Development of the embryonic heat shock response and the impact of repeated thermal stress in early stage lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) embryos.

Science.gov (United States)

Whitehouse, Lindy M; McDougall, Chance S; Stefanovic, Daniel I; Boreham, Douglas R; Somers, Christopher M; Wilson, Joanna Y; Manzon, Richard G

2017-10-01

Lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) embryos were exposed to thermal stress (TS) at different developmental stages to determine when the heat shock response (HSR) can be initiated and if it is altered by exposure to repeated TS. First, embryos were subject to one of three different TS temperatures (6, 9, or 12°C above control) at 4 points in development (21, 38, 60 and 70 days post-fertilisation (dpf)) for 2h followed by a 2h recovery to understand the ontogeny of the HSR. A second experiment explored the effects of repeated TS on the HSR in embryos from 15 to 75 dpf. Embryos were subjected to one of two TS regimes; +6°C TS for 1h every 6 days or +9°C TS for 1h every 6 days. Following a 2h recovery, a subset of embryos was sampled. Our results show that embryos could initiate a HSR via upregulation of heat shock protein 70 (hsp70) mRNA at all developmental ages studied, but that this response varied with age and was only observed with a TS of +9 or +12°C. In comparison, when embryos received multiple TS treatments, hsp70 was not induced in response to the 1h TS and 2h recovery, and a downregulation was observed at 39 dpf. Downregulation of hsp47 and hsp90α mRNA was also observed in early age embryos. Collectively, these data suggest that embryos are capable of initiating a HSR at early age and throughout embryogenesis, but that repeated TS can alter the HSR, and may result in either reduced responsiveness or a downregulation of inducible hsps. Our findings warrant further investigation into both the short- and long-term effects of repeated TS on lake whitefish development. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How well does early-career investigators' cardiovascular outcomes research training align with funded outcomes research?

Science.gov (United States)

Crowley, Matthew J; Al-Khatib, Sana M; Wang, Tracy Y; Khazanie, Prateeti; Kressin, Nancy R; Krumholz, Harlan M; Kiefe, Catarina I; Wells, Barbara L; O'Brien, Sean M; Peterson, Eric D; Sanders, Gillian D

2018-02-01

Outcomes research training programs should prepare trainees to successfully compete for research funding. We examined how early-career investigators' prior and desired training aligns with recently funded cardiovascular (CV) outcomes research. We (1) reviewed literature to identify 13 core competency areas in CV outcomes research; (2) surveyed early-career investigators to understand their prior and desired training in each competency area; (3) examined recently funded grants commonly pursued by early-career outcomes researchers to ascertain available funding in competency areas; and (4) analyzed alignment between investigator training and funded research in each competency area. We evaluated 185 survey responses from early-career investigators (response rate 28%) and 521 funded grants from 2010 to 2014. Respondents' prior training aligned with funded grants in the areas of clinical epidemiology, observational research, randomized controlled trials, and implementation/dissemination research. Funding in community-engaged research and health informatics was more common than prior training in these areas. Respondents' prior training in biostatistics and systematic review was more common than funded grants focusing on these specific areas. Respondents' desired training aligned similarly with funded grants, with some exceptions; for example, desired training in health economics/cost-effectiveness research was more common than funded grants in these areas. Restricting to CV grants (n=132) and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-funded grants (n=170) produced similar results. Identifying mismatch between funded grants in outcomes research and early-career investigators' prior/desired training may help efforts to harmonize investigator interests, training, and funding. Our findings suggest a need for further consideration of how to best prepare early-career investigators for funding success. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Analysis of the repeatability of the exhaust pollutants emission research results for cold and hot starts under controlled driving cycle conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaworski, Artur; Kuszewski, Hubert; Ustrzycki, Adam; Balawender, Krzysztof; Lejda, Kazimierz; Woś, Paweł

2018-04-20

Measurement of car engines exhaust pollutants emissions is very important because of their harmful effects on the environment. This article presents the assessment of repeatability of the passenger car engine exhaust pollutants emission research results obtained in the conditions of a chassis dynamometer. The research was conducted in a climate chamber, enabling the temperature conditions to be determined from - 20 to + 30 °C. The emission of CO, CH 4 , CO 2 , NO X , THC, and NMHC was subjected to the analysis. The aim of the research is to draw attention to the accuracy of the pollutant emission research results in driving cycles, and the comparison of pollutant emission results and their repeatability obtained in successive NEDC cycles under cold and hot start conditions. The results of the analysis show that, in the case of a small number of measurements, the results repeatability analysis is necessary for a proper interpretation of the pollutant emission results on the basis of the mean value. According to the authors' judgment, it is beneficial to determine the coefficient of variation for a more complete assessment of exhaust emission result repeatability obtained from a small number of measurements. This parameter is rarely presented by the authors of papers on exhaust components emission research.

Department of Energy - Office of Science Early Career Research Program

Science.gov (United States)

Horwitz, James

The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science Early Career Program began in FY 2010. The program objectives are to support the development of individual research programs of outstanding scientists early in their careers and to stimulate research careers in the disciplines supported by the DOE Office of Science. Both university and DOE national laboratory early career scientists are eligible. Applicants must be within 10 years of receiving their PhD. For universities, the PI must be an untenured Assistant Professor or Associate Professor on the tenure track. DOE laboratory applicants must be full time, non-postdoctoral employee. University awards are at least 150,000 per year for 5 years for summer salary and expenses. DOE laboratory awards are at least 500,000 per year for 5 years for full annual salary and expenses. The Program is managed by the Office of the Deputy Director for Science Programs and supports research in the following Offices: Advanced Scientific and Computing Research, Biological and Environmental Research, Basic Energy Sciences, Fusion Energy Sciences, High Energy Physics, and Nuclear Physics. A new Funding Opportunity Announcement is issued each year with detailed description on the topical areas encouraged for early career proposals. Preproposals are required. This talk will introduce the DOE Office of Science Early Career Research program and describe opportunities for research relevant to the condensed matter physics community. http://science.energy.gov/early-career/

Researching Early Childhood Policy and Practice. A Critical Ecology

Science.gov (United States)

Urban, Mathias

2012-01-01

This article examines the renewed interest in early childhood education and care in European politics, and the implications for research in changing policy contexts. Based on the policy analysis, it argues for a radical reconceptualisation of how, with and for whom, and to what end we design, conduct and interpret research in early childhood in…

De-Academizing Early Childhood Research: Wanderings of a Chicana/Latina Feminist Researcher

Science.gov (United States)

Saavedra, Cinthya M.

