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Sample records for level remained unchanged

  1. Unchanged cerebral blood flow and oxidative metabolism after acclimatization to high altitude

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, Kirsten; Paulson, Olaf B; Hornbein, Thomas F.

    2002-01-01

    The authors investigated the effect of acclimatization to high altitude on cerebral blood flow and oxidative metabolism at rest and during exercise. Nine healthy, native sea-level residents were studied 3 weeks after arrival at Chacaltaya, Bolivia (5,260 m) and after reacclimatization to sea level....... At high altitude at rest, arterial carbon dioxide tension, oxygen saturation, and oxygen tension were significantly reduced, and arterial oxygen content was increased because of an increase in hemoglobin concentration. Global cerebral blood flow was similar in the four conditions. Cerebral oxygen delivery...... and cerebral metabolic rates of oxygen and glucose also remained unchanged, whereas cerebral metabolic rates of lactate increased slightly but nonsignificantly at high altitude during exercise compared with high altitude at rest. Reaction time was unchanged. The data indicate that cerebral blood flow...

  2. Unchanged Levels of Soluble CD14 and IL-6 Over Time Predict Serious Non-AIDS Events in HIV-1-Infected People

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sunil, Meena; Nigalye, Maitreyee; Somasunderam, Anoma; Martinez, Maria Laura; Yu, Xiaoying; Arduino, Roberto C.; Bell, Tanvir K.

    2016-01-01

    Abstract HIV-1-infected persons have increased risk of serious non-AIDS events (SNAEs) despite suppressive antiretroviral therapy. Increased circulating levels of soluble CD14 (sCD14), soluble CD163 (sCD163), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) at a single time point have been associated with SNAEs. However, whether changes in these biomarker levels predict SNAEs in HIV-1-infected persons is unknown. We hypothesized that greater decreases in inflammatory biomarkers would be associated with fewer SNAEs. We identified 39 patients with SNAEs, including major cardiovascular events, end stage renal disease, decompensated cirrhosis, non-AIDS-defining malignancies, and death of unknown cause, and age- and sex-matched HIV-1-infected controls. sCD14, sCD163, and IL-6 were measured at study enrollment (T1) and proximal to the event (T2) or equivalent duration in matched controls. Over ∼34 months, unchanged rather than decreasing levels of sCD14 and IL-6 predicted SNAEs. Older age and current illicit substance abuse, but not HCV coinfection, were associated with SNAEs. In a multivariate analysis, older age, illicit substance use, and unchanged IL-6 levels remained significantly associated with SNAEs. Thus, the trajectories of sCD14 and IL-6 levels predict SNAEs. Interventions to decrease illicit substance use may decrease the risk of SNAEs in HIV-1-infected persons. PMID:27344921

  3. The Changed and Unchanged Situations in the Representation of Women in Contemporary Cinema

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arif Rohman

    2013-08-01

    education-woman’. The films also show that some aspects in the representation of women, such as the expectation of motherhood, the myth of sexuality, and the position of women as victims, remain unchanged.

  4. At the end of a two-year follow-up elevated TSH levels normalize or remain unchanged in most the children with subclinical hypothyroidism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    De Luca Filippo

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Data about the natural evolution of subclinical hypothyroidism (SH in pediatric age are very scanty. Moreover all the available reports in both aged and young patients were based on unselected study populations including also patients with either thyroid disorders or other pathological causes that are well known to be able to affect SH development and evolution. Aim of the study by Wasniewska et al was to prospectively evaluate for the first time the natural course of SH in children and adolescents with no underlying diseases and no risk factors that might interfere with the progression of SH. On the basis of the 2-year follow-up results, the Authors concluded that: a the natural course of TSH values in a pediatric population with idiopathic SH is characterized by a progressive decrease over time; b the majority of patients (88% normalized or maintained unchanged their TSH; and c TSH changes were not associated with changes of either FT4 values or clinical status or auxological parameters. Study design of this study is very accurate and the results are robust, thus supporting the Authors' conclusions.

  5. Epidural analgesia in early labour blocks the stress response but uterine contractions remain unchanged.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scull, T J; Hemmings, G T; Carli, F; Weeks, S K; Mazza, L; Zingg, H H

    1998-07-01

    To determine the effect of epidural analgesia on biochemical markers of stress, plasma oxytocin concentrations and frequency of uterine contractions during the first stage of labour. Nine nulliparous women, in spontaneous labour, with a singleton fetus and cervical dilatation < or = 5 cm were enrolled. Epidural bupivacaine 0.25% (range 10-14 ml) was administered and bilateral sensory blockade to ice (T8-L4) achieved. Blood samples were collected before the epidermal block and every 10 min for one hour after the block was achieved for the measurement of plasma beta-endorphin, cortical, glucose, lactate and oxytocin concentrations. No exogenous oxytocin was given. Intensity of pain was assessed at the time of the blood sampling using a 10 cm visual analogue scale (VAS). The frequency of uterine contractions was recorded for 60 min before and after the epidural block. There was a decrease in plasma beta-endorphin and cortisol concentrations after epidural block (P < 0.01). There were no changes in plasma glucose and lactate concentrations. The mean VAS for pain decreased 10 min after epidural block was achieved and remained < 2 throughout the study period (P < 0.001). Mean plasma oxytocin concentrations did not change. The frequency of uterine contractions before and after the epidural block was similar. The metabolic stress response to the pain of labour was attenuated by epidural analgesia. In contrast, plasma oxytocin concentration and frequency of uterine contractions were unaffected by the attenuation of metabolic stress response.

  6. Iron and Lactoferrin Levels Remain Unchanged in Parkin Deficient Mouse Brains: Implications for Parkinson’s Disease Etiology

    OpenAIRE

    Baker, Hanan

    2015-01-01

    Parkinson’s disease is a devastating neurodegenerative disease in which loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta leads to a variety of motor and non-motor deficits. Mutations in the Park2 or parkin gene have been implicated in familial forms of Parkinson’s disease. Parkin is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that plays a role in mitophagy, the degradation of damaged mitochondria. Defects in parkin are thought to impair mitophagy, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and an incr...

  7. Average sperm count remains unchanged despite reduction in maternal smoking

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Priskorn, L; Nordkap, L; Bang, A K

    2018-01-01

    STUDY QUESTION: How are temporal trends in lifestyle factors, including exposure to maternal smoking in utero, associated to semen quality in young men from the general population? SUMMARY ANSWER: Exposure to maternal smoking was associated with lower sperm counts but no overall increase in sperm...... temporal trends. Parental age increased, and exposure in utero to maternal smoking declined from 40% among men investigated in 1996-2000 to 18% among men investigated in 2011-2016. Exposure to maternal smoking was associated with lower sperm counts but no overall increase in sperm counts was observed...... counts was observed during the study period despite a decrease in this exposure. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Meta-analyses suggest a continuous decline in semen quality but few studies have investigated temporal trends in unselected populations recruited and analysed with the same protocol over a long period...

  8. Increasing plasma fibrinogen, but unchanged levels of intraplatelet cyclic nucleotides, plasma endothelin-1, factor VII, and neopterin during cholesterol lowering with fluvastatin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gottsäter, A; Anwaar, I; Lind, P; Mattiasson, I; Lindgärde, F

    1999-04-01

    Lipid-lowering statin treatment reduces cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and improves endothelial function in patients with hypercholesterolemia. The aim of the present study was to evaluate plasma levels of fibrinogen, factor VII, and the macrophage-derived inflammatory mediator neopterin during lipid lowering. In addition, the endothelial production of platelet antiaggregatory and vasodilatory factors such as nitric oxide and prostacyclin, and vasoconstrictive factors such as endothelin-1, was assessed. Plasma fibrinogen, factor VII, endothelin-1, and the neopterin and intraplatelet nitric oxide and prostacyclin mediators cyclic 3'-5'guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and cyclic 3'-5'adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) were measured before and 6 months after the institution of treatment with fluvastatin in 17 patients (eight men and nine women, median age 60 years) with vascular disease and previously untreated hypercholesterolemia. After 6 months, a decrease of 1.62 mmol/l [1.26-2.18 (19%); P factor VII [from 1.14 IE/ml (0.58-1.38) to 1.22 IE/ml (0.96-1.46); NS], or plasma neopterin [from 8.6 nmol/l (7.1-11.5) to 8.7 nmol/l (7.9-11.3); NS]. In conclusion, during cholesterol-lowering treatment with fluvastatin, plasma levels of fibrinogen increased whereas intraplatelet cyclic nucleotide levels and plasma endothelin-1, factor VII and neopterin levels were unchanged.

  9. The Remaining Service Time Upon Reaching a High Level in M/G/1 Queues

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Boer, Pieter-Tjerk; Nicola, V.F.; van Ommeren, Jan C.W.

    The distribution of the remaining service time upon reaching some target level in an M/G/1 queue is of theoretical as well as practical interest. In general, this distribution depends on the initial level as well as on the target level, say, B. Two initial levels are of particular interest, namely,

  10. A comparative review of estimates of the proportion unchanged genes and the false discovery rate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Broberg Per

    2005-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In the analysis of microarray data one generally produces a vector of p-values that for each gene give the likelihood of obtaining equally strong evidence of change by pure chance. The distribution of these p-values is a mixture of two components corresponding to the changed genes and the unchanged ones. The focus of this article is how to estimate the proportion unchanged and the false discovery rate (FDR and how to make inferences based on these concepts. Six published methods for estimating the proportion unchanged genes are reviewed, two alternatives are presented, and all are tested on both simulated and real data. All estimates but one make do without any parametric assumptions concerning the distributions of the p-values. Furthermore, the estimation and use of the FDR and the closely related q-value is illustrated with examples. Five published estimates of the FDR and one new are presented and tested. Implementations in R code are available. Results A simulation model based on the distribution of real microarray data plus two real data sets were used to assess the methods. The proposed alternative methods for estimating the proportion unchanged fared very well, and gave evidence of low bias and very low variance. Different methods perform well depending upon whether there are few or many regulated genes. Furthermore, the methods for estimating FDR showed a varying performance, and were sometimes misleading. The new method had a very low error. Conclusion The concept of the q-value or false discovery rate is useful in practical research, despite some theoretical and practical shortcomings. However, it seems possible to challenge the performance of the published methods, and there is likely scope for further developing the estimates of the FDR. The new methods provide the scientist with more options to choose a suitable method for any particular experiment. The article advocates the use of the conjoint information

  11. Chronic alcoholism in rats induces a compensatory response, preserving brain thiamine diphosphate, but the brain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenases are inactivated despite unchanged coenzyme levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parkhomenko, Yulia M; Kudryavtsev, Pavel A; Pylypchuk, Svetlana Yu; Chekhivska, Lilia I; Stepanenko, Svetlana P; Sergiichuk, Andrej A; Bunik, Victoria I

    2011-06-01

    Thiamine-dependent changes in alcoholic brain were studied using a rat model. Brain thiamine and its mono- and diphosphates were not reduced after 20 weeks of alcohol exposure. However, alcoholism increased both synaptosomal thiamine uptake and thiamine diphosphate synthesis in brain, pointing to mechanisms preserving thiamine diphosphate in the alcoholic brain. In spite of the unchanged level of the coenzyme thiamine diphosphate, activities of the mitochondrial 2-oxoglutarate and pyruvate dehydrogenase complexes decreased in alcoholic brain. The inactivation of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex was caused by its increased phosphorylation. The inactivation of 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (OGDHC) correlated with a decrease in free thiols resulting from an elevation of reactive oxygen species. Abstinence from alcohol following exposure to alcohol reactivated OGDHC along with restoration of the free thiol content. However, restoration of enzyme activity occurred before normalization of reactive oxygen species levels. Hence, the redox status of cellular thiols mediates the action of oxidative stress on OGDHC in alcoholic brain. As a result, upon chronic alcohol consumption, physiological mechanisms to counteract the thiamine deficiency and silence pyruvate dehydrogenase are activated in rat brain, whereas OGDHC is inactivated due to impaired antioxidant ability. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Neurochemistry © 2011 International Society for Neurochemistry.

  12. [11C]-Flumazenil metabolites: Measurements of unchanged ligand in plasma using thin layer chromatography and rapid liquid chromatography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loc'h, C.; Hantraye, Ph.; Khalili-Varasteh, M.; Maziere, B.; Delforge, J.; Brouillet, E.; Syrota, A.; Maziere, M.

    1990-01-01

    To study in vivo benzodiazepine (BZ) receptors using PET, Flumazenil, an imidazobenzodiazepine with selective antagonistic actions, has been labeled with 11 C on its methyl group. The accurate determination of in vivo binding parameters using biomathematical models requires the knowledge of radioligand metabolism and the measurement of the plasmatic concentration of unchanged radioligand is mandatory. The present report describes and compares rapid and simple analytical procedures to measure unchanged [ 11 C]-Flumazenil in plasma

  13. The host transcriptome remains unaltered during the establishment of coral-algal symbioses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voolstra, Christian R; Schwarz, Jodi A; Schnetzer, Julia; Sunagawa, Shinichi; Desalvo, Michael K; Szmant, Alina M; Coffroth, Mary Alice; Medina, Mónica

    2009-05-01

    Coral reefs are based on the symbiotic relationship between corals and photosynthetic dinoflagellates of the genus Symbiodinium. We followed gene expression of coral larvae of Acropora palmata and Montastraea faveolata after exposure to Symbiodinium strains that differed in their ability to establish symbioses. We show that the coral host transcriptome remains almost unchanged during infection by competent symbionts, but is massively altered by symbionts that fail to establish symbioses. Our data suggest that successful coral-algal symbioses depend mainly on the symbionts' ability to enter the host in a stealth manner rather than a more active response from the coral host.

  14. Longitudinal studies of inhibin B levels in boys and young adults with Klinefelter syndrome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christiansen, P; Andersson, A-M; Skakkebaek, N E

    2003-01-01

    ) and 11 controls were followed with longitudinal serum inhibin B measurements every 3-12 months as they approached and entered puberty. None of the boys had significant bone age delay, and all entered puberty at the normal time and progressed through it at the expected time. In addition, 15 young adults....../unmeasurable levels observed later in adult KS, while remaining unchanged in the controls....

  15. Farmer's lung in Ireland (1983-1996) remains at a constant level.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    McGrath, D S

    2012-02-03

    A prospective study was undertaken by the Departments of Respiratory Medicine and Medical Microbiology at the Cork University Hospital, a. to investigate the epidemiology of Farmer\\'s Lung (F.L.) in the Republic of Ireland (pop. 3.5 million), with special reference to the South Western Region of this country (pop. 536,000) and b. to assess any relationship between the prevalence\\/incidence of F.L. with climatic factors in South West Ireland, between 1983 and 1996. F.L. incidence remained constant throughout the 13 yrs studied both on a national and a regional basis. A significant relationship was also found between total rainfall each summer and F.L. incidence and prevalence over the following yr (p < 0.005) in South-West Ireland. The persistence of F.L. in Ireland at a constant level suggests that farmers\\' working environment and farm practices need to be improved.

  16. VAP rates unchanged

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robbins RA

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available No abstract available. Article truncated at 150 words. In a research letter to JAMA Metersky and colleagues (1 report that ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP rates have remained near 10% since 2005. The authors reviewed Medicare Patient Safety Monitoring System (MPSMS data on a representative sample of more than 86,000 critically ill patients treated at 1330 US hospitals between 2005 and 2013. To meet a diagnosis of VAP patients were required to have at least 2 days' ventilation in intensive care units; a chest radiograph with a new finding suggesting pneumonia; a physician diagnosis of pneumonia; and an order for antibiotics. VAP incidence was 10.8% (95% confidence interval, 7.4% - 14.4% during 2005 to 2006 and 9.7% (95% confidence interval, 5.1% - 14.9% during 2012 to 2013. In contrast, data from the CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN have shown declines in VAP rates of 71% and 62% in medical and surgical intensive care units, respectively, between 2006 and 2012 …

  17. The Change of Perinatal Mortality Over Three Decades in a Reference Centre in the Aegean Region: Neonatal Mortality has decreased but Foetal Mortality Remains Unchanged

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nilgün Kültürsay

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: Perinatal, foetal and neonatal mortality statistics are important to show the development of a health care system in a country. However, in our country there are very few national and regional data about the changing pattern of perinatal neonatal mortality along with the development of new technologies in this area. Aims: Evaluation of the changes in mortality rates and the causes of perinatal and neonatal deaths within years in a perinatal reference centre which serves a high-risk population. Study Design: Cross-sectional retrospective study. Methods: The perinatal, neonatal and foetal mortality rates in the years 1979-1980 (1st time point and 1988-1989 (2nd time point were compared with the year 2008 (3rd time point. The causes of mortality were assessed by Wigglesworth classification and death reports. The neonatal mortality in the neonatal intensive care unit was also calculated. Results: Foetal mortality rates were 44/1000, 31.4/1000 and 41.75/1000 births, perinatal mortality rates were 35.6/1000, 18.8/1000 and 9/1000 births, and neonatal mortality rates were 35.6/1000, 18.8/1000 and 9/1000 live births for the three study time points, respectively. The mortality rate in neonatal intensive care unit decreased consistently from 33%, to 22.6% and 10%, respectively, together with decreasing neonatal mortality rates. The causes of perinatal deaths were foetal death 85%, immaturity 4%, and lethal congenital malformations 8% according to Wigglesworth classification in 2008, showing the high impact of foetal deaths on this high perinatal mortality rate. Infectious causes of neonatal deaths decreased but congenital anomalies increased in the last decades. Conclusion: Although neonatal mortality rate decreased significantly; foetal mortality rate has stayed unchanged since the late eighties. In order to decrease foetal and perinatal mortality rates more efficiently, reducing consanguineous marriages and providing better antenatal care for

  18. Nuclear and energy policy in Korea. Unchanging illusion of nuclear energy and citizens' challenge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leem, S.J.

    2006-01-01

    Korea is the tenth largest energy consumer in the world; the country ranks sixth in oil consumption, seventh in electricity consumption, and ninth in total CO2 emission. Korea now has 20 reactors in operation, nuclear power producing about 40% of its electricity. Its generating capacity from nuclear power plants is the sixth largest in the world; Korea currently exports nuclear technology. The rapid growth of this industry is attributed to extensive subsidy and protection from the Korean government; supported by government-initiated programs a powerful interest group, which consists of nuclear industries, technocrats, and governmental organizations concerned with nuclear policy, now exerts a major influence upon Korea's energy policy for nuclear expansion. Korea's nuclear power policymakers have, however, met opposition since End of the 1980s. The government's attempt to build a nuclear waste repository has provoked strong resistance from environmental movements and local citizens. Even if the government recently succeeded in designating Kyoungju as the nuclear waste site, the nuclear waste issue has awakened public interest in nuclear problems and strengthening public denunciation of Korea's expansive nuclear power policy. In addition, the activation of the Kyoto Protocol in February 2005 has impelled the government to redirect its energy policy towards a sustainable direction. This article focuses on the status and perspectives of Korea's nuclear power policy, enabling a discussion of the degree to which Korea's nuclear and energy policy has changed yet in many ways remains unchanged. (orig.)

  19. Effect of total lymphoid irradiation on levels of serum autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus and in rheumatoid arthritis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanay, A.; Schiffman, G.; Strober, S.

    1986-01-01

    The effects of total lymphoid irradiation (TLI) on serum levels of autoantibodies, and of antibodies to diphtheria toxoid, tetanus toxoid, and pneumococcal polysaccharide in patients with lupus nephritis were compared with those previously observed in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Baseline levels of antibodies to diphtheria toxoid and tetanus toxoid decreased significantly after TLI in patients with lupus and RA, but antibody levels to pneumococcal polysaccharide remained unchanged. After TLI, the levels of antinuclear and anti-DNA antibodies were reduced significantly in lupus, but levels of rheumatoid factor, antinuclear, and antigranulocyte antibodies all tended to increase in RA

  20. The determination of unchanged [11C]diprenorphine, [11C]L-deprenyl and [11C]raclopride in plasma by HPLC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luthra, S.K.; Turton, D.R.; Price, G.; Ahier, R.; Martin, F.; Hume, S.; Cremer, J.

    1990-01-01

    In PET studies a knowledge of the fraction of radioactivity in plasma representing unchanged 11 C-labelled ligand/tracer is essential for correction of the arterial plasma input curve. A number of different approaches (e.g. HPLC and TLC/OPTLC) to the determination of unchanged radio-ligand/tracer have been reported for 11 C-labelled carfentanil, raclopride and L-deprenyl and for 76 Br-labelled bromolisuride. The authors report here how they have applied the simple work-up and analytical procedure, originally reported for [ 11 C]carfentanil, to establish the percentage of unmchanged 11 C-labelled diprenorphine, L-deprenyl and raclopride in human and animal plasma as a function of time

  1. Distinguishing bulk traps and interface states in deep-level transient spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coelho, A V P; Adam, M C; Boudinov, H

    2011-01-01

    A new method for the distinction of discrete bulk deep levels and interface states related peaks in deep-level transient spectroscopy spectra is proposed. The measurement of two spectra using different reverse voltages while keeping pulse voltage fixed causes different peak maximum shifts in each case: for a reverse voltage modulus increase, a bulk deep-level related peak maximum will remain unchanged or shift towards lower temperatures while only interface states related peak maximum will be able to shift towards higher temperatures. This method has the advantage of being non-destructive and also works in the case of bulk traps with strong emission rate dependence on the electric field. Silicon MOS capacitors and proton implanted GaAs Schottky diodes were employed to experimentally test the method.

  2. Influence of Acacia trees on soil nutrient levels in arid lands

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Boever, Maarten; Gabriels, Donald; Ouessar, Mohamed; Cornelis, Wim

    2014-05-01

    The potential of scattered trees as keystone structures in restoring degraded environments is gaining importance. Scattered trees have strong influence on their abiotic environment, mainly causing changes in microclimate, water budget and soil properties. They often function as 'nursing trees', facilitating the recruitment of other plants. Acacia raddiana is such a keystone species which persists on the edge of the Sahara desert. The study was conducted in a forest-steppe ecosystem in central Tunisia where several reforestation campaigns with Acacia took place. To indentify the impact of those trees on soil nutrients, changes in nutrient levels under scattered trees of three age stages were examined for the upper soil layer (0-10 cm) at five microsites with increasing distance from the trunk. In addition, changes in soil nutrient levels with depth underneath and outside the canopy were determined for the 0-30 cm soil layer. Higher concentrations of organic matter (OM) were found along the gradient from underneath to outside the canopy for large trees compared to medium and small trees, especially at microsites close to the trunk. Levels of soluble K, electrical conductivity (EC), available P, OM, total C and N decreased whereas pH and levels of soluble Mg increased with increasing distance from tree. Levels of soluble Ca and Na remained unchanged along the gradient. At the microsite closest to the trunk a significant decrease in levels of soluble K, EC, OM, available P, total C and N, while a significant increase in pH was found with increasing depth. The concentration of other nutrients remained unchanged or declined not differently underneath compared to outside the canopy with increasing depth. Differences in nutrient levels were largely driven by greater inputs of organic matter under trees. Hence, Acacia trees can affect the productivity and reproduction of understory species with the latter in term an important source of organic matter. This positive feedback

  3. Social class, politics, and the spirit level: why income inequality remains unexplained and unsolved.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muntaner, Caries; Rai, Nanky; Ng, Edwin; Chung, Haejoo

    2012-01-01

    Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett's latest book, The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Best for Everyone, has caught the attention of academics and policymakers and stimulated debate across the left-right political spectrum. Interest in income inequality has remained unabated since the publication of Wilkinson's previous volume, Unhealthy Societies: The Afflictions of Inequality. While both books detail the negative health effects of income inequality, The Spirit Level expands the scope of its argument to also include social issues. The book, however, deals extensively with the explanation of how income inequality affects individual health. Little attention is given to political and economic explanations on how income inequality is generated in the first place. The volume ends with political solutions that carefully avoid state interventions such as limiting the private sector's role in the production of goods and services (e.g., non-profit sector, employee-ownership schemes). Although well-intentioned, these alternatives are insufficient to significantly reduce the health inequalities generated by contemporary capitalism in wealthy countries, let alone around the world.

  4. Aerosol pH buffering in the southeastern US: Fine particles remain highly acidic despite large reductions in sulfate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weber, R. J.; Guo, H.; Russell, A. G.; Nenes, A.

    2015-12-01

    pH is a critical aerosol property that impacts many atmospheric processes, including biogenic secondary organic aerosol formation, gas-particle phase partitioning, and mineral dust or redox metal mobilization. Particle pH has also been linked to adverse health effects. Using a comprehensive data set from the Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study (SOAS) as the basis for thermodynamic modeling, we have shown that particles are currently highly acidic in the southeastern US, with pH between 0 and 2. Sulfate and ammonium are the main acid-base components that determine particle pH in this region, however they have different sources and their concentrations are changing. Over 15 years of network data show that sulfur dioxide emission reductions have resulted in a roughly 70 percent decrease in sulfate, whereas ammonia emissions, mainly link to agricultural activities, have been largely steady, as have gas phase ammonia concentrations. This has led to the view that particles are becoming more neutralized. However, sensitivity analysis, based on thermodynamic modeling, to changing sulfate concentrations indicates that particles have remained highly acidic over the past decade, despite the large reductions in sulfate. Furthermore, anticipated continued reductions of sulfate and relatively constant ammonia emissions into the future will not significantly change particle pH until sulfate drops to clean continental background levels. The result reshapes our expectation of future particle pH and implies that atmospheric processes and adverse health effects linked to particle acidity will remain unchanged for some time into the future.

  5. Experimental warming in a dryland community reduced plant photosynthesis and soil CO2 efflux although the relationship between the fluxes remained unchanged

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wertin, Timothy M.; Belnap, Jayne; Reed, Sasha C.

    2016-01-01

    1. Drylands represent our planet's largest terrestrial biome and, due to their extensive area, maintain large stocks of carbon (C). Accordingly, understanding how dryland C cycling will respond to climate change is imperative for accurately forecasting global C cycling and future climate. However, it remains difficult to predict how increased temperature will affect dryland C cycling, as substantial uncertainties surround the potential responses of the two main C fluxes: plant photosynthesis and soil CO2 efflux. In addition to a need for an improved understanding of climate effects on individual dryland C fluxes, there is also notable uncertainty regarding how climate change may influence the relationship between these fluxes.2. To address this important knowledge gap, we measured a growing season's in situphotosynthesis, plant biomass accumulation, and soil CO2 efflux of mature Achnatherum hymenoides (a common and ecologically important C3 bunchgrass growing throughout western North America) exposed to ambient or elevated temperature (+2°C above ambient, warmed via infrared lamps) for three years.3. The 2°C increase in temperature caused a significant reduction in photosynthesis, plant growth, and soil CO2 efflux. Of important note, photosynthesis and soil respiration appeared tightly coupled and the relationship between these fluxes was not altered by the elevated temperature treatment, suggesting C fixation's strong control of both above-ground and below-ground dryland C cycling. Leaf water use efficiency was substantially increased in the elevated temperature treatment compared to the control treatment.4. Taken together, our results suggest notable declines in photosynthesis with relatively subtle warming, reveal strong coupling between above- and below-ground C fluxes in this dryland, and highlight temperature's strong effect on fundamental components of dryland C and water cycles.

  6. Unchanged thymidine triphosphate pools and thymidine metabolism in two lines of thymidine kinase 2-mutated fibroblasts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frangini, Miriam; Rampazzo, Chiara; Franzolin, Elisa; Lara, Mari-Carmen; Vilà, Maya R; Martí, Ramon; Bianchi, Vera

    2009-02-01

    Mitochondrial thymidine kinase (TK2) catalyzes the phosphorylation of thymidine in mitochondria. Its function becomes essential for dTTP synthesis in noncycling cells, where cytosolic dTTP synthesis via R1/R2 ribonucleotide reductase and thymidine kinase 1 is turned down. Mutations in the nuclear gene for TK2 cause a fatal mtDNA depletion syndrome. Only selected cell types are affected, suggesting that the other cells compensate for the TK2 deficiency by adapting the enzyme network that regulates dTTP synthesis outside S-phase. Here we looked for such metabolic adaptation in quiescent cultures of fibroblasts from two TK2-deficient patients with a slow-progressing syndrome. In cell extracts, we measured the activities of TK2, deoxycytidine kinase, thymidine phosphorylase, deoxynucleotidases and the amounts of the three ribonucleotide reductase subunits. Patient cells contained 40% or 5% TK2 activity and unchanged activities of the other enzymes. However, their mitochondrial and cytosolic dTTP pools were unchanged, and also the overall composition of the dNTP pools was normal. TK2-dependent phosphorylation of [(3)H]thymidine in intact cells and the turnover of the dTTP pool showed that even the fibroblasts with 5% residual TK2 activity synthesized dTTP at an almost normal rate. Normal fibroblasts apparently contain more TK2 than needed to maintain dTTP during quiescence, which would explain why TK2-mutated fibroblasts do not manifest mtDNA depletion despite their reduced TK2 activity.

  7. Levels of acute phase proteins remain stable after ischemic stroke

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paik Myunghee C

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Inflammation and inflammatory biomarkers play an important role in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Little information is available, however, on time course of serum markers of inflammation after stroke. Methods First ischemic stroke patients ≥40 years old had levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP, serum amyloid A (SAA, and fibrinogen measured in plasma samples drawn at 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after stroke. Levels were log-transformed as needed, and parametric and non-parametric statistical tests were used to test for evidence of a trend in levels over time. Levels of hsCRP and SAA were also compared with levels in a comparable population of stroke-free participants. Results Mean age of participants with repeated measures (n = 21 was 65.6 ± 11.6 years, and 13 (61.9% were men, and 15 (71.4% were Hispanic. Approximately 75% of patients (n = 15 had mild strokes (NIH Stroke Scale score 0–5. There was no evidence of a time trend in levels of hsCRP, SAA, or fibrinogen for any of the markers during the 28 days of follow-up. Mean log(hsCRP was 1.67 ± 1.07 mg/L (median hsCRP 6.48 mg/L among stroke participants and 1.00 ± 1.18 mg/L (median 2.82 mg/L in a group of 1176 randomly selected stroke-free participants from the same community (p = 0.0252. Conclusion Levels of hsCRP are higher in stroke patients than in stroke-free subjects. Levels of inflammatory biomarkers associated with atherosclerosis, including hsCRP, appear to be stable for at least 28 days after first ischemic stroke.

  8. Changes in maternal serum thioredoxin (TRX) levels after delivery in preeclamptic and normotensive pregnant women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vitoratos, Nicolaos; Vlahos, Nikos F; Economou, Emanuel; Panoulis, Konstatninos; Creatsas, George

    2012-01-01

    To investigate changes of maternal plasma thioredoxin (TRX) levels after delivery in preeclamptic and normotensive pregnant women. Ten normotensive women (group A) were compared to 17 women with severe preeclampsia (group B). TRX levels were assessed in maternal plasma, immediately after delivery and 12-16 weeks postpartum. There were no differences in plasma TRX levels between the two groups immediately antepartum (p = 0.095). A significant reduction in plasma TRX levels was found immediately following delivery only in normotensive group (117.76 ± 37.19 ng/mL vs. 43.45 ± 21.11 ng/mL, p = 0.002), but not in women with preeclampsia (80.42 ± 59.95 ng/mL vs. 53.82 ± 44.34 ng/mL, p = 0.12). Plasma TRX levels remained unchanged in women with preeclampsia (80.42 ± 59.95 ng/mL vs. 55.37 ± 52.23 ng/mL, p = 0.2) at 12-14 weeks postpartum.

  9. Health Benefits In 2016: Family Premiums Rose Modestly, And Offer Rates Remained Stable.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Claxton, Gary; Rae, Matthew; Long, Michelle; Damico, Anthony; Whitmore, Heidi; Foster, Gregory

    2016-10-01

    The annual Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research and Educational Trust Employer Health Benefits Survey found that in 2016, average annual premiums (employer and worker contributions combined) were $6,435 for single coverage and $18,142 for family coverage. The family premium in 2016 was 3 percent higher than that in 2015. On average, workers contributed 18 percent of the premium for single coverage and 30 percent for family coverage. The share of firms offering health benefits (56 percent) and of workers covered by their employers' plans (62 percent) remained statistically unchanged from 2015. Employers continued to offer financial incentives for completing wellness or health promotion activities. Almost three in ten covered workers were enrolled in a high-deductible plan with a savings option-a significant increase from 2014. The 2016 survey included new questions on cost sharing for specialty drugs and on the prevalence of incentives for employees to seek care at alternative settings. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  10. Interaural Level Difference Dependent Gain Control and Synaptic Scaling Underlying Binaural Computation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Xiaorui R.; Liang, Feixue; Li, Haifu; Mesik, Lukas; Zhang, Ke K.; Polley, Daniel B.; Tao, Huizhong W.; Xiao, Zhongju; Zhang, Li I.

    2013-01-01

    Binaural integration in the central nucleus of inferior colliculus (ICC) plays a critical role in sound localization. However, its arithmetic nature and underlying synaptic mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we showed in mouse ICC neurons that the contralateral dominance is created by a “push-pull”-like mechanism, with contralaterally dominant excitation and more bilaterally balanced inhibition. Importantly, binaural spiking response is generated apparently from an ipsilaterally-mediated scaling of contralateral response, leaving frequency tuning unchanged. This scaling effect is attributed to a divisive attenuation of contralaterally-evoked synaptic excitation onto ICC neurons with their inhibition largely unaffected. Thus, a gain control mediates the linear transformation from monaural to binaural spike responses. The gain value is modulated by interaural level difference (ILD) primarily through scaling excitation to different levels. The ILD-dependent synaptic scaling and gain adjustment allow ICC neurons to dynamically encode interaural sound localization cues while maintaining an invariant representation of other independent sound attributes. PMID:23972599

  11. Guidance levels for diagnostic radiology in Romania

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iacob, O.; Diaconescu, C.

    2002-01-01

    Over two decades surveys of radiological practice in Romania have demonstrated wide variations in patient dose levels between different hospitals. Local and national investigations revealed poor performances as well as of radiological equipment, darkroom procedure or technology of investigation. Hitherto, the annual collective effective dose to the population of Romania from diagnostic medical exposures attained a value of 13,820 manSv. Since the annual frequencies of radiological examinations remain unchanged over last ten years, this value is mostly attributed to the individual dose levels in different X-ray procedures. Notwithstanding the huge benefits to patients, the reduction of unnecessary exposures and individual doses are our principal concern and the establishment of national reference dose levels should solve this problem. British experience demonstrated that reference doses are a practical tool in this purpose and the adoption of national reference dose values indicated an overall improvement in patient exposure. Even the local of reference dose values proved a useful way to achieve patient dose reduction. In meantime the optimization of patient protection, each X-ray examination should be conducted with lowest necessary dose to achieve the clinical aim. This paper presents the first approach to establish local reference dose levels for some diagnostic examinations based on the measurements made in six (from the eighth of Eastern territory of Romania) districts, invited to cooperate in this end

  12. Three-dimensional Invasion of Human Glioblastoma Cells Remains Unchanged by X-ray and Carbon Ion Irradiation In Vitro

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eke, Iris; Storch, Katja; Kaestner, Ina; Vehlow, Anne [OncoRay-National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden (Germany); Faethe, Christina; Mueller-Klieser, Wolfgang [Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz (Germany); Taucher-Scholz, Gisela [Department of Biophysics, GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research, Darmstadt (Germany); Temme, Achim; Schackert, Gabriele [Section of Experimental Neurosurgery/Tumor Immunology, Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden (Germany); Cordes, Nils, E-mail: Nils.Cordes@Oncoray.de [OncoRay-National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden (Germany); Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden (Germany)

    2012-11-15

    Purpose: Cell invasion represents one of the major determinants that treatment has failed for patients suffering from glioblastoma. Contrary findings have been reported for cell migration upon exposure to ionizing radiation. Here, the migration and invasion capability of glioblastoma cells on and in collagen type I were evaluated upon irradiation with X-rays or carbon ions. Methods and Materials: Migration on and invasion in collagen type I were evaluated in four established human glioblastoma cell lines exposed to either X-rays or carbon ions. Furthermore, clonogenic radiation survival, proliferation (5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine positivity), DNA double-strand breaks ({gamma}H2AX/53BP1-positive foci), and expression of invasion-relevant proteins (eg, {beta}1 integrin, FAK, MMP2, and MMP9) were explored. Migration and invasion assays for primary glioblastoma cells also were carried out with X-ray irradiation. Results: Neither X-ray nor carbon ion irradiation affected glioblastoma cell migration and invasion, a finding similarly observed in primary glioblastoma cells. Intriguingly, irradiated cells migrated unhampered, despite DNA double-strand breaks and reduced proliferation. Clonogenic radiation survival was increased when cells had contact with extracellular matrix. Specific inhibition of the {beta}1 integrin or proliferation-associated signaling molecules revealed a critical function of JNK, PI3K, and p38 MAPK in glioblastoma cell invasion. Conclusions: These findings indicate that X-rays and carbon ion irradiation effectively reduce proliferation and clonogenic survival without modifying the migration and invasion ability of glioblastoma cells in a collagen type I environment. Addition of targeted agents against members of the MAPK and PI3K signaling axis to conventional chemoradiation therapy seems potentially useful to optimize glioblastoma therapy.

  13. Session 35 - Panel: Remaining US Disposition Issues for Orphan or Small Volume Low Level and Low Level Mixed Waste Streams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blauvelt, Richard; Small, Ken; Gelles, Christine; McKenney, Dale; Franz, Bill; Loveland, Kaylin; Lauer, Mike

    2006-01-01

    Faced with closure schedules as a driving force, significant progress has been made during the last 2 years on the disposition of DOE mixed waste streams thought previously to be problematic. Generators, the Department of Energy and commercial vendors have combined to develop unique disposition paths for former orphan streams. Recent successes and remaining issues will be discussed. The session will also provide an opportunity for Federal agencies to share lessons learned on low- level and mixed low-level waste challenges and identify opportunities for future collaboration. This panel discussion was organized by PAC member Dick Blauvelt, Navarro Research and Engineering Inc who served as co-chair along with Dave Eaton from INL. In addition, George Antonucci, Duratek Barnwell and Rich Conley, AFSC were invited members of the audience, prepared to contribute the Barnwell and DOD perspective to the issues as needed. Mr. Small provide information regarding the five year 20K M3 window of opportunity at the Nevada Test Site for DOE contractors to dispose of mixed waste that cannot be received at the Energy Solutions (Envirocare) site in Utah because of activity levels. He provided a summary of the waste acceptance criteria and the process sites must follow to be certified to ship. When the volume limit or time limit is met, the site will undergo a RCRA closure. Ms. Gelles summarized the status of the orphan issues, commercial options and the impact of the EM reorganization on her program. She also announced that there would be a follow-on meeting in 2006 to the very successful St. Louis meeting of last year. It will probably take place in Chicago in July. Details to be announced. Mr. McKenney discussed progress made at the Hanford Reservation regarding disposal of their mixed waste inventory. The news is good for the Hanford site but not good for the rest of the DOE complex since shipment for out of state of both low level and low level mixed waste will continue to be

  14. Average sperm count remains unchanged despite reduction in maternal smoking: results from a large cross-sectional study with annual investigations over 21 years.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Priskorn, L; Nordkap, L; Bang, A K; Krause, M; Holmboe, S A; Egeberg Palme, D L; Winge, S B; Mørup, N; Carlsen, E; Joensen, U N; Blomberg Jensen, M; Main, K M; Juul, A; Skakkebaek, N E; Jensen, T K; Jørgensen, N

    2018-06-01

    How are temporal trends in lifestyle factors, including exposure to maternal smoking in utero, associated to semen quality in young men from the general population? Exposure to maternal smoking was associated with lower sperm counts but no overall increase in sperm counts was observed during the study period despite a decrease in this exposure. Meta-analyses suggest a continuous decline in semen quality but few studies have investigated temporal trends in unselected populations recruited and analysed with the same protocol over a long period and none have studied simultaneous trends in lifestyle factors. Cross-sectional population-based study including ~300 participants per year (total number = 6386) between 1996 and 2016. The study is based on men from the Greater Copenhagen area, Denmark, with a median age of 19 years, and unselected with regard to fertility status and semen quality. The men delivered a semen sample, had a blood sample drawn and a physical examination performed and answered a comprehensive questionnaire, including information on lifestyle and the mother's pregnancy. Temporal trends in semen quality and lifestyle were illustrated graphically, and trends in semen parameters and the impact of prenatal and current lifestyle factors were explored in multiple regression analyses. Throughout the study period, 35% of the men had low semen quality. Overall, there were no persistent temporal trends in semen quality, testicular volume or levels of follicle-stimulating hormone over the 21 years studied. The men's alcohol intake was lowest between 2011 and 2016, whereas BMI, use of medication and smoking showed no clear temporal trends. Parental age increased, and exposure in utero to maternal smoking declined from 40% among men investigated in 1996-2000 to 18% among men investigated in 2011-2016. Exposure to maternal smoking was associated with lower sperm counts but no overall increase in sperm counts was observed despite the decrease in this exposure

  15. Atazanavir intracellular concentrations remain stable during pregnancy in HIV-infected patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Focà, Emanuele; Calcagno, Andrea; Bonito, Andrea; Simiele, Marco; Domenighini, Elisabetta; D'Avolio, Antonio; Quiros Roldan, Eugenia; Trentini, Laura; Casari, Salvatore; Di Perri, Giovanni; Castelli, Francesco; Bonora, Stefano

    2017-11-01

    Atazanavir (300 mg) boosted by ritonavir (100 mg) is the preferred third drug in pregnancy. However, there is still discordance on atazanavir dose increase during the third trimester. To evaluate plasma and intracellular atazanavir and ritonavir concentrations in HIV-infected women during pregnancy and after delivery. This was an observational study. HIV-infected pregnant patients treated with atazanavir/ritonavir plus either tenofovir/emtricitabine or abacavir/lamivudine had been prospectively enrolled after having signed a written informed consent form. Plasma and intracellular atazanavir and ritonavir Ctrough (24 ± 3 h after drug intake) were measured at each visit during the first, second and third trimesters and post-partum using validated HPLC-MS and HPLC-photodiode array methods (with direct evaluation of cellular volume). Data are described as median (IQR) and compared through non-parametric tests. Twenty-five patients were enrolled; at baseline, the median age was 32 years (27-35). All patients had plasma HIV RNA  0.05). This is the first demonstration that intracellular atazanavir exposure remains unchanged during pregnancy supporting the standard 300/100 mg atazanavir/ritonavir dosing throughout pregnancy. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. Alteration of plasma prednisolone levels by indomethacin and naproxen.

    OpenAIRE

    Rae, S A; Williams, I A; English, J; Baylis, E M

    1982-01-01

    Eleven patients with stable rheumatoid disease (RD) who were receiving regular corticosteroid therapy (CS) were investigated to discover the effect on plasma prednisolone levels of additional therapy with the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAI) drugs, indomethacin and naproxen. There was a highly significant (P less than 0.001) increase in free prednisolone levels after concurrent therapy with either indomethacin or naproxen for 2 weeks. Total prednisolone levels were unchanged. These resu...

  17. Ghrelin Alleviates MDMA-Induced Disturbance of Serum Glucose and Lipids Levels in the Rat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ravieh Golchoobian

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Hepatotoxicity is one of the clinically adverse effects of ecstasy (3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; MDMA consumption. The detoxification tissue, liver, plays a central role in maintaining circulating levels of glucose and lipid. Hypoglycemia and hypotriglyceridemia have been reported due to ecstasy abuse. Ghrelin is a 28-amino-acid peptide secreted predominantly from the stomach. It has been demonstrated that ghrelin has hepatoprotective effects and is able to increase blood glucose concentration. In the current study, we explored the effect of hepatotoxic dose of MDMA and therapeutic use of exogenous ghrelin on the serum levels of glucose and lipids in four groups of rats. MDMA caused a severe and transient reduction in circulating levels of glucose and triglyceride and increased serum LDL. However, cholesterol and HDL levels remained unchanged. Meanwhile, altered hepatic architecture was observed with intracellular vacuolation that may indicate intracellular accumulation of lipid droplets. In addition, following ghrelin administration, the blood sugar levels improved and LDL levels returned to the baseline value, and ghrelin treatment did not improve triglycerides levels. These results showed that MDMA causes hypoglycemia, hypotriglyceridemia, and hyper LDL-cholesterolemia. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing ghrelin administration could improve hypoglycemia and normalize LDL levels induced by MDMA and partially restore hepatic architecture.

  18. Reactive Oxygen is a Major Factor Regulating Cell Division and Angiogenesis in Breast Cancer

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Arnold, Rebecca

    2001-01-01

    .... We investigated the generation of the H2O2 and O2%. While O2 levels appeared to remain unchanged, 11202 levels increased significantly over control cell lines in several of the tumor cell lines...

  19. Relationship Between the Remaining Years of Healthy Life Expectancy in Older Age and National Income Level, Educational Attainment, and Improved Water Quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jong In; Kim, Gukbin

    2016-10-01

    The remaining years of healthy life expectancy (RYH) at age 65 years can be calculated as RYH (65) = healthy life expectancy-aged 65 years. This study confirms the associations between socioeconomic indicators and the RYH (65) in 148 countries. The RYH data were obtained from the World Health Organization. Significant positive correlations between RYH (65) in men and women and the socioeconomic indicators national income, education level, and improved drinking water were found. Finally, the predictors of RYH (65) in men and women were used to build a model of the RYH using higher socioeconomic indicators (R(2 )= 0.744, p educational attainment, national income level, and improved water quality influenced the RYH at 65 years. Therefore, policymaking to improve these country-level socioeconomic factors is expected to have latent effects on RYH in older age. © The Author(s) 2016.

  20. Impact of enteral supplements enriched with omega-3 fatty acids and/or omega-6 fatty acids, arginine and ribonucleic acid compounds on leptin levels and nutritional status in active Crohn's disease treated with prednisolone

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, A.A.; Nielsen, J.N.; Grønbæk, Henning

    2007-01-01

    treatment and tapering. METHODS: Thirty-one CD patients were randomized to IP Extra (group 1) or IP Standard (group 2). Leptin levels, nutritional, clinical and biochemical markers were studied at inclusion, after 5 and after 9 weeks of the study. RESULTS: Leptin levels, body mass index (BMI) and total......BACKGROUND: Patients with Crohn's disease (CD) often develop malnutrition due to disease activity. We aimed to assess the effect of two different enteral supplements of Impact(R) Powder (IP; Novartis, Switzerland) on leptin levels and nutritional status in active CD patients during prednisolone...... cholesterol increased significantly within both groups at week 5 compared to inclusion. Leptin levels correlated with BMI in both groups at inclusion and in group 2 at week 9. In group 1, triglyceride levels remained unchanged, while levels in group 2 increased significantly at week 5 compared to inclusion...

  1. Twice-monthly administration of a lower dose of epoetin beta pegol can maintain adequate hemoglobin levels in hemodialysis patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morikami, Yuki; Fujimori, Akira; Okada, Shioko; Kumei, Mai; Mizobuchi, Noriko; Sakai, Makoto

    2015-04-01

    Epoetin beta pegol is a continuous erythropoietin receptor activator (CERA) with a long half-life. Although CERA has been shown to maintain adequate hemoglobin (Hb) levels at prolonged dosing intervals, the optimal dosing schedule remains unclear. We therefore compared the efficacy of maintaining hemoglobin levels with administration of twice-monthly CERA (TWICE) versus once-monthly CERA (ONCE). Twenty hemodialysis patients receiving epoetin beta (EPO) were enrolled in this crossover study. Patients were assigned to either the TWICE or the ONCE group based on matching Hb levels and EPO doses. After 6 months of treatment, the CERA dosage was interchanged between the groups and the study was continued for an additional 6 months. The effect of the different regimens on iron metabolism was also assessed during the first 6 months of the study. Hb levels significantly increased in the TWICE group, allowing for a reduction in CERA dosage, while the dose of CERA required to maintain Hb levels in the ONCE group remained unchanged. After the interchange, a decrease in Hb levels with incremental increase in CERA dosage was observed in the TWICE→ONCE group, with the opposite effect observed in the ONCE→TWICE group. Although increases in ferritin and hepcidin-25 levels in the ONCE group were noted at one month, they disappeared at 6 months. Although Hb levels were maintained in both the ONCE and TWICE groups, a twice-monthly administration was advantageous, as it required a lower dose of CERA. © 2014 The Authors. Therapeutic Apheresis and Dialysis © 2014 International Society for Apheresis.

  2. Left ventricular remodeling in the first year after acute myocardial infarction and the predictive value of N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nilsson, Jens C; Groenning, Bjoern A; Nielsen, Gitte

    2002-01-01

    ), whereas the remaining 18 patients (43%) had stable conditions regarding these LV measures. LV ejection fraction at baseline was significantly reduced in all patient categories but was unchanged over time. Elevated NT-proBNP level at baseline was identified as an independent predictor of increase in LVEDVI...... during follow-up examination (P =.007). A baseline level of NT-proBNP >115 pmol/L identified patients who later had LV dilatation develop with a sensitivity and specificity of 89% and 68% (area under curve = 0.77). CONCLUSION: In this 1-year follow-up study of patients with a first transmural MI......, approximately 30% had significant increments develop in LVEDVI and LVESVI, and LV ejection fraction remained unchanged. Patients in whom LV dilatation developed could be identified early after the MI with elevated plasma levels of NT-proBNP...

  3. High Mutation Levels are Compatible with Normal Embryonic Development in Mlh1-Deficient Mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Xiaoyan; Li, Yan; Zhang, Yulong; Sang, Meixiang; Cai, Jianhui; Li, Qiaoxia; Ozaki, Toshinori; Ono, Tetsuya; He, Dongwei

    2016-10-01

    To elucidate the role of the mismatch repair gene Mlh1 in genome instability during the fetal stage, spontaneous mutations were studied in Mlh1-deficient lacZ-transgenic mouse fetuses. Mutation levels were high at 9.5 days post coitum (dpc) and gradually increased during the embryonic stage, after which they remained unchanged. In addition, mutations that were found in brain, liver, spleen, small intestine and thymus showed similar levels and no statistically significant difference was found. The molecular nature of mutations at 12.5 dpc in fetuses of Mlh1 +/+ and Mlh1 -/- mice showed their own unique spectra, suggesting that deletion mutations were the main causes in the deficiency of the Mlh1 gene. Of note, fetuses of irradiated mice exhibited marked differences such as post-implantation loss and Mendelian distribution. Collectively, these results strongly suggest that high mutation ofMlh1 -/- -deficient fetuses has little effect on the fetuses during their early developmental stages, whereas Mlh1 -/- -deficient fetuses from X-ray irradiated mothers are clearly effected.

  4. Alteration of plasma prednisolone levels by indomethacin and naproxen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rae, S A; Williams, I A; English, J; Baylis, E M

    1982-01-01

    Eleven patients with stable rheumatoid disease (RD) who were receiving regular corticosteroid therapy (CS) were investigated to discover the effect on plasma prednisolone levels of additional therapy with the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAI) drugs, indomethacin and naproxen. There was a highly significant (P less than 0.001) increase in free prednisolone levels after concurrent therapy with either indomethacin or naproxen for 2 weeks. Total prednisolone levels were unchanged. These results could provide an explanation for clinical reports that these two NSAI drugs possess a steroid-sparing effect. PMID:7126420

  5. Minocycline produced antidepressant-like effects on the learned helplessness rats with alterations in levels of monoamine in the amygdala and no changes in BDNF levels in the hippocampus at baseline.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arakawa, Shiho; Shirayama, Yukihiko; Fujita, Yuko; Ishima, Tamaki; Horio, Mao; Muneoka, Katsumasa; Iyo, Masaomi; Hashimoto, Kenji

    2012-01-01

    Previous studies have indicated that minocycline might function as an antidepressant drug. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antidepressant-like effects of minocycline, which is known to suppress activated microglia, using learned helplessness (LH) rats (an animal model of depression). Infusion of minocycline into the cerebral ventricle of LH rats induced antidepressant-like effects. However, infusion of minocycline into the cerebral ventricle of naïve rats did not produce locomotor activation in the open field tests, suggesting that the antidepressant-like effects of minocycline were not attributed to the enhanced locomotion. LH rats showed significantly higher serotonin turnover in the orbitofrontal cortex and lower levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus than control rats. However, these alterations in serotonin turnover and BDNF expression remained unchanged after treatment with minocycline. On the contrary, minocycline treatment of LH rats induced significant increases in the levels of dopamine and its metabolites in the amygdala when compared with untreated LH rats. Taken together, minocycline may be a therapeutic drug for the treatment of depression. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Noise Levels in Two Emergency Departments Before and After the Introduction of Electronic Whiteboards

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hertzum, Morten

    2013-01-01

    . The maximum equivalent continuous noise levels across 1 second were above 80 dB(A) at all four coordination centres. At two of the centres above 80 dB(A) noises also occurred at night. After the introduction of electronic whiteboards the noise level was lowered at one ED but unchanged at the other ED...

  7. Increased levels of specific leukocyte- and platelet-derived substances during normal anti-tetanus antibody synthesis in patients with inactive Crohn disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Hans Jørgen; Mortensen, T; Holten-Andersen, M

    2001-01-01

    , vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1), plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were determined in serum or plasma obtained on the same days. RESULTS: After inoculation anti-tetanus antibody levels were equally raised...... immunization in patients with Crohn disease and the subsequent release of various inflammatory mediators and growth factors in blood. METHODS: Ten patients with inactive disease and no concurrent medication and 12 age-and gender-matched healthy volunteers with anti-tetanus antibody levels less than 0.1 IU...... range and IL-6, TNF-alpha, MPO and histamine levels were unchanged in patients and volunteers during the study period. The levels of VEGF, TIMP-1 and PAI-1 were unchanged in the healthy volunteers during the study period, but were significantly (P

  8. Acute effects of feeding fructose, glucose and sucrose on blood lipid levels and systemic inflammation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jameel, Faizan; Phang, Melinda; Wood, Lisa G; Garg, Manohar L

    2014-12-16

    Recent studies have demonstrated a relationship between fructose consumption and risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Mechanisms by which dietary fructose mediates metabolic changes are poorly understood. This study compared the effects of fructose, glucose and sucrose consumption on post-postprandial lipemia and low grade inflammation measured as hs-CRP. This was a randomized, single blinded, cross-over trial involving healthy subjects (n=14). After an overnight fast, participants were given one of 3 different isocaloric drinks, containing 50 g of either fructose or glucose or sucrose dissolved in water. Blood samples were collected at baseline, 30, 60 and 120 minutes post intervention for the analysis of blood lipids, glucose, insulin and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). Glucose and sucrose supplementation initially resulted in a significant increase in glucose and insulin levels compared to fructose supplementation and returned to near baseline values within 2 hours. Change in plasma cholesterol, LDL and HDL-cholesterol (measured as area under curve, AUC) was significantly higher when participants consumed fructose compared with glucose or sucrose (PAUC for plasma triglyceride levels however remained unchanged regardless of the dietary intervention. Change in AUC for hs-CRP was also significantly higher in subjects consuming fructose compared with those consuming glucose (P<0.05), but not sucrose (P=0.07). This study demonstrates that fructose as a sole source of energy modulates plasma lipids and hsCRP levels in healthy individuals. The significance of increase in HDL-cholesterol with a concurrent increase in LDL-cholesterol and elevated hs-CRP levels remains to be delineated when considering health effects of feeding fructose-rich diets. ACTRN12614000431628.

  9. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms in Mothers and Fathers: Family Level Interactions in Relation to Parenting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williamson, David; Johnston, Charlotte; Noyes, Amira; Stewart, Kurtis; Weiss, Margaret D

    2017-04-01

    Previous studies linking parent ADHD symptoms to parenting have typically focused on each parent individually. To provide a broader understanding of family context, in this study, levels of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity in mothers and fathers were examined, both individually and in combination, in relation to negative parenting and child-rearing disagreements. Two-parent families of 5 to 13 year old boys (126 with ADHD and 53 typically developing) participated. Parents reported their own ADHD symptoms and their perceptions of child-rearing disagreements. Parenting was measured using self-, partner-, and child-reports as well as observations. Controlling for child ADHD symptoms, inattention symptoms in fathers predicted parenting difficulties. For mothers, inattention symptoms were linked to parenting problems only when fathers also had high levels of inattention. In contrast, parenting was most problematic for both mothers and fathers in families in which fathers had higher and mothers had lower levels hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms. These results remained essentially unchanged when child externalizing behavior and mother depression and hostility were controlled, but father depression reduced the significance of some interactions. The results highlight the importance of the match between father and mother levels of symptoms, and point to differential relations of parenting to inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms in parents.

  10. The geometric phase in two-level atomic systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tian Mingzhen; Barber, Zeb W.; Fischer, Joe A.; Randall Babbitt, Wm.

    2004-01-01

    We report the observation of the geometric phase in a closed two-level atomic system using stimulated photon echoes. The two-level system studied consists of the two-electronic energy levels ( 3 H 4 and 3 H 6 ) of Tm 3+ doped in YAG crystal. When a two-level atom at an arbitrary superposition state is excited by a pair of specially designed laser pulses, the excited state component gains a relative phase with respect to the ground state component. We identified the phase shift to be of pure geometric nature. The dynamic phase associated to the driving Hamiltonian is unchanged. The experiment results of the phase change agree with the theory to the extent of the measurement limit

  11. Evolution of drug resistance in HIV infected patients remaining on a virologically failing cART regimen

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cozzi-Lepri, A; Phillips, AN; Ruiz, L

    2007-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To estimate the extent of drug resistance accumulation in patients kept on a virologically failing regimen and its determinants in the clinical setting. DESIGN: The study focused on 110 patients of EuroSIDA on an unchanged regimen who had two genotypic tests performed at two time points...

  12. Expression and DNA methylation levels of prolyl hydroxylases PHD1, PHD2, PHD3 and asparaginyl hydroxylase FIH in colorectal cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rawluszko, Agnieszka A; Bujnicka, Katarzyna E; Horbacka, Karolina; Krokowicz, Piotr; Jagodziński, Paweł P

    2013-01-01

    Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common and comprehensively studied malignancies. Hypoxic conditions during formation of CRC may support the development of more aggressive cancers. Hypoxia inducible factor (HIF), a major player in cancerous tissue adaptation to hypoxia, is negatively regulated by the family of prolyl hydroxylase enzymes (PHD1, PHD2, PHD3) and asparaginyl hydroxylase, called factor inhibiting HIF (FIH). PHD1, PHD2, PHD3 and FIH gene expression was evaluated using quantitative RT-PCR and western blotting in primary colonic adenocarcinoma and adjacent histopathologically unchanged colonic mucosa from patients who underwent radical surgical resection of the colon (n = 90), and the same methods were used for assessment of PHD3 gene expression in HCT116 and DLD-1 CRC cell lines. DNA methylation levels of the CpG island in the promoter regulatory region of PHD1, PHD2, PHD3 and FIH were assessed using bisulfite DNA sequencing and high resolution melting analysis (HRM) for patients and HRM analysis for CRC cell lines. We found significantly lower levels of PHD1, PHD2 and PHD3 transcripts (p = 0.00026; p < 0.00001; p < 0.00001) and proteins (p = 0.004164; p = 0.0071; p < 0.00001) in primary cancerous than in histopathologically unchanged tissues. Despite this, we did not observe statistically significant differences in FIH transcript levels between cancerous and histopathologically unchanged colorectal tissue, but we found a significantly increased level of FIH protein in CRC (p = 0.0169). The reduced PHD3 expression was correlated with significantly increased DNA methylation in the CpG island of the PHD3 promoter regulatory region (p < 0.0001). We did not observe DNA methylation in the CpG island of the PHD1, PHD2 or FIH promoter in cancerous and histopathologically unchanged colorectal tissue. We also showed that 5-Aza-2’-deoxycytidine induced DNA demethylation leading to increased PHD3 transcript and protein level in HCT116 cells. We

  13. Safety provision for nuclear power plants during remaining running time

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rossnagel, Alexander; Hentschel, Anja

    2012-01-01

    With the phasing-out of the industrial use of nuclear energy for the power generation, the risk of the nuclear power plants has not been eliminated in principle, but only for a limited period of time. Therefore, the remaining nine nuclear power plants must also be used for the remaining ten years according to the state of science and technology. Regulatory authorities must substantiate the safety requirements for each nuclear power plant and enforce these requirements by means of various regulatory measures. The consequences of Fukushima must be included in the assessment of the safety level of nuclear power plants in Germany. In this respect, the regulatory authorities have the important tasks to investigate and assess the security risks as well as to develop instructions and orders.

  14. Plasma ghrelin levels during exercise - effects of intensity and duration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erdmann, Johannes; Tahbaz, Rana; Lippl, Florian; Wagenpfeil, Stefan; Schusdziarra, Volker

    2007-10-04

    Ghrelin, a recently discovered hormone of gastric origin has been shown to stimulate appetite and food intake. In man it is considered to play a role in energy homeostasis and regulation of somatropic function. As exercise affects hunger/satiety sensations and food intake, at least under some experimental conditions, we investigated the effect of exercise intensity and duration on ghrelin release and subsequent ad libitum food intake in normal weight subjects. Bicycle exercise on an ergometer for 30 min at 50 W which was below the aerob-anaerobic threshold led to an increase of ghrelin which remained unchanged during the higher intensity at 100 W. Respective hunger/satiety ratings and subsequent food intake and postprandial ghrelin suppression were identical and not different from controls. In a second group 7 subjects cycled at 50 W for 30, 60 and 120 min, respectively. Ghrelin concentrations rose significantly by 50-70 pg/ml above baseline for the respective period of exercise. While postexercise premeal ghrelin levels were not significantly different subsequent food intake after 120 min of cycling was significantly greater compared to control, 30 min and 60 min exercise, respectively. The present data suggest that low rather than high-intensity exercise stimulates ghrelin levels independent of exercise duration. Stimulation of food intake during prolonged exercise is most likely not due to changes of ghrelin.

  15. Levels of desertification risk in the Sicilian forests according to MEDALUS-ESPI protocol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ragusa, M. A.; Rapicavoli, V.

    2017-07-01

    The authors estimated the desertification risk in a specific area of the Mediterranean, analyzing the main types of forests and reforestation. Through the Environmentally Sensitive Patch Index (ESPI), the authors have made an overall risk ranking in the woods, in the Sicily Region, simulated up to 2030. It is inferred that the risk of desertification in the forests of Sicily region is now reduced. In the last fifty years the forests were reduced by 17.4 percent, they remained unchanged for 21 percent, were up 61.6 percent at the end of the twentieth century.

  16. Negative plant-soil feedbacks increase with plant abundance, and are unchanged by competition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maron, John L; Laney Smith, Alyssa; Ortega, Yvette K; Pearson, Dean E; Callaway, Ragan M

    2016-08-01

    Plant-soil feedbacks and interspecific competition are ubiquitous interactions that strongly influence the performance of plants. Yet few studies have examined whether the strength of these interactions corresponds with the abundance of plant species in the field, or whether feedbacks and competition interact in ways that either ameliorate or exacerbate their effects in isolation. We sampled soil from two intermountain grassland communities where we also measured the relative abundance of plant species. In greenhouse experiments, we quantified the direction and magnitude of plant-soil feedbacks for 10 target species that spanned a range of abundances in the field. In soil from both sites, plant-soil feedbacks were mostly negative, with more abundant species suffering greater negative feedbacks than rare species. In contrast, the average response to competition for each species was unrelated with its abundance in the field. We also determined how competitive response varied among our target species when plants competed in live vs. sterile soil. Interspecific competition reduced plant size, but the strength of this negative effect was unchanged by plant-soil feedbacks. Finally, when plants competed interspecifically, we asked how conspecific-trained, heterospecific-trained, and sterile soil influenced the competitive responses of our target species and how this varied depending on whether target species were abundant or rare in the field. Here, we found that both abundant and rare species were not as harmed by competition when they grew in heterospecific-trained soil compared to when they grew in conspecific-cultured soil. Abundant species were also not as harmed by competition when growing in sterile vs. conspecific-trained soil, but this was not the case for rare species. Our results suggest that abundant plants accrue species-specific soil pathogens to a greater extent than rare species. Thus, negative feedbacks may be critical for preventing abundant species from

  17. Serum and saliva levels of cathepsin L in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mirzaii-Dizgah, Iraj; Riahi, Esmail

    2011-03-01

    Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the major cause of death nearly all over the world, and accurate and rapid diagnosis of CAD is of major medical and economic importance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum and saliva levels of cathepsin L in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In a cross-sectional study, 39 patients with ACS and 28 with controls were recruited to the study, and cathepsin L levels were measured in serum, resting saliva, and stimulated saliva obtained 12 and 24 h after the onset of ACS by ELISA method. Statistical analyses of Fisher's exact test, the Student's t-test or Kruskal-Wallis test were performed. Stimulated saliva cathepsin L levels in patients with ACS 12 hours but not 24 hours after admission showed significant decrease compared with that in control subjects. However, there were no significant differences in serum and unstimulated saliva cathepsin L levels between groups. Serum and saliva levels of cathepsin L remain unchanged in patients with ACS and hence may not be a promising factor in CAD risk assessment. It seems that serum and saliva cathepsin L may not be a good biomarker for CHD. CAD: Coronary artery disease, ACS: Acute coronary syndrome, CHD: Coronary heart disease, EU: Emergency unit, MI: Myocardial infarction. Cathepsin L, Acute coronary syndrome, Resting saliva, Stimulated saliva. How to cite this article: Mirzaii-Dizgah I, Riahi E. Serum and Saliva Levels of Cathepsin L in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome. J Contemp Dent Pract 2011;12(2):114-119.

  18. Effect of radiation dose level on the detectability of pulmonary nodules in chest tomosynthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asplund, Sara A; Johnsson, Åse A; Vikgren, Jenny; Svalkvist, Angelica; Flinck, Agneta; Boijsen, Marianne; Fisichella, Valeria A; Månsson, Lars Gunnar; Båth, Magnus

    2014-07-01

    To investigate the detectability of pulmonary nodules in chest tomosynthesis at reduced radiation dose levels. Eighty-six patients were included in the study and were examined with tomosynthesis and computed tomography (CT). Artificial noise was added to simulate that the tomosynthesis images were acquired at dose levels corresponding to 12, 32, and 70% of the default setting effective dose (0.12 mSv). Three observers (with >20, >20 and three years of experience) read the tomosynthesis cases for presence of nodules in a free-response receiver operating characteristics (FROC) study. CT served as reference. Differences between dose levels were calculated using the jack-knife alternative FROC (JAFROC) figure of merit (FOM). The JAFROC FOM was 0.45, 0.54, 0.55, and 0.54 for the 12, 32, 70, and 100% dose levels, respectively. The differences in FOM between the 12% dose level and the 32, 70, and 100% dose levels were 0.087 (p = 0.006), 0.099 (p = 0.003), and 0.093 (p = 0.004), respectively. Between higher dose levels, no significant differences were found. A substantial reduction from the default setting dose in chest tomosynthesis may be possible. In the present study, no statistically significant difference in detectability of pulmonary nodules was found when reducing the radiation dose to 32%. • A substantial radiation dose reduction in chest tomosynthesis may be possible. • Pulmonary nodule detectability remained unchanged at 32% of the effective dose. • Tomosynthesis might be performed at the dose of a lateral chest radiograph.

  19. Phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance in isolated perfused rat pancreas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsumoto, Takehisa; Kanno, Tomio; Seo, Yoshiteru; Murakami, Masataka; Watari, Hiroshi

    1988-01-01

    Phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was applied to measure phosphorus energy metabolites in isolated perfused rat pancreas. The gland was perfused with a modified Krebs-Henseleit solution at room temperature (25 degree C). 31 P resonances of creatine phosphate (PCr), ATP, ADP, inorganic phosphate (P i ) and phosphomonoesters (PMEs) were observed in all the preparations of pancreas. In different individual preparations, the resonance of PCr varied, but those of ATP were almost the same. The initial levels of PCr and ATP in individual preparations, however, remained almost unchanged during perfusion with the standard solution for 2 h. When the perfusion was stopped, the levels of ATP and PCr decreased, while the levels of PME and P i increased. At that time, the P i resonance shfted to a higher magnetic field, indicating that the tissue pH decreased. On reperfusion, the tissue levels of phosphorus compounds and the tissue pH were restored to their initial resting levels. Continuous infusion of 0.1 μM acetylcholine caused marked and sustained increases in the flow of pancreatic juice and protein output. During the stimulation the tissue levels of phosphorus compounds remained unchanged, while the tissue pH was decreased slightly

  20. Radon and the seal offered by the building shell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crameri, R.; Furrer, D.; Burkart, W.

