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Sample records for positive chronotropic response

  1. Impaired chronotropic response to physical activities in heart failure patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Hong; Zhao, Jianrong; Zhou, Xiaohong; Li, Jingbo; Wan, Qing; Huang, Jing; Li, Hui; Wu, Liqun; Yang, Shungang; Wang, Ping

    2017-05-25

    While exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation has a beneficial effect on heart failure hospitalization and mortality, it is limited by the presence of chronotropic incompetence (CI) in some patients. This study explored the feasibility of using wearable devices to assess impaired chronotropic response in heart failure patients. Forty patients with heart failure (left ventricular ejection fraction, LVEF: 44.6 ± 5.8; age: 54.4 ± 11.7) received ECG Holter and accelerometer to monitor heart rate (HR) and physical activities during symptom-limited treadmill exercise testing, 6-min hall walk (6MHW), and 24-h daily living. CI was defined as maximal HR during peak exercise testing failing to reach 70% of age-predicted maximal HR (APMHR, 220 - age). The correlation between HR and physical activities in Holter-accelerometer recording was analyzed. Of 40 enrolled patients, 26 were able to perform treadmill exercise testing. Based on exercise test reports, 13 (50%) of 26 patients did not achieve at least 70% of APMHR (CI patients). CI patients achieved a lower % APMHR (62.0 ± 6.3%) than non-CI patients who achieved 72.0 ± 1.2% of APMHR (P failure patients who took treadmill exercise testing. The wearable Holter-accelerometer recording could help to identify impaired chronotropic response to physical activities in heart failure patients. ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT02358603 . Registered 16 May 2014.

  2. Bradykinin induced a positive chronotropic effect via stimulation of T- and L-type calcium currents in heart cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Bizri, Nesrine; Bkaily, Ghassan; Wang, Shimin; Jacques, Danielle; Regoli, Domenico; D'Orléans-Juste, Pedro; Sukarieh, Rami

    2003-03-01

    Using Fluo-3 calcium dye confocal microscopy and spontaneously contracting embryonic chick heart cells, bradykinin (10(-10) M) was found to induce positive chronotropic effects by increasing the frequency of the transient increase of cytosolic and nuclear free Ca2+. Pretreatment of the cells with either B1 or B2 receptor antagonists (R126 and R817, respectively) completely prevented bradykinin (BK) induced positive chronotropic effects on spontaneously contracting single heart cells. Using the whole-cell voltage clamp technique and ionic substitution to separate the different ionic current species, our results showed that BK (10(-6) M) had no effect on fast Na+ inward current and delayed outward potassium current. However, both L- and T-type Ca2+ currents were found to be increased by BK in a dose-dependent manner (10(-10)-10(-7) M). The effects of BK on T- and L-type Ca2+ currents were partially blocked by the B1 receptor antagonist [Leu8]des-Arg9-BK (R592) (10(-7) M) and completely reversed by the B2 receptor antagonist D-Arg[Hyp3,D-Phe7,Leu8]BK (R-588) (10(-7) M) or pretreatment with pertussis toxin (PTX). These results demonstrate that BK induced a positive chronotropic effect via stimulation of T- and L-type Ca2+ currents in heart cells mainly via stimulation of B2 receptor coupled to PTX-sensitive G-proteins. The increase of both types of Ca2+ current by BK in heart cells may explain the positive inotropic and chronotropic effects of this hormone.

  3. Antiapolipoprotein A-1 IgG chronotropic effects require nongenomic action of aldosterone on L-type calcium channels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossier, Michel F; Pagano, Sabrina; Python, Magaly; Maturana, Andres D; James, Richard W; Mach, François; Roux-Lombard, Pascale; Vuilleumier, Nicolas

    2012-03-01

    Autoantibodies to apolipoprotein A-1 (antiapoA-1 IgG) have been shown to be associated with higher resting heart rate and morbidity in myocardial infarction patients and to behave as a chronotropic agent in the presence of aldosterone on isolated neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes (NRVC). We aimed at identifying the pathways accounting for this aldosterone-dependent antiapoA-1 IgG-positive chronotropic effect on NRVC. The rate of regular spontaneous contractions was determined on NRVC in the presence of different steroid hormones and antagonists. AntiapoA-1 IgG chronotropic response was maximal within 20 min and observed only in aldosterone-pretreated cells but not in those exposed to other steroids. The positive antiapoA-1 IgG chronotropic effect was already significant after 5 min aldosterone preincubation, was dependent on 3-kinase and protein kinase A activities, was not inhibited by actinomycin D, and was fully abrogated by eplerenone (but not by spironolactone), demonstrating the dependence on a nongenomic action of aldosterone elicited through the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). Under oxidative conditions (but not under normal redox state), corticosterone mimicked the permissive action of aldosterone on the antiapoA-1 IgG chronotropic response. Pharmacological and patch-clamp studies identified L-type calcium channels as crucial effectors of antiapoA-1 IgG chronotropic action, involving two converging pathways that increase the channel activity. The first one involves the rapid, nongenomic activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase enzyme by MR, and the second one requires a constitutive basal protein kinase A activity. In conclusion, our results indicate that, on NRVC, the aldosterone-dependent chronotropic effects of antiapoA-1 IgG involve the nongenomic activation of L-type calcium channels.

  4. Cardiac autonomic impairment and chronotropic incompetence in fibromyalgia

    OpenAIRE

    da Cunha Ribeiro, Roberta Potenza; Roschel, Hamilton; Artioli, Guilherme Gianini; Dassouki, Thalita; Perandini, Luiz Augusto; Calich, Ana Luisa; de Sá Pinto, Ana Lúcia; Lima, Fernanda Rodrigues; Bonfá, Eloísa; Gualano, Bruno

    2011-01-01

    Abstract Introduction We aimed to gather knowledge on the cardiac autonomic modulation in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) in response to exercise and to investigate whether this population suffers from chronotropic incompetence (CI). Methods Fourteen women with FM (age: 46 ± 3 y...

  5. Abnormal heart rate recovery and deficient chronotropic response after submaximal exercise in young Marfan syndrome patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peres, Paulo; Carvalho, Antônio C; Perez, Ana Beatriz A; Medeiros, Wladimir M

    2016-10-01

    Marfan syndrome patients present important cardiac structural changes, ventricular dysfunction, and electrocardiographic changes. An abnormal heart rate response during or after exercise is an independent predictor of mortality and autonomic dysfunction. The aim of the present study was to compare heart rate recovery and chronotropic response obtained by cardiac reserve in patients with Marfan syndrome subjected to submaximal exercise. A total of 12 patients on β-blocker therapy and 13 off β-blocker therapy were compared with 12 healthy controls. They were subjected to submaximal exercise with lactate measurements. The heart rate recovery was obtained in the first minute of recovery and corrected for cardiac reserve and peak lactate concentration. Peak heart rate (141±16 versus 155±17 versus 174±8 bpm; p=0.001), heart rate reserve (58.7±9.4 versus 67.6±14.3 versus 82.6±4.8 bpm; p=0.001), heart rate recovery (22±6 versus 22±8 versus 34±9 bpm; p=0.001), and heart rate recovery/lactate (3±1 versus 3±1 versus 5±1 bpm/mmol/L; p=0.003) were different between Marfan groups and controls, respectively. All the patients with Marfan syndrome had heart rate recovery values below the mean observed in the control group. The absolute values of heart rate recovery were strongly correlated with the heart rate reserve (r=0.76; p=0.001). Marfan syndrome patients have reduced heart rate recovery and chronotropic deficit after submaximal exercise, and the chronotropic deficit is a strong determinant of heart rate recovery. These changes are suggestive of autonomic dysfunction.

  6. Cardiac autonomic impairment and chronotropic incompetence in fibromyalgia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    da Cunha Ribeiro, Roberta Potenza; Roschel, Hamilton; Artioli, Guilherme Gianini; Dassouki, Thalita; Perandini, Luiz Augusto; Calich, Ana Luisa; de Sá Pinto, Ana Lúcia; Lima, Fernanda Rodrigues; Bonfá, Eloísa; Gualano, Bruno

    2011-01-01

    We aimed to gather knowledge on the cardiac autonomic modulation in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) in response to exercise and to investigate whether this population suffers from chronotropic incompetence (CI). Fourteen women with FM (age: 46 ± 3 years; body mass index (BMI): 26.6 ± 1.4 kg/m2) and 14 gender-, BMI- (25.4 ± 1.3 kg/m2), and age-matched (age: 41 ± 4 years) healthy individuals (CTRL) took part in this cross-sectional study. A treadmill cardiorespiratory test was performed and heart-rate (HR) response during exercise was evaluated by the chronotropic reserve. HR recovery (deltaHRR) was defined as the difference between HR at peak exercise and at both first (deltaHRR1) and second (deltaHRR2) minutes after the exercise test. FM patients presented lower maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) when compared with healthy subjects (22 ± 1 versus CTRL: 32 ± 2 mL/kg/minute, respectively; P < 0.001). Additionally, FM patients presented lower chronotropic reserve (72.5 ± 5 versus CTRL: 106.1 ± 6, P < 0.001), deltaHRR1 (24.5 ± 3 versus CTRL: 32.6 ± 2, P = 0.059) and deltaHRR2 (34.3 ± 4 versus CTRL: 50.8 ± 3, P = 0.002) than their healthy peers. The prevalence of CI was 57.1% among patients with FM. Patients with FM who undertook a graded exercise test may present CI and delayed HR recovery, both being indicative of cardiac autonomic impairment and higher risk of cardiovascular events and mortality.

  7. Cycle length dependence of the chronotropic effects of adrenaline, acetylcholine, Ca2+ and Mg2+ in the Guinea-pig sinoatrial node

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Opthof, T.; de Jonge, B.; Schade, B.; Jongsma, H. J.; Bouman, L. N.

    1984-01-01

    Ca (1.1-5.5 mM) has a positive chronotropic action on isolated right atria of the guinea-pig. The magnitude of the response depends on the cycle length. Magnitude and cycle length dependence of the Ca response are independent of beta-blockade by propranolol. Mg (0.6-6.0 mM) has a negative

  8. Chronotropic incompetence can limit exercise tolerance in COPD patients with lung hyperinflation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hulo S

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Sébastien Hulo,1 Jocelyn Inamo,2 Aurélie Dehon,3 Olivier Le Rouzic,4 Jean-Louis Edme,1 Remi Neviere51Université Lille, CHU Lille, EA 4483, IMPact de l’Environnement Chimique sur la Santé humaine, Lille, France; 2Département de Cardiologie – CHU Fort de France, Martinique – Faculté de Médecine – Université des Antilles, France; 3Pôle d’Anesthésie Réanimation ADRU, CHU Nîmes, Nîmes, France; 4Université Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, Lille, France; 5Université Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Lille Inflammation Research International Center, Lille, FrancePurpose: Metabolic-chronotropic relationship is the only concept that assesses the entire chronotropic function during exercise, as it takes into account individual fitness. To better understand interrelationships between chronotropic incompetence (CI, dynamic hyperinflation (DH and exercise limitation among Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD disease severity, we evaluated cardiopulmonary responses to symptom-limited cycle exercise in stable patients.Patients and methods: We prospectively studied 47 COPD patients classified by GOLD stage severity. Pulmonary function tests and cardiopulmonary responses to symptom-limited incremental exercise were studied. CI was defined by regression line between percent heart rate (HR reserve and percent oxygen uptake (V’O2 reserve, ie, chronotropic-metabolic index (CMI. DH was defined from the knot resulting from the nonlinear regressions of inspiratory capacity changes from rest to peak (dynamic inspiratory capacity (ICdyn with percentage of maximal HR and CMI.Results: Aerobic capacity (median interquartile ranges peak V’O2, 24.3 (23.6; 25.2, 18.5 (15.5; 21.8, 17.5 (15.4; 19.1 mL·kg-1·min-1 and CMI worsened according to GOLD severity. The optimal knot of ICdyn was equal to −0.34 L. The

  9. Effect of high-intensity training versus moderate training on peak oxygen uptake and chronotropic response in heart transplant recipients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dall, C H; Snoer, M; Christensen, S

    2014-01-01

    In heart transplant (HTx) recipients, there has been reluctance to recommend high-intensity interval training (HIIT) due to denervation and chronotropic impairment of the heart. We compared the effects of 12 weeks' HIIT versus continued moderate exercise (CON) on exercise capacity and chronotropic...... response in stable HTx recipients >12 months after transplantation in a randomized crossover trial. The study was completed by 16 HTx recipients (mean age 52 years, 75% males). Baseline peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak ) was 22.9 mL/kg/min. HIIT increased VO2peak by 4.9 ± 2.7 mL/min/kg (17%) and CON by 2.6 ± 2.......2 mL/kg/min (10%) (significantly higher in HIIT; p HIIT, systolic blood pressure decreased significantly (p = 0.037) with no significant change in CON (p = 0.241; between group difference p = 0.027). Peak heart rate (HRpeak ) increased significantly by 4.3 beats per minute (p = 0...

  10. Sensitivity Analysis of Vagus Nerve Stimulation Parameters on Acute Cardiac Autonomic Responses: Chronotropic, Inotropic and Dromotropic Effects.

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    David Ojeda

    Full Text Available Although the therapeutic effects of Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS have been recognized in pre-clinical and pilot clinical studies, the effect of different stimulation configurations on the cardiovascular response is still an open question, especially in the case of VNS delivered synchronously with cardiac activity. In this paper, we propose a formal mathematical methodology to analyze the acute cardiac response to different VNS configurations, jointly considering the chronotropic, dromotropic and inotropic cardiac effects. A latin hypercube sampling method was chosen to design a uniform experimental plan, composed of 75 different VNS configurations, with different values for the main parameters (current amplitude, number of delivered pulses, pulse width, interpulse period and the delay between the detected cardiac event and VNS onset. These VNS configurations were applied to 6 healthy, anesthetized sheep, while acquiring the associated cardiovascular response. Unobserved VNS configurations were estimated using a Gaussian process regression (GPR model. In order to quantitatively analyze the effect of each parameter and their combinations on the cardiac response, the Sobol sensitivity method was applied to the obtained GPR model and inter-individual sensitivity markers were estimated using a bootstrap approach. Results highlight the dominant effect of pulse current, pulse width and number of pulses, which explain respectively 49.4%, 19.7% and 6.0% of the mean global cardiovascular variability provoked by VNS. More interestingly, results also quantify the effect of the interactions between VNS parameters. In particular, the interactions between current and pulse width provoke higher cardiac effects than the changes on the number of pulses alone (between 6 and 25% of the variability. Although the sensitivity of individual VNS parameters seems similar for chronotropic, dromotropic and inotropic responses, the interacting effects of VNS parameters

  11. The Restoration of Chronotropic CompEtence in Heart Failure PatientS with Normal Ejection FracTion (RESET) Study: Rationale and Design

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kass, David A.; Kitzman, Dalane W.; Alvarez, Guy E.

    2009-01-01

    Background Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is the predominant form of HF among the elderly and in women. However, there are few if any evidence-based therapeutic options for HFpEF. The chief complaint of HFpEF is reduced tolerance to physical exertion. Recent data revealed that one potential mechanism of exertional intolerance in HFpEF patients is inadequate chronotropic response. Although there is considerable evidence demonstrating the benefits of rate-adaptive pacing (RAP) provided from implantable cardiac devices in patients with an impaired chronotropic response, the effect of RAP in HFpEF is unknown. Methods and Results The RESET study is a prospective, multi-center, double-blind, randomized with stratification, study assessing the effect of RAP on peak VO2 and quality of life. RAP therapy will be evaluated in a cross-over paired fashion for each patient within each study stratum. Study strata are based on patient beta-blocker usage at time of enrollment. The study is powered to assess the impact of pacing independently in both strata. Conclusions The RESET study seeks to evaluate the potential benefit of RAP in patients with symptomatic mild to moderate HFpEF and chronotropic impairment. Study enrollment began in July 2008. PMID:20123314

  12. Acute effect of Vagus nerve stimulation parameters on cardiac chronotropic, inotropic, and dromotropic responses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ojeda, David; Le Rolle, Virginie; Romero-Ugalde, Hector M.; Gallet, Clément; Bonnet, Jean-Luc; Henry, Christine; Bel, Alain; Mabo, Philippe; Carrault, Guy; Hernández, Alfredo I.

    2017-11-01

    Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an established therapy for drug-resistant epilepsy and depression, and is considered as a potential therapy for other pathologies, including Heart Failure (HF) or inflammatory diseases. In the case of HF, several experimental studies on animals have shown an improvement in the cardiac function and a reverse remodeling of the cardiac cavity when VNS is applied. However, recent clinical trials have not been able to reproduce the same response in humans. One of the hypothesis to explain this lack of response is related to the way in which stimulation parameters are defined. The combined effect of VNS parameters is still poorly-known, especially in the case of VNS synchronously delivered with cardiac activity. In this paper, we propose a methodology to analyze the acute cardiovascular effects of VNS parameters individually, as well as their interactive effects. A Latin hypercube sampling method was applied to design a uniform experimental plan. Data gathered from this experimental plan was used to produce a Gaussian process regression (GPR) model in order to estimate unobserved VNS sequences. Finally, a Morris screening sensitivity analysis method was applied to each obtained GPR model. Results highlight dominant effects of pulse current, pulse width and number of pulses over frequency and delay and, more importantly, the degree of interactions between these parameters on the most important acute cardiovascular responses. In particular, high interacting effects between current and pulse width were found. Similar sensitivity profiles were observed for chronotropic, dromotropic and inotropic effects. These findings are of primary importance for the future development of closed-loop, personalized neuromodulator technologies.

  13. Biological pacemakers in canines exhibit positive chronotropic response to emotional arousal

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Shlapakova, Iryna N.; Nearing, Bruce D.; Lau, David H.; Boink, Gerard J. J.; Danilo, Peter; Kryukova, Yelena; Robinson, Richard B.; Cohen, Ira S.; Rosen, Michael R.; Verrier, Richard L.

    2010-01-01

    Biological pacemakers based on the HCN2 channel isoform respond to beta-adrenergic and muscarinic stimulation, suggesting a capacity to respond to autonomic input. The purpose of this study was to investigate autonomic response to emotional arousal in canines implanted with murine HCN2-based

  14. Negative inotropic and chronotropic effects on the guinea pig atrium of extracts obtained from Averrhoa carambola L. leaves.

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    Vasconcelos, C M L; Araújo, M S; Silva, B A; Conde-Garcia, E A

    2005-07-01

    It has been reported that star fruit can lead to a fatal outcome in uremic patients. The intoxication syndrome consists of hiccups, mental confusion, dizziness, and vomiting. On the other hand, folk medicine uses teas and infusions of carambola leaves to treat headache, vomiting, cough, insomnia, and diabetes. This motivated us to determine if Averrhoa carambola can act on the contractility and automaticity of the guinea pig heart. We measured the atrial isometric force in stimulated left atria and determined the chronotropic changes in spontaneously beating right atria. The carambola leaf extracts (1.5 mg/ml) abolished the contractile force in a concentration-dependent manner. Among the crude, methanolic, ethanolic, aqueous, and acetic extracts, the aqueous one was the most potent (EC50 = 520 +/- 94 microg/ml; flavonoids and tannins are the main constituents; Na+ and K+ contents in 1.0 mg/ml of aqueous extract were 0.12 +/- 0.016 and 1.19 +/- 0.15 mM, respectively). The aqueous extract abolished the positive Bowditch staircase phenomenon and reduced the inotropic response to CaCl2 (0.17-8.22 mM), events that are dependent on the cellular Ca2+ inward current. The adrenergic, muscarinic or opioid membrane receptors do not seem to participate in the mechanism of action of the cardioactive substance(s). In spontaneously beating atria, the aqueous extract promoted a negative chronotropic effect that was antagonized by 0.1 microM isoproterenol bitartrate. With this agonist, the EC50 of the aqueous extract increased from 133 +/- 58 to 650 +/- 100 microg/ml. These data regarding the effect of A. carambola on guinea pig atrial contractility and automaticity indicate an L-type Ca2+ channel blockade.

  15. Negative inotropic and chronotropic effects on the guinea pig atrium of extracts obtained from Averrhoa carambola L. leaves

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vasconcelos C.M.L.

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available It has been reported that star fruit can lead to a fatal outcome in uremic patients. The intoxication syndrome consists of hiccups, mental confusion, dizziness, and vomiting. On the other hand, folk medicine uses teas and infusions of carambola leaves to treat headache, vomiting, cough, insomnia, and diabetes. This motivated us to determine if Averrhoa carambola can act on the contractility and automaticity of the guinea pig heart. We measured the atrial isometric force in stimulated left atria and determined the chronotropic changes in spontaneously beating right atria. The carambola leaf extracts (1.5 mg/ml abolished the contractile force in a concentration-dependent manner. Among the crude, methanolic, ethanolic, aqueous, and acetic extracts, the aqueous one was the most potent (EC50 = 520 ± 94 µg/ml; flavonoids and tannins are the main constituents; Na+ and K+ contents in 1.0 mg/ml of aqueous extract were 0.12 ± 0.016 and 1.19 ± 0.15 mM, respectively. The aqueous extract abolished the positive Bowditch staircase phenomenon and reduced the inotropic response to CaCl2 (0.17-8.22 mM, events that are dependent on the cellular Ca2+ inward current. The adrenergic, muscarinic or opioid membrane receptors do not seem to participate in the mechanism of action of the cardioactive substance(s. In spontaneously beating atria, the aqueous extract promoted a negative chronotropic effect that was antagonized by 0.1 µM isoproterenol bitartrate. With this agonist, the EC50 of the aqueous extract increased from 133 ± 58 to 650 ± 100 µg/ml. These data regarding the effect of A. carambola on guinea pig atrial contractility and automaticity indicate an L-type Ca2+ channel blockade.

  16. Distribution and chronotropic effects of serotonin in the zebrafish heart.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stoyek, Matthew R; Jonz, Michael G; Smith, Frank M; Croll, Roger P

    2017-09-01

    Several lines of evidence suggest that serotonin (5-HT) has a regulatory role in cardiovascular function from embryogenesis through adulthood. However, the reported actions of 5-HT are often contradictory and include bradycardia or tachycardia, hypotension or hypertension, and vasodilation or vasoconstriction. Clarifying such cardiac effects requires further research and may benefit from utilizing a model simpler than the mammalian hearts traditionally used in these studies. In the present study, we describe the cardiac distribution and chronotropic responses of 5-HT in the zebrafish heart. A combined anatomical, electrophysiological, and pharmacological approach was used to investigate the involvement of 5-HT pathways, and to compare neural and direct myocardial pathways of biological action. Immunohistochemical methods revealed 5-HT in endocardial cells, glial-like cells, and intracardiac neurons in the atrium. Electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings combined with the administration of pharmacological agents demonstrated that 5-HT acted predominantly through direct myocardial pathways resulting in a reduction of heart rate. Overall, the results of this study contribute significant advances in the establishment of the zebrafish as a new model for studies of the role of 5-HT in autonomic cardiac control. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Alternagin-C (ALT-C), a disintegrin-like protein from Rhinocerophis alternatus snake venom promotes positive inotropism and chronotropism in fish heart.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monteiro, D A; Kalinin, A L; Selistre-de-Araujo, H S; Vasconcelos, E S; Rantin, F T

    2016-02-01

    Alternagin-C (ALT-C) is a disintegrin-like protein purified from the venom of the snake, Rhinocerophis alternatus. Recent studies showed that ALT-C is able to induce vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression, endothelial cell proliferation and migration, angiogenesis and to increase myoblast viability. This peptide, therefore, can play a crucial role in tissue regeneration mechanisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a single dose of alternagin-C (0.5 mg kg(-1), via intra-arterial) on in vitro cardiac function of the freshwater fish traíra, Hoplias malabaricus, after 7 days. ALT-C treatment increased the cardiac performance promoting: 1) significant increases in the contraction force and in the rates of contraction and relaxation with concomitant decreases in the values of time to the peak tension and time to half- and 90% relaxation; 2) improvement in the cardiac pumping capacity and maximal electrical stimulation frequency, shifting the optimum frequency curve upward and to the right; 3) increases in myocardial VEGF levels and expression of key Ca(2+)-cycling proteins such as SERCA (sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase), PLB (phospholamban), and NCX (Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger); 4) abolishment of the typical negative force-frequency relationship of fish myocardium. In conclusion, this study indicates that ALT-C improves cardiac function, by increasing Ca(2+) handling efficiency leading to a positive inotropism and chronotropism. The results suggest that ALT-C may lead to better cardiac output regulation indicating its potential application in therapies for cardiac contractile dysfunction. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Importance of heart rate during exercise for response to cardiac resynchronization therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maass, Alexander H; Buck, Sandra; Nieuwland, Wybe; Brügemann, Johan; van Veldhuisen, Dirk J; Van Gelder, Isabelle C

    2009-07-01

    Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is an established therapy for patients with severe heart failure and mechanical dyssynchrony. Response is only achieved in 60-70% of patients. To study exercise-related factors predicting response to CRT. We retrospectively examined consecutive patients in whom a CRT device was implanted. All underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing prior to implantation and after 6 months. The occurrence of chronotropic incompetence and heart rates exceeding the upper rate of the device, thereby compromising biventricular stimulation, was studied. Response was defined as a decrease in LVESV of 10% or more after 6 months. We included 144 patients. After 6 months 86 (60%) patients were responders. Peak VO2 significantly increased in responders. Chronotropic incompetence was more frequently seen in nonresponders (21 [36%] vs 9 [10%], P = 0.03), mostly in patients in SR. At moderate exercise, defined as 25% of the maximal exercise tolerance, that is, comparable to daily life exercise, nonresponders more frequently went above the upper rate of the device (13 [22%] vs 2 [3%], P exercise (OR 15.8 [3.3-76.5], P = 0.001) and nonischemic cardiomyopathy (OR 2.4 [1.0-5.7], P = 0.04) as predictive for response. Heart rate exceeding the upper rate during moderate exercise is an independent predictor for nonresponse to CRT in patients with AF, whereas chronotropic incompetence is a predictor for patients in SR.

  19. Developmental changes in the role of a pertussis toxin sensitive guanine nucleotide binding protein in the rat cardiac alpha1-adrenergic system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, H.M.

    1989-01-01

    During development, the cardiac alpha 1 -adrenergic chronotropic response changes from positive in the neonate to negative in the adult. This thesis examined the possibility of a developmental change in coupling of a PT-sensitive G-protein to the alpha 1 -adrenergic receptor. Radioligand binding experiments performed with the iodinated alpha 1 -selective radioligand [ 125 I]-I-2-[β-(4-hydroxphenyl)ethylaminomethyl]tetralone ([ 125 I]-IBE 2254) demonstrated that the alpha 1 -adrenergic receptor is coupled to a G-protein in both neonatal and adult rat hearts. However, in the neonate the alpha 1 -adrenergic receptor is coupled to a PT-insensitive G-protein, whereas in the adult the alpha 1 -adrenergic receptor is coupled to both a PT-insensitive and a PT-sensitive G-protein. Consistent with the results from binding experiments, PT did not have any effect on the alpha 1 -mediated positive chronotropic response in the neonate, whereas in the adult the alpha 1 -mediated negative chronotropic response was completely converted to a positive one after PT-treatment. This thesis also examined the possibility of an alteration in coupling of the alpha 1 -adrenergic receptor to its effector under certain circumstances such as high potassium (K + ) depolarization in nerve-muscle (NM) co-cultures, a system which has been previously shown to be a convenient in vitro model to study the mature inhibitory alpha 1 -response

  20. Assessment of Adaptive Rate Response Provided by Accelerometer, Minute Ventilation and Dual Sensor Compared with Normal Sinus Rhythm During Exercise: A Self-controlled Study in Chronotropically Competent Subjects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuanyuan Cao

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Dual sensor (DS for rate adaption was supposed to be more physiological. To evaluate its superiority, the DS (accelerometer [ACC] and minute ventilation [MV] and normal sinus rate response were compared in a self-controlled way during exercise treadmill testing. Methods: This self-controlled study was performed in atrioventricular block patients with normal sinus function who met the indications of pacemaker implant. Twenty-one patients came to the 1-month follow-up visit. Patients performed a treadmill test 1-month post implant while programmed in DDDR and sensor passive mode. For these patients, sensor response factors were left at default settings (ACC = 8, MV = 3 and sensor indicated rates (SIRs for DS, ACC and MV sensor were retrieved from the pacemaker memories, along with measured sinus node (SN rates from the beginning to 1-minute after the end of the treadmill test, and compared among study groups. Repeated measures analysis of variance and profile analysis, as well as variance analysis of randomized block designs, were used for statistical analysis. Results: Fifteen patients (15/21 were determined to be chronotropically competent. The mean differences between DS SIRs and intrinsic sinus rates during treadmill testing were smaller than those for ACC and MV sensor (mean difference between SIR and SN rate: ACC vs. SN, MV vs. SN, DS vs. SN, respectively, 34.84, 17.60, 16.15 beats/min, though no sensors could mimic sinus rates under the default settings for sensor response factor (ACC vs. SN P-adjusted < 0.001; MV vs. SN P-adjusted = 0.002; DS vs. SN P-adjusted = 0.005. However, both in the range of 1 st minute and first 3 minutes of exercise, only the DS SIR profile did not differ from sinus rates (P-adjusted = 0.09, 0.90, respectively. Conclusions: The DS under default settings provides more physiological rate response during physical activity than the corresponding single sensors (ACC or MV sensor. Further study is needed to

  1. Exercise electrocardiographic responses and serum cystatin C levels among metabolic syndrome patients without overt diabetes mellitus

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    Tanindi A

    2011-02-01

    4.5 per min; P , 0.001, and the ST-segment adjustment relative to heart rate(ST/HR index ratio was 1.4 ± 1.34 versus 0.4 ± 0.31 µV/beat (P < 0.001, respectively. Cystatin C was negatively correlated with the chronotropic response index (CRI and HRR and was positively correlated with ST/HR index in the entire study population (R = -0.658, -0.346, 0.388, respectively; P < 0.05.Conclusions: A substantial proportion of metabolic syndrome patients without overt diabetes mellitus had silent coronary ischemia in addition to impairment of objective exercise electrocardiographic parameters. In the metabolic syndrome patients without overt diabetes mellitus, cystatin C levels were found to be elevated and the elevation was more pronounced in the subgroup with silent ischemia. Cystatin C was also correlated with HRR and CRI.Keywords: exercise electrocardiography, metabolic syndrome, silent ischemia, cystatin C

  2. Fractalkine in human inflammatory cardiomyopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Escher, F; Vetter, R; Kühl, U; Westermann, D; Schultheiss, H-P; Tschöpe, C

    2011-05-01

    Cardiac inflammation is important for the prognosis of patients with inflammatory cardiomyopathy (CMi), but the mechanisms leading to it are not fully elucidated. To study the role of fractalkine (CX3CL1) in chemotactic and adhesive properties of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in patients with CMi. Patients with enterovirus (EV)-positive CMi, patients with virus-negative CMi, patients with parvovirus B19 (B19) genomes with low intramyocardial inflammation and patients without cardiac inflammation and viral infection in the endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) were enrolled (n=10/group). The expression of CX3CL1 and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) in EMBs was significantly increased in EV-positive and virus-negative patients with CMi in contrast to controls and B19-positive patients (EV+ vs controls: CX3CL1-area fraction (AF) % 0.078±0.012 vs 0.009±0.003 pattenuated positive chronotropic response to β-adrenergic stimulation with isoproterenol. The cardiac and plasma CX3CL1/CX3CR1 system is upregulated in CMi and this affects the functional potential of PBMCs. Moreover, a direct cardiodepressive effect of CX3CL1 in cardiac tissue was demonstrated since neonatal cardiomyocytes exhibited an attenuated positive chronotropic response to β-adrenergic stimulation.

  3. Synthesis and Positive Inotropic Activity of [1,2,4]Triazolo[4,3-a] Quinoxaline Derivatives Bearing Substituted Benzylpiperazine and Benzoylpiperazine Moieties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xue-Kun Liu

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available In an attempt to search for more potent positive inotropic agents, two series of [1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a] quinoxaline derivatives bearing substituted benzylpiperazine and benzoylpiperazine moieties were synthesized and their positive inotropic activities evaluated by measuring left atrial stroke volume in isolated rabbit heart preparations. Several compounds showed favorable activities compared with the standard drug, milrinone. Compound 6c was the most potent agent, with an increased stroke volume of 12.53% ± 0.30% (milrinone: 2.46% ± 0.07% at 3 × 10−5 M. The chronotropic effects of compounds having considerable inotropic effects were also evaluated.

  4. Central and peripheral mechanisms underlying gastric distention inhibitory reflex responses in hypercapnic-acidotic rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tjen-A-Looi, Stephanie C; Hsiao, An-Fu; Longhurst, John C

    2011-03-01

    We have observed that in chloralose-anesthetized animals, gastric distension (GD) typically increases blood pressure (BP) under normoxic normocapnic conditions. However, we recently noted repeatable decreases in BP and heart rate (HR) in hypercapnic-acidotic rats in response to GD. The neural pathways, central processing, and autonomic effector mechanisms involved in this cardiovascular reflex response are unknown. We hypothesized that GD-induced decrease in BP and HR reflex responses are mediated during both withdrawal of sympathetic tone and increased parasympathetic activity, involving the rostral (rVLM) and caudal ventrolateral medulla (cVLM) and the nucleus ambiguus (NA). Rats anesthetized with ketamine and xylazine or α-chloralose were ventilated and monitored for HR and BP changes. The extent of cardiovascular inhibition was related to the extent of hypercapnia and acidosis. Repeated GD with both anesthetics induced consistent falls in BP and HR. The hemodynamic inhibitory response was reduced after blockade of the celiac ganglia or the intraabdominal vagal nerves with lidocaine, suggesting that the decreased BP and HR responses were mediated by both sympathetic and parasympathetic afferents. Blockade of the NA decreased the bradycardia response. Microinjection of kainic acid into the cVLM reduced the inhibitory BP response, whereas depolarization blockade of the rVLM decreased both BP and HR inhibitory responses. Blockade of GABA(A) receptors in the rVLM also reduced the BP and HR reflex responses. Atropine methyl bromide completely blocked the reflex bradycardia, and atenolol blocked the negative chronotropic response. Finally, α(1)-adrenergic blockade with prazosin reversed the depressor. Thus, in the setting of hypercapnic-acidosis, a sympathoinhibitory cardiovascular response is mediated, in part, by splanchnic nerves and is processed through the rVLM and cVLM. Additionally, a vagal excitatory reflex, which involves the NA, facilitates the GD

  5. Inotropic and chronotropic effects of crude extract and its butanol fraction of dry fruit of aegle marmelos linn. in isolated working rat heart

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rahman, A.U.

    2016-01-01

    The fruit of Aegle marmelos Linn. is a most edible part of the tree, ripe, unripe and dry fruit is recommended for wide variety of disorders. Lack of pharmacological evaluation limits the use to nutritional value. Dry and ripe fruit of A. marmelos was investigated as crude extract and its butanol fraction in isolated working male Wistar rat heart. Aortic out flow, coronary effluent, cardiac output, dP/dt(max), dP/dt(min), systolic and diastolic pressure, heart rate, and aortic pressure were measured. Preload and after load was kept constant. These parameters are relevant to cardiac physiology and pathological conditions. All the concentrations of crude extract caused concentration-dependent effects. The crude extract decreased coronary effluent at 100.0 and 300.0 mg/mL, increased the dP/dt(max) at 300.0 mg/mL, systolic pressure and aortic pressure were observed maximum at 100.0 mg/mL. Whereas, aortic out flow, dP/dt(min) diastolic pressure and cardiac output and heart rate remained unaffected. The butanol fraction increased the aortic outflow, dP/dt(max), aortic pressure at 10.0 and 30.0 mg/mL maximally. Whereas, dP/dt(min), diastolic pressure and cardiac output remained unaffected. Coronary effluent at 1.0, 10.0, and 30.0 mg/mL and heart rate at 10.0 and 30.0 mg/mL were decreased maximally. It seems that the bioactive compound got concentrated in butanol fraction according to polarity of the solvent. The crude extract and butanol fraction were found to be positive inotropic whereas, butanol fraction showed negative chronotropic effect as well. (author)

  6. A comparison of 2 circuit exercise training techniques for eliciting matched metabolic responses in persons with paraplegia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nash, Mark S; Jacobs, Patrick L; Woods, Jeffrey M; Clark, James E; Pray, Tanya A; Pumarejo, Alex E

    2002-02-01

    To test whether acute metabolic (VO(2)), chronotropic (heart rate), and perceptual (rating of perceived exertion; RPE) responses to exercise by persons with paraplegia differ when the exercise is on a multistation isoinertial exercise system (MultiGym) or on a customized system of Thera-Band resistance bands (ElasticGym). Within-subjects comparison of 2 treatments. Academic medical center. Sixteen men and 1 woman with complete paraplegia (T4-L1), as defined by the American Spinal Injury Association. A circuit resistance training (CRT) program for persons with paraplegia was adapted to both a MultiGym and a customized ElasticGym. Exercises used for training and testing used 6 resistance maneuvers at 50% of the 1-repetition maximum (1-RM), with interposed rapid arm spinning. Subjects were habituated to both conditions for 2 weeks before testing on randomized nonconsecutive days. VO(2) (L/min) was measured by portable spirometry, heart rate (beats/min) by a chest strap monitor, and RPE by the Borg Scale of Perceived Exertion (6-20). No significant effects of test condition on average VO(2) or heart rate were observed, with differences between conditions reflecting only .08L/min and 6.4 beats/min, respectively. Average RPE was significantly higher in testing under the ElasticGym condition (P < .05). CRT on a customized ElasticGym system elicited acute metabolic and chronotropic responses that did not differ from responses to exercise on a MultiGym, though RPE was greater with the ElasticGym. Copyright 2002 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

  7. Roselle Polyphenols Exert Potent Negative Inotropic Effects via Modulation of Intracellular Calcium Regulatory Channels in Isolated Rat Heart.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Yi-Cheng; Budin, Siti Balkis; Othman, Faizah; Latip, Jalifah; Zainalabidin, Satirah

    2017-07-01

    Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn.) calyces have demonstrated propitious cardioprotective effects in animal and clinical studies; however, little is known about its action on cardiac mechanical function. This study was undertaken to investigate direct action of roselle polyphenols (RP) on cardiac function in Langendorff-perfused rat hearts. We utilized RP extract which consists of 12 flavonoids and seven phenolic acids (as shown by HPLC profiling) and has a safe concentration range between 125 and 500 μg/ml in this study. Direct perfusion of RP in concentration-dependent manner lowered systolic function of the heart as shown by lowered LVDP and dP/dt max , suggesting a negative inotropic effect. RP also reduced heart rate (negative chronotropic action) while simultaneously increasing maximal velocity of relaxation (positive lusitropic action). Conversely, RP perfusion increased coronary pressure, an indicator for improvement in coronary blood flow. Inotropic responses elicited by pharmacological agonists for L-type Ca 2+ channel [(±)-Bay K 8644], ryanodine receptor (4-chloro-m-cresol), β-adrenergic receptor (isoproterenol) and SERCA blocker (thapsigargin) were all abolished by RP. In conclusion, RP elicits negative inotropic, negative chronotropic and positive lusitropic responses by possibly modulating calcium entry, release and reuptake in the heart. Our findings have shown the potential use of RP as a therapeutic agent to treat conditions like arrhythmia.

  8. Positive inotropic and vasodilator actions of milrinone in patients with severe congestive heart failure. Dose-response relationships and comparison to nitroprusside.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaski, B E; Fifer, M A; Wright, R F; Braunwald, E; Colucci, W S

    1985-01-01

    Milrinone is a potent positive inotropic and vascular smooth muscle-relaxing agent in vitro, and therefore, it is not known to what extent each of these actions contributes to the drug's hemodynamic effects in patients with heart failure. In 11 patients with New York Heart Association class III or IV congestive heart failure, incremental intravenous doses of milrinone were administered to determine the dose-response relationships for heart rate, systemic vascular resistance, and inotropic state, the latter measured by peak positive left ventricular derivative of pressure with respect to time (dP/dt). To clarify further the role of a positive inotropic action, the relative effects of milrinone and nitroprusside on left ventricular stroke work and dP/dt were compared in each patient at doses matched to cause equivalent reductions in mean arterial pressure or systemic vascular resistance, indices of left ventricular afterload. Milrinone caused heart rate, stroke volume, and dP/dt to increase, and systemic vascular resistance to decrease in a concentration-related manner. At the two lowest milrinone doses resulting in serum concentrations of 63 +/- 4 and 156 +/- 5 ng/ml, respectively, milrinone caused significant increases in stroke volume and dP/dt, but no changes in systemic vascular resistance or heart rate. At the maximum milrinone dose administered (mean serum concentration, 427 +/- 11 ng/ml), heart rate increased from 92 +/- 4 to 99 +/- 4 bpm (P less than 0.01), mean aortic pressure fell from 82 +/- 3 to 71 +/- 3 mmHg (P less than 0.01), right atrial pressure fell from 15 +/- 2 to 7 +/- 1 mmHg (P less than 0.005), left ventricular end-diastolic pressure fell from 26 +/- 3 to 18 +/- 3 (P less than 0.005), stroke volume index increased from 20 +/- 2 to 30 +/- 2 ml/m2 (P less than 0.005), stroke work index increased from 14 +/- 2 to 21 +/- 2 g X m/m2 (P less than 0.01), and dP/dt increased from 858 +/- 54 to 1,130 +/- 108 mmHg/s (P less than 0.005). When compared

  9. New arylsparteine derivatives as positive inotropic drugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boido, Vito; Ercoli, Marcella; Tonelli, Michele; Novelli, Federica; Tasso, Bruno; Sparatore, Fabio; Cichero, Elena; Fossa, Paola; Dorigo, Paola; Froldi, Guglielmina

    2017-12-01

    Positive inotropic agents are fundamental in the treatment of heart failure; however, their arrhythmogenic liability and the increased myocardial oxygen demand strongly limit their therapeutic utility. Pursuing our study on cardiovascular activities of lupin alkaloid derivatives, several 2-(4-substituted-phenyl)-2-dehydrosparteines and 2-(4-substituted-phenyl)sparteines were prepared and tested for inotropic and chronotropic activities on isolated guinea pig atria. Four compounds (6b, 6e, 7b, and 7f) exhibited significant inotropism that, at the higher concentrations, was followed by negative inotropism or toxicity. Compound 7e (2-(4-tolyl)sparteine) exhibited a steep dose-depending inotropic activity up to the highest concentration tested (300 µM) with an E max of 116.5 ± 3.4% of basal force, proving less potent but much more active in comparison to the highest concentrations tested of digoxin and milrinone having E max of 87.5 ± 3.1% and 52.2 ± 1.1%, respectively. Finally, docking studies suggested that the relevant sparteine derivatives could target the sigma-1 receptor, whose involvement in cardiac activity is well documented.

  10. Vantage sensitivity: individual differences in response to positive experiences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pluess, Michael; Belsky, Jay

    2013-07-01

    The notion that some people are more vulnerable to adversity as a function of inherent risk characteristics is widely embraced in most fields of psychology. This is reflected in the popularity of the diathesis-stress framework, which has received a vast amount of empirical support over the years. Much less effort has been directed toward the investigation of endogenous factors associated with variability in response to positive influences. One reason for the failure to investigate individual differences in response to positive experiences as a function of endogenous factors may be the absence of adequate theoretical frameworks. According to the differential-susceptibility hypothesis, individuals generally vary in their developmental plasticity regardless of whether they are exposed to negative or positive influences--a notion derived from evolutionary reasoning. On the basis of this now well-supported proposition, we advance herein the new concept of vantage sensitivity, reflecting variation in response to exclusively positive experiences as a function of individual endogenous characteristics. After distinguishing vantage sensitivity from theoretically related concepts of differential-susceptibility and resilience, we review some recent empirical evidence for vantage sensitivity featuring behavioral, physiological, and genetic factors as moderators of a wide range of positive experiences ranging from family environment and psychotherapy to educational intervention. Thereafter, we discuss genetic and environmental factors contributing to individual differences in vantage sensitivity, potential mechanisms underlying vantage sensitivity, and practical implications. 2013 APA, all rights reserved

  11. Analytical expression for position sensitivity of linear response beam position monitor having inter-electrode cross talk

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumar, Mukesh, E-mail: mukeshk@rrcat.gov.in [Beam Diagnostics Section, Indus Operations, Beam Dynamics & Diagnostics Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore, 452013 MP (India); Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai 400 094 (India); Ojha, A.; Garg, A.D.; Puntambekar, T.A. [Beam Diagnostics Section, Indus Operations, Beam Dynamics & Diagnostics Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore, 452013 MP (India); Senecha, V.K. [Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai 400 094 (India); Ion Source Lab., Proton Linac & Superconducting Cavities Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore, 452013 MP (India)

    2017-02-01

    According to the quasi electrostatic model of linear response capacitive beam position monitor (BPM), the position sensitivity of the device depends only on the aperture of the device and it is independent of processing frequency and load impedance. In practice, however, due to the inter-electrode capacitive coupling (cross talk), the actual position sensitivity of the device decreases with increasing frequency and load impedance. We have taken into account the inter-electrode capacitance to derive and propose a new analytical expression for the position sensitivity as a function of frequency and load impedance. The sensitivity of a linear response shoe-box type BPM has been obtained through simulation using CST Studio Suite to verify and confirm the validity of the new analytical equation. Good agreement between the simulation results and the new analytical expression suggest that this method can be exploited for proper designing of BPM.

  12. Physiological Response to Static Muscle Contractions in Standing and Supine Positions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Jens Meldgaard; Andersen, T. Bull

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the physiological responses to static muscle contractions in the standing position and the supine position. Eight subjects performed static contractions of the ankle extensors in both positions. Blood pressure (SBP and DBP), heart rate (HR...

  13. Asymmetric positive feedback loops reliably control biological responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ratushny, Alexander V; Saleem, Ramsey A; Sitko, Katherine; Ramsey, Stephen A; Aitchison, John D

    2012-04-24

    Positive feedback is a common mechanism enabling biological systems to respond to stimuli in a switch-like manner. Such systems are often characterized by the requisite formation of a heterodimer where only one of the pair is subject to feedback. This ASymmetric Self-UpREgulation (ASSURE) motif is central to many biological systems, including cholesterol homeostasis (LXRα/RXRα), adipocyte differentiation (PPARγ/RXRα), development and differentiation (RAR/RXR), myogenesis (MyoD/E12) and cellular antiviral defense (IRF3/IRF7). To understand why this motif is so prevalent, we examined its properties in an evolutionarily conserved transcriptional regulatory network in yeast (Oaf1p/Pip2p). We demonstrate that the asymmetry in positive feedback confers a competitive advantage and allows the system to robustly increase its responsiveness while precisely tuning the response to a consistent level in the presence of varying stimuli. This study reveals evolutionary advantages for the ASSURE motif, and mechanisms for control, that are relevant to pharmacologic intervention and synthetic biology applications.

  14. Quimiossensibilidade durante exercício na insuficiência cardíaca: respostas ventilatórias, cronotrópicas e neurohormonais Quimiosensibilidad durante ejercicio en la insuficiencia cardíaca: respuestas ventilatorias, cronotrópicas y neurohormonales Exercise chemosensitivity in heart failure: ventilatory, chronotropic and neurohormonal responses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lídia Zytynski Moura

    2010-09-01

    , its sensitivity in HF during exercise was never really reported. OBJECTIVE: We tested if stimulation of central and peripheral chemoreceptors in HF patients could modulate ventilatory, chronotropic, and neurohormonal response during submaximal exercise. METHODS: We investigated central and peripheral chemosensitivity in 15 HF and 7 control (C comparing response through three 6 minute walking tests conducted in a treadmill with : room air, hypoxia, and hypercapnia (in a randomic order. RESULTS: RR at room air C and HF was 17±2 and 22±2 (p<.0001; at hypoxia 17±1 and 23±2 (p<.02; at CO25% was 20±2 and 22±5 (p<.02. Tidal volume (TV at room air was 1.25±0.17 and 1.08±0.19 (p<.01; at hypoxia 1.65±0.34 and 1.2±0.2 (p<.0001; at CO25% 1.55±0.46 and 1.29±0.39 (p<.0001. At rest the increment in HF was higher for VE (C 33±40%, HF 62±94%, p<.01, HR(C 7±10%, HF 10±10%, p<0.05 at rest. During hypoxia exercise increment in HF was higher for RR (C 1±4, HF 11±6,p<.05, HR (C 12±2, HF 14±3, p<.05, VE/VO2 (C -4±18%, HF 24±21%, p<.01, HR/VO2 (C -26±11%, HF 11±5%, p<.01, VE/WD (C 36±10%, 46±14, p<.05% and HR/WD (C 18±8%, HF 29±11, p<.01. During HF hypoxia exercise NO reduced, and IL-6, aldosterone levels increased. Neurohormonal levels unchanged in C. CONCLUSION: Exercise peripheral and central chemosensitivity are increased in HF and may modulate respiratory pattern, cardiac chronotropic, and neurohormonal activity during exercise.

  15. Subjective social status predicts in vivo responsiveness of β-adrenergic receptors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Euteneuer, Frank; Mills, Paul J; Rief, Winfried; Ziegler, Michael G; Dimsdale, Joel E

    2012-07-01

    Several poor health outcomes, including cardiovascular risk, have been associated with both subjective social status (SSS) and sympathetic overactivity. Because prolonged sympathetic overactivation down regulates beta adrenergic receptor (β-AR) function, reduced β-AR responsiveness is considered an indicator of sympathetic overactivity and a cardiovascular risk factor. Though prior research has focused on objective social status and β-AR function, no studies have examined the association between SSS and β-AR function. We aimed to learn whether SSS predicts the in vivo responsiveness of β-ARs. We assessed the chronotropic 25 dose (CD25), an in vivo marker of β-AR responsiveness, in 94 healthy participants. The MacArthur scales of subjective social status were used to assess SSS in the U.S.A. (SSS-USA) and in the local community (SSS-C). Objective social status was analyzed by calculating the Hollingshead two-factor index. β-AR responsiveness was reduced (as indicated by higher CD25 values) in participants with lower SSS-USA (p = .007) and lower SSS-C (p social status. Our results indicate that β-AR function may be an important component of the link between SSS and health.

  16. What good are positive emotions for treatment? Trait positive emotionality predicts response to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for anxiety.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Charles T; Knapp, Sarah E; Bomyea, Jessica A; Ramsawh, Holly J; Paulus, Martin P; Stein, Murray B

    2017-06-01

    Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is empirically supported for the treatment of anxiety disorders; however, not all individuals achieve recovery following CBT. Positive emotions serve a number of functions that theoretically should facilitate response to CBT - they promote flexible patterns of information processing and assimilation of new information, encourage approach-oriented behavior, and speed physiological recovery from negative emotions. We conducted a secondary analysis of an existing clinical trial dataset to test the a priori hypothesis that individual differences in trait positive emotions would predict CBT response for anxiety. Participants meeting diagnostic criteria for panic disorder (n = 28) or generalized anxiety disorder (n = 31) completed 10 weekly individual CBT sessions. Trait positive emotionality was assessed at pre-treatment, and severity of anxiety symptoms and associated impairment was assessed throughout treatment. Participants who reported a greater propensity to experience positive emotions at pre-treatment displayed the largest reduction in anxiety symptoms as well as fewer symptoms following treatment. Positive emotions remained a robust predictor of change in symptoms when controlling for baseline depression severity. Initial evidence supports the predictive value of trait positive emotions as a prognostic indicator for CBT outcome in a GAD and PD sample. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Myocardial Infarction Injury in Patients with Chronic Lung Disease Entering Pulmonary Rehabilitation: Frequency and Association with Heart Rate Parameters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sima, Carmen A; Lau, Benny C; Taylor, Carolyn M; van Eeden, Stephan F; Reid, W Darlene; Sheel, Andrew W; Kirkham, Ashley R; Camp, Pat G

    2018-03-14

    Myocardial infarction (MI) remains under-recognized in chronic lung disease (CLD) patients. Rehabilitation health professionals need accessible clinical measurements to identify the presence of prior MI in order to determine appropriate training prescription. To estimate prior MI in CLD patients entering a pulmonary rehabilitation program, as well as its association with heart rate parameters such as resting heart rate and chronotropic response index. Retrospective cohort design. Pulmonary rehabilitation outpatient clinic in a tertiary care university-affiliated hospital. Eighty-five CLD patients were studied. Electrocardiograms at rest and peak cardiopulmonary exercise testing, performed before pulmonary rehabilitation, were analyzed. Electrocardiographic evidence of prior MI, quantified by the Cardiac Infarction Injury Score (CIIS), was contrasted with reported myocardial events and then correlated with resting heart rate and chronotropic response index parameters. CIIS, resting heart rate, and chronotropic response index. Sixteen CLD patients (19%) demonstrated electrocardiographic evidence of prior MI, but less than half (8%) had a reported MI history (P CLD patients with a resting heart rate higher than 80 beats/min had approximately 5 times higher odds of having prior MI, as evidenced by a CIIS ≥20. CLD patients entering pulmonary rehabilitation are at risk of unreported prior MI. Elevated resting heart rate seems to be an indicator of prior MI in CLD patients; therefore, careful adjustment of training intensity such as intermittent training is recommended under these circumstances. III. Copyright © 2018 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. [Clinical features and therapeutic response of our anti-SRP positive patients with myositis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Botos, Balázs; Nagy-Vincze, Melinda; Dankó, Katalin

    2017-09-01

    Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies are a group of clinically heterogeneous diseases, which have been classified by myositis specific antibodies recently. The anti-SRP positive subset of this group is characterized by more severe clinical prognosis than other myositis specific antibody positive types. Our goal was to compare 16 anti-SRP positive patients in the Division of Clinical Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Debrecen with 16 antibody negative ones. Muscle strength validated in both groups by the manual muscle test proved to be significantly decreased both before and after therapy (χ 2 = 0.006 and 0.019) in the anti-SRP positive group. Muscle-specific inflammatory laboratory parameters showed significant difference only in case of LDH-levels after therapy. Both groups showed good clinical response to first line steroid treatment, yet the significantly higher rate of second line administration suggests worse therapeutic response of the antibody positive group. Based on these facts we determined poor clinical prognosis and therapeutic response of the anti-SRP positive group. Orv Hetil. 2017; 158(35): 1382-1389.

  19. On the duality between interaction responses and mutual positions in flocking and schooling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perna, Andrea; Grégoire, Guillaume; Mann, Richard P

    2014-01-01

    Recent research in animal behaviour has contributed to determine how alignment, turning responses, and changes of speed mediate flocking and schooling interactions in different animal species. Here, we propose a complementary approach to the analysis of flocking phenomena, based on the idea that animals occupy preferential, anysotropic positions with respect to their neighbours, and devote a large amount of their interaction responses to maintaining their mutual positions. We test our approach by deriving the apparent alignment and attraction responses from simulated trajectories of animals moving side by side, or one in front of the other. We show that the anisotropic positioning of individuals, in combination with noise, is sufficient to reproduce several aspects of the movement responses observed in real animal groups. This anisotropy at the level of interactions should be considered explicitly in future models of flocking and schooling. By making a distinction between interaction responses involved in maintaining a preferred flock configuration, and interaction responses directed at changing it, our work provides a frame to discriminate movement interactions that signal directional conflict from interactions underlying consensual group motion.

  20. Nonlinearities in the response of beam position monitors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Assmann, R.; Dehning, B.; Matheson, J.; Prochnow, J.

    2000-01-01

    At the LEP e + /e - collider at CERN, Geneva, a Spectrometer is used to determine the beam energy with a relative accuracy of 10 -4 .The Spectrometer measures the change in bending angle in a dipole magnet, the beam trajectory being obtained using beam position monitors (BPMs), which must have an accuracy close to 1 μm in order to achieve the desired precision. The BPMs used feature an aluminum block with an elliptical aperture and capacitive pickup electrodes. The response depends on the electrode geometry and also on the shape of the monitor aperture. In addition, the size of the beam itself contributes if the beam is off-center. The beam size varies according to the beta and dispersion functions at the Spectrometer, so that each BPM may exhibit a systematic shift of the measured beam position. We have investigated the implications of such shifts on the performance of the Spectrometer. We present analytical results, a computer model of the BPM response, and comparison with measurements. The model suggests strategies such as beam-based alignment to minimize the systematic effects arising from the BPMs

  1. A Psychometric Evaluation of the Dutch Version of the Responses to Positive Affect Questionnaire

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Filip Raes

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available In 698 respondents selected from the community, the authors examined the psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the Responses to Positive Affect questionnaire (RPA; Feldman, Joormann, & Johnson, 2008 which measures ruminative and dampening thoughts in response to positive affect. In a first sample ('n' = 170, exploratory factor analyses largely replicated the 3-factor model obtained by Feldman et al. (2008 with the following factors: Dampening, Self-focused positive rumination, and Emotion-focused positive rumination. The 3-factor model revealed in the first sample was confirmed using confirmatory factor analyses in a second independent sample of 528 respondents. All subscales showed adequate internal consistency and evidence of convergent and incremental validity with concurrent measures of depressive rumination, depressive symptoms, trait hypomania, and positive and negative affect. Results underscore the value of assessing responses to positive as well as negative affect in the study of mood disorders.

  2. The position response of a large-volume segmented germanium detector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Descovich, M.; Nolan, P.J.; Boston, A.J.; Dobson, J.; Gros, S.; Cresswell, J.R.; Simpson, J.; Lazarus, I.; Regan, P.H.; Valiente-Dobon, J.J.; Sellin, P.; Pearson, C.J.

    2005-01-01

    The position response of a large-volume segmented coaxial germanium detector is reported. The detector has 24-fold segmentation on its outer contact. The output from each contact was sampled with fast digital signal processing electronics in order to determine the position of the γ-ray interaction from the signal pulse shape. The interaction position was reconstructed in a polar coordinate system by combining the radial information, contained in the rise-time of the pulse leading edge, with the azimuthal information, obtained from the magnitude of the transient charge signals induced on the neighbouring segments. With this method, a position resolution of 3-7mm is achieved in both the radial and the azimuthal directions

  3. The position response of a large-volume segmented germanium detector

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Descovich, M. [Oliver Lodge Laboratory, Physics Department, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZE (United Kingdom)]. E-mail: mdescovich@lbl.gov; Nolan, P.J. [Oliver Lodge Laboratory, Physics Department, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZE (United Kingdom); Boston, A.J. [Oliver Lodge Laboratory, Physics Department, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZE (United Kingdom); Dobson, J. [Oliver Lodge Laboratory, Physics Department, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZE (United Kingdom); Gros, S. [Oliver Lodge Laboratory, Physics Department, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZE (United Kingdom); Cresswell, J.R. [Oliver Lodge Laboratory, Physics Department, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZE (United Kingdom); Simpson, J. [CCLRC Daresbury Laboratory, Daresbury, Warrington, Cheshire WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Lazarus, I. [CCLRC Daresbury Laboratory, Daresbury, Warrington, Cheshire WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Regan, P.H. [Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH (United Kingdom); Valiente-Dobon, J.J. [Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH (United Kingdom); Sellin, P. [Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH (United Kingdom); Pearson, C.J. [Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH (United Kingdom)

    2005-11-21

    The position response of a large-volume segmented coaxial germanium detector is reported. The detector has 24-fold segmentation on its outer contact. The output from each contact was sampled with fast digital signal processing electronics in order to determine the position of the {gamma}-ray interaction from the signal pulse shape. The interaction position was reconstructed in a polar coordinate system by combining the radial information, contained in the rise-time of the pulse leading edge, with the azimuthal information, obtained from the magnitude of the transient charge signals induced on the neighbouring segments. With this method, a position resolution of 3-7mm is achieved in both the radial and the azimuthal directions.

  4. Adaptation response of Arabidopsis thaliana to random positioning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kittang, A.-I.; Winge, P.; van Loon, J. J. W. A.; Bones, A. M.; Iversen, T.-H.

    2013-10-01

    Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings were exposed on a Random Positioning Machine (RPM) under light conditions for 16 h and the samples were analysed using microarray techniques as part of a preparation for a space experiment on the International Space Station (ISS). The results demonstrated a moderate to low regulation of 55 genes (genes). Genes encoding proteins associated with the chaperone system (e.g. heat shock proteins, HSPs) and enzymes in the flavonoid biosynthesis were induced. Most of the repressed genes were associated with light and sugar responses. Significant up-regulation of selected HSP genes was found by quantitative Real-Time PCR in 1 week old plants after the RPM exposure both in light and darkness. Higher quantity of DPBA (diphenylboric acid 2-amino-ethyl ester) staining was observed in the whole root and in the root elongation zone of the seedlings exposed on the RPM by use of fluorescent microscopy, indicating higher flavonoid content. The regulated genes and an increase of flavonoids are related to several stresses, but increased occurrence of HSPs and flavonoids are also representative for normal growth (e.g. gravitropism). The response could be a direct stress response or an integrated response of the two signal pathways of light and gravity resulting in an overall light response.

  5. Infant pupil diameter changes in response to others' positive and negative emotions.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena Geangu

    Full Text Available It has been suggested that infants resonate emotionally to others' positive and negative affect displays, and that these responses become stronger towards emotions with negative valence around the age of 12-months. In this study we measured 6- and 12-month-old infants' changes in pupil diameter when presented with the image and sound of peers experiencing happiness, distress and an emotionally neutral state. For all participants the perception of another's distress triggered larger pupil diameters. Perceiving other's happiness also induced larger pupil diameters but for shorter time intervals. Importantly, we also found evidence for an asymmetry in autonomous arousal towards positive versus negative emotional displays. Larger pupil sizes for another's distress compared to another's happiness were recorded shortly after stimulus onset for the older infants, and in a later time window for the 6-month-olds. These findings suggest that arousal responses for negative as well as for positive emotions are present in the second half of the first postnatal year. Importantly, an asymmetry with stronger responses for negative emotions seems to be already present at this age.

  6. F layer positive response to a geomagnetic storm - June 1972

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miller, N.J.; Grebowsky, J.M.; Mayr, H.G.; Harris, I.; Tulunay, Y.K.

    1979-01-01

    A circulation model of neutral thermosphere-ionosphere coupling is used to interpret in situ spacecraft measurements taken during a topside mid-latitude ionospheric storm. The data are measurements of electron density taken along the circular polar orbit of Ariel 4 at 550 km during the geomagnetically disturbed period June 17--18, 1972. We infer that collisional momentum transfer from the disturbed neutral thermosphere to the ionosphere was the dominant midday process generating the positive F layer storm phase in the summer hemisphere. In the winter hemisphere the positive storm phase drifted poleward in apparent response to magnetospheric E x B drifts. A summer F layer positive phase developed at the sudden commencement and again during the geomagnetic main phase; a winter F layer positive phase developed only during the geomagnetic main phase. The observed seasonal differences in both the onsets and the magnitudes of the positive phases are attributed to the interhemispheric asymmetry in thermospheric dynamics

  7. [The relationship of empathic-affective responses toward others' positive affect with prosocial behaviors and aggressive behaviors].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakurai, Shigeo; Hayama, Daichi; Suzuki, Takashi; Kurazumi, Tomoe; Hagiwara, Toshihiko; Suzuki, Miyuki; Ohuchi, Akiko; Chizuko, Oikawa

    2011-06-01

    The purposes of this study were to develop and validate the Empathic-Affective Response Scale, and to examine the relationship of empathic-affective responses with prosocial behaviors and aggressive behaviors. Undergraduate students (N = 443) participated in a questionnaire study. The results of factor analysis indicated that empathic-affective responses involved three factors: (a) sharing and good feeling toward others' positive affect, (b) sharing of negative affect and (c) sympathy toward others' negative affect. Correlations with other empathy-related scales and internal consistency suggested that this scale has satisfactory validity and reliability. Cluster analysis revealed that participants were clustered into four groups: high-empathic group, low-empathic group, insufficient positive affective response group and insufficient negative affective response group. Additional analysis showed the frequency of prosocial behaviors in high-empathic group was highest in all groups. On the other hand, the frequency of aggressive behaviors in both insufficient positive affective response group and low-empathic group were higher than others' groups. The results indicated that empathic-affective responses toward positive affect are also very important to predict prosocial behaviors and aggressive behaviors.

  8. Response of Autonomic Nervous System to Body Positions:

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Aiguo; Gonnella, G.; Federici, A.; Stramaglia, S.; Simone, F.; Zenzola, A.; Santostasi, R.

    Two mathematical methods, the Fourier and wavelet transforms, were used to study the short term cardiovascular control system. Time series, picked from electrocardiogram and arterial blood pressure lasting 6 minutes, were analyzed in supine position (SUP), during the first (HD1) and the second parts (HD2) of 90° head down tilt, and during recovery (REC). The wavelet transform was performed using the Haar function of period T=2j (j=1,2,...,6) to obtain wavelet coefficients. Power spectra components were analyzed within three bands, VLF (0.003-0.04), LF (0.04-0.15) and HF (0.15-0.4) with the frequency unit cycle/interval. Wavelet transform demonstrated a higher discrimination among all analyzed periods than the Fourier transform. For the Fourier analysis, the LF of R-R intervals and VLF of systolic blood pressure show more evident difference for different body positions. For the wavelet analysis, the systolic blood pressures show much more evident differences than the R-R intervals. This study suggests a difference in the response of the vessels and the heart to different body positions. The partial dissociation between VLF and LF results is a physiologically relevant finding of this work.

  9. [Connection between the evaluation of positive or negative valence and verbal responses to a lexical decision making task].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brouillet, Thibaut; Syssau, Arielle

    2005-12-01

    Evaluation of the positive or negative valence of a stimulus is an activity that is part of any emotional experience that has been mostly studied using the affective priming paradigm. When the prime and the target have the same valence (e.g. positive prime and positive target), the target response is facilitated as a function of opposing valence conditions (e.g. negative prime and positive target). These studies show that this evaluation is automatic but depends on the nature of the task's implied response because the priming effects are only observed for positive responses, not for negative responses. This result was explained in automatic judgmental tendency model put forth by Abelson and Rosenberg (1958) and Klauer and Stern (1992). In this model, affective priming assumes there is an overlap between both responses, the first response taking precedence as a function of the prime-target valence, and the second response one that is required by the task. We are assuming that another type of response was not foreseen under this model. In fact, upon activating the valence for each of the prime-target elements, two preliminary responses would be activated before the response on the prime-target valence relationship. These responses are directly linked to the prime and target evaluation independently of the prime-target relationship. This hypothesis can be linked to the larger hypothesis whereby the evaluative process is related to two distinct motivational systems corresponding to approach and avoidance behaviour responses (Lang, Bradley, & Cuthbert, 1990; Neuman & Strack, 2000; Cacciopo, Piester & Bernston, 1993). In this study, we use the hypothesis that when a word leads to a positive valence evaluation, this favours a positive verbal response and inversely, a negative valence word favours a negative response. We are testing this hypothesis outside the affective priming paradigm to study to what extent evaluating a word, even when it is not primed, activates both

  10. Linearization of Positional Response Curve of a Fiber-optic Displacement Sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babaev, O. G.; Matyunin, S. A.; Paranin, V. D.

    2018-01-01

    Currently, the creation of optical measuring instruments and sensors for measuring linear displacement is one of the most relevant problems in the area of instrumentation. Fiber-optic contactless sensors based on the magneto-optical effect are of special interest. They are essentially contactless, non-electrical and have a closed optical channel not subject to contamination. The main problem of this type of sensors is the non-linearity of their positional response curve due to the hyperbolic nature of the magnetic field intensity variation induced by moving the magnetic source mounted on the controlled object relative to the sensing element. This paper discusses an algorithmic method of linearizing the positional response curve of fiber-optic displacement sensors in any selected range of the displacements to be measured. The method is divided into two stages: 1 - definition of the calibration function, 2 - measurement and linearization of the positional response curve (including its temperature stabilization). The algorithm under consideration significantly reduces the number of points of the calibration function, which is essential for the calibration of temperature dependence, due to the use of the points that randomly deviate from the grid points with uniform spacing. Subsequent interpolation of the deviating points and piecewise linear-plane approximation of the calibration function reduces the microcontroller storage capacity for storing the calibration function and the time required to process the measurement results. The paper also presents experimental results of testing real samples of fiber-optic displacement sensors.

  11. Increasing Humidity Blocks Continuous Positive Airflow-induced Apnea Responses in Rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ching-Ting Tan

    2010-07-01

    Conclusion: Laryngeal cold dry air stimulation triggered an apneic response, which could be eliminated by humidification but not by the heating of air. These results suggest that using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP with humidified air decreases CPAP-induced apnea.

  12. Subliminal mere exposure and explicit and implicit positive affective responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hicks, Joshua A; King, Laura A

    2011-06-01

    Research suggests that repeated subliminal exposure to environmental stimuli enhances positive affective responses. To date, this research has primarily concentrated on the effects of repeated exposure on explicit measures of positive affect (PA). However, recent research suggests that repeated subliminal presentations may increase implicit PA as well. The present study tested this hypothesis. Participants were either subliminally primed with repeated presentations of the same stimuli or only exposed to each stimulus one time. Results confirmed predictions showing that repeated exposure to the same stimuli increased both explicit and implicit PA. Implications for the role of explicit and implicit PA in attitudinal judgements are discussed.

  13. The Autonomic Nervous System Regulates the Heart Rate through cAMP-PKA Dependent and Independent Coupled-Clock Pacemaker Cell Mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Behar, Joachim; Ganesan, Ambhighainath; Zhang, Jin; Yaniv, Yael

    2016-01-01

    Sinoatrial nodal cells (SANCs) generate spontaneous action potentials (APs) that control the cardiac rate. The brain modulates SANC automaticity, via the autonomic nervous system, by stimulating membrane receptors that activate (adrenergic) or inactivate (cholinergic) adenylyl cyclase (AC). However, these opposing afferents are not simply additive. We showed that activation of adrenergic signaling increases AC-cAMP/PKA signaling, which mediates the increase in the SANC AP firing rate (i.e., positive chronotropic modulation). However, there is a limited understanding of the underlying internal pacemaker mechanisms involved in the crosstalk between cholinergic receptors and the decrease in the SANC AP firing rate (i.e., negative chronotropic modulation). We hypothesize that changes in AC-cAMP/PKA activity are crucial for mediating either decrease or increase in the AP firing rate and that the change in rate is due to both internal and membrane mechanisms. In cultured adult rabbit pacemaker cells infected with an adenovirus expressing the FRET sensor AKAR3, PKA activity and AP firing rate were tightly linked in response to either adrenergic receptor stimulation (by isoproterenol, ISO) or cholinergic stimulation (by carbachol, CCh). To identify the main molecular targets that mediate between PKA signaling and pacemaker function, we developed a mechanistic computational model. The model includes a description of autonomic-nervous receptors, post- translation signaling cascades, membrane molecules, and internal pacemaker mechanisms. Yielding results similar to those of the experiments, the model simulations faithfully reproduce the changes in AP firing rate in response to CCh or ISO or a combination of both (i.e., accentuated antagonism). Eliminating AC-cAMP-PKA signaling abolished the core effect of autonomic receptor stimulation on the AP firing rate. Specifically, disabling the phospholamban modulation of the SERCA activity resulted in a significantly reduced effect

  14. Dimorphous expressions of positive emotion: displays of both care and aggression in response to cute stimuli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aragón, Oriana R; Clark, Margaret S; Dyer, Rebecca L; Bargh, John A

    2015-03-01

    Extremely positive experiences, and positive appraisals thereof, produce intense positive emotions that often generate both positive expressions (e.g., smiles) and expressions normatively reserved for negative emotions (e.g., tears). We developed a definition of these dimorphous expressions and tested the proposal that their function is to regulate emotions. We showed that individuals who express emotions in this dimorphous manner do so as a general response across a variety of emotionally provoking situations, which suggests that these expressions are responses to intense positive emotion rather than unique to one particular situation. We used cute stimuli (an elicitor of positive emotion) to demonstrate both the existence of these dimorphous expressions and to provide preliminary evidence of their function as regulators of emotion. © The Author(s) 2015.

