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Sample records for multiple life domains

Assessing subjective quality of life domains after multiple sclerosis diagnosis disclosure.

Science.gov (United States)

Mattarozzi, Katia; Casini, Federica; Baldin, Elisa; Baldini, Martina; Lugaresi, Alessandra; Milani, Paola; Pietrolongo, Erika; Gajofatto, Alberto; Leone, Maurizio; Riise, Trond; Vignatelli, Luca; D'Alessandro, Roberto

2016-04-01

An investigation of the domains Italian patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) named as constituting their quality of life over time. We assessed, in 68 patients, QoL domains using the Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual QoL: (a) before MS diagnosis disclosure, (b) thirty days after disclosure, and (c) after one and (d) four years' follow-up. The life domains most frequently named by patients were as follows: Family, Work and Finance, Hobbies, Health, Relationship with Friends and Job Effectiveness. Only Health and Job Effectiveness domains varied with time. The Health domain became a critical dimension when MS diagnosis was revealed. In addition, patients tended to be more satisfied with their health after disclosure compared to pre-diagnosis. Job Effectiveness seemed to be an important aspect until 1 year after diagnosis disclosure, but it tended to become less crucial over time. Family seems to be the most important domain over time, and psychological adaptation to MS seems to be characterized by a reconceptualization of aspects that revolve around oneself, such as professional success, rather than relational or affective factors. Evaluating the most relevant life domains for patients and their alteration over time may provide practitioners with an important tool in making health-related decisions, thus improving health outcomes and QoL. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Domains of quality of life of people with profound multiple disabilities : The perspective of parents and direct support staff

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Petry, K; Maes, B; Vlaskamp, C

Background This study considered the general validity of the basic domains of quality of life that appear in theoretical models, in relation to people with profound multiple disabilities. The authors examined how parents and direct support staff operationalized these basic domains for people with
Beyond cross-domain learning: Multiple-domain nonnegative matrix factorization

KAUST Repository

Wang, Jim Jing-Yan; Gao, Xin

2014-01-01

Traditional cross-domain learning methods transfer learning from a source domain to a target domain. In this paper, we propose the multiple-domain learning problem for several equally treated domains. The multiple-domain learning problem assumes that samples from different domains have different distributions, but share the same feature and class label spaces. Each domain could be a target domain, while also be a source domain for other domains. A novel multiple-domain representation method is proposed for the multiple-domain learning problem. This method is based on nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF), and tries to learn a basis matrix and coding vectors for samples, so that the domain distribution mismatch among different domains will be reduced under an extended variation of the maximum mean discrepancy (MMD) criterion. The novel algorithm - multiple-domain NMF (MDNMF) - was evaluated on two challenging multiple-domain learning problems - multiple user spam email detection and multiple-domain glioma diagnosis. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is experimentally verified. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Beyond cross-domain learning: Multiple-domain nonnegative matrix factorization

KAUST Repository

Wang, Jim Jing-Yan

2014-02-01

Traditional cross-domain learning methods transfer learning from a source domain to a target domain. In this paper, we propose the multiple-domain learning problem for several equally treated domains. The multiple-domain learning problem assumes that samples from different domains have different distributions, but share the same feature and class label spaces. Each domain could be a target domain, while also be a source domain for other domains. A novel multiple-domain representation method is proposed for the multiple-domain learning problem. This method is based on nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF), and tries to learn a basis matrix and coding vectors for samples, so that the domain distribution mismatch among different domains will be reduced under an extended variation of the maximum mean discrepancy (MMD) criterion. The novel algorithm - multiple-domain NMF (MDNMF) - was evaluated on two challenging multiple-domain learning problems - multiple user spam email detection and multiple-domain glioma diagnosis. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is experimentally verified. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Multivariate trajectories across multiple domains of health-related quality of life in children with new-onset epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sajobi, Tolulope T; Wang, Meng; Ferro, Mark A; Brobbey, Anita; Goodwin, Shane; Speechley, Kathy N; Wiebe, Samuel

2017-10-01

The diagnosis of epilepsy in children is known to impact the trajectory of their health-related quality of life (HRQOL) over time. However, there is limited knowledge about variations in longitudinal trajectories across multiple domains of HRQOL. This study aims to characterize the heterogeneity in HRQOL trajectories across multiple HRQOL domains and to evaluate predictors of differences among the identified trajectory groups in children with new-onset epilepsy. Data were obtained from the Health Related Quality of Life in Children with Epilepsy Study (HERQULES), a prospective multi-center study of 373 children newly diagnosed with new-onset epilepsy who were followed up over 2years. Child HRQOL and family factors were reported by parents, and clinical characteristics were reported by neurologists. Group-based multi-trajectory modeling was adopted to characterize longitudinal trajectories of HRQOL as measured by the individual domains of cognitive, emotional, physical, and social functioning in the 55-item Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy Questionnaire (QOLCE-55). Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess potential factors that explain differences among the identified latent trajectory groups. Three distinct HRQOL trajectory subgroups were identified in children with new-onset epilepsy based on HRQOL scores: "High" (44.7%), "Intermediate" (37.0%), and "Low" (18.3%). While most trajectory groups exhibited increasing scores over time on physical and social domains, both flat and declining trajectories were noted on emotional and cognitive domains. Less severe epilepsy, an absence of cognitive and behavioral problems, lower parental depression scores, better family functioning, and fewer family demands were associated with a "Higher" or "Intermediate" HRQOL trajectory. The course of HRQOL over time in children with new-onset epilepsy appears to follow one of three different trajectories. Addressing the clinical and psychosocial determinants identified
Multiple standards of aging: gender-specific age stereotypes in different life domains.

Science.gov (United States)

Kornadt, Anna E; Voss, Peggy; Rothermund, Klaus

2013-12-01

Whereas it is often stated that aging might have more negative consequences for the evaluation of women compared to men, evidence for this assumption is mixed. We took a differentiated look at age stereotypes of men and women, assuming that the life domain in which older persons are rated moderates gender differences in age stereotypes. A sample of 298 participants aged 20-92 rated 65 - year-old men and women on evaluative statements in eight different life domains. Furthermore, perceptions of gender- and domain-specific age-related changes were assessed by comparing the older targets to 45 - year-old men and women, respectively. The results speak in favor of the domain specificity of evaluative asymmetries in age stereotypes for men and women, and imply that an understanding of gendered perceptions of aging requires taking into account the complexities of domain-specific views on aging.
Life Domain Satisfactions as Predictors of Overall Life Satisfaction Among Workers: Evidence from Chile.

Science.gov (United States)

Loewe, Nicolas; Bagherzadeh, Mehdi; Araya-Castillo, Luis; Thieme, Claudio; Batista-Foguet, Joan Manuel

2014-01-01

This article examines the subjective antecedents of life satisfaction of workers. Adopting a 'bottom-up' perspective, we assessed the unique influence that satisfaction with multiple life domains have on evaluative judgments of overall life satisfaction. Based on a nationwide sample of 530 Chilean workers, we simultaneously tested the effects of seven life domain satisfactions that have been consistently included in extant models of life satisfaction and subjective well-being. These were satisfaction with health, financial situation, social relationships, one's self-worth, leisure-time, family, and work. Having controlled for age and gender, results showed that satisfaction with one's financial situation was the dominant predictor of overall life satisfaction of workers, with a weight of .36. Satisfaction with family, work, and health had effects of .25, .14, and .14, respectively. Interestingly, satisfaction with one's self-worth, leisure-time, and social relationships did not have statistically significant effects on life satisfaction, although the first two showed t values near the critical value.
Predicting Negative Life Outcomes from Early Aggressive-Disruptive Behavior Trajectories: Gender Differences in Maladaptation across Life Domains

Science.gov (United States)

Bradshaw, Catherine P.; Schaeffer, Cindy M.; Petras, Hanno; Ialongo, Nicholas

2010-01-01

Transactional theories of development suggest that displaying high levels of antisocial behavior early in life and persistently over time causes disruption in multiple life domains, which in turn places individuals at risk for negative life outcomes. We used longitudinal data from 1,137 primarily African American urban youth (49.1% female) to…
Social stigma and compounded losses: quality-of-life issues for multiple-birth families.

Science.gov (United States)

Ellison, Marcia A; Hall, Janet E

2003-08-01

To determine the quality-of-life domains most impacted by multiple births. Focus groups, qualitative research. Human volunteers in a medical research environment.Forty-three mothers, 29 raising multiple-birth children, 13 raising singletons, identified from random and convenience samples. None. Maternal self-reports of the psychosocial sequelae of multiple or singleton births, based on qualitative data analysis of transcribed group discussions. The quality-of-life domains that were most impacted by raising multiple birth children were social stigma, pregnancy loss, marital satisfaction, children's health, unmet family needs, parenting stress, maternal depression, and the infertility experience. Qualitative methods identified two novel quality-of-life domains in iatrogenic multiple birth families: social stigma and compounded losses. An unexpected finding was the potential for increased marital solidification as parents coped with the inordinate stresses of multiple births. As anticipated, children's health, unmet family needs, maternal depression, and parental stress were key areas of concern. In addition, the infertility experience had a lasting impact. These findings are significant, given that at least 38% of all assisted conceptions result in a multiple birth. This study lays the groundwork for further research on the impact of iatrogenic multiple births.
Multiple graph regularized protein domain ranking.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jim Jing-Yan; Bensmail, Halima; Gao, Xin

2012-11-19

Protein domain ranking is a fundamental task in structural biology. Most protein domain ranking methods rely on the pairwise comparison of protein domains while neglecting the global manifold structure of the protein domain database. Recently, graph regularized ranking that exploits the global structure of the graph defined by the pairwise similarities has been proposed. However, the existing graph regularized ranking methods are very sensitive to the choice of the graph model and parameters, and this remains a difficult problem for most of the protein domain ranking methods. To tackle this problem, we have developed the Multiple Graph regularized Ranking algorithm, MultiG-Rank. Instead of using a single graph to regularize the ranking scores, MultiG-Rank approximates the intrinsic manifold of protein domain distribution by combining multiple initial graphs for the regularization. Graph weights are learned with ranking scores jointly and automatically, by alternately minimizing an objective function in an iterative algorithm. Experimental results on a subset of the ASTRAL SCOP protein domain database demonstrate that MultiG-Rank achieves a better ranking performance than single graph regularized ranking methods and pairwise similarity based ranking methods. The problem of graph model and parameter selection in graph regularized protein domain ranking can be solved effectively by combining multiple graphs. This aspect of generalization introduces a new frontier in applying multiple graphs to solving protein domain ranking applications.
Multiple graph regularized protein domain ranking

KAUST Repository

Wang, Jim Jing-Yan

2012-11-19

Background: Protein domain ranking is a fundamental task in structural biology. Most protein domain ranking methods rely on the pairwise comparison of protein domains while neglecting the global manifold structure of the protein domain database. Recently, graph regularized ranking that exploits the global structure of the graph defined by the pairwise similarities has been proposed. However, the existing graph regularized ranking methods are very sensitive to the choice of the graph model and parameters, and this remains a difficult problem for most of the protein domain ranking methods.Results: To tackle this problem, we have developed the Multiple Graph regularized Ranking algorithm, MultiG-Rank. Instead of using a single graph to regularize the ranking scores, MultiG-Rank approximates the intrinsic manifold of protein domain distribution by combining multiple initial graphs for the regularization. Graph weights are learned with ranking scores jointly and automatically, by alternately minimizing an objective function in an iterative algorithm. Experimental results on a subset of the ASTRAL SCOP protein domain database demonstrate that MultiG-Rank achieves a better ranking performance than single graph regularized ranking methods and pairwise similarity based ranking methods.Conclusion: The problem of graph model and parameter selection in graph regularized protein domain ranking can be solved effectively by combining multiple graphs. This aspect of generalization introduces a new frontier in applying multiple graphs to solving protein domain ranking applications. 2012 Wang et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
Multiple graph regularized protein domain ranking

KAUST Repository

Wang, Jim Jing-Yan; Bensmail, Halima; Gao, Xin

2012-01-01

Background: Protein domain ranking is a fundamental task in structural biology. Most protein domain ranking methods rely on the pairwise comparison of protein domains while neglecting the global manifold structure of the protein domain database. Recently, graph regularized ranking that exploits the global structure of the graph defined by the pairwise similarities has been proposed. However, the existing graph regularized ranking methods are very sensitive to the choice of the graph model and parameters, and this remains a difficult problem for most of the protein domain ranking methods.Results: To tackle this problem, we have developed the Multiple Graph regularized Ranking algorithm, MultiG-Rank. Instead of using a single graph to regularize the ranking scores, MultiG-Rank approximates the intrinsic manifold of protein domain distribution by combining multiple initial graphs for the regularization. Graph weights are learned with ranking scores jointly and automatically, by alternately minimizing an objective function in an iterative algorithm. Experimental results on a subset of the ASTRAL SCOP protein domain database demonstrate that MultiG-Rank achieves a better ranking performance than single graph regularized ranking methods and pairwise similarity based ranking methods.Conclusion: The problem of graph model and parameter selection in graph regularized protein domain ranking can be solved effectively by combining multiple graphs. This aspect of generalization introduces a new frontier in applying multiple graphs to solving protein domain ranking applications. 2012 Wang et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
Multiple graph regularized protein domain ranking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Jim

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Protein domain ranking is a fundamental task in structural biology. Most protein domain ranking methods rely on the pairwise comparison of protein domains while neglecting the global manifold structure of the protein domain database. Recently, graph regularized ranking that exploits the global structure of the graph defined by the pairwise similarities has been proposed. However, the existing graph regularized ranking methods are very sensitive to the choice of the graph model and parameters, and this remains a difficult problem for most of the protein domain ranking methods. Results To tackle this problem, we have developed the Multiple Graph regularized Ranking algorithm, MultiG-Rank. Instead of using a single graph to regularize the ranking scores, MultiG-Rank approximates the intrinsic manifold of protein domain distribution by combining multiple initial graphs for the regularization. Graph weights are learned with ranking scores jointly and automatically, by alternately minimizing an objective function in an iterative algorithm. Experimental results on a subset of the ASTRAL SCOP protein domain database demonstrate that MultiG-Rank achieves a better ranking performance than single graph regularized ranking methods and pairwise similarity based ranking methods. Conclusion The problem of graph model and parameter selection in graph regularized protein domain ranking can be solved effectively by combining multiple graphs. This aspect of generalization introduces a new frontier in applying multiple graphs to solving protein domain ranking applications.
Brazilian adults' sedentary behaviors by life domain: population-based study.

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Mielke, Grégore I; da Silva, Inácio C M; Owen, Neville; Hallal, Pedro C

2014-01-01

There is rapidly-emerging evidence on the harmful health effects of sedentary behaviors. The aim of this paper was to quantify time in sedentary behaviors and document socio-demographic variations in different life domains among adults. A population-based survey was carried out in 2012 through face-to-face interviews with Brazilian adults aged 20+ years (N = 2,927). Information about time spent sedentary in a typical weekday was collected for five different domains (workplace, commuting, school/university, watching TV, and computer use at home). Descriptive and bivariate analyses examined variations in overall and domain-specific sedentary time by gender, age, educational attainment and socioeconomic position. On average, participants reported spending 5.8 (SD 4.5) hours per day sitting. The median value was 4.5 (interquartile range: 2.5-8) hours. Men, younger adults, those with higher schooling and from the wealthiest socioeconomic groups had higher overall sedentary scores. TV time was higher in women, older adults and among those with low schooling and socioeconomic position. Sedentary time in transport was higher in men, younger adults, and participants with high schooling and high socioeconomic position. Computer use at home was more frequent among young adults and those from high socioeconomic groups. Sitting at work was higher in those with higher schooling and from the wealthiest socioeconomic groups. Sedentary behavior at school was related inversely to age and directly to schooling. Patterns of sedentary behavior are different by life domains. Initiatives to reduce prolonged sitting among Brazilian adults will be required on multiple levels for different life domains.
Brazilian adults' sedentary behaviors by life domain: population-based study.

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Grégore I Mielke

Full Text Available There is rapidly-emerging evidence on the harmful health effects of sedentary behaviors. The aim of this paper was to quantify time in sedentary behaviors and document socio-demographic variations in different life domains among adults.A population-based survey was carried out in 2012 through face-to-face interviews with Brazilian adults aged 20+ years (N = 2,927. Information about time spent sedentary in a typical weekday was collected for five different domains (workplace, commuting, school/university, watching TV, and computer use at home. Descriptive and bivariate analyses examined variations in overall and domain-specific sedentary time by gender, age, educational attainment and socioeconomic position.On average, participants reported spending 5.8 (SD 4.5 hours per day sitting. The median value was 4.5 (interquartile range: 2.5-8 hours. Men, younger adults, those with higher schooling and from the wealthiest socioeconomic groups had higher overall sedentary scores. TV time was higher in women, older adults and among those with low schooling and socioeconomic position. Sedentary time in transport was higher in men, younger adults, and participants with high schooling and high socioeconomic position. Computer use at home was more frequent among young adults and those from high socioeconomic groups. Sitting at work was higher in those with higher schooling and from the wealthiest socioeconomic groups. Sedentary behavior at school was related inversely to age and directly to schooling.Patterns of sedentary behavior are different by life domains. Initiatives to reduce prolonged sitting among Brazilian adults will be required on multiple levels for different life domains.
Assessing the co-occurrence of intimate partner violence domains across the life-course: relating typologies to mental health.

Science.gov (United States)

Armour, Cherie; Sleath, Emma

2014-01-01

The inter-generational transmission of violence (ITV) hypothesis and polyvictimisation have been studied extensively. The extant evidence suggests that individuals from violent families are at increased risk of subsequent intimate partner violence (IPV) and that a proportion of individuals experience victimisation across multiple rather than single IPV domains. Both ITV and polyvictimisation are shown to increase the risk of psychiatric morbidity, alcohol use, and anger expression. The current study aimed to 1) ascertain if underlying typologies of victimisation across the life-course and over multiple victimisation domains were present and 2) ascertain if groupings differed on mean scores of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, alcohol use, and anger expression. University students (N=318) were queried in relation to victimisation experiences and psychological well-being. Responses across multiple domains of IPV spanning the life-course were used in a latent profile analysis. ANOVA was subsequently used to determine if profiles differed in their mean scores on PTSD, depression, alcohol use, and anger expression. Three distinct profiles were identified; one of which comprised individuals who experienced "life-course polyvictimisation," another showing individuals who experienced "witnessing parental victimisation," and one which experienced "psychological victimisation only." Life-course polyvictims scored the highest across most assessed measures. Witnessing severe physical aggression and injury in parental relationships as a child has an interesting impact on the ITV into adolescence and adulthood. Life-course polyvictims are shown to experience increased levels of psychiatric morbidity and issues with alcohol misuse and anger expression.
Time-domain multiple-quantum NMR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weitekamp, D.P.

1982-11-01

The development of time-domain multiple-quantum nuclear magnetic resonance is reviewed through mid 1982 and some prospects for future development are indicated. Particular attention is given to the problem of obtaining resolved, interpretable, many-quantum spectra for anisotropic magnetically isolated systems of coupled spins. New results are presented on a number of topics including the optimization of multiple-quantum-line intensities, analysis of noise in two-dimensional spectroscopy, and the use of order-selective excitation for cross polarization between nuclear-spin species
Multiple hypothesis tracking for the cyber domain

Science.gov (United States)

Schwoegler, Stefan; Blackman, Sam; Holsopple, Jared; Hirsch, Michael J.

2011-09-01

This paper discusses how methods used for conventional multiple hypothesis tracking (MHT) can be extended to domain-agnostic tracking of entities from non-kinematic constraints such as those imposed by cyber attacks in a potentially dense false alarm background. MHT is widely recognized as the premier method to avoid corrupting tracks with spurious data in the kinematic domain but it has not been extensively applied to other problem domains. The traditional approach is to tightly couple track maintenance (prediction, gating, filtering, probabilistic pruning, and target confirmation) with hypothesis management (clustering, incompatibility maintenance, hypothesis formation, and Nassociation pruning). However, by separating the domain specific track maintenance portion from the domain agnostic hypothesis management piece, we can begin to apply the wealth of knowledge gained from ground and air tracking solutions to the cyber (and other) domains. These realizations led to the creation of Raytheon's Multiple Hypothesis Extensible Tracking Architecture (MHETA). In this paper, we showcase MHETA for the cyber domain, plugging in a well established method, CUBRC's INFormation Engine for Real-time Decision making, (INFERD), for the association portion of the MHT. The result is a CyberMHT. We demonstrate the power of MHETA-INFERD using simulated data. Using metrics from both the tracking and cyber domains, we show that while no tracker is perfect, by applying MHETA-INFERD, advanced nonkinematic tracks can be captured in an automated way, perform better than non-MHT approaches, and decrease analyst response time to cyber threats.
Charting the internal landscape: Affect associated with thoughts about major life domains explains life satisfaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Talya Miron-Shatz

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Studies of happiness have examined the impact of demographics, personality and emotions accompanying daily activities on life satisfaction. We suggest that how people feel while contemplating aspects of their lives, including their weight, children and future prospects, is a promising yet uncharted territory within the internal landscape of life satisfaction. In a sample of 811 American women, we assessed women's feelings when thinking about major life domains and frequency of thoughts about each domain. Regression and dominance analyses showed that emotional valence of thoughts about major life domains was an important predictor of current and prior life satisfaction, surpassing, in descending order, demographics, participants' feelings during recent activities, and their neuroticism and extraversion scores. Domains thought about more frequently were often associated with greater emotional valence. These results suggest that life satisfaction may be improved by modifying emotional valence and frequency of thoughts about life domains. Moreover, these thoughts appear to be an important and relatively stable component of well-being worthy of further study.
Assessing the co-occurrence of intimate partner violence domains across the life-course: relating typologies to mental health

Science.gov (United States)

Armour, Cherie; Sleath, Emma

2014-01-01

Background The inter-generational transmission of violence (ITV) hypothesis and polyvictimisation have been studied extensively. The extant evidence suggests that individuals from violent families are at increased risk of subsequent intimate partner violence (IPV) and that a proportion of individuals experience victimisation across multiple rather than single IPV domains. Both ITV and polyvictimisation are shown to increase the risk of psychiatric morbidity, alcohol use, and anger expression. Objective The current study aimed to 1) ascertain if underlying typologies of victimisation across the life-course and over multiple victimisation domains were present and 2) ascertain if groupings differed on mean scores of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, alcohol use, and anger expression. Method University students (N=318) were queried in relation to victimisation experiences and psychological well-being. Responses across multiple domains of IPV spanning the life-course were used in a latent profile analysis. ANOVA was subsequently used to determine if profiles differed in their mean scores on PTSD, depression, alcohol use, and anger expression. Results Three distinct profiles were identified; one of which comprised individuals who experienced “life-course polyvictimisation,” another showing individuals who experienced “witnessing parental victimisation,” and one which experienced “psychological victimisation only.” Life-course polyvictims scored the highest across most assessed measures. Conclusion Witnessing severe physical aggression and injury in parental relationships as a child has an interesting impact on the ITV into adolescence and adulthood. Life-course polyvictims are shown to experience increased levels of psychiatric morbidity and issues with alcohol misuse and anger expression. PMID:25279106

Assessing the co-occurrence of intimate partner violence domains across the life-course: relating typologies to mental health

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cherie Armour

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Background: The inter-generational transmission of violence (ITV hypothesis and polyvictimisation have been studied extensively. The extant evidence suggests that individuals from violent families are at increased risk of subsequent intimate partner violence (IPV and that a proportion of individuals experience victimisation across multiple rather than single IPV domains. Both ITV and polyvictimisation are shown to increase the risk of psychiatric morbidity, alcohol use, and anger expression. Objective: The current study aimed to 1 ascertain if underlying typologies of victimisation across the life-course and over multiple victimisation domains were present and 2 ascertain if groupings differed on mean scores of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD, depression, alcohol use, and anger expression. Method: University students (N=318 were queried in relation to victimisation experiences and psychological well-being. Responses across multiple domains of IPV spanning the life-course were used in a latent profile analysis. ANOVA was subsequently used to determine if profiles differed in their mean scores on PTSD, depression, alcohol use, and anger expression. Results: Three distinct profiles were identified; one of which comprised individuals who experienced “life-course polyvictimisation,” another showing individuals who experienced “witnessing parental victimisation,” and one which experienced “psychological victimisation only.” Life-course polyvictims scored the highest across most assessed measures. Conclusion: Witnessing severe physical aggression and injury in parental relationships as a child has an interesting impact on the ITV into adolescence and adulthood. Life-course polyvictims are shown to experience increased levels of psychiatric morbidity and issues with alcohol misuse and anger expression.
Materialism and Satisfaction with Over-All Quality of Life and Eight Life Domains

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Roberts, James A.; Clement, Aimee

2007-01-01

Previous research has shown that materialism relates negatively to satisfaction with many life domains. The present study broadens this body of research by examining the relationship between three dimensions of materialism and eight quality of life (QOL) domains in a large, diverse sample of U.S. respondents. Two hypotheses were tested: First,…
The effects of exposure to violence and victimization across life domains on adolescent substance use.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Emily M; Fagan, Abigail A; Pinchevsky, Gillian M

2013-11-01

This study uses longitudinal data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) to examine the effects of exposure to school violence, community violence, child abuse, and parental intimate partner violence (IPV) on youths' subsequent alcohol and marijuana use. We also examine the cumulative effects of being exposed to violence across these domains. Longitudinal data were obtained from 1,655 adolescents and their primary caregivers participating in the PHDCN. The effects of adolescents' exposure to various forms of violence across different life domains were examined relative to adolescents' frequency of alcohol and marijuana use three years later. Multivariate statistical models were employed to control for a range of child, parent, and family risk factors. Exposure to violence in a one-year period increased the frequency of substance use three years later, though the specific relationships between victimization and use varied for alcohol and marijuana use. Community violence and child abuse, but not school violence or exposure to IPV, were predictive of future marijuana use. None of the independent measures of exposure to violence significantly predicted future alcohol use. Finally, the accumulation of exposure to violence across life domains was detrimental to both future alcohol and marijuana use. The findings support prior research indicating that exposure to multiple forms of violence, across multiple domains of life, negatively impacts adolescent outcomes, including substance use. The findings also suggest that the context in which exposure to violence occurs should be considered in future research, since the more domains in which youth are exposed to violence, the fewer "safe havens" they have available. Finally, a better understanding of the types of violence youth encounter and the contexts in which these experiences occur can help inform intervention efforts aimed at reducing victimization and its negative consequences. Copyright
Self-help group and the quality of life of patients with multiple sclerosis - Pilot study

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Anna Eliášová

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Aim: The goal of the pilot study was to compare the quality of life of patients with multiple sclerosis in the Presov region with or without the support of a self-help group. Design: The character of this pilot study on patients with MS was related to the use of self-help groups and their impact on the assessment of the quality of life of the respondents, with the help of a questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF. Methods: The research was carried out in the Prešov region with the help of the standardized WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Ninety-one patients with MS participated in the pilot study (46 respondents attended a self-help group and 35 did not. Results: The groups, when compared, aided by the statistically evaluated WHOQOL-BREF domains, were found to show significant differences in their evaluation of quality of life in three domains: domain one: physical health; domain two: surviving; domain three: social relations. Better scores were achieved in these domains by those who attended a group. In the physical sphere, we noticed significant differences in sleep quality, and sexual satisfaction (p < 0.001, while in social and economic areas, there were significant differences in satisfaction with personal relationships (p < 0.001, and economic circumstances (p < 0.01, self-contentment (p < 0.01, and coping with negative feelings (p < 0.05. Conclusion: Patients with multiple sclerosis can live normal lives provided they are supported by their families, friends, health care professionals, and self-help groups.
Quality of life assessment in patients with multiple sclerosis

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Kisić-Tepavčević Darija

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Background/Aim. Multiple sclerosis (MS is a chronic inflammatory disease of central nervous system. The main physiopatological feature of MS is demyelination. Multiple sclerosis is one of three most common causes of severe disability in youngest people. In patients with MS, apart from complete psychophysical status and objective neurologic status, a subjective perception of symptoms and signs, known as quality of life, must be considered, too. The aim of this study was to estimate a health related quality of life (HRQoL in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS and to investigate the correlations between scores of HRQoL and selected demographic and clinical parameters. Methods. A cross-sectional study was performed in patients meeting following inclusion criteria: MS diagnosis (McDonald's criteria, age 18-60 years, the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS < 8, and written informed consent. Exclusion criteria were exacerbation of MS in the last month, any preexisting major chronic illness and/or psychiatric disorders and antidepressive and/or corticosteroid therapy in the last month. The quality of life was measured by a disease specific instrument, MSQoL-54 (The Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life. The neurological impairment was assessed using the Expended Disability Status Scale (EDSS and Mini Mental Scale (MMS. The presence and severity of depression was estimated by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS. The presence and severity of fatigue was assessed by the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. Results. The higher HRQoL score was registered for mental health (56.3 ± 19.5 than for physical one(51.3 ± 17.9, which means that physical disability had more important influence on quality of life deterioration comparing to mental health. The highest values of HRQoL were observed in domains of Cognitive Functioning (77.4 ± 22.5 and Pain (75.7 ± 25.5. The lowest scores of
Does the Assessment of Recovery Capital scale reflect a single or multiple domains?

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Arndt S

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Stephan Arndt,1–3 Ethan Sahker,1,4 Suzy Hedden1 1Iowa Consortium for Substance Abuse Research and Evaluation, 2Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, 3Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, 4Department of Psychological and Quantitative Foundations, Counseling Psychology Program College of Education, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA Objective: The goal of this study was to determine whether the 50-item Assessment of Recovery Capital scale represents a single general measure or whether multiple domains might be psychometrically useful for research or clinical applications. Methods: Data are from a cross-sectional de-identified existing program evaluation information data set with 1,138 clients entering substance use disorder treatment. Principal components and iterated factor analysis were used on the domain scores. Multiple group factor analysis provided a quasi-confirmatory factor analysis. Results: The solution accounted for 75.24% of the total variance, suggesting that 10 factors provide a reasonably good fit. However, Tucker’s congruence coefficients between the factor structure and defining weights (0.41–0.52 suggested a poor fit to the hypothesized 10-domain structure. Principal components of the 10-domain scores yielded one factor whose eigenvalue was greater than one (5.93, accounting for 75.8% of the common variance. A few domains had perceptible but small unique variance components suggesting that a few of the domains may warrant enrichment. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that there is one general factor, with a caveat. Using the 10 measures inflates the chance for Type I errors. Using one general measure avoids this issue, is simple to interpret, and could reduce the number of items. However, those seeking to maximally predict later recovery success may need to use the full instrument and all 10 domains. Keywords: social support, psychometrics, quality of life
Curvilinear relationships between resource allocation and life domain-specific interference.

Science.gov (United States)

Waldrop, Jessica S; Erb, Kaitlyn R; Grawitch, Matthew J

2017-10-01

This study investigated the inherent complexities of the work-life interface (WLI) by examining the relationship between resource allocation (i.e., time and energy dedicated to a particular domain) and perceived interference of individual life domains. Much of the research on the WLI is based on the assumption that a linear pattern best describes the relationship between resource allocation and the interference caused by various life domains; however, this study examined the possibility that curvilinear relationships may be a more appropriate representation. Results indicated that resource allocation is a meaningful predictor of interference, and for many life domains a curvilinear relationship accounts for more variance than a linear one; a breakdown of the sample also revealed this relationship varies by gender. Overall, findings suggest that the nature of the WLI is more individualized and complex than is currently conceptualized in the field. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multiple Shooting and Time Domain Decomposition Methods

CERN Document Server

Geiger, Michael; Körkel, Stefan; Rannacher, Rolf

2015-01-01

This book offers a comprehensive collection of the most advanced numerical techniques for the efficient and effective solution of simulation and optimization problems governed by systems of time-dependent differential equations. The contributions present various approaches to time domain decomposition, focusing on multiple shooting and parareal algorithms. The range of topics covers theoretical analysis of the methods, as well as their algorithmic formulation and guidelines for practical implementation. Selected examples show that the discussed approaches are mandatory for the solution of challenging practical problems. The practicability and efficiency of the presented methods is illustrated by several case studies from fluid dynamics, data compression, image processing and computational biology, giving rise to possible new research topics. This volume, resulting from the workshop Multiple Shooting and Time Domain Decomposition Methods, held in Heidelberg in May 2013, will be of great interest to applied...
Financial burden is associated with worse health-related quality of life in adults with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1.

Science.gov (United States)

Peipert, Benjamin J; Goswami, Sneha; Helenowski, Irene; Yount, Susan E; Sturgeon, Cord

2017-12-01

Health-related quality of life and financial burden among patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 is poorly described. It is not known how financial burden influences health-related quality of life in this population. We hypothesized that the financial burden attributable to multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 is associated with worse health-related quality of life. United States adults (≥18 years) with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 were recruited from the AMENSupport MEN online support group. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and financial burden were assessed via an online survey. The instrument Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System 29-item profile measure was used to assess health-related quality of life. Multivariable linear regression was used to identify significant variables in each Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System domain. Out of 1,378 members in AMENSupport, our survey link was accessed 449 times (33%). Of 153 US respondents who completed our survey, 84% reported financial burden attributable to multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1. The degree of financial burden had a linear relationship with worse health-related quality of life across all Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System domains (r = 0.36-0.55, P financial event(s). Borrowing money from friends/family (30%), unemployment (13%), and spending >$100/month out-of-pocket on prescription medications (46%) were associated consistently with impaired health-related quality of life (ß = 3.75-6.77, P times more likely to be unemployed and declare bankruptcy than the US population, respectively. This study characterizes the financial burden in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1. Individuals with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 report a high degree of financial burden, negative financial events, and unemployment. Each of these factors was associated with worse health-related quality of life
An agent-based negotiation approach for balancing multiple coupled control domains

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Umair, Aisha; Clausen, Anders; Jørgensen, Bo Nørregaard

2015-01-01

Solving multi-objective multi-issue negotiation problems involving interdependent issues distributed among multiple control domains is inherent to most non-trivial cyber-physical systems. In these systems, the coordinated operation of interconnected subsystems performing autonomous control....... The proposed approach can solve negotiation problems with interdependent issues across multiple coupled control domains. We demonstrate our approach by solving a coordination problem where a Combined Heat and Power Plant must allocate electricity for three commercial greenhouses to ensure the required plant...
Multiplicity distributions in small phase-space domains in central nucleus-nucleus collisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baechler, J.; Hoffmann, M.; Runge, K.; Schmoetten, E.; Bartke, J.; Gladysz, E.; Kowalski, M.; Stefanski, P.; Bialkowska, H.; Bock, R.; Brockmann, R.; Sandoval, A.; Buncic, P.; Ferenc, D.; Kadija, K.; Ljubicic, A. Jr.; Vranic, D.; Chase, S.I.; Harris, J.W.; Odyniec, G.; Pugh, H.G.; Rai, G.; Teitelbaum, L.; Tonse, S.; Derado, I.; Eckardt, V.; Gebauer, H.J.; Rauch, W.; Schmitz, N.; Seyboth, P.; Seyerlein, J.; Vesztergombi, G.; Eschke, J.; Heck, W.; Kabana, S.; Kuehmichel, A.; Lahanas, M.; Lee, Y.; Le Vine, M.; Margetis, S.; Renfordt, R.; Roehrich, D.; Rothard, H.; Schmidt, E.; Schneider, I.; Stock, R.; Stroebele, H.; Wenig, S.; Fleischmann, B.; Fuchs, M.; Gazdzicki, M.; Kosiec, J.; Skrzypczak, E.; Keidel, R.; Piper, A.; Puehlhofer, F.; Nappi, E.; Posa, F.; Paic, G.; Panagiotou, A.D.; Petridis, A.; Vassileiadis, G.; Pfenning, J.; Wosiek, B.

1992-10-01

Multiplicity distributions of negatively charged particles have been studied in restricted phase space intervals for central S + S, O + Au and S + Au collisions at 200 GeV/nucleon. It is shown that multiplicity distributions are well described by a negative binomial form irrespectively of the size and dimensionality of phase space domain. A clan structure analysis reveals interesting similarities between complex nuclear collisions and a simple partonic shower. The lognormal distribution agrees reasonably well with the multiplicity data in large domains, but fails in the case of small intervals. No universal scaling function was found to describe the shape of multiplicity distributions in phase space intervals of varying size. (orig.)
The Housing Domain of Quality of Life and Life Satisfaction in the Spontaneous Settlements on the Tehran Metropolitan Fringe

Science.gov (United States)

Zebardast, Esfandiar

2009-01-01

The aim of this article is to survey the spontaneous settlements on the Tehran Metropolitan Fringe (TMF), to determine the different housing sub-domains of quality of life (QOL), to survey overall life satisfaction and to determine the extent to which overall life satisfaction is explained by the components of the housing domain of QOL in these…
The Role of Domain Satisfaction in Explaining the Paradoxical Association between Life Satisfaction and Age

Science.gov (United States)

McAdams, Kimberly K.; Lucas, Richard E.; Donnellan, M. Brent

2012-01-01

Although aging is associated with declines in many life domains, overall life satisfaction does not appear to decline sharply with age. One explanation for this paradoxical finding is that several life domains improve with age such that increases in certain domains balance the decreases in others. Because different issues are problematic at…
Multiple chronic conditions and life expectancy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

DuGoff, Eva H; Canudas-Romo, Vladimir; Buttorff, Christine

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: The number of people living with multiple chronic conditions is increasing, but we know little about the impact of multimorbidity on life expectancy. OBJECTIVE: We analyze life expectancy in Medicare beneficiaries by number of chronic conditions. RESEARCH DESIGN: A retrospective cohort...... study using single-decrement period life tables. SUBJECTS: Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries (N=1,372,272) aged 67 and older as of January 1, 2008. MEASURES: Our primary outcome measure is life expectancy. We categorize study subjects by sex, race, selected chronic conditions (heart disease, cancer...... and increasing numbers of comorbid conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Social Security and Medicare actuaries should account for the growing number of beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions when determining population projections and trust fund solvency....
Age related differences in individual quality of life domains in youth with type 1 diabetes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lett Syretta

2004-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Investigating individual, as opposed to predetermined, quality of life domains may yield important information about quality of life. This study investigated the individual quality of life domains nominated by youth with type 1 diabetes. Methods Eighty young people attending a diabetes summer camp completed the Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life-Direct Weighting interview, which allows respondents to nominate and evaluate their own quality of life domains. Results The most frequently nominated life domains were 'family', 'friends', 'diabetes', 'school', and 'health' respectively; ranked in terms of importance, domains were 'religion', 'family', 'diabetes', 'health', and 'the golden rule'; ranked in order of satisfaction, domains were 'camp', 'religion', 'pets', and 'family' and 'a special person' were tied for fifth. Respondent age was significantly positively associated with the importance of 'friends', and a significantly negatively associated with the importance of 'family'. Nearly all respondents nominated a quality of life domain relating to physical status, however, the specific physical status domain and the rationale for its nomination varied. Some respondents nominated 'diabetes' as a domain and emphasized diabetes 'self-care behaviors' in order to avoid negative health consequences such as hospitalization. Other respondents nominated 'health' and focused more generally on 'living well with diabetes'. In an ANOVA with physical status domain as the independent variable and age as the dependent variable, participants who nominated 'diabetes' were younger (M = 12.9 years than those who nominated 'health' (M = 15.9 years. In a second ANOVA, with rationale for nomination the physical status domain as the independent variable, and age as the dependent variable, those who emphasized 'self care behaviors' were younger (M = 11.8 years than those who emphasized 'living well with diabetes' (M = 14.6 years
Relationship between the domains of the Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale, satisfaction with food-related life and happiness in university students.

Science.gov (United States)

Schnettler, Berta; Orellana, Ligia; Lobos, Germán; Miranda, Horacio; Sepúlveda, José; Etchebarne, Soledad; Mora, Marcos; Adasme-Berríos, Cristian; Grunert, Klaus G

2015-06-01

To characterize types of university students based on satisfaction with life domains that affect eating habits, satisfaction with food-related life and subjective happiness. A questionnaire was applied to a nonrandom sample of 305 students of both genders in five universities in Chile. The questionnaire included the abbreviated Multidimensional Student's Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS), Satisfaction with Food-related Life Scale (SWFL) and the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS). Eating habits, frequency of food consumption in and outside the place of residence, approximate height and weight and sociodemographic variables were measured. Using factor analysis, the five-domain structure of the MSLSS was confirmed with 26 of the 30 items of the abbreviated version: Family, Friends, Self, Environment and University. Using cluster analysis four types of students were distinguished that differ significantly in the MSLSS global and domain scores, SWFL and SHS scores, gender, ownership of a food allowance card funded by the Chilean government, importance attributed to food for well-being and socioeconomic status. Higher levels of life satisfaction and happiness are associated with greater satisfaction with food-related life. Other major life domains that affect students' subjective well-being are Family, Friends, University and Self. Greater satisfaction in some domains may counterbalance the lower satisfaction in others. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.
Remodelling the Life Course: Making the Most of Life with Multiple Sclerosis

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Milka Satinovic

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to develop a substantive grounded theory on how to live a life as good as possible with multiple sclerosis (MS. The question of how to improve the quality of life is of key importance when speaking of a chronic illness like MS. We still have little knowledge of this important question from the patients’ perspective. Classic grounded theory was used to explore patients’ experiences of living with MS. The aim was to identify their main concern and how they process this concern at different phases in their life course. Twenty-one interviews were conducted with 17 participants diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Participant observation at five courses for people with a multiple sclerosis diagnosis generated field notes. The participants’ main concern was how to live a life as good as possible in spite of their deteriorating health. The participants met this challenge through a process of remodelling the life course, in four phases: postponing (keeping up a normal life, adjusting (moving on to a changed life, restructuring (doing the best of it in a changed life, and transforming (preventing illness from controlling life. The remodelling process is influenced by the individual context, like the current health situation, biography, relations, and structural conditions. The process of remodelling helps us understand what facilitates and what hinders patients with MS from living a good life.
A comparison of Frequency Domain Multiple Access (FDMA) and Time Domain Multiple Access (TDMA) approaches to satellite service for low data rate Earth stations

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, G.

1983-01-01

A technological and economic assessment is made of providing low data rate service to small earth stations by satellite at Ka-band. Various Frequency Domain Multiple Access (FDMA) and Time Domain Multiple Access (TDMA) scenarios are examined and compared on the basis of cost to the end user. Very small stations (1 to 2 meters in diameter) are found not to be viable alternatives to available terrestrial services. However, medium size (3 to 5 meters) earth stations appear to be very competitive if a minimum throughput of about 1.5 Mbs is maintained. This constrains the use of such terminals to large users and shared use by smaller users. No advantage was found to the use of FDMA. TDMA had a slight advantage from a total system viewpoint and a very significant advantage in the space segment (about 1/3 the required payload weight for an equivalent capacity).
On the Application of Joint-Domain Dictionary Mapping for Multiple Power Disturbance Assessment

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Delong Cai

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a joint-domain dictionary mapping method to obtain high assessment accuracy of multiple power disturbances. Firstly, in order to achieve resolutions in both the time and frequency domains, a joint-domain dictionary is proposed which consists of a discrete Hartley base and an identity matrix. Due to the low correlation between the discrete Hartley base and the identity matrix, the joint-domain dictionary mapping can separately capture the approximations of the sinusoidal components and transients. Since the mapping coefficients contain the physical quantities, the eigenvalues of each component can be effectively estimated. A quantified eigenvalue classifier was designed for identifying power disturbances using the estimated eigenvalues. The proposed method was compared with several advanced methods through simulated power disturbances under different noise conditions, and actual data from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Power and Energy Society database. The results reveal that the joint-domain dictionary mapping technique shows good performance on parameter estimation and recognition precision, even dealing with complicated multiple power disturbances.
Empowerment variables for rehabilitation clients on perceived beliefs concerning work quality of life domains.

Science.gov (United States)

Tschopp, Molly K; Frain, Michael P; Bishop, Malachy

2009-01-01

This article describes and presents an initial analysis of variables generally associated with empowerment towards perceived beliefs concerning quality of life work domains for individuals with disabilities. The model examines the domains of importance, satisfaction, control and degree of interference of disability that an individual feels towards work. The internet based study used results from 70 individuals with disabilities in varying aspects of work. The variables composing empowerment that correlated strongly with the work domains include: self-advocacy, self-efficacy, perceived stigma, and family resiliency as measured through coping. Quality of Life concerning work was measured through the DSC-C a domain specific QOL instrument.

Multiple-image hiding using super resolution reconstruction in high-frequency domains

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiao-Wei; Zhao, Wu-Xiang; Wang, Jun; Wang, Qiong-Hua

2017-12-01

In this paper, a robust multiple-image hiding method using the computer-generated integral imaging and the modified super-resolution reconstruction algorithm is proposed. In our work, the host image is first transformed into frequency domains by cellular automata (CA), to assure the quality of the stego-image, the secret images are embedded into the CA high-frequency domains. The proposed method has the following advantages: (1) robustness to geometric attacks because of the memory-distributed property of elemental images, (2) increasing quality of the reconstructed secret images as the scheme utilizes the modified super-resolution reconstruction algorithm. The simulation results show that the proposed multiple-image hiding method outperforms other similar hiding methods and is robust to some geometric attacks, e.g., Gaussian noise and JPEG compression attacks.
Does the Assessment of Recovery Capital scale reflect a single or multiple domains?

Science.gov (United States)

Arndt, Stephan; Sahker, Ethan; Hedden, Suzy

2017-01-01

The goal of this study was to determine whether the 50-item Assessment of Recovery Capital scale represents a single general measure or whether multiple domains might be psychometrically useful for research or clinical applications. Data are from a cross-sectional de-identified existing program evaluation information data set with 1,138 clients entering substance use disorder treatment. Principal components and iterated factor analysis were used on the domain scores. Multiple group factor analysis provided a quasi-confirmatory factor analysis. The solution accounted for 75.24% of the total variance, suggesting that 10 factors provide a reasonably good fit. However, Tucker's congruence coefficients between the factor structure and defining weights (0.41-0.52) suggested a poor fit to the hypothesized 10-domain structure. Principal components of the 10-domain scores yielded one factor whose eigenvalue was greater than one (5.93), accounting for 75.8% of the common variance. A few domains had perceptible but small unique variance components suggesting that a few of the domains may warrant enrichment. Our findings suggest that there is one general factor, with a caveat. Using the 10 measures inflates the chance for Type I errors. Using one general measure avoids this issue, is simple to interpret, and could reduce the number of items. However, those seeking to maximally predict later recovery success may need to use the full instrument and all 10 domains.
Managing Time-Based Conflict Across Life Domains In Nigeria: A ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Managing Time-Based Conflict Across Life Domains In Nigeria: A Decision Making Perspective. ... which employees in a developing country attempt to resolve time-based conflict between work, family and other activities. A decision making ...
Ocean acidification in the coastal zone from an organism's perspective: multiple system parameters, frequency domains, and habitats.

Science.gov (United States)

Waldbusser, George G; Salisbury, Joseph E

2014-01-01

Multiple natural and anthropogenic processes alter the carbonate chemistry of the coastal zone in ways that either exacerbate or mitigate ocean acidification effects. Freshwater inputs and multiple acid-base reactions change carbonate chemistry conditions, sometimes synergistically. The shallow nature of these systems results in strong benthic-pelagic coupling, and marine invertebrates at different life history stages rely on both benthic and pelagic habitats. Carbonate chemistry in coastal systems can be highly variable, responding to processes with temporal modes ranging from seconds to centuries. Identifying scales of variability relevant to levels of biological organization requires a fuller characterization of both the frequency and magnitude domains of processes contributing to or reducing acidification in pelagic and benthic habitats. We review the processes that contribute to coastal acidification with attention to timescales of variability and habitats relevant to marine bivalves.
Life satisfaction in middle-aged Koreans: mediating effects of domain-specific self-esteem satisfaction, and sex differences.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Hyun-Joo; Lee, Dong-Gwi; Yang, Nan Mee

2014-08-01

The current study was an attempt to examine the interplay between domain-specific self-esteem and life satisfaction with middle-aged Koreans. For four domains (Social/Objective Ability, Positive Characteristics, Interpersonal Relationships, and Family), the mediating effects of the satisfaction index of domain-specific self-esteem between the importance index of domain-specific self-esteem and life satisfaction were tested using structural equation modeling. 364 Koreans in their 40s and 50s were recruited through stratified sampling. Overall, the satisfaction index of domain-specific self-esteem was found to be a strong mediator across all the four domains; for middle-aged Koreans, if they appraised their self-esteem in a given domain as important and they felt satisfied in that domain, their life satisfaction was likely to be higher. Additionally, results of multi-group analysis suggested that the strengths of associations in the model were different between men and women in the Interpersonal Relationships domain.
Multiple chronic conditions and life expectancy: a life table analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

DuGoff, Eva H; Canudas-Romo, Vladimir; Buttorff, Christine; Leff, Bruce; Anderson, Gerard F

2014-08-01

The number of people living with multiple chronic conditions is increasing, but we know little about the impact of multimorbidity on life expectancy. We analyze life expectancy in Medicare beneficiaries by number of chronic conditions. A retrospective cohort study using single-decrement period life tables. Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries (N=1,372,272) aged 67 and older as of January 1, 2008. Our primary outcome measure is life expectancy. We categorize study subjects by sex, race, selected chronic conditions (heart disease, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, and Alzheimer disease), and number of comorbid conditions. Comorbidity was measured as a count of conditions collected by Chronic Conditions Warehouse and the Charlson Comorbidity Index. Life expectancy decreases with each additional chronic condition. A 67-year-old individual with no chronic conditions will live on average 22.6 additional years. A 67-year-old individual with 5 chronic conditions and ≥10 chronic conditions will live 7.7 fewer years and 17.6 fewer years, respectively. The average marginal decline in life expectancy is 1.8 years with each additional chronic condition-ranging from 0.4 fewer years with the first condition to 2.6 fewer years with the sixth condition. These results are consistent by sex and race. We observe differences in life expectancy by selected conditions at 67, but these differences diminish with age and increasing numbers of comorbid conditions. Social Security and Medicare actuaries should account for the growing number of beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions when determining population projections and trust fund solvency.
Driven by the future : Future time perspective across life domains and cultures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Andre, L.

2018-01-01

Contemplating about the future is inevitable for our life and goal strivings. Consequently, Future Time Perspective (FTP) – individuals’ attitudes towards the future as a motivator for attitudes and behaviors – has been researched across disciplines and life domains. However, little is known about
Central Decoding for Multiple Description Codes based on Domain Partitioning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Spiertz

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Multiple Description Codes (MDC can be used to trade redundancy against packet loss resistance for transmitting data over lossy diversity networks. In this work we focus on MD transform coding based on domain partitioning. Compared to Vaishampayan’s quantizer based MDC, domain based MD coding is a simple approach for generating different descriptions, by using different quantizers for each description. Commonly, only the highest rate quantizer is used for reconstruction. In this paper we investigate the benefit of using the lower rate quantizers to enhance the reconstruction quality at decoder side. The comparison is done on artificial source data and on image data.
A developmental screening tool for toddlers with multiple domains based on Rasch analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Ai-Wen; Chou, Yeh-Tai; Hsieh, Ching-Lin; Hsieh, Wu-Shiun; Liao, Hua-Fang; Wong, Alice May-Kuen

2015-01-01

Using multidomain developmental screening tools is a feasible method for pediatric health care professionals to identify children at risk of developmental problems in multiple domains simultaneously. The purpose of this study was to develop a Rasch-based tool for Multidimensional Screening in Child Development (MuSiC) for children aged 0-3 years. The MuSic was developed by constructing items bank based on three commonly used screening tools, validating with developmental status (at risk for delay or not) on five developmental domains. Parents of a convenient sample of 632 children (aged 3-35.5 months) with and without developmental delays responded to items from the three screening tools funded by health authorities in Taiwan. Item bank was determined by item fit of Rasch analysis for each of the five developmental domains (cognitive skills, language skills, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, and socioadaptive skills). Children's performance scores in logits derived in Rasch analysis were validated with developmental status for each domain using the area under receiver operating characteristic curves. MuSiC, a 75-item developmental screening tool for five domains, was derived. The diagnostic validity of all five domains was acceptable for all stages of development, except for the infant stage (≤11 months and 15 days). MuSiC can be applied simultaneously to well-child care visits as a universal screening tool for children aged 1-3 years on multiple domains. Items with sound validity for infants need to be further developed. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.
A fluorescent cassette-based strategy for engineering multiple domain fusion proteins

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Khorchid Ahmad

2003-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The engineering of fusion proteins has become increasingly important and most recently has formed the basis of many biosensors, protein purification systems, and classes of new drugs. Currently, most fusion proteins consist of three or fewer domains, however, more sophisticated designs could easily involve three or more domains. Using traditional subcloning strategies, this requires micromanagement of restriction enzymes sites that results in complex workaround solutions, if any at all. Results Therefore, to aid in the efficient construction of fusion proteins involving multiple domains, we have created a new expression vector that allows us to rapidly generate a library of cassettes. Cassettes have a standard vector structure based on four specific restriction endonuclease sites and using a subtle property of blunt or compatible cohesive end restriction enzymes, they can be fused in any order and number of times. Furthermore, the insertion of PCR products into our expression vector or the recombination of cassettes can be dramatically simplified by screening for the presence or absence of fluorescence. Conclusions Finally, the utility of this new strategy was demonstrated by the creation of basic cassettes for protein targeting to subcellular organelles and for protein purification using multiple affinity tags.
Age differences in five personality domains across the life span

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Allemand, Mathias; Zimprich, Daniel; Hendriks, A. A. Jolijn

The present study addresses the issue of age differences in 5 personality domains across the-life span in a cross-sectional study. In contrast to most previous studies, the present study follows a methodologically more rigorous approach to warrant that age-related differences in personality
Developing a Measure of Community Well-Being Based on Perceptions of Impact in Various Life Domains

Science.gov (United States)

Sirgy, M. Joseph; Widgery, Robin N.; Lee, Dong-Jin; Yu, Grace B.

2010-01-01

A new measure of community well-being is developed based on the notion that community residents perceive the quality-of-life (QOL) impact of community services and conditions in various life domains (e.g., family, social, leisure, health, financial, cultural, consumer, work, spiritual, and environmental domains). These perceptions influence…
Corporate mobility: Impacts on life domains and implications for work-life balance of international business travelers and expatriates

OpenAIRE

Tretyakevich, Natalia; Maggi, Rico

2016-01-01

In my dissertation I aim to explore the impacts of work-related mobility on job, family life and personal well-being of the travelling employees. To do so, three studies have been conducted with the purpose to investigate business travel behavioral patterns and impacts of work-related mobility on various life domains of the three segments, namely frequent corporate business travelers, expatriates and travelling academics, for whom the issues of travel stress and work-life balance are of ...
Langevin equations with multiplicative noise: application to domain growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sancho, J.M.; Hernandez-Machado, A.; Ramirez-Piscina, L.; Lacasta, A.M.

1993-01-01

Langevin equations of Ginzburg-Landau form with multiplicative noise, are proposed to study the effects of fluctuations in domain growth. These equations are derived from a coarse-grained methodology. The Cahn-Hilliard-Cook linear stability analysis predicts some effects in the transitory regime. We also derive numerical algorithms for the computer simulation of these equations. The numerical results corroborate the analytical productions of the linear analysis. We also present simulation results for spinodal decomposition at large times. (author). 28 refs, 2 figs
Data compression and genomes: a two-dimensional life domain map.

Science.gov (United States)

Menconi, Giulia; Benci, Vieri; Buiatti, Marcello

2008-07-21

We define the complexity of DNA sequences as the information content per nucleotide, calculated by means of some Lempel-Ziv data compression algorithm. It is possible to use the statistics of the complexity values of the functional regions of different complete genomes to distinguish among genomes of different domains of life (Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya). We shall focus on the distribution function of the complexity of non-coding regions. We show that the three domains may be plotted in separate regions within the two-dimensional space where the axes are the skewness coefficient and the curtosis coefficient of the aforementioned distribution. Preliminary results on 15 genomes are introduced.
The Distance between Perception and Reality in the Social Domains of Life

OpenAIRE

Lora, Eduardo

2013-01-01

The distance between perception and reality with respect to the social domains of life is often striking. Using survey data collected on Latin American countries, this paper provides an overview of the main empirical findings on the gaps between perception and reality in four social domains--health, employment, the perception of security, and social ranking. The overview emphasizes the psychological biases that may explain the gaps. Biases associated with cultural values are very relevant wit...
Multiple functions of the von Willebrand Factor A domain in matrilins: secretion, assembly, and proteolysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kanbe Katsuaki

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract The von Willebrand Factor A (vWF A domain is one of the most widely distributed structural modules in cell-matrix adhesive molecules such as intergrins and extracellular matrix proteins. Mutations in the vWF A domain of matrilin-3 cause multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (MED, however the pathological mechanism remains to be determined. Previously we showed that the vWF A domain in matrilin-1 mediates formation of a filamentous matrix network through metal-ion dependent adhesion sites in the domain. Here we show two new functions of the vWF A domain in cartilage-specific matrilins (1 and 3. First, vWF A domain regulates oligomerization of matrilins. Insertion of a vWF A domain into matrilin-3 converts the formation of a mixture of matrilin-3 tetramer, trimer, and dimer into a tetramer only, while deletion of a vWF A domain from matrilin-1 converts the formation of the native matrilin-1 trimer into a mixture of trimer and dimer. Second, the vWF A domain protects matrilin-1 from proteolysis. We identified a latent proteolytic site next to the vWF A2 domain in matrilin-1, which is sensitive to the inhibitors of matrix proteases. Deletion of the abutting vWF A domain results in degradation of matrilin-1, presumably by exposing the adjacent proteolytic site. In addition, we also confirmed the vWF A domain is vital for the secretion of matrilin-3. Secretion of the mutant matrilin-3 harbouring a point mutation within the vWF A domain, as occurred in MED patients, is markedly reduced and delayed, resulting from intracellular retention of the mutant matrilin-3. Taken together, our data suggest that different mutations/deletions of the vWF A domain in matrilins may lead to distinct pathological mechanisms due to the multiple functions of the vWF A domain.
Quality of life and social support in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosiak, Katarzyna; Zagożdżon, Paweł

2017-10-29

Quality of life and needforsocial support in persons diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) are to a large extent determined by the degree of their disability. The aim of the study was to analyze an association between specific forms of MS, subjectively perceived quality of life and social support. The study included subjects with established diagnosis of MS, treated at rehabilitation centers, hospitals and in a home setting, as well as the members of patient organizations. After being informed about objectives of the study, type of included tasks and way to complete them, each participant was handed out a set of questionnaires: Berlin Social Support Scales (Łuszczyńska, Kowalska, Schwarzer, Schulz), Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOLBREF), as well as a survey developed specifically for the purposes of this project. The results were subjected to statistical analysis with STATA 12 package. The study included a total of 110 persons (67 women and 43 men). Quality of life overall, as well in physical, psychological, social relationships and environmental health domains, turned out to be particularly important in patients with primary-progressive MS. Irrespective of MS type, social support overall did not play a significant role on univariate analysis. However, subgroup analysis according to sex demonstrated that men with MS received social support four times less often than women. Quality of life in individuals with primary-progressive MS is significantly lower than in patients presenting with other types of this disease. Men with MS are more likely to present with worse scores for social support overall. They are less likely both to acknowledge the need for support and to realize the availability of support they actually need.
An intermolecular binding mechanism involving multiple LysM domains mediates carbohydrate recognition by an endopeptidase

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wong, Mei Mei Jaslyn Elizabeth; Midtgaard, Søren Roi; Gysel, Kira

2015-01-01

of multiple LysM domains in substrate binding has so far lacked support from high-resolution structures of ligand-bound complexes. Here, a structural study of the Thermus thermophilus NlpC/P60 endopeptidase containing two LysM domains is presented. The crystal structure and small-angle X-ray scattering...
Domain-specific physical activity and health-related quality of life in university students.

Science.gov (United States)

Pedišić, Zeljko; Rakovac, Marija; Titze, Sylvia; Jurakić, Danijel; Oja, Pekka

2014-01-01

Information on the relationship between domain-specific physical activity (PA) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the general population and specific groups is still scarce. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between PA in work, transport, domestic and leisure-time domains and HRQoL among university students. PA and HRQoL were assessed in a random stratified sample of 1750 university students using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire - long form and 12-item Short Form Health Survey, respectively. The Spearman's rank correlations, adjusted for age, community size, personal monthly budget, body mass index, smoking habits and alcohol intake ranged from -0.11 to 0.18 in female students and -0.29 to 0.19 in male students. Leisure-time, domestic, transport-related PA and total PA were positively related to HRQoL. Inverse correlations with HRQoL were only found for work-related PA in male students. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that only leisure-time PA was related to the Physical Summary Component score (β = 0.08 for females and β = 0.10 for males, P leisure-time, transport and domestic PA with HRQoL can potentially be used to support evidence-based promotion of PA in a university setting, and as a hypothesis for future longitudinal studies on such potential causal relationships.

A developmental screening tool for toddlers with multiple domains based on Rasch analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ai-Wen Hwang

2015-01-01

Conclusion: MuSiC can be applied simultaneously to well-child care visits as a universal screening tool for children aged 1–3 years on multiple domains. Items with sound validity for infants need to be further developed.
Effects of Applying Hydrotherapy on Quality of Life in Women with Multiple Sclerosis

OpenAIRE

Somayyeh Ghaffari; Fazlollah Ahmadi; Seyyed Masoud Nabavi; Anoushirvan Kazem-Nezhad

2008-01-01

Objective: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common chronic diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), which causes important changes patient’s life, specially in adults life. MS decreases the quality of life (QOL) of patients severely and led to disability gradually. The aim of this study is to assess the effects of applying hydrotherapy on quality of life of Multiple Sclerosis patients. Materials & Methods: In this Quasi-experimental study, 50 Multiple Sclerosis patients wer...
Quality of life domains affected in women with breast cancer

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Sabrina Nunes Garcia

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the quality of life of women suffering from breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy in public and private health care systems. METHOD: It is an observational, prospective study with 64 women suffering from breast cancer. Data was collected with two instruments: Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 and Breast Cancer Module BR23. By applying Mann Whitney and Friedman's statistical tests, p values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The significant results in public health care systems were: physical functions, pain symptom, body image, systemic effects and outlook for the future. In private health care systems, the results were sexual, social functions and body image. Women's quality of life was harmed by chemotherapy in both institutions. CONCLUSION: The quality of life of women has been harmed as a result of the chemotherapy treatment in both institutions, but in different domains, indicating the type of nursing care that should be provided according to the characteristics of each group.
Age differences in five personality domains across the life span.

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Allemand, Mathias; Zimprich, Daniel; Hendriks, A A Jolijn

2008-05-01

The present study addresses the issue of age differences in 5 personality domains across the life span in a cross-sectional study. In contrast to most previous studies, the present study follows a methodologically more rigorous approach to warrant that age-related differences in personality structure and mean level can be meaningfully compared. It uses data on 50 items of the Five-Factor Personality Inventory (FFPI) available from a study in a large and representative Dutch sample (N = 2,494; age range: 16 to 91 years) conducted in 1996 for the purpose of establishing norms for the FFPI. After having established strict measurement invariance, tests were made for factor covariances to be equal across age groups, revealing structural continuity of personality. Additionally, factor variances were shown to be equal across age groups. A number of age differences in the mean level of the five personality domains emerged. Specifically, older adults were, on average, more agreeable and, especially, more conscientious than middle-aged and younger adults. Findings from our study suggest that both continuity and change may mark personality over the course of life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved).
Analysis of underlying and multiple-cause mortality data: the life table methods.

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Moussa, M A

1987-02-01

The stochastic compartment model concepts are employed to analyse and construct complete and abbreviated total mortality life tables, multiple-decrement life tables for a disease, under the underlying and pattern-of-failure definitions of mortality risk, cause-elimination life tables, cause-elimination effects on saved population through the gain in life expectancy as a consequence of eliminating the mortality risk, cause-delay life tables designed to translate the clinically observed increase in survival time as the population gain in life expectancy that would occur if a treatment protocol was made available to the general population and life tables for disease dependency in multiple-cause data.
Are total, intensity- and domain-specific physical activity levels associated with life satisfaction among university students?

Science.gov (United States)

Pedišić, Željko; Greblo, Zrinka; Phongsavan, Philayrath; Milton, Karen; Bauman, Adrian E

2015-01-01

Thorough information about the relationship between physical activity (PA) and life satisfaction is still lacking. Therefore, this study examined the cross-sectional relationships between life satisfaction and meeting the World Health Organization (WHO) moderate to vigorous-intensity PA recommendations, total volume and duration of PA, intensity-specific PA (walking, moderate- and vigorous-intensity), domain-specific PA (work, transport-related, domestic, and leisure-time), and 11 domain and intensity-specific PA types among university students. Additionally, we examined the associations between life satisfaction and gender, age, disposable income, community size, smoking, alcohol intake, body mass index (BMI), and self-rated health. The study included a random sample of 1750 university students in Zagreb, Croatia (response rate = 71.7%; 62.4% females; mean age 21.5 ± 1.8 years), using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-long form and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Higher life satisfaction was associated with female gender (β = 0.13; p = leisure-time vigorous-intensity PA was significantly associated with life satisfaction after adjustments for socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle and self-rated general health (β = 0.06; p = 0.045). This study indicated a weak positive relationship between leisure-time vigorous-intensity PA and life satisfaction, whilst no such association was found for other PA variables. These findings underscore the importance of analyzing domain and intensity-specific PA levels in future studies among university students, as drawing conclusions about the relationship between PA and life satisfaction based on total PA levels only may be misleading.
Relationship between the domains of the Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale, satisfaction with food-related life and happiness in university students

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schnettler, Berta; Orellana, Ligia; Lobos, Germán

2015-01-01

Aim: to characterize types of university students based on satisfaction with life domains that affect eating habits, satisfaction with food-related life and subjective happiness. Materials and methods: a questionnaire was applied to a nonrandom sample of 305 students of both genders in five...... universities in Chile. The questionnaire included the abbreviated Multidimensional Student’s Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS), Satisfaction with Food-related Life Scale (SWFL) and the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS). Eating habits, frequency of food consumption in and outside the place of residence...
Generating multiple orbital angular momentum vortex beams using a metasurface in radio frequency domain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Shixing; Li, Long, E-mail: lilong@mail.xidian.edu.cn, E-mail: gmshi@xidian.edu.cn; Shi, Guangming, E-mail: lilong@mail.xidian.edu.cn, E-mail: gmshi@xidian.edu.cn; Zhu, Cheng; Shi, Yan [National Key Laboratory of Antennas and Microwave Technology, School of Electronic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Information Sensing and Understanding, Xidian University, Xi' an 710071 (China)

2016-06-13

In this paper, an electromagnetic metasurface is designed, fabricated, and experimentally demonstrated to generate multiple orbital angular momentum (OAM) vortex beams in radio frequency domain. Theoretical formula of compensated phase-shift distribution is deduced and used to design the metasurface to produce multiple vortex radio waves in different directions with different OAM modes. The prototype of a practical configuration of square-patch metasurface is designed, fabricated, and measured to validate the theoretical analysis at 5.8 GHz. The simulated and experimental results verify that multiple OAM vortex waves can be simultaneously generated by using a single electromagnetic metasurface. The proposed method paves an effective way to generate multiple OAM vortex waves in radio and microwave wireless communication applications.
Are Total, Intensity- and Domain-Specific Physical Activity Levels Associated with Life Satisfaction among University Students?

Science.gov (United States)

Pedišić, Željko; Greblo, Zrinka; Phongsavan, Philayrath; Milton, Karen; Bauman, Adrian E.

