significance of serum insulinlike growth factor II (IGF II) levels in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients. Methods: The serum IGF II levels were determined by radioimmunoassay in 68 patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and 30 controls with only mild non-cardiac diseases. Results: Compared with the controls, the serum IGF II level in CHD patients were increased significantly (0.66 ± 0.13 μg/L vs 0.51 ± 0.11 μg/L; t = 5.506, p 0.05). Level in patients dies in hospital (n = 9) were much higher than those in patients recovered (n = 59) (t = 2.402, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Serum IGF II levels seems to be related to the seriousness of CHD; the actual mechanism remains to be defined

  19. Prospective comparison of noninvasive techniques for amputation level selection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malone, J.M.; Anderson, G.G.; Lalka, S.G.; Hagaman, R.M.; Henry, R.; McIntyre, K.E.; Bernhard, V.M.

    1987-01-01

    This study prospectively compared the following tests for their accuracy in amputation level selection: transcutaneous oxygen, transcutaneous carbon dioxide, transcutaneous oxygen-to-transcutaneous carbon dioxide, foot-to-chest transcutaneous oxygen, intradermal xenon-133, ankle-brachial index, and absolute popliteal artery Doppler systolic pressure. All metabolic parameters had a high degree of statistical accuracy in predicting amputation healing whereas none of the other tests had statistical reliability. Amputation site healing was not affected by the presence of diabetes mellitus nor were the test results for any of the metabolic parameters

  20. Resistance of Gram-positive bacteria to nisin is not determined by Lipid II levels

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kramer, NE; Smid, EJ; Kok, J; de Kruijff, B; Kuipers, OP; Breukink, E; Kramer, Naomi E.; Smid, Eddy J.

    2004-01-01

    Lipid II is essential for nisin-mediated pore formation at nano-molar concentrations. We tested whether nisin resistance could result from different Lipid II levels, by comparing the maximal Lipid II pool in Micrococcus flavus (sensitive) and Listeria monocytogenes (relatively insensitive) and their

  1. Changes of serum TNF-α and sTNFR II levels in hyperthyroid patients treated with 131I

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Fangdu

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To study the influence of 131 I therapy on the auto-immune status of hyperthyroid patients through measurement of the changes of serum TNF-α and sTNFR II levels. Methods: Serum levels of TNF-α and sTNFR II were measured with IRA and ELISA respectively in 36 hyperthyroid patients and 31 controls. Six to twelve months after 131 I therapy, the serum levels were again measured in the patients. Results: The 36 patients fell into two groups after treatment: 27 with thyroid function normalized (cured) and 9 remained hyper- thyroid (treatment failure). Before treatment, the serum TNF-α and sTNFR II levels in both groups of patients were significantly higher than those in the controls (p 0.05). In the treatment failure group, serum levels of TNF-α and sTNFR II were not much decreased after therapy (vs before treatment, p>0.05). Serum TNF-α levels were positively correlated to the serum sTNFR II levels in the patients (r=0.264, p 3 , FT 4 levels (r=0.354, p 131 I therapy would effectively suppress the auto-immune status in hyperthyroid patients; changes of serum TNF-α and sTNFR II levels would reflect the result

  2. Project NOAH: Regulating modern sea-level rise. Phase II: Jerusalem Underground

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newman, Walter S.; Fairbridge, Rhodes W.

    This proposal builds a high-speed inter-urban express between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, generates 1500 megawatts of hydroelectric energy, curtails littoral erosion, builds a port along the Israeli Mediterranean coast and demands peaceful cooperation on both sides of the Jordan River. Phase II represents a pilot project demonstrating the feasibility of continuing to regulate world sea-level by a new series of water regulation schemes. Phase I previously described all those projects already completed or underway which have inadvertently and/or unintentionally served the purpose of sea-level regulation. These forms of Phase I sea-level regulation include large and small reservoirs, irrigation projects, water infiltration schemes, farm ponds, and swimming and reflecting pools. All these water storage projects have already exercised a very appreciable brake on 20th century sea-level rise. Phase II outlines a high-visibility proposal which will serve to illustrate the viability of “Project NOAH”.

  3. Routine calcium measurement is not necessary after most thyroid surgeries: a prospective clinical study.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Quinn, E M

    2010-12-01

    Calcium levels are often measured to diagnose postoperative hypocalcaemia following thyroidectomy. The aims of this study were to (i) prospectively determine the incidence of symptomatic and biochemical hypocalcaemia following thyroidectomy, (ii) to identify if any associations exist between hypocalcaemia, type of surgery, histological diagnosis, specimen size\\/weight and the presence of histological parathyroid tissue and (iii) to evaluate the necessity of routine measurement of calcium levels following all thyroidectomies.

  4. Levels and clinical significance of serum IGF-II in patients with five kinds of malignant tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qi Falian; Xu Jun; Du Xiumin; Ke Bingkun; Yang Daoli

    2002-01-01

    Objective: To study the levels and clinical significance of serum IGF-II in patients with malignant tumor. Methods: Levels of serum IGF-II were detected in patients with gastric cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, ovarian carcinoma and endometrial carcinoma by radioimmunoassay, levels in patients with hepatic cirrhosis, uterine myoma and normal controls were also determined for comparison. Results: The levels of serum IGF-II in patients with gastric cancer, lung cancer and liver cancer were significantly higher than those in normal controls (p 0.05). Conclusion: The determination of serum IGF-II has no clinical significance in patients with endometrial carcinoma, ovarian carcinoma and uterine myoma but it could be useful to judge the severity and evaluate the prognosis in patients with gastric cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer and cirrhosis

  5. Workplace levels of psychosocial factors as prospective predictors of registered sickness absence

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Karl Bang; Nielsen, Martin L; Rugulies, Reiner

    2005-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate whether workplace levels of psychosocial work environment factors predict individual sickness absence. METHODS: Data were collected in a prospective study in 52 Danish workplaces in three organizations: municipal care, technical services, and a pharmaceutical...... company. Psychosocial factors were aggregated as workplace means. We used multilevel Poisson regression models with psychosocial factors as predictors and individual level sickness absence from absence registries as outcome. RESULTS: High workplace levels of decision authority predicted low sickness...... absence in the technical services (rate ratio = 0.66, 95% confidence interval = 0.51-0.86) and high workplace levels of skill discretion predicted low sickness absence in the pharmaceutical company (rate ratio = 0.74, 95% confidence interval = 0.62-0.88) after control for relevant confounders. Workplaces...

  6. Perioperative changes of serum cortisol and plasma angiotensin II levels in patients undergoing thoracotomy for malignancy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tian Runhua; Lun Limin; Li Yusheng; Yu Yunyun; Li Xin; Zheng Chunxi

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the perioperative changes of serum stress hormones cortisol and plasma angiotensin II in patients undergoing thoracotomy for malignancy. Methods: Serum cortisol and plasma angiotensin II levels were measured with RIA repeatedly in 35 thoracotomy patients operated for malignancy before operation, 1 h after starting operation, at the end of operation, and one day later, Heart rate and blood pressure were constantly monitored during operation. Results: The serum levels of cortisol and plasma angiotensin-II rose gradually during operation with significant differences among the measurements (P < 0. 001 -0.05), No age-difference for the measurements was observed except for a higher systolic pressure in patients over 60. Heart rates at 1 h were positively correlated with 1 h angiotensin-II levels. Heart rates at the end of operation were positively correlated with the cortisol and angiotensin-II levels at that time. Conclusion: The serum levels of these stress hormones rose significantly during the operation. Stress responses in older patients were adequate, yet the higher levels of stress hormones might bring more adverse effect in elderly people, especially cognition impairment. Smooth anaesthesia and adequate post-operative analgesia would lessen the stress effect, providing more ideal recovery, especially for the older patients. (authors)

  7. Clinical significance of measurement of serum insulin-like growth factor II and adrenomedulion levels in patients with essential hypertension

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fan Bifu; Ji Naijun; Mei Yibin; Wang Chengyao; Chen Donghai; Li Fuyuan; Guan Lihua; Gao Meiying

    2003-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the changes of serum levels of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF II) and adrenomedullin (ADM) in patients with essential hypertension. Methods: Serum IGF II and ADM levels were measured in 62 cases of hypertension and 40 controls with RIA. Results: Serum IGF II and ADM levels were significantly bigger in hypertensive patients than those in the controls (t = 4.454, p < 0.01; t = 3.992, p < 0.01). The serum IGF II level was significantly positively correlated to the serum ADM levels (r = 0.379, p < 0.05) and both were significantly positively correlated to the mean arterial pressure (r = 0.346, r = 0.353, p < 0.05) but not with BMI. Serum ADM levels increased gradually as the disease progressed from stage I to stage III (p < 0.05) with levels in stage III markedly higher than those in stage I (p < 0.01). In EH patients with heart and/or brain and/or renal complications the serum ADM levels were significantly higher than those in EH patients without complications (t = 2.050, p < 0.05). Such differences did not exist in the case of IGF II. Conclusion: Serum IGF II and ADM levels were increased markedly in hypertensive patients. These two factors were mutually positively correlated and both were positively correlated to mean arterial pressure. ADM levels increased gradually as the disease progressing but IGF II levels remained stable

  8. Accuracy and Predictability of PANC-3 Scoring System over APACHE II in Acute Pancreatitis: A Prospective Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rathnakar, Surag Kajoor; Vishnu, Vikram Hubbanageri; Muniyappa, Shridhar; Prasath, Arun

    2017-02-01

    Acute Pancreatitis (AP) is one of the common conditions encountered in the emergency room. The course of the disease ranges from mild form to severe acute form. Most of these episodes are mild and spontaneously subsiding within 3 to 5 days. In contrast, Severe Acute Pancreatitis (SAP) occurring in around 15-20% of all cases, mortality can range between 10 to 85% across various centres and countries. In such a situation we need an indicator which can predict the outcome of an attack, as severe or mild, as early as possible and such an indicator should be sensitive and specific enough to trust upon. PANC-3 scoring is such a scoring system in predicting the outcome of an attack of AP. To assess the accuracy and predictability of PANC-3 scoring system over APACHE II in predicting severity in an attack of AP. This prospective study was conducted on 82 patients admitted with the diagnosis of pancreatitis. Investigations to evaluate PANC-3 and APACHE II were done on all the patients and the PANC-3 and APACHE II score was calculated. PANC-3 score has a sensitivity of 82.6% and specificity of 77.9%, the test had a Positive Predictive Value (PPV) of 0.59 and Negative Predictive Value (NPV) of 0.92. Sensitivity of APACHE II in predicting SAP was 91.3% and specificity was 96.6% with PPV of 0.91, NPV was 0.96. Our study shows that PANC-3 can be used to predict the severity of pancreatitis as efficiently as APACHE II. The interpretation of PANC-3 does not need expertise and can be applied at the time of admission which is an advantage when compared to classical scoring systems.

  9. Relativistic transition rates for sextet levels in Cr II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aashamar, K.; Luke, T.M.

    1994-01-01

    Configuration interaction calculations have been carried out to obtain rates for electric dipole transitions and lifetimes for the 1s 2 2s 2 2p 6 3s 2 3p 6 3d 4 4d and 5s 6 D and 4d 6 F levels in Cr II. Up to 40 configurations have been included so correlation effects should be well accounted for. Relativistic interactions are included through the use of the Breit-Pauli hamiltonian to obtain the level wave functions and energies. Strong mixing of the 4d levels occurs and this leads to substantial departures from earlier nonrelativistic calculations that assume LS coupling for these states. Results include the actual compositions of both even and odd parity levels where significant mixing occurs and the rates for all transitions that are allowed to lower levels from these 4d and 5s levels. (orig.)

  10. Toenail selenium levels and the subsequent risk of prostate cancer: A prospective cohort study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brandt, P.A. van den; Zeegers, M.P.A.; Bode, P.; Goldbohm, R.A.

    2003-01-01

    Results of a randomized controlled trial have suggested a protective effect of selenium against prostate cancer. Few other prospective studies have been conducted to confirm or refute this. The association between prostate cancer and baseline toenail selenium level was evaluated in the Netherlands

  11. Prospect theory or construal level theory? Diminishing sensitivity vs. psychological distance in risky decisions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Trautmann, S.T.; van de Kuilen, G.

    2012-01-01

    Attitudes toward risks are central to organizational decisions. These attitudes are commonly modeled by prospect theory. Construal level theory has been proposed as an alternative theory of risky choice, accounting for psychological distance deriving from temporal, spatial and social aspects of risk

  12. Clinical significance of determination of serum insulin-like growth factor II levels in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Changming

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To explore the clinical significance of the changes of serum insulinlike growth factor II (IGF-II) levels in patients with chronic obstruive pulmonary diseases (COPD). Methods: The serum IGF-II levels was determined with radioimmunoassay in 60 patients with COPD and 30 controls. Results: The serum IGF-II levels in patients with COPD were significantly higher than those in controls (0.65 ± 0.22μg/L vs 0.51±0.18μg/L, P<0.01). There were no significant differences among the levels in patients of different stages (stages I, II, III). Levels of IGF-II were significantly higher in patients succumbed to the dis- ease than those in patients recoverd (P<0.05). Conclusion: Serum IGF-II levels were significantly increased in patients with COPD, especially in those succumbed. (authors)

  13. Turkish Prospective Early Childhood Teachers' Emotional Intelligence Level and Its Relationship to Their Parents' Parenting Styles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotaman, Hüseyin

    2016-01-01

    The current study explored Turkish prospective early childhood teachers' emotional intelligence scores in order to determine whether levels indicated differentiations according to grade level, and parenting style. Participants responded to the Turkish version of the Parenting Style Inventory and Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS). EIS also…

  14. The elusive 2s3s1S level in B II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martinson, I; Awaya, Y; Ekberg, J O; Kink, I; Mannervik, S; Ryabtsev, A N

    2003-01-01

    It has been known for nearly 30 years that the theoretical and experimental values for the energy of the 2s3s 1 S level in singly ionized boron, B II, differ strongly. Since there is much better agreement for other B II levels, it has been concluded that the experimental value for 2s3s 1 S must be revised. Despite a number of recordings over the years of sliding-spark, hollow cathode and beam-foil spectra, this level has not been located. We have now performed another beam-foil experiment, using higher resolution and sensitivity than in most previous studies. By combining these new data with previous results, we have identified transitions from the 2s4p, 2s5p and 2p3s 1 P levels to 2s3s 1 S, the excitation energy (137 622 ± 3 cm -1 ) of which is now well established and in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions

  15. Future health physics prospects in high-level nuclear waste management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Waite, D.A.; Mayberry, J.J.

    1986-01-01

    The objective of this presentation is to provide an overview of health physics activities anticipated to be required at a high-level nuclear waste repository and to project the numbers of health physics personnel expected to be required to carry out these activities. Health physics personnel receiving consideration in the projections include the health physics manager, shift supervisors, area supervisors, health physicists, and technologists. Phases of the repository addressed are construction, operation, retrieval, and decommissioning. Specific topics discussed in the process of developing the projections are: (a) the basic features of a geologic repository, (b) the staffing requirements of such a repository, (c) health physics involvement in repository operations, and (d) the anticipated schedule for operation of repositories in the United States. A quantitative assessment of future health physics prospects in high-level nuclear waste management is included

  16. Clinical significance of determination of changes of serum IGF-II, CRP levels after treatment in pediatric patients with broncho-pneumonia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Chuanbin

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the changes of serum insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II), CRP levels after treatment in pediatric patients with bronchopneumonia. Methods: Serum IGF-II levels were measured with RIA and serum CRP levels with immune method both before and after treatment in 33 pediatric patients with bronchopneumonia and 35 controls. Results: Before treatment the serum levels of IGF-II, CRP were significantly higher in the patients than those in controls (P 0.05). Conclusion: Determination of serum IGF-II, CRP levels is clinically useful in the management of pediatric patients with bronchopneumonia. (authors)

  17. Precision lifetime measurements of Ar II 4p doublet levels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marger, D.; Schmoranzer, H.

    1990-01-01

    The lifetimes of the Ar II 4p doublet fine-structure levels 4p 2 D 0 5/2 , 4p' 2 F 0 5/2 and 4p' 2 F 0 7/2 were measured by beam-dye laser spectroscopy. The experimental uncertainty was reduced to below 1%. (orig.)

  18. Decreased plasma levels of factor II + VII + X correlate with increased levels of soluble cytokine receptors in patients with malaria and meningococcal infections

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bygbjerg, I C; Hansen, M B; Rønn, A M

    1997-01-01

    The levels of coagulation factors II + VII + X and of blood platelets (thrombocytes) as well as of cytokines and soluble cytokine receptors were studied in the patients with malaria or meningococcal infections. The coagulation factors were decreased particularly in the meningococcal patients, while...... thrombocytes were lowest in the Plasmodium falciparum malaria patients. There was no correlation between factors II + VII + X and thrombocytes, but plasma levels of coagulation factors II + VII + X were found to correlate inversely with levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) and soluble tumour...... necrosis factor-I (sTNF-RI) in patients with malaria and meningococcal infections. Elevated sIL-2R and sTNF-RI levels and decreased coagulation factors reverted to normal within 3-5 days after initiation of therapy in P. falciparum patients followed consecutively. Estimation of coagulation factors may...

  19. A PROSPECTIVE STUDY ON PREOPERATIVE CONCURRENT CHEMORADIATION WITH CAPECITABINE IN STAGE II/III CARCINOMA OF RECTUM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anish Kuttappan Soman

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND Fluorouracil (5-FU based chemoradiotherapy represents the standard treatment option for the preoperative treatment of advanced rectal cancer. Capecitabine is an oral precursor of 5-FU with the advantage of delivering the chemotherapy in an outpatient setup. NSABP R-04 & a German phase 3 trial by Hofheinz et al showed that Capecitabine was equivalent to 5-FU. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate pathological response (PR, clinical & surgical outcomes of stage II & III patients treated with chemoradiation with Capecitabine. The secondary objective was to evaluate toxicity and compliance to treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS This single arm prospective study included 35 patients with stages II & III adenocarcinoma of rectum who after evaluation were treated with pelvic radiotherapy and concurrent Capecitabine. Toxicities were graded using RTOG scoring criteria. Clinical response was assessed after EBRT completion, and patients were referred for surgery after 4-6 weeks. Pathologic response and completeness of resection were assessed from the histopathology report. RESULTS Growth located within 5 cm from anal verge was seen in 24 (68.5% patients and 6 were inoperable upfront. All patients completed the intended preoperative treatment and 88.6% did not have any toxicity related break in RT. Clinical response was seen in 80% of patients after Chemoradiation. Out of 35 treated 80% of them underwent surgery. APR was performed in 64.2% and 35.7% had LAR. Out of 6 upfront inoperable patients, 3 were converted to operable. Out of 23 APR cases, 7 were converted to anterior resection (30.4%, p=0.046. 96% of operated patients had an R0 resection, including all the 3 upfront inoperable patients. Minimal pathologic response was seen in 89.2% of patients and 7.14% had complete pathologic response. There were no Grade 4 or 5 toxicities. Only 2.9% had a Grade 3 event. 45.7% had maximum of Grade 1 events and 48.6% had maximum of Grade 2

  20. Predictors of in vitro fertilization outcomes in women with highest follicle-stimulating hormone levels ≥ 12 IU/L: a prospective cohort study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lina N Huang

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to evaluate factors predictive of outcomes in women with highest follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH levels ≥ 12 IU/L on basal testing, undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF.A prospective cohort study was conducted at Stanford University Hospital in the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Center for 12 months. Women age 21 to 43 undergoing IVF with highest FSH levels on baseline testing were included. Donor/Recipient and frozen embryo cycles were excluded from this study. Prognostic factors evaluated in association with clinical pregnancy rates were type of infertility diagnosis and IVF stimulation parameters.The current study found that factors associated with clinical pregnancy were: increased number of mature follicles on the day of triggering, number of oocytes retrieved, number of Metaphase II oocytes if intracytoplasmic sperm injection was done, and number of embryos developed 24 hours after retrieval.Our findings suggest that it would be beneficial for women with increased FSH levels to attempt a cycle of IVF. Results of ovarian stimulation, especially embryo quantity appear to be the best predictors of IVF outcomes and those can only be obtained from a cycle of IVF. Therefore, increased basal FSH levels should not discourage women from attempting a cycle of IVF.

  1. Phase II prospective randomized trial of weight loss prior to radical prostatectomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henning, Susanne M; Galet, Colette; Gollapudi, Kiran; Byrd, Joshua B; Liang, Pei; Li, Zhaoping; Grogan, Tristan; Elashoff, David; Magyar, Clara E; Said, Jonathan; Cohen, Pinchas; Aronson, William J

    2017-12-04

    Obesity is associated with poorly differentiated and advanced prostate cancer and increased mortality. In preclinical models, caloric restriction delays prostate cancer progression and prolongs survival. We sought to determine if weight loss (WL) in men with prostate cancer prior to radical prostatectomy affects tumor apoptosis and proliferation, and if WL effects other metabolic biomarkers. In this Phase II prospective trial, overweight and obese men scheduled for radical prostatectomy were randomized to a 5-8 week WL program consisting of standard structured energy-restricted meal plans (1200-1500 Kcal/day) and physical activity or to a control group. The primary endpoint was apoptotic index in the radical prostatectomy malignant epithelium. Secondary endpoints were proliferation (Ki67) in the radical prostatectomy tissue, body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio, body composition, and serum PSA, insulin, triglyceride, cholesterol, testosterone, estradiol, leptin, adiponectin, interleukin 6, interleukin 8, insulin-like growth factor 1, and IGF binding protein 1. In total 23 patients were randomized to the WL intervention and 21 patients to the control group. Subjects in the intervention group had significantly more weight loss (WL:-3.7 ± 0.5 kg; Control:-1.6 ± 0.5 kg; p = 0.007) than the control group and total fat mass was significantly reduced (WL:-2.1 ± 0.4; Control: 0.1 ± 0.3; p = 0.015). There was no significant difference in apoptotic or proliferation index between the groups. Among the other biomarkers, triglyceride, and insulin levels were significantly decreased in the WL compared with the control group. In summary, this short-term WL program prior to radical prostatectomy resulted in significantly more WL in the intervention vs. the control group and was accompanied by significant reductions in body fat mass, circulating triglycerides, and insulin. However, no significant changes were observed in malignant

  2. Preliminary Modelling of Radiation Levels at the Fermilab PIP-II Linac

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lari, L. [CERN; Cerutti, F. [CERN; Esposito, L. S. [CERN; Baffes, C. [Fermilab; Dixon, S. J. [Fermilab; Mokhov, N. V. [Fermilab; Rakhno, I. [Fermilab; Tropin, I. S. [Fermilab

    2018-04-01

    PIP-II is the Fermilab's flagship project for providing powerful, high-intensity proton beams to the laboratory's experiments. The heart of PIP-II is an 800-MeV superconducting linac accelerator. It will be located in a new tunnel with new service buildings and connected to the present Booster through a new transfer line. To support the design of civil engineering and mechanical integration, this paper provides preliminary estimation of radiation level in the gallery at an operational beam loss limit of 0.1 W/m, by means of Monte Carlo calculations with FLUKA and MARS15 codes.

  3. A study of the human immune response to Lolium perenne (rye) pollen and its components, Lol p I and Lol p II (Rye I and Rye II). II. Longitudinal variation of antibody levels in relation to symptomatology and pollen exposure and correction of seasonally elevated antibody levels to basal values.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freidhoff, L R; Ehrlich-Kautzky, E; Meyers, D A; Marsh, D G

    1987-11-01

    This study used a standardized, dialyzed, Lolium perenne (ryegrass) pollen extract and two of its well-characterized components, Lol p I (Rye I) and Lol p II (Rye II), to characterize the longitudinal variation of both IgE and IgG antibody (Ab) levels, as well as total serum IgE levels, in 20 grass-allergic subjects followed for 13 months. Ab levels declined toward a basal level just before, and increased just after, the grass-pollination season, returning to the same basal level just before the next grass-pollination season. The least complex allergen, Lol II, demonstrated the most uniform pattern of variation in both IgE and IgG Ab levels. Total serum IgE levels demonstrated the least regular pattern of variation. Grass-pollen counts were strongly correlated with symptom-medication scores for these subjects (rs = 0.87). Initial values were correlated with the rise in total IgE and IgE Ab to Lol II across the grass-pollen season. Skin test results were correlated with initial IgE Ab levels for L. perenne pollen extract and Lol II. Finally, a procedure for correcting IgE Ab levels to basal values was proposed and tested. The correction procedure, for each IgE Ab, was based on the average rise during the grass-pollination season (or average decline after the grass-pollination season) observed for all subjects with that IgE Ab.

  4. Relationship of blood lead levels and blood pressure in NHANES II: additional calculations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gartside, P.S.

    1988-01-01

    In performing research for associations and relationships among the data thus far published from the NHANES II survey, only the data for the 64 communities involved may be used. The simple omission of a few essential data makes impossible any valid analysis from the data for the 20,325 individual respondents. In this research for associations between blood lead levels and blood pressure in NHANES II, the method of forward stepwise regression was used. This avoids the problem of inflated error rates for blood lead, maximizes the number of data analyzed, and minimizes the number of independent variables entered into the regression model, thus avoiding the pitfalls that previous NHANES II research of blood lead and blood pressure has fallen into when using backward stepwise regression. The results of this research for white male adults, white female adults, and black adults were contradictory and lacked consistency and reliability. In addition, the overall average association between blood lead level and blood pressure was so minute that the only rational conclusion is that there is no evidence for this association to be found in the NHANES II data

  5. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 37 (TOWNTH00290037) on Town Highway 29, crossing Mill Brook, Townshend, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burns, R.L.; Medalie, Laura

    1998-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure TOWNTH00290037 on Town Highway 29 crossing Mill Brook, Townshend, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (FHWA, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in appendix D.

  6. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 8, (MANCTH00060008) on Town Highway 6, crossing Bourn Brook, Manchester, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burns, Ronda L.; Hammond, Robert E.

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure MANCTH00060008 on Town Highway 6 crossing Bourn Brook, Manchester, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D.

  7. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 30, (HUNTTH00220030), on Town Highway 22, crossing Brush Brook, Huntington, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burns, Ronda L.

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure HUNTTH00220030 on Town Highway 22 crossing Brush Brook, Huntington, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D.

  8. Level II scour analysis for brigde 5 (STOCTH00360005) on Town Highway 36, crossing Stony Brook, Stockridge, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Striker, Lora K.; Weber, Matthew A.

    1998-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure STOCTH00360005 on Town Highway 36 crossing Stony Brook, Stockbridge, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in appendix D.

  9. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 8 (ATHETH00090008) on Town Highway 9, crossing Bull Creek, Athens, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boehmler, Erick M.; Burns, Ronda L.

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure ATHETH00090008 on Town Highway 9 crossing Bull Creek in Athens, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D.

  10. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 16, (NEWBTH00500016) on Town Highway 50, crossing Halls Brook, Newbury, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burns, Ronda L.; Degnan, James R.

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure NEWBTH00500016 on Town Highway 50 crossing Halls Brook, Newbury, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D.

  11. Plasma levels of nitrate and risk of prostate cancer: a prospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Tianying; Wang, Yushan; Ho, Shuk-Mei; Giovannucci, Edward

    2013-07-01

    Nitrate and nitrite supplements have recently been shown to improve cardiovascular health, but there is concern that these supplements could contribute to the development of cancer. Previous small, cross-sectional studies reported positive associations between circulating nitrate/nitrite levels and cancer. Prospective studies examining the association between plasma nitrate and cancer, especially prostate cancer, are lacking. We conducted a nested case-control study within the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Baseline blood samples were collected in 1994, and incident cases of prostate cancer were identified from 1997 to 2005. Baseline plasma levels of nitrate were measured in the 630 cases and 630 matched controls. We have found that baseline levels of plasma nitrate were not associated with risk of prostate cancer. Compared to quintile 1, the relative risk from quintiles 2 to 5 were 1.13 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.78-1.63], 0.93 (95% CI, 0.63-1.38), 0.95 (95% CI, 0.65-1.39), and 0.99 (95% CI, 0.68-1.48); Ptrend was 0.9 after adjustment of multivariate risk factors. When analyses were restricted to men fasting more than 6 hours, the trend was similar. Furthermore, plasma nitrate seemed to be inversely associated with advanced-stage prostate cancer. The relative risk across extreme quartiles was 0.44 (95% CI, 0.17-1.12; Ptrend = 0.07) for the whole dataset and 0.30 (95% CI, 0.09-0.99; Ptrend = 0.05) for the fasting dataset. In summary, we did not find an increased risk of prostate cancer associated with higher plasma nitrate levels. A potential protective association between nitrate and aggressive forms of prostate cancer requires confirmation. Nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide pathway has emerged as a new therapeutic pathway for chronic diseases. The results of this study certainly merit replications in other prospective studies.

  12. Analysis and Interpretation of Avo Data in Buit-North Prospect of the Niger Delta Slope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oladapo, M.I.; Ojo, J. S.; Adetola, B.A.

    2003-01-01

    A qualitative analysis and interpretation of Amplitude Variations with Offset (AVO) data from Buit-North prospect in the Niger Delta Slope has been undertaken. Four horizons evaluated are AA (1900mm), BB (2345m), CC (2500m) and DD (2935). The work involved the comparison of AVO analysis of Buit-I well log and those of 3-D Pre-Stack Time Migrated (PSTM) seismic data acquired from the study area. Acoustic Impedance-Depth trend generated from Buit-1 Well demonstrates that AVO interpretation at depths between 2650m and .3300m (points of polynomial fit convergence) may be subdued due to nera zero impedance contrasts at contacts. Monte-Carlo models generated for the horizons using parameters measured from Buit. Zoeppritz (AVO) curves and seismic attributes crossplots were generated for all the horizons. AA horizon exhibit classes II and IV (falling AVO) while horizon BB reveal class III (classical bright spot) gas sand. Horizon CC exhibit class II (near zero impedance) gas sand while the seismic attributes crossplots show no distinct anomalous plots. The AVO response curves displayed at the upper level of horizon DD is characteristic of class IV response with the lower level exhibiting class II attribute. The seismic attributes crossplots for DD show plots on quandrants II, III and IV thus confirmation AVO analysis complexity within that depth window. Quantitative analysis and interpretation of AVO data is demonstrated in this study as a valuable emerging technology for appraising deep-water prospects for the delineation of probable hydrocarbon zones for further studies

  13. Forest Focus Monitoring Database System - Technical Report 2003 Level II Data

    OpenAIRE

    HIEDERER ROLAND; DURRANT TRACY; GRANKE O.; LAMBOTTE Michel; LORENZ M.; MIGNON B.; OEHMICHEN K.

    2007-01-01

    Forest Focus (Regulation (EC) No 2152/2003) is a Community scheme for harmonized, broad-based, comprehensive and long-term monitoring of European forest ecosystems. Under this scheme the monitoring of air pollution effects on forests is carried out by participating countries on the basis of the systematic network of observation points (Level I) and of the network of observation plots for intensive and continuous monitoring (Level II). According to Article 15(1) of the Forest Focus Regulat...

  14. Forest Focus Monitoring Database System - Technical Report 2006 Level II Data

    OpenAIRE

    HIEDERER Roland; DURRANT Tracy; GRANKE Oliver; LAMBOTTE Michel; LORENZ Martin; MIGNON Bertrand

    2008-01-01

    Forest Focus (Regulation (EC) No 2152/2003) is a Community scheme for harmonized, broadbased, comprehensive and long-term monitoring of European forest ecosystems. Under this scheme the monitoring of air pollution effects on forests is carried out by participating countries on the basis of the systematic network of observation points (Level I) and of the network of observation plots for intensive and continuous monitoring (Level II). According to Article 15(1) of the Forest Focus Regulatio...

  15. Clinical analysis of the changes of plasma PRA, AT-II and Aid levels in patients with acute renal failure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Qiuyue; Yang Yongqing

    2002-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the role of changes of plasma PRA, AT-II and Ald levels in the pathogenesis of acute renal failure. Methods: Plasma PRA, AT-II and Ald levels were determined with RIA in 40 normal subjects and 72 cases of acute renal failure. Results: Plasma PRA, AT-II and Ald levels in the patients were markedly increased as compared with those in normal subjects (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, p < 0.001 respectively). There were no linearity and exponential relationship between plasma PRA, AT-II, Ald levels and the 24 h urinary sodium excretion amount (within the range of 89.1 - 365.2 mEq). Conclusion: Acute renal failure could activate the RAAS function

  16. Psychophysiology of prospective memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rothen, Nicolas; Meier, Beat

    2014-01-01

    Prospective memory involves the self-initiated retrieval of an intention upon an appropriate retrieval cue. Cue identification can be considered as an orienting reaction and may thus trigger a psychophysiological response. Here we present two experiments in which skin conductance responses (SCRs) elicited by prospective memory cues were compared to SCRs elicited by aversive stimuli to test whether a single prospective memory cue triggers a similar SCR as an aversive stimulus. In Experiment 2 we also assessed whether cue specificity had a differential influence on prospective memory performance and on SCRs. We found that detecting a single prospective memory cue is as likely to elicit a SCR as an aversive stimulus. Missed prospective memory cues also elicited SCRs. On a behavioural level, specific intentions led to better prospective memory performance. However, on a psychophysiological level specificity had no influence. More generally, the results indicate reliable SCRs for prospective memory cues and point to psychophysiological measures as valuable approach, which offers a new way to study one-off prospective memory tasks. Moreover, the findings are consistent with a theory that posits multiple prospective memory retrieval stages.

  17. Application of determination of PRA, Ang II and IGF-1 levels in the study of typing of essential hypertension

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu Yongyi; Chen Qun; Yang Yongqing

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To study the clinical application of determination of plasma renin activity (PRA), Angiotensin II (Ang II ) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels in typing of essential hypertension (EH). Methods: Determined the levels of PRA and Aug II in 256 patients with EH and 70 healthy volunteers (as control group) by radioimmunoassay, and measured IGF-1 level by enzyme immunoassay. Research on the typing of EH and the difference between the groups. Results: The PRA and Ang II in control group was (0.432±0.236) μg·L -1 ·h -1 and (31.7±7.4) μg/L respectively. In 256 patients with EH, PRA was increased, normal and decreased in 18.0%, 71.8% and 10.2% respectively, while the level of Ang II was increased, normal and decreased in 12.9%, 76.2% and 10.9% respectively. The IGF-1 levels in 256 patients with EH were increased following the increase of blood pressure. Conclusion: Typing of EH patients with PRA and Ang II as well as the determination of IGF-1 were useful in treating and following up the patients with EH. (authors)

  18. Clinical significance of measurement of changes of serum IGF-II, NO levels after treatment in pediatric patients with bronchial pneumonia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Huajiang

    2005-01-01

    Objective: To study the clinical significance of changes of serum IGF-II and NO levels after treatment in pediatric patients with bronchial pneumonia. Methods: Serum IGF-II (with RIA) and NO (with Biochemical method) levels were measured in 38 pediatric patients with bronchial pneumonia both before and after treatment as well as in 35 controls. Results: Before treatment, in the patients the serum IGF-II, and NO levels were significantly higher than those in controls (P 0.05). Conclusion: Serum IGF-II and NO levels changes could reflect the disease status of the patients as well as the progress of diseases. (authors)

  19. Hemodiafiltration Decreases Serum Levels of Inflammatory Mediators in Severe Leptospirosis: A Prospective Study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sérgio Aparecido Cleto

    Full Text Available Leptospirosis is a health problem worldwide. Its most severe form is a classic model of sepsis, provoking acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS and acute kidney injury (AKI, with associated mortality that remains unacceptably high. We previously demonstrated that early initiation of sustained low-efficiency dialysis (SLED followed by daily SLED significantly decreases mortality. However, the mode of clearance can also affect dialysis patient outcomes. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare the effects of SLED with traditional (diffusive clearance, via hemodialysis, and SLED with convective clearance, via hemodiafiltration (SLEDf, in patients with severe leptospirosis.In this prospective study, conducted in the intensive care unit (ICU from 2009 through 2012, we compared two groups-SLED (n = 19 and SLEDf (n = 20-evaluating demographic, clinical, and biochemical parameters, as well as serum levels of interleukins, up to the third day after admission. All patients received dialysis early and daily thereafter.During the study period, 138 patients were admitted to our ICU with a diagnosis of leptospirosis; 39 (36 males/3 females met the criteria for ARDS and AKI. All patients were on mechanical ventilation and were comparable in terms of respiratory parameters. Mortality did not differ between the SLEDf and SLED groups. However, post-admission decreases in the serum levels of interleukin (IL-17, IL-7, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 were significantly greater in the SLEDf group. Direct bilirubin and the arterial oxygen tension/fraction of inspired oxygen ratio were significantly higher in the SLED group. We identified the following risk factors (sensitivities/specificities for mortality in severe leptospirosis: age ≥ 55 years (67%/91%; serum urea ≥ 204 mg/dl (100%/70%; creatinine ≥ 5.2 mg/dl (100%/58%; Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score ≥ 39.5 (67%/88%; Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score

  20. The Prospective External Validation of International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) Simple Rules in the Hands of Level I and II Examiners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knafel, A; Banas, T; Nocun, A; Wiechec, M; Jach, R; Ludwin, A; Kabzinska-Turek, M; Pietrus, M; Pitynski, K

    2016-10-01

    Objective: To externally validate the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) Simple Rules (SR) by examiners with different levels of sonographic experience defined by the European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (EFSUMB) and to assess the morphological ultrasound features of the adnexal tumors classified as inconclusive based on IOTA SR. Materials and Methods: In the two-year prospective study adnexal tumors were assessed preoperatively with transvaginal ultrasound by examiners with different levels of experience (level 1- IOTA SR1, level 2-IOTA SR2). Additionally, an expert (level 3) evaluated all tumors by subjective assessment (SA). If the rules could not be applied, the tumors were considered inconclusive. The final diagnosis was based on the histopathological result of the removed mass. The diagnostic performance measures for the assessed model were sensitivity, specificity, negative (LR-) and positive(LR+) likelihood ratios, accuracy (ACC) and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR). Results: 226 women with adnexal tumors scheduled for surgery were included in the stutdy. The prevalence of malignancy was 36.3 % in the group of all studied tumors and was 52.5 % in the inconclusive group (n = 40) (p = 0.215). Fewer tumors were classified as inconclusive by level 2 examiners compared to level 1 examiners [20 (8.8 %) vs. 40 (17.7 %); p = 0.008], resulting from the discrepancy in the evaluation of acoustic shadows and the vascularization within the tumor. For level 1 examiners a diagnostic strategy using IOTA SR1 +MA (assuming malignancy when SR inconclusive) achieved a sensitivity, specificity and DOR of 96.3 %, 81.9 %, 13.624 respectively. For level 2 examiners the diagnostic strategy for IOTA SR2 +MA achieved a sensitivity, specificity and DOR of 95.1 %, 89.6 %, 137,143, respectively. Adding SA by an expert (or level 3 examiner) when IOTA SR were not applicable improved the specificity of the test and

  1. Changes in Cytokines and Aggrecan ARGS Neoepitope in Synovial Fluid and Serum and in C-Terminal Crosslinking Telopeptide of Type II Collagen and N-Terminal Crosslinking Telopeptide of Type I Collagen in Urine Over Five Years After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rupture

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Struglics, André; Larsson, Staffan; Kumahashi, Nobuyuki

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To prospectively monitor levels of proinflammatory cytokines and aggrecan ARGS neoepitope in synovial fluid and serum as well as levels of C-terminal crosslinking telopeptide of type II collagen (CTX-II) and N-terminal crosslinking telopeptide of type I collagen (NTX-I) in urine after ...

  2. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 37 (BARTTH00080037) on Town Highway 8, crossing Willoughby River, Barton, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayotte, Joseph D.; Boehmler, Erick M.

    1996-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure BARTTH00080037 on town highway 8 crossing the Willoughby River, Barton, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D. The site is in the New England Upland section of the New England physiographic province

  3. Source-specific workplace social support and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels among Japanese workers: A 1-year prospective cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eguchi, Hisashi; Shimazu, Akihito; Kawakami, Norito; Inoue, Akiomi; Tsutsumi, Akizumi

    2016-08-01

    This study investigated the prospective association between source-specific workplace social support and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels in workers in Japan. We conducted a 1-year prospective cohort study with 1,487 men and 533 women aged 18-65 years. Participants worked at two manufacturing worksites in Japan and were free of major illness. We used multivariable linear regression analyses to evaluate the prospective association between supervisor and coworker support at baseline, and hs-CRP levels at follow-up. We conducted the analyses separately for men and women. For women, high supervisor support at baseline was significantly associated with lower hs-CRP levels at follow-up (β = -0.109, P support at baseline was not significantly associated with hs-CRP levels at follow-up. Associations between supervisor and coworker support and hs-CRP levels were not significant for men. Supervisor support may have beneficial effects on inflammatory markers in working women. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:676-684, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 16 (GROTTH00170016) on Town Highway 17, crossing the Wells River, Groton, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Striker, L.K.; Ivanoff, M.A.

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure GROTTH00170016 on Town Highway 17 crossing the Wells River, Groton, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D.

  5. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 37, (BRNETH00740037) on Town Highway 74, crossing South Peacham Brook, Barnet, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burns, Ronda L.; Severance, Timothy

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure BRNETH00740037 on Town Highway 74 crossing South Peacham Brook, Barnet, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D.

  6. Venom Concentrations and Clotting Factor Levels in a Prospective Cohort of Russell's Viper Bites with Coagulopathy.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Geoffrey K Isbister

    Full Text Available Russell's viper envenoming is a major problem in South Asia and causes venom induced consumption coagulopathy. This study aimed to investigate the kinetics and dynamics of venom and clotting function in Russell's viper envenoming.In a prospective cohort of 146 patients with Russell's viper envenoming, we measured venom concentrations, international normalised ratio [INR], prothrombin time (PT, activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT, coagulation factors I, II, V, VII, VIII, IX and X, and von Willebrand factor antigen. The median age was 39 y (16-82 y and 111 were male. The median peak INR was 6.8 (interquartile range [IQR]: 3.7 to >13, associated with low fibrinogen [median,3 at 6 h post-antivenom but had reduced to <2, by 24 h. The aPTT had also returned to close to normal (<50 sec at 24 h. Factor VII, VIII and IX levels were unusually high pre-antivenom, median peak concentrations of 393%, 307% and 468% respectively. Pre-antivenom venom concentrations and the INR (r = 0.20, p = 0.02 and aPTT (r = 0.19, p = 0.03 were correlated (non-parametric Spearman analysis.Russell's viper coagulopathy results in prolonged aPTT, INR, low fibrinogen, factors V, VIII and X which recover over 48 h. Severity of clotting abnormalities was associated with venom concentrations.

  7. The CMS Level-1 trigger for LHC Run II

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tapper, A.

    2018-02-01

    During LHC Run II the centre-of-mass energy of pp collisions has increased from 8 TeV up to 13 TeV and the instantaneous luminosity has progressed towards 2 × 1034 cm-2s-1. In order to guarantee a successful and ambitious physics programme under these conditions, the CMS trigger system has been upgraded. The upgraded CMS Level-1 trigger is designed to improve performance at high luminosity and large number of simultaneous inelastic collisions per crossing. The trigger design, implementation and commissioning are summarised, and performance results are described.

  8. The Effect of Listening to Music During Percutaneous Nephrostomy Tube Placement on Pain, Anxiety, and Success Rate of Procedure: A Randomized Prospective Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamidi, Nurullah; Ozturk, Erdem

    2017-05-01

    To evaluate the effect of listening to music on pain, anxiety, and success of procedure during office-based percutaneous nephrostomy tube placement (PNTP). One hundred consecutive patients (age >18 years) with hydronephrosis were prospectively enrolled in this study. All patients were prospectively randomized to undergo office-based PNTP with (Group I, n = 50) or without music (Group II, n = 50). Anxiety levels were evaluated with State Trait Anxiety Inventory. A visual analog scale was used to evaluate pain levels, patient's satisfaction, and willingness to undergo the procedure. We also compared success rates of procedures. The mean age, duration of procedure, and gender distribution were statistically similar between the two groups. The mean postprocedural heart rates and systolic blood pressures in Group I patients were significantly lower than Group II patients (p = 0.01 and p = 0.028, respectively), whereas preprocedural pulse rate and systolic blood pressure were similar. The mean anxiety level and mean pain score of Group I were significantly lower than those of Group II (p = 0.008 and p music during office-based PNTP decreases anxiety or pain and increases success rate of procedure. As an alternative to sedation or general anesthesia, music is easily accessible without side effect and cost.

  9. Operator interface for the PEP-II low level RF control system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allison, S.; Claus, R.

    1997-05-01

    This paper focuses on the operational aspects of the low level RF control system being built for the PEP-II storage rings at SLAC. Subsystems requiring major operational considerations include displays for monitor and control from UNIX workstations, slow feedback loops and control sequences residing on microprocessors, and various client applications in the existing SLAC Linear Collider (SLC) control system. Since commissioning of PEP-II RF is currently in-progress, only those parts of the control system used during this phase are discussed in detail. Based on past experience with the SLC control system, it is expected that effort expended during commissioning on a solid user interface will result in smoother transition to full reliable 24-hour-a-day operation

  10. Clinical significance of measurement of changes of serum IGF-II and NO levels after treatment in elderly patients with chronic bronchitis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gu Tao

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To study the clinical significance of changes of serum IGF-II and NO levels after treatment in elderly patients with chronic bronchitis. Methods: Serum IGF-II (with RIA) and NO (with Biochemical method) levels were measured in 42 elderly patients with chronic bronchitis both before and after treatment as well as in 30 controls. Results: Before treatment in the patients the serum IGF-II levels were significantly higher than those in controls (P<0.01), while the NO levels were significantly lower (P<0.01). After two weeks of treatment, the levels though dropped markedly, lemained higher than those in controls (P<0. 05). Conclusion: Serum IGF-II and NO levels changes could reflect the disease status as well as the progress of diseases. (authors)

  11. Prospective cohort study on noise levels in a pediatric cardiac intensive care unit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia Guerra, Gonzalo; Joffe, Ari R; Sheppard, Cathy; Pugh, Jodie; Moez, Elham Khodayari; Dinu, Irina A; Jou, Hsing; Hartling, Lisa; Vohra, Sunita

    2018-04-01

    To describe noise levels in a pediatric cardiac intensive care unit, and to determine the relationship between sound levels and patient sedation requirements. Prospective observational study at a pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU). Sound levels were measured continuously in slow A weighted decibels dB(A) with a sound level meter SoundEarPro® during a 4-week period. Sedation requirement was assessed using the number of intermittent (PRNs) doses given per hour. Analysis was conducted with autoregressive moving average models and the Granger test for causality. 39 children were included in the study. The average (SD) sound level in the open area was 59.4 (2.5) dB(A) with a statistically significant but clinically unimportant difference between day/night hours (60.1 vs. 58.6; p-value noise levels were > 90 dB. There was a significant association between average (p-value = 0.030) and peak sound levels (p-value = 0.006), and number of sedation PRNs. Sound levels were above the recommended values with no differences between day/night or open area/single room. High sound levels were significantly associated with sedation requirements. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. SAGE II Measurements of Stratospheric Aerosol Properties at Non-Volcanic Levels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomason, Larry W.; Burton, Sharon P.; Luo, Bei-Ping; Peter, Thomas

    2008-01-01

    Since 2000, stratospheric aerosol levels have been relatively stable and at the lowest levels observed in the historical record. Given the challenges of making satellite measurements of aerosol properties at these levels, we have performed a study of the sensitivity of the product to the major components of the processing algorithm used in the production of SAGE II aerosol extinction measurements and the retrieval process that produces the operational surface area density (SAD) product. We find that the aerosol extinction measurements, particularly at 1020 nm, remain robust and reliable at the observed aerosol levels. On the other hand, during background periods, the SAD operational product has an uncertainty of at least a factor of 2 during due to the lack of sensitivity to particles with radii less than 100 nm.

  13. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 81 (MARSUS00020081) on U.S. Highway 2, crossing the Winooski River, Marshfield, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ivanoff, Michael A.

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure MARSUS00020081 on U.S. Highway 2 crossing the Winooski River, Marshfield, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D.

  14. Irradiations at RTNS-II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heikkinen, D.W.; Logan, C.M.

    1982-01-01

    The RTNS-II 14-MeV neutron source facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is described. Average neutron source parameters are outlined. A brief general description of the irradiation program to the present time is given. A short discussion of guidelines for prospective users is also given

  15. The detection of serum homocysteine (Hcy) level in II diabetes mellitus with hyperinsulinism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He Meiqiong; Zhang Ling; Quan Xinsheng; Zhou Youjun; Wang Ying

    2003-01-01

    To explore the relationship between serum total homocysteine (Hcy) level and II diabetes mellitus (DM) with hyperinsulinism and insulin resistance, serum total Hcy level in 30 normal subjects and 78 type II DM (38 with hyperinsulinism) are detected. The results show: the mean serum Hcy level is 11.90 ± 3.90 μmo/L, 9.21 ± 2.83 μmol/L at oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) 1 h and 10.43 ± 3.82 μmol/L at OGTT 2h in normal subjects (n=30); 21.80 ± 7.98 μmol/L, 17.98 ± 6.83 μmol/L at OGTT 1 h and 12.58 ± 6.73 μmol/L at OGTT 2 h in DM without hyperinsulinism and angiopathy (n=40); and 19.80 ± 7.98 μmol/L, 14.50 ± 7.69 μmol/L at OGTT 1 h and 11.07 ± 6.52 μmol/L at OGTT 2 h in DM with hyperinsulinism (n=38). The Hcy level is a significant difference among three groups (P<0.001, P<0.01). Hcy level of DM with hyperinsulinism is lower than that of DM with hyperinsulinism (P<0.01). The serum Hcy level in DM is higher than that in control group, the elevated level of serum Hcy may be related to the diabetic hyperinsulinism and insulin resistance

  16. Serum insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) in chronic heart failure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tong Lijun; Chen Donghai; Ji Naijun; Fan Bifu; Wang Chengyao; Mei Yibin; Li Fuyuan; Kao Yan

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the clinical significance of changes of serum insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) levels in patients with chronic heart failure. Methods: Serum IGF-II levels were measured with RIA in 132 cases of chronic heart failure and 45 controls. Results: Serum IGF-II levels were significantly higher in patients with chronic heart failure than those in the controls (t=0.033, P<0.001). IGF-II levels were highest in grade IV CHF patients (vs grade II t=3.963, P<0.01; vs grade III, t=3.578, P<0.01). In the twelve patients died in hospital, the serum IGF-II levels were significantly higher than those patients recovered (t=7.141, P<0.01). Conclusion: Serum IGF-II levels were increased in CHF patients and were highest in the most severe cases. (authors)

  17. Prospective Turkish elementary science teachers’ knowledge level about the greenhouse effect and their views on environmental education in university

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mustafa KIŞOĞLU

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available The fundamental factor of environmental education is teachers who are well-informed about environmental issues. This research aimed to determine prospective Turkish elementary science teachers’ knowledge level about causes, consequences and reducing of the greenhouse effect and to investigate the effect of gender, information source and membership in the environmental foundations on their knowledge. We also aimed to learn their views on environmental education given in university. Twenty-six Likert-scale items developed by Cin (2006 were used for data collection. The scale was applied to 215prospective teachers from two universities in eastern Turkey. Results indicated that the majority of prospective teachers had misunderstandings about causes, consequences and reducing of the greenhouse effect. According to the analysis of demographic variables, there were significant differences in participants’ mean scores based on gender and information sources. Additionally, prospective teachers found environmental education inadequate fordifferent reasons.

  18. Prospective Turkish elementary science teachers’ knowledge level about the greenhouse effect and their views on environmental education in university

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mustafa Kışoğlu

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available The fundamental factor of environmental education is teachers who are well-informed about environmental issues. This research aimed to determine prospective Turkish elementary science teachers’ knowledge level about causes, consequences and reducing of the greenhouse effect and to investigate the effect of gender, information source and membership in the environmental foundations on their knowledge. We also aimed to learn their views on environmental education given in university. Twenty-six Likert-scale items developed by Cin (2006 were used for data collection. The scale was applied to 215 prospective teachers from two universities in eastern Turkey. Results indicated that the majority of prospective teachers had misunderstandings about causes, consequences and reducing of the greenhouse effect. According to the analysis of demographic variables, there were significant differences in participants’ mean scores based on gender and information sources. Additionally, prospective teachers found environmental education inadequate for different reasons.

  19. Parameters for characterisation of the ecochemical soil status and the potential hazards of acidification and nitrogen saturation in level II forest sites; Kennwerte zur Charakterisierung des oekochemischen Bodenzustandes und des Gefaehrdungspotentials durch Bodenversauerung und Stickstoffsaettigung an Level II-Waldoekosystem-Dauerbeobachtungsflaechen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2000-07-01

    The ad hoc working group on soil acidification and nitrogen saturation of the Federal Government/Laender Working Group level II primarily aimed at drafting a manual for the interpretation of soil data (soil solid phase, soil solution) acquired on Level II plots. The manual contains parameters and proposals for evaluating the acid/base-status of forest soils, the nutrient supply and nitrogen status as well as for assessing the risks caused by aluminium, acid and heavy metal stress. Further parameters and proposals for evaluation concern the risks for spring and ground water quality through acidification and elevated nitrate concentrations. All parameters are described in detail, their informative value is discussed and examples are given for their use. A distinction is made between indicators to show the current ecochemical situation and to describe future risks, e.g. through progressive soil acidification, nutrient depletion and increasing nitrogen saturation. The manual thus fits in right with the overall objectives of the Level II Programme to reveal cause-effect relations in the forest damage situation and to give advice on timely counteraction via forecasts of the future development. (orig.) [German] Das vorrangige Ziel des Arbeitskreises 'Bodenversauerung und Stickstoffsaettigung' der Bundes-Laender-Arbeitsgruppe Level II war die Erarbeitung eines Auswerteleitfadens fuer die Bodendaten (Bodenfestphase, Sickerwasser) der Level II-Flaechen. Der Leitfaden enthaelt Kennwerte und Bewertungsvorschlaege zum Saeure-Base-Zustand des Waldbodens, zur Naehrstoffbereitstellung, zum Stickstoffstatus, zur Abschaetzung von Risiken durch Aluminium-, Saeure- und Schwermetallstress und zur Gefaehrdung des Quell- und Grundwassers durch Versauerung und steigende Nitratgehalte. Alle Kennwerte werden eingehend beschrieben, ihre Aussagekraft diskutiert und ihre Anwendung an Beispielen dargestellt. Unterschieden wird zwischen Indikatoren zur Darstellung der aktuellen

  20. Revised criteria for PCOS in WHO Group II anovulatory infertility – a revival of hypothalamic amenorrhoea?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lauritsen, Mette Petri; Pinborg, Anja; Loft, Anne

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To evaluate revised criteria for polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM) in the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in anovulatory infertility. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. PATIENTS: WHO Group II anovulatory infertile women (n = 75). MEASUREMENTS: Clinical, sonographic......, but according to AMH levels, the ovaries remain multifollicular. PERSPECTIVES: A better distinction between hypothalamic amenorrhoea and PCOS could improve treatment strategies for anovulatory infertility....

  1. 24 CFR 81.18 - Affordability-Income level definitions-family size not known (actual or prospective tenants).

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... definitions-family size not known (actual or prospective tenants). 81.18 Section 81.18 Housing and Urban... CORPORATION (FREDDIE MAC) Housing Goals § 81.18 Affordability—Income level definitions—family size not known... moderate-income families where family size is not known to the GSE, income will be adjusted using unit size...

  2. Preliminary Modeling Of Radiation Levels At The Fermilab PIP-II Linac arXiv

    CERN Document Server

    Lari, L.; Esposito, L.S.; Baffes, C.; Dixon, S.J.; Mokhov, N.V.; Rakhno, I.; Tropin, I.S.

    PIP-II is the Fermilab's flagship project for providing powerful, high-intensity proton beams to the laboratory's experiments. The heart of PIP-II is an 800-MeV superconducting linac accelerator. It will be located in a new tunnel with new service buildings and connected to the present Booster through a new transfer line. To support the design of civil engineering and mechanical integration, this paper provides preliminary estimation of radiation level in the gallery at an operational beam loss limit of 0.1 W/m, by means of Monte Carlo calculations with FLUKA and MARS15 codes.

  3. Clinical significance of changes of serum IGF-II, IL-2 and SOD levels after treatment in pediatric patients with bronchial pneumonia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Hong; Hu Yan; Wei Guoyu; Huang Jufeng

    2011-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the clinical significance of changes of serum IGF-II, IL-2 and SOD levels after treatment in pediatric patients with bronchial pneumonia. Methods: Serum IGF-II, IL-2 and SOD (with RIA) levels were measured in 33 pediatric patients with bronchial pneumonia both before and after treatment as well as in 35 controls. Results: Before treatment, serum IGF-II levels in the patients were significantly higher than those in controls (P 0.05). Conclusion: Changes of serum IGF-II, IL-2 and SOD levels both before and after treatment could reflect the diseases status of the patients as well as the progress of diseases, and might be of prognostic importance in pediatric patients with bronchial pneumonia. (authors)

  4. Tectonic characteristics and uranium prospecting direction in Suasu area

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    A Zhongming; Wang Baoqun

    2002-01-01

    The Suasu area geologically is divided into three subsidiary tectonic units, namely the southern syncline, the median uplift and the northern monoclinal zone. Authors suggest that uranium ore-formation occurred after the appearance of the above subsidiary tectonic units, and sandstone bodies of the II, III, IV, VII cycles, Shuixigou Group in the southern syncline, and sandstone bodies of the I, II, III, V cycles, Shuixigou Group, as well as sandstone bodies of Xiaoquangou Group in the northern monoclinal zone, they are prospecting potential. According to metallogenic conditions, such as the continuity and distribution area of the ore-hosting horizon, characteristics of sandstone bodies and features of interlayer oxidation zone, prospecting potential of the northern monoclinal zone is better than that of the southern syncline

  5. Validation of APACHE II scoring system at 24 hours after admission as a prognostic tool in urosepsis: A prospective observational study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sundaramoorthy VijayGanapathy

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: Urosepsis implies clinically evident severe infection of urinary tract with features of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS. We validate the role of a single Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II score at 24 hours after admission in predicting mortality in urosepsis. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was done in 178 patients admitted with urosepsis in the Department of Urology, in a tertiary care institute from January 2015 to August 2016. Patients >18 years diagnosed as urosepsis using SIRS criteria with positive urine or blood culture for bacteria were included. At 24 hours after admission to intensive care unit, APACHE II score was calculated using 12 physiological variables, age and chronic health. Results: Mean±standard deviation (SD APACHE II score was 26.03±7.03. It was 24.31±6.48 in survivors and 32.39±5.09 in those expired (p<0.001. Among patients undergoing surgery, mean±SD score was higher (30.74±4.85 than among survivors (24.30±6.54 (p<0.001. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC analysis revealed area under curve (AUC of 0.825 with cutoff 25.5 being 94.7% sensitive and 56.4% specific to predict mortality. Mean±SD score in those undergoing surgery was 25.22±6.70 and was lesser than those who did not undergo surgery (28.44±7.49 (p=0.007. ROC analysis revealed AUC of 0.760 with cutoff 25.5 being 94.7% sensitive and 45.6% specific to predict mortality even after surgery. Conclusions: A single APACHE II score assessed at 24 hours after admission was able to predict morbidity, mortality, need for surgical intervention, length of hospitalization, treatment success and outcome in urosepsis patients.

  6. Validation of APACHE II scoring system at 24 hours after admission as a prognostic tool in urosepsis: A prospective observational study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    VijayGanapathy, Sundaramoorthy; Karthikeyan, VIlvapathy Senguttuvan; Sreenivas, Jayaram; Mallya, Ashwin; Keshavamurthy, Ramaiah

    2017-11-01

    Urosepsis implies clinically evident severe infection of urinary tract with features of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). We validate the role of a single Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score at 24 hours after admission in predicting mortality in urosepsis. A prospective observational study was done in 178 patients admitted with urosepsis in the Department of Urology, in a tertiary care institute from January 2015 to August 2016. Patients >18 years diagnosed as urosepsis using SIRS criteria with positive urine or blood culture for bacteria were included. At 24 hours after admission to intensive care unit, APACHE II score was calculated using 12 physiological variables, age and chronic health. Mean±standard deviation (SD) APACHE II score was 26.03±7.03. It was 24.31±6.48 in survivors and 32.39±5.09 in those expired (p<0.001). Among patients undergoing surgery, mean±SD score was higher (30.74±4.85) than among survivors (24.30±6.54) (p<0.001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed area under curve (AUC) of 0.825 with cutoff 25.5 being 94.7% sensitive and 56.4% specific to predict mortality. Mean±SD score in those undergoing surgery was 25.22±6.70 and was lesser than those who did not undergo surgery (28.44±7.49) (p=0.007). ROC analysis revealed AUC of 0.760 with cutoff 25.5 being 94.7% sensitive and 45.6% specific to predict mortality even after surgery. A single APACHE II score assessed at 24 hours after admission was able to predict morbidity, mortality, need for surgical intervention, length of hospitalization, treatment success and outcome in urosepsis patients.

  7. Increased risk of coronary heart disease among individuals reporting adverse impact of stress on their health: the Whitehall II prospective cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nabi, Hermann; Kivimäki, Mika; Batty, G David; Shipley, Martin J; Britton, Annie; Brunner, Eric J; Vahtera, Jussi; Lemogne, Cédric; Elbaz, Alexis; Singh-Manoux, Archana

    2013-09-01

    Response to stress can vary greatly between individuals. However, it remains unknown whether perceived impact of stress on health is associated with adverse health outcomes. We examined whether individuals who report that stress adversely affects their health are at increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) compared with those who report that stress has no adverse health impact. Analyses are based on 7268 men and women (mean age: 49.5 years, interquartile range: 11 years) from the British Whitehall II cohort study. Over 18 years of follow-up, there were 352 coronary deaths or first non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) events. After adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, participants who reported at baseline that stress has affected their health 'a lot or extremely' had a 2.12 times higher (95% CI 1.52-2.98) risk of coronary death or incident non-fatal MI when compared with those who reported no effect of stress on their health. This association was attenuated but remained statistically significant after adjustment for biological, behavioural, and other psychological risk factors including perceived stress levels, and measures of social support; fully adjusted hazard ratio: 1.49 (95% CI 1.01-2.22). In this prospective cohort study, the perception that stress affects health, different from perceived stress levels, was associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Randomized controlled trials are needed to determine whether disease risk can be reduced by increasing clinical attention to those who complain that stress greatly affects their health.

  8. Transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus using the AMPLATZER™ duct occluder II (ADO II).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gruenstein, Daniel H; Ebeid, Makram; Radtke, Wolfgang; Moore, Phillip; Holzer, Ralf; Justino, Henri

    2017-05-01

    The study purpose is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the ADO II device for closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in children. Transcatheter treatment of PDA has been evolving for 40+ years and is the treatment of choice. The AMPLATZER™ Duct Occluder (ADO) device was developed for larger diameter ducts and is not ideal in all PDAs. ADO II was developed for small to moderate-sized ducts. This is a single-arm, multicenter study evaluating safety and efficacy of the ADO II device. Patients closure in 98% of successful implantations. In this prospective study, the ADO II was safe and effective for closure of small to moderate PDAs. Implantation is simple and the ability for retrograde aortic delivery reduces procedure-related radiation exposure. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Clinical significance of measurement of changes of serum IGF-II, EGF and CYFRA21-1 levels after chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Jianlin

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To study the clinical significance of changes of serum IGF-II, EGF and CYFRA21-1 levels after chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer. Methods: Serum IGF-II, EGF (with RIA), and CYFRA21-1 (with ECLIA) levels were determined both before and after chemotherapy in 39 patients with lung cancer as well as once in 35 controls. Results: Before chemotherapy, serum IGF-II, EGF and CYFRA21-1 levels were significantly higher in the patients than those in controls(P<0.01). Six months after chemotherapy, serum IGF-II, EGF and CYFRA21-1 levels dropped markedly, but remained significantly higher than those in controls(P<0.05). Conclusion: The development of lung cancer in patients was closely related to the serum IGF-II, EGF and CYFRA21-1 levels. (authors)

  10. Optimal implantation depth and adherence to guidelines on permanent pacing to improve the results of transcatheter aortic valve replacement with the medtronic corevalve system: The CoreValve prospective, international, post-market ADVANCE-II study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    A.S. Petronio (Anna); J.-M. Sinning (Jan-Malte); N.M. van Mieghem (Nicolas); G. Zucchelli (Giulio); G. Nickenig (Georg); R. Bekeredjian (Raffi); J. Bosmans (Johan); F. Bedogni (Francesco); M. Branny (Marian); K. Stangl (Karl); J. Kovac (Jan); M. Schiltgen (Molly); S. Kraus (Stacia); P.P.T. de Jaegere (Peter)

    2015-01-01

    textabstractObjectives The aim of the CoreValve prospective, international, post-market ADVANCE-II study was to define the rates of conduction disturbances and permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement with the Medtronic CoreValve System (Minneapolis,

  11. Clinical significance of determination of changes of serum NSE, IGF-II and TNF-α levels after chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ji Yajun; Yang Chengxi; Bian Baoxiang; Song Ziyan

    2008-01-01

    Objective: To detect the changes of serum NSE, IGF-II and TNF-α levels after chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer. Methods: Serum NSE, IGF-II and TNF-α levels were determined with RIA in 38 patients with lung cancer both be- fore and after chemotherapy as well as in 35 controls. Results: Before chemotherapy, serum NSE, IGF-II and TNF-α levels in the patients were significantly higher than those in the controls (P<0.01), After chemotherapy, in 25 cases without recurrence at 6 months, the levels were remained dropped markedly and approached those in controls. However in the 5 patients with recurrence, the levels increased again, approaching those before chemotherapy. Conclusion: Serum levels of NSE, IGF-II and TNF-α might be useful for diagnosis and predicting therapeutic effects after chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer. (authors)

  12. Effects of Self-Regulatory Strategy on Prospective Science Teachers' Chemistry Self Efficacy According to Class Level and Gender

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seyhan, Hatice Güngör

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed at determining the self-regulatory strategies and the chemistry self-efficacies of a total of one hundred and eighty-nine prospective science teachers in a state university in Turkey while studying the chemistry lesson according to the class level and gender factors. An additional goal was to examine the relationship level between…

  13. Prospective double blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial of the pectoral nerves (Pecs) block type II.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Versyck, Barbara; van Geffen, Geert-Jan; Van Houwe, Patrick

    2017-08-01

    The aim of this clinical trial was to test the hypothesis whether adding the pectoral nerves (Pecs) block type II to the anesthetic procedure reduces opioid consumption during and after breast surgery. A prospective randomized double blind placebo-controlled study. A secondary hospital. 140 breast cancer stage 1-3 patients undergoing mastectomy or tumorectomy with sentinel node or axillary node dissection. Patients were randomized to receive either a Pecs block with levobupivacaine 0.25% (n=70) or placebo block with saline (n=70). The pain levels were evaluated by Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain scores at 15-minute intervals during the post anesthesia care unit stay time (PACU), at 2-hour intervals for the first 24h on the ward and at 4-hour intervals for the next 24h. Intraoperative and postoperative opioid consumption were recorded during the full stay. Patient satisfaction was evaluated upon discharge using a 10-point scale. Intraoperative sufentanil requirements were comparable for the Pecs and placebo group (8.0±3.5μg and 7.8±3.0μg, P=0.730). Patients in the Pecs group experienced significantly less pain than patients in the control group (P=0.048) during their PACU stay. Furthermore, patients in the Pecs group required significant less postoperative opioids (9.16±10.15mg and 14.97±14.38mg morphine equivalent, P=0.037) and required significant fewer postsurgical opioid administration interventions than patients in the control group (P=0.045). Both patient-groups were very satisfied about their management (9.6±0.6 and 9.1±1.8 on a 10-point scale, P=0.211). The Pecs block reduces postsurgical opioid consumption during the PACU stay time for patients undergoing breast surgery. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Angiotensin II potentiates prostaglandin stimulation of cyclic AMP levels in intact bovine adrenal medulla cells but not adenylate cyclase in permeabilized cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boarder, M R; Plevin, R; Marriott, D B

    1988-10-25

    The level of cyclic AMP in primary cultures of bovine adrenal medulla cells is elevated by prostaglandin E1. Angiotensin II is commonly reported to act on receptors linked to phosphoinositide metabolism or to inhibition of adenylate cyclase. We have investigated the effect of angiotensin II on prostaglandin E1-stimulated cyclic AMP levels in these primary cultures. Rather than reducing cyclic AMP levels, we have found that angiotensin II powerfully potentiates prostaglandin E1-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation in intact cells, both in the presence and absence of phosphodiesterase inhibitors. The 50% maximal response was similar to that for stimulation of phosphoinositide breakdown by angiotensin II in these cultures. The potentiation of stimulated cyclic AMP levels was seen, although to a smaller maximum, with the protein kinase C (Ca2+/phospholipid-dependent enzyme) activating phorbol ester tetradecanoyl phorbolacetate and with the synthetic diacylglycerol 1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol; pretreatment (24 h) with active phorbol ester, which would be expected to diminish protein kinase C levels, attenuated the angiotensin II potentiation of cyclic AMP. Using digitonin-permeabilized cells we showed that adenylate cyclase activity was stimulated by prostaglandin E1 with the same dose-response relationship as was cyclic AMP accumulation in intact cells, but the permeabilized cells showed no response to angiotensin II. The results are discussed with respect to the hypothesis that the angiotensin II influence on cyclic AMP levels is mediated, in part, by diacylglycerol stimulation of protein kinase C.

