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Sample records for messaging program imp

  1. IMP - INTEGRATED MISSION PROGRAM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dauro, V. A.

    1994-01-01

    IMP is a simulation language that is used to model missions around the Earth, Moon, Mars, or other planets. It has been used to model missions for the Saturn Program, Apollo Program, Space Transportation System, Space Exploration Initiative, and Space Station Freedom. IMP allows a user to control the mission being simulated through a large event/maneuver menu. Up to three spacecraft may be used: a main, a target and an observer. The simulation may begin at liftoff, suborbital, or orbital. IMP incorporates a Fehlberg seventh order, thirteen evaluation Runge-Kutta integrator with error and step-size control to numerically integrate the equations of motion. The user may choose oblate or spherical gravity for the central body (Earth, Mars, Moon or other) while a spherical model is used for the gravity of an additional perturbing body. Sun gravity and pressure and Moon gravity effects are user-selectable. Earth/Mars atmospheric effects can be included. The optimum thrust guidance parameters are calculated automatically. Events/maneuvers may involve many velocity changes, and these velocity changes may be impulsive or of finite duration. Aerobraking to orbit is also an option. Other simulation options include line-of-sight communication guidelines, a choice of propulsion systems, a soft landing on the Earth or Mars, and rendezvous with a target vehicle. The input/output is in metric units, with the exception of thrust and weight which are in English units. Input is read from the user's input file to minimize real-time keyboard input. Output includes vehicle state, orbital and guide parameters, event and total velocity changes, and propellant usage. The main output is to the user defined print file, but during execution, part of the input/output is also displayed on the screen. An included FORTRAN program, TEKPLOT, will display plots on the VDT as well as generating a graphic file suitable for output on most laser printers. The code is double precision. IMP is written in

  2. Integrated maintenance program (IMP)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zemdegs, R.T.; Chout, Q.B.

    1998-01-01

    Approaches to the maintenance of nuclear power plants have undergone significant change in the past several decades. The traditional breakdown approach has been displaced by preventive (calendar-based) maintenance and more recently, by condition-based maintenance (CBM). This is largely driven by the fact that traditional maintenance programs, derived primarily from equipment vendor recommendations, are generally unsuccessful in controlling maintenance costs or equipment failures. Many advances in the maintenance field have taken place since the maintenance plans for Ontario Hydro's nuclear plants were initially established. Ontario Hydro nuclear plant operating costs can be substantially reduced and Incapability Factor improved with the application of modern maintenance processes and tools. Pickering is designated as the lead station for IMP. Of immediate concern is the fact that Pickering Nuclear Division has been experiencing a significant backlog of Operating Preventive Maintenance Callups. This backlog, over 2000, is unacceptable to both station management and the nuclear regulator, the Atomic Energy Control Board. In addition there are over 500 callups in various stages of revision (in hyperspace) without an adequate control nor reporting system to manage their completion. There is also considerable confusion about the classification of l icensing c allups, e.g. callups which are mandatory as a result of legal requirements. Furthermore the ineffectiveness of the Preventive Maintenance (PM) has been the subject of peer audits and Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB) findings over the past several years. The current preventive maintenance ratio PM2 /(PM+CM3) at Pickering ND is less than 20%, due to the current high load of equipment breakdown. This past summer, an Independent Integrated Performance Assessment (IIPA) review at Ontario Hydro confirmed these concerns. Over the past several years, Ontario Hydro nuclear staff have evaluated several programs to improve

  3. A Massively Scalable Architecture for Instant Messaging & Presence

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schippers, Jorrit; Remke, Anne Katharina Ingrid; Punt, Henk; Wegdam, M.; Haverkort, Boudewijn R.H.M.; Thomas, N.; Bradley, J.; Knottenbelt, W.; Dingle, N.; Harder, U.

    2010-01-01

    This paper analyzes the scalability of Instant Messaging & Presence (IM&P) architectures. We take a queueing-based modelling and analysis approach to ��?nd the bottlenecks of the current IM&P architecture at the Dutch social network Hyves, as well as of alternative architectures. We use the

  4. Global Molecular Epidemiology of IMP-Producing Enterobacteriaceae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsumura, Yasufumi; Peirano, Gisele; Motyl, Mary R; Adams, Mark D; Chen, Liang; Kreiswirth, Barry; DeVinney, Rebekah; Pitout, Johann D D

    2017-04-01

    International data on the molecular epidemiology of Enterobacteriaceae with IMP carbapenemases are lacking. We performed short-read (Illumina) whole-genome sequencing on a global collection of 38 IMP-producing clinical Enterobacteriaceae (2008 to 2014). IMP-producing Enterobacteriaceae (7 varieties within 11 class 1 integrons) were mainly present in the South Pacific and Asia. Specific bla IMP -containing integrons (In809 with bla IMP-4 , In722 with bla IMP-6 , and In687 with bla IMP-14 ) were circulating among different bacteria in countries such as Australia, Japan, and Thailand. In1312 with bla IMP-1 was present in Klebsiella pneumoniae from Japan and Citrobacter freundii from Brazil. Klebsiella pneumoniae ( n = 22) was the most common species; clonal complex 14 (CC14) from Philippines and Japan was the most common clone and contained In1310 with bla IMP-26 and In1321 with bla IMP-6 The Enterobacter cloacae complex ( n = 9) consisted of Enterobacter hormaechei and E. cloacae cluster III. CC78 (from Taiwan) containing In73 with bla IMP-8 was the most common clone among the E. cloacae complex. This study highlights the importance of surveillance programs using the latest molecular techniques for providing insight into the characteristics and global distribution of Enterobacteriaceae with bla IMP genes. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  5. Future-based Static Analysis of Message Passing Programs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wytse Oortwijn

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Message passing is widely used in industry to develop programs consisting of several distributed communicating components. Developing functionally correct message passing software is very challenging due to the concurrent nature of message exchanges. Nonetheless, many safety-critical applications rely on the message passing paradigm, including air traffic control systems and emergency services, which makes proving their correctness crucial. We focus on the modular verification of MPI programs by statically verifying concrete Java code. We use separation logic to reason about local correctness and define abstractions of the communication protocol in the process algebra used by mCRL2. We call these abstractions futures as they predict how components will interact during program execution. We establish a provable link between futures and program code and analyse the abstract futures via model checking to prove global correctness. Finally, we verify a leader election protocol to demonstrate our approach.

  6. Unpacking the performance of a mobile health information messaging program for mothers (MomConnect) in South Africa: evidence on program reach and messaging exposure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    LeFevre, Amnesty E; Dane, Pierre; Copley, Charles J; Pienaar, Cara; Parsons, Annie Neo; Engelhard, Matt; Woods, David; Bekker, Marcha; Benjamin, Peter; Pillay, Yogan; Barron, Peter; Seebregts, Christopher John; Mohan, Diwakar

    2018-01-01

    Despite calls to address broader evidence gaps in linking digital technologies to outcome and impact level health indicators, limited attention has been paid to measuring processes pertaining to the performance of programs. In this paper, we assess the program reach and message exposure of a mobile health information messaging program for mothers (MomConnect) in South Africa. In this descriptive study, we draw from system generated data to measure exposure to the program through registration attempts and conversions, message delivery, opt-outs and drop-outs. Using a logit model, we additionally explore determinants for early registration, opt-outs and drop-outs. From August 2014 to April 2017, 1 159 431 women were registered to MomConnect; corresponding to half of women attending antenatal care 1 (ANC1) and nearly 60% of those attending ANC1 estimated to own a mobile phone. In 2016, 26% of registrations started to get women onto MomConnect did not succeed. If registration attempts were converted to successful registrations, coverage of ANC1 attendees would have been 74% in 2016 and 86% in 2017. When considered as percentage of ANC1 attendees with access to a mobile phone, addressing conversion challenges bring registration coverage to an estimated 83%-89% in 2016 and 97%-100% in 2017. Among women registered, nearly 80% of expected short messaging service messages were received. While registration coverage and message delivery success rates exceed those observed for mobile messaging programs elsewhere, study findings highlight opportunities for program improvement and reinforce the need for rigorous and continuous monitoring of delivery systems.

  7. Instant messaging an effective way of communication in workplace

    OpenAIRE

    Maina, Tirus Muya

    2013-01-01

    The modern workplace is inherently collaborative, and this collaboration relies on effective communication among coworkers. Instant messaging is the multitasking tools of choice most people chatting over IM do other things at the same time.The use of IM in workplace is less intrusive than the use of phone, more immediate than email and has added advantage due to the ability to detect presence.In order for institution to maximize increased business productivity using instant messaging its impe...

  8. Anatomically standardized statistical mapping of 123I-IMP SPECT in brain tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shibata, Yasushi; Akimoto, Manabu; Matsushita, Akira; Yamamoto, Tetsuya; Takano, Shingo; Matsumura, Akira

    2010-01-01

    123 I-iodoamphetamine Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (IMP SPECT) is used to evaluate cerebral blood flow. However, application of IMP SPECT to patients with brain tumors has been rarely reported. Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare tumor that shows delayed IMP uptake. The relatively low spatial resolution of SPECT is a clinical problem in diagnosing brain tumors. We examined anatomically standardized statistical mapping of IMP SPECT in patients with brain lesions. This study included 49 IMP SPECT images for 49 patients with brain lesions: 20 PCNSL, 1 Burkitt's lymphoma, 14 glioma, 4 other tumor, 7 inflammatory disease and 3 without any pathological diagnosis but a clinical diagnosis of PCNSL. After intravenous injection of 222 MBq of 123 I-IMP, early (15 minutes) and delayed (4 hours) images were acquired using a multi-detector SPECT machine. All SPECT data were transferred to a newly developed software program iNeurostat+ (Nihon Medi-physics). SPECT data were anatomically standardized on normal brain images. Regions of increased uptake of IMP were statistically mapped on the tomographic images of normal brain. Eighteen patients showed high uptake in the delayed IMP SPECT images (16 PCNSL, 2 unknown). Other tumor or diseases did not show high uptake of delayed IMP SPECT, so there were no false positives. Four patients with pathologically proven PCNSL showed no uptake in original IMP SPECT. These tumors were too small to detect in IMP SPECT. However, statistical mapping revealed IMP uptake in 18 of 20 pathologically verified PCNSL patients. A heterogeneous IMP uptake was seen in homogenous tumors in MRI. For patients with a hot IMP uptake, statistical mapping showed clearer uptake. IMP SPECT is a sensitive test to diagnose of PCNSL, although it produced false negative results for small posterior fossa tumor. Anatomically standardized statistical mapping is therefore considered to be a useful method for improving the diagnostic

  9. Oncofetal protein IMP3, a new cancer biomarker.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Yuna; Woda, Bruce A; Jiang, Zhong

    2014-05-01

    IMP3 is a member of a family of RNA-binding proteins that consists of IMP1, IMP2 and IMP3. These proteins contain 2 RNA recognition motifs and 4 K-homology domains that allow them to bind RNAs strongly and specifically. IMP3 is an oncofetal protein involved in embryogenesis and its expression is associated with a number of malignant neoplasms. IMP3 is associated with aggressive and advanced cancers and is specifically expressed in malignant tumors but is not found in adjacent benign tissues. Moreover, in vitro studies have shown that IMP3 promotes tumor cell proliferation, adhesion, and invasion. This review focuses on the studies of IMP3 expression in different cancers and emphasizes the potential utility of IMP3 in routine surgical pathology practice. We also discuss IMP3 as a prognostic biomarker for cancer patients' outcomes.

  10. Impétigo ampolloso

    OpenAIRE

    Alma Delfina Pérez-De la O; María Teresa García Romero

    2017-01-01

    El impétigo es la enfermedad infecto-contagiosa más común en la piel.1 Existen dos tipos: no ampolloso, que es el más frecuente, y ampolloso. Es causado principalmente por Streptococcus pyogenes (Streptococcus β-hemolítico del grupo A) y Staphylococcus aureus. El impétigo no ampolloso es producido principalmente por S. pyogenes y se caracteriza por vesículas pequeñas que rápidamente se rompen y originan un exudado que al secarse forma costras melicéricas. El impétigo ampolloso siempre es caus...

  11. Protocol-Based Verification of Message-Passing Parallel Programs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    López-Acosta, Hugo-Andrés; Eduardo R. B. Marques, Eduardo R. B.; Martins, Francisco

    2015-01-01

    We present ParTypes, a type-based methodology for the verification of Message Passing Interface (MPI) programs written in the C programming language. The aim is to statically verify programs against protocol specifications, enforcing properties such as fidelity and absence of deadlocks. We develo...

  12. Characteristics and management of Enterobacteriaceae harboring IMP-4 or IMP-8 carbapenemase in a tertiary hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pang, Feng; Jia, Xiu-Qin; Song, Zhen-Zhu; Li, Yan-Hua; Wang, Bin; Zhao, Qi-Gang; Wang, Chuan-Xin; Zhang, Yi; Wang, Le-Xin

    2016-03-01

    The emergence of Enterobacteriaceae harboring IMP-4 or IMP-8 carbapenemases is rare. We report an occurrence of Enterobacteriaceae harboring IMP-4 or IMP-8 carbapenemases in a Chinese tertiary care hospital from November 2010 to December 2012. The clinical characteristics of 30 patients were described. The genetic relationship of isolates was determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Carbapenemases were detected by modified Hodge test (MHT) and polymerase chain reactions (PCRs). Amplicons were sequenced and blasted to determine the genotype. Most infected patients were from intensive care unit and had complex and serious underlying illnesses requiring mechanical ventilation. PFGE revealed that Klebsiella pneumoniae showed two major PFGE types. Two Klebsiella oxytoca had an indistinguishable PFGE pattern, while four Enterobacter cloacae were different strains. The sequencing studies showed Enterobacteriaceae harboring IMP-4 or IMP-8 carbapenemase in the 23 infected patients. The majority of patients had infections with the carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) strain, most were successfully treated with a range of antibiotics and discharged. It is important to maintain a high index of suspicion to screen for carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae strains. Rapid identification of these strains and implementation of stringent procedures are the key to prevent major outbreaks in a hospital setting.

  13. Media's Moral Messages: Assessing Perceptions of Moral Content in Television Programming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glover, Rebecca J.; Garmon, Lance C.; Hull, Darrell M.

    2011-01-01

    This study extends the examination of moral content in the media by exploring moral messages in television programming and viewer characteristics predictive of the ability to perceive such messages. Generalisability analyses confirmed the reliability of the Media's Moral Messages (MMM) rating form for analysing programme content and the existence…

  14. RNA-binding IMPs promote cell adhesion and invadopodia formation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vikesaa, Jonas; Hansen, Thomas V O; Jønson, Lars

    2006-01-01

    Oncofetal RNA-binding IMPs have been implicated in mRNA localization, nuclear export, turnover and translational control. To depict the cellular actions of IMPs, we performed a loss-of-function analysis, which showed that IMPs are necessary for proper cell adhesion, cytoplasmic spreading and inva......Oncofetal RNA-binding IMPs have been implicated in mRNA localization, nuclear export, turnover and translational control. To depict the cellular actions of IMPs, we performed a loss-of-function analysis, which showed that IMPs are necessary for proper cell adhesion, cytoplasmic spreading...... and invadopodia formation. Loss of IMPs was associated with a coordinate downregulation of mRNAs encoding extracellular matrix and adhesion proteins. The transcripts were present in IMP RNP granules, implying that IMPs were directly involved in the post-transcriptional control of the transcripts. In particular......-mediated invadopodia formation. Taken together, our results indicate that RNA-binding proteins exert profound effects on cellular adhesion and invasion during development and cancer formation....

  15. Design Considerations in Developing a Text Messaging Program Aimed at Smoking Cessation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holtrop, Jodi Summers; Bağci Bosi, A Tülay; Emri, Salih

    2012-01-01

    Background Cell phone text messaging is gaining increasing recognition as an important tool that can be harnessed for prevention and intervention programs across a wide variety of health research applications. Despite the growing body of literature reporting positive outcomes, very little is available about the design decisions that scaffold the development of text messaging-based health interventions. What seems to be missing is documentation of the thought process of investigators in the initial stages of protocol and content development. This omission is of particular concern because many researchers seem to view text messaging as the intervention itself instead of simply a delivery mechanism. Certainly, aspects of this technology may increase participant engagement. Like other interventions, however, the content is a central driver of the behavior change. Objective To address this noted gap in the literature, we discuss the protocol decisions and content development for SMS Turkey (or Cebiniz birakin diyor in Turkish), a smoking cessation text messaging program for adult smokers in Turkey. Methods Content was developed in English and translated into Turkish. Efforts were made to ensure that the protocol and content were grounded in evidence-based smoking cessation theory, while also reflective of the cultural aspects of smoking and quitting in Turkey. Results Methodological considerations included whether to provide cell phones and whether to reimburse participants for texting costs; whether to include supplementary intervention resources (eg, personal contact); and whether to utilize unidirectional versus bidirectional messaging. Program design considerations included how messages were tailored to the quitting curve and one’s smoking status after one’s quit date, the number of messages participants received per day, and over what period of time the intervention lasted. Conclusion The content and methods of effective smoking cessation quitline programs were

  16. Insight into stereochemistry of a new IMP allelic variant (IMP-55) metallo-β-lactamase identified in a clinical strain of Acinetobacter baumannii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shakibaie, Mohammad Reza; Azizi, Omid; Shahcheraghi, Fereshteh

    2017-07-01

    Metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) such as IMPs are broad-spectrum β-lactamases that inactivate virtually all β-lactam antibiotics including carbapenems. In this study, we investigated the hydrolytic activity, phylogenetic relationship, three dimensional (3D) structure including zinc binding motif of a new IMP variant (IMP-55) identified in a clinical strain of Acinetobacter baumannii (AB). AB strain 56 was isolated from an adult ICU of a teaching hospital in Kerman, Iran. It exhibited MIC 32μg/ml to imipenem and showed MBL activity. Hydrolytic property of the MBL enzyme was measured phenotypically. Presence of bla IMP gene encoded by class 1 integrons was detected by PCR-sequencing. Phylogenetic tree of IMP protein was constructed using the Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) and 3D model including zinc binding motif was predicted by bioinformatics softwares. Analysis of IMP sequence led to the identification of a novel IMP-type designated as IMP-55 (GenBank: KU299753.1; UniprotKB: A0A0S2MTX2). Impact in term of hydrolytic activity compared to the closest variants suggested efficient imipenem hydrolysis by this enzyme. Evolutionary distance matrix assessment indicated that IMP-55 protein is not closely related to other A. baumannii IMPs, however, shared 98% homology with Escherichia coli IMP-30 (UniprotKB: A0A0C5PJR0) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa IMP-1 (UniprotKB: Q19KT1). It consisted of five α-helices, ten β-sheets and six loops. A monovalent zinc ion attached to core of enzyme via His95, His97, His157 and Cys176. Multiple amino acid sequence alignments and mutational trajectory with reported IMPs showed 4 amino acid substitutions at positions 12(Phe→Ile), 31(Asp→Glu), 172(Leu→Phe) and 185(Asn→Lys). We suggest that the pleiotropic effect of mutations due to frequent administration of imipenem is responsible for emergence of new IMP variant in our hospitals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. HealthyhornsTXT: A Text-Messaging Program to Promote College Student Health and Wellness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glowacki, Elizabeth M; Kirtz, Susan; Hughes Wagner, Jessica; Cance, Jessica Duncan; Barrera, Denise; Bernhardt, Jay M

    2018-01-01

    Text-messaging interventions positively affect health behaviors, but their use on college campuses has been limited. Text messaging serves as a relatively affordable way to communicate with large audiences and is one of the preferred modes of communication for young adults. This study examined the feasibility and acceptability of a campus-wide, health text-messaging program. The subscriber pool consisted of approximately 6,000 undergraduate students from a large, southern university. From that pool, 1,095 participants (64% female; 41% White) completed a posttest survey. Text messages covered a range of health topics and information about campus resources. Research was conducted from August through December 2015. Process data were collected throughout the semester; participants' attitudes were assessed via an online survey at the program's conclusion. Students demonstrated engagement with the messages throughout the semester as evidenced by replies to text-back keywords and clicks on website links embedded within messages. Messages about sleep, stress management, and hydration were considered most relevant. The majority of participants (61%) reported increased awareness regarding their health. Text-messaging interventions are a feasible strategy to improve college student health.

  18. ISEE/IMP Observations of simultaneous upstream ion events

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mitchel, D.G.; Roelof, E.C.; Sanderson, T.R.; Reinhard, R.; Wenzel, K.

    1983-01-01

    Propagation of upstream energetic (50--200 keV) ions is analyzed in sixteen events observed simulataneously by solid state detectors on ISEE 3 at approx.200 R/sub E/ and on IMP 8 at approx.35 R/sub E/ from the earth. Conclusions are based on comparisons of the pitch angle distributions observed at the two spacecraft and transformed into the solar wind frame. They are beamlike at ISEE 3 and are confined to the outward hemisphere. When IMP 8 is furtherest from the bow shock, they are also usually beamlike, or hemispheric. However, when IMP 8 is closer to the bow shock, pancakelike distributions are observed. This systematic variation in the IMP 8 pitch angle distributions delimits a scattering region l< or approx. =14 R/sub E/ upstream of the earth's bow shock (l measured along the interplanetary magnetic field) that dominates ion propagation, influences the global distribution of fluxes in the foreshock, and may play a role in acceleration of the ions. When IMP 8 is beyond lapprox.15 R/sub E/, the propagation appears to be essentially scatter-free between IMP 8 and ISEE 3; this is deduced from the absence of earthward fluxes at IMP 8 as well as the tendency for the spin-averaged fluxes to be comparable at the two spacecraft

  19. Feasibility and Acceptability of a Text Messaging Program for Smoking Cessation in Israel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abroms, Lorien; Hershcovitz, Ronit; Boal, Ashley; Levine, Hagai

    2015-08-01

    Text messaging programs on mobile phones have been shown to promote smoking cessation. This study investigated whether a text-messaging program for smoking cessation, adapted from QuitNowTXT, is feasible in Israel and acceptable to Israeli smokers. Participants (N = 38) were given a baseline assessment, enrolled in the adapted text messaging program, and followed-up with at 2 weeks and 4 weeks after their quit date. The authors used an intent-to-treat analysis and found that 23.7% of participants reported having quit smoking at the 4-week follow-up. Participants sent an average of 12.9 text replies during the study period, and the majority reported reading most or all of the texts. However, 34.2% of participants had unsubscribed by the 4-week follow-up. Moderate levels of satisfaction were reported; more than half agreed that they would recommend the program. Suggestions for improvement included adding advice by an expert counselor, website support, and increased customization. Results indicate that a text messaging smoking cessation program developed by modifying the content of QuitNowTXT is feasible and could be acceptable to smokers in Israel. The experience adapting and pilot testing the program can serve as a model for using QuitNowTXT to develop and implement such programs in other countries.

  20. Methods to assess youth engagement in a text messaging supplement to an effective teen pregnancy program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Devine, Sharon; Leeds, Caroline; Shlay, Judith C; Leytem, Amber; Beum, Robert; Bull, Sheana

    2015-08-01

    Youth are prolific users of cell phone minutes and text messaging. Numerous programs using short message service text messaging (SMS) have been employed to help improve health behaviors and health outcomes. However, we lack information on whether and what type of interaction or engagement with SMS program content is required to realize any benefit. We explored youth engagement with an automated SMS program designed to supplement a 25-session youth development program with demonstrated efficacy for reductions in teen pregnancy. Using two years of program data, we report on youth participation in design of message content and response frequency to messages among youth enrolled in the intervention arm of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) as one indicator of engagement. There were 221 youth between the ages of 14-18 enrolled over two years in the intervention arm of the RCT. Just over half (51%) were female; 56% were Hispanic; and 27% African American. Youth were sent 40,006 messages of which 16,501 were considered bi-directional where youth were asked to text a response. Four-fifths (82%) responded at least once to a text. We found variations in response frequency by gender, age, and ethnicity. The most popular types of messages youth responded to include questions and quizzes. The first two months of the program in each year had the highest response frequency. An important next step is to assess whether higher response to SMS results in greater efficacy. This future work can facilitate greater attention to message design and content to ensure messages are engaging for the intended audience. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Advanced Messaging Concept Development Basic Safety Message

    Data.gov (United States)

    Department of Transportation — Contains all Basic Safety Messages (BSMs) collected during the Advanced Messaging Concept Development (AMCD) field testing program. For this project, all of the Part...

  2. [Expression of IMP3 in osteosarcoma and its clinical significance].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Kang-hua; Huang, Yue-ping; Zhang, Jun; Li, Guo-jun; Li, Si-hong

    2009-05-01

    To analyze the expressional variability of IMP3 between osteosarcoma and osteochondroma and explore its clinical significance. Paraffin sections from 68 patients with osteosarcoma and 20 patients with osteochondroma were examined for the expression of IMP3 by SP immunohistochemistry. The negative, weak positive, moderate positive and strong positive expression rates of IMP3 in 68 patients with osteosarcoma were 4.41% (3/68), 22.06% (15/68), 22.74% (19/68), 45.59% (31/68), respectively, which were significantly higher than those in 20 cases of osteochondroma tissues (P<0.01). The positive expression of IMP3 in osteosarcoma was negative correlation with the 3-year survival rate of osteosarcoma patients after the operation (P<0.01). The results suggest that IMP3 plays important roles in the tumorigenesis, progress and prognosis of osteosarcoma, and the expression of IMP3 may be an important feature of osteosarcoma.

  3. Hydrologic design methodologies for small-scale hydro at ungauged sites. Phase 2A, British Columbia. Primer for Integrated Method for Power Analysis (IMP)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1986-01-01

    This report provides a user's manual for the Integrated Method for Power Analysis (IMP) series of programs, developed to aid in evaluating small-scale hydroelectric power sites in British Columbia. The primary objective of IMP is to address the problem posed by hydroelectric development at sites completely lacking in streamflow records. The province's mountainous terrain, with numerous microclimates, precluded methods of regional analysis based on regression or comparisons with gauged streams; instead, a conceptual model of physical processes on the land and in the atmosphere was used as a basis for developing IMP. The IMP package consists of five basic components: an atmospheric model of annual precipitation and 1-in-10-year 24-h maximum rainfall; a watershed model that will generate a daily series of streamflow data; a flood frequency analysis system that uses site-specific topographical information and information from the atmospheric model to generate the flood frequency curve; a hydroelectric power simulation program which determines the daily energy output for a run-of-river or reservoir storage site; and a graphics analysis package which provides direct visualization of atmospheric and streamflow data, and the results of watershed and power simulation modelling. Within each component of the program, the program requirements and capabilities are discussed. A series of sample screens are shown, illustrating the use of the IMP package for a particular simulation. 18 figs., 2 tabs.

  4. Feasibility and Acceptability of a Text Message-Based Smoking Cessation Program for Young Adults in Lima, Peru: Pilot Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blitchtein-Winicki, Dora; Zevallos, Karine; Samolski, M Reuven; Requena, David; Velarde, Chaska; Briceño, Patricia; Piazza, Marina; Ybarra, Michele L

    2017-08-04

    In Peru's urban communities, tobacco smoking generally starts during adolescence and smoking prevalence is highest among young adults. Each year, many attempt to quit, but access to smoking cessation programs is limited. Evidence-based text messaging smoking cessation programs are an alternative that has been successfully implemented in high-income countries, but not yet in middle- and low-income countries with limited tobacco control policies. The objective was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of an short message service (SMS) text message-based cognitive behavioral smoking cessation program for young adults in Lima, Peru. Recruitment included using flyers and social media ads to direct young adults interested in quitting smoking to a website where interested participants completed a Google Drive survey. Inclusion criteria were being between ages 18 and 25 years, smoking at least four cigarettes per day at least 6 days per week, willing to quit in the next 30 days, owning a mobile phone, using SMS text messaging at least once in past year, and residing in Lima. Participants joined one of three phases: (1) focus groups and in-depth interviews whose feedback was used to develop the SMS text messages, (2) validating the SMS text messages, and (3) a pilot of the SMS text message-based smoking cessation program to test its feasibility and acceptability among young adults in Lima. The outcome measures included adherence to the SMS text message-based program, acceptability of content, and smoking abstinence self-report on days 2, 7, and 30 after quitting. Of 639 participants who completed initial online surveys, 42 met the inclusion criteria and 35 agreed to participate (focus groups and interviews: n=12; validate SMS text messages: n=8; program pilot: n=15). Common quit practices and beliefs emerged from participants in the focus groups and interviews informed the content, tone, and delivery schedule of the messages used in the SMS text message smoking

  5. (123I)-IMP SPECT findings in Machado-Joseph disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Masahiko

    1997-01-01

    Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with N-isopropyl-p-( 123 I)iodoamphetamine (IMP) was used to study the dynamics of cerebellar and brainstem metabolic function in patients with Mochado-Joseph disease (MJD), the diagnosis of which was confirmed with genetic analysis. The SPECT data obtained was analyzed semiquantitatively. In patients with MJD, ( 123 I)-IMP accumulation in the cerebellum and brainstem was decreased, and the degree of decrease reflected the clinical severity of MJD. When MJD was mild, the decrease in ( 123 I)-IMP accumulation was much greater in the brainstem than in the cerebellum. However, the decrease in ( 123 I)-IMP accumulation in the cerebellum and brainstem was not correlated with the severity of atrophy or with the number of CAG repeats. ( 123 I)-IMP SPECT was useful for evaluating the decrease in cerebellum and brainstem function in patients with MJD. Results of this study suggest that the functional decrease in MJD may begin in the brainstem. (author)

  6. Quantitative assessment of cerebral blood flow by 123I-IMP SPECT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moriwaki, Hiroshi; Matsumoto, Masayasu; Hashikawa, Kazuo

    1993-01-01

    To establish a noninvasive, quantitative method for measuring regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) by N-isopropyl-p-[ 123 I]iodoamphetamine ( 123 I-IMP) SPECT, we attempted to employ continuous venous sampling instead of arterial sampling. Forty two patients with cerebrovascular disease were classified into two groups, with (group II: n=35) and without (group I: n=7) hand warming. In group II, either hand was warmed, wrapping in a hot blanket (group IIA) or immersed in a 44degC water bath (group IIB). Immediately after intravenous bolus injection of 222 MBq IMP, arterial and venous blood samples were collected continuously for 5 min from the radial artery and the cubital vein, respectively. By octanol extraction, IMP was divided into the unmetabolized and metabolized fractions. The ratio of 123 I-IMP of venous blood to arterial blood (pass ratio, referred to as %PR) was calculated in the whole blood, unmetabolized, and metabolized fractions. Using these parameters, we assessed the possibility to estimate the amount of unmetabolized IMP fraction of arterial blood, usually used as an input function, from venous samples. In group I, %PR demonstrated a considerable variation between individuals (whole IMP, 47.5±24.6%; unmetabolized IMP, 46.0±24.5%; metabolized IMP, 51.8±27.4%). In group II, especially in group IIB, both increase of %PR value and the decrease in variation (whole, 77.9±5.6%; unmetabolized, 75.7±5.7%; metabolized, 86.7±8.7%) were observed, permitting the further calculation based on the assumption that %PR value was constant in each IMP fraction. The coefficient of variation of the difference between estimated arterial IMP radioactivity from venous samples and actual arterial IMP was 9.0% and 7.5%. The use of venous sampling coupled with a hand warming technique allowed the estimation of the arterial unmetabolized IMP radioactivity from venous samples with a reliability of 90% or more. (author)

  7. Expression of IGF-II mRNA-binding proteins (IMPs) in gonads and testicular cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hammer, Niels A; Hansen, Thomas v O; Byskov, Anne Grete

    2005-01-01

    prompted us to examine their possible involvement in testicular neoplasia. IMPs were detected primarily in germ-cell neoplasms, including preinvasive testicular carcinoma in situ, classical and spermatocytic seminoma, and nonseminomas, with particularly high expression in undifferentiated embryonal...... carcinoma. The relative expression of IMP1, IMP2 and IMP3 varied among tumor types and only IMP1 was detected in all carcinoma in situ cells. Thus IMPs, and in particular IMP1, may be useful auxiliary markers of testicular neoplasia....

  8. pIMP-PH114 carrying bla IMP-4 in a Klebsiella pneumoniae strain is closely related to other multidrug-resistant IncA/C2 plasmids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Pak-Leung; Lo, Wai-U; Chan, Jane; Cheung, Yuk-Yam; Chow, Kin-Hung; Yam, Wing-Cheong; Lin, Chi-Ho; Que, Tak-Lun

    2014-02-01

    The IncA/C plasmids are broad host-range vehicles which have been associated with wide dissemination of CMY-2 among Enterobacteriaceae of human and animal origins. Acquired metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) such as the IMP-type enzymes are increasingly reported in multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria worldwide, particularly in Enterobacteriaceae. We described the complete sequence of the first IMP-4-encoding IncA/C2 plasmid, pIMP-PH114 (151,885 bp), from a sequence type 1 Klebsiella pneumoniae strain that was recovered from a patient who was hospitalized in the Philippines. pIMP-PH114 consists of a backbone from the IncA/C2 plasmids, with the insertion of a novel Tn21-like class 1 integron composite structure (containing the cassette array bla IMP-4-qacG-aacA4-catB3, followed by a class C β-lactamase bla DHA-1 and the mercury resistance operon, merRTPCADE) and a sul2-floR encoding region. Phylogenetic analysis of the IncA/C repA sequences showed that pIMP-PH114 formed a subgroup with other IncA/C plasmids involved in the international spread of CMY-2, TEM-24 and NDM-1. Identical bla IMP-4 arrays have been described among different Enterobacteriaceae and Acinetobacter spp. in China, Singapore and Australia but the genetic context is different. The broad host range of IncA/C plasmids may have facilitated dissemination of the bla IMP-4 arrays among different diverse groups of bacteria.

  9. IMp: The customizable LEGO® Pinned Insect Manipulator

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Steen Dupont

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available We present a pinned insect manipulator (IMp constructed of LEGO® building bricks with two axes of movement and two axes of rotation. In addition we present three variants of the IMp to emphasise the modular design, which facilitates resizing to meet the full range of pinned insect specimens, is fully customizable, collapsible, affordable and does not require specialist tools or knowledge to assemble.

  10. IMp: The customizable LEGO® Pinned Insect Manipulator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dupont, Steen; Price, Benjamin; Blagoderov, Vladimir

    2015-01-01

    Abstract We present a pinned insect manipulator (IMp) constructed of LEGO® building bricks with two axes of movement and two axes of rotation. In addition we present three variants of the IMp to emphasise the modular design, which facilitates resizing to meet the full range of pinned insect specimens, is fully customizable, collapsible, affordable and does not require specialist tools or knowledge to assemble. PMID:25685035

  11. Characterization of the Eimeria maxima sporozoite surface protein IMP1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenkins, M C; Fetterer, R; Miska, K; Tuo, W; Kwok, O; Dubey, J P

    2015-07-30

    The purpose of this study was to characterize Eimeria maxima immune-mapped protein 1 (IMP1) that is hypothesized to play a role in eliciting protective immunity against E. maxima infection in chickens. RT-PCR analysis of RNA from unsporulated and sporulating E. maxima oocysts revealed highest transcription levels at 6-12h of sporulation with a considerable downregulation thereafter. Alignment of IMP1 coding sequence from Houghton, Weybridge, and APU-1 strains of E. maxima revealed single nucleotide polymorphisms that in some instances led to amino acid changes in the encoded protein sequence. The E. maxima (APU-1) IMP1 cDNA sequence was cloned and expressed in 2 different polyHis Escherichia coli expression vectors. Regardless of expression vector, recombinant E. maxima IMP1 (rEmaxIMP1) was fairly unstable in non-denaturing buffer, which is consistent with stability analysis of the primary amino acid sequence. Antisera specific for rEmaxIMP1 identified a single 72 kDa protein or a 61 kDa protein by non-reducing or reducing SDS-PAGE/immunoblotting. Immunofluorescence staining with anti-rEmaxIMP1, revealed intense surface staining of E. maxima sporozoites, with negligible staining of merozoite stages. Immuno-histochemical staining of E. maxima-infected chicken intestinal tissue revealed staining of E. maxima developmental stages in the lamnia propia and crypts at both 24 and 48 h post-infection, and negligible staining thereafter. The expression of IMP1 during early stages of in vivo development and its location on the sporozoite surface may explain in part the immunoprotective effect of this protein against E. maxima infection. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  12. IMP3 expression is associated with poor outcome and epigenetic deregulation in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Yuanyuan; Yang, Michelle; Jiang, Zhong; Woda, Bruce A; Mercurio, Arthur M; Qin, Jianjie; Huang, Xinli; Zhang, Feng

    2014-06-01

    IMP3 is a fetal protein not expressed in normal adult tissues. IMP3 is an oncoprotein and a useful biomarker for a variety of malignancies and is associated with reduced overall survival of a number of them. IMP3 expression and its prognostic value for patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) have not been well investigated. The molecular mechanism underlying IMP3 expression in human cancer cells remains to be elucidated. Here we investigated IMP3 expression in ICC and adjacent nonneoplastic liver in 72 unifocal primary ICCs from a single institute by immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting, and real-time polymerase chain reaction. IMP3 was specifically expressed in cancer cells but not in the surrounding normal tissue, and 59 (82%) of 72 ICCs were IMP3 positive by immunohistochemistry. Among 35 cases with lymphovascular invasion, 26 (74%) showed IMP3 positivity in lymph node metastases. IMP3 expression was significantly correlated with tumor size, pathological grade, metastasis, and clinical stage. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated an inverse correlation between IMP3 expression and overall survival rate. Multivariate analysis revealed that IMP3 was the only risk factor associated with survival. To further explore the mechanism of IMP3 expression in cancers, we identified 2 CpG islands at IMP3 proximal promoter. Interestingly, the IMP3 promoter was almost completely demethylated in ICCs in contrast to densely methylated promoter in normal liver tissues. IMP3 expression is a useful biomarker for ICCs and can provide an independent prognostic value for patients with ICC. To our knoweldge, this is the first direct evidence of epigenetic deregulation of IMP3 in human cancer. Copyright © 2014 The Auhtors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Communicating with the workforce during emergencies: developing an employee text messaging program in a local public health setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karasz, Hilary N; Bogan, Sharon; Bosslet, Lindsay

    2014-01-01

    Short message service (SMS) text messaging can be useful for communicating information to public health employees and improving workforce situational awareness during emergencies. We sought to understand how the 1,500 employees at Public Health--Seattle & King County, Washington, perceived barriers to and benefits of participation in a voluntary, employer-based SMS program. Based on employee feedback, we developed the system, marketed it, and invited employees to opt in. The system was tested during an ice storm in January 2012. Employee concerns about opting into an SMS program included possible work encroachment during non-work time and receiving excessive irrelevant messages. Employees who received messages during the weather event reported high levels of satisfaction and perceived utility from the program. We conclude that text messaging is a feasible form of communication with employees during emergencies. Care should be taken to design and deploy a program that maximizes employee satisfaction.

  14. Text Messaging Based Obesity Prevention Program for Parents of Pre-Adolescent African American Girls

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chishinga Callender

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available African American girls are at a greater risk of obesity than their nonminority peers. Parents have the primary control over the home environment and play an important role in the child obesity prevention. Obesity prevention programs to help parents develop an obesity-preventive home environment are needed. The purpose of this study was to collect formative research from parents of 8–10-year old African American girls about perceptions, expectations, and content for a text messaging based program. Mothers (n = 30 participated in surveys and interviews to inform message development and content. A professional expert panel (n = 10 reviewed draft text messages via a survey. All the mothers reported owning a cellphone with an unlimited texting plan, and they used their cellphones for texting (90.0% and accessing the Internet (100.0%. The majority were interested in receiving text messages about healthy eating and physical activity (86.7%. Interviews confirmed survey findings. One hundred and seven text messages promoting an obesity-preventive home environment were developed. The expert panel and parents reported positive reactions to draft text messages. This research provides evidence that mobile health (mHealth interventions appeal to parents of African American girls and they have ready access to the technology with which to support this approach.

  15. Corporate social marketing: message design to recruit program participants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Black, David R; Blue, Carolyn L; Coster, Daniel C; Chrysler, Lisa M

    2002-01-01

    To identify variables for a corporate social marketing (SM) health message based on the 4 Ps of SM in order to recruit future participants to an existing national, commercial, self-administered weight-loss program. A systematically evaluated, author-developed, 310-response survey was administered to a random sample of 270 respondents. A previously established research plan was used to empirically identify the audience segments and the "marketing mix" appropriate for the total sample and each segment. Tangible product, pertaining to the unique program features, should be emphasized rather than positive core product and outcome expectation related to use of the program.

  16. IMP3 expression in human ovarian cancer is associated with improved survival

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Noske, Aurelia; Faggad, Areeg; Wirtz, Ralph

    2009-01-01

    The insulin-like growth factor-II mRNA-binding protein IMP3 plays an important role in embryogenesis and recent reports suggest an involvement in tumorigenesis. Although IMP3 expression has been well studied in mouse and human fetal and adult gonads, its role in ovarian cancer is unknown. We...... investigated the expression of IMP3 at protein and mRNA levels in a cohort of primary ovarian carcinomas and in 11 ovarian cancer cell lines. Western blot analysis revealed an expression of IMP3 in all ovarian cancer cell lines and immunohistochemistry demonstrated a positive cytoplasmic staining in 32 of 68...... carcinomas (47%). In contrast, epithelium of borderline tumors, as well as, benign ovarian lesions and normal ovaries exhibited only weak or no IMP3 expression. In univariate Kaplan-Meier analysis, IMP3 protein expression was significantly associated with better overall survival (P=0.048). To confirm...

  17. Detection of bla-IMP-1 and bla-IMP-2 Genes Among Metallo-β-lactamase-Producing Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Isolated from Burn Patients in Isfahan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Pourbabaee

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a nosocomial pathogen which especially causes infections among burn patients. Carbapenems are extensively used for the treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa isolates. The emergence of carbapenemases producing isolates is an outcome of increased utilization of carbapenems. The aim of this study was to determine the bla-IMP-1 and bla-IMP-2 genes in metallo-β-lactamase (MBL -producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from burn patients in Isfahan. Material and Methods: A total of 150 P. aeruginosa were isolated from burn patients hospitalized in Imam-Mousakazem hospital in Isfahan. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined using disk diffusion method according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI guidelines. Double Disk Synergy Test (DDST was carried out for screening of MBL production in imipenem-resistant strains. PCR assays were used for detection of bla-IMP-1 and bla-IMP-2 genes among metallo-β-lactamase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates. The purified PCR products were sequenced. Results: Of 150 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates, %100 identified as multi-drug resistant strains. The most resistance rates were seen against ciprofloxacin, tobromycin, meropenem and imipenem. All of 144 imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were MBL producing by DDST test. Twenty-nine (19.3% and 8(5.3% MBL producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates harbored bla-IMP-1 and bla-IMP-2 genes respectively. Conclusions: According to results of this study high level resistance to imipenem and MBl genes carriage was seen among Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from burn patient infections in our region.

  18. Medida Interpessoal de Psicopatia (IM-P: estudo preliminar no contexto brasileiro Interpersonal Measure of Psychopathy (IM-P: preliminary study in the Brazilian context

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tárcia Rita Davoglio

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUÇÃO: A observação direta do comportamento interpessoal é um recurso importante na descrição e diagnóstico da personalidade psicopática. A Medida Interpessoal de Psicopatia (Interpersonal Measure of Psychopathy, IM-P é um instrumento psicométrico composto por 21 itens, desenvolvido para ser utilizado em associação com outras escalas de avaliação da psicopatia. Foca-se, especificamente, nos comportamentos interpessoais e aspectos não verbais evidentes na interação do entrevistador com indivíduos que apresentam características psicopáticas. OBJETIVO: Descrever resultados preliminares sobre a investigação de aspectos interpessoais da psicopatia mediante a utilização da IM-P, incluindo as etapas de tradução/adaptação e avaliação de confiabilidade interavaliadores da IM-P, em uma amostra de adolescentes brasileiros. MÉTODO: Trata-se de estudo transversal, descritivo e correlacional realizado com 20 adolescentes masculinos cumprindo medida socioeducativa com privação de liberdade na Região Metropolitana de Porto Alegre (RS. Após os procedimentos de tradução da escala, treinamento dos pesquisadores e teste piloto por meio de uma entrevista semiestruturada, a IM-P foi pontuada por três juízes independentes. RESULTADOS: Os resultados estatísticos, obtidos através do coeficiente de concordância de Kendall, revelaram grau de concordância interavaliadores elevado e satisfatório para os escores totais da IM-P (W = 0,84; p INTRODUCTION: The direct observation of interpersonal behaviors is an important resource in the description and diagnosis of the psychopathic personality. The Interpersonal Measure of Psychopathy (IM-P is a psychometric instrument comprised of 21 items, designed to be applied in association with other instruments that also evaluate psychopaths. It focuses specifically on interpersonal and non-verbal behaviors that become evident during the interaction between the interviewer and individuals

  19. IMp: The customizable LEGO(®) Pinned Insect Manipulator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dupont, Steen; Price, Benjamin; Blagoderov, Vladimir

    2015-01-01

    We present a pinned insect manipulator (IMp) constructed of LEGO® building bricks with two axes of movement and two axes of rotation. In addition we present three variants of the IMp to emphasise the modular design, which facilitates resizing to meet the full range of pinned insect specimens, is fully customizable, collapsible, affordable and does not require specialist tools or knowledge to assemble.

  20. Effects of cigarette smoking on I-123 IMP clearance from the lung

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Katoh, Kunihiko; Takahashi, Tsuneo

    1990-01-01

    N-isopropyl-p-I-123-iodoamphetamine (I-123 IMP), originally developed as a brain scanning agent, is also taken up by the lung. To evaluate the cigarette smoking on the uptake of IMP by the lung, we studied I-123 IMP clearance from the lung on 14 volunteers; 5 non-smokers and 9 smokers. After the injection of 111 MBq (3mCi) of I-123 IMP into the medial cubital vein, the time-activity curve for 60 minutes and the regional activity using 1 frame per minute and a 64 x 64 matrix was obtained. I-123 IMP clearance curve was described as follows: C(t)=A 1 e -k1t +A 2 e -k2t (A 1 , A 2 : intercepts, and k 1 , k 2 : slopes of the exponential components). I-123 IMP clearance was delayed in smokers, and k 2 was smaller in smokers. Also a significant correlations between k 1 , k 2 , and the number of cigarettes smoked per day were found. In conclusion, this study suggests that the delayed clearance and retention of I-123 IMP in the lung indicate the lung metabolic disorders due to cigarette smoking. (author)

  1. Stepwise Development a Text Messaging-Based Bullying Prevention Program for Middle School Students (BullyDown).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ybarra, Michele L; Prescott, Tonya L; Espelage, Dorothy L

    2016-06-13

    Bullying is a significant public health issue among middle school-aged youth. Current prevention programs have only a moderate impact. Cell phone text messaging technology (mHealth) can potentially overcome existing challenges, particularly those that are structural (e.g., limited time that teachers can devote to non-educational topics). To date, the description of the development of empirically-based mHealth-delivered bullying prevention programs are lacking in the literature. To describe the development of BullyDown, a text messaging-based bullying prevention program for middle school students, guided by the Social-Emotional Learning model. We implemented five activities over a 12-month period: (1) national focus groups (n=37 youth) to gather acceptability of program components; (2) development of content; (3) a national Content Advisory Team (n=9 youth) to confirm content tone; and (4) an internal team test of software functionality followed by a beta test (n=22 youth) to confirm the enrollment protocol and the feasibility and acceptability of the program. Recruitment experiences suggested that Facebook advertising was less efficient than using a recruitment firm to recruit youth nationally, and recruiting within schools for the pilot test was feasible. Feedback from the Content Advisory Team suggests a preference for 2-4 brief text messages per day. Beta test findings suggest that BullyDown is both feasible and acceptable: 100% of youth completed the follow-up survey, 86% of whom liked the program. Text messaging appears to be a feasible and acceptable delivery method for bullying prevention programming delivered to middle school students.

  2. Molecular composition of IMP1 ribonucleoprotein granules

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jønson, Lars; Vikesaa, Jonas; Krogh, Anders

    2007-01-01

    Localized mRNAs are transported to sites of local protein synthesis in large ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules, but their molecular composition is incompletely understood. Insulin-like growth factor II mRNA-binding protein (IMP) zip code-binding proteins participate in mRNA localization, and in mo......Localized mRNAs are transported to sites of local protein synthesis in large ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules, but their molecular composition is incompletely understood. Insulin-like growth factor II mRNA-binding protein (IMP) zip code-binding proteins participate in mRNA localization...

  3. Wind and IMP 8 Solar Wind, Magnetosheath and Shock Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    2004-01-01

    The purpose of this project was to provide the community access to magnetosheath data near Earth. We provided 27 years of IMP 8 magnetosheath proton velocities, densities, and temperatures with our best (usually 1-min.) time resolution. IMP 8 crosses the magnetosheath twice each 125 day orbit, and we provided magnetosheath data for the roughly 27 years of data for which magnetometer data are also available (which are needed to reliably pick boundaries). We provided this 27 years of IMP 8 magnetosheath data to the NSSDC; this data is now integrated with the IMP 8 solar wind data with flags indicating whether each data point is in the solar wind, magnetosheath, or at the boundary between the two regions. The plasma speed, density, and temperature are provided for each magnetosheath point. These data are also available on the MIT web site ftp://space .mit.edu/pub/plasma/imp/www/imp.html. We provide ASCII time-ordered rows of data giving the observation time, the spacecraft position in GSE, the velocity is GSE, the density and temperature for protons. We also have analyzed and archived on our web site the Wind magnetosheath plasma parameters. These consist of ascii files of the proton and alpha densities, speeds, and thermal speeds. These data are available at ftp://space.mit.edu/pub/plasma/wind/sheath These are the two products promised in the work statement and they have been completed in full.

  4. Study of 123I-IMP SPECT on diabetic patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kinoshita, Ikuo; Takeo, Goh; Iwanaga, Keisuke; Uotani, Shigeo; Nakamura, Minoru; Sohda, Masanori; Ohe, Haruto; Toshimitsu, Takashi; Ohe, Nobuharu

    1991-01-01

    The involvement of peripheral nerves and nerve roots often leads to neurological manifestations which have frequently been described in association with diabetes mellitus. Whether there is any specific involvement of the central nervous system in this process has yet to be determined. Recently, many reports have suggested that significant neurophysiologic abnormalities in the central nervous system can sometimes be found in diabetic patients. In order to accurately examine the existence of central nervous system involvement in patients with diabetes mellitus, comparisons of 123 I-IMP (IMP) washout rates were made between normal adults (n=19, average age 43.3 years) and diabetic patients (n=23, average age 43.3 years), and these results were graphically demonstrated by color images. Early images were obtained 30 minutes after intravenous injection, while delayed images were made 4 hours after injection. The IMP washout rate was obtained by subtracting the values of the delayed image with the early image. The standard deviation (SD) of the IMP washout rate for each patient was compared to the averaged SD obtained from healthy adults. After calculating the deviation from SD levels of healthy adults, we made an image of the patient's IMP washout rates. These images were divided into seven degrees (I, II: normal, III, IV: borderline, V∼VII: abnormal) and the ratio of each degree was expressed by a histogram in each cerebral hemisphere as the washout rate index. In 23 diabetic subjects, seven patients were found to be borderline while sixteen patients were abnormal. These impairments were not related either to the presence of diabetic triopathy or the duration of disease. By utilising such a noninvasive method, we were able to accurately evaluate the extent of diabetic central neuropathy. Therefore this subtraction method, which uses the specificity of IMP SPECT, is thus considered to be highly useful for broad clinical application. (author)

  5. The first 3':5'-cyclic nucleotide-amino acid complex: L-His-cIMP.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slepokura, Katarzyna

    2012-08-01

    In the crystal structure of the L-His-cIMP complex, i.e. L-histidinium inosine 3':5'-cyclic phosphate [systematic name: 5-(2-amino-2-carboxyethyl)-1H-imidazol-3-ium 7-hydroxy-2-oxo-6-(6-oxo-6,9-dihydro-1H-purin-9-yl)-4a,6,7,7a-tetrahydro-4H-1,3,5,2λ(5)-furo[3,2-d][1,3,2λ(5)]dioxaphosphinin-2-olate], C(6)H(10)N(3)O(2)(+)·C(10)H(10)N(4)O(7)P(-), the Hoogsteen edge of the hypoxanthine (Hyp) base of cIMP and the Hyp face are engaged in specific amino acid-nucleotide (His···cIMP) recognition, i.e. by abutting edge-to-edge and by π-π stacking, respectively. The Watson-Crick edge of Hyp and the cIMP phosphate group play a role in nonspecific His···cIMP contacts. The interactions between the cIMP anions (anti/C3'-endo/trans-gauche/chair conformers) are realized mainly between riboses and phosphate groups. The results for this L-His-cIMP complex, compared with those for the previously reported solvated L-His-IMP crystal structure, indicate a different nature of amino acid-nucleotide recognition and interactions upon the 3':5'-cyclization of the nucleotide phosphate group.

  6. Getting Your Message Across: Mobile Phone Text Messaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beecher, Constance C.; Hayungs, Lori

    2017-01-01

    Want to send a message that 99% of your audience will read? Many Extension professionals are familiar with using social media tools to enhance Extension programming. Extension professionals may be less familiar with the use of mobile phone text-based marketing tools. The purpose of this article is to introduce SMS (short message system) marketing…

  7. IMP and NLHIAL annual report (1999)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2000-07-01

    In the year of 1999, HIRFL-CSR, a new project proposed by IMP and NLHIAL was approved by the Chinese government, and started to build up. The research result, and activities of IMP and NLHIAL during the year of 1999 was summarized. The contents were divided into two parts. Part A presented by National Laboratory of Heavy Ion Accelerator in Lanzhou (NLHIAL). It includes experimental nuclear physics and nuclear chemistry, application of heavy ion physics, accelerator and the others. Part B presented by Institute of Modern Physics. It includes theoretical nuclear physics, experimental nuclear physics and nuclear chemistry. Application of heavy ion physics and nuclear technique, computer technique and electronics, accelerator and the others

  8. Status and prospect of super-heavy nuclei research at IMP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Hushan; Sun Zhiyu; Zhan Wenlong; Zhou Xiaohong; Huang Wenxue; Zhang Hongbin; Gan Zaiguo; Li Junqing; Ma Xinwen; Qin Zhi; Xiao Guoqing; Guo Zhongyan; Li Zhihui; Zhang Yuhu; Jin Genming; Huang Tianheng; Hu Zhengguo; Zhang Xueheng; Zheng Chuan; Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing

    2006-01-01

    The history and the international status of the super-heavy nuclei synthesis are briefly described. The related research work carried out at the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) has been reviewed. The prospect of the super-heavy nuclei research at IMP has been introduced. (authors)

  9. N-isopropyl I-123 p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) brain SPECT in dementia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Momose, Toshimitsu; Kosaka, Noboru; Nishikawa, Junichi; Yoshikawa, Kohki; Ohtake, Tohru; Watanabe, Toshiaki; Iwata, Makoto; Shimizu, Teruo; Iio, Masahiro

    1988-01-01

    Six patients of Alzheimer's disease (AD), two patients of Pick disease (PD) and two patients of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) were studied with N-Isopropyl I-123 p-Iodoamphetamine (IMP) with SPECT. The pattern of IMP uptake in these demented groups were compared with that in five agematched normal controls and correlated with MRI and XCT. In all AD cases, SPECT revealed focal reduction of IMP uptake in frontal (6/6), parietal (6/6) and temporal (6/6) cortex, although MRI and XCT were normal. In both PD case, SPECT showed focal reduction of IMP uptake in frontal (1/2) and temporal (2/2) cortex with moderate labor atrophy on MRI and XCT. In both CJD case, SPECT showed diffuse reduction of IMP uptake in cerebral cortex in spite of no abnormality on MRI and XCT. These findings suggest that SPECT can detect earlier diseased process of AD and CJD than MRI or XCT and that SPECT may be helpful for the differential diagnosis of non-vascular dementia. (author)

  10. N-isopropyl I-123 p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) brain SPECT in dementia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Momose, Toshimitsu; Kosaka, Noboru; Nishikawa, Junichi; Yoshikawa, Kohki; Ohtake, Tohru; Watanabe, Toshiaki; Iwata, Makoto; Shimizu, Teruo; Iio, Masahiro

    1988-12-01

    Six patients of Alzheimer's disease (AD), two patients of Pick disease (PD) and two patients of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) were studied with N-Isopropyl I-123 p-Iodoamphetamine (IMP) with SPECT. The pattern of IMP uptake in these demented groups were compared with that in five agematched normal controls and correlated with MRI and XCT. In all AD cases, SPECT revealed focal reduction of IMP uptake in frontal (6/6), parietal (6/6) and temporal (6/6) cortex, although MRI and XCT were normal. In both PD case, SPECT showed focal reduction of IMP uptake in frontal (1/2) and temporal (2/2) cortex with moderate labor atrophy on MRI and XCT. In both CJD case, SPECT showed diffuse reduction of IMP uptake in cerebral cortex in spite of no abnormality on MRI and XCT. These findings suggest that SPECT can detect earlier diseased process of AD and CJD than MRI or XCT and that SPECT may be helpful for the differential diagnosis of non-vascular dementia.

  11. Clinical evaluation of 123I-IMP SPECT in patients with various neurological diseases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoneda, Naoto

    1993-01-01

    Single photon emission computed tomography with N-isopropyl-p-[ 123 I] iodoamphetamine ( 123 I-IMP SPECT) was performed in 57 patients with various neurological disease, and compared with the findings of brain CT, MRI, and EEG. The author also evaluated the relationship between the findings on 123 I-IMP SPECT and the condition of the control of the attack after treatment with antiepileptic drugs in idiopathic epileptic patients. Abnormality of accumulation of 123 I-IMP SPECT was observed in 62.3% of all cases. Focal abnormality was detected in 28.3% of all cases by brain CT and 54.1% by MRI. The detectability of focal abnormality in brain CT and MRI was found to be lower than that of 123 I-TMP SPECT. There was very little significance in detectability between 123 I-IMP SPECT and EEG. But it infers that 123 I-IMP SPECT can detect the subictal state in epileptic patients. One comparative study of the relationship between the findings on 123 I-IMP SPECT and the condition of the control of the attack by antiepileptic drugs in patients with idiopathic epilepsy, abnormality of 123 I-IMP SPECT findings was found to be higher in patients who were not controlled sufficiently than in patients who were controlled sufficiently, and a significant difference is found by X 2 test. 123 I-IMP SPECT is useful for the evaluation of treatment in patients with epilepsy. (author)

  12. Hypoxic Vasospasm Mediated by cIMP: When Soluble Guanylyl Cyclase Turns Bad.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Yuansheng; Chen, Zhengju; Leung, Susan W S; Vanhoutte, Paul M

    2015-06-01

    In a number of isolated blood vessel types, hypoxia causes an acute contraction that is dependent on the presence of nitric oxide and activation of soluble guanylyl cyclase. It is more pronounced when the preparations are constricted and is therefore termed hypoxic augmentation of vasoconstriction. This hypoxic response is accompanied by increases in the intracellular level of inosine 5'-triphosphate and in the synthesis of inosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cIMP) by soluble guanylyl cyclase. The administration of exogenous cIMP or inosine 5'-triphosphate causes augmented vasoconstriction to hypoxia. Furthermore, the vasoconstriction evoked by hypoxia and cIMP is associated with increased activity of Rho kinase (ROCK), indicating that cIMP may mediate the hypoxic effect by sensitizing the myofilaments to Ca through ROCK. Hypoxia is implicated in exaggerated vasoconstriction in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, hypertension, and stroke. The newly found role of cIMP may help to identify unique therapeutic targets for certain cardiovascular disorders.

  13. Recent nuclear physics research at IMP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jin Genming

    1998-01-01

    The recent progresses in the nuclear physics research in IMP (Institute of Modern Physics) are reviewed including the synthesis and studies of nuclei far from stability and properties of hot nuclei. Heavy Ion Research Facility Lanzhou (HIRFL) is of cyclotron family delivering intermediate energy heavy ions. During the recent years, progresses have been made in the studies of heavy ion physics as well as in the development of the HIRFL. This paper will begin with the recent upgrading of HIRFL with an emphasis on the development of Radioactive Ion Beam Line Lanzhou (RIBLL), and then be focused on the physics research in IMP including intermediate energy heavy ion collisions and hot nuclei, synthesis and studies of nuclei far from stability. (J.P.N)

  14. Clinical significance of I-123 IMP brain SPECT in children with brain diseases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takishima, Teruo; Machida, Kikuo; Honda, Norinari; Mamiya, Toshio; Takahashi, Taku; Kamano, Tsuyoshi; Hasegawa, Noriko

    1990-01-01

    Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) of the brain using N-isopropyl p-I-123-iodoamphetamine (I-123 IMP) was performed in 43 children with suspected brain diseases. Forty-three children (25 males and 18 females), with an age range of 24 days-15 years (mean: 6.6 years), were included in the study. Six patients were subsequently diagnosed as normal. Early SPECT of the brain was performed 30 minutes after intravenous administration of 74-111 MBq (2-3 mCi) I-123 IMP using a rotating gamma camera equipped with a 30-degree slant hole and medium energy collimator. Transverse images were reconstructed by Shepp-Logan filtered back projection method with attenuation correction after spatial filtering using an 8th order Butterworth-Wiener filter. Findings of I-123 IMP SPECT were compared with those of X-ray computed tomography (CT) and electroencephalography (EEG). The results showed that in I-123 IMP SPECT, abnormality was found in 30 out of 37 children with brain diseases. The incidence of abnormal findings in the 37 patients was 81% in I-123 IMP SPECT, 61% in X-ray CT, and 78% in EEG; in both cryptogenic and secondary epilepsy, the incidence of abnormality was higher in I-123 IMP SPECT than in X-ray CT. (70% and 94% vs 50% and 81% respectively), and epileptic foci detected by EEG did not correspond with defects found using I-123 IMP SPECT in 27% of the patients; and in asphyxiated infants, a high incidence of abnormality was observed on both I-123 IMP SPECT (86%) and X-ray CT (86%). In conclusion, I-123 IMP SPECT is a clinically useful examination in children with brain disease. (author)

  15. Secret Message Decryption: Group Consulting Projects Using Matrices and Linear Programming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gurski, Katharine F.

    2009-01-01

    We describe two short group projects for finite mathematics students that incorporate matrices and linear programming into fictional consulting requests presented as a letter to the students. The students are required to use mathematics to decrypt secret messages in one project involving matrix multiplication and inversion. The second project…

  16. Analysis of I-125 IMP and its metabolites using a high performance liquid chromatography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Satoh, Motohiro; Ishikawa, Nobuyoshi; Takeda, Tohoru; Jin, Wu; Kuramoto, Kenmei; Itai, Yuji; Yoshizawa, Takashi; Nakajima, Kotaro.

    1991-01-01

    The biodistribution of N-isopropyl-p-[I-123]iodoamphetamine (IMP) and its metabolites was examined in rabbits and Mongolian gerbils. Arterial sampling was performed at one, 5, 15, and 30 min, and one, 3, and 6 hr after bolus iv injection of IMP for the hemodynamic investigation. Similarly, the cerebral hemisphere, lung, liver, and blood samples were collected at 15 min and 3 hr for analyzing IMP metabolites. Activity count in blood was gradually increased from 15 min to 3 hr after iv injection, and thereafter decreased. Relative fraction of IMP in plasma was gradually increased to a plateau value of 80% at one hr. Octanol extraction ratio was decreased to 24.3% at 3 hr, although it was 100% immediately after iv injection. Early (15 min) and delayed (3 hr) analysis using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) revealed p-iodoamphetamine (PIA) and p-iodobenzoic acid (PIB) as major metabolites of IMP. Although IMP accounted for the majority on both early and delayed HPLC, the quantity of PIA in the normal hemisphere and lung was significantly increased on delayed HPLC, compared to early HPLC. For the liver, the quantities of both PIA and PIB were larger than IMP on both early and delayed HPLC. The proportion of metabolites also became greater in whole blood than IMP on delayed HPLC. Early HPLC reveald no significant difference in composition of IMP, PIA, and PIB between the normal and ischemic hemispheres. Delayed HPLC revealed a greater proportion of PIA in the ischemic than the normal hemisphere, but this was not statistically significant. (N.K.)

  17. I-123 IMP SPECT in Parkinson's disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawabata, Keita; Tachibana, Kyudai; Sugita, Minoru

    1990-01-01

    To examine semiquantitatively regional cerebral blood flow, SPECT with N-isopropyl-p-[I-123]iodoamphetamine (I-123 IMP) was undertaken in 17 patients with Parkinson's disease. Seven patients with Alzheimer's disease and 9 senile control subjects were also imaged for comparison. Both the Parkinson's disease group and the Alzheimer's disease group had a decreased uptake of I-123 IMP in the frontal lobe, in comparison with the control group. A remarkably decreased uptake was seen in the lateral and parietal lobes in the group of Parkinson's disease associated with dementia, as well as in the Alzheimer's disease group. A significantly decreased uptake was observed in the frontal lobe, lateral lobe, thalamus, and basal ganglia in the Parkinson's disease group, irrespective of the presence or absence of dementia. For Parkinson's disease associated with dementia, there was much more significant decrease in I-123 IMP uptake. The pattern of regional cerebral blood flow in the Alzheimer's disease group was analogous to that in the Parkinson's disease group associated with dementia. This supports the hypothesis that Alzheimer's disease may be somewhat involved in the occurrence of dementia for Parkinson's disease. (N.K.)

  18. Optimization of labeling conditions of n-isopropyl-p-iodoamphetamine chloridate (IMP) with radioiodine. Biological distribution studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Colturato, Maria Tereza

    2000-01-01

    The development of this work was based on a great interest from the medical community in the utilization of N-isopropyl-p-iodoamphetamine chloridate (IMP) labeled with 123 l, for brain perfusion evaluation. The IMP was initially characterized by: Melting Point (MP), Infrared Spectrophotometry (IR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometry (NMR), Elemental Analysis and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). After having chosen the ideal method (nucleophilic substitution) to label IMP with that used Cu(I) as reducing agent and ascorbic acid as catalyzing of Cu(II), studies were performed to optimize the labeling parameters of 123 l-IMP: temperature reaction, time reaction, ascorbic acid mass, pH and molar ratio, and stability of the final product. The quality control method (ascending paper chromatographic) used to determine the radiochemistry purity showed to be efficient, fast and of easily handling for routine production. Biological distribution studies were performed with laboratory animals (mice) to determine the percent administered dose in the blood, different organs and whole body after intravenous administration of the radiopharmaceutical. Toxicological evaluation and in vitro study to determine the plasmatic protein binding were also done. The data of the biological distribution in mice have shown that the product crossed the intact blood brain barrier, for a enough time to obtain brain scintigraphic image, thus, allowing a follow up of further studies after the intravenous administration of the radiopharmaceutical. The 123 l-IMP showed a blood clearance and then the principal elimination route was the urinary. The kinetic study of 123 l-IMP, submitting blood samples data to BIEXP.BAS program, showed a biexponential pattern which allowed demonstrating that the compound presents a first phase of quick distribution and a second one slower corresponding to the equilibrium and elimination. Based on the results from radiochemical purity, stability and

  19. Study of sup 123 I-IMP SPECT on diabetic patients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kinoshita, Ikuo; Takeo, Goh; Iwanaga, Keisuke; Uotani, Shigeo; Nakamura, Minoru; Sohda, Masanori; Ohe, Haruto; Toshimitsu, Takashi; Ohe, Nobuharu (Yahata City Hospital, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka (Japan))

    1991-07-01

    The involvement of peripheral nerves and nerve roots often leads to neurological manifestations which have frequently been described in association with diabetes mellitus. Whether there is any specific involvement of the central nervous system in this process has yet to be determined. Recently, many reports have suggested that significant neurophysiologic abnormalities in the central nervous system can sometimes be found in diabetic patients. In order to accurately examine the existence of central nervous system involvement in patients with diabetes mellitus, comparisons of {sup 123}I-IMP (IMP) washout rates were made between normal adults (n=19, average age 43.3 years) and diabetic patients (n=23, average age 43.3 years), and these results were graphically demonstrated by color images. Early images were obtained 30 minutes after intravenous injection, while delayed images were made 4 hours after injection. The IMP washout rate was obtained by subtracting the values of the delayed image with the early image. The standard deviation (SD) of the IMP washout rate for each patient was compared to the averaged SD obtained from healthy adults. After calculating the deviation from SD levels of healthy adults, we made an image of the patient's IMP washout rates. These images were divided into seven degrees (I, II: normal, III, IV: borderline, V{approx}VII: abnormal) and the ratio of each degree was expressed by a histogram in each cerebral hemisphere as the washout rate index. In 23 diabetic subjects, seven patients were found to be borderline while sixteen patients were abnormal. These impairments were not related either to the presence of diabetic triopathy or the duration of disease. By utilising such a noninvasive method, we were able to accurately evaluate the extent of diabetic central neuropathy. Therefore this subtraction method, which uses the specificity of IMP SPECT, is thus considered to be highly useful for broad clinical application. (author).