  15. RETRACTED ARTICLE: Happiness as alchemy: Positive mood leads to self-serving responses to social comparisons

    OpenAIRE

    Johnson, Camille S.; Stapel, Diederik A.

    2011-01-01

    People in a positive mood process information in ways that reinforce and maintain this positive mood. The current studies examine how positive mood influences responses to social comparisons and demonstrates that people in a positive mood interpret ambiguous information about comparison others in self-benefitting ways. Specifically, four experiments demonstrate that compared to negative mood or neutral mood participants, participants in a positive mood engage in effortful re-interpretations o...

  16. The schizophrenia risk gene ZNF804A influences the antipsychotic response of positive schizophrenia symptoms

    OpenAIRE

    Mössner, R; Schumacher, A; Wagner, M; Lennertz, L; Steinbrecher, A; Quednow, Boris B; Rujescu, D; Rietschel, M; Maier, W

    2012-01-01

    Genetic factors determining the response to antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia are poorly understood. A new schizophrenia susceptibility gene, the zinc-finger gene ZNF804A, has recently been identified. To assess the pharmacogenetic importance of this gene, we treated 144 schizophrenia patients and assessed the response of positive and negative symptoms by PANSS. Patients homozygous for the ZNF804A risk allele for schizophrenia (rs1344706 AA) showed poorer improvement of positive sympto...

  17. Existence, Multiplicity, and Stability of Positive Solutions of a Predator-Prey Model with Dinosaur Functional Response

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaozhou Feng

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available We investigate the property of positive solutions of a predator-prey model with Dinosaur functional response under Dirichlet boundary conditions. Firstly, using the comparison principle and fixed point index theory, the sufficient conditions and necessary conditions on coexistence of positive solutions of a predator-prey model with Dinosaur functional response are established. Secondly, by virtue of bifurcation theory, perturbation theory of eigenvalues, and the fixed point index theory, we establish the bifurcation of positive solutions of the model and obtain the stability and multiplicity of the positive solution under certain conditions. Furthermore, the local uniqueness result is studied when b and d are small enough. Finally, we investigate the multiplicity, uniqueness, and stability of positive solutions when k>0 is sufficiently large.

  18. Effects of upright and supine position on cardiac rest and exercise response in aortic regurgitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, W F; Roubin, G S; Fletcher, P J; Choong, C Y; Hutton, B F; Harris, P J; Kelly, D T

    1985-02-01

    The effects of upright and supine position on cardiac response to exercise were assessed by radionuclide ventriculography in 15 patients with moderate to severe aortic regurgitation (AR) and in 10 control subjects. In patients with AR, heart rate was higher during upright exercise, but systolic and diastolic blood pressure and left ventricular (LV) output were similar during both forms of exercise. LV stroke volume and end-diastolic volume were not altered during supine exercise. LV end-systolic volume increased and ejection fraction decreased during supine exercise, but both were unchanged during upright exercise. Of 15 patients, 5 in the upright and 12 in the supine position had an abnormal LV ejection fraction response to exercise (p less than 0.01). Right ventricular ejection fraction increased and regurgitant index decreased with both forms of exercise and was not significantly different between the 2 positions. Thus, posture is important in determining LV response to exercise in patients with moderate to severe AR.

  19. Prefrontal serotonin transporter availability is positively associated with the cortisol awakening response

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frokjaer, Vibe Gedsoe; Erritzoe, David; Holst, Klaus Kähler

    2013-01-01

    higher cortisol responses when exposed to psychosocial stressors relative to high expressing 5-HTTLPR variants. However, it is not clear how the relation between SERT and cortisol output is reflected in the adult brain. We investigated the relation between cortisol response to awakening (CAR) and SERT...... binding in brain regions considered relevant to modify the cortisol awakening response. Methods: thirty-two healthy volunteers underwent in vivo SERT imaging with [11C]DASB-Positron Emission Tomography (PET), genotyping, and performed home-sampling of saliva to assess CAR. Results: CAR, defined...... between CAR and prefrontal SERT binding as tested by an interaction analysis (genotype×CAR). Conclusion: prefrontal SERT binding is positively associated with cortisol response to awakening. We speculate that in mentally healthy individuals prefrontal serotonergic neurotransmission may exert an inhibitory...

  20. Suspicion of Motives Predicts Minorities' Responses to Positive Feedback in Interracial Interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Major, Brenda; Kunstman, Jonathan W; Malta, Brenna D; Sawyer, Pamela J; Townsend, Sarah S M; Mendes, Wendy Berry

    2016-01-01

    Strong social and legal norms in the United States discourage the overt expression of bias against ethnic and racial minorities, increasing the attributional ambiguity of Whites' positive behavior to ethnic minorities. Minorities who suspect that Whites' positive overtures toward minorities are motivated more by their fear of appearing racist than by egalitarian attitudes may regard positive feedback they receive from Whites as disingenuous. This may lead them to react to such feedback with feelings of uncertainty and threat. Three studies examined how suspicion of motives relates to ethnic minorities' responses to receiving positive feedback from a White peer or same-ethnicity peer (Experiment 1), to receiving feedback from a White peer that was positive or negative (Experiment 2), and to receiving positive feedback from a White peer who did or did not know their ethnicity (Experiment 3). As predicted, the more suspicious Latinas were of Whites' motives for behaving positively toward minorities in general, the more they regarded positive feedback from a White peer who knew their ethnicity as disingenuous and the more they reacted with cardiovascular reactivity characteristic of threat/avoidance, increased feelings of stress, heightened uncertainty, and decreased self-esteem. We discuss the implications for intergroup interactions of perceptions of Whites' motives for nonprejudiced behavior.

  1. Suspicion of Motives Predicts Minorities’ Responses to Positive Feedback in Interracial Interactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Major, Brenda; Kunstman, Jonathan W.; Malta, Brenna D.; Sawyer, Pamela J.; Townsend, Sarah S. M.; Mendes, Wendy Berry

    2015-01-01

    Strong social and legal norms in the United States discourage the overt expression of bias against ethnic and racial minorities, increasing the attributional ambiguity of Whites’ positive behavior to ethnic minorities. Minorities who suspect that Whites’ positive overtures toward minorities are motivated more by their fear of appearing racist than by egalitarian attitudes may regard positive feedback they receive from Whites as disingenuous. This may lead them to react to such feedback with feelings of uncertainty and threat. Three studies examined how suspicion of motives relates to ethnic minorities’ responses to receiving positive feedback from a White peer or same-ethnicity peer (Experiment 1), to receiving feedback from a White peer that was positive or negative (Experiment 2), and to receiving positive feedback from a White peer who did or did not know their ethnicity (Experiment 3). As predicted, the more suspicious Latinas were of Whites’ motives for behaving positively toward minorities in general, the more they regarded positive feedback from a White peer who knew their ethnicity as disingenuous and the more they reacted with cardiovascular reactivity characteristic of threat/avoidance, increased feelings of stress, heightened uncertainty, and decreased self-esteem. We discuss the implications for intergroup interactions of perceptions of Whites’ motives for nonprejudiced behavior. PMID:26688594

  2. Postpartum depressive symptoms moderate the link between mothers’ neural response to positive faces in reward and social regions and observed caregiving

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Chaohui; Moses-Kolko, Eydie L; Phillips, Mary L; Stepp, Stephanie D; Hipwell, Alison E

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Postpartum depression may disrupt socio-affective neural circuitry and compromise provision of positive parenting. Although work has evaluated how parental response to negative stimuli is related to caregiving, research is needed to examine how depressive symptoms during the postpartum period may be related to neural response to positive stimuli, especially positive faces, given depression’s association with biased processing of positive faces. The current study examined the association between neural response to adult happy faces and observations of maternal caregiving and the moderating role of postpartum depression, in a sample of 18- to 22-year old mothers (n = 70) assessed at 17 weeks (s.d. = 4.7 weeks) postpartum. Positive caregiving was associated with greater precuneus and occipital response to positive faces among mothers with lower depressive symptoms, but not for those with higher symptoms. For mothers with higher depressive symptoms, greater ventral and dorsal striatal response to positive faces was associated with more positive caregiving, whereas the opposite pattern emerged for mothers with lower symptoms. There was no association between negative caregiving and neural response to positive faces or negative faces. Processing of positive stimuli may be an important prognostic target in mothers with depressive symptoms, given its link with healthy caregiving behaviors. PMID:29048603

  3. [Brazilian teenagers and beer advertising: relationship between exposure, positive response, and alcohol consumption].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vendrame, Alan; Pinsky, Ilana; Faria, Roberta; Silva, Rebeca

    2009-02-01

    Brazilian teenagers report problematic patterns of alcohol consumption. Alcohol advertising strategies are one of the main factors influencing adolescents' alcohol consumption. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between positive responses to TV beer commercials, exposure, and alcohol consumption. Thirty-two recent TV commercials were shown to 133 high school students from public schools in São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo State, Brazil. The subjects recorded how well they liked the ads and how often they had already watched each commercial. The teenagers also reported their alcohol consumption rates. The ten commercials analyzed in this article were the five most popular and the five least popular. The analysis showed that subjects had already seen the five most popular ads, but not the five least popular. In addition, the five most popular ads received higher scores from teenagers that reported having consumed beer during the previous month. The study found a positive relationship between enjoying beer advertising and exposure to beer ads, as well as between alcohol consumption and positive responses to alcohol commercials.

  4. Ideophones in Japanese modulate the P2 and late positive complex responses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gwilym eLockwood

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Sound-symbolism, or the direct link between sound and meaning, is typologically and behaviorally attested across languages. However, neuroimaging research has mostly focused on artificial non-words or individual segments, which do not represent sound-symbolism in natural language. We used EEG to compare Japanese ideophones, which are phonologically distinctive sound-symbolic lexical words, and arbitrary adverbs during a sentence reading task. Ideophones elicit a larger visual P2 response and a sustained late positive complex in comparison to arbitrary adverbs. These results and previous literature suggest that the larger P2 may indicate the integration of sound and sensory information by association in response to the distinctive phonology of ideophones. The late positive complex may reflect the facilitated lexical retrieval of ideophones in comparison to arbitrary words. This account provides new evidence that ideophones exhibit similar cross-modal correspondences to those which have been proposed for non-words and individual sounds, and that these effects are detectable in natural language.

  5. Responses to positive affect, life satisfaction and self-esteem: A cross-lagged panel analysis during middle adolescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomez-Baya, Diego; Mendoza, Ramon; Gaspar, Tania; Gomes, Paulo

    2018-05-11

    During middle adolescence, elevated stress and a greater presence of psychological disorders have been documented. The research has paid little attention to the regulation of positive affective states. Fredrickson's broaden-and-build theory suggests that cultivating positive emotions helps to build resources that boost well-being. The current research aimed to examine the longitudinal associations between responses to positive affect (emotion-focused positive rumination, self-focused positive rumination, and dampening) and psychological adjustment (self-esteem and life satisfaction) during middle adolescence. A longitudinal study with two waves separated by one year was conducted, assessing 977 adolescents (M = 13.81, SD = 0.79; 51.5% boys) with self-report measures. A cross-lagged panel analysis was performed by including within the same model the relationships between all of the variables in the two assessment points. The results indicated cross-lagged positive relationships of self-focused positive rumination with both self-esteem and life satisfaction, while dampening showed a negative cross-lagged relationship with self-esteem. Moreover, higher self-esteem predicted more emotion-focused positive rumination, and more dampening predicted lower life satisfaction. Thus, the use of adaptive responses to positive affect and a better psychological adjustment were found to be prospectively interrelated at the one-year follow-up during middle adolescence. The discussion argues for the need to implement programmes to promote more adaptive responses to positive affect to enhance psychological adjustment in the adolescent transition to adulthood. © 2018 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Reductions in Children's Vicariously Learnt Avoidance and Heart Rate Responses Using Positive Modeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reynolds, Gemma; Field, Andy P; Askew, Chris

    2016-03-23

    Recent research has indicated that vicarious learning can lead to increases in children's fear beliefs and avoidance preferences for stimuli and that these fear responses can subsequently be reversed using positive modeling (counterconditioning). The current study investigated children's vicariously acquired avoidance behavior, physiological responses (heart rate), and attentional bias for stimuli and whether these could also be reduced via counterconditioning. Ninety-six (49 boys, 47 girls) 7- to 11-year-olds received vicarious fear learning for novel stimuli and were then randomly assigned to a counterconditioning, extinction, or control group. Fear beliefs and avoidance preferences were measured pre- and post-learning, whereas avoidance behavior, heart rate, and attentional bias were all measured post-learning. Control group children showed increases in fear beliefs and avoidance preferences for animals seen in vicarious fear learning trials. In addition, significantly greater avoidance behavior, heart rate responding, and attentional bias were observed for these animals compared to a control animal. In contrast, vicariously acquired avoidance preferences of children in the counterconditioning group were significantly reduced post-positive modeling, and these children also did not show the heightened heart rate responding to fear-paired animals. Children in the extinction group demonstrated comparable responses to the control group; thus the extinction procedure showed no effect on any fear measures. The findings suggest that counterconditioning with positive modelling can be used as an effective early intervention to reduce the behavioral and physiological effects of vicarious fear learning in childhood.

  7. Caffeine: Cognitive and Physical Performance Enhancer or Psychoactive Drug?

    OpenAIRE

    Cappelletti, Simone; Daria, Piacentino; Sani, Gabriele; Aromatario, Mariarosaria

    2015-01-01

    Caffeine use is increasing worldwide. The underlying motivations are mainly concentration and memory enhancement and physical performance improvement. Coffee and caffeine-containing products affect the cardiovascular system, with their positive inotropic and chronotropic effects, and the central nervous system, with their locomotor activity stimulation and anxiogenic-like effects. Thus, it is of interest to examine whether these effects could be detrimental for health. Furthermore, caffeine a...

  8. Intranasal oxytocin reduces provoked symptoms in female patients with posttraumatic stress disorder despite exerting sympathomimetic and positive chronotropic effects in a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sack, M; Spieler, D; Wizelman, L; Epple, G; Stich, J; Zaba, M; Schmidt, U

    2017-02-17

    Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe psychiatric disease accompanied by neuroendocrine changes such as adrenergic overdrive and hence an elevated cardiovascular morbidity. Current pharmacotherapeutic options for PTSD are less than suboptimal, necessitating the development of PTSD-specific drugs. Although the neuropeptide oxytocin has been repeatedly suggested to be effective in PTSD treatment, there are, to our knowledge, only three studies that have assessed its efficacy on the intensity of PTSD symptoms in PTSD patients - among them one symptom provocation study in male veterans. To evaluate for the first time how oxytocin influences the intensity of provoked PTSD symptoms and, furthermore, cardiac control in female PTSD patients, we assessed their psychic and cardiac response to trauma-script exposure with and without oxytocin pretreatment in a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study. We used a within-subject design to study 35 female PTSD patients who received oxytocin and placebo in a 2-week interval. Furthermore, we performed a small pilot study to get an idea of the relation of the stress-modulated endogenous oxytocin levels and heart rate - we correlated oxytocin serum levels with the heart rate of 10 healthy individuals before and after exposure to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Intranasal oxytocin treatment was followed by a reduction of provoked total PTSD symptoms, in particular of avoidance, and by an elevation in baseline and maximum heart rate together with a drop in the pre-ejection period, a marker for sympathetic cardiac control. Furthermore, we found a positive correlation between endogenous oxytocin levels and heart rate both before and after TSST challenge in healthy control subjects. This study provides the first evidence that oxytocin treatment reduces the intensity of provoked PTSD symptoms in female PTSD patients. The small size of both samples and the heterogeneity of the patient sample restrict the

  9. Response to pediatric physical therapy in infants with positional preference and skull deformation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wijk, R.M. van; Pelsma, M.; Groothuis-Oudshoorn, C.G.; IJzerman, M.J.; Vlimmeren, L.A. van; Boere-Boonekamp, M.M.

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Pediatric physical therapy seems to reduce skull deformation in infants with positional preference. However, not all infants show improvement. OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to determine which infant and parent characteristics were related to responses to pediatric physical therapy

  10. Emergency Preparedness and Response in the School Setting--The Role of the School Nurse. Position Statement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuck, Christine M.; Haynie, Kathey; Davis, Catherine

    2014-01-01

    It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that the registered professional school nurse (hereinafter referred to as school nurse) provides leadership in all phases of emergency preparedness and response. School nurses are a vital part of the school team responsible for developing emergency response procedures for the…

  11. Positive interaction of social comparison and personal responsibility for outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grygolec, Jaroslaw; Coricelli, Giorgio; Rustichini, Aldo

    2012-01-01

    We formulate and test a model that allows sharp separation between two different ways in which environment affects evaluation of outcomes, by comparing social vs. private and personal responsibility vs. chance. In the experiment, subjects chose between two lotteries, one low-risk and one high-risk. They could then observe the outcomes. By varying the environment between private (they could observe the outcome of the chosen lottery and the outcome of the lottery they had not chosen) and social (they could observe the outcome of the lottery chosen by another subject) we can differentiate the response and brain activity following the feedback in social and private settings. The evidence suggests that envy and pride are significant motives driving decisions and outcomes evaluation, stronger than private emotions like regret and rejoice, with ventral striatum playing a key role. When we focus on the outcome evaluation stage we demonstrate that BOLD signal in ventral striatum is increasing in the difference between obtained and counterfactual payoffs. For a given difference in payoffs, striatal responses are more pronounced in social than in private environment. Moreover, a positive interaction (complementarity) between social comparison and personal responsibility is reflected in the pattern of activity in the ventral striatum. At decision stage we observe getting ahead of the Joneses effect in ventral striatum with subjective value of risk larger in social than in private environment.

  12. Understanding Positive Play: An Exploration of Playing Experiences and Responsible Gambling Practices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, Richard T A; Griffiths, Mark D

    2015-12-01

    This study is one of the first to explore in detail the behaviors, attitudes and motivations of players that show no signs of at-risk or problem gambling behavior (so-called 'positive players'). Via an online survey, 1484 positive players were compared with 209 problem players identified using the Lie/Bet screen. The study identified two distinct groups of positive players defined according to their motivations to play and their engagement with responsible gambling (RG) practices. Those positive players that played most frequently employed the most personal RG strategies. Reasons that positive players gave for gambling were focused on leisure (e.g., playing for fun, being entertained, and/or winning a prize). By contrast, problem gamblers were much more focused upon modifying mood states (e.g., excitement, relaxation, depression and playing when bored or upset). The present study also suggests that online gambling is not, by default, inherently riskier than gambling in more traditional ways, as online gambling was the most popular media by which positive players gambled. Furthermore, most positive players reported that it was easier to stick to their limits when playing the National Lottery online compared to traditional retail purchasing of tickets. Problem players were significantly more likely than positive players to gamble with family and friends, suggesting that, contrary to a popular RG message, social play may not be inherently safer than gambling alone. It is proposed that players (generally) may identify more with the term 'positive play' than the term 'RG' which is frequently interpreted as being aimed at people with gambling problems, rather than all players.

  13. Measuring Responsible Gambling amongst Players: Development of the Positive Play Scale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, Richard T A; Wohl, Michael J A; Tabri, Nassim; Philander, Kahlil

    2017-01-01

    The modern gambling industry has, by-in-large, assumed a duty of care to minimize the risks associated with gambling, which has manifested in responsible gambling (RG) programming (e.g., educating players about the odds of success). The current study fills a void in gambling operators, regulators, and researchers ability to measure RG beliefs and behavior in their player-base, with the development and validation of the Positive Play Scale (PPS). In Study 1, we reviewed the literature and consulted 30 players as well as 10 RG experts to help generate a definition of RG beliefs and behavior that helped guide item generation. In Study 2, regular players ( N = 1,551) of a Canadian provincial gambling operator completed a positive play survey. Four components from a principal components analysis (PCA) were extracted: Honesty and Control, Pre-commitment, Personal Responsibility, and Gambling Literacy. The PPS subscales were either not associated with gambling frequency or had small-to-moderate negative relationships with frequency of play for games most often associated with disordered gambling (e.g., electronic games). In Study 3 ( N = 413), the factor structure of the PPS was confirmed and refined in a new sample of players. Moreover, a 1-month follow-up session demonstrated that the PPS has high test-retest reliability. The PPS is the first validated scale that reliably assesses the extent to which a consumer base has positive beliefs about gambling and gambles in a positive manner. The PPS can be used by the gambling industry to objectively assess the efficacy of their RG strategy, pinpoint specific areas for future focus, as well as examine the utility of new RG initiatives that aim to promote healthy patterns of gambling consumption. Furthermore, by examining the PPS scores for different player segments (e.g., sex, age, games played) it becomes possible to tailor RG strategy to the needs of specific players. In this way, RG strategy can be optimized by focusing

  14. Linking and Psychological Functioning in a Chinese Sample: The Multiple Mediation of Response to Positive Affect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Hongfei; Li, Juan

    2016-01-01

    The present study examined the associations between linking, response to positive affect, and psychological functioning in Chinese college students. The results of conducting multiple mediation analyses indicated that emotion- and self-focused positive rumination mediated the relationship between linking and psychological functioning, whereas…

  15. Amygdala responses to unpleasant pictures are influenced by task demands and positive affect trait

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tiago Arruda Sanchez

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The role of attention in emotional processing is still the subject of debate. Recent studies have found that high positive affect in approach motivation narrows attention. Furthermore, the positive affect trait has been suggested as an important component for determining human variability in threat reactivity. We employed fMRI to investigate whether different states of attention control would modulate amygdala responses to highly unpleasant pictures relative to neutral and whether this modulation would be influenced by the positive affect trait. Participants (n=22, 12 male were scanned while viewing neutral (people or unpleasant pictures (mutilated bodies flanked by two peripheral bars. They were instructed to (a judge the picture content as unpleasant or neutral or (b to judge the difference in orientation between the bars in an easy condition (0º or 90º orientation difference or (c in a hard condition (0º or 6º orientation difference. Whole brain analysis revealed a task main effect of brain areas related to the experimental manipulation of attentional control, including the amygdala, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and posterior parietal cortex. ROI analysis showed an inverse correlation (r = -0.51, p < 0.01 between left amygdala activation and positive affect level when participants viewed unpleasant stimuli and judged bar orientation in the easy condition. This result suggests that subjects with high positive affect exhibit lower amygdala reactivity to distracting unpleasant pictures. In conclusion, the current study suggests that positive affect modulates attention effect on unpleasant pictures, therefore attenuating emotional responses.

  16. Amygdala responses to unpleasant pictures are influenced by task demands and positive affect trait.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanchez, Tiago A; Mocaiber, Izabela; Erthal, Fatima S; Joffily, Mateus; Volchan, Eliane; Pereira, Mirtes G; de Araujo, Draulio B; Oliveira, Leticia

    2015-01-01

    The role of attention in emotional processing is still the subject of debate. Recent studies have found that high positive affect in approach motivation narrows attention. Furthermore, the positive affect trait has been suggested as an important component for determining human variability in threat reactivity. We employed functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate whether different states of attention control would modulate amygdala responses to highly unpleasant pictures relative to neutral and whether this modulation would be influenced by the positive affect trait. Participants (n = 22, 12 male) were scanned while viewing neutral (people) or unpleasant pictures (mutilated bodies) flanked by two peripheral bars. They were instructed to (a) judge the picture content as unpleasant or neutral or (b) to judge the difference in orientation between the bars in an easy condition (0 or 90(∘) orientation difference) or (c) in a hard condition (0 or 6(∘) orientation difference). Whole brain analysis revealed a task main effect of brain areas related to the experimental manipulation of attentional control, including the amygdala, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and posterior parietal cortex. Region of interest analysis showed an inverse correlation (r = -0.51, p pictures. In conclusion, the current study suggests that positive affect modulates attention effect on unpleasant pictures, therefore attenuating emotional responses.

  17. Functional β2-adrenoceptors in rat left atria: effect of foot-shock stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moura, André Luiz de; Hyslop, Stephen; Grassi-Kassisse, Dora M; Spadari, Regina C

    2017-09-01

    Altered sensitivity to the chronotropic effect of catecholamines and a reduction in the β 1 /β 2 -adrenoceptor ratio have previously been reported in right atria of stressed rats, human failing heart, and aging. In this report, we investigated whether left atrial inotropism was affected by foot-shock stress. Male rats were submitted to 3 foot-shock sessions and the left atrial inotropic response, adenylyl cyclase activity, and β-adrenoceptor expression were investigated. Left atria of stressed rats were supersensitive to isoprenaline when compared with control rats and this effect was abolished by ICI118,551, a selective β 2 -receptor antagonist. Schild plot slopes for the antagonism between CGP20712A (a selective β 1 -receptor antagonist) and isoprenaline differed from unity in atria of stressed but not control rats. Atrial sensitivity to norepinephrine, as well as basal and forskolin- or isoprenaline-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activities were not altered by stress. The effect of isoprenaline on adenylyl cyclase stimulation was partially blocked by ICI118,551 in atrial membranes of stressed rats. These findings indicate that foot-shock stress equally affects inotropism and chronotropism and that β 2 -adrenoceptor upregulation contributes to the enhanced inotropic response to isoprenaline.

  18. Biomarkers of Environmental Enteropathy are Positively Associated with Immune Responses to an Oral Cholera Vaccine in Bangladeshi Children.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Ikhtear Uddin

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Environmental enteropathy (EE is a poorly understood condition that refers to chronic alterations in intestinal permeability, absorption, and inflammation, which mainly affects young children in resource-limited settings. Recently, EE has been linked to suboptimal oral vaccine responses in children, although immunological mechanisms are poorly defined. The objective of this study was to determine host factors associated with immune responses to an oral cholera vaccine (OCV. We measured antibody and memory T cell immune responses to cholera antigens, micronutrient markers in blood, and EE markers in blood and stool from 40 Bangladeshi children aged 3-14 years who received two doses of OCV given 14 days apart. EE markers included stool myeloperoxidase (MPO and alpha anti-trypsin (AAT, and plasma endotoxin core antibody (EndoCab, intestinal fatty acid binding protein (i-FABP, and soluble CD14 (sCD14. We used multiple linear regression analysis with LASSO regularization to identify host factors, including EE markers, micronutrient (nutritional status, age, and HAZ score, predictive for each response of interest. We found stool MPO to be positively associated with IgG antibody responses to the B subunit of cholera toxin (P = 0.03 and IgA responses to LPS (P = 0.02; plasma sCD14 to be positively associated with LPS IgG responses (P = 0.07; plasma i-FABP to be positively associated with LPS IgG responses (P = 0.01 and with memory T cell responses specific to cholera toxin (P = 0.01; stool AAT to be negatively associated with IL-10 (regulatory T cell responses specific to cholera toxin (P = 0.02, and plasma EndoCab to be negatively associated with cholera toxin-specific memory T cell responses (P = 0.02. In summary, in a cohort of children 3-14 years old, we demonstrated that the majority of biomarkers of environmental enteropathy were positively associated with immune responses after vaccination with an OCV.

  19. Positive solutions for a nonlocal boundary-value problem with vector-valued response

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrzej Nowakowski

    2002-05-01

    Full Text Available Using variational methods, we study the existence of positive solutions for a nonlocal boundary-value problem with vector-valued response. We develop duality and variational principles for this problem and present a numerical version which enables the approximation of solutions and gives a measure of a duality gap between primal and dual functional for approximate solutions for this problem.

  20. Simulation of Transient Response of Ir-TES for Position-Sensitive TES with Waveform Domain Multiplexing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minamikawa, Y.; Sato, H.; Mori, F.; Damayanthi, R. M. T.; Takahashi, H.; Ohno, M.

    2008-04-01

    We are developing a new x-ray microcalorimeter based on a superconducting transition edge sensor (TES) as an imaging sensor. Our measurement shows unique waveforms which we consider as an expression of thermal nonuniformity of TES films. This arises from the different thermal responses, so that response signal shapes would vary according to the position of the incident x-ray. This position dependency deteriorate the measured energy resolution, but with appropriate waveform analysis, this would be useful for imaging device. For more inspection, we have developed a simulation code which enables a dynamic simulation to obtain a transient response of the TES by finite differential method. Temperature and electric current distributions are calculated. As a result, we successfully obtained waveform signals. The calculated signal waveforms have similar characteristics to the measured signals. This simulation visualized the transition state of the device and will help to design better detector.

  1. Cardiovascular responses to the change from the left lateral to the upright position in pregnant hypertensives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dyer, R A; Anthony, J; Ledeboer, Q; James, M F

    2004-03-01

    To evaluate by non-invasive means, the autonomically mediated changes in heart rate and blood pressure in response to postural change in pregnancy. Ninety-one patients were studied, of whom 17 were non-pregnant controls, 21 were normotensive parturients, 22 had non-proteinuric hypertension, and 31 were pre-eclamptics. In all patients the heart rate and blood pressure response to the change from the left lateral to the erect position was measured non-invasively, during the third trimester in the pregnant groups. The change from the left lateral to the erect position induced significantly greater mean changes (increases) in systolic blood pressure in the normotensive pregnant (PC) women than all other groups (Pchanges when comparing the PC, NP and H groups. The PE group exhibited a significantly greater increase in heart rate on adopting the erect position than all other groups. Pre-eclamptics exhibit smaller changes in blood pressure than normotensive pregnant patients and non-proteinuric hypertensives on standing, while producing an exaggerated heart rate response, indicating altered autonomic compensatory mechanisms in these patients.

  2. The Implicit Positive and Negative Affect Test: Validity and Relationship with Cardiovascular Stress-Responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Ploeg, Melanie M; Brosschot, Jos F; Thayer, Julian F; Verkuil, Bart

    2016-01-01

    Self-report, i.e., explicit, measures of affect cannot fully explain the cardiovascular (CV) responses to stressors. Measuring affect beyond self-report, i.e., using implicit measures, could add to our understanding of stress-related CV activity. The Implicit Positive and Negative Affect Test (IPANAT) was administered in two studies to test its ecological validity and relation with CV responses and self-report measures of affect. In Study 1 students (N = 34) viewed four film clips inducing anger, happiness, fear, or no emotion, and completed the IPANAT and the Positive And Negative Affect Scale at baseline and after each clip. Implicit negative affect (INA) was higher and implicit positive affect (IPA) was lower after the anger inducing clip and vice versa after the happiness inducing clip. In Study 2 students performed a stressful math task with (n = 14) or without anger harassment (n = 15) and completed the IPANAT and a Visual Analog Scale as an explicit measure afterwards. Systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and total peripheral resistance (TPR) were recorded throughout. SBP and DBP were higher and TPR was lower in the harassment condition during the task with a prolonged effect on SBP and DBP during recovery. As expected, explicit negative affect (ENA) was higher and explicit positive affect (EPA) lower after harassment, but ENA and EPA were not related to CV activity. Although neither INA nor IPA differed between the tasks, during both tasks higher INA was related to higher SBP, lower HRV and lower TPR and to slower recovery of DBP after both tasks. Low IPA was related to slower recovery of SBP and DBP after the tasks. Implicit affect was not related to recovery of HR, HRV, and TPR. In conclusion, the IPANAT seems to respond to film clip-induced negative and positive affect and was related to CV activity during and after stressful tasks. These findings support the theory that implicitly measured affect

  3. Applying the Nominal Response Model within a Longitudinal Framework to Construct the Positive Family Relationships Scale

    Science.gov (United States)

    Preston, Kathleen Suzanne Johnson; Parral, Skye N.; Gottfried, Allen W.; Oliver, Pamella H.; Gottfried, Adele Eskeles; Ibrahim, Sirena M.; Delany, Danielle

    2015-01-01

    A psychometric analysis was conducted using the nominal response model under the item response theory framework to construct the Positive Family Relationships scale. Using data from the Fullerton Longitudinal Study, this scale was constructed within a long-term longitudinal framework spanning middle childhood through adolescence. Items tapping…

  4. Visual spatial attention enhances the amplitude of positive and negative fMRI responses to visual stimulation in an eccentricity-dependent manner

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bressler, David W.; Fortenbaugh, Francesca C.; Robertson, Lynn C.; Silver, Michael A.

    2013-01-01

    Endogenous visual spatial attention improves perception and enhances neural responses to visual stimuli at attended locations. Although many aspects of visual processing differ significantly between central and peripheral vision, little is known regarding the neural substrates of the eccentricity dependence of spatial attention effects. We measured amplitudes of positive and negative fMRI responses to visual stimuli as a function of eccentricity in a large number of topographically-organized cortical areas. Responses to each stimulus were obtained when the stimulus was attended and when spatial attention was directed to a stimulus in the opposite visual hemifield. Attending to the stimulus increased both positive and negative response amplitudes in all cortical areas we studied: V1, V2, V3, hV4, VO1, LO1, LO2, V3A/B, IPS0, TO1, and TO2. However, the eccentricity dependence of these effects differed considerably across cortical areas. In early visual, ventral, and lateral occipital cortex, attentional enhancement of positive responses was greater for central compared to peripheral eccentricities. The opposite pattern was observed in dorsal stream areas IPS0 and putative MT homolog TO1, where attentional enhancement of positive responses was greater in the periphery. Both the magnitude and the eccentricity dependence of attentional modulation of negative fMRI responses closely mirrored that of positive responses across cortical areas. PMID:23562388

  5. Range position and climate sensitivity: The structure of among-population demographic responses to climatic variation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amburgey, Staci M.; Miller, David A. W.; Grant, Evan H. Campbell; Rittenhouse, Tracy A. G.; Benard, Michael F.; Richardson, Jonathan L.; Urban, Mark C.; Hughson, Ward; Brand, Adrianne B,; Davis, Christopher J.; Hardin, Carmen R.; Paton, Peter W. C.; Raithel, Christopher J.; Relyea, Rick A.; Scott, A. Floyd; Skelly, David K.; Skidds, Dennis E.; Smith, Charles K.; Werner, Earl E.

    2018-01-01

    Species’ distributions will respond to climate change based on the relationship between local demographic processes and climate and how this relationship varies based on range position. A rarely tested demographic prediction is that populations at the extremes of a species’ climate envelope (e.g., populations in areas with the highest mean annual temperature) will be most sensitive to local shifts in climate (i.e., warming). We tested this prediction using a dynamic species distribution model linking demographic rates to variation in temperature and precipitation for wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) in North America. Using long-term monitoring data from 746 populations in 27 study areas, we determined how climatic variation affected population growth rates and how these relationships varied with respect to long-term climate. Some models supported the predicted pattern, with negative effects of extreme summer temperatures in hotter areas and positive effects on recruitment for summer water availability in drier areas. We also found evidence of interacting temperature and precipitation influencing population size, such as extreme heat having less of a negative effect in wetter areas. Other results were contrary to predictions, such as positive effects of summer water availability in wetter parts of the range and positive responses to winter warming especially in milder areas. In general, we found wood frogs were more sensitive to changes in temperature or temperature interacting with precipitation than to changes in precipitation alone. Our results suggest that sensitivity to changes in climate cannot be predicted simply by knowing locations within the species’ climate envelope. Many climate processes did not affect population growth rates in the predicted direction based on range position. Processes such as species-interactions, local adaptation, and interactions with the physical landscape likely affect the responses we observed. Our work highlights the

  6. The role of storm scale, position and movement in controlling urban flood response

    Science.gov (United States)

    ten Veldhuis, Marie-claire; Zhou, Zhengzheng; Yang, Long; Liu, Shuguang; Smith, James

    2018-01-01

    The impact of spatial and temporal variability of rainfall on hydrological response remains poorly understood, in particular in urban catchments due to their strong variability in land use, a high degree of imperviousness and the presence of stormwater infrastructure. In this study, we analyze the effect of storm scale, position and movement in relation to basin scale and flow-path network structure on urban hydrological response. A catalog of 279 peak events was extracted from a high-quality observational dataset covering 15 years of flow observations and radar rainfall data for five (semi)urbanized basins ranging from 7.0 to 111.1 km2 in size. Results showed that the largest peak flows in the event catalog were associated with storm core scales exceeding basin scale, for all except the largest basin. Spatial scale of flood-producing storm events in the smaller basins fell into two groups: storms of large spatial scales exceeding basin size or small, concentrated events, with storm core much smaller than basin size. For the majority of events, spatial rainfall variability was strongly smoothed by the flow-path network, increasingly so for larger basin size. Correlation analysis showed that position of the storm in relation to the flow-path network was significantly correlated with peak flow in the smallest and in the two more urbanized basins. Analysis of storm movement relative to the flow-path network showed that direction of storm movement, upstream or downstream relative to the flow-path network, had little influence on hydrological response. Slow-moving storms tend to be associated with higher peak flows and longer lag times. Unexpectedly, position of the storm relative to impervious cover within the basins had little effect on flow peaks. These findings show the importance of observation-based analysis in validating and improving our understanding of interactions between the spatial distribution of rainfall and catchment variability.

  7. Cue-induced positive motivational implicit response in young adults with Internet gaming addiction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yen, Ju-Yu; Yen, Cheng-Fang; Chen, Cheng-Sheng; Tang, Tze-Chun; Huang, Tzu-Hui; Ko, Chih-Hung

    2011-12-30

    This study evaluated the positive motivational implicit response to Internet gaming cues (i.e., screenshots of popular online games) to identify potential mechanisms of dyscontrolled Internet use in young adults with Internet gaming addiction (IGA). The final analysis included 64 young adults with IGA and 71 control subjects. The subjects completed the implicit association task to test their reaction to congruent pairing (Internet gaming screenshot paired with liked words) and incongruent pairing (Internet gaming screenshot paired with disliked words). The results demonstrated that, compared to the control group, the IGA group reacted faster to congruent pairing. It suggests that the IGA group had a positive motivational implicit response to screenshots of online games. Implicit cognition is an important mechanism of dyscontrolled substance use, such as alcohol dependence. This result suggests that implicit cognition might also be associated with dyscontrolled online gaming. The findings also demonstrate the important role of implicit cognition in dyscontrolled Internet use in young adults with IGA. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Human infant faces provoke implicit positive affective responses in parents and non-parents alike.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Senese, Vincenzo Paolo; De Falco, Simona; Bornstein, Marc H; Caria, Andrea; Buffolino, Simona; Venuti, Paola

    2013-01-01

    Human infants' complete dependence on adult caregiving suggests that mechanisms associated with adult responsiveness to infant cues might be deeply embedded in the brain. Behavioural and neuroimaging research has produced converging evidence for adults' positive disposition to infant cues, but these studies have not investigated directly the valence of adults' reactions, how they are moderated by biological and social factors, and if they relate to child caregiving. This study examines implicit affective responses of 90 adults toward faces of human and non-human (cats and dogs) infants and adults. Implicit reactions were assessed with Single Category Implicit Association Tests, and reports of childrearing behaviours were assessed by the Parental Style Questionnaire. The results showed that human infant faces represent highly biologically relevant stimuli that capture attention and are implicitly associated with positive emotions. This reaction holds independent of gender and parenthood status and is associated with ideal parenting behaviors.

  9. Theory and Practice of Positive Feminist Therapy: A Culturally Responsive Approach to Divorce Therapy with Chinese Women

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tzou, Jean Yuh-Jin; Kim, Eunha; Waldheim, Kim

    2012-01-01

    Positive Feminist Therapy (PFT) is a strength-based culturally responsive therapy model specifically designed for helping Chinese women facing marital conflicts and divorce, integrating Empowerment Feminist Therapy, systems theory, and positive psychology. To help clients become change agents, PFT uses clients' existing strengths to develop…

  10. A New Association or Coincidence: Supraventricular Tachycardia in a Child Receiving Hyoscine N-Butylbromide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eyup Aslan

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Hyoscine N-Butylbromide, is a peripherally acting antimuscarinic, anticholinergic agent. It is used for spasms of gastrointestinal and genitourinary trackt. Because of anticholinergic effects, it exerts positive chronotropic agent like atropine, may lead to sinus tachycardia. However, there has been no reported an association of supraventricular tachycardia and hyoscine n-butylbromide. In this report, we report a case that developed supraventricular tachycardia during hyoscine n-butylbromide therapy for his abdominal pain.

  11. Reduced local immune response with continuous positive airway pressure during one-lung ventilation for oesophagectomy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verhage, R. J. J.; Boone, J.; Rijkers, G. T.; Cromheecke, G. J.; Kroese, A. C.; Weijs, T. J.; Borel Rinkes, I. H. M.; van Hillegersberg, R.

    2014-01-01

    Background. Transthoracic oesophagectomy requires prolonged one-lung ventilation causing systemic and local inflammatory responses. Application of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to the collapsed lung potentially reduces pulmonary damage, hypoxia, and consequent inflammation. This

  12. Online manual movement adjustments in response to target position changes and apparent target motion

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Oostwoud Wijdenes, L.; Brenner, E.; Smeets, J.B.J.

    2014-01-01

    This study set out to determine whether the fastest online hand movement corrections are only responses to changing judgments of the targets' position or whether they are also influenced by the apparent target motion. Introducing a gap between when a target disappears and when it reappears at a new

  13. Female song rates in response to simulated intruder are positively related to reproductive success.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristal E Cain

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Bird song is well studied in males as a sexually selected behavior. However, although song is also common among females, it is infrequently examined and poorly understood. Research suggests that song is often used as a resource defense behavior and is important in female-female competition for limited resources, e.g. mates and territories. If so, song should be positively related to fitness and related to other resource defense behaviors, but this possibility has rarely been explored. Here we examine fitness estimates in relation to spontaneous song rates and song rates in response to a simulated intruder (playback, in the superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus, a cooperatively breeding songbird. We also determine how song rates relate to other territorial defense behaviors. Song rate in response to playback, but not spontaneous song rate, was positively related to nest success and the number of fledglings produced by successful females. Further, response song rate was also correlated with other territorial defense behaviors (latency to respond and flights. This evidence supports the hypothesis that female song may be used in the context of female-female competition to improve access to limited reproductive resources, and suggests that song may provide direct fitness benefits.

  14. Response and binding elements for ligand-dependent positive transcription factors integrate positive and negative regulation of gene expression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosenfeld, M.G.; Glass, C.K.; Adler, S.; Crenshaw, E.B. III; He, X.; Lira, S.A.; Elsholtz, H.P.; Mangalam, H.J.; Holloway, J.M.; Nelson, C.; Albert, V.R.; Ingraham, H.A.

    1988-01-01

    Accurate, regulated initiation of mRNA transcription by RNA polymerase II is dependent on the actions of a variety of positive and negative trans-acting factors that bind cis-acting promoter and enhancer elements. These transcription factors may exert their actions in a tissue-specific manner or function under control of plasma membrane or intracellular ligand-dependent receptors. A major goal in the authors' laboratory has been to identify the molecular mechanisms responsible for the serial activation of hormone-encoding genes in the pituitary during development and the positive and negative regulation of their transcription. The anterior pituitary gland contains phenotypically distinct cell types, each of which expresses unique trophic hormones: adrenocorticotropic hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, prolactin, growth hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone/luteinizing hormone. The structurally related prolactin and growth hormone genes are expressed in lactotrophs and somatotrophs, respectively, with their expression virtually limited to the pituitary gland. The reported transient coexpression of these two structurally related neuroendocrine genes raises the possibility that the prolactin and growth hormone genes are developmentally controlled by a common factor(s)

  15. Positive responses of belowground C dynamics to nitrogen enrichment in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Lei; Peng, Changhui; Zhu, Guangyu; Chen, Lei; Liu, Yulin; Shangguan, Zhouping

    2018-03-01

    Determining how nitrogen (N) impacts ecosystem carbon (C) cycling is critical to using C sequestration to offset anthropogenic CO 2 emissions. The N deposition rate in China is higher than the global average; however, many results of N enrichment experiments in China have not been included in global syntheses. In this study, we assembled a large dataset that comprised 124 published studies concerning N addition experiments, including 570 observations at 127 sites across China, to quantify the responses of belowground C dynamics to N enrichment in terrestrial ecosystems in China by a meta-analysis. The results showed that overall soil organic C, dissolved organic C (DOC) and soil microbial biomass C (MBC) increased by 1.8, 7.4, and 8.8%, respectively (Penrichment; belowground biomass and litter increased by 14.6 and 24.4%, respectively (Penrichment promoted C inputs into the soil mainly by increasing litter and belowground biomass inputs. Additionally, N enrichment increased C output by increasing soil respiration. Land use type and N addition level had different impacts on the soil C pool and on soil respiration. DOC, MBC, and litter exhibited more positive responses to N deposition in cooler and more arid regions than in other regions. The meta-analysis indicated that N enrichment had a positive impact on belowground C cycles in China. Climate played a greater role than did N deposition level in affecting processes of ecosystem C cycling. Moreover, belowground C cycle processes are determined by complicated interactions among land use type, N enrichment, and climate. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Functional and biochemical responses of cultured heart cells to angiotensin II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allen, I.; Gaa, S.; Rogers, T.B.

    1986-01-01

    The authors have utilized a cultured neonatal rat heart myocyte system to study the molecular mechanisms involved in the stimulation of heart cells by angiotensin II (AII). The intact cultured cells, and membranes from these cells, have specific, high affinity receptors for 125 I-AII and for an AII antagonist, 125 I-Sar 1 ,Leu 8 -AII. Binding affinity was in the nanomolar range and was inhibited by guanine nucleotides. Functional studies on intact, beating cells revealed a maximal increase in contractile frequency of 50%, observed at 5 nM AII, with half maximal effects noted at around 1 nM. These responses were reversible and specific as the antagonist, Sar 1 , Ala 8 -AII, inhibited AII-induced chronotropic stimulation. AII (100 nM) had no effect on basal adenylate cyclase activity (20 pmoles cAMP/mg prot/min at 2.5mM Mg 2+ ) in cell membranes. Further, in membranes where cyclase activity was stimulated with isoproterenol (290 pmoles cAMP/mg prot/min at 2.5mM Mg 2+ ), addition of AII had no effect. The cyclase-inhibitory muscarinic agonist, carbachol, also failed to reduce isoproterenol-stimulated activity. In preliminary work with the intact cells, AII again did not alter basal cAMP levels (3-10 pmoles cAMP/mg prot). However, the hormone increased isoproterenol-stimulated cAMP levels by almost 50%. These cells are an excellent system for correlating AII receptor binding with functional and biochemical responses

  17. The role of storm scale, position and movement in controlling urban flood response

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.-C. ten Veldhuis

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The impact of spatial and temporal variability of rainfall on hydrological response remains poorly understood, in particular in urban catchments due to their strong variability in land use, a high degree of imperviousness and the presence of stormwater infrastructure. In this study, we analyze the effect of storm scale, position and movement in relation to basin scale and flow-path network structure on urban hydrological response. A catalog of 279 peak events was extracted from a high-quality observational dataset covering 15 years of flow observations and radar rainfall data for five (semiurbanized basins ranging from 7.0 to 111.1 km2 in size. Results showed that the largest peak flows in the event catalog were associated with storm core scales exceeding basin scale, for all except the largest basin. Spatial scale of flood-producing storm events in the smaller basins fell into two groups: storms of large spatial scales exceeding basin size or small, concentrated events, with storm core much smaller than basin size. For the majority of events, spatial rainfall variability was strongly smoothed by the flow-path network, increasingly so for larger basin size. Correlation analysis showed that position of the storm in relation to the flow-path network was significantly correlated with peak flow in the smallest and in the two more urbanized basins. Analysis of storm movement relative to the flow-path network showed that direction of storm movement, upstream or downstream relative to the flow-path network, had little influence on hydrological response. Slow-moving storms tend to be associated with higher peak flows and longer lag times. Unexpectedly, position of the storm relative to impervious cover within the basins had little effect on flow peaks. These findings show the importance of observation-based analysis in validating and improving our understanding of interactions between the spatial distribution of rainfall and catchment variability.

  18. Effects of thyroid hormone on β-adrenergic responsiveness of aging cardiovascular systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsujimoto, G.; Hashimoto, K.; Hoffman, B.B.

    1987-01-01

    The authors have compared the effects of β-adrenergic stimulation on the heart and peripheral vasculature of young (2-mo-old) and older (12-mo-old) rats both in the presence and absence of triiodothyronine (T 3 )-induced hyperthyroidism. The hemodynamic consequences of T 3 treatment were less prominent in the aged hyperthyroid rats compared with young hyperthyroid rats (both in intact and pithed rats). There was a decrease in sensitivity of chronotropic responsiveness to isoproterenol in older pithed rats, which was apparently reversed by T 3 treatment. The number and affinity of myocardial β-adrenergic receptor sites measured by [ 125 I]cyanopindolol were not significantly different in young and older control rats; also, β-receptor density increased to a similar extent in both young and older T 3 -treated rats. The ability of isoproterenol to relax mesenteric arterial rings, markedly blunted in older rats, was partially restored by T 3 treatment without their being any change in isoproterenol-mediated relaxation in the arterial preparation from young rats. The number and affinity of the β-adrenergic receptors measured in the mesenteric arteries was unaffected by either aging or T 3 treatment. The data suggest that effects of thyroid hormone and age-related alterations of cardiovascular responsiveness to β-adrenergic stimulation are interrelated in a complex fashion with a net result that the hyperkinetic cardiovascular manifestations in hyperthyroidism are attenuated in the older animals

  19. Effects of thyroid hormone on. beta. -adrenergic responsiveness of aging cardiovascular systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsujimoto, G.; Hashimoto, K.; Hoffman, B.B.

    1987-03-01

    The authors have compared the effects of ..beta..-adrenergic stimulation on the heart and peripheral vasculature of young (2-mo-old) and older (12-mo-old) rats both in the presence and absence of triiodothyronine (T/sub 3/)-induced hyperthyroidism. The hemodynamic consequences of T/sub 3/ treatment were less prominent in the aged hyperthyroid rats compared with young hyperthyroid rats (both in intact and pithed rats). There was a decrease in sensitivity of chronotropic responsiveness to isoproterenol in older pithed rats, which was apparently reversed by T/sub 3/ treatment. The number and affinity of myocardial ..beta..-adrenergic receptor sites measured by (/sup 125/I)cyanopindolol were not significantly different in young and older control rats; also, ..beta..-receptor density increased to a similar extent in both young and older T/sub 3/-treated rats. The ability of isoproterenol to relax mesenteric arterial rings, markedly blunted in older rats, was partially restored by T/sub 3/ treatment without their being any change in isoproterenol-mediated relaxation in the arterial preparation from young rats. The number and affinity of the ..beta..-adrenergic receptors measured in the mesenteric arteries was unaffected by either aging or T/sub 3/ treatment. The data suggest that effects of thyroid hormone and age-related alterations of cardiovascular responsiveness to ..beta..-adrenergic stimulation are interrelated in a complex fashion with a net result that the hyperkinetic cardiovascular manifestations in hyperthyroidism are attenuated in the older animals.

  20. Brain response to prosodic boundary cues depends on boundary position

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julia eHolzgrefe

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Prosodic information is crucial for spoken language comprehension and especially for syntactic parsing, because prosodic cues guide the hearer’s syntactic analysis. The time course and mechanisms of this interplay of prosody and syntax are not yet well understood. In particular, there is an ongoing debate whether local prosodic cues are taken into account automatically or whether they are processed in relation to the global prosodic context in which they appear. The present study explores whether the perception of a prosodic boundary is affected by its position within an utterance. In an event-related potential (ERP study we tested if the brain response evoked by the prosodic boundary differs when the boundary occurs early in a list of three names connected by conjunctions (i.e., after the first name as compared to later in the utterance (i.e., after the second name. A closure positive shift (CPS — marking the processing of a prosodic phrase boundary — was elicited only for stimuli with a late boundary, but not for stimuli with an early boundary. This result is further evidence for an immediate integration of prosodic information into the parsing of an utterance. In addition, it shows that the processing of prosodic boundary cues depends on the previously processed information from the preceding prosodic context.

  1. Definitive radiotherapy for head-and-neck cancer with radiographically positive retropharyngeal nodes: Incomplete radiographic response does not necessarily indicate failure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liauw, Stanley L.; Mancuso, Anthony A.; Morris, Christopher G. M.S.; Amdur, Robert J.; Mendenhall, William M.

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: Our aim was to report the control rate of radiographically positive retropharyngeal (RP) nodes with radiation therapy (RT) and to correlate posttreatment imaging with clinical outcome. Methods and Materials: Sixteen patients treated with definitive RT for head-and-neck cancer had radiographically positive RP nodes (size >1 cm in largest axial dimension, or presence of focal enhancement, lucency, or calcification), and both pre-RT and post-RT image sets available for review. An additional 21 patients with unconfirmed radiographically positive RP nodes had post-RT imaging, which consisted of computed tomography (CT) at a median of 4 weeks after completing RT. Patients with positive post-RT RP nodes underwent observation with serial imaging. Results: Of 16 patients with pre-RT and post-RT images available for review, 9 (56%) had a radiographic complete response, and of 21 patients with unconfirmed positive RP nodes with post-RT images available for review, 14 (67%) had a radiographic complete response. In all, 14 patients with incomplete response on post-RT imaging experienced control of their disease with no further therapy, and no RP node or neck failures were noted during a median follow-up of 2.8 years. Six patients with positive post-RT RP nodes had serial imaging available for review, and none demonstrated radiographic progression of disease. Conclusions: Radiographic response at 4 weeks may not accurately reflect long-term locoregional control, as RP nodes may continue to resolve over time. The highest index of suspicion should be reserved for patients with progressive changes in size, focal lucency, or focal enhancement on serial imaging after RT

  2. C'mon get happy: reduced magnitude and duration of response during a positive-affect induction in depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horner, Michelle S; Siegle, Greg J; Schwartz, Robert M; Price, Rebecca B; Haggerty, Agnes E; Collier, Amanda; Friedman, Edward S

    2014-11-01

    Depression involves decreased positive affect. Whether this is due to a failure to achieve or maintain positive emotion in response to discrete stimuli is unclear. Understanding the nature of decreased positive affect could help to address how to intervene in the phenomenon, for example, how to structure interventions using positive and rewarding stimuli in depression. Thus, we examined the time course of affect following exposure to positive stimuli in depressed and healthy individuals. Seventy-one adults with major depressive disorder and thirty-four never-depressed controls read a self-generated highly positive script and continuously rated their affect for 7 min. Both groups quickly achieved increased positive affect, however, compared to controls, depressed participants did not achieve the same level of positive affect, did not maintain their positive affect, spent less time rating their affect as happy, and demonstrated larger drops in mood. These data indicate that depressed and nondepressed individuals can generate positive reactions to happy scripts, but depressed individuals cannot achieve or sustain equivalent levels of positive affect. Interventions for depression might fruitfully focus on increasing depressed individuals' ability to maintain initial engagement with positive stimuli over a sustained period of time. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Twice the negativity bias and half the positivity offset: Evaluative responses to emotional information in depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gollan, Jackie K; Hoxha, Denada; Hunnicutt-Ferguson, Kallio; Norris, Catherine J; Rosebrock, Laina; Sankin, Lindsey; Cacioppo, John

    2016-09-01

    Humans have the dual capacity to assign a slightly pleasant valence to neutral stimuli (the positivity offset) to encourage approach behaviors, as well as to assign a higher negative valence to unpleasant images relative to the positive valence to equally arousing and extreme pleasant images (the negativity bias) to facilitate defensive strategies. We conducted an experimental psychopathology study to examine the extent to which the negativity bias and the positivity offset differ in participants with and without major depression.. Forty-one depressed and thirty-six healthy participants were evaluated using a structured clinical interview for DSM-IV Axis I disorders, questionnaires, and a computerized task designed to measure implicit affective responses to unpleasant, neutral, and pleasant stimuli. The negativity bias was significantly higher and the positivity offset was significantly lower in depressed relative to healthy participants.. Entry criteria enrolling medication-free participants with minimal DSM-IV comorbidity may limit generalizability of the findings. This study advances our understanding of the positive and negative valence systems in depression, highlighting the irregularities in the positive valence system.. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Phantom position dependence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thorson, M.R.; Endres, G.W.R.

    1981-01-01

    Sensitivity of the Hanford dosimeter response to its position relative to the phantom and the neutron source has always been recognized. A thorough investigation was performed to quantify dosimeter response according to: (a) dosimeter position on phantom, (b) dosimeter distance from phantom, and (c) angular relationship of dosimeter relative to neutron source and phantom. Results were obtained for neutron irradiation at several different energies

  5. Manipulation-free cultures of human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes offer a novel screening method for cardiotoxicity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajasingh, Sheeja; Isai, Dona Greta; Samanta, Saheli; Zhou, Zhi-Gang; Dawn, Buddhadeb; Kinsey, William H; Czirok, Andras; Rajasingh, Johnson

    2018-04-05

    Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based cardiac regenerative medicine requires the efficient generation, structural soundness and proper functioning of mature cardiomyocytes, derived from the patient's somatic cells. The most important functional property of cardiomyocytes is the ability to contract. Currently available methods routinely used to test and quantify cardiomyocyte function involve techniques that are labor-intensive, invasive, require sophisticated instruments or can adversely affect cell vitality. We recently developed optical flow imaging method analyses and quantified cardiomyocyte contractile kinetics from video microscopic recordings without compromising cell quality. Specifically, our automated particle image velocimetry (PIV) analysis of phase-contrast video images captured at a high frame rate yields statistical measures characterizing the beating frequency, amplitude, average waveform and beat-to-beat variations. Thus, it can be a powerful assessment tool to monitor cardiomyocyte quality and maturity. Here we demonstrate the ability of our analysis to characterize the chronotropic responses of human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes to a panel of ion channel modulators and also to doxorubicin, a chemotherapy agent with known cardiotoxic side effects. We conclude that the PIV-derived beat patterns can identify the elongation or shortening of specific phases in the contractility cycle, and the obtained chronotropic responses are in accord with known clinical outcomes. Hence, this system can serve as a powerful tool to screen the new and currently available pharmacological compounds for cardiotoxic effects.

  6. The effect of transport time, season and position on the truck on stress response in rabbits

    OpenAIRE

    Liste, M.G; María, G. A.; García-Belenguer, S.; Chacón, G.; Gazzola, P.; Villarroel, M.

    2008-01-01

    The present study analyzed the effect of transport time, season and position on the truck on physiological stress response of commercial rabbits in Aragón (Spain). A total of 156 animals were sampled in a 2x2x3 factorial design testing two transport times: short, 1 hour (1hT) and long, 7 hours (7hT), in two different seasons: hot, during summer (HT) and cold during winter (CT), and three different positions on the truck: upper, middle or lower decks in multi-floor cages on rolling stands (MFR...

  7. Effects of exercise position on the ventilatory responses to exercise in chronic heart failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armour, W; Clark, A L; McCann, G P; Hillis, W S

    1998-09-01

    Patients with heart failure frequently complain of orthopnoea. The objective was to assess the ventilatory response of patients with chronic heart failure during erect and supine exercise. Maximal incremental exercise testing with metabolic gas exchange measurements in erect and supine positions conducted in random order. Tertiary referral centre for cardiology. Nine patients with heart failure (aged 61.9+/-6.1 years) and 10 age matched controls (63.8+/-4.6). Metabolic gas exchange measurements. The slope of the relation between ventilation and carbon dioxide production. Ratings of perceived breathlessness during exercise. Oxygen consumption (VO2) and ventilation were higher during erect exercise at each stage in each group. Peak VO2 was [mean (SD)] 17.12 ml/kg/min (4.07) erect vs 12.92 (3.61) supine in the patients (P<0.01) and 22.62 (5.03) erect-supine vs 19.16 (3.78) erect (P<0.01) in the controls. Ratings of perceived exertion were higher in the patients at each stage, but unaffected by posture. There was no difference in the slope of the relation between ventilation and carbon dioxide production between erect and supine exercise 36.39 (6.12) erect vs 38.42 (8.89) supine for patients; 30.05 (4.52) vs 28.80 (3.96) for controls. In this group of patients during exercise, there was no change in the perception of breathlessness, nor the ventilatory response to carbon dioxide production with change in posture, although peak ventilation was greater in the erect position. The sensation of breathlessness may be related to the appropriateness of the ventilatory response to exertion rather than to the absolute ventilation.

  8. Responses and mechanisms of positive electron affinity molecules in the N2 mode of the thermionic ionization detector and the electron-capture detector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, C.S.

    1989-01-01

    Very little knowledge has been acquired in the past on the mechanistic pathway by which molecules respond in the N 2 mode of the thermionic ionization detector. An attempt is made here to elucidate the response mechanism of the detector. The basic response mechanisms are known for the electron capture detector, and an attempt is made to identify the certain mechanism by which selected molecules respond. The resonance electron capture rate constant has been believed to be temperature independent, and investigations of the temperature dependence of electron capture responses are presented. Mechanisms for the N 2 mode of the thermionic ionization detector have been proposed by examining the detector response to positive electron affinity molecules and by measurement of the ions produced by the detector. Electron capture mechanisms for selected molecules have been proposed by examining their temperature dependent responses in the electron capture detector and negative ion mass spectra of the samples. In studies of the resonance electron capture rate constant, the relative responses of selected positive electron affinity molecules and their temperature dependent responses were investigated. Positive electron affinity did not guarantee large responses in the N 2 mode thermionic ionization detector. High mass ions were measured following ionization of samples in the detector. Responses in the electron capture detector varied with temperature and electron affinity

  9. Nurse-Administered, Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy in IBS: Efficacy and Factors Predicting a Positive Response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lövdahl, Jenny; Ringström, Gisela; Agerforz, Pia; Törnblom, Hans; Simrén, Magnus

    2015-07-01

    Hypnotherapy is an effective treatment in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It is often delivered by a psychotherapist and is costly and time consuming. Nurse-administered hypnotherapy could increase availability and reduce costs. In this study the authors evaluate the effectiveness of nurse-administered, gut-directed hypnotherapy and identify factors predicting treatment outcome. Eighty-five patients were included in the study. Participants received hypnotherapy by a nurse once/week for 12 weeks. Patients reported marked improvement in gastrointestinal (GI) and extra-colonic symptoms after treatment, as well as a reduction in GI-specific anxiety, general anxiety, and depression. Fifty-eight percent were responders after the 12 weeks treatment period, and of these 82% had a favorable clinical response already at week 6. Women were more likely than men to respond favorably to the treatment. Nurse-administered hypnotherapy is an effective treatment for IBS. Being female and reporting a favorable response to treatment by week 6 predicted a positive treatment response at the end of the 12 weeks treatment period.

  10. Timing and position response of a block detector for fast neutron time-of-flight imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Laubach, M.A., E-mail: mlaubach@utk.edu [Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); Hayward, J.P., E-mail: jhayward@utk.edu [Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Rd., Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Zhang, X., E-mail: xzhang39@utk.edu [Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); Cates, J.W., E-mail: jcates7@vols.utk.edu [Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States)

    2014-11-01

    Our research effort seeks to improve the spatial and timing performance of a block detector made of a pixilated plastic scintillator (EJ-200), first demonstrated as part of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Advanced Portable Neutron Imaging System. Improvement of the position and time response is necessary to achieve better resolution and contrast in the images of shielded special nuclear material. Time-of-flight is used to differentiate between gamma and different sources of neutrons (e.g., transmission and fission neutrons). Factors limiting the timing and position performance of the neutron detector have been revealed through simulations and measurements. Simulations have suggested that the degradation in the ability to resolve pixels in the neutron detector is due to those interactions occurring near the light guide. The energy deposition within the neutron detector is shown to affect position performance and imaging efficiency. This examination details how energy cuts improve the position performance and degrade the imaging efficiency. Measurements have shown the neutron detector to have a timing resolution of σ=238 ps. The majority of this timing uncertainty is from the depth-of-interaction (DOI) of the neutron which is confirmed by simulations and analytical calculations.

  11. DNA demethylases target promoter transposable elements to positively regulate stress responsive genes in Arabidopsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le, Tuan-Ngoc; Schumann, Ulrike; Smith, Neil A; Tiwari, Sameer; Au, Phil Chi Khang; Zhu, Qian-Hao; Taylor, Jennifer M; Kazan, Kemal; Llewellyn, Danny J; Zhang, Ren; Dennis, Elizabeth S; Wang, Ming-Bo

    2014-09-17

    DNA demethylases regulate DNA methylation levels in eukaryotes. Arabidopsis encodes four DNA demethylases, DEMETER (DME), REPRESSOR OF SILENCING 1 (ROS1), DEMETER-LIKE 2 (DML2), and DML3. While DME is involved in maternal specific gene expression during seed development, the biological function of the remaining DNA demethylases remains unclear. We show that ROS1, DML2, and DML3 play a role in fungal disease resistance in Arabidopsis. A triple DNA demethylase mutant, rdd (ros1 dml2 dml3), shows increased susceptibility to the fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum. We identify 348 genes differentially expressed in rdd relative to wild type, and a significant proportion of these genes are downregulated in rdd and have functions in stress response, suggesting that DNA demethylases maintain or positively regulate the expression of stress response genes required for F. oxysporum resistance. The rdd-downregulated stress response genes are enriched for short transposable element sequences in their promoters. Many of these transposable elements and their surrounding sequences show localized DNA methylation changes in rdd, and a general reduction in CHH methylation, suggesting that RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM), responsible for CHH methylation, may participate in DNA demethylase-mediated regulation of stress response genes. Many of the rdd-downregulated stress response genes are downregulated in the RdDM mutants nrpd1 and nrpe1, and the RdDM mutants nrpe1 and ago4 show enhanced susceptibility to F. oxysporum infection. Our results suggest that a primary function of DNA demethylases in plants is to regulate the expression of stress response genes by targeting promoter transposable element sequences.

  12. Elderly patients with suspected chronic digoxin toxicity: A comparison of clinical characteristics of patients receiving and not receiving digoxin-Fab.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arbabian, Hooman; Lee, Hwee Min; Graudins, Andis

    2018-04-01

    The aim of the present study was to compare clinical features of patients with elevated serum digoxin concentrations who were treated with digoxin-Fab with those where the immunotherapy was not given by a tertiary hospital toxicology service. This was a retrospective series of patients with supratherapeutic serum digoxin concentrations referred to the toxicology service from August 2013 to October 2015. Data collected included demographics, presenting complaint, digoxin dose, other medications taken, serum digoxin, potassium and creatinine concentration on presentation and initial and post-digoxin-Fab heart rate. There were 47 referrals. Digoxin-Fab was administered in 21 cases. It was given more commonly when the heart rate was 5.0 mmol/L. Patients receiving digoxin-Fab were more likely to be on maintenance therapy with beta-blockers or calcium channel blockers (95% vs 61%; OR 13.1; 95% CI 1.5-113) and/or potassium-sparing medications (95% vs 54%; OR 17.1; 95% CI 2.0-147). They had elevated serum creatinine (76% vs 42%; OR 8.2; 95% CI 1.9-34), higher serum potassium (median: 5.1 mmol/L vs 4.2 mmol/L, P = 0.02), higher serum digoxin concentration (median: 3.5 nmol/L vs 2.3 nmol/L, P = 0.02) and pretreatment heart rate Fab. However, individual heart rate response to digoxin-Fab was variable. Digoxin-Fab was more commonly administered when heart rate was Fab was variable as patients were using other negative chronotropic medications. In symptomatic bradycardic patients on multiple heart failure medications, positive chronotropic and potassium-lowering therapies should be considered in concert with digoxin-Fab. © 2018 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

  13. How and When Retailers’ Sustainability Efforts Translate into Positive Consumer Responses: The Interplay Between Personal and Social Factors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hofenk, D.; Birgelen, M.J.H. van; Bloemer, J.M.M.; Semeijn, J.

    2017-01-01

    This study aims to address how (through which mechanisms) and when (under which conditions) retailers’ sustainability efforts translate into positive consumer responses. Hypotheses are developed and tested through a scenario-based experiment among 672 consumers. Retailers’ assortment sustainability

  14. Tilt angles and positive response of head-up tilt test in children with orthostatic intolerance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Jing; Wang, Yuli; Ochs, Todd; Tang, Chaoshu; Du, Junbao; Jin, Hongfang

    2015-01-01

    This study aimed at examining three tilt angle-based positive responses and the time to positive response in a head-up tilt test for children with orthostatic intolerance, and the psychological fear experienced at the three angles during head-up tilt test. A total of 174 children, including 76 boys and 98 girls, aged from 4 to 18 years old (mean 11.3±2.8 years old), with unexplained syncope, were randomly divided into three groups, to undergo head-up tilt test at the angles of 60°, 70° and 80°, respectively. The diagnostic rates and times were analysed, and Wong-Baker face pain rating scale was used to access the children's psychological fear. There were no significant differences in diagnostic rates of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and vasovagal syncope at different tilt angles during the head-up tilt test (p>0.05). There was a significant difference, however, in the psychological fear at different tilt angles utilising the Kruskal-Wallis test (χ2=36.398, ptest (ptest for vasovagal syncope or for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Hence, it is suggested that a tilt angle of 60° and head-up tilt test time of 45 minutes should be suitable for children with vasovagal syncope.