  15. Clinical significance of estimation of changes in serum IGF-II, TNF-α and TSGF levels after chemotherapy in patients with acute leukemia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Huijie

    2011-01-01

    Objective: To explore the clinical significance of changes in serum IGF-II, TNF-α and TSGF levels after chemotherapy in patients with acute leukemia. Methods: Serum IGF-II, TNF-α (with RIA) and TSGF (with biochemistry) levels were determined in 33 patients with acute leukemia both before and after chemotherapy as well as in 35 normal healthy Controls. Results: Before chemotherapy, serum IGF-II, TNF-α and TSGF levels in the patients were significantly higher than those in controls (P<0.01), 6 months after chemotherapy the levels in 28 patients without recurrence dropped markedly and approached those in controls. However, in the 5 eases with recurrence, the levels after return again, approaching those before chemotherapy. Conclusion: Changes of serum levels on IGF-II, TNF-α and TSGF might be useful as indicative parameters for diagnosis and curative effect in patients with acute leukemia. (authors)

  16. DNA damage by the cobalt (II) and zinc (II) complexes of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    STORAGESEVER

    2008-09-03

    Sep 3, 2008 ... distributed in grade 3. The results indicated that Co(II)-L induced a relatively high level of DNA damage in comparison with the level of damage induced by Zn(II)-L. Key words: Tetraazamacrocycle Zn(II) complex, tetraazamacrocycle Co(II) complex, Tetrahymena thermophila, DNA damage, the comet assay.

  17. Clinical significance of determination of serum NSE and plasma ET, IGF-II, CNP levels in patients with acute brain injury

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Bo

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the clinical significance of changes of plasma ET, IGF-II, CNP and serum NSE contents in patients with acute brain injury. Methods: Serum contents of neuron specific enolase (NSE) were measured with chemiluminescence immunoassay and plasma endothelin (ET), insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) were measured with radioimmunoassay in 30 patients with acute brain injury and 35 controls. Results: Serum contents of NSE and plasma IGF-II, CNP were not much different in patients with mild brain injury from those in controls (P >0.05), but plasma contents of ET were already significantly higher in patients with mild brain injury than those in controls(P < 0.01). The serum NSE and plasma ET levels in patients with moderate and severe brain injury were significantly higher than those in patients with mild brain injury and controls (P < 0.01). Decrease of plasma levels of IGF-II and CNP was not significant in patients with mild brain injury (vs controls). However, the plasma levels of IGF-II and CNP were significantly lower in patients with moderate and severe brain injury than those in patients with mild brain injury and controls (P <0.01). As a whole, the magnitude of changes of these parameters was proportional to the severity of the injury. Conclusion: Changes of serum NSE and plasma IGF-II, ET and CNP levels were closely related to the pathological process of brain injury. Determination of these parameters was of clinical importance for evaluation of the severity of injury and outcome prediction. (authors)

  18. Clinical significance of determination of changes of serum IGF-II, GM-CSF and TNF-α levels after treatment in children with acute nephritis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Xiaoyan; Zhou Hong; Xu Weiqin; Li Xinghua

    2008-01-01

    Objective: To explore the clinical significance of determination of changes of serum IGF-II, GM-CSF and TNF- α levels after treatment in children with acute nephritis. Methods: Serum IGF-II, GM-CSF and TNF-α levels (with RIA) were measured in 31 pediatric patients with acute nephritis and 35 controls. Results: Before treatment, the serum IGF-II, GM-CSF and TNF-α levels in the patients were significantly higher than those in controls (P< O.01). After treatment for 3 months, the serum IGF-II, GM-CSF and TNF-α levels, though markedly corrected, remained significantly higher than those in controls (P<0.05). Conclusion: Determination of changes of serum IGF-II, GM-CSF and TNF-α contents after treatment might be of prognostic importance in pediatric patients with acute nephritis. (authors)

  19. Prospective Teachers' Comprehension Levels of Special Relativity Theory and the Effect of Writing for Learning on Achievement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yildiz, Ali

    2012-01-01

    In the present study, the comprehension levels of special relativity theory in prospective teachers who take the Introduction to Modern Physics lesson in the faculty of education science teaching department and the effect of writing for learning on their achievement is researched. In the research, a control group pre-test post-test…

  20. THE Low-level Radio Frequency System for the superconducting cavities of National Synchrotron Light Source II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma, H.; Rose, J.; Holub, B.; Cupolo, J.; Oliva, J.; Sikora, R.; Yeddulla, M.

    2011-01-01

    A digital low-level radio frequency (LLRF) field controller has been developed for the storage ring of The National Synchrotron Light Source-II (NSLS-II). The primary performance goal for the LLRF is to support the required RF operation of the superconducting cavities with a beam current of 500mA and a 0.14 degree or better RF phase stability. The digital field controller is FPGA-based, in a standard format 19-inch/I-U chassis. It has an option of high-level control support with MATLAB running on a local host computer through a USB2.0 port. The field controller has been field tested with the high-power superconducting RF (SRF) at Canadian light Source, and successfully stored a high beam current of 250 mA. The test results show that required specifications for the cavity RF field stability are met. This digital field controller is also currently being used as a development platform for other functional modules in the NSLS-II RF systems.

  1. CHANGES IN THE LEVELS OF ANGIOTENSIN II, ALDOSTERONE, AND FIBROBLAST GROWTH FACTOR IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS IN RELATION TO CLINICAL FEATURES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. B. Komarova

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Angiotensin II, aldosterone, and fibroblast growth factor (FGF stimulate neoangiogenesis, fibroblast proliferation, and elaboration of proinflammatory cytokines, which in turn contributes to increased pannus mass and the development of joint tissue destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA.Objective: to establish the specific features of changes in the blood levels of angiotensin II, aldosterone, and FGF in patients with RA in relation to the duration and severity of the disease.Subjects and methods. Examinations were made in 194 patients diagnosed with RA without comorbidity; the patients’ mean age was 47.7±10.2 years; the disease duration was 3.82±3.43 years. DAS28 scores for RA were calculated based on C-reactive protein levels. An enzyme immunoassay was used to determine the serum levels of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACCPA, angiotensin II, aldosterone, and FGF.Results and discussion. All the examinees were ascertained to have increases in the concentration of angiotensin II and aldosterone in blood by twice and in that of FGF by 2.5 times compared to the controls (p < 0.05. In patients with a RA duration of < 2 years, the blood level of angiotensin II was 25% higher than in those with a RA duration of > 5 years and the concentrations of aldosterone and FGF in patients with long-term RA were twice as high as in those with early RA. In patients with high RA activity, the blood level of angiotensin II was 1.5-fold higher than in those with low and moderate disease activity (p < 0.05. In patients with a high blood ACCPA level, the concentrations of angiotensin II, aldosterone, and FGF were 20, 30, and 25%, respectively, higher than in those with low ACCPA levels. The correlation of DAS28 with blood angiotensin II levels increased with enhanced RA activity. The high aldosterone and FGF values in RA patients are associated with the progression of joint radiographic changes.

  2. Clinical significance of determination of changes of serum IGF-II, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α levels after treatment in children with bronchopneumonia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng Yue

    2011-01-01

    Objective: To explore the clinical significance of changes of serum IGF-II, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α levels after treatment in children with bronchopneumonia. Methods: Serum IGF-II, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α levels with RIA were detected both before and after treatment in 33 patients with children bronchopneumonia as well as in 35 controls. Results: Before treatment, serum IGF-II, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α levels were significantly higher in the patients than those in the controls (P 0.05). Conclusions: Serum IGF-II, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α could take part in the pathogenesis of children bronchopneumonia in various ways and determination of these levels was clinically important. (authors)

  3. Electroweak physics prospects for CDF in Run II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eric James

    2003-01-01

    The CDF collaboration will vigorously pursue a comprehensive program of electroweak physics during Run II at the Tevatron based strongly on the successful Run I program. The Run IIa integrated luminosity goal of 2 fb -1 will lead to a CDF dataset twenty times larger than that collected in Run I. In addition, an increase in the energy of the colliding beams from √s = 1.80 TeV to √s = 1.96 TeV for Run II provides a 10% increase in the W and Z boson production cross sections and a corresponding enlargement of the electroweak event samples. In the near term, CDF expects to collect a dataset with 2-3 times the integrated luminosity of Run I by September of 2003. Utilizing these new datasets CDF will be able to make improved, precision measurements of Standard Model electroweak parameters including M W , M top , Λ W , and sin 2 θ W eff . The goal of these measurements will be to improve our understanding of the self-consistency of the Standard Model and knowledge of the Higgs boson mass within the model. The top plot in Fig. 1 illustrates our current knowledge of the Standard Model Higgs mass based on measurements of M W and M top . The constraints imposed by combined CDF and D0 Run I measurements of M W (80.456 ± 0.059GeV/c 2 ) and M top (174.3 ± 5.1GeV/c 2 ) are illustrated by the shaded oval region on the plot. The hatched rectangle shows the additional constraint imposed by the recent LEP2 measurement of M W . The bottom plot in Fig. 1 illustrates the expected improvement in these constraints based on Run II CDF measurements utilizing a 2 fb -1 dataset. The shaded oval region in this plot is based on current estimates of a 40 MeV/c 2 uncertainty for measuring M W and a 2-3 GeV/c 2 uncertainty for measuring M top

  4. Adsorption of Pb(II), Cu(II), Cd(II), Zn(II), Ni(II), Fe(II), and As(V) on bacterially produced metal sulfides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jong, Tony; Parry, David L

    2004-07-01

    The adsorption of Pb(II), Cu(II), Cd(II), Zn(II), Ni(II), Fe(II) and As(V) onto bacterially produced metal sulfide (BPMS) material was investigated using a batch equilibrium method. It was found that the sulfide material had adsorptive properties comparable with those of other adsorbents with respect to the specific uptake of a range of metals and, the levels to which dissolved metal concentrations in solution can be reduced. The percentage of adsorption increased with increasing pH and adsorbent dose, but decreased with increasing initial dissolved metal concentration. The pH of the solution was the most important parameter controlling adsorption of Cd(II), Cu(II), Fe(II), Ni(II), Pb(II), Zn(II), and As(V) by BPMS. The adsorption data were successfully modeled using the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Desorption experiments showed that the reversibility of adsorption was low, suggesting high-affinity adsorption governed by chemisorption. The mechanism of adsorption for the divalent metals was thought to be the formation of strong, inner-sphere complexes involving surface hydroxyl groups. However, the mechanism for the adsorption of As(V) by BPMS appears to be distinct from that of surface hydroxyl exchange. These results have important implications to the management of metal sulfide sludge produced by bacterial sulfate reduction.

  5. Development of High Level Trigger Software for Belle II at SuperKEKB

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, S; Itoh, R; Katayama, N; Mineo, S

    2011-01-01

    The Belle collaboration has been trying for 10 years to reveal the mystery of the current matter-dominated universe. However, much more statistics is required to search for New Physics through quantum loops in decays of B mesons. In order to increase the experimental sensitivity, the next generation B-factory, SuperKEKB, is planned. The design luminosity of SuperKEKB is 8 x 10 35 cm −2 s −1 a factor 40 above KEKB's peak luminosity. At this high luminosity, the level 1 trigger of the Belle II experiment will stream events of 300 kB size at a 30 kHz rate. To reduce the data flow to a manageable level, a high-level trigger (HLT) is needed, which will be implemented using the full offline reconstruction on a large scale PC farm. There, physics level event selection is performed, reducing the event rate by ∼ 10 to a few kHz. To execute the reconstruction the HLT uses the offline event processing framework basf2, which has parallel processing capabilities used for multi-core processing and PC clusters. The event data handling in the HLT is totally object oriented utilizing ROOT I/O with a new method of object passing over the UNIX socket connection. Also under consideration is the use of the HLT output as well to reduce the pixel detector event size by only saving hits associated with a track, resulting in an additional data reduction of ∼ 100 for the pixel detector. In this contribution, the design and implementation of the Belle II HLT are presented together with a report of preliminary testing results.

  6. Interactive Journaling as a Brief Intervention for Level-II DUI and DWI Offenders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scheck, Amy Mary; Hoffmann, Norman G.; Proctor, Steven L.; Couillou,Ryan J.

    2013-01-01

    This study sought to evaluate the acceptability and effectiveness of a brief alcohol intervention in increasing basic alcohol-related knowledge, and the intention to change high-risk drinking behaviors, among a sample of DUI and DWI offenders. Pre- and post-test data, in addition to program evaluation data, from 872 Level-II DUI and DWI offenders…

  7. The relationship between serum ammonia level and neurologic complications in patients with acute glufosinate ammonium poisoning: A prospective observational study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cha, Y S; Kim, H; Lee, Y; Choi, E H; Kim, H I; Kim, O H; Cha, K-C; Lee, K H; Hwang, S O

    2018-06-01

    Glufosinate ammonium poisoning can cause neurological complications even after a symptom-free period. We prospectively investigated the predictors of neurologic complications in acute glufosinate ammonium poisoning and the change of serum ammonia level as a predictor of patient's presence and recovery of neurologic complication. This prospective observational study collected data from consecutive patients diagnosed with acute glufosinate ammonium poisoning between September 2014 and June 2016. Serum ammonia was serially measured. The patients were divided into two groups: the neurologic complication group and the nonneurologic complication group. We also defined 25 other insecticide- or herbicide-poisoned patients as controls. The neurologic complication group included 18 patients (72.0%). The latency period for neurologic complications was within 48-h postingestion. The peak ammonia level was statistically higher in the neurologic complication group than in the control group ( p glufosinate ammonium poisoning, serial serum ammonia level measurements are needed and a serum peak ammonia level greater than 90 μg/dL is a predictor of neurologic complications. Also, it is important to treat the hyperammonemia in acute glufosinate ammonium poisoning.

  8. Electrons and photons at High Level Trigger in CMS for Run II

    CERN Document Server

    Bin Anuar, Afiq Aizuddin

    2015-01-01

    The CMS experiment has been designed with a 2-level trigger system. The first level is implemented using custom-designed electronics. The second level is the so-called High Level Trigger (HLT), a streamlined version of the CMS offline reconstruction software running on a computer farm. For Run II of the Large Hadron Collider, the increase in center-of-mass energy and luminosity will raise the event rate to a level challenging for the HLT algorithms. New approaches have been studied to keep the HLT output rate manageable while maintaining thresholds low enough to cover physics analyses. The strategy mainly relies on porting online the ingredients that have been successfully applied in the offline reconstruction, thus allowing to move HLT selection closer to offline cuts. Improvements in HLT electron and photon definitions will be presented, focusing in particular on updated clustering algorithm and the energy calibration procedure, new Particle-Flow-based isolation approach and pileup mitigation techniques, a...

  9. Prospectively measured triiodothyronine levels are positively associated with breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    Introduction The potential association between hypo- and hyperthyroid disorders and breast cancer has been investigated in a large number of studies during the last decades without conclusive results. This prospective cohort study investigated prediagnostic levels of thyrotropin (TSH) and triiodothyronine (T3) in relation to breast cancer incidence in pre- and postmenopausal women. Methods In the Malmö Preventive Project, 2,696 women had T3 and/or TSH levels measured at baseline. During a mean follow-up of 19.3 years, 173 incident breast cancer cases were retrieved using record linkage with The Swedish Cancer Registry. Quartile cut-points for T3 and TSH were based on the distribution among all women in the study cohort. A Cox's proportional hazards analysis was used to estimate relative risks (RR), with a confidence interval (CI) of 95%. Trends over quartiles of T3 and TSH were calculated considering a P-value < 0.05 as statistically significant. All analyses were repeated for pre- and peri/postmenopausal women separately. Results Overall there was a statistically significant association between T3 and breast cancer risk, the adjusted RR in the fourth quartile, as compared to the first, was 1.87 (1.12 to 3.14). In postmenopausal women the RRs for the second, third and fourth quartiles, as compared to the first, were 3.26 (0.96 to 11.1), 5.53 (1.65 to 18.6) and 6.87 (2.09 to 22.6), (P-trend: < 0.001). There were no such associations in pre-menopausal women, and no statistically significant interaction between T3 and menopausal status. Also, no statistically significant association was seen between serum TSH and breast cancer. Conclusions This is the first prospective study on T3 levels in relation to breast cancer risk. T3 levels in postmenopausal women were positively associated with the risk of breast cancer in a dose-response manner. PMID:20540734

  10. The Whole Is Greater than the Sum of the Parts: The Effects of an Antenatal Orientation Interviews Training for Prospective Parents Postnatal Depression Levels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bulut, Pinar; Barut, Yasar

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to examine an antenatal orientation interviews training for prospective parents' postnatal depression levels. A quasi-experimental study carried out with 26 (12 experimental, 14 control) prospective mother and father. Participants completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale one week before the intervention and 12…

  11. Prospective Case Series of a Novel Minimally Invasive Bipolar Coagulation System in the Treatment of Grade I and II Internal Hemorrhoids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crawshaw, Benjamin P; Russ, Andrew J; Ermlich, Bridget O; Delaney, Conor P; Champagne, Bradley J

    2016-12-01

    Background Existing nonsurgical procedures for the treatment of grade I and II internal hemorrhoids are often painful, technically demanding, and often necessitate multiple applications. This study prospectively assessed the safety and efficacy of the HET Bipolar System, a novel minimally invasive device, in the treatment of symptomatic grade I and II internal hemorrhoids. Methods Patients with symptomatic grade I or II internal hemorrhoids despite medical management underwent hemorrhoidal ligation with the HET Bipolar System. Endpoints included resolution or improvement of hemorrhoidal bleeding and/or prolapse from baseline, recurrent or refractory symptoms, and pain. Results Twenty patients were treated with the HET Bipolar System. Two were lost to follow-up. Refractory or recurrent bleeding was present in 8 of 18 (44.4%), 4 of 11 (36.4%), and 4 of 8 (50.0%) patients, and prolapse was reported by 1 of 18 (5.6%), 4 of 11 (36.4%), and 1/7 (14.3%) of patients at 1, 3, and 6 months, respectively. Bleeding improved from baseline in 88.2%, 81.8%, and 87.5% of patients, and resolution of baseline prolapse was seen in 11 of 11 (100%), 4 of 7 (57.1%), and 5 of 5 (100%) patients at the same intervals. Thirteen of 18 (72.2%) patients did not require additional treatment for their symptoms. Conclusions The HET Bipolar System is safe and easy to use with short-term effectiveness comparable to that of currently used techniques for the treatment of symptomatic grade I and II internal hemorrhoids. It may be an effective alternative to rubber band ligation in patients with larger internal hemorrhoids and those with hemorrhoids close to the dentate line in which banding may produce debilitating pain. © The Author(s) 2016.

  12. Justice at work and metabolic syndrome: the Whitehall II study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gimeno, David; Tabák, Adám G; Ferrie, Jane E; Shipley, Martin J; De Vogli, Roberto; Elovainio, Marko; Vahtera, Jussi; Marmot, Michael G; Kivimäki, Mika

    2010-04-01

    Growing evidence shows that high levels of justice are beneficial for employee health, although biological mechanisms underlying this association are yet to be clarified. We aim to test whether high justice at work protects against metabolic syndrome. A prospective cohort study of 20 civil service departments in London (the Whitehall II study) including 6123 male and female British civil servants aged 35-55 years without prevalent coronary heart disease at baseline (1985-1990). Perceived justice at work was determined by means of questionnaire on two occasions between 1985 and 1990. Follow-up for metabolic syndrome and its components occurring from 1990 to 2004 was based on clinical assessments on three occasions over more than 18 years. Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for age, ethnicity and employment grade showed that men who experienced a high level of justice at work had a lower risk of incident metabolic syndrome than employees with a low level of justice (HR 0.75; 95% CI 0.63 to 0.89). There was little evidence of an association between organisational justice and metabolic syndrome or its components in women (HR 0.88; 95% CI 0.67 to 1.17). Our prospective findings provide evidence of an association between high levels of justice at work and the development of metabolic syndrome in men.

  13. The level of leisure time physical activity is associated with work ability-a cross sectional and prospective study of health care workers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arvidson, Elin; Börjesson, Mats; Ahlborg, Gunnar; Lindegård, Agneta; Jonsdottir, Ingibjörg H

    2013-09-17

    With increasing age, physical capacity decreases, while the need and time for recovery increases. At the same time, the demands of work usually do not change with age. In the near future, an aging and physically changing workforce risks reduced work ability. Therefore, the impact of different factors, such as physical activity, on work ability is of interest. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the association between physical activity and work ability using both cross sectional and prospective analyses. This study was based on an extensive questionnaire survey. The number of participants included in the analysis at baseline in 2004 was 2.783, of whom 2.597 were also included in the follow-up in 2006. The primary outcome measure was the Work Ability Index (WAI), and the level of physical activity was measured using a single-item question. In the cross-sectional analysis we calculated the level of physical activity and the prevalence of poor or moderate work ability as reported by the participants. In the prospective analysis we calculated different levels of physical activity and the prevalence of positive changes in WAI-category from baseline to follow-up. In both the cross sectional and the prospective analyses the prevalence ratio was calculated using Generalized Linear Models. The cross-sectional analysis showed that with an increased level of physical activity, the reporting of poor or moderate work ability decreased. In the prospective analysis, participants reporting a higher level of physical activity were more likely to have made an improvement in WAI from 2004 to 2006. The level of physical activity seems to be related to work ability. Assessment of physical activity may also be useful as a predictive tool, potentially making it possible to prevent poor work ability and improve future work ability. For employers, the main implications of this study are the importance of promoting and facilitating the employees' engagement in physical activity, and

  14. Performance of the CMS precision electromagnetic calorimeter at LHC Run II and prospects for High-Luminosity LHC

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhicai

    2018-04-01

    Many physics analyses using the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector at the LHC require accurate, high-resolution electron and photon energy measurements. Following the excellent performance achieved during LHC Run I at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter (ECAL) is operating at the LHC with proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV center-of-mass energy. The instantaneous luminosity delivered by the LHC during Run II has achieved unprecedented levels. The average number of concurrent proton-proton collisions per bunch-crossing (pileup) has reached up to 40 interactions in 2016 and may increase further in 2017. These high pileup levels necessitate a retuning of the ECAL readout and trigger thresholds and reconstruction algorithms. In addition, the energy response of the detector must be precisely calibrated and monitored. We present new reconstruction algorithms and calibration strategies that were implemented to maintain the excellent performance of the CMS ECAL throughout Run II. We will show performance results from the 2015-2016 data taking periods and provide an outlook on the expected Run II performance in the years to come. Beyond the LHC, challenging running conditions for CMS are expected after the High-Luminosity upgrade of the LHC (HL-LHC) . We review the design and R&D studies for the CMS ECAL and present first test beam studies. Particular challenges at HL-LHC are the harsh radiation environment, the increasing data rates, and the extreme level of pile-up events, with up to 200 simultaneous proton-proton collisions. We present test beam results of hadron irradiated PbWO crystals up to fluences expected at the HL-LHC . We also report on the R&D for the new readout and trigger electronics, which must be upgraded due to the increased trigger and latency requirements at the HL-LHC.

  15. Chelation of Cu(II, Zn(II, and Fe(II by Tannin Constituents of Selected Edible Nuts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magdalena Karamać

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available The tannin fractions isolated from hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds were characterised by colorimetric assays and by an SE-HPLC technique. The complexation of Cu(II and Zn(II was determined by the reaction with tetramethylmurexide, whereas for Fe(II, ferrozine was employed. The walnut tannins exhibited a significantly weaker reaction with the vanillin/HCl reagent than hazelnut and almond tannins, but the protein precipitation capacity of the walnut fraction was high. The SE-HPLC chromatogram of the tannin fraction from hazelnuts revealed the presence of oligomers with higher molecular weights compared to that of almonds. Copper ions were most effectively chelated by the constituents of the tannin fractions of hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds. At a 0.2 mg/assay addition level, the walnut tannins complexed almost 100% Cu(II. The Fe(II complexation capacities of the tannin fractions of walnuts and hazelnuts were weaker in comparison to that of the almond tannin fraction, which at a 2.5 mg/assay addition level, bound Fe(II by ~90%. The capacity to chelate Zn(II was quite varied for the different nut tannin fractions: almond tannins bound as much as 84% Zn(II, whereas the value for walnut tannins was only 8.7%; and for hazelnut tannins, no Zn(II chelation took place at the levels tested.

  16. Relationship between Disease Activity and Circulating Level of Collagen II C-Telopeptide Fragments in Papain Induced Osteoarthritis Rat Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Humaira Majeed Khan

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Osteoarthritis (OA is a progressive degeneration of articular cartilage leading to failure in functional mobility of joints. It is characterized by morphological, biochemical and molecular changes in histology of cartilage. Different biological markers are used as indicators to precisely predict the stage of cartilage destruction of joints in OA patients and to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of drugs used for OA. The present research was chalked out to establish relationship between disease activity and serum level of C-terminal telopeptide of type II collagen (CTX-II in experimentally induced OA rat model. Out of 30 male Wistar rats, 25 were used to induce OA by injecting papain (10mg/0.5mL of 0.05M sodium acetate in right knee joints whereas five (control were injected with sterile normal saline solution on day 0. Blood samples (5mL each were collected on weekly basis up to 28th days of post papain injection. Sera were separated and subjected to perform ELISA for estimating CTX-II fragments as cartilage biomarker (CartiLaps ® ELISA kit in experimental groups. Maximum level of CTX–II (pg/mL (40.44±3.07 was observed in sera samples of day 14 post papain injection followed by days 21 (40.22±2.01, 28 (36.82±3.81, 7 (34.48±4.17, 1 (15.08±4.22 and day 0 (2.55±0.10. The early changes in serum CTX-II from day 0 to 14 showed significant association with cartilage damage. Later on, no significant difference was observed in CTX-II level on day 14, 21 and 28 post papain injection. It is concluded that elevation in serum CTX-II level was concomitant with the onset of disease and degradation of cartilage. Moreover, CTX-II is a sensitive diagnostic biomarker to monitor joint disorder severity in papain induced OA rat experimental model on different days. These findings may be used as base line for early diagnosis of disease and initiation of therapy for successful outcome.

  17. The TETRA-II Experiment to Observe Terrestrial Gamma Flashes at Ground Level - Preliminary Results

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cherry, M. L.; Adams, C.; Al-Nussirat, S.; Bai, S.; Banadaki, Y.; Bitzer, P. M.; Hoffmann, J.; Khosravi, E.; Legault, M.; Orang, M.; Pleshinger, D. J.; Rodriguez, R.; Smith, D.; Trepanier, J. C.; Sunda-Meya, A.; Zimmer, N.

    2017-12-01

    An upgraded version of the TGF and Energetic Thunderstorm Rooftop Array (TETRA-II) consists of an array of BGO scintillators to detect bursts of gamma rays from thunderstorms at ground level in four separate locations: the campus of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; the campus of the University of Puerto Rico at Utuado, Puerto Rico; the Centro Nacional de Metrologia de Panama (CENAMEP) in Panama City, Panama; and the Severe Weather Institute and Radar & Lightning Laboratories in Huntsville, Alabama. The original TETRA-I array of NaI scintillators at Louisiana State University detected 37 millisecond-scale bursts of gamma rays at energies 50 keV-2 MeV associated with nearby (brief description of the TETRA-I observations, a description of TETRA-II, and preliminary results of the first events observed by TETRA-II will be presented including frequency and time history of events, spectral information, and correlation with local radar and radio data.

  18. Dynamical structure of center-of-pressure trajectories with and without functional taping in children with cerebral palsy level I and II of GMFCS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pavão, Silvia Leticia; Ledebt, Annick; Savelsbergh, Geert J P; Rocha, Nelci Adriana C F

    2017-08-01

    Postural control during quiet standing was examined in typical children (TD) and children with cerebral palsy (CP) level I and II of GMFCS. The immediate effect on postural control of functional taping on the thighs was analyzed. We evaluated 43 TD, 17 CP children level I, and 10 CP children level II. Participants were evaluated in two conditions (with and without taping). The trajectories of the center of pressure (COP) were analyzed by means of conventional posturography (sway amplitude, sway-path-length) and dynamic posturography (degree of twisting-and-turning, sway regularity). Both CP groups showed larger sway amplitude than the TD while only the CP level II showed more regular COP trajectories with less twisting-and-turning. Functional taping didn't affect sway amplitude or sway-path-length. TD children exhibited more twisting-and-turning with functional taping, whereas no effects on postural sway dynamics were observed in CP children. Functional taping doesn't result in immediate changes in quiet stance in CP children, whereas in TD it resulted in faster sway corrections. Children level II invest more attention in postural control than level I, and TD. While quiet standing was more automatized in children level I than in level II, both CP groups showed a less stable balance than TD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Prospective memory, level of disability, and return to work in severe mental illness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burton, Cynthia Z; Vella, Lea; Twamley, Elizabeth W

    2018-02-25

    Prospective memory (the ability to remember to do things) has clear implications for everyday functioning, including employment, in people with severe mental illnesses (SMI). This study aimed to evaluate prospective memory performance and its relationship to real-world functional variables in an employment-seeking sample of people with SMI (Clinical Trial registration number NCT00895258). 153 individuals with DSM-IV diagnosis of depression (n = 58), bipolar disorder (n = 37), or schizophrenia (n = 58) who were receiving outpatient psychiatric care at a university clinic enrolled in a trial of supported employment and completed a baseline assessment. Prospective memory was measured with the Memory for Intentions Test (MIST); real-world functional status included work history variables, clinical history variables, baseline functional capacity (UCSD Performance-based Skills Assessment-Brief), and work outcomes (weeks worked and wages earned during two years of supported employment). Participants with schizophrenia performed worse on the MIST than did those with affective disorders. Independent of diagnosis, education, and estimated intellectual functioning, prospective memory significantly predicted variance in measures of disability and illness burden (disability benefits, hospitalization history, current functional capacity), and work outcomes over two years of supported employment (weeks worked). Worse prospective memory appears to be associated with greater illness burden and functional disability in SMI. Mental health clinicians and employment specialists may counsel clients to use compensatory prospective memory strategies to improve work performance and decrease functional disability associated with SMI.

  20. Parametric Optimization and Prediction Tool for Excavation and Prospecting Tasks, Phase II

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Honeybee Robotics therefore proposed to develop a software tool for facilitating prospecting and excavation system trades in support of selecting an optimal...

  1. Prospective Turkish Elementary Science Teachers' Knowledge Level about the Greenhouse Effect and Their Views on Environmental Education in University

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kisoglu, Mustafa; Gürbüz, Hasan; Erkol, Mehmet; Akar, Muhammed Said; Akilli, Mustafa

    2010-01-01

    The fundamental factor of environmental education is teachers who are well-informed about environmental issues. This research aimed to determine prospective Turkish elementary science teachers' knowledge level about causes, consequences and reducing of the greenhouse effect and to investigate the effect of gender, information source and membership…

  2. Relationships between Actualizing Concrete and Formal Science Teaching Intentions and the Levels of Cognitive Development among Some Prospective Teachers in Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ehindero, Olusola J.

    1980-01-01

    Determines relationships between prospective secondary school science teachers' (N=60) level of cognitive development (i.e., Piaget's concrete operational or formal operational stage) and success in stating and actualizing teaching intentions. (CS)

  3. NSLS-II High Level Application Infrastructure And Client API Design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shen, G.; Yang, L.; Shroff, K.

    2011-01-01

    The beam commissioning software framework of NSLS-II project adopts a client/server based architecture to replace the more traditional monolithic high level application approach. It is an open structure platform, and we try to provide a narrow API set for client application. With this narrow API, existing applications developed in different language under different architecture could be ported to our platform with small modification. This paper describes system infrastructure design, client API and system integration, and latest progress. As a new 3rd generation synchrotron light source with ultra low emittance, there are new requirements and challenges to control and manipulate the beam. A use case study and a theoretical analysis have been performed to clarify requirements and challenges to the high level applications (HLA) software environment. To satisfy those requirements and challenges, adequate system architecture of the software framework is critical for beam commissioning, study and operation. The existing traditional approaches are self-consistent, and monolithic. Some of them have adopted a concept of middle layer to separate low level hardware processing from numerical algorithm computing, physics modelling, data manipulating, plotting, and error handling. However, none of the existing approaches can satisfy the requirement. A new design has been proposed by introducing service oriented architecture technology. The HLA is combination of tools for accelerator physicists and operators, which is same as traditional approach. In NSLS-II, they include monitoring applications and control routines. Scripting environment is very important for the later part of HLA and both parts are designed based on a common set of APIs. Physicists and operators are users of these APIs, while control system engineers and a few accelerator physicists are the developers of these APIs. With our Client/Server mode based approach, we leave how to retrieve information to the

  4. A Prospective, Randomized, Double-blind Clinical Trial of One Nano ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2015-12-16

    Dec 16, 2015 ... prospective randomized clinical trial that evaluated the clinical performance of one high‑viscosity bulk‑fill composite resin in Class II cavities of posterior teeth. .... amount of glass ionomer needed was used to cover the calcium ...

  5. Results of level-ii oncoplasty in breast cancer patients: an early experience from a tertiary care hospital in pakistan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qureshi, S.; Ghazanfar, S.; Quraishy, S.; Iqbal, S.

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To assess the oncologic and cosmetic outcomes for breast cancer patients who underwent breast conservation therapy using Level II oncoplasty techniques. Methods: The prospective, non-randomised and descriptive study was conducted at the Department of Surgery, Unit IV of Civil Hospital, Karachi, from December 2009 to November 2011 in which 21 consecutive women with breast carcinoma who underwent wide local excision with remodeling mammoplasty were enrolled. All patients were reviewed by the surgeon and medical oncologist every 3 months for the first year. A grading system of 5-1 (excellent to poor) was employed and those with 3 or more were considered to have acceptable results. Results: The mean patient age was 45.38+-10.09 years (range: 26-70); 11 (52.3%) were premenopausal and 10 (47.7%) were postmenopausal; and 5 (27.8%) had family history of breast cancer. The mean size of the tumour determined by histology was 59.9+-3.18 mm (range: 25-150). Eight (30%) patients received preoperative chemotherapy to downsize the tumour. Three (14.2%) patients received preoperative radiotherapy. Mean operative time was 1.59+-0.52 hours (range: 1-2.5 hours). Mean volume of breast tissue excised from the breast containing the tumour was 545.27+-412.06 cm3 (range: 43.70-1456). Assessment of excision margins showed no tumour at the margins of 19 (90.4%) patients. Two (9.5%) patients had close but negative margins. The mean hospital stay was 7.10+-3.30 days (range: 4-15). There were early complications in 4 (19%) patients. One (4.76%) patient had late complications. Two (9.5%) patients developed tumour recurrence; both had an ipsilateral tumour recurrence. None of the patients developed metastases and one died of cardiac problem. Twenty (95.2%) patients had an acceptable post-surgical cosmetic result. Conclusion: Level II oncoplasty was a safe option in breast conservation allowing large sized and difficult-location tumour excision with good cosmetic outcome in the study

  6. Cost Benefit Analysis of Providing Level II Trauma Care at William Beaumont Army Medical Center (WBAMC)

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Gerepka, Peter

    2002-01-01

    .... During the period from 1 October 2000 to 30 September 2001, WBAMC, a designated Level II trauma center by the American College of Surgeons, provided care for 410 patients of which 181 were civilian emergencies...

  7. Characterizing the V-band light-curves of hydrogen-rich type II supernovae

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Anderson, Joseph P.; González-Gaitán, Santiago; Hamuy, Mario

    2014-01-01

    a dispersion of 0.56 mag, offering the prospect of using type II supernovae as purely photometric distance indicators. Our analysis suggests that the type II population spans a continuum from low-luminosity events which have flat light-curves during the "plateau" stage, through to the brightest events which...

  8. Clinical significance of determination of changes of serum IGF-II, IL-6, IL-8 and hs-CRP levels after treatment in pediatric patients with bronchopneumonia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Guanghui; Chen Chuanbing; Wang Xianwu

    2009-01-01

    Objective: To explore the clinical significance of changes of serum IGF-II, IL-6, IL-8 and hs-CRP levels after treatment in pediatric patients with bronchopneumonia. Methods: Serum IGF-II, IL-6, IL-8 (with RIA) and hs-CRP (with immunoturbidity method) levels were determined in 36 pediatric patients with bronchopneumonia both before and after treatment as well as in 35 controls. Results: Before treatment, serum IGF-II, IL-6, IL-8 and hs-CRP levels in the patients were significantly higher than those in the controls (P 0.05). Conclusion: Determination of serum IGF-II, IL-6, IL-8 and hs-CRP levels in pediatric patients with bronchopneumonia was important for diagnosis and outcome prediction. (authors)

  9. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 8 (BARTTH00020008) on Town Highway 2, crossing Roaring Brook, Barton, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boehmler, Erick M.; Ivanoff, Michael A.

    1996-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure BARTTH00020008 on town highway 2 crossing Roaring Brook, Barton, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from VTAOT files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and can be found in Appendix D. The site is in the New England Upland section of the New England physiographic province of North-central Vermont in the town of Barton. The 9.89-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the banks have woody vegetation coverage except for the downstream left bank, which has a few trees and grass and brush coverage. In the study area, Roaring Brook has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.019 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 35 ft and an average channel depth of 3 ft. The predominant channel bed material is gravel/cobble (D50 is 49.1 mm or 0.161 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on October 18, 1994 indicated that the reach was laterally unstable. A cut-bank on the downstream right bank and overall channel configuration in the valley are indications of the lateral instability at this site. The town highway 2 crossing of Roaring Brook is a 30-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of one 26-foot span concrete T-beam type superstructure (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, August 4, 1994). The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments. The channel is skewed approximately 15 degrees to the opening while the opening-skew-to-roadway is

  10. Relationship of serum S1P and HC-II levels with vasoactive substances and cytokines in patients with cerebral vascular restenosis after stent implantation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yong Liu

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To study the relationship of serum sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P and heparin cofactor II (HCII levels with vasoactive substances and cytokines in patients with cerebral vascular restenosis after stent implantation. Methods: 52 patients who received cerebrovascular stent implantation and developed restenosis in our hospital between May 2012 and December 2015 were collected as observation group, and 40 healthy patients with cerebrovascular stent implantation who had re-examination in our hospital during the same period were selected as control group. ELISA method was used to detect serum S1P and HC-II levels as well as vasoactive substance and inflammatory factor contents. Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationship of serum S1P and HC-II levels with vasoactive substances and inflammatory factors. Results: Serum S1P and HC-II levels of observation group were lower than those of control group (P<0.05; serum vasoactive substances endothelin (ET, angiotensin II (AngII and thromboxane B2 (TXB2 contents of observation group were higher than those of control group while nitric oxide (NO content was lower than that of control group (P<0.05; serum inflammatory factors hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP, interleukin-1 (IL-1, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-11 contents of observation group were higher than those of control group (P<0.05. Serum S1P and HC-II levels in patients with cerebral vascular restenosis after stent implantation were directly correlated with vasoactive substance and inflammatory factor contents. Conclusion: Serum S1P and HC-II levels decrease in patients with cerebral vascular restenosis after stent implantation, and it is an important cause of cerebral vascular dysfunction and systemic inflammatory response.

  11. The CMS Level-1 Calorimeter Trigger for LHC Run II

    CERN Document Server

    Zabi, Alexandre; Cadamuro, Luca; Davignon, Olivier; Romanteau, Thierry; Strebler, Thomas; Cepeda, Maria Luisa; Sauvan, Jean-baptiste; Wardle, Nicholas; Aggleton, Robin Cameron; Ball, Fionn Amhairghen; Brooke, James John; Newbold, David; Paramesvaran, Sudarshan; Smith, D; Taylor, Joseph Ross; Fountas, Konstantinos; Baber, Mark David John; Bundock, Aaron; Breeze, Shane Davy; Citron, Matthew; Elwood, Adam Christopher; Hall, Geoffrey; Iles, Gregory Michiel; Laner Ogilvy, Christian; Penning, Bjorn; Rose, A; Shtipliyski, Antoni; Tapper, Alexander; Durkin, Timothy John; Harder, Kristian; Harper, Sam; Shepherd-Themistocleous, Claire; Thea, Alessandro; Williams, Thomas Stephen; Dasu, Sridhara Rao; Dodd, Laura Margaret; Klabbers, Pamela Renee; Levine, Aaron; Ojalvo, Isabel Rose; Ruggles, Tyler Henry; Smith, Nicholas Charles; Smith, Wesley; Svetek, Ales; Forbes, R; Tikalsky, Jesra Lilah; Vicente, Marcelo

    2017-01-01

    Results from the completed Phase 1 Upgrade of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) Level-1 Calorimeter Trigger are presented. The upgrade was completed in two stages, with the first running in 2015 for proton and Heavy Ion collisions and the final stage for 2016 data taking. The Level-1 trigger has been fully commissioned and has been used by CMS to collect over 43 fb-1 of data since the start of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) Run II. The new trigger has been designed to improve the performance at high luminosity and large number of simultaneous inelastic collisions per crossing (pile-up). For this purpose it uses a novel design, the Time Multiplexed Trigger (TMT), which enables the data from an event to be processed by a single trigger processor at full granularity over several bunch crossings. The TMT design is a modular design based on the uTCA standard. The trigger processors are instrumented with Xilinx Virtex-7 690 FPGAs and 10 Gbps optical links. The TMT architecture is flexible and the number of trigger p...

  12. Increased Resistin Levels in Intra-abdominal Sepsis: Correlation with proinflammatory cytokines & Acute Physiology & Chronic Health Evaluation II scores

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tonguç U. Yilmaz

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Resistin, a hormone secreted from adipocytes and considered to be a likely cause of insulin resistance, has recently been accepted as a proinflammatory cytokine. This study aimed to determine the correlation between resistin levels in patients with intra-abdominal sepsis and mortality. Methods: Of 45 patients with intraabdominal sepsis, a total of 35 adult patients were included in the study. This study was undertaken from December 2011 to December 2012 and included patients who had no history of diabetes mellitus and who were admitted to the general surgery intensive care units of Gazi University and Bülent Ecevit University School of Medicine, Turkey. Evaluations were performed on 12 patients with sepsis, 10 patients with severe sepsis, 13 patients with septic shock and 15 healthy controls. The patients’ plasma resistin, interleukin-6 (IL-6, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β, procalcitonin, lactate and glucose levels and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II scores were studied daily for the first five days after admission. A correlation analysis of serum resistin levels with cytokine levels and APACHE II scores was performed. Results: Serum resistin levels in patients with sepsis were significantly higher than in the healthy controls (P <0.001. A significant correlation was found between serum resistin levels and APACHE II scores, serum IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, procalcitonin, lactate and glucose levels. Furthermore, a significant correlation was found between serum resistin levels and all-cause mortality (P = 0.02. Conclusion: The levels of resistin were significantly positively correlated with the severity of disease and were a possible mediator of a prolonged inflammatory state in patients with intra-abdominal sepsis.

  13. Serum insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) and adrenomedullin (ADM) in coronary heart disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tong Lijun; Ji Naijun; Fan Bifu; Wang Chengyao; Mei Yibin; Chen Donghai; Li Fuyuan

    2005-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the changes of serum insulin-like growth factor (IGF-II) and adrenomedullin (ADM) levels in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods: Serum IGF-II and ADM levels were measured with RIA in 90 CHD patients and 40 controls. Results: Serum IGF-II and ADM levels were significantly higher in CHD patients than those in controls (P 0.05). Serum IGF-II and ADM levels were significantly higher in the patients complicated with myocardial infarction (MI) than those in patients without this complication (t=2.831, t=2.328, both P 0.05). Conclusion: Serum IGF-II and ADM levels were increased in CHD patients, most markedly in those complicated with MI. (authors)

  14. Clinical significance of measurement of changes of serum IGF-II, SCC and CYFRA21-1 levels after operation in patients with carcinoma of uterine cervix

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuang Lei

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To explore the clinical significance of changes of serum IGF-II, SCC and CYFRA21-1 levels after operation in patients with carcinoma uterine cervix. Methods: Serum levels of IGF-II, SCC and CYFRA21-1 were determined with RIA repeatedly in 31 patients with carcinoma of uterine cervix (before operation 1 month after operation and 6 month after operation) and once in 35 controls. Results: Before operation,serum levels of IGF-II, SCC and CYFRA21-1 in the patients were significantly higher than those in the controls (P<0.01). One month after operation all the serum levels were approaching normal. Six month later,the levels in the patients without recurrence remained normal. However, the levels in the 6 patients with recurrence returned to those before operation again. Conclusion: Changes of serum IGF-II, SCC and CYFRA21-1 levels are closely related to the tumor burden and may be of prognostic importance. (authors)

  15. Gravity versus manual external rotation stress view in evaluating ankle stability: a prospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    LeBa, Thu-Ba; Gugala, Zbigniew; Morris, Randal P; Panchbhavi, Vinod K

    2015-06-01

    The purpose of this prospective study was to determine whether gravity versus manual external rotation stress testing effectively detects widening of the medial clear space in isolated ankle fractures when compared with the uninjured contralateral side. Manual external rotation stress and gravity stress tests were performed on injured and uninjured ankles of ankle fracture patients in a clinic setting. Medial clear space measurements were recorded and differences between gravity and manual stress views were determined. Twenty consecutive patients with ankle injury were enrolled in the study. When compared with the uninjured side, gravity stress views showed a statistically significant (P = .017) increase in medial clear space widening (1.85 ± 1.07 mm) compared with manual stress view widening (1.35 ± 1.04 mm). This study suggests that gravity stress views are as effective as manual external rotation stress views in detecting medial clear space widening in isolated fibular fractures. Diagnostic, Level II: Prospective, comparative trial. © 2014 The Author(s).

  16. A prospective evaluation of missed injuries in trauma patients, before and after formalising the trauma tertiary survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keijzers, Gerben B; Campbell, Don; Hooper, Jeffrey; Bost, Nerolie; Crilly, Julia; Steele, Michael Craig; Del Mar, Chris; Geeraedts, Leo M G

    2014-01-01

    This study prospectively evaluated in-hospital and postdischarge missed injury rates in admitted trauma patients, before and after the formalisation of a trauma tertiary survey (TTS) procedure. Prospective before-and-after cohort study. TTS were formalised in a single regional level II trauma hospital in November 2009. All multitrauma patients admitted between March-October 2009 (preformalisation of TTS) and December 2009-September 2010 (post-) were assessed for missed injury, classified into three types: Type I, in-hospital, (injury missed at initial assessment, detected within 24 h); Type II, in-hospital (detected in hospital after 24 h, missed at initial assessment and by TTS); Type III, postdischarge (detected after hospital discharge). Secondary outcome measures included TTS performance rates and functional outcomes at 1 and 6 months. A total of 487 trauma patients were included (pre-: n = 235; post-: n = 252). In-hospital missed injury rate (Types I and II combined) was similar for both groups (3.8 vs. 4.8 %, P = 0.61), as were postdischarge missed injury rates (Type III) at 1 month (13.7 vs. 11.5 %, P = 0.43), and 6 months (3.8 vs. 3.3 %, P = 0.84) after discharge. TTS performance was substantially higher in the post-group (27 vs. 42 %, P cumulative missed injury rates >15 %. Some of these injuries were clinically relevant. Although TTS performance was significantly improved by formalising the process (from 27 to 42 %), this did not decrease missed injury rates.

  17. Soluble L-selectin levels predict survival in sepsis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Seidelin, Jakob B; Nielsen, Ole H; Strøm, Jens

    2002-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To evaluate serum soluble L-selectin as a prognostic factor for survival in patients with sepsis. DESIGN: A prospective study of mortality in patients with sepsis whose serum levels of sL-selectin were measured on admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) and 4 days later. Follow-up data......, and 3 and 12 months after admission. Serum sL-selectin levels were significantly lower in the patients than in the controls. Sepsis nonsurvivors had significantly lower levels than survivors. Efficiency analysis and receiver operation characteristics showed that the ideal cutoff point for s......L-selectin as a test for sepsis survival was 470 ng/ml. The accumulated mortality in patients with subnormal sL-selectin levels on admission was significantly increased. No correlation was found between clinical or paraclinical markers, including SAPS II and sL-selectin, and no relationship to the microbial diagnosis...

  18. Scientific knowledge and modern prospecting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neuerburg, G.J.

    1985-01-01

    Modern prospecting is the systematic search for specified and generally ill-exposed components of the Earth's crust known as ore. This prospecting depends entirely on reliable, or scientific knowledge for guidance and for recognition of the search objects. Improvement in prospecting results from additions and refinements to scientific knowledge. Scientific knowledge is an ordered distillation of observations too numerous and too complex in themselves for easy understanding and for effective management. The ordering of these observations is accomplished by an evolutionary hierarchy of abstractions. These abstractions employ simplified descriptions consisting of characterization by selected properties, sampling to represent much larger parts of a phenomenon, generalized mappings of patterns of geometrical and numerical relations among properties, and explanation (theory) of these patterns as functional relations among the selected properties. Each abstraction is predicated on the mode of abstraction anticipated for the next higher level, so that research is a deductive process in which the highest level, theory, is indispensible for the growth and refinement of scientific knowledge, and therefore of prospecting methodology. ?? 1985 Springer-Verlag.

  19. Posttraumatic stress in aging World War II survivors after a fireworks disaster: a controlled prospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bramsen, Inge; van der Ploeg, Henk M; Boers, Maarten

    2006-04-01

    Little is known about the effects of cumulative trauma and whether traumatized individuals are more vulnerable. In 2000, a fireworks disaster created the possibility to examine this issue among World War II survivors who were part of an ongoing longitudinal study. Between 1998 and 2000 posttraumatic stress increased in disaster exposed respondents as opposed to the control group. War-related reexperiencing and avoidance also increased. The strongest increase occurred in disaster-exposed respondents who had low levels of wartime stress and a slight decrease occurred in those who had high wartime exposure. This unique controlled observation suggests that disasters do increase the levels of posttraumatic stress, and that reactivation of previous traumatic events generally occurs. However, the vulnerability hypothesis was not supported.

  20. Diagnoses of gastric cancer and other gastric diseases by serum pepsinogen I and II levels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiao Zhijian; Jiang Mengjun

    1998-01-01

    Serum pepsinogens I and II (PGI, PGII) levels were determined by PGI and PGII-RIA kits in 84 healthy controls and 128 patients of gastric diseases including 42 patients with gastric cancer. The results showed peptic ulcer cases had elevated PGI and PGII levels. The atrophic gastritis cases had low PGI levels and the gastric cancer cases had low PGI and low PGI/PGII ratio. Using the cut-off values of PGI<35 μg/L and PGI/PGII<1.5 for clinical purpose, the sensitivity and specificity of the test for gastric cancer was 73% and 78%, respectively. Combined with endoscope examination, the serum PGI and PGII levels are valuable for the early diagnosis of gastric cancer

  1. Transport Risk Index of Physiologic Stability, version II (TRIPS-II): a simple and practical neonatal illness severity score.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Shoo K; Aziz, Khalid; Dunn, Michael; Clarke, Maxine; Kovacs, Lajos; Ojah, Cecil; Ye, Xiang Y

    2013-05-01

    Derive and validate a practical assessment of infant illness severity at admission to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Prospective study involving 17,075 infants admitted to 15 NICUs in 2006 to 2008. Logistic regression was used to derive a prediction model for mortality comprising four empirically weighted items (temperature, blood pressure, respiratory status, response to noxious stimuli). This Transport Risk Index of Physiologic Stability, version II (TRIPS-II) was then validated for prediction of 7-day and total NICU mortality. TRIPS-II discriminated 7-day (receiver operating curve [ROC] area, 0.90) and total NICU mortality (ROC area, 0.87) from survival. Furthermore, there was a direct association between changes in TRIPS-II at 12 and 24 hours and mortality. There was good calibration across the full range of TRIPS-II scores and the gestational age at birth, and addition of TRIPS-II improved performance of prediction models that use gestational age and baseline population risk variables. TRIPS-II is a validated benchmarking tool for assessing infant illness severity at admission and for up to 24 hours after. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

  2. Study of Blood Leptin Levels before and After Treatment with Metformin in Diabetes Type Ii Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R Didehdar

    2005-04-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Leptin is a fat tissue hormone that has 176 amino acids with a molecular weight of 16 KD . Leptin has effects on the hypothalamus and peripheral tissues resulting in decreased food absorption and increased energy consumption that finally reduces the body weight and BMI. The aim of this research was to investigate the blood levels of leptin before and after treatment with Metformin in type II diabetic patients. Methods: 25 type II diabetic patients without any previous drug treatment history were investigated. This study was a clinical trail before and after treatment with Metformin. Results: There was no particular difference in BMI, average body weight, fat mass and free fat mass before and after treatment. Similarly, the difference in concentration levels of blood glucose, cholesterol, tri-glycerides and LDL-cholesterol before and after treatment was not statistically significant. Also, there was no difference in the average concentration of leptin and insulin before and after treatment Conclusion: This result showed that although metformin decreased glucose and lipid levels during the treatment period, (1 month it did not have an effect on leptin, Insulin and other related factors during treatment.;

  3. Leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava level II involvement: curative resection and reconstruction of renal veins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Quan

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava (IVCL is a rare retroperitoneal tumor. We report two cases of level II (middle level, renal veins to hepatic veins IVCL, who underwent en bloc resection with reconstruction of bilateral or left renal venous return using prosthetic grafts. In our cases, IVCL is documented to be occluded preoperatively, therefore, radical resection of tumor and/or right kidney was performed and the distal end of inferior vena cava was resected and without caval reconstruction. None of the patients developed edema or acute renal failure postoperatively. After surgical resection, adjuvant radiation therapy was administrated. The patients have been free of recurrence 2 years and 3 months, 9 months after surgery, respectively, indicating the complete surgical resection and radiotherapy contribute to the better survival. The reconstruction of inferior vena cava was not considered mandatory in level II IVCL, if the retroperitoneal venous collateral pathways have been established. In addition to the curative resection of IVCL, the renal vascular reconstruction minimized the risks of procedure-related acute renal failure, and was more physiologically preferable. This concept was reflected in the treatment of the two patients reported on.

  4. Outcome after Discontinuing Long-Term Benzimidazole Treatment in 11 Patients with Non-resectable Alveolar Echinococcosis with Negative FDG-PET/CT and Anti-EmII/3-10 Serology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stumpe, Katrin D. M.; Grimm, Felix; Deplazes, Peter; Huber, Sabine; Bertogg, Kaja; Fischer, Dorothee R.; Müllhaupt, Beat

    2015-01-01

    Background/Aims Benzimidazoles are efficacious for treating non-resectable alveolar echinococcosis (AE), but their long-term parasitocidal (curative) effect is disputed. In this study, we prospectively analyzed the potential parasitocidal effect of benzimidazoles and whether normalization of FDG-PET/CT scans and anti-Emll/3-10-antibody levels could act as reliable "in vivo" parameters of AE-inactivation permitting to abrogate chemotherapy with a low risk for AE-recurrence. Method This prospective study included 34 patients with non-resectable AE subdivided into group A (n = 11), followed-up after diagnosis and begin of chemotherapy at months 6, 12 and 24, and group B (n = 23) with a medium duration of chemotherapy of 10 (range 2–25) years. All patients were assessed by FDG-PET/CT examinations and anti-EmII/3-10 serology. Chemotherapy was abrogated in patients with normalization of FDG-PET/CT and serum anti-EmII/3-10 levels. These patients were closely followed-up for AE recurrence. Endpoint (parasitocidal efficacy) was defined by the absence of AE-recurrence >24 months after stopping treatment. Results Normalization of FDG-PET/CT scan and anti-EmII/3-10 levels occurred in 11 of 34 patients (32%). After abrogation of chemotherapy in these 11 patients, there was no evidence of AE-recurrence within a median of 70.5 (range 16–82) months. However, the patients’ immunocompetence appears pivotal for the described long-term parasitocidal effect of benzimidazoles. Conclusions The combination of negative FDG-PET/CT-scans and anti-EmII/3-10 antibody levels seem to be reliable parameters for assessing in vivo AE-larval inactivity after long-term benzimidazole chemotherapy. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00658294 PMID:26389799

  5. D-dimer as marker for microcirculatory failure: correlation with LOD and APACHE II scores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angstwurm, Matthias W A; Reininger, Armin J; Spannagl, Michael

    2004-01-01

    The relevance of plasma d-dimer levels as marker for morbidity and organ dysfunction in severely ill patients is largely unknown. In a prospective study we determined d-dimer plasma levels of 800 unselected patients at admission to our intensive care unit. In 91% of the patients' samples d-dimer levels were elevated, in some patients up to several hundredfold as compared to normal values. The highest mean d-dimer values were present in the patient group with thromboembolic diseases, and particularly in non-survivors of pulmonary embolism. In patients with circulatory impairment (r=0.794) and in patients with infections (r=0.487) a statistically significant correlation was present between d-dimer levels and the APACHE II score (P<0.001). The logistic organ dysfunction score (LOD, P<0.001) correlated with d-dimer levels only in patients with circulatory impairment (r=0.474). On the contrary, patients without circulatory impairment demonstrated no correlation of d-dimer levels to the APACHE II or LOD score. Taking all patients together, no correlations of d-dimer levels with single organ failure or with indicators of infection could be detected. In conclusion, d-dimer plasma levels strongly correlated with the severity of the disease and organ dysfunction in patients with circulatory impairment or infections suggesting that elevated d-dimer levels may reflect the extent of microcirculatory failure. Thus, a therapeutic strategy to improve the microcirculation in such patients may be monitored using d-dimer plasma levels.

  6. Level of education and risk of heart failure: a prospective cohort study with echocardiography evaluation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Stefan; Mogelvang, Rasmus; Heitmann, Merete

    2011-01-01

    Aims With increasing socioeconomic disparity in cardiovascular risk factors, there is a need to assess the role of socioeconomic factors in chronic heart failure (CHF) and to what extent this is caused by modifiable risk factors. Methods and results In a prospective cohort of 18 616 men and women......-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for intermediary (8–10 years) and high level of education (>10 years) with low (women. After adjusting for updated cardiovascular risk factors, corresponding HRs were 0...... future hospital admission for CHF. Only a minor part of the excess risk was mediated through traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Strategies to reduce this inequality should be strengthened....

  7. Prolyl oligopeptidase and dipeptidyl peptidase II/dipeptidyl peptidase IV ratio in the cerebrospinal fluid in Parkinson's disease: historical overview and future prospects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagatsu, Toshiharu

    2017-06-01

    Prolyl oligopeptidase (also named prolyl endopeptidase; PREP) hydrolyzes the Pro-Xaa bonds of biologically active oligopeptides on their carboxyl side. In 1987, we detected PREP activity in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using highly sensitive liquid chromatography-fluorometry with succinyl-Gly-Pro-4-methyl-coumarin amide as a new synthetic substrate, and found a marked decrease in its activity in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) as compared with its level in control patients without neurological diseases. In 2013, Hannula et al. found co-localization of PREP with α-synuclein in the postmortem PD brain. Several recent studies also suggest that the level of PREP in the brain of PD patients may be related to dopamine (DA) cell death via promotion of α-synuclein oligomerization and that inhibitors of PREP may play a neuroprotective role in PD. Although the relationship between another family of prolyl oligopeptidase enzymes, dipeptidyl peptidase II (DPP II) and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV), and α-synuclein in the PD brain is not yet clear, we found that the DPP II activity/DPP IV activity ratio in the CSF was significantly increased in PD patients. This review discusses the possibility of PREP as well as the DPP II/DPP IV ratio in the CSF as potential biomarkers of PD.

  8. Preoperative Quantitative MR Tractography Compared with Visual Tract Evaluation in Patients with Neuropathologically Confirmed Gliomas Grades II and III: A Prospective Cohort Study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delgado, Anna F.; Nilsson, Markus; Latini, Francesco; Mårtensson, Johanna; Zetterling, Maria; Berntsson, Shala G.; Alafuzoff, Irina; Lätt, Jimmy; Larsson, Elna-Marie

    2016-01-01

    Background and Purpose. Low-grade gliomas show infiltrative growth in white matter tracts. Diffusion tensor tractography can noninvasively assess white matter tracts. The aim was to preoperatively assess tumor growth in white matter tracts using quantitative MR tractography (3T). The hypothesis was that suspected infiltrated tracts would have altered diffusional properties in infiltrated tract segments compared to noninfiltrated tracts. Materials and Methods. Forty-eight patients with suspected low-grade glioma were included after written informed consent and underwent preoperative diffusion tensor imaging in this prospective review-board approved study. Major white matter tracts in both hemispheres were tracked, segmented, and visually assessed for tumor involvement in thirty-four patients with gliomas grade II or III (astrocytomas or oligodendrogliomas) on postoperative neuropathological evaluation. Relative fractional anisotropy (rFA) and mean diffusivity (rMD) in tract segments were calculated and compared with visual evaluation and neuropathological diagnosis. Results. Tract segment infiltration on visual evaluation was associated with a lower rFA and high rMD in a majority of evaluated tract segments (89% and 78%, resp.). Grade II and grade III gliomas had similar infiltrating behavior. Conclusion. Quantitative MR tractography corresponds to visual evaluation of suspected tract infiltration. It may be useful for an objective preoperative evaluation of tract segment involvement

  9. [Differences of blood plasma renin activity, angiotensin II and aldosterone levels in essential or secondary hypertension].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Ai-ling; Zeng, Zheng-pei; Tong, An-li; Lu, Lin; Chen, Shi; Li, Ming; Fu, Chun-li; Wang, Yong-hui; Sun, Mei-li

    2012-04-01

    To study on the difference of plasma renin activity (PRA), angiotensin II (Ang II), and aldosterone levels in patients with essential hypertension (EH) or primary aldosteronism (PA) or pheochromocytoma (PHEO), and to analyze the sensitivity and specificity on the diagnosis of PA among patients with hypertension with aldosterone/PRA ratio (ARR). The plasma aldosterone, Ang II and PRA concentrations in supine and upright positions were measured by radioimmunoassay from 413 patients including idiopathic hyperaldosteronism (IHA, n = 111), aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA, n = 118), PHEO (n = 98) and EH (n = 86). ARR was calculated. Plasma aldosterone concentrations in both of supine and upright positions in PHEO group [374 (294, 465) pmol/L and 629 (449, 997) pmol/L] and PA group [471 (346, 632) pmol/L and 673 (499, 825) pmol/L] were higher than those in EH group [277 (224, 332) pmol/L and 427 (341, 501) pmol/L] (P 0.05). The PRA level in both positions of each group were PHEO group [0.3 (0.2, 1.0) µg · L(-1) · h(-1) and 1.4 (0.6, 3.4) µg · L(-1) · h(-1)] > EH group [0.2 (0.1, 0.4) µg · L(-1) · h(-1) and 0.6 (0.4, 1.0) µg · L(-1) · h(-1)] (P PA group [0.1 (0.1, 0.1) µg · L(-1) · h(-1) and 0.2 (0.1, 0.3) µg · L(-1) · h(-1)] (P < 0.01), and APA group [0.1 (0.1, 0.1) µg · L(-1) · h(-1) and 0.1 (0.1, 0.3) µg · L(-1) · h(-1)] < IHA group [0.1 (0.1, 0.2) µg · L(-1) · h(-1) and 0.2 (0.1, 0.3) µg · L(-1) · h(-1)] (supine P < 0.01; upright P < 0.05). APA was divided into 2 types with renin-Ang II-responsive APA (n = 26) and unresponsive APA (n = 92). The plasma aldosterone concentration was lower in supine position but higher in upright position in renin-Ang II-responsive APA than in unresponsive APA patients. ARR in upright was higher in PA group (P < 0.01) but lower in PHEO group (P < 0.05) compared with EH. ARR was higher in APA than in IHA (P < 0.01). The sensitivity and specificity of ARR as 40 (aldosterone unit: ng/dl; PRA unit: µg · L(-1

  10. Experiential Learning Model in Enhancing Prospective English Teachers` Teaching Competence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heri Mudra

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to describe the effectiveness of Experiential Learning (EL model in improving prospective EFL teachers’ (PETs teaching competence. The method of this study was Classroom Action Research (CAR consisting of planning, observing, acting, and reflecting phases. There were two cycles needed in implementing EL to the twenty one EFL learners as the participants. The results revealed that each subcompetence in cycle I and cycle II was achieved in the following score: planning & preparation for learning (Mean in cycle I=2,8; Mean in cycle II=3,38, classroom management (Mean in cycle I=2,5; Mean in cycle II=2,95, delivery of instruction (Mean in cycle I=2,6; Mean in cycle II=2,90, and monitoring, assessment, and follow-up (Mean in cycle I=2,4; Mean in cycle II=2,95. It can be concluded that EL is effective in improving PETs’ teaching competence.