  20. IMP3 RNP Safe Houses Prevent miRNA-Directed HMGA2 mRNA Decay in Cancer and Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lars Jønson

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The IMP3 RNA-binding protein is associated with metastasis and poor outcome in human cancer. Using solid cancer transcriptome data, we found that IMP3 correlates with HMGA2 mRNA expression. Cytoplasmic IMP3 granules contain HMGA2, and IMP3 dose-dependently increases HMGA2 mRNA. HMGA2 is regulated by let-7, and let-7 antagomiRs make HMGA2 refractory to IMP3. Removal of let-7 target sites eliminates IMP3-dependent stabilization, and IMP3-containing bodies are depleted of Ago1-4 and miRNAs. The relationship between Hmga2 mRNA and IMPs also exists in the developing limb bud, where IMP1-deficient embryos show dose-dependent Hmga2 mRNA downregulation. Finally, IMP3 ribonucleoproteins (RNPs contain other let-7 target mRNAs, including LIN28B, and a global gene set enrichment analysis demonstrates that miRNA-regulated transcripts in general are upregulated following IMP3 induction. We conclude that IMP3 RNPs may function as cytoplasmic safe houses and prevent miRNA-directed mRNA decay of oncogenes during tumor progression.

  1. Assessing the National Cancer Institute's SmokefreeMOM Text-Messaging Program for Pregnant Smokers: Pilot Randomized Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abroms, Lorien C; Chiang, Shawn; Macherelli, Laura; Leavitt, Leah; Montgomery, Margaret

    2017-10-03

    Automated text messages on mobile phones have been found to be effective for smoking cessation in adult smokers. This study aims to test the acceptability and feasibility of SmokefreeMOM, a national smoking cessation text-messaging program for pregnant smokers. Participants were recruited from prenatal care and randomized to receive SmokefreeMOM (n=55), an automated smoking cessation text-messaging program, or a control text message quitline referral (n=44). Participants were surveyed by phone at baseline and at 1 month and 3 months after enrollment. Results indicate that the SmokefreeMOM program was highly rated overall and rated more favorably than the control condition in its helpfulness at 3-month follow-up (Pmessaging at both 1-month and 3-month follow-ups (Pmessages, and few participants unsubscribed from the program. There were no significant differences between groups on the use of extra treatment resources or on smoking-related outcomes. However, at the 3-month follow-up, some outcomes favored the intervention group. SmokefreeMOM is acceptable for pregnant smokers. It is recommended that SmokefreeMOM be further refined and evaluated. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02412956; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02412956 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6tcmeRnbC). ©Lorien C Abroms, Shawn Chiang, Laura Macherelli, Leah Leavitt, Margaret Montgomery. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 03.10.2017.

  2. Dominance of IMP-4-Producing Enterobacter cloacae among Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae in Australia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Townell, Nicola; Nimmo, Graeme R.; George, Narelle M.; Robson, Jennifer; Vohra, Renu; Davis, Louise; Heney, Claire; Paterson, David L.

    2015-01-01

    The prevalence of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) has been increasing worldwide. blaIMP has been reported to be the predominant carbapenemase-encoding gene within Enterobacteriaceae in Australia. However, there are limited data currently available on CPE from Queensland, Australia. A total of 58 CPE isolates were isolated between July 2009 and March 2014 from Queensland hospitals. The clonality of isolates was determined by Diversilab repetitive sequence-based PCR. The isolates were investigated for the resistance mechanisms carbapenemase, extended-spectrum β-lactamase, and AmpC β-lactamase and for aminoglycoside resistance and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes by PCR. The plasmid types associated with carbapenemase-encoding genes were characterized. The majority of the CPE were Enterobacter cloacae (n = 29). The majority of Queensland CPE isolates were IMP producers and comprised 11 species (n = 48). Nine NDM-producing Enterobacteriaceae were identified. One NDM-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolate coproduced OXA-48. One K. pneumoniae isolate was an OXA-181 producer. The incidence of IMP producers increased significantly in 2013. blaIMP-4 was found in all IMP-producing isolates. blaTEM, qnrB, and aacA4 were common among IMP-4 producers. The HI2 (67%) and L/M (21%) replicons were associated with blaIMP-4. All HI2 plasmids were of sequence type 1 (ST1). All but one of the NDM producers possessed blaCTX-M-15. The 16S rRNA methylase genes found among NDM producers were armA, rmtB, rmtC, and rmtF. The substantial increase in the prevalence of CPE in Queensland has been associated mainly with the emergence E. cloacae strains possessing HI2 plasmids carrying blaIMP-4 over the past 2 years. The importation of NDM producers and/or OXA-48-like producers in patients also contributed to the increased emergence of CPE. PMID:25918153

  3. IMP3 RNP safe houses prevent miRNA-directed HMGA2 mRNA decay in cancer and development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jønson, Lars; Christiansen, Jan; Hansen, Thomas van Overeem

    2014-01-01

    by let-7, and let-7 antagomiRs make HMGA2 refractory to IMP3. Removal of let-7 target sites eliminates IMP3-dependent stabilization, and IMP3-containing bodies are depleted of Ago1-4 and miRNAs. The relationship between Hmga2 mRNA and IMPs also exists in the developing limb bud, where IMP1-deficient...... that IMP3 RNPs may function as cytoplasmic safe houses and prevent miRNA-directed mRNA decay of oncogenes during tumor progression....

  4. The Utility of the Memorable Messages Framework as an Intermediary Evaluation Tool for Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in a Nutrition Education Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, LaShara A; Morgan, Susan E; Mobley, Amy R

    2016-06-01

    Additional strategies to evaluate the impact of community nutrition education programs on low-income individuals are needed. The objective of this qualitative study was to examine the use of the Memorable Messages Framework as an intermediary nutrition education program evaluation tool to determine what fruit and vegetable messages were reported as memorable and the characteristics of those memorable messages. A convenience sample of low-income, primarily African American adults (N = 58) who previously completed a series of community nutrition education lessons within an urban area of Indiana participated in a focus group (N = 8 focus groups). A lead moderator using a semistructured script conducted the focus groups to determine what information about fruits and vegetables was most memorable from the participants' nutrition lessons and why this information was memorable. All focus group audiotapes were transcribed verbatim and ATLAS.ti software was used to code and identify themes within the data. Participants cited quantity, variety, and the positive nutritional impact of eating fruits and vegetables as most memorable. Information given in the form of recipes was also cited as most memorable. For example, participants referred to the recipe demonstrations as not only fun but also key components of the program that helped with message retention and memorability. Key characteristics of memorable messages included personal relevance and message vividness. These findings indicated that the Memorable Messages Framework may serve as an intermediary program evaluation tool to identify what information and messages are most influential to participants in community nutrition education programs. © 2015 Society for Public Health Education.

  5. Comparison of FDG-PET and IMP-SPECT in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishii, Kazunari; Hosaka, Kayo; Mori, Tetsuya; Mori, Etsuro

    2004-01-01

    To investigate regional differences in cerebral glucose metabolism and blood flow of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), we studied 7 subjects with DLB and 20 normal controls using F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and positron emission tomography (PET) and then examined the same 7 subjects and 20 other normal controls with I-123 iodoamphetamine (IMP) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The anatomically standardized images were produced with NEUROSTAT and the regional relative metabolic and perfusional values were calculated. The mean reduction ratios of FDG uptake in the DLB group relative to the mean normal controls in the parietal lobe and occipital lobe were 0.72 and 0.83, respectively, while the corresponding mean reduction ratios of IMP uptake were 0.81 and 0.88, respectively. In the DLB group, parietal FDG uptake was significantly lower than parietal IMP uptake (p<0.05), occipital FDG uptake was significantly lower than occipital IMP uptake (p<0.05), and parietal IMP uptake was significantly lower than occipital IMP uptake (p<0.01), but there was no difference between parietal and occipital FDG uptake. Our findings suggest that parietal metabolism and perfusion are severely affected in DLB patients, though the occipital metabolic and perfusional reduction is thought to be a feature of DLB. FDG-PET is thought to be superior to IMP-SPECT in detecting functional changes in the DLB brain. (author)

  6. Quantitative 123I IMP and 99mTc HMPAO imaging in the dog following cocaine administration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Susskind, Herbert; Weber, David A.; Ivanovic, Marija; Wong, Christopher T.C.; Haan, Constance E. de; Gavin, Patrick R.

    1996-01-01

    SPECT and associated imaging procedures were used in beagle dogs to evaluate the uptake, distribution, and clearance properties of i.v.-injected 123 I IMP (IMP) and 99m Tc HMPAO (HMPAO) in the brain, lungs, liver, and kidneys; (2) quantify the acute effects (after 15 sec) of very low doses (0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg) cocaine on the kinetics and localization properties of IMP and HMPAO; and (3) evaluate comparative imaging properties of IMP and HMPAO for measuring regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF). Regional and global uptake and localization of IMP or HMPAO were evaluated in control studies using dynamic planar (0-30 min) and SPECT imaging (at 35 min). The regional distribution properties of IMP and HMPAO in the brain were estimated from regions of interest (ROIs) drawn around anatomic structures on MR slices and manually registered with corresponding SPECT slices. Cocaine significantly reduced the 30-min IMP uptake in the brain and lungs by ∼15%, but only slightly changed HMPAO uptake in the brain and other organs. In the control studies, the respective uptakes of IMP in the brain and lungs were 9 and 39% greater (p < 0.01) than those of HMPAO. In control SPECT studies, the highest uptake of IMP was observed in the thalamus and progressively less activity was observed in the parietal lobe, frontal lobe, cerebellum, occipital lobe, and entire brain; activity in the olfactory bulb was lower than in all other regions. Cocaine reduced IMP uptake in the cerebellum (p < 0.01), occipital lobe (p < 0.01), and entire brain (p < 0.05). IMP uptake (cpm/pixel-mCi) in the different brain regions was 1.3 to 2.1 times greater than that of HMPAO (p < 0.001). HMPAO uptake was more homogeneous throughout the gray matter of the brain; no significant uptake differences were observed among flagged regions. Results indicate that single, acute doses of cocaine, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg, significantly altered the uptake and localization properties of IMP in the dog's brain, lungs, liver, and kidneys

  7. Serial lung imaging with 123I-IMP in localized pulmonary lesions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakajo, Masayuki; Shimada, Jurio; Shimozono, Michiko; Uchiyama, Noriaki; Hiraki, Yoshiyuki; Shinohara, Shinji.

    1988-01-01

    123 I-IMP (N-isopropyl-p-[ 123 I]-iodoamphetamine) dynamic (1 frame/min for 25 mins), 30-min and 4-hr static lung imaging was performed in a total of 65 patients with roentgenographic evidence of localized pulmonary lesion (12 with pneumonia, one with lung abscess, 5 with pulmonary tuberculosis, 3 with pneumoconiosis, one with lung fluke disease and 43 with various histological types of primary lung cancer). The findings in 65 of 70 (95 %) lesions in the initial 1 or 2-min dynamic 123 I-IMP images were analogous to those obtained by 99m Tc-MAA lung perfusion imaging and decreased activity was observed in 68 of 70 (97 %) lesions, suggesting that the initial images mainly reflected the relative distribution of pulmonary arterial blood flow. However, 123 I-IMP accumulated differently according to the pathological conditions afterwards. Decrease activity from 123 I-IMP was contineously observed in a cavity of the lung abscess, 2 of 2 tuberculomas, 3 of 7 large nodules of pneumoconiosis and all of the 42 cancerous lesions which were possible to be evaluated. Gradual increased in activity relative to that of ''normal lung fields'' was observed in all 14 lesions of pneumonia; pneumonic lesions of the lung abscess, tuberculosis and lung fluke disease; 4 of 7 large nodules of pneumoconiosis; all of 8 atelectatic lesions and 32 of 44 areas surrounding cancers (most of them had roentgenographic evidence of infiltrating shadows). Thus 123 I-IMP accumulated increasingly in pneumonic and atelectatic lesions, while it appeared not to accumulate in such lesions replacing lung tissues as cavity, caseous and fibrous lesions and primary lung cancers. 123 I-IMP can be used as a new lung imaging agent to provide diagnostic informations on the property of pulmonary lesions. (author)

  8. Improving Type Error Messages in OCaml

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arthur Charguéraud

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Cryptic type error messages are a major obstacle to learning OCaml or other ML-based languages. In many cases, error messages cannot be interpreted without a sufficiently-precise model of the type inference algorithm. The problem of improving type error messages in ML has received quite a bit of attention over the past two decades, and many different strategies have been considered. The challenge is not only to produce error messages that are both sufficiently concise and systematically useful to the programmer, but also to handle a full-blown programming language and to cope with large-sized programs efficiently. In this work, we present a modification to the traditional ML type inference algorithm implemented in OCaml that, by significantly reducing the left-to-right bias, allows us to report error messages that are more helpful to the programmer. Our algorithm remains fully predictable and continues to produce fairly concise error messages that always help making some progress towards fixing the code. We implemented our approach as a patch to the OCaml compiler in just a few hundred lines of code. We believe that this patch should benefit not just to beginners, but also to experienced programs developing large-scale OCaml programs.

  9. A Carbapenem-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolate Harboring Two Copies of blaIMP-34 Encoding a Metallo-β-Lactamase.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatsuya Tada

    Full Text Available A carbapenem-resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, NCGM1984, was isolated in 2012 from a hospitalized patient in Japan. Immunochromatographic assay showed that the isolate was positive for IMP-type metallo-β-lactamase. Complete genome sequencing revealed that NCGM1984 harbored two copies of blaIMP-34, located at different sites on the chromosome. Each blaIMP-34 was present in the same structures of the class 1 integrons, tnpA(ISPa7-intI1-qacG-blaIMP-34-aac(6'-Ib-qacEdelta1-sul1-orf5-tniBdelta-tniA. The isolate belonged to multilocus sequence typing ST235, one of the international high-risk clones. IMP-34, with an amino acid substitution (Glu126Gly compared with IMP-1, hydrolyzed all β-lactamases tested except aztreonam, and its catalytic activities were similar to IMP-1. This is the first report of a clinical isolate of an IMP-34-producing P. aeruginosa harboring two copies of blaIMP-34 on its chromosome.

  10. Interpretation criteria for FDG PET/CT in multiple myeloma (IMPeTUs): final results. IMPeTUs (Italian myeloma criteria for PET USe).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nanni, Cristina; Versari, Annibale; Chauvie, Stephane; Bertone, Elisa; Bianchi, Andrea; Rensi, Marco; Bellò, Marilena; Gallamini, Andrea; Patriarca, Francesca; Gay, Francesca; Gamberi, Barbara; Ghedini, Pietro; Cavo, Michele; Fanti, Stefano; Zamagni, Elena

    2018-05-01

    ᅟ: FDG PET/CT ( 18 F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography) is a useful tool to image multiple myeloma (MM). However, simple and reproducible reporting criteria are still lacking and there is the need for harmonization. Recently, a group of Italian nuclear medicine experts defined new visual descriptive criteria (Italian Myeloma criteria for Pet Use: IMPeTUs) to standardize FDG PET/CT evaluation in MM patients. The aim of this study was to assess IMPeTUs reproducibility on a large prospective cohort of MM patients. Patients affected by symptomatic MM who had performed an FDG PET/CT at baseline (PET0), after induction (PET-AI), and the end of treatment (PET-EoT) were prospectively enrolled in a multicenter trial (EMN02)(NCT01910987; MMY3033). After anonymization, PET images were uploaded in the web platform WIDEN® and hence distributed to five expert nuclear medicine reviewers for a blinded independent central review according to the IMPeTUs criteria. Consensus among reviewers was measured by the percentage of agreement and the Krippendorff's alpha. Furthermore, on a patient-based analysis, the concordance among all the reviewers in terms of positivity or negativity of the FDG PET/CT scan was tested for different thresholds of positivity (Deauville score (DS 2, 3, 4, 5) for the main parameters (bone marrow, focal score, extra-medullary disease). Eighty-six patients (211 FDG PET/CT scans) were included in this analysis. Median patient age was 58 years (range, 35-66 years), 45% were male, 15% of them were in stage ISS (International Staging System) III, and 42% had high-risk cytogenetics. The percentage agreement was superior to 75% for all the time points, reaching 100% of agreement in assessing the presence skull lesions after therapy. Comparable results were obtained when the agreement analysis was performed using the Krippendorff's alpha coefficient, either in every single time point of scanning (PET0, PET-AI or PET-EoT) or

  11. cIMP synthesized by sGC as a mediator of hypoxic contraction of coronary arteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zhengju; Zhang, Xu; Ying, Lei; Dou, Dou; Li, Yanhui; Bai, Yun; Liu, Juan; Liu, Limei; Feng, Han; Yu, Xiaoxing; Leung, Susan Wai-Sum; Vanhoutte, Paul M; Gao, Yuansheng

    2014-08-01

    cGMP is considered the only mediator synthesized by soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) in response to nitric oxide (NO). However, purified sGC can synthesize several other cyclic nucleotides, including inosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cIMP). The present study was designed to determine the role of cIMP in hypoxic contractions of isolated porcine coronary arteries. Vascular responses were examined by measuring isometric tension. Cyclic nucleotides were assayed by HPLC tandem mass spectroscopy. Rho kinase (ROCK) activity was determined by measuring the phosphorylation of myosin phosphatase target subunit 1 using Western blot analysis and an ELISA kit. The level of cIMP, but not that of cGMP, was elevated by hypoxia in arteries with, but not in those without, endothelium [except if treated with diethylenetriamine (DETA) NONOate]; the increases in cIMP were inhibited by the sGC inhibitor 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3,-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ). Hypoxia (Po2: 25-30 mmHg) augmented contractions of arteries with and without endothelium if treated with DETA NONOate; these hypoxic contractions were blocked by ODQ. In arteries without endothelium, hypoxic augmentation of contraction was also obtained with exogenous cIMP. In arteries with endothelium, hypoxic augmentation of contraction was further enhanced by inosine 5'-triphosphate, the precursor for cIMP. The augmentation of contraction caused by hypoxia or cIMP was accompanied by increased phosphorylation of myosin phosphatase target subunit 1 at Thr(853), which was prevented by the ROCK inhibitor Y-27632. ROCK activity in the supernatant of isolated arteries was stimulated by cIMP in a concentration-dependent fashion. These results demonstrate that cIMP synthesized by sGC is the likely mediator of hypoxic augmentation of coronary vasoconstriction, in part by activating ROCK. Copyright © 2014 the American Physiological Society.

  12. Efficacy of Web-Based Collection of Strength-Based Testimonials for Text Message Extension of Youth Suicide Prevention Program: Randomized Controlled Experiment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thiha, Phyo; Pisani, Anthony R; Gurditta, Kunali; Cherry, Erin; Peterson, Derick R; Kautz, Henry; Wyman, Peter A

    2016-11-09

    Equipping members of a target population to deliver effective public health messaging to peers is an established approach in health promotion. The Sources of Strength program has demonstrated the promise of this approach for "upstream" youth suicide prevention. Text messaging is a well-established medium for promoting behavior change and is the dominant communication medium for youth. In order for peer 'opinion leader' programs like Sources of Strength to use scalable, wide-reaching media such as text messaging to spread peer-to-peer messages, they need techniques for assisting peer opinion leaders in creating effective testimonials to engage peers and match program goals. We developed a Web interface, called Stories of Personal Resilience in Managing Emotions (StoryPRIME), which helps peer opinion leaders write effective, short-form messages that can be delivered to the target population in youth suicide prevention program like Sources of Strength. To determine the efficacy of StoryPRIME, a Web-based interface for remotely eliciting high school peer leaders, and helping them produce high-quality, personal testimonials for use in a text messaging extension of an evidence-based, peer-led suicide prevention program. In a double-blind randomized controlled experiment, 36 high school students wrote testimonials with or without eliciting from the StoryPRIME interface. The interface was created in the context of Sources of Strength-an evidence-based youth suicide prevention program-and 24 ninth graders rated these testimonials on relatability, usefulness/relevance, intrigue, and likability. Testimonials written with the StoryPRIME interface were rated as more relatable, useful/relevant, intriguing, and likable than testimonials written without StoryPRIME, P=.054. StoryPRIME is a promising way to elicit high-quality, personal testimonials from youth for prevention programs that draw on members of a target population to spread public health messages. ©Phyo Thiha, Anthony

  13. Brain scintigraphy with N-isopropyl [123I] p-iodoamphetamine (123I IMP) in patients with various cerebral diseases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oshibuchi, Masao; Kanda, Teturo; Sato, Mitutaka; Miyagi, Jun; Ohtake, Hisasi; Suhara, Tetuya; Mori, Atuyoshi.

    1988-01-01

    Single photon emission computed tomography(SPECT) with N-isopropyl-p-[ 123 I]-iodoamphet amine(IMP) was utilized in 99 patients with various cerebral diseases and 3 healthy volunteers. By IMP SPECT, demaged area was observed as wider and faster in time than with X-ray CT or MRI. The nidus was visualized as defect of IMP in cases of AVM. In patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage, IMP SPECT was more useful for detecting of post hemorrhagic symptomatic vasospasm compared to X-ray CT or MRI. IMP SPECT was also useful to the differential diagnosis in cases of dementia. Grossed cerebellar diaschisis(CCD) was observed in 26 out of 67 cases (39 %) studied. In epilepsy the low uptake areas of IMP in the bilateral occipital lobes were observed in IMP SPECT. (author)

  14. Starting Off on the Best Foot: A Review of Message Framing and Message Tailoring, and Recommendations for the Comprehensive Messaging Strategy for Sustained Behavior Change.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pope, J Paige; Pelletier, Luc; Guertin, Camille

    2018-09-01

    Health promotion programs represent a salient means through which physical activity promoters can cultivate positive health behavior change and maintenance. The messages communicated within these programs serve as an essential component as they are often used to convey valuable information, resources, or tools that facilitate health behavior initiation and sustained engagement. Identifying the most effective way to communicate health promotion information is, therefore, of considerable importance to ensuring that people not only attend to these messages, but also connect with and internalize the information conveyed within them. This paper was written to (1) summarize and evaluate the most prominent reviewed research approaches of message framing and tailoring to message design; and (2) offer a comprehensive messaging strategy to promote sustained health behavior change. A review of the literature demonstrated that a messaging strategy that has consistently led to healthy behavior change has yet to be identified. Furthermore, scholars have articulated that a multi-theoretical approach that places emphasis on facilitating motivation and healthy behavior change needs to be employed. Thus, this paper proposes and provides recommendations for employing the Comprehensive Messaging Strategy for Sustained Behavior Change (CMSSBC), which advocates tailoring messages to peoples' stage of change and framing them to focus on self-determined motives and intrinsic goals.

  15. Text messaging data collection for monitoring an infant feeding intervention program in rural China: feasibility study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Ye; Wang, Wei; van Velthoven, Michelle Helena; Chen, Li; Car, Josip; Rudan, Igor; Zhang, Yanfeng; Wu, Qiong; Du, Xiaozhen; Scherpbier, Robert W

    2013-12-04

    An effective data collection method is crucial for high quality monitoring of health interventions. The traditional face-to-face data collection method is labor intensive, expensive, and time consuming. With the rapid increase of mobile phone subscribers, text messaging has the potential to be used for evaluation of population health interventions in rural China. The objective of this study was to explore the feasibility of using text messaging as a data collection tool to monitor an infant feeding intervention program. Participants were caregivers of children aged 0 to 23 months in rural China who participated in an infant feeding health education program. We used the test-retest method. First, we collected data with a text messaging survey and then with a face-to-face survey for 2 periods of 3 days. We compared the response rate, data agreement, costs, and participants' acceptability of the two methods. Also, we interviewed participants to explore their reasons for not responding to the text messages and the reasons for disagreement in the two methods. In addition, we evaluated the most appropriate time during the day for sending text messages. We included 258 participants; 99 (38.4%) participated in the text messaging survey and 177 (68.6%) in the face-to-face survey. Compared with the face-to-face survey, the text messaging survey had much lower response rates to at least one question (38.4% vs 68.6%) and to all 7 questions (27.9% vs 67.4%) with moderate data agreement (most kappa values between .5 and .75, the intraclass correlation coefficients between .53 to .72). Participants who took part in both surveys gave the same acceptability rating for both methods (median 4.0 for both on a 5-point scale, 1=disliked very much and 5=liked very much). The costs per questionnaire for the text messaging method were much lower than the costs for the face-to-face method: ¥19.7 (US $3.13) versus ¥33.9 (US $5.39) for all questionnaires, and ¥27.1 (US $4.31) versus ¥34

  16. Imp2 regulates GBM progression by activating IGF2/PI3K/Akt pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mu, Qingchun; Wang, Lijun; Yu, Fengbo; Gao, Haijun; Lei, Ting; Li, Peiwen; Liu, Pengfei; Zheng, Xu; Hu, Xitong; Chen, Yong; Jiang, Zhenfeng; Sayari, Arash J; Shen, Jia; Huang, Haiyan

    2015-01-01

    Glioblastomas multiforme (GBM) are the most frequently occurring malignant brain cancers. Treatment for GBM consists of surgical resection and subsequent adjuvant radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Despite this, GBM patient survival is limited to 12-15 months, and researchers are continually trying to develop improved therapy options. Insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 2 (Imp2) is known to be upregulated in many cancers and is known to regulate the signaling activity of insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2). However, relatively little is known about its role in malignant development of GBM. In this study, we first found Imp2 is upregulated in GBM tissues by using clinical samples and public database search. Studies with loss and gain of Imp2 expression in in vitro GBM cell culture system demonstrated the role of Imp2 in promoting GBM cell proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Additionally, our results show that Imp2 regulates the activity of IGF2, which further activates PI3K/Akt signaling, thereby to promote GBM malignancy. Inhibition of Imp2 was also found to sensitize GBM to temozolomide treatment. These observations add to the current knowledge of GBM biology, and may prove useful in development of more effective GBM therapy.

  17. 'Nuclearelectrica' Company messages for a broadly acceptable nuclear power program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stiopol, Mihaela; Bilegan, C. Iosif

    2001-01-01

    Romania started the nuclear power program about 20 years ago, by a high level Government decision. After 1989 the former Ministry of Electrical Power was transformed into a state owned company, RENEL, in which nuclear activities were also included. RENEL was a monopoly system responsible for production, transport and distribution of electricity in Romania. The deregulation process in the power sector was many times asked by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, to split this monopoly system in separately activities: Production, Transport and Distribution. The first step occurred in July 1998, when the nuclear activities were externalized from RENEL. In nuclear sector two new entities were created: SN 'Nuclearelectrica' SA, a state own company that includes three branches: - Nuclear Power Production - Cernavoda NPP Unit 1; - Nuclear Fuel Plant-Pitesti; - Project Development Branch - Cernavoda Units 2-5. The second entity is the so-called Romanian Authority (Autonomous Reggie) for Nuclear Activities (RAAN), including as branches the heavy water fabrication plant 'ROMAG PROD', the Nuclear Research Institute (ICN) Pitesti and the Nuclear Engineering and Design Institute (CITON) Bucharest. The rest of conventional power sector was renamed, namely, CONEL. The organization process continued and in August 2000, by a Government Ordinance the CONEL was split into the following companies: - one for hydropower production 'HIDROELECTRICA'; - one for thermal power production 'TERMOELECTRICA'; - one for transport 'TRANSELECTRICA'; - one for distribution 'ELECTRICA'. The goal of a third step of restructuring process is the privatization in the power field. The steps of Romanian Power Sector Restructuring are presented. Since 1991 a Public Information program has been established. Depending on the evolution of the construction of the first Romanian nuclear power station, during the years, the messages changed. Everybody working in the nuclear field knows how difficult is

  18. Our messages for a broadly acceptable national nuclear program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stiopol, Mihaela; Bilegan, Iosif Constantin

    2001-01-01

    Full text: Romania started the nuclear power program some 20 years ago by a high level Government decision. During that time no one asked and nobody explained to the people why a NPP is so much required. Before revolution was forbidden to talk or to write about nuclear matters. After the revolution many changes have occurred even in this field. The former ministry of electrical power was transformed into a state owned company 'RENEL' in which were also included the nuclear activities. RENEL was a monopoly responsible for production, transportation and distribution of electricity in Romania. The restructuring process in the energy field was many times asked by the World Bank and International monetary Fund - to split this monopoly system in separately activities: Production, Transportation and Distribution. The first step happened in July 1998, when the nuclear activities were externalised from RENEL, and two new entities were created: 'Nuclearelectrica' National Company - a state own company which includes three branches: - Nuclear Power Production - Cernavoda NPP - Unit 1; - Nuclear Fuel Plant - Pitesti; - Project Development Branch - Cernavoda - Unit 2-5. The second entity is so-called Autonomous Reggie for Nuclear Activities including the Heavy Water production, Nuclear Research Institute and the nuclear engineering activities - CITON. The restructuring process continued and in August 2000, By a Government Ordinance the rest of RENEL was split in more companies: - one for Hydropower production; - one for thermal power production; - one for transport; - one for distribution. The goal of a third step of restructuring process is the privatisation in the power field. Since 1991 a Public Information program has been established and it followed the usual steps. Depending on the evolution of the construction of the first Romanian nuclear power during the years the messages changed. Everybody working in the nuclear field knows now how difficult is to build the

  19. Serial lung imaging with /sup 123/I-IMP in localized pulmonary lesions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nakajo, Masayuki; Shimada, Jurio; Shimozono, Michiko; Uchiyama, Noriaki; Hiraki, Yoshiyuki; Shinohara, Shinji.

    1988-05-01

    /sup 123/I-IMP (N-isopropyl-p-(/sup 123/I)-iodoamphetamine) dynamic (1 frame/min for 25 mins), 30-min and 4-hr static lung imaging was performed in a total of 65 patients with roentgenographic evidence of localized pulmonary lesion (12 with pneumonia, one with lung abscess, 5 with pulmonary tuberculosis, 3 with pneumoconiosis, one with lung fluke disease and 43 with various histological types of primary lung cancer). The findings in 65 of 70 (95 %) lesions in the initial 1 or 2-min dynamic /sup 123/I-IMP images were analogous to those obtained by /sup 99m/Tc-MAA lung perfusion imaging and decreased activity was observed in 68 of 70 (97 %) lesions, suggesting that the initial images mainly reflected the relative distribution of pulmonary arterial blood flow. However, /sup 123/I-IMP accumulated differently according to the pathological conditions afterwards. Decrease activity from /sup 123/I-IMP was contineously observed in a cavity of the lung abscess, 2 of 2 tuberculomas, 3 of 7 large nodules of pneumoconiosis and all of the 42 cancerous lesions which were possible to be evaluated. Gradual increased in activity relative to that of ''normal lung fields'' was observed in all 14 lesions of pneumonia; pneumonic lesions of the lung abscess, tuberculosis and lung fluke disease; 4 of 7 large nodules of pneumoconiosis; all of 8 atelectatic lesions and 32 of 44 areas surrounding cancers (most of them had roentgenographic evidence of infiltrating shadows). Thus /sup 123/I-IMP accumulated increasingly in pneumonic and atelectatic lesions, while it appeared not to accumulate in such lesions replacing lung tissues as cavity, caseous and fibrous lesions and primary lung cancers. /sup 123/I-IMP can be used as a new lung imaging agent to provide diagnostic informations on the property of pulmonary lesions.

  20. Boys to Men: Sports Media. Messages about Masculinity: A National Poll of Children, Focus Groups, and Content Analysis of Sports Programs and Commercials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Messner, Mike; Hunt, Darnell; Dunbar, Michele; Chen, Perry; Lapp, Joan; Miller, Patti

    Sports programming plays a significant role in the media messages that American boys receive today. To explore the messages that sports programming presents to its audience, this report relates the findings of a study that analyzed a representative selection of sports programs and their accompanying commercials; also presented are findings from a…

  1. Text Messaging Data Collection for Monitoring an Infant Feeding Intervention Program in Rural China: Feasibility Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Velthoven, Michelle Helena; Chen, Li; Car, Josip; Rudan, Igor; Wu, Qiong; Du, Xiaozhen; Scherpbier, Robert W

    2013-01-01

    Background An effective data collection method is crucial for high quality monitoring of health interventions. The traditional face-to-face data collection method is labor intensive, expensive, and time consuming. With the rapid increase of mobile phone subscribers, text messaging has the potential to be used for evaluation of population health interventions in rural China. Objective The objective of this study was to explore the feasibility of using text messaging as a data collection tool to monitor an infant feeding intervention program. Methods Participants were caregivers of children aged 0 to 23 months in rural China who participated in an infant feeding health education program. We used the test-retest method. First, we collected data with a text messaging survey and then with a face-to-face survey for 2 periods of 3 days. We compared the response rate, data agreement, costs, and participants’ acceptability of the two methods. Also, we interviewed participants to explore their reasons for not responding to the text messages and the reasons for disagreement in the two methods. In addition, we evaluated the most appropriate time during the day for sending text messages. Results We included 258 participants; 99 (38.4%) participated in the text messaging survey and 177 (68.6%) in the face-to-face survey. Compared with the face-to-face survey, the text messaging survey had much lower response rates to at least one question (38.4% vs 68.6%) and to all 7 questions (27.9% vs 67.4%) with moderate data agreement (most kappa values between .5 and .75, the intraclass correlation coefficients between .53 to .72). Participants who took part in both surveys gave the same acceptability rating for both methods (median 4.0 for both on a 5-point scale, 1=disliked very much and 5=liked very much). The costs per questionnaire for the text messaging method were much lower than the costs for the face-to-face method: ¥19.7 (US $3.13) versus ¥33.9 (US $5.39) for all

  2. Distinct Signaling Roles of cIMP, cCMP, and cUMP.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seifert, Roland

    2016-10-04

    The cyclic purine nucleotide cIMP and the cyclic pyrimidine nucleotides cCMP and cUMP are emerging second messengers. These cNMPs show different biological effects, but the molecular mechanisms remain elusive. In this issue of Structure, Ng et al. (2016) provide structural evidence for distinct interactions of cIMP, cCMP, and cUMP with ion channels. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. N-isopropyl-p-[I123] iodoamphetamine single photon emission computed tomography (I123-IMP SPECT) and child neurology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tada, Hiroshi; Morooka, Keiichi; Arimoto, Kiyoshi; Matsuo, Takiko; Takagi, Kazue; Yanagawa, Etsuko

    1992-01-01

    We studied the clinical usefulness of I 123 -IMP SPECT in 50 pediatric patients with CNS disorders, which were categorized into the convulsive disorder group (n=20), the cerebrovascular disorder group (n=10), the acute encephalopathy or CNS infection group (n=10), the metabolic or degenerative disorder group (n=6), the congenital abnormality group (n=2) and the migraine group (n=2). The findings obtained were compared with those of cranial CT. I 123 -IMP SPECT revealed abnormal findings in 45 out of the 50 patients (90%), although cranial CT showed abnormal findings in only 24 patients (48%). This difference was statistically significant (p 123 -IMP SPECT showed focal abnormalities in 26 patients (93%). Moreover in many patients with focal neurological abnormalities, we found focal abnormalities of I 123 -IMP SPECT related with neurological abnormalities of the patients. From these findings, we think I 123 -IMP SPECT might be superior to CT scanning in examining a localized lesion. It was found that in many patients with focal abnormalities in CT scanning, I 123 -IMP SPECT showed larger abnormalities in CT scanning. By using I 123 -IMP SPECT we might be able to study the blood perfusional state surrounding the abnormal area shown by CT. In 3 patients with acute cerebrovascular disorders, I 123 -IMP SPECT revealed abnormal findings 3 to 11 days earlier than cranial CT. I 123 -IMP SPECT might be useful for early recognition of the pathological state. From these experiences, we concluded that I 123 -IMP SPECT was useful for studying the pathophysiology of CNS disorders in children. (author)

  4. The Utility of the Memorable Messages Framework as an Intermediary Evaluation Tool for Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in a Nutrition Education Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, LaShara A.; Morgan, Susan E.; Mobley, Amy R.

    2016-01-01

    Additional strategies to evaluate the impact of community nutrition education programs on low-income individuals are needed. The objective of this qualitative study was to examine the use of the Memorable Messages Framework as an intermediary nutrition education program evaluation tool to determine what fruit and vegetable messages were reported…

  5. Integrated Micro-Power System (IMPS) Development at NASA Glenn Research Center

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilt, David; Hepp, Aloysius; Moran, Matt; Jenkins, Phillip; Scheiman, David; Raffaelle, Ryne

    2003-01-01

    Glenn Research Center (GRC) has a long history of energy related technology developments for large space related power systems, including photovoltaics, thermo-mechanical energy conversion, electrochemical energy storage. mechanical energy storage, power management and distribution and power system design. Recently, many of these technologies have begun to be adapted for small, distributed power system applications or Integrated Micro-Power Systems (IMPS). This paper will describe the IMPS component and system demonstration efforts to date.

  6. Comparison of I-123 IMP cerebral uptake and MR spectroscopy following experimental carotid occlusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holman, B.L.; Jolesz, F.A.; Polak, J.F.; Kronauge, J.F.; Adams, D.F.

    1985-01-01

    Both I-123 IMP scintigraphy and MRI have been suggested as sensitive detectors of changes shortly after acute cerebral infarction. We compared the uptake of N-isopropyl I-123 p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) and MR spectroscopy of the brain after internal carotid artery ligation. Thirteen gerbils were lightly anesthetized with ether. After neck dissection, an internal carotid artery was occluded. After 2.8 hours, 100 muCi I-123 IMP was injected intravenously into the 13 experimental animals plus three controls. Seven gerbils remained asymptomatic while six developed hemiparesis. At 3 hours after ligation, the animals were killed. The brains were bisected and T1 and T2 relaxation times were determined for the right and left hemispheres by MR spectroscopy immediately after dissection. I-123 IMP uptake was then determined in the samples. Interhemispheric differences in uptake for I-123 IMP were 0.1 +/- 1.7% (SEM) in the control, 33.5 +/- 10% in the asymptomatic and 54.6 +/- 9.7% in the symptomatic animals. Significant differences were seen with I-123 IMP in 6/7 asymptomatic and 6/6 symptomatic animals. In conclusion, I-123 is more sensitive than T1 or T2 relaxation times for the detection of cerebral perfusion abnormalities. Prolongation in T1 and T2 relaxation times correlates closely with increased brain tissue water content and the development of symptoms, indicators of structural brain damage and probable infarction

  7. IMP: Using microsat technology to support engineering research inside of the International Space Station

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carroll, Kieran A.

    2000-01-01

    This paper describes an International Space Station (ISS) experiment-support facility being developed by Dynacon for the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), based on microsatellite technology. The facility is called the ``Intravehicular Maneuverable Platform,'' or IMP. The core of IMP is a small, free-floating platform (or ``bus'') deployed inside one of the pressurized crew modules of ISS. Exchangeable experimental payloads can then be mounted to the IMP bus, in order to carry out engineering development or demonstration tests, or microgravity science experiments: the bus provides these payloads with services typical of a standard satellite bus (power, attitude control, etc.). The IMP facility takes advantage of unique features of the ISS, such as the Shuttle-based logistics system and the continuous availability of crew members, to greatly reduce the expense of carrying out space engineering experiments. Further cost reduction has been made possible by incorporating technology that Dynacon has developed for use in a current microsatellite mission. Numerous potential payloads for IMP have been identified, and the first of these (a flexible satellite control experiment) is under development by Dynacon and the University of Toronto's Institute for Aerospace Studies, for the CSA. .

  8. Baseline Motivation Type as a Predictor of Dropout in a Healthy Eating Text Messaging Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coa, Kisha; Patrick, Heather

    2016-09-29

    Growing evidence suggests that text messaging programs are effective in facilitating health behavior change. However, high dropout rates limit the potential effectiveness of these programs. This paper describes patterns of early dropout in the HealthyYou text (HYTxt) program, with a focus on the impact of baseline motivation quality on dropout, as characterized by Self-Determination Theory (SDT). This analysis included 193 users of HYTxt, a diet and physical activity text messaging intervention developed by the US National Cancer Institute. Descriptive statistics were computed, and logistic regression models were run to examine the association between baseline motivation type and early program dropout. Overall, 43.0% (83/193) of users dropped out of the program; of these, 65.1% (54/83; 28.0% of all users) did so within the first 2 weeks. Users with higher autonomous motivation had significantly lower odds of dropping out within the first 2 weeks. A one unit increase in autonomous motivation was associated with lower odds (odds ratio 0.44, 95% CI 0.24-0.81) of early dropout, which persisted after adjusting for level of controlled motivation. Applying SDT-based strategies to enhance autonomous motivation might reduce early dropout rates, which can improve program exposure and effectiveness.

  9. A comparison among 123I-IMP SPECT, EEG and MRI in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tatsu, Yoshimitsu; Nishigaki, Hiroshi; Adachi, Itaru

    1994-01-01

    N-isopropyl-p-[ 123 I]iodoamphetamine ( 123 I-IMP) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), electroencephalography (EEG), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed in 19 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy during interictal stage. MRI demonstrated abnormal signal in mesial temporal lobe (hippocampus) in 10 of 19 patients and 123 I-IMP SPECT showed a hypoperfusion area in 15 of 19 patients. When compared with EEG and MRI data, disagreement of the affected area was observed in 3 cases. In comparison of EEG and 123 I-IMP SPECT data, disagreement of the affected area was observed in 6 cases. Although there was no disagreement in comparison of MRI and 123 I-IMP SPECT. We made a reprojection data parallel to the hippocampus in 123 I-IMP SPECT. These data demonstrated obviously a hypoperfusion area around the hippocampus. In cases within one month from seizure attack, wide hypoperfusion area was showed on 123 I-IMP SPECT in comparison of abnormal signal area on MRI. It could be considered that a reprojection data parallel to the hippocampus was useful to know extent of hypoperfusion area in temporal lobe epilepsy. (author)

  10. Development of selective medium for IMP-type carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in stool specimens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamamoto, Norihisa; Kawahara, Ryuji; Akeda, Yukihiro; Shanmugakani, Rathina Kumar; Yoshida, Hisao; Hagiya, Hideharu; Hara, Naohiro; Nishi, Isao; Yukawa, Satomi; Asada, Rumiko; Sasaki, Yumi; Maeda, Kazuhiro; Sakamoto, Noriko; Hamada, Shigeyuki; Tomono, Kazunori

    2017-03-24

    Identification of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) in faecal specimens is challenging. This fact is particularly critical because low-level carbapenem-resistant organisms such as IMP-producing CPE are most prevalent in Japan. We developed a modified selective medium more suitable for IMP-type CPE. Fifteen reference CPE strains producing different types of β-lactamases were used to evaluate the commercially available CHROMagar KPC and chromID CARBA as well as the newly prepared MC-ECC medium (CHROMagar ECC supplemented with meropenem, cloxacillin, and ZnSO 4 ) and M-ECC medium (CHROMagar ECC supplemented with meropenem and ZnSO 4 ). A total of 1035 clinical samples were then examined to detect CPE using chromID CARBA and M-ECC medium. All tested strains producing NDM-, KPC-, and OXA-48-carbapenemases were successfully cultured in the media employed. Although most of the IMP-positive strains did not grow in CHROMagar KPC, chromID CARBA, or MC-ECC, all tested strains grew on M-ECC. When faecal samples were applied to the media, M-ECC medium allowed the best growth of IMP-type CPE with a significantly higher sensitivity (99.3%) than that of chromID CARBA (13.9%). M-ECC medium was determined as the most favourable selective medium for the detection of IMP-type CPE as well as other types of CPE.

  11. IMP-27, a Unique Metallo-β-Lactamase Identified in Geographically Distinct Isolates of Proteus mirabilis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dixon, Nyssa; Fowler, Randal C; Yoshizumi, A; Horiyama, Tsukasa; Ishii, Y; Harrison, Lucas; Geyer, Chelsie N; Moland, Ellen Smith; Thomson, Kenneth; Hanson, Nancy D

    2016-10-01

    A novel metallo-β-lactamase gene, blaIMP-27, was identified in unrelated Proteus mirabilis isolates from two geographically distinct locations in the United States. Both isolates harbor blaIMP-27 as part of the first gene cassette in a class 2 integron. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing indicated susceptibility to aztreonam, piperacillin-tazobactam, and ceftazidime but resistance to ertapenem. However, hydrolysis assays indicated that ceftazidime was a substrate for IMP-27. Copyright © 2016 Dixon et al.

  12. Evaluation of newborns with brain disease using 123I-IMP SPECT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oshima, Motoo; Yasukochi, Hiroshi; Suzuki, Chizuko; Sasaki, Junko; Kitoh, Osamu.

    1993-01-01

    Eleven newborns with suspected cerebral disease were evaluated using 123 I-IMP SPECT. In a normal subject, high uptake was shown in the sensorimotor cortex, thalamus, midbrain-brainstem, and cerebellar vermis. Decreased perfusion was also noted in the frontal lobe. In hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), diffuse decreased uptake which showed no redistribution in the white matter was seen in two patients. These two patients had a poor prognosis. In one of the other 4 patients with HIE, persistent defect in parasagittal area was recognized and the patient also had a poor prognosis. In one of two patients with tuberous sclerosis, 123 I-IMP SPECT showed high uptake in the area of increased density shown in CT. Thus, 123 I-IMP SPECT of newborn has characteristic findings different from the adult. This tracer also might have a prognostic value of clinical improvement following HIE. (author)

  13. I-123 IMP brain scintigraphies in asphyxiated newborns

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maeda, Hisatoshi; Konishi, Yukuo; Kuriyama, Masanori; Ishii, Yasushi; Sudo, Masakatsu

    1987-01-01

    Brain scintigraphies with N-Isopropyl (I-123) p-Iodoamphetamine (I-123 IMP) were conducted in eight patients who had asphyxia at the time of birth. Two patients, 15 and 26 year-old, had local defects and diffuse low cerebral uptakes. Two children, 70 day and 2 year-old, had no cerebral uptake. Brain scintigraphies were carried out twice in three among four newborns. Only slight I-123 IMP brain uptakes were observed in the first 10 days. The lateral views of the brain scintigraphies showed increased uptake in the middle region of the brain between 10 to 30 days and reached almost equally distributed in frontal, middle and posterior regions after 30 days. These results were thought to represent rather developmental changes of the cerebral blood flow after ischemic attacks at birth. (author)

  14. mTOR complex 2 phosphorylates IMP1 cotranslationally to promote IGF2 production and the proliferation of mouse embryonic fibroblasts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dai, Ning; Christiansen, Jan; Nielsen, Finn

    2013-01-01

    uncover a new mechanism by which mTOR regulates organismal growth by promoting IGF2 production in the mouse embryo through mTORC2-catalyzed cotranslational IMP1/IMP3 phosphorylation. Inasmuch as TORC2 is activated by association with ribosomes, the present results indicate that mTORC2-catalyzed...... production, and diminished proliferation. The proliferation of the IMP1-null fibroblasts can be restored to wild-type levels by IGF2 in vitro or by re-expression of IMP1, which corrects the defects in IGF2 RNA splicing and translation. The ability of IMP1 to correct these defects is dependent on IMP1...

  15. IMP2, a nuclear gene controlling the mitochondrial dependence of galactose, maltose and raffinose utilization in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donnini, C; Lodi, T; Ferrero, I; Puglisi, P P

    1992-02-01

    The IMP2 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is involved in the nucleo-mitochondrial control of maltose, galactose and raffinose utilization as shown by the inability of imp2 mutants to grow on these carbon sources in respiratory-deficient conditions or in the presence of ethidium bromide and erythromycin. The negative phenotype cannot be scored in the presence of inhibitors of respiration and oxidative phosphorylation, indicating that the role of the mitochondria in the utilization of the above-mentioned carbon sources in imp2 mutants is not at the energetical level. Mutations in the IMP2 gene also confer many phenotypic alterations in respiratory-sufficient conditions, e.g. leaky phenotype on oxidizable carbon sources, sensitivity to heat shock and sporulation deficiency. The IMP2 gene has been cloned, sequenced and disrupted. The phenotype of null imp2 mutants is indistinguishable from that of the originally isolated mutant.

  16. Oncofetal Protein IMP3: A Novel Molecular Marker That Predicts Metastasis of Papillary and Chromophobe Renal Cell Carcinomas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Zhong; Lohse, Christine M.; Chu, Peigou G.; Wu, Chin-Lee; Woda, Bruce A.; Rock, Kenneth L.; Kwon, Eugene D.

    2009-01-01

    BACKGROUND Whether an oncofetal protein, IMP3, can serve as a prognostic biomarker to predict metastasis for patients with localized papillary and chromophobe subtypes of renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) was investigated. METHODS The expression of IMP3 in 334 patients with primary papillary and chromophobe RCC from multiple medical centers was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The 317 patients with localized papillary and chromophobe RCCs were further evaluated for outcome analyses. RESULTS IMP3 was significantly increased in a subset of localized papillary and chromophobe RCCs that subsequently metastasized. Patients with localized IMP3-positive tumors (n = 33; 10%) were over 10 times more likely to metastasize (risk ratio [RR], 11.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.40–23.96; P <.001) and were nearly twice as likely to die (RR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.13–3.22; P =.016) compared with patients with localized IMP3 negative tumors. The 5-year metastasis-free and overall survival rates were 64% and 58% for patients with IMP3-positive localized papillary and chromophobe RCCs compared with 98% and 85% for patients with IMP3 negative tumors, respectively. In multivariable analysis adjusting for the TNM stage and nuclear grade, patients with IMP3-positive tumors were still over 10 times more likely to progress to distant metastasis (RR, 13.45; 95% CI, 6.00–30.14; P <.001) and were still nearly twice as likely die (RR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.15–3.31; P =.013) compared with patients with IMP3-negative tumors. CONCLUSIONS IMP3 is an independent prognostic biomarker that can be used to identify a subgroup of patients with localized papillary and chromophobe RCC who are at high risk for developing distant metastasis. PMID:18412154

  17. A Preliminary Version of Heavy Ion Treatment Planning System at IMP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Xinguo; Dai Zhongying; Ye Fei; Wu Qingfeng; Li Ping; Li Qiang; Jin Xiaodong; Du Xiaogang; WangYangping; Dang Jianwu

    2010-01-01

    Based on the Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou (HIRFL/HIRFL-CSR), clinical trials of heavy ion radiotherapy are being conducted at the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, where two-dimensional(2D) layer-stacking conformal irradiation method in a passive beam delivery system was applied. To make better use of the biophysical advantages of heavy ion beams and ensure success of the clinical trials, a preliminary version of heavy ion treatment planning system (TPS) has been developed at IMP. The TPS was designed in a manner to adapt to the 2D layer-stacking conformal irradiation method. The architecture and function of the TPS software and the implementation of dose calculation algorithm in the TPS were introduced in this paper.The deviation between the doses planned by the TPS and measured through an anthropomorphous phantom was verified to be less than 5%. Finally,the pending issues for developing a sophisticated treatment planning system at IMP were discussed. (authors)

  18. Engineered cell-cell communication via DNA messaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ortiz Monica E

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Evolution has selected for organisms that benefit from genetically encoded cell-cell communication. Engineers have begun to repurpose elements of natural communication systems to realize programmed pattern formation and coordinate other population-level behaviors. However, existing engineered systems rely on system-specific small molecules to send molecular messages among cells. Thus, the information transmission capacity of current engineered biological communication systems is physically limited by specific biomolecules that are capable of sending only a single message, typically “regulate transcription.” Results We have engineered a cell-cell communication platform using bacteriophage M13 gene products to autonomously package and deliver heterologous DNA messages of varying lengths and encoded functions. We demonstrate the decoupling of messages from a common communication channel via the autonomous transmission of various arbitrary genetic messages. Further, we increase the range of engineered DNA messaging across semisolid media by linking message transmission or receipt to active cellular chemotaxis. Conclusions We demonstrate decoupling of a communication channel from message transmission within engineered biological systems via the autonomous targeted transduction of user-specified heterologous DNA messages. We also demonstrate that bacteriophage M13 particle production and message transduction occurs among chemotactic bacteria. We use chemotaxis to improve the range of DNA messaging, increasing both transmission distance and communication bit rates relative to existing small molecule-based communication systems. We postulate that integration of different engineered cell-cell communication platforms will allow for more complex spatial programming of dynamic cellular consortia.

  19. Application of a Tsunami Warning Message Metric to refine NOAA NWS Tsunami Warning Messages

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gregg, C. E.; Johnston, D.; Sorensen, J.; Whitmore, P.

    2013-12-01

    In 2010, the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) funded a three year project to integrate social science into their Tsunami Program. One of three primary requirements of the grant was to make improvements to tsunami warning messages of the NWS' two Tsunami Warning Centers- the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WCATWC) in Palmer, Alaska and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. We conducted focus group meetings with a purposive sample of local, state and Federal stakeholders and emergency managers in six states (AK, WA, OR, CA, HI and NC) and two US Territories (US Virgin Islands and American Samoa) to qualitatively asses information needs in tsunami warning messages using WCATWC tsunami messages for the March 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami event. We also reviewed research literature on behavioral response to warnings to develop a tsunami warning message metric that could be used to guide revisions to tsunami warning messages of both warning centers. The message metric is divided into categories of Message Content, Style, Order and Formatting and Receiver Characteristics. A message is evaluated by cross-referencing the message with the operational definitions of metric factors. Findings are then used to guide revisions of the message until the characteristics of each factor are met. Using findings from this project and findings from a parallel NWS Warning Tiger Team study led by T. Nicolini, the WCATWC implemented the first of two phases of revisions to their warning messages in November 2012. A second phase of additional changes, which will fully implement the redesign of messages based on the metric, is in progress. The resulting messages will reflect current state-of-the-art knowledge on warning message effectiveness. Here we present the message metric; evidence-based rational for message factors; and examples of previous, existing and proposed messages.

  20. Clinical research on quantitative imaging of cerebral blood flow using 123I-IMP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kinoshita, Hirofumi

    1987-01-01

    Cerebral blood flow measurement was performed using N-Isopropyl-p-( 123 I)-Iodoam-phetamine (IMP) and rotating gammacamera emission computed tomography (ECT), and a new quantitative profile curve was designed. There was a good correlation between the cerebral blood flow measured by intravenous Xe-133 method and that measured by IMP method in ten normal volunteers. IMP-ECT was performed in 40 patients with various cerebral diseases. The following results were obtained: 1. Minimum recognizable cerebral blood flow difference was 5 ml/100 g/min. 2. Quantitative redistribution was observed in approximately half of the cases which showed qualitative redistribution. 3. The incidence of crossed cerebellar diaschiasis was high among patients with significant cerebral disease (8 cases/10 cases). (author)

  1. Incorporation of a recombinant Eimeria maxima IMP1 antigen into nanoparticles confers protective immunity against E. Maxima challenge infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenkins, Mark C; Stevens, Laura; O'Brien, Celia; Parker, Carolyn; Miska, Katrzyna; Konjufca, Vjollca

    2018-02-14

    The purpose of this study was to determine if conjugating a recombinant Eimeria maxima protein, namely EmaxIMP1, into 20 nm polystyrene nanoparticles (NP) could improve the level of protective immunity against E. maxima challenge infection. Recombinant EmaxIMP1 was expressed in Escherichia coli as a poly-His fusion protein, purified by NiNTA chromatography, and conjugated to 20 nm polystyrene NP (NP-EmaxIMP1). NP-EMaxIMP1 or control non-recombinant (NP-NR) protein were delivered per os to newly-hatched broiler chicks with subsequent booster immunizations at 3 and 21 days of age. In battery cage studies (n = 4), chickens immunized with NP-EMaxIMP1 displayed complete protection as measured by weight gain (WG) against E. maxima challenge compared to chickens immunized with NP-NR. WG in the NP-EMaxIMP1-immunized groups was identical to WG in chickens that were not infected with E. maxima infected chickens. In floor pen studies (n = 2), chickens immunized with NP-EMaxIMP1 displayed partial protection as measured by WG against E. maxima challenge compared to chickens immunized with NP-NR. In order to understand the basis for immune stimulation, newly-hatched chicks were inoculated per os with NP-EMaxIMP1 or NP-NR protein, and the small intestine, bursa, and spleen, were examined for NP localization at 1 h and 6 h post-inoculation. Within 1 h, both NP-EMaxIMP1 and NP-NR were observed in all 3 tissues. An increase was observed in the level of NP-EmaxIMP1 and NP-NR in all tissues at 6 h post-inoculation. These data indicate that 20 nm NP-EmaxIMP1 or NP-NR reached deeper tissues within hours of oral inoculation and elicited complete to partial immunity against E. maxima challenge infection. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  2. Lessons learned: program messaging in gender-transformative work with men and boys in South Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viitanen, Amanda P.; Colvin, Christopher J.

    2015-01-01

    Background Adherence to traditional notions of masculinity has been identified as an important driver in the perpetuation of numerous health and social problems, including gender-based violence and HIV. With the largest generalized HIV epidemic in the world and high rates of violence against women, the need for gender-transformative work in South Africa is broadly accepted in activist circles and at the national and community level. Because of the integral role men play in both of these epidemics, initiatives and strategies that engage men in promoting gender equality have emerged over the last decade and the evidence base supporting the effectiveness of masculinities-based interventions is growing. However, little research exists on men's receptivity to the messages delivered in these programs. Objective This article examines the current practices among a set of gender-transformation initiatives in South Africa to see what lessons can be derived from them. We look at how South African men participating in these programs responded to three thematic messages frequently found in gender-transformative work: 1) the ‘costs of masculinity’ men pay for adherence to harmful gender constructs; 2) multiple forms of masculinity; and 3) the human rights framework and contested rights. Design This article synthesizes qualitative findings from in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and ethnographic research with men participating in several gender- and health-intervention programs in South Africa. The data were collected between 2007 and 2011 and synthesized using some of the basic principles of meta-ethnography. Results and conclusions Overall, men were receptive to the three thematic messages reviewed; they were able to see them in the context of their own lives and the messages facilitated rich dialog among participants. However, some men were more ambivalent toward shifting gender notions and some even adamantly resisted engaging in discussions over gender

  3. Lessons learned: program messaging in gender-transformative work with men and boys in South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viitanen, Amanda P; Colvin, Christopher J

    2015-01-01

    Adherence to traditional notions of masculinity has been identified as an important driver in the perpetuation of numerous health and social problems, including gender-based violence and HIV. With the largest generalized HIV epidemic in the world and high rates of violence against women, the need for gender-transformative work in South Africa is broadly accepted in activist circles and at the national and community level. Because of the integral role men play in both of these epidemics, initiatives and strategies that engage men in promoting gender equality have emerged over the last decade and the evidence base supporting the effectiveness of masculinities-based interventions is growing. However, little research exists on men's receptivity to the messages delivered in these programs. This article examines the current practices among a set of gender-transformation initiatives in South Africa to see what lessons can be derived from them. We look at how South African men participating in these programs responded to three thematic messages frequently found in gender-transformative work: 1) the 'costs of masculinity' men pay for adherence to harmful gender constructs; 2) multiple forms of masculinity; and 3) the human rights framework and contested rights. This article synthesizes qualitative findings from in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and ethnographic research with men participating in several gender- and health-intervention programs in South Africa. The data were collected between 2007 and 2011 and synthesized using some of the basic principles of meta-ethnography. Overall, men were receptive to the three thematic messages reviewed; they were able to see them in the context of their own lives and the messages facilitated rich dialog among participants. However, some men were more ambivalent toward shifting gender notions and some even adamantly resisted engaging in discussions over gender equality. More research is needed to gauge the long-term impact

  4. Study on uptake and dynamics of [sup 123]I-IMP in pulmonary diseases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Taguchi, Masato (Kagoshima Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Medicine)

    1992-11-01

    The aim of this study was to assess serial uptake of N-isopropyl-p-[I-123] iodoamphetamine (I-123 IMP) quantitatively in the lung. A total of 53 patients were enrolled in the study, consisting of 34 with lung cancer, 12 with inflammatory disease and 7 with miscellaneous diseases. The findings were compared with those with [sup 99m]Tc-MAA. The 1- or 2-min I-123 IMP images were analogous to those of [sup 99m]Tc-MAA in 24 patients. Early I-132 IMP images seemed to be governed by pulmonary arterial blood flow. I-123 IMP was not taken up by cancerous lesions of the lung on both 30 min and 4 hr images. Nor was it taken up by other malignancy. It was taken up by all inflammatory lesions, including pneumonia and infiltrate surrounding lung abscess. Collapse lesions were shown as warm or cold areas on 30 min images and as hot spots on 4 hr images. IMP was not taken up by pleural effusions. Pulmonary arterial blood flow was shown as cold areas at 30 min, and as warm or cold areas at 4 hr. In conclusion, intrathoracic cancerous lesions, cavities and pleural effusions were shown as cold areas on both early and delayed images. Both inflammatory and collapse lesions were shown as hot areas on delayed images. Quantitative assessment of the lesion/contralateral lung count ratios suggested different mechanism in tracer uptake: delayed clearance and delayed fill-in may be involved in the mechanism for inflammation and collapse, respectively. (N.K.).

  5. Evaluation of newborns with brain disease using [sup 123]I-IMP SPECT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oshima, Motoo; Yasukochi, Hiroshi (Teikyo Univ., Tokyo (Japan). Faculty of Medicine); Suzuki, Chizuko; Sasaki, Junko; Kitoh, Osamu

    1993-07-01

    Eleven newborns with suspected cerebral disease were evaluated using [sup 123]I-IMP SPECT. In a normal subject, high uptake was shown in the sensorimotor cortex, thalamus, midbrain-brainstem, and cerebellar vermis. Decreased perfusion was also noted in the frontal lobe. In hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), diffuse decreased uptake which showed no redistribution in the white matter was seen in two patients. These two patients had a poor prognosis. In one of the other 4 patients with HIE, persistent defect in parasagittal area was recognized and the patient also had a poor prognosis. In one of two patients with tuberous sclerosis, [sup 123]I-IMP SPECT showed high uptake in the area of increased density shown in CT. Thus, [sup 123]I-IMP SPECT of newborn has characteristic findings different from the adult. This tracer also might have a prognostic value of clinical improvement following HIE. (author).

  6. Public's Cognitive and Emotional Responses to Nuclear Messages: Implications for Effective Nuclear Communication Programs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Hyo Jung

    2017-01-01

    The public debate over the use of nuclear energy is not limited to the area of technology, and has become subject to the public's subjective perceptions and emotions regarding the issue. This study empirically demonstrated the advantage of loss framing in improving public's favorable responses toward nuclear energy messages. Such framing effect was found to be moderated by individuals' daily use of online news. The findings of this study suggest that public's cognitive and emotional responses toward nuclear messages should be carefully considered when planning effective nuclear communication program.

  7. Comparing tailored and untailored text messages for smoking cessation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skov-Ettrup, L S; Ringgaard, L W; Dalum, P

    2014-01-01

    The aim was to compare the effectiveness of untailored text messages for smoking cessation to tailored text messages delivered at a higher frequency. From February 2007 to August 2009, 2030 users of an internet-based smoking cessation program with optional text message support aged 15-25 years were...... of text messages increases quit rates among young smokers....

  8. The study of the lung accumulation of I-123 IMP by the broncho-alveolar lavage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Itasaka, Miyoko; Ikeda, Hideki; Yakuwa, Naoshi; Kato, Shuichi; Takahashi, Keiji; Yasui, Shoji

    1989-01-01

    We studied the accumulated portion and the movement of I-123 IMP in the lung. Ten subjects were studied. They were four patients with fibrosing lung disease, two with lung cancer, and four with other lung disease. They underwent the broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) for the diagnosis of their diseases. l.5 mCi of I-123 IMP was injected into the ante-cubital vein. The BAL examination was carried out about 40 minutes after the injection of I-123 IMP. The subjects' blood was sampled at the same time. The total BAL liquid (BAL-T) was divided into the fluid component (BAL-F) and the cell component (BAL-C) by centrifugation. The radioactivities in BAL-T, BAL-F, BAL-C, and serum (B-S) were measured by the well-counter. The average of BAL-T/B-S, BAL-F/B-S and BAL-C/B-S were 6.86, 4.26 and 2.71 respectively. It was confirmed that I-123 IMP was transported from the pulmonary capillary to the alveolar space and was taken up by the alveolar cells. It was considered that the analysis of the I-123 IMP release from the lung showed not only the endothelial cell uptake function but also the interstitial and material cells' amine transport and uptake function. (author)

  9. Regional cerebral blood flow in epileptic foci using [I-123] IMP-SPECT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Konishi, Tohru

    1989-01-01

    Fifty-six epileptic patients, whose ages ranged from 6 months to 16 years (a mean age, 8 years and 2 months), were examined by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with [I-123] N-isopropyl p-iodoamphetamine (IMP). Of these patients, 44 had partial seizures (PS) and 12 had generalized seizures (GS). SPECT revealed abnormality of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in 24 PS patients (54.5%), being correlated with EEG abnormality. Among the 24 patients, 22 had a decreased rCBF and 2 others had an increased rCBF. According to the PS type, rCBF abnormality in the foci was less frequently observed for benign age-related partial epilepsy (2/9) than for the other types of partial epilepsy (22/35). Among 35 patients with the other types of partial epilepsy, SPECT showed foci in the frontal (12), central (3), parietal (4), temporal (6), and occipital (6) regions, and diffuse spike-wave or the lack of paroaxysmals (4). The EEG foci was of the left hemisphere in 12 patients, and of the right hemisphere in 18 patients. Higher incidence of rCBF abnormality was associated with the temporal, partietal, and frontal foci than with the occipital foci. There was no correlation between the incidence of rCBF abnormlaity and the frequency of seizure activities on EEG. Complex partial seizures had a tendency to be associated with rCBF abnormality. In comparing IMP uptake in evaluable 17 patients with a decreased rCBF, a mean %CBF in foci compared to that in the contralateral area was 91.9%. All of the 12 GS patients showed no focal reduction of rCBF around the cortex. Patients with tonic-clonic seizure and myoclonic seizure had almost normal IMP images. The IMP images of organic lesions were a marked reduction of rCBF. IMP-SPECT may also be suitable for evaluating the underlying organic and secondary involving disorders with epilepsy. (N.K.)