  15. Comparison of Tuberculin Skin Test result and interferon gamma response to human PPD in BCG scar positive and negative children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sayyahfar, Shirin; Karimi, Abdollah; Fahimzad, Alireza; Shamshiri, Ahmad Reza

    2014-03-01

    The aim of this study is to compare Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) result and interferon gamma response to human PPD (purified protein derivative), in scar positive and scar negative BCG-vaccinated children. Between August 2007 and May 2008 a total of 236 children aged 1-168 months (mean 21 months) admitted to Mofid Children's Hospital, Tehran, Iran, were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Each patient was examined for BCG vaccine scar and tested with TST and human PPD-based Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA). Two hundred and twenty one cases out of 236 (44% female, 1-168 months, mean age 21 months) were scar positive of whom 95% TST result was negative. Human PPD-based IGRA was positive in 110 (49.8%), negative in 85 (38.4 %) and indeterminate in 26 (11.8%) of scar positive patients. Fifteen children (40% female, 1-156 months; mean age 42 months) were scar negative. All the scar negative cases were TST negative. Human PPD-based IGRA was positive in 10 (66.7%), negative in 4 (26.7%) and indeterminate in 1 (6.7%) of scar negative patients. Immune responsiveness to human PPD antigens in scar positive and negative children may not correspond with results of the Tuberculin Skin Test. Copyright © 2013 Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Tomato NAC transcription factor SlSRN1 positively regulates defense response against biotic stress but negatively regulates abiotic stress response.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bo Liu

    Full Text Available Biotic and abiotic stresses are major unfavorable factors that affect crop productivity worldwide. NAC proteins comprise a large family of transcription factors that play important roles in plant growth and development as well as in responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. In a virus-induced gene silencing-based screening to identify genes that are involved in defense response against Botrytis cinerea, we identified a tomato NAC gene SlSRN1 (Solanum lycopersicum Stress-related NAC1. SlSRN1 is a plasma membrane-localized protein with transactivation activity in yeast. Expression of SlSRN1 was significantly induced by infection with B. cinerea or Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst DC3000, leading to 6-8 folds higher than that in the mock-inoculated plants. Expression of SlSRN1 was also induced by salicylic acid, jasmonic acid and 1-amino cyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid and by drought stress. Silencing of SlSRN1 resulted in increased severity of diseases caused by B. cinerea and Pst DC3000. However, silencing of SlSRN1 resulted in increased tolerance against oxidative and drought stresses. Furthermore, silencing of SlSRN1 accelerated accumulation of reactive oxygen species but attenuated expression of defense genes after infection by B. cinerea. Our results demonstrate that SlSRN1 is a positive regulator of defense response against B. cinerea and Pst DC3000 but is a negative regulator for oxidative and drought stress response in tomato.

  17. Prosocial attitudes and empathic behavior in emotional positive versus negative situations: brain response (ERPs) and source localization (LORETA) analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balconi, Michela; Canavesio, Ylenia

    2013-03-01

    The present research firstly investigated the neural correlates (ERPs, event-related potentials) of attitudes to engage in prosocial-helping behaviors, and secondly, it analyzed the relation between these brain-based potentials and personal profile (high vs. low empathic profile). It was considered the subjects' behavior in response to specific emotional situations (positive vs. negative) in case it was required a possible prosocial intervention. Thirty-one subjects were invited to empathize with the emotional contexts (videotapes that reproduced two person's exchanges) and to decide whether to intervene or not to support these persons. BEES questionnaire for empathic behavior was submitted to the subjects after the experimental session. ERP acquisition and LORETA source analysis revealed a negative ongoing deflection (N200 effect) more prefrontally distributed (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) in response to prosocial intervention options mainly for negative and positive contexts. Moreover, a significant positive correlation was found between high-empathic profiles, intervention behaviors (higher frequency of interventions) and N200 amplitude (higher peak). These results highlight the role of emotions in prosocial behavior, since the N200 effect was considered a marker of the emotional significance of the interpersonal situation. Secondly, the empathic trait may explain the prosocial decisional processes: Higher empathic trait contributes to induce subject's intervention behavior which in turn appears to be directly related to the cortical responsiveness within the prefrontal areas.

  18. Chronotropic response to vasodilator-stress in patients submitted to myocardial perfusion imaging: impact on the accuracy in detecting coronary stenosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gimelli, Alessia; Coceani, Michele; Quaranta, Angela; Emdin, Michele; Liga, Riccardo; Marzullo, Paolo

    2015-01-01

    A lower heart rate response (HRR) during vasodilator MPI has been shown to have a relevant adverse prognostic impact. We sought to evaluate the interaction among individual HRR to vasodilator stress and myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) accuracy in patients with suspected ischemic heart disease (IHD). One hundred and sixty-five consecutive patients were submitted to vasodilator-stress MPI on a cardiac camera equipped with cadmium-zinc-thelluride detectors and coronary angiography. A coronary stenosis >70 % was considered significant. In every patient, the summed difference score (SDS) was computed from MPI images. Patients were categorized according to the tertiles of the distribution of individual HRR during dipyridamole: ''Group 1'' (HRR < 8 bpm; lowest tertile); ''Group 2'' (8 ≤ HRR ≤ 12 bpm; middle tertile); ''Group 3'' (HRR >12 bpm; highest tertile). Significant coronary artery disease (CAD) was present in 102 (62 %) patients. In the overall population, MPI showed a significant accuracy (AUC: 0.81, 95 % CI 0.74-0.86; p < 0.001) in unmasking the presence of significant coronary stenosis. Interestingly, in patients with a blunted HRR during dipyridamole (''Group 1'') MPI showed a significantly lower sensitivity (68 %) in detecting CAD than in those with a higher HRR (''Group 3'') (91 %, p = 0.007), despite a preserved specificity (76 % vs 77 %, P=NS). Similarly, the correlation among CAD extent and post-stress LV functional stunning was limited to ''Group 3'' patients, while it disappeared in those with blunted HRR. In patients with suspected IHD, MPI sensitivity is strongly influenced by the magnitude of patient heart rate increase to the pharmacologic stressor, suggesting an interaction among blunted HRR and lower accuracy in unmasking CAD. (orig.)

  19. Chronotropic response to vasodilator-stress in patients submitted to myocardial perfusion imaging: impact on the accuracy in detecting coronary stenosis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gimelli, Alessia; Coceani, Michele; Quaranta, Angela; Emdin, Michele [Fondazione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio, Pisa (Italy); Liga, Riccardo [University Hospital of Pisa, Cardio-Thoracic and Vascular Department, Pisa (Italy); Marzullo, Paolo [Fondazione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio, Pisa (Italy); CNR, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Pisa (Italy)

    2015-11-15

    A lower heart rate response (HRR) during vasodilator MPI has been shown to have a relevant adverse prognostic impact. We sought to evaluate the interaction among individual HRR to vasodilator stress and myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) accuracy in patients with suspected ischemic heart disease (IHD). One hundred and sixty-five consecutive patients were submitted to vasodilator-stress MPI on a cardiac camera equipped with cadmium-zinc-thelluride detectors and coronary angiography. A coronary stenosis >70 % was considered significant. In every patient, the summed difference score (SDS) was computed from MPI images. Patients were categorized according to the tertiles of the distribution of individual HRR during dipyridamole: ''Group 1'' (HRR < 8 bpm; lowest tertile); ''Group 2'' (8 ≤ HRR ≤ 12 bpm; middle tertile); ''Group 3'' (HRR >12 bpm; highest tertile). Significant coronary artery disease (CAD) was present in 102 (62 %) patients. In the overall population, MPI showed a significant accuracy (AUC: 0.81, 95 % CI 0.74-0.86; p < 0.001) in unmasking the presence of significant coronary stenosis. Interestingly, in patients with a blunted HRR during dipyridamole (''Group 1'') MPI showed a significantly lower sensitivity (68 %) in detecting CAD than in those with a higher HRR (''Group 3'') (91 %, p = 0.007), despite a preserved specificity (76 % vs 77 %, P=NS). Similarly, the correlation among CAD extent and post-stress LV functional stunning was limited to ''Group 3'' patients, while it disappeared in those with blunted HRR. In patients with suspected IHD, MPI sensitivity is strongly influenced by the magnitude of patient heart rate increase to the pharmacologic stressor, suggesting an interaction among blunted HRR and lower accuracy in unmasking CAD. (orig.)

  20. Association of positive responses to suicide screening questions with hospital admission and repeated emergency department visits in children and adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ballard, Elizabeth D; Horowitz, Lisa M; Jobes, David A; Wagner, Barry M; Pao, Maryland; Teach, Stephen J

    2013-10-01

    Although validated suicide screening tools exist for use among children and adolescents presenting to emergency departments (EDs), the associations between screening positive for suicide risk and immediate psychiatric hospital admission or subsequent ED use, stratified by age, have not been examined. This is a retrospective cohort study of a consecutive case series of patients aged 8 to 18 years presenting with psychiatric chief complaints during a 9-month period to a single urban tertiary care pediatric ED. Eligible patients were administered a subset of questions from the Risk of Suicide Questionnaire. Outcomes included the odds of psychiatric hospitalization at the index visit and repeated ED visits for psychiatric complaints within the following year, stratified by age. Of the 568 patients presenting during the study period, responses to suicide screening questions were available for 442 patients (78%). A total of 159 (36%) of 442 were hospitalized and 130 (29%) of 442 had 1 or more ED visits within the following year. The proportion of patients providing positive responses to 1 or more suicide screening questions did not differ between patients aged 8 to 12 years and those aged 13 to 18 years (77/154 [50%] vs 137/288 [48%], P = 0.63). A positive response to 1 or more of the questions was significantly associated with increased odds of psychiatric hospitalization in the older age group [adjusted odds ratio, 3.82; 95% confidence interval, 2.24-6.54) and with repeated visits to the ED in the younger age group (adjusted odds ratio, 3.55 95% confidence interval, 1.68-7.50). Positive responses to suicide screening questions were associated with acute psychiatric hospitalization and repeated ED visits. Suicide screening in a pediatric ED may identify children and adolescents with increased need of psychiatric resources.

  1. No praise, please: Depressive symptoms, reactivity to positive social interaction, and fear of positive evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reichenberger, Julia; Wiggert, Nicole; Agroskin, Dmitrij; Wilhelm, Frank H; Blechert, Jens

    2017-03-01

    Depression is characterized by depressed mood and loss of interest or pleasure. Resulting alterations in emotional reactivity have been explained by three different accounts: 'positive attenuation', 'negative potentiation', and 'emotion context insensitivity'. Despite the importance of depression-related emotional alteration in social interactions, research with naturalistic interpersonal stimuli is scarce and underlying mechanisms largely unknown. Hence, the present study examined subjective emotional reactivity to brief negative, positive, and neutral social-evaluative videos as a function of depressive symptoms in an adult sample (N = 84). Fear of positive evaluation (FPE) and fear of negative evaluation (FNE), often conceptualized as cognitive components of social anxiety, were examined as possible mediators. Results revealed that more depression symptoms were related to diminished pleasantness responses to both positive and neutral videos. When considering all three video conditions simultaneously, only responses to positive videos remained significantly related to depression scores, supporting the 'positive attenuation' account. Moreover, FPE was found to uniquely mediate the relationship between depressive symptoms and pleasantness responses to positive videos. Results indicate that emotional reactivity to positive interpersonal stimuli is relevant for theoretical and clinical considerations of depression. This research underlines the importance of FPE not only for understanding social anxiety but also depression. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Social responsibility of business and government as the basic scientific and practical position of regional studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Efim Mikhaylovich Kozakov

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes social responsibility in regional studies as a base of scientific and practical position has an interdisciplinary character and is a key in economic theory topic, referred to as «behavioral economics». The strategic aspect of social behavior should eventually become a daily norm at all levels of administration and corporate governance in all spheres of human activity. Tactical objective of regional and municipal authorities is development and implementation of research-based socially responsible policy. The level of social responsibility cannot be measured using a single universal (integral indicator. The idea that «The economics has as much science inside, as much as it has mathematics», as formulated in the XIX century, in the beginning of the XXI century should be rephrased the following way: «The economics has as much science inside, as much as it has humanity».

  3. Low Estrogen Receptor (ER)-Positive Breast Cancer and Neoadjuvant Systemic Chemotherapy: Is Response Similar to Typical ER-Positive or ER-Negative Disease?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landmann, Alessandra; Farrugia, Daniel J; Zhu, Li; Diego, Emilia J; Johnson, Ronald R; Soran, Atilla; Dabbs, David J; Clark, Beth Z; Puhalla, Shannon L; Jankowitz, Rachel C; Brufsky, Adam M; Ahrendt, Gretchen M; McAuliffe, Priscilla F; Bhargava, Rohit

    2018-05-08

    Pathologic complete response (pCR) rate after neoadjuvant chemotherapy was compared between 141 estrogen receptor (ER)-negative (43%), 41 low ER+ (13%), 47 moderate ER+ (14%), and 98 high ER+ (30%) tumors. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive cases, cases without semiquantitative ER score, and patients treated with neoadjuvant endocrine therapy alone were excluded. The pCR rate of low ER+ tumors was similar to the pCR rate of ER- tumors (37% and 26% for low ER and ER- respectively, P = .1722) but significantly different from the pCR rate of moderately ER+ (11%, P = .0049) and high ER+ tumors (4%, P < .0001). Patients with pCR had an excellent prognosis regardless of the ER status. In patients with residual disease (no pCR), the recurrence and death rate were higher in ER- and low ER+ cases compared with moderate and high ER+ cases. Low ER+ breast cancers are biologically similar to ER- tumors. Semiquantitative ER H-score is an important determinant of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

  4. Ocular surface squamous neoplasia in HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients and response to 5-fluorouracil in Angola

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nutt RJ

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Robert J Nutt,1 John L Clements,2 William H Dean3 1Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; 2Boa Vista Eye Clinic, Benguela, Angola; 3Bristol Eye Hospital, Bristol, UK Background: Ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN is becoming increasingly prevalent and aggressive in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is a phenomenon linked with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV infection, although association rates in Angola are currently unknown. A topical treatment that is effective in HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals may be preferable to surgery in some contexts. We aimed to estimate the proportion of OSSN associated with HIV in Angola and to report on the success of topical 5-fluorouracil as a primary treatment in HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients.Methods: Photographs of OSSNs taken at presentation and following treatment with 5-fluorouracil in patients presenting to Boa Vista Eye Clinic, Angola, between October 2011 and July 2013 were grouped into HIV-positive and HIV-negative groups and analyzed to compare presenting features and treatment response. Eighty-one OSSNs were analyzed for clinical features and 24 met the inclusion criteria for analysis of treatment response.Results: Eighty-two patients presented with OSSN between October 2011 and July 2013. Twenty-one (26% were HIV-positive and typically had OSSNs that exhibited more pathological features than those in HIV-negative patients. Twenty-four (29% patients met the inclusion criteria for analysis of treatment response; of these, 26 (91% OSSNs in both groups displayed at least partial resolution after one treatment course. In the HIV-positive group, five of eight patients displayed complete resolution, two showed partial resolution, and one failed. In the HIV-negative group, five of 16 showed complete resolution, ten of 16 had partial resolution, and one failed.Conclusion: Individuals presenting with OSSN in Angola are more likely to have HIV infection compared

  5. Mapping and characterization of positive and negative BOLD responses to visual stimulation in multiple brain regions at 7T.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jorge, João; Figueiredo, Patrícia; Gruetter, Rolf; van der Zwaag, Wietske

    2018-02-20

    External stimuli and tasks often elicit negative BOLD responses in various brain regions, and growing experimental evidence supports that these phenomena are functionally meaningful. In this work, the high sensitivity available at 7T was explored to map and characterize both positive (PBRs) and negative BOLD responses (NBRs) to visual checkerboard stimulation, occurring in various brain regions within and beyond the visual cortex. Recently-proposed accelerated fMRI techniques were employed for data acquisition, and procedures for exclusion of large draining vein contributions, together with ICA-assisted denoising, were included in the analysis to improve response estimation. Besides the visual cortex, significant PBRs were found in the lateral geniculate nucleus and superior colliculus, as well as the pre-central sulcus; in these regions, response durations increased monotonically with stimulus duration, in tight covariation with the visual PBR duration. Significant NBRs were found in the visual cortex, auditory cortex, default-mode network (DMN) and superior parietal lobule; NBR durations also tended to increase with stimulus duration, but were significantly less sustained than the visual PBR, especially for the DMN and superior parietal lobule. Responses in visual and auditory cortex were further studied for checkerboard contrast dependence, and their amplitudes were found to increase monotonically with contrast, linearly correlated with the visual PBR amplitude. Overall, these findings suggest the presence of dynamic neuronal interactions across multiple brain regions, sensitive to stimulus intensity and duration, and demonstrate the richness of information obtainable when jointly mapping positive and negative BOLD responses at a whole-brain scale, with ultra-high field fMRI. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Overexpression of GbWRKY1 positively regulates the Pi starvation response by alteration of auxin sensitivity in Arabidopsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Li; Jin, Li; Long, Lu; Liu, Linlin; He, Xin; Gao, Wei; Zhu, Longfu; Zhang, Xianlong

    2012-12-01

    Overexpression of a cotton defense-related gene GbWRKY1 in Arabidopsis resulted in modification of the root system by enhanced auxin sensitivity to positively regulate the Pi starvation response. GbWRKY1 was a cloned WRKY transcription factor from Gossypium barbadense, which was firstly identified as a defense-related gene and showed moderate similarity with AtWRKY75 from Arabidopsis thaliana. Overexpression of GbWRKY1 in Arabidopsis resulted in attenuated Pi starvation stress symptoms, including reduced accumulation of anthocyanin and impaired density of lateral roots (LR) in low Pi stress. The study also indicated that overexpression of GbWRKY1 caused plants constitutively exhibited Pi starvation response including increased development of LR, relatively high level of total P and Pi, high expression level of some high-affinity Pi transporters and phosphatases as well as enhanced accumulation of acid phosphatases activity during Pi-sufficient. It was speculated that GbWRKY1 may act as a positive regulator in the Pi starvation response as well as AtWRKY75. GbWRKY1 probably involves in the modulation of Pi homeostasis and participates in the Pi allocation and remobilization but do not accumulate more Pi in Pi-deficient condition, which was different from the fact that AtWRKY75 influenced the Pi status of the plant during Pi deprivation by increasing root surface area and accumulation of more Pi. Otherwise, further study suggested that the overexpression plants were more sensitive to auxin than wild-type and GbWRKY1 may partly influence the LPR1-dependent (low phosphate response 1) Pi starvation signaling pathway and was putatively independent of SUMO E3 ligase SIZ1 and PHR1 (phosphate starvation response 1) in response to Pi starvation.

  7. Accounting for False Positive HIV Tests: Is Visceral Leishmaniasis Responsible?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shanks, Leslie; Ritmeijer, Koert; Piriou, Erwan; Siddiqui, M Ruby; Kliescikova, Jarmila; Pearce, Neil; Ariti, Cono; Muluneh, Libsework; Masiga, Johnson; Abebe, Almaz

    2015-01-01

    Co-infection with HIV and visceral leishmaniasis is an important consideration in treatment of either disease in endemic areas. Diagnosis of HIV in resource-limited settings relies on rapid diagnostic tests used together in an algorithm. A limitation of the HIV diagnostic algorithm is that it is vulnerable to falsely positive reactions due to cross reactivity. It has been postulated that visceral leishmaniasis (VL) infection can increase this risk of false positive HIV results. This cross sectional study compared the risk of false positive HIV results in VL patients with non-VL individuals. Participants were recruited from 2 sites in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian algorithm of a tiebreaker using 3 rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) was used to test for HIV. The gold standard test was the Western Blot, with indeterminate results resolved by PCR testing. Every RDT screen positive individual was included for testing with the gold standard along with 10% of all negatives. The final analysis included 89 VL and 405 non-VL patients. HIV prevalence was found to be 12.8% (47/ 367) in the VL group compared to 7.9% (200/2526) in the non-VL group. The RDT algorithm in the VL group yielded 47 positives, 4 false positives, and 38 negatives. The same algorithm for those without VL had 200 positives, 14 false positives, and 191 negatives. Specificity and positive predictive value for the group with VL was less than the non-VL group; however, the difference was not found to be significant (p = 0.52 and p = 0.76, respectively). The test algorithm yielded a high number of HIV false positive results. However, we were unable to demonstrate a significant difference between groups with and without VL disease. This suggests that the presence of endemic visceral leishmaniasis alone cannot account for the high number of false positive HIV results in our study.

  8. Accounting for False Positive HIV Tests: Is Visceral Leishmaniasis Responsible?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leslie Shanks

    Full Text Available Co-infection with HIV and visceral leishmaniasis is an important consideration in treatment of either disease in endemic areas. Diagnosis of HIV in resource-limited settings relies on rapid diagnostic tests used together in an algorithm. A limitation of the HIV diagnostic algorithm is that it is vulnerable to falsely positive reactions due to cross reactivity. It has been postulated that visceral leishmaniasis (VL infection can increase this risk of false positive HIV results. This cross sectional study compared the risk of false positive HIV results in VL patients with non-VL individuals.Participants were recruited from 2 sites in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian algorithm of a tiebreaker using 3 rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs was used to test for HIV. The gold standard test was the Western Blot, with indeterminate results resolved by PCR testing. Every RDT screen positive individual was included for testing with the gold standard along with 10% of all negatives. The final analysis included 89 VL and 405 non-VL patients. HIV prevalence was found to be 12.8% (47/ 367 in the VL group compared to 7.9% (200/2526 in the non-VL group. The RDT algorithm in the VL group yielded 47 positives, 4 false positives, and 38 negatives. The same algorithm for those without VL had 200 positives, 14 false positives, and 191 negatives. Specificity and positive predictive value for the group with VL was less than the non-VL group; however, the difference was not found to be significant (p = 0.52 and p = 0.76, respectively.The test algorithm yielded a high number of HIV false positive results. However, we were unable to demonstrate a significant difference between groups with and without VL disease. This suggests that the presence of endemic visceral leishmaniasis alone cannot account for the high number of false positive HIV results in our study.

  9. Engaging in an experiential processing mode increases positive emotional response during recall of pleasant autobiographical memories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gadeikis, Darius; Bos, Nikita; Schweizer, Susanne; Murphy, Fionnuala; Dunn, Barnaby

    2017-05-01

    It is important to identify effective emotion regulation strategies to increase positive emotion experience in the general population and in clinical conditions characterized by anhedonia. There are indications that engaging in experiential processing (direct awareness of sensory and bodily experience) bolsters positive emotion experience but this has not been extensively tested during memory recall. To further test this notion, 99 community participants recalled two positive autobiographical memories. Prior to the second recall, participants either underwent an experiential, analytical, or distraction induction (n = 33 per condition). Subjective happiness and sadness ratings and heart rate variability (HRV) response were measured during each recall. Greater spontaneous use of experiential processing during the first memory was associated with greater happiness experience, but was unrelated to HRV and sadness experience. Inducing experiential processing increased happiness experience relative to both the analytical and distraction conditions (but had no impact on sadness experience). There was a significant difference in HRV between conditions. The experiential condition led to a trend-significant increase, and the other conditions a non-significant decrease, in HRV from the first to the second memory. These results suggest that engaging in experiential processing is an effective way to up-regulate positive emotion experience during positive memory recall. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  10. Responsive Social Positioning Behaviors for Semi-Autonomous Telepresence Robots

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vroon, Jered Hendrik

    2017-01-01

    Social interaction with a mobile robot requires the establishment of appropriate social positioning behaviors. Previous work has focused mostly on general and static rules that can be applied to robotics, such as proxemics. How can we deal effectively and efficiently with the dynamic positioning

  11. Listening to motivational music while walking elicits more positive affective response in patients with cystic fibrosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calik-Kutukcu, Ebru; Saglam, Melda; Vardar-Yagli, Naciye; Cakmak, Aslihan; Inal-Ince, Deniz; Bozdemir-Ozel, Cemile; Sonbahar-Ulu, Hazal; Arikan, Hulya; Yalcin, Ebru; Karakaya, Jale

    2016-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of motivational and relaxation music on affective responses during exercise in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Thirty-seven patients with CF performed the 6-min walk test (6MWT) under three experimental conditions: listening to no music, relaxation music, and motivational music. 6-min distance × body weight product (6MWORK) was calculated for each trial. Patients' affective responses during exercise was evaluated with Feeling Scale (FS). The motivational qualities of music were evaluated with the Brunel Music Rating Inventory-2 (BMRI-2). 6MWORK was significantly lower while listening to relaxation music compared to 6MWORK without music (p motivational music than 6MWT with relaxation music (p motivational music can lead to positive affective response during exercise and increase the enjoyment of patients from exercises in CF. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Evaluation of false positive responses by mass spectrometry and ion mobility spectrometry for the detection of trace explosives in complex samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Crawford, C.L., E-mail: clcrawf@sandia.gov; Hill, H.H.

    2013-09-17

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •First study to use (−)SESI-IM-TOFMS to analyze complex mixtures of personal care products. •The study demonstrated, by identifying mobility and mass interferents with explosive signatures, which, if used separately, neither IMS nor MS alone would prevent every false positive for explosives when detected in the presence of a complex sample matrix. •Ingredients in common household cleaning products were shown to either enhance or suppress the ionization of explosives in a SESI-IM-TOFMS analysis. •Mobility separation provided real-time separation of ion species that indicated overlapping isotope peak patterns -- Abstract: Secondary electrospray ionization-ion mobility-time of flight mass spectrometry (SESI-IM-TOFMS) was used to evaluate common household products and food ingredients for any mass or mobility responses that produced false positives for explosives. These products contained ingredients which shared the same mass and mobility drift time ranges as the analyte ions for common explosives. The results of this study showed that the vast array of compounds in these products can cause either mass or mobility false positive responses. This work also found that two ingredients caused either enhanced or reduced ionization of the target analytes. Another result showed that an IMS can provide real-time separation of ion species that impede accurate mass identifications due to overlapping isotope peak patterns. The final result of this study showed that, when mass and mobility values were used to identify an ion, no false responses were found for the target explosives. The wider implication of these results is that the possibility exists for even greater occurrences of false responses from complex mixtures found in common products. Neither IMS nor MS alone can provide 100% assurance from false responses. IMS, due to its low cost, ease of operation, rugged reliability, high sensitivity and tunable selectivity, will remain

  13. Response of the 'patient dose calibrator' chamber for incident positions and sizes of X-ray fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oliveira, Cassio M.; Abrantes, Marcos Eugenio S.; Ferreira, Flavia C. Bastos; Lacerda, Marco A. de Souza; Alonso, Thessa C.; Silva, Teogenes A. da; Oliveira, Paulo Marcio C.

    2009-01-01

    The evaluation of patient doses is an important tool for optimizing radiodiagnostic medical procedures with conventional X-ray equipment and for improving the quality of the radiographic image. The Patient Dose Calibrator (PDC) chamber is a dosimetric instrument that is used in the evaluation of the air kerma-area product (P KA ) quantity aiming the reduction of patient doses. The objective this work was to study the P KA variation caused by different field incident positions and sizes of the X-ray beam on the PDC chamber. Results showed that the PDC chamber has repeatability lower than 0.6%, beam position dependence of 3% and linearity response within ± 6%; these characteristics are to be taken into account during evaluation of the radiological protection conditions of conventional x-ray equipment. (author)

  14. Developing Training Programs to Enhance Positive Attitude toward the ASEAN Community and Self-responsibility For Students in the 6th Grade Naku Distric Kalasin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Siriporn Chooarerom

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The purposes of this study were to ; 1 Study the status and problem of an through attitude the ASEAN community for grade 6 students. 2 Develop training programs to enhance their positive attitude towards the ASEAN community and self-responsibility for grade 6 students. 3 Experiment training program to enhance their positive attitude towards the ASEAN community and self-responsibility for grade 6 students. The samples of this study were 21 students. They were selected though cluster random sampling method. The research instruments used in the study were the Training programs to enhance their positive attitude towards the ASEAN community and self-responsibility. Surveys of problems from the event ASEAN week. Lenarning ASEAN. Measuring a positive attitude towards the ASEAN community scale with discriminating power ranging 0.375 – 0.793 and Measuring self-responsibility scale with discriminating power ranging 0.411 – 0.893 and a reliability of 0.973. The statistics used for analyzing the collected data were mean, standard deviation, and One-way repeated measure MANOVA The study showed that 1 Study of the attitude of the ASEAN community condition survey found that teachers have trouble understanding, Interested to attend the event and have admired and awareness in preparation the ASEAN community, the levels are minimal. The students realized in preparation, understanding about . Attention to participation and appreciation the ASEAN community, the levels are minimal 2 Training programs to enhance their positive attitude toward the ASEAN community and self-responsibility for grade 6 students was created by. Activities focus on the students involved and take action. Remove group activities used in the event. Stage one consists of two steps leading to the involvement step 3 step 4 step by step analysis and application of the five-stage process and evaluation. By 5 experts have evaluated the overall level more appropriate. 3 Students attend their

  15. Positioning and number of nutritional levels in dose-response trials to estimate the optimal-level and the adjustment of the models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernando Augusto de Souza

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this research was to evaluate the influence of the number and position of nutrient levels used in dose-response trials in the estimation of the optimal-level (OL and the goodness of fit on the models: quadratic polynomial (QP, exponential (EXP, linear response plateau (LRP and quadratic response plateau (QRP. It was used data from dose-response trials realized in FCAV-Unesp Jaboticabal considering the homogeneity of variances and normal distribution. The fit of the models were evaluated considered the following statistics: adjusted coefficient of determination (R²adj, coefficient of variation (CV and the sum of the squares of deviations (SSD.It was verified in QP and EXP models that small changes on the placement and distribution of the levels caused great changes in the estimation of the OL. The LRP model was deeply influenced by the absence or presence of the level between the response and stabilization phases (change in the straight to plateau. The QRP needed more levels on the response phase and the last level on stabilization phase to estimate correctly the plateau. It was concluded that the OL and the adjust of the models are dependent on the positioning and the number of the levels and the specific characteristics of each model, but levels defined near to the true requirement and not so spaced are better to estimate the OL.

  16. Analysis of blood pressure dynamics in male and female rats using the continuous wavelet transform

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pavlov, A N; Anisimov, A A; Matasova, E G; Semyachkina-Glushkovskaya, O V; Kurths, J

    2009-01-01

    We study gender-related particularities in cardiovascular responses to stress and nitric oxide (NO) deficiency in rats using HR, mean arterial pressure (MAP) and a proposed wavelet-based approach. Blood pressure dynamics is analyzed: (1) under control conditions, (2) during immobilization stress and recovery and (3) during nitric oxide blockade by N G -nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester (L-NAME). We show that cardiovascular sensitivity to stress and NO deficiency depends upon gender. Actually, in females the chronotropic effect of stress is more pronounced, while the pressor effect is weakened compared with males. We conclude that females demonstrate more favorable patterns of cardiovascular responses to stress and more effective NO control of cardiovascular activity than males

  17. Exploring positive hospital ward soundscape interventions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mackrill, J; Jennings, P; Cain, R

    2014-11-01

    Sound is often considered as a negative aspect of an environment that needs mitigating, particularly in hospitals. It is worthwhile however, to consider how subjective responses to hospital sounds can be made more positive. The authors identified natural sound, steady state sound and written sound source information as having the potential to do this. Listening evaluations were conducted with 24 participants who rated their emotional (Relaxation) and cognitive (Interest and Understanding) response to a variety of hospital ward soundscape clips across these three interventions. A repeated measures ANOVA revealed that the 'Relaxation' response was significantly affected (n(2) = 0.05, p = 0.001) by the interventions with natural sound producing a 10.1% more positive response. Most interestingly, written sound source information produced a 4.7% positive change in response. The authors conclude that exploring different ways to improve the sounds of a hospital offers subjective benefits that move beyond sound level reduction. This is an area for future work to focus upon in an effort to achieve more positively experienced hospital soundscapes and environments. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

  18. Mapping and characterization of positive and negative BOLD responses to visual stimulation in multiple brain regions at 7T

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jorge, João; Figueiredo, Patrícia; Gruetter, Rolf; Van der Zwaag, W.

    External stimuli and tasks often elicit negative BOLD responses in various brain regions, and growing experimental evidence supports that these phenomena are functionally meaningful. In this work, the high sensitivity available at 7T was explored to map and characterize both positive (PBRs) and

  19. Vibratory response of a mirror support/positioning system for the Advanced Photon Source project at Argonne National Laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Basdogan, I.; Shu, Deming; Kuzay, T.M.; Royston, T.J.; Shabana, A.A.

    1996-01-01

    The vibratory response of a typical mirror support/positioning system used at the experimental station of the Advanced Photon Source (APS) project at Argonne National Laboratory is investigated. Positioning precision and stability are especially critical when the supported mirror directs a high-intensity beam aimed at a distant target. Stability may be compromised by low level, low frequency seismic and facility-originated vibrations traveling through the ground and/or vibrations caused by flow-structure interactions in the mirror cooling system. The example case system has five positioning degrees of freedom through the use of precision actuators and rotary and linear bearings. These linkage devices result in complex, multi-dimensional vibratory behavior that is a function of the range of positioning configurations. A rigorous multibody dynamical approach is used for the development of the system equations. Initial results of the study, including estimates of natural frequencies and mode shapes, as well as limited parametric design studies, are presented. While the results reported here are for a particular system, the developed vibratory analysis approach is applicable to the wide range of high-precision optical positioning systems encountered at the APS and at other comparable facilities

  20. Cerebral vasoreactivity in response to a head-of-bed position change is altered in patients with moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gregori-Pla, Clara; Cotta, Gianluca; Blanco, Igor; Zirak, Peyman; Giovannella, Martina; Mola, Anna; Fortuna, Ana; Durduran, Turgut; Mayos, Mercedes

    2018-01-01

    Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can impair cerebral vasoreactivity and is associated with an increased risk of cerebrovascular disease. Unfortunately, an easy-to-use, non-invasive, portable monitor of cerebral vasoreactivity does not exist. Therefore, we have evaluated the use of near-infrared diffuse correlation spectroscopy to measure the microvascular cerebral blood flow (CBF) response to a mild head-of-bed position change as a biomarker for the evaluation of cerebral vasoreactivity alteration due to chronic OSA. Furthermore, we have monitored the effect of two years of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on the cerebral vasoreactivity. CBF was measured at different head-of-bed position changes (supine to 30° to supine) in sixty-eight patients with OSA grouped according to severity (forty moderate to severe, twenty-eight mild) and in fourteen control subjects without OSA. A subgroup (n = 13) with severe OSA was measured again after two years of CPAP treatment. All patients and controls showed a similar CBF response after changing position from supine to 30° (p = 0.819), with a median (confidence interval) change of -17.5 (-10.3, -22.9)%. However, when being tilted back to the supine position, while the control group (p = 0.091) and the mild patients with OSA (p = 0.227) recovered to the initial baseline, patients with moderate and severe OSA did not recover to the baseline (9.8 (0.8, 12.9)%, p < 0.001) suggesting altered cerebral vasoreactivity. This alteration was correlated with OSA severity defined by the apnea-hypopnea index, and with mean nocturnal arterial oxygen saturation. The CBF response was normalized after two years of CPAP treatment upon follow-up measurements. In conclusion, microvascular CBF response to a head-of-bed challenge measured by diffuse correlation spectroscopy suggests that moderate and severe patients with OSA have altered cerebral vasoreactivity related to OSA severity. This may normalize after two years of CPAP

  1. Excitatory amino acid receptors mediate asymmetry and lateralization in the descending cardiovascular pathways from the dorsomedial hypothalamus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Henrique Xavier

    Full Text Available The dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH and lateral/dorsolateral periaqueductal gray (PAG are anatomically and functionally connected. Both the DMH and PAG depend on glutamatergic inputs for activation. We recently reported that removal of GABA-ergic tone in the unilateral DMH produces: asymmetry, that is, a right- (R- sided predominance in cardiac chronotropism, and lateralization, that is, a greater increase in ipsilateral renal sympathetic activity (RSNA. In the current study, we investigated whether excitatory amino acid (EAA receptors in the DMH-PAG pathway contribute to the functional interhemispheric difference. In urethane (1.2 to 1.4 g/kg, i.p. anesthetized rats, we observed that: (i nanoinjections of N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA 100 pmol/100 nl into the unilateral DMH produced the same right-sided predominance in the control of cardiac chronotropy, (ii nanoinjections of NMDA into the ipsilateral DMH or PAG evoked lateralized RSNA responses, and (iii blockade of EAA receptors in the unilateral DMH attenuated the cardiovascular responses evoked by injection of NMDA into either the R- or left- (L- PAG. In awake rats, nanoinjection of kynurenic acid (1 nmol/100 nL into the L-DMH or R- or L-PAG attenuated the tachycardia evoked by air stress. However, the magnitude of stress-evoked tachycardia was smallest when the EAA receptors of the R-DMH were blocked. We conclude that EAA receptors contribute to the right-sided predominance in cardiac chronotropism. This interhemispheric difference that involves EAA receptors was observed in the DMH but not in the PAG.

  2. Cardiac and Vascular Synergic Protective Effect of Olea europea L. Leaves and Hibiscus sabdariffa L. Flower Extracts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Micucci, Matteo; Gallina Toschi, Tullia; Di Lecce, Giuseppe; Aldini, Rita; Angeletti, Andrea; Chiarini, Alberto

    2015-01-01

    This study was aimed at investigating the cardiovascular effects of an Olea europea L. leaf extract (OEE), of a Hibiscus sabdariffa L. flower extract (HSE), and of their 13 : 2 w/w mixture in order to assess their cardiac and vascular activity. Both extracts were fully characterized in their bioactive compounds by HPLC-MS/MS analysis. The study was performed using primary vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) to investigate the antioxidant and cytoprotective effect of the extracts and their mixture and isolated guinea-pig left and right atria and aorta to evaluate the inotropic and chronotropic activities and vasorelaxant properties. In cultured HUVECs, OEE and HSE reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species formation and improved cell viability, following oxidative stress in dose-dependent manner. OEE and HSE exerted negative inotropic and vasorelaxant effects without any chronotropic property. Interestingly, the mixture exerted higher cytoprotective effects and antioxidant activities. Moreover, the mixture exerted an inotropic effect similar to each single extract, while it revealed an intrinsic negative chronotropic activity different from the single extract; its relaxant activity was higher than that of each single extract. In conclusion OEE and HSE mixture has a good potential for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical application, thanks to the synergistic effects of the single phytochemicals. PMID:26180582

  3. Cardiac and Vascular Synergic Protective Effect of Olea europea L. Leaves and Hibiscus sabdariffa L. Flower Extracts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Micucci, Matteo; Malaguti, Marco; Toschi, Tullia Gallina; Di Lecce, Giuseppe; Aldini, Rita; Angeletti, Andrea; Chiarini, Alberto; Budriesi, Roberta; Hrelia, Silvana

    2015-01-01

    This study was aimed at investigating the cardiovascular effects of an Olea europea L. leaf extract (OEE), of a Hibiscus sabdariffa L. flower extract (HSE), and of their 13 : 2 w/w mixture in order to assess their cardiac and vascular activity. Both extracts were fully characterized in their bioactive compounds by HPLC-MS/MS analysis. The study was performed using primary vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) to investigate the antioxidant and cytoprotective effect of the extracts and their mixture and isolated guinea-pig left and right atria and aorta to evaluate the inotropic and chronotropic activities and vasorelaxant properties. In cultured HUVECs, OEE and HSE reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species formation and improved cell viability, following oxidative stress in dose-dependent manner. OEE and HSE exerted negative inotropic and vasorelaxant effects without any chronotropic property. Interestingly, the mixture exerted higher cytoprotective effects and antioxidant activities. Moreover, the mixture exerted an inotropic effect similar to each single extract, while it revealed an intrinsic negative chronotropic activity different from the single extract; its relaxant activity was higher than that of each single extract. In conclusion OEE and HSE mixture has a good potential for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical application, thanks to the synergistic effects of the single phytochemicals.

  4. The position of a standard optical computer mouse affects cardiorespiratory responses during the operation of a computer under time constraints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sako, Shunji; Sugiura, Hiromichi; Tanoue, Hironori; Kojima, Makoto; Kono, Mitsunobu; Inaba, Ryoichi

    2014-08-01

    This study investigated the association between task-induced stress and fatigue by examining the cardiovascular responses of subjects using different mouse positions while operating a computer under time constraints. The study was participated by 16 young, healthy men and examined the use of optical mouse devices affixed to laptop computers. Two mouse positions were investigated: (1) the distal position (DP), in which the subjects place their forearms on the desk accompanied by the abduction and flexion of their shoulder joints, and (2) the proximal position (PP), in which the subjects place only their wrists on the desk without using an armrest. The subjects continued each task for 16 min. We assessed differences in several characteristics according to mouse position, including expired gas values, autonomic nerve activities (based on cardiorespiratory responses), operating efficiencies (based on word counts), and fatigue levels (based on the visual analog scale - VAS). Oxygen consumption (VO(2)), the ratio of inspiration time to respiration time (T(i)/T(total)), respiratory rate (RR), minute ventilation (VE), and the ratio of expiration to inspiration (Te/T(i)) were significantly lower when the participants were performing the task in the DP than those obtained in the PP. Tidal volume (VT), carbon dioxide output rates (VCO(2)/VE), and oxygen extraction fractions (VO(2)/VE) were significantly higher for the DP than they were for the PP. No significant difference in VAS was observed between the positions; however, as the task progressed, autonomic nerve activities were lower and operating efficiencies were significantly higher for the DP than they were for the PP. Our results suggest that the DP has fewer effects on cardiorespiratory functions, causes lower levels of sympathetic nerve activity and mental stress, and produces a higher total workload than the PP. This suggests that the DP is preferable to the PP when operating a computer.

  5. The processing of unexpected positive response outcomes in the mediofrontal cortex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferdinand, Nicola K; Mecklinger, Axel; Kray, Jutta; Gehring, William J

    2012-08-29

    The human mediofrontal cortex, especially the anterior cingulate cortex, is commonly assumed to contribute to higher cognitive functions like performance monitoring. How exactly this is achieved is currently the subject of lively debate but there is evidence that an event's valence and its expectancy play important roles. One prominent theory, the reinforcement learning theory by Holroyd and colleagues (2002, 2008), assigns a special role to feedback valence, while the prediction of response-outcome (PRO) model by Alexander and Brown (2010, 2011) claims that the mediofrontal cortex is sensitive to unexpected events regardless of their valence. However, paradigms examining this issue have included confounds that fail to separate valence and expectancy. In the present study, we tested the two competing theories of performance monitoring by using an experimental task that separates valence and unexpectedness of performance feedback. The feedback-related negativity of the event-related potential, which is commonly assumed to be a reflection of mediofrontal cortex activity, was elicited not only by unexpected negative feedback, but also by unexpected positive feedback. This implies that the mediofrontal cortex is sensitive to the unexpectedness of events in general rather than their valence and by this supports the PRO model.

  6. Not saying I am happy does not mean I am not: cultural influences on responses to positive affect items in the CES-D.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, Yuri; Kwag, Kyung Hwa; Chiriboga, David A

    2010-11-01

    Given the emphasis on modesty and self-effacement in Asian societies, the present study explored differential item responses for 2 positive affect items (5 = Hopeful and 8 = Happy) on a short form of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale. The samples consisted of elderly non-Hispanic Whites (n = 450), Korean Americans (n = 519), and Koreans (n = 2,030). Multiple Indicator Multiple Cause models were estimated to identify the impact of group membership on responses to the positive affect items while controlling for the latent trait of depressive symptoms. The data revealed that Koreans and Korean Americans were less likely than non-Hispanic Whites to endorse the positive affect items. Compared with Korean Americans who were more acculturated to mainstream American culture, those who were less acculturated were less likely to endorse the positive affect items. Our findings support the notion that the way in which people endorse depressive symptoms is substantially influenced by cultural orientation. These findings call into question the common use of simple mean comparisons and a universal cutoff point across diverse cultural groups.

  7. Why victimology should stay positive: The ongoing need for positive victimology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ronel Natti

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the need for positive victimology and its unique contribution to victimology. Victimology presented a shift in attention and awareness in practice, research and theory, by focusing on victims of crime and of abuse of power, and on victims’ rights and victims’ services. Positive victimology indicates a more specified shift in attention and awareness, within the larger shift of victimology. This shift stands in line with positive psychology, positive criminology and the idea of victims’ victimology. It denotes an approach to provide the following, as much as possible: 1. A wide range of social responses to the victims and their victimization that victims can experience as positive, 2. Positive outcomes of healing and recovery for victims, and 3. Positive integration of victims. Within each of those, positive victimology suggests a pragmatic coordinated system that ranges from definitions of negative poles to those of positive ones. When moving towards the positive pole at any given coordinate, a sense of justice is an important factor that might reduce the impact of the harm. Support is also a crucial factor and at the very positive pole, stands human, inter-personal love.

  8. Red light-induced shift of the fluence-response curve for first positive curvature of maize [Zea mays] coleoptiles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hofmann, E.; Schäfer, E.

    1987-01-01

    The fluence-response curve for first positive phototropic curvture of dark-grown maize coleoptiles is shifted to ten-fold higher fluences if the coieoptiles are irradiated with red light 2 h prior to the phototropic induction with blue light. Fluence-response curves for this red-induced shift were obtained with unilateral red irradiations 2 h prior to inductive blue pulses of different fluences. They differ significantly depending on whether the red light was given from the same side as or the opposite side to the respective inductive blue pulse, thus demonstrating that the red light effect is a local response of the coleoptile. The fluence-response curves for an inductive blue pulse in the ascending part were compared with those for an inductive blue pulse in the descending part of the fluence-response curve for blue light induced phototropism. They are quite different in threshold of red light sensitivity and shape for irradiations from both the same and the opposite sides. This offers evidence for the hypothesis that at least two different photosystems are involved in phototropism, and that they are modulated differently by a red light preirradiation. All these fluence-response curves indicate that it is possible to increase the response in the coleoptile, if the red light preirradiation is given opposite to the inductive blue pulse. This is supported by blue light fluence-response curves obtained after a weak unilateral red preirradiation. (author)

  9. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with trastuzumab in HER2-positive breast cancer: pathologic complete response rate, predictive and prognostic factors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I.P.C. Buzatto

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to retrospectively review the pathologic complete response (pCR rate from patients (n=86 with stage II and III HER2-positive breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy at our institution from 2008 to 2013 and to determine possible predictive and prognostic factors. Immunohistochemistry for hormone receptors and Ki-67 was carried out. Clinical and pathological features were analyzed as predictive factors of response to therapy. For survival analysis, we used Kaplan-Meier curves to estimate 5-year survival rates and the log-rank test to compare the curves. The addition of trastuzumab to neoadjuvant chemotherapy significantly improved pCR rate from 4.8 to 46.8%, regardless of the number of preoperative trastuzumab cycles (P=0.0012. Stage II patients achieved a higher response rate compared to stage III (P=0.03. The disease-free and overall survivals were not significantly different between the group of patients that received trastuzumab in the neoadjuvant setting (56.3 and 70% at 5 years, respectively and the group that initiated it post-operatively (75.8 and 88.7% at 5 years, respectively. Axillary pCR post neoadjuvant chemotherapy with trastuzumab was associated with reduced risk of recurrence (HR=0.34; P=0.03 and death (HR=0.21; P=0.02. In conclusion, we confirmed that trastuzumab improves pCR rates and verified that this improvement occurs even with less than four cycles of the drug. Hormone receptors and Ki-67 expressions were not predictive of response in this subset of patients. Axillary pCR clearly denotes prognosis after neoadjuvant target therapy and should be considered to be a marker of resistance, providing an opportunity to investigate new strategies for HER2-positive treatment.

  10. Reliability, Validity, and Responsiveness of InFLUenza Patient-Reported Outcome (FLU-PRO©) Scores in Influenza-Positive Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Powers, John H; Bacci, Elizabeth D; Guerrero, M Lourdes; Leidy, Nancy Kline; Stringer, Sonja; Kim, Katherine; Memoli, Matthew J; Han, Alison; Fairchok, Mary P; Chen, Wei-Ju; Arnold, John C; Danaher, Patrick J; Lalani, Tahaniyat; Ridoré, Michelande; Burgess, Timothy H; Millar, Eugene V; Hernández, Andrés; Rodríguez-Zulueta, Patricia; Smolskis, Mary C; Ortega-Gallegos, Hilda; Pett, Sarah; Fischer, William; Gillor, Daniel; Macias, Laura Moreno; DuVal, Anna; Rothman, Richard; Dugas, Andrea; Ruiz-Palacios, Guillermo M

    2018-02-01

    To assess the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of InFLUenza Patient-Reported Outcome (FLU-PRO©) scores for quantifying the presence and severity of influenza symptoms. An observational prospective cohort study of adults (≥18 years) with influenza-like illness in the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and South America was conducted. Participants completed the 37-item draft FLU-PRO daily for up to 14 days. Item-level and factor analyses were used to remove items and determine factor structure. Reliability of the final tool was estimated using Cronbach α and intraclass correlation coefficients (2-day reliability). Convergent and known-groups validity and responsiveness were assessed using global assessments of influenza severity and return to usual health. Of the 536 patients enrolled, 221 influenza-positive subjects comprised the analytical sample. The mean age of the patients was 40.7 years, 60.2% were women, and 59.7% were white. The final 32-item measure has six factors/domains (nose, throat, eyes, chest/respiratory, gastrointestinal, and body/systemic), with a higher order factor representing symptom severity overall (comparative fit index = 0.92; root mean square error of approximation = 0.06). Cronbach α was high (total = 0.92; domain range = 0.71-0.87); test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient, day 1-day 2) was 0.83 for total scores and 0.57 to 0.79 for domains. Day 1 FLU-PRO domain and total scores were moderately to highly correlated (≥0.30) with Patient Global Rating of Flu Severity (except nose and throat). Consistent with known-groups validity, scores differentiated severity groups on the basis of global rating (total: F = 57.2, P FLU-PRO score improvement by day 7 than did those who did not, suggesting score responsiveness. Results suggest that FLU-PRO scores are reliable, valid, and responsive to change in influenza-positive adults. Copyright © 2018 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes

  11. Rice homeobox transcription factor HOX1a positively regulates gibberellin responses by directly suppressing EL1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wen, Bi-Qing; Xing, Mei-Qing; Zhang, Hua; Dai, Cheng; Xue, Hong-Wei

    2011-11-01

    Homeobox transcription factors are involved in various aspects of plant development, including maintenance of the biosynthesis and signaling pathways of different hormones. However, few direct targets of homeobox proteins have been identified. We here show that overexpression of rice homeobox gene HOX1a resulted in enhanced gibberellin (GA) response, indicating a positive effect of HOX1a in GA signaling. HOX1a is induced by GA and encodes a homeobox transcription factor with transcription repression activity. In addition, HOX1a suppresses the transcription of early flowering1 (EL1), a negative regulator of GA signaling, and further electrophoretic mobility shift assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that HOX1a directly bound to the promoter region of EL1 to suppress its expression and stimulate GA signaling. These results demonstrate that HOX1a functions as a positive regulator of GA signaling by suppressing EL1, providing informative hints on the study of GA signaling. © 2011 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

  12. Cardiac cAMP: production, hydrolysis, modulation and detection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cédric eBOULARAN

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Cyclic adenosine 3’,5’-monophosphate (cAMP modulates a broad range of biological processes including the regulation of cardiac myocyte contractile function where it constitutes the main second messenger for β-adrenergic receptors’ signaling to fulfill positive chronotropic, inotropic and lusitropic effects. A growing number of studies pinpoint the role of spatial organization of the cAMP signaling as an essential mechanism to regulate cAMP outcomes in cardiac physiology. Here, we will briefly discuss the complexity of cAMP synthesis and degradation in the cardiac context, describe the way to detect it and review the main pharmacological arsenal to modulate its availability.

  13. [The cardioprotective action of the anticonvulsant preparation sodium valproate in disorders of cardiac contractile function caused by acute myocardial infarct in rats].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belkina, L M; Korchazhkina, N B; Kamskova, Iu G; Fomin, N A

    1997-01-01

    The preventive and therapeutical effects of sodium valproate (SV), 200 mg/kg, on cardiac contractile disorders (developed pressure, rate-pressure products, dp/dt) were studied in rats having 2-day myocardial infarction (MI). The postinfarction rather than preinfarction use of SV substantially restricted the depressed resting left ventricular function. Given by two regimens, SV increased cardiac resistance to the maximum isometric load induced by 60-sec ligation of the ascending aorta. The cardioprotective effect of the drug was shown due to its positive chronotropic action rather than its inotropic one. Thus, SV may be used as an effective drug for the prevention and treatment of postinfarct cardiac dysfunctions.

  14. Negative and positive participant responses to the composite international diagnostic interview - Results of the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Graaf, R. de; Have, M.L. ten; Dorsselaer, S.A.F.M. van; Schoemaker, C.G.; Vollebergh, W.A.M.

    2004-01-01

    Little is known about the emotional responses of participants in community surveys to standardised psychiatric interviews like the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). This study investigates the proportion of subjects responding negatively or positively to the CIDI, and identifies

  15. A highly restricted T-cell receptor dominates the CD8+ T-cell response to parvovirus B19 infection in HLA-A*2402-positive individuals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kasprowicz, V; Isa, Adiba; Jeffery, K

    2006-01-01

    Six of seven HLA-A*2402-positive individuals with acute parvovirus B19 infections made vigorous CD8-positive cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) responses to the viral epitope FYTPLADQF. All responders showed highly focused T-cell receptor (TCR) usage, using almost exclusively BV5.1. The BV5.1 TCR dominated...

  16. ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR 96 positively regulates Arabidopsis resistance to necrotrophic pathogens by direct binding to GCC elements of jasmonate - and ethylene-responsive defence genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Catinot, Jérémy; Huang, Jing-Bo; Huang, Pin-Yao; Tseng, Min-Yuan; Chen, Ying-Lan; Gu, Shin-Yuan; Lo, Wan-Sheng; Wang, Long-Chi; Chen, Yet-Ran; Zimmerli, Laurent

    2015-12-01

    The ERF (ethylene responsive factor) family is composed of transcription factors (TFs) that are critical for appropriate Arabidopsis thaliana responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Here we identified and characterized a member of the ERF TF group IX, namely ERF96, that when overexpressed enhances Arabidopsis resistance to necrotrophic pathogens such as the fungus Botrytis cinerea and the bacterium Pectobacterium carotovorum. ERF96 is jasmonate (JA) and ethylene (ET) responsive and ERF96 transcripts accumulation was abolished in JA-insensitive coi1-16 and in ET-insensitive ein2-1 mutants. Protoplast transactivation and electrophoresis mobility shift analyses revealed that ERF96 is an activator of transcription that binds to GCC elements. In addition, ERF96 mainly localized to the nucleus. Microarray analysis coupled to chromatin immunoprecipitation-PCR of Arabidopsis overexpressing ERF96 revealed that ERF96 enhances the expression of the JA/ET defence genes PDF1.2a, PR-3 and PR-4 as well as the TF ORA59 by direct binding to GCC elements present in their promoters. While ERF96-RNAi plants demonstrated wild-type resistance to necrotrophic pathogens, basal PDF1.2 expression levels were reduced in ERF96-silenced plants. This work revealed ERF96 as a key player of the ERF network that positively regulates the Arabidopsis resistance response to necrotrophic pathogens. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Genetic variation in STAT4 predicts response to interferon-α therapy for hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, De-Ke; Wu, Xiaopan; Qian, Ji; Ma, Xiao-Pin; Yang, Jingmin; Li, Zhuo; Wang, Runhua; Sun, Li; Liu, Fang; Zhang, Pengyin; Zhu, Xilin; Wu, Jia; Chen, Kangmei; Conran, Carly; Zheng, S Lilly; Lu, Daru; Yu, Long; Liu, Ying; Xu, Jianfeng

    2016-04-01

    Interferon (IFN)-α is a first-line therapy for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients but only initiates a response in a minority of patients. A genetic variant, rs7574865 in STAT4, was recently reported to be associated with risk of developing CHB and hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma. We aimed to determine whether this variant is associated with the response to IFNα treatment for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive CHB patients. We studied 466 HBeAg-positive CHB patients who received either IFNα-2b (n = 224) or pegylated IFNα-2a (n = 242) therapy for 48 weeks and were followed for an additional 24 weeks. The rate of sustained virologic response (SVR), defined as HBeAg seroconversion along with hepatitis B virus DNA level rs7574865. After 48 weeks of treatment and 24 weeks off treatment, the SVR rates in the IFNα-2b and pegylated IFNα-2a therapy groups were 30.4% and 28.9%, respectively. Compared to the rs7574865 GT/TT genotype, the GG genotype (a risk factor of CHB and hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma) was significantly associated with a reduced SVR rate in both patients who received IFNα-2b therapy (21.1% versus 37.2%, P = 0.01) and those who received pegylated IFNα-2a therapy (18.0% versus 41.2%, P = 9.74 × 10(-5) ). In joint analysis of the 466 patients, the GG genotype was associated with an approximately half SVR rate compared to the GT/TT genotype (19.3% versus 39.1%, P = 4.15 × 10(-6) ). A multivariate logistic regression model including rs7574865 and clinical variables showed that rs7574865 was the most significant factor for the prediction of SVR. STAT4 rs7574865 is a reliable predictor of response to IFNα therapy for HBeAg-positive CHB patients and may be used for optimizing the treatment of CHB. © 2015 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

  18. Lower-limb hot-water immersion acutely induces beneficial hemodynamic and cardiovascular responses in peripheral arterial disease and healthy, elderly controls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Kate N; van Rij, André M; Lucas, Samuel J E; Cotter, James D

    2017-03-01

    Passive heat induces beneficial perfusion profiles, provides substantive cardiovascular strain, and reduces blood pressure, thereby holding potential for healthy and cardiovascular disease populations. The aim of this study was to assess acute responses to passive heat via lower-limb, hot-water immersion in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and healthy, elderly controls. Eleven patients with PAD (age 71 ± 6 yr, 7 male, 4 female) and 10 controls (age 72 ± 7 yr, 8 male, 2 female) underwent hot-water immersion (30-min waist-level immersion in 42.1 ± 0.6°C water). Before, during, and following immersion, brachial and popliteal artery diameter, blood flow, and shear stress were assessed using duplex ultrasound. Lower-limb perfusion was measured also using venous occlusion plethysmography and near-infrared spectroscopy. During immersion, shear rate increased ( P Lower-limb blood flow increased significantly in both groups, as measured from duplex ultrasound (>200%), plethysmography (>100%), and spectroscopy, while central and peripheral pulse-wave velocity decreased in both groups. Mean arterial blood pressure was reduced by 22 ± 9 mmHg (main effect P lower 3 h afterward. In PAD, popliteal shear profiles and claudication both compared favorably with those measured immediately following symptom-limited walking. A 30-min hot-water immersion is a practical means of delivering heat therapy to PAD patients and healthy, elderly individuals to induce appreciable systemic (chronotropic and blood pressure lowering) and hemodynamic (upper and lower-limb perfusion and shear rate increases) responses. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

  19. People newly in love are more responsive to positive feedback.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Cassandra L; Beninger, Richard J

    2012-06-01

    Passionate love is associated with increased activity in dopamine-rich regions of the brain. Increased dopamine in these regions is associated with a greater tendency to learn from reward in trial-and-error learning tasks. This study examined the prediction that individuals who were newly in love would be better at responding to reward (positive feedback). In test trials, people who were newly in love selected positive outcomes significantly more often than their single (not in love) counterparts but were no better at the task overall. This suggests that people who are newly in love show a bias toward responding to positive feedback, which may reflect a general bias towards reward-seeking.

  20. Positive Response Distortion by Police Officer Applicants: Association of Paulhus Deception Scales with MMPI-2 and Inwald Personality Inventory Validity Scales

    Science.gov (United States)

    Detrick, Paul; Chibnall, John T.

    2008-01-01

    Interpretation of positive response distortion (socially desirable responding) in employment evaluations is an important validity issue. This study of police officer applicants examined the construct validity of the Paulhus Deception Scales (PDS)--Moralistic Bias (MB; exaggerated adjustment/agreeableness) and Egoistic Bias (EB; exaggerated…

  1. The position of a standard optical computer mouse affects cardiorespiratory responses during the operation of a computer under time constraints

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shunji Sako

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: This study investigated the association between task-induced stress and fatigue by examining the cardiovascular responses of subjects using different mouse positions while operating a computer under time constraints. Material and Methods: The study was participated by 16 young, healthy men and examined the use of optical mouse devices affixed to laptop computers. Two mouse positions were investigated: (1 the distal position (DP, in which the subjects place their forearms on the desk accompanied by the abduction and flexion of their shoulder joints, and (2 the proximal position (PP, in which the subjects place only their wrists on the desk without using an armrest. The subjects continued each task for 16 min. We assessed differences in several characteristics according to mouse position, including expired gas values, autonomic nerve activities (based on cardiorespiratory responses, operating efficiencies (based on word counts, and fatigue levels (based on the visual analog scale – VAS. Results: Oxygen consumption (VO2, the ratio of inspiration time to respiration time (Ti/Ttotal, respiratory rate (RR, minute ventilation (VE, and the ratio of expiration to inspiration (Te/Ti were significantly lower when the participants were performing the task in the DP than those obtained in the PP. Tidal volume (VT, carbon dioxide output rates (VCO2/VE, and oxygen extraction fractions (VO2/VE were significantly higher for the DP than they were for the PP. No significant difference in VAS was observed between the positions; however, as the task progressed, autonomic nerve activities were lower and operating efficiencies were significantly higher for the DP than they were for the PP. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the DP has fewer effects on cardiorespiratory functions, causes lower levels of sympathetic nerve activity and mental stress, and produces a higher total workload than the PP. This suggests that the DP is preferable to the PP when

  2. Debt as an Urban Chronotrope in Mongolia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Morten Axel

    2017-01-01

    . With the transition to capitalism in the 1990s, both the number of debt obligations and the size of loans expanded dramatically, without being subject to similar curtailment or other formalization. The result is that ‘no one pays back what they owe’, as people complain. Departing from the seemingly peculiar fact...... that people nonetheless keep on lending others money – including debtors they hardly know or with a bad reputation – I argue that debt has acquired a gift-like nature in Ulaanbaatar, and show how the temporality of such ‘generalized debt’ is inseparable from the neo-liberal deregulation of residential spaces...

  3. Position indicating device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fellchenfeld, M.M.; Connors, G.R.

    1987-01-01

    This patent describes a position indicating device for producing an indication of the position of a displaceable structure comprising: a position representing member mounted for movement in response to displacement of the structure; sensing elements spaced apart along the defined path such that each element is associated with a respective location along the defined path; means operatively coupling the elements into respective pairs of elements, having, for each pair of elements, an output producing a signal only when a single element of its respective pair is responding to the presence of the member; signal producing members each operative for producing a signal representing a predetermined logic state in response to a predetermined input signal, the number of the signal producing members being smaller than the number of the sensing elements; and circuit means operatively connecting the outputs to the signal producing members for causing a signal at each output to produce a predetermined input signal at a corresponding signal producing member and for causing a predetermined input signal to be produced at least one the signal producing member whenever a signal is present at either one of at least two of the outputs

  4. Anterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and positional downbeating nystagmus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopez-Escamez, Jose A; Molina, Maria I; Gamiz, Maria J

    2006-01-01

    The aim of this study was to describe the clinical features and video-oculographic findings in patients with anterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). This is a prospective case series. The study was set at an outpatient clinic in a general hospital. Fourteen individuals with symptoms of BPPV and positional downbeating nystagmus (pDBN) were included in the study. The diagnosis was based on a history of brief episodes of vertigo and the presence of pDBN confirmed in the video-oculographic examination during Dix-Hallpike test (DH) or head-hanging maneuver. Patients were treated by particle repositioning maneuver and the effectiveness was evaluated at 7, 30, and 180 days posttreatment. The treatment was repeated up to 4 times if pDBN was persistent. The main outcome measure is the number of patients without pDBN at 30 and 180 days. Video-oculography showed a predominant pDBN in response to DH. Of the 14 patients, 7 had arterial hypertension, and 5 of 14 cases presented abnormalities on the caloric test. Horizontal spontaneous nystagmus was found in 3 of 14 individuals. Positional nystagmus at different positional test was observed in 5 of 14 individuals, suggesting the involvement of several canals. Of the 14 patients, 10 (71%) did not present vertigo, and the positional tests were negative at 30 days. However, 3 cases presented a positive DH with persistence of BPPV episodes and pDBN at 30 days, and another developed a contralateral posterior canal affectation. One of the patients maintained a persistent pDBN at 180 days despite the repeated maneuvers. Video-oculography demonstrates that anterior canal BPPV is characterized by a predominant downbeating nystagmus in response to DH. These individuals may show alterations in the vestibular caloric, and they can have multicanal affectation.

  5. HER2-positive breast cancer: {sup 18}F-FDG PET for early prediction of response to trastuzumab plus taxane-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Humbert, Olivier; Brunotte, Francois [Centre GF Leclerc, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Dijon (France); CHU Le Bocage, Imaging Department, Dijon (France); Universite de Bourgogne, UMR CNRS 5158, Dijon (France); Cochet, Alexandre [Centre GF Leclerc, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Dijon (France); Universite de Bourgogne, UMR CNRS 5158, Dijon (France); Riedinger, Jean-Marc [Centre GF Leclerc, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Dijon (France); Centre GF Leclerc, Department of Biology and Pathology, Dijon (France); Berriolo-Riedinger, Alina; Toubeau, Michel; Dygai-Cochet, Inna [Centre GF Leclerc, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Dijon (France); Arnould, Laurent [Centre GF Leclerc, Department of Biology and Pathology, Dijon (France); Coudert, Bruno; Desmoulins, Isabelle; Guiu, Severine; Fumoleau, Pierre [Centre GF Leclerc, Department of Medical Oncology, Dijon (France); Coutant, Charles [Centre GF Leclerc, Department of Surgery, Dijon (France)

    2014-08-15

    To investigate the value of {sup 18}F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ({sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT) to predict a pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in women with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer. Fifty-seven consecutive women with HER2-positive breast cancer, treated with trastuzumab plus taxane-based NAC, were prospectively included. Maximum Standardized Uptake Value of the primary tumor and axillary nodes were measured at baseline (PET{sub 1}.SUV{sub max}) and after the first course of NAC (PET{sub 2}.SUV{sub max}). Tumor metabolic volumes were assessed to determine Total Lesion Glycolysis (TLG). The tumor metabolic response (ΔSUV{sub max} and ΔTLG) was calculated. In univariate analysis, negative hormonal receptor status (p = 0.04), high tumor grade (p = 0.03), and low tumor PET{sub 2}.SUV{sub max} (p = 0.001) were predictive of pCR. Tumor ΔSUV{sub max} correlated with pCR (p = 0.03), provided that tumors with low metabolic activity at baseline were excluded. ΔTLG did not correlate with pCR. In multivariate analysis, tumor PET{sub 2}.SUV{sub max} < 2.1 was the best independent predictive factor (Odds ratio =14.3; p = 0.004) with both negative and positive predictive values of 76 %. Although the metabolic features of the primary tumor did not depend on hormonal receptor status, both the baseline metabolism and early response of axillary nodes were higher if estrogen receptors were not expressed (p = 0.01 and p = 0.03, respectively). In HER2-positive breast cancer, very low tumor residual metabolism after the first cycle of NAC (SUV{sub max} < 2.1) was the main predictor of pCR. These results should be further explored in multicenter studies and incorporated into the design of clinical trials. (orig.)

  6. Position reconstruction in LUX

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akerib, D. S.; Alsum, S.; Araújo, H. M.; Bai, X.; Bailey, A. J.; Balajthy, J.; Beltrame, P.; Bernard, E. P.; Bernstein, A.; Biesiadzinski, T. P.; Boulton, E. M.; Brás, P.; Byram, D.; Cahn, S. B.; Carmona-Benitez, M. C.; Chan, C.; Currie, A.; Cutter, J. E.; Davison, T. J. R.; Dobi, A.; Druszkiewicz, E.; Edwards, B. N.; Fallon, S. R.; Fan, A.; Fiorucci, S.; Gaitskell, R. J.; Genovesi, J.; Ghag, C.; Gilchriese, M. G. D.; Hall, C. R.; Hanhardt, M.; Haselschwardt, S. J.; Hertel, S. A.; Hogan, D. P.; Horn, M.; Huang, D. Q.; Ignarra, C. M.; Jacobsen, R. G.; Ji, W.; Kamdin, K.; Kazkaz, K.; Khaitan, D.; Knoche, R.; Larsen, N. A.; Lenardo, B. G.; Lesko, K. T.; Lindote, A.; Lopes, M. I.; Manalaysay, A.; Mannino, R. L.; Marzioni, M. F.; McKinsey, D. N.; Mei, D.-M.; Mock, J.; Moongweluwan, M.; Morad, J. A.; Murphy, A. St. J.; Nehrkorn, C.; Nelson, H. N.; Neves, F.; O'Sullivan, K.; Oliver-Mallory, K. C.; Palladino, K. J.; Pease, E. K.; Rhyne, C.; Shaw, S.; Shutt, T. A.; Silva, C.; Solmaz, M.; Solovov, V. N.; Sorensen, P.; Sumner, T. J.; Szydagis, M.; Taylor, D. J.; Taylor, W. C.; Tennyson, B. P.; Terman, P. A.; Tiedt, D. R.; To, W. H.; Tripathi, M.; Tvrznikova, L.; Uvarov, S.; Velan, V.; Verbus, J. R.; Webb, R. C.; White, J. T.; Whitis, T. J.; Witherell, M. S.; Wolfs, F. L. H.; Xu, J.; Yazdani, K.; Young, S. K.; Zhang, C.

    2018-02-01

    The (x, y) position reconstruction method used in the analysis of the complete exposure of the Large Underground Xenon (LUX) experiment is presented. The algorithm is based on a statistical test that makes use of an iterative method to recover the photomultiplier tube (PMT) light response directly from the calibration data. The light response functions make use of a two dimensional functional form to account for the photons reflected on the inner walls of the detector. To increase the resolution for small pulses, a photon counting technique was employed to describe the response of the PMTs. The reconstruction was assessed with calibration data including 83mKr (releasing a total energy of 41.5 keV) and 3H (β- with Q = 18.6 keV) decays, and a deuterium-deuterium (D-D) neutron beam (2.45 MeV) . Within the detector's fiducial volume, the reconstruction has achieved an (x, y) position uncertainty of σ = 0.82 cm and σ = 0.17 cm for events of only 200 and 4,000 detected electroluminescence photons respectively. Such signals are associated with electron recoils of energies ~0.25 keV and ~10 keV, respectively. The reconstructed position of the smallest events with a single electron emitted from the liquid surface (22 detected photons) has a horizontal (x, y) uncertainty of 2.13 cm.

  7. Downsizing of health-system pharmacist positions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kahaleh, A A; Siganga, W; Holiday-Goodman, M; Lively, B T

    1998-11-15

    The effects of downsizing on institutional pharmacists were studied. A national mail survey was sent to a random sample of 533 members of ASHP in January 1997. The questionnaire was designed to determine (1) the influence of selected factors on the downsizing of pharmacist positions and (2) pharmacists' attitudes about downsizing. A total of 256 usable questionnaires were received, for a net response rate of 48%. Forty-four pharmacists, or 17%, had personally been affected by downsizing. Sixty-one percent of the pharmacists affected by downsizing had had administrative positions. After downsizing, only 32% of the pharmacists had an administrative position. Most of the pharmacists were currently employed. Thirty-five (79%) described their current job responsibilities as substantially changed. Two thirds made the same salaries or higher salaries. Pharmacists who had been downsized rated mergers, the impact of managed care, and the profit motive as the most influential causes of downsizing of pharmacist positions. The three most common negative comments about the impact of downsizing cited reduction in the quality of patient care, increased stress, and lowered morale. Most of the pharmacists believed that communication skills, education, cross-training, and clinical skills are keys to surviving downsizing. Most pharmacists whose positions were downsized said they went on to jobs with similar or higher salaries and substantially different responsibilities.