2015-01-01

Background Thorough information about the relationship between physical activity (PA) and life satisfaction is still lacking. Therefore, this study examined the cross-sectional relationships between life satisfaction and meeting the World Health Organization (WHO) moderate to vigorous-intensity PA recommendations, total volume and duration of PA, intensity-specific PA (walking, moderate- and vigorous-intensity), domain-specific PA (work, transport-related, domestic, and leisure-time), and 11 domain and intensity-specific PA types among university students. Additionally, we examined the associations between life satisfaction and gender, age, disposable income, community size, smoking, alcohol intake, body mass index (BMI), and self-rated health. Methods The study included a random sample of 1750 university students in Zagreb, Croatia (response rate = 71.7%; 62.4% females; mean age 21.5 ± 1.8 years), using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire — long form and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Results Higher life satisfaction was associated with female gender (β = 0.13; p = life satisfaction and size of community (p = 0.567), smoking status (p = 0.056), alcohol consumption (p = 0.058), or BMI (p = 0.508). Among all PA variables, only leisure-time vigorous-intensity PA was significantly associated with life satisfaction after adjustments for socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle and self-rated general health (β = 0.06; p = 0.045). Conclusions This study indicated a weak positive relationship between leisure-time vigorous-intensity PA and life satisfaction, whilst no such association was found for other PA variables. These findings underscore the importance of analyzing domain and intensity-specific PA levels in future studies among university students, as drawing conclusions about the relationship between PA and life satisfaction based on total PA levels only may be misleading. PMID:25695492
Curvelet-domain multiple matching method combined with cubic B-spline function

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Tong; Wang, Deli; Tian, Mi; Hu, Bin; Liu, Chengming

2018-05-01

Since the large amount of surface-related multiple existed in the marine data would influence the results of data processing and interpretation seriously, many researchers had attempted to develop effective methods to remove them. The most successful surface-related multiple elimination method was proposed based on data-driven theory. However, the elimination effect was unsatisfactory due to the existence of amplitude and phase errors. Although the subsequent curvelet-domain multiple-primary separation method achieved better results, poor computational efficiency prevented its application. In this paper, we adopt the cubic B-spline function to improve the traditional curvelet multiple matching method. First, select a little number of unknowns as the basis points of the matching coefficient; second, apply the cubic B-spline function on these basis points to reconstruct the matching array; third, build constraint solving equation based on the relationships of predicted multiple, matching coefficients, and actual data; finally, use the BFGS algorithm to iterate and realize the fast-solving sparse constraint of multiple matching algorithm. Moreover, the soft-threshold method is used to make the method perform better. With the cubic B-spline function, the differences between predicted multiple and original data diminish, which results in less processing time to obtain optimal solutions and fewer iterative loops in the solving procedure based on the L1 norm constraint. The applications to synthetic and field-derived data both validate the practicability and validity of the method.
Physical Activity Throughout the Adult Life Span and Domain-Specific Cognitive Function in Old Age: A Systematic Review of Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Data.

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Engeroff, Tobias; Ingmann, Tobias; Banzer, Winfried

2018-06-01

A growing body of literature suggests that physical activity might alleviate the age-related neurodegeneration and decline of cognitive function. However, most of this evidence is based on data investigating the association of exercise interventions or current physical activity behavior with cognitive function in elderly subjects. We performed a systematic review and hypothesize that physical activity during the adult life span is connected with maintained domain-specific cognitive functions during late adulthood defined as age 60+ years. We performed a systematic literature search up to November 2017 in PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar without language limitations for studies analyzing the association of leisure physical activity during the adult life span (age 18+ years) and domain-specific cognitive functions in older adults (age 60+ years). The literature review yielded 14,294 articles and after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, nine cross-sectional and 14 longitudinal studies were included. Moderate- and vigorous-intensity leisure physical activity was associated with global cognitive function and specific cognitive domains including executive functions and memory but not attention or working memory. Most studies assessed mid- to late-adulthood physical activity, thus information concerning the influence of young adult life-span physical activity is currently lacking. Observational evidence that moderate- and vigorous-intensity leisure physical activity is beneficially associated with maintained cognitive functions during old age is accumulating. Further studies are necessary to confirm a causal link by assessing objective physical activity data and the decline of cognitive functions at multiple time points during old age.
Exploring quality of life of children with cerebral palsy and intellectual disability: What are the important domains of life?

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Davis, E; Reddihough, D; Murphy, N; Epstein, A; Reid, S M; Whitehouse, A; Williams, K; Leonard, H; Downs, J

2017-11-01

Although it is estimated that half of all children with cerebral palsy also have comorbid intellectual disability, the domains of quality of life (QOL) important for these children are not well understood. The aim of this study was to identify important domains of QOL for these children and adolescents. Due to the children's communication impairments, qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 parents. The children (9 males) had a median age of 12 (range 7 to 17) years at interview and nearly two thirds were classified as Gross Motor Function Classification System IV or V. A grounded theory approach was used to identify domains of QOL. The 11 domains identified as important to QOL were physical health, body comfort, behaviour and emotion, communication, predictability and routine, movement and physical activity, nature and outdoors, variety of activity, independence and autonomy, social connectedness, and access to services. The domains of QOL that emerged from this study will be useful for professionals who support children with cerebral palsy and their families. They will also be important for developing a QOL instrument essential for informing the development of interventions and their monitoring and evaluation. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Investigating Simulated Driving Errors in Amnestic Single- and Multiple-Domain Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Science.gov (United States)

Hird, Megan A; Vesely, Kristin A; Fischer, Corinne E; Graham, Simon J; Naglie, Gary; Schweizer, Tom A

2017-01-01

The areas of driving impairment characteristic of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) remain unclear. This study compared the simulated driving performance of 24 individuals with MCI, including amnestic single-domain (sd-MCI, n = 11) and amnestic multiple-domain MCI (md-MCI, n = 13), and 20 age-matched controls. Individuals with MCI committed over twice as many driving errors (20.0 versus 9.9), demonstrated difficulty with lane maintenance, and committed more errors during left turns with traffic compared to healthy controls. Specifically, individuals with md-MCI demonstrated greater driving difficulty compared to healthy controls, relative to those with sd-MCI. Differentiating between different subtypes of MCI may be important when evaluating driving safety.
Are total, intensity- and domain-specific physical activity levels associated with life satisfaction among university students?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Željko Pedišić

Full Text Available Thorough information about the relationship between physical activity (PA and life satisfaction is still lacking. Therefore, this study examined the cross-sectional relationships between life satisfaction and meeting the World Health Organization (WHO moderate to vigorous-intensity PA recommendations, total volume and duration of PA, intensity-specific PA (walking, moderate- and vigorous-intensity, domain-specific PA (work, transport-related, domestic, and leisure-time, and 11 domain and intensity-specific PA types among university students. Additionally, we examined the associations between life satisfaction and gender, age, disposable income, community size, smoking, alcohol intake, body mass index (BMI, and self-rated health.The study included a random sample of 1750 university students in Zagreb, Croatia (response rate = 71.7%; 62.4% females; mean age 21.5 ± 1.8 years, using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-long form and the Satisfaction with Life Scale.Higher life satisfaction was associated with female gender (β = 0.13; p = <0.001, younger age (β = -0.07; p = 0.024, higher disposable income (β = 0.10; p = 0.001, and better self-rated health (β = 0.30; p = <0.001. No significant association was found between life satisfaction and size of community (p = 0.567, smoking status (p = 0.056, alcohol consumption (p = 0.058, or BMI (p = 0.508. Among all PA variables, only leisure-time vigorous-intensity PA was significantly associated with life satisfaction after adjustments for socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle and self-rated general health (β = 0.06; p = 0.045.This study indicated a weak positive relationship between leisure-time vigorous-intensity PA and life satisfaction, whilst no such association was found for other PA variables. These findings underscore the importance of analyzing domain and intensity-specific PA levels in future studies among university students, as drawing conclusions about the
Co-Inheritance Analysis within the Domains of Life Substantially Improves Network Inference by Phylogenetic Profiling.

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Junha Shin

Full Text Available Phylogenetic profiling, a network inference method based on gene inheritance profiles, has been widely used to construct functional gene networks in microbes. However, its utility for network inference in higher eukaryotes has been limited. An improved algorithm with an in-depth understanding of pathway evolution may overcome this limitation. In this study, we investigated the effects of taxonomic structures on co-inheritance analysis using 2,144 reference species in four query species: Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Arabidopsis thaliana, and Homo sapiens. We observed three clusters of reference species based on a principal component analysis of the phylogenetic profiles, which correspond to the three domains of life-Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukaryota-suggesting that pathways inherit primarily within specific domains or lower-ranked taxonomic groups during speciation. Hence, the co-inheritance pattern within a taxonomic group may be eroded by confounding inheritance patterns from irrelevant taxonomic groups. We demonstrated that co-inheritance analysis within domains substantially improved network inference not only in microbe species but also in the higher eukaryotes, including humans. Although we observed two sub-domain clusters of reference species within Eukaryota, co-inheritance analysis within these sub-domain taxonomic groups only marginally improved network inference. Therefore, we conclude that co-inheritance analysis within domains is the optimal approach to network inference with the given reference species. The construction of a series of human gene networks with increasing sample sizes of the reference species for each domain revealed that the size of the high-accuracy networks increased as additional reference species genomes were included, suggesting that within-domain co-inheritance analysis will continue to expand human gene networks as genomes of additional species are sequenced. Taken together, we propose that co
Hopelessness, Depression and Life Satisfaction Among The Patients With Multiple Sclerosis

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Güler Duru Aşiret

2014-03-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: This study was carried out to determine the level of hopelessness, depression, and life satisfaction among patients with multiple sclerosis. METHODS: 65 patients with multiple sclerosis, treated at the neurology clinic of a university hospital, were included in this study. In this descriptive study, a data collection form developed by the researchers, the Beck Depression Scale, and the Beck Hopelessness and Life Satisfaction Scale were used. RESULTS: Almost half (43.1% of the patients exhibited severe depressive symptoms. Patients’ hopelessness and life satisfaction levels were moderate. The scores on depression and life satisfaction scales were correlated negatively. While patients’ traits including female gender, low economic level, difficulties in walking, and fatigue were associated with reduced life satisfaction; variables such as having a child, low economic and education levels, experiencing incontinence, and fatigue were related to a higher level of depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: The majority of patients were depressed; life satisfaction and hopelessness levels were moderate. Linear regression analysis revealed that education and emotional problems determined 42% of the depression score; and economic level and emotional problems identified 32% of the life satisfaction score
A frequency domain global parameter estimation method for multiple reference frequency response measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Shih, C. Y.; Tsuei, Y. G.; Allemang, R. J.; Brown, D. L.

1988-10-01

A method of using the matrix Auto-Regressive Moving Average (ARMA) model in the Laplace domain for multiple-reference global parameter identification is presented. This method is particularly applicable to the area of modal analysis where high modal density exists. The method is also applicable when multiple reference frequency response functions are used to characterise linear systems. In order to facilitate the mathematical solution, the Forsythe orthogonal polynomial is used to reduce the ill-conditioning of the formulated equations and to decouple the normal matrix into two reduced matrix blocks. A Complex Mode Indicator Function (CMIF) is introduced, which can be used to determine the proper order of the rational polynomials.
Re-conceptualising prenatal life stressors in predicting post-partum depression: cumulative-, specific-, and domain-specific approaches to calculating risk.

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Liu, Cindy H; Tronick, Ed

2013-09-01

Prenatal life stress predicts post-partum depression (PPD); however, studies generally examine individual stressors (a specific approach) or the summation of such exposure (a cumulative approach) and their associations with PPD. Such approaches may oversimplify prenatal life stress as a risk factor for PPD. We evaluated approaches in assessing prenatal life stress as a predictor of PPD diagnosis, including a domain-specific approach that captures cumulative life stress while accounting for stress across different life stress domains: financial, relational, and physical health. The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, a population-based survey, was used to analyse the association of prenatal life stressors with PPD diagnoses among 3566 New York City post-partum women. Specific stressors were not associated with PPD diagnosis after controlling for sociodemographic variables. Exposure to a greater number of stressors was associated with PPD diagnosis, even after adjusting for both sociodemographic variables and specific stressors [odds ratio (OR) = 3.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.5, 6.7]. Individuals reporting a moderate-to-high number of financial problems along with a moderate-to-high number of physical problems were at greater odds of PPD (OR = 4.2, 95% CI = 1.2, 15.3); those with a moderate-to-high number of problems in all three domains were at over fivefold increased odds of PPD (OR = 5.5, CI = 1.1, 28.5). In assessing prenatal stress, clinicians should consider the extent to which stressors occur across different life domains; this association appears stronger with PPD diagnosis than simple assessments of individual stressors, which typically overestimate risk or cumulative exposures. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Multiple role occupancy in midlife: balancing work and family life in Britain.

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Evandrou, Maria; Glaser, Karen; Henz, Ursula

2002-12-01

This article investigates the extent of multiple-role occupancy among midlife individuals in Britain in cross-section and over the life course, focusing on work and family commitments. The association between demographic and social factors and multiple-role obligations is also investigated. The research is based on secondary analysis of the British Family and Working Lives Survey, which contains retrospective paid work, caregiving, and child coresidence histories. The proportion of individuals in midlife (women aged 45-59 and men aged 45-64) who have multiple roles, in terms of paid work and consistent family care, at any one point in time is low (2%). This is primarily due to the relatively small proportion (7%) of people in this age group who are caring for a dependent. Being older, unmarried, and in poor health significantly reduces the number of roles held among men and women. Although the frequency of multiple role occupancy, and intensive multiple role occupancy, is low on a cross-sectional basis, a much higher proportion of individuals have ever occupied multiple roles over their life course (14%). The findings will inform debate on how policy can best aid those endeavouring to balance paid work, family life, and caring responsibilities.
A life domains perspective on acculturation and psychological adjustment: a study of refugees from the former Soviet Union.

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Birman, Dina; Simon, Corrina D; Chan, Wing Yi; Tran, Nellie

2014-03-01

The study articulates a contextual approach to research on acculturation of immigrants, suggesting that the relationship between acculturation and adjustment is dependent on the cultural demands of the life domains considered. Specifically, the study investigated the mediating effects of adjustment in occupational and social life domains on the relationship between acculturation and psychological adjustment for 391 refugees from the former Soviet Union. The study used bilinear measures of acculturation to the host (American) and heritage (Russian) cultures. Using Structural Equation Modeling, the study confirmed the hypothesized relationships, such that the positive effects of American acculturation on psychological adjustment were mediated by occupational adjustment, and the effects of Russian acculturation on psychological adjustment were mediated by satisfaction with co-ethnic social support. Psychological adjustment was measured in two ways, as psychological well-being, using a measure of life satisfaction, and as symptoms of depression and anxiety, using the Hopkins symptom checklist (HSCL). Life satisfaction served as a mediator between adjustment in occupational and social domains and HSCL, suggesting that it may be an intervening variable through which environmental stress associated with immigration contributes to the development of symptoms of mental disorder.

Quality of life domains important and relevant to family caregivers of advanced cancer patients in an Asian population: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Geok Ling; Ow, Mandy Yen Ling; Akhileswaran, Ramaswamy; Pang, Grace Su Yin; Fan, Gilbert Kam Tong; Goh, Brandon Huat Heng; Wong, Cai Fong; Cheung, Yin Bun; Wee, Hwee Lin

2015-04-01

This study aims to identify domains of quality of life (QoL) that are culturally relevant to Chinese caregivers of advanced cancer patients in Singapore and to evaluate content adequacy of currently available instruments for use in the target population. English- and Chinese-speaking caregivers of advanced cancer patients receiving care under a tertiary cancer center and/or a community hospice home care/day care provider were recruited for in-depth interviews. The interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. The identified domains, themes and sub-themes were compared to concepts addressed by items from five existing cancer-specific caregiver QoL instruments. Eighteen female and eight male caregivers aged 28-74 years participated in the study. Twenty-nine QoL themes and 59 sub-themes were identified in six domains, namely physical health, mental health, social health, spiritual health, financial health and daily life. Collectively, but not individually, the content of the five existing instruments adequately cover the physical health domain, social health domain and some themes on mental health domain for the study population. Content gaps were identified in the domains of mental health, spiritual health, daily life and financial health. The present study found culturally and contextually specific themes and sub-themes about positive emotional health, spiritual health and financial health.
An efficient multiple exposure image fusion in JPEG domain

Science.gov (United States)

Hebbalaguppe, Ramya; Kakarala, Ramakrishna

2012-01-01

In this paper, we describe a method to fuse multiple images taken with varying exposure times in the JPEG domain. The proposed algorithm finds its application in HDR image acquisition and image stabilization for hand-held devices like mobile phones, music players with cameras, digital cameras etc. Image acquisition at low light typically results in blurry and noisy images for hand-held camera's. Altering camera settings like ISO sensitivity, exposure times and aperture for low light image capture results in noise amplification, motion blur and reduction of depth-of-field respectively. The purpose of fusing multiple exposures is to combine the sharp details of the shorter exposure images with high signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) of the longer exposure images. The algorithm requires only a single pass over all images, making it efficient. It comprises of - sigmoidal boosting of shorter exposed images, image fusion, artifact removal and saturation detection. Algorithm does not need more memory than a single JPEG macro block to be kept in memory making it feasible to be implemented as the part of a digital cameras hardware image processing engine. The Artifact removal step reuses the JPEGs built-in frequency analysis and hence benefits from the considerable optimization and design experience that is available for JPEG.
KNIME for reproducible cross-domain analysis of life science data.

Science.gov (United States)

Fillbrunn, Alexander; Dietz, Christian; Pfeuffer, Julianus; Rahn, René; Landrum, Gregory A; Berthold, Michael R

2017-11-10

Experiments in the life sciences often involve tools from a variety of domains such as mass spectrometry, next generation sequencing, or image processing. Passing the data between those tools often involves complex scripts for controlling data flow, data transformation, and statistical analysis. Such scripts are not only prone to be platform dependent, they also tend to grow as the experiment progresses and are seldomly well documented, a fact that hinders the reproducibility of the experiment. Workflow systems such as KNIME Analytics Platform aim to solve these problems by providing a platform for connecting tools graphically and guaranteeing the same results on different operating systems. As an open source software, KNIME allows scientists and programmers to provide their own extensions to the scientific community. In this review paper we present selected extensions from the life sciences that simplify data exploration, analysis, and visualization and are interoperable due to KNIME's unified data model. Additionally, we name other workflow systems that are commonly used in the life sciences and highlight their similarities and differences to KNIME. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
On the practical modeling of conceptual overlap among multiple facets in ontology domain concepts (Mini-thesis)

OpenAIRE

Rodriguez-Castro, Benedicto; Glaser, Hugh; Carr, Leslie

2007-01-01

This report presents a study on the practical modelling of the conceptual overlap that might exist among the multiple facets that define a particular ontology domain concept. The notions of conceptual overlap and facet are defined, together with their relation to scenarios of multiple inheritance in ontology models. Starting from the notion of a value partition, a terminology of ontology modelling constructs is introduced that allows the characterization of two types of conceptual overlap wit...
The Environmental Domain of Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Respiratory Diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurpas, Donata; Szwamel, Katarzyna; Mroczek, Bożena

2016-01-01

The literature lacks reports on the role played by the Environmental domain of quality of life (QoL) in care for patients with chronic respiratory diseases. Such information has a high potential for implementation in modern medicine based on a 'tailor-made' holistic healthcare model. The purpose of this study was to determine the components that shape the Environmental domain of QoL in patients with chronic respiratory diseases. The study group consisted of 305 adult patients (median age 65 years) with at least one chronic respiratory disease. The greatest contribution to a high value of QoL in the Environmental domain among patients with chronic respiratory diseases was made by the coexistence of high QoL levels in other domains and in satisfaction with QoL. Programs for preventing a decline in QoL in the Environmental domain should include patients with low scores for the above variables as well as those with a low level of education, those who have not shown an improvement in their psychological well-being in the past 12 months, those with a low level of positive mental attitudes or healthy eating habits, a low Camberwell index, and low levels of overall pro-health behavior.
An intermolecular binding mechanism involving multiple LysM domains mediates carbohydrate recognition by an endopeptidase

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wong, Jaslyn E. M. M. [Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus (Denmark); Midtgaard, Søren Roi [University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen (Denmark); Gysel, Kira [Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus (Denmark); Thygesen, Mikkel B.; Sørensen, Kasper K.; Jensen, Knud J. [University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C (Denmark); Stougaard, Jens; Thirup, Søren; Blaise, Mickaël, E-mail: mickael.blaise@cpbs.cnrs.fr [Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus (Denmark)

2015-03-01

The crystal and solution structures of the T. thermophilus NlpC/P60 d, l-endopeptidase as well as the co-crystal structure of its N-terminal LysM domains bound to chitohexaose allow a proposal to be made regarding how the enzyme recognizes peptidoglycan. LysM domains, which are frequently present as repetitive entities in both bacterial and plant proteins, are known to interact with carbohydrates containing N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) moieties, such as chitin and peptidoglycan. In bacteria, the functional significance of the involvement of multiple LysM domains in substrate binding has so far lacked support from high-resolution structures of ligand-bound complexes. Here, a structural study of the Thermus thermophilus NlpC/P60 endopeptidase containing two LysM domains is presented. The crystal structure and small-angle X-ray scattering solution studies of this endopeptidase revealed the presence of a homodimer. The structure of the two LysM domains co-crystallized with N-acetyl-chitohexaose revealed a new intermolecular binding mode that may explain the differential interaction between LysM domains and short or long chitin oligomers. By combining the structural information with the three-dimensional model of peptidoglycan, a model suggesting how protein dimerization enhances the recognition of peptidoglycan is proposed.
Application of WHOQOL-BREF in Measuring Quality of Life in Health-Care Staff.

Science.gov (United States)

Gholami, Ali; Jahromi, Leila Moosavi; Zarei, Esmail; Dehghan, Azizallah

2013-07-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of life of Neyshabur health-care staff and some factors associated with it with use of WHOQOL-BREF scale. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 522 staff of Neyshabur health-care centers from May to July 2011. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was applied to examine the internal consistency of WHOQOL-BREF scale; Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to determine the level of agreement between different domains of WHOQOL-BREF. Paired t-test was used to compare difference between score means of different domains. T-independent test was performed for group analysis and Multiple Linear Regression was used to control confounding effects. In this study, a good internal consistency (α = 0.925) for WHOQOL-BREF and its four domains was observed. The highest and the lowest mean scores of WHOQOL-BREF domains was found for physical health domain (Mean = 15.26) and environmental health domain (Mean = 13.09) respectively. Backward multiple linear regression revealed that existence chronic disease in staff was significantly associated with four domains of WHOQOL-BREF, education years was associated with two domains (Psychological and Environmental) and sex was associated with psychological domain (P instrument to measure quality of life in health-care staff. From the data, it appears that Neyshabur health-care staff has WHOQOL-BREF scores that might be considered to indicate a relatively moderate quality of life.
Self reported stressful life events and exacerbations in multiple sclerosis: prospective study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

D. Buljevac (Dragan); W.C.J. Hop (Wim); W. Reedeker; A.C.J.W. Janssens (Cécile); F.G.A. van der Meché (Frans); P.A. van Doorn (Pieter); R.Q. Hintzen (Rogier)

2003-01-01

textabstractOBJECTIVE: To study the relation between self reported stressful life events not related to multiple sclerosis and the occurrence of exacerbations in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. DESIGN: Longitudinal, prospective cohort study. SETTING: Outpatient clinic of
Factors Influencing Quality of Life for Disabled and Nondisabled Elderly Population: The Results of a Multiple Correspondence Analysis

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M. Avolio

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. The aim of our study is to examine the role of some factors (sociodemographic patterns, social relationship support, and trust in healthcare actors on structure of quality of life among the Italian elderly population, by stratifying according to presence or absence of disability. Methods. Using data of the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT survey, we obtained a sample of 25,183 Italian people aged 65+ years. Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA was used to test such a relationship. Results. By applying the MCA between disabled and nondisabled elderly population, we identified three dimensions: “demographic structure and social contacts,” “social relationships,” “trust in the Italian National Health Services (INHS.” Furthermore, the difference in trust on the INHS and its actors was seen among disabled and non-disabled elderly population. Conclusions. Knowledge on the concept of quality of life and its application to the elderly population either with or without disability should make a difference in both people’s life and policies and practices affecting life. New domains, such as information and trusting relationships both within and towards the care network’s nodes, are likely to play an important role in this relationship.
Objective Ratings of Relationship Skills across Multiple Domains as Predictors of Marital Satisfaction Trajectories

OpenAIRE

Lawrence, Erika; Pederson, Ashley; Bunde, Mali; Barry, Robin A.; Brock, Rebecca L.; Fazio, Emily; Mulryan, Lorin; Hunt, Sara; Madsen, Lisa; Dzankovic, Sandra

2008-01-01

Expanding upon social-learning and vulnerability-stress-adaptation approaches to marriage, the impact of multiple dyadic behaviors on marital satisfaction trajectories was examined in 101 couples. Semi-structured interviews were administered separately to husbands and wives at 3 months of marriage. Interviewers generated objective ratings for five domains: emotional closeness/intimacy, sexual intimacy/sensuality, interspousal support, decision-making/relational control, and communication/conf...
An Examination of Multiple Intelligence Domains and Learning Styles of Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers: Their Reflections on Mathematics Education

Science.gov (United States)

Ozgen, Kemal; Tataroglu, Berna; Alkan, Huseyin

2011-01-01

The present study aims to identify pre-service mathematics teachers' multiple intelligence domains and learning style profiles, and to establish relationships between them. Employing the survey model, the study was conducted with the participation of 243 pre-service mathematics teachers. The study used the "multiple intelligence domains…
Preferred and avoided codon pairs in three domains of life

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Tenson Tanel

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Alternative synonymous codons are not used with equal frequencies. In addition, the contexts of codons – neighboring nucleotides and neighboring codons – can have certain patterns. The codon context can influence both translational accuracy and elongation rates. However, it is not known how strong or conserved the codon context preferences in different organisms are. We analyzed 138 organisms (bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes to find conserved patterns of codon pairs. Results After removing the effects of single codon usage and dipeptide biases we discovered a set of neighboring codons for which avoidances or preferences were conserved in all three domains of life. Such biased codon pairs could be divided into subtypes on the basis of the nucleotide patterns that influence the bias. The most frequently avoided type of codon pair was nnUAnn. We discovered that 95.7% of avoided nnUAnn type patterns contain out-frame UAA or UAG triplets on the sense and/or antisense strand. On average, nnUAnn codon pairs are more frequently avoided in ORFeomes than in genomes. Thus we assume that translational selection plays a major role in the avoidance of these codon pairs. Among the preferred codon pairs, nnGCnn was the major type. Conclusion Translational selection shapes codon pair usage in protein coding sequences by rules that are common to all three domains of life. The most frequently avoided codon pairs contain the patterns nnUAnn, nnGGnn, nnGnnC, nnCGCn, GUCCnn, CUCCnn, nnCnnA or UUCGnn. The most frequently preferred codon pairs contain the patterns nnGCnn, nnCAnn or nnUnCn.
Energy-Aware Routing in Multiple Domains Software-Defined Networks

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Adriana FERNÁNDEZ-FERNÁNDEZ

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The growing energy consumption of communication networks has attracted the attention of the networking researchers in the last decade. In this context, the new architecture of Software-Defined Networks (SDN allows a flexible programmability, suitable for the power-consumption optimization problem. In this paper we address the issue of designing a novel distributed routing algorithm that optimizes the power consumption in large scale SDN with multiple domains. The solution proposed, called DEAR (Distributed Energy-Aware Routing, tackles the problem of minimizing the number of links that can be used to satisfy a given data traffic demand under performance constraints such as control traffic delay and link utilization. To this end, we present a complete formulation of the optimization problem that considers routing requirements for control and data plane communications. Simulation results confirm that the proposed solution enables the achievement of significant energy savings.
the determinants of health related quality of life of patients on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2014-10-10

Oct 10, 2014 ... multiple studies, with females manifesting lower scores in multiple domains ... Low creatinine levels and low body mass index are significantly ... Assessment of HRQOL may .... be more apprehensive about their bodily image and appearance ... Plantinga et al found greater life satisfaction at one year on ...
A comparative study of pelvic floor muscle training in women with multiple sclerosis: its impact on lower urinary tract symptoms and quality of life

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Adélia Correia Lúcio

2011-01-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To compare pelvic floor muscle training and a sham procedure for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms and quality of life in women with multiple sclerosis. METHODS: Thirty-five female patients with multiple sclerosis were randomized into two groups: a treatment group (n = 18 and a sham group (n = 17. The evaluation included use of the Overactive Bladder Questionnaire, Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36, International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form, and Qualiveen questionnaire. The intervention was performed twice per week for 12 weeks in both groups. The treatment group underwent pelvic floor muscle training with assistance from a vaginal perineometer and instructions to practice the exercises daily at home. The sham group received a treatment consisting of introducing a perineometer inside the vagina with no exercises required. Pre- and post-intervention data were recorded. RESULTS: The evaluation results of the two groups were similar at baseline. At the end of the treatment, the treatment group reported fewer storage and voiding symptoms than the sham group. Furthermore, the differences found between the groups were significant improvements in the following scores in the treatment group: Overactive Bladder Questionnaire, International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form, and the General Quality of Life, and Specific Impact of Urinary Problems domains of the Qualiveen questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS: The improvement of lower urinary tract symptoms had a positive effect on the quality of life of women with multiple sclerosis who underwent pelvic floor muscle training, as the disease-specific of quality of life questionnaires demonstrated. This study reinforces the importance of assessing quality of life to judge the effectiveness of a treatment intervention.
Prediction of mechanical fatigue caused by multiple random excitations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bonte, M.H.A.; de Boer, Andries; Liebregts, R.

2004-01-01

A simulation method is presented for the fatigue analysis of automotive and other products that are subjected to multiple random excitations. The method is denoted as frequency domain stress-life fatigue analysis and was implemented in the automotive industry at DAF Trucks N.V. in Eindhoven, The
A Logic for Inclusion of Administrative Domains and Administrators in Multi-domain Authorization

Science.gov (United States)

Iranmanesh, Zeinab; Amini, Morteza; Jalili, Rasool

Authorization policies for an administrative domain or a composition of multiple domains in multi-domain environments are determined by either one administrator or multiple administrators' cooperation. Several logic-based models for multi-domain environments' authorization have been proposed; however, they have not considered administrators and administrative domains in policies' representation. In this paper, we propose the syntax, proof theory, and semantics of a logic for multi-domain authorization policies including administrators and administrative domains. Considering administrators in policies provides the possibility of presenting composite administration having applicability in many collaborative applications. Indeed, administrators and administrative domains stated in policies can be used in authorization. The presented logic is based on modal logic and utilizes two calculi named the calculus of administrative domains and the calculus of administrators. It is also proved that the logic is sound. A case study is presented signifying the logic application in practical projects.
Structural and functional analysis of multi-interface domains.

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Liang Zhao

Full Text Available A multi-interface domain is a domain that can shape multiple and distinctive binding sites to contact with many other domains, forming a hub in domain-domain interaction networks. The functions played by the multiple interfaces are usually different, but there is no strict bijection between the functions and interfaces as some subsets of the interfaces play the same function. This work applies graph theory and algorithms to discover fingerprints for the multiple interfaces of a domain and to establish associations between the interfaces and functions, based on a huge set of multi-interface proteins from PDB. We found that about 40% of proteins have the multi-interface property, however the involved multi-interface domains account for only a tiny fraction (1.8% of the total number of domains. The interfaces of these domains are distinguishable in terms of their fingerprints, indicating the functional specificity of the multiple interfaces in a domain. Furthermore, we observed that both cooperative and distinctive structural patterns, which will be useful for protein engineering, exist in the multiple interfaces of a domain.
The multiple decrement life table: a unifying framework for cause-of-death analysis in ecology.

Science.gov (United States)

Carey, James R

1989-01-01

The multiple decrement life table is used widely in the human actuarial literature and provides statistical expressions for mortality in three different forms: i) the life table from all causes-of-death combined; ii) the life table disaggregated into selected cause-of-death categories; and iii) the life table with particular causes and combinations of causes eliminated. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the multiple decrement life table to the ecological literature by applying the methods to published death-by-cause information on Rhagoletis pomonella. Interrelations between the current approach and conventional tools used in basic and applied ecology are discussed including the conventional life table, Key Factor Analysis and Abbott's Correction used in toxicological bioassay.
Centeredness Theory: Understanding and Measuring Well-Being Across Core Life Domains

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Zephyr T. Bloch-Jorgensen

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Centeredness Theory (CT is proposed as a new mental health paradigm that focuses on well-being at a systems-level, across the core life domains of the self, the family unit, relationships, community, and work. The current studies aimed to validate the psychometric properties of a new scale that measures CT against existing well-being and mental health measures.Methods: Study 1 included 488 anonymous online respondents (46% females, 28% males, 25% unknown with median age between 31 and 35 years across 38 countries who completed the CT scale. Study 2 included 49 first-year psychology students (90% females, mean age of 19 years from Sydney Australia that completed the CT scale and other well-being and mental health questionnaires at baseline and 2-weeks follow-up.Results: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses resulted in a refined 60-item CT scale with five domains, each with four sub-domains. The CT scale demonstrated good internal consistency reliability and test-retest reliability, and showed evidence of convergent validity against other well-being measures (e.g., COMPAS-W Wellbeing Scale, SWLS scale, and Ryff's Psychological Well-being scale.Conclusions: The CT scale appears to be a reliable measure of well-being at a systems-level. Future studies need to confirm these findings in larger heterogeneous samples.

Structural mapping of the coiled-coil domain of a bacterial condensin and comparative analyses across all domains of life suggest conserved features of SMC proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Waldman, Vincent M; Stanage, Tyler H; Mims, Alexandra; Norden, Ian S; Oakley, Martha G

2015-06-01

The structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) proteins form the cores of multisubunit complexes that are required for the segregation and global organization of chromosomes in all domains of life. These proteins share a common domain structure in which N- and C- terminal regions pack against one another to form a globular ATPase domain. This "head" domain is connected to a central, globular, "hinge" or dimerization domain by a long, antiparallel coiled coil. To date, most efforts for structural characterization of SMC proteins have focused on the globular domains. Recently, however, we developed a method to map interstrand interactions in the 50-nm coiled-coil domain of MukB, the divergent SMC protein found in γ-proteobacteria. Here, we apply that technique to map the structure of the Bacillus subtilis SMC (BsSMC) coiled-coil domain. We find that, in contrast to the relatively complicated coiled-coil domain of MukB, the BsSMC domain is nearly continuous, with only two detectable coiled-coil interruptions. Near the middle of the domain is a break in coiled-coil structure in which there are three more residues on the C-terminal strand than on the N-terminal strand. Close to the head domain, there is a second break with a significantly longer insertion on the same strand. These results provide an experience base that allows an informed interpretation of the output of coiled-coil prediction algorithms for this family of proteins. A comparison of such predictions suggests that these coiled-coil deviations are highly conserved across SMC types in a wide variety of organisms, including humans. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Compensating need satisfaction across life boundaries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hewett, Rebecca; Haun, Verena; Demerouti, Evangelia

2017-01-01

Self-determination theory suggests that satisfaction of an individual's basic psychological needs (for competence, autonomy, and relatedness) is a key for well-being. This has gained empirical support in multiple life domains, but little is known about the way that need satisfaction interacts...... between work and home. Drawing from ideas of work–home compensation, we expect that the benefits of need satisfaction in the home domain are reduced when needs are satisfied in the work domain. We tested this hypothesis with a daily diary study involving 91 workers. Results showed that individuals...... particularly benefit from satisfaction of their need for competence in the home domain when it is not satisfied during the working day. No such interactions were found between the needs for autonomy or relatedness. Our study highlights that the interaction of need satisfaction across domains represents...
Methodological issues underlying multiple decrement life table analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Mode, C J; Avery, R C; Littman, G S; Potter, R G

1977-02-01

In this paper, the actuarial method of multiple decrement life table analysis of censored, longitudinal data is examined. The discussion is organized in terms of the first segment of usage of an intrauterine device. Weaknesses of the actuarial approach are pointed out, and an alternative approach, based on the classical model of competing risks, is proposed. Finally, the actuarial and the alternative method of analyzing censored data are compared, using data from the Taichung Medical Study on Intrauterine Devices.
[Psychological and behavioral predictors of the quality of life of people with multiple sclerosis].

Science.gov (United States)

Juczyński, Z; Adamiak, G

2000-06-01

The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between some psychological and behavioural variables associated with disease, and health related quality of life. A survey was conducted on a sample of 44 people with multiple sclerosis. Quality of life was defined as life satisfaction and subjective assessment of current health status. The following methods were used: The Satisfaction With Life Scale (Diener et al.) and Visual Analogue Scale (single-item self-ratings of health) to measure the quality of life; Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale--MHLC (Wallston et al.); Acceptance of Illness Scale (Felton et al.); Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg); Courtauld Emotional Control Scale (Watson and Greer) and Health Behaviour Inventory (Juczyński). A series of step-wise regression models and discriminant function analysis on future quality of life variables were calculated, taking as predictors psychological and behavioural variables. High self-esteem, engagement in a large number of health behaviour and acceptance of illness were most predictive of good health related quality of life of people with multiple sclerosis.
Domains of health-related quality of life in age-related macular degeneration: a qualitative study in the Chinese cultural context

Science.gov (United States)

Bian, Wei; Wan, Junli; Smith, Graeme; Li, Shiying; Tan, Mingqiong; Zhou, Fengjiao

2018-01-01

Objective To explore which areas of health-related quality of life were affected in Chinese patients, and to identify whether the areas are well covered by validated questionnaires. Design A qualitative study based on semistructured interviews was conducted. A qualitative thematic analysis following the approach of Colaizzi was used to analyse the interview data for significant statements and phrases. The themes and subthemes organised from the analysis were then compared by using the following current instruments: National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25), Macular Disease Quality of life Questionnaire (MacDQoL) and Low-Luminance Questionnaire (LLD). Participants and setting Twenty-one patients with age-related macular degeneration were recruited from the eye clinic of Southwest Eye Hospital in Chongqing, mainland China. Results The mean age of the participants was 69.8 years (range 57–82 years) and the duration of the disease ranged from 3 months to 6 years. The qualitative analysis revealed nine important domains including symptoms, difficulties with daily activities, depending on others, depression and uncertainty, optimism and hope, social isolation, role change, family support and financial burden. However, all the three questionnaires were insufficient to capture the full extent of quality of life issues of Chinese patients with AMD, and MacDQoL covered more domains when compared with NEI-VFQ-25 and LLD. Conclusion The domains of concepts important to people with AMD in the Chinese culture are not fully represented in the three widely used questionnaires. Nine important domains were identified for the assessment of quality of life and should be considered when assessing the impact of AMD on Chinese individuals. Further studies are needed to develop an AMD quality of life questionnaire, better tailored to the needs and culture of Chinese patients. PMID:29666126
Quality of life and patient preferences: identification of subgroups of multiple sclerosis patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosato, Rosalba; Testa, Silvia; Oggero, Alessandra; Molinengo, Giorgia; Bertolotto, Antonio

2015-09-01

The aim of this study was to estimate preferences related to quality of life attributes in people with multiple sclerosis, by keeping heterogeneity of patient preference in mind, using the latent class approach. A discrete choice experiment survey was developed using the following attributes: activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, pain/fatigue, anxiety/depression and attention/concentration. Choice sets were presented as pairs of hypothetical health status, based upon a fractional factorial design. The latent class logit model estimated on 152 patients identified three subpopulations, which, respectively, attached more importance to: (1) the physical dimension; (2) pain/fatigue and anxiety/depression; and (3) instrumental activities of daily living impairments, anxiety/depression and attention/concentration. A posterior analysis suggests that the latent class membership may be related to an individual's age to some extent, or to diagnosis and treatment, while apart from energy dimension, no significant difference exists between latent groups, with regard to Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 scales. A quality of life preference-based utility measure for people with multiple sclerosis was developed. These utility values allow identification of a hierarchic priority among different aspects of quality of life and may allow physicians to develop a care programme tailored to patient needs.
Thousands of primer-free, high-quality, full-length SSU rRNA sequences from all domains of life

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karst, Soeren M; Dueholm, Morten S; McIlroy, Simon J

2016-01-01

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes are the consensus marker for determination of microbial diversity on the planet, invaluable in studies of evolution and, for the past decade, high-throughput sequencing of variable regions of ribosomal RNA genes has become the backbone of most microbial ecology studies...... (SSU) rRNA genes and synthetic long read sequencing by molecular tagging, to generate primer-free, full-length SSU rRNA gene sequences from all domains of life, with a median raw error rate of 0.17%. We generated thousands of full-length SSU rRNA sequences from five well-studied ecosystems (soil, human...... gut, fresh water, anaerobic digestion, and activated sludge) and obtained sequences covering all domains of life and the majority of all described phyla. Interestingly, 30% of all bacterial operational taxonomic units were novel, compared to the SILVA database (less than 97% similarity...
The YARHG domain: an extracellular domain in search of a function.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Penny Coggill

Full Text Available We have identified a new bacterial protein domain that we hypothesise binds to peptidoglycan. This domain is called the YARHG domain after the most highly conserved sequence-segment. The domain is found in the extracellular space and is likely to be composed of four alpha-helices. The domain is found associated with protein kinase domains, suggesting it is associated with signalling in some bacteria. The domain is also found associated with three different families of peptidases. The large number of different domains that are found associated with YARHG suggests that it is a useful functional module that nature has recombined multiple times.
Quality of life and performance status in patients with pancreatic and periampullary tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Velanovich, V.; Wollner, I.

2011-01-01

The background of this study was to determine if pretreatment quality of life is associated with performance status in patients with pancreatic and periampullary tumors. Eighty consecutive patients evaluated for surgical treatment of pancreatic or periampullary tumors completed the social functioning SF-36, a generic quality of life instrument. This instrument measures 8 domains of quality of life: physical functioning (PF), role-physical (RP), role-emotional, bodily pain, vitality, mental health, social functioning, and general health (GH). The best possible score is 100 and the worst possible score is 0. Each patient was then assigned a Karnofsky performance score (KPS), with the best possible score of 100 (normal, no complaints, no evidence of disease) and worst score of 0 (dead). Data recorded included age, gender, pathology, stage, resection, use of chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Statistical analysis was done using single and multiple linear regression analysis, correlation coefficients (r) and coefficient of determination (r 2 ). KPS was significantly associated with all domains of the SF-36 by single linear regression. By multiple linear regression, KPS was significantly associated with the PF domain (p 2 values) suggest that there are additional factors determining both quality of life and performance status in patients with pancreatic and periampullary tumors. (author)
Colil: a database and search service for citation contexts in the life sciences domain.

Science.gov (United States)

Fujiwara, Toyofumi; Yamamoto, Yasunori

2015-01-01

To promote research activities in a particular research area, it is important to efficiently identify current research trends, advances, and issues in that area. Although review papers in the research area can suffice for this purpose in general, researchers are not necessarily able to obtain these papers from research aspects of their interests at the time they are required. Therefore, the utilization of the citation contexts of papers in a research area has been considered as another approach. However, there are few search services to retrieve citation contexts in the life sciences domain; furthermore, efficiently obtaining citation contexts is becoming difficult due to the large volume and rapid growth of life sciences papers. Here, we introduce the Colil (Comments on Literature in Literature) database to store citation contexts in the life sciences domain. By using the Resource Description Framework (RDF) and a newly compiled vocabulary, we built the Colil database and made it available through the SPARQL endpoint. In addition, we developed a web-based search service called Colil that searches for a cited paper in the Colil database and then returns a list of citation contexts for it along with papers relevant to it based on co-citations. The citation contexts in the Colil database were extracted from full-text papers of the PubMed Central Open Access Subset (PMC-OAS), which includes 545,147 papers indexed in PubMed. These papers are distributed across 3,171 journals and cite 5,136,741 unique papers that correspond to approximately 25 % of total PubMed entries. By utilizing Colil, researchers can easily refer to a set of citation contexts and relevant papers based on co-citations for a target paper. Colil helps researchers to comprehend life sciences papers in a research area more efficiently and makes their biological research more efficient.
Exercise and Quality of Life in Women with Multiple Sclerosis

Science.gov (United States)

Giacobbi, Peter R., Jr.; Dietrich, Frederick; Larson, Rebecca; White, Lesley J.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate perceptions of quality of life after a 4-month progressive resistance training program for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). A second purpose was to examine participants' views about factors that facilitated or impeded exercise behavior. Qualitative interviews were conducted with eight females…
Validation of the facial dysfunction domain of the Penn Acoustic Neuroma Quality-of-Life (PANQOL) Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Lodder, Wouter L; Adan, Guleed H; Chean, Chung S; Lesser, Tristram H; Leong, Samuel C

2017-06-01

The objective of this study is to evaluate the strength of content validity within the facial dysfunction domain of the Penn Acoustic Neuroma Quality-of-Life (PANQOL) Scale and to compare how it correlates with a facial dysfunction-specific QOL instrument (Facial Clinimetric Evaluation, FaCE). The study design is online questionnaire survey. Members of the British Acoustic Neuroma Association received both PANQOL questionnaires and the FaCE scale. 158 respondents with self-identified facial paralysis or dysfunction had completed PANQOL and FaCE data sets for analysis. The mean composite PANQOL score was 53.5 (range 19.2-93.5), whilst the mean total FaCE score was 50.9 (range 10-95). The total scores of the PANQOL and FaCE correlated moderate (r = 0.48). Strong correlation (r = 0.63) was observed between the PANQOL's facial dysfunction domain and the FaCE total score. Of all the FaCE domains, social function was strongly correlated with the PANQOL facial dysfunction domain (r = 0.66), whilst there was very weak-to-moderate correlation (range 0.01-0.43) to the other FaCE domains. The current study has demonstrated a strong correlation between the facial dysfunction domains of PANQOL with a facial paralysis-specific QOL instrument.
Comparison and Characterization of Proteomes in the ThreeDomains of Life Using 2D Correlation Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Fujishima, K.; Komasa, M.; Kitamura, S.; Tomita, M.; Kanai, A.

Proteins are a major regulatory component in complex biological systems.Among them, DNA/RNA-binding proteins, the key components of the central dogma of molecular biology, and membrane proteins, which are necessary for both signal transduction and metabolite transport, are suggested to be the most important protein families that arose in the early stage of life. In this study, we computationally analyzed the whole proteome data of six model species to overview the protein diversity in the three domains of life (Bacteria, Archaea and Eukaryota), especially focusing on the above two protein families. To compare the protein distribution among the six model species, we calculated various protein profiles: hydropathy, molecular weight, amino acid composition and periodicity for each protein. We found a domain-specific distribution of the proteome based on 2D correlation analysis of hydropathy and molecular weight. Further, the merged protein distribution of Archaea and other do mains revealed many membrane proteins localized in Bacteria-specific regions with a high ratio of hydropathy and many DNA/RNA-binding proteins localized in Eukaryota-specific regions with a low ratio of hydropathy. Since about half of the proteins encoded in the genome are still functionally unknown, we further conducted Support Vector Machine (SVM)-based functional prediction using amino acid composition (CO score) and periodicity (PD score) as feature vectors to predict the overall number of DNA/RNA-binding proteins and membrane proteins in the proteome. Our estimation indicated that two functional categories occupy approximately 60% to 80% of the proteome, and further, the proportion of the two categories varied among the three domains of life, suggesting that the proteome has gone through different selective pressure during evolution.
QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH DIABETES MELLITUS— SOCIAL DOMAIN OF HEALTH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grujic-Vujmilovic Dragana

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that affects the quality of peoples’ lives through a number of psychological, emotional, social and psychosexual problems. Objective: Assess social domain of quality of life among a sample of diabetic patients and determine its association with the socio-demographic variables. Methods: In a survey conducted at the Clinical Center Banja Luka from October 2011 until June 2012 year, were included 150 patients with diabetes mellitus and 150 patients with hyperthyroidism. To assess quality of life, were used the questionnaire of the World Health Organization (WHOQOL-BREF. Results: In patients with diabetes mellitus compared to the control group, with statistical significant difference (t = –3.304; p 0.05 compared to control group. In higher percent with the support they received from friends were satisfied respondents who were married (67% than those who were single (40.0%, (p = 0.055. Conclusion: Most of the patients with diabetes mellitus were satisfied with their personal relationships and with social support that they got from their friends without difference by gender, age and level of education. Patients with diabetes were less satisfied with their sex life.
Interrelationships between childbearing and housing transitions in the family life course.

Science.gov (United States)

Kulu, Hill; Steele, Fiona

2013-10-01

Research has examined the effect of family changes on housing transitions and childbearing patterns within various housing types. Although most research has investigated how an event in one domain of family life depends on the current state in another domain, the interplay between them has been little studied. This study examines the interrelationships between childbearing decisions and housing transitions. We use rich longitudinal register data from Finland and apply multilevel event history analysis to allow for multiple births and housing changes over the life course. We investigate the timing of fertility decisions and housing choices with respect to each other. We model childbearing and housing transitions jointly to control for time-invariant unobserved characteristics of women, which may simultaneously influence their fertility behavior and housing choices, and we show how joint modeling leads to a deeper understanding of the interplay between the two domains of family life.
The Relationship between Personality Traits and Life Expectancy in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

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Leila Zaghari

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Multiple Sclerosis is an incurable and chronic disease of the central nervous system. The main purpose of this survey is to compare the character types and life expectancy of patients suffering from M. S as compared with normal people. This survey was conducted using the Persian translation of NEO-FFI (NEO-Five Factor Inventory and Herth Life Expectancy. Methods:Thirty nine people suffering from multiple sclerosis, who were hospitalized in anursing home, were chosen. As a control group there were 39 healthy people who had no background of physical or mental diseases. These people were selected from educational centre scientific and the personnel of Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Campus. Healthy people were matched to control group according, to sex, gender, marital status and education. Results: To analyze the data, T tests were used. The results of the survey show that people suffering from multiple sclerosis were significantly different from healthy people in three factors, neuroticism, extraversion and openness. For life expectancy there was no significant difference between the two groups. Discussion: Peopleaffected by Multiple Sclerosis achieve higher marks levels of the function of neuroticism compared with the healthy people. They are also agreeableness in a lower state, due to the function of openness to experience compared with the safe ones and in a lower state compared with the healthy persons.
A computer program for multiple decrement life table analyses.

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Poole, W K; Cooley, P C

1977-06-01

Life table analysis has traditionally been the tool of choice in analyzing distribution of "survival" times when a parametric form for the survival curve could not be reasonably assumed. Chiang, in two papers [1,2] formalized the theory of life table analyses in a Markov chain framework and derived maximum likelihood estimates of the relevant parameters for the analyses. He also discussed how the techniques could be generalized to consider competing risks and follow-up studies. Although various computer programs exist for doing different types of life table analysis [3] to date, there has not been a generally available, well documented computer program to carry out multiple decrement analyses, either by Chiang's or any other method. This paper describes such a program developed by Research Triangle Institute. A user's manual is available at printing costs which supplements the contents of this paper with a discussion of the formula used in the program listing.
The structure of psychological life satisfaction: insights from farmers and a general community sample in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Psychological life satisfaction is a robust predictor of wellbeing. Public health measures to improve wellbeing would benefit from an understanding of how overall life satisfaction varies as a function of satisfaction with multiple life domains, an area that has been little explored. We examine a sample of drought-affected Australian farmers and a general community sample of Australians to investigate how domain satisfaction combines to form psychological satisfaction. In particular, we introduce a way of statistically testing for the presence of “supra-domains” of satisfaction to propose a novel way of examining the composition of psychological life satisfaction to gain insights for health promotion and policy. Methods Covariance between different perceptions of life domain satisfaction was identified by conducting correlation, regression, and exploratory factor analyses on responses to the Personal Wellbeing Index. Structural equations modelling was then used to (a) validate satisfaction supra-domain constructs emerging from different perceptions of life domain satisfaction, and (b) model relationships between supra-domains and an explicit measure of psychological life satisfaction. Results Perceived satisfaction with eight different life domains loaded onto a single unitary satisfaction construct adequately in each sample. However, in both samples, different domains better loaded onto two separate but correlated constructs (‘supra-domains’): “satisfaction with connectedness” and “satisfaction with efficacy”. Modelling reciprocal pathways between these supra-domains and an explicit measure of psychological life satisfaction revealed that efficacy mediated the link between connectedness and psychological satisfaction. Conclusions If satisfaction with connectedness underlies satisfaction with efficacy (and thus psychological satisfaction), a novel insight for health policy emerges: psychological life satisfaction, a vital part of
The structure of psychological life satisfaction: insights from farmers and a general community sample in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

OBrien Léan V

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Psychological life satisfaction is a robust predictor of wellbeing. Public health measures to improve wellbeing would benefit from an understanding of how overall life satisfaction varies as a function of satisfaction with multiple life domains, an area that has been little explored. We examine a sample of drought-affected Australian farmers and a general community sample of Australians to investigate how domain satisfaction combines to form psychological satisfaction. In particular, we introduce a way of statistically testing for the presence of “supra-domains” of satisfaction to propose a novel way of examining the composition of psychological life satisfaction to gain insights for health promotion and policy. Methods Covariance between different perceptions of life domain satisfaction was identified by conducting correlation, regression, and exploratory factor analyses on responses to the Personal Wellbeing Index. Structural equations modelling was then used to (a validate satisfaction supra-domain constructs emerging from different perceptions of life domain satisfaction, and (b model relationships between supra-domains and an explicit measure of psychological life satisfaction. Results Perceived satisfaction with eight different life domains loaded onto a single unitary satisfaction construct adequately in each sample. However, in both samples, different domains better loaded onto two separate but correlated constructs (‘supra-domains’: “satisfaction with connectedness” and “satisfaction with efficacy”. Modelling reciprocal pathways between these supra-domains and an explicit measure of psychological life satisfaction revealed that efficacy mediated the link between connectedness and psychological satisfaction. Conclusions If satisfaction with connectedness underlies satisfaction with efficacy (and thus psychological satisfaction, a novel insight for health policy emerges: psychological life satisfaction
Associations of Environmental Factors With Quality of Life in Older Adults.

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Gobbens, Robbert J J; van Assen, Marcel A L M

2018-01-18

Environmental factors play an important role in the quality of life of older people who often have difficulty maintaining physical, psychological, and social functioning. In this study, we aimed at (a) developing a measurement instrument assessing the factors of older adults' perceptions of their environment, (b) examining the associations of these environmental factors with quality of life domains physical health, psychological, social relations, and environmental, controlling for background characteristics. Associations between environmental factors and quality of life domains were examined in a cross-sectional study using a sample of 1,031 Dutch people aged 65 years and older. Participants completed a Web-based questionnaire, the "Senioren Barometer." Forty-two questions on environmental factors were asked, and quality of life domains were assessed by the WHOQOL-BREF. Seven scales (comprising 3-9 items) of environment were constructed-housing, facilities, nuisance, residents, neighborhood, stench/noise, and traffic. All quality of life domains (physical, psychological, social, environmental) were associated with at least one environmental scale. Housing, residents, and nuisance were associated with 4, 3, and 2 domains, respectively. Facilities, neighborhood, stench/noise, and traffic were associated only with quality of life environmental. This study showed that multiple environmental factors are associated with quality of life in older people. To support independent living in older people health and social care professionals and policymakers may need to carry out interventions, in particular focusing on housing, residents, and nuisance. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Peptides identify multiple hotspots within the ligand binding domain of the TNF receptor 2

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Lennick Michael

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Hotspots are defined as the minimal functional domains involved in protein:protein interactions and sufficient to induce a biological response. Results Here we describe the use of complex and high diversity phage display libraries to isolate peptides (called Hotspot Ligands or HSPLs which sub-divide the ligand binding domain of the tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2; p75 into multiple hotspots. We have shown that these libraries could generate HSPLs which not only subdivide hotspots on protein and non-protein targets but act as agonists or antagonists. Using this approach, we generated peptides which were specific for human TNFR2, could be competed by the natural ligands, TNFα and TNFβ and induced an unexpected biological response in a TNFR2-specific manner. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the dissection of the TNFR2 into biologically active hotspots with the concomitant identification of a novel and unexpected biological activity.
Quality of life among adolescents living in residential youth care: do domain-specific self-esteem and psychopathology contribute?

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Jozefiak, Thomas; Kayed, Nanna S; Ranøyen, Ingunn; Greger, Hanne K; Wallander, Jan L; Wichstrøm, Lars

2017-10-01

Many adolescents living in residential youth care (RYC) institutions perceive their quality of life (QoL) to be low. Enhancing QoL is thus important, but little is known about the potential contributors to their QoL. Early interpersonal trauma and subsequent removal from home and repeated relocations to new placements are expected to affect mental health and self-esteem. We therefore investigated if domain-specific self-esteem contributed to QoL among adolescents living in RYC institutions over and beyond their levels of psychopathology. All youth in Norwegian RYC institutions between the ages 12-23 years were invited to participate. Of a total of 98 RYC institutions, 86 participated, and 400 of 601 eligible youths were examined. The participants' primary contact completed the Child Behavior Checklist to assess psychopathology. The adolescents completed a revised version of the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents and the questionnaire for measuring health-related quality of life in children and adolescents (KINDL-R). After adjusting for psychopathology, age, and gender, self-esteem domains uniquely explained 42% of the variance in Qol, where social acceptance (β = 0.57) and physical appearance (β = 0.25) domains significantly predicted concurrent QoL. The self-esteem domains, social acceptance and physical appearance, add substantially to the explained variance in QoL among adolescents living in RYC institutions, over and beyond the levels of psychopathology. These self-esteem domains may be targets of intervention to improve QoL, in addition to treating their psychopathology.
Adapting and applying a multiple domain model of condom use to Chinese college students.

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Xiao, Zhiwen; Palmgreen, Philip; Zimmerman, Rick; Noar, Seth

2010-03-01

This study adapts a multiple domain model (MDM) to explain condom use among a sample of sexually active Chinese college students. A cross-sectional survey was conducted and structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model. Preparatory behaviors, theory of reasoned action (TRA)/theory of planned behavior variables, impulsivity, length of relationship, and alcohol use were significant direct predictors of condom use. The results suggest that MDM can provide a better understanding of heterosexual condom use among Chinese youth, and help in the design of HIV-preventive and safer sex interventions in China.
Relationship between the MDS-UPDRS domains and the health-related quality of life of Parkinson's disease patients.

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Martínez-Martín, P; Rodríguez-Blázquez, C; Forjaz, M J; Alvarez-Sánchez, M; Arakaki, T; Bergareche-Yarza, A; Chade, A; Garretto, N; Gershanik, O; Kurtis, M M; Martínez-Castrillo, J C; Mendoza-Rodríguez, A; Moore, H P; Rodríguez-Violante, M; Singer, C; Tilley, B C; Huang, J; Stebbins, G T; Goetz, C G

2014-03-01

The Movement Disorder Society sponsored version of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) is a comprehensive instrument for assessing Parkinson's disease (PD). The present study was aimed at determining the relationships between MDS-UPDRS components and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) evaluations in PD patients. An international, multicenter, cross-sectional study was carried out of 435 PD patients assessed with the MDS-UPDRS, Hoehn and Yahr (HY), Clinical Impression Severity for PD, EQ-5D and PD Questionnaire - eight items (PDQ-8). Spearman's rank correlation coefficients, exploratory factor analysis and multiple linear regression models (dependent variables EQ-5D and PDQ-8) were performed. The participants' age was 66.71 ± 10.32 years (51.5% men). PD duration was 8.52 ± 6.14, and median HY was 2 (range 1-5). The correlation between the EQ-5D index and the MDS-UPDRS ranged from -0.46 (Part IV) to -0.72 (Part II) and for the PDQ-8 index from 0.47 (Part III) to 0.74 (Part II). In multiple regression models with the MDS-UPDRS domains as independent variables, the main determinant for both the EQ-5D index and the PDQ-8 was Part II followed by Part I. After factorial grouping of the cardinal PD manifestations embedded in the MDS-UPDRS Parts III and IV for inclusion into multiple regression models, a factor formed by M-EDL, nM-EDL and fluctuations was the main determinant for both the EQ-5D and PDQ-8 indexes. The MDS-UPDRS component most tightly related with the HRQoL measures was a combination of motor and non-motor experiences of daily living. © 2014 The Author(s) European Journal of Neurology © 2014 EFNS.
The Effects of Life Domains, Constraints, and Motivations on Academic Dishonesty: A Partial Test and Extension of Agnew's General Theory.

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Cochran, John K

2017-08-01

Recently, Robert Agnew introduced a new general theory of crime and delinquency in which he attempted to corral the vast array of theoretical "causes" of criminal conduct into a more parsimonious statement organized into one of five life domains: self, family, peers, school, and work as well as constraints against crime and motivation for it. These domains are depicted as the source of constraints and motivations and whose effects are, in part, mediated by these constraints and motivations. Based on self-report data on academic dishonesty from a sample of college students, the present study attempts to test this general theory. While several of the life domain variables had significant effects of cheating in the baseline model, all of these effects were fully mediated by constraints and motivations. In the final model, academic dishonesty was observed to be most significantly affected by the perceived severity of formal sanction threats, the number of credit hours enrolled, the frequency of skipping classes, and pressure from friends.
Major stressful life events in adulthood and risk of multiple sclerosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Nete Munk; Bager, Peter; Simonsen, Jacob

2014-01-01

It is unclear whether psychological stress is associated with increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). We studied the association between major stressful life events and MS in a nationwide cohort study using death of a child or a spouse or marital dissolution as indicators of severe stress....
Sexual Therapy for Women with Multiple Sclerosis and Its Impact on Quality of Life

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Maryam Zamani

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Objective: Multiple Sclerosis (MS is a disease with a detrimental effect on functional status. The present study investigated the effect of a sexual therapy program on the quality of life (QOL of women with multiple sclerosis.Method: Women with multiple sclerosis and sexual dysfunction (n = 30 were selected, and were randomly assigned into the treatment (n = 15, or the control groups (n = 15. Participants of the treatment group (n = 15 received 12 weekly sessions of sexual therapy. Participants in both groups completed the Female Sexual Function Inventory (FSFI and the MS Quality of Life- 54 (MSQOL-54 in the onset of the program and at the end of the program.Results: ANCOVA(s using pre-test scores as covariate(s revealed that in comparison to the control condition, MS patients within the treatment group showed a significant improvement in their sexual desire (0.0001, arousal (0.022, lubrication (0.001, orgasm (0.001, satisfaction (0.0001, overall quality of life (0.001, energy (0.023, cognitive function (0.005, and social function (0.001 at the end of the program. In addition, they were less limited in their roles due to the emotional and health problems.Conclusion: The present study revealed that addressing sexual dysfunction in MS patients could improve their quality of life. In the future, this research can extend its results, and apply the same method to men with MS to find whether sexual therapy enhances their quality of life.
The Measurement and Role of Ecological Resilience Systems Theory Across Domain-Specific Outcomes: The Domain-Specific Resilient Systems Scales.

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Maltby, John; Day, Liz; Hall, Sophie S; Chivers, Sally

2017-10-01

Research suggests that trait resilience may be best understood within an ecological resilient systems theory, comprising engineering, ecological, and adaptive capacity resilience. However, there is no evidence as to how this theory translates to specific life domains. Data from two samples (the United States, n = 1,278; the United Kingdom, n = 211) facilitated five studies that introduce the Domain-Specific Resilient Systems Scales for assessing ecological resilient systems theory within work, health, marriage, friendships, and education. The Domain-Specific Resilient Systems Scales are found to predict unique variance in job satisfaction, lower job burnout, quality-of-life following illness, marriage commitment, and educational engagement, while controlling for factors including sex, age, personality, cognitive ability, and trait resilience. The findings also suggest a distinction between the three resilience dimensions in terms of the types of systems to which they contribute. Engineering resilience may contribute most to life domains where an established system needs to be maintained, for example, one's health. Ecological resilience may contribute most to life domains where the system needs sustainability in terms of present and future goal orientation, for example, one's work. Adaptive Capacity may contribute most to life domains where the system needs to be retained, preventing it from reaching a crisis state, for example, work burnout.
Multiple functional self-association interfaces in plant TIR domains

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhang, Xiaoxiao; Bernoux, Maud; Bentham, Adam R; Newman, Toby E; Ve, Thomas; Casey, Lachlan W; Raaymakers, Tom M; Hu, Jian; Croll, Tristan I; Schreiber, Karl J; Staskawicz, Brian J; Anderson, Peter A; Sohn, Kee Hoon; Williams, Simon J; Dodds, Peter N; Kobe, Bostjan

2017-01-01

The self-association of Toll/interleukin-1 receptor/resistance protein (TIR) domains has been implicated in signaling in plant and animal immunity receptors. Structure-based studies identified different TIR-domain dimerization interfaces required for signaling of the plant nucleotide-binding
Estimating increment-decrement life tables with multiple covariates from panel data: the case of active life expectancy.

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Land, K C; Guralnik, J M; Blazer, D G

1994-05-01

A fundamental limitation of current multistate life table methodology-evident in recent estimates of active life expectancy for the elderly-is the inability to estimate tables from data on small longitudinal panels in the presence of multiple covariates (such as sex, race, and socioeconomic status). This paper presents an approach to such an estimation based on an isomorphism between the structure of the stochastic model underlying a conventional specification of the increment-decrement life table and that of Markov panel regression models for simple state spaces. We argue that Markov panel regression procedures can be used to provide smoothed or graduated group-specific estimates of transition probabilities that are more stable across short age intervals than those computed directly from sample data. We then join these estimates with increment-decrement life table methods to compute group-specific total, active, and dependent life expectancy estimates. To illustrate the methods, we describe an empirical application to the estimation of such life expectancies specific to sex, race, and education (years of school completed) for a longitudinal panel of elderly persons. We find that education extends both total life expectancy and active life expectancy. Education thus may serve as a powerful social protective mechanism delaying the onset of health problems at older ages.
Health-related quality of life in Iranian patients with multiple sclerosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pakpour, Amir H.; Yekaninejad, Mir Saeed; Mohammadi, Nastaran Keshavarz

2009-01-01

Background and purpose: This study aimed to evaluate aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who live in Tehran and to compare data with evaluations of both the general population and MS patients in other countries Material and methods: One hundr...
Health-related quality of life in Iranian patients with multiple sclerosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pakpour, Amir H.; Yekaninejad, Mir Saeed; Mohammadi, Nastaran Keshavarz

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who live in Tehran and to compare data with evaluations of both the general population and MS patients in other countries. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hund...
Using best-worst scaling choice experiments to elicit the most important domains of health for health-related quality of life in Singapore

OpenAIRE

Uy, Elenore Judy B.; Bautista, Dianne Carrol; Xin, Xiaohui; Cheung, Yin Bun; Thio, Szu-Tien; Thumboo, Julian

2018-01-01

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) instruments are sometimes used without explicit understanding of which HRQOL domains are important to a given population. In this study, we sought to elicit an importance hierarchy among 27 HRQOL domains (derived from the general population) via a best-worst scaling survey of the population in Singapore, and to determine whether these domains were consistently valued across gender, age, ethnicity, and presence of chronic illnesses. We conducted a communi...
Progressive multiple sclerosis, cognitive function, and quality of life.

Science.gov (United States)

Højsgaard Chow, Helene; Schreiber, Karen; Magyari, Melinda; Ammitzbøll, Cecilie; Börnsen, Lars; Romme Christensen, Jeppe; Ratzer, Rikke; Soelberg Sørensen, Per; Sellebjerg, Finn

2018-02-01

Patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) often have cognitive impairment in addition to physical impairment. The burden of cognitive and physical impairment progresses over time, and may be major determinants of quality of life. The aim of this study was to assess to which degree quality of life correlates with physical and cognitive function in progressive MS. This is a retrospective study of 52 patients with primary progressive ( N = 18) and secondary progressive MS ( N = 34). Physical disability was assessed using the Expanded Disability Status Scale, Timed 25 Foot Walk (T25FW) test and 9-Hole Peg Test (9HPT). Cognitive function was assessed using Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test, and Trail Making Test B (TRAIL-B). In addition, quality of life was assessed by the Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire. Only measures of cognitive function correlated with the overall SF-36 quality of life score and the Mental Component Summary score from the SF-36. The only physical measure that correlated with a measure of quality of life was T25FW test, which correlated with the Physical Component Summary from the SF-36. We found no other significant correlations between the measures of cognitive function and the overall physical measures but interestingly, we found a possible relationship between the 9HPT score for the nondominant hand and the SDMT and TRAIL-B. Our findings support inclusion of measures of cognitive function in the assessment of patients with progressive MS as these correlated closer with quality of life than measures of physical impairment.
Adaptive responses to salinity stress across multiple life stages in anuran amphibians.