  11. Clinical significance of combined determination of the changes of serum IGF-II, CA19-9 and AFP levels after intervention therapy in patients with primary hepatic cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Zhong

    2007-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the clinical significance of changes of serum IGF-II, CA19-9 and AFP levels after intervention therapy in patients with primary hepatic cancer. Methods: Serum levels of IGF-II, CA19-9 and AFP (with RIA) were repeatedly determined in 35 patients with primary hepatic cancer before intervention therapy, 1 month after intervention therapy and 6 months after intervention therapy as well as in 30 controls. Results: Before intervention therapy, serum levels of IGF-II, CA19-9 and AFP in the patients were significantly higher than those in the controls (P <0.01 ). One month after intervention therapy, all the serum levels were approaching normal. Six months later, the levels in the patients without recurrence remained normal. However, the levels in the 6 patients with recurrence returued to those before intervention therapy again. Conclusion: Changes of serum IGF-II, CA19-9 and AFP levels are closely related to the tumor burden and may reflect the presence of recurrence. (authors)

  12. Lipoprotein(a) levels, genotype, and incident aortic valve stenosis: a prospective mendelian randomization study and replication in a case-control cohort

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Arsenault, Benoit J.; Boekholdt, S. Matthijs; Dubé, Marie-Pierre; Rhéaume, Eric; Wareham, Nicholas J.; Khaw, Kay-Tee; Sandhu, Manjinder S.; Tardif, Jean-Claude

    2014-01-01

    Although a previous study has suggested that a genetic variant in the LPA region was associated with the presence of aortic valve stenosis (AVS), no prospective study has suggested a role for lipoprotein(a) levels in the pathophysiology of AVS. Our objective was to determine whether lipoprotein(a)

  13. The Impact of Patient Education on Anthropometric, Lipidemic, and Glycemic Parameters Among Patients With Poorly Controlled Type II Diabetes Mellitus: A 3-Month Prospective Single-Center Turkish Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cander, Soner; Gul, Ozen Oz; Gul, Cuma B; Keles, Saadet B; Yavas, Sibel; Ersoy, Canan

    2014-12-01

    This study evaluated the impact of patient education on adherence to a diabetes care plan (e.g., anthropometric, lipidemic, and glycemic parameters) among adults with type II diabetes mellitus without adequate glycemic control. A total of 61 ambulatory adults with type II diabetes mellitus (mean age: 53.6 ± 8.2 years, 70.5% female) were evaluated for anthropometrics, duration of diabetes mellitus, type of anti-diabetic treatment, blood biochemistry, and glycemic parameters in this 3-month prospective observational single-center study. During the course of the study, participants demonstrated a significant decrease in body weight and fat percentage and HbA1c (p diabetes mellitus who received education on adherence to routine self-monitoring of blood glucose, standard diabetic diet, and an exercise program delivered by certified diabetes educators had better glycemic control and significant decrease in body weight and fat percentage over a 3-month monitoring period. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

  14. Prospective Turkish elementary science teachers’ knowledge level about the greenhouse effect and their views on environmental education in university

    OpenAIRE

    Mustafa Kışoğlu; Hasan Gürbüz; Mehmet Erkol; Muhammed Said Akar; Mustafa Akıllı

    2010-01-01

    The fundamental factor of environmental education is teachers who are well-informed about environmental issues. This research aimed to determine prospective Turkish elementary science teachers’ knowledge level about causes, consequences and reducing of the greenhouse effect and to investigate the effect of gender, information source and membership in the environmental foundations on their knowledge. We also aimed to learn their views on environmental education given in universi...

  15. Prospects, achievements, challenges and opportunities for scaling-up malaria chemoprevention in pregnancy in Tanzania: the perspective of national level officers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Byskov Jens

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Objectives To describe the prospects, achievements, challenges and opportunities for implementing intermittent preventive treatment for malaria in pregnancy (IPTp in Tanzania in light of national antenatal care (ANC guidelines and ability of service providers to comply with them. Methods In-depth interviews were made with national level malaria control officers in 2006 and 2007. Data was analysed manually using a qualitative content analysis approach. Results IPTp has been under implementation countrywide since 2001 and the 2005 evaluation report showed increased coverage of women taking two doses of IPTp from 29% to 65% between 2001 and 2007. This achievement was acknowledged, however, several challenges were noted including (i the national antenatal care (ANC guidelines emphasizing two IPTp doses during a woman's pregnancy, while other agencies operating at district level were recommending three doses, this confuses frontline health workers (HWs; (ii focused ANC guidelines have been revised, but printing and distribution to districts has often been delayed; (iii reports from district management teams demonstrate constraints related to women's late booking, understaffing, inadequate skills of most HWs and their poor motivation. Other problems were unreliable supply of free SP at private clinics, clean and safe water shortage at many government ANC clinics limiting direct observation treatment and occasionally pregnant women asked to pay for ANC services. Finally, supervision of peripheral health facilities has been inadequate and national guidelines on district budgeting for health services have been inflexible. IPTp coverage is generally low partly because IPTp is not systematically enforced like programmes on immunization, tuberculosis, leprosy and other infectious diseases. Necessary concerted efforts towards fostering uptake and coverage of two IPTp doses were emphasized by the national level officers, who called for further action

  16. Commissioning experience with the PEP-II low-level RF system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Corredoura, P.; Allison, S.; Claus, R.; Ross, W.; Sapozhnikov, L.; Schwarz, H.D.; Tighe, R.; Yee, C.; Ziomek, C.

    1997-05-01

    The low-level RF system for PEP-II is a modular design housed in a VXI environment and supported by EPICS. All signal processing and control is done at baseband using in-phase and quadrature (IQ) techniques. Remotely configurable RF feedback loops are used to control coupled-bunch instabilities driven by the accelerating mode of the RF cavities. A programmable DSP based feedback loop is implemented to control phase variations across the klystron due to the required adjustment of the cathode voltage to limit cathode power dissipation. The DSP loop also adaptively cancels modulations caused by klystron power supply ripple at selected power line harmonics between 60 Hz and 10 kHz. The system contains a built-in baseband network analyzer which allows remote measurement of the RF feedback loop transfer functions and automated configuration of these loops. This paper presents observations and measured data from the system

  17. Emodin (1,3,8-trihydroxy-6-methylanthraquinone): a spectrophotometric reagent for the determination of beryllium(II), magnesium(II) and calcium(II)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pal, T.; Jana, N.R.

    1993-01-01

    The individual determination of Be II , Mg II or Ca II by conventional spectrophotometry and simultaneous determination of Mg II and Ca II in mixtures by first-derivative spectrophotometry are possible at trace levels, using emodin (1,3,8-trihydroxy-6-methylanthraquinone) as spectrophotometric reagent. Interference from other metal species, application of these methods to rock samples and statistical analysis of the results are discussed. (author)

  18. Optimal Implantation Depth and Adherence to Guidelines on Permanent Pacing to Improve the Results of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement With the Medtronic CoreValve System: The CoreValve Prospective, International, Post-Market ADVANCE-II Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petronio, Anna S; Sinning, Jan-Malte; Van Mieghem, Nicolas; Zucchelli, Giulio; Nickenig, Georg; Bekeredjian, Raffi; Bosmans, Johan; Bedogni, Francesco; Branny, Marian; Stangl, Karl; Kovac, Jan; Schiltgen, Molly; Kraus, Stacia; de Jaegere, Peter

    2015-05-01

    The aim of the CoreValve prospective, international, post-market ADVANCE-II study was to define the rates of conduction disturbances and permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement with the Medtronic CoreValve System (Minneapolis, Minnesota) using optimized implantation techniques and application of international guidelines on cardiac pacing. Conduction disturbances are a frequent complication of transcatheter aortic valve replacement. The rates of PPI in the published reports vary according to bioprosthesis type and the indications for PPI. The primary endpoint was the 30-day incidence of PPI with Class I/II indications when the Medtronic CoreValve System was implanted at an optimal depth (≤6 mm below the aortic annulus). The timing and resolution of all new-onset conduction disturbances were analyzed. A total of 194 patients were treated. The overall rate of PPI for Class I/II indications was 18.2%. An optimal depth was reached in 43.2% of patients, with a nonsignificantly lower incidence of PPI in patients with depths ≤6 mm, compared with those with deeper implants (13.3% vs. 21.1%; p = 0.14). In a paired analysis, new-onset left bundle branch block and first-degree atrioventricular block occurred in 45.4% and 39.0% of patients, respectively, and resolved spontaneously within 30 days in 43.2% and 73.9%, respectively. In patients with new PPI, the rate of intrinsic sinus rhythm increased from 25.9% at 7 days to 59.3% at 30 days (p = 0.004). Optimal Medtronic CoreValve System deployment and adherence to international guidelines on cardiac pacing are associated with a lower rate of new PPI after transcatheter aortic valve replacement, compared with results reported in previous studies. (CoreValve Advance-II Study: Prospective International Post-Market Study [ADVANCE II]; NCT01624870). Copyright © 2015 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. A STUDY TO CORRELATE HBA1C LEVELS AND LEFT VENTRICULAR DIASTOLIC DYSFUNCTION IN NEWLY DIAGNOSED TYPE II DIABETES MELLITUS

    OpenAIRE

    Vasanthi; Namitha; Jayanthi; Elangumanan; Mohamed; Uma Maheshwari; Pravin Selvam; Santhi

    2016-01-01

    AIM To assess the correlation of HBA1C levels with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetic patient. This prospective study was done at Department of General Medicine, OPD, Medical Wards, Stanley Medical College and Hospital, Chennai. RESULT The mean HBA1C levels were meaningfully more in Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction (LVDD) positive group compared to the LVDD negative group by 1.33%. This significant difference of 15% increase in...

  20. A prospective, multicenter pilot study to investigate the feasibility and safety of a 1-year controlled exercise training after adjuvant chemotherapy in colorectal cancer patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piringer, Gudrun; Fridrik, Michael; Fridrik, Alfred; Leiherer, Andreas; Zabernigg, August; Greil, Richard; Eisterer, Wolfgang; Tschmelitsch, Jörg; Lang, Alois; Frantal, Sophie; Burgstaller, Sonja; Gnant, Michael; Thaler, Josef

    2018-04-01

    Despite advances in adjuvant chemotherapy, 20-30% of patients in stages II-III colorectal cancer will eventually relapse. Observational studies showed a reduction in relapse rate, colon cancer-specific mortality, and overall mortality by physical activity. Results from prospective randomized interventional studies to confirm these observational data are lacking. The aims of this prospective single-arm multicenter pilot study are to evaluate feasibility and safety of exercise training after adjuvant chemotherapy in colorectal cancer patients. The training was performed three times per week for 1 year and was increased gradually in three phases until reaching 18 metabolic equivalent task hours per week. Overall, 30 patients were included. The planned training intensity could be achieved in all three phases. Patients experienced a performance increase of median 35.5 watt, a weight-loss of a median of 3.0 kg, and a reduction in body fat content of median 1.0% during this exercise training. The analysis showed early study termination due to non-compliance in 10/30 patients (33.3%), disease progression in 4 patients (13.3%), and serious adverse events in 2 patients (6.7%). About half of patients (46.7%) completed the pilot study as planned. Biomarker analysis from 20 patients showed a non-significant reduction in insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-2) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGF-BP3) levels, significant increases in adiponectin and leptin levels, and a non-significant increase in C-peptide levels. Exercise training is feasible in patients with colorectal cancer after completion of adjuvant chemotherapy. The main problem encountered during the study was compliance. To improve compliance of exercise training, several measures were adapted for the upcoming prospective randomized ABCSG C08 Exercise II study.

  1. A prospective, non-randomized phase II trial of Trastuzumab and Capecitabine in patients with HER2 expressing metastasized pancreatic cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Endlicher Esther

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer related death in Western countries. Advantages in surgical techniques, radiation and chemotherapy had almost no impact on the long term survival of affected patients. Therefore, the need for better treatment strategies is urgent. HER2, a receptor tyrosine kinase of the EGFR family, involved in signal transduction pathways leading to cell growth and differentiation is overexpressed in a number of cancers, including breast and pancreatic cancer. While in breast cancer HER2 has already been successfully used as a treatment target, there are only limited data evaluating the effects of inhibiting HER2 tyrosine kinases in patients with pancreatic cancer. Methods Here we report the design of a prospective, non-randomized multi-centered Phase II clinical study evaluating the effects of the Fluoropyrimidine-carbamate Capecitabine (Xeloda ® and the monoclonal anti-HER2 antibody Trastuzumab (Herceptin® in patients with non-resectable, HER2 overexpressing pancreatic cancer. Patients eligible for the study will receive Trastuzumab infusions on day 1, 8 and 15 concomitant to the oral intake of Capecitabine from day 1 to day 14 of each three week cylce. Cycles will be repeated until tumor progression. A total of 37 patients will be enrolled with an interim analysis after 23 patients. Discussion Primary end point of the study is to determine the progression free survival after 12 weeks of bimodal treatment with the chemotherapeutic agent Capecitabine and the anti-HER2 antibody Trastuzumab. Secondary end points include patient's survival, toxicity analysis, quality of life, the correlation of HER2 overexpression and clinical response to Trastuzumab treatment and, finally, the correlation of CA19-9 plasma levels and progression free intervals.

  2. The effects of antithyroid drug treatment on thyroid hormone levels after 131I ablation for Graves' disease: a prospective randomized study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Magalhaes, Patricia; Maciel, Lea

    2005-01-01

    Full text: The efficacy, safety and low cost of radioactive iodine ( 131 I) have made it the preferred definitive treatment in most patients with Graves' disease. The purposes of this study were: 1) Evaluate the acute changes in thyroid hormones (TH) levels before and after 131 I therapy in patients randomized to receive either antithyroid drug (ATD) pretreatment or no pretreatment, 2) Evaluate the effect of ATD pretreatment on the efficacy of 131 I therapy. 42 patients with clinical diagnosis of hyperthyroid Graves' disease were schedule to receive ablation therapy with 131 I: 24 were pretreated with methimazole (Group I) and 18 were not (Group II). ATD was stopped 5 days before 131 I therapy. Patients were monitorized clinically and biochemically with measurement of FT 3 , FT 4 and TSH on days -5, 0, 2, 6, 14, 30, 60, 120, 180, 360. Before 131 I treatment, comparing with baseline measurements, FT 4 levels after discontinuation of ATD have shown a mean increase of 61.8% (1.2 ± 0.6 to 1.8 ± 1.1 ng/dl, p=0.0006), while FT 3 levels increased 63.7% (3.2 ± 0.6 to 5.2 ± 2.2 pg/ml, p=0.0002). In this group, 131 I therapy resulted in a further increase in FT 4 levels on day 2 (p=0.0005) but not in T 3 levels. Conversely, the Group II patients experienced no further elevations in TH after 131 I therapy, which kept stable until day 30 th. After 60 days of treatment there was an important decrease in FT 4 concentrations for Group II patients, reaching similar values of the Group I levels but above the normal range. On the 120 th day, the TH levels were similar and at normal range in both groups. In the Group II, 12 patients (66.7%), 1 patient (5.6%) and 3 (16.7%) became hypothyroid, euthyroid or hyperthyroid, respectively. On the other hand, in the Group I, 7 patients (29.2%), 6 patients (25%) and 6 patients (25%) became hypothyroid, euthyroid or hyperthyroid, respectively. Conclusion: Pretreatment with methimazole before radioactive iodine therapy seems to interfere

  3. The uranium market prospects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lloyd, R.

    1981-01-01

    A historical analysis of the uranium market points out the cyclical nature of the market and suggests that the spot price, exploration levels, and mill capacity utilization rate are dependent on economic factors. An examination of the current uranium market suggests that the effects of the forecasted surplus supply, the diminishing returns in exploration and the long lead times and high costs of development may mean that future production levels are uncertain. The general prospects for the uranium industry are also uncertain because of barriers to trade, environmental regulations and public opinion. The paper concludes that by the use of long term contracts, appropriate inventory policy and greater discussion between producers and consumers the prospects for the uranium market can be made more certain and further imbalances in demand and supply can be avoided. (author)

  4. The CMS Level-1 tau lepton and Vector Boson Fusion triggers for the LHC Run II

    CERN Document Server

    Amendola, Chiara

    2017-01-01

    The CMS experiment implements a sophisticated two-level triggering system composed of Level-1, instrumented by custom-design hardware boards, and a software High-Level-Trigger. A new Level-1 trigger architecture with improved performance is now being used to maintain the thresholds that were used in LHC Run I for the more challenging luminosity conditions experienced during Run II. The upgrades to the calorimetry trigger will be described along with performance data. The algorithms for the selection of final states with tau leptons, both for precision measurements and for searches of new physics beyond the Standard Model, will be described in detail. The implementation of the first dedicated Vector Boson Fusion trigger algorithm will be presented as well, along with its performance on benchmark physics signals.

  5. Long-term forecasting and comparison of mortality in the Evaluation of the Xience Everolimus Eluting Stent vs. Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery for Effectiveness of Left Main Revascularization (EXCEL) trial: prospective validation of the SYNTAX Score II.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campos, Carlos M; van Klaveren, David; Farooq, Vasim; Simonton, Charles A; Kappetein, Arie-Pieter; Sabik, Joseph F; Steyerberg, Ewout W; Stone, Gregg W; Serruys, Patrick W

    2015-05-21

    To prospectively validate the SYNTAX Score II and forecast the outcomes of the randomized Evaluation of the Xience Everolimus-Eluting Stent Versus Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery for Effectiveness of Left Main Revascularization (EXCEL) Trial. Evaluation of the Xience Everolimus Eluting Stent vs. Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery for Effectiveness of Left Main Revascularization is a prospective, randomized multicenter trial designed to establish the efficacy and safety of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with the everolimus-eluting stent compared with coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery in subjects with unprotected left-main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease and low-intermediate anatomical SYNTAX scores (EXCEL, the SYNTAX Score II was prospectively applied to predict 4-year mortality in the CABG and PCI arms. The 95% prediction intervals (PIs) for mortality were computed using simulation with bootstrap resampling (10 000 times). For the entire study cohort, the 4-year predicted mortalities were 8.5 and 10.5% in the PCI and CABG arms, respectively [odds ratios (OR) 0.79; 95% PI 0.43-1.50). In subjects with low (≤22) anatomical SYNTAX scores, the predicted OR was 0.69 (95% PI 0.34-1.45); in intermediate anatomical SYNTAX scores (23-32), the predicted OR was 0.93 (95% PI 0.53-1.62). Based on 4-year mortality predictions in EXCEL, clinical characteristics shifted long-term mortality predictions either in favour of PCI (older age, male gender and COPD) or CABG (younger age, lower creatinine clearance, female gender, reduced left ventricular ejection fraction). The SYNTAX Score II indicates at least an equipoise for long-term mortality between CABG and PCI in subjects with ULMCA disease up to an intermediate anatomical complexity. Both anatomical and clinical characteristics had a clear impact on long-term mortality predictions and decision making between CABG and PCI. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The

  6. Effect of Age-Related Cartilage Turnover on Serum C-Telopeptide of Collagen Type II and Osteocalcin Levels in Growing Rabbits with and without Surgically Induced Osteoarthritis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chung-Cheng Huang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to determine the effect of age-related cartilage turnover on the serum C-telopeptide of type II collagen (CTX-II and osteocalcin (OC levels in growing rabbits with and without surgically induced osteoarthritis. Twenty-four New Zealand male 3-month-old rabbits were randomized into three operated groups (n = 6 per group, with surgically induced osteroarthritis in the right knee; after blood sampling, the knees were harvested following euthanization at 2, 3, and 6 months after surgery and a control group (n = 6, blood samples were obtained monthly between 3 and 15 months. Histomorphologically, the medial femoral condyles, particularly the central parts, harbored the most severe osteoarthritic changes among the operated rabbits. The serum levels of CTX-II and OC decreased in the controls from 3 to 11 months and then remained stable. No significant differences in the serum CTX-II and OC levels between the osteoarthritic rabbits and controls were observed. The osteoarthritic-to-normal ratios (ONRs, the ratios of serum CTX-II or OC levels in osteoarthritic rabbits to those of the controls at same ages enabled an overall assessment of osteoarthritis and age-related cartilage turnover. Elevated CTX-II ONRs were observed in rabbits with mild to advanced osteoarthritis. However, the OC ONRs were unhelpful in assessing osteoarthritic growing rabbits.

  7. Effects of Emotion on Prospection During Decision-Making

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Darrell A. Worthy

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available In two experiments we examined the role of emotion, specifically worry, anxiety and mood, on prospection during decision-making. Worry is a particularly relevant emotion to study in the context of prospection because high levels of worry may make individuals more aversive toward the uncertainty associated with the prospect of obtaining future improvements in rewards or states. Thus, high levels of worry might lead to reduced prospection during decision-making and enhance preference for immediate over delayed rewards. In Experiment 1 participants performed a two-choice dynamic decision-making task where they were required to choose between one option (the decreasing option which provided larger immediate rewards but declines in future states, and another option (the increasing option which provided smaller immediate rewards but improvements in future states, making it the optimal choice. High levels of worry were associated with poorer performance in the task. Additionally, fits of a sophisticated reinforcement-learning model that incorporated both reward-based and state-based information suggested that individuals reporting high levels of worry gave greater weight to the immediate rewards they would receive on each trial than to the degree to which each action would lead to improvements in their future state. In Experiment 2 we found that high levels of worry were associated with greater delay discounting using a standard delay discounting task. Combined, the results suggest that high levels of worry are associated with reduced prospection during decision-making. We attribute these results to high worriers’ aversion toward the greater uncertainty associated with attempting to improve future rewards than to maximize immediate reward. These results have implications for researchers interested in the effects of emotion on cognition, and suggest that emotion strongly affects the focus on temporal outcomes during decision-making.

  8. Effects of emotion on prospection during decision-making.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Worthy, Darrell A; Byrne, Kaileigh A; Fields, Sherecce

    2014-01-01

    In two experiments we examined the role of emotion, specifically worry, anxiety, and mood, on prospection during decision-making. Worry is a particularly relevant emotion to study in the context of prospection because high levels of worry may make individuals more aversive toward the uncertainty associated with the prospect of obtaining future improvements in rewards or states. Thus, high levels of worry might lead to reduced prospection during decision-making and enhance preference for immediate over delayed rewards. In Experiment 1 participants performed a two-choice dynamic decision-making task where they were required to choose between one option (the decreasing option) which provided larger immediate rewards but declines in future states, and another option (the increasing option) which provided smaller immediate rewards but improvements in future states, making it the optimal choice. High levels of worry were associated with poorer performance in the task. Additionally, fits of a sophisticated reinforcement-learning model that incorporated both reward-based and state-based information suggested that individuals reporting high levels of worry gave greater weight to the immediate rewards they would receive on each trial than to the degree to which each action would lead to improvements in their future state. In Experiment 2 we found that high levels of worry were associated with greater delay discounting using a standard delay discounting task. Combined, the results suggest that high levels of worry are associated with reduced prospection during decision-making. We attribute these results to high worriers' aversion toward the greater uncertainty associated with attempting to improve future rewards than to maximize immediate reward. These results have implications for researchers interested in the effects of emotion on cognition, and suggest that emotion strongly affects the focus on temporal outcomes during decision-making.

  9. PRESTO-II, Low Level Radioactive Waste Transport and Risk Assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-01-01

    1 - Description of program or function: PRESTO-II evaluates possible health effects from shallow-land and waste-disposal trenches. The model is intended to serve as a non- site-specific screening model for assessing radionuclide transport, ensuing exposure, and health impacts to a static local population fora 1000-year period following the end of disposal operations. Human exposure scenarios considered include normal releases (including leaching and operational spillage), human intrusion, and limited site farming or reclamation. Pathways and processes of transit from the trench to an individual or population include ground-water transport, overland flow, erosion, surface water dilution, suspension, atmospheric transport, deposition, inhalation, external exposure, and ingestion of contaminated beef, milk, crops, and water. Both population doses and individual doses, as well as doses to the intruder and farmer, may be calculated. Cumulative health effects in terms of cancer deaths are calculated for the population over the 1000-year period using a life-table approach developed by EPA (CCC-422/RADRISK). The DARTAB model is used in modified form to generate human health risk estimates from radionuclide concentrations and intake values. 2 - Method of solution: PRESTO-II tracks radionuclide transport through surface and subsurface pathways and human exposures through external exposure, inhalation, and ingestion with a resolution of 1 y. The methodology is mechanistic, and physical transport processes are modeled separately and in detail. PRESTO-II computes infiltration through the trench cap from experimentally determined permeability and hourly precipitation values. Watershed infiltration is determined using a parametric evapotranspiration equation requiring input values for several site variables. A finite element approach is used to compute trench water balance. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: The PRESTO-II model is most appropriately used as a

  10. [Relationship between blood glucose levels and salivary pH and buffering capacity in type II diabetes patients].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elkafri, I H; Mashlah, A; Shaqifa, A

    2014-03-13

    This study was evaluated the relationship between blood glucose levels and salivary pH and buffering capacity in type II diabetic patients. The sample comprised 210 participants (age ranged 40-60 years). Based on fasting blood glucose levels the participants were divided into 3 groups: controls with normal blood glucose levels; diabetic patients with levels ≤ 200 mg/dL; and diabetic patients with levels > 200 mg/dL. Salivary pH and buffering capacity were determined in a sample of resting (non-stimulated) saliva taken from each participant. Salivary pH levels in diabetic patients with blood glucose levels > 200 mg/dL were lower than in the controls and diabetic patients with levels ≤ 200 mg/dL. Salivary pH levels were comparable in controls and diabetic patients with blood glucose levels ≤ 200 mg/dL. Salivary buffering capacity in the 3 groups was comparable.

  11. Spectrum of Singly Charged Uranium (U II : Theoretical Interpretation of Energy Levels, Partition Function and Classified Ultraviolet Lines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Meftah

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available In an attempt to improve U II analysis, the lowest configurations of both parities have been interpreted by means of the Racah-Slater parametric method, using Cowan codes. In the odd parity, including the ground state, 253 levels of the interacting configurations 5 f 3 7 s 2 + 5 f 3 6 d 7 s + 5 f 3 6 d 2 + 5 f 4 7 p + 5 f 5 are interpreted by 24 free parameters and 64 constrained ones, with a root mean square (rms deviation of 60 cm − 1 . In the even parity, the four known configurations 5 f 4 7 s , 5 f 4 6 d , 5 f 2 6 d 2 7 s , 5 f 2 6 d 7 s 2 and the unknown 5 f 2 6 d 3 form a basis for interpreting 125 levels with a rms deviation of 84 cm − 1 . Due to perturbations, the theoretical description of the higher configurations 5 f 3 7 s 7 p + 5 f 3 6 d 7 p remains unsatisfactory. The known and predicted levels of U II are used for a determination of the partition function. The parametric study led us to a re-investigation of high resolution ultraviolet spectrum of uranium recorded at the Meudon Observatory in the late eighties, of which the analysis was unachieved. In the course of the present study, a number of 451 lines of U II has been classified in the region 2344 –2955 Å. One new level has been established as 5 f 3 6 d 7 p ( 4 I 6 K ( J = 5.5 at 39113.98 ± 0.1 cm − 1 .

  12. Psychological problems associated with diagnosis and treatment of lymphomas. II: Prospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Devlen, J; Maguire, P; Phillips, P; Crowther, D

    1987-10-17

    A prospective study of 120 patients newly diagnosed as having Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was conducted to determine the nature, extent, and timing of the psychiatric and social morbidity associated with the diagnosis and treatment. Patients were interviewed at diagnosis and two, six, and 12 months later by trained interviewers using standardised questionnaires. Psychiatric morbidity was greatest in the three months before treatment, but new episodes of anxiety and depression developed throughout the year of follow up. Altogether 39 patients suffered a depressive illness or anxiety state, or both, and a further 37 experienced borderline anxiety or depression, or both, during the 15 months of assessment. The most common adverse effects of treatment were hair loss, nausea, vomiting, sore mouth, and changes in perception of taste. Toxicity of treatment was associated with psychiatric morbidity. Conditioned responses to chemotherapy were experienced by 32 patients. Social morbidity was low, although difficulties in returning to work and to previous levels of leisure activity were noted. Although most patients were no longer receiving treatment and were free of disease at the one year follow up, 51 patients continued to complain of loss of energy, 24 of loss of libido, 38 of tiredness, 23 of irritability, 18 of poor concentration, and 23 of memory impairment. These results confirm our retrospective study and suggest that a high price is paid for long term survival by a substantial proportion of patients receiving treatment for Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

  13. Adult age differences in prospective memory in the laboratory: are they related to higher stress levels in the elderly?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ihle, Andreas; Kliegel, Matthias; Hering, Alexandra; Ballhausen, Nicola; Lagner, Prune; Benusch, Julia; Cichon, Anja; Zergiebel, Annekathrin; Oris, Michel; Schnitzspahn, Katharina M

    2014-01-01

    To explain age deficits found in laboratory-based prospective memory (PM) tasks, it has recently been suggested that the testing situation per se may be more stressful for older adults, thereby impairing their performance. To test this assumption, subjective and physiological stress levels were assessed at several times during the experiment in 33 younger and 29 older adults. In addition, half of participants were randomized in a condition where they completed a relaxation intervention before performing a time-based PM task. Results confirmed the age deficit in laboratory PM. Subjective and physiological stress levels showed no age difference and no detrimental association with PM. The intervention successfully reduced stress levels in both age groups but had no effect on PM or the age deficit. In conclusion, data suggest that age deficits usually observed in laboratory PM may not be due to higher stress levels in the older adults.

  14. Axis I and II disorders as long-term predictors of mental distress: a six-year prospective follow-up of substance-dependent patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Landheim Anne

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A high prevalence of lifetime psychiatric disorders among help-seeking substance abusers has been clearly established. However, the long-term course of psychiatric disorders and mental distress among help-seeking substance abusers is still unclear. The aim of this research was to examine the course of mental distress using a six-year follow-up study of treatment-seeking substance-dependent patients, and to explore whether lifetime Axis I and II disorders measured at admission predict the level of mental distress at follow-up, when age, sex, and substance-use variables measured both at baseline and at follow-up are controlled for. Methods A consecutive sample of substance dependent in- and outpatients (n = 287 from two counties of Norway were assessed at baseline (T1 with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (Axis I, Millon's Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (Axis II, and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-25 (mental distress. At follow-up (T2, 48% (137/287 subjects, 29% women were assessed with the HSCL-25, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, and the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test. Results The stability of mental distress is a main finding and the level of mental distress remained high after six years, but was significantly lower among abstainers at T2, especially among female abstainers. Both the number of and specific lifetime Axis I disorders (social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and somatization disorder, the number of and specific Axis II disorders (anxious and impulsive personality disorders, and the severity of substance-use disorder at the index admission were all independent predictors of a high level of mental distress at follow-up, even when we controlled for age, sex, and substance use at follow-up. Conclusion These results underscore the importance of diagnosing and treating both substance-use disorder and non-substance-use disorder Axis I and Axis II disorders in

  15. Correlation of Serum Zinc Level with Simple Febrile Seizures: A Hospital based Prospective Case Control Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Imran Gattoo

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: Febrile seizures are one of the most common neurological conditions of childhood. It seems that zinc deficiency is associated with increased risk of febrile seizures.Aim: To estimate the serum Zinc level in children with simple Febrile seizures and to find the correlation between serum zinc level and simple Febrile seizures.Materials and Methods: The proposed study was a hospital based prospective case control study which included infants and children aged between 6 months to 5 years, at Post Graduate Department of Pediatrics, (SMGS Hospital, GMC Jammu, northern India. A total of 200 infants and children fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included. Patients were divided into 100(cases in Group A with simple febrile seizure and 100(controls in Group B of children with acute febrile illness without seizure. All patients were subjected to detailed history and thorough clinical examination followed by relevant investigations.Results: Our study had slight male prepondance of 62% in cases and 58% in controls . Mean serum zinc level in cases was 61.53±15.87 ugm/dl and in controls it was 71.90+18.50 ugm/dl .Serum zinc level was found significantly low in cases of simple febrile seizures as compaired to controls ,with p value of

  16. Neurochemical and structural markers in the brain predicting best choice-of-treatment in patients with schizophrenia - The Pan European Collaboration on Antipsychotic Naïve Schizophrenia II (PECANS II) study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jessen, Kasper; Bojesen, Kirsten Borup; Sigvard, Anne Mette

    Background: Insufficient treatment response to dopaminergic antipsychotics constitutes a major challenge in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia and seems to be related to persistently high levels of the neurotransmitter glutamate. Excess glutamate is neurotoxic and may cause the progress......Background: Insufficient treatment response to dopaminergic antipsychotics constitutes a major challenge in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia and seems to be related to persistently high levels of the neurotransmitter glutamate. Excess glutamate is neurotoxic and may cause...... subgroup with good treatment response. Materials and methods: PECANS II is a prospective follow-up study of 60 initial antipsychotic naïve patients with schizophrenia and 60 matched healthy controls. Brain levels of glutamate are measured with proton magnetic resonance imaging (1H-MRS), dopaminergic...... rating scales. All examinations are performed before and after 6 weeks’ treatment with a partial dopamine agonist (aripiprazole), and further after 6 months and 2 years. Patients are also examined with neuropsychological and psychophysiological test batteries as part of co-operating projects. Results...

  17. Level-1 trigger selection of electrons and photons with CMS for LHC Run-II.

    CERN Document Server

    AUTHOR|(CDS)2088114

    2016-01-01

    The CMS experiment has a sophisticated two-level online selection system that achieves a rejection factor of nearly $10^5$. The first, hardware-level trigger (L1) is based on coarse information coming from the calorimeters and the muon detectors while the High-Level Trigger combines fine-grain information from all subdetectors. During Run II, the LHC will increase its center of mass energy to 13 or 14 TeV, and progressively reach an instantaneous luminosity of $2\\times10^{34} \\mathrm{cm}^{-2}\\mathrm{s}^{-1}$. In order to guarantee a successful and ambitious physics programme in this intense environment, the CMS trigger and data acquisition system must be upgraded. The L1 calorimeter trigger hardware and architecture in particular has been redesigned to maintain the current thresholds even in presence of more demanding conditions (e.g., for electrons and photons) and improve the performance for the selection of $\\tau$ leptons. This design benefits from recent $\\mu$TCA technology, allowing sophisticated algorit...

  18. Precise Wavelengths and Energy Levels for the Spectra of Cr I, Mn I, and Mn III, and Branching Fractions for the Spectra of Fe II and Cr II

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nave, Gillian

    I propose to measure wavelengths and energy levels for the spectra of Cr I, Mn I, and Mn III covering the wavelength range 80 nm to 5500 nm, and oscillator strengths for Fe II and Cr II in the region 120 nm to 2500 nm. I shall also produce intensity calibrated atlases and linelists of the iron-neon and chromium-neon hollow cathode lamps that can be compared with astrophysical spectra. The spectra will be obtained from archival data from spectrometers at NIST and Kitt Peak National Observatory and additional experimental observations as necessary from Fourier transform (FT) and grating spectrometers at NIST. The wavelength uncertainty of the strong lines will be better than 1 part in 10^7. The radiometric calibration of the spectra will be improved in order to reduce the uncertainty of measured oscillator strengths in the near UV region and extend the wavelength range of these measurements down to 120 nm. These will complement and support the measurements of lifetimes and branching fractions by J. E. Lawler in the near UV region. An intensive effort by NIST and Imperial College London that was partly funded by previous NASA awards has resulted in comprehensive analyses of the spectra of Fe II, Cr II and Cu II, with similar analyses of Mn II, Ni II, and Sc II underway. The species included in this proposal will complete the analysis of the first two ionization stages of the elements titanium through nickel using the same techniques, and add the spectrum of Mn III - one of the most important doubly-ionized elements. The elements Cr I and Mn I give large numbers of spectral lines in spectra of cool stars and important absorption lines in the interstellar medium. The spectrum of Mn III is important in chemically peculiar stars and can often only be studied in the UV region. Analyses of many stellar spectra depend on comprehensive analyses of iron-group elements and are hampered by incomplete spectroscopic data. As a result of many decades of work by the group at the

  19. Prospective evaluation of the utility of routine postoperative cystogram after traumatic bladder injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inaba, Kenji; Okoye, Obi T; Browder, Timothy; Best, Charles; Branco, Bernardino C; Teixeira, Pedro G; Barmparas, Galinos; Reddy, Sravanthi; Demetriades, Demetrios

    2013-12-01

    The value of routinely testing bladder repair integrity with a cystogram before urinary catheter removal is unclear. The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate the utility of routine postoperative cystogram after traumatic bladder injury. All patients sustaining a bladder injury requiring operative repair at two Level I trauma centers were prospectively enrolled during a 62-month study period ending on January 2011. Injury demographics, imaging data, and outcomes were extracted. All patients were evaluated with either a plain or a computed tomography cystogram. A total of 127 patients were enrolled (mean [SD] age, 30.4 [13.5] years; blunt trauma, 63.8%, mean [SD] Injury Severity Score [ISS], 17.7 [10.6]). A total of 75 patients (59.1%) had an intraperitoneal (IP) bladder injury, 44 (34.6%) had an extraperitoneal (EP) bladder injury, and 8 had a (6.3%) combined IP/EP bladder injury. All patients with IP and IP/EP injuries (n = 83) underwent operative repair and a postoperative cystogram at 8.6 (1.8) days (range, 5-13 days). Sixty-nine IP injuries (83.1%) were simple (dome or body disruption/penetrating injury), while 14 (16.9%) were complex (trigone/requiring ureter implantation). There were no deaths during the follow-up period. With the exception of one patient (1.2%) with a complex injury requiring ureteric implantation, there were no leaks demonstrated on postoperative cystogram, and the urinary catheters were successfully removed. In this prospective evaluation of the role of bladder evaluation after operative repair, routine use of follow-up cystograms for simple injuries did not impact clinical management. For complex repairs to the trigone or those requiring ureter implantation, a follow-up cystogram should be obtained before catheter removal. Diagnostic study, level II.

  20. Do Prospective Teachers Have Anxieties about Teaching Mathematics?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yavuz, Günes

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to analyse the level of prospective classroom and mathematics teachers' anxieties about teaching mathematics. Freshman and junior prospective teachers from educational faculties of two different universities participated in this study. "Anxieties About Teaching Mathematics Scale" which was developed by Peker…

  1. The effects of workplace psychosocial factors on whether Japanese dual-earner couples with preschool children have additional children: a prospective study

    OpenAIRE

    EGUCHI, Hisashi; SHIMAZU, Akihito; FUJIWARA, Takeo; IWATA, Noboru; SHIMADA, Kyoko; TAKAHASHI, Masaya; TOKITA, Masahito; WATAI, Izumi; KAWAKAMI, Norito

    2016-01-01

    This study explored the effect of workplace psychosocial factors (job demand, job control, and workplace social support) on dual-earner couples in Japan having additional children, using a prospective study design. We conducted a 2-year prospective cohort study with 103 dual-earner couples with preschool children in Japan, as part of the Tokyo Work?Family Interface Study II. We used multivariable logistic regression analyses to evaluate the prospective association of job strain (categorized i...

  2. Vitamin D Levels and 1-Year Fusion Outcomes in Elective Spine Surgery: A Prospective Observational Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ravindra, Vijay M; Godzik, Jakub; Dailey, Andrew T; Schmidt, Meic H; Bisson, Erica F; Hood, Robert S; Cutler, Andrew; Ray, Wilson Z

    2015-10-01

    Prospective observational study. To investigate the association of perioperative vitamin D levels and nonunion rates and time to fusion in patients undergoing elective spine fusion. Although there is a clear link between bone mineral density and the risk of osteoporosis, it is unclear whether low vitamin D levels affect rates and timing of spinal fusion. Serum 25-OH vitamin D levels were measured perioperatively in adults undergoing elective spinal fusion between 2011 and 2012. Vitamin D levels vitamin D deficiency. Mean patient age was 57 ± 13 years; 44% were female and 94% were Caucasian. The cervical spine was fused in 49%, the lumbar spine in 47%, and the thoracic spine in 4%. Mean construct length was 2 levels (range 1-16). At 12-month follow-up, 112/133 (84%) patients demonstrated fusion (median time to fusion 8.4 mo). Nonunion at 12 months was associated with vitamin D deficiency (20% of patients with adequate vitamin D level vs. 38% of vitamin D-deficient patients, P = 0.063). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated time to fusion was significantly longer in the vitamin D-deficient group (12 vs. 6 mo, P = 0.001). On multivariate analysis, vitamin D deficiency was an independent predictor of nonunion (odds ratio 3.449, P = 0.045) when adjusted for age, sex, obesity, fusion length, location, graft type, smoking, and bone morphogenetic protein use. Vitamin D levels may affect nonunion rate and time to fusion. These results offer insight into the importance of the metabolic milieu for bony fusion as well as a potential avenue for therapeutic intervention. 3.

  3. Assessment of the effects of scaling and root planing on blood glucose levels in type II diabetes patients: A pilot study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Uzma Rieyazulhuq Shaikh

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim: To study the effect of the scaling and root planing of some blood glucose levels in Type II Diabetes patients. Study Population and Methods: The clinical study was conducted in 15 Type II diabetic patients of Dr. D Y Patil Dental College and Hospital, Pimpri, Pune. All the participants underwent a baseline examination for periodontal status using the community periodontal index of treatment needs and also estimation of fasting and post-prandial blood sugar levels. The participants received the intervention of scaling and root planing, as also routine oral hygiene instructions, and were recalled after one month for a final periodontal examination and blood sugar level investigation. The significance of difference between the means of the baseline and the final examination was tested using the paired ′t′ test. Results and Conclusion: There was no significant change in the fasting and post-prandial blood glucose levels in patients treated with scaling and root planing.

  4. Average [O II] nebular emission associated with Mg II absorbers: dependence on Fe II absorption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joshi, Ravi; Srianand, Raghunathan; Petitjean, Patrick; Noterdaeme, Pasquier

    2018-05-01

    We investigate the effect of Fe II equivalent width (W2600) and fibre size on the average luminosity of [O II] λλ3727, 3729 nebular emission associated with Mg II absorbers (at 0.55 ≤ z ≤ 1.3) in the composite spectra of quasars obtained with 3 and 2 arcsec fibres in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We confirm the presence of strong correlations between [O II] luminosity (L_{[O II]}) and equivalent width (W2796) and redshift of Mg II absorbers. However, we show L_{[O II]} and average luminosity surface density suffer from fibre size effects. More importantly, for a given fibre size, the average L_{[O II]} strongly depends on the equivalent width of Fe II absorption lines and found to be higher for Mg II absorbers with R ≡W2600/W2796 ≥ 0.5. In fact, we show the observed strong correlations of L_{[O II]} with W2796 and z of Mg II absorbers are mainly driven by such systems. Direct [O II] detections also confirm the link between L_{[O II]} and R. Therefore, one has to pay attention to the fibre losses and dependence of redshift evolution of Mg II absorbers on W2600 before using them as a luminosity unbiased probe of global star formation rate density. We show that the [O II] nebular emission detected in the stacked spectrum is not dominated by few direct detections (i.e. detections ≥3σ significant level). On an average, the systems with R ≥ 0.5 and W2796 ≥ 2 Å are more reddened, showing colour excess E(B - V) ˜ 0.02, with respect to the systems with R < 0.5 and most likely trace the high H I column density systems.

  5. Social determinants of tuberculosis in Europe: a prospective ecological study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ploubidis, George B; Palmer, Melissa J; Blackmore, Charlotte; Lim, Tek-Ang; Manissero, Davide; Sandgren, Andreas; Semenza, Jan C

    2012-10-01

    Tuberculosis (TB) is considered to be a disease of poverty, since its incidence is exacerbated by socioeconomic factors, inconsistent or partial treatment practices, and immigration from endemic countries. A prospective country level study, using a comprehensive dataset of TB incidence and prevalence taken from countries within the World Health Organization (WHO) European region, was conducted. We employed quintile regression to investigate the prospective association between baseline (measured in 2000) and a nation's wealth, level of egalitarianism, migration rate, health-related lifestyle and social capital with TB incidence and prevalence over a 10-yr period (2000-2009). We found that ∼50% of TB variation is accounted for by a nation's wealth and level of egalitarianism. We observed a negative prospective association between logged gross domestic product and TB rates, and a positive prospective association between income inequality and TB. National income levels per capita and income inequality are important predictors for TB incidence and prevalence in the WHO European region. They account for 50% of country-level variation, indicating the importance of a combined absolute and relative socioeconomic disadvantage in the development of TB. These findings also provide a tool for forecasting potential fluctuations in the level of TB epidemics in the WHO European region, with respect to socioeconomic changes.

  6. Computed Tomography Angiography in Patients Evaluated for Acute Pulmonary Embolism with Low Serum D-dimer Levels: A Prospective Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gimber, Lana Hirai; Travis, R Ing; Takahashi, Jayme M; Goodman, Torrey L; Yoon, Hyo-Chun

    2009-01-01

    Pulmonary computed tomography angiography (CTA) and the Wells criteria both have interobserver variability in the assessment of pulmonary embolism (PE). Quantitative D-dimer assay findings have been shown to have a high negative predictive value in patients with low pretest probability of PE. Evaluate roles for clinical probability and CTA in Emergency Department (ED) patients suspected of acute PE but having a low serum D-dimer level. Prospective observational study of ED patients with possible PE who underwent pulmonary CTA and had D-dimer levels tiebreaker. Pulmonary CTA findings positive for acute embolism should be viewed with caution, especially if the suspected PE is in a distal segmental or subsegmental artery in a patient with a serum D-dimer level of levels because most will have low or intermediate clinical probability of PE.

  7. The Duffy binding protein (PkDBPαII) of Plasmodium knowlesi from Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo show different binding activity level to human erythrocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Khai Lone; Amir, Amirah; Lau, Yee Ling; Fong, Mun Yik

    2017-08-11

    The zoonotic Plasmodium knowlesi is a major cause of human malaria in Malaysia. This parasite uses the Duffy binding protein (PkDBPαII) to interact with the Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (DARC) receptor on human and macaque erythrocytes to initiate invasion. Previous studies on P. knowlesi have reported distinct Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo PkDBPαII haplotypes. In the present study, the differential binding activity of these haplotypes with human and macaque (Macaca fascicularis) erythrocytes was investigated. The PkDBPαII of Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo were expressed on the surface of COS-7 cells and tested with human and monkey erythrocytes, with and without anti-Fy6 (anti-Duffy) monoclonal antibody treatment. Binding activity level was determined by counting the number of rosettes formed between the transfected COS-7 cells and the erythrocytes. Anti-Fy6 treatment was shown to completely block the binding of human erythrocytes with the transfected COS-7 cells, thus verifying the specific binding of human DARC with PkDBPαII. Interestingly, the PkDBPαII of Peninsular Malaysia displayed a higher binding activity with human erythrocytes when compared with the Malaysian Borneo PkDBPαII haplotype (mean number of rosettes formed = 156.89 ± 6.62 and 46.00 ± 3.57, respectively; P < 0.0001). However, no difference in binding activity level was seen in the binding assay using M. fascicularis erythrocytes. This study is the first report of phenotypic difference between PkDBPαII haplotypes. The biological implication of this finding is yet to be determined. Therefore, further studies need to be carried out to determine whether this differential binding level can be associated with severity of knowlesi malaria in human.

  8. The Ross II procedure: pulmonary autograft in the mitral position.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Athanasiou, Thanos; Cherian, Ashok; Ross, Donald

    2004-10-01

    The surgical management of mitral valve disease in women of childbearing age, young patients, and children with congenital mitral valve defects is made difficult by the prospect of lifelong anticoagulation. We suggest the use of a pulmonary autograft in the mitral position (Ross II procedure) as an alternative surgical technique. We present a review of the literature, historical perspectives, indications, selection criteria, and surgical technique for the Ross II procedure. Our literature search identified 14 studies that reported results from the Ross II operation. Performed in 103 patients, the overall in-hospital mortality was 7 (6.7%), with a late mortality of 10 (9%). Although further research is needed, current evidence suggests the Ross II operation is a valuable alternative in low-risk young patients where valve durability and the complication rate from other procedures is unsatisfactory and anticoagulation not ideal.

  9. Segmental mastectomy and radiotherapy as treatment of stage II breast cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faria, S.L.; Chiminazzo Junior, H.; Schlupp, W.R.; Cunha, L.S.M. da

    1987-01-01

    The treatment of operable breast cancer with segmental mastectomy and radiotherapy has been described since decade 30. Many recent prospective and retrospective studies have shown the efficacy of this conservative management, particularly in stage I. There are still doubts in its use in stage II. (Author) [pt

  10. Carboxyhemoglobin and methemoglobin levels as prognostic markers in acute pulmonary embolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kakavas, Sotirios; Papanikolaou, Aggeliki; Ballis, Evangelos; Tatsis, Nikolaos; Goga, Christina; Tatsis, Georgios

    2015-04-01

    Carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) and methemoglobin (MetHb) levels have been associated with a poor outcome in patients with various pathological conditions including cardiovascular diseases. Our aim was to retrospectively assess the prognostic value of arterial COHb and MetHb in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE). We conducted a retrospective study of 156 patients admitted in a pulmonary clinic due to acute PE. Measured variables during emergency department evaluation that were retrospectively analyzed included the ratio of the partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood to the fraction of oxygen in inspired gas, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, risk stratification indices, and arterial blood gases. The association between arterial COHb and MetHb levels and disease severity or mortality was evaluated using bivariate tests and logistic regression analysis. Arterial COHb and MetHb levels correlated with Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II and pulmonary severity index scores. Furthermore, arterial COHb and MetHb levels were associated with troponin T and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels. In univariate logistic regression analysis, COHb and MetHb levels were both significantly associated with an increased risk of death. However, in multivariate analysis, only COHb remained significant as an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality. Our preliminary data suggest that arterial COHb and MetHb levels reflect the severity of acute PE, whereas COHb levels are independent predictors of in hospital death in patients in this clinical setting. These findings require further prospective validation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. The Mark II vertex detectors: Status and prospects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jaros, J.A.

    1987-03-01

    The art of detecting the decay vertices from heavy quarks and leptons is comparatively new at electron-positron storage rings. So far, drift chambers positioned just outside the vacuum pipes which surround the interfaction region have provided the first accurate determinations of the tau and bottom lifetimes, and confirmed earlier measurements of charmed particle lifetimes. ''Second generation'' vertex detectors have demonstrated the feasibility of tagging heavy flavors by observing decay vertices, and are being used to search for anomalous decay topologies. These chambers have modest resolution on the scale of the effects they seek to measure, but are now well-understood and reliable tools. A generation of vertex detectors, considerably more ambitious, is under construction for experiments at SLC and LEP. They boast impact parameter resolution improved by a factor of four or more over previous detectors, and sub-millimeter track-pair resolution. The Mark II collaboration hopes to reach these goals with a high pressure precision drift chamber, and eventually surpass them with the addition of a silicon microstrip detector

  12. The Mark II vertex detectors: Status and prospects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jaros, J.A.

    1987-03-01

    The art of detecting the decay vertices from heavy quarks and leptons is comparatively new at electron-positron storage rings. So far, drift chambers positioned just outside the vacuum pipes which surround the interfaction region have provided the first accurate determinations of the tau and bottom lifetimes, and confirmed earlier measurements of charmed particle lifetimes. ''Second generation'' vertex detectors have demonstrated the feasibility of tagging heavy flavors by observing decay vertices, and are being used to search for anomalous decay topologies. These chambers have modest resolution on the scale of the effects they seek to measure, but are now well-understood and reliable tools. A generation of vertex detectors, considerably more ambitious, is under construction for experiments at SLC and LEP. They boast impact parameter resolution improved by a factor of four or more over previous detectors, and sub-millimeter track-pair resolution. The Mark II collaboration hopes to reach these goals with a high pressure precision drift chamber, and eventually surpass them with the addition of a silicon microstrip detector.

  13. Electrophysiological evidence during episodic prospection implicates medial prefrontal and bilateral middle temporal gyrus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, Chia-Fen; Sonuga-Barke, Edmund J S

    2016-08-01

    fMRI studies have implicated the medial prefrontal cortex and medial temporal lobe, components of the default mode network (DMN), in episodic prospection. This study compared quantitative EEG localized to these DMN regions during prospection and during resting and while waiting for rewards. EEG was recorded in twenty-two adults while they were asked to (i) envision future monetary episodes; (ii) wait for rewards and (iii) rest. Activation sources were localized to core DMN regions. EEG power and phase coherence were compared across conditions. Prospection, compared to resting and waiting, was associated with reduced power in the medial prefrontal gyrus and increased power in the bilateral medial temporal gyrus across frequency bands as well as greater phase synchrony between these regions in the delta band. The current quantitative EEG analysis confirms prior fMRI research suggesting that medial prefrontal and medial temporal gyrus interactions are central to the capacity for episodic prospection. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Prospective Evaluation of Self-Reported Aggression in Transgender Persons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Defreyne, Justine; T'Sjoen, Guy; Bouman, Walter Pierre; Brewin, Nicola; Arcelus, Jon

    2018-05-01

    Although research on the relation between testosterone and aggression in humans is inconclusive, guidelines (including the World Professional Association for Transgender Health Standards of Care, edition 7) have warned for an increase in aggression in transgender men taking testosterone treatment. To investigate the association between levels of testosterone and aggression in treatment-seeking transgender people and explore the role of mental health psychopathology (anxiety and depressive symptoms) and social support in aggression in this population. Every transgender person invited for assessment at a national transgender health clinic in the United Kingdom during a 3-year period (2012-2015) completed self-report measures for interpersonal problems, including levels of aggression (Inventory of Interpersonal Problems [IIP-32]), symptoms of anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS]), social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support), and experiences of transphobia before and 1 year after the initiation of gender-affirming hormonal therapy. Correlations between prospective scores for the IIP-32 factor "too aggressive" and prospective levels of sex steroids, prospective psychological (HADS), and baseline psychosocial measurements were tested. Prospective scores for the factor "too aggressive" were not correlated to prospective serum testosterone levels. Results of 140 people (56 transgender men, 84 transgender women) were analyzed. A prospective increase in scores for the factor "too aggressive" of the IIP-32 in transgender men 1 year after being treated with testosterone treatment or a decrease of the IIP-32 aggression scores in transgender women 1 year after gender-affirming hormonal therapy was not found. However, a positive correlation was found between increasing HADS anxiety scores and increasing scores for the IIP-32 "too aggressive" score in the entire study population and a positive correlation with lower support

  15. Work and neck pain: a prospective study of psychological, social, and mechanical risk factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christensen, Jan Olav; Knardahl, Stein

    2010-10-01

    To determine the impact of occupational psychological/social and mechanical factors on neck pain, a prospective cohort study with a follow-up period of 2 years was conducted with a sample of Norwegian employees. The following designs were tested: (i) cross-sectional analyses at baseline (n=4569) and follow-up (n=4122), (ii) prospective analyses with baseline predictors, (iii) prospective analyses with average exposure over time [(T1+T2)/2] as predictor, and (iv) prospective analyses with measures of change in exposure from T1 to T2 as predictors. A total of 2419 employees responded to both the baseline and follow-up questionnaire. Data were analyzed using ordinal logistic regression. After adjustment for age, sex, neck pain at T1, and other exposure factors that had been estimated to be confounders, the most consistent risk factors were role conflict (highest OR 2.97, 99% CI: 1.29-6.74) and working with arms raised to or above shoulder level (highest OR 1.37, 99% CI: 1.05-1.78). The most consistent protective factors were empowering leadership (lowest OR 0.53, 99% CI: 0.35-0.81) and decision control (lowest OR 0.60, 99% CI: 0.36-1.00). Hence, psychological and social factors are important precursors of neck pain, along with mechanical factors. Although traditional factors such as quantitative demands and decision control play a part in the etiology of neck pain at work, in this study several new factors emerged as more important. Copyright © 2010 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. A prospective randomized study of postoperative adjuvant chemo-radiotherapy (CT+RT) vs. radiotherapy(RT) alone in resected stage II and IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, Geol Lee; Joo, Hang Kim; Kyung, Young Chung; Doo, Yun Lee; Kil, Dong Kim; Won, Young Lee; Sung, Kyu Kim; Sei, Kyu Kim; Gwi, Eon Kim

    1995-01-01

    Objective: A prospective randomized study has been conducted to compare the results of treatment between CT+RT and RT alone as an adjuvant setting in completely resected stage II and IIIA NSCLC. Materials and Methods: Patients who had completely resected stage II and IIIA NSCLC were randomized into a CT+RT arm(arm A) and a RT alone arm(arm B) as an adjuvant setting after stratification according to cell type(squamous vs. non-squamous) and stage(II vs. IIIA). CT(Etoposide 100mg/m2 I.V. infusion d1-3, Cisplatin 20mg/m2 I.V. infusion d1-5, total 6cycles) was started in postop. 3 weeks with a 4 weeks interval. RT(5040cGy/5-6wks, 180cGy/fr) was started in postoperative 5 weeks after the first cycle of CT for group A and in postoperative 4 weeks for group B. A total of 69 patients were registered from Sep. 1990 to Jun. 1993. Sixty five of these patients were evaluable because 4 patients were ineligible due to distant metastasis before adjuvant treatment. Two patients who refused adjuvant treatment were included in this study to avoid selection bias. Results: Sixteen patients (48%) have received CT of more than 3 cycles and 51 patients(78%) have received RT of more than 50Gy. Four patients died due to treatment-related complications [broncho-pleural fistula 3(arm A:B=2:1), pneumonia 1(arm A)]. Survival and the patterns of failure are as follows: Conclusion: There is no statistical significance in either the overall survival or the patterns of failure between the CT+RT arm and RT alone arm as an adjuvant setting in resected stage II and IIIA NSCLC

  17. Apolipoprotein C-III Levels and Incident Coronary Artery Disease Risk: The EPIC-Norfolk Prospective Population Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Capelleveen, Julian C; Bernelot Moens, Sophie J; Yang, Xiaohong; Kastelein, John J P; Wareham, Nicholas J; Zwinderman, Aeilko H; Stroes, Erik S G; Witztum, Joseph L; Hovingh, G Kees; Khaw, Kay-Tee; Boekholdt, S Matthijs; Tsimikas, Sotirios

    2017-06-01

    Apolipoprotein C-III (apoC-III) is a key regulator of triglyceride metabolism. Elevated triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and apoC-III levels are causally linked to coronary artery disease (CAD) risk. The mechanism(s) through which apoC-III increases CAD risk remains largely unknown. The aim was to confirm the association between apoC-III plasma levels and CAD risk and to explore which lipoprotein subfractions contribute to this relationship between apoC-III and CAD risk. Plasma apoC-III levels were measured in baseline samples from a nested case-control study in the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer (EPIC)-Norfolk study. The study comprised 2711 apparently healthy study participants, of whom 832 subsequently developed CAD. We studied the association of baseline apoC-III levels with incident CAD risk, lipoprotein subfractions measured by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and inflammatory biomarkers. ApoC-III levels were significantly associated with CAD risk (odds ratio, 1.91; 95% confidence interval, 1.48-2.48 for highest compared with lowest quintile), retaining significance after adjustment for traditional CAD risk factors (odds ratio, 1.47; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-1.94). ApoC-III levels were positively correlated with triglyceride levels, ( r =0.39), particle numbers of very-low-density lipoprotein ( r =0.25), intermediate-density lipoprotein ( r =0.23), small dense low-density lipoprotein ( r =0.26), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein ( r =0.15), whereas an inverse correlation was observed with large low-density lipoprotein particle number ( r =-0.11), P C-reactive protein. ApoC-III levels are significantly associated with incident CAD risk. Elevated levels of remnant lipoproteins, small dense low-density lipoprotein, and low-grade inflammation may explain this association. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

  18. Optimisation of the level-1 calorimeter trigger at ATLAS for Run II

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suchek, Stanislav [Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, 69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Collaboration: ATLAS-Collaboration

    2015-07-01

    The Level-1 Calorimeter Trigger (L1Calo) is a central part of the ATLAS Level-1 Trigger system, designed to identify jet, electron, photon, and hadronic tau candidates, and to measure their transverse energies, as well total transverse energy and missing transverse energy. The optimisation of the jet energy resolution is an important part of the L1Calo upgrade for Run II. A Look-Up Table (LUT) is used to translate the electronic signal from each trigger tower to its transverse energy. By optimising the LUT calibration we can achieve better jet energy resolution and better performance of the jet transverse energy triggers, which are vital for many physics analyses. In addition, the improved energy calibration leads to significant improvements of the missing transverse energy resolution. A new Multi-Chip Module (MCM), as a part of the L1Calo upgrade, provides two separate LUTs for jets and electrons/photons/taus, allowing to optimise jet transverse energy and missing transverse energy separately from the electromagnetic objects. The optimisation is validated using jet transverse energy and missing transverse energy triggers turn-on curves and rates.

  19. Spectrophotometric determination of cobalt(II), nickel(II) and copper (II) with 1-(2 pyridylazo)-2-naphthol in micellar medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shar, G.A.; Soomro, G.A.

    2004-01-01

    Spectrophotometric determination of cobalt(II), nickel(II) and copper(II) is carried out with 1-(2 pyridylazo)-2-naphthol as a complexing reagent in aqueous phase using non-ionic surfactant Tween 80. Beer's law is obeyed for Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) over the range 0.5 - 4.0, 0.5 - 4.0 and 0.5 - 3.0 ngmL/sup -1/ with detection limit (2 σ) of 6.7, 3.2 and 3.9 ngmL/sup -1/. The max molar absorption, molar absorptivity, Sandell's sensitivity of Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) are 580 nm, 570 nm and 555 nm; max (104 mol/sup -1/ cm /sup -1/) is 0.87, 1.8 and 1.6 and 6.8, 3.3 and 3.9 ng cm-2 respectively. The pH at which complex is formed for Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) is 5, 5.5 and 6.5 respectively. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of Tween 80 is 5%. The present method is compared with that of atomic absorption spectroscopy and no significant difference is noted between the two methods at 95% confidence level. The method has been applied to the determination of Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) in industrial waste water and pharmaceutical samples. (author)

  20. Relationship between left ventricular mechanics and low free triiodothyronine levels after myocardial infarction: a prospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jankauskienė, Edita; Orda, Paulius; Barauskienė, Greta; Mickuvienė, Narseta; Brožaitienė, Julija; Vaškelytė, Jolanta Justina; Bunevičius, Robertas

    2016-04-01

    Low free triiodothyronine (fT3) levels following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are associated with greater impairment in cardiac mechanics compared with patients with AMI who have normal values of thyroid hormones. The objectives are to investigate left ventricular (LV) function and mechanics during a 6-month follow-up after myocardial infarction and to evaluate their prognostic implication using two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography and 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography in patients with low fT3 levels. The study design is prospective cohort study. One hundred forty patients with first-onset AMI were grouped according to serum fT3 levels: low fT3 group (fT3 3.2 pmol/L; n = 96). Low levels of fT3 were associated with greater LV diameters and LV end-diastolic volume, and decreased systolic LV function. Systolic apical and basal rotation, peak systolic global longitudinal strain and strain rate, and LV twist and torsion were significantly decreased in the low fT3 group. The prognostic implication for predicting low fT3 levels was evaluated using ROC analysis. LV end-diastolic diameter index is the most sensitive (94.12 %), but has low specificity (37.93 %; area = 0.659, p = 0.01). By contrast, LV end-systolic volume is the most specific (94.03 %), but has low sensitivity (26.32 %; area = 0.594, p = 0.04). Low fT3 levels are significantly associated with worse LV mechanics. Low fT3 levels are important for prediction of LV structure, function, rotation, and deformation parameters during the late post-myocardial infarction period.

  1. High-sensitivity determination of Zn(II) and Cu(II) in vitro by fluorescence polarization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Richard B.; Maliwal, Badri P.; Feliccia, Vincent; Fierke, Carol A.

    1998-04-01

    Recent work has suggested that free Cu(II) may play a role in syndromes such as Crohn's and Wilson's diseases, as well as being a pollutant toxic at low levels to shellfish and sheep. Similarly, Zn(II) has been implicated in some neural damage in the brain resulting from epilepsy and ischemia. Several high sensitivity methods exist for determining these ions in solution, including GFAAS, ICP-MS, ICP-ES, and electrochemical techniques. However, these techniques are generally slow and costly, require pretreatment of the sample, require complex instruments and skilled personnel, and are incapable of imaging at the cellular and subcellular level. To address these shortcomings we developed fluorescence polarization (anisotropy) biosensing methods for these ions which are very sensitivity, highly selective, require simple instrumentation and little pretreatment, and are inexpensive. Thus free Cu(II) or Zn(II) can be determined at picomolar levels by changes in fluorescence polarization, lifetime, or wavelength ratio using these methods; these techniques may be adapted to microscopy.