  8. Is the lateral jack-knife position responsible for cases of transient neurapraxia?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molinares, Diana Margarita; Davis, Timothy T; Fung, Daniel A; Liu, John Chung-Liang; Clark, Stephen; Daily, David; Mok, James M

    2016-01-01

    The lateral jack-knife position is often used during transpsoas surgery to improve access to the spine. Postoperative neurological signs and symptoms are very common after such procedures, and the mechanism is not adequately understood. The objective of this study is to assess if the lateral jack-knife position alone can cause neurapraxia. This study compares neurological status at baseline and after positioning in the 25° right lateral jack-knife (RLJK) and the right lateral decubitus (RLD) position. Fifty healthy volunteers, ages 21 to 35, were randomly assigned to one of 2 groups: Group A (RLD) and Group B (RLJK). Motor and sensory testing was performed prior to positioning. Subjects were placed in the RLD or RLJK position, according to group assignment, for 60 minutes. Motor testing was performed immediately after this 60-minute period and again 60 minutes thereafter. Sensory testing was performed immediately after the 60-minute period and every 15 minutes thereafter, for a total of 5 times. Motor testing was performed by a physical therapist who was blinded to group assignment. A follow-up call was made 7 days after the positioning sessions. Motor deficits were observed in the nondependent lower limb in 100% of the subjects in Group B, and no motor deficits were seen in Group A. Statistically significant differences (p knife positioning for 60 minutes results in neurapraxia of the nondependent lower extremity. Our results support the hypothesis that jack-knife positioning alone can cause postoperative neurological symptoms.

  9. CSR Position in the Top Management Team

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Strand, Robert

    Recently, a number of positions with corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the position title have been introduced to the top management teams (TMTs) of some of the world’s largest corporations. I explore this phenomenon. I revisit 10 such positions identified in a previous study to add...

  10. Comparative study between atropine and hyoscine-N-butylbromide for reversal of detomidine induced bradycardia in horses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pimenta, E L M; Teixeira Neto, F J; Sá, P A; Pignaton, W; Garofalo, N A

    2011-05-01

    Bradycardia may be implicated as a cause of cardiovascular instability during anaesthesia. Hyoscine would induce positive chronotropism of shorter duration than atropine, without adversely impairing intestinal motility in detomidine sedated horses. Ten minutes after detomidine (0.02 mg/kg bwt, i.v.), physiological saline (control), atropine (0.02 mg/kg bwt) or hyoscine (0.2 mg/kg bwt) were randomly administered i.v. to 6 horses, allowing one week intervals between treatments. Investigators blinded to the treatments monitored cardiopulmonary data and intestinal auscultation for 90 min and 24 h after detomidine, respectively. Gastrointestinal transit was assessed for 96 h via chromium detection in dry faeces. Detomidine significantly decreased heart rate (HR) and cardiac index (CI) from baseline for 30 and 60 min, respectively (control). Mean ± s.d. HR increased significantly 5 min after atropine (79 ± 5 beats/min) and hyoscine (75 ± 8 beats/min). After this time, HR was significantly higher after atropine in comparison to other treatments, while hyoscine resulted in intermediate values (lower than atropine but higher than controls). Hyoscine and atropine resulted in significantly higher CI than controls for 5 and 20 min, respectively; but this effect coincided with significant hypertension (mean arterial pressures >180 mmHg). Auscultation scores decreased from baseline in all treatments. Time to return to auscultation scores ≥12 (medians) did not differ between hyoscine (4 h) and controls (4 h) but atropine resulted in significantly longer time (10 h). Atropine induced colic in one horse. Gastrointestinal transit times did not differ between treatments. Hyoscine is a shorter acting positive chronotropic agent than atropine, but does not potentiate the impairment in intestinal motility induced by detomidine. Because of severe hypertension, routine use of anticholinergics combined with detomidine is not recommended. Hyoscine may represent an alternative to

  11. Muscle metaboreflex control of the circulation during exercise

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boushel, Robert Christopher

    2010-01-01

    . It can both elevate and decrease muscle blood flow depending on (1) the intensity and mode of contraction, (2) the limb in which the reflex is evoked, (3) the strength of the signal defined by the muscle mass, (4) the extent to which blood flow is redistributed from inactive vascular beds to increase......This review covers the control of blood pressure, cardiac output and muscle blood flow by the muscle metaboreflex which involves chemically sensitive nerves located in muscle parenchyma activated by metabolites accumulating in the muscle during contraction. The efferent response to metaboreflex...... activation is an increase in sympathetic nerve activity that constricts the systemic vasculature and also evokes parallel inotropic and chronotropic effects on the heart to increase cardiac output. The metaboreflex elicits a significant blood pressure elevating response during exercise and functions...

  12. Diastolic and autonomic dysfunction in early cirrhosis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dahl, Emilie Kristine; Møller, Søren; Kjær, Andreas

    2014-01-01

    OBJECTIVE. Presence of cardiac dysfunction in patients with advanced cirrhosis is widely accepted, but data in early stages of cirrhosis are limited. Systolic and diastolic functions, dynamics of QT-interval, and pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (pro-ANP) are investigated in patients with early stage...... cirrhosis during maximal β-adrenergic drive. MATERIAL AND METHODS. Nineteen patients with Child A (n = 12) and Child B cirrhosis (n = 7) and seven matched controls were studied during cardiac stress induced by increasing dosages of dobutamine and atropine. RESULTS. Pharmacological responsiveness was similar...... indicate that patients with early stage cirrhosis exhibit early diastolic and autonomic dysfunction as well as elevated pro-ANP. However, the cardiac chronotropic and inotropic responses to dobutamine stress were normal. The dynamics of ventricular repolarization appears normal in patients with early stage...

  13. Arabidopsis calcium-dependent protein kinase AtCPK1 plays a positive role in salt/drought-stress response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Kui; Peng, Lu; Liu, Yingying; Yao, Rundong; Liu, Zhibin; Li, Xufeng; Yang, Yi; Wang, Jianmei

    2018-03-25

    The calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) play vital roles in plant response to various environmental stimuli. Here, we investigated the function of Arabidopsis AtCPK1 in response to salt and drought stress. The loss-of-function cpk1 mutant displayed hypersensitive to salt and drought stress, whereas overexpressing AtCPK1 in Arabidopsis plants significantly enhanced the resistance to salt or drought stress. The reduced or elevated tolerance of cpk1 mutant and AtCPK1-overexpressing lines was confirmed by the changes of proline, malondialdehyde (MDA) and H 2 O 2 . Real-time PCR analysis revealed that the expression of several stress-inducible genes (RD29A, COR15A, ZAT10, APX2) down-regulated in cpk1 mutant and up-regulated in AtCPK1-overexpressing plants. These results are likely to indicate that AtCPK1 positively regulates salt and drought stress in Arabidopsis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Development of X-Y servo pneumatic-piezoelectric hybrid actuators for position control with high response, large stroke and nanometer accuracy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiang, Mao-Hsiung

    2010-01-01

    This study aims to develop a X-Y dual-axial intelligent servo pneumatic-piezoelectric hybrid actuator for position control with high response, large stroke (250 mm, 200 mm) and nanometer accuracy (20 nm). In each axis, the rodless pneumatic actuator serves to position in coarse stroke and the piezoelectric actuator compensates in fine stroke. Thus, the overall control systems of the single axis become a dual-input single-output (DISO) system. Although the rodless pneumatic actuator has relatively larger friction force, it has the advantage of mechanism for multi-axial development. Thus, the X-Y dual-axial positioning system is developed based on the servo pneumatic-piezoelectric hybrid actuator. In addition, the decoupling self-organizing fuzzy sliding mode control is developed as the intelligent control strategies. Finally, the proposed novel intelligent X-Y dual-axial servo pneumatic-piezoelectric hybrid actuators are implemented and verified experimentally.

  15. Development of X-Y Servo Pneumatic-Piezoelectric Hybrid Actuators for Position Control with High Response, Large Stroke and Nanometer Accuracy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mao-Hsiung Chiang

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to develop a X-Y dual-axial intelligent servo pneumatic-piezoelectric hybrid actuator for position control with high response, large stroke (250 mm, 200 mm and nanometer accuracy (20 nm. In each axis, the rodless pneumatic actuator serves to position in coarse stroke and the piezoelectric actuator compensates in fine stroke. Thus, the overall control systems of the single axis become a dual-input single-output (DISO system. Although the rodless pneumatic actuator has relatively larger friction force, it has the advantage of mechanism for multi-axial development. Thus, the X-Y dual-axial positioning system is developed based on the servo pneumatic-piezoelectric hybrid actuator. In addition, the decoupling self-organizing fuzzy sliding mode control is developed as the intelligent control strategies. Finally, the proposed novel intelligent X-Y dual-axial servo pneumatic-piezoelectric hybrid actuators are implemented and verified experimentally.

  16. Decreased background parenchymal enhancement of the contralateral breast after two cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy is associated with tumor response in HER2-positive breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    You, Chao; Gu, Yajia; Peng, Wen; Li, Jianwei; Shen, Xuxia; Liu, Guangyu; Peng, Weijun

    2018-07-01

    Background Several recent studies have focused on the association between background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) and tumor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), but early prediction of tumor response based on BPE has yet not been investigated. Purpose To retrospectively investigate whether changes in the BPE of the contralateral breast following NAC could help predict tumor response in early stage HER2-positive breast cancer. Material and Methods Data from 71 patients who were diagnosed with unilateral HER2 positive breast cancer and then underwent NAC with trastuzumab before surgery were analyzed retrospectively. Two experienced radiologists independently categorized the patients' levels of BPE of the contralateral breast into four categories (1 = minimal, 2 = mild, 3 = moderate, 4 = marked) at baseline and after the second cycle of NAC. After undergoing surgery, 34 patients achieved pathologic complete response (pCR) and 37 patients had residual disease (non-pCR). The association between BPE and histopathologic tumor response was analyzed. Result The level of BPE was higher in premenopausal than post-menopausal women both at baseline and after the second cycle of NAC ( P < 0.005). A significant reduction in BPE ( P < 0.001) was observed after the second NAC cycle; however, a more obvious decrease in BPE was identified in premenopausal relative to post-menopausal women ( P = 0.041). No significant association was identified between pCR and baseline BPE ( P = 0.287). However, after the second NAC cycle, decreased BPE was significantly associated with pCR ( P = 0.003). Conclusion For HER2-positive patients, changes in BPE may serve as an additional imaging biomarker of treatment response at an early stage.

  17. Addressing False Positives in Early Reading Assessment Using Intervention Response Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    McAlenney, Athena Lentini; Coyne, Michael D.

    2015-01-01

    The current study examined a solution to high false positive reading risk classification rates in early kindergarten by investigating a method of identifying students with possible false positive risk classifications and returning them to general classroom instruction. Researchers assessed kindergarten students (N = 105) identified as at risk who…

  18. When compliments fail to flatter: American individualism and responses to positive stereotypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siy, John Oliver; Cheryan, Sapna

    2013-01-01

    Five studies show that being the target of a positive stereotype is a negative interpersonal experience for those from individualistic cultures because positive stereotypes interfere with their desire to be seen as individuals separate from their groups. U.S.-born Asian Americans and women who heard a positive stereotype about their group in an intergroup interaction (e.g., "Asians are good at math," "women are nurturing") derogated their partner and experienced greater negative emotions than those who heard no stereotype. Negative reactions were mediated by a sense of being depersonalized, or "lumped together" with others in one's group, by the positive stereotype (Studies 1-3). Cross-cultural differences (Study 4) and an experimental manipulation of cultural self-construal (Study 5) demonstrated that those with an independent self-construal reacted more negatively to positive stereotypes than those with an interdependent self-construal. By bringing together research on stereotypes from the target's perspective with research on culture, this work demonstrates how cultural self-construals inform the way people interpret and respond to being the target of positive stereotypes.

  19. Maintaining positive

    OpenAIRE

    Gheorghe Gh. IONESCU; Adina Letitia NEGRUSA

    2004-01-01

    Maintaining positive work-force relationships includes in effective labor-management relations and making appropriate responses to current employee issues. Among the major current employee issues are protection from arbitrary dismissal, drug and alcohol abuse, privacy rights and family maters and they impact work. In our paper we discus two problems: first, the meanings of industrial democracy; second, the three principal operational concepts of industrial democracy (1) industrial democracy t...

  20. THE POSITION OF STATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION BY CORPORATE : The Legal Studies of Implementation Paradigm Polluter Pay Principle in Environmental Law Enforcement in Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maret Priyanta

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The development activities is one of the government's efforts in order to realize a fairness and prosperous for the society. The natural resources management through the business activities carried out by the corporation, became one of the important factors in the success of national development. One of the impacts of development activities on the environment is the environmental pollution because of the utilization of natural resources. The pollution has caused a decrease in the quality of human life and other living creatures. Differences paradigm or way people view the polluter pays principle and the position of the responsibility of States to discredit the corporation still there is a difference of view and understanding. It is see from the practice of application of the Social and Environmental Responsibility (TJSL, which seems to have been removing corporate responsibility and involvement allocationof State budget revenue and expenditure of the State to penangulangan pollution, which performed by the corporation. This has led to uncertainty in the law enforcement environment in Indonesia. This study aimed to describe the problem from the legal aspect and theory in relation to the position of state responsibility and corporate environmental pollution in the environmental legal system. This study uses normative juridical approach, through the method of approach to legislation, the conceptual approach, and an analytical approach. The scope of this normative juridical research includes the study of the principles and theory of law. Paradigm reform of the principles of pollution should be change or reform based on theory of law, whereby the position and extent of responsibility of states and corporations definitely be regulated in the Indonesia environmental legal system.

  1. History of childhood adversity is positively associated with ventral striatal dopamine responses to amphetamine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oswald, Lynn M; Wand, Gary S; Kuwabara, Hiroto; Wong, Dean F; Zhu, Shijun; Brasic, James R

    2014-06-01

    Childhood exposure to severe or chronic trauma is an important risk factor for the later development of adult mental health problems, such as substance abuse. Even in nonclinical samples of healthy adults, persons with a history of significant childhood adversity seem to experience greater psychological distress than those without this history. Evidence from rodent studies suggests that early life stress may impair dopamine function in ways that increase risks for drug abuse. However, the degree to which these findings translate to other species remains unclear. This study was conducted to examine associations between childhood adversity and dopamine and subjective responses to amphetamine in humans. Following intake assessment, 28 healthy male and female adults, aged 18-29 years, underwent two consecutive 90-min positron emission tomography studies with high specific activity [(11)C]raclopride. The first scan was preceded by intravenous saline; the second by amphetamine (AMPH 0.3 mg/kg). Consistent with prior literature, findings showed positive associations between childhood trauma and current levels of perceived stress. Moreover, greater number of traumatic events and higher levels of perceived stress were each associated with higher ventral striatal dopamine responses to AMPH. Findings of mediation analyses further showed that a portion of the relationship between childhood trauma and dopamine release may be mediated by perceived stress. Overall, results are consistent with preclinical findings suggesting that early trauma may lead to enhanced sensitivity to psychostimulants and that this mechanism may underlie increased vulnerability for drug abuse.

  2. CCR6-dependent positioning of memory B cells is essential for their ability to mount a recall response to antigen

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elgueta, Raul; Marks, Ellen; Nowak, Elizabeth; Menezes, Shinelle; Benson, Micah; Raman, Vanitha S.; Ortiz, Carla; O’Connell, Samuel; Hess, Henry; Lord, Graham M.; Noelle, Randolph

    2014-01-01

    Chemokine-dependent localization of specific B cell subsets within the immune microarchitecture is essential to insure successful cognate interactions. While cognate interactions between T cells and memory B cells (Bmem)5 are essential for the secondary humoral immune responses, the chemokine response patterns of Bmem cells are largely unknown. In contrast to naïve B cells, this study shows that antigen-specific Bmem cells have heightened expression of CCR6 and a selective chemotactic response to the CCR6 ligand, CCL20. While CCR6 appears be non-essential for the initial clonal expansion and maintenance of Bmem, CCR6 is essential for the ability of Bmem to respond to a recall response to their cognate antigen. This dependency was deemed intrinsic by studies in CCR6-deficient mice and in bone-marrow chimeric mice where CCR6 deficiency was limited to the B cell lineage. Finally, the mis-positioning of CCR6-deficient Bmem was revealed by immunohistological analysis with an altered distribution of CCR6-deficient Bmem from the marginal and perifollicular to the follicular/germinal center area. PMID:25505290

  3. Job-sharing a clinical teacher's position: an evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, S; Murphy, L

    1994-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects on staff of having two teachers share one clinical teaching position in their intensive care unit (ICU). Three, six and 12 months after the job-sharing arrangement was initiated, an 11 item questionnaire was distributed to 26 students in post-registration critical care courses, 41 clinical staff in ICU and 9 RN-managers with responsibilities for the unit. The overall response rate to the three questionnaires was 58%. All groups agreed that job-sharing was a viable alternative to full-time work. Three months after the shared position was initiated, there was uncertainty about the consistency of the teachers' performance and the adequacy of communication between them. Nine months later, there was a high level of positive responses to all areas of the teachers' performance. Most respondents felt they could approach either teacher and that more diverse ideas were generated by having two people in the teaching position.

  4. a Continuous-Time Positive Linear System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kyungsup Kim

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper discusses a computational method to construct positive realizations with sparse matrices for continuous-time positive linear systems with multiple complex poles. To construct a positive realization of a continuous-time system, we use a Markov sequence similar to the impulse response sequence that is used in the discrete-time case. The existence of the proposed positive realization can be analyzed with the concept of a polyhedral convex cone. We provide a constructive algorithm to compute positive realizations with sparse matrices of some positive systems under certain conditions. A sufficient condition for the existence of a positive realization, under which the proposed constructive algorithm works well, is analyzed.

  5. Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play

    OpenAIRE

    Tremblay, Mark S.; Gray, Casey; Babcock, Shawna; Barnes, Joel; Costas Bradstreet, Christa; Carr, Dawn; Chabot, Guylaine; Choquette, Louise; Chorney, David; Collyer, Cam; Herrington, Susan; Janson, Katherine; Janssen, Ian; Larouche, Richard; Pickett, William

    2015-01-01

    A diverse, cross-sectorial group of partners, stakeholders and researchers, collaborated to develop an evidence-informed Position Statement on active outdoor play for children aged 3–12 years. The Position Statement was created in response to practitioner, academic, legal, insurance and public debate, dialogue and disagreement on the relative benefits and harms of active (including risky) outdoor play. The Position Statement development process was informed by two systematic reviews, a critic...

  6. Market segmentation and positioning: matching creativity with fiscal responsibility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiener, M E

    1989-01-01

    This paper describes an approach to continuing professional education (CPE) program development in nursing within a university environment that utilizes the concepts of market segmentation and positioning. Use of these strategies enables the academic CPE enterprise to move beyond traditional needs assessment practices to create more successful and better-managed CPE programs.

  7. Ranking low, feeling high: How hierarchical position and experienced power promote prosocial behavior in response to procedural justice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Dijke, Marius; De Cremer, David; Langendijk, Gerben; Anderson, Cameron

    2018-02-01

    Research shows that power can lead to prosocial behavior by facilitating the behavioral expression of dispositional prosocial motivation. However, it is not clear how power may facilitate responses to contextual factors that promote prosocial motivation. Integrating fairness heuristic theory and the situated focus theory of power, we argue that in particular, organization members in lower (vs. higher) hierarchical positions who simultaneously experience a high (vs. low) sense of power respond with prosocial behavior to 1 important antecedent of prosocial motivation, that is, the enactment of procedural justice. The results from a multisource survey among employees and their leaders from various organizations (Study 1) and an experiment using a public goods dilemma (Study 2) support this prediction. Three subsequent experiments (Studies 3-5) show that this effect is mediated by perceptions of authority trustworthiness. Taken together, this research (a) helps resolve the debate regarding whether power promotes or undermines prosocial behavior, (b) demonstrates that hierarchical position and the sense of power can have very different effects on processes that are vital to the functioning of an organization, and (c) helps solve ambiguity regarding the roles of hierarchical position and power in fairness heuristic theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  8. Introducing the religio-centric positional advantage to Indonesian small businesses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hendar Hendar

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available With a focus on small religion-based businesses in Indonesia, this research examines whether marketing innovativeness, customers responsiveness and competitors′ responsiveness can improve marketing performance. A conceptual model on the correlation of these three variables with religio-centric positional advantage and marketing performance is examined by using structural equation model. For this purpose 335 small businesses of Islamic Fashion had been studied using purposive sampling from 11 regencies/cities in Central Java (Indonesia. The results showed that (1 small companies in these market segments based on religion is likely to have better marketing performance when they have the Religio-centric positional advantage, (2 The increase in marketing innovativeness, CuR and CoR is required to improve and maintain religio-centric positional advantage, and (3 religio-centric positional advantage is definitely a mediator in the correlation of marketing innovativeness, customer responsiveness and competitors responsiveness with marketing performance.

  9. Longer inter-lead electrical delay is associated with response to cardiac resynchronization therapy in patients with presumed optimal left ventricular lead position

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sommer, Anders; Kronborg, Mads Brix; Nørgaard, Bjarne Linde

    2018-01-01

    was defined as ≥15% reduction in LV end-systolic volume at 6 months follow-up. Selecting a practical IED cut-off value of 100 ms, more patients with long IED than patients with short IED responded to CRT (87 vs. 68%; P = 0.004). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, IED ≥100 ms remained associated...... LV lead position. Conclusion: A longer IED was associated with more pronounced LV reverse remodelling response in CRT recipients with a presumed optimal LV lead position concordant or adjacent to the latest mechanically activated non-scarred segment....

  10. Counterbalancing Regulation in Response Memory of a Positively Autoregulated Two-Component System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Rong; Godfrey, Katherine A; Sufian, Mahir A; Stock, Ann M

    2017-09-15

    Fluctuations in nutrient availability often result in recurrent exposures to the same stimulus conditions. The ability to memorize the past event and use the "memory" to make adjustments to current behaviors can lead to a more efficient adaptation to the recurring stimulus. A short-term phenotypic memory can be conferred via carryover of the response proteins to facilitate the recurrent response, but the additional accumulation of response proteins can lead to a deviation from response homeostasis. We used the Escherichia coli PhoB/PhoR two-component system (TCS) as a model system to study how cells cope with the recurrence of environmental phosphate (Pi) starvation conditions. We discovered that "memory" of prior Pi starvation can exert distinct effects through two regulatory pathways, the TCS signaling pathway and the stress response pathway. Although carryover of TCS proteins can lead to higher initial levels of transcription factor PhoB and a faster initial response in prestarved cells than in cells not starved, the response enhancement can be overcome by an earlier and greater repression of promoter activity in prestarved cells due to the memory of the stress response. The repression counterbalances the carryover of the response proteins, leading to a homeostatic response whether or not cells are prestimulated. A computational model based on sigma factor competition was developed to understand the memory of stress response and to predict the homeostasis of other PhoB-regulated response proteins. Our insight into the history-dependent PhoBR response may provide a general understanding of how TCSs respond to recurring stimuli and adapt to fluctuating environmental conditions. IMPORTANCE Bacterial cells in their natural environments experience scenarios that are far more complex than are typically replicated in laboratory experiments. The architectures of signaling systems and the integration of multiple adaptive pathways have evolved to deal with such complexity

  11. Counterbalancing Regulation in Response Memory of a Positively Autoregulated Two-Component System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Rong; Godfrey, Katherine A.; Sufian, Mahir A.

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Fluctuations in nutrient availability often result in recurrent exposures to the same stimulus conditions. The ability to memorize the past event and use the “memory” to make adjustments to current behaviors can lead to a more efficient adaptation to the recurring stimulus. A short-term phenotypic memory can be conferred via carryover of the response proteins to facilitate the recurrent response, but the additional accumulation of response proteins can lead to a deviation from response homeostasis. We used the Escherichia coli PhoB/PhoR two-component system (TCS) as a model system to study how cells cope with the recurrence of environmental phosphate (Pi) starvation conditions. We discovered that “memory” of prior Pi starvation can exert distinct effects through two regulatory pathways, the TCS signaling pathway and the stress response pathway. Although carryover of TCS proteins can lead to higher initial levels of transcription factor PhoB and a faster initial response in prestarved cells than in cells not starved, the response enhancement can be overcome by an earlier and greater repression of promoter activity in prestarved cells due to the memory of the stress response. The repression counterbalances the carryover of the response proteins, leading to a homeostatic response whether or not cells are prestimulated. A computational model based on sigma factor competition was developed to understand the memory of stress response and to predict the homeostasis of other PhoB-regulated response proteins. Our insight into the history-dependent PhoBR response may provide a general understanding of how TCSs respond to recurring stimuli and adapt to fluctuating environmental conditions. IMPORTANCE Bacterial cells in their natural environments experience scenarios that are far more complex than are typically replicated in laboratory experiments. The architectures of signaling systems and the integration of multiple adaptive pathways have evolved to deal

  12. Efecto de la Aplicación Tópica de una Solución Comercial de Amitraz sobre el Cronotropismo y Dromotropismo Cardiacos en Ratas Anestesiadas y Perros Conscientes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zerpa, H.; Briceno, E.; Chacon, Tony

    2009-01-01

    Amitraz is a diamidine molecule widely used as an ectoparasiticide in Veterinary Medicine. Although amitraz is prescribed as a topical treatment, its toxicity has been reported in oral and intravenous administration. This investigation assessed the potential chronotropic and dromotropic effects o...

  13. TOR complex 2-Ypk1 signaling is an essential positive regulator of the general amino acid control response and autophagy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vlahakis, Ariadne; Graef, Martin; Nunnari, Jodi; Powers, Ted

    2014-07-22

    The highly conserved Target of Rapamycin (TOR) kinase is a central regulator of cell growth and metabolism in response to nutrient availability. TOR functions in two structurally and functionally distinct complexes, TOR Complex 1 (TORC1) and TOR Complex 2 (TORC2). Through TORC1, TOR negatively regulates autophagy, a conserved process that functions in quality control and cellular homeostasis and, in this capacity, is part of an adaptive nutrient deprivation response. Here we demonstrate that during amino acid starvation TOR also operates independently as a positive regulator of autophagy through the conserved TORC2 and its downstream target protein kinase, Ypk1. Under these conditions, TORC2-Ypk1 signaling negatively regulates the Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent phosphatase, calcineurin, to enable the activation of the amino acid-sensing eIF2α kinase, Gcn2, and to promote autophagy. Our work reveals that the TORC2 pathway regulates autophagy in an opposing manner to TORC1 to provide a tunable response to cellular metabolic status.

  14. Positive response of a recurrent keloid scar to topical methyl aminolevulinate-photodynamic therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nie, Zhuxiang; Bayat, Ardeshir; Behzad, Farhad; Rhodes, Lesley E

    2010-12-01

    A 36-year-old Caucasian female of Iranian origin presented with a persistently raised dermal lesion under her chin, confirmed histologically to be a keloid scar. There was a 4-year history of a negative response to a range of conventional treatments including topical silicone gel sheets, steroid creams, steroid injections and surgical excision. In view of treatment failure and an in vitro study indicating a positive effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT)on keloid fibroblasts, we treated our patient's lesion with five sessions of methyl aminolevulinate photodynamic therapy (MAL-PDT) over a period of 5 months. Following this treatment regime, her keloid scar had considerably reduced in size and become flattened.The surface of the keloid also became smooth, with attenuation in erythema at the margin as well as an improvement in the colour of the scar, which was better matched to the surrounding skin. There was no recurrence at 1-year follow-up and this treatment resulted in an overall acceptable cosmetic outcome. This case report presents PDT as a potential treatment option for persistent keloid lesions unresponsive to conventional scar modulation therapies and suggests a need for further research in this area.

  15. Overlapping Neural Correlates of Reading Emotionally Positive and Negative Adjectives

    OpenAIRE

    Demirakca, Traute; Herbert, Cornelia; Kissler, Johanna; Ruf, Matthias; Wokrina, Tim; Ende, Gabriele

    2009-01-01

    Comparison of positive and negative naturally read adjectives to neutral adjectives yielded an overlapping higher BOLD response in the occipital and the orbitofrontal cortex (gyrus rectus). Superior medial frontal gyrus and posterior cingulate gyrus showed higher BOLD response to negative adjectives and inferior frontal gyrus to positive adjectives. The overlap of activated regions and lack of pronounced distinct regions supports the assumption that the processing of negative and positive wor...

  16. Differential Effects of Positive versus Negative Self-Involving Counselor Responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Remer, Pam; And Others

    1983-01-01

    Investigated the effects of positive and negative counselor disclosure using typescripts of hypothetical counseling interviews. Results indicated impact of condition was mixed, with each having some desirable effects. (PAS)

  17. β-Catenin acts in a position-independent regeneration response in the simple eumetazoan Hydra.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gufler, S; Artes, B; Bielen, H; Krainer, I; Eder, M-K; Falschlunger, J; Bollmann, A; Ostermann, T; Valovka, T; Hartl, M; Bister, K; Technau, U; Hobmayer, B

    2018-01-15

    Wnt/β-Catenin signaling plays crucial roles in regenerative processes in eumetazoans. It also acts in regeneration and axial patterning in the simple freshwater polyp Hydra, whose morphallactic regenerative capacity is unparalleled in the animal kingdom. Previous studies have identified β-catenin as an early response gene activated within the first 30min in Hydra head regeneration. Here, we have studied the role of β-Catenin in more detail. First, we show that nuclear β-Catenin signaling is required for head and foot regeneration. Loss of nuclear β-Catenin function blocks head and foot regeneration. Transgenic Hydra tissue, in which β-Catenin is over-expressed, regenerates more heads and feet. In addition, we have identified a set of putative β-Catenin target genes by transcriptional profiling, and these genes exhibit distinct expression patterns in the hypostome, in the tentacles, or in an apical gradient in the body column. All of them are transcriptionally up-regulated in the tips of early head and foot regenerates. In foot regenerates, this is a transient response, and expression starts to disappear after 12-36h. ChIP experiments using an anti-HydraTcf antibody show Tcf binding at promoters of these targets. We propose that gene regulatory β-Catenin activity in the pre-patterning phase is generally required as an early regeneration response. When regenerates are blocked with iCRT14, initial local transcriptional activation of β-catenin and the target genes occurs, and all these genes remain upregulated at the site of both head and foot regeneration for the following 2-3 days. This indicates that the initial regulatory network is followed by position-specific programs that inactivate fractions of this network in order to proceed to differentiation of head or foot structures. brachyury1 (hybra1) has previously been described as early response gene in head and foot regeneration. The HyBra1 protein, however, appears in head regenerating tips not earlier

  18. CCR6-dependent positioning of memory B cells is essential for their ability to mount a recall response to antigen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elgueta, Raul; Marks, Ellen; Nowak, Elizabeth; Menezes, Shinelle; Benson, Micah; Raman, Vanitha S; Ortiz, Carla; O'Connell, Samuel; Hess, Henry; Lord, Graham M; Noelle, Randolph

    2015-01-15

    Chemokine-dependent localization of specific B cell subsets within the immune microarchitecture is essential to ensure successful cognate interactions. Although cognate interactions between T cells and memory B cells (B(mem)) are essential for the secondary humoral immune responses, the chemokine response patterns of B(mem) cells are largely unknown. In contrast to naive B cells, this study shows that Ag-specific B(mem) cells have heightened expression of CCR6 and a selective chemotactic response to the CCR6 ligand, CCL20. Although CCR6 appears be nonessential for the initial clonal expansion and maintenance of B(mem), CCR6 is essential for the ability of B(mem) to respond to a recall response to their cognate Ag. This dependency was deemed intrinsic by studies in CCR6-deficient mice and in bone marrow chimeric mice where CCR6 deficiency was limited to the B cell lineage. Finally, the mis-positioning of CCR6-deficient B(mem) was revealed by immunohistological analysis with an altered distribution of CCR6-deficient B(mem) from the marginal and perifollicular to the follicular/germinal center area. Copyright © 2015 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

  19. A Survey of Wireless Indoor Positioning Technology for Fire Emergency Routing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niu, Lei

    2014-01-01

    Fire emergency response needs positioning solutions to assist evacuation and rescue operations. Therefore, we have to carefully review the candidates for this purpose. These indoor positioning technologies show different levels of applicability in fire emergency response. According to the varying demands of emergency response, flexible localization solutions should be provided. Thus, we guide a first step to implement this concept in three pre-defined emergency scenes. At last, we conclude several key features for indoor positioning solutions for emergency routing and three future research topics

  20. Human amygdala response to dynamic facial expressions of positive and negative surprise.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vrticka, Pascal; Lordier, Lara; Bediou, Benoît; Sander, David

    2014-02-01

    Although brain imaging evidence accumulates to suggest that the amygdala plays a key role in the processing of novel stimuli, only little is known about its role in processing expressed novelty conveyed by surprised faces, and even less about possible interactive encoding of novelty and valence. Those investigations that have already probed human amygdala involvement in the processing of surprised facial expressions either used static pictures displaying negative surprise (as contained in fear) or "neutral" surprise, and manipulated valence by contextually priming or subjectively associating static surprise with either negative or positive information. Therefore, it still remains unresolved how the human amygdala differentially processes dynamic surprised facial expressions displaying either positive or negative surprise. Here, we created new artificial dynamic 3-dimensional facial expressions conveying surprise with an intrinsic positive (wonderment) or negative (fear) connotation, but also intrinsic positive (joy) or negative (anxiety) emotions not containing any surprise, in addition to neutral facial displays either containing ("typical surprise" expression) or not containing ("neutral") surprise. Results showed heightened amygdala activity to faces containing positive (vs. negative) surprise, which may either correspond to a specific wonderment effect as such, or to the computation of a negative expected value prediction error. Findings are discussed in the light of data obtained from a closely matched nonsocial lottery task, which revealed overlapping activity within the left amygdala to unexpected positive outcomes. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

  1. Recommendations to improve the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) based on item response theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levine, Stephen Z; Rabinowitz, Jonathan; Rizopoulos, Dimitris

    2011-08-15

    The adequacy of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) items in measuring symptom severity in schizophrenia was examined using Item Response Theory (IRT). Baseline PANSS assessments were analyzed from two multi-center clinical trials of antipsychotic medication in chronic schizophrenia (n=1872). Generally, the results showed that the PANSS (a) item ratings discriminated symptom severity best for the negative symptoms; (b) has an excess of "Severe" and "Extremely severe" rating options; and (c) assessments are more reliable at medium than very low or high levels of symptom severity. Analysis also showed that the detection of statistically and non-statistically significant differences in treatment were highly similar for the original and IRT-modified PANSS. In clinical trials of chronic schizophrenia, the PANSS appears to require the following modifications: fewer rating options, adjustment of 'Lack of judgment and insight', and improved severe symptom assessment. 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Position-Dependent Cardiovascular Response and Time-Motion Analysis During Training Drills and Friendly Matches in Elite Male Basketball Players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torres-Ronda, Lorena; Ric, Angel; Llabres-Torres, Ivan; de Las Heras, Bernat; Schelling I Del Alcazar, Xavi

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to measure differences in the cardiovascular workload (heart rate [HR]) and time-motion demands between positional groups, during numerous basketball training drills, and compare the results with in-game competition demands. A convenience sample of 14 top-level professional basketball players from the same club (Spanish First Division, ACB) participated in the study. A total of 146 basketball exercises per player (performed over an 8-week period in 32 team training sessions throughout the competitive season) and 7 friendly matches (FM) played during the preparatory phase were analyzed. The results reveal that HRavg and HRpeak were the highest in FM (158 ± 10; 198 ± 9 b · min(-1), respectively). Time-motion analysis showed 1v1 to be the most demanding drill (53 ± 8 and 46 ± 12 movements per minute for full and half court, respectively). During FM, players performed 33 ± 7 movements per minute. Positional differences exist for both HR and time-motion demands, ranging from moderate to very large for all basketball drills compared with FM. Constraints such as number of players, court size, work-to-rest ratios, and coach intervention are key factors influencing cardiovascular responses and time-motion demands during basketball training sessions. These results demonstrate that systematic monitoring of the physical demands and physiological responses during training and competition can inform and potentially improve coaching strategy, basketball-specific training drills, and ultimately, match performance.

  3. Plasma position control device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takase, Haruhiko.

    1987-01-01

    Purpose: To conduct position control stably to various plasmas and reduce the burden on the control coil power source. Constitution: Among the proportional, integration and differentiation controls, a proportional-differentiation control section and an integration control section are connected in parallel. Then, a signal switching circuit is disposed to the control signal input section for the proportional-differentiation control section such that either a present position of plasmas or deviation between the present plasma position and an aimed value can be selected as a control signal depending on the control procedures or the state of the plasmas. For instance, if a rapid response is required for the control, the deviation between the present plasma position and the aimed value is selected as the input signal to conduct proportional, integration and differentiation controls. While on the other hand, if it is intended to reduce the burden on the control coil power source, it is adapted such that the control signal inputted to the proportional-differentiation control section itself can select the present plasma position. (Yoshihara, H.)

  4. Fluorescent optical position sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiss, Jonathan D.

    2005-11-15

    A fluorescent optical position sensor and method of operation. A small excitation source side-pumps a localized region of fluorescence at an unknown position along a fluorescent waveguide. As the fluorescent light travels down the waveguide, the intensity of fluorescent light decreases due to absorption. By measuring with one (or two) photodetectors the attenuated intensity of fluorescent light emitted from one (or both) ends of the waveguide, the position of the excitation source relative to the waveguide can be determined by comparing the measured light intensity to a calibrated response curve or mathematical model. Alternatively, excitation light can be pumped into an end of the waveguide, which generates an exponentially-decaying continuous source of fluorescent light along the length of the waveguide. The position of a photodetector oriented to view the side of the waveguide can be uniquely determined by measuring the intensity of the fluorescent light emitted radially at that location.

  5. EFFECTS OF STRAIN, CAGE DENSITY AND POSITION ON IMMUNE RESPONSE TO VACCINES AND BLOOD PARAMETERS IN LAYER PULLETS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Z. BOZKURT

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Two thousand 1-day-old layer chicks were used in the study from Lohman Brown, Isa Brown, Lohman White and Bowans White breeds. The chicks were placed in the at 3 cage densities (211.8, 274.5 and 370.6 cm2 per bird and on 3 positions (as top, middle and bottom tiers. All birds were kept under standard management policy and a commercial vaccination program was practiced. Total specific antibody titres to Infectious Brochitis Virus (IBV, Infectious Bursal Desease Virus (IBDV, Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV and Egg Drop Syndrome Virus (EDSV vaccines at the ages of 5, 10 and 20 weeks were serologically determined by ELISA. Cellmediated immune response was also evaluated. In commercial white egg laying strains specific antibody titres to IBV, IBDV, NDV and EDSV vaccines were greater than in Brown egg layer strains. Keeping in cage created more stress in Brown egg laying chicks than those in white egg laying chicks. As cage density increased, the ratio of heterophils to lymphocytes (H/L ratio slightly increased. Cage position had no influence on the titres of antibodies to IBV and IBDV vaccines but the position of cage in pullets where chicks were stocked, from top to bottom, NDV and EDSV antibody titre decreased and percentage of heterophils, H/L ratio and basophil rates were low. These findings suggest that cage-related stress could be decreased, resistance to diseases and finally well-being of hens may be improved if hens are kept under proper position and density within cage systems with respect to their physiological and behavioral characteristics that controlled by genes.

  6. The period between beta-blocker use and physical activity changes training heart rate behavior

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naiane Ferraz Bandeira Alves

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available The Brazilian Society of Cardiology (SBC proposes that hypertensive subjects who use beta-blockers and practice physical exercises must have their training heart rate (HR corrected due to the negative chronotropic effect of this drug. Nevertheless, if the physical activity is performed outside of plasmatic half-life, correction may not be necessary. This study investigated the exercise chronotropic response both inside and outside the beta-blocker plasmatic half-life. Nine subjects in use of atenolol or propranolol, and six controls, carried out three walking sessions in three days according to different schedules: EX2 (two hours after drug administration, at the plasmatic peak; EX11 (eleven hours after drug administration, at the end of plasmatic half-life; and EX23 (twenty-three hours after drug administration, outside the plasmatic half-life. The walking sessions were performed on an ergometric treadmill and HR was monitored by a heart rate monitor. During the exercises, mean HRs were 97.2, 108.4 and 109 for EX2, EX11 and EX23, respectively, with the value for EX2 statistically lower than the others (p0.05. The study concludes that the attenuation of the positive chronotropic response which occurs during exercise in subjects using beta-blockers, is less evident when the exercise is performed outside the plasmatic half-life of the drug.A Sociedade Brasileira de Cardiologia (SBC propõe que os hipertensos que utilizam beta-bloqueadores e praticam exercícios físicos devem ter sua frequência cardíaca de treinamento (HR corrigida devido ao efeito cronotrópico negativo desse fármaco. Contudo, se a atividade física é realizada fora da meia-vida plasmática do fármaco, a correção pode não ser necessária. Este estudo investigou a resposta cronotrópica ao exercício dentro e fora da meia-vida plasmática do beta-bloqueador. Nove indivíduos que usavam atenolol ou propranolol e seis controles, efetuaram três sessões de caminhada em tr

  7. Positive and negative emotional responses to work-related trauma ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Data were gathered via the Professional Quality of Life Scale: Compassion Satisfaction and Fatigue Subscales – Revision IV (ProQOL – R-IV) and the Silencing Response Scale and were analysed according to descriptive statistics and correlation coefficients. Findings suggest a high risk for compassion fatigue, a moderate ...

  8. Characterization of beam position monitors in two-dimensions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Power, J.; Gilpatrick, D.; Neri, F.; Shurter, B.

    1992-01-01

    We describe characterization of a beam position measuring system. We used an automatic test fixture to map the response in two dimensions of dual-axis beam position monitors (BPMs) and their associated ratio-signal processing electronics and applied signals to a thin wire whose position is controlled by stepper motor actuators on x-y stages. The wire may be moved within a circular area of up to 50 mm in diameter with 5-μm accuracy. The resulting signals picked up by a BPM are recorded for each point on a grid within the mapping area. We present a comparison of the theoretical with the actual response, as well as techniques employed to calculate suitable correction functions that accurately predict the beam position over at least 80% of the probe's inner aperture. (Author) 4 figs., 5 refs

  9. Peptidergic modulation of efferent sympathetic neurons in intrathoracic ganglia regulating the canine heart.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armour, J A

    1989-05-01

    when stimulated. Following the intravenous administration of naloxone, the positive inotropic cardiac responses induced by efferent preganglionic sympathetic axonal stimulation were enhanced minimally in control states and significantly following hexamethonium administration. Thus, it appears that enkephalins are involved in the modulation of intrathoracic ganglion neurons regulating the heart, perhaps via modification of beta-adrenergic receptors. Taken together these data indicate that substance P, vasoactive intestinal peptide, neuropeptide Y, or enkephalins modify intrathoracic ganglionic neurons which are involved in efferent sympathetic cardiac regulation.

  10. Primary immunization-like response without hepatitis following transfusion of HBeAg-positive blood

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gluud, C; Aldershvile, J; Kryger, P

    1983-01-01

    An accidental transfusion of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) positive whole blood was given to a 19-yr-old male, bleeding after tonsillectomy. Serum obtained from the patient before the transfusion revealed no hepatitis B antigens or antibodies. After...... the transfusion the patient became HBsAg-positive, cleared this antigen and developed antibodies to both HBsAg and HBeAg. The transfusion blood was positive for total antibody and IgM antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg). The patient's blood became positive for these antibodies after the transfusion...

  11. Scalability Optimization of Seamless Positioning Service

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juraj Machaj

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Recently positioning services are getting more attention not only within research community but also from service providers. From the service providers point of view positioning service that will be able to work seamlessly in all environments, for example, indoor, dense urban, and rural, has a huge potential to open new markets. However, such system does not only need to provide accurate position estimates but have to be scalable and resistant to fake positioning requests. In the previous works we have proposed a modular system, which is able to provide seamless positioning in various environments. The system automatically selects optimal positioning module based on available radio signals. The system currently consists of three positioning modules—GPS, GSM based positioning, and Wi-Fi based positioning. In this paper we will propose algorithm which will reduce time needed for position estimation and thus allow higher scalability of the modular system and thus allow providing positioning services to higher amount of users. Such improvement is extremely important, for real world application where large number of users will require position estimates, since positioning error is affected by response time of the positioning server.

  12. Monte Carlo modelling of a-Si EPID response: The effect of spectral variations with field size and position

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parent, Laure; Seco, Joao; Evans, Phil M.; Fielding, Andrew; Dance, David R.

    2006-01-01

    This study focused on predicting the electronic portal imaging device (EPID) image of intensity modulated radiation treatment (IMRT) fields in the absence of attenuation material in the beam with Monte Carlo methods. As IMRT treatments consist of a series of segments of various sizes that are not always delivered on the central axis, large spectral variations may be observed between the segments. The effect of these spectral variations on the EPID response was studied with fields of various sizes and off-axis positions. A detailed description of the EPID was implemented in a Monte Carlo model. The EPID model was validated by comparing the EPID output factors for field sizes between 1x1 and 26x26 cm 2 at the isocenter. The Monte Carlo simulations agreed with the measurements to within 1.5%. The Monte Carlo model succeeded in predicting the EPID response at the center of the fields of various sizes and offsets to within 1% of the measurements. Large variations (up to 29%) of the EPID response were observed between the various offsets. The EPID response increased with field size and with field offset for most cases. The Monte Carlo model was then used to predict the image of a simple test IMRT field delivered on the beam axis and with an offset. A variation of EPID response up to 28% was found between the on- and off-axis delivery. Finally, two clinical IMRT fields were simulated and compared to the measurements. For all IMRT fields, simulations and measurements agreed within 3%--0.2 cm for 98% of the pixels. The spectral variations were quantified by extracting from the spectra at the center of the fields the total photon yield (Y total ), the photon yield below 1 MeV (Y low ), and the percentage of photons below 1 MeV (P low ). For the studied cases, a correlation was shown between the EPID response variation and Y total , Y low , and P low

  13. Running on a lower-body positive pressure treadmill

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Raffalt, Peter C; Hovgaard-Hansen, Line; Jensen, Bente Rona

    2013-01-01

    This study investigated maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) and time to exhaustion while running on a lower-body positive pressure treadmill (LBPPT) at normal body weight (BW) as well as how BW support affects respiratory responses, ground reaction forces, and stride characteristics.......This study investigated maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) and time to exhaustion while running on a lower-body positive pressure treadmill (LBPPT) at normal body weight (BW) as well as how BW support affects respiratory responses, ground reaction forces, and stride characteristics....

  14. Body Position Influences Which Neural Structures Are Recruited by Lumbar Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simon M Danner

    Full Text Available Transcutaneous stimulation of the human lumbosacral spinal cord is used to evoke spinal reflexes and to neuromodulate altered sensorimotor function following spinal cord injury. Both applications require the reliable stimulation of afferent posterior root fibers. Yet under certain circumstances, efferent anterior root fibers can be co-activated. We hypothesized that body position influences the preferential stimulation of sensory or motor fibers. Stimulus-triggered responses to transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation were recorded using surface-electromyography from quadriceps, hamstrings, tibialis anterior, and triceps surae muscles in 10 individuals with intact nervous systems in the supine, standing and prone positions. Single and paired (30-ms inter-stimulus intervals biphasic stimulation pulses were applied through surface electrodes placed on the skin between the T11 and T12 inter-spinous processes referenced to electrodes on the abdomen. The paired stimulation was applied to evaluate the origin of the evoked electromyographic response; trans-synaptic responses would be suppressed whereas direct efferent responses would almost retain their amplitude. We found that responses to the second stimulus were decreased to 14%±5% of the amplitude of the response to the initial pulse in the supine position across muscles, to 30%±5% in the standing, and to only 80%±5% in the prone position. Response thresholds were lowest during standing and highest in the prone position and response amplitudes were largest in the supine and smallest in the prone position. The responses obtained in the supine and standing positions likely resulted from selective stimulation of sensory fibers while concomitant motor-fiber stimulation occurred in the prone position. We assume that changes of root-fiber paths within the generated electric field when in the prone position increase the stimulation thresholds of posterior above those of anterior root fibers. Thus, we

  15. Responsibility and Responsiveness

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nissen, Ulrik Becker

    2011-01-01

    The debate on the role and identity of Christian social ethics in liberal democracy touches upon the question about the relationship between universality and speci-ficity. Rather than argue for the difference between these approaches, it can be argued that they are to be understood in a different......The debate on the role and identity of Christian social ethics in liberal democracy touches upon the question about the relationship between universality and speci-ficity. Rather than argue for the difference between these approaches, it can be argued that they are to be understood...... contemporary positions of communicative ethics, H. Richard Niebuhr’s understanding of responsibility as responsiveness, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Christological concept of responsibility in a constructive dialogue with each other, the article has attempted to outline main tenets of a responsive concept...

  16. Patients' Positive and Negative Responses to Reading Mental Health Clinical Notes Online.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denneson, Lauren M; Chen, Jason I; Pisciotta, Maura; Tuepker, Anais; Dobscha, Steven K

    2018-05-01

    This study describes responses to OpenNotes, clinical notes available online, among patients receiving mental health care and explores whether responses vary by patient demographic or clinical characteristics. Survey data from 178 veterans receiving mental health treatment at a large Veterans Affairs medical center included patient-reported health self-efficacy, health knowledge, alliance with clinicians, and negative emotional responses after reading OpenNotes. Health care data were extracted from the patient care database. Reading OpenNotes helped many participants feel in control of their health care (49%) and have more trust in clinicians (45%), although a few (8%) frequently felt upset after reading their notes. In multivariate models, posttraumatic stress disorder was associated with increased patient-clinician alliance (p=.046) but also with negative emotional responses (p<.01). Patients receiving mental health care frequently reported benefits from reading OpenNotes, yet some experienced negative responses.

  17. Positive response to neoadjuvant cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin in topoisomerase II nonamplified/HER2/neu negative/polysomy 17 absent breast cancer patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Henry G Kaplan

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Henry G Kaplan1, Judith A Malmgren2,3, Mary Atwood1, Lynn C Goldstein41Swedish Cancer Institute at Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, USA; 2HealthStat Consulting Inc., Seattle, Washington, USA; 3School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA; 4PhenoPath Laboratories, Seattle, Washington, USAPurpose: Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/neu, topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A, and polysomy 17 may predict tumor responsiveness to doxorubicin (DOX therapy.Methods: We identified neoadjuvant DOX/cyclophosphamide treated breast cancer patients in our registry from 1997 to 2008 with sufficient tissue for testing (n = 34. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH testing was done on deparaffinized tissue sections pretreated using vendor’s standard protocol modification, and incubated with US Food and Drug Administration approved Abbott Diagnostics Vysis PathVysion™ probe set, including Spectrum-Green-conjugated probe to a-satellite DNA located at the centromere of chromosome 17 (17p11.1–q11.1 and a Spectrum-Orange-conjugated probe to the TOP2A gene. Morphometric analysis was performed using a MetaSystems image analysis system. Manual counting was performed on all samples in which autofluorescence and/or artifact prevented the counting of sufficient numbers of cells. A ratio >2.0 was considered positive for TOP2A amplification. Polysomy 17 (PS17 presence was defined as signals of ≥2.5. Outcomes were pathological complete response (pCR, partial response (PR, and nonresponse (NR.Results: Of 34 patients tested, one was TOP2A amplified (hormone receptor negative/HER2 ­negative, partial responder. The subset of TOP2A nonamplified, HER2 negative, and PS17 absent (n = 23 patients had treatment response: pCR = 2 (9%, PR = 14 (61%, and NR = 7 (30%. Including the two PS17 present and HER2-positive patients (n = 33, 76% of TOP2A nonamplified patients had pCR or PR

  18. Positive exercise thallium-201 test responses in patients with less than 50% maximal coronary stenosis: angiographic and clinical predictors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, K.A.; Osbakken, M.; Boucher, C.A.; Strauss, H.W.; Pohost, G.M.; Okada, R.D.

    1985-01-01

    The incidence and causes of abnormal thallium-201 (TI-201) myocardial perfusion studies in the absence of significant coronary artery disease were examined. The study group consisted of 100 consecutive patients undergoing exercise TI-201 testing and coronary angiography who were found to have maximal coronary artery diameter narrowing of less than 50%. Maximal coronary stenosis ranged from 0 to 40%. The independent and relative influences of patient clinical, exercise and angiographic data were assessed by logistic regression analysis. Significant predictors of a positive stress TI-201 test result were: (1) percent maximal coronary stenosis (p less than 0.0005), (2) propranolol use (p less than 0.01), (3) interaction of propranolol use and percent maximal stenosis (p less than 0.005), and (4) stress-induced chest pain (p . 0.05). No other patient variable had a significant influence. Positive TI-201 test results were more common in patients with 21 to 40% maximal stenosis (59%) than in patients with 0 to 20% maximal stenosis (27%) (p less than 0.01). Among patients with 21 to 40% stenosis, a positive test response was more common when 85% of maximal predicted heart rate was achieved (75%) than when it was not (40%) (p less than 0.05). Of 16 nonapical perfusion defects seen in patients with 21 to 40% maximal stenosis, 14 were in the territory that corresponded with such a coronary stenosis. Patients taking propranolol were more likely to have a positive TI-201 test result (45%) than patients not taking propranolol (22%) (p less than 0.05)

  19. Promoting positive parenting: an annotated bibliography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmann, Elizabeth

    2002-01-01

    Positive parenting is built on respect for children and helps develop self-esteem, inner discipline, self-confidence, responsibility, and resourcefulness. Positive parenting is also good for parents: parents feel good about parenting well. It builds a sense of dignity. Positive parenting can be learned. Understanding normal development is a first step, so that parents can distinguish common behaviors in a stage of development from "problems." Central to positive parenting is developing thoughtful approaches to child guidance that can be used in place of anger, manipulation, punishment, and rewards. Support for developing creative and loving approaches to meet special parenting challenges, such as temperament, disabilities, separation and loss, and adoption, is sometimes necessary as well. This annotated bibliography offers resources to professionals helping parents and to parents wishing to develop positive parenting skills.

  20. Nucleosome Positioning and Epigenetics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwab, David; Bruinsma, Robijn

    2008-03-01

    The role of chromatin structure in gene regulation has recently taken center stage in the field of epigenetics, phenomena that change the phenotype without changing the DNA sequence. Recent work has also shown that nucleosomes, a complex of DNA wrapped around a histone octamer, experience a sequence dependent energy landscape due to the variation in DNA bend stiffness with sequence composition. In this talk, we consider the role nucleosome positioning might play in the formation of heterochromatin, a compact form of DNA generically responsible for gene silencing. In particular, we discuss how different patterns of nucleosome positions, periodic or random, could either facilitate or suppress heterochromatin stability and formation.

  1. The effect of positive affect on conflict resolution: Modulated by approach-motivational intensity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ya; Wang, Zhenhong; Quan, Sixiang; Li, Mingjun

    2017-01-01

    The motivational dimensional model of affect proposes that the influence of positive affect on cognitive processing is modulated by approach-motivational intensity. The present research extended this model by examining the influence of positive affect varying in approach-motivational intensity on conflict resolution-the ability to resolve interference from task-irrelevant distractors in order to focus on the target. The global-local task (Experiment 1) and letter-Flanker task (Experiment 2) were used to measure conflict resolution. Additionally, the 4:2 mapping design that assigns two kinds of task-relevant stimuli to one response key and two more to another response key was used in these two tasks to dissociate stimulus and response conflict. Results showed that positive affect varying in approach motivation had opposite influences on conflict resolution. The opposite influences are primarily reflected in low approach-motivated positive affect impairing, while high approach-motivated positive affect facilitating the resolution of response conflict. Conversely, the stimulus conflict was slightly influenced. These findings highlight the utility of distinguishing stimulus and response conflict in future research.

  2. Cardiac output response to changes of the atrioventricular delay in different body positions and during exercise in patients receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ståhlberg, Marcus; Damgaard, Morten; Norsk, Peter

    2009-01-01

    AIMS: The aim of this study was to study the haemodynamic effect of atrioventricular delay (AVD) modifications within a narrow range in different body positions and during exercise in patients receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). METHODS: The previously optimized AVD was shortened...... and prolonged by 40 ms in 27 CRT patients and 9 controls without heart failure. Cardiac output (CO) was measured by inert gas rebreathing (Innocor) as the average over different body positions (left-lateral, supine, sitting, standing, and exercise). In eight CRT patients with an implantable haemodynamic monitor......, the estimated pulmonary artery diastolic pressure (ePAD) was analysed. RESULTS: The magnitude of CO response to AVD changes was greater in CRT patients than in controls (0.25 vs. 0.20 L/min, Psize (r=0...

  3. Measurements and simulations on position dependencies in the response of single PWO crystals and a prototype for the PANDA EMC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bremer, Daniel Andreas

    2013-01-01

    The PANDA experiment, which will be located at the future Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research, aims at the study of strong interaction within the charm sector via antiproton- proton collisions. An essential component of the PANDA detector to achieve the ambitious physics goals is the Electromagnetic Calorimeter (EMC). Reason for this is particularly its high detection efficiency for photons and electrons over a large dynamic range, since most of the expected physics channels are accompanied by secondary photons. The EMC is based on second generation lead tungstate scintillator crystals and thus features a very compact design and improved performance. To guarantee a homogeneous and precise energy and momentum response, an exact knowledge on the incident particle position is mandatory. In the scope of this work, non-uniformities in the light yield of single lead tungstate crystals with tapered geometry are investigated. This effect was studied with the SLitrani simulation package in comparison to a series of dedicated experimental setups. The so called precision setup allowed for a comparative measurement of the response to cosmic muons and low energetic photons. Furthermore, an analogous beam measurement was performed with 80 MeV protons. Both, simulation and experiments agree that, in case of the PANDA crystal geometry types, the obtained light yield increases quadratically with the distance of the location of the energy deposition inside the crystal to the photo sensor. A clear correlation of the observed amount of non-uniformity to the mean tapering angle of the individual crystal geometry type could be determined. Furthermore, no significant difference in non-uniformity was observed for the three different particle species. Therefore, the observed non-uniformities can be regarded as independent of the exact mechanism of the energy deposition. Hence, the main effect governing the obtained non-uniformities is the interplay of the focussing caused by the high

  4. Individual differences in response to positive and negative stimuli: endocannabinoid-based insight on approach and avoidance behaviors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela eLaricchiuta

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Approach and avoidance behaviors - the primary responses to the environmental stimuli of danger, novelty and reward - are associated with the brain structures that mediate cognitive functionality, reward sensitivity and emotional expression. Individual differences in approach and avoidance behaviors are modulated by the functioning of amygdaloid-hypothalamic-striatal and striatal-cerebellar networks implicated in action and reaction to salient stimuli. The nodes of these networks are strongly interconnected and by acting on them the endocannabinoid and dopaminergic systems increase the intensity of appetitive or defensive motivation. This review analyzes the approach and avoidance behaviors in humans and rodents, addresses neurobiological and neurochemical aspects of these behaviors, and proposes a possible synaptic plasticity mechanism, related to endocannabinoid-dependent long-term potentiation and depression that allows responding to salient positive and negative stimuli.

  5. Long-term trajectories of positive and negative symptoms in first episode psychosis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Austin, Stephen; Mors, Ole; Budtz-Jørgensen, Esben

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Knowledge about course of illness can help clinicians to develop effective interventions and improve treatment outcomes. The goal of this study was to construct positive and negative symptom trajectories based on structured clinical assessments collected over 10years within a cohort....... Positive symptoms showed a general pattern of reduction and stabilization over time while negative symptoms typically showed less variation over the ten years. Results have implications for the focus, timing and length of interventions in first episode psychosis....... was assessed using the Scales for Assessment of Positive and Negative Symptoms. Symptom trajectories were constructed using Latent Class Analysis. RESULTS: Five distinct trajectories were identified for positive symptoms (response - 47%, delayed response - 12%, relapse - 15%, non-response - 13% and episodic...

  6. Just Rewards: Positive Discipline Can Teach Students Self-Respect and Empathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shandler, Nina

    1996-01-01

    Describes a teacher's approach to classroom management through positive discipline, using positive reinforcements to teach children positive behaviors. Students who feel affirmed can begin to believe in themselves and begin to take responsibility and build successful relationships. Five steps to positive discipline are outlined. (SLD)

  7. 5th International Symposium on Positive Systems

    CERN Document Server

    Farina, Lorenzo; Setola, Roberto; Germani, Alfredo

    2017-01-01

    This book presents high-quality original contributions on positive systems, including topics such as: monotone dynamical systems in mathematical biology and game theory; mathematical developments for networked systems in biology, chemistry and the social sciences; linear and nonlinear positive operators; dynamical analysis, observation and control of positive distributed parameter systems; stochastic realization theory; biological systems with positive variables and positive controls; iterated function systems; nonnegative dynamic processes; and dimensioning problems for collaborative systems. The book comprises a selection of the best papers presented at the POSTA 2016, the 5th International Symposium on Positive Systems, which was held in Rome, Italy, in September 2016. This conference series represents a targeted response to the growing need for research that reports on and critically discusses a wide range of topics concerning the theory and applications of positive systems.

  8. Factors that predict a positive response on gonadotropin-releasing hormone stimulation test for diagnosing central precocious puberty in girls

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junghwan Suh

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available PurposeThe rapid increase in the incidence of precocious puberty in Korea has clinical and social significance. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH stimulation test is required to diagnose central precocious puberty (CPP, however this test is expensive and time-consuming. This study aimed to identify factors that can predict a positive response to the GnRH stimulation test.MethodsClinical and laboratory parameters, including basal serum luteinizing hormone (LH, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH, and estradiol (E2, were measured in 540 girls with clinical signs of CPP.ResultsTwo hundred twenty-nine of 540 girls with suspected CPP had a peak serum LH level higher than 5 IU/L (the CPP group. The CPP group had advanced bone age (P<0.001, accelerated yearly growth rate (P<0.001, increased basal levels of LH (P=0.02, FSH (P<0.001, E2 (P=0.001, and insulin-like growth factor-I levels (P<0.001 compared to the non-CPP group. In contrast, body weight (P<0.001 and body mass index (P<0.001 were lower in the CPP group. Although basal LH was significantly elevated in the CPP group compared to the non-CPP group, there was considerable overlap between the 2 groups. Cutoff values of basal LH (0.22 IU/L detected CPP with 87.8% sensitivity and 20.9% specificity.ConclusionNo single parameter can predict a positive response on the GnRH stimulation test with both high sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, multiple factors should be considered in evaluation of sexual precocity when deciding the timing of the GnRH stimulation test.

  9. Libertarianism and Positive Rights: Comments on Katz's Reply

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicolás Maloberti

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available In “Why Libertarians Should Reject Positive Rights,” Joshua Katz offers a critical response to the argument developed by Nicolás Maloberti in “Libertarianism and the Possibility of the Legitimate State.” In this rejoinder, Maloberti argues that Katz’s response fails on two accounts. First, it fails to grasp the nature of the problem his article was ultimately concerned with. Second, it fails to present a solid case for the rejection of the type of positive right that it was argued libertarians should endorse as a solution to that problem.

  10. Pharmacological and physiological assessment of serotonin formation and degradation in isolated preparations from mouse and human hearts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gergs, Ulrich; Jung, Franziska; Buchwalow, Igor B; Hofmann, Britt; Simm, Andreas; Treede, Hendrik; Neumann, Joachim

    2017-12-01

    Using transgenic (TG) mice that overexpress the human serotonin (5-HT) 4a receptor specifically in cardiomyocytes, we wanted to know whether 5-HT can be formed and degraded in the mammalian heart and whether this can likewise lead to inotropic and chronotropic effects in this TG model. We noted that the 5-HT precursor 5-hydroxy-tryptophan (5-HTP) can exert inotropic and chronotropic effects in cardiac preparations from TG mice but not from wild-type (WT) mice; similar results were found in human atrial preparations as well as in intact TG animals using echocardiography. Moreover, by immunohistochemistry we could detect 5-HT metabolizing enzymes and 5-HT transporters in mouse hearts as well as in human atria. Hence, in the presence of an inhibitor of aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase, the positive inotropic effects of 5-HTP were absent in TG and isolated human atrial preparations, and, moreover, inhibitors of enzymes involved in 5-HT degradation enhanced the efficacy of 5-HT in TG atria. A releaser of neurotransmitters increased inotropy in the isolated TG atrium, and this effect could be blocked by a 5-HT 4a receptor antagonist. Fluoxetine, an inhibitor of 5-HT uptake, elevated the potency of 5-HT to increase contractility in the TG atrium. In addition, inhibitors of organic cation and monoamine transporters apparently reduced the positive inotropic potency of 5-HT in the TG atrium. Hence, we tentatively conclude that a local production and degradation of 5-HT in the mammalian heart and more specifically in mammalian myocytes probably occurs. Conceivably, this formation of 5-HT and possibly impaired degradation may be clinically relevant in cases of unexplained tachycardia and other arrhythmias. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The present work suggests that inotropically active serotonin (5-HT) can be formed in the mouse and human heart and probably by cardiomyocytes themselves. Moreover, active degradation of 5-HT seems to occur in the mammalian heart. These findings may again

  11. Heart rate variability in newborns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Javorka, K; Lehotska, Z; Kozar, M; Uhrikova, Z; Kolarovszki, B; Javorka, M; Zibolen, M

    2017-09-22

    Heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) in newborns is influenced by genetic determinants, gestational and postnatal age, and other variables. Premature infants have a reduced HRV. In neonatal HRV evaluated by spectral analysis, a dominant activity can be found in low frequency (LF) band (combined parasympathetic and sympathetic component). During the first postnatal days the activity in the high frequency (HF) band (parasympathetic component) rises, together with an increase in LF band and total HRV. Hypotrophy in newborn can cause less mature autonomic cardiac control with a higher contribution of sympathetic activity to HRV as demonstrated by sequence plot analysis. During quiet sleep (QS) in newborns HF oscillations increase - a phenomenon less expressed or missing in premature infants. In active sleep (AS), HRV is enhanced in contrast to reduced activity in HF band due to the rise of spectral activity in LF band. Comparison of the HR and HRV in newborns born by physiological vaginal delivery, without (VD) and with epidural anesthesia (EDA) and via sectio cesarea (SC) showed no significant differences in HR and in HRV time domain parameters. Analysis in the frequency domain revealed, that the lowest sympathetic activity in chronotropic cardiac chronotropic regulation is in the VD group. Different neonatal pathological states can be associated with a reduction of HRV and an improvement in the health conditions is followed by changes in HRV what can be use as a possible prognostic marker. Examination of heart rate variability in neonatology can provide information on the maturity of the cardiac chronotropic regulation in early postnatal life, on postnatal adaptation and in pathological conditions about the potential dysregulation of cardiac function in newborns, especially in preterm infants.

  12. Update on the cardiovascular profile of fingolimod in the therapy of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meissner, Axel; Limmroth, Volker

    2016-07-01

    Fingolimod (FTY720) has been approved as the first oral representative of the class of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulators for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). Besides inducing vaso-relaxation, fingolimod can also influence electrical conduction in the myocardium and vascular endothelium by having a transient negative chronotropic effect on the sinus node. Cardiac safety and tolerability of fingolimod in the cardiac sense were reviewed by analysing the data collected from the FREEDOMS and TRANSFORMS studies -both relevant studies for marketing authorisation, from their extension studies, as well as the clinical data collected from a practice-related MS patient cohort with cardiovascular risk factors and corresponding co-medication (FIRST study). The safety analyses on file gave no indication of any increased cardiovascular risk. The 2-3mmHg increase in blood pressure observed after the first dose of fingolimod has no therapeutic consequences. The first dose of 0.5mg fingolimod resulted in an average decrease in heart rate of 7-8beats/min. The onset of effect occurred approximately 1-2h after the first dose and the nadir was reached after approximately 4-5h. This negative chronotropic effect returned to normal after internalisation of the S1P1 receptors on maintenance therapy. There were no indications that patients with cardiac risk factors required closer observation beyond the monitoring recommended by the EMA following the first dose of fingolimod. Case study observations from the routine clinical setting show that patients accept this method of monitoring, which they assess as being a positive aspect of attentive medical care and concern. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Beam Position and Phase Monitor - Wire Mapping System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watkins, Heath A.; Shurter, Robert B.; Gilpatrick, John D.; Kutac, Vincent G.; Martinez, Derwin

    2012-01-01

    The Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) deploys many cylindrical beam position and phase monitors (BPPM) throughout the linac to measure the beam central position, phase and bunched-beam current. Each monitor is calibrated and qualified prior to installation to insure it meets LANSCE requirements. The BPPM wire mapping system is used to map the BPPM electrode offset, sensitivity and higher order coefficients. This system uses a three-axis motion table to position the wire antenna structure within the cavity, simulating the beam excitation of a BPPM at a fundamental frequency of 201.25 MHz. RF signal strength is measured and recorded for the four electrodes as the antenna position is updated. An effort is underway to extend the systems service to the LANSCE facility by replacing obsolete electronic hardware and taking advantage of software enhancements. This paper describes the upgraded wire positioning system's new hardware and software capabilities including its revised antenna structure, motion control interface, RF measurement equipment and Labview software upgrades. The main purpose of the wire mapping system at LANSCE is to characterize the amplitude response versus beam central position of BPPMs before they are installed in the beam line. The wire mapping system is able to simulate a beam using a thin wire and measure the signal response as the wire position is varied within the BPPM aperture.

  14. Human engineered heart tissue as a versatile tool in basic research and preclinical toxicology.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sebastian Schaaf

    Full Text Available Human embryonic stem cell (hESC progenies hold great promise as surrogates for human primary cells, particularly if the latter are not available as in the case of cardiomyocytes. However, high content experimental platforms are lacking that allow the function of hESC-derived cardiomyocytes to be studied under relatively physiological and standardized conditions. Here we describe a simple and robust protocol for the generation of fibrin-based human engineered heart tissue (hEHT in a 24-well format using an unselected population of differentiated human embryonic stem cells containing 30-40% α-actinin-positive cardiac myocytes. Human EHTs started to show coherent contractions 5-10 days after casting, reached regular (mean 0.5 Hz and strong (mean 100 µN contractions for up to 8 weeks. They displayed a dense network of longitudinally oriented, interconnected and cross-striated cardiomyocytes. Spontaneous hEHT contractions were analyzed by automated video-optical recording and showed chronotropic responses to calcium and the β-adrenergic agonist isoprenaline. The proarrhythmic compounds E-4031, quinidine, procainamide, cisapride, and sertindole exerted robust, concentration-dependent and reversible decreases in relaxation velocity and irregular beating at concentrations that recapitulate findings in hERG channel assays. In conclusion this study establishes hEHT as a simple in vitro model for heart research.