    1992-01-01

    Long term measurements of the radon level before and after the building shell is sealed were carried out in 25 apartment buildings and 7 houses. The average values of the most important meteorological parameters of wind speed, external temperature and barometric pressure which may influence the radon level, were absolutely comparable during the measurement periods before and after the energy renovation of the buildings. Both in houses and in apartment buildings the radon level remained practically unchanged after the building shell was sealed. The lack of any increase in the radon level after reducing the air exchange rate can be explained by virtue of the fact that the balance between the infiltration and elimination of the radon before and after the energy renovation of the buildings remained unchanged. In addition to reducing the air exchange rate, sealing the building shell therefore also results in a reduction in radon infiltration from the soil. Although it is possible in certain cases for the radon level to increase after the building shell has been sealed, a general increase in radon levels inside living areas as a result of energy renovation work can be dismissed. 2 figs., 3 tabs., 30 refs

  1. Robot miner for low grade narrow tabular ore bodies: the potential and the challenge

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Green, JJ

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Mining methods in South African deep level gold and platinum mines have remained relatively unchanged for the past hundred years. A Robot Miner has the potential to mine in a different way. This project is an initiative to address the challenge...

  2. Remaining useful life prediction of degrading systems subjected to imperfect maintenance: Application to draught fans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhao-Qiang; Hu, Chang-Hua; Si, Xiao-Sheng; Zio, Enrico

    2018-02-01

    Current degradation modeling and remaining useful life prediction studies share a common assumption that the degrading systems are not maintained or maintained perfectly (i.e., to an as-good-as new state). This paper concerns the issues of how to model the degradation process and predict the remaining useful life of degrading systems subjected to imperfect maintenance activities, which can restore the health condition of a degrading system to any degradation level between as-good-as new and as-bad-as old. Toward this end, a nonlinear model driven by Wiener process is first proposed to characterize the degradation trajectory of the degrading system subjected to imperfect maintenance, where negative jumps are incorporated to quantify the influence of imperfect maintenance activities on the system's degradation. Then, the probability density function of the remaining useful life is derived analytically by a space-scale transformation, i.e., transforming the constructed degradation model with negative jumps crossing a constant threshold level to a Wiener process model crossing a random threshold level. To implement the proposed method, unknown parameters in the degradation model are estimated by the maximum likelihood estimation method. Finally, the proposed degradation modeling and remaining useful life prediction method are applied to a practical case of draught fans belonging to a kind of mechanical systems from steel mills. The results reveal that, for a degrading system subjected to imperfect maintenance, our proposed method can obtain more accurate remaining useful life predictions than those of the benchmark model in literature.

  3. [PALEOPATHOLOGY OF HUMAN REMAINS].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minozzi, Simona; Fornaciari, Gino

    2015-01-01

    Many diseases induce alterations in the human skeleton, leaving traces of their presence in ancient remains. Paleopathological examination of human remains not only allows the study of the history and evolution of the disease, but also the reconstruction of health conditions in the past populations. This paper describes the most interesting diseases observed in skeletal samples from the Roman Imperial Age necropoles found in urban and suburban areas of Rome during archaeological excavations in the last decades. The diseases observed were grouped into the following categories: articular diseases, traumas, infections, metabolic or nutritional diseases, congenital diseases and tumours, and some examples are reported for each group. Although extensive epidemiological investigation in ancient skeletal records is impossible, the palaeopathological study allowed to highlight the spread of numerous illnesses, many of which can be related to the life and health conditions of the Roman population.

  4. When global rule reversal meets local task switching: The neural mechanisms of coordinated behavioral adaptation to instructed multi-level demand changes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Yiquan; Wolfensteller, Uta; Schubert, Torsten; Ruge, Hannes

    2018-02-01

    Cognitive flexibility is essential to cope with changing task demands and often it is necessary to adapt to combined changes in a coordinated manner. The present fMRI study examined how the brain implements such multi-level adaptation processes. Specifically, on a "local," hierarchically lower level, switching between two tasks was required across trials while the rules of each task remained unchanged for blocks of trials. On a "global" level regarding blocks of twelve trials, the task rules could reverse or remain the same. The current task was cued at the start of each trial while the current task rules were instructed before the start of a new block. We found that partly overlapping and partly segregated neural networks play different roles when coping with the combination of global rule reversal and local task switching. The fronto-parietal control network (FPN) supported the encoding of reversed rules at the time of explicit rule instruction. The same regions subsequently supported local task switching processes during actual implementation trials, irrespective of rule reversal condition. By contrast, a cortico-striatal network (CSN) including supplementary motor area and putamen was increasingly engaged across implementation trials and more so for rule reversal than for nonreversal blocks, irrespective of task switching condition. Together, these findings suggest that the brain accomplishes the coordinated adaptation to multi-level demand changes by distributing processing resources either across time (FPN for reversed rule encoding and later for task switching) or across regions (CSN for reversed rule implementation and FPN for concurrent task switching). © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Short-term exposure to the organotin compound triphenyltin modulates esterified steroid levels in females of Marisa cornuarietis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyssimachou, Angeliki; Bachmann, J; Porte, C

    2008-08-29

    Long-term exposures to organotin compounds have shown alterations on endogenous steroid levels in gastropods together with the development of imposex. However, information regarding short-term effects of these compounds on the endocrine system of gastropods is lacking. This work aimed at investigating those responses in the ramshorn snail Marisa cornuarietis by looking at both endogenous levels of free and esterified steroids and the metabolism of the androgen precursor androstenedione by digestive gland/gonad microsomal fractions. One-week exposure to the organotin compound triphenyltin (TPT) led to a significant increase in esterified testosterone (60-85%) and a decrease in esterified estradiol (50-84%) in females, but had no effect on males. The observed alterations in esterified steroids were not directly related to changes in P450 aromatase activity that remained unchanged in exposed females. The enzymes involved in the metabolism of the androgen precursor androstenedione, namely 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases and 5alpha-reductases, were not significantly altered by TPT exposure, suggesting that such enzymes are not primary targets of TPT in M. cornuarietis. Additional studies are needed to fully understand the significance of the observed alterations in females and their potential relationship with the development of imposex.

  6. Changes in Plasma Prolactin and Growth Hormone Level and Visual Problem after radiation Therapy(RT) of Pituitary Adenoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoon, Sei Chul; Kwon, Hyung Chul; Oh, Yoon Kyeong; Bahk, Yong Whee; Son, Ho Young; Kang, Joon Ki; Song, Jin Un

    1985-01-01

    Twenty-four cases of pituitary adenoma, 13 males and 11 females with the age ranging from 11 to 65 years, received radiation therapy(RT) on the pituitary area with 6MV linear accelerator during past 25 months at the Division of Radiation Therapy, Kangnam St. Mary Hospital, Catholic Medical College. Of 24 case of RT, 20 were postoperative and 4 primary. To evaluate the effect of RT, we analyzed the alteration of the endocrinological tests, neurologic abnormalities, major clinical symptoms, endocrinological changes and improvement in visual problems after RT. The results were as follows ; 1. Major clinical symptoms were headache, visual defects, diabetes insipidus, hypogonadisms and general weakness in decreasing order of frequency. 2. All but the one with Nelson syndrome showed abnormal neuroradiologic changes in the sella turcica with an invasive tumor mass around supra and para-sellar area. 3. Endocrinological classifications of the patient were 11 prolactinoma, 4 growth hormonesecreting tumors, 3 ACTH-secreting tumors consisting of one Cushing disease and two Nelson syndrome, and 6 nonfunctioning tumors. 4. Eleven of 14 patients, visual problems were improved after treatment but remaining 3 were unchanged. 5. Seven of 11 prolactinomas returned to normal hormonal level after postoperative and primary RT and 3 patients are being treated with bromocriptine (BMCP) but on lost case. 6. Two of 4 growth hormone-secreting tumor returned to normal level after RT but the remaining 2 are being treated with BMCP, as well

  7. The effect of α1 -adrenergic blockade on post-exercise brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation at sea level and high altitude.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tymko, Michael M; Tremblay, Joshua C; Hansen, Alex B; Howe, Connor A; Willie, Chris K; Stembridge, Mike; Green, Daniel J; Hoiland, Ryan L; Subedi, Prajan; Anholm, James D; Ainslie, Philip N

    2017-03-01

    ), heart rate (electrocardiogram), oxygen saturation (pulse oximetry), and brachial artery blood flow and shear rate (ultrasound) were recorded before, during and following exercise. Endothelial function assessed by brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) was measured before, immediately following and 60 min after exercise. Our findings were: (1) at rest, FMD remained unchanged between sea level and high altitude (placebo P = 0.287; prazosin: P = 0.110); (2) FMD remained unchanged after maximal exercise at sea level and high altitude (P = 0.244); and (3) the 2.9 ± 0.8% (P = 0.043) reduction in FMD immediately after moderate-intensity exercise at sea level was abolished via α 1 -adrenergic blockade. Conversely, at high altitude, FMD was unaltered following moderate-intensity exercise, and administration of α 1 -adrenergic blockade elevated FMD (P = 0.032). Our results suggest endothelial function is differentially affected by exercise when exposed to hypobaric hypoxia. These findings have implications for understanding the chronic impacts of hypoxaemia on exercise, and the interactions between the α 1 -adrenergic pathway and endothelial function. © 2016 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2016 The Physiological Society.

  8. Tuberculosis remains a challenge despite economic growth in Panama.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tarajia, M; Goodridge, A

    2014-03-01

    Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease associated with inequality, and wise investment of economic resources is considered critical to its control. Panama has recently secured its status as an upper-middle-income country with robust economic growth. However, the prioritisation of resources for TB control remains a major challenge. In this article, we highlight areas that urgently require action to effectively reduce TB burden to minimal levels. Our conclusions suggest the need for fund allocation and a multidisciplinary approach to ensure prompt laboratory diagnosis, treatment assurance and workforce reinforcement, complemented by applied and operational research, development and innovation.

  9. Prevention of Folate Deficiency by Food Fortification

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    storage, specimens were handled as described previously.~. The results of laboratory investigations are summarised in Table H. The haemoglobin level and serum vitamin. B", concentration remained essentially unchanged in all subjects. At the end of the study, the red cell folate concentrations were greater than at the start ...

  10. Factors Contributing to Changes in a Deep Approach to Learning in Different Learning Environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Postareff, Liisa; Parpala, Anna; Lindblom-Ylänne, Sari

    2015-01-01

    The study explored factors explaining changes in a deep approach to learning. The data consisted of interviews with 12 students from four Bachelor-level courses representing different disciplines. We analysed and compared descriptions of students whose deep approach either increased, decreased or remained relatively unchanged during their courses.…

  11. Effects of prolonged recombinant human erythropoietin administration on muscle membrane transport systems and metabolic marker enzymes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Juel, C; Thomsen, J J; Rentsch, R L

    2007-01-01

    on the expression of muscle membrane transport proteins. Likewise, improvements in performance may involve upregulation of metabolic enzymes. Since Epo is known to augment performance we tested the effect of rHuEpo on some marker enzymes that are related to aerobic capacity. For these purposes eight subjects...... performance by approximately 54%. Membrane transport systems and carbonic anhydrases involved in pH regulation remained unchanged. Of the Na(+), K(+)-pump isoforms only the density of the alpha2 subunit was decreased (by 22%) after treatment. The marker enzymes cytochrom c and hexokinase remained unchanged......Adaptations to chronic hypoxia involve changes in membrane transport proteins. The underlying mechanism of this response may be related to concomitant occurring changes in erythropoietin (Epo) levels. We therefore tested the direct effects of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) treatment...

  12. Analysis of Dextromethorphan and Dextrorphan in Skeletal Remains Following Decomposition in Different Microclimate Conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Unger, K A; Watterson, J H

    2016-10-01

    The effects of decomposition microclimate on the distribution of dextromethorphan (DXM) and dextrorphan (DXT) in skeletonized remains of rats acutely exposed to DXM were examined. Animals (n = 10) received DXM (75 mg/kg, i.p.), were euthanized 30 min post-dose and immediately allowed to decompose at either Site A (shaded forest microenvironment on a grass-covered soil substrate) or Site B (rocky substrate exposed to direct sunlight, 600 m from Site A). Ambient temperature and relative humidity were automatically recorded 3 cm above rats at each site. Skeletal elements (vertebral columns, ribs, pelvic girdles, femora, tibiae, humeri and scapulae) were harvested, and analyzed using microwave assisted extraction, microplate solid phase extraction, and GC/MS. Drug levels, expressed as mass-normalized response ratios, and the ratios of DXT and DXM levels were compared across bones and between microclimate sites. No significant differences in DXT levels or metabolite/parent ratios were observed between sites or across bones. Only femoral DXM levels differed significantly between microclimate sites. For pooled data, microclimate was not observed to significantly affect analyte levels, nor the ratio of levels of DXT and DXM. These data suggest that microclimate conditions do not influence DXM and metabolite distribution in skeletal remains. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  13. Inhibition of mutant IDH1 decreases D-2-HG levels without affecting tumorigenic properties of chondrosarcoma cell lines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suijker, Johnny; Oosting, Jan; Koornneef, Annemarie; Struys, Eduard A; Salomons, Gajja S; Schaap, Frank G; Waaijer, Cathelijn J F; Wijers-Koster, Pauline M; Briaire-de Bruijn, Inge H; Haazen, Lizette; Riester, Scott M; Dudakovic, Amel; Danen, Erik; Cleton-Jansen, Anne-Marie; van Wijnen, Andre J; Bovée, Judith V M G

    2015-05-20

    Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) and IDH2 are found in a subset of benign and malignant cartilage tumors, gliomas and leukaemias. The mutant enzyme causes the production of D-2-hydroxyglutarate (D-2-HG), affecting CpG island and histone methylation. While mutations in IDH1/2 are early events in benign cartilage tumors, we evaluated whether these mutations play a role in malignant chondrosarcomas. Compared to IDH1/2 wildtype cell lines, chondrosarcoma cell lines harboring an endogenous IDH1 (n=3) or IDH2 mutation (n=2) showed up to a 100-fold increase in intracellular and extracellular D-2-HG levels. Specific inhibition of mutant IDH1 using AGI-5198 decreased levels of D-2-HG in a dose dependent manner. After 72 hours of treatment one out of three mutant IDH1 cell lines showed a moderate decrease in viability , while D-2-HG levels decreased >90%. Likewise, prolonged treatment (up to 20 passages) did not affect proliferation and migration. Furthermore, global gene expression, CpG island methylation as well as histone H3K4, -9, and -27 trimethylation levels remained unchanged. Thus, while IDH1/2 mutations cause enchondroma, malignant progression towards central chondrosarcoma renders chondrosarcoma growth independent of these mutations. Thus, monotherapy based on inhibition of mutant IDH1 appears insufficient for treatment of inoperable or metastasized chondrosarcoma patients.

  14. Alterations in Lipids and Adipocyte Hormones in Female-to-Male Transsexuals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prakash Chandra

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Testosterone therapy in men and women results in decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL and increased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL. We sought to determine whether testosterone therapy has this same effect on lipid parameters and adipocyte hormones in female-to-male (FTM transsexuals. Twelve FTM transsexuals provided a fasting lipid profile including serum total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides prior to and after 1 year of testosterone therapy (testosterone enanthate or cypionate 50–125 mg IM every two weeks. Subjects experienced a significant decrease in mean serum HDL (52±11 to 40±7 mg/dL (P<.001. The mean LDL (P=.316, triglyceride (P=.910, and total cholesterol (P=.769 levels remained unchanged. In a subset of subjects, we measured serum leptin levels which were reduced by 25% but did not reach statistical significance (P=.181 while resistin levels remained unchanged. We conclude that testosterone therapy in FTM transsexuals can promote an increased atherogenic lipid profile by lowering HDL and possibly reduce serum leptin levels. However, long-term studies are needed to determine whether decreases in HDL result in adverse cardiovascular outcomes.

  15. The effect of α1‐adrenergic blockade on post‐exercise brachial artery flow‐mediated dilatation at sea level and high altitude

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tremblay, Joshua C.; Hansen, Alex B.; Howe, Connor A.; Willie, Chris K.; Stembridge, Mike; Green, Daniel J.; Hoiland, Ryan L.; Subedi, Prajan; Anholm, James D.; Ainslie, Philip N.

    2016-01-01

    m). Blood pressure (finger photoplethysmography), heart rate (electrocardiogram), oxygen saturation (pulse oximetry), and brachial artery blood flow and shear rate (ultrasound) were recorded before, during and following exercise. Endothelial function assessed by brachial artery flow‐mediated dilatation (FMD) was measured before, immediately following and 60 min after exercise. Our findings were: (1) at rest, FMD remained unchanged between sea level and high altitude (placebo P = 0.287; prazosin: P = 0.110); (2) FMD remained unchanged after maximal exercise at sea level and high altitude (P = 0.244); and (3) the 2.9 ± 0.8% (P = 0.043) reduction in FMD immediately after moderate‐intensity exercise at sea level was abolished via α1‐adrenergic blockade. Conversely, at high altitude, FMD was unaltered following moderate‐intensity exercise, and administration of α1‐adrenergic blockade elevated FMD (P = 0.032). Our results suggest endothelial function is differentially affected by exercise when exposed to hypobaric hypoxia. These findings have implications for understanding the chronic impacts of hypoxaemia on exercise, and the interactions between the α1‐adrenergic pathway and endothelial function. PMID:28032333

  16. Stereoselective determination of unchanged and glucuroconjugated eliprodil, a new anti-ischaemic drug, in human plasma and urine by precolumn derivatization and column-switching high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malavasi, B; Ripamonti, M; Rouchouse, A; Ascalone, V

    1996-04-05

    An HPLC method was developed and validated for the determination in human plasma and urine of the enantiomers of eliprodil, (+/-)-alpha-(4-chlorophenyl)-4[(4-fluorophenyl) methyl]piperidine-1-ethanol hydrochloride, a new anti-ischaemic agent administered as a racemate. Both enantiomers are present in human plasma in unchanged and glucuroconjugated form, whereas only the glucuroconjugated form is excreted into urine; as a consequence, such metabolites in human plasma and urine should be submitted to enzymatic deconjugation with beta-glucuronidase (Escherichia coli) before being extracted. The general method involves a liquid-liquid extraction of eliprodil and internal standard from alkalinized plasma or urine with n-hexane, evaporation of the organic phase and derivatization with (S)-(+)-naphthylethyl isocyanate to give carbamate diastereoisomeric derivatives of (S)-(+)- and (R)-(-)-eliprodil and internal standard; after evaporation of the derivatizing mixture and dissolution of the residue in a small volume of phosphate buffer-acetonitrile (60:40, v/v), an aliquot is injected into a column-switching HPLC system. The derivatized sample extract is purified on a precolumn filled with C8-bonded silica material, which is flushed with acetonitrile-water, then diastereoisomers of eliprodil and the internal standard are automatically transferred by the mobile phase to the analytical column. The analytical column is a C8 type, specially deactivated for basic compounds, the mobile phase is 0.025 M phosphate buffer (pH 2.6)-methanol-acetonitrile (42:2:56) at a flow-rate of 1.2 ml min-1 and fluorimetric detector operating at lambda ex = 275 nm and lambda em = 336 nm is used. The retention times, under these conditions, are about 16 and 17 min for (S)-(+)- and (R)-(-)-eliprodil diastereoisomers, respectively, and about 19 min for the first-eluted diastereoisomer of the internal standard. During the analysis time, the precolumn, reset in a different path from that of the

  17. Cell-specific CO2 fixation rates of two distinct groups of plastidic protists in the Atlantic Ocean remain unchanged after nutrient addition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grob, Carolina; Jardillier, Ludwig; Hartmann, Manuela; Ostrowski, Martin; Zubkov, Mikhail V; Scanlan, David J

    2015-04-01

    To assess the role of open-ocean ecosystems in global CO2 fixation, we investigated how picophytoplankton, which dominate primary production, responded to episodic increases in nutrient availability. Previous experiments have shown nitrogen alone, or in combination with phosphorus or iron, to be the proximate limiting nutrient(s) for total phytoplankton grown over several days. Much less is known about how nutrient upshift affects picophytoplankton CO2 fixation over the duration of the light period. To address this issue, we performed a series of small volume (8-60 ml) - short term (10-11 h) nutrient addition experiments in different regions of the Atlantic Ocean using NH4 Cl, FeCl3 , K medium, dust and nutrient-rich water from 300 m depth. We found no significant nutrient stimulation of group-specific CO2 fixation rates of two taxonomically and size-distinct groups of plastidic protists. The above was true regardless of the region sampled or nutrient added, suggesting that this is a generic phenomenon. Our findings show that at least in the short term (i.e. daylight period), nutrient availability does not limit CO2 fixation by the smallest plastidic protists, while their taxonomic composition does not determine their response to nutrient addition. © 2014 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. Can an Online Tool Support Contemporary Independent Music Teaching and Learning?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brook, Julia; Upitis, Rena

    2015-01-01

    The body of research examining deliberate practice and self-regulation in musical instruction has grown extensively over the past several decades, while at the same time many practices in the independent music studio remain unchanged and/or under-researched. Compelling evidence indicates that students with high levels of self-regulation experience…

  19. Unchanged content of oxidative enzymes in fast-twitch muscle fibers and V˙O2 kinetics after intensified training in trained cyclists

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Peter Møller; Gunnarsson, Thomas Gunnar Petursson; Thomassen, Martin

    2015-01-01

    perturbation during INT. Pulmonary V˙O2 kinetics was determined in eight trained male cyclists (V˙O2-max: 59 ± 4 (means ± SD) mL min(-1) kg(-1)) during MOD (205 ± 12 W ~65% V˙O2-max) and INT (286 ± 17 W ~85% V˙O2-max) exercise before and after a 7-week HIT period (30-sec sprints and 4-min intervals) with a 50...... DW(-1) min(-1)) of CS (56 ± 8 post-HIT vs. 59 ± 10 pre-HIT), HAD (27 ± 6 vs. 29 ± 3) and PFK (340 ± 69 vs. 318 ± 105) and the capillary to fiber ratio (2.30 ± 0.16 vs. 2.38 ± 0.20) was unaltered following HIT. V˙O2 kinetics was unchanged with HIT and the speed of the primary response did not differ...... of oxidative enzymes in fast-twitch fibers, and did not change V˙O2 kinetics....

  20. Material aging and degradation detection and remaining life assessment for plant life management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramuhalli, P.; Henager, C.H. Jr.; Griffin, J.W.; Meyer, R.M.; Coble, J.B.; Pitman, S.G.; Bond, L.J.

    2012-01-01

    One of the major factors that may impact long-term operations is structural material degradation. Detecting materials degradation, estimating the remaining useful life (RUL) of the component, and determining approaches to mitigating the degradation are important from the perspective of long-term operations. In this study, multiple nondestructive measurement and monitoring methods were evaluated for their ability to assess the material degradation state. Metrics quantifying the level of damage from these measurements were defined and evaluated for their ability to provide estimates of remaining life of the component. An example of estimating the RUL from nondestructive measurements of material degradation condition is provided. (author)

  1. [Effects of prophylactic antibiotic agent on interleukin-6 level in open chest surgery--comparison between imipenem and flomoxef].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sohma, A; Kitaura, K; Toda, S; Satoh, S; Wada, Y; Yamagishi, H; Oka, T; Fujita, N

    1998-09-01

    Cytokines are known to increase in the patients subjected to open chest surgery. Those patients are usually administered with antibiotic agents for prophylaxis, while some of antibiotic agents might yield significantly higher level of cytokines than other agents especially in patients suffering from severe infections. It is believed that imipenem may yield lower interleukin-6 (IL6) level than cephem antibiotics. To study whether such difference could be observed in the patients who show no sign of severe infections, a total of 13 patients underwent scheduled open chest surgery were allocated at random into two groups, the imipenem-group and the flomoxef-group. The cytokine levels of the patients in the two groups were compared, while the prophylactic administration of imipenem or flomoxef. In both groups, IL6 increased immediately after the operation while endotoxin remained unchanged. Thereafter IL6 decreased gradually in both groups, however, the decrease of IL6 in the imipenem-group was faster and greater than the flomoxef-group resulting in the significantly lower level of IL6 on the 4th day after operation. One week after the operation, there existed no difference in the IL6 levels between these two groups. In conclusion, it was suggested that, depending on the choice of a prophylactic antibiotic agent, some invasive burden could be added to those patients underwent open chest surgery, a certain number of whom would develop severe infection.

  2. A Species-Level Phylogeny of Extant Snakes with Description of a New Colubrid Subfamily and Genus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Figueroa, Alex; McKelvy, Alexander D; Grismer, L Lee; Bell, Charles D; Lailvaux, Simon P

    2016-01-01

    With over 3,500 species encompassing a diverse range of morphologies and ecologies, snakes make up 36% of squamate diversity. Despite several attempts at estimating higher-level snake relationships and numerous assessments of generic- or species-level phylogenies, a large-scale species-level phylogeny solely focusing on snakes has not been completed. Here, we provide the largest-yet estimate of the snake tree of life using maximum likelihood on a supermatrix of 1745 taxa (1652 snake species + 7 outgroup taxa) and 9,523 base pairs from 10 loci (5 nuclear, 5 mitochondrial), including previously unsequenced genera (2) and species (61). Increased taxon sampling resulted in a phylogeny with a new higher-level topology and corroborate many lower-level relationships, strengthened by high nodal support values (> 85%) down to the species level (73.69% of nodes). Although the majority of families and subfamilies were strongly supported as monophyletic with > 88% support values, some families and numerous genera were paraphyletic, primarily due to limited taxon and loci sampling leading to a sparse supermatrix and minimal sequence overlap between some closely-related taxa. With all rogue taxa and incertae sedis species eliminated, higher-level relationships and support values remained relatively unchanged, except in five problematic clades. Our analyses resulted in new topologies at higher- and lower-levels; resolved several previous topological issues; established novel paraphyletic affiliations; designated a new subfamily, Ahaetuliinae, for the genera Ahaetulla, Chrysopelea, Dendrelaphis, and Dryophiops; and appointed Hemerophis (Coluber) zebrinus to a new genus, Mopanveldophis. Although we provide insight into some distinguished problematic nodes, at the deeper phylogenetic scale, resolution of these nodes may require sampling of more slowly-evolving nuclear genes.

  3. A Species-Level Phylogeny of Extant Snakes with Description of a New Colubrid Subfamily and Genus

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKelvy, Alexander D.; Grismer, L. Lee; Bell, Charles D.; Lailvaux, Simon P.

    2016-01-01

    Background With over 3,500 species encompassing a diverse range of morphologies and ecologies, snakes make up 36% of squamate diversity. Despite several attempts at estimating higher-level snake relationships and numerous assessments of generic- or species-level phylogenies, a large-scale species-level phylogeny solely focusing on snakes has not been completed. Here, we provide the largest-yet estimate of the snake tree of life using maximum likelihood on a supermatrix of 1745 taxa (1652 snake species + 7 outgroup taxa) and 9,523 base pairs from 10 loci (5 nuclear, 5 mitochondrial), including previously unsequenced genera (2) and species (61). Results Increased taxon sampling resulted in a phylogeny with a new higher-level topology and corroborate many lower-level relationships, strengthened by high nodal support values (> 85%) down to the species level (73.69% of nodes). Although the majority of families and subfamilies were strongly supported as monophyletic with > 88% support values, some families and numerous genera were paraphyletic, primarily due to limited taxon and loci sampling leading to a sparse supermatrix and minimal sequence overlap between some closely-related taxa. With all rogue taxa and incertae sedis species eliminated, higher-level relationships and support values remained relatively unchanged, except in five problematic clades. Conclusion Our analyses resulted in new topologies at higher- and lower-levels; resolved several previous topological issues; established novel paraphyletic affiliations; designated a new subfamily, Ahaetuliinae, for the genera Ahaetulla, Chrysopelea, Dendrelaphis, and Dryophiops; and appointed Hemerophis (Coluber) zebrinus to a new genus, Mopanveldophis. Although we provide insight into some distinguished problematic nodes, at the deeper phylogenetic scale, resolution of these nodes may require sampling of more slowly-evolving nuclear genes. PMID:27603205

  4. A comparative study on diurnal changes in metabolite levels in the leaves of three crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) species, Ananas comosus, Kalanchoë daigremontiana and K. pinnata.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Li-Song; Lin, Qin; Nose, Akihiro

    2002-02-01

    A comparative study on diurnal changes in metabolite levels associated with crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) in the leaves of three CAM species, Ananas comosus (pineapple), a hexose-utilizing species, and Kalanchoë daigremontiana and K. pinnata, two starch-utilizing species, were made. All three CAM species showed a typical feature of CAM with nocturnal malate increase. In the two Kalanchoë species, isocitrate levels were higher than citrate levels; the reverse was the case in pineapple. In the two Kalanchoë species, a small nocturnal citrate increase was found and K. daigremontiana showed a small nocturnal isocitrate increase. Glucose 6-phosphate (G-6-P), fructose 6-phosphate (F-6-P) and glucose 1-phosphate (G-1-P) levels in the three CAM species rose rapidly during the first part of the dark period and decreased during the latter part of the dark period. The levels of the metabolites also decreased during the first 3 h of the light period, then, remained little changed through the rest of the light period. Absolute levels of G-6-P, F-6-P and G-1-P were higher in pineapple than in the two Kalanchoë species. Fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (F-1,6-P(2)) levels in the three CAM species increased during the dark period, then dramatically decreased during the first 3 h of the light period and remained unchanged through the rest of the light period. The extent of nocturnal F-1,6-P(2) increase was far greater in the two Kalanchoë species than in pineapple. Absolute levels of F-1,6-P(2) were higher in the two Kalanchoë species than in pineapple, especially during dark period. Diurnal changes in oxaloacetate (OAA), pyruvate (Pyr) and phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) levels in the three CAM species were similar.

  5. Meal Disturbance Effect on Control of Blood Glucose Level for Critically-ill Patients using In-silico Works

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yusof, N. F. M.; Som, A. M.; Ali, S. A.; Azman, N. H.

    2018-05-01

    This study was conducted to determine the effect of meal disturbance on blood glucose level of the critically ill patients and to simulate the control algorithm previously developed using in-silico works. The study is significant so as to reduce the mortality rate of critically ill patients who usually encounter hyperglycaemia or/and hypoglycaemia while in treatment. The meal intake is believed to affect the blood glucose regulation and causes the hyperglycaemia to occur. Critically ill patients receive their meal through parenteral and enteral nutrition. Furthermore, by using in-silico works, time consumed and resources needed for clinical evaluation of the patients can be reduced. Hovorka model was employed in which the simulation study was carried out using MATLAB on the virtual patient and it was being compared with actual patient in which the data were provided by Institut Jantung Negara (IJN). Based on the simulation, the disturbance on enteral glucose supplied had affected the blood glucose level of the patient; however, it remained unchanged for the parental glucose. To reduce the occurrence of hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia, the patient was injected with 30 g/hr and 10 g/hr of enteral glucose, respectively. In conclusion, the disturbance of meal received can be controlled through in-silico works.

  6. Effects of monochromatic light sources on sex hormone levels in serum and on semen quality of ganders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Shen-Chang; Zhuang, Zi-Xuan; Lin, Min-Jung; Cheng, Chuen-Yu; Lin, Tsung-Yi; Jea, Yu-Shine; Huang, San-Yuan

    2016-04-01

    Light is an essential external factor influencing various physiological processes, including reproductive performance, in birds. Although several attempts have been made to understand the effect of light on poultry production, the effect of light of a particular wavelength (color) on the reproductive function in geese remains unclear. This study evaluated the effect of various monochromatic light sources on the levels of sex hormone and on semen quality of ganders. Of 30 male White Roman geese in their third reproductive season (average age=3 years), 27 were divided into three groups receiving monochromatic white or red or blue lights. The birds were kept in an environmentally controlled house with a lighting photoperiod of 7L:17D for six weeks as the adaptation period. The photoperiod was subsequently changed to 9L:15D and maintained for 24 weeks. Three ganders at the beginning of the study and three from each group at the end of the adjusting period and the 20th and 30th week of the study period were sacrificed, and their testes and blood samples were collected for determining the sex hormone levels. Semen samples were collected for determining semen quality parameters, including the semen collection index, sperm concentration, semen volume, sperm motility, sperm viability, sperm morphology, and semen quality factor. The results showed that the testosterone and estradiol levels remained unchanged in all three groups at all time points. The ratio of testosterone to estradiol of ganders exposed to white light was significantly higher than that of ganders exposed to red light at the 30th week (PSemen collection index and sperm viability of ganders exposed to blue light were significantly the lowest (Psemen quality than that with red or blue lights in ganders. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Post-transcriptional regulation of the arginine transporter Cat-1 by amino acid availability

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Aulak, K. S.; Mishra, R.; Zhou, L.; Hyatt, S. L.; de Jonge, W.; Lamers, W.; Snider, M.; Hatzoglou, M.

    1999-01-01

    The regulation of the high affinity cationic amino acid transporter (Cat-1) by amino acid availability has been studied. In C6 glioma and NRK kidney cells, cat-1 mRNA levels increased 3.8-18-fold following 2 h of amino acid starvation. The transcription rate of the cat-1 gene remained unchanged

  8. Microarray analysis reveals transcriptional plasticity in the reef building coral Acropora millepora

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bay, L. K.; Ulstrup, K. E.; Nielsen, H. B.

    2009-01-01

    ) following translocation to a lower light and turbidity environment. Such metabolic downregulation may indicate nonoxidative stress, hibernation or caloric restriction associated with the changed environmental conditions. Green fluorescent protein-related genes were the most differentially expressed and were...... exclusively downregulated; however, green fluorescent protein levels remained unchanged following translocation. Photophysiological responses of corals from both locations were characterized by a decline when introduced to the common laboratory environment but remained healthy (F-v/F-m > 0.6). Declines...

  9. Decision-level adaptation in motion perception.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mather, George; Sharman, Rebecca J

    2015-12-01

    Prolonged exposure to visual stimuli causes a bias in observers' responses to subsequent stimuli. Such adaptation-induced biases are usually explained in terms of changes in the relative activity of sensory neurons in the visual system which respond selectively to the properties of visual stimuli. However, the bias could also be due to a shift in the observer's criterion for selecting one response rather than the alternative; adaptation at the decision level of processing rather than the sensory level. We investigated whether adaptation to implied motion is best attributed to sensory-level or decision-level bias. Three experiments sought to isolate decision factors by changing the nature of the participants' task while keeping the sensory stimulus unchanged. Results showed that adaptation-induced bias in reported stimulus direction only occurred when the participants' task involved a directional judgement, and disappeared when adaptation was measured using a non-directional task (reporting where motion was present in the display, regardless of its direction). We conclude that adaptation to implied motion is due to decision-level bias, and that a propensity towards such biases may be widespread in sensory decision-making.

  10. Fish remains and humankind: part two

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew K G Jones

    1998-07-01

    Full Text Available The significance of aquatic resources to past human groups is not adequately reflected in the published literature - a deficiency which is gradually being acknowledged by the archaeological community world-wide. The publication of the following three papers goes some way to redress this problem. Originally presented at an International Council of Archaeozoology (ICAZ Fish Remains Working Group meeting in York, U.K. in 1987, these papers offer clear evidence of the range of interest in ancient fish remains across the world. Further papers from the York meeting were published in Internet Archaeology 3 in 1997.

  11. Physiological and Behavioral Adjustments Relative to Catecholamine Levels During Nesting in Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys Olivacea and Hawksbill (Eretmochelys Imbricata Sea Turtles in Masirah Island, Oman.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A.Y.A AlKindi

    2003-06-01

    Full Text Available Plasma adrenaline (ADR and noradrenaline (NA levels were measured for the first time in natural populations of hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata and olive ridley (Lipedochelys olivacea in Masirah Island, Arabian Sea; one of the few protected nesting grounds remaining in the world for these two endangered species. Plasma ADR and NA levels were assessed in individuals after they oviposited eggs and completed nesting exercises, and in individuals which were still searching for suitable nesting sites. Blood samples were taken from the cervical sinuses from two groups (oviposited and non-oviposited, which spent at least 1.5 h on the nesting grounds. The duration of the nesting period varied between 1.5 and 2.0 h for both species. There was no significant difference between oviposited and non-oviposited turtles in both species. As the turtles move onto the nesting grounds, their heavy weight compresses the thoracic region making terrestrial breathing laborious and difficult. During phases of nesting, the turtles undergo brief bursts of strenuous and exhaustive exercise which usually lasts less than one minute followed by a brief recovery period which is less than the exercise phase. Reptiles in general, particularly turtles, are intermittent breathers and after bursts of exercise, they appear to develop hypoxia, hypercapnia and acidemia, which are characteristic of anaerobic metabolism. The data reveals that catecholamine levels remain stable in both species during phases of nesting and may play an important role in combating stress as well as mobilizing energy reserves. The high plasma lactate and CO2 levels in olive and hawksbill turtles may signify anaerobic metabolism during exercise. Glucose levels remain unchanged throughout nesting in both species. There was no significant difference in the lactate and glucose values in the two species. The physiological and the behavioral adjustments in this study showed remarkable similarities in the two

  12. The hypoxia avoidance behaviour of juvenile Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) depends on the provision and pressure level of an O2 refuge

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Herbert, Neill A.; Skjaeraasen, Jon E.; Nilsen, Trygve

    2011-01-01

    to a critically low level, i.e. 4.3 kPa-a point where cod can no longer regulate O(2) consumption. Under these conditions, cod did not avoid any level of hypoxia and fish swimming speed also remained unchanged. In contrast, strong avoidance reactions were exhibited in a second experiment when fish were again...... morhua L.) were exposed to a range of O(2) choices in a 2-way choice chamber at 11.4 degrees C over two different experiments. Cod in the first experiment were allowed access to a fixed O(2) refuge (fully air-saturated seawater) whilst oxygen pressure (PO(2)) on the other side was reduced in steps...... exposed to 4.3 kPa but the safety, i.e. PO(2), of the refuge was reduced. Fish not only spent less time at 4.3 kPa as a result of fewer sampling visits but they also swam at considerably slower speeds. The presence of an avoidance response was thus strongly related to refuge PO(2) and it is unlikely...

  13. The penalty points system in Ireland - Does it remain effective 14 years on?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Downey, C; Donnelly, M

    2017-05-23

    Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are the leading cause of trauma related mortality in Ireland. The penalty points system (PPS) was introduced in Ireland in 2002 to incentivise safer driving and reduce injury. Its early effect was studied previously 1 which concluded that there was a slight reduction in RTA related femoral shaft fractures (a sensitive indicator of high energy trauma) and a dramatic reduction in RTA related discharges. We hypothesized that over the following 14 years, the penalty points system might lose its effectiveness. Data was again collected from the same HIPE departments from six Dublin teaching hospitals and also University Hospital Waterford (to represent both an urban and a more rural population cohort respectively) examining RTA related femoral shaft fractures over an identical 6 month period (October-April). RTA related discharge data over an identical 6 month period was again acquired and analysed from Beaumont Hospital, Dublin (identical data source to previous study). These results were compared with the identical 6 month period in 2001/02 & 2002/03 (October-April). The total number of RTA related femoral shaft fracture discharges in Dublin decreased from 16 post introduction of PPS in the 2002/03 6-month period to 7 in 2015/16 6-month period. The number remained the same in the Waterford region (n = 5). The total RTA related discharges in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin decreased from 70 post PPS introduction to 57 in the 2015/16 6-month period. This represents an incidence rate of 4.5/1000 discharges (vs 6.9 post introduction) which was a statistically significant reduction (p = 0.014). The mean length of stay for these patients reduced from 13 to 7.7 days. There were consistent reductions in head injury (major & minor), lower limb fracture and facial fracture since the introduction of the PPS. The upper limb, pelvic/acetabular and thoracic injuries remained largely unchanged. Whilst RTA related spinal and abdominal injuries decreased

  14. Supplementation with Red Palm Oil Increases β-Carotene and Vitamin A Blood Levels in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olaf Sommerburg

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF show decreased plasma concentrations of antioxidants due to malabsorption of lipid soluble vitamins and consumption by chronic pulmonary inflammation. β-Carotene is a major source of retinol and therefore is of particular significance in CF. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of daily intake of red palm oil (RPO containing high amounts of β-carotene on the antioxidant levels in CF patients. Sixteen subjects were recruited and instructed to enrich their food with 2 to 3 tablespoons of RPO (~1.5 mg of β-carotene daily over 8 weeks. Carotenoids, retinol, and α-tocopherol were measured in plasma at baseline and after intervention. In addition β-carotene, lycopene, α-tocopherol, and vitamin C were measured in buccal mucosa cells (BMC to determine the influence of RPO on antioxidant tissue levels. Eleven subjects completed the study properly. Plasma β-carotene, retinol, and α-carotene of these patients increased, but plasma concentrations of other carotenoids and α-tocopherol as well as concentrations of β-carotene, lycopene, α-tocopherol, and vitamin C in BMC remained unchanged. Since RPO on a daily basis did not show negative side effects the data suggest that RPO may be used to elevate plasma β-carotene in CF.

  15. Linking cascading effects of fish predation and zooplankton grazing to reduced cyanobacterial biomass and toxin levels following biomanipulation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mattias K Ekvall

    Full Text Available Eutrophication has been one of the largest environmental problems in aquatic ecosystems during the past decades, leading to dense, and often toxic, cyanobacterial blooms. In a way to counteract these problems many lakes have been subject to restoration through biomanipulation. Here we combine 13 years of monitoring data with experimental assessment of grazing efficiency of a naturally occurring zooplankton community and a, from a human perspective, desired community of large Daphnia to assess the effects of an altered trophic cascade associated with biomanipulation. Lake monitoring data show that the relative proportion of Daphnia spp. grazers in June has increased following years of biomanipulation and that this increase coincides with a drop in cyanobacterial biomass and lowered microcystin concentrations compared to before the biomanipulation. In June, the proportion of Daphnia spp. (on a biomass basis went from around 3% in 2005 (the first year of biomanipulation up to around 58% in 2012. During months when the proportion of Daphnia spp. remained unchanged (July and August no effect on lower trophic levels was observed. Our field grazing experiment revealed that Daphnia were more efficient in controlling the standing biomass of cyanobacteria, as grazing by the natural zooplankton community never even compensated for the algal growth during the experiment and sometimes even promoted cyanobacterial growth. Furthermore, although the total cyanobacterial toxin levels remained unaffected by both grazer communities in the experimental study, the Daphnia dominated community promoted the transfer of toxins to the extracellular, dissolved phase, likely through feeding on cyanobacteria. Our results show that biomanipulation by fish removal is a useful tool for lake management, leading to a top-down mediated trophic cascade, through alterations in the grazer community, to reduced cyanobacterial biomass and lowered cyanobacterial toxin levels. This

  16. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels throughout pregnancy: a longitudinal study in healthy and preeclamptic pregnant women

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yessica Agudelo-Zapata

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: Worldwide there is a high prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD deficiency and has been associated with adverse outcomes during pregnancy. Objective: This is a nested, case–control study in a longitudinal cohort to compare the serum 25OHD levels and other biomarkers throughout pregnancy in a group of 20 preeclamptic women and 61 healthy pregnant women. An additional group of 29 healthy non-pregnant women were also studied during the two phases of the menstrual cycle. Results: Mean 25OHD levels in non-pregnant women were 31.9 ng/mL and 34.9 ng/mL during follicular and luteal phase, respectively (P < 0.01. Mean serum 25OHD levels in healthy pregnant women were 26.5, 30.1 and 31.9 ng/mL, at first, second and third trimester, respectively (P < 0.001. The first trimester levels of 25OHD were lower than those of healthy non-pregnant women (P < 0.001, showing a significant recovery at third trimester. In the group of healthy pregnant women, the 25OHD levels were 25.7 ng/mL and 27.2 ng/mL at 3 and 6 months postpartum, respectively; both values were lower than those observed in the non-pregnant women (P < 0.001. In preeclamptic women, 25OHD serum levels were similar to those of healthy pregnant women; nevertheless, they remained almost unchanged throughout pregnancy. Conclusion: There were no significant differences between healthy and preeclamptic pregnant women in terms of 25OHD levels throughout the pregnancy. Serum 25OHD levels in non-pregnant women were higher during luteal phase compared with follicular phase. The 25OHD levels of non-pregnant women tended to be higher than those of pregnant women.

  17. Temporal mode selectivity by frequency conversion in second-order nonlinear optical waveguides: Erratum

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Reddy, Dileep V.; Raymer, M. G.; Mckinstrie, C. J.

    2017-01-01

    We correct typographical errors in four equations showing the integral forms of the equations of motion and the corresponding perturbative approximation. Subsequently presented derivations, results, and conclusions remain unchanged.......We correct typographical errors in four equations showing the integral forms of the equations of motion and the corresponding perturbative approximation. Subsequently presented derivations, results, and conclusions remain unchanged....

  18. U.S. Navy Ships Food Service Divisions: Modernizing Inventory Management

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-06-01

    management procedures for receipt, inventory, stowage, and issue of provisions onboard ships have remained relatively unchanged for decades. Culinary ...improve the quality of life for Culinary Specialists 15. NUMBER OF PAGES 87 14. SUBJECT TERMS Inventory management , records keeper, stores onload...remained relatively unchanged for decades. Culinary Specialists are utilizing an antiquated and unreliable inventory management program (the Food

  19. Decadal re-evaluation of contaminant exposure and productivity of ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) nesting in Chesapeake Bay Regions of Concern

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lazarus, Rebecca S.; Rattner, Barnett A.; McGowan, Peter C.; Hale, Robert C.; Schultz, Sandra L.; Karouna-Renier, Natalie K.; Ottinger, Mary Ann

    2015-01-01

    The last large-scale ecotoxicological study of ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) in Chesapeake Bay was conducted in 2000–2001 and focused on U.S. EPA-designated Regions of Concern (ROCs; Baltimore Harbor/Patapsco, Anacostia/middle Potomac, and Elizabeth Rivers). In 2011–2012, ROCs were re-evaluated to determine spatial and temporal trends in productivity and contaminants. Concentrations of p,p′-DDE were low in eggs and below the threshold associated with eggshell thinning. Eggs from the Anacostia/middle Potomac Rivers had lower total PCB concentrations in 2011 than in 2000; however, concentrations remained unchanged in Baltimore Harbor. Polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants declined by 40%, and five alternative brominated flame retardants were detected at low levels. Osprey productivity was adequate to sustain local populations, and there was no relation between productivity and halogenated contaminants. Our findings document continued recovery of the osprey population, declining levels of many persistent halogenated compounds, and modest evidence of genetic damage in nestlings from industrialized regions. - Highlights: • This study documents the continued recovery of the Chesapeake Bay osprey population. • Osprey eggshells have nearly returned to pre-DDT-era thickness. • Organochlorine pesticides are low in eggs, but PCB levels seem unchanged in industrialized areas. • PBDE flame retardants have declined in eggs, but seem to peak near wastewater treatment plants. • There is some evidence of genetic damage in nestling blood samples in the most industrialized areas. - While the Chesapeake Bay osprey population has recovered, concentrations of some persistent contaminants in eggs remain unchanged, and there is some evidence of genetic damage in nestlings

  20. Stratigraphy and chronology of the WLH 50 human remains, Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area, Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grün, Rainer; Spooner, Nigel; Magee, John; Thorne, Alan; Simpson, John; Yan, Ge; Mortimer, Graham

    2011-05-01

    We present a detailed description of the geological setting of the burial site of the WLH 50 human remains along with attempts to constrain the age of this important human fossil. Freshwater shells collected at the surface of Unit 3, which is most closely associated with the human remains, and a carbonate sample that encrusted the human bone were analysed. Gamma spectrometry was carried out on the WLH 50 calvaria and TIMS U-series analysis on a small post-cranial bone fragment. OSL dating was applied to a sample from Unit 3 at a level from which the WLH 50 remains may have eroded, as well as from the underlying sediments. Considering the geochemistry of the samples analysed, as well as the possibility of reworking or burial from younger layers, the age of the WLH 50 remains lies between 12.2 ± 1.8 and 32.8 ± 4.6 ka (2-σ errors). Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Peak-bone-mass development in young adults: effects of study program related levels of occupational and leisure time physical activity and exercise. A prospective 5-year study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kemmler, W; Bebenek, M; von Stengel, S; Bauer, J

    2015-02-01

    Young adulthood is characterized by profound life-style changes. This study suggests that reduction of sport or exercise, induced by alteration of the occupational situation, negatively impacts generation/maintenance of peak bone mass. In order to compensate occupational-related reductions of physical activity, workplace exercise programs will be helpful. Only few studies have determined the effect of physical activity or physical exercise on bone mineral density (BMD) in the period of late skeletal maturation, i.e. around peak bone mass. The aim of this article was to determine the long-term effect of different levels of physical activity and exercise directly and indirectly derived by occupation during young adulthood. Sixty-one male and female dental students (DES) and 53 male and female sport students (SPS) 21±2 years old were accompanied over the course (4.8±0.5 years) of their study program. BMD at the lumbar spine (LS), hip, and whole body (WB) were determined using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Parameters of physical activity increased non-significantly in both groups with no relevant differences between the groups. Indices of exercise, however, increased significantly in the SPS group while a significant decrease was assessed for the DES group. Independent of gender, BMD of the SPS increased significantly (p≤0.007) at all skeletal sites (LS, 2.4±3.9%; hip, 1.6±3.5%; WB, 1.8±2.8%) while BMD of the DES remained unchanged at LS (-0.6±4.4%, p=0.432) and WB (0.5±1.9%, p=0.092) but decreased significantly at the hip (-1.9±4.3%, p=0.010). BMD-changes at LS, hip, and WB differ significantly between SPS and DES (p≤0.017). Results remained unchanged after adjusting for baseline BMD-values that differed (p=0.030 to p=0.082) in favor of the SPS group. Changes of exercise levels directly or indirectly caused by occupational factors during young adulthood significantly affected generation and/or maintenance of peak bone mass. Compensatory exercise is

  2. Pulse width modulated buck-boost five-level current source inverters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blaabjerg, Frede; Gao, F.; Loh, P.C.

    2008-01-01

    , resulting in the natural balance of input current. For maintaining the normalized volt-sec average unchanged, the alternative phase opposition disposition (APOD) modulation scheme with typical gating signal mapping technique from voltage source inverter (VSI) to CSI can be assumed to control the five......This paper presents new five-level current source inverters (CSIs) with voltage/current buck-boost capability. Being different from the existing multilevel CSI, the proposed CSIs were first designed to regulate the flowing path of dc input current by controlling two additional active switches......-level buck-boost CSIs. Next by observing the hidden current charging path during inductive charging interval under APOD modulation, it is noted that the buck-boost five-level CSI can then be further modified with lesser active component without degrading output performance. To verify the theoretical findings...

  3. Radiation therapy for age-related macular degeneration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Takagi, Chikako; Mori, Hideo; Akuta, Keizou [Otsu Red Cross Hospital, Shiga (Japan); Yoshimura, Nagahisa

    1998-04-01

    We evaluated the effect of low-dose radiation on age-related macular degeneration in 8 affected eyes. Radiation was applied using photons at 4 MV. Each eye received 10 fractions of 2 Gy per day over 2 weeks. At 6 months after treatment, funduscopic or angiographic findings had either improved or remained unchanged in all the eyes. The visual acuity improved by 2 lines or more in 2 eyes (25%), remained unchanged in 5 eyes (63%) and deteriorated in 1 eye (13%). At the last examination, fundus findings had improved in 2 eyes (25%), remained unchanged in 1 eye (13%) and deteriorated in 5 eyes (63%). The visual acuity had improved or unchanged in 2 eyes each (25%) and deteriorated in 4 eyes (50%). There has been no negative side effects of radiation. Above findings show that low-dose radiation is potentially beneficial for subfoveal or juxtafoveal choroidal neovascularizations in age-related macular degeneration on a short term basis. (author)

  4. Cold induced changes of adenosine levels in common eelpout (Zoarces viviparus): a role in modulating cytochrome c oxidase expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eckerle, L G; Lucassen, M; Hirse, T; Pörtner, H O

    2008-04-01

    Exposure of ectothermic organisms to variations in temperatures causes a transient mismatch between energy supply and demand, which needs to be compensated for during acclimation. Adenosine accumulation from ATP breakdown indicates such an imbalance and its reversal reflects a restoration of energy status. We monitored adenosine levels in blood serum and liver of common eelpout (Zoarces viviparus) during cold exposure in vivo. Furthermore, we tested its effect on the pattern of thermal acclimation in hepatocytes isolated from cold- (4 degrees C) versus warm- (11 degrees C) exposed fish. Adenosine levels increased during cold exposure in vivo and reached a transient maximum after 24 h in serum, but remained permanently elevated in liver. Whole animal cold acclimation induced a rise of liver citrate synthase activity by 44+/-15%, but left cytochrome c oxidase activity (COX) and RNA expression of the respective genes unchanged. Cold incubation of hepatocytes from warm-acclimated fish failed to cause an increase of mitochondrial enzyme activities despite increased COX4 mRNA levels. Conversely, warm acclimation of hepatocytes from cold-acclimated fish reduced both enzyme activities and COX2 and COX4 mRNA levels by 26-37%. Adenosine treatment of both warm- and cold-acclimated hepatocytes suppressed COX activities but activated COX mRNA expression. These effects were not receptor mediated. The present findings indicate that adenosine has the potential to regulate mitochondrial functioning in vivo, albeit the pathways resulting in the contrasting effects on expression and activity need to be identified.

  5. Toxoplasma gondii infection specifically increases the levels of key host microRNAs.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gusti M Zeiner

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii can infect and replicate in virtually any nucleated cell in many species of warm-blooded animals; thus, it has evolved the ability to exploit well-conserved biological processes common to its diverse hosts. Here we have investigated whether Toxoplasma modulates the levels of host microRNAs (miRNAs during infection.Using microarray profiling and a combination of conventional molecular approaches we report that Toxoplasma specifically modulates the expression of important host microRNAs during infection. We show that both the primary transcripts for miR-17 approximately 92 and miR-106b approximately 25 and the pivotal miRNAs that are derived from miR-17 approximately 92 display increased abundance in Toxoplasma-infected primary human cells; a Toxoplasma-dependent up-regulation of the miR-17 approximately 92 promoter is at least partly responsible for this increase. The abundance of mature miR-17 family members, which are derived from these two miRNA clusters, remains unchanged in host cells infected with the closely related apicomplexan Neospora caninum; thus, the Toxoplasma-induced increase in their abundance is a highly directed process rather than a general host response to infection.Altered levels of miR-17 approximately 92 and miR-106b approximately 25 are known to play crucial roles in mammalian cell regulation and have been implicated in numerous hyperproliferative diseases although the mechanisms driving their altered expression are unknown. Hence, in addition to the implications of these findings on the host-pathogen interaction, Toxoplasma may represent a powerful probe for understanding the normal mechanisms that regulate the levels of key host miRNAs.

  6. Effects of lead poisoning on various plasma constituents in the Canada goose

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    March, G.L.; John, T.M.; McKeown, B.A.; Sileo, L.; George, J.C.

    1976-01-01

    Plasma glucose, free fatty acid and uric acid levels were measured in lead-poisoned Canada geese (Branta canadensis). Although plasma glucose levels were only slightly elevated, uric acid was significantly higher and free fatty acids were significantly lower. Altered plasma levels were attributed to increased protein catabolism and renal dysfunction. Plasma level of growth hormone and prolactin was assessed by radioimmunoassay. Growth hormone remained unchanged while prolactin was unusually high. The increased prolactin levels may reflect an effort to stabilize free fatty acids. 30 references, 1 figure, 2 tables

  7. The use of fish remains in sediments for the reconstruction of paleoproductivity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Drago, T; Santos, A M P; Pinheiro, J [Institute Nacional de Recursos Biologicos (INRB), L-IPIMAR, Av. 5 de Outubro s/n 8700-305 OLHaO (Portugal); Ferreira-Bartrina, V [Centra de Investigacion CientIfica y de Educacion Superior de Ensenada- CICESE, Km. 107 Carretera Tijuana, C.P.22860, Ensenada, B.C. (Mexico)], E-mail: tdrago@ipimar.pt

    2009-01-01

    The majority of the works concerning fish productivity are based in fish landing records. However, in order to understand the causes of variability in fish productivity (natural and/or anthropogenic) it is essential to have information from periods when human impacts (e.g., fisheries) are considered unimportant. This can be achieved through the use of fish remains, i.e. scales, vertebrae and otoliths, from sediment records. The obtained data can be used to develop time series of fish stocks revealing the history of fish population dynamics over the last centuries or millennia. The majority of these works are located in Eastern Boundary Current Systems (e.g., Benguela, Peru-Humboldt, California), because these are associated with coastal upwelling and high productivity, which in some cases is at the origin of low bottom oxygen levels, leading to scale preservation. A search for fish remains in the Portuguese margin sediments is in progress in the context of the ongoing research project POPEI (High-resolution oceanic paleoproductivity and environmental changes; correlation with fish populations), which intend to fill the gap in studies of this type for the Canary Current System. In this paper we review some general ideas of the use of fish remains, related studies, methodologies and data processing, as well as presenting the first results of POPEI.

  8. Blood lead: Its effect on trace element levels and iron structure in hemoglobin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jin, C.; Li, Y.; Li, Y.L.; Zou, Y.; Zhang, G.L.; Normura, M.; Zhu, G.Y.

    2008-01-01

    Lead is a ubiquitous environmental pollutant that induce a broad range of physiological and biochemical dysfunctions. The purpose of this study was to investigate its effects on trace elements and the iron structure in hemoglobin. Blood samples were collected from rats that had been exposed to lead. The concentration of trace elements in whole blood and blood plasma was determined by ICP-MS and the results indicate that lead exists mainly in the red blood cells and only about 1-3% in the blood plasma. Following lead exposure, the concentrations of zinc and iron in blood decrease, as does the hemoglobin level. This indicates that the heme biosynthetic pathway is inhibited by lead toxicity and that lead poisoning-associated anemia occurs. The selenium concentration also decreases after lead exposure, which may lead to an increased rate of free radical production. The effect of lead in the blood on iron structure in hemoglobin was determined by EXAFS. After lead exposure, the Fe-O bond length increases by about 0.07 A and the Fe-Np bond length slightly increases, but the Fe-N ε bond length remains unchanged. This indicates that the blood content of Hb increases, but that the content of HbO 2 decreases

  9. Flaxseed oil supplementation manipulates correlations between serum individual mol % free fatty acid levels and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetics. Insulin resistance and percent remaining pancreatic β-cell function are unaffected.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barre, D E; Mizier-Barre, K A; Griscti, O; Hafez, K

    2016-10-01

    Elevated total serum free fatty acids (FFAs) concentrations have been suggested, controversially, to enhance insulin resistance and decrease percent remaining β-cell function. However, concentrations of individual serum FFAs have never been published in terms of their relationship (correlation) to homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and percent remaining β-cell function (HOMA-%β) in the type 2 diabetics (T2Ds). Alpha-linolenic acid consumption has a negative correlation with the insulin resistance, which in turn is negatively correlated with the remaining β-cell function. The primary objective was to test the hypothesis that there would be different relationship (correlation) between the blood serum individual free FFA mol % levels and HOMA-IR and/or HOMA-%β in T2D. The secondary objective was to test the hypothesis that flaxseed oil, previously being shown to be ineffective in the glycemic control in T2Ds, may alter these correlations in a statistically significant manner as well as HOMA-IR and/or HOMA-%β. Patients were recruited via a newspaper advertisement and two physicians have been employed. All the patients came to visit one and three months later for a second visit. At the second visit, the subjects were randomly assigned (double blind) to flaxseed or safflower oil treatment for three months, until the third visit. Different statistically significant correlations or trends towards among some serum individual free FFA mol % levels and HOMA-IR and HOMA-%β, pre- and post-flaxseed and safflower oil supplementation were found. However, flaxseed oil had no impact on HOMA-IR or HOMA-%β despite statistically significant alterations in correlations compared to baseline HOMA-IR. The obtained data indicate that high doses of flaxseed oil have no statistically significant effect on HOMA-IR or HOMA-%β in T2Ds, probably due to the additive effects of negative and positive correlations.

  10. Sonographic evolution of hepatocellular carcinoma associated with cirrhosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mazzola, G.; Virdone, R.; Orlando, A.; Turri, A.; Caltagirone, M.; Fusco, G.; Parisi, P.; Cottone, M.

    1989-01-01

    To study the sonographic (US) evolution of hepatocellular carcinoma, 53 tumors in 45 untreated patients were observed regulary with real-time US for a period of 6 to 56 months. At the beginning, 25 tumors were hypoechoic, 18 isoechoic, 4 hyperechoic, and 6 had mixed hypo/hyper echopatterns. At the follow-up, 7 initially hypoechoic tumors had changed to hyperechoic or to mixed echopatterns; 8 hypoechoic tumors had becom isoechoic; 9 of the 25 initially hypoechoic neoplastic lesions had maintained the same echodensity. Ten of the 15 initially isoechoic tumors had changed to mixed echopatterns and 5 had remained unchanged. Three initially isoechoic lesions and a hypoechoic one had turned into diffuse patterns; 2 initially hyperechoic neoplastic lesions had remained unchanged; 1 had switched into hypoechoic, and 1 changed to mixed echopattern; 4 out of 6 tumors with echopattern had remained unchanged, 1 had become hyperechoic and 1 hypoechoic. The current study has proven variou tumors ≤3 cm in diameter to be isoechoic and most tumors >3 in diameter to have mixed hypo/hyper echopatterns. The echogenicity of small hepatocellular carcinomas increases with the tumor growth and remains unchanged when they do not increase in size

  11. Intrauterine Zn Deficiency Favors Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone-Increasing Effects on Thyrotropin Serum Levels and Induces Subclinical Hypothyroidism in Weaned Rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Viridiana Alcántara-Alonso

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Individuals who consume a diet deficient in zinc (Zn-deficient develop alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis function, i.e., a low metabolic rate and cold insensitivity. Although those disturbances are related to primary hypothyroidism, intrauterine or postnatal Zn-deficient adults have an increased thyrotropin (TSH concentration, but unchanged thyroid hormone (TH levels and decreased body weight. This does not support the view that the hypothyroidism develops due to a low Zn intake. In addition, intrauterine or postnatal Zn-deficiency in weaned and adult rats reduces the activity of pyroglutamyl aminopeptidase II (PPII in the medial-basal hypothalamus (MBH. PPII is an enzyme that degrades thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH. This hypothalamic peptide stimulates its receptor in adenohypophysis, thereby increasing TSH release. We analyzed whether earlier low TH is responsible for the high TSH levels reported in adults, or if TRH release is enhanced by Zn deficiency at weaning. Dams were fed a 2 ppm Zn-deficient diet in the period from one week prior to gestation and up to three weeks after delivery. We found a high release of hypothalamic TRH, which along with reduced MBH PPII activity, increased TSH levels in Zn-deficient pups independently of changes in TH concentration. We found that primary hypothyroidism did not develop in intrauterine Zn-deficient weaned rats and we confirmed that metal deficiency enhances TSH levels since early-life, favoring subclinical hypothyroidism development which remains into adulthood.

  12. Carrier relaxation in (In,Ga)As quantum dots with magnetic field-induced anharmonic level structure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kurtze, H.; Bayer, M. [Experimentelle Physik 2, TU Dortmund, D-44221 Dortmund (Germany)

    2016-07-04

    Sophisticated models have been worked out to explain the fast relaxation of carriers into quantum dot ground states after non-resonant excitation, overcoming the originally proposed phonon bottleneck. We apply a magnetic field along the quantum dot heterostructure growth direction to transform the confined level structure, which can be approximated by a Fock–Darwin spectrum, from a nearly equidistant level spacing at zero field to strong anharmonicity in finite fields. This changeover leaves the ground state carrier population rise time unchanged suggesting that fast relaxation is maintained upon considerable changes of the level spacing. This corroborates recent models explaining the relaxation by polaron formation in combination with quantum kinetic effects.

  13. Running a marathon induces changes in adipokine levels and in markers of cartilage degradation--novel role for resistin.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katriina Vuolteenaho

    Full Text Available Running a marathon causes strenuous joint loading and increased energy expenditure. Adipokines regulate energy metabolism, but recent studies have indicated that they also exert a role in cartilage degradation in arthritis. Our aim was to investigate the effects of running a marathon on the levels of adipokines and indices of cartilage metabolism. Blood samples were obtained from 46 male marathoners before and after a marathon run. We measured levels of matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3, cartilage oligomeric protein (COMP and chitinase 3-like protein 1 (YKL-40 as biomarkers of cartilage turnover and/or damage and plasma concentrations of adipokines adiponectin, leptin and resistin. Mean marathon time was 3:30:46±0:02:46 (h:min:sec. The exertion more than doubled MMP-3 levels and this change correlated negatively with the marathon time (r = -0.448, p = 0.002. YKL-40 levels increased by 56% and the effect on COMP release was variable. Running a marathon increased the levels of resistin and adiponectin, while leptin levels remained unchanged. The marathon-induced changes in resistin levels were positively associated with the changes in MMP-3 (r = 0.382, p = 0.009 and YKL-40 (r = 0.588, p<0.001 and the pre-marathon resistin levels correlated positively with the marathon induced change in YKL-40 (r = 0.386, p = 0.008. The present results show the impact of running a marathon, and possible load frequency, on cartilage metabolism: the faster the marathon was run, the greater was the increase in MMP-3 levels. Further, the results introduce pro-inflammatory adipocytokine resistin as a novel factor, which enhances during marathon race and associates with markers of cartilage degradation.

  14. Sulforaphane restores cellular glutathione levels and reduces chronic periodontitis neutrophil hyperactivity in vitro.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irundika H K Dias

    Full Text Available The production of high levels of reactive oxygen species by neutrophils is associated with the local and systemic destructive phenotype found in the chronic inflammatory disease periodontitis. In the present study, we investigated the ability of sulforaphane (SFN to restore cellular glutathione levels and reduce the hyperactivity of circulating neutrophils associated with chronic periodontitis. Using differentiated HL60 cells as a neutrophil model, here we show that generation of extracellular O2 (. - by the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADPH oxidase complex is increased by intracellular glutathione depletion. This may be attributed to the upregulation of thiol regulated acid sphingomyelinase driven lipid raft formation. Intracellular glutathione was also lower in primary neutrophils from periodontitis patients and, consistent with our previous findings, patients neutrophils were hyper-reactive to stimuli. The activity of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2, a master regulator of the antioxidant response, is impaired in circulating neutrophils from chronic periodontitis patients. Although patients' neutrophils exhibit a low reduced glutathione (GSH/oxidised glutathione (GSSG ratio and a higher total Nrf2 level, the DNA-binding activity of nuclear Nrf2 remained unchanged relative to healthy controls and had reduced expression of glutamate cysteine ligase catalytic (GCLC, and modifier (GCLM subunit mRNAs, compared to periodontally healthy subjects neutrophils. Pre-treatment with SFN increased expression of GCLC and GCM, improved intracellular GSH/GSSG ratios and reduced agonist-activated extracellular O2 (. - production in both dHL60 and primary neutrophils from patients with periodontitis and controls. These findings suggest that a deficiency in Nrf2-dependent pathways may underpin susceptibility to hyper-reactivity in circulating primary neutrophils during chronic periodontitis.

  15. Sulforaphane restores cellular glutathione levels and reduces chronic periodontitis neutrophil hyperactivity in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dias, Irundika H K; Chapple, Ian L C; Milward, Mike; Grant, Melissa M; Hill, Eric; Brown, James; Griffiths, Helen R

    2013-01-01

    The production of high levels of reactive oxygen species by neutrophils is associated with the local and systemic destructive phenotype found in the chronic inflammatory disease periodontitis. In the present study, we investigated the ability of sulforaphane (SFN) to restore cellular glutathione levels and reduce the hyperactivity of circulating neutrophils associated with chronic periodontitis. Using differentiated HL60 cells as a neutrophil model, here we show that generation of extracellular O2 (. -) by the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADPH) oxidase complex is increased by intracellular glutathione depletion. This may be attributed to the upregulation of thiol regulated acid sphingomyelinase driven lipid raft formation. Intracellular glutathione was also lower in primary neutrophils from periodontitis patients and, consistent with our previous findings, patients neutrophils were hyper-reactive to stimuli. The activity of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a master regulator of the antioxidant response, is impaired in circulating neutrophils from chronic periodontitis patients. Although patients' neutrophils exhibit a low reduced glutathione (GSH)/oxidised glutathione (GSSG) ratio and a higher total Nrf2 level, the DNA-binding activity of nuclear Nrf2 remained unchanged relative to healthy controls and had reduced expression of glutamate cysteine ligase catalytic (GCLC), and modifier (GCLM) subunit mRNAs, compared to periodontally healthy subjects neutrophils. Pre-treatment with SFN increased expression of GCLC and GCM, improved intracellular GSH/GSSG ratios and reduced agonist-activated extracellular O2 (. -) production in both dHL60 and primary neutrophils from patients with periodontitis and controls. These findings suggest that a deficiency in Nrf2-dependent pathways may underpin susceptibility to hyper-reactivity in circulating primary neutrophils during chronic periodontitis.