  2. Work engagement and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels among Japanese workers: a 1-year prospective cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eguchi, Hisashi; Shimazu, Akihito; Kawakami, Norito; Inoue, Akiomi; Nakata, Akinori; Tsutsumi, Akizumi

    2015-08-01

    Evidence on the association between psychological well-being and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels is limited. We carried out a prospective study to investigate the association between work engagement and hs-CRP levels in a group of Japanese workers. Our cohort included 1,857 men and 657 women aged 65 and under, and free from major illness, working at two manufacturing worksites in Japan. Baseline examinations were conducted from April to June 2011 to determine the demographic and lifestyle characteristics and levels of work engagement. Blood samples were obtained from participants at baseline and after 1 year. Participants were classified into tertiles of low, moderate, and high work engagement at baseline. Hs-CRP levels were split into low (≤3.0 mg/L) and high (>3.0 mg/L). We used multiple logistic regression analyses to evaluate the association between work engagement at baseline and hs-CRP levels at follow-up, adjusting for hs-CRP at baseline and potential confounding factors. Participants reporting moderate and high levels of work engagement at baseline had significantly lower odds ratios (ORs) of having high hs-CRP levels at follow-up than those with low levels of work engagement at baseline [OR of moderate level 0.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.24-0.81; OR of high level 0.57, 95% CI 0.33-0.99; p for trend work engagement has beneficial effects on workers' cardiovascular health.

  3. Performance of the CMS precision electromagnetic calorimeter at LHC Run II and prospects for High-Luminosity LHC

    CERN Document Server

    Zhang, Zhicai

    2017-01-01

    Many physics analyses using the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector at the LHC require accurate, high-resolution electron and photon energy measurements. Following the excellent performance achieved during LHC Run I at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter (ECAL) is operating at the LHC with proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV center-of-mass energy. The instantaneous luminosity delivered by the LHC during Run II has achieved unprecedented levels. The average number of concurrent proton-proton collisions per bunch-crossing (pileup) has reached up to 40 interactions in 2016 and may increase further in 2017. These high pileup levels necessitate a retuning of the ECAL readout and trigger thresholds and reconstruction algorithms. In addition, the energy response of the detector must be precisely calibrated and monitored. We present new reconstruction algorithms and calibration strategies that were implemented to maintain the excellent performance of the CMS ECAL throughout Run...

  4. Anti-Mullerian hormone levels decline under hormonal suppression: a prospective analysis in fertile women after delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ortner Iris

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background AMH's reported stability during periods of hormonal change makes it a practical tool in assessing ovarian reserve. However, AMH declines with age and age-specific cut-offs remain to be established in women with proven fertility. This study aims to determine age-specific ranges of AMH in women with proven fertility. Methods Two hundred-ten fertile women, aged 18-40 years, were prospectively recruited for AMH measurements within 14 days after delivery and age stratified into 3 groups (18-30, 31-36 and 37-40 years. Eligibility required spontaneous conception within a maximal period of six months. Autoimmune diseases, chemotherapy, radiation, ovarian surgery and polycystic ovary syndrome precluded inclusion. Results 95% confidence intervals of AMH declined with advancing female age from 0.9-1.1 to 0.6-0.9 and 0.2-0.4 ng/mL (P Conclusions Like infertile populations, fertile women demonstrate declining AMH with advancing age. Uniformly lower levels than in infertile women suggest that AMH levels do not appear as stable under all hormonal influences as previously reported.

  5. An analysis of the job of strength and conditioning coach for football at the Division II level.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Massey, C Dwayne; Schwind, Justin J; Andrews, Donnie C; Maneval, Mark W

    2009-12-01

    The purpose of this investigation was to describe the working environment of the heretofore unexamined Division II football strength and conditioning coach (SCC). Data were collected on demographic characteristics, job satisfaction, major job duties and responsibilities, work environment, and professional and personal relationships. A total of 63 questionnaires were returned by the potential 155 institutions identified at the Division II level. Percentages were used in the reporting of data. The results indicate that this group is relatively young (34.1), new to the profession, have low job stability, a low rate of professional certification, make a salary less than their Division I-A counterparts, and assume more duties and responsibilities than their Division I-A colleagues. Despite these apparent drawbacks, by and large, these SCC appeared content with their career choice and circumstances.

  6. Review of recent LHCb results and expectations for Run II

    CERN Document Server

    Hicheur, Adlene

    2016-01-01

    As first Run II data acquisition has begun, it is useful to expose the pending questions by reviewing some of the most recent results obtained with Run I data analyses. Early results of the current data taking and middle-term prospects are also shown to illustrate the efficiency of the acquisition and analysis chain.

  7. Effect of Captopril on Aqueous Levels of Angiotensin II and Its Correlation with Macular Edema in Diabetic Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Morteza Shahshahan

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available

    PURPOSE: To determine whether angiotensin II (AT II levels in aqueous humor are related to diabetes mellitus and to evaluate the effect of captopril on this level. We also evaluated the correlation between severity of macular edema and captopril use. METHODS: In a case-control study, aqueous humor samples were obtained at the onset of cataract surgery from 58 eyes of 58 patients, of whom 37 were diabetic. From these latter subjects, 16 had taken captopril (captopril group for at least six months and 21 had not taken any angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (non-captopril group. AT II level was assessed by radioimmunoassay. Severity of macular edema was evaluated by clinical examination after surgery. RESULTS: The aqueous level of AT II was significantly higher in diabetic patients (31.0±7.3 pg/ml compared to non-diabetics (6.28±2.8 pg/ml (Mann Whitney U test, P < 0.0001. In diabetic patients, aqueous concentration of AT II in the captopril group (16.3±6.5 mg/ml was significantly lower than the non-captopril group (75.73±9.36 mg/ml (Mann Whitney U test, P < 0.0003. The severity of macular edema was significantly less in the captopril group compared to the non-captopril group: 68.75% of the captopril group vs 33.3% of the non-captopril group had no macular edema (P < 0.005. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the

  8. Association of Lifecourse Socioeconomic Status with Chronic Inflammation and Type 2 Diabetes Risk: The Whitehall II Prospective Cohort Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stringhini, Silvia; Batty, G. David; Bovet, Pascal; Shipley, Martin J.; Marmot, Michael G.; Kumari, Meena; Tabak, Adam G.; Kivimäki, Mika

    2013-01-01

    Background Socioeconomic adversity in early life has been hypothesized to “program” a vulnerable phenotype with exaggerated inflammatory responses, so increasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in adulthood. The aim of this study is to test this hypothesis by assessing the extent to which the association between lifecourse socioeconomic status and type 2 diabetes incidence is explained by chronic inflammation. Methods and Findings We use data from the British Whitehall II study, a prospective occupational cohort of adults established in 1985. The inflammatory markers C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 were measured repeatedly and type 2 diabetes incidence (new cases) was monitored over an 18-year follow-up (from 1991–1993 until 2007–2009). Our analytical sample consisted of 6,387 non-diabetic participants (1,818 women), of whom 731 (207 women) developed type 2 diabetes over the follow-up. Cumulative exposure to low socioeconomic status from childhood to middle age was associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes in adulthood (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.96, 95% confidence interval: 1.48–2.58 for low cumulative lifecourse socioeconomic score and HR = 1.55, 95% confidence interval: 1.26–1.91 for low-low socioeconomic trajectory). 25% of the excess risk associated with cumulative socioeconomic adversity across the lifecourse and 32% of the excess risk associated with low-low socioeconomic trajectory was attributable to chronically elevated inflammation (95% confidence intervals 16%–58%). Conclusions In the present study, chronic inflammation explained a substantial part of the association between lifecourse socioeconomic disadvantage and type 2 diabetes. Further studies should be performed to confirm these findings in population-based samples, as the Whitehall II cohort is not representative of the general population, and to examine the extent to which social inequalities attributable to chronic inflammation are reversible

  9. Rivaroxaban in antiphospholipid syndrome (RAPS) protocol: a prospective, randomized controlled phase II/III clinical trial of rivaroxaban versus warfarin in patients with thrombotic antiphospholipid syndrome, with or without SLE.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, H; Doré, C J; Clawson, S; Hunt, B J; Isenberg, D; Khamashta, M; Muirhead, N

    2015-09-01

    The current mainstay of the treatment of thrombotic antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is long-term anticoagulation with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) such as warfarin. Non-VKA oral anticoagulants (NOACs), which include rivaroxaban, have been shown to be effective and safe compared with warfarin for the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in major phase III prospective, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), but the results may not be directly generalizable to patients with APS. The primary aim is to demonstrate, in patients with APS and previous VTE, with or without systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), that the intensity of anticoagulation achieved with rivaroxaban is not inferior to that of warfarin. Secondary aims are to compare rates of recurrent thrombosis, bleeding and the quality of life in patients on rivaroxaban with those on warfarin. Rivaroxaban in antiphospholipid syndrome (RAPS) is a phase II/III prospective non-inferiority RCT in which eligible patients with APS, with or without SLE, who are on warfarin, target international normalized ratio (INR) 2.5 for previous VTE, will be randomized either to continue warfarin (standard of care) or to switch to rivaroxaban. Intensity of anticoagulation will be assessed using thrombin generation (TG) testing, with the primary outcome the percentage change in endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) from randomization to day 42. Other TG parameters, markers of in vivo coagulation activation, prothrombin fragment 1.2, thrombin antithrombin complex and D-dimer, will also be assessed. If RAPS demonstrates i) that the anticoagulant effect of rivaroxaban is not inferior to that of warfarin and ii) the absence of any adverse effects that cause concern with regard to the use of rivaroxaban, this would provide sufficient supporting evidence to make rivaroxaban a standard of care for the treatment of APS patients with previous VTE, requiring a target INR of 2.5. © The Author(s) 2015.

  10. Electroacupuncture Modulates Reproductive Hormone Levels in Patients with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: Results from a Prospective Observational Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kehua Zhou

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available To investigate the effects of electroacupuncture (EA on serum FSH, E2, and LH levels, women with primary ovarian insufficiency (POI were treated with EA once a day, five times a week for the first four weeks and once every other day, three times a week, for the following two months, and then were followed up for three months. Serum E2, FSH, and LH levels were measured at baseline, at the end of treatment, and during followup. A total of 11 women with POI were included in this prospective consecutive case series study. Compared with baseline, patients’ serum E2 increased, FSH decreased, and LH decreased (P=0.002, 0.001, and 0.002, resp. after EA treatment, and these effects persisted during followup. With treatment, 10 patients resumed menstruation (10/11, 90.91%, whereas one patient remained amenorrhea. During followup, two patients, including the one with amenorrhea during treatment, reported absence of menstruation. Temporary pain occurred occasionally, and no other adverse events were found during treatment. The results suggest that EA could decrease serum FSH and LH levels and increase serum E2 level in women with POI with little or no side effects; however, further randomized control trials are needed.

  11. Preliminary environmental assessment of selected geopressured - geothermal prospect areas: Louisiana Gulf Coast Region. Volume II. Environmental baseline data

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Newchurch, E.J.; Bachman, A.L.; Bryan, C.F.; Harrison, D.P.; Muller, R.A.; Newman, J.P. Jr.; Smith, C.G. Jr.; Bailey, J.I. Jr.; Kelly, G.G.; Reibert, K.C.

    1978-10-15

    A separate section is presented for each of the six prospect areas studied. Each section includes a compilation and discussion of environmental baseline data derived from existing sources. The data are arranged as follows: geology and geohydrology, air quality, water resources and flood hazards, ecological systems, and land use. When data specific to the prospect were not available, regional data are reported. (MHR)

  12. Premarital HIV Testing on Prospective Couples in A Teaching ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Premarital HIV Testing on Prospective Couples in A Teaching Hospital in Sub Saharan Africa. ... Background: Most religious bodies insist on premarital screening for prospective couples. Aim: To determine the level of voluntary screening, prevalence and risk factors of HIV among premarital couples. Material and methods: ...

  13. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 37 (DUXBTH00120037) on Town Highway 12, crossing Ridley Brook, Duxbury, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.; Ivanhoff, Michael A.

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure DUXBTH00120037 on Town Highway 12 crossing Ridley Brook, Duxbury, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D. The site is in the Green Mountain section of the New England physiographic province in north central Vermont. The 10.1-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is forest upstream and downstream of the bridge. In the study area, Ridley Brook has an incised, straight channel with a slope of approximately 0.04 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 67 ft and an average bank height of 9 ft. The channel bed material ranges from gravel to boulders with a median grain size (D50) of 123 mm (0.404 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on July 1, 1996, indicated that the reach was stable. The Town Highway 12 crossing of Ridley Brook is a 33-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of five 30-ft steel rolled beams (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, October 13, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 30 ft. The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments with wingwalls. The channel is skewed approximately 50 degrees to the opening while the measured opening-skew-to-roadway is 20 degrees. A scour hole 2 ft deeper than the mean thalweg depth was observed along the right abutment and downstream

  14. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 17 (LYNDTH00020017) on Town Highway 2, crossing Hawkins Brook, Lyndon, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.; Medalie, Laura

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure LYNDTH00020017 on Town Highway 2 crossing Hawkins Brook, Lyndon, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D.The site is in the Green Mountain section of the New England physiographic province in northeastern Vermont. The 7.7-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is forest on the left and right upstream overbanks. The downstream left and right overbanks are brushland.In the study area, Hawkins Brook has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.02 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 78 ft and an average bank height of 7.3 ft. The channel bed material ranges from sand to boulder with a median grain size (D50) of 46.6 mm (0.153 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on August 4, 1995, indicated that the reach was laterally unstable with the presence of point bars and side bars.The Town Highway 2 crossing of Hawkins Brook is a 49-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of a 46-foot steel-stringer span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, March 27, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 43 ft. The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments with wingwalls. The channel is skewed approximately 45 degrees to the opening while the computed opening-skew-to-roadway is zero

  15. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 28 (ROCHTH00370028) on Town Highway 37, crossing Brandon Brook, Rochester, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.; Weber, Matthew A.

    1998-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure ROCHTH00370028 on Town Highway 37 crossing Brandon Brook, Rochester, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (FHWA, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from VTAOT files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in appendix D. The site is in the Green Mountain section of the New England physiographic province in central Vermont. The 8.0-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is pasture on the upstream left overbank although the immediate banks have dense woody vegetation. The upstream right overbank and downstream left and right overbanks are forested. In the study area, the Brandon Brook has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.01 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 44 ft and an average bank height of 7 ft. The channel bed material ranges from gravel to cobbles with a median grain size (D50) of 84.2 mm (0.276 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I site visit on April 12, 1995 and Level II site visit on July 8, 1996, indicated that the reach was stable. The Town Highway 37 crossing of the Brandon Brook is a 33-ft-long, one-lane bridge consisting of a 31-foot timber-stringer span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, March 22, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 29.6 ft. The bridge is supported by vertical, timber log cribbing abutments with wingwalls. The channel is skewed approximately 5 degrees to the opening while the computed opening-skew-to-roadway is zero

  16. The influence of Fe(II) competition on the sorption and migration of Ni(II) in MX-80 bentonite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pfingsten, Wilfried; Bradbury, Mike; Baeyens, Bart

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → We model the diffusion of Ni(II) through bentonite using different sorption models. → We examine sorption competition of Fe(II) and Ni(II) at different concentrations. → Ni(II) breakthrough is 15 times earlier with Fe(II) sorption competition. → Ni(II) sorption is non-linear and depends on the Fe(II) concentration levels. → Sorption competition is important and has to be modelled by reactive transport codes. - Abstract: The results from batch sorption experiments on montmorillonite systems have demonstrated that bivalent transition metals compete with one another for sorption sites. For safety analysis studies of high level radioactive waste repositories with compacted bentonite near fields, the importance of competitive sorption on the migration of radionuclides needs to be evaluated. Under reducing conditions, the bentonite porewater chosen has a Fe(II) concentration of ∼5.3 x 10 -5 M through saturation with siderite. The purpose of this paper is to assess the influence of such high Fe(II) concentrations on the transport of Ni(II) through compacted bentonite, Ni(II) was chosen as an example of a bivalent transition metal. The one-dimensional calculations were carried out at different Ni(II) equilibrium concentrations at the boundary (Ni(II) EQBM ) with the reactive transport code MCOTAC incorporating the two site protolysis non electrostatic surface complexation/cation exchange sorption model, MCOTAC-sorb. At a Ni(II) EQBM level of 10 -7 M without Fe(II) competition, the reactive transport calculations using a constant K d approach and the MCOTAC-sorb calculation yielded the same breakthrough curves. At higher Ni(II) EQBM (10 -5 M), the model calculations with MCOTAC-sorb indicated a breakthrough which was shifted to later times by a factor of ∼5 compared with the use of the constant K d approach. When sorption competition was included in the calculations, the magnitude of the influence depended on the sorption characteristics of the

  17. Acute cervical spine injuries: prospective MR imaging assessment at a level 1 trauma center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katzberg, R W; Benedetti, P F; Drake, C M; Ivanovic, M; Levine, R A; Beatty, C S; Nemzek, W R; McFall, R A; Ontell, F K; Bishop, D M; Poirier, V C; Chong, B W

    1999-10-01

    To determine the weighted average sensitivity of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the prospective detection of acute neck injury and to compare these findings with those of a comprehensive conventional radiographic assessment. Conventional radiography and MR imaging were performed in 199 patients presenting to a level 1 trauma center with suspected cervical spine injury. Weighted sensitivities and specificities were calculated, and a weighted average across eight vertebral levels from C1 to T1 was formed. Fourteen parameters indicative of acute injury were tabulated. Fifty-eight patients had 172 acute cervical injuries. MR imaging depicted 136 (79%) acute abnormalities and conventional radiography depicted 39 (23%). For assessment of acute fractures, MR images (weighted average sensitivity, 43%; CI: 21%, 66%) were comparable to conventional radiographs (weighted average sensitivity, 48%; CI: 30%, 65%). MR imaging was superior to conventional radiography in the evaluation of pre- or paravertebral hemorrhage or edema, anterior or posterior longitudinal ligament injury, traumatic disk herniation, cord edema, and cord compression. Cord injuries were associated with cervical spine spondylosis (P < .05), acute fracture (P < .001), and canal stenosis (P < .001). MR imaging is more accurate than radiography in the detection of a wide spectrum of neck injuries, and further study is warranted of its potential effect on medical decision making, clinical outcome, and cost-effectiveness.

  18. Health values and prospect theory: a comment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stratmann-Schoene, D; Klose, T

    2001-01-01

    In a recent volume of Medical Decision Making, Treadwell and Lenert stated that under prospect theory, community members compared with patients underestimate the utility of health improvements. In this comment, the authors show that this statement holds only for a subset of possible preference functions. Furthermore, the authors provide arguments that, in general, the rater's current health state is not the appropriate reference level if applying prospect theory to health valuations.

  19. Comments About a Chameleon Theory: Level I/Level II.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horn, John; Stankov, Lazar

    1982-01-01

    Jensen's ideas about two levels of intellectual abilities are criticized as being oversimplified. More than two levels of intellectual abilities and relationships between variables reflecting more than racial and socioeconomic status (SES) differences are suggested, arguing that Jensen's statements about race and SES differences are not properly…

  20. Effect of estrogen receptor-alpha (ESR1 gene polymorphism on high density lipoprotein levels in response to hormone replacement therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N.C. Nogueira-de-Souza

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Studies have shown that estrogen replacement therapy and estrogen plus progestin replacement therapy alter serum levels of total, LDL and HDL cholesterol levels. However, HDL cholesterol levels in women vary considerably in response to hormone replacement therapy (HRT. A significant portion of the variability of these levels has been attributed to genetic factors. Therefore, we investigated the influence of estrogen receptor-alpha (ESR1 gene polymorphisms on HDL levels in response to postmenopausal HRT. We performed a prospective cohort study on 54 postmenopausal women who had not used HRT before the study and had no significant general medical illness. HRT consisted of conjugated equine estrogen and medroxyprogesterone acetate continuously for 1 year. The lipoprotein levels were measured from blood samples taken before the start of therapy and after 1 year of HRT. ESR1 polymorphism (MspI C>T, HaeIII C>T, PvuII C>T, and XbaI A>G frequencies were assayed by restriction fragment length polymorphism. A general linear model was used to describe the relationships between HDL levels and genotypes after adjusting for age. A significant increase in HDL levels was observed after HRT (P = 0.029. Women with the ESR1 PvuII TT genotype showed a statistically significant increase in HDL levels after HRT (P = 0.032. No association was found between other ESR1 polymorphisms and HDL levels. According to our results, the ESR1 PvuII TT genotype was associated with increased levels of HDL after 1 year of HRT.

  1. Prospective phase II study of image-guided local boost using a real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy (RTRT) system for locally advanced bladder cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishioka, Kentaro; Shimizu, Shinichi; Shinohara, Nobuo

    2014-01-01

    The real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy system with fiducial markers has the advantage that it can be used to verify the localization of the markers during radiation delivery in real-time. We conducted a prospective Phase II study of image-guided local-boost radiotherapy for locally advanced bladder cancer using a real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy system for positioning, and here we report the results regarding the safety and efficacy of the technique. Twenty patients with a T2-T4N0M0 urothelial carcinoma of the bladder who were clinically inoperable or refused surgery were enrolled. Transurethral tumor resection and 40 Gy irradiation to the whole bladder was followed by the transurethral endoscopic implantation of gold markers in the bladder wall around the primary tumor. A boost of 25 Gy in 10 fractions was made to the primary tumor while maintaining the displacement from the planned position at less than ±2 mm during radiation delivery using a real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy system. The toxicity, local control and survival were evaluated. Among the 20 patients, 14 were treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The median follow-up period was 55.5 months. Urethral and bowel late toxicity (Grade 3) were each observed in one patient. The local-control rate, overall survival and cause-specific survival with the native bladder after 5 years were 64, 61 and 65%. Image-guided local-boost radiotherapy using a real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy system can be safely accomplished, and the clinical outcome is encouraging. A larger prospective multi-institutional study is warranted for more precise evaluations of the technological efficacy and patients' quality of life. (author)

  2. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced carcinoma of the uterine cervix: a phase I/II prospective study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, One Chul; Choi, Eun Kyung; Chung, Weon Kuu; Kim, Jong Hoon; Chang, Hye Sook; Kim, Yong Man; Kim, Young Tak; Nam, Joo Hyun; Mok, Jung Eun; Lee, Moo Song

    1998-01-01

    Prospective, single arm. Phase I/II clinical trial was performed to assess the efficacy and toxicity of the concurrent chemotherapy and definitive radiotherapy (RT) in patients with previously untreated locally advanced carcinoma of the uterine cervix. From May 1992 to January 1997, a total of 73 patients with advanced cervical carcinoma were entered on the protocol but 5 patients were excluded in analysis because of patients' refusal of treatment. Their ages ranged from 31 to 77 years, median 58 years. The international Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage distribution was as follows: IIB 46, IIIA 2, IIIB 15 and IVA 5. RT consisted of external beam irradiation to 4, 140-5, 040 cGy/23-28 fractions plus high dose rate intracavitary treatments to deliver a dose of 30-35 Gy to point A in 6-7 fractions. During the intracavitary treatments parametrial boost was delivered for point B dose of 60 Gy in stage IIB and 65 Gy in stage IIIB. Two cycles of concurrent 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin (FP) chemotherapy (5-fluorouracil 1,000 mg/m 2 /day continuous infusion for 4 days, day 1-4, 29-32 and cisplatin 20 mg/m 2 /dy intravenous bolus for 3 days, day 1-3, 29-31) administered starting on day 1 of 1 of RT. The median follow-up was 24 months (range 4-68+). Sixty-four patients were evaluable for survival rate in this protocol: The 5-year actuarial and disease-free survival rate were 52% and 64%, respectively. The 5-year actuarial survival for stage IIB and II+IVA patients were 58% and 36%, respectively. The 5-year disease-free survival rate for stage IIB and III+IVA patients were 71% and 46%, respectively. Of the 68 patients evaluated for patterns of failure, overall recurrence rate was 27.9% (19/68): local failure in 5.9% (4/68), distant metastasis in 10.3% (7/68) and both in 11.8% (8/68). Of the 64 patients evaluated for response at one month after the completion of treatment, the complete response rate was 78% (50/64). Concurrent chemoradiation appear to be a

  3. Reconstructing Northern Hemisphere upper-level fields during World War II

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Broennimann, S. [Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, PO Box 210092, Tucson, AZ 85721-0092 (United States); Luterbacher, J. [Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern (Switzerland); NCCR Climate, University of Bern, Bern (Switzerland)

    2004-05-01

    Monthly mean fields of temperature and geopotential height (GPH) from 700 to 100 hPa were statistically reconstructed for the extratropical Northern Hemisphere for the World War II period. The reconstruction was based on several hundred predictor variables, comprising temperature series from meteorological stations and gridded sea level pressure data (1939-1947) as well as a large amount of historical upper-air data (1939-1944). Statistical models were fitted in a calibration period (1948-1994) using the NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis data set as predictand. The procedure consists of a weighting scheme, principal component analyses on both the predictor variables and the predictand fields and multiple regression models relating the two sets of principal component time series to each other. According to validation experiments, the reconstruction skill in the 1939-1944 period is excellent for GPH at all levels and good for temperature up to 500 hPa, but somewhat worse for 300 hPa temperature and clearly worse for 100 hPa temperature. Regionally, high predictive skill is found over the midlatitudes of Europe and North America, but a lower quality over Asia, the subtropics, and the Arctic. Moreover, the quality is considerably better in winter than in summer. In the 1945-1947 period, reconstructions are useful up to 300 hPa for GPH and, in winter, up to 500 hPa for temperature. The reconstructed fields are presented for selected months and analysed from a dynamical perspective. It is demonstrated that the reconstructions provide a useful tool for the analysis of large-scale circulation features as well as stratosphere-troposphere coupling in the late 1930s and early 1940s. (orig.)

  4. Trial storage of high-level waste in the Asse II salt mine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1984-01-01

    This report covers a second phase of the work performed by GSF and KfK in the Asse II salt mine, with a view to disposal of radioactive waste in salt formations. New items of the research were geophysical investigations of the behaviour of heated salt and preparation of a trial storage in the Asse II salt mine

  5. Elevated CRP levels during first trimester of pregnancy and subsequent preeclampsia: a prospective study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beigi A

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: Whatever its etiology, the inflammatory reactions of preeclampsia lead to the activation of endothelium and result in vascular damage. CRP is considered a sensitive index of systemic inflammation, so it is used as predictive factor for disease. This study was carried out to test the screening and predictive abilities of the CRP test in order to detect and diagnose pregnant women prone to preeclampsia prior to the onset of symptoms.Methods: In this prospective cohort study, conducted in Arash Hospital between 2005 and 2006, we determined the CRP levels of 201 pregnant women at 10-16 weeks of pregnancy. Based on exclusion criteria and illness, 31 patients were excluded and 170 patients were followed until the end of their pregnancies.Results: In this study, the mean serum CRP values of those who had preeclamptic and those who had normal pregnancies were compared and the statistical differences were significant: 6.18 mg/L for preeclamptic patients compared with 4.12 mg/L for normal patients (p=0.003. Using a chi-square test, we found that patients whose CRP level was ≥4 were six times more likely to have preeclampsia than those with CRP levels <4 (k=9.4; p=0.002; OR=6.15; 95% CI=0.69-22.28.Conclusion: This study confirms the results of previous reports indicating a significant relationship between rising serum CRP in the first trimester of pregnancy and preeclampsia at third trimester. More studies consisting of other inflammation factors are necessary to find an acceptable and reasonable screening test to diagnose pregnant women who are prone to preeclampsia.

  6. Efficacy and safety of thalidomide for the treatment of severe recurrent epistaxis in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia: results of a prospective phase II clinical trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Invernizzi, Rosangela; Quaglia, Federica; Klersy, Caherine; Pagella, Fabio; Ornati, Federica; Chu, Francesco; Matti, Elina; Spinozzi, Giuseppe; Plumitallo, Sara; Grignani, Pierangela; Olivieri, Carla; Bastia, Raffaella; Bellistri, Francesca; Danesino, Cesare; Benazzo, Marco; Balduini, Carlo L

    2016-01-01

    Summary Background Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a genetic disease that leads to multiregional angiodysplasia. Severe recurrent epistaxis is the most common presentation, frequently leading to severe anemia. Multiple therapeutic approaches have been tried, but they are largely palliative with variable results.We aimed to assess the efficacy of thalidomide in reducing epistaxis in patients with HHT refractory to standard therapy. Methods HHT patients with severe recurrent epistaxis refractory to mini-invasive surgical procedures were included in an open label, phase II, prospective, non-randomized, single-centre study. Thalidomide was administered at a starting dose of 50 mg/day orally. In the event of no response, thalidomide dosage was increased by 50 mg/day every four weeks until response to a maximum dose of 200 mg/day. After response achievement, patients were treated for eight to16 additional weeks. Monthly follow-up was based on the epistaxis severity score and transfusion need, with adverse events being reported (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01485224). Findings Thirty-one patients, mean age 62∙6 (SD 11∙1) years, were enrolled (median follow-up 15∙9 months, 25th-75th 10∙1-22∙3). Treatment induced cessation of bleeding in three cases (9∙7%) and a significant decrease in all epistaxis parameters in 28 cases (90∙3%). Twenty-five patients (80∙7%) obtained remission with 50 mg/day of thalidomide, five (16∙1%) with 100 mg/day and one (3∙2%) with 150 mg/day. Treatment significantly increased hemoglobin levels (pepistaxis in HHT patients, allowing for a rapid, often durable clinical improvement. Funding Telethon Foundation PMID:26686256

  7. Prospect Theory for Online Financial Trading

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yang-Yu; Nacher, Jose C.; Ochiai, Tomoshiro; Martino, Mauro; Altshuler, Yaniv

    2014-03-01

    Prospect theory is widely viewed as the best available descriptive model of how people evaluate risk in experimental settings. According to prospect theory, people make decisions based on the potential value of losses and gains rather than the final outcome. People are risk-averse with respect to gains and risk-seeking with respect to losses, a phenomenon called ``loss aversion''. Despite of the fact that prospect theory has been well studied in behavioral economics at the theoretical level, there exist very few empirical research and most of them has been undertaken with micro-panel data. Here we analyze the trading activities of over 1.5 million members of an online financial trading community over 28 months, aiming to explore the large-scale empirical aspect of prospect theory. By analyzing and comparing the behaviour of ``winners'' and ``losers'', i.e., traders with positive or negative final net profit, we find clear evidence of the loss aversion phenomenon, an essence in prospect theory. This work demonstrates an unprecedented large-scale empirical evidence of prospect theory. It has immediate implication in financial trading, e.g., developing new trading strategies by minimizing the effect of loss aversion. It also provides opportunity to augment online social trading, where users are allowed to watch and follow the trading activity of others, by predicting potential winners based on their historical trading behaviour.

  8. Electrochemical sensor based on EDTA intercalated into layered double hydroxides of magnesium and aluminum for ultra trace level detection of lead (II)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dong, Junping; Fang, Qinghua; He, Haibo; Xu, Jiaqiang; Zhang, Yuan; Sun, Youbao

    2015-01-01

    The chelator ethylene diaminetetraacetate (EDTA) has been intercalated into layered double hydroxides by the anion exchange method. The resulting composites were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, FTIR spectroscopy, thermogravimetry and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry. They were applied to modify a carbon paste electrode for the stripping voltammetric determination of lead (II) ions at ng L −1 levels. Stripping currents are linearly related to the logarithm of Pb (II) concentrations from 2 ng L −1 to 33 μg L −1 . The detection limit (3σ) is as low as 0.95 ng L −1 . The method was successfully applied to the determination of Pb (II) in spiked tap water without any pretreatment.(author)

  9. Macrocyclic receptor showing extremely high Sr(II)/Ca(II) and Pb(II)/Ca(II) selectivities with potential application in chelation treatment of metal intoxication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferreirós-Martínez, Raquel; Esteban-Gómez, David; Tóth, Éva; de Blas, Andrés; Platas-Iglesias, Carlos; Rodríguez-Blas, Teresa

    2011-04-18

    Herein we report a detailed investigation of the complexation properties of the macrocyclic decadentate receptor N,N'-Bis[(6-carboxy-2-pyridil)methyl]-4,13-diaza-18-crown-6 (H(2)bp18c6) toward different divalent metal ions [Zn(II), Cd(II), Pb(II), Sr(II), and Ca(II)] in aqueous solution. We have found that this ligand is especially suited for the complexation of large metal ions such as Sr(II) and Pb(II), which results in very high Pb(II)/Ca(II) and Pb(II)/Zn(II) selectivities (in fact, higher than those found for ligands widely used for the treatment of lead poisoning such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (edta)), as well as in the highest Sr(II)/Ca(II) selectivity reported so far. These results have been rationalized on the basis of the structure of the complexes. X-ray crystal diffraction, (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, as well as theoretical calculations at the density functional theory (B3LYP) level have been performed. Our results indicate that for large metal ions such as Pb(II) and Sr(II) the most stable conformation is Δ(δλδ)(δλδ), while for Ca(II) our calculations predict the Δ(λδλ)(λδλ) form being the most stable one. The selectivity that bp18c6(2-) shows for Sr(II) over Ca(II) can be attributed to a better fit between the large Sr(II) ions and the relatively large crown fragment of the ligand. The X-ray crystal structure of the Pb(II) complex shows that the Δ(δλδ)(δλδ) conformation observed in solution is also maintained in the solid state. The Pb(II) ion is endocyclically coordinated, being directly bound to the 10 donor atoms of the ligand. The bond distances to the donor atoms of the pendant arms (2.55-2.60 Å) are substantially shorter than those between the metal ion and the donor atoms of the crown moiety (2.92-3.04 Å). This is a typical situation observed for the so-called hemidirected compounds, in which the Pb(II) lone pair is stereochemically active. The X-ray structures of the Zn(II) and Cd(II) complexes show that

  10. Type II diabetes mellitus and the incidence of epithelial ovarian cancer in the cancer prevention study-II nutrition cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gapstur, Susan M; Patel, Alpa V; Diver, W Ryan; Hildebrand, Janet S; Gaudet, Mia M; Jacobs, Eric J; Campbell, Peter T

    2012-11-01

    Despite consistent associations of type II diabetes mellitus with hormonally related cancers such as breast and endometrium, the relation between type II diabetes mellitus and ovarian cancer risk is unclear. Associations of type II diabetes mellitus status, duration, and insulin use with epithelial ovarian cancer overall, and with serous and nonserous histologic subtypes were examined in the Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort, a prospective study of U.S. men and women predominantly aged 50 years and older. Between 1992 and 2007, 524 incident epithelial ovarian cancer cases were identified among 63,440 postmenopausal women. Multivariable-adjusted relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed using extended Cox regression to update diabetes status and bilateral oophorectomy status during follow-up. Type II diabetes mellitus status (RR = 1.05; 95% CI, 0.75-1.46) and duration were not associated with epithelial ovarian cancer risk. Although not statistically significantly different (P(difference) = 0.39), the RR was higher for type II diabetes mellitus with insulin use (RR = 1.28; 95% CI, 0.74-2.24) than for type II diabetes mellitus without insulin use (RR = 0.96; 95% CI, 0.64-1.43). Diabetes seemed to be more strongly associated with nonserous (RR = 1.41; 95% CI, 0.70-2.85) than serous (RR = 0.71; 95% CI, 0.41-1.23) histologic subtypes. Type II diabetes mellitus was not associated with risk of epithelial ovarian cancer, although higher risks with nonserous subtypes and among insulin users cannot be ruled out. Larger studies are needed to clarify associations of type II diabetes mellitus with or without insulin use with risk of ovarian cancer overall and by histologic subtypes. ©2012 AACR.

  11. Electrocardiographic findings in acute cerebrovascular hemorrhage a prospective study of 70 patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Walter Oleschko Arruda

    1992-09-01

    Full Text Available Seventy patients with hemorrhagic stroke were prospectively evaluated regarding the electrocardiographic abnormalities observed within the first 48 hours of the ictus. Group I comprised 55 patients with spontaneous cerebral hemorrhage, and group II 15 patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage. Patients taking cardiac drugs (beta blockers, calcium-channel blockers, inotropic drugs or with severe metabolic/electrolyte disturbances were excluded. The most common ECG abnormality was a prolonged Q-Tc interval: group I, 37 (67.2%; group II, 8 (53.3%. Only 4 (7.2% patients of group I and no patient of group II had a normal ECG. No relation was found between the site of the intracerebral hematoma and the occurrence of any particular ECG change. A prolonged Q-Tc may be related to the development of severe cardiac arrhythmias observed in some patients with acute cerebral hemorrhage.

  12. Hospital-level Variation in Utilization of Surgery for Clinical Stage I-II Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swords, Douglas S; Mulvihill, Sean J; Skarda, David E; Finlayson, Samuel R G; Stoddard, Gregory J; Ott, Mark J; Firpo, Matthew A; Scaife, Courtney L

    2017-07-11

    To (1) evaluate rates of surgery for clinical stage I-II pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), (2) identify predictors of not undergoing surgery, (3) quantify the degree to which patient- and hospital-level factors explain differences in hospital surgery rates, and (4) evaluate the association between adjusted hospital-specific surgery rates and overall survival (OS) of patients treated at different hospitals. Curative-intent surgery for potentially resectable PDAC is underutilized in the United States. Retrospective cohort study of patients ≤85 years with clinical stage I-II PDAC in the 2004 to 2014 National Cancer Database. Mixed effects multivariable models were used to characterize hospital-level variation across quintiles of hospital surgery rates. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the effect of adjusted hospital surgery rates on OS. Of 58,553 patients without contraindications or refusal of surgery, 63.8% underwent surgery, and the rate decreased from 2299/3528 (65.2%) in 2004 to 4412/7092 (62.2%) in 2014 (P < 0.001). Adjusted hospital rates of surgery varied 6-fold (11.4%-70.9%). Patients treated at hospitals with higher rates of surgery had better unadjusted OS (median OS 10.2, 13.3, 14.2, 16.5, and 18.4 months in quintiles 1-5, respectively, P < 0.001, log-rank). Treatment at hospitals in lower surgery rate quintiles 1-3 was independently associated with mortality [Hazard ratio (HR) 1.10 (1.01, 1.21), HR 1.08 (1.02, 1.15), and HR 1.09 (1.04, 1.14) for quintiles 1-3, respectively, compared with quintile 5] after adjusting for patient factors, hospital type, and hospital volume. Quality improvement efforts are needed to help hospitals with low rates of surgery ensure that their patients have access to appropriate surgery.

  13. Dependence regulation in newlywed couples: A prospective examination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Derrick, Jaye L; Leonard, Kenneth E; Homish, Gregory G

    2012-12-01

    According to the Risk Regulation Model (Murray, S. L., Holmes, J. G., & Collins, N. L. (2006). Optimizing assurance: The risk regulation system in relationships. Psychological Bulletin, 132 , 641-666), people need to trust in their partner's regard before they risk interdependence. The current study prospectively examines the association between perceived regard and levels of dependence in newlywed couples over nine years of marriage. Analyses demonstrate that changes in perceived regard predict levels of dependence, changes in dependence do not predict perceived regard, and alternative explanations cannot account for these effects. Further, changes in perceived regard prospectively predict divorce, and levels of dependence mediate this association. Results are discussed in terms of the dependence regulation component of the Risk Regulation Model.

  14. Increased Serum Pepsinogen II Level as a Marker of Pangastritis and Corpus-Predominant Gastritis in Gastric Cancer Prevention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Massarrat, Sadegh; Haj-Sheykholeslami, Arghavan

    2016-02-01

    Serum pepsinogen I and II are considered as indicators of changes in gastric morphology. Important publications from the last decades are reviewed with regard to the serum level of these biomarkers for the diagnosis of normal gastric mucosa, diffuse gastritis and its change to atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia as well as gastric cancer. Due to the low sensitivity of serum biomarkers for diagnosis of gastric cancer, especially at its early stage and the poor prognosis of the tumor at the time of diagnosis, its prevention by eradication of H. pylori remains the mandatory strategy. On the other hand, the severity of regression and non-reversibility of precancerous lesions and intestinal metaplasia in gastric mucosa through eradication of H. pylori make it necessary to diagnose diffuse gastritis at its early stage. Increased serum pepsinogen II compared to normal serum pepsinogen I seems to indicate the presence of diffuse gastritis without precancerous lesions suitable for eradication of H. pylori infection, when it is serologically positive. A diagram illustrates the strategy of this therapeutic measure depending on the age of people and the level of serum biomarkers in areas with high gastric cancer prevalence.

  15. Prospects of Organic Farming in Bhutan: A SWOT Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sonam Tashi

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A study was conducted to investigate the prospects of organic agriculture (OA in Bhutan from the experts’ perspective, particularly the SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat aspect. Thirty-five Bhutanese experts were interviewed. The strengths of OA were (i good alignment of the principles of OA with Bhutan’s development philosophy, (ii strong policy and political support, (iii pristine environment, (iv OA practices similar to traditional farming, and (v compatibility of OA with the local farming knowledge. The major weaknesses were (i a lack of awareness of the benefits of OA, (ii lack of incentives, (iii shortage of farm labor, (iv small and irregular supply of organic product, (v lack of clarity in policy, (vi limited plant protection materials, and (vii a lack of coordination between agencies. Opportunities were (i a huge regional and global organic market, (ii promoting healthy lifestyle, (iii sustainable use of resources, (iv lowering dependence on food and input imports, (v development of local organic manure suppliers, (vi creating seed sovereignty, (vii conserving local crops, (viii building soil fertility, (ix introducing premium price for organic products, and (x addressing unemployment. Threats included (i increasing incidences of pests and diseases, (ii decline in sources of organic manure, and (iii limited sources of organic manures and fertilizers.

  16. Surgical outcomes of Majewski osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism Type II with intracranial vascular anomalies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teo, Mario; Johnson, Jeremiah N; Bell-Stephens, Teresa E; Marks, Michael P; Do, Huy M; Dodd, Robert L; Bober, Michael B; Steinberg, Gary K

    2016-12-01

    OBJECTIVE Majewski osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism Type II (MOPD II) is a rare genetic disorder. Features of it include extremely small stature, severe microcephaly, and normal or near-normal intelligence. Previous studies have found that more than 50% of patients with MOPD II have intracranial vascular anomalies, but few successful surgical revascularization or aneurysm-clipping cases have been reported because of the diminutive arteries and narrow surgical corridors in these patients. Here, the authors report on a large series of patients with MOPD II who underwent surgery for an intracranial vascular anomaly. METHODS In conjunction with an approved prospective registry of patients with MOPD II, a prospectively collected institutional surgical database of children with MOPD II and intracranial vascular anomalies who underwent surgery was analyzed retrospectively to establish long-term outcomes. RESULTS Ten patients with MOPD II underwent surgery between 2005 and 2012; 5 patients had moyamoya disease (MMD), 2 had intracranial aneurysms, and 3 had both MMD and aneurysms. Patients presented with transient ischemic attack (TIA) (n = 2), ischemic stroke (n = 2), intraparenchymal hemorrhage from MMD (n = 1), and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (n = 1), and 4 were diagnosed on screening. The mean age of the 8 patients with MMD, all of whom underwent extracranial-intracranial revascularization (14 indirect, 1 direct) was 9 years (range 1-17 years). The mean age of the 5 patients with aneurysms was 15.5 years (range 9-18 years). Two patients experienced postoperative complications (1 transient weakness after clipping, 1 femoral thrombosis that required surgical repair). During a mean follow-up of 5.9 years (range 3-10 years), 3 patients died (1 of subarachnoid hemorrhage, 1 of myocardial infarct, and 1 of respiratory failure), and 1 patient had continued TIAs. All of the surviving patients recovered to their neurological baseline. CONCLUSIONS Patients with MMD

  17. A levels and intelligence as predictors of medical careers in UK doctors: 20 year prospective study

    Science.gov (United States)

    McManus, I C; Smithers, Eleni; Partridge, Philippa; Keeling, A; Fleming, Peter R

    2003-01-01

    Objective To assess whether A level grades (achievement) and intelligence (ability) predict doctors' careers. Design Prospective cohort study with follow up after 20 years by postal questionnaire. Setting A UK medical school in London. Participants 511 doctors who had entered Westminster Medical School as clinical students between 1975 and 1982 were followed up in January 2002. Main outcome measures Time taken to reach different career grades in hospital or general practice, postgraduate qualifications obtained (membership/fellowships, diplomas, higher academic degrees), number of research publications, and measures of stress and burnout related to A level grades and intelligence (result of AH5 intelligence test) at entry to clinical school. General health questionnaire, Maslach burnout inventory, and questionnaire on satisfaction with career at follow up. Results 47 (9%) doctors were no longer on the Medical Register. They had lower A level grades than those who were still on the register (P < 0.001). A levels also predicted performance in undergraduate training, performance in postregistration house officer posts, and time to achieve membership qualifications (Cox regression, P < 0.001; b=0.376, SE=0.098, exp(b)=1.457). Intelligence did not independently predict dropping off the register, career outcome, or other measures. A levels did not predict diploma or higher academic qualifications, research publications, or stress or burnout. Diplomas, higher academic degrees, and research publications did, however, significantly correlate with personality measures. Conclusions Results of achievement tests, in this case A level grades, which are particularly used for selection of students in the United Kingdom, have long term predictive validity for undergraduate and postgraduate careers. In contrast, a test of ability or aptitude (AH5) was of little predictive validity for subsequent medical careers. PMID:12869457

  18. Return to rugby after brain concussion: a prospective study in 35 high level rugby players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chermann, Jean Francois; Klouche, Shahnaz; Savigny, Alexis; Lefevre, Nicolas; Herman, Serge; Bohu, Yoann

    2014-12-01

    Although guidelines based on expert opinions have been developed for the immediate management and return to play of athletes after a concussion, data are lacking on this issue. Evaluate a standardized management of brain concussion among rugby players to prevent the recurrence. A prospective study was performed from September 2009 to June 2012. All rugby players who had a concussion when playing rugby were included. Patients were managed by a specialized hospital team with a specific protocol developed in collaboration with the medical staff of the rugby clubs included in the study. The series included 35 rugby players, with 23 professionals and 12 high-level players, 30 men and 5 women, mean age 23.1 ± 5.5 years old. The median number of previous concussions was 2 (0-30) episodes. According to the Cantu concussion severity classification, 3 athletes were grade 1, 12 were grade 2 and 20 were grade 3. None of the injured athletes was lost to follow-up. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of a new concussion within 3 months after the first in patients who returned to rugby. Thirty-three patients returned to rugby after a mean 22.1 ± 10 days. The recurrence rate within 3 months was 2/33 (6.1%). The median delay before returning to rugby was 21 (7-45) days. Factors associated with a delayed return to play were young age, initial loss of consciousness, severity Cantu grade 3 and post-concussive syndrome of more than 5 days. Analysis of two failures showed that the initial injury was grade 3 and that both were professional athletes and had a history of concussion. This prospective study validated the study protocol for the management of concussion in rugby players.

  19. Cushing`s disease: Fibrinogen and D-dimer levels fail to normalize despite early postoperative remission - a prospective, controlled study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Witek, Przemysław; Zieliński, Grzegorz; Szamotulska, Katarzyna; Witek, Joanna; Kamiński, Grzegorz

    2016-01-01

    Effective transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) for Cushing`s disease (CD) normalizes cortisol levels and reduces complications of hypercortisolism. However, there is evidence of increased cardiovascular morbidity even after successful surgery. A prospective, controlled study on the dynamics of fibrinogen and D-dimer levels with a six-month follow-up after an effective TSS for CD. Forty patients with CD and forty healthy age- and sex-matched subjects were included. We assessed ACTH, urinary and serum cortisol, and fibrinogen and D-dimer levels before TSS and during follow-up. Baseline BMI (P < 0.001), fibrinogen (P = 0.002), and D-dimer (P = 0.001) levels in CD patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls. High fibrinogen levels in the CD group were independent of BMI, and were positively associated with hsCRP (rS = 0.61, P < 0.001) and arterial hypertension (P = 0.029). After the six-month follow-up we confirmed a sustained difference between the remission group and controls in fibrinogen and D-dimer levels (P = 0.001 and P = 0.017, respectively). Despite early biochemical remission of CD the levels of fibrinogen and D-dimer failed to decrease. This probably contributes to the high risk of thrombotic events and indicates the need for a close follow-up for signs of thromboembolic and cardiovascular complications in patients with early CD remission. (Endokrynol Pol 2016; 67 (3): 283-291).

  20. Risk factors and consequences of maternal anaemia and elevated haemoglobin levels during pregnancy: a population-based prospective cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaillard, Romy; Eilers, Paul H C; Yassine, Siham; Hofman, Albert; Steegers, Eric A P; Jaddoe, Vincent W V

    2014-05-01

    To determine sociodemographic and life style-related risk factors and trimester specific maternal, placental, and fetal consequences of maternal anaemia and elevated haemoglobin levels in pregnancy. In a population-based prospective cohort study of 7317 mothers, we measured haemoglobin levels in early pregnancy [gestational age median 14.4 weeks (inter-quartile-range 12.5-17.5)]. Anaemia (haemoglobin ≤11 g/dl) and elevated haemoglobin levels (haemoglobin ≥13.2 g/dl) were defined according to the WHO criteria. Maternal blood pressure, placental function and fetal growth were measured in each trimester. Data on gestational hypertensive disorders and birth outcomes was collected from hospitals. Older maternal age, higher body mass index, primiparity and European descent were associated with higher haemoglobin levels (P pregnancy (mean differences 5.1 mmHg, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.8, 6.5 and 4.1 mmHg, 95% CI 3.0, 5.2, respectively) and with a higher risk of third trimester uterine artery notching (RR 1.3, 95% CI 1.0, 1.7). As compared with maternal normal haemoglobin levels, not anaemia, but elevated haemoglobin levels were associated with fetal head circumference, length, and weight growth restriction from third trimester onwards (P pregnancy. Elevated haemoglobin levels are associated with increased risks of maternal, placental, and fetal complications. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Predictors for switch from unipolar major depressive disorder to bipolar disorder type I or II: a 5-year prospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holma, K Mikael; Melartin, Tarja K; Holma, Irina A K; Isometsä, Erkki T

    2008-08-01

    In this naturalistic study, we investigated the rate, time course, and predictors of a diagnostic switch from unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD) to bipolar disorder type I or II during a 5-year follow-up. The Vantaa Depression Study included at baseline 269 psychiatric outpatients (82.9%) and inpatients (17.1%) with DSM-IV MDD, diagnosed using structured and semi-structured interviews and followed up at 6 months, 18 months, and 5 years between February 1, 1997 and April 30, 2004. Information on 248 MDD patients (92.2%) was available for analyses of the risk of diagnostic switch. Cox proportional hazards models were used. Twenty-two subjects (8.9%) with previous unipolar MDD switched to bipolar disorder type II and 7 (2.8%) to type I. Median time for switch to bipolar type I was significantly shorter than to type II. In Cox proportional hazards analyses, severity of MDD (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.00 to 1.15, p = .036), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (HR = 5.00, 95% CI = 2.04 to 12.5, p social phobia (HR = 2.33, 95% CI = 1.00 to 5.26, p = .050), and large number of cluster B personality disorder symptoms (HR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.02 to 1.20, p = .022) predicted switch. Among outpatients with MDD in secondary level psychiatric settings, diagnostic switch to bipolar disorder usually refers to type II rather than type I. The few switching to bipolar type I do so relatively early. Predictors for diagnostic switch include not only features of mood disorder, such as severity, but may also include some features of psychiatric comorbidity, such as concurrent social phobia, OCD, and symptoms of cluster B personality disorders.

  2. Early loading of plalatal implants (ortho-type II a prospective multicenter randomized controlled clinical trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gedrange Tomasz

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In orthodontic treatment, anchorage control is a fundamental aspect. Usually conventional mechanism for orthodontic anchorage control can be either extraoral or intraoral that is headgear or intermaxillary elastics. Their use are combined with various side effects such as tipping of occlusal plane or undesirable movements of teeth. Especially in cases, where key-teeth are missing, conventional anchorage defined as tooth-borne anchorage will meet limitations. Therefore, the use of endosseous implants for anchorage purposes are increasingly used to achieve positional stability and maximum anchorage. Methods/Design The intended study is designed as a prospective, multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT, comparing and contrasting the effect of early loading of palatal implant therapy versus implant loading after 12 weeks post implantation using the new ortho-implant type II anchor system device (Orthosystem Straumann, Basel, Switzerland. 124 participants, mainly adult males or females, whose diagnoses require temporary stationary implant-based anchorage treatment will be randomized 1:1 to one of two treatment groups: group 1 will receive a loading of implant standard therapy after a healing period of 12 week (gold standard, whereas group 2 will receive an early loading of orthodontic implants within 1 week after implant insertion. Participants will be at least followed for 12 months after implant placement. The primary endpoint is to investigate the behavior of early loaded palatal implants in order to find out if shorter healing periods might be justified to accelerate active orthodontic treatment. Secondary outcomes will focus e.g. on achievement of orthodontic treatment goals and quantity of direct implant-bone interface of removed bone specimens. As tertiary objective, a histologic and microtomography evaluation of all retrieved implants will be performed to obtain data on the performance of the SLA surface in human bone

  3. Association Between Use of Traditional Chinese Medicine Herbal Therapy and Survival Outcomes in Patients With Stage II and III Colorectal Cancer: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Yun; Mao, Jun J; Sun, Lingyun; Yang, Lin; Li, Jie; Hao, Yingxu; Li, Huashan; Hou, Wei; Chu, Yuping; Bai, Yu; Jia, Xiaoqiang; Wang, Jinwan; Shen, Lin; Zhang, Ying; Wang, Jianbin; Liu, Jianping; Yang, Yufei

    2017-11-01

    Chinese cancer patients often use Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbal medicine during or after active cancer treatments. However, little is known about how TCM herbal medicine impacts cancer outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the association between TCM herbal therapy and survival outcomes in patients with stage II or III colorectal cancer. We conducted an eight-center prospective cohort study in China among patients who had undergone radical resection for stage II and III colorectal cancer. All patients received comprehensive conventional treatments according to National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, and follow-up visits were conducted over five years. We defined high exposure as a patient's use of TCM individualized herbs for more than one year, ascertained via clinical interviews. The primary outcome was disease-free survival (DFS), with overall survival (OS) as a secondary outcome. Between April 2007 and February 2009, we enrolled 312 patients into the cohort; 166 (53.2%) met the definition of high exposure to TCM herbs. Adjusting for covariates, high exposure to TCM was associated with both better DFS (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.39 to 0.98) and OS (HR = 0.31, 95% CI = 0.14 to 0.68). In subgroup exploratory analysis, the effects demonstrated that the differences in outcomes were statistically significant in patients who had received chemotherapy. Longer duration of TCM herbal use is associated with improved survival outcomes in stage II and III colorectal cancer patients in China. More research is needed to evaluate the effects and underlying mechanisms of herbal medicine on colorectal cancer outcomes. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  4. Prospective Study of Psychosocial Distress Among Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Allen M.; Jennelle, Richard; Grady, Victoria; Tovar, Adrienne; Bowen, Kris; Simonin, Patty; Tracy, Janice; McCrudden, Dale; Stella, Jonathan R.; Vijayakumar, Srinivasan

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: To determine the prevalence of psychosocial distress among patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT) for head and neck cancer and to examine the association between depression and anxiety and demographic and medical variables. Methods and Materials: A total of 40 patients (25 men and 15 women) with nonmetastatic head and neck cancer were enrolled in this prospective study and underwent RT administered with definitive (24 patients) or postoperative (16 patients) intent. Twenty patients (50%) received concurrent chemotherapy. All patients completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Beck Depression Inventory-II instrument before RT, on the last day of RT, and at the first follow-up visit. The effect of patient-, tumor-, and treatment-related factors on psychosocial distress was analyzed. Results: The prevalence of mild to severe pre-RT depression was 58% and 45% using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-D and Beck Depression Inventory-II scale, respectively. The prevalence of severe pre-RT anxiety was 7%. The depression levels, as determined by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Beck Depression Inventory-II instrument increased significantly during RT and remained elevated at the first follow-up visit (p < 0.001 for both). The variables that were significantly associated with post-RT depression included a greater pre-RT depression level, employment status (working at enrollment), younger age (<55 years), single marital status, and living alone (p < 0.05, for all). Conclusion: The results of our study have shown that an alarming number of patients undergoing RT for head and neck cancer have symptoms suggestive of psychosocial distress even before beginning treatment. This proportion increases significantly during RT. Studies investigating the role of antidepressants and/or psychiatric counseling might be warranted in the future

  5. Prospective phase II trial of image-guided radiotherapy in Hodgkin lymphoma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Peter M; Aznar, Marianne C; Berthelsen, Anne K

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Long-term Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) survivors have an increased risk of late cardiac morbidity and secondary lung cancer after chemotherapy and mediastinal radiotherapy. In this prospective study we investigate whether radiotherapy with deep inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) can reduce...... radiation doses to the lungs, heart, and cardiac structures without compromising the target dose. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-two patients (14 female, 8 male), median age 30 years (18-65 years), with supra-diaphragmatic HL were enrolled and had a thoracic PET/CT with DIBH in addition to staging FDG...... retrospectively. Patients were treated with the technique yielding the lowest doses to normal structures. RESULTS: Nineteen patients were treated with DIBH and three with FB. DIBH reduced the mean estimated lung dose by 2.0 Gy (median: 8.5 Gy vs. 7.2 Gy) (p 4 Gy (6.0 Gy vs. 3...

  6. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 36 (DUXBTH00040036) on Town Highway 4, crossing Crossett Brook, Duxbury, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.; Degnan, James R.

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure DUXBTH00040036 on Town Highway 4 crossing the Crossett Brook, Duxbury, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D.The site is in the Green Mountain section of the New England physiographic province in north-central Vermont. The 4.9-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover on the upstream left overbank is pasture. The upstream and downstream right overbanks are forested. The downstream left overbank is brushland, while the immediate banks have dense woody vegetation.In the study area, the Crossett Brook has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.006 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 55 ft and an average bank height of 9 ft. The channel bed material ranges from gravel to bedrock with a median grain size (D50) of 51.6 mm (0.169 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on July 1, 1996, indicated that the reach was stable.The Town Highway 4 crossing of the Crossett Brook is a 29-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of a 26-foot concrete slab span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, October 13, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 26 ft. The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments with wingwalls. The channel is skewed approximately 35 degrees to the opening while

  7. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 8 (NEWFTH00010008) on Town Highway 1, crossing Wardsboro Brook, Newfane, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.; Degnan, James

    1998-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure NEWFTH00010008 on Town Highway 1 crossing Wardsboro Brook, Newfane, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (Federal Highway Administration, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in appendix D. The site is in the New England Upland section of the New England physiographic province in southestern Vermont. The 6.91-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is forest on the upstream right overbank and downstream left and right overbanks. The surface cover on the upstream left overbank is pasture. In the study area, Wardsboro Brook has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.02 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 63 ft and an average bank height of 9 ft. The channel bed material ranges from gravel to boulders with a median grain size (D50) of 95.4 mm (0.313 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on August 21, 1996, indicated that the reach was stable. The Town Highway 1 crossing of the Wardsboro Brook is a 32-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of a 26-foot concrete tee-beam span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, April 6, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 26.7 ft. The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments with wingwalls. The channel is skewed approximately 45 degrees to the computed opening while the openingskew-to-roadway is 45 degrees

  8. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 31 (JERITH00350031) on Town Highway 35, crossing Mill Brook, Jericho, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure JERITH00350031 on Town Highway 35 crossing Mill Brook, Jericho, Vermont (figures 1– 8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gathered from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D. The site is in the Green Mountain section of the New England physiographic province and the Champlain section of the St. Lawrence physiographic province in northwestern Vermont. The 15.7-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is forest upstream of the bridge. The downstream left overbank is pasture. The downstream right overbank is brushland. In the study area, the Mill Brook has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.02 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 117 ft and an average bank height of 11 ft. The channel bed material ranges from gravel to boulders with a median grain size (D50) of 81.1 mm (0.266 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on July 3, 1996, indicated that the reach was laterally unstable. The Town Highway 35 crossing of the Mill Brook is a 53-ft-long, one-lane bridge consisting of a 50-foot steel-beam span with a wooden deck (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, November 30, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 48 ft. The bridge is supported by a vertical, concrete abutment with wingwalls on the left. On the right, the abutment and wingwalls

  9. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 51 (JERITH00590051) on Town Highway 59, crossing The Creek, Jericho, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.

    1998-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure JERITH00590051 on Town Highway 59 crossing The Creek, Jericho, Vermont (figures 1– 8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (Federal Highway Administration, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in appendix D. The site is in the Green Mountain section of the New England physiographic province and the Champlain section of the St. Lawrence physiographic province in northwestern Vermont. The 10.9-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is pasture on the left and right overbanks, upstream and downstream of the bridge while the immediate banks have dense woody vegetation. In the study area, The Creek has a sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.004 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 45 ft and an average bank height of 6 ft. The channel bed material ranges from silt to cobble with a median grain size (D50) of 58.6 mm (0.192 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on July 3, 1996, indicated that the reach was stable. The Town Highway 59 crossing of The Creek is a 33-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of a 28-foot steel-stringer span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, December 11, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 26 ft. The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments with wingwalls. The channel is skewed approximately 10 degrees to the opening while the computed opening

  10. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 46 (FFIETH00470046) on Town Highway 47, crossing Black Creek, Fairfield, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.; Flynn, Robert H.

    1998-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure FFIETH00470046 on Town Highway 47 crossing Black Creek, Fairfield, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (FHWA, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gathered from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in appendix D. The site is in the Green Mountain section of the New England physiographic province in northwestern Vermont. The 37.8 mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is pasture upstream and downstream of the bridge while the immediate banks have dense woody vegetation. In the study area, Black Creek has a meandering channel with a slope of approximately 0.0005 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 51 ft and an average bank height of 6 ft. The channel bed material ranges from sand to bedrock with a median grain size (D50) of 0.189 mm (0.00062 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on July 12, 1995, indicated that the reach was stable. The Town Highway 47 crossing of Black Creek is a 35-ft-long, one-lane bridge consisting of one 31-ft steel-stringer span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, March 8, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 28.0 ft. The bridge is supported by vertical, laid-up stone abutments with wingwalls. The channel is skewed approximately zero degrees to the opening and the opening-skew-toroadway is zero degrees. A scour hole 6.0 ft deeper than the mean thalweg depth was observed just downstream of the

  11. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 8 (ANDOTH00010008) on Town Highway 1, crossing Andover Branch, Andover, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flynn, Robert H.; Wild, Emily C.

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure ANDOTH00010008 on Town Highway 1 crossing the Andover Branch, Andover , Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D.The site is in the Green Mountain section of the New England physiographic province in south-central Vermont. The 5.30-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover along the immediate banks, both upstream and downstream of the bridge, is grass while farther upstream and downstream, the surface cover is primarily forest.In the study area, the Andover Branch has an incised, straight channel with a slope of approximately 0.01 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 35 ft and an average bank height of 3 ft. The channel bed material ranges from gravel to boulder with a median grain size (D50) of 63.6 mm (0.209 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on August 27, 1996, indicated that the reach was stable.The Town Highway 1 crossing of the Andover Branch is a 54-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of one 51-foot steel-beam span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, March 28, 1995). The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments with wingwalls. The channel is skewed approximately 45 degrees to the opening while the opening-skew-to-roadway is 30 degrees.A scour hole 0.7 ft deeper than the mean thalweg depth was observed

  12. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 13 (LINCTH00010013) on Town Highway 1, crossing Cota Brook, Lincoln, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.

    1998-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure LINCTH00010013 on Town Highway 1 crossing Cota Brook, Lincoln, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (FHWA, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in appendix D. The site is in the Green Mountain section of the New England physiographic province in west-central Vermont. The 3.0-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is forest along the upstream right bank and brushland along the upstream left bank. Downstream of the bridge, the surface cover is pasture along the left and right banks. In the study area, Cota Brook has an sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.01 ft/ ft, an average channel top width of 30 ft and an average bank height of 2 ft. The channel bed material ranges from sand to cobble with a median grain size (D50) of 34.7 mm (0.114 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on June 10, 1996, indicated that the reach was laterally unstable due to cut-banks and wide, vegetated point bars upstream and downstream of the bridge. The Town Highway 1 crossing of Cota Brook is a 38-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of a 36-foot steel-stringer span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, December 14, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 34.4 ft. The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments. The channel is skewed approximately 15 degrees to the opening while

  13. Prospective iterative trial of proteasome inhibitor-based desensitization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woodle, E S; Shields, A R; Ejaz, N S; Sadaka, B; Girnita, A; Walsh, R C; Alloway, R R; Brailey, P; Cardi, M A; Abu Jawdeh, B G; Roy-Chaudhury, P; Govil, A; Mogilishetty, G

    2015-01-01

    A prospective iterative trial of proteasome inhibitor (PI)-based therapy for reducing HLA antibody (Ab) levels was conducted in five phases differing in bortezomib dosing density and plasmapheresis timing. Phases included 1 or 2 bortezomib cycles (1.3 mg/m(2) × 6-8 doses), one rituximab dose and plasmapheresis. HLA Abs were measured by solid phase and flow cytometry (FCM) assays. Immunodominant Ab (iAb) was defined as highest HLA Ab level. Forty-four patients received 52 desensitization courses (7 patients enrolled in multiple phases): Phase 1 (n = 20), Phase 2 (n = 12), Phase 3 (n = 10), Phase 4 (n = 5), Phase 5 (n = 5). iAb reductions were observed in 38 of 44 (86%) patients and persisted up to 10 months. In Phase 1, a 51.5% iAb reduction was observed at 28 days with bortezomib alone. iAb reductions increased with higher bortezomib dosing densities and included class I, II, and public antigens (HLA DRβ3, HLA DRβ4 and HLA DRβ5). FCM median channel shifts decreased in 11/11 (100%) patients by a mean of 103 ± 54 mean channel shifts (log scale). Nineteen out of 44 patients (43.2%) were transplanted with low acute rejection rates (18.8%) and de novo DSA formation (12.5%). In conclusion, PI-based desensitization consistently and durably reduces HLA Ab levels providing an alternative to intravenous immune globulin-based desensitization. © Copyright 2014 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

  14. The interaction between radiation and complexes of cis-Pt(II) and Rh(II): studies at the molecular and cellular level

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chibber, R.