  15. Brand positioning through banking services' offer: Serbian perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Novčić Branka

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The subject of this paper relates to the determination of interdependent relationship of the key elements necessary for the positioning of brands in the banking market in Serbia. The main goal of this paper is to analyze the way in which managers of banks in Serbia perceived brand positioning of banks in which they work, and the value of the customer service offer - corporate clients. Research focuses on identifying and comparing the dependent relationships between the key elements of offers' brand positioning: brand awareness, brand associations, perceived quality and brand loyalty. For the purpose of the research presented in this paper on-line surveying techniques was applied. 49 responses were collected form banking managers responsible for corporate clients. Results were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA.Acquired results indicate that there is a strong correlation between the observed elements: awareness of the brand-brand associations, brand association-perceived quality and perceived quality of brand-loyalty. Also, this paper provides an overview of the current position of the banking brands, as well as guidelines for improving the position of banking brands on the Serbian market.

  16. Positive Psychology: Transforming Young Lives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brendtro, Larry K.; Mitchell, Martin L.

    2011-01-01

    To reach responsible independence, young people must become invested in setting their life course. A rich history of research and practice shows that democratic group climates foster autonomy and prosocial behavior. This article explores principles and practices for creating positive peer cultures to develop strengths and help youth meet their…

  17. A novel method for estimating the initial rotor position of PM motors without the position sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rostami, Alireza; Asaei, Behzad

    2009-01-01

    Permanent magnet (PM) motors have been used widely in the industrial applications. However, a need of the position sensor is a drawback of their control system. The sensorless methods using the back-EMF (electromotive force) cannot detect the rotor position at a standstill; recently, a few methods proposed to detect the initial rotor position, but they have high estimation error which reduces starting torque of the motor. Therefore, in this paper, a novel method to detect the initial rotor position of the PM motors is proposed, first, by using a space vector model, response of the stator current space vector to the saturation of the stator core is analyzed; then a novel method based on the saturation effect is presented that estimates the initial rotor position and the maximum estimation error is less than 3.8 deg. Simulation results confirm this method is effective and precise, and variation of the motor parameters does not affect its precision.

  18. A novel method for estimating the initial rotor position of PM motors without the position sensor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rostami, Alireza; Asaei, Behzad [School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran (Iran)

    2009-08-15

    Permanent magnet (PM) motors have been used widely in the industrial applications. However, a need of the position sensor is a drawback of their control system. The sensorless methods using the back-EMF (electromotive force) cannot detect the rotor position at a standstill; recently, a few methods proposed to detect the initial rotor position, but they have high estimation error which reduces starting torque of the motor. Therefore, in this paper, a novel method to detect the initial rotor position of the PM motors is proposed, first, by using a space vector model, response of the stator current space vector to the saturation of the stator core is analyzed; then a novel method based on the saturation effect is presented that estimates the initial rotor position and the maximum estimation error is less than 3.8. Simulation results confirm this method is effective and precise, and variation of the motor parameters does not affect its precision. (author)

  19. Thinking back about a positive event: The impact of processing style on positive affect

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sabine eNelis

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The manner in which individuals recall an autobiographical positive life event has affective consequences. Two studies addressed the processing styles during positive memory recall in a non-clinical sample. Participants retrieved a positive memory which was self-generated (Study 1, n = 70 or experimenter-chosen (i.e., academic achievement, Study 2, n = 159, followed by the induction of one of three processing styles (between-subjects: In Study 1, a ‘concrete/imagery’ vs. ‘abstract/verbal’ processing style was compared. In Study 2, a ‘concrete/imagery’, ‘abstract/verbal’, and ‘comparative/verbal’ processing style were compared. The processing of a personal memory in a concrete/imagery-based way led to a larger increase in positive affect compared to abstract/verbal processing in Study 1, as well as compared to comparative/verbal thinking in Study 2. Results of Study 2 further suggest that it is making unfavourable verbal comparisons that may hinder affective benefits to positive memories (rather then general abstract/verbal processing per se. The comparative/verbal thinking style failed to lead to improvements in positive affect, and with increasing levels of depressive symptoms it had a more negative impact on change in positive affect. We found no evidence that participant’s tendency to have dampening thoughts in response to positive affect in daily life contributed to the affective impact of positive memory recall. The results support the potential for current trainings in boosting positive memories and mental imagery, and underline the search for parameters that determine at times deleterious outcomes of abstract/verbal memory processing in the face of positive information.

  20. Adaptations to iron deficiency: cardiac functional responsiveness to norepinephrine, arterial remodeling, and the effect of beta-blockade on cardiac hypertrophy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Walker LeeAnn

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Iron deficiency (ID results in ventricular hypertrophy, believed to involve sympathetic stimulation. We hypothesized that with ID 1 intravenous norepinephrine would alter heart rate (HR and contractility, 2 abdominal aorta would be larger and more distensible, and 3 the beta-blocker propanolol would reduce hypertrophy. Methods 1 30 CD rats were fed an ID or replete diet for 1 week or 1 month. Norepinephrine was infused via jugular vein; pressure was monitored at carotid artery. Saline infusions were used as a control. The pressure trace was analyzed for HR, contractility, systolic and diastolic pressures. 2 Abdominal aorta catheters inflated the aorta, while digital microscopic images were recorded at stepwise pressures to measure arterial diameter and distensibility. 3 An additional 10 rats (5 ID, 5 control were given a daily injection of propanolol or saline. After 1 month, the hearts were excised and weighed. Results Enhanced contractility, but not HR, was associated with ID hypertrophic hearts. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were consistent with an increase in arterial diameter associated with ID. Aortic diameter at 100 mmHg and distensibility were increased with ID. Propanolol was associated with an increase in heart to body mass ratio. Conclusions ID cardiac hypertrophy results in an increased inotropic, but not chronotropic response to the sympathetic neurotransmitter, norepinephrine. Increased aortic diameter is consistent with a flow-dependent vascular remodeling; increased distensibility may reflect decreased vascular collagen content. The failure of propanolol to prevent hypertrophy suggests that ID hypertrophy is not mediated via beta-adrenergic neurotransmission.

  1. The long-term consequences of previous hyperthyroidism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hjelm Brandt Kristensen, Frans

    2015-01-01

    Thyroid hormones affect every cell in the human body, and the cardiovascular changes associated with increased levels of thyroid hormones are especially well described. As an example, short-term hyperthyroidism has positive chronotropic and inotropic effects on the heart, leading to a hyperdynamic...... with CVD, LD and DM both before and after the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism. Although the design used does not allow a stringent distinction between cause and effect, the findings indicate a possible direct association between hyperthyroidism and these morbidities, or vice versa....... vascular state. While it is biologically plausible that these changes may induce long-term consequences, the insight into morbidity as well as mortality in patients with previous hyperthyroidism is limited. The reasons for this are a combination of inadequately powered studies, varying definitions...

  2. Control rod position detector for nuclear reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kudo, Mitsuru; Fujiwara, Hiroshi.

    1981-01-01

    Purpose: To improve the reliability of a control rod position detector by detecting a reactive code with a combination of control rod position change signals produced from vertical and horizontal axis decoders, generation an error signal and thus simultaneously detecting the operation of more than two lead switches. Constitution: Horizontal and vertical axis position signals responsive to changes in the control rod position are applied from lead switches connected in a predetermined matrix connection corresponding to the notches of the positions of respective position detecting probes, the reactive output from the decoder is detected by a reactive code detecting circuit, which in turn generates a fault signal, and the control rod position code converted in a notch number generating circuit is converted to a predetermined value indicating invalidity. Accordingly, a fault caused by the simultaneous operation of a plurality of failed lead switches can be effectively detected. (Yoshino, Y.)

  3. Tyrosine 370 phosphorylation of ATM positively regulates DNA damage response

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hong-Jen; Lan, Li; Peng, Guang; Chang, Wei-Chao; Hsu, Ming-Chuan; Wang, Ying-Nai; Cheng, Chien-Chia; Wei, Leizhen; Nakajima, Satoshi; Chang, Shih-Shin; Liao, Hsin-Wei; Chen, Chung-Hsuan; Lavin, Martin; Ang, K Kian; Lin, Shiaw-Yih; Hung, Mien-Chie

    2015-01-01

    Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) mediates DNA damage response by controling irradiation-induced foci formation, cell cycle checkpoint, and apoptosis. However, how upstream signaling regulates ATM is not completely understood. Here, we show that upon irradiation stimulation, ATM associates with and is phosphorylated by epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) at Tyr370 (Y370) at the site of DNA double-strand breaks. Depletion of endogenous EGFR impairs ATM-mediated foci formation, homologous recombination, and DNA repair. Moreover, pretreatment with an EGFR kinase inhibitor, gefitinib, blocks EGFR and ATM association, hinders CHK2 activation and subsequent foci formation, and increases radiosensitivity. Thus, we reveal a critical mechanism by which EGFR directly regulates ATM activation in DNA damage response, and our results suggest that the status of ATM Y370 phosphorylation has the potential to serve as a biomarker to stratify patients for either radiotherapy alone or in combination with EGFR inhibition. PMID:25601159

  4. Slight hypercalcemia is not associated with positive responses in the Comet Assay in male rat liver.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thiel, Anette; Hamel, Annie; Schaefer, Katrien; Cardoso, Renato; Beilstein, Paul

    2017-08-01

    Maintenance of physiological levels of intracellular and extracellular calcium is essential for life. Increased intracellular calcium levels are involved in cell death (apoptosis and necrosis) and are associated with positive responses in the Comet assay in vitro. In addition, high calcium and vitamin D intakes were reported to induce apoptosis in adipose tissue in obese mice and to increase DNA-migration in the Comet assay. To investigate increased serum concentration of calcium as a potential confounding factor in the regulatory Comet assay in vivo, we induced mild hypercalcemia in male Wistar rats by 3-day continuous intravenous infusion of calcium gluconate and performed the Comet assay in the liver in line with regulatory guidelines. The results of the study showed that mild increases in serum calcium concentration (up to 1.4 times above the concurrent control) and increased urinary calcium concentration (up to 27.8 times above the concurrent control) results in clinical signs like mild tremor, faster respiration rate and decreased activity in a few animals. However, under the conditions of the study, no increase in the %Tail DNA in the Comet assay and no indication of liver damage as determined by histopathological means were observed. Thus, mild increases in plasma calcium did not lead to positive results in a genotoxicity assessment by the Comet assay in the rat liver. This result is important as it confirms the reliability of this assay for regulatory evaluation of safety. Copyright © 2017 DSM Nutritional Products AG. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Motivating students through positive learning experiences

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lykke, Marianne; Coto Chotto, Mayela; Jantzen, Christian

    2015-01-01

    Based on the assumption that wellbeing, positive emotions and engagement influence motivation for learning, the aim of this paper is to provide insight into students’ emotional responses to and engagement in different learning designs. By comparing students’ reports on the experiential qualities...... of three different learning designs, their respective influence on students’ motivation for learning is discussed with the purpose of exploring the relationship between positive emotions, engagement and intrinsic motivation for learning. Our study thus aims at evaluating the motivational elements...

  6. Getting off on the wrong foot? How community groups in Zimbabwe position themselves for partnerships with external agencies in the HIV response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skovdal, Morten; Magutshwa-Zitha, Sitholubuhle; Campbell, Catherine; Nyamukapa, Constance; Gregson, Simon

    2017-06-01

    Partnerships are core to global public health responses. The HIV field embraces partnership working, with growing attention given to the benefits of involving community groups in the HIV response. However, little has been done to unpack the social psychological foundation of partnership working between well-resourced organisations and community groups, and how community representations of partnerships and power asymmetries shape the formation of partnerships for global health. We draw on a psychosocial theory of partnerships to examine community group members' understanding of self and other as they position themselves for partnerships with non-governmental organisations. This mixed qualitative methods study was conducted in the Matobo district of Matabeleland South province in Zimbabwe. The study draws on the perspectives of 90 community group members (29 men and 61 women) who participated in a total of 19 individual in-depth interviews and 9 focus group discussions (n = 71). The participants represented an array of different community groups and different levels of experience of working with NGOs. Verbatim transcripts were imported into Atlas.Ti for thematic indexing and analysis. Group members felt they played a central role in the HIV response. Accepting there is a limit to what they can do in isolation, they actively sought to position themselves as potential partners for NGOs. Partnerships with NGOs were said to enable community groups to respond more effectively as well as boost their motivation and morale. However, group members were also acutely aware of how they should act and perform if they were to qualify for a partnership. They spoke about how they had to adopt various strategies to become attractive partners and 'supportable' - including being active and obedient. Many community groups in Zimbabwe recognise their role in the HIV response and actively navigate representational systems of self and other to showcase themselves as capable actors

  7. The Effects of Caffeine, Taurine, or Caffeine-Taurine Coingestion on Repeat-Sprint Cycling Performance and Physiological Responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warnock, Rory; Jeffries, Owen; Patterson, Stephen; Waldron, Mark

    2017-11-01

    To investigate the effects of caffeine (C), taurine (T), caffeine and taurine coingestion (C +T), or placebo (P) on repeated Wingate cycling performance and associated physiological responses. Seven male team-sport players participated in a randomized, single-blind, crossover study, where they completed 3 Wingate tests, each separated by 2 min, an hour after ingesting: C (5 mg/kg body mass [BM]), T (50 mg/kg BM), C +T (5 mg/kg BM + 50 mg/kg BM), or P (5 mg/kg BM) in a gelatin capsule. Performance was measured on an ergometer, and blood lactate, perceived exertion, heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and rate pressure product (RPP) were measured at rest (presupplement), baseline (1 h postsupplement), and during and after exercise. Magnitude-based inferences revealed that all of the supplements increased (small to moderate, likely to very likely) mean peak power (MPP), peak power (PP), and mean power (MP) compared to P, with greater MPP, PP, and MP in T compared to C (small, possible). Intrasprint fatigue index (%FI Intra ) was greater in T compared to P and C (moderate, likely), and %FI Inter was lower in T compared to C (small, possible). C and C +T increased HR, MAP, and RPP compared to P and T at baseline (moderate to very large, likely to most likely); however, these only remained higher in C compared to all conditions in the final sprint. T elicited greater improvements in performance compared to P, C, or C +T while reducing the typical chronotropic and pressor effects of C.

  8. Identification of the yeast gene encoding the tRNA m1G methyltransferase responsible for modification at position 9.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackman, Jane E; Montange, Rebecca K; Malik, Harmit S; Phizicky, Eric M

    2003-05-01

    Methylation of tRNA at the N-1 position of guanosine to form m(1)G occurs widely in nature. It occurs at position 37 in tRNAs from all three kingdoms, and the methyltransferase that catalyzes this reaction is known from previous work of others to be critically important for cell growth in Escherichia coli and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. m(1)G is also widely found at position 9 in eukaryotic tRNAs, but the corresponding methyltransferase was unknown. We have used a biochemical genomics approach with a collection of purified yeast GST-ORF fusion proteins to show that m(1)G(9) formation of yeast tRNA(Gly) is associated with ORF YOL093w, named TRM10. Extracts lacking Trm10p have undetectable levels of m(1)G(9) methyltransferase activity but retain normal m(1)G(37) methyltransferase activity. Yeast Trm10p purified from E. coli quantitatively modifies the G(9) position of tRNA(Gly) in an S-adenosylmethionine-dependent fashion. Trm10p is responsible in vivo for most if not all m(1)G(9) modification of tRNAs, based on two results: tRNA(Gly) purified from a trm10-Delta/trm10-Delta strain is lacking detectable m(1)G; and a primer extension block occurring at m(1)G(9) is removed in trm10-Delta/trm10-Delta-derived tRNAs for all 9 m(1)G(9)-containing species that were testable by this method. There is no obvious growth defect of trm10-Delta/trm10-Delta strains. Trm10p bears no detectable resemblance to the yeast m(1)G(37) methyltransferase, Trm5p, or its orthologs. Trm10p homologs are found widely in eukaryotes and many archaea, with multiple homologs in several metazoans, including at least three in humans.

  9. Apoptosis in response to heat stress is positively associated with heat-shock protein 90 expression in chicken myocardial cells in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiao-Hui; Wu, Hong; Tang, Shu; Li, Qiao-Ning; Xu, Jiao; Zhang, Miao; Su, Ya-Nan; Yin, Bin; Zhao, Qi-Ling; Kemper, Nicole; Hartung, Joerg; Bao, En-Dong

    2017-06-30

    To determine heat-shock protein (Hsp)90 expression is connected with cellular apoptotic response to heat stress and its mechanism, chicken ( Gallus gallus ) primary myocardial cells were treated with the Hsp90 promoter, aspirin, and its inhibitor, geldanamycin (GA), before heat stress. Cellular viability, heat-stressed apoptosis and reactive oxygen species level under different treatments were measured, and the expression of key proteins of the signaling pathway related to Hsp90 and their colocalization with Hsp90 were detected. The results showed that aspirin treatment increased the expression of protein kinase B (Akt), the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-3 and p-IKKα/β and the colocalization of Akt and STAT-3 with Hsp90 during heat stress, which was accompanied by improved viability and low apoptosis. GA significantly inhibited Akt expression and p-IKKα/β level, but not STAT-3 quantity, while the colocalization of Akt and STAT-3 with Hsp90 was weakened, followed by lower cell viability and higher apoptosis. Aspirin after GA treatment partially improved the stress response and apoptosis rate of tested cells caused by the recovery of Akt expression and colocalization, rather than the level of STAT-3 (including its co-localization with Hsp90) and p-IKKα/β. Therefore, Hsp90 expression has a positive effect on cellular capacity to resist heat-stressed injury and apoptosis. Moreover, inhibition of Hsp90 before stress partially attenuated its positive effects.

  10. Ventilatory sensitivity to mild asphyxia: prone versus supine sleep position

    OpenAIRE

    Galland, B; Bolton, D; Taylor, B; Sayers, R; Williams, S

    2000-01-01

    AIMS—To compare the effects of prone and supine sleep position on the main physiological responses to mild asphyxia: increase in ventilation and arousal.
METHODS—Ventilatory and arousal responses to mild asphyxia (hypercapnia/hypoxia) were measured in 53 healthy infants at newborn and 3 months of age, during quiet sleep (QS) and active sleep (AS), and in supine and prone sleep positions. The asphyxial test mimicked face down rebreathing by slowly altering the inspired air: C...

  11. Inductance position sensor for pneumatic cylinder

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ripka, Pavel; Chirtsov, Andrey; Mirzaei, Mehran; Vyhnanek, Jan

    2018-04-01

    The position of the piston in pneumatic cylinder with aluminum wall can be measured by external inductance sensor without modifications of the aluminum piston and massive iron piston rod. For frequencies below 20 Hz the inductance is increasing with inserting rod due to the rod permeability. This mode has disadvantage of slow response to piston movement and also high temperature sensitivity. At the frequency of 45 Hz the inductance is position independent, as the permeability effect is compensated by the eddy current effect. At higher frequencies eddy current effects in the rod prevail, the inductance is decreasing with inserting rod. In this mode the sensitivity is smaller but the sensor response is fast and temperature stability is better. We show that FEM simulation of this sensor using measured material properties gives accurate results, which is important for the sensor optimization such as designing the winding geometry for the best linearity.

  12. A distal ABA responsive element in AtNCED3 promoter is required for positive feedback regulation of ABA biosynthesis in Arabidopsis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan-Zhuo Yang

    Full Text Available The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA plays a crucial role in plant development and responses to abiotic stresses. Recent studies indicate that a positive feedback regulation by ABA exists in ABA biosynthesis in plants under dehydration stress. To understand the molecular basis of this regulation, we analyzed the cis-elements of the AtNCED3 promoter in Arabidopsis. AtNCED3 encodes the first committed and highly regulated dioxygenase in the ABA biosynthetic pathway. Through delineated and mutagenesis analyses in stable-transformed Arabidopsis, we revealed that a distal ABA responsive element (ABRE: GGCACGTG, -2372 to -2364 bp is required for ABA-induced AtNCED3 expression. By analyzing the AtNCED3 expression in ABRE binding protein ABF3 over-expression transgenic plants and knock-out mutants, we provide evidence that the ABA feedback regulation of AtNCED3 expression is not mediated by ABF3.

  13. A distal ABA responsive element in AtNCED3 promoter is required for positive feedback regulation of ABA biosynthesis in Arabidopsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yan-Zhuo; Tan, Bao-Cai

    2014-01-01

    The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays a crucial role in plant development and responses to abiotic stresses. Recent studies indicate that a positive feedback regulation by ABA exists in ABA biosynthesis in plants under dehydration stress. To understand the molecular basis of this regulation, we analyzed the cis-elements of the AtNCED3 promoter in Arabidopsis. AtNCED3 encodes the first committed and highly regulated dioxygenase in the ABA biosynthetic pathway. Through delineated and mutagenesis analyses in stable-transformed Arabidopsis, we revealed that a distal ABA responsive element (ABRE: GGCACGTG, -2372 to -2364 bp) is required for ABA-induced AtNCED3 expression. By analyzing the AtNCED3 expression in ABRE binding protein ABF3 over-expression transgenic plants and knock-out mutants, we provide evidence that the ABA feedback regulation of AtNCED3 expression is not mediated by ABF3.

  14. THE IMPACTS OF PHILANTHROPY RESPONSIBILITY AND ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY TOWARD CUSTOMER PURCHASE BEHAVIOR AND CUSTOMER LOYALTY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kurniawati Chrisjatmiko

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this research is to analyze the impact of philanthropy responsibility and ethical responsibility towards customer purchase behavior and customer loyalty on fast food restaurants. The research was conducted by using quantitative research design and hypothetical testing to explore philanthropic responsibility, ethical responsibility, customer purchase behavior, and customer loyalty variables. Samples were taken from 186 respondents of employee population in Jakarta. Structural equation modeling was used in order to test the proposed hypotheses. Research result showed the positive and significant impact of philanthropic responsibility towards customer purchase behavior. On contrary, there was no positive ethical responsibility impact found towards customer purchase behavior. These findings are supported by the fact that the majority of consumers purchased fast food base on impulsive buying and not driven by the fast food restaurants ethically responsible behavior. However, the research does show a positive and significant impact of customer purchase behavior on customer loyalty. Further research recommendation should be taken from more respondents in a broader population area. Companies are suggested to approach a strategic and relevant caused-related marketing and caused promotions in relation to philanthropy responsibility to increase customer purchase behavior.

  15. Hemispheric Asymmetries in Striatal Reward Responses Relate to Approach-Avoidance Learning and Encoding of Positive-Negative Prediction Errors in Dopaminergic Midbrain Regions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aberg, Kristoffer Carl; Doell, Kimberly C; Schwartz, Sophie

    2015-10-28

    Some individuals are better at learning about rewarding situations, whereas others are inclined to avoid punishments (i.e., enhanced approach or avoidance learning, respectively). In reinforcement learning, action values are increased when outcomes are better than predicted (positive prediction errors [PEs]) and decreased for worse than predicted outcomes (negative PEs). Because actions with high and low values are approached and avoided, respectively, individual differences in the neural encoding of PEs may influence the balance between approach-avoidance learning. Recent correlational approaches also indicate that biases in approach-avoidance learning involve hemispheric asymmetries in dopamine function. However, the computational and neural mechanisms underpinning such learning biases remain unknown. Here we assessed hemispheric reward asymmetry in striatal activity in 34 human participants who performed a task involving rewards and punishments. We show that the relative difference in reward response between hemispheres relates to individual biases in approach-avoidance learning. Moreover, using a computational modeling approach, we demonstrate that better encoding of positive (vs negative) PEs in dopaminergic midbrain regions is associated with better approach (vs avoidance) learning, specifically in participants with larger reward responses in the left (vs right) ventral striatum. Thus, individual dispositions or traits may be determined by neural processes acting to constrain learning about specific aspects of the world. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/3514491-10$15.00/0.

  16. Induced abortion among HIV-positive women in Northern Vietnam

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gammeltoft, Tine; Rasch, Vibeke; Nguyen Thi, Thuy Hanh

    2010-01-01

    an abortion after being diagnosed as HIV-positive, exploring their reflections, concerns and dilemmas. The results show that the HIV-positive pregnant women sought to balance their desires for a child with their worries of being unable to fulfill their responsibilities as mothers. Even while strongly desiring...

  17. rf beam-current, -phase, and -position monitors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Young, L.

    1984-01-01

    A prototype rf beam monitor has been tested on the Racetrack Microtron's (RTM) 100 kV injector beam line at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS). This beam monitor is capable of measuring the current, the relative phase, and the position of the beam. The beam is bunched at 2380 MHz for acceleration by the linac in the injector beam line. This train of beam bunches passing through the beam monitor cavities excites the cavities at this resonance frequency of 2380 MHz. Probes in the cavities couple some of the beam-excited rf power out of the cavities. This rf power can be amplified if necessary and then analyzed by a double balanced mixer (DBM). The DBM can also be used as a phase detector. The effective shunt impedance of the cavities was measured with the CW beam. For the position monitor cavity, the shunt impedance is proportional to the displacement from the axis. The measured response of the prototype rf beam current monitor setup is a linear function of beam current. Response of the rf beam-position monitor is also shown

  18. No differences in ventral striatum responsivity between adolescents with a positive family history of alcoholism and controls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Müller, Kathrin U; Gan, Gabriela; Banaschewski, Tobias; Barker, Gareth J; Bokde, Arun L W; Büchel, Christian; Conrod, Patricia; Fauth-Bühler, Mira; Flor, Herta; Gallinat, Jürgen; Garavan, Hugh; Gowland, Penny; Heinz, Andreas; Ittermann, Bernd; Lawrence, Claire; Loth, Eva; Mann, Karl; Martinot, Jean-Luc; Nees, Frauke; Paus, Tomáš; Pausova, Zdenka; Rietschel, Marcella; Ströhle, Andreas; Struve, Maren; Schumann, Gunter; Smolka, Michael N

    2015-05-01

    Individuals with alcohol-dependent parents show an elevated risk of developing alcohol-related problems themselves. Modulations of the mesolimbic reward circuit have been postulated as a pre-existing marker of alcoholism. We tested whether a positive family history of alcoholism is correlated with ventral striatum functionality during a reward task. All participants performed a modified version of the monetary incentive delay task while their brain responses were measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging. We compared 206 healthy adolescents (aged 13-15) who had any first- or second-degree relative with alcoholism to 206 matched controls with no biological relative with alcoholism. Reward anticipation as well as feedback of win recruited the ventral striatum in all participants, but adolescents with a positive family history of alcoholism did not differ from their matched peers. Also we did not find any correlation between family history density and reward anticipation or feedback of win. This finding of no differences did not change when we analyzed a subsample of 77 adolescents with at least one parent with alcohol use disorder and their matched controls. Because this result is in line with another study reporting no differences between children with alcohol-dependent parents and controls at young age, but contrasts with studies of older individuals, one might conclude that at younger age the effect of family history has not yet exerted its influence on the still developing mesolimbic reward circuit. © 2014 Society for the Study of Addiction.

  19. Evaluation of the x-ray response of a position-sensitive microstrip detector with an integrated readout chip

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rossington, C.; Jaklevic, J.; Haber, C.; Spieler, H.; Reid, J.

    1990-08-01

    The performance of an SVX silicon microstrip detector and its compatible integrated readout chip have been evaluated in response to Rh Kα x-rays (average energy 20.5 keV). The energy and spatial discrimination capabilities, efficient data management and fast readout rates make it an attractive alternative to the CCD and PDA detectors now being offered for x-ray position sensitive diffraction and EXAFS work. The SVX system was designed for high energy physics applications and thus further development of the existing system is required to optimize it for use in practical x-ray experiments. For optimum energy resolution the system noise must be decreased to its previously demonstrated low levels of 2 keV FWHM at 60 keV or less, and the data handling rate of the computer must be increased. New readout chips are now available that offer the potential of better performance. 15 refs., 7 figs

  20. Positive technology–A powerful partnership between positive psychology and interactive technology. A discussion of potential and challenges.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah Diefenbach

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Under the umbrella term "positive computing" concepts of positive psychology are transferred to the domain of human-computer interaction (HCI. In an interdisciplinary community psychologist, computer scientists, designers and others are exploring promising ways how to utilize interactive technology to support wellbeing and human flourishing. Along with this, the recent popularity of smartphone apps aiming at the improvement of health behavior, mindfulness and positive routines, suggests the general acceptance of technology as a facilitator of personal development. Given this, there generally seems a high potential for a technology mediated trigger of positive behavior change, especially in context of positive psychology and resource oriented approaches such as solution-focused coaching. At the same time, there is still a lack of well-founded approaches to design such technology which consider its responsible role as an "interactive coach" and systematically integrate the needed expertise of different disciplines. The present article discusses the general potential and particular challenges to support the goals of positive psychology and human desire for self-improvement through interactive technology and highlights critical steps for a successful partnership between both.

  1. MDMA alters emotional processing and facilitates positive social interaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wardle, Margaret C; de Wit, Harriet

    2014-10-01

    ±3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") produces "prosocial" effects, such as feelings of empathy and closeness, thought to be important to its abuse and its value in psychotherapy. However, it is not fully understood how MDMA alters basic emotional processes to produce these effects, or whether it produces corresponding changes in actual social behavior. Here, we examined how MDMA affects perceptions of and responses to emotional expressions, and tested its effects on behavior during a social interaction. We also examined whether MDMA's prosocial effects related to a measure of abuse liability. Over three sessions, 36 healthy volunteers with previous ecstasy use received MDMA (0.75, 1.5 mg/kg) and placebo under double-blind conditions. We measured (i) mood and cardiovascular effects, (ii) perception of and psychophysiological responses to emotional expressions, (iii) use of positive and negative words in a social interaction, and (iv) perceptions of an interaction partner. We then tested whether these effects predicted desire to take the drug again. MDMA slowed perception of angry expressions, increased psychophysiological responses to happy expressions, and increased positive word use and perceptions of partner empathy and regard in a social interaction. These effects were not strongly related to desire to take the drug again. MDMA alters basic emotional processes by slowing identification of negative emotions and increasing responses to positive emotions in others. Further, it positively affects behavior and perceptions during actual social interaction. These effects may contribute to the efficacy of MDMA in psychotherapy, but appear less closely related to its abuse potential.

  2. A modular positive feedback-based gene amplifier

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bhalerao Kaustubh D

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Positive feedback is a common mechanism used in the regulation of many gene circuits as it can amplify the response to inducers and also generate binary outputs and hysteresis. In the context of electrical circuit design, positive feedback is often considered in the design of amplifiers. Similar approaches, therefore, may be used for the design of amplifiers in synthetic gene circuits with applications, for example, in cell-based sensors. Results We developed a modular positive feedback circuit that can function as a genetic signal amplifier, heightening the sensitivity to inducer signals as well as increasing maximum expression levels without the need for an external cofactor. The design utilizes a constitutively active, autoinducer-independent variant of the quorum-sensing regulator LuxR. We experimentally tested the ability of the positive feedback module to separately amplify the output of a one-component tetracycline sensor and a two-component aspartate sensor. In each case, the positive feedback module amplified the response to the respective inducers, both with regards to the dynamic range and sensitivity. Conclusions The advantage of our design is that the actual feedback mechanism depends only on a single gene and does not require any other modulation. Furthermore, this circuit can amplify any transcriptional signal, not just one encoded within the circuit or tuned by an external inducer. As our design is modular, it can potentially be used as a component in the design of more complex synthetic gene circuits.

  3. Education positive approach: contributions to human development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Clara ROMERO PÉREZ

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available This article analizes the current theoretical perspectives underlying educational proposals aimed at promoting the positive development of the people. Firstly we show the most important characteristics of the positive approach. Then, we focus on the positive concept of the inner and its relation to eudaimonia, self-care and emotional selfgovernance. Thirdly, with reference to the contributions of Positive Psychology and Prevention Science we examine the two points of view –hedonic and eudaemonic– from which different pedagogical approaches are based and focus towards education for the welfare, social-emotional development and educational character. We conclude that, despite the lack of practical knowledge about happiness and the art of living, a positive education oriented to the human construction processes must promote both emotional and social skills such as feelings and moral responsibilities for the optimal development of human being.

  4. Design and operation of a button-probe, beam-position measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gilpatrick, J.D.; Power, J.F.; Meyer, R.E.; Rose, C.R.

    1993-01-01

    Beam position measurement systems have been installed on the Advanced Free Electron Laser (AFEL) facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The position measurement uses a capacitive- or button-style probe that differentiates the beam-bunch charge distribution induced on each of the four probe lobes. These induced signals are fed to amplitude-to-phase processing electronics that provide output signals proportional to the arc tangent of the probe's opposite-lobe, signal-voltage ratios. An associated computer system then digitizes and linearizes these processed signals based on theoretical models and measured responses. This paper will review the processing electronics and capacitive probe responses by deriving simple theoretical models and comparing these models to actual measured responses

  5. Inductance position sensor for pneumatic cylinder

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pavel Ripka

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The position of the piston in pneumatic cylinder with aluminum wall can be measured by external inductance sensor without modifications of the aluminum piston and massive iron piston rod. For frequencies below 20 Hz the inductance is increasing with inserting rod due to the rod permeability. This mode has disadvantage of slow response to piston movement and also high temperature sensitivity. At the frequency of 45 Hz the inductance is position independent, as the permeability effect is compensated by the eddy current effect. At higher frequencies eddy current effects in the rod prevail, the inductance is decreasing with inserting rod. In this mode the sensitivity is smaller but the sensor response is fast and temperature stability is better. We show that FEM simulation of this sensor using measured material properties gives accurate results, which is important for the sensor optimization such as designing the winding geometry for the best linearity.

  6. The vascular basis of the positional influence of the intraocular pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krieglstein, G K; Waller, W K; Leydhecker, W

    1978-05-02

    By measuring intraocular pressure in different body positions from 60 degrees semiupright to 30 degrees head down, a nonlinear relationship between IOP increase and body position was confirmed. IOP postural response in individual subjects was roughly correlated to ophthalmic arterial pressure and to the episcleral venous pressure postural response. In one series of subjects, the episcleral venous pressure increments due to posture wa; parallel to the applanation-indentation disparity in the same individual eyes. Differential tonometry with applanation or indentation procedures under blind conditions gave significantly low indentation readings. It is concluded that IOP postural response depends on arterial and venous vascular changes when subjects move from an erect to a horizontal body position. Blood expulsion from the choroid by indentation tonometry might be the reason that this tonometric procedure does not measure IOP changes based on vascular changes.

  7. Risk for mania and positive emotional responding: too much of a good thing?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gruber, June; Johnson, Sheri L; Oveis, Christopher; Keltner, Dacher

    2008-02-01

    Although positive emotion research has begun to flourish, the extremes of positive emotion remain understudied. The present research used a multimethod approach to examine positive emotional disturbance by comparing participants at high and low risk for episodes of mania, which involves elevations in positive emotionality. Ninety participants were recruited into a high or low mania risk group according to responses on the Hypomanic Personality Scale. Participants' subjective, expressive, and physiological emotional responses were gathered while they watched two positive, two negative, and one neutral film clip. Results suggested that participants at high risk for mania reported elevated positive emotion and irritability and also exhibited elevated cardiac vagal tone across positive, negative, and neutral films. Discussion focuses on the implications these findings have for the diagnosis and prevention of bipolar disorder, as well as for the general study of positive emotion.

  8. The Universal Patient Centredness Questionnaire: scaling approaches to reduce positive skew

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bjertnaes O

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Oyvind Bjertnaes, Hilde Hestad Iversen, Andrew M Garratt Unit for Patient-Reported Quality, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway Purpose: Surveys of patients’ experiences typically show results that are indicative of positive experiences. Unbalanced response scales have reduced positive skew for responses to items within the Universal Patient Centeredness Questionnaire (UPC-Q. The objective of this study was to compare the unbalanced response scale with another unbalanced approach to scaling to assess whether the positive skew might be further reduced. Patients and methods: The UPC-Q was included in a patient experience survey conducted at the ward level at six hospitals in Norway in 2015. The postal survey included two reminders to nonrespondents. For patients in the first month of inclusion, UPC-Q items had standard scaling: poor, fairly good, good, very good, and excellent. For patients in the second month, the scaling was more positive: poor, good, very good, exceptionally good, and excellent. The effect of scaling on UPC-Q scores was tested with independent samples t-tests and multilevel linear regression analysis, the latter controlling for the hierarchical structure of data and known predictors of patient-reported experiences. Results: The response rate was 54.6% (n=4,970. Significantly lower scores were found for all items of the more positively worded scale: UPC-Q total score difference was 7.9 (P<0.001, on a scale from 0 to 100 where 100 is the best possible score. Differences between the four items of the UPC-Q ranged from 7.1 (P<0.001 to 10.4 (P<0.001. Multivariate multilevel regression analysis confirmed the difference between the response groups, after controlling for other background variables; UPC-Q total score difference estimate was 8.3 (P<0.001. Conclusion: The more positively worded scaling significantly lowered the mean scores, potentially increasing the sensitivity of the UPC-Q to identify differences over

  9. Hyperthyroidism and Sick Sinus Syndrome, a Rare but Challenging ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2017-09-14

    Sep 14, 2017 ... This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons ... tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as the author is credited and the new ... is clinically relevant, but the fact that several drugs with negative chronotropic ... Therapy with 30 mg antithyroid drug ...

  10. Communication: Effect of diperoxovandate on isolated rat heart ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Diperoxovanadate (DPV), a product of vanadate is gaining importance as a biologically active vanadium compound. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the chronotropic and inotropic activity of DPV using isolated rat heart and to determine the concentration at which it is toxic to the heart. The study was carried out ...

  11. Hibiscus Sabdariffa L. Flowers and Olea Europea L. Leaves Extract-Based Formulation for Hypertension Care: In Vitro Efficacy and Toxicological Profile.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Micucci, Matteo; Angeletti, Andrea; Cont, Massimiliano; Corazza, Ivan; Aldini, Rita; Donadio, Elisa; Chiarini, Alberto; Budriesi, Roberta

    2016-05-01

    Olea europaea L. leaves extract (Oe) and Hybiscus sabdariffa L. flowers extract (Hs) have calcium antagonistic properties. Aim of this work was to study the cardiovascular effects of Pres Phytum(®), a nutraceutical formulation containing a mixture of the two extracts and the excipients, and investigate its possible off-target effects, using in vitro biological assays on guinea pig isolated organs. Cardiovascular effects were assessed using guinea pig atria and aorta. The effects of Pres Phytum on spontaneous gastrointestinal, urinary, and respiratory tracts smooth muscle contractility were evaluated. Pres Phytum exerted a vasorelaxant effect (IC50 = 2.38 mg/mL) and a negative chronotropic effect (IC50 = 1.04 mg/mL) at concentrations lower than those producing smooth muscle spontaneous contractility alterations in the other organs. Compared to Pres Phytum, the mixture did not exert negative inotropic activity, while it maintained a negative chronotropic efficacy (IC50 = 1.04 mg/mL). These experimental data suggest a possible nutraceutical use of this food supplement for the management of preclinical hypertension.

  12. Mood states, sympathetic activity, and in vivo beta-adrenergic receptor function in a normal population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Bum-Hee; Kang, Eun-Ho; Ziegler, Michael G; Mills, Paul J; Dimsdale, Joel E

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between mood states and beta-adrenergic receptor function in a normal population. We also examined if sympathetic nervous system activity is related to mood states or beta-adrenergic receptor function. Sixty-two participants aged 25-50 years were enrolled in this study. Mood states were assessed using the Profile of Mood States (POMS). Beta-adrenergic receptor function was determined using the chronotropic 25 dose isoproterenol infusion test. Level of sympathetic nervous system activity was estimated from 24-hr urine norepinephrine excretion. Higher tension-anxiety, depression-dejection, and anger-hostility were related to decreased beta-adrenergic receptor sensitivity (i.e., higher chronotropic 25 dose values), but tension-anxiety was the only remaining independent predictor of beta-adrenergic receptor function after controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, and body mass index (BMI). Urinary norepinephrine excretion was unrelated to either mood states or beta-adrenergic receptor function. These findings replicate previous reports that anxiety is related to decreased (i.e., desensitized) beta-adrenergic receptor sensitivity, even after controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, and body mass index.

  13. Differing responses in right and left ventricular filling, loading and volumes during positive end-expiratory pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schulman, D.S.; Biondi, J.W.; Matthay, R.A.; Zaret, B.L.; Soufer, R.

    1989-01-01

    Using a combined hemodynamic and radionuclide technique, 20 patients with varied ventricular function were evaluated during positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) application. Left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) ejection fractions and cardiac output were measured, and ventricular volumes were derived. Seven patients (group 1) who had an increase in LV end-diastolic volume with PEEP and 13 patients (group 2) who had the more typical response, a decrease in LV end-diastolic volume with PEEP, were identified. Compared with group 2, group 1 patients had a higher incidence of coronary artery disease (5 of 7 vs 1 of 13, p less than 0.005) and lower cardiac output (3.9 +/- 1.6 vs 9.1 +/- 3.2 liters/min, p less than 0.005), LV ejection fraction (27 +/- 13 vs 51 +/- 21%, p less than 0.05), RV ejection fraction (15 +/- 6 vs 32 +/- 8%, p less than 0.005) and peak filling rate (1.32 +/- 0.43 vs 3.51 +/- 1.70 end-diastolic volumes/s, p less than 0.05). LV and RV volumes increased and peak filling rate decreased with PEEP in group 1, whereas in group 2 LV volume decreased and RV volume and peak filling rate remained unchanged. Using stepwise regression analysis, the change in LV volume with PEEP was related directly to baseline systemic vascular resistance and inversely to baseline blood pressure. Similarly, the change in peak filling rate with PEEP was inversely related to the change in RV end-diastolic volume. Thus, the hemodynamic response to PEEP is heterogeneous and may be related to LV ischemia

  14. Processing negative valence of word pairs that include a positive word.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Itkes, Oksana; Mashal, Nira

    2016-09-01

    Previous research has suggested that cognitive performance is interrupted by negative relative to neutral or positive stimuli. We examined whether negative valence affects performance at the word or phrase level. Participants performed a semantic decision task on word pairs that included either a negative or a positive target word. In Experiment 1, the valence of the target word was congruent with the overall valence conveyed by the word pair (e.g., fat kid). As expected, response times were slower in the negative condition relative to the positive condition. Experiment 2 included target words that were incongruent with the overall valence of the word pair (e.g., fat salary). Response times were longer for word pairs whose overall valence was negative relative to positive, even though these word pairs included a positive word. Our findings support the Cognitive Primacy Hypothesis, according to which emotional valence is extracted after conceptual processing is complete.

  15. Responsibility and Capacities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ryberg, Jesper

    2014-01-01

    That responsible moral agency presupposes certain mental capacities, constitutes a widely accepted view among theorists. Moreover, it is often assumed that degrees in the development of the relevant capacities co-vary with degrees of responsibility. In this article it is argued that, the move from...... the view that responsibility requires certain mental capacities to the position that degrees of responsibility co-vary with degrees of the development of the mental capacities, is premature....

  16. Trait Affect, Emotion Regulation, and the Generation of Negative and Positive Interpersonal Events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamilton, Jessica L; Burke, Taylor A; Stange, Jonathan P; Kleiman, Evan M; Rubenstein, Liza M; Scopelliti, Kate A; Abramson, Lyn Y; Alloy, Lauren B

    2017-07-01

    Positive and negative trait affect and emotion regulatory strategies have received considerable attention in the literature as predictors of psychopathology. However, it remains unclear whether individuals' trait affect is associated with responses to state positive affect (positive rumination and dampening) or negative affect (ruminative brooding), or whether these affective experiences contribute to negative or positive interpersonal event generation. Among 304 late adolescents, path analyses indicated that individuals with higher trait negative affect utilized dampening and brooding rumination responses, whereas those with higher trait positive affect engaged in rumination on positive affect. Further, there were indirect relationships between trait negative affect and fewer positive and negative interpersonal events via dampening, and between trait positive affect and greater positive and negative interpersonal events via positive rumination. These findings suggest that individuals' trait negative and positive affect may be associated with increased utilization of emotion regulation strategies for managing these affects, which may contribute to the occurrence of positive and negative events in interpersonal relationships. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  17. 9592 THE EXPERIENCES OF HIV-POSITIVE MOTHERS ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Mimi

    exclusive breastfeeding, HIV-positive mothers, aged 21-41 years, married and unemployed, participated during two visits to the study site. Responses to semi- ... Five major themes emerged: (i) benefits of breast milk to the mother and the baby ...

  18. Do Family Responsibilities and a Clinical Versus Research Faculty Position Affect Satisfaction with Career and Work–Life Balance for Medical School Faculty?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beckett, Laurel; Nettiksimmons, Jasmine; Howell, Lydia Pleotis

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Background: Balancing career and family obligations poses challenges to medical school faculty and contributes to dissatisfaction and attrition from academics. We examined the relationship between family setting and responsibilities, rank, and career and work–life satisfaction for faculty in a large U.S. medical school. Methods: Baseline faculty surveys were analyzed from the first year of a 4-year National Institutes of Health–funded study to evaluate awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and use of family friendly policies and career satisfaction. The study focus was on the impact of family responsibilities and characteristics of the faculty position (rank, clinical vs. nonclinical, and academic series) in multivariate comparisons between primary predictors and outcomes of interest. Results: Both clinical and family responsibilities for children under 18 play a major and interacting role in satisfaction with career and work–life balance. Clinical faculty respondents without children at home reported significantly greater career satisfaction and better work–life balance than their nonclinical counterparts. Nonclinical faculty respondents with children reported greater satisfaction and better balance than counterparts without family responsibilities. However, the advantage in career satisfaction and work–life balance for clinical faculty respondents disappeared for those with responsibility for young children. No gender-based differences were noted in the results or across faculty rank for respondents; however, for women, reaching associate professor resulted in greater career satisfaction. Conclusion: This study suggests that both work-related factors and family responsibilities influence satisfaction with career and work–life balance, but the predictors appear to interact in complex and nuanced ways. Further research is needed to delineate more clearly these interactions and to explore other factors that may play important additional roles. PMID

  19. Do Family Responsibilities and a Clinical Versus Research Faculty Position Affect Satisfaction with Career and Work-Life Balance for Medical School Faculty?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beckett, Laurel; Nettiksimmons, Jasmine; Howell, Lydia Pleotis; Villablanca, Amparo C

    2015-06-01

    Balancing career and family obligations poses challenges to medical school faculty and contributes to dissatisfaction and attrition from academics. We examined the relationship between family setting and responsibilities, rank, and career and work-life satisfaction for faculty in a large U.S. medical school. Baseline faculty surveys were analyzed from the first year of a 4-year National Institutes of Health-funded study to evaluate awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and use of family friendly policies and career satisfaction. The study focus was on the impact of family responsibilities and characteristics of the faculty position (rank, clinical vs. nonclinical, and academic series) in multivariate comparisons between primary predictors and outcomes of interest. Both clinical and family responsibilities for children under 18 play a major and interacting role in satisfaction with career and work-life balance. Clinical faculty respondents without children at home reported significantly greater career satisfaction and better work-life balance than their nonclinical counterparts. Nonclinical faculty respondents with children reported greater satisfaction and better balance than counterparts without family responsibilities. However, the advantage in career satisfaction and work-life balance for clinical faculty respondents disappeared for those with responsibility for young children. No gender-based differences were noted in the results or across faculty rank for respondents; however, for women, reaching associate professor resulted in greater career satisfaction. This study suggests that both work-related factors and family responsibilities influence satisfaction with career and work-life balance, but the predictors appear to interact in complex and nuanced ways. Further research is needed to delineate more clearly these interactions and to explore other factors that may play important additional roles.

  20. Beam based measurement of beam position monitor electrode gains

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. L. Rubin

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Low emittance tuning at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR test accelerator depends on precision measurement of vertical dispersion and transverse coupling. The CESR beam position monitors (BPMs consist of four button electrodes, instrumented with electronics that allow acquisition of turn-by-turn data. The response to the beam will vary among the four electrodes due to differences in electronic gain and/or misalignment. This variation in the response of the BPM electrodes will couple real horizontal offset to apparent vertical position, and introduce spurious measurements of coupling and vertical dispersion. To alleviate this systematic effect, a beam based technique to measure the relative response of the four electrodes has been developed. With typical CESR parameters, simulations show that turn-by-turn BPM data can be used to determine electrode gains to within ∼0.1%.

  1. Beam based measurement of beam position monitor electrode gains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubin, D. L.; Billing, M.; Meller, R.; Palmer, M.; Rendina, M.; Rider, N.; Sagan, D.; Shanks, J.; Strohman, C.

    2010-09-01

    Low emittance tuning at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR) test accelerator depends on precision measurement of vertical dispersion and transverse coupling. The CESR beam position monitors (BPMs) consist of four button electrodes, instrumented with electronics that allow acquisition of turn-by-turn data. The response to the beam will vary among the four electrodes due to differences in electronic gain and/or misalignment. This variation in the response of the BPM electrodes will couple real horizontal offset to apparent vertical position, and introduce spurious measurements of coupling and vertical dispersion. To alleviate this systematic effect, a beam based technique to measure the relative response of the four electrodes has been developed. With typical CESR parameters, simulations show that turn-by-turn BPM data can be used to determine electrode gains to within ˜0.1%.

  2. Positive selection in the chromosome 16 VKORC1 genomic region has contributed to the variability of anticoagulant response in humans.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Blandine Patillon

    Full Text Available VKORC1 (vitamin K epoxide reductase complex subunit 1, 16p11.2 is the main genetic determinant of human response to oral anticoagulants of antivitamin K type (AVK. This gene was recently suggested to be a putative target of positive selection in East Asian populations. In this study, we genotyped the HGDP-CEPH Panel for six VKORC1 SNPs and downloaded chromosome 16 genotypes from the HGDP-CEPH database in order to characterize the geographic distribution of footprints of positive selection within and around this locus. A unique VKORC1 haplotype carrying the promoter mutation associated with AVK sensitivity showed especially high frequencies in all the 17 HGDP-CEPH East Asian population samples. VKORC1 and 24 neighboring genes were found to lie in a 505 kb region of strong linkage disequilibrium in these populations. Patterns of allele frequency differentiation and haplotype structure suggest that this genomic region has been submitted to a near complete selective sweep in all East Asian populations and only in this geographic area. The most extreme scores of the different selection tests are found within a smaller 45 kb region that contains VKORC1 and three other genes (BCKDK, MYST1 (KAT8, and PRSS8 with different functions. Because of the strong linkage disequilibrium, it is not possible to determine if VKORC1 or one of the three other genes is the target of this strong positive selection that could explain present-day differences among human populations in AVK dose requirement. Our results show that the extended region surrounding a presumable single target of positive selection should be analyzed for genetic variation in a wide range of genetically diverse populations in order to account for other neighboring and confounding selective events and the hitchhiking effect.

  3. Relative roles of the cellular and humoral responses in the Drosophila host defense against three gram-positive bacterial infections.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nadine T Nehme

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Two NF-kappaB signaling pathways, Toll and immune deficiency (imd, are required for survival to bacterial infections in Drosophila. In response to septic injury, these pathways mediate rapid transcriptional activation of distinct sets of effector molecules, including antimicrobial peptides, which are important components of a humoral defense response. However, it is less clear to what extent macrophage-like hemocytes contribute to host defense.In order to dissect the relative importance of humoral and cellular defenses after septic injury with three different gram-positive bacteria (Micrococcus luteus, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, we used latex bead pre-injection to ablate macrophage function in flies wildtype or mutant for various Toll and imd pathway components. We found that in all three infection models a compromised phagocytic system impaired fly survival--independently of concomitant Toll or imd pathway activation. Our data failed to confirm a role of the PGRP-SA and GNBP1 Pattern Recognition Receptors for phagocytosis of S. aureus. The Drosophila scavenger receptor Eater mediates the phagocytosis by hemocytes or S2 cells of E. faecalis and S. aureus, but not of M. luteus. In the case of M. luteus and E. faecalis, but not S. aureus, decreased survival due to defective phagocytosis could be compensated for by genetically enhancing the humoral immune response.Our results underscore the fundamental importance of both cellular and humoral mechanisms in Drosophila immunity and shed light on the balance between these two arms of host defense depending on the invading pathogen.

  4. An integrated platform for simultaneous multi-well field potential recording and Fura-2-based calcium transient ratiometry in human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rast, Georg; Weber, Jürgen; Disch, Christoph; Schuck, Elmar; Ittrich, Carina; Guth, Brian D

    2015-01-01

    Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes are available from various sources and they are being evaluated for safety testing. Several platforms are available offering different assay principles and read-out parameters: patch-clamp and field potential recording, imaging or photometry, impedance measurement, and recording of contractile force. Routine use will establish which assay principle and which parameters best serve the intended purpose. We introduce a combination of field potential recording and calcium ratiometry from spontaneously beating cardiomyocytes as a novel assay providing a complementary read-out parameter set. Field potential recording is performed using a commercial multi-well multi-electrode array platform. Calcium ratiometry is performed using a fiber optic illumination and silicon avalanche photodetectors. Data condensation and statistical analysis are designed to enable statistical inference of differences and equivalence with regard to a solvent control. Simultaneous recording of field potentials and calcium transients from spontaneously beating monolayers was done in a nine-well format. Calcium channel blockers (e.g. nifedipine) and a blocker of calcium store release (ryanodine) can be recognized and discriminated based on the calcium transient signal. An agonist of L-type calcium channels, FPL 64176, increased and prolonged the calcium transient, whereas BAY K 8644, another L-type calcium channel agonist, had no effect. Both FPL 64176 and various calcium channel antagonists have chronotropic effects, which can be discriminated from typical "chronotropic" compounds, like (±)isoprenaline (positive) and arecaidine propargyl ester (negative), based on their effects on the calcium transient. Despite technical limitations in temporal resolution and exact matching of composite calcium transient with the field potential of a subset of cells, the combined recording platform enables a refined interpretation of the field potential

  5. Conflict, Memory, and Positioning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brescó, Ignacio

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this paper was to bring the dialogical and multivoiced dimension of conflict to the fore in the study of how people remember a particular event in the past. Drawing from different case studies, it contains analyses of how subjects identifying with different political actors in the Basque...... conflict adopted their respective positions, and interpretation of the conflict, and how, in light of same, they reconstruct the failed peace process that took place in 2006 between the terrorist group ETA (Euzkadi ta Azcatasuna, or Basque Country and Freedom in English) and the Spanish government. Results...... show that the positioning adopted by participants gives rise to a certain form of interpreting the conflict, which, in turn, affects how the peace process is remembered. This occurs within a particular argumentative context in which each version constitutes an implicit response to a competing...

  6. A novel method for assessing position-sensitive detector performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clinthorne, N.H.; Rogers, W.L.; Shao, L.; Hero, A.O. III; Koral, K.F.

    1989-01-01

    A marked point process model of a position-sensitive detector is developed which includes the effects of detector efficiency, spatial response, energy response, and source statistics. The average mutual information between the incident distribution of γ rays and the detector response is derived and used as a performance index for detector optimization. A brief example is presented which uses this figure-of-merit for optimization of light guide dimensions for a modular scintillation camera

  7. Positive Emotion in Nature as a Precursor to Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coleman, Tamara Chase

    2014-01-01

    This study was designed to examine the perception of learning in adults generated by the effect of a positive emotion-in this case, awe. For the study, a working definition of awe is an "impact-provoking reverence due to a powerful, positive emotional response to the natural world." This qualitative study used primarily face-to-face…

  8. Positive Emotions Associated with "Counter-Strike" Game Playing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Mirim; Heard, Rob; Suo, Chao; Chow, Chin Moi

    2012-10-01

    Digital game playing engages people for long periods of time. The pleasure offered by digital games may explain the players' consumption of this activity. Games may elicit both positive and negative emotions, which can be measured by encephalography (EEG). The EEG alpha asymmetry index (AI) is different in positive and negative emotions and so may be used to distinguish positive from negative emotions that occur during gaming. We hypothesized that the "Counter-Strike" (CS) game (Valve Software, Bellevue, WA) is pleasurable and demonstrable with a positive EEG AI. Twelve male participants ages 18-30 years underwent EEG recordings continuously during and postgame. EEG was also recorded pregame for control conditions of baseline (sitting on a chair staring at a blank wall), movement (moving fingers on the computer keyboard with a blank screen), sound (listening to the sound of the CS game with a blank screen), and screen (watching the CS game without playing). Self-ratings of emotional responses were completed at pre-, during, and postgame. A significant decrease in the EEG AI was observed under the screen condition compared with baseline, whereas an increase was observed postgame compared with the screen condition. The participants demonstrated a positive EEG AI following the "shoot" events (shoot opponents) and negative emotions after the "being shot" events. Subjective ratings of emotional response indicated happiness during and postgame, but anger and arousal were reported only during the game. The overall results are consistent with the hypothesis that predominantly positive emotional reactions are elicited from playing the CS game and concur with positive subjective ratings of happiness. Future studies may explore the relationship of game pleasure and obsessive game play.

  9. Neural effects of positive and negative incentives during marijuana withdrawal.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesca M Filbey

    Full Text Available In spite of evidence suggesting two possible mechanisms related to drug-seeking behavior, namely reward-seeking and harm avoidance, much of the addiction literature has focused largely on positive incentivization mechanisms associated with addiction. In this study, we examined the contributing neural mechanisms of avoidance of an aversive state to drug-seeking behavior during marijuana withdrawal. To that end, marijuana users were scanned while performing the monetary incentive delay task in order to assess positive and negative incentive processes. The results showed a group x incentive interaction, such that marijuana users had greater response in areas that underlie reward processes during positive incentives while controls showed greater response in the same areas, but to negative incentives. Furthermore, a negative correlation between withdrawal symptoms and response in the amygdala during negative incentives was found in the marijuana users. These findings suggest that although marijuana users have greater reward sensitivity and less harm avoidance than controls, that attenuated amygdala response, an area that underlies fear and avoidance, was present in marijuana users with greater marijuana withdrawal symptoms. This is concordant with models of drug addiction that involve multiple sources of reinforcement in substance use disorders, and suggests the importance of strategies that focus on respective mechanisms.

  10. Attachment style impacts behavior and early oculomotor response to positive, but not negative, pictures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, Catarina; Chaminade, Thierry; David, Da Fonseca; Santos, Andreia; Esteves, Francisco; Soares, Isabel; Deruelle, Christine

    2015-06-01

    The present study investigated whether oculomotor behavior is influenced by attachment styles. The Relationship Scales Questionnaire was used to assess attachment styles of forty-eight voluntary university students and to classify them into attachment groups (secure, preoccupied, fearful, and dismissing). Eye-tracking was recorded while participants engaged in a 3-seconds free visual exploration of stimuli presenting either a positive or a negative picture together with a neutral picture, all depicting social interactions. The task consisted in identifying whether the two pictures depicted the same emotion. Results showed that the processing of negative pictures was impermeable to attachment style, while the processing of positive pictures was significantly influenced by individual differences in insecure attachment. The groups highly avoidant regarding to attachment (dismissing and fearful) showed reduced accuracy, suggesting a higher threshold for recognizing positive emotions compared to the secure group. The groups with higher attachment anxiety (preoccupied and fearful) showed differences in automatic capture of attention, in particular an increased delay preceding the first fixation to a picture of positive emotional valence. Despite lenient statistical thresholds induced by the limited sample size of some groups (p < 0.05 uncorrected for multiple comparisons), the current findings suggest that the processing of positive emotions is affected by attachment styles. These results are discussed within a broader evolutionary framework. © 2015 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. A Context-Aware Model to Provide Positioning in Disaster Relief Scenarios

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Moreno

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The effectiveness of the work performed during disaster relief efforts is highly dependent on the coordination of activities conducted by the first responders deployed in the affected area. Such coordination, in turn, depends on an appropriate management of geo-referenced information. Therefore, enabling first responders to count on positioning capabilities during these activities is vital to increase the effectiveness of the response process. The positioning methods used in this scenario must assume a lack of infrastructure-based communication and electrical energy, which usually characterizes affected areas. Although positioning systems such as the Global Positioning System (GPS have been shown to be useful, we cannot assume that all devices deployed in the area (or most of them will have positioning capabilities by themselves. Typically, many first responders carry devices that are not capable of performing positioning on their own, but that require such a service. In order to help increase the positioning capability of first responders in disaster-affected areas, this paper presents a context-aware positioning model that allows mobile devices to estimate their position based on information gathered from their surroundings. The performance of the proposed model was evaluated using simulations, and the obtained results show that mobile devices without positioning capabilities were able to use the model to estimate their position. Moreover, the accuracy of the positioning model has been shown to be suitable for conducting most first response activities.

  12. Transdiagnostic assessment of repetitive negative thinking and responses to positive affect: Structure and predictive utility for depression, anxiety, and mania symptoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McEvoy, Peter M; Hyett, Matthew P; Ehring, Thomas; Johnson, Sheri L; Samtani, Suraj; Anderson, Rebecca; Moulds, Michelle L

    2018-05-01

    Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is a cognitive process that is repetitive, passive, relatively uncontrollable, and focused on negative content, and is elevated in emotional disorders including depression and anxiety disorders. Repetitive positive thinking is associated with bipolar disorder symptoms. The unique contributions of positive versus negative repetitive thinking to emotional symptoms are unknown. The first aim of this study was to use confirmatory factor analyses to evaluate the psychometrics of two transdiagnostic measures of RNT, the Repetitive Thinking Questionnaire (RTQ-10) and Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ), and a measure of repetitive positive thinking, the Responses to Positive Affect (RPA) Questionnaire. The second aim was to determine incremental predictive utility of these measures. All measures were administered to a sample of 2088 undergraduate students from the Netherlands (n = 992), Australia (n = 698), and America (n = 398). Unidimensional, bifactor, and three-factor models were supported for the RTQ-10, PTQ, and RPA, respectively. A common factor measured by all PTQ items explained most variance in PTQ scores suggesting that this measure is essentially unidimensional. The RNT factor of the RTQ-10 demonstrated the strongest predictive utility, although the PTQ was also uniquely although weakly associated with anxiety, depression, and mania symptoms. The RPA dampening factor uniquely predicted anxiety and depression symptoms, suggesting that this scale is a separable process to RNT as measured by the RTQ-10 and PTQ. Findings were cross-sectional and need to be replicated in clinical samples. Transdiagnostic measures of RNT are essentially unidimensional, whereas RPA is multidimensional. RNT and RPA have unique predictive utility. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Comparative Survey of Holding Positions for Reducing Vaccination Pain in Young Infants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hui-Chu Yin

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Infant holding position may reduce vaccination pain. However, the optimal position for young infants remains controversial. Objectives. To compare the effectiveness of holding infants in the supine position and the effectiveness of holding infants in upright position for relieving acute pain from vaccine injection. Methods. This prospective cohort study enrolled 6–12-week-old healthy infants. We examined infant pain responses by evaluating the following three categories: (1 crying, (2 irritability, and (3 facial expression. Results. In total, 282 infants were enrolled, with 103 and 179 held in the supine and upright positions, respectively. At 30 s after vaccination, the infants in the supine position showed a larger decrease in crying (p<0.001, irritability (p=0.002, and pained facial expression (p=0.001 than did those in the upright position. However, there was no significant difference in pain response between two groups at 180 s after intervention. Conclusion. In 2-month-old infants, the supine position may reduce acute pain more effectively than does the upright position. Our findings provide a clinical strategy for relieving vaccination pain in young infants.

  14. Side-emitting fiber optic position sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiss, Jonathan D [Albuquerque, NM

    2008-02-12

    A side-emitting fiber optic position sensor and method of determining an unknown position of an object by using the sensor. In one embodiment, a concentrated beam of light source illuminates the side of a side-emitting fiber optic at an unknown axial position along the fiber's length. Some of this side-illuminated light is in-scattered into the fiber and captured. As the captured light is guided down the fiber, its intensity decreases due to loss from side-emission away from the fiber and from bulk absorption within the fiber. By measuring the intensity of light emitted from one (or both) ends of the fiber with a photodetector(s), the axial position of the light source is determined by comparing the photodetector's signal to a calibrated response curve, look-up table, or by using a mathematical model. Alternatively, the side-emitting fiber is illuminated at one end, while a photodetector measures the intensity of light emitted from the side of the fiber, at an unknown position. As the photodetector moves further away from the illuminated end, the detector's signal strength decreases due to loss from side-emission and/or bulk absorption. As before, the detector's signal is correlated to a unique position along the fiber.

  15. Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tremblay, Mark S.; Gray, Casey; Babcock, Shawna; Barnes, Joel; Costas Bradstreet, Christa; Carr, Dawn; Chabot, Guylaine; Choquette, Louise; Chorney, David; Collyer, Cam; Herrington, Susan; Janson, Katherine; Janssen, Ian; Larouche, Richard; Pickett, William; Power, Marlene; Sandseter, Ellen Beate Hansen; Simon, Brenda; Brussoni, Mariana

    2015-01-01

    A diverse, cross-sectorial group of partners, stakeholders and researchers, collaborated to develop an evidence-informed Position Statement on active outdoor play for children aged 3–12 years. The Position Statement was created in response to practitioner, academic, legal, insurance and public debate, dialogue and disagreement on the relative benefits and harms of active (including risky) outdoor play. The Position Statement development process was informed by two systematic reviews, a critical appraisal of the current literature and existing position statements, engagement of research experts (N = 9) and cross-sectorial individuals/organizations (N = 17), and an extensive stakeholder consultation process (N = 1908). More than 95% of the stakeholders consulted strongly agreed or somewhat agreed with the Position Statement; 14/17 participating individuals/organizations endorsed it; and over 1000 additional individuals and organizations requested their name be listed as a supporter. The final Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play states: “Access to active play in nature and outdoors—with its risks— is essential for healthy child development. We recommend increasing children’s opportunities for self-directed play outdoors in all settings—at home, at school, in child care, the community and nature.” The full Position Statement provides context for the statement, evidence supporting it, and a series of recommendations to increase active outdoor play opportunities to promote healthy child development. PMID:26062040

  16. Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tremblay, Mark S; Gray, Casey; Babcock, Shawna; Barnes, Joel; Bradstreet, Christa Costas; Carr, Dawn; Chabot, Guylaine; Choquette, Louise; Chorney, David; Collyer, Cam; Herrington, Susan; Janson, Katherine; Janssen, Ian; Larouche, Richard; Pickett, William; Power, Marlene; Sandseter, Ellen Beate Hansen; Simon, Brenda; Brussoni, Mariana

    2015-06-08

    A diverse, cross-sectorial group of partners, stakeholders and researchers, collaborated to develop an evidence-informed Position Statement on active outdoor play for children aged 3-12 years. The Position Statement was created in response to practitioner, academic, legal, insurance and public debate, dialogue and disagreement on the relative benefits and harms of active (including risky) outdoor play. The Position Statement development process was informed by two systematic reviews, a critical appraisal of the current literature and existing position statements, engagement of research experts (N=9) and cross-sectorial individuals/organizations (N=17), and an extensive stakeholder consultation process (N=1908). More than 95% of the stakeholders consulted strongly agreed or somewhat agreed with the Position Statement; 14/17 participating individuals/organizations endorsed it; and over 1000 additional individuals and organizations requested their name be listed as a supporter. The final Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play states: "Access to active play in nature and outdoors--with its risks--is essential for healthy child development. We recommend increasing children's opportunities for self-directed play outdoors in all settings--at home, at school, in child care, the community and nature." The full Position Statement provides context for the statement, evidence supporting it, and a series of recommendations to increase active outdoor play opportunities to promote healthy child development.

  17. Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark S. Tremblay

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available A diverse, cross-sectorial group of partners, stakeholders and researchers, collaborated to develop an evidence-informed Position Statement on active outdoor play for children aged 3–12 years. The Position Statement was created in response to practitioner, academic, legal, insurance and public debate, dialogue and disagreement on the relative benefits and harms of active (including risky outdoor play. The Position Statement development process was informed by two systematic reviews, a critical appraisal of the current literature and existing position statements, engagement of research experts (N = 9 and cross-sectorial individuals/organizations (N = 17, and an extensive stakeholder consultation process (N = 1908. More than 95% of the stakeholders consulted strongly agreed or somewhat agreed with the Position Statement; 14/17 participating individuals/organizations endorsed it; and over 1000 additional individuals and organizations requested their name be listed as a supporter. The final Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play states: “Access to active play in nature and outdoors—with its risks— is essential for healthy child development. We recommend increasing children’s opportunities for self-directed play outdoors in all settings—at home, at school, in child care, the community and nature.” The full Position Statement provides context for the statement, evidence supporting it, and a series of recommendations to increase active outdoor play opportunities to promote healthy child development.

  18. Taking a radical position: Evidence for position specific radical representations in Chinese character recognition using masked priming ERP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I-Fan eSu

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available In the investigation of orthographic representation of Chinese characters, one question that has stimulated much research is whether radicals (character components are specified for spatial position in a character (e.g. Ding, Peng, & Taft, 2004; Tsang & Chen, 2009. Differing from previous work, component or radical position information in this study is conceived in terms of relative frequency across different positions of characters containing it. A lexical decision task in a masked priming paradigm focusing on radicals with preferred position of occurrence was conducted. A radical position that encompasses more characters than other positions was identified to be the preferred position of a particular radical. The prime that was exposed for 96ms might share a radical with the target in the same or different positions. Moreover, the shared radical appeared either in its preferred or non-preferred position in the target. While response latencies only revealed the effect of graphical similarity, both effects of graphical similarity and radical position preference were found in the ERP results. The former effect was reflected in greater positivity in occipital P1 and greater negativity in N400 for radicals in different positions in prime and target characters. The latter effect manifested as greater negativity in occipital N170 and greater positivity in frontal P200 in the same time window elicited by radicals in their non-preferred position. Equally interesting was the reversal of the effect of radical position preference in N400 with greater negativity associated with radicals in preferred position. These findings identify the early ERP components associated with activation of position-specific radical representations in the orthographic lexicon, and reveal the change in the nature of competition from processing at the radical level to the lexical level.

  19. Net positive energy buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Romero, A.; Barreiro, E.; Sanchez Zabala, V.

    2010-01-01

    Buildings are great consumers of energy, being responsible for almost 36% of CO2 emissions in Europe. Though there are many initiatives towards the reduction of energy consumption and CO2 emissions in buildings, many of the alternatives are diminished due to a lack of a unique and holistic approach to the problem. This paper reports a new innovative concept of Positive Energy Buildings (EB+), as well as an integral methodology that covers the overall design process for achieving them. The methodology evaluates energy efficiency solutions at different scales, from building site to generation systems. An educational building design in Navarra serves as a case study to check the feasibility of the proposed methodology. The study concludes that the key to achieve a Positive Energy Building is a minimized energy demand, complemented by efficient facilities and enhanced by distributed power generation from renewable sources. (Author).