2011-01-01

In this article, I frame critical questions about discourse and power when centering marginalized populations in research. This critical Chicana feminist analysis of early childhood research illuminates (a) the bifurcation of the academy and the "comunidad," (b) voice as "ilusion," (c) research as colonization, and (d) the…

Repeatability of Cryogenic Multilayer Insulation

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, W. L.; Vanderlaan, M.; Wood, J. J.; Rhys, N. O.; Guo, W.; Van Sciver, S.; Chato, D. J.

2017-12-01

Due to the variety of requirements across aerospace platforms, and one off projects, the repeatability of cryogenic multilayer insulation (MLI) has never been fully established. The objective of this test program is to provide a more basic understanding of the thermal performance repeatability of MLI systems that are applicable to large scale tanks. There are several different types of repeatability that can be accounted for: these include repeatability between identical blankets, repeatability of installation of the same blanket, and repeatability of a test apparatus. The focus of the work in this report is on the first two types of repeatability. Statistically, repeatability can mean many different things. In simplest form, it refers to the range of performance that a population exhibits and the average of the population. However, as more and more identical components are made (i.e. the population of concern grows), the simple range morphs into a standard deviation from an average performance. Initial repeatability testing on MLI blankets has been completed at Florida State University. Repeatability of five Glenn Research Center (GRC) provided coupons with 25 layers was shown to be +/- 8.4% whereas repeatability of repeatedly installing a single coupon was shown to be +/- 8.0%. A second group of 10 coupons has been fabricated by Yetispace and tested by Florida State University, the repeatability between coupons has been shown to be +/- 15-25%. Based on detailed statistical analysis, the data has been shown to be statistically significant.

Clinical Observation on Termination of Early Pregnancy of 213 Cases after Caesarian Section with Repeated Use of Mifepristone and Misoprostol

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

高佩佩; 汪平

1999-01-01

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety in women after caesarian section for termination of early pregnancies by treatment, or repeated treatment with mifepristone and misoprostot.Subjects and Methods A total of 213 pregnant women with amenorrhea of 34-69d after caesarian section who asked for medical abortion were recruited,including 63 cases undergoing their second medical abortion.A total amount of mi feprisstone of 150 mg given in separate doses(25 mg×4 and 50 mg at the first time)was administered orally within 3d, followed by misoprostot of 0.6 mg orally in the morning of d 3.Results The complete abortion rate was 92.5%,incomplete abortion was 4.7% and failure was 2.8%.Conclusion The sequential use of mifepristone and misoprostol could be successfully and repeatedly used for induced abortion in those women with a caesarian section histo-ry.Its efficacy was similar to that for ordinary population.Its safety and effec-tiveness were satisfactory.

A low-volume polyethylene glycol solution was associated with an increased suboptimal bowel preparation rate but had similar recommendations for an early repeat colonoscopy, procedure times, and adenoma detection rates.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sam C Hankins

Full Text Available Low-volume polyethylene glycol (PEG bowel preparations are better tolerated by patients than high-volume preparations and may achieve similar preparation quality. However, there is little data comparing their effects on a recommendation for an early repeat colonoscopy (because of a suboptimal preparation, procedure times, adenoma detection rate (ADR, and advanced adenoma detection rate (AADR.This is a retrospective cohort study of outpatient colonoscopies performed during a one-year period at a single academic medical center in which low-volume MoviPrep® (n = 1841 or high-volume Colyte® (n = 1337 was used. All preparations were split-dosed. Appropriate covariates were included in regression models assessing suboptimal preparation quality (fair, poor, or inadequate, procedure times, recommendation for an early repeat colonoscopy, ADR, and AADR.MoviPrep® was associated with an increase in having a suboptimal bowel preparation (OR 1.36; 95% CI: 1.06-1.76, but it was not associated with differences in insertion (p = 0.43, withdrawal (p = 0.22, or total procedure times (p = 0.10. The adjusted percentage with a suboptimal preparation was 11.7% for patients using MoviPrep® and 8.8% for patients using Colyte®. MoviPrep® was not associated with a significant difference in overall ADR (OR 0.93; 95% CI: 0.78-1.11, AADR (OR 1.18; 95% CI: 0.87-1.62, or recommendation for early repeat colonoscopy (OR 1.16; 95% CI: 0.72-1.88.MoviPrep® was associated with a small absolute increase in having a suboptimal preparation, but did not affect recommendations for an early repeat colonoscopy, procedure times, or adenoma detection rates. Mechanisms to reduce financial barriers limiting low-volume preparations should be considered because of their favorable tolerability profile.

Early Childhood Music Education Research: An Overview

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Susan

2016-01-01

This article offers a short commentary on the "state of play" in early childhood music education research to accompany the articles published in this special issue. It provides an international overview of recent research trends in this field, with examples drawn from Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East, East and South Africa and…

Differential effects of simple repeating DNA sequences on gene expression from the SV40 early promoter.