    1985-01-01

    As a first step in gaining an understanding of the relative cellular effects of the transition metal/nitroimidazole complexes the authors have examined the effect of radiation given to cells in the presence of metal complexes not containing a nitroimidazole ligand. The compounds used in the cellular work are a series of Rh(II) carboxylates, cisplatin and JM8 (CBDCA, cis-diammine-1, 1-cyclobutane dicarboxylate platinum (II)). In radiation chemical experiments, Rh(II) acetate and cisplatin were chosen to represent model systems. Results from these radiation chemical and cellular experiments then allow interpretation of the changes in biological response caused by these agents, which are discussed in terms of the mechanism(s) thought to be operative in radiosensitization. (author)

  15. Visualization on supercomputing platform level II ASC milestone (3537-1B) results from Sandia.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Geveci, Berk (Kitware, Inc., Clifton Park, NY); Fabian, Nathan; Marion, Patrick (Kitware, Inc., Clifton Park, NY); Moreland, Kenneth D.

    2010-09-01

    This report provides documentation for the completion of the Sandia portion of the ASC Level II Visualization on the platform milestone. This ASC Level II milestone is a joint milestone between Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratories. This milestone contains functionality required for performing visualization directly on a supercomputing platform, which is necessary for peta-scale visualization. Sandia's contribution concerns in-situ visualization, running a visualization in tandem with a solver. Visualization and analysis of petascale data is limited by several factors which must be addressed as ACES delivers the Cielo platform. Two primary difficulties are: (1) Performance of interactive rendering, which is most computationally intensive portion of the visualization process. For terascale platforms, commodity clusters with graphics processors(GPUs) have been used for interactive rendering. For petascale platforms, visualization and rendering may be able to run efficiently on the supercomputer platform itself. (2) I/O bandwidth, which limits how much information can be written to disk. If we simply analyze the sparse information that is saved to disk we miss the opportunity to analyze the rich information produced every timestep by the simulation. For the first issue, we are pursuing in-situ analysis, in which simulations are coupled directly with analysis libraries at runtime. This milestone will evaluate the visualization and rendering performance of current and next generation supercomputers in contrast to GPU-based visualization clusters, and evaluate the performance of common analysis libraries coupled with the simulation that analyze and write data to disk during a running simulation. This milestone will explore, evaluate and advance the maturity level of these technologies and their applicability to problems of interest to the ASC program. Scientific simulation on parallel supercomputers is traditionally performed in four

  16. Determination of Lead(II), Cadmium(II) and Copper(II) in Waste-Water and Soil Extracts on Mercury Film Screen-Printed Carbon Electrodes Sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohd Fairulnizal Md Noh; Tothill, I.E.

    2011-01-01

    A sensor incorporating a three electrodes configuration have been fabricated using low cost screen-printing technology. These electrodes couples with Square Wave Stripping Voltammetry (SWSV) has provided a convenient screening tool for on-site detection of trace levels of Pb(II), Cd(II) and Cu(II). Modification of the graphite carbon surface based on in situ deposition of mercury film has been carried out. By appropriate choice of supporting medium and optimized parameters setting such as amount of mercury used the deposition potential, deposition time, frequency and scan rate, well resolved and reproducible response for Pb(II), Cd(II) and Cu(II) were obtained. The performance characteristics of the developed mercury film screen printed carbon electrode (MFSPCE) for 120 s deposition time showed that the linear range for Cd(II), Pb(II) and Cu(II) were 10 to 200 μg L -1 . The detection limit recorded for Cd(II), Pb(II) and Cu(II) were 2, 1 and 5 μg L -1 with relative standard deviation (RSD) of 6.5 %, 6.9 % and 7.5 %, respectively. Successful applications of the sensing device to waste-water and extracted soil samples were demonstrated. (author)

  17. PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms of estrogen receptor-α and the results of estroprogestagen therapy in girls with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea - preliminary study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sowińska-Przepiera, Elżbieta; Syrenicz, Anhelli; Friebe, Zbigniew; Jarząbek-Bielecka, Grażyna; Chełstowski, Kornel

    2012-11-09

    The aim of this study was the long-term prospective evaluation of the effects of estroprogestagen (EP) therapy on the bone mineral density (BMD) of girls with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) carrying various PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms of ER-α. Prospective observation included 84 FHA girls and 50 controls. The FHA patients were subjected to 4-year sequential therapy with 17β estradiol (2 mg from the 2(nd) to 25(th) day of the menstrual cycle) and dydrogesterone (10 mg from the 16(th) to the 25(th) day). Hormonal parameters, serum concentration of the bone fraction of alkaline phosphatase (BALP), urine concentration of cross-linked n-telopeptide of type I collagen (Ntx) and BMD were determined before and after the treatment. Six-month treatment resulted in a marked increase in estradiol (p = 0.001), testosterone and prolactin levels (p = 0.01 both) and a significant decrease in BALP and Ntx (p = 0.001 both). Patients with the PP polymorphism had significantly lower baseline BMD compared to carriers of other polymorphic variants of PvuII (p = 0.003). A significant increase in BMD was observed throughout the entire therapy period, with no significant differences in the yearly dynamics of BMD changes observed amongst various polymorphic variants and haplotypes of ER-α. The EP therapy is effective in the treatment of BMD disorders associated with FHA, and treatment results do not depend on PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms of ER-α.

  18. The value of creatine kinase, estradiol and progesterone levels in early diagnosis of ectopic pregnancies: a prospective controlled study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Feride Mimaroğlu

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the role of serum creatine kinase, progesterone and estradiol as a biochemical marker in the early diagnosis of tubal pregnancy. MATERIAL-METHODS: A prospective controlled study was carried out on 44 women with first trimester pregnancy. First group (n=22 with tubal pregnancy formed the study group and second group (n=22 with normal intrauterine pregnancy was taken as controls. Serum beta hCG, creatine kinase, progesterone and estradiol levels in the two groups were compared. Surgical treatment had choosen as a treatment modality of ectopic pregnancy. RESULTS: The optimal cutoff value of creatine kinase to be used for the prediction of ectopic pregnancy was 45 IU/l, which resulted in a sensitivity of 86%, specificity of 31%, positive predictive value 55 % and negative predictive value 70 %. The same values for estradiol and progesterone were detected >225 pg/ml, 100 %, 68 %, 75%, 100 % and >13 ng/mL, 95 %, 81 %, % 84, % 97 in discriminating ectopic pregnancies. According to AUC levels there was a significant difference between estradiol-creatine kinase levels, progesterone-estradiol levels and progesterone–creatin kinase levels (p values 0.024, 0.0082, and 0.0001, respectively. CONCLUSION: Serum creatine kinase values appear to be a useful marker in the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy.

  19. Beauty and charm rare decays at the LHC: prospects for Run II

    CERN Document Server

    Fiorendi, Sara; De Sanctis, Umberto

    2016-01-01

    The main results on the searches for rare decays of B and D mesons from ATLAS, CMS and LHCb experiments are summarised in this report. Particular attention will be given to the measurements performed by at least two of the three experiments, where common aspects and differences are highlighted. Detector improvements and perspectives of the three experiments for Run II ongoing data campaign are also discussed.

  20. Job Prospects for Electrical Engineers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basta, Nicholas

    1986-01-01

    Discusses the career outlook for electrical/electronics engineers. Explains that the number of bachelor degree graduates continues to rise, along with average starting salaries. Reveals that although the availability of jobs in the computer industry is leveling off, prospects in the robotics and telecommunication fields are growing. (TW)

  1. Critically Evaluated Energy Levels, Spectral Lines, Transition Probabilities, and Intensities of Singly Ionized Vanadium (V ii)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saloman, Edward B. [Dakota Consulting, Inc., 1110 Bonifant Street, Suite 310, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (United States); Kramida, Alexander [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899 (United States)

    2017-08-01

    The energy levels, observed spectral lines, and transition probabilities of singly ionized vanadium, V ii, have been compiled. The experimentally derived energy levels belong to the configurations 3 d {sup 4}, 3 d {sup 3} ns ( n  = 4, 5, 6), 3 d {sup 3} np , and 3 d {sup 3} nd ( n  = 4, 5), 3 d {sup 3}4 f , 3 d {sup 2}4 s {sup 2}, and 3 d {sup 2}4 s 4 p . Also included are values for some forbidden lines that may be of interest to the astrophysical community. Experimental Landé g -factors and leading percentages for the levels are included when available, as well as Ritz wavelengths calculated from the energy levels. Wavelengths and transition probabilities are reported for 3568 and 1896 transitions, respectively. From the list of observed wavelengths, 407 energy levels are determined. The observed intensities, normalized to a common scale, are provided. From the newly optimized energy levels, a revised value for the ionization energy is derived, 118,030(60) cm{sup −1}, corresponding to 14.634(7) eV. This is 130 cm{sup −1} higher than the previously recommended value from Iglesias et al.

  2. Re-irradiation combined with capecitabine in locally recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. A prospective phase II trial

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vormittag, L.; Kornek, G. [Medical Univ. Vienna (Austria). Div. of Clinical Oncology; Lemaire, C.; Radonjic, D.; Selzer, E. [Medical Univ. Vienna (Austria). Dept. for Radiotherapy and Radiobiology

    2012-03-15

    We performed a prospective phase II trial to investigate the safety and efficacy of radiotherapy combined with capecitabine in patients suffering from a recurrence of a squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) within a previously irradiated field. A total of 31 evaluable patients with recurrent SCCHN received re-irradiation with a total dose of 50 Gy (25 fractions over 5 weeks) up to a maximum of 60 Gy combined with 900 mg/m{sup 2}/day capecitabine given on the days of radiotherapy. The median time to relapse after the first course of radiotherapy was 15 months. The overall response rate in our study was 68% including 6 patients with a complete response. The median overall survival was 8.4 months. Grade 3 or 4 mucositis occurred in 4 patients and 1 patient, respectively. No grade 4 hematological toxicities were observed; 1 patient had grade 3 anemia. The cumulative median lifetime dose was 116 Gy. Capecitabine combined with re-irradiation is a well-tolerated treatment in patients with recurrent SCCHN. In light of its good tolerability, it appears to be a potential option for patients with a reduced performance status and may also serve as a basis for novel treatment concepts, such as in combination with targeted therapies.

  3. Prospective study of serum uric acid levels and incident metabolic syndrome in a Korean rural cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yadav, Dhananjay; Lee, Eun Soo; Kim, Hong Min; Choi, Eunhee; Lee, Eun Young; Lim, Jung Soo; Ahn, Song Vogue; Koh, Sang Baek; Chung, Choon Hee

    2015-07-01

    Recent studies have demonstrated an association between serum uric acid (SUA) levels and metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, paucity of available data regarding the cause and effect relationship between SUA and MetS in healthy adults is still a big challenge which remains to be studied. Therefore, we investigated whether SUA predicts new onset of MetS in a population-based cohort study. The study included 1590 adults (661 men and 929 women) aged 40-70 years without MetS at baseline (2005-2008) and subjects were prospectively followed for 2.6 years. To evaluate the relationship between SUA and MetS, we divided the aforementioned subjects into quintiles (SUA-I to SUA-V) from the lowest to the highest values of SUA. SUA was measured by the enzymatic colorimetric method. We used category-free net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) to characterize the performance of predicted model. During a mean of 2.6 years of follow-up, 261(16.4%) adults developed MetS. MetS variables were significantly related to the baseline SUA level. Waist circumference (WC), blood pressure (BP), and serum triglyceride (TG) were significantly higher in the highest quintile of SUA compared to the lowest SUA quintile in men and women. After adjustment for age, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in men and women, subjects in the fifth quintiles of SUA showed significantly higher ORs for incident MetS. The association between hyperuricemia and new onset of MetS were consistently stronger in women than men. Additionally, among women, we found an improvement in the area under the ROC curve in the models that added SUA to core components of MetS. Our study suggests that SUA is significantly correlated with future risk of WC, BP, TG and may predicted as a risk factor for developing MetS. SUA may have a clinical role in predicting new-onset metabolic syndrome among women. Large prospective study is needed to reveal the clinical

  4. Evaluation of the Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury II (WISCI-II) in children with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calhoun Thielen, C; Sadowsky, C; Vogel, L C; Taylor, H; Davidson, L; Bultman, J; Gaughan, J; Mulcahey, M J

    2017-05-01

    Mixed methods were used in this study. The appropriateness of the levels of the Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury II (WISCI-II) for application in children was critically reviewed by physical therapists using the Modified Delphi Technique, and the inter- and intra-rater reliability of the WISCI-II in children was evaluated. To examine the construct validity, and to establish reliability of the WISCI-II related to its use in children with spinal cord injury (SCI). United States of America. Using a Modified Delphi Technique, physical therapists critically reviewed the WISCI-II levels for pediatric utilization. Concurrently, ambulatory children under age 18 years with SCI were evaluated using the WISCI-II on two occasions by the same therapist to establish intra-rater reliability. One trial was photographed and de-identified. Each photograph was reviewed by four different physical therapists who gave WISCI-II scores to establish inter-rater reliability. Summary and descriptive statistics were used to calculate the frequency of yes/no responses for each WISCI-II level question and to determine the percent agreement for each question. Inter- and intra-rater reliability was calculated using interclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Construct validity was confirmed after one Delphi round during which at least 80% agreement was established by 51 physical therapists on the appropriateness of the WISCI-II levels for children. Fifty-two children with SCI aged 2-17 years completed repeated WISCI-II assessments and 40 de-identified photographs were scored by four physical therapists. Intra- and inter-rater reliability was high (ICC=0.997, CI=0.995-0.998 and ICC=0.97, CI=0.95-0.98, respectively). This study demonstrates support for the use of the WISCI-II in ambulatory children with SCI. This study was funded by the Craig H Neilsen Foundation, Spinal Cord Injury Research on the Translation Spectrum, Senior Research Award #282592 (Mulcahey

  5. Prospective phase II trial of regional hyperthermia and whole liver irradiation for numerous chemorefratory liver metastases from colerectal cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yu, Jeong Il; Park, Hee Chul; Choi, Doo Ho [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); and others

    2016-03-15

    A prospective phase II trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and toxicity of regional hyperthermia and whole liver irradiation (WLI) for numerous chemorefractory liver metastases from colorectal cancer. Enrolled patients had numerous chemorefractory hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer. Five sessions of hyperthermia and seven fractions of 3-gray WLI were planned. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was determined using the Korean version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaire C-30 and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Hepatobiliary version 4.0. Objective and pain response was evaluated. A total of 12 patients consented to the study and the 10 who received WLI and hyperthermia were analyzed. WLI was completed as planned in nine patients and hyperthermia in eight. Pain response was partial in four patients and stable in four. Partial objective response was achieved in three patients (30.0%) and stable disease was seen in four patients at the 1-month follow-up. One patient died 1 month after treatment because of respiratory failure related to pleural metastasis progression. Other grade III or higher toxicities were detected in three patients; however, all severe toxicities were related to disease progression rather than treatment. No significant difference in HRQoL was noted at the time of assessment for patients who were available for questionnaires. Combined WLI and hyperthermia were well tolerated without severe treatment-related toxicity with a promising response from numerous chemorefractory hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer.

  6. A dermatitis control program (DeCoP) for head and neck cancer patients receiving radiotherapy. A prospective phase II study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zenda, Sadamoto; Ishi, Shinobu; Kawashima, Mitsuhiko; Arahira, Satoko; Ichihashi, Tomiko; Tahara, Makoto; Hayashi, Ryuichi; Kishimoto, Seiji

    2013-01-01

    We speculated that a systematic program to manage radiation dermatitis might decrease the incidence of severe or fatal cases in head and neck cancer patients receiving radiotherapy. Here, we conducted a prospective phase II study to clarify the clinical benefit of a Dermatitis Control Program (DeCoP) that did not use corticosteroids. Head and neck cancer patients scheduled to receive definitive or postoperative radiotherapy were enrolled. Radiation dermatitis was managed with a DeCoP consisting of a three-step ladder: gentle washing; gentle washing and moistening of the wound-healing environment; prevention against infection, gentle washing and moistening of the wound-healing environment. The primary endpoint was the incidence of grade 4 dermatitis. A total of 113 patients were registered between January 2009 and February 2010. Eighty patients received radiotherapy as an initial approach, while the remaining 33 received radiotherapy postoperatively. Grade 3 and 4 dermatitis events occurred in 11 (9.7%) and 0 (0%, 95% confidence interval 0-3.2%) patients, respectively. Median radiation dose at the onset of grade 2 dermatitis was 61.5 Gy (range 36-70 Gy) and median period between onset and recovery was 14 days (range 1-46 days). The Dermatitis Control Program has promising clinical potential. Radiation dermatitis might be manageable if gentle washing and moistening of the wound-healing environment is done. (author)

  7. Malignant pleural mesothelioma: a phase II trial with docetaxel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vorobiof, D A; Rapoport, B L; Chasen, M R; Abratt, R P; Cronje, N; Fourie, L; McMichael, G; Hacking, D

    2002-03-01

    Current cytotoxic therapy has been of limited benefit to patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Single agent chemotherapy has been extensively evaluated in small series of phase II clinical trials, with disappointing responses. Docetaxel, an effective taxane in the treatment of advanced breast cancer and non-small-cell lung cancer, was administered intravenously at a dose of 100 mg/m2 every 3 weeks to 30 chemotherapy naive patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma in a prospective multi-institutional phase II clinical trial. An objective response rate (partial responses) of 10% was documented. Additionally, 21% of the patients had minor responses (intention-to-treat analysis). Three patients died within 2 weeks post-first cycle of therapy, although only one patient's death was directly attributed to the investigational drug, whilst in the majority of the patients, manageable and treatable toxicities were encountered. In this phase II clinical trial, docetaxel proved to be mildly effective in the treatment of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

  8. Status and prospects for strange physics at LHCb

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2016-01-01

    Rare decays are fundamental probes of physics beyond the Standard Model. We present the current status of rare decays studies at the LHCb experiment and discuss a possible picture emerging from these measurements. The expanding LHCb program of strange physics, in particular of their rare decays, provides a unique and complementary probe to test the SM with respect to the beauty and charm. We present recent results on rare strange hadrons decays exploiting the LHCb Run I data. We then present prospects for strange physics with the LHCb Run II data and after the improvements in the trigger for the LHCb Upgrade.

  9. Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) Lim...

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) Limited Data Set This file contains select claim level data and is derived from 2010 hospital outpatient PPS...

  10. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 13 (SHARTH00040013) on Town Highway 4, crossing Broad Brook, Sharon, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.; Weber, Matthew A.

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure SHARTH00040013 on Town Highway 4 crossing Broad Brook, Sharon, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D.The site is in the New England Upland section of the New England physiographic province in central Vermont. The 16.6-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is brushland on the downstream left overbank and row crops on the right overbank, while the immediate banks have dense woody vegetation. Upstream of the bridge, the overbanks are forested.In the study area, Broad Brook has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.02 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 69 ft and an average bank height of 5 ft. The channel bed material ranges from sand to boulder with a median grain size (D50) of 112 mm (0.369 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I site visit on April 11, 1995 and Level II site visit on July 23, 1996, indicated that the reach was stable.The Town Highway 4 crossing of Broad Brook is a 34-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of one 31-foot concrete tee beam span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, March 23, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 30.1 ft. The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments with wingwalls. The channel is skewed approximately 10 degrees to the opening while

  11. PROMETHEE II: A knowledge-driven method for copper exploration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abedi, Maysam; Ali Torabi, S.; Norouzi, Gholam-Hossain; Hamzeh, Mohammad; Elyasi, Gholam-Reza

    2012-09-01

    This paper describes the application of a well-known Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) technique called Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE II) to explore porphyry copper deposits. Various raster-based evidential layers involving geological, geophysical, and geochemical geo-datasets are integrated to prepare a mineral prospectivity mapping (MPM). In a case study, thirteen layers of the Now Chun copper deposit located in the Kerman province of Iran are used to explore the region of interest. The PROMETHEE II technique is applied to produce the desired MPM, and the outputs are validated using twenty-one boreholes that have been classified into five classes. This proposed method shows a high performance when providing the MPM while reducing the cost of exploratory drilling in the study area.

  12. Use of laparoscopy in trauma at a level II trauma center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barzana, Daniel C; Kotwall, Cyrus A; Clancy, Thomas V; Hope, William W

    2011-01-01

    Enthusiasm for the use of laparoscopy in trauma has not rivaled that for general surgery. The purpose of this study was to evaluate our experience with laparoscopy at a level II trauma center. A retrospective review of all trauma patients undergoing diagnostic or therapeutic laparoscopy was performed from January 2004 to July 2010. Laparoscopy was performed in 16 patients during the study period. The average age was 35 years. Injuries included left diaphragm in 4 patients, mesenteric injury in 2, and vaginal laceration, liver laceration, small bowel injury, renal laceration, urethral/pelvic, and colon injury in 1 patient each. Diagnostic laparoscopy was performed in 11 patients (69%) with 3 patients requiring conversion to an open procedure. Successful therapeutic laparoscopy was performed in 5 patients for repair of isolated diaphragm injuries (2), a small bowel injury, a colon injury, and placement of a suprapubic bladder catheter. Average length of stay was 5.6 days (range, 0 to 23), and 75% of patients were discharged home. Morbidity rate was 13% with no mortalities or missed injuries. Laparoscopy is a seldom-used modality at our trauma center; however, it may play a role in a select subset of patients.

  13. Dose to level I and II axillary lymph nodes and lung by tangential field radiation in patients undergoing postmastectomy radiation with tissue expander reconstruction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Russo, James K; Armeson, Kent E; Rhome, Ryan; Spanos, Michele; Harper, Jennifer L

    2011-01-01

    To define the dosimetric coverage of level I/II axillary volumes and the lung volume irradiated in postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) following tissue expander placement. Twenty-three patients were identified who had undergone postmastectomy radiotherapy with tangent only fields. All patients had pre-radiation tissue expander placement and expansion. Thirteen patients had bilateral expander reconstruction. The level I/II axillary volumes were contoured using the RTOG contouring atlas. The patient-specific variables of expander volume, superior-to-inferior location of expander, distance between expanders, expander angle and axillary volume were analyzed to determine their relationship to the axillary volume and lung volume dose. The mean coverage of the level I/II axillary volume by the 95% isodose line (V D95% ) was 23.9% (range 0.3 - 65.4%). The mean Ipsilateral Lung V D50% was 8.8% (2.2-20.9). Ipsilateral and contralateral expander volume correlated to Axillary V D95% in patients with bilateral reconstruction (p = 0.01 and 0.006, respectively) but not those with ipsilateral only reconstruction (p = 0.60). Ipsilateral Lung V D50% correlated with angle of the expander from midline (p = 0.05). In patients undergoing PMRT with tissue expanders, incidental doses delivered by tangents to the axilla, as defined by the RTOG contouring atlas, do not provide adequate coverage. The posterior-superior region of level I and II is the region most commonly underdosed. Axillary volume coverage increased with increasing expander volumes in patients with bilateral reconstruction. Lung dose increased with increasing expander angle from midline. This information should be considered both when placing expanders and when designing PMRT tangent only treatment plans by contouring and targeting the axilla volume when axillary treatment is indicated

  14. Experimental determination of the energy levels of the antimony atom (Sb II), ions of the antimony (Sb II, Sb III), mercury (Hg IV) and cesium (Cs X)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arcimowicz, B.

    1993-01-01

    The thesis concerns establishing the energy scheme of the electronic levels, obtained from the analysis of the investigated spectra of antimony atom and ions (Sb I, Sb II, Sb III) and higher ionized mercury (Hg IV) and cesium (Cs X) atoms. The experimental studies were performed with optical spectroscopy methods. The spectra of the elements under study obtained in the spectral range from visible (680 nm) to vacuum UV (40 nm) were analysed. The classification and spectroscopic designation of the experimentally established 169 energy levels were obtained on the basis of the performed calculations and the fine structure analysis. The following configurations were considered: 5s 2 5p 2 ns, 5s 2 5p 2 n'd, 5s5p 4 of the antimony atom, 5s 2 5pns, 5s 2 5pn'd, 5s5p 3 of the ion Sb II, 5s 2 ns, 5s 2 n'd, 5s5p 2 of the on Sb III, 5d 8 6p of the ion Hg IV 4d 9 5s and 4d 9 5p Cs X. A reclassification was performed and some changes were introduced to the existing energy level scheme of the antimony atom, with the use of the information obtained from the absorption spectrum taken in the VUV region by the ''flash pyrolysis'' technique. The measurements of the hyperfine splittings in 19 spectral lines belonging to the antimony atom and ions additionally confirmed the assumed classification of the levels involved in these lines. The energy level scheme, obtained for Sb III, was compared to the other ones in the isoelectronic sequence starting with In I. On the basis of the analysis of the Hg IV spectrum it was proved that ground configuration of the three times ionized mercury atom is 5d 9 not 5d 8 6s as assumed until now. The fine structure, established from the analysis of the spectra of the elements under study was examined in multiconfiguration approximation. As a result of the performed calculations the fine structure parameters and wavefunctions were determined for the levels whose energy values were experimentally established in the thesis. (author). 140 refs, 22 figs, 17

  15. Organisational justice and markers of inflammation: the Whitehall II study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elovainio, Marko; Ferrie, Jane E; Singh-Manoux, Archana; Gimeno, David; De Vogli, Roberto; Shipley, Martin; Vahtera, Jussi; Brunner, Eric; Marmot, Michael G; Kivimäki, Mika

    2010-02-01

    Low organisational justice has been shown to be associated with increased risk of various health problems, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We tested whether organisational injustice contributes to chronic inflammation in a population of middle-aged men and women. This prospective cohort study uses data from 3205 men and 1204 women aged 35-55 years at entry into the Whitehall II study (phase 1, 1985-1988). Organisational justice perceptions were assessed at phase 1 and phase 2 (1989-1990) and circulating inflammatory markers C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin (IL)-6 at phase 3 (1991-1993) and phase 7 (2003-2004). In men, low organisational justice was associated with increased CRP levels at both follow-ups (phase 3 and 7) and increased IL-6 at the second follow-up (phase 7). The long term (phase 7) associations were largely independent of covariates, such as age, employment grade, body mass index and depressive symptoms. In women, no relationship was found between organisational justice and CRP or IL-6. This study suggests that organisational injustice is associated with increased long-term levels of inflammatory markers among men.

  16. Performances of the ATLAS Level-1 Muon barrel trigger during the Run-II data taking

    CERN Document Server

    Sessa, Marco; The ATLAS collaboration

    2017-01-01

    The Level-1 Muon Barrel Trigger is one of the main elements of the event selection of the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. It exploits the Resistive Plate Chambers (RPC) detectors to generate the trigger signal. The RPCs are placed in the barrel region of the ATLAS experiment: they are arranged in three concentric double layers and operate in a strong magnetic toroidal field. RPC detectors cover the pseudo-rapidity range $|\\eta|<1.05$ for a total surface of more than $4000\\ m^2$ and about 3600 gas volumes. The Level-1 Muon Trigger in the barrel region allows to select muon candidates with respect to their transverse momentum and associates them with the correct bunch-crossing number. The trigger system is able to take a decision within a latency of about 2 $\\mu s$. The detailed measurement of the RPC detector efficiencies and of the trigger performance during the ATLAS Run-II data taking is here presented.

  17. Synthesis and characterisation of Cu(II), Ni(II), Mn(II), Zn(II) and VO(II ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Unknown

    Synthesis and characterisation of Cu(II), Ni(II), Mn(II), Zn(II) and VO(II) Schiff base complexes derived from o-phenylenediamine and acetoacetanilide. N RAMAN*, Y PITCHAIKANI RAJA and A KULANDAISAMY. Department of Chemistry, VHNSN College, Virudhunagar 626 001, India e-mail: ra_man@123india.com.

  18. Does the clinical use of ethanol-based hand sanitizer elevate blood alcohol levels? A prospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Michael A; Rosin, Alex; Levsky, Marc E; Patel, Manish M; Gregory, Timothy J D; Crystal, Chad S

    2006-11-01

    Ethanol-based hand sanitizers (EBHSs) are used in most health care facilities in the United States. Infection control personnel advocate the use of generous quantities of EBHS before and after contact with patients. Although it is assumed that little systemic absorption of ethanol occurs during EBHS use, many alcohols are absorbed to varying degrees via the transdermal route. Ethanol intoxication by employees in the medical workplace is a potentially serious finding, and it is of forensic and medical-legal importance to elucidate the effects of frequent use of EBHS upon serum blood ethanol levels (BELs). To investigate the effect of frequent use of EBHS upon serum blood ethanol concentrations, we prospectively studied 5 volunteers undergoing frequent application of EBHS. Enrolled subjects applied 5 mL of the product (62% denatured ethyl alcohol manufactured by Kimberley-Clark, Roswell, GA) to both hands and rubbed until dry. This activity was repeated 50 times over 4 hours. Participants had their blood drawn before as well as after completing the study. Each participant was without alcohol exposure during the 12 hours preceding the study. Five volunteers were enrolled. All had an initial blood ethanol level of less than 5 mg/dL. All 5 participants completed the 4-hour study. There were no noted adverse reactions during the study. Blood ethanol level upon completion of the 50 applications of EBHS was less than 5 mg/dL in all 5 study participants. The results of this study demonstrate that use of ethanol-based hand sanitizers, when frequently used in accordance with labeling, do not raise serum blood ethanol levels.

  19. Background level of natural radioactivities in a giant water Cherenkov detector and its surrounding environment; KAMIOKANDE-II

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yamamoto, Masayoshi; Sakanoue, Masanobu; Komura, Kazuhisa; Ueno, Kaoru [Kanazawa Univ., Tatsunokuchi, Ishikawa (Japan). Low Level Radioactivity Lab.

    1989-12-01

    The KAMIOKANDE-II water Cherenkov detector for the measurement of nucleon decay and/or solar neutrino has been operating in the underground laboratory at a depth of 2,700 m.w.e. (meter water equivalent) in Kamioka mine of Gifu Prefecture. Concentrations of {sup 238}U, {sup 232}Th, {sup 226}Ra and {sup 222}Rn as the major background sources have been measured for various kinds of rocks, mine water, mine air and high purity water used as a detector during the period from August 1986 to December 1987. The concentration levels of these radionuclides and their seasonal variation have become clear. Some of these results have provided useful informations for decreasing the background level of water Cherenkov detector. (author).

  20. Prospect theory for online financial trading.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yang-Yu; Nacher, Jose C; Ochiai, Tomoshiro; Martino, Mauro; Altshuler, Yaniv

    2014-01-01

    Prospect theory is widely viewed as the best available descriptive model of how people evaluate risk in experimental settings. According to prospect theory, people are typically risk-averse with respect to gains and risk-seeking with respect to losses, known as the "reflection effect". People are much more sensitive to losses than to gains of the same magnitude, a phenomenon called "loss aversion". Despite of the fact that prospect theory has been well developed in behavioral economics at the theoretical level, there exist very few large-scale empirical studies and most of the previous studies have been undertaken with micro-panel data. Here we analyze over 28.5 million trades made by 81.3 thousand traders of an online financial trading community over 28 months, aiming to explore the large-scale empirical aspect of prospect theory. By analyzing and comparing the behavior of winning and losing trades and traders, we find clear evidence of the reflection effect and the loss aversion phenomenon, which are essential in prospect theory. This work hence demonstrates an unprecedented large-scale empirical evidence of prospect theory, which has immediate implication in financial trading, e.g., developing new trading strategies by minimizing the impact of the reflection effect and the loss aversion phenomenon. Moreover, we introduce three novel behavioral metrics to differentiate winning and losing traders based on their historical trading behavior. This offers us potential opportunities to augment online social trading where traders are allowed to watch and follow the trading activities of others, by predicting potential winners based on their historical trading behavior.

  1. Prospect theory for online financial trading.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang-Yu Liu

    Full Text Available Prospect theory is widely viewed as the best available descriptive model of how people evaluate risk in experimental settings. According to prospect theory, people are typically risk-averse with respect to gains and risk-seeking with respect to losses, known as the "reflection effect". People are much more sensitive to losses than to gains of the same magnitude, a phenomenon called "loss aversion". Despite of the fact that prospect theory has been well developed in behavioral economics at the theoretical level, there exist very few large-scale empirical studies and most of the previous studies have been undertaken with micro-panel data. Here we analyze over 28.5 million trades made by 81.3 thousand traders of an online financial trading community over 28 months, aiming to explore the large-scale empirical aspect of prospect theory. By analyzing and comparing the behavior of winning and losing trades and traders, we find clear evidence of the reflection effect and the loss aversion phenomenon, which are essential in prospect theory. This work hence demonstrates an unprecedented large-scale empirical evidence of prospect theory, which has immediate implication in financial trading, e.g., developing new trading strategies by minimizing the impact of the reflection effect and the loss aversion phenomenon. Moreover, we introduce three novel behavioral metrics to differentiate winning and losing traders based on their historical trading behavior. This offers us potential opportunities to augment online social trading where traders are allowed to watch and follow the trading activities of others, by predicting potential winners based on their historical trading behavior.

  2. Run II of the LHC: The Accelerator Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Redaelli, Stefano

    2015-04-01

    In 2015 the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) starts its Run II operation. After the successful Run I at 3.5 TeV and 4 TeV in the 2010-2013 period, a first long shutdown (LS1) was mainly dedicated to the consolidation of the LHC magnet interconnections, to allow the LHC to operate at its design beam energy of 7 TeV. Other key accelerator systems have also been improved to optimize the performance reach at higher beam energies. After a review of the LS1 activities, the status of the LHC start-up progress is reported, addressing in particular the status of the LHC hardware commissioning and of the training campaign of superconducting magnets that will determine the operation beam energy in 2015. Then, the plans for the Run II operation are reviewed in detail, covering choice of initial machine parameters and strategy to improve the Run II performance. Future prospects of the LHC and its upgrade plans are also presented.

  3. Biologically active new Fe(II, Co(II, Ni(II, Cu(II, Zn(II and Cd(II complexes of N-(2-thienylmethylenemethanamine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. SPÎNU

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Iron(II, cobalt(II, nickel (II, copper (II, zinc(II and cadmium(II complexes of the type ML2Cl2, where M is a metal and L is the Schiff base N-(2-thienylmethylenemethanamine (TNAM formed by the condensation of 2-thiophenecarboxaldehyde and methylamine, were prepared and characterized by elemental analysis as well as magnetic and spectroscopic measurements. The elemental analyses suggest the stoichiometry to be 1:2 (metal:ligand. Magnetic susceptibility data coupled with electronic, ESR and Mössbauer spectra suggest a distorted octahedral structure for the Fe(II, Co(II and Ni(II complexes, a square-planar geometry for the Cu(II compound and a tetrahedral geometry for the Zn(II and Cd(II complexes. The infrared and NMR spectra of the complexes agree with co-ordination to the central metal atom through nitrogen and sulphur atoms. Conductance measurements suggest the non-electrolytic nature of the complexes, except for the Cu(II, Zn(II and Cd(II complexes, which are 1:2 electrolytes. The Schiff base and its metal chelates were screened for their biological activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the metal chelates were found to possess better antibacterial activity than that of the uncomplexed Schiff base.

  4. Varicocele is associated with hypogonadism and impaired erectile function: a prospective comparative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, B; Jin, X-B

    2017-08-01

    We conducted this prospective comparative study to examine the hypothesis that varicocele was associated with hypogonadism and impaired erectile function as reflected in International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) scores as well as nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity (NPTR) parameters. From December 2014 to December 2015, a total of 130 males with varicocele complaining of infertility or scrotal discomfort and 130 age-matched healthy males chosen from volunteer healthy hospital staff as controls were recruited in this study. Serum testosterone (TT) levels and IIEF-5 scores as well as NPTR parameters were evaluated and compared between varicocele and control subjects. All participants were further grouped into hypogonadism based on the cut-off value 300 ng/dL. A total of 45 of 130 patients were identified as hypogonadism, while it was not found in control subjects. A multivariate logistic regression with likelihood ratio test revealed that TT levels as well as grade III and II varicocele posed significant indicators for hypogonadism occurrence (chi-square of likelihood ratio = 12.40, df = 3, p hypogonadism was confirmed in this study and an impaired erectile function correlated with TT levels and infertility duration was also observed. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  5. Educational Level, Anticoagulation Quality, and Clinical Outcomes in Elderly Patients with Acute Venous Thromboembolism: A Prospective Cohort Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hofmann, Eveline; Faller, Nicolas; Limacher, Andreas; Méan, Marie; Tritschler, Tobias; Rodondi, Nicolas; Aujesky, Drahomir

    2016-01-01

    Whether the level of education is associated with anticoagulation quality and clinical outcomes in patients with acute venous thromboembolism (VTE) is uncertain. We thus aimed to investigate the association between educational level and anticoagulation quality and clinical outcomes in elderly patients with acute VTE. We studied 817 patients aged ≥65 years with acute VTE from a Swiss prospective multicenter cohort study (09/2009-12/2013). We defined three educational levels: 1) less than high school, 2) high school, and 3) post-secondary degree. The primary outcome was the anticoagulation quality, expressed as the percentage of time spent in the therapeutic INR range (TTR). Secondary outcomes were the time to a first recurrent VTE and major bleeding. We adjusted for potential confounders and periods of anticoagulation. Overall, 56% of patients had less than high school, 25% a high school degree, and 18% a post-secondary degree. The mean percentage of TTR was similar across educational levels (less than high school, 61%; high school, 64%; and post-secondary, 63%; P = 0.36). Within three years of follow-up, patients with less than high school, high school, and a post-secondary degree had a cumulative incidence of recurrent VTE of 14.2%, 12.9%, and 16.4%, and a cumulative incidence of major bleeding of 13.3%, 15.1%, and 15.4%, respectively. After adjustment, educational level was neither associated with anticoagulation quality nor with recurrent VTE or major bleeding. In elderly patients with VTE, we did not find an association between educational level and anticoagulation quality or clinical outcomes.

  6. Uranium prospecting; La prospection de l'uranium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roubault, M [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1955-07-01

    This report is an instruction book for uranium prospecting. It appeals to private prospecting. As prospecting is now a scientific and technical research, it cannot be done without preliminary studies. First of all, general prospecting methods are given with a recall of fundamental geologic data and some general principles which are common with all type of prospecting. The peculiarities of uranium prospecting are also presented and in particular the radioactivity property of uranium as well as the special aspect of uranium ores and the aspect of neighbouring ores. In a third part, a description of the different uranium ores is given and separated in two different categories: primary and secondary ores, according to the place of transformation, deep or near the crust surface respectively. In the first category, the primary ores include pitchblende, thorianite and rare uranium oxides as euxenite and fergusonite for example. In the second category, the secondary ores contain autunite and chalcolite for example. An exhaustive presentation of the geiger-Mueller counter is given with the presentation of its different components, its functioning and utilization and its maintenance. The radioactivity interpretation method is showed as well as the elaboration of a topographic map of the measured radioactivity. A brief presentation of other detection methods than geiger-Mueller counters is given: the measurement of fluorescence and a chemical test using the fluorescence properties of uranium salts. Finally, the main characteristics of uranium deposits are discussed. (M.P.)

  7. Prospective phase II study evaluating the efficacy of swallow ability screening tests and pneumonia prevention using a team approach for elderly patients with gastric cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miki, Yuichiro; Makuuchi, Rie; Honda, Shinsaku; Tokunaga, Masanori; Tanizawa, Yutaka; Bando, Etsuro; Kawamura, Taiichi; Yurikusa, Takashi; Tanuma, Akira; Terashima, Masanori

    2018-03-01

    Aging partly impairs swallowing function, which is considered a risk factor for postoperative pneumonia (PP). We evaluated the efficacy of a new team-based strategy to reduce the incidence of PP in elderly patients with gastric cancer. This single-center, prospective phase II study included elderly patients (≥75 years old) with gastric cancer undergoing gastric surgery. The primary endpoint was the incidence of Clavien-Dindo grade II or higher PP. Patients were initially screened using three swallowing function screening tests: a symptom questionnaire, the modified water swallow test (MSWT), and the repetitive saliva swallowing test (RSST). All patients were provided standard preoperative oral checks and care and simple neck muscle training. For patients who screened positive, a videofluorographic swallowing study was performed; if an abnormality was found, the patient was given intensive swallowing rehabilitation both pre- and postoperatively. Of 86 eligible patients enrolled, PP developed in 3 (3.5%). The 60% confidence interval of 1.8-6.3% had an upper limit below the prespecified threshold of 7.8%. Positive screening results were found for 19 patients (22.1%) on the symptom questionnaire, 3 (3.5%) on the MSWT, and 1 (1.2%) on the RSST. PP was not observed in any patients who screened positive. In conclusion, although the screening tests we adopted here were not sufficient to identify patients at high risk of aspiration pneumonia, perioperative interventions using a team approach might be effective in reducing the incidence of PP in elderly patients with gastric cancer.

  8. A phase II randomized trial comparing radiotherapy with concurrent weekly cisplatin or weekly paclitaxel in patients with advanced cervical cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geara, Fady B; Shamseddine, Ali; Khalil, Ali; Abboud, Mirna; Charafeddine, Maya; Seoud, Muhieddine

    2010-01-01

    This is a prospective comparison of weekly cisplatin to weekly paclitaxel as concurrent chemotherapy with standard radiotherapy for locally advanced cervical carcinoma. Between May 2000 and May 2004, 31 women with FIGO stage IB2-IVA cervical cancer or with postsurgical pelvic recurrence were enrolled into this phase II study and randomized to receive on a weekly basis either 40 mg/m 2 Cisplatin (group I; 16 patients) or 50 mg/m 2 paclitaxel (group II; 15 patients) concurrently with radiotherapy. Median total dose to point A was 74 Gy (range: 66-92 Gy) for group I and 66 Gy (range: 40-98 Gy) for group II. Median follow-up time was 46 months. Patient and tumor characteristics were similar in both groups. The mean number of chemotherapy cycles was also comparable with 87% and 80% of patients receiving at least 4 doses in groups I and II, respectively. Seven patients (44%) of group I and 8 patients (53%) of group II developed tumor recurrence. The Median Survival time was not reached for Group I and 53 months for group II. The proportion of patients surviving at 2 and 5 years was 78% and 54% for group I and 73% and 43% for group II respectively. This small prospective study shows that weekly paclitaxel does not provide any clinical advantage over weekly cisplatin for concurrent chemoradiation for advanced carcinoma of the cervix

  9. Adjuvant therapy in stage I and stage II epithelial ovarian cancer. Results of two prospective randomized trials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Young, R.C.; Walton, L.A.; Ellenberg, S.S.; Homesley, H.D.; Wilbanks, G.D.; Decker, D.G.; Miller, A.; Park, R.; Major, F. Jr.

    1990-01-01

    About a third of patients with ovarian cancer present with localized disease; despite surgical resection, up to half the tumors recur. Since it has not been established whether adjuvant treatment can benefit such patients, we conducted two prospective, randomized national cooperative trials of adjuvant therapy in patients with localized ovarian carcinoma. All patients underwent surgical resection plus comprehensive staging and, 18 months later, surgical re-exploration. In the first trial, 81 patients with well-differentiated or moderately well differentiated cancers confined to the ovaries (Stages Iai and Ibi) were assigned to receive either no chemotherapy or melphalan (0.2 mg per kilogram of body weight per day for five days, repeated every four to six weeks for up to 12 cycles). After a median follow-up of more than six years, there were no significant differences between the patients given no chemotherapy and those treated with melphalan with respect to either five-year disease-free survival or overall survival. In the second trial, 141 patients with poorly differentiated Stage I tumors or with cancer outside the ovaries but limited to the pelvis (Stage II) were randomly assigned to treatment with either melphalan (in the same regimen as above) or a single intraperitoneal dose of 32P (15 mCi) at the time of surgery. In this trial (median follow-up, greater than 6 years) the outcomes for the two treatment groups were similar with respect to five-year disease-free survival (80 percent in both groups) and overall survival (81 percent with melphalan vs. 78 percent with 32P; P = 0.48). We conclude that in patients with localized ovarian cancer, comprehensive staging at the time of surgical resection can serve to identify those patients (as defined by the first trial) who can be followed without adjuvant chemotherapy

  10. Prospective guidance in a free-swimming cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delafield-Butt, Jonathan T; Pepping, Gert-Jan; McCaig, Colin D; Lee, David N

    2012-07-01

    A systems theory of movement control in animals is presented in this article and applied to explaining the controlled behaviour of the single-celled Paramecium caudatum in an electric field. The theory-General Tau Theory-is founded on three basic principles: (i) all purposive movement entails prospectively controlling the closure of action-gaps (e.g. a distance gap when reaching, or an angle gap when steering); (ii) the sole informational variable required for controlling gaps is the relative rate of change of the gap (the time derivative of the gap size divided by the size), which can be directly sensed; and (iii) a coordinated movement is achieved by keeping the relative rates of change of gaps in a constant ratio. The theory is supported by studies of controlled movement in mammals, birds and insects. We now show for the first time that it is also supported by single-celled paramecia steering to the cathode in a bi-polar electric field. General Tau Theory is deployed to explain this guided steering by the cell. This article presents the first computational model of prospective perceptual control in a non-neural, single-celled system.

  11. Complexes of cobalt(II), nickel(II), copper(II), zinc(II), cadmium(II) and dioxouranium(II) with thiophene-2-aldehydethiosemicarbazone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, Balwan; Misra, Harihar

    1986-01-01

    Metal complexes of thiosemicarbazides have been known for their pharmacological applications. Significant antitubercular, fungicidal and antiviral activities have been reported for thiosemicarbazides and their derivatives. The present study describes the systhesis and characterisation of complexes of Co II , Cu II , Zn II ,Cd II and UO II with thiosemicarbazone obtained by condensing thiophene-2-aldehyde with thiosemicarbazide. 17 refs., 2 tables. (author)

  12. HTLV-I/II and blood donors: determinants associated with seropositivity in a low risk population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bernadette Catalan Soares

    2003-08-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Blood donors in Brazil have been routinely screened for HTLV-I/II since 1993. A study was performed to estimate the prevalence of HTLV-I/II infection in a low risk population and to better understand determinants associated with seropositivity. METHODS: HTLV-I/II seropositive (n=135, indeterminate (n=167 and seronegative blood donors (n=116 were enrolled in an open prevalence prospective cohort study. A cross-sectional epidemiological study of positive, indeterminate and seronegative HTLV-I/II subjects was conducted to assess behavioral and environmental risk factors for seropositivity. HTLV-I/II serological status was confirmed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (EIA and Western blot (WB. RESULTS: The three groups were not homogeneous. HTLV-I/II seropositivity was associated to past blood transfusion and years of schooling, a marker of socioeconomic status, and use of non-intravenous illegal drugs. CONCLUSIONS: The study results reinforce the importance of continuous monitoring and improvement of blood donor selection process.

  13. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 67 (MTHOTH00120067) on Town Highway 12, crossing Freeman Brook, Mount Holly, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.; Severance, Timothy

    1998-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure MTHOTH00120067 on Town Highway 12 crossing Freeman Brook, Mount Holly, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (FHWA, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in appendix D. The site is in the Green Mountain section of the New England physiographic province in south-central Vermont. The 11.4-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is forested. In the study area, Freeman Brook has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.01 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 51 ft and an average bank height of 6 ft. The channel bed material ranges from sand to boulders with a median grain size (D50) of 55.7 mm (0.183 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on October 5, 1995, indicated that the reach was stable. The Town Highway 12 crossing of Freeman Brook is a 34-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of a 30-foot prestressed concrete-slab span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, March 15, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 29.5 ft. The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments with wingwalls. The channel is skewed approximately 50 degrees to the opening while the opening-skew-to-roadway is 15 degrees. Along the upstream right wingwall, the right abutment and the downstream right wingwall, a scour hole approximately 1.0 to 2.0 ft deeper than the mean thalweg

  14. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 40 (ROCKTH00140040) on Town Highway 14, crossing the Williams River, Rockingham, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burns, Ronda L.; Wild, Emily C.

    1998-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure ROCKTH00140040 on Town Highway 14 crossing the Williams River, Rockingham, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (FHWA, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in appendix D. The site is in the New England Upland section of the New England physiographic province in southeastern Vermont. The 99.2-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is pasture downstream of the bridge. Upstream of the bridge, the left bank is forested and the right bank is suburban. In the study area, the Williams River has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.005 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 154 ft and an average bank height of 11 ft. The channel bed material ranges from silt and clay to cobble with a median grain size (D50) of 45.4 mm (0.149 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on September 4, 1996, indicated that the reach was stable. The Town Highway 14 crossing of the Williams River is a 106-ft-long, one-lane covered bridge consisting of two steel-beam spans with a maximum span length of 73 ft (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, April 6, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 94.5 ft. The bridge is supported by a vertical, concrete abutment with wingwalls on the left, a vertical, laid-up stone abutment on the right and a concrete pier. The channel is skewed

  15. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 34 (ROCHTH00210034) on Town Highway 21, crossing the White River, Rochester, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.; Degnan, James

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure ROCHTH00210034 on Town Highway 21 crossing the White River, Rochester, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, obtained from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D.The site is in the Green Mountain section of the New England physiographic province in central Vermont. The 74.8-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is suburban on the upstream and downstream left overbanks, though brush prevails along the immediate banks. On the upstream and downstream right overbanks, the surface cover is pasture with brush and trees along the immediate banks.In the study area, the White River has an incised, straight channel with a slope of approximately 0.002 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 102 ft and an average bank height of 5 ft. The channel bed material ranges from sand to cobble with a median grain size (D50) of 74.4 mm (0.244 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on July 23, 1996, indicated that the reach was stable.The Town Highway 21 crossing of the White River is a 72-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of 70-foot steel stringer span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, March 22, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 67.0 ft. The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments with wingwalls. The channel is skewed approximately 15

  16. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 38 (JERITH0020038) on Town Highway 20, crossing the Lee River, Jericho, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.; Degnan, James R.

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure JERITH00200038 on Town Highway 20 crossing the Lee River, Jericho, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, obtained from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D. The site is in the Green Mountain section of the New England physiographic province and the Champlain section of the St. Lawrence physiographic province in northwestern Vermont. The 12.9-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover on the upstream and downstream right overbank is pasture while the immediate banks have dense woody vegetation. The surface cover on the upstream and downstream left overbank is forested. In the study area, the Lee River has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.02 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 89 ft and an average bank height of 14 ft. The channel bed material ranges from sand to boulder with a median grain size (D50) of 45.9 mm (0.151 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on July 2, 1996, indicated that the reach was stable. The Town Highway 20 crossing of the Lee River is a 49-ft-long, one-lane bridge consisting of a steel through truss span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, December 12, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 44 ft. The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments with wingwalls. The channel is

  17. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 18 (SHEFTH00410018) on Town Highway 41, crossing Millers Run, Sheffield, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.; Boehmler, Erick M.

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure SHEFTH00410018 on Town Highway 41 crossing Millers Run, Sheffield, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D. The site is in the White Mountain section of the New England physiographic province in northeastern Vermont. The 16.2-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is grass upstream and downstream of the bridge while the immediate banks have dense woody vegetation. In the study area, Millers Run has an incised, straight channel with a slope of approximately 0.01 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 50 ft and an average bank height of 6 ft. The channel bed material ranges from sand to boulder with a median grain size (D50) of 50.9 mm (0.167 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on August 1, 1995, indicated that the reach was laterally unstable, which is evident in the moderate to severe fluvial erosion in the upstream reach. The Town Highway 41 crossing of the Millers Run is a 30-ft-long, one-lane bridge consisting of a 28-foot steel-stringer span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, March 28, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 22.2 ft. The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments with wingwalls. The channel is skewed approximately 20 degrees to the opening. The computed

  18. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 25 (ROCHTH00400025) on Town Highway 40, crossing Corporation Brook, Rochester, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.; Weber, Matthew A.

    1998-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure ROCHTH00400025 on Town Highway 40 crossing Corporation Brook, Rochester, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (FHWA, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, from Vermont Agency of Transportation files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in appendix D. The site is in the Green Mountain section of the New England physiographic province in central Vermont. The 4.97-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is forest on the upstream left and right overbanks, and the downstream left overbank. On the downstream right overbank, the surface cover is predominately brushland. In the study area, Corporation Brook has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.04 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 37 ft and an average bank height of 6 ft. The channel bed material ranges from gravel to boulders with a median grain size (D50) of 101 mm (0.332 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I site visit on April 12, 1995 and Level I and II site visit on July 8, 1996, indicated that the reach was stable. The Town Highway 40 crossing of Corporation Brook is a 31-ft-long, one-lane bridge consisting of a 26-foot steel stringer span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, March 22, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 24 ft. The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments. The channel is skewed approximately 15 degrees to the opening while the opening-skew-to-roadway is 15 degrees. A scour hole 1

  19. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 15 (BOLTTH00150015) on Town Highway 15, crossing Joiner Brook, Bolton, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burns, Ronda L.; Wild, Emily C.

    1998-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure BOLTTH00150015 on Town Highway 15 crossing Joiner Brook, Bolton, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (FHWA, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in appendix D. The site is in the Green Mountain section of the New England physiographic province in north central Vermont. The 9.6-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is pasture (lawn) downstream of the bridge and on the upstream right bank. The surface cover on the upstream left bank is shrub and brushland. In the study area, Joiner Brook has an incised, straight channel with a slope of approximately 0.01 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 61 ft and an average bank height of 7 ft. The channel bed material ranges from gravel to cobble with a median grain size (D50) of 43.6 mm (0.143 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on June 27, 1996, indicated that the reach was stable. The Town Highway 15 crossing of Joiner Brook is a 39-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of one 36-foot concrete tee-beam span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, November 3, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 34.6 ft. The bridge is supported by nearly vertical, concrete abutments with wingwalls. The channel is skewed approximately 10 degrees to the opening while the opening-skew-to-roadway is zero degrees. A scour hole 1.5 ft deeper than the

  20. Prospective Study of Combined Colon and Endometrial Cancer Screening in Women With Lynch Syndrome: A Patient-Centered Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Marilyn; Sun, Charlotte; Boyd-Rogers, Stephanie; Burzawa, Jennifer; Milbourne, Andrea; Keeler, Elizabeth; Yzquierdo, Rebecca; Lynch, Patrick; Peterson, Susan K.; Lu, Karen

    2011-01-01

    Background: Endometrial and colorectal cancers are the most common cancers in Lynch syndrome. Consensus guidelines recommend annual endometrial biopsy (EMB) and regular colonoscopies. We assessed the feasibility of concurrently performing EMB and colonoscopy and evaluated women's perception of pain, satisfaction, and acceptability. Methods: From July 2002 to December 2009, women who had a gene mutation for Lynch syndrome, met the Amsterdam II criteria, or had a high-risk situation that required screening were prospectively enrolled. After conscious sedation, the procedures were sequentially performed. Patients completed pre- and postprocedure questionnaires assessing pain, level of satisfaction, and acceptability. The Wilcoxon rank test and Mann-Whitney test were used to compare pain scores. Results: Forty-two women completed the study. Median age was 37 years (range, 25 to 73). Nineteen had previously had an EMB in the office setting. Women reported significantly lower median levels of pain in the combined procedure compared with previous office setting biopsies (P Lynch syndrome screening recommendations. PMID:21532810

  1. Inequality in malnutrition by maternal education levels in early childhood: the Prospective Cohort of Thai Children (PCTC).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Seo Ah; Winichagoon, Pattanee; Mongkolchati, Aroonsri

    2017-05-01

    As tackling socioeconomic inequality in child malnutrition still remains one of the greatest challenges in developing countries, we examined maternal educational differences in malnutrition and the magnitude of its inequality among 4,198 children from the Prospective Cohort study of Thai Children (PCTC). Prevalence of stunting, underweight, and wasting from birth to 24 months was calculated using the new WHO growth chart. The Relative Index of Inequality (RII) was used to examine the magnitude and trend of inequality in malnutrition between maternal educational levels. The low education group had lower weight and height in most ages than the high education group. Faltering in height was observed in all education levels, but was most remarkable in the low education group. On the other hand, while upward trends for weight-for-age and weight-for-height across ages were observed in the high education group, a marked decline between 6 to 12 months was observed in the low education group. An increasing trend in inequality in The RII revealed an increasing trend in inequality in stunting, underweight, and wasting by maternal education levels was observed during infancy with an almost monotonic increase until 24 months, although the inequality in wasting decreased after 18 months of age. Inequality in malnutrition remarkably increased during infancy, and for stunting and underweight it remained until 24 months. These findings shed light on the extent of malnutrition inequality during the first 2 years of life and they suggest sustainable efforts must be established at the national level to tackle the malnutrition inequality in infancy.

  2. Level of consciousness in dying patients. The role of palliative sedation: a longitudinal prospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Claessens, Patricia; Menten, Johan; Schotsmans, Paul; Broeckaert, Bert

    2012-05-01

    Patients suffering from a terminal illness often are confronted with severe symptoms during the last phase of their lives. Palliative sedation, although one of the options of last resort, remains a much debated and controversial issue and is often referred to as a form of slow euthanasia or euthanasia in disguise. A prospective longitudinal and descriptive design was used. Each patient admitted in one of the 8 participating units was included if they met the inclusion criteria and gave written informed consent. 266 patients were included. The incidence of palliative sedation was 7;5%. For the group of sedated patients results show that 90% entered the palliative care unit being fully conscious. Two patients were comatose upon arrival. 90% of the patients remained fully conscious up to the day palliative sedation was started. When looking at the effect of palliative sedation on the level of consciousness the analysis strongly suggest that the palliative sedation - as expected- has an impact on the GCS score. Irrespective of the dichotomization of the score the probability of having a lower GCS increases substantially once sedation is initiated. Additionally, results show that once palliative sedation is administered, the level of consciousness gradually goes down up until the day of death. Palliative sedation is nor slow euthanasia nor an ambivalent practice. It is an intentional medical treatment which is administered in a proportional way when refractory suffering occurs. It occurs in extraordinary situations and at the very end of the dying process.

  3. Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Levels in Term Newborns with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umran, Raid M R; Al-Tahir, Mahir; Jagdish, Desai; Chouthai, Nitin

    2016-06-01

    Objective This study aims to evaluate the correlation of changes in serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels with the clinical staging of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in term newborns. Study Design A prospective study of 29 newborns with HIE (stage I = 15, stage II + III = 14) and 28 healthy term newborns as the control group was performed in the neonatal intensive care unit. IGF-1 levels were obtained within 6 hours after birth from HIE and control groups and again on day 3 from HIE group. HIE was classified using the Sarnat staging I to III. Results IGF-1 levels were significantly lower in the HIE group than in the control group (p = 0.024). It was lower in the HIE stage II to III group compared with HIE stage I group at birth (p < 0.0001) and on day 3 (p = 0.009). The mean IGF-1 levels were significantly higher on day 3 than on day 1 among stage II to III HIE (p = 0.006) and it was inversely correlated with staging (R =  - 0.475, p = 0.009). There was a significant correlation between IGF-1 levels and Apgar score at 5 (R = 0.39, p = 0.042) and 10 minutes (R = 0.38, p = 0.035). Conclusions IGF-1 was lower in HIE and inversely correlated with clinical staging. It was increased with clinical improvement in the subsequent days. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

  4. Interaction of CREDO [Centralized Reliability Data Organization] with the EBR-II [Experimental Breeder Reactor II] PRA [probabilistic risk assessment] development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, M.S.; Ragland, W.A.

    1989-01-01

    The National Academy of Sciences review of US Department of Energy (DOE) class 1 reactors recommended that the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II), operated by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), develop a level 1 probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) and make provisions for level 2 and level 3 PRAs based on the results of the level 1 PRA. The PRA analysis group at ANL will utilize the Centralized Reliability Data Organization (CREDO) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to support the PRA data needs. CREDO contains many years of empirical liquid-metal reactor component data from EBR-II. CREDO is a mutual data- and cost-sharing system sponsored by DOE and the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuels Development Corporation of Japan. CREDO is a component based data system; data are collected on components that are liquid-metal specific, associated with a liquid-metal environment, contained in systems that interface with liquid-metal environments, or are safety related for use in reliability/availability/maintainability (RAM) analyses of advanced reactors. The links between the EBR-II PRA development effort and the CREDO data collection at EBR-II extend beyond the sharing of data. The PRA provides a measure of the relative contribution to risk of the various components. This information can be used to prioritize future CREDO data collection activities at EBR-II and other sites

  5. HERMES II experimenters' manual (revised)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schuch, R.L.

    1977-04-01

    The HERMES II is a high-intensity laboratory photon source for gamma-ray radiation effects experiments as well as a high-energy pulsed electron beam generator for a variety of potential applications. The purpose of this manual is to serve as a basic source of information for prospective users of HERMES. Included is a brief discussion of the design and operation of the accelerator system as well as a summary of environmental data for x-ray operation and output characteristics for electron beam modes. The manual also contains a description of the HERMES experimental facilities, including geometry of the test cell, instrumentation and data collection capabilities, and services and support available to experimenters

  6. The 12-item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHO-DAS II: a nonparametric item response analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernandez Ana

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Previous studies have analyzed the psychometric properties of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHO-DAS II using classical omnibus measures of scale quality. These analyses are sample dependent and do not model item responses as a function of the underlying trait level. The main objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the WHO-DAS II items and their options in discriminating between changes in the underlying disability level by means of item response analyses. We also explored differential item functioning (DIF in men and women. Methods The participants were 3615 adult general practice patients from 17 regions of Spain, with a first diagnosed major depressive episode. The 12-item WHO-DAS II was administered by the general practitioners during the consultation. We used a non-parametric item response method (Kernel-Smoothing implemented with the TestGraf software to examine the effectiveness of each item (item characteristic curves and their options (option characteristic curves in discriminating between changes in the underliying disability level. We examined composite DIF to know whether women had a higher probability than men of endorsing each item. Results Item response analyses indicated that the twelve items forming the WHO-DAS II perform very well. All items were determined to provide good discrimination across varying standardized levels of the trait. The items also had option characteristic curves that showed good discrimination, given that each increasing option became more likely than the previous as a function of increasing trait level. No gender-related DIF was found on any of the items. Conclusions All WHO-DAS II items were very good at assessing overall disability. Our results supported the appropriateness of the weights assigned to response option categories and showed an absence of gender differences in item functioning.

  7. A Randomized 10-year Prospective Follow-up of Class II Nanohybrid and Conventional Hybrid Resin Composite Restorations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    van Dijken, Jan Wv; Pallesen, Ulla

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the 10-year durability of a nanohybrid resin composite in Class II restorations in a randomized controlled intraindividual comparison with its conventional hybrid resin composite predecessor. Materials and Methods: Each of 52 participants received at least two Class II...... restorations that were as similar as possible. The cavities were chosen at random to be restored with a nanohybrid resin composite (Excite/Tetric EvoCeram (TEC); n = 61) and a conventional hybrid (Excite/Tetric Ceram (TC); n = 61). The restorations were evaluated with slightly modified USPHS criteria...... investigated resin composites. Conclusion: The nanohybrid and the conventional hybrid resin composite showed good clinical effectiveness in extensive Class II restorations during the 10-year study....

  8. Mn(II), Zn(II) and VO(II) Schiff

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Journal of Chemical Sciences; Volume 113; Issue 3. Synthesis and characterisation of Cu(II), Ni(II), Mn(II), Zn(II) and VO(II) Schiff base complexes derived from o-phenylenediamine and acetoacetanilide. N Raman Y Pitchaikani Raja A Kulandaisamy. Inorganic Volume 113 Issue 3 June 2001 pp 183-189 ...

  9. Broad-band time-resolved near infrared spectroscopy in the TJ-II stellarator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rodriguez, M.C.; Pastor, I.; Cal, E. de la; McCarthy, K.J. [Laboratorio Nacional de Fusion, CIEMAT, Madrid (Spain); Diaz, D. [Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Dept Quimica Fisica Aplicada, Madrid (Spain)

    2014-11-15

    First experimental results on broad-band, time-resolved Near Infrared (NIR;here loosely defined as covering from 750 to 1650 nm) passive spectroscopy using a high sensitivity InGaAs detector are reported for the TJ-II Stellarator. Experimental set-up is described together with its main characteristics, the most remarkable ones being its enhanced NIR response, broadband spectrum acquisition in a single shot, and time-resolved measurements with up to 1.8 kHz spectral rate. Prospects for future work and more extended physics studies in this newly open spectral region in TJ-II are discussed. (copyright 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  10. Determination of subnanomolar levels of mercury (II) by using a graphite paste electrode modified with MWCNTs and Hg(II)-imprinted polymer nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alizadeh, Taher; Hamidi, Negin; Ganjali, Mohamad Reza; Rafiei, Faride

    2017-12-05

    Mercury ion-imprinted polymer nanoparticles (Hg-IP-NPs) were synthesized via precipitation polymerization by using itaconic acid as a functional monomer. A carbon paste electrode was impregnated with the synthesized Hg-IP-NPs and MWCNTs to obtain a highly sensitive and selective electrode for determination of Hg(II). Mercury ion is first accumulated on the electrode surface via an open circuit procedure. After reduction of Hg(II) ions to its metallic form at a negative pre-potential, square wave anodic stripping voltammetry was applied to generate the electrochemical signal. The high affinity of the Hg-IP-NPs for Hg(II) was substantiated by comparing of the signals of electrodes with imprinted and non-imprinted polymer. The beneficial effect of MWCNTs on the voltammetric signal is also demonstrated. Under the optimized conditions and at a typical working potential of +0.05 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), the electrode has a linear response in the 0.1-20 nmol L -1 Hg(II) concentration range and a 29 pM detection limit. The electrochemical sensitivity is as high as 1441 A·M -1 ·cm -2 which is among the best values known. The electrode was applied to the determination of Hg(II) in water samples. Graphical abstract Schematic representation of the sensor electrode modified with mercury-imprinted polymer nanoparticles, and the recognition and voltammetric determination steps.