  10. The Relation of Source Credibility and Message Frequency to Program Evaluation and Self-Confidence of Students in a Job Shadowing Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linnehan, Frank

    2004-01-01

    Using a pre- and post-test design, this study examined the relation of an adult's credibility and message frequency to the beliefs of female high school students participating in a job-shadowing program. Hypotheses were based on the Elaboration Likelihood Model of attitude formation and change. Findings indicate that credibility of the adult…

  11. Imp2, the PSTPIP homolog in fission yeast, affects sensitivity to the immunosuppressant FK506 and membrane trafficking in fission yeast

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kita, Ayako; Higa, Mari; Doi, Akira; Satoh, Ryosuke; Sugiura, Reiko

    2015-01-01

    Cytokinesis is a highly ordered process that divides one cell into two cells, which is functionally linked to the dynamic remodeling of the plasma membrane coordinately with various events such as membrane trafficking. Calcineurin is a highly conserved serine/threonine protein phosphatase, which regulates multiple biological functions, such as membrane trafficking and cytokinesis. Here, we isolated imp2-c3, a mutant allele of the imp2 + gene, encoding a homolog of the mouse PSTPIP1 (proline-serine-threonine phosphatase interacting protein 1), using a genetic screen for mutations that are synthetically lethal with calcineurin deletion in fission yeast. The imp2-c3 mutants showed a defect in cytokinesis with multi-septated phenotypes, which was further enhanced upon treatment with the calcineurin inhibitor FK506. Notably, electron micrographs revealed that the imp2-c3 mutant cells accumulated aberrant multi-lamella Golgi structures and putative post-Golgi secretory vesicles, and exhibited fragmented vacuoles in addition to thickened septa. Consistently, imp2-c3 mutants showed a reduced secretion of acid phosphatase and defects in vacuole fusion. The imp2-c3 mutant cells exhibited a weakened cell wall, similar to the membrane trafficking mutants identified in the same genetic screen such as ypt3-i5. These findings implicate the PSTPIP1 homolog Imp2 in Golgi/vacuole function, thereby affecting various cellular processes, including cytokinesis and cell integrity. - Highlights: • We isolated imp2-c3, in a synthetic lethal screen with calcineurin in fission yeast. • The imp2 + gene encodes a component of the actin contractile ring similar to Cdc15. • The imp2-c3 mutants showed defects in cytokinesis, which were exacerbated by FK506. • The imp2-c3 mutants were defective in membrane trafficking and cell wall integrity. • Our study revealed a novel role for Imp2 in the Golgi/vacuolar membrane trafficking

  12. Imp2, the PSTPIP homolog in fission yeast, affects sensitivity to the immunosuppressant FK506 and membrane trafficking in fission yeast

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kita, Ayako; Higa, Mari [Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacogenomics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kinki University, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-Osaka 577-8502 (Japan); Doi, Akira [Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacogenomics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kinki University, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-Osaka 577-8502 (Japan); Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, 1-8 Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8472 (Japan); Satoh, Ryosuke [Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacogenomics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kinki University, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-Osaka 577-8502 (Japan); Sugiura, Reiko, E-mail: sugiurar@phar.kindai.ac.jp [Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacogenomics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kinki University, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-Osaka 577-8502 (Japan)

    2015-02-13

    Cytokinesis is a highly ordered process that divides one cell into two cells, which is functionally linked to the dynamic remodeling of the plasma membrane coordinately with various events such as membrane trafficking. Calcineurin is a highly conserved serine/threonine protein phosphatase, which regulates multiple biological functions, such as membrane trafficking and cytokinesis. Here, we isolated imp2-c3, a mutant allele of the imp2{sup +} gene, encoding a homolog of the mouse PSTPIP1 (proline-serine-threonine phosphatase interacting protein 1), using a genetic screen for mutations that are synthetically lethal with calcineurin deletion in fission yeast. The imp2-c3 mutants showed a defect in cytokinesis with multi-septated phenotypes, which was further enhanced upon treatment with the calcineurin inhibitor FK506. Notably, electron micrographs revealed that the imp2-c3 mutant cells accumulated aberrant multi-lamella Golgi structures and putative post-Golgi secretory vesicles, and exhibited fragmented vacuoles in addition to thickened septa. Consistently, imp2-c3 mutants showed a reduced secretion of acid phosphatase and defects in vacuole fusion. The imp2-c3 mutant cells exhibited a weakened cell wall, similar to the membrane trafficking mutants identified in the same genetic screen such as ypt3-i5. These findings implicate the PSTPIP1 homolog Imp2 in Golgi/vacuole function, thereby affecting various cellular processes, including cytokinesis and cell integrity. - Highlights: • We isolated imp2-c3, in a synthetic lethal screen with calcineurin in fission yeast. • The imp2{sup +} gene encodes a component of the actin contractile ring similar to Cdc15. • The imp2-c3 mutants showed defects in cytokinesis, which were exacerbated by FK506. • The imp2-c3 mutants were defective in membrane trafficking and cell wall integrity. • Our study revealed a novel role for Imp2 in the Golgi/vacuolar membrane trafficking.

  13. N-isopropyl I-123 p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) brain SPECT in Alzheimer's disease

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Momose, Toshimitsu; Nishikawa, Junichi; Kosaka, Noboru; Ohtake, Tohru; Watanabe, Toshiaki; Yoshikawa, Kohki; Iio, Masahiro [Tokyo Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Medicine

    1989-09-01

    Eighteen patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), 5 patients with Pick disease (PD), 6 patients with other types of degenerative dementia (O) and 12 age-matched normal control subjects (N) were studied using N-isopropyl p-(I-123)iodoamphetamine (I-123 IMP) with SPECT. Regional to cerebellar activity (R/CE) ratio and frontal to parietal (F/R) activity ratio were evaluated in each case. I-123 IMP-SPECT revealed focal abnormality in all cases in AD, PD, O group, while XCT and/or MRI were normal or showed cerebral atrophy without focal abnormal density or intensity. In AD group, R/CE ratio in all the regions except for bilateral Rolandic area and left primary visual cortex were significantly lower (p<0.05 or p<0.01) than that in N group, and F/P ratio were significantly higher (p<0.01) than that in P and O group. In conclusion, I-123 IMP-SPECT is useful to detect focal perfusion abnormality in dementia and may be of value in differentiating Alzheimer's disease from dementia of non-Alzheimer type. (author).

  14. N-isopropyl I-123 p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) brain SPECT in Alzheimer's disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Momose, Toshimitsu; Nishikawa, Junichi; Kosaka, Noboru; Ohtake, Tohru; Watanabe, Toshiaki; Yoshikawa, Kohki; Iio, Masahiro

    1989-01-01

    Eighteen patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), 5 patients with Pick disease (PD), 6 patients with other types of degenerative dementia (O) and 12 age-matched normal control subjects (N) were studied using N-isopropyl p-[I-123]iodoamphetamine (I-123 IMP) with SPECT. Regional to cerebellar activity (R/CE) ratio and frontal to parietal (F/R) activity ratio were evaluated in each case. I-123 IMP-SPECT revealed focal abnormality in all cases in AD, PD, O group, while XCT and/or MRI were normal or showed cerebral atrophy without focal abnormal density or intensity. In AD group, R/CE ratio in all the regions except for bilateral Rolandic area and left primary visual cortex were significantly lower (p<0.05 or p<0.01) than that in N group, and F/P ratio were significantly higher (p<0.01) than that in P and O group. In conclusion, I-123 IMP-SPECT is useful to detect focal perfusion abnormality in dementia and may be of value in differentiating Alzheimer's disease from dementia of non-Alzheimer type. (author)

  15. Stepwise Development of a Text Messaging-Based Bullying Prevention Program for Middle School Students (BullyDown)

    OpenAIRE

    Ybarra, Michele L; Prescott, Tonya L; Espelage, Dorothy L

    2016-01-01

    Background Bullying is a significant public health issue among middle school-aged youth. Current prevention programs have only a moderate impact. Cell phone text messaging technology (mHealth) can potentially overcome existing challenges, particularly those that are structural (e.g., limited time that teachers can devote to non-educational topics). To date, the description of the development of empirically-based mHealth-delivered bullying prevention programs are lacking in the literature. Obj...

  16. Emergence of Imipenem-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Clinical Isolates from Egypt Coharboring VIM and IMP Carbapenemases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Domany, Ramadan Ahmed; Emara, Mohamed; El-Magd, Mohammed A; Moustafa, Walaa H; Abdeltwab, Nesma M

    2017-09-01

    Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important human pathogen and the leading cause of nosocomial infections. P. aeruginosa is characterized by massive intrinsic resistance to a multiple classes of antibiotics with carbapenems being the most potent inhibitor of P. aeruginosa and considered the first choice for its treatment. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate novel mechanisms of resistance of P. aeruginosa to carbapenems for achieving successful therapy. A total of 114 P. aeruginosa isolates from two university hospitals in Egypt were recruited in this study. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that 50 isolates (43.8%) exhibited multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotype, of them 14 isolates (12.2%) were imipenem (IPM)-resistant. Of these 14 isolates, 13 isolates (11.4%) exhibited the metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) phenotype. MBLs encoding genes, VIM and IMP, were identified by PCR. PCR results revealed that four isolates harbored the VIM gene alone, one isolate harbored IMP gene alone, and four isolates harbored both genes. The correct size of PCR products of VIM and IMP genes (390 and 188 bp, respectively) were sequenced to confirm results of PCR and to look for any possible polymorphism among MBL genes of tested isolates. Data analysis of these sequences showed 100% identity of nucleotide sequences of MBL genes among tested Egyptian patients. To our knowledge, this is the first report of IMP carbapenemase-encoding gene in Africa and the first detection of the emergence of P. aeruginosa coproducing VIM and IMP genes in Egypt.

  17. Characteristics of the magnetospheric boundary layer and magnetopause layer as observed by Imp 6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eastman, T.E.; Hones, E.W. Jr.

    1979-01-01

    Imp 6 observations of the low-latitude magnetospheric boundary layer indicate that the plasma within it is supplied primarily by direct entry of magnetosheath plasma across the magnetopause layer. We define the magnetopause layer as the current layer (separating the magnetosheath from the boundary layer) through which the magnetic field shifts in direction. High temporal resolution (3-s average) data reveal that in a majority of Imp 6 magnetopause crossing, no distinct changes in electron density or energry spectra are observed at the magne opause layer. In all Imp 6 crossings, some magnetosheathlike plasma is observed earthward of the magnetopause layer, implying the existence of a boundary layer. Boundary layer electron energy spectra are often virtually indistinguishable from the adjacent magnetosheath spectra. Low-latitude boundary layer bulk plasma flow as observed by Imp 6 almost always has an antisunward component and often has a significant cross-field component. The boundary layer thickness is highly variable and is generally much larger than the magnetopause layer thickness. Energetic electron pitch angle distributions indicate that the low-latitude boundary layers is normally on closed field lines. We conclude that diffusive as well as nondiffusive processes probably contribute to the entry of magnetosheath plasma into the boundary layer

  18. 123I-IMP SPECT study on patients with amnestic syndrome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hanyu, Haruo; Abe, Shinei; Arai, Hisayuki; Takasaki, Masaru; Suzuki, Takanari; Abe, Kimihiko; Amino, Saburo

    1992-01-01

    Regional cerebral blood flow was studied using single photon emission CT (SPECT) with 123 I-IMP to elucidate the pathophysiology of amnesia. Four patients with amnestic syndrome diagnosed by DSM-III-R criteria were investigated. SPECT images demonstrated definite hypoperfusion of the temporoparietal lobe and relative sparing of motorsensory and occipital cortices in two out of four patients. Since these abnormalities of regional cerebral blood flow have been considered to be characteristic findings in dementia of the Alzheimer type, two patients with temporoparietal hypoperfusion are suggested to manifest the early stage of dementia of the Alzheimer type. Our observations suggest that 123 I-IMP SPECT is an useful madality in the diagnosis of the early stage of dementia of the Alzheimer type, especially in patients with only memory impairment. (author)

  19. Investigation of normal pressure hydrocephalus by sup 123 I-IMP SPECT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kamiya, Ken; Yamashita, Nobuko; Nagai, Hajime [Nagoya City Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Medicine; Mizawa, Ikuo

    1991-08-01

    We evaluated N-isopropyl-p-({sup 123}I) iodoamphetamine ({sup 123}I-IMP) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) as a method for identifying normal pressure hydrocephalic (NPH) patients eligible for shunting procedures. {sup 123}I-IMP SPECT scans were taken before and after cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) taps in NPH cases. Post-subarachnoid hemorrhagic (SAH) patients showed apparent frontal blood flow reduction but non-SAH cases did not. The frontal blood flow increased in comparison with the temporal flow after CSF tapping in SAH cases who benefited most from shunting. Cerebral blood flow study before and after CSF removal is a potential method for classifying NPH patients likely to benefit from the shunting operation. (author).

  20. IMP 2.0: a multi-species functional genomics portal for integration, visualization and prediction of protein functions and networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Aaron K; Krishnan, Arjun; Yao, Victoria; Tadych, Alicja; Troyanskaya, Olga G

    2015-07-01

    IMP (Integrative Multi-species Prediction), originally released in 2012, is an interactive web server that enables molecular biologists to interpret experimental results and to generate hypotheses in the context of a large cross-organism compendium of functional predictions and networks. The system provides biologists with a framework to analyze their candidate gene sets in the context of functional networks, expanding or refining their sets using functional relationships predicted from integrated high-throughput data. IMP 2.0 integrates updated prior knowledge and data collections from the last three years in the seven supported organisms (Homo sapiens, Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, Drosophila melanogaster, Danio rerio, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and extends function prediction coverage to include human disease. IMP identifies homologs with conserved functional roles for disease knowledge transfer, allowing biologists to analyze disease contexts and predictions across all organisms. Additionally, IMP 2.0 implements a new flexible platform for experts to generate custom hypotheses about biological processes or diseases, making sophisticated data-driven methods easily accessible to researchers. IMP does not require any registration or installation and is freely available for use at http://imp.princeton.edu. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  1. IMP metabolism in human skeletal muscle after exhaustive exercise

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tullson, P. C.; Bangsbo, Jens; Hellsten, Ylva

    1995-01-01

    This study addressed whether AMP deaminase (AMPD)myosin binding occurs with deamination during intense exercise in humans and the extent of purine loss from muscle during the initial minutes of recovery. Male subjects performed cycle exercise (265 +/- 2 W for 4.39 +/- 0.04 min) to stimulate muscle...... inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) formation. After exercise, blood flow to one leg was occluded. Muscle biopsies (vastus lateralis) were taken before and 3.6 +/- 0.2 min after exercise from the occluded leg and 0.7 +/- 0.0, 1.1 +/- 0.0, and 2.9 +/- 0.1 min postexercise in the nonoccluded leg. Exercise...... activated AMPD; at exhaustion IMP was 3.5 +/- 0.4 mmol/kg dry muscle. Before exercise, 16.0 +/- 1.6% of AMPD cosedimented with the myosin fraction; the extent of AMPD:myosin binding was unchanged by exercise. Inosine content increased about threefold during exercise and twofold more during recovery; by 2...

  2. Regional cerebral blood flow in various pediatric neurological patients using 123I-IMP SPECT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Konishi, Tohru; Naganuma, Yoshihiro; Hongou, Kazuhisa; Murakami, Miyako; Yamatani, Miwa; Okada, Toshio

    1988-01-01

    The recent development of a new radiopharmaceutical 123 I-isopropyl-iodoamphetamine (IMP), which is taken up by the brain from the blood flow, has offered a possibility of constructing scintigraphy maps of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) using single photon emission CT. We used this mehtod in various pediatric neurological diseases. Six patients with cerebro-vascular disorders (moya-moya disease 2, infarction 3 and HHE syndrome 1), 6 patients with infectious diseases of CNS (acute encephalitis 4, septic meningitis 1 and SSPE 1) and a miscellaneous group of six patients were studied. The rCBF abnormalities in cerebro-vascular diseases were more extensive and frequent than x-ray CT abnormalities. Repeated studies of IMP-SPECT revealed usefulness for the understanding of changeable hemodynamic pathophysiology and for the judgment of theraptic effectiveness and prognosis. The rCBF decrease in infectious diseases tended to be more diffuse and slight than that in cerebro-vascular diseases. In almost all patients, the area of rCBF decrease coincided with the area of EEG slowing evaluated by EEG topographic analysis. Brain imaging using 123 I-IMP SPECT may reveal functional abnormalities as well as organic lesions. 123 I-IMP SPECT has introduced a new era for the useful application of nuclear medicine to the investigation of pediatric neurological diseases. (author)

  3. Identifying effective components of alcohol abuse prevention programs: effects of fear appeals, message style, and source expertise.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stainback, R D; Rogers, R W

    1983-04-01

    Despite the importance of alcohol abuse prevention programs, the effectiveness of many components of these programs has not been demonstrated empirically. An experiment tested the efficacy of three components of many prevention programs: fear appeals, one- versus two-sided message style, and the expertise of the source. The persuasive impact of this information was examined on 113 ninth-grade students' intentions to abstain from drinking alcohol while they are teenagers. The results reveal that fear appeals are successful in strengthening students' intentions to refrain from drinking. Implications are discussed for implementing these principles and for designing future investigations of alcohol abuse prevention programs.

  4. An Examination of Adolescent Recall of Anti-Smoking Messages: Attitudes, Message Type, and Message Perceptions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bigsby, Elisabeth; Monahan, Jennifer L; Ewoldsen, David R

    2017-04-01

    Delayed message recall may be influenced by currently held accessible attitudes, the nature of the message, and message perceptions (perception of bias and message elaboration). This study examined the potential of message perceptions to mediate the influence of valenced attitude accessibility and message type on unaided recall of anti-smoking Public Service Announcements (PSAs). In a field experiment, ninth grade students (N = 244) watched three PSAs and responded to items on laptop computers. Twelve weeks later, follow-up telephone surveys were conducted to assess unaided recall. Both valenced attitude accessibility and message type were associated with message perceptions. However, only perception of message bias partially mediated the relationship between message type and unaided recall.

  5. Cerebral blood flow imaging by I-123 IMP and Tc-99m HM-PAO

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Uno, Koichi; Yoshikawa, Kyosan; Minoshima, Satoshi; Imaseki, Keiko; Arimizu, Noboru; Yamaura, Akira; Uematsu, Sadao

    1988-02-01

    SPECT studies with either N-isopropyl-p-(I-123)iodo- amphetamine (I-123 IMP) or Tc-99m hexamethyl propylene amine oxime (Tc-99m HM-PAO) were cuncurrently performed in 12 patients with brain disorders, comprising cerebral infarction (7), cerebral aneurysm (one), intracranial hemorrhage (3), and subdural hematoma (one). Whereas I-123 IMP was taken up gradually into the brain, the uptake of Tc-99m-HM-PAO in the brain reached the peak immediately after the iv injection, with 90% or more remaining constant by 15 min postinjection. On early SPECT images, a high uptake of I-123 IMP was observed in the lung, and the uptake of Tc-99m HM-PAO was observed as well in the soft tissue of cervical region. In all patients except for one, decreased rCBF was observed in the lesions on both I-123 and Tc-99m SPECT scans. Both of the radiopharmaceuticals were analogous in that decreased blood flow corresponded to cerebral lesions. (Namekawa, K).

  6. Diagnosis of Joseph disease by means of N-isopropyl-p-[123I]iodoamphetamine (IMP) SPECT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takahashi, Naoya; Nishihara, Mamiko; Odano, Ikuo; Sakai, Kunio; Yuasa, Tatsuhiko.

    1993-01-01

    Using N-isopropyl-p-[ 123 I]iodoamphetamine (IMP) and single-photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT), we studied the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in 4 Japanese patients who had been clinically diagnosed as having Joseph disease. This is the first report of rCBF measurement by means of [ 123 I]-IMP SPECT in patients with Joseph disease. Cerebellar atrophy was evaluated by means of a 5-rating scale as defined by X-ray computed tomography (X-CT). As compared with 10 normal controls (mean cerebellar CBF±SD: 66.9±6.6 ml/100 g/min), the regional CBF of the patients with Joseph disease was found to decrease significantly in the cerebellum (mean±SD: 52.8±5.3 ml/100 g/min). However, no significant relationship was found between the decrease in rCBF in the cerebellum and the degree of cerebellar atrophy as shown by X-CT. The regional CBF in the cerebellum decreased little in one patient who had severe cerebellar atrophy or in two who showed moderate atrophy. [ 123 I]-IMP SPECT demonstrates the pathological and metabolic changes in the cerebellum that do not appear on X-CT or MRI. IMP SPECT is thus shown to be useful for the diagnosis of patients with Joseph disease. (author)

  7. Tácito e o Império Romano

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fábio Duarte Joly

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available A fortuna de Cornélio Tácito no pensamento político europeu demonstra a intensidade da recepção de sua obra nos debates sobre a natureza do poder monárquico e estratégias aristocráticas de ação na corte imperial. Neste sentido, do século XVI, Tácito foi muitas vezes tomado como um contemporâneo, num diálogo entre presente e passado, de acordo como uma noção de história entendida como magistra vitae. A bibliografia moderna sobre Tácito, de certa forma, ainda se mantém nesta trilha ao enfatizar, como objeto de estudo, primordialmente as representações taciteanas dos imperadores, de Augusto a Nero. Pretende-se, nesta comunicação, ampliar o foco de discussão, indagando-se sobre o próprio conceito de império na obra de Tácito, visando os apontar os elementos sublinhados pelo historiados latino como responsáveis pela manutenção do império de Roma, a despeito dos conflitos sociopolíticos internos.

  8. Solar wind plasma periodicities observed at 1 AU by IMP 8

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paularena, K. I.; Szabo, A.; Lazarus, A. J.

    1995-01-01

    The IMP 8 spacecraft has been in Earth orbit since 1973, gathering plasma data over one complete 22-year solar cycle. These data are being examined to look for periodicities at time scales ranging from several hours to the entire span of the data set. A 1.3-year periodicity in the radial speed observed by IMP 8 and Voyager 2 has already been reported for the years from 1987 to 1993. The periodogram method, useful for unevenly sampled data such as the IMP 8 plasma data, has been used to search for other periods. It is interesting to note that the 13-year period is not present in the out-of-the-ecliptic component of the velocity (Vz), although a 1-year period is very obvious both visually and on the periodogram. Both components show a very strong peak associated with the 11-year solar cycle variation. This work will be extended to the thermal speed (a measure of the wind's temperature) and density, although the frequent correlations between these parameters and the velocity are expected to cause similar results. Additionally, the fine resolution data will be examined for shorter time periods than are visible using the hourly average data which are appropriate for longer periods. A comparison with periods observed at other spacecraft may also be made.

  9. ZeroMQ messaging for many applications

    CERN Document Server

    Hintjens, Pieter

    2013-01-01

    Dive into ØMQ (aka ZeroMQ), the smart socket library that gives you fast, easy, message-based concurrency for your applications. With this quick-paced guide, you’ll learn hands-on how to use this scalable, lightweight, and highly flexible networking tool for exchanging messages among clusters, the cloud, and other multi-system environments. ØMQ maintainer Pieter Hintjens takes you on a tour of real-world applications, using extended examples in C to help you work with ØMQ’s API, sockets, and patterns. Learn how to use specific ØMQ programming techniques, build multithreaded applications, and create your own messaging architectures. You’ll discover how ØMQ works with several programming languages and most operating systems—with little or no cost. Learn ØMQ’s main patterns: request-reply, publish-subscribe, and pipeline Work with ØMQ sockets and patterns by building several small applications Explore advanced uses of ØMQ’s request-reply pattern through working examples Build reliable request...

  10. sup 123 I-IMP SPECT study on patients with amnestic syndrome

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hanyu, Haruo; Abe, Shinei; Arai, Hisayuki; Takasaki, Masaru; Suzuki, Takanari; Abe, Kimihiko; Amino, Saburo [Tokyo Medical Coll. (Japan)

    1992-06-01

    Regional cerebral blood flow was studied using single photon emission CT (SPECT) with {sup 123}I-IMP to elucidate the pathophysiology of amnesia. Four patients with amnestic syndrome diagnosed by DSM-III-R criteria were investigated. SPECT images demonstrated definite hypoperfusion of the temporoparietal lobe and relative sparing of motorsensory and occipital cortices in two out of four patients. Since these abnormalities of regional cerebral blood flow have been considered to be characteristic findings in dementia of the Alzheimer type, two patients with temporoparietal hypoperfusion are suggested to manifest the early stage of dementia of the Alzheimer type. Our observations suggest that {sup 123}I-IMP SPECT is an useful madality in the diagnosis of the early stage of dementia of the Alzheimer type, especially in patients with only memory impairment. (author).

  11. N-isopropyl-4-[123I]iodoamphetamine (123I-IMP) products. A difference in radiochemical purity, unmetabolized fraction, and octanol extraction fraction in arterial blood and regional brain uptake in rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kanai, Yasukazu; Hasegawa, Shinji; Kimura, Yasuyuki; Oku, Naohiko; Hatazawa, Jun; Ito, Hiroshi; Fukuda, Hiroshi

    2007-01-01

    N-isopropyl-4-[ 123 I]iodoamphetamine ( 123 I-IMP) is a lipophilic compound utilized for cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurement with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Two different 123 I-IMP products (IMP A and IMP B ) are commercially available. We examined the radiochemical purity, unmetabolized fraction, and octanol extraction fraction in arterial blood, and the regional brain uptake of IMP A and IMP B in a rat model. IMP B (96.4%±0.08%, P A (95.5%±0.20%). The mean unmetabolized fraction in arterial blood taken at 10 min after intravenous administration of IMP B (69.5%±4.4%, P A (59.6%±2.6%). The mean octanol extraction fraction of IMP B (75.0%±1.3%, P A (67.2%±0.8%). The mean levels of radioactivity in arterial blood sampled at 10 min after injection and mean regional brain radioactivity (cerebral cortices, basal ganglia, brain stem, and cerebellum) at 10-12 min after injection were not significantly different between IMP A and IMP B . The present study indicates differences in the radiochemical purity and the unmetabolized and octanol extraction fraction in arterial blood between the two commercially available 123 I-IMP products. The appropriate octanol extraction fractions for IMP A and IMP B should be determined in humans and employed for quantitative CBF measurement in clinical SPECT. (author)

  12. Differentiating Primary CNS Lymphoma from Malignant Glioma using 123I-IMP SPECT and Arterial Spin labeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ito, Tamio; Sato, Kenichi; Ozaki, Yoshimaru; Asanome, Taku; Nakamura, Hirohiko; Ono, Hidetoshi

    2016-01-01

    Using conventional CT or MRI methods, the differentiation of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) and malignant glioma (MG) is difficult because of overlapping imaging characteristics. Pretreatment differentiation between PCNSL and MG is essential for therapeutic decision making because post operative adjuvant therapy is extremely different. We examined the utility of N-isopropyl-p-[ 123 I]iodoamphetamine SPECT (IMP SPECT) and arterial spin labeling (ASL) in differentiating PCNSL from MG. Twenty PCNSL and ten MG patients underwent IMP SPECT and ASL. Early SPECT image (E) was initiated 20 min after intravenous injection of 222 MBq 123 I-IMP, and delayed image (D) and ultrade-layed image (UD) were initiated 3 h and 24 h, respectively, after the injection. SPECT images were visually analyzed with a color-grading scale (low, iso, and high), and the tumor-to-normal activity ratio (T/N) was calculated for all three images. The pulsed ASL was performed using a 3-T system. We set regions of interest in the tumor and symmetrically in the contralateral white matter on the cerebral blood flow (CBF) map and estimated tumor blood flow (TBF)/CBF ratio (TBF/CBF). 1) IMP SPECT: (1) Visual image analysis of PCNSL cases showed high accumulation of 123 I-IMP up-take on D and UD, whereas most MG cases showed low accumulation. (2) T/Ns of PCNSL were significantly higher than those of MG on D and UD (E: 1.13 vs. 0.95, p>0.05; D: 1.23 vs. 0.86, p<0.01; UD: 1.40 vs. 0.86, p<0.01). 2) ASL: TBF/CBFs of MG were higher than those of PCNSL, particularly in glioblastoma patients [1.84 vs. 6.22 (III; 1.51, IV; 8.58)]. IMP SPECT and ASL are helpful tools for differentiating primary CNS lymphoma from MG. Using these examinations, we could perform adjuvant therapy without biopsy in deep-seated tumors. (author)

  13. A clinical study of auditory hallucination by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) using N-isopropyl-p-[123I] iodoamphetamine (IMP)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gyobu, Tsuyoshi; Inao, Gyoshun; Ii, Masayasu; Matsuda, Hiroshi; Hisada, Kinichi.

    1988-01-01

    SPECT images with N-isopropyl-p-I-123 iodoamphetamine (IMP) were reviewed in 24 right-handed patients with hallucination (H Group), comprising schizophrenic disorder (20), alcohol hallucinosis (2), epileptic hallucinosis (one), and organic mental disorder (one), and 50 subjects without hallucination (non-H Group), consisting of 39 patients with mental or organic central nervous system disorder and 11 healthy volunteers. Early SPECT images showed an increased uptake of IMP in the auditory area and angular gyrus in 23 patients of H Group and 3 persons of non-H Group. A similar uptake of IMP was seen on delayed SPECT images in 12 patients of H Group and 4 patients with a history of hallucination of non-H Group. There were no SPECT findings specific to diseases. For schizophrenic patients, increased and decreased uptakes of IMP were seen in the striatolimbic region and in the bilateral frontal lobes, respectively, irrespective of hallucination. Factors contributing to increased uptake of IMP are discussed. (Namekawa, K.) 84 refs

  14. Insulin-like growth factor II mRNA binding protein 3 (IMP3) is overexpressed in prostate cancer and correlates with higher Gleason scores

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ikenberg, Kristian; Behnke, Silvia; Gerhardt, Josefine; Mortezavi, Ashkan; Wild, Peter; Hofstädter, Ferdinand; Burger, Maximilian; Moch, Holger; Kristiansen, Glen; Fritzsche, Florian R; Zuerrer-Haerdi, Ursina; Hofmann, Irina; Hermanns, Thomas; Seifert, Helge; Müntener, Michael; Provenzano, Maurizio; Sulser, Tullio

    2010-01-01

    The oncofetal protein insulin-like growth factor II mRNA binding protein 3 (IMP3) is an important factor for cell-migration and adhesion in malignancies. Recent studies have shown a remarkable overexpression of IMP3 in different human malignant neoplasms and also revealed it as an important prognostic marker in some tumor entities. To our knowledge, IMP3 expression has not been investigated in prostate carcinomas so far. Immunohistochemical stainings for IMP3 were performed on tissue microarray (TMA) organized samples from 507 patients: 31 normal prostate tissues, 425 primary carcinomas and 51 prostate cancer metastases or castration-resistant prostate cancers (CRPC). IMP3 immunoreactivity was semiquantitatively scored and correlated with clinical-pathologic parameters including survival. IMP3 is significantly stronger expressed in prostate carcinomas compared to normal prostate tissues (p < 0.0001), but did not show significant correlation with the pT-stage, the proliferation index (MIB1), preoperative serum PSA level and the margin status. Only a weak and slightly significant correlation was found with the Gleason score and IMP3 expression failed to show prognostic significance in clinico-pathological correlation-analyses. Although IMP3 is overexpressed in a significant proportion of prostate cancer cases, which might be of importance for novel therapeutic approaches, it does not appear to possess any immediate diagnostic or prognostic value, limiting its potential as a tissue biomarker for prostate cancer. These results might be corroborated by the fact, that two independent tumor cohorts were separately reviewed

  15. The effect of aging and smoking on N-isopropyl-p-[123I]iodoamphetamine (123I-IMP) accumulation in the human lung

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hara, Masafumi; Tomiguchi, Seiji; Kojima, Akihiro; Nakashima, Rumi; Ooyama, Youichi; Takahashi, Mutsumasa; Matsumoto, Masanori.

    1994-01-01

    123 I-IMP clearance on dynamic lung scintigraphy was studied by two exponential compartments analysis in order to evaluate the effects of aging and smoking on the pulmonary function. Twenty-four patients (14 smokers and 10 non-smokers), referred for 123 I-IMP brain perfusion study, underwent lung dynamic scintigraphy for 42 min immediately after 123 I-IMP injection. In the non-smoking group 123 I-IMP lung clearance was delayed with aging. A significant correlation was found between aging and clearance rate in the lung. There was also a significant difference in the clearance rates between smoker and non-smoker groups. These findings suggest that smoking and aging affect the pulmonary function. (author)

  16. Linguagem e ideologia do Império estadunidense

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Ozaí da Silva

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available

    resenha: LOSURDO, Domenico. A linguagem do império: léxico da ideologia estadunidense. São Paulo: Boitempo, 2010, 303p.

  17. Insulin-like growth factor II mRNA binding protein 3 (IMP3 is overexpressed in prostate cancer and correlates with higher Gleason scores

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mortezavi Ashkan

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The oncofetal protein insulin-like growth factor II mRNA binding protein 3 (IMP3 is an important factor for cell-migration and adhesion in malignancies. Recent studies have shown a remarkable overexpression of IMP3 in different human malignant neoplasms and also revealed it as an important prognostic marker in some tumor entities. To our knowledge, IMP3 expression has not been investigated in prostate carcinomas so far. Methods Immunohistochemical stainings for IMP3 were performed on tissue microarray (TMA organized samples from 507 patients: 31 normal prostate tissues, 425 primary carcinomas and 51 prostate cancer metastases or castration-resistant prostate cancers (CRPC. IMP3 immunoreactivity was semiquantitatively scored and correlated with clinical-pathologic parameters including survival. Results IMP3 is significantly stronger expressed in prostate carcinomas compared to normal prostate tissues (p Conclusions Although IMP3 is overexpressed in a significant proportion of prostate cancer cases, which might be of importance for novel therapeutic approaches, it does not appear to possess any immediate diagnostic or prognostic value, limiting its potential as a tissue biomarker for prostate cancer. These results might be corroborated by the fact, that two independent tumor cohorts were separately reviewed.

  18. Characterization of the Eimeria maxima sporozoite surface protein IMP1

    Science.gov (United States)

    The purpose of this study was to characterize Eimeria maxima immunoprotective protein IMP1 that is hypothesized to play a role in eliciting protective immunity against E. maxima infection in chickens. RT-PCR analysis of RNA from unsporulated and sporulating E. maxima oocysts revealed highest transc...

  19. Regional cerebral blood flow in various pediatric neurological patients using /sup 123/I-IMP SPECT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Konishi, Tohru; Naganuma, Yoshihiro; Hongou, Kazuhisa; Murakami, Miyako; Yamatani, Miwa; Okada, Toshio

    1988-03-01

    The recent development of a new radiopharmaceutical /sup 123/I-isopropyl-iodoamphetamine (IMP), which is taken up by the brain from the blood flow, has offered a possibility of constructing scintigraphy maps of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) using single photon emission CT. We used this mehtod in various pediatric neurological diseases. Six patients with cerebro-vascular disorders (moya-moya disease 2, infarction 3 and HHE syndrome 1), 6 patients with infectious diseases of CNS (acute encephalitis 4, septic meningitis 1 and SSPE 1) and a miscellaneous group of six patients were studied. The rCBF abnormalities in cerebro-vascular diseases were more extensive and frequent than x-ray CT abnormalities. Repeated studies of IMP-SPECT revealed usefulness for the understanding of changeable hemodynamic pathophysiology and for the judgment of theraptic effectiveness and prognosis. The rCBF decrease in infectious diseases tended to be more diffuse and slight than that in cerebro-vascular diseases. In almost all patients, the area of rCBF decrease coincided with the area of EEG slowing evaluated by EEG topographic analysis. Brain imaging using /sup 123/I-IMP SPECT may reveal functional abnormalities as well as organic lesions. /sup 123/I-IMP SPECT has introduced a new era for the useful application of nuclear medicine to the investigation of pediatric neurological diseases.

  20. Clinical utility of N-isopropyl-p-[123I] iodoamphetamine (123I-IMP) for SPECT in epileptic children

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taki, Kuniyasu; Seto, Hikaru; Futatsuya, Ryusuke; Kakishita, Masao; Seki, Hiroyasu.

    1989-01-01

    A regional cerebral perfusion study was performed in epileptic children using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and N-isopropyl-p-[ 123 I] iodoamphetamine ( 123 I-IMP). A total of 22 patients with epilepsy underwent both a 123 I-IMP brain perfusion study and X-ray CT. Eighteen had positive and four had negative perfusion study results. Of the eighteen patients with positive perfusion study results, two were positive on X-ray CT. In these two patients, the areas of perfusion defects were larger than those of low density on X-ray CT. In only four patients did the areas of perfusion defects correspond to the sites of abnormal EEG. In conclusion, 123 I-IMP perfusion study is of great clinical value in pediatric epileptic cases. (author)

  1. 3',5'-cIMP as Potential Second Messenger in the Vascular Wall.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leung, Susan W S; Gao, Yuansheng; Vanhoutte, Paul M

    2017-01-01

    Traditionally, only the 3',5'-cyclic monophosphates of adenosine and guanosine (produced by adenylyl cyclase and guanylyl cyclase, respectively) are regarded as true "second messengers" in the vascular wall, despite the presence of other cyclic nucleotides in different tissues. Among these noncanonical cyclic nucleotides, inosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cIMP) is synthesized by soluble guanylyl cyclase in porcine coronary arteries in response to hypoxia, when the enzyme is activated by endothelium-derived nitric oxide. Its production is associated with augmentation of vascular contraction mediated by stimulation of Rho kinase. Based on these findings, cIMP appears to meet most, if not all, of the criteria required for it to be accepted as a "second messenger," at least in the vascular wall.

  2. Survey and alignment of HIRFL-CSR at IMP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Man Kaidi; Guo Yizhen; Cai Guozhu; Yang Sengli; Wang Shoujin

    2003-01-01

    HIRFL-CSR (Heavy Ion Research Facility I Lanzhou- Cooler-Storage Ring project) is under construction in Institute of Modern Physics (IMP), Chinese Academy of Science, and will be completed in 2004. It is the post-acceleration system and consists of main ring (CSRm), experimental ring (CSRe) and radioactive beam line to connect the two rings. The circumference of CSRm and CSRe is 161.21 m and 128.96 m, respectively. The desired installation tolerances are obtained. In order to meet the stringent requirement, two stages control network was established. One is global (primary) network; the other is local (secondary) network. After optimization of the designed control network, the maximum error of point position is 0.046 mm. The origin of magnet component system is on its geometric center. According to the coordinate system, the fiducial is measured and the data will be saved in the database of survey. The application software has been developed. This program of DSCS (Database System for CDR Survey) is used for survey and alignment of CSR. We use SMX Laser Tracker 4500, LEICA TCA 2003 total station and NA3004 digital level. (Y. Tanaka)

  3. Portosystemic shunting in portal hypertension: evaluation with portal scintigraphy with transrectally administered I-123 IMP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kashiwagi, T.; Azuma, M.; Ikawa, T.; Takehara, T.; Matsuda, H.; Yoshioka, H.; Mitsutani, N.; Koizumi, T.; Kimura, K.

    1988-01-01

    Portosystemic shunting was evaluated with rectal administration of iodine-123 iodoamphetamine (IMP) in seven patients without liver disease and 53 patients with liver cirrhosis. IMP (2-3 mCi [74-111 MBq]) was administered to the rectum through a catheter. Images of the chest and abdomen were obtained for up to 60 minutes with a scintillation camera interfaced with a computer. In all patients, images of the liver and/or lungs were observed within 5-10 minutes and became clear with time. In patients without liver disease, only liver images could be obtained, whereas the lung was visualized with or without the liver in all patients with liver cirrhosis. The portosystemic shunt index was calculated by dividing counts of lungs by counts of liver and lung. These values were significantly higher in liver cirrhosis, especially in the decompensated stage. Transrectal portal scintigraphy with IMP appears to be a useful method for noninvasive and quantitative evaluation of portosystemic shunting in portal hypertension

  4. Managing Gradual Typing with Message-Safety in Dart

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ernst, Erik; Møller, Anders; Schwarz, Mathias Romme

    . This supports evolution from a dynamically typed programto a strictly statically typed form. We present a formal model of Dart that elucidates how a core of the language and its standard type system works. This allows us to characterize message-safe programs and present a theorem stating that such programs......This paper establishes a notion of message-safe programs as a natural intermediate point between dynamically typed and statically typed Dart programs. Unlike traditional static type checking, the type system in the Dart programming language is unsound by design. The rationale has been...... that this allows compile-time detection of likely errors and enables code completion in integrated development environments, without being restrictive on programmers. We show that, despite unsoundness, judicious use of type annotations can ensure useful properties of the runtime behavior of Dart programs...

  5. IMP-SPECT at patients with hallucinations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Podreka, I.; Mamoli, B.; Lesch, O.; Suess, E.; Wimberger, D.; Mayr, N.; Havelec, L.; Mueller, C.; Steiner, M.; Deecke, L.

    1986-01-01

    IMP-SPECT was performed in 14 normal volunteers. A 'regional index=RI' of tracer distribution was calculated for 18 regions in each hemisphere RI=(cts/voxel ROI)/(mean cts/voxel of all ROI's). 30 seizure patients (E) and 12 patients with acoustic, partialy also visual hallucinations (H) were investigated. Regions were defined as hypo- or hyperperfused if the RI exceeded the value of the corresponding normal-RI +- 2 std. EEG was recorded in all (E). 93.3% of EEG-findings were abnormal, 50% showed a focus, 46.7% paroxysmal activity. SPECT detected in 93.3% of (E) hypoperfused regions, mostly located in the temporal lobe. All (H) had decreased rCBF, predominantly in the frontal cortex. ANOVA and t-test revealed significant RI-differences in the frontal lobe, both hippocampi, right and left inferior occipital cortex, and right anterior basal ganglia. (H) had lower RI's in frontal lobes, higher RI's in both hippocampal regions as well as inferior occipital regions and anterior basal ganglia Differences between (E) and (H) were found in the frontal lobe ((H)sub(→)), right superior temporal region ((H)sup(→)), left hippocampus ((H)sup(→)), both inferior occipital regions ((H)sup(→)) and right anterior basal ganglia ((H)sup(→)). The study shows that by means of IMP-SPECT hypo- and hyperperfused areas can be detected in the hemispheres of (E) and (H), corresponding to disturbed brain function. Higher hippocampal CBF in (E) and (H) may be related to the role of this limbic structure in generation of seizures and psychotic states. Hallucinations are associated with increased CBF in the right temporal and associative visual cortex. (Author)

  6. Enhancing a Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program with text messaging: engaging minority youth to develop TOP ® Plus Text.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Devine, Sharon; Bull, Sheana; Dreisbach, Susan; Shlay, Judith

    2014-03-01

    To develop and pilot a theory-based, mobile phone texting component attractive to minority youth as a supplement to the Teen Outreach Program(®), a youth development program for reducing teen pregnancy and school dropout. We conducted iterative formative research with minority youth in multiple focus groups to explore interest in texting and reaction to text messages. We piloted a month-long version of TOP(®) Plus Text with 96 teens at four sites and conducted a computer-based survey immediately after enrollment and at the end of the pilot that collected information about teens' values, social support, self-efficacy, and behaviors relating to school performance, trouble with the law, and sexual activity. After each of the first three weekly sessions we collected satisfaction measures. Upon completion of the pilot we conducted exit interviews with twelve purposively selected pilot participants. We successfully recruited and enrolled minority youth into the pilot. Teens were enthusiastic about text messages complementing TOP(®). Results also revealed barriers: access to text-capable mobile phones, retention as measured by completion of the post-pilot survey, and a need to be attentive to teen literacy. Piloting helped identify improvements for implementation including offering text messages through multiple platforms so youth without access to a mobile phone could receive messages; rewording texts to allow youth to express opinions without feeling judged; and collecting multiple types of contact information to improve follow-up. Thoughtful attention to social and behavioral theory and investment in iterative formative research with extensive consultation with teens can lead to an engaging texting curriculum that enhances and complements TOP(®). Copyright © 2014 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. A new graphic method for evaluation of distribution volume on N-isopropyl-p-[123I]iodoamphetamine (IMP) SPECT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Odano, Ikuo; Takahashi, Naoya; Ohtaki, Hiroh; Noguchi, Eikichi; Hatano, Masayoshi; Yamasaki, Yoshihiro; Nishihara, Mamiko; Ohkubo, Masaki; Yokoi, Takashi.

    1993-01-01

    We developed a new graphic method using N-isopropyl-p-[ 123 I]iodoamphetamine (IMP) and SPECT of the brain, the graph on which all three parameters, cerebral blood flow, distribution volume (V d ) and delayed count to early count ratio (Delayed/Early ratio), were able to be evaluated simultaneously. The kinetics of 123 I-IMP in the brain was analyzed by a 2-compartment model, and a standard input function was prepared by averaging the time activity curves of 123 I-IMP in arterial blood on 6 patients with small cerebral infarction etc. including 2 normal controls. Being applied this method to the differential diagnosis between Parkinson's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy, we were able to differentiate both with a glance, because the distribution volume of the frontal lobe significantly decreased in Parkinson's disease (Mean±SD; 26±6 ml/g). This method was clinically useful. We think that the distribution volume of 123 I-IMP may reflect its retention mechanism in the brain, and the values are related to amine, especially to dopamine receptors and its metabolism. (author)

  8. 123I-IMP single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) study in childhood epilepsy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hara, Masafumi; Shimomura, Osamu; Kojima, Akihiro; Izunaga, Hiroshi; Tomiguchi, Seiji; Hirota, Yoshihisa; Taku, Keiichi; Miike, Teruhisa; Takahashi, Mutsumasa

    1990-01-01

    N-isopropyl-p[ 123 I]-iodoamphetamine (IMP) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), X-ray computed tomography (X-CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed in 18 children with idiopathic seizures. In children with idiopathic seizures SPECT identified abnormal lesions in the highest rate (50%) compared with X-CT (11%) and MRI (13%), but the findings of SPECT poorly correlated with the foci on electroencephalography (EEG). Idiopathic epilepsy with abnormal uptake on SPECT was refractory to medical treatments and frequently associated with mental and/or developmental retardation. Perfusion defects identified on SPECT probably influenced the development of the brains in children. IMP SPECT is useful in the diagnosis and medical treatment in children with seizures. (author)

  9. 8. Seminar of the IMP-IIE-ININ on technological specialties. Topic 10: Earth Sciences; 8. Seminario IMP-IIE-ININ sobre especialidades tecnologicas. Mesa 10: Ciencias de la Tierra

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-12-31

    The document contains two papers within INIS subject scope which were presented at the 8th Seminar of the IMP-IIE-ININ on technological specialties. Topic 10: Earth Sciences. A separate abstract was prepared for each paper.

  10. The novel anthraquinone derivative IMP1338 induces death of human cancer cells by p53-independent S and G2/M cell cycle arrest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Hyun Kyung; Ryu, Hwani; Son, A-Rang; Seo, Bitna; Hwang, Sang-Gu; Song, Jie-Young; Ahn, Jiyeon

    2016-04-01

    To identify novel small molecules that induce selective cancer cell death, we screened a chemical library containing 1040 compounds in HT29 colon cancer and CCD18-Co normal colon cells, using a phenotypic cell-based viability assay system with the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). We discovered a novel anthraquinone derivative, N-(4-[{(9,10-dioxo-9,10-dihydro-1-anthracenyl)sulfonyl}amino]phenyl)-N-methylacetamide (IMP1338), which was cytotoxic against the human colon cancer cells tested. The MTT cell viability assay showed that treatment with IMP1338 selectively inhibited HCT116, HCT116 p53(-/-), HT29, and A549 cancer cell proliferation compared to that of Beas2B normal epithelial cells. To elucidate the cellular mechanism underlying the cytotoxicity of IMP1338, we examined the effect of IMP1338 on the cell cycle distribution and death of cancer cells. IMP1338 treatment significantly arrested the cell cycle at S and G2/M phases by DNA damage and led to apoptotic cell death, which was determined using FACS analysis with Annexin V/PI double staining. Furthermore, IMP1338 increased caspase-3 cleavage in wild-type p53, p53 knockout HCT116, and HT29 cells as determined using immunoblotting. In addition, IMP1338 markedly induced the phosphorylation of histone H2AX and Chk1 in both cell lines while the combination of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and radiation inhibited the viability of HCT116, HCT116 p53(-/-), and HT29 cells compared to 5-FU or radiation alone. Our findings indicated that IMP1338 induced p53-independent cell death through S and G2/M phase arrest as well as DNA damage. These results provide a basis for future investigations assessing the promising anticancer properties of IMP1338. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

  11. Pathophysiologic study of chronic infarcts with I-123 isopropyl iodo-amphetamine (IMP)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Raynaud, C; Rancurel, G; Samson, Y

    1987-01-01

    Seventeen chronic cerebral infarcts were investigated by a highly sensitive, dedicated brain single photon emission computerized tomography system using 123I-isopropyl iodoamphetamine (IMP) and 133Xe. IMP uptake was measured 10 minutes, 2 hours, and 5 hours after injection, and regional cerebral...... blood flow was measured with 133Xe. In 4 cases a positron emission tomography system was used to measure the rCBF and the regional metabolic rate of oxygen with C15O2 and 15O2. The results obtained allowed us to identify 2 abnormal zones. One, the "central area," was characterized by a severe decrease...... ischemic neuronal loss. The results stress the important role played by the peripheral area, which may be useful in establishing the prognosis and evaluating the efficacy of therapy in individual stroke cases....

  12. Incorporation of a recombinant Eimeria maxima IMP1 antigen into nanoparticles confers protective immunity against E. maxima challenge infection

    Science.gov (United States)

    The purpose of this study was to determine if incorporating a recombinant Eimeria maxima protein, namely rEmaxIMP1, into gold nanoparticles (NP) could improve the level of protective immunity against E. maxima challenge infection. Recombinant EmaxIMP1 was expressed in Escherchia coli as a poly-His f...

  13. Text Messaging, Teen Outreach Program, and Sexual Health Behavior: A Cluster Randomized Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bull, Sheana; Devine, Sharon; Schmiege, Sarah J; Pickard, Leslie; Campbell, Jon; Shlay, Judith C

    2016-09-01

    To consider whether Youth All Engaged! (a text message intervention) intensified the effects of the adolescent pregnancy prevention Teen Outreach Program (control) for youths. In this trial performed in Denver, Colorado, from 2011 to 2014, we randomized 8 Boys & Girls Clubs each of 4 years into 32 clubs per year combinations to ensure each club would serve as a treatment site for 2 years and a control site for 2 years. Control intervention consisted of the Teen Outreach Program only. We enrolled 852 youths (aged 14-18 years), and 632 were retained at follow-up, with analytic samples ranging from 50 to 624 across outcomes. We examined program costs, and whether the intervention increased condom and contraceptive use, access to care, and pregnancy prevention. Control program costs were $1184 per participant, and intervention costs were an additional $126 per participant (+10.6%). There were no statistically significant differences in primary outcomes for the full sample. Hispanic participants in the intervention condition had fewer pregnancies at follow-up (1.79%) than did those in the control group (6.72%; P = .02). Youth All Engaged is feasible, low cost, and could have potential benefits for Hispanic youths.

  14. Detection of VIM-2-, IMP-1- and NDM-1-producing multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Malaysia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liew, Siew Mun; Rajasekaram, Ganeswrei; Puthucheary, Savithri D; Chua, Kek Heng

    2018-02-09

    The increasing incidence of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa along with the discovery of novel metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) is of concern. In this study, the isolation of Malaysian MBL-producing P. aeruginosa clinical strains was investigated. Fifty-three P. aeruginosa clinical strains were isolated from different patients in Sultanah Aminah Hospital, Johor Bahru, Malaysia in 2015. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was conducted. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of imipenem and meropenem were determined by Etest. The carbapenem-resistant strains were screened for MBL production by IMP-EDTA double disk synergy test (DDST), MBL imipenem/imipenem-inhibitor (IP/IPI) Etest and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Genotyping was performed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis. Three (5.7%) clinical strains were identified as MBL producers. Multidrug resistance was observed in the three strains, and two were resistant to all the antimicrobials tested. Sequencing analysis confirmed the three strains to harbour carbapenemase genes: one with bla IMP-1 , one with bla VIM-2 and the other with bla NDM-1 genes. These multidrug resistant strains were identified as sequence type (ST) 235 and ST308. None of the bla IMP-1 and bla NDM-1 genes have been reported in Malaysian P. aeruginosa. The emergence of imipenemase 1 (IMP-1)- and New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase 1 (NDM-1)-producing P. aeruginosa in Malaysia maybe travel-associated. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  15. A study of crossed cerebellar diaschisis on 123I-IMP SPECT images and its redistribution phenomenon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Odano, Ikuo; Takahashi, Naoya; Nishihara, Mamiko; Otaki, Hiro; Noguchi, Eikichi; Yamazaki, Yoshihiro; Kimura, Motomasa; Sakai, Kunio; Okubo, Masaki.

    1993-01-01

    Crossed cerebellar diaschisis (CCD) is interpreted as a functional deactivation, presumably caused by a loss of excitatory or inhibitory afferent inputs on the corticopontocerebellar pathway and others. A redistribution phenomenon (RD) is usually observed in the contralateral cerebellum with CCD on delayed images of 123 I-IMP SPECT. This phenomenon was analyzed in a view point of rCBF measurement in 24 patients with brain tumor, infarction and so forth. Regional CBF was measured by the microsphere method with 123 I-IMP and a delayed-to-early counts ratio (D/E ratio) was used. As a result, there was no relation between rCBF and the D/E ratio in the cerebellum, which means that RD is caused by other factors except for rCBF in the cerebellum. Regional CBF and the D/E ratio in the contralateral and ipsilateral cerebellum was 46.3 ml/100 g/min, 1.01 and 57.0 ml/100 g/min, 0.86, respectively. These results mean that the high activity of IMP gradually decreased in the ipsilateral cerebellum, while the low activity in the contralateral cerebellum was almost stable, and the difference of both activity reduced after 5 hours and RD was observed on the delayed image. The data indicate that retention mechanism of IMP and vascular permeability are not affected in the cerebellum with CCD. (author)

  16. Effect of two non-synonymous ecto-5'-nucleotidase variants on the genetic architecture of inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) and its degradation products in Japanese Black beef.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uemoto, Yoshinobu; Ohtake, Tsuyoshi; Sasago, Nanae; Takeda, Masayuki; Abe, Tsuyoshi; Sakuma, Hironori; Kojima, Takatoshi; Sasaki, Shinji

    2017-11-13

    Umami is a Japanese term for the fifth basic taste and is an important sensory property of beef palatability. Inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) contributes to umami taste in beef. Thus, the overall change in concentration of IMP and its degradation products can potentially affect the beef palatability. In this study, we investigated the genetic architecture of IMP and its degradation products in Japanese Black beef. First, we performed genome-wide association study (GWAS), candidate gene analysis, and functional analysis to detect the causal variants that affect IMP, inosine, and hypoxanthine. Second, we evaluated the allele frequencies in the different breeds, the contribution of genetic variance, and the effect on other economical traits using the detected variants. A total of 574 Japanese Black cattle were genotyped using the Illumina BovineSNP50 BeadChip and were then used for GWAS. The results of GWAS showed that the genome-wide significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on BTA9 were detected for IMP, inosine, and hypoxanthine. The ecto-5'-nucleotidase (NT5E) gene, which encodes the enzyme NT5E for the extracellular degradation of IMP to inosine, was located near the significant region on BTA9. The results of candidate gene analysis and functional analysis showed that two non-synonymous SNPs (c.1318C > T and c.1475 T > A) in NT5E affected the amount of IMP and its degradation products in beef by regulating the enzymatic activity of NT5E. The Q haplotype showed a positive effect on IMP and a negative effect on the enzymatic activity of NT5E in IMP degradation. The two SNPs were under perfect linkage disequilibrium in five different breeds, and different haplotype frequencies were seen among breeds. The two SNPs contribute to about half of the total genetic variance in IMP, and the results of genetic relationship between IMP and its degradation products showed that NT5E affected the overall concentration balance of IMP and its degradation products

  17. Clinical evaluation of Parkinson's disease using 123I-IMP SPECT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayashi, Hiroko; Odano, Ikuo; Nishihara, Mamiko; Higuchi, Shouichi; Sakai, Kunio; Ishikawa, Atsushi.

    1989-01-01

    N-isopropyl-p[ 123 I]iodoamphetamine ( 123 I-IMP) SPECT and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) studies were performed in 20 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and 8 normal subjects. RCBF was measured by the arterial blood sampling method which used the microsphere model. We analized seven factors which might be related to the rCBF in PD, i.e., age, stage, duration of the disease, cerebral atrophy, severity of dementia, laterality of symptoms and motor disability score (MDS; the degree of akinesia, rigidity, tremor, gait disturbance, freezing and pulsion sign). Compared with normal subjects, global CBF (supratentorial mean rCBF) was reduced by 21.8% in PD. In particular, rCBF in the basal ganglia and that of frontal cortex were reduced by 25.3% and 24.8%, respectively. Distribution patterns of rCBF in PD were almost as same as those in normals except for cerebellum. The reduction of both rCBFs in the basal ganglia and parietal cortex significantly correlated with MDS (p 123 I-IMP SPECT study is a useful method for clinical evaluation of PD. (author)

  18. 7. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP on technological specialties. Topic 10: Information Services; 7. Seminario IIE-ININ-IMP sobre especialidades tecnologicas. Mesa 10. Servicios de informacion.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1994-12-31

    The document includes 10 papers presented at the 7. Seminar of the IIE-IMP-ININ (Mexico) on technological specialities in the field of information services (Topic 10). Three items were in INIS subject scope and a separate abstract was prepared for each of them.

  19. Analysis and assessment for the intrapulmonary kinetics of N-isopropyl-I-123-p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) in diffuse respiratory diseases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fujishima, Seitaro (Keio Univ., Tokyo (Japan). School of Medicine)

    1992-01-01

    We investigated intrapulmonary kinetics of N-isopropyl-I-123-p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) in patients with diffuse respiratory diseases. Subjects studied were 4 healthy nonsmoking controls (age{>=}40), 3 young healthy nonsmokers (age<40), 4 healthy smokers, 8 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), 2 with sarcoidosis, and 4 with chronic pulmonary emphysema (CPE). All studies were performed after obtaining informed consent. Ages were matched among the groups except the group of young healthy nonsmokers. We calculated the lung initial extraction fraction (E value) of IMP using Tc-99m human serum albumin as an intravascular reference tracer with deconvolution method. We also analyzed the lung IMP washout curve by a two-compartmental model. The mean E value for the nonsmoking controls was 0.977, indicating almost all IMP injected was taken up by the lungs at the initial passage. There was no difference in the E value among the groups. With regard to the lung IMP washout analysis, the distribution to the fast compartment (A{sub 1}) was smaller than that to the slow compartment (A{sub 2}). There was no difference in the A{sub 1} to A{sub 2} ratio among the groups. We then analyzed the slopes of the fast and slow compartments (k{sub 1}, k{sub 2}). There was no difference in k{sub 1} among the groups. On the other hand, k{sub 2} was larger in young healthy nonsmokers and smaller in healthy smokers, the patients with IPF, sarcoidosis and CPE than k{sub 2} in nonsmoking controls. Furthermore, k{sub 2} decreased in inverse proportion to age. We concluded that k{sub 2} could be a valuable index to detect changes of IMP, a lipophilic amine, metabolism in the lungs. (author).

  20. A new graphic method for evaluation of distribution volume on N-isopropyl-p-[[sup 123]I]iodoamphetamine (IMP) SPECT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Odano, Ikuo; Takahashi, Naoya; Ohtaki, Hiroh; Noguchi, Eikichi; Hatano, Masayoshi; Yamasaki, Yoshihiro; Nishihara, Mamiko [Niigata Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine; Ohkubo, Masaki; Yokoi, Takashi

    1993-10-01

    We developed a new graphic method using N-isopropyl-p-[[sup 123]I]iodoamphetamine (IMP) and SPECT of the brain, the graph on which all three parameters, cerebral blood flow, distribution volume (V[sub d]) and delayed count to early count ratio (Delayed/Early ratio), were able to be evaluated simultaneously. The kinetics of [sup 123]I-IMP in the brain was analyzed by a 2-compartment model, and a standard input function was prepared by averaging the time activity curves of [sup 123]I-IMP in arterial blood on 6 patients with small cerebral infarction etc. including 2 normal controls. Being applied this method to the differential diagnosis between Parkinson's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy, we were able to differentiate both with a glance, because the distribution volume of the frontal lobe significantly decreased in Parkinson's disease (Mean[+-]SD; 26[+-]6 ml/g). This method was clinically useful. We think that the distribution volume of [sup 123]I-IMP may reflect its retention mechanism in the brain, and the values are related to amine, especially to dopamine receptors and its metabolism. (author).

  1. A novel cofactor-binding mode in bacterial IMP dehydrogenases explains inhibitor selectivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makowska-Grzyska, Magdalena; Kim, Youngchang; Maltseva, Natalia; Osipiuk, Jerzy; Gu, Minyi; Zhang, Minjia; Mandapati, Kavitha; Gollapalli, Deviprasad R; Gorla, Suresh Kumar; Hedstrom, Lizbeth; Joachimiak, Andrzej

    2015-02-27

    The steadily rising frequency of emerging diseases and antibiotic resistance creates an urgent need for new drugs and targets. Inosine 5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMP dehydrogenase or IMPDH) is a promising target for the development of new antimicrobial agents. IMPDH catalyzes the oxidation of IMP to XMP with the concomitant reduction of NAD(+), which is the pivotal step in the biosynthesis of guanine nucleotides. Potent inhibitors of bacterial IMPDHs have been identified that bind in a structurally distinct pocket that is absent in eukaryotic IMPDHs. The physiological role of this pocket was not understood. Here, we report the structures of complexes with different classes of inhibitors of Bacillus anthracis, Campylobacter jejuni, and Clostridium perfringens IMPDHs. These structures in combination with inhibition studies provide important insights into the interactions that modulate selectivity and potency. We also present two structures of the Vibrio cholerae IMPDH in complex with IMP/NAD(+) and XMP/NAD(+). In both structures, the cofactor assumes a dramatically different conformation than reported previously for eukaryotic IMPDHs and other dehydrogenases, with the major change observed for the position of the NAD(+) adenosine moiety. More importantly, this new NAD(+)-binding site involves the same pocket that is utilized by the inhibitors. Thus, the bacterial IMPDH-specific NAD(+)-binding mode helps to rationalize the conformation adopted by several classes of prokaryotic IMPDH inhibitors. These findings offer a potential strategy for further ligand optimization. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  2. A Novel Cofactor-binding Mode in Bacterial IMP Dehydrogenases Explains Inhibitor Selectivity*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makowska-Grzyska, Magdalena; Kim, Youngchang; Maltseva, Natalia; Osipiuk, Jerzy; Gu, Minyi; Zhang, Minjia; Mandapati, Kavitha; Gollapalli, Deviprasad R.; Gorla, Suresh Kumar; Hedstrom, Lizbeth; Joachimiak, Andrzej

    2015-01-01

    The steadily rising frequency of emerging diseases and antibiotic resistance creates an urgent need for new drugs and targets. Inosine 5′-monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMP dehydrogenase or IMPDH) is a promising target for the development of new antimicrobial agents. IMPDH catalyzes the oxidation of IMP to XMP with the concomitant reduction of NAD+, which is the pivotal step in the biosynthesis of guanine nucleotides. Potent inhibitors of bacterial IMPDHs have been identified that bind in a structurally distinct pocket that is absent in eukaryotic IMPDHs. The physiological role of this pocket was not understood. Here, we report the structures of complexes with different classes of inhibitors of Bacillus anthracis, Campylobacter jejuni, and Clostridium perfringens IMPDHs. These structures in combination with inhibition studies provide important insights into the interactions that modulate selectivity and potency. We also present two structures of the Vibrio cholerae IMPDH in complex with IMP/NAD+ and XMP/NAD+. In both structures, the cofactor assumes a dramatically different conformation than reported previously for eukaryotic IMPDHs and other dehydrogenases, with the major change observed for the position of the NAD+ adenosine moiety. More importantly, this new NAD+-binding site involves the same pocket that is utilized by the inhibitors. Thus, the bacterial IMPDH-specific NAD+-binding mode helps to rationalize the conformation adopted by several classes of prokaryotic IMPDH inhibitors. These findings offer a potential strategy for further ligand optimization. PMID:25572472

  3. Direct comparison study between FDG-PET and IMP-SPECT for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease using 3D-SSP analysis in the same patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nihashi, Takashi; Hayasaka, Kazumasa; Yatsuya, Hiroshi

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the diagnostic ability of 2-[ 18 F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) and N-isopropyl-p- 123 I iodoamphetamine single photon emission computed tomography (IMP-SPECT) using three-dimensional stereotactic surface projections (3D-SSP) in patients with moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD). FDG-PET and IMP-SPECT were performed within 3 months in 14 patients with probable moderate AD. Z-score maps of FDG-PET and IMP-SPECT images of a patient were obtained by comparison with data obtained from control subjects. Four expert physicians evaluated and graded the glucose hypometabolism and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), focusing in particular on the posterior cingulate gyri/precunei and parietotemporal regions, and determined the reliability for AD. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were applied to the results for clarification. To evaluate the correlation between two modalities, the regions of interest (ROIs) were set in the posterior cingulate gyri/precunei and parietotemporal region on 3D-SSP images, and mean Z-values were calculated. No significant difference was observed in the area under the ROC curve (AUC) between FDG-PET and IMP-SPECT images (FDG-PET 0.95, IMP-SPECT 0.94). However, a significant difference (P<0.05) was observed in the AUC for the posterior cingulate gyri/precuneus (FDG-PET 0.94, IMP-SPECT 0.81). The sensitivity and specificity of each modality were 86%, and 97% for FDG-PET and 70% and 100% for IMP-SPECT. We could find no significant difference between FDG-PET and IMP-SPECT in terms of diagnosing moderate AD using 3D-SSP. There was a high correlation between the two modalities in the parietotemporal region (Spearman's r=0.82, P<0.001). The correlation in the posterior cingulate gyri/precunei region was lower than that in the parietotemporal region (Spearman's r=0.63, P<0.016). (author)

  4. Radial evolution of the solar wind from IMP 8 to Voyager 2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richardson, John D.; Paularena, Karolen I.; Lazarus, Alan J.; Belcher, John W.

    1995-01-01

    Voyager 2 and Interplanetary Monitoring Platform (IMP) 8 data from 1977 through 1994 are presented and compared. Radial velocity and temperature structures remain intact over the distance from 1 to 43 AU, but density structures do not. Temperature and velocity changes are correlated and nearly in phase at 1 AU, but in the outer heliosphere temperature changes lead velocity changes by tens of days. Solar cycle variations are detected by both spacecraft, with minima in flux density and dynamic pressure near solar maxima. Differences between Voyager 2 and IMP 8 observations near the solar minimum in 1986-1987 are attributed to latitudinal gradients in solar wind properties. Solar rotation variations are often present even at 40 AU. The Voyager 2 temperature profile is best fit with a R(exp -0.49 +/- 0.01) decrease, much less steep than an adiabatic profile.