  16. The Impact of Nursing Leader's Behavioral Integrity and Intragroup Relationship Conflict on Staff Nurses' Intention to Remain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Seung-Wan; Lee, Soojin; Choi, Suk Bong

    2017-05-01

    This study tested a multilevel model examining the effect of nursing leader's behavioral integrity and intragroup relationship conflict on staff nurses' intent to remain. In the challenging situation of nursing shortage, nurse executives are required to focus on the retention of nurses. No previous studies have examined the impact of nursing leader's behavioral integrity and intragroup relationship conflict on nurses' intention to remain. A cross-sectional survey of 480 RNs in 34 nursing units of a large public hospital in South Korea was conducted to test the hypothesized multilevel model. Nursing leader's behavioral integrity was positively related to nurses' intention to remain (b = 0.34, P relationship was enhanced when the level of intragroup relationship conflict was high (b = 0.21, P relationship conflict should endeavor to maintain their behavioral integrity to promote nurses' intention to remain.

  17. Excess boron responsive regulations of antioxidative mechanism at physio-biochemical and molecular levels in Arabidopsis thaliana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kayıhan, Doğa Selin; Kayıhan, Ceyhun; Çiftçi, Yelda Özden

    2016-12-01

    This work was aimed to evaluate the effect of boron (B) toxicity on oxidative damage level, non-enzymatic antioxidant accumulation such as anthocyanin, flavonoid and proline and expression levels of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT) and glutathione reductase (GR) and their respective activities as well as expression levels of miR398 and miR408 in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plants were germinated and grown on MS medium containing 1 mM B (1B) and 3 mM B (3B) for 14 d. Toxic B led to a decrease of photosynthetic pigments and an increase in accumulation of total soluble and insoluble sugars in accordance with phenotypically viewed chlorosis of seedlings through increasing level of B concentration. Along with these inhibitions, a corresponding increase in contents of flavonoid, anthocyanin and proline occurred that provoked oxidative stress tolerance. 3B caused a remarkable increase in total SOD activity whereas the activities of APX, GR and CAT remained unchanged as verified by expected increase in H 2 O 2 content. In contrast to GR, the coincidence was found between the expressions of SOD and APX genes and their respective activities. 1B induced mir398 expression, whereas 3B did not cause any significant change in expression of mir408 and mir398. Expression levels of GR genes were coordinately regulated with DHAR2 expression. Moreover, the changes in expression level of MDAR2 was in accordance with changes in APX6 expression and total APX activity, indicating fine-tuned regulation of ascorbate-glutathione cycle which might trigger antioxidative responses against B toxicity in Arabidopsis thaliana. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  18. The GDP-Energy Link

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bourdaire, J.M.

    2000-01-01

    The analysis of primary or final energy consumptions as a function of total regional GDP, aggregated on the basis of purchasing power parities, does not bring significant results for the transition economies because of the poor quality of their data. Conversely, for the market economies, such an analysis highlights the regularity of the trends as long as final prices remain unchanged, the nature of energy shock impacts and the close relationship between the energy intensity and the level of final prices. French energy evolutions are similar and lead to question what the benefits brought by energy efficiency policies are. These benefits seem to be qualitative only, i.e. more comfort and well-being, with no indication of lesser energy consumption as long as the final prices remain unchanged. The conclusion is three-fold: importance of prices reflecting all costs, choice of supply policies which can shoulder energy shocks, and need to continue and deepen the energy debate. (authors)

  19. Kadav Moun PSA (:60) (Human Remains)

    Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

    2010-02-18

    This is an important public health announcement about safety precautions for those handling human remains. Language: Haitian Creole.  Created: 2/18/2010 by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).   Date Released: 2/18/2010.

  20. Time Remains

    OpenAIRE

    Gryb, Sean; Thebault, Karim

    2014-01-01

    On one popular view, the general covariance of gravity implies that change is relational in a strong sense, such that all it is for a physical degree of freedom to change is for it to vary with regard to a second physical degree of freedom. At a quantum level, this view of change as relative variation leads to a fundamentally timeless formalism for quantum gravity. Here, we will show how one may avoid this acute 'problem of time'. Under our view, duration is still regarded as relative, but te...

  1. Role of Sediment Size and Biostratinomy on the Development of Biofilms in Recent Avian Vertebrate Remains

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joseph E. Peterson

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Microscopic soft tissues have been identified in fossil vertebrate remains collected from various lithologies. However, the diagenetic mechanisms to preserve such tissues have remained elusive. While previous studies have described infiltration of biofilms in Haversian and Volkmann's canals, biostratinomic alteration (e.g., trampling, and iron derived from hemoglobin as playing roles in the preservation processes, the influence of sediment texture has not previously been investigated. This study uses a Kolmogorov Smirnov Goodness-of-Fit test to explore the influence of biostratinomic variability and burial media against the infiltration of biofilms in bone samples. Controlled columns of sediment with bone samples were used to simulate burial and subsequent groundwater flow. Sediments used in this study include clay-, silt-, and sand-sized particles modeled after various fluvial facies commonly associated with fossil vertebrates. Extant limb bone samples obtained from Gallus gallus domesticus (Domestic Chicken buried in clay-rich sediment exhibit heavy biofilm infiltration, while bones buried in sands and silts exhibit moderate levels. Crushed bones exhibit significantly lower biofilm infiltration than whole bone samples. Strong interactions between biostratinomic alteration and sediment size are also identified with respect to biofilm development. Sediments modeling crevasse splay deposits exhibit considerable variability; whole-bone crevasse splay samples exhibit higher frequencies of high-level biofilm infiltration, and crushed-bone samples in modeled crevasse splay deposits display relatively high frequencies of low-level biofilm infiltration. These results suggest that sediment size, depositional setting, and biostratinomic condition play key roles in biofilm infiltration in vertebrate remains, and may influence soft tissue preservation in fossil vertebrates.

  2. Role of sediment size and biostratinomy on the development of biofilms in recent avian vertebrate remains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Joseph E.; Lenczewski, Melissa E.; Clawson, Steven R.; Warnock, Jonathan P.

    2017-04-01

    Microscopic soft tissues have been identified in fossil vertebrate remains collected from various lithologies. However, the diagenetic mechanisms to preserve such tissues have remained elusive. While previous studies have described infiltration of biofilms in Haversian and Volkmann’s canals, biostratinomic alteration (e.g., trampling), and iron derived from hemoglobin as playing roles in the preservation processes, the influence of sediment texture has not previously been investigated. This study uses a Kolmogorov Smirnov Goodness-of-Fit test to explore the influence of biostratinomic variability and burial media against the infiltration of biofilms in bone samples. Controlled columns of sediment with bone samples were used to simulate burial and subsequent groundwater flow. Sediments used in this study include clay-, silt-, and sand-sized particles modeled after various fluvial facies commonly associated with fossil vertebrates. Extant limb bone samples obtained from Gallus gallus domesticus (Domestic Chicken) buried in clay-rich sediment exhibit heavy biofilm infiltration, while bones buried in sands and silts exhibit moderate levels. Crushed bones exhibit significantly lower biofilm infiltration than whole bone samples. Strong interactions between biostratinomic alteration and sediment size are also identified with respect to biofilm development. Sediments modeling crevasse splay deposits exhibit considerable variability; whole-bone crevasse splay samples exhibit higher frequencies of high-level biofilm infiltration, and crushed-bone samples in modeled crevasse splay deposits display relatively high frequencies of low-level biofilm infiltration. These results suggest that sediment size, depositional setting, and biostratinomic condition play key roles in biofilm infiltration in vertebrate remains, and may influence soft tissue preservation in fossil vertebrates.

  3. Sensitivity Enhancement of a PPM Level Capacitive Moisture Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lokesh Kumar

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Measurement of moisture at ppm or ppb level is very difficult and the fabrication of such sensors at low cost is always challenging. High sensitivity is an important parameter for trace level (ppm humidity sensors. Anelectronic detection circuit for interfacing the humidity sensor with high sensitivity requires a simple hardware circuit with few active devices. The recent trends for increasing the sensitivity include fabricating nanoporous film with a very large surface area. In the present work, the sensitivity of a parallel plate capacitive type sensor with metal oxide sensing film has been significantly improved with an aim to detect moisture from 3 to 100 ppm in the industrial process gases used to fabricate semiconductors and other sensitive electronic devices. The sensitivity has been increased by (i fabricating a nanoporous film of aluminum oxide using the sol-gel method and (ii increasing the cross-sectional area of a parallel plate capacitor. A novel double sided capacitive structure has been proposed where two capacitors have been fabricated—one on the top and one on the bottom side of a flat alumina substrate—and then the capacitors are connected in parallel. The structure has twice the sensitivity of a single sensor in the same ppm range but the size of the structure remains unchanged. The important characteristics of the sensors such as the sensitivity (S = Δ C Δ p p m × 100 , the response time (tr, and the recovery time (tc are determined and compared with a commercial SHAW, UKdew point meter. The fabricated double sided sensor has comparable sensitivity (S = 100%, tr (s = 28, tc (s = 40 with the commercial meter (S = 100.5%, tr (s = 258 but has a faster response time. The proposed method of sensitivity enhancement is simple, and mass producible.

  4. Underlying mechanisms leading to El Niño-to-La Niña transition are unchanged under global warming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yun, Kyung-Sook; Yeh, Sang-Wook; Ha, Kyung-Ja

    2018-05-01

    El Niño's transitions play critical roles in modulating severe weather and climate events. Therefore, understanding the dynamic factors leading to El Niño's transitions and its future projection is a great challenge in predicting the diverse socioeconomic influences of El Niño over the globe. This study focuses on two dynamic factors controlling the El Niño-to-La Niña transition from the present climate and to future climate, using the observation, the historical and the RCP8.5 simulations of Coupled Model Intercomparison phase 5 climate models. The first is the inter-basin coupling between the Indian Ocean and the western North Pacific through the subtropical high variability. The second is the enhanced sensitivity between sea surface temperature and a deep tropical convection in the central tropical Pacific during the El Niño's developing phase. We show that the dynamic factors leading to El Niño-to-La Niña transition in the present climate are unchanged in spite of the increase of greenhouse gas concentrations. We argue that the two dynamic factors are strongly constrained by the climatological precipitation distribution over the central tropical Pacific and western North Pacific as little changed from the present climate to future climate. This implies that two dynamical processes leading to El Niño-to-La Niña transitions in the present climate will also play a robust role in global warming.

  5. The Annuity Puzzle Remains a Puzzle

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Peijnenburg, J.M.J.; Werker, Bas; Nijman, Theo

    We examine incomplete annuity menus and background risk as possible drivers of divergence from full annuitization. Contrary to what is often suggested in the literature, we find that full annuitization remains optimal if saving is possible after retirement. This holds irrespective of whether real or

  6. Treatment of burning mouth syndrome with a low-level energy diode laser.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Hui-Wen; Huang, Yu-Feng

    2011-02-01

    To test the therapeutic efficacy of low-level energy diode laser on burning mouth syndrome. Burning mouth syndrome is characterized by burning and painful sensations in the mouth, especially the tongue, in the absence of significant mucosal abnormalities. Although burning mouth syndrome is relatively common, little is known regarding its etiology and pathophysiology. As a result, no treatment is effective in all patients. Low-level energy diode laser therapy has been used in a variety of chronic and acute pain conditions, including neck, back and myofascial pain, degenerative osteoarthritis, and headache. A total of 17 patients who had been diagnosed with burning mouth syndrome were treated with an 800-nm wavelength diode laser. A straight handpiece was used with an end of 1-cm diameter with the fiber end standing 4 cm away from the end of handpiece. When the laser was applied, the handpiece directly contacted or was immediately above the symptomatic lingual surface. The output used was 3 W, 50 msec intermittent pulsing, and a frequency of 10 Hz, which was equivalent to an average power of 1.5 W/cm(2) (3 W × 0.05 msec × 10 Hz = 1.5 W/cm(2)). Depending on the involved area, laser was applied to a 1-cm(2) area for 70 sec until all involved area was covered. Overall pain and discomfort were analyzed with a 10-cm visual analogue scale. All patients received diode laser therapy between one and seven times. The average pain score before the treatment was 6.7 (ranging from 2.9 to 9.8). The results showed an average reduction in pain of 47.6% (ranging from 9.3% to 91.8%). The burning sensation remained unchanged for up to 12 months. Low-level energy diode laser may be an effective treatment for burning mouth syndrome.

  7. Impact of elevated levels of atmospheric CO2 and herbivory on flavonoids of soybean (Glycine max Linnaeus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Neill, Bridget F; Zangerl, Arthur R; Dermody, Orla; Bilgin, Damla D; Casteel, Clare L; Zavala, Jorge A; DeLucia, Evan H; Berenbaum, May R

    2010-01-01

    Atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) have been increasing steadily over the last century. Plants grown under elevated CO2 conditions experience physiological changes, particularly in phytochemical content, that can influence their suitability as food for insects. Flavonoids are important plant defense compounds and antioxidants that can have a large effect on leaf palatability and herbivore longevity. In this study, flavonoid content was examined in foliage of soybean (Glycine max Linnaeus) grown under ambient and elevated levels of CO2 and subjected to damage by herbivores in three feeding guilds: leaf skeletonizer (Popillia japonica Newman), leaf chewer (Vanessa cardui Linnaeus), and phloem feeder (Aphis glycines Matsumura). Flavonoid content also was examined in foliage of soybean grown under ambient and elevated levels of O3 and subjected to damage by the leaf skeletonizer P. japonica. The presence of the isoflavones genistein and daidzein and the flavonols quercetin and kaempferol was confirmed in all plants examined, as were their glycosides. All compounds significantly increased in concentration as the growing season progressed. Concentrations of quercetin glycosides were higher in plants grown under elevated levels of CO2. The majority of compounds in foliage were induced in response to leaf skeletonization damage but remained unchanged in response to non-skeletonizing feeding or phloem-feeding. Most compounds increased in concentration in plants grown under elevated levels of O3. Insects feeding on G. max foliage growing under elevated levels of CO2 may derive additional antioxidant benefits from their host plants as a consequence of the change in ratios of flavonoid classes. This nutritional benefit could lead to increased herbivore longevity and increased damage to soybean (and perhaps other crop plants) in the future.

  8. New erection program of the hydroelectric power plant Beznau. Das Neubauprojekt des hydraulischen Kraftwerkes Beznau

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bretscher, B; Hauenstein, W [NOK Nordostschweizerische Kraftwerke AG, Baden (Switzerland)

    1992-02-21

    The projected hydroelectric power plant at Beznau on the Aare river will produce about 43% more electric power than the present hydroelectric power plant. The water level and the buildings in the Aare will remain unchanged, so that the enviromental impact will be relativley slight. The project is in accordance with the building permit so that no adaptations on modifications will be required. (orig.).

  9. Intestinal levels of anandamide and oleoylethanolamide in food-deprived rats are regulated through their precursors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Gitte; Sørensen, Camilla; Schmid, Patricia C

    2006-01-01

    The anorectic lipid oleoylethanolamide and the orexigenic lipid anandamide both belong to the group of N-acylethanolamines that are generated by the enzyme N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine-hydrolyzing phospholipase D. The levels of the two bioactive lipids were investigated in rat intestines after 24...... h of starvation as well as after 1 and 4 h of re-feeding. Total levels of precursor phospholipids and N-acylethanolamines were decreased upon food-deprivation whereas the level of the anandamide precursor molecule was significantly increased. The level of 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol was unchanged...... as was the activity of N-acyltransferase, N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine-hydrolyzing phospholipase D, and fatty acid amide hydrolase upon starvation and re-feeding. It is concluded that remodeling of the amide-linked fatty acids of N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine is responsible for the opposite effects on levels...

  10. Infrared analyzers for breast milk analysis: fat levels can influence the accuracy of protein measurements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwan, Celia; Fusch, Gerhard; Bahonjic, Aldin; Rochow, Niels; Fusch, Christoph

    2017-10-26

    Currently, there is a growing interest in lacto-engineering in the neonatal intensive care unit, using infrared milk analyzers to rapidly measure the macronutrient content in breast milk before processing and feeding it to preterm infants. However, there is an overlap in the spectral information of different macronutrients, so they can potentially impact the robustness of the measurement. In this study, we investigate whether the measurement of protein is dependent on the levels of fat present while using an infrared milk analyzer. Breast milk samples (n=25) were measured for fat and protein content before and after being completely defatted by centrifugation, using chemical reference methods and near-infrared milk analyzer (Unity SpectraStar) with two different calibration algorithms provided by the manufacturer (released 2009 and 2015). While the protein content remained unchanged, as measured by elemental analysis, measurements by infrared milk analyzer show a difference in protein measurements dependent on fat content; high fat content can lead to falsely high protein content. This difference is less pronounced when measured using the more recent calibration algorithm. Milk analyzer users must be cautious of their devices' measurements, especially if they are changing the matrix of breast milk using more advanced lacto-engineering.

  11. Juveniles' Motivations for Remaining in Prostitution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, Shu-Ling; Bedford, Olwen

    2004-01-01

    Qualitative data from in-depth interviews were collected in 1990-1991, 1992, and 2000 with 49 prostituted juveniles remanded to two rehabilitation centers in Taiwan. These data are analyzed to explore Taiwanese prostituted juveniles' feelings about themselves and their work, their motivations for remaining in prostitution, and their difficulties…

  12. A reassessment of the presumed Neandertal remains from San Bernardino Cave, Italy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benazzi, Stefano; Peresani, Marco; Talamo, Sahra; Fu, Qiaomei; Mannino, Marcello A; Richards, Michael P; Hublin, Jean-Jacques

    2014-01-01

    In 1986-1987, three human remains were unearthed from macro-unit II of San Bernardino Cave (Berici Hills, Veneto, Italy), a deposit containing a late Mousterian lithic assemblage. The human remains (a distal phalanx, a lower right third molar and a lower right second deciduous incisor) do not show diagnostic morphological features that could be used to determine whether they were from Homo neanderthalensis or Homo sapiens. Despite being of small size, and thus more similar to recent H. sapiens, the specimens were attributed to Neandertals, primarily because they were found in Mousterian layers. We carried out a taxonomic reassessment of the lower right third molar (LRM3; San Bernardino 4) using digital morphometric analysis of the root, ancient DNA analysis, carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses, and direct accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating of dentine collagen. Mitochondrial DNA analysis and root morphology show that the molar belongs to a modern human and not to a Neandertal. Carbon 14 ((14)C) dating of the molar attributes it to the end of the Middle Ages (1420-1480 cal AD, 2 sigma). Carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses suggest that the individual in question had a diet similar to that of Medieval Italians. These results show that the molar, as well as the other two human remains, belong to recent H. sapiens and were introduced in the Mousterian levels post-depositionally. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. [Task delegation scenarios at national and regional levels of the French ambulatory care sector].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lévy, Danièle; Pavot, Jeanne; Doan, Bui Dang Ha

    2009-01-01

    The French sector of ambulatory care is characterized by two features: (i) health care providers are mostly independent practitioners paid on a fee-for-service basis; (ii) a large consensus is observed as concerns the shortage of health workers, particularly physicians and nurses. In such a context, if a task delegation programme is envisaged, attention should be paid, not only to the competencies of task receivers, but equally to the reluctance of health workforce. Given the current doctor shortage, it is probable that the reluctance of physicians is not vigorous. But on the side of task receivers (nurses, physiotherapists, other auxiliary workers...) reluctance should be taken into account. Shortage of nurses and physiotherapists (and consequently their growing workload) lowers their acceptance level (i.e., the proportion accepting task delegation) and reduces the time each accepting worker can devote to the activities delegated by physicians. The model shows that, in the current situation, French physicians can only expect a small reduction of their workload i they undertake to transfer to nurses some parts of their activities. When physician working time is not excessively lengthy, the overall reduction would be between 0.7% and 3.1%. When doctors have to work harder (when their shortage is acute), paradoxically, the reduction is lower, between 0.5% and 2.3%. The fact is easily understood as the stock of task receivers (the nurses) remains unchanged, but the volume of worked hours becomes larger. Other things being equal, the model shows that French southern physicians may take more profit from a task delegation programme than their counterparts practising in the northern areas of the country. As in the southern areas, the nurse/physician ratio is higher, the potential task receivers are in higher numbers and the volume of the tasks transferred may be much broader than in the northern areas. The paradox is that the workload of northern physicians is heavier

  14. Bench press and push-up at comparable levels of muscle activity results in similar strength gains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calatayud, Joaquin; Borreani, Sebastien; Colado, Juan C; Martin, Fernando; Tella, Victor; Andersen, Lars L

    2015-01-01

    Electromyography (EMG) exercise evaluation is commonly used to measure the intensity of muscle contraction. Although researchers assume that biomechanically comparable resistance exercises with similar high EMG levels will produce similar strength gains over the long term, no studies have actually corroborated this hypothesis. This study evaluated EMG levels during 6 repetition maximum (6RM) bench press and push-up, and subsequently performed a 5-week training period where subjects were randomly divided into 3 groups (i.e., 6RM bench press group, 6RM elastic band push-up group, or control group) to evaluate muscle strength gains. Thirty university students with advanced resistance training experience participated in the 2-part study. During the training period, exercises were performed using the same loads and variables that were used during the EMG data collection. At baseline, EMG amplitude showed no significant difference between 6RM bench press and band push-up. Significant differences among the groups were found for percent change (Δ) between pretest and posttest for 6RM (p = 0.017) and for 1 repetition maximum (1RM) (p bench press group and 6RM elastic band push-up group improved their 1RM and 6RM (Δ ranging from 13.65 to 22.21) tests significantly with similar gains, whereas control group remains unchanged. Thus, when the EMG values are comparable and the same conditions are reproduced, the aforementioned exercises can provide similar muscle strength gains.

  15. Impact of the 24-h ultramarathon race on homocysteine, oxidized low-density lipoprotein, and paraoxonase 1 levels in professional runners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benedetti, Serena; Catalani, Simona; Peda, Federica; Luchetti, Francesca; Citarella, Roberto; Battistelli, Serafina

    2018-01-01

    The impact of the 24-h ultramarathon race on homocysteine (Hcy) and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) levels, two well-recognized cardiovascular risk factors, has not been deeply investigated. Similarly, no information exists on paraoxonase 1 (PON1), an antioxidant enzyme associated with high-density lipoproteins, which may detoxify oxLDL and Hcy-thiolactone, hence preventing their proatherogenic action. Taking this into account, a competitive 24-h ultramarathon race was organized in Reggio-Emilia (Italy) recruiting professional runners (n = 14) from the Italian Ultramarathon and Trail Association. Blood samples were collected from each participant before, during (14 h), and immediately after (24 h) the competition, thus to monitor the serum changes in Hcy, oxLDL, and PON1 levels, as well as other oxidative stress-related parameters, namely reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) and total antioxidant capacity (PAT). As a result, a significant PON1 increase was recorded after 14 h of racing that persisted until the end of the performance. The same trend was observed for PAT values, which positively correlated to PON1 levels (R = 0.643, P<0.001). Hcy, oxLDL, and ROM remained almost unchanged throughout the competition. In conclusion, the present study suggested a protective role of PON1 in sustaining the antioxidant defense system and contrasting lipoprotein oxidative modifications over the 24-h race, and did not specifically evidence either Hcy or oxLDL accumulation in such challenging sporting events.

  16. Intensive Care Unit (ICU) - Managed Elderly Hospitalizations with Dementia in Texas, 2001-2010: A Population-Level Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oud, Lavi

    2016-10-20

    BACKGROUND The demand for critical care services among elderly with dementia outpaces that of their non-dementia elderly counterparts. However, there are scarce data on the corresponding attributes among ICU-managed patients with dementia. MATERIAL AND METHODS We used the Texas Inpatient Public Use Data File to examine temporal trends of the demographics, burden of comorbidities, measures of severity of illness, use of healthcare resources, and short-term outcomes among hospitalizations aged 65 years or older with a reported diagnosis of dementia, who were admitted to ICU (D-ICU hospitalizations) between 2001 and 2010. Average annual percent changes (AAPC) were derived. RESULTS D-ICU hospitalizations (n=276,056) had increasing mean (SD) Charlson comorbidity index [1.7 (1.5) vs. 2.6 (1.9)], with reported organ failure (OF) nearly doubling from 25% to 48.5%, between 2001–2001 and 2009–2010, respectively. Use of life support interventions was infrequent, but rose in parallel with corresponding changes in respiratory and renal failure. Median total hospital charges increased from $26,442 to $36,380 between 2001–2002 and 2009–2010. Routine home discharge declined (–5.2%/year [–6.2%– –4.1%]) with corresponding rising use of home health services (+7.2%/year [4.4–10%]). Rates of discharge to another hospital or a nursing facility remained unchanged, together accounting for 60.4% of discharges of hospital survivors in 2010. Transfers to a long-term acute care hospital increased 9.2%/year (6.9–11.5%). Hospital mortality (7.5%) remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS Elderly D-ICU hospitalizations have increasing comorbidity burden, with rising severity of illness, and increasing use of health care resources. Though the majority survived hospitalization, most D-ICU hospitalizations were discharged to another facility.

  17. An adaptation model for trabecular bone at different mechanical levels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lv Linwei

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Bone has the ability to adapt to mechanical usage or other biophysical stimuli in terms of its mass and architecture, indicating that a certain mechanism exists for monitoring mechanical usage and controlling the bone's adaptation behaviors. There are four zones describing different bone adaptation behaviors: the disuse, adaptation, overload, and pathologic overload zones. In different zones, the changes of bone mass, as calculated by the difference between the amount of bone formed and what is resorbed, should be different. Methods An adaptation model for the trabecular bone at different mechanical levels was presented in this study based on a number of experimental observations and numerical algorithms in the literature. In the proposed model, the amount of bone formation and the probability of bone remodeling activation were proposed in accordance with the mechanical levels. Seven numerical simulation cases under different mechanical conditions were analyzed as examples by incorporating the adaptation model presented in this paper with the finite element method. Results The proposed bone adaptation model describes the well-known bone adaptation behaviors in different zones. The bone mass and architecture of the bone tissue within the adaptation zone almost remained unchanged. Although the probability of osteoclastic activation is enhanced in the overload zone, the potential of osteoblasts to form bones compensate for the osteoclastic resorption, eventually strengthening the bones. In the disuse zone, the disuse-mode remodeling removes bone tissue in disuse zone. Conclusions The study seeks to provide better understanding of the relationships between bone morphology and the mechanical, as well as biological environments. Furthermore, this paper provides a computational model and methodology for the numerical simulation of changes of bone structural morphology that are caused by changes of mechanical and biological

  18. The Chasm Remains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hill, Paul T.; Guin, Kacey; Celio, Mary Beth

    2003-01-01

    Argues that "A Nation at Risk" failed to address adequately problems of urban education, and thus the achievement gap between minority and white students still exists. Describes several problems that still plague low-performing urban schools, such as bureaucratic aversion to change, high levels of poverty, and low teacher quality and…

  19. Computer self-efficacy - is there a gender gap in tertiary level introductory computing classes?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shirley Gibbs

    Full Text Available This paper explores the relationship between introductory computing students, self-efficacy, and gender. Since the use of computers has become more common there has been speculation that the confidence and ability to use them differs between genders. Self-efficacy is an important and useful concept used to describe how a student may perceive their own ability or confidence in using and learning new technology. A survey of students in an introductory computing class has been completed intermittently since the late 1990\\'s. Although some questions have been adapted to meet the changing technology the aim of the survey has remain unchanged. In this study self-efficacy is measured using two self-rating questions. Students are asked to rate their confidence using a computer and also asked to give their perception of their computing knowledge. This paper examines these two aspects of a person\\'s computer self-efficacy in order to identify any differences that may occur between genders in two introductory computing classes, one in 1999 and the other in 2012. Results from the 1999 survey are compared with those from the survey completed in 2012 and investigated to ascertain if the perception that males were more likely to display higher computer self-efficacy levels than their female classmates does or did exist in a class of this type. Results indicate that while overall there has been a general increase in self-efficacy levels in 2012 compared with 1999, there is no significant gender gap.

  20. The effect of recommending a CPP-ACPF product on salivary and plaque pH levels in orthodontic patients: a randomized cross-over clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heshmat, Haleh; Banava, Sepideh; Mohammadi, Ebrahim; Kharazifard, Mohammad Javad; Mojtahedzadeh, Faramarz

    2014-11-01

    Along with their re-mineralizing capacity, calcium phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate products combined with fluoride (CPP-ACPF) could also be beneficial by neutralizing acidic salivary and plaque pH. The purpose was to evaluate the effect of CPP-ACPF on salivary and plaque pH in orthodontic patients. As a triple-blind, cross-over randomized trial, 30 orthodontic patients with fixed appliances (age range = 15.70 ± 4.08 years) were recruited and randomly assigned to two groups. A CPP-ACPF paste (MI Paste Plus, GC America, Alsip, IL) was used by group 1 (n = 15) and a placebo by group 2 (n = 15) for 1 month. After a 1 month washout period, patients used the alternative paste for another month. Plaque and salivary pH levels were measured at all before and after periods. By applying MI Paste Plus, the plaque pH increased from 5.81 ± 0.45 to 6.60 ± 0.38 (p salivary pH recordings, which were 6.72 ± 0.43 and 6.71 ± 0.38, respectively, remained statistically unchanged (p > 0.05). MI Paste Plus can be clinically beneficial in increasing plaque pH levels, but has no effect on the salivary pH.

  1. The Changing Role of Salespeople and the Unchanging Feeling toward Selling: Implications for the HEI Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ballestra, Luca Vincenzo; Cardinali, Silvio; Palanga, Paola; Pacelli, Graziella

    2017-01-01

    Over the past five decades, several studies have shown that students' reticence toward choosing a sales career has remained constant. Their lack of awareness and misconceptions regarding a sales job are two reasons behind this negative perception and lack of students' "work readiness." Using a conceptual model on student intention to…

  2. Applying Knowledge of Species-Typical Scavenging Behavior to the Search and Recovery of Mammalian Skeletal Remains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, Alexandria; Stillman, Richard; Smith, Martin J; Korstjens, Amanda H

    2016-03-01

    Forensic investigations involving animal scavenging of human remains require a physical search of the scene and surrounding areas. However, there is currently no standard procedure in the U.K. for physical searches of scavenged human remains. The Winthrop and grid search methods used by police specialist searchers for scavenged remains were examined through the use of mock red fox (Vulpes vulpes) scatter scenes. Forty-two police specialist searchers from two different regions within the U.K. were divided between those briefed and not briefed with fox-typical scavenging information. Briefing searchers with scavenging information significantly affected the recovery of scattered bones (χ(2) = 11.45, df = 1, p = 0.001). Searchers briefed with scavenging information were 2.05 times more likely to recover bones. Adaptions to search methods used by searchers were evident on a regional level, such that searchers more accustom to a peri-urban to rural region recovered a higher percentage of scattered bones (58.33%, n = 84). © 2015 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  3. Localized-to-extended-states transition below the Fermi level

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tito, M. A.; Pusep, Yu. A.

    2018-05-01

    Time-resolved photoluminescence is employed to examine a transition from localized to extended electron states below the Fermi level in multiple narrow quantum well GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures, where disorder was generated by interface roughness. Such a transition resembles the metal-insulator transition profoundly investigated by electric transport measurements. An important distinction distinguishes the localized-to-extended-states transition studied here: it takes place below the Fermi level in an electron system with a constant concentration, which implies unchanging Coulomb correlations. Moreover, for such a localized-to-extended-states transition the temperature is shown to be irrelevant. In the insulating regime the magnetic field was found to cause an additional momentum relaxation which considerably enhanced the recombination rate. Thus, we propose a method to explore the evolution of the localized electron states in a system with a fixed disorder and Coulomb interaction.

  4. Intensive lifestyle intervention provides rapid reduction of serum fatty acid levels in women with severe obesity without lowering omega-3 to unhealthy levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, C; Andersen, J R; Våge, V; Rajalahti, T; Mjøs, S A; Kvalheim, O M

    2016-08-01

    Serum fatty acid (FA) levels were monitored in women with severe obesity during intensive lifestyle intervention. At baseline, total FA levels and most individual FAs were elevated compared to a matching cohort of normal and overweight women (healthy controls). After 3 weeks of intensive lifestyle intervention, total level was only 11-12% higher than in the healthy controls and with almost all FAs being significantly lower than at baseline, but with levels of omega-3 being similar to the healthy controls. This is contrary to observations for patients subjected to bariatric surgery where omega-3 levels dropped to levels significantly lower than in the lifestyle patients and healthy controls. During the next 3 weeks of treatment, the FA levels in lifestyle patients were unchanged, while the weight loss continued at almost the same rate as in the first 3 weeks. Multivariate analysis revealed that weight loss and change of serum FA patterns were unrelated outcomes of the intervention for lifestyle patients. For bariatric patients, these processes were associated probably due to reduced dietary input and increased input from the patients' own fat deposits, causing a higher rate of weight loss and simultaneous reduction of the ratio of serum eicosapentaenoic to arachidonic acid. © 2016 World Obesity.

  5. Premortal data in the process of skeletal remains identification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marinković Nadica

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aim. The basic task of a forensic examiner during the exhumation of mass graves or in mass accidents is to establish identity of a person. The results obtained through these procedures depend on the level of perceptibility of post mortal changes and they are compared with premortal data obtained from family members of those missing or killed. Experience with exhumations has shown significant differences between the results obtained through exhumation and the premortal data. The aim of the study was to suggest the existance of the difference between premortal data and the results obtained by exhumation regarding the some parameters, as well as to direct premortal data colection to the specific skeletal forms. Methods. We performed comparative analysis of the results of exhumation of skeletal remains in a mass grave and the premortal data concerning the identified persons. The least number of individuals in this mass grave was calculated according to the upper parts of the right femur and it helped in calculating the smallest number of individuals in mass graves to be 48. A total of 27 persons were identified. Sex was determined by metrics and morphology of the pelvis. Personal age in the moment of death was determined by morphology features of groin symphisis and morphology of sternal edge of ribs and other parts of scelets observations. The hight was calculated as average results of length of long bones and Rollet coefficients. Results. There was a complete match in terms of sex and age matched within an interval that could be established based on the skeletal remains. All the other parameters were different, however, which made identification significantly more difficult. Conclusion. The premortal data is an important element of identification process and it should be obtained by the forensic doctor and directed towards more detailed examination of the skeletal system.

  6. Norepinephrine remains increased in the six-minute walking test after heart transplantation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guilherme Veiga Guimarães

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the neurohormonal activity in heart transplant recipients and compare it with that in heart failure patients and healthy subjects during rest and just after a 6-minute walking test. INTRODUCTION: Despite the improvements in quality of life and survival provided by heart transplantation, the neurohormonal profile is poorly described. METHODS: Twenty heart transplantation (18 men, 49±11 years and 8.5±3.3 years after transplantation, 11 heart failure (8 men, 43±10 years, and 7 healthy subjects (5 men 39±8 years were included in this study. Blood samples were collected immediately before and during the last minute of the exercise. RESULTS: During rest, patients' norepinephrine plasma level (659±225 pg/mL was higher in heart transplant recipients (463±167 pg/mL and heathy subjects (512±132, p<0.05. Heart transplant recipient's norepinephrine plasma level was not different than that of healthy subjects. Just after the 6-minute walking test, the heart transplant recipient's norepinephrine plasma level (1248±692 pg/mL was not different from that of heart failure patients (1174±653 pg/mL. Both these groups had a higher level than healthy subjects had (545±95 pg/mL, p<0.05. CONCLUSION: Neurohormonal activity remains increased after the 6-minute walking test after heart transplantation.

  7. CpG location and methylation level are crucial factors for the early detection of oral squamous cell carcinoma in brushing samples using bisulfite sequencing of a 13-gene panel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morandi, Luca; Gissi, Davide; Tarsitano, Achille; Asioli, Sofia; Gabusi, Andrea; Marchetti, Claudio; Montebugnoli, Lucio; Foschini, Maria Pia

    2017-01-01

    Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage and is commonly preceded by oral premalignant lesions. The mortality rates have remained unchanged (50% within 5 years after diagnosis), and it is related to tobacco smoking and alcohol intake. Novel molecular markers for early diagnosis are urgently needed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of methylation level in a set of 18 genes by bisulfite next-generation sequencing. With minimally invasive oral brushing, 28 consecutive OSCC, one squamous cell carcinoma with sarcomatoid features, six high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HGSIL), 30 normal contralateral mucosa from the same patients, and 65 healthy donors were evaluated for DNA methylation analyzing 18 target genes by quantitative bisulfite next-generation sequencing. We further evaluated an independent cohort (validation dataset) made of 20 normal donors, one oral fibroma, 14 oral lichen planus (OLP), three proliferative verrucous leukoplakia (PVL), and two OSCC. Comparing OSCC with normal healthy donors and contralateral mucosa in 355 CpGs, we identified the following epigenetically altered genes: ZAP70 , ITGA4 , KIF1A , PARP15 , EPHX3 , NTM , LRRTM1 , FLI1 , MIR193 , LINC00599 , PAX1 , and MIR137HG showing hypermethylation and MIR296 , TERT , and GP1BB showing hypomethylation . The behavior of ZAP70 , GP1BB , H19 , EPHX3 , and MIR193 fluctuated among different interrogated CpGs. The gap between normal and OSCC samples remained mostly the same (Kruskal-Wallis P values < 0.05), but the absolute values changed conspicuously. ROC curve analysis identified the most informative CpGs, and we correctly stratified OSCC and HGSIL from normal donors using a multiclass linear discriminant analysis in a 13-gene panel (AUC 0.981). Only the OSCC with sarcomatoid features was negative. Three contralateral mucosa were positive, a sign of a possible field cancerization. Among imprinted genes, only MIR296

  8. Direct characterization of the energy level alignments and molecular components in an organic hetero-junction by integrated photoemission spectroscopy and reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yun, Dong-Jin; Shin, Weon-Ho; Bulliard, Xavier; Park, Jong Hwan; Kim, Seyun; Chung, Jae Gwan; Kim, Yongsu; Heo, Sung; Kim, Seong Heon

    2016-08-26

    A novel, direct method for the characterization of the energy level alignments at bulk-heterojunction (BHJ)/electrode interfaces on the basis of electronic spectroscopy measurements is proposed. The home-made in situ photoemission system is used to perform x-ray/ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (XPS/UPS), reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy (REELS) and inverse photoemission spectroscopy of organic-semiconductors (OSCs) deposited onto a Au substrate. Through this analysis system, we are able to obtain the electronic structures of a boron subphthalocyanine chloride:fullerene (SubPC:C60) BHJ and those of the separate OSC/electrode structures (SubPC/Au and C60/Au). Morphology and chemical composition analyses confirm that the original SubPC and C60 electronic structures remain unchanged in the electrodes prepared. Using this technique, we ascertain that the position and area of the nearest peak to the Fermi energy (EF = 0 eV) in the UPS (REELS) spectra of SubPC:C60 BHJ provide information on the highest occupied molecular orbital level (optical band gap) and combination ratio of the materials, respectively. Thus, extracting the adjusted spectrum from the corresponding SubPC:C60 BHJ UPS (REELS) spectrum reveals its electronic structure, equivalent to that of the C60 materials. This novel analytical approach allows complete energy-level determination for each combination ratio by separating its electronic structure information from the BHJ spectrum.

  9. Prevalence of remaining horizontal instability in high-grade acromioclavicular joint injuries surgically managed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cisneros, Luis Natera; Reiriz, Juan Sarasquete

    2017-04-01

    To determine the prevalence of remaining horizontal instability in high-grade acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) injuries surgically managed by means of four different surgical strategies and to assess its relation to the clinical outcomes and the quality of life. In this multicentric non-randomized retrospective study, 53 patients with high-grade ACJ injuries surgically managed (by means of open or arthroscopic surgery) were clinically and radiographically assessed at 24 months or more after shoulder surgery. The presence of post-surgical remaining horizontal instability was evaluated by means of Alexander or axillary X-ray views. The study population was divided into two groups: patients with evidence of post-surgical remaining horizontal instability and patients without evidence of post-surgical remaining horizontal instability at the last follow-up visit. The relationship between remaining horizontal instability and the quality-of-life questionnaires was analyzed. 18.87% (10/53) of the Alexander or axillary X-rays views showed post-surgical remaining horizontal instability at the last follow-up visit (INSTAB-group). Results of the questionnaires were: (1) physical SF36 score (INSTAB-group 57.02 ± 3.17  and NO-INSTAB-group 57.66 ± 3.30, p = 0.583); (2) mental SF36 score (INSTAB-group 53.95 ± 3.98  and NO-INSTAB-group 55.71 ± 3.30, p = 0.150); (3) NRS for pain (INSTAB-group 1.30 ± 1.49 and NO-INSTAB-group 0.83  ± 1.08, p = 0.260); (4) DASH questionnaire (INSTAB-group 5.27 ± 5.42 and NO-INSTAB-group 3.06 ± 2.30, p = 0.049); (5) Constant score (INSTAB-group 93.4 ± 3.5 and NO-INSTAB-group 94.83  ± 4.3, p = 0.333); and Global satisfaction (INSTAB-group 8.7  ± 0.95 and NO-INSTAB-group 8.64 ± 1.03, p = 0.874). Independently of the type of procedure, post-surgical remaining horizontal instability was present in almost one-fifth of the patients, and this group of patients showed a significantly worse DASH score. The

  10. Forensic considerations when dealing with incinerated human dental remains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reesu, Gowri Vijay; Augustine, Jeyaseelan; Urs, Aadithya B

    2015-01-01

    Establishing the human dental identification process relies upon sufficient post-mortem data being recovered to allow for a meaningful comparison with ante-mortem records of the deceased person. Teeth are the most indestructible components of the human body and are structurally unique in their composition. They possess the highest resistance to most environmental effects like fire, desiccation, decomposition and prolonged immersion. In most natural as well as man-made disasters, teeth may provide the only means of positive identification of an otherwise unrecognizable body. It is imperative that dental evidence should not be destroyed through erroneous handling until appropriate radiographs, photographs, or impressions can be fabricated. Proper methods of physical stabilization of incinerated human dental remains should be followed. The maintenance of integrity of extremely fragile structures is crucial to the successful confirmation of identity. In such situations, the forensic dentist must stabilise these teeth before the fragile remains are transported to the mortuary to ensure preservation of possibly vital identification evidence. Thus, while dealing with any incinerated dental remains, a systematic approach must be followed through each stage of evaluation of incinerated dental remains to prevent the loss of potential dental evidence. This paper presents a composite review of various studies on incinerated human dental remains and discusses their impact on the process of human identification and suggests a step by step approach. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

  11. Born Fat: The Relations between Weight Changeability Beliefs and Health Behaviors and Physical Health

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parent, Mike C.; Alquist, Jessica L.

    2016-01-01

    Although some popular press and nonscholarly sources have claimed that weight is largely unchangeable, the relationship between this belief and objective measures of health remains unclear. We tested the hypothesis that people who believe weight is unchangeable will have poorer objective and subjective health, and fewer exercise behaviors and…

  12. Regulation of porphyrin synthesis and photodynamic therapy in heavy metal intoxication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grinblat, Borislava; Pour, Nir; Malik, Zvi

    2006-01-01

    Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) synthesis by malignant cells is successfully exploited for photodynamic therapy (PDT) following administration of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and light irradiation. The influence of two environmental heavy metal poisons, lead and gallium, on PpIX-synthesis and ALA-PDT was studied in two neu-ronal cell lines, SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma and PC12 pheochromocytoma. The heavy metal intoxication affected two of the heme-synthesis enzymes, ALA-dehydratase (ALAD) and porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD). The present results show that lead poisoning significantly decreased the PBGD cellular level and inhibited its enzymatic activity, whereas the effects of gallium were less prominent. Although, the protein levels were reduced, the mRNA levels of PBGD remained unchanged during metal intoxication. These findings show additional inhibitory activity of lead on top of its classical effect on ALAD. Proteasome activity was enhanced during lead treatment, as measured by the AMC fluorigenic proteasome assay. The reduction in PBGD levels was not a consequence of PBGD mRNA reduced synthesis, which remained unchanged as shown by RT-PCR analysis. As a result of the lead poisoning, marked alterations in the cell cycle were observed, including a decreased G1 phase and an increased number of S phase cells. The efficacy of ALA-PDT was reduced in correlation with decreased activities of the enzymes during lead intoxication. We may conclude that lead poisoning adversely affects the outcome of ALA photodynamic therapy of cancer.

  13. High performance of PbSe/PbS core/shell quantum dot heterojunction solar cells: short circuit current enhancement without the loss of open circuit voltage by shell thickness control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Hyekyoung; Song, Jung Hoon; Jang, Jihoon; Mai, Xuan Dung; Kim, Sungwoo; Jeong, Sohee

    2015-11-07

    We fabricated heterojunction solar cells with PbSe/PbS core shell quantum dots and studied the precisely controlled PbS shell thickness dependency in terms of optical properties, electronic structure, and solar cell performances. When the PbS shell thickness increases, the short circuit current density (JSC) increases from 6.4 to 11.8 mA cm(-2) and the fill factor (FF) enhances from 30 to 49% while the open circuit voltage (VOC) remains unchanged at 0.46 V even with the decreased effective band gap. We found that the Fermi level and the valence band maximum level remain unchanged in both the PbSe core and PbSe/PbS core/shell with a less than 1 nm thick PbS shell as probed via ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). The PbS shell reduces their surface trap density as confirmed by relative quantum yield measurements. Consequently, PbS shell formation on the PbSe core mitigates the trade-off relationship between the open circuit voltage and the short circuit current density. Finally, under the optimized conditions, the PbSe core with a 0.9 nm thick shell yielded a power conversion efficiency of 6.5% under AM 1.5.

  14. Changes in endolymphatic hydrops visualized by magnetic resonance imaging after sac surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yuan; Cui, Yong-Hua; Hu, Ying; Mao, Zhong-Yao; Wang, Qiu-Xia; Pan, Chu; Liu, Ai-Guo

    2016-10-01

    The purpose of the study was to observe changes in endolymphatic hydrops by using intratympanic injection of gadolinium and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before and after endolymphatic sac surgery in patients with unilateral Meniere's disease. Thirteen patients with unilateral Meniere's disease undergoing endolymphatic sac surgery were retrospectively and prospectively analyzed. Three-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery or three-dimensional real inversion recovery MRI was performed 24 h after an intratympanic injection of gadolinium to grade the presence of endolymphatic hydrops. Among the 13 patients with hydrops confirmed by preoperative MRI, vestibular hydrops had no significant change in all patients; cochlear hydrops became negative in 2 patients, and remained unchanged in the other 11 patients after surgery. Definite vertigo attacks were substantially controlled in one patient and completely controlled in 12 patients during a follow-up period of 8-34 months after surgery. The hearing levels were improved in 3 patients, remained unchanged in 7 patients, and decreased in 3 patients. In conclusion, endolymphatic sac surgery does not always alleviate endolymphatic hydrops in patients with Meniere's disease. Relief from vertigo cannot always be attributed to the remission of hydrops. A change in hearing levels cannot be explained by hydrops status alone.

  15. Intensive Care Unit (ICU) – Managed Elderly Hospitalizations with Dementia in Texas, 2001–2010: A Population-Level Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oud, Lavi

    2016-01-01

    Background The demand for critical care services among elderly with dementia outpaces that of their non-dementia elderly counterparts. However, there are scarce data on the corresponding attributes among ICU-managed patients with dementia. Material/Methods We used the Texas Inpatient Public Use Data File to examine temporal trends of the demographics, burden of comorbidities, measures of severity of illness, use of healthcare resources, and short-term outcomes among hospitalizations aged 65 years or older with a reported diagnosis of dementia, who were admitted to ICU (D-ICU hospitalizations) between 2001 and 2010. Average annual percent changes (AAPC) were derived. Results D-ICU hospitalizations (n=276,056) had increasing mean (SD) Charlson comorbidity index [1.7 (1.5) vs. 2.6 (1.9)], with reported organ failure (OF) nearly doubling from 25% to 48.5%, between 2001–2001 and 2009–2010, respectively. Use of life support interventions was infrequent, but rose in parallel with corresponding changes in respiratory and renal failure. Median total hospital charges increased from $26,442 to $36,380 between 2001–2002 and 2009–2010. Routine home discharge declined (−5.2%/year [−6.2%– −4.1%]) with corresponding rising use of home health services (+7.2%/year [4.4–10%]). Rates of discharge to another hospital or a nursing facility remained unchanged, together accounting for 60.4% of discharges of hospital survivors in 2010. Transfers to a long-term acute care hospital increased 9.2%/year (6.9–11.5%). Hospital mortality (7.5%) remained unchanged. Conclusions Elderly D-ICU hospitalizations have increasing comorbidity burden, with rising severity of illness, and increasing use of health care resources. Though the majority survived hospitalization, most D-ICU hospitalizations were discharged to another facility. PMID:27764074

  16. Development of a remaining lifetime management system for NPPS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Galvan, J.C.; Regano, M.; Hevia Ruperez, F.

    1994-01-01

    The interest evinced by Spain nuclear power plants in providing a tool to support remaining lifetime management led to UNESA's application to OCIDE in 1992, and the latter's approval, for financing the project to develop a Remaining Lifetime Evaluation System for LWR nuclear power plants. This project is currently being developed under UNESA leadership, and the collaboration of three Spanish engineering companies and a research centre. The paper will describe its objectives, activities, current status and prospects. The project is defined in two phases, the first consisting of the identification and analysis of the main ageing phenomena and their significant parameters and specification of the Remaining Lifetime Evaluation System (RLES), and the second implementation of a pilot application of the RLES to verify its effectiveness. (Author)

  17. Metallothionein-mediated antioxidant defense system and its response to exercise training are impaired in human type 2 diabetes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Scheede-Bergdahl, Celena; Penkowa, Milena; Hidalgo, Juan

    2005-01-01

    lower levels of MT-I+II were also detected in the plasma of type 2 diabetic subjects compared with control subjects. These results suggest that, in control subjects, the MT-I+II defense system is active and inducible within skeletal muscle tissue and plasma. In type 2 diabetes, reduced levels of MT......Oxidative stress is implicated in diabetes complications, during which endogenous antioxidant defenses have important pathophysiological consequences. To date, the significance of endogenous antioxidants such as metallothioneins I and II (MT-I+II) in type 2 diabetes remains unclear. To examine....... Immunohistochemical analysis revealed reduced MT-I+II levels in the skeletal muscle of type 2 diabetic subjects compared with control subjects. Control subjects produced a robust increase of MT-I+II in response to training; however, in type 2 diabetes, MT-I+II levels remained essentially unchanged. Significantly...

  18. Protocols for the Investigation of Information Processing in Human Assessment of Fundamental Movement Skills.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ward, Brodie J; Thornton, Ashleigh; Lay, Brendan; Rosenberg, Michael

    2017-01-01

    Fundamental movement skill (FMS) assessment remains an important tool in classifying individuals' level of FMS proficiency. The collection of FMS performances for assessment and monitoring has remained unchanged over the last few decades, but new motion capture technologies offer opportunities to automate this process. To achieve this, a greater understanding of the human process of movement skill assessment is required. The authors present the rationale and protocols of a project in which they aim to investigate the visual search patterns and information extraction employed by human assessors during FMS assessment, as well as the implementation of the Kinect system for FMS capture.

  19. Temporal Trends of the Clinical, Resource Use and Outcome Attributes of ICU-Managed Candidemia Hospitalizations: A Population-Level Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oud, Lavi

    2016-04-01

    There are mixed findings on the longitudinal patterns of the incidence of intensive care unit (ICU)-managed candidemia, with scarcity of reports on the corresponding evolving patterns of patients' clinical characteristics and outcomes. No population-level data were reported on the temporal trends of the attributes, care and outcomes of ICU-managed adults with candidemia. The Texas Inpatient Public Use Data File was used to identify hospitalizations aged 18 years or older with a diagnosis of candidemia and ICU admission (C-ICU hospitalizations) between 2001 and 2010. Temporal trends of the demographics, clinical features, use of healthcare resources, and short-term outcomes were examined. Average annual percent changes (AAPCs) were derived. C-ICU hospitalizations (n = 7,552) became (AAPC) increasingly younger (age ≥ 65 years: -1.0%/year). The Charslon comorbidity index rose 4.2%/year, while the mean number of organ failures (OFs) increased by 8.2%/year, with a fast rise in the rate of those developing ≥ 3 OFs (+15.5%/year). Between 2001 and 2010, there was no significant change in utilization of mechanical ventilation and new hemodialysis among C-ICU hospitalizations with reported respiratory and renal failures (68.9% vs. 73.3%, P = 0.3653 and 15.5% vs. 21.8%, P = 0.8589, respectively). Hospital length of stay or total hospital charges remained unchanged during study period. Hospital mortality decreased between 2001 and 2010 from 39.3% to 23.8% (-5.2%/year). The majority of hospital survivors (61.6%) were discharged to another facility, and increasingly to long-term acute care hospitals, with routine home discharge decreasing to 11% by 2010. C-ICU hospitalizations demonstrated increasing comorbidity burden and rising development of OF, and matching rise in use of selected life-support interventions, though with unchanged in-hospital fiscal impact. There has been marked decrease in hospital mortality, but survivors had substantial residual morbidity with the

  20. Changes in photoperiod alter Glut4 expression in skeletal muscle of C57BL/6J mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tashiro, Ayako; Shibata, Satomi; Takai, Yusuke; Uchiwa, Tatsuhiro; Furuse, Mitsuhiro; Yasuo, Shinobu

    2017-01-01

    Seasonal changes in photoperiod influence body weight and metabolism in mice. Here, we examined the effect of changes in photoperiod on the expression of glucose transporter genes in the skeletal muscle and adipose tissue of C57BL/6J mice. Glut4 expression was lower in the gastrocnemius muscle of mice exposed to a short-duration day (SD) than those to a long-duration day (LD), with accompanying changes in GLUT4 protein levels. Although Glut4 expression in the mouse soleus muscle was higher under SD than under LD, GLUT4 protein levels remained unchanged. To confirm the functional significance of photoperiod-induced changes in Glut4 expression, we checked for variations in insulin sensitivity. Blood glucose levels after insulin injection remained high under SD, suggesting that the mice exposed to SD showed lower sensitivity to insulin than those exposed to LD. We also attempted to clarify the relationship between Glut4 expression and physical activity in the mice following changes in photoperiod. Locomotor activity, as detected via infrared beam sensor, was lower under SD than under LD. However, when we facilitated voluntary activity by using running wheels, the rotation of wheels was similar for both groups of mice. Although physical activity levels were enhanced due to running wheels, Glut4 expression in the gastrocnemius muscle remained unchanged. Thus, variations in photoperiod altered Glut4 expression in the mouse skeletal muscle, with subsequent changes in GLUT4 protein levels and insulin sensitivity; these effects might be independent of physical activity. - Highlights: • Glut4 expression in the gastrocnemius muscle was lowered under short photoperiod. • Insulin sensitivity was lowered under short photoperiod. • Access to running wheels did not alter Glut4 expression in the gastrocnemius muscle. • Photoperiodic changes in Glut4 expression may be independent of physical activity.

  1. The CRC 20 years: An overview of some of the major achievements and remaining challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doek, Jaap E

    2009-11-01

    On 20 November 1989, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). It entered into force on 2 September 1990 and has by now been ratified by 193 States, making the most universally ratified human rights treaty. This overview will present and discuss the impact of this treaty both at the international and the national level, an overview which necessarily has to be limited to some of the developments as a result of the implementation of the CRC. The first part of this paper will be devoted to the impact the CRC had and still has on the setting and development of the international agenda for the promotion and protection of the rights and welfare of children. Special attention will given to developments, achievements, and remaining challenges at the international level with regard to protection of children in armed conflict; prevention and the protection of children from sexual exploitation; and from all forms of violence. This will include some information on the impact of these international developments and actions at the national level, for example, in the area of legislation. The second part will focus on the impact at the national level. Given the wide scope of the CRC this part will be limited to some of the General Measures of Implementation (law reform, national programmes, and independent monitoring) and the General Principles (non-discrimination, best interest, right to be heard) of the CRC. This will be based on reports of States on the implementation of the CRC submitted to the CRC Committee and the Concluding Observations of this Committee and on a number of studies. The conclusion will provide remarks on poverty as one of the major remaining challenges for the implementation of children's rights.

  2. Activity of matrix metalloproteinases during antimycobacterial therapy in mice with simulated tuberculous inflammation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sumenkova, D V; Russkikh, G S; Poteryaeva, O N; Polyakov, L M; Panin, L E

    2013-05-01

    Matrix metalloproteinases are shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis inflammation. In the early stages of BCG-granuloma formation in mouse liver and lungs, the serum levels of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 7 increased by 4.5 times and remained unchanged while the pathology developed. Antimycobacterial therapy with isoniazid reduced enzyme activity almost to the level of intact control. The decrease in activity of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 7 that play the most prominent role in the development of destructive forms of tuberculosis is of great therapeutic importance.

  3. Human thymic epithelial cells express functional HLA-DP molecules

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, A; Röpke, C; Nielsen, M

    1996-01-01

    T lymphocytes, we examined whether human thymic epithelial cells (TEC) expressed HLA-DP molecules. We present evidence that TEC obtained from short time culture express low but significant levels of HLA-DP molecules. The expression of HLA-DP molecules was comparable to or higher than the expression...... of HLA-DP allospecific primed lymphocyte typing (PLT) CD4 T cell lines. IFN-gamma treatment strongly upregulated the HLA-DP allospecific PLT responses whereas other PLT responses remained largely unchanged. In conclusion, these data indicate that human thymus epithelial cells express significant levels...

  4. The influence of vitamin E supplementation on the oxidative status of rat liver

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Đurašević S.F.

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available We tested to see if the additional intake of vitamin E in the form of α-tocopheryl-succinate would improve liver antioxidative protection. Thus, we studied the tissue oxidative status in rats supplemented by two doses of the antioxidant over a four week period of time. Our results confirmed that the additional intake of vitamin E decreased the liver lipid peroxidation level and SOD activity level and preserved its vitamin C content. However, the hydrogen peroxide content and catalase activity remained unchanged, probably due to the mechanism of vitamin E liver metabolism. .

  5. Hemodynamic responses to mental stress during salt loading

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Goyal, Maria Gefke; Christensen, Niels Juel; Bech, Per

    2017-01-01

    ) during preparation for a medical exam (prolonged stress) and (ii) outside the exam period (low stress). All subjects consumed a controlled diet for 3 days with low- or high-salt content in randomized order. The subjective stress was measured by Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Scale, SCL......, CO as well as plasma levels of NE, E and PRA remained unchanged by changes in stress level. Day-night reduction in SAP was significantly larger during moderate stress and high-salt intake; however, no significant difference was observed during daytime and night-time. Individual increase in mental...

  6. Remaining life assessment of a high pressure turbine rotor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen, Ninh; Little, Alfie

    2012-01-01

    This paper describes finite element and fracture mechanics based modelling work that provides a useful tool for evaluation of the remaining life of a high pressure (HP) steam turbine rotor that had experienced thermal fatigue cracking. An axis-symmetrical model of a HP rotor was constructed. Steam temperature, pressure and rotor speed data from start ups and shut downs were used for the thermal and stress analysis. Operating history and inspection records were used to benchmark the damage experienced by the rotor. Fracture mechanics crack growth analysis was carried out to evaluate the remaining life of the rotor under themal cyclic loading conditions. The work confirmed that the fracture mechanics approach in conjunction with finite element modelling provides a useful tool for assessing the remaining life of high temperature components in power plants.

  7. Postmortem Scavenging of Human Remains by Domestic Cats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ananya Suntirukpong, M.D.

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Crime scene investigators, forensic medicine doctors and pathologists, and forensic anthropologists frequently encounter postmortem scavenging of human remains by household pets. Case presentation: The authors present a case report of a partially skeletonized adult male found dead after more than three months in his apartment in Thailand. The body was in an advanced stage of decomposition with nearly complete skeletonization of the head, neck, hands, and feet. The presence of maggots and necrophagous (flesh eating beetles on the body confirmed that insects had consumed much of the soft tissues. Examination of the hand and foot bones revealed canine tooth puncture marks. Evidence of chewing indicated that one or more of the decedent’s three house cats had fed on the body after death. Recognizing and identifying carnivore and rodent activity on the soft flesh and bones of human remains is important in interpreting and reconstructing postmortem damage. Thorough analysis may help explain why skeletal elements are missing, damaged, or out of anatomical position. Conclusion: This report presents a multi-disciplinary approach combining forensic anthropology and forensic medicine in examining and interpreting human remains.

  8. Explosives remain preferred methods for platform abandonment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pulsipher, A.; Daniel, W. IV; Kiesler, J.E.; Mackey, V. III

    1996-01-01

    Economics and safety concerns indicate that methods involving explosives remain the most practical and cost-effective means for abandoning oil and gas structures in the Gulf of Mexico. A decade has passed since 51 dead sea turtles, many endangered Kemp's Ridleys, washed ashore on the Texas coast shortly after explosives helped remove several offshore platforms. Although no relationship between the explosions and the dead turtles was ever established, in response to widespread public concern, the US Minerals Management Service (MMS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) implemented regulations limiting the size and timing of explosive charges. Also, more importantly, they required that operators pay for observers to survey waters surrounding platforms scheduled for removal for 48 hr before any detonations. If observers spot sea turtles or marine mammals within the danger zone, the platform abandonment is delayed until the turtles leave or are removed. However, concern about the effects of explosives on marine life remains

  9. Decomposition Technique for Remaining Useful Life Prediction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saha, Bhaskar (Inventor); Goebel, Kai F. (Inventor); Saxena, Abhinav (Inventor); Celaya, Jose R. (Inventor)

    2014-01-01

    The prognostic tool disclosed here decomposes the problem of estimating the remaining useful life (RUL) of a component or sub-system into two separate regression problems: the feature-to-damage mapping and the operational conditions-to-damage-rate mapping. These maps are initially generated in off-line mode. One or more regression algorithms are used to generate each of these maps from measurements (and features derived from these), operational conditions, and ground truth information. This decomposition technique allows for the explicit quantification and management of different sources of uncertainty present in the process. Next, the maps are used in an on-line mode where run-time data (sensor measurements and operational conditions) are used in conjunction with the maps generated in off-line mode to estimate both current damage state as well as future damage accumulation. Remaining life is computed by subtracting the instance when the extrapolated damage reaches the failure threshold from the instance when the prediction is made.

  10. Acute up-regulation of the rat brain somatostatin receptor-effector system by leptin is related to activation of insulin signaling and may counteract central leptin actions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perianes-Cachero, A; Burgos-Ramos, E; Puebla-Jiménez, L; Canelles, S; Frago, L M; Hervás-Aguilar, A; de Frutos, S; Toledo-Lobo, M V; Mela, V; Viveros, M P; Argente, J; Chowen, J A; Arilla-Ferreiro, E; Barrios, V

    2013-11-12

    Leptin and somatostatin (SRIF) have opposite effects on food seeking and ingestive behaviors, functions partially regulated by the frontoparietal cortex and hippocampus. Although it is known that the acute suppression of food intake mediated by leptin decreases with time, the counter-regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. Our aims were to analyze the effect of acute central leptin infusion on the SRIF receptor-effector system in these areas and the implication of related intracellular signaling mechanisms in this response. We studied 20 adult male Wister rats including controls and those treated intracerebroventricularly with a single dose of 5 μg of leptin and sacrificed 1 or 6h later. Density of SRIF receptors was unchanged at 1h, whereas leptin increased the density of SRIF receptors at 6h, which was correlated with an elevated capacity of SRIF to inhibit forskolin-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity in both areas. The functional capacity of SRIF receptors was unaltered as cell membrane levels of αi1 and αi2 subunits of G inhibitory proteins were unaffected in both brain areas. The increased density of SRIF receptors was due to enhanced SRIF receptor subtype 2 (sst2) protein levels that correlated with higher mRNA levels for this receptor. These changes in sst2 mRNA levels were concomitant with increased activation of the insulin signaling, c-Jun and cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB); however, activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 was reduced in the cortex and unchanged in the hippocampus and suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 remained unchanged in these areas. In addition, the leptin antagonist L39A/D40A/F41A blocked the leptin-induced changes in SRIF receptors, leptin signaling and CREB activation. In conclusion, increased activation of insulin signaling after leptin infusion is related to acute up-regulation of the SRIF receptor-effector system that may antagonize short-term leptin actions in the rat brain

  11. Effect of immobilization stress on gene expression of catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes in heart auricles of socially isolated rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. Gavrilovic

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Chronic stress is associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases. The sympathoneural system plays an important role in the regulation of cardiac function both in health and disease. In the present study, the changes in gene expression of the catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes tyrosine hydroxylase (TH, dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DBH and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT and protein levels in the right and left heart auricles of naive control and long-term (12 weeks socially isolated rats were investigated by Taqman RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. The response of these animals to additional immobilization stress (2 h was also examined. Long-term social isolation produced a decrease in TH mRNA level in left auricles (about 70% compared to the corresponding control. Expression of the DBH gene was markedly decreased both in the right (about 62% and left (about 81% auricles compared to the corresponding control, group-maintained rats, whereas PNMT mRNA levels remained unchanged. Exposure of group-housed rats to acute immobilization for 2 h led to a significant increase of mRNA levels of TH (about 267%, DBH (about 37% and PNMT (about 60% only in the right auricles. Additional 2-h immobilization of individually housed rats did not affect gene expression of these enzymes in either the right or left auricle. Protein levels of TH, DBH and PNMT in left and right heart auricles were unchanged either in both individually housed and immobilized rats. The unchanged mRNA levels of the enzymes examined after short-term immobilization suggest that the catecholaminergic system of the heart auricles of animals previously exposed to chronic psychosocial stress was adapted to maintain appropriate cardiovascular homeostasis.

  12. Reptin/Ruvbl2 is a Lrrc6/Seahorse interactor essential for cilia motility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Lu; Yuan, Shiaulou; Cao, Ying; Kallakuri, Sowjanya; Li, Yuanyuan; Kishimoto, Norihito; DiBella, Linda; Sun, Zhaoxia

    2013-07-30

    Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by defective cilia motility. The identified PCD genes account for about half of PCD incidences and the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We demonstrate that Reptin/Ruvbl2, a protein known to be involved in epigenetic and transcriptional regulation, is essential for cilia motility in zebrafish. We further show that Reptin directly interacts with the PCD protein Lrrc6/Seahorse and this interaction is critical for the in vivo function of Lrrc6/Seahorse in zebrafish. Moreover, whereas the expression levels of multiple dynein arm components remain unchanged or become elevated, the density of axonemal dynein arms is reduced in reptin(hi2394) mutants. Furthermore, Reptin is highly enriched in the cytosol and colocalizes with Lrrc6/Seahorse. Combined, these results suggest that the Reptin-Lrrc6/Seahorse complex is involved in dynein arm formation. We also show that although the DNA damage response is induced in reptin(hi2394) mutants, it remains unchanged in cilia biogenesis mutants and lrrc6/seahorse mutants, suggesting that increased DNA damage response is not intrinsic to ciliary defects and that in vertebrate development, Reptin functions in multiple processes, both cilia specific and cilia independent.

  13. Process-oriented guided inquiry learning strategy enhances students' higher level thinking skills in a pharmaceutical sciences course.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soltis, Robert; Verlinden, Nathan; Kruger, Nicholas; Carroll, Ailey; Trumbo, Tiffany

    2015-02-17

    To determine if the process-oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) teaching strategy improves student performance and engages higher-level thinking skills of first-year pharmacy students in an Introduction to Pharmaceutical Sciences course. Overall examination scores and scores on questions categorized as requiring either higher-level or lower-level thinking skills were compared in the same course taught over 3 years using traditional lecture methods vs the POGIL strategy. Student perceptions of the latter teaching strategy were also evaluated. Overall mean examination scores increased significantly when POGIL was implemented. Performance on questions requiring higher-level thinking skills was significantly higher, whereas performance on questions requiring lower-level thinking skills was unchanged when the POGIL strategy was used. Student feedback on use of this teaching strategy was positive. The use of the POGIL strategy increased student overall performance on examinations, improved higher-level thinking skills, and provided an interactive class setting.