  11. A Case Study of Gender Bias at the Postdoctoral Level in Physics, and its Resulting Impact on the Academic Career Advancement of Females

    OpenAIRE

    Towers, S.

    2008-01-01

    This case study of a typical U.S. particle physics experiment explores the issues of gender bias and how it affects the academic career advancement prospects of women in the field of physics beyond the postdoctoral level; we use public databases to study the career paths of the full cohort of 57 former postdoctoral researchers on the Run II Dzero experiment to examine if males and females were treated in a gender-blind fashion on the experiment. The study finds that the female researchers wer...

  12. Effect of NonSurgical Periodontal Therapy on Plasma Levels of IL-17 in Chronic Periodontitis Patients with Well Controlled Type-II Diabetes Mellitus—A Clinical Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vishnu Jayakumar Sunandhakumari

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available For years the pathogenesis of periodontitis was under an immunological Th1/Th2 paradigm. Th1 cells are considered to afford protection against the intracellular pathogens. These cells produce the interferons (IFN that are involved in macrophage activation, which, in turn, plays an important role in phagocytosis, complement fixation, and opsonization. Th2 cells are thought to have evolved as a form of protection against parasitic helminthes. Th17 subset of CD4Not Necessary+ T cells was identified in the year 2005, which added greater complexity to Th function and are pro inflammatory in nature. Interleukins (ILs have the ability to alter immunological changes and they also possess the ability to regulate lymphocyte differentiation and haemopoietic stem cells, cell proliferation, and motility, which are classified as pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory. There are numerous studies that reported IL-17 levels associated with chronic periodontitis (CP development. Type II diabetes mellitus (DM is considered a risk factor for the development of periodontal diseases because the incidence, progression, and severity of periodontal diseases are more common with Type II DM than without DM. This study was aimed at evaluating whether non-surgical periodontal therapy had any effect on plasma concentrations of Interleukin-17 in systemically healthy chronic periodontitis patients and in chronic periodontitis patients with well controlled Type II Diabetes mellitus. Patients were divided into the two groups including the chronic periodontitis group (20 subjects and the chronic periodontitis with well-controlled Type II Diabetes mellitus group (20 subjects. The Gingival Index and Plaque Index as well as the clinical Attachment Level (CAL were taken from all the patients of two groups after evaluating fasting blood sugar, post prandial blood sugar, and the Glycated Hemoglobin Level (HbA1c. Then 5 mL blood samples were collected from each patient and plasma was

  13. Existence of limit cycles in a three level trophic chain with Lotka–Volterra and Holling type II functional responses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Castellanos, Víctor; Chan-López, Ramón E.

    2017-01-01

    In this paper we analyze a three level trophic chain model, considering a logistic growth for the lowest trophic level, a Lotka–Volterra and Holling type II functional responses for predators in the middle and in the cusp in the chain, respectively. The differential system is based on the Leslie–Gower scheme. We establish conditions on the parameters that guarantee the coexistence of populations in the habitat. We find that an Andronov–Hopf bifurcation takes place. The first Lyapunov coefficient is computed explicitly and we show the existence of a stable limit cycle. Numerically, we observe a strange attractor and there exist evidence of the model to exhibit chaotic dynamics.

  14. LHCb Run II tracking performance and prospects for the Upgrade

    CERN Multimedia

    2016-01-01

    The LHCb tracking system consists of a Vertex Locator around the interaction point, a tracking station with four layers of silicon strip detectors in front of the magnet, and three tracking stations, using either straw-tubes or silicon strip detectors, behind the magnet. This system allows to reconstruct charged particles with a high efficiency (typically > 95% for particles with momentum > 5 GeV) and an excellent momentum resolution (0.5% for particles with momentum < 20 GeV). The high momentum resolution results in very narrow mass peaks, leading to a very good signal-to-background ratio in such key channels as $B_s\\to\\mu^+\\mu^-$. Furthermore an optimal decay time resolution is an essential element in the studies of time dependent CP violation. For Run II a novel reconstruction strategy was adopted, allowing to run the same track reconstruction in the software trigger as offline. This convergence was possible due to a staged approach in the track reconstruction and a large reduction in the processing tim...

  15. Uranium resources inventory on systematic prospection stage at Jumbang II Sector West Kalimantan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Subiantoro, Lilik; Paimin; Suripto; Widito, P.; Marzuki, Anang

    2002-01-01

    Some uranium occurrences have been discovered as mineralized outcrops and soils at Jumbang II sector. The aim of this investigation is to find the mineralization characteristic, geometric and distribution and resources estimation. The investigation method is systematic topographic, geologic, and radiometric mapping and identification of uranium on the geological aspect. At Jumbang II have been identified four mineralization zones within total area 8.56 hectare. The mineralization zones consist of quartzite rock associations. The quartzite is characterized by the existence of some mineralized veins. The veins contain uraninite and secondary uranium mineral autunite and gummite, and it also contains monazite, tourmaline, biotite, feldspar, quartz, zircon, and some ore minerals. The ore minerals consist of molybdenite, pyrrhotite, magnetite, pyrite, hematite, chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite and arsenopyrite. Uranium content of quartzite is about 28 ppm to 18,500 ppm U (A zone), 1,125.9 ppm U (B zone) and 515 ppm U (C and D zone). The lateral and vertical ore distributions are locally. The mineralization is veins type and is controlled by intersection WNW-ESE, NNE-EEW structure direction, which was vertical to sub vertical fractures. Resources potential within 80-m depth is 3,106.893 tons U metal

  16. Overgeneral autobiographical memory predicts higher prospective levels of depressive symptoms and intrusions in borderline patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van den Broeck, Kris; Pieters, Guido; Claes, Laurence; Berens, Ann; Raes, Filip

    2016-11-01

    Overgeneral memory (OGM), the tendency to retrieve categories of events from autobiographical memory instead of single events, is found to be a reliable predictor for future mood disturbances and post-traumatic symptom severity. Patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) often report co-morbid episodes of major depressive disorder (MDD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Therefore, we investigated whether OGM would predict depression severity and (post-traumatic) stress symptoms in BPD patients. At admission (N = 54) and at six-month follow-up (N ≥ 31), BPD patients completed the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Disorders, the Assessment of DSM-IV Personality Disorders, the Autobiographical Memory Test, the Beck Depression Inventory-2nd edition (BDI-II), and the Impact of Event Scale. OGM at baseline predicted (a) higher levels of depressive symptoms at follow-up and (b) more intrusions related to a stressful event over and above baseline levels of borderline symptoms, depressive symptoms, and intrusions, respectively. No association was found between memory specificity and event-related avoidance at follow-up. Despite previous findings suggesting that OGM in BPD is less robust than in MDD and PTSD, our results suggest that memory specificity in BPD patients may have some relevance for the course of depressive and stress symptomatology in BPD.

  17. Angiotensin II and Renal Tubular Ion Transport

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patricia Valles

    2005-01-01

    Evidence for the regulation of H+-ATPase activity in vivo and in vitro by trafficking/exocytosis has been provided. An additional level of H+-ATPase regulation via protein synthesis may be important as well. Recently, we have shown that both aldosterone and angiotensin II provide such a mechanism of regulation in vivo at the level of the medullary collecting tubule. Interestingly, in this part of the nephron, the effects of aldosterone and angiotensin II are not sodium dependent, whereas in the cortical collecting duct, both aldosterone and angiotensin II, by contrast, affect H+ secretion by sodium-dependent mechanisms.

  18. Differential Effect of Solution Conditions on the Conformation of the Actinoporins Sticholysin II and Equinatoxin II

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    EDSON V.F. FAUTH

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Actinoporins are a family of pore-forming proteins with hemolytic activity. The structural basis for such activity appears to depend on their correct folding. Such folding encompasses a phosphocholine binding site, a tryptophan-rich region and the activity-related N-terminus segment. Additionally, different solution conditions are known to be able to influence the pore formation by actinoporins, as for Sticholysin II (StnII and Equinatoxin II (EqtxII. In this context, the current work intends to characterize the influence of distinct solution conditions in the conformational behavior of these proteins through molecular dynamics (MD simulations. The obtained data offer structural insights into actinoporins dynamics in solution, characterizing its conformational behavior at the atomic level, in accordance with previous experimental data on StnII and EqtxII hemolytic activities.

  19. PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms of estrogen receptor-α and the results of estroprogestagen therapy in girls with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea – preliminary study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Syrenicz, Anhelli; Friebe, Zbigniew; Jarząbek-Bielecka, Grażyna; Chełstowski, Kornel

    2012-01-01

    Introduction The aim of this study was the long-term prospective evaluation of the effects of estroprogestagen (EP) therapy on the bone mineral density (BMD) of girls with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) carrying various PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms of ER-α. Material and methods Prospective observation included 84 FHA girls and 50 controls. The FHA patients were subjected to 4-year sequential therapy with 17β estradiol (2 mg from the 2nd to 25th day of the menstrual cycle) and dydrogesterone (10 mg from the 16th to the 25th day). Hormonal parameters, serum concentration of the bone fraction of alkaline phosphatase (BALP), urine concentration of cross-linked n-telopeptide of type I collagen (Ntx) and BMD were determined before and after the treatment. Results Six-month treatment resulted in a marked increase in estradiol (p = 0.001), testosterone and prolactin levels (p = 0.01 both) and a significant decrease in BALP and Ntx (p = 0.001 both). Patients with the PP polymorphism had significantly lower baseline BMD compared to carriers of other polymorphic variants of PvuII (p = 0.003). A significant increase in BMD was observed throughout the entire therapy period, with no significant differences in the yearly dynamics of BMD changes observed amongst various polymorphic variants and haplotypes of ER-α. Conclusions The EP therapy is effective in the treatment of BMD disorders associated with FHA, and treatment results do not depend on PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms of ER-α. PMID:23185193

  20. Uranium prospecting; La prospection de l'uranium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roubault, M. [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1955-07-01

    This report is an instruction book for uranium prospecting. It appeals to private prospecting. As prospecting is now a scientific and technical research, it cannot be done without preliminary studies. First of all, general prospecting methods are given with a recall of fundamental geologic data and some general principles which are common with all type of prospecting. The peculiarities of uranium prospecting are also presented and in particular the radioactivity property of uranium as well as the special aspect of uranium ores and the aspect of neighbouring ores. In a third part, a description of the different uranium ores is given and separated in two different categories: primary and secondary ores, according to the place of transformation, deep or near the crust surface respectively. In the first category, the primary ores include pitchblende, thorianite and rare uranium oxides as euxenite and fergusonite for example. In the second category, the secondary ores contain autunite and chalcolite for example. An exhaustive presentation of the geiger-Mueller counter is given with the presentation of its different components, its functioning and utilization and its maintenance. The radioactivity interpretation method is showed as well as the elaboration of a topographic map of the measured radioactivity. A brief presentation of other detection methods than geiger-Mueller counters is given: the measurement of fluorescence and a chemical test using the fluorescence properties of uranium salts. Finally, the main characteristics of uranium deposits are discussed. (M.P.)

  1. Elevated left mid-frontal cortical activity prospectively predicts conversion to bipolar I disorder

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nusslock, Robin; Harmon-Jones, Eddie; Alloy, Lauren B.; Urosevic, Snezana; Goldstein, Kim; Abramson, Lyn Y.

    2013-01-01

    Bipolar disorder is characterized by a hypersensitivity to reward-relevant cues and a propensity to experience an excessive increase in approach-related affect, which may be reflected in hypo/manic symptoms. The present study examined the relationship between relative left-frontal electroencephalographic (EEG) activity, a proposed neurophysiological index of approach-system sensitivity and approach/reward-related affect, and bipolar course and state-related variables. Fifty-eight individuals with cyclothymia or bipolar II disorder and 59 healthy control participants with no affective psychopathology completed resting EEG recordings. Alpha power was obtained and asymmetry indices computed for homologous electrodes. Bipolar spectrum participants were classified as being in a major/minor depressive episode, a hypomanic episode, or a euthymic/remitted state at EEG recording. Participants were then followed prospectively for an average 4.7 year follow-up period with diagnostic interview assessments every four-months. Sixteen bipolar spectrum participants converted to bipolar I disorder during follow-up. Consistent with hypotheses, elevated relative left-frontal EEG activity at baseline 1) prospectively predicted a greater likelihood of converting from cyclothymia or bipolar II disorder to bipolar I disorder over the 4.7 year follow-up period, 2) was associated with an earlier age-of-onset of first bipolar spectrum episode, and 3) was significantly elevated in bipolar spectrum individuals in a hypomanic episode at EEG recording. This is the first study to identify a neurophysiological marker that prospectively predicts conversion to bipolar I disorder. The fact that unipolar depression is characterized by decreased relative left-frontal EEG activity suggests that unipolar depression and vulnerability to hypo/mania may be characterized by different profiles of frontal EEG asymmetry. PMID:22775582

  2. Separation and preconcentration of lead(II), cobalt(II), and nickel(II) on EDTA immobilized activated carbon cloth prior to flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination in environmental samples

    OpenAIRE

    ALOTHMAN, ZEID ABDULLAH; YILMAZ, ERKAN; HABİLA, MOHAMED; SOYLAK, MUSTAFA

    2015-01-01

    The synthesis and characterization of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid immobilized activated carbon cloth was performed in the present work. It was used for preconcentration-separation of lead(II), cobalt(II), and nickel(II) at trace levels as an adsorbent. Factors including pH, concentration and volume of eluent, sample and eluent flow rates, sample volume, and effect of coexisting ions on the solid phase extraction of analytes were examined. The preconcentration factor was 50. The detection ...

  3. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 63 (MTH0TH00120063) on Town Highway 12, crossing Russell Brook, Mount Holly, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.; Severance, Timothy

    1998-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure MTHOTH00120063 on Town Highway 12 crossing Russell Brook, Mount Holly, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (FHWA, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in appendix D. The site is in the Green Mountain section of the New England physiographic province in south-central Vermont. The 3.6-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is forest upstream and downstream of the bridge. In the study area, Russell Brook has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.0263 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 29 ft and an average bank height of 3 ft. The channel bed material ranges from cobbles to boulders with a median grain size (D50) of 97.1 mm (0.318 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on October 4, 1995, indicated that the reach was stable. The Town Highway 12 crossing of Russell Brook is a 29-ft-long, one-lane bridge consisting of a 26-foot steel-stringer span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, March 21, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 23.5 ft. The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments with wingwalls. The channel is skewed approximately 40 degrees to the opening while the computed opening-skew-to-roadway is 35 degrees. During the Level I assessment, it was observed that the upstream left wingwall footing was exposed 0.2 ft, in reference to

  4. Quality of life, physical function and MRI T2* in elderly low-risk MDS patients treated to a haemoglobin level of ≥120 g/L with darbepoetin alfa ± filgrastim or erythrocyte transfusions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nilsson-Ehle, Herman; Birgegård, Gunnar; Samuelsson, Jan

    2011-01-01

    Anaemia in low-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is associated with reduced quality of life (QoL). Response to treatment with erythropoietin ± granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is associated with improved QoL, but whether transfusion therapy with higher haemoglobin (Hb) target levels...... has similar effects is unknown. The objective for this prospective phase II Nordic multicentre trial was to assess QoL, response rate and physical function in elderly anaemic MDS patients treated to a target Hb level of >120 g/L....

  5. The relationship between lactate and thiamine levels in patients with diabetic ketoacidosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moskowitz, Ari; Graver, Amanda; Giberson, Tyler; Berg, Katherine; Liu, Xiaowen; Uber, Amy; Gautam, Shiva; Donnino, Michael W

    2014-02-01

    Thiamine functions as an important cofactor in aerobic metabolism and thiamine deficiency can contribute to lactic acidosis. Although increased rates of thiamine deficiency have been described in diabetic outpatients, this phenomenon has not been studied in relation to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). In the present study, we hypothesize that thiamine deficiency is associated with elevated lactate in patients with DKA. This was a prospective observational study of patients presenting to a tertiary care center with DKA. Patient demographics, laboratory results, and outcomes were recorded. A one-time blood draw was performed and analyzed for plasma thiamine levels. Thirty-two patients were enrolled. Eight patients (25%) were thiamine deficient, with levels lower than 9 nmol/L. A negative correlation between lactic acid and plasma thiamine levels was found (r = -0.56, P = .002). This relationship remained significant after adjustment for APACHE II scores (P = .009). Thiamine levels were directly related to admission serum bicarbonate (r = 0.44, P = .019), and patients with thiamine deficiency maintained lower bicarbonate levels over the first 24 hours (slopes parallel with a difference of 4.083, P = .002). Patients with DKA had a high prevalence of thiamine deficiency. Thiamine levels were inversely related to lactate levels among patients with DKA. A study of thiamine supplementation in DKA is warranted. © 2013.

  6. Effects of low-level laser therapy on burning mouth syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valenzuela, S; Lopez-Jornet, P

    2017-02-01

    To investigate low-level laser therapy (LLLT) applied to treat burning mouth syndrome (BMS). This prospective, comparative, partially blinded, single-centre, clinical trial of GaAlAs Laser, with 815 nm wavelength, included 44 BMS patients divided randomly into three groups: Group I (n = 16): GaAlAs laser 815 nm wavelength, 1 W output power, continuous emissions, 4 s, 4 J and fluence rate 133·3 J cm -2 ; Group II (n = 16): GaAlAs infrared laser, 815 nm wavelength, 1 W output power, continuous emissions, 6 s, 6 J and fluence rate 200 J cm -2 ; Group III (n = 12) placebo group, sham laser. All groups received a weekly dose for 4 weeks. Pain intensity was recorded using a 10-cm visual analogue scale; patients responded to the oral health impact profile (OHIP-14), xerostomia severity test and the hospital anxiety-depression scale (HAD). These assessments were performed at baseline, 2 and 4 weeks. LLLT decreased pain intensity and improved OHIP-14 scores significantly from baseline to 2 weeks in groups I and II compared with the placebo group. No statistically significant differences were found from 2 to 4 weeks. Overall improvements in visual analogue scale (VAS) scores from baseline to the end of treatment were as follows: Group I 15·7%; Group II 15·6%; Group III placebo 7·3%. LLLT application reduces symptoms slightly in BMS patients. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. A Prospective Birth Cohort Study on Maternal Cholesterol Levels and Offspring Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: New Insight on Sex Differences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Yuelong; Riley, Anne W; Lee, Li-Ching; Volk, Heather; Hong, Xiumei; Wang, Guoying; Angomas, Rayris; Stivers, Tom; Wahl, Anastacia; Ji, Hongkai; Bartell, Tami R; Burd, Irina; Paige, David; Fallin, Margaret D; Zuckerman, Barry; Wang, Xiaobin

    2017-12-23

    Growing evidence suggests that maternal cholesterol levels are important in the offspring's brain growth and development. Previous studies on cholesterols and brain functions were mostly in adults. We sought to examine the prospective association between maternal cholesterol levels and the risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the offspring. We analyzed data from the Boston Birth Cohort, enrolled at birth and followed from birth up to age 15 years. The final analyses included 1479 mother-infant pairs: 303 children with ADHD, and 1176 neurotypical children without clinician-diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders. The median age of the first diagnosis of ADHD was seven years. The multiple logistic regression results showed that a low maternal high-density lipoprotein level (≤60 mg/dL) was associated with an increased risk of ADHD, compared to a higher maternal high-density lipoprotein level, after adjusting for pertinent covariables. A "J" shaped relationship was observed between triglycerides and ADHD risk. The associations with ADHD for maternal high-density lipoprotein and triglycerides were more pronounced among boys. The findings based on this predominantly urban low-income minority birth cohort raise a new mechanistic perspective for understanding the origins of ADHD and the gender differences and future targets in the prevention of ADHD.

  8. Healthcare professionals' attitudes, knowledge and self-efficacy levels regarding the use of self-hypnosis in childbirth: A prospective questionnaire survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McAllister, Sophie; Coxon, Kirstie; Murrells, T; Sandall, J

    2017-04-01

    to examine healthcare professionals' attitudes, knowledge and levels of self-efficacy regarding the use of self-hypnosis in childbirth. a prospective survey. two large maternity units in London, England. healthcare professionals (n=129) involved in the care of childbearing women (anaesthetists, midwives and obstetricians). online questionnaire assessing healthcare professionals' experience, knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy relating to self-hypnosis in childbirth. attitude, self-efficacy and knowledge. over half of the participants surveyed (56%) reported they had minimal or no knowledge of hypnosis. Higher levels of knowledge were associated with higher levels of self-efficacy (phypnosis than doctors, and more exposure was significantly associated with higher levels of self-efficacy (midwives phypnosis in their own or partners' births had significantly higher self-efficacy scores (phypnosis in childbirth, they need to be confident in their ability to facilitate this method. Previous research has established that self-efficacy is a strong indicator of performance. Professionals with more knowledge of self-hypnosis are also more confident in supporting women using this technique in childbirth. Multi-disciplinary staff training which aims to increase knowledge, and which includes exposure to hypnosis in labour, may be beneficial in assisting staff to support women choosing to use self-hypnosis in labour. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Post-transplant HLA class II antibodies and high soluble CD30 levels are independently associated with poor kidney graft survival.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langan, L L; Park, L P; Hughes, T L; Irish, A; Luxton, G; Witt, C S; Christiansen, F T

    2007-04-01

    HLA-specific antibodies (HSA) and soluble CD30 (sCD30) were measured in 208 renal transplant recipients with functioning grafts at least 1 year after transplantation (median 8.2 years) to investigate the predictive value of HSA and sCD30 on subsequent graft outcome. HSA (class I and class II) were detected by both ELISA LAT-M and Luminex LabScreen assays. Data on graft outcome was collected with a median follow-up time of 3.5 years after antibody and sCD30 measurement. Recipients with post-transplant HLA class II antibodies had particularly poor graft outcome with a hazard ratio (HR) of 7.8 (p transplant sCD30 level >or=100 U/mL was associated with increased risk of subsequent graft failure (HR 2.7, p = 0.03). sCD30 and HSA had an independent and additive association with graft outcome. Recipients with HLA class II antibody and high sCD30 had the highest risk of subsequent graft failure (HR 43.4, p sCD30 measured at least 1-year post-transplant provides valuable and predictive information regarding subsequent graft outcome.

  10. Moderate risk-adapted dose escalation with 3D-conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer from 70 to 74 Gy : long-term morbidity and survival from a prospective phase II trial

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bombosch, V. B.

    2015-01-01

    Abstract English Background and Purpose: Evaluation of late side-effects and survival more than 60 months after 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy with moderate, risk adapted dose escalation from 70 to 74 Gy in patients with localized prostate cancer within a prospective Austrian-German phase II multicenter trial. Material and Methods: Between 03/1999 and 07/2002 486 patients were registered in the prospective Austrian-German multicenter phase II trial. 441 (90.7%) patients were evaluated. Patients in the low and intermediate risk group were treated with 70Gy, patients in the high risk group received 74Gy. Additional hormonal-therapy was recommended for intermediate- and high-risk group patients. Gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) late toxicity according to EORTC/RTOG criteria, initial appearance, prevalence and duration of grade >=2 side-effects were investigated. Furthermore bNED (Phoenix/Nadir + 2), overall and disease specific survival were prospectively assessed. Results: Median follow-up was 90 (2-158) months in all 441 patients and 99 (18-158) months in living patients. 154 patients (35%) had a follow-up of longer or equal 120 months. Distribution among risk groups was 26% (low), 51% (intermediate) and 23% (high). HT was administered in 86% of patients prior to RT. Late gastrointestinal side-effects at 5- and 10 years were 29%/32% (70/74Gy) and 30%/35% (70/74Gy) as actuarial rates; p=0.67. Late genitourinary side-effects at 5- and 10 years were 17%/26% (70/74Gy) and 27%/34% (70/74Gy); p=0.12. No more than 15% (GI) and 15% (GU) of patients suffered from side-effects >=2 at any time after the end of therapy (prevalence). The proportion of patients suffering from severe toxicity was low (Grade 3 GI: 2%, GU: 10%). 10 year actuarial bNED rate was 65%, 70% and 58% in the low-, intermediate- and high risk group according to Phoenix (Nadir +2) criteria. Overall and disease specific survival were 67% and 91% in all patients. Conclusion: Dose escalation

  11. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 7H (HUNTTH0001007H) on Town Highway 1, crossing Cobb Brook, Huntington, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure HUNTTH001007H on Town Highway 1 crossing the Cobb Brook, Huntington, Vermont (figures 1–10). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D.In August 1976, Hurricane Belle caused flooding at this site which resulted in road and bridge damage (figures 7-8). This was approximately a 25-year flood event (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 1978). The site is in the Green Mountain section of the New England physiographic province in central Vermont. The 4.20-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is forest upstream of the bridge. Downstream of the bridge is brushland and pasture.In the study area, the Cobb Brook has an incised, straight channel with a slope of approximately 0.03 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 43 ft and an average bank height of 6 ft. The channel bed material ranges from sand to boulders with a median grain size (D50) of 65.5 mm (0.215 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on June 24, 1996, indicated that the reach was stable. The Town Highway 1 crossing of the Cobb Brook is a 23-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of one 20-foot concrete slab span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, June 21, 1996). The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments with wingwalls. The channel is skewed approximately 15 degrees

  12. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 46 (LINCTH00060046) on Town Highway 6, crossing the New Haven River, Lincoln, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.

    1998-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure LINCTH00060046 on Town Highway 6 crossing the New Haven River, Lincoln, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (FHWA, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in appendix D. The site is in the Green Mountain section of the New England physiographic province in west-central Vermont. The 45.9-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly suburban and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is forest upstream of the bridge. The downstream right overbank near the bridge is suburban with buildings, homes, lawns, and pavement (less than fifty percent). The downstream left overbank is brushland while the immediate banks have dense woody vegetation. In the study area, the New Haven River has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.01 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 95 ft and an average bank height of 7 ft. The channel bed material ranges from sand to bedrock with a median grain size (D50) of 120.7 mm (0.396 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on June 13, 1996, indicated that the reach was stable. The Town Highway 34 crossing of the New Haven River is a 85-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of an 80-foot steel arch truss (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, December 14, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 69 feet. The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments with wingwalls. The channel is skewed

  13. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 32 (TUNBTH00600032) on Town Highway 60, crossing First Branch White River, Tunbridge, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.

    1998-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure TUNBTH00600032 on Town Highway 60 crossing the First Branch White River, Tunbridge, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in appendix D. The site is in the New England Upland section of the New England physiographic province in central Vermont. The 92.9-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is pasture upstream and downstream of the bridge, while woody vegetation sparsely covers the immediate banks. In the study area, the First Branch White River has a sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.001 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 82 ft and an average bank height of 7 ft. The channel bed material ranges from sand to gravel with a median grain size (D50) of 24.4 mm (0.08 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on October 18, 1995, indicated that the reach was laterally unstable, as a result of block failure of moderately eroded banks. The Town Highway 60 crossing of the First Branch White River is a 74-ft-long, one-lane bridge consisting of a 71-foot timber thru-truss span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, August 24, 1994). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 64 ft.The bridge is supported by vertical, laid-up stone abutments with upstream wingwalls. The channel is not skewed to the opening

  14. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 44 (LINCTH00330044) on Town Highway 33, crossing the New Haven River, Lincoln, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burns, Ronda L.; Wild, Emily C.

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure LINCTH00330044 on Town Highway 33 crossing the New Haven River, Lincoln, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D.The site is in the Green Mountain section of the New England physiographic province in west-central Vermont. The 6.3-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is forest.In the study area, the New Haven River has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.02 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 56 ft and an average bank height of 6 ft. The channel bed material ranges from gravel to boulder with a median grain size (D50) of 101.9 mm (0.334 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on June 10, 1996, indicated that the reach was stable.The Town Highway 33 crossing of the New Haven River is a 33-ft-long, one-lane bridge consisting of one 31-foot timber-beam span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, December 14, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 29.3 ft. The bridge is supported by vertical, wood-beam crib abutments with wingwalls. The channel is skewed approximately 25 degrees to the opening while the opening-skew-to-roadway is zero degrees.A scour hole 1.0 ft deeper than the mean thalweg depth was observed along the right abutment during the Level I assessment. The

  15. Prevenzione e terapia precoce del diabete mellito di tipo II: aspetti farmacoeconomici

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lorenzo Pradelli

    2005-09-01

    Full Text Available Type II (non-insulin-dependent diabetes is one of the most widespread chronic patologies in the developed countries and its prevalence in Italy is about 2-3% of the population. Type II diabetes is also associated with several other metabolic abnormalities such as central obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, which contributes to the very high rate of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Therefore Type II diabetes involves a significant financial burden on the health care system. The purpose of this paper is to explain the composition of the healthcare costs of managing people with Type II diabetes and the economic repercussions due to the adoption of an aggressive strategy against the pathology. To carry out this evaluation we considered the CODE-2 (The Cost of Diabetes in Europe - Type II Study results, the American Diabetes Association Position Statement, the Diabetes Prevention Program and the UK Prospective Diabetes Study. Evidence exists to show that introducing prevention program or an early therapy can avert or delay significantly the onset of cardiovascular morbidity in Type II diabetes patients. According to the pharmacoeconomical criteria, this very desiderable clinical goal is associated to a little increase of the health expenditures, and sometimes also to a costs saving.

  16. Synthesis and spectroscopic studies of biologically active tetraazamacrocyclic complexes of Mn(II, Co(II, Ni(II, Pd(II and Pt(II

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monika Tyagi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Complexes of Mn(II, Co(II, Ni(II, Pd(II and Pt(II were synthesized with the macrocyclic ligand, i.e., 2,3,9,10-tetraketo-1,4,8,11-tetraazacycoletradecane. The ligand was prepared by the [2 + 2] condensation of diethyloxalate and 1,3-diamino propane and characterized by elemental analysis, mass, IR and 1H NMR spectral studies. All the complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductance, magnetic susceptibility measurements, IR, electronic and electron paramagnetic resonance spectral studies. The molar conductance measurements of Mn(II, Co(II and Ni(II complexes in DMF correspond to non electrolyte nature, whereas Pd(II and Pt(II complexes are 1:2 electrolyte. On the basis of spectral studies an octahedral geometry has been assigned for Mn(II, Co(II and Ni(II complexes, whereas square planar geometry assigned for Pd(II and Pt(II. In vitro the ligand and its metal complexes were evaluated against plant pathogenic fungi (Fusarium odum, Aspergillus niger and Rhizoctonia bataticola and some compounds found to be more active as commercially available fungicide like Chlorothalonil.

  17. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 34 (WWINTH00370034) on Town Highway 37, crossing Mill Brook, West Windsor, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boehmler, Erick M.; Wild, Emily C.

    1998-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure WWINTH00370034 on Town Highway 37 crossing Mill Brook, West Windsor, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (FHWA, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in appendix D. The site is in the New England Upland section of the New England physiographic province in east-central Vermont. The 16.6-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is pasture except for the upstream left bank where there is mostly shrubs and brush. In the study area, Mill Brook has a sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.003 ft/ ft, an average channel top width of 52 ft and an average bank height of 5 ft. The channel bed material ranges from sand to cobbles with a median grain size (D50) of 43.4 mm (0.142 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on June 5, 1996, indicated that the reach was laterally unstable. Point bars were observed upstream and downstream of this site. Furthermore, slip failure of the bank material was noted downstream at a cut-bank on the left side of the channel across from a point bar. The Town Highway 37 crossing of Mill Brook is a 37-ft-long, one-lane covered bridge consisting of one 32-foot wood thru-truss span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, March 23, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 29.6 ft. The bridge is supported by vertical, laid-up stone abutment walls with

  18. The effects of aerobic exercises and 25(OH D supplementation on GLP1 and DPP4 level in Type II diabetic patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naser Rahimi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an 8-week aerobic exercise and supplementation of 25(OHD3 on GLP1 and DDP4 levels in men with type II diabetes. Methods: In this semiexperimental research, among 40–60-year-old men with type II diabetes who were referred to the diabetic center of Isabn-E Maryam hospital in Isfahan; of whom, 48 patients were voluntarily accepted and then were randomly divided into 4 groups: aerobic exercise group, aerobic exercise with 25(OH D supplement group, 25(OH D supplement group, and the control group. An aerobic exercise program was conducted for 8 weeks (3 sessions/week, each session 60 to75 min with 60–80% HRmax. The supplement user group received 50,000 units of oral Vitamin D once weekly for 8 weeks. The GLP1, DPP4, and 25(OH D levels were measured before and after the intervention. At last, the data were statistically analyzed using the ANCOVA and post hoc test of least significant difference. Results: The results of ANCOVA showed a significant difference between the GLP1 and DPP4 levels in aerobic exercise with control group while these changes were not statistically significant between the 25(OH D supplement group with control group (P < 0.05. Conclusions: Aerobic exercises have resulted an increase in GLP1 level and a decrease in DPP4 level. However, consumption of Vitamin D supplement alone did not cause any changes in GLP1and DPP4 levels but led to an increase in 25-hydroxy Vitamin D level.

  19. Implementation of a prospective pregnancy registry for antiretroviral based HIV prevention trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mhlanga, Felix G; Noguchi, Lisa; Balkus, Jennifer E; Kabwigu, Samuel; Scheckter, Rachel; Piper, Jeanna; Watts, Heather; O'Rourke, Colin; Torjesen, Kristine; Brown, Elizabeth R; Hillier, Sharon L; Beigi, Richard

    2018-02-01

    Safety data on pregnancy and fetal outcomes among women in HIV prevention trials are urgently needed to inform use of effective antiretroviral agents for HIV prevention. We describe an effective, efficient, and novel method to prospectively collect perinatal safety data concurrent with on-going parent clinical trials. The Microbicide Trials Network (MTN)-016 study is a multinational prospective pregnancy exposure registry designed to capture pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. Studies currently contributing data to this registry included phase I and II safety trials with planned exposures to candidate HIV prevention agents, as well as phase IIB and III efficacy trials capturing data on pregnancy and infant outcomes following inadvertent fetal exposure during study participation. To date, participants from two phase I studies and two effectiveness trials have participated in MTN-016, resulting in 420 pregnant women and 381 infants enrolled. Infant retention has been high, with 329 of 381 (86%) infants completing the 12-month follow-up visit. In a research setting context, it is feasible to establish and implement a prospective, multinational HIV chemoprophylaxis pregnancy registry that will generate pregnancy exposure data in a robust fashion.

  20. InAs/GaSb type-II superlattice infrared detectors: Future prospect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogalski, A.; Martyniuk, P.; Kopytko, M.

    2017-09-01

    Investigations of antimonide-based materials began at about the same time as HgCdTe ternary alloys—in the 1950s, and the apparent rapid success of their technology, especially low-dimensional solids, depends on the previous five decades of III-V materials and device research. However, the sophisticated physics associated with the antimonide-based bandgap engineering concept started at the beginning of 1990s gave a new impact and interest in development of infrared detector structures within academic and national laboratories. The development of InAs/GaSb type-II superlattices (T2SLs) results from two primary motivations: the perceived challenges of reproducibly fabricating high-operability HgCdTe focal plane arrays (FPAs) at reasonable cost and the theoretical predictions of lower Auger recombination for type T2SL detectors compared with HgCdTe. Second motivation—lower Auger recombination should be translated into a fundamental advantage for T2SL over HgCdTe in terms of lower dark current and/or higher operating temperature, provided other parameters such as Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) lifetime are equal. InAs/GaSb T2SL photodetectors offer similar performance to HgCdTe at an equivalent cut-off wavelength, but with a sizeable penalty in operating temperature, due to the inherent difference in SRH lifetimes. It is predicted that since the future infrared (IR) systems will be based on the room temperature operation of depletion-current limited arrays with pixel densities that are fully consistent with background- and diffraction-limited performance due to the system optics, the material system with long SRH lifetime will be required. Since T2SLs are very much resisted in attempts to improve its SRH lifetime, currently the only material that meets this requirement is HgCdTe. Due to less ionic chemical bonding, III-V semiconductors are more robust than their II-VI counterparts. As a result, III-V-based FPAs excel in operability, spatial uniformity, temporal stability

  1. DADOS-Prospective: an open source application for Web-based prospective data collection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nguyen Lam

    2006-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Randomized, prospective trials involving multi-institutional collaboration have become a central part of clinical and translational research. However, data management and coordination of multi-center studies is a complex process that involves developing systems for data collection and quality control, tracking data queries and resolutions, as well as developing communication procedures. We describe DADOS-Prospective, an open-source Web-based application for collecting and managing prospective data on human subjects for clinical and translational trials. DADOS-Prospective not only permits users to create new clinical research forms (CRF and supports electronic signatures, but also offers the advantage of containing, in a single environment, raw research data in downloadable spreadsheet format, source documentation and regulatory files stored in PDF format, and audit trails. Results Feedback from formal and field usability tests was used to guide the design and development of DADOS-Prospective. To date, DADOS-Prospective has been implemented in five prospective clinical studies at our institution. Four of these studies are still in the CRF creation phase and one study has been entirely launched. Conclusion DADOS-Prospective has significant advantages over existing Web-based data collecting programs. At our institution, it has been demonstrated to be an efficient tool for prospective clinical studies.

  2. Sample Exchange Evaluation (SEE) Report - Phase II

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Winters, W.I.

    1994-09-28

    This report describes the results from Phase II of the Sample Exchange Evaluation (SEE) Program, a joint effort to compare analytical laboratory performance on samples from the Hanford Site`s high-level waste tanks. In Phase II, the program has been expanded to include inorganic constituents in addition to radionuclides. Results from Phase II that exceeded 20% relative percent difference criteria are identified.

  3. Sample Exchange Evaluation (SEE) Report - Phase II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Winters, W.I.

    1994-01-01

    This report describes the results from Phase II of the Sample Exchange Evaluation (SEE) Program, a joint effort to compare analytical laboratory performance on samples from the Hanford Site's high-level waste tanks. In Phase II, the program has been expanded to include inorganic constituents in addition to radionuclides. Results from Phase II that exceeded 20% relative percent difference criteria are identified

  4. NSLS-II Radio Frequency Systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rose J.; Gao F.; Goel, A.; Holub, B.; Kulpin, J.; Marques, C.; Yeddulla, M.

    2015-05-03

    The National Synchrotron Light Source II is a 3 GeV X-ray user facility commissioned in 2014. The NSLS-II RF system consists of the master oscillator, digital low level RF controllers, linac, booster and storage ring RF sub-systems, as well as a supporting cryogenic system. Here we will report on RF commissioning and early operation experience of the system.

  5. Barriers to participation in a phase II cardiac rehabilitation programme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mak, Y M W; Chan, W K; Yue, C S S

    2005-12-01

    To identify barriers to participation in a phase II cardiac rehabilitation programme and measures that may enhance participation. Prospective study. Regional hospital, Hong Kong. Cardiac patients recruited for a phase I cardiac rehabilitation programme from July 2002 to January 2003. Reasons for not participating in a phase II cardiac rehabilitation programme. Of the 193 patients recruited for a phase I cardiac rehabilitation programme, 152 (79%) patients, with a mean age of 70.3 years (standard deviation, 11.9 years), did not proceed to phase II programme. Eleven (7%) deaths occurred before commencement of phase II and 74 (49%) patients were considered physically unfit. Reasons for the latter included fractures, pain, or degenerative changes in the lower limbs (24%), and co-morbidities such as cerebrovascular accident (19%), chronic renal failure (11%), congestive heart failure (9%), and unstable angina (8%). Phase II rehabilitation was postponed until after completion of scheduled cardiac interventions in 13% of patients. Failure of physicians to arrange the pre-phase II exercise stress test as per protocol was reported in 7% of patients. Other reasons were reported: work or time conflicts (16%), non-compliance with cardiac treatment (5%), financial constraints (4%), self-exercise (3%), fear after exercise stress testing (3%), and patients returning to their original cardiologists for treatment (3%). A significant (79%) proportion of patients did not proceed to a phase II cardiac rehabilitation programme for a variety of reasons. These included physical unfitness, work or time conflicts, and need to attend scheduled cardiac interventions. Further studies are required to determine how to overcome obstacles to cardiac rehabilitation.

  6. International Literature Review on WHODAS II (World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Federici, Stefano

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available This review is a critical analysis regarding the study and utilization of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS II as a basis for establishing specific criteria for evaluating relevant international scientific literature.The WHODAS II is an instrument developed by the World Health Organisation in order to assess behavioural limitations and restrictions related to an individual’s participation, independent from a medical diagnosis. This instrument was developed by the WHO’s Assessment, Classification and Epidemiology Group within the framework of the WHO/NIH Joint Project on Assessment and Classification of Disablements. To ascertain the international dissemination level of for WHODAS II’s utilization and, at the same time, analyse the studies regarding the psychometric validation of the WHODAS II translation and adaptation in other languages and geographical contests. Particularly, our goal is to highlight which psychometric features have been investigated, focusing on the factorial structure, the reliability, and the validity of this instrument. International literature was researched through the main data bases of indexed scientific production: the Cambridge Scientific Abstracts – CSA, PubMed, and Google Scholar, from 1990 through to December 2008.The following search terms were used:“whodas”, in the field query, plus “title” and “abstract”.The WHODAS II has been used in 54 studies, of which 51 articles are published in international journals, 2 conference abstracts, and one dissertation abstract. Nevertheless, only 7 articles are published in journals and conference proceedings regarding disability and rehabilitation. Others have been published in medical and psychiatric journals, with the aim of indentifying comorbidity correlations in clinical diagnosis concerning patients with mental illness. Just 8 out of 51 articles have studied the psychometric properties of the WHODAS II. The

  7. Evaluation of Oral Hygiene in Patients with Generalized Periodontitis of II Degree and Stage II Hypertension

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tetiana Vivcharenko

    2016-12-01

    Conclusions. The level of oral hygiene in patients of both groups was low due to incorrect selection of personal hygiene products or their untimely replacement. In patients with generalized periodontitis of II degree and stage II hypertension, the level of oral hygiene was lower than in somatically healthy persons: the worse status of oral cavity hygiene – the more pronounced changes in the periodontal tissues. We can suppose that high blood pressure affects the status of the oral cavity, creates a higher risk and exacerbates the periodontal diseases.

  8. Modeling Fe II Emission and Revised Fe II (UV) Empirical Templates for the Seyfert 1 Galaxy I Zw 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruhweiler, F.; Verner, E.

    2008-03-01

    We use the narrow-lined broad-line region (BLR) of the Seyfert 1 galaxy, I Zw 1, as a laboratory for modeling the ultraviolet (UV) Fe II 2100-3050 Å emission complex. We calculate a grid of Fe II emission spectra representative of BLR clouds and compare them with the observed I Zw 1 spectrum. Our predicted spectrum for log [nH/(cm -3) ] = 11.0, log [ΦH/(cm -2 s-1) ] = 20.5, and ξ/(1 km s-1) = 20, using Cloudy and an 830 level model atom for Fe II with energies up to 14.06 eV, gives a better fit to the UV Fe II emission than models with fewer levels. Our analysis indicates (1) the observed UV Fe II emission must be corrected for an underlying Fe II pseudocontinuum; (2) Fe II emission peaks can be misidentified as that of other ions in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with narrow-lined BLRs possibly affecting deduced physical parameters; (3) the shape of 4200-4700 Å Fe II emission in I Zw 1 and other AGNs is a relative indicator of narrow-line region (NLR) and BLR Fe II emission; (4) predicted ratios of Lyα, C III], and Fe II emission relative to Mg II λ2800 agree with extinction corrected observed I Zw 1 fluxes, except for C IV λ1549 (5) the sensitivity of Fe II emission strength to microturbulence ξ casts doubt on existing relative Fe/Mg abundances derived from Fe II (UV)/Mg II flux ratios. Our calculated Fe II emission spectra, suitable for BLRs in AGNs, are available at http://iacs.cua.edu/people/verner/FeII. Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 05-26555.

  9. Circulating levels of vitamin D and colon and rectal cancer: the Physicians' Health Study and a meta-analysis of prospective studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jung Eun; Li, Haojie; Chan, Andrew T; Hollis, Bruce W; Lee, I-Min; Stampfer, Meir J; Wu, Kana; Giovannucci, Edward; Ma, Jing

    2011-05-01

    It remains unknown whether increased risk with low levels of vitamin D is present for colon and/or rectal cancer. To investigate the association between circulating vitamin D levels and colon and rectal cancer, we examined the associations between plasma levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D] and colon and rectal cancer in the Physicians' Health Study and then conducted a meta-analysis of eight prospective studies of circulating levels of 25(OH)D and colon and rectal cancers, including the Physicians' Health Study. Study-specific ORs and 95% CIs were pooled by using a random-effects model. A total of 1,822 colon and 868 rectal cancers were included in the meta-analysis. We observed a significant inverse association for colorectal cancer (OR = 0.66; 95% CI, 0.54-0.81), comparing top versus bottom quantiles of circulating 25(OH)D levels. The inverse association was stronger for rectal cancer (OR = 0.50 for top versus bottom quantiles; 95% CI, 0.28-0.88) than colon cancer (OR = 0.77; 95% CI, 0.56-1.07; P value for difference between colon and rectal cancer = 0.20). These data suggest an inverse association between circulating 25(OH)D levels and colorectal cancer, with a stronger association for rectal cancer.

  10. Rapid metabolism of exogenous angiotensin II by catecholaminergic neuronal cells in culture media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basu, Urmi; Seravalli, Javier; Madayiputhiya, Nandakumar; Adamec, Jiri; Case, Adam J; Zimmerman, Matthew C

    2015-02-01

    Angiotensin II (AngII) acts on central neurons to increase neuronal firing and induce sympathoexcitation, which contribute to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases including hypertension and heart failure. Numerous studies have examined the precise AngII-induced intraneuronal signaling mechanism in an attempt to identify new therapeutic targets for these diseases. Considering the technical challenges in studying specific intraneuronal signaling pathways in vivo, especially in the cardiovascular control brain regions, most studies have relied on neuronal cell culture models. However, there are numerous limitations in using cell culture models to study AngII intraneuronal signaling, including the lack of evidence indicating the stability of AngII in culture media. Herein, we tested the hypothesis that exogenous AngII is rapidly metabolized in neuronal cell culture media. Using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, we measured levels of AngII and its metabolites, Ang III, Ang IV, and Ang-1-7, in neuronal cell culture media after administration of exogenous AngII (100 nmol/L) to a neuronal cell culture model (CATH.a neurons). AngII levels rapidly declined in the media, returning to near baseline levels within 3 h of administration. Additionally, levels of Ang III and Ang-1-7 acutely increased, while levels of Ang IV remained unchanged. Replenishing the media with exogenous AngII every 3 h for 24 h resulted in a consistent and significant increase in AngII levels for the duration of the treatment period. These data indicate that AngII is rapidly metabolized in neuronal cell culture media, and replenishing the media at least every 3 h is needed to sustain chronically elevated levels. © 2015 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American Physiological Society and The Physiological Society.

  11. Level-3 Calorimetric Resolution available for the Level-1 and Level-2 CDF Triggers

    CERN Document Server

    Canepa, A.; Liu, T.; Cortiana, G.; Flanagan, G.; Frisch, H.; Krop, D.; Pilcher, C.; Rusu, V.; Cavaliere, V.; Greco, V.; Giannetti, P.; Piendibene, M.; Sartori, L.; Vidal, Miguel

    2008-01-01

    As the Tevatron luminosity increases sophisticated selections are required to be efficient in selecting rare events among a very huge background. To cope with this problem, CDF has pushed the offline calorimeter algorithm reconstruction resolution up to Level 2 and, when possible, even up to Level 1, increasing efficiency and, at the same time, keeping under control the rates. The CDF Run II Level 2 calorimeter trigger is implemented in hardware and is based on a simple algorithm that was used in Run I. This system has worked well for Run II at low luminosity. As the Tevatron instantaneous luminosity increases, the limitation due to this simple algorithm starts to become clear: some of the most important jet and MET (Missing ET) related triggers have large growth terms in cross section at higher luminosity. In this paper, we present an upgrade of the Level 2 Calorimeter system which makes the calorimeter trigger tower information available directly to a CPU allowing more sophisticated algorithms to be impleme...

  12. Long-term interleukin-6 levels and subsequent risk of coronary heart disease: two new prospective studies and a systematic review.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John Danesh

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available The relevance to coronary heart disease (CHD of cytokines that govern inflammatory cascades, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6, may be underestimated because such mediators are short acting and prone to fluctuations. We evaluated associations of long-term circulating IL-6 levels with CHD risk (defined as nonfatal myocardial infarction [MI] or fatal CHD in two population-based cohorts, involving serial measurements to enable correction for within-person variability. We updated a systematic review to put the new findings in context.Measurements were made in samples obtained at baseline from 2,138 patients who had a first-ever nonfatal MI or died of CHD during follow-up, and from 4,267 controls in two cohorts comprising 24,230 participants. Correction for within-person variability was made using data from repeat measurements taken several years apart in several hundred participants. The year-to-year variability of IL-6 values within individuals was relatively high (regression dilution ratios of 0.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.28-0.53, over 4 y, and 0.35, 95% CI 0.23-0.48, over 12 y. Ignoring this variability, we found an odds ratio for CHD, adjusted for several established risk factors, of 1.46 (95% CI 1.29-1.65 per 2 standard deviation (SD increase of baseline IL-6 values, similar to that for baseline C-reactive protein. After correction for within-person variability, the odds ratio for CHD was 2.14 (95% CI 1.45-3.15 with long-term average ("usual" IL-6, similar to those for some established risk factors. Increasing IL-6 levels were associated with progressively increasing CHD risk. An updated systematic review of electronic databases and other sources identified 15 relevant previous population-based prospective studies of IL-6 and clinical coronary outcomes (i.e., MI or coronary death. Including the two current studies, the 17 available prospective studies gave a combined odds ratio of 1.61 (95% CI 1.42-1.83 per 2 SD increase in baseline IL-6

  13. Gender and Depressive Symptoms in 711 Patients With Bipolar Disorder Evaluated Prospectively in the Stanley Foundation Bipolar Treatment Outcome Network

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Altshuler, Lori L.; Kupka, Ralph W.; Hellemann, Gerhard; Frye, Mark A.; Sugar, Catherine A.; McElroy, Susan L.; Nolen, Willem A.; Grunze, Heinz; Leverich, Gabriele S.; Keck, Paul E.; Zermeno, Melanie

    Objective: The authors assessed gender differences in the proportion of clinical visits spent depressed, manic, or euthymic in patients with bipolar disorder. Method: Data were analyzed from 711 patients with bipolar I or II disorder who were followed prospectively over 7 years (13,191 visits). The

  14. Effect of compliance during periodontal maintenance therapy on levels of bacteria associated with periodontitis: A 6-year prospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costa, Fernando Oliveira; Vieira, Thaís Riberal; Cortelli, Sheila Cavalca; Cota, Luís Otávio Miranda; Costa, José Eustáquio; Aguiar, Maria Cássia Ferreira; Cortelli, José Roberto

    2018-05-01

    It is well established that regular compliance during periodontal maintenance therapy (PMT) maintains the stability of periodontal clinical parameters obtained after active periodontal therapy (APT). However, compliance during PMT has not yet been related to subgingival bacterial levels. Thus, this study followed individuals in PMT over 6 years and longitudinally evaluated the effects of compliance on periodontitis-associated bacterial levels and its relation to periodontal status. From a 6-year prospective cohort study with 212 individuals in PMT, 91 were determined to be eligible. From this total, 28 regular compliers (RC) were randomly selected and matched for age and sex with 28 irregular compliers (IC). Complete periodontal examination and microbiological samples were obtained 5 times: T1 (prior to APT), T2 (after APT), T3 (2 years), T4 (4 years), and T5 (6 years). Total bacteria counts and levels of Actinomyces naeslundii, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, and Treponema denticola were evaluated through quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RC had less tooth loss and better clinical and microbiological conditions over time when compared with IC. IC had higher total bacterial counts and higher levels of T. denticola. Moreover, among IC, total bacterial counts were positively associated with plaque index and bleeding on probing, while levels of A. naeslundii, T. forsythia, and T. denticola were negatively associated with clinical attachment loss (4 to 5 mm) among RC. Compliance positively influenced subgingival microbiota and contributed to stability of periodontal clinical status. Regular visits during PMT sustained microbiological benefits provided by APT over a 6-year period. © 2018 American Academy of Periodontology.

  15. Fatty liver: prospective comparative study with sonography and CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Sung Jin; Kim, Y. M.; Kim, W. S.; Choi, B. I.; Lee, J. S.; Han, C. K.; Kim, C. W.

    1990-01-01

    To identify the reasonable criteria in detection of the degree of Fatty liver, we prospectively evaluated sonograms and CT scans in 33 Patients With bright liver on sonography. On sonograms, we analyzed the echogenicity of the liver, acoustic attenuation, and visualization of the portal vein and the diaphragm, Each criterion was scored from 0 to 2. CT criterion for fatty liver was assessed by the attenuation difference between the liver and the spleen on nonocontrast CT scans, The average sonographic grade for CT Grade I was 1.3, Grade II was 2.1,and Grade III was 2.8. The accurate detection rate of each sonographic grade was as follows, Grade

  16. Preoperative high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging can identify good prognosis stage I, II, and III rectal cancer best managed by surgery alone: a prospective, multicenter, European study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Fiona G M; Quirke, Philip; Heald, Richard J; Moran, Brendan; Blomqvist, Lennart; Swift, Ian; Sebag-Montefiore, David J; Tekkis, Paris; Brown, Gina

    2011-04-01

    To assess local recurrence, disease-free survival, and overall survival in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-predicted good prognosis tumors treated by surgery alone. The MERCURY study reported that high-resolution MRI can accurately stage rectal cancer. The routine policy in most centers involved in the MERCURY study was primary surgery alone in MRI-predicted stage II or less and in MRI "good prognosis" stage III with selective avoidance of neoadjuvant therapy. Data were collected prospectively on all patients included in the MERCURY study who were staged as MRI-defined "good" prognosis tumors. "Good" prognosis included MRI-predicted safe circumferential resection margins, with MRI-predicted T2/T3a/T3b (less than 5 mm spread from muscularis propria), regardless of MRI N stage. None received preoperative or postoperative radiotherapy. Overall survival, disease-free survival, and local recurrence were calculated. Of 374 patients followed up in the MERCURY study, 122 (33%) were defined as "good prognosis" stage III or less on MRI. Overall and disease-free survival for all patients with MRI "good prognosis" stage I, II and III disease at 5 years was 68% and 85%, respectively. The local recurrence rate for this series of patients predicted to have a good prognosis tumor on MRI was 3%. The preoperative identification of good prognosis tumors using MRI will allow stratification of patients and better targeting of preoperative therapy. This study confirms the ability of MRI to select patients who are likely to have a good outcome with primary surgery alone.

  17. Tandem Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation for Multiple Myeloma Patients Based on Response to Their First Transplant—A Prospective Phase II Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byrne, Michael; Salmasinia, Donya; Leather, Helen; Cogle, Christopher R; Davis, Amy; Hsu, Jack W; Wiggins, Laura; Chang, Myron N; An, Qi; Wingard, John R; Moreb, Jan S

    2014-01-01

    In this prospective phase II clinical trial, multiple myeloma (MM) patients were randomized to receive a second (tandem) autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) based on whether they achieved a partial response or worse (≤PR) following initial ASCT (ASCT1). Patients who achieved a very good partial response or better (≥VGPR) had salvage ASCT at relapse. Seventy-five patients received conditioning therapy and ASCT1. A total of 44 patients (59%) achieved ≥VGPR, whereas 31 patients entered ≤PR and were offered tandem ASCT. In all, 20 patients agreed to tandem ASCT. Demographic and clinical characteristics were similar between the two cohorts except for median lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (P = 0.0141) and percentage of marrow plasma cells before ASCT1 (P = 0.0047), both lower in the ≥VGPR group. Intent to treat analysis showed that patients who achieved ≥VGPR to ASCT1 had a trend toward improved progression-free survival (PFS) (37 vs. 26 months, P = 0.078) and superior overall survival (OS) (not reached vs. 50 months, P = 0.0073). Patients with ≤PR who declined tandem transplantation had shortened PFS (20 vs. 28 months, P = 0.05) but similar OS (53 vs. 57.5 months, P = 0.29) compared to those who received it. Thus, a favorable clinical response to ASCT1 identifies a low-risk group with superior long-term prognosis despite similar PFS. PMID:25232286

  18. Effect of Cu(II), Cd(II) and Zn(II) on Pb(II) biosorption by algae Gelidium-derived materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vilar, Vítor J P; Botelho, Cidália M S; Boaventura, Rui A R

    2008-06-15

    Biosorption of Pb(II), Cu(II), Cd(II) and Zn(II) from binary metal solutions onto the algae Gelidium sesquipedale, an algal industrial waste and a waste-based composite material was investigated at pH 5.3, in a batch system. Binary Pb(II)/Cu(II), Pb(II)/Cd(II) and Pb(II)/Zn(II) solutions have been tested. For the same equilibrium concentrations of both metal ions (1 mmol l(-1)), approximately 66, 85 and 86% of the total uptake capacity of the biosorbents is taken by lead ions in the systems Pb(II)/Cu(II), Pb(II)/Cd(II) and Pb(II)/Zn(II), respectively. Two-metal results were fitted to a discrete and a continuous model, showing the inhibition of the primary metal biosorption by the co-cation. The model parameters suggest that Cd(II) and Zn(II) have the same decreasing effect on the Pb(II) uptake capacity. The uptake of Pb(II) was highly sensitive to the presence of Cu(II). From the discrete model it was possible to obtain the Langmuir affinity constant for Pb(II) biosorption. The presence of the co-cations decreases the apparent affinity of Pb(II). The experimental results were successfully fitted by the continuous model, at different pH values, for each biosorbent. The following sequence for the equilibrium affinity constants was found: Pb>Cu>Cd approximately Zn.

  19. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 24 (MANCUS00070024) on U.S. Route 7, crossing Lye Brook, Manchester, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olson, Scott A.

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure MANCUS00070024 on U.S. Route 7 crossing Lye Brook, Manchester, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D. The site is in the Taconic section of the New England physiographic province in southwestern Vermont. The 8.13-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the primary surface cover consists of brush and trees. In the study area, Lye Brook has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.03 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 66 ft and an average bank height of 11 ft. The channel bed material ranges from gravel to boulder with a median grain size (D50) of 90.0 mm (0.295 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on August 6, 1996, indicated that the reach was stable. Although, the immediate reach is considered stable, upstream of the bridge the Lye Brook valley is very steep (0.05 ft/ft). Extreme events in a valley this steep may quickly reveal the instability of the channel. In the Flood Insurance Study for the Town of Manchester (Federal Emergency Management Agency, January, 1985), Lye Brook’s overbanks were described as “boulder strewn” after the August 1976 flood. The U.S. Route 7 crossing of Lye Brook is a 28-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of one 25-foot concrete span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, September

  20. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 29 (DORSTH00100029) on Town Highway 10, crossing the Mettawee River, Dorset, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure DORSTH00100029 on Town Highway 10 crossing the Mettawee River, Dorset, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D. The site is in the Taconic section of the New England physiographic province in southwestern Vermont. The 9.5-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is forest on the upstream left overbank and the upstream and downstream right overbanks. The downstream left overbank is pasture and brushland. In the study area, the Mettawee River has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.02 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 66 ft and an average bank height of 8 ft. The channel bed material ranges from gravel to boulders with a median grain size (D50) of 79.0 mm (0.259 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on August 5, 1996, indicated that the reach was stable. The Town Highway 10 crossing of the Mettawee River is a 26-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of a 24-ft steel-stringer span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, September 28, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 24.1 ft. The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments with wingwalls. The channel is skewed approximately 45 degrees to the opening while the opening-skew-to-roadway is zero degrees. At the

  1. Mercury levels in cord blood and meconium of healthy newborns and venous blood of their mothers: Clinical, prospective cohort study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Unuvar, Emin [Istanbul University, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Department of Pediatrics, Istanbul (Turkey)]. E-mail: Eunuvar@superonline.com; Ahmadov, Hasan [Istanbul University, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Department of Pediatrics, Istanbul (Turkey); Kiziler, Ali Riza [Istanbul University, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Department of Pediatrics, Istanbul (Turkey); Istanbul University, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Department of Biophysics, Istanbul (Turkey); Aydemir, Birsen [Istanbul University, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Department of Pediatrics, Istanbul (Turkey); Istanbul University, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Department of Biophysics, Istanbul (Turkey); Toprak, Sadik [Gazi Osman Pasa University, Department of Forensic Pathology, Tokat (Turkey); Ulker, Volkan [Bakirkoy Government Hospital, Istanbul (Turkey); Ark, Cemal [Bakirkoy Government Hospital, Istanbul (Turkey)

    2007-03-01

    Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the chronic mercury intoxication in pregnant women and newborns living in Istanbul, Turkey. Methods: The research was carried out as a prospective with 143 pregnant women and their newborns. Venous blood from the mother, cord blood from the neonate, and meconium were collected for mercury analysis. Frequency of fish and vegetable-eating and the number of teeth filled were investigated. Analyses were made in cold vapor Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS, {mu}g/L). Results: Mercury levels were 0.38 {+-} 0.5 {mu}g/L (0-2.34) in venous blood of pregnant women, 0.50 {+-} 0.64 {mu}g/L (0-2.36) in umbilical cord blood and 9.45 {+-} 13.8 {mu}g/g (0-66.5) in meconium. Maternal blood mercury level was lower than the known toxic limit for humans (EPA, 5 {mu}g/L). Mercury levels of the maternal venous blood were significantly correlated with umbilical cord blood. The primary risk factors affecting mercury levels were eating fishmeals more than twice a week and having filled teeth more than five. The fact that the mother had a regular vegetable diet everyday reduced the mercury levels. Increased levels of mercury in the mother and umbilical cord blood could lead to retarded newborns' weight and height. Conclusion: Pregnant women living in Istanbul may be not under the risk of chronic mercury intoxication. Fish consumption more than twice per week and tooth-filling of mother more than five may increase mercury level. On the contrary, regular diet rich in vegetable decreases the mercury level.

  2. Mercury levels in cord blood and meconium of healthy newborns and venous blood of their mothers: Clinical, prospective cohort study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Unuvar, Emin; Ahmadov, Hasan; Kiziler, Ali Riza; Aydemir, Birsen; Toprak, Sadik; Ulker, Volkan; Ark, Cemal

    2007-01-01

    Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the chronic mercury intoxication in pregnant women and newborns living in Istanbul, Turkey. Methods: The research was carried out as a prospective with 143 pregnant women and their newborns. Venous blood from the mother, cord blood from the neonate, and meconium were collected for mercury analysis. Frequency of fish and vegetable-eating and the number of teeth filled were investigated. Analyses were made in cold vapor Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS, μg/L). Results: Mercury levels were 0.38 ± 0.5 μg/L (0-2.34) in venous blood of pregnant women, 0.50 ± 0.64 μg/L (0-2.36) in umbilical cord blood and 9.45 ± 13.8 μg/g (0-66.5) in meconium. Maternal blood mercury level was lower than the known toxic limit for humans (EPA, 5 μg/L). Mercury levels of the maternal venous blood were significantly correlated with umbilical cord blood. The primary risk factors affecting mercury levels were eating fishmeals more than twice a week and having filled teeth more than five. The fact that the mother had a regular vegetable diet everyday reduced the mercury levels. Increased levels of mercury in the mother and umbilical cord blood could lead to retarded newborns' weight and height. Conclusion: Pregnant women living in Istanbul may be not under the risk of chronic mercury intoxication. Fish consumption more than twice per week and tooth-filling of mother more than five may increase mercury level. On the contrary, regular diet rich in vegetable decreases the mercury level

  3. Uranium project. Geochemistry prospection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lambert, J.

    1983-01-01

    Geochemistry studies the distribution of the chemicals elements in the terrestrial crust and its ways to migrate. The terminology used in this report is the following one: 1) Principles of the prospection geochemistry 2) Stages of the prospection geochemistry 3)utility of the prospection geochemistry 4) geochemistry of uranium 5) procedures used within the framework of uranium project 6) Average available 7) Selection of the zones of prospection geochemistry 8) Stages of the prospection, Sample preparation and analisis 9) Presentation of the results

  4. Endogenous Prospect Theory

    OpenAIRE

    Schmidt, Ulrich; Zank, Horst

    2010-01-01

    In previous models of (cumulative) prospect theory reference-dependence of preferences is imposed beforehand and the location of the reference point is exogenously determined. This paper provides an axiomatization of a new specification of cumulative prospect theory, termed endogenous prospect theory, where reference-dependence is derived from preference conditions and a unique reference point arises endogenously.

  5. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 46 (CHESVT00110046) on Vermont State Route 11, crossing the Middle Branch Williams River, Chester, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure CHESVT00110046 on State Route 11 crossing the Middle Branch Williams River, Chester, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D.The site is in the Green Mountain and New England Upland sections of the New England physiographic province in southeastern Vermont. The 28.0-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is forested on the upstream left and downstream right overbanks. The upstream right and downstream left overbanks are pasture while the immediate banks have dense woody vegetation.In the study area, the the Middle Branch Williams River has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.013 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 81 ft and an average bank height of 11 ft. The channel bed material ranges from gravel to bedrock with a median grain size (D50) of 70.7 mm (0.232 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on September 12, 1996, indicated that the reach was stable.The State Route 11 crossing of the Middle Branch Williams River is a 118-ft-long, two-lane steel stringer type bridge consisting of a 114-foot steel plate deck (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, March 29, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 109 ft.The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments with

  6. Effects of aerobic exercise training on ACE and ADRB2 gene expression, plasma angiotensin II level, and flow-mediated dilation: a study on obese postmenopausal women with prehypertension.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azadpour, Noushin; Tartibian, Bakhtyar; Koşar, Şükran Nazan

    2017-03-01

    The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of 10 weeks of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise training (MIET) on blood pressure (BP), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and β2-adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) gene expression in leukocytes, plasma angiotensin II (Ang II), and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in obese postmenopausal women (PMW) with prehypertension. Twenty-four obese prehypertensive PMW (aged 50-70 y; body mass index ≥30 kg/m) randomly assigned to control (n = 12) and exercise (n = 12) groups. Exercise group performed MIET (25-40 min/d, 3 d/wk at 50%-70% of heart rate reserve) for 10 weeks. Control group maintained their normal daily physical activity level. Body composition, VO2max, BP, ACE and ADRB2 gene expression, plasma Ang II, and FMD were measured before and after the training program. After MIET, systolic and diastolic BPs decreased by 4.6% and 2.4%, respectively (P ACE gene expressions (P ACE (r values range 0.68-0.86) (P ACE and ADRB2 gene expression, decreases Ang II plasma levels, and improves endothelial function in obese PMW, and these alterations are associated with reduction in BP.