Science.gov (United States)

Amirhaeri, S; Wohlrab, F; Wells, R D

1995-02-17

The influence of simple repeat sequences, cloned into different positions relative to the SV40 early promoter/enhancer, on the transient expression of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene was investigated. Insertion of (G)29.(C)29 in either orientation into the 5'-untranslated region of the CAT gene reduced expression in CV-1 cells 50-100 fold when compared with controls with random sequence inserts. Analysis of CAT-specific mRNA levels demonstrated that the effect was due to a reduction of CAT mRNA production rather than to posttranscriptional events. In contrast, insertion of the same insert in either orientation upstream of the promoter-enhancer or downstream of the gene stimulated gene expression 2-3-fold. These effects could be reversed by cotransfection of a competitor plasmid carrying (G)25.(C)25 sequences. The results suggest that a G.C-binding transcription factor modulates gene expression in this system and that promoter strength can be regulated by providing protein-binding sites in trans. Although constructs containing longer tracts of alternating (C-G), (T-G), or (A-T) sequences inhibited CAT expression when inserted in the 5'-untranslated region of the CAT gene, the amount of CAT mRNA was unaffected. Hence, these inhibitions must be due to posttranscriptional events, presumably at the level of translation. These effects of microsatellite sequences on gene expression are discussed with respect to recent data on related simple repeat sequences which cause several human genetic diseases.

Association of Polar Early Career Scientists: a model for experiential learning in professional development for students and early career researchers

Science.gov (United States)

Bradley, A. C.; Hindshaw, R. S.; Fugmann, G.; Mariash, H.

2016-12-01

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists was established by early career researchers during the 2007-2008 International Polar Year as an organization for early career researchers in the polar and cryospheric sciences. APECS works to promote early career researchers through soft-skills training in both research and outreach activities, through advocating for including early career researchers in all levels of the scientific process and scientific management, and through supporting a world-wide network of researchers in varied fields. APECS is lead by early career researchers; this self-driven model has proved to be an effective means for developing the leadership, management, and communication skills that are essential in the sciences, and has shown to be sustainable even in a community where frequent turn-over is inherent to the members. Since its inception, APECS has reached over 5,500 members in more than 80 countries, and we have placed more than 50 early career researchers on working groups and steering committees with organizations around the world in the last two years alone. The close partnerships that APECS has with national and international organizations exposes members to both academic and alternative career paths, including those at the science-policy interface. This paper describes APECS's approach to experiential learning in professional development and the best practices identified over our nearly ten years as an organization.

Repeat Colonoscopy within 6 Months after Initial Outpatient Colonoscopy in Ontario: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lawrence Paszat

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background. The goal of this study is to examine utilization of early repeat colonoscopy ≤ 6 months after an index procedure. Methods. We identified persons having repeat colonoscopy ≤ 6 months following outpatient colonoscopy without prior colonoscopy ≤ 5 years or prior diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC. We modeled repeat colonoscopy using a generalized estimating equation with an exchangeable correlation structure to account for clustering of patients by endoscopist. Results. The population included 334,663 persons, 7,892 (2.36% of whom had an early repeat colonoscopy within 6 months. Overall, endoscopist prior year colonoscopy volume was inversely related to repeat ≤ 6 months. Repeat colonoscopy ≤ 6 months varied by the clinical setting of the index colonoscopy (adjusted OR = 1.41 (95% CI 1.29–1.55 at nonhospital facilities compared to teaching or community hospitals. Among those who had polypectomy or biopsy, the adjusted OR for early repeat ≤ 6 months was elevated among those whose index colonoscopy was at a nonhospital facility (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.30–1.60, compared to those at a teaching hospital or community hospital. Conclusions. Repeat colonoscopy ≤ 6 months after an index procedure is associated with the clinical setting of the index colonoscopy.

The impact of early repeated pain experiences on stress responsiveness and emotionality at maturity in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Page, Gayle G; Blakely, Wendy P; Kim, Miyong

2005-01-01

The intensive care necessary for premature newborns is characterized by multiple procedures, many of which are painful. Given emerging evidence that such early pain during this time of high brain plasticity may affect long-term neurodevelopmental and social-emotional functioning, this study explored the impact of early repeated pain on emotionality and stress responsivity at maturity. From birth through postnatal day 7, Fischer 344 pups underwent either paw needle prick every day versus every other day or daily paw touch, or were left unperturbed. Each paw received the designated perturbation once per day. At maturity, some animals underwent emotionality testing: either a 4-day series of open field exposures or a single elevated plus-maze (EPM) exposure. The paw prick groups exhibited less open field habituation and occupied the EPM open arms more. Two weeks later, all animals were either subjected to forced swim or not. At 1h post-swim, animals underwent either blood withdrawal for plasma corticosterone (CS) levels and ex vivo natural killer cell activity (NKCA) or were injected intravenously with radiolabeled NK-sensitive syngeneic MADB106 tumor cells and assessed for lung tumor retention. Sex was a major factor in the manifestation of perturbation-related differences in the biologic outcomes. Whereas postnatal pain differentially affected baseline tumor retention between males and females, only males exhibited perturbation-related differences in swim stress-induced increases in tumor retention and CS. Finally, male-female differences were evident in CS, NKCA, and tumor responses to swim stress. These findings suggest that early pain affects neurodevelopmental function in the mature organism; however, these relationships are complicated by sex differences, the postnatal pain schedule, and the outcome measured.

Encouraging entrepreneurship in university labs: Research activities, research outputs, and early doctorate careers

OpenAIRE

Roach, Michael

2017-01-01

This paper investigates how the encouragement of entrepreneurship within university research labs relates with research activities, research outputs, and early doctorate careers. Utilizing a panel survey of 6,840 science & engineering doctoral students at 39 R1 research universities, this study shows that entrepreneurship is widely encouraged across university research labs, ranging from 54% in biomedical engineering to 18% in particle physics, while only a small share of labs openly discoura...

The normal mouse urinary bladder reservoir function evaluated by repeated cystometries. Early and late changes after irradiation alone and irradiation combined with cis-diamine-dichloroplatinium (II) and cyclophosphamide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lundbeck, F.