  14. Why Agricultural Educators Remain in the Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crutchfield, Nina; Ritz, Rudy; Burris, Scott

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to identify and describe factors that are related to agricultural educator career retention and to explore the relationships between work engagement, work-life balance, occupational commitment, and personal and career factors as related to the decision to remain in the teaching profession. The target population for…

  15. AIDS, individual behaviour and the unexplained remaining variation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katz, Alison

    2002-01-01

    From the start of the AIDS pandemic, individual behaviour has been put forward, implicitly or explicitly, as the main explanatory concept for understanding the epidemiology of HIV infection and in particular for the rapid spread and high prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa. This has had enormous implications for the international response to AIDS and has heavily influenced public health policy and strategy and the design of prevention and care interventions at national, community and individual level. It is argued that individual behaviour alone cannot possibly account for the enormous variation in HIV prevalence between population groups, countries and regions and that the unexplained remaining variation has been neglected by the international AIDS community. Biological vulnerability to HIV due to seriously deficient immune systems has been ignored as a determinant of the high levels of infection in certain populations. This is in sharp contrast to well proven public health approaches to other infectious diseases. In particular, it is argued that poor nutrition and co-infection with the myriad of other diseases of poverty including tuberculosis, malaria, leishmaniasis and parasitic infections, have been neglected as root causes of susceptibility, infectiousness and high rates of transmission of HIV at the level of populations. Vulnerability in terms of non-biological factors such as labour migration, prostitution, exchange of sex for survival, population movements due to war and violence, has received some attention but the solutions proposed to these problems are also inappropriately focused on individual behaviour and suffer from the same neglect of economic and political root causes. As the foundation for the international community's response to the AIDS pandemic, explanations of HIV/AIDS epidemiology in terms of individual behaviour are not only grossly inadequate, they are highly stigmatising and may in some cases, be racist. They have diverted attention from

  16. The human vascular endothelial cell line HUV-EC-C harbors the integrated HHV-6B genome which remains stable in long term culture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shioda, Setsuko; Kasai, Fumio; Ozawa, Midori; Hirayama, Noriko; Satoh, Motonobu; Kameoka, Yousuke; Watanabe, Ken; Shimizu, Norio; Tang, Huamin; Mori, Yasuko; Kohara, Arihiro

    2018-02-01

    Human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6) is a common human pathogen that is most often detected in hematopoietic cells. Although human cells harboring chromosomally integrated HHV-6 can be generated in vitro, the availability of such cell lines originating from in vivo tissues is limited. In this study, chromosomally integrated HHV-6B has been identified in a human vascular endothelial cell line, HUV-EC-C (IFO50271), derived from normal umbilical cord tissue. Sequence analysis revealed that the viral genome was similar to the HHV-6B HST strain. FISH analysis using a HHV-6 DNA probe showed one signal in each cell, detected at the distal end of the long arm of chromosome 9. This was consistent with a digital PCR assay, validating one copy of the viral DNA. Because exposure of HUV-EC-C to chemicals did not cause viral reactivation, long term cell culture of HUV-EC-C was carried out to assess the stability of viral integration. The growth rate was altered depending on passage numbers, and morphology also changed during culture. SNP microarray profiles showed some differences between low and high passages, implying that the HUV-EC-C genome had changed during culture. However, no detectable change was observed in chromosome 9, where HHV-6B integration and the viral copy number remained unchanged. Our results suggest that integrated HHV-6B is stable in HUV-EC-C despite genome instability.

  17. Mutation detection for inventories of traffic signs from street-level panoramic images

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hazelhoff, Lykele; Creusen, Ivo; De With, Peter H. N.

    2014-03-01

    Road safety is positively influenced by both adequate placement and optimal visibility of traffic signs. As their visibility degrades over time due to e.g. aging, vandalism, accidents and vegetation coverage, up-to-date inven­tories of traffic signs are highly attractive for preserving a high road safety. These inventories are performed in a semi-automatic fashion from street-level panoramic images, exploiting object detection and classification tech­niques. Next to performing inventories from scratch, these systems are also exploited for the efficient retrieval of situation changes by comparing the outcome of the automated system to a baseline inventory (e.g. performed in a previous year). This allows for specific manual interactions to the found changes, while skipping all unchanged situations, thereby resulting in a large efficiency gain. This work describes such a mutation detection approach, with special attention to re-identifying previously found signs. Preliminary results on a geographical area con­taining about 425 km of road show that 91.3% of the unchanged signs are re-identified, while the amount of found differences equals about 35% of the number of baseline signs. From these differences, about 50% correspond to physically changed traffic signs, next to false detections, misclassifications and missed signs. As a bonus, our approach directly results in the changed situations, which is beneficial for road sign maintenance.

  18. Effect of the perforation level of recycled-LDPE bags on the modification of the atmosphere development, bioactive compounds content, and other qualities of Jalapeño peppers during storage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Jesús Ornelas-Paz, José; Castañeda-Jiménez, Andrés C; Estrada-Alvarado, María I; Ramos-Aguilar, Olivia P; Ibarra-Junquera, Vrani; Pérez-Martínez, Jaime D; Escalante-Minakata, Pilar; Guevara-Arauza, Juan C; Ruiz-Cruz, Saúl

    2015-10-01

    The impact of modified atmosphere packaging on the content of selected bioactive compounds and other quality attributes of Jalapeño peppers has not been well studied. In this study, Jalapeño peppers were packed in low-cost bags (composed of recycled-LDPE) that had been perforated at several levels (0-4 holes). Packages were stored at 7 °C for 6 weeks. Samples of unpacked peppers were stored at 23 and 7 °C and were used as control groups. The quality of the peppers and the gas composition inside of the packages were evaluated during storage. The best modified atmosphere was obtained with unperforated bags. Significant loss of weight and firmness were prevented by packaging. The loss of weight and firmness were 20.2-82.6 and 32-100 % in unpacked peppers. Low levels of fermentative metabolites accumulated in packed peppers in unperforated bags and in bags with 1 perforation. The tristimulus color and the bioactive compounds content (phenols, ascorbic acid, β-carotene, and capsaicinoids) remained unchanged in packed peppers. These quality attributes changed gradually in peppers that were stored at 23 °C. The tested bags represent a cost-effective alternative to preserve the quality of intact Jalapeño peppers.

  19. Fuel element production at BWX technologies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pace, Brett

    1997-01-01

    Effective July 1, 1997, the Government Group portion of the Babcock and Wilcox company was incorporated separately to become BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT) a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Babcock and Wilcox Company. The names of the divisions and other business units of the former Babcock and Wilcox Government Group (Advanced Systems Operations, Naval Nuclear Fuel Division, and Nuclear Equipment Division) will remain unchanged, but they are now known as divisions or business units of BWXT. The management of all units and their reporting relationships will likewise remain unchanged. (author)

  20. Exciton generation/dissociation/charge-transfer enhancement in inorganic/organic hybrid solar cells by robust single nanocrystalline LnPxOy (Ln = Eu, Y) doping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Xiao; Sun, Weifu; Chen, Zihan; Wei, Taihuei; Chen, Chuyang; He, Xingdao; Yuan, Yongbiao; Li, Yue; Li, Qinghua

    2014-06-11

    Low-temperature solution-processed photovoltaics suffer from low efficiencies because of poor exciton or electron-hole transfer. Inorganic/organic hybrid solar cell, although still in its infancy, has attracted great interest thus far. One of the promising ways to enhance exciton dissociation or electron-hole transport is the doping of lanthanide phosphate ions. However, the underlying photophysical mechanism remains poorly understood. Herein, by applying femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, we successfully distinguished hot electron, less energetic electron, hole transport from electron-hole recombination. Concrete evidence has been provided that lanthanide phosphate doping improves the efficiency of both hot electron and "less energetic" electron transfers from donor to acceptor, but the hole transport almost remains unchanged. In particular, the hot electron transfer lifetime was shortened from 30.2 to 12.7 ps, that is, more than 60% faster than pure TiO2 acceptor. Such improvement was ascribed to the facts that the conduction band (CB) edge energy level of TiO2 has been elevated by 0.2 eV, while the valence band level almost remains unchanged, thus not only narrowing the energy offset between CB levels of TiO2 and P3HT, but also meanwhile enlarging the band gap of TiO2 itself that permits one to inhibit electron-hole recombination within TiO2. Consequently, lanthanide phosphate doped TiO2/P3HT bulk-heterojunction solar cell has been demonstrated to be a promising hybrid solar cell, and a notable power conversion efficiency of 2.91% is therefore attained. This work indicates that lanthanide compound ions can efficiently facilitate exciton generation, dissociation, and charge transport, thus enhancing photovoltaic performance.

  1. A Bayesian Framework for Remaining Useful Life Estimation

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The estimation of remaining useful life (RUL) of a faulty component is at the center of system prognostics and health management. It gives operators a potent tool in...

  2. Spot market activity remains weak as prices continue to fall

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1996-01-01

    A summary of financial data for the uranium spot market in November 1996 is provided. Price ranges for the restricted and unrestricted markets, conversion, and separative work are listed, and total market volume and new contracts are noted. Transactions made are briefly described. Deals made and pending in the spot concentrates, medium and long-term, conversion, and markets are listed for U.S. and non-U.S. buyers. Spot market activity increased in November with just over 1.0 million lbs of U3O8 equivalent being transacted compared to October's total of 530,000 lbs of U3O8 equivalent. The restricted uranium spot market price range slipped from $15.50-$15.70/lb U3O8 last month to $14.85/lb - $15.25/lb U3O8 this month. The unrestricted uranium spot market price range also slipped to $14.85/lb - $15.00/lb this month from $15.00/lb - $15.45/lb in October. Spot prices for conversion and separative work units remained at their October levels

  3. Comparison of different hip prosthesis shapes considering micro-level bone remodeling and stress-shielding criteria using three-dimensional design space topology optimization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boyle, Christopher; Kim, Il Yong

    2011-06-03

    Since the late 1980s, computational analysis of total hip arthroplasty (THA) prosthesis components has been completed using macro-level bone remodeling algorithms. The utilization of macro-sized elements requires apparent bone densities to predict cancellous bone strength, thereby, preventing visualization and analysis of realistic trabecular architecture. In this study, we utilized a recently developed structural optimization algorithm, design space optimization (DSO), to perform a micro-level three-dimensional finite element bone remodeling simulation on the human proximal femur pre- and post-THA. The computational simulation facilitated direct performance comparison between two commercially available prosthetic implant stems from Zimmer Inc.: the Alloclassic and the Mayo conservative. The novel micro-level approach allowed the unique ability to visualize the trabecular bone adaption post-operation and to quantify the changes in bone mineral content by region. Stress-shielding and strain energy distribution were also quantified for the immediate post-operation and the stably fixated, post-remodeling conditions. Stress-shielding was highest in the proximal region and remained unchanged post-remodeling; conversely, the mid and distal portions show large increases in stress, suggesting a distal shift in the loadpath. The Mayo design conserves bone mass, while simultaneously reducing the incidence of stress-shielding compared to the Alloclassic, revealing a key benefit of the distinctive geometry. Several important factors for stable fixation, determined in clinical evaluations from the literature, were evident in both designs: high levels of proximal bone loss and distal bone densification. The results suggest this novel computational framework can be utilized for comparative hip prosthesis shape, uniquely considering the post-operation bone remodeling as a design criterion. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Review of the Dinosaur Remains from the Middle Jurassic of Scotland, UK

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Neil D. L. Clark

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Dinosaurs are rare from the Middle Jurassic worldwide. The Isle of Skye, is the only place in Scotland thus far to have produced dinosaur remains. These remains consist mainly of footprints, but also several bones and teeth. These Bajocian and Bathonian remains represent an important collection of a basal eusauropod, early examples of non-neosauropod and possible basal titanosauriform eusauropods, and theropod remains that may belong to an early coelurosaur and a possible megalosaurid, basal tyrannosauroid, or dromaeosaurid. The footprints from here also suggest a rich and diverse dinosaur fauna for which further better diagnosable remains are likely to be found.

  5. Serum levels of RBP4 and adipose tissue levels of PTP1B are increased in obese men resident in northeast Scotland without associated changes in ER stress response genes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hoggard N

    2012-05-01

    treatment did not reverse this effect. Adipose tissue BIP, ATF4, and GRP94 expression levels were unchanged in obese and obese/diabetic subjects.Conclusions: Human obesity results in an increase in serum but not adipose tissue RBP4 protein levels, and these are normalized in obese/diabetic subjects, which exhibit improvements in insulin sensitivity through diet or metformin treatment. However, while adipose tissue PTP1B mRNA levels increase in obese Scottish subjects, these remain high in obese/diabetics on diet or metformin treatment.Keywords: obesity, diabetes, metformin, PTP1B, RBP4, TTR, ER stress, UPR, GRP94, BIP, ATF4, insulin resistance, glucose homeostasis

  6. What drives the change in China's energy intensity: Combining decomposition analysis and econometric analysis at the provincial level

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song, Feng; Zheng, Xinye

    2012-01-01

    We employ decomposition analysis and econometric analysis to investigate the driving forces behind China's changing energy intensity using a provincial-level panel data set for the period from 1995 to 2009. The decomposition analysis indicates that: (a) all of the provinces except for a few experienced efficiency improvement, while around three-fourths of the provinces' economics became more energy intensive or remained unchanged; (b) consequently the efficiency improvement accounts for more than 90% of China's energy intensity change as opposed to the economic structural change. The econometric analysis shows that the rising income plays a significant role in the reduction of energy intensity while the effect of energy price is relatively limited. The result may reflect the urgency of deregulating the price and establishing a market-oriented pricing system in China's energy sector. The implementation of the energy intensity reduction policies in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan (FYP) has helped reverse the increasing trend of energy intensity since 2002. Although the Chinese Government intended to change the industry-led economic growth pattern, it seems that most of the policy effects flow through the efficiency improvement as opposed to the economic structure adjustment. More fundamental changes to the economic structure are needed to achieve more sustainable progress in energy intensity reduction. - Highlights: ► We examine the determinants of China's energy intensity change at provincial level. ► Rising income plays a significant role in reducing China's energy intensity. ► Policy effects mainly flow through the efficiency improvement. ► Fundamental structure changes are needed to further reduce China's energy intensity.

  7. Unchanged Erythrocyte Profile After Exposure to Cryogenic Temperatures in Elder Marathon Runners

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jadwiga Szymura

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Endurance runners may experience “sports anemia” resulting from intravascular hemolysis. In addition, aging has negative impact on hematopoiesis and rheological properties of blood, and erythrocyte membranes in older people are more vulnerable to oxidative damage, which together can lead to anemia. Whole-body cryostimulation (WBCST is increasingly used in the elderly as a method of biological regeneration of athletes or therapy and preventive treatment. That is why the aim of the study was to determine whether repeated WBCST had an effect on the erythrocyte system in master marathon runners, compared to non-training men.Methods: Ten marathon runners (men aged 55.9 ± 5.5 years, training experience 6.71 ± 5.79 years and 10 non-training (men aged 62.0 ± 5.8 years were subjected to a series of 24 WBCST (3 min, -130°C performed every other day. Erythrocyte levels, interleukin-3 (IL-3, erythropoietin (EPO, haptoglobin, bilirubin, and extracellular hemoglobin (HGBecf concentrations were determined in the blood before and after 12, 24 WBCST, as well as 7 days after their completion.Results: The concentrations of EPO and IL-3 were significantly increased 7 days after the completion of WBCST in both groups (P < 0.05. The erythrocyte content and indicators, the bilirubin, haptoglobin, and HGBecf levels in each group did not change as a result of WBCST. In order to document hemolytic changes and/or factors affecting the severity of erythropoiesis, correlations between growth erythropoietic factors, erythrocyte and hemolytic factors as well as mutual correlations between hemolytic indexes were calculated. There was a positive correlation (P < 0.05 between the EPO and IL-3, bilirubin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and red blood cell distribution width – standard deviation. There was also a positive correlation between the concentrations of bilirubin and HGBecf, and a negative correlation between haptoglobin and HGBecf as well as bilirubin

  8. Remaining life diagnosis method and device for nuclear reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamamoto, Michiyoshi.

    1996-01-01

    A neutron flux measuring means is inserted from the outside of a reactor pressure vessel during reactor operation to forecast neutron-degradation of materials of incore structural components in the vicinity of portions to be measured based on the measured values, and the remaining life of the reactor is diagnosed by the forecast degraded state. In this case, the neutron fluxes to be measured are desirably fast and/or medium neutron fluxes. As the positions where the measuring means is to be inserted, for example, the vicinity of the structural components at the periphery of the fuel assembly is selected. Aging degradation characteristics of the structural components are determined by using the aging degradation data for the structural materials. The remaining life is analyzed based on obtained aging degradation characteristics and stress evaluation data of the incore structural components at portions to be measured. Neutron irradiation amount of structural components at predetermined positions can be recognized accurately, and appropriate countermeasures can be taken depending on the forecast remaining life thereby enabling to improve the reliability of the reactor. (N.H.)

  9. Industry remains stuck in a transitional mode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garb, F.A.

    1991-01-01

    The near future for industry remains foggy for several obvious reasons. The shake-up of the Soviet Union and how the pieces will reform remains unclear. How successful efforts are to privatize government oil company operations around the world has yet to be determined. A long sought peace in the Middle East seems to be inching closer, but will this continue? If it does continue, what impact will it have on world energy policy? Will American companies, which are now transferring their attention to foreign E and P, also maintain an interest in domestic activities? Is the U.S. economy really on the upswing? We are told that the worst of the recession is over, but try telling this to thousands of workers in the oil patch who are being released monthly by the big players in domestic operations. This paper reports that 1992 should be a better year than 1991, if measured in opportunity. There are more exploration and acquisition options available, both domestically and internationally, than there have been in years. Probably more opportunities exist than there are players-certainly more than can be funded with current financial resources

  10. Remaining Useful Lifetime Prognosis of Controlled Systems: A Case of Stochastically Deteriorating Actuator

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Danh Ngoc Nguyen

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper addresses the case of automatic controlled system which deteriorates during its operation because of components’ wear or deterioration. Depending on its specific closed-loop structure, the controlled system has the ability to compensate for disturbances affecting the actuators which can remain partially hidden. The deterioration modeling and the Remaining Useful Lifetime (RUL estimation for such closed-loop dynamic system have not been addressed extensively. In this paper, we consider a controlled system with Proportional-Integral-Derivative controller. It is assumed that the actuator is subject to shocks that occur randomly in time. An integrated model is proposed to jointly describe the state of the controlled process and the actuator deterioration. Only the output of the controlled system is available to assess its health condition. By considering a Piecewise Deterministic Markov Process, the RUL of the system can be estimated by a two-step approach. In the first step referred as the “Diagnosis” step, the system state is estimated online from the available monitoring observations by using a particle filtering method. In the second step referred as the “Prognosis” step, the RUL is estimated as a conditional reliability by Monte Carlo simulation. To illustrate the approach, a simulated tank level control system is used.

  11. Data-driven remaining useful life prognosis techniques stochastic models, methods and applications

    CERN Document Server

    Si, Xiao-Sheng; Hu, Chang-Hua

    2017-01-01

    This book introduces data-driven remaining useful life prognosis techniques, and shows how to utilize the condition monitoring data to predict the remaining useful life of stochastic degrading systems and to schedule maintenance and logistics plans. It is also the first book that describes the basic data-driven remaining useful life prognosis theory systematically and in detail. The emphasis of the book is on the stochastic models, methods and applications employed in remaining useful life prognosis. It includes a wealth of degradation monitoring experiment data, practical prognosis methods for remaining useful life in various cases, and a series of applications incorporated into prognostic information in decision-making, such as maintenance-related decisions and ordering spare parts. It also highlights the latest advances in data-driven remaining useful life prognosis techniques, especially in the contexts of adaptive prognosis for linear stochastic degrading systems, nonlinear degradation modeling based pro...

  12. Chronology of the Grotte du Renne (France) and implications for the context of ornaments and human remains within the Châtelperronian.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Higham, Thomas; Jacobi, Roger; Julien, Michèle; David, Francine; Basell, Laura; Wood, Rachel; Davies, William; Ramsey, Christopher Bronk

    2010-11-23

    There is extensive debate concerning the cognitive and behavioral adaptation of Neanderthals, especially in the period when the earliest anatomically modern humans dispersed into Western Europe, around 35,000-40,000 B.P. The site of the Grotte du Renne (at Arcy-sur-Cure) is of great importance because it provides the most persuasive evidence for behavioral complexity among Neanderthals. A range of ornaments and tools usually associated with modern human industries, such as the Aurignacian, were excavated from three of the Châtelperronian levels at the site, along with Neanderthal fossil remains (mainly teeth). This extremely rare occurrence has been taken to suggest that Neanderthals were the creators of these items. Whether Neanderthals independently achieved this level of behavioral complexity and whether this was culturally transmitted or mimicked via incoming modern humans has been contentious. At the heart of this discussion lies an assumption regarding the integrity of the excavated remains. One means of testing this is by radiocarbon dating; however, until recently, our ability to generate both accurate and precise results for this period has been compromised. A series of 31 accelerator mass spectrometry ultrafiltered dates on bones, antlers, artifacts, and teeth from six key archaeological levels shows an unexpected degree of variation. This suggests that some mixing of material may have occurred, which implies a more complex depositional history at the site and makes it difficult to be confident about the association of artifacts with human remains in the Châtelperronian levels.

  13. Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning Strategy Enhances Students’ Higher Level Thinking Skills in a Pharmaceutical Sciences Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verlinden, Nathan; Kruger, Nicholas; Carroll, Ailey; Trumbo, Tiffany

    2015-01-01

    Objective. To determine if the process-oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) teaching strategy improves student performance and engages higher-level thinking skills of first-year pharmacy students in an Introduction to Pharmaceutical Sciences course. Design. Overall examination scores and scores on questions categorized as requiring either higher-level or lower-level thinking skills were compared in the same course taught over 3 years using traditional lecture methods vs the POGIL strategy. Student perceptions of the latter teaching strategy were also evaluated. Assessment. Overall mean examination scores increased significantly when POGIL was implemented. Performance on questions requiring higher-level thinking skills was significantly higher, whereas performance on questions requiring lower-level thinking skills was unchanged when the POGIL strategy was used. Student feedback on use of this teaching strategy was positive. Conclusion. The use of the POGIL strategy increased student overall performance on examinations, improved higher-level thinking skills, and provided an interactive class setting. PMID:25741027

  14. Work-related factors influencing home care nurse intent to remain employed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tourangeau, Ann E; Patterson, Erin; Saari, Margaret; Thomson, Heather; Cranley, Lisa

    Health care is shifting out of hospitals into community settings. In Ontario, Canada, home care organizations continue to experience challenges recruiting and retaining nurses. However, factors influencing home care nurse retention that can be modified remain largely unexplored. Several groups of factors have been identified as influencing home care nurse intent to remain employed including job characteristics, work structures, relationships and communication, work environment, responses to work, and conditions of employment. The aim of this study was to test and refine a model that identifies which factors are related to home care nurse intentions to remain employed for the next 5 years with their current home care employer organization. A cross-sectional survey design was implemented to test and refine a hypothesized model of home care nurse intent to remain employed. Logistic regression was used to determine which factors influence home care nurse intent to remain employed. Home care nurse intent to remain employed for the next 5 years was associated with increasing age, higher nurse-evaluated quality of care, having greater variety of patients, experiencing greater meaningfulness of work, having greater income stability, having greater continuity of client care, experiencing more positive relationships with supervisors, experiencing higher work-life balance, and being more satisfied with salary and benefits. Home care organizations can promote home care nurse intent to remain employed by (a) ensuring nurses have adequate training and resources to provide quality client care, (b) improving employment conditions to increase income stability and satisfaction with pay and benefits, (c) ensuring manageable workloads to facilitate improved work-life balance, and (d) ensuring leaders are accessible and competent.

  15. The 2009 Analysis of Information Remaining on Disks Offered for Sale on the Second Hand Market

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andy Jones

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available The ever increasing use and reliance upon computers in both the public and private sector has led to enormous numbers of computers being disposed of at the end of their useful life within an organisation. As the cost of computers has dropped, their use in the home has also continued to increase. In most organisations, computers have a relatively short life and are replaced on a regular basis with the result that, if not properly cleansed of data, they are released into the public domain containing data that can be relatively up to date. This problem is exacerbated by the increasing popularity and use of smart phones, which also contain significant storage capacity. From the results of the research it remains clear that the majority of organisations and private individuals that are using these computers still remain ignorant or misinformed of the potential volume and type of information that is stored on the hard disks contained within these systems. The evidence of the research is that neither organisations nor individuals have considered, or are aware of, the potential impact of the information that is contained in the disks from these systems becoming available to an unintended third party.This is the fifth study in an ongoing research programme being conducted into the levels and types of information that remain on computer hard disks that have been offered for sale on the second hand market. This ongoing research series has been undertaken to gain an understanding of the level and types of information that remains on these disks, to determine the damage that could potentially be caused if the information was misused, and to determine whether there are any developing trends. The disks used have been purchased in a number of countries.The rationale for this was to determine whether there are any national or regional differences in the way that computer disks are disposed of and to compare the results for any regional or temporal trends. The

  16. Red Assembly: the work remains

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leslie Witz

    installed. What to do at this limit, at the transgressive encounter between saying yes and no to history, remains the challenge. It is the very challenge of what insistently remains.

  17. Rehabilitation of children and infants with osteogenesis imperfecta. A program for ambulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerber, L H; Binder, H; Weintrob, J; Grange, D K; Shapiro, J; Fromherz, W; Berry, R; Conway, A; Nason, S; Marini, J

    1990-02-01

    Management of children and infants with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) poses difficult decisions for pediatricians, orthopedists, and physiatrists. These children are frequently frail with disabling bone and joint deformities and fractures. In an eight-year cumulative management of 12 children with OI, a comprehensive program included strengthening exercises to the pelvic girdle and lower extremity muscles, in addition to pool exercises and molded seating to support upright posture. Long leg braces were fitted when the children were able to sit unsupported. All 12 were fitted with braces; nine were functional ambulators, and three were home ambulators. Six children required femoral plating or rodding, two of whom subsequently had the metal removed. Lower extremity fractures averaged one and one-half per year prior to bracing for nine children who had fractures. There was 0.83 fracture per year for the ten children who had fractures after bracing. The degree of femoral bowing increased in four, decreased in four, and remained unchanged in four, while the degree of tibial bowing increased in two, decreased in nine, and remained unchanged in one during the observation period. A comprehensive rehabilitation program and long leg bracing with surgical operations on the femur result in a high level of functional activity for children with OI with an acceptable level of risk for fracture.

  18. ASSOCIATIONS OF ADIPONECTIN, LEPTIN LEVELS, AND THE CHANGE OF BODY COMPOSITION IN PATIENTS ON PERITONEAL DIALYSIS: A PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Xiao; Tian, Xue; Chen, Yuan; Yang, Zhi-Kai; Qu, Zhen; Dong, Jie

    2018-04-19

    Although the association between adipokines such as adiponectin, leptin, and body composition has been noted, whether they could predict the change of fat mass and lean body mass is unknown. We aimed to examine these associations in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD) through a prospective cohort study. Body composition (by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) including fat mass and lean body mass were examined at baseline and then at year 3. Serum leptin and adiponectin levels were measured. Demographic data, comorbidity, biochemical data, inflammation (high-sensitive C-reactive protein [hs-CRP]) and insulin resistance (homeostatic model assessment [HOMA-IR]) were also examined. At baseline, serum adiponectin levels were significantly inversely correlated with weight, lean body mass index (LBMI), fat mass index (FMI), lean body mass (LBM), and fat mass (FM) in 213 prevalent patients. At year 3, FMI, LBMI, FM, and the percentage of FM (FM%) increased while the percentage of LBM (LBM%) significantly decreased despite unchanged weight and LBM among the remaining 112 patients. After adjustment for demographic data, comorbidities, hs-CRP, HOMA-IR, and daily energy intake (DEI), serum adiponectin at baseline was not associated with increases in LBMI, FMI, and FM, but independently associated with an increase in FM% and a decrease in LBM%. The predictive effect of high-serum adiponectin level on mortality disappeared after adjusting for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Serum leptin was not associated with any changes in body composition during the follow-up, nor with the mortality in this cohort. A high adiponectin level could predict an increase in FM% and a decrease in LBM% during a 3-year follow-up in PD patients. Serum adiponectin could not independently predict mortality in PD patients.

  19. determination of indigenous and foreign alcoholic beverages' levels

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Dr Olaleye

    From the results, the percentage content of alcohol (%v/v) in burukutu, palmwine, beer, ... About 90-98% is metabolised in the liver to acetic acid and 2-10% is excreted unchanged. Effects of .... However, in chronic alcoholics, there is a.

  20. An analysis of the alleged skeletal remains of Carin Göring.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Kjellström

    Full Text Available In 1991, treasure hunters found skeletal remains in an area close to the destroyed country residence of former Nazi leader Hermann Göring in northeastern Berlin. The remains, which were believed to belong to Carin Göring, who was buried at the site, were examined to determine whether it was possible to make a positive identification. The anthropological analysis showed that the remains come from an adult woman. The DNA analysis of several bone elements showed female sex, and a reference sample from Carin's son revealed mtDNA sequences identical to the remains. The profile has one nucleotide difference from the Cambridge reference sequence (rCRS, the common variant 263G. A database search resulted in a frequency of this mtDNA sequence of about 10% out of more than 7,000 European haplotypes. The mtDNA sequence found in the ulna, the cranium and the reference sample is, thus, very common among Europeans. Therefore, nuclear DNA analysis was attempted. The remains as well as a sample from Carin's son were successfully analysed for the three nuclear markers TH01, D7S820 and D8S1179. The nuclear DNA analysis of the two samples revealed one shared allele for each of the three markers, supporting a mother and son relationship. This genetic information together with anthropological and historical files provides an additional piece of circumstantial evidence in our efforts to identify the remains of Carin Göring.

  1. Does hypertension remain after kidney transplantation?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gholamreza Pourmand

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Hypertension is a common complication of kidney transplantation with the prevalence of 80%. Studies in adults have shown a high prevalence of hypertension (HTN in the first three months of transplantation while this rate is reduced to 50- 60% at the end of the first year. HTN remains as a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, lower graft survival rates and poor function of transplanted kidney in adults and children. In this retrospective study, medical records of 400 kidney transplantation patients of Sina Hospital were evaluated. Patients were followed monthly for the 1st year, every two months in the 2nd year and every three months after that. In this study 244 (61% patients were male. Mean ± SD age of recipients was 39.3 ± 13.8 years. In most patients (40.8% the cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD was unknown followed by HTN (26.3%. A total of 166 (41.5% patients had been hypertensive before transplantation and 234 (58.5% had normal blood pressure. Among these 234 individuals, 94 (40.2% developed post-transplantation HTN. On the other hand, among 166 pre-transplant hypertensive patients, 86 patients (56.8% remained hypertensive after transplantation. Totally 180 (45% patients had post-transplantation HTN and 220 patients (55% didn't develop HTN. Based on the findings, the incidence of post-transplantation hypertension is high, and kidney transplantation does not lead to remission of hypertension. On the other hand, hypertension is one of the main causes of ESRD. Thus, early screening of hypertension can prevent kidney damage and reduce further problems in renal transplant recipients.

  2. U-Th/ESR combined dating of faunal remains from the Mousterian open site of Beauvais (France)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Michel, V.; Masaoudi, H.; Falgueres, Ch.; Yokoyama, Y.; Locht, J.L.; Antoine, P.

    1999-01-01

    Faunal remains from the Beauvais open site 'La Justice' (Oise) are the subject of an U-Th dating (disequilibrium of the uranium chain) and an ESR dating (electronic spin resonance). This study was performed in order to identify the chronological situation of the Middle Paleolithic levels of this site located in the north of France, supposedly aged stage 4 after stratigraphic correlations. U-Th ages of bones and dentine are between 20 and 200 ka and are scattered; however, the combined ESR/U-Th ages of rhinoceros dental enamels are homogeneous and indicate that the archaeological levels were deposited between 60 to 40 ka. This period corresponds to the end of the oxygen isotopic stage 4 to the beginning of stage 3. (authors) stage 3. (authors)

  3. And the Dead Remain Behind

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter Read

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available In most cultures the dead and their living relatives are held in a dialogic relationship. The dead have made it clear, while living, what they expect from their descendants. The living, for their part, wish to honour the tombs of their ancestors; at the least, to keep the graves of the recent dead from disrepair. Despite the strictures, the living can fail their responsibilities, for example, by migration to foreign countries. The peripatetic Chinese are one of the few cultures able to overcome the dilemma of the wanderer or the exile. With the help of a priest, an Australian Chinese migrant may summon the soul of an ancestor from an Asian grave to a Melbourne temple, where the spirit, though removed from its earthly vessel, will rest and remain at peace. Amongst cultures in which such practices are not culturally appropriate, to fail to honour the family dead can be exquisitely painful. Violence is the cause of most failure.

  4. Molecular genetic identification of skeletal remains of apartheid ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The Truth and Reconciliation Commission made significant progress in examining abuses committed during the apartheid era in South Africa. Despite information revealed by the commission, a large number of individuals remained missing when the commission closed its proceedings. This provided the impetus for the ...

  5. Palmar, Patellar, and Pedal Human Remains from Pavlov

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Trinkaus, E.; Wojtal, P.; Wilczyński, J.; Sázelová, Sandra; Svoboda, Jiří

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 2017, June (2017), s. 73-101 ISSN 1545-0031 Institutional support: RVO:68081758 Keywords : Gravettian * human remains * isolated bones * anatomically modern humans * Upper Paleolithic Subject RIV: AC - Archeology, Anthropology, Ethnology OBOR OECD: Archaeology http://paleoanthro.org/media/journal/content/PA20170073.pdf

  6. Robotics to enable older adults to remain living at home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pearce, Alan J; Adair, Brooke; Miller, Kimberly; Ozanne, Elizabeth; Said, Catherine; Santamaria, Nick; Morris, Meg E

    2012-01-01

    Given the rapidly ageing population, interest is growing in robots to enable older people to remain living at home. We conducted a systematic review and critical evaluation of the scientific literature, from 1990 to the present, on the use of robots in aged care. The key research questions were as follows: (1) what is the range of robotic devices available to enable older people to remain mobile, independent, and safe? and, (2) what is the evidence demonstrating that robotic devices are effective in enabling independent living in community dwelling older people? Following database searches for relevant literature an initial yield of 161 articles was obtained. Titles and abstracts of articles were then reviewed by 2 independent people to determine suitability for inclusion. Forty-two articles met the criteria for question 1. Of these, 4 articles met the criteria for question 2. Results showed that robotics is currently available to assist older healthy people and people with disabilities to remain independent and to monitor their safety and social connectedness. Most studies were conducted in laboratories and hospital clinics. Currently limited evidence demonstrates that robots can be used to enable people to remain living at home, although this is an emerging smart technology that is rapidly evolving.

  7. Robotics to Enable Older Adults to Remain Living at Home

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alan J. Pearce

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Given the rapidly ageing population, interest is growing in robots to enable older people to remain living at home. We conducted a systematic review and critical evaluation of the scientific literature, from 1990 to the present, on the use of robots in aged care. The key research questions were as follows: (1 what is the range of robotic devices available to enable older people to remain mobile, independent, and safe? and, (2 what is the evidence demonstrating that robotic devices are effective in enabling independent living in community dwelling older people? Following database searches for relevant literature an initial yield of 161 articles was obtained. Titles and abstracts of articles were then reviewed by 2 independent people to determine suitability for inclusion. Forty-two articles met the criteria for question 1. Of these, 4 articles met the criteria for question 2. Results showed that robotics is currently available to assist older healthy people and people with disabilities to remain independent and to monitor their safety and social connectedness. Most studies were conducted in laboratories and hospital clinics. Currently limited evidence demonstrates that robots can be used to enable people to remain living at home, although this is an emerging smart technology that is rapidly evolving.

  8. Gender equity in the Brazilian physics community at the present time

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saitovitch, Elisa Maria Baggio; Barbosa, Marcia Cristina; Funchal, Renata Zukanovich; de Pinho, Suani Tavares Rubim; de Santana, Ademir Eugênio

    2015-12-01

    We present an overview of the advances and difficulties in gender equity in the Brazilian physics community at the present time. Recognizing that in some cases the level of gender equity has remained unchanged for a decade, the Commission for Relations and Gender of the Brazilian Physical Society plans not only to continue current activities but also seek new ways to address the issue, which will be discussed at the 2nd Brazilian Conference for Women in Physics, to be organized for 2015.

  9. 13N-ammonia rest/stress PET. Folic acid improves global coronary vasoreactivity in coronary artery disease patients with normal or elevated homocysteine levels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Graf, S.; Nikfardjam, M.; Khorsand, A.; Maurer, G.; Ofluoglu, S.; Dudczak, R.; Kletter, K.; Nekolla, S.; Huber, K.; Pirich, C.

    2006-01-01

    Aim: hyperhomocysteinaemia (Hhcy) is known to be an independent risk factor for vascular disease. Coronary flow reserve (CFR) measured by positron emission tomography (PET) is a sensitive method to monitor the effects of pharmacologic interventions in Hhcy. We assessed coronary vascular reactivity by PET in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) dependent on their homocysteine (Hcy) levels before and under high dose folic acid supplementation therapy (FAST). Patients, methods: twelve patients with CAD underwent rest/adenosine 13 N-ammonia PET for quantification of myocardial blood flow (MBF) and CFR before and after nine weeks FAST (10 mg/day). Results: folate levels increased from 21 ± 6 to 210 ± 34 μg/l (+900%, p < 0.0001) while Hcy levels decreased from 12.1 ± 3.6 to 9.1 ± 3.1 μmol/l (-25%; p < 0.01). Global resting MBF remained nearly unchanged after FAST, while stress MBF (from 2.61 ± 0.93 to 3.25 ± 1.15 ml/g/min; p = 0.05) and CFR (from 3.00 ± 0.76 to 3.72 ± 0.93 ml/g/min; p < 0.05; +24%) significantly increased in patients with normal and elevated Hcy levels (cut off 12 μmol/l). An inverse relation was found between Hcy and CFR (R = -0.53; p = 0.08) and between Hcy and MBF at rest (R = -0.62; p < 0.05) at baseline conditions, not persisting after FAST. Conclusion: coronary vascular reactivity con be improved by FAST in patients with CAD and normal or elevated Hcy levels. FAST might lower an increased cardiovascular risk in CAD patients possibly by mechanisms that are not related to Hcy. (orig.)

  10. ¿Por qué siguen siendo tan altas las tasas de mortalidad por malnutrición grave? Why have mortality rates for severe malnutrition remained so high?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Schofield

    1997-04-01

    Full Text Available La revisión de las publicaciones que han aparecido en los últimos cinco decenios revela que la mediana de la tasa de letalidad de la malnutrición grave no se ha modificado en ese período y que suele oscilar de 20 a 30%, con los mayores porcentajes (50 a 60% atribuibles a los casos de malnutrición edematosa. Una causa probable de la persistencia de la mortalidad elevada es el tratamiento inapropiado de los casos. Según una encuesta de centros de tratamiento en distintas partes del mundo (n = 79, es común que a los niños con enfermedad aguda se les prescriban dietas inadecuadas con un alto contenido de proteínas, energía y sodio y un bajo contenido de micronutrientes. Se encontró que ciertas prácticas que podrían acarrear consecuencias funestas, como la prescripción de diuréticos para el edema, estaban ampliamente difundidas. También se comprobó que muchos de los manuales de instrucción eran anticuados y encerraban contradicciones. Ya que se pueden lograr tasas bajas de mortalidad por malnutrición con los tratamientos apropiados, es preciso formular y aplicar pautas terapéuticas actualizadas, de carácter práctico y prescriptivo más que descriptivo, como parte de un programa integral de capacitación.A review of the literature that has appeared over the past five decades indicates that the median case fatality from severe malnutrition has remained unchanged over this period and is typically 20-30%, with the highest levels (50-60% being among those with edematous malnutrition. A likely cause of this continuing high mortality is faulty case-management. A survey of treatment centres worldwide (n = 79 showed that for acutely ill children, inappropriate diets that are high in protein, energy and sodium and low in micronutrients are commonplace. Practices that could have fatal consequences, such as prescribing diuretics for edema, were found to be widespread. Evidence of outmoded and conflicting teaching manuals also emerged. Since

  11. Dinosaur remains from the type Maastrichtian: An update

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Weishampel, David B.; Mulder, Eric W A; Dortangs, Rudi W.; Jagt, John W M; Jianu, Coralia Maria; Kuypers, Marcel M M; Peeters, Hans H G; Schulp, Anne S.

    1999-01-01

    Isolated cranial and post-cranial remains of hadrosaurid dinosaurs have been collected from various outcrops in the type area of the Maastrichtian stage during the last few years. In the present contribution, dentary and maxillary teeth are recorded from the area for the first time. Post-cranial

  12. Decontamination and management of human remains following incidents of hazardous chemical release.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hauschild, Veronique D; Watson, Annetta; Bock, Robert

    2012-01-01

    To provide specific guidance and resources for systematic and orderly decontamination of human remains resulting from a chemical terrorist attack or accidental chemical release. A detailed review and health-based decision criteria protocol is summarized. Protocol basis and logic are derived from analyses of compound-specific toxicological data and chemical/physical characteristics. Guidance is suitable for civilian or military settings where human remains potentially contaminated with hazardous chemicals may be present, such as sites of transportation accidents, terrorist operations, or medical examiner processing points. Guidance is developed from data-characterizing controlled experiments with laboratory animals, fabrics, and materiel. Logic and specific procedures for decontamination and management of remains, protection of mortuary affairs personnel, and decision criteria to determine when remains are sufficiently decontaminated are presented. Established procedures as well as existing materiel and available equipment for decontamination and verification provide reasonable means to mitigate chemical hazards from chemically exposed remains. Unique scenarios such as those involving supralethal concentrations of certain liquid chemical warfare agents may prove difficult to decontaminate but can be resolved in a timely manner by application of the characterized systematic approaches. Decision criteria and protocols to "clear" decontaminated remains for transport and processing are also provided. Once appropriate decontamination and verification have been accomplished, normal procedures for management of remains and release can be followed.

  13. 76 FR 14057 - Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Wyoming, Anthropology Department, Human Remains...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-03-15

    ...: University of Wyoming, Anthropology Department, Human Remains Repository, Laramie, WY AGENCY: National Park... Anthropology Department, Human Remains Repository, Laramie, WY. The human remains and associated funerary... the human remains was made by University of Wyoming, Anthropology Department, Human Remains Repository...

  14. Bovine colostrum increases pore-forming claudin-2 protein expression but paradoxically not ion permeability possibly by a change of the intestinal cytokine milieu.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peggy Bodammer

    Full Text Available An impaired intestinal barrier function is involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD. Several nutritional factors are supposed to be effective in IBD treatment but scientific data about the effects on the intestinal integrity remain scarce. Bovine colostrum was shown to exert beneficial effects in DSS-induced murine colitis, and the present study was undertaken to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms. Western blot revealed increased claudin-2 expression in the distal ileum of healthy mice after feeding with colostrum for 14 days, whereas other tight junction proteins (claudin-3, 4, 10, 15 remained unchanged. The colostrum-induced claudin-2 induction was confirmed in differentiated Caco-2 cells after culture with colostrum for 48 h. Paradoxically, the elevation of claudin-2, which forms a cation-selective pore, was neither accompanied by increased ion permeability nor impaired barrier function. In an in situ perfusion model, 1 h exposure of the colonic mucosa to colostrum induced significantly increased mRNA levels of barrier-strengthening cytokine transforming growth factor-β, while interleukine-2, interleukine-6, interleukine-10, interleukine-13, and tumor-necrosis factor-α remained unchanged. Thus, modulation of the intestinal transforming growth factor-β expression might have compensated the claudin-2 increase and contributed to the observed barrier strengthening effects of colostrum in vivo and in vitro.

  15. Methodology for Extraction of Remaining Sodium of Used Sodium Containers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jung, Minhwan; Kim, Jongman; Cho, Youngil; Jeong, Jiyoung

    2014-01-01

    Sodium used as a coolant in the SFR (Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor) reacts easily with most elements due to its high reactivity. If sodium at high temperature leaks outside of a system boundary and makes contact with oxygen, it starts to burn and toxic aerosols are produced. In addition, it generates flammable hydrogen gas through a reaction with water. Hydrogen gas can be explosive within the range of 4.75 vol%. Therefore, the sodium should be handled carefully in accordance with standard procedures even though there is a small amount of target sodium remainings inside the containers and drums used for experiment. After the experiment, all sodium experimental apparatuses should be dismantled carefully through a series of draining, residual sodium extraction, and cleaning if they are no longer reused. In this work, a system for the extraction of the remaining sodium of used sodium drums has been developed and an operation procedure for the system has been established. In this work, a methodology for the extraction of remaining sodium out of the used sodium container has been developed as one of the sodium facility maintenance works. The sodium extraction system for remaining sodium of the used drums was designed and tested successfully. This work will contribute to an establishment of sodium handling technology for PGSFR. (Prototype Gen-IV Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor)

  16. Robotics to Enable Older Adults to Remain Living at Home

    OpenAIRE

    Pearce, Alan J.; Adair, Brooke; Miller, Kimberly; Ozanne, Elizabeth; Said, Catherine; Santamaria, Nick; Morris, Meg E.

    2012-01-01

    Given the rapidly ageing population, interest is growing in robots to enable older people to remain living at home. We conducted a systematic review and critical evaluation of the scientific literature, from 1990 to the present, on the use of robots in aged care. The key research questions were as follows: (1) what is the range of robotic devices available to enable older people to remain mobile, independent, and safe? and, (2) what is the evidence demonstrating that robotic devices are effec...

  17. Remaining useful life estimation in heterogeneous fleets working under variable operating conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Dahidi, Sameer; Di Maio, Francesco; Baraldi, Piero; Zio, Enrico

    2016-01-01

    The availability of condition monitoring data for large fleets of similar equipment motivates the development of data-driven prognostic approaches that capitalize on the information contained in such data to estimate equipment Remaining Useful Life (RUL). A main difficulty is that the fleet of equipment typically experiences different operating conditions, which influence both the condition monitoring data and the degradation processes that physically determine the RUL. We propose an approach for RUL estimation from heterogeneous fleet data based on three phases: firstly, the degradation levels (states) of an homogeneous discrete-time finite-state semi-markov model are identified by resorting to an unsupervised ensemble clustering approach. Then, the parameters of the discrete Weibull distributions describing the transitions among the states and their uncertainties are inferred by resorting to the Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) method and to the Fisher Information Matrix (FIM), respectively. Finally, the inferred degradation model is used to estimate the RUL of fleet equipment by direct Monte Carlo (MC) simulation. The proposed approach is applied to two case studies regarding heterogeneous fleets of aluminium electrolytic capacitors and turbofan engines. Results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach in predicting the RUL and its superiority compared to a fuzzy similarity-based approach of literature. - Highlights: • The prediction of the remaining useful life for heterogeneous fleets is addressed. • A data-driven prognostics approach based on a Markov model is proposed. • The proposed approach is applied to two different heterogeneous fleets. • The results are compared with those obtained by a fuzzy similarity-based approach.

  18. Mummified remains from the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, Croatia - Reviewing peculiarities and limitations of human and non-human radiological identification and analysis in mummified remains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petaros, Anja; Janković, Ivor; Cavalli, Fabio; Ivanac, Gordana; Brkljačić, Boris; Čavka, Mislav

    2015-10-01

    Forensic protocols and medico-legal techniques are increasingly being employed in investigations of museological material. The final findings of such investigations may reveal interesting facts on historical figures, customs and habits, as well as provide meaningful data for forensic use. Herein we present a case review where forensic experts were requested to identify taxonomic affinities, stage of preservation and provide skeletal analysis of mummified non-human archaeological remains, and verify whether two mummified hands are human or not. The manuscript offers a short review on the process and particularities of radiological species identification, the impact of post-mortem changes in the analysis and imaging of mummified remains as well as the macroscopical interpretation of trauma, pathology and authenticity in mummified remains, which can all turn useful when dealing with forensic cases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

  19. Maternal blood total oxypurines and erythrocyte 2,3-diphosphoglycerate levels during normal pregnancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mizutani, S; Akiyama, H; Kurauchi, O; Taira, H; Yamada, R; Narita, O; Tomoda, Y

    1985-01-01

    The effects of pregnancy on the levels of maternal plasma total oxypurines (hypoxanthine, xanthine and uric acid) and erythrocyte 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) was investigated. With advancing gestation there was a slight increasing tendency in plasma total oxypurines as well as erythrocyte 2,3-DPG in pregnant women. When the ratio of 2,3-DPG to total oxypurines was calculated, the ratio was almost unchanged until week 34. After week 35, the ratio decreased to week 37; the ratios between week 37 and 40 had similar values to cord blood. The above data suggest that the changes of these metabolites in maternal peripheral blood may be indicative for hypoxia with fetoplacental tissue.

  20. RHIC BEAM ABORT KICKER POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM COMMISSIONING EXPERIENCE AND REMAINING ISSUES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    ZHANG, W.; AHRENS, L.A.; MI, J.; OERTER, B.; SANDERS, R.; SANDBERG, J.

    2001-01-01

    The RHIC Beam Abort Kicker Power Supply Systems commissioning experience and the remaining issues will be reported in this paper. The RHIC Blue Ring Beam Abort Kicker Power Supply System initial commissioning took place in June 1999. Its identical system in Yellow Ring was brought on line during Spring 2000. Each of the RHIC Beam Abort Kicker Power Supply Systems consists of five high voltage modulators and subsystems. These systems are critical devices for RHIC machine protection and environmental protection. They are required to be effective, reliable and operating with sufficient redundancy to safely abort the beam to its beam dump at the end of accumulation or at any time when they are commanded. To deflect 66 GeV ion beam to the beam absorbers, the RHIC Beam Abort Kicker Power Supply Systems were operated at 22 kV level. The RHIC 2000 commissioning run was very successful

  1. Serum Levels of Progranulin Do Not Reflect Cerebrospinal Fluid Levels in Neurodegenerative Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilke, Carlo; Gillardon, Frank; Deuschle, Christian; Dubois, Evelyn; Hobert, Markus A; Müller vom Hagen, Jennifer; Krüger, Stefanie; Biskup, Saskia; Blauwendraat, Cornelis; Hruscha, Michael; Kaeser, Stephan A; Heutink, Peter; Maetzler, Walter; Synofzik, Matthis

    2016-01-01

    Altered progranulin levels play a major role in neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's dementia (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), even in the absence of GRN mutations. Increasing progranulin levels could hereby provide a novel treatment strategy. However, knowledge on progranulin regulation in neurodegenerative diseases remains limited. We here demonstrate that cerebrospinal fluid progranulin levels do not correlate with its serum levels in AD, FTD and ALS, indicating a differential regulation of its central and peripheral levels in neurodegeneration. Blood progranulin levels thus do not reliably predict central nervous progranulin levels and their response to future progranulin-increasing therapeutics.

  2. Induction by mercury compounds of brain metallothionein in rats: Hg{sup 0} exposure induces long-lived brain metallothionein

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yasutake, Akira; Nakano, Atsuhiro [Biochemistry Section, National Institute for Minamata Disease, Kumamoto (Japan); Hirayama, Kimiko [Kumamoto University, College of Medical Science (Japan)

    1998-03-01

    Metallothionein (MT) is one of the stress proteins which can easily be induced by various kind of heavy metals. However, MT in the brain is difficult to induce because of blood-brain barrier impermeability to most heavy metals. In this paper, we have attempted to induce brain MT in rats by exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) or metallic mercury vapor, both of which are known to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and cause neurological damage. Rats treated with MeHg (40 {mu}mol/kg per day x 5 days, p.o.) showed brain Hg levels as high as 18 {mu}g/g with slight neurological signs 10 days after final administration, but brain MT levels remained unchanged. However, rats exposed to Hg vapor for 7 days showed 7-8 {mu}g Hg/g brain tissue 24 h after cessation of exposure. At that time brain MT levels were about twice the control levels. Although brain Hg levels fell gradually with a half-life of 26 days, MT levels induced by Hg exposure remained unchanged for >2 weeks. Gel fractionation revealed that most Hg was in the brain cytosol fraction and thus bound to MT. Hybridization analysis showed that, despite a significant increase in MT-I and -II mRNA in brain, MT-III mRNA was less affected. Although significant Hg accumulation and MT induction were observed also in kidney and liver of Hg vapor-exposed rats, these decreased more quickly than in brain. The long-lived MT in brain might at least partly be accounted for by longer half-life of Hg accumulated there. The present results showed that exposure to Hg vapor might be a suitable procedure to provide an in vivo model with enhanced brain MT. (orig.) With 4 figs., 1 tab., 27 refs.

  3. Career Motivation in Newly Licensed Registered Nurses: What Makes Them Remain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banks, Zarata Mann; Bailey, Jessica H.

    2010-01-01

    Despite vast research on newly licensed registered nurses (RNs), we don't know why some newly licensed registered nurses remain in their current jobs and others leave the nursing profession early in their career. Job satisfaction, the most significant factor emerging from the literature, plays a significant role in nurses' decisions to remain in…

  4. [Analysis of the proportion of women at different qualification levels in departments of human medicine in Germany].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zuber, M A

    2001-01-26

    In Germany leadership positions in medicine are characterized by an almost complete lack of women. The goal of this study was to determine the representation of women among different career ranks during medical school, residency and academic advancement during the past 20 years. The annual reports of the German Federal Statistic Office in Wiesbaden were checked for the numbers of medical students, dissertations, physicians, internists, fellows and trainees at universities, habilitations and professorships. Among medical students, final examination, dissertation, physicians, internists and trainees at universities a proportion of women can be found nowadays which is at a 15% higher percentage level than 20 years ago. Among assistant professors and habilitations at universities there is a very low proportion of women, which did increase only slightly from 5 to 10% during the past 20 years. Within the same period of time the total number of professors and the proportion of female professors were nearly unchanged. Reunification of East and West Germany led to an increase of the representation of women among all levels of qualification which is due to the much higher proportion of female physicians in the former GDR. The lack of women in leadership positions in medicine in Germany is not due to a general lack of women in medicine. Among all other career ranks the proportion of women increased by 15%. The completely unchanged number and composition of the professors during the past 20 years suggests that the lack of women among this professional group has to do with conservatism which is an inherent trait of university professors in Germany.

  5. Fossil human remains from Bolomor Cave (Valencia, Spain).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arsuaga, Juan Luis; Fernández Peris, Josep; Gracia-Téllez, Ana; Quam, Rolf; Carretero, José Miguel; Barciela González, Virginia; Blasco, Ruth; Cuartero, Felipe; Sañudo, Pablo

    2012-05-01

    Systematic excavations carried out since 1989 at Bolomor Cave have led to the recovery of four Pleistocene human fossil remains, consisting of a fibular fragment, two isolated teeth, and a nearly complete adult parietal bone. All of these specimens date to the late Middle and early Late Pleistocene (MIS 7-5e). The fibular fragment shows thick cortical bone, an archaic feature found in non-modern (i.e. non-Homo sapiens) members of the genus Homo. Among the dental remains, the lack of a midtrigonid crest in the M(1) represents a departure from the morphology reported for the majority of Neandertal specimens, while the large dimensions and pronounced shoveling of the marginal ridges in the C(1) are similar to other European Middle and late Pleistocene fossils. The parietal bone is very thick, with dimensions that generally fall above Neandertal fossils and resemble more closely the Middle Pleistocene Atapuerca (SH) adult specimens. Based on the presence of archaic features, all the fossils from Bolomor are attributed to the Neandertal evolutionary lineage. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. On random age and remaining lifetime for populations of items

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Finkelstein, M.; Vaupel, J.

    2015-01-01

    We consider items that are incepted into operation having already a random (initial) age and define the corresponding remaining lifetime. We show that these lifetimes are identically distributed when the age distribution is equal to the equilibrium distribution of the renewal theory. Then we...... develop the population studies approach to the problem and generalize the setting in terms of stationary and stable populations of items. We obtain new stochastic comparisons for the corresponding population ages and remaining lifetimes that can be useful in applications. Copyright (c) 2014 John Wiley...

  7. [Changes of lipid peroxidation parameters in children being treated for cancer].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kazanova, G V; Baĭkova, V N; Dumbraĭs, K O; Gracheva, I V; Durnov, L A; Gorozhanskaia, E G; Zakharova, N V; Kurmashov, V I; Belkina, B M

    1997-01-01

    Lipid peroxidation (LP) occurring in pediatric cancer patients receiving polychemotherapy has been investigated. Plasma level of malonic dialdehyde in children with retinoblastoma (Rtb) was found to drop while it remained unchanged in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The treatment caused different changes in the red cell catalase levels in said groups: the enzyme concentration increased in the Rtb patients in the course of therapy and decreased in the ALL group. A slight decline in alpha-tocopherol and retinol levels the Rtb group was matched by a relevant rise in blood-plasma in the ALL group. To adjust LP regulation and improve resistance, antioxidants should be given to pediatric cancer patients suffering peroxidation-related stress.

  8. Evolution of drug resistance in HIV infected patients remaining on a virologically failing cART regimen

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cozzi-Lepri, A; Phillips, AN; Ruiz, L

    2007-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To estimate the extent of drug resistance accumulation in patients kept on a virologically failing regimen and its determinants in the clinical setting. DESIGN: The study focused on 110 patients of EuroSIDA on an unchanged regimen who had two genotypic tests performed at two time points...... (t0 and t1) when viral load was > 400 copies/ml. METHODS: Accumulation of resistance between t0 and t1 was measured using genotypic susceptibility scores (GSS) obtained by counting the total number of active drugs (according to the Rega system v6.4.1) among all licensed antiretrovirals as of 1...... January 2006. Patients were grouped according to the number of active drugs in the failing regimen at t0 (GSS_f-t0). RESULTS: At t0, patients had been on the failing combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) for a median of 11 months (range, 6-50 months). Even patients with extensive resistance...

  9. Mineral remains of early life on Earth? On Mars?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iberall, Robbins E.; Iberall, A.S.

    1991-01-01

    The oldest sedimentary rocks on Earth, the 3.8-Ga Isua Iron-Formation in southwestern Greenland, are metamorphosed past the point where organic-walled fossils would remain. Acid residues and thin sections of these rocks reveal ferric microstructures that have filamentous, hollow rod, and spherical shapes not characteristic of crystalline minerals. Instead, they resemble ferric-coated remains of bacteria. Because there are no earlier sedimentary rocks to study on Earth, it may be necessary to expand the search elsewhere in the solar system for clues to any biotic precursors or other types of early life. A study of morphologies of iron oxide minerals collected in the southern highlands during a Mars sample return mission may therefore help to fill in important gaps in the history of Earth's earliest biosphere. -from Authors

  10. A Study on Generic Representation of Skeletal Remains Replication of Prehistoric Burial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C.-W. Shao

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Generic representation of skeletal remains from burials consists of three dimensions which include physical anthropologists, replication technicians, and promotional educators. For the reason that archaeological excavation is irreversible and disruptive, detail documentation and replication technologies are surely needed for many purposes. Unearthed bones during the process of 3D digital scanning need to go through reverse procedure, 3D scanning, digital model superimposition, rapid prototyping, mould making, and the integrated errors generated from the presentation of colours and textures are important issues for the presentation of replicate skeleton remains among professional decisions conducted by physical anthropologists, subjective determination of makers, and the expectations of viewers. This study presents several cases and examines current issues on display and replication technologies for human skeletal remains of prehistoric burials. This study documented detail colour changes of human skeleton over time for the reference of reproduction. The tolerance errors of quantification and required technical qualification is acquired according to the precision of 3D scanning, the specification requirement of rapid prototyping machine, and the mould making process should following the professional requirement for physical anthropological study. Additionally, the colorimeter is adopted to record and analyse the “colour change” of the human skeletal remains from wet to dry condition. Then, the “colure change” is used to evaluate the “real” surface texture and colour presentation of human skeletal remains, and to limit the artistic presentation among the human skeletal remains reproduction. The“Lingdao man No.1”, is a well preserved burial of early Neolithic period (8300 B.P. excavated from Liangdao-Daowei site, Matsu, Taiwan , as the replicating object for this study. In this study, we examined the reproduction procedures step by

  11. Shotgun microbial profiling of fossil remains

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Der Sarkissian, Clio; Ermini, Luca; Jónsson, Hákon

    2014-01-01

    the specimen of interest, but instead reflect environmental organisms that colonized the specimen after death. Here, we characterize the microbial diversity recovered from seven c. 200- to 13 000-year-old horse bones collected from northern Siberia. We use a robust, taxonomy-based assignment approach...... to identify the microorganisms present in ancient DNA extracts and quantify their relative abundance. Our results suggest that molecular preservation niches exist within ancient samples that can potentially be used to characterize the environments from which the remains are recovered. In addition, microbial...... community profiling of the seven specimens revealed site-specific environmental signatures. These microbial communities appear to comprise mainly organisms that colonized the fossils recently. Our approach significantly extends the amount of useful data that can be recovered from ancient specimens using...

  12. Nuclear fuel market: Supplies remaining stable and secured in the mean range

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Braatz, U.; Dibbert, H.J.

    1988-01-01

    Installation of additional power plant will keep the demand for uranium at a level allowing a constant uranium production during the next few years to come, although production will have to be kept lower than demand, as inventories have to be cut in order to achieve a favourable price structure. Prospects on a mean-term basis show that natural uranium supplies are ensured, at favourable purchaser prices. Concluded contracts for new nuclear power plant indicate a better plant capacity utilization in uranium production to be attainable by the 1990s. Conversion capacity, however, is expected to remain as excessive as presently for quite a long period still, although reprocessing produces increasing amounts of recovered uranium to be converted. The capacity for uranium separative work is favourable for the customers. Existing and projected production facilities already today ensure safe supplies beyond the turn of the millenium, under conditions by far better in terms of long-term competing energy sources. (orig./HP) [de

  13. Market values summary/October market review/current market data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1994-01-01

    This article is the October uranium market summary. During this period, volume increased to 2.2 Mlb U3O8 on the spot concentrates market. The unrestricted and restricted exchange values remained steady at $7.00 and $9.05 per pound U3O8 respectively. There were two UF6 deals during this period, and with supply more than adequate to meet the demand, the restricted UF6 price remained unchanged at $29.00 per kgU as UF6. The unrestricted value increased slightly to $24.50. The conversion value was unchanged, and the enrichment services market/prices weakened. Both active supply and demand decreased during this period

  14. Impact of the Sainte-Marguerite 3 hydroelectric reservoir on the mercury exposure of local fish consumers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schetagne, R.; Plante, M.; Castonguay, D.

    2010-01-01

    This study examined fish mercury levels in a freshwater impoundment flooded as part of the Sainte-Marguerite-3 hydroelectric generating station. The study compared mercury levels obtained before the area was flooded in 1997 with mercury exposure surveys obtained in 2006. Mercury levels in the fish have increased by factors ranging from 4 to 8. Total mercury concentrations have reached 0.78 μg per g in 400-mm lake whitefish and 1.85 μg per g in 700-mm northern pike. Non-native fishers consumed significantly more local fish on a monthly basis after the area was flooded. Native Innu fishers consumed less fish. Average hair mercury concentrations for non-native fish consumers remained unchanged, which mercury levels in native fish consumers decreased significantly.

  15. USING CONDITION MONITORING TO PREDICT REMAINING LIFE OF ELECTRIC CABLES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    LOFARO, R.; SOO, P.; VILLARAN, M.; GROVE, E.

    2001-01-01

    Electric cables are passive components used extensively throughout nuclear power stations to perform numerous safety and non-safety functions. It is known that the polymers commonly used to insulate the conductors on these cables can degrade with time; the rate of degradation being dependent on the severity of the conditions in which the cables operate. Cables do not receive routine maintenance and, since it can be very costly, they are not replaced on a regular basis. Therefore, to ensure their continued functional performance, it would be beneficial if condition monitoring techniques could be used to estimate the remaining useful life of these components. A great deal of research has been performed on various condition monitoring techniques for use on electric cables. In a research program sponsored by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, several promising techniques were evaluated and found to provide trendable information on the condition of low-voltage electric cables. These techniques may be useful for predicting remaining life if well defined limiting values for the aging properties being measured can be determined. However, each technique has advantages and limitations that must be addressed in order to use it effectively, and the necessary limiting values are not always easy to obtain. This paper discusses how condition monitoring measurements can be used to predict the remaining useful life of electric cables. The attributes of an appropriate condition monitoring technique are presented, and the process to be used in estimating the remaining useful life of a cable is discussed along with the difficulties that must be addressed

  16. Neanderthal infant and adult infracranial remains from Marillac (Charente, France).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dolores Garralda, María; Maureille, Bruno; Vandermeersch, Bernard

    2014-09-01

    At the site of Marillac, near the Ligonne River in Marillac-le-Franc (Charente, France), a remarkable stratigraphic sequence has yielded a wealth of archaeological information, palaeoenvironmental data, as well as faunal and human remains. Marillac must have been a sinkhole used by Neanderthal groups as a hunting camp during MIS 4 (TL date 57,600 ± 4,600BP), where Quina Mousterian lithics and fragmented bones of reindeer predominate. This article describes three infracranial skeleton fragments. Two of them are from adults and consist of the incomplete shafts of a right radius (Marillac 24) and a left fibula (Marillac 26). The third fragment is the diaphysis of the right femur of an immature individual (Marillac 25), the size and shape of which resembles those from Teshik-Tash and could be assigned to a child of a similar age. The three fossils have been compared with the remains of other Neanderthals or anatomically Modern Humans (AMH). Furthermore, the comparison of the infantile femora, Marillac 25 and Teshik-Tash, with the remains of several European children from the early Middle Ages clearly demonstrates the robustness and rounded shape of both Neanderthal diaphyses. Evidence of peri-mortem manipulations have been identified on all three bones, with spiral fractures, percussion pits and, in the case of the radius and femur, unquestionable cutmarks made with flint implements, probably during defleshing. Traces of periostosis appear on the fibula fragment and on the immature femoral diaphysis, although their aetiology remains unknown. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Technical NoteEarthquake dates and water level changes in wells in the Eskisehir region, Turkey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Yuce

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available Although satisfactory results have yet to be obtained in earthquake prediction, one of the most common indicators of an anomalous precursor is a change in groundwater level in existing wells. Further wells should thus be drilled in unconfined aquifers since these are more susceptible to seismic waves. The Eskisehir region lies in the transition zone between the Aegean extensional domain and the compressible northern Anatolian block. Limnigraphs, installed in 19 exploration wells in the Eskisehir region, recorded pre-seismic, co-seismic and post-seismic level changes during the earthquakes of 17 August Izmit (Mw= 7.4 and 12 November Duzce (Mw= 7.2 1999 that occurred along the North Anatolian Fault Zone. The Izmit and Duzce earthquakes affected groundwater levels, especially in confined aquifers. The aquifer characteristics before and after the earthquakes were unchanged so the aquifer is elastic in its behaviour. Further detailed geo-mechanical investigation of the confined aquifer in the Eskisehir region may improve understanding of earthquake prediction. Keywords: earthquake prediction, Eskisehir, hydrological warning, monitoring groundwater levels

  18. Increased West Antarctic and unchanged East Antarctic ice discharge over the last 7 years

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gardner, Alex S.; Moholdt, Geir; Scambos, Ted; Fahnstock, Mark; Ligtenberg, Stefan; van den Broeke, Michiel; Nilsson, Johan

    2018-01-01

    Ice discharge from large ice sheets plays a direct role in determining rates of sea-level rise. We map present-day Antarctic-wide surface velocities using Landsat 7 and 8 imagery spanning 2013–2015 and compare to earlier estimates derived from synthetic aperture radar, revealing heterogeneous

  19. Comparison of decomposition rates between autopsied and non-autopsied human remains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bates, Lennon N; Wescott, Daniel J

    2016-04-01

    Penetrating trauma has been cited as a significant factor in the rate of decomposition. Therefore, penetrating trauma may have an effect on estimations of time-since-death in medicolegal investigations and on research examining decomposition rates and processes when autopsied human bodies are used. The goal of this study was to determine if there are differences in the rate of decomposition between autopsied and non-autopsied human remains in the same environment. The purpose is to shed light on how large incisions, such as those from a thorocoabdominal autopsy, effect time-since-death estimations and research on the rate of decomposition that use both autopsied and non-autopsied human remains. In this study, 59 non-autopsied and 24 autopsied bodies were studied. The number of accumulated degree days required to reach each decomposition stage was then compared between autopsied and non-autopsied remains. Additionally, both types of bodies were examined for seasonal differences in decomposition rates. As temperature affects the rate of decomposition, this study also compared the internal body temperatures of autopsied and non-autopsied remains to see if differences between the two may be leading to differential decomposition. For this portion of this study, eight non-autopsied and five autopsied bodies were investigated. Internal temperature was collected once a day for two weeks. The results showed that differences in the decomposition rate between autopsied and non-autopsied remains was not statistically significant, though the average ADD needed to reach each stage of decomposition was slightly lower for autopsied bodies than non-autopsied bodies. There was also no significant difference between autopsied and non-autopsied bodies in the rate of decomposition by season or in internal temperature. Therefore, this study suggests that it is unnecessary to separate autopsied and non-autopsied remains when studying gross stages of human decomposition in Central Texas

  20. Remaining useful life estimation based on discriminating shapelet extraction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malinowski, Simon; Chebel-Morello, Brigitte; Zerhouni, Noureddine

    2015-01-01

    In the Prognostics and Health Management domain, estimating the remaining useful life (RUL) of critical machinery is a challenging task. Various research topics including data acquisition, fusion, diagnostics and prognostics are involved in this domain. This paper presents an approach, based on shapelet extraction, to estimate the RUL of equipment. This approach extracts, in an offline step, discriminative rul-shapelets from an history of run-to-failure data. These rul-shapelets are patterns that are selected for their correlation with the remaining useful life of the equipment. In other words, every selected rul-shapelet conveys its own information about the RUL of the equipment. In an online step, these rul-shapelets are compared to testing units and the ones that match these units are used to estimate their RULs. Therefore, RUL estimation is based on patterns that have been selected for their high correlation with the RUL. This approach is different from classical similarity-based approaches that attempt to match complete testing units (or only late instants of testing units) with training ones to estimate the RUL. The performance of our approach is evaluated on a case study on the remaining useful life estimation of turbofan engines and performance is compared with other similarity-based approaches. - Highlights: • A data-driven RUL estimation technique based on pattern extraction is proposed. • Patterns are extracted for their correlation with the RUL. • The proposed method shows good performance compared to other techniques

  1. Highly efficient DNA extraction method from skeletal remains

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irena Zupanič Pajnič

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: This paper precisely describes the method of DNA extraction developed to acquire high quality DNA from the Second World War skeletal remains. The same method is also used for molecular genetic identification of unknown decomposed bodies in routine forensic casework where only bones and teeth are suitable for DNA typing. We analysed 109 bones and two teeth from WWII mass graves in Slovenia. Methods: We cleaned the bones and teeth, removed surface contaminants and ground the bones into powder, using liquid nitrogen . Prior to isolating the DNA in parallel using the BioRobot EZ1 (Qiagen, the powder was decalcified for three days. The nuclear DNA of the samples were quantified by real-time PCR method. We acquired autosomal genetic profiles and Y-chromosome haplotypes of the bones and teeth with PCR amplification of microsatellites, and mtDNA haplotypes 99. For the purpose of traceability in the event of contamination, we prepared elimination data bases including genetic profiles of the nuclear and mtDNA of all persons who have been in touch with the skeletal remains in any way. Results: We extracted up to 55 ng DNA/g of the teeth, up to 100 ng DNA/g of the femurs, up to 30 ng DNA/g of the tibias and up to 0.5 ng DNA/g of the humerus. The typing of autosomal and YSTR loci was successful in all of the teeth, in 98 % dekalof the femurs, and in 75 % to 81 % of the tibias and humerus. The typing of mtDNA was successful in all of the teeth, and in 96 % to 98 % of the bones. Conclusions: We managed to obtain nuclear DNA for successful STR typing from skeletal remains that were over 60 years old . The method of DNA extraction described here has proved to be highly efficient. We obtained 0.8 to 100 ng DNA/g of teeth or bones and complete genetic profiles of autosomal DNA, Y-STR haplotypes, and mtDNA haplotypes from only 0.5g bone and teeth samples.