  7. Functional analysis of concealment: a novel application of prospect and refuge theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Punya; Ellard, Colin G

    2012-09-01

    According to prospect-refuge theory, humans prefer environments that afford protection from threat (refuge), but also provide large fields of view (prospect). Prospect-refuge theory in the past has traditionally only been applied to humans, but many of the same contingencies governing spatial preference ought to also hold true in animals. The focus of this study was to examine if this phenomena also occurs in animals. Gerbils were placed in an arena containing three dome shaped refuges that varied in prospect-refuge levels. A simulated predator was released during the trial to examine how contextual factors may influence the degree of prospect and refuge preferred. The results indicate a preference for the enclosed refuge at stimulus onset even though this was not reflective of what happened prior to predator release. The results suggest spatial preferences in animals are influenced by prospect-refuge considerations in certain contexts. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Evaluation of Prospective Teachers in Terms of Academic Self-Efficacy and Professional Competence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aslan, Mahire; Bakir, Asli Agiroglu

    2017-01-01

    This study aims to determine the relationship between the self-efficacy perceptions of the prospective teachers and the levels of their professional competence. In the study, relational screening model is used and it is investigated whether prospective teachers' perceptions of academic self-efficacy and professional competence differed according…

  9. THE SPECTRUM AND TERM ANALYSIS OF V II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thorne, A. P.; Pickering, J. C.; Semeniuk, J. I.

    2013-01-01

    The spectrum and extended term analysis of V II are presented. Fourier transform spectrometry was used to record high resolution spectra of singly ionized vanadium in the region 1492-5800 Å (67020-17260 cm –1 ) with vanadium-neon and vanadium-argon hollow cathode lamps as sources. The wavenumber uncertainty for the center of gravity of the strongest lines is typically 0.002 cm –1 , an improvement of an order of magnitude over previous measurements. Most of the lines exhibit partly resolved hyperfine structure. The V II energy levels in the 1985 compilation of Sugar and Corliss have been confirmed and revised, with the exception of the high-lying 4f levels and eight of the lower levels. Thirty-nine of the additional eighty-five high levels published by Iglesias et al. have also been confirmed and revised, and three of their missing levels have been found. The energy uncertainty of the revised levels has been reduced by about an order of magnitude. In total, 176 even levels and 233 odd levels are presented. Wavenumbers and classifications are given for 1242 V II lines

  10. Evaluation of hyperglycaemic response to intra-operative dexamethasone administration in patients undergoing elective intracranial surgery: A randomised, prospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sethi, Rakesh; Naqash, Imtiaz A; Bajwa, Sukhminder Jit Singh; Dutta, Vikas; Ramzan, Altaf Umar; Zahoor, Syed Amir

    2016-01-01

    The glucocorticoid dexamethasone in a bolus dose of 8-10 mg followed by quarterly dose of 4 mg is commonly used during intracranial surgery so as to reduce oedema and vascular permeability. However, the detrimental hyperglycaemic effects of dexamethasone may override its potentially beneficial effects. The present prospective, randomised study aimed at comparing the degree and magnitude of hyperglycaemia induced by prophylactic administration of dexamethasone in patients undergoing elective craniotomy. Sixty American Society of Anaesthesiologist (ASA) grade-I and II patients were randomly assigned to three groups of 20 patients each. Group-I received dexamethasone during surgery for the first time. Group-II received dexamethasone in addition to receiving it pre-operatively, whereas Group-III (control group) patients were administered normal saline as placebo. Baseline blood glucose (BG) was measured in all the three groups before induction of anaesthesia and thereafter after every hour for 4 h and then two-hourly. Besides intra- and intergroup comparison of BG, peak BG concentration was also recorded for each patient. Statistical analysis was carried out with analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Student's t-test and value of P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Baseline BG reading were higher and statistically significant in Group-II as compared with Group-I and Group-III (P < 0.05). However, peak BG levels were significantly higher in Group-I than in Group-II and III (P < 0.05). Similarly, the magnitude of change in peak BG was significantly higher in Group-I as compared to Group-II and III (P < 0.05). Peri-operative administration of dexamethasone during neurosurgical procedures can cause significant increase in BG concentration especially in patients who receive dexamethasone intra-operatively only.

  11. Prospective outcomes of injury study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Derrett, S; Langley, J; Hokowhitu, B; Ameratunga, S; Hansen, P; Davie, G; Wyeth, E; Lilley, R

    2009-10-01

    In New Zealand (NZ), 20% of adults report a disability, of which one-third is caused by injury. No prospective epidemiological studies of predictors of disability following all-cause injury among New Zealanders have been undertaken. Internationally, studies have focused on a limited range of predictors or specific injuries. Although these studies provide useful insights, applicability to NZ is limited given the importance of NZ's unique macro-social factors, such as NZ's no-fault accident compensation and rehabilitation scheme, the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC). (1) To quantitatively determine the injury, rehabilitation, personal, social and economic factors leading to disability outcomes following injury in NZ. (2) To qualitatively explore experiences and perceptions of injury-related outcomes in face-to-face interviews with 15 Māori and 15 other New Zealanders, 6 and 12 months after injury. Four geographical regions within NZ. Prospective cohort study with telephone interviews 1, 4 and 12 months after injury. 2500 people (including 460 Māori), aged 18-64 years, randomly selected from ACC's entitlement claims register (people likely to be off work for at least 1 week or equivalent). Telephone interviews, electronic hospital and ACC injury data. Exposures include demographic, social, economic, work-related, health status, participation and/or environmental factors. Primary: disability (including WHODAS II) and health-related quality of life (including EQ-5D). Secondary: participation (paid and unpaid activities), life satisfaction and costs. Separate regression models will be developed for each of the outcomes. Repeated measures outcomes will be modelled using general estimating equation models and generalised linear mixed models.

  12. Ovarian and Adrenal Androgens and Their Link to High Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Levels: A Prospective Controlled Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    René Rodríguez-Gutiérrez

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Although the association between human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG and hyperandrogenism was identified more than 40 years ago, relevant questions remain unanswered. Design and Methods. We conducted a prospective, longitudinal, and controlled study in 23 women with a diagnosis of a complete hydatidiform mole (HM. Results. All participants completed the study. Before HM evacuation mean hCG was markedly higher in the cases than in the control group (P≤0.001. Free testosterone (T and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S were found to be higher in the cases (2.78 ± 1.24 pg/mL and 231.50 ± 127.20 μ/dL when compared to the control group (1.50 ± 0.75 pg/mL and 133.59 ± 60.69 μ/dL (P=0.0001 and 0.001, respectively. There was a strong correlation between hCG and free T/total T/DHEA-S concentrations (r=0.78; P≤0.001, r=0.74;  P≤0.001, and r=0.71;  P≤0.001, respectively. In the cases group 48 hours after HM evacuation, hCG levels were found to be significantly lower when compared to initial levels (P=0.001 and free T and DHEA-S declined significantly (P=0.0002 and 0.009. Conclusion. Before uterus evacuation, hCG, free T, and DHEA-S levels were significantly higher when compared with controls finding a strong correlation between hCG and free T/DHEA-S levels. Forty-eight hours after HM treatment hCG levels declined and the difference was lost. A novel finding of our study is that in cases, besides free T, DHEA-S was also found to be significantly higher and both the ovaries and adrenal glands appear to be the sites of this androgen overproduction.

  13. A phase II trial with bevacizumab and irinotecan for patients with primary brain tumors and progression after standard therapy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, Søren; Grunnet, Kirsten; Hansen, Steinbjørn

    2012-01-01

    The combination of irinotecan and bevacizumab has shown efficacy in the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). A prospective, phase II study of 85 patients with various recurrent brain tumors was carried out. Primary endpoints were progression free survival (PFS) and response rate....

  14. αII-spectrin and βII-spectrin do not affect TGFβ1-induced myofibroblast differentiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piersma, Bram; Wouters, Olaf Y; Bank, Ruud A

    2018-05-03

    Mechanosensing of fibroblasts plays a key role in the development of fibrosis. So far, no effective treatments are available to treat this devastating disorder. Spectrins regulate cell morphology and are potential mechanosensors in a variety of non-erythroid cells, but little is known about the role of spectrins in fibroblasts. We investigate whether αII- and βII-spectrin are required for the phenotypic properties of adult human dermal (myo)fibroblasts. Knockdown of αII- or βII-spectrin in fibroblasts did not affect cell adhesion, cell size and YAP nuclear/cytosolic localization. We further investigated whether αII- and βII-spectrin play a role in the phenotypical switch from fibroblasts to myofibroblasts under the influence of the pro-fibrotic cytokine TGFβ1. Knockdown of spectrins did not affect myofibroblast formation, nor did we observe changes in the organization of αSMA stress fibers. Focal adhesion assembly was unaffected by spectrin deficiency, as was collagen type I mRNA expression and protein deposition. Wound closure was unaffected as well, showing that important functional properties of myofibroblasts are unchanged without αII- or βII-spectrin. In fact, fibroblasts stimulated with TGFβ1 demonstrated significantly lower endogenous mRNA levels of αII- and βII-spectrin. Taken together, despite the diverse roles of spectrins in a variety of other cells, αII- and βII-spectrin do not regulate cell adhesion, cell size and YAP localization in human dermal fibroblasts and are not required for the dermal myofibroblast phenotypical switch.

  15. A prospective, randomized clinical trial to assess the cost-effectiveness of a modern foam dressing versus a traditional saline gauze dressing in the treatment of stage II pressure ulcers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Payne, Wyatt G; Posnett, John; Alvarez, Oscar; Brown-Etris, Marie; Jameson, Gayle; Wolcott, Randall; Dharma, Hussein; Hartwell, Samantha; Ochs, Diane

    2009-02-01

    Modern dressings such as hydrocolloids, gels, and foams are typically more expensive than traditional dressings such as gauze. However, if modern dressings require fewer changes, the overall cost of treatment may be lower despite the higher initial purchase price. If healing rates are comparable or better, modern dressings also may be cost-effective. A 4-week, prospective, randomized clinical trial to assess differences in treatment costs and cost-effectiveness between a modern foam dressing and saline-soaked gauze was conducted among 36 patients (22 men, 14 women, mean age 72.8 years) with a Stage II pressure ulcer (mean duration 35 weeks) at five centers in the United States. Participants were randomized to treatment with a self-adhesive polyurethane foam (n = 20) or saline-soaked gauze dressing (n = 16). No difference in time to wound closure was observed (P = 0.817). Patients in the foam group had less frequent dressing changes (P cost over the study period was lower by $466 per patient (P = 0.055) and spending on dressings was lower by $92 per patient in the foam group (P = 0.025). Cost per ulcer healed was lower by $1,517 and cost per ulcer-free day was lower by $80 for patients in the foam group. On the evidence of this study, the foam dressing is a more cost-effective treatment than saline-soaked gauze for the treatment of Stage II pressure ulcers.

  16. Physicochemical properties of 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoates of Mn(II, Co(II, Ni(II and Zn(II

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. FERENC

    2005-09-01

    Full Text Available The complexes of Mn(II, Co(II, Ni(II, Cu(II and Zn(II with 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid anion of the formula: M(C10H11O52·nH2O, where n = 6 for Ni(II, n = 1 for Mn(II, Co(II, Cu(II, and n = 0 for Zn, have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, X–ray diffraction measurements, thermogravimetry and magnetic studies. They are crystalline compounds characterized by various symmetry. They decompose in various ways when heated in air to 1273 K. At first, they dehydrate in one step and form anhydrous salts. The final products of decomposition are oxides of the respective metals (Mn2O3, Co3O4, NiO, CuO, ZnO. The solubilities of the analysed complexes in water at 293 K are in the orders of 10-2 – 10-4 mol dm-3. The magnetic susceptibilities of the Mn(II, Co(II, Ni(II and Cu(II complexes were measured over the range of 76–303 K and the magnetic moments were calculated. The results show that the 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoates of Mn(II, Co(II and Ni(II are high-spin complexes but that of Cu(II forms a dimer [Cu2(C10H11O54(H2O2]. The carboxylate groups bind as monodentate or bidentate chelating or bridging ligands.

  17. Prospective memory failures in aviation: effects of cue salience, workload, and individual differences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Benthem, Kathleen D; Herdman, Chris M; Tolton, Rani G; LeFevre, Jo-Anne

    2015-04-01

    Prospective memory allows people to complete intended tasks in the future. Prospective memory failures, such as pilots forgetting to inform pattern traffic of their locations, can have fatal consequences. The present research examined the impact of system factors (memory cue salience and workload) and individual differences (pilot age, cognitive health, and expertise) on prospective memory for communication tasks in the cockpit. Pilots (N = 101) flew a Cessna 172 simulator at a non-towered aerodrome while maintaining communication with traffic and attending to flight parameters. Memory cue salience (the prominence of cues that signal an intended action) and workload were manipulated. Prospective memory was measured as radio call completion rates. Pilots' prospective memory was adversely affected by low-salience cues and high workload. An interaction of cue salience, pilots' age, and cognitive health reflected the effects of system and individual difference factors on prospective memory failures. For example, younger pilots with low levels of cognitive health completed 78% of the radio calls associated with low-salience memory cues, whereas older pilots with low cognitive health scores completed just 61% of similar radio calls. Our findings suggest that technologies designed to signal intended future tasks should target those tasks with inherently low-salience memory cues. In addition, increasing the salience of memory cues is most likely to benefit pilots with lower levels of cognitive health in high-workload conditions.

  18. Perceived weight discrimination mediates the prospective relation between obesity and depressive symptoms in U.S. and U.K. adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, Eric; Sutin, Angelina; Daly, Michael

    2017-02-01

    Obesity has been shown to increase risk of depression. Persons with obesity experience discrimination because of their body weight. Across 3 studies, we tested for the first time whether experiencing (perceived) weight-based discrimination explains why obesity is prospectively associated with increases in depressive symptoms. Data from 3 studies, including the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2008/2009-2012/2013), the Health and Retirement Study (2006/2008-2010/2012), and Midlife in the United States (1995/1996-2004/2005), were used to examine associations between obesity, perceived weight discrimination, and depressive symptoms among 20,286 U.S. and U.K. adults. Across all 3 studies, Class II and III obesity were reliably associated with increases in depressive symptoms from baseline to follow-up. Perceived weight-based discrimination predicted increases in depressive symptoms over time and mediated the prospective association between obesity and depressive symptoms in all 3 studies. Persons with Class II and III obesity were more likely to report experiencing weight-based discrimination, and this explained approximately 31% of the obesity-related increase in depressive symptoms on average across the 3 studies. In U.S. and U.K. samples, the prospective association between obesity (defined using body mass index) and increases in depressive symptoms in adulthood may in part be explained by perceived weight discrimination. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  19. THE IMPACT OF USING SOCIAL MEDIA ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND ATTITUDES OF PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Murat Tezer

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The current study was conducted to investigate the impact of using social media and internet on the academic achievement of prospective teachers. Focus group of the research could be expressed as 204 prospective teachers that were studying in 2016-2017 fall semesters. To collect data, Attitudes Towards to Social Media Scale was employed. Result of the study revealed that, prospective teachers’ attitudes towards to social media had an influence on academic achievement. Furthermore, it could be stressed that prospective teachers with lower attitudes towards to social media were more likely to have lower academic success when compared with the prospective teachers with higher attitudes towards to social media. In addition to these, results of the current study also expressed that prospective teachers with social media accounts were achieved better grades when compared with the prospective teachers who did not have any social media account. Lastly, it could be indicated that prospective teachers’ attitudes towards to social media was at a moderate level.

  20. Prospects of the high power iodine laser

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hohla, K.; Brederlow, G.; Fill, E.; Volk, R.; Witte, K.J.

    1976-09-01

    The characteristic properties of the iodine laser (gaseous laser substance, photolytic pump mechanism, variable stimulated emission cross-section) made it possible in a relatively short time to generate ns pulses in the kJ range. The Asterix II and III iodine laser systems at IPP are working successfully, and the question arises what prospects are afforded for further iodine laser development. What are the problems that have to be clarified in order to build 10 or 100 kJ systems for laser fusion experiments. According to our experience these can be classified as follows: 1) Short pulse generation and contrast ratio, 2) pulse shaping in a high-gain laser and amplification in the coherent time range, 3) non-linear properties at high intensities, 4) scalable pumping schemes and chemical processes. (orig./WL) [de

  1. Depositional and sea-level history from MIS 6 (Termination II) to MIS 3 on the southern continental shelf of South Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cawthra, H. C.; Jacobs, Z.; Compton, J. S.; Fisher, E. C.; Karkanas, P.; Marean, C. W.

    2018-02-01

    Pleistocene shoreline deposits comprised of calcified shallow marine (palaeobeach) and aeolian (palaeodune) facies found along mid-latitude coastlines can be useful indicators of past sea levels. Here, we describe a succession of such deposits that are presently exposed both above (subaerial) and below (submerged) mean sea level along the southern Cape coast of South Africa, 18 km east of the town of Mossel Bay. The submerged units provide a window on Late Pleistocene coastal processes, as palaeoshoreline deposits in this study extend to water depths of up to 55 m on the mid-shelf. Five sedimentary facies were identified in the strata and were compared to modern depositional environments of the local littoral zone, which include aeolian dune, upper shoreface, foreshore, intertidal swash and back-barrier settings. Twenty-two geological units were observed and mapped. Some of these units were directly dated with optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. OSL ages were obtained for ten samples from the subaerial and twelve samples from the submerged deposits. Those geological units not directly dated were interpreted based on sedimentology and field/stratigraphic relationships to dated units. The stratigraphy and chronology of the succession indicates a record of initial deposition during Termination II (T-II) meltwater events, preceding and leading to marine isotope stage (MIS) 5e. Indicators for multiple sea-level fluctuations between MIS 5d and MIS 4, and sediment deposition at the end of MIS 4 and start of MIS 3 are also found. Both regressive and transgressive depositional cycles are well-preserved in the succession. We propose that palaeodune and palaeobeach deposits along the South Coast of South Africa have no clear preference for deposition during sea-level transgressions or regressions. Sediment deposition more closely mirrors the rate of sea level change, with deposition and preservation either during times of rapid sea-level movement, or oscillation

  2. Concurrent and prospective associations of habitual overgeneral memory and prospection with symptoms of depression, general anxiety, obsessive compulsiveness, and post-traumatic stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boelen, Paul A; Huntjens, Rafaele J C; van den Hout, Marcel A

    2014-01-01

    Reduced memory specificity is associated with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and some other forms of psychopathology. Reduced memory specificity is also associated with reduced specificity of envisioned future events. Research in this area has mostly relied on cue-word methods that include explicit instructions to develop specific memories of future events. These methods are limited in their ability to assess how participants habitually remember the past and imagine the future when the specificity constraints inherent in the cue-word task are removed. Sentence completions tasks have been developed that can be used to assess habitual patterns of memory and prospection. Little is known about the association of habitual memory and prospection with concurrently and prospectively assessed psychopathology. In the current study 142 participants completed sentence completion tasks tapping habitual memory and prospection at baseline and completed measures tapping psychological symptoms at baseline and 1 year later. Among other things, it was found that reduced memory specificity (but not reduced future specificity) was associated with concurrent and later depression, as well as with symptom levels of PTSD tapped 1 year beyond baseline.

  3. Speciation of Co(II) and Ni(II) in anaerobic bioreactors measured by competitive ligand exchange - adsorptive stripping voltammetry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jansen, S.; Steffen, F.; Threels, W.F.; Leeuwen, van H.P.

    2005-01-01

    Competitive ligand exchange-adsorptive stripping voltammetry is applied to speciation analysis of dissolved Ni(II) and Co(II) in an anaerobic bioreactor and similar batch media. Co and Ni speciation in these media can be measured down to concentration levels of ca. 1 nM. Sulfide interference is

  4. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 28 (STRATH00020028) on Town Highway 2, crossing the West Branch Ompompanoosuc River, Strafford, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.

    1998-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure STRATH00020028 on Town Highway 2 crossing the West Branch Ompompanoosuc River, Strafford, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (FHWA, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gathered from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in appendix D. The site is in the New England Upland section of the New England physiographic province in central Vermont. The 25.4-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is pasture upstream and downstream of the bridge. In the study area, the West Branch Ompompanoosuc River has a sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.002 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 34 ft and an average bank height of 6 ft. The channel bed material ranges from silt and clay to cobbles with a median grain size (D50) of 20.4 mm (0.0669 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on July 24, 1996, indicated that the reach was laterally unstable, because of moderate fluvial erosion. The Town Highway 2 crossing of the West Branch Ompompanoosuc River is a 31-ft-long, twolane bridge consisting of a 26-foot concrete tee-beam span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, October 23, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 24.6 ft. The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments with wingwalls. The channel is skewed approximately 45 degrees to the opening while the computed opening-skew-toroadway is 5 degrees. A scour hole 3

  5. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 29 (ROYATH00920029) on Town Highway 92, crossing the First Branch White River, Royalton, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.; Hammond, Robert E.

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure ROYATH00920029 on Town Highway 92 crossing the First Branch White River, Royalton, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D. The site is in the New England Upland section of the New England physiographic province in central Vermont. The 101-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is pasture upstream and downstream of the bridge. In the study area, the First Branch White River has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.001 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 81 ft and an average bank height of 9 ft. The channel bed material ranges from sand to bedrock with a median grain size (D50) of 1.18 mm (0.00347 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I site visit on July 23, 1996 and Level II site visit on June 2, 1995, indicated that the reach was stable. The Town Highway 92 crossing of the First Branch White River is a 59-ft-long, one-lane bridge consisting of a 57-foot steel-stringer span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, March 23, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 52.2 ft. The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments with wingwalls. The channel is skewed approximately 20 degrees to the opening while the opening-skew-to-roadway is zero degrees. A scour hole 4.0 ft deeper than the

  6. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 52 (CHESTH00100052) on Town Highway 10, crossing the South branch Williams River, Chester, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.; Ivanoff, Michael A.

    1998-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure CHESTH00100052 on Town Highway 10 crossing the South Branch Williams River, Chester, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (FHWA, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in appendix D. The site is in the New England Upland section of the New England physiographic province in southeastern Vermont. The 4.05-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is forest upstream and downstream of the bridge. In the study area, the South Branch Williams River has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.03 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 35 ft and an average bank height of 4 ft. The channel bed material ranges from gravel to boulders with a median grain size (D50) of 82.1 mm (0.269 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on August 21, 1996, indicated that the reach was unstable, as a result of the moderate bank erosion. The Town Highway 10 crossing of the South Branch Williams River is a 32-ft-long, one-lane bridge consisting of a 29-foot steel-stringer span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, March 31, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 27.6 ft. The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments with wingwalls. The channel is skewed approximately 25 degrees to the opening while the opening-skew-to-roadway is 20 degrees. A scour hole 1.0 ft deeper than the

  7. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 41 (ANDOVT00110041) on State Route 11, crossing the Middle Branch Williams River, Andover, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.; Hammond, Robert E.

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure ANDOVT00110041 on State Route 11 crossing the Middle Branch Williams River, Andover, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D. The site is in the Green Mountain section of the New England physiographic province in southeastern Vermont. The 12.1-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is grass on the upstream right overbank while the immediate banks have dense woody vegetation. The upstream left overbank and downstream right overbank are brushland. The downstream left overbank is forested. In the study area, the Middle Branch Williams River has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.018 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 71 ft and an average bank height of 4 ft. The channel bed material ranges from gravel to boulders with a median grain size (D50) of 85.0 mm (0.279 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on September 10, 1996, indicated that the reach was laterally unstable due to a cut-bank present on the upstream right bank and a wide channel bar with vegetation in the upstream reach. The State Route 11 crossing of the Middle Branch Williams River is a 46-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of a concrete 44-foot tee-beam span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, March 29, 1995). The opening length of

  8. Perceived Problem Solving Skills: As a Predictor of Prospective Teachers' Scientific Epistemological Beliefs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Temel, Senar

    2016-01-01

    This study aims to determine the level of perceived problem solving skills of prospective teachers and the relations between these skills and their scientific epistemological beliefs. The study was conducted in the fall semester of 2015-2016 academic year. Prospective teachers were applied Problem Solving Inventory which was developed by Heppner…

  9. The application actualities and prospects of geophysical methods to uranium prospecting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Qingcheng

    2010-01-01

    Basic principles of geophysical methods to uranium prospect are briefly introduced, and the effects as well as problems in using those methods are analysed respectively. Combining with the increasing demand of uranium resources for Chinese nuclear power development and the higher requirements of geophysical techniques, the developing directions and the thoughts of geophysical techniques in uranium prospecting were proposed. A new pattern with producing, teaching and researching together is brought forward to develop advancing uranium prospecting key technologies and to break through technological bottlenecks depending on independent innovation. Integrated geophysical methods for prospecting uranium deposits are suggested. The method includes geophysical techniques as follows: gravity, magnetic, seismic, radioactive, remote sensing, and geochemical method in some proving grounds. Based on the experimental research, new uranium deposits prospecting models with efficient integrated geophysical methods can be established. (authors)

  10. Improving Prospective Memory in Persons With Parkinson Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foster, Erin R; McDaniel, Mark A; Rendell, Peter G

    2017-05-01

    Prospective memory (PM) is essential for productive and independent living and necessary for compliance with prescribed health behaviors. Parkinson disease (PD) can cause PM deficits that are associated with activity limitations and reduced quality of life. Forming implementation intentions (IIs) is an encoding strategy that may improve PM in this population. To determine the effect of IIs on PM performance in PD. This was a laboratory-based randomized controlled trial. Participants with mild to moderate PD without dementia (n = 62) performed a computerized PM test (Virtual Week) under standard instructions. One week later they were randomly allocated to perform it again while using either IIs or a rehearsal (RR) encoding strategy. PM performance was better with the use of both strategies relative to standard instructions. This effect was larger for tasks with event-based compared with time-based cues. In addition, IIs resulted in a larger effect than RR for the nonrepeated tasks. Strategies that support full encoding of PM cues and actions can improve PM performance among people with PD, particularly for tasks with cues that are readily available in the environment. IIs may be more effective than RR for nonrepeated tasks, but this finding warrants verification. Future work should address transfer of strategy use from the laboratory to everyday life. Targeted strategies to manage PM impairment could improve function and quality of life and significantly affect clinical care for people with PD.

  11. Corneal endothelial morphology and central thickness in patients with type II diabetes mellitus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Storr-Paulsen, Allan; Singh, Amardeep; Jeppesen, Helene

    2014-01-01

    size was based on a power calculation (power = 0.90; p = 0.05). The diabetic patients had on average more than four HbA1c tests performed (mean 4.1; range 2-14) with intervals of at least 3 months as a reflection of the long-term glycaemic status. The controls had no diabetes confirmed by two causal......PURPOSE: To investigate corneal endothelial cell density and morphology in type II diabetic and non-diabetic patients and to relate potential differences to the glycaemic status. METHODS: A prospective clinical study including 107 patients with type II diabetes and 128 non-diabetic patients. Sample...... blood tests. The endothelial cell density, the variation in endothelial cell size (CV), the percentage of hexagonal cells, and the central corneal thickness (CCT) were recorded. RESULTS: Type II diabetic subjects did not differ from the non-diabetic control subjects with regards to endothelial cell...

  12. Synthesis and spectral studies of manganese(II), cobalt(II), nickel(II), copper(II), zinc(II), cadmium(II) and mercury(II) complexes of 4-oxo-4H-1-benzopyran-3-carboxaldehyde hydrazone derivatives

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nawar, N.; Khattab, M.A.; Bekheit, M.M.; El-Kaddah, A.H.

    1996-01-01

    A few complexes of Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II) and Hg(II) with 4-oxo-4H-1-benzopyran-3-(carboxaldehyde-4-chlorobenzylhydrazone) (BCBH) and 4-oxo-4H-1-benzopyran-3-(carboxaldehyde-4-methylbenzylhydrazone) (BMBH) have been synthesised and characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductivities, magnetic measurements and infrared (IR) and visible spectral studies. The IR spectra show that BCBH and BMBH behave as bidentate ligands either in the keto or enol form. (author). 24 refs., 2 tabs

  13. Contribution to growth and increment analysis on the Italian CONECOFOR Level II Network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emilio AMORINI

    2002-09-01

    Full Text Available The paper deals with the "Estimation of growth and yield" included in the National Programme on Intensive Monitoring of Forest Ecosystems CONECOFOR Aims of the paper are: i to outline the composition and design of Level II PMPs network, also examining the structural characteristics of forest stands; ii to describe the contents of mensurational surveys carried out in winter 1996/97 and 1999/00; iii to analyse the growth rates in progress at each PMP using selected descriptors. Stand origin (11 high forests and 13 stored coppices and transitory crops and the number of forest types tested are focused as the main discriminants of the PMPs network. This composition, together with irregular forestry practice, results in a number of consequences (prevailing age classes, tree densities and related stand structures, growth patterns which cause a high in-and-between variability of all growth parameters. For the purposes of this analysis, the network of the plots was divided into three main sets: broadleaved high forest (i.e. beech stands, 6 PMPs; coniferous forest (i.e. Norway spruce stands, 5 PMPs; coppice forest (i.e. deciduous and evergreen oaks, beech and hardbeam stands, 13 PMPs. The measurement of basic growth variables (dbh and tree height was used to describe the tree populations in each PMP; the calculation of basal area, mean and top dbh, mean and top height, provided the reference dataset at each inventory. The assessment of social class according to Kraft gave information on vertical stand structure and made it possible to analyse growth according to tree layers. Data comparison provided increments in the interval 1997-2000. The occurrence of natural mortality and ingrowth was also assessed to take into account their combined effect on tree population dynamics. No trend was found, due to limited data availability, but it was possible to have a detailed overview of the stand situation and growth rates in PMPs.

  14. Synthesis, Characterization, and Biological Activity of Mn(II, Fe(II, Co(II, Ni(II, Cu(II, Zn(II, and Cd(II Complexes of N-Thiophenoyl-N′-Phenylthiocarbohydrazide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Yadav

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Mn(II, Fe(II, Co(II, Ni(II, Cu(II, Zn(II, and Cd(II complex of N-thiophenoyl -N′-phenylthiocarbohydrazide (H2 TPTH have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, magnetic susceptibility measurements, infrared, NMR, electronic, and ESR spectral studies. The complexes were found to have compositions [Mn(H TPTH2], [Co(TPTH (H2O2], [Ni(TPTH (H2O2], [Cu(TPTH], [Zn(H TPTH], [Cd(H TPTH2], and [Fe(H TPTH2(EtOH]. The magnetic and electronic spectral studies suggest square planar geometry for [Cu(TPTH], tetrahedral geometry for [Zn(TPTH] and [Cd(H TPTH2], and octahedral geometry for rest of the complexes. The infrared spectral studies of the 1 : 1 deprotonated complexes suggest bonding through enolic oxygen, thiolato sulfur, and both the hydrazinic nitrogens. Thus, H2TPTH acts as a binegative tetradentate ligand. H2 TPTH and its metal complexes have been screened against several bacteria and fungi.

  15. [Intraoperative lactic acidosis, can it be treated? Clinico-experimental, prospective, sequential study].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pietropaoli, P; Caporelli, S; De Pace, F; Donati, A; Adrario, E; Luzi, A; Munch, C; Giovannini, C; Frezzotti, A R

    1994-12-01

    To verify the efficacy and absence of risk attributable to therapy with alkaline solutions for correction of lactic acidosis and to demonstrate the usefulness of L-carnitine in converting lactate into pyruvate in conditions of good blood oxygenation. Prospective study on a consecutive series of patients subdivided into three groups following the use of: alkalinizing therapy (group I), L-carnitine (group II), or saline solution (group III). Groups 1 and 2 were further subdivided into subgroups "a" and "b" according to the type of alkalinizing agent and of L-carnitine somministration. Teaching Hospital-Torrette di Ancona. 65 patients submitted to major vascular surgery with aortic clamping in the time period between January 1992 and August 1993. During aortic clamping patients of: group I received 2 mEq:kg of bicarbonate or tromentamolo according to the specific subgroup. Group II received a bolus of 2 g of L-carnitine, patients of group IIb received further 2 g of carnitine in continuous perfusion until the end of surgery. Group III received no pharmacological intervention. HR BP, arterial blood gases and lactic acid levels were measured at 12 pre-determined times. Only a neutralizing effect of alkalinizing therapy was observed, whereas the lactic acid measurements demonstrated no significant differences between the different groups. These results confirm the data of other Authors concerning the good compliance of alkalinizing therapy, however, there was demonstrated no clear evidence of its effective usefulness. No metabolic stimulation due to L-canitina could be demonstrated in our experimental conditions.

  16. Efficacy of Pectoral Nerve Block Type II for Breast-Conserving Surgery and Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Doo-Hwan Kim

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives. The pectoral nerve block type II (PECS II block is widely used for postoperative analgesia after breast surgery. This study evaluated the analgesic efficacy of PECS II block in patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery (BCS and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SNB. Methods. Patients were randomized to the control group (n=40 and the PECS II group (n=40. An ultrasound-guided PECS II block was performed after induction of anesthesia. The primary outcome measure was opioid consumption, and the secondary outcome was pain at the breast and axillary measured using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS 24 hours after surgery. Opioid requirement was assessed according to tumor location. Results. Opioid requirement was lower in the PECS II than in the control group (43.8 ± 28.5 µg versus 77.0 ± 41.9 µg, p<0.001. However, the frequency of rescue analgesics did not differ between these groups. Opioid consumption in the PECS II group was significantly lower in patients with tumors in the outer area than that in patients with tumors in the inner area (32.5 ± 23.0 µg versus 58.0 ± 29.3 µg, p=0.007. The axillary NRS was consistently lower through 24 hr in the PECS II group. Conclusion. Although the PECS II block seemed to reduce pain intensity and opioid requirements for 24 h after BCS and SNB, these reductions may not be clinically significant. This trial is registered with Clinical Research Information Service KCT0002509.

  17. Phase II study of palliative low-dose local radiotherapy in disseminated indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jóhannsson, Jakob; Specht, Lena; Mejer, Johannes

    2002-01-01

    Indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (INHL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are highly sensitive to radiotherapy (RT). Previous retrospective studies have shown high response rates after local palliative RT of 4 Gy in 2 fractions, which prompted this prospective Phase II trial of the palliative...

  18. The relationship between lactate and thiamine levels in patients with diabetic ketoacidosis⋆

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moskowitz, Ari; Graver, Amanda; Giberson, Tyler; Berg, Katherine; Liu, Xiaowen; Uber, Amy; Gautam, Shiva; Donnino, Michael W.

    2013-01-01

    Purpose Thiamine functions as an important cofactor in aerobic metabolism and thiamine deficiency can contribute to lactic acidosis. Although increased rates of thiamine deficiency have been described in diabetic outpatients, this phenomenon has not been studied in relation to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). In the present study, we hypothesize that thiamine deficiency is associated with elevated lactate in patients with DKA. Materials and Methods This was a prospective observational study of patients presenting to a tertiary care center with DKA. Patient demographics, laboratory results, and outcomes were recorded. A one-time blood draw was performed and analyzed for plasma thiamine levels. Results Thirty-two patients were enrolled. Eight patients (25%) were thiamine deficient, with levels lower than 9 nmol/L. A negative correlation between lactic acid and plasma thiamine levels was found (r = −0.56, P = .002). This relationship remained significant after adjustment for APACHE II scores (P = .009). Thiamine levels were directly related to admission serum bicarbonate (r = 0.44, P = .019), and patients with thiamine deficiency maintained lower bicarbonate levels over the first 24 hours (slopes parallel with a difference of 4.083, P = .002). Conclusions Patients with DKA had a high prevalence of thiamine deficiency. Thiamine levels were inversely related to lactate levels among patients with DKA. A study of thiamine supplementation in DKA is warranted. PMID:23993771

  19. Integrated boost IMRT with FET-PET-adapted local dose escalation in glioblastomas. Results of a prospective phase II study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Piroth, M.D.; Pinkawa, M.; Holy, R.; Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH

    2012-01-01

    Dose escalations above 60 Gy based on MRI have not led to prognostic benefits in glioblastoma patients yet. With positron emission tomography (PET) using [ 18 F]fluorethyl-L-tyrosine (FET), tumor coverage can be optimized with the option of regional dose escalation in the area of viable tumor tissue. In a prospective phase II study (January 2008 to December 2009), 22 patients (median age 55 years) received radiochemotherapy after surgery. The radiotherapy was performed as an MRI and FET-PET-based integrated-boost intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). The prescribed dose was 72 and 60 Gy (single dose 2.4 and 2.0 Gy, respectively) for the FET-PET- and MR-based PTV-FET (72 Gy) and PTV-MR (60 Gy) . FET-PET and MRI were performed routinely for follow-up. Quality of life and cognitive aspects were recorded by the EORTC-QLQ-C30/QLQ Brain20 and Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), while the therapy-related toxicity was recorded using the CTC3.0 and RTOG scores. Median overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were 14.8 and 7.8 months, respectively. All local relapses were detected at least partly within the 95% dose volume of PTV-MR (60 Gy) . No relevant radiotherapy-related side effects were observed (excepted alopecia). In 2 patients, a pseudoprogression was observed in the MRI. Tumor progression could be excluded by FET-PET and was confirmed in further MRI and FET-PET imaging. No significant changes were observed in MMSE scores and in the EORTC QLQ-C30/QLQ-Brain20 questionnaires. Our dose escalation concept with a total dose of 72 Gy, based on FET-PET, did not lead to a survival benefit. Acute and late toxicity were not increased, compared with historical controls and published dose-escalation studies. (orig.)

  20. Integrated boost IMRT with FET-PET-adapted local dose escalation in glioblastomas. Results of a prospective phase II study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Piroth, M.D.; Pinkawa, M.; Holy, R. [RWTH Aachen University Hospital (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (DE). Juelich-Aachen Research Alliance (JARA) - Section JARA-Brain] (and others)

    2012-04-15

    Dose escalations above 60 Gy based on MRI have not led to prognostic benefits in glioblastoma patients yet. With positron emission tomography (PET) using [{sup 18}F]fluorethyl-L-tyrosine (FET), tumor coverage can be optimized with the option of regional dose escalation in the area of viable tumor tissue. In a prospective phase II study (January 2008 to December 2009), 22 patients (median age 55 years) received radiochemotherapy after surgery. The radiotherapy was performed as an MRI and FET-PET-based integrated-boost intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). The prescribed dose was 72 and 60 Gy (single dose 2.4 and 2.0 Gy, respectively) for the FET-PET- and MR-based PTV-FET{sub (72 Gy)} and PTV-MR{sub (60 Gy)}. FET-PET and MRI were performed routinely for follow-up. Quality of life and cognitive aspects were recorded by the EORTC-QLQ-C30/QLQ Brain20 and Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), while the therapy-related toxicity was recorded using the CTC3.0 and RTOG scores. Median overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were 14.8 and 7.8 months, respectively. All local relapses were detected at least partly within the 95% dose volume of PTV-MR{sub (60 Gy)}. No relevant radiotherapy-related side effects were observed (excepted alopecia). In 2 patients, a pseudoprogression was observed in the MRI. Tumor progression could be excluded by FET-PET and was confirmed in further MRI and FET-PET imaging. No significant changes were observed in MMSE scores and in the EORTC QLQ-C30/QLQ-Brain20 questionnaires. Our dose escalation concept with a total dose of 72 Gy, based on FET-PET, did not lead to a survival benefit. Acute and late toxicity were not increased, compared with historical controls and published dose-escalation studies. (orig.)

  1. Basic data for uranium prospecting in Argentina

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Belluco, A.; Rodriguez, E.; Martinez, C.; Marinkeff, K.

    1977-01-01

    After dealing briefly with the geochemical cycle of uranium in the earth's crust, and indicating the principal conditions under which different types of deposits are formed, the paper goes on to determine the uraniferous are of mainland Argentina (approximately 900000 km 2 ). Since evidence for the presence of uranium and other radioactive elements in many parts of the country has long been available, an attempt was made to systemize the existing information and classify the uraniferous sites so as to determine their temporal, spatial and genetic relationships with the different containing rocks. In addition, a study was made of the factors which contribute to the concentration of uranium in rocks which are accessible to prospecting (litho-stratigraphy, geological history, mettallogenic cycles, etc.). On the basis of these studies and considering the regional geology of Argentina, 21 ''regional environments'' were defined with varying degrees of probability of containing uranium; these environments will be submitted to long-term regional prospecting studies. It was necessary, however, to make a further sub-division into more homogeneous units with more clearly graded levels of priority, with the result that there are 65 ''prospecting units''. Each of these units, in order of priority, will be subjected to systematic prospecting. Exploratory work on a suitable scale will be carried out in the ''uraniferous'' districts of the ''prospecting units''. The main features of Argentine geology relating to the likelihood of uranium occurrences are briefly described, and maps of the large geotechtonic areas and the ''regional environments'' are included. (author)

  2. The effect of serum angiotensin II and angiotensin II type 1 receptor ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Ehab

    2012-06-18

    Jun 18, 2012 ... case-control cross sectional study which included 24 patients with pLN ..... significantly high levels (1000-fold) of Ang II .... initial validation of the Systemic Lupus International ... Fyhrquist F, Metsärinne K, Tikkanen I. Role of.

  3. Angiotensin II increases phosphodiesterase 5A expression in vascular smooth muscle cells: A mechanism by which angiotensin II antagonizes cGMP signaling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Dongsoo; Aizawa, Toru; Wei, Heng; Pi, Xinchun; Rybalkin, Sergei D.; Berk, Bradford C.; Yan, Chen

    2014-01-01

    Angiotensin II (Ang II) and nitric oxide (NO)/natriuretic peptide (NP) signaling pathways mutually regulate each other. Imbalance of Ang II and NO/NP has been implicated in the pathophysiology of many vascular diseases. cGMP functions as a key mediator in the interaction between Ang II and NO/NP. Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase 5A (PDE5A) is important in modulating cGMP signaling by hydrolyzing cGMP in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). Therefore, we examined whether Ang II negatively modulates intracellular cGMP signaling in VSMC by regulating PDE5A. Ang II rapidly and transiently increased PDE5A mRNA levels in rat aortic VSMC. Upregulation of PDE5A mRNA was associated with a time-dependent increase of both PDE5 protein expression and activity. Increased PDE5A mRNA level was transcription-dependent and mediated by the Ang II type 1 receptor. Ang II-mediated activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) was essential for Ang II-induced PDE5A upregulation. Pretreatment of VSMC with Ang II inhibited C-type NP (CNP) stimulated cGMP signaling, such as cGMP dependent protein kinase (PKG)-mediated phosphorylation of vasodilator-stimulated-phosphoprotein (VASP). Ang II-mediated inhibition of PKG was blocked when PDE5 activity was decreased by selective PDE5 inhibitors, suggesting that upregulation of PDE5A expression is an important mechanism for Ang II to attenuate cGMP signaling. PDE5A may also play a critical role in the growth promoting effects of Ang II because inhibition of PDE5A activity significantly decreased Ang II-stimulated VSMC growth. These observations establish a new mechanism by which Ang II antagonizes cGMP signaling and stimulates VSMC growth. PMID:15623434

  4. The differences in temperament–character traits, suicide attempts, impulsivity, and functionality levels of patients with bipolar disorder I and II

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Izci F

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Filiz Izci,1 Ebru Kanmaz Findikli,2 Serkan Zincir,3 Selma Bozkurt Zincir,4 Merve Iris Koc4 1Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Istanbul Bilim University, Istanbul, 2Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University, Kahramanmaras, 3Department of Psychiatry, Kocaeli Gölcük Military Hospital, Kocaeli, 4Department of Psychiatry, Erenköy Training and Research Hospital for Psychiatric and Neurological Disorders, Istanbul, Turkey Background: The primary aim of this study was to compare the differences in temperament-character traits, suicide attempts, impulsivity, and functionality levels of patients with bipolar disorder I (BD-I and bipolar disorder II (BD-II.Methods: Fifty-two BD-I patients and 49 BD-II patients admitted to Erenköy Mental and Neurological Disease Training and Research Hospital psychiatry clinic and fifty age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects were enrolled in this study. A structured clinical interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition Axis I Disorders, Temperament and Character Inventory, Barrett Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11, Hamilton Depression Inventory Scale, Young Mania Rating Scale, and Bipolar Disorder Functioning Questionnaire (BDFQ were administered to patients and to control group.Results: No statistically significant difference in sociodemographic features existed between the patient and control groups (P>0.05. Thirty-eight subjects (37.62% in the patient group had a suicide attempt. Twenty-three of these subjects (60.52% had BD-I, and 15 of these subjects (39.47% had BD-II. Suicide attempt rates in BD-I and II patients were 60.52% and 39.47%, respectively (P<0.05. Comparison of BD-I and II patients with healthy control subjects revealed that cooperativeness (C, self-directedness (Sdi, and self-transcendence (ST scores were lower and novelty seeking (NS1 and NS2, harm avoidance (HA4, and reward dependence (RD2 subscale scores

  5. An immune response manifested by the common occurrence of annexins I and II autoantibodies and high circulating levels of IL-6 in lung cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brichory, Franck M.; Misek, David E.; Yim, Anne-Marie; Krause, Melissa C.; Giordano, Thomas J.; Beer, David G.; Hanash, Samir M.

    2001-01-01

    The identification of circulating tumor antigens or their related autoantibodies provides a means for early cancer diagnosis as well as leads for therapy. The purpose of this study was to identify proteins that commonly induce a humoral response in lung cancer by using a proteomic approach and to investigate biological processes that may be associated with the development of autoantibodies. Aliquots of solubilized proteins from a lung adenocarcinoma cell line (A549) and from lung tumors were subjected to two-dimensional PAGE, followed by Western blot analysis in which individual sera were tested for primary antibodies. Sera from 54 newly diagnosed patients with lung cancer and 60 patients with other cancers and from 61 noncancer controls were analyzed. Sera from 60% of patients with lung adenocarcinoma and 33% of patients with squamous cell lung carcinoma but none of the noncancer controls exhibited IgG-based reactivity against proteins identified as glycosylated annexins I and/or II. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that annexin I was expressed diffusely in neoplastic cells in lung tumor tissues, whereas annexin II was predominant at the cell surface. Interestingly, IL-6 levels were significantly higher in sera of antibody-positive lung cancer patients compared with antibody-negative patients and controls. We conclude that an immune response manifested by annexins I and II autoantibodies occurs commonly in lung cancer and is associated with high circulating levels of an inflammatory cytokine. The proteomic approach we have implemented has utility for the development of serum-based assays for cancer diagnosis as we report in this paper on the discovery of antiannexins I and/or II in sera from patients with lung cancer. PMID:11504947

  6. Prospects of increasing the engineering level of NPP components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Filippov, G.A.

    1987-01-01

    Consideration is being given to main problems related to development and industrial introduction of NPP components corresponding to the perspective world-wide engineering level. The nearest task in this field is to elevate the engineering level of developed and being produced power equipment up to the level of similar equipment, manufactured by leading foreign companies

  7. Radiative parameters for some transitions in Cu(II) and Ag(II) spectrum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Biemont, E.; Blagoev, K.; Campos, J.; Mayo, R.; Malcheva, G.; Ortiz, M.; Quinet, P.

    2005-01-01

    Radiative parameters for transitions depopulating the levels belonging to the 3d 8 4s 2 configuration of Cu(II) and 4d 9 6s and 4d 9 5d configurations of Ag(II) have been obtained both theoretically and experimentally. On the experimental side, a laser-produced plasma was used as a source of Cu(II) and Ag(II) spectra. The light emitted by the plasma was focused on the input slit of a grating monochromator coupled with a time-resolved optical multichannel analyzer system. Spectral response calibration of the experimental system was made using a deuterium lamp in the wavelength range extending from 200 to 400-bar nm, and a standard tungsten lamp in the range from 350 to 600-bar nm. The transition probabilities were obtained using measured branching fractions and available radiative lifetimes of the corresponding states. On the theoretical side, a relativistic Hartree-Fock (HFR) approach, including core-polarization effects, has been used for the calculations. A reasonable agreement theory-experiment has been observed

  8. Location-based prospective memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Rear, Andrea E; Radvansky, Gabriel A

    2018-02-01

    This study explores location-based prospective memory. People often have to remember to do things when in a particular location, such as buying tissues the next time they are in the supermarket. For event cognition theory, location is important for structuring events. However, because event cognition has not been used to examine prospective memory, the question remains of how multiple events will influence prospective memory performance. In our experiments, people delivered messages from store to store in a virtual shopping mall as an ongoing task. The prospective tasks were to do certain activities in certain stores. For Experiment 1, each trial involved one prospective memory task to be done in a single location at one of three delays. The virtual environment and location cues were effective for prospective memory, and performance was unaffected by delay. For Experiment 2, each trial involved two prospective memory tasks, given in either one or two instruction locations, and to be done in either one or two store locations. There was improved performance when people received instructions from two locations and did both tasks in one location relative to other combinations. This demonstrates that location-based event structure influences how well people perform on prospective memory tasks.

  9. The Role of Aspiration Level in Risky Choice: A Comparison of Cumulative Prospect Theory and SP/A Theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopes; Oden

    1999-06-01

    In recent years, descriptive models of risky choice have incorporated features that reflect the importance of particular outcome values in choice. Cumulative prospect theory (CPT) does this by inserting a reference point in the utility function. SP/A (security-potential/aspiration) theory uses aspiration level as a second criterion in the choice process. Experiment 1 compares the ability of the CPT and SP/A models to account for the same within-subjects data set and finds in favor of SP/A. Experiment 2 replicates the main finding of Experiment 1 in a between-subjects design. The final discussion brackets the SP/A result by showing the impact on fit of both decreasing and increasing the number of free parameters. We also suggest how the SP/A approach might be useful in modeling investment decision making in a descriptively more valid way and conclude with comments on the relation between descriptive and normative theories of risky choice. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

  10. Higgs searches and prospects at CDF

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pavel A Murat

    2003-01-01

    The Standard model of electroweak interactions (SM) has been extremely successful in describing interactions of elementary particles over the last decades. The Higgs scalar boson is one of the key elements of the SM: Higgs interactions with the other particles generate the particle masses and allow to keep the theory renormalizable at electroweak scale. All the particles predicted by the SM but the Higgs boson have already been observed experimentally and therefore search for the Higgs is one of the most important scientific goals for high energy physics. The current lower limit on the SM Higgs mass M H > 114.4 GeV at 95% CL has been established by LEP experiments. In this paper we review CDF Run I results on Higgs searches including the Higgs bosons predicted by the minimal supersymmetric extention of the Standard Model (MSSM) and discuss the Run II prospects

  11. Reirradiation with alternating docetaxel-based chemotherapy for recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Update of a single-center prospective phase II protocol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berger, Bernhard; Weinmann, Martin; Bamberg, Michael; Belka, Claus; Budach, Wilfried; Hehr, Thomas

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: to report follow-up data and results of a dose escalation within a prospective phase II protocol scheduling alternating chemoreirradiation for patients with unresectable locoregional recurrence of head and neck cancer after previous curative-intent radiotherapy. Patients and methods: chemoreirradiation was initially performed in 27 patients by 40.0 Gy split-course reirradiation (re-RT) alternating with three cycles of docetaxel 50 mg/m 2 day 1 and cisplatin 15 mg/m 2 days 2-5 (first cohort). From 2002 onward, 30 consecutively treated patients received a late-course concomitant boost to 49.6 Gy (second cohort). In July 2008, the survival outcome was analyzed separately for both cohorts and the entire collective (n = 57). Results: the Kaplan-Meier estimates for 1- and 2-year overall survival (OS) were 52% and 24%, respectively (median OS 13.4 months). The median time of locoregional control was 9.6 months, and the actuarial 2-year freedom from distant metastasis rate was 55%. The re-RT dose escalation led to a significant improvement of the median OS (17.4 vs. 9.4 months; p = 0.039). Irrespective of the cohort, severe treatment-related toxicities occurred in about one third of patients. Conclusion: the treatment results confirm the efficacy and the safety of escalated re-RT doses in this chemoreirradiation protocol. (orig.)

  12. Angiotensin II Regulates Th1 T Cell Differentiation Through Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor-PKA-Mediated Activation of Proteasome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Xian-Yun; Zhang, Yun-Long; Chi, Ya-Fei; Yan, Bo; Zeng, Xiang-Jun; Li, Hui-Hua; Liu, Ying

    2018-01-01

    Naive CD4+ T cells differentiate into T helper cells (Th1 and Th2) that play an essential role in the cardiovascular diseases. However, the molecular mechanism by which angiotensin II (Ang II) promotes Th1 differentiation remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine whether the Ang II-induced Th1 differentiation regulated by ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). Jurkat cells were treated with Ang II (100 nM) in the presence or absence of different inhibitors. The gene mRNA levels were detected by real-time quantitative PCR analysis. The protein levels were measured by ELISA assay or Western blot analysis, respectively. Ang II treatment significantly induced a shift from Th0 to Th1 cell differentiation, which was markedly blocked by angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) inhibitor Losartan (LST). Moreover, Ang II significantly increased the activities and the expression of proteasome catalytic subunits (β1, β1i, β2i and β5i) in a dose- and time-dependent manner. However, Ang II-induced proteasome activities were remarkably abrogated by LST and PKA inhibitor H-89. Mechanistically, Ang II-induced Th1 differentiation was at least in part through proteasome-mediated degradation of IκBα and MKP-1 and activation of STAT1 and NF-κB. This study for the first time demonstrates that Ang II activates AT1R-PKA-proteasome pathway, which promotes degradation of IκBα and MKP-1 and activation of STAT1 and NF-κB thereby leading to Th1 differentiation. Thus, inhibition of proteasome activation might be a potential therapeutic target for Th1-mediated diseases. © 2018 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

  13. Chemical speciation of Pb(II, Cd(II, Hg(II, Co(II, Ni(II, Cu(II and Zn(II binary complexes of l-methionine in 1,2-propanediol-water mixtures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Padma Latha

    2007-04-01

    Full Text Available Chemical speciation of Pb(II, Cd(II, Hg(II, Co(II, Ni(II, Cu(II and Zn(II complexes of L-methionine in 0.0-60 % v/v 1,2-propanediol-water mixtures maintaining an ionic strength of 0.16 M at 303 K has been studied pH metrically. The active forms of ligand are LH2+, LH and L-. The predominant species detected are ML, MLH, ML2, ML2H, ML2H2 and MLOH. Models containing different numbers of species were refined by using the computer program MINIQUAD 75. The best-fit chemical models were arrived at based on statistical parameters. The trend in variation of complex stability constants with change in the dielectric constant of the medium is explained on the basis of electrostatic and non-electrostatic forces.

  14. Preliminary evidence that glucose ingestion facilitates prospective memory performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riby, Leigh M; Law, Anna S; McLaughlin, Jennifer; Murray, Jennifer

    2011-05-01

    Previous research has found that the ingestion of glucose boosts task performance in the memory domain (including tasks tapping episodic, semantic, and working memory). The present pilot study tested the hypothesis that glucose ingestion would enhance performance on a test of prospective memory. In a between-subjects design, 56 adults ranging from 17 to 80 years of age performed a computerized prospective memory task and an attention (filler) task after 25 g of glucose or a sweetness-matched placebo. Blood glucose measurements were also taken to assess the impact of individual differences on glucose regulation. After the drink containing glucose, cognitive facilitation was observed on the prospective memory task after excluding subjects with impaired fasting glucose level. Specifically, subjects receiving glucose were 19% more accurate than subjects receiving a placebo, a trend that was marginally nonsignificant, F₁,₄₁ = 3.4, P = .07, but that had a medium effect size, d = 0.58. Subjects receiving glucose were also significantly faster on the prospective memory task, F₁,₃₅ = 4.8, P glucose (indicative of poor glucose regulation) was associated with slower prospective memory responding, F₁,₃₅ = 4.4, P memory and executive functioning can benefit from the increased provision of glucose to the brain. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Pepsinogens I and II: purification from gastric mucosa and radioimmunoassay in serum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Samloff, I.M.

    1982-01-01

    Pepsinogen I and pepsinogen II were purified from gastric mucosa and used to develop a radioimmunoassay for pepsinogen II and an improved radioimmunoassay for pepsinogen I. Each immunochemically homogeneous preparation contained only its characteristic components by radioelectophoretic analysis, and migrated as a singly band in polyacrylamide gel. The mean (+/- SD) level of serum pepsinogen II in 42 healthy control subjects was 10,8 +/- 3.8 ng/ml, significantly less (p less than 0.001) than the level of pepsinogen I, which was 62.9 +/- 22.2 ng/ml. The correlation between serum pepsinogen I and pepsinogen II was highly significant (r . 0.700, p less than 0.001) in these subjects. In 20 patients with pernicious anemia the mean serum pepsinogen II level was 10.6 +/- 2.5 ng/ml, not different from normal, but significantly higher (p less than 0.001) than the level of pepsinogen I which was 5.9 +/- 4.7 ng/ml. IN 10 patients with total gastrectomy, serum pepsinogen I was 3.9 +/- 3.1 ng/ml and serum pepsinogen II was 3.2 +/- 3.1 ng/ml; both values were significantly lower (p less than 0.001) than the corresponding levels in pernicious anemia. The predominance of pepsinogen I in the serum of healthy control subjects suggests that either the gastric chief cell normally releases more pepsinogen I than pepsinogen II into the circulation or that pepsinogen I has longer metabolic clearance rate than pepsinogen II. The marked decrease in serum pepsinogen I in patients with pernicious anemia is best explained by a loss of gastric chief cells due to severe atropic gastritis of the fundic glands. The normal distribution of serum pepsinogen II levels in these patients may reflect an increased number of pyloric glands due to pyloric gland metaplasia of the proximal stomach

  16. Comparative evaluation of levels of C-reactive protein and PMN in periodontitis patients related to cardiovascular disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anitha, G; Nagaraj, M; Jayashree, A

    2013-05-01

    Numerous cross-sectional studies have suggested that chronic periodontitis is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. There is evidence that periodontitis and cardiovascular diseases are linked by inflammatory factors including C-reactive protein. The purpose of the study was to investigate the levels of CRP and PNM cells as a marker of inflammatory host response in the serum of chronic periodontitis patients and in patients with CVD. Study population included 75 patients; both male and female above 35 years were included for the study. The patients were divided into three groups of 25 each - Group I: Chronic periodontitis patients with CVD, Group II: Chronic periodontitis patients without CVD and Group III: Control subjects (without chronic periodontitis and CVD). Patients with chronic periodontitis had ≥8 teeth involved with probing depth (PD) ≥5 mm involved. The control group had PD ≤ 3 mm and no CVD. Venous blood was collected from the patients and C-reactive protein levels were analyzed by immunoturbidimetry. PMN was recorded by differential count method. On comparison, OHI-S Index, GI, mean PD, CRP and PMN values showed significant difference from Group I to III. CRP level was highly significant in Group I when compared with Group II and Group III. PMN level was highly significant in Group I when compared with Group III PMN level which was not significant. This study indicated that periodontitis may add the inflammation burden of the individual and may result in increased levels of CVD based on serum CRP levels. Thus, controlled prospective trials with large sample size should be carried out to know the true nature of the relationship if indeed one exists.

  17. The effect of laparoscopic gastric banding surgery on plasma levels of appetite-control, insulinotropic, and digestive hormones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shak, Joshua R; Roper, Jatin; Perez-Perez, Guillermo I; Tseng, Chi-hong; Francois, Fritz; Gamagaris, Zoi; Patterson, Carlie; Weinshel, Elizabeth; Fielding, George A; Ren, Christine; Blaser, Martin J

    2008-09-01

    We hypothesized that laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) reduces weight and modulates ghrelin production, but largely spares gastrointestinal endocrine function. To examine this hypothesis, we determined plasma concentrations of appetite-control, insulinotropic, and digestive hormones in relation to LAGB. Twenty-four patients undergoing LAGB were prospectively enrolled. Body mass index (BMI) was measured and blood samples obtained at baseline and 6 and 12 months post-surgery. Plasma concentrations of leptin, acylated and total ghrelin, pancreatic polypeptide (PP), insulin, glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP), active glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), gastrin, and pepsinogens I and II were measured using enzyme-linked immunoassays. Median percent excess weight loss (%EWL) over 12 months was 45.7% with median BMI decreasing from 43.2 at baseline to 33.8 at 12 months post-surgery (p 0.05). Pepsinogen II levels were significantly lower 6 months after LAGB but returned to baseline levels by 12 months. LAGB yielded substantial %EWL and a proportional decrease in plasma leptin. Our results support the hypothesis that LAGB works in part by suppressing the rise in ghrelin that normally accompanies weight loss. Unchanged concentrations of insulinotropic and digestive hormones suggest that gastrointestinal endocrine function is largely maintained in the long term.

  18. Effects of combined exercise training and electromyostimulation treatments in chronic heart failure: A prospective multicentre study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iliou, Marie C; Vergès-Patois, Bénédicte; Pavy, Bruno; Charles-Nelson, Anais; Monpère, Catherine; Richard, Rudy; Verdier, Jean C

    2017-08-01

    Background Exercise training as part of a comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation is recommended for patients with cardiac heart failure. It is a valuable method for the improvement of exercise tolerance. Some studies reported a similar improvement with quadricipital electrical myostimulation, but the effect of combined exercise training and electrical myostimulation in cardiac heart failure has not been yet evaluated in a large prospective multicentre study. Purpose The aim of this study was to determine whether the addition of low frequency electrical myostimulation to exercise training may improve exercise capacity and/or muscular strength in cardiac heart failure patients. Methods Ninety-one patients were included (mean age: 58 ± 9 years; New York Heart Association II/III: 52/48%, left ventricular ejection fraction: 30 ± 7%) in a prospective French study. The patients were randomised into two groups: 41 patients in exercise training and 50 in exercise training + electrical myostimulation. All patients underwent 20 exercise training sessions. In addition, in the exercise training + electrical myostimulation group, patients underwent 20 low frequency (10 Hz) quadricipital electrical myostimulation sessions. Each patient underwent a cardiopulmonary exercise test, a six-minute walk test, a muscular function evaluation and a quality of life questionnaire, before and at the end of the study. Results A significant improvement of exercise capacity (Δ peak oxygen uptake+15% in exercise training group and +14% in exercise training + electrical myostimulation group) and of quality of life was observed in both groups without statistically significant differences between the two groups. Mean creatine kinase level increased in the exercise training group whereas it remained stable in the combined group. Conclusions This prospective multicentre study shows that electrical myostimulation on top of exercise training does not demonstrate any significant

  19. cobalt (ii), nickel (ii)

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    DR. AMINU

    Department of Chemistry Bayero University, P. M. B. 3011, Kano, Nigeria. E-mail: hnuhu2000@yahoo.com. ABSTRACT. The manganese (II), cobalt (II), nickel (II) and .... water and common organic solvents, but are readily soluble in acetone. The molar conductance measurement [Table 3] of the complex compounds in.

  20. A prospective validation of the Bova score in normotensive patients with acute pulmonary embolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bova, Carlo; Vanni, Simone; Prandoni, Paolo; Morello, Fulvio; Dentali, Francesco; Bernardi, Enrico; Mumoli, Nicola; Bucherini, Eugenio; Barbar, Sofia; Picariello, Claudio; Enea, Iolanda; Pesavento, Raffaele; Bottino, Fabrizio; Jiménez, David

    2018-05-01

    The Bova score has shown usefulness in the identification of intermediate-high risk patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE), but lacks prospective validation. The aim of this study was to prospectively validate the Bova score in different settings from the original derivation cohort. Consecutive, normotensive patients with acute PE recruited at 13 academic or general hospitals were stratified, using their baseline data, into the three Bova risk stages (I-III). The primary outcome was the 30-day composite of PE-related mortality, hemodynamic collapse and non-fatal PE recurrences in the three risk categories. In the study period, 639 patients were enrolled. The primary end point occurred in 45 patients (7.0%; 95% Confidence Intervals, 5.2%-9.3%). Risk stage correlated with the PE-related complication rate (stage I, 2.9%; stage II, 17%; stage III, 27%). Patients classified as stage III by the Bova score had a 6.5-fold increased risk for adverse outcomes (3.1-13.5, p < 0.001) compared with stages I and II combined. Rescue thrombolysis increased from stage I to stage III (0.6%, 12% and 15% respectively). All-cause mortality (5.3%) did not substantially differ among the stages. The Bova score accurately stratifies normotensive patients with acute PE into stages of increasing risk of 30-day PE-related complications. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. When walking in nature is not restorative-the role of prospect and refuge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gatersleben, Birgitta; Andrews, Matthew

    2013-03-01

    People tend to recover more quickly from stress and mental fatigue in natural than in urban environments. But natural environments may not always be restorative. Dense wooded areas may evoke fear and stress and require directed attention to avoid getting lost or tripping over. Little is known about the restorative potential of such environments. Two experiments were conducted to examine restoration in natural settings with different levels of accessibility, prospect (clear field of vision) and refuge (places to hide). An on-line survey (n=269) examined perceived restoration of environments presented in a slide show. An experiment examined actual restoration in response to walks in a real outdoor setting (n=17) and in response to videos of the same walks (in a laboratory; n=17). The findings demonstrate that exposure to natural environments with high levels of prospect and low levels of refuge, is indeed restorative. However, exposure to natural environments low in prospect and high in refuge is not, and may even further increase levels of stress and attention fatigue. These findings demonstrate that natural places may not always be restorative places. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Pre-diagnostic plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and risk of non-melanoma skin cancer in women.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Geyu Liang

    Full Text Available Recent reports have shown that vitamin D status was inversely associated with the risk of various cancers. However, few studies examined the association between vitamin D levels and risk of skin cancer.We prospectively evaluated the association between baseline plasma 25(OHD levels and the risk of incident squamous cell carcinoma (SCC and basal cell carcinoma (BCC among 4,641 women from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS and the NHS II with 510 incident BCC cases and 75 incident SCC cases. We used multivariate logistic regression models to calculate odds ratios (ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs.Plasma 25(OHD levels were positively associated with risk of BCC after adjusting for age at blood draw, season of blood draw, lab batch, hair color, burning tendency, the number of sunburns, and ultra-violet B flux of residence at blood collection. Women in the highest quartile of 25(OHD had more than 2-fold increased risk of BCC compared with women in the lowest quartile (OR = 2.07, 95% CI = 1.52-2.80, P for trend <0.0001. We also found a significantly positive association between plasma 25(OHD levels and SCC risk after adjusting for the same covariates (OR, highest vs. lowest quartile = 3.77, 95% CI = 1.70-8.36, P for trend= 0.0002.In this prospective study of women, plasma vitamin D levels were positively associated with non-melanoma skin cancer risk. Considering that most circulating vitamin D is due to sun exposure, the positive association between plasma vitamin D and non-melanoma skin cancer is confounded by sun exposure. Our data suggest that one-time measurement of plasma vitamin D levels may reasonably reflect long-term sun exposure and predict the risk of non-melanoma skin cancer.