1994-01-01

The main aim of the present thesis was 1) to develop and investigate the feasibility of an in vivo assay in mice using repeated cystometries in a long term study, 2) to demonstrate changes in the bladder reservoir function after radiation alone or combined with cyclophosphamide (CTX) or cis-diamine-dichloroplatinium (II) (cis-DDP), and 3) to investigate the radiation sensitivity of the bladder for changes in dose per fraction, and also to investigate whether there is an association between early and late radiation-induced change in bladder reservoir function. From the results presented the following can be concluded: Bladder fillings in anesthetized mice can be performed repeatedly in long term studies. The procedure is easy to perform and well tolerated by the animals. The level of radiation dose determines the degree of early response and the time of onset of the late response. Combinations with CTX or cis-DDP increase the early radiation response, and the late response is expressed at an earlier time compared with radiation alone. The mouse urinary bladder appears to be one of the least sensitive late responding tissues to changes in dose per fraction. 93 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab

Enhancing Research and Practice in Early Childhood through Formative and Design Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Bradley, Barbara A.; Reinking, David

2011-01-01

This article describes formative and design experiments and how they can advance research and instructional practices in early childhood education. We argue that this relatively new approach to education research closes the gap between research and practice, and it addresses limitations that have been identified in early childhood research. We…

Digital repeat analysis; setup and operation.

Science.gov (United States)

Nol, J; Isouard, G; Mirecki, J

2006-06-01

Since the emergence of digital imaging, there have been questions about the necessity of continuing reject analysis programs in imaging departments to evaluate performance and quality. As a marketing strategy, most suppliers of digital technology focus on the supremacy of the technology and its ability to reduce the number of repeats, resulting in less radiation doses given to patients and increased productivity in the department. On the other hand, quality assurance radiographers and radiologists believe that repeats are mainly related to positioning skills, and repeat analysis is the main tool to plan training needs to up-skill radiographers. A comparative study between conventional and digital imaging was undertaken to compare outcomes and evaluate the need for reject analysis. However, digital technology still being at its early development stages, setting a credible reject analysis program became the major task of the study. It took the department, with the help of the suppliers of the computed radiography reader and the picture archiving and communication system, over 2 years of software enhancement to build a reliable digital repeat analysis system. The results were supportive of both philosophies; the number of repeats as a result of exposure factors was reduced dramatically; however, the percentage of repeats as a result of positioning skills was slightly on the increase for the simple reason that some rejects in the conventional system qualifying for both exposure and positioning errors were classified as exposure error. The ability of digitally adjusting dark or light images reclassified some of those images as positioning errors.

The early predictive value of a decrease of metabolic tumor volume in repeated 18F-FDG PET/CT for recurrence of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer with concurrent radiochemotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Wei; Liu, Bo; Fan, Min; Zhou, Tao; Fu, Zheng; Zhang, Zicheng; Li, Hongsheng; Li, Baosheng

2015-01-01

Highlights: •The patients underwent the second FDG PET during the early stage of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). •To our knowledge, this could be the first study showing that the repeated FDG PET during the early stage of CCRT has added value by being a prognostic factor for recurrence of the locally advanced NSCLC patients. •This is a result of continuous research. •The decrease of MTV was the only significant risk factor for recurrence. -- Abstract: Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate the value of [ 18 F] fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ( 18 F FDG PET/CT) to predict recurrence of patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) during the early stage of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Methods: A total of 53 stage III NSCLC patients without diabetics or undergoing surgery were enrolled in the prospective study. Those patients were evaluated by FDG PET before and following 40 Gy radiotherapy (RT) with a concurrent cisplatin-based heterogeneous chemotherapy regimen. Semiquantitative assessment was used to determine maximum and mean SUVs (SUVmax/SUVmean) and metabolic tumor volume (MTV) of the primary tumor. The prognostic significance of PET/CT parameters and other clinical variables was assessed using Cox regression analyses. The cutoffs of PET/CT parameters which have been determined by the previous study were used to separate the groups with Kaplan–Meier curves. Results: Recurrence rates at 1- and 2-years were 18.9% (10/53) and 50.9% (27/53) for all patients, respectively. Cox regression analysis showed that the only prognostic factor for recurrence was a decrease of MTV. Using the cutoff of 29.7%, a decrease of MTV can separate the patients into 2 groups with Kaplan–Meier curve successfully. Conclusion: The prospective study has reinforced the early predictive value of MTV in repeated 18 F-FDG PET/CT for recurrence in a subgroup of locally advanced NSCLC who underwent CCRT. A

Repeatability of metabolic responses to a nutrient deficiency in early and mid lactation and implications for robustness of dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, J J; Bruckmaier, R M

2015-12-01

Nutrient partitioning toward the mammary gland during insufficient energy and nutrient supply is a strategy to ensure survival of the offspring in mammalian species. This homeorhetic priority of the mammary gland is also present in the modern dairy cow, in particular in early lactation. However, despite similar metabolic loads, the adaptive response to a given metabolic load varies considerably among animals. The aim of this study was to investigate if individual cows respond in a consistent manner to a negative energy balance (NEB) in early and mid lactation. Twenty-five dairy cows experienced the usual NEB after parturition and were subjected to a second 3-wk NEB induced by feed restriction in mid lactation. Animals were retrospectively ranked according to their highest plasma nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentration in wk 1 to 4 postpartum. The animals with the 33% highest and 33% lowest values were selected and classified either as the high response (HR) or low response (LR) group. Before parturition, no differences in the studied parameters, dry matter intake, energy balance, concentrations of glucose, NEFA, β-hydroxybutyrate, cholesterol, triglycerides, growth hormone, and insulin-like growth factor-1, were detected between LR and HR. After parturition, milk yield and energy-corrected milk yield was higher for HR compared with LR in wk 2 to 14 and wk 1 to 6, respectively. During feed restriction in wk 15 to 17 postpartum, no differences in energy-corrected milk between LR and HR were found. Energy balance was more negative in HR during the NEB in early lactation, but not different from LR during feed restriction in mid lactation. Although plasma concentrations of glucose, growth hormone, triglycerides, and cholesterol showed group differences in early lactation, but not during feed restriction, the plasma concentrations of NEFA, β-hydroxybutyrate, and insulin-like growth factor-1 in HR changed repeatedly to a greater extent during the NEB at the 2