  2. "SINCE I MUST PLEASE THOSE BELOW": HUMAN SKELETAL REMAINS RESEARCH AND THE LAW.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holland, Thomas D

    2015-01-01

    The ethics of non-invasive scientific research on human skeletal remains are poorly articulated and lack a single, definitive analogue in western law. Laws governing invasive research on human fleshed remains, as well as bio-ethical principles established for research on living subjects, provide effective models for the establishment of ethical guidelines for non-invasive research on human skeletal remains. Specifically, non-invasive analysis of human remains is permissible provided that the analysis and collection of resulting data (1) are accomplished with respect for the dignity of the individual, (2) do not violate the last-known desire of the deceased, (3) do not adversely impact the right of the next of kin to perform a ceremonious and decent disposal of the remains, and (4) do not unduly or maliciously violate the privacy interests of the next of kin.

  3. Intrinsic positive end-expiratory pressure during one-lung ventilation of patients with pulmonary hyperinflation. Influence of low respiratory rate with unchanged minute volume.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szegedi, L L; Barvais, L; Sokolow, Y; Yernault, J C; d'Hollander, A A

    2002-01-01

    We measured lung mechanics and gas exchange during one-lung ventilation (OLV) of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, using three respiratory rates (RR) and unchanged minute volume. We studied 15 patients about to undergo lung surgery, during anaesthesia, and placed in the lateral position. Ventilation was with constant minute volume, inspiratory flow and FIO2. For periods of 15 min, RR of 5, 10, and 15 bpm were applied in a random sequence and recordings were made of lung mechanics and an arterial blood gas sample was taken. Data were analysed with the repeated measures ANOVA and paired t-test with Bonferroni correction. PaO2 changes were not significant. At the lowest RR, PaCO2 decreased (from 42 (SD 4) mm Hg at RR 15-41 (4) mm Hg at RR 10 and 39 (4) mm Hg at RR 5, P<0.01), and end-tidal carbon dioxide increased (from 33 (5) mm Hg at RR 15 to 35 (5) mm Hg at RR 10 and 36 (6) mm Hg at RR 5, P<0.01). Intrinsic positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEPi) was reduced even with larger tidal volumes (from 6 (4) cm H2O at RR 15-5 (4) cm H2O at RR 10, and 3 (3) cm H2O at RR 5, P<0.01), most probably caused by increased expiratory time at the lowest RR. A reduction in RR reduces PEEPi and hypercapnia during OLV in anaesthetized patients with chronic obstructive lung disease.

  4. Future coastal population growth and exposure to sea-level rise and coastal flooding--a global assessment.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barbara Neumann

    Full Text Available Coastal zones are exposed to a range of coastal hazards including sea-level rise with its related effects. At the same time, they are more densely populated than the hinterland and exhibit higher rates of population growth and urbanisation. As this trend is expected to continue into the future, we investigate how coastal populations will be affected by such impacts at global and regional scales by the years 2030 and 2060. Starting from baseline population estimates for the year 2000, we assess future population change in the low-elevation coastal zone and trends in exposure to 100-year coastal floods based on four different sea-level and socio-economic scenarios. Our method accounts for differential growth of coastal areas against the land-locked hinterland and for trends of urbanisation and expansive urban growth, as currently observed, but does not explicitly consider possible displacement or out-migration due to factors such as sea-level rise. We combine spatially explicit estimates of the baseline population with demographic data in order to derive scenario-driven projections of coastal population development. Our scenarios show that the number of people living in the low-elevation coastal zone, as well as the number of people exposed to flooding from 1-in-100 year storm surge events, is highest in Asia. China, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Viet Nam are estimated to have the highest total coastal population exposure in the baseline year and this ranking is expected to remain largely unchanged in the future. However, Africa is expected to experience the highest rates of population growth and urbanisation in the coastal zone, particularly in Egypt and sub-Saharan countries in Western and Eastern Africa. The results highlight countries and regions with a high degree of exposure to coastal flooding and help identifying regions where policies and adaptive planning for building resilient coastal communities are not only desirable but essential

  5. Future coastal population growth and exposure to sea-level rise and coastal flooding--a global assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neumann, Barbara; Vafeidis, Athanasios T; Zimmermann, Juliane; Nicholls, Robert J

    2015-01-01

    Coastal zones are exposed to a range of coastal hazards including sea-level rise with its related effects. At the same time, they are more densely populated than the hinterland and exhibit higher rates of population growth and urbanisation. As this trend is expected to continue into the future, we investigate how coastal populations will be affected by such impacts at global and regional scales by the years 2030 and 2060. Starting from baseline population estimates for the year 2000, we assess future population change in the low-elevation coastal zone and trends in exposure to 100-year coastal floods based on four different sea-level and socio-economic scenarios. Our method accounts for differential growth of coastal areas against the land-locked hinterland and for trends of urbanisation and expansive urban growth, as currently observed, but does not explicitly consider possible displacement or out-migration due to factors such as sea-level rise. We combine spatially explicit estimates of the baseline population with demographic data in order to derive scenario-driven projections of coastal population development. Our scenarios show that the number of people living in the low-elevation coastal zone, as well as the number of people exposed to flooding from 1-in-100 year storm surge events, is highest in Asia. China, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Viet Nam are estimated to have the highest total coastal population exposure in the baseline year and this ranking is expected to remain largely unchanged in the future. However, Africa is expected to experience the highest rates of population growth and urbanisation in the coastal zone, particularly in Egypt and sub-Saharan countries in Western and Eastern Africa. The results highlight countries and regions with a high degree of exposure to coastal flooding and help identifying regions where policies and adaptive planning for building resilient coastal communities are not only desirable but essential. Furthermore, we

  6. Future Coastal Population Growth and Exposure to Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Flooding - A Global Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neumann, Barbara; Vafeidis, Athanasios T.; Zimmermann, Juliane; Nicholls, Robert J.

    2015-01-01

    Coastal zones are exposed to a range of coastal hazards including sea-level rise with its related effects. At the same time, they are more densely populated than the hinterland and exhibit higher rates of population growth and urbanisation. As this trend is expected to continue into the future, we investigate how coastal populations will be affected by such impacts at global and regional scales by the years 2030 and 2060. Starting from baseline population estimates for the year 2000, we assess future population change in the low-elevation coastal zone and trends in exposure to 100-year coastal floods based on four different sea-level and socio-economic scenarios. Our method accounts for differential growth of coastal areas against the land-locked hinterland and for trends of urbanisation and expansive urban growth, as currently observed, but does not explicitly consider possible displacement or out-migration due to factors such as sea-level rise. We combine spatially explicit estimates of the baseline population with demographic data in order to derive scenario-driven projections of coastal population development. Our scenarios show that the number of people living in the low-elevation coastal zone, as well as the number of people exposed to flooding from 1-in-100 year storm surge events, is highest in Asia. China, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Viet Nam are estimated to have the highest total coastal population exposure in the baseline year and this ranking is expected to remain largely unchanged in the future. However, Africa is expected to experience the highest rates of population growth and urbanisation in the coastal zone, particularly in Egypt and sub-Saharan countries in Western and Eastern Africa. The results highlight countries and regions with a high degree of exposure to coastal flooding and help identifying regions where policies and adaptive planning for building resilient coastal communities are not only desirable but essential. Furthermore, we

  7. Electronic defect levels in continuous wave laser annealed silicon metal oxide semiconductor devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cervera, M.; Garcia, B. J.; Martinez, J.; Garrido, J.; Piqueras, J.

    1988-09-01

    The effect of laser treatment on the bulk and interface states of the Si-SiO2 structure has been investigated. The annealing was performed prior to the gate metallization using a continuous wave Ar+ laser. For low laser powers the interface state density seems to decrease slightly in comparison with untreated samples. However, for the highest irradiating laser powers a new bulk level at 0.41 eV above the valence band with concentrations up to 1015 cm-3 arises probably due to the electrical activation of the oxygen diluted in the Czochralski silicon. Later postmetallization annealings reduce the interface state density to values in the 1010 cm-2 eV-1 range but leave the concentration of the 0.41-eV center nearly unchanged.

  8. SPIN SUSCEPTIBILITY IN HIGH - TC SUPERCONDUCTIVITY

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    USER

    2012-07-05

    Jul 5, 2012 ... remains unchanged as a result of which the oxygen site will remain deficient ... kinetic energy, a hole's spin hooks up with the random Cu moment to form a ... reach out to each other magnetically to form spin singlet pairs with ...

  9. V and V-based remaining fault estimation model for safety–critical software of a nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eom, Heung-seop; Park, Gee-yong; Jang, Seung-cheol; Son, Han Seong; Kang, Hyun Gook

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► A software fault estimation model based on Bayesian Nets and V and V. ► Use of quantified data derived from qualitative V and V results. ► Faults insertion and elimination process was modeled in the context of probability. ► Systematically estimates the expected number of remaining faults. -- Abstract: Quantitative software reliability measurement approaches have some limitations in demonstrating the proper level of reliability in cases of safety–critical software. One of the more promising alternatives is the use of software development quality information. Particularly in the nuclear industry, regulatory bodies in most countries use both probabilistic and deterministic measures for ensuring the reliability of safety-grade digital computers in NPPs. The point of deterministic criteria is to assess the whole development process and its related activities during the software development life cycle for the acceptance of safety–critical software. In addition software Verification and Validation (V and V) play an important role in this process. In this light, we propose a V and V-based fault estimation method using Bayesian Nets to estimate the remaining faults for safety–critical software after the software development life cycle is completed. By modeling the fault insertion and elimination processes during the whole development phases, the proposed method systematically estimates the expected number of remaining faults.

  10. Predicting the Remaining Useful Life of Rolling Element Bearings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hooghoudt, Jan Otto; Jantunen, E; Yi, Yang

    2018-01-01

    Condition monitoring of rolling element bearings is of vital importance in order to keep the industrial wheels running. In wind industry this is especially important due to the challenges in practical maintenance. The paper presents an attempt to improve the capability of prediction of remaining...

  11. Zeno inhibition of polarization rotation in an optically active medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gonzalo, Isabel; Luis, Alfredo; Porras, Miguel A

    2015-01-01

    We describe an experiment in which the rotation of the polarization of light propagating in an optically active water solution of D-fructose tends to be inhibited by frequent monitoring whether the polarization remains unchanged. This is an example of the Zeno effect that has remarkable pedagogical interest because of its conceptual simplicity, easy implementation, low cost, and because the same the Zeno effect holds at classical and quantum levels. An added value is the demonstration of the Zeno effect beyond typical idealized assumptions in a practical setting with real polarizers. (paper)

  12. Lie groups, Lie algebras, and some of their applications

    CERN Document Server

    Gilmore, Robert

    1974-01-01

    Lie group theory plays an increasingly important role in modern physical theories. Many of its calculations remain fundamentally unchanged from one field of physics to another, altering only in terms of symbols and the language. Using the theory of Lie groups as a unifying vehicle, concepts and results from several fields of physics can be expressed in an extremely economical way. With rigor and clarity, this text introduces upper-level undergraduate students to Lie group theory and its physical applications.An opening discussion of introductory concepts leads to explorations of the classical

  13. Temporally selective processing of communication signals by auditory midbrain neurons

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Elliott, Taffeta M; Christensen-Dalsgaard, Jakob; Kelley, Darcy B

    2011-01-01

    click rates ranged from 4 to 50 Hz, the rate at which the clicks begin to overlap. Frequency selectivity and temporal processing were characterized using response-intensity curves, temporal-discharge patterns, and autocorrelations of reduplicated responses to click trains. Characteristic frequencies...... of the rate of clicks in calls. The majority of neurons (85%) were selective for click rates, and this selectivity remained unchanged over sound levels 10 to 20 dB above threshold. Selective neurons give phasic, tonic, or adapting responses to tone bursts and click trains. Some algorithms that could compute...

  14. High arterial compliance in cirrhosis is related to low adrenaline and elevated circulating calcitonin gene related peptide but not to activated vasoconstrictor systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Henriksen, Jens Henrik Sahl; Møller, S; Schifter, S

    2001-01-01

    catecholamines, renin activity, endothelin-1, and calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) at baseline and during oxygen inhalation. RESULTS: COMP(art) was significantly increased in cirrhotic patients compared with controls (1.32 v 1.06 ml/mm Hg; padrenaline levels (r=-0.......001) and central circulation time (r=-0.49; padrenaline (-16%; p... to COMP(art) disappeared. The relation of COMP(art) to CGRP and circulatory variables remained unchanged. CONCLUSION: Elevated arterial compliance in cirrhosis is related to low adrenaline, high CGRP, and systemic hyperdynamics but not to indicators of the activated vasoconstrictor systems (noradrenaline...

  15. The cochlear implant and possibilities for narrowing the remaining gaps between prosthetic and normal hearing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Blake S. Wilson

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: The cochlear implant has become the standard of care for severe or worse losses in hearing and indeed has produced the first substantial restoration of a lost or absent human sense using a medical intervention. However, the devices are not perfect and many efforts to narrow the remaining gaps between prosthetic and normal hearing are underway. Objective: To assess the present status of cochlear implants and to describe possibilities for improving them. Results: The present-day devices work well in quiet conditions for the great majority of users. However, not all users have high levels of speech reception in quiet and nearly all users struggle with speech reception in typically noisy acoustic environments. In addition, perception of sounds more complex than speech, such as most music, is generally poor unless residual hearing at low frequencies can be stimulated acoustically in conjunction with the electrical stimuli provided by the implant. Possibilities for improving the present devices include increasing the spatial specificity of neural excitation by reducing masking effects or with new stimulus modes; prudent pruning of interfering or otherwise detrimental electrodes from the stimulation map; a further relaxation in the criteria for implant candidacy, based on recent evidence from persons with high levels of residual hearing and to allow many more people to benefit from cochlear implants; and “top down” or “brain centric” approaches to implant designs and applications. Conclusions: Progress in the development of the cochlear implant and related treatments has been remarkable but room remains for improvements. The future looks bright as there are multiple promising possibilities for improvements and many talented teams are pursuing them. Keywords: Auditory prosthesis, Cochlear implant, Cochlear prosthesis, Deafness, Neural prosthesis

  16. Glyphosate-tolerant soybeans remain compositionally equivalent to conventional soybeans (Glycine max L.) during three years of field testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCann, Melinda C; Liu, Keshun; Trujillo, William A; Dobert, Raymond C

    2005-06-29

    Previous studies have shown that the composition of glyphosate-tolerant soybeans (GTS) and selected processed fractions was substantially equivalent to that of conventional soybeans over a wide range of analytes. This study was designed to determine if the composition of GTS remains substantially equivalent to conventional soybeans over the course of several years and when introduced into multiple genetic backgrounds. Soybean seed samples of both GTS and conventional varieties were harvested during 2000, 2001, and 2002 and analyzed for the levels of proximates, lectin, trypsin inhibitor, and isoflavones. The measured analytes are representative of the basic nutritional and biologically active components in soybeans. Results show a similar range of natural variability for the GTS soybeans as well as conventional soybeans. It was concluded that the composition of commercial GTS over the three years of breeding into multiple varieties remains equivalent to that of conventional soybeans.

  17. The effect of simulating porcelain firing on the elemental composition, microstructure, and mechanical properties of electroformed gold restorations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Youssef S. Al Jabbari

    2016-09-01

    Conclusion: Although microstructure and elemental composition of electroformed Au crowns remain unchanged, the mechanical properties are significantly affected by the thermal treatment of porcelain firing.

  18. Screw Remaining Life Prediction Based on Quantum Genetic Algorithm and Support Vector Machine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaochen Zhang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available To predict the remaining life of ball screw, a screw remaining life prediction method based on quantum genetic algorithm (QGA and support vector machine (SVM is proposed. A screw accelerated test bench is introduced. Accelerometers are installed to monitor the performance degradation of ball screw. Combined with wavelet packet decomposition and isometric mapping (Isomap, the sensitive feature vectors are obtained and stored in database. Meanwhile, the sensitive feature vectors are randomly chosen from the database and constitute training samples and testing samples. Then the optimal kernel function parameter and penalty factor of SVM are searched with the method of QGA. Finally, the training samples are used to train optimized SVM while testing samples are adopted to test the prediction accuracy of the trained SVM so the screw remaining life prediction model can be got. The experiment results show that the screw remaining life prediction model could effectively predict screw remaining life.

  19. Authentic leadership: becoming and remaining an authentic nurse leader.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, Lin G

    2012-11-01

    This article explores how chief nurse executives became and remained authentic leaders. Using narrative inquiry, this qualitative study focused on the life stories of participants. Results demonstrate the importance of reframing, reflection in alignment with values, and the courage needed as nurse leaders progress to authenticity.

  20. 20 CFR 408.330 - How long will your application remain in effect?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... effect? 408.330 Section 408.330 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION SPECIAL BENEFITS FOR CERTAIN WORLD WAR II VETERANS Filing Applications Filing Your Application § 408.330 How long will your application remain in effect? Your application for SVB will remain in effect from the date it is filed until...

  1. Current Understanding and Remaining Challenges in Modeling Long-Term Degradation of Borosilicate Nuclear Waste Glasses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vienna, John D.; Ryan, Joseph V.; Gin, Stephane; Inagaki, Yaohiro

    2013-01-01

    Chemical durability is not a single material property that can be uniquely measured. Instead it is the response to a host of coupled material and environmental processes whose rates are estimated by a combination of theory, experiment, and modeling. High-level nuclear waste (HLW) glass is perhaps the most studied of any material yet there remain significant technical gaps regarding their chemical durability. The phenomena affecting the long-term performance of HLW glasses in their disposal environment include surface reactions, transport properties to and from the reacting glass surface, and ion exchange between the solid glass and the surrounding solution and alteration products. The rates of these processes are strongly influenced and are coupled through the solution chemistry, which is in turn influenced by the reacting glass and also by reaction with the near-field materials and precipitation of alteration products. Therefore, those processes must be understood sufficiently well to estimate or bound the performance of HLW glass in its disposal environment over geologic time-scales. This article summarizes the current state of understanding of surface reactions, transport properties, and ion exchange along with the near-field materials and alteration products influences on solution chemistry and glass reaction rates. Also summarized are the remaining technical gaps along with recommended approaches to fill those technical gaps

  2. Structural remains at the early mediaeval fort at Raibania, Orissa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bratati Sen

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available The fortifications of mediaeval India occupy an eminent position in the history of military architecture. The present paper deals with the preliminary study of the structural remains at the early mediaeval fort at Raibania in the district of Balasore in Orissa. The fort was built of stone very loosely kept together. The three-walled fortification interspersed by two consecutive moats, a feature evidenced at Raibania, which is unparallel in the history of ancient and mediaeval forts and fortifications in India. Several other structures like the Jay-Chandi Temple Complex, a huge well, numerous tanks and remains of an ancient bridge add to the uniqueness of the Fort in the entire eastern region.

  3. Is engagement different from satisfaction and organizational commitment?: relations with intention to remain, psychological well-being and perceived physical health in volunteers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María L. Vecina

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available In a sample of volunteers, who work, but not for money, and whose managers expect them to remain with the organization over the long term and to feel well by doing good, this study examines the distinctiveness between three concepts, usually related in the work field: Engagement, organizational commitment, and satisfaction. Based on the existing literature, they are related among them and regarding three relevant outcomes for management: Intention to remain, psychological well-being, and perceived physical health. Three structural equations models make it clear that volunteer engagement does contribute to the explanation of organizational commitment, volunteer satisfaction, and psychological well-being. At the same time, it does not seem to account for levels of intention to remain neither perceived physical health. On the contrary, organizational commitment is the only predictor of intention to remain, and volunteer satisfaction is the only predictor of perceived physical health. This last result was not expected, according to the literature on work, but reinforces the distinctiveness between the concepts and may have a plausible explanation in the volunteering field.

  4. 76 FR 14058 - Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Wyoming, Anthropology Department, Human Remains...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-03-15

    ...: University of Wyoming, Anthropology Department, Human Remains Repository, Laramie, WY AGENCY: National Park... in the possession and control of the University of Wyoming Anthropology Department, Human Remains... made by University of Wyoming, Anthropology Department, Human Remains Repository, professional staff in...

  5. Serum fatty acid composition in normal Japanese and its relationship with dietary fish and vegetable oil contents and blood lipid levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakamura, T; Takebe, K; Tando, Y; Arai, Y; Yamada, N; Ishii, M; Kikuchi, H; Machida, K; Imamura, K; Terada, A

    1995-01-01

    A survey was conducted on 110 normal Japanese adults (55 men and 55 women) to determine their caloric intake, dietary fat content and its origin (animal, plant, or marine). In addition, their blood lipid levels and fatty acid compositions were examined. Men in their 30s-50s consumed 2,600-2,800 calories and 60 g of fats, while women in the same age range consumed 2,000-2,200 calories and 52-58 g of fats. In both sexes, caloric, fat, and cholesterol intakes were lower for those in their 60s but protein and crude fiber consumption remained generally unchanged. When the dietary fats were classified according to origin, men and women in their 30s were found to consume less oil of marine origin. This appeared to be the result of a western style diet for Japanese adults in their 30s. Compared with men, women exhibited lower blood lipid levels. As age increased, the total cholesterol level of the blood rose in women. Thus the blood lipid level was generally equal in the two groups in their 60s. There was a positive correlation between the blood eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) levels and dietary consumption of fish oil. The marine/plant lipid ratio was positively correlated with the blood EPA/arachidonic acid ratio. Therefore, it was believed that the origin of the dietary fats consumed is a factor in determining the blood fatty acid profile. The linoleic acid (18:2), arachidonic acid (20:4), and 18:2 + 20:4 contents were negatively correlated to the total cholesterol level in the blood but positively correlated to the HDL-cholesterol level. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (18:2 + 20:4 + 20:5 + 22:6) were negatively correlated with the blood triglyceride level. From the findings presented above, we concluded that dietary fats not derived from animal sources should be classified into fish and vegetable oils to evaluate their dietary significance. We also noted that Japanese in their 30s consume less fish oil, indicating the western trend in their

  6. Evolution of drug resistance in HIV-infected patients remaining on a virologically failing combination antiretroviral therapy regimen

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cozzi-Lepri, Alessandro; Phillips, Andrew N; Ruiz, Lidia

    2007-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To estimate the extent of drug resistance accumulation in patients kept on a virologically failing regimen and its determinants in the clinical setting. DESIGN: The study focused on 110 patients of EuroSIDA on an unchanged regimen who had two genotypic tests performed at two time points...... (t0 and t1) when viral load was > 400 copies/ml. METHODS: Accumulation of resistance between t0 and t1 was measured using genotypic susceptibility scores (GSS) obtained by counting the total number of active drugs (according to the Rega system v6.4.1) among all licensed antiretrovirals as of 1...... January 2006. Patients were grouped according to the number of active drugs in the failing regimen at t0 (GSS_f-t0). RESULTS: At t0, patients had been on the failing combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) for a median of 11 months (range, 6-50 months). Even patients with extensive resistance...

  7. Optimization of Aeroengine Shop Visit Decisions Based on Remaining Useful Life and Stochastic Repair Time

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Cai

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Considering the wide application of condition-based maintenance in aeroengine maintenance practice, it becomes possible for aeroengines to carry out their preventive maintenance in just-in-time (JIT manner by reasonably planning their shop visits (SVs. In this study, an approach is proposed to make aeroengine SV decisions following the concept of JIT. Firstly, a state space model (SSM for aeroengine based on exhaust gas temperature margin is developed to predict the remaining useful life (RUL of aeroengine. Secondly, the effect of SV decisions on risk and service level (SL is analyzed, and an optimization of the aeroengine SV decisions based on RUL and stochastic repair time is performed to carry out JIT manner with the requirement of safety and SL. Finally, a case study considering two CFM-56 aeroengines is presented to demonstrate the proposed approach. The results show that predictive accuracy of RUL with SSM is higher than with linear regression, and the process of SV decisions is simple and feasible for airlines to improve the inventory management level of their aeroengines.

  8. No evidence that MDMA-induced enhancement of emotional empathy is related to peripheral oxytocin levels or 5-HT1a receptor activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuypers, Kim P C; de la Torre, Rafael; Farre, Magi; Yubero-Lahoz, Samanta; Dziobek, Isabel; Van den Bos, Wouter; Ramaekers, Johannes G

    2014-01-01

    The present study aimed at investigating the effect of MDMA on measures of empathy and social interaction, and the roles of oxytocin and the 5-HT1A receptor in these effects. The design was placebo-controlled within-subject with 4 treatment conditions: MDMA (75 mg), with or without pindolol (20 mg), oxytocin nasal spray (40 IU+16 IU) or placebo. Participants were 20 healthy poly-drug MDMA users, aged between 18-26 years. Cognitive and emotional empathy were assessed by means of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test and the Multifaceted Empathy Test. Social interaction, defined as trust and reciprocity, was assessed by means of a Trust Game and a Social Ball Tossing Game. Results showed that MDMA selectively affected emotional empathy and left cognitive empathy, trust and reciprocity unaffected. When combined with pindolol, these effects remained unchanged. Oxytocin did not affect measures of empathy and social interaction. Changes in emotional empathy were not related to oxytocin plasma levels. It was concluded that MDMA (75 mg) selectively enhances emotional empathy in humans. While the underlying neurobiological mechanism is still unknown, it is suggested that peripheral oxytocin does not seem to be the main actor in this; potential candidates are the serotonin 2A and the vasopressin 1A receptors. Trial registration: MDMA & PSB NTR 2636.

  9. No evidence that MDMA-induced enhancement of emotional empathy is related to peripheral oxytocin levels or 5-HT1a receptor activation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kim P C Kuypers

    Full Text Available The present study aimed at investigating the effect of MDMA on measures of empathy and social interaction, and the roles of oxytocin and the 5-HT1A receptor in these effects. The design was placebo-controlled within-subject with 4 treatment conditions: MDMA (75 mg, with or without pindolol (20 mg, oxytocin nasal spray (40 IU+16 IU or placebo. Participants were 20 healthy poly-drug MDMA users, aged between 18-26 years. Cognitive and emotional empathy were assessed by means of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test and the Multifaceted Empathy Test. Social interaction, defined as trust and reciprocity, was assessed by means of a Trust Game and a Social Ball Tossing Game. Results showed that MDMA selectively affected emotional empathy and left cognitive empathy, trust and reciprocity unaffected. When combined with pindolol, these effects remained unchanged. Oxytocin did not affect measures of empathy and social interaction. Changes in emotional empathy were not related to oxytocin plasma levels. It was concluded that MDMA (75 mg selectively enhances emotional empathy in humans. While the underlying neurobiological mechanism is still unknown, it is suggested that peripheral oxytocin does not seem to be the main actor in this; potential candidates are the serotonin 2A and the vasopressin 1A receptors. Trial registration: MDMA & PSB NTR 2636.

  10. No Evidence that MDMA-Induced Enhancement of Emotional Empathy Is Related to Peripheral Oxytocin Levels or 5-HT1a Receptor Activation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuypers, Kim P. C.; de la Torre, Rafael; Farre, Magi; Yubero-Lahoz, Samanta; Dziobek, Isabel; Van den Bos, Wouter; Ramaekers, Johannes G.

    2014-01-01

    The present study aimed at investigating the effect of MDMA on measures of empathy and social interaction, and the roles of oxytocin and the 5-HT1A receptor in these effects. The design was placebo-controlled within-subject with 4 treatment conditions: MDMA (75 mg), with or without pindolol (20 mg), oxytocin nasal spray (40 IU+16 IU) or placebo. Participants were 20 healthy poly-drug MDMA users, aged between 18–26 years. Cognitive and emotional empathy were assessed by means of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test and the Multifaceted Empathy Test. Social interaction, defined as trust and reciprocity, was assessed by means of a Trust Game and a Social Ball Tossing Game. Results showed that MDMA selectively affected emotional empathy and left cognitive empathy, trust and reciprocity unaffected. When combined with pindolol, these effects remained unchanged. Oxytocin did not affect measures of empathy and social interaction. Changes in emotional empathy were not related to oxytocin plasma levels. It was concluded that MDMA (75 mg) selectively enhances emotional empathy in humans. While the underlying neurobiological mechanism is still unknown, it is suggested that peripheral oxytocin does not seem to be the main actor in this; potential candidates are the serotonin 2A and the vasopressin 1A receptors. Trial Registration MDMA & PSB NTR 2636 PMID:24972084

  11. 76 FR 34122 - Missouri Disaster Number MO-00048

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-10

    ... Injury Loans Only): Missouri: Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Iron, Madison, Sainte Genevieve, Washington... remains unchanged. (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers 59002 and 59008) James E. Rivera...

  12. 76 FR 33395 - Tennessee Disaster Number TN-00051

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-08

    ... Counties: (Physical Damage and Economic Injury Loans): Carroll, Crockett, Hardin, Henry, Madison... remains unchanged. (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers 59002 and 59008) James E. Rivera...

  13. 75 FR 27009 - Tennessee Disaster Number TN-00039

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-05-13

    ..., Houston, Madison, Obion. Contiguous Counties: (Economic Injury Loans Only): Tennessee: Henry, Weakley... remains unchanged. (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers 59002 and 59008) James E. Rivera...

  14. Drivers and barriers for bioenergy trade

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Junginger, Martin; Schouwenberg, Peter Paul; Nikolaisen, Lars; Andrade, Onofre

    2014-01-01

    There are several drivers responsible for the strong increase in biomass trade over the past decade: concerns regarding the effects of climate change remain unchanged, and policy targets for renewable energy for 2020 have so far remained (largely) intact despite the economic crisis. At the same

  15. A Hybrid PCA-CART-MARS-Based Prognostic Approach of the Remaining Useful Life for Aircraft Engines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernando Sánchez Lasheras

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Prognostics is an engineering discipline that predicts the future health of a system. In this research work, a data-driven approach for prognostics is proposed. Indeed, the present paper describes a data-driven hybrid model for the successful prediction of the remaining useful life of aircraft engines. The approach combines the multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS technique with the principal component analysis (PCA, dendrograms and classification and regression trees (CARTs. Elements extracted from sensor signals are used to train this hybrid model, representing different levels of health for aircraft engines. In this way, this hybrid algorithm is used to predict the trends of these elements. Based on this fitting, one can determine the future health state of a system and estimate its remaining useful life (RUL with accuracy. To evaluate the proposed approach, a test was carried out using aircraft engine signals collected from physical sensors (temperature, pressure, speed, fuel flow, etc.. Simulation results show that the PCA-CART-MARS-based approach can forecast faults long before they occur and can predict the RUL. The proposed hybrid model presents as its main advantage the fact that it does not require information about the previous operation states of the input variables of the engine. The performance of this model was compared with those obtained by other benchmark models (multivariate linear regression and artificial neural networks also applied in recent years for the modeling of remaining useful life. Therefore, the PCA-CART-MARS-based approach is very promising in the field of prognostics of the RUL for aircraft engines.

  16. Political, energy events will remain interwoven

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, D.P.

    1991-01-01

    This paper reports that it is possible to discuss the significance of political and energy events separately, but, in truth, they are intricately interwoven. Furthermore, there are those who will argue that since the two are inseparable, the future is not predictable; so why bother in the endeavor. It is possible that the central point of the exercise may have been missed-yes, the future is unpredictable exclamation point However, the objective of prediction is secondary. The objective of understanding the dynamic forces of change is primary exclamation point With this view of recent history, it is perhaps appropriate to pause and think about the future of the petroleum industry. The future as shaped by political, energy, economic, environmental and technological forces will direct our lives and markets during this decade. Most importantly, what will be the direction that successful businesses take to remain competitive in a global environment? These are interesting issues worthy of provocative thoughts and innovative ideas

  17. Some remaining problems in HCDA analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, Y.W.

    1981-01-01

    The safety assessment and licensing of liquid-metal fast breeder reactors (LMFBRs) requires an analysis on the capability of the reactor primary system to sustain the consequences of a hypothetical core-disruptive accident (HCDA). Although computational methods and computer programs developed for HCDA analyses can predict reasonably well the response of the primary containment system, and follow up the phenomena of HCDA from the start of excursion to the time of dynamic equilibrium in the system, there remain areas in the HCDA analysis that merit further analytical and experimental studies. These are the analysis of fluid impact on reactor cover, three-dimensional analysis, the treatment of the perforated plates, material properties under high strain rates and under high temperatures, the treatment of multifield flows, and the treatment of prestressed concrete reactor vessels. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the structural mechanics of HCDA analysis in these areas where improvements are needed

  18. Liquid level controller

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mangus, J.D.; Redding, A.H.

    1975-01-01

    A system for maintaining two distinct sodium levels within the shell of a heat exchanger having a plurality of J-shaped modular tube bundles each enclosed in a separate shell which extends from a common base portion. A lower liquid level is maintained in the base portion and an upper liquid level is maintained in the shell enwrapping the long stem of the J-shaped tube bundles by utilizing standpipes with a notch at the lower end which decreases in open area the distance from the end of the stand pipe increases and a supply of inert gas fed at a constant rate to produce liquid levels, which will remain generally constant as the flow of liquid through the vessel varies

  19. Consecutive Food and Respiratory Allergies Amplify Systemic and Gut but Not Lung Outcomes in Mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouchaud, Gregory; Gourbeyre, Paxcal; Bihouée, Tiphaine; Aubert, Phillippe; Lair, David; Cheminant, Marie-Aude; Denery-Papini, Sandra; Neunlist, Michel; Magnan, Antoine; Bodinier, Marie

    2015-07-22

    Epidemiological data suggest a link between food allergies and the subsequent development of asthma. Although this progression may result from the additional effects of exposure to multiple allergens, whether both allergies amplify each other's effects remains unknown. This study investigated whether oral exposure to food allergens influences the outcomes of subsequent respiratory exposure to an asthma-inducing allergen. Mice were sensitized and orally challenged with wheat (FA) and then exposed to house dust mite (HDM) extract (RA). Immunoglobulin (Ig), histamine, and cytokine levels were assayed by ELISA. Intestinal and lung physiology was assessed. Ig levels, histamine release, and cytokine secretion were higher after exposure to both allergens than after separate exposure to each. Intestinal permeability was higher, although airway hyper-responsiveness and lung inflammation remained unchanged. Exposure to food and respiratory allergens amplifies systemic and gut allergy-related immune responses without any additional effect on lung function and inflammation.

  20. Immunological change in a parasite-impoverished environment: divergent signals from four island taxa.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jon S Beadell

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Dramatic declines of native Hawaiian avifauna due to the human-mediated emergence of avian malaria and pox prompted an examination of whether island taxa share a common altered immunological signature, potentially driven by reduced genetic diversity and reduced exposure to parasites. We tested this hypothesis by characterizing parasite prevalence, genetic diversity and three measures of immune response in two recently-introduced species (Neochmia temporalis and Zosterops lateralis and two island endemics (Acrocephalus aequinoctialis and A. rimitarae and then comparing the results to those observed in closely-related mainland counterparts. The prevalence of blood parasites was significantly lower in 3 of 4 island taxa, due in part to the absence of certain parasite lineages represented in mainland populations. Indices of genetic diversity were unchanged in the island population of N. temporalis; however, allelic richness was significantly lower in the island population of Z. lateralis while both allelic richness and heterozygosity were significantly reduced in the two island-endemic species examined. Although parasite prevalence and genetic diversity generally conformed to expectations for an island system, we did not find evidence for a pattern of uniformly altered immune responses in island taxa, even amongst endemic taxa with the longest residence times. The island population of Z. lateralis exhibited a significantly reduced inflammatory cell-mediated response while levels of natural antibodies remained unchanged for this and the other recently introduced island taxon. In contrast, the island endemic A. rimitarae exhibited a significantly increased inflammatory response as well as higher levels of natural antibodies and complement. These measures were unchanged or lower in A. aequinoctialis. We suggest that small differences in the pathogenic landscape and the stochastic history of mutation and genetic drift are likely to be important in

  1. Spectroscopic and first-principles calculation studies of the chemical forms of palladium ion in nitric acid solution for development of disposal of high-level radioactive nuclear wastes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watanabe, Shinta; Sato, Toshikazu; Yoshida, Tomoko; Nakaya, Masato; Yoshino, Masahito; Nagasaki, Takanori; Inaba, Yusuke; Takeshita, Kenji; Onoe, Jun

    2018-04-01

    We have investigated the chemical forms of palladium (Pd) ion in nitric acid solution, using XAFS/UV-vis spectroscopic and first-principles methods in order to develop the disposal of high-level radioactive nuclear liquid wastes (HLLW: radioactive metal ions in 2 M nitric acid solution). The results of theoretical calculations and XAFS/UV-vis spectroscopy indicate that Pd is a divalent ion and forms a square-planar complex structure coordinated with four nitrate ions, [Pd(NO3)4]2-, in nitric acid solution. This complex structure is also thermodynamically predicted to be most stable among complexes [Pd(H2O)x(NO3)4-x]x-2 (x = 0-4). Since the overall feature of UV-vis spectra of the Pd complex was independent of nitric acid concentration in the range 1-6 M, the structure of the Pd complex remains unchanged in this range. Furthermore, we examined the influence of γ-ray radiation on the [Pd(NO3)4]2- complex, using UV-vis spectroscopy, and found that UV-vis spectra seemed not to be changed even after 1.0 MGy irradiation. This implies that the Pd complex structure will be still stable in actual HLLW. These findings obtained above are useful information to develop the vitrification processes for disposal of HLLW.

  2. 76 FR 32387 - Tennessee Disaster Number TN-00053

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-06

    ... Only): Tennessee: Carroll, Haywood, Madison. All other information in the original declaration remains unchanged. (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers 59002 and 59008) James E. Rivera, Associate...

  3. The experiences of remaining nurse tutors during the transformation ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The transformation of public services and education in South Africa is part of the political and socioeconomic transition to democracy. Changes are occurring in every fi eld, including that of the health services. A qualitative study was undertaken to investigate the experiences of the remaining nurse tutors at a school of ...

  4. Numerical investigation on the variation of welding stresses after material removal from a thick titanium alloy plate joined by electron beam welding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Chuan; Zhang, Jianxun; Wu, Bing; Gong, Shuili

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: → After less materials removal from the top, stresses on the bottom remain unchanged. → The transverse stress within the weld decreases significantly with material removal. → Local material removal does not influence the longitudinal stress significantly. -- Abstract: The stress modification after material removal from a 50 mm thick titanium alloy plate jointed by electron beam welding (EBW) was investigated through the finite element method (FEM). The welding experiment and milling process were carried out to experimentally determine the stresses induced by EBW and their modification after local material removal. The modification of as-welded stresses due to the local material removal method and the whole layer removal method was discussed with the finite element analysis. Investigated results showed that with less materials removal from the top, the stresses on the bottom surface remain almost unchanged; after material removal from the top and bottom part, the transverse stress on the newly-formed surface decreases significantly as compared to the as-welded stresses at the same locations; however, the stress modification only occurs at the material removal region in the case of local region removal method; the longitudinal stress decreases with the whole layer removal method while remains almost unchanged with the local region removal method.

  5. Optimization of DNA recovery and amplification from non-carbonized archaeobotanical remains

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wales, Nathan; Andersen, Kenneth; Cappellini, Enrico

    2014-01-01

    Ancient DNA (aDNA) recovered from archaeobotanical remains can provide key insights into many prominent archaeological research questions, including processes of domestication, past subsistence strategies, and human interactions with the environment. However, it is often difficult to isolate a...... extracted from non-charred ancient plant remains. Based upon the criteria of resistance to enzymatic inhibition, behavior in quantitative real-time PCR, replication fidelity, and compatibility with aDNA damage, we conclude these polymerases have nuanced properties, requiring researchers to make educated...... on the interactions between humans and past plant communities....

  6. Effects of antithrombotic drugs in patients with left ventricular thrombi: assessment with indium-111 platelet imaging and two-dimensional echocardiography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stratton, J.R.; Ritchie, J.L.

    1984-01-01

    Patients with left ventricular thrombi not caused by recent myocardial infarction were prospectively studied by indium-111 platelet imaging and two-dimensional echocardiography to determine the reproducibility of these techniques and the short-term effects of sulfinpyrazone (200 mg four times daily), aspirin (325 mg three times daily) plus dipyridamole (75 mg three times daily), and full-dose warfarin. At baseline, all patients underwent indium-111 platelet imaging and echocardiography, and the results were positive for thrombus. In six patients on no antithrombotic drug therapy, repeat platelet scans and echocardiographic studies at 6.0 +/- 3.3 weeks remained positive and were unchanged. In seven patients studied on sulfinpyrazone, three platelet scans became negative, two became equivocal, and two were unchanged; the presence and size of thrombus was constant by echocardiography in all seven patients. Of the six patients studied on aspirin plus dipyridamole, one platelet scan became negative, those of three became equivocal, and two were unchanged; all echocardiographic findings remained positive, but one patient had decreased thrombus size. Among four warfarin-treated patients, three had resolution of platelet deposition and one was unchanged; by echocardiography, thrombus resolved in one patient, was decreased in size in one, and was unchanged in two. We conclude that, in the absence of antithrombotic drug therapy, platelet imaging and echocardiographic findings are stable in patients with left ventricular thrombi not caused by recent myocardial infarction. Sulfinpyrazone, aspirin plus dipyridamole, and warfarin all interrupt platelet deposition in some patients with chronic left ventricular thrombi

  7. Different yet similar: Examining race and ethnicity in treatment-seeking adults with binge eating disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lydecker, Janet A; Grilo, Carlos M

    2016-01-01

    This study examined racial/ethnic differences in demographic variables and the clinical presentation of treatment-seeking adults with binge eating disorder (BED) who participated in treatment research at a medical school-based program. Participants were 775 (n = 195 men, n = 560 women) treatment-seeking adults with DSM-IV-defined BED who self-identified as Black (n = 121), Hispanic (n = 54), or White (n = 580). Doctoral-level research clinicians assessed participants for BED and for eating disorder psychopathology using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Disorders and the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) interview, and measured height and weight. Participants also completed established self-report measures. Black participants had a greater proportion of women than White participants and White participants had higher education than Black and Hispanic participants. Black participants had higher body mass index (BMI) and reported more frequent binge eating episodes than White participants but eating-disorder psychopathology (EDE scales and Global Severity) did not significantly differ across racial/ethnic groups. Black participants had lower levels of depression than Hispanic and White participants. These differences in clinical presentation remained unchanged after adjusting for age, education, sex, and BMI. White participants had younger ages of onset for dieting, binge eating, and obesity, but not BED, than Black and Hispanic participants. There are some racial/ethnic differences in the developmental trajectories and clinical presentation of treatment-seeking adults with BED that remain unchanged after adjusting for demographic differences. Black participants presented for treatment with higher BMI and binge eating frequency than White participants and with lower depression than White and Hispanic groups, but associated eating disorder psychopathology levels were similar across racial/ethnic groups. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  8. Chloroquine resistant P. falciparum prevalence is low and unchanged between 1990 and 2005 in Guinea-Bissau

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ursing, Johan; Schmidt, Berit Aydin; Lebbad, Marianne

    2007-01-01

    Chloroquine resistant malaria was first reported in Guinea-Bissau in 1990 but chloroquine remains the most commonly used antimalarial in the country. Since 1990, we have conducted nearly annual standardized WHO in vitro micro-tests to assess chloroquine resistance. We have identified pfcrt 76T...... and other genetic polymorphisms in samples from 1992, 1993, 1995, 2004 and 2005. We have also monitored drug prescriptions for febrile illnesses. The mean proportion of in vitro tests indicating chloroquine resistance was 33% (range 14-54%) with the exception of an outlying value year 2000. The proportion...... of chloroquine resistant P. falciparum detected by in vitro testing did not increase over time. Pfcrt 76T was associated with chloroquine resistance but pfmdr1 86Y was not. The mean pfcrt 76T prevalence varied between 13% and 38%. The prevalence of SNPs at Pfcrt positions 76, 271, 326 and pfmdr1 position 86 did...

  9. Changes in voluntary activation assessed by transcranial magnetic stimulation during prolonged cycling exercise.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marc Jubeau

    Full Text Available Maximal central motor drive is known to decrease during prolonged exercise although it remains to be determined whether a supraspinal deficit exists, and if so, when it appears. The purpose of this study was to evaluate corticospinal excitability and muscle voluntary activation before, during and after a 4-h cycling exercise. Ten healthy subjects performed three 80-min bouts on an ergocycle at 45% of their maximal aerobic power. Before exercise and immediately after each bout, neuromuscular function was evaluated in the quadriceps femoris muscles under isometric conditions. Transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to assess voluntary activation at the cortical level (VATMS, corticospinal excitability via motor-evoked potential (MEP and intracortical inhibition by cortical silent period (CSP. Electrical stimulation of the femoral nerve was used to measure voluntary activation at the peripheral level (VAFNES and muscle contractile properties. Maximal voluntary force was significantly reduced after the first bout (13 ± 9%, P<0.01 and was further decreased (25 ± 11%, P<0.001 at the end of exercise. CSP remained unchanged throughout the protocol. Rectus femoris and vastus lateralis but not vastus medialis MEP normalized to maximal M-wave amplitude significantly increased during cycling. Finally, significant decreases in both VATMS and VAFNES (∼ 8%, P<0.05 and ∼ 14%, P<0.001 post-exercise, respectively were observed. In conclusion, reductions in VAFNES after a prolonged cycling exercise are partly explained by a deficit at the cortical level accompanied by increased corticospinal excitability and unchanged intracortical inhibition. When comparing the present results with the literature, this study highlights that changes at the cortical and/or motoneuronal levels depend not only on the type of exercise (single-joint vs. whole-body but also on exercise intensity and/or duration.

  10. The Artificial Leaf: Recent Progress and Remaining Challenges

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark D Symes

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The prospect of a device that uses solar energy to split water into H2 and O2 is highly attractive in terms of producing hydrogen as a carbon-neutral fuel. In this mini review, key research milestones that have been reached in this field over the last two decades will be discussed, with special focus on devices that use earth-abundant materials. Finally, the remaining challenges in the development of such “artificial leaves” will be highlighted.

  11. Study on remain actinides recovery in pyro reprocessing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suharto, Bambang

    1996-01-01

    The spent fuel reprocessing by dry process called pyro reprocessing have been studied. Most of U, Pu and MA (minor actinides) from the spent fuel will be recovered and be fed back to the reactor as new fuel. Accumulation of remain actinides will be separated by extraction process with liquid cadmium solvent. The research was conducted by computer simulation to calculate the stage number required. The calculation's results showed on the 20 stages extractor more than 99% actinides can be separated. (author)

  12. Dietary guanidinoacetic acid does not accumulate in the brain of healthy men

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ostojic, Sergej M.; Ostojic, Jelena

    2018-01-01

    analyzed for brain GAA and glutamate concentrations using TARQUIN 4.3.10 software. Brain GAA levels remained essentially unchanged at follow-up (an increase of 7.7% from baseline levels; 95% confidence interval, - 24.1% to 39.5%; P = 0.88) when averaged across 12 white and grey matter voxel locations......We conducted a secondary analysis of a previously completed trial to determine the effects of 8-week guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) loading on brain GAA levels in five healthy men. Brain magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) was taken at baseline and post-administration, with spectra additionally....... No significant changes were found for brain glutamate levels during the study (P = 0.64). Supplemental GAA appears to be safe intervention concerning brain GAA deposition, at least with GAA dosages used....

  13. Alcohol intake and its effect on some appetite-regulating hormones in man

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Calissendorff, Jan; Gustafsson, Thomas; Holst, Jens Juul

    2012-01-01

    and methods. Ten participants were investigated on four occasions. On one alcohol was ingested; on another alcohol was given after pretreatment with sucralfate; on a third water was ingested; and on a fourth sucralfate was ingested followed by water. Serum hormones and ethanol concentrations were determined......Background. Alcohol stimulates appetite. Ghrelin, obestatin, glucagon-like peptide 1 and leptin are putative mediators. Objective. We studied whether alcohol ingestion affects serum levels of these peripheral hormones, and if gastroprotective sucralfate prevents such an effect. Materials....... Results. The ghrelin and leptin levels fell after ingestion of alcohol, whereas the obestatin and GLP-1 levels remained unchanged. Sucralfate did not affect any of the basal four hormone levels, nor the ghrelin or leptin responses to alcohol. Conclusions. An appetite-stimulating effect of alcohol...

  14. Direct dating of Early Upper Palaeolithic human remains from Mladec.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Eva M; Teschler-Nicola, Maria; Kutschera, Walter; Steier, Peter; Trinkaus, Erik; Wanek, Wolfgang

    2005-05-19

    The human fossil assemblage from the Mladec Caves in Moravia (Czech Republic) has been considered to derive from a middle or later phase of the Central European Aurignacian period on the basis of archaeological remains (a few stone artefacts and organic items such as bone points, awls, perforated teeth), despite questions of association between the human fossils and the archaeological materials and concerning the chronological implications of the limited archaeological remains. The morphological variability in the human assemblage, the presence of apparently archaic features in some specimens, and the assumed early date of the remains have made this fossil assemblage pivotal in assessments of modern human emergence within Europe. We present here the first successful direct accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating of five representative human fossils from the site. We selected sample materials from teeth and from one bone for 14C dating. The four tooth samples yielded uncalibrated ages of approximately 31,000 14C years before present, and the bone sample (an ulna) provided an uncertain more-recent age. These data are sufficient to confirm that the Mladec human assemblage is the oldest cranial, dental and postcranial assemblage of early modern humans in Europe and is therefore central to discussions of modern human emergence in the northwestern Old World and the fate of the Neanderthals.

  15. Lung Abscess Remains a Life-Threatening Condition in Pediatrics – A Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chirteș Ioana Raluca

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Pulmonary abscess or lung abscess is a lung infection which destroys the lung parenchyma leading to cavitations and central necrosis in localised areas formed by thick-walled purulent material. It can be primary or secondary. Lung abscesses can occur at any age, but it seems that paediatric pulmonary abscess morbidity is lower than in adults. We present the case of a one year and 5-month-old male child admitted to our clinic for fever, loss of appetite and an overall altered general status. Laboratory tests revealed elevated inflammatory biomarkers, leukocytosis with neutrophilia, anaemia, thrombocytosis, low serum iron concentration and increased lactate dehydrogenase level. Despite wide-spectrum antibiotic therapy, the patient’s progress remained poor after seven days of treatment and a CT scan established the diagnosis of a large lung abscess. Despite changing the antibiotic therapy, surgical intervention was eventually needed. There was a slow but steady improvment and eventually, the patient was discharged after approximately five weeks.

  16. Staying in nursing: what factors determine whether nurses intend to remain employed?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, Matthew R; Tourangeau, Ann E

    2012-07-01

    To test a model of eight thematic determinants of whether nurses intend to remain in nursing roles. Despite the dramatic increase in the supply of nurses in England over the past decade, a combination of the economic downturn, funding constraints and more generally an ageing nursing population means that healthcare organizations are likely to encounter long-term problems in the recruitment and retention of nursing staff. Survey. Data were collected from a large staff survey conducted in the National Health Service in England between September-December 2009. A multi-level model was tested using MPlus statistical software on a sub-sample of 16,707 nurses drawn from 167 healthcare organizations. Findings were generally supportive of the proposed model. Nurses who reported being psychologically engaged with their jobs reported a lower intention to leave their current job. The perceived availability of developmental opportunities, being able to achieve a good work-life balance and whether nurses' encountered work pressures were also influencing factors on their turnover intentions. However, relationships formed with colleagues and patients displayed comparatively small relationships with turnover intentions. The focus at the local level needs to be on promoting employee engagement by equipping staff with the resources (physical and monetary) and control to enable them to perform their tasks to standards they aspire to and creating a work environment where staff are fully involved in the wider running of their organizations, communicating to staff that patient care is important and the top priority of the organization. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  17. New fossil remains of Homo naledi from the Lesedi Chamber, South Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawks, John; Elliott, Marina; Schmid, Peter; Churchill, Steven E; de Ruiter, Darryl J; Roberts, Eric M; Hilbert-Wolf, Hannah; Garvin, Heather M; Williams, Scott A; Delezene, Lucas K; Feuerriegel, Elen M; Randolph-Quinney, Patrick; Kivell, Tracy L; Laird, Myra F; Tawane, Gaokgatlhe; DeSilva, Jeremy M; Bailey, Shara E; Brophy, Juliet K; Meyer, Marc R; Skinner, Matthew M; Tocheri, Matthew W; VanSickle, Caroline; Walker, Christopher S; Campbell, Timothy L; Kuhn, Brian; Kruger, Ashley; Tucker, Steven; Gurtov, Alia; Hlophe, Nompumelelo; Hunter, Rick; Morris, Hannah; Peixotto, Becca; Ramalepa, Maropeng; van Rooyen, Dirk; Tsikoane, Mathabela; Boshoff, Pedro; Dirks, Paul HGM; Berger, Lee R

    2017-01-01

    The Rising Star cave system has produced abundant fossil hominin remains within the Dinaledi Chamber, representing a minimum of 15 individuals attributed to Homo naledi. Further exploration led to the discovery of hominin material, now comprising 131 hominin specimens, within a second chamber, the Lesedi Chamber. The Lesedi Chamber is far separated from the Dinaledi Chamber within the Rising Star cave system, and represents a second depositional context for hominin remains. In each of three collection areas within the Lesedi Chamber, diagnostic skeletal material allows a clear attribution to H. naledi. Both adult and immature material is present. The hominin remains represent at least three individuals based upon duplication of elements, but more individuals are likely present based upon the spatial context. The most significant specimen is the near-complete cranium of a large individual, designated LES1, with an endocranial volume of approximately 610 ml and associated postcranial remains. The Lesedi Chamber skeletal sample extends our knowledge of the morphology and variation of H. naledi, and evidence of H. naledi from both recovery localities shows a consistent pattern of differentiation from other hominin species. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.24232.001 PMID:28483039

  18. 25 CFR 291.15 - How long do Class III gaming procedures remain in effect?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false How long do Class III gaming procedures remain in effect... ENTERPRISES CLASS III GAMING PROCEDURES § 291.15 How long do Class III gaming procedures remain in effect? Class III gaming procedures remain in effect for the duration specified in the procedures or until...

  19. The potential and biological test on cloned cassava crop remains on local sheep

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ginting, R.; Umar, S.; Hanum, C.

    2018-02-01

    This research aims at knowing the potential of cloned cassava crop remains dry matter and the impact of the feeding of the cloned cassava crop remains based complete feed on the consumption, the body weight gain, and the feed conversion of the local male sheep with the average of initial body weight of 7.75±1.75 kg. The design applied in the first stage research was random sampling method with two frames of tile and the second stage research applied Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three (3) treatments and four (4) replicates. These treatments consisted of P1 (100% grass); P2 (50% grass, 50% complete feed pellet); P3 (100% complete feed from the raw material of cloned cassava crop remaining). Statistical tests showed that the feeding of complete feed whose raw material was from cloned cassava crop remains gave a highly significant impact on decreasing feed consumption, increasing body weight, lowering feed conversion, and increasing crude protein digestibility. The conclusion is that the cloned cassava crop remains can be used as complete sheep feed to replace green grass and can give the best result.

  20. Sink limitation induces the expression of multiple soybean vegetative lipoxygenase mRNAs while the endogenous jasmonic acid level remains low.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bunker, T W; Koetje, D S; Stephenson, L C; Creelman, R A; Mullet, J E; Grimes, H D

    1995-08-01

    The response of individual members of the lipoxygenase multigene family in soybeans to sink deprivation was analyzed. RNase protection assays indicated that a novel vegetative lipoxygenase gene, vlxC, and three other vegetative lipoxygenase mRNAs accumulated in mature leaves in response to a variety of sink limitations. These data suggest that several members of the lipoxygenase multigene family are involved in assimilate partitioning. The possible involvement of jasmonic acid as a signaling molecule regulating assimilate partitioning into the vegetative storage proteins and lipoxygenases was directly assessed by determining the endogenous level of jasmonic acid in leaves from plants with their pods removed. There was no rise in the level of endogenous jasmonic acid coincident with the strong increase in both vlxC and vegetative storage protein VspB transcripts in response to sink limitation. Thus, expression of the vegetative lipoxygenases and vegetative storage proteins is not regulated by jasmonic acid in sink-limited leaves.

  1. Effect of non-surgical periodontal therapy on C-reactive protein, oxidative stress, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and MMP-2 levels in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koromantzos, Panagiotis A; Makrilakis, Konstantinos; Dereka, Xanthippi; Offenbacher, Steven; Katsilambros, Nicholas; Vrotsos, Ioannis A; Madianos, Phoebus N

    2012-01-01

    It is well accepted that glycemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) is affected by systemic inflammation and oxidative stress. The effect of periodontal therapy on these systemic factors may be related to improvement on glycemic status. The aim of the present study is to assess over a period of 6 months the effect of non-surgical periodontal therapy on serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), d-8-iso prostaglandin F2a (d-8-iso) as a marker of oxidative stress, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 on patients with type 2 DM. Sixty participants with type 2 DM and moderate to severe periodontal disease were randomized into intervention (IG) and control (CG) groups. IG received scaling and root planing, whereas CG received supragingival cleaning at baseline and scaling and root planing at 6 months. Participants of both groups were evaluated at baseline and 1, 3, and 6 months. Periodontal data recorded at each visit included probing depth, clinical attachment loss, bleeding on probing, and gingival index. Blood was collected at each visit for the assay of serum glycated hemoglobin A1c (A1c), hsCRP, d-8-iso, MMP-2, and MMP-9. Although there was a trend to a reduction in hsCRP, d-8-iso and MMP-9 it did not reach statistical significance. MMP-2 levels remained unchanged after periodontal treatment. Effective non-surgical periodontal treatment of participants with type 2 DM and moderate to severe periodontal disease improved significantly A1c levels but did not result in a statistically significant improvement in hsCRP, d-8-iso, MMP-2, and MMP-9 levels.

  2. Long-term effects of whole-body vibration training in high-level female basketball players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandez-Rio, J; Terrados, N; Suman, O

    2012-02-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term effects of Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) training on the jumping capabilities of high-level female basketball players. A 12-week WBV program was applied to 10 national and international level female basketball players. They were randomly distributed into a control group (CG: 23.2±3.96 years, 69.64±11.17 kg, 179.7±7.96 cm) and an experimental group (VG: 24.0±2.65 years, 70.17±9.86 kg, 181.9±10.83 cm). In order to determine the effects of the WBV program on the jumping capabilities of the subjects, the following tests were used: SJ, CMJ, ACMVJ, and 15-seconds maximal jump. In the SJ test, the CG significantly increased from 455.4±25.91 to 476.6±26.6 ms (+4.42%; P=0.05), while the VG also increased significantly from 455±15.62 to 478.33±16.56 ms (+5.13%; P=0.02). In the CMJ test, the CG significantly increased from 470.2±12.15 to 496±23.38 ms (+5.49%; P=0.04), while the VG remained unchanged: 472±15.62 to 474.67±8.74 ms (+0.76%). In the ACMVJ test, the CG increased from 514±37.67 to 520±15.5 ms (+1.42%), while the VG decreased from 515±31.43 to 510.33±16.56 ms (-0.77%). In the 15-seconds jump test, the CG increased from 459±23.48 to 481.6±15.53 ms (+5.15%), while the VG increased from 464±36.66 to 471±33.96 ms (+1.6%). In this same test, the power generated by the CG increased from 20.01±1.84 to 22.14±2.21 W/kg (+11.12%), while the VG increased from 17.28±2.39 to 22.21±5.82 W/kg (+29.7%). WBV has no extra appreciable effect or benefit on the jumping capabilities of high-level female basketball players compared to regular strength training methods.

  3. FEMALE MICE ARE RESISTANT TO Fabp1 GENE ABLATION-INDUCED ALTERATIONS IN BRAIN ENDOCANNABINOID LEVELS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Gregory G.; Chung, Sarah; Landrock, Danilo; Landrock, Kerstin K.; Dangott, Lawrence J.; Peng, Xiaoxue; Kaczocha, Martin; Murphy, Eric J.; Kier, Ann B.; Schroeder, Friedhelm

    2017-01-01

    Although liver fatty acid binding protein (FABP1, L-FABP) is not detectable in brain, Fabp1 gene ablation (LKO) markedly increases endocannabinoids (EC) in brains of male mice. Since the brain EC system of females differs significantly from that of males, it was important to determine if LKO differently impacted the brain EC system. LKO did not alter brain levels of arachidonic acid (ARA)-containing ECs, i.e arachidonoylethanolamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), but decreased non-ARA-containing N-acylethanolamides (OEA, PEA) and 2-oleoylglycerol (2-OG) that potentiate the actions of AEA and 2-AG. These changes in brain potentiating EC levels were not associated with: i) a net decrease in levels of brain membrane proteins associated with fatty acid uptake and EC synthesis; ii) a net increase in brain protein levels of cytosolic EC chaperones and enzymes in EC degradation; or iii) increased brain protein levels of EC receptors (CB1, TRVP1). Instead, the reduced or opposite responsiveness of female brain EC levels to loss of FABP1 (LKO) correlated with intrinsically lower FABP1 level in livers of WT females than males. These data show that female mouse brain endocannabinoid levels were unchanged (AEA, 2-AG) or decreased (OEA, PEA, 2-OG) by complete loss of FABP1 (LKO). PMID:27450559

  4. Population cycles: generalities, exceptions and remaining mysteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    2018-01-01

    Population cycles are one of nature's great mysteries. For almost a hundred years, innumerable studies have probed the causes of cyclic dynamics in snowshoe hares, voles and lemmings, forest Lepidoptera and grouse. Even though cyclic species have very different life histories, similarities in mechanisms related to their dynamics are apparent. In addition to high reproductive rates and density-related mortality from predators, pathogens or parasitoids, other characteristics include transgenerational reduced reproduction and dispersal with increasing-peak densities, and genetic similarity among populations. Experiments to stop cyclic dynamics and comparisons of cyclic and noncyclic populations provide some understanding but both reproduction and mortality must be considered. What determines variation in amplitude and periodicity of population outbreaks remains a mystery. PMID:29563267

  5. Water-level trends and potentiometric surfaces in the Nacatoch Aquifer in northeastern and southwestern Arkansas and in the Tokio Aquifer in southwestern Arkansas, 2014–15

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodgers, Kirk D.

    2017-09-20

    the others remained relatively unchanged. Compared to 2008 measurements, the largest rise in water levels was 21.34 ft in Hempstead County, and the largest water-level decline was 39.37 ft in Clark County. Although changes in water levels since 2008 are spatially varied; long-term trends indicate an overall decline in water levels in both aquifers.

  6. The Impact of the Malaysian Minimum Cigarette Price Law: Findings from the ITC Malaysia Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liber, Alex C.; Ross, Hana; Omar, Maizurah; Chaloupka, Frank J.

    2015-01-01

    Objectives Study the effects of the 2011 Malaysian minimum price law (MPL) on prices of licit and illicit cigarette brands. Identify barriers to the MPL achieving positive public health effects. Methods The International Tobacco Control Project's Southeast Asia survey collected information on Malaysian smokers' cigarette purchases (n=7,520) in five survey waves between 2005 and 2012. Consumption-weighted comparisons of proportions tests and adjusted Wald tests were used to evaluate changes over time in violation rates of the inflation-adjusted MPL, the proportion of illicit cigarette purchases, and mean prices. Results After the passage of the MPL, the proportion of licit brand cigarette purchases that were below the inflation-adjusted 2011 minimum price level fell substantially (before 3.9%, after 1.8%, p=0.002), while violation of the MPL for illicit brand cigarette purchases was unchanged (before 89.8%, after 91.9%, p=0.496). At the same time, the mean real price of licit cigarettes rose (p=0.006) while the mean real price of illicit cigarettes remained unchanged (p=0.134). The proportion of illicit cigarette purchases rose as well (before 13.4%, after 16.5%, p=0.041). Discussion The MPL appears not to have meaningfully changed cigarette prices in Malaysia, as licit brand prices remained well above and illicit brand prices remained well below the minimum price level before and after MPL's implementation. The increasing proportion of illicit cigarettes on the market may have undermined any positive health effects of the Malaysian MPL. The illicit cigarette trade must be addressed before a full evaluation of the Malaysian MPL's impact on public health can take place. The authors encourage the continued use of specific excise tax increases to reliably increase the price and decrease the consumption of cigarettes in Malaysia and elsewhere. PMID:25808666

  7. Intersubunit distances in full-length, dimeric, bacterial phytochrome Agp1, as measured by pulsed electron-electron double resonance (PELDOR) between different spin label positions, remain unchanged upon photoconversion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kacprzak, Sylwia; Njimona, Ibrahim; Renz, Anja; Feng, Juan; Reijerse, Edward; Lubitz, Wolfgang; Krauss, Norbert; Scheerer, Patrick; Nagano, Soshichiro; Lamparter, Tilman; Weber, Stefan

    2017-05-05

    Bacterial phytochromes are dimeric light-regulated histidine kinases that convert red light into signaling events. Light absorption by the N-terminal photosensory core module (PCM) causes the proteins to switch between two spectrally distinct forms, Pr and Pfr, thus resulting in a conformational change that modulates the C-terminal histidine kinase region. To provide further insights into structural details of photoactivation, we investigated the full-length Agp1 bacteriophytochrome from the soil bacterium Agrobacterium fabrum using a combined spectroscopic and modeling approach. We generated seven mutants suitable for spin labeling to enable application of pulsed EPR techniques. The distances between attached spin labels were measured using pulsed electron-electron double resonance spectroscopy to probe the arrangement of the subunits within the dimer. We found very good agreement of experimental and calculated distances for the histidine-kinase region when both subunits are in a parallel orientation. However, experimental distance distributions surprisingly showed only limited agreement with either parallel- or antiparallel-arranged dimer structures when spin labels were placed into the PCM region. This observation indicates that the arrangements of the PCM subunits in the full-length protein dimer in solution differ significantly from that in the PCM crystals. The pulsed electron-electron double resonance data presented here revealed either no or only minor changes of distance distributions upon Pr-to-Pfr photoconversion. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  8. A dietary pattern characterized by high consumption of whole-grain cereals and low-fat dairy products and low consumption of refined cereals is positively associated with plasma adiponectin levels in healthy women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yannakoulia, Mary; Yiannakouris, Nikos; Melistas, Labros; Kontogianni, Meropi D; Malagaris, Ioannis; Mantzoros, Christos S

    2008-06-01

    In light of the potential beneficial effects of adiponectin on insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular risk, it is becoming increasingly important to identify all modifiable factors, including dietary patterns, that may affect circulating adiponectin concentrations. The aim of the present study was to explore potential associations between dietary patterns and plasma adiponectin levels using principal component analysis (PCA) in a sample of apparently healthy adult Mediterranean women. Two hundred twenty women were enrolled in this study. Anthropometric and body composition measurements were performed in all subjects. Blood samples were taken, and adiponectin concentrations were measured. Food intake was evaluated by 3-day food diaries, and PCA was used for the identification of the participants' dietary patterns. The PCA identified 10 dietary components explaining 82% of the total variance in food intake. Bivariate correlation between circulating adiponectin levels and dietary components revealed a positive significant association only with the first component that was characterized by high intake of whole-grain cereals and low-fat dairy products as well as low intake of refined cereals (P = .04). This association remained unchanged after controlling for potential confounders (standardized beta coefficient = 0.18, P = .03). A dietary pattern characteristic of consumption of alcoholic beverages was found to be marginally related to adiponectin levels in the multivariate model (standardized beta coefficient = 0.14, P = .10). Our data indicate that a dietary pattern characterized by a high consumption of whole-grain cereals and low-fat dairy products is modestly positively associated with adiponectin concentrations.