  20. Prevalence of Vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiency in HIV-positive patients and its association with neuropsychiatric symptoms and immunological response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adhikari, Prabha M R; Chowta, Mukta N; Ramapuram, John T; Rao, Satish; Udupa, Karthik; Acharya, Sahana Devdas

    2016-01-01

    Deficiency of micronutrients is prevalent even before the development of symptoms of HIV disease and is associated with accelerated HIV disease progression. This study evaluates the prevalence of folate and Vitamin B 12 deficiency in HIV-positive patients with or without tuberculosis (TB) and its association with neuropsychiatric symptoms and immunological response. Cross-sectional, observational study in an outpatient setting. Four groups of HIV-positive patients with TB (Group I), HIV-positive patients with neuropsychiatric symptoms (Group II), HIV-positive patients without neuropsychiatric symptoms or TB (Group III), and HIV-negative controls with neuropsychiatric symptoms (Group IV). Vitamin B 12 and folate estimation was done using carbonyl metallo-immunoassay method. ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney, Pearson's correlation. The prevalence of folic acid deficiency was 27.1% in the Group I, 31.9% in the Group II, 23.4% in the Group III, and 32% in the Group IV being higher in patients with neuropsychiatric symptoms in both HIV and non-HIV patients. The prevalence of Vitamin B 12 deficiency was 18.8% in Group I, 9.1% in Group II, 4.8% in Group III, and 16.7% in Group IV. The patients with folate deficiency had more severe depression and anxiety. Nearly, 30% of the HIV patients had a folic acid deficiency, and about 10% of the HIV patients had Vitamin B 12 deficiency. The folate deficiency was highest among neuropsychiatric patients with or without HIV infection and Vitamin B 12 deficiency was higher among HIV patients with TB.

  1. A semi-parametric within-subject mixture approach to the analyses of responses and response times.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molenaar, Dylan; Bolsinova, Maria; Vermunt, Jeroen K

    2018-05-01

    In item response theory, modelling the item response times in addition to the item responses may improve the detection of possible between- and within-subject differences in the process that resulted in the responses. For instance, if respondents rely on rapid guessing on some items but not on all, the joint distribution of the responses and response times will be a multivariate within-subject mixture distribution. Suitable parametric methods to detect these within-subject differences have been proposed. In these approaches, a distribution needs to be assumed for the within-class response times. In this paper, it is demonstrated that these parametric within-subject approaches may produce false positives and biased parameter estimates if the assumption concerning the response time distribution is violated. A semi-parametric approach is proposed which resorts to categorized response times. This approach is shown to hardly produce false positives and parameter bias. In addition, the semi-parametric approach results in approximately the same power as the parametric approach. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

  2. Position detectors, methods of detecting position, and methods of providing positional detectors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weinberg, David M.; Harding, L. Dean; Larsen, Eric D.

    2002-01-01

    Position detectors, welding system position detectors, methods of detecting various positions, and methods of providing position detectors are described. In one embodiment, a welding system positional detector includes a base that is configured to engage and be moved along a curved surface of a welding work piece. At least one position detection apparatus is provided and is connected with the base and configured to measure angular position of the detector relative to a reference vector. In another embodiment, a welding system positional detector includes a weld head and at least one inclinometer mounted on the weld head. The one inclinometer is configured to develop positional data relative to a reference vector and the position of the weld head on a non-planar weldable work piece.

  3. HYPOTENSIVE AND CARDIOINHIBOTORY EFFECTS OF THE AQUEOUS AND ETHANOL EXTRACTS OF CELERY (APIUM GRAVEOLENS, APIACEAE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dragana Pavlović

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available In this study we present the effects of aqueous and ethanol extracts of celery (Apium graveolens L., Apiaceae investigated on the mean blood pressure of anaesthetized rabbits and contractility of isolated atria of the rats. In our experiments were used rabbits and Wistar albino rats. The effects of extracts (0.5-15 mg/kg on blood pressure were recorded directly from the carotid artery. Rat isolated atria was mounted in 10 ml tissue bath. An equilibrium period of 30 min was given before the application of the extracts (0.02-0.75 mg/ml. In anesthetized rabbit, intravenous administration of aqueous extracts induced least hypotensive effects (14.35±2.94%, while the ethanol extract caused the greatest fall in the blood pressure (45.79±10.86%. Hypotensive effects of the extracts were partially blocked by atropine (0.3 mg/kg, an unselective muscarinic receptor antagonist. In isolated rat atria both aqueous and ethanolic extracts of celery, exhibit a negative chronotropic and an inotropic action. Aqueous extract decreased rate of contractions for 12.88±2.74% and amplitude for 8.73±0.89%. Ethanol extract inhibited rate of the atria contractions for 34.26±5.69%, and amplitude for 25.40±3.61%. Pretreatment of the atria with atropine (1μM partially blocked inhibitory response of aqueous and ethanol extracts. Ethanol extract of celery exhibited significantly greater hypotensive and cardio-depressant activities then aqueous extract (p<0.05. These data suggest that the aqueous and ethanol extracts of celery caused the hypotensive, negative inotropic and chronotropic effects, which could partially be mediated possibly via stimulation of muscarinic receptors. Inhibitory effect of ethanol extract was significant comparing to aqueous extract of celery.

  4. Real-Time Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Amygdala Neurofeedback Changes Positive Information Processing in Major Depressive Disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, Kymberly D; Misaki, Masaya; Harmer, Catherine J; Victor, Teresa; Zotev, Vadim; Phillips, Raquel; Siegle, Greg J; Drevets, Wayne C; Bodurka, Jerzy

    2017-10-15

    In participants with major depressive disorder who are trained to upregulate their amygdalar hemodynamic responses during positive autobiographical memory recall with real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging neurofeedback (rtfMRI-nf) training, depressive symptoms diminish. This study tested whether amygdalar rtfMRI-nf also changes emotional processing of positive and negative stimuli in a variety of behavioral and imaging tasks. Patients with major depressive disorder completed two rtfMRI-nf sessions (18 received amygdalar rtfMRI-nf, 16 received control parietal rtfMRI-nf). One week before and following rtfMRI-nf training, participants performed tasks measuring responses to emotionally valenced stimuli including a backward-masking task, which measures the amygdalar hemodynamic response to emotional faces presented for traditionally subliminal duration and followed by a mask, and the Emotional Test Battery in which reaction times and performance accuracy are measured during tasks involving emotional faces and words. During the backward-masking task, amygdalar responses increased while viewing masked happy faces but decreased to masked sad faces in the experimental versus control group following rtfMRI-nf. During the Emotional Test Battery, reaction times decreased to identification of positive faces and during self-identification with positive words and vigilance scores increased to positive faces and decreased to negative faces during the faces dot-probe task in the experimental versus control group following rtfMRI-nf. rtfMRI-nf training to increase the amygdalar hemodynamic response to positive memories was associated with changes in amygdalar responses to happy and sad faces and improved processing of positive stimuli during performance of the Emotional Test Battery. These results may suggest that amygdalar rtfMRI-nf training alters responses to emotional stimuli in a manner similar to antidepressant pharmacotherapy. Copyright © 2017 Society of

  5. Externalizing shame responses in children: The role of fragile positive self-esteem

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Thomaes, Sander

    2007-01-01

    When faced with shame, children can either respond in submissive ways to withdraw from their environment or in externalizing ways to oppose their environment. This study tested the hypothesis that fragile-positive views of self predispose children to respond in externalizing ways to shame

  6. Externalizing shame responses in children: The role of fragile-positive self-esteem

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Thomaes, S.; Stegge, G.T.M.; Olthof, T.

    2007-01-01

    When faced with shame, children can either respond in submissive ways to withdraw from their environment or in externalizing ways to oppose their environment. This study tested the hypothesis that fragile-positive views of self predispose children to respond in externalizing ways to shame

  7. Position-sensitive proportional counter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kopp, M.K.

    1980-01-01

    A position-sensitive proportional counter circuit uses a conventional (low-resistance, metal-wire anode) counter for spatial resolution of an ionizing event along the anode, which functions as an RC line. A pair of preamplifiers at the anode ends act as stabilized active-capacitance loads, each comprising a series-feedback, low-noise amplifier and a unity-gain, shunt-feedback amplifier whose output is connected through a feedback capacitor to the series-feedback amplifier input. The stabilized capacitance loading of the anode allows distributed RC-line position encoding and subsequent time difference decoding by sensing the difference in rise times of pulses at the anode ends where the difference is primarily in response to the distributed capacitance along the anode. This allows the use of lower resistance wire anodes for spatial radiation detection which simplifies the counter construction of handling of the anodes, and stabilizes the anode resistivity at high count rates (>10 6 counts/sec). (author)

  8. FIN5 positively regulates far-red light responses in Arabidopsis thaliana

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cho, D.S.; Hong, S.H.; Nam, H.G.; Soh, M.S.

    2003-01-01

    We report the characterization of a semi-dominant mutation fin5-1 (far-red insensitive 5-1) of Arabidopsis, which was isolated from genetic screening of phytochrome A (phyA) signaling components. Plants with the fin5-1 mutation exhibited a long hypocotyl phenotype when grown under far-red (FR) light, but not under red light. Physiological analyses implied that FIN5 might be differentially involved in diverse responses that are regulated by phyA under continuous FR light. Anthocyanin accumulation, gravitropic response of hypocotyl growth, and FR light-preconditioned blocking of greening were also impaired in the fin5-1 mutant, whereas photoperiodic floral induction was not, if at all, significantly affected. Moreover, light-regulated expression of the CHS, PORA and PsbS genes was attenuated in fin5-1 mutant plants, while the light-induced expression of CAB was normal. The mutation exhibited semi-dominance regarding control of hypocotyl growth in FR light. We suggest that FIN5 defines a novel branch in the network of phyA signaling in Arabidopsis. (author)

  9. An Environmental Approach to Positive Emotion: Flowers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeannette Haviland-Jones

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available For more than 5000 years, people have cultivated flowers although there is no known reward for this costly behavior. In three different studies we show that flowers are a powerful positive emotion “inducer”. In Study 1, flowers, upon presentation to women, always elicited the Duchenne or true smile. Women who received flowers reported more positive moods 3 days later. In Study 2, a flower given to men or women in an elevator elicited more positive social behavior than other stimuli. In Study 3, flowers presented to elderly participants (55+ age elicited positive mood reports and improved episodic memory. Flowers have immediate and long-term effects on emotional reactions, mood, social behaviors and even memory for both males and females. There is little existing theory in any discipline that explains these findings. We suggest that cultivated flowers are rewarding because they have evolved to rapidly induce positive emotion in humans, just as other plants have evolved to induce varying behavioral responses in a wide variety of species leading to the dispersal or propagation of the plants.

  10. Wideband Motion Control by Position and Acceleration Input Based Disturbance Observer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Irie, Kouhei; Katsura, Seiichiro; Ohishi, Kiyoshi

    The disturbance observer can observe and suppress the disturbance torque within its bandwidth. Recent motion systems begin to spread in the society and they are required to have ability to contact with unknown environment. Such a haptic motion requires much wider bandwidth. However, since the conventional disturbance observer attains the acceleration response by the second order derivative of position response, the bandwidth is limited due to the derivative noise. This paper proposes a novel structure of a disturbance observer. The proposed disturbance observer uses an acceleration sensor for enlargement of bandwidth. Generally, the bandwidth of an acceleration sensor is from 1Hz to more than 1kHz. To cover DC range, the conventional position sensor based disturbance observer is integrated. Thus, the performance of the proposed Position and Acceleration input based disturbance observer (PADO) is superior to the conventional one. The PADO is applied to position control (infinity stiffness) and force control (zero stiffness). The numerical and experimental results show viability of the proposed method.

  11. Positive organizational behavior and safety in the offshore oil industry: Exploring the determinants of positive safety climate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hystad, Sigurd W; Bartone, Paul T; Eid, Jarle

    2014-01-01

    Much research has now documented the substantial influence of safety climate on a range of important outcomes in safety critical organizations, but there has been scant attention to the question of what factors might be responsible for positive or negative safety climate. The present paper draws from positive organizational behavior theory to test workplace and individual factors that may affect safety climate. Specifically, we explore the potential influence of authentic leadership style and psychological capital on safety climate and risk outcomes. Across two samples of offshore oil-workers and seafarers working on oil platform supply ships, structural equation modeling yielded results that support a model in which authentic leadership exerts a direct effect on safety climate, as well as an indirect effect via psychological capital. This study shows the importance of leadership qualities as well as psychological factors in shaping a positive work safety climate and lowering the risk of accidents.

  12. Reevaluating the worst-case radiation response of MOS transistors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fleetwood, D. M.

    Predicting worst-case response of a semiconductor device to ionizing radiation is a formidable challenge. As processes change and MOS gate insulators become thinner in advanced VLSI and VHSIC technologies, failure mechanisms must be constantly re-examined. Results are presented of a recent study in which more than 100 MOS transistors were monitored for up to 300 days after Co-60 exposure. Based on these results, a reevaluation of worst-case n-channel transistor response (most positive threshold voltage shift) in low-dose-rate and postirradiation environments is required in many cases. It is shown for Sandia hardened n-channel transistors with a 32 nm gate oxide, that switching from zero-volt bias, held during the entire radiation period, to positive bias during anneal clearly leads to a more positive threshold voltage shift (and thus the slowest circuit response) after Co-60 exposure than the standard case of maintaining positive bias during irradiation and anneal. It is concluded that irradiating these kinds of transistors with zero-volt bias, and annealing with positive bias, leads to worst-case postirradiation response. For commercial devices (with few interface states at doses of interest), on the other hand, device response only improves postirradiation, and worst-case response (in terms of device leakage) is for devices irradiated under positive bias and annealed with zero-volts bias.

  13. Relations among Positive Parenting, parent-child Relationship, and Empathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wu, Liyun; Zhang, Xingli; Shi, Jiannong

    This study demonstrated relations among 2 features of positive parenting——supportive responsiveness to distress and warmth ,parent-child relationship and empathy.171 children aged 8-10 years (mean age = 9.31 years, 89 girls) participated in the study.In school,participants completed Empathic......,Prosocial Response to Another’s Distress Scale,Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire, Coping with Children’s Negative Emotions Questionaire,Network of Relationships Inventory. Results showed that: (1)Parents' supportive responsiveness to distress, but not warmth, predicted children's empathy.(2)Near parent-child...... parent-child relationship....

  14. December 2012 Connecticut School Shooting Position Statement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Journal of School Violence, 2013

    2013-01-01

    In response to the killing of 20 children and 6 adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 17, 2012, this position statement argues that research supports a thoughtful approach to safer schools, guided by four key elements--balance, communication, connectedness, and support--along with strengthened attention to mental health needs in the…

  15. Trends in CD4 cell count response to first-line antiretroviral treatment in HIV-positive patients from Asia, 2003-2013: TREAT Asia HIV Observational Database Low Intensity Transfer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De La Mata, Nicole L; Ly, Penh S; Ng, Oon T; Nguyen, Kinh V; Merati, Tuti P; Pham, Thuy T; Lee, Man P; Choi, Jun Y; Sohn, Annette H; Law, Matthew G; Kumarasamy, Nagalingeswaran

    2017-11-01

    Antiretroviral treatment (ART) guidelines have changed over the past decade, recommending earlier initiation and more tolerable regimens. The study objective was to examine the CD4 response to ART, depending on the year of ART initiation, in HIV-positive patients in the Asia-Pacific. We included HIV-positive adult patients who initiated ART between 2003 and 2013 in our regional cohort from eight urban referral centres in seven countries within Asia. We used mixed-effects linear regression models to evaluate differences in CD4 response by year of ART initiation during 36 months of follow-up, adjusted a priori for other covariates. Overall, 16,962 patients were included. Patients initiating in 2006-9 and 2010-13 had an estimated mean CD4 cell count increase of 8 and 15 cells/µl, respectively, at any given time during the 36-month follow-up, compared to those in 2003-5. The median CD4 cell count at ART initiation also increased from 96 cells/µl in 2003-5 to 173 cells/µl in 2010-13. Our results suggest that the CD4 response to ART is modestly higher for those initiating ART in more recent years. Moreover, fewer patients are presenting with lower absolute CD4 cell counts over time. This is likely to reduce their risk of opportunistic infections and future non-AIDS defining cancers.

  16. Toward a theory of responsible investing : On the economic foundations of corporate social responsibility

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dam, Lammertjan; Scholtens, Lambertus

    Studies that link corporate social and financial performance usually find a positive association between the two. However, the literature does not establish a significant impact of socially responsible investing on stock market returns. We develop a coherent economic framework of responsible

  17. Novel electro-hydraulic position control system for primary mirror supporting system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiongbin Peng

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available In the field of modern large-scale telescope, primary mirror supporting system technology faces the difficulties of theoretically uniform output force request and bias compensation. Therefore, a novel position control system combining hydraulic system with servo motor system is introduced. The novel system ensures uniform output force on supporting points without complicating the mechanical structure. The structures of both primary mirror supporting system and novel position system are described. Then, the mathematical model of novel position control system is derived for controller selection. A proportional–derivative controller is adopted for simulations and experiments of step response and triangle path tracking. The results show that proportional–derivative controller guarantees the system with micrometer-level positioning ability. A modified proportional–derivative controller is utilized to promote system behavior with faster response overshoot. The novel position control system is then applied on primary mirror supporting system. Coupling effect is observed among actuator partitions, and relocation of virtual pivot supporting point is chosen as the decoupling measurement. The position keeping ability of the primary mirror supporting system is verified by rotating the mirror cell at a considerably high rate. The experiment results show that the decoupled system performs better with smaller bias and shorter recovery time.

  18. Long-term remission in BCR/ABL-positive AML-M6 patient treated with Imatinib Mesylate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pompetti, Franca; Spadano, Antonio; Sau, Antonella; Mennucci, Antonio; Russo, Rosa; Catinella, Virginia; Franchi, Paolo Guanciali; Calabrese, Giuseppe; Palka, Giandomenico; Fioritoni, Giuseppe; Iacone, Antonio

    2007-04-01

    BCR/ABL-positive acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a rare disease, characterized by a poor prognosis, with resistance to induction chemotherapy and frequent relapses in responsive patients. Here we report a case of BCR/ABL-positive AML-M6 who, after relapse, was treated with Imatinib Mesylate (600 mg/die) and within 4 months achieved a cytogenetic and molecular complete response. After more than 4 years of continuous Imatinib therapy, nested RT-PCR for BCR/ABL is persistently negative. The case reported shows that the response obtained with Imatinib Mesylate in BCR/ABL-positive AML may be long lasting, offering a chance of successful treatment for this poor prognosis group of patients.

  19. Restoring the salivary cortisol awakening response through nasal continuous positive airway pressure therapy in obstructive sleep apnea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghiciuc, Cristina Mihaela; Dima Cozma, Lucia Corina; Bercea, Raluca Mihaela; Lupusoru, Catalina Elena; Mihaescu, Traian; Szalontay, Andreea; Gianfreda, Angela; Patacchioli, Francesca Romana

    2013-10-01

    Partial and largely conflicting data are currently available on the interplay between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) activity in adult obese men. This study was performed to evaluate the daily trajectories of salivary cortisol, specifically with respect to the salivary cortisol awakening response (CAR), a common method used to assess HPA axis activity. The main findings of this study were that adult male obese subjects who were newly diagnosed with severe OSA showed the following: (1) a flattening of the CAR; (2) levels of cortisol at awakening that were lower than those of the controls; and (3) maintenance of the physiological circadian activity of the HPA axis, with the highest hormone concentrations produced in the morning and the lowest in the evening. This study was also designed to investigate the effects of 3 and 6 mos of treatment with continuous airways positive pressure (CPAP). CPAP use resulted in a significant recovery of the sleep patterns disrupted by OSA; moreover, mild neuropsychological signs of depression and anxiety in severe OSA patients were concomitantly progressively improved by CPAP treatment. Furthermore, this study reports that 3 and 6 mos of CPAP therapy restored the presence of CAR and was able to significantly reduce the difference in the morning cortisol levels between the OSA and control groups. In conclusion, we report here that compared with obese nonapneic matched controls, OSA patients present a dysregulation of HPA axis activity, as shown by the flattening of the diurnal pattern of cortisol production in response to repeated challenge due to hypoxia and sleep fragmentation. This dysregulation was especially detectable in the first hour after awakening and restored after 3 and 6 mos of treatment with CPAP.

  20. cAMP-response-element-binding protein positively regulates breast cancer metastasis and subsequent bone destruction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Son, Jieun; Lee, Jong-Ho; Kim, Ha-Neui; Ha, Hyunil, E-mail: hyunil74@hotmail.com; Lee, Zang Hee, E-mail: zang1959@snu.ac.kr

    2010-07-23

    Research highlights: {yields} CREB is highly expressed in advanced breast cancer cells. {yields} Tumor-related factors such as TGF-{beta} further elevate CREB expression. {yields} CREB upregulation stimulates metastatic potential of breast cancer cells. {yields} CREB signaling is required for breast cancer-induced bone destruction. -- Abstract: cAMP-response-element-binding protein (CREB) signaling has been reported to be associated with cancer development and poor clinical outcome in various types of cancer. However, it remains to be elucidated whether CREB is involved in breast cancer development and osteotropism. Here, we found that metastatic MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells exhibited higher CREB expression than did non-metastatic MCF-7 cells and that CREB expression was further increased by several soluble factors linked to cancer progression, such as IL-1, IGF-1, and TGF-{beta}. Using wild-type CREB and a dominant-negative form (K-CREB), we found that CREB signaling positively regulated the proliferation, migration, and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells. In addition, K-CREB prevented MDA-MB-231 cell-induced osteolytic lesions in a mouse model of cancer metastasis. Furthermore, CREB signaling in cancer cells regulated the gene expression of PTHrP, MMPs, and OPG, which are closely involved in cancer metastasis and bone destruction. These results indicate that breast cancer cells acquire CREB overexpression during their development and that this CREB upregulation plays an important role in multiple steps of breast cancer bone metastasis.

  1. Does Andrews facial analysis predict esthetic sagittal maxillary position?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Resnick, Cory M; Daniels, Kimberly M; Vlahos, Maryann

    2018-04-01

    Cephalometric analyses have limited utility in planning maxillary sagittal position for orthognathic surgery. In Six Elements of Orofacial Harmony, Andrews quantified maxillary position relative to forehead projection and angulation and proposed an ideal relationship. The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of this technique to predict esthetic sagittal maxillary position. Survey study including a male and female with straight facial profiles, normal maxillary incisor angulations, and Angle's Class I. Maxillary position was modified on lateral photographs to create 5 images for each participant with incisor-goal anterior limit line (GALL) distances of -4, -2, 0, +2, and +4 mm. A series of health care professionals and laypeople were asked to rate each photo in order of attractiveness. A total of 100 complete responses were received. Incisor-GALL distances of +4 mm (41%) and +2 mm (40%) were most commonly considered "most esthetic" for the female volunteer (P < .001). For the male volunteer, there were 2 peak "most esthetic" responses: incisor-GALL distances of 0 mm (37%) and -4 mm (32%) (P < .001). Respondents considered maxillary incisor position 2 to 4 mm anterior to GALL most attractive in a woman and 0 to 4 mm posterior to GALL most esthetic in a man. Using these modified target distances, this analysis may be useful for orthognathic surgery planning. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Cortisol stress response is positively correlated with central obesity in obese women with binge eating disorder (BED) before and after cognitive-behavioral treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gluck, Marci E; Geliebter, Allan; Lorence, Margarita

    2004-12-01

    Stress is the most commonly reported trigger of binge eating, and high cortisol levels are positively related to both central body fat and food intake after laboratory stress. We therefore examined waist circumference (WHR) and cortisol stress responsivity after a cold pressor stress test (CPT) in 22 obese (BMI > 27) women (11 BED, 11 non-BED). BMI and WHR did not differ between groups. The BED group had higher morning basal cortisol than the non-BED group (P = .03) and greater AUC cortisol after CPT, after controlling for AUC insulin (P = .04). In the BED group, WHR was related to AUC cortisol (P = .002) and peak cortisol stress responsivity (P = .003). Twenty (10 non-BED, 10 BED) were randomized to a 6-week treatment program (CBT + Diet) or Wait-List (WL) control group. There were no BED group or treatment-group differences in WHR, morning basal cortisol, or AUC cortisol after CPT. The relationship between WHR and both AUC cortisol (P = .002) and peak cortisol stress responsivity after CPT (P = .008) remained significant in the BED group. In BED, there is a hyperactive HPA axis related to abdominal obesity that persists even after treatment, suggesting that cortisol might be a primary factor in the disorder.

  3. Cardiovascular effects of a herbicide containing glufosinate and a surfactant: in vitro and in vivo analyses in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koyama, K; Koyama, K; Goto, K

    1997-08-01

    A herbicide, Basta (BASTA), containing glufosinate ammonium (GLA) as the main component and an anionic surfactant, sodium polyoxyethylene alkylether sulfate (AES), causes hemodynamic changes characterized by a decrease in total vascular resistance with an increase or a decrease in cardiac output in human acute oral poisoning. With a motivation based on these clinical observations, we tried to elucidate the exact component and its mode of action that is mostly responsible for the direct cardiovascular effects of this herbicide formulation, investigating the effects of BASTA, GLA, and AES independently on the cardiovascular system in rats in vitro and in vivo. In isolated right atria beating spontaneously in Krebs-Ringer's solution, BASTA and AES produced negative chronotropic responses in a concentration-dependent manner. In electrically driven isolated left atria, BASTA and AES produced positive inotropic responses concentration dependently but negative inotropic responses at extremely high concentrations. In aortic ring segments, BASTA and AES produced no vasoconstrictive effects but exerted significant vasodilative effects when the aortic ring was precontracted with phenylephrine. These in vitro responses caused by BASTA and AES occurred to a similar degree. On the other hand, the main component, GLA, produced no effects in isolated atria and aortas. In anesthetized rats, relatively low doses of BASTA and AES produced a decrease in blood pressure followed by a slight increase in heart rate, which was presumably due to baroreflex caused by the decrease in blood pressure. At an extremely high dose, BASTA and AES produced a decrease in blood pressure with a marked decrease in heart rate. These in vivo responses to BASTA and AES also occurred to a similar degree. In contrast, the main component, GLA, did not produce any effects on heart rate and blood pressure in anesthetized rats. From these results, we concluded that the effects of BASTA in our in vivo experiments

  4. Positive organizational behavior and safety in the offshore oil industry: Exploring the determinants of positive safety climate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hystad, Sigurd W.; Bartone, Paul T.; Eid, Jarle

    2013-01-01

    Much research has now documented the substantial influence of safety climate on a range of important outcomes in safety critical organizations, but there has been scant attention to the question of what factors might be responsible for positive or negative safety climate. The present paper draws from positive organizational behavior theory to test workplace and individual factors that may affect safety climate. Specifically, we explore the potential influence of authentic leadership style and psychological capital on safety climate and risk outcomes. Across two samples of offshore oil-workers and seafarers working on oil platform supply ships, structural equation modeling yielded results that support a model in which authentic leadership exerts a direct effect on safety climate, as well as an indirect effect via psychological capital. This study shows the importance of leadership qualities as well as psychological factors in shaping a positive work safety climate and lowering the risk of accidents. PMID:24454524

  5. Legislators' positions on gay and lesbian rights: the personal and political.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herrick, Rebekah

    2010-01-01

    This article examines state legislators' public position on gay and lesbian rights by using responses to survey data on their positions toward civil unions and inclusion of sexual orientation in anti-job discrimination laws. The research finds that although state legislators are mixed on their positions, they are less supportive of gay and lesbian rights than is the general public. It also finds that their public positions are a product of both their personal beliefs and values as well as their political calculations. The implications of these findings are explored.

  6. Research of Control Strategy in the Large Electric Cylinder Position Servo System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yongguang Liu

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available An ideal positioning response is very difficult to realize in the large electric cylinder system that is applied in missile launcher because of the presence of many nonlinear factors such as load disturbance, parameter variations, lost motion, and friction. This paper presents a piecewise control strategy based on the optimized positioning principle. The combined application of position interpolation method and modified incremental PID with dead band is proposed and applied into control system. The experimental result confirms that this combined control strategy is not only simple to be applied into high accuracy real-time control system but also significantly improves dynamic response, steady accuracy, and anti-interference performance, which has very important significance to improve the smooth control of the large electric cylinder.

  7. Transforming the Structure of the Military: Combat Decisions -- Rank, Responsibility, or Frontline Position?

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    West, Bing

    2007-01-01

    ...-centric operations allow commanders to operate effectively from the front lines. Many have assumed that new information technologies lift the fog of war and therefore allow commanders to operate with clear vision from rear positions...

  8. Optimal left ventricular lead position assessed with phase analysis on gated myocardial perfusion SPECT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boogers, Mark J.; Chen, Ji; Garcia, Ernest V.; Bommel, Rutger J. van; Borleffs, C.J.W.; Schalij, Martin J.; Wall, Ernst E. van der; Bax, Jeroen J.; Dibbets-Schneider, Petra; Hiel, Bernies van der; Younis, Imad Al

    2011-01-01

    The aim of the current study was to evaluate the relationship between the site of latest mechanical activation as assessed with gated myocardial perfusion SPECT (GMPS), left ventricular (LV) lead position and response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). The patient population consisted of consecutive patients with advanced heart failure in whom CRT was currently indicated. Before implantation, 2-D echocardiography and GMPS were performed. The echocardiography was performed to assess LV end-systolic volume (LVESV), LV end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) and LV ejection fraction (LVEF). The site of latest mechanical activation was assessed by phase analysis of GMPS studies and related to LV lead position on fluoroscopy. Echocardiography was repeated after 6 months of CRT. CRT response was defined as a decrease of ≥15% in LVESV. Enrolled in the study were 90 patients (72% men, 67±10 years) with advanced heart failure. In 52 patients (58%), the LV lead was positioned at the site of latest mechanical activation (concordant), and in 38 patients (42%) the LV lead was positioned outside the site of latest mechanical activation (discordant). CRT response was significantly more often documented in patients with a concordant LV lead position than in patients with a discordant LV lead position (79% vs. 26%, p<0.01). After 6 months, patients with a concordant LV lead position showed significant improvement in LVEF, LVESV and LVEDV (p<0.05), whereas patients with a discordant LV lead position showed no significant improvement in these variables. Patients with a concordant LV lead position showed significant improvement in LV volumes and LV systolic function, whereas patients with a discordant LV lead position showed no significant improvements. (orig.)

  9. Erlotinib treatment in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma with CISH-positive and CISH-negative EGFR gene alterations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hou, Ming-Mo; Huang, Shiu-Feng; Kuo, Han-Pin; Yang, Cheng-Ta; Tsai, Ying-Huang; Yu, Chih-Teng; Lin, Horng-Chyuan; Chen, Chih-Hung; Wang, Chih-Liang; Chung, Fu-Tsai; Hsieh, Jia-Juan; Hsu, Todd; Cheng, Hsin-Yi; Ou, Li-Ying; Wang, Hung-Ming; Lin, Yung-Chang; Chang, Nai-Jen; Chang, John Wen-Cheng

    2012-03-01

    Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) positivity as assessed by chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) has been demonstrated to be associated with EGFR mutation status. This study was conducted to compare the responsiveness of CISH-positive and CISH-negative lung adenocarcinomas to erlotinib. Patients received erlotinib (150 mg/day) alone until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. EGFR gene status was examined by CISH. The response rate (RR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and toxicity profiles were assessed. Thirty-one patients underwent response evaluations and CISH analyses, 12 of whom harboured CISH-positive adenocarcinomas. The overall RR (p=0.035), median PFS (p=0.091) and median OS (p=0.408) were higher in the CISH-positive group. No difference in toxicity profiles was observed between these two groups. EGFR status as assessed by CISH can predict the response to erlotinib in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma.

  10. Exploring the Rationales Expressed for Including a CSR Position to the Top Management Team

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Strand, Robert

    Recently, a number of positions with corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the position title have been introduced to the top management teams (TMTs) of some of the world’s largest corporations. I explore this phenomenon. I revisit 10 such positions identified in a previous study to add...

  11. Realizing Corporate Responsibility

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Girschik, Verena

    and practices at the nascent stages of institutional change. To address this question, the dissertation develops a micro-sociological approach to institutional change that brings to light how actors struggle over meaning in power relations by focusing on processes of positioning and framing. The three articles...... in this dissertation unfold distinct yet interdependent processes of positioning and framing that constitute new ways of performing and understanding corporate responsibility....

  12. Risk for Mania and Positive Emotional Responding: Too Much of a Good Thing?

    OpenAIRE

    Gruber, June; Oveis, Christopher; Keltner, Dacher; Johnson, Sheri L.

    2008-01-01

    Although positive emotion research has begun to flourish, the extremes of positive emotion remain understudied. The present research used a multimethod approach to examine positive emotional disturbance by comparing participants at high and low risk for episodes of mania, which involves elevations in positive emotionality. Ninety participants were recruited into a high or low mania risk group according to responses on the Hypomanic Personality Scale. Participants’ subjective, expressive, and ...

  13. Positively Biased Processing of Mother's Emotions Predicts Children's Social and Emotional Functioning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donohue, Meghan Rose; Goodman, Sherryl H; Tully, Erin C

    Risk for internalizing problems and social skills deficits likely emerges in early childhood when emotion processing and social competencies are developing. Positively biased processing of social information is typical during early childhood and may be protective against poorer psychosocial outcomes. We tested the hypothesis that young children with relatively less positively biased attention to, interpretations of, and attributions for their mother's emotions would exhibit poorer prosocial skills and more internalizing problems. A sample of 4- to 6-year-old children ( N =82) observed their mothers express happiness, sadness and anger during a simulated emotional phone conversation. Children's attention to their mother when she expressed each emotion was rated from video. Immediately following the phone conversation, children were asked questions about the conversation to assess their interpretations of the intensity of mother's emotions and misattributions of personal responsibility for her emotions. Children's prosocial skills and internalizing problems were assessed using mother-report rating scales. Interpretations of mother's positive emotions as relatively less intense than her negative emotions, misattributions of personal responsibility for her negative emotions, and lack of misattributions of personal responsibility for her positive emotions were associated with poorer prosocial skills. Children who attended relatively less to mother's positive than her negative emotions had higher levels of internalizing problems. These findings suggest that children's attention to, interpretations of, and attributions for their mother's emotions may be important targets of early interventions for preventing prosocial skills deficits and internalizing problems.

  14. Components of Camp Experiences for Positive Youth Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karla A. Henderson

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Youth development specialists advocate that well designed, implemented, and staffed youth centered programs result in positive outcomes for young people. Youth organizations have provided opportunities for young people to participate in camping experiences for over a century. The purpose of this paper is to describe what program components were related to camp environments and positive youth development. We describe these program components related to positive youth development based on a large scale national study of ACA (American Camp Association accredited camps that included independent, religiously affiliated, government, and not-for-profit organizations. Based on the responses given by camp directors, contact and leadership from trained staff and the supportive relationships they provided were essential elements of camp. Other aspects leading to positive youth development in camps were program mission and structure along with elements of accountability, assessment of outcomes, and opportunities for skill building.

  15. Determining the prevalence of inv-positive and ail-positive Yersinia enterocolitica in pig tonsils using PCR and culture methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stachelska, Milena Alicja

    2017-01-01

    Yersiniosis is believed to be the third most common intestinal zoonosis in the European Union, after campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis. Yersinia enterocolitica is the most common species responsible for human infections. Pigs are regarded as the biggest reservoir of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica strains, which are mainly isolated from pig tonsils. The aim of this paper is to examine the prevalence of inv-positive and ail-positive Y. enterocolitica in pigs which were slaughtered in a Polish abattoir. Real-time PCR and culture methods were used to assess the prevalence of patho- genic Y. enterocolitica strains in pig tonsils. Real-time PCR was applied to detect inv-positive and ail-positive Y. enterocolitica. Y. enterocolitica was also isolated by applying direct plating, unselective (tryptic soy broth) and selective (irgasan-ticarcillin-potassium chlorate bouillon) enrichment. A total of 180 pigs were studied, of which 85% and 32% respectively were found to be infected with inv-positive and ail-positive Y. enterocolitica. The 92 inv-positive and ail-positive isolates, from 57 culture- positive tonsils, underwent bio- and serotyping. The most common was bioserotype 4/O:3, which was found in 53 (93%) out of 57 culture-positive tonsils. Strains of bioserotypes 2/O:5, 2/O:9 and 2/O:5.27 occurred in significantly lower numbers. The prevalence of inv-positive and ail-positive Y. enterocolitica was found to be high in the ton- sils of slaughtered pigs, using real-time PCR. The real-time PCR method for the detection and identification of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica is sensitive and specific, which has been verified by specificity and sensitivity tests using the pure cultures. Serotypes were distinguished from each other using PCR serotyping. The PCR method was essential in forming our conclusions.

  16. Source position verification and dosimetry in HDR brachytherapy using an EPID

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, R. L.; Taylor, M. L.; McDermott, L. N.; Franich, R. D.; Haworth, A.; Millar, J. L.

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: Accurate treatment delivery in high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy requires correct source dwell positions and dwell times to be administered relative to each other and to the surrounding anatomy. Treatment delivery inaccuracies predominantly occur for two reasons: (i) anatomical movement or (ii) as a result of human errors that are usually related to incorrect implementation of the planned treatment. Electronic portal imaging devices (EPIDs) were originally developed for patient position verification in external beam radiotherapy and their application has been extended to provide dosimetric information. The authors have characterized the response of an EPID for use with an 192 Ir brachytherapy source to demonstrate its use as a verification device, providing both source position and dosimetric information.Methods: Characterization of the EPID response using an 192 Ir brachytherapy source included investigations of reproducibility, linearity with dose rate, photon energy dependence, and charge build-up effects associated with exposure time and image acquisition time. Source position resolution in three dimensions was determined. To illustrate treatment verification, a simple treatment plan was delivered to a phantom and the measured EPID dose distribution compared with the planned dose.Results: The mean absolute source position error in the plane parallel to the EPID, for dwells measured at 50, 100, and 150 mm source to detector distances (SDD), was determined to be 0.26 mm. The resolution of the z coordinate (perpendicular distance from detector plane) is SDD dependent with 95% confidence intervals of ±0.1, ±0.5, and ±2.0 mm at SDDs of 50, 100, and 150 mm, respectively. The response of the EPID is highly linear to dose rate. The EPID exhibits an over-response to low energy incident photons and this nonlinearity is incorporated into the dose calibration procedure. A distance (spectral) dependent dose rate calibration procedure has been developed. The

  17. Visual-induced expectations modulate auditory cortical responses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Virginie evan Wassenhove

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Active sensing has important consequences on multisensory processing (Schroeder et al. 2010. Here, we asked whether in the absence of saccades, the position of the eyes and the timing of transient colour changes of visual stimuli could selectively affect the excitability of auditory cortex by predicting the where and the when of a sound, respectively. Human participants were recorded with magnetoencephalography (MEG while maintaining the position of their eyes on the left, right, or centre of the screen. Participants counted colour changes of the fixation cross while neglecting sounds which could be presented to the left, right or both ears. First, clear alpha power increases were observed in auditory cortices, consistent with participants’ attention directed to visual inputs. Second, colour changes elicited robust modulations of auditory cortex responses (when prediction seen as ramping activity, early alpha phase-locked responses, and enhanced high-gamma band responses in the contralateral side of sound presentation. Third, no modulations of auditory evoked or oscillatory activity were found to be specific to eye position. Altogether, our results suggest that visual transience can automatically elicit a prediction of when a sound will occur by changing the excitability of auditory cortices irrespective of the attended modality, eye position or spatial congruency of auditory and visual events. To the contrary, auditory cortical responses were not significantly affected by eye position suggesting that where predictions may require active sensing or saccadic reset to modulate auditory cortex responses, notably in the absence of spatial orientation to sounds.

  18. The Positive Correlation of the Enhanced Immune Response to PCV2 Subunit Vaccine by Conjugation of Chitosan Oligosaccharide with the Deacetylation Degree.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Guiqiang; Cheng, Gong; Jia, Peiyuan; Jiao, Siming; Feng, Cui; Hu, Tao; Liu, Hongtao; Du, Yuguang

    2017-07-26

    Chitosan oligosaccharides (COS), the degraded products of chitosan, have been demonstrated to have versatile biological functions. In primary studies, it has displayed significant adjuvant effects when mixed with other vaccines. In this study, chitosan oligosaccharides with different deacetylation degrees were prepared and conjugated to porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) subunit vaccine to enhance its immunogenicity. The vaccine conjugates were designed by the covalent linkage of COSs to PCV2 molecules and administered to BALB/c mice three times at two-week intervals. The results indicate that, as compared to the PCV2 group, COS-PCV2 conjugates remarkably enhanced both humoral and cellular immunity against PCV2 by promoting lymphocyte proliferation and initiating a mixed T-helper 1 (Th1)/T-helper 2 (Th2) response, including raised levels of PCV2-specific antibodies and an increased production of inflammatory cytokines. Noticeably, with the increasing deacetylation degree, the stronger immune responses to PCV2 were observed in the groups with COS-PCV2 vaccination. In comparison with NACOS (chitin oligosaccharides)-PCV2 and LCOS (chitosan oligosaccharides with low deacetylation degree)-PCV2, HCOS (chitosan oligosaccharides with high deacetylation degree)-PCV2 showed the highest adjuvant effect, even comparable to that of PCV2/ISA206 (a commercialized adjuvant) group. In summary, COS conjugation might be a viable strategy to enhance the immune response to PCV2 subunit vaccine, and the adjuvant effect was positively correlated with the deacetylation degree of COS.

  19. Turning the pink cloud grey: Dampening of positive affect predicts postpartum depressive symptoms.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Raes, Filip; Smets, Jorien; Wessel, Ineke; Van Den Eede, Filip; Nelis, Sabine; Franck, Erik; Jacquemyn, Yves; Hanssens, Myriam

    OBJECTIVE: Maladaptive response styles to negative affect have been shown to be associated with prospective (postpartum) depression. Whether maladaptive styles to positive affect are also critically involved is understudied, even though anhedonia (a correlate of low positive affectivity) is a

  20. Unsaturated fatty acids show clear elicitation responses in a modified local lymph node assay with an elicitation phase, and test positive in the direct peptide reactivity assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamashita, Kunihiko; Shinoda, Shinsuke; Hagiwara, Saori; Miyazaki, Hiroshi; Itagaki, Hiroshi

    2015-12-01

    The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Test Guidelines (TG) adopted the murine local lymph node assay (LLNA) and guinea pig maximization test (GPMT) as stand-alone skin sensitization test methods. However, unsaturated carbon-carbon double-bond and/or lipid acids afforded false-positive results more frequently in the LLNA compared to those in the GPMT and/or in human subjects. In the current study, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, undecylenic, fumaric, maleic, and succinic acid and squalene were tested in a modified LLNA with an elicitation phase (LLNA:DAE), and in a direct peptide reactivity assay (DPRA) to evaluate their skin-sensitizing potential. Oleic, linoleic, linolenic, undecylenic and maleic acid were positive in the LLNA:DAE, of which three, linoleic, linolenic, and maleic acid were positive in the DPRA. Furthermore, the results of the cross-sensitizing tests using four LLNA:DAE-positive chemicals were negative, indicating a chemical-specific elicitation response. In a previous report, the estimated concentration needed to produce a stimulation index of 3 (EC3) of linolenic acid, squalene, and maleic acid in the LLNA was LLNA. However, the skin-sensitizing potential of all LLNA:DAE-positive chemicals was estimated as weak. These results suggested that oleic, linoleic, linolenic, undecylenic, and maleic acid had skin-sensitizing potential, and that the LLNA overestimated the skin-sensitizing potential compared to that estimated by the LLNA:DAE.

  1. Inductive Non-Contact Position Sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Youngquist, Robert; Garcia, Alyssa; Simmons, Stephen

    2010-01-01

    Optical hardware has been developed to measure the depth of defects in the Space Shuttle Orbiter's windows. In this hardware, a mirror is translated such that its position corresponds to the defect's depth, so the depth measurement problem is transferred to a mirror-position measurement problem. This is preferable because the mirror is internal to the optical system and thus accessible. Based on requirements supplied by the window inspectors, the depth of the defects needs to be measured over a range of 200 microns with a resolution of about 100 nm and an accuracy of about 400 nm. These same requirements then apply to measuring the position of the mirror, and in addition, since this is a scanning system, a response time of about 10 ms is needed. A market search was conducted and no sensor that met these requirements that also fit into the available housing volume (less than one cubic inch) was found, so a novel sensor configuration was constructed to meet the requirements. This new sensor generates a nearly linearly varying magnetic field over a small region of space, which can easily be sampled, resulting in a voltage proportional to position. Experiments were done with a range of inductor values, drive voltages, drive frequencies, and inductor shapes. A rough mathematical model was developed for the device that, in most aspects, describes how it operates and what electrical parameters should be chosen for best performance. The final configuration met all the requirements, yielding a small rugged sensor that was easy to use and had nanometer resolution over more than the 200-micron range required. The inductive position sensor is a compact device (potentially as small as 2 cubic centimeters), which offers nanometer-position resolution over a demonstrated range of nearly 1 mm. One of its advantages is the simplicity of its electrical design. Also, the sensor resolution is nearly uniform across its operational range, which is in contrast to eddy current and

  2. More is not Always Better: The Relation between Item Response and Item Response Time in Raven’s Matrices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frank Goldhammer

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The role of response time in completing an item can have very different interpretations. Responding more slowly could be positively related to success as the item is answered more carefully. However, the association may be negative if working faster indicates higher ability. The objective of this study was to clarify the validity of each assumption for reasoning items considering the mode of processing. A total of 230 persons completed a computerized version of Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices test. Results revealed that response time overall had a negative effect. However, this effect was moderated by items and persons. For easy items and able persons the effect was strongly negative, for difficult items and less able persons it was less negative or even positive. The number of rules involved in a matrix problem proved to explain item difficulty significantly. Most importantly, a positive interaction effect between the number of rules and item response time indicated that the response time effect became less negative with an increasing number of rules. Moreover, exploratory analyses suggested that the error type influenced the response time effect.

  3. The power of extraverts: testing positive and negative mood regulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gonzalo Hervas

    Full Text Available Extraversion is a personality trait which has been systematically related to positive affect and well-being. One of the mechanisms that may account for these positive outcomes is the ability to regulate the responses to positive, as well as negative, moods. Prior research has found that extraverts' higher positive mood maintenance could explain their higher levels of positive affect. However, research exploring differences between extraverts and introverts in negative mood regulation has yielded mixed results. The aim of the current study was explore the role of different facets of mood regulation displayed by extraverts, ambiverts, and introverts. After been exposed to a sad vs. happy mood induction, participants underwent a mood regulation task. Extraverts and ambiverts exhibited higher positive mood regulation than introverts, but similar mood repair. Thus, this research highlights the importance of positive mood regulation in the psychological functioning of extraverts, and opens new conceptualizations for developing interventions for introverts to improve their positive mood regulation and, hence, overall positive affect and well-being.

  4. Weaving Student Engagement into the Core Practices of Schools. A National Dropout Prevention Center/Network Position Paper

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dary, Teri; Pickeral, Terry; Shumer, Rob; Williams, Anderson

    2016-01-01

    This position paper on student engagement is organized in response to major questions on how student engagement aligns with dropout prevention. Through a set of questions and responses, the "Weaving Student Engagement Into the Core Practices of Schools" position paper on student engagement : (1) defines the term "student…

  5. Resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia is associated with tonic positive emotionality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oveis, Christopher; Cohen, Adam B; Gruber, June; Shiota, Michelle N; Haidt, Jonathan; Keltner, Dacher

    2009-04-01

    Resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSAREST) indexes important aspects of individual differences in emotionality. In the present investigation, the authors address whether RSAREST is associated with tonic positive or negative emotionality, and whether RSAREST relates to phasic emotional responding to discrete positive emotion-eliciting stimuli. Across an 8-month, multiassessment study of first-year university students (n = 80), individual differences in RSAREST were associated with positive but not negative tonic emotionality, assessed at the level of personality traits, long-term moods, the disposition toward optimism, and baseline reports of current emotional states. RSAREST was not related to increased positive emotion, or stimulus-specific emotion, in response to compassion-, awe-, or pride-inducing stimuli. These findings suggest that resting RSA indexes aspects of a person's tonic positive emotionality. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

  6. Radiosensitivity and effect of hypoxia in HPV positive head and neck cancer cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sørensen, Brita Singers; Busk, Morten; Olthof, Nadine; Speel, Ernst-Jan; Horsman, Michael R.; Alsner, Jan; Overgaard, Jens

    2013-01-01

    Background and purpose: HPV associated Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) represents a distinct subgroup of HNSCC characterized by a favorable prognosis and a distinct molecular biology. Previous data from the randomized DAHANCA 5 trial indicated that HPV positive tumors did not benefit from hypoxic modifications by Nimorazole during radiotherapy, whereas a significant benefit was observed in the HPV negative tumors. However, more studies have demonstrated equal frequencies of hypoxic tumors among HPV-positive and HPV-negative tumors. The aim of the present study was to determine radiosensitivity, the impact of hypoxia and the effect of Nimorazole in HPV positive and HPV negative cell lines. Materials and method: The used cell lines were: UDSCC2, UMSCC47 and UPCISCC90 (HPV positive) and FaDu DD , UTSCC33 and UTSCC5 (HPV negative). Cells were cultured under normoxic or hypoxic conditions, and gene expression levels of previously established hypoxia induced genes were assessed by qPCR. Cells were irradiated with various doses under normoxia, hypoxia or hypoxia +1 mM Nimorazole, and the clonogenic survival was determined. Results: The HPV positive and HPV negative cell lines exhibited similar patterns of upregulation of hypoxia induced genes in response to hypoxia. The HPV positive cell lines were up to 2.4 times more radiation sensitive than HPV negative cell lines. However, all HPV positive cells displayed the same response to hypoxia in radiosensitivity, with an OER in the range 2.3–2.9, and a sensitizer effect of Nimorazole of 1.13–1.29, similar to HPV negative cells. Conclusions: Although HPV positive cells had a markedly higher radiosensitivity compared to HPV negative cells, they displayed the same relative radioresistance under hypoxia and the same relative sensitizer effect of Nimorazole. The clinical observation that HPV positive patients do not seem to benefit from Nimorazole treatment is not due to inherent differences in hypoxia sensitivity

  7. An Analysis of Social Studies Education Faculty Positions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennett, Linda; Scholes, Roberta; Barrow, Lloyd H.

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to determine the responsibilities and qualifications of social studies education faculty positions as listed in The Chronicle of Higher Education during the 2004-2005 academic year. Many of the listings conveyed expectations for social studies educators to teach undergraduate courses, supervise interns, write grants…

  8. Activity Profiles and Physiological Responses of Representative Tag Football Players in Relation to Playing Position and Physical Fitness

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    This study determined the physical fitness, match-activity profiles and physiological responses of representative tag football players and examined the relationship between physical fitness and the match-activity profile. Microtechnology devices and heart rate (HR) chest straps were used to determine the match-activity profiles of sixteen tag football players for five matches during the 2014 Australian National Championships. The relationships between lower body muscular power, straight line running speed and Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 2 (Yo-Yo IR2) and the match-activity profile were examined using Pearson’s correlation coefficients. Outside players had greater lower body muscular power (ES = 0.98) and straight line running speed (ES = 1.03–1.18) than inside players, and also covered greater very high-speed running (VHSR) distance/min (ES = 0.67) and reached higher peak running speeds (ES = 0.95) during matches. Inside and outside players performed a similar number of repeated high-intensity effort (RHIE) bouts and reported similar mean and maximum efforts per RHIE bout. However, there were differences between playing positions for mean and maximal RHIE effort durations (ES = 0.69–1.15) and mean RHIE bout recovery (ES = 0.56). Inside and outside players also reported small to moderate differences (ES = 0.43–0.80) for times spent in each HR zone. There were a number of moderate to very large correlations between physical fitness measures and match-activity profile variables. This study found lower body muscular power, straight line running speed and Yo-Yo IR2 to be related to the match-activities of representative tag football players, although differences between inside and outside players suggest that athlete testing and training practices should be modified for different playing positions. PMID:26642320

  9. Attributions of Responsibility and Blame for Procrastination Behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahimi, Sonia; Hall, Nathan C; Pychyl, Timothy A

    2016-01-01

    The present study examined the relationship between procrastination, delay, blameworthiness, and moral responsibility. Undergraduate students (N = 240) were provided two scenarios in which the reason for inaction (procrastination, delay), the target (self, other), and the outcome (positive, negative) were manipulated, and students were asked to rate the moral responsibility and blameworthiness of the agent. Results indicated that individuals who procrastinated were seen as more morally responsible and blameworthy than those who experienced delay. More specifically, after a negative outcome, procrastination was associated with more moral responsibility, whereas delay was associated with less moral responsibility. After a positive outcome, individuals perceived procrastination as deserving of less moral responsibility, and delays as associated with more moral responsibility. Finally, a three-way interaction showed that participants rated procrastination that resulted in failure as deserving of responsibility when engaged in by others as opposed to oneself.

  10. Impact of body position on central and peripheral hemodynamic contributions to movement-induced hyperemia: implications for rehabilitative medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trinity, Joel D; McDaniel, John; Venturelli, Massimo; Fjeldstad, Anette S; Ives, Stephen J; Witman, Melissa A H; Barrett-O'Keefe, Zachary; Amann, Markus; Wray, D Walter; Richardson, Russell S

    2011-05-01

    This study used alterations in body position to identify differences in hemodynamic responses to passive exercise. Central and peripheral hemodynamics were noninvasively measured during 2 min of passive knee extension in 14 subjects, whereas perfusion pressure (PP) was directly measured in a subset of 6 subjects. Movement-induced increases in leg blood flow (LBF) and leg vascular conductance (LVC) were more than twofold greater in the upright compared with supine positions (LBF, supine: 462 ± 6, and upright: 1,084 ± 159 ml/min, P different between positions (supine: 8 ± 1, and upright: 10 ± 1 beats/min, P = 0.22); however, the elevated HR was maintained for a longer duration when upright. Stroke volume contributed to the increase in cardiac output (CO) during the upright movement only. CO increased in both positions; however, the magnitude and duration of the CO response were greater in the upright position. Mean arterial pressure and PP were higher at baseline and throughout passive movement when upright. Thus exaggerated central hemodynamic responses characterized by an increase in stroke volume and a sustained HR response combined to yield a greater increase in CO during upright movement. This greater central response coupled with the increased PP and LVC explains the twofold greater and more sustained increase in movement-induced hyperemia in the upright compared with supine position and has clinical implications for rehabilitative medicine.

  11. Positive response of Indian summer rainfall to Middle East dust

    KAUST Repository

    Jin, Qinjian

    2014-06-02

    Using observational and reanalyses data, we investigated the impact of dust aerosols over the Middle East and the Arabian Sea (AS) on the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) rainfall. Satellite and aerosol reanalysis data show extremely heavy aerosol loading, mainly mineral dust, over the Middle East and AS during the ISM season. Multivariate empirical orthogonal function analyses suggest an aerosol-monsoon connection. This connection may be attributed to dust-induced atmospheric heating centered over the Iranian Plateau (IP), which enhances the meridional thermal contrast and strengthens the ISM circulation and rainfall. The enhanced circulation further transports more dust to the AS and IP, heating the atmosphere (positive feedback). The aerosols over the AS and the Arabian Peninsula have a significant correlation with rainfall over central and eastern India about 2 weeks later. This finding highlights the nonlocal radiative effect of dust on the ISM circulation and rainfall and may improve ISM rainfall forecasts. © 2014. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

  12. Positive response of Indian summer rainfall to Middle East dust

    KAUST Repository

    Jin, Qinjian; Wei, Jiangfeng; Yang, Zong-Liang

    2014-01-01

    Using observational and reanalyses data, we investigated the impact of dust aerosols over the Middle East and the Arabian Sea (AS) on the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) rainfall. Satellite and aerosol reanalysis data show extremely heavy aerosol loading, mainly mineral dust, over the Middle East and AS during the ISM season. Multivariate empirical orthogonal function analyses suggest an aerosol-monsoon connection. This connection may be attributed to dust-induced atmospheric heating centered over the Iranian Plateau (IP), which enhances the meridional thermal contrast and strengthens the ISM circulation and rainfall. The enhanced circulation further transports more dust to the AS and IP, heating the atmosphere (positive feedback). The aerosols over the AS and the Arabian Peninsula have a significant correlation with rainfall over central and eastern India about 2 weeks later. This finding highlights the nonlocal radiative effect of dust on the ISM circulation and rainfall and may improve ISM rainfall forecasts. © 2014. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

  13. Subjective Response to Foot-Fall Noise, Including Localization of the Source Position

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brunskog, Jonas; Hwang, Ha Dong; Jeong, Cheol-Ho

    2011-01-01

    annoyance, using simulated binaural room impulse responses, with sources being a moving point source or a nonmoving surface source, and rooms being a room with a reverberation time of 0.5 s or an anechoic room. The paper concludes that no strong effect of the source localization on the annoyance can...

  14. Common positioning errors in panoramic radiography: A review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Randon, Rafael Henrique Nunes; Pereira, Yamba Carla Lara; Nascimento, Glauce Crivelaro do

    2014-01-01

    Professionals performing radiographic examinations are responsible for maintaining optimal image quality for accurate diagnoses. These professionals must competently execute techniques such as film manipulation and processing to minimize patient exposure to radiation. Improper performance by the professional and/or patient may result in a radiographic image of unsatisfactory quality that can also lead to a misdiagnosis and the development of an inadequate treatment plan. Currently, the most commonly performed extraoral examination is panoramic radiography. The invention of panoramic radiography has resulted in improvements in image quality with decreased exposure to radiation and at a low cost. However, this technique requires careful, accurate positioning of the patient's teeth and surrounding maxillofacial bone structure within the focal trough. Therefore, we reviewed the literature for the most common types of positioning errors in panoramic radiography to suggest the correct techniques. We would also discuss how to determine if the most common positioning errors occurred in panoramic radiography, such as in the positioning of the patient's head, tongue, chin, or body.

  15. Adjuvant Radiation Therapy for Margin-Positive Vulvar Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Defining the Ideal Dose-Response Using the National Cancer Data Base

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chapman, Bhavana V.; Gill, Beant S.; Viswanathan, Akila N.; Balasubramani, Goundappa K.; Sukumvanich, Paniti; Beriwal, Sushil

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: Positive surgical margins after radical vulvectomy for vulvar cancer portend a high risk for local relapse, which may be challenging to salvage. We assessed the impact of adjuvant radiation therapy (aRT) on overall survival (OS) and the dose-response relationship using the National Cancer Data Base. Methods and Materials: Patients with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma who underwent initial extirpative surgery with positive margins from 1998 to 2012 were included. Factors associated with aRT and specific dose levels were analyzed using logistic regression. Log-rank and multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling were used for OS analysis. Results: We identified 3075 patients with a median age of 66 years (range, 22-90 years); the median follow-up time was 36.4 months (interquartile range [IQR] 15.4-71.0 months). Stage IA/B disease represented 41.2% of the cohort. Sixty-three percent underwent lymph node assessment, with a 45% positivity rate. In total, 1035 patients (35.3%) received aRT, with a median dose of 54.0 Gy (IQR 48.6-60.0 Gy). The 3-year OS improved from 58.5% to 67.4% with aRT (P<.001). On multivariable analysis, age, Charlson-Deyo score ≥1, stage ≥II, tumors ≥4 cm, no aRT, and adverse nodal characteristics led to inferior survival. Dose of aRT was positively associated with OS as a continuous variable on univariate analysis (P<.001). The unadjusted 3-year OS for dose subsets 30.0 to 45.0 Gy, 45.1 to 53.9 Gy, 54.0 to 59.9 Gy, and ≥60 Gy was 54.3%, 55.7%, 70.1%, and 65.3%, respectively (P<.001). Multivariable analysis using a 4-month conditional landmark revealed that the greatest mortality reduction occurred in cumulative doses ≥54 Gy: 45.1 to 53.9 Gy (hazard ratio [HR] 0.94, P=.373), 54.0 to 59.9 Gy (HR 0.75, P=.024), ≥60 Gy (HR 0.71, P=.015). No survival benefit was seen with ≥60 Gy compared with 54.0 to 59.9 Gy (HR 0.95, P=.779). Conclusions: Patients with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma and positive surgical

  16. 20 CFR 664.430 - What are positive social behaviors?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... racial and ethnic backgrounds; (d) Maintaining healthy lifestyles, including being alcohol and drug free; (e) Maintaining positive relationships with responsible adults and peers, and contributing to the well being of one's community, including voting; (f) Maintaining a commitment to learning and academic...

  17. KIR3DS1/HLA-B Bw4-80Ile Genotype Is Correlated with the IFN-α Therapy Response in hepatitis B e antigen-Positive Chronic Hepatitis B

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wenting Li

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available To date, several on-treatment-level virological and serological indices that may predict the response to interferon alpha (IFN-α have been reported. However, no effective predictors, such as drug–response genes, that can be detected before administration of anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV therapy with IFN-α, have been found. In the diverse range of chronic viral infection, genes that affect human immunity play important roles in understanding host and viral co-evolution. Killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs, which are highly polymorphic at the allele and haplotype levels, participate in the antiviral function of natural killer (NK cells via fine-tuning inhibition and activation of NK-cell responses that occur when the NK cells interact with human leukocyte antigen (HLA class I molecules on target cells. For each individual, the pairing of KIR and HLA ligand is genetically determined. To investigate whether a particular KIR and HLA repertoire influences the risk of HBV infection and response to IFN-α treatment for chronic hepatitis B (CHB, we genotyped the KIRs and HLA ligands of 119 hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg-positive CHB patients. These patients included 43 patients who achieved sustained response (SR induced by IFN-α treatment for 48 weeks, 76 patients who achieved no response (NR, and 96 healthy subjects as controls. SR was defined as HBeAg loss with HBV DNA < 2,000 IU/ml and alanine aminotransferase normalization at 24 weeks posttreatment (week 72. In this study, we showed that activating KIR genes were less prevalent in Han Chinese, especially in Han Chinese with CHB, than in Caucasians. Furthermore, the KIR3DS1 gene, in combination with HLA-B Bw4-80Ile, strongly influenced the therapeutic outcomes for CHB patients who were treated with IFN-α. The frequency of the combination of genes encoding KIR3DS1 and HLA-B Bw4-80Ile was higher in patients who had a sustained treatment response than in patients who had NR [35

  18. Financial Incentives Differentially Regulate Neural Processing of Positive and Negative Emotions during Value-Based Decision-Making

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne M. Farrell

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Emotional and economic incentives often conflict in decision environments. To make economically desirable decisions then, deliberative neural processes must be engaged to regulate automatic emotional reactions. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI study, we evaluated how fixed wage (FW incentives and performance-based (PB financial incentives, in which pay is proportional to outcome, differentially regulate positive and negative emotional reactions to hypothetical colleagues that conflicted with the economics of available alternatives. Neural activity from FW to PB incentive contexts decreased for positive emotional stimuli but increased for negative stimuli in middle temporal, insula, and medial prefrontal regions. In addition, PB incentives further induced greater responses to negative than positive emotional decisions in the frontal and anterior cingulate regions involved in emotion regulation. Greater response to positive than negative emotional features in these regions also correlated with lower frequencies of economically desirable choices. Our findings suggest that whereas positive emotion regulation involves a reduction of responses in valence representation regions, negative emotion regulation additionally engages brain regions for deliberative processing and signaling of incongruous events.

  19. Financial Incentives Differentially Regulate Neural Processing of Positive and Negative Emotions during Value-Based Decision-Making.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farrell, Anne M; Goh, Joshua O S; White, Brian J

    2018-01-01

    Emotional and economic incentives often conflict in decision environments. To make economically desirable decisions then, deliberative neural processes must be engaged to regulate automatic emotional reactions. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, we evaluated how fixed wage (FW) incentives and performance-based (PB) financial incentives, in which pay is proportional to outcome, differentially regulate positive and negative emotional reactions to hypothetical colleagues that conflicted with the economics of available alternatives. Neural activity from FW to PB incentive contexts decreased for positive emotional stimuli but increased for negative stimuli in middle temporal, insula, and medial prefrontal regions. In addition, PB incentives further induced greater responses to negative than positive emotional decisions in the frontal and anterior cingulate regions involved in emotion regulation. Greater response to positive than negative emotional features in these regions also correlated with lower frequencies of economically desirable choices. Our findings suggest that whereas positive emotion regulation involves a reduction of responses in valence representation regions, negative emotion regulation additionally engages brain regions for deliberative processing and signaling of incongruous events.

  20. Body Composition Response to Lower Body Positive Pressure Training in Obese Children

    OpenAIRE

    Basant H. El-Refay; Nabeel T. Faiad

    2014-01-01

    Background: The high prevalence of obesity in Egypt has a great impact on the health care system, economic and social situation. Evidence suggests that even a moderate amount of weight loss can be useful. Aim of the study: To analyze the effects of lower body positive pressure supported treadmill training, conducted with hypocaloric diet, on body composition of obese children. Methods: Thirty children aged between 8 and 14 years, were randomly assigned into two groups: intervention group (15 ...

  1. Response of Autonomic Nervous System to Body Positions: Fourier and Wavelet Analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Xu, Aiguo; Gonnella, G.; Federici, A.; Stramaglia, S.; Simone, F.; Zenzola, A.; Santostasi, R.

    2003-01-01

    Two mathematical methods, the Fourier and wavelet transforms, were used to study the short term cardiovascular control system. Time series, picked from electrocardiogram and arterial blood pressure lasting 6 minutes, were analyzed in supine position (SUP), during the first (HD1), and the second parts (HD2) of $90^{\\circ}$ head down tilt and during recovery (REC). The wavelet transform was performed using the Haar function of period $T=2^j$ ($% j=1$,2,$... $,6) to obtain wavelet coefficients. ...

  2. The onset of the progression of acute phase response mechanisms induced by extreme impacts can be followed by the decrease in blood levels of positive acute phase proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larina, Olga; Bekker, Anna

    Studies performed at space flights and earth-based simulation models detected the plasma indices of acute phase reaction (APR), i.e. the increase of APR cytokine mediators and alterations in the production of blood acute phase proteins (APP) at the initial stages of adaptation to altered gravity conditions. Acute phase response is the principal constituent of the functional activity of innate immunity system. Changes in plasma APPs contents are considered to serve the restoration of homeostasis state. According to trends of their concentration shifts at the evolving of acute phase reaction APPs are denoted as positive, neutral, or negative. Plasma concentrations of positive acute phase proteins α1-acid glycoprotein (α1-AGP), α1-antitrypsin (α1-AT), and neutral α2-macroglobulin (α2-M) were measured in human study at 12-hour antiorthostatic position (AOP) with 15° head down tilt and hypoxia experiments at 14% oxygen in pressure chamber. Both of these impacts were shown to produce alterations in the APP levels indicative for acute phase response. Nevertheless, in AOP experiment noticeable decrease in α1-AGP concentration occurred by hour 12, and even more pronounced decline of α1-AGP and α1-AT were found on hypoxia hours 12 and 36. Acute phase proteins α1-AGP and α2-M possess the features of proteinase inhibitors. This function is implemented by the formation of complexes with the molecules of proteolytic enzymes which subsequently are removed from the blood flow. Transient decrease in plasma concentrations of protease inhibitors on early phases of APR development was reported to result from the growth of plasma protease activity due to cathepsin release from activated leukocytes, which had not yet been compensated by enhanced APP synthesis. Being a carrier protein for positively charged and neutral substances, α1-AGP shows pronounced elevation in its blood content during APR development. As assumed, it is required for the transportation of the increased

  3. [Influence of nasal continuous positive airway pressure on response to exercise in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Przybyłowski, Tadeusz; Bielicki, Piotr; Kumor, Marta; Hildebrand, Katarzyna; Maskey-Warzechowska, Marta; Wiwała, Joanna; Kościuch, Justyna; Korczyński, Piotr; Chazan, Ryszarda

    2006-01-01

    Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) patients are at risk of cardiovascular complications. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on the response to symptom limited exercise test. twenty nine OSAS patients (1 F, 28 M), mean age 50.7+/-9.7 yrs with body mass index of 32.6+/-4.5 kg/m2 participated in the study. OSAS was diagnosed by overnight polysomnography. Incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) on a treadmill was performed twice: before and after 2-3 weeks of regular treatment with CPAP. mean apnea + hypopnea index (AHI) before therapy was 57.6+/-12 h(-1). CPAP treatment did not change peak oxygen consumption (VO2max) (38.3+/-9.0 vs. 38.9+/-6.9 mlO2/kg/min, p=ns) or peak heart rate (153.4+/-21 min- vs. 155.5+/-22 min(-1), p=ns). There were no significant changes in ventilation or gas exchange variables. However, a decrease in peak systolic blood pressure from 194.5+/-24 mmHg to 186.7+/-27.9 mmHg (prate (at 1st minute and minutes 3 - 6) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) (minutes 4-7) with CPAP treatment was observed. Significant correlations between VO2max and AHI (r=-0,38, p<0,05); MAP at peak exercise and: AHI, mean oxygen saturation (SaO2) during sleep, minutes of sleep with SaO2<90% (T90); MAP at recovery (minutes 3-8) and T90 before CPAP treatment were also noted. OSAS patients are not limited on exercise. Treatment with nasal CPAP attenuates circulatory response to incremental exercise on a treadmill.

  4. Promoting positive psychology using social networking sites: a study of new college entrants on Facebook.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Shu-Man; Lin, Yung-Hsiu; Lin, Chi-Wei; Chang, Her-Kun; Chong, Ping Pete

    2014-04-29

    This study explores the potential of promoting college students' positive psychological development using popular online social networks. Online social networks have dramatically changed the ways college students manage their social relationships. Social network activities, such as checking Facebook posts dominates students' Internet time and has the potential to assist students' positive development. Positive psychology is a scientific study of how ordinary individuals can apply their strength effectively when facing objective difficulties and how this capability can be cultivated with certain approaches. A positive message delivery approach was designed for a group of new college entrants. A series of positive messages was edited by university counselors and delivered by students to their Facebook social groups. Responses from each posted positive messages were collected and analyzed by researchers. The responses indicated that: (1) relationships of individual engagement and social influence in this study can partially explain the observed student behavior; (2) using class-based social groups can promote a positive atmosphere to enhance strong-tie relationships in both the physical and virtual environments, and (3) promoting student's positive attitudes can substantially impact adolescents' future developments, and many positive attitudes can be cultivated by emotional events and social influence.

  5. Attributions of Responsibility and Blame for Procrastination Behavior

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sonia Rahimi

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available The present study examined the relationship between procrastination, delay, blameworthiness, and moral responsibility. Undergraduate students (N = 240 were provided two scenarios in which the reason for inaction (procrastination, delay, the target (self, other, and the outcome (positive, negative were manipulated, and students were asked to rate the moral responsibility and blameworthiness of the agent. Results indicated that individuals who procrastinated were seen as more morally responsible and blameworthy than those who otherwise experienced delay. More specifically, after a negative outcome, procrastination was associated with more moral responsibility, whereas delay was associated with less moral responsibility. After a positive outcome, individuals perceived procrastination as deserving of less moral responsibility, and delays as associated with more moral responsibility. Finally, a three-way interaction showed that participants rated procrastination that resulted in failure as deserving of responsibility when engaged in by others as opposed to oneself.

  6. Distributed transition-edge sensors for linearized position response in a phonon-mediated X-ray imaging spectrometer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cabrera, Blas; Brink, Paul L.; Leman, Steven W.; Castle, Joseph P.; Tomada, Astrid; Young, Betty A.; Martínez-Galarce, Dennis S.; Stern, Robert A.; Deiker, Steve; Irwin, Kent D.