Developing Early Undergraduate Research at a Two-Year College

Science.gov (United States)

Sibbernsen, Kendra

2013-01-01

Two-year college (TYC) physics teachers are not often required to provide student research experiences as a part of their contracted duties. However, some TYC physics faculty members are interested in developing research opportunities for their freshman- and sophomore-level students, often called "early undergraduate research" (EUR).…

Effects of Repeated Concussions and Sex on Early Processing of Emotional Facial Expressions as Revealed by Electrophysiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Carrier-Toutant, Frédérike; Guay, Samuel; Beaulieu, Christelle; Léveillé, Édith; Turcotte-Giroux, Alexandre; Papineau, Samaël D; Brisson, Benoit; D'Hondt, Fabien; De Beaumont, Louis

2018-05-06

Concussions affect the processing of emotional stimuli. This study aimed to investigate how sex interacts with concussion effects on early event-related brain potentials (ERP) measures (P1, N1) of emotional facial expressions (EFE) processing in asymptomatic, multi-concussion athletes during an EFE identification task. Forty control athletes (20 females and 20 males) and 43 multi-concussed athletes (22 females and 21 males), recruited more than 3 months after their last concussion, were tested. Participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory II, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale, and an Emotional Facial Expression Identification Task. Pictures of male and female faces expressing neutral, angry, and happy emotions were randomly presented and the emotion depicted had to be identified as fast as possible during EEG acquisition. Relative to controls, concussed athletes of both sex exhibited a significant suppression of P1 amplitude recorded from the dominant right hemisphere while performing the emotional face expression identification task. The present study also highlighted a sex-specific suppression of the N1 component amplitude after concussion which affected male athletes. These findings suggest that repeated concussions alter the typical pattern of right-hemisphere response dominance to EFE in early stages of EFE processing and that the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the processing of emotional stimuli are distinctively affected across sex. (JINS, 2018, 24, 1-11).

Involving people with early-stage dementia in qualitative research about their lifeworld perspectives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thoft, Diana Schack

Involving people with early-stage dementia in qualitative research about their lifeworld perspectives......Involving people with early-stage dementia in qualitative research about their lifeworld perspectives...

The European Research Agenda for career guidance and counseling - and beyond. ECADOC - Early stage researchers symposium 2016

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Rie; Weber, Peter C.

Research in CGC is an expanding field of research still it is important to attract doctoral candidates to commit themselves to participation in scholarly exchange at central conferences. IAEVG is a central conference to the research field of Career Guidance and Counseling. With this symposium we...... to present their research in progress and to open up for discussion on the inclusion process into the research field of CGC. The Early stage researchers symposium 2016 includes work in progress presentations 1) the European Research Agenda 2) recognition in adult education and the role of guidance, 3......) quality in career guidance, 4) an ESR experience of entering the CGC research community. The symposium will support and encourage Early stage researchers participation in the international career guidance research community and allow for symposium participants to hear about the newest research ideas...

The early career researcher's toolkit:translating tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and cell therapy products

OpenAIRE

Rafiq, Qasim A.; Ortega, Ilida; Jenkins, Stuart I.; Wilson, Samantha L.; Patel, Asha K.; Barnes, Amanda L.; Adams, Christopher F.; Delcassian, Derfogail; Smith, David

2015-01-01

Although the importance of translation for the development of tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and cell-based therapies is widely recognized, the process of translation is less well understood. This is particularly the case among some early career researchers who may not appreciate the intricacies of translational research or make decisions early in development which later hinders effective translation. Based on our own research and experiences as early career researchers involved in...

Immediate-early gene response to repeated immobilization: Fos protein and arc mRNA levels appear to be less sensitive than c-fos mRNA to adaptation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ons, Sheila; Rotllant, David; Marín-Blasco, Ignacio J; Armario, Antonio

2010-06-01

Stress exposure resulted in brain induction of immediate-early genes (IEGs), considered as markers of neuronal activation. Upon repeated exposure to the same stressor, reduction of IEG response (adaptation) has been often observed, but there are important discrepancies in literature that may be in part related to the particular IEG and methodology used. We studied the differential pattern of adaptation of the IEGs c-fos and arc (activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein) after repeated exposure to a severe stressor: immobilization on wooden boards (IMO). Rats repeatedly exposed to IMO showed reduced c-fos mRNA levels in response to acute IMO in most brain areas studied: the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), lateral septum (LS), medial amygdala (MeA), paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) and locus coeruleus. In contrast, the number of neurons showing Fos-like immunoreactivity was only reduced in the MeA and the various subregions of the PVN. IMO-induced increases in arc gene expression were restricted to telencephalic regions and reduced by repeated IMO only in the mPFC. Double-labelling in the LS of IMO-exposed rats revealed that arc was expressed in only one-third of Fos+ neurons, suggesting two populations of Fos+ neurons. These data suggest that c-fos mRNA levels are more affected by repeated IMO than corresponding protein, and that arc gene expression does not reflect adaptation in most brain regions, which may be related to its constitutive expression. Therefore, the choice of a particular IEG and the method of measurement are important for proper interpretation of the impact of chronic repeated stress on brain activation.

Research on Children's Play: Analysis of Developmental and Early Education Journals from 2005 to 2007

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Mei-Fang; Johnson, James E.

2010-01-01

Our review examined four early childhood journals ("Early Child Development and Care," "Early Childhood Education Journal," "Journal of Research in Childhood Education," and "Early Childhood Research Quarterly") and four developmental science journals ("Child Development," "Developmental Psychology," "Journal of Applied Developmental…

Identifying future research directions for biodiversity, ecosystem services and sustainability : perspectives from early-career researchers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hossain, S.; Pogue, S.J.; Trenchard, L.; Oudenhoven, van A.P.E.; Washbourne, C-L.; Muiruri, E.W.; Tomczyk, A.M.; García-Llorente, M.; Hale, R.; Hevia, V.; Adams, T.; Tavallali, L.; De, Bell S.; Pye, M.; Resende, F.