  5. Immediate increase in food intake following exercise messages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albarracin, Dolores; Wang, Wei; Leeper, Joshua

    2009-07-01

    Communications to stimulate weight loss include exercise-promotion messages that often produce unsatisfactory results due to compensatory behavioral and metabolic mechanisms triggered by physical activity. This research investigated potential automatic facilitation of eating immediately after exercise messages in the absence of actual exercise. Two controlled experiments demonstrated greater than control food intake following exposure to print messages typical of exercise campaigns as well as subliminal presentation of action words associated with exercise (e.g., "active"). These inadvertent effects may explain the limited efficacy of exercise-promotion programs for weight loss, particularly when systematic dietary guidelines are absent.

  6. Asynchronous Message Service Reference Implementation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burleigh, Scott C.

    2011-01-01

    This software provides a library of middleware functions with a simple application programming interface, enabling implementation of distributed applications in conformance with the CCSDS AMS (Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems Asynchronous Message Service) specification. The AMS service, and its protocols, implement an architectural concept under which the modules of mission systems may be designed as if they were to operate in isolation, each one producing and consuming mission information without explicit awareness of which other modules are currently operating. Communication relationships among such modules are self-configuring; this tends to minimize complexity in the development and operations of modular data systems. A system built on this model is a society of generally autonomous, inter-operating modules that may fluctuate freely over time in response to changing mission objectives, modules functional upgrades, and recovery from individual module failure. The purpose of AMS, then, is to reduce mission cost and risk by providing standard, reusable infrastructure for the exchange of information among data system modules in a manner that is simple to use, highly automated, flexible, robust, scalable, and efficient. The implementation is designed to spawn multiple threads of AMS functionality under the control of an AMS application program. These threads enable all members of an AMS-based, distributed application to discover one another in real time, subscribe to messages on specific topics, and to publish messages on specific topics. The query/reply (client/server) communication model is also supported. Message exchange is optionally subject to encryption (to support confidentiality) and authorization. Fault tolerance measures in the discovery protocol minimize the likelihood of overall application failure due to any single operational error anywhere in the system. The multi-threaded design simplifies processing while enabling application nodes to

  7. Using dual-phase message signs to display airline information : technical summary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    Changeable Message Signs are electronic traffic signs that can be programmed to display : important messages that vary according to current roadway conditions, including the : presence of traffic congestion and accidents. CMSs can also be used to dis...

  8. Nature and Impact of Alcohol Messages in a Youth-Oriented Television Series.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russell, Cristel Antonia; Russell, Dale W; Grube, Joel W

    2009-01-01

    This research contributes to the extant literature on television influence by pairing a stimulus-side approach documenting how information is presented within a TV series with a response-side assessment of whether connectedness and exposure to a series influence the processing of that information differently depending on its format. The inquiry focuses on the nature and impact of messages about alcohol contained within a youth oriented TV program. The findings indicate that the recall and perception of the more overt negative messages increase with exposure and that receptiveness to the subtle and less remembered positive messages increases with levels of program connectedness. Highly connected viewers are both more receptive to and in greater agreement with the underlying positive alcohol message communicated in the series.

  9. A text message intervention for alcohol risk reduction among community college students: TMAP.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bock, Beth C; Barnett, Nancy P; Thind, Herpreet; Rosen, Rochelle; Walaska, Kristen; Traficante, Regina; Foster, Robert; Deutsch, Chris; Fava, Joseph L; Scott-Sheldon, Lori A J

    2016-12-01

    Students at community colleges comprise nearly half of all U.S. college students and show higher risk of heavy drinking and related consequences compared to students at 4-year colleges, but no alcohol safety programs currently target this population. To examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of an alcohol risk-reduction program delivered through text messaging designed for community college (CC) students. Heavy drinking adult CC students (N=60) were enrolled and randomly assigned to the six-week active intervention (Text Message Alcohol Program: TMAP) or a control condition of general motivational (not alcohol related) text messages. TMAP text messages consisted of alcohol facts, strategies to limit alcohol use and related risks, and motivational messages. Assessments were conducted at baseline, week 6 (end of treatment) and week 12 (follow up). Most participants (87%) completed all follow up assessments. Intervention messages received an average rating of 6.8 (SD=1.5) on a 10-point scale. At week six, TMAP participants were less likely than controls to report heavy drinking and negative alcohol consequences. The TMAP group also showed significant increases in self-efficacy to resist drinking in high risk situations between baseline and week six, with no such increase among controls. Results were maintained through the week 12 follow up. The TMAP alcohol risk reduction program was feasible and highly acceptable indicated by high retention rates through the final follow up assessment and good ratings for the text message content. Reductions in multiple outcomes provide positive indications of intervention efficacy. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  10. Motivating Smoking Cessation Text Messages: Perspectives from Pregnant Smokers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schindler-Ruwisch, Jennifer M; Leavitt, Leah E; Macherelli, Laura E; Turner, Monique M; Abroms, Lorien C

    2018-06-01

    The purpose of this research is to analyze cessation text-messages written by pregnant smokers to elucidate the target population's preferred content and message attributes. To achieve this goal, the objectives of this study are three-fold; to qualitatively code messages written by pregnant smokers for frame, type of appeal, and intended target. Study participants were recruited as part of a larger trial of pregnant smokers who were enrolled in a text-messaging program or control group and surveyed 1 month post-enrollment. Each participant was asked to write a brief message to another pregnant smoker and two independent coders qualitatively analyzed responses. User generated messages (N = 51) were equally loss and gain framed, and the most common appeals were: fear, guilt, cognitive, hope and empathy, in order of most to least frequent. The target of the majority of the messages was the baby. Allowing pregnant smokers to write cessation text-messages for other pregnant women can provide relevant insight into intervention content. Specifically, pregnant smokers appear to equally promote gain and loss frames, but may prefer messages that include components of fear and guilt related to the impact of smoking on their baby. Additional research is needed to systematically uncover perspectives of pregnant smokers to ensure interventions are optimally effective.

  11. Embryonic expression of Drosophila IMP in the developing CNS and PNS

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Adolph, Sidsel Kramshøj; Delotto, Robert; Nielsen, Finn Cilius

    2008-01-01

    embryogenesis. In the cellular blastoderm, immunoreactivity was seen in the entire cell-layer, where it was localized apically to the nucleus, and in the pole cells. Later, the GFP-dIMP fusion protein appeared in the developing central nervous system, both in the brain and in the ventral nerve cord...

  12. Embedded anti-alcohol messages on commercial television: what teenagers perceive.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borzekowski, D L

    1996-11-01

    Educators and producers should take advantage of television's potential for reaching audiences with health-related messages. This paper investigates adolescents' perceptions of an anti-alcohol message embedded in commercial television programming. Over 900 8th and 9th graders from New York suburbs completed surveys measuring interest, knowledge, and credibility of either an episode of The Cosby Show or Family Matters. Both episodes had an anti-alcohol message embedded within their plots. Overall, students gave high rates of interest and credibility and received high scores for knowledge for both episodes. Girls and African-American students had higher scores, on average, for interest and credibility. White students had the highest knowledge scores. Students with different television viewing experiences did not differ in their perceptions of the episodes; however, students who had previously seen the episodes gave higher levels of interest and credibility. These data indicate that youngsters are receptive to antialcohol messages within commercial television episodes. The results also suggest that similarities and differences between a viewer and a televised character relate to differences in perception. However, much more research should be done in order to generalize these findings to other audiences, episodes, programs, and health-related messages.

  13. 7. Seminar of the IIE-IMP-ININ on technological specialities. Topic 8: Analytical Chemistry; 7. Seminario IIE-IMP-ININ sobre especialidades tecnologicas. Mesa 8: Quimica Analitica

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1994-12-31

    With the purpose to give continuity to the exchange of experiences and to impel the development of common specialties among IIE-ININ-IMP, the VII Seminary was held in Mexico City on September 7, 1994. In the event were present 163 researchers of the three participant Institutions as well as representative persons of invited institutions. The objective of this Seminary was to relate the researchers of a common branch, with the idea that the specialists made an exchange of experiences, in order to establish cooperation routes. The event was arranged in 11 working tables, with a total of 111 papers: 43 of these papers were from IIE, 42 from IMP, 22 from ININ and 4 from invited entities. During the Seminary, the 11 working tables has sessions simultaneously, and each one of the papers were discussed at the time that possible future cooperating inter institutional actions were examined. The conclusions of the Seminary were exposed in a plenary session, in the presence of the directing boards of the three participant Institutions.

  14. Comment on 'Magnetosheath burst of predominantly medium nuclei observed with Imp 8 on February 16, 1974' by T. P. Armstrong, S. M. Krimigis, and R. P. Lepping

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hovestadt, D.

    1980-01-01

    Armstrong et al. (1978) report the observation of a unique series of charged particle bursts with an unusually high content of Z>2 particles and a high degree of collimation from the direction of the sun. These bursts were observed only with their CPME (charged particle measurement experiment) instrument on Imp 8, while not with the CPME on Imp 7. No indication has been seen for heavy ion bursts comparable in intensity to those reported by Armstrong et al. (1978) with the ULET (ultralow energy telescope) instrument of the University of Maryland/Max-Planck-Institut experiment on Imp 8 at the same time. It is noted that the ULET counting rates observed on Imp 8 are fully compatible with the CPME rates observed on the Imp 7 spacecraft. We conclude that the CPME and the ULET data from IMP 8 during these periods do not agree, and this casts doubt on the correctness of the CPME results for these special events

  15. Role of 123I-IMP SPET in the early diagnosis of borderline chronic hydrocephalus after aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohkuma, Hiroki; Tanaka, Masahiko; Suzuki, Shigeharu; Kondoh, Izumi

    2000-01-01

    Chronic hydrocephalus after aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is easily diagnosed in most cases. However, the diagnosis is sometimes difficult in borderline cases, in which (a) pathognomonic clinical deterioration due to hydrocephalus is masked by the neurological deficits caused in the acute stage of SAH and (b) ventricular enlargement is not so marked on CT scan. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not iodine-123 labelled N-isopropyl-p-iodoamphetamine ( 123 I-IMP) single-photon emission tomography (SPET) is of value for the early diagnosis of borderline chronic hydrocephalus after SAH. Fifteen patients who met the criteria of borderline chronic hydrocephalus were selected for the study, and underwent a shunt operation. The patients were divided into a shunt-effective group and a shunt-ineffective group according to neurological improvement after the shunt operation. 123 I-IMP SPET was performed in the acute stage of SAH, within 1 week before the shunt operation, and 2 weeks after the shunt operation. Regional cerebral blood flow was estimated by the 123 I-IMP autoradiographic method. Pre-shunting periventricular low-perfusion areas showed statistically significant differences between the two groups (P 123 I-IMP SPET can be used for both the early diagnosis of borderline chronic hydrocephalus after SAH and the prediction of shunt effectiveness. (orig.)

  16. Designing Anti-Binge Drinking Prevention Messages: Message Framing vs. Evidence Type.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Hannah; Lee, Moon J

    2017-09-27

    We investigated whether presenting anti-binge drinking health campaign messages in different message framing and evidence types influences college students' intention to avoid binge drinking, based on prospect theory (PT) and exemplification theory. A 2 (message framing: loss-framed message/gain-framed message) X 2 (evidence type: statistical/narrative) between-subjects factorial design with a control group was conducted with 156 college students. College students who were exposed to the loss-framed message condition exhibited a higher level of intention to avoid binge drinking in the near future than those who did not see any messages (the control group). This finding was mainly among non-binge drinkers. Regardless of evidence type, those who were exposed to the messages exhibited a higher level of intention to avoid binge drinking than those in the control group. This is also mainly among non-binge drinkers. We also found the main effects of message framing and evidence type on attitude toward the message and the main effect of message framing on attitude toward drinking.

  17. A new graphic method for evaluation of distribution volume on N-isopropyl-p-[[sup 123]I]iodoamphetamine (IMP) SPECT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Odano, Ikuo; Takahashi, Naoya; Ohtaki, Hiroh; Noguchi, Eikichi; Hatano, Masayoshi; Yamasaki, Yoshihiro; Nishihara, Mamiko (Niigata Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine); Ohkubo, Masaki; Yokoi, Takashi

    1993-10-01

    We developed a new graphic method using N-isopropyl-p-[[sup 123]I]iodoamphetamine (IMP) and SPECT of the brain, the graph on which all three parameters, cerebral blood flow, distribution volume (V[sub d]) and delayed count to early count ratio (Delayed/Early ratio), were able to be evaluated simultaneously. The kinetics of [sup 123]I-IMP in the brain was analyzed by a 2-compartment model, and a standard input function was prepared by averaging the time activity curves of [sup 123]I-IMP in arterial blood on 6 patients with small cerebral infarction etc. including 2 normal controls. Being applied this method to the differential diagnosis between Parkinson's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy, we were able to differentiate both with a glance, because the distribution volume of the frontal lobe significantly decreased in Parkinson's disease (Mean[+-]SD; 26[+-]6 ml/g). This method was clinically useful. We think that the distribution volume of [sup 123]I-IMP may reflect its retention mechanism in the brain, and the values are related to amine, especially to dopamine receptors and its metabolism. (author).

  18. Improving Refill Adherence in Medicare Patients With Tailored and Interactive Mobile Text Messaging: Pilot Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeong, Erwin W; Feger, Erin; Noble, Harmony K; Kmiec, Magdalen; Prayaga, Ram S

    2018-01-01

    Background Nonadherence is a major concern in the management of chronic conditions such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes where patients may discontinue or interrupt their medication for a variety of reasons. Text message reminders have been used to improve adherence. However, few programs or studies have explored the benefits of text messaging with older populations and at scale. In this paper, we present a program design using tailored and interactive text messaging to improve refill rates of partially adherent or nonadherent Medicare members of a large integrated health plan. Objective The aim of this 3-month program was to gain an understanding of whether tailored interactive text message dialogues could be used to improve medication refills in Medicare patients with one or more chronic diseases. Methods We used the mPulse Mobile interactive text messaging solution with partially adherent and nonadherent Medicare patients (ie, over age 65 years or younger with disabilities) of Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KP), a large integrated health plan, and compared refill rates of the text messaging group (n=12,272) to a group of partially adherent or nonadherent Medicare patients at KP who did not receive text messages (nontext messaging group, n=76,068). Both groups were exposed to other forms of refill and adherence outreach including phone calls, secure emails, and robo-calls from December 2016 to February 2017. Results The text messaging group and nontext messaging group were compared using an independent samples t test to test difference in group average of refill rates. There was a significant difference in medication refill rates between the 2 groups, with a 14.07 percentage points higher refill rate in the text messaging group (Pimprove medication refill rates among Medicare patients. These findings also support using interactive text messaging as a cost-effective, convenient, and user-friendly solution for patient engagement

  19. Influência da Impedância e Relutância em Recursos Eletroterapêuticos Utilizados em Tratamentos Fisioterapêuticos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrik Nepomuceno

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available A eletroterapia consiste no tratamento através de correntes elétricas, ocasionando alterações fisiológicas. Dentro desta terapêutica temos os conceitos de impedância e relutância, temas importantes que devem ser conhecimento do fisioterapeuta. Objetivo: Analisar em dados literários aspectos relevantes à impedância e relutância de uma corrente elétrica nos recursos terapêuticos. Métodos: Foram buscados artigos científicos através de bases de dados, no período de março a junho de 2016. Utilizando palavras-chave como “impedância”, “relutância”, “eletroterapia” e “fisioterapia” e suas traduções para o inglês. Resultados: Nessa perspectiva encontraram-se sete artigos científicos que tratam sobre o assunto impedância, nesse período, e não foram encontrados artigos científicos sobre a relutância. Considerações finais: Diversos mecanismos estão relacionados à impedância da pele e sua redução está associada à sensação agradável relatada pelo paciente e também à efetividade do tratamento. Também é necessário ressaltar a importância para o profissional conhecer os assuntos tratados no presente estudo, pois assim ele poderá aplicar de maneira mais efetiva as correntes excitomotoras, gerando assim uma maior agilidade na terapêutica.

  20. Message Passing Framework for Globally Interconnected Clusters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hafeez, M; Riaz, N; Asghar, S; Malik, U A; Rehman, A

    2011-01-01

    In prevailing technology trends it is apparent that the network requirements and technologies will advance in future. Therefore the need of High Performance Computing (HPC) based implementation for interconnecting clusters is comprehensible for scalability of clusters. Grid computing provides global infrastructure of interconnecting clusters consisting of dispersed computing resources over Internet. On the other hand the leading model for HPC programming is Message Passing Interface (MPI). As compared to Grid computing, MPI is better suited for solving most of the complex computational problems. MPI itself is restricted to a single cluster. It does not support message passing over the internet to use the computing resources of different clusters in an optimal way. We propose a model that provides message passing capabilities between parallel applications over the internet. The proposed model is based on Architecture for Java Universal Message Passing (A-JUMP) framework and Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) named as High Performance Computing Bus. The HPC Bus is built using ActiveMQ. HPC Bus is responsible for communication and message passing in an asynchronous manner. Asynchronous mode of communication offers an assurance for message delivery as well as a fault tolerance mechanism for message passing. The idea presented in this paper effectively utilizes wide-area intercluster networks. It also provides scheduling, dynamic resource discovery and allocation, and sub-clustering of resources for different jobs. Performance analysis and comparison study of the proposed framework with P2P-MPI are also presented in this paper.

  1. Progress of highly charged atomic physics at IMP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma, X; Zhu, X L; Liu, H P; Li, B; Wei, B R; Sha, S; Cao, S P; Chen, L F; Zhang, S F; Feng, W T; Zhang, D C; Qian, D B

    2007-01-01

    The progress of atomic physics researches at the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) is reviewed, covering the studies on ion-atom/molecule collisions, ion-cluster interaction, negative ion formation, state-selective electron capture studied by COLTRIMS, as well as the progress of a new experimental area dedicated for atomic researches at moderate energies, and the advances of the cooler storage rings at the Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou (HIRFL). New opportunities to study collision dynamics from femto-second to atto-second regime are opened based on the present facilities and the on-going projects

  2. Using Facebook and text messaging to deliver a weight loss program to college students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Napolitano, Melissa A; Hayes, Sharon; Bennett, Gary G; Ives, Allison K; Foster, Gary D

    2013-01-01

    Between 31 and 35% of the college-aged population is overweight or obese, yet few weight loss trials for this population have been conducted. This study examined the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of a technology-based 8-week weight loss intervention among college students. Students (N = 52) were randomly assigned to one of the three arms: Facebook (n = 17); Facebook Plus text messaging and personalized feedback (n = 18); Waiting List control (n = 17), with assessments at 4 weeks and 8 weeks (post-treatment). Participants were 20.47 ± 2.19 years old, 86.45 ± 17.11 kg, with a body mass index of 31.36 ± 5.3 kg/m(2) . Participants were primarily female (86.5%), and the sample was racially diverse (57.7% Caucasian, 30.8% African American, 5.8% Hispanic, and 5.7% other races). The primary outcome was weight loss after 8 weeks (post-treatment); 96.0% of the participants completed this assessment. At 8 weeks, the Facebook Plus group had significantly greater weight loss (-2.4 ± 2.5 kg) than the Facebook (-0.63 ± 2.4 kg) and Waiting List (-0.24 ± 2.6 kg) (both Ps Facebook and Waiting List groups. Results show preliminary efficacy and acceptability of the two active intervention arms (97.0% found the program helpful, 81.3% found the videos/handouts helpful, and 100% would recommend the program to others). Results indicate the potential for an innovative weight loss intervention that uses technology platforms (Facebook and text messaging) that are frequently used and already integrated into the cultural life of college students. Copyright © 2012 The Obesity Society.

  3. The effect of scatter correction on {sup 123}I-IMP brain perfusion SPET with the triple energy window method in normal subjects using SPM analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shiga, Tohru; Takano, Akihiro; Tsukamoto, Eriko; Tamaki, Nagara [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo (Japan); Kubo, Naoki [Department of Radiological Technology, College of Medical Technology, Hokkaido University, Sapporo (Japan); Kobayashi, Junko; Takeda, Yoji; Nakamura, Fumihiro; Koyama, Tsukasa [Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo (Japan); Katoh, Chietsugu [Department of Tracer Kinetics, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo (Japan)

    2002-03-01

    Scatter correction (SC) using the triple energy window method (TEW) has recently been applied for brain perfusion single-photon emission tomography (SPET). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of scatter correction using TEW on N-isopropyl-p-[{sup 123}I]iodoamphetamine ({sup 123}I-IMP) SPET in normal subjects. The study population consisted of 15 right-handed normal subjects. SPET data were acquired from 20 min to 40 min after the injection of 167 MBq of IMP, using a triple-head gamma camera. Images were reconstructed with and without SC. 3D T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images were also obtained with a 1.5-Tesla scanner. First, IMP images with and without SC were co-registered to the 3D MRI. Second, the two co-registered IMP images were normalised using SPM96. A t statistic image for the contrast condition effect was constructed. We investigated areas using a voxel-level threshold of 0.001, with a corrected threshold of 0.05. Compared with results obtained without SC, the IMP distribution with SC was significantly decreased in the peripheral areas of the cerebellum, the cortex and the ventricle, and also in the lateral occipital cortex and the base of the temporal lobe. On the other hand, the IMP distribution with SC was significantly increased in the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex, the insular cortex and the medial part of the thalamus. It is concluded that differences in the IMP distribution with and without SC exist not only in the peripheral areas of the cerebellum, the cortex and the ventricle but also in the occipital lobe, the base of the temporal lobe, the insular cortex, the medial part of the thalamus, and the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex. This needs to be recognised for adequate interpretation of IMP brain perfusion SPET after scatter correction. (orig.)

  4. The group study of diagnostic efficacy of cerebro-vascular disease by I-123 IMP SPECT images obtained with ring type SPECT scanner

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Machida, Kikuo; Honda, Norinari; Matsumoto, Toru

    1991-01-01

    We performed two image reading experiments in order to investigate the diagnostic capability of I-123 IMP SPECT obtained by the ring type SPECT scanner in cerebro-vascular disease. Fourteen physicians diagnosed SPECT images of 55 cases with reference to clinical neurological information, first without brain XCT images and second with XCT images. Each physician detected perfusion defects and redistributions of I-123 IMP and assigned a confidence level of abnormality for these SPECT findings by means of five rating method. From results obtained by ROC analysis, we concluded as follows. (1) Generally, I-123 IMP SPECT is a stable diagnostic modality in the diagnosis of cerebro-vascular disease and the image reading of XCT had no effects on the diagnosis of SPECT on the whole of physician. (2) However, there were unnegligible differences among individuals in the detectability of findings and the effect of XCT image reading. (3) Detectability of redistribution of I-123 IMP was lower than that of perfusion defect and inter-observer variation in the diagnostic performance for redistribution was larger than that of perfusion defect. The results suggest that it is necessary to standardize diagnostic criteria among physicians for redistribution of I-123 IMP. (author)

  5. Using Text Message Surveys to Evaluate a Mobile Sexual Health Question-and-Answer Service.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willoughby, Jessica Fitts; L'Engle, Kelly Ladin; Jackson, Kennon; Brickman, Jared

    2018-01-01

    Text message programs for sexual health are becoming increasingly popular as practitioners aim to meet youth on media they use frequently. Two-way mobile health (mHealth) interventions allow for feedback solicitation from participants. This study explores the use of a text message survey to assess demographics and program feedback from users of an adolescent sexual health text message question-and-answer service. Development and feasibility of the short-message service survey are discussed. The text message survey achieved a 43.9% response rate, which is comparable to response rates of surveys conducted via other methods. When compared to respondents who used the service and completed an online in-school questionnaire, text survey respondents were more likely to be female and older. They also reported higher service satisfaction. Results have implications for text message service providers and researchers. This article examines a community application of a new intervention strategy and research methodology.

  6. Regional cerebral blood flow in Parkinson's disease measured with N-isopropyl-p-[123I]iodoamphetamine (IMP) SPECT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Odano, Ikuo; Nishihara, Mamiko; Hayashi, Hiroko; Higuchi, Shoichi; Sakai, Kunio; Ishikawa, Atsushi; Ibayashi, Katsuhiko.

    1992-01-01

    N-isopropyl-p-[ 123 I]iodoamphetamine (IMP) SPECT studies were performed on 21 patients (13 females; 45-73 yrs) with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) and 10 age-matched normal controls (39-69 yrs). Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was quantitatively measured by the arterial blood sampling method. When compared with normal controls, global CBF, and rCBF in the frontal cortex and in the basal ganglia were reduced 22.1% (p 123 I-IMP SPECT imaging is useful for evaluation and follow-up of patients with PD. (author)

  7. When message-frame fits salient cultural-frame, messages feel more persuasive.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uskul, Ayse K; Oyserman, Daphna

    2010-03-01

    The present study examines the persuasive effects of tailored health messages comparing those tailored to match (versus not match) both chronic cultural frame and momentarily salient cultural frame. Evidence from two studies (Study 1: n = 72 European Americans; Study 2: n = 48 Asian Americans) supports the hypothesis that message persuasiveness increases when chronic cultural frame, health message tailoring and momentarily salient cultural frame all match. The hypothesis was tested using a message about health risks of caffeine consumption among individuals prescreened to be regular caffeine consumers. After being primed for individualism, European Americans who read a health message that focused on the personal self were more likely to accept the message-they found it more persuasive, believed they were more at risk and engaged in more message-congruent behaviour. These effects were also found among Asian Americans who were primed for collectivism and who read a health message that focused on relational obligations. The findings point to the importance of investigating the role of situational cues in persuasive effects of health messages and suggest that matching content to primed frame consistent with the chronic frame may be a way to know what to match messages to.

  8. Combined Quitline Counseling and Text Messaging for Smoking Cessation: A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boal, Ashley L; Abroms, Lorien C; Simmens, Samuel; Graham, Amanda L; Carpenter, Kelly M

    2016-05-01

    This study seeks to determine whether comprehensive quitline services combined with text messaging improve smoking cessation rates beyond those achieved by offering comprehensive quitline services alone. The study sample consisted of callers to the Alere Wellbeing, Inc, commercial quitline in 2012. A quasi-experimental design was implemented using propensity score matching to create the intervention and control groups. The intervention group consisted of those who were offered and accepted a text message intervention in addition to usual quitline services, while the control group consisted of those who were not offered the text message intervention. Analyses utilized baseline data collected at intake, program use data (eg, call history and text message use), and reports of smoking behaviors and program satisfaction collected 6 months after intake. Similar rates of 7-day abstinence were reported regardless of whether participants received combined multi-call quitline services plus text messaging (25.3%) or multi-call quitline services in isolation (25.5%), though those who received combined services reported higher treatment satisfaction (P research should investigate whether text messaging programs improve quit rates when combined with less intensive services such as single-call phone counseling. While the impact of quitline and text messaging services for smoking cessation have been examined in isolation, no study has explored the impact of combined services on smoking outcomes. This study examines the role of text messaging in combination with comprehensive quitline services including multi-call phone counseling, access to an interactive website and nicotine replacement therapy. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  9. 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP on technological specialties. Topic 4: dynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    The document includes 7 papers presented at the 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP (Mexico) on technological specialties in the field of dynamics. (Topic 4). One item was in INIS subject scope and a separate abstract was prepared for it

  10. Comment on 'magnetosheath burst of predominantly medium nuclei observed with Imp 8 on February 16, 1974' by T. P. Armstrong, S. M. Krimigis, and R. P. Lepping

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hovestadt, D.

    1980-01-01

    Armstrong et al. (1978) have observed a unique series of bursts with an unusually high content of Z greater than 2 particles and a high degree of collimation from the direction of the sun. The bursts were observed only with the CPME (Charged Particle Measurement Instrument) on Imp 8, but not with the CPME on Imp 7 nor with the ULET (Ultralow Energy Telescope) on Imp 8, whose response characteristics matched those of the CPME on Imp 7. The present comparison of the measurements made with the CPME and ULET cast doubt on the correctness of the reported observations.

  11. Development of macaronic Hindi-English ‘Hinglish’ text message content for a coronary heart disease secondary prevention programme

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thakkar, Jay; Karthikeyan, Ganesan; Purohit, Gaurav; Thakkar, Swetha; Sharma, Jitender; Verma, Sunilkumar; Parakh, Neeraj; Seth, Sandeep; Mishra, Sundeep; Yadav, Rakesh; Singh, Sandeep; Joshi, Rohina; Thiagalingam, Aravinda; Chow, Clara K; Redfern, Julie

    2016-01-01

    Background Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in India. Text message based prevention programs have demonstrated reduction in cardiovascular risk factors among patients with CHD in selected populations. Customisation is important as behaviour change is influenced by culture and linguistic context. Objectives To customise a mobile phone text message program supporting behaviour and treatment adherence in CHD for delivery in North India. Methods We used an iterative process with mixed methods involving three phases: (1) Initial translation, (2) Review and incorporation of feedback including review by cardiologists in India to assess alignment with local guidelines and by consumers on perceived utility and clarity and (3) Pilot testing of message management software. Results Messages were translated in three ways: symmetrical translation, asymmetrical translation and substitution. Feedback from cardiologists and 25 patients was incorporated to develop the final bank. Patients reported Hinglish messages were easy to understand (93%) and useful (78%). The software located in Australia successfully delivered messages to participants based in Delhi-surrounds (India). Conclusions Our process for customisation of a text message program considered cultural, linguistic and the medical context of potential participants. This is important in optimising intervention fidelity across populations enabling examination of the generalisability of text message programs across populations. We also demonstrated the customised program was acceptable to patients in India and that a centralised cross-country delivery model was feasible. This process could be used as a guide for other groups seeking to customise their programs. Trial registration number TEXTMEDS Australia (Parent study)—ACTRN 12613000793718. PMID:27752288

  12. A new treatment of capillarity to improve the stability of IMPES two-phase flow formulation

    KAUST Repository

    Kou, Jisheng

    2010-12-01

    In this paper, we present an efficient numerical method for two-phase immiscible flow in porous media with different capillarity pressures. In highly heterogeneous permeable media, the saturation is discontinuous due to different capillary pressure functions. One popular scheme is to split the system into a pressure and a saturation equation, and to apply IMplicit Pressure Explicit Saturation (IMPES) approach for time stepping. One disadvantage of IMPES is instability resulting from the explicit treatment for capillary pressure. To improve stability, the capillary pressure is usually incorporated in the saturation equation which gradients of saturation appear. This approach, however, does not apply to the case of different capillary pressure functions for multiple rock-types, because of the discontinuity of saturation across rock interfaces. In this paper, we present a new treatment of capillary pressure, which appears implicitly in the pressure equation. Using an approximation of capillary function, we substitute the implicit saturation equation into the pressure equation. The coupled pressure equation will be solved implicitly and followed by the explicit saturation equation. Five numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the advantages of our approach. Comparison shows that our proposed method is more efficient and stable than the classical IMPES approach. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

  13. Clinical experience of 123I-IMP scintigraphy in detecting vertebral bone metastases of hepatocellular carcinoma. A comparison with bone scintigraphy with 99mTc-MDP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suto, Y.; Iwamiya, T.; Tanigawa, N.; Shabana, M.; Ohta, Y.

    1994-01-01

    123 I-IMP and bone scintigraphy with 99m Tc-MDP were consecutively performed in patients with vertebral bone metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma and lumbar spondylosis deformans in a 7-day interval or shorter. The intensity of uptake was compared. Eighteen of the 20 metastatic lesions (90%) were classified as increased uptake areas in 123 I-IMP scintigraphy. MDP-scintigraphy disclosed 16 metastatic lesions (80%), 9 as ''hot'' lesions (56%) and 7 as ''cold'' lesions (44%). 123 I-IMP scintigraphy was negative in all 12 lesions of lumbar spondylosis deformans. Compared to MDP-scintigraphy, 123 I-IMP scintigraphy was more sensitive in detecting vertebral bone metastases of hepatocellular carcinoma with smaller rates of false-positive and false-negative findings. (orig./MG)

  14. Reduction in cortical IMP-SPET tracer uptake with recent cigarette consumption in a young group of healthy males

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rourke, S.B.; Dupont, R.M.; Grant, I.; Lehr, P.P.; Lamoureux, G.; Halpern, S.; Yeung, D.W.C.

    1997-01-01

    Functional brain imaging techniques are being used increasingly to infer disturbances in brain function in various neuropsychiatric disorders, but the specificity of such findings is not always clear. We retrospectively examined the effects of one possible confound - cigarette smoking - on cortical uptake of iodine-123 iodoamphetamine (IMP) using single-photon emission tomographic imaging in a young (mean age=35 years) healthy group of male controls divided according to their smoking history. Subjects who had never smoked (n=17), or those with a history of smoking but no recent smoking (n=8), had equivalent and significantly higher mean cortical uptake of IMP than subjects with a history of smoking and who were current smokers (n=8). There were no differences in the cortical distribution of IMP. Our results indicate that cigarette smoking has an acute effect on global cerebral blood flow. This potential confound must be considered before abnormalities in cortical tracer uptake are attributed to some neuropsychiatric disorder of interest. (orig.). With 2 figs., 3 tabs

  15. Upon a Message-Oriented Trading API

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudiu VINTE

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we introduce the premises for a trading system application-programming interface (API based on a message-oriented middleware (MOM, and present the results of our research regarding the design and the implementation of a simulation-trading system employing a service-oriented architecture (SOA and messaging. Our research has been conducted with the aim of creating a simulation-trading platform, within the academic environment, that will provide both the foundation for future experiments with trading systems architectures, components, APIs, and the framework for research on trading strategies, trading algorithm design, and equity markets analysis tools. Mathematics Subject Classification: 68M14 (distributed systems.

  16. I-123 IMP SPECT in Parkinson's disease; In relation to the presence or absence of dementia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kawabata, Keita; Tachibana, Kyudai; Sugita, Minoru [Hyogo Medical Coll., Nishinomiya (Japan)

    1990-12-01

    To examine semiquantitatively regional cerebral blood flow, SPECT with N-isopropyl-p-(I-123)iodoamphetamine (I-123 IMP) was undertaken in 17 patients with Parkinson's disease. Seven patients with Alzheimer's disease and 9 senile control subjects were also imaged for comparison. Both the Parkinson's disease group and the Alzheimer's disease group had a decreased uptake of I-123 IMP in the frontal lobe, in comparison with the control group. A remarkably decreased uptake was seen in the lateral and parietal lobes in the group of Parkinson's disease associated with dementia, as well as in the Alzheimer's disease group. A significantly decreased uptake was observed in the frontal lobe, lateral lobe, thalamus, and basal ganglia in the Parkinson's disease group, irrespective of the presence or absence of dementia. For Parkinson's disease associated with dementia, there was much more significant decrease in I-123 IMP uptake. The pattern of regional cerebral blood flow in the Alzheimer's disease group was analogous to that in the Parkinson's disease group associated with dementia. This supports the hypothesis that Alzheimer's disease may be somewhat involved in the occurrence of dementia for Parkinson's disease. (N.K.).

  17. A lightweight messaging-based distributed processing and workflow execution framework for real-time and big data analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laban, Shaban; El-Desouky, Aly

    2014-05-01

    To achieve a rapid, simple and reliable parallel processing of different types of tasks and big data processing on any compute cluster, a lightweight messaging-based distributed applications processing and workflow execution framework model is proposed. The framework is based on Apache ActiveMQ and Simple (or Streaming) Text Oriented Message Protocol (STOMP). ActiveMQ , a popular and powerful open source persistence messaging and integration patterns server with scheduler capabilities, acts as a message broker in the framework. STOMP provides an interoperable wire format that allows framework programs to talk and interact between each other and ActiveMQ easily. In order to efficiently use the message broker a unified message and topic naming pattern is utilized to achieve the required operation. Only three Python programs and simple library, used to unify and simplify the implementation of activeMQ and STOMP protocol, are needed to use the framework. A watchdog program is used to monitor, remove, add, start and stop any machine and/or its different tasks when necessary. For every machine a dedicated one and only one zoo keeper program is used to start different functions or tasks, stompShell program, needed for executing the user required workflow. The stompShell instances are used to execute any workflow jobs based on received message. A well-defined, simple and flexible message structure, based on JavaScript Object Notation (JSON), is used to build any complex workflow systems. Also, JSON format is used in configuration, communication between machines and programs. The framework is platform independent. Although, the framework is built using Python the actual workflow programs or jobs can be implemented by any programming language. The generic framework can be used in small national data centres for processing seismological and radionuclide data received from the International Data Centre (IDC) of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear

  18. 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP on technological specialties. Topic 8: computation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    The document includes 10 papers presented at the 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP (Mexico) on technological specialties in the field of computation. (Topic 8). Three items were in INIS subject scope and a separate abstract was prepared for each of them

  19. The first interdisciplinary experiments at the IMP high energy microbeam

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Du, Guanghua; Guo, Jinlong; Wu, Ruqun; Guo, Na; Liu, Wenjing; Ye, Fei; Sheng, Lina; Li, Qiang [Institute of Modern Physics (IMP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou (China); Li, Huiyun [Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen (China)

    2015-04-01

    The high energy beam of tens to hundred MeV/u ions possesses mm-to-cm penetration depth in materials and can be easily extracted into air without significant energy loss and beam scattering. Combination of high energy ions and microbeam technology facilitates the microprobe application to many practical studies in large scale samples. The IMP heavy ion microbeam facility has recently been integrated with microscopic positioning and targeting irradiation system. This paper introduced the first interdisciplinary experiments performed at the IMP microbeam facility using the beam of 80.5 MeV/u carbon ions. Bystander effect induction via medium transferring was not found in the micro-irradiation study using HeLa cells. The mouse irradiation experiment demonstrated that carbon irradiation of 10 Gy dose to its tuberomammillary nucleus did not impair the sleep nerve system. The fault injection attack on RSA (Rivest–Shamir–Adleman) decryption proved that the commercial field-programmable gate array chip is vulnerable in single event effect to low linear-energy-transfer carbon irradiation, and the attack can cause the leakage of RSA private key. This work demonstrates the potential of high energy microbeam in its application to biology, biomedical, radiation hardness, and information security studies.

  20. [123I]-IMP SPECT findings in spinocerebellar ataxia type 6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ito, Yasuhiko; Nakabayashi, Haruo; Iguchi, Yasuyuki; Suzuki, Masahiko; Kobayashi, Masayuki; Nakajima, Takashi

    2000-01-01

    To study the dynamics of metabolic function in the cerebellar hemispheres, vermis and brain stem of patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6), we used single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with N-isopropyl-p-[ 123 I] iodoamphetamine (IMP) to measure regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in six Japanese patients with SCA6 and nine normal control subjects. All patients with SCA6 were found to have expanded CAG repeats (from 22 to 24 repeats). The SPECT data were also analyzed semiquantitatively. The rCBF in the cerebellar hemisphere, vermis and brain stem was not significantly lower in patients with SCA6 than in normal controls. However, the ratio of the cerebellar hemisphere to occipital lobe (C/O ratio) was significantly lower in patients. The ratio of the vermis and brain stem to occipital lobe (V/O, P/O ratio) were not significantly lower in patients. The C/O, V/O and P/O ratio were especially sensitive indexes for regional cerebral function in patients with SCA6. Results of this study suggest that the functional decrease in SCA6 may begin in the cerebellar hemispheres. IMP SPECT was useful for evaluating rCBF in patients with SCA6. (author)

  1. The "ripple effect": Health and community perceptions of the Indigenous Marathon Program on Thursday Island in the Torres Strait, Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macniven, Rona; Plater, Suzanne; Canuto, Karla; Dickson, Michelle; Gwynn, Josephine; Bauman, Adrian; Richards, Justin

    2018-02-19

    Physical inactivity is a key health risk among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) Australians. We examined perceptions of the Indigenous Marathon Program (IMP) in a remote Torres Strait island community. Semi-structured interviews with community and program stakeholders (n = 18; 14 Indigenous) examined barriers and enablers to running and the influence of the IMP on the community. A questionnaire asked 104 running event participants (n = 42 Indigenous) about their physical activity behaviours, running motivation and perceptions of program impact. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic content analysis, and quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Interviews revealed six main themes: community readiness, changing social norms to adopt healthy lifestyles, importance of social support, program appeal to hard-to-reach population groups, program sustainability and initiation of broader healthy lifestyle ripple effects beyond running. Barriers to running in the community were personal (cultural attitudes; shyness) and environmental (infrastructure; weather; dogs). Enablers reflected potential strategies to overcome described barriers. Indigenous questionnaire respondents were more likely to report being inspired to run by IMP runners than non-Indigenous respondents. Positive "ripple" effects of the IMP on running and broader health were described to have occurred through local role modelling of healthy lifestyles by IMP runners that reduced levels of "shame" and embarrassment, a common barrier to physical activity among Indigenous Australians. A high initial level of community readiness for behaviour change was also reported. SO WHAT?: Strategies to overcome this "shame" factor and community readiness measurement should be incorporated into the design of future Indigenous physical activity programs. © 2018 Australian Health Promotion Association.

  2. 8. Seminar of the IMP-IIE-ININ on technological specialties. Topic 10: Earth Sciences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-01-01

    The document contains two papers within INIS subject scope which were presented at the 8th Seminar of the IMP-IIE-ININ on technological specialties. Topic 10: Earth Sciences. A separate abstract was prepared for each paper

  3. Applying a message oriented middleware architecture to the TJ-II remote participation system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanchez, E.; Portas, A.; Pereira, A.; Vega, J.

    2006-01-01

    A message oriented middleware (MOM) has been introduced into the TJ-II data acquisition system to on-line distribute information. Java message service (JMS) has been chosen as the messaging application program interface (API) in order to ensure multiplatform portability. A library of C++ classes providing interface for JMS Java classes has been developed. This allows C++ programs to inter-communicate through JMS. In addition, a set of C wrapper functions has also been developed to provide basic messaging functionalities for C or FORTRAN programs. These functions are used in TJ-II LabView data acquisition applications. Several software applications that take advantage of the MOM architecture have been developed. Firstly, a general-user application allows monitoring of the data acquisition systems. Secondly, a simple application permits the visualization of TJ-II monitor signals with on-line data refreshing. These applications are written in the Java language, thereby ensuring its portability. These software tools provide new functionalities to the TJ-II remote participation system and are equally used in the local environment

  4. Applying a message oriented middleware architecture to the TJ-II remote participation system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sanchez, E. [Asociacion EURATOM/CIEMAT para Fusion, Avda Complutense 22, 28040 Madrid (Spain)]. E-mail: edi.sanchez@ciemat.es; Portas, A. [Asociacion EURATOM/CIEMAT para Fusion, Avda Complutense 22, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Pereira, A. [Asociacion EURATOM/CIEMAT para Fusion, Avda Complutense 22, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Vega, J. [Asociacion EURATOM/CIEMAT para Fusion, Avda Complutense 22, 28040 Madrid (Spain)

    2006-07-15

    A message oriented middleware (MOM) has been introduced into the TJ-II data acquisition system to on-line distribute information. Java message service (JMS) has been chosen as the messaging application program interface (API) in order to ensure multiplatform portability. A library of C++ classes providing interface for JMS Java classes has been developed. This allows C++ programs to inter-communicate through JMS. In addition, a set of C wrapper functions has also been developed to provide basic messaging functionalities for C or FORTRAN programs. These functions are used in TJ-II LabView data acquisition applications. Several software applications that take advantage of the MOM architecture have been developed. Firstly, a general-user application allows monitoring of the data acquisition systems. Secondly, a simple application permits the visualization of TJ-II monitor signals with on-line data refreshing. These applications are written in the Java language, thereby ensuring its portability. These software tools provide new functionalities to the TJ-II remote participation system and are equally used in the local environment.

  5. Prediction of progression in patients with mild cognitive impairment using IMP-SPECT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okamura, Nobuyuki; Shinkawa, Mitsutoshi; Arai, Hiroyuki; Matsui, Toshifumi; Nakajo, Kazushi; Maruyama, Masahiro; Hu, Xia Sheng; Sasaki, Hidetada

    2000-01-01

    To examine the difference in functional brain imaging between mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and normal aging, we measured rCBF on functional brain imaging using 123 I-IMP single photon emission computed tomography (IMP-SPECT) in 19 MCI patients who progressed to develop AD on follow-up and 23 probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients as well as 15 age-matched normal subjects. Baseline MMSE score was 25.3 (SD 1.2) in the MCI group and 17.5 (SD 3.3) in the AD group. The regions of interest (ROI) in the posterior cingulate gyrus, frontal, temporal and parietal cortices were drawn on the image of IMP-SPECT with reference to an individual MRI image. The rCBF ratio was calculated using ROI value in the cerebellum as a reference. Voxel-based analysis was also preformed using statistical parametric mapping (SPM). The rCBF ratio in the posterior cingulate gyrus was significantly reduced in the MCI group (mean 0.956, SD 0.080) and the AD group (mean 0.833, SD 0.118) compared to that in the normal group (mean 1.083, SD 0.084). In the frontal, temporal and parietal cortices, the rCBF ratio was significantly reduced only in the AD group compared to the normal group. At a fixed specificity of 80%, the diagnostic sensitivity in the discrimination between MCI patients and normal subjects was 80.5% when using rCBF ratio in posterior cingulate gyrus. In the SPM analysis, significant reduction of the rCBF in MCI group was observed only in the posterior cingulate gyrus, compared with normal subject group. Our results suggest that MCI patients presenting with a posterior cingulate hypoperfusion are at higher risk for transition from MCI to clinically recognizable AD. (author)

  6. A message to school girls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akinwande, A

    1993-06-01

    Information, education, and communication (IEC) programs need to be strengthened to appeal to adolescents, who are increasingly contributing to unwanted pregnancy and are using abortion as a means of birth control. Successful IEC programs have the following characteristics: 1) established communication theories that guide development of materials; 2) a multimedia and a mass media approach to information dissemination, and 3) emphasis on visual displays. The primary emphasis should be on presentation of a concise, clear message with the appropriate visual medium. Many communication specialists in developing countries, however, lack the training to design and use effective IEC software. Designing effective messages involves a process of integrating scientific ideas with artistic appeal. The aim is to stimulate the target audience to change its behavior of life style. The message must be convincing and contain practical and useful information. The IEC Software Design Cycle focuses on analysis and diagnosis, design production, pretesting and modification, and distribution and evaluation. Each of these processes are described. Necessary before any attempt is made is obtaining data on historical, sociocultural, and demographic characteristics, economic activities, health and social services, communication infrastructure, marriage and family life patterns, and decision making systems. Focus group discussions may be used to collect information about the target group. An example is given of the process of development, in a course through the Center or African Family Studies, of a poster about premarital sex directed to 11-16 year olds. On the basis of focus group discussions, it was decided that the message would be to encourage girls to talk with their mothers about family life and premarital sex. The poster was produced with 2 school girls talking in front of the school. The evaluation yielded modifications such as including a school building that resembled actual

  7. Audience reactions and receptivity to HIV prevention message concepts for people living with HIV.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uhrig, Jennifer D; Bann, Carla M; Wasserman, Jill; Guenther-Grey, Carolyn; Eroğlu, Doğan

    2010-04-01

    This study measured audience reactions and receptivity to five draft HIV prevention messages developed for people living with HIV (PLWH) to inform future HIV message choice and audience targeting decisions. Our premise was that message concepts that receive wide audience appeal constitute a strong starting point for designing future HIV prevention messages, program activities, and health communication and marketing campaigns for PLWH. The majority of participants indicated agreement with evaluative statements that expressed favorable attitudes toward all five of the message concepts we evaluated. Participants gave the lowest approval to the message promoting sero-sorting. Sociodemographic characteristics played less of a role in predicting differences in message perceptions than attitudes, beliefs and sexual behavior. The general appeal for these messages is encouraging given that messages were expressed in plain text without the support of other creative elements that are commonly used in message execution. These results confirm the utility of systematic efforts to generate and screen message concepts prior to large-scale testing.

  8. A Visualized Message Interface (VMI) for intelligent messaging services

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Endo, T.; Kasahara, H.; Nakagawa, T.

    1984-01-01

    In CCITT, Message Handling Systems (MHS) have been studied from the viewpoint of communications protocol standardization. In addition to MHS services, Message Processing (MP) services, such as image processing, filing and retrieving services, will come into increasing demand in office automation field. These messaging services, including MHS services, can be thought of as Intelligent Messaging (IM) services. IM services include many basic services, optional user facilities and service parameters. Accordingly, it is necessary to deal with these parameters and MP procedures in as systematic and user-friendly a manner as possible. As one step towards realizing a user-friendly IM services interface, the characteristics of IM service parameters are studied and a Visualized Message Interface (VMI) which resembles a conventional letter exchange format is presented. The concept of VMI formation is discussed using the generic document structure concept as well as a Screen Interface and Protocol Interface conversion package

  9. Mobile phone text messaging to reduce alcohol and tobacco use in young people – a narrative review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haug S

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Severin Haug Swiss Research Institute for Public Health and Addiction at Zurich University, Zurich, Switzerland Background: Alcohol and tobacco use are major causes of the disease burden in most countries of the world. Mobile phone text messaging is very popular among adolescents and young adults and has the potential to deliver individualized information to large population groups at low costs. Objective: To provide a narrative review on studies testing the appropriateness and effectiveness of text messaging-based programs to reduce alcohol and tobacco use in young people. Results: Two published studies on text message-based programs for the reduction of problem drinking and two studies on programs for enhancing smoking cessation were identified. A US-American pilot experimental study tested the feasibility and initial efficacy of a text messaging-based assessment and brief intervention among young adults identified during their emergency department visit with hazardous drinking. It demonstrated the feasibility of the text messaging-based program to collect drinking data in young adults after emergency department discharge. A Swiss pre–post study tested the appropriateness and initial effectiveness of a combined, individually tailored web- and text messaging (SMS-based program to reduce problem drinking in vocational school students. It provided evidence for the appropriateness of the intervention and initial evidence for its efficacy to reduce problem drinking. One of the two studies addressing smoking cessation was a US-American pilot randomized controlled trial. Participants were recruited via online advertisements and received text messages tailored according to their quitting stage. The intervention significantly affected self-reported quitting rates at 4 weeks but not at 3 months after the quit date. Within a cluster-randomized controlled trial conducted in Switzerland, smoking students were proactively recruited within vocational

  10. Coproduction of KPC-2 and IMP-10 in Carbapenem-Resistant Serratia marcescens Isolates from an Outbreak in a Brazilian Teaching Hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, Kesia Esther; Cayô, Rodrigo; Carvalhaes, Cecilia Godoy; Patussi Correia Sacchi, Flávia; Rodrigues-Costa, Fernanda; Ramos da Silva, Ana Carolina; Croda, Julio; Gales, Ana Cristina; Simionatto, Simone

    2015-07-01

    We describe an outbreak caused by KPC-2- and IMP-10-producing Serratia marcescens isolates in a Brazilian teaching hospital. Tigecycline was the only active antimicrobial agent tested. The blaIMP-10 gene was located in a new class 1 integron, named In990, carried by a nonconjugative plasmid, in contrast to blaKPC-2. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  11. Predominance of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates carrying blaIMP and blaVIM metallo-β-lactamases in a major hospital in Costa Rica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toval, Francisco; Guzmán-Marte, Anel; Madriz, Vivian; Somogyi, Teresita; Rodríguez, César; García, Fernando

    2015-01-01

    This study aimed to assess the molecular basis of the resistance to carbapenems in clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa recovered from a tertiary-level health facility in San José, Costa Rica. A total of 198 non-duplicated isolates were evaluated for their susceptibility to β-lactams, aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones. The production of metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs), the presence of MBL encoding genes (blaIMP, blaVIM and blaGIM-1) and the occurrence of these genes within class 1 integrons were investigated. In addition, an ERIC2 PCR fingerprinting method was used to elucidate the distribution of the detected MBL genes within the strain collection. Of the 198 isolates tested, 125 (63.1 %) were categorized as carbapenem-resistant. The majority (88.8 %) of the carbapemen-resistant isolates also showed resistance to ceftazidime, cefepime, aztreonam, ticarcillin/clavulanic acid, amikacin, gentamicin, tobramycin, ciprofloxacin and gatifloxacin. Among the carbapenem-resistant isolates, 102 (81.6 %) showed MBL activity. Strikingly, both blaIMP and blaVIM genes were simultaneously detected in most (94.1 %) of the 102 MBL producers. Five carbapenem-resistant MBL producers were positive only for blaIMP genes. Almost 70 % of the isolates examined harboured the intI1 gene, accompanied by the sul1 and qacEΔ1 genes in 136 (99 %) and 122 (89 %) isolates, respectively. The majority (94.4 %) of the carbapenem-resistant isolates carried the intI1 gene, in contrast to 26 % of the carbapenem-susceptible isolates. Ninety-three out of 96 (96.9 %) isolates carrying both blaIMP and blaVIM genes also harboured the intI1, sul1 and qacEΔ1 genes. Gene cassettes from carbapenem-susceptible and MBL-negative carbapenem-resistant isolates encoded aminoglycoside-resistance enzymes (aadA2, aadA4 and aadA6) as well as orfD and qacF genes. RAPD analysis distributed 126 of the isolates in 29 clusters. Eighty of the 90 blaIMP (+) blaVIM (+) isolates were sorted into 16

  12. Cerebral blood flow measurement using 123I-IMP graph plot method with SPECT. Comparison with autoradiography method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shinohara, Yuki; Kamitani, Hideki; Ishibashi, Minako; Ito, Satoru; Ogawa, Toshihide

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate quantification of cerebral blood flow (CBF) values using 123 I-iodoamphetamine (IMP) graph plot (GP) method with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), compared with autoradiography (ARG) method. IMP-SPECT by GP combined with ARG method at rest was performed in 40 patients to determine the equation of linear regression for GP method in our institution. In addition, we compared regional CBF (rCBF) values at rest between GP and ARG methods in 10 other patients. Among all 50 patients, acetazolamide (ACZ)-challenged SPECT by GP combined with ARG method using 2-day protocol was performed in 10 patients. We also compared the rCBF values after ACZ challenge between GP and ARG methods in these 10 patients. The equation of linear regression for GP method in our institution was y=1.945x+20.36 (R 2 =0.586, P 2 =0.624, P 2 =0.150, P<0.001). IMP-SPECT by GP method at rest is useful to measure reliable rCBF values without arterial blood sampling, although we need pay attention to interpret the result of 2-day protocol ACZ-challenged SPECT by GP method. (author)

  13. OMG do not say LOL: obese adolescents' perspectives on the content of text messages to enhance weight loss efforts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woolford, Susan J; Barr, Kathryn L C; Derry, Holly A; Jepson, Christina M; Clark, Sarah J; Strecher, Victor J; Resnicow, Kenneth

    2011-12-01

    Adolescents participating in weight loss programs experience difficulty adhering to behavior change recommendations. Communications technology provides a low cost means to increase the frequency of contact with adolescents which can improve their engagement and also lead to behavior change. Within a larger project on the development of tailored text messages for adolescents enrolled in an existing multidisciplinary weight management program, this study explored participants' perspectives about message content. A library of messages was developed focused on topics central to weight management. Four focus groups were conducted with a total of 24 participants from the weight management program to gage their reactions to the messages. Detailed notes from the focus groups were analyzed to assess the acceptability of individual messages and to identify overriding themes. Results indicate that participants were very enthusiastic about receiving text messages. They preferred messages that provided recipe ideas, included successful weight loss strategies used by peers, and requested feedback regarding their progress. They preferred positive, encouraging, and direct messages. They were unanimous that messages should include encouraging symbols (e.g., exclamation points and "smiley faces") as often as possible. They emphasized that any mention of unhealthy foods or behaviors would trigger them to eat those foods or engage in those behaviors. Text messaging acronyms (e.g., LOL) were considered too informal for messages from healthcare providers. This study suggests that including text messages in obesity interventions is acceptable to obese adolescents as a means of supporting their weight loss efforts, and it highlights the need for such messages to be carefully constructed.

  14. OMG Do Not Say LOL: Obese Adolescents’ Perspectives on the Content of Text Messages to Enhance Weight Loss Efforts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woolford, Susan J.; Barr, Kathryn L.C.; Derry, Holly A.; Jepson, Christina M.; Clark, Sarah J.; Strecher, Victor J.; Resnicow, Kenneth

    2011-01-01

    Adolescents participating in weight loss programs experience difficulty adhering to behavior change recommendations. Communications technology provides a low cost means to increase the frequency of contact with adolescents which can improve their engagement and also lead to behavior change. Within a larger project on the development of tailored text messages for adolescents enrolled in an existing multidisciplinary weight management program, this study explored participants’ perspectives about message content. A library of messages was developed focused on topics central to weight management. Four focus groups were conducted with a total of 24 participants from the weight management program to gage their reactions to the messages. Detailed notes from the focus groups were analyzed to assess the acceptability of individual messages and to identify overriding themes. Results indicate that participants were very enthusiastic about receiving text messages. They preferred messages that provided recipe ideas, included successful weight loss strategies used by peers, and requested feedback regarding their progress. They preferred positive, encouraging, and direct messages. They were unanimous that messages should include encouraging symbols (e.g., exclamation points and “smiley faces”) as often as possible. They emphasized that any mention of unhealthy foods or behaviors would trigger them to eat those foods or engage in those behaviors. Text messaging acronyms (e.g., LOL) were considered too informal for messages from healthcare providers. This study suggests that including text messages in obesity interventions is acceptable to obese adolescents as a means of supporting their weight loss efforts, and it highlights the need for such messages to be carefully constructed. PMID:21869762

  15. Does the Screening Status of Message Characters Affect Message Effects?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alber, Julia M.; Glanz, Karen

    2018-01-01

    Public health messages can be used to increase awareness about colorectal cancer screenings. Free or inexpensive images for creating health messages are readily available, yet little is known about how a pictured individual's engagement in the behavior of interest affects message outcomes. Participants (N = 360), aged 50 to 75 years, completed an…

  16. 123I-IMP SPECT studies in schizophrenia and atypical psychosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayashi, Takuji; Suga, Hidemichi

    1993-01-01

    According to the classification of Mitsuda, 23 patients with endogenous psychosis aged 40 years or younger, presenting with hallucination and delusion, were classified as having schizophrenia (n=12) or atypical psychosis (n=11). These patients were studied by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with N-isopropyl-p-I-123-iodoamphetamine (I-123 IMP). Sixteen healthy persons served as controls. Early and delayed SPECT images were obtained 30 min and 4 hr, respectively, after intravenous injection of I-123 IMP. The group of schizophrenic patients had markedly decreased uptake of I-123 in the basal ganglia, as well as the right temporal and left occipital areas on both early and delayed images. In the group of atypical psychosis patients, however, decreased uptake of I-123 was noted in both the right basal ganglia and left occipital area on early images, but none of such findings were seen on delayed images. Regarding the uptake ratio in the frontal area on both early and delayed images, there were significant differences between the two groups. These findings have important implications for the different etiology of both disease types: not only functional disturbance in the frontal area but also irreversible changes may be involved in the occurrence of schizophrenia, and functional disturbance particularly in the right basal ganglia may be involved in the occurrence of atypical psychosis. (N.K.)

  17. DMS message design workshops.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-03-01

    This report summarizes the training conducted statewide regarding the design and display of messages on : dynamic message signs. The training is based on the Dynamic Message Sign Message Design and Display : Manual (0-4023-P3). Researchers developed ...

  18. 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP on technological specialties. Topic 7: energy savings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    The document includes 6 papers presented at the 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP (Mexico) on technological specialties in the field of energy savings. (Topic 7). One item was in INIS subject scope and a separate abstract was prepared for it

  19. Clear cell carcinomas of the ovary: a mono-institutional study of 73 cases in China with an analysis of the prognostic significance of clinicopathological parameters and IMP3 expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bi, Rui; Shen, Xuxia; Zhang, Weiwei; Cheng, Yufan; Feng, Zheng; Cai, Xu; Yang, Wentao

    2016-02-02

    Ovarian clear cell carcinoma (CCC) is an uncommon subtype of ovarian epithelial tumor. The prognostic significance of its clinicopathological parameters is discordant, with the exception of stage as the adverse prognostic factor. The present study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of its clinicopathological characteristics and the expression of IMP3 (Insulin-like growth factor-II mRNA-binding protein 3, IMP3 or IGF2BP3) in Chinese patients with primary pure CCC. We collected clinicopathological data from 73 cases with a minimum of 5 years of follow-up and evaluated the expression of IMP3 by immunohistochemistry. In total, 49.3 % of the patients were in stage I. Advanced stages were closely related to poor prognosis of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) (P 73 cases); Thus, positive expression of IMP3 is an adverse prognostic marker in terms of OS (P = 0.012), even in stage I patients (P = 0.038). The present study demonstrates that IMP3 expression is a prognostic marker, with the exception of stage. IMP3 represents a biomarker of unfavorable prognosis even in stage I patients.

  20. 7. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP on technological specialties. Topic 10: Information Services

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    The document includes 10 papers presented at the 7. Seminar of the IIE-IMP-ININ (Mexico) on technological specialities in the field of information services (Topic 10). Three items were in INIS subject scope and a separate abstract was prepared for each of them

  1. 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP on technological specialties. Topic 13: earth sciences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    The document includes 12 papers presented at the 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP (Mexico) on technological specialties in the field of earth sciences. (Topic 13). Four items were in INIS subject scope and a separate abstract was prepared for each of them

  2. Impôts, taxes et équité entre les sexes : codes, comportements et ...

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

    6 déc. 2010 ... On sait que les impôts et la taxation peuvent favoriser l'égalité socioéconomique, mais ... Analysis of Direct and Indirect Taxes in Developing and Developed Countries. ... Gender and taxation in South Africa: a policy brief.

  3. Elevated expression of the IGF2 mRNA binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2/IMP2) is linked to short survival and metastasis in esophageal adenocarcinoma

    OpenAIRE

    Barghash, Ahmad; Golob-Schwarzl, Nicole; Helms, Volkhard; Haybaeck, Johannes; Kessler, Sonja M.

    2016-01-01

    Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) represents the sixth leading cause of cancer-related deaths and develops in Barret's esophagus affected tissues. The IGF2 mRNA binding protein IMP2/IGF2BP2/p62 was originally identified as an autoantigen in hepatocellular carcinoma. Aim of this study was to investigate the expression and prognostic role of IMP2 in EAC. Human EAC and Barret's esophagus tissue showed overexpression of IMP2, particularly in tumors of increased size and in metastatic tissues. Molec...

  4. Clinical experience of [sup 123]I-IMP scintigraphy in detecting vertebral bone metastases of hepatocellular carcinoma. A comparison with bone scintigraphy with [sup 99m]Tc-MDP

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suto, Y. (Dept. of Radiology, Tottori Univ. Faculty of Medicine, Yonago (Japan) Dept. of Radiology, Matsue City Hospital (Japan)); Iwamiya, T. (Dept. of Radiology, Tottori Univ. Faculty of Medicine, Yonago (Japan) Dept. of Radiology, Matsue City Hospital (Japan)); Tanigawa, N. (Dept. of Radiology, Tottori Univ. Faculty of Medicine, Yonago (Japan) Dept. of Radiology, Matsue City Hospital (Japan)); Shabana, M. (Dept. of Radiology, Tottori Univ. Faculty of Medicine, Yonago (Japan) Dept. of Radiology, Matsue City Hospital (Japan)); Ohta, Y. (Dept. of Radiology, Tottori Univ. Faculty of Medicine, Yonago (Japan) Dept. of Radiology, Matsue City Hospital (Japan))

    1994-03-01

    [sup 123]I-IMP and bone scintigraphy with [sup 99m]Tc-MDP were consecutively performed in patients with vertebral bone metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma and lumbar spondylosis deformans in a 7-day interval or shorter. The intensity of uptake was compared. Eighteen of the 20 metastatic lesions (90%) were classified as increased uptake areas in [sup 123]I-IMP scintigraphy. MDP-scintigraphy disclosed 16 metastatic lesions (80%), 9 as ''hot'' lesions (56%) and 7 as ''cold'' lesions (44%). [sup 123]I-IMP scintigraphy was negative in all 12 lesions of lumbar spondylosis deformans. Compared to MDP-scintigraphy, [sup 123]I-IMP scintigraphy was more sensitive in detecting vertebral bone metastases of hepatocellular carcinoma with smaller rates of false-positive and false-negative findings. (orig./MG).

  5. Development of targeted messages to promote smoking cessation among construction trade workers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strickland, J. R.; Smock, N.; Casey, C.; Poor, T.; Kreuter, M. W.; Evanoff, B. A.

    2015-01-01

    Blue-collar workers, particularly those in the construction trades, are more likely to smoke and have less success in quitting when compared with white-collar workers. Little is known about health communication strategies that might influence this priority population. This article describes our formative work to develop targeted messages to increase participation in an existing smoking cessation program among construction workers. Using an iterative and sequential mixed-methods approach, we explored the culture, health attitudes and smoking behaviors of unionized construction workers. We used focus group and survey data to inform message development, and applied audience segmentation methods to identify potential subgroups. Among 144 current smokers, 65% reported wanting to quit smoking in the next 6 months and only 15% had heard of a union-sponsored smoking cessation program, despite widespread advertising. We tested 12 message concepts and 26 images with the target audience to evaluate perceived relevance and effectiveness. Participants responded most favorably to messages and images that emphasized family and work, although responses varied by audience segments based on age and parental status. This study is an important step towards integrating the culture of a high-risk group into targeted messages to increase participation in smoking cessation activities. PMID:25231165

  6. Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and multiple infarct dementia by tomographic imaging of iodine-123 IMP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cohen, M.B.; Graham, L.S.; Lake, R.

    1986-01-01

    Tomographic imaging of the brain was performed using a rotating slant hole collimator and [ 123 I]N-isopropyl p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) in normal subjects (n = 6) and patients with either Alzheimer's disease (n = 5) or multiple infarct dementia (n = 3). Four blinded observers were asked to make a diagnosis from the images. Normal subjects and patients with multiple infarct dementia were correctly identified. Alzheimer's disease was diagnosed in three of the five patients with this disease. One patient with early Alzheimer's disease was classified as normal by two of the four observers. Another patient with Alzheimer's disease had an asymmetric distribution of IMP and was incorrectly diagnosed as multiple infarct dementia by all four observers. Limited angle tomography of the cerebral distribution of 123 I appears to be a useful technique for the evaluation of demented patients

  7. [Development Of 25-Year Imp 8 Bow Shock Crossing "List, Ingestion Of This List To Cdaweb, & Enhancement"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merka, J.; Szabo, A.; Narock, T. W.; King, J. H.; Paularena, K. I.; Richardson, J. D.

    2003-01-01

    The MIT portion of this project was to use the plasma data from IMP 8 to identify bow shock crossings for construction of a bow shock data base. In collaboration with Goddard, we determined which shock parameters would be included in the catalog and developed a set of flags for characterizing the data. IMP 8 data from 1973-2001 were surveyed for bow shock crossings; the crossings apparent in the plasma data were compared to a list of crossing chosen in the magnetometer data by Goddard. Differences were reconciled to produce a single list. The data were then provided to the NSSDC for archiving. All the work ascribed to MIT in the proposal was completed.