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Albecker, Molly A; McCoy, Michael W

2017-01-01

In many regions, freshwater wetlands are increasing in salinity at rates exceeding historic levels. Some freshwater organisms, like amphibians, may be able to adapt and persist in salt-contaminated wetlands by developing salt tolerance. Yet adaptive responses may be more challenging for organisms with complex life histories, because the same environmental stressor can require responses across different ontogenetic stages. Here we investigated responses to salinity in anuran amphibians: a common, freshwater taxon with a complex life cycle. We conducted a meta-analysis to define how the lethality of saltwater exposure changes across multiple life stages, surveyed wetlands in a coastal region experiencing progressive salinization for the presence of anurans, and used common garden experiments to investigate whether chronic salt exposure alters responses in three sequential life stages (reproductive, egg, and tadpole life stages) in Hyla cinerea , a species repeatedly observed in saline wetlands. Meta-analysis revealed differential vulnerability to salt stress across life stages with the egg stage as the most salt-sensitive. Field surveys revealed that 25% of the species known to occur in the focal region were detected in salt-intruded habitats. Remarkably, Hyla cinerea was found in large abundances in multiple wetlands with salinity concentrations 450% higher than the tadpole-stage LC 50 . Common garden experiments showed that coastal (chronically salt exposed) populations of H. cinerea lay more eggs, have higher hatching success, and greater tadpole survival in higher salinities compared to inland (salt naïve) populations. Collectively, our data suggest that some species of anuran amphibians have divergent and adaptive responses to salt exposure across populations and across different life stages. We propose that anuran amphibians may be a novel and amenable natural model system for empirical explorations of adaptive responses to environmental change.
The Mental Health Impact of Physical Appearance Concerns in the Context of Other Life Domains Among Australian Gay Men.

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Hosking, Warwick; Lyons, Anthony; van der Rest, Brittany

2017-07-01

Previous studies have identified gay men as a high-risk population for body image disturbances. However, little research has examined the mental health impact of gay men's physical appearance concerns in the context of other major life domains. The present study addressed this gap by investigating how mental health outcomes (satisfaction with life, self-esteem, positive well-being, and psychological distress) were associated with satisfaction with and importance of physical appearance, work, family relationships, friendships, health and fitness, and sex life among Australian gay men aged 18-39. The possible moderating role of intimate relationship status was also examined. Results from an online survey revealed that greater satisfaction with physical appearance, work, family, and friendships all had similar positive associations with mental health. However, more importance placed on physical appearance was more consistently associated with poorer mental health compared with the subjective importance of other domains. Findings also indicated the associations between physical appearance satisfaction and life satisfaction, and between physical appearance importance and positive well-being, were weaker for those in relationships. Thus, physical appearance matters in gay men's lives, but was only one factor when considered in the broader context of other life areas that contributed to overall well-being. These findings suggest the need for a nuanced and contextualized understanding of how physical appearance concerns fit into gay men's lives.
Rating knowledge sharing in cross-domain collaborative filtering.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bin; Zhu, Xingquan; Li, Ruijiang; Zhang, Chengqi

2015-05-01

Cross-domain collaborative filtering (CF) aims to share common rating knowledge across multiple related CF domains to boost the CF performance. In this paper, we view CF domains as a 2-D site-time coordinate system, on which multiple related domains, such as similar recommender sites or successive time-slices, can share group-level rating patterns. We propose a unified framework for cross-domain CF over the site-time coordinate system by sharing group-level rating patterns and imposing user/item dependence across domains. A generative model, say ratings over site-time (ROST), which can generate and predict ratings for multiple related CF domains, is developed as the basic model for the framework. We further introduce cross-domain user/item dependence into ROST and extend it to two real-world cross-domain CF scenarios: 1) ROST (sites) for alleviating rating sparsity in the target domain, where multiple similar sites are viewed as related CF domains and some items in the target domain depend on their correspondences in the related ones; and 2) ROST (time) for modeling user-interest drift over time, where a series of time-slices are viewed as related CF domains and a user at current time-slice depends on herself in the previous time-slice. All these ROST models are instances of the proposed unified framework. The experimental results show that ROST (sites) can effectively alleviate the sparsity problem to improve rating prediction performance and ROST (time) can clearly track and visualize user-interest drift over time.
Relations between the development of future time perspective in three life domains, investment in learning, and academic achievement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peetsma, T.; van der Veen, I.

2011-01-01

Relations between the development of future time perspectives in three life domains (i.e., school and professional career, social relations, and leisure time) and changes in students’ investment in learning and academic achievement were examined in this study. Participants were 584 students in the
Development of the complex general linear model in the Fourier domain: application to fMRI multiple input-output evoked responses for single subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Rio, Daniel E; Rawlings, Robert R; Woltz, Lawrence A; Gilman, Jodi; Hommer, Daniel W

2013-01-01

A linear time-invariant model based on statistical time series analysis in the Fourier domain for single subjects is further developed and applied to functional MRI (fMRI) blood-oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) multivariate data. This methodology was originally developed to analyze multiple stimulus input evoked response BOLD data. However, to analyze clinical data generated using a repeated measures experimental design, the model has been extended to handle multivariate time series data and demonstrated on control and alcoholic subjects taken from data previously analyzed in the temporal domain. Analysis of BOLD data is typically carried out in the time domain where the data has a high temporal correlation. These analyses generally employ parametric models of the hemodynamic response function (HRF) where prewhitening of the data is attempted using autoregressive (AR) models for the noise. However, this data can be analyzed in the Fourier domain. Here, assumptions made on the noise structure are less restrictive, and hypothesis tests can be constructed based on voxel-specific nonparametric estimates of the hemodynamic transfer function (HRF in the Fourier domain). This is especially important for experimental designs involving multiple states (either stimulus or drug induced) that may alter the form of the response function.
Predictors of life disability in trichotillomania.

Science.gov (United States)

Tung, Esther S; Flessner, Christopher A; Grant, Jon E; Keuthen, Nancy J

2015-01-01

Limited research has investigated disability and functional impairment in trichotillomania (TTM) subjects. This study examined the relationships between hair pulling (HP) style and severity and disability while controlling for mood severity. Disability was measured in individual life areas (work, social, and family/home life) instead of as a total disability score as in previous studies. One hundred fifty three adult hair pullers completed several structured interviews and self-report instruments. HP style and severity, as well as depression, anxiety, and stress were correlated with work, social, and family/home life impairment on the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS). Multiple regression analyses were performed to determine significant predictors of life impairment. Depressive severity was a significant predictor for all SDS life areas. In addition, interference/avoidance associated with HP was a predictor for work and social life disability. Distress from HP was a significant predictor of social and family/home life disability. Focused HP score and anxiety were significant predictors of family/home life disability. As expected, depression in hair pullers predicted disability across life domains. Avoiding work and social situations can seriously impair functioning in those life domains. Severity of distress and worry about HP may be most elevated in social situations with friends and family and thus predict impairment in those areas. Finally, since HP often occurs at home, time spent in focused hair pulling would have a greater negative impact on family and home responsibilities than social and work life. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Novel structural features in two ZHX homeodomains derived from a systematic study of single and multiple domains

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Owens Raymond J

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Zhx1 to 3 (zinc-fingers and homeoboxes form a set of paralogous genes encoding multi-domain proteins. ZHX proteins consist of two zinc fingers followed by five homeodomains. ZHXs have biological roles in cell cycle control by acting as co-repressors of the transcriptional regulator Nuclear Factor Y. As part of a structural genomics project we have expressed single and multi-domain fragments of the different human ZHX genes for use in structure determination. Results A total of 30 single and multiple domain ZHX1-3 constructs selected from bioinformatics protocols were screened for soluble expression in E. coli using high throughput methodologies. Two homeodomains were crystallized leading to structures for ZHX1 HD4 and ZHX2 HD2. ZHX1 HD4, although closest matched to homeodomains from 'homez' and 'engrailed', showed structural differences, notably an additional C-terminal helix (helix V which wrapped over helix I thereby making extensive contacts. Although ZHX2 HD2-3 was successfully expressed and purified, proteolysis occurred during crystallization yielding crystals of just HD2. The structure of ZHX2 HD2 showed an unusual open conformation with helix I undergoing 'domain-swapping' to form a homodimer. Conclusions Although multiple-domain constructs of ZHX1 selected by bioinformatics studies could be expressed solubly, only single homeodomains yielded crystals. The crystal structure of ZHX1 HD4 showed additional hydrophobic interactions relative to many known homeodomains via extensive contacts formed by the novel C-terminal helix V with, in particular, helix I. Additionally, the replacement of some charged covariant residues (which are commonly observed to form salt bridges in non-homeotherms such as the Drosophila 'engrailed' homeodomain, by apolar residues further increases hydrophobic contacts within ZHX1 HD4, and potentially stability, relative to engrailed homeodomain. ZHX1 HD4 helix V points away from the normally
The local domain wall position in ferromagnetic thin wires: simultaneous measurement of resistive and transverse voltages at multiple points

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanada, R.; Sugawara, H.; Aoki, Y.; Sato, H.; Shigeto, K.; Shinjo, T.; Ono, T.; Miyajima, H.

2002-01-01

We have simultaneously measured the field dependences of voltages at multiple pairs of resistance and transverse voltage probes in ferromagnetic wires (with either magnetic or non-magnetic voltage probes). Both the resistive (through the giant magnetoresistance and anisotropic magnetoresistance) and transverse voltages (through the planar Hall effect) exhibit abrupt jumps, reflecting discrete motion of domain walls or rotations of magnetization. Voltage probes, even if non-magnetic, are found to affect the jump fields depending on the sample conditions. We demonstrate that the specific information on the domain (wall) motion along a thin ferromagnetic wire could be obtained from the jump fields. (author)
Professor Tyndale John Rendle-Short (1919-2010), British and Australian paediatrician: A life in two domains.

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Pearn, John

2014-05-01

Professor Tyndale John Rendle-Short (1919-2010), a British and Australian paediatrician, lived a professional life of considerable influence in two domains - academic paediatrics and fundamentalist theology. A Cambridge medical graduate (1943) and doctor-soldier, he was appointed as the Foundation Professor of Child Health at the University of Queensland (1961). In Australia, he was a pioneer in three paediatric developments ('rooming-in' for mothers in hospitals, autism research and cystic fibrosis). His A Synopsis of Children's Diseases was published in six editions, was translated into three languages and was used as a standard paediatric textbook on four Continents. Distinct from this clinical domain, as a passionate anti-Darwinist his fundamentalist theology was that variously self-described as 'theistic evolution' (believing in 'progressive Creationism') and later that of 'six-literal day young-earth Creation'. He established and was the Foundation Chairman of the Creation Science Foundation (UK) and was World Chairman of the US-based Creation Ministries International. This biography is a record of this perhaps paradoxical and unique life. © The Author(s) 2013 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.
Parent-Teacher Association, Soup Kitchen, Church, or the Local Civic Club? Life Stage Indicators of Volunteer Domain.

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Carr, Dawn C; King, Katherine; Matz-Costa, Christina

2015-04-01

Gaps in existing literature hinder our knowledge of how life stage-related identities (e.g., worker, parent, student, etc.) influence individuals' decisions about whether and how to get involved in community service. Interventions to increase volunteerism throughout the life course require a more nuanced understanding of this relationship. We use multinomial logistic models to analyze how life phase factors relate to involvement in different types of voluntary organizations across the adult life course in the Chicago Community Adult Health Study. Half of the adults did not volunteer. Those who did volunteer were categorized as charitable, youth-oriented, religious, civic, or multidomain volunteers. Age, employment, family structure, demographics, and self-rated health differentially predicted volunteering in specific domains. Findings from this study suggest that recruitment and retention efforts employed by different nonprofit organizations may be more effective if they take into consideration the life phase factors that enhance or detract from likelihood of engagement. © The Author(s) 2015.
Protein domain organisation: adding order.

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Kummerfeld, Sarah K; Teichmann, Sarah A

2009-01-29

Domains are the building blocks of proteins. During evolution, they have been duplicated, fused and recombined, to produce proteins with novel structures and functions. Structural and genome-scale studies have shown that pairs or groups of domains observed together in a protein are almost always found in only one N to C terminal order and are the result of a single recombination event that has been propagated by duplication of the multi-domain unit. Previous studies of domain organisation have used graph theory to represent the co-occurrence of domains within proteins. We build on this approach by adding directionality to the graphs and connecting nodes based on their relative order in the protein. Most of the time, the linear order of domains is conserved. However, using the directed graph representation we have identified non-linear features of domain organization that are over-represented in genomes. Recognising these patterns and unravelling how they have arisen may allow us to understand the functional relationships between domains and understand how the protein repertoire has evolved. We identify groups of domains that are not linearly conserved, but instead have been shuffled during evolution so that they occur in multiple different orders. We consider 192 genomes across all three kingdoms of life and use domain and protein annotation to understand their functional significance. To identify these features and assess their statistical significance, we represent the linear order of domains in proteins as a directed graph and apply graph theoretical methods. We describe two higher-order patterns of domain organisation: clusters and bi-directionally associated domain pairs and explore their functional importance and phylogenetic conservation. Taking into account the order of domains, we have derived a novel picture of global protein organization. We found that all genomes have a higher than expected degree of clustering and more domain pairs in forward and
Protein domain organisation: adding order

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Kummerfeld Sarah K

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Domains are the building blocks of proteins. During evolution, they have been duplicated, fused and recombined, to produce proteins with novel structures and functions. Structural and genome-scale studies have shown that pairs or groups of domains observed together in a protein are almost always found in only one N to C terminal order and are the result of a single recombination event that has been propagated by duplication of the multi-domain unit. Previous studies of domain organisation have used graph theory to represent the co-occurrence of domains within proteins. We build on this approach by adding directionality to the graphs and connecting nodes based on their relative order in the protein. Most of the time, the linear order of domains is conserved. However, using the directed graph representation we have identified non-linear features of domain organization that are over-represented in genomes. Recognising these patterns and unravelling how they have arisen may allow us to understand the functional relationships between domains and understand how the protein repertoire has evolved. Results We identify groups of domains that are not linearly conserved, but instead have been shuffled during evolution so that they occur in multiple different orders. We consider 192 genomes across all three kingdoms of life and use domain and protein annotation to understand their functional significance. To identify these features and assess their statistical significance, we represent the linear order of domains in proteins as a directed graph and apply graph theoretical methods. We describe two higher-order patterns of domain organisation: clusters and bi-directionally associated domain pairs and explore their functional importance and phylogenetic conservation. Conclusion Taking into account the order of domains, we have derived a novel picture of global protein organization. We found that all genomes have a higher than expected
Improvements in cognition, quality of life, and physical performance with clinical Pilates in multiple sclerosis: a randomized controlled trial.

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Küçük, Fadime; Kara, Bilge; Poyraz, Esra Çoşkuner; İdiman, Egemen

2016-03-01

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to determine the effects of clinical Pilates in multiple sclerosis patients. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty multiple sclerosis patients were enrolled in this study. The participants were divided into two groups as the clinical Pilates and control groups. Cognition (Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite), balance (Berg Balance Scale), physical performance (timed performance tests, Timed up and go test), tiredness (Modified Fatigue Impact scale), depression (Beck Depression Inventory), and quality of life (Multiple Sclerosis International Quality of Life Questionnaire) were measured before and after treatment in all participants. [Results] There were statistically significant differences in balance, timed performance, tiredness and Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite tests between before and after treatment in the clinical Pilates group. We also found significant differences in timed performance tests, the Timed up and go test and the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite between before and after treatment in the control group. According to the difference analyses, there were significant differences in Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite and Multiple Sclerosis International Quality of Life Questionnaire scores between the two groups in favor of the clinical Pilates group. There were statistically significant clinical differences in favor of the clinical Pilates group in comparison of measurements between the groups. Clinical Pilates improved cognitive functions and quality of life compared with traditional exercise. [Conclusion] In Multiple Sclerosis treatment, clinical Pilates should be used as a holistic approach by physical therapists.
The Association of Sever Stressful Life Events and Multiple Sclerosis

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Rozita Naeeni

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Stressful life events have suggested as one of etiologic cause of the disease from the middle of last century, but controversies still is going on. Materials and Methods: This study is a case- control study conducted on 100 MS patients in neurology clinic of Shariati Hospital during one year. History of stressful life events one year before beginning of the disease was questioned. These events, according to Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale, were severe and affected the disease progression. The analysis of data was performed using SPSS 15. Results: The mean age of patients was 30.9 ± 7.1. Most of them (n=87 had relapsing- remitting MS. 51% of patients and 26% of controls had stressful life events (P<0.001. Odd's Ratio with confidence interval of 95% was 2.71. The most frequent stressful events were family problems and death of first degree relatives. Conclusion: This study showed that stressful life events were significantly more prevalent in MS, but we cannot conclude that stress lonely is a cause of MS. Although, major stress along with multiple other risk factors may be related to MS.
Balance across contexts: importance of balanced need satisfaction across various life domains.

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Milyavskaya, Marina; Gingras, Isabelle; Mageau, Geneviève A; Koestner, Richard; Gagnon, Hugo; Fang, Jianqun; Boiché, Julie

2009-08-01

Self-determination theory posits that satisfaction of three basic psychological needs-autonomy, competence, and relatedness-are required for psychological well-being, and a recent study showed that the balance in the satisfaction of these three needs independently affects well-being. The present investigation builds on these findings by examining the balance of adolescents' need satisfaction across distinct life contexts. The results of three studies show that adolescents who experience a balance of need satisfaction across important life contexts, including at school, at home, with friends, and in part-time jobs, reported higher well-being and better school adjustment. This finding emerged consistently across four countries and across multiple measures of school adjustment, including teacher reports. Together, these results support previous research that highlights the importance of consistency for psychological functioning.
Can identification of a fourth domain of life be made from sequence data alone, and could it be done on Mars?

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Poole, Anthony M; Willerslev, Eske

2007-10-01

A central question in astrobiology is whether life exists elsewhere in the universe. If so, is it related to Earth life? Technologies exist that enable identification of DNA- or RNA-based microbial life directly from environmental samples here on Earth. Such technologies could, in principle, be applied to the search for life elsewhere; indeed, efforts are underway to initiate such a search. However, surveying for nucleic acid-based life on other planets, if attempted, must be carried out with caution, owing to the risk of contamination by Earth-based life. Here we argue that the null hypothesis must be that any DNA discovered and sequenced from samples taken elsewhere in the universe are Earth-based contaminants. Experience from studies of low-biomass ancient DNA demonstrates that some results, by their very nature, will not enable complete rejection of the null hypothesis. In terms of eliminating contamination as an explanation of the data, there may be value in identification of sequences that lie outside the known diversity of the three domains of life. We therefore have examined whether a fourth domain could be readily identified from environmental DNA sequence data alone. We concluded that, even on Earth, this would be far from trivial, and we illustrate this point by way of examples drawn from the literature. Overall, our conclusions do not bode well for planned PCR-based surveys for life on Mars, and we argue that other independent biosignatures will be essential in corroborating any claims for the presence of life based on nucleic acid sequences.
Relationship between life satisfaction and quality of life in Turkish nursing school students.

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Yildirim, Yasemin; Kilic, Serap Parlar; Akyol, Asiye Durmaz

2013-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between life satisfaction and quality of life of nursing students. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with a research population of 396 nursing students who received education at a school of nursing. The research data were collected between May and June of the 2007-2008 academic year. The data collection tools included "Student Description Form," Life Satisfaction Scale, and WHOQOL-BREF (TR) Quality of Life (QOL) Scale. The mean score of life satisfaction was 22.90 ± 5.74. Participants' QOL mean scores were 67.16 ± 15.29 in the physical domain, 64.33 ± 14.72 in the psychological domain, 62.81 ± 19.12 in the social relationships domain, and 60.59 ± 12.59 in the environmental domain. There was a significant correlation between life satisfaction and the four main domains of quality of life scores (P life satisfaction and quality of life among nursing students. In addition, it was determined that being a nursing student had a positive effect on students' life satisfaction and quality of life. Therefore, the education system is recommended to be redesigned in such a way as to make students more active and to improve their life satisfaction and quality of life. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.
Design of PH-based accelerated life testing plans under multiple-stress-type

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elsayed, E.A.; Zhang Hao

2007-01-01

Accelerated life testing (ALT) is used to obtain failure time data quickly under high stress levels in order to predict product life performance under design stress conditions. Most of the previous work on designing ALT plans is focused on the application of a single stress. However, as components or products become more reliable due to technological advances, it becomes more difficult to obtain significant amount of failure data within reasonable amount of time using single stress only. Multiple-stress-type ALTs have been employed as a means of overcoming such difficulties. In this paper, we design optimum multiple-stress-type ALT plans based on the proportional hazards model. The optimum combinations of stresses and their levels are determined such that the variance of the reliability estimate of the product over a specified period of time is minimized. The use of the model is illustrated using numerical example, and sensitivity analysis shows that the resultant optimum ALT plan is robust to the deviation in model parameters
Health domains and race in generic preference-based health-related quality of life instruments in the United States literature

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Claudia Cristina de Aguiar Pereira

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Race differences in health have been extensively analyzed and documented in the literature, especially between African Americans or blacks and whites in the United States. Despite the vast literature in the area, the majority of studies that explore the relationship between race and health use outcomes such as self-rated health, mortality or morbidity, and disability, but very few use Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL measures and their domains or dimensions. This narrative review aims to provide a better understanding of the relationship between race and health domains that are commonly used in preference-based HRQoL measures. We investigated the literature on race, physical health, mental health, pain and discomfort, cognition, neurologic spectrum domains, dexterity, ambulation, vitality and social functioning domains. We conducted a literature search and review using the key words race and the health domain of interest, using medical and social sciences databases, such as MEDLINE/Pubmed, Web of Science, and the Google Scholar portal.The majority of the studies identified in the literature show that African Americans or blacks in the United States tend to have lower scores than whites throughout a variety of health domains found in preference-based HRQoL measures. This review also emphasizes the scarcity of studies that investigate some health domains, such as social functioning, dexterity, vitality and neurologic spectrum domains, and therefore we identify the need for more studies focusing on race and measures that address such domains.
Satisfaction with quality of life varies with temperament types of patients with schizophrenia.

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Ritsner, Michael; Farkas, Herman; Gibel, Anatoly

2003-10-01

We sought to explore the relationships of three temperament factors with domain-specific subjective quality of life (QOL) of patients with schizophrenia. Ninety patients with schizophrenia were evaluated using the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Life Satisfaction Questionnaire, the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire, the Positive and Negative Syndromes Scale, the Distress Scale for Adverse Symptoms, the Insight and Treatment Attitudes Questionnaire, the Insight Self-Report Scale, and standardized questionnaires for self-reported emotional distress and stress process-related variables. Predictors of domain-specific QOL were identified using multiple regression techniques. Temperament factors explain 6% to 16% of variability in QOL domain scores among patients with schizophrenia after controlling for the remaining variables (emotional distress, social support, self-esteem, avoidance coping, age, side effects, and depression). We found that higher levels of novelty seeking are associated with better general QOL, physical health, and more positive subjective feelings, whereas higher levels of reward dependence are related to better satisfaction from social relationships. Higher levels of harm avoidance are associated with poorer satisfaction with general activities, and medication. Thus, temperament factors, as assessed by the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire, substantially influence satisfaction with life quality in schizophrenia. Novelty seeking, reward dependence, and harm avoidance are associated with different domains of QOL.
Effects of Applying Hydrotherapy on Quality of Life in Women with Multiple Sclerosis

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Somayyeh Ghaffari

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: Multiple Sclerosis (MS is one of the most common chronic diseases of the central nervous system (CNS, which causes important changes patient’s life, specially in adults life. MS decreases the quality of life (QOL of patients severely and led to disability gradually. The aim of this study is to assess the effects of applying hydrotherapy on quality of life of Multiple Sclerosis patients. Materials & Methods: In this Quasi-experimental study, 50 Multiple Sclerosis patients were selected with no probability sampling according to specific criteria and then assigned to experimental and control groups (25 patients in each group with balanced randomized allocation. Hydrotherapy performed for 24 sessions by experimental group during three months but no intervention was done for control group. Data collector tools included: demographic questionnaire, SF8- QOL questionnaire, Self report checklists. Statistical analysis was done by use of statistical tests such as: chi square, paired t-test, student t-test, ANOVA with repeated measurements and independent t-test. Results: There was no significant difference between two groups in phycical and mental dimensions (P=0.04 & P=0.2 and whole (P=0.81 scores of QOL before intervention, but there were significant differences between two groups after intervention in these scores (P<0.001, P=0.003 & P<0.001. ANOVA test with repeated measurements showed that there is significant difference in mean score of whole (P=0.04 and physical (P=0.05 and mental (P=0.04 dimensions of QOL between two groups in 4 times. Conclusion: Hydrotherapy is practically feasible and is associated with increase of MS patient ,s QOL so that applying this technique can promote MS patient ,s QOL and offered to these patients.
Live cell imaging unveils multiple domain requirements for in vivo dimerization of the glucocorticoid receptor.

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Diego M Presman

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Glucocorticoids are essential for life, but are also implicated in disease pathogenesis and may produce unwanted effects when given in high doses. Glucocorticoid receptor (GR transcriptional activity and clinical outcome have been linked to its oligomerization state. Although a point mutation within the GR DNA-binding domain (GRdim mutant has been reported as crucial for receptor dimerization and DNA binding, this assumption has recently been challenged. Here we have analyzed the GR oligomerization state in vivo using the number and brightness assay. Our results suggest a complete, reversible, and DNA-independent ligand-induced model for GR dimerization. We demonstrate that the GRdim forms dimers in vivo whereas adding another mutation in the ligand-binding domain (I634A severely compromises homodimer formation. Contrary to dogma, no correlation between the GR monomeric/dimeric state and transcriptional activity was observed. Finally, the state of dimerization affected DNA binding only to a subset of GR binding sites. These results have major implications on future searches for therapeutic glucocorticoids with reduced side effects.
Basic life support and children with profound and multiple learning disabilities.

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Cash, Stefan; Shinnick-Page, Andrea

2008-10-01

Nurses and other carers of people with learning disabilities must be able to manage choking events and perform basic life support effectively. UK guidelines for assessment of airway obstruction and for resuscitation do not take account of the specific needs of people with profound multiple learning disability. For example, they fail to account for inhibited gag and coughing reflexes, limited body movements or chest deformity. There are no national guidelines to assist in clinical decisions and training for nurses and carers. Basic life support training for students of learning disability nursing at Birmingham City University is supplemented to address these issues. The authors ask whether such training should be provided for all nurses including those caring for children and young people. They also invite comment and discussion on questions related to chest compression and training in basic life support for a person in a seated position.
Relations between the Development of Future Time Perspective in Three Life Domains, Investment in Learning, and Academic Achievement

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Peetsma, Thea; van der Veen, Ineke

2011-01-01

Relations between the development of future time perspectives in three life domains (i.e., school and professional career, social relations, and leisure time) and changes in students' investment in learning and academic achievement were examined in this study. Participants were 584 students in the first and 584 in the second year of the lower…
Multiple nonlinear Bragg diffraction of femtosecond laser pulses in a {\\chi^{(2)}} photonic lattice with hexagonal domains

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Vyunishev, A. M.; Arkhipkin, V. G.; Baturin, I. S.; Akhmatkhanov, A. R.; Shur, V. Ya; Chirkin, A. S.

2018-04-01

The frequency doubling of femtosecond laser pulses in a two-dimensional (2D) rectangular nonlinear photonic lattice with hexagonal domains is studied experimentally and theoretically. The broad fundamental spectrum enables frequency conversion under nonlinear Bragg diffraction for a series of transverse orders at a fixed longitudinal quasi-phase-matching order. The consistent nonstationary theory of the frequency doubling of femtosecond laser pulses is developed using the representation based on the reciprocal lattice of the structure. The calculated spatial distribution of the second-harmonic spectral intensity agrees well with the experimental data. The condition for multiple nonlinear Bragg diffraction in a 2D nonlinear photonic lattice is offered. The hexagonal shape of the domains contributes to multibeam second harmonic excitation. The maximum conversion efficiency for a series of transverse orders in the range 0.01%-0.03% is obtained.
A method for calculation of finite fatigue life under multiaxial loading in high-cycle domain

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M. Malnati

2014-04-01

Full Text Available A method for fatigue life assessment in high-cycle domain under multiaxial loading is presented in this paper. This approach allows fatigue assessment under any kind of load history, without limitations. The methodology lies on the construction - at a macroscopic level - of an “indicator” in the form of a set of cycles, representing plasticity that can arise at mesoscopic level throughout fatigue process. During the advancement of the loading history new cycles are created and a continuous evaluation of the damage is made.

Quality of life at 6 years after occupational injury.

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Chin, Wei-Shan; Guo, Yue Leon; Liao, Shih-Cheng; Wu, Hsueh-Ching; Kuo, Chun-Ya; Chen, Chih-Chieh; Shiao, Judith Shu-Chu

2018-03-01

Occupational injuries have considerable impact on workers' lives. However, data regarding workers' health-related quality of life (HRQOL) at several years after the injury are lacking. This study assessed workers' HRQOL at 6 years after occupational injury and determined related factors in each HRQOL domain. Workers who sustained an occupational injury in 2009 and who responded to a previous survey at 3 or 12 months after their injury were followed up in 2015. A total of 1715 participants were candidates for this study. The Taiwanese version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life scale-abbreviated version (WHOQOL-BREF) was used to assess their HRQOL. Multiple linear regression analysis identified predictive factors for HRQOL at 6 years after occupational injury. A total of 563 workers completed the questionnaire (response rate, 32.8%). Adverse life events and additional severe occupational injuries that occurred within the follow-up period, and decreased salary after the injury were significant factors for low scores in all domains of the WHOQOL-BREF. In addition, unmarried participants had low scores in the social relationship domain. Workers with family members requiring care scored low in the physical and environment domains. Workers whose injuries had major effects on their physical appearance had low scores in the physical and psychological domains. Workers with unstable employment had low scores in physical, psychological, and environment domains. At 6 years after occupational injury, workers' HRQOL was poor among those whose salaries decreased after the injury, after adjustment for other factors.
The effects of heavy meteorite bombardment on the early evolution — The emergence of the three Domains of life

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Gogarten-Boekels, Maria; Hilario, Elena; Gogarten, J. Peter

1995-06-01

A characteristic of many molecular phylogenies is that the three domains of life (Bacteria, Archaea, Eucarya) are clearly separated from each other. The analyses of ancient duplicated genes suggest that the last common ancestor of all presently known life forms already had been a sophisticated cellular prokaryote. These findings are in conflict with theories that have been proposed to explain the absence of deep branching lineages. In this paper we propose an alternative scenario, namely, a large meteorite impact that wiped out almost all life forms present on the early Earth. Following this nearly complete frustation of life on Earth, two surviving extreme thermophilic species gave rise to the now existing major groups of living organisms, the Bacteria and Archaea. [The latter also contributed the major portion to the nucleo-cytoplasmic component of the Eucarya]. An exact calibration of the molecular record with regard to time is not yet possible. The emergence of Eucarya in fossil and molecular records suggests that the proposed late impact should have occurred before 2100 million years before present (BP). If the 3500 million year old microfossils [Schopf, J. W. 1993: Science 260: 640 646] are interpreted as representatives of present day existing groups of bacteria (i.e., as cyanobacteria), then the impact is dated to around 3700 million years BP. The analysis of molecular sequences suggests that the separation between the Eucarya and the two prokaryotic domains is less deep then the separation between Bacteria and Archaea. The fundamental cell biological differences between Archaea and Eucarya were obtained over a comparatively short evolutionary distance (as measured in number of substitution events in biological macromolecules). Our interpretation of the molecular record suggests that life emerged early in Earth's history even before the time of the heavy bombardment was over. Early life forms already had colonized extreme habitats which allowed at least two
Life under Multiple Extreme Conditions: Diversity and Physiology of the Halophilic Alkalithermophiles

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Wiegel, Juergen

2012-01-01

Around the world, there are numerous alkaline, hypersaline environments that are heated either geothermally or through intense solar radiation. It was once thought that such harsh environments were inhospitable and incapable of supporting a variety of life. However, numerous culture-dependent and -independent studies revealed the presence of an extensive diversity of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and archaea that survive and grow under these multiple harsh conditions. This diversity includes the halophilic alkalithermophiles, a novel group of polyextremophiles that require for growth and proliferation the multiple extremes of high salinity, alkaline pH, and elevated temperature. Life under these conditions undoubtedly involves the development of unique physiological characteristics, phenotypic properties, and adaptive mechanisms that enable control of membrane permeability, control of intracellular osmotic balance, and stability of the cell wall, intracellular proteins, and other cellular constituents. This minireview highlights the ecology and growth characteristics of the extremely halophilic alkalithermophiles that have been isolated thus far. Biochemical, metabolic, and physiological properties of the extremely halophilic alkalithermophiles are described, and their roles in resistance to the combined stressors of high salinity, alkaline pH, and high temperature are discussed. The isolation of halophilic alkalithermophiles broadens the physicochemical boundaries for life and extends the boundaries for the combinations of the maximum salinity, pH, and temperature that can support microbial growth. PMID:22492435
Prevalence of fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis and its effect on the quality of life

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Nagaraj, Karthik; Taly, Arun B.; Gupta, Anupam; Prasad, Chandrajit; Christopher, Rita

2013-01-01

Objective: This prospective study was carried out to observe the prevalence of fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and its effect on quality-of-life (QoL). Study Design and Setting: Prospective observational study in a University Tertiary Research Hospital in India. Patients and Methods: A total of 31 patients (25 females) with definite MS according to McDonald's criteria presented in out-patient/admitted in the Department of Neurology (between February 2010 and December 2011) were included in the study. Disease severity was evaluated using the Kurtzke's expanded disability status scale (EDSS). Fatigue was assessed using Krupp's fatigue severity scale (FSS). QoL was assessed by the World Health Organization QoL-BREF questionnaire. Results: The mean age of patients was 30.1 ± 9.1 years. The mean age at first symptom was 25.23 ± 6.4 years. The mean number of relapses was 4.7 ± 3.6 in the patients. The mean duration of illness was 4.9 ± 4.4 years. The mean EDSS score was 3.5 ± 2.2. Mean fatigue score was 38.7 ± 18.5 (cut-off value 36 in FSS). The prevalence of fatigue in patients with MS was 58.1% (18/31). MS patients with fatigue were significantly more impaired (P < 0.05) on all QoL domains (i.e., physical, psychosocial, social, and environment) than MS patients without fatigue. Conclusion: Prevalence of fatigue was found to be high in the MS patients in the study. All four domains of QoL were significantly more impaired in the group with fatigue than in those without fatigue. PMID:24250159
Quality of Life and its Correlates in Patients With Obsessive-compulsive Disorder

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Shu-Ying Hou

2010-08-01

Full Text Available The care of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD has raised quality of life (QOL issues. The purpose of this study was to compare the level of QOL between patients with and without OCD, and to examine the associations between QOL and sociodemographic data, course of illness, psychopathology, perceived social support, and treatment characteristics. The QOL levels measured with the Taiwan version of the Short Form of the World Health Organization Questionnaire on Quality of Life were compared between 57 subjects with OCD and 106 subjects without OCD. The correlates of QOL were examined among subjects with OCD. The analysis revealed that QOL scores for the general, physical, psychological and social relationship domains were lower in the OCD group than in the control group; however, no difference in the environmental domain was found. Multiple factors were associated with poor QOL in subjects with OCD, including comorbid depression, severe obsession symptoms, perceived low social support, severe adverse effects of medication, combined use of mood stabilizers, and low social status. Different domains of QOL are differently affected by OCD. The QOL of subjects with OCD was correlated to multiple factors that were specific to individual subjects and influenced by interactions with treatment and the social environment.
Infected cell protein 0 functional domains and their coordination in herpes simplex virus replication

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Gu, Haidong

2016-01-01

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is a ubiquitous human pathogen that establishes latent infection in ganglia neurons. Its unique life cycle requires a balanced “conquer and compromise” strategy to deal with the host anti-viral defenses. One of HSV-1 α (immediate early) gene products, infected cell protein 0 (ICP0), is a multifunctional protein that interacts with and modulates a wide range of cellular defensive pathways. These pathways may locate in different cell compartments, which then migrate or exchange factors upon stimulation, for the purpose of a concerted and effective defense. ICP0 is able to simultaneously attack multiple host pathways by either degrading key restrictive factors or modifying repressive complexes. This is a viral protein that contains an E3 ubiquitin ligase, translocates among different cell compartments and interacts with major defensive complexes. The multiple functional domains of ICP0 can work independently and at the same time coordinate with each other. Dissecting the functional domains of ICP0 and delineating the coordination of these domains will help us understand HSV-1 pathogenicity as well as host defense mechanisms. This article focuses on describing individual ICP0 domains, their biochemical properties and their implication in HSV-1 infection. By putting individual domain functions back into the picture of host anti-viral defense network, this review seeks to elaborate the complex interactions between HSV-1 and its host. PMID:26870669
Internalized stigma and quality of life domains among people with mental illness: the mediating role of self-esteem.

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Oliveira, Sandra E H; Carvalho, Helena; Esteves, Francisco

2016-01-01

People with mental illness who internalize stigma often experience reduced self-esteem and impaired quality of life (QOL). To propose a theoretical model in which self-esteem mediates the effects of internalized stigma on the multidimensional domains comprising QOL. In 403 inpatients and outpatients (DSM-IV, American Psychiatric Association, 1994), from hospital-based and community mental health facilities, self-report measures of internalized stigma (ISMI), self-esteem (RSES) and QOL (WHOQOL-Bref) were administrated. Structural equation modeling results supported the proposed model. Self-esteem fully mediated the relation between internalized stigma and the physical and the social relationships domains, and partially mediated the relationship between internalized stigma and psychological, environment and level of independence QOL domains. Such results provided empirical support and shed light upon previous research. Specifically the results emphasize the mediating role that self-esteem plays in the degree to which internalized stigma exerts a negative effect on specific QOL domains. Self-esteem appears to be a core element in reducing the negative effects of internalized stigma on aspects of QOL among people with mental illness. These findings suggest there is a crucial impact regarding clinical mental health interventions along with important theoretical implications.
Understanding domains of health-related quality of life concerns of Singapore Chinese patients with advanced cancer: a qualitative analysis.

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Lee, G L; Pang, G S Y; Akhileswaran, R; Ow, M Y L; Fan, G K T; Wong, C C F; Wee, H L; Cheung, Y B

2016-03-01

Quality of life concerns in patients with advanced diseases might be different from other patients and are shaped by sociocultural context. The objective of this qualitative study was to identify domains and themes of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) that Chinese patients with advanced cancer in Singapore considered relevant and important. English- and Chinese-speaking patients with advanced solid cancer were recruited from a tertiary cancer center and a community-based hospice for in-depth interview or focused group discussion. Thematic analysis was used to identify subthemes, themes, and domains from the transcripts. Forty-six ethnic Chinese (aged 26-86, 48% male) participated in the study. Six domains of HRQoL concerns were identified: pain and suffering, physical health, social health, mental health, financial well-being, and spiritual health. Pain and suffering are not limited to the physical domain, reflecting the multidimensional nature of this concept. Pain and suffering must also be understood within the cultural context. Healthcare relations (i.e., social health), existential well-being and religious well-being (i.e., spiritual health), and suffering (i.e., pain and suffering) are not fully captured in the existing HRQoL instruments. In addition, financial issues and the practice of secrecy in interpersonal relationships emerged as unique features possibly arising from our sociocultural context and healthcare financing landscape. Socioculturally specific issues not measured by the existing HRQoL instruments for use in patients with advanced cancers or terminal diseases were found in our study. These are non-physical pain and suffering, meaning of illness, meaning of death, financial issues, and practice of secrecy in interpersonal relationships.
Is parental rearing an associated factor of quality of life in adulthood?

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Zimmermann, Jacques J; Eisemann, Martin R; Fleck, Marcelo P

2008-03-01

To examine the hypothesis that favorable parental rearing is associated with better quality of life in adulthood. Two hundred and ninety seven university students answered questions on quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF), parenting style (s-EMBU), coping strategies (Coping Strategies Inventory), life events (Social Readjustment Rating Scale) and depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory). Data was analyzed by means of hierarchical multiple linear regression. The remote variable of perceived child rearing practices was significantly associated with the quality of life of the students. Maternal emotional warmth was associated with two quality of life domains, psychological and social relationships, in addition to global quality of life. These results strengthen the empirical notion that favorable parental care may be associated with better quality of life in adulthood.
Effective Domain Partitioning for Multi-Clock Domain IP Core Wrapper Design under Power Constraints

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Yu, Thomas Edison; Yoneda, Tomokazu; Zhao, Danella; Fujiwara, Hideo

The rapid advancement of VLSI technology has made it possible for chip designers and manufacturers to embed the components of a whole system onto a single chip, called System-on-Chip or SoC. SoCs make use of pre-designed modules, called IP-cores, which provide faster design time and quicker time-to-market. Furthermore, SoCs that operate at multiple clock domains and very low power requirements are being utilized in the latest communications, networking and signal processing devices. As a result, the testing of SoCs and multi-clock domain embedded cores under power constraints has been rapidly gaining importance. In this research, a novel method for designing power-aware test wrappers for embedded cores with multiple clock domains is presented. By effectively partitioning the various clock domains, we are able to increase the solution space of possible test schedules for the core. Since previous methods were limited to concurrently testing all the clock domains, we effectively remove this limitation by making use of bandwidth conversion, multiple shift frequencies and properly gating the clock signals to control the shift activity of various core logic elements. The combination of the above techniques gains us greater flexibility when determining an optimal test schedule under very tight power constraints. Furthermore, since it is computationally intensive to search the entire expanded solution space for the possible test schedules, we propose a heuristic 3-D bin packing algorithm to determine the optimal wrapper architecture and test schedule while minimizing the test time under power and bandwidth constraints.
Social support network, mental health and quality of life: a cross-sectional study in primary care

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Flávia Batista Portugal

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to identify the association between emotional distress and social support networks with quality of life in primary care patients. This was a cross-sectional study involving 1,466 patients in the cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2009/2010. The General Health Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the brief version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument were used. The Social Support Network Index classified patients with the highest and lowest index as socially integrated or isolated. A bivariate analysis and four multiple linear regressions were conducted for each quality of life outcome. The means scores for the physical, psychological, social relations, and environment domains were, respectively, 64.7; 64.2; 68.5 and 49.1. In the multivariate analysis, the psychological domain was negatively associated with isolation, whereas the social relations and environment domains were positively associated with integration. Integration and isolation proved to be important factors for those in emotional distress as they minimize or maximize negative effects on quality of life.
Step by Step: Biology Undergraduates' Problem-Solving Procedures during Multiple-Choice Assessment.

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Prevost, Luanna B; Lemons, Paula P

2016-01-01

This study uses the theoretical framework of domain-specific problem solving to explore the procedures students use to solve multiple-choice problems about biology concepts. We designed several multiple-choice problems and administered them on four exams. We trained students to produce written descriptions of how they solved the problem, and this allowed us to systematically investigate their problem-solving procedures. We identified a range of procedures and organized them as domain general, domain specific, or hybrid. We also identified domain-general and domain-specific errors made by students during problem solving. We found that students use domain-general and hybrid procedures more frequently when solving lower-order problems than higher-order problems, while they use domain-specific procedures more frequently when solving higher-order problems. Additionally, the more domain-specific procedures students used, the higher the likelihood that they would answer the problem correctly, up to five procedures. However, if students used just one domain-general procedure, they were as likely to answer the problem correctly as if they had used two to five domain-general procedures. Our findings provide a categorization scheme and framework for additional research on biology problem solving and suggest several important implications for researchers and instructors. © 2016 L. B. Prevost and P. P. Lemons. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2016 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).
Impacts of education level and employment status on healthrelated quality of life in multiple sclerosis patients

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Selma Šabanagić-Hajrić

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Aim To evaluate the impacts of education level and employment status on health-related quality of life (HRQoL in multiple sclerosis patients. Methods This study included 100 multiple sclerosis patients treated at the Department of Neurology, Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo. Inclusion criteria were the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS score between 1.0 and 6.5, age between 18 and 65 years, stable disease on enrollment. Quality of life (QoL was evaluated by the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 questionnaire (MSQoL-54. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis test were used for comparisons. Linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate prediction value of educational level and employment status in predicting MSQOL-54 physical and mental composite scores. Results Full employment status had positive impact on physical health (54.85 vs. 37.90; p<0.001 and mental health (59.55 vs. 45.90; p<0.001 composite scores. Employment status retained its independent predictability for both physical (r2=0.105 and mental (r2=0.076 composite scores in linear regression analysis. Patients with college degree had slightly higher median value of physical (49.36 vs. 45.30 and mental health composite score (66.74 vs. 55.62 comparing to others, without statistically significant difference. Conclusion Employment proved to be an important factor in predicting quality of life in multiple sclerosis patients. Higher education level may determine better QOL but without significant predictive value. Sustained employment and development of vocational rehabilitation programs for MS patients living in the country with high unemployment level is an important factor in improving both physical and mental health outcomes in MS patients.
Five years after the accident, whiplash casualties still have poorer quality of life in the physical domain than other mildly injured casualties: analysis of the ESPARR cohort.

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Tournier, Charlène; Hours, Martine; Charnay, Pierrette; Chossegros, Laetitia; Tardy, Hélène

2016-01-05

This study aims to compare health status and quality of life five years after a road accident between casualties with whiplash versus other mild injuries, to compare evolution of quality of life at 1 and 5 years after the accident, and to explore the relation between initial injury (whiplash vs. other) and quality of life. The study used data from the ESPARR cohort (a representative cohort of road accident casualties) and included 167 casualties with "pure" whiplash and a population of 185 casualties with other mild injuries (MAIS-1). All subjects with lesions classified as cervical contusion (AIS code 310402) or neck sprain (AIS code 640278) were considered as whiplash casualties. Diagnosis was made by physicians, at the outset of hospital care, based on interview, clinical findings and X-ray. Whiplash injuries were then classified following the Quebec classification (grades 1 and 2). Quality of life was assessed on the WHOQoL-Bref questionnaire. Correlations between explanatory variables and quality of life were explored by Poisson regression and variance analysis. Between 1 and 5 years, global QoL improved for both whiplash and non-whiplash casualties; but, considering the two whiplash groups separately, improvement in grade 2 was much less than in grade 1. At 5 years, grade-2 whiplash casualties were more dissatisfied with their health (39.4%; p whiplash (24.3%) or grade-1 whiplash casualties (27.0%). Deteriorated quality of life in the mental, social and environmental domains was mainly related to psychological and socioeconomic factors for both whiplash and other mildly injured road-accident casualties. While PTSD was a major factor for the physical domain, whiplash remained a predictive factor after adjustment on PTSD; unsatisfactory health at 5 years, with deteriorated quality of life in the physical domain, was observed specifically in the whiplash group, pain playing a predominant intermediate role. Deteriorated quality of life in the physical domain
The PolyMAX Frequency-Domain Method: A New Standard for Modal Parameter Estimation?

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Bart Peeters

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Recently, a new non-iterative frequency-domain parameter estimation method was proposed. It is based on a (weighted least-squares approach and uses multiple-input-multiple-output frequency response functions as primary data. This so-called “PolyMAX” or polyreference least-squares complex frequency-domain method can be implemented in a very similar way as the industry standard polyreference (time-domain least-squares complex exponential method: in a first step a stabilisation diagram is constructed containing frequency, damping and participation information. Next, the mode shapes are found in a second least-squares step, based on the user selection of stable poles. One of the specific advantages of the technique lies in the very stable identification of the system poles and participation factors as a function of the specified system order, leading to easy-to-interpret stabilisation diagrams. This implies a potential for automating the method and to apply it to “difficult” estimation cases such as high-order and/or highly damped systems with large modal overlap. Some real-life automotive and aerospace case studies are discussed. PolyMAX is compared with classical methods concerning stability, accuracy of the estimated modal parameters and quality of the frequency response function synthesis.
[Culture and quality of life assessment in Chinese populations].

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Xia, Ping; Li, Ning-Xiu; Liu, Chao-Jie; Lü, Yu-Bo; Zhang, Qiang; Ou, Ai-Hua

2010-07-01

To investigate the impact of cultural factors on quality of life (QOL) and to identify appropriate ways of dividing sub-populations for population norm-based quality of life assessment. The WHOQOL-BREF was used as a QOL instrument. Another questionnaire was developed to assess cultural values. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken in 1090 Guangzhou residents, which included 635 respondents from communities and 455 patients who visited outpatient departments of hospitals. Cronbach's a coefficients and item-domain correlation coefficients were calculated to test the reliability and validity of the WHOQOL-BREF, respectively. Student t test, ANOVA and stepwise multiple linear regression analysis were performed to identify the variables that might have an impact on the QOL. Two regression models with and without including cultural variables were constructed, and the extent of impact exerted by the cultural factors was assessed through a comparison of the change of adjusted R square values. A total of 1052 (96%) valid questionnaire were returned. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients of the WHOQOL-BREF ranged from 0.67 to 0.78. Age, education, occupation and family income were correlated with all of the domains of the WHOQOL-BREF. Chronic condition was correlated with physical, psychological, and social relationship domains of the WHOQOL-BREF. Gender was correlated with physical and psychological domains of the WHOQOL-BREF. The multiple regression analysis showed that social and demographic factors contributed to 6.3%, 13.6%, 10.4% and 8.7% of the predicted variances for the physical, psychological, social relationship, and environment domains, respectively. Social support, horizontal collectivism, vertical individualism, escape acceptance, fear of death, health value, supernatural belief had a significant impact on QOL. However, social support was the only one factor that had an impact on all of the four QOL domains. It is necessary to divide sub-cultural populations for
ASIC3 Channels Integrate Agmatine and Multiple Inflammatory Signals through the Nonproton Ligand Sensing Domain

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Cao Hui

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs have long been known to sense extracellular protons and contribute to sensory perception. Peripheral ASIC3 channels represent natural sensors of acidic and inflammatory pain. We recently reported the use of a synthetic compound, 2-guanidine-4-methylquinazoline (GMQ, to identify a novel nonproton sensing domain in the ASIC3 channel, and proposed that, based on its structural similarity with GMQ, the arginine metabolite agmatine (AGM may be an endogenous nonproton ligand for ASIC3 channels. Results Here, we present further evidence for the physiological correlation between AGM and ASIC3. Among arginine metabolites, only AGM and its analog arcaine (ARC activated ASIC3 channels at neutral pH in a sustained manner similar to GMQ. In addition to the homomeric ASIC3 channels, AGM also activated heteromeric ASIC3 plus ASIC1b channels, extending its potential physiological relevance. Importantly, the process of activation by AGM was highly sensitive to mild acidosis, hyperosmolarity, arachidonic acid (AA, lactic acid and reduced extracellular Ca2+. AGM-induced ASIC3 channel activation was not through the chelation of extracellular Ca2+ as occurs with increased lactate, but rather through a direct interaction with the newly identified nonproton ligand sensing domain. Finally, AGM cooperated with the multiple inflammatory signals to cause pain-related behaviors in an ASIC3-dependent manner. Conclusions Nonproton ligand sensing domain might represent a novel mechanism for activation or sensitization of ASIC3 channels underlying inflammatory pain-sensing under in vivo conditions.
SymptoMScreen: A Tool for Rapid Assessment of Symptom Severity in MS Across Multiple Domains.

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Green, R; Kalina, J; Ford, R; Pandey, K; Kister, I

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to describe SymptoMScreen, an in-house developed tool for rapid assessment of MS symptom severity in routine clinical practice, and to validate SymptoMScreen against Performance Scales (PS). MS patients typically experience symptoms in many neurologic domains. A tool that would enable MS patients to efficiently relay their symptom severity across multiple domains to the healthcare providers could lead to improved symptom management. We developed "SymptoMScreen," a battery of 7-point Likert scales for 12 distinct domains commonly affected by MS: mobility, dexterity, body pain, sensation, bladder function, fatigue, vision, dizziness, cognition, depression, and anxiety. We administered SymptoMScreen and PS scales to consecutive MS patients at a specialty MS Care Center. We assessed the criterion and construct validity of SymptoMScreen by calculating Spearmen rank correlations between the SymptoMScreen composite score and PS composite score, and between SymptoMScreen subscale and the respective PS subscale scores, where applicable. A total of 410 patients with MS (age 46.6 ± 12.9 years; 74% female; mean disease duration 12.2 ± 8.7 years) completed the SymptoMScreen and PSs during their clinic visit. Composite SymptoMScreen score correlated strongly with combined PS score (r = 0.88, p MS. It has excellent criterion and construct validity. SymptoMScreen is patient and clinician friendly, takes approximately one minute to complete, and can help better document, understand, and manage patients' symptoms in routine clinical practice. SymptoMScreen is freely available to clinicians and researchers.
Quality of life and related factors among HIV-positive spouses from serodiscordant couples under antiretroviral therapy in Henan Province, China.

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Duo Shan

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To describe the quality of life and related factors in HIV-positive spouses undergoing ART from discordant couples. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,009 HIV-positive spouses from serodiscordant couples in Zhumadian, Henan Province, between October 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009. HIV-positive spouses were interviewed by local health professionals. Quality of life was evaluated by WHOQOL (Chinese Version. A multiple linear regression model was used to analyze the related factors. RESULTS: The majority of subjects were female (56.39%, had received a high school education (44%, were of Han ethnicity (98.41%, and were farmers (90.09%; the median time period of receiving ART was 3.92 years. The physical, psychological, social, and environmental QOL scores of the subjects were 12.91±1.95, 12.35±1.80, 13.96±2.43, and 12.45±1.91 respectively. The multiple linear regression model identified the physical domain related factors to be CD4 count, educational level, and occupation; psychological domain related factors include age, educational level, and reported STD symptom; social domain related factors included education level; and environmental domain related factors included education level, reported STD symptoms, and occupation. CONCLUSION: Being younger, a farmer, having a lower level of education, a reported STD symptom, or lower CD4 count, could decrease one's quality of life, suggesting that the use of blanket ART programs alone may not necessarily improve quality of life. Subjects received lower scores in the psychological domain, suggesting that psychological intervention may also need to be strengthened.
Operationalizing quality of life for people with profound multiple disabilities : a Delphi study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Petry, K.; Maes, B.; Vlaskamp, C.

Background: In a recent study, we constructed an item pool that contains items on the quality of life (QOL) and related aspects of support of people with profound multiple disabilities (PMD). In the present study, a panel of experts assessed the content and the structure of this item pool in order

Biodiversity at the molecular level: the domains, kingdoms and phyla of life.

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Embley, T M; Hirt, R P; Williams, D M

1994-07-29

The results of comparative sequence analysis, mainly of small subunit (SSU) ribosomal (r)RNA sequences, have suggested that all of cellular life can be placed in one of three domains: the Archaea, Bacteria or Eucarya. There is some evidence that the Archaea may not be a monophyletic assemblage, but as yet this issue has not been resolved. Most of the lineages, and all of the deepest ones, in the tree based upon SSU rRNA sequences, are microbial. Traditional ideas of classification such as Whittaker's five kingdom scheme do not adequately describe life's diversity as revealed by sequence comparisons. There are many microbial groups that demonstrate much greater amounts of SSU rRNA sequence divergence than do members of the classical kingdoms, Animalia, Plantae and Fungi. The old microbial kingdoms Monera and Protista are clearly paraphyletic but as yet there is no consensus as to how they should be reorganized in taxonomic terms. New data from environmental analysis suggests that much of the microbial world is unknown. Every environment which has been analysed by molecular methods has revealed many previously unrecorded lineages. Some of these show great divergence from the sequences of cultured microorganisms suggesting that fundamentally new microbial groups remain to be isolated. The relationships of some of these new lineages may be expected to affect how the tree of life is organized into higher taxa, and to also influence which features will be recognized as synapomorphies. There is currently no objective measure whereby microbial diversity can be quantified and compared to the figures which are widely quoted for arthropods and other Metazoa.
Quality of Life in Chinese Persons Living With an Ostomy: A Multisite Cross-sectional Study.

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Geng, Zhaohui; Howell, Doris; Xu, Honglian; Yuan, Changrong

The aim of the study was to describe health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in persons with ostomies and to explore influencing factors. Secondary analysis of data from a cross-sectional survey. Eight hundred twenty-seven persons living with an ostomy were enrolled from 5 provinces and cities in China from October 2010 to November 2012; the final sample comprises 729 individuals who completed data collection. Their mean ± SD age was 62.59 ± 12.40 years (range 26-93 years). Health-related quality of life was assessed using the Chinese language version of the City of Hope-Quality of Life-Ostomy Questionnaire-Chinese Version. Sociodemographic data, clinical characteristics, self-efficacy, adjustment to an ostomy, social support, and psychological state of patients were measured by a general information questionnaire. We also administered the Stoma Self-Efficacy Scale, Ostomy Adjustment Inventory-Chinese Version, the Social Support Revalued Scale, and Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale. Of the 729 ostomy patients, the overall HRQOL in ostomy patients was in the moderate range (mean score 5.19 ± 1.29); scores of physical domain, psychological domain, social domain, and spiritual domains also in the moderate range (5.00 ± 1.73, 5.97 ± 1.59, 4.86 ± 2.31, and 4.93 ± 2.08 respectively). Multivariate analysis found that multiple factors influenced HRQOL in persons with an ostomy; they were gender, religious belief, and marital status, psychological factors depression and anxiety, and specific components related to social support, self-efficacy in ostomy care, and adjustment to an ostomy. Health-related quality of life among Chinese patients with fecal ostomies was less than optimal and influenced by multiple demographic and psychosocial factors. Additional research is needed to design strategies to improve HRQOL in this population.
Quality of life after major trauma with multiple rib fractures.

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Marasco, Silvana; Lee, Geraldine; Summerhayes, Robyn; Fitzgerald, Mark; Bailey, Michael

2015-01-01

Rib fractures are a common injury presenting to major trauma centres and community hospitals. Aside from the acute impact of rib fracture injury, longer-term morbidity of pain, disability and deformity have been described. Despite this, the mainstay of management for the vast majority of rib fracture injuries remains supportive only with analgesia and where required respiratory support. This study aimed to document the long-term quality of life in a cohort of major trauma patients with rib fracture injury over 24 months. Retrospective review (July 2006-July 2011) of 397 major trauma patients admitted to The Alfred Hospital with rib fractures and not treated with operative rib fixation. The main outcome measures were quality of life over 24 months post injury assessed using the Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended and SF12 health assessment forms and a pain questionnaire. Assessment over 24 months of major trauma patients with multiple rib fractures demonstrated significantly lower quality of life compared with published Australian norms at all time points measured. Return to work rates were poor with only 71% of those who were working prior to their accident, returning to any work. This study demonstrates a significant reduction in quality of life for rib fracture patients requiring admission to hospital, which does not return to the level of Australian norms for at least two years. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A critical analysis of the Mises stress criterion used in frequency domain fatigue life prediction

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Adam Niesłony

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Multiaxial fatigue failure criteria are formulated in time and frequency domain. The number of frequency domain criteria is rather small and the most popular one is the equivalent von Mises stress criterion. This criterion was elaborated by Preumont and Piefort on the basis of well-known von Mises stress concept, first proposed by Huber in 1907, and well accepted by the scientific community and engineers. It is important to know, that the criterion was developed to determine the yield stress and material effort under static load. Therefore the direct use of equivalent von Mises stress criterion for fatigue life prediction can lead to some incorrectness of theoretical and practical nature. In the present study four aspects were discussed: influence of the value of fatigue strength of tension and torsion, lack of parallelism of the SN curves, abnormal behaviour of the criterion under biaxial tensioncompression and influence of phase shift between particular stress state components. Information contained in this article will help to prevent improper use of this criterion and contributes to its better understanding
Stable multiple-layer stationary solutions of a semilinear parabolic equation in two-dimensional domains

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Arnaldo Simal do Nascimento

1997-12-01

Full Text Available We use $Gamma$--convergence to prove existence of stable multiple--layer stationary solutions (stable patterns to the reaction--diffusion equation. $$ eqalign{ {partial v_varepsilon over partial t} =& varepsilon^2, hbox{div}, (k_1(xabla v_varepsilon + k_2(x(v_varepsilon -alpha(Beta-v_varepsilon (v_varepsilon -gamma_varepsilon(x,,hbox{ in }Omegaimes{Bbb R}^+ cr &v_varepsilon(x,0 = v_0 quad {partial v_varepsilon over partial widehat{n}} = 0,, quadhbox{ for } xin partialOmega,, t >0,.} $$ Given nested simple closed curves in ${Bbb R}^2$, we give sufficient conditions on their curvature so that the reaction--diffusion problem possesses a family of stable patterns. In particular, we extend to two-dimensional domains and to a spatially inhomogeneous source term, a previous result by Yanagida and Miyata.
Investigation of relationship between social capital and quality of life in female headed families

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Rimaz, Shahnaz; Dastoorpoor, Maryam; Vesali, Samira; Saiepour, Narges; Nedjat, Saharnaz; Sadeghi, Masoumeh; Merghati Khoei, Effat

2015-01-01

Background: Although most studies on female-headed families focus on women's access to social support, the associations between social capital and quality of life in these families are unclear in many societies (such as Iran). This study aimed to determine the associations between social capital and quality of life in Iranian female headed families. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 152 female-headed households supported by Tehran Municipality, district 9 from April 2011 to July 2012. Convenience sampling was employed. Data were collected using demographic questionnaire, the Iranian version of World Health Organization Quality of Life, and the Word Bank Social Capital. Descriptive and multiple regression methods were used to analyze the data. Results: The mean±SD age of participants was 50.8±13.8 years. Findings revealed that in quality of life, the domains of environment health and social relation received the lowest (9.87 ± 2.41) and the highest (12.61 ±3.43) scores respectively; and with respect to social capital, membership in groups and social trust had the least (19.61 ± 17.11) and the most (51.04 ± 17.37) scores, respectively. The multiple regression model revealed a significant positive association between total score of the quality of life and the total score for the social capital (p< 0.001). Conclusion: Findings suggest that quality of life of female-headed families and social capital domains are strongly related. This means that by improving the social capital, women’s life can also be improved. PMID:26793661
High levels of antibodies to multiple domains and strains of VAR2CSA correlate with the absence of placental malaria in Cameroonian women living in an area of high Plasmodium falciparum transmission

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tutterrow, Yeung L; Avril, Marion; Singh, Kavita

2012-01-01

erythrocytes and mediates binding to chondroitin sulfate A, initiating inflammation and disrupting homeostasis at the maternal-fetal interface. Although antibodies can prevent sequestration, it is unclear whether parasite clearance is due to antibodies to a single Duffy binding-like (DBL) domain...... or to an extensive repertoire of antibodies to multiple DBL domains and allelic variants. Accordingly, plasma samples collected longitudinally from pregnant women were screened for naturally acquired antibodies against an extensive panel of VAR2CSA proteins, including 2 to 3 allelic variants for each of 5 different...... DBL domains. Analyses were performed on plasma samples collected from 3 to 9 months of pregnancy from women living in areas in Cameroon with high and low malaria transmission. The results demonstrate that high antibody levels to multiple VAR2CSA domains, rather than a single domain, were associated...
Extending the half-life of a fab fragment through generation of a humanized anti-human serum albumin Fv domain: An investigation into the correlation between affinity and serum half-life.

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Ralph; Griffin, Laura; Compson, Joanne E; Jairaj, Mark; Baker, Terry; Ceska, Tom; West, Shauna; Zaccheo, Oliver; Davé, Emma; Lawson, Alastair Dg; Humphreys, David P; Heywood, Sam

2016-10-01

We generated an anti-albumin antibody, CA645, to link its Fv domain to an antigen-binding fragment (Fab), thereby extending the serum half-life of the Fab. CA645 was demonstrated to bind human, cynomolgus, and mouse serum albumin with similar affinity (1-7 nM), and to bind human serum albumin (HSA) when it is in complex with common known ligands. Importantly for half-life extension, CA645 binds HSA with similar affinity within the physiologically relevant range of pH 5.0 - pH 7.4, and does not have a deleterious effect on the binding of HSA to neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn). A crystal structure of humanized CA645 Fab in complex with HSA was solved and showed that CA645 Fab binds to domain II of HSA. Superimposition with the crystal structure of FcRn bound to HSA confirmed that CA645 does not block HSA binding to FcRn. In mice, the serum half-life of humanized CA645 Fab is 84.2 h. This is a significant extension in comparison with Fab variant. The Fab-HSA structure was used to design a series of mutants with reduced affinity to investigate the correlation between the affinity for albumin and serum half-life. Reduction in the affinity for MSA by 144-fold from 2.2 nM to 316 nM had no effect on serum half-life. Strikingly, despite a reduction in affinity to 62 µM, an extension in serum half-life of 26.4 h was still obtained. CA645 Fab and the CA645 Fab-HSA complex have been deposited in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) with accession codes, 5FUZ and 5FUO, respectively.
Life cycle based dynamic assessment coupled with multiple criteria decision analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sohn, Joshua; Kalbar, Pradip; Birkved, Morten

2017-01-01

the service life of the building. This case study uses both the established and the coupled MCDA assessment methods to quantify and assess the balance of impacts between the production of mineral wool insulation versus the production of space heat. The use of TOPSIS method for calculating single scores......This work looks at coupling Life cycle assessment (LCA) with a dynamic inventory and multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to improve the validity and reliability of single score results for complex systems. This is done using the case study of a representative Danish single family home over...... not matter which impact assessment is applied. However, for the scenarios where other impact categories vary inversely or independently from the climate change impact indicator, such as with renewable energy production, there is need for a more unconventional method, such as the TOPSIS method...
Self-Esteem Is Relatively Stable Late in Life: The Role of Resources in the Health, Self-Regulation, and Social Domains

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Wagner, Jenny; Hoppmann, Christiane; Ram, Nilam; Gerstorf, Denis

2015-01-01

A large body of research has documented changes in self-esteem across adulthood and individual-difference correlates thereof. However, little is known about whether people maintain their self-esteem until the end of life and what role key risk factors in the health, cognitive, self-regulatory, and social domains play. To examine these questions,…
Quality of life among people living with hypertension in a rural Vietnam community.

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Ha, Ninh Thi; Duy, Hoa Thi; Le, Ninh Hoang; Khanal, Vishnu; Moorin, Rachael

2014-08-11

To respond to growing prevalence of hypertension in Vietnam, it is critical to have an in-depth understanding about quality of life (QOL) among people living with hypertension and related factors. This study aimed to measure QOL among hypertensive people in a rural community in Vietnam, and its association with socio-demographic characteristics and factors related to treatment. This study was conducted in a rural community located 60 km from Ho Chi Minh City. Face-to-face interviews were conducted among 275 hypertensive people aged 50 years and above using WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to examine mean scores of quality of life. Cronbach's alpha coefficient and Pearson's correlation coefficient were applied to estimate the internal consistency, and the level of agreement between different domains of WHOQOL-BREF, respectively. Independent T-test and ANOVA test followed by multiple linear regression analyses were used to measure the association between QOL domains and independent variables. Both overall WHOQOL-BREF and each domain had a good internal consistency, ranging from 0.65 to 0.88. The QOL among hypertensive patients was found moderate in all domains, except for psychological domain that was fairly low (mean = 49.4). Backward multiple linear regressions revealed that being men, married, attainment of higher education, having physical activities at moderate level, and adherence to treatment were positively associated with QOL. However, older age and presence of co-morbidity were negatively associated with QOL. WHOQOL-BREF is a reliable instrument to measure QOL among hypertensive patients. The results revealed low QOL in psychological domain and inequality in QOL across socio-demographic characteristics. Given the results, encouraging physical activities and strengthening treatment adherence should be considered to improve QOL of hypertensive people, especially for psychological aspect. Actions to improve QOL among hypertensive
Impacts of education level and employment status on health-related quality of life in multiple sclerosis patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Šabanagić-Hajrić, Selma; Alajbegović, Azra

2015-02-01

To evaluate the impacts of education level and employment status on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in multiple sclerosis patients. This study included 100 multiple sclerosis patients treated at the Department of Neurology, Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo. Inclusion criteria were the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score between 1.0 and 6.5, age between 18 and 65 years, stable disease on enrollment. Quality of life (QoL) was evaluated by the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 questionnaire (MSQoL-54). Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis test were used for comparisons. Linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate prediction value of educational level and employment status in predicting MSQOL-54 physical and mental composite scores. Full employment status had positive impact on physical health (54.85 vs. 37.90; p les than 0.001) and mental health (59.55 vs. 45.90; p les than 0.001) composite scores. Employment status retained its independent predictability for both physical (r(2)=0.105) and mental (r(2)=0.076) composite scores in linear regression analysis. Patients with college degree had slightly higher median value of physical (49.36 vs. 45.30) and mental health composite score (66.74 vs. 55.62) comparing to others, without statistically significant difference. Employment proved to be an important factor in predicting quality of life in multiple sclerosis patients. Higher education level may determine better QOL but without significant predictive value. Sustained employment and development of vocational rehabilitation programs for MS patients living in the country with high unemployment level is an important factor in improving both physical and mental health outcomes in MS patients.
Predictors of quality of life among hospitalized geriatric patients with diabetes mellitus upon discharge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johari N

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Nuruljannah Johari,1 Zahara Abdul Manaf,1 Norhayati Ibrahim,2 Suzana Shahar,1 Norlaila Mustafa3 1Dietetics Programme, 2Health Psychology Programme, Faculty of Health Sciences, 3Medical Department, Faculty of Medicine, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Purpose: Diabetes mellitus is prevalent among older adults, and affects their quality of life. Furthermore, the number is growing as the elderly population increases. Thus, this study aims to explore the predictors of quality of life among hospitalized geriatric patients with diabetes mellitus upon discharge in Malaysia. Methods: A total of 110 hospitalized geriatric patients aged 60 years and older were selected using convenience sampling method in a cross-sectional study. Sociodemographic data and medical history were obtained from the medical records. Questionnaires were used during the in-person semistructured interviews, which were conducted in the wards. Linear regression analyses were used to determine the predictors of each domain of quality of life. Results: Multiple regression analysis showed that activities of daily living, depression, and appetite were the determinants of physical health domain of quality of life (R2=0.633, F(3, 67=38.462; P<0.001, whereas depression and instrumental activities of daily living contributed to 55.8% of the variability in psychological domain (R2=0.558, F(2, 68=42.953; P<0.001. Social support and cognitive status were the determinants of social relationship (R2=0.539, F(2, 68=39.763; P<0.001 and also for the environmental domain of the quality of life (R2=0.496, F(2, 68=33.403; P<0.001. Conclusion: The findings indicated different predictors for each domain in the quality of life among hospitalized geriatric patients with diabetes mellitus. Nutritional, functional, and psychological aspects should be incorporated into rehabilitation support programs prior to discharge in order to improve patients�
Preliminary validation study of the Spanish version of the satisfaction with life scale in persons with multiple sclerosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lucas-Carrasco, Ramona; Sastre-Garriga, Jaume; Galan, Ingrid; Den Oudsten, Brenda L.; Power, Michael J.