2017-01-01

We aimed to identify priority research questions in the field of biodiversity, ecosystem services and sustainability (BESS), based on a workshop held during the NRG BESS Conference for Early Career Researchers on BESS, and to compare these to existing horizon scanning exercises. This work highlights

Childhood experiences and repeated suicidal behavior

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krarup, Gertrud; Nielsen, Bent; Rask, P

1991-01-01

The aim of this study was to elucidate the influence of various events in childhood on suicidal behavior in adult age. For this purpose, 99 patients admitted to the Department of Psychiatry of Odense University Hospital after making a suicide attempt were followed for 5 years, to register repeated...... that the psychological climate of the home may be more important than the rupture of early home life. It is noteworthy that the group of repeaters, as against the first-evers, could be characterized by personality disorders and abuse, especially of alcohol: disorders known to be precipitated by a discordant childhood....... It is commonly agreed that the experience in childhood of suicidal behavior among family members or other persons in the close environment is of importance in future suicidal risk. The results of this study indicate that the predictive value of this factor mainly applies to attempts with no fatal outcome...

Nomadic Research Practices in Early Childhood: Interrupting Racisms and Colonialisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Veronica Pacini-Ketchabaw

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This paper considers how research practices on racialization in early childhood education might be reconceptualized when racialization is placed within relational intricacies and affects in multiple encounters. By foregrounding race and its emergence in multifarious, unpredictable ways in everyday encounters between human and non-human bodies, space, and discourse, the paper investigates how a movement toward research analyses that engage with both the materiality of race and its systemic and discursive formations might be used to constantly seek new ethical ways of responding to and acting against racisms and colonialism in early childhood.

Reject/repeat analysis and the effect prior film viewing has on a department's reject/repeat rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, P.A.; Hogg, P.

2003-01-01

Purpose: Achieving cost-effectiveness within the NHS is an old initiative but one that has again been highlighted by recent government policies (The New NHS-Modern and Dependable, Stationary Office, London, 1997). It has been reiterated that it is the responsibility of individual Trusts to devise means to provide such a service. Reject/repeat analyses have long been the primary tool used to assess the cost-effectiveness of radiography departments (Quality Assurance in Diagnostic Radiology, WHO, Geneva, 1982). This research paper examines an in-house initiative (viewing patients' previous films) commonly employed in other Health Trusts in order to reduce departmental repeat/reject rates. Method: Three hundred orthopaedic patients with hip, knee and ankle prostheses were included in a reject/repeat analysis. The aim was to investigate whether or not viewing patient's previous relevant radiographs would be advantageous to the practicing radiographer. This was done through an audit cycle consisting of two audit periods each lasting for 3 months. The primary audit period recorded the baseline repeat/reject rate, with the secondary audit period recording the repeat/reject rate under an experimental condition of viewing the relevant radiographs. Results: The baseline audit revealed repeat rates of 33% in orthopaedic patients with hip, knee and ankle prostheses. The availability of prior film viewing to the radiographer reduced this repeat rate to 10.6%. Conclusion: Prior film viewing dramatically reduced the department's repeat/reject rate by 22.4%. This provides scope for significant patient dose reductions as well as reducing departmental film expenses. This is an underestimated initiative and should be used appropriately in routine clinical practice

Space and place in researching male early high school leaving in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Space and place in researching male early high school leaving in Orange Farm Township. ... South African Journal of Education ... I reflect on the methodological processes underpinning a dissertation that investigated male learners' reasons for leaving high school early and the strategies they employed to negotiate ...

Introducing the LEMC: How to build an Early Music Research Infrastructure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Berchum, Marnix; Fields, Ben; Page, Kevin

2014-01-01

This paper outlines a Research Infrastructure for the study of Early Music. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) of CERN serves as example for the building blocks needed. The paper discusses the elements of the proposed Large Early Music Collider (LEMC), including the requirements of encoded music, the

Poor methodological detail precludes experimental repeatability and hampers synthesis in ecology.

Science.gov (United States)

Haddaway, Neal R; Verhoeven, Jos T A

2015-10-01

Despite the scientific method's central tenets of reproducibility (the ability to obtain similar results when repeated) and repeatability (the ability to replicate an experiment based on methods described), published ecological research continues to fail to provide sufficient methodological detail to allow either repeatability of verification. Recent systematic reviews highlight the problem, with one example demonstrating that an average of 13% of studies per year (±8.0 [SD]) failed to report sample sizes. The problem affects the ability to verify the accuracy of any analysis, to repeat methods used, and to assimilate the study findings into powerful and useful meta-analyses. The problem is common in a variety of ecological topics examined to date, and despite previous calls for improved reporting and metadata archiving, which could indirectly alleviate the problem, there is no indication of an improvement in reporting standards over time. Here, we call on authors, editors, and peer reviewers to consider repeatability as a top priority when evaluating research manuscripts, bearing in mind that legacy and integration into the evidence base can drastically improve the impact of individual research reports.

The early career researcher's toolkit: translating tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and cell therapy products.

Science.gov (United States)

Rafiq, Qasim A; Ortega, Ilida; Jenkins, Stuart I; Wilson, Samantha L; Patel, Asha K; Barnes, Amanda L; Adams, Christopher F; Delcassian, Derfogail; Smith, David

2015-11-01

Although the importance of translation for the development of tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and cell-based therapies is widely recognized, the process of translation is less well understood. This is particularly the case among some early career researchers who may not appreciate the intricacies of translational research or make decisions early in development which later hinders effective translation. Based on our own research and experiences as early career researchers involved in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine translation, we discuss common pitfalls associated with translational research, providing practical solutions and important considerations which will aid process and product development. Suggestions range from effective project management, consideration of key manufacturing, clinical and regulatory matters and means of exploiting research for successful commercialization.