    2004-03-01

    For future solar X-ray satellite missions, we are developing a phonon-mediated macro-pixel composed of a Ge crystal absorber with four superconducting transition-edge sensors (TES) distributed on the backside. The X-rays are absorbed on the opposite side and the energy is converted into phonons, which are absorbed into the four TES sensors. By connecting together parallel elements into four channels, fractional total energy absorbed between two of the sensors provides x-position information and the other two provide y-position information. We determine the optimal distribution for the TES sub-elements to obtain linear position information while minimizing the degradation of energy resolution.

  7. An investigation of false positive dosimetry results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lewandowski, M.A.; Davis, S.A.; Goff, T.E.; Wu, C.F.

    1996-01-01

    The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a facility designed for the demonstration of the safe disposal of transuranic waste. Currently, the radiation source term is confined to sealed calibration and check sources since WIPP has not received waste for disposal. For several years the WIPP Dosimetry Group has operated a Harshaw Model 8800C reader to analyze Harshaw 8801-7776 thermoluminescent cards (3 TLD-700 and 1 TLD-600) with 8805 holder. The frequency of false positive results for quarterly dosimeter exchanges is higher than desired by the Dosimetry Group management. Initial observations suggested that exposure to intense ambient sunlight may be responsible for the majority of the false positive readings for element 3. A study was designed to investigate the possibility of light leaking through the holder and inducing a signal in element 3. This paper discusses the methods and results obtained, with special emphasis placed on recommendations to reduce the frequency of light-induced false positive readings

  8. A comparison of positive vicarious learning and verbal information for reducing vicariously learned fear

    OpenAIRE

    Reynolds, Gemma; Wasely, David; Dunne, Guler; Askew, Chris

    2017-01-01

    Research with children has demonstrated that both positive vicarious learning (modelling) and positive verbal information can reduce children’s acquired fear responses for a particular stimulus. However, this fear reduction appears to be more effective when the intervention pathway matches the initial fear learning pathway. That is, positive verbal information is a more effective intervention than positive modelling when fear is originally acquired via negative verbal information. Research ha...

  9. Positive Technologies for Understanding and Promoting Positive Emotions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baños, Rosa María; Carrillo, Alba; Etchemendy, Ernestina; Botella, Cristina

    2017-10-26

    Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have become increasingly present in our lives, and their use has spread considerably. This paper presents a review of the way ICTs can help practitioners and researchers to study, promote, and train positive emotions. It is framed within the field of Positive Technologies: the applied scientific approach to the study of the use of technology to improve the quality of personal experience, with the goal of increasing wellbeing. First, the article presents an introduction to the topic of technologies and positive emotions. Then, it describes how ICTs can aid in monitoring, assessing, promoting, modifying, and training positive emotions. Finally, implications and future directions of the role of Positive Technologies in positive emotions are discussed. The authors conclude that, in the near future, Positive Technologies and the field of positive emotions will interact synergistically, producing an exponential growth in the understanding and promotion of positive emotions.

  10. Emotional response towards food packaging

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liao, Lewis Xinwei; Corsi, Armando M.; Chrysochou, Polymeros

    2015-01-01

    In this paper we investigate consumers’ emotional responses to food packaging. More specifically, we use self-report and physiological measures to jointly assess emotional responses to three typical food packaging elements: colours (lowwavelength vs. high-wavelength), images (positive vs. negative...... response that can only be measured by self-report measures. We propose that a joint application of selfreport and physiological measures can lead to richer information and wider interpretation of consumer emotional responses to food packaging elements than using either measure alone....

  11. Use of NON-PARAMETRIC Item Response Theory to develop a shortened version of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Background Nonparametric item response theory (IRT) was used to examine (a) the performance of the 30 Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) items and their options ((levels of severity), (b) the effectiveness of various subscales to discriminate among differences in symptom severity, and (c) the development of an abbreviated PANSS (Mini-PANSS) based on IRT and a method to link scores to the original PANSS. Methods Baseline PANSS scores from 7,187 patients with Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective disorder who were enrolled between 1995 and 2005 in psychopharmacology trials were obtained. Option characteristic curves (OCCs) and Item Characteristic Curves (ICCs) were constructed to examine the probability of rating each of seven options within each of 30 PANSS items as a function of subscale severity, and summed-score linking was applied to items selected for the Mini-PANSS. Results The majority of items forming the Positive and Negative subscales (i.e. 19 items) performed very well and discriminate better along symptom severity compared to the General Psychopathology subscale. Six of the seven Positive Symptom items, six of the seven Negative Symptom items, and seven out of the 16 General Psychopathology items were retained for inclusion in the Mini-PANSS. Summed score linking and linear interpolation was able to produce a translation table for comparing total subscale scores of the Mini-PANSS to total subscale scores on the original PANSS. Results show scores on the subscales of the Mini-PANSS can be linked to scores on the original PANSS subscales, with very little bias. Conclusions The study demonstrated the utility of non-parametric IRT in examining the item properties of the PANSS and to allow selection of items for an abbreviated PANSS scale. The comparisons between the 30-item PANSS and the Mini-PANSS revealed that the shorter version is comparable to the 30-item PANSS, but when applying IRT, the Mini-PANSS is also a good indicator of illness severity

  12. Use of non-parametric item response theory to develop a shortened version of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Anzalee; Lewis, Charles; Lindenmayer, Jean-Pierre

    2011-11-16

    Nonparametric item response theory (IRT) was used to examine (a) the performance of the 30 Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) items and their options ((levels of severity), (b) the effectiveness of various subscales to discriminate among differences in symptom severity, and (c) the development of an abbreviated PANSS (Mini-PANSS) based on IRT and a method to link scores to the original PANSS. Baseline PANSS scores from 7,187 patients with Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective disorder who were enrolled between 1995 and 2005 in psychopharmacology trials were obtained. Option characteristic curves (OCCs) and Item Characteristic Curves (ICCs) were constructed to examine the probability of rating each of seven options within each of 30 PANSS items as a function of subscale severity, and summed-score linking was applied to items selected for the Mini-PANSS. The majority of items forming the Positive and Negative subscales (i.e. 19 items) performed very well and discriminate better along symptom severity compared to the General Psychopathology subscale. Six of the seven Positive Symptom items, six of the seven Negative Symptom items, and seven out of the 16 General Psychopathology items were retained for inclusion in the Mini-PANSS. Summed score linking and linear interpolation was able to produce a translation table for comparing total subscale scores of the Mini-PANSS to total subscale scores on the original PANSS. Results show scores on the subscales of the Mini-PANSS can be linked to scores on the original PANSS subscales, with very little bias. The study demonstrated the utility of non-parametric IRT in examining the item properties of the PANSS and to allow selection of items for an abbreviated PANSS scale. The comparisons between the 30-item PANSS and the Mini-PANSS revealed that the shorter version is comparable to the 30-item PANSS, but when applying IRT, the Mini-PANSS is also a good indicator of illness severity.

  13. A new measurement method for electrode gain in an orthogonally symmetric beam position monitor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zou Junying; Wu Fangfang; Yang Yongliang; Sun Baogen; Zhou Zeran; Luo Qing; Lu Ping; Xu Hongliang

    2014-01-01

    The new beam position monitor (BPM) system of the injector at the upgrade project of the Hefei Light Source (HLS Ⅱ) has 19 stripline beam position monitors. Most consist of four orthogonally symmetric stripline electrodes. Differences in electronic gain and mismaching tolerance can cause changes in the beam response of the BPM electrodes. This variation will couple the two measured horizontal positions, resulting in measuring error. To alleviate this effect, a new technique to measure the relative response of the four electrodes has been developed. It is independent of the beam charge, and the related coefficient can be calculated theoretically. The effect of electrode coupling on this technique is analyzed. The calibration data is used to fit the gain for all 19 injector beam position monitors. The results show the standard deviation of the distribution of measured gains is about 5%. (authors)

  14. The role of positive selection in hepatitis C virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cuevas, José M; Gonzalez, Michael; Torres-Puente, Manuela; Jiménez-Hernández, Nuria; Bracho, María A; García-Robles, Inmaculada; González-Candelas, Fernando; Moya, Andrés

    2009-09-01

    Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major health problem worldwide, infecting an estimated 170 million people. In this study, we have employed a large data set of sequences (14,654 sequences from between 25 and 100 clone sequences per analyzed region and per patient) from 67 patients infected with HCV genotype 1 (23 subtype 1a and 44 subtype 1b). For all patients, a sample prior to combined therapy with alpha interferon plus ribavirin was available, whereas for some patients additional samples after 6 or 12 months of treatment were also available. Twenty-seven patients responded to treatment (12 subtype 1a and 15 subtype 1b) and forty patients did not respond to treatment (11 subtype 1a vs. 29 subtype 1b). Two regions of the HCV genome were analyzed, one compressing the hypervariable regions (HVR1, HVR2 and HVR3) of the envelope 2 glycoprotein and another one including the interferon sensitive determining region (ISDR) and the V3 domain of the NS5A protein. Previously (Cuevas, J.M., Torres-Puente, M., Jiménez-Hernández, N., Bracho, M.A., García-Robles, I., Wrobel, B., Carnicer, F., del Olmo, J., Ortega, E., Moya, A., González-Candelas, F., 2008b. Genetic variability of hepatitis C virus before and after combined therapy of interferon plus ribavirin. Plos One 3 (8), e3058), several amino acid positions in both regions analyzed were detected to be under positive selection. Here, we have compared the amino acid composition of each positively selected position between responder and non-responder patients for both subtypes. If we exclude some non-conclusive cases, no clear differences were detected in any case. In conclusion, identifying specific positions as completely discriminatory of treatment response seems to be a difficult task. Our results, in concordance with previous studies, suggest that HCV evasion strategies are more likely based on a global increased variability, which would yield combinations of mutations with an increased resistance, than on the fixation of

  15. Implicit learning and emotional responses in nine-month-old infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angulo-Barroso, Rosa M; Peciña, Susana; Lin, Xu; Li, Mingyan; Sturza, Julia; Shao, Jie; Lozoff, Betsy

    2017-08-01

    To study the interplay between motor learning and emotional responses of young infants, we developed a contingent learning paradigm that included two related, difficult, operant tasks. We also coded facial expression to characterise emotional response to learning. In a sample of nine-month-old healthy Chinese infants, 44.7% achieved learning threshold during this challenging arm-conditioning test. Some evidence of learning was observed at the beginning of the second task. The lowest period of negative emotions coincided with the period of maximum movement responses after the initiation of the second task, and movement responses negatively correlated with the frequency of negative emotions. Positive emotions, while generally low throughout the task, increased during peak performance especially for learners. Peak frequency of movement responses was positively correlated with the frequency of positive emotions. Despite the weak evidence of learning this difficult task, our results from the learners would suggest that increasing positive emotions, and perhaps down-regulating negative emotional responses, may be important for improving performance and learning a complex operant task in infancy. Further studies are necessary to determine the role of emotions in learning difficult tasks in infancy.

  16. Exploratory Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Response-Guided Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Hormone Positive Breast Cancer Patients.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Miquel-Cases

    Full Text Available Guiding response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (guided-NACT allows for an adaptative treatment approach likely to improve breast cancer survival. In this study, our primary aim is to explore the expected cost-effectiveness of guided-NACT using as a case study the first randomized controlled trial that demonstrated effectiveness (GeparTrio trial.As effectiveness was shown in hormone-receptor positive (HR+ early breast cancers (EBC, our decision model compared the health-economic outcomes of treating a cohort of such women with guided-NACT to conventional-NACT using clinical input data from the GeparTrio trial. The expected cost-effectiveness and the uncertainty around this estimate were estimated via probabilistic cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA, from a Dutch societal perspective over a 5-year time-horizon.Our exploratory CEA predicted that guided-NACT as proposed by the GeparTrio, costs additional €110, but results in 0.014 QALYs gained per patient. This scenario of guided-NACT was considered cost-effective at any willingness to pay per additional QALY. At the prevailing Dutch willingness to pay threshold (€80.000/QALY cost-effectiveness was expected with 78% certainty.This exploratory CEA indicated that guided-NACT (as proposed by the GeparTrio trial is likely cost-effective in treating HR+ EBC women. While prospective validation of the GeparTrio findings is advisable from a clinical perspective, early CEAs can be used to prioritize further research from a broader health economic perspective, by identifying which parameters contribute most to current decision uncertainty. Furthermore, their use can be extended to explore the expected cost-effectiveness of alternative guided-NACT scenarios that combine the use of promising imaging techniques together with personalized treatments.

  17. Backscattering position detection for photonic force microscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Volpe, Giovanni; Kozyreff, Gregory; Petrov, Dmitri

    2007-01-01

    An optically trapped particle is an extremely sensitive probe for the measurement of pico- and femto-Newton forces between the particle and its environment in microscopic systems (photonic force microscopy). A typical setup comprises an optical trap, which holds the probe, and a position sensing system, which uses the scattering of a beam illuminating the probe. Usually the position is accurately determined by measuring the deflection of the forward-scattered light transmitted through the probe. However, geometrical constraints may prevent access to this side of the trap, forcing one to make use of the backscattered light instead. A theory is presented together with numerical results that describes the use of the backscattered light for position detection. With a Mie-Debye approach, we compute the total (incident plus scattered) field and follow its evolution as it is collected by the condenser lenses and projected onto the position detectors and the responses of position sensitive detectors and quadrant photodetectors to the displacement of the probe in the optical trap, both in forward and backward configurations. We find out that in the case of backward detection, for both types of detectors the displacement sensitivity can change sign as a function of the probe size and is null for some critical sizes. In addition, we study the influence of the numerical aperture of the detection system, polarization, and the cross talk between position measurements in orthogonal directions. We finally discuss how these features should be taken into account in experimental designs

  18. Positive messaging promotes walking in older adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Notthoff, Nanna; Carstensen, Laura L

    2014-06-01

    Walking is among the most cost-effective and accessible means of exercise. Mounting evidence suggests that walking may help to maintain physical and cognitive independence in old age by preventing a variety of health problems. However, older Americans fall far short of meeting the daily recommendations for walking. In 2 studies, we examined whether considering older adults' preferential attention to positive information may effectively enhance interventions aimed at promoting walking. In Study 1, we compared the effectiveness of positive, negative, and neutral messages to encourage walking (as measured with pedometers). Older adults who were informed about the benefits of walking walked more than those who were informed about the negative consequences of failing to walk, whereas younger adults were unaffected by framing valence. In Study 2, we examined within-person change in walking in older adults in response to positively- or negatively-framed messages over a 28-day period. Once again, positively-framed messages more effectively promoted walking than negatively-framed messages, and the effect was sustained across the intervention period. Together, these studies suggest that consideration of age-related changes in preferences for positive and negative information may inform the design of effective interventions to promote healthy lifestyles. Future research is needed to examine the mechanisms underlying the greater effectiveness of positively- as opposed to negatively-framed messages and the generalizability of findings to other intervention targets and other subpopulations of older adults. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

  19. High Accuracy Positioning using Jet Thrusters for Quadcopter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pi ChenHuan

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available A quadcopter is equipped with four additional jet thrusters on its horizontal plane and vertical to each other in order to improve the maneuverability and positioning accuracy of quadcopter. A dynamic model of the quadcopter with jet thrusters is derived and two controllers are implemented in simulation, one is a dual loop state feedback controller for pose control and another is an auxiliary jet thruster controller for accurate positioning. Step response simulations showed that the jet thruster can control the quadcopter with less overshoot compared to the conventional one. Over 10s loiter simulation with disturbance, the quadcopter with jet thruster decrease 85% of RMS error of horizontal disturbance compared to a conventional quadcopter with only a dual loop state feedback controller. The jet thruster controller shows the possibility for further accurate in the field of quadcopter positioning.

  20. Social responsibility as modern conception of business

    OpenAIRE

    Vorona, E.

    2010-01-01

    Research of social responsibility is conducted in the context of theory of socialization of the economic systems. Approaches are considered to essence of concept «Social responsibility». The positive consequences of realization of social responsibility and its connection are certain with a competitiveness and efficiency

  1. Belgium’s position in world trade

    OpenAIRE

    V. Baugnet; K. Burggraeve; L. Dresse; Ch. Piette; B. Vuidar

    2010-01-01

    The objective of the article is to give a general overview of the position that Belgium occupies in the world trade stakes and its ability to adjust in response to changes in the international environment. Over the last two decades, world trade has expanded considerably, buoyed up by the rapid growth of new economic centres, the advanced economies generally having seen a drop in their market share. However, the growth in Belgium’s exports has lagged behind the average for twelve European coun...

  2. [Knee and shoulder arthroscopy. Positioning and thermal injuries].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, S; Lobenhoffer, P

    2008-11-01

    Intraoperative positioning injuries during shoulder- and knee arthroscopy are rare complications and affect mainly nerves and soft tissue. Although the majority of these complications are reversible, in some cases serious negative consequences for the patient persist. This article describes the frequency of several positioning injuries including their prevention and the appropriate treatment. The legal responsibilities are illustrated as well as the importance of an intense preoperative investigation of preexisting diseases and possible risk factors. Furthermore, a review of possible thermal injuries of the patient during arthroscopy caused by e.g. electrosurgical instruments or the cold light source, is given as well as prevention strategies.

  3. De-Escalation Strategies in Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2)-Positive Early Breast Cancer (BC): Final Analysis of the West German Study Group Adjuvant Dynamic Marker-Adjusted Personalized Therapy Trial Optimizing Risk Assessment and Therapy Response Prediction in Early BC HER2- and Hormone Receptor-Positive Phase II Randomized Trial-Efficacy, Safety, and Predictive Markers for 12 Weeks of Neoadjuvant Trastuzumab Emtansine With or Without Endocrine Therapy (ET) Versus Trastuzumab Plus ET.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harbeck, Nadia; Gluz, Oleg; Christgen, Matthias; Kates, Ronald Ernest; Braun, Michael; Küemmel, Sherko; Schumacher, Claudia; Potenberg, Jochem; Kraemer, Stefan; Kleine-Tebbe, Anke; Augustin, Doris; Aktas, Bahriye; Forstbauer, Helmut; Tio, Joke; von Schumann, Raquel; Liedtke, Cornelia; Grischke, Eva-Maria; Schumacher, Johannes; Wuerstlein, Rachel; Kreipe, Hans Heinrich; Nitz, Ulrike Anneliese

    2017-09-10

    Purpose Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive/hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer is a distinct subgroup associated with lower chemotherapy sensitivity and slightly better outcome than HER2-positive/HR-negative disease. Little is known about the efficacy of the combination of endocrine therapy (ET) with trastuzumab or with the potent antibody-cytotoxic, anti-HER2 compound trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) with or without ET for this subgroup. The West German Study Group trial, ADAPT (Adjuvant Dynamic Marker-Adjusted Personalized Therapy Trial Optimizing Risk Assessment and Therapy Response Prediction in Early Breast Cancer) compares pathologic complete response (pCR) rates of T-DM1 versus trastuzumab with ET in early HER2-positive/HR-positive breast cancer. Patients and Methods In this prospective, neoadjuvant, phase II trial, 375 patients with early breast cancer with HER2-positive and HR-positive status (n = 463 screened) were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of T-DM1 with or without ET or to trastuzumab with ET. The primary end point was pCR (ypT0/is/ypN0). Early response was assessed in 3-week post-therapeutic core biopsies (proliferation decrease ≥ 30% Ki-67 or cellularity response). Secondary end points included safety and predictive impact of early response on pCR. Adjuvant therapy followed national standards. Results Baseline characteristics were well balanced among the arms. More than 90% of patients completed the therapy per protocol. pCR was observed in 41.0% of patients treated with T-DM1, 41.5% of patients treated with T-DM1 and ET, and 15.1% with trastuzumab and ET ( P < .001). Early responders (67% of patients with assessable response) achieved pCR in 35.7% compared with 19.8% in nonresponders (odds ratio, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.24 to 4.19). T-DM1 was associated with a significantly higher prevalence of grade 1 to 2 toxicities, especially thrombocytopenia, nausea, and elevation of liver enzymes. Overall toxicity was low; seventeen

  4. Are positive emotions just as "positive" across cultures?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leu, Janxin; Wang, Jennifer; Koo, Kelly

    2011-08-01

    Whereas positive emotions and feeling unequivocally good may be at the heart of well-being among Westerners, positive emotions often carry negative associations within many Asian cultures. Based on a review of East-West cultural differences in dialectical emotions, or co-occurring positive and negative feelings, we predicted culture to influence the association between positive emotions and depression, but not the association between negative emotions and depression. As predicted, in a survey of over 600 European-, immigrant Asian-, and Asian American college students, positive emotions were associated with depression symptoms among European Americans and Asian Americans, but not immigrant Asians. Negative emotions were associated with depression symptoms among all three groups. We also found initial evidence that acculturation (i.e., nativity) may influence the role of positive emotions in depression: Asian Americans fell "in between" the two other groups. These findings suggest the importance of studying the role of culture in positive emotions and in positive psychology. The use of interventions based on promoting positive emotions in clinical psychology among Asian clients is briefly discussed. 2011 APA, all rights reserved

  5. Anti-Windup Scheme for Practical Control of Positioning Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wahyudi Tarig Faisal and Abdulgani Albagul

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Positioning systems generally need a good controller to achieve high accuracy, fast response and robustness. In addition, ease of controller design and simplicity of controller structure are very important for practical application.  For satisfying these requirements, nominal characteristic trajectory following controller (NCTF has been proposed as a practical point-to-point (PTP positioning control. However, the effect of actuator saturation can not be completely compensated for due to the integrator windup as the plant parameters vary. This paper presents a method to improve the NCTF controller for overcoming the problem of integrator windup using simple and classical tracking anti-windup scheme. The improved NCTF controller is evaluated through simulation using a rotary positioning system. The results show that the improved NCTF controller is adequate to compensate for the effect of integrator windup. Keywords: Positioning, point-to-point, integrator windup, compensation, controller, robustness.

  6. Detecting positive quadrant dependence and positive function dependence

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Janic-Wróblewska, A.; Kallenberg, W.C.M.; Ledwina, T.

    2004-01-01

    There is a lot of interest in positive dependence going beyond linear correlation. In this paper three new rank tests for testing independence against positive dependence are introduced. The first one is directed on positive quadrant dependence, the second and third one concentrate on positive

  7. Detecting positive quadrant dependence and positive function dependence

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Janic-Wróblewska, A.; Kallenberg, W.C.M.; Ledwina, T.

    2003-01-01

    There is a lot of interest in positive dependence going beyond linear correlation. In this paper three new rank tests for testing independence against positive dependence are introduced. The first one is directed on positive quadrant dependence, the second and third one concentrate on positive

  8. A region segmentation based algorithm for building a crystal position lookup table in a scintillation detector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Haipeng; Fan Xin; Yun Mingkai; Liu Shuangquan; Cao Xuexiang; Chai Pei; Shan Baoci

    2015-01-01

    In a scintillation detector, scintillation crystals are typically made into a 2-dimensional modular array. The location of incident gamma-ray needs be calibrated due to spatial response nonlinearity. Generally, position histograms-the characteristic flood response of scintillation detectors-are used for position calibration. In this paper, a position calibration method based on a crystal position lookup table which maps the inaccurate location calculated by Anger logic to the exact hitting crystal position has been proposed. Firstly, the position histogram is preprocessed, such as noise reduction and image enhancement. Then the processed position histogram is segmented into disconnected regions, and crystal marking points are labeled by finding the centroids of regions. Finally, crystal boundaries are determined and the crystal position lookup table is generated. The scheme is evaluated by the whole-body positron emission tomography (PET) scanner and breast dedicated single photon emission computed tomography scanner developed by the Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The results demonstrate that the algorithm is accurate, efficient, robust and applicable to any configurations of scintillation detector. (authors)

  9. Habitual physical activity levels are positively correlated with CD4 ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Habitual physical activity levels are positively correlated with CD4 counts in an ... per month) and functional independence as assessed from the responses to the ... and between CD4 cell counts and total habitual physical activity levels (p ...

  10. Parental responses to child support obligations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rossin-Slater, Maya; Wüst, Miriam

    find that larger obligations are associated with higher new-partner fertility among both parents. The maternal fertility response is consistent with a positive income-fertility relationship, while the paternal fertility response may reflect increased demand for new offspring as a result of reduced...

  11. Energy distribution extraction of negative charges responsible for positive bias temperature instability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ren Shang-Qing; Yang Hong; Wang Wen-Wu; Tang Bo; Tang Zhao-Yun; Wang Xiao-Lei; Xu Hao; Luo Wei-Chun; Zhao Chao; Yan Jiang; Chen Da-Peng; Ye Tian-Chun

    2015-01-01

    A new method is proposed to extract the energy distribution of negative charges, which results from electron trapping by traps in the gate stack of nMOSFET during positive bias temperature instability (PBTI) stress based on the recovery measurement. In our case, the extracted energy distribution of negative charges shows an obvious dependence on energy, and the energy level of the largest energy density of negative charges is 0.01 eV above the conduction band of silicon. The charge energy distribution below that energy level shows strong dependence on the stress voltage. (paper)

  12. Ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mozhgan Masoom

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aim: Since utricle is the main damaged organ in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV, ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP may be an appropriate method to evaluate the utricule dysfunction and the effect of disease recurrence rate on it. This study aimed to record myogenic potential in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.Methods: In a cross-sectional study, ocular myogenic potential was recorded in 25 healthy subjects and 20 patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo using 500 Hz-tone bursts (95 dB nHL.Results: In the affected ear, mean amplitude was lower and mean threshold was higher than those in the unaffected ear and in the normal group (p<0.05. Mean amplitude asymmetry ratio of patients was more than the healthy subjects (p0.05. Frequencies of abnormal responses in the affected ears were higher than in unaffected ears and in the normal group (p<0.05. Furthermore, the patients with recurrent vertigo showed more abnormalities than the patients with non-recurrent (p=0.030.Conclusion: In the recurrent benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential showed more damage in the utricle, suggesting this response could be used to evaluate the patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

  13. Differential Patterns of Large Tumor Antigen-Specific Immune Responsiveness in Patients with BK Polyomavirus-Positive Prostate Cancer or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sais, Giovanni; Wyler, Stephen; Hudolin, Tvrtko; Banzola, Irina; Mengus, Chantal; Bubendorf, Lukas; Wild, Peter J.; Hirsch, Hans H.; Sulser, Tullio; Spagnoli, Giulio C.

    2012-01-01

    The role of the polyomavirus BK (BKV) large tumor antigen (L-Tag) as a target of immune response in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) has not been investigated thus far. In this study, we comparatively analyzed humoral and cellular L-Tag-specific responsiveness in age-matched patients bearing PCa or benign prostatic hyperplasia, expressing or not expressing BKV L-Tag-specific sequences in their tissue specimens, and in non-age-matched healthy individuals. Furthermore, results from patients with PCa were correlated to 5-year follow-up clinical data focusing on evidence of biochemical recurrence (BR) after surgery (prostate specific antigen level of ≥0.2 ng/ml). In peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with PCa with evidence of BR and BKV L-Tag-positive tumors, stimulation with peptides derived from the BKV L-Tag but not those derived from Epstein-Barr virus, influenza virus, or cytomegalovirus induced a peculiar cytokine gene expression profile, characterized by high expression of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and transforming growth factor β1 and low expression of gamma interferon genes. This pattern was confirmed by protein secretion data and correlated with high levels of anti-BKV L-Tag IgG. Furthermore, in PBMC from these PCa-bearing patients, L-Tag-derived peptides significantly expanded an IL-10-secreting CD4+ CD25+(high) CD127− FoxP3+ T cell population with an effector memory phenotype (CD103+) capable of inhibiting proliferation of autologous anti-CD3/CD28-triggered CD4+ CD25− T cells. Collectively, our findings indicate that potentially tolerogenic features of L-Tag-specific immune response are significantly associated with tumor progression in patients with BKV+ PCa. PMID:22647697

  14. Dual channel photoplethysmography studies of cardio-vascular response to the body position changes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erts, R.; Kukulis, I.; Spigulis, J.; Kere, L.

    2005-08-01

    The dual-channel photoplethysmography studies of physiological responses during 3-stage orthostatic test were performed. Clear differences in heartbeat rate, pulse wave transit time and blood pressure variations of healthy volunteers and diabetic patients have been observed.

  15. Refueling machine with relative positioning capability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Challberg, R.C.; Jones, C.R.

    1998-01-01

    A refueling machine is disclosed having relative positioning capability for refueling a nuclear reactor. The refueling machine includes a pair of articulated arms mounted on a refueling bridge. Each arm supports a respective telescoping mast. Each telescoping mast is designed to flex laterally in response to application of a lateral thrust on the end of the mast. A pendant mounted on the end of the mast carries an air-actuated grapple, television cameras, ultrasonic transducers and waterjet thrusters. The ultrasonic transducers are used to detect the gross position of the grapple relative to the bail of a nuclear fuel assembly in the fuel core. The television cameras acquire an image of the bail which is compared to a pre-stored image in computer memory. The pendant can be rotated until the television image and the pre-stored image match within a predetermined tolerance. Similarly, the waterjet thrusters can be used to apply lateral thrust to the end of the flexible mast to place the grapple in a fine position relative to the bail as a function of the discrepancy between the television and pre-stored images. 11 figs

  16. Refueling machine with relative positioning capability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Challberg, R.C.; Jones, C.R.

    1998-12-15

    A refueling machine is disclosed having relative positioning capability for refueling a nuclear reactor. The refueling machine includes a pair of articulated arms mounted on a refueling bridge. Each arm supports a respective telescoping mast. Each telescoping mast is designed to flex laterally in response to application of a lateral thrust on the end of the mast. A pendant mounted on the end of the mast carries an air-actuated grapple, television cameras, ultrasonic transducers and waterjet thrusters. The ultrasonic transducers are used to detect the gross position of the grapple relative to the bail of a nuclear fuel assembly in the fuel core. The television cameras acquire an image of the bail which is compared to a pre-stored image in computer memory. The pendant can be rotated until the television image and the pre-stored image match within a predetermined tolerance. Similarly, the waterjet thrusters can be used to apply lateral thrust to the end of the flexible mast to place the grapple in a fine position relative to the bail as a function of the discrepancy between the television and pre-stored images. 11 figs.

  17. The combination of positive and negative feedback loops confers exquisite flexibility to biochemical switches

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pfeuty, Benjamin; Kaneko, Kunihiko

    2009-01-01

    A wide range of cellular processes require molecular regulatory pathways to convert a graded signal into a discrete response. One prevalent switching mechanism relies on the coexistence of two stable states (bistability) caused by positive feedback regulations. Intriguingly, positive feedback is often supplemented with negative feedback, raising the question of whether and how these two types of feedback can cooperate to control discrete cellular responses. To address this issue, we formulate a canonical model of a protein–protein interaction network and analyze the dynamics of a prototypical two-component circuit. The appropriate combination of negative and positive feedback loops can bring a bistable circuit close to the oscillatory regime. Notably, sharply activated negative feedback can give rise to a bistable regime wherein two stable fixed points coexist and may collide pairwise with two saddle points. This specific type of bistability is found to allow for separate and flexible control of switch-on and switch-off events, for example (i) to combine fast and reversible transitions, (ii) to enable transient switching responses and (iii) to display tunable noise-induced transition rates. Finally, we discuss the relevance of such bistable switching behavior, and the circuit topologies considered, to specific biological processes such as adaptive metabolic responses, stochastic fate decisions and cell-cycle transitions. Taken together, our results suggest an efficient mechanism by which positive and negative feedback loops cooperate to drive the flexible and multifaceted switching behaviors arising in biological systems

  18. Elongator Plays a Positive Role in Exogenous NAD-Induced Defense Responses in Arabidopsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    An, Chuanfu; Ding, Yezhang; Zhang, Xudong; Wang, Chenggang; Mou, Zhonglin

    2016-05-01

    Extracellular NAD is emerging as an important signal molecule in animal cells, but its role in plants has not been well-established. Although it has been shown that exogenous NAD(+) activates defense responses in Arabidopsis, components in the exogenous NAD(+)-activated defense pathway remain to be fully discovered. In a genetic screen for mutants insensitive to exogenous NAD(+) (ien), we isolated a mutant named ien2. Map-based cloning revealed that IEN2 encodes ELONGATA3 (ELO3)/AtELP3, a subunit of the Arabidopsis Elongator complex, which functions in multiple biological processes, including histone modification, DNA (de)methylation, and transfer RNA modification. Mutations in the ELO3/AtELP3 gene compromise exogenous NAD(+)-induced expression of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes and resistance to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola ES4326, and transgenic expression of the coding region of ELO3/AtELP3 in elo3/Atelp3 restores NAD(+) responsiveness to the mutant plants, demonstrating that ELO3/AtELP3 is required for exogenous NAD(+)-induced defense responses. Furthermore, mutations in genes encoding the other five Arabidopsis Elongator subunits (ELO2/AtELP1, AtELP2, ELO1/AtELP4, AtELP5, and AtELP6) also compromise exogenous NAD(+)-induced PR gene expression and resistance to P. syringae pv. maculicola ES4326. These results indicate that the Elongator complex functions as a whole in exogenous NAD(+)-activated defense signaling in Arabidopsis.

  19. Local beam position feedback experiments on the ESRF storage ring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chung, Y.; Kahana, E.; Kirchman, J.

    1995-01-01

    This paper describes the results of local beam position feedback experiments conducted on the ESRF storage ring using digital signal processing (DSP) under the trilateral agreement of collaboration among ESRF, APS, and SPring-8. Two rf beam position monitors (BPMS) in the, upstream and downstream of the insertion device (ID) and two x-ray BPMs in the sixth cell were used to monitor the electron beam and the x-ray beam emitted from the ID, respectively. The local bump coefficients were obtained using the technique of singular value decomposition (SVD) on the global response matrix for the bump magnets and all the available BPMs outside the local bump. The local response matrix was then obtained between the two three-magnet bumps and the position monitors. The data sampling frequency was 4 kHz and a proportional, integral, and derivative (PID) controller was used. The result indicates the closed-loop feedback bandwidth close to 100 Hz and clear attenuation (∼ -40 dB) of the 7-Hz beam motion due to girder vibration resonance. Comparison of the results using the rf BPMs and x-ray BPMs will be also discussed

  20. Common positioning errors in panoramic radiography: A review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Randon, Rafael Henrique Nunes [Stomathology and Oral Diagnostic Program, School of Dentistry of Sao Paulo, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo (Brazil); Pereira, Yamba Carla Lara [Biology Dental Buco Graduate Program, School of Dentistry of Piracicaba, University of Campinas, Piracicaba (Brazil); Nascimento, Glauce Crivelaro do [Psychobiology Graduate Program, School of Philosophy, Science and Literature of Ribeirao Preto, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto (Brazil)

    2014-03-15

    Professionals performing radiographic examinations are responsible for maintaining optimal image quality for accurate diagnoses. These professionals must competently execute techniques such as film manipulation and processing to minimize patient exposure to radiation. Improper performance by the professional and/or patient may result in a radiographic image of unsatisfactory quality that can also lead to a misdiagnosis and the development of an inadequate treatment plan. Currently, the most commonly performed extraoral examination is panoramic radiography. The invention of panoramic radiography has resulted in improvements in image quality with decreased exposure to radiation and at a low cost. However, this technique requires careful, accurate positioning of the patient's teeth and surrounding maxillofacial bone structure within the focal trough. Therefore, we reviewed the literature for the most common types of positioning errors in panoramic radiography to suggest the correct techniques. We would also discuss how to determine if the most common positioning errors occurred in panoramic radiography, such as in the positioning of the patient's head, tongue, chin, or body.

  1. Promoting Positive Psychology Using Social Networking Sites: A Study of New College Entrants on Facebook

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shu-Man Chang

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available This study explores the potential of promoting college students’ positive psychological development using popular online social networks. Online social networks have dramatically changed the ways college students manage their social relationships. Social network activities, such as checking Facebook posts dominates students’ Internet time and has the potential to assist students’ positive development. Positive psychology is a scientific study of how ordinary individuals can apply their strength effectively when facing objective difficulties and how this capability can be cultivated with certain approaches. A positive message delivery approach was designed for a group of new college entrants. A series of positive messages was edited by university counselors and delivered by students to their Facebook social groups. Responses from each posted positive messages were collected and analyzed by researchers. The responses indicated that: (1 relationships of individual engagement and social influence in this study can partially explain the observed student behavior; (2 using class-based social groups can promote a positive atmosphere to enhance strong-tie relationships in both the physical and virtual environments, and (3 promoting student’s positive attitudes can substantially impact adolescents’ future developments, and many positive attitudes can be cultivated by emotional events and social influence.

  2. Motivation enhances control of positive and negative emotional distractions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walsh, Amy T; Carmel, David; Harper, David; Grimshaw, Gina M

    2018-01-03

    Using cognitive control to ignore distractions is essential for successfully achieving our goals. In emotionally-neutral contexts, motivation can reduce interference from irrelevant stimuli by enhancing cognitive control. However, attention is commonly biased towards emotional stimuli, making them potent distractors. Can motivation aid control of emotional distractions, and does it do so similarly for positive and negative stimuli? Here, we examined how task motivation influences control of distraction from positive, negative, and neutral scenes. Participants completed a simple perceptual task while attempting to ignore task-irrelevant images. One group received monetary reward for fast and accurate task performance; another (control) group did not. Overall, both negative (mutilation) and positive (erotic) images caused greater slowing of responses than neutral images of people, but emotional distraction was reduced with reward. Crucially, despite the different motivational directions associated with negative and positive stimuli, reward reduced negative and positive distraction equally. Our findings suggest that motivation may encourage the use of a sustained proactive control strategy that can effectively reduce the impact of emotional distraction.

  3. Efficacy of the saponin component of Impatiens capensis Meerb.in preventing urushiol-induced contact dermatitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Motz, Vicki A; Bowers, Christopher P; Kneubehl, Alexander R; Lendrum, Elizabeth C; Young, Linda M; Kinder, David H

    2015-03-13

    Many different tribes of American Indians used jewelweed, Impatiens capensis Meerb, as a plant mash to reduce development of poison ivy dermatitis. Saponins are a natural soapy constituent found within plants. A 2012 study suggested that saponins may be present in jewelweed which could be responsible for its efficacy in preventing rash development following contact with Toxicodendron radicans (L.) Kuntze (poison ivy). This study validated this hypothesis and demonstrated additional biological activity of the jewelweed saponin containing extract. Fresh I. capensis leaves were extracted with methanol and further partitioned between ethyl acetate and water, with a final separation between water and n-butanol, to obtain a saponin containing extract. The presence of saponins in the extract was demonstrated by the observation of foaming and using a vanillin colorimetric assay for total saponins. Efficacy of the saponin containing extracts in rash reduction was tested by brushing poison ivy (PI) onto the forearms of volunteers (N=23) in six locations and treating these PI exposed areas with distilled water (control), saponin containing extracts, fresh plant mashes, and soaps made with and without plant extracts. Saponin containing extracts were further tested for biological activity against both gram negative and gram positive bacteria and against cancer cell lines A-375, HT-29, and MCF-7. Additionally, because saponins have been shown to have a stimulatory effect in cardiac muscle 2 µl saponin extract was applied superficially to black worms, Lumbriculus variegatus (N=5). Both saponin containing extracts and all soaps tested were effective in reducing poison ivy dermatitis; thus, saponin content correlates with PI rash prevention. No apparent antibiosis was observed against any bacteria tested; however, dose response cytotoxicity was documented against MCF-7 breast cancer cells and cytostatic activity was seen against the HT-29 colon cancer cell lines. Lumbriculus

  4. Exposure-response relationships for environmental use

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Miedema, H.M.E.

    2007-01-01

    This paper presents an overview of the following exposure-response relationships that can be used for assessing the impact of environmental noise: • Lden - annoyance relationships from the EU Position Paper on exposure-response relationships for transportation noise annoyance (EC-WG/2 2002; Env.

  5. Relationship of condylar position to disc position and morphology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Incesu, L.; Taskaya-Yilmaz, N. E-mail: nergizy@omu.edu.tr; Oeguetcen-Toller, M.; Uzun, E

    2004-09-01

    Introduction/objective: The purpose of this study was to assess whether condylar position, as depicted by magnetic resonance imaging, was an indicator of disc morphology and position. Methods and material: One hundred and twenty two TMJs of 61 patients with temporomandibular joint disorder were examined. Condylar position, disc deformity and degree of anterior disc displacement were evaluated by using magnetic resonance imaging. Results and discussion: Posterior condyle position was found to be the main feature of temporomandibular joints with slight and moderate anterior disc displacement. No statistical significance was found between the condylar position, and reducing and nonreducing disc positions. On the other hand, superior disc position was found to be statistically significant for centric condylar position. Conclusion: It was concluded that posterior condyle position could indicate anterior disc displacement whereas there was no relation between the position of condyle and the disc deformity.

  6. How e-government managers prioritise rival value positions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rose, J.; Persson, J. S.; Heeager, Lise Tordrup

    2015-01-01

    E-Government strategies, investments, project selection, and implementations are influenced by value positions deeply enshrined in the traditions of public administration, which are in turn reflected in the everyday discourse of public managers. We analyse value traditions in the public administr......E-Government strategies, investments, project selection, and implementations are influenced by value positions deeply enshrined in the traditions of public administration, which are in turn reflected in the everyday discourse of public managers. We analyse value traditions in the public...... of better services for citizens. Citizen engagement, with its roots in liberal democracy arguments, promotes responsiveness, consultation, collaboration and participation. A set of foundational values grounded in the deeply rooted bureaucratic tradition is also distinguished. A qualitative survey of Danish...... local authority managers’ value positions shows a heavy bias towards administrative efficiency and an absence of concern for citizen engagement. The implications of this efficiency imperative are discussed....

  7. Positive post-disaster images: A daydream machine?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hancock, Nicola J; de Joux, Neil R; Wingreen, Stephen C; Kemp, Simon; Thomas, Jared; Helton, William S

    2017-08-01

    This study explores the impact of post-earthquake images inserted in a vigilance task, in terms of performance, self-reports of task-focus, and cerebral activity using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Vigilance tasks present a sequence of stimuli in which only a few are pre-designated critical or target stimuli requiring an overt response from the participant. Seventy-one residents participated (51 women, 20 men) by taking part in a vigilance task with task-irrelevant images inserted in the sequence. There were three conditions consisting positive (emotive inducing), negative (emotive inducing), and control (devoid of meaning) images embedded in the vigilance task to assess possible impacts on vigilance performance. The images were obtained through crowdsourcing and represented parts of the city 3-4 years post-earthquake. Task performance was assessed with signal detection theory metrics of sensitivity A' and bias β''. This enables the separation of an individual's ability to accurately discriminate critical signals from non-critical stimuli (sensitivity) and shifts in their willingness to respond to any stimuli whether critical or not (bias). Individuals viewing the positive images, relating to progress, rebuild, or aesthetic aspects within the city, had a more conservative response bias (they responded less to both rare critical and distractor stimuli) than those in the other conditions. These individuals also reported lower task-focus, as would be expected. However, contrary to expectations, indicators of cerebral activity (fNIRS) did not differ significantly between the experimental groups. These results, when combined, suggest that mind wandering events may be being generated when exposed to positive post-earthquake images. © 2016 The British Psychological Society.

  8. ADAM10 mediates trastuzumab resistance and is correlated with survival in HER2 positive breast cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feldinger, Katharina; Generali, Daniele; Kramer-Marek, Gabriela; Gijsen, Merel; Ng, Tzi Bun; Wong, Jack Ho; Strina, Carla; Cappelletti, Mariarosa; Andreis, Daniele; Li, Ji-Liang; Bridges, Esther; Turley, Helen; Leek, Russell; Roxanis, Ioannis; Capala, Jacek; Murphy, Gillian; Harris, Adrian L.; Kong, Anthony

    2014-01-01

    Trastuzumab prolongs survival in HER2 positive breast cancer patients. However, resistance remains a challenge. We have previously shown that ADAM17 plays a key role in maintaining HER2 phosphorylation during trastuzumab treatment. Beside ADAM17, ADAM10 is the other well characterized ADAM protease responsible for HER ligand shedding. Therefore, we studied the role of ADAM10 in relation to trastuzumab treatment and resistance in HER2 positive breast cancer. ADAM10 expression was assessed in HER2 positive breast cancer cell lines and xenograft mice treated with trastuzumab. Trastuzumab treatment increased ADAM10 levels in HER2 positive breast cancer cells (p≤0.001 in BT474; p≤0.01 in SKBR3) and in vivo (p≤0.0001) compared to control, correlating with a decrease in PKB phosphorylation. ADAM10 inhibition or knockdown enhanced trastuzumab response in naïve and trastuzumab resistant breast cancer cells. Trastuzumab monotherapy upregulated ADAM10 (p≤0.05); and higher pre-treatment ADAM10 levels correlated with decreased clinical response (p≤0.05) at day 21 in HER2 positive breast cancer patients undergoing a trastuzumab treatment window study. Higher ADAM10 levels correlated with poorer relapse-free survival (p≤0.01) in a cohort of HER2 positive breast cancer patients. Our studies implicate a role of ADAM10 in acquired resistance to trastuzumab and establish ADAM10 as a therapeutic target and a potential biomarker for HER2 positive breast cancer patients. PMID:24952873

  9. Cultures differ in the ability to enhance affective neural responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varnum, Michael E W; Hampton, Ryan S

    2017-10-01

    The present study (N = 55) used an event-related potential paradigm to investigate whether cultures differ in the ability to upregulate affective responses. Using stimuli selected from the International Affective Picture System, we found that European-Americans (N = 29) enhanced central-parietal late positive potential (LPP) (400-800 ms post-stimulus) responses to affective stimuli when instructed to do so, whereas East Asians (N = 26) did not. We observed cultural differences in the ability to enhance central-parietal LPP responses for both positively and negativelyvalenced stimuli, and the ability to enhance these two types of responses was positively correlated for Americans but negatively for East Asians. These results are consistent with the notion that cultural variations in norms and values regarding affective expression and experiences shape how the brain regulates emotions.

  10. Characteristics of Response of Piezoelectric Actuators in Electron Flux Excitation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Philip C. Hadinata

    2003-11-01

    Full Text Available In this paper the working parameters of non-contact strain control for piezoelectric ceramics are evaluated. The piezoelectric material functions as an actuator that transforms electrical into mechanical energy, and the electrical input is carried out by electron flux on the positive surface. The sample is exposed to some quasi-static inputs, and its responses are recorded using strain gages. The data shows faster and more stable response in the positive regime, but significantly slower response with drift in the negative regime. An electron collector is introduced on the positive surface to enhance the response in the negative regime. Theoretical analyses of energy transfer and electron movements is discussed, and a string of working conditions for controlling the surface strain of piezoelectric material are given as conclusions.

  11. Eyewitness identification in simultaneous and sequential lineups: an investigation of position effects using receiver operating characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meisters, Julia; Diedenhofen, Birk; Musch, Jochen

    2018-04-20

    For decades, sequential lineups have been considered superior to simultaneous lineups in the context of eyewitness identification. However, most of the research leading to this conclusion was based on the analysis of diagnosticity ratios that do not control for the respondent's response criterion. Recent research based on the analysis of ROC curves has found either equal discriminability for sequential and simultaneous lineups, or higher discriminability for simultaneous lineups. Some evidence for potential position effects and for criterion shifts in sequential lineups has also been reported. Using ROC curve analysis, we investigated the effects of the suspect's position on discriminability and response criteria in both simultaneous and sequential lineups. We found that sequential lineups suffered from an unwanted position effect. Respondents employed a strict criterion for the earliest lineup positions, and shifted to a more liberal criterion for later positions. No position effects and no criterion shifts were observed in simultaneous lineups. This result suggests that sequential lineups are not superior to simultaneous lineups, and may give rise to unwanted position effects that have to be considered when conducting police lineups.

  12. Teaching and Assessing Ethics and Social Responsibility in Undergraduate Science: A Position Paper

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schultz, Madeleine

    2014-01-01

    Institutional graduate capabilities and discipline threshold learning outcomes require science students to demonstrate ethical conduct and social responsibility. However, the teaching and assessment of these concepts are not straightforward. Australian chemistry academics participated in a workshop in 2013 to discuss and develop teaching and…

  13. Momentary assessment of contextual influences on affective response during physical activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunton, Genevieve Fridlund; Liao, Yue; Intille, Stephen; Huh, Jimi; Leventhal, Adam

    2015-12-01

    Higher positive and lower negative affective response during physical activity may reinforce motivation to engage in future activity. However, affective response during physical activity is typically examined under controlled laboratory conditions. This research used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to examine social and physical contextual influences on momentary affective response during physical activity in naturalistic settings. Participants included 116 adults (mean age = 40.3 years, 73% female) who completed 8 randomly prompted EMA surveys per day for 4 days across 3 semiannual waves. EMA surveys measured current activity level, social context, and physical context. Participants also rated their current positive and negative affect. Multilevel models assessed whether momentary physical activity level moderated differences in affective response across contexts controlling for day of the week, time of day, and activity intensity (measured by accelerometer). The Activity Level × Alone interaction was significant for predicting positive affect (β = -0.302, SE = 0.133, p = .024). Greater positive affect during physical activity was reported when with other people (vs. alone). The Activity Level × Outdoors interaction was significant for predicting negative affect (β = -0.206, SE = 0.097, p = .034). Lower negative affect during physical activity was reported outdoors (vs. indoors). Being with other people may enhance positive affective response during physical activity, and being outdoors may dampen negative affective response during physical activity. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  14. Personality Polygenes, Positive Affect, and Life Satisfaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiss, Alexander; Baselmans, Bart M. L.; Hofer, Edith; Yang, Jingyun; Okbay, Aysu; Lind, Penelope A.; Miller, Mike B.; Nolte, Ilja M.; Zhao, Wei; Hagenaars, Saskia P.; Hottenga, Jouke-Jan; Matteson, Lindsay K.; Snieder, Harold; Faul, Jessica D.; Hartman, Catharina A.; Boyle, Patricia A.; Tiemeier, Henning; Mosing, Miriam A.; Pattie, Alison; Davies, Gail; Liewald, David C.; Schmidt, Reinhold; De Jager, Philip L.; Heath, Andrew C.; Jokela, Markus; Starr, John M.; Oldehinkel, Albertine J.; Johannesson, Magnus; Cesarini, David; Hofman, Albert; Harris, Sarah E.; Smith, Jennifer A.; Keltikangas-Järvinen, Liisa; Pulkki-Råback, Laura; Schmidt, Helena; Smith, Jacqui; Iacono, William G.; McGue, Matt; Bennett, David A.; Pedersen, Nancy L.; Magnusson, Patrik K. E.; Deary, Ian J.; Martin, Nicholas G.; Boomsma, Dorret I.; Bartels, Meike; Luciano, Michelle

    2016-01-01

    Approximately half of the variation in wellbeing measures overlaps with variation in personality traits. Studies of non-human primate pedigrees and human twins suggest that this is due to common genetic influences. We tested whether personality polygenic scores for the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) domains and for item response theory (IRT) derived extraversion and neuroticism scores predict variance in wellbeing measures. Polygenic scores were based on published genome-wide association (GWA) results in over 17,000 individuals for the NEO-FFI and in over 63,000 for the IRT extraversion and neuroticism traits. The NEO-FFI polygenic scores were used to predict life satisfaction in 7 cohorts, positive affect in 12 cohorts, and general wellbeing in 1 cohort (maximal N = 46,508). Meta-analysis of these results showed no significant association between NEO-FFI personality polygenic scores and the wellbeing measures. IRT extraversion and neuroticism polygenic scores were used to predict life satisfaction and positive affect in almost 37,000 individuals from UK Biobank. Significant positive associations (effect sizes personality domains. PMID:27546527

  15. The equivalent internal orientation and position noise for contour integration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baldwin, Alex S; Fu, Minnie; Farivar, Reza; Hess, Robert F

    2017-10-12

    Contour integration is the joining-up of local responses to parts of a contour into a continuous percept. In typical studies observers detect contours formed of discrete wavelets, presented against a background of random wavelets. This measures performance for detecting contours in the limiting external noise that background provides. Our novel task measures contour integration without requiring any background noise. This allowed us to perform noise-masking experiments using orientation and position noise. From these we measure the equivalent internal noise for contour integration. We found an orientation noise of 6° and position noise of 3 arcmin. Orientation noise was 2.6x higher in contour integration compared to an orientation discrimination control task. Comparing against a position discrimination task found position noise in contours to be 2.4x lower. This suggests contour integration involves intermediate processing that enhances the quality of element position representation at the expense of element orientation. Efficiency relative to the ideal observer was lower for the contour tasks (36% in orientation noise, 21% in position noise) compared to the controls (54% and 57%).

  16. Head and neck position sense.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armstrong, Bridget; McNair, Peter; Taylor, Denise

    2008-01-01

    Traumatic minor cervical strains are common place in high-impact sports (e.g. tackling) and premature degenerative changes have been documented in sports people exposed to recurrent impact trauma (e.g. scrummaging in rugby) or repetitive forces (e.g. Formula 1 racing drivers, jockeys). While proprioceptive exercises have been an integral part of rehabilitation of injuries in the lower limb, they have not featured as prominently in the treatment of cervical injuries. However, head and neck position sense (HNPS) testing and re-training may have relevance in the management of minor sports-related neck injuries, and play a role in reducing the incidence of ongoing pain and problems with function. For efficacious programmes to be developed and tested, fundamental principles associated with proprioception in the cervical spine should be considered. Hence, this article highlights the importance of anatomical structures in the cervical spine responsible for position sense, and how their interaction with the CNS affects our ability to plan and execute effective purposeful movements. This article includes a review of studies examining position sense in subjects with and without pathology and describes the effects of rehabilitation programmes that have sought to improve position sense. In respect to the receptors providing proprioceptive information for the CNS, the high densities and complex arrays of spindles found in cervical muscles suggest that these receptors play a key role. There is some evidence suggesting that ensemble encoding of discharge patterns from muscle spindles is relayed to the CNS and that a pattern recognition system is used to establish joint position and movement. Sensory information from neck proprioceptive receptors is processed in tandem with information from the vestibular system. There are extensive anatomical connections between neck proprioceptive inputs and vestibular inputs. If positional information from the vestibular system is inaccurate or

  17. Positive mood broadens visual attention to positive stimuli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wadlinger, Heather A; Isaacowitz, Derek M

    2006-03-01

    In an attempt to investigate the impact of positive emotions on visual attention within the context of Fredrickson's (1998) broaden-and-build model, eye tracking was used in two studies to measure visual attentional preferences of college students (n=58, n=26) to emotional pictures. Half of each sample experienced induced positive mood immediately before viewing slides of three similarly-valenced images, in varying central-peripheral arrays. Attentional breadth was determined by measuring the percentage viewing time to peripheral images as well as by the number of visual saccades participants made per slide. Consistent with Fredrickson's theory, the first study showed that individuals induced into positive mood fixated more on peripheral stimuli than did control participants; however, this only held true for highly-valenced positive stimuli. Participants under induced positive mood also made more frequent saccades for slides of neutral and positive valence. A second study showed that these effects were not simply due to differences in emotional arousal between stimuli. Selective attentional broadening to positive stimuli may act both to facilitate later building of resources as well as to maintain current positive affective states.

  18. Bayesian Estimation of the Logistic Positive Exponent IRT Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolfarine, Heleno; Bazan, Jorge Luis

    2010-01-01

    A Bayesian inference approach using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) is developed for the logistic positive exponent (LPE) model proposed by Samejima and for a new skewed Logistic Item Response Theory (IRT) model, named Reflection LPE model. Both models lead to asymmetric item characteristic curves (ICC) and can be appropriate because a symmetric…

  19. Mothers' pupillary responses to infant facial expressions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yrttiaho, Santeri; Niehaus, Dana; Thomas, Eileen; Leppänen, Jukka M

    2017-02-06

    Human parental care relies heavily on the ability to monitor and respond to a child's affective states. The current study examined pupil diameter as a potential physiological index of mothers' affective response to infant facial expressions. Pupillary time-series were measured from 86 mothers of young infants in response to an array of photographic infant faces falling into four emotive categories based on valence (positive vs. negative) and arousal (mild vs. strong). Pupil dilation was highly sensitive to the valence of facial expressions, being larger for negative vs. positive facial expressions. A separate control experiment with luminance-matched non-face stimuli indicated that the valence effect was specific to facial expressions and cannot be explained by luminance confounds. Pupil response was not sensitive to the arousal level of facial expressions. The results show the feasibility of using pupil diameter as a marker of mothers' affective responses to ecologically valid infant stimuli and point to a particularly prompt maternal response to infant distress cues.

  20. Social interaction anxiety and the discounting of positive interpersonal events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vassilopoulos, Stephanos P; Banerjee, Robin

    2010-10-01

    Recent research has indicated that individuals with social interaction anxiety make biased interpretations of positive social interactions, with greater general apprehension in response to such events and more negative predictions about the future. There has also been some preliminary evidence for a second facet of interpretation bias, namely a failure to accept others' positive reactions at face value, but this has so far not been adequately studied. The present study developed a new measure of this "discounting" dimension and utilized a nonclinical sample of undergraduate students to provide an initial analysis of the scale. Results provide early support for the psychometric properties of our scale, and indicate that discounting mediates the relationship between social interaction anxiety and low positive affect, over and above the previously studied aspect of positive event interpretation bias. The implications for treatment interventions and further research are discussed.

  1. Infrared Sensor System for Mobile-Robot Positioning in Intelligent Spaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis Pallarés Puerto

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work was to position a Mobile Robot in an Intelligent Space, and this paper presents a sensorial system for measuring differential phase-shifts in a sinusoidally modulated infrared signal transmitted from the robot. Differential distances were obtained from these phase-shifts, and the position of the robot was estimated by hyperbolic trilateration. Due to the extremely severe trade-off between SNR, angle (coverage and real-time response, a very accurate design and device selection was required to achieve good precision with wide coverage and acceptable robot speed. An I/Q demodulator was used to measure phases with one-stage synchronous demodulation to DC. A complete set of results from real measurements, both for distance and position estimations, is provided to demonstrate the validity of the system proposed, comparing it with other similar indoor positioning systems.

  2. The Contributions of Positive and Negative Affect to Emotional Well-Being

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Randy Larsen

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, the definitions of subjective well-being have been reviewed with a focus on its emotional core, which we consider to be the ratio of positive to negative affect over time. The reviewed evidence showed that negative emotions tend to be of longer duration than positive and that the NA system produces stronger emotional responses than the PA system. Also, a variety of experimental results show that negative stimuli make unique demands on cognitive resources (particularly perception and attention compared to positive stimuli. The evidence that the negative affect system produces stronger affective output, per unit input, than the positive affect system, is a phenomenon known as negativity bias. I also went so far as to argue that negativity exceeds positivity by a factor of pi (3.14 and that efforts to speed adaptation to negative events may be more important to overall SWB then efforts to prolong responses to positive events (Larsen and Prizmic, 2008. The fact that negativity is stronger than positivity, combined with the notion of differential adaptation (people adapt faster to good events than to bad events, creates the conditions that drive the hedonic treadmill. However, most people are, to some degree, able to overcome the psychological forces of the hedonic treadmill and maintain at least a modicum of emotional well-being (Biswas-Diener, Vitterso, & Diener, 2005. It is likely that the ability called "emotional intelligence" refers in large part to the capacity to manage negative affect following unpleasant or stressful events (Larsen & Learner, 2006. Moreover, such an ability is likely to be made up of particular behaviors and strategies that each contributes specifically to the management of negative emotions (Larsen & Prizmic, 2004.

  3. Is a Responsive Default Mode Network Required for Successful Working Memory Task Performance?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Čeko, Marta; Gracely, John L; Fitzcharles, Mary-Ann; Seminowicz, David A; Schweinhardt, Petra; Bushnell, M Catherine

    2015-08-19

    In studies of cognitive processing using tasks with externally directed attention, regions showing increased (external-task-positive) and decreased or "negative" [default-mode network (DMN)] fMRI responses during task performance are dynamically responsive to increasing task difficulty. Responsiveness (modulation of fMRI signal by increasing load) has been linked directly to successful cognitive task performance in external-task-positive regions but not in DMN regions. To investigate whether a responsive DMN is required for successful cognitive performance, we compared healthy human subjects (n = 23) with individuals shown to have decreased DMN engagement (chronic pain patients, n = 28). Subjects performed a multilevel working-memory task (N-back) during fMRI. If a responsive DMN is required for successful performance, patients having reduced DMN responsiveness should show worsened performance; if performance is not reduced, their brains should show compensatory activation in external-task-positive regions or elsewhere. All subjects showed decreased accuracy and increased reaction times with increasing task level, with no significant group differences on either measure at any level. Patients had significantly reduced negative fMRI response (deactivation) of DMN regions (posterior cingulate/precuneus, medial prefrontal cortex). Controls showed expected modulation of DMN deactivation with increasing task difficulty. Patients showed significantly reduced modulation of DMN deactivation by task difficulty, despite their successful task performance. We found no evidence of compensatory neural recruitment in external-task-positive regions or elsewhere. Individual responsiveness of the external-task-positive ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, but not of DMN regions, correlated with task accuracy. These findings suggest that a responsive DMN may not be required for successful cognitive performance; a responsive external-task-positive network may be sufficient. We studied the

  4. Combinations of response-reinforcer relations in periodic and aperiodic schedules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuroda, Toshikazu; Cançado, Carlos R X; Lattal, Kennon A; Elcoro, Mirari; Dickson, Chata A; Cook, James E

    2013-03-01

    Key pecking of 4 pigeons was studied under a two-component multiple schedule in which food deliveries were arranged according to a fixed and a variable interfood interval. The percentage of response-dependent food in each component was varied, first in ascending (0, 10, 30, 70 and 100%) and then in descending orders, in successive conditions. The change in response rates was positively related to the percentage of response-dependent food in each schedule component. Across conditions, positively accelerated and linear patterns of responding occurred consistently in the fixed and variable components, respectively. These results suggest that the response-food dependency determines response rates in periodic and aperiodic schedules, and that the temporal distribution of food determines response patterns independently of the response-food dependency. Running rates, but not postfood pauses, also were positively related to the percentage of dependent food in each condition, in both fixed and variable components. Thus, the relation between overall response rate and the percentage of dependent food was mediated by responding that occurred after postfood pausing. The findings together extend previous studies wherein the dependency was either always present or absent, and increase the generality of the effects of variations in the response-food dependency from aperiodic to periodic schedules. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

  5. The facilitating effect of positive emotions during an emotional Stroop task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xingyu; Yang, Yisheng; Jiang, Songxiu; Li, Jie

    2018-05-08

    Prior research has shown that negative emotions, even though task irrelevant, are capable of delaying a participant's response to the color in which a negative emotional word is presented, a phenomenon known as the 'emotional Stroop effect'. However, relatively little is known about whether positive emotions have a similar or an opposite effect. The current study sets out to confirm the facilitating effect of positive emotions on color naming, which is predicted by Barbara Fredrickson's 'broaden and build' theory. Our results indicate that positive emotions did facilitate such processing in both of the study's experiments. We also found a significant difference in early posterior negativity amplitudes between positive and neutral stimuli, which was related to the 'fast effect'. Overall, the study's findings suggest that positive emotions can be detected quickly and automatically, and that this kind of prioritizing facilitates the ongoing cognitive processing.

  6. Dissociation between spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) andWistar–Kyoto (WKY) rats in baseline performance and methylphenidate response on measures of attention, impulsivity and hyperactivity in a Visual Stimulus Position Discrimination Task

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thanos, P.K.

    2009-10-08

    The spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) is a widely accepted rodent model of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and methylphenidate (MP) is a central nervous systemstimulant that has been shown to have a dose-related positive effect on attention task performance in humans with ADHD. The current study was undertaken to compare SHR to its typical control strain, Wistar-Kyoto(WKY) rats, on the performance of a Visual Stimulus Position Discrimination Task (VSPDT) as well as of the responsiveness of the two rat strains to MP treatment. The rats were initially trained on the VSPDT, in which a light cue was presented randomly at three different cue-light intervals (1 s, 300 ms and 100 ms) over one of two levers, and presses on the lever corresponding to the light cue were reinforced with a food pellet. Once rats reached stable performance, the treatment phase of the study began, during which they received daily intraperitoneal (IP) injections of saline, 2 mg/kg, 5 mg/kg, and 10 mg/kg of MP in a randomized order immediately prior to being tested on the VSPDT. Baseline performance accuracy on the VSPDT did not differ between the groups. Furthermore, a striking strain dissociation was evident in the response of the two strains to treatment; VSPDT performance was substantially disrupted by the 5 and 10 mg/kg dose in the WKY rats but only mildly in the SHR rats. Response omissions were also increased only in WKY rats. Finally, both strains had increased locomotor activity in the operant chamber following MP treatment. These findings point to an important difference in response tendency toMP in the two strains that supports a view that a critical difference between these strains may suggest neurochemical and neuroadaptive differences associated with the behavioral impairments of ADHD.

  7. Cardiovascular effects of Helichrysum ceres S Moore [Asteraceae] ethanolic leaf extract in some experimental animal paradigms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Musabayane, Cephas T; Kamadyaapa, Dave R; Gondwe, Mavuto; Moodley, Kogi; Ojewole, John A O

    2008-01-01

    The aim of this study was to examine some in vivo and in vitro cardiovascular effects of Helichrysum ceres leaf ethanolic extract (HCE) in experimental animal paradigms. The acute effects of HCE on blood pressure were studied in anaesthetised normotensive male Wistar rats challenged with intravenous hypotonic saline infusion after a 3.5-hour equilibration for four hours of one-hour control, 1.5-hour treatment and 1.5-hour recovery periods. HCE was added to the infusate during the treatment period. Sub-chronic hypotensive effects of HCE were examined in weanling Dahl saltsensitive (DSS) genetically hypertensive rats, which progressively develop hypertension with age, treated with HCE (80 mg/kg) every third consecutive day for seven weeks. Isolated atrial muscle strips, portal veins and descending thoracic aortic rings of healthy normotensive Wistar rats were used to investigate the vascular effects of HCE. Acute HCE administration caused a significant (p < 0.05) fall in blood pressure in the normotensive anaesthetised Wistar rats. DSS hypertensive rats treated with HCE displayed low arterial blood pressure and heart rate values from weeks five to seven. HCE produced concentrationdependent negative inotropic and chronotropic effects on rat isolated electrically driven left, and spontaneously beating right atrial muscle preparations, respectively. HCE also evoked concentration-dependent relaxation responses of endothelium-intact aortic rings and portal veins isolated from healthy normotensive Wistar rats. The vasorelaxant effects of HCE in intact aortic rings were significantly reduced, but not completely abolished by adding endothelial- derived factor (EDRF) inhibitor, L-NAME, suggesting that the vasorelaxant effect of the extract is mediated via EDRF-dependent and independent mechanisms. The results of the study suggest that the hypotensive action of HCE is elicited, in part, directly by decreasing myocardial contractile performance and total peripheral vascular

  8. Towards positive feedbacks between vegetation and tropospheric O3

    Science.gov (United States)

    VanLoocke, A. D.; Bernacchi, C. J.; Ainsworth, E. A.; Betzelberger, A. M.

    2011-12-01

    The concentration of tropospheric ozone ([O3]) has approximately doubled since 1900 and is projected to continue increasing. The extent of this increase depends strongly on the emission of ozone precursors as well as changing temperature and humidity. The responses of vegetation to O3 may also have the potential to positively feedback on regional climate and on the cycle of O3 formation and destruction. Plant productivity is linked to feedbacks in the climate indirectly through the carbon cycle as well as directly through the partitioning of radiation into sensible and latent heat fluxes. In the troposphere, O3 reduces plant productivity, an effect that is pronounced in soybean, the 4th most important food crop in the world. The soybean-maize agro-ecosystem is the largest ecosystem in the contiguous U.S., therefore changes in productivity and water use by soybean under increasing [O3] could impact the regional climate and hydrologic cycle in Midwestern U.S. with feedback effects on tropospheric O3 production and cycling. To assess the response to increasing [O3], soybeans were grown under open-air agricultural conditions at the SoyFACE research facility. During the 2009 growing season, eight 20 m diameter plots were exposed to different [O3] ranging from 40 to 200 ppb. Measurements of leaf-level gas exchange were made on four dates throughout the growing season and non-destructive measurements of Leaf Area Index were made weekly. Canopy latent and sensible heat fluxes were measured continuously throughout the growing season (day of year 197-245) using a residual energy balance micrometeorological technique. Results show that as [O3] increased, rates of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance decreased. Productivity, (i.e. seed yield) decreased by over 60% from 40 to 200 ppb while canopy evapotranspiration decreased by 30%. Sensible heat flux increased by 30%, while the growing season average canopy temperatures increased by 1 °C and with peak increases of 2

  9. Interactions between sleeping position and feeding on cardiorespiratory activity in preterm infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fifer, William P; Myers, Michael M; Sahni, Rakesh; Ohira-Kist, Kiyoko; Kashyap, Sudha; Stark, Raymond I; Schulze, Karl F

    2005-11-01

    Infants sleeping in the prone position are at greater risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Sleep position-dependent changes in cardiorespiratory activity may contribute to this increased risk. Cardiorespiratory activity is also affected by feeding. Twenty prematurely-born infants were studied at 31-36 weeks postconceptional age while sleeping in the prone and supine positions. Heart rate, respiratory rate, and patterns of variability were recorded during interfeed intervals, and effects of position and time after feeding were analyzed by repeated measures analyses of variance. There were significant effects of both sleeping position and time after feeding. Heart rate is higher and heart period variability is lower in the prone position, and the effects of sleeping position on cardiac functioning are more pronounced during the middle of the intrafeed interval. In preterm infants, autonomic responses to nutrient processing modulate the cardiorespiratory effects of sleeping position. Prone sleeping risk may vary with time after feeding. Copyright 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. Is a Responsive Default Mode Network Required for Successful Working Memory Task Performance?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Čeko, Marta; Gracely, John L.; Fitzcharles, Mary-Ann; Seminowicz, David A.; Schweinhardt, Petra

    2015-01-01

    In studies of cognitive processing using tasks with externally directed attention, regions showing increased (external-task-positive) and decreased or “negative” [default-mode network (DMN)] fMRI responses during task performance are dynamically responsive to increasing task difficulty. Responsiveness (modulation of fMRI signal by increasing load) has been linked directly to successful cognitive task performance in external-task-positive regions but not in DMN regions. To investigate whether a responsive DMN is required for successful cognitive performance, we compared healthy human subjects (n = 23) with individuals shown to have decreased DMN engagement (chronic pain patients, n = 28). Subjects performed a multilevel working-memory task (N-back) during fMRI. If a responsive DMN is required for successful performance, patients having reduced DMN responsiveness should show worsened performance; if performance is not reduced, their brains should show compensatory activation in external-task-positive regions or elsewhere. All subjects showed decreased accuracy and increased reaction times with increasing task level, with no significant group differences on either measure at any level. Patients had significantly reduced negative fMRI response (deactivation) of DMN regions (posterior cingulate/precuneus, medial prefrontal cortex). Controls showed expected modulation of DMN deactivation with increasing task difficulty. Patients showed significantly reduced modulation of DMN deactivation by task difficulty, despite their successful task performance. We found no evidence of compensatory neural recruitment in external-task-positive regions or elsewhere. Individual responsiveness of the external-task-positive ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, but not of DMN regions, correlated with task accuracy. These findings suggest that a responsive DMN may not be required for successful cognitive performance; a responsive external-task-positive network may be sufficient

  11. $xy$ Position Reconstruction in DarkSide-50

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brodsky, Jason Philip [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)

    2015-01-01

    The DarkSide-50 experiment seeks to directly detect dark matter in a liquid argon time projection chamber. In this dissertation, I present an algorithm of my design that determines the position of particle interactions with the liquid argon. This position reconstruction algorithm will be used by DarkSide-50 to reject backgrounds, particularly backgrounds from radioactive elements on the detector surface. The position reconstruction algorithm functions by constructing light response functions (LRFs) that map locations in the detector to the expected distribution of signal in DarkSide-50's 38 photomultiplier tubes. Accurate LRFs cannot be produced by simulations of DarkSide-50's optics because such simulations are known to be awed. Instead, this algorithm constructs LRFs using an iterative process driven by data. Initial, awed LRFs are produced using simulated events but then used to produce new LRFs from data events. Multiple generations of LRFs are created from data with each generation driven to better satisfy a known feature of the detector: the dominant argon-39 background is uniformly distributed. I also discuss a method of discriminating against surface background as an alternative to the common approach of ducialization. This method considers the di erence in goodnessof- t between the best- t reconstructed position and the best- t position at the detector's surface. I conclude by presenting results on the performance and validity of this algorithm, including some discussion of reconstruction errors.