2014-01-01

Purpose: To assess Life Satisfaction, using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and to analyze its psychometric properties in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Method: Persons with MS (n = 84) recruited at the MS Centre of Catalonia (Spain) completed a battery of subjective assessments including the
Conserved Domain Database (CDD)

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — CDD is a protein annotation resource that consists of a collection of well-annotated multiple sequence alignment models for ancient domains and full-length proteins.
Quality of life and satisfaction with life of malaria patients in context of acceptance of the disease: quantitative studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Damme-Ostapowicz, Katarzyna; Krajewska-Kułak, Elżbieta; Rozwadowska, Emilia; Nahorski, Wacław L; Olszański, Romuald

2012-06-29

Health status is one of the basic factors of a high quality of life and the problem of the acceptance of illness is important for adaptation to the limitations imposed by it. The purpose of the study was the evaluation of the quality of life, satisfaction with life and the acceptance of illness by malaria patients, as well as the discovery of a relationship between studied parameters. The study was undertaken in August 2010, on 120 Nigerian patients with confirmed malaria. A method of diagnostic survey, based on standardized scales - Acceptance of Illness Scale, The Satisfaction With Life Scale and a standardized survey questionnaire World Health Organization Quality of Life/BREF - was used in this study. Descriptive statistics, variability range, 95% confidence interval, correlation analysis, Spearman's non-parametric correlation coefficient, Mann-Whitney test and Kruskal-Wallis test were applied and the, so called, test statistics was calculated, followed by the calculation of the test probability p. Results of analyses were presented in a box graph, and a graph of dispersion. A dominating share in the adjective scale of the AIS scale was the category of "no acceptance", given by 71.7% of respondents. The average level of a "somatic domain" was 41.7, and of a "social domain" was 62.8. The mean satisfaction of life evaluation in the SWLS scale was 18 points. The correlation between acceptance of the disease and quality of life for the psychological domain was 0.39***, and between acceptance of the disease and satisfaction with life was 0.40***. The correlation between satisfaction with life and quality of life for the psychological domain was 0.65***, and between satisfaction with life and quality of life for the environment domain was 0.60***. The mean level of AIS for the studied population of men was 16.5, and test probability: p = 0.0014**, and for the environment domain the level was 50, and the test probability: p = 0.0073**. For quality of life in
Psychosocial work conditions and quality of life among primary health care employees: a cross sectional study

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Workers in Primary Health Care are often exposed to stressful conditions at work. This study investigated the association between adverse psychosocial work conditions and poor quality of life among Primary Health Care workers. Methods This cross-sectional study included all 797 Primary Health Care workers of a medium-sized city, Brazil: doctors, nurses, nursing technicians and nursing assistants, dentists, oral health technicians, and auxiliary oral hygienists, and community health workers. Data were collected by interviews. Quality of life was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF; general quality of life, as well as the physical, psychological, social and environmental domains were considered, with scores from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate a better quality of life. Poor quality of life was defined by the lowest quartiles of the WHOQOL score distributions for each of the domains. Adverse psychosocial work conditions were investigated by the Effort-Reward Imbalance model. Associations were verified using multiple logistic regression. Results Poor quality of life was observed in 117 (15.4%) workers. Workers with imbalanced effort-reward (high effort/low reward) had an increased probability of general poor quality of life (OR = 1.91; 1.07–3.42), and in the physical (OR = 1.62; 1.02–2.66), and environmental (OR = 2.39; 1.37–4.16) domains; those with low effort/low reward demonstrated a greater probability of poor quality of life in the social domain (OR = 1.82; 1.00–3.30). Workers with overcommitment at work had an increased likelihood of poor quality of life in the physical (OR = 1.55, 1.06–2.26) and environmental (OR = 1.69; 1.08–2.65) domains. These associations were independent of individual characteristics, job characteristics, lifestyle, perception of general health, or psychological and biological functions. Conclusions There is an association between adverse psychosocial work conditions and poor quality of life among
Psychosocial work conditions and quality of life among primary health care employees: a cross sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Teles, Mariza Alves Barbosa; Barbosa, Mirna Rossi; Vargas, Andréa Maria Duarte; Gomes, Viviane Elizângela; Ferreira, Efigênia Ferreira e; Martins, Andréa Maria Eleutério de Barros Lima; Ferreira, Raquel Conceição

2014-05-15

Workers in Primary Health Care are often exposed to stressful conditions at work. This study investigated the association between adverse psychosocial work conditions and poor quality of life among Primary Health Care workers. This cross-sectional study included all 797 Primary Health Care workers of a medium-sized city, Brazil: doctors, nurses, nursing technicians and nursing assistants, dentists, oral health technicians, and auxiliary oral hygienists, and community health workers. Data were collected by interviews. Quality of life was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF; general quality of life, as well as the physical, psychological, social and environmental domains were considered, with scores from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate a better quality of life. Poor quality of life was defined by the lowest quartiles of the WHOQOL score distributions for each of the domains. Adverse psychosocial work conditions were investigated by the Effort-Reward Imbalance model. Associations were verified using multiple logistic regression. Poor quality of life was observed in 117 (15.4%) workers. Workers with imbalanced effort-reward (high effort/low reward) had an increased probability of general poor quality of life (OR = 1.91; 1.07–3.42), and in the physical (OR = 1.62; 1.02–2.66), and environmental (OR = 2.39; 1.37–4.16) domains; those with low effort/low reward demonstrated a greater probability of poor quality of life in the social domain (OR = 1.82; 1.00–3.30). Workers with overcommitment at work had an increased likelihood of poor quality of life in the physical (OR = 1.55, 1.06–2.26) and environmental (OR = 1.69; 1.08–2.65) domains. These associations were independent of individual characteristics, job characteristics, lifestyle, perception of general health, or psychological and biological functions. There is an association between adverse psychosocial work conditions and poor quality of life among Primary Health Care workers.
Domain-Specific Multimodeling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hessellund, Anders

the overall level of abstraction. It does, however, also introduce a new problem of coordinating multiple different languages in a single system. We call this problem the coordination problem. In this thesis, we present the coordination method for domain-specific multimodeling that explicitly targets...
Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus GP64 protein: Analysis of domain I and V amino acid interactions and membrane fusion activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Qianlong [State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Key Laboratory of Northwest Loess Plateau Crop Pest Management of Ministry of Agriculture, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A& F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100 (China); Blissard, Gary W. [Boyce Thompson Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United State (United States); Liu, Tong-Xian [State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Key Laboratory of Northwest Loess Plateau Crop Pest Management of Ministry of Agriculture, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A& F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100 (China); Li, Zhaofei, E-mail: zhaofeili73@outlook.com [State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Key Laboratory of Northwest Loess Plateau Crop Pest Management of Ministry of Agriculture, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A& F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100 (China)

2016-01-15

The Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus GP64 is a class III viral fusion protein. Although the post-fusion structure of GP64 has been solved, its pre-fusion structure and the detailed mechanism of conformational change are unknown. In GP64, domain V is predicted to interact with two domain I segments that flank fusion loop 2. To evaluate the significance of the amino acids involved in these interactions, we examined 24 amino acid positions that represent interacting and conserved residues within domains I and V. In several cases, substitution of a single amino acid involved in a predicted interaction disrupted membrane fusion activity, but no single amino acid pair appears to be absolutely required. We identified 4 critical residues in domain V (G438, W439, T452, and T456) that are important for membrane fusion, and two residues (G438 and W439) that appear to be important for formation or stability of the pre-fusion conformation of GP64. - Highlights: • The baculovirus envelope glycoprotein GP64 is a class III viral fusion protein. • The detailed mechanism of conformational change of GP64 is unknown. • We analyzed 24 positions that might stabilize the post-fusion structure of GP64. • We identified 4 residues in domain V that were critical for membrane fusion. • Two residues are critical for formation of the pre-fusion conformation of GP64.

Frequency-domain and time-domain methods for feedback nonlinear systems and applications to chaos control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duan Zhisheng; Wang Jinzhi; Yang Ying; Huang Lin

2009-01-01

This paper surveys frequency-domain and time-domain methods for feedback nonlinear systems and their possible applications to chaos control, coupled systems and complex dynamical networks. The absolute stability of Lur'e systems with single equilibrium and global properties of a class of pendulum-like systems with multi-equilibria are discussed. Time-domain and frequency-domain criteria for the convergence of solutions are presented. Some latest results on analysis and control of nonlinear systems with multiple equilibria and applications to chaos control are reviewed. Finally, new chaotic oscillating phenomena are shown in a pendulum-like system and a new nonlinear system with an attraction/repulsion function.
Experience of gratitude, awe and beauty in life among patients with multiple sclerosis and psychiatric disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Büssing, Arndt; Wirth, Anne Gritli; Reiser, Franz; Zahn, Anne; Humbroich, Knut; Gerbershagen, Kathrin; Schimrigk, Sebastian; Haupts, Michael; Hvidt, Niels Christian; Baumann, Klaus

2014-04-30

Feelings of gratitude and awe facilitate perceptions and cognitions that go beyond the focus of illness and include positive aspects of one's personal and interpersonal reality, even in the face of disease. We intended to measure feelings of gratitude, awe, and experiences of beauty in life among patients with multiple sclerosis and psychiatric disorders, particularly with respect to their engagement in specific spiritual/religious practices and their life satisfaction. We conducted a cross-sectional survey with standardized questionnaires to measure engagement in various spiritual practices (SpREUK-P) and their relation to experiences of Gratitude, Awe and Beauty in Life and life satisfaction (BMLSS-10). In total, 461 individuals (41 ± 13 years; 68% women) with multiple sclerosis (46%) and depressive (22%) or other psychiatric disorders (32%) participated. Among participants, 23% never, 43% rarely, 24% often, and 10% frequently experienced Gratitude. In contrast, 41% never, 37% rarely, 17% often, and 6% frequently experienced Awe. Beauty in Life was never experienced by 8% of the sample, and 28% rarely, 46% often, and 18% frequently experienced it. Gratitude (F = 9.2; p = .003) and Beauty in Life (F = 6.0; p = .015) were experienced significantly more often by women than men. However, the experience of Awe did not differ between women and men (F = 2.2; n.s.). In contrast to our hypothesis, Gratitude/Awe cannot explain any relevant variance in patients' life satisfaction (R2 = .04). Regression analyses (R2 = .42) revealed that Gratitude/Awe can be predicted best by a person's engagement in religious practices, followed by other forms of spiritual practices and life satisfaction. Female gender was a weak predictor and underlying disease showed no effect. Gratitude/Awe could be regarded as a life orientation towards noticing and appreciating the positive in life--despite the symptoms of disease. Positive spirituality/religiosity seems
An Exemplar-Based Multi-View Domain Generalization Framework for Visual Recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Niu, Li; Li, Wen; Xu, Dong; Cai, Jianfei

2018-02-01

In this paper, we propose a new exemplar-based multi-view domain generalization (EMVDG) framework for visual recognition by learning robust classifier that are able to generalize well to arbitrary target domain based on the training samples with multiple types of features (i.e., multi-view features). In this framework, we aim to address two issues simultaneously. First, the distribution of training samples (i.e., the source domain) is often considerably different from that of testing samples (i.e., the target domain), so the performance of the classifiers learnt on the source domain may drop significantly on the target domain. Moreover, the testing data are often unseen during the training procedure. Second, when the training data are associated with multi-view features, the recognition performance can be further improved by exploiting the relation among multiple types of features. To address the first issue, considering that it has been shown that fusing multiple SVM classifiers can enhance the domain generalization ability, we build our EMVDG framework upon exemplar SVMs (ESVMs), in which a set of ESVM classifiers are learnt with each one trained based on one positive training sample and all the negative training samples. When the source domain contains multiple latent domains, the learnt ESVM classifiers are expected to be grouped into multiple clusters. To address the second issue, we propose two approaches under the EMVDG framework based on the consensus principle and the complementary principle, respectively. Specifically, we propose an EMVDG_CO method by adding a co-regularizer to enforce the cluster structures of ESVM classifiers on different views to be consistent based on the consensus principle. Inspired by multiple kernel learning, we also propose another EMVDG_MK method by fusing the ESVM classifiers from different views based on the complementary principle. In addition, we further extend our EMVDG framework to exemplar-based multi-view domain
Effects of prolonged fasting on fatigue and quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis.

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Etemadifar, Masoud; Sayahi, Farnaz; Alroughani, Raed; Toghianifar, Nafiseh; Akbari, Mojtaba; Nasr, Zahra

2016-06-01

Fasting is one of the recommended worships of several great religions in the world. During the month of Ramadan, circadian rhythm and pattern of eating changes result in physiological, biochemical and hormonal changes in the body. Many Muslims with medical conditions ask their physicians about the feasibility and safety of fasting during Ramadan. In this study, we aim to assess the effect of Ramadan fasting on the quality of life and fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients according to McDonald's criteria who had mild disability (EDSS score ≤3) were included in this study. Fatigue and quality of life were were assessed using the validated Persian versions of modified fatigue impact scale (MFIS) and multiple sclerosis quality of life-54 (MSQOL-54) questionnaires, respectively. 218 patients (150 females and 68 males) were enrolled in our study. There was no statistically significant difference between the mean total score of MSIF before and after fasting (25.50 ± 13.81 versus 26.94 ± 16.65; p = 0.58). The mean physical health and mental health composites of quality of life increased significantly after fasting (p = 0.008 and p = 0.003 respectively). Despite the observed lack of favorable effects on fatigue, our results showed increased quality of life of MS patients once Ramadan has ended. Whether this is specifically related to Ramadan-related fasting deserves further testing in appropriately designed larger prospective clinical studies.
Effects of multiple training modalities in patients with Alzheimer’s disease: a pilot study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tai SY

2016-11-01

Rating Sum of Boxes scale – were conducted at the baseline and after the intervention. The World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF and Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale were used to assess the quality of life and caregivers’ burden, respectively. Independent sample t-test and paired sample t-test were used to analyze the data.Results: After the intervention, the experimental group reported higher scores in the orientation domain of CASI (P=0.007 and in the psychiatry domain of WHOQOL-BREF (P=0.042 compared with the comparison group. Caregivers’ distress was significantly decreased in the experimental group (P=0.035 but not in the comparison group (P=0.430.Conclusion: The multiple training modalities improved scores in the orientation domain of CASI and psychiatry domain of WHOQOL-BREF in patients with AD. Moreover, the intervention reduced caregivers’ distress. Keywords: multiple training modalities, Alzheimer’s disease, quality of life, cognitive function, caregivers’ burden
Performance Analysis of Multiple Wave Energy Converters Placed on a Floating Platform in the Frequency Domain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyebin Lee

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Wind-wave hybrid power generation systems have the potential to become a significant source of affordable renewable energy. However, their strong interactions with both wind- and wave-induced forces raise a number of technical challenges for modelling. The present study undertakes a numerical investigation on multi-body hydrodynamic interaction between a wind-wave hybrid floating platform and multiple wave energy converters (WECs in a frequency domain. In addition to the exact responses of the platform and the WECs, the power take-off (PTO mechanism was taken into account for analysis. The coupled hydrodynamic coefficients and wave exciting forces were obtained from WAMIT, the 3D diffraction/radiation solver based on the boundary element method. The overall performance of the multiple WECs is presented and compared with the performance of a single isolated WEC. The analysis showed significant differences in the dynamic responses of the WECs when the multi-body interaction was considered. In addition, the PTO damping effect made a considerable difference to the responses of the WECs. However, the platform response was only minimally affected by PTO damping. With regard to energy capture, the interaction effect of the designed multiple WEC array layout is evaluated. The WEC array configuration showed both constructive and destructive effects in accordance with the incident wave frequency and direction.
Acculturation and adjustment of elderly émigrés from the former Soviet Union: Alife domains perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana G. Genkova

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Former Soviet émigrés in the United States are on average older than other immigrant groups, with adultsover 65 comprising a large portion of the Russian-speaking population. Despite known risks associated withold-age migration, however, researchers and providers have underestimated adjustment difficulties forRussian-speaking elderly in U.S. These older adults tend to acquire a new culture with difficulty and remainhighly oriented towards their heritage culture. However, limited research examines how acculturation to boththe culture of origin and the host culture contributes to wellbeing for this immigrant group. This studyassesses the adaptive value of host and heritage acculturation across several domains in the lives of olderémigrés from the former Soviet Union resettled in the Baltimore and Washington, DC areas in the UnitedStates. Acculturation level with respect to both host and heritage culture was measured with the Language,Identity, and Behavior Scale (LIB; Birman and Trickett, 2001 and used to predict psychological, family, social,and medical care adjustment outcomes. Results suggest that acculturation to the host or heritage culture hasdifferent functions depending on life domain. Particularly, high American acculturation contributed to betteradjustment in the psychological, family, and social domains. Heritage acculturation was associated withbetter outcomes in the social domain and had mixed effects for psychological adjustment. Theoreticalimplications highlight the importance of evaluating multiple life domains of adapting through a bilinearacculturation model for the understudied population of elderly immigrants.
Domain Specific Language for Modeling Waste Management Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zarrin, Bahram

environmental technologies i.e. solid waste management systems. Flow-based programming is used to support concurrent execution of the processes, and provides a model-integration language for composing processes from homogeneous or heterogeneous domains. And a domain-specific language is used to define atomic......In order to develop sustainable waste management systems with considering life cycle perspective, scientists and domain experts in environmental science require readily applicable tools for modeling and evaluating the life cycle impacts of the waste management systems. Practice has proved...... a domain specific language for modeling of waste-management systems on the basis of our framework. We evaluate the language by providing a set of case studies. The contributions of this thesis are; addressing separation of concerns in Flow-based programming and providing the formal specification of its...
Association between multiple geriatric syndromes and life satisfaction in community-dwelling older adults: A nationwide study in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Deng-Chi; Lee, Jenq-Daw; Huang, Chi-Chang; Shih, Hsin-I; Chang, Chia-Ming

2015-01-01

Although previous studies have investigated the association between a single geriatric syndrome and life satisfaction in the older adults, the accumulated effects of multiple geriatric syndromes on life satisfaction remain unclear. We conducted a nationwide study by using data from the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging database. A total of 2415 older adults were enrolled. Life satisfaction was evaluated according to the Life Satisfaction Index, and the geriatric syndromes included a depressive disorder, cognitive impairment, functional impairment, urine incontinence, pain, a fall, and polypharmacy. Other characteristics were age, sex, marital status, education level, self-rated health, and chronic diseases. Univariate analysis revealed that the older adults, who were illiterate, did not live with a partner, yet other issues such as stroke, malignancy, osteoarthritis, poor self-rated health, a depressive disorder, functional impairment, urine incontinence, or pain were associated with lower life satisfaction. In the multivariate regression model, the older adults who were male, illiterate, lived without a partner, had poor self-rated health, or had a depressive disorder were more likely to have lower life satisfaction. In addition, life satisfaction was unaffected in the older adults with only 1 geriatric syndrome, but among those with ≥2 geriatric syndromes, an increased number of geriatric syndromes were associated with lower life satisfaction. In addition to socio-demographic factors, cumulative effects of multiple geriatric syndromes might affect life satisfaction in the older adults. Further study of interventions for reducing geriatric syndromes to maintain life satisfaction is required. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis : Impact of Disease-Modifying Drugs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jongen, Peter Joseph

Multiple sclerosis (MS) has a profound impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), a comprehensive subjective measure of the patient's health status. Assessment of HRQoL informs on the potential advantages and disadvantages of disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) beyond their effects on
Correlates of sexual function in male and female patients with multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lew-Starowicz, Michal; Rola, Rafal

2014-09-01

Many factors have been suggested to contribute to sexual dysfunction (SD) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, but the research on their impact on sexual functioning (SF) and sexual quality of life (SQoL) remains scant. The aim of this study was to investigate correlates of SF and SQoL in MS patients, as well as possible gender differences. 204 MS patients were interviewed, completed the questionnaires, and underwent neurological assessment. Primary outcome measures included the International Index of Erectile Function, the Female Sexual Function Questionnaire, the Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Expanded Disability Status Scale. The course and duration of the disease did not predict patients' SF. Negative correlations were found for brainstem symptoms with orgasmic function and overall satisfaction in men and between cognitive functioning and the partner domain in women. Interestingly, brainstem symptoms correlated positively with the arousal domain in women. More than half (52.1%) of patients fulfilled Beck Depression Inventory criteria for depression, and these patients showed more SD than nondepressive individuals. The strongest negative correlations with depressive symptoms were found for desire, erectile function, and overall satisfaction with sexual life in men and for orgasm and sexual enjoyment in women. Deterioration in particular domains of SF was clearly related with diminished SQoL. The main gender difference was a strong influence of decreased desire on SQoL in women and no such correlation in men. Negative assessment of the relationship with partner significantly affected all domains of SF and SQoL in MS women and the desire domain in MS men. Several correlates of SF in MS patients were found. The role of brainstem symptoms needs further investigation. Clinicians should pay close attention to depressive symptoms and relationship factors in MS patients who suffer from SD. © 2014 International Society for
Evolution of the PWWP-domain encoding genes in the plant and animal lineages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alvarez-Venegas Raúl

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Conserved domains are recognized as the building blocks of eukaryotic proteins. Domains showing a tendency to occur in diverse combinations (‘promiscuous’ domains are involved in versatile architectures in proteins with different functions. Current models, based on global-level analyses of domain combinations in multiple genomes, have suggested that the propensity of some domains to associate with other domains in high-level architectures increases with organismal complexity. Alternative models using domain-based phylogenetic trees propose that domains have become promiscuous independently in different lineages through convergent evolution and are, thus, random with no functional or structural preferences. Here we test whether complex protein architectures have occurred by accretion from simpler systems and whether the appearance of multidomain combinations parallels organismal complexity. As a model, we analyze the modular evolution of the PWWP domain and ask whether its appearance in combinations with other domains into multidomain architectures is linked with the occurrence of more complex life-forms. Whether high-level combinations of domains are conserved and transmitted as stable units (cassettes through evolution is examined in the genomes of plant or metazoan species selected for their established position in the evolution of the respective lineages. Results Using the domain-tree approach, we analyze the evolutionary origins and distribution patterns of the promiscuous PWWP domain to understand the principles of its modular evolution and its existence in combination with other domains in higher-level protein architectures. We found that as a single module the PWWP domain occurs only in proteins with a limited, mainly, species-specific distribution. Earlier, it was suggested that domain promiscuity is a fast-changing (volatile feature shaped by natural selection and that only a few domains retain their promiscuity
Cognitive Personality Characteristics Impact the Course of Depression: A Prospective Test of Sociotropy, Autonomy and Domain-Specific Life Events.

Science.gov (United States)

Iacoviello, Brian M; Grant, David A; Alloy, Lauren B; Abramson, Lyn Y

2009-01-01

Prospective tests of the impact of sociotropy and autonomy on the course of depression are lacking. In a sample of 97 cognitive high-risk and 62 cognitive low-risk undergraduates who experienced at least one prospective depressive episode, the interactions of sociotropy and interpersonal life events and autonomy and achievement-related life events were examined as predictors of four indicators of the course of depression. Initial analyses failed to support the hypothesis that global scores for sociotropy and autonomy interact with domain-congruent life events to predict the course indicators. The autonomy-achievement events interaction predicted less severe episodes, contrary to hypothesis. Then, factors hypothesized to underlie Sociotropy (Fear of Criticism and Rejection; Preference for Affiliation) and Autonomy were also analyzed. The puzzling autonomy-achievement life event interaction was explained by the underlying Independent Goal Attainment factor. Interactions between Fear of Criticism and Rejection and achievement events, and between Sensitivity to Others' Control and interpersonal events, significantly predicted chronicity, number and severity of episodes. The findings are discussed in terms of the event-congruency hypothesis.
Quality of life in patients with multiple myeloma treated with percutaneous vertebroplasty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Omar Jamit Bohsain

2014-03-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To determine the quality of life in patients with multiple myeloma treated with vertebroplasty. Multiple myeloma has a prevalence of 1% in all neoplastic diseases and 10% of hematological malignancies. Bone pain is the initial symptom in most cases. METHODS: A series of cases study was conducted. Patients were assessed by the Karnofsky scale to measure its functionality, the WHO analgesic scale to assess the type of analgesic and visual analog scale (VAS and the Oswestry questionnaire for pain. RESULTS: Of 24 patients, 10 were cases (vertebroplasty (41.7% and 14 were controls (conservative (58.3%, 13 (54.2% were female and 11 (45.8% male, with an average age of 60 years (SD = 12 and 63 kg of average weight (SD = 12, mean height of 1.59 cm (SD = 9 and mean body mass index of 24.8 (SD = 3.7. Survival was obtained from the time of diagnosis to death, and 2 (8.3% patients died within the first 2 years and 1 (4.2% after 3 years. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with MM who have vertebral fractures are excellent candidates to undergo vertebroplasty, because this represents a greater benefit in their quality of life, which has a direct impact on their level of functionality, giving them greater self-sufficiency and reducing their pain because of the benefits of the thermogenic effect of vertebroplasty.
Detecting atypical examples of known domain types by sequence similarity searching: the SBASE domain library approach.

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Dhir, Somdutta; Pacurar, Mircea; Franklin, Dino; Gáspári, Zoltán; Kertész-Farkas, Attila; Kocsor, András; Eisenhaber, Frank; Pongor, Sándor

2010-11-01

SBASE is a project initiated to detect known domain types and predicting domain architectures using sequence similarity searching (Simon et al., Protein Seq Data Anal, 5: 39-42, 1992, Pongor et al, Nucl. Acids. Res. 21:3111-3115, 1992). The current approach uses a curated collection of domain sequences - the SBASE domain library - and standard similarity search algorithms, followed by postprocessing which is based on a simple statistics of the domain similarity network (http://hydra.icgeb.trieste.it/sbase/). It is especially useful in detecting rare, atypical examples of known domain types which are sometimes missed even by more sophisticated methodologies. This approach does not require multiple alignment or machine learning techniques, and can be a useful complement to other domain detection methodologies. This article gives an overview of the project history as well as of the concepts and principles developed within this the project.
High Levels of Antibodies to Multiple Domains and Strains of VAR2CSA Correlate with the Absence of Placental Malaria in Cameroonian Women Living in an Area of High Plasmodium falciparum Transmission

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Tutterrow, Yeung L.; Avril, Marion; Singh, Kavita; Long, Carole A.; Leke, Robert J.; Sama, Grace; Salanti, Ali; Smith, Joseph D.; Leke, Rose G. F.

2012-01-01

Placental malaria, caused by sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes in the placenta, is associated with increased risk of maternal morbidity and poor birth outcomes. The parasite antigen VAR2CSA (variant surface antigen 2-chondroitin sulfate A) is expressed on infected erythrocytes and mediates binding to chondroitin sulfate A, initiating inflammation and disrupting homeostasis at the maternal-fetal interface. Although antibodies can prevent sequestration, it is unclear whether parasite clearance is due to antibodies to a single Duffy binding-like (DBL) domain or to an extensive repertoire of antibodies to multiple DBL domains and allelic variants. Accordingly, plasma samples collected longitudinally from pregnant women were screened for naturally acquired antibodies against an extensive panel of VAR2CSA proteins, including 2 to 3 allelic variants for each of 5 different DBL domains. Analyses were performed on plasma samples collected from 3 to 9 months of pregnancy from women living in areas in Cameroon with high and low malaria transmission. The results demonstrate that high antibody levels to multiple VAR2CSA domains, rather than a single domain, were associated with the absence of placental malaria when antibodies were present from early in the second trimester until term. Absence of placental malaria was associated with increasing antibody breadth to different DBL domains and allelic variants in multigravid women. Furthermore, the antibody responses of women in the lower-transmission site had both lower magnitude and lesser breadth than those in the high-transmission site. These data suggest that immunity to placental malaria results from high antibody levels to multiple VAR2CSA domains and allelic variants and that antibody breadth is influenced by malaria transmission intensity. PMID:22331427
Knowing, Applying, and Reasoning about Arithmetic: Roles of Domain-General and Numerical Skills in Multiple Domains of Arithmetic Learning

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Zhang, Xiao; Räsänen, Pekka; Koponen, Tuire; Aunola, Kaisa; Lerkkanen, Marja-Kristiina; Nurmi, Jari-Erik

2017-01-01

The longitudinal relations of domain-general and numerical skills at ages 6-7 years to 3 cognitive domains of arithmetic learning, namely knowing (written computation), applying (arithmetic word problems), and reasoning (arithmetic reasoning) at age 11, were examined for a representative sample of 378 Finnish children. The results showed that…
High-multiplicity processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shelkov, G.; Sisakyan, A.; Mandzhavidze, I.

1999-01-01

We wish to demonstrate that investigation of asymptotically high multiplicity (AHM) hadron reactions may solve, or at least clear up, a number of problems unsolvable by other ways. We would lean upon the idea: (i) the reactions final state entropy is proportional to multiplicity and, by this reason, just in the AHM domain one may expect the equilibrium final state and (ii) the AHM final state is cold because of the energy-momentum conservation laws. This means that the collective phenomena may become important in the AHM domain. The possibility of hard processes dominance is considered also
Self-esteem, social participation, and quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis

OpenAIRE

Mikula, Pavol; Nagyova, Iveta; Krokavcova, Martina; Vitkova, Marianna; Rosenberger, Jaroslav; Szilasiova, Jarmila; Gdovinova, Zuzana; Stewart, Roy E; Groothoff, Johan W; van Dijk, Jitse P

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to explore whether self-esteem and social participation are associated with the physical and mental quality of life (Physical Component Summary, Mental Component Summary) and whether self-esteem can mediate the association between these variables. We collected information from 118 consecutive multiple sclerosis patients. Age, gender, disease duration, disability status, and participation were significant predictors of Physical Component Summary, explaining 55.4 percen...
Improving quality of life in multiple sclerosis: an unmet need.

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Zwibel, Howard L; Smrtka, Jennifer

2011-05-01

Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects approximately 400,000 people in the United States and 2.1 million people worldwide. It is the most common chronic, non-traumatic neurological disorder afflicting young people during their peak productive ages. MS can diminish quality of life (QOL) by interfering with the ability to work, pursue leisure activities, and carry on usual life roles. Symptoms that affect QOL may include impaired mobility, fatigue, depression, pain, spasticity, cognitive impairment, sexual dysfunction, bowel and bladder dysfunction, vision and hearing problems, seizures, and sDwallowing and breathing difficulties. Direct medical costs of MS in the United States are estimated in excess of $10 billion per year. Indirect costs of MS include costs of reduced employment or unemployment, assistive equipment, disability related home modifications, and paid and unpaid personal care. Although direct medical costs predominate in the earlier stages of MS, indirect costs of productivity loss are responsible for higher costs later. Disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) lessen symptoms, reduce relapses, and delay disability progression. Unfortunately, many DMTs might produce only modest improvements in QOL. Although symptom-specific therapies do not delay disease progression, they may delay unemployment and dependency, thereby reducing indirect costs.

Health-related quality of life in Iranian patients with multiple sclerosis: a cross-cultural study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pakpour, Amir H; Yekaninejad, Mir S; Mohammadi, Nastaran K

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who live in Tehran and to compare data with evaluations of both the general population and MS patients in other countries. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hund...
Quality-of-life and spirituality.

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Panzini, Raquel Gehrke; Mosqueiro, Bruno Paz; Zimpel, Rogério R; Bandeira, Denise Ruschel; Rocha, Neusa S; Fleck, Marcelo P

2017-06-01

Spirituality has been identified as an important dimension of quality-of-life. The objective of this study was to review the literature on quality-of-life and spirituality, their association, and assessment tools. A search was conducted of the keyterms 'quality-of-life' and 'spirituality' in abstract or title in the databases PsycINFO and PubMed/Medline between 1979-2005, complemented by a new search at PUBMED from 2006-2016. Quality-of-life is a new concept, which encompasses and transcends the concept of health, being composed of multiple domains: physical, psychological, environmental, among others. The missing measure in health has been defined as the individual's perception of their position in life in the context of culture and value system in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns. There is consistent evidence of an association between quality-of-life and religiosity/spirituality (R/S), through studies with reasonable methodological rigour, using several variables to assess R/S (e.g. religious affiliation, religious coping, and prayer/spirituality). There are also several valid and reliable instruments to evaluate quality-of-life and spirituality. Further studies are needed, however, especially in Brazil. Such studies will provide empirical data to be used in planning health interventions based on spirituality, seeking a better quality-of-life. In the last 10 years, research is consistently growing about quality-of-life and spirituality in many countries, and also in many areas of health research.
Do generic utility measures capture what is important to the quality of life of people with multiple sclerosis?

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Kuspinar, Ayse; Mayo, Nancy E

2013-04-25

The three most widely used utility measures are the Health Utilities Index Mark 2 and 3 (HUI2 and HUI3), the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) and the Short-Form-6D (SF-6D). In line with guidelines for economic evaluation from agencies such as the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), these measures are currently being used to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of different interventions in MS. However, the challenge of using such measures in people with a specific health condition, such as MS, is that they may not capture all of the domains that are impacted upon by the condition. If important domains are missing from the generic measures, the value derived will be higher than the real impact creating invalid comparisons across interventions and populations. Therefore, the objective of this study is to estimate the extent to which generic utility measures capture important domains that are affected by MS. The available study population consisted of men and women who had been registered after 1994 in three participating MS clinics in Greater Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Subjects were first interviewed on an individualized measure of quality of life (QOL) called the Patient Generated Index (PGI). The domains identified with the PGI were then classified and grouped together using the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), and mapped onto the HUI2, HUI3, EQ-5D and SF-6D. A total of 185 persons with MS were interviewed on the PGI. The sample was relatively young (mean age 43) and predominantly female. Both men and women had mild disability with a median Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score of 2. The top 10 domains that patients identified to be the most affected by their MS were, work (62%), fatigue (48%), sports (39%), social life (28%), relationships (23%), walking/mobility (22%), cognition (21%), balance (14%), housework (12
Relationship of psychosocial work factors and health-related quality of life in male automotive assembly workers in Malaysia.

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Edimansyah, Bin Abdin; Rusli, Bin Nordin; Naing, Lin; Mohamed Rusli, Bin Abdullah; Winn, Than

2007-06-01

The present study investigates the relationship between psychosocial work factors and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in male automotive assembly plant workers in Malaysia. A total of 728 male workers were recruited in March-July 2005 from 2 major automotive assembly plants in Selangor and Pahang. In this cross-sectional study, information on socio-demography, psychosocial work factors using the 97-item Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) and an abbreviated 26-item version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire containing 4 domains (physical health, psychological, social relationship, and environment) was self-administered to all workers involved. The prevalence of reported good or very good overall HRQOL and general health was 64.9% and 53.7%, respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that created skill was positively associated with physical health and psychological domains; whilst, skill discretion was positively associated with social relationship and environment domains. Social support was positively associated with physical health and environment domains; whilst, co-worker support was positively associated with psychological and social relationship domains. Job insecurity and hazardous condition were negatively associated with all domains, whilst psychological job demands was negatively associated with the environment domain of HRQOL.
Implementation of Instrument Based on Eight Health Related Quality of Life Domains for Measuring of Willingness to Pay for Psoriasis Treatment.

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Dobrev, Hristo P; Atanasov, Nikolay G; Dimitrova, Donka D

2017-09-01

Psoriasis vulgaris (PsV) is a chronic skin condition that has a major impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). To determine the individual burden of PsV on HRQOL using willingness to pay (WTP) instrument. Fifty-one consecutive PsV patients were asked to evaluate their overall health and psoriasis affected health by visual analogue scale (VAS), and interviewed on 8 domains (physical, emotional, sleep, work, social, self-care, intimacy, and concentration) of HRQOL and WTP for a hypothetical cure in each domain. Two additional questions proposing 6 alternatives for therapy were also asked. The analysis is performed with descriptive and frequency statistics, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. The domains ranked highly were: physical comfort (90%), social comfort (77%), emotional health (75%) and work (53%). The following tendencies concerning WTP for top four impacted domains were found: the median WTP were the highest in the top impacted domains; the younger patients were willing to pay more than the older ones; the highest median WTP amounts appear in the lowest income group; the highest median WTP is associated with smaller psoriasis affected health VAS scores. The largest proportion and number of patients (37.3%, n=19) stated preferences for the systemic therapy. The second preferred choice was the thalassotherapy (29.4%, n=15). The utility and reliability of the instrument based on the assessment of WTP stated preferences for 8 domains of HRQOL for evaluation the individual burden of psoriasis were strongly supported.
Generalized Sudan's List Decoding for Order Domain Codes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Geil, Hans Olav; Matsumoto, Ryutaroh

2007-01-01

We generalize Sudan's list decoding algorithm without multiplicity to evaluation codes coming from arbitrary order domains. The number of correctable errors by the proposed method is larger than the original list decoding without multiplicity....
Work Change in Multiple Sclerosis as Motivated by the Pursuit of Illness-Work-Life Balance: A Qualitative Study

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Lavanya Vijayasingham

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Individuals with multiple sclerosis have a tendency to make early decisions for work change, even in reversible, episodic, or mild disease stages. To better understand how a multiple sclerosis (MS diagnosis influences perceptions of work and motivations for work changes, we conducted a hermeneutic phenomenology study to explore the work lives of ten individuals with MS in Malaysia. The interpretive analysis and cumulative narratives depict an overarching change in their concept of ideal work and life aspirations and how participants make preemptive work changes to manage illness-work-life futures in subjectively meaningful ways. Discussions on their integrated pursuit of finding dynamic and subjective illness-work-life balance include reconciling the problem of hard work and stress on disease activity and progress, making positive lifestyle changes as health management behaviour, and the motivational influence of their own life and family roles: the consideration of their spouses, parents, and children. At an action level, work change was seen as moral and necessary for the management of illness futures. Our findings contribute insights on how individual perceptions and holistic life management decisions contribute to on-going and disrupted work trajectories, which can inform practice and policy on early interventions to support continued employment.
Work Change in Multiple Sclerosis as Motivated by the Pursuit of Illness-Work-Life Balance: A Qualitative Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Vijayasingham, Lavanya; Jogulu, Uma; Allotey, Pascale

2017-01-01

Individuals with multiple sclerosis have a tendency to make early decisions for work change, even in reversible, episodic, or mild disease stages. To better understand how a multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis influences perceptions of work and motivations for work changes, we conducted a hermeneutic phenomenology study to explore the work lives of ten individuals with MS in Malaysia. The interpretive analysis and cumulative narratives depict an overarching change in their concept of ideal work and life aspirations and how participants make preemptive work changes to manage illness-work-life futures in subjectively meaningful ways. Discussions on their integrated pursuit of finding dynamic and subjective illness-work-life balance include reconciling the problem of hard work and stress on disease activity and progress, making positive lifestyle changes as health management behaviour, and the motivational influence of their own life and family roles: the consideration of their spouses, parents, and children. At an action level, work change was seen as moral and necessary for the management of illness futures. Our findings contribute insights on how individual perceptions and holistic life management decisions contribute to on-going and disrupted work trajectories, which can inform practice and policy on early interventions to support continued employment.
QUALITY OF LIFE AND HEALTH SELF-PERCEPTION IN CHILDREN WITH POOR SCHOOL PERFORMANCE.

Science.gov (United States)

Rezende, Bárbara Antunes; Lemos, Stela Maris Aguiar; Medeiros, Adriane Mesquita de

2017-01-01

To examine the association between quality of life and health self-perception of children with poor school performance, considering sociodemographic factors. An analytical, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted with 99 children aged 7 to 12 years receiving specialized educational assistance. Parents and legal guardians answered questions concerning the sociodemographic profile. For an assessment of the quality of life and proposed domains (autonomy, functioning, leisure, and family), the children completed the Autoquestionnarie Qualité de Vie Enfant Imagé (AUQEI) and answered a question concerning their self-perceived health. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression, considering a 5% significance level. Among the evaluated children, 69 (69.7%) male participants with mean age of 8.7±1.5, 27% self-assessed their health status as poor/very poor, and 36.4% of the children reported having impaired quality of life. As for the domains assessed by AUQEI, there was statistical significance in the associations between family with age, autonomy with economic classification, and leisure and functioning with self-perceived health. The quality of life of children with academic underachievement is associated with their health self-perception and sociodemographic characteristics.
Health related quality of life in parents of six to eight year old children with Down syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Marchal, Jan Pieter; Maurice-Stam, Heleen; Hatzmann, Janneke; van Trotsenburg, A S Paul; Grootenhuis, Martha A

2013-11-01

Raising a child with Down syndrome (DS) has been found to be associated with lowered health related quality of life (HRQoL) in the domains cognitive functioning, social functioning, daily activities and vitality. We aimed to explore which socio-demographics, child functioning and psychosocial variables were related to these HRQoL domains in parents of children with DS. Parents of 98 children with DS completed the TNO-AZL adult quality of life questionnaire (TAAQOL) and a questionnaire assessing socio-demographic, child functioning and psychosocial predictors. Using multiple linear regression analyses for each category of predictors, we selected relevant predictors for the final models. The final multiple linear regression models revealed that cognitive functioning was best predicted by the sleep of the child (β=.29, pparent having given up a hobby (β=-.29, pparent having to care for an ill friend or family member (β=-.31, pparent having enough personal time (β=.32, ppressure. Systematic screening of parents to detect problems timely, and interventions targeting the supportive network and the demands in time are recommended. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Male Sexual Quality Of Life Is Maintained Satisfactorily Throughout Life In The Amazon Rainforest

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Thiago Teixeira, MD, MSc

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The Amazon Rainforest is a cradle of biodiversity, where different ethnic groups have specific sexual habits. Aims: To define the average sexual quality of life of Amazonian men 18 to 69 years old, evaluate the influence of aging on their sexual function, and calculate the prevalence of premature ejaculation, delayed ejaculation, and hypoactive sexual desire disorder. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative probability sample study was performed with a demographically representative population (N = 385, with data collected privately at participants’ houses, including men who had been sexually active for a minimum of 6 months. The Male Sexual Quotient (MSQ was used to measure sexual satisfaction and function. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 21.0 using the Kruskal-Wallis test (P < .05, and a multiple linear regression analysis was performed to investigate which factors could predict participants’ quality of sexual life. Main Outcome Measures: MSQ scores. Results: The response rate was 81.69%. The mean age was 36.00 ± 12.95 years, and most men had mixed ethnicity (63.11%, were self-employed (42.07%, had a monthly earned income of US$0 to US$460 (46.75%, and were single (36.10%. The mean MSQ score was 80.39 ± 12.14 (highly satisfied. None of the demographic characteristics showed a statistically significant influence on sexual satisfaction. The difference in quality of sexual life was statistically significant compared with age (P < .01. The domains of desire (P < .01, partner satisfaction (P = .04, and erection quality (P < .01, P = .03, P = .02 were statistically significant. Prevalences of sexual dysfunctions were 36.54% for premature ejaculation, 6.5% for delayed ejaculation, and 11.69% for hypoactive sexual desire disorder. Conclusions: Independent of age, these men have an excellent quality of sexual life. Sexual domains such as desire, partner satisfaction, and erection quality are related to the
A cross-sectional study on quality of life among the elderly in non-governmental organizations' elderly homes in Kuala Lumpur.

Science.gov (United States)

Onunkwor, Obinna Francis; Al-Dubai, Sami Abdo Radman; George, Philip Parikial; Arokiasamy, John; Yadav, Hemetram; Barua, Ankur; Shuaibu, Hassana Ojonuba

2016-01-12

There is a rapid increase in the population of the elderly globally, and Malaysia is anticipated to become an ageing nation in 2030. Maintaining health, social participation, reducing institutionalization, and improving quality of life of the elderly are public health challenges of the 21(st) century. Quality of life among elderly in Elderly Homes in Malaysia is under researched. This study aims to determine the quality of life and its associated factors among the Elderly in Elderly Homes in Kuala Lumpur. This was a cross-sectional study among 203 residents aged 60 years or more in eight randomly selected Elderly Homes in Kuala Lumpur in September 2014. Stratified simple random sampling was used to select participants. Study instruments included World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF), Multidimensional Scale for Perceived Social Support, and a questionnaire for Socio-demographic variables. Data collection was by face to face interview. Univariate and Multivariate analysis were used to determine associations, and P-value leisure activity, physical activity, duration of residence, type of accommodation, co-morbidities, and social support. This study confirms that multiple factors are associated with quality of life among elderly in elderly homes. Social support, chronic co-morbidities, gender and outdoor leisure activity were significantly associated with all the domains of quality of life. Among the four domains of quality of life, the physical domain had the highest score while the social domain had the lowest score. This emphasizes the need for more social support-related interventions in these homes.
The impact of the quality of life perception on the self-esteem of physically active adults

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Daniel Vicentini de Oliveira

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This study aimed at investigating the impact of the quality of life perception on the self-esteem of physically active adults. A total of 63 male and female swimming practitioners (38.13 ± 11.72 were evaluated. A socio-demographic questionnaire, WHOQOL-Bref Scale, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were used as tools. For data analysis the descriptive statistics, Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test, Mann-Whitney U Test, Spearman’s Rank Correlation Coefficient, and the Univariate Multiple Regression were used. No significant differences were found either for the quality of life or the self-esteem between sexes; there was a significant positive correlation (p < 0.05 among the physical (r = 0.37, psychological (r = 0.36 and environmental (r = 0.30 domains with self-esteem. The regression model explained 20% of the self-esteem variability, with moderate and significant pathways of the physical (β = 0.23 and psychological (β = 0.23 domains, whereas the environmental domain did not show a significant predictive relation (p = 0.988 with self-esteem. It is concluded that a higher quality of life perception may result in a higher self-esteem for physically active adults.
The quality of life and satisfaction with life of women who are childless by choice.

Science.gov (United States)

Bień, Agnieszka; Rzońca, Ewa; Iwanowicz-Palus, Grażyna; Lecyk, Urszula; Bojar, Iwona

2017-05-11

Objective. The study attempts to identify and analyze factors affecting the quality of life and satisfaction with life of women who are childless by choice. Materials and method. The research instruments used were: the WHOQOL-Bref questionnaire and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and author's own questionnaire. Results. A better overall quality of life, perception of own health and quality of life in all the specific domains analyzed was found among childless women living in cities, college/university-educated, and with a good or very good financial standing. Conclusions. A positive correlation was found between satisfaction with life and overall quality of life, general perceived health, and all quality of life domains. Higher satisfaction with life scores in childless women are correlated with a higher quality of life scores and better perceived health.
MrTADFinder: A network modularity based approach to identify topologically associating domains in multiple resolutions.

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Koon-Kiu Yan

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Genome-wide proximity ligation based assays such as Hi-C have revealed that eukaryotic genomes are organized into structural units called topologically associating domains (TADs. From a visual examination of the chromosomal contact map, however, it is clear that the organization of the domains is not simple or obvious. Instead, TADs exhibit various length scales and, in many cases, a nested arrangement. Here, by exploiting the resemblance between TADs in a chromosomal contact map and densely connected modules in a network, we formulate TAD identification as a network optimization problem and propose an algorithm, MrTADFinder, to identify TADs from intra-chromosomal contact maps. MrTADFinder is based on the network-science concept of modularity. A key component of it is deriving an appropriate background model for contacts in a random chain, by numerically solving a set of matrix equations. The background model preserves the observed coverage of each genomic bin as well as the distance dependence of the contact frequency for any pair of bins exhibited by the empirical map. Also, by introducing a tunable resolution parameter, MrTADFinder provides a self-consistent approach for identifying TADs at different length scales, hence the acronym "Mr" standing for Multiple Resolutions. We then apply MrTADFinder to various Hi-C datasets. The identified domain boundaries are marked by characteristic signatures in chromatin marks and transcription factors (TF that are consistent with earlier work. Moreover, by calling TADs at different length scales, we observe that boundary signatures change with resolution, with different chromatin features having different characteristic length scales. Furthermore, we report an enrichment of HOT (high-occupancy target regions near TAD boundaries and investigate the role of different TFs in determining boundaries at various resolutions. To further explore the interplay between TADs and epigenetic marks, as tumor mutational
Database Concepts in a Domain Ontology

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Gorskis Henrihs

2017-12-01

Full Text Available There are multiple approaches for mapping from a domain ontology to a database in the task of ontology-based data access. For that purpose, external mapping documents are most commonly used. These documents describe how the data necessary for the description of ontology individuals and other values, are to be obtained from the database. The present paper investigates the use of special database concepts. These concepts are not separated from the domain ontology; they are mixed with domain concepts to form a combined application ontology. By creating natural relationships between database concepts and domain concepts, mapping can be implemented more easily and with a specific purpose. The paper also investigates how the use of such database concepts in addition to domain concepts impacts ontology building and data retrieval.
Investigating the interactive role of stressful life events, reinforcement sensitivity and personality traits in prediction of the severity of Multiple Sclerosis (MS symptoms

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2017-06-01

Full Text Available Background & Objective: Multiple sclerosis is a chronic neurological condition recognized by demyelination in the central nervous system. The present study was conducted to investigate the interactive role of stressful life events, reinforcement sensitivity, and personality traits in prediction of the severity of symptoms of Multiple sclerosis (MS symptoms. Materials & Methods: This is a correlational study whose statistical population consisted of all the patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis in Shiraz in the first half of 1394, among whom 162 patients were included in this research by means of purposive sampling method. Five-Factor Personality Inventory, Jackson Personality Inventory, Stressful Life Events Scale, and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS were utilised as research tools. In order to analyze the data, descriptive and inferential methods were used. The data were analysed using Pearson correlation and hierarchical regression. Results: The findings revealed that stressful life events (β = 0.41, p <0.001, Behavioral Inhibition System (β = 0.26, p<0.05, and neuroticism index (β = 0.92, p <0.05 were able to predict variance of scores of the severity of symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis significantly. Conclusion: Stressful life events, Behavioral Inhibition System, and neuroticism showed a significant relationship with the severity of symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis; thus, it seems that interaction of personality traits and environmental conditions are among influential factors of the severity of symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis. This fact implies that individuals' personal traits play an eminent role in the progression of the disease.
Innovative curriculum: Integrating the bio-behavioral and social science principles across the LifeStages in basic science years.

Science.gov (United States)

Lele Mookerjee, Anuradha; Fischer, Bradford D; Cavanaugh, Susan; Rajput, Vijay

2018-05-20

Behavioral and social science integration in clinical practice improves health outcomes across the life stages. The medical school curriculum requires an integration of the behavioral and social science principles in early medical education. We developed and delivered a four-week course entitled "LifeStages" to the first year medical students. The learning objectives of the bio-behavioral and social science principles along with the cultural, economic, political, and ethical parameters were integrated across the lifespan in the curriculum matrix. We focused on the following major domains: Growth and Brain Development; Sexuality, Hormones and Gender; Sleep; Cognitive and Emotional Development; Mobility, Exercise, Injury and Safety; Nutrition, Diet and Lifestyle; Stress and coping skills, Domestic Violence; Substance Use Disorders; Pain, Illness and Suffering; End of Life, Ethics and Death along with Intergenerational issues and Family Dynamics. Collaboration from the clinical and biomedical science departments led to the dynamic delivery of the course learning objectives and content. The faculty developed and led a scholarly discussion, using the case of a multi-racial, multi-generational family during Active Learning Group (ALG) sessions. The assessment in the LifeStages course involved multiple assessment tools: including the holistic assessment by the faculty facilitator inside ALGs, a Team-Based Learning (TBL) exercise, multiple choice questions and Team Work Assessment during which the students had to create a clinical case on a LifeStages domain along with the facilitators guide and learning objectives.
The Dynamic Interdependence of Developmental Domains across Emerging Adulthood

Science.gov (United States)

Sneed, Joel R.; Hamagami, Fumiaki; McArdle, John J.; Cohen, Patricia; Chen, Henian

2007-01-01

Emerging adulthood is a period in which profound role changes take place across a number of life domains including finance, romance, and residence. On the basis of dynamic systems theory, change in one domain should be related to change in another domain, because the concept of development according to this approach is a relational one. To…
Correlation of six-minute walking performance with quality of life is domain- and gender-specific in healthy older adults.

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Andrey Jorge Serra

Full Text Available We analyzed the relationship between performance on the 6-min walk test (6MWT and health-related quality of life (HRQoL in older subjects. Our secondary aim was to determine the distance to be completed on the 6MWT for the subject to achieve a score of 50 on the Short Form (36 Health Survey (SF-36. Associations were tested using linear correlation and multivariate linear regression. Participants were 130 healthy older individuals. The predictive performance of the 6MWT based on an SF-36 score of 50 was assessed using a receiver operating characteristic curve and its area under curve (AUC. Associations were observed between physical functioning, role-emotional, social functioning, vitality, general health score, and 6MWT performance in women, after adjusting for confounding variables (coefficients: 0.57, 0.38, 0.40, and 0.46, respectively; p < 0.05. No association was found for men. The distance for the 6MWT to predict an SF-36 score of 50 was 481 m for men in the physical functioning (AUC: 0.79 and role-physical (AUC: 0.84 domains, and 420 m for women in role-emotional (AUC: 0.75, role-physical (AUC: 0.80, and general health (AUC: 0.80 domains. Our results indicate that superior 6MWT performance may be associated with better HRQoL in several domains in only healthy older women. No association between 6MWT performance and role-emotional, mental health, or vitality domains was found. We suggest that a score of 50 is represented by a 6MWT distance of 481 m for men and 420 m for women, at least in the role-physical domain.

Diversity of the DNA Replication System in the Archaea Domain

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Felipe Sarmiento

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The precise and timely duplication of the genome is essential for cellular life. It is achieved by DNA replication, a complex process that is conserved among the three domains of life. Even though the cellular structure of archaea closely resembles that of bacteria, the information processing machinery of archaea is evolutionarily more closely related to the eukaryotic system, especially for the proteins involved in the DNA replication process. While the general DNA replication mechanism is conserved among the different domains of life, modifications in functionality and in some of the specialized replication proteins are observed. Indeed, Archaea possess specific features unique to this domain. Moreover, even though the general pattern of the replicative system is the same in all archaea, a great deal of variation exists between specific groups.
Refinement of a Conceptual Model for Adolescent Readiness to Engage in End-of-Life Discussions.

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Bell, Cynthia J; Zimet, Gregory D; Hinds, Pamela S; Broome, Marion E; McDaniel, Anna M; Mays, Rose M; Champion, Victoria L

Adolescents living with incurable cancer require ongoing support to process grief, emotions, and information as disease progresses including treatment options (phase 1 clinical trials and/or hospice/palliative care). Little is known about how adolescents become ready for such discussions. The purpose of this study was to explore the process of adolescent readiness for end-of-life preparedness discussions, generating a theoretical understanding for guiding clinical conversations when curative options are limited. We explored 2 in-depth cases across time using case-study methodology. An à priori conceptual model based on current end-of-life research guided data collection and analysis. Multiple sources including in-depth adolescent interviews generated data collection on model constructs. Analysis followed a logical sequence establishing a chain of evidence linking raw data to study conclusions. Synthesis and data triangulation across cases and time led to theoretical generalizations. Initially, we proposed a linear process of readiness with 3 domains: a cognitive domain (awareness), an emotional domain (acceptance), and a behavioral domain (willingness), which preceded preparedness. Findings led to conceptual model refinement showing readiness is a dynamic internal process that interacts with preparedness. Current awareness context facilitates the type of preparedness discussions (cognitive or emotional). Furthermore, social constraint inhibits discussions. Data support theoretical understanding of the dynamism of readiness. Future research that validates adolescent conceptualization will ensure age-appropriate readiness representation. Understanding the dynamic process of readiness for engaging in end-of-life preparedness provides clinician insight for guiding discussions that facilitate shared decision making and promote quality of life for adolescents and their families.
tRNA gene diversity in the three domains of life

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Kosuke eFujishima

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Transfer RNA (tRNA is widely known for its key role in decoding mRNA into protein. Despite their necessity and relatively short nucleotide sequences, a large diversity of gene structures and RNA secondary structures of pre-tRNAs and mature tRNAs have recently been discovered in the three domains of life. Growing evidences of disrupted tRNA genes in the genomes of Archaea reveals unique gene structures such as, intron-containing tRNA, split tRNA, and permuted tRNA. Coding sequence for these tRNAs are either separated with introns, fragmented, or permuted at the genome level. Although evolutionary scenario behind the tRNA gene disruption is still unclear, diversity of tRNA structure seems to be co-evolved with their processing enzyme, so-called RNA splicing endonuclease. Metazoan mitochondrial tRNAs (mtRNAs are known for their unique lack of either one or two arms from the typical tRNA cloverleaf structure, while still maintaining functionality. Recently identified nematode-specific V-arm containing tRNAs (nev-tRNAs possess long variable arms that are specific to eukaryotic class II tRNASer and tRNALeu but also decode class I tRNA codons. Moreover, many tRNA-like sequences have been found in the genomes of different organisms and viruses. Thus this review is aimed to cover the latest knowledge on tRNA gene diversity and further recapitulate the evolutionary and biological aspects that caused such uniqueness.
Quality of life questionnaires in otorhinolaryngology: a systematic overview.

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Koenraads, S P C; Aarts, M C J; van der Veen, E L; Grolman, W; Stegeman, I

2016-12-01

The importance of quality of life (QOL) as an endpoint and the use of validated QOL questionnaires have increased over time. To evaluate health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) measurement instruments used in patients in otorhinolaryngology (ORL). We aimed to establish the use of QOL questionnaires in ORL over a period of time, establish the use of QOL questionnaires within different domains and determine the use of validated QOL questionnaires. We performed a comprehensive search in PubMed up to 1 January 2014. Articles were included that measured HR-QOL questionnaires in clinical practice in children, adolescents or adults in 42 journals of ORL. Multiple unique QOL questionnaires, organised according to domain, time and survey of validation, were extracted from reported articles. Of 2442 articles, we utilised 1196 publications with a total of 2103 QOL questionnaires regarding ORL. We evaluated a variety of 363 unique QOL questionnaires in which 60% (n = 220) QOL questionnaires had been validated. We found a continuing increase in the amount of articles which used QOL questionnaires since the beginning of the 20th century, while the percentage of validated QOL questionnaires remained the same (76%). Most QOL questionnaires were used in the domains oncology (35%), otology (21%) and rhinology (20%). The domain otology had the largest amount of unique QOL questionnaires (n = 122). We identified and evaluated all unique HR-QOL questionnaires utilised in patients in ORL. Recently, the use of validated and non-validated HR-QOL questionnaires has increased within all domains of ORL. The assessment of QOL has become an important outcome measure in clinical practice, in medical research and for healthcare organisations. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
When it comes to lifestyle recommendations, more is sometimes less: a meta-analysis of theoretical assumptions underlying the effectiveness of interventions promoting multiple behavior domain change.

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Wilson, Kristina; Senay, Ibrahim; Durantini, Marta; Sánchez, Flor; Hennessy, Michael; Spring, Bonnie; Albarracín, Dolores

2015-03-01

A meta-analysis of 150 research reports summarizing the results of multiple behavior domain interventions examined theoretical predictions about the effects of the included number of recommendations on behavioral and clinical change in the domains of smoking, diet, and physical activity. The meta-analysis yielded 3 main conclusions. First, there is a curvilinear relation between the number of behavioral recommendations and improvements in behavioral and clinical measures, with a moderate number of recommendations producing the highest level of change. A moderate number of recommendations is likely to be associated with stronger effects because the intervention ensures the necessary level of motivation to implement the recommended changes, thereby increasing compliance with the goals set by the intervention, without making the intervention excessively demanding. Second, this curve was more pronounced when samples were likely to have low motivation to change, such as when interventions were delivered to nonpatient (vs. patient) populations, were implemented in nonclinic (vs. clinic) settings, used lay community (vs. expert) facilitators, and involved group (vs. individual) delivery formats. Finally, change in behavioral outcomes mediated the effects of number of recommended behaviors on clinical change. These findings provide important insights that can help guide the design of effective multiple behavior domain interventions. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.
When It Comes to Lifestyle Recommendations, More is Sometimes Less: A Meta-Analysis of Theoretical Assumptions Underlying the Effectiveness of Interventions Promoting Multiple Behavior Domain Change

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Wilson, Kristina; Senay, Ibrahim; Durantini, Marta; Sánchez, Flor; Hennessy, Michael; Spring, Bonnie; Albarracín, Dolores

2016-01-01

A meta-analysis of 150 research reports summarizing the results of multiple behavior domain interventions examined theoretical predictions about the effects of the included number of recommendations on behavioral and clinical change in the domains of smoking, diet, and physical activity. The meta-analysis yielded three main conclusions. First, there is a curvilinear relation between the number of behavioral recommendations and improvements in behavioral and clinical measures, with a moderate number of recommendations producing the highest level of change. A moderate number of recommendations is likely to be associated with stronger effects because the intervention ensures the necessary level of motivation to implement the recommended changes, thereby increasing compliance with the goals set by the intervention, without making the intervention excessively demanding. Second, this curve was more pronounced when samples were likely to have low motivation to change, such as when interventions were delivered to non-patient (vs. patient) populations, were implemented in non-clinic (vs. clinic) settings, used lay community (vs. expert) facilitators, and involved group (vs. individual) delivery formats. Finally, change in behavioral outcomes mediated the effects of number of recommended behaviors on clinical change. These findings provide important insights that can help guide the design of effective multiple behavior domain interventions. PMID:25528345
Work and personal life boundary management: boundary strength, work/personal life balance, and the segmentation-integration continuum.

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Bulger, Carrie A; Matthews, Russell A; Hoffman, Mark E

2007-10-01

While researchers are increasingly interested in understanding the boundaries surrounding the work and personal life domains, few have tested the propositions set forth by theory. Boundary theory proposes that individuals manage the boundaries between work and personal life through processes of segmenting and/or integrating the domains. The authors investigated boundary management profiles of 332 workers in an investigation of the segmentation-integration continuum. Cluster analysis indicated consistent clusters of boundary management practices related to varying segmentation and integration of the work and personal life domains. But, the authors suggest that the segmentation-integration continuum may be more complicated. Results also indicated relationships between boundary management practices and work-personal life interference and work-personal life enhancement. Less flexible and more permeable boundaries were related to more interference, while more flexible and more permeable boundaries were related to more enhancement.
Quality of life of people with diabetic foot

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Pedro Martins Lima Neto

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Objective: evaluate the quality of life of people with diabetic foot and its association with age and gender. Methods: cross-sectional study conducted with people with diabetic foot seen in the vascular clinic of a municipal hospital. Sociodemographic, clinical, lifestyle and evaluation of quality of life SF-36 questionnaires were used. Results: sample was consisted of 48 people. The majority was elderly (58.4%, female (56.3%, non-smoker (93.7%, non-alcoholic (83.4%, with recurrence of ulcers (50.0%, with present secretion (54.2% and absent fetid odor (81.3%. Regarding quality of life, the best result was in the domain vitality and the worse, in the domain physical aspects. All domains, except the vitality, had a score below 50 in the measurement of quality of life. There was no significant difference in the comparison of quality of life between age groups and gender. Conclusion: participants presented domains of quality of life that tend to a poorer health status.
Utilized Resources of Hope, Orientation, and Inspiration in Life of Persons with Multiple Sclerosis and Their Association with Life Satisfaction, Adaptive Coping Strategies, and Spirituality.

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Wirth, Anne-Gritli; Büssing, Arndt

2016-08-01

In a cross-sectional survey among 213 patients with multiple sclerosis, we intended to analyze their resources of hope, orientation, and inspiration in life, and how these resources are related to health-associated variables, adaptive coping strategies, and life satisfaction. Resources were categorized as Faith (10 %), Family (22 %), Other sources (16 %), and No answer (53 %). These non-respondents were predominantly neither religious nor spiritual (70 % R-S-). Although R-S- persons are a heterogeneous group with varying existential interest, they did not significantly differ from their spiritual/religious counterparts with respect to physical and mental health or life satisfaction, but for an adaptive Reappraisal strategy and Gratitude/Awe.
Effects of education level and employment status on HRQoL in early relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

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Patti, F; Pozzilli, C; Montanari, E; Pappalardo, A; Piazza, L; Levi, A; Onesti, E; Pesci, I

2007-07-01

To evaluate the effects of education level and employment status on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a large cohort of patients affected by relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Patients This study included 648 patients with RRMS attending 40 Italian MS centers. Inclusion criteria were an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score between 1.0 and 5.5; stable disease on enrollment; and no previous treatment with interferons, glatiramer acetate, or immunosuppressive drugs. Quality of life (QoL) was evaluated by the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 questionnaire (MSQoL-54). Employed patients scored significantly higher than other patient groups in the majority of MSQoL-54 domains. Similarly, patients with academic degrees and secondary education had higher scores than those with primary education (ie, eight years of education) in several domains of HRQoL. Patients who were employed with a high educational level achieved significantly better scores than unemployed patients with a lower educational level. In multivariate analysis, occupation and educational level were found to be significant and independent predictors of HRQoL. The results of our study suggest the importance of sustaining employment after a recent diagnosis of MS. In addition, education has a great influence on HRQoL; a higher education level may determine a stronger awareness of the disease, and a better ability to cope with the challenges of a chronic disease such as MS.
Delusional disorder and schizophrenia: a comparative study across multiple domains.

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Peralta, V; Cuesta, M J

2016-10-01

Delusional disorder (DD) is an under-researched condition and its relationship to schizophrenia (SZ) controversial. This study aimed to further characterize DD and to examine multi-domain evidence for the distinction between DD and SZ. Using univariate analyses we examined 146 subjects with DD, 114 subjects with paranoid SZ and 244 subjects with non-paranoid SZ on 52 characteristics from several domains including demographics, risk factors, premorbid features, illness characteristics, index episode features, delusional-related features, response to treatment and outcome. In a further step, we searched for independent associations of the examined characteristics with DD v. SZ. Univariate analyses showed that DD differed from either form of SZ in 40 characteristics, the pattern of findings indicated that paranoid SZ was much more similar to non-paranoid SZ than DD. Relative to subjects with SZ, those with DD were more likely to have drug abuse before illness onset, better premorbid sexual adjustment, later age at illness onset, higher levels of affective symptoms and lack of insight, poorer response to antipsychotic medication, better functioning in the domains of personal care, paid work and social functioning; last, subjects with DD had fewer but more severe delusions and higher ratings of conviction of delusional experience than those with SZ. Predominance of jealousy and somatic delusions was confined to subjects with DD. DD and SZ represent two distinct classes of disorders, the differential features of DD being of nosological, aetiological and therapeutic relevance.
Application of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument, Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF) to patients with cataract.