Mentoring: A Review of Early Career Researcher Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Boeren, Ellen; Lokhtina-Antoniou, Irina; Sakurai, Yusuke; Herman, Chaya; McAlpine, Lynn

2015-01-01

This paper reviews 23 journal articles on "mentoring" in the context of Early Career Researchers, defined as those in academia with less than 10 years of experience from the start of their PhD. Achieving a better understanding of mentoring is important since within the higher education context new dynamics have created expectations…

Repeating pneumatic pellet injector in JAERI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kasai, Satoshi; Hasegawa, Kouichi; Suzuki, Sadaaki; Miura, Yukitoshi (Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Naka, Ibaraki (Japan). Naka Fusion Research Establishment); Oda, Yasushi; Onozuka, Masanori; Tsujimura, Seiichi.

1992-09-01

A repeating pneumatic pellet injector has been developed and constructed at Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. This injector can provide repetitive pellet injection to fuel tokamak plasmas for an extended period of time, aiming at the improvement of plasma performance. The pellets with nearly identical speed and mass can be repeatedly injected with a repetition rate of 2-3.3 Hz and a speed of up to 1.7 km/s by controlling the temperature of the cryogenic system, the piston speed and the pressure of the propellant gas. (author).

Repeating pneumatic pellet injector in JAERI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasai, Satoshi; Hasegawa, Kouichi; Suzuki, Sadaaki; Miura, Yukitoshi; Oda, Yasushi; Onozuka, Masanori; Tsujimura, Seiichi.

1992-09-01

A repeating pneumatic pellet injector has been developed and constructed at Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. This injector can provide repetitive pellet injection to fuel tokamak plasmas for an extended period of time, aiming at the improvement of plasma performance. The pellets with nearly identical speed and mass can be repeatedly injected with a repetition rate of 2-3.3 Hz and a speed of up to 1.7 km/s by controlling the temperature of the cryogenic system, the piston speed and the pressure of the propellant gas. (author)

Mapping and appraisal of Scandinavian research in early childhood institutions in 2006

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Bente

a systematically, research based body of knowledge about this field is still missing, even if such an overview is internationally requested. On behalf of the Danish Evaluation Institute the Danish Clearinghouse for Educational Research has conducted a mapping of Scandinavian research in early childhood education...... institutions (Kampman, et al. 2008). The overall aim of the mapping is, on one hand, to give an overview of existing research within Scandinavian early childhood education research, on the other hand lacks of research should be identified. The method applied was the analytical tool provided by The Evidence...... and quantitative approaches. Quantitative research is mainly descriptive and only 7 studies had an intervention design. The majority of the studies are focusing on staff (39) only half of the studies (25) had children as their primary objects of investigation. There is a clear lack of longitudinal, comparative...

The early history of research funding in South Africa: From the Research Grant Board to the FRD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ndivhuwo M. Luruli

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The South African government has a long tradition of supporting research at public higher education institutions. Such support commenced in the early 20th century, although the exact nature of the support at that time is poorly documented. The oldest research funding model in the country was agency funding, which started as early as 1911 through the Royal Society of South Africa. A few years later, in 1918, a more coordinated funding body called the Research Grant Board (RGB was established in the Union of South Africa. The RGB offered competitive funding to individual academics in the natural and physical sciences. The human sciences were only supported much later with the establishment of the Council for Educational and Social Research in 1929. Here we review the history of research funding in South Africa, with a special focus on the work of the RGB between 1918 and 1938.

UNESCO Launches Open Access Curriculum for Young and Early Career Researchers

OpenAIRE

Das, Anup-Kumar

2015-01-01

This article narrates the background of UNESCO Curriculum titled "Open Access for Researchers" which was launched on 16th March 2015. This Open Access Curriculum contains five modules for capacity building, awareness raising and sensitizing young and early career researchers affiliated to research laboratories or higher educational institutions across the world.

The impact of repeat-testing of common chemistry analytes at critical concentrations.

Science.gov (United States)

Onyenekwu, Chinelo P; Hudson, Careen L; Zemlin, Annalise E; Erasmus, Rajiv T

2014-12-01

Early notification of critical values by the clinical laboratory to the treating physician is a requirement for accreditation and is essential for effective patient management. Many laboratories automatically repeat a critical value before reporting it to prevent possible misdiagnosis. Given today's advanced instrumentation and quality assurance practices, we questioned the validity of this approach. We performed an audit of repeat-testing in our laboratory to assess for significant differences between initial and repeated test results, estimate the delay caused by repeat-testing and to quantify the cost of repeating these assays. A retrospective audit of repeat-tests for sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium in the first quarter of 2013 at Tygerberg Academic Laboratory was conducted. Data on the initial and repeat-test values and the time that they were performed was extracted from our laboratory information system. The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment criteria for allowable error were employed to assess for significant difference between results. A total of 2308 repeated tests were studied. There was no significant difference in 2291 (99.3%) of the samples. The average delay ranged from 35 min for magnesium to 42 min for sodium and calcium. At least 2.9% of laboratory running costs for the analytes was spent on repeating them. The practice of repeating a critical test result appears unnecessary as it yields similar results, delays notification to the treating clinician and increases laboratory running costs.

Laboratory contamination in the early period of radiation research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rona, E.