  12. Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility

    OpenAIRE

    Planer-Friedrich, Lisa; Sahm, Marco

    2017-01-01

    We examine the strategic use of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in imperfectly competitive markets. The level of CSR determines the weight a firm puts on consumer surplus in its objective function before it decides upon supply. First, we consider symmetric Cournot competition and show that the endogenous level of CSR is positive for any given number of firms. However, positive CSR levels imply smaller equilibrium profits. Second, we find that an incumbent monopolist can use CSR as an en...

  13. A Reply to ''Reinterpretation of Students' Ideas When Reasoning about Particle Model Illustrations. A Response to ''Using Animations in Identifying General Chemistry Students' Misconceptions and Evaluating Their Knowledge Transfer Relating to Particle Position in Physical Changes'' by Smith and Villarreal (2015)''

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, K. Christopher; Villarreal, Savannah

    2015-01-01

    In this reply to Elon Langbeheim's response to an article recently published in this journal, authors Smith and Villarreal identify several types of general chemistry students' misconceptions concerning the concept of particle position during physical change. They focus their response on one of the misconceptions identified as such: Given a solid…

  14. Positioning of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome: combining prone and upright makes sense.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richard, Jean-Christophe M; Lefebvre, Jean-Claude

    2011-01-01

    Positional strategies have been proposed for mechanically ventilated patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Despite different physiological mechanisms involved, oxygenation improvement has been demonstrated with both prone and upright positions. In the previous issue of Critical Care, Robak and colleagues reported the first study evaluating the short-term effects of combining prone and upright positioning. The combined positioning enhanced the response rate in terms of oxygenation. Other benefits, such as a reduction in ventilator-associated pneumonia and better enteral feeding tolerance, can potentially be expected.

  15. Efficacy of Bilevel-auto Treatment in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Not Responsive to or Intolerant of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Ventilation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlucci, Annalisa; Ceriana, Piero; Mancini, Marco; Cirio, Serena; Pierucci, Paola; D'Artavilla Lupo, Nadia; Gadaleta, Felice; Morrone, Elisa; Fanfulla, Francesco

    2015-09-15

    Ventilation with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the gold standard therapy for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, it was recently suggested that a novel mode of ventilation, Bilevel-auto, could be equally effective in treating patients unable to tolerate CPAP. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of Bilevel-auto to treat OSA patients whose nocturnal ventilatory disturbances are not completely corrected by CPAP. We enrolled 66 consecutive OSA patients, not responsive to (group A) or intolerant of (group B) CPAP treatment, after a full night of manual CPAP titration in a laboratory. Full polysomnography data and daytime sleepiness score were compared for each group in the three different conditions: basal, during CPAP, and during Bilevel-auto. The apnea-hypopnea index decreased significantly during CPAP in both groups; however, in the group A, there was a further significant improvement during Bilevel-auto. The same trend was observed for oxygenation indices, while the distribution and the efficiency of sleep did not differ following the switch from CPAP to Bilevel-auto. This study confirmed the role of Bilevel-auto as an effective therapeutic alternative to CPAP in patients intolerant of this latter mode of ventilation. Moreover, extending the use of Bilevel-auto to those OSA patients not responsive to CPAP, we showed a significantly better correction of nocturnal respiratory disturbances. © 2015 American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

  16. Positioning consumption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Halkier, Bente; Keller, Margit

    2014-01-01

    positionings emerges based on empirical examples of research in parent–children consumption. Positionings are flexible discursive fixations of the relationship between the performances of the practitioner, other practitioners, media discourse and consumption activities. The basic positioning types...... are the practice maintenance and the practice change position, with different sorts of adapting in between. Media discourse can become a resource for a resistant position against social control or for an appropriating position in favour of space for action. Regardless of the current relation to a particular media......This article analyses the ways in which media discourses become a part of contested consumption activities. We apply a positioning perspective with practice theory to focus on how practitioners relate to media discourse as a symbolic resource in their everyday practices. A typology of performance...

  17. Sensitivity of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in Detecting Treatment Effects via Network Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esfahlani, Farnaz Zamani; Sayama, Hiroki; Visser, Katherine Frost; Strauss, Gregory P

    2017-12-01

    Objective: The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale is a primary outcome measure in clinical trials examining the efficacy of antipsychotic medications. Although the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale has demonstrated sensitivity as a measure of treatment change in studies using traditional univariate statistical approaches, its sensitivity to detecting network-level changes in dynamic relationships among symptoms has yet to be demonstrated using more sophisticated multivariate analyses. In the current study, we examined the sensitivity of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale to detecting antipsychotic treatment effects as revealed through network analysis. Design: Participants included 1,049 individuals diagnosed with psychotic disorders from the Phase I portion of the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) study. Of these participants, 733 were clinically determined to be treatment-responsive and 316 were found to be treatment-resistant. Item level data from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale were submitted to network analysis, and macroscopic, mesoscopic, and microscopic network properties were evaluated for the treatment-responsive and treatment-resistant groups at baseline and post-phase I antipsychotic treatment. Results: Network analysis indicated that treatment-responsive patients had more densely connected symptom networks after antipsychotic treatment than did treatment-responsive patients at baseline, and that symptom centralities increased following treatment. In contrast, symptom networks of treatment-resistant patients behaved more randomly before and after treatment. Conclusions: These results suggest that the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale is sensitive to detecting treatment effects as revealed through network analysis. Its findings also provide compelling new evidence that strongly interconnected symptom networks confer an overall greater probability of treatment responsiveness in patients with

  18. Magnetosphere and ionosphere response to a positive-negative pulse pair of solar wind dynamic pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, A.; Degeling, A. W.

    2017-12-01

    Simulations and observations had shown that single positive/negative solar wind dynamic pressure pulse would excite geomagnetic impulsive events along with ionosphere and/or magnetosphere vortices which are connected by field aligned currents(FACs). In this work, a large scale ( 9min) magnetic hole event in solar wind provided us with the opportunity to study the effects of positive-negative pulse pair (△p/p 1) on the magnetosphere and ionosphere. During the magnetic hole event, two traveling convection vortices (TCVs, anti-sunward) first in anticlockwise then in clockwise rotation were detected by geomagnetic stations located along the 10:30MLT meridian. At the same time, another pair of ionospheric vortices azimuthally seen up to 3 MLT first in clockwise then in counter-clockwise rotation were also appeared in the afternoon sector( 14MLT) and centered at 75 MLAT without obvious tailward propagation feature. The duskside vortices were also confirmed in SuperDARN radar data. We simulated the process of magnetosphere struck by a positive-negative pulse pair and it shows that a pair of reversed flow vortices in the magnetosphere equatorial plane appeared which may provide FACs for the vortices observed in ionosphere. Dawn dusk asymmetry of the vortices as well as the global geomagnetism perturbation characteristics were also discussed.

  19. The Holy See on sexual and reproductive health rights: conservative in position, dynamic in response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coates, Amy L; Hill, Peter S; Rushton, Simon; Balen, Julie

    2014-11-01

    The Holy See has engaged extensively in United Nations negotiations on issues concerning sexual and reproductive health rights as they have emerged and evolved in a dynamic global agenda over the past two decades. A meta-narrative review of the mission's official statements was conducted to examine the positions, discourses and tensions across the broad range of agendas. The Holy See represents a fundamentally conservative and stable position on a range of sexual and reproductive health rights concerns. However, the mission has been dynamic in the ways in which it has forwarded its arguments, increasingly relying upon secularised technical claims and empirical evidence; strategically interpreting human rights norms in ways consistent with its own position; and framing sexuality and reproduction in the context of "the family". Seen in the broader context of a "religious resurgence" in international relations, and in light of the fact that the Holy See has frequently sought to form alliances with conservative State and non-State actors, these findings make an important contribution to understanding the slow progress as well as the potential obstacles that lie ahead in the battle to realise sexual and reproductive health rights in a changing global political environment. Copyright © 2014 Reproductive Health Matters. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. The Complementary Roles of the School Nurse and School Based Health Centers. Position Statement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ondeck, Lynnette; Combe, Laurie; Baszler, Rita; Wright, Janet

    2015-01-01

    It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that the unique combination of school nursing services and school-based health centers (SBHCs) facilitate positive health outcomes for students. The registered professional school nurse (hereinafter referred to as school nurse) is responsible for management of the daily health…

  1. Movement of Genetic Counselors from Clinical to Non-clinical Positions: Identifying Driving Forces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Stephanie A; Tucker, Megan E

    2018-03-05

    A previous study of genetic counselors (GCs) in the state of Indiana identified movement out of clinical positions within the past 2 years. The aims of this study were to determine if this trend is nationwide and identify reasons why GCs are leaving their positions and factors that might help employers attract and retain GCs. An email was sent to members of the American Board of Genetic Counseling with a link to an online confidential survey. There were 939 responses (23.5% response rate). Overall, 52% of GCs report being highly satisfied in their current position, although almost two thirds think about leaving and one third had changed jobs within the past 2 years. Of those who had changed jobs (n = 295), 74.9% had been working in a hospital/clinic setting but only 46.3% currently do, demonstrating a major shift out of the clinic (p < 0.001). The top three reasons cited for leaving a position were work environment/institutional climate, salary/benefits, and a lack of feeling valued/recognized as a professional. These results confirm that GCs are moving out of clinical positions and document elements of job satisfaction. We suggest points for employers to consider when trying to recruit or retain GCs.

  2. A Wheat R2R3-type MYB Transcription Factor TaODORANT1 Positively Regulates Drought and Salt Stress Responses in Transgenic Tobacco Plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiuhui Wei

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available MYB transcription factors play important roles in plant responses to biotic and abiotic stress. In this study, TaODORANT1, a R2R3-MYB gene, was cloned from wheat (Triticum aestivum L.. TaODORANT1 was localized in the nucleus and functioned as a transcriptional activator. TaODORANT1 was up-regulated in wheat under PEG6000, NaCl, ABA, and H2O2 treatments. TaODORANT1-overexpressing transgenic tobacco plants exhibited higher relative water content and lower water loss rate under drought stress, as well as lower Na+ accumulation in leaves under salt stress. The transgenic plants showed higher CAT activity but lower ion leakage, H2O2 and malondialdehyde contents under drought and salt stresses. Besides, the transgenic plants also exhibited higher SOD activity under drought stress. Our results also revealed that TaODORANT1 overexpression up-regulated the expression of several ROS- and stress-related genes in response to both drought and salt stresses, thus enhancing transgenic tobacco plants tolerance. Our studies demonstrate that TaODORANT1 positively regulates plant tolerance to drought and salt stresses.

  3. A remember-know analysis of the semantic serial position function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelley, Matthew R; Neath, Ian; Surprenant, Aimée M

    2014-01-01

    Did the serial position functions observed in certain semantic memory tasks (e.g., remembering the order of books or films) arise because they really tapped episodic memory? To address this issue, participants were asked to make "remember-know" judgments as they reconstructed the release order of the 7 Harry Potter books and 2 sets of movies. For both classes of stimuli, the "remember" and "know" serial position functions were indistinguishable, and all showed the characteristic U-shape with marked primacy and recency effects. These results are inconsistent with a multiple memory systems view, which predicts recency effects only for "remember" responses and no recency effects for "know" responses. However, the data were consistent with a general memory principle account: the relative distinctiveness principle. According to this view, performance on both episodic and semantic memory tasks arises from the same type of processing: Items that are more separated from their close neighbors in psychological space at the time of recall will be better remembered.

  4. The neuroscience of positive memory deficits in depression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dillon, Daniel G.

    2015-01-01

    Adults with unipolar depression typically show poor episodic memory for positive material, but the neuroscientific mechanisms responsible for this deficit have not been characterized. I suggest a simple hypothesis: weak memory for positive material in depression reflects disrupted communication between the mesolimbic dopamine pathway and medial temporal lobe (MTL) memory systems during encoding. This proposal draws on basic research showing that dopamine release in the hippocampus is critical for the transition from early- to late-phase long-term potentiation (LTP) that marks the conversion of labile, short-term memories into stable, long-term memories. Neuroimaging and pharmacological data from healthy humans paint a similar picture: activation of the mesolimbic reward circuit enhances encoding and boosts retention. Unipolar depression is characterized by anhedonia–loss of pleasure–and reward circuit dysfunction, which is believed to reflect negative effects of stress on the mesolimbic dopamine pathway. Thus, I propose that the MTL is deprived of strengthening reward signals in depressed adults and memory for positive events suffers accordingly. Although other mechanisms are important, this hypothesis holds promise as an explanation for positive memory deficits in depression. PMID:26441703

  5. The neuroscience of positive memory deficits in depression

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Gerard Dillon

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Adults with unipolar depression typically show poor episodic memory for positive material, but the neuroscientific mechanisms responsible for this deficit have not been characterized. I suggest a simple hypothesis: weak memory for positive material in depression reflects disrupted communication between the mesolimbic dopamine pathway and medial temporal lobe (MTL memory systems during encoding. This proposal draws on basic research showing that dopamine release in the hippocampus is critical for the transition from early- to late-phase long-term potentiation (LTP that marks the conversion of labile, short-term memories into stable, long-term memories. Neuroimaging and pharmacological data from healthy humans paint a similar picture: activation of the mesolimbic reward circuit enhances encoding and boosts retention. Unipolar depression is characterized by anhedonia--loss of pleasure--and reward circuit dysfunction, which is believed to reflect negative effects of stress on the mesolimbic dopamine pathway. Thus, I propose that the MTL is deprived of strengthening reward signals in depressed adults and memory for positive events suffers accordingly. Although other mechanisms are important, this hypothesis holds promise as an explanation for positive memory deficits in depression.

  6. What a Difference a Label Makes: Positioning and Response in an Afterschool Tutoring Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCloskey, Erin; Cann, Colette N.

    2013-01-01

    In this qualitative case study, we used the framework of positioning to show how college-age tutors and their middle school tutees interact in an afterschool tutoring setting with regard to ability. The authors show how educational tracking and understandings of disability permeated tutoring spaces and influence tutors' instructional decisions.…

  7. False Position, Double False Position and Cramer's Rule

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boman, Eugene

    2009-01-01

    We state and prove the methods of False Position (Regula Falsa) and Double False Position (Regula Duorum Falsorum). The history of both is traced from ancient Egypt and China through the work of Fibonacci, ending with a connection between Double False Position and Cramer's Rule.

  8. The Responsibility of the Delinquent Child

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Osvaldo Agustín Marcón

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available The discussion about how the prosecuted child should respond for criminal acts committed generates two dominant positions. One demands special ‘punishments’ while the other seeks ‘social and psychological responsibilization’. This article discusses both positions in the search for a synthesis that maintains the best elements of each. It thus proposes to guarantee fair trials, restricting the traditional judicial discretion in this field, but simultaneously rejecting the entire system of special punishments as a route for the construction of social and subjective responsibility. The alternative proposed is inserted in the field of Restorative Justice, in opposition to the Systems of Juvenile Penal Responsibility. It defends the notion of ‘co-responsibility sanction’ to substitute that defined as ‘responsibilization sanctions’, and of integral ‘guaranteeism’ instead of the notion of ‘penal guaranteeism’.

  9. Cardiac effects of electrically induced intrathoracic autonomic reflexes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armour, J A

    1988-06-01

    Electrical stimulation of the afferent components in one cardiopulmonary nerve (the left vagosympathetic complex at a level immediately caudal to the origin of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve) in acutely decentralized thoracic autonomic ganglionic preparations altered cardiac chronotropism and inotropism in 17 of 44 dogs. Since these neural preparations were acutely decentralized, the effects were mediated presumably via intrathoracic autonomic reflexes. The lack of consistency of these reflexly generated cardiac responses presumably were due in part to anatomical variation of afferent axons in the afferent nerve stimulated. As stimulation of the afferent components in the same neural structure caudal to the heart (where cardiopulmonary afferent axons are not present) failed to elicit cardiac responses in any dog, it is presumed that when cardiac responses were elicited by the more cranially located stimulations, these were due to activation of afferent axons arising from the heart and (or) lungs. When cardiac responses were elicited, intramyocardial pressures in the right ventricular conus as well as the ventral and lateral walls of the left ventricle were augmented. Either bradycardia or tachycardia was elicited. Following hexamethonium administration no responses were produced, demonstrating that nicotonic cholinergic synaptic mechanisms were involved in these intrathoracic cardiopulmonary-cardiac reflexes. In six of the animals, when atropine was administered before hexamethonium, reflexly generated responses were attenuated. The same thing occurred when morphine was administered in four animals. In contrast, in four animals following administration of phentolamine, the reflexly generated changes were enhanced.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  10. Moderators of wellbeing interventions: Why do some people respond more positively than others?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson-Coffey, S. Katherine; Layous, Kristin; Jacobs Bao, Katherine; Davis, Oliver S. P.; Haworth, Claire M. A.

    2017-01-01

    Interventions rarely have a universal effect on all individuals. Reasons ranging from participant characteristics, context and fidelity of intervention completion could cause some people to respond more positively than others. Understanding these individual differences in intervention response may provide clues to the mechanisms behind the intervention, as well as inform future designs to make interventions maximally beneficial for all. Here we focus on an intervention designed to improve adolescent wellbeing, and explore potential moderators using a representative and well-powered sample. 16-year old participants (N = 932) in the Twins Wellbeing Intervention Study logged online once a week to complete control and wellbeing-enhancing activities consecutively. Throughout the study participants also provided information about a range of potential moderators of intervention response including demographics, seasonality, personality, baseline characteristics, activity fit, and effort. As expected, some individuals gained more from the intervention than others; we used multi-level modelling to test for moderation effects that could explain these individual differences. Of the 15 moderators tested, none significantly explained individual differences in intervention response in the intervention and follow-up phases. Self-reported effort and baseline positive affect had a notable effect in moderating response in the control phase, during which there was no overall improvement in wellbeing and mental health. Our results did not replicate the moderation effects that have been suggested by previous literature and future work needs to reconcile these differences. They also show that factors that have previously been shown to influence baseline wellbeing do not also influence an individual’s ability to benefit from a wellbeing intervention. Although future research should continue to explore potential moderators of intervention efficacy, our results suggest that the beneficial

  11. Moderators of wellbeing interventions: Why do some people respond more positively than others?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R Adele H Wang

    Full Text Available Interventions rarely have a universal effect on all individuals. Reasons ranging from participant characteristics, context and fidelity of intervention completion could cause some people to respond more positively than others. Understanding these individual differences in intervention response may provide clues to the mechanisms behind the intervention, as well as inform future designs to make interventions maximally beneficial for all. Here we focus on an intervention designed to improve adolescent wellbeing, and explore potential moderators using a representative and well-powered sample. 16-year old participants (N = 932 in the Twins Wellbeing Intervention Study logged online once a week to complete control and wellbeing-enhancing activities consecutively. Throughout the study participants also provided information about a range of potential moderators of intervention response including demographics, seasonality, personality, baseline characteristics, activity fit, and effort. As expected, some individuals gained more from the intervention than others; we used multi-level modelling to test for moderation effects that could explain these individual differences. Of the 15 moderators tested, none significantly explained individual differences in intervention response in the intervention and follow-up phases. Self-reported effort and baseline positive affect had a notable effect in moderating response in the control phase, during which there was no overall improvement in wellbeing and mental health. Our results did not replicate the moderation effects that have been suggested by previous literature and future work needs to reconcile these differences. They also show that factors that have previously been shown to influence baseline wellbeing do not also influence an individual's ability to benefit from a wellbeing intervention. Although future research should continue to explore potential moderators of intervention efficacy, our results suggest

  12. STUDY OF THE PRESENCE OF THE CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY CHIEF OFFICER IN BANKING SYSTEM

    OpenAIRE

    MIHAELA DUMITRASCU

    2014-01-01

    We present a study regarding the banking system from Romania with the aim to identify corporations that have a position of „Corporate Social Responsibility Cheif Officer” or „Corporate Social Responsibility Synonym: Citizenship/ Sustainability” included in the position title. To achieve this objective, we present some preliminary findings. Our first hypothesis was that there are a number of positions of Chief Officers of Corporate Social Responsibility in banking system. After...

  13. Making a Positive Impression about the Mission of an Urban, Catholic University: Gender, First-Generation College, and Religious Preference Comparisons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrari, Joseph R.; Mader, Megan C.; Milner, Lauren A.; Temperato, John R.

    2010-01-01

    This study investigates how research participants' desire to make a positive social impression may affect their responses to survey questions. Specifically, participants may react in socially appropriate ways to create a positive social impression for those persons reviewing their responses. This concept is termed "impression management," or more…

  14. The Role of Positive Emotions in Positive Psychology: The Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fredrickson, Barbara L.

    2001-01-01

    Describes the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, situating it within the field of positive psychology. The theory posits that experiences of positive emotions broaden people's momentary thought-action repertoires, which in turn build their enduring personal resources (physical, intellectual, social, and psychological). Reviews…

  15. Ubiquitous positioning

    CERN Document Server

    Mannings, Robin

    2008-01-01

    This groundbreaking resource offers a practical, in-depth understanding of Ubiquitous Positioning - positioning systems that identify the location and position of people, vehicles and objects in time and space in the digitized networked economy. The future and growth of ubiquitous positioning will be fueled by the convergence of many other areas of technology, from mobile telematics, Internet technology, and location systems, to sensing systems, geographic information systems, and the semantic web. This first-of-its-kind volume explores ubiquitous positioning from a convergence perspective, of

  16. A Sleep Position Trainer for positional sleep apnea

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Laub, Rasmus R; Tønnesen, Philip; Jennum, Poul J

    2017-01-01

    We tested the effect of the Sleep Position Trainer, a vibrational device, for positional sleep apnea in an open, randomized controlled trial with 101 patients, where 52 patients were allocated to Sleep Position Trainer and 49 patients to a non-treatment control group for 2 months (Part 1). All...... patients were then followed as a cohort for a period of 6 months with use of the Sleep Position Trainer (Part 2). The participants were assessed with polygraphy at entry, and after 2 and 6 months. The mean apnea-hypopnea index supine was 35 per h (SD, 18) in the Sleep Position Trainer group and 38 per h...... (SD, 15) in the control group at entry. In a per protocol analysis, the mean total apnea-hypopnea index at entry and after 2 months in the Sleep Position Trainer group was 18 per h (SD, 10) and 10 per h (SD, 9; P

  17. Corporate social responsibility in hospitality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Snježana Gagić

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Responsible management of global hospitality companies increasingly recognizes how important are concerns about the society, the environment as well as all stakeholders in maintaining a good market position. In Serbia, the concept of corporate social responsibility is relatively unknown and insufficiently researched in all business areas, especially in the hospitality industry where small businesses are dominated. The papers task is to present particular activities that demonstrate social responsibility to employees, customers-guests, local communities as well as the environment. The paper aims to highlight the benefits of adopting the principles of corporate social responsibility and innovation applied in catering enterprises as an example of good corporate social responsibility practices.

  18. Positive Psychology: Positive Emotions and Emotional Intelegence

    OpenAIRE

    Miloseva, Lence

    2008-01-01

    The paper focuses on the and emotional intelligence. We try to answer on some questions regarding the role which positive emotions have in our life’s. The broaden-and-build theory (Fredrickson, 1998; 2001) predicts that positive emotions are useful in several ways. They guide present behavior, by broadening one’s attention and cognition, setting the stage for creative, explorative, and innovative pursuits. As well, positive emotions build personal and social resources to help individuals achi...

  19. Why are some animal populations unaffected or positively affected by roads?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rytwinski, Trina; Fahrig, Lenore

    2013-11-01

    In reviews on effects of roads on animal population abundance we found that most effects are negative; however, there are also many neutral and positive responses [Fahrig and Rytwinski (Ecol Soc 14:21, 2009; Rytwinski and Fahrig (Biol Conserv 147:87-98, 2012)]. Here we use an individual-based simulation model to: (1) confirm predictions from the existing literature of the combinations of species traits and behavioural responses to roads that lead to negative effects of roads on animal population abundance, and (2) improve prediction of the combinations of species traits and behavioural responses to roads that lead to neutral and positive effects of roads on animal population abundance. Simulations represented a typical situation in which road mitigation is contemplated, i.e. rural landscapes containing a relatively low density (up to 1.86 km/km(2)) of high-traffic roads, with continuous habitat between the roads. In these landscapes, the simulations predict that populations of species with small territories and movement ranges, and high reproductive rates, i.e. many small mammals and birds, should not be reduced by roads. Contrary to previous suggestions, the results also predict that populations of species that obtain a resource from roads (e.g. vultures) do not increase with increasing road density. In addition, our simulations support the predation release hypothesis for positive road effects on prey (both small- and large-bodied prey), whereby abundance of a prey species increased with increasing road density due to reduced predation by generalist road-affected predators. The simulations also predict an optimal road density for the large-bodied prey species if it avoids roads or traffic emissions. Overall, the simulation results suggest that in rural landscapes containing high-traffic roads, there are many species for which road mitigation may not be necessary; mitigation efforts should be tailored to the species that show negative population responses to roads.

  20. cd4 changes in haart-naïve hiv positive pregnant women on haart

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    boaz

    This study thus attempt an assessment of the pattern of immunologic (CD4) changes in naïve. HIV positive pregnant women, in the first two months of commencing HAART, with a view to possibly postulate CD4 response rate and recommend the ideal time to initiate HAARTin HIV positive pregnant patients. METHODOLOGY.

  1. Positively Biased Processing of Mother’s Emotions Predicts Children’s Social and Emotional Functioning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donohue, Meghan Rose; Goodman, Sherryl H.; Tully, Erin C.

    2016-01-01

    Risk for internalizing problems and social skills deficits likely emerges in early childhood when emotion processing and social competencies are developing. Positively biased processing of social information is typical during early childhood and may be protective against poorer psychosocial outcomes. We tested the hypothesis that young children with relatively less positively biased attention to, interpretations of, and attributions for their mother’s emotions would exhibit poorer prosocial skills and more internalizing problems. A sample of 4- to 6-year-old children (N=82) observed their mothers express happiness, sadness and anger during a simulated emotional phone conversation. Children’s attention to their mother when she expressed each emotion was rated from video. Immediately following the phone conversation, children were asked questions about the conversation to assess their interpretations of the intensity of mother’s emotions and misattributions of personal responsibility for her emotions. Children’s prosocial skills and internalizing problems were assessed using mother-report rating scales. Interpretations of mother’s positive emotions as relatively less intense than her negative emotions, misattributions of personal responsibility for her negative emotions, and lack of misattributions of personal responsibility for her positive emotions were associated with poorer prosocial skills. Children who attended relatively less to mother’s positive than her negative emotions had higher levels of internalizing problems. These findings suggest that children’s attention to, interpretations of, and attributions for their mother’s emotions may be important targets of early interventions for preventing prosocial skills deficits and internalizing problems. PMID:28348456

  2. The positioning of sustainability within residential property marketing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kriese, Ulrich; Scholz, Roland W

    2011-01-01

    This article investigates the evolution of sustainability positioning in residential property marketing to shed light on the specific role and responsibility of housebuilders and housing investors in urban development. To this end, an analysis is made of housing advertisements published in Basel, Switzerland, over a period of more than 100 years. The paper demonstrates how to draw successfully on advertisements to discern sustainability patterns in housing, using criteria situated along the dimensions building, location and people. Cluster analysis allows five clusters of sustainability positioning to be described—namely, good location, green building, comfort living, pre-sustainability and sustainability. Investor and builder types are differently located in these clusters. Location emerges as an issue which, to a large extent, is advertised independently from other sustainability issues.

  3. The autonomic nervous system and cardiac GLP-1 receptors control heart rate in mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laurie L. Baggio

    2017-11-01

    Conclusions: GLP-1R agonists increase HR through multiple mechanisms, including regulation of autonomic nervous system function, and activation of the atrial GLP-1R. Surprisingly, the isolated atrial GLP-1R does not transduce a direct chronotropic effect following exposure to GLP-1R agonists in the intact heart, or isolated atrium, ex vivo. Hence, cardiac GLP-1R circuits controlling HR require neural inputs and do not function in a heart-autonomous manner.

  4. Action Mechanism of Iridoid Compounds on Guinea-pig Right Atrium Specimens

    OpenAIRE

    齊藤, 久美子; 酒井 淳一; 堀田 芳弘

    2016-01-01

     We examined the actions of iridoid compounds (aucubin (Auc), geniposidic acid (GA)) and a noniridoid compound (chlorogenic acid (CA)) contained in Eucommia leaves [1] [2], which show blood pressure-lowering effects, on the heart using right atrial specimens isolated from guinea pigs. These 3 compounds showed negative inotropic effects (NIE) and negative chronotropic effects (NCE) at a final concentration of 10 -5 or 10 -4 M in an experiment using right atrial specimens. Furthermore, pretreat...

  5. Relational aggression, positive urgency and negative urgency: predicting alcohol use and consequences among college students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grimaldi, Elizabeth M; Napper, Lucy E; LaBrie, Joseph W

    2014-09-01

    Research on relational aggression (indirect and social means of inflicting harm) has previously focused on adolescent populations. The current study extends this research by exploring both the frequency of perpetrating and being the target of relational aggression as it relates to alcohol use outcomes in a college population. Further, this study examines whether positive urgency (e.g., acting impulsively in response to positive emotions) and negative urgency (e.g., acting impulsively in response to negative emotions) moderate the relationship between relational aggression and alcohol outcomes. In this study, 245 college students (65.7% female) completed an online survey. Results indicated greater frequency of perpetrating relational aggression, higher levels of positive urgency, or higher levels of negative urgency was associated with more negative consequences. Further, negative urgency moderated the relationship between frequency of perpetrating aggression and consequences such that aggression was more strongly associated with consequences for those high in urgency. Counter to the adolescent literature, the frequency of being the target of aggression was not associated with more alcohol use. These findings suggest that perpetrators of relational aggression may be at particular risk for negative alcohol-related consequences when they act impulsively in response to negative, but not positive, emotions. These students may benefit from interventions exploring alternative ways to cope with negative emotions.

  6. Genetic Imaging of the Association of Oxytocin Receptor Gene (OXTR Polymorphisms with Positive Maternal Parenting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kalina J. Michalska

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: Well-validated models of maternal behavior in small-brain mammals posit a central role of oxytocin in parenting, by reducing stress and enhancing the reward value of social interactions with offspring. In contrast, human studies are only beginning to gain insights into how oxytocin modulates maternal behavior and affiliation. Methods: To explore associations between oxytocin receptor genes and maternal parenting behavior in humans, we conducted a genetic imaging study of women selected to exhibit a wide range of observed parenting when their children were 4-6 years old. Results: In response to child stimuli during functional magnetic resonance imaging, hemodynamic responses in brain regions that mediate affect, reward, and social behavior were significantly correlated with observed positive parenting. Furthermore, single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs53576 and rs1042778 in the gene encoding the oxytocin receptor were significantly associated with both positive parenting and hemodynamic responses to child stimuli in orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus. Conclusions: These findings contribute to the emerging literature on the role of oxytocin in human social behavior and support the feasibility of tracing biological pathways from genes to neural regions to positive maternal parenting behaviors in humans using genetic imaging methods.

  7. On Improving the Energy Efficiency and Robustness of Position Tracking for Mobile Devices

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjærgaard, Mikkel Baun

    2010-01-01

    position updates when faced with changing conditions such as delays and changing positioning conditions. Previous work has established dynamic tracking systems, such as our EnTracked system, as a solution to address these issues. In this paper we propose a responsibility division for position tracking...... into sensor management strategies and position update protocols and combine the sensor management strategy of EnTracked with position update protocols, which enables the system to further reduce the power consumption with up to 268 mW extending the battery life with up to 36\\%. As our evaluation identify...... that classical position update protocols have robustness weaknesses we propose a method to improve their robustness. Furthermore, we analyze the dependency of tracking systems on the pedestrian movement patterns and positioning environment, and how the power savings depend on the power characteristics...

  8. Want Positive Behavior? Use Positive Language

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, Chip; Freeman-Loftis, Babs

    2012-01-01

    Positive adult language is the professional use of words and tone of voice to enable students to learn in an engaged, active way. This includes learning social skills. To guide children toward choosing and maintaining positive behaviors, adults need to carefully choose the words and tone of voice used when speaking to them. Learning to use…

  9. Recognition for Positive Behavior as a Critical Youth Development Construct: Conceptual Bases and Implications on Youth Service Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ben M. F. Law

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Recognition for positive behavior is an appropriate response of the social environment to elicit desirable external behavior among the youth. Such positive responses, rendered from various social systems, include tangible and intangible reinforcements. The following theories are used to explain the importance of recognizing positive behavior: operational conditioning, observational learning, self-determination, and humanistic perspective. In the current work, culturally and socially desirable behaviors are discussed in detail with reference to Chinese adolescents. Positive behavior recognition is especially important to adolescent development because it promotes identity formation as well as cultivates moral reasoning and social perspective thinking from various social systems. The significance of recognizing positive behavior is illustrated through the support, tutorage, invitation, and subsidy provided by Hong Kong’s social systems in recognition of adolescent volunteerism. The practical implications of positive behavior recognition on youth development programs are also discussed in this work.

  10. Inferring eye position from populations of lateral intraparietal neurons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graf, Arnulf Ba; Andersen, Richard A

    2014-05-20

    Understanding how the brain computes eye position is essential to unraveling high-level visual functions such as eye movement planning, coordinate transformations and stability of spatial awareness. The lateral intraparietal area (LIP) is essential for this process. However, despite decades of research, its contribution to the eye position signal remains controversial. LIP neurons have recently been reported to inaccurately represent eye position during a saccadic eye movement, and to be too slow to support a role in high-level visual functions. We addressed this issue by predicting eye position and saccade direction from the responses of populations of LIP neurons. We found that both signals were accurately predicted before, during and after a saccade. Also, the dynamics of these signals support their contribution to visual functions. These findings provide a principled understanding of the coding of information in populations of neurons within an important node of the cortical network for visual-motor behaviors.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02813.001. Copyright © 2014, Graf and Andersen.

  11. 2-D response mapping of multi-linear silicon drift detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Castoldi, A.; Guazzoni, C.; Hartmann, R.; Mezza, D.; Strueder, L.; Tassan Garofolo, F.

    2010-01-01

    Multi-linear silicon drift detectors (MLSDDs) are good candidates to fulfill simultaneous requirements for 2-D position-sensing and spectroscopy applications. The optimization of their design and performance as 2-D imagers requires a detailed study of timing properties of the charge cloud in the MLSDD architecture. In particular it is important to experimentally determine the dependence of the measured amplitude and time-of-arrival on the photon position of interaction so as to derive the 2D detector response. In this paper we will present a detailed experimental characterization aimed at measuring the detector amplitude response and its timing response. The dependence of charge cloud drift time on precise position of interaction has been measured as a function of detector biasing conditions.

  12. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ITS FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raluca Miruna Zapciu

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The field of corporate social responsibility (CSR has grown exponentially in the last two decades. There are different views of the role of the firm in society and disagreement as to whether wealth maximization should be the sole goal of a corporation. Nevertheless, there still remains a debate about the legitimacy and value of corporate responses to CSR concerns. This paper examines the effect of CSR on financial performance. It examines the effect CSR- related shareholder proposals lead to positive announcements returns and superior accounting performance. Also, the channels through which companies benefit from CSR are examined. The paper finds that CSR improves employee satisfaction and helps companies cater to customers that are responsive to sustainable practices and that the adoption of CSR proposals is associated with an increase in labor productivity and sales growth. The results indicate that the sign of the relationship is positive and statistically significant relationship between corporate social responsibility and financial performance, supporting the view that socially responsible corporate performance can be associated with a series of bottom-line benefits.

  13. GPS Position Time Series @ JPL

    Science.gov (United States)

    Owen, Susan; Moore, Angelyn; Kedar, Sharon; Liu, Zhen; Webb, Frank; Heflin, Mike; Desai, Shailen

    2013-01-01

    Different flavors of GPS time series analysis at JPL - Use same GPS Precise Point Positioning Analysis raw time series - Variations in time series analysis/post-processing driven by different users. center dot JPL Global Time Series/Velocities - researchers studying reference frame, combining with VLBI/SLR/DORIS center dot JPL/SOPAC Combined Time Series/Velocities - crustal deformation for tectonic, volcanic, ground water studies center dot ARIA Time Series/Coseismic Data Products - Hazard monitoring and response focused center dot ARIA data system designed to integrate GPS and InSAR - GPS tropospheric delay used for correcting InSAR - Caltech's GIANT time series analysis uses GPS to correct orbital errors in InSAR - Zhen Liu's talking tomorrow on InSAR Time Series analysis

  14. Correcting lateral response artifacts from flatbed scanners for radiochromic film dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lewis, David; Chan, Maria F.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: A known factor affecting the accuracy of radiochromic film dosimetry is the lateral response artifact (LRA) induced by nonuniform response of a flatbed scanner in the direction perpendicular to the scan direction. This work reports a practical solution to eliminate such artifacts for all forms of dose QA. Methods: EBT3 films from a single production lot (02181401) cut into rectangular 4 × 5 cm 2 pieces, with the long dimension parallel to the long dimension of the original 20.3 × 25.4 cm 2 sheets, were exposed at a depth of 5 cm on a Varian Trilogy at the center of a 20 × 20 cm 2 open field at seven doses between 50 and 1600 cGy using 6 MV photons. These films together with an unexposed film from the same production lot were lined one next to the other on an Epson 10000XL or 11000XL scanner in portrait orientation with their long dimension parallel to the scan direction. Scanned images were then obtained with the line of films positioned at seven discrete lateral locations perpendicular to the scan direction. The process was repeated in landscape orientation and on three other Epson scanners. Data were also collected for three additional production lots of EBT3 film (11051302, 03031401, and 03171403). From measurements at the various lateral positions, the scanner response was determined as a function of the lateral position of the scanned film. For a given color channel X, the response at any lateral position L is related to the response at the center, C, of the scanner by Response(C, D, X) = A L,X + B L,X ⋅Response(L, D, X), where D is dose and the coefficients A L,X and B L,X are determined from the film measurements at the center of the scanner and six other discrete lateral positions. The values at intermediate lateral positions were obtained by linear interpolation. The coefficients were determined for the red, green, and blue color channels, preserving the ability to apply triple-channel dosimetry once corrections were applied to compensate for

  15. Correcting lateral response artifacts from flatbed scanners for radiochromic film dosimetry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, David; Chan, Maria F

    2015-01-01

    A known factor affecting the accuracy of radiochromic film dosimetry is the lateral response artifact (LRA) induced by nonuniform response of a flatbed scanner in the direction perpendicular to the scan direction. This work reports a practical solution to eliminate such artifacts for all forms of dose QA. EBT3 films from a single production lot (02181401) cut into rectangular 4 × 5 cm(2) pieces, with the long dimension parallel to the long dimension of the original 20.3 × 25.4 cm(2) sheets, were exposed at a depth of 5 cm on a Varian Trilogy at the center of a 20 × 20 cm(2) open field at seven doses between 50 and 1600 cGy using 6 MV photons. These films together with an unexposed film from the same production lot were lined one next to the other on an Epson 10000 XL or 11000 XL scanner in portrait orientation with their long dimension parallel to the scan direction. Scanned images were then obtained with the line of films positioned at seven discrete lateral locations perpendicular to the scan direction. The process was repeated in landscape orientation and on three other Epson scanners. Data were also collected for three additional production lots of EBT3 film (11051302, 03031401, and 03171403). From measurements at the various lateral positions, the scanner response was determined as a function of the lateral position of the scanned film. For a given color channel X, the response at any lateral position L is related to the response at the center, C, of the scanner by Response(C, D, X) = A(L,X) + B(L,X) ⋅ Response(L, D, X), where D is dose and the coefficients A(L,X) and B(L,X) are determined from the film measurements at the center of the scanner and six other discrete lateral positions. The values at intermediate lateral positions were obtained by linear interpolation. The coefficients were determined for the red, green, and blue color channels, preserving the ability to apply triple-channel dosimetry once corrections were applied to compensate for the

  16. Correcting lateral response artifacts from flatbed scanners for radiochromic film dosimetry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lewis, David [RCF Consulting, LLC, 54 Benedict Road, Monroe, Connecticut 06468 (United States); Chan, Maria F., E-mail: chanm@mskcc.org [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 136 Mountain View Boulevard, Basking Ridge, New Jersey 07920 (United States)

    2015-01-15

    Purpose: A known factor affecting the accuracy of radiochromic film dosimetry is the lateral response artifact (LRA) induced by nonuniform response of a flatbed scanner in the direction perpendicular to the scan direction. This work reports a practical solution to eliminate such artifacts for all forms of dose QA. Methods: EBT3 films from a single production lot (02181401) cut into rectangular 4 × 5 cm{sup 2} pieces, with the long dimension parallel to the long dimension of the original 20.3 × 25.4 cm{sup 2} sheets, were exposed at a depth of 5 cm on a Varian Trilogy at the center of a 20 × 20 cm{sup 2} open field at seven doses between 50 and 1600 cGy using 6 MV photons. These films together with an unexposed film from the same production lot were lined one next to the other on an Epson 10000XL or 11000XL scanner in portrait orientation with their long dimension parallel to the scan direction. Scanned images were then obtained with the line of films positioned at seven discrete lateral locations perpendicular to the scan direction. The process was repeated in landscape orientation and on three other Epson scanners. Data were also collected for three additional production lots of EBT3 film (11051302, 03031401, and 03171403). From measurements at the various lateral positions, the scanner response was determined as a function of the lateral position of the scanned film. For a given color channel X, the response at any lateral position L is related to the response at the center, C, of the scanner by Response(C, D, X) = A{sub L,X} + B{sub L,X}⋅Response(L, D, X), where D is dose and the coefficients A{sub L,X} and B{sub L,X} are determined from the film measurements at the center of the scanner and six other discrete lateral positions. The values at intermediate lateral positions were obtained by linear interpolation. The coefficients were determined for the red, green, and blue color channels, preserving the ability to apply triple-channel dosimetry once

  17. Effect of body position changes on pulmonary gas exchange in Eisenmenger's syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandoval, J; Alvarado, P; Martínez-Guerra, M L; Gómez, A; Palomar, A; Meza, S; Santos, E; Rosas, M

    1999-04-01

    Preliminary studies on sleep of patients with congenital heart disease and Eisenmenger's syndrome (ES) at our institution demonstrated nocturnal worsening arterial unsaturation, which appeared to be a body position-related phenomenon. To investigate the potential effect of body position on gas exchange in ES, we carried out a prospective study of 28 patients (mean age, 34.8 +/- 11.7 yr) with established ES due to congenital heart disease. In every patient, arterial blood gases were performed during both sitting and supine positions under three different conditions: room air, while breathing 100% oxygen, and after breathing oxygen at a flow rate of 3 L/min through nasal prongs. Alveolar oxygen pressure (PaO2) for the calculation of alveolar-arterial oxygen tension differences (AaPO2) was derived from the alveolar gas equation using PaCO2 and assuming R = 1. We used paired t test, repeated-measures two-way ANOVA with Bonferroni's test, and regression analysis. From sitting to supine position on room air, there was a significant decrease in PaO2 (from 52.5 +/- 7.5 to 47.5 +/- 5.5 mm Hg; p position. A ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) distribution abnormality and/or a diffusion limitation phenomenon rather than an increase in true shunt may be the mechanisms responsible for this finding. The response to nasal O 2 we observed warrants a trial with long-term nocturnal oxygen therapy in these patients.

  18. The Manifestations of Positive Leader Roles in Classical Theories of Leadership

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joanna Wegner

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the paper is to identify the key functions performed by leaders in organisations, and to study how positive leaders affect their teams and the results achieved by subordinates. The paper analyses, through the lens of positive leadership, the importance of motivation, communication between organisational members, as well as delegation and transfer of responsibility manifested in classical theories of leader­ship. The literature survey is the main data collection technique applied to achieve the aim of the paper.

  19. Navicular bone position determined by positional MRI: a reproducibility study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hansen, Philip; Nybing, Janus D. [Copenhagen University Hospital Frederiksberg and Bispebjerg, Department of Radiology, Frederiksberg (Denmark); Johannsen, Finn E.; Stallknecht, Sandra E. [Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg, Institute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen, Copenhagen, NV (Denmark); Hangaard, Stine; Hansen, Bjarke B. [Copenhagen University Hospital Frederiksberg, Parker Institute, Department of Rheumatology, Frederiksberg (Denmark); Boesen, Mikael [Copenhagen University Hospital Frederiksberg and Bispebjerg, Department of Radiology, Frederiksberg (Denmark); Copenhagen University Hospital Frederiksberg, Parker Institute, Department of Rheumatology, Frederiksberg (Denmark)

    2016-02-15

    To examine intraobserver, interobserver and between-day reproducibility of positional MRI for evaluation of navicular bone height (NVH) and medial navicular position (MNP). Positional MRI (pMRI) of the foot was performed on ten healthy participants (0.25 T G-scanner). Scanning was performed in supine and standing position, respectively. Two radiologists evaluated the images in a blinded manner. Reliability and agreement were assessed by calculation of intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and 95 % limits of agreement as a percentage of the mean (LOA%). Intraobserver and interobserver reliability was ''substantial'' in both supine and standing position (ICC 0.86-0.98) and showed good agreement (LOA% 4.9-14.7 %). Between-day reliability of navicular height and medial navicular position in standing position remained substantial (ICC 0.85-0.92) with adequate agreement (LOA% 8.3-19.8 %). In supine position between-day reliability was ''moderate'' for NVH (ICC 0.72) and ''slight'' for MNP (ICC 0.39). Agreement remained adequate between-days for MNP in supine position (LOA% 17.7 %), but it was less than adequate for NVH in supine position (LOA% 24.2 %). Navicular height and medial navicular position can be measured by pMRI in a very reproducible manner within and between observers. Increased measurement variation is observed between-days in supine position, which may be due to small positional differences or other unknown biomechanical factors. (orig.)

  20. Navicular bone position determined by positional MRI: a reproducibility study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hansen, Philip; Nybing, Janus D.; Johannsen, Finn E.; Stallknecht, Sandra E.; Hangaard, Stine; Hansen, Bjarke B.; Boesen, Mikael

    2016-01-01

    To examine intraobserver, interobserver and between-day reproducibility of positional MRI for evaluation of navicular bone height (NVH) and medial navicular position (MNP). Positional MRI (pMRI) of the foot was performed on ten healthy participants (0.25 T G-scanner). Scanning was performed in supine and standing position, respectively. Two radiologists evaluated the images in a blinded manner. Reliability and agreement were assessed by calculation of intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and 95 % limits of agreement as a percentage of the mean (LOA%). Intraobserver and interobserver reliability was ''substantial'' in both supine and standing position (ICC 0.86-0.98) and showed good agreement (LOA% 4.9-14.7 %). Between-day reliability of navicular height and medial navicular position in standing position remained substantial (ICC 0.85-0.92) with adequate agreement (LOA% 8.3-19.8 %). In supine position between-day reliability was ''moderate'' for NVH (ICC 0.72) and ''slight'' for MNP (ICC 0.39). Agreement remained adequate between-days for MNP in supine position (LOA% 17.7 %), but it was less than adequate for NVH in supine position (LOA% 24.2 %). Navicular height and medial navicular position can be measured by pMRI in a very reproducible manner within and between observers. Increased measurement variation is observed between-days in supine position, which may be due to small positional differences or other unknown biomechanical factors. (orig.)

  1. The neural response to maternal stimuli: an ERP study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lili Wu

    Full Text Available Mothers are important to all humans. Research has established that maternal information affects individuals' cognition, emotion, and behavior. We measured event-related potentials (ERPs to examine attentional and evaluative processing of maternal stimuli while participants completed a Go/No-go Association Task that paired mother or others words with good or bad evaluative words. Behavioral data showed that participants responded faster to mother words paired with good than the mother words paired with bad but showed no difference in response to these others across conditions, reflecting a positive evaluation of mother. ERPs showed larger P200 and N200 in response to mother than in response to others, suggesting that mother attracted more attention than others. In the subsequent time window, mother in the mother + bad condition elicited a later and larger late positive potential (LPP than it did in the mother + good condition, but this was not true for others, also suggesting a positive evaluation of mother. These results suggest that people differentiate mother from others during initial attentional stage, and evaluative mother positively during later stage.

  2. Cortical Thickness Changes Associated with Photoparoxysmal Response

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hanganu, Alexandru; Groppa, Stanislav A; Deuschl, Günther

    2014-01-01

    Photoparoxysmal response (PPR) is an EEG trait of spike and spike-wave discharges in response to photic stimulation that is closely linked to idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE). In our previous studies we showed that PPR is associated with functional alterations in the occipital and frontal co...... in the occipital lobe, frontoparietal regions and temporal lobe, which also show functional changes associated with PPR. Patients with epilepsy present changes in the temporal lobe and supplementary motor area.......-positive-subjects presented a significant decrease of cortical thickness in the temporal cortex in the same group contrast. IGE patients exhibited lower cortical thickness in the temporal lobe bilaterally and in the right paracentral region in comparison to PPR-positive-subjects. Our study demonstrates structural changes......Photoparoxysmal response (PPR) is an EEG trait of spike and spike-wave discharges in response to photic stimulation that is closely linked to idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE). In our previous studies we showed that PPR is associated with functional alterations in the occipital and frontal...

  3. The regional response team (RRT): Dynamite or Dinosaur?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reed, J.C.; Schultz, H.E.; Athayde, W.P.

    1993-01-01

    The U.S. Government has in place a national oil and hazardous substance spill response system as required under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA) of 1972, as amended, and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980. The National Contingency Plan (NCP) establishes the National Response Team (NRT), Regional Response Teams (RRTS) and the National Response Center (NRC). This system has been in place since 1971, with NRT and RRT membership including 15 federal agencies having environmental responsibilities, and associated states in thirteen specific regional areas. Initially, when CERCLA-funded support positions were staffed in 1987, the RRT membership interaction proved to be dynamic and highly productive. However, as the organizations matured work emphasis shifted from new initiatives to refinement of existing policies documented. Examination of some of the existing organizational interactions demonstrates shortfalls that must be overcome before any RRT can be rejuvenated. These barriers in high productivity include skewed distribution of CERCLA-funded positions, accountability of CERCLA positions, parochial interests versus cooperation, adequacy of working level resources, duplication of efforts, lack of state funding support, and lack of continuity due to the constant personnel turnover and shortages. Also, in light of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) mandates, in order to better determine if increased RRT productivity is possible, two major questions must be examined: what exactly is the nature of the NRT/RRT relationship and appropriate interaction; and, how should area committees (ACs) and the RRTs interact?

  4. Intelligent navigation and accurate positioning of an assist robot in indoor environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hua, Bin; Rama, Endri; Capi, Genci; Jindai, Mitsuru; Tsuri, Yosuke

    2017-12-01

    Intact robot's navigation and accurate positioning in indoor environments are still challenging tasks. Especially in robot applications, assisting disabled and/or elderly people in museums/art gallery environments. In this paper, we present a human-like navigation method, where the neural networks control the wheelchair robot to reach the goal location safely, by imitating the supervisor's motions, and positioning in the intended location. In a museum similar environment, the mobile robot starts navigation from various positions, and uses a low-cost camera to track the target picture, and a laser range finder to make a safe navigation. Results show that the neural controller with the Conjugate Gradient Backpropagation training algorithm gives a robust response to guide the mobile robot accurately to the goal position.

  5. Domestic work and psychological distress--what is the importance of relative socioeconomic position and gender inequality in the couple relationship?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisa Harryson

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate whether the relation between responsibility for domestic work and psychological distress was influenced by perception of gender inequality in the couple relationship and relative socioeconomic position.In the Northern Swedish Cohort, all pupils who studied in the last year of compulsory school in a northern Swedish town in 1981 have been followed regularly until 2007. In this study, participants living with children were selected (n = 371 women, 352 men. The importance of relative socioeconomic position and perception of gender inequality in the couple relationship in combination with domestic work for psychological distress was examined through logistic regression analysis.Two combinations of variables including socioeconomic position ('having less than half of the responsibility for domestic work and partner higher socioeconomic position' and 'having more than half the responsibility for domestic work and equal socioeconomic position' were related to psychological distress. There were also higher ORs for psychological distress for the combinations of having 'less than half of the responsibility for domestic work and gender-unequal couple relationship' and 'more than half the responsibility for domestic work and gender-unequal couple relationship'. Having a lower socioeconomic position than the partner was associated with higher ORs for psychological distress among men.This study showed that domestic work is a highly gendered activity as women tend to have a greater and men a smaller responsibility. Both these directions of inequality in domestic work, in combination with experiencing the couple relationship as gender-unequal, were associated with psychological distress There is a need for more research with a relational approach on inequalities in health in order to capture the power relations within couples in various settings.

  6. Control of the heart rate of rat embryos during the organogenic period

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ritchie HE

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Helen E Ritchie,1 Carolina Ragnerstam,2 Elin Gustafsson,2 Johanna M Jonsson,2 William S Webster2 1Discipline of Biomedical Science, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Lidcombe, 2Department of Anatomy and Histology, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia Abstract: The aim of this study was to gain insight into whether the first trimester embryo could control its own heart rate (HR in response to hypoxia. The gestational day 13 rat embryo is a good model for the human embryo at 5–6 weeks gestation, as the heart is comparable in development and, like the human embryo, has no functional autonomic nerve supply at this stage. Utilizing a whole-embryo culture technique, we examined the effects of different pharmacological agents on HR under normoxic (95% oxygen and hypoxic (20% oxygen conditions. Oxygen concentrations ≤60% caused a concentration-dependent decrease in HR from normal levels of ~210 bpm. An adenosine agonist, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK activator and KATP channel opener all caused bradycardia in normoxic conditions; however, putative antagonists for these systems failed to prevent or ameliorate hypoxia-induced bradycardia. This suggests that the activation of one or more of these systems is not the primary cause of the observed hypoxia-induced bradycardia. Inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation also decreased HR in normoxic conditions, highlighting the importance of ATP levels. The β-blocker metoprolol caused a concentration-dependent reduction in HR supporting reports that β1-adrenergic receptors are present in the early rat embryonic heart. The cAMP inducer colforsin induced a positive chronotropic effect in both normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Overall, the embryonic HR at this stage of development is responsive to the level of oxygenation, probably as a consequence of its influence on ATP production. Keywords: embryonic heart rate, embryo, bradycardia, in vitro, ATP, hypoxia

  7. Benign positional vertigo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vertigo - positional; Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo; BPPV: dizziness- positional ... Benign positional vertigo is also called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). It is caused by a problem in the inner ear. ...

  8. Adjuvant Pertuzumab and Trastuzumab in Early HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    von Minckwitz, Gunter; Procter, Marion; de Azambuja, Evandro

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Pertuzumab increases the rate of pathological complete response in the preoperative context and increases overall survival among patients with metastatic disease when it is added to trastuzumab and chemotherapy for the treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2......)-positive breast cancer. In this trial, we investigated whether pertuzumab, when added to adjuvant trastuzumab and chemotherapy, improves outcomes among patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer. METHODS: We randomly assigned patients with node-positive or high-risk node-negative HER2-positive......, operable breast cancer to receive either pertuzumab or placebo added to standard adjuvant chemotherapy plus 1 year of treatment with trastuzumab. We assumed a 3-year invasive-disease-free survival rate of 91.8% with pertuzumab and 89.2% with placebo. RESULTS: In the trial population, 63% of the patients...

  9. Don't Praise Me, Don't Chase Me: Emotional Reactivity to Positive and Negative Social-Evaluative Videos in Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reichenberger, Julia; Eibl, Johannes Josef; Pfaltz, Monique; Wilhelm, Frank H; Voderholzer, Ulrich; Hillert, Andreas; Blechert, Jens

    2017-02-01

    Diagnostic criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD) include interpersonal problems and high reactivity to negative social interactions. However, experimental studies on these symptoms are scarce, and it remains unclear whether reactivity is also altered in response to positive social interactions. To simulate such situations, the present study used videographic stimuli (E.Vids; Blechert, Schwitalla, & Wilhelm, 2013) in which actors express rejecting, neutral, or appreciating sentences. Twenty BPD patients and 20 healthy controls rated their emotional responses to these on pleasantness, arousal, and 11 specific emotions. In addition to elevated reactivity to negative E.Vids, patients with BPD showed marked reduction in pleasantness responses to positive E.Vids. Furthermore, they exhibited less pride, happiness, feelings of approval, and attraction/love in response to positive videos and more anger, anxiety, embarrassment, contempt, guilt, feelings of disapproval/rejection, and sadness to negative videos. Interestingly, BPD patients also reported negative emotions in response to positive videos. Implications for psychotherapy and research are discussed.

  10. Metabolic Response of Soil Microorganisms to Frost: A New Perspective from Position-specific 13C Labeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bore, E. K.; Apostel, C.; Halicki, S.; Dippold, M. A.; Kuzyakov, Y.

    2016-12-01

    Cold adapted organisms and their biomolecules have received considerable attention in the last few decades, particularly in light of the perceived biotechnological potential. Mostly, these studies are based on pure isolated cultures from permafrost or permafrost samples with inherently adapted microbes. However, microbial activities in agricultural soils that are predominantly exposed to freeze conditions during winter in temperate ecosystems remain unclear. To analyze microbial metabolism at low soil temperatures, isotopomeres of position-specifically 13C labeled glucose were incubated at three temperature; 5 (control), -5 -20 oC. Soils were sampled after 1, 3 and 10 days (and after 30 days for samples at -20 °C). 13C was quantifed in CO2, bulk soil, microbial biomass and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Highest 13C recovery in CO2 was obtained from C-1 position in control soil. Consequently, metabolic activity was dominated by pentose phosphate pathway at 5 °C. In contrast, metabolic behaviors switched towards a preferential respiration of the glucose C-4 position at -5 and -20 °C. High 13C recovery from C-4 position confirms previous studies suggesting that fermentation increases at subzero temperature. A 3-fold higher 13C recovery in microbial biomass at -5 °C than under control conditions points towards synthesis of intracellular antifreeze metabolites such as glycerol and ethanol and it is consistent with fermentative metabolism. A 5-fold higher 13C in bulk soil than microbial biomass at -20 °C does not reflect non-metabolized glucose because 13C recovery in DOC was less than 0.4% at day 1. Therefore, high 13C recovery in bulk soil at -20 °C was attributed to extracellular metabolites secreted to overcome frost. The shift in antifreeze mechanisms with temperature was brought about by shift in microbial community structure as indicated by incorporation into 13C into PLFA which was 2-fold higher in gram negative bacteria under control than frozen

  11. Frequency response variation of two offshore wind park transformers with different tap changer positions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Arana Aristi, Iván; Holbøll, Joachim; Sørensen, T

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents the results of several sweep frequency response analysis (SFRA) measurements performed on two identical offshore wind farm transformers. A comparison is made between the transformers based on different recommended measurements and procedures, different measurement systems...

  12. Nasal Oxytocin Treatment Biases Dogs’ Visual Attention and Emotional Response toward Positive Human Facial Expressions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanni Somppi

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The neuropeptide oxytocin plays a critical role in social behavior and emotion regulation in mammals. The aim of this study was to explore how nasal oxytocin administration affects gazing behavior during emotional perception in domestic dogs. Looking patterns of dogs, as a measure of voluntary attention, were recorded during the viewing of human facial expression photographs. The pupil diameters of dogs were also measured as a physiological index of emotional arousal. In a placebo-controlled within-subjects experimental design, 43 dogs, after having received either oxytocin or placebo (saline nasal spray treatment, were presented with pictures of unfamiliar male human faces displaying either a happy or an angry expression. We found that, depending on the facial expression, the dogs’ gaze patterns were affected selectively by oxytocin treatment. After receiving oxytocin, dogs fixated less often on the eye regions of angry faces and revisited (glanced back at more often the eye regions of smiling (happy faces than after the placebo treatment. Furthermore, following the oxytocin treatment dogs fixated and revisited the eyes of happy faces significantly more often than the eyes of angry faces. The analysis of dogs’ pupil diameters during viewing of human facial expressions indicated that oxytocin may also have a modulatory effect on dogs’ emotional arousal. While subjects’ pupil sizes were significantly larger when viewing angry faces than happy faces in the control (placebo treatment condition, oxytocin treatment not only eliminated this effect but caused an opposite pupil response. Overall, these findings suggest that nasal oxytocin administration selectively changes the allocation of attention and emotional arousal in domestic dogs. Oxytocin has the potential to decrease vigilance toward threatening social stimuli and increase the salience of positive social stimuli thus making eye gaze of friendly human faces more salient for dogs. Our

  13. The Role of Positive Emotions in Positive Psychology: The Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions

    OpenAIRE

    Fredrickson, Barbara L.

    2001-01-01

    In this article, the author describes a new theoretical perspective on positive emotions and situates this new perspective within the emerging field of positive psychology. The broaden-and-build theory posits that experiences of positive emotions broaden people's momentary thought-action repertoires, which in turn serves to build their enduring personal resources, ranging from physical and intellectual resources to social and psychological resources. Preliminary empirical evidence supporting ...

  14. Active vibration control of clamped beams using positive position feedback controllers with moment pair

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shin, Chang Joo; Jeong, Weui Bong; Hong, Chin Suk

    2012-01-01

    This paper investigates the active vibration control of clamp beams using positive position feedback (PPF) controllers with a sensor/ moment pair actuator. The sensor/moment pair actuator which is the non-collocated configuration leads to instability of the control system when using the direct velocity feedback (DVFB) control. To alleviate the instability problem, a PPF controller is considered in this paper. A parametric study of the control system with PPF controller is first conducted to characterize the effects of the design parameters (gain and damping ratio in this paper) on the stability and performance. The gain of the controller is found to affect only the relative stability. Increasing the damping ratio of the controller slightly improves the stability condition while the performance gets worse. In addition, the higher mode tuned PPF controller affects the system response at the lower modes significantly. Based on the characteristics of PPF controllers, a multi-mode controllable SISO PPF controller is then considered and tuned to different modes (in this case, three lowest modes) numerically and experimentally. The multi-mode PPF controller can be achieved to have a high gain margin. Moreover, it reduces the vibration of the beam significantly. The vibration levels at the tuned modes are reduced by about 11 dB

  15. Positioning performance of a maglev fine positioning system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wronosky, J.B.; Smith, T.G.; Jordan, J.D.; Darnold, J.R.

    1996-12-01

    A wafer positioning system was recently developed by Sandia National Laboratories for an Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUVL) research tool. The system, which utilizes a magnetically levitated fine stage to provide ultra-precise positioning in all six degrees of freedom, incorporates technological improvements resulting from four years of prototype development experience. System enhancements, implemented on a second generation design for an ARPA National Center for Advanced Information Component Manufacturing (NCAICM) project, introduced active structural control for the levitated structure of the system. Magnetic levitation (maglev) is emerging as an important technology for wafer positioning systems in advanced lithography applications. The advantages of maglev stem from the absence of physical contact. The resulting lack of friction enables accurate, fast positioning. Maglev systems are mechanically simple, accomplishing full six degree-of-freedom suspension and control with a minimum of moving parts. Power-efficient designs, which reduce the possibility of thermal distortion of the platen, are achievable. Manufacturing throughput will be improved in future systems with the addition of active structural control of the positioning stages. This paper describes the design, implementation, and functional capability of the maglev fine positioning system. Specifics regarding performance design goals and test results are presented.

  16. Retro-Innovation and Corporate Social Responsibility

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Loucanova Erika

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available The paper deals with the retro-innovation and their importance to corporate social responsibility (CSR. Corporate social responsibility is a process with the aim to encourage a positive impact through activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, and all other stakeholders of the public sphere. The accelerated rate of technological and social change influences on the society. The main social problems are symptoms of future shock. Retro-innovation trend is emerging against an accelerating backdrop of “datafication”. New products are designed to connect customers with the past in ways that are nostalgic, interactive and environmental. CSR thanks to the retroinnovation encourages has a positive impact on the all stakeholders and eliminates the future shock.

  17. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte response to peptide vaccination predicts survival in stage III colorectal cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawamura, Junichiro; Sugiura, Fumiaki; Sukegawa, Yasushi; Yoshioka, Yasumasa; Hida, Jin-Ichi; Hazama, Shoichi; Okuno, Kiyotaka

    2018-02-23

    We previously reported a phase I clinical trial of a peptide vaccine ring finger protein 43 (RNF43) and 34-kDa translocase of the outer mitochondrial membrane (TOMM34) combined with uracil-tegafur (UFT)/LV for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC), and demonstrated the safety and immunological responsiveness of this combination therapy. In this study, we evaluated vaccination-induced immune responses to clarify the survival benefit of the combination therapy as adjuvant treatment. We enrolled 44 patients initially in an HLA-masked fashion. After the disclosure of HLA, 28 patients were in the HLA-A*2402-matched and 16 were in the unmatched group. In the HLA-matched group, 14 patients had positive CTL responses specific for the RNF43 and/or TOMM34 peptides after 2 cycles of treatment and 9 had negative responses; in the HLA-unmatched group, 10 CTL responses were positive and 2 negative. In the HLA-matched group, 3-year relapse-free survival (RFS) was significantly better in the positive CTL subgroup than in the negative-response subgroup. Patients with negative vaccination-induced CTL responses showed a significant trend towards shorter RFS than those with positive responses. Moreover, in the HLA-unmatched group, the positive CTL response subgroup showed an equally good 3-year RFS as in the HLA-matched group. In conclusion, vaccination-induced CTL response to peptide vaccination could predict survival in the adjuvant setting for stage III CRC. © 2018 The Authors. Cancer Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.

  18. Palmitate-induced ER stress increases trastuzumab sensitivity in HER2/neu-positive breast cancer cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baumann, Jan; Wong, Jason; Sun, Yan; Conklin, Douglas S.

    2016-01-01

    HER2/neu-positive breast cancer cells have recently been shown to use a unique Warburg-like metabolism for survival and aggressive behavior. These cells exhibit increased fatty acid synthesis and storage compared to normal breast cells or other tumor cells. Disruption of this synthetic process results in apoptosis. Since the addition of physiological doses of exogenous palmitate induces cell death in HER2/neu-positive breast cancer cells, the pathway is likely operating at its limits in these cells. We have studied the response of HER2/neu-positive breast cancer cells to physiological concentrations of exogenous palmitate to identify lipotoxicity-associated consequences of this physiology. Since epidemiological data show that a diet rich in saturated fatty acids is negatively associated with the development of HER2/neu-positive cancer, this cellular physiology may be relevant to the etiology and treatment of the disease. We sought to identify signaling pathways that are regulated by physiological concentrations of exogenous palmitate specifically in HER2/neu-positive breast cancer cells and gain insights into the molecular mechanism and its relevance to disease prevention and treatment. Transcriptional profiling was performed to assess programs that are regulated in HER2-normal MCF7 and HER2/neu-positive SKBR3 breast cancer cells in response to exogenous palmitate. Computational analyses were used to define and predict functional relationships and identify networks that are differentially regulated in the two cell lines. These predictions were tested using reporter assays, fluorescence-based high content microscopy, flow cytometry and immunoblotting. Physiological effects were confirmed in HER2/neu-positive BT474 and HCC1569 breast cancer cell lines. Exogenous palmitate induces functionally distinct transcriptional programs in HER2/neu-positive breast cancer cells. In the lipogenic HER2/neu-positive SKBR3 cell line, palmitate induces a G2 phase cell cycle delay and

  19. De-novo discovery of differentially abundant transcription factor binding sites including their positional preference.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keilwagen, Jens; Grau, Jan; Paponov, Ivan A; Posch, Stefan; Strickert, Marc; Grosse, Ivo

    2011-02-10

    Transcription factors are a main component of gene regulation as they activate or repress gene expression by binding to specific binding sites in promoters. The de-novo discovery of transcription factor binding sites in target regions obtained by wet-lab experiments is a challenging problem in computational biology, which has not been fully solved yet. Here, we present a de-novo motif discovery tool called Dispom for finding differentially abundant transcription factor binding sites that models existing positional preferences of binding sites and adjusts the length of the motif in the learning process. Evaluating Dispom, we find that its prediction performance is superior to existing tools for de-novo motif discovery for 18 benchmark data sets with planted binding sites, and for a metazoan compendium based on experimental data from micro-array, ChIP-chip, ChIP-DSL, and DamID as well as Gene Ontology data. Finally, we apply Dispom to find binding sites differentially abundant in promoters of auxin-responsive genes extracted from Arabidopsis thaliana microarray data, and we find a motif that can be interpreted as a refined auxin responsive element predominately positioned in the 250-bp region upstream of the transcription start site. Using an independent data set of auxin-responsive genes, we find in genome-wide predictions that the refined motif is more specific for auxin-responsive genes than the canonical auxin-responsive element. In general, Dispom can be used to find differentially abundant motifs in sequences of any origin. However, the positional distribution learned by Dispom is especially beneficial if all sequences are aligned to some anchor point like the transcription start site in case of promoter sequences. We demonstrate that the combination of searching for differentially abundant motifs and inferring a position distribution from the data is beneficial for de-novo motif discovery. Hence, we make the tool freely available as a component of the open

  20. 75 FR 10460 - Improving Tracing Procedures for E. coli O157:H7 Positive Raw Beef Product

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-03-08

    ... Tracing Procedures for E. coli O157:H7 Positive Raw Beef Product AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection... has found positive for Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7. FSIS will also discuss additional verification activities the Agency will conduct at suppliers in response to positive E. coli O157:H7 results...