  9. Prognostic modelling options for remaining useful life estimation by industry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sikorska, J. Z.; Hodkiewicz, M.; Ma, L.

    2011-07-01

    Over recent years a significant amount of research has been undertaken to develop prognostic models that can be used to predict the remaining useful life of engineering assets. Implementations by industry have only had limited success. By design, models are subject to specific assumptions and approximations, some of which are mathematical, while others relate to practical implementation issues such as the amount of data required to validate and verify a proposed model. Therefore, appropriate model selection for successful practical implementation requires not only a mathematical understanding of each model type, but also an appreciation of how a particular business intends to utilise a model and its outputs. This paper discusses business issues that need to be considered when selecting an appropriate modelling approach for trial. It also presents classification tables and process flow diagrams to assist industry and research personnel select appropriate prognostic models for predicting the remaining useful life of engineering assets within their specific business environment. The paper then explores the strengths and weaknesses of the main prognostics model classes to establish what makes them better suited to certain applications than to others and summarises how each have been applied to engineering prognostics. Consequently, this paper should provide a starting point for young researchers first considering options for remaining useful life prediction. The models described in this paper are Knowledge-based (expert and fuzzy), Life expectancy (stochastic and statistical), Artificial Neural Networks, and Physical models.

  10. Levodopa increases oxidative stress and repulsive guidance molecule A levels: a pilot study in patients with Parkinson's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Müller, Thomas; Trommer, Isabel; Muhlack, Siegfried; Mueller, Bernhard K

    2016-04-01

    Exposure to free radicals influences synthesis, degradation and function of proteins, such as repulsive guidance molecule A. Decay of this protein is essential for neuronal maintenance and recovery. Levodopa elevates oxidative stress. Therefore levodopa may impact repulsive guidance molecule A metabolism. Objectives were to investigate plasma concentrations of repulsive guidance molecule A, levodopa, cysteine and cysteinyl-glycine before and 1 h after levodopa application in patients with Parkinson's disease. Cysteine and cysteinyl-glycine as biomarkers for oxidative stress exposure decreased, repulsive guidance molecule A and levodopa rose. Repulsive guidance molecule A remained unchanged in levodopa naïve patients, but particularly went up in patients on a prior chronic levodopa regimen. Decay of cysteine specifically cysteinyl-glycine results from an elevated glutathione generation with rising cysteine consumption respectively from the alternative glutathione transformation to its oxidized form glutathione disulfide after free radical scavenging. Repulsive guidance molecule A rise may inhibit physiologic mechanisms for neuronal survival.

  11. Effects of Tibetan Music on Neuroendocrine and Autonomic Functions in Patients Waiting for Surgery: A Randomized, Controlled Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cotoia, Antonella; Dibello, Floriana; Moscatelli, Fiorenzo; Sciusco, Alberto; Polito, Pietro; Modolo, Alberto; Gallo, Crescenzio; Cibelli, Giuseppe; Cinnella, Gilda

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of listening to Tibetan music on anxiety and endocrine, autonomic, cognitive responses in patients waiting for urologic surgery. Sixty patients waiting for surgery were enrolled to the study. They were randomized in music (M) and control (C) groups. The M group listened to a low-frequency Tibetan music for 30 min (T 0 -T 30 ) through headphones, and the C group wore headphones with no sound. The State Trait Anxiety Inventory Questionnaire (STAI) Y-1 was administered at T 0 and T 30 . Normalized low (LFnu) and high frequencies (HFnu) of heart rate variability, LF/HF ratio, and galvanic skin response (GRS) data were analyzed at T 0 , T 10 , T 20 , T 30 , and T 35 . The salivary α -amylase (sAA) samples were collected at T 0 , T 35 , and T 45 . In the M group, the STAI Y-1 score decreased at T 30 versus baseline ( p < 0.001), sAA levels decreased at T 35 versus T 0 ( p =0.004), and GSR remained unchanged. In the C group, the STAI Y-1 score remained unchanged, sAA level increased at T 35 versus T 0 ( p < 0.001), and GSR slightly increased at T 35 versus baseline ( p =0.359). LFnu was lower, and HFnu was significantly higher (T 10 -T 30 ) in M versus C group. Mean LF/HF ratio slightly reduced in the M group. Our results suggest that preoperative listening to relaxing Tibetan music might be a useful strategy to manage preoperative anxiety.

  12. Striatal output markers do not alter in response to circling behaviour in 6-OHDA lesioned rats produced by acute or chronic administration of the monoamine uptake inhibitor BTS 74 398.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lane, E L; Cheetham, S; Jenner, P

    2008-01-01

    The monoamine uptake inhibitor BTS 74 398 induces ipsilateral circling in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesioned rats without induction of abnormal motor behaviours associated with L-dopa administration. We examined whether this was reflected in the expression of peptide mRNA in the direct and indirect striatal output pathways.6-OHDA lesioning of the nigrostriatal pathway increased striatal expression of PPE-A mRNA and decreased levels of PPT mRNA with PPE-B mRNA expression remaining unchanged. Acute L-dopa administration normalised PPE-A mRNA and elevated PPT mRNA while PPE-B mRNA expression remained unchanged. Acute administration of BTS 74 398 did not alter striatal peptide mRNA levels. Following chronic treatment with L-dopa, PPE-A mRNA expression in the lesioned striatum continued to be normalised and PPT mRNA was increased compared to the intact side. PPE-B mRNA expression was also markedly increased relative to the non-lesioned striatum. Chronic BTS 74 398 administration did not alter mRNA expression in the 6-OHDA lesioned striatum although small increases in PPT mRNA expression in the intact and sham lesioned striatum were observed. The failure of BTS 74 398 to induce changes in striatal neuropeptide mRNA correlated with its failure to induce abnormal motor behaviours or behavioural sensitisation but does not explain how it produces a reversal of motor deficits. An action in another area of the brain appears likely and may explain the subsequent failure of BTS 74 398 and related compounds to exert anti-parkinsonian actions in man.

  13. Treatment-related changes in serum lipids and inflammation: clinical relevance remains unclear. Analyses from the Women's Interagency HIV Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parrinello, Christina M; Landay, Alan L; Hodis, Howard N; Gange, Stephen J; Norris, Philip J; Young, Mary; Anastos, Kathryn; Tien, Phyllis C; Xue, Xiaonan; Lazar, Jason; Benning, Lorie; Tracy, Russell P; Kaplan, Robert C

    2014-01-01

    Summary Among 127 HIV-infected women, the magnitude of HDLc increases after HAART initiation predicted the magnitude of concurrent decreases in inflammation biomarkers. After HAART initiation, changes in LDLc and inflammation were unrelated. In the same population, predicted risk of coronary heart disease based upon levels of standard clinical risk factors was similar before and after HAART treatment. Thus, it remains unknown whether short-term treatment-related changes in standard risk factors may appreciably change risk of CVD. PMID:23435295

  14. Silicon photonics: some remaining challenges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reed, G. T.; Topley, R.; Khokhar, A. Z.; Thompson, D. J.; Stanković, S.; Reynolds, S.; Chen, X.; Soper, N.; Mitchell, C. J.; Hu, Y.; Shen, L.; Martinez-Jimenez, G.; Healy, N.; Mailis, S.; Peacock, A. C.; Nedeljkovic, M.; Gardes, F. Y.; Soler Penades, J.; Alonso-Ramos, C.; Ortega-Monux, A.; Wanguemert-Perez, G.; Molina-Fernandez, I.; Cheben, P.; Mashanovich, G. Z.

    2016-03-01

    This paper discusses some of the remaining challenges for silicon photonics, and how we at Southampton University have approached some of them. Despite phenomenal advances in the field of Silicon Photonics, there are a number of areas that still require development. For short to medium reach applications, there is a need to improve the power consumption of photonic circuits such that inter-chip, and perhaps intra-chip applications are viable. This means that yet smaller devices are required as well as thermally stable devices, and multiple wavelength channels. In turn this demands smaller, more efficient modulators, athermal circuits, and improved wavelength division multiplexers. The debate continues as to whether on-chip lasers are necessary for all applications, but an efficient low cost laser would benefit many applications. Multi-layer photonics offers the possibility of increasing the complexity and effectiveness of a given area of chip real estate, but it is a demanding challenge. Low cost packaging (in particular, passive alignment of fibre to waveguide), and effective wafer scale testing strategies, are also essential for mass market applications. Whilst solutions to these challenges would enhance most applications, a derivative technology is emerging, that of Mid Infra-Red (MIR) silicon photonics. This field will build on existing developments, but will require key enhancements to facilitate functionality at longer wavelengths. In common with mainstream silicon photonics, significant developments have been made, but there is still much left to do. Here we summarise some of our recent work towards wafer scale testing, passive alignment, multiplexing, and MIR silicon photonics technology.

  15. Green business will remain green

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marcan, P.

    2008-01-01

    It all started with two words. Climate change. The carbon dioxide trading scheme, which was the politicians' idea on solving the number one global problem, followed. Four years ago, when the project was begun, there was no data for project initiation. Quotas for polluters mainly from energy production and other energy demanding industries were distributed based on spreadsheets, maximum output and expected future development of economies. Slovak companies have had a chance to profit from these arrangements since 2005. Many of them took advantage of the situation and turned the excessive quotas into an extraordinary profit which often reached hundreds of million Sk. The fact that the price of free quotas offered for sale dropped basically to 0 in 2006 only proved that the initial distribution was too generous. And the market reacted to the first official measurements of emissions. Slovak companies also contributed to this development. However, when planning the maximum emission volumes for 2008-2012 period, in spite of the fact that actual data were available, their expectations were not realistic. A glance at the figures in the proposal of the Ministry of Environment is sufficient to realize that there will be no major change in the future. And so for many Slovak companies business with a green future will remain green for the next five years. The state decided to give to selected companies even more free space as far as emissions are concerned. The most privileged companies can expect quotas increased by tens of percent. (author)

  16. Ghost Remains After Black Hole Eruption

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-05-01

    NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has found a cosmic "ghost" lurking around a distant supermassive black hole. This is the first detection of such a high-energy apparition, and scientists think it is evidence of a huge eruption produced by the black hole. This discovery presents astronomers with a valuable opportunity to observe phenomena that occurred when the Universe was very young. The X-ray ghost, so-called because a diffuse X-ray source has remained after other radiation from the outburst has died away, is in the Chandra Deep Field-North, one of the deepest X-ray images ever taken. The source, a.k.a. HDF 130, is over 10 billion light years away and existed at a time 3 billion years after the Big Bang, when galaxies and black holes were forming at a high rate. "We'd seen this fuzzy object a few years ago, but didn't realize until now that we were seeing a ghost", said Andy Fabian of the Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. "It's not out there to haunt us, rather it's telling us something - in this case what was happening in this galaxy billions of year ago." Fabian and colleagues think the X-ray glow from HDF 130 is evidence for a powerful outburst from its central black hole in the form of jets of energetic particles traveling at almost the speed of light. When the eruption was ongoing, it produced prodigious amounts of radio and X-radiation, but after several million years, the radio signal faded from view as the electrons radiated away their energy. HDF 130 Chandra X-ray Image of HDF 130 However, less energetic electrons can still produce X-rays by interacting with the pervasive sea of photons remaining from the Big Bang - the cosmic background radiation. Collisions between these electrons and the background photons can impart enough energy to the photons to boost them into the X-ray energy band. This process produces an extended X-ray source that lasts for another 30 million years or so. "This ghost tells us about the black hole's eruption long after

  17. Impact of fasting followed by short-term exposure to interleukin-6 on cytochrome P450 mRNA in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rasmussen, Martin Krøyer; Bertholdt, Lærke; Gudiksen, Anders; Pilegaard, Henriette; Knudsen, Jakob G

    2018-01-05

    The gene expression of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme family is regulated by numerous factors. Fasting has been shown to induce increased hepatic CYP mRNA in both humans and animals. However, the coordinated regulation of CYP, CYP-regulating transcription factors, and transcriptional co-factors in the liver linking energy metabolism to detoxification has never been investigated. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been suggested to be released during fasting and has been shown to regulate CYP expression. The present study investigated the hepatic mRNA content of selected CYP, AhR, CAR, PXR and PPARα in mice fasted for 18h and subsequently exposed to IL-6. Furthermore, the impact of fasting on PGC-1α, HNF-4α, SIRT1 and SIRT3 mRNA was examined. Fasting induced a marked increase in Cyp2b10, Cyp2e1 and Cyp4a10 mRNA, while CYP1a1, Cyp1a2, Cyp2a4 and Cyp3a11 mRNA levels remained unchanged. In accordance, the mRNA levels of CAR and PPARα were also increased with fasting. The PGC-1α, SIRT1 and SIRT3 mRNA levels were also increased after fasting, while the HNF-4α mRNA levels remained unchanged. In mice subjected to IL-6 injection, the fasting-induced PXR, PPARα and PGC-1α mRNA responses were lower than after saline injection. In conclusion, fasting was demonstrated to be a strong inducer of hepatic CYP mRNA as well as selected transcription factors controlling the expression of the investigated CYP. Moreover, the mRNA levels of transcriptional co-factors acting as energy sensors and co-factors for CYP regulation was also increased in the liver, suggesting crosstalk at the molecular level between regulation of energy metabolism and detoxification. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. 43 CFR 10.11 - Disposition of culturally unidentifiable human remains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... AMERICAN GRAVES PROTECTION AND REPATRIATION REGULATIONS Human Remains, Funerary Objects, Sacred Objects, or... religious leaders of all Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations: (i) From whose tribal lands, at... objects; (ii) The names and appropriate methods to contact any traditional religious leaders who should be...

  19. Effect of parathyroidectomy on bone growth and composition in the young rat

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keil, L. C.; Prinz, J. A.; Evans, J. W.

    1974-01-01

    In an effort to determine the influence of the parathyroids on bone growth and composition, 28-day-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were sacrificed 28, 56, and 84 days after parathyroidectomy or sham parathyroidectomy. Body growth as well as femur growth were retarded following parathyroidectomy. Hypocalcemia and hyperphosphatemia occurred in all parathyroidectomized rats; no alterations in plasma magnesium levels were noted. Femur magnesium was increased by 22-30% in the parathyroidectomized rats whereas femur calcium remained unchanged. Bone phosphorus was increased 56 and 84 days following parathyroidectomy. Results of this study indicate that parathyroidectomy retards growth while increasing bone magnesium and phosphorus content.

  20. Neutrino mass ordering and μ-τ reflection symmetry breaking

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xing, Zhi-zhong; Zhu, Jing-yu

    2017-12-01

    If the neutrino mass spectrum turns out to be m 3case the columns of the 3×3 lepton flavor mixing matrix U should be reordered accordingly, and the resulting pattern U‧ may involve one or two large mixing angles in the standard parametrization or its variations. Since the Majorana neutrino mass matrix remains unchanged in such a mass relabeling, a possible μ-τ reflection symmetry is respected in this connection and its breaking effects are model-independently constrained at the 3σ level by using current experimental data. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (11135009, 11375207)

  1. Role of L-lysine-alpha-ketoglutarate aminotransferase in catabolism of lysine as a nitrogen source for Rhodotorula glutinis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kinzel, J J; Winston, M K; Bhattacharjee, J K

    1983-01-01

    Wild-type and saccharopine dehydrogenaseless mutant strains of Rhodotorula glutinis grew in minimal medium containing lysine as the sole nitrogen source and simultaneously accumulated, in the culture supernatant, large amounts of a product identified as alpha-aminoadipic-delta-semialdehyde. The saccharopine dehydrogenase and pipecolic acid oxidase levels remained unchanged in wild-type cells grown in the presence of ammonium or lysine as the nitrogen source. Lysine-alpha-ketoglutarate aminotransferase activity was demonstrated in ammonium-grown cells. This activity was depressed in cells grown in the presence of lysine as the sole source of nitrogen. PMID:6408065

  2. Sapropterin treatment does not enhance the health-related quality of life of patients with phenylketonuria and their parents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feldmann, Reinhold; Wolfgart, Eva; Weglage, Josef; Rutsch, Frank

    2017-06-01

    Sapropterin causes reductions in blood phenylalanine concentrations in sensitive patients with phenylketonuria (PKU). We examined whether the subsequent relaxation of dietary restrictions influenced the quality of life (QoL) of patients and parents. The study cohort comprised 112 patients with PKU followed at the metabolic centre at Münster University Children's Hospital, Germany, from 2012 to 2015. A sapropterin response was defined as a ≥30% reduction in blood phenylalanine levels. The QoL of 38 children and adolescents from the study cohort, with a mean age of 12.4 (range 6.6-18.7) years, was assessed in an outpatient setting and 49 parents of children with PKU also commented on their child's QoL and their own. The participants' QoL was assessed before the start of therapy, and again after six months, using self-report questionnaires. After six months of continuous therapy or diet, QoL was largely unchanged in the patients, according to their self-reports and the parental reports. QoL also remained unchanged in the parents. Sapropterin did not seem to improve QoL in PKU patients and their parents. Patients with PKU had already reached high levels of QoL following classic diets, and these levels were not easily improved by sapropterin. ©2017 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Updated Estimates of the Remaining Market Potential of the U.S. ESCO Industry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Larsen, Peter H. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Div.; Carvallo Bodelon, Juan Pablo [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Div.; Goldman, Charles A. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Div.; Murphy, Sean [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Div.; Stuart, Elizabeth [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Div.

    2017-04-01

    The energy service company (ESCO) industry has a well-established track record of delivering energy and economic savings in the public and institutional buildings sector, primarily through the use of performance-based contracts. The ESCO industry often provides (or helps arrange) private sector financing to complete public infrastructure projects with little or no up-front cost to taxpayers. In 2014, total U.S. ESCO industry revenue was estimated at $5.3 billion. ESCOs expect total industry revenue to grow to $7.6 billion in 2017—a 13% annual growth rate from 2015-2017. Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) were asked by the U.S. Department of Energy Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) to update and expand our estimates of the remaining market potential of the U.S. ESCO industry. We define remaining market potential as the aggregate amount of project investment by ESCOs that is technically possible based on the types of projects that ESCOS have historically implemented in the institutional, commercial, and industrial sectors using ESCO estimates of current market penetration in those sectors. In this analysis, we report U.S. ESCO industry remaining market potential under two scenarios: (1) a base case and (2) a case “unfettered” by market, bureaucratic, and regulatory barriers. We find that there is significant remaining market potential for the U.S. ESCO industry under both the base and unfettered cases. For the base case, we estimate a remaining market potential of $92-$201 billion ($2016). We estimate a remaining market potential of $190-$333 billion for the unfettered case. It is important to note, however, that there is considerable uncertainty surrounding the estimates for both the base and unfettered cases.

  4. Remaining childless : Causes and consequences from a life course perspective

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Keizer, R.

    2010-01-01

    Little is know about childless individuals in the Netherlands, although currently one out of every five Dutch individuals remains childless. Who are they? How did they end up being childless? How and to what extent are their life outcomes influenced by their childlessness? By focusing on individual

  5. Cardiac Function Remains Impaired Despite Reversible Cardiac Remodeling after Acute Experimental Viral Myocarditis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter Moritz Becher

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Infection with Coxsackievirus B3 induces myocarditis. We aimed to compare the acute and chronic phases of viral myocarditis to identify the immediate effects of cardiac inflammation as well as the long-term effects after resolved inflammation on cardiac fibrosis and consequently on cardiac function. Material and Methods. We infected C57BL/6J mice with Coxsackievirus B3 and determined the hemodynamic function 7 as well as 28 days after infection. Subsequently, we analyzed viral burden and viral replication in the cardiac tissue as well as the expression of cytokines and matrix proteins. Furthermore, cardiac fibroblasts were infected with virus to investigate if viral infection alone induces profibrotic signaling. Results. Severe cardiac inflammation was determined and cardiac fibrosis was consistently colocalized with inflammation during the acute phase of myocarditis. Declined cardiac inflammation but no significantly improved hemodynamic function was observed 28 days after infection. Interestingly, cardiac fibrosis declined to basal levels as well. Both cardiac inflammation and fibrosis were reversible, whereas the hemodynamic function remains impaired after healed viral myocarditis in C57BL/6J mice.

  6. Risk-based management of remaining life of power plant components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roos, E.; Jovanovic, A.S.; Maile, K.; Auerkari, P.

    1999-01-01

    The paper describes application of different modules of the MPA-System ALIAS in risk-based management of remaining life of power plant components. The system allows comprehensive coverage of all aspects of the remaining life management, including also the risk analysis and risk management. In addition, thanks to the modular character of the system it is also possible to implement new methods: In the case described here, a new (probabilistic) method for determination of the next inspection time for the components exposed to creep loading has been developed and implemented in the system. Practical application of the method has shown (a) that the mean values obtained by the method fall into the range of results obtained by other methods (based on expert knowledge), and (b) that it is possible to quantify the probability of aberration from the mean values. This in turn allows quantifying the additional risks linked to e.g. prolonging of inspection intervals. (orig.) [de

  7. Pressure dependence of effective Coulomb interaction parameters in BaFe2As2 by first-principle calculation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aghajani, M.; Hadipour, H.; Akhavan, M.

    2018-05-01

    Pressure dependence of the onsite Coulomb interactions of the BaFe2As2 has been studied by employing the constrained random phase approximation within first-principle calculations. Analyzing total and projected density of states, a pseudogap is found for dxy band at the energy roughly 0.25 eV higher than the Fermi level. Also, by applying pressure the spectral weight of the dxy orbital vanishes while other orbitals remain metallic. The different screening channels, as discussed in four different models, affect significantly on the Hubbard U while the Hund J remains almost unchanged. The average onsite bare and partially and fully screened Coulomb interactions increase with different rates upon compression. These different rates can be explained by competition between the electronic screening and reduction of bond lengths.

  8. Radiation hardness tests with a demonstrator preamplifier circuit manufactured in silicon on sapphire (SOS) VLSI technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bingefors, N.; Ekeloef, T.; Eriksson, C.; Paulsson, M.; Moerk, G.; Sjoelund, A.

    1992-01-01

    Samples of the preamplifier circuit, as well as of separate n and p channel transistors of the type contained in the circuit, were irradiated with gammas from a 60 Co source up to an integrated dose of 3 Mrad (30 kGy). The VLSI manufacturing technology used is the SOS4 process of ABB Hafo. A first analysis of the tests shows that the performance of the amplifier remains practically unaffected by the radiation for total doses up to 1 Mrad. At higher doses up to 3 Mrad the circuit amplification factor decreases by a factor between 4 and 5 whereas the output noise level remains unchanged. It is argued that it may be possible to reduce the decrease in amplification factor in future by optimizing the amplifier circuit design further. (orig.)

  9. Pegvisomant treatment in a 4-year-old girl with neurofibromatosis type 1

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Main, Katharina M; Sehested, Astrid; Feldt-Rasmussen, Ulla

    2006-01-01

    with acromegaly. We wanted to investigate whether pegvisomant was effective in a child with octreotide-resistant GH excess. CASE: A 4-year-old girl with neurofibromatosis type 1 and GH excess associated with optic glioma received pegvisomant injections (10 mg subcutaneously) with increasing intervals from daily....... Intracranial tumours remained unchanged in size and visual impairment did not deteriorate. CONCLUSION: Pegvisomant normalized IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels. Growth velocity was normalized after initial catch-down growth, and it remains to be seen whether this result can be maintained during long-term treatment.......BACKGROUND/AIMS: Growth hormone (GH) excess in childhood is a rare disorder. Current treatment options such as somatostatin analogues, pituitary surgery or irradiation can have serious side effects. Recently, a GH receptor antagonist, pegvisomant, was introduced for the treatment of adults...

  10. 1-(Benzofuran-2-yl)-2-(3,3,3-trifluoropropyl)aminopentane HCl, 3-F-BPAP, antagonizes the enhancer effect of (-)-BPAP in the shuttle box and leaves the effect of (-)-deprenyl unchanged.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knoll, Joseph; Miklya, Ildikó; Knoll, Berta; Yasusa, Takuya; Shimazu, Seiichiro; Yoneda, Fumio

    2002-09-13

    The subcutaneous administration of 1 mg/kg tetrabenazine, once daily for 5 days, which depletes the catecholamine stores in the brain, significantly inhibits in rats the acquisition of a two-way conditioned avoidance reflex in the shuttle box. Enhancer substances, the tryptamine-derived selective and highly potent enhancer, R-(-)-1-(benzofuran-2-yl)-2-propylaminopentane HCl [(-)-BPAP] (0.05-10 mg/kg), the beta-phenylethylamine (PEA)-derived enhancer, (-)-deprenyl (1-5 mg/kg) and the (-)-deprenyl analogue, free of MAO-B inhibitory potency, (-)-1-phenyl-2-propylaminopentane HCl [(-)-PPAP], (1-5 mg/kg), antagonize in a dose-dependent manner the inhibition of learning caused by tetrabenazine. 1-(Benzofuran 2 yl)-2-(3,3,3-trifluoropropyl)aminopentane HCl [3 F BPAP], a newly synthetized analogue of (-)-BPAP with low specific activity, significantly antagonized the enhancer effect of (-)-BPAP but left the effect of (-)-deprenyl and (-)-PPAP unchanged. This is the first proof for a difference in the mechanism of action between a PEA-derived enhancer substance and its tryptamine-derived peer.

  11. A method for defleshing human remains using household bleach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mann, Robert W; Berryman, Hugh E

    2012-03-01

    Medical examiners and forensic anthropologists are often faced with the difficult task of removing soft tissue from the human skeleton without damaging the bones, teeth and, in some cases, cartilage. While there are a number of acceptable methods that can be used to remove soft tissue including macerating in water, simmering or boiling, soaking in ammonia, removing with scissors, knife, scalpel or stiff brush, and dermestid beetles, each has its drawback in time, safety, or potential to damage bone. This technical report using the chest plate of a stabbing victim presents a safe and effective alternative method for removing soft tissue from human remains, in particular the chest plate, following autopsy, without damaging or separating the ribs, sternum, and costal cartilage. This method can be used to reveal subtle blunt force trauma to bone, slicing and stabbing injuries, and other forms of trauma obscured by overlying soft tissue. Despite the published cautionary notes, when done properly household bleach (3-6% sodium hypochlorite) is a quick, safe, and effective method for examining cartilage and exposing skeletal trauma by removing soft tissue from human skeletal remains. 2011 American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Published 2011. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the U.S.A.

  12. Determination of Remaining Useful Life of Gas Turbine Blade

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meor Said Mior Azman

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this research is to determine the remaining useful life of gas turbine blade, using service-exposed turbine blades. This task is performed using Stress Rupture Test (SRT under accelerated test conditions where the applied stresses to the specimen is between 400 MPa to 600 MPa and the test temperature is 850°C. The study will focus on the creep behaviour of the 52000 hours service-exposed blades, complemented with creep-rupture modelling using JMatPro software and microstructure examination using optical microscope. The test specimens, made up of Ni-based superalloy of the first stage turbine blades, are machined based on International Standard (ISO 24. The results from the SRT will be analyzed using these two main equations – Larson-Miller Parameter and Life Fraction Rule. Based on the results of the remaining useful life analysis, the 52000h service-exposed blade has the condition to operate in the range of another 4751 hr to 18362 hr. The microstructure examinations shows traces of carbide precipitation that deteriorate the grain boundaries that occurs during creep process. Creep-rupture life modelling using JMatPro software has shown good agreement with the accelerated creep rupture test with minimal error.

  13. Repeated Excessive Exercise Attenuates the Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Exercise in Older Men

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ronni E. Sahl

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction/Purpose: A number of studies have investigated the effect of training with a moderate exercise dose (3–6 h/weekly on the inflammatory profile in blood, and the data are inconsistent. Cross-sectional studies indicate a positive effect of physical activity level on inflammation levels and risk of metabolic disease. However, it is not clear whether this may be dose dependent and if very prolonged repeated exercise therefore may be beneficial for low-grade inflammation. Based on this we studied how excessive repeated prolonged exercise influenced low-grade inflammation and adipose tissue anti-inflammatory macrophage content in six older male recreationally trained cyclists. Low-grade inflammation and adipose tissue macrophage content were investigated in six older trained men (age: 61 ± 4 years; VO2peak: 48 ± 2 mL kg−1 min−1 following repeated prolonged exercise.Methods: Cycling was performed daily for 14 days covering in total 2,706 km (1,681 miles. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2peak was measured before and after the cycling. Duration and intensity of the exercise were determined from heart rates sampled during cycling. An adipose tissue biopsy from subcutaneous abdominal fat and a blood sample were obtained at rest in the overnight fasted state before and after the cycling. Anti-inflammatory adipose tissue macrophages (ATM were immunohistochemically stained in cross sectional sections using a CD163 binding antibody. The ATM and adipocyte sizes were analyzed blindly.Results: The cyclists exercised daily for 10 h and 31 ± 37 min and average intensity was 53 ± 1% of VO2peak. Body weight remained unchanged and VO2peak decreased by 6 ± 2% (P = 0.04. Plasma inflammatory cytokines, TNFα and IL-18 remained unchanged, as did hsCRP, but plasma IL-6 increased significantly. CD163 macrophage content remained unchanged, as did adipocyte cell size. The HbA1c was not significantly decreased, but there was a trend (P < 0.07 toward an

  14. New paleoradiological investigations of ancient human remains from North West Lombardy archaeological excavations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Licata, Marta; Borgo, Melania; Armocida, Giuseppe; Nicosia, Luca; Ferioli, Elena [University of Insubria (Varese), Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, Varese (Italy)

    2016-03-15

    Since its birth in 1895, radiology has been used to study ancient mummies. The purpose of this article is to present paleoradiological investigations conducted on several medieval human remains in Varese province. Anthropological (generic identification) and paleopathological analyses were carried out with the support of diagnostic imaging (X-ray and CT scans). Human remains were discovered during excavations of medieval archaeological sites in northwest Lombardy. Classical physical anthropological methods were used for the macroscopic identification of the human remains. X-ray and CT scans were performed on the same scanner (16-layer Hitachi Eclos 16 X-ray equipment). Radiological analysis permitted investigating (1) the sex, (2) age of death, (3) type of trauma, (4) therapeutic interventions and (5) osteomas in ancient human remains. In particular, X-ray and CT examinations showed dimorphic facial traits on the mummified skull, and the same radiological approaches allowed determining the age at death from a mummified lower limb. CT analyses allow investigating different types of traumatic lesions in skulls and postcranial skeleton portions and reconstructing the gait and functional outcomes of a fractured femur. Moreover, one case of possible Gardner's syndrome (GS) was postulated from observing multiple osteomas in an ancient skull. Among the medical tests available to the clinician, radiology is the most appropriate first-line procedure for a diagnostic approach to ancient human remains because it can be performed without causing any significant damage to the specimen. (orig.)

  15. New paleoradiological investigations of ancient human remains from North West Lombardy archaeological excavations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Licata, Marta; Borgo, Melania; Armocida, Giuseppe; Nicosia, Luca; Ferioli, Elena

    2016-01-01

    Since its birth in 1895, radiology has been used to study ancient mummies. The purpose of this article is to present paleoradiological investigations conducted on several medieval human remains in Varese province. Anthropological (generic identification) and paleopathological analyses were carried out with the support of diagnostic imaging (X-ray and CT scans). Human remains were discovered during excavations of medieval archaeological sites in northwest Lombardy. Classical physical anthropological methods were used for the macroscopic identification of the human remains. X-ray and CT scans were performed on the same scanner (16-layer Hitachi Eclos 16 X-ray equipment). Radiological analysis permitted investigating (1) the sex, (2) age of death, (3) type of trauma, (4) therapeutic interventions and (5) osteomas in ancient human remains. In particular, X-ray and CT examinations showed dimorphic facial traits on the mummified skull, and the same radiological approaches allowed determining the age at death from a mummified lower limb. CT analyses allow investigating different types of traumatic lesions in skulls and postcranial skeleton portions and reconstructing the gait and functional outcomes of a fractured femur. Moreover, one case of possible Gardner's syndrome (GS) was postulated from observing multiple osteomas in an ancient skull. Among the medical tests available to the clinician, radiology is the most appropriate first-line procedure for a diagnostic approach to ancient human remains because it can be performed without causing any significant damage to the specimen. (orig.)

  16. Scientific Management Still Endures in Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ireh, Maduakolam

    2016-01-01

    Some schools in America have changed, while others remain unchanged due largely to the accretion of small adjustments in what remains a very traditional enterprise. The problem is rooted in the propagation and adoption of scientific management by educators who applied and/or continues to apply it to education to restore order and for…

  17. Mechanical Alterations during 800-m Self-Paced Track Running.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Girard, Olivier; Millet, Gregoire P; Micallef, Jean-Paul

    2017-04-01

    We assessed the time course of running mechanical alterations during an 800-m. On a 200-m indoor track, 18 physical education students performed an 800-m self-paced run. Once per lap, ground reaction forces were measured by a 5-m-long force platform system, and used to determine running kinetics/kinematics and spring-mass characteristics. Compared with 100 m (19.4±1.8 km.h -1 ) running velocity progressively decreased at 300, 500 m but levelled-off at 700 m marks (-5.7±4.6, -10.4±8.3, and -9.1±13.5%, respectively; Ppush-off forces (-5.1±7.2%, P0.05) and leg compression (+2.8±3.9%; P>0.05) remained unchanged, whereas centre of mass vertical displacement (+24.0±7.0%; P0.05). During an 800 m by physical education students, highest running velocity was achieved early during the run, with a progressive decrease in the second half of the trial. While vertical ground force characteristics remained unchanged, non-specialist runners produced lower peak braking and push-off forces, in turn leading to shorter stride length. Spring-mass model characteristics changed toward lower vertical stiffness values, whereas leg stiffness did not change. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  18. Analysis of synaptic growth and function in Drosophila with an extended larval stage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Daniel L; Ballard, Shannon L; Ganetzky, Barry

    2012-10-03

    The Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a powerful system for the genetic and molecular analysis of neuronal excitability, synaptic transmission, and synaptic development. However, its use for studying age-dependent processes, such as maintenance of neuronal viability and synaptic stability, are temporally limited by the onset of pupariation and metamorphosis. Here we characterize larval NMJ growth, growth regulation, structure, and function in a developmental variant with an extended third instar (ETI). RNAi-knockdown of the prothoracicotropic hormone receptor, torso, in the ring gland of developing larvae leaves the timing of first and second instar molts largely unchanged, but triples duration of the third instar from 3 to 9.5 d (McBrayer et al., 2007; Rewitz et al., 2009). During this ETI period, NMJs undergo additional growth (adding >50 boutons/NMJ), and this growth remains under the control of the canonical regulators Highwire and the TGFβ/BMP pathway. NMJ growth during the ETI period occurs via addition of new branches, satellite boutons, and interstitial boutons, and continues even after muscle growth levels off. Throughout the ETI, organization of synapses and active zones remains normal, and synaptic transmission is unchanged. These results establish the ETI larval system as a viable model for studying motor neuron diseases and for investigating time-dependent effects of perturbations that impair mechanisms of neuroprotection, synaptic maintenance, and response to neural injury.

  19. The incidence of severe hypoglycaemia in pregnant women with type 1 diabetes mellitus can be reduced with unchanged HbA1c levels and pregnancy outcomes in a routine care setting

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ringholm, Lene; Secher, A L; Pedersen-Bjergaard, U

    2013-01-01

    To investigate whether the incidence of severe hypoglycaemia in pregnant women with type 1 diabetes can be reduced without deteriorating HbA1c levels or pregnancy outcomes in a routine care setting....

  20. ACUTE EFFECTS OF TWO DIFFERENT WARM-UP PROTOCOLS ON FLEXIBILITY AND LOWER LIMB EXPLOSIVE PERFORMANCE IN MALE AND FEMALE HIGH LEVEL ATHLETES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charilaos Tsolakis

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available This study examined the effects of two different warm-up protocols on lower limb power and flexibility in high level athletes. Twenty international level fencers (10 males and 10 females performed two warm-up protocols that included 5-min light jogging and either short (15s or long (45s static stretching exercises for each of the main leg muscle groups (quadriceps, hamstrings and triceps surae, followed by either 3 sets of 3 (short stretching treatment, or 3 sets of 5 tuck jumps (long stretching treatment, in a randomized crossover design with one week between treatments. Hip joint flexion was measured with a Lafayette goniometer before and after the 5-min warm-up, after stretching and 8 min after the tuck jumps, while counter movement jump (CMJ performance was evaluated by an Ergojump contact platform, before and after the stretching treatment, as well as immediately after and 8 minutes after the tuck jumps. Three way ANOVA (condition, time, gender revealed significant time (p < 0.001 and gender (p < 0.001 main effects for hip joint flexion, with no interaction between factors. Flexibility increased by 6. 8 ± 1.1% (p < 0.01 after warm-up and by another 5.8 ± 1.6% (p < 0.01 after stretching, while it remained increased 8 min after the tuck jumps. Women had greater ROM compared with men at all time points (125 ± 8° vs. 94 ± 4° p<0.01 at baseline, but the pattern of change in hip flexibility was not different between genders. CMJ performance was greater in men compared with women at all time points (38.2 ± 1.9 cm vs. 29.8 ± 1.2 cm p < 0.01 at baseline, but the percentage of change CMJ performance was not different between genders. CMJ performance remained unchanged throughout the short stretching protocol, while it decreased by 5.5 ± 0.9% (p < 0.01 after stretching in the long stretching protocol However, 8 min after the tuck jumps, CMJ performance was not different from the baseline value (p = 0.075. In conclusion, lower limb power may

  1. Explaining why nurses remain in or leave bedside nursing: a critical ethnography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahon, Paula; McPherson, Gladys

    2014-09-01

    To describe the application of critical ethnography to explain nurses' decisions to remain in or leave bedside nursing, and to describe researcher positioning and reflexivity. Enquiry into hospital nurses' decisions to remain in or leave bedside nursing positions has been conducted from a variety of theoretical perspectives by researchers adopting a range of methodological approaches. This research helps to explain how work environments can affect variables such as job satisfaction and turnover, but provides less insight into how personal and professional factors shape decisions to remain in or leave bedside nursing. A critical theoretical perspective was taken to examine the employment decisions made by nurses in a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Data was collected from nurses (n=31) through semi-structured interviews and unobtrusive observation. The authors describe critical ethnography as a powerful research framework for enquiry that allowed them to challenge assumptions about why nurses remain in or leave their jobs, and to explore how issues of fairness and equity contribute to these decisions. Critical ethnography offers a powerful methodology for investigations into complex interactions, such as those between nurses in a PICU. In adopting this methodology, researchers should be sensitised to manifestations of power, attend to their stance and location, and reflexion. The greatest challenges from this research included how to make sense of the insider position, how to acknowledge assumptions and allow these to be challenged, and how to ensure that power relationships in the environment and in the research were attended to.

  2. Bioaccumulation and Toxicity of Carbon Nanoparticles Suspension Injection in Intravenously Exposed Mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ping Xie

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Carbon nanoparticles suspension injection (CNSI has been widely used in tumor drainage lymph node mapping, and its new applications in drug delivery, photothermal therapy, and so on have been extensively investigated. To develop new clinical applications, the toxicity of CNSI after intravenous exposure should be thoroughly investigated to ensure its safe use. Herein, we studied the bioaccumulation of CNSI in reticuloendothelial system (RES organs and the corresponding toxicity to mice. After the intravenous injection of CNSI, no abnormal behavior of mice was observed during the 28-day observation period. The body weight increases were similar among the exposed groups and the control group. The parameters of hematology and serum biochemistry remained nearly unchanged, with very few of them showing significant changes. The low toxicity of CNSI was also reflected by the unchanged histopathological characteristics of these organs. The injection of CNSI did not induce higher apoptosis levels either. The slight oxidative stress was observed in RES organs at high dosages at day 7 post-exposure. The implication to the clinical applications and toxicological evaluations of carbon nanomaterials is discussed.

  3. "Recent" macrofossil remains from the Lomonosov Ridge, central Arctic Ocean

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le Duc, Cynthia; de Vernal, Anne; Archambault, Philippe; Brice, Camille; Roberge, Philippe

    2016-04-01

    The examination of surface sediment samples collected from 17 sites along the Lomonosov Ridge at water depths ranging from 737 to 3339 meters during Polarstern Expedition PS87 in 2014 (Stein, 2015), indicates a rich biogenic content almost exclusively dominated by calcareous remains. Amongst biogenic remains, microfossils (planktic and benthic foraminifers, pteropods, ostracods, etc.) dominate but millimetric to centrimetric macrofossils occurred frequently at the surface of the sediment. The macrofossil remains consist of a large variety of taxa, including gastropods, bivalvia, polychaete tubes, scaphopods, echinoderm plates and spines, and fish otoliths. Among the Bivalvia, the most abundant taxa are Portlandia arctica, Hyalopecten frigidus, Cuspidaria glacilis, Policordia densicostata, Bathyarca spp., and Yoldiella spp. Whereas a few specimens are well preserved and apparently pristine, most mollusk shells displayed extensive alteration features. Moreover, most shells were covered by millimeter scale tubes of the serpulid polychaete Spirorbis sp. suggesting transport from low intertidal or subtidal zone. Both the ecological affinity and known geographic distribution of identified bivalvia as named above support the hypothesis of transportation rather than local development. In addition to mollusk shells, more than a hundred fish otoliths were recovered in surface sediments. The otoliths mostly belong to the Gadidae family. Most of them are well preserved and without serpulid tubes attached to their surface, suggesting a local/regional origin, unlike the shell remains. Although recovered at the surface, the macrofaunal assemblages of the Lomonosov Ridge do not necessarily represent the "modern" environments as they may result from reworking and because their occurrence at the surface of the sediment may also be due to winnowing of finer particles. Although the shells were not dated, we suspect that their actual ages may range from modern to several thousands of

  4. Studies on protozoa in ancient remains - A Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liesbeth Frías

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Paleoparasitological research has made important contributions to the understanding of parasite evolution and ecology. Although parasitic protozoa exhibit a worldwide distribution, recovering these organisms from an archaeological context is still exceptional and relies on the availability and distribution of evidence, the ecology of infectious diseases and adequate detection techniques. Here, we present a review of the findings related to protozoa in ancient remains, with an emphasis on their geographical distribution in the past and the methodologies used for their retrieval. The development of more sensitive detection methods has increased the number of identified parasitic species, promising interesting insights from research in the future.

  5. Region-selective effects of long-term lithium and carbamazepine administration on cyclic AMP levels in rat brain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wiborg, Ove; Krueger, Tanja; Jakosen, Soeren N.

    1999-01-01

    The effect of lithium and carbamazepine in the treatment of bipolar affective disorder is well established. Althougt a number of biochemical effects have been found, the exact molecular mechanisms underlying their therapeutic actions have not been elucidated nor are the target regions in the brain identified. Taken into account the important role of the cyclic AMP second messenger system in the regulation of neuronal exitability and the indications of its involvement in the pathophysiology of bipolar affective disorder, we have focused on the drug effects on cyclic AMP levels. The objectives of this investigation were to measure the effects on basal cyclic AMP levels, and to locate target regions within the rat brain after long-term administration of lithium and carbamazepine. Drug treatments were carried out for a period of 28 days. After either drug treatment the cyclic AMP level was increased 3-4 times in frontal cortex but unchanged in hippocampus, hypothalamus, thalamus, amygdala and in cerebellum. In neostratum the cyclic AMP level was decreased to about 30% after treatment with lithium. We suggest the common region-selective effect, observed for both drugs in frontal cortex, to be essential for the therapeutic actions of lithium and carbamazepine. (au)

  6. Examining the short term effects of emotion under an Adaptation Level Theory model of tinnitus perception.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durai, Mithila; O'Keeffe, Mary G; Searchfield, Grant D

    2017-03-01

    Existing evidence suggests a strong relationship between tinnitus and emotion. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of short-term emotional changes along valence and arousal dimensions on tinnitus outcomes. Emotional stimuli were presented in two different modalities: auditory and visual. The authors hypothesized that (1) negative valence (unpleasant) stimuli and/or high arousal stimuli will lead to greater tinnitus loudness and annoyance than positive valence and/or low arousal stimuli, and (2) auditory emotional stimuli, which are in the same modality as the tinnitus, will exhibit a greater effect on tinnitus outcome measures than visual stimuli. Auditory and visual emotive stimuli were administered to 22 participants (12 females and 10 males) with chronic tinnitus, recruited via email invitations send out to the University of Auckland Tinnitus Research Volunteer Database. Emotional stimuli used were taken from the International Affective Digital Sounds- Version 2 (IADS-2) and the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) (Bradley and Lang, 2007a, 2007b). The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Gross and John, 2003) was administered alongside subjective ratings of tinnitus loudness and annoyance, and psychoacoustic sensation level matches to external sounds. Males had significantly different emotional regulation scores than females. Negative valence emotional auditory stimuli led to higher tinnitus loudness ratings in males and females and higher annoyance ratings in males only; loudness matches of tinnitus remained unchanged. The visual stimuli did not have an effect on tinnitus ratings. The results are discussed relative to the Adaptation Level Theory Model of Tinnitus. The results indicate that the negative valence dimension of emotion is associated with increased tinnitus magnitude judgements and gender effects may also be present, but only when the emotional stimulus is in the auditory modality. Sounds with emotional associations may be

  7. 75 FR 5108 - Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Wyoming, Anthropology Department, Human Remains...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-01

    ... Wyoming, Anthropology Department, Human Remains Repository, Laramie, WY AGENCY: National Park Service... funerary objects in the possession and control of the University of Wyoming, Anthropology Department, Human... of Wyoming, Anthropology Department, Human Remains Repository professional staff in consultation with...

  8. The clinical utility of serum ferritin levels in patients with malignant tumors treated by radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mitsuhashi, Norio; Okazaki, Atsushi; Hayakawa, Kazushige; Nakano, Takashi; Yamanaka, Mikio

    1983-01-01

    The serum levels of ferritin in 394 patients, including 339 patients with various malignant tumors and 23 with various non-malignant diseases, and 32 healthy subjects were determined. The normal levels of ferritin were 82.7 +- 42.3 ng/ml for males and 42.0 +- 36.9 ng/ml for females. The positive ratio of serum ferritin level was 28% in patients with malignant tumors and 22% in patients with non-malignant diseases. The usefulness of serum ferritin assay in screening for malignant tumors appeared to be limited. High serum levels of ferritin were found in patients with malignant lymphoma (positive ratio: 42%), pulmonary cancer (38%) and esophageal cancer (37%). According to the histological types, epidermoid cancer appeared to produce a higher serum level of ferritin than adenocarcinoma in patients with pulmonary cancer. It was interesting that malignant lymphoma had a high serum level of ferritin in spite of its low serum level of CEA. Carcinoma of the digestive tracts except for esophagus was considered to have a normal serum ferritin level in spite of the advanced stage. There was no close relationship between serum ferritin levels and CEA levels in patients with pulmonary cancer and breast cancer. Serum CEA assay was more useful for detection of tumors than serum ferritin assay in patients with breast cancer. Serum ferritin levels in patients with good prognosis decreased following radiation therapy, but those in patients with poor prognosis elevated or unchanged in spite of therapy. Therefore, serial ferritin determinations may be useful for evaluation of radiotherapy and assessment of prognosis. (J.P.N.)

  9. 30-day mortality after coronary artery bypass grafting and valve surgery has greatly improved over the last decade, but the 1-year mortality remains constant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Sommer Hansen

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: European system for cardiac operative risk evaluation (EuroSCORE is a valuable tool in control of the quality of cardiac surgery. However, the validity of the risk score for the individual patient may be questioned. The present study was carried out to investigate whether the continued fall in short-term mortality reflects an actual improvement in late mortality, and subsequently, to investigate EuroSCORE as predictor of 1-year mortality. Methods: A population-based cohort study of 25,602 patients from a 12-year period from three public university hospitals undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG or valve surgery. Analysis was carried out based on EuroSCORE, age and co-morbidity factors (residual EuroSCORE. Results: During the period the average age increased from 65.1 ± 10.0 years to 68.9 ± 10.7 years (P < 0.001, one-way ANOVA, and the number of females increased from 26.0% to 28.2% (P = 0.0012, Chi-square test. The total EuroSCORE increased from 4.67 to 5.68 while the residual EuroSCORE decreased from 2.64 to 1.83. Thirty-day mortality decreased from 4.07% in 1999-2000 to 2.44% in 2011-2012 (P = 0.0056; Chi-square test, while 1-year mortality was unchanged (6.50% in 1999-2000 vs. 6.25% in 2011-2012 [P = 0.8086; Chi-square test]. Discussion: The study demonstrates that both co-morbidity and age has a great impact on 30-day mortality. However, with time the impact of co-morbidity seems less. Thus, age is more important than co-morbidity in late mortality. The various developments in short and long-term mortality are not readily explained. Conclusion: Although 30-day mortality of CABG and valve surgery patients has decreased during the 12-year period, the 1-year mortality remains the same.

  10. A code of ethics for evidence-based research with ancient human remains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kreissl Lonfat, Bettina M; Kaufmann, Ina Maria; Rühli, Frank

    2015-06-01

    As clinical research constantly advances and the concept of evolution becomes a strong and influential part of basic medical research, the absence of a discourse that deals with the use of ancient human remains in evidence-based research is becoming unbearable. While topics such as exhibition and excavation of human remains are established ethical fields of discourse, when faced with instrumentalization of ancient human remains for research (i.e., ancient DNA extractions for disease marker analyses) the answers from traditional ethics or even more practical fields of bio-ethics or more specific biomedical ethics are rare to non-existent. The Centre for Evolutionary Medicine at the University of Zurich solved their needs for discursive action through the writing of a self-given code of ethics which was written in dialogue with the researchers at the Institute and was published online in Sept. 2011: http://evolutionäremedizin.ch/coe/. The philosophico-ethical basis for this a code of conduct and ethics and the methods are published in this article. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Free cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase levels during a six-hour-water immersion in healthy young men

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rohleder, N.; Wirth, D.; Fraßl, W.; Kowoll, R.; Schlemmer, M.; Vogler, S.; Kirsch, K. A.; Kirschbaum, C.; Gunga, H.-C.

    2005-08-01

    Limited data are available on the response of stress systems to microgravity. Increased activity of stress systems is reported during space flight, but unchanged or decreased activity during simulated microgravity. We here investigated the impact of head-out water immersion on the activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic-adrenal-medullary (SAM) system.Eight healthy young men were exposed to a six-hour water immersion in a thermo neutral bath and a control condition. Saliva samples were taken before, during, and after interventions to assess cortisol as an index for HPA axis activity, and salivary α-amylase as an index for SAM system activity.Cortisol levels uniformly decreased during both conditions. Amylase levels increased during both conditions, but were significantly lower during the first half of water immersion compared to the control condition.In conclusion, the HPA axis is not influenced by simulated microgravity, while SAM system activity shows initial decreases during water immersion.

  12. Some social and forensic aspects of exhumation and reinterment of industrial revolution remains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duff, E J; Johnson, J S

    1974-03-23

    The aetiological aspects of exhumed remains from two burial sites were examined using 1839 and 1879 as years of comparison. We tried to discover whether the sample of recovered remains was representative of those buried. The state of the remains varied according to the type of soil and coffin material in which they were buried. At the earlier date most deaths were caused by infectious lesions rather than degenerative ones and 76% of those who died were below employable age-whereas in 1879 the commonest causes of death were tuberculosis ("phthisis") and bronchitis, and 42% died before they could be employed. The registration of deaths were recorded more accurately at the later date, and it was easier to build up a picture of the age, sex, and occupation of the people who died.

  13. Effects of the whole-body cryotherapy on NTproBNP, hsCRP and troponin I in athletes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banfi, Giuseppe; Melegati, Gianluca; Barassi, Alessandra; d'Eril, Gianlodovico Melzi

    2009-11-01

    Whole-body cryotherapy refers to brief exposure to very cold air for treating symptoms of various illnesses. In sports medicine, whole-body cryotherapy is administered to improve recovery from muscular trauma. As specific studies are lacking, we measured cardiac markers in 10 top-level rugby players of the Italian National team before and after a 1-week course of daily sessions of whole-body cryotherapy. All subjects continued with the same training workload as that of the previous weeks. N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) levels increased but remained within the normal range, whilst troponin I (TnI) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were unchanged. Whole-body cryotherapy did not impair cardiac function in this sample of elite athletes.

  14. Altered expression and insulin-induced trafficking of Na+-K+-ATPase in rat skeletal muscle

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Galuska, Dana; Kotova, Olga; Barres, Romain

    2009-01-01

    Skeletal muscle Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase plays a central role in the clearance of K(+) from the extracellular fluid, therefore maintaining blood [K(+)]. Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity in peripheral tissue is impaired in insulin resistant states. We determined effects of high-fat diet (HFD) and exercise......(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity after 4 wk of HFD. Exercise training restored alpha(1)-, alpha(2)-, and beta(1)-subunit expression and Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity to control levels and reduced beta(2)-subunit expression 2.2-fold (P ... phospholemman. Phospholemman mRNA and protein expression were increased after HFD and restored to control levels after ET. Insulin-stimulated translocation of the alpha(2)-subunit to plasma membrane was impaired by HFD, whereas alpha(1)-subunit translocation remained unchanged. Alterations in sodium pump...

  15. Stagnation only on the surface? The implications of skill and family responsibilities for the gender wage gap in Sweden, 1974-2010.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boye, Katarina; Halldén, Karin; Magnusson, Charlotta

    2017-12-01

    The wage differential between women and men persists in advanced economies despite the inflow of women into qualified occupations in recent years. Using five waves of the Swedish Level-of-Living Survey (LNU), this paper explores the gender wage gap in Sweden during the 1974-2010 period overall and by skill level. The empirical analyses showed that the general gender wage gap has been nearly unchanged for the past 30 years. However, the gender difference in wage in less qualified occupations fell considerably, whereas the gender pay gap remained stable for men and women in qualified occupations. The larger significance of family responsibilities for wages in qualified occupations is one likely explanation for this result. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2017.

  16. Antinociception induced by chronic glucocorticoid treatment is correlated to local modulation of spinal neurotransmitter content

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Almeida Armando

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background While acute effects of stress on pain are well described, those produced by chronic stress are still a matter of dispute. Previously we demonstrated that chronic unpredictable stress results in antinociception in the tail-flick test, an effect that is mediated by increased levels of corticosteroids. In the present study, we evaluated nociception in rats after chronic treatment with corticosterone (CORT and dexamethasone (DEX in order to discriminate the role of each type of corticosteroid receptors in antinociception. Results Both experimental groups exhibited a pronounced antinociceptive effect after three weeks of treatment when compared to controls (CONT; however, at four weeks the pain threshold in CORT-treated animals returned to basal levels whereas in DEX-treated rats antinociception was maintained. In order to assess if these differences are associated with altered expression of neuropeptides involved in nociceptive transmission we evaluated the density of substance P (SP, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP, somatostatin (SS and B2-γ-aminobutiric acid receptors (GABAB2 expression in the spinal dorsal horn using light density measurements and stereological techniques. After three weeks of treatment the expression of CGRP in the superficial dorsal horn was significantly decreased in both CORT and DEX groups, while GABAB2 was significantly increased; the levels of SP for both experimental groups remained unchanged at this point. At 4 weeks, CGRP and SP are reduced in DEX-treated animals and GABAB2 unchanged, but all changes were restored to CONT levels in CORT-treated animals. The expression of SS remained unaltered throughout the experimental period. Conclusion These data indicate that corticosteroids modulate nociception since chronic corticosteroid treatment alters the expression of neuropeptides involved in nociceptive transmission at the spinal cord level. As previously observed in some supraspinal areas, the

  17. Cryptanalysis of a spatiotemporal chaotic cryptosystem

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rhouma, Rhouma; Belghith, Safya

    2009-01-01

    This paper proposes three different attacks on a recently proposed chaotic cryptosystem in [Li P, Li Z, Halang WA, Chen G. A stream cipher based on a spatiotemporal chaotic system. Chaos, Solitons and Fractals 2007;32:1867-76]. The cryptosystem under study displays weakness in the generation of the keystream. The encryption is made by generating a keystream mixed with blocks generated from the plaintext. The so obtained keystream remains unchanged for every encryption procedure. Moreover, its generation does neither depend on the plaintext nor on the ciphertext, that's to say, the keystream remains unchangeable for every plaintext with the same length. Guessing the keystream leads to guessing the key. This paper presents three possible attacks able to break the whole cryptosystem based on this drawback in generating the keystream.

  18. Improved glucose tolerance after high-load strength training in patients undergoing dialysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mølsted, Stig; Harrison, Adrian Paul; Eidemak, Inge

    2013-01-01

    glucose tolerance (n = 9). Conclusion: The conducted strength training was associated with a significant improvement in glucose tolerance in patients with impaired glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes undergoing dialysis. The effect was apparently not associated with muscle hypertrophy, whereas the muscle...... a week. Muscle fiber size, composition and capillary density were analyzed in biopsies obtained in the vastus lateralis muscle. Glucose tolerance and the insulin response were measured by a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test. Results: All outcome measures remained unchanged during the control period....... After strength training the relative area of type 2X fibers was decreased. Muscle fiber size and capillary density remained unchanged. After the strength training, insulin concentrations were significantly lower in patients with impaired glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes (n = 14) (fasting insulin...

  19. Nuclear remains an economic and ecologic asset

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Le Ngoc, Boris

    2015-01-01

    The author herein outlines the several benefits of nuclear energy and nuclear industry for France. He first outlines that France possesses 97 per cent of de-carbonated electricity thanks to nuclear energy (77 pc) and renewable energies (20 pc, mainly hydraulic), and that renewable energies must be developed in the building and transport sectors to be able to get rid of the environmentally and financially costly fossil energies. He outlines that reactor maintenance and the nuclear fuel cycle industry are fields of technological leadership for the French nuclear industry which is, after motor industry and aircraft industry, the third industrial sector in France. He indicates that nuclear electricity is to remain the most competitive one, and that nuclear energy and renewable energies must not be opposed to it but considered as complementary in the struggle against climate change, i.e. to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to get rid of the prevalence of fossil energies

  20. The first Neanderthal remains from an open-air Middle Palaeolithic site in the Levant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Been, Ella; Hovers, Erella; Ekshtain, Ravid; Malinski-Buller, Ariel; Agha, Nuha; Barash, Alon; Mayer, Daniella E Bar-Yosef; Benazzi, Stefano; Hublin, Jean-Jacques; Levin, Lihi; Greenbaum, Noam; Mitki, Netta; Oxilia, Gregorio; Porat, Naomi; Roskin, Joel; Soudack, Michalle; Yeshurun, Reuven; Shahack-Gross, Ruth; Nir, Nadav; Stahlschmidt, Mareike C; Rak, Yoel; Barzilai, Omry

    2017-06-07

    The late Middle Palaeolithic (MP) settlement patterns in the Levant included the repeated use of caves and open landscape sites. The fossil record shows that two types of hominins occupied the region during this period-Neandertals and Homo sapiens. Until recently, diagnostic fossil remains were found only at cave sites. Because the two populations in this region left similar material cultural remains, it was impossible to attribute any open-air site to either species. In this study, we present newly discovered fossil remains from intact archaeological layers of the open-air site 'Ein Qashish, in northern Israel. The hominin remains represent three individuals: EQH1, a nondiagnostic skull fragment; EQH2, an upper right third molar (RM 3 ); and EQH3, lower limb bones of a young Neandertal male. EQH2 and EQH3 constitute the first diagnostic anatomical remains of Neandertals at an open-air site in the Levant. The optically stimulated luminescence ages suggest that Neandertals repeatedly visited 'Ein Qashish between 70 and 60 ka. The discovery of Neandertals at open-air sites during the late MP reinforces the view that Neandertals were a resilient population in the Levant shortly before Upper Palaeolithic Homo sapiens populated the region.

  1. Mammalian remains from an Indian site on Curaçao

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hooijer, D.A.

    1963-01-01

    The animal remains (mostly of shells, fish, and turtles) collected by Mr. H. R. VAN HEEKEREN and Mr. C. J. DU RY at the Indian site Sint Jan II, Curaçao, in March, 1960, include a few specimens of mammals. As was the case with the Indian site Santa Cruz, on Aruba (HOOIJER, 1960), several forms are

  2. RHM 1(2).indb

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    mike

    Research in Hospitality Management 2012, 1(2): 53–63 ... Strategies used to incorporate source materials also remained largely unchanged, with learners ..... score (as is the case in IELTS). ...... Introduction: situating the concept of practice.

  3. Flexural vibrations of finite composite poroelastic cylinders

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    We know from daily experience that many man-made structures consist of ..... The physical parameters of these composite cylinders following Eq. (38) are given in ... Titanium implants remain virtually unchanged in appearance, which offers ...

  4. Skeletal Indicators of Shark Feeding on Human Remains: Evidence from Florida Forensic Anthropology Cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stock, Michala K; Winburn, Allysha P; Burgess, George H

    2017-11-01

    This research examines a series of six Florida forensic anthropology cases that exhibit taphonomic evidence of marine deposition and shark-feeding activities. In each case, we analyzed patterns of trauma/damage on the skeletal remains (e.g., sharp-force bone gouges and punctures) and possible mechanisms by which they were inflicted during shark predation/scavenging. In some cases, shark teeth were embedded in the remains; in the absence of this evidence, we measured interdental distance from defects in the bone to estimate shark body length, as well as to draw inferences about the potential species responsible. We discuss similarities and differences among the cases and make comparisons to literature documenting diagnostic shark-inflicted damage to human remains from nearby regions. We find that the majority of cases potentially involve bull or tiger sharks scavenging the remains of previously deceased, adult male individuals. This scavenging results in a distinctive taphonomic signature including incised gouges in cortical bone. © 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  5. Cognitive bias in forensic anthropology: visual assessment of skeletal remains is susceptible to confirmation bias.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakhaeizadeh, Sherry; Dror, Itiel E; Morgan, Ruth M

    2014-05-01

    An experimental study was designed to examine cognitive biases within forensic anthropological non-metric methods in assessing sex, ancestry and age at death. To investigate examiner interpretation, forty-one non-novice participants were semi randomly divided into three groups. Prior to conducting the assessment of the skeletal remains, two of the groups were given different extraneous contextual information regarding the sex, ancestry and age at death of the individual. The third group acted as a control group with no extraneous contextual information. The experiment was designed to investigate if the interpretation and conclusions of the skeletal remains would differ amongst participants within the three groups, and to assess whether the examiners would confirm or disagree with the given extraneous context when establishing a biological profile. The results revealed a significant biasing effect within the three groups, demonstrating a strong confirmation bias in the assessment of sex, ancestry and age at death. In assessment of sex, 31% of the participants in the control group concluded that the skeleton remains were male. In contrast, in the group that received contextual information that the remains were male, 72% concluded that the remains were male, and in the participant group where the context was that the remains were of a female, 0% of the participants concluded that the remains were male. Comparable results showing bias were found in assessing ancestry and age at death. These data demonstrate that cognitive bias can impact forensic anthropological non-metric methods on skeletal remains and affects the interpretation and conclusions of the forensic scientists. This empirical study is a step in establishing an evidence base approach for dealing with cognitive issues in forensic anthropological assessments, so as to enhance this valuable forensic science discipline. Copyright © 2013 Forensic Science Society. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights

  6. D-Dimer Levels before HIV Seroconversion Remain Elevated Even after Viral Suppression and Are Associated with an Increased Risk of Non-AIDS Events.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew S Freiberg

    Full Text Available The mechanism underlying the excess risk of non-AIDS diseases among HIV infected people is unclear. HIV associated inflammation/hypercoagulability likely plays a role. While antiretroviral therapy (ART may return this process to pre-HIV levels, this has not been directly demonstrated. We analyzed data/specimens on 249 HIV+ participants from the US Military HIV Natural History Study, a prospective, multicenter observational cohort of >5600 active duty military personnel and beneficiaries living with HIV. We used stored blood specimens to measure D-dimer and Interleukin-6 (IL-6 at three time points: pre-HIV seroconversion, ≥6 months post-HIV seroconversion but prior to ART initiation, and ≥6 months post-ART with documented HIV viral suppression on two successive evaluations. We evaluated the changes in biomarker levels between time points, and the association between these biomarker changes and future non-AIDS events. During a median follow-up of 3.7 years, there were 28 incident non-AIDS diseases. At ART initiation, the median CD4 count was 361cells/mm3; median duration of documented HIV infection 392 days; median time on ART was 354 days. Adjusted mean percent increase in D-dimer levels from pre-seroconversion to post-ART was 75.1% (95% confidence interval 24.6-148.0, p = 0.002. This increase in D-dimer was associated with a significant 22% increase risk of future non-AIDS events (p = 0.03. Changes in IL-6 levels across time points were small and not associated with future non-AIDS events. In conclusion, ART initiation and HIV viral suppression does not eliminate HIV associated elevation in D-dimer levels. This residual pathology is associated with an increased risk of future non-AIDS diseases.