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Gholami, Ali; Araghi, Mahmood Tavakoli; Shamsabadi, Fatemeh; Bayat, Mahdiye; Dabirkhani, Fatemeh; Moradpour, Farhad; Mansori, Kamyar; Moradi, Yousef; Rajabi, Abdolhalim

2016-01-01

Cataract is a prevalent disease in the elderly, and negatively influences patients' quality of life. This study was conducted to study the application of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument, Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF) to patients with cataract. In this cross-sectional study, 300 patients with cataract were studied in Neyshabur, Iran from July to October 2014. The Iranian version of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was used to measure their quality of life. Cronbach's alpha coefficient, Pearson's correlation coefficient, the paired t-test, the independent t-test, and a linear regression model were used to analyze the data in SPSS version 16.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). The mean age of the participants was 68.11±11.98 years, and most were female (53%). The overall observed Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the WHOQOL-BREF was 0.889, ranging from 0.714 to 0.810 in its four domains. The total mean score of the respondents on the WHOQOL-BREF was 13.19. The highest and lowest mean scores were observed in the social relationship domain (14.11) and the physical health domain (12.29), respectively. A backward multiple linear regression model found that duration of disease and marital status were associated with total WHOQOL scores, while age, duration of disease, marital status, and income level were associated with domains one through four, respectively (pmeasurement of the quality of life of patients with cataract. It was also found that the patients with cataract who were surveyed reported a relatively moderate quality of life.
Comorbidities and Quality of Life among Breast Cancer Survivors: A Prospective Study

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Mei R. Fu

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Many breast cancer survivors have coexistent chronic diseases or comorbidities at the time of their cancer diagnosis. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the association of comorbidities on breast cancer survivors’ quality of life. A prospective design was used to recruit 140 women before cancer surgery, 134 women completed the study. Comorbidities were assessed using self-report and verified by medical record review and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI before and 12-month after cancer surgery. Quality of life was evaluated using Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36 v2. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, t-tests, Fisher’s exact test, and correlations were performed for data analysis. A total of 28 comorbidities were identified. Among the 134 patients, 73.8% had at least one of the comorbidities, 54.7% had 2–4, and only 7.4% had 5–8. Comorbidities did not change at 12 months after surgery. Numbers of comorbidities by patients’ self-report and weighted categorization of comorbidities by CCI had a similar negative correlation with overall quality of life scores as well as domains of general health, physical functioning, bodily pain, and vitality. Comorbidities, specifically hypertension, arthritis, and diabetes, were associated with poorer quality of life in multiple domains among breast cancer survivors. Future research should consider the combined influence of comorbidity and cancer on patients’ quality of life.
Comorbidities and Quality of Life among Breast Cancer Survivors: A Prospective Study

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Fu, Mei R.; Axelrod, Deborah; Guth, Amber A.; Cleland, Charles M.; Ryan, Caitlin E.; Weaver, Kristen R.; Qiu, Jeanna M.; Kleinman, Robin; Scagliola, Joan; Palamar, Joseph J.; Melkus, Gail D’Eramo

2015-01-01

Many breast cancer survivors have coexistent chronic diseases or comorbidities at the time of their cancer diagnosis. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the association of comorbidities on breast cancer survivors’ quality of life. A prospective design was used to recruit 140 women before cancer surgery, 134 women completed the study. Comorbidities were assessed using self-report and verified by medical record review and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) before and 12-month after cancer surgery. Quality of life was evaluated using Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36 v2). Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, t-tests, Fisher’s exact test, and correlations were performed for data analysis. A total of 28 comorbidities were identified. Among the 134 patients, 73.8% had at least one of the comorbidities, 54.7% had 2–4, and only 7.4% had 5–8. Comorbidities did not change at 12 months after surgery. Numbers of comorbidities by patients’ self-report and weighted categorization of comorbidities by CCI had a similar negative correlation with overall quality of life scores as well as domains of general health, physical functioning, bodily pain, and vitality. Comorbidities, specifically hypertension, arthritis, and diabetes, were associated with poorer quality of life in multiple domains among breast cancer survivors. Future research should consider the combined influence of comorbidity and cancer on patients’ quality of life. PMID:26132751
Multiplicative properties of quantum channels

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Rahaman, Mizanur

2017-08-01

In this paper, we study the multiplicative behaviour of quantum channels, mathematically described by trace preserving, completely positive maps on matrix algebras. It turns out that the multiplicative domain of a unital quantum channel has a close connection to its spectral properties. A structure theorem (theorem 2.5), which reveals the automorphic property of an arbitrary unital quantum channel on a subalgebra, is presented. Various classes of quantum channels (irreducible, primitive, etc) are then analysed in terms of this stabilising subalgebra. The notion of the multiplicative index of a unital quantum channel is introduced, which measures the number of times a unital channel needs to be composed with itself for the multiplicative algebra to stabilise. We show that the maps that have trivial multiplicative domains are dense in completely bounded norm topology in the set of all unital completely positive maps. Some applications in quantum information theory are discussed.
Quality of life in unaffected twins discordant for affective disorder

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Vinberg, Maj; Bech, Per; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm

2007-01-01

-Risk twins) and without (the control group/Low-Risk twins) a co-twin history of affective disorder were identified through nationwide registers. The aim of the present study was to investigate the hypothesis that a genetic liability to affective disorder is associated with a lower perception of quality......BACKGROUND: The disability and hardship associated with affective disorder is shared by the family members of affective patients and might affect the family member's quality of life. METHOD: In a cross-sectional, high-risk, case-control study, monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins with (High...... of life. RESULTS: Univariate analyses showed that quality of life in all domains was impaired for the 121 High-Risk twins compared to the 84 Low-Risk twins. In multiple regression analyses, the differences remained significant after adjustment for sex, age, marital status and years of education. Adjusted...
Quality of Life Among Dental Students: A Survey Study.

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Andre, Amanda; Pierre, Gaelle C; McAndrew, Maureen

2017-10-01

Quality of life is a complex construct that affects the overall life satisfaction, emotional well-being, and functioning of individuals. The aim of our study was to assess the quality of life of dental students at one U.S. dental school, using the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-BREF, a multi-dimensional, cross-cultural, validated, and reliable survey instrument. Of the 1,437 students invited to participate, 401 students responded, but 17 were excluded because of missing data. The final sample consisted of 384 students for an overall response rate of 27%: response rates by year were first year 32.6%, second year 16.9%, third year 26.6%, and fourth year 24.0%. The results showed that the responding students rated their overall quality of life as good. The Physical Health domain had the highest mean score, while the Psychological domain had the lowest. Females reported higher quality of life than males in the Social Relationships domain. Single students were found to have a lower perceived quality of life than married students. Older students were found to have lower perceived quality of life in the Physical Health and Environment domains. Physical Health domain scores were significantly higher for fourth-year than first-year respondents, while Psychological domain scores were significantly lower for third-year than first-year respondents. Further research is needed to explore the effect of dental school on the quality of life of dental students. Targeted programs to impact students' quality of life at various points in the curriculum may be beneficial.
Multiple constant multiplication optimizations for field programmable gate arrays

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Kumm, Martin

2016-01-01

This work covers field programmable gate array (FPGA)-specific optimizations of circuits computing the multiplication of a variable by several constants, commonly denoted as multiple constant multiplication (MCM). These optimizations focus on low resource usage but high performance. They comprise the use of fast carry-chains in adder-based constant multiplications including ternary (3-input) adders as well as the integration of look-up table-based constant multipliers and embedded multipliers to get the optimal mapping to modern FPGAs. The proposed methods can be used for the efficient implementation of digital filters, discrete transforms and many other circuits in the domain of digital signal processing, communication and image processing. Contents Heuristic and ILP-Based Optimal Solutions for the Pipelined Multiple Constant Multiplication Problem Methods to Integrate Embedded Multipliers, LUT-Based Constant Multipliers and Ternary (3-Input) Adders An Optimized Multiple Constant Multiplication Architecture ...
Unique Associations Between Big Five Personality Aspects and Multiple Dimensions of Well-Being.

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Sun, Jessie; Kaufman, Scott Barry; Smillie, Luke D

2018-04-01

Personality traits are associated with well-being, but the precise correlates vary across well-being dimensions and within each Big Five domain. This study is the first to examine the unique associations between the Big Five aspects (rather than facets) and multiple well-being dimensions. Two samples of U.S. participants (total N = 706; M age = 36.17; 54% female) recruited via Amazon's Mechanical Turk completed measures of the Big Five aspects and subjective, psychological, and PERMA well-being. One aspect within each domain was more strongly associated with well-being variables. Enthusiasm and Withdrawal were strongly associated with a broad range of well-being variables, but other aspects of personality also had idiosyncratic associations with distinct forms of positive functioning (e.g., Compassion with positive relationships, Industriousness with accomplishment, and Intellect with personal growth). An aspect-level analysis provides an optimal (i.e., parsimonious yet sufficiently comprehensive) framework for describing the relation between personality traits and multiple ways of thriving in life. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Reduction rules-based search algorithm for opportunistic replacement strategy of multiple life-limited parts

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Xuyun FU

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The opportunistic replacement of multiple Life-Limited Parts (LLPs is a problem widely existing in industry. The replacement strategy of LLPs has a great impact on the total maintenance cost to a lot of equipment. This article focuses on finding a quick and effective algorithm for this problem. To improve the algorithm efficiency, six reduction rules are suggested from the perspectives of solution feasibility, determination of the replacement of LLPs, determination of the maintenance occasion and solution optimality. Based on these six reduction rules, a search algorithm is proposed. This search algorithm can identify one or several optimal solutions. A numerical experiment shows that these six reduction rules are effective, and the time consumed by the algorithm is less than 38 s if the total life of equipment is shorter than 55000 and the number of LLPs is less than 11. A specific case shows that the algorithm can obtain optimal solutions which are much better than the result of the traditional method in 10 s, and it can provide support for determining to-be-replaced LLPs when determining the maintenance workscope of an aircraft engine. Therefore, the algorithm is applicable to engineering applications concerning opportunistic replacement of multiple LLPs in aircraft engines.

Quality of life and deglutition after total laryngectomy

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Pernambuco, Leandro de Araújo; Oliveira, Jabson Herber Profiro de; Régis, Renata Milena Freitas Lima; Lima, Leilane Maria de; Araújo, Ana Maria Bezerra de; Balata, Patrícia Maria Mendes; Cunha, Daniele Andrade da; Silva, Hilton Justino da

2012-01-01

Summary Introduction: Total laryngectomy creates deglutition disorders and causes a decrease in quality of life Aim: To describe the impact of swallowing and quality of life of patients after total laryngectomy. Method: A case series study. Patients completed a Swallowing and Quality of Life questionnaire composed of 44 questions assessing 11 domains related to quality of life (burden, eating duration, eating desire, frequency of symptoms, food selection, communication, fear, mental health, social functioning, sleep, and fatigue). The analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, including measures of central tendency and variability. Results: The sample comprised 15 patients who underwent total laryngectomy and adjuvant radiotherapy. Of these, 66.7% classified their health as good and 73% reported no restrictions on food consistency. The domains “communication” and “fear” represented severe impact and “eating duration” represented moderate impact on quality of life. The items with lower scores were: longer time to eat than others (domain “eating duration”), cough and cough to remove the liquid or food of the mouth when they are stopped (domain “symptom frequency”), difficulties in understanding (domain “communication”) and fear of choking and having pneumonia (domain “fear”). Conclusion: After total laryngectomy, patients report that swallowing issues have moderate to severe impact in “communication,” “fear,” and “eating duration” domains. PMID:25991974
Quality of Life and Gait in Elderly Group

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Taguchi, Carlos Kazuo

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction The process of aging could lead to seniors being more prone to falls, which affects their quality of life. Objective The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between quality of life and gait in the elderly. Methods We used World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief (WHOQOL-Brief Brazilian version and the Dynamic Gait Index to assess fifty-six volunteers from the northeast of Brazil. Ages ranged from 60 to 85 years. Results The Dynamic Gait Index, which indicates the probability of falls, resulted in 36.3% of the sample presenting abnormal results. There was correlation between domain 2 (psychological and domain 4 (environment with domain 1(Physical and domain 3 (Social; a negative correlation between age and Domain 2; correlation between Question 1 (How would you rate your quality of life? and domains 1, 2, and 4 and no correlation between questions 1 and 2 (How satisfied are you with your health?. Question 2 was correlated with all of the domains. There was negative association between question 1 and falls, and a slight correlation between the Dynamic Gait Index scores and Question 1. Conclusion The self-perception of the study group about their quality of life was either good or very good, even though a considerable percentage of individuals had suffered falls or reported gait disturbances.
The quality of life and satisfaction with life of women who are childless by choice

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Agnieszka Bień

2017-05-01

A positive correlation was found between satisfaction with life and overall quality of life, general perceived health, and all quality of life domains. Higher satisfaction with life scores in childless women are correlated with a higher quality of life scores and better perceived health.
Age-Friendliness and Life Satisfaction of Young-Old and Old-Old in Hong Kong

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Alma M. L. Au

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Age-friendliness, promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO, aims to enable and support individuals in different aspects of life for fostering life satisfaction and personal well-being as they age. We identified specific aspect(s of age-friendliness associated with life satisfaction and examined similarities and differences in age-friendliness and life satisfaction in young-old and old-old adults. Six hundred and eighty-two ageing adults were asked to complete a survey questionnaire consisting of the Age-friendly City Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and sociodemographic variables. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the effects of various domains of age-friendliness on life satisfaction among the young-old adults (aged 65 to 74, n=351 and the old-old adults (aged 75 to 97, n=331. Common domains associated with life satisfaction in both young-old and old-old groups were transportation and social participation. Community and health services were associated with life satisfaction for the young-old group only. On the other hand, civic participation and employment was significantly associated with the old-old group only. Social participation is important for the young-old and the old-old. Ageing older adults can be a resource to the society. Implications for promoting and implementing age-friendliness were discussed in the context of successful and productive ageing and the need for a more refined taxonomy of social activities.
Fast damage imaging using the time-reversal technique in the frequency–wavenumber domain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, R; Huang, G L; Yuan, F G

2013-01-01

The time-reversal technique has been successfully used in structural health monitoring (SHM) for quantitative imaging of damage. However, the technique is very time-consuming when it is implemented in the time domain. In this paper, we study the technique in the frequency–wavenumber (f–k) domain for fast real-time imaging of multiple damage sites in plates using scattered flexural plate waves. Based on Mindlin plate theory, the time reversibility of dispersive flexural waves in an isotropic plate is theoretically investigated in the f–k domain. A fast damage imaging technique is developed by using the cross-correlation between the back-propagated scattered wavefield and the incident wavefield in the frequency domain. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed technique cannot only localize multiple damage sites but also potentially identify their sizes. Moreover, the time-reversal technique in the f–k domain is about two orders of magnitude faster than the method in the time domain. Finally, experimental testing of an on-line SHM system with a sparse piezoelectric sensor array is conducted for fast multiple damage identification using the proposed technique. (paper)
SOME DETERMINATS OF QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

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Olivera RASHIKJ-CANEVSKA

2015-11-01

Full Text Available People with multiple sclerosis are faced with numerous challenges which in turn may affect the things they want to do or have a need to do. Very often, constraints caused by the disease reduce their ability to cope with and meet their responsibilities at home, at work and within a broader community transforming simple daily activities into daily frustrations. The main goal of the research process was to present the life of persons with multiple sclerosis in the Republic of Macedonia, the problems they face every day, and the way they exceed them. We used the methods of structural, descriptive and functional analysis, as well as the method of generalization. We applied data (document analysis, scaling and inquiry, and as a basic instrument we used a questionnaire composed of a combination of several scaling and index assessments. There was a convenient sample of the research composed of 32 persons with multiple sclerosis over the age of 18, and the results were obtained by a statistical analysis of the data and application of the combination of chi square tests, with a pmultiple sclerosis have limited independence in providing daily activities leading up to 31% of the examinees with rare participation in the everyday social activities, the result obtained by the Frenchay Index of activities. We can conclude that the Index of disability is higher with older respondents and it is often followed by a drop of the daily activity frequency.
Late Life Immigration and Quality of Life among Asian Indian Older Adults.

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Mukherjee, Anita J; Diwan, Sadhna

2016-09-01

Late-life immigration among seniors for purposes of family reunification is a growing phenomenon in developed countries. Using the World Health Organization's Quality of Life instrument short form (WHOQOL-BREF) and other psychosocial measures related to the political/legal context of immigration, and personal and environmental autonomy (mastery, immigration status, access to transportation, and language barrier), this study examined quality of life (QoL) in Asian Indian seniors (N = 109), who immigrated to the United States to reunite with their adult children. The sample scores on Overall QoL and QoL domains (physical and psychological health, social relationships, and environment) were similar to established norms. Although all QoL domains correlated significantly with Overall QoL at the bivariate level, multivariate analysis showed that only environmental domain contributed significantly to Overall QoL. Linear regressions indicated: Mastery contributed significantly to Overall QoL and all QoL domains; access to transport contributed to Overall QoL, physical health, and environmental QoL; immigration status (a proxy for political/legal context) contributed to environmental QoL whereas language barrier contributed to none. Implications for improving perceptions of QoL, mastery, access to transport and other services are discussed.
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Can Adversely Impact Domains of Sexual Function Such as Satisfaction with Sex Life.

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Eluri, Swathi; Cross, Raymond K; Martin, Christopher; Weinfurt, Kevin P; Flynn, Kathryn E; Long, Millie D; Chen, Wenli; Anton, Kristen; Sandler, Robert S; Kappelman, Michael D

2018-06-01

Aspects of sexual health, which can be adversely affected by chronic disease, have been inadequately explored in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We evaluated patient-reported interest in sexual activity and satisfaction with sex life in a large cohort of IBD patients. We conducted a cross-sectional study within the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation Partners Internet cohort. Sequential participants completed a 6-question supplemental online survey to examine sexual interest and satisfaction using the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System ® (PROMIS ® ) Sexual Function and Satisfaction measures. One-sample t tests were used to compare interest and satisfaction scores to general population norms. Among 2569 individuals, 1639 had Crohn's disease (CD), 930 had ulcerative colitis (UC) or indeterminate colitis, and 71% were women. Mean PROMIS scores for sexual interest were comparable to the general US population in men (CD: 49 and UC: 48 vs. population mean 50) and women (CD: 41 and UC: 40 vs. population mean 42). However, sexual satisfaction scores were lower than the US population in men (CD: 48 and UC: 48 vs. 51) and women (CD: 47 and UC: 46 vs. 49), p satisfaction and lowered IBD-specific quality of life. IBD patients in a large online survey had similar levels of sexual interest but decreased sexual satisfaction compared to the general population. Exploring these sexual health domains during clinical encounters can aid in improving IBD quality of life.
The Effects of Massage Therapy on Multiple Sclerosis Patients’ Quality of Life and Leg Function

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Brittany Schroeder

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Massage therapy is a noninvasive treatment that many individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS use to supplement their conventional treatment. Objective. We hypothesize that massage therapy will improve the leg function and overall quality of life (QoL of MS patients. Design. A two-period (rest, massage crossover design was used. Twenty-four individuals with MS ranging from 3.0 to 7.0 on the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS received Swedish massage treatments for four weeks. Exercise capacity and leg function as well as QoL were assessed using the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT and the Hamburg Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis (HAQUAMS instrument, respectively. Assessments were measured before and after a massage period and a rest period where no massages were employed. Results. The results displayed no significant changes in 6MWT distances or HAQUAMS scores. However, the participants perceived improvement in overall health as expressed in written comments. Conclusions. Massage is a safe, noninvasive treatment that may assist MS patients in managing the stress of their symptoms. Future studies with larger sample size and cortisol measures are warranted.
N-Terminal Domains in Two-Domain Proteins Are Biased to Be Shorter and Predicted to Fold Faster Than Their C-Terminal Counterparts

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Etai Jacob

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Computational analysis of proteomes in all kingdoms of life reveals a strong tendency for N-terminal domains in two-domain proteins to have shorter sequences than their neighboring C-terminal domains. Given that folding rates are affected by chain length, we asked whether the tendency for N-terminal domains to be shorter than their neighboring C-terminal domains reflects selection for faster-folding N-terminal domains. Calculations of absolute contact order, another predictor of folding rate, provide additional evidence that N-terminal domains tend to fold faster than their neighboring C-terminal domains. A possible explanation for this bias, which is more pronounced in prokaryotes than in eukaryotes, is that faster folding of N-terminal domains reduces the risk for protein aggregation during folding by preventing formation of nonnative interdomain interactions. This explanation is supported by our finding that two-domain proteins with a shorter N-terminal domain are much more abundant than those with a shorter C-terminal domain.
Image reconstruction by domain-transform manifold learning

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Zhu, Bo; Liu, Jeremiah Z.; Cauley, Stephen F.; Rosen, Bruce R.; Rosen, Matthew S.

2018-03-01

Image reconstruction is essential for imaging applications across the physical and life sciences, including optical and radar systems, magnetic resonance imaging, X-ray computed tomography, positron emission tomography, ultrasound imaging and radio astronomy. During image acquisition, the sensor encodes an intermediate representation of an object in the sensor domain, which is subsequently reconstructed into an image by an inversion of the encoding function. Image reconstruction is challenging because analytic knowledge of the exact inverse transform may not exist a priori, especially in the presence of sensor non-idealities and noise. Thus, the standard reconstruction approach involves approximating the inverse function with multiple ad hoc stages in a signal processing chain, the composition of which depends on the details of each acquisition strategy, and often requires expert parameter tuning to optimize reconstruction performance. Here we present a unified framework for image reconstruction—automated transform by manifold approximation (AUTOMAP)—which recasts image reconstruction as a data-driven supervised learning task that allows a mapping between the sensor and the image domain to emerge from an appropriate corpus of training data. We implement AUTOMAP with a deep neural network and exhibit its flexibility in learning reconstruction transforms for various magnetic resonance imaging acquisition strategies, using the same network architecture and hyperparameters. We further demonstrate that manifold learning during training results in sparse representations of domain transforms along low-dimensional data manifolds, and observe superior immunity to noise and a reduction in reconstruction artefacts compared with conventional handcrafted reconstruction methods. In addition to improving the reconstruction performance of existing acquisition methodologies, we anticipate that AUTOMAP and other learned reconstruction approaches will accelerate the development
A mixed-methods evaluation of health-related quality of life for male veterans with and without intestinal stomas.

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Krouse, Robert S; Grant, Marcia; Wendel, Christopher S; Mohler, M Jane; Rawl, Susan M; Baldwin, Carol M; Coons, Stephen Joel; McCorkle, Ruth; Ko, Clifford Y; Schmidt, C Max

2007-12-01

Intestinal stomas have a major impact on Cases' lives. It is essential to better understand the areas in which interventions may help to minimize the negative consequences. This was a case-control survey study using validated instruments (City of Hope Quality of Life-Ostomy and Short Form 36 for Veterans). Cases were accrued from Veterans Affairs Medical Centers in Tucson, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles. Eligibility included a major intra-abdominal surgical procedure that led to an ostomy (cases), or a similar procedure that did not mandate a stoma (controls). Analysis included quantitative and qualitative responses. The response rate was 48 percent (511/1,063). Cases and controls had relatively similar demographic characteristics. Because of low numbers of female respondents (13 cases and 11 controls), only results for males are reported. Based on both the City of Hope Quality of Life-Ostomy and Short Form 36 for Veterans, cases reported significantly poorer scores on scales/domains reflecting psychologic and social functioning and well being. Additionally, cases reported poorer scores on Short Form 36 for Veterans scales reflecting physical functioning and significantly lower scores on multiple items in the social domain of the City of Hope Quality of Life-Ostomy compared with controls. Two-thirds of cases replied to an open-ended question on their "greatest challenge" related to their ostomy, which led to further clarification of major issues. Multiple health-related quality of life problems were reported by male veterans with intestinal stomas. The greatest differences between cases and controls were observed in the social and psychologic domains/scales. Findings from this study provide a greater understanding of the challenges faced by ostomates and will inform the development and evaluation of urgently needed intervention strategies.
Xerostomia After Treatment for Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancer Using the University of Washington Saliva Domain and a Xerostomia-Related Quality-of-Life Scale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogers, Simon N.; Johnson, Ian A.; Lowe, Derek

2010-01-01

Purpose: The first aim of this study was to identify which clinical factors are associated with xerostomia in patients after treatment for oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, using the Xerostomia-Related Quality-of-Life Scale (XeQoLS) and the University of Washington Quality-of-Life Questionnaire Version 4 dry mouth item (UW-QOL v4). The second aim was to compare these two questionnaires and postulate a cutoff in the UW-QOL below which patients are doing sufficient badly to warrant further evaluation and support. Methods and Materials: In all, 371 patients alive and disease free treated between 1992 and 2005 were sent the survey, of whom 250 (67%) responded. Various clinical factors correlated with xerostomia, particularly adjuvant radiotherapy and Pstage. Results: In logistic regression analyses to predict three or more problems on the XeQoLS, only adjuvant radiotherapy (p < 0.001) was significant at the 5% level. There were significant (p < 0.001) correlations between the XeQoLS scores (total average and domain) with all the UW-QOL domain scores, the strongest with swallowing (-0.69), taste (-0.64), chewing (-0.64), mood (-0.60), and saliva (-0.59) domains. Patients scoring <70 (i.e., 0 or 30) on the UW-QOL could be used as a screening cutoff because it formed 1 in 5 of all patients (49/242) but accounted for half (299/566) of the significant problems generated by the XeQoLS. This also identified 13/21 patients with 10 or more problems. Conclusion: The UW-QOL saliva domain seems to be a suitable means of screening for dry mouth in head-and-neck clinics and could be used to trigger interventions.
Beyond Disease: Happiness, Goals, and Meanings among Persons with Multiple Sclerosis and Their Caregivers.

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Delle Fave, Antonella; Bassi, Marta; Allegri, Beatrice; Cilia, Sabina; Falautano, Monica; Goretti, Benedetta; Grobberio, Monica; Minacapelli, Eleonora; Pattini, Marianna; Pietrolongo, Erika; Valsecchi, Manuela; Amato, Maria Pia; Lugaresi, Alessandra; Patti, Francesco

2017-01-01

The experience of persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) and their caregivers is usually investigated in terms of emotional distress and health-related quality of life, while well-being indicators remain largely underexplored. In addition, findings are often interpreted from the clinical perspective, neglecting socio-cultural aspects that may crucially contribute to individuals' functioning. At the methodological level, most studies rely on scaled instruments, not allowing participants to freely express their needs and resources. Based on the bio-psycho-social perspective endorsed by the International Classification of Functioning, well-being indicators were investigated among 62 persons with MS (PwMS), their 62 caregivers and two control groups, matched by age and gender. Participants completed the Positive Affect Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and the Eudaimonic and Hedonic Happiness Investigation instrument (EHHI). EHHI provides information on participants' happiness, goals and meanings through scaled and open-ended questions, contextualized within major life domains. No relevant differences emerged among PwMS and caregivers, compared with the respective control groups, as concerns life domains associated with happiness, goals and meaning. Participants across groups prominently mentioned family, highlighting its intrinsic value and its relevance as a sharing context; health did not represent a major theme for PwMS; community, society and religion/spirituality issues were substantially neglected by all participants. PwMS and caregivers reported lower levels of positive affect than their control groups, while no substantial differences emerged for negative affect, happiness and meaningfulness levels in life and across most domains. Results suggest that the experience of MS is associated with well-being in relevant life domains, such as family and close relationships. Although PwMS and caregivers identified a lower number
Beyond Disease: Happiness, Goals, and Meanings among Persons with Multiple Sclerosis and Their Caregivers

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Antonella Delle Fave

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The experience of persons with multiple sclerosis (MS and their caregivers is usually investigated in terms of emotional distress and health-related quality of life, while well-being indicators remain largely underexplored. In addition, findings are often interpreted from the clinical perspective, neglecting socio-cultural aspects that may crucially contribute to individuals' functioning. At the methodological level, most studies rely on scaled instruments, not allowing participants to freely express their needs and resources. Based on the bio-psycho-social perspective endorsed by the International Classification of Functioning, well-being indicators were investigated among 62 persons with MS (PwMS, their 62 caregivers and two control groups, matched by age and gender. Participants completed the Positive Affect Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS, the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS, and the Eudaimonic and Hedonic Happiness Investigation instrument (EHHI. EHHI provides information on participants' happiness, goals and meanings through scaled and open-ended questions, contextualized within major life domains. No relevant differences emerged among PwMS and caregivers, compared with the respective control groups, as concerns life domains associated with happiness, goals and meaning. Participants across groups prominently mentioned family, highlighting its intrinsic value and its relevance as a sharing context; health did not represent a major theme for PwMS; community, society and religion/spirituality issues were substantially neglected by all participants. PwMS and caregivers reported lower levels of positive affect than their control groups, while no substantial differences emerged for negative affect, happiness and meaningfulness levels in life and across most domains. Results suggest that the experience of MS is associated with well-being in relevant life domains, such as family and close relationships. Although PwMS and caregivers identified a
Domain Adversarial for Acoustic Emotion Recognition

OpenAIRE

Abdelwahab, Mohammed; Busso, Carlos

2018-01-01

The performance of speech emotion recognition is affected by the differences in data distributions between train (source domain) and test (target domain) sets used to build and evaluate the models. This is a common problem, as multiple studies have shown that the performance of emotional classifiers drop when they are exposed to data that does not match the distribution used to build the emotion classifiers. The difference in data distributions becomes very clear when the training and testing...
Interactions of a Pop5/Rpp1 heterodimer with the catalytic domain of RNase MRP.

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Perederina, Anna; Khanova, Elena; Quan, Chao; Berezin, Igor; Esakova, Olga; Krasilnikov, Andrey S

2011-10-01

Ribonuclease (RNase) MRP is a multicomponent ribonucleoprotein complex closely related to RNase P. RNase MRP and eukaryotic RNase P share most of their protein components, as well as multiple features of their catalytic RNA moieties, but have distinct substrate specificities. While RNase P is practically universally found in all three domains of life, RNase MRP is essential in eukaryotes. The structural organizations of eukaryotic RNase P and RNase MRP are poorly understood. Here, we show that Pop5 and Rpp1, protein components found in both RNase P and RNase MRP, form a heterodimer that binds directly to the conserved area of the putative catalytic domain of RNase MRP RNA. The Pop5/Rpp1 binding site corresponds to the protein binding site in bacterial RNase P RNA. Structural and evolutionary roles of the Pop5/Rpp1 heterodimer in RNases P and MRP are discussed.
Framing Effects: Dynamics and Task Domains

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Wang

1996-11-01

The author examines the mechanisms and dynamics of framing effects in risky choices across three distinct task domains (i.e., life-death, public property, and personal money). The choice outcomes of the problems presented in each of the three task domains had a binary structure of a sure thing vs a gamble of equal expected value; the outcomes differed in their framing conditions and the expected values, raging from 6000, 600, 60, to 6, numerically. It was hypothesized that subjects would become more risk seeking, if the sure outcome was below their aspiration level (the minimum requirement). As predicted, more subjects preferred the gamble when facing the life-death choice problems than facing the counterpart problems presented in the other two task domains. Subjects' risk preference varied categorically along the group size dimension in the life-death domain but changed more linearly over the expected value dimension in the monetary domain. Framing effects were observed in 7 of 13 pairs of problems, showing a positive frame-risk aversion and negative frame-risk seeking relationship. In addition, two types of framing effects were theoretically defined and empirically identified. A bidirectional framing effect involves a reversal in risk preference, and occurs when a decision maker's risk preference is ambiguous or weak. Four bidirectional effects were observed; in each case a majority of subjects preferred the sure outcome under a positive frame but the gamble under a negative frame. In contrast, a unidirectional framing effect refers to a preference shift due to the framing of choice outcomes: A majority of subjects preferred one choice outcome (either the sure thing or the gamble) under both framing conditions, with positive frame augmented the preference for the sure thing and negative frame augmented the preference for the gamble. These findings revealed some dynamic regularities of framing effects and posed implications for developing predictive and testable
Interaction between anxiety, depression, quality of life and clinical parameters in chronic tension-type headache.

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Peñacoba-Puente, Cecilia; Fernández-de-Las-Peñas, César; González-Gutierrez, Jose L; Miangolarra-Page, Juan C; Pareja, Juan A

2008-10-01

Our aim was to investigate the mediating or moderating role of anxiety and depression in the relationship between headache clinical parameters and quality of life in Chronic Tension-Type Headache (CTTH). Twenty-five patients diagnosed with CTTH according to the criteria of the International Headache Society were studied. A headache diary was kept for 4 weeks in order to substantiate the diagnosis and record the pain history. Quality of life was assessed by means of the Medical Outcome Study (MOS) 36-Item Short-Form (SF-36) questionnaire. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) was used to assess depression, and the Trait Anxiety Scale (TA) from the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was administered in order to assess anxiety. Moderating and mediating analyses were conducted with ordinary least squares multiple regression analysis using the SPSS General Linear Model procedure. Anxiety mediated the effect between headache frequency and quality of life, but not the effect of either headache intensity or duration. Anxiety totally mediated the effects of headache frequency on vitality, social functioning and mental health. On the other hand, depression modulated the effect in the mental health domain. The effect in the mental health domain was a function of the interaction between headache duration and depression (beta=-0.34, panxiety to be a moderating factor between intensity, frequency or duration of headache and perceived quality of life. Anxiety exerts a mediating effect, conditioning the relationship between headache frequency and some quality of life domains; depression seems to play an inherent role in the reduced quality of life of these patients, that is, it has a moderating effect.
Predictors of quality of life among Chinese people with schizophrenia.

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Wang, Xiao Qin; Petrini, Marcia A; Morisky, Donald E

2017-06-01

This study was designed to investigate the association of quality of life, perceived stigma, and medication adherence among Chinese patients with schizophrenia, and to ascertain the predictors of quality of life. A cross-sectional correlation study was conducted with 146 participants. All participants completed self-report scales: the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale, Link's Stigma Scale, and the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Pearson parametric correlations and stepwise multiple regressions were performed. The total quality of life score and psychosocial subscale was significantly positively correlated with perceived stigma, coping orientation of withdrawal, and feelings of stigma, and negatively correlated with age and medication adherence. The means of all subscale scores except perceived devaluation-discrimination and different/guilty feelings were significantly higher than the midpoint of 2.5. The best predictors of quality of life and psychosocial domains were stigma-related feelings: feeling misunderstood, feeling different/shame, and age. Our findings suggest that an individual's negative emotional response may strengthen internalized stigma and decrease quality of life. As the best predictor, age indicated that adaptation to mental illness may relieve perceived stigma and achieve favorable quality of life. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Health-related quality of life assessment in people with multiple sclerosis and their family caregivers. A multicenter study in Catalonia (Southern Europe

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Marta Aymerich

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Marta Aymerich1, Imma Guillamón2, Albert J Jovell3,41Medical Sciences Department, University of Girona, Catalonia, Spain; 2Catalan Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Research, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; 3Fundació Biblioteca Josep Laporte, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; 4Autonomous University of Barcelona, Catalonia, SpainObjectives: To measure the health-related quality of life (HRQoL of multiple sclerosis (MS patients and their caregivers, and to assess which factors can best describe HRQoL.Methods: A cross-sectional multicenter study of nine hospitals enrolled MS patients and their caregivers who attended outpatient clinics consecutively. The instruments used were the SF-36 for patients and the SF-12 and GHQ-12 for caregivers. Classification and regression tree analysis was used to analyze the explanatory factors of HRQoL.Results: A total of 705 patients (mean age 40.4 years, median Expanded Disability Status Scale 2.5, 77.8% with relapsing-remitting MS and 551 caregivers (mean age 45.4 years participated in the study. MS patients had significantly lower HRQoL than in the general population (physical SF-36: 39.9; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 39.1–40.6; mental SF-36: 44.4; 95% CI: 43.5–45.3. Caregivers also presented lower HRQoL than general population, especially in its mental domain (mental SF-12: 46.4; 95% CI: 45.5–47.3. Moreover, according to GHQ-12, 27% of caregivers presented probable psychological distress. Disability and co-morbidity in patients, and co-morbidity and employment status in caregivers, were the most important explanatory factors of their HRQoL.Conclusions: Not only the HRQoL of patients with MS, but also that of their caregivers, is indeed notably affected. Caregivers’ HRQoL is close to population of chronic illness even that the patients sample has a mild clinical severity and that caregiving role is a usual task in the study context.Keywords: health-related quality of life, multiple sclerosis
Quality of life and its determinants in people living with human immunodeficiency virus infection in Puducherry, India

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T Mahalakshmy

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Context: With anti-retroviral therapy (ART for human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV coming into picture, quality of life (QOL has gained importance. Knowledge on the factors affecting QOL would be helpful in making important policy decisions and health care interventions. Aims: The aim of this study is to assess the quality of life of people living with HIV (PLWH and to identify the factors influencing their QOL. Materials and Methods: The study was done among 200 PLWH attending a tertiary care hospital, and three Non Governmental Organizations at Puducherry, India, from November 2005 to May 2007. QOL was assessed using HIV specific World Health Organization Quality Of Life scale (WHOQOL-HIV - BREF questionnaire which has six domains (physical, psychological, level of independence, social relationships, environment and spirituality/religiousness/personal belief. Social support and stigma were measured using "Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support" and "HIV Stigma Scale," respectively, using Likert Scale. Factors influencing QOL were identified using backward stepwise multiple linear regression with the six domain scores as the dependent variables. Results: Male: Female ratio was 1:1 and 58% were in early stage of the disease (stage I/II. Psychological and SRPB (Spirituality Religiousness and Personal Beliefs domains were the most affected domains. All the regression models were statistically significant (P<0.05. The determination coefficient was highest for the social relationship domain (57% followed by the psychological domain (51%. Disease stage and perceived social support significantly influenced all the domains of WHOQOL. Younger age, female gender, rural background, shorter duration of HIV, non-intake of ART and greater HIV related stigma were the high risk factors of poor QOL. Conclusion: Interventions such as ART, family, vocational and peer counseling would address these modifiable factors influencing QOL, thereby
S3QL: A distributed domain specific language for controlled semantic integration of life sciences data

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de Lencastre Hermínia

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The value and usefulness of data increases when it is explicitly interlinked with related data. This is the core principle of Linked Data. For life sciences researchers, harnessing the power of Linked Data to improve biological discovery is still challenged by a need to keep pace with rapidly evolving domains and requirements for collaboration and control as well as with the reference semantic web ontologies and standards. Knowledge organization systems (KOSs can provide an abstraction for publishing biological discoveries as Linked Data without complicating transactions with contextual minutia such as provenance and access control. We have previously described the Simple Sloppy Semantic Database (S3DB as an efficient model for creating knowledge organization systems using Linked Data best practices with explicit distinction between domain and instantiation and support for a permission control mechanism that automatically migrates between the two. In this report we present a domain specific language, the S3DB query language (S3QL, to operate on its underlying core model and facilitate management of Linked Data. Results Reflecting the data driven nature of our approach, S3QL has been implemented as an application programming interface for S3DB systems hosting biomedical data, and its syntax was subsequently generalized beyond the S3DB core model. This achievement is illustrated with the assembly of an S3QL query to manage entities from the Simple Knowledge Organization System. The illustrative use cases include gastrointestinal clinical trials, genomic characterization of cancer by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA and molecular epidemiology of infectious diseases. Conclusions S3QL was found to provide a convenient mechanism to represent context for interoperation between public and private datasets hosted at biomedical research institutions and linked data formalisms.
Guided Imagery Improves Mood, Fatigue, and Quality of Life in Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis: An Exploratory Efficacy Trial of Healing Light Guided Imagery.

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Case, Laura K; Jackson, Paula; Kinkel, Revere; Mills, Paul J

2018-01-01

Multiple sclerosis is a disabling and progressive neurological disease that has significant negative effects on health-related quality of life. This exploratory efficacy study examined the effects of Healing Light Guided Imagery (HLGI), a novel variant of guided imagery, compared with a wait-list control in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Changes in the Beck Depression Inventory, Fatigue Severity Scale, and Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life instrument (physical and mental components) were compared between groups. Patients who completed HLGI (N = 9) showed significant reductions in depressed mood ( P mental ( P journaling (N = 8). Our results suggest that HLGI can improve self-reported physical and mental well-being in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Further research is needed to study the effectiveness of this therapy, as well as its mind-body mechanisms of action.
Efficient Time-Domain Ray-Tracing Technique for the Analysis of Ultra-Wideband Indoor Environments including Lossy Materials and Multiple Effects

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F. Saez de Adana

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an efficient application of the Time-Domain Uniform Theory of Diffraction (TD-UTD for the analysis of Ultra-Wideband (UWB mobile communications for indoor environments. The classical TD-UTD formulation is modified to include the contribution of lossy materials and multiple-ray interactions with the environment. The electromagnetic analysis is combined with a ray-tracing acceleration technique to treat realistic and complex environments. The validity of this method is tested with measurements performed inside the Polytechnic building of the University of Alcala and shows good performance of the model for the analysis of UWB propagation.
Fatigue Life and Microstructure after Multiple Remelting of A359 Matrix Composites Reinforced with SiC Particles

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Klasik A.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The article presents the results of fatigue life tests and microstructure examinations of A359 alloy matrix composites (F3S.10S and F3S.30S containing 10 and 30wt% of SiC particles, subjected to multiple remelting by conventional gravity casting. Mechanical characteristics were determined in a modified low cycle fatigue (MLCF test, enabling rapid estimation of fatigue life and other mechanical parameters in practice of any material. Qualitative and quantitative metallographic examinations were also carried out. The quantitative evaluation of microstructure was performed by computer image analysis. A set of geometrical parameters of the reinforcing particles, pores and eutectic precipitates present in the metal matrix was determined. The relationships between the mechanical parameters, structural characteristics and the number of remelting operations were presented. It was found that up to the fourth remelting, the mechanical characteristics, including fatigue life, are slightly deteriorated but decrease gradually in the subsequent operations of remelting. The observed effect is mainly due to the shrinkage porosity occurring as a result of gravity casting. To eliminate this defect, the use of squeeze casting process was recommended. It has also been shown that multiple remelting can be an easy and economically well-founded alternative to other more expensive recycling methods.
Individual Importance Weighting of Domain Satisfaction Ratings does Not Increase Validity

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Rohrer, Julia M.; Schmukle, Stefan C.

2018-01-01

Bottom-up models of life satisfaction are based on the assumption that individuals judge the overall quality of their lives by aggregating information across various life domains, such as health, family, and income. This aggregation supposedly involves a weighting procedure because individuals care about different parts of their lives to varying degrees. Thus, composite measures of well-being should be more accurate if domain satisfaction scores are weighted by the importance that respondents assign to the respective domains. Previous studies have arrived at mixed conclusions about whether such a procedure actually works. In the present study, importance weighting was investigated in the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID; N = 5,049). Both weighted composite scores and moderated regression analyses converged in producing the conclusion that individual importance weights did not result in higher correlations with the outcome variable, a global measure of life satisfaction. By contrast, using weights that vary normatively across domains (e.g., assigning a larger weight to family satisfaction than to housing satisfaction for all respondents) significantly increased the correlation with global life satisfaction (although incremental validity was rather humble). These results converge with findings from other fields such as self-concept research, where evidence for individual importance weighting seems elusive as best. PMID:29652406
Individual Importance Weighting of Domain Satisfaction Ratings does Not Increase Validity.

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Rohrer, Julia M; Schmukle, Stefan C

2018-01-01

Bottom-up models of life satisfaction are based on the assumption that individuals judge the overall quality of their lives by aggregating information across various life domains, such as health, family, and income. This aggregation supposedly involves a weighting procedure because individuals care about different parts of their lives to varying degrees. Thus, composite measures of well-being should be more accurate if domain satisfaction scores are weighted by the importance that respondents assign to the respective domains. Previous studies have arrived at mixed conclusions about whether such a procedure actually works. In the present study, importance weighting was investigated in the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID; N = 5,049). Both weighted composite scores and moderated regression analyses converged in producing the conclusion that individual importance weights did not result in higher correlations with the outcome variable, a global measure of life satisfaction. By contrast, using weights that vary normatively across domains (e.g., assigning a larger weight to family satisfaction than to housing satisfaction for all respondents) significantly increased the correlation with global life satisfaction (although incremental validity was rather humble). These results converge with findings from other fields such as self-concept research, where evidence for individual importance weighting seems elusive as best.
Spirituality and Quality of Life in Black Patients with Cancer Pain.

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Bai, Jinbing; Brubaker, Andrea; Meghani, Salimah H; Bruner, Deborah W; Yeager, Katherine A

2018-05-29

The objective of this study was to examine the associations between spirituality and overall quality of life (QOL) and individual QOL domains in Black patients with cancer pain. A secondary data analysis of a parent study exploring pain medication adherence in Black patients receiving around-the-clock opioids with cancer pain was performed. All the participating patients completed Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being Scale (spirituality), Brief Pain Inventory (pain severity and interference), Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (symptoms), and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (QOL). Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between spirituality and overall QOL and QOL domains and to identify the predictors of overall QOL and QOL domains. Black patients treated for cancer pain (n = 102) completed the study. Pearson correlation showed significant positive associations between spirituality and overall QOL (p < 0.001) and individual QOL domains (physical, social, emotional, functional). Higher spirituality was associated with lower pain severity (p = 0.01), pain interference (p = 0.001) and total symptoms score (p < 0.001). In multiple regression analysis, the best model for the overall QOL explained 67% of the variance (p < 0.001) and included total symptoms score, pain interference, spirituality and age. Spirituality significantly predicted QOL domains of social (p < 0.0001), emotional (p = 0.002) and functional well-being (p = 0.001) rather than physical well-being. Spirituality is associated with decreased pain and lower symptom burden and may serve as a protective factor against diminished overall QOL, specifically social, emotional and functional domains in back patients with cancer pain. There is a need to develop spirituality-based interventions along with symptom management interventions to improve QOL for this population. Copyright © 2018. Published by
The Role of Coping Styles in the Relationship between Personality Traits and Quality of Life of Multiple Sclerosis Patients

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Seyed Amir Hejazi Taghanaki

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS show different reactions to the disease according to their personality traits, which can affect their quality of life. In this research, the mediator role of coping styles was investigated in the relationship between personality traits and quality of life in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS. Methods: Of all individuals with MS, who were member of MS Society of Qom province, 170 persons were selected using probability convenient sampling. All the patients were investigated using a general questionnaire in addition to 3 international approved standard tools (including Stress Coping Styles, Quality of life, and Personality Traits questionnaires. Data analysis was performed by descriptive-analytical statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The significance level was considered as p<0.05. Results: The mean age of the patients was in the range of 18-59 years, 32.34±8.71, of whom 138 subjects (83.2% were female. In this research, there was a significant correlation between coping styles and quality of life and its dimensions in MS patients. The correlation between coping styles and personality traits, was significant. There was a significant correlation between personality traits and quality of life and its dimensions in MS patients. In this study, path analysis results proved the mediator role of coping styles in the relationship between variables of quality of life and personality traits. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, there is a significant correlation between personality traits of the individuals with MS and type of the used coping styles, which can affect the quality of life in these patients.
Experience of gratitude, awe and beauty in life among patients with multiple sclerosis and psychiatric disorders

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Büssing, Arndt; Wirth, Anne Gritli; Reiser, Franz

2014-01-01

Background: Feelings of gratitude and awe facilitate perceptions and cognitions that go beyond the focus of illness and include positive aspects of one's personal and interpersonal reality, even in the face of disease. We intended to measure feelings of gratitude, awe, and experiences of beauty...... spiritual practices (SpREUK-P) and their relation to experiences of Gratitude, Awe and Beauty in Life and life satisfaction (BMLSS-10). In total, 461 individuals (41 +/- 13 years; 68% women) with multiple sclerosis (46%) and depressive (22%) or other psychiatric disorders (32%) participated. Results: Among...... participants, 23% never, 43% rarely, 24% often, and 10% frequently experienced Gratitude. In contrast, 41% never, 37% rarely, 17% often, and 6% frequently experienced Awe. Beauty in Life was never experienced by 8% of the sample, and 28% rarely, 46% often, and 18% frequently experienced it. Gratitude (F = 9...
Non-motor symptoms and the quality of life in multiple system atrophy with different subtypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, LingYu; Cao, Bei; Ou, RuWei; Wei, Qian-Qian; Zhao, Bi; Yang, Jing; Wu, Ying; Shang, HuiFang

2017-02-01

The differences in non-motor symptoms (NMS) and quality of life (QOL) between MSA patients with different subtypes remain unknown, so do the determinants of poor QOL in both subtypes. A total of 172 MSA patients were enrolled in the study. NMS of patients with MSA were assessed using the non-motor symptoms scale (NMSS) and Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 item version (PDQ-39) was used to evaluate the QOL of patients with MSA. The most prevalent NMS domain was urinary (91.3%) in both subtypes. The mood/apathy domain was more severe in MSA-P than MSA-C patients (P sleep/fatigue symptoms and gastrointestinal symptoms were determinants of poor QOL in MSA-P patients. While in MSA-C patients, longer disease duration, disease severity and mood/apathy symptoms were determinants of poor QOL. NMS are more severe and prevalent in MSA-P patients, especially for mood/apathy and gastrointestinal symptoms. There is a close relationship between NMS and QOL in both MSA subtypes. Disease severity, longer disease duration and severe NMS are determinants of poor QOL in MSA. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Health profile and quality of life of elderly with hypertension

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Gabriela Freire de Almeida Vitorino

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: to evaluate the quality of life of hypertensive elderly women in the Family Health Strategy. Method: cross-sectional, descriptive and quantitative study that evaluated 60 hypertensive older women using the tool World Health Organization Quality of Life with 26 items divided into four domains: social relations, psychological, physical and environment. Results: regarding the quality of life in all domains, except the psychological domain, the quality of life was considered regular. The psychological domain demonstrated a quality of life that needs to improve. Some questions are presented as unsatisfactory, such as the items: pain and discomfort, dependence on antihypertensive medications, negative feelings, lack of health care and recreation. Conclusion: understanding the health profile and the quality of life of hypertensive elderly women allows better knowledge about them and their adaptation to the condition imposed by the disease, offering support for planning care strategies and health education interventions.
Preliminary validation study of the Spanish version of the satisfaction with life scale in persons with multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lucas-Carrasco, Ramona; Sastre-Garriga, Jaume; Galán, Ingrid; Den Oudsten, Brenda L; Power, Michael J

2014-01-01

To assess Life Satisfaction, using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and to analyze its psychometric properties in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Persons with MS (n = 84) recruited at the MS Centre of Catalonia (Spain) completed a battery of subjective assessments including the SWLS, the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument and disability module (WHOQOL-BREF, WHOQOL-DIS) and the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale-Depression (HADS-D); sociodemographic and disability status data were also gathered. Psychometric properties of the SWLS were investigated using standard psychometric methods. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient) was 0.84. A factor analysis using a principal components method showed a one factor structure accounting for 62.6% of the variance. Statistically significant correlations were confirmed between SWLS with WHOQOL-BREF, WHOQOL-DIS and HADS-D. SWLS scores were significantly different between a priori defined groups: probable depressed versus nondepressed and participants perceiving a mild versus severe impact of disability on their lives. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to report on the psychometrics properties of the SWLS in persons with MS. It might be a valuable tool to use in appraising persons with MS through the continuum of care. The Spanish version of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) is a reliable and valid instrument in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The SWLS is able to discriminate between participants with low or high scores on depressive symptoms or disability impact on life. SWLS might be useful through the continuum of care in persons with MS, including Rehabilitation Services.
Science at the supermarket: multiplication, personalization and consumption of science in everyday life.

Science.gov (United States)

Tateo, Luca

2014-06-01

Which is the kind science's psychological guidance upon everyday life? I will try to discuss some issues about the role that techno-scientific knowledge plays in sense-making and decision making about practical questions of life. This relation of both love and hate, antagonism and connivance is inscribable in a wider debate between a trend of science to intervene in fields that are traditionally prerogative of political, religious or ethical choices, and, on the other side, the position of those who aim at stemming "technocracy" and governing these processes. I argue that multiplication, personalization and consumption are the characteristics of the relationship between science, technology and society in the age of "multiculturalism" and "multi-scientism". This makes more difficult but intriguing the study and understanding of the processes through which scientific knowledge is socialized. Science topics, like biotech, climate change, etc. are today an unavoidable reference frame. It is not possible to not know them and to attach them to the most disparate questions. Like in the case of Moscovici's "Freud for all seasons", the fact itself that the members of a group or a society believe in science as a reference point for others, roots its social representation and the belief that it can solve everyday life problems.
Self-Esteem is Relatively Stable Late in Life: The Role of Resources in the Health, Self-Regulation, and Social Domains

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Wagner, Jenny; Hoppmann, Christiane; Ram, Nilam; Gerstorf, Denis

2015-01-01

A large body of research has documented changes in self-esteem across adulthood and individual-difference correlates thereof. However, little is known about whether people maintain their self-esteem until the end of life and what role key risk factors in the health, cognitive, self-regulatory, and social domains play. To examine these questions, we apply growth modeling to 13-year longitudinal data obtained from by now deceased participants of the Berlin Aging Study (BASE, N = 462; age 70 – 103, M = 86.3 yrs., SD = 8.3; 51% male). Results revealed that self-esteem, on average, does decline in very old age and close to death, but the amount of typical decline is minor. Health-related constraints and disabilities as well as lower control beliefs and higher loneliness were each associated with lower self-esteem late in life. We obtained initial evidence that some of these associations were stronger among the oldest-old participants. Our results corroborate and extend initial reports that self-esteem is, on average, fairly stable into the last years of life. We discuss possible pathways by which common and often severe late-life challenges may undermine an otherwise relatively robust self-esteem system. PMID:25546600
A domain-based approach to predict protein-protein interactions

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Resat Haluk

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Knowing which proteins exist in a certain organism or cell type and how these proteins interact with each other are necessary for the understanding of biological processes at the whole cell level. The determination of the protein-protein interaction (PPI networks has been the subject of extensive research. Despite the development of reasonably successful methods, serious technical difficulties still exist. In this paper we present DomainGA, a quantitative computational approach that uses the information about the domain-domain interactions to predict the interactions between proteins. Results DomainGA is a multi-parameter optimization method in which the available PPI information is used to derive a quantitative scoring scheme for the domain-domain pairs. Obtained domain interaction scores are then used to predict whether a pair of proteins interacts. Using the yeast PPI data and a series of tests, we show the robustness and insensitivity of the DomainGA method to the selection of the parameter sets, score ranges, and detection rules. Our DomainGA method achieves very high explanation ratios for the positive and negative PPIs in yeast. Based on our cross-verification tests on human PPIs, comparison of the optimized scores with the structurally observed domain interactions obtained from the iPFAM database, and sensitivity and specificity analysis; we conclude that our DomainGA method shows great promise to be applicable across multiple organisms. Conclusion We envision the DomainGA as a first step of a multiple tier approach to constructing organism specific PPIs. As it is based on fundamental structural information, the DomainGA approach can be used to create potential PPIs and the accuracy of the constructed interaction template can be further improved using complementary methods. Explanation ratios obtained in the reported test case studies clearly show that the false prediction rates of the template networks constructed
SH3 Domains Differentially Stimulate Distinct Dynamin I Assembly Modes and G Domain Activity.

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Sai Krishnan

Full Text Available Dynamin I is a highly regulated GTPase enzyme enriched in nerve terminals which mediates vesicle fission during synaptic vesicle endocytosis. One regulatory mechanism involves its interactions with proteins containing Src homology 3 (SH3 domains. At least 30 SH3 domain-containing proteins bind dynamin at its proline-rich domain (PRD. Those that stimulate dynamin activity act by promoting its oligomerisation. We undertook a systematic parallel screening of 13 glutathione-S-transferase (GST-tagged endocytosis-related SH3 domains on dynamin binding, GTPase activity and oligomerisation. No correlation was found between dynamin binding and their potency to stimulate GTPase activity. There was limited correlation between the extent of their ability to stimulate dynamin activity and the level of oligomerisation, indicating an as yet uncharacterised allosteric coupling of the PRD and G domain. We examined the two variants, dynamin Iab and Ibb, which differ in the alternately splice middle domain α2 helix. They responded differently to the panel of SH3s, with the extent of stimulation between the splice variants varying greatly between the SH3s. This study reveals that SH3 binding can act as a heterotropic allosteric regulator of the G domain via the middle domain α2 helix, suggesting an involvement of this helix in communicating the PRD-mediated allostery. This indicates that SH3 binding both stabilises multiple conformations of the tetrameric building block of dynamin, and promotes assembly of dynamin-SH3 complexes with distinct rates of GTP hydrolysis.
AAA architectures applied in multi-domain IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ooms, W.S.; Karagiannis, G.; Deventer, M.O. van; Veldhuizen, J.

2007-01-01

There is a group of communication services that use resources from multiple domains in order to deliver their service. Authorization of the end-user is important for such services, because several domains are involved. There are no current solutions for delivering authentication, authorization and
AAA architectures applied in multi-domain IMS (IP multimedia subsystem)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ooms, W.S.; Karagiannis, Georgios; van Deventer, M.O.; Veldhuizen, J.; Devetsikiotis, M.; Michailidis, G.

2007-01-01

There is a group of communication services that use resources from multiple domains in order to deliver their service. Authorization of the end-user is important for such services, because several domains are involved. There are no current solutions for delivering authentication, authorization and

Spectral-domain low-coherence interferometry for phase-sensitive measurement of Faraday rotation at multiple depths.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeh, Yi-Jou; Black, Adam J; Akkin, Taner

2013-10-10

We describe a method for differential phase measurement of Faraday rotation from multiple depth locations simultaneously. A polarization-maintaining fiber-based spectral-domain interferometer that utilizes a low-coherent light source and a single camera is developed. Light decorrelated by the orthogonal channels of the fiber is launched on a sample as two oppositely polarized circular states. These states reflect from sample surfaces and interfere with the corresponding states of the reference arm. A custom spectrometer, which is designed to simplify camera alignment, separates the orthogonal channels and records the interference-related oscillations on both spectra. Inverse Fourier transform of the spectral oscillations in k-space yields complex depth profiles, whose amplitudes and phase difference are related to reflectivity and Faraday rotation within the sample, respectively. Information along a full depth profile is produced at the camera speed without performing an axial scan for a multisurface sample. System sensitivity for the Faraday rotation measurement is 0.86 min of arc. Verdet constants of clear liquids and turbid media are measured at 687 nm.
Self-esteem, social participation, and quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Mikula, Pavol; Nagyova, Iveta; Krokavcova, Martina; Vitkova, Marianna; Rosenberger, Jaroslav; Szilasiova, Jarmila; Gdovinova, Zuzana; Stewart, Roy E; Groothoff, Johan W; van Dijk, Jitse P

2017-07-01

The aim of this study is to explore whether self-esteem and social participation are associated with the physical and mental quality of life (Physical Component Summary, Mental Component Summary) and whether self-esteem can mediate the association between these variables. We collected information from 118 consecutive multiple sclerosis patients. Age, gender, disease duration, disability status, and participation were significant predictors of Physical Component Summary, explaining 55.4 percent of the total variance. Self-esteem fully mediated the association between social participation and Mental Component Summary (estimate/standard error = -4.872; p educational programs.
Reconceptualizing the Domain and Boundaries of Family Life Education

Science.gov (United States)

Myers-Walls, Judith A.; Ballard, Sharon M.; Darling, Carol Anderson; Myers-Bowman, Karen S.

2011-01-01

Many scholars have defined family life education (FLE), and some have differentiated it from other family-related fields. For example, Doherty (1995) provided a definition of the boundaries between FLE and family therapy; however, we believe those criteria can be improved. We explore the professions of family life education, family therapy, and…
Unpacking the determinants of life satisfaction: A survey experiment

OpenAIRE

Corazzini, Luca; Bertoni, Marco; Angelini, Viola

2014-01-01

We present results of a survey experiment aimed at assessing context effects on subjects' reported life satisfaction, exerted by raising awareness of fundamental life domains - income, family, job, friends, sentimental relationships and health - through questionnaire manipulations. While simply presenting subjects with the list of the domains before evaluating overall life satisfaction has no effect on the distribution of life satisfaction, asking subjects to report their satisfaction with ea...
Parent-reported quality of life of children with cerebral palsy in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arnaud, Catherine; White-Koning, Melanie; I. Michelsen, Susan

2008-01-01

: The parental response rates were >93% for all domains except one. Gross motor function and IQ level were found to be associated independently with quality of life in most domains. However, greater severity of impairment was not always associated with poorer quality of life; in the moods and emotions, self-perception......, social acceptance, and school environment domains, less severely impaired children were more likely to have poor quality of life. Pain was associated with poor quality of life in the physical and psychological well-being and self-perception domains. Parents with higher levels of stress were more likely...
Overview of multi-input frequency domain modal testing methods with an emphasis on sine testing

Science.gov (United States)

Rost, Robert W.; Brown, David L.

1988-01-01

An overview of the current state of the art multiple-input, multiple-output modal testing technology is discussed. A very brief review of the current time domain methods is given. A detailed review of frequency and spatial domain methods is presented with an emphasis on sine testing.
Disrupted Refugee Family Life

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shapiro, Ditte Krogh

2017-01-01

Fleeing civil war involves managing life threatening events and multiple disruptions of everyday life. The theoretical potentials of analysing the recreation of everyday family life among Syrian refugees in Denmark is explored based on conceptualizations that emphasize the collective agency...... of family members in social historical contexts. Studying the multiple perspectives of family members shows how social support conceptualized as care practises is conflictual in the changing everyday family practices that are transformed by policy. The purpose of studying how families manage to flee civil...... war and struggle to recreate an everyday life in exile is to contribute with contextualization and expansion of mainstream understandings of family life, suffering, and resilience in refugee family trajectories in multiple contexts....
Science advancements key to increasing management value of life stage monitoring networks for endangered Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon in California

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Rachel C.; Windell, Sean; Brandes, Patricia L.; Conrad, J. Louise; Ferguson, John; Goertler, Pascale A. L.; Harvey, Brett N.; Heublein, Joseph; Isreal, Joshua A.; Kratville, Daniel W.; Kirsch, Joseph E.; Perry, Russell W.; Pisciotto, Joseph; Poytress, William R.; Reece, Kevin; Swart, Brycen G.

2017-01-01

A robust monitoring network that provides quantitative information about the status of imperiled species at key life stages and geographic locations over time is fundamental for sustainable management of fisheries resources. For anadromous species, management actions in one geographic domain can substantially affect abundance of subsequent life stages that span broad geographic regions. Quantitative metrics (e.g., abundance, movement, survival, life history diversity, and condition) at multiple life stages are needed to inform how management actions (e.g., hatcheries, harvest, hydrology, and habitat restoration) influence salmon population dynamics. The existing monitoring network for endangered Sacramento River winterrun Chinook Salmon (SRWRC, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in California’s Central Valley was compared to conceptual models developed for each life stage and geographic region of the life cycle to identify relevant SRWRC metrics. We concluded that the current monitoring network was insufficient to diagnose when (life stage) and where (geographic domain) chronic or episodic reductions in SRWRC cohorts occur, precluding within- and among-year comparisons. The strongest quantitative data exist in the Upper Sacramento River, where abundance estimates are generated for adult spawners and emigrating juveniles. However, once SRWRC leave the upper river, our knowledge of their identity, abundance, and condition diminishes, despite the juvenile monitoring enterprise. We identified six system-wide recommended actions to strengthen the value of data generated from the existing monitoring network to assess resource management actions: (1) incorporate genetic run identification; (2) develop juvenile abundance estimates; (3) collect data for life history diversity metrics at multiple life stages; (4) expand and enhance real-time fish survival and movement monitoring; (5) collect fish condition data; and (6) provide timely public access to monitoring data in open data
Examining the Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties of the Quality of Life Scale among People with Multiple Sclerosis

Science.gov (United States)

Fitzgerald, Shawn M.; Li, Jian; Rumrill, Phillip D., Jr.; Bishop, Malachy; Merchant, William R.

2015-01-01

Rehabilitation counseling researchers seeking to more fully understand the phenomenon of psychosocial adaptation to disability are devoting increased attention to the impact of disability on quality of life (QOL). This impact has been of particular interest among multiple sclerosis (MS) researchers. The complex etiology, unpredictable nature, and…
Multiple purpose electrical profit; Emprendimiento electrico de prestacion multiple

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assennato, H. [Electrica de Azul Ltda., Buenos Aires (Argentina)

1986-12-31

This paper shows the multiple purpose aspects of electrification projects in rural and isolated areas. The multiple aspects involved in the electrification process may include, over electric power supply: improvement of life quality, irrigation and rural mechanization. 4 figs., 6 tabs., 4 refs.
Testing domains of the healing experiences in all life stressors questionnaire in a cohort of HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected Chicago women

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mistretta EG

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Erin G Mistretta,1,2 Danetta Sloan,1 Karlynn BrintzenhofeSzoc,3 Kathleen M Weber,4 Ann Berger1 1Pain and Palliative Care Service, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 2Department of Psychology, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, 3School of Social Work, College of Allied Health Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 4HIV Research, Hektoen Institute of Medicine/Cook County Health and Hospitals System, Chicago, IL, USA Purpose: Patients may deal with issues of spiritual and religious meaning when coping with life-threatening or chronic illness. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have developed the healing experiences in all life stressors (HEALS questionnaire, an assessment to determine psychosocial spiritual adjustment to healing. Many measures assess religious and spiritual behavior, but there exists a need to capture the meaning of these factors in the process of healing. The instrument consists of spirituality, religion, interpersonal, and intrapersonal domains. This study explores the preliminary partial validation of the spirituality and religion domains of the HEALS against the Ironson–Woods Spirituality and Religiousness Index (IWSR.Methods: The abbreviated HEALS, IWSR, and a measure of depression were completed by 205 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected women from Chicago as part of the Women’s Interagency HIV Study. Total scores on the HEALS and IWSR were correlated using Pearson correlations to examine convergent validity. Total depression scores were analyzed with Pearson correlations to investigate criterion validity.Results: Responses between the abbreviated HEALS and IWSR were highly correlated (r=0.74. Similar to other measures of its kind, scores on the HEALS were associated with depressive symptoms. Women with clinically significant depressive symptoms scored significantly lower on the HEALS than women without. No significant differences were found for
Structure and dynamics of the human pleckstrin DEP domain: distinct molecular features of a novel DEP domain subfamily.

Science.gov (United States)

Civera, Concepcion; Simon, Bernd; Stier, Gunter; Sattler, Michael; Macias, Maria J

2005-02-01

Pleckstrin1 is a major substrate for protein kinase C in platelets and leukocytes, and comprises a central DEP (disheveled, Egl-10, pleckstrin) domain, which is flanked by two PH (pleckstrin homology) domains. DEP domains display a unique alpha/beta fold and have been implicated in membrane binding utilizing different mechanisms. Using multiple sequence alignments and phylogenetic tree reconstructions, we find that 6 subfamilies of the DEP domain exist, of which pleckstrin represents a novel and distinct subfamily. To clarify structural determinants of the DEP fold and to gain further insight into the role of the DEP domain, we determined the three-dimensional structure of the pleckstrin DEP domain using heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy. Pleckstrin DEP shares main structural features with the DEP domains of disheveled and Epac, which belong to different DEP subfamilies. However, the pleckstrin DEP fold is distinct from these structures and contains an additional, short helix alpha4 inserted in the beta4-beta5 loop that exhibits increased backbone mobility as judged by NMR relaxation measurements. Based on sequence conservation, the helix alpha4 may also be present in the DEP domains of regulator of G-protein signaling (RGS) proteins, which are members of the same DEP subfamily. In pleckstrin, the DEP domain is surrounded by two PH domains. Structural analysis and charge complementarity suggest that the DEP domain may interact with the N-terminal PH domain in pleckstrin. Phosphorylation of the PH-DEP linker, which is required for pleckstrin function, could regulate such an intramolecular interaction. This suggests a role of the pleckstrin DEP domain in intramolecular domain interactions, which is distinct from the functions of other DEP domain subfamilies found so far.
Multiple Mediation of Self-Esteem and Perceived Social Support in the Relationship between Loneliness and Life Satisfaction

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Yildiz, Mehmet Ali

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to test serial-multiple mediation role of self-esteem and perceived social support on the relationship between university students' loneliness and life satisfaction. The participants of this study consisted of 398 undergraduate students, with 289 females and 109 males aged between 17 and 41 with a mean age of 21.79 (SD…
The DIMA web resource--exploring the protein domain network.