  8. 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP on technological specialties. Topic 3: thermal fluids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    The document includes 10 papers presented at the 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP (Mexico) on technological specialties in the field of thermal fluids. (Topic 3). From these, 4 papers were in INIS subject scope and a separate abstract was prepared for each of them

  9. 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP on technological specialties. Topic 6: environmental contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    The document includes 10 papers presented at the 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP on technological specialities in the field of environmental contamination (Topic 6). From these, 6 papers were in INIS subject scope and a separate abstract was prepared for each of these papers

  10. Evaluation of SPECT with N-isopropyl[I-123]-p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) in epileptic patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nambu, Toshikazu; Itoh, Kazuo; Sumi, Tetsuo; Furudate, Masayori; Irie, Goro

    1988-01-01

    Brain SPECT scintigrams with N-Isopropyl[I-123]-p-Iodoamphetamine (IMP) were reviewed and compared with the EEG findings in 21 epileptic patients (22 SPECT images) with normal CT. Thirteen of 22 SPECT images showed abnormal low uptake and 7 of them corresponded to the EEG focus. In order to obtain the quantitative analysis, the count ratio of the focus side to the opposite I-123 content in fixed ROI was measured for each case, but no statistically significant correlation for the frequency or the duration of epilepsy was found. EEG is not considered to be favorite standard for localizing epileptic foci, especially in deep cerebral region, and that may be one of the main reason for the incomplete correlation. In the qualitative study, however, the cases with frequent epileptic attack were more likely to show abnormal findings. I-123 IMP SPECT can now be considered as having a significant clinical role for the diagnosis and management of patients with epilepsy. (author)

  11. Regional cerebral blood flow study with 123I-IMP in patients with degenerative dementia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohnishi, T.; Hoshi, H.; Nagamachi, S.; Jinnouchi, S.; Futami, S.; Watanabe, K.; Mitsuyama, Y.

    1991-01-01

    Regional cerebral blood flow was evaluated by single-photon emission CT (SPECT) with 123I-N-isopropyl-p-iodoamphetamine (123I-IMP) in 11 patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type, three patients with progressive dementia and motor neuron disease, and eight healthy control subjects. Regional blood flow measurements in the bilateral frontal, parietal association, and temporal cortices were lower in the Alzheimer dementia patients than in controls. Flow deficits in the parietal association cortex were demonstrated in all patients with Alzheimer-type dementia; these deficits were correlated with the severity of disease. Lateral hemispheric asymmetry was seen in nine of 11 patients with Alzheimer-type dementia. In all three patients with progressive dementia and motor neuron disease, flow deficits were demonstrated in the bilateral frontal and temporal cortices, but no flow deficits were seen in the parietal association cortex. Brain SPECT with 123I-IMP may be useful in the differential diagnosis and evaluation of the severity of degenerative dementia

  12. High performance message passing for the ATLAS DAQ/EF-1 project

    CERN Document Server

    Mornacchi, Giuseppe

    1999-01-01

    Summary form only. A message passing library has been developed in the context of the ATLAS DAQ/EF-1 project. It is used for time critical applications within the front-end part of the DAQ system, mainly to exchange data control messages between I/O processors. Key objectives of the design were low message overheads, efficient use of the data transfer buses, provision of broadcast functionality and a hardware and operating system independent implementation of the application interface. The design and implementation of the message passing library are presented. As required by the project, the implementation is based on commercial components, namely VMEbus, PCI, the Lynx-OS real-time operating system and an additional inter- processor link, PVIC. The latter offers broadcast functionality identified as being important to the overall performance of the message passing. In addition, performance benchmarks for all implementing buses are presented for both simple test programs and the full DAQ applications. (0 refs)...

  13. Developing mobile phone text messages for tobacco risk communication among college students: a mixed methods study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander V. Prokhorov

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Engaging young adults for the purpose of communicating health risks associated with nicotine and tobacco use can be challenging since they comprise a population heavily targeted with appealing marketing by the evolving tobacco industry. The Food and Drug Administration seeks novel ways to effectively communicate risks to warn about using these products. This paper describes the first step in developing a text messaging program delivered by smartphones that manipulate three messaging characteristics (i.e., depth, framing, and appeal. Methods Perceptions of community college students were described after previewing text messages designed to inform about risks of using conventional and new tobacco products. Thirty-one tobacco users and nonusers, aged 18–25 participated in five focus discussions held on two community college campuses. Attendees reviewed prototype messages and contributed feedback about text message structure and content. Qualitative data were coded and analyzed using NVivo Version 10. Results Most participants were female and two-thirds were ethnic minorities. A variety of conventional and new tobacco products in the past month were used by a third of participants. Three identified domains were derived from the qualitative data. These included perceived risks of using tobacco products, receptivity to message content, and logistical feedback regarding the future message campaign. Conclusion Overall, participants found the messages to be interesting and appropriate. A gap in awareness of the risks of using new tobacco products was revealed. Feedback on the prototype messages was incorporated into message revisions. These findings provided preliminary confirmation that the forthcoming messaging program will be appealing to young adults.

  14. Developing mobile phone text messages for tobacco risk communication among college students: a mixed methods study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prokhorov, Alexander V; Machado, Tamara C; Calabro, Karen S; Vanderwater, Elizabeth A; Vidrine, Damon J; Pasch, Keryn P; Marani, Salma K; Buchberg, Meredith; Wagh, Aditya; Russell, Sophia C; Czerniak, Katarzyna W; Botello, Gabrielle C; Dobbins, Mackenzie H; Khalil, Georges E; Perry, Cheryl L

    2017-01-31

    Engaging young adults for the purpose of communicating health risks associated with nicotine and tobacco use can be challenging since they comprise a population heavily targeted with appealing marketing by the evolving tobacco industry. The Food and Drug Administration seeks novel ways to effectively communicate risks to warn about using these products. This paper describes the first step in developing a text messaging program delivered by smartphones that manipulate three messaging characteristics (i.e., depth, framing, and appeal). Perceptions of community college students were described after previewing text messages designed to inform about risks of using conventional and new tobacco products. Thirty-one tobacco users and nonusers, aged 18-25 participated in five focus discussions held on two community college campuses. Attendees reviewed prototype messages and contributed feedback about text message structure and content. Qualitative data were coded and analyzed using NVivo Version 10. Most participants were female and two-thirds were ethnic minorities. A variety of conventional and new tobacco products in the past month were used by a third of participants. Three identified domains were derived from the qualitative data. These included perceived risks of using tobacco products, receptivity to message content, and logistical feedback regarding the future message campaign. Overall, participants found the messages to be interesting and appropriate. A gap in awareness of the risks of using new tobacco products was revealed. Feedback on the prototype messages was incorporated into message revisions. These findings provided preliminary confirmation that the forthcoming messaging program will be appealing to young adults.

  15. Coding for Parallel Links to Maximize the Expected Value of Decodable Messages

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klimesh, Matthew A.; Chang, Christopher S.

    2011-01-01

    When multiple parallel communication links are available, it is useful to consider link-utilization strategies that provide tradeoffs between reliability and throughput. Interesting cases arise when there are three or more available links. Under the model considered, the links have known probabilities of being in working order, and each link has a known capacity. The sender has a number of messages to send to the receiver. Each message has a size and a value (i.e., a worth or priority). Messages may be divided into pieces arbitrarily, and the value of each piece is proportional to its size. The goal is to choose combinations of messages to send on the links so that the expected value of the messages decodable by the receiver is maximized. There are three parts to the innovation: (1) Applying coding to parallel links under the model; (2) Linear programming formulation for finding the optimal combinations of messages to send on the links; and (3) Algorithms for assisting in finding feasible combinations of messages, as support for the linear programming formulation. There are similarities between this innovation and methods developed in the field of network coding. However, network coding has generally been concerned with either maximizing throughput in a fixed network, or robust communication of a fixed volume of data. In contrast, under this model, the throughput is expected to vary depending on the state of the network. Examples of error-correcting codes that are useful under this model but which are not needed under previous models have been found. This model can represent either a one-shot communication attempt, or a stream of communications. Under the one-shot model, message sizes and link capacities are quantities of information (e.g., measured in bits), while under the communications stream model, message sizes and link capacities are information rates (e.g., measured in bits/second). This work has the potential to increase the value of data returned from

  16. 8. Seminar of the IMP-IIE-ININ on technological specialties. Topic 9: Analytical Chemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-01-01

    The document includes four papers considered within the INIS subject scope, which were presented at the 8th Seminar of the IMP-IIE-ININ on technological specialities (Section Analytical Chemistry), held on 26 June 1996 in Cuernavaca (Mexico). A separate abstract and indexing were provided for each paper

  17. First-line chemoimmunotherapy in metastatic breast carcinoma: combination of paclitaxel and IMP321 (LAG-3Ig enhances immune responses and antitumor activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gligorov Joseph

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background IMP321 is a recombinant soluble LAG-3Ig fusion protein that binds to MHC class II with high avidity and mediates APC and then antigen-experienced memory CD8+ T cell activation. We report clinical and biological results of a phase I/II in patients with metastatic breast carcinoma (MBC receiving first-line paclitaxel weekly, 3 weeks out of 4. Methods MBC patients were administered one dose of IMP321 s.c. every two weeks for a total of 24 weeks (12 injections. The repeated single doses were administered the day after chemotherapy at D2 and D16 of the 28-day cycles of paclitaxel (80 mg/m2 at D1, D8 and D15, for 6 cycles. Blood samples were taken 13 days after the sixth and the twelfth IMP321 injections to determine sustained APC, NK and memory CD8 T cell responses. Results Thirty MBC patients received IMP321 in three cohorts (doses: 0.25, 1.25 and 6.25 mg. IMP321 induced both a sustained increase in the number and activation of APC (monocytes and dendritic cells and an increase in the percentage of NK and long-lived cytotoxic effector-memory CD8 T cells. Clinical benefit was observed for 90% of patients with only 3 progressors at 6 months. Also, the objective tumor response rate of 50% compared favorably to the 25% rate reported in the historical control group. Conclusions The absence of toxicity and the demonstration of activity strongly support the future development of this agent for clinical use in combined first-line regimens. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00349934

  18. Development of quantification analysis software for measuring regional cerebral blood flow by the modified split-dose method with 123I-IMP before and after acetazolamide loading

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagaki, Akio; Kobara, Kouichi; Matsutomo, Norikazu

    2003-01-01

    We developed a quantification analysis software program for measuring regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) at rest and under acetazolamide (ACZ) stress by the modified split-dose (MSD) method with iodine-123 N-isopropyl-p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) and compared the rCBF values measured by the MSD method and by the split dose 123 I-IMP SPECT (SD) method requiring one continuous withdrawal of arterial blood. Since the MSD method allows the input of two arterial blood sampling parameter values, the background subtraction procedure for obtaining ACZ-induced images in the MSD method is not identical to the procedure in the SD method. With our software program for rCBF quantification, the resting rCBF values determined by the MSD method were closely correlated with the values measured by the SD method (r=0.94), and there was also a good correlation between the ACZ-induced rCBF values obtained by the MSD method and by the SD method (r=0.81). The increase in rCBF under ACZ stress was estimated to be approximately 26% by the SD method and 38% by the MSD method, suggesting that the MSD method tends to overestimate the increase in rCBF under ACZ stress in comparison with the SD method, but the variability of the rCBF values at rest and during ACZ stress analyzed by the MSD method was smaller than the variability with the SD method. Further clinical studies are required to validate our rCBF quantification analysis program for the MSD method. (author)

  19. [sup 123]I-IMP SPECT studies in schizophrenia and atypical psychosis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hayashi, Takuji; Suga, Hidemichi (Aichi Medical University, Nagakute (Japan))

    1993-05-01

    According to the classification of Mitsuda, 23 patients with endogenous psychosis aged 40 years or younger, presenting with hallucination and delusion, were classified as having schizophrenia (n=12) or atypical psychosis (n=11). These patients were studied by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with N-isopropyl-p-I-123-iodoamphetamine (I-123 IMP). Sixteen healthy persons served as controls. Early and delayed SPECT images were obtained 30 min and 4 hr, respectively, after intravenous injection of I-123 IMP. The group of schizophrenic patients had markedly decreased uptake of I-123 in the basal ganglia, as well as the right temporal and left occipital areas on both early and delayed images. In the group of atypical psychosis patients, however, decreased uptake of I-123 was noted in both the right basal ganglia and left occipital area on early images, but none of such findings were seen on delayed images. Regarding the uptake ratio in the frontal area on both early and delayed images, there were significant differences between the two groups. These findings have important implications for the different etiology of both disease types: not only functional disturbance in the frontal area but also irreversible changes may be involved in the occurrence of schizophrenia, and functional disturbance particularly in the right basal ganglia may be involved in the occurrence of atypical psychosis. (N.K.).

  20. Joseph Roth, tradutor do Império perdido

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis S. Krausz

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Este artigo discute um folhetim jornalístico do escritor austríaco Joseph Roth que trata de uma miniatura do Templo de Salomão, encontrada por ele num café da Hirtenstrasse berlinense, no coração do que foi, na década de 1920, o bairro habitado pelos judeus do Leste da Europa na capital alemã. A nostalgia, sob cujo signo foi criada tal miniatura, torna-se uma metáfora da nostalgia pelo império Austro-Húngaro, chave para a compreensão da obra romanesca deste escritor. Ao mesmo tempo, esta nostalgia rothiana é contextualizada no âmbito das crenças místicas e messiânicas do judaísmo tradicional.

  1. Self-guide framing and persuasion: responsibly increasing message processing to ideal levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Lisa M; Petty, Richard E

    2003-03-01

    The current research examines the effect that framing persuasive messages in terms of self-guides (ideal vs. ought) has on the attitudes and cognitive responses of individuals with chronic ideal versus ought self-guides. The strength of participants' ideal and ought self-guides and the magnitude of participants' ideal and ought self-discrepancies were measured using a computerized reaction time program. One week later, participants read a persuasive message about a fictional breakfast product, framed in terms of either ideals or oughts. Matching framing to stronger self-guide led to enhanced message processing activity, especially among individuals who were low in need for cognition. Individuals who read messages framed to match their stronger self-guides paid more attention to argument quality, as reflected in their attitudes and cognitive responses. Messages with self-guide framing that matched individuals' stronger self-discrepancies did not have this effect on processing.

  2. Overexpression of the OsIMP Gene Increases the Accumulation of Inositol and Confers Enhanced Cold Tolerance in Tobacco through Modulation of the Antioxidant Enzymes' Activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Rong-Xiang; Qin, Li-Jun; Zhao, De-Gang

    2017-07-20

    Inositol is a cyclic polyol that is involved in various physiological processes, including signal transduction and stress adaptation in plants. l- myo -inositol monophosphatase (IMPase) is one of the metal-dependent phosphatase family members and catalyzes the last reaction step of biosynthesis of inositol. Although increased IMPase activity induced by abiotic stress has been reported in chickpea plants, the role and regulation of the IMP gene in rice ( Oryza sativa L.) remains poorly understood. In the present work, we obtained a full-length cDNA sequence coding IMPase in the cold tolerant rice landraces in Gaogonggui, which is named as OsIMP . Multiple alignment results have displayed that this sequence has characteristic signature motifs and conserved enzyme active sites of the phosphatase super family. Phylogenetic analysis showed that IMPase is most closely related to that of the wild rice Oryza brachyantha , while transcript analysis revealed that the expression of the OsIMP is significantly induced by cold stress and exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. Meanwhile, we cloned the 5' flanking promoter sequence of the OsIMP gene and identified several important cis -acting elements, such as LTR (low-temperature responsiveness), TCA-element (salicylic acid responsiveness), ABRE-element (abscisic acid responsiveness), GARE-motif (gibberellin responsive), MBS (MYB Binding Site) and other cis -acting elements related to defense and stress responsiveness. To further investigate the potential function of the OsIMP gene, we generated transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing the OsIMP gene and the cold tolerance test indicated that these transgenic tobacco plants exhibit improved cold tolerance. Furthermore, transgenic tobacco plants have a lower level of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and malondialdehyde (MDA), and a higher content of total chlorophyll as well as increased antioxidant enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD

  3. Remote control of data acquisition devices by means of message oriented middleware

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanchez, E.; Portas, A.; Pereira, A.; Vega, J.; Kirpitchev, I.

    2007-01-01

    The TJ-II autonomous acquisition systems are computers running dedicated applications for programming and controlling data acquisition channels and also integrating acquired data into the central database. These computers are located in the experimental hall and have to be remotely controlled during plasma discharges. A remote control for these systems has been implemented by taking advantage of the message-oriented middleware recently introduced into the TJ-II data acquisition system. Java Message Service (JMS) is used as the messaging application program interface. All the acquisition actions that are available through the system console of the data acquisition computers (starting or aborting an acquisition, restarting the system or updating the acquisition application) can now be initiated remotely. Command messages are sent to the acquisition systems located in the experimental hall close to the TJ-II device by using the messaging software, without having to use a remote desktop application that produces heavy network traffic and requires manual operation. Action commands can be sent to only one or to several/many acquisition systems at the same time. This software is integrated into the TJ-II remote participation system and the acquisition systems can be commanded from inside or outside the laboratory. All this software is integrated into the security framework provided by PAPI, thus preventing non-authorized users commanding the acquisition computers. In order to dimension and distribute messaging services some performance tests of the message oriented middleware software have been carried out. Results of the tests are presented. As suggested by the tests results different transport connectors are used: TCP transport protocol is used for the local environment, while HTTP protocol is used for remote accesses, thereby allowing the system performance to be optimized

  4. Remote control of data acquisition devices by means of message oriented middleware

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sanchez, E. [Asociacion EURATOM/CIEMAT para Fusion, Madrid (Spain)], E-mail: edi.sanchez@ciemat.es; Portas, A.; Pereira, A.; Vega, J.; Kirpitchev, I. [Asociacion EURATOM/CIEMAT para Fusion, Madrid (Spain)

    2007-10-15

    The TJ-II autonomous acquisition systems are computers running dedicated applications for programming and controlling data acquisition channels and also integrating acquired data into the central database. These computers are located in the experimental hall and have to be remotely controlled during plasma discharges. A remote control for these systems has been implemented by taking advantage of the message-oriented middleware recently introduced into the TJ-II data acquisition system. Java Message Service (JMS) is used as the messaging application program interface. All the acquisition actions that are available through the system console of the data acquisition computers (starting or aborting an acquisition, restarting the system or updating the acquisition application) can now be initiated remotely. Command messages are sent to the acquisition systems located in the experimental hall close to the TJ-II device by using the messaging software, without having to use a remote desktop application that produces heavy network traffic and requires manual operation. Action commands can be sent to only one or to several/many acquisition systems at the same time. This software is integrated into the TJ-II remote participation system and the acquisition systems can be commanded from inside or outside the laboratory. All this software is integrated into the security framework provided by PAPI, thus preventing non-authorized users commanding the acquisition computers. In order to dimension and distribute messaging services some performance tests of the message oriented middleware software have been carried out. Results of the tests are presented. As suggested by the tests results different transport connectors are used: TCP transport protocol is used for the local environment, while HTTP protocol is used for remote accesses, thereby allowing the system performance to be optimized.

  5. Gyral high density on CT scan after head injury; [sup 123]I-IMP SPECT and MRI findings in three children

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abe, Takumi; Matsumoto, Kiyoshi (Showa Univ., Tokyo (Japan). School of Medicine); Sakamoto, Tetsuya; Aruga, Tohru

    1994-02-01

    The authors treated three children who had 'gyral high density' on plain CT scans after head injury with acute subdural hematoma. [sup 123]I-IMP SPECT (IMP) and MRI in the chronic stage were performed. All were males, about one year of age, with acute subdural hematoma. CT scan 48 hours after injury showed diffuse low density in the ipsilateral parenchyma with minimum midline shift, and IMP showed decreased activity in the same area. Plain CT scan 1 to 3 weeks after injury showed remarkably high density along the gyri in part of the same area. This area was markedly enhanced on CT with contrast medium and showed decreased blood flow on IMP. This high density area disappeared within 2 months after injury and the area concerned showed brain atrophy. In the chronic stage (after 6 months), only the high density area along the gyri seen in the CT scan showed MRI evidence of ishemia, but there was no definite evidence of hemorrhage. All three children had hemiplegia at the time of discharge. The gyral high density suggests ischemic brain, but the pathophysiological process might be different from that of so-called hemorrhagic infarction. Presumably, it is due to incomplete autoregulation, the incomplete blood-brain barrier and the sensitivity to stimulation of cerebral blood vessels in the brains of infants. The intensity and range of the gyral high density are considered to be important in estimating the future amount of atrophic change in the insulted brain and the resulting sequelae. (author).

  6. Unified Internet Messaging

    OpenAIRE

    Healy, Paul; Barber, Declan

    2015-01-01

    As telephony services, mobile services and internet services continue to converge, the prospect of providing Unified Messaging and even Unified Communications becomes increasingly achievable. This paper discusses the growing importance of IP-based networks to Unified Messaging developments and examines some of the key services and protocols that are likely to make Unified Messaging more widely available. In this initial paper, we limit ourselves initially to the unification of text-based mess...

  7. Message-driven factors influencing opening and forwarding of mobile advertising messages

    OpenAIRE

    Sanz Blas, Silvia; Ruiz Mafé, Carla; Martí Parreño, José

    2015-01-01

    This work aims to analyse the influence of message-driven factors -informativeness, ubiquity, frequency and personalization- on consumer attitude and behaviour -opening and forwarding- towards mobile advertising messages. A theoretical model was developed and empirically tested using a sample of 355 Spanish teenager mobile users. Findings show that frequency is the dimension accounting the most -and significantly- of the four message-driven factors analysed on attitude toward mobile advertisi...

  8. Physician impressions of using text message technology to increase vaccination compliance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hart, Traci; Ahlers-Schmidt, Carolyn R; Chesser, Amy; Jones, Jordan; Williams, Katherine S; Wittler, Robert R

    2011-01-01

    Immunization schedules are complicated and difficult for parents to remember. Parents are willing to receive text message reminders. However, it is unknown whether physicians are willing to implement such a system. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a text messaging reminder system from the physician's perspective. Surveys were distributed in the winter of 2009-2010 by e-mail, facsimile, and telephone interview to 149 family physicians and pediatricians who provide immunizations in Sedgwick County, Kansas. A 69% response rate was achieved. Nearly all (92%) respondents reported that they currently communicate information about immunization schedules to parents using traditional methods such as verbal reminders or appointment cards; however, none (0%) currently use text or email to generate reminders to parents. Even when asked to assume they had all of the necessary resources, almost one-third (31%) reported that they were "very unwilling" or "unwilling" to use a general text-messaging program, 43% were "neutral" or "undecided," and only 27% were "willing" or "very willing." Physician willingness to use a text-messaging program was not related to their reported gender (χ²(2)=0.224, p=0.894), specialization (χ² (2)=4.363, p=0.113), years in practice (F(2, 91)=0.435, p=0.149), or comfort level with technology (χ²(4)=1.861, p=0.761). There is a hesitancy to implement a text message reminder system for childhood vaccine schedules. This may be due to the lack of empirical evidence supporting the use of this technology for health reminders or the lack of willingness to implement another system. Further investigation is needed to determine why few physicians are willing to implement text messaging for immunization reminders.

  9. 7. Seminar of the IIE-IMP-ININ on technological specialities. Topic 8: Analytical Chemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    With the purpose to give continuity to the exchange of experiences and to impel the development of common specialties among IIE-ININ-IMP, the VII Seminary was held in Mexico City on September 7, 1994. In the event were present 163 researchers of the three participant Institutions as well as representative persons of invited institutions. The objective of this Seminary was to relate the researchers of a common branch, with the idea that the specialists made an exchange of experiences, in order to establish cooperation routes. The event was arranged in 11 working tables, with a total of 111 papers: 43 of these papers were from IIE, 42 from IMP, 22 from ININ and 4 from invited entities. During the Seminary, the 11 working tables has sessions simultaneously, and each one of the papers were discussed at the time that possible future cooperating inter institutional actions were examined. The conclusions of the Seminary were exposed in a plenary session, in the presence of the directing boards of the three participant Institutions

  10. The IGFBP7 homolog Imp-L2 promotes insulin signaling in distinct neurons of the Drosophila brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bader, R; Sarraf-Zadeh, L; Peters, M; Moderau, N; Stocker, H; Köhler, K; Pankratz, M J; Hafen, E

    2013-06-15

    In Drosophila, Insulin-like peptide 2 (Dilp-2) is expressed by insulin-producing cells in the brain, and is secreted into the hemolymph to activate insulin signaling systemically. Within the brain, however, a more local activation of insulin signaling may be required to couple behavioral and physiological traits to nutritional inputs. We show that a small subset of neurons in the larval brain has high Dilp-2-mediated insulin signaling activity. This local insulin signaling activation is accompanied by selective Dilp-2 uptake and depends on the expression of the Imaginal morphogenesis protein-late 2 (Imp-L2) in the target neurons. We suggest that Imp-L2 acts as a licensing factor for neuronal IIS activation through Dilp-2 to further increase the precision of insulin activity in the brain.

  11. When message-frame fits salient cultural-frame, messages feel more persuasive

    OpenAIRE

    Uskul, Ayse K.; Oyserman, Daphna

    2010-01-01

    The present study examines the persuasive effects of tailored health messages comparing those tailored to match (versus not match) both chronic cultural frame and momentarily salient cultural frame. Evidence from two studies (Study 1: n = 72 European Americans; Study 2: n = 48 Asian Americans) supports the hypothesis that message persuasiveness increases when chronic cultural frame, health message tailoring and momentarily salient cultural frame all match. The hypothesis was tested using a me...

  12. The quantitative regional cerebral blood flow measurement with autoradiography method using 123I-IMP SPECT. Evaluation of arterialized venous blood sampling as a substitute for arterial blood sampling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohnishi, Takashi; Yano, Takao; Nakano, Shinichi; Jinnouchi, Seishi; Nagamachi, Shigeki; Flores, L. II; Nakahara, Hiroshi; Watanabe, Katsushi.

    1996-01-01

    The purpose of this study is validation of calibrating a standard input function in autoradiography (ARG) method by one point venous blood sampling as a substitute for that by one point arterial blood sampling. Ten and 20 minutes after intravenous constant infusion of 123 I-IMP, arterialized venous blood sampling from a dorsal vein were performed on 15 patients having ischemic cerebrovascular disease. And arterial blood sampling from radial artery was performed 10 min after 123 I-IMP infusion. The mean difference rates of integrated input function between calibrated standard input function by arterial blood sampling at 10 min and that by venous blood sampling were 4.1±3% and 9.3±5.4% at 10 and 20 min after 123 I-IMP infusion, respectively. The ratio of venous blood radioactivity to arterial blood radioactivity at 10 min after 123 I-IMP infusion was 0.96±0.02. There was an excellent correlation between ARG method CBF values obtained by arterial blood sampling at 10 min and those obtained by arterialized venous blood sampling at 10 min. In conclusion, a substitution by arterialized venous blood sampling from dorsal hand vein for artery can be possible. The optimized time for arterialized venous blood sampling was 10 min after 123 I-IMP infusion. (author)

  13. MessageSpace: a messaging system for health research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Escobar, Rodrigo D.; Akopian, David; Parra-Medina, Deborah; Esparza, Laura

    2013-03-01

    Mobile Health (mHealth) has emerged as a promising direction for delivery of healthcare services via mobile communication devices such as cell phones. Examples include texting-based interventions for chronic disease monitoring, diabetes management, control of hypertension, smoking cessation, monitoring medication adherence, appointment keeping and medical test result delivery; as well as improving patient-provider communication, health information communication, data collection and access to health records. While existing messaging systems very well support bulk messaging and some polling applications, they are not designed for data collection and processing of health research oriented studies. For that reason known studies based on text-messaging campaigns have been constrained in participant numbers. In order to empower healthcare promotion and education research, this paper presents a system dedicated for healthcare research. It is designed for convenient communication with various study groups, feedback collection and automated processing.

  14. EMI Messaging Guidelines

    CERN Document Server

    Cons, L.

    2011-01-01

    Guidelines for potential users of messaging within EMI. The goal is to provide enough practical information so that EMI product teams can start investigating whether using messaging in their products can be beneficial or not.

  15. Strategic messaging to promote taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages: lessons from recent political campaigns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jou, Judy; Niederdeppe, Jeff; Barry, Colleen L; Gollust, Sarah E

    2014-05-01

    This study explored the use of strategic messaging by proponents of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxation to influence public opinion and shape the policy process, emphasizing the experiences in El Monte and Richmond, California, with SSB tax proposals in 2012. We conducted 18 semistructured interviews with key stakeholders about the use and perceived effectiveness of messages supporting and opposing SSB taxation, knowledge sharing among advocates, message dissemination, and lessons learned from their messaging experiences. The protax messages most frequently mentioned by respondents were reinvesting tax revenue into health-related programs and linking SSB consumption to health outcomes such as obesity and diabetes. The most frequently mentioned antitax messages addressed negative economic effects on businesses and government restriction of personal choice. Factors contributing to perceived messaging success included clearly defining "sugar-sweetened beverage" and earmarking funds for obesity prevention, incorporating cultural sensitivity into messaging, and providing education about the health effects of SSB consumption. Sugar-sweetened beverage taxation has faced significant challenges in gaining political and public support. Future campaigns can benefit from insights gained through the experiences of stakeholders involved in previous policy debates.

  16. 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP on technological specialties. Topic 15: commercialization and technology transfer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    The document includes 9 papers presented at the 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP (Mexico) on technological specialties in the field of commercialization and technology transfer. (Topic 15). One item was in INIS s ubject scope and a separate abstract was prepared for it

  17. Overexpression of the OsIMP Gene Increases the Accumulation of Inositol and Confers Enhanced Cold Tolerance in Tobacco through Modulation of the Antioxidant Enzymes’ Activities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rong-Xiang Zhang

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Inositol is a cyclic polyol that is involved in various physiological processes, including signal transduction and stress adaptation in plants. l-myo-inositol monophosphatase (IMPase is one of the metal-dependent phosphatase family members and catalyzes the last reaction step of biosynthesis of inositol. Although increased IMPase activity induced by abiotic stress has been reported in chickpea plants, the role and regulation of the IMP gene in rice (Oryza sativa L. remains poorly understood. In the present work, we obtained a full-length cDNA sequence coding IMPase in the cold tolerant rice landraces in Gaogonggui, which is named as OsIMP. Multiple alignment results have displayed that this sequence has characteristic signature motifs and conserved enzyme active sites of the phosphatase super family. Phylogenetic analysis showed that IMPase is most closely related to that of the wild rice Oryza brachyantha, while transcript analysis revealed that the expression of the OsIMP is significantly induced by cold stress and exogenous abscisic acid (ABA treatment. Meanwhile, we cloned the 5’ flanking promoter sequence of the OsIMP gene and identified several important cis-acting elements, such as LTR (low-temperature responsiveness, TCA-element (salicylic acid responsiveness, ABRE-element (abscisic acid responsiveness, GARE-motif (gibberellin responsive, MBS (MYB Binding Site and other cis-acting elements related to defense and stress responsiveness. To further investigate the potential function of the OsIMP gene, we generated transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing the OsIMP gene and the cold tolerance test indicated that these transgenic tobacco plants exhibit improved cold tolerance. Furthermore, transgenic tobacco plants have a lower level of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 and malondialdehyde (MDA, and a higher content of total chlorophyll as well as increased antioxidant enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD, catalase (CAT and peroxidase (POD

  18. Parents Working Together: development and feasibility trial of a workplace-based program for parents that incorporates general parenting and health behaviour messages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. Wilson

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Parenting programs integrating general parenting and health behaviour messaging may be an effective childhood obesity prevention strategy. The current study explored workplaces as an alternate setting to deliver parenting programs. Methods This study involved two phases. The objective of the first phase was to explore interest in and preferred delivery mode of a workplace program that addresses general parenting and health behaviours. The objective of the second phase was to adapt and test the feasibility and acceptability of a pre-existing program that has been successfully run in community settings for parents in their workplace. To achieve the first objective, we conducted 9 individual or small group qualitative interviews with 11 workplace representatives involved in employee wellness/wellness programming from 8 different organizations across Southwestern Ontario. To achieve the second objective, we adapted a pre-existing program incorporating workplace representatives’ suggestions to create Parents Working Together (PWT. We then tested the program using a pre/post uncontrolled feasibility trial with 9 employees of a large manufacturing company located in Guelph, Ontario. Results Results from the qualitative phase showed that a workplace parenting program that addresses general parenting and health behaviour messages is of interest to workplaces. Results from the feasibility trial suggest that PWT is feasible and well received by participants; attendance rates were high with 89 % of the participants attending 5 or more sessions and 44 % attending all 7 sessions offered. All participants stated they would recommend the program to co-workers. Just over half of our parent participants were male (55.6 %, which is a unique finding as the majority of existing parenting programs engage primarily mothers. Impact evaluation results suggest that changes in children’s and parents’ weight-related behaviours, as well as

  19. Parents Working Together: development and feasibility trial of a workplace-based program for parents that incorporates general parenting and health behaviour messages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, L; Lero, Donna; Smofsky, Allan; Gross, Deborah; Haines, Jess

    2016-11-10

    Parenting programs integrating general parenting and health behaviour messaging may be an effective childhood obesity prevention strategy. The current study explored workplaces as an alternate setting to deliver parenting programs. This study involved two phases. The objective of the first phase was to explore interest in and preferred delivery mode of a workplace program that addresses general parenting and health behaviours. The objective of the second phase was to adapt and test the feasibility and acceptability of a pre-existing program that has been successfully run in community settings for parents in their workplace. To achieve the first objective, we conducted 9 individual or small group qualitative interviews with 11 workplace representatives involved in employee wellness/wellness programming from 8 different organizations across Southwestern Ontario. To achieve the second objective, we adapted a pre-existing program incorporating workplace representatives' suggestions to create Parents Working Together (PWT). We then tested the program using a pre/post uncontrolled feasibility trial with 9 employees of a large manufacturing company located in Guelph, Ontario. Results from the qualitative phase showed that a workplace parenting program that addresses general parenting and health behaviour messages is of interest to workplaces. Results from the feasibility trial suggest that PWT is feasible and well received by participants; attendance rates were high with 89 % of the participants attending 5 or more sessions and 44 % attending all 7 sessions offered. All participants stated they would recommend the program to co-workers. Just over half of our parent participants were male (55.6 %), which is a unique finding as the majority of existing parenting programs engage primarily mothers. Impact evaluation results suggest that changes in children's and parents' weight-related behaviours, as well as parents' reports of family interfering with work were in the

  20. The Role of Values, Moral Norms, and Descriptive Norms in Building Occupant Responses to an Energy-Efficiency Pilot Program and to Framing of Related Messages

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arpan, Laura M.; Barooah, Prabir; Subramany, Rahul

    2015-01-01

    This study examined building occupants' responses associated with an occupant-based energy-efficiency pilot in a university building. The influence of occupants' values and norms as well as effects of two educational message frames (descriptive vs. moral norms cues) on program support were tested. Occupants' personal moral norm to conserve energy…

  1. Developing Social Media-Based Suicide Prevention Messages in Partnership With Young People: Exploratory Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, Jo; Bailey, Eleanor; Hetrick, Sarah; Paix, Steve; O'Donnell, Matt; Cox, Georgina; Ftanou, Maria; Skehan, Jaelea

    2017-10-04

    Social media is increasingly being used by young people for health-related issues, including communicating about suicide. Due to the concerns about causing distress or inducing suicidal thoughts or behaviors, to date young people neither have been engaged in the development of social media-based suicide prevention interventions nor have interventions focused on educating young people about safe ways to communicate about suicide online. Given the potential that social media holds to deliver messages to vast numbers of people across space and time and the fact that young people often prefer to seek help from their friends and peers, safely educating and engaging young people to develop suicide prevention messages that can be delivered via social media is an obvious next step. The objectives of this study were to (1) provide education to a small number of secondary school students about safe ways to communicate about suicide via social media; (2) engage the same young people in the development of a suite of social media-based suicide prevention multimedia messages; (3) assess the impact of this on participants; and (4) assess the acceptability and safety of the messages developed. This study involved two phases. In phase 1, 20 participants recruited from two schools took part in an 8- to 10-week program during which they were provided with psychoeducation about mental health and suicide, including how to talk safely about suicide online, and they were then supported to design and develop their own media messages. These participants completed an evaluation questionnaire at the conclusion of the program. In phase 2, a larger group of participants (n=69), recruited via an opt-in process, viewed the media messages and completed a short questionnaire about each one. Participants in phase 1 enjoyed the program and reported that they learned new skills, such as how to talk safely about suicide online, and felt more able to provide emotional support to others (16/20, 80%). No

  2. Non-matched images with 123I-IMP and 99mTc-bicisate single-photon emission tomography in the demonstration of focal hyperaemia during the subacute phase of an ischaemic stroke

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tamgac, F.; Moretti, J.L.; Defer, G.; Weinmann, P.; Roussi, A.; Cesaro, P.

    1994-01-01

    Focal hyperaemia is a fairly common phenomenon in the subacute phase of an ischaemic stroke. This has rarely been reported with iodine-123 iodoamphetamine (IMP) and has never been identified using technetium-99m bicisate ( 99m Tc-ECD. In this report, we present the case of a patient suffering from a ledt cerebral posterior stroke. 123 I-IMP single-photon emission tomography (SPET) images showed a large area of significantly increased IMP activity located in the left occipital region whereas 99m Tc-bicisate SPET displayed hypoactivity in the same area. (orig.)

  3. Enhancement of the infectivity of SARS-CoV in BALB/c mice by IMP dehydrogenase inhibitors, including ribavirin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnard, Dale L; Day, Craig W; Bailey, Kevin; Heiner, Matthew; Montgomery, Robert; Lauridsen, Larry; Winslow, Scott; Hoopes, Justin; Li, Joseph K-K; Lee, Jongdae; Carson, Dennis A; Cottam, Howard B; Sidwell, Robert W

    2006-08-01

    Because of the conflicting data concerning the SARS-CoV inhibitory efficacy of ribavirin, an inosine monophosphate (IMP) dehydrogenase inhibitor, studies were done to evaluate the efficacy of ribavirin and other IMP dehydrogenase inhibitors (5-ethynyl-1-beta-D-ribofuranosylimidazole-4-carboxamide (EICAR), mizoribine, and mycophenolic acid) in preventing viral replication in the lungs of BALB/c mice, a replication model for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) infections (Subbarao, K., McAuliffe, J., Vogel, L., Fahle, G., Fischer, S., Tatti, K., Packard, M., Shieh, W.J., Zaki, S., Murphy, B., 2004. Prior infection and passive transfer of neutralizing antibody prevent replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) in the respiratory tract of mice. J. Virol. 78, 3572-3577). Ribavirin given at 75 mg/kg 4 h prior to virus exposure and then given twice daily for 3 days beginning at day 0 was found to increase virus lung titers and extend the length of time that virus could be detected in the lungs of mice. Other IMP dehydrogenase inhibitors administered near maximum tolerated doses using the same dosing regimen as for ribavirin were found to slightly enhance virus replication in the lungs. In addition, ribavirin treatment seemed also to promote the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines 4 days after cessation of treatment, although after 3 days of treatment ribavirin inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokine production in infected mice, significantly reducing the levels of the cytokines IL-1alpha, interleukin-5 (IL-5), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF). These findings suggest that ribavirin may actually contribute to the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV by prolonging and/or enhancing viral replication in the lungs. By not inhibiting viral replication in the lungs of infected mice, ribavirin treatment may have provided a continual source of stimulation for the inflammatory response

  4. 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP on technological specialties. Topic 9: electronics, instrumentation and control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    The document includes 10 papers presented at the 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP on technological specialities in the field of electronics, instrumentation and control. (Topic 9). From these, 4 papers were in INIS subject scope and a separate abstract was prepared for each of them

  5. 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP on technological specialties. Topic 14: systems and infomation services

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    The document includes 9 papers presented at the 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP (Mexico) on technological specialties in the field of information systems and services. (Topic 14). Two items were in INIS subject scope and a separate abstract was prepared for each of them

  6. Positive mood can increase or decrease message scrutiny: the hedonic contingency view of mood and message processing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wegener, D T; Petty, R E; Smith, S M

    1995-07-01

    Currently dominant explanations of mood effects on persuasive message processing (i.e., cognitive capacity and feelings as information) predict that happy moods lead to less message scrutiny than neutral or sad moods. The hedonic contingency view (D. T. Wegener & R. E. Petty, 1994) predicts that happy moods can sometimes be associated with greater message processing activity because people in a happy mood are more attentive than neutral or sad people to the hedonic consequences of their actions. Consistent with this view, Experiment 1 finds that a happy mood can lead to greater message scrutiny than a neutral mood when the message is not mood threatening. Experiment 2 finds that a happy mood leads to greater message scrutiny than a sad mood when an uplifting message is encountered, but to less message scrutiny when a depressing message is encountered.

  7. WhatsApp Messaging: Achievements and Success in Academia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nitza, Davidivitch; Roman, Yavich

    2016-01-01

    In recent years, there has been a significant rise in the use of technological means in general and in academic teaching in particular. Many programs have been developed that include computer-assisted teaching, as well as online courses at educational institutions. The current study focuses on WhatsApp messaging and its use in academia. Studies…

  8. CDC MessageWorks: Designing and Validating a Social Marketing Tool to Craft and Defend Effective Messages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cole, Galen E; Keller, Punam A; Reynolds, Jennifer; Schaur, Michelle; Krause, Diane

    2016-03-01

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, in partnership with Oak Ridge Associated Universities, designed an online social marketing strategy tool, MessageWorks, to help health communicators effectively formulate messages aimed at changing health behaviors and evaluate message tactics and audience characteristics. MessageWorks is based on the advisor for risk communication model that identifies 10 variables that can be used to predict target audience intentions to comply with health recommendations. This article discusses the value of the MessageWorks tool to health communicators and to the field of social marketing by (1) describing the scientific evidence supporting use of MessageWorks to improve health communication practice and (2) summarizing how to use MessageWorks and interpret the results it produces.

  9. Text messaging intervention for teens and young adults with diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markowitz, Jessica T; Cousineau, Tara; Franko, Debra L; Schultz, Alan T; Trant, Meredith; Rodgers, Rachel; Laffel, Lori M B

    2014-09-01

    Adolescents and young adults use text messaging as their primary mode of communication, thus providing an opportunity to use this mode of communication for mobile health (mHealth) interventions. Youth with diabetes are an important group for these mHealth initiatives, as diabetes management requires an enormous amount of daily effort and this population has difficulty achieving optimal diabetes management. Goal setting and self-efficacy are 2 factors in the management of diabetes. We examined the feasibility of a healthy lifestyle text messaging program targeting self-efficacy and goal setting among adolescents and young adults with diabetes. Participants, ages 16-21, were assigned to either a text messaging group, which received daily motivational messages about nutrition and physical activity, or a control group, which received paper-based information about healthy lifestyle. Both groups set goals for nutrition and physical activity and completed a measure of self-efficacy. Participants' mean age was 18.7 ± 1.6 years old, with diabetes duration of 10.0 ± 4.6 years, and A1c of 8.7 ± 1.7%. The text messaging intervention was rated highly and proved to be acceptable to participants. Self-efficacy, glycemic control, and body mass index did not change over the course of the short, 1-month pilot study. Positive, daily, motivational text messages may be effective in increasing motivation for small goal changes in the areas of nutrition and physical activity. These interventions may be used in the future in youth with diabetes to improve diabetes care. Utilizing more targeted text messages is an area for future research. © 2014 Diabetes Technology Society.

  10. Impôts en France : réunion publique le mercredi 19 mars 2014

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2014-01-01

    Impôts en France : réunion publique le mercredi 19 mars 2014 Une réunion publique aura lieu le mercredi 19 mars de 13h à 15h dans l’amphithéâtre principal (500/1-001). Au cours de cette réunion, MM. Jean-Louis Brandolin et Gérard Polizzi, respectivement responsable et responsable-adjoint du Service des impôts des particuliers et des entreprises de Bellegarde, Centre des finances publiques, apporteront leur expertise au sujet de l’imposition des membres du personnel du CERN domiciliés en France. Seront à l’ordre du jour les questions de principe que se posent apparemment de nombreux membres du personnel : par exemple, la définition du domicile fiscal, le contenu de la déclaration de revenus (mention des revenus CERN et déclaration des autres revenus de sources française ou étrangère), la déclaration des comptes bancaires à l’étranger, l’assujettissement (dans certaines conditions) à la CSG-CRDS. Cette réunion publique portera UNIQUEMENT sur des questions de principe ...

  11. An analysis of patient-provider secure messaging at two Veterans Health Administration medical centers: message content and resolution through secure messaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimada, Stephanie L; Petrakis, Beth Ann; Rothendler, James A; Zirkle, Maryan; Zhao, Shibei; Feng, Hua; Fix, Gemmae M; Ozkaynak, Mustafa; Martin, Tracey; Johnson, Sharon A; Tulu, Bengisu; Gordon, Howard S; Simon, Steven R; Woods, Susan S

    2017-09-01

    We sought to understand how patients and primary care teams use secure messaging (SM) to communicate with one another by analyzing secure message threads from 2 Department of Veterans Affairs facilities. We coded 1000 threads of SM communication sampled from 40 primary care teams. Most threads (94.5%) were initiated by patients (90.4%) or caregivers (4.1%); only 5.5% were initiated by primary care team members proactively reaching out to patients. Medication renewals and refills (47.2%), scheduling requests (17.6%), medication issues (12.9%), and health issues (12.7%) were the most common patient-initiated requests, followed by referrals (7.0%), administrative issues (6.5%), test results (5.4%), test issues (5.2%), informing messages (4.9%), comments about the patient portal or SM (4.1%), appreciation (3.9%), self-reported data (2.8%), life issues (1.5%), and complaints (1.5%). Very few messages were clinically urgent (0.7%) or contained other potentially challenging content. Message threads were mostly short (2.7 messages), comprising an average of 1.35 discrete content types. A substantial proportion of issues (24.2%) did not show any evidence of being resolved through SM. Time to response and extent of resolution via SM varied by message content. Proactive SM use by teams varied, but was most often for test results (32.7%), medication-related issues (21.8%), medication renewals (16.4%), or scheduling issues (18.2%). The majority of messages were transactional and initiated by patients or caregivers. Not all content categories were fully addressed over SM. Further education and training for both patients and clinical teams could improve the quality and efficiency of SM communication. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association 2017. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the United States.

  12. 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP on technological specialties. Topic 11: standards and quality assurance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    The document includes 8 papers presented at the 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP (Mexico) on technological specialties in the field of standards and quality assurance. (Topic 11). From these, 2 papers were in INIS subject scope and a separate abstract was prepared for each of them

  13. CDC MessageWorks: Designing and Validating a Social Marketing Tool to Craft and Defend Effective Messages

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cole, Galen E.; Keller, Punam A.; Reynolds, Jennifer; Schaur, Michelle; Krause, Diane

    2016-01-01

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, in partnership with Oak Ridge Associated Universities, designed an online social marketing strategy tool, MessageWorks, to help health communicators effectively formulate messages aimed at changing health behaviors and evaluate message tactics and audience characteristics. MessageWorks is based on the advisor for risk communication model that identifies 10 variables that can be used to predict target audience intentions to comply with health recommendations. This article discusses the value of the MessageWorks tool to health communicators and to the field of social marketing by (1) describing the scientific evidence supporting use of MessageWorks to improve health communication practice and (2) summarizing how to use MessageWorks and interpret the results it produces. PMID:26877714

  14. Study on the primary visual cortex of visually impaired subjects by means of 123I-IMP SPECT and MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishikawa, Nobuyoshi; Satou, Motohiro; Takeda, Tohoru; Itai, Yuji; Nishijo, Kazushi.

    1995-01-01

    We conducted a study of rCBF in the primary visual cortex of visually impaired subjects who have not been subjected to external stimulation for a long period, by means of 123 I-IMP SPECT and MRI. The four subjects had lost their sight due to brain tumors (n=2), glaucoma (n=1) and trauma (n=1). 123 I-IMP SPECT showed no differences between the visually impaired group and a visually sound control group on visual analysis as well as semiquantitative analysis. MRI of the visually impaired subjects showed no organic changes, such as atrophy, in the occipital cortex. In conclusion, visually impaired subjects have no decrease in rCBF and no anatomical changes in the primary visual cortex. (author)

  15. Improving AIDS Care After Trauma (ImpACT): Pilot Outcomes of a Coping intervention Among HIV-Infected Women with Sexual Trauma in South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sikkema, Kathleen J; Mulawa, Marta I; Robertson, Corne; Watt, Melissa H; Ciya, Nonceba; Stein, Dan J; Cherenack, Emily M; Choi, Karmel W; Kombora, Matapelo; Joska, John A

    2018-03-01

    Improving AIDS Care after Trauma (ImpACT), a coping intervention for HIV-infected women with sexual abuse histories, was evaluated for feasibility and potential efficacy in a public clinic in Cape Town, South Africa. Sixty-four participants were enrolled prior to starting antiretroviral therapy (ART). After completing baseline assessments, participants were randomly assigned to standard of care (SoC: three adherence counseling sessions) or ImpACT (SoC plus four individual and three group sessions). Participants completed assessments at 3 months (after individual sessions) and 6 months post-baseline. In exploratory analysis of primary outcomes, ImpACT participants, compared to SoC, reported greater reductions in avoidance and arousal symptoms of PTSD and greater increases in ART adherence motivation at 3 months. Clinically significant decreases in overall PTSD symptoms were also demonstrated at 3 months. These effects continued as trends at the 6-month assessment, in addition to increases in social/spiritual coping. In analysis of secondary outcomes, high levels of non-adherence to ART and poor care engagement were evident at 6 months, with no differences between study arms. A trauma-focused, culturally-adapted individual intervention delivered by a non-specialist in the HIV care setting is feasible and acceptable. Preliminary findings suggest ImpACT has potential to reduce PTSD symptoms and increase ART adherence motivation, but a more intensive intervention may be needed to improve and maintain care engagement among this population. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02223390.

  16. Comparison of Tc-99m HM-PAO and I-123 IMP cerebral SPECT images in Alzheimer's disease and multi-infarct dementia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gemmell, H G; Sharp, P F; Besson, J A.O.; Ebmeier, K P; Smith, F W

    1988-10-01

    SPECT images of the brain can be obtained using either /sup 123/I labelled amines or /sup 99m/Tc-hexamethylpropyleneamineoxime (HM-PAO). Both materials produce images which are blood flow dominated and so appear similar in normal subjects, although the respective mechanisms of uptake are not yet finally established. It seems likely, however, that the different mechanisms of uptake are responsible for recent reports of some differences seen in images obtained with the two types of agent in patients with cerebral pathology, mainly cerebrovascular disease. In this study, 12 demented patients, 6 with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) and 6 with multi infarct dementia (MID), were imaged with /sup 123/I-isopropylamphetamine (IMP) and /sup 99m/Tc-HM-PAO and the images compared. Significantly more lesions were seen with IMP than HM-PAO (P < 0.02); out of a possible 120 sites, 41 lesions were seen with IMP compared to 28 with HM-PAO, 23 being seen with both agents. However, it is concluded that either agent can be used for the differential diagnosis of dementia, a task for which the new cerebral blood flow agents seem well suited.

  17. Message framing in social networking sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kao, Danny Tengti; Chuang, Shih-Chieh; Wang, Sui-Min; Zhang, Lei

    2013-10-01

    Online social networking sites represent significant new opportunities for Internet advertisers. However, results based on the real world cannot be generalized to all virtual worlds. In this research, the moderating effects of need for cognition (NFC) and knowledge were applied to examine the impact of message framing on attitudes toward social networking sites. A total of 216 undergraduates participated in the study. Results reveal that for social networking sites, while high-NFC individuals form more favorable attitudes toward negatively framed messages than positively framed messages, low-NFC individuals form more favorable attitudes toward positively framed messages than negatively framed messages. In addition, low-knowledge individuals demonstrate more favorable attitudes toward negatively framed messages than positively framed messages; however, the framing effect does not differentially affect the attitudes of high-knowledge individuals. Furthermore, the framing effect does not differentially affect the attitudes of high-NFC individuals with high knowledge. In contrast, low-NFC individuals with low knowledge hold more favorable attitudes toward positively framed messages than negatively framed messages.

  18. Improving the Effectiveness of Fundraising Messages: The Impact of Charity Goal Attainment, Message Framing, and Evidence on Persuasion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Enny; Kerkhof, Peter; Kuiper, Joyce

    2008-01-01

    This experimental study assessed the effectiveness of fundraising messages. Based on recent findings regarding the effects of message framing and evidence, effective fundraising messages should combine abstract, statistical information with a negative message frame and anecdotal evidence with a positive message frame. In addition, building on…

  19. Survey of Instant Messaging Applications Encryption Methods

    OpenAIRE

    Kabakuş, Abdullah; Kara, Resul

    2015-01-01

    Instant messaging applications has already taken the place of traditional Short Messaging Service (SMS) and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) due to their popularity and usage easement they provide. Users of instant messaging applications are able to send both text and audio messages, different types of attachments such as photos, videos, contact information to their contacts in real time. Because of instant messaging applications use internet instead of Short Message Service Technical Reali...

  20. Impact of Cultural Exposure and Message Framing on Oral Health Behavior: Exploring the Role of Message Memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brick, Cameron; McCully, Scout N; Updegraff, John A; Ehret, Phillip J; Areguin, Maira A; Sherman, David K

    2016-10-01

    Health messages are more effective when framed to be congruent with recipient characteristics, and health practitioners can strategically choose message features to promote adherence to recommended behaviors. We present exposure to US culture as a moderator of the impact of gain-frame versus loss-frame messages. Since US culture emphasizes individualism and approach orientation, greater cultural exposure was expected to predict improved patient choices and memory for gain-framed messages, whereas individuals with less exposure to US culture would show these advantages for loss-framed messages. 223 participants viewed a written oral health message in 1 of 3 randomized conditions-gain-frame, loss-frame, or no-message control-and were given 10 flosses. Cultural exposure was measured with the proportions of life spent and parents born in the US. At baseline and 1 week later, participants completed recall tests and reported recent flossing behavior. Message frame and cultural exposure interacted to predict improved patient decisions (increased flossing) and memory maintenance for the health message over 1 week; for example, those with low cultural exposure who saw a loss-frame message flossed more. Incongruent messages led to the same flossing rates as no message. Memory retention did not explain the effect of message congruency on flossing. Flossing behavior was self-reported. Cultural exposure may only have practical application in either highly individualistic or collectivistic countries. In health care settings where patients are urged to follow a behavior, asking basic demographic questions could allow medical practitioners to intentionally communicate in terms of gains or losses to improve patient decision making and treatment adherence. © The Author(s) 2015.

  1. Santos e devotos no império ultramarino português

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beatriz Catão Cruz Santos

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available O artigo faz uma história da coleção de vilancicos de São Gonçalo de Amarante, que integram a Coleção Barbosa Machado na Biblioteca Nacional do Rio de Janeiro e, simultaneamente, apresenta reflexões sobre a relação santo-devoto no Império Ultramarino Português no século XVIII. Os vilancicos são identificados como um gênero retórico poético que evoca o santo e uma prática religiosa que contrastava com outras. Parte-se de uma perspectiva comparativa entre os vilancicos e outras evidências sobre a relação santo-devoto e, em particular, sobre o santo e sua festa na sociedade colonial escravista. O artigo dialoga com a historiografia centrada na noção de Império e com uma bibliografia da História e das Ciências Sociais voltada para a relação santodevoto, a santidade e as festas.The paper produces a story of vilancicos for Saint Gonçalo do Amarante, that are part of the Rio de Janeiro National Library Barbosa Machado Collection and presents reflections on the relation saint-devotees in the Portuguese Overseas Empire during the 18th century. The vilancicos are identified as a rhetoric poetic genre that reminds the saint and a religious practice that contrasted with others. It starts from a comparative perspective between the vilancicos and other evidences about the relation saint-devotee, and in particular, about the saint and his feast in a colonial and proslavery society. The article deals with the historiography centered in the notion of Empire, and with a bibliography of History and Social Sciences pointed to the relation saint-devotee, the holiness and the feasts.

  2. Learning experiences in population education: proposed guidelines and core messages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1984-01-01

    As a result of the 1984 Regional Workshop for the Development of Packages of Adequate Learning Requirements in Population Education, the participants tackled the problem of non-institutionalization of population education into the formal and non-formal educational curricula in their countries. Based on their deliberations, several sets of guidelines and core messages were formulated to provide countries with a more definite direction that will hopefully ensure the functional and effective integration of population education in their respective national school and out-of-school curriculum system. Useful packages of learning materials in population education should help realize the country's population policy and goals within the broader framework of socioeconomic development, and the content of the package should comprehensively cover the core messages of the country's Population Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Program. The population knowledge base of the package should be accurate and relevant; the package should provide for graphic and visual presentation and for assessment of effects on the target groups. Proposed core messages in population education discuss the advantages of small family size and delayed marriage, and aspects of responsible parenthood. Other messages discuss population resource development and population-related beliefs and values.

  3. Structure of Cryptosporidium IMP dehydrogenase bound to an inhibitor with in vivo antiparasitic activity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Youngchang; Makowska-Grzyska, Magdalena; Gorla, Suresh Kumar; Gollapalli, Deviprasad R.; Cuny, Gregory D.; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Hedstrom, Lizbeth

    2015-04-21

    Inosine 5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) is a promising target for the treatment ofCryptosporidiuminfections. Here, the structure ofC. parvumIMPDH (CpIMPDH) in complex with inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) and P131, an inhibitor within vivoanticryptosporidial activity, is reported. P131 contains two aromatic groups, one of which interacts with the hypoxanthine ring of IMP, while the second interacts with the aromatic ring of a tyrosine in the adjacent subunit. In addition, the amine and NO2moieties bind in hydrated cavities, forming water-mediated hydrogen bonds to the protein. The design of compounds to replace these water molecules is a new strategy for the further optimization ofC. parvuminhibitors for both antiparasitic and antibacterial applications.

  4. Degree sequence in message transfer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamuna, M.

    2017-11-01

    Message encryption is always an issue in current communication scenario. Methods are being devised using various domains. Graphs satisfy numerous unique properties which can be used for message transfer. In this paper, I propose a message encryption method based on degree sequence of graphs.

  5. Let's Talk About Breastfeeding: The Importance of Delivering a Message in a Home Visiting Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGinnis, Sandra; Lee, Eunju; Kirkland, Kristen; Miranda-Julian, Claudia; Greene, Rose

    2018-05-01

    To examine the potential impact of paraprofessional home visitors in promoting breastfeeding initiation and continuation among a high-risk population. A secondary analysis of program data from a statewide home visitation program. Thirty-six Healthy Families New York sites across New York State. A total of 3521 pregnant mothers at risk of poor child health and developmental outcomes. Home visitors deliver a multifaceted intervention that includes educating high-risk mothers on benefits of breastfeeding, encouraging them to breastfeed and supporting their efforts during prenatal and postnatal periods. Home visitor-reported content and frequency of home visits, participant-reported breastfeeding initiation and duration, and covariates (Kempe Family Stress Index, race and ethnicity, region, nativity, marital status, age, and education). Logistic regression. Breastfeeding initiation increased by 1.5% for each 1-point increase in the percentage of prenatal home visits that included breastfeeding discussions. Breastfeeding continuation during the first 6 months also increased with the percentage of earlier home visits that included breastfeeding discussions. Additionally, if a participant receives 1 more home visit during the third month, her likelihood of breastfeeding at 6 months increases by 11%. Effect sizes varied by months postpartum. Delivering a breastfeeding message consistently during regular home visits is important for increasing breastfeeding rates. Given that home visiting programs target new mothers least likely to breastfeed, a more consistent focus on breastfeeding in this supportive context may reduce breastfeeding disparities.

  6. 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP on technological specialties. Topic 10: industrial applications of radiation and control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    The document includes 7 papers presented at the 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP (Mexico) on technological specialties in the field of industrial applications of radiation and control. (Topic 10). A separate abstract was prepared for each paper

  7. Perceptions of anti-smoking messages amongst high school students in Pakistan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Imam Syed H

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Surveys have provided evidence that tobacco use is widely prevalent amongst the youth in Pakistan. Several reviews have evaluated the effectiveness of various tobacco control programs, however, few have taken into account the perceptions of students themselves regarding these measures. The aim of this study was to determine the most effective anti-smoking messages that can be delivered to high-school students in Pakistan, based on their self-rated perceptions. It also aimed to assess the impact of pictorial/multi-media messages compared with written health warnings and to discover differences in perceptions of smokers to those of non-smokers to health warning messages. Methods This study was carried out in five major cities of Pakistan in private English-medium schools. A presentation was delivered at each school that highlighted the well-established health consequences of smoking using both written health warnings and pictorial/multi-media health messages. Following the presentation, the participants filled out a graded questionnaire form, using which they rated the risk-factors and messages that they thought were most effective in stopping or preventing them from smoking. The Friedman test was used to rank responses to each of the questions in the form. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank test used to analyze the impact of pictorial/multi-media messages over written statements. The Mann Whitney U test was used to compare responses of smokers with those of non-smokers. Results Picture of an oral cavity cancer, videos of a cancer patient using an electronic voice box and a patient on a ventilator, were perceived to be the most effective anti-smoking messages by students. Addiction, harming others through passive smoking and impact of smoking on disposable incomes were perceived to be less effective messages. Pictorial/multi-media messages were perceived to be more effective than written health warnings. Health warnings were perceived as

  8. A technique for a rapid imaging of regional CBF and partition coefficient using dynamic SPECT and N-isopropyl-p-[123I]iodoamphetamine (123I-IMP)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Itoh, Hiroshi; Iida, Hidehiro; Murakami, Matsutaro

    1993-01-01

    IMP (iodoamphetamine) is a flow tracer due to a large first pass extraction fraction and high affinity in the brain, but significant clearance from the brain causes change of distribution when the beginning time of scan is delayed. The purpose of the present study was to develop a new method to rapidly calculate a quantitative cerebral blood flow (CBF) image by taking clearance effects into account. A dynamic SPECT scan was performed on 5 subjects (4 patients with cerebral infarction and one normal volunteer) following slow intravenous infusion of 123 I-IMP. The arterial input function was obtained by frequent blood sampling and by measuring an octanol extraction ratio for each sample. Firstly, non-linear least square fitting (NLS) was performed to investigate the tracer kinetics of 123 I-IMP. The 3 compartment model analysis yielded negligibly small k 3 (retaining rate constant) (0.0056±0.0128 (ml/ml/min)), and consistent k 1 (transport rate constant) with those determined by 2 compartment model (2CM) analysis (r=0.96, p 1 was consistent with CBF measured by 15 O water PET technique. These observations suggested the validity of using 2CM for describing the IMP tracer kinetics. Secondly, a weighted integration (WI) technique has been implemented to calculate rapidly images of CBF and partition coefficient (V d ). The WI technique yielded values of CBF (k 1 ) and V d (k 1 /k 2 ). They were confirmed to be consistent with those determined by NLS technique (CBF; r=0.99, p d ; r=0.99, p 1 agreed well with PET CBF (r=0.91, p d in infarcted patients. This supports an importance for calculating V d image. V d image will provide additional clinical information because 123 I-IMP binding mechanism may be related to cell viability. (author)

  9. 123I-IMP-SPECT in vascular dementia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Namura, Yasuhiro; Miyoshi, Toshihiko; Shio, Hideo; Yamaguchi, Shinya; Kimura, Jun

    1990-01-01

    Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was studied by N-isopropyl-p- 123 I-iodoamphetamine (IMP)-single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in patients with vascular dementia. Patients were divided by CT/MRI findings into multiple or localized type and cortical or subcortical type. Of patients with multiple lesions in the cortex, the reduction of CBF was noted in several cortex corresponding to CT/MRI findings. Patients in this group had a high incidence of aphasia, agraphia, dyscalculia, and amnesia. Patients with multiple lesions in the white matter and basal ganglia were subdivided into 3 groups by clinical manifestations. CBF in those with dementia showed generalized reduction in all cerebral cortex and especially in bilateral frontal regions. CBF in those with slightly impaired mentality was almost normal. In another group with pseudobulbar palsy and/or extrapyramidal sings, CBF was reduced intermediately only in bilateral frontal regions. Typical symptoms in demented patients were apathy, emotional lability, and forgetfulness. In those with the localized type, CBF was reduced in cerebral cortical areas correlating with the impaired mental functions. (author)

  10. Entity-based Classification of Twitter Messages

    OpenAIRE

    Yerva, Surender Reddy; Miklós, Zoltán; Aberer, Karl

    2012-01-01

    Twitter is a popular micro-blogging service on theWeb, where people can enter short messages, which then become visible to some other users of the service. While the topics of these messages varies, there are a lot of messages where the users express their opinions about some companies or their products. These messages are a rich source of information for companies for sentiment analysis or opinion mining. There is however a great obstacle for analyzing the messages directly: as the company n...

  11. A study of cerebral circulation in elderly patients with dementia using sup 123 I-IMP SPECT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arai, Hisayuki [Tokyo Medical Coll. (Japan)

    1991-03-01

    In order to elucidate the pathogenesis of senile dementia of Alzheimer type (SDAT) and multi-infarct dementia (MID), 18 age-matched controls, 22 SDAT cases, 10 MID cases, and 15 multiple infarction without dementia (MI) cases, totaling 65 cases, were enrolled into a study of cerebral blood flow using single photon emission CT (SPECT) with N-isopropyl-p-({sup 123}I)iodoamphetamine (IMP). The diagnosis of dementia was made based on the clinical history, findings of brain CT, MRI, and Hachinski's ischemic score. Lateral asymmetric perfusion was evaluated by using the asymmetry index (AI). Quantitative cerebral blood flow was analyzed by using the venous blood sampling method with IMP SPECT. Cerebral infarction, ischemic changes, and brain atrophy were diagnosed by CT and MRI. mCBF values were significantly lower in SDAT and MID than in those of controls, while rCBF values were lowest at the frontal lobes in MID and at the parietal lobes in SDAT. Hasegawa's dementia score was correlated with the rCBF at the frontal lobes in MID. In MID, there was a greater number of infarction, and atrophic changes were significantly remarkable, while the rCBF values were significantly lower at the frontal lobes compared to the MI group. Multi-variate analysis suggested that among the factors contributing to MID, brain atrophy was most relevant to dementia. In SDAT, rCBF values showed the most lateral asymmetry at the parietal lobes, the least, at the occipital lobes. The lateral asymmetry of the cerebral blood flow at the parietal lobes showed an association with clinical symptoms. There was a negative coefficiency between the cerebellum and the cerebral hemisphere in the evaluation of lateral asymmetry. These results suggest that rCBF estimation by IMP SPECT is useful in the differential diagnosis between MID and SDAT, and may also contribute to the classification of these two diseases. (author).

  12. Fear, threat and efficacy in threat appeals: message involvement as a key mediator to message acceptance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cauberghe, Verolien; De Pelsmacker, Patrick; Janssens, Wim; Dens, Nathalie

    2009-03-01

    In a sample of 170 youngsters, the effect of two versions of a public service announcement (PSA) threat appeal against speeding, placed in four different contexts, on evoked fear, perceived threat (severity and probability of occurrence), perceived response efficacy and self-efficacy, message involvement and anti-speeding attitude and anti-speeding intention is investigated. Evoked fear and perceived threat and efficacy independently influence message involvement. Message involvement is a full mediator between evoked fear, perceived threat and efficacy perception on the one hand, and attitudes towards the message and behavioral intention to accept the message on the other. Speeding experience has a significantly negative impact on anti-speeding attitudes. Message and medium context threat levels and context thematic congruency have a significant effect on evoked fear and to a lesser extent on perceived threat.