  7. [Effect of anticancer treatment on leptin level, fat body mass (FM) and lean body mass (LBM)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krawczyk-Rybak, Maryna; Muszyńska-Rosłan, Katarzyna; Konstantynowicz, Jerzy; Solarz, Elzbieta; Wołczynski, Sławomir; Protas, Piotr

    2004-01-01

    Leptin plays an important role in the metabolism of adipose tissue. Considering that malignancy and its treatment cans affect normal development in childhood. We analysed the correlations between serum leptin levels and body composition after anticancer treatment. We studied 33 survivors (24 boys and 9 girls) who before our study, have been treated for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) (n=23) and Hodgkin disease (n=10) after 7.15+/-3.5 years. Sixteen patients with ALL received cranial irradiation (12Gy). We measured body mass index (BM1) fat mass (FM) and lean body mass (LBM) using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). We compared these results to the results obtained from reference values (SD score). Leptin levels were measured with the RIA method. 1. Mean leptin levels were higher in girls after puberty (10.93 ng/mL+/-8.9) than in boys (3.73 ng/mL+/-3. 7). In boys no differences were found in leptin levels between T2-4 and T5 stages. In girls the leptin values increased after puberty. Leptin SD score levels were higher in boys during (1.55 +/-1.0) and after puberty (1.46+/-0.75) and in girls - after puberty (1.19 +/-1.51). We did not find any influence of cranial irradiation (12Gy) or various methotrexate doses (5 g/m(2) vs. 19/m(2)) leptin values. 2. No difference in BMI SD score was found within the whole study group. 3. FM did not change ill boys during and after puberty, although FM SD score were higher during puberty (2.98 +/-4.8). In girls FM and FM SD score were higher after puberty. In boys and girls LBM augmented with pubertal development but LBM SD score in boys were lower after puberty (-1.67 +/-1.7) in comparison to puberty (0.2 +/-1.7). No differences were found between LBM SD score in girls during and after puberty. 4. We found a correlation between leptin levels and BMI (r=0.59 p=0.001) and FM (r=0.77 p=0.0001). 5. Relation of FM to LBM in boys remained unchanged, however in girls it increased within pubertal development. l. Anticancer

  8. Using of microvertebrate remains in reconstruction of late quaternary (Holocene paleoclimate, Eastern Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mansour Aliabadian

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available   Introduction   Study of quaternary microvertebrate remains in eastern Iran, according to a few of the sediments is very important. Reconstruction of quaternary climate in many parts of West and North West of Iran as the biggest karst state is possible, such as cave Kani Mikaiel (Hashemi et al. 2005, 2006, 2007ab, 2008 2010, Jangjoo et al . 2010, Yafteh cave (Otte et al. 2007, Hashemi et al. 2015. However, such studies were very poor in eastern and north-eastern Iran (Hashemi and darvish 2006 Hashemi et al. 2008, 2015. Investigation of taxonomic identification quantification and distribution of micromammals revealed that these remains are useful in paleontology and archaeological research, because their abundance is useful for paleobiostratigraphy and dating of continental sediments. The recent research is about reconstruction of paleoclimate in two archeological sites of Konar sandal (KS (Jiroft and Tapeh Naderi (TN (Mashhad based on the microvertebrate and especially Tatera indica species. In these sites we attempted to solve the palaeoenvironment condition by analysis of rodent remains which hold the greatest potential to monitoring of ecological parameters (Hoover et al. 1977 Getz 1961 Reig 1970 Merritt 1974. Combining of a rich network of data with using of morphological and morphometric methods reconstruction of paleoenvironment documentation and investigation of their relationship with the environment is the main result of this research .       Material & Methods   In both zooarchaeological samples which are composed of juveniles and young individual rodent, (KS, NISP=800 and TN, NISP=3 cranial and postcranial remains were sorted anatomically and washed with water. Dental pattern of mandible and maxillary tooth rows were drowns using a drawing tube connecting to a stereomicroscope (Olympus SZH-10. All recovered teeth fragments were measured based on the greatest dental length and width of the upper and lower jaw molars

  9. Using of microvertebrate remains in reconstruction of late quaternary (Holocene paleoclimate, Eastern Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Narges Hashemi

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Introduction   Study of quaternary microvertebrate remains in eastern Iran, according to a few of the sediments is very important. Reconstruction of quaternary climate in many parts of West and North West of Iran as the biggest karst state is possible, such as cave Kani Mikaiel (Hashemi et al. 2005, 2006, 2007a;b, 2008; 2010, Jangjoo et al . 2010, Yafteh cave (Otte et al. 2007, Hashemi et al. 2015. However, such studies were very poor in eastern and north-eastern Iran (Hashemi and darvish 2006; Hashemi et al. 2008, 2015. Investigation of taxonomic identification; quantification and distribution of micromammals revealed that these remains are useful in paleontology and archaeological research, because their abundance is useful for paleobiostratigraphy and dating of continental sediments. The recent research is about reconstruction of paleoclimate in two archeological sites of Konar sandal (KS (Jiroft and Tapeh Naderi (TN (Mashhad based on the microvertebrate and especially Tatera indica species. In these sites we attempted to solve the palaeoenvironment condition by analysis of rodent remains which hold the greatest potential to monitoring of ecological parameters (Hoover et al. 1977; Getz 1961; Reig 1970; Merritt 1974. Combining of a rich network of data with using of morphological and morphometric methods; reconstruction of paleoenvironment; documentation and investigation of their relationship with the environment is the main result of this research .       Material & Methods   In both zooarchaeological samples which are composed of juveniles and young individual rodent, (KS, NISP=800 and TN, NISP=3 cranial and postcranial remains were sorted anatomically and washed with water. Dental pattern of mandible and maxillary tooth rows were drowns using a drawing tube connecting to a stereomicroscope (Olympus SZH-10. All recovered teeth fragments were measured based on the greatest dental length and width of the upper and lower jaw molars when

  10. Generation-specific incentives and disincentives for nurse faculty to remain employed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tourangeau, Ann E; Wong, Matthew; Saari, Margaret; Patterson, Erin

    2015-05-01

    The aims of this paper are to: (1) describe work characteristics that nurse faculty report encourage them to remain in or leave their academic positions; and (2) determine if there are generational differences in work characteristics selected. Nurse faculty play key roles in preparing new nurses and graduate nurses. However, educational institutions are challenged to maintain full employment in faculty positions. A cross-sectional, descriptive survey design was employed. Ontario nurse faculty were asked to select, from a list, work characteristics that entice them to remain in or leave their faculty positions. Respondent data (n = 650) were collected using mailed surveys over four months in 2011. While preferred work characteristics differed across generations, the most frequently selected incentives enticing nurse faculty to stay were having: a supportive director/dean, reasonable workloads, supportive colleagues, adequate resources, manageable class sizes and work/life balance. The most frequently selected disincentives included: unmanageable workloads, unsupportive organizations, poor work environments, exposure to bullying, belittling and other types of incivility in the workplace and having an unsupportive director/dean. This research yields new and important knowledge about work characteristics that nurse faculty report shape their decisions to remain in or leave their current employment. Certain work characteristics were rated as important among all generations. Where similarities exist, broad strategies addressing work characteristics may effectively promote nurse faculty retention. However, where generational differences exist, retention-promoting strategies should target generation-specific preferences. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Effects of radiotherapy on immunity in patients with localized carcinoma of the cervix uteri

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hancock, B.W.; Bruce, L.; Heath, J.; Sugden, P.; Ward, A.M.

    1979-01-01

    To assess the effects of radiotherapy on immune status, a wide range of assessments have been performed on patients with localized carcinoma of the cervix uteri undergoing and initially responding clinically to radical pelvic radiotherapy. neutrophil function was essentially unchanged by treatment. Absolute neutrophil and lymphocyte counts fell after treatment and remained depressed 3 and 12 months following treatment. The proportions of T and B cells dropped with treatment but recovered to near-presentation levels during the follow-up period even though absolute counts remained depressed. In vitro tests of cellular immunity were depressed by treatment and remained so 3 and 12 months following treatment whereas skin test responses remained normal throughout the assessments. Inhibitory plasma effects were observed in photohaemagglutinin lymphocyte transformation studies on 4 untreated patients; at follow-up these effects were not evident. A variable response in immune indices has therefore been observed in patients in remission after treatment of localized carcinoma cervix stressing the importance of assessing several aspects of immune function and implying that persistent depression of certain indices does not adversely affect the host tumor response. In two patients relapsing after apparently good initial response, all aspects of immunological assessment (except serum immunoglobulin levels and neutrophil function) deteriorated

  12. The Human Remains from HMS Pandora

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D.P. Steptoe

    2002-04-01

    Full Text Available In 1977 the wreck of HMS Pandora (the ship that was sent to re-capture the Bounty mutineers was discovered off the north coast of Queensland. Since 1983, the Queensland Museum Maritime Archaeology section has carried out systematic excavation of the wreck. During the years 1986 and 1995-1998, more than 200 human bone and bone fragments were recovered. Osteological investigation revealed that this material represented three males. Their ages were estimated at approximately 17 +/-2 years, 22 +/-3 years and 28 +/-4 years, with statures of 168 +/-4cm, 167 +/-4cm, and 166cm +/-3cm respectively. All three individuals were probably Caucasian, although precise determination of ethnicity was not possible. In addition to poor dental hygiene, signs of chronic diseases suggestive of rickets and syphilis were observed. Evidence of spina bifida was seen on one of the skeletons, as were other skeletal anomalies. Various taphonomic processes affecting the remains were also observed and described. Compact bone was observed under the scanning electron microscope and found to be structurally coherent. Profiles of the three skeletons were compared with historical information about the 35 men lost with the ship, but no precise identification could be made. The investigation did not reveal the cause of death. Further research, such as DNA analysis, is being carried out at the time of publication.

  13. Assessing various Infrared (IR) microscopic imaging techniques for post-mortem interval evaluation of human skeletal remains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roider, Clemens; Ritsch-Marte, Monika; Pemberger, Nadin; Cemper-Kiesslich, Jan; Hatzer-Grubwieser, Petra; Parson, Walther; Pallua, Johannes Dominikus

    2017-01-01

    Due to the influence of many environmental processes, a precise determination of the post-mortem interval (PMI) of skeletal remains is known to be very complicated. Although methods for the investigation of the PMI exist, there still remains much room for improvement. In this study the applicability of infrared (IR) microscopic imaging techniques such as reflection-, ATR- and Raman- microscopic imaging for the estimation of the PMI of human skeletal remains was tested. PMI specific features were identified and visualized by overlaying IR imaging data with morphological tissue structures obtained using light microscopy to differentiate between forensic and archaeological bone samples. ATR and reflection spectra revealed that a more prominent peak at 1042 cm-1 (an indicator for bone mineralization) was observable in archeological bone material when compared with forensic samples. Moreover, in the case of the archaeological bone material, a reduction in the levels of phospholipids, proteins, nucleic acid sugars, complex carbohydrates as well as amorphous or fully hydrated sugars was detectable at (reciprocal wavelengths/energies) between 3000 cm-1 to 2800 cm-1. Raman spectra illustrated a similar picture with less ν2PO43−at 450 cm-1 and ν4PO43− from 590 cm-1 to 584 cm-1, amide III at 1272 cm-1 and protein CH2 deformation at 1446 cm-1 in archeological bone material/samples/sources. A semi-quantitative determination of various distributions of biomolecules by chemi-maps of reflection- and ATR- methods revealed that there were less carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates as well as amorphous or fully hydrated sugars in archaeological samples compared with forensic bone samples. Raman- microscopic imaging data showed a reduction in B-type carbonate and protein α-helices after a PMI of 3 years. The calculated mineral content ratio and the organic to mineral ratio displayed that the mineral content ratio increases, while the organic to mineral ratio decreases with

  14. Assessing various Infrared (IR microscopic imaging techniques for post-mortem interval evaluation of human skeletal remains.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudia Woess

    Full Text Available Due to the influence of many environmental processes, a precise determination of the post-mortem interval (PMI of skeletal remains is known to be very complicated. Although methods for the investigation of the PMI exist, there still remains much room for improvement. In this study the applicability of infrared (IR microscopic imaging techniques such as reflection-, ATR- and Raman- microscopic imaging for the estimation of the PMI of human skeletal remains was tested. PMI specific features were identified and visualized by overlaying IR imaging data with morphological tissue structures obtained using light microscopy to differentiate between forensic and archaeological bone samples. ATR and reflection spectra revealed that a more prominent peak at 1042 cm-1 (an indicator for bone mineralization was observable in archeological bone material when compared with forensic samples. Moreover, in the case of the archaeological bone material, a reduction in the levels of phospholipids, proteins, nucleic acid sugars, complex carbohydrates as well as amorphous or fully hydrated sugars was detectable at (reciprocal wavelengths/energies between 3000 cm-1 to 2800 cm-1. Raman spectra illustrated a similar picture with less ν2PO43-at 450 cm-1 and ν4PO43- from 590 cm-1 to 584 cm-1, amide III at 1272 cm-1 and protein CH2 deformation at 1446 cm-1 in archeological bone material/samples/sources. A semi-quantitative determination of various distributions of biomolecules by chemi-maps of reflection- and ATR- methods revealed that there were less carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates as well as amorphous or fully hydrated sugars in archaeological samples compared with forensic bone samples. Raman- microscopic imaging data showed a reduction in B-type carbonate and protein α-helices after a PMI of 3 years. The calculated mineral content ratio and the organic to mineral ratio displayed that the mineral content ratio increases, while the organic to mineral ratio

  15. Assessing various Infrared (IR) microscopic imaging techniques for post-mortem interval evaluation of human skeletal remains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woess, Claudia; Unterberger, Seraphin Hubert; Roider, Clemens; Ritsch-Marte, Monika; Pemberger, Nadin; Cemper-Kiesslich, Jan; Hatzer-Grubwieser, Petra; Parson, Walther; Pallua, Johannes Dominikus

    2017-01-01

    Due to the influence of many environmental processes, a precise determination of the post-mortem interval (PMI) of skeletal remains is known to be very complicated. Although methods for the investigation of the PMI exist, there still remains much room for improvement. In this study the applicability of infrared (IR) microscopic imaging techniques such as reflection-, ATR- and Raman- microscopic imaging for the estimation of the PMI of human skeletal remains was tested. PMI specific features were identified and visualized by overlaying IR imaging data with morphological tissue structures obtained using light microscopy to differentiate between forensic and archaeological bone samples. ATR and reflection spectra revealed that a more prominent peak at 1042 cm-1 (an indicator for bone mineralization) was observable in archeological bone material when compared with forensic samples. Moreover, in the case of the archaeological bone material, a reduction in the levels of phospholipids, proteins, nucleic acid sugars, complex carbohydrates as well as amorphous or fully hydrated sugars was detectable at (reciprocal wavelengths/energies) between 3000 cm-1 to 2800 cm-1. Raman spectra illustrated a similar picture with less ν2PO43-at 450 cm-1 and ν4PO43- from 590 cm-1 to 584 cm-1, amide III at 1272 cm-1 and protein CH2 deformation at 1446 cm-1 in archeological bone material/samples/sources. A semi-quantitative determination of various distributions of biomolecules by chemi-maps of reflection- and ATR- methods revealed that there were less carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates as well as amorphous or fully hydrated sugars in archaeological samples compared with forensic bone samples. Raman- microscopic imaging data showed a reduction in B-type carbonate and protein α-helices after a PMI of 3 years. The calculated mineral content ratio and the organic to mineral ratio displayed that the mineral content ratio increases, while the organic to mineral ratio decreases with time

  16. Erythropoetin treatment can increase 2,3-diphosphoglycerate levels in red blood cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birgegård, G; Sandhagen, B

    2001-01-01

    Some patients experience an improved well-being during treatment with recombinant human erythropoietin even with an unchanged Hb level. We have hypothesized that this may not be only a placebo effect. 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) in red blood cells increases in response to anaemia/hypoxia and causes a shift of the oxygen dissociation curve, allowing a more effective oxygen delivery. We have investigated red cell 2,3-DPG concentrations during erythropoietin treatment in healthy volunteers as a mediator of a possible physiological explanation. Thirteen healthy subjects with no iron deficiency were recruited and randomly assigned to a treatment group comprising five males and three females and a control group including three males and two females. The treatment group was treated with erythropoietin (Recormon), 20 IE/kg subcutaneously three times/week for 4 weeks. Blood samples were collected at each injection day and 10 days after the last injection and at corresponding times in the control group. B-Hb, red cell 2,3-DPG and P50 were measured by standard techniques and oxygen-releasing capacity was calculated. due to the sampling (26 ml each time, three times/week) the mean Hb level was lowered from 140.5 +/- 5.9 to 128.6 +/- 10.4 g/L in the control group whereas the erythropoietin treatment group maintained a mean Hb level of about 142 g/L (plevel curve as well as that for oxygen releasing capacity also differed significantly between the two groups (p levels. treatment with erythropoietin causes an increase in red cell 2,3-DPG levels.

  17. DNA analyses of the remains of the Prince Branciforte Barresi family.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rickards, O; Martínez-Labarga, C; Favaro, M; Frezza, D; Mallegni, F

    2001-01-01

    The five skeletons found buried in the church of Militello di Catania, Sicily, were tentatively identified by morphological analysis and historical reports as the remains of Prince Branciforte Barresi, two of his children, his brother and another juvenile member of the family (sixteenth and seventeenth centuries). In order to attempt to clarify the degree of relationships of the five skeletons, sex testing and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence analysis of the hypervariable segments I and II (HV1 and HV2) of control region were performed. Moreover, the 9 bp-deletion marker of region V (COII/tRNAlys) was examined. Molecular genetic analyses were consistent with historical expectations, although they did not directly demonstrate that these are in fact the remains of the Prince and his relatives, due to the impossibility of obtaining DNA from living maternal relatives of the Prince.

  18. Enhanced Contaminated Human Remains Pouch: initial development and preliminary performance assessments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Iseli, A.M.; Kwen, H.D.; Ul-Alam, M.; Balasubramanian, M.; Rajagopalan, S.

    2011-11-07

    The objective is to produce a proof of concept prototype Enhanced Contaminated Human Remains Pouch (ECHRP) with self-decontamination capability to provide increased protection to emergency response personnel. The key objective was to decrease the concentration of toxic chemicals through the use of an absorbent and reactive nanocellulose liner. Additionally, nanomaterials with biocidal properties were developed and tested as a 'stand-alone' treatment. The setting was a private company research laboratory. The main outcome measures were production of a functional prototype. A functional prototype capable of mitigating the threats due to sulfur mustard, Soman, and a large variety of liquid and vapor toxic industrial chemicals was produced. Stand-alone biocidal treatment efficacy was validated. The ECHRP provides superior protection from both chemical and biological hazards to various emergency response personnel and human remains handlers.

  19. Properties and effects of remaining carbon from waste plastics gasifying on iron scale reduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Chongmin; Chen, Shuwen; Miao, Xincheng; Yuan, Hao

    2011-06-01

    The carbonous activities of three kinds of carbon-bearing materials gasified from plastics were tested with coal coke as reference. The results showed that the carbonous activities of these remaining carbon-bearing materials were higher than that of coal-coke. Besides, the fractal analyses showed that the porosities of remaining carbon-bearing materials were higher than that of coal-coke. It revealed that these kinds of remaining carbon-bearing materials are conducive to improve the kinetics conditions of gas-solid phase reaction in iron scale reduction. Copyright © 2011 The Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. International standards to document remaining autonomic function after spinal cord injury

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krassioukov, Andrei; Biering-Sørensen, Fin; Donovan, William

    2012-01-01

    This is the first guideline describing the International Standards to document remaining Autonomic Function after Spinal Cord Injury (ISAFSCI). This guideline should be used as an adjunct to the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) including the ...

  1. Correlation between alanine aminotransferase level, HCV-RNA titer ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In contrast, an insignificant correlation was found between ALT level and grade of necroinflammation. In conclusion neither ALT level nor HCV viremia can reflect the histological liver change accurately. As a result, liver biopsy or other noninvasive procedures that measure liver stiffness (i.e., Fibroscan) remain essential for ...

  2. Leprosy: ancient disease remains a public health problem nowadays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noriega, Leandro Fonseca; Chiacchio, Nilton Di; Noriega, Angélica Fonseca; Pereira, Gilmayara Alves Abreu Maciel; Vieira, Marina Lino

    2016-01-01

    Despite being an ancient disease, leprosy remains a public health problem in several countries -particularly in India, Brazil and Indonesia. The current operational guidelines emphasize the evaluation of disability from the time of diagnosis and stipulate as fundamental principles for disease control: early detection and proper treatment. Continued efforts are needed to establish and improve quality leprosy services. A qualified primary care network that is integrated into specialized service and the development of educational activities are part of the arsenal in the fight against the disease, considered neglected and stigmatizing.

  3. New method of isolation and perfusion of rat pancreas for phosphorus nucletic resonance study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matsumoto, Takehisa; Kanno, Tomio; Murakami, Masataka; Watari, Hiroshi; Seo, Yoshiteru

    1988-02-01

    Phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance (/sup 31/P-NMR) was applied to measure phosphorus metabolites in the pancreas. Rat pancreatic gland was isolated and perfused with a modified Krebs-Henseleit solution at room temperature (25 deg C). Removal of the duodenum from the pancreas made it possible to record /sup 31/P-NMR spectra only from the pancreatic tissue. /sup 31/P signals of creatine phosphate (PCr), ATP and inorganic phosphate (Pi) were observed in all the glands. In different individual glands, the Signal intensity of PCr varied, but those of ATP were almost the same. The initial levels of all the phosphorus metabolites in individual glands remained almost unchanged during perfusion with the standard solution for 2 hours. When the perfusion was stopped, signal intensity of ATP and PCr decreased while Pi resonance increased and shifted to a higher magnetic field, indicating tissue acidification. On re-perfusion, each resonance and tissue pH were restored to the respective initial resting levels. Continuous stimulation with 0.3 ..mu..M acetylcholine (ACh) or 0.1 nM CCK-8 caused a markedly larger increase in pancreatic exocrine secretion than that observed in the perfused pancreas which was prepared by the previous method. Continuous stimulation with 0.1 ..mu..M ACh caused a marked and sustained increase in pancreatic exocrine secretion. During the stimulation, the resonances of phosphorus energy metabolites and tissue pH remained almost unchanged. These results indicate that the isolated perfused rat pancreas which is prepared by our new method is a useful preparation for analysis of secretion-metabolism coupling in the exocrine pancreas.

  4. Serial recording of median nerve stimulated subcortical somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) in developing brain death.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buchner, H; Ferbert, A; Hacke, W

    1988-01-01

    Subcortical somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) to median nerve stimulation were recorded serially in 35 patients during the evolution towards brain death and in brain death. Neuropathological alterations of the central nervous system down to the C1/C2 spinal cord segment in brain death are well known. SEP components supposed to be generated above this level should be lost in brain death, while components generated below should not be altered. Erb's point, scalp and neck potentials were recorded at C3/4, or over the spinous process C7, using an Fz reference. In 10 patients additional montages, including spinous process C2-Fz, a non-cephalic reference (Fz-contralateral shoulder) and a posterior to anterior neck montage (spinous process C7-jugulum) were used. The cephalic referenced N9 and N11 peaks remained unchanged until brain death. N9 and N11 decreased in parallel in amplitude and increased in latency after systemic effects like hypoxia or hypothermia occurred. The cephalic referenced 'N14' decreased in amplitude and increased in latency after the clinical brain death syndrome was observed, while N13 in the posterior to anterior neck montage remained unchanged. The alteration of 'N14' went parallel to the decrease of the P14 amplitude. The subcortical SEPs in the cephalic referenced lead are supposed to be a peak composed by a horizontally orientated dorsal horn generated N13 and a rostrally orientated P14 arising at the level of the foramen magnum. The deterioration of the non-cephalic referenced P14 and of its cephalic referenced reflection 'N14' seems to provide an additional objective criterion for the diagnosis of brain death.

  5. Effects of Tibetan Music on Neuroendocrine and Autonomic Functions in Patients Waiting for Surgery: A Randomized, Controlled Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonella Cotoia

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of listening to Tibetan music on anxiety and endocrine, autonomic, cognitive responses in patients waiting for urologic surgery. Methods. Sixty patients waiting for surgery were enrolled to the study. They were randomized in music (M and control (C groups. The M group listened to a low-frequency Tibetan music for 30 min (T0–T30 through headphones, and the C group wore headphones with no sound. The State Trait Anxiety Inventory Questionnaire (STAI Y-1 was administered at T0 and T30. Normalized low (LFnu and high frequencies (HFnu of heart rate variability, LF/HF ratio, and galvanic skin response (GRS data were analyzed at T0, T10, T20, T30, and T35. The salivary α-amylase (sAA samples were collected at T0, T35, and T45. Results. In the M group, the STAI Y-1 score decreased at T30 versus baseline p<0.001, sAA levels decreased at T35 versus T0p=0.004, and GSR remained unchanged. In the C group, the STAI Y-1 score remained unchanged, sAA level increased at T35 versus T0p<0.001, and GSR slightly increased at T35 versus baseline p=0.359. LFnu was lower, and HFnu was significantly higher (T10–T30 in M versus C group. Mean LF/HF ratio slightly reduced in the M group. Conclusions. Our results suggest that preoperative listening to relaxing Tibetan music might be a useful strategy to manage preoperative anxiety.

  6. Thiamine and benfotiamine prevent stress-induced suppression of hippocampal neurogenesis in mice exposed to predation without affecting brain thiamine diphosphate levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vignisse, Julie; Sambon, Margaux; Gorlova, Anna; Pavlov, Dmitrii; Caron, Nicolas; Malgrange, Brigitte; Shevtsova, Elena; Svistunov, Andrey; Anthony, Daniel C; Markova, Natalyia; Bazhenova, Natalyia; Coumans, Bernard; Lakaye, Bernard; Wins, Pierre; Strekalova, Tatyana; Bettendorff, Lucien

    2017-07-01

    Thiamine is essential for normal brain function and its deficiency causes metabolic impairment, specific lesions, oxidative damage and reduced adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN). Thiamine precursors with increased bioavailability, especially benfotiamine, exert neuroprotective effects not only for thiamine deficiency (TD), but also in mouse models of neurodegeneration. As it is known that AHN is impaired by stress in rodents, we exposed C57BL6/J mice to predator stress for 5 consecutive nights and studied the proliferation (number of Ki67-positive cells) and survival (number of BrdU-positive cells) of newborn immature neurons in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus. In stressed mice, the number of Ki67- and BrdU-positive cells was reduced compared to non-stressed animals. This reduction was prevented when the mice were treated (200mg/kg/day in drinking water for 20days) with thiamine or benfotiamine, that were recently found to prevent stress-induced behavioral changes and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) upregulation in the CNS. Moreover, we show that thiamine and benfotiamine counteract stress-induced bodyweight loss and suppress stress-induced anxiety-like behavior. Both treatments induced a modest increase in the brain content of free thiamine while the level of thiamine diphosphate (ThDP) remained unchanged, suggesting that the beneficial effects observed are not linked to the role of this coenzyme in energy metabolism. Predator stress increased hippocampal protein carbonylation, an indicator of oxidative stress. This effect was antagonized by both thiamine and benfotiamine. Moreover, using cultured mouse neuroblastoma cells, we show that in particular benfotiamine protects against paraquat-induced oxidative stress. We therefore hypothesize that thiamine compounds may act by boosting anti-oxidant cellular defenses, by a mechanism that still remains to be unveiled. Our study demonstrates, for the first time, that thiamine and benfotiamine prevent

  7. Increase in the activity of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase in cytosol affects sugar partitioning and increases the lateral shoots in tobacco plants at elevated CO2 levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tamoi, Masahiro; Hiramatsu, Yoshie; Nedachi, Shigeki; Otori, Kumi; Tanabe, Noriaki; Maruta, Takanori; Shigeoka, Shigeru

    2011-05-01

    We generated transgenic tobacco plants with high levels of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase expressing cyanobacterialfructose-1,6-/sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase in the cytosol. At ambient CO(2) levels (360 ppm), growth, photosynthetic activity, and fresh weight were unchanged but the sucrose/hexose/starch ratio was slightly altered in the transgenic plants compared with wild-type plants. At elevated CO(2) levels (1200 ppm), lateral shoot, leaf number, and fresh weight were significantly increased in the transgenic plants. Photosynthetic activity was also increased. Hexose accumulated in the upper leaves in the wild-type plants, while sucrose and starch accumulated in the lower leaves and lateral shoots in the transgenic plants. These findings suggest that cytosolic fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase contributes to the efficient conversion of hexose into sucrose, and that the change in carbon partitioning affects photosynthetic capacity and morphogenesis at elevated CO(2) levels.

  8. Common variants at 6q22 and 17q21 are associated with intracranial volume

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    M.A. Ikram (Arfan); M. Fornage (Myriam); G.D. Smith; S. Seshadri (Sudha); R. Schmidt (Reinhold); S. Debette (Stéphanie); H.A. Vrooman (Henri); S. Sigurdsson (Stefan); S. Ropele (Stefan); H.R. Taal (Rob); D.O. Mook-Kanamori (Dennis); L.H. Coker (Laura); W.T. Longstreth Jr; W.J. Niessen (Wiro); A.L. DeStefano (Anita); A. Beiser (Alexa); A.P. Zijdenbos; M.V. Struchalin (Maksim); C.R. Jack Jr. (Clifford); F. Rivadeneira Ramirez (Fernando); A.G. Uitterlinden (André); D.S. Knopman (David); A.L. Hartikainen; C.E. Pennell (Craig); E. Thiering (Eelisabeth); E.A.P. Steegers (Eric); H. Hakonarson (Hakon); J. Heinrich (Joachim); C. Palmer (Cameron); M.-R. Jarvelin (Marjo-Riitta); M.I. McCarthy (Mark); S.F.A. Grant (Struan); B.S. Pourcain (Beate); N.J. Timpson (Nicholas); G.D. Smith; U. Sovio (Ulla); M.A. Nalls (Michael); R. Au (Rhoda); A. Hofman (Albert); H. Gudnason (Haukur); A. van der Lugt (Aad); T.B. Harris (Tamara); W.M. Meeks (William); M.W. Vernooij (Meike); M.A. van Buchem (Mark); D.J. Catellier (Diane); V.W.V. Jaddoe (Vincent); V. Gudnason (Vilmundur); B.G. Windham (B Gwen); P.A. Wolf (Philip); C.M. van Duijn (Cornelia); T.H. Mosley (Thomas); R. Schmidt (Reinhold); L.J. Launer (Lenore); M.M.B. Breteler (Monique); C. DeCarli (Charles); L.S. Adair (Linda); W.Q. Ang (Wei); M. Atalay (Mustafa); C.E.M. van Beijsterveldt (Toos); N.E. Bergen (Nienke); P.J. Benke (Paul); D. Berry (Diane); L. Coin (Lachlan); O.S.P. Davis (Oliver S.); P. Elliott (Paul); C. Flexeder (Claudia); T.M. Frayling (Timothy); R. Gaillard (Romy); M. Groen-Blokhuis (Maria); L.-K. Goh; C.M.A. Haworth (Claire M.); D. Hadley (David); J. Hedebrand (Johannes); A. Hinney (Anke); J.N. Hirschhorn (Joel); J.W. Holloway (John); J.J. Holst; J.J. Hottenga (Jouke Jan); M. Horikoshi (Momoko); V. Huikari (Ville); E. Hypponen (Elina); T.O. Kilpeläinen (Tuomas); M. Kirin (Mirna); M. Kowgier (Matthew); T.A. Lakka (Timo); L.A. Lange (Leslie); D.A. Lawlor (Debbie); T. Lehtimäki (Terho); A. Lewin (Alex); C.M. Lindgren (Cecilia); V. Lindi (Virpi); R. Maggi (Reedik); J.A. Marsh (Julie); C.M. Middeldorp (Christel); I.Y. Millwood (Iona); J.C. Murray (Jeffrey); M. Nivard (Michel); C. Nohr (Christian); I. Ntalla (Ioanna); E. Oken (Emily); K. Panoutsopoulou (Kalliope); J. Pararajasingham (Jennifer); A. Rodriguez (Alfredo Chapin); R.M. Salem (Rany); S. Sebert (Sylvain); N. Siitonen (Niina); D.P. Strachan (David); Y.Y. Teo (Yik Ying); B. Valcárcel (Beatriz); G.A.H.M. Willemsen (Gonneke); E. Zeggini (Eleftheria); D.I. Boomsma (Dorret); C. Cooper (Charles); M.H. Gillman (Matthew); B. Hocher (Berthold); T.A. Lakka (Timo); K.L. Mohlke (Karen); G.V. Dedoussis (George); K.K. Ong (Ken); E. Pearson (Ewan); T.S. Price (Thomas); C. Power (Christopher); O. Raitakari (Olli); S-M. Saw (Seang-Mei); A. Scherag (Andre); O. Simell (Olli); T.I.A. Sørensen (Thorkild); J.F. Wilson (James)

    2012-01-01

    textabstractDuring aging, intracranial volume remains unchanged and represents maximally attained brain size, while various interacting biological phenomena lead to brain volume loss. Consequently, intracranial volume and brain volume in late life reflect different genetic influences. Our

  9. Developing criteria for performance-based concrete specifications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-07-01

    For more than 50 years now, concrete technology has advanced, but CDOT specifications for durability have : remained mostly unchanged. The minimum cement content for a given strength is derived from mix design : guidelines that were developed before ...

  10. Structural remains at the early mediaeval fort at Raibania, Orissa

    OpenAIRE

    Sen, Bratati

    2013-01-01

    The fortifications of mediaeval India occupy an eminent position in the history of military architecture. The present paper deals with the preliminary study of the structural remains at the early mediaeval fort at Raibania in the district of Balasore in Orissa. The fort was built of stone very loosely kept together. The three-walled fortification interspersed by two consecutive moats, a feature evidenced at Raibania, w...

  11. SMART POINT CLOUD: DEFINITION AND REMAINING CHALLENGES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F. Poux

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Dealing with coloured point cloud acquired from terrestrial laser scanner, this paper identifies remaining challenges for a new data structure: the smart point cloud. This concept arises with the statement that massive and discretized spatial information from active remote sensing technology is often underused due to data mining limitations. The generalisation of point cloud data associated with the heterogeneity and temporality of such datasets is the main issue regarding structure, segmentation, classification, and interaction for an immediate understanding. We propose to use both point cloud properties and human knowledge through machine learning to rapidly extract pertinent information, using user-centered information (smart data rather than raw data. A review of feature detection, machine learning frameworks and database systems indexed both for mining queries and data visualisation is studied. Based on existing approaches, we propose a new 3-block flexible framework around device expertise, analytic expertise and domain base reflexion. This contribution serves as the first step for the realisation of a comprehensive smart point cloud data structure.

  12. Shippingport Spent Fuel Canister (SSFC) Design Report Project W-518

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    JOHNSON, D.M.

    2000-01-01

    The SSFC Design Report Describes A spent fuel canister for Shippingport Core 2 blanket fuel assemblies. The design of the SSFC is a minor modification of the MCO. The modification is limited to the Shield Plug which remains unchanged with regard to interfaces with the canister shell. The performance characteristics remain those for the MCO, which bounds the payload of the SSFC

  13. Safety and sensitivity analyses of a generic geologic disposal system for high-level radioactive waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kimura, Hideo; Takahashi, Tomoyuki; Shima, Shigeki; Matsuzuru, Hideo

    1994-11-01

    This report describes safety and sensitivity analyses of a generic geologic disposal system for HLW, using a GSRW code and an automated sensitivity analysis methodology based on the Differential Algebra. An exposure scenario considered here is based on a normal evolution scenario which excludes events attributable to probabilistic alterations in the environment. The results of sensitivity analyses indicate that parameters related to a homogeneous rock surrounding a disposal facility have higher sensitivities to the output analyzed here than those of a fractured zone and engineered barriers. The sensitivity analysis methodology provides technical information which might be bases for the optimization of design of the disposal facility. Safety analyses were performed on the reference disposal system which involve HLW in amounts corresponding to 16,000 MTU of spent fuels. The individual dose equivalent due to the exposure pathway ingesting drinking water was calculated using both the conservative and realistic values of geochemical parameters. In both cases, the committed dose equivalent evaluated here is the order of 10 -7 Sv, and thus geologic disposal of HLW may be feasible if the disposal conditions assumed here remain unchanged throughout the periods assessed here. (author)

  14. On use of radial evanescence remain term in kinematic hardening

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geyer, P.

    1995-10-01

    A fine modelling of the material' behaviour can be necessary to study the mechanical strength of nuclear power plant' components under cyclic loads. Ratchetting is one of the last phenomena for which numerical models have to be improved. We discuss in this paper on use of radial evanescence remain term in kinematic hardening to improve the description of ratchetting in biaxial loading tests. It's well known that Chaboche elastoplastic model with two non linear kinematic hardening variables initially proposed by Armstrong and Frederick, usually over-predicts accumulation of ratchetting strain. Burlet and Cailletaud proposed in 1987 a non linear kinematic rule with a radial evanescence remain term. The two models lead to identical formulation for proportional loadings. In the case of a biaxial loading test (primary+secondary loading), Burlet and Cailletaud model leads to accommodation, when Chaboche one's leads to ratchetting with a constant increment of strain. So we can have an under-estimate with the first model and an over-estimate with the second. An easy method to improve the description of ratchetting is to combine the two kinematic rules. Such an idea is already used by Delobelle in his model. With analytical results in the case of tension-torsion tests, we show in a first part of the paper, the interest of radial evanescence remain term in the non linear kinematic rule to describe ratchetting: we give the conditions to get adaptation, accommodation or ratchetting and the value of the strain increment in the last case. In the second part of the paper, we propose to modify the elastoplastic Chaboche model by coupling the two types of hardening by means of two scalar parameters which can be identified independently on biaxial loading tests. Identification of these two parameters returns to speculate on the directions of strain in order to adjust the ratchetting to experimental observations. We use the experimental results on the austenitic steel 316L at room

  15. Endocrine correlates of musth in free-ranging Asian elephants (Elephas maximus determined by non-invasive faecal steroid hormone metabolite measurements.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ratna Ghosal

    Full Text Available The occurrence of musth, a period of elevated levels of androgens and heightened sexual activity, has been well documented for the male Asian elephant (Elephas maximus. However, the relationship between androgen-dependent musth and adrenocortical function in this species is unclear. The current study is the first assessment of testicular and adrenocortical function in free-ranging male Asian elephants by measuring levels of testosterone (androgen and cortisol (glucocorticoid--a physiological indicator of stress metabolites in faeces. During musth, males expectedly showed significant elevation in faecal testosterone metabolite levels. Interestingly, glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations remained unchanged between musth and non-musth periods. This observation is contrary to that observed with wild and captive African elephant bulls and captive Asian bull elephants. Our results show that musth may not necessarily represent a stressful condition in free-ranging male Asian elephants.

  16. Growth hormone dose regimens in adult GH deficiency: effects on biochemical growth markers and metabolic parameters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, Jens; Jørgensen, Jens Otto Lunde; Laursen, Torben

    1993-01-01

    Abstract OBJECTIVE: We examined the effects of different doses of GH on insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), IGF binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3), body composition, energy expenditure, and various metabolites in GH deficient adults, in order to approach a metabolically appropriate GH dosage in young GH......-I in an age and sex matched control group was 248 +/- 25 micrograms/l. Corresponding serum IGFBP-3 levels also increased from 1860 +/- 239 to 3261 +/- 379, 3762 +/- 434 and 4384 +/- 652 micrograms/l (P = 0.01) respectively. Significant increases in diurnal serum insulin levels after 4 IU/m2 were recorded......, whereas plasma glucose levels remained unchanged. Lipid intermediates increased dose independently during GH administration. GH caused a significant increase in resting energy expenditure, whereas the respiratory exchange ratio was unaltered. Fat mass was increased without GH therapy and decreased during...

  17. Does media governance restrict corporate overinvestment behavior? Evidence from Chinese listed firms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huili Zhang

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Using China’s A-share listed firms from 2007 to 2011, this paper empirically tests how media governance affects firms’ levels of overinvestment and whether external supervision and informal institutional mechanisms reduce these levels. We find that media governance and overinvestment are significantly negatively related. When firms are located in a district with a stronger media governance environment their levels of overinvestment are lower, indicating that media governance significantly restricts overinvestment behavior. When internal corporate governance efficiency is low, the negative relationship between the media environment and overinvestment behavior is significantly enhanced, indicating that when internal governance or formal systems have reduced efficacy, an important complementary role is played by external supervision and the informal institutional environment. After considering endogeneity and different measures of overinvestment and other related variables, the conclusions remain unchanged.

  18. Changes in sodium levels in chain restaurant foods in Canada (2010−2013): a longitudinal study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scourboutakos, Mary J.

    2014-01-01

    Background Several restaurant chains have committed to reducing sodium levels in their foods; however, how much sodium levels have changed over the past few years is unknown. The objective was to measure changes in sodium in restaurant foods from 2010 to 2013. Methods Data for the serving size, calorie and sodium level of 3878 foods were collected from the websites of 61 Canadian restaurant chains in 2010 and 2013. A longitudinal study of changes in sodium levels in foods available from the restaurants in 2010 and 2013 (n = 2198) was conducted. Levels in newly reported and discontinued foods were also investigated. Results Sodium levels (mg/serving) decreased in 30.1% of foods, increased in 16.3% and were unchanged in 53.6%. The average change in foods with a decrease in sodium was –220 (standard deviation [SD] ± 303) mg/serving (a decline of 19% [SD ± 17%]), whereas the average change in foods with an increase in sodium was 251 (SD ± 349) mg/serving (a 44% [SD ± 104%] increase). The prevalence and magnitude of change varied depending on the restaurant and food category. Overall, there was a small, yet significant, decrease in sodium per serving (–25 [SD ± 268] mg, p restaurant foods have produced inconsistent results. Although the lower levels in some foods show that sodium reduction is possible, the simultaneous increase in other foods demonstrates the need for targets and timelines for sodium reduction in restaurants. PMID:25553327

  19. Regulatory perspective on remaining challenges for utilization of pharmacogenomics-guided drug developments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otsubo, Yasuto; Ishiguro, Akihiro; Uyama, Yoshiaki

    2013-01-01

    Pharmacogenomics-guided drug development has been implemented in practice in the last decade, resulting in increased labeling of drugs with pharmacogenomic information. However, there are still many challenges remaining in utilizing this process. Here, we describe such remaining challenges from the regulatory perspective, specifically focusing on sample collection, biomarker qualification, ethnic factors, codevelopment of companion diagnostics and means to provide drugs for off-target patients. To improve the situation, it is important to strengthen international harmonization and collaboration among academia, industries and regulatory agencies, followed by the establishment of an international guideline on this topic. Communication with a regulatory agency from an early stage of drug development is also a key to success.

  20. Quantum Dots for Cancer Research: Current Status, Remaining Issues, and Future Perspectives

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fang, Min; Peng, Chun-wei; Pang, Dai-Wen; Li, Yan

    2012-01-01

    Cancer is a major threat to public health in the 21st century because it is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The mechanisms of carcinogenesis, cancer invasion, and metastasis remain unclear. Thus, the development of a novel approach for cancer detection is urgent, and real-time monitoring is crucial in revealing its underlying biological mechanisms. With the optical and chemical advantages of quantum dots (QDs), QD-based nanotechnology is helpful in constructing a biomedical imaging platform for cancer behavior study. This review mainly focuses on the application of QD-based nanotechnology in cancer cell imaging and tumor microenvironment studies both in vivo and in vitro, as well as the remaining issues and future perspectives

  1. School-Level Genetic Variation Predicts School-Level Verbal IQ Scores: Results from a Sample of American Middle and High Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beaver, Kevin M.; Wright, John Paul

    2011-01-01

    Research has consistently revealed that average IQ scores vary significantly across macro-level units, such as states and nations. The reason for this variation in IQ, however, has remained at the center of much controversy. One of the more provocative explanations is that IQ across macro-level units is the result of genetic differences, but…

  2. Why does fertility remain high among certain UK-born ethnic minority women?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hill Kulu

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: Previous research has shown high total fertility among certain UK-born ethnic minorities, but the reasons behind their high fertility have remained far from clear. Some researchers attribute their elevated fertility levels to cultural factors, whereas others argue that high fertility is the consequence of their poor education and labour market prospects. Objective: This study investigates fertility among the descendants of immigrants in the UK and examines the determinants of high fertility among certain ethnic minority groups. Methods: We use data from the Understanding Society study and apply multivariate event history analysis. Results: The analysis shows, first, that relatively high second-, third-, and fourth-birth rates are responsible for the elevated total fertility among certain UK-born minorities, especially women of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin. There is little variation in the first-birth rates among natives and immigrant descendants. Second, although fertility differences between ethnic minorities and native British women slightly decrease once religiosity and number of siblings are controlled for, significant differences persist. We conclude that cultural factors account for some elevated fertility among ethnic groups in the UK, whereas the role of education and employment seem to be only minor. Contribution: Cultural factors account for some elevated fertility among ethnic minorities in the UK, whereas the role of education and employment seem to be negligible.

  3. Changes in Hepatic TRβ Protein Expression, Lipogenic Gene Expression, and Long-Chain Acylcarnitine Levels During Chronic Hyperthyroidism and Triiodothyronine Withdrawal in a Mouse Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohba, Kenji; Sinha, Rohit Anthony; Singh, Brijesh Kumar; Iannucci, Liliana Felicia; Zhou, Jin; Kovalik, Jean-Paul; Liao, Xiao-Hui; Refetoff, Samuel; Sng, Judy Chia Ghee; Leow, Melvin Khee-Shing; Yen, Paul Michael

    2017-06-01

    Thyroid hormone (TH) has important roles in regulating hepatic metabolism. It was previously reported that most hepatic genes activated by a single triiodothyronine (T3) injection became desensitized after multiple injections, and that approximately 10% of target genes did not return to basal expression levels after T3 withdrawal, despite normalization of serum TH and thyrotropin (TSH) levels. To determine the possible mechanism(s) for desensitization and incomplete recovery of hepatic target gene transcription and their effects on metabolism, mRNA and/or protein expression levels of key regulators of TH action were measured, as well as metabolomic changes after chronic T3 treatment and withdrawal. Adult male mice were treated with daily injections of T3 (20 μg/100 g body weight) for 14 days followed by the cessation of T3 for 10 days. Livers were harvested at 6 hours, 24 hours, and 14 days after the first T3 injection, and at 10 days after withdrawal, and then analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and metabolomics. Although TH receptor (TRα and TRβ) mRNAs decreased slightly after chronic T3 treatment, only TRβ protein decreased before returning to basal expression level after withdrawal. The expression of other regulators of TH action was unchanged. TRβ protein expression was also decreased in adult male monocarboxylate transporter-8 (Mct8)-knockout mice, an in vivo model of chronic intrahepatic hyperthyroidism. Previously, increased hepatic long-chain acylcarnitine levels were found after acute TH treatment. However, in this study, long-chain acylcarnitine levels were unchanged after chronic T3, and paradoxically increased after T3 withdrawal. Pathway analyses of the previous microarray results showed upregulation of lipogenic genes after acute T3 treatment and withdrawal. Phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase also decreased after T3 withdrawal. Decreased hepatic TRβ protein expression occurred

  4. Changes of electronic structure of SnTe due to high concentration of Sn vacancies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Masek, J.; Nuzhnyj, D.N.

    1997-01-01

    Non-stoichiometric Sn 1-y Te is a strongly degenerated n-type semiconductor. This is important for understanding unusual features of magnetic behaviour of Sn 1-x Gd x Te where the relative positions of the Fermi energy and the atomic d-level of Gd govern the exchange coupling.The influence of the Sn vacancies on the band structure cannot be neglect if their concentration reaches a few atomic percent. We address this problem by using a tight-binding coherent potential approach and show that although the character of the bands remains unchanged, they are modified so that ε d can come out above the heavy-hole band. (author)

  5. Sobolev spaces

    CERN Document Server

    Adams, Robert A

    2003-01-01

    Sobolev Spaces presents an introduction to the theory of Sobolev Spaces and other related spaces of function, also to the imbedding characteristics of these spaces. This theory is widely used in pure and Applied Mathematics and in the Physical Sciences.This second edition of Adam''s ''classic'' reference text contains many additions and much modernizing and refining of material. The basic premise of the book remains unchanged: Sobolev Spaces is intended to provide a solid foundation in these spaces for graduate students and researchers alike.* Self-contained and accessible for readers in other disciplines.* Written at elementary level making it accessible to graduate students.

  6. The effect of TGF-beta2 on MMP-2 production and activity in highly metastatic human bladder carcinoma cell line 5637.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dehnavi, Ehsan; Soheili, Zahra-Soheila; Samiei, Shahram; Ataei, Zahra; Aryan, Hajar

    2009-06-01

    Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) superfamily regulates matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), which intrinsically regulate various cell behaviors leading to metastasis. We investigated the effect of TGF-beta(2) on MMP-2 regulation in human bladder carcinoma cell line 5637. Zymography, ELISA, and real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed that TGF-beta(2) stimulated MMP-2 production, but the transcription of its gene remained unchanged. Wortmannin could not inhibit MMP-2 secretion and activity and conversely the amount of the protein and its enzymatic activity were increased. These data suggest that TGF-beta(2) increased MMP-2 at the posttranscriptional level and this upregulation was independent of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling pathway.

  7. Behavior of triterpenes from Maytenus aquifolium Martius ('espinheira santa') upon X- and gamma-rays irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Campos, P.; Vilegas, J.H.Y.; Lancas, F.M.

    1997-01-01

    The behavior of the triterpenes friedelin and friedelan-3-ol, contained on the leaves of Maytenus aquifolium Martius (Celastraceae), upon several doses of X- and γ-rays (10 to 100 kGy), was investigated by high resolution gas chromatography (HRGC) and high resolution gas chromatography -mass spectrometry (HRGC-MS). The friedelin content has not changed with γ-irradiation, but the content of friedelan-3-ol decreased around 17% at doses of 10, 20 and 40 kGy and around 27% at doses of 60, 80 and 100 kGy. The levels of both triterpenes remained unchanged even at higher X-ray doses. Lupen-3-one was detected by HRGC-MS. (author)

  8. C3b/iC3b deposition on Streptococcus pneumoniae is not affected by HIV infection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catherine Hyams

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common cause of infection in both HIV positive patients and those with complement deficiencies. We hypothesised that HIV positive individuals might exhibit reduced opsonisation of pneumococcus with complement due to reduced levels of S. pneumoniae specific IgG. We discovered no difference in C3 deposition on S. pneumoniae between HIV positive or negative individuals, and furthermore C3 deposition remained unchanged as HIV progressed towards AIDS. We found no correlation between C3 deposition on S. pneumoniae and CD4 cell count in HIV infected individuals. Hence we have demonstrated no failure of complement immunity in HIV positive patients.

  9. Relationship between Sustained Reductions in Plasma Lipid and Lipoprotein Concentrations with Apheresis and Plasma Levels and mRNA Expression of PTX3 and Plasma Levels of hsCRP in Patients with HyperLp(alipoproteinemia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudia Stefanutti

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The effect of lipoprotein apheresis (Direct Adsorption of Lipids, DALI (LA on plasma levels of pentraxin 3 (PTX3, an inflammatory marker that reflects coronary plaque vulnerability, and expression of PTX3 mRNA was evaluated in patients with hyperLp(alipoproteinemia and angiographically defined atherosclerosis/coronary artery disease. Eleven patients, aged 55±9.3 years (mean ± SD, were enrolled in the study. PTX3 soluble protein levels in plasma were unchanged by 2 sessions of LA; however, a downregulation of mRNA expression for PTX3 was observed, starting with the first session of LA (p<0.001. The observed reduction was progressively increased in the interval between the first and second LA sessions to achieve a maximum decrease by the end of the second session. A statistically significantly greater treatment-effect correlation was observed in patients undergoing weekly treatments, compared with those undergoing treatment every 15 days. A progressive reduction in plasma levels of C-reactive protein was also seen from the first session of LA, with a statistically significant linear correlation for treatment-effect in the change in plasma levels of this established inflammatory marker (R2=0.99; p<0.001. Our findings suggest that LA has anti-inflammatory and endothelium protective effects beyond its well-established efficacy in lowering apoB100-containing lipoproteins.

  10. Common variants at 6q22 and 17q21 are associated with intracranial volume

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Arfan Ikram, M.; Fornage, M.; Smith, A.V.; Seshadri, S.; Schmidt, R.; Debette, S.; Vrooman, H.A.; Sigurdsson, S.; Ropele, S.; Taal, H.R.; Mook-Kanamori, D.O.; Coker, L.H.; Longstreth, Jr. W.T.; Niessen, W.J.; DeStefano, A.L.; Beiser, A.; Zijdenbos, A.P.; Struchalin, M.; Jack, C.R.; Rivadeneira, F.; Uitterlinden, A.G.; Knopman, D.S.; Hartikainen, A.-L.; Pennell, C.E.; Thiering, E.; Steegers, E.A.P.; Hakonarson, H.; Heinrich, J.; Palmer, L.J.; Jarvelin, M.-R.; McCarthy, M.I.; Grant, S.F.A.; St Pourcain, B.; Timpson, N.J.; Smith, G.D.; Sovio, U.; van Beijsterveldt, C.E.M.; Groen-Blokhuis, M.M.; Hottenga, J.J.; Middeldorp, C.M.; Nivard, M.G.; Willemsen, G.; Boomsma, D.I.; Nalls, M.A.; Au, R.; Hofman, A.; Gudnason, H.; van der Lugt, A.; Harris, T.B.; Meeks, W.M.; Vernooij, M.W.; van Buchem, M.A.; Catellier, D.; Jaddoe, V.W.V.; Gudnason, V.; Windham, B.G.; Wolf, P.A.; van Duijn, C.M.; Mosley, T.H.; Schmidt, H.; Launer, L.J.; Breteler, M.M.B.; DeCarli, C.S.

    2012-01-01

    During aging, intracranial volume remains unchanged and represents maximally attained brain size, while various interacting biological phenomena lead to brain volume loss. Consequently, intracranial volume and brain volume in late life reflect different genetic influences. Our genome-wide

  11. A multidisciplinary reconstruction of Palaeolithic nutrition that holds promise for the prevention and treatment of diseases of civilisation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kuipers, Remko S.; Joordens, Josephine C. A.; Muskiet, Frits A. J.

    Evolutionary medicine acknowledges that many chronic degenerative diseases result from conflicts between our rapidly changing environment, our dietary habits included, and our genome, which has remained virtually unchanged since the Palaeolithic era. Reconstruction of the diet before the

  12. Acidification of the osteoclastic resorption compartment provides insight into the coupling of bone formation to bone resorption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Karsdal, M.A.; Henriksen, K.; Sorensen, M.G.

    2005-01-01

    Patients with defective osteoclastic acidification have increased numbers of osteoclasts, with decreased resorption, but bone formation that remains unchanged. We demonstrate that osteoclast survival is increased when acidification is impaired, and that impairment of acidification results in inhi...

  13. 76 FR 32387 - Kentucky Disaster Number KY-00040

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-06

    ... Damage and Economic Injury Loans): Ballard, Daviess, Henderson, Lawrence, McLean, Pike. Contiguous..., Morgan, Muhlenberg, Ohio. Illinois: Alexander. Indiana: Spencer, Vanderburgh, Warrick. Virginia: Buchanan, Dickenson, Wise. West Virginia: Mingo. All other information in the original declaration remains unchanged...

  14. The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in the Dormaa Municipality, Ghana: why some residents remain uninsured?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amo, Thompson

    2014-02-21

    The paper presents a quantitative investigation on the national health insurance scheme (nhis) in dormaa municipality, Ghana: why some residents remain uninsured? Since its implementation has been a little over a decade now. The aim is to identify the obstacles to enrollment by the public which would enable policy direction to ensure that all residents are registered with the scheme. A descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted between May and July, 2013. Both purposive and simple random sampling technique were used to select 210 respondents and data obtained through self-administered and face-to-face interviews guided by structured questionnaire. chi square (X2) test of independence was adopted to show the association between socioeconomic and demographic features and membership. Findings from the research suggest that residents' decision to enrol have significant associated with gender, education, number of children, place of residence, employment and income. It was also observed that membership is highly affected by premium level. The discussion of the findings and recommendations offered, if incorporated into the policy guideline of NHIS could maintain and at the same time increase enrollment level which would guarantee quality, accessible and affordable basic health care protection for the good people of Ghana.

  15. Operationalising Ecologically Sustainable Development at the Micro Level Pareto Optimality and the Preservation of Biologically Crucial Levels.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bithas, K.; Nijkamp, P.

    2006-01-01

    The concept of Ecologically Sustainable Economic Development (ESED) has led to relentlessly heated debate. Yet, it still remains without a clear operational framework. At the micro level where a multitude of projects and programmes are designed, the absence of operational principles has serious

  16. Cytokine profile and nitric oxide levels in sera from patients with brucellosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Refik M.

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available The aims of this study were to investigate the serum levels of some cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha, interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß, IL-2R, IL-6, and IL-8] and nitric oxide (NO levels in patients with untreated brucellosis and to test the correlation of these parameters with each other. The study was conducted on 67 subjects, 37 patients with brucellosis and 30 healthy individuals with no history of Brucella infection. Brucellosis was identified by a positive blood culture and/or increased Brucella antibodies in serological tests in addition to compatible clinical symptoms. Cytokine profile analysis was performed by the immulite chemiluminescent enzyme immunometric assay whose inter- and intra-assay coefficients of variance were 2.6-3.6 and 4.4-8.5%, respectively. The levels of nitrites/nitrates, which are representative of NO levels, were measured by the Griess method. Patients with brucellosis had significantly elevated serum levels of nitrites/nitrates, IL-2R, IL-6 and IL-8 (mean ± SD, 102.8 ± 23.8 µmol/l, 806.1 ± 58.5 U/ml, 21.1 ± 2.3 pg/ml, and 8.8 ± 1.6 pg/ml, respectively compared to healthy controls, whereas TNF-alpha and IL-1ß levels were unchanged. No statistically significant correlation was detected between any of the studied cytokine levels and nitrate/nitrite concentrations according to Pearson's linear correlation test. We conclude that only IL-6, IL-8 and IL-2R are elevated in brucellosis and the extent of elevation depends on the severity and clinical pattern of the disease. Moderate elevation in serum NO was comparable to that observed in previous studies. This explains the absence or very rare occurrence of septic shock in brucellosis.

  17. Mild traumatic brain injury diagnosis frequently remains unrecorded in subjects with craniofacial fractures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puljula, Jussi; Cygnel, Hanna; Mäkinen, Elina; Tuomivaara, Veli; Karttunen, Vesa; Karttunen, Ari; Hillbom, Matti

    2012-12-01

    Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in subjects with craniofacial fractures are usually diagnosed by emergency room physicians. We investigated how often TBI remains unrecorded in these subjects, and whether diagnostic accuracy has improved after the implementation of new TBI guidelines. All subjects with craniofacial fractures admitted to Oulu University Hospital in 1999 and in 2007 were retrospectively identified. New guidelines for improving the diagnostic accuracy of TBI were implemented between 2000 and 2006. Clinical symptoms of TBI were gathered from notes on hospital charts and compared to the recorded diagnoses at discharge. Logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors for TBI to remain unrecorded. Of 194 subjects with craniofacial fracture, 111(57%) had TBI, 40 in 1999 and 71 in 2007. Fifty-one TBIs (46%) remained unrecorded at discharge, 48 being mild and 3 moderate-to-severe. Subjects with unrecorded TBI were significantly less frequently referred to follow-up visits. Failures to record the TBI diagnosis were less frequent (29/71, 41%) in 2007 than in 1999 (22/40, 55%), but the difference was not statistically significant. The most significant independent predictor for this failure was the clinical specialty (other than neurology/neurosurgery) of the examining physician (palcohol intoxication did not hamper the diagnosis of TBI. TBIs remain frequently unrecorded in subjects with craniofacial fractures. Recording of mild TBI slightly but insignificantly improved after the implementation of new guidelines. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Yellow Fever Remains a Potential Threat to Public Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasconcelos, Pedro F C; Monath, Thomas P

    2016-08-01

    Yellow fever (YF) remains a serious public health threat in endemic countries. The recent re-emergence in Africa, initiating in Angola and spreading to Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, with imported cases in China and Kenya is of concern. There is such a shortage of YF vaccine in the world that the World Health Organization has proposed the use of reduced doses (1/5) during emergencies. In this short communication, we discuss these and other problems including the risk of spread of YF to areas free of YF for decades or never before affected by this arbovirus disease.

  19. The potential impact of microbial Fe(III) reduction on subsurface U(VI) mobility at a low level radioactive waste storage site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilkins, M.J.; Livens, F.R.; Vaughan, D.J.; Lloyd, J.R.; Beadle, I.; Small, J.S.

    2005-01-01

    Full text of publication follows: Fe(III) oxy-hydroxides have the potential to be utilised as terminal electron acceptors by indigenous microbial communities in the British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) low level radioactive waste storage site at Drigg (Cumbria, UK) and these organisms may have a critical control on the biogeochemical cycling of several environmentally important radionuclides. In terms of radiological impact at Drigg, uranium is the most significant contributor to radiological impact and it is strongly influenced by biogeochemical processes. In terms of mass (moles) it is also the most abundant radionuclide in the Drigg inventory. Thus, the potential biotic and abiotic effects of Fe(III) reduction on U(VI) mobility in the Drigg subsurface are of interest. Culture-dependent and molecular techniques showed that the sediments in and around the Drigg site contained a diversity of Fe(III)-reducing bacteria. A series of microcosm experiments were utilised to create environmentally relevant experimental conditions. Microcosms set up using Drigg sediment and synthetic ground water were spiked with 100 μM U(VI) and acetate as an electron donor. U(VI) concentrations in groundwater were measured using a chemical assay while total U levels were determined using ICP-MS. Fe(II) levels were determined using the ferrozine method. Sediment surface areas were measured using BET analysis. The low surface area of the sediments resulted in only a small proportion of the 100 μM U(VI) spike sorbing onto mineral surfaces. The addition of ferri-hydrite to some microcosms resulted in an immediate lowering of soluble U(VI) concentrations, suggesting that the formation of soluble U(VI) complexes were not responsible for the minimal adsorption. The presence of biogenic Fe(II) in the microcosms did not affect the soluble U(VI) concentration. Similarly, soluble U(VI) levels remained unchanged when sediments were spiked with U(VI) post-microbial Fe(III) reduction. However, a lowering in

  20. Mesopredator release by an emergent superpredator: a natural experiment of predation in a three level guild.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nayden Chakarov

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Intraguild predation (IGP is widespread but it is often neglected that guilds commonly include many layers of dominance within. This could obscure the effects of IGP making unclear whether the intermediate or the bottom mesopredator will bear higher costs from the emergence of a new top predator. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In one of the most extensive datasets of avian IGP, we analyse the impact of recolonization of a superpredator, the eagle owl Bubo bubo on breeding success, territorial dynamics and population densities of two mesopredators, the northern goshawk Accipiter gentilis and its IG prey, the common buzzard Buteo buteo. The data covers more than two decades and encompass three adjacent plots. Eagle owls only recolonized the central plot during the second decade, thereby providing a natural experiment. Both species showed a decrease in standardized reproductive success and an increase in brood failure within 1.5 km of the superpredator. During the second decade, territory dynamics of goshawks was significantly higher in the central plot compared to both other plots. No such pattern existed in buzzards. Goshawk density in the second decade decreased in the central plot, while it increased in both other plots. Buzzard density in the second decade rapidly increased in the north, remained unchanged in the south and increased moderately in the center in a probable case of mesopredator release. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our study finds support for top-down control on the intermediate mesopredator and both top-down and bottom-up control of the bottom mesopredator. In the face of considerable costs of IGP, both species probably compete to breed in predator-free refugia, which get mostly occupied by the dominant raptor. Therefore for mesopredators the outcome of IGP might depend directly on the number of dominance levels which supersede them.

  1. Effects of gamma-irradiation on elongation and indole-3-acetic acid level of maize (Zea mays) coleoptiles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Momiyama, M.; Koshiba, T.; Furukawa, K.; Kamiya, Y.; Sato, M.

    1999-01-01

    The effects of gamma-irradiation on elongation and the level of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) of maize (Zea mays) coleoptiles were investigated. When 3-day-old seedlings of maize were exposed to gamma-radiation lower than 1 kGy, a temporal retardation of coleoptile elongation was induced. This retardation was at least partly ascribed to a temporal decrease in the amount of free IAA in coleoptile tips on the basis of the following facts: (1) the reactivity to IAA of the elongating coleoptile cells was not altered by irradiation; (2) endogenous IAA level in the tip of irradiated coleoptiles was at first unchanged, but then declined before returning to nearly the same level as that of the non-irradiated control; and (3) the amount of IAA that diffused from coleoptile tip sections showed a similar pattern to that of endogenous IAA. The rate of conversion between free and conjugated IAA was not significantly affected by irradiation. These results suggest that a temporal inhibition of maize coleoptile elongation induced by gamma-irradiation can be ascribed to the reduction of endogenous IAA level in the coleoptile tip, and this may originate from the modulation in the rate of IAA biosynthesis or catabolism. (author)

  2. Region-selective effects of long-term lithium and carbamazepine administration on cyclic AMP levels in rat brain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wiborg, Ove; Krueger, Tanja; Jakosen, Soeren N. [Psychiatric Hospital, Dept. of Biological Psychiatry, Risskov (Denmark)

    1999-02-01

    The effect of lithium and carbamazepine in the treatment of bipolar affective disorder is well established. Althougt a number of biochemical effects have been found, the exact molecular mechanisms underlying their therapeutic actions have not been elucidated nor are the target regions in the brain identified. Taken into account the important role of the cyclic AMP second messenger system in the regulation of neuronal exitability and the indications of its involvement in the pathophysiology of bipolar affective disorder, we have focused on the drug effects on cyclic AMP levels. The objectives of this investigation were to measure the effects on basal cyclic AMP levels, and to locate target regions within the rat brain after long-term administration of lithium and carbamazepine. Drug treatments were carried out for a period of 28 days. After either drug treatment the cyclic AMP level was increased 3-4 times in frontal cortex but unchanged in hippocampus, hypothalamus, thalamus, amygdala and in cerebellum. In neostratum the cyclic AMP level was decreased to about 30% after treatment with lithium. We suggest the common region-selective effect, observed for both drugs in frontal cortex, to be essential for the therapeutic actions of lithium and carbamazepine. (au) 46 refs.

  3. Duplex Alu Screening for Degraded DNA of Skeletal Human Remains

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabian Haß

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The human-specific Alu elements, belonging to the class of Short INterspersed Elements (SINEs, have been shown to be a powerful tool for population genetic studies. An earlier study in this department showed that it was possible to analyze Alu presence/absence in 3000-year-old skeletal human remains from the Bronze Age Lichtenstein cave in Lower Saxony, Germany. We developed duplex Alu screening PCRs with flanking primers for two Alu elements, each combined with a single internal Alu primer. By adding an internal primer, the approximately 400–500 bp presence signals of Alu elements can be detected within a range of less than 200 bp. Thus, our PCR approach is suited for highly fragmented ancient DNA samples, whereas NGS analyses frequently are unable to handle repetitive elements. With this analysis system, we examined remains of 12 individuals from the Lichtenstein cave with different degrees of DNA degradation. The duplex PCRs showed fully informative amplification results for all of the chosen Alu loci in eight of the 12 samples. Our analysis system showed that Alu presence/absence analysis is possible in samples with different degrees of DNA degradation and it reduces the amount of valuable skeletal material needed by a factor of four, as compared with a singleplex approach.

  4. Plasmalogens Inhibit APP Processing by Directly Affecting γ-Secretase Activity in Alzheimer's Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rothhaar, Tatjana L.; Grösgen, Sven; Haupenthal, Viola J.; Burg, Verena K.; Hundsdörfer, Benjamin; Mett, Janine; Riemenschneider, Matthias; Grimm, Heike S.; Hartmann, Tobias; Grimm, Marcus O. W.

    2012-01-01

    Lipids play an important role as risk or protective factors in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Previously it has been shown that plasmalogens, the major brain phospholipids, are altered in AD. However, it remained unclear whether plasmalogens themselves are able to modulate amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing or if the reduced plasmalogen level is a consequence of AD. Here we identify the plasmalogens which are altered in human AD postmortem brains and investigate their impact on APP processing resulting in Aβ production. All tested plasmalogen species showed a reduction in γ-secretase activity whereas β- and α-secretase activity mainly remained unchanged. Plasmalogens directly affected γ-secretase activity, protein and RNA level of the secretases were unaffected, pointing towards a direct influence of plasmalogens on γ-secretase activity. Plasmalogens were also able to decrease γ-secretase activity in human postmortem AD brains emphasizing the impact of plasmalogens in AD. In summary our findings show that decreased plasmalogen levels are not only a consequence of AD but that plasmalogens also decrease APP processing by directly affecting γ-secretase activity, resulting in a vicious cycle: Aβ reduces plasmalogen levels and reduced plasmalogen levels directly increase γ-secretase activity leading to an even stronger production of Aβ peptides. PMID:22547976

  5. The Insta-Dead: The rhetoric of the human remains trade on Instagram

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Damien Huffer

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available There is a thriving trade, and collector community, around human remains that is facilitated by posts on new social media such as Instagram, Facebook, Etsy, and, until recently, eBay. In this article, we examine several thousand Instagram posts and perform some initial text analysis on the language and rhetoric of these posts to understand something about the function of this community, what they value and how they trade, buy, and sell, human remains. Our results indicate a well-connected network of collectors and dealers both specialist and generalist, with a surprisingly wide-reaching impact on the 'enthusiasts' who, through their rhetoric, support the activities of this collecting community, in the face of legal and ethical issues generated by its existence.

  6. Chronic Hyperinsulinaemic Hypoglycaemia in Rats Is Accompanied by Increased Body Weight, Hyperleptinaemia, and Decreased Neuronal Glucose Transporter Levels in the Brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jensen, Vivi F H; Mølck, Anne-Marie; Chapman, Melissa; Alifrangis, Lene; Andersen, Lene; Lykkesfeldt, Jens; Bøgh, Ingrid B

    2017-01-01

    The brain is vulnerable to hypoglycaemia due to a continuous need of energy substrates to meet its high metabolic demands. Studies have shown that severe acute insulin-induced hypoglycaemia results in oxidative stress in the rat brain, when neuroglycopenia cannot be evaded despite increased levels of cerebral glucose transporters. Compensatory measures in the brain during chronic insulin-induced hypoglycaemia are less well understood. The present study investigated how the brain of nondiabetic rats copes with chronic insulin-induced hypoglycaemia for up to eight weeks. Brain level of different substrate transporters and redox homeostasis was evaluated. Hyperinsulinaemia for 8 weeks consistently lowered blood glucose levels by 30-50% (4-6 mM versus 7-9 mM in controls). The animals had increased food consumption, body weights, and hyperleptinaemia. During infusion, protein levels of the brain neuronal glucose transporter were decreased, whereas levels of lipid peroxidation products were unchanged. Discontinued infusion was followed by transient systemic hyperglycaemia and decreased food consumption and body weight. After 4 weeks, plasma levels of lipid peroxidation products were increased, possibly as a consequence of hyperglycaemia-induced oxidative stress. The present data suggests that chronic moderate hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia causes increased body weight and hyperleptinaemia. This is accompanied by decreased neuronal glucose transporter levels, which may be leptin-induced.