Science.gov (United States)

Pagel, Philipp; Oesterheld, Matthias; Stümpflen, Volker; Frishman, Dmitrij

2006-04-15

Conserved domains represent essential building blocks of most known proteins. Owing to their role as modular components carrying out specific functions they form a network based both on functional relations and direct physical interactions. We have previously shown that domain interaction networks provide substantially novel information with respect to networks built on full-length protein chains. In this work we present a comprehensive web resource for exploring the Domain Interaction MAp (DIMA), interactively. The tool aims at integration of multiple data sources and prediction techniques, two of which have been implemented so far: domain phylogenetic profiling and experimentally demonstrated domain contacts from known three-dimensional structures. A powerful yet simple user interface enables the user to compute, visualize, navigate and download domain networks based on specific search criteria. http://mips.gsf.de/genre/proj/dima
Relevance of quality of life assessment for multiple sclerosis patients with memory impairment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karine Baumstarck

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Memory disturbances, in particular episodic verbal memory dysfunction, are the most frequent cognitive impairment observed in multiple sclerosis (MS patients. The use of self-reported outcomes for evaluating treatment and managing care of these subjects has been questioned. The aim of this study was to provide new evidence about the suitability of self-reported outcomes for use in this impaired population by exploring the internal structure, reliability and external validity of a specific quality of life (QoL instrument, the Multiple Sclerosis International Quality of Life questionnaire (MusiQoL. METHODS: DESIGN: cross-sectional study. INCLUSION CRITERIA: MS patients of any disease subtype. DATA COLLECTION: sociodemographic (age, gender, marital status, education level, and occupational activity and clinical data (MS subtype, Expanded Disability Status Scale, disease duration; QoL (MusiQoL and SF36; and memory performance (Grober and Buschke test. In accordance with the French norms of the memory test, non-impaired and impaired populations were defined for short- and long-delay free composites and for short- and long-delay total composites. For the 8 populations, psychometric properties were compared to those reported from the reference population assessed in the validation study. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: One hundred and twenty-four consecutive patients were enrolled. The analysis performed in the impaired populations showed that the questionnaire structure adequately matched the initial structure of the MusiQoL. The unidimensionality of the dimensions was preserved, and the internal/external validity indices were close to those of the reference population. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our study suggests that memory dysfunction did not compromise the reliability or validity of the self-reported QoL questionnaires.
Characterizing interdependencies of multiple time series theory and applications

CERN Document Server

Hosoya, Yuzo; Takimoto, Taro; Kinoshita, Ryo

2017-01-01

This book introduces academic researchers and professionals to the basic concepts and methods for characterizing interdependencies of multiple time series in the frequency domain. Detecting causal directions between a pair of time series and the extent of their effects, as well as testing the non existence of a feedback relation between them, have constituted major focal points in multiple time series analysis since Granger introduced the celebrated definition of causality in view of prediction improvement. Causality analysis has since been widely applied in many disciplines. Although most analyses are conducted from the perspective of the time domain, a frequency domain method introduced in this book sheds new light on another aspect that disentangles the interdependencies between multiple time series in terms of long-term or short-term effects, quantitatively characterizing them. The frequency domain method includes the Granger noncausality test as a special case. Chapters 2 and 3 of the book introduce an i...
Semistar-Krull and Valuative Dimension of Integral Domains

OpenAIRE

Sahandi, Parviz

2008-01-01

Given a stable semistar operation of finite type $\\star$ on an integral domain $D$, we show that it is possible to define in a canonical way a stable semistar operation of finite type $\\star[X]$ on the polynomial ring $D[X]$, such that, if $n:=\\star$-$\\dim(D)$, then $n+1\\leq \\star[X]\\text{-}\\dim(D[X])\\leq 2n+1$. We also establish that if $D$ is a $\\star$-Noetherian domain or is a Pr\\"{u}fer $\\star$-multiplication domain, then $\\star[X]\\text{-}\\dim(D[X])=\\star\\text{-}\\dim(D)+1$. Moreover we de...
[User Associations and Multiple Sclerosis: Impact of Neoliberalism in France on the trajectory of life].

Science.gov (United States)

Colinet, Séverine

Multiple sclerosis is a neurological disease that induces limitation of bodily performance. It has a major impact on the work and social life of affected persons because the patient's disability, often in the absence of visible symptoms, is o source of incomprehension in a society marked by the neoliberal dogma of performance. Patient associations often provide support for patients in their trajectory. The aim of this research was to identify how the principles of neoliberalism manifest themselves in the discourse of multiple sclerosis subjects, to understand the effects of neoliberal integration, and to clarify the role played by the association involvement in the trajectories of life. This qualitative study was based on 30 individual interviews and 4 group interviews with patients, as well as 23 observations of patient group meetings and focus groups. Ten people met in interviews also kept a mini-diary, in order to record their daily involvement in a patient association. Data were analysed thematically, initially independently then by cross-linked AtlasTi software. The association constitutes two forms, practical and ideological, an illustration of the resistance to neoliberalism, particularly in the form of individual and collective responsibilities. However, to a certain extent, it also recreates performance spaces. From a practical point of view, this research re-affirms the need to create collective activities to accompany people with chronic illness.
Quality of life, treatment adherence, and locus of control: multiple family groups for chronic medical illnesses.

Science.gov (United States)

López-Larrosa, Silvia

2013-12-01

The Multiple Family Groups (MFGs) approach for patients with a chronic medical illness and their families is a structured psychoeducational program that unfolds in six weekly 90-minute sessions. In the MFGs, patients and family members explore new ways to balance illness and nonillness priorities in family life (Steinglass, 1998; Steinglass, 2000 Cuadernos de Terapia Familiar, 44-45, 11; Steinglass, Ostroff, & Steinglass, 2011 Family Process, 50, 393). © FPI, Inc.
"What makes life good?" Developing a culturally grounded quality of life measure for Alaska Native college students.

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Sharma, Dinghy Kristine B; Lopez, Ellen D S; Mekiana, Deborah; Ctibor, Alaina; Church, Charlene

2013-01-01

Alaska Native (AN) college students experience higher attrition rates than their non-Native peers. Understanding the factors that contribute to quality of life ("what makes life good") for AN students will help inform supportive programs that are congruent with their culture and college life experiences. Co-develop a conceptual model and a measure of quality of life (QOL) that reflects the experiences of AN college students. Six focus groups were conducted with 26 AN college students. Within a community-academic partnership, interactive data collection activities, co-analysis workgroup sessions and an interactive findings forum ensured a participant-driven research process. Students identified and operationally defined eight QOL domains (values, culture and traditions, spirituality, relationships, basic needs, health, learning and leisure). The metaphor of a tree visually illustrates how the domains values, culture and traditions and spirituality form the roots to the other domains that appear to branch out as students navigate the dual worldviews of Native and Western ways of living. The eight QOL domains and their items identified during focus groups were integrated into a visual model and an objective QOL measure. The hope is to provide a useful tool for developing and evaluating university-based programs and services aimed toward promoting a positive QOL and academic success for AN students.

The Multiple Life of Nerve Growth Factor: Tribute to Rita Levi-Montalcini (1909-2012

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luigi Aloe

2013-03-01

Full Text Available At the end of the 19th century, it was envisaged by Santiago Ramon y Cajal, but not, proven, that life at the neuronal level requires trophic support. The proof was obtained in the early 1950's by work initiated by Rita Levi-Montalcini (RLM discovering the nerve growth factor (NGF. Today, NGF and its relatives, collectively designated neurotrophins, are well recognized as mediators of multiple biological phenomena in health and disease, ranging from the neurotrophic through immunotrophic and epitheliotrophic to metabotrophic effects. Consequently, NGF and other neurotrophins are implicated in the pathogenesis of a large spectrum of neuronal and non-neuronal diseases, from Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases to atherosclerosis and other cardiometabolic diseases. Recent studies demonstrated the therapeutic potentials of NGF in these diseases, including ocular and cutaneous diseases. Furthermore, NGF TrkA receptor antagonists emerged as novel drugs for pain, prostate and breast cancer, melanoma, and urinary bladder syndromes. Altogether, NGF's multiple potential in health and disease is briefly described here.
The multiple life of nerve growth factor: tribute to rita levi-montalcini (1909-2012).

Science.gov (United States)

Aloe, Luigi; Chaldakov, George N

2013-03-01

At the end of the 19(th) century, it was envisaged by Santiago Ramon y Cajal, but not, proven, that life at the neuronal level requires trophic support. The proof was obtained in the early 1950's by work initiated by Rita Levi-Montalcini (RLM) discovering the nerve growth factor (NGF). Today, NGF and its relatives, collectively designated neurotrophins, are well recognized as mediators of multiple biological phenomena in health and disease, ranging from the neurotrophic through immunotrophic and epitheliotrophic to metabotrophic effects. Consequently, NGF and other neurotrophins are implicated in the pathogenesis of a large spectrum of neuronal and non-neuronal diseases, from Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases to atherosclerosis and other cardiometabolic diseases. Recent studies demonstrated the therapeutic potentials of NGF in these diseases, including ocular and cutaneous diseases. Furthermore, NGF TrkA receptor antagonists emerged as novel drugs for pain, prostate and breast cancer, melanoma, and urinary bladder syndromes. Altogether, NGF's multiple potential in health and disease is briefly described here.
The architectural design of networks of protein domain architectures.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Chia-Hsin; Chen, Chien-Kuo; Hwang, Ming-Jing

2013-08-23

Protein domain architectures (PDAs), in which single domains are linked to form multiple-domain proteins, are a major molecular form used by evolution for the diversification of protein functions. However, the design principles of PDAs remain largely uninvestigated. In this study, we constructed networks to connect domain architectures that had grown out from the same single domain for every single domain in the Pfam-A database and found that there are three main distinctive types of these networks, which suggests that evolution can exploit PDAs in three different ways. Further analysis showed that these three different types of PDA networks are each adopted by different types of protein domains, although many networks exhibit the characteristics of more than one of the three types. Our results shed light on nature's blueprint for protein architecture and provide a framework for understanding architectural design from a network perspective.
Transit Timing Observations from Kepler: III. Confirmation of 4 Multiple Planet Systems by a Fourier-Domain Study of Anti-correlated Transit Timing Variations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steffen, Jason H.; /Fermilab; Fabrycky, Daniel C.; /Lick Observ.; Ford, Eric B.; /Florida U.; Carter, Joshua A.; /Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.; Fressin, Francois; /Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.; Holman, Matthew J.; /Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.; Lissauer, Jack J.; /NASA, Ames; Rowe, Jason F.; /SETI Inst., Mtn. View /NASA, Ames; Ragozzine, Darin; /Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.; Welsh, William F.; /Caltech; Borucki, William J.; /NASA, Ames /UC, Santa Barbara

2012-01-01

We present a method to confirm the planetary nature of objects in systems with multiple transiting exoplanet candidates. This method involves a Fourier-domain analysis of the deviations in the transit times from a constant period that result from dynamical interactions within the system. The combination of observed anticorrelations in the transit times and mass constraints from dynamical stability allow us to claim the discovery of four planetary systems, Kepler-25, Kepler-26, Kepler-27 and Kepler-28, containing eight planets and one additional planet candidate.
The effect of social support on the quality of life of patients with multiple sclerosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Castro Costa

2012-02-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To determine the predictive value of social support on health related quality of life (HRQoL in multiple sclerosis (MS patients. METHODS: The sample is composed by 150 MS consecutive patients. We used the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey to assess social support and the Health Status Questionnaire to assess HRQoL. For inferential analysis, we used the Multiple Linear Regression with stepwise selection of variables. RESULTS: The age, basic education, psychological support and disability explains 41.6% of the variance in physical function, 29.4% in physical performance and 30.6% in emotional performance. Age and psychological support explains 23.1% of the variance in physical function and 29.4% in vitality. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that social support is a predictor with a significant effect on HRQoL in MS.
Comparison quality of life patients treated with insulin and oral hypoglycemic drugs

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Harahap, A. W.; Nasution, M. S.

2018-03-01

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a group of chronic metabolic diseases with characteristic hyperglycemia that occurs due to abnormalities in insulin secretion, insulin action or both. Improved quality of life is one of the goals of DM management. This study aims to compare thequality of life in40 patients with type 2 diabetes using insulin therapy and 40 patients using oral hypoglycemic drugs in H. Adam Malik Hospital year 2015. This study is an observational study with cross-sectionalstudy designand consecutive sampling method. Evaluation of the patient’s quality of life taken through interviews and questionnaires using the Short Form-36 questionnaire consistingof8 domains of quality of life. Statistical analysis using unpaired t-test and Mann-Whitney test. Results of the quality of life-based on patient characteristics showed significant differences in education factor (p=0.005) and employment factor (p=0.001). Quality of life-based on therapy showed significant differences in domain role of physical (p=0.005) and domain role of emotional (p=0.038).The quality of life of patients with type 2 diabetes using insulin better than using hypoglycemic drug significantly in domain role of physical and domain role of emotions.
Knowledge of Aging and Life Satisfaction among Older Adults

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Davis, Neil C.; Friedrich, Douglas

2004-01-01

Four hundred young-, middle-, and old-old adults responded to a battery of quizzes dealing with life satisfaction and objective aging knowledge in the physical, psychological, and social domains. Analyses incorporated domains of aging knowledge, life satisfaction, age, gender, and demographic variables. Both means difference and regression…
“En-Face” Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Findings in Multiple Evanescent White Dot Syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Flore De bats

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The recent use of “en-face” enhanced-depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (EDI SD-OCT helps distinguish the retinal layers involved in the physiopathology of multiple evanescent white dot syndrome (MEWDS. Methods. Four patients presenting with MEWDS underwent a comprehensive ocular examination including C-scan (“en-face” EDI SD-OCT at the initial visit and during follow-up. Results. C-scans combined with the other multimodal imaging enabled the visualization of retinal damage. Acute lesions appeared as diffuse and focal disruptions occurring in the ellipsoid and interdigitation zones. The match between autofluorescence imaging, indocyanine green angiography, and “en-face” OCT helped identify the acute microstructural damages in the outer retina further than the choroid. Follow-up using “en-face” EDI-OCT revealed progressive and complete recovery of the central outer retinal layers. Conclusion. “En-face” EDI SD-OCT identified the site of initial damage in MEWDS as the photoreceptors and the interdigitation layers rather than the choroid. Moreover, “en-face” OCT is helpful in the follow-up of these lesions by being able to show the recovery of the outer retinal layers.
A history of health-related quality of life outcomes in psychiatry.

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Revicki, Dennis A; Kleinman, Leah; Cella, David

2014-06-01

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a multidimensional concept that includes subjective reports of symptoms, side effects, functioning in multiple life domains, and general perceptions of life satisfaction and quality. Rather than estimating it from external observations, interview, or clinical assessment, it is best measured by direct query. Due to a perception that respondents may not be reliable or credible, there has been some reluctance to use self-report outcomes in psychiatry. More recently, and increasingly, HRQoL assessment through direct patient query has become common when evaluating a range of psychiatric, psychological, and social therapies. With few exceptions, psychiatric patients are credible and reliable reporters of this information. This article summarizes studies that highlight the development, validation, and application of HRQoL measures in psychiatry. Thoughtful application of these tools in psychiatric research can provide a much-needed patient perspective in the future of comparative effectiveness research, patient-centered outcomes research, and clinical care.
Quality of Life in and After Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation: A Longitudinal Multicenter Study

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Kennedy, P.; Elfström, M.L.; Ballert, C.S.

2014-01-01

Purpose: To investigate the changes in quality of life (QOL) in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) and their close persons during the first 2 years post injury. Method: Longitudinal multiple sample multiple wave panel design. Data included 292 patients recruited from Austrian British German Irish and Swiss specialist SCI rehabilitation centers and 55 of their close persons. Questionnaire booklets were administered at 6 weeks 12 weeks 1 year and 2 years after injury to both samples. Results: Study 1 investigated the WHOQOL-BREF domains in individuals with SCI and found differences mostly in the physical domain indicating that QOL increases for persons with SCI from onset. An effect of the culture was observed in the psychological and environmental domains with higher QOL scores in the German-speaking sample. Study 2 compared individuals with SCI to their close persons and found differences in the physical environmental and social domains over time. The scores on the psychological dimension did not significantly differ between the persons with SCI and their close persons over time. Conclusion: QOL measured by the WHOQOL-BREF shows that QOL changes during rehabilitation and after discharge. Apart from the physical dimension the persons with SCI and their close persons seem to experience a similar change in QOL. Further longitudinal research is suggested to clarify the mutual adjustment process of people with SCI and their close persons and to explore cultural differences in QOL between English-and German-speaking countries. PMID:25484566
Expression and Production of SH2 Domain Proteins.

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Liu, Bernard A; Ogiue-Ikeda, Mari; Machida, Kazuya

2017-01-01

The Src Homology 2 (SH2) domain lies at the heart of phosphotyrosine signaling, coordinating signaling events downstream of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), adaptors, and scaffolds. Over a hundred SH2 domains are present in mammals, each having a unique specificity which determines its interactions with multiple binding partners. One of the essential tools necessary for studying and determining the role of SH2 domains in phosphotyrosine signaling is a set of soluble recombinant SH2 proteins. Here we describe methods, based on a broad experience with purification of all SH2 domains, for the production of SH2 domain proteins needed for proteomic and biochemical-based studies such as peptide arrays, mass-spectrometry, protein microarrays, reverse-phase microarrays, and high-throughput fluorescence polarization (HTP-FP). We describe stepwise protocols for expression and purification of SH2 domains using GST or poly His-tags, two widely adopted affinity tags. In addition, we address alternative approaches, challenges, and validation studies for assessing protein quality and provide general characteristics of purified human SH2 domains.
Cooperative interactions between paired domain and homeodomain.

Science.gov (United States)

Jun, S; Desplan, C

1996-09-01

The Pax proteins are a family of transcriptional regulators involved in many developmental processes in all higher eukaryotes. They are characterized by the presence of a paired domain (PD), a bipartite DNA binding domain composed of two helix-turn-helix (HTH) motifs,the PAI and RED domains. The PD is also often associated with a homeodomain (HD) which is itself able to form homo- and hetero-dimers on DNA. Many of these proteins therefore contain three HTH motifs each able to recognize DNA. However, all PDs recognize highly related DNA sequences, and most HDs also recognize almost identical sites. We show here that different Pax proteins use multiple combinations of their HTHs to recognize several types of target sites. For instance, the Drosophila Paired protein can bind, in vitro, exclusively through its PAI domain, or through a dimer of its HD, or through cooperative interaction between PAI domain and HD. However, prd function in vivo requires the synergistic action of both the PAI domain and the HD. Pax proteins with only a PD appear to require both PAI and RED domains, while a Pax-6 isoform and a new Pax protein, Lune, may rely on the RED domain and HD. We propose a model by which Pax proteins recognize different target genes in vivo through various combinations of their DNA binding domains, thus expanding their recognition repertoire.
Orthogonal Multi-Carrier DS-CDMA with Frequency-Domain Equalization

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, Ken; Tomeba, Hiromichi; Adachi, Fumiyuki

Orthogonal multi-carrier direct sequence code division multiple access (orthogonal MC DS-CDMA) is a combination of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and time-domain spreading, while multi-carrier code division multiple access (MC-CDMA) is a combination of OFDM and frequency-domain spreading. In MC-CDMA, a good bit error rate (BER) performance can be achieved by using frequency-domain equalization (FDE), since the frequency diversity gain is obtained. On the other hand, the conventional orthogonal MC DS-CDMA fails to achieve any frequency diversity gain. In this paper, we propose a new orthogonal MC DS-CDMA that can obtain the frequency diversity gain by applying FDE. The conditional BER analysis is presented. The theoretical average BER performance in a frequency-selective Rayleigh fading channel is evaluated by the Monte-Carlo numerical computation method using the derived conditional BER and is confirmed by computer simulation of the orthogonal MC DS-CDMA signal transmission.
End-of-life content in treatment guidelines for life-limiting diseases.

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Mast, Kimberly R; Salama, Marybeth; Silverman, Gabriel K; Arnold, Robert M

2004-12-01

Clinical guidelines are systematically developed statements that influence medical practice, education, and funding. Guidelines represent the consensus of leaders, often based on systematic reviews of the literature, regarding the "state of the art." To assess the degree to which end-of-life care is integrated into nationally developed guidelines for chronic, noncurable, life-limiting diseases. Four compendia were reviewed: The Healthcare Standards Directory ECRI, 2001; the Clinical Practice Guidelines Directory, 2000 edition; the National Guidelines Clearinghouse, (guideline.gov); and the National Library of Medicine's MEDLINE database on the OVID platform for guidelines on nine chronic diseases (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, end-stage liver disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, congestive heart failure, dementia, cerebrovascular accident, end-stage renal disease, cancer [breast, colon, prostate, lung], and human immunodeficiency virus). They were assessed by two reviewers for end-of-life content in 15 domains (e.g., epidemiology of death, symptom management, spiritual, family roles, and settings of care), the presence of eight specific terms dealing with palliative care, integration of palliative care information into the guideline, and descriptive variables. Not available. Each guideline was examined and rated on a 0-2 scale (0, absent content; 1, minimal content; 2, helpful content) using 15 end-of-life content domains. Scores from domains were summed and classified into 3 categories: 4 or less, minimal; 5-12, moderate; and more than 12, significant content. Ten percent of guidelines had significant palliative care content, 64% had minimal content, and 26% had moderate content. The least addressed domains dealt with spirituality, ethics, advocacy and family roles. When guidelines that dealt solely with prevention, acute exacerbations or complications of an illness, or specific treatment modalities were excluded 28% and 16% of these general guidelines
Human alpha2-macroglobulin is composed of multiple domains, as predicted by homology with complement component C3.

Science.gov (United States)

Doan, Ninh; Gettins, Peter G W

2007-10-01

Human alpha2M (alpha2-macroglobulin) and the complement components C3 and C4 are thiol ester-containing proteins that evolved from the same ancestral gene. The recent structure determination of human C3 has allowed a detailed prediction of the location of domains within human alpha2M to be made. We describe here the expression and characterization of three alpha(2)M domains predicted to be involved in the stabilization of the thiol ester in native alpha2M and in its activation upon bait region proteolysis. The three newly expressed domains are MG2 (macroglobulin domain 2), TED (thiol ester-containing domain) and CUB (complement protein subcomponents C1r/C1s, urchin embryonic growth factor and bone morphogenetic protein 1) domain. Together with the previously characterized RBD (receptor-binding domain), they represent approx. 42% of the alpha2M polypeptide. Their expression as folded domains strongly supports the predicted domain organization of alpha2M. An X-ray crystal structure of MG2 shows it to have a fibronectin type-3 fold analogous to MG1-MG8 of C3. TED is, as predicted, an alpha-helical domain. CUB is a spliced domain composed of two stretches of polypeptide that flank TED in the primary structure. In intact C3 TED interacts with RBD, where it is in direct contact with the thiol ester, and with MG2 and CUB on opposite, flanking sides. In contrast, these alpha2M domains, as isolated species, show negligible interaction with one another, suggesting that the native conformation of alpha2M, and the consequent thiol ester-stabilizing domain-domain interactions, result from additional restraints imposed by the physical linkage of these domains or by additional domains in the protein.
Life satisfaction and health related quality of life among low-income medical patients: the mediating influence of self-esteem.

Science.gov (United States)

Cox, Jared; Loughran, Mary Jo; Adams, Eve M; Navarro, Rachel L

2012-01-01

This study investigated the relationship between life satisfaction, self-esteem, and perceived health for an ethnically diverse, low SES sample of primary care patients. Results indicated that several specific domains of health-related quality of life (HRQL), including health perception, social functioning, mental health, and energy/fatigue, significantly predicted life satisfaction in this sample of 60 patients. Self-esteem mediated this relationship, partially with health perception and fully with the remaining three domains. The results of this study underscore the importance of healthcare interventions that consider the bidirectional relationship between physical and emotional well-being.
Quality of life of victims of intimate partner violence.

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Leung, T W; Leung, W C; Ng, E H Y; Ho, P C

2005-09-01

To evaluate the impact of intimate partner violence on the quality of life in Obstetric/Gynecological (OBGYN) patients. A total of 1614 OBGYN patients were classified into four groups (Group 1: requesting termination of pregnancy, n=300; Group 2: infertility patients, n=500; Group 3: other general gynecological patients, n=300; Group 4: obstetric patients, n=514) were successfully interviewed in the absence of their male partners, using a structured questionnaire modified from the Abuse Assessment Screen Questionnaire. Those who reported ever having been abused, together with an equal number of non-abused women as controls, were asked to complete the World Health Organization Quality of Life Measure - Abbreviated version (Hong Kong) Questionnaire. The overall lifetime prevalence of intimate partner violence was 7.2%, with the lifetime prevalence being 12.7%, 1.8%, 4.7%, and 10.9% respectively in Groups 1-4. The mean quality of life domain scores among the abused victims were significantly lower in the physical health domain, social relationship domain, environment domain and psychological health domain. The baseline quality of life of the victims of intimate partner violence is significantly impaired compared with the non-abused controls.
Psychological status and quality of life among primary caregivers of individuals with mental illness: a hospital based study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeyagurunathan, Anitha; Sagayadevan, Vathsala; Abdin, Edimansyah; Zhang, YunJue; Chang, Sherilyn; Shafie, Saleha; Rahman, Restria Fauziana Abdul; Vaingankar, Janhavi Ajit; Chong, Siow Ann; Subramaniam, Mythily

2017-05-19

This study aimed to explore the psychological status and quality of life among primary caregivers of individuals suffering from various mental illnesses including early psychosis, chronic schizophrenia, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders and dementia. A total of 350 primary caregivers with relatives seeking treatment at a tertiary psychiatric hospital were recruited for this study. Socio-demographic data was obtained and the brief version of the World Health Organisation Quality of Life instrument was used to assess caregiver's quality of life (QOL). Psychological status among primary caregivers was assessed using the General Anxiety Disorder - 7 item (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire - 9 item (PHQ-9) scales. Family Interview Schedule (FIS) was used to assess the impact of caregiving relating to social problems, interpersonal strain among family members, work related problems and financial difficulties as a result of their relative's illness. The socio-demographic and clinical correlates of QOL, PHQ-9 and GAD-7 were examined using multiple linear and logistic regression analyses. Associations between QOL domains and psychological status was examined using multiple linear regression analyses. The mean age of the primary caregivers was 49.7 years (SD = 13.2), ranging from 21 to 82 years, with a preponderance of females (67.6%), aged 50-64 years old (45.7%). Majority were of Chinese ethnicity (57.5%), had secondary level education (43.1%), were married (65.2%), and employed (64.9%). 18.3% of primary caregivers had symptoms of depression (based on PHQ-9 cut-off point of 10 or greater) while 12.7% had symptoms of anxiety (based on GAD-7 cut-off point of 10 or greater). Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses revealed that primary caregivers aged between 35-49 years and 50-64 years, unemployed, living with others, providing care to those diagnosed with dementia and who had higher FIS scores were significantly more likely to report symptoms
The impact of self-perceived limitations, stigma and sense of coherence on quality of life in multiple sclerosis patients : results of a cross-sectional study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Broersma, Feddrik; Oeseburg, Barth; Dijkstra, Jacob; Wynia, Klaske

2018-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of perceived limitations, stigma and sense of coherence on quality of life in multiple sclerosis patients. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands. SUBJECTS: Multiple sclerosis patients.
Human α2-macroglobulin is composed of multiple domains, as predicted by homology with complement component C3

Science.gov (United States)

Doan, Ninh; Gettins, Peter G. W.

2007-01-01

Human α2M (α2-macroglobulin) and the complement components C3 and C4 are thiol ester-containing proteins that evolved from the same ancestral gene. The recent structure determination of human C3 has allowed a detailed prediction of the location of domains within human α2M to be made. We describe here the expression and characterization of three α2M domains predicted to be involved in the stabilization of the thiol ester in native α2M and in its activation upon bait region proteolysis. The three newly expressed domains are MG2 (macroglobulin domain 2), TED (thiol ester-containing domain) and CUB (complement protein subcomponents C1r/C1s, urchin embryonic growth factor and bone morphogenetic protein 1) domain. Together with the previously characterized RBD (receptor-binding domain), they represent approx. 42% of the α2M polypeptide. Their expression as folded domains strongly supports the predicted domain organization of α2M. An X-ray crystal structure of MG2 shows it to have a fibronectin type-3 fold analogous to MG1–MG8 of C3. TED is, as predicted, an α-helical domain. CUB is a spliced domain composed of two stretches of polypeptide that flank TED in the primary structure. In intact C3 TED interacts with RBD, where it is in direct contact with the thiol ester, and with MG2 and CUB on opposite, flanking sides. In contrast, these α2M domains, as isolated species, show negligible interaction with one another, suggesting that the native conformation of α2M, and the consequent thiol ester-stabilizing domain–domain interactions, result from additional restraints imposed by the physical linkage of these domains or by additional domains in the protein. PMID:17608619

Quality of life, health status and caregiver burden in Parkinson's disease: relationship to executive functioning.

Science.gov (United States)

Kudlicka, Aleksandra; Clare, Linda; Hindle, John V

2014-01-01

High-quality person-centred care for people with Parkinson's disease (PwPD) and their families relies on identifying and addressing factors that specifically impact on quality of life (QoL). Deficits in executive functions (EF) are common in Parkinson's disease, but their impact on PwPD and their caregivers is not well understood. The present study evaluated how EF contributes to QoL and health status for the PwPD and caregiver burden. Sixty-five PwPD completed measures of QoL, health status and EF, and 50 caregivers rated the EF of the PwPD and their own burden. Multiple regression analyses examined predictors of QoL (general life, health and movement disorders domains), health status and caregiver burden. Quality of life in the health and movement disorders domains was best explained by caregiver-rated EF, whereas QoL in the general life domain was best explained by level of depression. Health status was predicted by self-rated EF, with an objective EF measure also included in the regression model. Caregiver burden was best explained by caregiver-rated EF and disease severity, with general cognition and other factors also included in the regression model. Executive functions-related behavioural problems may contribute to QoL and health status in PwPD and affect caregiver burden. The findings support the view that the concepts of subjective QoL and self-assessed health status are only partially related and should not be seen as identical. Adequate strategies to reduce the impact of EF deficits are needed as this may have the potential to improve QoL in PwPD. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Answer selection in a multi-stream open domain question answering system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jijkoun, V.; de Rijke, M.; McDonald, S.; Tait, J.

2004-01-01

Question answering systems aim to meet users' information needs by returning exact answers in response to a question. Traditional open domain question answering systems are built around a single pipeline architecture. In an attempt to exploit multiple resources as well as multiple answering
Exercise, Diet, and Stress Management as Mediators between Functional Disability and Health-Related Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis

Science.gov (United States)

Sung, Connie; Chiu, Chung-Yi; Lee, Eun-Jeong; Bezyak, Jill; Chan, Fong; Muller, Veronica

2013-01-01

The main objective of this study was to examine the mediational and moderational effect of exercise, diet, and stress management on the relationship between functional disability and health-related quality of life. Quantitative descriptive research design using multiple regression and correlation techniques was used. Participants were 215…
Health related quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis : the role of coping, social participation and self-esteem

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mikula, Pavol

2014-01-01

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common neurological disease with disabling consequences that occurs in young adults. Symptoms of MS are responsible for high levels of stress and low levels of overall health-related quality of life (HRQoL). In this dissertation we aimed at gaining insight into
[Quality of life and related influencing factors in Chinese adults].

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Q; Wang, L M; Zhang, M

2016-02-01

To evaluate the quality of life (QOL) and influencing factors on Chinese adults. 83 666 subjects from 2010 Chronic Non-communicable Disease and Risk Factor Surveillance Project in China were included in this study. Questionnaire was used to collect information on general condition and health status. WHOQOL-BREF was adopted as an instrument to measure the QOL on all the subjects.t test was used to compare QOL from different groups. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to assess the association of QOL with BMI, by gender. Among all the 83 666 subjects, mean scores of physical,psychological, social relationship and environment domains appeared as (73.97 ± 13.84), (66.65 ± 14.21), (65.76 ± 14.08) and (56.59 ± 15.15), respectively. Age, residential areas (urban/rural), education levels and marital status all showed significant impact on scores of the four domains (Peducation level (Peducation levels, marital status and chronic diseases could significantly influence the QOL of Chinese adults.
An Additive-Multiplicative Restricted Mean Residual Life Model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mansourvar, Zahra; Martinussen, Torben; Scheike, Thomas H.

2016-01-01

mean residual life model to study the association between the restricted mean residual life function and potential regression covariates in the presence of right censoring. This model extends the proportional mean residual life model using an additive model as its covariate dependent baseline....... For the suggested model, some covariate effects are allowed to be time-varying. To estimate the model parameters, martingale estimating equations are developed, and the large sample properties of the resulting estimators are established. In addition, to assess the adequacy of the model, we investigate a goodness...
Core outcome domains for clinical trials in non-specific low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiarotto, Alessandro; Deyo, Richard A; Terwee, Caroline B; Boers, Maarten; Buchbinder, Rachelle; Corbin, Terry P; Costa, Leonardo O P; Foster, Nadine E; Grotle, Margreth; Koes, Bart W; Kovacs, Francisco M; Lin, Chung-Wei Christine; Maher, Chris G; Pearson, Adam M; Peul, Wilco C; Schoene, Mark L; Turk, Dennis C; van Tulder, Maurits W; Ostelo, Raymond W

2015-06-01

Inconsistent reporting of outcomes in clinical trials of patients with non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) hinders comparison of findings and the reliability of systematic reviews. A core outcome set (COS) can address this issue as it defines a minimum set of outcomes that should be reported in all clinical trials. In 1998, Deyo et al. recommended a standardized set of outcomes for LBP clinical research. The aim of this study was to update these recommendations by determining which outcome domains should be included in a COS for clinical trials in NSLBP. An International Steering Committee established the methodology to develop this COS. The OMERACT Filter 2.0 framework was used to draw a list of potential core domains that were presented in a Delphi study. Researchers, care providers and patients were invited to participate in three Delphi rounds and were asked to judge which domains were core. A priori criteria for consensus were established before each round and were analysed together with arguments provided by panellists on importance, overlap, aggregation and/or addition of potential core domains. The Steering Committee discussed the final results and made final decisions. A set of 280 experts was invited to participate in the Delphi; response rates in the three rounds were 52, 50 and 45%. Of 41 potential core domains presented in the first round, 13 had sufficient support to be presented for rating in the third round. Overall consensus was reached for the inclusion of three domains in this COS: 'physical functioning', 'pain intensity' and 'health-related quality of life'. Consensus on 'physical functioning' and 'pain intensity' was consistent across all stakeholders, 'health-related quality of life' was not supported by the patients, and all the other domains were not supported by two or more groups of stakeholders. Weighting all possible argumentations, the Steering Committee decided to include in the COS the three domains that reached overall consensus and
Prospect theory in the health domain: a quantitative assessment.

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Attema, Arthur E; Brouwer, Werner B F; I'Haridon, Olivier

2013-12-01

It is well-known that expected utility (EU) has empirical deficiencies. Cumulative prospect theory (CPT) has developed as an alternative with more descriptive validity. However, CPT's full function had not yet been quantified in the health domain. This paper is therefore the first to simultaneously measure utility of life duration, probability weighting, and loss aversion in this domain. We observe loss aversion and risk aversion for gains and losses, which for gains can be explained by probabilistic pessimism. Utility for gains is almost linear. For losses, we find less weighting of probability 1/2 and concave utility. This contrasts with the common finding of convex utility for monetary losses. However, CPT was proposed to explain choices among lotteries involving monetary outcomes. Life years are arguably very different from monetary outcomes and need not generate convex utility for losses. Moreover, utility of life duration reflects discounting, causing concave utility. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Exercise and multiple sclerosis: physiological, psychological, and quality of life issues.

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Sutherland, G; Andersen, M B

2001-12-01

The case for the benefits of physical activity has been well documented in healthy individuals, and the potential for reducing the risk of mental and physical ill health is substantial. Yet, individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) have long been advised to avoid participation in exercise in order to minimise the risk of exacerbations and symptoms of fatigue. There is, however, increasing interest in how acute and chronic exercise affect physiological and psychological functioning in MS. Much of the research has examined physiological tolerance to exercise and focused on responses in terms of heart rate, blood pressure, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle function, and symptom stability. Little research has focused on understanding how exercise affects psychosocial functioning and brings about changes in depression, affect, mood, well-being, and quality of life. This paper provides a summary of the research exploring the efficacy of physical activity for people with MS. In addition, the key issues that face clinical practice are examined, and considerations for research are discussed.
Context Influences on the Subjective Experience of Aging: The Impact of Culture and Domains of Functioning.

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O'Brien, Erica L; Hess, Thomas M; Kornadt, Anna E; Rothermund, Klaus; Fung, Helene; Voss, Peggy

2017-08-01

Attitudes about aging influence how people feel about their aging and affect psychological and health outcomes in later life. Given cross-cultural variability in such attitudes, the subjective experience of aging (e.g., subjective age [SA]) may also vary, potentially accounting for culture-specific patterns of aging-related outcomes. Our study explored cultural variation in SA and its determinants. American (N = 569), Chinese (N = 492), and German (N = 827) adults aged 30-95 years completed a questionnaire that included instruments measuring basic demographic information, SA, beliefs about thresholds of old age, control over life changes, and age dependency of changes in eight different life domains (i.e., family, work). Analyses revealed consistency across cultures in the domain-specificity of SA, but differences in the amount of shared variance across domains (e.g., Chinese adults exhibited greater homogeneity across domains than did Americans and Germans). Cultural differences were also observed in levels of SA in some domains, which were attenuated by domain-specific beliefs (e.g., control). Interestingly, beliefs about aging accounted for more cultural variation in SA than did sociodemographic factors (e.g., education). Our results demonstrate that subjective perceptions of aging and everyday functioning may be best understood from a perspective focused on context (i.e., culture, life domain). Given its important relation to functioning, examination of cross-cultural differences in the subjective experience of aging may highlight factors that determine variations in aging-related outcomes that then could serve as targets of culture-specific interventions promoting well-being in later life. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Reliability and acceptability of the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-29 questionnaire in an English-speaking cohort.

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Baker, Georgina; Nair, Krishnan Padmakumari Sivaraman; Baster, Kathleen; Rosato, Rosalba; Solari, Alessandra

2018-05-01

Multiple Sclerosis Quality-of-Life Questionnaire-54 (MSQoL-54) is a disease-specific instrument for assessing health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Due to the number of items, the time taken to complete it is long. A shorter 29-item version, Multiple Sclerosis Quality-of-Life Questionnaire-29 (MSQoL-29) is yet to be evaluated in English. To assess reliability and acceptability of English version of MSQoL-29. Among 100 participants with MS who first completed both MSQoL-54 and MSQoL-29, 91 completed MSQoL-29 after 4-8 weeks. We looked for internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), acceptability, reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs)) and agreement (Bland-Altman plots). ICCs were strongly positive between MSQoL-54 and MSQoL-29 (Physical Health Composite (PHC) -ICC = 0.914, confidence interval (CI) = 0.872-0.942; Mental Health Composite (MHC) - ICC = 0.875, CI = 0.814-0.916) and between the two MSQoL-29 (PHC - ICC = 0.970, CI = 0.955-0.980; MHC - ICC = 0.937, CI = 0.904-0.958). On Bland-Altman plots, the MSQoL-29 scores of 95% of participants during two visits were within the limits of agreement (LOAs). Time taken to complete MSQoL-29 was 7.2 ± 2.9 minutes and MSQoL-54 was 19.79 ± 5.4 minutes ( p = 0.0001). MSQoL-29 has good test-retest reliability in English-speaking population and was quicker to complete.
Natural-Annotation-based Unsupervised Construction of Korean-Chinese Domain Dictionary

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Liu, Wuying; Wang, Lin

2018-03-01

The large-scale bilingual parallel resource is significant to statistical learning and deep learning in natural language processing. This paper addresses the automatic construction issue of the Korean-Chinese domain dictionary, and presents a novel unsupervised construction method based on the natural annotation in the raw corpus. We firstly extract all Korean-Chinese word pairs from Korean texts according to natural annotations, secondly transform the traditional Chinese characters into the simplified ones, and finally distill out a bilingual domain dictionary after retrieving the simplified Chinese words in an extra Chinese domain dictionary. The experimental results show that our method can automatically build multiple Korean-Chinese domain dictionaries efficiently.
Broad themes of difference between French and Americans in attitudes to food and other life domains: Personal versus communal values, quantity versus quality, and comforts versus joys

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Paul eRozin

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Analysis of previous literature on the role of food in life in France and the United States suggests some fundamental differences in attitudes which may generalize outside of the food domain. Questionnaire results from French and American adults suggest that, compared to the French, Americans emphasize quantity rather than quality in making choices, Americans have a higher preference for variety, and Americans usually prefer comforts (things that make life easier over joys (unique things that make life interesting. The American preference for quantity over quality is discussed in terms of the American focus on abundance as opposed to the French preference for moderation. The American preference for variety is reflective of Americans’ more personal as opposed to communal food and other values.
Broad Themes of Difference between French and Americans in Attitudes to Food and Other Life Domains: Personal Versus Communal Values, Quantity Versus Quality, and Comforts Versus Joys.

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Rozin, Paul; Remick, Abigail K; Fischler, Claude

2011-01-01

Analysis of previous literature on the role of food in life in France and the United States suggests some fundamental differences in attitudes which may generalize outside of the food domain. Questionnaire results from French and American adults suggest that, compared to the French, Americans emphasize quantity rather than quality in making choices, Americans have a higher preference for variety, and Americans usually prefer comforts (things that make life easier) over joys (unique things that make life interesting). The American preference for quantity over quality is discussed in terms of the American focus on abundance as opposed to the French preference for moderation. The American preference for variety is reflective of Americans' more personal as opposed to communal food and other values.
Magnetization reversal in ferromagnetic spirals via domain wall motion

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Schumm, Ryan D.; Kunz, Andrew

2016-11-01

Domain wall dynamics have been investigated in a variety of ferromagnetic nanostructures for potential applications in logic, sensing, and recording. We present a combination of analytic and simulated results describing the reliable field driven motion of a domain wall through the arms of a ferromagnetic spiral nanowire. The spiral geometry is capable of taking advantage of the benefits of both straight and circular wires. Measurements of the in-plane components of the spirals' magnetization can be used to determine the angular location of the domain wall, impacting the magnetoresistive applications dependent on the domain wall location. The spirals' magnetization components are found to depend on the spiral parameters: the initial radius and spacing between spiral arms, along with the domain wall location. The magnetization is independent of the parameters of the rotating field used to move the domain wall, and therefore the model is valid for current induced domain wall motion as well. The speed of the domain wall is found to depend on the frequency of the rotating driving field, and the domain wall speeds can be reliably varied over several orders of magnitude. We further demonstrate a technique capable of injecting multiple domain walls and show the reliable and unidirectional motion of domain walls through the arms of the spiral.
Exploring transitions and work-life balance In the digital era

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Chamakiotis, Petros; Whiting, Rebecca; Symon, Gillian; Roby, Helen

2014-01-01

Scholars in the field of work-life balance (WLB) argue that individuals perform different role identities (e.g. parent, worker) within the different domains (e.g. family, work) of their life; and that these domains are separated by boundaries (Clark, 2000). There is an emerging view in the literature that information and communication technologies (ICTs) may influence both the way these boundaries operate and individuals’ transitions across the different domains of their lives (Perrons, 2003)...
Multiple Taf subunits of TFIID interact with Ino2 activation domains and contribute to expression of genes required for yeast phospholipid biosynthesis.

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Hintze, Stefan; Engelhardt, Maike; van Diepen, Laura; Witt, Eric; Schüller, Hans-Joachim

2017-12-01

Expression of phospholipid biosynthetic genes in yeast requires activator protein Ino2 which can bind to the UAS element inositol/choline-responsive element (ICRE) and trigger activation of target genes, using two separate transcriptional activation domains, TAD1 and TAD2. However, it is still unknown which cofactors mediate activation by TADs of Ino2. Here, we show that multiple subunits of basal transcription factor TFIID (TBP-associated factors Taf1, Taf4, Taf6, Taf10 and Taf12) are able to interact in vitro with activation domains of Ino2. Interaction was no longer observed with activation-defective variants of TAD1. We were able to identify two nonoverlapping regions in the N-terminus of Taf1 (aa 1-100 and aa 182-250) each of which could interact with TAD1 of Ino2 as well as with TAD4 of activator Adr1. Specific missense mutations within Taf1 domain aa 182-250 affecting basic and hydrophobic residues prevented interaction with wild-type TAD1 and caused reduced expression of INO1. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation we demonstrated Ino2-dependent recruitment of Taf1 and Taf6 to ICRE-containing promoters INO1 and CHO2. Transcriptional derepression of INO1 was no longer possible with temperature-sensitive taf1 and taf6 mutants cultivated under nonpermissive conditions. This result supports the hypothesis of Taf-dependent expression of structural genes activated by Ino2. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Work ability as a major determinant of clinical nurses' quality of life.

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Milosevic, Milan; Golubic, Rajna; Knezevic, Bojana; Golubic, Karlo; Bubas, Marija; Mustajbegovic, Jadranka

2011-10-01

To examine quality of life determinants among clinical nurses in Croatia with an emphasis on their work ability. An important personnel management challenge is to explore factors that stimulate or hinder the development of individual work ability and quality of life throughout a career. A cross-sectional study. The study was performed during 2007-2008 in six randomly selected hospitals in Croatia. The self-administered questionnaires included the Work Ability Index (WAI) developed by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, the Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQL-BREF) developed by the World Health Organization and additional socio-demographic questions. A total number of 1212 nurses completed the questionnaires, giving a response rate of 67(.) 3%. Binary logistic regression was performed to assess how socio-demographic characteristics and work ability groups predict each of the WHOQL-BREF domains. Having a satisfactory WAI score (WAI ≥ 37) was significantly the most important predictor for all quality of life domains, with the odds ratios (OR) being as follows: OR = 6(.) 8 (95% CI: 4(.) 8-9(.) 6) for the physical domain, OR = 2(.) 3 (95% CI: 1(.) 7-3(.) 1) for the psychological domain, OR = 1(.) 7 (95% CI: 1(.) 3-2(.) 4) for the social relationship domain and OR = 1(.) 7 (95% CI: 1(.) 3-2(.) 3) for the environmental domain. Satisfactory work ability was a major quality of life determinant in all WHOQL-BREF domains with the highest odds ratio for the physical domain. Maintaining clinical nurses' work ability is an important issue, because it is foundational for the quality of life of the workforce. Our study provides quantified estimates of the extent to which a satisfactory WAI score predicts a better score in physical, psychosocial, social relationships and environmental domain of nurses' quality of life. Therefore, maintaining or improving nurses' work ability remains the essential aim of hospital managers. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Health-related quality of life in adults with Hodgkin's disease: the state of the science.

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Roper, Kristin; McDermott, Kathleen; Cooley, Mary E; Daley, Kristen; Fawcett, Jacqueline

2009-01-01

Hodgkin's disease (HD) affects younger and older adults and can disrupt developmental tasks and cause multiple medical sequelae. Since long-term survival is excellent, understanding issues related to all domains of health-related quality of life (HRQOL)-physical, psychological, social/functional, and spiritual-after completion of treatment is a critical step in designing and testing interventions to improve survivors' adjustment and return to their previous level of functioning. This article is an integrative review of empirical studies of HRQOL in HD survivors. Following Ganong's guidelines, 35 studies were identified and reviewed. Commonly reported physical consequences of HD include fatigue, anticipatory nausea and vomiting, and cognitive problems that lasted several years after treatment completion, as well as long-term life-threatening adverse effects including secondary cancers and cardiovascular and respiratory complications. Psychological consequences include emotional distress, especially depression and anxiety, and social/functional difficulty, including inability to return to work and adjustment to the workplace environment secondary to diminished capacity to complete work tasks. Within the spiritual domain, survivors reported that they had a greater appreciation for life after treatment. Development of appropriate theory-guided interventions to improve the HRQOL for HD survivors can be achieved through more rigorous study designs and standardization of HRQOL measurements.
Correlates of institutionalized senior veterans' quality of life in Taiwan

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Hwang Shinn-Jang

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Senior veterans living in government sponsored, long-term care (LTC facilities, known as veterans' homes (VHs, are a special minority group in Taiwan. These seniors came from different provinces of mainland China during their teenage years at the end of civil wars in 1945. The situation of institutionalized senior veterans shares many characteristics with the concept of "total institution". Very little quality of life (QOL research has involved senior veterans. This study aimed to explore the QOL and related factors of VH-dwelling senior veterans in Taiwan. Methods Chronic conditions and socio-demographic characteristics of 260 male VH residents were recorded. The Brief Form of the World Health Organization's Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF, Taiwanese version; Short-Form 36; Inventory of Socially Supportive Behavior questionnaire; Geriatric Depression Scale-short form; Barthel Index; and instrumental activities of daily living were used. Data analyses including descriptive and inferred statistics were performed using SPSS, version 17. Results WHOQOL-BREF showed acceptable reliability in this study. Compared to Taiwanese male norms, WHOQOL-BREF physical, psychological, and social relationship domain scores were around the 25th percentile, and the environment domain was about the 75th percentile. Our participants scored low in all concepts of SF-36. Although these residents rated the social support of their children, relatives, friends, social and medical staff as low, they gave high satisfaction ratings to their social supports. On multiple stepwise linear regression analysis, depressive symptoms, number of chronic conditions, retired military rank, and relatives' support correlated with QOL in both the physical and psychological domains. Friends' support and depressive symptoms correlated with the social relationships domain. Friends' support and instrumental activities of daily living correlated with the

Work flows in life science

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wassink, I.

2010-01-01

The introduction of computer science technology in the life science domain has resulted in a new life science discipline called bioinformatics. Bioinformaticians are biologists who know how to apply computer science technology to perform computer based experiments, also known as in-silico or dry lab
The stroke impact scale: performance as a quality of life measure in a community-based stroke rehabilitation setting.

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Richardson, Marina; Campbell, Nerissa; Allen, Laura; Meyer, Matthew; Teasell, Robert

2016-07-01

The objective of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Stroke Impact Scale (SIS). Data was derived from a study assessing a community-based stroke rehabilitation program. Patients were administered the SIS and Euroqol-5D (EQ-5D-5L) on admission to the study, and at six month and 12 month follow-up. The psychometric performance of each domain of the SIS was assessed at each time point. A total of 164 patients completed outcome measures at baseline, 108 patients at six months and 37 patients at 12 months. Correlation of the SIS domains with the EQ-5D-5L suggested that the dimensions of health contributing to a patient's perception of health-related quality of life changes over time. The SIS performed well in a sample of patients undergoing stroke rehabilitation in the community. Our findings suggest that the multidimensionality of the SIS may allow health professionals to track patient progress and tailor rehabilitation interventions to target the dimensions of health that are most important to a patient's overall health and perceived quality of life over time. Implications for Rehabilitation There is an increased need for valid and reliable measures to evaluate the outcomes of patients recovering from stroke in the community. The Stroke Impact Scale (SIS) measures multiple domains of health and is well-suited for use in patients recovering from stroke in the community. There is a high level of internal consistency in the eight SIS domains with no evidence of floor effects; ceiling effects were noted for several domains. Correlation of the SIS with the Euroqol-5D suggested that the dimensions of health contributing to a patient's perception of health related quality of life changes over time.
Quality of Life after Young Ischemic Stroke of Mild Severity Is Mainly Influenced by Psychological Factors.

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de Bruijn, Marienke A A M; Synhaeve, Nathalie E; van Rijsbergen, Mariëlle W A; de Leeuw, Frank-Erik; Mark, Ruth E; Jansen, Ben P W; de Kort, Paul L M

2015-10-01

Long-term prognosis in terms of quality of life (QoL) in young stroke patients is of importance because they usually have a long life expectancy and extensive daily life demands. We aimed at determining which medical and psychological factors influence the QoL in young stroke patients (Young ischemic stroke patients admitted to the St. Elisabeth Hospital and the TweeSteden Hospital, Tilburg, the Netherlands, between 2000 and 2010 were included. One hundred seventy patients and 61 controls filled out the following questionnaires: (1) the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, (2) the Fatigue Assessment Scale, and (3) the shortened World Health Organization Quality of Life scale. Using linear multiple regression analysis, we assessed the factors influencing QoL. QoL did not differ significantly between patients (median modified Rankin Scale score at follow-up, 0) and controls after a mean follow-up of 4.5 (standard deviation, 2.8) years. The presence of excessive fatigue was associated with lower scores on all domains of the QoL (P ≤ .003), but not for general health domain (P = .010). Similarly, depression was associated with worse QoL on the physical (P = .004) and psychological (P = .001) domains and anxiety with lower scores on the psychological (P stroke-specific factors and QoL. Fatigue and to a lesser extent depression and anxiety affect the QoL in young adults after ischemic stroke of mild severity. Therefore, young stroke patients should be informed about, screened, and, if possible, treated for fatigue, depression, and anxiety. Copyright © 2015 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Korean nurses' ethical dilemmas, professional values and professional quality of life.

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Kim, Kyunghee; Han, Yonghee; Kim, Ji-su

2015-06-01

In the changing medical environment, professional stress continuously increases as the individual's quality of life suffers. Of all the healthcare professions, nursing is especially prone to burnout, compassion fatigue and reduced compassion satisfaction, due to the tensions resulting from the physical and psychological stress of caring for extremely ill patients. This study examined the professional quality of life of clinical nurses in Korea and the relationship between their experiences in ethical dilemmas and professional values. This was a cross-sectional study of a convenience sample consisting of 488 clinical nurses. We used four questionnaires to measure the participants' demographic characteristics, experiences in ethical dilemmas, professional nursing values and professional quality of life (ProQOL assessment, Version 5). Ethical considerations: This study received approval from the Institutional Review Board of Bronco Memorial Hospital. Written informed consent was given by all participants. The nurses' professional quality of life was affected by ethical dilemmas and professional nursing values. The factors influencing compassion satisfaction were age, client domain of ethical dilemmas, social awareness, professionalism of nursing and the roles of nursing services in professional values. The factors influencing burnout were marital status (married), religion (yes), human life domain, professional work domain of ethical dilemmas, social awareness and the role of nursing services in nursing professional values. The factors influencing secondary traumatic stress were human life domain, client domain and the professional work domain of ethical dilemmas. Intervention to help nurses increase their professional quality of life will have a greater chance of success if they are based on the nurses' values and beliefs about the ethical dilemmas they face and foster the establishment of positive professional values. © The Author(s) 2014.
Why Johnny Struggles When Familiar Concepts Are Taken to a New Mathematical Domain: Towards a Polysemous Approach

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Kontorovich, Igor'

2018-01-01

This article is concerned with cognitive aspects of students' struggles in situations in which familiar concepts are reconsidered in a new mathematical domain. Examples of such cross-curricular concepts are divisibility in the domain of integers and in the domain of polynomials, multiplication in the domain of numbers and in the domain of vectors,…
NovelFam3000 – Uncharacterized human protein domains conserved across model organisms

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Kemmer, Danielle; Podowski, Raf M; Arenillas, David; Lim, Jonathan; Hodges, Emily; Roth, Peggy; Sonnhammer, Erik LL; Höög, Christer; Wasserman, Wyeth W

2006-01-01

Background Despite significant efforts from the research community, an extensive portion of the proteins encoded by human genes lack an assigned cellular function. Most metazoan proteins are composed of structural and/or functional domains, of which many appear in multiple proteins. Once a domain is characterized in one protein, the presence of a similar sequence in an uncharacterized protein serves as a basis for inference of function. Thus knowledge of a domain's function, or the protein within which it arises, can facilitate the analysis of an entire set of proteins. Description From the Pfam domain database, we extracted uncharacterized protein domains represented in proteins from humans, worms, and flies. A data centre was created to facilitate the analysis of the uncharacterized domain-containing proteins. The centre both provides researchers with links to dispersed internet resources containing gene-specific experimental data and enables them to post relevant experimental results or comments. For each human gene in the system, a characterization score is posted, allowing users to track the progress of characterization over time or to identify for study uncharacterized domains in well-characterized genes. As a test of the system, a subset of 39 domains was selected for analysis and the experimental results posted to the NovelFam3000 system. For 25 human protein members of these 39 domain families, detailed sub-cellular localizations were determined. Specific observations are presented based on the analysis of the integrated information provided through the online NovelFam3000 system. Conclusion Consistent experimental results between multiple members of a domain family allow for inferences of the domain's functional role. We unite bioinformatics resources and experimental data in order to accelerate the functional characterization of scarcely annotated domain families. PMID:16533400
NovelFam3000 – Uncharacterized human protein domains conserved across model organisms

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Sonnhammer Erik LL

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite significant efforts from the research community, an extensive portion of the proteins encoded by human genes lack an assigned cellular function. Most metazoan proteins are composed of structural and/or functional domains, of which many appear in multiple proteins. Once a domain is characterized in one protein, the presence of a similar sequence in an uncharacterized protein serves as a basis for inference of function. Thus knowledge of a domain's function, or the protein within which it arises, can facilitate the analysis of an entire set of proteins. Description From the Pfam domain database, we extracted uncharacterized protein domains represented in proteins from humans, worms, and flies. A data centre was created to facilitate the analysis of the uncharacterized domain-containing proteins. The centre both provides researchers with links to dispersed internet resources containing gene-specific experimental data and enables them to post relevant experimental results or comments. For each human gene in the system, a characterization score is posted, allowing users to track the progress of characterization over time or to identify for study uncharacterized domains in well-characterized genes. As a test of the system, a subset of 39 domains was selected for analysis and the experimental results posted to the NovelFam3000 system. For 25 human protein members of these 39 domain families, detailed sub-cellular localizations were determined. Specific observations are presented based on the analysis of the integrated information provided through the online NovelFam3000 system. Conclusion Consistent experimental results between multiple members of a domain family allow for inferences of the domain's functional role. We unite bioinformatics resources and experimental data in order to accelerate the functional characterization of scarcely annotated domain families.
Schizophrenia in Malaysian families: A study on factors associated with quality of life of primary family caregivers

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Yi Eng J

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Schizophrenia is a chronic illness which brings detrimental effects in the caregivers' health. This study was aimed at highlighting the socio-demographic, clinical and psychosocial factors associated with the subjective Quality of Life (QOL of Malaysian of primary family caregivers of subjects with schizophrenia attending an urban tertiary care outpatient clinic in Malaysia. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed to study patient, caregiver and illness factors associated with the QOL among 117 individuals involved with caregiving for schizophrenia patients. The study used WHOQOL-BREF to assess caregivers' QOL and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS to assess the severity of patients' symptoms. Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS assessed the stress level due to life events. Results The mean scores of WHOQOL-BREF in physical, psychological, social and environmental domains were 66.62 (14.36, 61.32 (15.52, 62.77 (17.33, 64.02 (14.86 consecutively. From multiple regression analysis, factors found to be significantly associated with higher QOL were higher educational level among caregivers in social and environmental domains; caregivers not having medical problem/s in physical and psychological domains; later onset and longer illness duration of illness in social domains; patients not attending day care program in environmental domain; lower BPRS score in physical and environmental domains. SRRS score of caregivers was also found to have a significant negative correlation with QOL in environmental and psychological domains. Other factors were not significantly associated with QOL. Conclusion Caregivers with more social advantages such as higher educational level and physically healthier and dealing with less severe illness had significantly higher QOL in various aspects. Supporting the caregivers in some of these modifiable factors in clinical practice is important to achieve their higher level QOL.
Estimation of quality of life in haemodialysis patients.

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Abraham, S; Ramachandran, A

2012-11-01

Since haemodialysis is an expensive treatment modality for chronic renal failure patients, it is very essential to assess the outcome of therapy in terms of quality of life. The primary objective of the study was to estimate the effect of patient counselling in quality of life of end stage renal disease patients opting haemodialysis using World Health Organisation Quality of life scale and to assess the variables affecting the quality of life of these patients. Quality of life was determined by World Health Organisation Quality of life scale questionnaire comprised of 26 items which measures four domains: physical, psychological, social and environmental domain. A total of 81 patients were selected and divided into test and control group and the test group patients received counselling regarding their disease, use of medications, importance of adherence and the complications experienced during and after dialysis. The quality of life data was collected at the interval of 1, 2, 3, 6 and 12 months and the patients were counselled at each interval. The demographic profiles revealed that majority of the patients were in the age group of 31-50 and there exists a male predominance. About the socioeconomic status, upper middle class people were mostly affected. Assessment of impact of patient counselling in the quality of life of haemodialysis indicated a significant improvement in each domain after counselling. And also found that the psychological domain showed a significant increase in the score compared to others. Patient counselling helped to gain benefits in terms of improvement in quality of life and delayed progression of renal failure. Early recognition and prevention is necessary to improve the quality of life of chronic renal failure patients. Patient counselling should be made mandatory by incorporating clinical pharmacist in the nephrology team to make the patient understand his illness and modifications in lifestyle also create a positive environment and
Work-Life Balance Among Humanitarian Aid Workers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Visser, Miranda; Mills, Melinda; Heyse, Liesbet; Wittek, Rafael; Bollettino, Vincenzo

2016-01-01

A limited body of research has examined satisfaction with work-life balance of expatriate workers who live abroad, residing outside the typical family or life domain. This study aims to demonstrate how and under which organizational circumstances job autonomy can increase work-life balance
An Analysis of Student Affairs Professionals' Management of Role Conflict and Multiple Roles in Relation to Work/Life Balance

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Mayo, Nicole Lepone

2013-01-01

The purpose of this inquiry is to study how student affairs professionals manage role conflict in relation to work/life balance based on the challenging culture of the field. The underlying goals are to identify the barriers or challenges of managing multiple roles as a student affairs administrator and identify strategies to assist employees in…
The Hardy Space of a Slit Domain

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Aleman, Alexandru

2009-01-01

Beginning with an exposition of Hardy spaces of slit domains, this book proceeds to several descriptions of the invariant subspaces of the operator multiplication by z. It also discusses and characterizes the nearly invariant subspaces of these Hardy spaces and examines conditions for z-invariant subspaces to be cyclic.
A two-dimensional time domain near zone to far zone transformation

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Luebbers, Raymond J.; Ryan, Deirdre; Beggs, John H.; Kunz, Karl S.

1991-01-01

In a previous paper, a time domain transformation useful for extrapolating 3-D near zone finite difference time domain (FDTD) results to the far zone was presented. In this paper, the corresponding 2-D transform is outlined. While the 3-D transformation produced a physically observable far zone time domain field, this is not convenient to do directly in 2-D, since a convolution would be required. However, a representative 2-D far zone time domain result can be obtained directly. This result can then be transformed to the frequency domain using a Fast Fourier Transform, corrected with a simple multiplicative factor, and used, for example, to calculate the complex wideband scattering width of a target. If an actual time domain far zone result is required it can be obtained by inverse Fourier transform of the final frequency domain result.
Student Assessment System. Domain Referenced Tests. Transportation/Automotive Mechanics. Volume II: Theory. Georgia Vocational Education Program Articulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Watkins, James F., Comp.

These written domain referenced tests (DRTs) for the area of transportation/automotive mechanics test cognitive abilities or knowledge of theory. Introductory materials describe domain referenced testing and test development. Each multiple choice test includes a domain statement, describing the behavior and content of the domain, and a test item…
Identification of multiple binding sites for the THAP domain of the Galileo transposase in the long terminal inverted-repeats☆

Science.gov (United States)

Marzo, Mar; Liu, Danxu; Ruiz, Alfredo; Chalmers, Ronald

2013-01-01

Galileo is a DNA transposon responsible for the generation of several chromosomal inversions in Drosophila. In contrast to other members of the P-element superfamily, it has unusually long terminal inverted-repeats (TIRs) that resemble those of Foldback elements. To investigate the function of the long TIRs we derived consensus and ancestral sequences for the Galileo transposase in three species of Drosophilids. Following gene synthesis, we expressed and purified their constituent THAP domains and tested their binding activity towards the respective Galileo TIRs. DNase I footprinting located the most proximal DNA binding site about 70 bp from the transposon end. Using this sequence we identified further binding sites in the tandem repeats that are found within the long TIRs. This suggests that the synaptic complex between Galileo ends may be a complicated structure containing higher-order multimers of the transposase. We also attempted to reconstitute Galileo transposition in Drosophila embryos but no events were detected. Thus, although the limited numbers of Galileo copies in each genome were sufficient to provide functional consensus sequences for the THAP domains, they do not specify a fully active transposase. Since the THAP recognition sequence is short, and will occur many times in a large genome, it seems likely that the multiple binding sites within the long, internally repetitive, TIRs of Galileo and other Foldback-like elements may provide the transposase with its binding specificity. PMID:23648487
Identification of multiple binding sites for the THAP domain of the Galileo transposase in the long terminal inverted-repeats.

Science.gov (United States)

Marzo, Mar; Liu, Danxu; Ruiz, Alfredo; Chalmers, Ronald

2013-08-01

Galileo is a DNA transposon responsible for the generation of several chromosomal inversions in Drosophila. In contrast to other members of the P-element superfamily, it has unusually long terminal inverted-repeats (TIRs) that resemble those of Foldback elements. To investigate the function of the long TIRs we derived consensus and ancestral sequences for the Galileo transposase in three species of Drosophilids. Following gene synthesis, we expressed and purified their constituent THAP domains and tested their binding activity towards the respective Galileo TIRs. DNase I footprinting located the most proximal DNA binding site about 70 bp from the transposon end. Using this sequence we identified further binding sites in the tandem repeats that are found within the long TIRs. This suggests that the synaptic complex between Galileo ends may be a complicated structure containing higher-order multimers of the transposase. We also attempted to reconstitute Galileo transposition in Drosophila embryos but no events were detected. Thus, although the limited numbers of Galileo copies in each genome were sufficient to provide functional consensus sequences for the THAP domains, they do not specify a fully active transposase. Since the THAP recognition sequence is short, and will occur many times in a large genome, it seems likely that the multiple binding sites within the long, internally repetitive, TIRs of Galileo and other Foldback-like elements may provide the transposase with its binding specificity. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Categorization in the Affective Domain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sauciuc, Gabriela-Alina

2011-01-01

Data collected in Romance and Scandinavian languages (N=474) in a superordinate category name production task indicate that a multiple-strategy approach would be more suitable for accounting of categorization in the affective domain instead of a prototype approach as suggested by previous studies....... This paper will highlight performance aspects which appear to be consistent with such an interpretation, as well as an important layman- expert knowledge asymmetry in affective categorization....
Multiple domains of social support are associated with diabetes self-management among Veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, Kristen E; Hoerster, Katherine D; Reiber, Gayle E; Bastian, Lori A; Nelson, Karin M

2018-01-01

Objectives To examine, among Veterans, relationships of general social support and diabetes-specific social support for physical activity and healthy eating with diabetes self-management behaviors. Methods Patients from VA Puget Sound, Seattle completed a cross-sectional survey in 2012-2013 ( N = 717). We measured (a) general social support and (b) diabetes-specific social support for healthy eating and physical activity with domains reflecting support person participation, encouragement, and sharing ideas. Among 189 self-reporting diabetes patients, we fit linear and modified Poisson regression models estimating associations of social support with diabetes self-management behaviors: adherence to general and diabetes-specific diets and blood glucose monitoring (days/week); physical activity (social support was not associated with diabetes self-management. For diabetes-specific social support, higher healthy eating support scores across all domains were associated with better adherence to general and diabetes-specific diets. Higher physical activity support scores were positively associated with ≥150 min/week of physical activity only for the participation domain. Discussion Diabetes-specific social support was a stronger and more consistent correlate of improved self-management than general social support, particularly for lifestyle behaviors. Incorporating family/friends into Veterans' diabetes self-management routines may lead to better self-management and improvements in disease control and outcomes.
Differences in quality-of-life dimensions of Adult Strabismus Quality of Life and Amblyopia & Strabismus Questionnaires

NARCIS (Netherlands)

E.S. van de Graaf (Elizabeth); G.J.J.M. Borsboom (Gerard); G.W. van der Sterre (Geertje); J. Felius (Joost); H.J. Simonsz (Huib); H. Kelderman (Henk)

2017-01-01

textabstractPurpose: The Adult Strabismus Quality of Life Questionnaire (AS-20) and the Amblyopia & Strabismus Questionnaire (A&SQ) both measure health-related quality of life in strabismus patients. We evaluated to what extent these instruments cover similar domains by identifying the underlying
Importance of neonatal FcR in regulating the serum half-life of therapeutic proteins containing the Fc domain of human IgG1: a comparative study of the affinity of monoclonal antibodies and Fc-fusion proteins to human neonatal FcR.