  13. Getting the message across: age differences in the positive and negative framing of health care messages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shamaskin, Andrea M; Mikels, Joseph A; Reed, Andrew E

    2010-09-01

    Although valenced health care messages influence impressions, memory, and behavior (Levin, Schneider, & Gaeth, 1998) and the processing of valenced information changes with age (Carstensen & Mikels, 2005), these 2 lines of research have thus far been disconnected. This study examined impressions of, and memory for, positively and negatively framed health care messages that were presented in pamphlets to 25 older adults and 24 younger adults. Older adults relative to younger adults rated positive pamphlets more informative than negative pamphlets and remembered a higher proportion of positive to negative messages. However, older adults misremembered negative messages to be positive. These findings demonstrate the age-related positivity effect in health care messages with promise as to the persuasive nature and lingering effects of positive messages. (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved.

  14. Manipulative Use of Short Messaging Service (SMS Text Messages by Nigerian Telecommunications Companies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ayoola, Kehinde A.

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper is an application of Relevance Theory for the interpretation of short messaging service (SMS text messages emanating from Nigerian telecommunications companies to their subscribers. The aim of the research was to identify and describe the manipulative strategies employed by Nigerian telecommunications companies to induce subscribers to part with their money through sales promotion lotteries. 100 SMS texts were purposively extracted from the cell phones of randomly selected residents of Lagos Nigeria who had received promotional SMS text messages from three major Nigerian telecommunications companies. Using Sperber and Wilson's Relevance Theory (1995 as its theoretical framework, the paper described the manipulative use of SMS by Nigerian telecommunications companies. The analysis revealed that SMS text messages were encoded to achieve maximization of relevance through explicature and implicature; contextual implication and strengthening; and the reduction of processing effort through violating the maxim of truthfulness and the creative use of graphology. The paper concludes that SMS text-messages were used manipulatively by Nigerian telecommunications companies to earn indirect income from sales promotion lottery.

  15. Design of the IMP microbeam irradiation system for 100 MeV/u heavy ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sheng Lina; Song Mingtao; Zhang Xiaoqi; Yang Xiaotian; Gao Daqing; He Yuan; Zhang Bin; Liu Jie; Sun Youmei; Dang Bingrong; Lwenjian; Su Hong; Man Kaidi; Guo Yizhen; Wang Zhiguang; Zhan Wenlong

    2009-01-01

    A state-of-the-art high energy heavy ion microbeam irradiation system is constructed at the Institute of Modern Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This microbeam system operates in both full current intensity mode and single ion mode. It delivers a predefined number of ions to pre-selected targets for research in biology and material science. The characteristic of this microbeam system is high energy and vertical irradiation. A quadrupole focusing system, in combination with a series of slits, has been designed to optimize the spatial resolution. A symmetrically achromatic system leads the beam downwards and serves simultaneously as an energy analyzer. A high gradient quadrupole triplet finally focuses a C 6+ ion beam to 1 μm in the vacuum chamber within the energy range from 10 MeV/u to 100 MeV/u. In this paper, the IMP microbeam system is described in detail. A systematic investigation of the ion beam optics of this microbeam system is presented together with the associated aberrations. Comparison is made between the IMP microbeam system and the other existing systems to further discuss the performance of this microbeam. Then the optimized initial beam parameters are given for high resolution and high hitting efficiency. At last, the experiment platform is briefly introduced. (authors)

  16. Clinical evaluation of Parkinson's disease using sup 123 I-IMP SPECT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hayashi, Hiroko; Odano, Ikuo; Nishihara, Mamiko; Higuchi, Shouichi; Sakai, Kunio [Niigata Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine; Ishikawa, Atsushi

    1989-11-01

    N-isopropyl-p({sup 123}I)iodoamphetamine ({sup 123}I-IMP) SPECT and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) studies were performed in 20 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and 8 normal subjects. RCBF was measured by the arterial blood sampling method which used the microsphere model. We analized seven factors which might be related to the rCBF in PD, i.e., age, stage, duration of the disease, cerebral atrophy, severity of dementia, laterality of symptoms and motor disability score (MDS; the degree of akinesia, rigidity, tremor, gait disturbance, freezing and pulsion sign). Compared with normal subjects, global CBF (supratentorial mean rCBF) was reduced by 21.8% in PD. In particular, rCBF in the basal ganglia and that of frontal cortex were reduced by 25.3% and 24.8%, respectively. Distribution patterns of rCBF in PD were almost as same as those in normals except for cerebellum. The reduction of both rCBFs in the basal ganglia and parietal cortex significantly correlated with MDS (p<0.05, respectively). Especially, akinesia was closely correlated to the reduction of rCBF in the parietal cortex (p<0.02). Moreover, we observed a significant relationship between cerebral atrophy and reduction of rCBF in each region except for cerebellum. However, there was no significant correlation between the severity of dementia and reduction of rCBF, even in the frontal cortex or parietal cortex. These data show that the severity of dementia in PD may be connected with other factors except for rCBF. {sup 123}I-IMP SPECT study is a useful method for clinical evaluation of PD. (author).

  17. Improving the effectiveness of fundraising messages: The impact of charity goal attainment, message framing, and evidence on persuasion

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Das, E.; Kerkhof, P.; Kuiper, J.

    2008-01-01

    This experimental study assessed the effectiveness of fundraising messages. Based on recent findings regarding the effects of message framing and evidence, effective fundraising messages should combine abstract, statistical information with a negative message frame and anecdotal evidence with a

  18. Technology-Enhanced Maintenance of Treatment Gains in Eating Disorders: Efficacy of an Intervention Delivered via Text Messaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bauer, Stephanie; Okon, Eberhard; Meermann, Rolf; Kordy, Hans

    2012-01-01

    Objective: Given the lack of maintenance interventions for eating disorders, a program delivered via the short message service (SMS) and text messaging was developed to support patients after their discharge from inpatient treatment. Method: The efficacy of the intervention was studied in a randomized controlled trial. Additionally, its impact on…

  19. The impact of cultural exposure and message framing on oral health behavior: Exploring the role of message memory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brick, Cameron; McCully, Scout N.; Updegraff, John A.; Ehret, Phillip J.; Areguin, Maira A.; Sherman, David K.

    2015-01-01

    Background Health messages are more effective when framed to be congruent with recipient characteristics, and health practitioners can strategically decide on message features to promote adherence to recommended behaviors. We present exposure to United States (U.S.) culture as a moderator of the impact of gain- vs. loss-frame messages. Since U.S. culture emphasizes individualism and approach orientation, greater cultural exposure was expected to predict improved patient choices and memory for gain-framed messages, whereas individuals with less exposure to U.S. culture would show these advantages for loss-framed messages. Methods 223 participants viewed a written oral health message in one of three randomized conditions: gain-frame, loss-frame, or no-message control, and were given ten flosses. Cultural exposure was measured with the proportions of life spent and parents born in the U.S. At baseline and one week later, participants completed recall tests and reported recent flossing behavior. Results Message frame and cultural exposure interacted to predict improved patient decisions (increased flossing) and memory maintenance for the health message over one week. E.g., those with low cultural exposure who saw a loss-frame message flossed more. Incongruent messages led to the same flossing rates as no message. Memory retention did not explain the effect of message congruency on flossing. Limitations Flossing behavior was self-reported. Cultural exposure may only have practical application in either highly individualistic or collectivistic countries. Conclusions In healthcare settings where patients are urged to follow a behavior, asking basic demographic questions could allow medical practitioners to intentionally communicate in terms of gains or losses to improve patient decision making and treatment adherence. PMID:25654986

  20. Developing effective messages about potable recycled water: The importance of message structure and content

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, J.; Fielding, K. S.; Gardner, J.; Leviston, Z.; Green, M.

    2015-04-01

    Community opposition is a barrier to potable recycled water schemes. Effective communication strategies about such schemes are needed. Drawing on social psychological literature, two experimental studies are presented, which explore messages that improve public perceptions of potable recycled water. The Elaboration-Likelihood Model of information processing and attitude change is tested and supported. Study 1 (N = 415) premeasured support for recycled water, and trust in government information at Time 1. Messages varied in complexity and sidedness were presented at Time 2 (3 weeks later), and support and trust were remeasured. Support increased after receiving information, provided that participants received complex rather than simple information. Trust in government was also higher after receiving information. There was tentative evidence of this in response to two-sided messages rather than one-sided messages. Initial attitudes to recycled water moderated responses to information. Those initially neutral or ambivalent responded differently to simple and one-sided messages, compared to participants with positive or negative attitudes. Study 2 (N = 957) tested the effectiveness of information about the low relative risks, and/or benefits of potable recycled water, compared to control groups. Messages about the low risks resulted in higher support when the issue of recycled water was relevant. Messages about benefits resulted in higher perceived issue relevance, but did not translate into greater support. The results highlight the importance of understanding people's motivation to process information, and need to tailor communication to match attitudes and stage of recycled water schemes' development.

  1. Toward Predicting Popularity of Social Marketing Messages

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Bei; Chen, Miao; Kwok, Linchi

    Popularity of social marketing messages indicates the effectiveness of the corresponding marketing strategies. This research aims to discover the characteristics of social marketing messages that contribute to different level of popularity. Using messages posted by a sample of restaurants on Facebook as a case study, we measured the message popularity by the number of "likes" voted by fans, and examined the relationship between the message popularity and two properties of the messages: (1) content, and (2) media type. Combining a number of text mining and statistics methods, we have discovered some interesting patterns correlated to "more popular" and "less popular" social marketing messages. This work lays foundation for building computational models to predict the popularity of social marketing messages in the future.

  2. Maintaining relevance: an evaluation of health message sponsorship at Australian community sport and arts events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenberg, Michael; Ferguson, Renee

    2014-12-04

    Health message sponsorship at community sport and arts events is an established component of a health promotion settings approach. Recent increases in commercial sponsorship of sport and community events has swelled competition for consumer attention and potentially reduced the impact of health message sponsorship. The purpose of this study was to evaluate awareness, understandings and behavioural intentions of health messages promoted at sponsored community sport and arts events. Interview and self-administered surveys were completed by 2259 adults attending one of 29 sport and arts events held in Western Australia between 2008 and 2013. The surveys measured participant awareness of the health message promoted at the event, as well as comprehension, acceptance and behavioural intention as a result of exposure to health messages. Awareness of the sponsored health message was 58% across all sponsored events, with high levels of comprehension (74%) and acceptance (92%) among those aware of the health message. Forming behavioural intentions was significantly related to the type of sponsored message promoted at the event, being female and over 40 years of age. Messages about sun protection and promoting mental health were the most likely to result in behavioural intention. Health message sponsorship, at least within a comprehensive sponsorship program, appears to remain an effective health promotion strategy for generating awareness and behavioural intention among people attending sport and arts events. Remaining relevant within a modern sponsorship environment appears closely aligned to selecting health messages that promote behavioural action relevant to the sponsored event that are also supported by broader health promotion campaigns.

  3. IMP-8 observations of the spectra, composition, and variability of solar heavy ions at high energies relevant to manned space missions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tylka, Allan J.; Dietrich, William F.

    1999-01-01

    In more than 25 years of almost continuous observations, the University of Chicago's Cosmic Ray Telescope (CRT) on IMP-8 has amassed a unique database on high-energy solar heavy ions of potential relevance to manned spaceflight. In the very largest particle events, IMP-8/CRT has even observed solar Fe ions above the Galactic cosmic ray background up to ∼800 MeV/nucleon, an energy sufficiently high to penetrate nearly 25 g/cm 2 of shielding. IMP-8/CRT observations show that high-energy heavy-ion spectra are often surprisingly hard power laws, without the exponential roll-offs suggested by stochastic acceleration fits to lower energy measurements alone. Also, in many solar particle events the Fe/O ratio grows with increasing energy, contrary to the notion that ions with higher mass-to-charge ratios should be less abundant at higher energies. Previous studies of radiation hazards for manned spaceflight have often assumed heavy-ion composition and steeply-falling energy spectra inconsistent with these observations. Conclusions based on such studies should therefore be re-assessed. The significant event-to-event variability observed in the high-energy solar heavy ions also has important implications for strategies in building probabilistic models of solar particle radiation hazards

  4. A Messaging Infrastructure for WLCG

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Casey, James; Cons, Lionel; Lapka, Wojciech; Paladin, Massimo; Skaburskas, Konstantin

    2011-01-01

    During the EGEE-III project operational tools such as SAM, Nagios, Gridview, the regional Dashboard and GGUS moved to a communication architecture based on ActiveMQ, an open-source enterprise messaging solution. LHC experiments, in particular ATLAS, developed prototypes of systems using the same messaging infrastructure, validating the system for their use-cases. In this paper we describe the WLCG messaging use cases and outline an improved messaging architecture based on the experience gained during the EGEE-III period. We show how this provides a solid basis for many applications, including the grid middleware, to improve their resilience and reliability.

  5. Distributed parallel messaging for multiprocessor systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Dong; Heidelberger, Philip; Salapura, Valentina; Senger, Robert M; Steinmacher-Burrow, Burhard; Sugawara, Yutaka

    2013-06-04

    A method and apparatus for distributed parallel messaging in a parallel computing system. The apparatus includes, at each node of a multiprocessor network, multiple injection messaging engine units and reception messaging engine units, each implementing a DMA engine and each supporting both multiple packet injection into and multiple reception from a network, in parallel. The reception side of the messaging unit (MU) includes a switch interface enabling writing of data of a packet received from the network to the memory system. The transmission side of the messaging unit, includes switch interface for reading from the memory system when injecting packets into the network.

  6. When communications collide with recipients' actions: effects of post-message behavior on intentions to follow the message recommendation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albarracín, Dolores; Cohen, Joel B; Kumkale, G Tarcan

    2003-07-01

    Two experiments investigated the processes through which post-message behavior (e.g., noncompliance) influences resistance to the message. Participants in Experiment 1 read preventive, consumer-education messages that either opposed the consumption of an alcohol-like product or recommended moderation. Half of the participants then tried the product, whereas the remaining participants performed a filler task. In the absence of trial, the two messages had the same effect. However, recipients of the abstinence-promoting preventive message who tried the product had stronger intentions to use the product in the future than recipients of the moderation message. This finding suggests that assessments of message impact may be inadequate unless an opportunity for trial is also provided. Results are interpreted in terms of self-perception and cognitive dissonance and contrasted from psychological reactance.

  7. When Communications Collide With Recipients’ Actions: Effects of Post-Message Behavior on Intentions to Follow the Message Recommendation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albarracín, Dolores; Cohen, Joel B.; Kumkale, G. Tarcan

    2013-01-01

    Two experiments investigated the processes through which post-message behavior (e.g., noncompliance) influences resistance to the message. Participants in Experiment 1 read preventive, consumer-education messages that either opposed the consumption of an alcohol-like product or recommended moderation. Half of the participants then tried the product, whereas the remaining participants performed a filler task. In the absence of trial, the two messages had the same effect. However, recipients of the abstinence-promoting preventive message who tried the product had stronger intentions to use the product in the future than recipients of the moderation message. This finding suggests that assessments of message impact may be inadequate unless an opportunity for trial is also provided. Results are interpreted in terms of self-perception and cognitive dissonance and contrasted from psychological reactance. PMID:15018672

  8. System of message for gamma-radiation monitor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bolic, M.D.; Koturovic, A.M.

    2001-01-01

    Paper describes a system of voice messages for gamma-radiation monitor based on PC. The systems reproduces recorded messages that is simpler than the process of their synthesis. Message choice is based on combination of recorded digital results and/or received reference messages or warnings. The system of generation of voice messages applies the Windows based software. The total memory array required to create independent voice system is maximum 1.7 mbyte. The monitor may be used for continuous monitoring of radioactivity level with 5-8 s period of message repetition. Another option of the system operation is based on monitor application for the environment monitoring. Period of messages in this case is equal to 5-30 min [ru

  9. Guidelines for designing messages in risk communication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takashita, Hirofumi; Horikoshi, Hidehiko

    2004-07-01

    Risk Communication Study Team (hereafter called RC team) has designed messages for risk communication based on the analysis of the local residents' opinions which were expressed in several questionnaire surveys. The messages are described in a side format (Power Point format) every single content. This report provides basic guidelines for making messages that are used for risk communication, and does not include concrete messages which RC team designed. The RC team has already published the report entitled 'Information materials for risk communication' (JNC TN8450 2003-008) separately, and it gives the concrete messages. This report shows general cautions and checklists in designing messages, comments on the messages from outside risk communication experts, and opinions from local residents. (author)

  10. Comparative analysis of methods and tools for open and closed fuel cycles modeling: MESSAGE and DESAE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrianov, A.A.; Korovin, Yu.A.; Murogov, V.M.; Fedorova, E.V.; Fesenko, G.A.

    2006-01-01

    Comparative analysis of optimization and simulation methods by the example of MESSAGE and DESAE programs is carried out for nuclear power prospects and advanced fuel cycles modeling. Test calculations for open and two-component nuclear power and closed fuel cycle are performed. Auxiliary simulation-dynamic model is developed to specify MESSAGE and DESAE modeling approaches difference. The model description is given [ru

  11. Event-Driven Messaging for Offline Data Quality Monitoring at ATLAS

    CERN Document Server

    Onyisi, Peter; The ATLAS collaboration

    2015-01-01

    During LHC Run 1, the information flow through the offline data quality monitoring in ATLAS relied heavily on chains of processes polling each other's outputs for handshaking purposes. This resulted in a fragile architecture with many possible points of failure and an inability to monitor the overall state of the distributed system. We report on the status of a project undertaken during the LHC shutdown to replace the ad hoc synchronization methods with a uniform message queue system. This enables the use of standard protocols to connect processes on multiple hosts; reliable transmission of messages between possibly unreliable programs; easy monitoring of the information flow; and the removal of inefficient polling-based communication.

  12. Une plate-forme sans fil pour electrochimique spectroscopie d'impédance

    OpenAIRE

    Ghaffari, Seyed Alireza

    2015-01-01

    Avec l’émergence soutenue de capteurs et de dispositifs électrochimiques innovants, la spectroscopie d'impédance électrochimique est devenue l'un des outils les plus importants pour la caractérisation et la modélisation de la matière ionique et de l'interfaçage des capteurs. La capacité de détecter automatiquement, à l’aide de dispositifs électrochimiques peu couteux, les caractéristiques physiques et chimiques de la matière ionique ouvre une gamme d’application très variée pour la compréhens...

  13. Evaluation of Sexual Communication Message Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Parent-child communication about sex is an important proximal reproductive health outcome. But while campaigns to promote it such as the Parents Speak Up National Campaign (PSUNC) have been effective, little is known about how messages influence parental cognitions and behavior. This study examines which message features explain responses to sexual communication messages. We content analyzed 4 PSUNC ads to identify specific, measurable message and advertising execution features. We then develop quantitative measures of those features, including message strategies, marketing strategies, and voice and other stylistic features, and merged the resulting data into a dataset drawn from a national media tracking survey of the campaign. Finally, we conducted multivariable logistic regression models to identify relationships between message content and ad reactions/receptivity, and between ad reactions/receptivity and parents' cognitions related to sexual communication included in the campaign's conceptual model. We found that overall parents were highly receptive to the PSUNC ads. We did not find significant associations between message content and ad reactions/receptivity. However, we found that reactions/receptivity to specific PSUNC ads were associated with increased norms, self-efficacy, short- and long-term expectations about parent-child sexual communication, as theorized in the conceptual model. This study extends previous research and methods to analyze message content and reactions/receptivity. The results confirm and extend previous PSUNC campaign evaluation and provide further evidence for the conceptual model. Future research should examine additional message content features and the effects of reactions/receptivity. PMID:21599875

  14. Evaluation of Sexual Communication Message Strategies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khan Munziba

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Parent-child communication about sex is an important proximal reproductive health outcome. But while campaigns to promote it such as the Parents Speak Up National Campaign (PSUNC have been effective, little is known about how messages influence parental cognitions and behavior. This study examines which message features explain responses to sexual communication messages. We content analyzed 4 PSUNC ads to identify specific, measurable message and advertising execution features. We then develop quantitative measures of those features, including message strategies, marketing strategies, and voice and other stylistic features, and merged the resulting data into a dataset drawn from a national media tracking survey of the campaign. Finally, we conducted multivariable logistic regression models to identify relationships between message content and ad reactions/receptivity, and between ad reactions/receptivity and parents' cognitions related to sexual communication included in the campaign's conceptual model. We found that overall parents were highly receptive to the PSUNC ads. We did not find significant associations between message content and ad reactions/receptivity. However, we found that reactions/receptivity to specific PSUNC ads were associated with increased norms, self-efficacy, short- and long-term expectations about parent-child sexual communication, as theorized in the conceptual model. This study extends previous research and methods to analyze message content and reactions/receptivity. The results confirm and extend previous PSUNC campaign evaluation and provide further evidence for the conceptual model. Future research should examine additional message content features and the effects of reactions/receptivity.

  15. TXT@WORK: pediatric hospitalists and text messaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuhlmann, Stephanie; Ahlers-Schmidt, Carolyn R; Steinberger, Erik

    2014-07-01

    Many studies assess provider-patient communication through text messaging; however, minimal research has addressed communication among physicians. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of text messaging by pediatric hospitalists. A brief, anonymous, electronic survey was distributed through the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Hospital Medicine Listserv in February 2012. Survey questions assessed work-related text messaging. Of the 106 pediatric hospitalist respondents, 97 met inclusion criteria. Most were female (73%) and had been in practice text messages, some (12%) more than 10 times per shift. More than half (53%) received work-related text messages when not at work. When asked to identify all potential work recipients, most often sent work-related text messages to other pediatric hospitalists (64%), fellows or resident physicians (37%), and subspecialists/consulting physicians (28%). When asked their preferred mode for brief communication, respondents' preferences varied. Many (46%) respondents worried privacy laws can be violated by sending/receiving text messages, and some (30%) reported having received protected health information (PHI) through text messages. However, only 11% reported their institution offered encryption software for text messaging. Physicians were using text messaging as a means of brief, work-related communication. Concerns arose regarding transfer of PHI using unsecure systems and work-life balance. Future research should examine accuracy and effectiveness of text message communication in the hospital, as well as patient privacy issues.

  16. Evaluation of technical problems in 177 cases using 123I-IMP. Autoradiography method for quantitative rCBF study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hachiya, Takenori; Shoji, Yasuaki; Sugawara, Shigeki; Iida, Hidehiro; Hatazawa, Jun.

    1997-01-01

    Regional cerebral blood flow can be quantified using SPECT with N-isopropyl-p-( 123 I)-iodoamphetamine (IMP) according to the IMP-ARG method. This study was intended to review our 177 studies including the six technical procedures in this technique, such as the blood sampling volume, the blood sampling time, the radioactivity in blood samples, the PaCO 2 in blood, the scanning started time, and correlations between injection dose and radioactivity in the blood samples. The blood sample was obtained at 10 min in most of studies. The blood volume was 0.7-1.0 ml. The blood radioactivity concentration was 300-500 cps/g in our well-type scintillation counter system. The PaC0 2 was around 40 mmHg in most cases. Significant correlation was observed between the injection dose and the radioactivity counts in the blood (r=0.45), but this study did not suggest the use of the injection dose the cariblation of standardized input function. (author)

  17. 78 FR 52166 - Quantitative Messaging Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-08-22

    ... COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION Quantitative Messaging Research AGENCY: Commodity Futures... survey will follow qualitative message testing research (for which CFTC received fast-track OMB approval... message testing research (for which CFTC received fast-track OMB approval) and is necessary to identify...

  18. Source Similarity and Social Media Health Messages: Extending Construal Level Theory to Message Sources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, Rachel

    2015-09-01

    Social media users post messages about health goals and behaviors to online social networks. Compared with more traditional sources of health communication such as physicians or health journalists, peer sources are likely to be perceived as more socially close or similar, which influences how messages are processed. This experimental study uses construal level theory of psychological distance to predict how mediated health messages from peers influence health-related cognition and behavioral intention. Participants were exposed to source cues that identified peer sources as being either highly attitudinally and demographically similar to or different from participants. As predicted by construal level theory, participants who perceived sources of social media health messages as highly similar listed a greater proportion of beliefs about the feasibility of health behaviors and a greater proportion of negative beliefs, while participants who perceived sources as more dissimilar listed a greater proportion of positive beliefs about the health behaviors. Results of the study could be useful in determining how health messages from peers could encourage individuals to set realistic health goals.

  19. Effects of Text Messaging on Academic Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barks Amanda

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available University students frequently send and receive cellular phone text messages during classroominstruction. Cognitive psychology research indicates that multi-tasking is frequently associatedwith performance cost. However, university students often have considerable experience withelectronic multi-tasking and may believe that they can devote necessary attention to a classroomlecture while sending and receiving text messages. In the current study, university students whoused text messaging were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: 1. a group that sent andreceived text messages during a lecture or, 2. a group that did not engage in text messagingduring the lecture. Participants who engaged in text messaging demonstrated significantlypoorer performance on a test covering lecture content compared with the group that did notsend and receive text messages. Participants exhibiting higher levels of text messaging skill hadsignificantly lower test scores than participants who were less proficient at text messaging. It ishypothesized that in terms of retention of lecture material, more frequent task shifting by thosewith greater text messaging proficiency contributed to poorer performance. Overall, the findingsdo not support the view, held by many university students, that this form of multitasking has littleeffect on the acquisition of lecture content. Results provide empirical support for teachers andprofessors who ban text messaging in the classroom.

  20. The perfect message at the perfect moment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalyanam, Kirthi; Zweben, Monte

    2005-11-01

    Marketers planning promotional campaigns ask questions to boost the odds that the messages will be accepted: Who should receive each message? What should be its content? How should we deliver it? The one question they rarely ask is, when should we deliver it? That's too bad, because in marketing, timing is arguably the most important variable of all. Indeed, there are moments in a customer's relationship with a business when she wants to communicate with that business because something has changed. If the company contacts her with the right message in the right format at the right time, there's a good chance of a warm reception. The question of "when" can be answered by a new computer-based model called "dialogue marketing," which is, to date, the highest rung on an evolutionary ladder that ascends from database marketing to relationship marketing to one-to-one marketing. Its principle advantages over older approaches are that it is completely interactive, exploits many communication channels, and is "relationship aware": that is, it continuously tracks every nuance of the customer's interaction with the business. Thus, dialogue marketing responds to each transition in that relationship at the moment the customer requires attention. Turning a traditional marketing strategy into a dialogue-marketing program is a straightforward matter. Begin by identifying the batch communications you make with customers, then ask yourself what events could trigger those communications to make them more timely. Add a question or call to action to each message and prepare a different treatment or response for each possible answer. Finally, create a series of increasingly urgent calls to action that kick in if the question or call to action goes unanswered by the customer. As dialogue marketing proliferates, it may provide the solid new footing that Madison Avenue seeks.

  1. Improving Type Error Messages in OCaml

    OpenAIRE

    Charguéraud , Arthur

    2015-01-01

    International audience; Cryptic type error messages are a major obstacle to learning OCaml or other ML-based languages. In many cases, error messages cannot be interpreted without a sufficiently-precise model of the type inference algorithm. The problem of improving type error messages in ML has received quite a bit of attention over the past two decades, and many different strategies have been considered. The challenge is not only to produce error messages that are both sufficiently concise ...

  2. CMLOG: A common message logging system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, J.; Akers, W.; Bickley, M.; Wu, D.; Watson, W. III

    1997-01-01

    The Common Message Logging (CMLOG) system is an object-oriented and distributed system that not only allows applications and systems to log data (messages) of any type into a centralized database but also lets applications view incoming messages in real-time or retrieve stored data from the database according to selection rules. It consists of a concurrent Unix server that handles incoming logging or searching messages, a Motif browser that can view incoming messages in real-time or display stored data in the database, a client daemon that buffers and sends logging messages to the server, and libraries that can be used by applications to send data to or retrieve data from the database via the server. This paper presents the design and implementation of the CMLOG system meanwhile it will also address the issue of integration of CMLOG into existing control systems. CMLOG into existing control systems

  3. Observations of a low-frequency cutoff in magnetospheric radio noise received on Imp 6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vesecky, J.F.; Frankel, M.S.

    1975-01-01

    Observations of magnetospheric radio noise by the Goddard Space Flight Center radio experiment on the Imp 6 spacecraft have revealed a quasi-continuous component at frequencies between 30 and 110 kHz. When the spacecraft is in the interplanetary medium or the magnetosheath, a low-frequency cutoff often characterizes the otherwise power law (f - /sup alpha/) spectrum of this noise. A positive correlation is observed between this cutoff frequency f) and the solar wind plasma frequency f), deduced from the Los Alamos plasma experiment on the same spacecraft; on the average, f)approx. =1.3f). If one pictures the magnetosheath as a homogeneous layer of plasma lying between the radio noise source (at Lapprox.4--7) and the spacecraft in the interplanetary medium and having an electron density 2--3 times that of the solar wind, then one will expect f)approximately-greater-than2 1 / 2 f)--3 1 / 2 f). Within the limits of experimental error this simple model correctly accounts for the observations. A rough calculation shows that radio wave scattering by electron density fluctuations in the magnetosheath plasma is likely to be important for frequencies below 200 kHz. However, the effects of such scattering cannot be detected in the Imp 6 observations considered here because neither concurrent measurements nor sufficiently accurate models of the necessar []magnetosheath plasma parameters are presently available

  4. Hand hygiene posters: selling the message.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenner, E A; Jones, F; Fletcher, B C; Miller, L; Scott, G M

    2005-02-01

    This literature review was undertaken to determine the established theory and research that might be utilized to inform the construction of persuasive messages on hand hygiene posters. It discusses the principles of message framing and the use of fear appeals. Current theory suggests that the most effective messages for health promotion behaviours should be framed in terms of gains rather than losses for the individual. However, as clinical hand hygiene is largely for the benefit of others (i.e. patients), messages should also invoke a sense of personal responsibility and appeal to altruistic behaviour. The use of repeated minimal fear appeals have their place. Posters that simply convey training messages are not effective persuaders.

  5. Analysis and assessment for the intrapulmonary kinetics of N-isopropyl-I-123-p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) in diffuse respiratory diseases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujishima, Seitaro

    1992-01-01

    We investigated intrapulmonary kinetics of N-isopropyl-I-123-p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) in patients with diffuse respiratory diseases. Subjects studied were 4 healthy nonsmoking controls (age≥40), 3 young healthy nonsmokers (age 1 ) was smaller than that to the slow compartment (A 2 ). There was no difference in the A 1 to A 2 ratio among the groups. We then analyzed the slopes of the fast and slow compartments (k 1 , k 2 ). There was no difference in k 1 among the groups. On the other hand, k 2 was larger in young healthy nonsmokers and smaller in healthy smokers, the patients with IPF, sarcoidosis and CPE than k 2 in nonsmoking controls. Furthermore, k 2 decreased in inverse proportion to age. We concluded that k 2 could be a valuable index to detect changes of IMP, a lipophilic amine, metabolism in the lungs. (author)

  6. Brain imaging with 123I-IMP-SPECT in migraine between attacks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schlake, H.P.; Boettger, I.G.G.; Grotemeyer, K.H.; Husstedt, I.W.

    1989-01-01

    123 I-IMP-SPECT brain imaging was performed in patients with classic migraine (n = 5) and migraine accompagnee (n = 18) during the headache-free interval. A regional reduction of tracer uptake into brain was observed in all patients with migraine accompagnee, while in patients with classic migraine only one case showed an area of decreased activity. The most marked alteration was found in a patient with persisting neurological symptoms (complicated migraine). In most cases the areas of decreased tracer uptake corresponded to headache localization as well as to topography of neurologic symptoms during migraine attacks. It may be concluded that migraine attacks occur in connection with exacerbations of preexisting changes of cerebral autoregulation due to endogenous or exogenous factors

  7. What's in a message? Delivering sexual health promotion to young people in Australia via text messaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hellard Margaret E

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Advances in communication technologies have dramatically changed how individuals access information and communicate. Recent studies have found that mobile phone text messages (SMS can be used successfully for short-term behaviour change. However there is no published information examining the acceptability, utility and efficacy of different characteristics of health promotion SMS. This paper presents the results of evaluation focus groups among participants who received twelve sexual health related SMS as part of a study examining the impact of text messaging for sexual health promotion to on young people in Victoria, Australia. Methods Eight gender-segregated focus groups were held with 21 males and 22 females in August 2008. Transcripts of audio recordings were analysed using thematic analysis. Data were coded under one or more themes. Results Text messages were viewed as an acceptable and 'personal' means of health promotion, with participants particularly valuing the informal language. There was a preference for messages that were positive, relevant and short and for messages to cover a variety of topics. Participants were more likely to remember and share messages that were funny, rhymed and/or tied into particular annual events. The message broadcasting, generally fortnightly on Friday afternoons, was viewed as appropriate. Participants said the messages provided new information, a reminder of existing information and reduced apprehension about testing for sexually transmitted infections. Conclusions Mobile phones, in particular SMS, offer health promoters an exciting opportunity to engage personally with a huge number of individuals for low cost. The key elements emerging from this evaluation, such as message style, language and broadcast schedule are directly relevant to future studies using SMS for health promotion, as well as for future health promotion interventions in other mediums that require short formats, such

  8. The message development tool: a case for effective operationalization of messaging in social marketing practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mattson, Marifran; Basu, Ambar

    2010-07-01

    That messages are essential, if not the most critical component of any communicative process, seems like an obvious claim. More so when the communication is about health--one of the most vital and elemental of human experiences (Babrow & Mattson, 2003). Any communication campaign that aims to change a target audience's health behaviors needs to centralize messages. Even though messaging strategies are an essential component of social marketing and are a widely used campaign model, health campaigns based on this framework have not always been able to effectively operationalize this key component, leading to cases where initiating and sustaining prescribed health behavior has been difficult (MacStravic, 2000). Based on an examination of the VERB campaign and an Australian breastfeeding promotion campaign, we propose a message development tool within the ambit of the social marketing framework that aims to extend the framework and ensure that the messaging component of the model is contextualized at the core of planning, implementation, and evaluation efforts.

  9. Evaluation of crossed cerebellar diaschisis in 30 patients with major cerebral artery occlusion by means of quantitative I-123 IMP SPECT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miyazawa, Nobuhiko; Toyama, Keiji; Arbab, A.S.; Arai, Takao; Nukui, Hideaki [Yamanashi Medical Univ., Tamaho (Japan); Koizumi, Kiyoshi

    2001-12-01

    Quantitative crossed cerebellar diaschisis (CCD) and the correlation with a reduction in supratentorial regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and cerebrovascular reserve capacity (CVR) were investigated in clinically stable patients with major cerebral artery occlusion by the iodine-123-N-isopropyl-p-iodoamphetamine (I-123 IMP) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) method. Thirty patients with major cerebral artery occlusion underwent SPECT by the I-123 IMP autoradiographic method. Regional CBF was measured in the cerebral hemisphere, frontal and parietal lobes, temporo-parietal lobe, and cerebellum both at rest and after administration of acetazolamide. Eighteen of 30 patients (60%) had CCD. CCD was significantly related to magnetic resonance imaging evidence of infarction. Quantitative CCD was 17% and the CVR in the cerebellum was preserved in patients with CCD. There was a significant difference in CBF and CVR between the affected and normal sides in all regions of interest in the patients without CCD [CBF (ml/100 g/min): hemisphere (H), normal side (N): 31.4{+-}6.8, affected side (A): 27.5{+-}7.4; p<0.05. CVR: H, N: 0.56{+-}0.38, A: 0.42{+-}0.18; p<0.01]. CCD is common in patients with major cerebral artery occlusion, and quantitative I-123 IMP SPECT is helpful in detecting CCD in clinically stable patients with occlusion of major cerebral arteries. (author)

  10. Galactic cosmic ray gradients, field-aligned and latitudinal, among Voyagers 1/2 and IMP-8

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roelof, E.C.; Decker, R.B.; Krimigis, S.M.; Venkatesan, D.; Lazarus, A.J.

    1982-01-01

    The tandem Earth-Jupiter trajectories of the Voyager 1/2 spacecraft, combined with baseline measurements from the earth-orbiting IMP-7/8 spacecraft, provide the first opportunity for unambiguously separating latitude from radial or field-aligned effects in galactic cosmic ray gradients. Anti-coincidence solid-state detectors on the Voyager 1/2 LECP experiment measure nucleons > or approximately 20 MeV/nuc with large (28 cm 2 ) omnidirectional geometry factors. Anti-coincidence scintillators on the IMP-7/8 CPME with omnidirectional geometry factors comparable to those on Voyager measure nucleons > or approximately 35 MeV/nuc. Because the Voyagers are well-connected via the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) to the near-Earth vicinity throughout their transit from 1-5 AU (September 1977 - February 1979), we obtained the first direct measurement of field-aligned gradients, i.e., those that do not depend upon ''corotation'' from one spacecraft to another over many days. Another new result is the unambiguous identification of nonuniform latitudinal gradients approximately 2-5% degree -1 in structures lasting 10-30 days. There is additional evidence for somewhat smaller latitudinal gradients, north to south and probably mixed with small field-aligned gradients -1 , which persist for several solar rotations

  11. Investigating the impact of viral message appeal and message credibility on consumer attitude toward brand

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Majid Esmaeilpour

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Background - Due to the rapid growth of the Internet and use of e-commerce in recent years, viral marketing has drawn the attention of manufacturing and service organizations. However, no research has been conducted to examine the impact of message appeal and message source credibility on consumers' attitude with mediating role of intellectual involvement of consumers and their risk taking level. Purpose - The aim of this study was to examine the impact of appeal and message source credibility on consumers’ attitude with mediating role of consumers’ intellectual involvement and their risk taking level. Design/methodology/approach – The population of this study includes consumers of mobile phones (Samsung, Sony, Nokia, LG and iPhone in Bushehr city (Iran. As the population of the study is unlimited, 430 questionnaires were distributed using available sampling method, and 391 questionnaires were collected and analyzed. Using structural equation modeling, data were analyzed through smart PLS software. Findings –The results show that the appeal and credibility of the message source have impact on consumer attitudes toward the brand. It was also found that intellectual involvement of consumers plays the mediating role in the relationship between message appeal and consumer attitudes toward brand. In the relationship between message source credibility and customer attitude towards the brand, the level of risk taking of people has no mediating role. Research limitations/implications – Data collection tool was questionnaire in this study, and questionnaire has some disadvantages that can affect the results. Additionally, this study was conducted in Bushehr city (Iran. Therefore, we should be cautious in generalizing the findings. Originality/value – In this study, the effect of message appeal and message source credibility on consumer attitude to brand was examined. The risk taking level of consumer and his involvement level were considered

  12. Message exchange in the building industry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vries, de B.; Somers, L.J.A.M.

    1995-01-01

    A process model is described for exchanging information in the building industry. In this model participants send and receive messages. On receipt of a message an activity is executed if all required information is available. Otherwise a message will be sent to another participant to obtain the

  13. Quantitative iodine-123 IMP imaging of brain perfusion in schizophrenia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cohen, M.B.; Lake, R.R.; Graham, L.S.

    1989-01-01

    Decreased perfusion in the frontal lobes of patients with chronic schizophrenia has been reported by multiple observes using a variety of techniques. Other observers have been unable to confirm this finding using similar techniques. In this study quantitative single photon emission computed tomography brain imaging was performed using p,5n [ 123 I]IMP in five normal subjects and ten chronically medicated patients with schizophrenia. The acquisition data were preprocessed with an image dependent Metz filter and reconstructed using a ramp filtered back projection technique. The uptake in each of 50 regions of interest in each subject was normalized to the uptake in the cerebellum. There were no significant confirmed differences in the comparable ratios of normal subjects and patients with schizophrenia even at the p = 0.15 level. Hypofrontality was not observed

  14. Diabetes education via mobile text messaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wangberg, Silje C; Arsand, Eirik; Andersson, Niklas

    2006-01-01

    Living with diabetes makes great educational demands on a family. We have tested the feasibility of using the mobile phone short message service (SMS) for reaching people with diabetes information. We also assessed user satisfaction and perceived pros and cons of the medium through interviews. Eleven parents of children with type 1 diabetes received messages for 11 weeks. The parents were positive about the system and said that they would like to continue to use it. The pop-up reminding effect of SMS messages in busy everyday life was noted as positive. Some parents experienced the messages as somewhat intrusive, arriving too often and at inconvenient times. The parents also noted the potential of the messages to facilitate communication with their adolescent children. The inability to store all of the messages or to print them out were seen as major disadvantages. Overall, the SMS seems to hold promise as means of delivering diabetes information.

  15. Recent computer attacks via Instant Messaging

    CERN Multimedia

    IT Department

    2008-01-01

    Be cautious of any unexpected messages containing web links even if they appear to come from known contacts. If you happen to click on such a link and if your permission is requested to run or install software, always decline it. Several computers at CERN have recently been broken into by attackers who have tricked users of Instant Messaging applications (e.g. MSN, Yahoo Messenger, etc.) into clicking on web links which appeared to come from known contacts. The links appeared to be photos from ‘friends’ and requested software to be installed. In practice, attacker software was installed and the messages did not come from real contacts. In the past such fake messages were mainly sent by email but now a wider range of applications are being targeted, including Instant Messaging. Cybercriminals are making growing use of fake messages to try to trick you into clicking on Web links which will help them to install malicious software on your computer. Anti-virus software cann...

  16. Auctioning Bulk Mobile Messages

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    S. Meij (Simon); L-F. Pau (Louis-François); H.W.G.M. van Heck (Eric)

    2003-01-01

    textabstractThe search for enablers of continued growth of SMS traffic, as well as the take-off of the more diversified MMS message contents, open up for enterprises the potential of bulk use of mobile messaging , instead of essentially one-by-one use. In parallel, such enterprises or value added

  17. Designing Skin Cancer Prevention Messages: Should We Emphasize Gains or Losses? Message Framing, Risk Type, and Prior Experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Moon J; Kang, Hannah

    2018-05-01

    To test whether message framing (ie, gain vs. loss) and risk type (ie, health vs appearance risk) in skin cancer prevention messages interact with one's prior experience. Two experiments with a 2 (message framing: gain vs loss) × 2 (risk type: health vs appearance risk) factorial design were conducted. The participants were given a URL to the experiment website via e-mail. On the first page of the website, the participants were told that they would be asked to evaluate a skin cancer print public service announcement (PSA): Online experiments. A total of 397 individuals participated (236 for experiment 1 and 161 for experiment 2). Apparatus: Four versions of the skin cancer print PSAs were developed. Four PSAs were identical except for the 2 manipulated components: message framing and risk type. Measures were adopted from Cho and Boster (message framing), Jones and Leary and Kiene et al. (risk type), De Vries, Mesters, van't Riet, Willems, and Reubsaet and Knight, Kirincich, Farmer, and Hood (prior experience), and Hammond, Fong, Zanna, Thrasher, and Borland and Hoffner and Ye (behavioral intent). General linear models were used to test hypotheses. Three-way interactions among message framing, risk type, and prior experience were found: When the intent of the message was to encourage sunscreen use, the effects of message framing and risk type were shown to be the exact opposite directions from when the intent was to discourage indoor/outdoor tanning. To discourage tanning among those with prior experience, messages emphasizing losses in terms of one's health will work better. For those with no prior experience, messages emphasizing potential appearance losses will work better for discouraging tanning while messages emphasizing gains like improving appearance will do a better job in encouraging sunscreen use.

  18. Popular Mobilization Messaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James Garrison

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available This Research Paper examines the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Unit’s (PMU messaging on the organisation’s website and social media platforms through early January 2017 to develop a more nuanced understanding of the PMU’s outlook, both present and future. After providing an overview of the PMU’s media presence online, the paper discusses how the organisation promotes its core narrative: that it is a cross-confessional and patriotic force for the defence of all Iraqis against a brutal and evil IS. The paper then addresses the PMU’s use of messaging to refute the sectarian portrayal of the organisation in some quarters before turning to the way the PMU approaches regional and international states in its media. Finally, the paper summarises the PMU’s messaging strategy and discusses how this strategy implies a less threatening future for the organisation than is often anticipated.

  19. Hooked on a feeling: Affective anti-smoking messages are more effective than cognitive messages at changing implicit evaluations of smoking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Colin Tucker Smith

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Because implicit evaluations are thought to underlie many aspects of behavior, researchers have started looking for ways to change them. We examine whether and when persuasive messages alter strongly-held implicit evaluations of smoking. In smokers, an affective anti-smoking message led to more negative implicit evaluations on four different implicit measures as compared to a cognitive anti-smoking message which seemed to backfire. Additional analyses suggested that the observed effects were mediated by the feelings and emotions raised by the messages. In non-smokers, both the affective and cognitive message engendered slightly more negative implicit evaluations. We conclude that persuasive messages change implicit evaluations in a way that depends on properties of the message and of the participant. Thus, our data open new avenues for research directed at tailoring persuasive messages to change implicit evaluations.

  20. Hooked on a feeling: affective anti-smoking messages are more effective than cognitive messages at changing implicit evaluations of smoking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Colin Tucker; De Houwer, Jan

    2015-01-01

    Because implicit evaluations are thought to underlie many aspects of behavior, researchers have started looking for ways to change them. We examine whether and when persuasive messages alter strongly held implicit evaluations of smoking. In smokers, an affective anti-smoking message led to more negative implicit evaluations on four different implicit measures as compared to a cognitive anti-smoking message which seemed to backfire. Additional analyses suggested that the observed effects were mediated by the feelings and emotions raised by the messages. In non-smokers, both the affective and cognitive message engendered slightly more negative implicit evaluations. We conclude that persuasive messages change implicit evaluations in a way that depends on properties of the message and of the participant. Thus, our data open new avenues for research directed at tailoring persuasive messages to change implicit evaluations.

  1. sup 123 I-IMP-SPECT in vascular dementia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Namura, Yasuhiro; Miyoshi, Toshihiko; Shio, Hideo; Yamaguchi, Shinya; Kimura, Jun (Kyoto Univ. (Japan). Hospital)

    1990-12-01

    Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was studied by N-isopropyl-p-{sup 123}I-iodoamphetamine (IMP)-single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in patients with vascular dementia. Patients were divided by CT/MRI findings into multiple or localized type and cortical or subcortical type. Of patients with multiple lesions in the cortex, the reduction of CBF was noted in several cortex corresponding to CT/MRI findings. Patients in this group had a high incidence of aphasia, agraphia, dyscalculia, and amnesia. Patients with multiple lesions in the white matter and basal ganglia were subdivided into 3 groups by clinical manifestations. CBF in those with dementia showed generalized reduction in all cerebral cortex and especially in bilateral frontal regions. CBF in those with slightly impaired mentality was almost normal. In another group with pseudobulbar palsy and/or extrapyramidal sings, CBF was reduced intermediately only in bilateral frontal regions. Typical symptoms in demented patients were apathy, emotional lability, and forgetfulness. In those with the localized type, CBF was reduced in cerebral cortical areas correlating with the impaired mental functions. (author).

  2. Middleware Proxy: A Request-Driven Messaging Broker For High Volume Data Distribution

    CERN Document Server

    Sliwinski, W; Dworak, A

    2014-01-01

    Nowadays, all major infrastructures and data centres (commercial and scientific) make an extensive use of the publish-subscribe messaging paradigm, which helps to decouple the message sender (publisher) from the message receiver (consumer). This paradigm is also heavily used in the CERN Accelerator Control system, in Proxy broker - critical part of the Controls Middleware (CMW) project. Proxy provides the aforementioned publish-subscribe facility and also supports execution of synchronous read and write operations. Moreover, it enables service scalability and dramatically reduces the network resources and overhead (CPU and memory) on publisher machine, required to serve all subscriptions. Proxy was developed in modern C++, using state of the art programming techniques (e.g. Boost) and following recommended software patterns for achieving low-latency and high concurrency. The outstanding performance of the Proxy infrastructure was confirmed during the last 3 years by delivering the high volume of LHC equipment...

  3. Effectively engaging stakeholders and the public in developing violence prevention messages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boyko, Jennifer A; Wathen, C Nadine; Kothari, Anita

    2017-05-11

    Preventing family violence requires that stakeholders and the broader public be involved in developing evidence-based violence prevention strategies. However, gaps exist in between what we know (knowledge), what we do (action), and the structures supporting practice (policy). We discuss the broad challenge of mobilizing knowledge-for-action in family violence, with a primary focus on the issue of how stakeholders and the public can be effectively engaged when developing and communicating evidence-based violence prevention messages. We suggest that a comprehensive approach to stakeholder and public engagement in developing violence prevention messages includes: 1) clear and consistent messaging; 2) identifying and using, as appropriate, lessons from campaigns that show evidence of reducing specific types of violence; and 3) evidence-informed approaches for communicating to specific groups. Components of a comprehensive approach must take into account the available research evidence, implementation feasibility, and the context-specific nature of family violence. While strategies exist for engaging stakeholders and the public in messaging about family violence prevention, knowledge mobilization must be informed by evidence, dialogue with stakeholders, and proactive media strategies. This paper will be of interest to public health practitioners or others involved in planning and implementing violence prevention programs because it highlights what is known about the issue, potential solutions, and implementation considerations.

  4. Nonblocking and orphan free message logging protocols

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvisi, Lorenzo; Hoppe, Bruce; Marzullo, Keith

    1992-12-01

    Currently existing message logging protocols demonstrate a classic pessimistic vs. optimistic tradeoff. We show that the optimistic-pessimistic tradeoff is not inherent to the problem of message logging. We construct a message-logging protocol that has the positive features of both optimistic and pessimistic protocol: our protocol prevents orphans and allows simple failure recovery; however, it requires no blocking in failure-free runs. Furthermore, this protocol does not introduce any additional message overhead as compared to one implemented for a system in which messages may be lost but processes do not crash.

  5. Mindful Parenting Assessed Further : Psychometric Properties of the Dutch Version of the Interpersonal Mindfulness in Parenting Scale (IM-P)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Bruin, Esther I.; Zijlstra, Bonne J H; Geurtzen, Naline; van Zundert, Rinka M P; van de Weijer-Bergsma, Eva|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304834335; Hartman, Esther E.; Nieuwesteeg, Anke M.; Duncan, Larissa G.; Bögels, Susan M.

    Psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the Interpersonal Mindfulness in Parenting Scale (IM-P) were studied in a general population sample of mothers of adolescents (n = 866) (study 1). A six-factor structure (29 items) emerged using exploratory factor analysis. A main difference from the

  6. The religious message in action - a case study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    René Gothóni

    1975-01-01

    Full Text Available We understand a religious message to be the product of a religious movement. In studying such a message, it is very much to the purpose to place it in the context in which it operates. The cultural and social context of a religious message is some religious movement. Hence, the message should be examined against that framework. Each message has a certain structure, and its detection is of prime importance. Messages are not only part of the tradition, but themselves unique in their respective communicative situations. Thus, in our view, structural analysis does not have analytical use-value unless the message's symbols are set into their communicative context. The aim of this paper is dual: On the one hand, we intend to analyze and clarify the structure of a religious message of the Laestadian movement, how the message operates, also how the members of that movement respond to the codes of the message, and what kind of functions it fulfills; on the other, to develop and test an analytical model which would combine structural and interactional analysis.

  7. Quantification of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) measurement with one point sampling by sup 123 I-IMP SPECT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Munaka, Masahiro [University of Occupational and Enviromental Health, Kitakyushu (Japan); Iida, Hidehiro; Murakami, Matsutaro

    1992-02-01

    A handy method of quantifying regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) measurement by {sup 123}I-IMP SPECT was designed. A standard input function was made and the sampling time to calibrate this standard input function by one point sampling was optimized. An average standard input function was obtained from continuous arterial samplings of 12 healthy adults. The best sampling time was the minimum differential value between the integral calculus value of the standard input function calibrated by one point sampling and the input funciton by continuous arterial samplings. This time was 8 minutes after an intravenous injection of {sup 123}I-IMP and an error was estimated to be {+-}4.1%. The rCBF values by this method were evaluated by comparing them with the rCBF values of the input function with continuous arterial samplings in 2 healthy adults and a patient with cerebral infarction. A significant correlation (r=0.764, p<0.001) was obtained between both. (author).

  8. Message Scheduling and Forwarding in Congested DTNs

    KAUST Repository

    Elwhishi, Ahmed; Ho, Pin-Han; Shihada, Basem

    2012-01-01

    Multi-copy utility-based routing has been considered as one of the most applicable approaches to effective message delivery in Delay Tolerant Networks (DTNs). By allowing multiple message replicas launched, the ratio of message delivery or delay can be significantly reduced compared with other counterparts. Such an advantage, nonetheless, is at the expense of taking more buffer space at each node and higher complexity in message forwarding decisions. This paper investigates an efficient message scheduling and dropping policy via analytical modeling approach, aiming to achieve optimal performance in terms of message delivery delay. Extensive simulation results, based on a synthetic mobility model and real mobility traces, show that the proposed scheduling framework can achieve superb performance against its counterparts in terms of delivery delay.

  9. Message Scheduling and Forwarding in Congested DTNs

    KAUST Repository

    Elwhishi, Ahmed

    2012-08-19

    Multi-copy utility-based routing has been considered as one of the most applicable approaches to effective message delivery in Delay Tolerant Networks (DTNs). By allowing multiple message replicas launched, the ratio of message delivery or delay can be significantly reduced compared with other counterparts. Such an advantage, nonetheless, is at the expense of taking more buffer space at each node and higher complexity in message forwarding decisions. This paper investigates an efficient message scheduling and dropping policy via analytical modeling approach, aiming to achieve optimal performance in terms of message delivery delay. Extensive simulation results, based on a synthetic mobility model and real mobility traces, show that the proposed scheduling framework can achieve superb performance against its counterparts in terms of delivery delay.

  10. Does perceived risk influence the effects of message framing? Revisiting the link between prospect theory and message framing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Riet, J.P. van 't; Cox, A.D.; Cox, D.; Zimet, G.D.; Bruijn, G.J. de; Putte, B. van den; Vries, H. de; Werrij, M.Q.; Ruiter, R.A.C.

    2016-01-01

    Health-promoting messages can be framed in terms of the beneficial consequences of healthy behaviour (gain-framed messages) or the detrimental consequences of unhealthy behaviour (loss-framed messages). An influential notion holds that the perceived risk associated with the recommended behaviour

  11. Messages about methadone and buprenorphine in reality television: a content analysis of celebrity rehab with Dr. Drew.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roose, Robert; Fuentes, Liza; Cheema, Mandeep

    2012-08-01

    Medication-assisted treatment for opioid dependence is safe and effective, yet negative perceptions about methadone and buprenorphine may discourage patients from entering treatment. One source of information that may influence viewers' perceptions is television. We performed a content analysis of a popular reality television program on addiction treatment. Although many patients had histories of opioid use, there were no positive messages about methadone or buprenorphine. The two main messages were that they (1) are primarily drugs of abuse, and (2) not acceptable treatment options. These messages reinforce negative stereotypes and may perpetuate stigma. There were multiple missed opportunities to provide evidence-based information.

  12. The Message Reporting System of the ATLAS DAQ System

    CERN Document Server

    Caprini, M; Kolos, S; 10th ICATPP Conference on Astroparticle, Particle, Space Physics, Detectors and Medical Physics Applications

    2008-01-01

    The Message Reporting System (MRS) in the ATLAS data acquisition system (DAQ) is one package of the Online Software which acts as a glue of various elements of DAQ, High Level Trigger (HLT) and Detector Control System (DCS). The aim of the MRS is to provide a facility which allows all software components in ATLAS to report messages to other components of the distributed DAQ system. The processes requiring a MRS are on one hand applications that report error conditions or information and on the other hand message processors that receive reported messages. A message reporting application can inject one or more messages into the MRS at any time. An application wishing to receive messages can subscribe to a message group according to defined criteria. The application receives messages that fulfill the subscription criteria when they are reported to MRS. The receiver message processing can consist of anything from simply logging the messages in a file/terminal to performing message analysis. The inter-process comm...

  13. Scope and effectiveness of mobile phone messaging for HIV/AIDS care: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Velthoven, M H M M T; Brusamento, S; Majeed, A; Car, J

    2013-01-01

    The objective of this mixed method systematic review was to assess the scope, effectiveness, acceptability and feasibility of the use of mobile phone messaging for HIV infection prevention, treatment and care. We comprehensively searched the peer-reviewed and grey literature. Two authors independently screened citations, extracted data and assessed study quality of included studies (any research design) focusing on mobile phone messaging interventions for HIV care. We present a narrative overview of the results. Twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria: three randomized controlled trials, 11 interventional studies using other study designs and seven qualitative or cross-sectional studies. We also found six on-going trials and 21 projects. Five of the on-going trials and all the above mentioned projects took place in low or middle-income countries. Mobile phone messaging was researched for HIV prevention, appointment reminders, HIV testing reminders, medication adherence and for communication between health workers. Of the three randomized controlled trials assessing the use of short message service (SMS) to improve medication adherence, two showed positive results. Other interventional studies did not provide significant results. In conclusion, despite an extensive search we found limited evidence on the effectiveness of mobile phone messaging for HIV care. There is a need to adequately document outcomes and constraints of programs using mobile phone messaging to support HIV care to assess the impact and to focus on best practice.

  14. Hand hygiene posters: motivators or mixed messages?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenner, E A; Jones, F; Fletcher, B C; Miller, L; Scott, G M

    2005-07-01

    Poster campaigns regarding hand hygiene are commonly used by infection control teams to improve practice, yet little is known of the extent to which they are based on established theory or research. This study reports on the content analysis of hand hygiene posters (N=69) and their messages (N=75) using message-framing theory. The results showed that posters seldom drew on knowledge about effective ways to frame messages. Frequently, they simply conveyed information 'telling' rather than 'selling' and some of this was confusing. Most posters were not designed to motivate, and some conveyed mixed messages. Few used fear appeals. Hand hygiene posters could have a greater impact if principles of message framing were utilized in their design. Suggestions for gain-framed messages are offered, but these need to be tested empirically.

  15. Messages about appearance, food, weight and exercise in "tween" television.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simpson, Courtney C; Kwitowski, Melissa; Boutte, Rachel; Gow, Rachel W; Mazzeo, Suzanne E

    2016-12-01

    Tweens (children ages ~8-14years) are a relatively recently defined age group, increasingly targeted by marketers. Individuals in this age group are particularly vulnerable to opinions and behaviors presented in media messages, given their level of cognitive and social development. However, little research has examined messages about appearance, food, weight, and exercise in television specifically targeting tweens, despite the popularity of this media type among this age group. This study used a content analytic approach to explore these messages in the five most popular television shows for tweens on the Disney Channel (as of 2015). Using a multiple-pass approach, relevant content in episodes from the most recently completed seasons of each show was coded. Appearance related incidents occurred in every episode; these most frequently mentioned attractiveness/beauty. Food related incidents were also present in every episode; typically, these situations were appearance and weight neutral. Exercise related incidents occurred in 53.3% of episodes; the majority expressed resistance to exercise. Weight related incidents occurred in 40.0% of the episodes; the majority praised the muscular ideal. Women were more likely to initiate appearance incidents, and men were more likely to initiate exercise incidents. These results suggest that programs specifically marketed to tweens reinforce appearance ideals, including stereotypes about female attractiveness and male athleticism, two constructs linked to eating pathology and body dissatisfaction. Given the developmental vulnerability of the target group, these findings are concerning, and highlight potential foci for prevention programming, including media literacy, for tweens. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Preventing messaging queue deadlocks in a DMA environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blocksome, Michael A; Chen, Dong; Gooding, Thomas; Heidelberger, Philip; Parker, Jeff

    2014-01-14

    Embodiments of the invention may be used to manage message queues in a parallel computing environment to prevent message queue deadlock. A direct memory access controller of a compute node may determine when a messaging queue is full. In response, the DMA may generate and interrupt. An interrupt handler may stop the DMA and swap all descriptors from the full messaging queue into a larger queue (or enlarge the original queue). The interrupt handler then restarts the DMA. Alternatively, the interrupt handler stops the DMA, allocates a memory block to hold queue data, and then moves descriptors from the full messaging queue into the allocated memory block. The interrupt handler then restarts the DMA. During a normal messaging advance cycle, a messaging manager attempts to inject the descriptors in the memory block into other messaging queues until the descriptors have all been processed.

  17. Regional cerebral blood flow in Parkinson's disease measured with N-isopropyl-p-[[sup 123]I]iodoamphetamine (IMP) SPECT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Odano, Ikuo; Nishihara, Mamiko; Hayashi, Hiroko; Higuchi, Shoichi; Sakai, Kunio [Niigata Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine; Ishikawa, Atsushi; Ibayashi, Katsuhiko

    1992-09-01

    N-isopropyl-p-[[sup 123]I]iodoamphetamine (IMP) SPECT studies were performed on 21 patients (13 females; 45-73 yrs) with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) and 10 age-matched normal controls (39-69 yrs). Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was quantitatively measured by the arterial blood sampling method. When compared with normal controls, global CBF, and rCBF in the frontal cortex and in the basal ganglia were reduced 22.1% (p<0.01), 25.0% (p<0.05) and 25.6% (p<0.01), respectively. The reduction of rCBF in the basal ganglia was significantly correlated (p<0.05) with symptoms such as gait disturbance, frozen gait and motor disability score. However, no significant correlation was observed between the severity of dementia and any regional reduction of CBF, including the frontal or parietal cortices. These data show that the severity of dementia in PD may be related to other factors but not with CBF. Quantification of rCBF with [sup 123]I-IMP SPECT imaging is useful for evaluation and follow-up of patients with PD. (author).

  18. Form cues and content difficulty as determinants of children's cognitive processing of televised educational messages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, T A; Wright, J C; Huston, A C

    1987-06-01

    An experiment was designed to assess the effects of formal production features and content difficulty on children's processing of televised messages about nutrition. Messages with identical content (the same script and visual shot sequence) were made in two forms: child program forms (animated film, second-person address, and character voice narration with sprightly music) and adult program forms (live photography, third-person address, and adult male narration with sedate background music). For each form, messages were made at three levels of content difficulty. Easier versions were longer, more redundant, and used simpler language; difficult versions presented information more quickly with less redundancy and more abstract language. Regardless of form or difficulty level, each set of bits presented the same basic information. Kindergarten children (N = 120) were assigned to view three different bits of the same form type and difficulty embedded in a miniprogram. Visual attention to child forms was significantly greater than to adult forms; free and cued recall scores were also higher for child than for adult forms. Although all recall and recognition scores were best for easy versions and worst for difficult versions, attention showed only minor variation as a function of content difficulty. Results are interpreted to indicate that formal production features, independently of content, influence the effort and level of processing that children use to understand televised educational messages.

  19. The importance of HIV prevention messaging for orphaned youth in Zimbabwe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haney, Erica; Singh, Kavita

    2012-01-01

    The AIDS epidemic has contributed to a drastic increase in the number of orphans in Zimbabwe. Female adolescent orphans are particularly in jeopardy of contracting HIV due to disadvantages including extreme poverty, low education, and the absent of parental oversight which can lead to higher risk-taking sexual behaviors. By understanding where girls receive education about HIV and who they rely on for information, organizations can effectively modify existing programs to better target this at-risk population. For this study a household survey was conducted which included 216 orphans and 324 non-orphans (n=540), aged 12-17 years, in the resource-poor setting of Hwange District, Zimbabwe. The aims of this article were to examine the differences between orphans and non-orphans in HIV prevention message exposure, level of motivation for learning about HIV, and communication with caregivers about safe sex. The household survey revealed that younger orphans, aged 12-15 years, were more motivated to learn about HIV and had greater HIV messaging exposure in school than non-orphans. These exposure and differences in the levels of motivation between groups dissipated at older ages. Our research also discovered less caregiver communication among orphans than non-orphans. Our findings suggest that HIV programs targeting orphans need to do a better job at keeping older orphans interested in HIV prevention at a time when it matters most. Furthermore, intervention strategies that provide caregiver support are instrumental in effectively delivering prevention messages to girls at home.

  20. SMS Messaging Applications

    CERN Document Server

    Pero, Nicola

    2009-01-01

    Cell phones are the most common communication device on the planet, and Short Message Service (SMS) is the chief channel for companies to offer services, accept requests, report news, and download binary files over cell phones. This guide describes the protocols and best practices (things that ensure you won't get sued or lose your right to offer a service) you need to know to make SMS messaging part of an organizational service. Issues such as character sets, differences among vendors, common practices in Europe and North America, and API choices are covered.

  1. Evidence-Based Support for the Characteristics of Tsunami Warning Messages for Local, Regional and Distant Sources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gregg, C. E.; Johnston, D. M.; Sorensen, J. H.; Vogt Sorensen, B.; Whitmore, P.

    2014-12-01

    Many studies since 2004 have documented the dissemination and receipt of risk information for local to distant tsunamis and factors influencing people's responses. A few earlier tsunami studies and numerous studies of other hazards provide additional support for developing effective tsunami messages. This study explores evidence-based approaches to developing such messages for the Pacific and National Tsunami Warning Centers in the US. It extends a message metric developed for the NWS Tsunami Program. People at risk to tsunamis receive information from multiple sources through multiple channels. Sources are official and informal and environmental and social cues. Traditionally, official tsunami messages followed a linear dissemination path through relatively few channels from warning center to emergency management to public and media. However, the digital age has brought about a fundamental change in the dissemination and receipt of official and informal communications. Information is now disseminated in very non-linear paths and all end-user groups may receive the same message simultaneously. Research has demonstrated a range of factors that influence rapid respond to an initial real or perceived threat. Immediate response is less common than one involving delayed protective actions where people first engage in "milling behavior" to exchange information and confirm the warning before taking protective action. The most important message factors to achieve rapid response focus on the content and style of the message and the frequency of dissemination. Previously we developed a tsunami message metric consisting of 21 factors divided into message content and style and receiver characteristics. Initially, each factor was equally weighted to identify gaps, but here we extend the work by weighting specific factors. This utilizes recent research that identifies the most important determinants of protective action. We then discuss the prioritization of message information

  2. Use of a text message program to raise type 2 diabetes risk awareness and promote health behavior change (part II): assessment of participants' perceptions on efficacy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buis, Lorraine R; Hirzel, Lindsey; Turske, Scott A; Des Jardins, Terrisca R; Yarandi, Hossein; Bondurant, Patricia

    2013-12-19

    Although there is great enthusiasm in both the public and private sector for the further development and use of large-scale consumer-facing public health applications for mobile platforms, little is known about user experience and satisfaction with this type of approach. As a part of the Beacon Community Cooperative Agreement Program, txt4health, a public-facing, mobile phone-based health information service targeting type 2 diabetes, was launched in 3 Beacon Communities: the Southeast Michigan Beacon Community in Detroit, MI, the Greater Cincinnati Beacon Community in Cincinnati, OH, and the Crescent City Beacon Community in New Orleans, LA. This program was marketed via large public health campaigns and drew many users within the respective communities. The purpose of this investigation was to use the RE-AIM framework to document txt4health efficacy by focusing on perceptions of satisfaction, usage, and behavior change among individuals who used txt4health in pilot studies in Southeast Michigan and Greater Cincinnati. We conducted a multimodal user survey with txt4health users recruited via text message through the program to understand participant perceptions of program use and satisfaction, as well as self-reported perceptions of behavior change as a result of using txt4health. Txt4health users reported very high levels of program satisfaction, with 67.1% (108/161) reporting satisfaction scores of ≥8 on a 10-point scale, with 10 equivalent to most satisfied (mean 8.2, SD 1.6). All survey participants agreed/strongly agreed that the messages included in txt4health were clear and easy to understand (100.0%, 160/160), and most found txt4health made them knowledgeable about their risk for type 2 diabetes (88.1%, 140/159) and made them conscious of their diet and physical activity (88.8%, 142/160). Most participants reported that txt4health helped them to make behavior changes related to diet; after having completed txt4health, most agreed/strongly agreed that

  3. AMS: Area Message Service for SLC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crane, M.; Mackenzie, R.; Millsom, D.; Zelazny, M.