  7. Screening of large panel of gastrointestinal peptide plasma levels is not adapted for the evaluation of digestive damage following irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dublineau, I.; Dudoignon, N.; Monti, P.; Combes, O.; Wysocki, J.; Grison, S.; Baudelin, C.; Griffiths, N.M.; Scanff, P.

    2004-01-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the potential of gastrointestinal peptide plasma levels as biomarkers of radiation-induced digestive tract damage. To this end, plasma levels of substance P, GRP, motilin, PYY, somatostatin-28, gastrin, and neurotensin were followed for up to 5 days in pigs after a 16-Gy whole-body X-irradiation, completed by a histopathological study performed at 5 days. Each peptide gave a specific response to irradiation. The plasma levels of GRP and substance P were not modified by irradiation exposure; neither were those of motilin and PYY. Concerning gastrin, a 2-3-fold increase of plasma concentration was observed in pig, which presented the most important histological alterations of the stomach. The plasma levels of somatostatin, unchanged from 1 to 4 days after irradiation, was also increased by 130% at 5 days. In contrast, a diminution of neurotensin plasma levels was noted, firstly at 1 day (-88%), and from 3 days after exposure (-50%). The present study suggested that changes in gastrin and neurotensin plasma levels were associated with structural alterations of the stomach and ileum, respectively, indicating that they may be relevant biological indicators of radiation-induced digestive damage to these segments. (author)

  8. Alterations in plasma L-arginine and methylarginines in heart failure and after heart transplantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lundgren, Jakob; Sandqvist, Anna; Hedeland, Mikael; Bondesson, Ulf; Wikström, Gerhard; Rådegran, Göran

    2018-04-12

    Endothelial function, including the nitric oxide (NO)-pathway, has previously been extensively investigated in heart failure (HF). In contrast, studies are lacking on the NO pathway after heart transplantation (HT). We therefore investigated substances in the NO pathway prior to and after HT in relation to hemodynamic parameters. 12 patients (median age 50.0 yrs, 2 females), heart transplanted between June 2012 and February 2014, evaluated at our hemodynamic lab, at rest, prior to HT, as well as four weeks and six months after HT were included. All patients had normal left ventricular function post-operatively and none had post-operative pulmonary hypertension or acute cellular rejection requiring therapy at the evaluations. Plasma concentrations of ADMA, SDMA, L-Arginine, L-Ornithine and L-Citrulline were analyzed at each evaluation. In comparison to controls, the plasma L-Arginine concentration was low and ADMA high in HF patients, resulting in low L-Arginine/ADMA-ratio pre-HT. Already four weeks after HT L-Arginine was normalized whereas ADMA remained high. Consequently the L-Arginine/ADMA-ratio improved, but did not normalize. The biomarkers remained unchanged at the six-month evaluation and the L-Arginine/ADMA-ratio correlated inversely to pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) six months post-HT. Plasma L-Arginine concentrations normalize after HT. However, as ADMA is unchanged, the L-Arginine/ADMA-ratio remained low and correlated inversely to PVR. Together these findings suggest that (i) the L-Arginine/ADMA-ratio may be an indicator of pulmonary vascular tone after HT, and that (ii) NO-dependent endothelial function is partly restored after HT. Considering the good postoperative outcome, the biomarker levels may be considered "normal" after HT.

  9. Perceived organizational support and intention to remain: The mediating roles of career success and self-esteem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jingying; Liu, Yan-Hui

    2016-04-01

    The aim of this study was to explore the relationships among perceived organizational support, career success, self-esteem and intention to remain. A cross-sectional study was designed, and subjects were recruited from six nonprofit organizations in China in spring 2015. A convenience sample of 610 nurses answered a survey with questions related to their ideas about their work. Structural equation modelling analyses were conducted. The results revealed that perceived organizational support was positively associated with intention to remain and career success, which, in turn, mediated the relationship between perceived organizational support and intention to remain. We also found that self-esteem mediated the relationships between perceived organizational support and career success and between career success and intention to remain. Higher perceived organizational support, career success and self-esteem can increase intention to remain in Chinese nurses. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  10. Skeletal muscle intracellular pH and levels of high energy phosphates during hypercapnia in intact lizards by 31P NMR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, D.C.; Hitzig, B.M.; Elmden, K.; McFarland, E.; Koutcher, J.; Kazemi, H.

    1986-01-01

    Lizards have been shown to reduce ventilation during CO 2 breathing. This is thought to be detrimental to the maintenance of intracellular pH (pHi) and levels of high energy phosphates. The authors subjected chameleons (n=4) to 5% CO 2 breathing and made serial measurements of tail (skeletal) muscle pHi, levels of phosphocreatine (PCr), and ATP utilizing high resolution 31 P NMR. pHi was unchanged from controls (7.27 +/- 0.06 units) (mean +/- SE) during 30 minutes of hypercapnia (7.19 +/- 0.09 units) (p>.2) demonstrating effective regulation of skeletal muscle pHi; however, there were significant decreases in the PCr/ATP ratios to 65% +/- 5% (p 2 availability because there were no increases in the levels of glycolytic intermediates and inorganic phosphate which would indicate tissue hypoxia. It is possible that an active process requiring ATP is required for the maintenance of pHi in the presence of hypercapnia and that the reduction of PCr/ATP ratio is a reflection of an increased utilization of ATP

  11. Calibration of C-14 dates: some remaining uncertainties and limitations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burleigh, R.

    1975-01-01

    A brief review is presented of the interpretation of radiocarbon dates in terms of calendar years. An outline is given of the factors that make such correlations necessary and of the work that has so far been done to make them possible. The calibration of the C-14 timescale very largely depends at present on the bristlecone pine chronology, but it is clear that many detailed uncertainties still remain. These are discussed. (U.K.)

  12. Relationship between Sustained Reductions in Plasma Lipid and Lipoprotein Concentrations with Apheresis and Plasma Levels and mRNA Expression of PTX3 and Plasma Levels of hsCRP in Patients with HyperLp(a)lipoproteinemia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stefanutti, Claudia; Mazza, Fabio; Steiner, Michael; Watts, Gerald F.; De Nève, Joel; Pasqualetti, Daniela; Paal, Juergen

    2016-01-01

    The effect of lipoprotein apheresis (Direct Adsorption of Lipids, DALI) (LA) on plasma levels of pentraxin 3 (PTX3), an inflammatory marker that reflects coronary plaque vulnerability, and expression of PTX3 mRNA was evaluated in patients with hyperLp(a)lipoproteinemia and angiographically defined atherosclerosis/coronary artery disease. Eleven patients, aged 55 ± 9.3 years (mean ± SD), were enrolled in the study. PTX3 soluble protein levels in plasma were unchanged by 2 sessions of LA; however, a downregulation of mRNA expression for PTX3 was observed, starting with the first session of LA (p < 0.001). The observed reduction was progressively increased in the interval between the first and second LA sessions to achieve a maximum decrease by the end of the second session. A statistically significantly greater treatment-effect correlation was observed in patients undergoing weekly treatments, compared with those undergoing treatment every 15 days. A progressive reduction in plasma levels of C-reactive protein was also seen from the first session of LA, with a statistically significant linear correlation for treatment-effect in the change in plasma levels of this established inflammatory marker (R 2 = 0.99; p < 0.001). Our findings suggest that LA has anti-inflammatory and endothelium protective effects beyond its well-established efficacy in lowering apoB100-containing lipoproteins. PMID:26903710

  13. Spontaneous recovery of locomotion induced by remaining fibers after spinal cord transection in adult rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    You, Si-Wei; Chen, Bing-Yao; Liu, Hui-Ling; Lang, Bing; Xia, Jie-Lai; Jiao, Xi-Ying; Ju, Gong

    2003-01-01

    A major issue in analysis of experimental results after spinal cord injury is spontaneous functional recovery induced by remaining nerve fibers. The authors investigated the relationship between the degree of locomotor recovery and the percentage and location of the fibers that spared spinal cord transection. The spinal cords of 12 adult rats were transected at T9 with a razor blade, which often resulted in sparing of nerve fibers in the ventral spinal cord. The incompletely-transected animals were used to study the degree of spontaneous recovery of hindlimb locomotion, evaluated with the BBB rating scale, in correlation to the extent and location of the remaining fibers. Incomplete transection was found in the ventral spinal cord in 42% of the animals. The degree of locomotor recovery was highly correlated with the percentage of the remaining fibers in the ventral and ventrolateral funiculi. In one of the rats, 4.82% of remaining fibers in unilateral ventrolateral funiculus were able to sustain a certain recovery of locomotion. Less than 5% of remaining ventrolateral white matter is sufficient for an unequivocal motor recovery after incomplete spinal cord injury. Therefore, for studies with spinal cord transection, the completeness of sectioning should be carefully checked before any conclusion can be reached. The fact that the degree of locomotor recovery is correlated with the percentage of remaining fibers in the ventrolateral spinal cord, exclusive of most of the descending motor tracts, may imply an essential role of propriospinal connections in the initiation of spontaneous locomotor recovery.

  14. Effects of water level on three wetlands soil seed banks on the Tibetan Plateau.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miaojun Ma

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Although the effect of water level on germination in soil seed banks has been documented in many ecosystems, the mechanism is not fully understood, and to date no empirical studies on this subject exist. Further, no work has been done on the effect of water level on seed banks of drying and saline-alkaline wetlands in alpine areas on the Tibetan Plateau. METHODOLOGY: We examined the effects of water level (0 cm, 5 cm and 10 cm on seed germination and seedling establishment from soil seed banks at 0-5 cm and 5-10 cm depths in typical, drying, and saline-alkaline wetlands. We also explore the potential role of soil seed bank in restoration of drying and saline-alkaline wetlands. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Species richness decreased with increase in water level, but there almost no change in seed density. A huge difference exists in species composition of the seed bank among different water levels in all three wetlands, especially between 0 cm and 5 cm and 0 cm and 10 cm. Similarity of species composition between seed bank and plant community was higher in 0 cm water level in drying wetland than in the other two wetlands. The similarity was much higher in 0 cm water level than in 5 cm and 10 cm water levels in all three wetlands. Species composition of the alpine wetland plant community changed significantly after drying and salinization, however, species composition of the seed bank was unchanged regardless of the environment change. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Water level greatly affects seed bank recruitment and plant community establishment. Further, different water levels in restored habitats are likely to determine its species composition of the plant community. The seed bank is important in restoration of degraded wetlands. Successful restoration of drying and salinization wetlands could depend on the seed bank.

  15. Stable isotopes, niche partitioning and the paucity of elasmosaur remains in the Maastrichtian type area

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schulp, Anne S.; Janssen, Renée; Van Baal, Remy R.; Jagt, John W M; Mulder, Eric W A; Vonhof, Hubert B.

    2017-01-01

    Remains of elasmosaurid plesiosaurs are exceedingly rare in the type-Maastrichtian strata (Late Cretaceous, southeast Netherlands and northeast Belgium), in stark contrast to relatively common skeletal remains of mosasaurs. Here, we present an analysis of δ13C stable isotope values for tooth enamel

  16. Depression, psychological distress, and quality of life in patients with cardioverter defibrillator with or without cardiac resynchronization therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knackstedt, Christian; Arndt, Marlies; Mischke, Karl; Marx, Nikolaus; Nieman, Fred; Kunert, Hanns Jürgen; Schauerte, Patrick; Norra, Christine

    2014-05-01

    Congestive heart failure is frequent and leads to reduced exercise capacity, reduced quality of life (QoL), and depression in many patients. Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) offer therapeutic options and may have an impact on QoL and depression. This study was performed to evaluate physical and mental health in patients undergoing ICD or combined CRT/ICD-implantation (CRT-D). Echocardiography, spiroergometry, and psychometric questionnaires [Beck Depression Inventory, General World Health Organization Five Well-being Index (WHO-5), Brief Symptom Inventory and 36-item Short Form (SF-36)] were obtained in 39 patients (ICD: 17, CRT-D: 22) at baseline and 6-month follow-up (FU) after device implantation. CRT-D patients had a higher NYHA class and broader left bundle branch block than ICD patients at baseline. At FU, ejection fraction (EF), peak oxygen uptake, and NYHA class improved significantly in CRT-D patients but remained unchanged in ICD patients. Patients with CRT-D implantation showed higher levels of depressive symptoms, psychological distress, and impairment in QoL at baseline and FU compared to ICD patients. These impairments remained mostly unchanged in all patients after 6 months. Overall, these findings imply that there is a need for careful assessment and treatment of psychological distress and depression in ICD and CRT-D patients in the course of device implantation as psychological burden seems to persist irrespective of physical improvement.

  17. Contemporary trends of the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and resource utilization of necrotizing fasciitis in Texas: a population-based cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oud, Lavi; Watkins, Phillip

    2015-01-01

    Introduction. There are limited population-level reports on the contemporary trends of the epidemiology, clinical features, resource utilization, and outcomes of necrotizing fasciitis (NF). Methods. We conducted a cohort study of Texas inpatient population, identifying hospitalizations with a diagnosis of NF during the years 2001-2010. The incidence, clinical features, resource utilization, and outcomes of NF hospitalizations were examined. Results. There were 12,172 NF hospitalizations during study period, with ICU admission in 50.3%. The incidence of NF rose 2.7%/year (P = 0.0001). Key changes between 2001-2002 and 2009-2010 included rising incidence of NF (5.9 versus 7.6 per 100,000 [P < 0.0001]), chronic comorbidities (69.4% versus 76.7% [P < 0.0001]), and development of ≥1 organ failure (28.5% versus 51.7% [P < 0.0001]). Inflation-adjusted hospital charges rose 37% (P < 0.0001). Hospital mortality (9.3%) remained unchanged during study period. Discharges to long-term care facilities rose from 12.2 to 30% (P < 0.0001). Conclusions. The present cohort of NF is the largest reported to date. There has been increasing incidence, chronic illness, and severity of illness of NF over the past decade, with half of NF hospitalizations admitted to ICU. Hospital mortality remained unchanged, while need for long-term care rose nearly 2.5-fold among survivors, suggesting increasing residual morbidity. The sources of the observed findings require further study.

  18. Contemporary Trends of the Epidemiology, Clinical Characteristics, and Resource Utilization of Necrotizing Fasciitis in Texas: A Population-Based Cohort Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lavi Oud

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. There are limited population-level reports on the contemporary trends of the epidemiology, clinical features, resource utilization, and outcomes of necrotizing fasciitis (NF. Methods. We conducted a cohort study of Texas inpatient population, identifying hospitalizations with a diagnosis of NF during the years 2001–2010. The incidence, clinical features, resource utilization, and outcomes of NF hospitalizations were examined. Results. There were 12,172 NF hospitalizations during study period, with ICU admission in 50.3%. The incidence of NF rose 2.7%/year (P=0.0001. Key changes between 2001-2002 and 2009-2010 included rising incidence of NF (5.9 versus 7.6 per 100,000 [P<0.0001], chronic comorbidities (69.4% versus 76.7% [P<0.0001], and development of ≥1 organ failure (28.5% versus 51.7% [P<0.0001]. Inflation-adjusted hospital charges rose 37% (P<0.0001. Hospital mortality (9.3% remained unchanged during study period. Discharges to long-term care facilities rose from 12.2 to 30% (P<0.0001. Conclusions. The present cohort of NF is the largest reported to date. There has been increasing incidence, chronic illness, and severity of illness of NF over the past decade, with half of NF hospitalizations admitted to ICU. Hospital mortality remained unchanged, while need for long-term care rose nearly 2.5-fold among survivors, suggesting increasing residual morbidity. The sources of the observed findings require further study.

  19. Remaining useful life assessment of lithium-ion batteries in implantable medical devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Chao; Ye, Hui; Jain, Gaurav; Schmidt, Craig

    2018-01-01

    This paper presents a prognostic study on lithium-ion batteries in implantable medical devices, in which a hybrid data-driven/model-based method is employed for remaining useful life assessment. The method is developed on and evaluated against data from two sets of lithium-ion prismatic cells used in implantable applications exhibiting distinct fade performance: 1) eight cells from Medtronic, PLC whose rates of capacity fade appear to be stable and gradually decrease over a 10-year test duration; and 2) eight cells from Manufacturer X whose rates appear to be greater and show sharp increase after some period over a 1.8-year test duration. The hybrid method enables online prediction of remaining useful life for predictive maintenance/control. It consists of two modules: 1) a sparse Bayesian learning module (data-driven) for inferring capacity from charge-related features; and 2) a recursive Bayesian filtering module (model-based) for updating empirical capacity fade models and predicting remaining useful life. A generic particle filter is adopted to implement recursive Bayesian filtering for the cells from the first set, whose capacity fade behavior can be represented by a single fade model; a multiple model particle filter with fixed-lag smoothing is proposed for the cells from the second data set, whose capacity fade behavior switches between multiple fade models.

  20. Vasoactive Peptide Levels after Change of Dialysis Mode

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fredrik Uhlin

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aims: Plasma concentrations of the N-terminal fragment of pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP are increased in end-stage renal disease. Improvement in hemodynamic stability has been reported when switching from hemodialysis (HD to on-line hemodiafiltration (ol-HDF. The aim of this study was to investigate plasma concentrations of NT-proBNP, BNP and neuropeptide Y (NPY during a 1-year follow-up, after a change from high-flux HD to postdilution ol-HDF. Additional variables were also studied, e.g. pulse wave velocity and ordinary clinical parameters. Method: We conducted a prospective, single-center study including 35 patients who were switched from HD to HDF. Plasma concentrations of NT-proBNP, BNP and NPY before and after dialysis were measured at baseline (i.e. HD and at 1, 2, 4, 6 and 12 months on HDF. Results: All three peptide levels decreased significantly during HD and HDF when comparing concentrations before and after dialysis. Mean absolute value (before/after and relative decrease (% before versus after dialysis was 13.697/9.497 ng/l (31% for NT-proBNP, 62/40 ng/ml (35% for BNP and 664/364 pg/l (45% for NPY. No significant differences were observed when comparing predialysis values over time. However, postdialysis NT-proBNP concentration showed a significant decrease of 48% over time after the switch to HDF. Conclusion: The postdialysis plasma levels of NT-proBNP, BNP and NPY decreased significantly during both dialysis modes when compared to before dialysis. The postdialysis lowering of NT-proBNP increased further over time after the switch to ol-HDF; the predialysis levels were unchanged, suggesting no effect on its production in the ventricles of the heart.

  1. Perinatal exposure to lead and cadmium affects anxiety-like behaviour

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leret, M.Luisa; Millan, Jose Antonio San; Antonio, M.Teresa

    2003-01-01

    The present study examines the effects of early simultaneous exposure to low level of lead and cadmium on anxiety-like behaviour in the rat, and on monoamine levels in the hypothalamus and hippocampus at weaning and adult animals. Rats were intoxicated with cadmium acetate (10 mg/l) and lead acetate (300 mg/l) in drinking water from the beginning of pregnancy until weaning. Maternal co-exposure to lead and cadmium produced mainly alterations in dopaminergic and serotoninergic systems of hippocampus in both age studied, while noradrenaline content in hypothalamus and hippocampus remained unchanged at 75 days of age. The intoxicated rats showed an increased on indices of anxiety on the elevated plus-maze. These long-term changes in anxiety-like behaviour can be related to dopaminergic and serotoninergic alterations detected in hippocampus

  2. Defects in TLR3 expression and RNase L activation lead to decreased MnSOD expression and insulin resistance in muscle cells of obese people

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fabre, Odile Martine Julie; Breuker, C; Amouzou, C

    2014-01-01

    Obesity is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation and oxidative stress that blunt insulin response in its target tissues, leading to insulin resistance (IR). IR is a characteristic feature of type 2 diabetes. Skeletal muscle is responsible for 75% of total insulin-dependent glucose uptake...... with palmitate, a saturated free fatty acid (FFA) known to induce inflammation and oxidative stress via TLR4 activation. While RNase L and RLI levels remained unchanged, OAS level was decreased in primary myotubes from insulin-resistant obese subjects (OB-IR) compared with myotubes from insulin-sensitive obese......; consequently, skeletal muscle IR is considered to be the primary defect of systemic IR development. Interestingly, some obese people stay insulin-sensitive and metabolically healthy. With the aim of understanding this difference and identifying the mechanisms responsible for insulin sensitivity maintenance...

  3. Deletion of glutamate dehydrogenase 1 (Glud1) in the central nervous system affects glutamate handling without altering synaptic transmission

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frigerio, Francesca; Karaca, Melis; De Roo, Mathias

    2012-01-01

    Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), encoded by GLUD1, participates in the breakdown and synthesis of glutamate, the main excitatory neurotransmitter. In the CNS, besides its primary signaling function, glutamate is also at the crossroad of metabolic and neurotransmitter pathways. Importance of brain GDH...... was questioned here by generation of CNS-specific GDH-null mice (CnsGlud1(-/-)); which were viable, fertile and without apparent behavioral problems. GDH immunoreactivity as well as enzymatic activity were absent in Cns-Glud1(-/-) brains. Immunohistochemical analyses on brain sections revealed that the pyramidal...... oxidative catabolism of glutamate in astrocytes, showing that GDH is required for Krebs cycle pathway. As revealed by NMR studies, brain glutamate levels remained unchanged, whereas glutamine levels were increased. This pattern was favored by up-regulation of astrocyte-type glutamate and glutamine...

  4. Effect of interaction of embedded crack and free surface on remaining fatigue life

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Genshichiro Katsumata

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Embedded crack located near free surface of a component interacts with the free surface. When the distance between the free surface and the embedded crack is short, stress at the crack tip ligament is higher than that at the other area of the cracked section. It can be easily expected that fatigue crack growth is fast, when the embedded crack locates near the free surface. To avoid catastrophic failures caused by fast fatigue crack growth at the crack tip ligament, fitness-for-service (FFS codes provide crack-to-surface proximity rules. The proximity rules are used to determine whether the cracks should be treated as embedded cracks as-is, or transformed to surface cracks. Although the concepts of the proximity rules are the same, the specific criteria and the rules to transform embedded cracks into surface cracks differ amongst FFS codes. This paper focuses on the interaction between an embedded crack and a free surface of a component as well as on its effects on the remaining fatigue lives of embedded cracks using the proximity rules provided by the FFS codes. It is shown that the remaining fatigue lives for the embedded cracks strongly depend on the crack aspect ratio and location from the component free surface. In addition, it can be said that the proximity criteria defined by the API and RSE-M codes give overly conservative remaining lives. On the contrary, the WES and AME codes always give long remaining lives and non-conservative estimations. When the crack aspect ratio is small, ASME code gives non-conservative estimation.

  5. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and renal response to exercise

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olsen, Niels Vidiendal; Jensen, N G; Hansen, J M

    1999-01-01

    baseline values or exercise-induced decreases in renal plasma flow or glomerular filtration rate. Indomethacin, but not nabumetone, decreased sodium excretion, urine flow rate and free water clearance. The renal response to exercise, however, remained unchanged. In contrast with nabumatone, indomethacin...

  6. Celiac disease and pulmonary hemosiderosis in a patient with chronic granulomatous disease

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hartl, Dominik; Belohradsky, Bernd H.; Griese, Matthias; Nicolai, Thomas; Krauss-Etschmann, Susanne; Roos, Dirk; Wintergerst, Uwe

    2004-01-01

    We report on a patient with the hitherto undescribed combination of chronic granulomatous disease, pulmonary hemosiderosis, and celiac disease. The hemosiderosis resolved with a gluten-free diet and glucocorticosteroid pulse therapy, but the restrictive lung function pattern remained unchanged. Lung

  7. Proteolytic Degradation of Bovine Submaxillary Mucin (BSM) and Its Impact on Adsorption and Lubrication at a Hydrophobic Surface

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Jan Busk; Svensson, Birte; Abou Hachem, Maher

    2015-01-01

    in the secondary structure owing to the removal ofterminal domains, but the overall random coil conformation adopted by the central glycosylated domain remained dominant and essentially unchanged. Surface adsorption properties as characterized by optical wave guide light mode spectroscopy (OWLS) showed...

  8. Design of Photocatalytic Reactors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Motegh, M.

    2013-01-01

    Photocatalysis is a photochemical reaction induced by photon–absorption of a solid material, a "photocatalyst", that remains unchanged during the reaction. Photocatalysis has a wide variety of applications, e.g., degrading contaminants in aqueous solutions and in air, oxidizing liquid hydrocarbons,

  9. The effects of nongenetic memory on population level sensitivity to stress

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, Rhys; Nevozhay, Dmitry; van Itallie, Elizabeth; Bennett, Matthew; Balazsi, Gabor

    2011-03-01

    While gene expression is often thought of as a unidirectional determinant of cellular fitness, recent studies have shown how growth retardation due to protein expression can affect gene expression levels in single cells. We developed two yeast strains carrying a drug resistance protein under the control of different synthetic gene constructs, one of which was monostable, while the other was bistable. The gene expression of these cell populations was tuned using a molecular inducer so that their respective means and noises were identical, while their nongenetic memory properties were different. We tested the sensitivity of these two cell population distributions to the antibiotic zeocin. We found that the gene expression distributions of bistable cell populations were sensitive to stressful environments, while the gene expression distribution of monostable cells were nearly unchanged by stress. We conclude that cell populations with high nongenetic memory are more adaptable to their environment. This work was funded by the National Institutes of Health through the NIH Director's New Innovator Award Program, 1-DP2- OD006481-01.

  10. Heart Lesion After the First Attack of the Rheumatic Fever 22 Years Experience in Single Centre

    OpenAIRE

    Bejiqi, Ramush A.; Retkoceri, Ragip; Zeka, Naim; Bejiqi, Hana; Retkoceri, Arber

    2015-01-01

    Background: Acute rheumatic fever and its sequels, rheumatic heart diseases, remain major unsolved preventable health problems in Kosovo population, particularly among the disadvantages indigenous Albanian and Egyptians people. In Kosovo, despite of performing secondary prophylaxis with benzathine penicillin, acute rheumatic fever hospitalization rates have remained essentially unchanged for the last 20 years. The role of echocardiography in the diagnosis of acute rheumatic carditis was estab...

  11. [Sex differences in neuromodulation of mucosal mast cells in the rat jejunum].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gottwald, T; Becker, H D; Stead, R H

    1997-01-01

    The effect of electrical stimulation of both cervical vagal nerves on mucosal mast cells in the jejunum was investigated in an in vivo animal model with rats of both sexes. Males showed a significant increase of mast cell densities after electrical stimulation (1.0 mA, 5 Hz, 5 ms, 12 min) in the lamina propria. Simultaneously, we observed a significant increase of tissue histamine levels (ANOVA: P < 0.05), whereas serum levels remained unchanged. However, even though females had significantly higher levels throughout compared to males (ANOVA: P < 0.05), they did not show any significant reaction to electrical stimulation. These in vivo data support morphological and in vitro data from other investigators, who hypothesized a functional interaction between mucosal mast cells and nerves. However, degranulation seems to be a poor in situ indicator for mast-cell stimulation, as mast-cell densities increased in males, while the percentage of degranulated cells remained the same in all groups (about 40%). Instead, electrical stimulation of the vagal nerve seems to trigger histamine synthesis, or simply stabilization of mast cells. Interestingly, this phenomenon seems to be sex-dependent, suggesting a regulatory role for sex hormones in this scenario.

  12. Evaluation of the integrated clinic model for HIV/AIDS services in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, 2013-2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hung, V; Nguyen, S T; Tieu, V T T; Nguyen, T T T; Duong, T H; Lyss, S; Oeltmann, J E

    2016-12-21

    Setting: Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Viet Nam. Objective: To evaluate a new integrated service model for human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune-deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) care. Design: In HCMC, co-located services, including voluntary HIV counseling and testing (VCT), HIV treatment at out-patient clinics (OPC), and methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) for persons who inject drugs, have operated under different administrative structures. In the context of decreasing international financial support, integration of these services into one administrative structure with reduced staff occurred in seven districts in HCMC between October 2013 and June 2014. We used a pre-post study design to compare service-related outcomes from routinely collected data at health facilities 6 months before and 6 months after integration. Results: The proportion of HIV-infected persons linked from VCT to OPCs was unchanged or increased following integration. A higher percentage of patients eligible for antiretroviral therapy (ART) were started on ART. The proportion of ART patients lost to follow-up remained unchanged. The proportions of MMT patients who tested positive for heroin or other substances decreased or were unchanged. Conclusions: VCT, OPC and MMT service delivery quality remained the same or improved during the 6 months following the integration. Expansion of the integrated model should be considered for HIV-related services.

  13. Tensile and charpy impact properties of irradiated reduced-activation ferritic steels

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Klueh, R.L.; Alexander, D.J. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

    1996-10-01

    Tensile tests were conducted on eight reduced-activation Cr-W steels after irradiation to 15-17 and 26-29 dpa, and Charpy impact tests were conducted on the steels irradiated to 26-29 dpa. Irradiation was in the Fast Flux Test Facility at 365{degrees}C on steels containing 2.25-12% Cr, varying amounts of W, V, and Ta, and 0.1%C. Previously, tensile specimens were irradiated to 6-8 dpa and Charpy specimens to 6-8, 15-17, and 20-24 dpa. Tensile and Charpy specimens were also thermally aged to 20000 h at 365{degrees}C. Thermal aging had little effect on the tensile behavior or the ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT), but several steels showed a slight increase in the upper-shelf energy (USE). After {approx}7 dpa, the strength of the steels increased and then remained relatively unchanged through 26-29 dpa (i.e., the strength saturated with fluence). Post-irradiation Charpy impact tests after 26-29 dpa showed that the loss of impact toughness, as measured by an increase in DBTT and a decrease in the USE, remained relatively unchanged from the values after 20-24 dpa, which had been relatively unchanged from the earlier irradiations. As before, the two 9Cr steels were the most irradiation resistant.

  14. The impact of the Malaysian minimum cigarette price law: findings from the ITC Malaysia Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liber, Alex C; Ross, Hana; Omar, Maizurah; Chaloupka, Frank J

    2015-07-01

    Study the effects of the 2011 Malaysian minimum price law (MPL) on prices of licit and illicit cigarette brands. Identify barriers to the MPL achieving positive public health effects. The International Tobacco Control Project's Southeast Asia survey collected information on Malaysian smokers' cigarette purchases (n=7520) in five survey waves between 2005 and 2012. Consumption-weighted comparisons of proportions tests and adjusted Wald tests were used to evaluate changes over time in violation rates of the inflation-adjusted MPL, the proportion of illicit cigarette purchases and mean prices. After the passage of the MPL, the proportion of licit brand cigarette purchases that were below the inflation-adjusted 2011 minimum price level fell substantially (before 3.9%, after 1.8%, p=0.002), while violation of the MPL for illicit brand cigarette purchases was unchanged (before 89.8%, after 91.9%, p=0.496). At the same time, the mean real price of licit cigarettes rose (p=0.006), while the mean real price of illicit cigarettes remained unchanged (p=0.134). The proportion of illicit cigarette purchases rose as well (before 13.4%, after 16.5%, p=0.041). The MPL appears not to have meaningfully changed cigarette prices in Malaysia, as licit brand prices remained well above and illicit brand prices remained well below the minimum price level before and after MPL's implementation. The increasing proportion of illicit cigarettes on the market may have undermined any positive health effects of the Malaysian MPL. The illicit cigarette trade must be addressed before a full evaluation of the Malaysian MPL's impact on public health can take place. The authors encourage the continued use of specific excise tax increases to reliably increase the price and decrease the consumption of cigarettes in Malaysia and elsewhere. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  15. Vascular effects of intravenous intralipid and dextrose infusions in obese subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gosmanov, Aidar R; Smiley, Dawn D; Peng, Limin; Siquiera, Joselita; Robalino, Gonzalo; Newton, Christopher; Umpierrez, Guillermo E

    2012-10-01

    Hyperglycemia and elevated free fatty acids (FFA) are implicated in the development of endothelial dysfunction. Infusion of soy-bean oil-based lipid emulsion (Intralipid®) increases FFA levels and results in elevation of blood pressure (BP) and endothelial dysfunction in obese healthy subjects. The effects of combined hyperglycemia and high FFA on BP, endothelial function and carbohydrate metabolism are not known. Twelve obese healthy subjects received four random, 8-h IV infusions of saline, Intralipid 40 mL/h, Dextrose 10% 40 mL/h, or combined Intralipid and dextrose. Plasma levels of FFA increased by 1.03±0.34 mmol/L (p=0.009) after Intralipid, but FFAs remained unchanged during saline, dextrose, and combined Intralipid and dextrose infusion. Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations significantly increased after dextrose and combined Intralipid and dextrose (all, pdextrose infusion had neutral effects on BP and FMD. The co-administration of lipid and dextrose decreased FMD by 2.4%±2.1% (p=0.002) from baseline, but did not significantly increase systolic or diastolic BP. Short-term Intralipid infusion significantly increased FFA and BP; in contrast, FFA and BP were unchanged during combined infusion of Intralipid and dextrose. Combined Intralipid and dextrose infusion resulted in endothelial dysfunction similar to Intralipid alone. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Oldest Directly Dated Remains of Sheep in China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dodson, John; Dodson, Eoin; Banati, Richard; Li, Xiaoqiang; Atahan, Pia; Hu, Songmei; Middleton, Ryan J.; Zhou, Xinying; Nan, Sun

    2014-11-01

    The origins of domesticated sheep (Ovis sp.) in China remain unknown. Previous workers have speculated that sheep may have been present in China up to 7000 years ago, however many claims are based on associations with archaeological material rather than independent dates on sheep material. Here we present 7 radiocarbon dates on sheep bone from Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Shaanxi provinces. DNA analysis on one of the bones confirms it is Ovis sp. The oldest ages are about 4700 to 4400 BCE and are thus the oldest objectively dated Ovis material in eastern Asia. The graphitisised bone collagen had δ13C values indicating some millet was represented in the diet. This probably indicates sheep were in a domestic setting where millet was grown. The younger samples had δ13C values indicating that even more millet was in the diet, and this was likely related to changes in foddering practices

  17. Daily exercise prevents diastolic dysfunction and oxidative stress in a female mouse model of western diet induced obesity by maintaining cardiac heme oxygenase-1 levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bostick, Brian; Aroor, Annayya R; Habibi, Javad; Durante, William; Ma, Lixin; DeMarco, Vincent G; Garro, Mona; Hayden, Melvin R; Booth, Frank W; Sowers, James R

    2017-01-01

    Obesity is a global epidemic with profound cardiovascular disease (CVD) complications. Obese women are particularly vulnerable to CVD, suffering higher rates of CVD compared to non-obese females. Diastolic dysfunction is the earliest manifestation of CVD in obese women but remains poorly understood with no evidence-based therapies. We have shown early diastolic dysfunction in obesity is associated with oxidative stress and myocardial fibrosis. Recent evidence suggests exercise may increase levels of the antioxidant heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Accordingly, we hypothesized that diastolic dysfunction in female mice consuming a western diet (WD) could be prevented by daily volitional exercise with reductions in oxidative stress, myocardial fibrosis and maintenance of myocardial HO-1 levels. Four-week-old female C57BL/6J mice were fed a high-fat/high-fructose WD for 16weeks (N=8) alongside control diet fed mice (N=8). A separate cohort of WD fed females was allowed a running wheel for the entire study (N=7). Cardiac function was assessed at 20weeks by high-resolution cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Functional assessment was followed by immunohistochemistry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Western blotting to identify pathologic mechanisms and assess HO-1 protein levels. There was no significant body weight decrease in exercising mice, normalized body weight 14.3g/mm, compared to sedentary mice, normalized body weight 13.6g/mm (p=0.38). Total body fat was also unchanged in exercising, fat mass of 6.6g, compared to sedentary mice, fat mass 7.4g (p=0.55). Exercise prevented diastolic dysfunction with a significant reduction in left ventricular relaxation time to 23.8ms for exercising group compared to 33.0ms in sedentary group (pstress and myocardial fibrosis with improved mitochondrial architecture. HO-1 protein levels were increased in the hearts of exercising mice compared to sedentary WD fed females. This study provides seminal evidence that exercise

  18. US GAAP vs. IFRS – A COMPARISON OF REMAINING DIFFERENCES

    OpenAIRE

    Mihelčić, Eva

    2008-01-01

    In spite of the on-going harmonization process, there are still some differences between US GAAP and IFRS. Currently, companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange, which are reporting according to IFRS, must still prepare the reconciliation to US GAAP, to show the financial statements compliant with US GAAP as well. This article presents an overview of the remaining major differences between US GAAP and IFRS, descriptive as well as table-wise. First, the standards compared are shortly intr...

  19. Growing with dinosaurs: natural products from the Cretaceous relict Metasequoia glyptostroboides Hu & Cheng-a molecular reservoir from the ancient world with potential in modern medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Juvik, Ole Johan; Nguyen, Xuan Hong Thy; Andersen, Heidi Lie; Fossen, Torgils

    2016-01-01

    After the sensational rediscovery of living exemplars of the Cretaceous relict Metasequoia glyptostroboides -a tree previously known exclusively from fossils from various locations in the northern hemisphere, there has been an increasing interest in discovery of novel natural products from this unique plant source. This article includes the first complete compilation of natural products reported from M. glyptostroboides during the entire period in which the tree has been investigated (1954-2014) with main focus on the compounds specific to this plant source. Studies on the biological activity of pure compounds and extracts derived from M. glyptostroboides are reviewed for the first time. The unique potential of M. glyptostroboides as a source of bioactive constituents is founded on the fact that the tree seems to have survived unchanged since the Cretaceous era. Since then, its molecular defense system has resisted the attacks of millions of generations of pathogens. In line with this, some recent landmarks in Metasequoia paleobotany are covered. Initial spectral analysis of recently discovered intact 53 million year old wood and amber of Metasequoia strongly indicate that the tree has remained unchanged for millions of years at the molecular level.

  20. Method and apparatus to predict the remaining service life of an operating system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greitzer, Frank L.; Kangas, Lars J.; Terrones, Kristine M.; Maynard, Melody A.; Pawlowski, Ronald A. , Ferryman; Thomas A.; Skorpik, James R.; Wilson, Bary W.

    2008-11-25

    A method and computer-based apparatus for monitoring the degradation of, predicting the remaining service life of, and/or planning maintenance for, an operating system are disclosed. Diagnostic information on degradation of the operating system is obtained through measurement of one or more performance characteristics by one or more sensors onboard and/or proximate the operating system. Though not required, it is preferred that the sensor data are validated to improve the accuracy and reliability of the service life predictions. The condition or degree of degradation of the operating system is presented to a user by way of one or more calculated, numeric degradation figures of merit that are trended against one or more independent variables using one or more mathematical techniques. Furthermore, more than one trendline and uncertainty interval may be generated for a given degradation figure of merit/independent variable data set. The trendline(s) and uncertainty interval(s) are subsequently compared to one or more degradation figure of merit thresholds to predict the remaining service life of the operating system. The present invention enables multiple mathematical approaches in determining which trendline(s) to use to provide the best estimate of the remaining service life.

  1. Low level cloud motion vectors from Kalpana-1 visible images

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    . In this paper, an attempt has been made to retrieve low-level cloud motion vectors using Kalpana-1 visible (VIS) images at every half an hour. The VIS channel provides better detection of low level clouds, which remain obscure in thermal IR ...

  2. SGR-76 gamma radiation level indicator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chubinskij-Nadezhdin, I.V.

    1978-01-01

    The design of a gamma-radiation level indicator is described; the instrument is part of a mobile radiometric laboratory (MRL). The design of the instrument permits gamma-radiation dose rates recording at 0.2-200 R/hr, and signals on gamma-background levels. The instrument has two separate threshold levels of signalling actuation. The light signalling at the first level is precautionary, and the sound signalling at the second level indicates the necessity of taking a decision as to whether or not the MRL can remain in the gamma-radiation field. Halogenic counters operating in a current mode are used as detectors. The basic error in recording the dose rate amounts to +-25%. Overall dimensions of the instrument 150x280x100 mm; weight less than 2.5 kg

  3. Of Lasting Interest? A Study of Change in the Content of the "Reader's Digest."

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Ron F.; Decker-Amos, Linda

    1985-01-01

    Reports on a content analysis of "Reader's Digest" indicating that there is some validity to the notion that it is unchanging. Notes that the percentages of articles in some important categories, specifically those discussing controversial issues, have remained consistent over 40 years. (FL)

  4. A randomised trial comparing weight loss with aerobic exercise in overweight individuals with coronary artery disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Lene Rørholm Engelbrecht; Olsen, Rasmus H; Jürs, Anders

    2015-01-01

    their antihypertensive treatment reduced following LED (between-group, p = 0.032). Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS), New York Heart Association (NYHA) and anxiety scores were improved, while depressive symptoms remained unchanged. Intention-to-treat analyses including 65 participants (93%) were similar to per...

  5. Stillbirth and Infant Mortality

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nøhr, Ellen Aagaard

    2012-01-01

    mechanisms behind these associations remain largely unknown. Although maternal obesity is associated with a wide range of complications in the mother and neonate that may impair fetal and infant survival, the increased risk of stillbirth and infant mortality is virtually unchanged when accounting...

  6. From Process Understanding to Process Control

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Streefland, M.

    2010-01-01

    A licensed pharmaceutical process is required to be executed within the validated ranges throughout the lifetime of product manufacturing. Changes to the process usually require the manufacturer to demonstrate that the safety and efficacy of the product remains unchanged. Recent changes in the

  7. Polarization of spin-1 particles without an anomalous magnetic moment in a uniform magnetic field

    OpenAIRE

    Silenko, Alexander J.

    2008-01-01

    The polarization operator projections onto four directions remain unchanged for spin-1 particles without an anomalous magnetic moment in a uniform magnetic field. The approximate conservation of the polarization operator projections onto the horizontal axes of the cylindrical coordinate system takes place.

  8. Let's talk about sex : A qualitative study exploring the experiences of HIV nurses when discussing sexual risk behaviours with HIV-positive men who have sex with men

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Munnik, Sonja; den Daas, C; Ammerlaan, H S M; Kok, G; Raethke, M S; Vervoort, S C J M

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Despite prevention efforts, the incidence of sexually transmitted infection among HIV-positive men who have sex with men remains high, which is indicative of unchanged sexual risk behaviour. Discussing sexual risk behaviour has been shown to help prevent sexually transmitted infections

  9. Evaluation of remaining behavior of halogen on the fabrication of MOX pellet containing Am

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ozaki, Yoko; Osaka, Masahiko; Obayashi, Hiroshi; Tanaka, Kenya

    2004-11-01

    It is important to limit the content of halogen elements, namely fluorine and chlorine that are sources of making cladding material corrode, in nuclear fuel from the viewpoint of quality assurance. The halogen content should be more carefully limited in the MOX fuel containing Americium (Am-MOX), which is fabricated in the Alpha-Gamma Facility (AGF) for irradiation testing to be conducted in the experimental fast reactor JOYO, because fluorine may remain in the sintered pellets owing to a formation of AmF 3 known to have a low vapor pressure and may exceeds the limit of 25 ppm. In this study, a series of experimental determination of halogen element in Am-MOX were performed by a combination method of pyrolysis and ion-chromatography for the purpose of an evaluation of behavior of remaining halogen through the sintering process. Oxygen potential, temperature and time were changed as experimental parameters and their effects on the remaining behavior of halogen were examined. It was confirmed that good pellets, which contained small amount of halogen, could be obtained by the sintering for 3 hour at 1700degC in the oxygen potential range from -520 to -390 kJ/mol. In order to analysis of fluorine chemical form in green pellet, thermal analysis was performed. AmF 3 and PuF 3 have been confirmed to remain in the green pellet. (author)

  10. Hospital financial performance in the recent recession and implications for institutions that remain financially weak.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bazzoli, Gloria J; Fareed, Naleef; Waters, Teresa M

    2014-05-01

    The recent recession had a profound effect on all sectors of the US economy, including health care. We examined how private hospitals fared through the recession and considered how changes in their financial health may affect their ability to respond to future industry challenges. We categorized 2,971 private short-term general medical or surgical hospitals (both nonprofit and for-profit) according to their pre-recession financial health and safety-net status, and we examined their operational status changes and operating and total financial margins during 2006-11. We found that hospitals that were financially weak before the recession remained so during and after the recession. The total margins of nonprofit hospitals (both safety-net and other institutions) declined in 2008 but returned to their pre-recession levels by 2011. The recession did not create additional fiscal pressure on hospitals that were previously financially weak or in safety-net roles. However, both groups continue to have notable financial deficiencies that could limit their abilities to meet the growing demands on the industry.

  11. Study of immune function in children with thalassanemia major after partial splenic embolization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mei Quelin; Liu Pengcheng; Chen Yong; Li Yanhao

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the changes of immunologic function in children with thalassanemia major after partial splenic embolization (PSE). Methods: Immunoglobulins, T cell subsets were detected by immunologic turbidimetry and APAAP with monoclonal antibody respectively in 40 children with thalassanemia major and also in 20 healthy persons before and after PSE. These immunologic indexes were compared before and after PSE. Results: The levels of IgG in serum were significantly lower one week after PSE than that before PSE. It turned to normal three weeks after PSE. The IgM, IgA levels remained unchanged during PSE. The levels of CD 3 , CD 4 ,CD 4 /CD 8 ratio in children with thalassanemia major were decreased (P<0.01) significantly in comparision with the normal controls. But , all of them were significantly increased after PSE than those before PSE (P<0.01), and returned to normal levels at the 3rd week. Conclusions: PSE is helpful for improving immunologic function of children with thalassanemia major. (authors)

  12. Interactions of cadmium with copper, zinc, and iron in different organs and tissues of the rat

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Julshamn, K.; Utne, F.; Brackkan, O.R.

    1977-01-01

    The effect of cadmium on tissue concentrations of iron, zinc and copper was studied in male rats. Two littermate groups were fed a stock diet with or without a supplement of 100 ..mu..g cadmium per g. Every three weeks ten animals from each group were sampled and the liver, kidneys, heart, lungs, spleen, testes, muscle, fur, feces and urine were individually analyzed. Except for the fur, all the other organs showed highly significantly increased levels of cadmium when compared with the control group. The iron levels were significantly depressed in all organs. As the content in the feces remained unchanged and the urinary excretion showed an increase, it could be concluded that the cadmium supplementation resulted in a depletion of the body stores of iron. The zinc levels showed a significant increase in the liver and testes and a correspondingly significant decrease in the spleen. The levels of copper generally showed no significant changes.

  13. Implications of a PTC Extension on U.S. Wind Deployment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lantz, E.; Steinberg, D.; Mendelsohn, M.; Zinaman, O.; James, T.; Porro, G.; Hand, M.; Mai, T.; Logan, J.; Heeter, J.; Bird, L.

    2014-04-01

    This analysis explores the potential effects of wind production tax credit expiration and various extension scenarios on future wind deployment with the Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS), a model of the U.S. electricity sector. The analysis does not estimate the potential implications on government tax revenue associated with the PTC. Key findings include: Under a scenario in which the PTC is not extended and all other policies remain unchanged, wind capacity additions are expected to be between 3 and 5 GW per year from 2013-2020; PTC extension options that ramp-down from the current level to zero-credit by year-end 2022 appear to be insufficient to support deployment at the recent historical average; Extending the PTC at its historical level may provide the best opportunity to support deployment consistent with recent levels across a range of potential market conditions; it therefore may also provide the best opportunity to sustain wind power installation and manufacturing sector at current levels.

  14. Beyond Race and Gender: Motivating Enlisted Personnel to Remain in Today's Military

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Moore, Brenda

    2001-01-01

    ... to remain in the military than do the race, gender, or racial climate variables. Satisfaction with pay and benefits has a significant positive effect on the likelihood that respondents will stay in the military, but pride in service is more robust...

  15. Differential Decomposition Among Pig, Rabbit, and Human Remains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dautartas, Angela; Kenyhercz, Michael W; Vidoli, Giovanna M; Meadows Jantz, Lee; Mundorff, Amy; Steadman, Dawnie Wolfe

    2018-03-30

    While nonhuman animal remains are often utilized in forensic research to develop methods to estimate the postmortem interval, systematic studies that directly validate animals as proxies for human decomposition are lacking. The current project compared decomposition rates among pigs, rabbits, and humans at the University of Tennessee's Anthropology Research Facility across three seasonal trials that spanned nearly 2 years. The Total Body Score (TBS) method was applied to quantify decomposition changes and calculate the postmortem interval (PMI) in accumulated degree days (ADD). Decomposition trajectories were analyzed by comparing the estimated and actual ADD for each seasonal trial and by fuzzy cluster analysis. The cluster analysis demonstrated that the rabbits formed one group while pigs and humans, although more similar to each other than either to rabbits, still showed important differences in decomposition patterns. The decomposition trends show that neither nonhuman model captured the pattern, rate, and variability of human decomposition. © 2018 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  16. A simple scaling law for the equation of state and the radial distribution functions calculated by density-functional theory molecular dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Danel, J.-F.; Kazandjian, L.

    2018-06-01

    It is shown that the equation of state (EOS) and the radial distribution functions obtained by density-functional theory molecular dynamics (DFT-MD) obey a simple scaling law. At given temperature, the thermodynamic properties and the radial distribution functions given by a DFT-MD simulation remain unchanged if the mole fractions of nuclei of given charge and the average volume per atom remain unchanged. A practical interest of this scaling law is to obtain an EOS table for a fluid from that already obtained for another fluid if it has the right characteristics. Another practical interest of this result is that an asymmetric mixture made up of light and heavy atoms requiring very different time steps can be replaced by a mixture of atoms of equal mass, which facilitates the exploration of the configuration space in a DFT-MD simulation. The scaling law is illustrated by numerical results.

  17. Freely chosen cadence during a covert manipulation of ambient temperature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartley, Geoffrey L; Cheung, Stephen S

    2013-01-01

    The present study investigated relationships between changes in power output (PO) to torque (TOR) or freely chosen cadence (FCC) during thermal loading. Twenty participants cycled at a constant rating of perceived exertion while ambient temperature (Ta) was covertly manipulated at 20-min intervals of 20 °C, 35 °C, and 20 °C. The magnitude responses of PO, FCC and TOR were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA, while the temporal correlations were analyzed using Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Averages (ARIMA). Increases in Ta caused significant thermal strain (p FCC remained unchanged (p = .51). ARIMA indicates that changes in PO were highly correlated to TOR (stationary r2 = .954, p = .04), while FCC was moderately correlated (stationary r2 = .717, p = .01) to PO. In conclusion, changes in PO are caused by a modulation in TOR, whereas FCC remains unchanged and therefore, unaffected by thermal stressors.

  18. Evaluation of remaining life of the double-shell tank waste systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwenk, E.B.

    1995-01-01

    A remaining life assessment of the DSTs (double-shell tanks) and their associated waste transfer lines, for continued operation over the next 10 years, was favorable. The DST assessment was based on definition of significant loads, evaluation of data for possible material degradation and geometric changes and evaluation of structural analyses. The piping assessment was based primarily on service experience

  19. Evaluation of remaining life of the double-shell tank waste systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schwenk, E.B.

    1995-05-04

    A remaining life assessment of the DSTs (double-shell tanks) and their associated waste transfer lines, for continued operation over the next 10 years, was favorable. The DST assessment was based on definition of significant loads, evaluation of data for possible material degradation and geometric changes and evaluation of structural analyses. The piping assessment was based primarily on service experience.

  20. Creep, fatigue and creep-fatigue damage evaluation and estimation of remaining life of SUS 304 austenitic stainless steel at high temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishino, Seiichi; Sakane, Masao; Ohnami, Masateru

    1986-01-01

    Experimental study was made on the damage evaluation and estimation of remaining life of SUS 304 stainless steel in creep, low-cycle fatigue and creep-fatigue at 873 K in air. Creep, fatigue and creep-fatigue damage curves were drawn by the method proposed by D.A. Woodford and the relations between these damages and non-destructive parameters, i.e., microvickers hardness and quantities obtained from X-ray diffraction, were discussed. From these tests, the following conclusions were obtained. (1) Constant damage lines in the diagram of remaining lives in creep and fatigue could be drawn by changing load levels during the tests. Constant damage lines in creep-fatigue were also made by a linear damage rule using both static creep and fatigue damage curves, which agree well with the experimental data in creep-fatigue. (2) Microvickers hardness and half-value breadth in X-ray diffraction are appropriate parameters to evaluate creep damage but are not proper to evaluate fatigue damage. Particle size and microstrain obtained by X-ray profile analysis are good parameters to evaluate both creep and fatigue damages. (author)

  1. Glomerular diseases: emerging tests and therapies for IgA nephropathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canetta, Pietro A; Kiryluk, Krzysztof; Appel, Gerald B

    2014-03-01

    The last decade has seen major progress in understanding the pathogenesis as well as the prognosis and treatment of patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Although the diagnostic criterion of a kidney biopsy demonstrating dominant or codominant IgA deposition remains unchanged, much more is known about the genetic and environmental factors predisposing to disease development and progression. These advances have led to the identification of novel diagnostic and prognostic markers. Among the most promising clinically are genetic profiling, quantification of galactose-deficient IgA1 levels, and measurement of anti-IgA1 immunoglobulins. While targeted treatment for IgAN remains elusive, there is mounting evidence for therapeutic interventions that alter the disease course. The appropriate validation and integration of these discoveries into clinical care represent a major challenge, but one that holds tremendous promise for refining prognostication, guiding therapy, and improving the lives of patients with IgAN.

  2. Ethical Issues Surrounding the Use of Modern Human Remains for Research in South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Briers, N; Dempers, J J

    2017-02-01

    Chapter 8 of the South African National Health Act 61 of 2003 (NHA) that deals with the donation of human tissue was promulgated in 2012. The new Act is perceived to impose restrictions on low-risk research involving human remains. This study aimed to identify the issues raised by a research ethics committee (REC) when reviewing protocols where human remains are used as data source. REC minutes from 2009 to 2014 were reviewed, and issues raised by the committee were categorized. In total, 127 protocols submitted to the committee over 6 years involved human remains. Queries relating to science (22.2%) and administration (18.9%) were the most common, whereas queries relating to legal issues constituted only 10.2%. Ethical issues centered on informed consent regarding sensitive topics such as HIV, DNA, and deceased children. The change in legislation did not change the number or type of legal issues identified by the REC.

  3. What remains of the Arrow oil?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sergy, G.; Owens, E.

    1993-01-01

    In February 1970, the tanker Arrow became grounded 6.5 km off the north shore of Chedabucto Bay, Nova Scotia, and nearly 72,000 bbl of Bunker C fuel oil were released from the vessel during its subsequent breakup and sinking. The oil was washed ashore in various degrees over an estimated 305 km of the bay's 604-km shoreline, of which only 48 km were cleaned. In addition, the tanker Kurdistan broke in two in pack ice in March 1979 in the Cabot Strait area, spilling ca 54,000 bbl of Bunker C, some of which was later found at 16 locations along the northeast and east shorelines of Chedabucto Bay. In summer 1992, a systematic ground survey of the bay's shorelines was conducted using Environment Canada Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Team (SCAT) procedures. Standard observations were made of oil distribution and width, thickness, and character of the oil residues in 419 coastal segments. Results from the survey are summarized. Oil was found to be present on 13.3 km of the shoreline, with heavy oiling restricted to 1.3 km primarily in the areas of Black Duck Cove and Lennox Passage. Some of this residual oil was identified as coming from the Arrow. Natural weathering processes account for removal of most of the spilled oil from the bay. Oil remaining on the shore was found in areas outside of the zone of physical wave action, in areas of nearshore mixing where fine sediments are not present to weather the oil through biophysical processes, or in crusts formed by oil weathered on the surface. The systematic description of oiled shorelines using the SCAT methodology proved very successful, even for such an old spill. 6 refs

  4. Effect of UV-B and high visual radiation on photosynthesis in freshwater (nostoc spongiaeforme) and marine (Phormidium corium) cyanobacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhandari, Rupali; Sharma, Prabhat Kumar

    2007-08-01

    Human activity is causing depletion of ozone in stratosphere, resulting in increased UV-B radiation and global warming. However, impact of these climatic changes on the aquatic organism (especially marine) is not fully understood. Here, we have studied the effect of excess UV-B and visible radiation on photosynthetic pigments, fatty acids content, lipid peroxidation, nitrogen content, nitrogen reductase activity and membrane proteins, induction of mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) and antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in freshwater (Nostoc spongiaeform) and marine (Phormidium corium) cyanobacteria. UV-B treatment resulted in an increase in photosynthetic pigments in Nostoc and decrease in Phormidium, but high light treatment caused photobleaching of most of the pigments in both the species. Unsaturation level of fatty acids of both total and glycolipids remained unchanged in both the cyanobacteria, as a result of UV-B and high light treatments. Saturated fatty acids of total and glycolipids declined slightly in Nostoc by both the treatments. but remained unchanged in Phormidium. No changes in the unsaturated lipid content in our study probably suggested adaptation of the organism to the treatments. However, both treatments resulted in peroxidation of membrane lipids, indicating oxidative damage to lipids without any change in the level of unsaturation of fatty acid in the cell membrane. Qualitative and quantitative changes were observed in membrane protein profile due to the treatments. Cyanobacteria were able to synthesize MAAs in response to the UV-B treatment. Both treatments also increased the activities of SOD and APX. In conclusion, the study demonstrated induction of antioxidants such as SOD and APX under visible light treatment and screening pigment (MAAs) under UV-B treatment, which might protect the cyanobacteria from oxidative damage caused by high light and UV-B radiation.

  5. Assessment of the potential for exploitation of the remaining reserves of coal in Poland

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wodarski, K.; Bijanska, J.

    2014-01-01

    In mining areas belonging to the Polish mining companies, there is a significant amount of coal, contained in remaining reserves, that have not been exploited so far. For years, the mines have been evaluating the possibility of its exploitation, since it would expand its resource base and would extend its useful life. In addition, exploitation of the remaining reserves can minimize stress concentration zones in the soil, the rebel y improving conditions for maintenance of excavations and limiting the risk of shock rock. (Author)

  6. The Robustness of Anti-Atheist Prejudice as Measured by Way of Cognitive Errors

    OpenAIRE

    Giddings, L.; Dunn, T.J.

    2015-01-01

    Over the past decade, distrust of atheists has been documented in psychological literature yet remains relatively understudied. The current research sought to test the robustness of anti-atheist prejudice. Specifically, it examined the extent to which an individual’s anti-atheist prejudice remained unchanged in light of new information. 100 participants from the UK completed an online experiment. The experiment involved reading a vignette describing the actions of an untrustworthy individual....

  7. Remaining Life Estimation Of Secondary Superheater Outlet On Industrial Electrical Boiler

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soedardjo; Andryansyah; Arhatari, B.D.; Natsir, Muhammad; Triyadi, Ari; Farokhi

    2001-01-01

    Remaining life estimation of secondary superheater header outlet (SSHO) on industrial electrical boiler has been carried out. Estimation conducted by the observation of microstructure cavitation development based on Neubauer and Wedel theory. The result is available for isolated cavitation development present yet. That Secondary Superheater Outlet component is in good condition after 14 years operated and predicted could be operated for 36 years again

  8. Samuel Lysons and His Circle: Art, Science and the Remains of Roman Britain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah Ann Scott

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper critically evaluates the social and intellectual influences which shaped Samuel Lysons’ (1763–1819 interests in the archaeological remains of Roman Britain, and assesses the extent to which his work was innovative. While Romano-British archaeologists have long admired his achievements, there has been no detailed examination of the factors influencing the development of his interests and approach. This paper will outline how Lysons’ social networks, his genuine concern for preserving and recording Romano-British remains, his broad scholarly interests, and the support of an intellectual elite involved with the expansion of national institutions during a period characterized by intense international rivalry, resulted in his exemplary approach to the excavation and publication of the remains of Roman Britain. Scrutiny of newspaper reports, diaries, correspondence, and the previously unpublished contents of his personal library, and an examination of his publications in relation to contemporary Classical and scientific scholarship, shows how and why his work was at the forefront of archaeological scholarship in this period. The results of this study support his reputation as a founding father of Romano-British archaeology and show that both he and his associates deserve far wider recognition of their contributions to the development of archaeology as a whole.

  9. [Alcohol and work: remaining sober and return to work].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vittadini, G; Bandirali, M

    2007-01-01

    One of the most complex alcohol-driven problems is the job loss and the subsequent attempts to return to a professional activity. In order to better understand the issue, an epidemiologic investigation was carried out on a group of 162 alcoholics whilst hospitalised in a specialised clinic. The outcome shows the importance of remaining sober to keep or to be returned to one's own job. Unfortunately, local resources at hand, first of all joining an auto-mutual-help group, re still too little known and thus clearly underemployed. Therefore, an informative action within companies is highly desirable. Those alcoholics suffering from serious illnesses, especially mental ones represent a different issue. For these people a higher involvement of public authorities is desirable in creating protected job openings.

  10. Five-year follow-up of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koev, K.; Avramov, L.; Borissova, E.

    2018-03-01

    The objective of this study was to examine long-term effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The research was implemented for a period of five years. For LLLT, a He-Ne Laser with continuous emission at 633 nm (0.1 mW/cm2) was used in patients with AMD of all stages (dry to wet exudative forms were included). In total, 33 patients (16 men and 17 women – 66 eyes) with AMD of various stages and a mean age of 68.7 ± 4.2 years were included in the study. Progressive, exudative AMD was diagnosed in 8 eyes. 58 eyes had drusen or were depigmented. Laser radiation was applied transpupillary to the macula for six times for three minutes once in two days; 22 patients with AMD (44 eyes) were randomly selected to receive mock treatment (control group 10 men and 12 women with a mean age of 69.3 ± 4.8 years). The visual acuity was followed for a five-year period. The perimetry and Amsler test were used to screen central scotomas. The fluorescein angiography of AMD and the control groups was examined. The visual acuity remained unchanged in all patients in the control group. There was a statistically significant increase in the visual acuity (p<0.001, end of study versus baseline) for AMD patients for the period of five years after the treatment. The edema and hemorrhage in the patients with progressive, exudative AMD significantly decreased. No side effects were observed during the therapy. The prevalence of metamorphopsia, scotoma in AMD group was reduced. In conclusion, this study shows that LLLT may be a novel long-lasting therapeutic option for both forms of AMD. It is a highly-effective treatment that results in a long-term improvement of the visual acuity.

  11. Quality of life and depression in a population of occupational hand eczema patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cvetkovski, Rikke Skoet; Zachariae, Robert; Jensen, Hans Henrik

    2006-01-01

    Occupational hand eczema (OHE) is the most frequently recognized occupational disease in Denmark, and despite governmental attempts to reduce exposure to harmful occupational allergens, the number of new cases has remained almost unchanged since the mid-1990s. Some studies have indicated that OHE...

  12. Short-term hemodynamic effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition in patients with severe aortic stenosis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dalsgaard, Morten; Iversen, Kasper; Kjaergaard, Jesper

    2014-01-01

    vs 0.8 ± 6 pmol/L, P = .04, respectively). No episodes of symptomatic hypotension were noted, and other hemodynamic parameters remained unchanged. CONCLUSION: Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition in severe AS caused a decrease in LVESV and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide with other...

  13. Plant research '76

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1976-01-01

    Overall objective remains unchanged: to contribute to the knowledge, with strong emphasis on fundamental problems, of how plants function, the roles they play in the environment and energy relations of the world, and how these roles may be optimized for the benefit of mankind. (PCS)

  14. An analysis of the dynamics of activity and travel needs in response to social network and life-cycle dynamics : a structural equation model

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sharmeen, F.; Arentze, T.A.; Timmermans, H.J.P.

    2014-01-01

    Several studies in transportation literature have shown that in the short-term social networks play an important role in discretionary activity and travel decisions of an individual. However, social networks may not remain unchanged in the long term, particularly in response to life-cycle events

  15. Unobtrusive graphene coatings

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mugele, Friedrich Gunther

    2012-01-01

    The contact angle of water drops on substrates for which the wettability is dominated by van der Waals forces remains unchanged when the substrates are coated with a monolayer of graphene. Such 'wetting transparency' could lead to superior conducting and hydrophobic graphene-coated surfaces with

  16. A New Paradigm in Mortgage Loan Advice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Otterstedt, Margrét Sesselja; Rasmussen, Kourosh Marjani; Kulahci, Murat

    2013-01-01

    The Danish mortgage market has undergone considerable changes during the last 15 years. New and more complex variations of loan products have been introduced. Nevertheless, mortgage loan advice has remained, by large, unchanged. This paper addresses a study where a number of new refinancing rules...

  17. Climate change impacts on crop yields, land use and environment in response to crop sowing dates and thermal time requirements

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zimmermann, Andrea; Webber, Heidi; Zhao, Gang; Ewert, Frank; Kros, Hans; Wolf, Joost; Britz, Wolfgang; Vries, de Wim

    2017-01-01

    Impacts of climate change on European agricultural production, land use and the environment depend on its impact on crop yields. However, many impact studies assume that crop management remains unchanged in future scenarios, while farmers may adapt their sowing dates and cultivar thermal time

  18. Effect of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on nasopharyngeal carriage by respiratory pathogens among Greenlandic children

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Navne, Johan Emdal; Koch, Anders; Slotved, Hans-Christian

    2017-01-01

    . Overall carriage rate of S. pneumoniae remained unchanged from 2011 to 2013 (51% and 56%, p=0.13), but significant serotype shifts were observed among both vaccinated and unvaccinated children with marked reductions in carriage of vaccine-type pneumococci, counterbalanced by increasing carriage of non...

  19. Changes in quality and biochemical parameters in 'Idared' apples during prolonged shelf life and 1-MCP treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bizjak, Jan; Slatnar, Ana; Stampar, Franci; Veberic, Robert

    2012-12-01

    In this study, changes in quality and various biochemical parameters of 'Idared' apples during prolonged shelf life period after ultra-low oxygen (ULO) storage were investigated. Additionally, the impact of the postharvest application of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on different parameters was evaluated. After the harvest, apples were stored in the ULO storage for 6 months and then exposed to room temperature. Fruit firmness, peel color, and changes in sugars, organic acids and phenolics were monitored during the 3 weeks of shelf life. Malic acid, sugars and firmness decreased at room temperature. However, the color of the apples remained unchanged. The level of citric and ascorbic acid remained constant. Levels of phenolics in the peel increased significantly, whereas remained constant in the pulp of apples. 1-MCP treatment resulted in higher amounts of fructose and glucose, malic acid and greater firmness of apples. However, 1-MCP did not influence the phenolic content, ascorbic acid or color. The results obtained indicate that the content of different health-promoting compounds of apples does not change dramatically at room temperature. At the same time these results suggest that 1-MCP could be useful for maintaining certain quality and biochemical parameters and might extend the shelf life of apples.

  20. Saliva levels of Abeta1-42 as potential biomarker of Alzheimer's disease: a pilot study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antequera Desiree

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Simple, non-invasive tests for early detection of degenerative dementia by use of biomarkers are urgently required. However, up to the present, no validated extracerebral diagnostic markers for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer disease (AD are available. The clinical diagnosis of probable AD is made with around 90% accuracy using modern clinical, neuropsychological and imaging methods. A biochemical marker that would support the clinical diagnosis and distinguish AD from other causes of dementia would therefore be of great value as a screening test. A total of 126 samples were obtained from subjects with AD, and age-sex-matched controls. Additionally, 51 Parkinson's disease (PD patients were used as an example of another neurodegenerative disorder. We analyzed saliva and plasma levels of β amyloid (Aβ using a highly sensitive ELISA kit. Results We found a small but statistically significant increase in saliva Aβ42 levels in mild AD patients. In addition, there were not differences in saliva concentration of Aβ42 between patients with PD and healthy controls. Saliva Aβ40 expression was unchanged within all the studied sample. The association between saliva Aβ42 levels and AD was independent of established risk factors, including age or Apo E, but was dependent on sex and functional capacity. Conclusions We suggest that saliva Aβ42 levels could be considered a potential peripheral marker of AD and help discrimination from other types of neurodegenerative disorders. We propose a new and promising biomarker for early AD.