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Takuo; Ishii-Watabe, Akiko; Tada, Minoru; Kobayashi, Tetsu; Kanayasu-Toyoda, Toshie; Kawanishi, Toru; Yamaguchi, Teruhide

2010-02-15

The neonatal FcR (FcRn) binds to the Fc domain of IgG at acidic pH in the endosome and protects IgG from degradation, thereby contributing to the long serum half-life of IgG. To date, more than 20 mAb products and 5 Fc-fusion protein products have received marketing authorization approval in the United States, the European Union, or Japan. Many of these therapeutic proteins have the Fc domain of human IgG1; however, the serum half-lives differ in each protein. To elucidate the role of FcRn in the pharmacokinetics of Fc domain-containing therapeutic proteins, we evaluated the affinity of the clinically used human, humanized, chimeric, or mouse mAbs and Fc-fusion proteins to recombinant human FcRn by surface plasmon resonance analysis. The affinities of these therapeutic proteins to FcRn were found to be closely correlated with the serum half-lives reported from clinical studies, suggesting the important role of FcRn in regulating their serum half-lives. The relatively short serum half-life of Fc-fusion proteins was thought to arise from the low affinity to FcRn. The existence of some mAbs having high affinity to FcRn and a short serum half-life, however, suggested the involvement of other critical factor(s) in determining the serum half-life of such Abs. We further investigated the reason for the relatively low affinity of Fc-fusion proteins to FcRn and suggested the possibility that the receptor domain of Fc-fusion protein influences the structural environment of the FcRn binding region but not of the FcgammaRI binding region of the Fc domain.

Direct observation of stochastic domain-wall depinning in magnetic nanowires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Im, Mi-Young; Bocklage, Lars; Fischer, Peter; Meier, Guido

2008-11-01

The stochastic field-driven depinning of a domain wall pinned at a notch in a magnetic nanowire is directly observed using magnetic X-ray microscopy with high lateral resolution down to 15 nm. The depinning-field distribution in Ni{sub 80}Fe{sub 20} nanowires considerably depends on the wire width and the notch depth. The difference in the multiplicity of domain-wall types generated in the vicinity of a notch is responsible for the observed dependence of the stochastic nature of the domain wall depinning field on the wire width and the notch depth. Thus the random nature of the domain wall depinning process is controllable by an appropriate design of the nanowire.
Estimating Creativity with a Multiple-Measurement Approach within Scientific and Artistic Domains

Science.gov (United States)

Agnoli, Sergio; Corazza, Giovanni E.; Runco, Mark A.

2016-01-01

This article presents the structure and the composition of a newly developed multifaceted test battery for the measurement of creativity within scientific and artistic domains. By integrating existing procedures for the evaluation of creativity, the new battery promises to become a comprehensive assessment of creativity, encompassing both…
JNIH-ABCC Life Span Study, Hiroshima 1950-59. Multiple causes of death stated in medical certificates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ishida, Morihiro; Jablon, S

1962-08-22

The applicability to the JNIH-ABCC Life Span Study of secondary causes shown in Hiroshima death certificates is discussed. The analysis is based on 5526 death certificates reported among members of Selection I and II of the Life Span Study sample. Secondary causes appear to be of only limited usefulness to the Life Span Study. Factors such as age, sex, exposure status, which may influence the frequency of entry of secondary causes in medical certificates are analyzed. Age is the only factor which shows a significant relationship and this may be interpreted as resulting from the fact that chronic diseases with multiple illnesses are most prevalent among persons at older ages. The number of secondary causes in the present study is too small to delineate in detail the pattern of complications or contributory causes. However, 9 cases of malignant neoplasms were entered only as complications and were missed in the primary tabulation, representing only about one percent of all malignancies. Secondary causes shown in the death certificates and associated causes found at postmortem examination seem not to be comparably distributed, thus raising a serious problem as to the applicability of the former to the Life Span Study. Both the magnitude and accuracy of entry of the secondary causes are influenced greatly by the ease with which illnesses may be detected clinically. 9 references, 12 tables.
Work-life balance and family friendly policies

OpenAIRE

Janine Chapman; Natalie Skinner

2013-01-01

This paper presents Australian and international research on work-life interaction. We review the work-life policies and practices that are likely to have the greatest impact on work-life outcomes, specifically reducing the negative impact of work on other life domains (work-life interference), and enhancing the positive effect (work-life facilitation). The review addresses four policy areas common in work-life studies of the general workforce: employee-centered flexible work practices; worki...
Catalytic properties of ADAM12 and its domain deletion mutants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobsen, Jonas; Visse, Robert; Sørensen, Hans Peter

2008-01-01

of pro, catalytic, disintegrin, cysteine-rich, and EGF domains. Here we present a novel activity of recombinant ADAM12-S and its domain deletion mutants on S-carboxymethylated transferrin (Cm-Tf). Cleavage of Cm-Tf occurred at multiple sites, and N-terminal sequencing showed that the enzyme exhibits...... restricted specificity but a consensus sequence could not be defined as its subsite requirements are promiscuous. Kinetic analysis revealed that the noncatalytic C-terminal domains are important regulators of Cm-Tf activity and that ADAM12-PC consisting of the pro domain and catalytic domain is the most...... active on this substrate. It was also observed that NaCl inhibits ADAM12. Among the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP) examined, the N-terminal domain of TIMP-3 (N-TIMP-3) inhibits ADAM12-S and ADAM12-PC with low nanomolar Ki(app) values while TIMP-2 inhibits them with a slightly lower...
Assessment of perceptual diffuseness in the time domain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Garcia, Julian Martinez-Villalba; Jeong, Cheol-Ho; Brunskog, Jonas

2017-01-01

This study proposes a numerical and experimental framework for evaluating the perceptual aspect of the diffuse field condition with intended final use in music auditoria. Multiple Impulse Responses are simulated based on the time domain Poisson process with increasing reflection density. Different...
Multiplicative Structure and Hecke Rings of Generator Matrices for Codes over Quotient Rings of Euclidean Domains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hajime Matsui

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In this study, we consider codes over Euclidean domains modulo their ideals. In the first half of the study, we deal with arbitrary Euclidean domains. We show that the product of generator matrices of codes over the rings mod a and mod b produces generator matrices of all codes over the ring mod a b , i.e., this correspondence is onto. Moreover, we show that if a and b are coprime, then this correspondence is one-to-one, i.e., there exist unique codes over the rings mod a and mod b that produce any given code over the ring mod a b through the product of their generator matrices. In the second half of the study, we focus on the typical Euclidean domains such as the rational integer ring, one-variable polynomial rings, rings of Gaussian and Eisenstein integers, p-adic integer rings and rings of one-variable formal power series. We define the reduced generator matrices of codes over Euclidean domains modulo their ideals and show their uniqueness. Finally, we apply our theory of reduced generator matrices to the Hecke rings of matrices over these Euclidean domains.
Quality of life at work among nurses of a university hospital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eliane de Fátima Almeida Lima

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the quality of life at work of nurses from a university hospital, between January and April of 2011. A sample of 90 nurses answered the WHOQOL-Bref and a questionnaire addressing their sociodemographic profile and working conditions. Most subjects were female, aged between 23 and 40 years, married, and holding a specialization degree. The Physical domain had the highest mean (73.05 and the Environment domain the lowest (63.12. Subjects with the best scores in the quality of life domains were male, married, public servants, holding a master’s/doctorate degree, and working three jobs or more. The chosen instrument allowed for outlining the nurses’ profile and learning the domains and variables that affect their quality of life. It is suggested that university hospitals encourage nurses to pursue a stricto sensu graduate course. Descriptors: Quality of Life; Nurses, Male; Working Conditions; Hospitals, University.
Adverse psychosocial working conditions and poor quality of life among financial service employees in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Luiz Sergio; Barreto, Sandhi Maria

2012-01-01

Workers in the financial services sector are exposed to great stress at work. This study investigates whether exposure to adverse psychosocial work conditions is independently associated with poor health-related physical and mental quality of life among financial services workers. We studied a nationwide representative sample of 2,054 workers of a large Brazilian state bank in 2008. Adverse psychosocial work conditions were investigated by the Effort-reward imbalance (ERI) scale and the Job content questionnaire (JCQ). Health-related quality of life (HRQL) was assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form General Health Survey (SF-12). Poor mental and physical HRQL was defined by the lowest quartiles of the SF-12 final score distributions. Associations were investigated using multiple logistic regression analysis. In the multivariate analysis, exposures to low control and lack of social support at work (JCQ) were associated with poor HRQL in the physical domain. Increasing effort-reward imbalance and overcommitment (ERI), on the other hand, were associated with poor HRQL in the mental domain, with a significant statistical trend. Overcommitment was also associated with poor physical HRQL. The results suggest that exposure to adverse psychosocial work conditions has a negative impact on both domains of HRQL among financial service workers. They also indicate that ERI and DC models capture different aspects of job strain.
Multi-PAS domain-mediated protein oligomerization of PpsR from Rhodobacter sphaeroides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heintz, Udo; Meinhart, Anton; Winkler, Andreas

2014-01-01

Crystal structures of two truncated variants of the transcription factor PpsR from R. sphaeroides are presented that enabled the phasing of a triple PAS domain construct. Together, these structures reveal the importance of α-helical PAS extensions for multi-PAS domain-mediated protein oligomerization and function. Per–ARNT–Sim (PAS) domains are essential modules of many multi-domain signalling proteins that mediate protein interaction and/or sense environmental stimuli. Frequently, multiple PAS domains are present within single polypeptide chains, where their interplay is required for protein function. Although many isolated PAS domain structures have been reported over the last decades, only a few structures of multi-PAS proteins are known. Therefore, the molecular mechanism of multi-PAS domain-mediated protein oligomerization and function is poorly understood. The transcription factor PpsR from Rhodobacter sphaeroides is such a multi-PAS domain protein that, in addition to its three PAS domains, contains a glutamine-rich linker and a C-terminal helix–turn–helix DNA-binding motif. Here, crystal structures of two N-terminally and C-terminally truncated PpsR variants that comprise a single (PpsR Q-PAS1 ) and two (PpsR N-Q-PAS1 ) PAS domains, respectively, are presented and the multi-step strategy required for the phasing of a triple PAS domain construct (PpsR ΔHTH ) is illustrated. While parts of the biologically relevant dimerization interface can already be observed in the two shorter constructs, the PpsR ΔHTH structure reveals how three PAS domains enable the formation of multiple oligomeric states (dimer, tetramer and octamer), highlighting that not only the PAS cores but also their α-helical extensions are essential for protein oligomerization. The results demonstrate that the long helical glutamine-rich linker of PpsR results from a direct fusion of the N-cap of the PAS1 domain with the C-terminal extension of the N-domain that plays an important
Family, money, and health: Regional differences in the determinants of life satisfaction over the life course

Science.gov (United States)

Margolis, Rachel; Myrskylä, Mikko

2013-01-01

We examine how family, money, and health explain variation in life satisfaction over the life cycle across seven global regions using data from the World Values Survey. With a life domain approach, we study whether the importance of the life domains varies by region and age groups and whether the variation explained by each factor is due to the magnitude or prevalence of each factor. Globally, family, money, and health explain a substantial fraction of life satisfaction, increasing from 12 percent in young adulthood to 15 percent in mature adulthood. Health is the most important factor, and its importance increases with age. Income is unimportant above age 50. Remarkably, the contribution of family is small across ages. Across regions health is most important in the wealthier, and income in the poorer regions of the world. Family explains a substantial fraction of life satisfaction only in Western Europe and Anglophone countries. Findings highlight that the population-level importance of family, money, and health in explaining variation in life satisfaction across regions is mainly attributable to the individual-level life satisfaction differences between people of different statuses rather than differences in the distribution of various states such as poor health across regions. PMID:24796263
Navy Quality of Life Survey: Structural Equation Modeling

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Craiger, J

1997-01-01

...: conflict between being in the Navy and one's personal life, Navy life compared with civilian life, and the extent to which Navy experiences matched expectations. Computer software was developed for the first model, so that Navy managers could predict the impact of life domain experiences on perceived QOL.
Personality factors in the Long Life Family Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Stacy L; Sun, Jenny X; Sebastiani, Paola

2013-01-01

Objectives. To evaluate personality profiles of Long Life Family Study participants relative to population norms and offspring of centenarians from the New England Centenarian Study.Method. Personality domains of agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism, and openness were...... assessed with the NEO Five-Factor Inventory in 4,937 participants from the Long Life Family Study (mean age 70 years). A linear mixed model of age and gender was implemented adjusting for other covariates. RESULTS: A significant age trend was found in all five personality domains. On average, the offspring...... generation of long-lived families scored low in neuroticism, high in extraversion, and within average values for the other three domains. Older participants tended to score higher in neuroticism and lower in the other domains compared with younger participants, but the estimated scores generally remained...
Perceived Stress and Professional Quality of Life in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Nurses in Gujarat, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Amin, Amee A; Vankar, Jagdish R; Nimbalkar, Somashekhar M; Phatak, Ajay G

2015-11-01

To study the levels of perceived stress in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurses and its association with professional quality of life domains viz. compassion satisfaction, burnout and secondary trauma. In this multicenter, cross sectional study, data was collected by surveying 129 nurses from nine NICUs across six cities of Gujarat, India using demographic questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS14) and Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL5) during July to September 2013. Descriptive statistics, correlation coefficient and multiple regression were used for analysis. The mean (SD) age of participants was 28.37 (8.20) y. Most were single, satisfied with salary benefits and reported 'good' to 'excellent' relationships at work. The mean (SD) duration of duty hours was 8.12 (0.76) h and 43.6% were attending to more than 4 patients/shift. The mean (SD) perceived stress level was 22.19 (7.17) [Range: 3 to 39]. High compassion satisfaction, high burnout, and high secondary traumatic stress were reported by 25 (19.4%), 30 (23.3%) and 30 (23.3%) nurses respectively. PSS14 was negatively correlated with compassion satisfaction (r = -0.28) and positively correlated with burnout (r = 0.43) and secondary traumatic stress (r = 0.24). Most of the nurses (91, 70.5%) were identified as perceiving moderate to high stress. Professional quality of life domains correlated with perceived stress. There is further need to study domains influencing NICU nurses' professional QOL. Identifying stress and QOL issues in NICU nurses can help formulate relevant policies.
Photon multiplicity measurements: From SPS to RHIC and LHC

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

charged particle multiplicity, mean transverse momentum pT and transverse energy (ET)) ... by-event fluctuation in photon multiplicity and search for domains of ..... The root mean square (rms) deviations of theSZ distributions for data, mixed.
Exploring constructs of well-being, happiness and quality of life.

Science.gov (United States)

Medvedev, Oleg N; Landhuis, C Erik

2018-01-01

Existing definitions of happiness, subjective well-being, and quality of life suggest conceptual overlap between these constructs. This study explored the relationship between these well-being constructs by applying widely used measures with satisfactory psychometric properties. University students ( n = 180) completed widely used well-being measures including the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ), the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale. We analyzed the data using correlation, regression, and exploratory factor analysis. All included well-being measures demonstrated high loadings on the global well-being construct that explains about 80% of the variance in the OHQ, the psychological domain of Quality of Life and subjective well-being. The results show high positive correlations between happiness, psychological and health domains of quality of life, life satisfaction, and positive affect. Social and environmental domains of quality of life were poor predictors of happiness and subjective well-being after controlling for psychological quality of life. Together, these data provide support for a global well-being dimension and interchangeable use of terms happiness, subjective well-being, and psychological quality of life with the current sample and measures. Further investigation with larger heterogeneous samples and other well-being measures is warranted.
The Study of Mental Health and its Relationship with Quality of Life in Substance Dependents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marzeh Efati

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Substance dependents encounter with many problems which cause confusion in their quality of life. Method: This survey is a descriptive-analytical study. In this survey 150 persons of substance dependents who refer to addiction recovery centers at Rasht were selected by available sampling method. Information was collected via mental health questionnaire (GHQ-28 and quality of life questionnaire of World Health Organization. Results: Findings showed a significant relation between quality of life and mental health of substance dependents. Also results of simultaneous regression showed that many components of quality of life were correlated to mental health components. Mental health domain of quality of life showed significant correlation with 3 domains namely: anxiety, social dysfunction and depression. Also physical health domain of quality of life showed significant correlation with somatization domain of mental health. Conclusion: It could be possible to increase mental health of substance dependents by improving of quality of life, in accordance to survey findings.
Quality of life of caregivers of octogenarians: a study using the WHOQOL-BREF

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexsandro Silva Coura

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Objective.To evaluate the quality of life of octogenarians and to identify the domains related to quality of life and health.Methodology. A cross-sectional, quantitative study conducted in 2010 in the Family Health Units of Campina Grande/PB, Brazil. The study sample consisted of 52 subjects that met the eligibility criteria of: 18 years or older, being a lay caregiver of octogenarians, and having no apparent cognitive problem. A questionnaire containing a sociodemographic section and the WHOQOL-BREF that is composed of two questions about the perceptions of quality of life and health, and 24 on the physical, psychological, social relationships and environmental domains. The Cronbach's-alpha test and the logical regression analysis of the data were conducted using SPSS. The project was approved by the Research Committee of the Center for Development and Higher Education (CAAE nº0490.0.133.000-08. Results. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.72, attesting to the reliability of the instrument used. The domain scores were: environmental (59.43, psychological (59.01, social relationships (46.77 and physical (43.86, whose values indicate dissatisfaction of subjects with regard to aspects related to quality of life. The environmental domain was correlated with quality of life (p=0.014 and the physical domain with perceptions of health (p=0.019; the daily safety and pain aspects had the highest correlations with quality of life (p=0.001. Conclusion. The perception of the caregivers regarding quality of life was not good. The environmental and physical domains had the highest correlations with quality of life and health.
Identifying Domain-General and Domain-Specific Predictors of Low Mathematics Performance: A Classification and Regression Tree Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David J. Purpura

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Many children struggle to successfully acquire early mathematics skills. Theoretical and empirical evidence has pointed to deficits in domain-specific skills (e.g., non-symbolic mathematics skills or domain-general skills (e.g., executive functioning and language as underlying low mathematical performance. In the current study, we assessed a sample of 113 three- to five-year old preschool children on a battery of domain-specific and domain-general factors in the fall and spring of their preschool year to identify Time 1 (fall factors associated with low performance in mathematics knowledge at Time 2 (spring. We used the exploratory approach of classification and regression tree analyses, a strategy that uses step-wise partitioning to create subgroups from a larger sample using multiple predictors, to identify the factors that were the strongest classifiers of low performance for younger and older preschool children. Results indicated that the most consistent classifier of low mathematics performance at Time 2 was children’s Time 1 mathematical language skills. Further, other distinct classifiers of low performance emerged for younger and older children. These findings suggest that risk classification for low mathematics performance may differ depending on children’s age.
Review of Math for Life by Jeffrey Bennett

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eric Gaze

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Math for Life: Crucial Ideas You Didn’t Learn in School by Jeffrey Bennett is a general interest mathematics book focused on the topic of innumeracy, the mathematics required to be numerate and why quantitative literacy is important for an educated citizenry. This book raises the very important question of why the mathematics we need to navigate our daily world is given such short shrift in our K-12 math education system. Math for Life is directed at multiple constituencies. For those wishing to develop their quantitative literacy, it provides a primer of the crucial topics, explained with compelling examples in an accessible easy-to-read style. For educators, it provides a valuable synopsis of what the math education curriculum should have at its core. I conclude the review with an analysis of the book’s contributions to these varied domains. In particular, I call into question the algebra-centric high school curriculum and explore possible alternatives to the current myopic focus on calculus in our broken mathematics education system.

Factors associated with quality of life among the elderly in the community of the southern triangle macro-region, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Paiva, Michelle Helena Pereira de; Pegorari, Maycon Sousa; Nascimento, Janaína Santos; Santos, Álvaro da Silva

2016-11-01

This study sought to establish the socioeconomic and health factors associated with quality of life among the elderly in the community. An analytical study with a cross-sectional and quantitative approach was conducted in 2012 and 2013 with 3430 senior citizens in 24 municipalities in the Southern Triangle Macro-region of the State of Minas Gerais in Brazil. A structured questionnaire was used for socioeconomic and health variables, as well as the Katz scale, the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Bref (WHOQOL-BREF) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment for Older Adults (WHOQOL-OLD). Descriptive, bivariate statistical analysis was performed and a multiple linear regression model (p environmental domain and from the aspect of autonomy, a key influencing factor being negative health perception.
Examining the nomological network of satisfaction with work-life balance.

Science.gov (United States)

Grawitch, Matthew J; Maloney, Patrick W; Barber, Larissa K; Mooshegian, Stephanie E

2013-07-01

This study expands on past work-life research by examining the nomological network of satisfaction with work-life balance-the overall appraisal or global assessment of how one manages time and energy across work and nonwork domains. Analyses using 456 employees at a midsized organization indicated expected relationships with bidirectional conflict, bidirectional facilitation, and satisfaction with work and nonwork life. Structural equation modeling supported the utility of satisfaction with balance as a unique component of work-life interface perceptions. Results also indicated that satisfaction with balance mediated the relationship between some conflict/facilitation and life satisfaction outcomes, though conflict and facilitation maintained unique predictive validity on domain specific outcomes (i.e., work-to-life conflict and facilitation with work life satisfaction; life-to-work conflict and facilitation with nonwork life satisfaction). PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.
Waggawagga-CLI: A command-line tool for predicting stable single α-helices (SAH-domains, and the SAH-domain distribution across eukaryotes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dominic Simm

Full Text Available Stable single-alpha helices (SAH-domains function as rigid connectors and constant force springs between structural domains, and can provide contact surfaces for protein-protein and protein-RNA interactions. SAH-domains mainly consist of charged amino acids and are monomeric and stable in polar solutions, characteristics which distinguish them from coiled-coil domains and intrinsically disordered regions. Although the number of reported SAH-domains is steadily increasing, genome-wide analyses of SAH-domains in eukaryotic genomes are still missing. Here, we present Waggawagga-CLI, a command-line tool for predicting and analysing SAH-domains in protein sequence datasets. Using Waggawagga-CLI we predicted SAH-domains in 24 datasets from eukaryotes across the tree of life. SAH-domains were predicted in 0.5 to 3.5% of the protein-coding content per species. SAH-domains are particularly present in longer proteins supporting their function as structural building block in multi-domain proteins. In human, SAH-domains are mainly used as alternative building blocks not being present in all transcripts of a gene. Gene ontology analysis showed that yeast proteins with SAH-domains are particular enriched in macromolecular complex subunit organization, cellular component biogenesis and RNA metabolic processes, and that they have a strong nuclear and ribonucleoprotein complex localization and function in ribosome and nucleic acid binding. Human proteins with SAH-domains have roles in all types of RNA processing and cytoskeleton organization, and are predicted to function in RNA binding, protein binding involved in cell and cell-cell adhesion, and cytoskeletal protein binding. Waggawagga-CLI allows the user to adjust the stabilizing and destabilizing contribution of amino acid interactions in i,i+3 and i,i+4 spacings, and provides extensive flexibility for user-designed analyses.
Computational Identification of Genomic Features That Influence 3D Chromatin Domain Formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mourad, Raphaël; Cuvier, Olivier

2016-05-01

Recent advances in long-range Hi-C contact mapping have revealed the importance of the 3D structure of chromosomes in gene expression. A current challenge is to identify the key molecular drivers of this 3D structure. Several genomic features, such as architectural proteins and functional elements, were shown to be enriched at topological domain borders using classical enrichment tests. Here we propose multiple logistic regression to identify those genomic features that positively or negatively influence domain border establishment or maintenance. The model is flexible, and can account for statistical interactions among multiple genomic features. Using both simulated and real data, we show that our model outperforms enrichment test and non-parametric models, such as random forests, for the identification of genomic features that influence domain borders. Using Drosophila Hi-C data at a very high resolution of 1 kb, our model suggests that, among architectural proteins, BEAF-32 and CP190 are the main positive drivers of 3D domain borders. In humans, our model identifies well-known architectural proteins CTCF and cohesin, as well as ZNF143 and Polycomb group proteins as positive drivers of domain borders. The model also reveals the existence of several negative drivers that counteract the presence of domain borders including P300, RXRA, BCL11A and ELK1.
Proof of Concept Integration of a Single-Level Service-Oriented Architecture into a Multi-Domain Secure Environment

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Gilkey, Craig M

2008-01-01

.... Such web services operating across multiple security domains would provide additional advantages, including improved intelligence aggregation, and real-time collaboration between users in different security domains...
General Practitioners' Attitudes towards Essential Competencies in End-of-Life Care: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Giezendanner, Stéphanie; Jung, Corinna; Banderet, Hans-Ruedi; Otte, Ina Carola; Gudat, Heike; Haller, Dagmar M; Elger, Bernice S; Zemp, Elisabeth; Bally, Klaus

2017-01-01

Identifying essential competencies in end-of-life care, as well as general practitioners' (GPs) confidence in these competencies, is essential to guide training and quality improvement efforts in this domain. To determine which competencies in end-of-life care are considered important by GPs, to assess GPs' confidence in these competencies in a European context and their reasons to refer terminally ill patients to a specialist. Cross-sectional postal survey involving a stratified random sample of 2000 GPs in Switzerland in 2014. Survey development was informed by a previous qualitative exploration of relevant end-of-life GP competencies. Main outcome measures were GPs' assessment of the importance of and confidence in 18 attributes of end-of-life care competencies, and reasons for transferring care of terminally-ill patients to a specialist. GP characteristics associated with main outcome measures were tested using multivariate regression models. The response rate was 31%. Ninety-nine percent of GPs considered the recognition and treatment of pain as important, 86% felt confident about it. Few GPs felt confident in cultural (16%), spiritual (38%) and legal end-of-life competencies such as responding to patients seeking assisted suicide (35%) although more than half of the respondents regarded these competencies as important. Most frequent reasons to refer terminally ill patients to a specialist were lack of time (30%), better training of specialists (23%) and end-of-life care being incompatible with other duties (19%). In multiple regression analyses, confidence in end-of-life care was positively associated with GPs' age, practice size, home visits and palliative training. GPs considered non-somatic competencies (such as spiritual, cultural, ethical and legal aspects) nearly as important as pain and symptom control. Yet, few GPs felt confident in these non-somatic competencies. These findings should inform training and quality improvement efforts in this domain, in
Recurrent Skin and Lung Infections in Autosomal Dominant Hyper IgE Syndrome with Transactivation Domain STAT3 Mutation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chad J. Cooper

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Hyper IgE is a rare systemic disease characterized by the clinical triad of high serum levels of IgE (>2000 IU/mL, eczema, and recurrent staphylococcal skin and lung infections. The presentation of hyper IgE syndrome is highly variable, which makes it easy to confuse the diagnosis with that of severe atopy or other rare immunodeficiency disorders. Case Report. A 23-year-old Hispanic presented with history of frequent respiratory and gastrointestinal infections as a child and multiple episodes of skin and lung infections (abscess with Staphylococcus aureus throughout his adult life. He had multiple eczematous lesions and folliculitis over his entire body, oral/esophageal candidiasis, and retention of his primary teeth. The IgE was elevated (>5000 IU/mL. Genetic mutation analysis revealed a mutation affecting the transactivation domain of the STAT3 gene. Conclusion. The hallmark of hyper IgE syndrome is serum IgE of >2000 IU/mL. Hyper IgE syndrome is a genetic disorder that is either autosomal dominant or recessive. A definite diagnosis can be made with genetic mutation analysis, and in this case, it revealed a very rare finding of the transactivation domain STAT3 mutation. Hyper IgE syndrome is a challenge for clinicians in establishing a diagnosis in suspected cases.
Treatment factors affecting longitudinal quality of life in new onset pediatric epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Modi, Avani C; Ingerski, Lisa M; Rausch, Joseph R; Glauser, Tracy A

2011-05-01

Recognizing the importance of patient-reported outcomes, this longitudinal, prospective study examined: Changes in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) over seven months following antiepileptic drug (AED) initiation and the relationship of seizures, AED side-effects, and AED type to HRQOL. Parents of 124 children with newly diagnosed epilepsy completed measures of HRQOL and side-effects at each clinic visit. Treatment information was also collected. HRQOL remained stable over time; however, seizures and AED side-effects significantly affected multiple HRQOL domains. Higher seizure activity was associated with decreased Physical HRQOL. Side-effects were negatively associated with all HRQOL domains. Children taking carbamazepine who experienced higher side-effects early in therapy demonstrated declining emotional functioning compared to children experiencing no/some side-effects. AED side-effects, AED type, and seizure frequency were associated with longitudinal HRQOL in children with newly-diagnosed epilepsy. Routine assessment of AED side-effects and HRQOL may be useful for clinical decision making.
Relaxation and health-related quality of life in multiple sclerosis: the example of autogenic training.

Science.gov (United States)

Sutherland, Georgina; Andersen, Mark B; Morris, Tony

2005-06-01

This study was a pilot project to explore the effect of an autogenic training program (AT; a relaxation intervention) on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and well-being for people with multiple sclerosis. Participants either met weekly for sessions in AT for 10 weeks (n = 11) or were assigned to the control group (n = 11). The AT group was also asked to practice the technique daily at home. Scales designed to measure HRQOL and aspects of well-being (mood and depressed affect) were taken preintervention and at week 8 of the 10-week program. ANCOVAs using a measure of social support and pretest scores as covariates revealed that at the posttest the AT group reported more energy and vigor than the control group and were less limited in their roles due to physical and emotional problems. Future research should involve studies conducted over an extended period, together with sufficiently sized samples to explore the effect of frequency of practice of relaxation training on HRQOL and well-being for people with multiple sclerosis.
Hospital costs of multiple-birth and singleton-birth children during the first 5 years of life and the role of assisted reproductive technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Chambers, Georgina M; Hoang, Van Phuong; Lee, Evelyn; Hansen, Michele; Sullivan, Elizabeth A; Bower, Carol; Chapman, Michael

2014-11-01

The unprecedented increase in multiple births during the past 3 decades is a major public health concern and parallels the uptake of medically assisted conception. The economic implications of such births are not well understood. To conduct a comprehensive economic and health services assessment of the frequency, duration, and cost of hospital admissions during the first 5 years of life for singleton, twin, and higher-order multiple (HOM) children and to examine the contribution of assisted reproductive technology (ART) to the incidence and cost of multiple births. A retrospective population cohort study using individually linked birth, hospital, and death records among 233,850 infants born in Western Australia between October 1993 and September 2003, and followed up to September 2008. Multiple-gestation delivery and ART conception. Odds of stillbirth, prematurity and low birth weight, frequency and length of hospital admissions, the mean costs by plurality, and the independent effect of prematurity on childhood costs. Of 226,624 singleton, 6941 twin, and 285 HOM infants, 1.0% of singletons, 15.4% of twins, and 34.7% of HOM children were conceived following ART. Compared with singletons, twins and HOMs were 3.4 and 9.6 times, respectively, more likely to be stillborn and were 6.4 and 36.7 times, respectively, more likely to die during the neonatal period. Twins and HOMs were 18.7 and 525.1 times, respectively, more likely to be preterm, and 3.6 and 2.8 times, respectively, more likely to be small for gestational age. The mean hospital costs of a singleton, twin, and HOM child to age 5 years were $2730, $8993, and $24,411 (in 2009-2010 US dollars), respectively, with cost differences concentrated in the neonatal period and during the first year of life. Almost 15% of inpatient costs for multiple births could have been avoided if ART twins and HOMs had been born as singletons. Compared with singletons, multiple-birth infants consume significantly more hospital
Dual Constant Domain-Fab: A novel strategy to improve half-life and potency of a Met therapeutic antibody.

Science.gov (United States)

Cignetto, Simona; Modica, Chiara; Chiriaco, Cristina; Fontani, Lara; Milla, Paola; Michieli, Paolo; Comoglio, Paolo M; Vigna, Elisa

2016-06-01

The kinase receptor encoded by the Met oncogene is a sensible target for cancer therapy. The chimeric monovalent Fab fragment of the DN30 monoclonal antibody (MvDN30) has an odd mechanism of action, based on cell surface removal of Met via activation of specific plasma membrane proteases. However, the short half-life of the Fab, due to its low molecular weight, is a severe limitation for the deployment in therapy. This issue was addressed by increasing the Fab molecular weight above the glomerular filtration threshold through the duplication of the constant domains, in tandem (DCD-1) or reciprocally swapped (DCD-2). The two newly engineered molecules showed biochemical properties comparable to the original MvDN30 in vitro, acting as full Met antagonists, impairing Met phosphorylation and activation of downstream signaling pathways. As a consequence, Met-mediated biological responses were inhibited, including anchorage-dependent and -independent cell growth. In vivo DCD-1 and DCD-2 showed a pharmacokinetic profile significantly improved over the original MvDN30, doubling the circulating half-life and reducing the clearance. In pre-clinical models of cancer, generated by injection of tumor cells or implant of patient-derived samples, systemic administration of the engineered molecules inhibited the growth of Met-addicted tumors. Copyright © 2016 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Definition of life law and the situation with problems of China's life jurisprudence.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Changqiu

2008-12-01

Life law is a new conception brought by the development of modern life science and biotechnology. There are many different ideas on the conception of life law in academy. The definition of life law should be footed on the domain of bioethics. Based on bioethics, life law is a group of legislations which are enacted or acknowledged by the state and implemented by the state compulsively with the goal of regulating all types of relations revolving the survival as well as terminal of human beings and some other creatures which play important roles in the maintenance of human's life and health. There are many problems in China's study on science of life law, which need paying special attention to by China's scholars.
A test of the domain-specific acculturation strategy hypothesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Matthew J; Yang, Minji; Lim, Robert H; Hui, Kayi; Choi, Na-Yeun; Fan, Xiaoyan; Lin, Li-Ling; Grome, Rebekah E; Farrell, Jerome A; Blackmon, Sha'kema

2013-01-01

Acculturation literature has evolved over the past several decades and has highlighted the dynamic ways in which individuals negotiate experiences in multiple cultural contexts. The present study extends this literature by testing M. J. Miller and R. H. Lim's (2010) domain-specific acculturation strategy hypothesis-that individuals might use different acculturation strategies (i.e., assimilated, bicultural, separated, and marginalized strategies; J. W. Berry, 2003) across behavioral and values domains-in 3 independent cluster analyses with Asian American participants. Present findings supported the domain-specific acculturation strategy hypothesis as 67% to 72% of participants from 3 independent samples using different strategies across behavioral and values domains. Consistent with theory, a number of acculturation strategy cluster group differences emerged across generational status, acculturative stress, mental health symptoms, and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help. Study limitations and future directions for research are discussed.
Design of Xen Hybrid Multiple Police Model

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Lei; Lin, Renhao; Zhu, Xianwei

2017-10-01

Virtualization Technology has attracted more and more attention. As a popular open-source virtualization tools, XEN is used more and more frequently. Xsm, XEN security model, has also been widespread concern. The safety status classification has not been established in the XSM, and it uses the virtual machine as a managed object to make Dom0 a unique administrative domain that does not meet the minimum privilege. According to these questions, we design a Hybrid multiple police model named SV_HMPMD that organically integrates multiple single security policy models include DTE,RBAC,BLP. It can fullfill the requirement of confidentiality and integrity for security model and use different particle size to different domain. In order to improve BLP’s practicability, the model introduce multi-level security labels. In order to divide the privilege in detail, we combine DTE with RBAC. In order to oversize privilege, we limit the privilege of domain0.
Reducing bias in population and landscape genetic inferences: the effects of sampling related individuals and multiple life stages.

Science.gov (United States)

Peterman, William; Brocato, Emily R; Semlitsch, Raymond D; Eggert, Lori S

2016-01-01

In population or landscape genetics studies, an unbiased sampling scheme is essential for generating accurate results, but logistics may lead to deviations from the sample design. Such deviations may come in the form of sampling multiple life stages. Presently, it is largely unknown what effect sampling different life stages can have on population or landscape genetic inference, or how mixing life stages can affect the parameters being measured. Additionally, the removal of siblings from a data set is considered best-practice, but direct comparisons of inferences made with and without siblings are limited. In this study, we sampled embryos, larvae, and adult Ambystoma maculatum from five ponds in Missouri, and analyzed them at 15 microsatellite loci. We calculated allelic richness, heterozygosity and effective population sizes for each life stage at each pond and tested for genetic differentiation (F ST and D C ) and isolation-by-distance (IBD) among ponds. We tested for differences in each of these measures between life stages, and in a pooled population of all life stages. All calculations were done with and without sibling pairs to assess the effect of sibling removal. We also assessed the effect of reducing the number of microsatellites used to make inference. No statistically significant differences were found among ponds or life stages for any of the population genetic measures, but patterns of IBD differed among life stages. There was significant IBD when using adult samples, but tests using embryos, larvae, or a combination of the three life stages were not significant. We found that increasing the ratio of larval or embryo samples in the analysis of genetic distance weakened the IBD relationship, and when using D C , the IBD was no longer significant when larvae and embryos exceeded 60% of the population sample. Further, power to detect an IBD relationship was reduced when fewer microsatellites were used in the analysis.
Reducing bias in population and landscape genetic inferences: the effects of sampling related individuals and multiple life stages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William Peterman

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In population or landscape genetics studies, an unbiased sampling scheme is essential for generating accurate results, but logistics may lead to deviations from the sample design. Such deviations may come in the form of sampling multiple life stages. Presently, it is largely unknown what effect sampling different life stages can have on population or landscape genetic inference, or how mixing life stages can affect the parameters being measured. Additionally, the removal of siblings from a data set is considered best-practice, but direct comparisons of inferences made with and without siblings are limited. In this study, we sampled embryos, larvae, and adult Ambystoma maculatum from five ponds in Missouri, and analyzed them at 15 microsatellite loci. We calculated allelic richness, heterozygosity and effective population sizes for each life stage at each pond and tested for genetic differentiation (FST and DC and isolation-by-distance (IBD among ponds. We tested for differences in each of these measures between life stages, and in a pooled population of all life stages. All calculations were done with and without sibling pairs to assess the effect of sibling removal. We also assessed the effect of reducing the number of microsatellites used to make inference. No statistically significant differences were found among ponds or life stages for any of the population genetic measures, but patterns of IBD differed among life stages. There was significant IBD when using adult samples, but tests using embryos, larvae, or a combination of the three life stages were not significant. We found that increasing the ratio of larval or embryo samples in the analysis of genetic distance weakened the IBD relationship, and when using DC, the IBD was no longer significant when larvae and embryos exceeded 60% of the population sample. Further, power to detect an IBD relationship was reduced when fewer microsatellites were used in the analysis.
Health related quality of life in patients with congestive heart failure: comparison with other chronic diseases and relation to functional variables.

Science.gov (United States)

Juenger, J; Schellberg, D; Kraemer, S; Haunstetter, A; Zugck, C; Herzog, W; Haass, M

2002-03-01

To assess health related quality of life of patients with congestive heart failure; to compare their quality of life with the previously characterised general population and in those with other chronic diseases; and to correlate the different aspects of quality of life with relevant somatic variables. University hospital. A German version of the generic quality of life measure (SF-36) containing eight dimensions was administered to 205 patients with congestive heart failure and systolic dysfunction. Cardiopulmonary evaluation included assessment of New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, left ventricular ejection fraction, peak oxygen uptake, and the distance covered during a standardised six minute walk test. Quality of life significantly decreased with NYHA functional class (linear trend: p < 0.0001). In NYHA class III, the scores of five of the eight quality of life domains were reduced to around one third of those in the general population. The pattern of reduction was different in patients with chronic hepatitis C and major depression, and similar in patients on chronic haemodialysis. Multiple regression analysis showed that only the NYHA functional class was consistently and closely associated with all quality of life scales. The six minute walk test and peak oxygen uptake added to the explanation of the variance in only one of the eight quality of life domains (physical functioning). Left ventricular ejection fraction, duration of disease, and age showed no clear association with quality of life. In congestive heart failure, quality of life decreases as NYHA functional class worsens. Though NYHA functional class was the most dominant predictor among the somatic variables studied, the major determinants of reduced quality of life remain unknown.
Overcoming challenges: life with an ostomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Popek, Sarah; Grant, Marcia; Gemmill, Robin; Wendel, Christopher S; Mohler, M Jane; Rawl, Susan M; Baldwin, Carol M; Ko, Clifford Y; Schmidt, C Max; Krouse, Robert S

2010-11-01

Studies have demonstrated decreased health-related quality of life in patients with stomas. Using US Department of Veterans Affairs electronic medical records, veterans with stomas were surveyed using the City of Hope Quality of Life-Ostomy questionnaire. Focus groups were conducted segregated by type of stoma (ileostomy vs colostomy) and quality-of-life score (high vs low). Qualitative analysis was performed on the basis of the City of Hope Quality of Life for Ostomates format of health-related quality of life (physical, psychological, social, and spiritual). The findings of the colostomy focus groups are reported. Two new domains emerged: colostomy specific and health care specific. The most common domains discussed were colostomy specific, psychological, and social. The most frequently discussed colostomy-specific theme was effective and ineffective solutions to colostomy care. Family and spousal relationships were the main theme from the psychological category. The predominant social issue was sexual relationships. Awareness of patients' social, psychological, and medical status allows surgeons to identify those likely to have problems and devote resources to those veterans. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Quality of life outcome after subthalamic stimulation in Parkinson's disease depends on age.

Science.gov (United States)

Dafsari, Haidar S; Reker, Paul; Stalinski, Lisa; Silverdale, Monty; Rizos, Alexandra; Ashkan, Keyoumars; Barbe, Michael T; Fink, Gereon R; Evans, Julian; Steffen, Julia; Samuel, Michael; Dembek, Till A; Visser-Vandewalle, Veerle; Antonini, Angelo; Ray-Chaudhuri, K; Martinez-Martin, Pablo; Timmermann, Lars

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate how quality of life outcome after bilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) in Parkinson's disease (PD) depends on age. In this prospective, open-label, multicenter study including 120 PD patients undergoing bilateral STN-DBS, we investigated the PDQuestionnaire-8 (PDQ-8), Unified PD Rating Scale-III, Scales for Outcomes in PD-motor examination, complications, activities of daily living, and levodopa equivalent daily dose preoperatively and at 5 months follow-up. Significant changes at follow-up were analyzed with Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. To explore the influence of age post hoc, the patients were classified into 3 age groups (≤59, 60-69, ≥70 years). Intragroup changes were analyzed with Wilcoxon signed-rank and intergroup differences with Kruskal-Wallis tests. The strength of clinical responses was evaluated using effect size. The PDQuestionnaire-8, Scales for Outcomes in PD-motor complications, activities of daily living, and levodopa equivalent daily dose significantly improved in the overall cohort and all age groups with no significant intergroup differences. However, PDQuestionnaire-8 effect sizes for age groups ≤59, 60 to 69, and ≥70 years, respectively, were strong, moderate, and small. Furthermore, PDQuestionnaire-8 domain analyses revealed that all domains except cognition and emotional well-being significantly improved in patients aged ≤59 years, whereas only communication, activities of daily living, and stigma improved in patients aged 60-69 years, and activities of daily living and stigma in patients aged ≥70 years. Although quality of life, motor complications, and activities of daily living significantly improved in all age groups after bilateral STN-DBS, the beneficial effect on overall quality of life was more pronounced and affected a wider range of quality of life domains in younger patients. © 2017 International
Avaliação da qualidade de vida geral de agentes comunitários de saúde: a contribuição relativa das variáveis sociodemográficas e dos domínios da qualidade de vida Evaluation of overall quality of life of community health agents: the relative contribution of sociodemographic variables and domains of quality of life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Cláudia G. C. Kluthcovsky

2007-08-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Avaliar a contribuição relativa de cada domínio da qualidade de vida (físico, psicológico, relações sociais e meio ambiente e das variáveis sociodemográficas para a qualidade de vida geral de agentes comunitários de saúde de um município do interior do Paraná, Brasil. MÉTODO: Estudo descritivo, de corte transversal e com abordagem quantitativa. O grupo de estudo foi composto por 169 agentes (86,2% do total, que responderam o World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument Bref, instrumento genérico para avaliar qualidade de vida, proposto pela Organização Mundial da Saúde. Foram utilizados testes de correlação e regressão linear multivariada. O nível de significância adotado para as análises foi de 5%. RESULTADOS: Das variáveis sociodemográficas analisadas, nenhuma contribuiu de modo significativo para o domínio geral da qualidade de vida. Para os quatro domínios, o que mais contribuiu para a qualidade de vida geral foi o físico, seguido do psicológico e do meio ambiente, os três explicando 47,9% da variância. O domínio das relações sociais não contribuiu significativamente para a qualidade de vida geral. CONCLUSÃO: Observou-se que a variância da qualidade de vida geral não foi completamente explicada pelas variáveis sociodemográficas e pelos domínios da qualidade de vida. Assim, maior atenção deve ser dada pelos pesquisadores aos diferentes modos de entender qualidade de vida, em especial valorizando métodos de pesquisa e avaliação interdisciplinar.OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at evaluating the relative contribution of each life quality domain (physical, psychological, social relationships and environment and of sociodemographic variables to overall quality of life of community health agents from a municipality located in the State of Paraná, Brazil. METHODS: A descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out using a quantitative approach. The sample was composed of 169 agents

Quality of life concerns and depression among hematopoietic stem cell transplant survivors.

Science.gov (United States)

Mosher, Catherine E; DuHamel, Katherine N; Rini, Christine; Corner, Geoffrey; Lam, Joanne; Redd, William H

2011-09-01

This study examined quality of life, transplant-related concerns, and depressive symptoms and their demographic and medical correlates at 1 to 3 years following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). HSCT survivors (N=406) completed telephone-administered questionnaires that assessed demographic variables, functional status, quality of life, transplant-related concerns, and depressive symptoms. The most prevalent concerns among HSCT survivors included physical symptoms (e.g., fatigue and pain), maintaining current health status and employment, changes in appearance, and lack of sexual interest and satisfaction. In addition, almost one-third (32%) of survivors age 40 years and younger reported concern about their ability to have children. Unemployed survivors and those with lower incomes and worse functional status were more likely to experience poorer quality of life in multiple domains. Fifteen percent of the sample reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms, and these symptoms were higher among allogeneic transplant recipients and those with lower functional status. Results suggest that interventions are needed to address physical symptoms, coping with an uncertain future, infertility, and sexual issues during the early phase of HSCT survivorship.
MULTIPLE OBJECTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. A. Bosov

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The development of complicated techniques of production and management processes, information systems, computer science, applied objects of systems theory and others requires improvement of mathematical methods, new approaches for researches of application systems. And the variety and diversity of subject systems makes necessary the development of a model that generalizes the classical sets and their development – sets of sets. Multiple objects unlike sets are constructed by multiple structures and represented by the structure and content. The aim of the work is the analysis of multiple structures, generating multiple objects, the further development of operations on these objects in application systems. Methodology. To achieve the objectives of the researches, the structure of multiple objects represents as constructive trio, consisting of media, signatures and axiomatic. Multiple object is determined by the structure and content, as well as represented by hybrid superposition, composed of sets, multi-sets, ordered sets (lists and heterogeneous sets (sequences, corteges. Findings. In this paper we study the properties and characteristics of the components of hybrid multiple objects of complex systems, proposed assessments of their complexity, shown the rules of internal and external operations on objects of implementation. We introduce the relation of arbitrary order over multiple objects, we define the description of functions and display on objects of multiple structures. Originality.In this paper we consider the development of multiple structures, generating multiple objects.Practical value. The transition from the abstract to the subject of multiple structures requires the transformation of the system and multiple objects. Transformation involves three successive stages: specification (binding to the domain, interpretation (multiple sites and particularization (goals. The proposed describe systems approach based on hybrid sets
Domains of health-related quality of life important and relevant to multiethnic English-speaking Asian systemic lupus erythematosus patients: a focus group study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ow, Yen Ling Mandy; Thumboo, Julian; Cella, David; Cheung, Yin Bun; Yong Fong, Kok; Wee, Hwee Lin

2011-06-01

To identify health-related quality of life (HRQOL) domains of importance to multiethnic Asian systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, to identify content gaps in existing SLE-specific HRQOL measures, and to determine whether the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) item banks could serve as a core set of questions for HRQOL assessment among SLE patients. English-speaking patients with physician-diagnosed SLE from a specialist clinic in a tertiary care hospital in Singapore and a patient support group were recruited. Thematic analysis was performed to distill themes from transcripts through open coding by 2 independent coders and axial coding for refinement of categories. Items from 3 existing SLE-specific measures and PROMIS Version 1.0 Item Banks were compared with identified subthemes. Twenty-seven female and 2 male participants (21 Chinese, 4 Malay, 3 Indian, 1 other) ages 23-62 years participated in 6 focus groups and 2 individual interviews, respectively. Twenty-one domains and 92 subthemes were identified. Domains of family, relationships, stigma and discrimination, and freedom were unaddressed by existing SLE-specific measures. Forty subthemes from 14 domains were addressed by the PROMIS Version 1.0 Item Banks (Physical Function, Pain, Fatigue, Sleep Disturbance, Sleep-Related Impairment, Anger, Anxiety, and Depression banks). Family and stigma and discrimination (identified as content gaps) may be accentuated in the Asian sociocultural context. PROMIS item banks have tremendous potential to serve as a core set of items for HRQOL assessment in SLE patients. Additional items may be written to fill the gaps in existing PROMIS item banks. Copyright © 2011 by the American College of Rheumatology.
Life scientists in the nuclear domain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guetat, Philippe; Egal, Yves; Wolf, Gerard; Fleuriot, Sabine; Van Hecke, Walter; Coulon, Remi; Seilhean-Frossard, Estelle; Sevin, Helene; Schoulz, Daniel; Lebaron-Jacobs, Laurence; Menetrier, Florence; Crochon, Philippe; Buchholzer, Vincent; Chagvardieff, Pierre; Camus, Henri; Raynaud, Jacques; Biet, Elodie; Mathis, Paul

2011-01-01

This dossier is made of several small articles entitled: - 'Exploite intelligemment, le nucleaire n'est pas dangereux' (Exploited smartly, nuclear is not dangerous); - 'l'amont du cycle du combustible nucleaire' (the upstream part of the nuclear fuel cycle); - 'Le nucleaire, une energie recyclable' (Nuclear, a recyclable energy); - 'Centrale nucleaire et environnement - exemple de Cattenom' (Nuclear power station and the environment - the example of Cattenom); - 'Ingenieur environnement, un metier exigeant' (Engineer in environment, a demanding profession); - 'Rayonnements ionisants: a quels risques sommes-nous exposes?' (Ionizing radiations: to which risks are we exposed?); - 'Les anciennes mines d'uranium, un sujet toujours d'actualite' (Old uranium mines: a topic always of actuality); - 'Les dechets nucleaires, des dechets comme les autres?' (Nuclear wastes: wastes like others?); - 'Les Ingenieurs du Vivant dans le nucleaire' (Engineers in life sciences in the nuclear sector); - 'Tchernobyl: 25 ans apres, quel impact sur la sante?' (Chernobyl: 25 years after: which impact on health?); - 'Fukushima, catastrophe naturelle ou accident nucleaire?' (Fukushima, natural disaster or nuclear accident?); - 'Rehabiliter les sols contamines' (Restoring contaminated soils); - 'Nucleaire et risque de proliferation' (nuclear and risk of proliferation); - 'Les rayonnements dans la lutte contre le cancer' (Radiations in the struggle against cancer); - 'L'energie nucleaire est-elle essentielle a notre bouquet energetique?' (Is nuclear energy essential to our energy mix?). The articles of this dossier outline that nuclear energy can be exploited without any danger if it is done intelligently, describes the upstream part of the nuclear fuel cycle, outlines that most of the nuclear fuel can be recycled, presents the activities of survey and control of the environment around a French nuclear power station, outlines the high commitment required for and engineer in environment working
Multiple solutions for inhomogeneous nonlinear elliptic problems arising in astrophyiscs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Calahorrano

2004-04-01

Full Text Available Using variational methods we prove the existence and multiplicity of solutions for some nonlinear inhomogeneous elliptic problems on a bounded domain in $mathbb{R}^n$, with $ngeq 2$ and a smooth boundary, and when the domain is $mathbb{R}_+^n$
Step by Step: Biology Undergraduates’ Problem-Solving Procedures during Multiple-Choice Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Prevost, Luanna B.; Lemons, Paula P.

2016-01-01

This study uses the theoretical framework of domain-specific problem solving to explore the procedures students use to solve multiple-choice problems about biology concepts. We designed several multiple-choice problems and administered them on four exams. We trained students to produce written descriptions of how they solved the problem, and this allowed us to systematically investigate their problem-solving procedures. We identified a range of procedures and organized them as domain general, domain specific, or hybrid. We also identified domain-general and domain-specific errors made by students during problem solving. We found that students use domain-general and hybrid procedures more frequently when solving lower-order problems than higher-order problems, while they use domain-specific procedures more frequently when solving higher-order problems. Additionally, the more domain-specific procedures students used, the higher the likelihood that they would answer the problem correctly, up to five procedures. However, if students used just one domain-general procedure, they were as likely to answer the problem correctly as if they had used two to five domain-general procedures. Our findings provide a categorization scheme and framework for additional research on biology problem solving and suggest several important implications for researchers and instructors. PMID:27909021
Importance of the Alternative Five and Trait Emotional Intelligence for Agentic and Communal Domains of Satisfaction

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Andreja Avsec

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Many studies supported the importance of trait emotional intelligence (EI for subjective well-being but specific domains of life-satisfaction were rarely of interest. Our study investigated whether emotional intelligence is more important for interpersonal or communal-related domains (e.g. satisfaction with friends, intimate partners than for agentic domains of satisfaction (e.g. satisfaction with finances, work. Due to the problematic differential validity of trait EI from personality, the relationship between trait EI and domains of satisfaction was controlled for by personality. Slovene students and young adults (N=442 completed the Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire and the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire, and rated their satisfaction with 12 aspects of life. Principal component analysis of these domains revealed three components, explaining 62% of total variance. The communal domains included self-reported satisfaction with popularity, respect, influence on others, family relationships, and intimate relationship. The agentic domains included satisfaction with professional carrier, financial situation, academic education, and achieved goals. The physical domains component was comprised of satisfaction with appearance, fitness, and health. After accounting for personality, trait EI explained 16% of variance in communal domain and 10% of variance in agentic domain, thus suggesting greater importance of trait EI for interpersonal domains. However, trait EI seems to play an important role for satisfaction in the agentic domains also, as successful management of our emotions can help us reach our goals and thus be more satisfied.
Which domains of thyroid-related quality of life are most relevant?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Watt, Torquil; Hegedüs, Laszlo; Rasmussen, Ase Krogh

2007-01-01

To identify how thyroid diseases impact the patients' lives and to select the most relevant quality of life (QoL) issues for a thyroid-specific questionnaire.......To identify how thyroid diseases impact the patients' lives and to select the most relevant quality of life (QoL) issues for a thyroid-specific questionnaire....
Interacting effects of genetic variation for seed dormancy and flowering time on phenology, life history, and fitness of experimental Arabidopsis thaliana populations over multiple generations in the field.

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Taylor, Mark A; Cooper, Martha D; Sellamuthu, Reena; Braun, Peter; Migneault, Andrew; Browning, Alyssa; Perry, Emily; Schmitt, Johanna

2017-10-01

Major alleles for seed dormancy and flowering time are well studied, and can interact to influence seasonal timing and fitness within generations. However, little is known about how this interaction controls phenology, life history, and population fitness across multiple generations in natural seasonal environments. To examine how seed dormancy and flowering time shape annual plant life cycles over multiple generations, we established naturally dispersing populations of recombinant inbred lines of Arabidopsis thaliana segregating early and late alleles for seed dormancy and flowering time in a field experiment. We recorded seasonal phenology and fitness of each genotype over 2 yr and several generations. Strong seed dormancy suppressed mid-summer germination in both early- and late-flowering genetic backgrounds. Strong dormancy and late-flowering genotypes were both necessary to confer a winter annual life history; other genotypes were rapid-cycling. Strong dormancy increased within-season fecundity in an early-flowering background, but decreased it in a late-flowering background. However, there were no detectable differences among genotypes in population growth rates. Seasonal phenology, life history, and cohort fitness over multiple generations depend strongly upon interacting genetic variation for dormancy and flowering. However, similar population growth rates across generations suggest that different life cycle genotypes can coexist in natural populations. © 2017 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.
Quality of life and related factors in Menopausal women in Kashan city

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Masoomeh Abedzadeh

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Menopause is a physiological event that occurs in women's life and result in physical, emotional and social changes which affects their quality of life. Because of controversial finding in previous researches and lack of such study in kashan city, this study investigated the quality of life in menopausal women and its related factors. Methods: A cross - sectional study was performed on 700 menopausal women aged 40-60 in Kashan city with cluster sampling. Menopausal Specific Quality of life questionnaire (MENQOL was used for estimation of QOL and related factor such as age, job, educational level, marital status, duration of menopause, child at home, income satisfaction, marital satisfaction, exercise, smoking and family smoking were examined with statistical tests. Results: The quality of life was high in 17.9%, intermediate in 68.9% and low in 13.3% of women. Most of women had intermediate quality of life at vasomotor domain (67.3 %, psychosomatic domain (67.4%, physical domain(46.3% and sexual domain (51.6%.Also there was a significant difference between quality of life and educational level (P=0.004, income satisfaction (P=0.01 and exercise (P=0.0001. Conclusions: Educational level, exercise and income satisfaction are related with quality of life in menopausal women. Based on our findings, we emphasis on teaching about menopause, its symptom and adverse effects. Also emphasizes the necessity use of non pharmacological methods such as exercise and change in life style and diet to improve quality of life in menopausal women.
Effect of aerobic interval training on serum IL-10, TNFα, and adipokines levels in women with multiple sclerosis: possible relations with fatigue and quality of life.

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Mokhtarzade, Motahare; Ranjbar, Rouholah; Majdinasab, Nastaran; Patel, Darpan; Molanouri Shamsi, Mehdieh

2017-08-01

Multiple sclerosis is associated with immune system dysfunction and chronic inflammation; however, possible relations between immunologic and metabolic factors and some psychological indexes such as fatigue and quality of life, especially in relation to exercise training, have not yet been investigated. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of aerobic interval training on interleukin-10/tumor necrosis factor ratio and adipokine (leptin and adiponectin) concentrations in women with multiple sclerosis. Furthermore, the relationship between these factors with fatigue and quality of life were assessed. Forty women with multiple sclerosis (Expanded Disability Status Scale ≤3) were randomized into either a non-exercising control or training group. The training group performed 8-weeks of upper and lower limb aerobic interval training. Serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factorα, interleukin-10, leptin, and adiponectin were measured before and after the 8-week intervention. Moreover, antropometric measures and measures for fatigue and quality of life were determined at the onset of and after exercise training. The results revealed that leptin and tumor necrosis factorα levels significantly decreased subsequent to the aerobic interval training. Although blood adiponectin levels considerably increased in the training group, interleukin-10 and interleukin-10/tumor necrosis factorα ratio underwent no substantial change after the exercise training. In addition, the aerobic interval training was associated with improvement in fatigue, quality of life, and maximal oxygen consumption. Our findings suggested that aerobic interval training can be an effective strategy for managing the immune system at least by its significant impact on inflammatory cytokines and adipokines levels in women with multiple sclerosis. Additionally, this positive impact improved fatigue and adipose tissue indicators.
A Bayesian Sampler for Optimization of Protein Domain Hierarchies

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2014-01-01

Abstract The process of identifying and modeling functionally divergent subgroups for a specific protein domain class and arranging these subgroups hierarchically has, thus far, largely been done via manual curation. How to accomplish this automatically and optimally is an unsolved statistical and algorithmic problem that is addressed here via Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling. Taking as input a (typically very large) multiple-sequence alignment, the sampler creates and optimizes a hierarchy by adding and deleting leaf nodes, by moving nodes and subtrees up and down the hierarchy, by inserting or deleting internal nodes, and by redefining the sequences and conserved patterns associated with each node. All such operations are based on a probability distribution that models the conserved and divergent patterns defining each subgroup. When we view these patterns as sequence determinants of protein function, each node or subtree in such a hierarchy corresponds to a subgroup of sequences with similar biological properties. The sampler can be applied either de novo or to an existing hierarchy. When applied to 60 protein domains from multiple starting points in this way, it converged on similar solutions with nearly identical log-likelihood ratio scores, suggesting that it typically finds the optimal peak in the posterior probability distribution. Similarities and differences between independently generated, nearly optimal hierarchies for a given domain help distinguish robust from statistically uncertain features. Thus, a future application of the sampler is to provide confidence measures for various features of a domain hierarchy. PMID:24494927
Type D, anxiety and depression in association with quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease and patients with multiple sclerosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dubayova, Tatiana; Krokavcova, Martina; Nagyova, Iveta; Rosenberger, Jaroslav; Gdovinova, Zuzana; Middel, Berrie; Groothoff, Johan W.; van Dijk, Jitse P.

The present study examines the role of Type D personality, anxiety and depression in quality of life (QoL) in patients with two chronic neurological diseases-Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple sclerosis (MS). This cross-sectional study included 142 PD patients (73 % males; mean age 67.6 +/- A 9.2
Evolution based on domain combinations: the case of glutaredoxins

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Herrero Enrique

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Protein domains represent the basic units in the evolution of proteins. Domain duplication and shuffling by recombination and fusion, followed by divergence are the most common mechanisms in this process. Such domain fusion and recombination events are predicted to occur only once for a given multidomain architecture. However, other scenarios may be relevant in the evolution of specific proteins, such as convergent evolution of multidomain architectures. With this in mind, we study glutaredoxin (GRX domains, because these domains of approximately one hundred amino acids are widespread in archaea, bacteria and eukaryotes and participate in fusion proteins. GRXs are responsible for the reduction of protein disulfides or glutathione-protein mixed disulfides and are involved in cellular redox regulation, although their specific roles and targets are often unclear. Results In this work we analyze the distribution and evolution of GRX proteins in archaea, bacteria and eukaryotes. We study over one thousand GRX proteins, each containing at least one GRX domain, from hundreds of different organisms and trace the origin and evolution of the GRX domain within the tree of life. Conclusion Our results suggest that single domain GRX proteins of the CGFS and CPYC classes have, each, evolved through duplication and divergence from one initial gene that was present in the last common ancestor of all organisms. Remarkably, we identify a case of convergent evolution in domain architecture that involves the GRX domain. Two independent recombination events of a TRX domain to a GRX domain are likely to have occurred, which is an exception to the dominant mechanism of domain architecture evolution.
Depression, functional disability and quality of life among Nigerian older adults: Prevalences and relationships.

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Akosile, Christopher Olusanjo; Mgbeojedo, Ukamaka Gloria; Maruf, Fatai Adesina; Okoye, Emmanuel Chiebuka; Umeonwuka, Ifeanyi Chuka; Ogunniyi, Adesola

2018-01-01

Ageing is associated with increased morbidity, depression and decline in function. These may consequently impair the quality of life (QoL) of older adults. This study was used to investigate the prevalence of functional disability, depression, and level of quality of life of older adults residing in Uyo metropolis and its environs, Nigeria. This cross sectional survey involved 206 (116 females and 90 males) older adults with mean age of 69.8±6.7. The World Health Organization Quality of Life-OLD, Functional status Questionnaire (FSQ) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) were used to measure quality of life, functional disability and depression respectively. Data was analysed using frequency counts and percentages and Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient, at 0.05 alpha level. 45.5% of participants had depression, and at least 30% had functional disability in at least one domain, but their quality of life was fairly good (>60.0%) across all domains. Significant correlation existed between depression scores and individual quality of life and functional disability domains and between overall QoL and each functional disability domain (pquality of life of the older adults. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
[Correlation between quality of life and morbidity of the caregivers of elderly stroke patients].

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Santos, Nilce Maria de Freitas; Tavares, Darlene Mara Dos Santos

2012-08-01

The objective of this study was to describe the sociodemographic characteristics and the quality of life of the caregivers of elderly individuals with a stroke history, and correlate morbidity with the caregivers' quality of life scores. This is a cross-sectional household survey that interviewed the caregivers of elderly individuals using the following tools: a semi-structured instrument; the World Health Organization Quality of life-BREF; and the Brazilian Multidimensional Functional Assessment Questionnaire. Descriptive analysis and Pearson's correlation (psalary (34.8%). The highest quality of life score was in the social relations domain (67.57) and the lowest was in the environmental domain (54.82). The highest number of caregiver morbidities correlated with the lowest scores in all quality of life domains.
Attenuation of multiples in image space

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Alvarez, Gabriel F.

In complex subsurface areas, attenuation of 3D specular and diffracted multiples in data space is difficult and inaccurate. In those areas, image space is an attractive alternative. There are several reasons: (1) migration increases the signal-to-noise ratio of the data; (2) primaries are mapped to coherent events in Subsurface Offset Domain Common Image Gathers (SODCIGs) or Angle Domain Common Image Gathers (ADCIGs); (3) image space is regular and smaller; (4) attenuating the multiples in data space leaves holes in the frequency-Wavenumber space that generate artifacts after migration. I develop a new equation for the residual moveout of specular multiples in ADCIGs and use it for the kernel of an apex-shifted Radon transform to focus and separate the primaries from specular and diffracted multiples. Because of small amplitude, phase and kinematic errors in the multiple estimate, we need adaptive matching and subtraction to estimate the primaries. I pose this problem as an iterative least-squares inversion that simultaneously matches the estimates of primaries and multiples to the data. Standard methods match only the estimate of the multiples. I demonstrate with real and synthetic data that the method produces primaries and multiples with little cross-talk. In 3D, the multiples exhibit residual moveout in SODCIGs in in-line and cross-line offsets. They map away from zero subsurface offsets when migrated with the faster velocity of the primaries. In ADCIGs the residual moveout of the primaries as a function of the aperture angle, for a given azimuth, is flat for those angles that illuminate the reflector. The multiples have residual moveout towards increasing depth for increasing aperture angles at all azimuths. As a function of azimuth, the primaries have better azimuth resolution than the multiples at larger aperture angles. I show, with a real 3D dataset, that even below salt, where illumination is poor, the multiples are well attenuated in ADCIGs with the new
An evaluation of life satisfaction and health - Quality of life of senior citizens.

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Ziółkowski, Artur; Błachnio, Aleksandra; Pąchalska, Maria

2015-01-01

Modern medicine is still searching for the antecedents which will lead to successful aging. The article discusses the self-perception of life satisfaction and health of senior citizens. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between self-evaluation of life satisfaction and health by senior citizens in comparison to different age groups. The study included 463 persons - 230 men and 233 women. The age of the participants was in the range 16 - 83 years. All participants were asked to fill the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (Fragebogen zur Lebenszufriedenheit - FLZ). The FLZ questionnaire assesses the global life satisfaction of a person and health domain separately. The results show age-related differences in the evaluation of life satisfaction. Accordingly, there is a significant change in health evaluations in different age groups, but there are no significant gender differences in health self-report data. The senior citizens' assessment of general health, although the lowest among all the age-subgroups, showed significant difference only in relation to the people below 45 years of age. The significant differences in satisfaction from mental health occurred only for the elderly and participants aged 25-34 and 35-44. Life satisfaction is associated with subjective health evaluations. There are two domains (mental health and performance) that are positively evaluated by more than two-thirds of senior citizens. The observed differences challenge stereotypes and prejudices relating to negative aging process. Senior citizens can improve their control beliefs and develop self-regulation and coping skills.
Efficient Adoption and Assessment of Multiple Process Improvement Reference Models

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Simona Jeners

2013-06-01

Full Text Available A variety of reference models such as CMMI, COBIT or ITIL support IT organizations to improve their processes. These process improvement reference models (IRMs cover different domains such as IT development, IT Services or IT Governance but also share some similarities. As there are organizations that address multiple domains and need to coordinate their processes in their improvement we present MoSaIC, an approach to support organizations to efficiently adopt and conform to multiple IRMs. Our solution realizes a semantic integration of IRMs based on common meta-models. The resulting IRM integration model enables organizations to efficiently implement and asses multiple IRMs and to benefit from synergy effects.
Life satisfaction of two-year post-stroke survivors: effects of socio-economic factors, motor impairment, Newcastle stroke-specific quality of life measure and World Health Organization quality of life: bref of informal caregivers in Luxembourg and a rural area in Portugal.