  3. Branching Fractions and log(gf)s for Weak Lines of Co II connected to the Ground and Low Metastable Levels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lawler, James Edward; Feigenson, Thomas; Sneden, Chris; Cowan, John J.

    2018-01-01

    New branching fraction (BF) measurements and log(gf)s of Highly Reliable Lines (HRLs) of Co II are reported. Our measurements test and confirm earlier work by Salih et al. [1985] and Mullman et al. [1998] and expand the earlier BF measurements to include more weak and very weak HRLs. HRLs are UV lines that connect to the population reservoir levels including the ground and low metastable levels of Co+. Such levels contain most of the cobalt in the photospheres of typical F, G, and K stars used in abundance studies. HRLs are essentially immune to departures from Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (LTE) because they connect to the primary reservoir levels. Lightly-populated high-lying levels of the ion and essentially all levels of the neutral atom have some possibility of being pulled out of LTE through various reactions. Weak and very weak HRLs are needed to determine Co abundances in higher metallicity stars while dominant branches are useful in low metallicity stars of abundance surveys. A large set of HRLs with reliable log(gf)s is desired to avoid blending and saturation problems in photospheric studies. The relative abundance of Fe-peak elements changes as a function of metallicity [e.g. Henry et al. 2010, Sneden et al. 2016] but contributions to the trends from nuclear physics effects in early stars need to be cleanly separated from effect due to limitations of classic photospheric models based on One Dimensional (1D) and LTE approximations. The 1D/LTE approximations of classic photospheric models, which work in well in metal rich dwarf stars such as the Sun, are a source of some concern in Metal Poor (MP) giant stars due to much lower electron and atom pressures. Our new measurements on HRLS of Co II are applied to determine stellar abundances in MP stars.Henry, R. B. C., Cowan, J. J., & Sobeck, J, 2010, ApJ 709, 715Mullman, K. L., Cooper, J. C., & Lawler, J. E. 1998, ApJ, 495, 503Salih, S., Lawler, J. E., & Whaling, W. 1985, PhRvA, 31, 744Sneden et al. 2016

  4. Comparison of serum pepsinogen i and ii and gastrin 17 level in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Introduction: Serum screening systems are useful in monitoring gastric cancer. The present research studied and compared serum ... Patients with precancerous lesions were considered the case group (40 individuals) and patients with chronic gastritis the control group (88 individuals). Serum pepsinogen I, pepsinogen II, ...

  5. Asymmetric Extreme Tails and Prospective Utility of Momentum Returns

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stork, P.A.; Gregory-Allen, R.; Lu, H.

    2012-01-01

    We use extreme value theory to analyse the tails of a momentum strategy's return distribution. The asymmetry between the fat left tail and thin right tail strongly reduces a momentum strategy's prospective utility levels. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

  6. Diagnostics Challenges for FACET-II

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Clarke, Christine

    2015-10-07

    FACET-II is a prospective user facility at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. The facility will focus on high-energy, high-brightness beams and their interaction with plasma and lasers. The accelerator is designed for high-energy-density electron beams with peak currents of approximately 50 kA (potentially 100 kA) that are focused down to below 10x10 micron transverse spot size at an energy of 10 GeV. Subsequent phases of the facility will provide positron beams above 10 kA peak current to the experiment station. Experiments will require well characterised beams; however, the high peak current of the electron beam can lead to material failure in wirescanners, optical transition radiation screens and other instruments critical for measurement or delivery. The radiation environment and space constraints also put additional pressure on diagnostic design.

  7. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 32 (FERRTH00190032) on Town Highway 19, crossing the South Slang Little Otter Creek, Ferrisburgh, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ivanoff, Michael A.; Wild, Emily C.

    1998-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure FERRTH00190032 on Town Highway 19 crossing the South Slang Little Otter Creek (Hawkins Slang Brook), Ferrisburg, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (FHWA, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in appendix D. The site is in the Champlain section of the St. Lawrence Valley physiographic province in west-central Vermont. The 8.00-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover consists of wetlands upstream and downstream of the bridge with trees and pasture on the wide flood plains. In the study area, the South Slang Little Otter Creek has a meandering channel with essentially no channel slope, an average channel top width of 932 ft and an average bank height of 6 ft. The channel bed material ranges from clay to sand. Sieve analysis indicates that greater than 50% of the sample is coarse silt and clay and thus a medium grain size by use of sieve analysis was indeterminate. The median grain size was assumed to be a course silt with a size (D50) of 0.061mm (0.0002 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on July 2, 1996, indicated that the reach was stable. The Town Highway 19 crossing of the South Slang Little Otter Creek is a 45-ft-long, twolane bridge consisting of one 42-foot concrete box-beam span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, December 11, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face

  8. A randomised comparison of novolimus-eluting and zotarolimus-eluting coronary stents: 9-Month follow-up results of the EXCELLA II study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    P.W.J.C. Serruys (Patrick); S.A. Garg (Scot); A.C. Abizaid (Alexandre); J.A. Ormiston (John); S.W. Windecker (Stephan); S. Verheye (Stefan); C. Dubois (Christophe); J. Stewart (J.); K. Hauptmann (Karl); J. Schofer (Joachim); K. Stangl (Karl); B. Witzenbichler (Bernhard); M. Wiemer (Marcus); E. Barbato (Emanuele); T. de Vries (Ton); A.-M. den Drijver (Anne-Marie); H. Otake (Hiromasa); L. Meredith (Lynn); S. Toyloy (Sara); P.J. Fitzgerald (Peter)

    2010-01-01

    textabstractAims: Novolimus, a macrocyclic lactone with anti-proliferative properties, has a similar efficacy to currently available agents; however it requires a lower dose, and less polymer, and is therefore conceivably safer. Methods and results: The EXCELLA II study was a prospective,

  9. Building-level analyses to prospectively detect influenza outbreaks in long-term care facilities: New York City, 2013-2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levin-Rector, Alison; Nivin, Beth; Yeung, Alice; Fine, Annie D; Greene, Sharon K

    2015-08-01

    Timely outbreak detection is necessary to successfully control influenza in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) and other institutions. To supplement nosocomial outbreak reports, calls from infection control staff, and active laboratory surveillance, the New York City (NYC) Department of Health and Mental Hygiene implemented an automated building-level analysis to proactively identify LTCFs with laboratory-confirmed influenza activity. Geocoded addresses of LTCFs in NYC were compared with geocoded residential addresses for all case-patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza reported through passive surveillance. An automated daily analysis used the geocoded building identification number, approximate text matching, and key-word searches to identify influenza in residents of LTCFs for review and follow-up by surveillance coordinators. Our aim was to determine whether the building analysis improved prospective outbreak detection during the 2013-2014 influenza season. Of 119 outbreaks identified in LTCFs, 109 (92%) were ever detected by the building analysis, and 55 (46%) were first detected by the building analysis. Of the 5,953 LTCF staff and residents who received antiviral prophylaxis during the 2013-2014 season, 929 (16%) were at LTCFs where outbreaks were initially detected by the building analysis. A novel building-level analysis improved influenza outbreak identification in LTCFs in NYC, prompting timely infection control measures. Copyright © 2015 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Effects of methionine deficiencies on plasma levels of thyroid hormones, insulin-like growth factors-I and -II, liver and body weights, and feed intake in growing chickens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carew, L B; McMurtry, J P; Alster, F A

    2003-12-01

    We showed previously that Met deficiency at 0.25% of the diet causes elevations in plasma triiodothyronine (T3) in broilers. In the present study, plasma levels of thyroid hormones as well as insulin-like growth factors (IGF)-I and -II were measured in chicks fed 3 deficient levels of total Met. Control (0.5%) and Met-deficient diets (0.4, 0.3, and 0.2%) were fed to male broilers from 8 to 22 d of age. Additional groups of control chicks were pair-fed with the Met-deficient ones. Chicks receiving 0.4% Met increased feed intake by 10% with no significant change in body weight. The more severe Met deficiencies of 0.3 and 0.2% caused graded reductions in feed intake and weight gain. However, corresponding pair-fed control chicks were significantly heavier. These changes suggest more marked alterations in metabolic processes with 0.3 and 0.2% Met than with 0.4% Met. Liver weights were heavier in chicks fed 0.3 and 0.2% Met but not 0.4%. Plasma T3 was higher in all deficient chicks compared with the free-fed control, which was significant only with 0.3% Met. However, with 0.3 and 0.2% Met, plasma T3 was significantly elevated compared to pair-fed controls. Plasma thyroxine (T4) was lower in all deficient groups, which was significant only with 0.2% Met, whereas no significant differences occurred between deficient chicks and their pair-fed controls. Plasma IGF-I levels were not significantly different, but they were consistently lower in deficient chicks and deserve further study. Plasma IGF-II was significantly less in chicks fed 0.2% Met compared to pair-fed controls suggesting that Met deficiency interferes with IGF-II metabolism. We concluded that a deficit of dietary Met altered plasma T3 and IGF-II levels, but the effect was dependent on the degree of deficiency.

  11. The Role of Reward Expectations for Prospective Memory : An investigation with functional magnetic resonance imaging

    OpenAIRE

    Gäbel, Andrea

    2010-01-01

    Prospective memory is the ability to remember to carry out an intended action after a delay. However, it remains unclear how motivational aspects of the intended action,such as reward expectations, are integrated into the processes subserving intact prospective memory. The goal of this dissertation is to investigate the effects of motivational incentives on prospective memory on the behavioral and on the neural level, while taking into account individual differences in reward sensitivity and ...

  12. Revised analysis of singly ionized xenon, Xe II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hansen, J.E.; Persson, W.

    1987-01-01

    We present a revised analysis of the spectrum of singly ionized xenon, Xe II. This spectrum has been reanalyzed on the basis of the wavelength material published by Drs J. C. Boyce and C. J. Humphreys. The latter has kindly placed the original wavelength list covering the wavelength range 10220-390 A at our disposal. We report 161 energy levels which have been identified on the basis of classifications of 950 lines. We report first f and g levels in Xe II. Also a number of g-factors have been determined for the first time and we give in total 75 g-factors. We have carried out least-squares fits to the even configurations and report the resulting parameter values and eigenvector compositions. A least-squares fit to the 5p 4 6p configuration is also reported. The levels have been named in jK and for many levels also in LS coupling. The former is the better coupling scheme for Xe II. We present an analysis of the 5s photoelectron satellite spectrum of Xe based on our calculated eigenvector compositions and calculations of transition probabilities for ground state transitions as well as lifetimes for the 6p levels. The latter are compared to recent experimental measurements. A list of wavelengths for observed laser transitions showing the present classifications and a discussion of the determination of the ionization potential of Xe II concludes the paper. (orig.)

  13. Higher Lipoprotein (a Levels Are Associated with Better Pulmonary Function in Community-Dwelling Older People - Data from the Berlin Aging Study II.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nikolaus Buchmann

    Full Text Available Reduced pulmonary function and elevated serum cholesterol levels are recognized risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Currently, there is some controversy concerning relationships between cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, serum triglycerides and lung function. However, most previous studies compared patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD with healthy controls, and only a small number examined this relationship in population-based cohorts. Moreover, lipoprotein a [Lp(a], another lipid parameter independently associated with cardiovascular diseases, appears not to have been addressed at all in studies of lung function at the population level. Here, we determined relationships between lung function and several lipid parameters including Lp(a in 606 older community-dwelling participants (55.1% women, 68±4 years old from the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II. We found a significantly lower forced expiration volume in 1 second (FEV1 in men with low Lp(a concentrations (t-test. This finding was further substantiated by linear regression models adjusting for known covariates, showing that these associations are statistically significant in both men and women. According to the highest adjusted model, men and women with Lp(a levels below the 20th percentile had 217.3ml and 124.2ml less FEV1 and 239.0ml and 135.2ml less FVC, respectively, compared to participants with higher Lp(a levels. The adjusted models also suggest that the known strong correlation between pro-inflammatory parameters and lung function has only a marginal impact on the Lp(a-pulmonary function association. Our results do not support the hypothesis that higher Lp(a levels are responsible for the increased CVD risk in people with reduced lung function, at least not in the group of community-dwelling older people studied here.

  14. Evaluation of the effect of self-care education based on VARK learning style on HbA1c and FBS levels in patients with type II diabetes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amir Reza Saleh Moghadam

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: Patients with type II diabetes mostly struggle with increased fasting blood sugar (FBS and glycosylated hemoglobin HbA1c, which are associated with irrecoverable complications. Self-care education and different types of learning among patients are regarded as some of the most important issues in this regard. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of self-care education based on VARK learning style on HbA1c and FBS in patients with type II diabetes. Methods: This clinical trial was conducted on patients with type II diabetes referring to Parsian Clinic in Mashhad, Iran in 2015. In total, 72 samples were selected through randomized convenience sampling and divided into two control and intervention groups of 36 cases. Subjects of the intervention group were also divided into subgroups of visual, aural, read/write and kinesthetic based on the results of VARK questionnaire. Self-care education was carried out for the intervention group in two 60-minute sessions once every two weeks, tailored to learning styles of the patients. Meanwhile, routine conferences were held for the control group. HbA1c and FBS levels were evaluated in all the participants before and a month and a half after the intervention to assess the self-care of patients. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 21 using Mann-Whitney U, Chi-square, independent t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: In this study, mean score of HbA1c level was decreased from 7.7±0.8 to 7.0±5.7 (P<0.062, whereas mean score of FBS level was alleviated from 176.1±33.5 to 147.7±32.8 (P<0.001, which was only significant regarding the level of FBS (P=0.002. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, application of VARK learning style led to a reduction in HbA1c and FBS levels, contributing to improved self-care in patients with type II diabetes. Therefore, it is suggested that learning style of patients be determined using VARK questionnaire before their

  15. Is happiness good for your personality? Concurrent and prospective relations of the big five with subjective well-being.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soto, Christopher J

    2015-02-01

    The present research examined longitudinal relations of the Big Five personality traits with three core aspects of subjective well-being: life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect. Latent growth models and autoregressive models were used to analyze data from a large, nationally representative sample of 16,367 Australian residents. Concurrent and change correlations indicated that higher levels of subjective well-being were associated with higher levels of Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness, and with lower levels of Neuroticism. Moreover, personality traits prospectively predicted change in well-being, and well-being levels prospectively predicted personality change. Specifically, prospective trait effects indicated that individuals who were initially extraverted, agreeable, conscientious, and emotionally stable subsequently increased in well-being. Prospective well-being effects indicated that individuals with high initial levels of well-being subsequently became more agreeable, conscientious, emotionally stable, and introverted. These findings challenge the common assumption that associations of personality traits with subjective well-being are entirely, or almost entirely, due to trait influences on well-being. They support the alternative hypothesis that personality traits and well-being aspects reciprocally influence each other over time. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Performance/Design Requirements and Detailed Technical Description for a Computer-Directed Training Subsystem for Integration into the Air Force Phase II Base Level System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Butler, A. K.; And Others

    The performance/design requirements and a detailed technical description for a Computer-Directed Training Subsystem to be integrated into the Air Force Phase II Base Level System are described. The subsystem may be used for computer-assisted lesson construction and has presentation capability for on-the-job training for data automation, staff, and…

  17. Comparison of treatment outcome using two definitions of rapid cycling in subjects with bipolar II disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amsterdam, Jay D; Lorenzo-Luaces, Lorenzo; DeRubeis, Robert J

    2017-02-01

    We examined differences in treatment outcome between Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Fourth Edition (DSM-IV)-defined rapid cycling and average lifetime-defined rapid cycling in subjects with bipolar II disorder. We hypothesized that, compared with the DSM-IV definition, the average lifetime definition of rapid cycling may better identify subjects with a history of more mood lability and a greater likelihood of hypomanic symptom induction during long-term treatment. Subjects ≥18 years old with a bipolar II major depressive episode (n=129) were categorized into DSM-IV- and average lifetime-defined rapid cycling and prospectively treated with either venlafaxine or lithium monotherapy for 12 weeks. Responders (n=59) received continuation monotherapy for six additional months. These exploratory analyses found moderate agreement between the two rapid-cycling definitions (κ=0.56). The lifetime definition captured subjects with more chronic courses of bipolar II depression, whereas the DSM-IV definition captured subjects with more acute symptoms of hypomania. There was no difference between rapid-cycling definitions with respect to the response to acute venlafaxine or lithium monotherapy. However, the lifetime definition was slightly superior to the DSM-IV definition in identifying subjects who went on to experience hypomanic symptoms during continuation therapy. Although sample sizes were limited, the findings suggest that the lifetime definition of rapid cycling may identify individuals with a chronic rapid-cycling course and may also be slightly superior to the DSM-IV definition in identifying individuals with hypomania during relapse-prevention therapy. These findings are preliminary in nature and need replication in larger, prospective, bipolar II studies. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 30 (NEWHTH00050030) on Town Highway 5, crossing the New Haven River, New Haven, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burns, Ronda L.; Wild, Emily C.

    1998-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure NEWHTH00050030 on Town Highway 5 crossing the New Haven River, New Haven, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (Federal Highway Administration, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in appendix D.The site is in the Champlain section of the St. Lawrence Valley physiographic province in west-central Vermont. The 115-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is pasture on the right bank upstream and downstream of the bridge while the immediate banks have dense woody vegetation. The upstream left bank is also pasture. The downstream left bank is forested.In the study area, the New Haven River has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.01 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 127 ft and an average bank height of 5 ft. The channel bed material ranges from silt to cobble with a median grain size (D50) of 20.4 mm (0.067 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on June 19, 1996, indicated that the reach was laterally unstable. The stream bends through the bridge and impacts the left bank where there is a cut bank and scour hole.The Town Highway 5 crossing of the New Haven River is a 181-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of four 45-ft concrete tee-beam spans (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, December 15, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 175.9 ft. The

  19. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 33 (TUNBTH00450033) on Town Highway 45, crossing the First Branch White River, Tunbridge, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, E.C.; Severance, Timothy

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure TUNBTH00450033 on Town Highway 45 crossing the First Branch White River, Tunbridge, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D. The site is in the New England Upland section of the New England physiographic province in central Vermont. The 86.4-mi 2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is pasture upstream and downstream of the bridge, while woody vegetation sparsely covers the immediate banks. In the study area, the First Branch White River has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.003 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 68 ft and an average bank height of 7 ft. The channel bed material ranges from sand to gravel with a median grain size (D50) of 27.1 mm (0.089 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on October 18, 1995, indicated that the reach was laterally unstable due to a cut-bank present on the upstream right bank and a wide channel bar in the upstream reach. The Town Highway 45 crossing of the First Branch White River is a 67-ft-long, one-lane bridge consisting of one 54-foot timber thru-truss span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, March 23, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 53.5 ft. The bridge is supported on the right by a vertical, concrete abutment

  20. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 35, (ANDOVT00110035) on State Route 11, crossing the Middle Branch Williams River, Andover, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burns, Ronda L.; Wild, Emily C.

    1998-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure ANDOVT00110035 on State Route 11 crossing the Middle Branch Williams River, Andover, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (Federal Highway Administration, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in appendix D. The site is in the Green Mountain section of the New England physiographic province in south-central Vermont. The 4.65-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is forest on the left bank and small trees and brush on the right bank upstream and downstream of the bridge. In the study area, the Middle Branch Williams River has an incised, meandering channel with a slope of approximately 0.02 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 57 ft and an average bank height of 4 ft. The channel bed material ranges from gravel to boulder with a median grain size (D50) of 31.4 mm (0.103 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on August 28, 1996, indicated that the reach was laterally unstable. There are cut-banks upstream and downstream of the bridge and an island in the channel upstream. The State Route 11 crossing of the Middle Branch Williams River is a 28-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of one 24-ft concrete tee-beam span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, March 28, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face is 23.6 ft. The bridge is supported by vertical, concrete abutments with

  1. Level II scour analysis for Bridge 5 (WOLCTH00150005) on Town Highway 15, crossing the Wild Branch Lamoille River, Wolcott, Vermont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Emily C.

    1997-01-01

    This report provides the results of a detailed Level II analysis of scour potential at structure WOLCTH00150005 on Town Highway 15 crossing the Wild Branch Lamoille River, Wolcott, Vermont (figures 1–8). A Level II study is a basic engineering analysis of the site, including a quantitative analysis of stream stability and scour (U.S. Department of Transportation, 1993). Results of a Level I scour investigation also are included in Appendix E of this report. A Level I investigation provides a qualitative geomorphic characterization of the study site. Information on the bridge, gleaned from Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTAOT) files, was compiled prior to conducting Level I and Level II analyses and is found in Appendix D.During the August 1995 and July 1997 flood events, the left roadway was overtopped. Although there was loss of stone fill along the right abutment, the structure withstood both events.The site is in the Green Mountain section of the New England physiographic province in north- central Vermont. The 38.3-mi2 drainage area is in a predominantly rural and forested basin. In the vicinity of the study site, the surface cover is pasture upstream and downstream of the bridge, while the immediate banks have dense woody vegetation.In the study area, the Wild Branch Lamoille River has an incised, sinuous channel with a slope of approximately 0.006 ft/ft, an average channel top width of 98 ft and an average bank height of 5 ft. The channel bed material ranges from gravel to bedrock with a median grain size (D50) of 89.1 mm (0.292 ft). The geomorphic assessment at the time of the Level I and Level II site visit on July 17, 1996, indicated that the reach was stable.The Town Highway 15 crossing of the Wild Branch Lamoille River is a 46-ft-long, two-lane bridge consisting of a 43-foot prestressed concrete box-beam span (Vermont Agency of Transportation, written communication, October 13, 1995). The opening length of the structure parallel to the bridge face

  2. BeII** revisited

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fischer, C.F.

    1982-01-01

    Doubly excited 1s2snl and 1s2pnl quartet states of BeII** are readily populated in beam-foil experiments and line-rich spectra have been obtained covering 600 to 5500 A wavelength range. In spite of several theoretical calculations a substantial number of observed lines have not been identified. The quartet system in BeII is an intersting one from a theoretical point of view. Three electron systems are simple enough that a fairly high level of accuracy is attainable without the calculations becoming horrendous. The important correlation effects are between the outer two electrons and, to a good approximation, the three-electrons system may be treated as a two-electron system outside a 1s-core. The multi-configuration Hartree-Fock (MCHF) method has been used successfully in a number of studies. Programs are under development that take into account the non-orthogonality of orbitals in the initial and final state, and allow for some non-orthogonal orbitals in a wavefunction expansion. LS dependent relativistic effects are also included. A study of BeII** was undertaken to evaluate the MCHF techniques being developed and to assit in the identification of observed lines. Most of the earlier calculations concentrated on the lower-lying levels. In this work particular attention was given to the more highly-excited states, though calculations for lower-lying states had to be repeated in order to predict life-times

  3. Age effects in emotional prospective memory: cue valence differentially affects the prospective and retrospective component.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schnitzspahn, Katharina M; Horn, Sebastian S; Bayen, Ute J; Kliegel, Matthias

    2012-06-01

    While first studies suggested that emotional task material may enhance prospective memory performance in young and older adults, the extent and mechanisms of this effect are under debate. The authors explored possible differential effects of cue valence on the prospective and retrospective component of prospective memory in young and older adults. Forty-five young and 41 older adults performed a prospective memory task in which emotional valence of the prospective memory cue was manipulated (positive, negative, neutral). The multinomial model of event-based prospective memory was used to analyze effects of valence and age on the two prospective memory components separately. Results revealed an interaction indicating that age differences were smaller in both emotional valence conditions. For older adults positive cues improved the prospective component, while negative cues improved the retrospective component. No main effect of valence was found for younger adults on an overt accuracy measure, but model-based analyses showed that the retrospective component was enhanced in the positive compared with the negative cue condition. The study extends the literature in demonstrating that processes underlying emotional effects on prospective memory may differ depending on valence and age. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved

  4. Complex-wide review of DOE's Low-Level Waste Management ES ampersand H vulnerabilities. Volume II. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-05-01

    Volume I of this report presents a summary of DOE's complex-wide review of its low-level waste management system, including the assessment scope and methodology, site-specific and complex-wide vulnerabilities, and DOE's conclusions and recommendations. Volume II presents a more detailed discussion of the assessment methodology and evaluation instruments developed by the Assessment Working Group for identifying site-specific vulnerabilities, categorizing and classifying vulnerabilities, and identifying and analyzing complex-wide vulnerabilities. Attachments A and B of this volume contain, respectively, the Site Evaluation Survey and the Vulnerability Assessment Form used in those processes. Volume III contains the site-specific assessment reports for the 36 sites (38 facilities) assessed in the complex-wide review from which the complex-wide vulnerabilities were drawn

  5. Cr(III,Mn(II,Fe(III,Co(II,Ni(II,Cu(II and Zn(II Complexes with Diisobutyldithiocarbamato Ligand

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Tarique

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The synthesis of sulphur and nitrogen containing dithiocarbamato ligand derived from diisobutylamine as well as its coordination compounds with 3d series transition metals is presented. These synthesized compounds were characterized on the basis of elemental analysis, conductometric measurements and IR spectral studies. The analytical data showed the stoichiometry 1:2 and 1:3 for the compounds of the types ML2 {M=Mn(II, Co(II, Ni(II, Cu(II and Zn(II} and M'L3{M'=Cr(III and Fe(III} respectively. The conductometric measurements proved the non-electrolytic behaviour of all the compounds. The bidentate nature of dithiocarbamato moiety was confirmed on the basis of IR spectral data.

  6. Comparison of the changes in blood glucose level during sedation with midazolam and propofol in implant surgery: a prospective randomized clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaviani, Nasser; Koosha, Farzad; Shahtusi, Mina

    2014-09-01

    Reducing the patients' stress can prevent, or at least, limit the increase in blood glucose level. The study compares the effect of propofol and midazolam on blood glucose level in the patients undergoing dental implant surgery. The effect of pre-operational stress on blood glucose level during the surgery is also evaluated. This prospective randomized clinical trial recruited 33 patients undergoing dental implant surgery and divided into two groups. Conscious sedation was performed by midazolam in one group and with propofol in another group. The pre-operational stress was scored and the blood glucose level was measured in 4 different stages; before the operation, two minutes after the local anesthetic injection; thirty minutes after the onset of operation and at the end of the operation. The results were analyzed by employing ANOVA and Pearson test. The p Value was adopted 0.05 and the confidence coefficient was assumed 95%. The average levels of the blood glucose in midazolam and propofol group were 93.82 mg/dl and 94 mg/dl before the operation which displayed a meaningful increase of blood glucose level in both groups as the operation went on. The values were 103.76 mg/dl for midazolam and 108.56 mg/dl for the propofol group (pblood glucose level between two groups in the different stages of the operation (p= 0.466). The Pearson correlation coefficient test revealed a higher increase in the blood glucose level in the patients with a higher pre-operational stress score (r= 0.756, pblood glucose level while undergoing an operation. No statistically significant difference was detected between midazolam and propofol.

  7. Influence of Ongoing Task Difficulty and Motivation Level on Children's Prospective Memory in a Chinese Sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Pi-Guo; Han, Lei; Bian, Yu-Long; Tian, Yu; Xu, Min-Xia; Gao, Feng-Qiang

    2017-01-01

    Prospective memory (PM) is the process associated with the task of realizing delayed intentions in the future. Researchers distinguish two types of PM, namely time-based PM (tbPM) and event-based PM (ebPM). Experiment 1 investigated the developmental trajectory of 3- to 5-year-old preschool children's PM ability, and the occurrence of delayed retrieval (children execute the PM task in a larger window of opportunity) in both tbPM and ebPM tasks. Results revealed that the 5-year-old children outperformed the 3- and 4-year-old children in PM. Moreover, delayed retrieval was more likely to occur in tbPM task than in ebPM task. In Experiment 2, the influence of ongoing task (OT) difficulty on PM performance was investigated with a sample of 5-year-old children. Results revealed no significant effect of OT difficulty on PM performance. In Experiment 3, we improved children's motivation level to complete the OT, then explored the influence of OT difficulty on children's PM performance. Results revealed that the effect of OT difficulty on PM performance became significant after increasing the children's motivation to complete the OT. These results provide insights into the mechanism of attentional resource allocation in PM tasks and have crucial educational and social implications.

  8. Prospective descriptive study of the toxicity of CAPOX plan in systemic treatment of colorectal cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aghazarian, M; Larranaga, J; Reyes, G; Heinzen, S; Ferrero, L; Lasalvia, E; Echague, P; Estevez, F; Citrin, E; Viola, A.

    2010-01-01

    In recent years, the incorporation of new cytostatic drugs to treat colorectal cancer (CRC) and adjuvant objective is to treat the disease or disseminated contributed to decrease the reoccurrence and increased overall patient survive and thus the advent of various toxicity profiles according to the scheme used. To describe the clinical and para clinical toxicity of one of the schemes more chemotherapy used for the treatment of RCC at the National Cancer Institute (INCA). METHODOLOGY: Longitudinal prospective study. An analysis was made after consideration of the direction of INCA medical records of 27 patients with CRC assisted at the service of such chemotherapy Institution in the June / 2008 - Dec / 2009. He had the free and informed consent of the patients to participate in the study, disguising personal data to protect your privacy. They are proceeded to complete the notebook data collection in order to determine the toxicity of CAPOX plan. Results: 27 patients, 11 females and 16 males were included with a 58 median age. In terms of tumor topography, 10 were right colon level 10 to level the left colon and 7 rectum level. 55.5% were stage III, stage IV 29.6% and 14.8% stage II. The 27 patients included CAPOX plan received the standard dose with a median cycles of 7. The clinical toxicities more frequent were: sensory neuropathy (66.6%), diarrhea (48.1%), hand-foot syndrome (44.4%), nausea (37%), Vomiting (29.6%), mucositis (11.1%) observed less frequently: conjunctival irritation, hyperpigmentation skin, pharynx larynx dysesthesia, alopecia, and fatigue stress angina. Concerning the haematological toxicity It emphasizes that all patients had a decrease in platelet count during treatment with 44.4% of grade 1 thrombocytopenia, was 62.9% of anemia, leucopenia and 33.3% to 37.0% of neutropenia. Single one patient had mild elevation of serum creatinine. Liver enzyme toxicity occurred in 37% TGO level - GGT, 29.6% in the TGP; 29.6% in the FA and 66.6% of patients

  9. Uranium project. Geochemistry prospection[Study of Uranium geochemical prospection in Uruguay]; Proyecto Uranio. Prospeccion geoquimica

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lambert, J

    1983-07-01

    Geochemistry studies the distribution of the chemicals elements in the terrestrial crust and its ways to migrate. The terminology used in this report is the following one: 1) Principles of the prospection geochemistry 2) Stages of the prospection geochemistry 3)utility of the prospection geochemistry 4) geochemistry of uranium 5) procedures used within the framework of uranium project 6) Average available 7) Selection of the zones of prospection geochemistry 8) Stages of the prospection, Sample preparation and analisis 9) Presentation of the results.

  10. Validation of CRIB II for prediction of mortality in premature babies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rastogi, Pallav Kumar; Sreenivas, V; Kumar, Nirmal

    2010-02-01

    Validation of Clinical Risk Index for Babies (CRIB II) score in predicting the neonatal mortality in preterm neonates < or = 32 weeks gestational age. Prospective cohort study. Tertiary care neonatal unit. 86 consecutively born preterm neonates with gestational age < or = 32 weeks. The five variables related to CRIB II were recorded within the first hour of admission for data analysis. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was used to check the accuracy of the mortality prediction. HL Goodness of fit test was used to see the discrepancy between observed and expected outcomes. A total of 86 neonates (males 59.6% mean birthweight: 1228 +/- 398 grams; mean gestational age: 28.3 +/- 2.4 weeks) were enrolled in the study, of which 17 (19.8%) left hospital against medical advice (LAMA) before reaching the study end point. Among 69 neonates completing the study, 24 (34.8%) had adverse outcome during hospital stay and 45 (65.2%) had favorable outcome. CRIB II correctly predicted adverse outcome in 90.3% (Hosmer Lemeshow goodness of fit test P=0.6). Area under curve (AUC) for CRIB II was 0.9032. In intention to treat analysis with LAMA cases included as survivors, the mortality prediction was 87%. If these were included as having died then mortality prediction was 83.1%. The CRIB II score was found to be a good predictive instrument for mortality in preterm infants < or = 32 weeks gestation.

  11. Computer augumented modelling studies of Pb(II, Cd(II, Hg(II, Co(II, Ni(II, Cu(II and Zn(II complexes of L-glutamic acid in 1,2-propanediol–water mixtures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MAHESWARA RAO VEGI

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Chemical speciation of Pb(II, Cd(II, Hg(II, Co(II, Ni(II, Cu(II and Zn(II complexes of L-glutamic acid was studied at 303 K in 0–60 vol. % 1,2-propanediol–water mixtures, whereby the ionic strength was maintained at 0.16 mol dm-3. The active forms of the ligand are LH3+, LH2 and LH–. The predominant detected species were ML, ML2, MLH, ML2H and ML2H2. The trend of the variation in the stability constants with changing dielectric constant of the medium is explained based on the cation stabilizing nature of the co-solvents, specific solvent–water interactions, charge dispersion and specific interactions of the co-solvent with the solute. The effect of systematic errors in the concentrations of the substances on the stability constants is in the order alkali > > acid > ligand > metal. The bioavailability and transportation of metals are explained based on distribution diagrams and stability constants.

  12. Characteristics and outcomes of patients admitted to Spanish ICU: A prospective observational study from the ENVIN-HELICS registry (2006-2011).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olaechea, P M; Álvarez-Lerma, F; Palomar, M; Gimeno, R; Gracia, M P; Mas, N; Rivas, R; Seijas, I; Nuvials, X; Catalán, M

    2016-05-01

    To describe the case-mix of patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) in Spain during the period 2006-2011 and to assess changes in ICU mortality according to severity level. Secondary analysis of data obtained from the ENVN-HELICS registry. Observational prospective study. Spanish ICU. Patients admitted for over 24h. None. Data for each of the participating hospitals and ICUs were recorded, as well as data that allowed to knowing the case-mix and the individual outcome of each patient. The study period was divided into two intervals, from 2006 to 2008 (period 1) and from 2009 to 2011 (period 2). Multilevel and multivariate models were used for the analysis of mortality and were performed in each stratum of severity level. The study population included 142,859 patients admitted to 188 adult ICUs. There was an increase in the mean age of the patients and in the percentage of patients >79 years (11.2% vs. 12.7%, P<0.001). Also, the mean APACHE II score increased from 14.35±8.29 to 14.72±8.43 (P<0.001). The crude overall intra-UCI mortality remained unchanged (11.4%) but adjusted mortality rate in patients with APACHE II score between 11 and 25 decreased modestly in recent years (12.3% vs. 11.6%, odds ratio=0.931, 95% CI 0.883-0.982; P=0.008). This study provides observational longitudinal data on case-mix of patients admitted to Spanish ICUs. A slight reduction in ICU mortality rate was observed among patients with intermediate severity level. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.

  13. Application of RIA of PRA, AT II and NPY in typing and therapy of EH patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Yongqing; Wang Xiaozhou; Jiang Qinian

    2001-01-01

    Objective: To study the typing and AT II receptor inhibitor therapy for essential hypertension (EH) patients. Methods: Plasma RA, AT II and NPY levels were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) in 208 Patients with EH and 100 controls; plasma NPY levels were measured in 40 EH patients before and after AT II receptor inhibitor therapy. The mean coefficient of variation for intra and inter batch-assay were less than 10% and 15% respectively. Results: In 208 EH patients plasma PRA levels were increased, normal and decreased in 17.8%, 71.6% and 10.6% respectively, while in 128 EH patients Plasma AT II levels were increased, normal and decreased in 20.3%, 64.1% and 15.6% respectively. In 69 EH Plasma NPY levels were significantly higher than those in 40 control subjects. (17 grade I EH, 137.3 +- 32.6 pg/mL; 28 grade II EH, 148.5 +- 41.1 pg/mL; 24 grade III EH, 162.4 +- 42.7 pg/mL; 40 controls, 118.5 +- 30.5 pg/mL). In 40 EH patients plasma NPY levels were decreased after AT II receptor inhibitor therapy as the blood pressure decreased. Conclusion: Typing of EH patients according to levels of plasma PRA and AT II is useful in guiding treatment. AT II receptor inhibitors are indicated in those patients with increased plasma levels and NPY levels can be used for appraisal of the treatment efficacy

  14. Synthesis and characterization of heterobimetallic complexes of the type [Cu(pn2][MCl4] where M = Co(II, Ni(II, Cu(II, Zn(II, Cd(II, and Hg(II

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seema Yadav

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available A series of new bimetallic transition metal complexes of the type [Cu(pn2] [MCl4] have been synthesized (where M = Co(II, Ni(II, Cu(II, Zn(II, Cd(II and Hg(II, pn = 1,3-diaminopropane and characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductance, TGA, IR and electronic spectra. All the compounds are 1:1 electrolyte in DMF. The Cu(II ion is square-planar while metal ions in the anionic moiety acquire their usual tetrahedral arrangement. On the basis of these studies it is concluded that anionic moiety is electrically stabilized by its cationic counterpart.

  15. Inhibition of toxigenesis of group II (nonproteolytic) Clostridium botulinum type B in meat products by using a reduced level of nitrite.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keto-Timonen, Riikka; Lindström, Miia; Puolanne, Eero; Niemistö, Markku; Korkeala, Hannu

    2012-07-01

    The effect of three different concentrations of sodium nitrite (0, 75, and 120 mg/kg) on growth and toxigenesis of group II (nonproteolytic) Clostridium botulinum type B was studied in Finnish wiener-type sausage, bologna-type sausage, and cooked ham. A low level of inoculum (2.0 log CFU/g) was used for wiener-type sausage and bologna-type sausage, and both low (2.0 log CFU/g) and high (4.0 log CFU/g) levels were used for cooked ham. The products were formulated and processed under simulated commercial conditions and stored at 8°C for 5 weeks. C. botulinum counts were determined in five replicate samples of each nitrite concentration at 1, 3, and 5 weeks after thermal processing. All samples were positive for C. botulinum type B. The highest C. botulinum counts were detected in nitrite-free products. Toxigenesis was observed in nitrite-free products during storage, but products containing either 75 or 120 mg/kg nitrite remained nontoxic during the 5-week study period, suggesting that spores surviving the heat treatment were unable to germinate and develop into a toxic culture in the presence of nitrite. The results suggest that the safety of processed meat products with respect to group II C. botulinum type B can be maintained even with a reduced concentration (75 mg/kg) of sodium nitrite.

  16. The Bipolar II Depression Questionnaire: A Self-Report Tool for Detecting Bipolar II Depression.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chi Ming Leung

    Full Text Available Bipolar II (BP-II depression is often misdiagnosed as unipolar (UP depression, resulting in suboptimal treatment. Tools for differentiating between these two types of depression are lacking. This study aimed to develop a simple, self-report screening instrument to help distinguish BP-II depression from UP depressive disorder. A prototype BP-II depression questionnaire (BPIIDQ-P was constructed following a literature review, panel discussions and a field trial. Consecutively assessed patients with a diagnosis of depressive disorder or BP with depressive episodes completed the BPIIDQ-P at a psychiatric outpatient clinic in Hong Kong between October and December 2013. Data were analyzed using discriminant analysis and logistic regression. Of the 298 subjects recruited, 65 (21.8% were males and 233 (78.2% females. There were 112 (37.6% subjects with BP depression [BP-I = 42 (14.1%, BP-II = 70 (23.5%] and 182 (62.4% with UP depression. Based on family history, age at onset, postpartum depression, episodic course, attacks of anxiety, hypersomnia, social phobia and agoraphobia, the 8-item BPIIDQ-8 was constructed. The BPIIDQ-8 differentiated subjects with BP-II from those with UP depression with a sensitivity/specificity of 0.75/0.63 for the whole sample and 0.77/0.72 for a female subgroup with a history of childbirth. The BPIIDQ-8 can differentiate BP-II from UP depression at the secondary care level with satisfactory to good reliability and validity. It has good potential as a screening tool for BP-II depression in primary care settings. Recall bias, the relatively small sample size, and the high proportion of females in the BP-II sample limit the generalization of the results.

  17. A prospective evaluation of survivorship of asymptomatic degenerative rotator cuff tears.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keener, Jay D; Galatz, Leesa M; Teefey, Sharlene A; Middleton, William D; Steger-May, Karen; Stobbs-Cucchi, Georgia; Patton, Rebecca; Yamaguchi, Ken

    2015-01-21

    enlargement is associated with a greater risk of pain development across all tear types. Prognostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. Copyright © 2015 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.

  18. High-Fidelity Simulation in Occupational Therapy Curriculum: Impact on Level II Fieldwork Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rebecca Ozelie

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Simulation experiences provide experiential learning opportunities during artificially produced real-life medical situations in a safe environment. Evidence supports using simulation in health care education yet limited quantitative evidence exists in occupational therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the differences in scores on the AOTA Fieldwork Performance Evaluation for the Occupational Therapy Student of Level II occupational therapy students who received high-fidelity simulation training and students who did not. A retrospective analysis of 180 students from a private university was used. Independent samples nonparametric t tests examined mean differences between Fieldwork Performance Evaluation scores of those who did and did not receive simulation experiences in the curriculum. Mean ranks were also analyzed for subsection scores and practice settings. Results of this study found no significant difference in overall Fieldwork Performance Evaluation scores between the two groups. The students who completed simulation and had fieldwork in inpatient rehabilitation had the greatest increase in mean rank scores and increases in several subsections. The outcome measure used in this study was found to have limited discriminatory capability and may have affected the results; however, this study finds that using simulation may be a beneficial supplement to didactic coursework in occupational therapy curriculums.

  19. Hemodiafiltration Improves Plasma 25-Hepcidin Levels: A Prospective, Randomized, Blinded, Cross-Over Study Comparing Hemodialysis and Hemodiafiltration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bergur V. Stefánsson

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aims: Data from studies comparing the effect of hemodiafiltration (HDF and conventional hemodialysis (HD on clinically important outcomes are insufficient to support superiority of HDF. None of these studies has been participant-blinded. Methods: We performed a prospective, randomized, and patient-blinded cross-over study. Twenty patients on chronic HD received either HD for 2 months followed by post-dilution HDF for 2 months or in opposite order. A range of clinical parameters, as well as markers of inflammation, oxidative stress and iron metabolism was measured. Results: The two treatments were similar with respect to dialysis-related complications, quality of life, and the biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation. Compared to HD, 25-hepcidin and β2-microglobulin were 38 and 32%, respectively, lower after 60 days of HDF (p Conclusion: In short term, HDF is not superior to HD regarding dialysis-related complications. The higher ESA consumption observed with HDF can be explained by blood clotting in tubing and dialyzers, as more anticoagulation was needed with post-dilution HDF. In a longer perspective, lowering serum hepcidin levels may improve pathological iron homeostasis.

  20. 25 CFR 211.9 - Existing permits or leases for minerals issued pursuant to 43 CFR chapter II and acquired for...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... subject to general leasing and mining laws, is now held in trust by the United States for Indian tribes. Existing mineral prospecting permits, exploration and mining leases on these lands, issued prior to these... CFR chapter II, shall be made to the superintendent having administrative jurisdiction over the land...

  1. Residential radon exposure and risk of incident hematologic malignancies in the Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Teras, Lauren R., E-mail: lauren.teras@cancer.org [Epidemiology Research Program, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA (United States); Diver, W. Ryan [Epidemiology Research Program, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA (United States); Turner, Michelle C. [Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona (Spain); Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona (Spain); CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid (Spain); McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, University of Ottawa, Ottawa (Canada); Krewski, Daniel [McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, University of Ottawa, Ottawa (Canada); School of Epidemiology, Public Health and Disease Prevention, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada); Sahar, Liora [Statistics and Evaluation Center, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA (United States); Ward, Elizabeth [Intramural Research, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA (United States); Gapstur, Susan M. [Epidemiology Research Program, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA (United States)

    2016-07-15

    Dosimetric models show that radon, an established cause of lung cancer, delivers a non-negligible dose of alpha radiation to the bone marrow, as well as to lymphocytes in the tracheobronchial epithelium, and therefore could be related to risk of hematologic cancers. Studies of radon and hematologic cancer risk, however, have produced inconsistent results. To date there is no published prospective, population-based study of residential radon exposure and hematologic malignancy incidence. We used data from the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort established in 1992, to examine the association between county-level residential radon exposure and risk of hematologic cancer. The analytic cohort included 140,652 participants (66,572 men, 74,080 women) among which 3019 incident hematologic cancer cases (1711 men, 1308 women) were identified during 19 years of follow-up. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to calculate multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for radon exposure and hematologic cancer risk. Women living in counties with the highest mean radon concentrations (>148 Bq/m{sup 3}) had a statistically significant higher risk of hematologic cancer compared to those living in counties with the lowest (<74 Bq/m{sup 3}) radon levels (HR=1.63, 95% CI:1.23–2.18), and there was evidence of a dose-response relationship (HR{sub continuous}=1.38, 95% CI:1.15–1.65 per 100 Bq/m{sup 3}; p-trend=0.001). There was no association between county-level radon and hematologic cancer risk among men. The findings of this large, prospective study suggest residential radon may be a risk factor for lymphoid malignancies among women. Further study is needed to confirm these findings. - Highlights: • This is the first prospective, general population study of residential radon and risk of hematologic cancer. • Findings from this study suggest that residential radon exposure may be a risk factor

  2. Residential radon exposure and risk of incident hematologic malignancies in the Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teras, Lauren R.; Diver, W. Ryan; Turner, Michelle C.; Krewski, Daniel; Sahar, Liora; Ward, Elizabeth; Gapstur, Susan M.

    2016-01-01

    Dosimetric models show that radon, an established cause of lung cancer, delivers a non-negligible dose of alpha radiation to the bone marrow, as well as to lymphocytes in the tracheobronchial epithelium, and therefore could be related to risk of hematologic cancers. Studies of radon and hematologic cancer risk, however, have produced inconsistent results. To date there is no published prospective, population-based study of residential radon exposure and hematologic malignancy incidence. We used data from the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort established in 1992, to examine the association between county-level residential radon exposure and risk of hematologic cancer. The analytic cohort included 140,652 participants (66,572 men, 74,080 women) among which 3019 incident hematologic cancer cases (1711 men, 1308 women) were identified during 19 years of follow-up. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to calculate multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for radon exposure and hematologic cancer risk. Women living in counties with the highest mean radon concentrations (>148 Bq/m 3 ) had a statistically significant higher risk of hematologic cancer compared to those living in counties with the lowest (<74 Bq/m 3 ) radon levels (HR=1.63, 95% CI:1.23–2.18), and there was evidence of a dose-response relationship (HR continuous =1.38, 95% CI:1.15–1.65 per 100 Bq/m 3 ; p-trend=0.001). There was no association between county-level radon and hematologic cancer risk among men. The findings of this large, prospective study suggest residential radon may be a risk factor for lymphoid malignancies among women. Further study is needed to confirm these findings. - Highlights: • This is the first prospective, general population study of residential radon and risk of hematologic cancer. • Findings from this study suggest that residential radon exposure may be a risk factor for lymphoid

  3. Procalcitonin levels in sepsis and its association with clinical outcome in southern India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rebello, Alex; Thabah, Molly Mary; Dutta, Tarun Kumar; Bobby, Zachariah; Harish, B N; Mehalingam, Vadivelan

    2017-10-01

    Procalcitonin has been found to be a good marker for the diagnosis of sepsis. However, data on procalcitonin levels to predict the clinical outcome in patients with sepsis are limited. The aim of our study was to estimate serum procalcitonin levels in patients with sepsis and to identify its relationship with the clinical outcome. This was a prospective observational study conducted on 112 patients with sepsis admitted to the medical wards and medical intensive care unit of a tertiary care teaching hospital. Serum procalcitonin was measured at baseline before antibiotic administration and on day 5. The clinical outcome studied was death or survival on day 28. Baseline mean serum procalcitonin was highest in patients with septic shock and lowest in patients having sepsis without organ dysfunction. Mean values of procalcitonin at baseline and on day 5 were significantly higher in non-survivors when compared with survivors. There was a significant difference in the change in procalcitonin levels from baseline to day 5 between survivors and non-survivors, with survivors having declining values on day 5 while non-survivors had increasing values from baseline. The baseline APACHE II and SOFA scores also showed a significant correlation with the baseline procalcitonin level. Declining values of procalcitonin therefore indicate a favourable clinical outcome in patients with sepsis.

  4. Small Diameter Bomb Increment II (SDB II)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-12-01

    Selected Acquisition Report (SAR) RCS: DD-A&T(Q&A)823-439 Small Diameter Bomb Increment II (SDB II) As of FY 2017 President’s Budget Defense... Bomb Increment II (SDB II) DoD Component Air Force Joint Participants Department of the Navy Responsible Office References SAR Baseline (Production...Mission and Description Small Diameter Bomb Increment II (SDB II) is a joint interest United States Air Force (USAF) and Department of the Navy

  5. Geochemical prospecting in Guiana

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coulomb, R.

    1957-01-01

    During the last few years geochemical prospecting techniques have become common usage in the field of mineral deposit prospecting. The real scope of these methods lies in their use in the prospecting of large areas. The most promising use of the geochemistry and hydro-geochemistry of uranium is in heavily forested tropical territories, with few outcrops, where radiometry is strongly handicapped. (author) [fr

  6. Synthesis and structural characterization of nickel(II), cobalt(II), Zinc(II), manganese(II), cadmium(II) and uranium(VI) complexes of α-oximinoacetoacet-o/p-anisidide thiosemicarbazone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patel, P.S.; Patel, M.M.; Ray, R.M.

    1993-01-01

    A few metal complexes of α-oximinoacetoacet-o/p-anisidide thiosemicarbazones (OAOATS)/(OAPATS) with Ni(II), Co(II), Zn(II), Mn(II), Hg(II), Cd(II) and UO 2 (II) have been prepared and characterized by elemental analyses, conductivity, differential scanning calorimetry study, thermogravimetric analyses and infrared and electronic spectral measurements in conjunction with magnetic susceptibility measurements at room temperature. They have also been tested for their antimicrobial activities. (author). 24 refs., 2 tabs

  7. The Teaching Processes of Prospective Science Teachers with Different Levels of Science-Teaching Self-Efficacy Belief

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saka, Mehpare; Bayram, Hale; Kabapinar, Filiz

    2016-01-01

    The concept of self-efficacy, which is an important variable in the teaching process, and how it reflects on teaching have recently been the focus of attention. Therefore, this study deals with the relationship between the science-teaching self-efficacy beliefs of prospective science teachers and their teaching practices. It was conducted with…

  8. Final project report, TA-35 Los Alamos Power Reactor Experiment No. II (LAPRE II) decommissioning project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Montoya, G.M.

    1992-01-01

    This final report addresses the decommissioning of the LAPRE II Reactor, safety enclosure, fuel reservoir tanks, emergency fuel recovery system, primary pump pit, secondary loop, associated piping, and the post-remediation activities. Post-remedial action measurements are also included. The cost of the project, including Phase I assessment and Phase II remediation was approximately $496K. The decommissioning operation produced 533 m 3 of low-level solid radioactive waste and 5 m 3 of mixed waste

  9. MIMIC II: a massive temporal ICU patient database to support research in intelligent patient monitoring

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saeed, M.; Lieu, C.; Raber, G.; Mark, R. G.

    2002-01-01

    Development and evaluation of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) decision-support systems would be greatly facilitated by the availability of a large-scale ICU patient database. Following our previous efforts with the MIMIC (Multi-parameter Intelligent Monitoring for Intensive Care) Database, we have leveraged advances in networking and storage technologies to develop a far more massive temporal database, MIMIC II. MIMIC II is an ongoing effort: data is continuously and prospectively archived from all ICU patients in our hospital. MIMIC II now consists of over 800 ICU patient records including over 120 gigabytes of data and is growing. A customized archiving system was used to store continuously up to four waveforms and 30 different parameters from ICU patient monitors. An integrated user-friendly relational database was developed for browsing of patients' clinical information (lab results, fluid balance, medications, nurses' progress notes). Based upon its unprecedented size and scope, MIMIC II will prove to be an important resource for intelligent patient monitoring research, and will support efforts in medical data mining and knowledge-discovery.

  10. The Multi-Attribute Task Battery II (MATB-II) Software for Human Performance and Workload Research: A User's Guide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santiago-Espada, Yamira; Myer, Robert R.; Latorella, Kara A.; Comstock, James R., Jr.

    2011-01-01

    The Multi-Attribute Task Battery (MAT Battery). is a computer-based task designed to evaluate operator performance and workload, has been redeveloped to operate in Windows XP Service Pack 3, Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems.MATB-II includes essentially the same tasks as the original MAT Battery, plus new configuration options including a graphical user interface for controlling modes of operation. MATB-II can be executed either in training or testing mode, as defined by the MATB-II configuration file. The configuration file also allows set up of the default timeouts for the tasks, the flow rates of the pumps and tank levels of the Resource Management (RESMAN) task. MATB-II comes with a default event file that an experimenter can modify and adapt

  11. Distribution and levels of [125I]IGF-I, [125I]IGF-II and [125I]insulin receptor binding sites in the hippocampus of aged memory-unimpaired and -impaired rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Quirion, R.; Rowe, W.; Kar, S.; Dore, S.

    1997-01-01

    The insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I and IGF-II) and insulin are localized within distinct brain regions and their respective functions are mediated by specific membrane receptors. High densities of binding sites for these growth factors are discretely and differentially distributed throughout the brain, with prominent levels localized to the hippocampal formation. IGFs and insulin, in addition to their growth promoting actions, are considered to play important roles in the development and maintenance of normal cell functions throughout life. We compared the anatomical distribution and levels of IGF and insulin receptors in young (five month) and aged (25 month) memory-impaired and memory-unimpaired male Long-Evans rats as determined in the Morris water maze task in order to determine if alterations in IGF and insulin activity may be related to the emergence of cognitive deficits in the aged memory-impaired rat. In the hippocampus, [ 125 I]IGF-I receptors are concentrated primarily in the dentate gyrus (DG) and the CA3 sub-field while high amounts of [ 125 I]IGF-II binding sites are localized to the pyramidal cell layer, and the granular cell layer of the DG. [ 125 I]insulin binding sites are mostly found in the molecular layer of the DG and the CA1 sub-field. No significant differences were found in [ 125 I]IGF-I, [ 125 I]IGF-II or [ 125 I]insulin binding levels in any regions or laminae of the hippocampus of young vs aged rats, and deficits in cognitive performance did not relate to altered levels of these receptors in aged memory-impaired vs aged memory-unimpaired rats. Other regions, including various cortical areas, were also examined and failed to reveal any significant differences between the three groups studied.It thus appears that IGF-I, IGF-II and insulin receptor sites are not markedly altered during the normal ageing process in the Long-Evans rat, in spite of significant learning deficits in a sub-group (memory-impaired) of aged animals. Hence

  12. Accentuated hyperparathyroidism in type II Bartter syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landau, Daniel; Gurevich, Evgenia; Sinai-Treiman, Levana; Shalev, Hannah

    2016-07-01

    Bartter syndrome (BS) may be associated with different degrees of hypercalciuria, but marked parathyroid hormone (PTH) abnormalities have not been described. We compared clinical and laboratory data of patients with either ROMK-deficient type II BS (n = 14) or Barttin-deficient type IV BS (n = 20). Only BS-IV patients remained mildly hypokalemic in spite of a higher need for potassium supplementation. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was mildly decreased in only four BS-IV patients. Average PTH values were significantly higher in BS-II (160.6 ± 85.8 vs. 92.5 ± 48 pg/ml in BS-IV, p = 0.006). In both groups, there was a positive correlation between age and log(PTH). Levels of 25(OH) vitamin D were not different. Total serum calcium was lower (within normal limits) and age-related serum phosphate (Pi)-SDS was increased in BS-II (1.19 ± 0.71 vs. 0.01 ± 1.04 in BS-IV, p < 0.001). The GFR threshold for Pi reabsorption was higher in BS-II (5.63 ± 1.25 vs. 4.36 ± 0.98, p = 0.002). Spot urine calcium/creatinine ratio and nephrocalcinosis rate (100 vs. 16 %) were higher in the BS-II group. PTH, serum Pi levels, and urinary threshold for Pi reabsorption are significantly elevated in type II vs. type IV BS, suggesting a PTH resistance state. This may be a response to more severe long-standing hypercalciuria, leading to a higher rate of nephrocalcinosis in BS-II.

  13. Competitive adsorption of copper(II), cadmium(II), lead(II) and zinc(II) onto basic oxygen furnace slag

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xue Yongjie; Hou Haobo; Zhu Shujing

    2009-01-01

    Polluted and contaminated water can often contain more than one heavy metal species. It is possible that the behavior of a particular metal species in a solution system will be affected by the presence of other metals. In this study, we have investigated the adsorption of Cd(II), Cu(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) onto basic oxygen furnace slag (BOF slag) in single- and multi-element solution systems as a function of pH and concentration, in a background solution of 0.01 M NaNO 3 . In adsorption edge experiments, the pH was varied from 2.0 to 13.0 with total metal concentration 0.84 mM in the single element system and 0.21 mM each of Cd(II), Cu(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) in the multi-element system. The value of pH 50 (the pH at which 50% adsorption occurs) was found to follow the sequence Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd in single-element systems, but Pb > Cu > Zn > Cd in the multi-element system. Adsorption isotherms at pH 6.0 in the multi-element systems showed that there is competition among various metals for adsorption sites on BOF slag. The adsorption and potentiometric titrations data for various slag-metal systems were modeled using an extended constant-capacitance surface complexation model that assumed an ion-exchange process below pH 6.5 and the formation of inner-sphere surface complexes at higher pH. Inner-sphere complexation was more dominant for the Cu(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) systems

  14. Competitive adsorption of copper(II), cadmium(II), lead(II) and zinc(II) onto basic oxygen furnace slag

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xue Yongjie [School of Resource and Environment Science, Wuhan University, Hubei, Wuhan (China); Wuhan Kaidi Electric Power Environmental Protection Co. Ltd., Hubei, Wuhan (China)], E-mail: xueyj@mail.whut.edu.cn; Hou Haobo; Zhu Shujing [School of Resource and Environment Science, Wuhan University, Hubei, Wuhan (China)

    2009-02-15

    Polluted and contaminated water can often contain more than one heavy metal species. It is possible that the behavior of a particular metal species in a solution system will be affected by the presence of other metals. In this study, we have investigated the adsorption of Cd(II), Cu(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) onto basic oxygen furnace slag (BOF slag) in single- and multi-element solution systems as a function of pH and concentration, in a background solution of 0.01 M NaNO{sub 3}. In adsorption edge experiments, the pH was varied from 2.0 to 13.0 with total metal concentration 0.84 mM in the single element system and 0.21 mM each of Cd(II), Cu(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) in the multi-element system. The value of pH{sub 50} (the pH at which 50% adsorption occurs) was found to follow the sequence Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd in single-element systems, but Pb > Cu > Zn > Cd in the multi-element system. Adsorption isotherms at pH 6.0 in the multi-element systems showed that there is competition among various metals for adsorption sites on BOF slag. The adsorption and potentiometric titrations data for various slag-metal systems were modeled using an extended constant-capacitance surface complexation model that assumed an ion-exchange process below pH 6.5 and the formation of inner-sphere surface complexes at higher pH. Inner-sphere complexation was more dominant for the Cu(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) systems.

  15. Competitive adsorption of copper(II), cadmium(II), lead(II) and zinc(II) onto basic oxygen furnace slag.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xue, Yongjie; Hou, Haobo; Zhu, Shujing

    2009-02-15

    Polluted and contaminated water can often contain more than one heavy metal species. It is possible that the behavior of a particular metal species in a solution system will be affected by the presence of other metals. In this study, we have investigated the adsorption of Cd(II), Cu(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) onto basic oxygen furnace slag (BOF slag) in single- and multi-element solution systems as a function of pH and concentration, in a background solution of 0.01M NaNO(3). In adsorption edge experiments, the pH was varied from 2.0 to 13.0 with total metal concentration 0.84mM in the single element system and 0.21mM each of Cd(II), Cu(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) in the multi-element system. The value of pH(50) (the pH at which 50% adsorption occurs) was found to follow the sequence Zn>Cu>Pb>Cd in single-element systems, but Pb>Cu>Zn>Cd in the multi-element system. Adsorption isotherms at pH 6.0 in the multi-element systems showed that there is competition among various metals for adsorption sites on BOF slag. The adsorption and potentiometric titrations data for various slag-metal systems were modeled using an extended constant-capacitance surface complexation model that assumed an ion-exchange process below pH 6.5 and the formation of inner-sphere surface complexes at higher pH. Inner-sphere complexation was more dominant for the Cu(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) systems.

  16. Health values and prospect theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Treadwell, J R; Lenert, L A

    1999-01-01

    Health values are important components of medical decisions. Experimental data suggest that people value health in complex and dynamic ways. Prospect theory is a descriptive theory of choice that may accurately characterize how people assign values to health states. The authors first provide background on prospect theory and how it can be applied to health values. Next, they review the relevant health research and find mixed support for prospect theory. Last, they discuss implications of prospect theory for cost-effectiveness analysis. The application of prospect theory to health deserves further research because it may help clarify the link between health and values.

  17. A prospective study of brain natriuretic peptide levels in three subgroups: Stroke with hypertension, stroke without hypertension, and hypertension alone

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cakir Zeynep

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim: To study brain natriuretic peptide (BNP levels in three subgroups: patients having stroke with hypertension (HT, those having stroke without HT, and those with HT alone. We also tried to identify whether BNP levels predict the length of stay in hospital and mortality. Materials and Methods: The groups were formed by patients who had been admitted to the emergency department in the first 4-12 h after the onset of symptoms. There were 30 stroke patients with a history of HT (group I, 30 stroke patients without a history of HT (group II, and 20 HT patients without stroke (group III. Patients with congestive heart failure, chronic cor pulmonale, severe valvular heart disease, chronic renal failure, liver insufficiency, diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation, and those with a history of stroke were excluded from the study since these diseases can affect the plasma BNP levels. Results: The demographic characteristics, except the age distribution, were similar among the groups. The mean BNP levels in the three groups were 168.8 ± 223.9 pg/ml, 85.0 ± 75.1 pg/ml, and 84.8 ± 178.3 pg/ml, respectively. The differences between the groups were statistically significant. Conclusion: The mean BNP levels were affected by HT and/or stroke. The simultaneous presence of HT and stroke results in a more significant increase BNP than the presence of either stroke or HT alone. When diseases that can affect the plasma BNP levels are excluded, the BNP levels in stroke patients without a history of HT are similar to the levels seen in patients with only HT.

  18. The D0 run II trigger system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwienhorst, Reinhard; Michigan State U.

    2004-01-01

    The D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron was upgraded for Run II. This upgrade included improvements to the trigger system in order to be able to handle the increased Tevatron luminosity and higher bunch crossing rates compared to Run I. The D0 Run II trigger is a highly exible system to select events to be written to tape from an initial interaction rate of about 2.5 MHz. This is done in a three-tier pipelined, buffered system. The first tier (level 1) processes fast detector pick-off signals in a hardware/firmware based system to reduce the event rate to about 1. 5kHz. The second tier (level 2) uses information from level 1 and forms simple Physics objects to reduce the rate to about 850 Hz. The third tier (level 3) uses full detector readout and event reconstruction on a filter farm to reduce the rate to 20-30 Hz. The D0 trigger menu contains a wide variety of triggers. While the emphasis is on triggering on generic lepton and jet final states, there are also trigger terms for specific final state signatures. In this document we describe the D0 trigger system as it was implemented and is currently operating in Run II

  19. CANDU market prospects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kakaria, B.K.

    1994-01-01

    This 1994 survey of prospective markets for CANDU reactors discusses prospects in Turkey, Thailand, the Philippines, Korea, Indonesia, China and Egypt, and other opportunities, such as in fuel cycles and nuclear safety. It was concluded that foreign partners would be needed to help with financing

  20. Preparation of Schiff s base complexes of Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II) and their spectroscopic, magnetic, thermal, and antifungal studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parekh, H.M.; Patel, M.N.

    2006-01-01

    The potassium salt of salicylidene-DL-alanine (KHL), bis(benzylidene)ethylenediamine (A 1 ), thiophene-o-carboxaldene-p-toluidine (A 2 ), and its metal complexes of the formula [(M II (L)(A)(H 2 O)] (M=Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II); A = A 1 or A 2 ) are prepared. They are characterized by elemental analysis, magnetic susceptibility measurements, thermogravimetric analysis, and infrared and electronic spectral studies. The electronic spectral and magnetic moment data suggest an octahedral geometry for the complexes. All of these complexes, metal nitrates, fungicides (bavistin and emcarb), and ligands are screened for their antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum, and Aspergillus flavus using a plate poison technique. The complexes show higher activity than those of the free ligands, metal nitrate, and the control (DMSO) and moderate activity against bavistin and emcarb [ru