    1993-04-01

    The Area Message Service (AMS) is a TCP/IP based messaging service currently in use at SLAC. A number of projects under development here at SLAC require and application level interface to the 4.3BSD UNIX socket level communications functions using TCP/IP over ethernet. AMS provides connection management, solicited message transfer, unsolicited message transfer, and asynchronous notification of pending messages. AMS is written completely in ANSI 'C' and is currently portable over three hardware/operating system/network manager platforms, VAX/VMS/Multinet, PC/MS-DOS/Pathworks, VME 68K/pSOS/pNA. The basic architecture is a client-server connection where either end of the interface may be the server. This allows for connections and data flow to be initiated from either end of the interface. Included in the paper are details concerning the connection management, the handling of the multi-platform code, and the implementation process

  4. Spread of clonally related Escherichia coli harboring an IncA/C1 plasmid encoding IMP-8 and its recruitment into an unrelated MCR-1-containing isolate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elena, Alan; Cejas, Daniela; Magariños, Francisco; Jewtuchowicz, Virginia; Facente, Andrea; Gutkind, Gabriel; Di Conza, José; Radice, Marcela

    2018-04-16

    Ten IMP-8-producing Escherichia coli isolates were recovered from the surveillance cultures of a neonatal intensive care unit, of which eight were clonally related. A 168.2-kb- bla IMP-8 plasmid was fully sequenced, and it corresponded to the recently described IncA/C1-ST13. This plasmid was detected in all isolates, even in those no clonally related. One unrelated isolate was also resistant to colistin and positive for mcr-1. This marker was located in a 62.7-kb-IncI2 plasmid, which was also fully sequenced. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

  5. The efficacy of mobile phone-based text message interventions ('Happy Quit') for smoking cessation in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liao, Yanhui; Wu, Qiuxia; Tang, Jinsong; Zhang, Fengyu; Wang, Xuyi; Qi, Chang; He, Haoyu; Long, Jiang; Kelly, Brian C; Cohen, Joanna

    2016-08-19

    Considering the extreme shortage of smoking cessation services in China, and the acceptability, feasibility and efficacy of mobile phone-based text message interventions for quitting smoking in other countries, here we propose a study of "the efficacy of mobile phone-based text message interventions ('Happy Quit') for smoking cessation in China". The primary objective of this proposed project is to assess whether a program of widely accessed mobile phone-based text message interventions ('Happy Quit') will be effective at helping people in China who smoke, to quit. Based on the efficacy of previous studies in smoking cessation, we hypothesize that 'Happy Quit' will be an effective, feasible and affordable smoking cessation program in China. In this single-blind, randomized trial, undertaken in China, about 2000 smokers willing to make a quit attempt will be randomly allocated, using an independent telephone randomization system that includes a minimization algorithm balancing for sex (male, female), age (19-34 or >34 years), educational level (≤ or >12 years), and Fagerstrom score for nicotine addiction (≤5, >5), to 'Happy Quit', comprising motivational messages and behavioral-change support, or to a control group that receives text messages unrelated to quitting. Messages will be developed to be suitable for Chinese. A pilot study will be conducted before the intervention to modify the library of messages and interventions. The primary outcome will be self-reported continuous smoking abstinence. A secondary outcome will be point prevalence of abstinence. Abstinence will be assessed at six time points (4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 weeks post-intervention). A third outcome will be reductions in number of cigarettes smoked per day. The results will provide valuable insights into bridging the gap between need and services received for smoking cessation interventions and tobacco use prevention in China. It will also serve as mHealth model for extending the public

  6. The influence of message framing, intention to quit smoking, and nicotine dependence on the persuasiveness of smoking cessation messages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moorman, Marjolein; van den Putte, Bas

    2008-10-01

    This study explores the combined effect of message framing, intention to quit smoking, and nicotine dependence on the persuasiveness of smoking cessation messages. Pre- and post-message measures of quit intention, attitude toward smoking cessation, and perceived behavioral control were taken in two separate waves from current cigarette smokers with varying levels of nicotine dependence (N=151). In the second wave, participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups. In the first group, participants read a smoking cessation message which emphasized the benefits of quitting (positive frame). In the second group participants read a message which emphasized the costs of not quitting (negative frame). Results show that smokers' intentions to quit smoking and their level of nicotine dependence jointly influence the persuasiveness of positive and negative message frames. When nicotine dependence and quitting intention are both high, a negative frame works best. Conversely, a positive frame is preferable when nicotine dependence or quitting intention is low. Smokers' level of processing is proposed as the underlying mechanism explaining the different effects of message frames.

  7. Improved Message Authentication and Confidentiality Checking

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ismail Jabiullah, M.; Abdullah Al-Shamim, M.; Lutfar Rahman, M.

    2005-01-01

    The most confusing areas of the secured network communications are the message authentication and confidentiality checking. The attacks and the counter measures have become so convoluted that the users in this area begin to account for all contingencies. Two session-key generation techniques are used here to generate two separate session keys K 1 and K 2 ; and both the sender and the reveiver share these keys for higher degree of authentication and confidentiality. For this, the message is first encrypted by the key K 1 , and then the intermediary message authenticatin code (MAC) is generated by encrypting the encrypted message using the key K 2 . Then, the encrypted message and the intermediary MAC is again encrypted by using the K 2 and concatenated with the encrypted message and sent to the destination. At the receiving end, first, the received ciphertext is encrypted by using key K 2 and compared to the received MAC. The received ciphertext again is decrypted by the key K 2 and compared with the first decrypted MAC twice by the key K 2 . The plaintext is obtained by decrypting the received ciphertext first by K 2 and then by K 1 , using the corresponding decryption techniques respectively. The encryption techniques with key K 2 provides the authentication and with key K 1 provides the confidentiality checking of the transmitted message. The developed technique can be applied to both academic and commercial applications in online or offline electronic transactions for security.(authors)

  8. A one-way text messaging intervention for obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahn, Ahleum; Choi, Jaekyung

    2016-04-01

    Worldwide, there has been a startling increase in the number of people who are obese or overweight. Obesity increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and overall mortality. Mobile phone messaging is an important means of human communication globally. Because the mobile phone can be used anywhere at any time, mobile phone messaging has the potential to manage obesity. We investigated the effectiveness of a one-way text messaging intervention for obesity. Participants' body mass index and waist circumference were measured at the beginning of the programme and again after 12 weeks. The text message group received text messages about exercise, dietary intake, and general information about obesity three times a week, while the control group did not receive any text messages from the study. Of the 80 participants, 25 subjects in the text message group and 29 participants in the control group completed the study. After adjusting for baseline body mass index, the body mass index was significantly lower in the text message group than in the control group (27.9 vs. 28.3; p = 0.02). After adjusting for the baseline waist circumference, the difference of waist circumference between the text message group and control group was not significant (93.4 vs. 94.6; p = 0.13). The one-way text messaging intervention was a simple and effective way to manage obesity. The one-way text messaging intervention may be a useful method for lifestyle modification in obese subjects. © The Author(s) 2015.

  9. Persuasive messages. Development of persuasive messages may help increase mothers' compliance of their children's immunization schedule.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gore, P; Madhavan, S; Curry, D; McClurg, G; Castiglia, M; Rosenbluth, S A; Smego, R A

    1998-01-01

    Effective immunization campaigns can be designed by determining which persuasion strategy is most effective in attracting the attention of mothers of preschoolers. The authors assess the impact of three persuasional strategies: fear-arousal, motherhood-arousal, and rational messages, on mothers of preschoolers who are late for their immunizations. The fear-arousal message was found to be most effective, followed by the motherhood-arousal, and then the rational message, in attracting mothers' attention to their child's immunization status.

  10. Empowerment in the process of health messaging for rural low-income mothers: an exploratory message design project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aldoory, Linda; Braun, Bonnie; Maring, Elisabeth Fost; Duggal, Mili; Briones, Rowena Lynn

    2015-01-01

    Rural, low-income mothers face challenges to their health equal to or greater than those of low-income mothers from urban areas. This study put health message design into the hands of low-income rural mothers. The current study filled a research gap by analyzing a participatory process used to design health messages tailored to the everyday lives of rural low-income mothers. A total of forty-three mothers participated in nine focus groups, which were held from 2012 to 2013, in eight states. The mothers were from different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Participants discussed food security, physical activity, and oral health information. They created messages by considering several elements: visuals, length of message, voice/perspective, self-efficacy and personal control, emotional appeals, positive and negative reinforcements, and steps to health behavior change. This study was innovative in its focus on empowerment as a key process to health message design.

  11. Vérification de programmes OCaml fortement impératifs avec Why3

    OpenAIRE

    Filliâtre , Jean-Christophe; Pereira , Mário; Melo De Sousa , Simão

    2018-01-01

    International audience; Cet article présente une méthodologie pour prouver des programmes OCaml fortement impératifs avec l'outil de vérification déductive Why3. Pour un programme OCaml donné, un modèle mémoire spécifique est construit et on vérifie un programme Why3 qui le mani-pule. Une fois la preuve terminée, on utilise la capacité de Why3 à traduire ses programmes vers le langage OCaml, tout en remplaçant les opérations sur le modèle mémoire par les opérations correspondantes sur des typ...

  12. Crafting a Real-Time Information Aggregator for Mobile Messaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jenq-Shiou Leu

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Mobile messaging is evolving beyond SMS (Short Message Service text messaging with the introduction of MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service. In the past, such a scheme is used for peer-to-peer communication. Messages are generally displayed on a cellular phone with a limited-sized screen. However, such a visualizing process is not suitable to broadcast real-time SMS/MMS messages to people in public. To facilitate the instancy and publicity, we develop a real-time information aggregator—Visualizing SMS and MMS Messages System (VSMMS—to realize the concept by integrating SMS and MMS messaging over GSM/GPRS/UMTS onto a remote display device. The device exhibits messages on a larger display device in public. VSMMS features a revolutionized variation of mass media broadcasting. In this paper, we practically illustrate how to design and implement VSMMS and use a M/M/1 model to conduct a theoretical analysis about the message delay in the system queue. Meanwhile, we make an empirical performance evaluation about the message transmission time over different networks.

  13. Development of an MPI benchmark program library

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Uehara, Hitoshi

    2001-03-01

    Distributed parallel simulation software with message passing interfaces has been developed to realize large-scale and high performance numerical simulations. The most popular API for message communication is an MPI. The MPI will be provided on the Earth Simulator. It is known that performance of message communication using the MPI libraries gives a significant influence on a whole performance of simulation programs. We developed an MPI benchmark program library named MBL in order to measure the performance of message communication precisely. The MBL measures the performance of major MPI functions such as point-to-point communications and collective communications and the performance of major communication patterns which are often found in application programs. In this report, the description of the MBL and the performance analysis of the MPI/SX measured on the SX-4 are presented. (author)

  14. AMS: Area Message Service for SLC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crane, M.; Mackenzie, R.; Millsom, D.; Zelazny, M.

    1993-01-01

    The Area Message Service (AMS) is a TCP/IP based messaging service currently in use at SLAC. A number of projects under development here at SLAC require an application level interface to the 4.3BSD UNIX socket level communications functions using TCP/IP over ethernet. AMS provides connection management, solicited message transfer, unsolicited message transfer, and asynchronous notification of pending messages. AMS is written completely in ANSI open-quote C close-quote and is currently portable over three hardware/operating system/network manager platforms, VAX/VMS/Multinet, PC/MS-DOS/Pathworks, VME 68K/pSOS/pNA. The basic architecture is a client-server connection where either end of the interface may be the server. This allows for connections and data flow to be initiated from either end of the interface. Included in the paper are details concerning the connection management, the handling of the multi-platform code, and the implementation process

  15. Does perceived risk influence the effects of message framing? Revisiting the link between prospect theory and message framing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van 't Riet, Jonathan; Cox, Anthony D; Cox, Dena; Zimet, Gregory D; De Bruijn, Gert-Jan; Van den Putte, Bas; De Vries, Hein; Werrij, Marieke Q; Ruiter, Robert A C

    2016-12-01

    Health-promoting messages can be framed in terms of the beneficial consequences of healthy behaviour (gain-framed messages) or the detrimental consequences of unhealthy behaviour (loss-framed messages). An influential notion holds that the perceived risk associated with the recommended behaviour determines the relative persuasiveness of gain- and loss-framed messages. This 'risk-framing hypothesis', which was derived from prospect theory, has been central to health message-framing research for the better part of two decades and has enduring appeal to researchers and practitioners. It has found its way into several health communication handbooks and is communicated to the general public. The present article examines the validity of the risk-framing hypothesis anew by providing a review of the health message-framing literature. In spite of its ongoing appeal, we conclude that the hypothesis has severe theoretical flaws. In addition, we find that the empirical evidence in favour of the hypothesis is weak and inconsistent. It seems that, in applying prospect theory's tenets to a health-promotion context, some of the theory's key aspects have been lost in translation. At the close of the article, we offer a research agenda for the future, arguing that, above all, new methodology is needed to bring the message-framing literature further.

  16. Factors influencing message dissemination through social media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Zeyu; Yang, Huancheng; Fu, Yang; Fu, Dianzheng; Podobnik, Boris; Stanley, H. Eugene

    2018-06-01

    Online social networks strongly impact our daily lives. An internet user (a "Netizen") wants messages to be efficiently disseminated. The susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) dissemination model is the traditional tool for exploring the spreading mechanism of information diffusion. We here test our SIR-based dissemination model on open and real-world data collected from Twitter. We locate and identify phase transitions in the message dissemination process. We find that message content is a stronger factor than the popularity of the sender. We also find that the probability that a message will be forwarded has a threshold that affects its ability to spread, and when the probability is above the threshold the message quickly achieves mass dissemination.

  17. Investigating the impact of viral message appeal and message credibility on consumer attitude toward the brand

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Esmaeilpour Majid

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Due to the rapid growth of the Internet and use of e-commerce in the recent years, viral marketing has drawn the attention of manufacturing and service organizations. However, no research has been conducted to examine the impact of message appeal and message source credibility on consumers’ attitude with mediating role of intellectual involvement of consumers and their risk taking level. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of appeal and message source credibility on consumers’ attitude with mediating role of consumers’ intellectual involvement and their risk taking level. The population of this study includes consumers of mobile phones (Samsung, Sony, Nokia, LG and iPhone in the Bushehr city (Iran. As the population of the study is unlimited, 430 questionnaires were distributed using available sampling method, and 391 questionnaires were collected and analyzed. Using structural equation modeling, we analysed the data through smart PLS software. The results show that the appeal and credibility of the message source impact the consumer attitudes toward the brand. We also found that the intellectual involvement of consumers plays the mediating role in the relationship between message appeal and consumer attitudes toward brands. In the relationship between message source credibility and customer attitude towards the brand, the level of risk taking of people has no mediating role.

  18. Management and Archiving e-mail Messages in Governmental Organization

    OpenAIRE

    Ashraf Mohamed A.Mohsen

    2006-01-01

    The study deals great issue of digital preservation that is e-mail archiving, it covered all aspects of the topic; it discuss: e-mail system, components of e-mail message, advantages and disadvantages of e-mail, official e-mail messages, management of e-mail messages, organizing and arrangement of e-mail messages, keeping and deleting messages, archiving e-mail messages, and some related issues like: privacy and security.

  19. The influence of message framing, intention to quit smoking, and nicotine dependence on the persuasiveness of smoking cessation messages

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moorman, M.; van den Putte, B.

    2008-01-01

    This study explores the combined effect of message framing, intention to quit smoking, and nicotine dependence on the persuasiveness of smoking cessation messages. Pre- and post-message measures of quit intention, attitude toward smoking cessation, and perceived behavioral control were taken in two

  20. The WLCG Messaging Service and its Future

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cons, Lionel; Paladin, Massimo

    2012-01-01

    Enterprise messaging is seen as an attractive mechanism to simplify and extend several portions of the Grid middleware, from low level monitoring to experiments dashboards. The production messaging service currently used by WLCG includes four tightly coupled brokers operated by EGI (running Apache ActiveMQ and designed to host the Grid operational tools such as SAM) as well as two dedicated services for ATLAS-DDM and experiments dashboards (currently also running Apache ActiveMQ). In the future, this service is expected to grow in numbers of applications supported, brokers and technologies. The WLCG Messaging Roadmap identified three areas with room for improvement (security, scalability and availability/reliability) as well as ten practical recommendations to address them. This paper describes a messaging service architecture that is in line with these recommendations as well as a software architecture based on reusable components that ease interactions with the messaging service. These two architectures will support the growth of the WLCG messaging service.

  1. A sex risk reduction text-message program for young adult females discharged from the emergency department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suffoletto, Brian; Akers, Aletha; McGinnis, Kathleen A; Calabria, Jaclyn; Wiesenfeld, Harold C; Clark, Duncan B

    2013-09-01

    To pilot test a text message (SMS) sex risk reduction program among at-risk young adult female patients discharged from an emergency department (ED). A convenience sample of 52 female patients with hazardous drinking behavior and recent risky sexual encounters were recruited from an urban ED and randomized to the SMS program (n = 23) or a control group (n = 29). All participants completed a web-based questionnaire in the ED and at 3-month follow-up. For 12 weeks, SMS participants were asked to report whether they had a risky sexual encounter in the past week, received theory-based feedback, and were asked if they were willing set a goal to refrain from having another risky encounter. Thirty-nine percent of SMS participants completed all weeks of SMS reports, and noncompletion increasing from 12% on week 1 to a 33% by week 12. Three-month follow-up was completed in 56% of participants. In the intervention group, there was an increase in the proportion with condom use with last vaginal sex from 20% (95% CI 4%-48%) to 53% (95% CI 27%-79%) and an increase in always condom use over the past 28 days from 0% (95% CI 0%-22%) to 33% (95% CI 12%-62%). These changes were not statistically different from control participants. SMS programs may be useful to reduce risk for sexually transmitted diseases among at-risk young adults being discharged from the ED. Future trials should examine ways to improve adherence to SMS dialog over time and measure objective outcomes in a larger sample. Copyright © 2013 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Text Messaging: An Intervention to Increase Physical Activity among African American Participants in a Faith-Based, Competitive Weight Loss Program

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pamela McCoy

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available African American adults are less likely to meet the recommended physical activity guidelines for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity than Caucasian adults. The purpose of this study was to assess whether a text message intervention would increase physical activity in this population. This pilot study used a pre-/post-questionnaire non-randomized design. Participants in a faith-based weight loss competition who agreed to participate in the text messaging were assigned to the intervention group (n = 52. Participants who declined to participate in the intervention, but agreed to participate in the study, were assigned to the control group (n = 30. The text messages provided strategies for increasing physical activity and were based on constructs of the Health Belief Model and the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model. Chi square tests determined the intervention group participants increased exercise time by approximately eight percent (p = 0.03, while the control group’s exercise time remained constant. The intervention group increased walking and running. The control group increased running. Most participants indicated that the health text messages were effective. The results of this pilot study suggest that text messaging may be an effective method for providing options for motivating individuals to increase physical activity.

  3. Comment ameliorer la selection et le traitement des messages verbaux? (How to Improve the Selection and Processing of Verbal Messages)

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Rivenez, Marie; Darwin, Chris; Guillaume, Anne

    2005-01-01

    L'objectif de cette recherche est d'ameliorer la selection des messages verbaux. Nous cherchons a determiner les facteurs influencant le traitement d'un message verbal lorsque l'attention est portee sur un autre message...

  4. Message passing for quantified Boolean formulas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Pan; Ramezanpour, Abolfazl; Zecchina, Riccardo; Zdeborová, Lenka

    2012-01-01

    We introduce two types of message passing algorithms for quantified Boolean formulas (QBF). The first type is a message passing based heuristics that can prove unsatisfiability of the QBF by assigning the universal variables in such a way that the remaining formula is unsatisfiable. In the second type, we use message passing to guide branching heuristics of a Davis–Putnam–Logemann–Loveland (DPLL) complete solver. Numerical experiments show that on random QBFs our branching heuristics give robust exponential efficiency gain with respect to state-of-the-art solvers. We also manage to solve some previously unsolved benchmarks from the QBFLIB library. Apart from this, our study sheds light on using message passing in small systems and as subroutines in complete solvers

  5. A snapshot of tobacco-related messages relayed in pediatric offices in Delaware.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feinson, Judith; Raughley, Erin; Chang, Christine D; Chidekel, Aaron

    2003-10-01

    Much research exists demonstrating that pediatricians should counsel patients and families about tobacco. However, few data are available about tobacco-related messages relayed in pediatric offices. Since an anti-tobacco office environment can be a strong component of an active tobacco prevention program, we evaluated pediatric offices in Delaware to characterize tobacco-related messages. A convenience sample of 32 of 63 (51%) pediatric offices in Delaware was directly evaluated for the presence of tobacco-related messages. Fifty-five of 63 (87%) pediatric practices in Delaware were contacted by telephone to inquire about the presence of a tobacco coordinator. The 32 practices represented 71 physicians, were located in all three counties throughout the state, and were urban and non-urban in setting. The same investigator evaluated practices in a single site visit. All were located in smoke-free buildings. At one office, people were seen smoking outside; however, the presence of discarded cigarettes was much more common. Thirteen practices (41%) employed smokers, most of whom smoked outside during work hours. Twenty-one of 28 practices (75%) had waiting room magazines containing tobacco advertisements. Fifteen practices (47%) offered anti-tobacco literature while six practices (19%) displayed visual media, none exclusively addressing tobacco. Nine practices (28%) use chart flags to identify smokers. None of 55 pediatric practices in Delaware contacted by telephone identified an office tobacco prevention coordinator. Our data indicate that, in Delaware, the pediatric offices we visited overall convey a limited message about tobacco and could strengthen tobacco prevention strategies. Research measuring the impact of office-based anti-tobacco messages is needed. If these messages are effective in preventing tobacco use, practitioners can supplement active counseling with indirect interventions that require minimal maintenance once established and that place no

  6. Using Publish-Subscribe Messaging for System Status and Automation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Danford S.

    2015-01-01

    The NASA Goddard Mission Services Evolution Center (GMSEC) system is a message-based plug-and-play open system architecture used in many of NASA mission operations centers. This presentation will focus on the use of GMSEC standard messages to report and analyze the status of a system and enable the automation of the system's components. In GMSEC systems, each component reports its status using a keep-alive message and also publishes status and activities as log messages. In addition, the components can accept functional directive messages from the GMSEC message bus. Over the past several years, development teams have found ways to utilize these messages to create innovative display pages and increasingly sophisticated approaches to automation. This presentation will show the flexibility and value of the message-based approach to system awareness and automation.

  7. Using Text-Messaging in the Secondary Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Kevin; Orthober, Corrie

    2011-01-01

    To examine the potential uses of and barriers to text-messaging in secondary schools, three classes (66 students) of high school students used their personal mobile phones to receive out of school, course-related text-messages from teachers. Forty-six students (70%) agreed to receive text-messages. Findings indicate that participants found…

  8. Emotional flow in persuasive health messages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nabi, Robin L

    2015-01-01

    Overwhelmingly, the literature on the persuasive influence of emotions has focused on individual emotions, fear in particular, though some recent attention has been given to mixed emotions in persuasive appeals. Building on this newer wave of research, this article argues that instead of focusing on singular emotional states or collections of emotions evoked by a message, it might prove valuable to explore the flow, or evolution, of emotional experience over the course of exposure to a health message. The article offers a brief introduction to the concept of emotion, followed by a review of the state of the literature on the use of emotion in health messages. The concept of emotional flow is then introduced along with a consideration of how it has been tacitly incorporated into the study of emotional health messages. Finally, the utility of the concept of emotional flow is elaborated by articulating the ways in which it might be harnessed to facilitate the creation of more effective health messages, individually as well as across campaigns. The article concludes with an agenda for future research.

  9. Matching Message Design and Depressed Cognition: An Exploration of Attention Patterns for Gain- and Loss-Framed Depression Help-Seeking Messages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lueck, Jennifer A

    2017-07-01

    Although disproportionally affected by depression, most depressed college students do not seek the help they need. Research has recently uncovered the potential negative effects of depression help-seeking messages if depressed cognition is not considered in the health message design process. It is unclear if depression determines whether and how individuals pay attention to gain- and loss-framed depression help-seeking messages-a mechanism that has significant implications for the strategic planning of health communication interventions. In order to enable the effective matching of message design and audience features, this study investigated attention patterns for gain (n = 75)- and loss (n = 78)-framed depression help-seeking messages using eye-tracking technology and self-report measures. The results confirmed that depression is a characteristic of risk avoidance and negative cognition. Depressed participants tended to pay more attention to disease information that was placed in a loss-framed rather than a gain-framed depression help-seeking message. Using negative message framing strategies for health messages seeking to educate about depression symptoms might therefore be a useful persuasive strategy-particularly when disseminated to vulnerable populations affected by depression. Furthermore, the present study emphasizes the effective use of eye-tracking technology in communication research.

  10. Effects of argument quality, source credibility and self-reported diabetes knowledge on message attitudes: an experiment using diabetes related messages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Tung-Cheng; Hwang, Lih-Lian; Lai, Yung-Jye

    2017-05-17

    Previous studies have reported that credibility and content (argument quality) are the most critical factors affecting the quality of health information and its acceptance and use; however, this causal relationship merits further investigation in the context of health education. Moreover, message recipients' prior knowledge may moderate these relationships. This study used the elaboration likelihood model to determine the main effects of argument quality, source credibility and the moderating effect of self-reported diabetes knowledge on message attitudes. A between-subjects experimental design using an educational message concerning diabetes for manipulation was applied to validate the effects empirically. A total of 181 participants without diabetes were recruited from the Department of Health, Taipei City Government. Four group messages were manipulated in terms of argument quality (high and low) × source credibility (high and low). Argument quality and source credibility of health information significantly influenced the attitude of message recipients. The participants with high self-reported knowledge participants exhibited significant disapproval for messages with low argument quality. Effective health information should provide objective descriptions and cite reliable sources; in addition, it should provide accurate, customised messages for recipients who have high background knowledge level and ability to discern message quality. © 2017 Health Libraries Group Health Information & Libraries Journal.

  11. Parieto-occipital hypoaccumulation of 123I-IMP in the brain SPECT associated with maternal inheritance of diabetes mellitus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Yoshihiko; Atsumi, Yoshihito; Hosokawa, Kazuhiro; Shimada, Akira; Asahina, Takayuki; Matsuoka, Kempei; Hata, Takashi; Taniyama, Matsuo.

    1997-01-01

    To determine the latent effect of diabetes inheritance on central nervous system, thirty diabetic patients were examined (14 male, 16 female). Seventeen patients had a mother with diabetes, and the other thirteen had non-diabetic mothers. They were previously determined to not have the 3243 mitochondrial tRNA mutation in peripheral leukocytes. Patients were tested for parieto-occipital hypoaccumulation of 123 I-IMP of brain SPECT, a characteristic neurofinding of mitochondrial diabetes mellitus due to the 3243 tRNA mutation. Seven (41.2%) out of 17 subjects with material inheritance had the parieto-occipital abnormality, whereas one (7.7%) out of 13 subjects with non-maternal inheritance had the abnormality. Seventeen (94.4%) out of 18 patients diabetes due to mitochondrial tRNA mutation at position 3243 showed the abnormality. Our results suggest that the material inheritance of diabetes is associated with the hypoaccumulation of 123 I-IMP of brain SPECT. We speculate that, because the patients with maternal inheritance might have subclinical mitochondrial dysfunction due to unknown mitochondrial DNA abnormalities, the mitochondrial DNA abnormality might cause their subclinical brain damage in the parieto-occipital area. (author)

  12. Why are Tailored Messages More Effective? A Multiple Mediation Analysis of a Breast Cancer Screening Intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jensen, Jakob D; King, Andy J; Carcioppolo, Nicholas; Davis, LaShara

    2012-10-01

    Past research has found that tailoring increases the persuasive effectiveness of a message. However, the observed effect has been small and the explanatory mechanism remains unknown. To address these shortcomings, a tailoring software program was created that personalized breast cancer screening pamphlets according to risk, health belief model constructs, and visual preference. Women aged 40 and older ( N = 119) participated in a 2 (tailored vs. stock message) × 2 (charts/graphs vs. illustrated visuals) × 3 (nested replications of the visuals) experiment. Participants provided with tailored illustrated pamphlets expressed greater breast cancer screening intentions than those provided with other pamphlets. In a test of 10 different mediators, perceived message relevance was found to fully mediate the tailoring × visual interaction.

  13. Quantum signature scheme for known quantum messages

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Taewan; Lee, Hyang-Sook

    2015-01-01

    When we want to sign a quantum message that we create, we can use arbitrated quantum signature schemes which are possible to sign for not only known quantum messages but also unknown quantum messages. However, since the arbitrated quantum signature schemes need the help of a trusted arbitrator in each verification of the signature, it is known that the schemes are not convenient in practical use. If we consider only known quantum messages such as the above situation, there can exist a quantum signature scheme with more efficient structure. In this paper, we present a new quantum signature scheme for known quantum messages without the help of an arbitrator. Differing from arbitrated quantum signature schemes based on the quantum one-time pad with the symmetric key, since our scheme is based on quantum public-key cryptosystems, the validity of the signature can be verified by a receiver without the help of an arbitrator. Moreover, we show that our scheme provides the functions of quantum message integrity, user authentication and non-repudiation of the origin as in digital signature schemes. (paper)

  14. The network researchers' network: A social network analysis of the IMP Group 1985-2006

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Henneberg, Stephan C. M.; Ziang, Zhizhong; Naudé, Peter

    The Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) Group is a network of academic researchers working in the area of business-to-business marketing. The group meets every year to discuss and exchange ideas, with a conference having been held every year since 1984 (there was no meeting in 1987......). In this paper, based upon the papers presented at the 22 conferences held to date, we undertake a Social Network Analysis in order to examine the degree of co-publishing that has taken place between this group of researchers. We identify the different components in this database, and examine the large main...

  15. Prevention messages and AIDS risk behavior in Kampala, Uganda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hearst, Norman; Kajubi, Phoebe; Hudes, Esther Sid; Maganda, Albert K; Green, Edward C

    2012-01-01

    Uganda was one of the first countries to substantially reduce HIV rates through behavior change, but these gains have not continued in recent years. Little is known about what messages Ugandans are currently hearing about AIDS prevention, what they themselves believe to be important prevention strategies, and how these beliefs are associated with behavior. We interviewed men and women aged between 20 and 39 in two poor peri-urban areas of Kampala, using a random sample, cross-sectional household survey design. Respondents provided detailed reports of sexual behavior over the past six months, the main prevention message they are currently hearing about AIDS, and their own ranking of the importance of prevention strategies. Condom use was the main AIDS prevention message that respondents reported hearing, followed by getting tested. These were also what respondents themselves considered most important, followed closely by faithfulness. Abstinence was the lowest ranked strategy, but a higher ranking for this prevention strategy was the only one consistently associated with less risky behavior. A higher ranking for condoms was associated with higher levels of risk behavior, while the ranking of testing made no difference in any behavior. These results present challenges for AIDS prevention strategies that rely primarily on promoting condoms and testing. HIV prevention programs need to assess their impact on behavior.

  16. Instant Messaging by SIP

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muhi, Daniel; Dulai, Tibor; Jaskó, Szilárd

    2008-11-01

    SIP is a general-purpose application layer protocol which is able to establish sessions between two or more parties. These sessions are mainly telephone calls and multimedia conferences. However it can be used for other purposes like instant messaging and presence service. SIP has a very important role in mobile communication as more and more communicating applications are going mobile. In this paper we would like to show how SIP can be used for instant messaging purposes.

  17. Effects of a statewide antismoking campaign on mass media messages and smoking beliefs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, D M; Prokhorov, A V; Harty, K C

    1994-01-01

    BACKGROUND. In 1985, The Minnesota Legislature initiated a long-term and broad-based program to deter adolescent tobacco use. The initiative was funded by higher taxes on tobacco products and combined school-based programming, mass-media campaigns, and local community grants. The Minnesota-Wisconsin Adolescent Tobacco-Use Research Project was designed to evaluate this effort by monitoring adolescent tobacco use and related factors in Minnesota and Wisconsin from 1986 to 1990. The results presented in this paper indicate that the Minnesota initiative dramatically increased Minnesota schoolchildren's reported exposure to the anti-smoking messages in the mass media but had little effect on smoking-related beliefs or smoking behaviors. CONCLUSIONS. These results, together with the findings from other recent studies, suggest that even dramatic increases in exposure to anti-tobacco messages in the mass-media, in the absence of a substantial and sustained school-based tobacco prevention measures, may be insufficient to generate reductions in adolescent tobacco use.

  18. Argonne Nuclear Data Program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kondev, F. [US Nuclear Data Program, U.S. DOE/SC (United States)

    2013-08-15

    Nuclear Data Compilations and Evaluations: - Nuclear structure and decay data compilations and evaluations for the International NSDD network (ENSDF and XUNDL); - AME12 and NuBase12 - in collaboration with G. Audi and M. MacCormick, CSNSM (Orsay), M. Wang, IMP (Lanzhou) and B. Pfeiffer, GSI (Darmstadt) - presentation by M. Wang; - DDEP coordinator - completed; - Horizontal nuclear data evaluation activities -IAEA CRP's, Isomers, Medical Isotopes; Complementary ND research Activities: - CARIBU, FRIB and other RIB facilities, Gretina, IAEA-CRP - emphasis on nuclear structure physics and astrophysics, and their intersection with applied nuclear physics programs.

  19. Qualitative study to explore Prospect Theory and message framing and diet and cancer prevention-related issues among African American adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Satia, Jessie A; Barlow, Jameta; Armstrong-Brown, Janelle; Watters, Joanne L

    2010-01-01

    There is a dearth of knowledge regarding factors that may motivate African American adolescents to consume healthier diets. To develop and test cancer prevention messages based on Prospect Theory on motivation to improve dietary intake in African American adolescents and to explore other salient factors that may inform dietary intervention design and implementation in this population. Semistructured in-person qualitative interviews were conducted with 13 African American male and female adolescents, aged 12 to 16 years, in North Carolina. Prospect Theory and message framing were used to guide the design of the 4 sets of diet-related messages related to cancer prevention: short-term, gain-framed; long-term, gain-framed; short-term, loss-framed; and long-term, loss-framed messages. Data were also collected on demographic, behavioral, and psychological factors; usual health behaviors; and preferences for intervention delivery. Most respondents found the gain-framed, short-term messages most salient for both fruits/vegetables (8 [61.5%]) and fat consumption (7 [53.8%]). For fat consumption only, 2 (15.4%) found the loss-framed, short-term messages pertinent; none found the loss-framed, long-term messages relevant for either dietary variable. All indicated interest in participating in a dietary intervention/education program; most preferred the Internet as a channel for intervention delivery. Participants expressed diverse views regarding knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding healthy eating. The gain-framed, short-term messages were most salient for motivating the majority of respondents to consume a healthy diet and most expressed a strong interest in participating in programs about diet and nutrition, with the Internet as the preferred communication channel. Researchers conducting dietary interventions and education initiatives and medical professionals who counsel African American adolescents should consider using Prospect Theory as a theoretical framework

  20. Devenir un dieu. La mort d’Auguste et la naissance de la monarchie impériale

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frédéric HURLET

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Une des manifestations les plus remarquables de l’intelligence politique dont Auguste ?t preuve tout au long de sa vie fut d’avoir organisé dans les moindres détails ses propres funérailles. Il s’agissait d’éviter que se reproduisent à cette occasion les troubles qui avaient suivi la mort de son père adoptif Jules César le 15 mars 44 av. J.-C. et de garantir dans le même temps le succès de la première transmission dynastique du pouvoir impérial. Cet article étudie les enjeux politiques des événements des mois d’août et septembre 14 ap. J.-C. dans un ordre chronologique qui passe en revue les trois étapes suivantes : le décès d’Auguste proprement dit à travers les récits édi?ants qui lui ont été consacrés durant l’Antiquité ; le traitement de sa dépouille jusqu’au transfert de ses cendres dans son Mausolée ; sa divinisation. Le mythe d’Auguste est né en 14 ap. J.-C., au moment même où la continuité de la monarchie impériale était dé?nitivement assurée.

  1. MESSAGE AUX MEMBRES DU PERSONNEL DE NATIONALITE SUISSE - French version only

    CERN Multimedia

    Service juridique

    2002-01-01

    15 novembre 2002 Depuis cette année, les Autorités suisses ont introduit un nouveau mode de taxation. Sa principale caractéristique est que l'année de taxation coïncide dorénavant avec l'année durant laquelle un revenu est perçu. Une conséquence pratique majeure est que les membres du personnel suisses recevront une facture de taxation provisoire, dont le règlement devra être effectué à l'échéance indiquée, alors que le bordereau final pour les mêmes impôts ne leur sera remis qu'ultérieurement, dans un délai pouvant s'étaler sur plusieurs mois. Jusqu'à présent, seul le bordereau final était reconnu par l'Administration du CERN comme justificatif pour le remboursement des impôts suisses. Compte tenu du décalage que la nouvelle pratique...

  2. The Message Logging System for NOνA Experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu Qiming; Kowalkowski, J B; Biery, K A

    2011-01-01

    The message logging system provides the infrastructure for all of the distributed processes in the data acquisition (DAQ) to report status messages of various severities in a consistent manner to a central location, as well as providing the tools for displaying and archiving the messages. The message logging system has been developed over a decade, and has been run successfully on CDF and CMS experiments. The most recent work to the message logging system is to build it as a stand-alone package with the name MessageFacility which works for any generic framework or applications, with NOνA as the first driving user. System designs and architectures, as well as the efforts of making it a generic library will be discussed. We also present new features that have been added.

  3. Gain versus loss-framed messaging and colorectal cancer screening among African Americans: A preliminary examination of perceived racism and culturally targeted dual messaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lucas, Todd; Hayman, Lenwood W; Blessman, James E; Asabigi, Kanzoni; Novak, Julie M

    2016-05-01

    This preliminary study examined the effect of gain versus loss-framed messaging as well as culturally targeted personal prevention messaging on African Americans' receptivity to colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. This research also examined mechanistic functions of perceived racism in response to message framing. Community samples of African Americans (N = 132) and White Americans (N = 50) who were non-compliant with recommended CRC screening completed an online education module about CRC, and were either exposed to a gain-framed or loss-framed message about CRC screening. Half of African Americans were exposed to an additional and culturally targeted self-control message about personal prevention of CRC. Theory of planned behavior measures of attitudes, normative beliefs, perceived behavioural control, and intentions to obtain a CRC screen served as primary outcomes. The effect of messaging on perceived racism was also measured as an outcome. Consistent with prior research, White Americans were more receptive to CRC screening when exposed to a loss-framed message. However, African Americans were more receptive when exposed to a gain-framed message. The contrary effect of loss-framed messaging on receptivity to screening among African Americans was mediated by an increase in perceived racism. However, including an additional and culturally targeted prevention message mitigated the adverse effect of a loss-framed message. This study identifies an important potential cultural difference in the effect of message framing on illness screening among African Americans, while also suggesting a culturally relevant linking mechanism. This study also suggests the potential for simultaneously presented and culturally targeted messaging to alter the effects of gain and loss-framed messaging on African Americans. What is already known on this subject? African Americans are at an increased risk of both developing and dying from colorectal cancer (CRC). These disparities can be

  4. Actors with Multi-Headed Message Receive Patterns

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sulzmann, Martin; Lam, Edmund Soon Lee; Van Weert, Peter

    2008-01-01

    style actors with receive clauses containing multi-headed message patterns. Patterns may be non-linear and constrained by guards. We provide a number of examples to show the usefulness of the extension. We also explore the design space for multi-headed message matching semantics, for example first-match......The actor model provides high-level concurrency abstractions to coordinate simultaneous computations by message passing. Languages implementing the actor model such as Erlang commonly only support single-headed pattern matching over received messages. We propose and design an extension of Erlang...... and rule priority-match semantics. The various semantics are inspired by the multi-set constraint matching semantics found in Constraint Handling Rules. This provides us with a formal model to study actors with multi-headed message receive patterns. The system can be implemented efficiently and we have...

  5. Spectroscopie d'impédance électrochimique appliquée à l'étude de la corrosion

    OpenAIRE

    Gabrielli , Claude; Keddam , Michel; Takenouti , Hisasi

    2007-01-01

    Edition spéciale : 20e Forum sur les Impédances Electrochimiques / Special Edition: 20th Electrochemical Impedance Forum; International audience; Electrochemical Impedance spectroscopy applied to the corrosion study. Various applications of the Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy over the last 40 years are described. At the beginning of this long history, ac signal has been used simply to determine steady state entity, the polarisation resistance to apply Stern–Geary method. However, it wa...

  6. A theory-based video messaging mobile phone intervention for smoking cessation: randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whittaker, Robyn; Dorey, Enid; Bramley, Dale; Bullen, Chris; Denny, Simon; Elley, C Raina; Maddison, Ralph; McRobbie, Hayden; Parag, Varsha; Rodgers, Anthony; Salmon, Penny

    2011-01-21

    Advances in technology allowed the development of a novel smoking cessation program delivered by video messages sent to mobile phones. This social cognitive theory-based intervention (called "STUB IT") used observational learning via short video diary messages from role models going through the quitting process to teach behavioral change techniques. The objective of our study was to assess the effectiveness of a multimedia mobile phone intervention for smoking cessation. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 6-month follow-up. Participants had to be 16 years of age or over, be current daily smokers, be ready to quit, and have a video message-capable phone. Recruitment targeted younger adults predominantly through radio and online advertising. Registration and data collection were completed online, prompted by text messages. The intervention group received an automated package of video and text messages over 6 months that was tailored to self-selected quit date, role model, and timing of messages. Extra messages were available on demand to beat cravings and address lapses. The control group also set a quit date and received a general health video message sent to their phone every 2 weeks. The target sample size was not achieved due to difficulty recruiting young adult quitters. Of the 226 randomized participants, 47% (107/226) were female and 24% (54/226) were Maori (indigenous population of New Zealand). Their mean age was 27 years (SD 8.7), and there was a high level of nicotine addiction. Continuous abstinence at 6 months was 26.4% (29/110) in the intervention group and 27.6% (32/116) in the control group (P = .8). Feedback from participants indicated that the support provided by the video role models was important and appreciated. This study was not able to demonstrate a statistically significant effect of the complex video messaging mobile phone intervention compared with simple general health video messages via mobile phone. However, there was

  7. Effects of Text Messaging on Academic Performance

    OpenAIRE

    Barks Amanda; Searight H. Russell; Ratwik Susan

    2011-01-01

    University students frequently send and receive cellular phone text messages during classroominstruction. Cognitive psychology research indicates that multi-tasking is frequently associatedwith performance cost. However, university students often have considerable experience withelectronic multi-tasking and may believe that they can devote necessary attention to a classroomlecture while sending and receiving text messages. In the current study, university students whoused text messaging were ...

  8. Reactions to threatening health messages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ten Hoor, Gill A; Peters, Gjalt-Jorn Y; Kalagi, Janice; de Groot, Lianne; Grootjans, Karlijne; Huschens, Alexander; Köhninger, Constanze; Kölgen, Lizan; Pelssers, Isabelle; Schütt, Toby; Thomas, Sophia; Ruiter, Robert A C; Kok, Gerjo

    2012-11-21

    Threatening health messages that focus on severity are popular, but frequently have no effect or even a counterproductive effect on behavior change. This paradox (i.e. wide application despite low effectiveness) may be partly explained by the intuitive appeal of threatening communication: it may be hard to predict the defensive reactions occurring in response to fear appeals. We examine this hypothesis by using two studies by Brown and colleagues, which provide evidence that threatening health messages in the form of distressing imagery in anti-smoking and anti-alcohol campaigns cause defensive reactions. We simulated both Brown et al. experiments, asking participants to estimate the reactions of the original study subjects to the threatening health information (n = 93). Afterwards, we presented the actual original study outcomes. One week later, we assessed whether this knowledge of the actual study outcomes helped participants to more successfully estimate the effectiveness of the threatening health information (n = 72). Results showed that participants were initially convinced of the effectiveness of threatening health messages and were unable to anticipate the defensive reactions that in fact occurred. Furthermore, these estimates did not improve after participants had been explained the dynamics of threatening communication as well as what the effects of the threatening communication had been in reality. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the effectiveness of threatening health messages is intuitively appealing. What is more, providing empirical evidence against the use of threatening health messages has very little effect on this intuitive appeal.

  9. Instant messaging at the hospital: supporting articulation work?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iversen, Tobias Buschmann; Melby, Line; Toussaint, Pieter

    2013-09-01

    Clinical work is increasingly fragmented and requires extensive articulation and coordination. Computer systems may support such work. In this study, we investigate how instant messaging functions as a tool for supporting articulation work at the hospital. This paper aims to describe the characteristics of instant messaging communication in terms of number and length of messages, distribution over time, and the number of participants included in conversations. We also aim to determine what kind of articulation work is supported by analysing message content. Analysis of one month's worth of instant messages sent through the perioperative coordination and communication system at a Danish hospital. Instant messaging was found to be used extensively for articulation work, mostly through short, simple conversational exchanges. It is used particularly often for communication concerning the patient, specifically, the coordination and logistics of patient care. Instant messaging is used by all actors involved in the perioperative domain. Articulation work and clinical work are hard to separate in a real clinical setting. Predefined messages and strict workflow design do not suffice when supporting communication in the context of collaborative clinical work. Flexibility is of vital importance, and this needs to be reflected in the design of supportive communication systems. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Outpatient blood pressure monitoring using bi-directional text messaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anthony, Chris A; Polgreen, Linnea A; Chounramany, James; Foster, Eric D; Goerdt, Christopher J; Miller, Michelle L; Suneja, Manish; Segre, Alberto M; Carter, Barry L; Polgreen, Philip M

    2015-05-01

    To diagnose hypertension, multiple blood pressure (BP) measurements are recommended. We randomized patients into three groups: EMR-only (patients recorded BP measurements in an electronic medical record [EMR] web portal), EMR + reminders (patients were sent text message reminders to record their BP measurements in the EMR), and bi-directional text messaging (patients were sent a text message asking them to respond with their current BP). Subjects were asked to complete 14 measurements. Automated messages were sent to each patient in the bi-directional text messaging and EMR + reminder groups twice daily. Among 121 patients, those in the bi-directional text messaging group reported the full 14 measurements more often than both the EMR-only group (P text messaging is an effective way to gather patient BP data. Text-message-based reminders alone are an effective way to encourage patients to record BP measurements. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Tracing How Normative Messages May Influence Physical Activity Intention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Bavel, René; Esposito, Gabriele; Baranowski, Tom; Duch-Brown, Néstor

    2017-04-01

    Normative messages have been shown to increase intention to do physical activity. We traced how "positive" and "negative" normative messages influenced physical activity intention by comparing constructs of the model of goal-directed behavior with descriptive norms (MGDB + DNs) across control and treatment groups in an experiment. For this purpose, 16-24-year-old respondents (n = 1,200) in Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania were asked about their age, sex, and levels of physical activity before being exposed to positive and negative normative messages and completing a questionnaire with MGDB + DNs scales. Different MGDB + DNs constructs were influenced by the normative messages: compared with the control, the negative message group showed stronger attitudes (p = .003) and the positive message group showed higher positive anticipated emotions (p = .005). The positive message's effect is consistent with the literature on conformity to social norms. The negative message's effect lends itself to interpretations based on social identity and deviance regulation theories.

  12. Effects of Instant Messaging on School Performance in Adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grover, Karan; Pecor, Keith; Malkowski, Michael; Kang, Lilia; Machado, Sasha; Lulla, Roshni; Heisey, David; Ming, Xue

    2016-06-01

    Instant messaging may compromise sleep quality and school performance in adolescents. We aimed to determine associations between nighttime messaging and daytime sleepiness, self-reported sleep parameters, and/or school performance. Students from 3 high schools in New Jersey completed anonymous questionnaires assessing sleep duration, daytime sleepiness, messaging habits, and academic performance. Of the 2,352 students sampled, 1,537 responses were contrasted among grades, sexes, and messaging duration, both before and after lights out. Students who reported longer duration of messaging after lights out were more likely to report a shorter sleep duration, higher rate of daytime sleepiness, and poorer academic performance. Messaging before lights out was not associated with higher rates of daytime sleepiness or poorer academic performance. Females reported more messaging, more daytime sleepiness, and better academic performance than males. There may be an association between text messaging and school performance in this cohort of students. © The Author(s) 2016.

  13. The WLCG Messaging Service and its Future

    CERN Document Server

    Cons, Lionel

    2012-01-01

    Enterprise messaging is seen as an attractive mechanism to simplify and extend several portions of the Grid middleware, from low level monitoring to experiments dashboards. The production messaging service currently used by WLCG includes four tightly coupled brokers operated by EGI (running Apache ActiveMQ and designed to host the Grid operational tools such as SAM) as well as two dedicated services for ATLAS-DDM and experiments dashboards (currently also running Apache ActiveMQ). In the future, this service is expected to grow in numbers of applications supported, brokers and technologies. The WLCG Messaging Roadmap identified three areas with room for improvement (security, scalability and availability/reliability) as well as ten practical recommendations to address them. This paper describes a messaging service architecture that is in line with these recommendations as well as a software architecture based on reusable components that ease interactions with the messaging service. These two architectures wil...

  14. Usefulness of quantitative determination of cerebral blood flow by 123I-IMP SPECT reference sample method in various cerebrovascular disorders

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fukuda, Tadaharu; Hasegawa, Kouichi; Yamanaka, Shigehito; Hasue, Masamichi; Ohtubo, Yutaka; Wada, Atsushi; Nakanishi, Hisashi; Nakamura, Tatuya; Itou, Hiroshi.

    1992-01-01

    Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was quantitatively determined by N-isopropyl-p-[ 123 I] iodo-amphetamine (IMP) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with a rotating gamma camera. A ZLC 7500 unit (SIEMENS Inc.) was used for emission CT, and a SCINTIPAK-2400 (Shimadzu Corp. Ltd.) for data processing. For the quantitative determination of CBF, arterial blood samples were collected for 5 minutes during the intravenous injection of 111 MBq of IMP, and a reference sample method corrected by time-activity curve was used. The determination was carried out in 90 patients with various cerebrovascular diseases and 5 normal volunteers. Mean cerebral blood flow (m-CBF) in the normal cases as determined by the above method was 42.4±6.0 (ml/100g/min). In patients with acute phase subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), severity on CT was marked in patients with intracerebral hematomas greater than 45 mm in diameter. Patients with non-hemorrhagic arteriovenous malfomation (AVM) whose nidi were 30 mm or more in diameter showed a decrease in CBF on the afferent side. This decrease was caused by a steal phenomenon affecting CBF around the AVM. The size of cerebral infarction on CT was closely correlated with the decrease in CBF, and CBF in patients with stenosis and obstruction of the main trunks was less than that in patients without them. CBF was increased by 10-20% in patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy or superior temporal artery-middle cerebral artery anastomosis for obstruction or stenosis of the internal carotid artery or the middle cerebral artery. The quantitative determination of CBF by IMP SPECT reference sample method was useful for evaluating the morbid condition and estimating the prognosis of cerebrovascular diseases, and evaluating the effects of therapy. (J.P.N.)

  15. Pilot study of psychotherapeutic text messaging for depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pfeiffer, Paul N; Henry, Jennifer; Ganoczy, Dara; Piette, John D

    2017-08-01

    Background Text messaging services could increase access to psychotherapeutic content for individuals with depression by avoiding barriers to in-person psychotherapy such as cost, transportation, and therapist availability. Determining whether text messages reflecting different psychotherapeutic techniques exhibit differences in acceptability or effectiveness may help guide service development. Objectives We aimed to determine: (1) the feasibility of delivering a psychotherapy-based text messaging service to people with depression identified via the internet, (2) whether there is variation in satisfaction with messages according to the type of psychotherapeutic technique they represent, and (3) whether symptoms of depression vary according to receipt of each message type and participants' satisfaction with the messages they received. Methods For this study 190 US adults who screened positive for a major depressive episode (Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) score ≥10) were recruited from online advertisements. Participants received a daily psychotherapy-based text message 6 days per week for 12 weeks. Text messages were developed by a team of psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers to reflect three psychotherapeutic approaches: acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), behavioural activation, and cognitive restructuring. Each week the message type for the week was randomly assigned from one of the three types, allowing for repeats. Participants were asked daily to rate each message. On the 7th day of each week, participants completed a two-item depression screener (PHQ-2). Web-based surveys at baseline, 6, and 12 weeks were used as the primary measure of depressive symptoms (PHQ-9). Results Of the 190 participants enrolled, 85 (45%) completed the 6-week web survey and 67 (35%) completed the 12-week survey. The mean baseline PHQ-9 score was 19.4 (SD 4.2) and there was a statistically significant mean improvement in PHQ-9 scores of -2.9 (SD 6.0; p

  16. Systematic and heuristic processing of majority and minority-endorsed messages: the effects of varying outcome relevance and levels of orientation on attitude and message processing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Robin; Hewstone, Miles; Martin, Pearl Y

    2007-01-01

    Two experiments investigated the conditions under which majority and minority sources instigate systematic processing of their messages. Both experiments crossed source status (majority vs. minority) with message quality (strong vs. weak arguments). In each experiment, message elaboration was manipulated by varying either motivational (outcome relevance, Experiment 1) or cognitive (orientating tasks, Experiment 2) factors. The results showed that when either motivational or cognitive factors encouraged low message elaboration, there was heuristic acceptance of the majority position without detailed message processing. When the level of message elaboration was intermediate, there was message processing only for the minority source. Finally, when message elaboration was high, there was message processing for both source conditions. These results show that majority and minority influence is sensitive to motivational and cognitive factors that constrain or enhance message elaboration and that both sources can lead to systematic processing under specific circumstances.

  17. Video: useful tool for delivering family planning messages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sumarsono, S K

    1985-10-01

    In 1969, the Government of Indonesia declared that the population explosion was a national problem. The National Family Planning Program was consequently launched to encourage adoption of the ideal of a small, happy and prosperous family norm. Micro-approach messages are composed of the following: physiology of menstruation; reproductive process; healthy pregnancy; rational family planning; rational application of contraceptives; infant and child care; nutrition improvement; increase in breastfeeding; increase in family income; education in family life; family health; and deferred marriage age. Macro-approach messages include: the population problem and its impact on socioeconomic aspects; efforts to cope with the population problem; and improvement of women's lot. In utilizing the media and communication channels, the program encourages the implementation of units and working units of IEC to produce IEC materials; utilizes all possible existing media and IEC channels; maintains the consistent linkage between the activity of mass media and the IEC activities in the field; and encourages the private sector to participate in the production of IEC media and materials. A media production center was set up and carries out the following activities: producing video cassettes for tv broadcasts of family planning drama, family planning news, and tv spots; producing duplicates of the video cassettes for distribution to provinces in support of the video network; producing teaching materials for family planning workers; and transfering family planning films into video cassettes. A video network was developed and includes video monitors in family planning service points such as hospitals, family planning clinics and public places like bus stations. In 1985, the program will be expanded by 50 mobile information units equipped with video monitors. Video has potentials to increase the productivity and effectiveness of the family planning program. The video production process is

  18. Development of a methodology for maintenance optimization at Kozloduy NPP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kitchev, E.

    1997-01-01

    The paper presents the overview of a project for development of an applicable strategy and methods for Kozloduy NPP (KNPP) to optimize its maintenance program in order to meet the current risk based maintenance requirements. The strategy in a format of Integrated Maintenance Program (IMP) manual will define the targets of the optimization process, the major stages and elements of this process and their relationships. IMP embodies the aspects of the US NRC Maintenance Rule compliance and facilitates the integration of KNPP programs and processes which impact the plant maintenance and safety. The methods in a format of IMP Instructions (IM-PI) will define how the different IMP stages can be implemented and the IMP targets can be achieved at KNPP environment. (author). 8 refs

  19. Cerebral hemodynamic difference between early- and late-onset Alzheimer's disease by circumferential profile analysis with 123I-IMP brain SPECT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arai, Hisayuki; Hanyu, Haruo; Abe, Shinei; Asano, Tetsuichi; Takasaki, Masaru; Suzuki, Takanari; Abe, Kimihiko; Katsunuma, Hideyo.

    1992-01-01

    We conducted investigation to determine whether early- and late-onset Alzheimer's diseases differ pathophysiologically. Five patients with the early-onset (65 years and under) of the disease and 11 with the late-onset (65 years and over) of the disease were studied by single photon emission CT (SPECT) with N-isopropyl-p-[ 123 I]iodoamphetamine (IMP). Circumferential profile analysis (CPA) was performed to examine differences in the predominant hypoperfusion in the temporoparietal lobe, which is considered to be functionally damaged the most in Alzheimer's disease. The Xm values, calculated from gradients between the motorsensory or occipital cortices and temporoparietal cortex in the circumferential profile curve, were compared in both groups. The Xm values for patients with early- and late-onset Alzheimer's disease were 6.81±2.10 (counts/degree) and 3.28±1.58, respectively, the difference being significant. Our results suggest that functional abnormalities in the temporoparietal area severer in early- than late-onset Alzheimer's disease and that the application of CPA to IMP SPECT is useful to elucidate the pathophysiological difference between each of the disease. (author)

  20. Flow of emotional messages in artificial social networks

    OpenAIRE

    Chmiel, Anna; Holyst, Janusz A.

    2010-01-01

    Models of message flows in an artificial group of users communicating via the Internet are introduced and investigated using numerical simulations. We assumed that messages possess an emotional character with a positive valence and that the willingness to send the next affective message to a given person increases with the number of messages received from this person. As a result, the weights of links between group members evolve over time. Memory effects are introduced, taking into account t...

  1. Understanding health food messages on Twitter for health literacy promotion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, J; Liu, F; Zhou, H

    2018-05-01

    With the popularity of social media, Twitter has become an important tool to promote health literacy. However, many health-related messages on Twitter are dead-ended and cannot reach many people. This is unhelpful for health literacy promotion. This article aims to examine the features of online health food messages that people like to retweet. We adopted rumour theory as our theoretical foundation and extracted seven characteristics (i.e. emotional valence, attractiveness, sender's authoritativeness, external evidence, argument length, hashtags, and direct messages). A total of 10,025 health-related messages on Twitter were collected, and 1496 messages were randomly selected for further analysis. Each message was treated as one unit and then coded. All the hypotheses were tested with logistic regression. Emotional valence, attractiveness, sender's authoritativeness, argument length, and direct messages in a Twitter message had positive effects on people's retweet behaviour. The effect of external evidence was negative. Hashtags had no significant effect after consideration of other variables. Online health food messages containing positive emotions, including pictures, containing direct messages, having an authoritative sender, having longer arguments, or not containing external URLs are more likely to be retweeted. However, a message only containing positive or negative emotions or including direct messages without any support information will not be retweeted.

  2. 78 FR 64202 - Quantitative Messaging Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-10-28

    ... COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION Quantitative Messaging Research AGENCY: Commodity Futures... survey will follow qualitative message testing research (for which CFTC received fast- track OMB approval... comments. Please submit your comments using only one method and identify that it is for the ``Quantitative...

  3. The Prodiguer Messaging Platform

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denvil, S.; Greenslade, M. A.; Carenton, N.; Levavasseur, G.; Raciazek, J.

    2015-12-01

    CONVERGENCE is a French multi-partner national project designed to gather HPC and informatics expertise to innovate in the context of running French global climate models with differing grids and at differing resolutions. Efficient and reliable execution of these models and the management and dissemination of model output are some of the complexities that CONVERGENCE aims to resolve.At any one moment in time, researchers affiliated with the Institut Pierre Simon Laplace (IPSL) climate modeling group, are running hundreds of global climate simulations. These simulations execute upon a heterogeneous set of French High Performance Computing (HPC) environments. The IPSL's simulation execution runtime libIGCM (library for IPSL Global Climate Modeling group) has recently been enhanced so as to support hitherto impossible realtime use cases such as simulation monitoring, data publication, metrics collection, simulation control, visualizations … etc. At the core of this enhancement is Prodiguer: an AMQP (Advanced Message Queue Protocol) based event driven asynchronous distributed messaging platform. libIGCM now dispatches copious amounts of information, in the form of messages, to the platform for remote processing by Prodiguer software agents at IPSL servers in Paris. Such processing takes several forms: Persisting message content to database(s); Launching rollback jobs upon simulation failure; Notifying downstream applications; Automation of visualization pipelines; We will describe and/or demonstrate the platform's: Technical implementation; Inherent ease of scalability; Inherent adaptiveness in respect to supervising simulations; Web portal receiving simulation notifications in realtime.

  4. Safety message broadcast in vehicular networks

    CERN Document Server

    Bi, Yuanguo; Zhuang, Weihua; Zhao, Hai

    2017-01-01

    This book presents the current research on safety message dissemination in vehicular networks, covering medium access control and relay selection for multi-hop safety message broadcast. Along with an overall overview of the architecture, characteristics, and applications of vehicular networks, the authors discuss the challenging issues in the research on performance improvement for safety applications, and provide a comprehensive review of the research literature. A cross layer broadcast protocol is included to support efficient safety message broadcast by jointly considering geographical location, physical-layer channel condition, and moving velocity of vehicles in the highway scenario. To further support multi-hop safety message broadcast in a complex road layout, the authors propose an urban multi-hop broadcast protocol that utilizes a novel forwarding node selection scheme. Additionally, a busy tone based medium access control scheme is designed to provide strict priority to safety applications in vehicle...

  5. Effects of Electronic Word - of - Mouth Messages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Choong Hoon Lim

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available With the increased usage of online technologies, there has been an escalation of Electronic Word - of –Mouth (eWOM messages related to sport products and services offered and consumed. Therefore, in this original investigation by applying eWOM to the sport industry, this study examined how the combination of the quality of the eWOM message and the provider of the eWOM message affects purchaseintentions depending on the expertise level of the consumer. This study – which involved the collection of data from 134 students at a large university situated in the Midwest of the United States – utilized repeated measures of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA with tripartite groups of expertise and experimental conditions as independent variables. Purchase intention was the dependent variables. The results indicated that the quality of the eWOM message moderated the effect of the provider of the eWOM message. The subject’s level of expertise also had a moderating role on purchase intention.

  6. Insights into targeting young male drivers with anti-speeding advertising: An application of the Step approach to Message Design and Testing (SatMDT).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, I; White, K M; Ho, B; Elliott, B; Watson, B

    2017-06-01

    In Australia, young drivers aged 17-25 years comprise 13% of the population yet account for 22% of all road deaths with young males over-represented in such trauma. Speeding represents a major contributing factor and advertising campaigns have long focused on promoting anti-speeding messages in the effort to reduce drivers' speeds. Positioned within a larger program of research aimed at developing, piloting, and evaluating a range of theoretically-informed anti-speeding messages, the current study reports results relating to the final phase of the research, the evaluation. Six messages were devised in accordance with the guiding framework, the Step approach to Message Design and Testing ([SatMDT]; Lewis et al., 2016) and based on the findings emerging from earlier qualitative and quantitative studies within the program of research. N=938 licensed drivers (n=455 males, 48%) aged 17-62 years completed an online survey. To ensure a controlled test of the persuasiveness of the message content, the messages were presented in an audio-based format and thus were devoid of potential confounds, such as images. The messages sought to address a particular belief (i.e., behavioural, normative, control) and to focus either on emphasising the positive aspects which make speeding less likely or challenging the negative aspects which make speeding more likely. Thus, key to this evaluation was to test the persuasiveness of the message content in terms of the particular belief and focus it was addressing. Participants were randomly assigned to either the Control condition (i.e., no exposure to a message) or the Intervention condition (i.e., exposed to one of the six messages presented as an audio-recorded message within the survey). Persuasiveness was assessed via a range of outcome measures including both direct (i.e., third-person perceptions, message rejection) as well as indirect measures (i.e., intentions, willingness to speed). Age, gender, and message type were independent

  7. Labeling of - N-Isopropil - p - I-Anphetamine (IMP-131I) and its biological distribution in rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barboza, M.F. de; Goncalves, R.S.V.; Muramoto, E.

    1988-09-01

    The described labeling and purification preparation of N-Isopropil-p 131 I-anphetamine ( 131 I-IMP) represents a fast and efficient method to obtains a compound that fullfills all criterions of purity for its application 'IN VIVO'. The labeling yield was 68-78% and the radiochemical purity performed by paper chromatography and electrophorese was 97-99%. As demostrated in animal experiments, the cerebral affinity offers a possibility to study brain diseases in clinical studies when the product will be labelled with 123 I. (author) [pt

  8. Individual differences in drivers' cognitive processing of road safety messages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaye, Sherrie-Anne; White, Melanie J; Lewis, Ioni M

    2013-01-01

    Using Gray and McNaughton's (2000) revised reinforcement sensitivity theory (r-RST), we examined the influence of personality on processing of words presented in gain-framed and loss-framed anti-speeding messages and how the processing biases associated with personality influenced message acceptance. The r-RST predicts that the nervous system regulates personality and that behaviour is dependent upon the activation of the behavioural activation system (BAS), activated by reward cues and the fight-flight-freeze system (FFFS), activated by punishment cues. According to r-RST, individuals differ in the sensitivities of their BAS and FFFS (i.e., weak to strong), which in turn leads to stable patterns of behaviour in the presence of rewards and punishments, respectively. It was hypothesised that individual differences in personality (i.e., strength of the BAS and the FFFS) would influence the degree of both message processing (as measured by reaction time to previously viewed message words) and message acceptance (measured three ways by perceived message effectiveness, behavioural intentions, and attitudes). Specifically, it was anticipated that, individuals with a stronger BAS would process the words presented in the gain-frame messages faster than those with a weaker BAS and individuals with a stronger FFFS would process the words presented in the loss-frame messages faster than those with a weaker FFFS. Further, it was expected that greater processing (faster reaction times) would be associated with greater acceptance for that message. Driver licence holding students (N=108) were recruited to view one of four anti-speeding messages (i.e., social gain-frame, social loss-frame, physical gain-frame, and physical loss-frame). A computerised lexical decision task assessed participants' subsequent reaction times to message words, as an indicator of the extent of processing of the previously viewed message. Self-report measures assessed personality and the three message

  9. Reactions to threatening health messages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ten Hoor Gill A

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Threatening health messages that focus on severity are popular, but frequently have no effect or even a counterproductive effect on behavior change. This paradox (i.e. wide application despite low effectiveness may be partly explained by the intuitive appeal of threatening communication: it may be hard to predict the defensive reactions occurring in response to fear appeals. We examine this hypothesis by using two studies by Brown and colleagues, which provide evidence that threatening health messages in the form of distressing imagery in anti-smoking and anti-alcohol campaigns cause defensive reactions. Methods We simulated both Brown et al. experiments, asking participants to estimate the reactions of the original study subjects to the threatening health information (n = 93. Afterwards, we presented the actual original study outcomes. One week later, we assessed whether this knowledge of the actual study outcomes helped participants to more successfully estimate the effectiveness of the threatening health information (n = 72. Results Results showed that participants were initially convinced of the effectiveness of threatening health messages and were unable to anticipate the defensive reactions that in fact occurred. Furthermore, these estimates did not improve after participants had been explained the dynamics of threatening communication as well as what the effects of the threatening communication had been in reality. Conclusions These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the effectiveness of threatening health messages is intuitively appealing. What is more, providing empirical evidence against the use of threatening health messages has very little effect on this intuitive appeal.

  10. Lol: New Language and Spelling in Instant Messaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varnhagen, Connie K.; McFall, G. Peggy; Pugh, Nicole; Routledge, Lisa; Sumida-MacDonald, Heather; Kwong, Trudy E.