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Baumann, Michèle; Lurbe, Kàtia; Leandro, Maria-Engracia; Chau, Nearkasen

2012-01-01

Life satisfaction of stroke survivors is known to be associated with socio-economic factors and the survivor's and his/her caregiver's quality of life, but their respective influence remains to be fully elucidated. To analyse the stroke survivors' life satisfaction 2 years after the event and its relationships with quality of life, socio-economic and stroke-related characteristics, and with informal caregivers' life satisfaction and quality of life . Over 18 months, all stroke patients from Luxembourg and north-eastern Portugal who lived at home were identified from the Inspection Générale de la Sécurité Sociale and hospital records, respectively. The clinical diagnosis of cerebrovascular disease was confirmed. We excluded all patients who declared that stroke did not result in neurological impairments at the time of stroke from the statistical analysis. The samples comprised 79 patients in Luxembourg and 48 in Portugal. Patients and the people they identified as their main caregivers were interviewed using validated questionnaires measuring life satisfaction, i.e. the Newcastle Stroke-Specific Quality of Life (Newsqol - 11 subscales), which identifies the areas affected by stroke among patients, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life - bref (Whoqol-bref - 4 subscales) of informal caregivers. Survivors without neurological impairment at the time of stroke were excluded. Data were analysed via multiple-regression models. Life satisfaction was higher among women and lower among subjects with impaired motor functions. It was lower among Portuguese respondents with low-level education (life satisfaction than did working people (-7.9/100). Controlling for socio-economic factors, life satisfaction was associated with feelings- Newsqol (slope 0.25) among Luxembourg residents, and with feelings-, mobility- and self-care-Newsqol (slopes 0.24, 0.27 and 0.33, respectively) among Portuguese respondents. Life satisfaction of patients was strongly related to that

Socioeconomic conditions across life related to multiple measures of the endocrine system in older adults: Longitudinal findings from a British birth cohort study.

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Bann, David; Hardy, Rebecca; Cooper, Rachel; Lashen, Hany; Keevil, Brian; Wu, Frederick C W; Holly, Jeff M P; Ong, Ken K; Ben-Shlomo, Yoav; Kuh, Diana

2015-12-01

Little is known about how socioeconomic position (SEP) across life impacts on different axes of the endocrine system which are thought to underlie the ageing process and its adverse consequences. We examined how indicators of SEP across life related to multiple markers of the endocrine system in late midlife, and hypothesized that lower SEP across life would be associated with an adverse hormone profile across multiple axes. Data were from a British cohort study of 875 men and 905 women followed since their birth in March 1946 with circulating free testosterone and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) measured at both 53 and 60-64 years, and evening cortisol at 60-64 years. Indicators of SEP were ascertained prospectively across life-paternal occupational class at 4, highest educational attainment at 26, household occupational class at 53, and household income at 60-64 years. Associations between SEP and hormones were investigated using multiple regression and logistic regression models. Lower SEP was associated with lower free testosterone among men, higher free testosterone among women, and lower IGF-I and higher evening cortisol in both sexes. For example, the mean standardised difference in IGF-I comparing the lowest with the highest educational attainment at 26 years (slope index of inequality) was -0.4 in men (95% CI -0.7 to -0.2) and -0.4 in women (-0.6 to -0.2). Associations with each hormone differed by SEP indicator used and sex, and were particularly pronounced when using a composite adverse hormone score. For example, the odds of having 1 additional adverse hormone concentration in the lowest compared with highest education level were 3.7 (95% CI: 2.1, 6.3) among men, and 1.6 (1.0, 2.7) among women (P (sex interaction) = 0.02). We found no evidence that SEP was related to apparent age-related declines in free testosterone or IGF-I. Lower SEP was associated with an adverse hormone profile across multiple endocrine axes. SEP differences in endocrine
Discovery of HDAC inhibitors with potent activity against multiple malaria parasite life cycle stages.

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Hansen, Finn K; Sumanadasa, Subathdrage D M; Stenzel, Katharina; Duffy, Sandra; Meister, Stephan; Marek, Linda; Schmetter, Rebekka; Kuna, Krystina; Hamacher, Alexandra; Mordmüller, Benjamin; Kassack, Matthias U; Winzeler, Elizabeth A; Avery, Vicky M; Andrews, Katherine T; Kurz, Thomas

2014-07-23

In this work we investigated the antiplasmodial activity of a series of HDAC inhibitors containing an alkoxyamide connecting-unit linker region. HDAC inhibitor 1a (LMK235), previously shown to be a novel and specific inhibitor of human HDAC4 and 5, was used as a starting point to rapidly construct a mini-library of HDAC inhibitors using a straightforward solid-phase supported synthesis. Several of these novel HDAC inhibitors were found to have potent in vitro activity against asexual stage Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites. Representative compounds were shown to hyperacetylate P. falciparum histones and to inhibit deacetylase activity of recombinant PfHDAC1 and P. falciparum nuclear extracts. All compounds were also screened in vitro for activity against Plasmodium berghei exo-erythrocytic stages and selected compounds were further tested against late stage (IV and V) P. falciparum gametocytes. Of note, some compounds showed nanomolar activity against all three life cycle stages tested (asexual, exo-erythrocytic and gametocyte stages) and several compounds displayed significantly increased parasite selectivity compared to the reference HDAC inhibitor suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA). These data suggest that it may be possible to develop HDAC inhibitors that target multiple malaria parasite life cycle stages. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
Experimental demonstration of multiple-inputs multiple-outputs OFDM/OQAM visible light communications

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Lin, Bangjiang; Tang, Xuan; Ghassemlooy, Zabih; Lin, Chun; Zhang, Min

2017-10-01

We experimentally demonstrate a 2×2 optical multiple-inputs multiple-outputs (MIMO) visible light communications system based on the modified orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing/offset quadrature amplitude modulation scheme. The adjacent subcarrier frequency-domain averaging (ASFA) with the full-loaded (FL) and half-loaded (HL) preamble structures is proposed for demultiplexing and mitigating the intrinsic imaginary interference (IMI) effect. Compared with the conventional channel estimation (CE) method, ASFA offers improved transmission performance. With the FL method, we obtain more accurate MIMO CE to mitigate the IMI effect and the optical noise compared to the HL method.
Domain-Specific Impulsivity in School-Age Children

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Tsukayama, Eli; Duckworth, Angela Lee; Kim, Betty

2013-01-01

Impulsivity is a salient individual difference in children with well-established predictive validity for life outcomes. The current investigation proposes that impulsive behaviors vary systematically by domain. In a series of studies with ethnically and socioeconomically diverse samples of middle school students, we find that schoolwork-related and interpersonal-related impulsivity, as observed by teachers, parents, and the students themselves, are distinct, moderately correlated behavioral tendencies. Each demonstrates differentiated relationships with dimensions of childhood temperament, Big Five personality factors, and outcomes, such as sociometric popularity, report card grades, and classroom conduct. Implications for theoretical conceptions of impulsivity as well as for practical applications (e.g., domain-specific interventions) are discussed. PMID:24118714
Screening retinal transplants with Fourier-domain OCT

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Bin

2009-02-01

Transplant technologies have been studied for the recovery of vision loss from retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In several rodent retinal degeneration models and in patients, retinal progenitor cells transplanted as layers to the subretinal space have been shown to restore or preserve vision. The methods for evaluation of transplants are expensive considering the large amount of animals. Alternatively, time-domain Stratus OCT was previously shown to be able to image the morphological structure of transplants to some extent, but could not clearly identify laminated transplants. The efficacy of screening retinal transplants with Fourier-domain OCT was studied on 37 S334ter line 3 rats with retinal degeneration 6-67 days after transplant surgery. The transplants were morphologically categorized as no transplant, detachment, rosettes, small laminated area and larger laminated area with both Fourier-domain OCT and histology. The efficacy of Fourier-domain OCT in screening retinal transplants was evaluated by comparing the categorization results with OCT and histology. Additionally, 4 rats were randomly selected for multiple OCT examinations (1, 5, 9, 14 and 21days post surgery) in order to determine the earliest image time of OCT examination since the transplanted tissue may need some time to show its tendency of growing. Finally, we demonstrated the efficacy of Fourier-domain OCT in screening retinal transplants in early stages and determined the earliest imaging time for OCT. Fourier-domain OCT makes itself valuable in saving resource spent on animals with unsuccessful transplants.
Automated vessel shadow segmentation of fovea-centered spectral-domain images from multiple OCT devices

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jing; Gerendas, Bianca S.; Waldstein, Sebastian M.; Simader, Christian; Schmidt-Erfurth, Ursula

2014-03-01

Spectral-domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) is a non-invasive modality for acquiring high reso- lution, three-dimensional (3D) cross sectional volumetric images of the retina and the subretinal layers. SD-OCT also allows the detailed imaging of retinal pathology, aiding clinicians in the diagnosis of sight degrading diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and glaucoma.1 Disease diagnosis, assessment, and treatment requires a patient to undergo multiple OCT scans, possibly using different scanning devices, to accurately and precisely gauge disease activity, progression and treatment success. However, the use of OCT imaging devices from different vendors, combined with patient movement may result in poor scan spatial correlation, potentially leading to incorrect patient diagnosis or treatment analysis. Image registration can be used to precisely compare disease states by registering differing 3D scans to one another. In order to align 3D scans from different time- points and vendors using registration, landmarks are required, the most obvious being the retinal vasculature. Presented here is a fully automated cross-vendor method to acquire retina vessel locations for OCT registration from fovea centred 3D SD-OCT scans based on vessel shadows. Noise filtered OCT scans are flattened based on vendor retinal layer segmentation, to extract the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) layer of the retina. Voxel based layer profile analysis and k-means clustering is used to extract candidate vessel shadow regions from the RPE layer. In conjunction, the extracted RPE layers are combined to generate a projection image featuring all candidate vessel shadows. Image processing methods for vessel segmentation of the OCT constructed projection image are then applied to optimize the accuracy of OCT vessel shadow segmentation through the removal of false positive shadow regions such as those caused by exudates and cysts. Validation of segmented vessel shadows uses
Dialectical behavior therapy and domains of functioning over two years

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Wilks, Chelsey R.; Korslund, Kathryn E.; Harned, Melanie; Linehan, Marsha M.

2016-01-01

Individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) tend to have a significant degree of functional impairment across a range of social and occupational spheres including difficulty finding and maintaining satisfying employment, housing, or relationships. Understanding what factors are associated with functional impairment will enable treatment providers to move those diagnosed with BPD beyond symptomatic recovery and toward a life worth living. This paper investigated the trajectories and predictors of functional outcomes for suicidal women with BPD (N=99) during a treatment outcome study of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Results revealed that participants had statistical and clinical improvements in functioning. Individuals with high emotion dysregulation displayed poorer psychosocial functioning at the subsequent assessment period and slower rates of change, which was also seen in reverse for one psychosocial functioning variable. Skills use was not related to individual trajectories in functioning. This study highlights the relationship of emotion dysregulation to functioning within a sample of suicidal women with BPD as well as the importance researching multiple domains in functioning. PMID:26764586
[The life as a caregiver of a person affected by Chorea Huntington: multiple case study].

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Winkler, Evi; Ausserhofer, Dietmar; Mantovan, Franco

2012-10-01

Chorea Huntington is an autosomal dominantly inherited, neurodegenerative brain disorder that leads to involuntary hyperkinesia, psychotic symptoms and dementia. The illness not only changes the life of the person itself but also the world of the caregivers. The challenges in the care of a person which is affected by Chorea Huntington have an effect on the daily living as an assemblage of natural and social conditions. a multiple case study was conducted. It included semi-structured interviews with three caregivers of people with Chorea Huntington in South Tyrol. The qualitative data was analyzed using the qualitative structured analysis of Mayring (2007). The objective of this study was to describe the phenomenon of change of life from family members that care people affected by Chorea Huntington in a specific cultural setting (South Tyrol, Italy). The caregivers reported that the diagnosis of Chorea Huntington leads to negative changes in "relationship and family". Particularly, frustration, aggression, impatience and apathy were perceived as stressful. At the same time they highlight the positive changes through home care. They report that the relationship became more intimate and integral and it was characterized by more cohesion. Family caregivers get valuable support from the home care service, however, they complain that there is no facility in South Tyrol, which is specialized to care people with Chorea Huntington. Therefore, the caregivers have to "give up a lot" and don't have any personal desires, dreams and expectations for the future. The caregivers have learned independently to deal with their changed life step by step, and to see also the positive effects of the caring role. The life of family caregivers of a person which is affected by Chorea Huntington is characterized by abandonment. A continuous and professional care would be important for the affected and his caregiver. A continuous and professional care is important for both, addressing the
MULTIPLE SPINAL CANAL MENINGIOMAS

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Nandigama Pratap Kumar

2016-10-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Meningiomas of the spinal canal are common tumours with the incidence of 25 percent of all spinal cord tumours. But multiple spinal canal meningiomas are rare in compare to solitary lesions and account for 2 to 3.5% of all spinal meningiomas. Most of the reported cases are both intra cranial and spinal. Exclusive involvement of the spinal canal by multiple meningiomas are very rare. We could find only sixteen cases in the literature to the best of our knowledge. Exclusive multiple spinal canal meningiomas occurring in the first two decades of life are seldom reported in the literature. We are presenting a case of multiple spinal canal meningiomas in a young patient of 17 years, who was earlier operated for single lesion. We analysed the literature, with illustration of our case. MATERIALS AND METHODS In September 2016, we performed a literature search for multiple spinal canal meningiomas involving exclusively the spinal canal with no limitation for language and publication date. The search was conducted through http://pubmed.com, a wellknown worldwide internet medical address. To the best of our knowledge, we could find only sixteen cases of multiple meningiomas exclusively confined to the spinal canal. Exclusive multiple spinal canal meningiomas occurring in the first two decades of life are seldom reported in the literature. We are presenting a case of multiple spinal canal meningiomas in a young patient of 17 years, who was earlier operated for solitary intradural extra medullary spinal canal meningioma at D4-D6 level, again presented with spastic quadriparesis of two years duration and MRI whole spine demonstrated multiple intradural extra medullary lesions, which were excised completely and the histopathological diagnosis was transitional meningioma. RESULTS Patient recovered from his weakness and sensory symptoms gradually and bladder and bowel symptoms improved gradually over a period of two to three weeks. CONCLUSION Multiple
The impact of hereditary multiple exostoses on quality of life, satisfaction, global health status, and pain.

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D'Ambrosi, Riccardo; Ragone, Vincenza; Caldarini, Camilla; Serra, Nicola; Usuelli, Federico Giuseppe; Facchini, Renato Mario

2017-02-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate quality of life (QOL), global health status, pain, and level of satisfaction in patients with hereditary multiple exostoses (HME), and to correlate the association between the severity of diseases and age, sex, number of surgical procedures, and number of exostoses. The data of 50 patients with HME were retrospectively evaluated and recorded. QOL was evaluated with the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) questionnaire, the 12-Item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), and Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (Q-LES-Q-SF); intensity of pain was measured using the visual analogue scale (VAS). The association of age, gender, pain, quality of life, number of exostoses, and number of surgical procedures were evaluated and correlated. Mean number of exostoses in our patient's cohort resulted 18.12 ± 8.60, and every patient underwent to a mean of 5.62 ± 5.74 surgical procedures for the exostoses. Mean VAS resulted 5.16 ± 2.90. Considering SF-12, mental (MCS) and physical (PCS) component resulted, respectively, 45.36 ± 10.76 and 38.73 ± 11.09, while GHQ-12 and Q-LES-Q-SF were 15.48 ± 4.70 and 45.28 ± 9.55, respectively. We found a significant positive correlation between the number of exostoses and the number of surgical procedures (p life as measured by the MCS and PCS scores similar to the disability associated with osteoarthritis in the mental component and tumors or diabetes as regards the physical component. Moreover, we found no difference in patients' quality of life as regards number of exostoses, age, and surgical procedure, but we found that women have a worse response as regards the psychological side than men.
Home care for children with multiple complex chronic conditions at the end of life: The choice of hospice versus home health.

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Lindley, Lisa C; Mixer, Sandra J; Mack, Jennifer W

2016-01-01

Families desire to bring their children home at end of life, and this creates a variety of unique care needs at home. This study analyzed the child and family factors associated with hospice versus home health care use in the last year of life among children with multiple complex chronic conditions. Using the Andersen Behavioral Healthcare Utilization Model, the predisposing, enabling, and need factors of the child and family were shown to be significant predictors of hospice and home health care use. Hospice and home health care have advantages, and families may wish to use the service that best fits their needs.
Coherent combining pulse bursts in time domain

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Galvanauskas, Almantas

2018-01-09

A beam combining and pulse stacking technique is provided that enhances laser pulse energy by coherent stacking pulse bursts (i.e. non-periodic pulsed signals) in time domain. This energy enhancement is achieved by using various configurations of Fabry-Perot, Gires-Tournois and other types of resonant cavities, so that a multiple-pulse burst incident at either a single input or multiple inputs of the system produces an output with a solitary pulse, which contains the summed energy of the incident multiple pulses from all beams. This disclosure provides a substantial improvement over conventional coherent-combining methods in that it achieves very high pulse energies using a relatively small number of combined laser systems, thus providing with orders of magnitude reduction in system size, complexity, and cost compared to current combining approaches.
Higher Income and Integration into the Workforce Are the Main Factors Associated with Quality of Life in Acromegalic Patients in Northeastern Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

GuimarãesSá, Adriana Maria; Ferreira, Pedro Antônio Muniz; Souza, Marinilde Teles; Nascimento, Gilvan Cortês; da Silva Pereira Damianse, Sabrina; de Carvalho Rocha, Viviane Chaves; Dos Santos Faria, Manuel; de Souza Paiva Ferreira, Adalgisa

2018-01-01

To identify the factors associated with quality of life in patients with acromegaly with follow-up at the referral service in neuroendocrinology of the state of Maranhão, northeast Brazil. The Acromegaly Quality of Life Questionnaire (Acro-QoL) was used. Factors independently associated with quality of life were identified using multivariate linear regression, with p values integrated into the job market and quality of life scores in the overall domain ( β = 0.288, p = 0.003), psychological domain ( β = 0.291, p = 0.032), and personal relationship domain ( β = 0.314, p = 0.019). We also observed a positive association with income and the quality of life scores in all domains as follows: overall domain ( β = 0.037, p = 0.003), physical domain ( β = 0.988, p = 0.001), psychological domain ( β = 0.342, p = 0.008), physical appearance domain ( β = 0.270, p = 0.049), and personal relationship domain ( β = 0.315, p = 0.012). For patients with acromegaly living in one of the least developed regions of Brazil, integration into the job market and a higher income were associated with a better quality of life.
Improvement of quality of life following 6 months of methadone maintenance therapy in Malaysia.

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Baharom, Nizam; Hassan, Mohd Rohaizat; Ali, Norsiah; Shah, Shamsul Azhar

2012-08-01

Methadone Maintenance Therapy (MMT) is one of the popular choices for drug substitution therapy and is fairly new in Malaysia. Aside from its role in harm reduction against HIV infection, MMT programme may potentially enhances clients' quality of life. This study aims to identify the impact of MMT programme on clients' quality of life after 6 months in treatment and to explore factors that may be associated with changes in their quality of life. In this retrospective report review, 122 subjects from 2 government MMT clinics were selected from the district of Tampin, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The raw score from the WHO Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF), at baseline and 6 months after therapy were collected and converted to 0-100 scale form to give quality of life scores for four domains; physical, psychological, social relationships and environment. Other variables of interest were socio-demography, age when joining MMT programme, age and duration of illicit drug use, HIV and Hepatitis C status, and the Opiate Treatment Index (OTI) score on drug use, sexual and social aspect at the baseline. Statistical analysis used the SPSS version 16. There was significant improvement in all four domains of quality of life, after 6 months of MMT. The largest improvement was for psychological domain (mean score difference 15.54 ± 20.81). Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that, for the physical domain, there was no significant predictor. For both the psychological and social domains, having tertiary education is a significant predictor for improvement in both aspects of quality of life. Negative HIV status is associated with improvement for the environment domain. There was a significant short term improvement in the quality of life of MMT clients who stayed in the programme for at least 6 months in the district of Tampin, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.
Method and Apparatus of Multiplexing and Acquiring Data from Multiple Optical Fibers Using a Single Data Channel of an Optical Frequency-Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) System

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Parker, Jr., Allen R (Inventor); Chan, Hon Man (Inventor); Piazza, Anthony (Nino) (Inventor); Richards, William Lance (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A method and system for multiplexing a network of parallel fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor-fibers to a single acquisition channel of a closed Michelson interferometer system via a fiber splitter by distinguishing each branch of fiber sensors in the spatial domain. On each branch of the splitter, the fibers have a specific pre-determined length, effectively separating each branch of fiber sensors spatially. In the spatial domain the fiber branches are seen as part of one acquisition channel on the interrogation system. However, the FBG-reference arm beat frequency information for each fiber is retained. Since the beat frequency is generated between the reference arm, the effective fiber length of each successive branch includes the entire length of the preceding branch. The multiple branches are seen as one fiber having three segments where the segments can be resolved. This greatly simplifies optical, electronic and computational complexity, and is especially suited for use in multiplexed or branched OFS networks for SHM of large and/or distributed structures which need a lot of measurement points.
Age and the Tenses of Life Satisfaction

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Objective. People have a special capacity to live simultaneously in both chronological and biographical time. In this article, we examine reports of life satisfaction that span past, present, and future, considering how perceived changes in certain life domains are associated with overall perceived life trajectories. Methods. Analyses use men and women from the Midlife Development in the United States survey. We employ gender-stratified fixed effects regression models to examine the net effect of satisfaction with finances, partnerships/marriage, sex, contribution to others, work, health, and relationship with children on trajectories of overall life satisfaction. Results. Among men, partnership and financial satisfaction had the strongest association with life satisfaction. Women displayed a somewhat broader range of domains related to their trajectories of life satisfaction. Partnership was most important, but their sense of evolving life satisfaction was also tied to their relationship with their children, sexuality, work situation, contribution to others’ welfare, and financial situation. Discussion. We find several notable differences between men and women, but the most telling differences emerge among women themselves across chronological time. For women, partner satisfaction becomes considerably more important across the age groups, whereas sex, contribution to others, and relationships with children all decrease in their importance for overall life satisfaction. PMID:23704205
Victimisation, poly-victimisation and health-related quality of life among high school students in Vietnam: a cross-sectional survey.

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Le, Minh T H; Holton, Sara; Nguyen, Huong T; Wolfe, Rory; Fisher, Jane

2016-11-04

In high and upper-middle income countries poly-victimisation (exposure to multiple forms of victimisation) is associated with worse health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among adolescents. There is a lack of empirical evidence about these associations from low- and lower-middle income countries. The aims of this study were to examine the associations between exposure to 1) individual forms of victimisation and 2) poly-victimisation and the HRQoL of adolescents in Vietnam. A cross-sectional, anonymously-completed survey of high school students in Hanoi, Vietnam. Lifetime exposure to eight individual forms of victimisation and poly-victimisation were assessed using the Juvenile Victimisation Questionnaire Revised-2 (JVQ R2). Health-related quality of life was assessed using the Duke Health Profile Adolescent Version (DHP-A). Bi-variate analyses and multiple linear regressions were conducted to assess the associations between individual forms of victimisation, poly-victimisation and HRQoL among girls and boys. In total 1616/1745 students (92.6 %) completed the questionnaire. Adolescent girls had significantly worse HRQoL than boys in all domains, except disability. Different forms of victimisation were associated with different HRQoL domains among girls and boys. Cyber victimisation was the most detrimental to girls' HRQoL while for boys maltreatment was the most detrimental. Experiences of poly-victimisation were associated with worse HRQoL in physical, mental, social and general health, lower levels of self-esteem and increased levels of anxiety, depression and pain domains among both sexes. Among Vietnamese adolescents, experiences of individual forms of victimisation were associated with poorer HRQoL in specific domains; the most detrimental forms of victimisation varied for girls and boys. However, it was experiences of poly-victimisation that had the most detrimental impacts on the HRQoL of both sexes. Recognition of violence, including poly-victimisation, is
Hybrid approaches for multiple-species stochastic reaction–diffusion models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spill, Fabian; Guerrero, Pilar; Alarcon, Tomas; Maini, Philip K.; Byrne, Helen

2015-01-01

Reaction–diffusion models are used to describe systems in fields as diverse as physics, chemistry, ecology and biology. The fundamental quantities in such models are individual entities such as atoms and molecules, bacteria, cells or animals, which move and/or react in a stochastic manner. If the number of entities is large, accounting for each individual is inefficient, and often partial differential equation (PDE) models are used in which the stochastic behaviour of individuals is replaced by a description of the averaged, or mean behaviour of the system. In some situations the number of individuals is large in certain regions and small in others. In such cases, a stochastic model may be inefficient in one region, and a PDE model inaccurate in another. To overcome this problem, we develop a scheme which couples a stochastic reaction–diffusion system in one part of the domain with its mean field analogue, i.e. a discretised PDE model, in the other part of the domain. The interface in between the two domains occupies exactly one lattice site and is chosen such that the mean field description is still accurate there. In this way errors due to the flux between the domains are small. Our scheme can account for multiple dynamic interfaces separating multiple stochastic and deterministic domains, and the coupling between the domains conserves the total number of particles. The method preserves stochastic features such as extinction not observable in the mean field description, and is significantly faster to simulate on a computer than the pure stochastic model. - Highlights: • A novel hybrid stochastic/deterministic reaction–diffusion simulation method is given. • Can massively speed up stochastic simulations while preserving stochastic effects. • Can handle multiple reacting species. • Can handle moving boundaries
Hybrid approaches for multiple-species stochastic reaction–diffusion models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spill, Fabian, E-mail: fspill@bu.edu [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, 44 Cummington Street, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Guerrero, Pilar [Department of Mathematics, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT (United Kingdom); Alarcon, Tomas [Centre de Recerca Matematica, Campus de Bellaterra, Edifici C, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona) (Spain); Departament de Matemàtiques, Universitat Atonòma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona) (Spain); Maini, Philip K. [Wolfson Centre for Mathematical Biology, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6GG (United Kingdom); Byrne, Helen [Wolfson Centre for Mathematical Biology, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6GG (United Kingdom); Computational Biology Group, Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QD (United Kingdom)

2015-10-15

Reaction–diffusion models are used to describe systems in fields as diverse as physics, chemistry, ecology and biology. The fundamental quantities in such models are individual entities such as atoms and molecules, bacteria, cells or animals, which move and/or react in a stochastic manner. If the number of entities is large, accounting for each individual is inefficient, and often partial differential equation (PDE) models are used in which the stochastic behaviour of individuals is replaced by a description of the averaged, or mean behaviour of the system. In some situations the number of individuals is large in certain regions and small in others. In such cases, a stochastic model may be inefficient in one region, and a PDE model inaccurate in another. To overcome this problem, we develop a scheme which couples a stochastic reaction–diffusion system in one part of the domain with its mean field analogue, i.e. a discretised PDE model, in the other part of the domain. The interface in between the two domains occupies exactly one lattice site and is chosen such that the mean field description is still accurate there. In this way errors due to the flux between the domains are small. Our scheme can account for multiple dynamic interfaces separating multiple stochastic and deterministic domains, and the coupling between the domains conserves the total number of particles. The method preserves stochastic features such as extinction not observable in the mean field description, and is significantly faster to simulate on a computer than the pure stochastic model. - Highlights: • A novel hybrid stochastic/deterministic reaction–diffusion simulation method is given. • Can massively speed up stochastic simulations while preserving stochastic effects. • Can handle multiple reacting species. • Can handle moving boundaries.
The conserved Tarp actin binding domain is important for chlamydial invasion.

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Travis J Jewett

2010-07-01

Full Text Available The translocated actin recruiting phosphoprotein (Tarp is conserved among all pathogenic chlamydial species. Previous reports identified single C. trachomatis Tarp actin binding and proline rich domains required for Tarp mediated actin nucleation. A peptide antiserum specific for the Tarp actin binding domain was generated and inhibited actin polymerization in vitro and C. trachomatis entry in vivo, indicating an essential role for Tarp in chlamydial pathogenesis. Sequence analysis of Tarp orthologs from additional chlamydial species and C. trachomatis serovars indicated multiple putative actin binding sites. In order to determine whether the identified actin binding domains are functionally conserved, GST-Tarp fusions from multiple chlamydial species were examined for their ability to bind and nucleate actin. Chlamydial Tarps harbored variable numbers of actin binding sites and promoted actin nucleation as determined by in vitro polymerization assays. Our findings indicate that Tarp mediated actin binding and nucleation is a conserved feature among diverse chlamydial species and this function plays a critical role in bacterial invasion of host cells.

Age Stereotypes and Self-Views Revisited: Patterns of Internalization and Projection Processes Across the Life Span.

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Kornadt, Anna E; Voss, Peggy; Rothermund, Klaus

2017-07-01

We investigated processes of age stereotype internalization into the self and projection of self-views onto age stereotypes from a life-span perspective, taking age-related differences in the relevance of life domains into account. Age stereotypes and self-views in eight life domains were assessed in a sample of N = 593 persons aged 30-80 years (T1) at two time points that were separated by a 4-year time interval. We estimated cross-lagged projection and internalization effects in multigroup structural equation models. Internalization and projection effects were contingent on age group and life domain: Internalization effects were strongest in the young and middle-aged groups and emerged in the domains family, personality, work, and leisure. Projection effects in different domains were most pronounced for older participants. Our findings suggest that the internalization of age stereotypes is triggered by domain-specific expectations of impending age-related changes and transitions during certain phases of the life span. Projection processes, however, seem to occur in response to changes that have already been experienced by the individual. Our study demonstrates the dynamic interrelation of age stereotypes and self-views across the life course and highlights the importance of a differentiated, life-span perspective for the understanding of these mechanisms. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Determinants of child-parent agreement in quality-of-life reports

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

White-Koning, Melanie; Arnaud, Catherine; Dickinson, Heather O

2007-01-01

children aged 8 to 12 years who had cerebral palsy and were living in 7 countries in Europe. RESULTS: The mean child-reported scores of quality of life were significantly higher than the parent proxy reports in 8 domains, significantly lower for the finances domain, and similar for the emotions domain...
Domain-specific rationality in human choices: violations of utility axioms and social contexts.

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Wang, X T

1996-07-01

This study presents a domain-specific view of human decision rationality. It explores social and ecological domain-specific psychological mechanisms underlying choice biases and violations of utility axioms. Results from both the USA and China revealed a social group domain-specific choice pattern. The irrational preference reversal in a hypothetical life-death decision problem (a classical example of framing effects) was eliminated by providing a small group or family context in which most subjects favored a risky choice option regardless of the positive/negative framing of choice outcomes. The risk preference data also indicate that the subjective scope of small group domain is larger for Chinese subjects, suggesting that human choice mechanisms are sensitive to culturally specific features of group living. A further experiment provided evidence that perceived fairness might be one major factor regulating the choice preferences found in small group (kith-and-kin) contexts. Finally, the violation of the stochastic dominance axiom of the rational theory of choice was predicted and tested. The violations were found only when the "life-death" problem was presented in small group contexts; the strongest violation was found in a family context. These results suggest that human decisions and choices are regulated by domain-specific choice mechanisms designed to solve evolutionary recurrent and adaptively important problems.
Mechanical and assembly units of viral capsids identified via quasi-rigid domain decomposition.

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Guido Polles

Full Text Available Key steps in a viral life-cycle, such as self-assembly of a protective protein container or in some cases also subsequent maturation events, are governed by the interplay of physico-chemical mechanisms involving various spatial and temporal scales. These salient aspects of a viral life cycle are hence well described and rationalised from a mesoscopic perspective. Accordingly, various experimental and computational efforts have been directed towards identifying the fundamental building blocks that are instrumental for the mechanical response, or constitute the assembly units, of a few specific viral shells. Motivated by these earlier studies we introduce and apply a general and efficient computational scheme for identifying the stable domains of a given viral capsid. The method is based on elastic network models and quasi-rigid domain decomposition. It is first applied to a heterogeneous set of well-characterized viruses (CCMV, MS2, STNV, STMV for which the known mechanical or assembly domains are correctly identified. The validated method is next applied to other viral particles such as L-A, Pariacoto and polyoma viruses, whose fundamental functional domains are still unknown or debated and for which we formulate verifiable predictions. The numerical code implementing the domain decomposition strategy is made freely available.
Psychometric properties of the Specific Thalassemia Quality of Life Instrument for adults

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Lyrakos GN

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Georgios N Lyrakos,1,2 Demetra Vini,2 Helen Aslani,2 Marouso Drosou-Servou212nd Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Pain Clinic, Attikon University Hospital, 2Thalassemia Unit, General Hospital of Nikaia Ag. Panteleimon, Athens, GreeceBackground: No specific questionnaire has been developed to assess the health-related quality of life of thalassemia patients. Thus, the main objective of this study was to develop, according to psychometric standards, a self-administered Specific Thalassemia Quality of Life Instrument (STQOLI for adult patients.Methods: First, a qualitative phase was conducted to generate items and identify domains using the critical analysis incident technique and a literature review. A list of easily comprehensible, non-redundant items was defined using the Delphi technique and a pilot study on ten thalassemia patients. This phase involved both patients and experts. The second step was a quantitative validation phase comprising a study of 128 thalassemia patients in a single hospital. It was designed to select items, identify dimensions, and measure reliability and internal and concurrent validity. The psychometric and scaling properties of the proposed 41-item Specific Thalassemia Quality of Life Instrument were then assessed among patients recruited from the Thalassemia Unit at the General Hospital of Nikaia, Greece.Results: The final questionnaire had 41 items comprising four main domains and one global item about general health. The factorial structure was satisfactory (loading > 0.40 on each factor of the four domains for all items. Interscale correlations ranged from 0.06 to 0.78, Cronbach's α-coefficients were 0.78 for the psychosocial domain, 0.77 for the chelation domain, 0.72 for the transfusion domain, 0.81 for the disease and symptoms domain, and 0.840 for the total score of the questionnaire.Conclusion: The 41-item Specific Thalassemia Quality of Life Instrument seems to be a
Using Multiple-hierarchy Stratification and Life Course Approaches to Understand Health Inequalities: The Intersecting Consequences of Race, Gender, SES, and Age.

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Brown, Tyson H; Richardson, Liana J; Hargrove, Taylor W; Thomas, Courtney S

2016-06-01

This study examines how the intersecting consequences of race-ethnicity, gender, socioeconomics status (SES), and age influence health inequality. We draw on multiple-hierarchy stratification and life course perspectives to address two main research questions. First, does racial-ethnic stratification of health vary by gender and/or SES? More specifically, are the joint health consequences of racial-ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic stratification additive or multiplicative? Second, does this combined inequality in health decrease, remain stable, or increase between middle and late life? We use panel data from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 12,976) to investigate between- and within-group differences in in self-rated health among whites, blacks, and Mexican Americans. Findings indicate that the effects of racial-ethnic, gender, and SES stratification are interactive, resulting in the greatest racial-ethnic inequalities in health among women and those with higher levels of SES. Furthermore, racial-ethnic/gender/SES inequalities in health tend to decline with age. These results are broadly consistent with intersectionality and aging-as-leveler hypotheses. © American Sociological Association 2016.
Relationships between appetite and quality of life in hemodialysis patients.

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Zabel, Rachel; Ash, Susan; King, Neil; Juffs, Philip; Bauer, Judith

2012-08-01

The aim of this paper was to investigate the association between appetite and kidney-disease specific quality of life in maintenance hemodialysis patients. Quality of life (QoL) was measured using the kidney disease quality of life survey. Appetite was measured using self-reported categories and a visual analog scale. Other nutritional parameters included Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PGSGA), dietary intake, body mass index and biochemical markers C-reactive protein and albumin. Even in this well nourished sample (n=62) of hemodialysis patients, PGSGA score (r=-0.629), subjective hunger sensations (r=0.420) and body mass index (r=-0.409) were all significantly associated with the physical health domain of QoL. As self-reported appetite declined, QoL was significantly lower in nine domains which were mostly in the SF36 component and covered social functioning and physical domains. Appetite and other nutritional parameters were not as strongly associated with the Mental Health domain and Kidney Disease Component Summary Domains. Nutritional parameters, especially PGSGA score and appetite, appear to be important components of the physical health domain of QoL. As even small reductions in nutritional status were associated with significantly lower QoL scores, monitoring appetite and nutritional status is an important component of care for hemodialysis patients. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Role of social, cultural and economic capitals in perceived quality of life among old age people in Kerala, India

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Pradeep R Deshmukh

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: To find out the relationship of collective social, economic, and cultural properties of a population on the perceived quality of life (QOL among old age people. Materials and Methods: In a community-based cross-sectional study, we analyzed information on a representative sample of 900 old age (aged > 60 years from 28 villages in Kollam district of Kerala. " WHO-Quality of Life - BREF questionnaire" was used. Ethical clearance from Institutional Ethics Committee was obtained. The mean scores for "perceived" QOL for domains such as physical health, psychological health, social relations, and control of environments were calculated. The three scales (social capital, cultural capital, and economic capital were standardized using z-score transformation to make them comparable. Using multiple linear regression, we calculated the independent effect of economic capital, social capital, and cultural capital on perceived QOL among old people adjusted for age, sex, and the presence of chronic disease. Results: For overall QOL, only cultural capital contributed significantly. An increase of one unit z-score cultural capital led to three units increase in overall QOL score (β = 3.362; 95% CI: 2.645-4.078. Social capital and cultural capital contributed significantly to the physical health domain of QOL. With one z-score increase in social capital and cultural capital, QOL score of physical health domain increased by 0.2 units (β = 0. 227; 95% CI: 0.020-0.434, and 0.5 (β = 0. 596; 95% CI: 0.384-0.808 units, respectively. Psychological health domain and environmental domain were affected by all three capitals significantly. But, the social relations domain was significantly affected only by cultural capital (β = 0. 576; 95% CI: 0.373-0.779. Conclusion: Hence, the policies for old people should envision retaining our cultural and social norms along with the economic interventions for a better palliative care.
Multiple criteria decision making with life cycle assessment for material selection of composites

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A. S. Milani

2011-12-01

Full Text Available With the advancement of interdisciplinary approaches in today’s modern engineering, current efforts in optimal design of composites include seeking material selection protocols that can (1 simultaneously consider a series of mechanical/electrical/chemical cost criteria over a set of alternative material options, and (2 closely take into account environmental aspects of final products including recycling and end-of-life disposal options. In this paper, in addition to a review of some recent experimental and methodological advances in the above areas, a new application of multiple criteria decision making (MCDM is presented to deal with decision conflicts often seen among design criteria in composite material selection with the help of life cycle assessment (LCA. To show the application, an illustrative case study on a plastic gear material selection is conducted where the cost, mechanical and thermal properties along with environmental impact criteria are to be satisfied simultaneously. A pure plastic gear is compared to a Polyethylene terephthalate (PET/aluminum-powder composite alternative. Results suggest that simple MCDM models, including a signal-to-noise measure adapted to MCDM in the same case study, can be used to explore both trade-offs and design break-even points in large decision spaces as the decision maker’s perspective over environmental, material performance and cost attributes change during the design process. More advanced topics including the account of material data uncertainties are addressed.
Casual Attributions of Adolescent Females in a Masculine Domain.

Science.gov (United States)

Krauser, Barbara Z.; Ballif, Bonnie L.

Achievement attributions of adolescent females in the masculine domain of mathematics were investigated in relation to self-schemas for gender, expectancy of success, and mathematics achievement. The most important findings revealed by multiple regression analysis were that mathematics achievement and the self-schema for masculinity predicted…
Characterization of the molecular basis of group II intron RNA recognition by CRS1-CRM domains.

Science.gov (United States)

Keren, Ido; Klipcan, Liron; Bezawork-Geleta, Ayenachew; Kolton, Max; Shaya, Felix; Ostersetzer-Biran, Oren

2008-08-22

CRM (chloroplast RNA splicing and ribosome maturation) is a recently recognized RNA-binding domain of ancient origin that has been retained in eukaryotic genomes only within the plant lineage. Whereas in bacteria CRM domains exist as single domain proteins involved in ribosome maturation, in plants they are found in a family of proteins that contain between one and four repeats. Several members of this family with multiple CRM domains have been shown to be required for the splicing of specific plastidic group II introns. Detailed biochemical analysis of one of these factors in maize, CRS1, demonstrated its high affinity and specific binding to the single group II intron whose splicing it facilitates, the plastid-encoded atpF intron RNA. Through its association with two intronic regions, CRS1 guides the folding of atpF intron RNA into its predicted "catalytically active" form. To understand how multiple CRM domains cooperate to achieve high affinity sequence-specific binding to RNA, we analyzed the RNA binding affinity and specificity associated with each individual CRM domain in CRS1; whereas CRM3 bound tightly to the RNA, CRM1 associated specifically with a unique region found within atpF intron domain I. CRM2, which demonstrated only low binding affinity, also seems to form specific interactions with regions localized to domains I, III, and IV. We further show that CRM domains share structural similarities and RNA binding characteristics with the well known RNA recognition motif domain.
Frequency-domain method for separating signal and noise

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2000-01-01

A new method for separation of signal and noise (SSN) is put forward. Frequency is redefined according to the features of signal and its derivative in the sampl ing time interval, thus double orthogonal basis (DOB) is constructed so that a signal can be precisely signified with a linear combination of low-frequency DOB . Under joint consideration in time domain (TD) and frequency domain (FD), a method on SSN with high accuracy is derived and a matched algorithm is designed and analyzed. This method is applicable to SSN in multiple frequency bands, and convenient in applying signal characteristics in TD and FD synthetically with highe raccuracy.
Frequency-domain method for separating signal and noise

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

王正明; 段晓君

2000-01-01

A new method for separation of signal and noise (SSN) is put forward. Frequency is redefined according to the features of signal and its derivative in the sampling time interval, thus double orthogonal basis (DOB) is constructed so that a signal can be precisely signified with a linear combination of low-frequency DOB. Under joint consideration in time domain (TD) and frequency domain (FD), a method on SSN with high accuracy is derived and a matched algorithm is designed and analyzed. This method is applicable to SSN in multiple frequency bands, and convenient in applying signal characteristics in TD and FD synthetically with higher accuracy.
Emotional pictures and sounds: A review of multimodal interactions of emotion cues in multiple domains

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Antje B M Gerdes

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In everyday life, multiple sensory channels jointly trigger emotional experiences and one channel may alter processing in another channel. For example, seeing an emotional facial expression and hearing the voice’s emotional tone will jointly create the emotional experience. This example, where auditory and visual input is related to social communication, has gained considerable attention by researchers. However, interactions of visual and auditory emotional information are not limited to social communication but can extend to much broader contexts including human, animal, and environmental cues. In this article, we review current research on audiovisual emotion processing beyond face-voice stimuli to develop a broader perspective on multimodal interactions in emotion processing. We argue that current concepts of multimodality should be extended in considering an ecologically valid variety of stimuli in audiovisual emotion processing. Therefore, we provide an overview of studies in which emotional sounds and interactions with complex pictures of scenes were investigated. In addition to behavioral studies, we focus on neuroimaging, electro- and peripher-physiological findings. Furthermore, we integrate these findings and identify similarities or differences. We conclude with suggestions for future research.
Adaptation of interoperability standards for cross domain usage

Science.gov (United States)

Essendorfer, B.; Kerth, Christian; Zaschke, Christian

2017-05-01

As globalization affects most aspects of modern life, challenges of quick and flexible data sharing apply to many different domains. To protect a nation's security for example, one has to look well beyond borders and understand economical, ecological, cultural as well as historical influences. Most of the time information is produced and stored digitally and one of the biggest challenges is to receive relevant readable information applicable to a specific problem out of a large data stock at the right time. These challenges to enable data sharing across national, organizational and systems borders are known to other domains (e.g., ecology or medicine) as well. Solutions like specific standards have been worked on for the specific problems. The question is: what can the different domains learn from each other and do we have solutions when we need to interlink the information produced in these domains? A known problem is to make civil security data available to the military domain and vice versa in collaborative operations. But what happens if an environmental crisis leads to the need to quickly cooperate with civil or military security in order to save lives? How can we achieve interoperability in such complex scenarios? The paper introduces an approach to adapt standards from one domain to another and lines out problems that have to be overcome and limitations that may apply.
Spectral element method for elastic and acoustic waves in frequency domain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shi, Linlin; Zhou, Yuanguo; Wang, Jia-Min; Zhuang, Mingwei [Institute of Electromagnetics and Acoustics, and Department of Electronic Science, Xiamen, 361005 (China); Liu, Na, E-mail: liuna@xmu.edu.cn [Institute of Electromagnetics and Acoustics, and Department of Electronic Science, Xiamen, 361005 (China); Liu, Qing Huo, E-mail: qhliu@duke.edu [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708 (United States)

2016-12-15

Numerical techniques in time domain are widespread in seismic and acoustic modeling. In some applications, however, frequency-domain techniques can be advantageous over the time-domain approach when narrow band results are desired, especially if multiple sources can be handled more conveniently in the frequency domain. Moreover, the medium attenuation effects can be more accurately and conveniently modeled in the frequency domain. In this paper, we present a spectral-element method (SEM) in frequency domain to simulate elastic and acoustic waves in anisotropic, heterogeneous, and lossy media. The SEM is based upon the finite-element framework and has exponential convergence because of the use of GLL basis functions. The anisotropic perfectly matched layer is employed to truncate the boundary for unbounded problems. Compared with the conventional finite-element method, the number of unknowns in the SEM is significantly reduced, and higher order accuracy is obtained due to its spectral accuracy. To account for the acoustic-solid interaction, the domain decomposition method (DDM) based upon the discontinuous Galerkin spectral-element method is proposed. Numerical experiments show the proposed method can be an efficient alternative for accurate calculation of elastic and acoustic waves in frequency domain.
General and Domain-Specific Contributions to Creative Ideation and Creative Performance

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Donggun An

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The general objective of this study was to reexamine two views of creativity, one positing that there is a general creative capacity or talent and the other that creativity is domain-specific. These two views were compared by (a testing correlations among measures of domain-general and domain-specific creativity and (b examining how the general and the specific measures was each related to indices of knowledge, motivation, and personality. Participants were 147 college students enrolled in a foreign language course. Data were collected on participants’ domain knowledge, motivation, and creative personality, as well as four measures representing “General or Domain-Specific Creative Ideation” or “Creative Performance and Activity”. Results indicated that the four measures of creativity were correlated with one another, except for “General Performance and Activity” and “Domain-Specific Ideation.” A canonical correlation indicated that knowledge, motivation, and personality were significantly correlated with the four creativity measures (Rc = .49, p < .01. Multiple regressions uncovered particular relationships consistent with the view that creativity has both general and domain-specific contributions. Limitations, such as the focus on one domain, and future directions are discussed.
Intrinsic, Functional, and Structural Properties of β-Thymosins and β-Thymosin/WH2 Domains in the Regulation and Coordination of Actin Self-Assembly Dynamics and Cytoskeleton Remodeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Renault, L

2016-01-01

β-Thymosins are a family of heat-stable multifunctional polypeptides that are expressed as small proteins of about 5kDa (~45 amino acids) almost exclusively in multicellular animals. They were first isolated from the thymus. As full-length or truncated polypeptides, they appear to stimulate a broad range of extracellular activities in various signaling pathways, including tissue repair and regeneration, inflammation, cell migration, and immune defense. However, their cell surface receptors and structural mechanisms of regulations in these multiple pathways remain still poorly understood. Besides their extracellular activities, they belong to a larger family of small, intrinsically disordered actin-binding domains called WH2/β-thymosin domains that have been identified in more than 1800 multidomain proteins found in different taxonomic domains of life and involved in various actin-based motile processes including cell morphogenesis, motility, adhesions, tissue development, intracellular trafficking, or pathogen infections. This review briefly surveys the main recent findings to understand how these small, intrinsically disordered but functional domains can interact with many unrelated partners and can thus integrate and coordinate various intracellular activities in actin self-assembly dynamics and cell signaling pathways linked to their cytoskeleton remodeling. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Life Satisfaction and Family Structure among Adolescents in Hong Kong

Science.gov (United States)

Kwan, Ying-Keung

2008-01-01

Relationships between family structure and perceived life satisfaction in overall life and five domains of the Brief Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale, family life, friendships, school experience, myself, and where I live were examined among 4,502 Chinese adolescent secondary school students in Hong Kong. Bivariate analyses showed…
A Switching Anti-windup Design Using Multiple Lyapunov Functions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lu, L.; Lin, Z.; Chen, J.

2009-01-01

This paper proposes a switching anti-windup design, which aims to enlarge the domain of attraction of the closed-loop system. Multiple anti-windup gains along with an index function that orchestrates the switching among these anti-windup gains are designed based on the min function of multiple

[[Method of forming a multiple attrition life table and its application to the study of nuptiality among women in China

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Y

1987-01-01

Trends in marital status among women in China for the period 1950-1970 and for 1981 are analyzed using the multiple decrement life table method. The results confirm those obtained with traditional methods of data analysis. It is found that over the past 30 years, Chinese women have experienced a high rate of marriage and a low divorce rate. The significant increase in age at marriage and the lowering of the death rate have affected marital status at all ages. The development of a marital status life table permits the author to estimate current numbers of women in the four marital statuses of unmarried, currently married, widowed, and divorced by age and their future likelihood of changing marital status.
Quality of life of nurses in the operating room

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Raquel Murano Alfaia dos Santos

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the quality of life of operating room nurses and collect their opinions as to the influence their professional activity exerts on their quality of life. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out on a sample of 24 nurses that work in the operating room of a large private hospital in the city of São Paulo. Two questionnaires were applied; one was designed by the authors of this research project, and the other was the Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF. Rresults: As to quality of life, the environment domain obtained the highest score, while the psychological domain obtained the lowest. When asked if their professional activity in the operating room influenced their quality of life, most responded affirmatively. Regarding the justifications offered by the nurses for the influence of their professional activity on their quality of life, 50% mentioned environment-related stress, responsibilities, duties, risk situations, relationships with the multiprofessional team, and the type of work carried out in the operating room. Cconclusions: The psychological domain obtained the lowest score in the nurse quality of life evaluation, pointing out the need to facilitate and/or encourage nurses to seek psychological support. As to the influence of their professional activity on their quality of life, the nurses mentioned stress related to their work environment and professional activities in the operating room. This highlights the importance of managers in this area, paying greater attention to the individual and collective needs of their employees.
History, rare, and multiple events of mechanical unfolding of repeat proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Sumbul, Fidan; Marchesi, Arin; Rico, Felix

2018-03-01

Mechanical unfolding of proteins consisting of repeat domains is an excellent tool to obtain large statistics. Force spectroscopy experiments using atomic force microscopy on proteins presenting multiple domains have revealed that unfolding forces depend on the number of folded domains (history) and have reported intermediate states and rare events. However, the common use of unspecific attachment approaches to pull the protein of interest holds important limitations to study unfolding history and may lead to discarding rare and multiple probing events due to the presence of unspecific adhesion and uncertainty on the pulling site. Site-specific methods that have recently emerged minimize this uncertainty and would be excellent tools to probe unfolding history and rare events. However, detailed characterization of these approaches is required to identify their advantages and limitations. Here, we characterize a site-specific binding approach based on the ultrastable complex dockerin/cohesin III revealing its advantages and limitations to assess the unfolding history and to investigate rare and multiple events during the unfolding of repeated domains. We show that this approach is more robust, reproducible, and provides larger statistics than conventional unspecific methods. We show that the method is optimal to reveal the history of unfolding from the very first domain and to detect rare events, while being more limited to assess intermediate states. Finally, we quantify the forces required to unfold two molecules pulled in parallel, difficult when using unspecific approaches. The proposed method represents a step forward toward more reproducible measurements to probe protein unfolding history and opens the door to systematic probing of rare and multiple molecule unfolding mechanisms.
Domains and domain loss

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haberland, Hartmut

2005-01-01

politicians and in the media, especially in the discussion whether some languages undergo ‘domain loss’ vis-à-vis powerful international languages like English. An objection that has been raised here is that domains, as originally conceived, are parameters of language choice and not properties of languages...
Improving the performance of DomainDiscovery of protein domain boundary assignment using inter-domain linker index

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Zomaya Albert Y

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Knowledge of protein domain boundaries is critical for the characterisation and understanding of protein function. The ability to identify domains without the knowledge of the structure – by using sequence information only – is an essential step in many types of protein analyses. In this present study, we demonstrate that the performance of DomainDiscovery is improved significantly by including the inter-domain linker index value for domain identification from sequence-based information. Improved DomainDiscovery uses a Support Vector Machine (SVM approach and a unique training dataset built on the principle of consensus among experts in defining domains in protein structure. The SVM was trained using a PSSM (Position Specific Scoring Matrix, secondary structure, solvent accessibility information and inter-domain linker index to detect possible domain boundaries for a target sequence. Results Improved DomainDiscovery is compared with other methods by benchmarking against a structurally non-redundant dataset and also CASP5 targets. Improved DomainDiscovery achieves 70% accuracy for domain boundary identification in multi-domains proteins. Conclusion Improved DomainDiscovery compares favourably to the performance of other methods and excels in the identification of domain boundaries for multi-domain proteins as a result of introducing support vector machine with benchmark_2 dataset.
Identifying College Students' Multiple Intelligences to Enhance Motivation and Language Proficiency

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Madkour, Magda; Mohamed, Rafik Ahmed Abdel Moati

2016-01-01

While most research studies on the theory of multiple intelligences focused on the application of the multiple intelligences domains as separate components, this quasi-experimental research targeted the effect of multiple intelligences as integrated abilities for teaching and learning English at higher education. The purpose of this study was to…
Pan-Domain Analysis of ZIP Zinc Transporters

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Laura E. Lehtovirta-Morley

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The ZIP (Zrt/Irt-like protein family of zinc transporters is found in all three domains of life. However, little is known about the phylogenetic relationship amongst ZIP transporters, their distribution, or their origin. Here we employed phylogenetic analysis to explore the evolution of ZIP transporters, with a focus on the major human fungal pathogen, Candida albicans. Pan-domain analysis of bacterial, archaeal, fungal, and human proteins revealed a complex relationship amongst the ZIP family members. Here we report (i a eukaryote-wide group of cellular zinc importers, (ii a fungal-specific group of zinc importers having genetic association with the fungal zincophore, and, (iii a pan-kingdom supercluster made up of two distinct subgroups with orthologues in bacterial, archaeal, and eukaryotic phyla.
An evolutionary perspective of AMPK-TOR signaling in the three domains of life.

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Roustan, Valentin; Jain, Arpit; Teige, Markus; Ebersberger, Ingo; Weckwerth, Wolfram

2016-06-01

AMPK and TOR protein kinases are the major control points of energy signaling in eukaryotic cells and organisms. They form the core of a complex regulatory network to co-ordinate metabolic activities in the cytosol with those in the mitochondria and plastids. Despite its relevance, it is still unclear when and how this regulatory pathway was formed during evolution, and to what extent its representations in the major eukaryotic lineages resemble each other. Here we have traced 153 essential proteins forming the human AMPK-TOR pathways across 412 species representing all three domains of life-prokaryotes (bacteria, archaea) and eukaryotes-and reconstructed their evolutionary history. The resulting phylogenetic profiles indicate the presence of primordial core pathways including seven proto-kinases in the last eukaryotic common ancestor. The evolutionary origins of the oldest components of the AMPK pathway, however, extend into the pre-eukaryotic era, and descendants of these ancient proteins can still be found in contemporary prokaryotes. The TOR complex in turn appears as a eukaryotic invention, possibly to aid in retrograde signaling between the mitochondria and the remainder of the cell. Within the eukaryotes, AMPK/TOR showed both a highly conserved core structure and a considerable plasticity. Most notably, KING1, a protein originally assigned as the γ subunit of AMPK in plants, is more closely related to the yeast SDS23 gene family than to the γ subunits in animals or fungi. This suggests its functional difference from a canonical AMPK γ subunit. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Cooperation and Competition with Hyperscanning Methods: Review and Future Application to Emotion Domain

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Michela Balconi

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Cooperation and competition, as two common and opposite examples of interpersonal dynamics, are thought to be reflected by different cognitive, neural, and behavioral patterns. According to the conventional approach, they have been explored by measuring subjects' reactions during individual performance or turn-based interactions in artificial settings, that don't allow on-line, ecological enactment of real-life social exchange. Considering the importance of these factors, and accounting for the complexity of such phenomena, the hyperscanning approach emerged as a multi-subject paradigm since it allows the simultaneous recording of the brain activity from multiple participants interacting. In this view, the present paper aimed at reviewing the most significant work about cooperation and competition by EEG hyperscanning technique, which proved to be a promising tool in capturing the sudden course of social interactions. In detail, the review will consider and group different experimental tasks that have been developed so far: (1 paradigms that used rhythm, music and motor synchronization; (2 card tasks taken from the Game Theory; (3 computerized tasks; and (4 possible real-life applications. Finally, although highlighting the potential contribution of such approach, some important limitations about these paradigms will be elucidated, with a specific focus on the emotional domain.
Early Life Stress, Air Pollution, Inflammation, and Disease: An Integrative Review and Immunologic Model of Social-Environmental Adversity and Lifespan Health.

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Olvera Alvarez, Hector A; Kubzansky, Laura D; Campen, Matthew J; Slavich, George M

2018-06-03

Socially disadvantaged individuals are at greater risk for simultaneously being exposed to adverse social and environmental conditions. Although the mechanisms underlying joint effects remain unclear, one hypothesis is that toxic social and environmental exposures have synergistic effects on inflammatory processes that underlie the development of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, and certain types of cancer. In the present review, we examine how exposure to two risk factors that commonly occur with social disadvantage-early life stress and air pollution-affect health. Specifically, we identify neuroimmunologic pathways that could link early life stress, inflammation, air pollution, and poor health, and use this information to propose an integrated, multi-level model that describes how these factors may interact and cause health disparity across individuals based on social disadvantage. This model highlights the importance of interdisciplinary research considering multiple exposures across domains and the potential for synergistic, cross-domain effects on health, and may help identify factors that could potentially be targeted to reduce disease risk and improve lifespan health. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Possible description of domain walls in two-dimensional spin glasses by stochastic Loewner evolutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernard, Denis; Le Doussal, Pierre; Middleton, A. Alan

2007-01-01

Domain walls for spin glasses are believed to be scale invariant; a stronger symmetry, conformal invariance, has the potential to hold. The statistics of zero-temperature Ising spin glass domain walls in two dimensions are used to test the hypothesis that these domain walls are described by a Schramm-Loewner evolution SLE κ . Multiple tests are consistent with SLE κ , where κ=2.32±0.08. Both conformal invariance and the domain Markov property are tested. The latter does not hold in small systems, but detailed numerical evidence suggests that it holds in the continuum limit
Quality of life, socioeconomic profile, knowledge and attitude toward sexuality from the perspectives of individuals living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus

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Meiry Fernanda Pinto Okuno

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Objectives: to analyze the quality of life of "patients" with Human Immunodeficiency Virus and relate it to their socioeconomic profile, knowledge and attitudes toward sexuality. Method: crosssectional and analytical study with 201 individuals who are 50 years old or older. The Targeted Quality of Life and Aging Sexual Knowledge and Attitudes Scales were applied during interviews. Multiple Linear Regression was used in data analysis. Results: dimensions of quality of life more strongly compromised were disclosure worries (39.0, sexual function (45.9, and financial worries (55.6. Scores concerning knowledge and attitudes toward sexuality were 31.7 and 14.8, respectively. There was significant correlation between attitudes and the domains of overall function, health worries, medication worries, and HIV mastery. Conclusion: guidance concerning how the disease is transmitted, treated and how it progresses, in addition to providing social and psychological support, could minimize the negative effects of the disease on the quality of life of patients living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
How Do Mobile Information Services Improve Quality of Life? The Case of Japanese Students

OpenAIRE

Ghyas, Qazi Mahdia; Kondo, Fumiyo N.

2016-01-01

Every technology should be geared to improve the quality of users’ lives. Our study aims to understand how mobile information services (MIS) contribute to quality of life (QoL) for young mobile users. This paper attempts to provide a comprehensive analysis of relationship between two variables: the contribution of MIS in 15 specific life domains and the contribution of MIS to overall quality of life (QoL). We examined bottom-up spillover theory with original and our additional life domains. E...
The effect of evening primrose oil on fatigue and quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis

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Majdinasab N

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Nastaran Majdinasab,1 Foroogh Namjoyan,2 Mohsen Taghizadeh,3 Hamid Saki4 1Department of Neurology, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Research Center, Ahvaz, Iran; 2Department of Pharmacognosy, Marine Natural Pharmaceutical Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran; 3Department of Nutrition, Research Center for Biochemistry & Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran; 4Department of Neurology, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS is a chronic progressive and inflammatory disease of the central nervous system that is characterized by demyelination in the central nervous system. In regard to the prevalence of diseases and enormous costs imposed on society and the health system, finding a way to stop the progression of the disease using drugs with fewer side effects seems a serious sanitation issue to the health of the international community. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of evening primrose oil (EPO on fatigue and quality of life in patients with MS.Materials and methods: In this double-blind randomized clinical trial, 52 patients with MS were chosen and categorized into 2 groups which received 2 doses of EPO and placebo. In addition, the quality of life and fatigue scale in these patients were investigated before the treatment and again 3 months after therapy. The findings were then compared between the 2 groups.Result: EPO consumption significantly increased cognitive function, vitality, and overall life satisfaction and also reduced pain and fatigue compared to placebo (P<0.05.Conclusion: Our findings indicated that EPO consumption had no impact on the quality of life in general; however, it had a significant effect on several important aspects of life quality such as the increase of cognitive function, vitality, and overall life
Strategy-Proof Assignment Of Multiple Resources

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Erlanson, Albin; Szwagrzak, Karol

2015-01-01

We examine the strategy-proof allocation of multiple resources; an application is the assignment of packages of tasks, workloads, and compensations among the members of an organization. In the domain of multidimensional single-peaked preferences, we find that any allocation mechanism obtained by ...
Trending Longitudinal Agreement between Parent and Child Perceptions of Quality of Life for Pediatric Palliative Care Patients

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Meaghann S. Weaver

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Pediatric palliative care studies often rely on proxy-reported instead of direct child-reported quality of life metrics. The purpose of this study was to longitudinally evaluate quality of life for pediatric patients receiving palliative care consultations and to compare patient-reported quality of life with parent perception of the child’s quality of life across wellness domains. The 23-item PedsQL™ V4.0 Measurement Model was utilized for ten child and parent dyads at time of initial palliative care consultation, Month 6, and Month 12 to assess for physical, emotional, social, and cognitive dimensions of quality of life as reported independently by the child and by the parent for the child. Findings were analyzed using Bland–Altman plots to compare observed differences to limits of agreement. This study revealed overall consistency between parent- and child-reported quality of life across domains. Physical health was noted to be in closest agreement. At the time of initial palliative care consult, children collectively scored their social quality of life higher than parental perception of the child’s social quality of life; whereas, emotional and cognitive quality of life domains were scored lower by children than by the parental report. At the one year survey time point, the physical, emotional, and social domains trended toward more positive patient perception than proxy perception with congruence between quality of life scores for the cognitive domain. Findings reveal the importance of eliciting a child report in addition to a parent report when measuring and longitudinally trending perceptions on quality of life.
Survival of microorganisms representing the three Domains of life inside the International Space Station

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Francesco, Canganella; Giovanna, Bianconi

2007-09-01

The present work was mainly focused to study the response of representative non pathogenic microorganisms to the environment inside the space vehicle at different mission stages (10, 56, and 226 days) within the frame of the Italian ENEIDE mission, from Feb to Oct 2005. Microorganisms were chosen according to their phylogenetic position and cell structures; they were representatives of the three taxonomic domains and belonged to different ecosystems (food, soil, intestinal tract, plants, deep-sea). They were the followings: Thermococcus guaymasensis (Domain Archaea); Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Domain Eucarya); Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Rhizobium tropici (Domain Bacteria). As main environmental parameters we were interested in: a) space radiations; b) microgravity; c) temperature. The response of microorganisms was investigated in terms of survival rates, cell structure modifications, and genomic damages. The survival of cells was affected by both radiation doses and intrinsec cell features. As expected, only samples kept on the ISS for 226 days showed significant levels of mortality. Asfar as regard the effect on cell structures, these samples showed also remarkable morphological changes, particularly for Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecium, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The data collected allowed to get new insights into the biological traits of microorganisms exposed to space environment during the flight on a spacecraft. Moreover, the result obtained may be important for the improvement of human conditions aboard space vehicles (nutraceuticals for astronauts and disinfections of ISS modules) and also for the potential development of closed systems devoted to vegetable productions and organic recycling.
Personality traits predict perceived health-related quality of life in persons with multiple sclerosis.

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Zarbo, Ignazio Roberto; Minacapelli, Eleonora; Falautano, Monica; Demontis, Silvia; Carpentras, Giovanni; Pugliatti, Maura

2016-04-01

Personality traits can affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in different disorders. In multiple sclerosis (MS), personality traits can determine patients' willingness to take on more risky treatment options, predispose to neuropsychiatric symptoms and affect coping strategies. We investigated the role of personality traits as possible predictors of HRQoL in a large cohort of persons with MS (PwMS). In total, 253 consecutively recruited PwMS were screened for intellectual deficits with Raven Colour Progressive Matrices (RCPM), state anxiety with STAI-X1 and major depression on a clinical basis. PwMS' self-perceived mental and physical health status was measured with the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and the personality profile with the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-R). The correlation between HRQoL and personality traits was investigated by means of analysis of variance, adjusting for possible confounders. Of the 253 MS patients, 195 (F:M=2.75), aged 41.7±10.2 years were included in the analysis. The variance of SF-36 mental and physical composite score was largely explained by extraversion and neuroticism. Our data confirm that PwMS' HRQoL is largely influenced by personality traits, which may therefore act as predictors of perceived quality of life and should be included in clinical and experimental settings focusing on HRQoL. © The Author(s), 2015.
RNA-protein binding motifs mining with a new hybrid deep learning based cross-domain knowledge integration approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pan, Xiaoyong; Shen, Hong Bin

2017-01-01

, their domain specific features and formats have posed significant computational challenges. One of current difficulties is that the cross-source shared common knowledge is at a higher abstraction level beyond the observed data, resulting in a low efficiency of direct integration of observed data across domains...... space using multiple layers of learning blocks, where the shared representations across different domains are integrated. To validate our iDeep method, we performed experiments on 31 large-scale CLIP-seq datasets, and our results show that by integrating multiple sources of data, the average AUC can...... be improved by 8% compared to the best single-source-based predictor; and through cross-domain knowledge integration at an abstraction level, it outperforms the state-of-the-art predictors by 6%. Besides the overall enhanced prediction performance, the convolutional neural network module embedded in i...
Women's economic activity trajectories over the life course: implications for the self-rated health of women aged 64+ in England.

Science.gov (United States)

Stone, Juliet; Evandrou, Maria; Falkingham, Jane; Vlachantoni, Athina

2015-09-01

Previous research has highlighted the importance of accumulated life-course labour market status and the balancing of multiple roles for understanding inequalities in health in later life. This may be particularly important for women, who are increasingly required to balance work and family life in liberal welfare contexts, such as in Britain. This study analyses retrospective life history data for 2160 women aged 64+ years (born 1909-1943) from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, collected in 2006-2007 as part of an ongoing panel study. Optimal matching and cluster analyses are used to produce a taxonomy of women's life-course economic activity trajectories based on their experiences between ages 16 and 64 years. This classification is then used in logistic regression analysis to investigate associations with self-rated health in later life. A set of five trajectories emerge as the dominant patterns of women's economic activity over the life course for those cohorts of English women born prior to 1943: (1) full-time workers; (2) family carers; (3) full-time returners; (4) part-time returners; (5) atypical/inactive. Regression analyses show that women who experience defined periods of full-time work both before and after focusing on family life appear to have the most favourable later life health outcomes. The findings are discussed with reference to the accumulation of social and economic resources over the life course and the balancing of multiple roles in work and family domains. In conclusion, the development of policies that facilitate women, if they wish, to successfully combine paid employment with family life could have a positive impact on their health in later life. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

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