    2010-01-01

    Written communication in instant messaging, text messaging, chat, and other forms of electronic communication appears to have generated a "new language" of abbreviations, acronyms, word combinations, and punctuation. In this naturalistic study, adolescents collected their instant messaging conversations for a 1-week period and then completed a…

  11. Parieto-occipital hypoaccumulation of {sup 123}I-IMP in the brain SPECT associated with maternal inheritance of diabetes mellitus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suzuki, Yoshihiko; Atsumi, Yoshihito; Hosokawa, Kazuhiro; Shimada, Akira; Asahina, Takayuki; Matsuoka, Kempei [Saiseikai Central Hospital, Tokyo (Japan); Hata, Takashi; Taniyama, Matsuo

    1997-07-01

    To determine the latent effect of diabetes inheritance on central nervous system, thirty diabetic patients were examined (14 male, 16 female). Seventeen patients had a mother with diabetes, and the other thirteen had non-diabetic mothers. They were previously determined to not have the 3243 mitochondrial tRNA mutation in peripheral leukocytes. Patients were tested for parieto-occipital hypoaccumulation of {sup 123}I-IMP of brain SPECT, a characteristic neurofinding of mitochondrial diabetes mellitus due to the 3243 tRNA mutation. Seven (41.2%) out of 17 subjects with material inheritance had the parieto-occipital abnormality, whereas one (7.7%) out of 13 subjects with non-maternal inheritance had the abnormality. Seventeen (94.4%) out of 18 patients diabetes due to mitochondrial tRNA mutation at position 3243 showed the abnormality. Our results suggest that the material inheritance of diabetes is associated with the hypoaccumulation of {sup 123}I-IMP of brain SPECT. We speculate that, because the patients with maternal inheritance might have subclinical mitochondrial dysfunction due to unknown mitochondrial DNA abnormalities, the mitochondrial DNA abnormality might cause their subclinical brain damage in the parieto-occipital area. (author)

  12. A Novel Message Scheduling Framework for Delay Tolerant Networks Routing

    KAUST Repository

    Elwhishi, Ahmed

    2013-05-01

    Multicopy routing strategies have been considered the most applicable approaches to achieve message delivery in Delay Tolerant Networks (DTNs). Epidemic routing and two-hop forwarding routing are two well-reported approaches for delay tolerant networks routing which allow multiple message replicas to be launched in order to increase message delivery ratio and/or reduce message delivery delay. This advantage, nonetheless, is at the expense of additional buffer space and bandwidth overhead. Thus, to achieve efficient utilization of network resources, it is important to come up with an effective message scheduling strategy to determine which messages should be forwarded and which should be dropped in case of buffer is full. This paper investigates a new message scheduling framework for epidemic and two-hop forwarding routing in DTNs, such that the forwarding/dropping decision can be made at a node during each contact for either optimal message delivery ratio or message delivery delay. Extensive simulation results show that the proposed message scheduling framework can achieve better performance than its counterparts.

  13. The message is the message-maker.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chalkley, A B

    1977-03-01

    For those engaged in family planning or other demographic work of an active kind, serious errors can be made and much money and skill wasted unless there is a clear idea of available means of communication. Literacy and media-diffusion figures offer vague parameters, especially in Asia, and the role of spoken communication -- considered key in "illiterate" societies -- is even more difficult to assess. For mass media, the starting point is "diffusion rates" representing numbers of TV sets owned or newspapers sold per 1000 population and so on -- measures of quantity. This article surveys the population growth rates, urban-rural distribution, educational levels, literacy rates, numbers of newspapers bought, radios and TVs owned (per 1000 population) for 12 Asian countries, and discusses their meaning in terms of media use. Chief among the points made are that print media still have an enormous role to play in the developing countries -- newspaper diffusion rates are quite high, even in countries with low urban population (especially India). The quality of electronic media (too often considered the natural "wave of the future" everywhere) varies but is generally not high. Where they are fully developed their role is vital -- but it might be noted that it is the message makers themselves who are most vital. Choosing the right medium and the proper message for it is essential.

  14. Creating Effective Media Messaging for Rural Smoke-free Policy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riker, Carol A; Butler, Karen M; Ricks, JaNelle M; Record, Rachael A; Begley, Kathy; Anderson, Debra Gay; Hahn, Ellen J

    2015-01-01

    Objectives were to (1) explore perceived effectiveness of existing smoke-free print advertisements in rural communities and (2) generate message content, characteristics, and media delivery channels that resonate with residents. Qualitative methods design. Thirty-nine rural adults recruited by community partners. Content analysis of findings from individuals in four focus groups who participated in general discussion and reviewed eight print ads related to secondhand smoke (SHS) and smoke-free policy. Six content themes were identified: smoking/SHS dangers, worker health, analogies, economic impact, rights, and nostalgia. Seven message characteristics were recognized: short/to the point, large enough to read, graphic images, poignant stories, statistics/charts/graphs, message sender, and messages targeting different groups. Four media delivery channels were considered most effective: local media, technology, billboard messages, and print materials. Seeking input from key informants is essential to reaching rural residents. Use of analogies in media messaging is a distinct contribution to the literature on effective smoke-free campaigns. Other findings support previous studies of effective messaging and delivery channels. Further research is needed to examine effectiveness of themes related to message content in smoke-free ads and delivery strategies. Effective media messaging can lead to policy change in rural communities to reduce exposure to SHS. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Gelman: El salario del impío

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge José Monteleone

    2000-11-01

    Full Text Available En su "Discurso sobre lírica y sociedad", Theodor W Adorno señala que el poema lírico debe presentar un alto "grado de interiorización y una radical individuación". Es decir, que el contenido del poema será tanto más objetivo y motivado socialmente cuanto menos se "tematice" en el la relación entre el yo y la sociedad y que el sujeto estará menos ausente de la forma poética que lo presenta, cuanto mas se sumerja y olvide en la objetividad social del lenguaje. A k luz de esas nociones pueden leerse dos libros de Juan Gelman, que se refieren explícitamente al exilio: Bajo la lluvia ajena (notas al pie de una derrota (1984 y Salarios del impío (1993. Entre uno y otro se percibe una progresiva individuación que permite alcanzar formalmente en el lenguaje poético una eficaz representación imaginaria del hecho histórico opresivo, que elude la reducción temática. Asimismo, la noción de posterioridad, con k cual se reinscribe y reorganiza la significación de un hecho traumático del pasado en un trabajo de la memoria, permitiría revisar aquella célebre advertencia de Adorno según la cual seria imposible escribir poesía después de un genocidio.

  16. Gelman: El salario del impío

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge José Monteleone

    2001-11-01

    Full Text Available En su "Discurso sobre lírica y sociedad", Theodor W Adorno señala que el poema lírico debe presentar un alto "grado de interiorización y una radical individuación". Es decir, que el contenido del poema será tanto más objetivo y motivado socialmente cuanto menos se "tematice" en el la relación entre el yo y la sociedad y que el sujeto estará menos ausente de la forma poética que lo presenta, cuanto mas se sumerja y olvide en la objetividad social del lenguaje. A k luz de esas nociones pueden leerse dos libros de Juan Gelman, que se refieren explícitamente al exilio: Bajo la lluvia ajena (notas al pie de una derrota (1984 y Salarios del impío (1993. Entre uno y otro se percibe una progresiva individuación que permite alcanzar formalmente en el lenguaje poético una eficaz representación imaginaria del hecho histórico opresivo, que elude la reducción temática. Asimismo, la noción de posterioridad, con k cual se reinscribe y reorganiza la significación de un hecho traumático del pasado en un trabajo de la memoria, permitiría revisar aquella célebre advertencia de Adorno según la cual seria imposible escribir poesía después de un genocidio.

  17. Text messaging among residents and faculty in a university general surgery residency program: prevalence, purpose, and patient care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Dhruvil R; Galante, Joseph M; Bold, Richard J; Canter, Robert J; Martinez, Steve R

    2013-01-01

    There is little information about the use of text messaging (texting) devices among resident and faculty physicians for patient-related care (PRC). To determine the prevalence, frequency, purpose, and concerns regarding texting among resident and attending surgeons and to identify factors associated with PRC texting. E-mail survey. University medical center and its affiliated hospitals. Surgery resident and attending staff. Prevalence, frequency, purpose, and concerns regarding patient-related care text messaging. Overall, 73 (65%) surveyed physicians responded, including 45 resident (66%) and 28 attending surgeons (62%). All respondents owned a texting device. Majority of surgery residents (88%) and attendings (71%) texted residents, whereas only 59% of residents and 65% of attendings texted other faculty. Most resident to resident text occurred at a frequency of 3-5 times/d (43%) compared with most attending to resident texts, which occurred 1-2 times/d (33%). Most resident to attending (25%) and attending to attending (30%) texts occurred 1-2 times/d. Among those that texted, PRC was the most frequently reported purpose for resident to resident (46%), resident to attending (64%), attending to resident (82%), and attending to other attending staff (60%) texting. Texting was the most preferred method to communicate about routine PRC (47% of residents vs 44% of attendings). Age (OR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.79-0.95; p = 0.003), but not sex, specialty/clinical rotation, academic rank, or postgraduate year (PGY) level predicted PRC texting. Most resident and attending staff surveyed utilize texting, mostly for PRC. Texting was preferred for communicating routine PRC information. Our data may facilitate the development of guidelines for the appropriate use of PRC texting. Copyright © 2013 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Extracting messages masked by chaos

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perez, G.; Cerdeira, H.A.

    1995-01-01

    We show how to extract messages that are masked by a chaotic signal in a system of two Lorenz oscillators. This mask removal is done for two different modes of transmission, a digital one where a parameter of the sender is switched between two values, and an analog mode, where a small amplitude message is added to the carrier signal. We achieve this without using a second Lorenz oscillator as receiver, and without doing a full reconstruction of the dynamics. This method is robust with respect to transformations that impede the unmasking using a Lorenz receiver, and is not affected by the broad-band noise that is inherent to the synchronization process. We also discuss the limitations of this way of extraction for messages in high frequency bands. (author). 12 refs, 4 figs

  19. Flow of Emotional Messages in Artificial Social Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chmiel, Anna; Hołyst, Janusz A.

    Models of message flows in an artificial group of users communicating via the Internet are introduced and investigated using numerical simulations. We assumed that messages possess an emotional character with a positive valence and that the willingness to send the next affective message to a given person increases with the number of messages received from this person. As a result, the weights of links between group members evolve over time. Memory effects are introduced, taking into account that the preferential selection of message receivers depends on the communication intensity during the recent period only. We also model the phenomenon of secondary social sharing when the reception of an emotional e-mail triggers the distribution of several emotional e-mails to other people.

  20. Increasing the response rate of text messaging data collection: a delayed randomized controlled trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Ye; Wang, Wei; Wu, Qiong; van Velthoven, Michelle Helena; Chen, Li; Du, Xiaozhen; Zhang, Yanfeng; Rudan, Igor; Car, Josip

    2015-01-01

    Objective To test the effectiveness of multiple interventions on increasing the response rate of text messaging for longitudinal data collection. Methods Our cohort included 283 caregivers of children aged 6–12 months who were participating in an anemia program in rural China. Using text messages to collect data on anemia medication adherence, we conducted a delayed randomized controlled trial to test multiple interventions (an additional four reminders; a ¥5.0 (US$0.79) credit reward for replying; and a feedback text message). After a 6-week pilot study with week 7 as the baseline measurement, we randomly allocated all participants into two groups: group 1 (n = 142) and group 2 (n = 141). During weeks 8–11, we introduced the interventions to group 1, and in weeks 12–15 the intervention was introduced to both groups. We compared the response rates between groups and explored factors affecting the response rate. Results During weeks 8–11, the response rates in group 1 increased and were significantly higher than in group 2 (p0.05) and slightly decreased in group 1. Younger participants or participants who had children with lower hemoglobin concentration were more likely to reply (p = 0.02). Sending four reminders on the second day contributed to only 286 (11.7%) extra text messages. Discussion Our study showed that multiple interventions were effective in increasing response rate of text messaging data collection in rural China. Conclusions Larger multi-site studies are needed to find the most effective way of using these interventions to allow usage of text messaging data collection for health research. PMID:25332355

  1. Subtle Messages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tamplin de Poinsot, Nan

    1999-01-01

    Describes a self-portrait assignment inspired by the work of Frida Kahlo. Discusses Frida Kahlo's artwork and use of surrealist and symbolist views. States that each student had to incorporate personal symbolism in the portrait to convey a message about him or herself in a subtle manner. (CMK)

  2. Art messaging to engage homeless young adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nyamathi, Adeline; Slagle, Alexandra; Thomas, Alexandra; Hudson, Angela; Kahilifard, Farinaz; Avila, Glenna; Orser, Julie; Cuchilla, Manuel

    2011-01-01

    Art has been shown to be an empowering and engaging entity with numerous benefits to vulnerable populations, including the homeless persons and young adults. However, little is known how homeless young adults perceive the use of art as messages that can communicate the danger of initiating or continuing drug and alcohol use. The purpose of this study was to solicit perspectives of homeless, drug-using young adults as to how art can be used to design messages for their peers about the danger of initiating or continuing drug and alcohol use. Qualitative methodology via focus group discussions was utilized to engage 24 homeless young adults enrolled from a drop-in site in Santa Monica, California. The findings revealed support for a myriad of delivery styles, including in-person communication, flyers, music, documentary film, and creative writing. The young adults also provided insight into the importance of the thematic framework of messages. Such themes ranged from empowering and hopeful messages to those designed to scare young homeless adults into not experimenting with drugs. The findings indicate that in addition to messages communicating the need to prevent or reduce drug and alcohol use, homeless young adults respond to messages that remind them of goals and dreams they once had for their future, and to content that is personal, real, and truthful. Our research indicates that messages that reinforce protective factors such as hope for the future and self-esteem may be as important to homeless young adults as information about the risks and consequences of drug use.

  3. Rethinking Risk: Prospect Theory Application in Health Message Framing Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrington, Nancy Grant; Kerr, Anna M

    2017-02-01

    Although prospect theory conceptualizes risk as uncertainty, health message framing research based on the theory typically conceptualizes risk as severity. This study reports the results of two experiments designed to explore these alternative conceptualizations of risk and their effect on health decision making. Participants (N 1  = 768, N 2  = 532) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions that presented a hypothetical scenario of a sexually transmitted disease (STD) outbreak. The conditions were defined by message prompt (deadly vs. easily curable STD) and response option frame (gain vs. loss). Participants selected which of two programs (certain outcome vs. uncertain outcome) they would prefer to combat the outbreak. Across both experiments, participants expressed strong preferences for certain (low risk) outcomes in the gain-framed conditions and no preferences in the loss-framed conditions. These differences held regardless of the consequence severity of the scenario. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these results and offer directions for future research.

  4. A qualitative study of college student responses to conflicting messages in advertising: anti-binge drinking public service announcements versus wine promotion health messages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahn, Ho-Young; Wu, Lei; Kelly, Stephanie; Haley, Eric

    2011-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate how college students deal with conflicting health messages in advertising regarding binge drinking and wine promotion. Phenomenological in-depth long interviews were conducted beyond the point of redundancy (N = 16). The results of this study indicated that students' meaning making regarding the conflicting messages relied greatly upon how consistent either message was with their prior beliefs about alcohol. Additionally, not all students perceived the messages to be contradictory; these students saw the messages as being constructed for different purposes and as such incomparable. Overall, students who perceived conflict responded to the topic with apathy fueled by advertising skepticism. Employing qualitative methodology to understand how college students respond to conflicting messages will assist health promotion practitioners develop more effective alcohol abuse prevention messages and provide suggestions for researchers for studying this phenomenon from other perspectives in the future. Implications are further discussed within.

  5. Military Message Experiment. Volume II.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1982-04-01

    elements of the Department of Defense. This resulted in a memorandum from the Director, Telecomunications and Comand and Control, OSD, in June 1975...1978 to April 1979 and provides a discussion of the telecomunications inter- face aspects of the experiment. This Final Report covers the period of...arise in the telecomunication system which require A retransmission of an outgoing message. A "service" message may be created within the

  6. Enhancing community knowledge and health behaviors to eliminate blinding trachoma in Mali using radio messaging as a strategy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bamani, Sanoussi; Toubali, Emily; Diarra, Sadio; Goita, Seydou; Berté, Zana; Coulibaly, Famolo; Sangaré, Hama; Tuinsma, Marjon; Zhang, Yaobi; Dembelé, Benoit; Melvin, Palesa; MacArthur, Chad

    2013-04-01

    The National Blindness Prevention Program in Mali has broadcast messages on the radio about trachoma as part of the country's trachoma elimination strategy since 2008. In 2011, a radio impact survey using multi-stage cluster sampling was conducted in the regions of Kayes and Segou to assess radio listening habits, coverage of the broadcasts, community knowledge and behavior specific to trachoma and facial cleanliness of children. Radio access and listening were high, with 60% of respondents having heard a message on the radio about trachoma. The majority of respondents knew about trachoma, its root causes, its impact on health and prevention measures. Additionally, 66% reported washing their children's faces more than or equal to twice/day and 94% reported latrine disposal of feces. A high percentage of persons who gave a positive response to knowledge and behavior questions reported hearing the trachoma messages on the radio with 60% reporting that the radio is where they learned about trachoma. There was no significant difference in facial cleanliness when comparing children whose primary caregiver had/had not heard the trachoma messages. Next steps include revising the current messages to include more focused behavior change messaging and to engage in a more robust use of community radios.

  7. Choreographic Programming

    OpenAIRE

    Montesi, Fabrizio

    2014-01-01

    Choreographies are descriptions of distributed systems where the developer gives a global view of how messages are exchanged by endpoint nodes (endpoints for short), instead of separately defining the behaviour of each endpoint. They have a significant impact on the quality of software, as they offer a concise view of the message flows enacted by a system. For this reason, in the last decade choreographies have been used in the development of programming languages, giving rise to a programmin...

  8. The efficacy of mobile phone-based text message interventions (‘Happy Quit’ for smoking cessation in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yanhui Liao

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Considering the extreme shortage of smoking cessation services in China, and the acceptability, feasibility and efficacy of mobile phone-based text message interventions for quitting smoking in other countries, here we propose a study of “the efficacy of mobile phone-based text message interventions (‘Happy Quit’ for smoking cessation in China”. The primary objective of this proposed project is to assess whether a program of widely accessed mobile phone-based text message interventions (‘Happy Quit’ will be effective at helping people in China who smoke, to quit. Based on the efficacy of previous studies in smoking cessation, we hypothesize that ‘Happy Quit’ will be an effective, feasible and affordable smoking cessation program in China. Methods/Design In this single-blind, randomized trial, undertaken in China, about 2000 smokers willing to make a quit attempt will be randomly allocated, using an independent telephone randomization system that includes a minimization algorithm balancing for sex (male, female, age (19–34 or >34 years, educational level (≤ or >12 years, and Fagerstrom score for nicotine addiction (≤5, >5, to ‘Happy Quit’, comprising motivational messages and behavioral-change support, or to a control group that receives text messages unrelated to quitting. Messages will be developed to be suitable for Chinese. A pilot study will be conducted before the intervention to modify the library of messages and interventions. The primary outcome will be self-reported continuous smoking abstinence. A secondary outcome will be point prevalence of abstinence. Abstinence will be assessed at six time points (4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 weeks post-intervention. A third outcome will be reductions in number of cigarettes smoked per day. Discussion/Implications The results will provide valuable insights into bridging the gap between need and services received for smoking cessation interventions and

  9. Soft real-time alarm messages for ATLAS TDAQ

    Science.gov (United States)

    Darlea, G.; Al Shabibi, A.; Martin, B.; Lehmann Miotto, G.

    2010-05-01

    The ATLAS TDAQ network consists of three separate Ethernet-based networks (Data, Control and Management) with over 2000 end-nodes. The TDAQ system has to be aware of the meaningful network failures and events in order for it to take effective recovery actions. The first stage of the process is implemented with Spectrum, a commercial network management tool. Spectrum detects and registers all network events, then it publishes the information via a CORBA programming interface. A gateway program (called NSG—Network Service Gateway) connects to Spectrum through CORBA and exposes to its clients a Java RMI interface. This interface implements a callback mechanism that allows the clients to subscribe for monitoring "interesting" parts of the network. The last stage of the TDAQ network monitoring tool is implemented in a module named DNC (DAQ to Network Connection), which filters the events that are to be reported to the TDAQ system: it subscribes to the gateway only for the machines that are currently active in the system and it forwards only the alarms that are considered important for the current TDAQ data taking session. The network information is then synthesized and presented in a human-readable format. These messages can be further processed either by the shifter who is in charge, the network expert or the Online Expert System. This article aims to describe the different mechanisms of the chain that transports the network events to the front-end user, as well as the constraints and rules that govern the filtering and the final format of the alarm messages.

  10. Soft real-time alarm messages for ATLAS TDAQ

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Darlea, G.; Al Shabibi, A.; Martin, B.; Lehmann Miotto, G.

    2010-01-01

    The ATLAS TDAQ network consists of three separate Ethernet-based networks (Data, Control and Management) with over 2000 end-nodes. The TDAQ system has to be aware of the meaningful network failures and events in order for it to take effective recovery actions. The first stage of the process is implemented with Spectrum, a commercial network management tool. Spectrum detects and registers all network events, then it publishes the information via a CORBA programming interface. A gateway program (called NSG-Network Service Gateway) connects to Spectrum through CORBA and exposes to its clients a Java RMI interface. This interface implements a callback mechanism that allows the clients to subscribe for monitoring 'interesting' parts of the network. The last stage of the TDAQ network monitoring tool is implemented in a module named DNC (DAQ to Network Connection), which filters the events that are to be reported to the TDAQ system: it subscribes to the gateway only for the machines that are currently active in the system and it forwards only the alarms that are considered important for the current TDAQ data taking session. The network information is then synthesized and presented in a human-readable format. These messages can be further processed either by the shifter who is in charge, the network expert or the Online Expert System. This article aims to describe the different mechanisms of the chain that transports the network events to the front-end user, as well as the constraints and rules that govern the filtering and the final format of the alarm messages.

  11. Soft real-time alarm messages for ATLAS TDAQ

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Darlea, G., E-mail: georgiana.lavinia.darlea@cern.c [CERN, Geneva (Switzerland); Al Shabibi, A.; Martin, B.; Lehmann Miotto, G. [CERN, Geneva (Switzerland)

    2010-05-21

    The ATLAS TDAQ network consists of three separate Ethernet-based networks (Data, Control and Management) with over 2000 end-nodes. The TDAQ system has to be aware of the meaningful network failures and events in order for it to take effective recovery actions. The first stage of the process is implemented with Spectrum, a commercial network management tool. Spectrum detects and registers all network events, then it publishes the information via a CORBA programming interface. A gateway program (called NSG-Network Service Gateway) connects to Spectrum through CORBA and exposes to its clients a Java RMI interface. This interface implements a callback mechanism that allows the clients to subscribe for monitoring 'interesting' parts of the network. The last stage of the TDAQ network monitoring tool is implemented in a module named DNC (DAQ to Network Connection), which filters the events that are to be reported to the TDAQ system: it subscribes to the gateway only for the machines that are currently active in the system and it forwards only the alarms that are considered important for the current TDAQ data taking session. The network information is then synthesized and presented in a human-readable format. These messages can be further processed either by the shifter who is in charge, the network expert or the Online Expert System. This article aims to describe the different mechanisms of the chain that transports the network events to the front-end user, as well as the constraints and rules that govern the filtering and the final format of the alarm messages.

  12. 19 CFR 4.7d - Container status messages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Container status messages. 4.7d Section 4.7d... TREASURY VESSELS IN FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC TRADES Arrival and Entry of Vessels § 4.7d Container status messages. (a) Container status messages required. In addition to the advance filing requirements pursuant...

  13. Identifying spam e-mail messages using an intelligence algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Parichehr Ghaedi

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available During the past few years, there have been growing interests in using email for delivering various types of messages such as social, financial, etc. There are also people who use email messages to promote products and services or even to do criminal activities called Spam email. These unwanted messages are sent to different target population for different purposes and there is a growing interest to develop methods to filter such email messages. This paper presents a method to filter Spam email messages based on the keyword pattern. In this article, a multi-agent filter trade based on the Bayes rule, which has benefit of using the users’ interest, keywords and investigation the message content according to its topic, has been used. Then Nested Neural Network has been used to detect the spam messages. To check the authenticity of this proposed method, we test it for a couple of email messages, so that it could determine spams and hams from each other, effectively. The result shows the superiority of this method over the previous ones including filters with Multi-Layer Perceptron that detect spams.

  14. Short Message Service (SMS) Texting Symbols: A Functional Analysis of 10,000 Cellular Phone Text Messages

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beasley, Robert E.

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of symbolic expressions (e.g., "BTW," "LOL," "UR") in an SMS text messaging corpus consisting of over 10,000 text messages. More specifically, the purpose was to determine, not only how frequently these symbolic expressions are used, but how they are utilized in terms of the language functions…

  15. How consumers evaluate eWOM (electronic word-of-mouth) messages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doh, Sun-Jae; Hwang, Jang-Sun

    2009-04-01

    This experiment explored how consumers evaluate electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) messages about products. Each participant was exposed a 10-message set in a single board. Five groups were manipulated in terms of their ratios of positive and negative messages. The result showed significant differences across various sets of eWOM messages. Although more positive sets showed higher scores in many cases, this was not true in all situations, especially for the case of credibility. Involvement and prior knowledge partially moderated the relationship between the ratio of messages and the eWOM effect. The credibility of Web sites and eWOM messages can be damaged in the long run if all of the eWOM messages are positive.

  16. An Optimal Non-Interactive Message Authentication Protocol

    OpenAIRE

    Pasini, Sylvain; Vaudenay, Serge

    2006-01-01

    Vaudenay recently proposed a message authentication protocol which is interactive and based on short authenticated strings (SAS). We study here SAS-based non-interactive message authentication protocols (NIMAP). We start by the analysis of two popular non-interactive message authentication protocols. The first one is based on a collision-resistant hash function and was presented by Balfanz et al. The second protocol is based on a universal hash function family and was proposed by Gehrmann, Mi...

  17. Text messaging-based smoking cessation intervention: a narrative review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kong, Grace; Ells, Daniel M; Camenga, Deepa R; Krishnan-Sarin, Suchitra

    2014-05-01

    Smoking cessation interventions delivered via text messaging on mobile phones may enhance motivations to quit smoking. The goal of this narrative review is to describe the text messaging interventions' theoretical contents, frequency and duration, treatment outcome, and sample characteristics such as age and motivation to quit, to better inform the future development of this mode of intervention. Studies were included if text messaging was primarily used to deliver smoking cessation intervention and published in English in a peer-reviewed journal. All articles were coded by two independent raters to determine eligibility and to extract data. Twenty-two studies described 15 text messaging interventions. About half of the interventions recruited adults (ages 30-40) and the other half targeted young adults (ages 18-29). Fourteen interventions sent text messages during the quit phase, 10 had a preparation phase and eight had a maintenance phase. The number of text messages and the duration of the intervention varied. All used motivational messages grounded in social cognitive behavioral theories, 11 used behavioral change techniques, and 14 used individually tailored messages. Eleven interventions also offered other smoking cessation tools. Three interventions yielded smoking cessation outcomes greater than the control condition. The proliferation of text messaging in recent years suggests that text messaging interventions may have the potential to improve smoking cessation rates. Detailed summary of the interventions suggests areas for future research and clinical application. More rigorous studies are needed to identify components of the interventions that can enhance their acceptability, feasibility and efficacy. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  18. Preference for gain- or loss-framed electronic cigarette prevention messages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kong, Grace; Cavallo, Dana A; Camenga, Deepa R; Morean, Meghan E; Krishnan-Sarin, Suchitra

    2016-11-01

    Effective electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) prevention messages are needed to combat the rising popularity/uptake of e-cigarettes among youth. We examined preferences for e-cigarette prevention messages that either emphasized gains (e.g., You save money by not using e-cigarettes) or losses (e.g., You spend money by using e-cigarettes) among adolescents and young adults. Using surveys in two middle schools, four high schools, and one college in CT (N=5405), we assessed students' preferences for gain- or loss-framed e-cigarette prevention messages related to four themes: financial cost, health risks, addiction potential, and social labeling as a smoker. We also assessed whether preferences for each message framing theme differed by sex, school level, cigarette-use status, and e-cigarette use-status. We also examined whether preference for message framing differed by cigarette and e-cigarette susceptibility status among never e-cigarette users. Overall, loss-framing was preferred for message themes related to health risks, addiction potential, and social labeling as a smoker, whereas gain-framing was preferred for message themes related to financial cost. Logistic regression analyses showed that 1) females preferred loss-framed messages for all themes relative to males, 2) lifetime e-cigarette users preferred loss-framed health risks and social labeling messages relative to never users, and 3) high school students preferred gain-framed social labeling messages relative to college students. The preference for message framing did not differ by cigarette or e-cigarette susceptibility. Preference for message framing differed by themes and individual characteristics. This formative research could inform the construction of persuasive e-cigarette prevention messages. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  19. The ETA-II linear induction accelerator and IMP wiggler: A high-average-power millimeter-wave free-electron-laser for plasma heating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allen, S.L.; Scharlemann, E.T.

    1992-05-01

    We have constructed a 140-GHz free-electron laser to generate high-average-power microwaves for heating the MTX tokamak plasma. A 5.5-m steady-state wiggler (intense Microwave Prototype-IMP) has been installed at the end of the upgraded 60-cell ETA-II accelerator, and is configured as an FEL amplifier for the output of a 140-GHz long-pulse gyrotron. Improvements in the ETA-II accelerator include a multicable-feed power distribution network, better magnetic alignment using a stretched-wire alignment technique (SWAT). and a computerized tuning algorithm that directly minimizes the transverse sweep (corkscrew motion) of the electron beam. The upgrades were first tested on the 20-cell, 3-MeV front end of ETA-II and resulted in greatly improved energy flatness and reduced corkscrew motion. The upgrades were then incorporated into the full 60-cell configuration of ETA-II, along with modifications to allow operation in 50-pulse bursts at pulse repetition frequencies up to 5 kHz. The pulse power modifications were developed and tested on the High Average Power Test Stand (HAPTS), and have significantly reduced the voltage and timing jitter of the MAG 1D magnetic pulse compressors. The 2-3 kA. 6-7 MeV beam from ETA-II is transported to the IMP wiggler, which has been reconfigured as a laced wiggler, with both permanent magnets and electromagnets, for high magnetic field operation. Tapering of the wiggler magnetic field is completely computer controlled and can be optimized based on the output power. The microwaves from the FEL are transmitted to the MTX tokamak by a windowless quasi-optical microwave transmission system. Experiments at MTX are focused on studies of electron-cyclotron-resonance heating (ECRH) of the plasma. We summarize here the accelerator and pulse power modifications, and describe the status of ETA-II, IMP, and MTX operations

  20. The ETA-II linear induction accelerator and IMP wiggler: A high-average-power millimeter-wave free-electron laser for plasma heating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allen, S.L.; Scharlemann, E.T.

    1993-01-01

    The authors have constructed a 140-GHz free-electron laser to generate high-average-power microwaves for heating the MTX tokamak plasma. A 5.5-m steady-state wiggler (Intense Microwave, Prototype-IMP) has been installed at the end of the upgraded 60-cell ETA-II accelerator, and is configured as an FEL amplifier for the output of a 140-GHz long-pulse gyrotron. Improvements in the ETA-II accelerator include a multicable-feed power distribution network, better magnetic alignment using a stretched-wire alignment technique (SWAT), and a computerized tuning algorithm that directly minimizes the transverse sweep (corkscrew motion) of the electron beam. The upgrades were first tested on the 20-cell, 3-MeV front end of ETA-II and resulted in greatly improved energy flatness and reduced corkscrew motion. The upgrades were then incorporated into the full 60-cell configuration of ETA-II, along with modifications to allow operation in 50-pulse bursts at pulse repetition frequencies up to 5 kHz. The pulse power modifications were developed and tested on the High Average Power Test Stand (HAPTS), and have significantly reduced the voltage and timing jitter of the MAG 1D magnetic pulse compressors. The 2-3 kA, 6-7 MeV beam from ETA-II is transported to the IMP wiggler, which has been reconfigured as a laced wiggler, with both permanent magnets and electromagnets, for high magnetic field operation. Tapering of the wiggler magnetic field is completely computer controlled and can be optimized based on the output power. The microwaves from the FEL are transmitted to the MTX tokamak by a windowless quasi-optical microwave transmission system. Experiments at MTX are focused on studies of electron-cyclotron-resonance heating (ECRH) of the plasma. The authors summarize here the accelerator and pulse power modifications, and describe the status of ETA-II, IMP, and MTX operations

  1. Quantum messages with signatures forgeable in arbitrated quantum signature schemes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Taewan; Choi, Jeong Woon; Jho, Nam-Su; Lee, Soojoon

    2015-01-01

    Even though a method to perfectly sign quantum messages has not been known, the arbitrated quantum signature scheme has been considered as one of the good candidates. However, its forgery problem has been an obstacle to the scheme becoming a successful method. In this paper, we consider one situation, which is slightly different from the forgery problem, that we use to check whether at least one quantum message with signature can be forged in a given scheme, although all the messages cannot be forged. If there are only a finite number of forgeable quantum messages in the scheme, then the scheme can be secured against the forgery attack by not sending forgeable quantum messages, and so our situation does not directly imply that we check whether the scheme is secure against the attack. However, if users run a given scheme without any consideration of forgeable quantum messages, then a sender might transmit such forgeable messages to a receiver and in such a case an attacker can forge the messages if the attacker knows them. Thus it is important and necessary to look into forgeable quantum messages. We show here that there always exists such a forgeable quantum message-signature pair for every known scheme with quantum encryption and rotation, and numerically show that there are no forgeable quantum message-signature pairs that exist in an arbitrated quantum signature scheme. (paper)

  2. Regional cerebral blood flow in Parkinson's disease by [sup 123]I-IMP SPECT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kitamura, Yoshihiro [Okayama Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine

    1994-06-01

    Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was evaluated in 63 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) by single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) using N-isopropyl-p-[sup 123]I-iodoamphetamine ([sup 123]I-IMP) as a tracer. Evaluation of the SPECT images was performed in accordance with the rCBF quantification method using a microsphere model. Patients in stage IV demonstrated significantly lower rCBF than those in stage II at the frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital regions and in the thalamus and cerebellum. Subjects with mental symptoms demonstrated decreased rCBF in every region in the brain. The present study indicates that clinical exacerbation and manifestation of dementia and other psychiatric symptoms in Parkinson's disease are associated with decreased blood flow in various brain regions. (author).

  3. Countering Islamic State Messaging Through “Linkage-Based” Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J.M. Berger

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The Islamic State’s recent losses on the battlefield, including significant casualties within its media and propaganda division, offer a unique opportunity to inject competing and alternative messages into the information space. This paper proposes that the content of such messages should be guided by a linkage-based analysis of existing Islamic State messaging. A linkage-based analysis of a top-level 2017 audio message by Islamic State spokesperson Abu Hasan al Muhajir offers several potential insights into crafting effective content for competing and alternative messages. A comparison of the 2017 work to earlier Islamic State messaging also reveals specific opportunities to undermine the credibility of the organisation’s broader propaganda programme by highlighting the organisation’s repeated failure to follow through on its extravagantly promised commitment to achieving its stated goals.

  4. RSA Key Development Using Fingerprint Image on Text Message

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahman, Sayuti; Triana, Indah; Khairani, Sumi; Yasir, Amru; Sundari, Siti

    2017-12-01

    Along with the development of technology today, humans are very facilitated in accessing information and Communicate with various media, including through the Internet network . Messages are sent by media such as text are not necessarily guaranteed security. it is often found someone that wants to send a secret message to the recipient, but the messages can be known by irresponsible people. So the sender feels dissappointed because the secret message that should be known only to the recipient only becomes known by the irresponsible people . It is necessary to do security the message by using the RSA algorithm, Using fingerprint image to generate RSA key.This is a solution to enrich the security of a message,it is needed to process images firstly before generating RSA keys with feature extraction.

  5. Programming Web Services with SOAP

    CERN Document Server

    Snell, James L; Kulchenko, Pavel

    2002-01-01

    The web services architecture provides a new way to think about and implement application-to-application integration and interoperability that makes the development platform irrelevant. Two applications, regardless of operating system, programming language, or any other technical implementation detail, communicate using XML messages over open Internet protocols such as HTTP or SMTP. The Simple Open Access Protocol (SOAP) is a specification that details how to encode that information and has become the messaging protocol of choice for Web services.Programming Web Services with SOAP is a detail

  6. Hybrid Message-Embedded Cipher Using Logistic Map

    OpenAIRE

    Mishra, Mina; Mankar, V. H.

    2012-01-01

    The proposed hybrid message embedded scheme consists of hill cipher combined with message embedded chaotic scheme. Message-embedded scheme using non-linear feedback shift register as non-linear function and 1-D logistic map as chaotic map is modified, analyzed and tested for avalanche property and strength against known plaintext attack and brute-force attack. Parameter of logistic map acts as a secret key. As we know that the minimum key space to resist brute-force attack is 2100, and it is ...

  7. Messages about Sexuality: An Ecological Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boone, Tanya L.

    2015-01-01

    The goal of this two-part study was to identify the perceived influence of sexuality messages from parents, peers, school and the media--four microsystems within the Ecological Model--on emerging adult US college women's sexual attitudes. Findings suggest that parents were the most likely source of the message to "remain abstinent until…

  8. Real Time Assessment of Young Adults' Attitudes toward Tobacco Messages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hébert, Emily T; Vandewater, Elizabeth A; Businelle, Michael S; Harrell, Melissa B; Kelder, Steven H; Perry, Cheryl L

    2018-01-01

    We used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to examine young adults' attitudes towards pro-tobacco messages encountered in real time and their association with intentions to use tobacco. Young adults (N = 92, ages 18-29) recorded sightings of marketing or social media related to tobacco in real time via mobile app for 28 days. Participants reported message characteristics, their attitudes towards the message, and intentions to use the depicted product for each submission. We used generalized linear mixed models to examine factors related to attitude towards message and intentions to use tobacco. Messages depicting e-cigarettes (p < .001) or hookah (p < .05) were associated with significantly more favorable attitudes compared with traditional cigarettes. Positive attitude towards the message was significantly associated with intention to use the depicted product (p < .001). Messages depicting e-cigarettes and hookah were significantly associated with higher intention to use. Message source was not significantly related to attitudes towards the message or product use intentions. Marketing featuring e-cigarettes and hookah is an important target for future regulation. Given that pro-tobacco and e-cigarette messages are prevalent online, future research should consider the Internet and social media as important venues for counter-marketing and intervention efforts.

  9. Alternative Data Storage Solution for Mobile Messaging Services

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David C. C. Ong

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, mobile devices have become relatively more powerful with additional features which have the capability to provide multimedia streaming. Better, faster and more reliable data storage solutions in the mobile messaging platform have become more essential with these additional improvements. The existing mobile messaging infrastructure, in particular the data storage platform has become less proficient in coping with the increased demand for its services. This demand especially in the mobile messaging area (i.e. SMS – Short Messaging Service, MMS – Multimedia Messaging Service, which may well exceeded 250,000 requests per second, means that the need to evaluate competing data management systems has become not only necessary but essential. This paper presents an evaluation of SMS and MMS platforms using different database management systems – DBMS and recommends the best data management strategies for these platforms.

  10. Social media for message testing: a multilevel approach to linking favorable viewer responses with message, producer, and viewer influence on YouTube.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paek, Hye-Jin; Hove, Thomas; Jeon, Jehoon

    2013-01-01

    To explore the feasibility of social media for message testing, this study connects favorable viewer responses to antismoking videos on YouTube with the videos' message characteristics (message sensation value [MSV] and appeals), producer types, and viewer influences (viewer rating and number of viewers). Through multilevel modeling, a content analysis of 7,561 viewer comments on antismoking videos is linked with a content analysis of 87 antismoking videos. Based on a cognitive response approach, viewer comments are classified and coded as message-oriented thought, video feature-relevant thought, and audience-generated thought. The three mixed logit models indicate that videos with a greater number of viewers consistently increased the odds of favorable viewer responses, while those presenting humor appeals decreased the odds of favorable message-oriented and audience-generated thoughts. Some significant interaction effects show that videos produced by laypeople may hinder favorable viewer responses, while a greater number of viewer comments can work jointly with videos presenting threat appeals to predict favorable viewer responses. Also, for a more accurate understanding of audience responses to the messages, nuance cues should be considered together with message features and viewer influences.

  11. Cloning and characterization of the gene encoding IMP dehydrogenase from Arabidopsis thaliana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collart, F R; Osipiuk, J; Trent, J; Olsen, G J; Huberman, E

    1996-10-03

    We have cloned and characterized the gene encoding inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) from Arabidopsis thaliana (At). The transcription unit of the At gene spans approximately 1900 bp and specifies a protein of 503 amino acids with a calculated relative molecular mass (M(r)) of 54,190. The gene is comprised of a minimum of four introns and five exons with all donor and acceptor splice sequences conforming to previously proposed consensus sequences. The deduced IMPDH amino-acid sequence from At shows a remarkable similarity to other eukaryotic IMPDH sequences, with a 48% identity to human Type II enzyme. Allowing for conservative substitutions, the enzyme is 69% similar to human Type II IMPDH. The putative active-site sequence of At IMPDH conforms to the IMP dehydrogenase/guanosine monophosphate reductase motif and contains an essential active-site cysteine residue.

  12. Cerebral perfusion changes in traumatic diffuse brain injury. IMP SPECT studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ito, Hiroshi; Kawashima, Ryuta; Fukuda, Hiroshi; Ishii, Kiyoshi; Onuma, Takehide.

    1997-01-01

    Diffuse brain injury (DBI) is characterized by axonal degeneration and neuronal damage which cause diffuse brain atrophy. We have investigated the time course of abnormalities in cerebral perfusion distribution in cases of DBI by using Iodine-123-IMP SPECT, and the relationship to the appearance of diffuse brain atrophy. SPECT scans were performed on eight patients with diffuse brain injury due to closed cranial trauma in acute and chronic stages. All patients showed abnormalities in cerebral perfusion with decreases in perfusion, even in non-depicted regions on MRI, and the affected areas varied throughout the period of observation. Diffuse brain atrophy appeared in all patients. In some patients, diffuse brain atrophy was observed at or just after the time when the maximum number of lesions on SPECT were seen. The abnormalities in cerebral perfusion in cases of DBI might therefore be related to axonal degeneration and neuronal damage which causes diffuse brain atrophy. (author)

  13. Driver memory for in-vehicle visual and auditory messages

    Science.gov (United States)

    1999-12-01

    Three experiments were conducted in a driving simulator to evaluate effects of in-vehicle message modality and message format on comprehension and memory for younger and older drivers. Visual icons and text messages were effective in terms of high co...

  14. Representing culture in interstellar messages

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vakoch, Douglas A.

    2008-09-01

    As scholars involved with the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) have contemplated how we might portray humankind in any messages sent to civilizations beyond Earth, one of the challenges they face is adequately representing the diversity of human cultures. For example, in a 2003 workshop in Paris sponsored by the SETI Institute, the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) SETI Permanent Study Group, the International Society for the Arts, Sciences and Technology (ISAST), and the John Templeton Foundation, a varied group of artists, scientists, and scholars from the humanities considered how to encode notions of altruism in interstellar messages . Though the group represented 10 countries, most were from Europe and North America, leading to the group's recommendation that subsequent discussions on the topic should include more globally representative perspectives. As a result, the IAA Study Group on Interstellar Message Construction and the SETI Institute sponsored a follow-up workshop in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA in February 2005. The Santa Fe workshop brought together scholars from a range of disciplines including anthropology, archaeology, chemistry, communication science, philosophy, and psychology. Participants included scholars familiar with interstellar message design as well as specialists in cross-cultural research who had participated in the Symposium on Altruism in Cross-cultural Perspective, held just prior to the workshop during the annual conference of the Society for Cross-cultural Research . The workshop included discussion of how cultural understandings of altruism can complement and critique the more biologically based models of altruism proposed for interstellar messages at the 2003 Paris workshop. This paper, written by the chair of both the Paris and Santa Fe workshops, will explore the challenges of communicating concepts of altruism that draw on both biological and cultural models.

  15. Assessment of cerebral benzodiazepine receptor distribution in anxiety disorders by 123I-iomazenil-SPECT. Comparison to cerebral perfusion scintigraphy by 123I-IMP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uchiyama, Mayuki; Sue, Hironari; Fukumitsu, Nobuyoshi; Mori, Yutaka; Kawakami, Kenji

    1997-01-01

    123 I-Iomazenil ( 123 I-IMZ) and 123 I-IMP imaging were performed in 5 patients with anxiety disorder (PAD) and 6 normal volunteers (NV). On 123 I-IMZ delayed imaging, the 2 PAD showed abnormally decreased findings. In anxiety disorder, decreased accumulation on 123 I-IMZ delayed images was seen in left hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus in one patient, in right frontal and temporal lobe and left occipital pole in the other. Compared with NV, PAD had lower 123 I-IMZ uptake on delayed image in right upper and left lower frontal cortices, indicating the involvement of the benzodiazepine receptor complex in anxiety disorder. Compared with grading for anxiety disorder with Hamilton anxiety scale (HAS) and delayed to early count ratios of 123 I-IMZ, negative correlation (R 123 I-IMP image, positive correlation (R>0.7) was recognized in the hippocampus, the parahippocampal gyrus, the lower outer temporal cortex and the lower frontal cortex. (author)

  16. A comparative study of simple methods to quantify cerebral blood flow with acetazolamide challenge by using iodine-123-IMP SPECT with one-point arterial sampling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ohkubo, Masaki [Niigata Univ. (Japan). School of Health Sciences; Odano, Ikuo

    2000-04-01

    The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of simplified methods for quantifying rCBF with acetazolamide challenge by using {sup 123}I-N-isopropyl-p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) and SPECT with one-point arterial sampling. After acetazolamide administration we quantified rCBF in 12 subjects by the following three methods: (a) the modified microsphere method, (b) the IMP-autoradiographic (ARG) method based on a two-compartment one-parameter model, and (c) the simplified method based on a two-compartment two-parameter model (functional IMP method). The accuracy of these methods was validated by comparing rCBF values with those obtained by the standard method: the super-early microsphere method with continuous withdrawal of arterial blood. On analyzing rCBF in each flow range (0-0.25, 0.25-0.5, 0.5-0.75 and more than 0.75 ml/g/min), rCBF values obtained by both methods (a) and (c) showed significant correlations (p<0.01) with those obtained by the standard method in every range, but rCBF values obtained by method (b) did not significantly correlated in the high flow range (0.5-0.75 and more than 0.75 ml/g/min). Method (c) was found to be the most accurate, even though it needs two serial SPECT scans. When requiring one SPECT scan, method (a) was considered to be superior to method (b) because of its accuracy, especially in high flow regions loaded with acetazolamide. (author)

  17. Gender messages in contemporary popular Malay songs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Collin Jerome

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Gender has been an important area of research in the field of popular music studies. Numerous scholars have found that contemporary popular music functions as a locus of diverse constructions and expressions of gender. While most studies focus on content analyses of popular music, there is still a need for more research on audience’s perception of popular music’s messages. This study examined adult Malay listeners’ perceptions of gender messages in contemporary Malay songs. A total of 16 contemporary Malay songs were analysed using Fairclough’s (1992 method of text analysis. The content of the songs that conveyed messages about gender were the basis for analysis. The results showed that the messages revolve mainly around socially constructed gender roles and expectations in romantic relationships. Gender stereotypes are also used in the songs to reinforce men’s and women’s roles in romantic relationships. The results also showed that, while listeners acknowledge the songs’ messages about gender, their own perceptions of gender and what it means to be a gendered being in today’s world are neither represented nor discussed fully in the songs analysed. It is hoped the findings from this, particularly the mismatch between projected and perceived notions of gender, contribute to the field of popular Malay music studies in particular, and popular music studies in general where gender messages in popular songs and their influence on listeners’ perceptions of their own gender is concerned.

  18. Fear, threat and efficacy in threat appeals: Message involvement as a key mediator to message acceptance

    OpenAIRE

    Cauberghe, Verolien; De Pelsmacker, Patrick; JANSSENS, Wim; Dens, Nathalie

    2009-01-01

    In a sample of 170 youngsters, the effect of two versions of a public service announcement (PSA) threat appeal against speeding, placed in four different contexts. on evoked fear, perceived threat (severity and probability of occurrence), perceived response efficacy and self-efficacy, message involvement and anti-speeding attitude and anti-speeding intention is investigated. Evoked fear and perceived threat and efficacy independently influence message involvement...

  19. Supervising simulations with the Prodiguer Messaging Platform

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenslade, Mark; Carenton, Nicolas; Denvil, Sebastien

    2015-04-01

    At any one moment in time, researchers affiliated with the Institut Pierre Simon Laplace (IPSL) climate modeling group, are running hundreds of global climate simulations. These simulations execute upon a heterogeneous set of High Performance Computing (HPC) environments spread throughout France. The IPSL's simulation execution runtime is called libIGCM (library for IPSL Global Climate Modeling group). libIGCM has recently been enhanced so as to support realtime operational use cases. Such use cases include simulation monitoring, data publication, environment metrics collection, automated simulation control … etc. At the core of this enhancement is the Prodiguer messaging platform. libIGCM now emits information, in the form of messages, for remote processing at IPSL servers in Paris. The remote message processing takes several forms, for example: 1. Persisting message content to database(s); 2. Notifying an operator of changes in a simulation's execution status; 3. Launching rollback jobs upon simulation failure; 4. Dynamically updating controlled vocabularies; 5. Notifying downstream applications such as the Prodiguer web portal; We will describe how the messaging platform has been implemented from a technical perspective and demonstrate the Prodiguer web portal receiving realtime notifications.

  20. Synchronous message-based communication for distributed heterogeneous systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilkinson, N.; Dohan, D.

    1992-01-01

    The use of a synchronous, message-based real-time operating system (Unison) as the basis of transparent interprocess and inter-processor communication over VME-bus is described. The implementation of a synchronous, message-based protocol for network communication between heterogeneous systems is discussed. In particular, the design and implementation of a message-based session layer over a virtual circuit transport layer protocol using UDP/IP is described. Inter-process communication is achieved via a message-based semantic which is portable by virtue of its ease of implementation in other operating system environments. Protocol performance for network communication among heterogeneous architecture is presented, including VMS, Unix, Mach and Unison. (author)

  1. Effect of cerebral blood flow on consciousness and outcome after head injury. Assessment by jugular bulb venous metabolism and IMP-SPECT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Imaizumi, Shigeki; Onuma, Takehide; Motohashi, Osamu; Kameyama, Motonobu; Ishii, Kiyoshi [Sendai City Hospital (Japan)

    2002-10-01

    This study was performed to elucidate the therapeutical value of arteriojugularvenous oxygen difference (AVDO{sub 2}) in the ultra-emergent period after head injury. Rational therapeutic strategy after severe head injury needs information concerning the dynamical change of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and metabolism. We monitored the cerebral venous metabolism within 6 hours after head injury until the day IMP-SPECT was performed. Whole brain cerebral blood flow detected by IMP-SPECT and AVDO{sub 2} at the same day was compared, which restored to the period within 6 hours after head injury. From this procedure, we could outline cerebral blood flow conditions by only AVDO{sub 2} without IMP-SPECT in the ultra-emergent period. Eighty-six patients with head injury who were carried to our emergency center in the period of recent 2 years aged ranging from 15 to 94 years were the subjects. They all performed jugular bulb cannulation within 6 hours after the accident (Martin's phase I: day 0) to know saturation of jugular vein (SjO{sub 2}), AVDO{sub 2} and AVL. They were monitored until the day IMP-SPECT was performed (Martin's phase II; day 1-3 or phase III; day 4-15). The correlation between CBF and AVDO{sub 2}. The effect of CBF and cerebral venous metabolism on consciousness and outcome was also analyzed. CBF and AVDO{sub 2} in phase II and III were reversely correlated (p<0.0001). Normal CBF corresponded with 5.0 vol% in AVDO{sub 2}. AVDO{sub 2} in all cases changed 6.2 vol% at phase I, 4.5 vol% at phase II and 5.1 vol% at phase III. Glasgow comascale (GCS) on admission under 8 (n=47) and over 9 (n=39) significantly differed in AVDO{sub 2} and CBF in the period of II and III. The patients with favorable consciousness showed low AVDO{sub 2} and hyperemia afterwards. Dead cases in phase I (n=19) showed high AVDO{sub 2} and low SjO{sub 2}. The patients with severe disability (SD) (n=13) showed high AVDO{sub 2} and low CBF and the patients with good recovery (GR

  2. The prototype message broadcast system for the superconducting super collider

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Low, K.; Skegg, R.

    1991-01-01

    This paper presents a prototype unified message broadcast system to handle the site-wide distribution of all control system messages for the Superconducting Super Collider. The messages are assembled in the control room area and encapsulated for transmission via a general fiber-optic link system to devices distributed throughout 70 miles of tunnels. An embedded timing signal is used by the distribution system to ensure that messages arrive at all devices simultaneously. Devices receive messages using a special receiver sub-system

  3. Arbitrated quantum signature scheme with message recovery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Hwayean; Hong, Changho; Kim, Hyunsang; Lim, Jongin; Yang, Hyung Jin

    2004-01-01

    Two quantum signature schemes with message recovery relying on the availability of an arbitrator are proposed. One scheme uses a public board and the other does not. However both schemes provide confidentiality of the message and a higher efficiency in transmission

  4. (In-)Secure messaging with the Silent Circle instant messaging protocol

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verschoor, S.R.; Lange, T.

    2016-01-01

    Silent Text, the instant messaging application by the company Silent Circle, provides its users with end-to-end encrypted communication on the Blackphone and other smartphones. The underlying protocol, SCimp, has received many extensions during the update to version 2, but has not been subjected to

  5. ZeroMQ: Messaging Made Simple

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2013-01-01

    Since its inception in 2007, ZeroMQ has defined a new product category of thin, fast, open source message transports. This little library has now grown into a large, vibrant community of projects tied together with standard protocols and APIs. Applications, written in any language, talk to each other over TCP, multicast, or inproc transports, using a single socket-based API, and a set of "patterns" (pub-sub, request-reply, dealer-router, pipeline). ZeroMQ handles message framing, batching, and I/O, but ignores aspects like serialization and persistence. By focussing on the essentials, and acting as a toolkit rather than a pre-packaged solution, ZeroMQ turns the complex problem of distributed computing into a relatively simple recipe. About the speaker Pieter Hintjens is a writer, programmer, and public speaker who has spent decades building large software systems, organizations, and businesses. He designed the Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP) in 2006 for JPMorganChase and left ...

  6. Mental health message appeals and audience engagement: Evidence from Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yap, Jo En; Zubcevic-Basic, Nives; Johnson, Lester W; Lodewyckx, Michaela A

    2017-09-07

    Social media platforms are increasingly used to disseminate social marketing messages about mental health and wellbeing. This study presents a range of message appeals used in social media enabled mental health promotion and stigma reduction messages. Furthermore, it examines the relationship between the type of message appeals and audience engagement. A content analysis of 65 organisation-generated YouTube videos about depression and anxiety and stigma reduction was conducted. The most utilised message appeal was Sorrow, followed by Affiliation, Ease/Convenience, Hope, Humour, Guilt/Shame, Heroic/Successful, and Fear. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between the type of message appeals and audience engagement in terms of the number of likes, comments, and shares. The analysis revealed that Sorrow is the most useful message appeal for generating audience comments. However, Sorrow is negatively associated with the number of likes and shares. The results suggest that mental health promotion messages may engage a larger audience through Affiliation and Hope as they have a positive impact on the number of shares. This could, in effect, turn audiences into vocal advocates for mental health promotion and stigma reduction messages. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  7. Bidirectional Text Messaging to Improve Adherence to Recommended Lipid Testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baldwin, Laura-Mae; Morrison, Caitlin; Griffin, Jonathan; Anderson, Nick; Edwards, Kelly; Green, Jeff; Waldren, Cleary; Reiter, William

    2017-01-01

    Synergies between technology and health care in the United States are accelerating, increasing opportunities to leverage these technologies to improve patient care. This study was a collaboration between an academic study team, a rural primary care clinic, and a local nonprofit informatics company developing tools to improve patient care through population management. Our team created a text messaging management tool, then developed methods for and tested the feasibility of bidirectional text messaging to remind eligible patients about the need for lipid testing. We measured patient response to the text messages, then interviewed 8 patients to explore their text messaging experience. Of the 129 patients the clinic was able to contact by phone, 29.4% had no cell phone or text-messaging capabilities. An additional 20% refused to participate. Two thirds of the 28 patients who participated in the text messaging intervention (67.9%) responded to at least 1 of the up to 3 messages. Seven of 8 interviewed patients had a positive text-messaging experience. Bidirectional text messaging is a feasible and largely acceptable form of communication for test reminders that has the potential to reach large numbers of patients in clinical care. © Copyright 2017 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

  8. VISUAL ART AND REGULATORY FIT MESSAGES ON CONSUMER EVALUATIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Danielle Mantovani

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we demonstrate that the art infusion effect, in which the presence of visual art causes a positive impact on consumers’ perceptions of products and advertising messages, might have a moderation effect on regulatory fit and non-fit messages. We investigate the impact of visual art on advertisement evaluations in regulatory (non- fit conditions. Regulatory focus theory suggests that consumers rely on their motivational focus (prevention vs. promotion for their evaluations and decisions. Usually, consumers prefer products that fit with their personal motivational focus. In the present study, the results of three experiments indicate that using visual art with a promotion or prevention fit message is recommended, while non-art images increase message persuasiveness when non-fit messages are presented. Therefore, not all information compatible with the consumer’s motivational focus are best evaluated. When non-art images are presented, non-fit messages might be more persuasive.

  9. Development of a smoking prevention mass media program using diagnostic and formative research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Worden, J K; Flynn, B S; Geller, B M; Chen, M; Shelton, L G; Secker-Walker, R H; Solomon, D S; Solomon, L J; Couchey, S; Costanza, M C

    1988-09-01

    The process of developing a mass media campaign to prevent smoking among adolescents is described in detail. This campaign supplements a school smoking prevention program and shares educational objectives with the school program but is otherwise independent. It comprises various television and radio 30- and 60-sec "spot" messages. The campaign development process includes identifying educational objectives and strategies for appealing to young people; conducting diagnostic surveys and focus groups to determine target audience interests and perceptions about smoking and media content; suggesting approaches to producers to create preliminary television and radio messages for testing; conducting formative pretests with target groups to select optimal messages and suggest improvements to those messages; producing final messages for media presentation; and developing a media exposure plan to place messages in local media at optimal times for reception by target audiences. The media campaign is being evaluated in a 5-year project with 5,500 adolescents in four communities to determine the additional effect of mass media over a school program alone in preventing smoking.

  10. Understanding the effectiveness of the entertainment-education strategy: an investigation of how audience involvement, message processing, and message design influence health information recall.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quintero Johnson, Jessie M; Harrison, Kristen; Quick, Brian L

    2013-01-01

    A growing body of evidence suggests that entertainment-education (EE) is a promising health communication strategy. The purpose of this study was to identify some of the factors that facilitate and hinder audience involvement with EE messages. Using confirmatory factor analysis, the authors introduce a construct they call experiential involvement, which describes the experience of being cognitively and emotionally involved with EE messages and is a product of transportation into an EE text and identification with EE characters. Using an experimental design, the authors also investigated how reports of experiential involvement and health information recall varied depending on the degree to which the educational content was well integrated with the narrative content in EE messages. Findings indicated that integration significantly influenced health information recall. Results indicated that experiential involvement and the perception that the health topic in EE messages was personally relevant predicted participants' systematic processing of the information in EE messages. Contrary to expectation, personal relevance did not predict experiential involvement, and systematic message processing was negatively related to health information recall. Implications for the construction of EE messages and the study of the EE strategy are discussed.

  11. A Message-Passing Hardware/Software Cosimulation Environment for Reconfigurable Computing Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel Saldaña

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available High-performance reconfigurable computers (HPRCs provide a mix of standard processors and FPGAs to collectively accelerate applications. This introduces new design challenges, such as the need for portable programming models across HPRCs and system-level verification tools. To address the need for cosimulating a complete heterogeneous application using both software and hardware in an HPRC, we have created a tool called the Message-passing Simulation Framework (MSF. We have used it to simulate and develop an interface enabling an MPI-based approach to exchange data between X86 processors and hardware engines inside FPGAs. The MSF can also be used as an application development tool that enables multiple FPGAs in simulation to exchange messages amongst themselves and with X86 processors. As an example, we simulate a LINPACK benchmark hardware core using an Intel-FSB-Xilinx-FPGA platform to quickly prototype the hardware, to test the communications. and to verify the benchmark results.

  12. Mobile phone short message service messaging for behaviour modification in a community-based weight control programme in Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joo, Nam-Seok; Kim, Bom-Taeck

    2007-01-01

    We conducted a community-based anti-obesity programme using mobile phone short message service (SMS) messaging. A total of 927 participants were recruited and visited a public health centre for initial assessment. Mobile phones were used to deliver short messages about diet, exercise and behaviour modification once a week. After a 12-week anti-obesity programme they visited the public health centre again. Four hundred and thirty-three subjects (47%) successfully completed their weight control programme. There were mean reductions of weight, waist circumference and body mass index of 1.6 kg (P behaviour modification in weight control and anti-obesity health education programmes when promoted by community health centres.

  13. Message strategies in direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising: a content analysis using Taylor's six-segment message strategy wheel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Wan-Hsiu Sunny; Lancaster, Alyse R

    2012-01-01

    This exploratory study applies Taylor's (1999) six-segment message strategy wheel to direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical television commercials to understand message strategies adopted by pharmaceutical advertisers to persuade consumers. A convenience sample of 96 DTC commercial campaigns was analyzed. The results suggest that most DTC drug ads used a combination approach, providing consumers with medical and drug information while simultaneously appealing to the viewer's ego-related needs and desires. In contrast to ration and ego strategies, other approaches including routine, acute need, and social are relatively uncommon while sensory was the least common message strategy. Findings thus recognized the educational value of DTC commercials.

  14. Micro-cultural customization of organ donation propagation messages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunkel, Anke; Nakamoto, Kent; Schulz, Peter J

    2018-05-01

    Organ transplantation is plagued by limited availability of organs. This study investigated the effect of messages promoting organ donation which were customized according to the language-defined micro-cultures in Switzerland. Community-, informative-, and emotional-oriented messages were carried by conventional flyers. A 3 × 3 between-subjects experiment was conducted with short- and long-term willingness to donate, long-term signing of organ donation card and long-term interpersonal communication on organ donation as outcome variables. The culturally customized interventions appeared to have no immediate effect and consequently no differential effect on willingness to donate organs and on signing a donor card. Among the Swiss Germans, of the three messages, the community-oriented one instigated less interpersonal communication. Findings are consistent with a mechanism in which the message does not have an immediate effect on willingness to donate organs but motivates further thought and related behaviors that lead to higher commitment and later increased willingness to donate. Targeting not only the message but also the objective that drives the messages must be considered. Campaigns should include elements that build on the unfolding commitment process to promote the follow-up actions that lead to greater willingness. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Suspecting Neurological Dysfunction From E Mail Messages ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A non medical person suspected and confirmed neurological dysfunction in an individual, based only on e mail messages sent by the individual. With email communication becoming rampant “peculiar” email messages may raise the suspicion of neurological dysfunction. Organic pathology explaining the abnormal email ...

  16. The structure of the inner heliosphere from Pioneer Venus and IMP observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gazis, P. R.; Barnes, A.; Mihalov, J. D.; Lazarus, A. J.

    1992-01-01

    The IMP 8 and Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO) spacecraft explore the region of heliographic latitudes between 8 deg N and 8 deg S. Solar wind observations from these spacecraft are used to construct synoptic maps of solar wind parameters in this region. These maps provide an explicit picture of the structure of high speed streams near 1 AU and how that structure varies with time. From 1982 until early 1985, solar wind parameters varied little with latitude. During the last solar minimum, the solar wind developed strong latitudinal structure; high speed streams were excluded from the vicinity of the solar equator. Synoptic maps of solar wind speed are compared with maps of the coronal source surface magnetic field. This comparison reveals the expected correlation between solar wind speed near 1 AU, the strength of the coronal magnetic field, and distance from the coronal neutral line.

  17. Effects of Exergaming and Message Framing in School Environments on Physical Activity Attitudes and Intentions of Children and Adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lwin, May O; Ho, Shirley S; Younbo, Jung; Leng, Theng Yin; Wardoyo, Reidinar J; Jung, Kim Hyo

    2016-09-01

    Although interventions targeting the health of students in schools are becoming common, few studies have examined how health messages operate at the group level in school environments. This study examines the effects of message-based health interventions (extrinsic vs. intrinsic goal framing) in group environments (exergame competitive vs. exergame noncompetitive) on eliciting attitudes and intentions toward physical activity among children and adolescents. We conducted a 7-week school-based intervention program involving 336 children and 259 adolescents in Singapore in which pre- and post-intervention responses were recorded. Our findings revealed the difference in responses between child and adolescent groups. Children who participated in noncompetitive exergames with extrinsically framed health messages and those who participated in competitive exergames with intrinsically framed health messages demonstrated more favorable attitudes toward physical activity. However, the same effects were absent in our adolescent group. These findings suggest that the integration of exergames into competitive and noncompetitive environments can serve as a gateway to traditional physical activity in schools when strategically combined with intrinsically and extrinsically framed messages. Practical and theoretical implications for schools and health educators are discussed.

  18. Tendency to Message Delivery in Internet Viral Marketing

    OpenAIRE

    Mostafa Ghazizadeh; Ahmad Sardari; Seyyed Reza Shojaee; Mehdi Samizadeh

    2011-01-01

    Abstract The main goal of this research is to review and determine the factors associated with tendency to forward the marketing messages in viral marketing plans of Fast-food industries. In other words, in this study, the effects of three critical determinants, i.e. commercial intention, attractiveness, and media richness have been examined on receivers' intention to forward marketing message in Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz. Findings imply that receivers’ attitude toward the message has pos...

  19. Implementing High-Performance Geometric Multigrid Solver with Naturally Grained Messages

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shan, H; Williams, S; Zheng, Y; Kamil, A; Yelick, K

    2015-10-26

    Structured-grid linear solvers often require manually packing and unpacking of communication data to achieve high performance.Orchestrating this process efficiently is challenging, labor-intensive, and potentially error-prone.In this paper, we explore an alternative approach that communicates the data with naturally grained messagesizes without manual packing and unpacking. This approach is the distributed analogue of shared-memory programming, taking advantage of the global addressspace in PGAS languages to provide substantial programming ease. However, its performance may suffer from the large number of small messages. We investigate theruntime support required in the UPC ++ library for this naturally grained version to close the performance gap between the two approaches and attain comparable performance at scale using the High-Performance Geometric Multgrid (HPGMG-FV) benchmark as a driver.

  20. Teaching Students the Persuasive Message through Small Group Activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Creelman, Valerie

    2008-01-01

    Teaching students to write persuasive messages is a critical feature of any undergraduate business communications course. For the persuasive writing module in the author's course, students write a persuasive message on the basis of the four-part indirect pattern often used for sales or fund-raising messages. The course text she uses identifies…