1979-01-01

Meagre records exist of the levels of contamination and human exposure encountered by those who took part in the early research on radioactive materials. In order to throw some light on the nature and extent of the problem the author presents some recollections of the conditions of the laboratories in which she worked from 1924-1940. These include the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute, the Radium Institute of Vienna and the Curie Institute. The health, radiation injuries and causes of death of some early workers are discussed. Although the effects of acute exposure were recognised early on, there was less awareness of the possible effects of chronic exposure, and lack of prompt clinical signs of injury encouraged complacency. Laboratory contamination was often seen more as a problem affecting experimental results than as a health hazard. (author)

Italy, EURATOM and Early Research on Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion (1957-1962)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curli, Barbara

2017-01-01

This chapter traces the early origins of European collaboration in controlled thermonuclear fusion research, within the larger picture of Cold War nuclear policy in the late 1950s-early 1960s, and as a consequence of the signing of the EURATOM treaty in 1957. It then presents some preliminary findings on the Association contract which was signed in 1960 between EURATOM and Italy, in order to carry out research in controlled thermonuclear fusion at the then newly created 'Laboratori nazionali di Frascati', near Rome, within the framework of the Comitato Nazionale Energia Nucleare (CNEN), the Italian civilian nuclear energy agency.

Lenses and Lessons: Using three different research perspectives in early childhood education research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Irvine

2015-10-01

Full Text Available In contemporary Western research, collaboration is held in high esteem. This developing practice is challenging particularly for researchers who follow varying theoretical approaches. However although a challenging endeavour, when viewing the one data set with different lenses, there are various lessons that can be shared. A key aspect of this paper is involved researchers' different analytical perspectives in one data set to learn more about each other's research insights, rather than become instant expert in other's approaches. The interview data reported in this paper originates from a larger study researching parents' experience of using early childhood education and care (ECEC in Australia. Here we analyse and report on two shared interview excerpts and use three different research lenses for analysis; phenomenographic study, conversational analysis and cultural-historical theory. The finding of this paper demonstrates that applying different lenses provide different interpretations, including strengths, limitations and opportunities. In this paper we argue that collaborative research practices enhance our understanding of varying research approaches and the scope, quality, translation of research and the researchers' capacity are enhanced

Early repeated infections with Trichomonas vaginalis among HIV-positive and HIV-negative women.

Science.gov (United States)

Kissinger, Patricia; Secor, W Evan; Leichliter, Jami S; Clark, Rebecca A; Schmidt, Norine; Curtin, Erink; Martin, David H

2008-04-01

The purpose of the study was to examine whether early repeated infections due to Trichomonas vaginalis among human immunuodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive and HIV-negative women are reinfections, new infections, or cases of treatment failure. Women attending an HIV outpatient clinic and a family planning clinic in New Orleans, Louisiana, who had culture results positive for T. vaginalis were treated with 2 g of metronidazole under directly observed therapy. At 1 month, detailed sexual exposure and sexual partner treatment information was collected. Isolates from women who had clinical resistance (i.e., who tested positive for a third time after treatment at a higher dose) were tested for metronidazole susceptibility in vitro. Of 60 HIV-positive women with trichomoniasis, 11 (18.3%) were T. vaginalis positive 1 month after treatment. The 11 recurrences were classified as 3 probable reinfections (27%), 2 probable infections from a new sexual partner (18%), and 6 probable treatment failures (55%); 2 of the 6 patients who experienced probable treatment failure had isolates with mild resistance to metronidazole. Of 301 HIV-negative women, 24 (8.0%) were T. vaginalis positive 1 month after treatment. The 24 recurrences were classified as 2 probable reinfections (8%) and 22 probable treatment failures (92%); of the 22 patients who experienced probable treatment failure, 2 had strains with moderate resistance to metronidazole, and 1 had a strain with mild resistance to metronidazole. HIV-positive women were more likely to have sexual re-exposure than were HIV-negative women, although the rate of treatment failure was similar in both groups. High rates of treatment failure among both HIV-positive and HIV-negative women indicate that a 2-g dose of metronidazole may not be adequate for treatment of some women and that rescreening should be considered.

Repeated cognitive stimulation alleviates memory impairments in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model.

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez-Coria, Hilda; Yeung, Stephen T; Ager, Rahasson R; Rodriguez-Ortiz, Carlos J; Baglietto-Vargas, David; LaFerla, Frank M

2015-08-01

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease associated with progressive memory and cognitive decline. Previous studies have identified the benefits of cognitive enrichment on reducing disease pathology. Additionally, epidemiological and clinical data suggest that repeated exercise, and cognitive and social enrichment, can improve and/or delay the cognitive deficiencies associated with aging and neurodegenerative diseases. In the present study, 3xTg-AD mice were exposed to a rigorous training routine beginning at 3 months of age, which consisted of repeated training in the Morris water maze spatial recognition task every 3 months, ending at 18 months of age. At the conclusion of the final Morris water maze training session, animals subsequently underwent testing in another hippocampus-dependent spatial task, the Barnes maze task, and on the more cortical-dependent novel object recognition memory task. Our data show that periodic cognitive enrichment throughout aging, via multiple learning episodes in the Morris water maze task, can improve the memory performance of aged 3xTg-AD mice in a separate spatial recognition task, and in a preference memory task, when compared to naïve aged matched 3xTg-AD mice. Furthermore, we observed that the cognitive enrichment properties of Morris water maze exposer, was detectable in repeatedly trained animals as early as 6 months of age. These findings suggest early repeated cognitive enrichment can mitigate the diverse cognitive deficits observed in Alzheimer's disease. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Chromosome-specific DNA Repeat Probes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baumgartner, Adolf; Weier, Jingly Fung; Weier, Heinz-Ulrich G.

2006-03-16

In research as well as in clinical applications, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has gained increasing popularity as a highly sensitive technique to study cytogenetic changes. Today, hundreds of commercially available DNA probes serve the basic needs of the biomedical research community. Widespread applications, however, are often limited by the lack of appropriately labeled, specific nucleic acid probes. We describe two approaches for an expeditious preparation of chromosome-specific DNAs and the subsequent probe labeling with reporter molecules of choice. The described techniques allow the preparation of highly specific DNA repeat probes suitable for enumeration of chromosomes in interphase cell nuclei or tissue sections. In addition, there is no need for chromosome enrichment by flow cytometry and sorting or molecular cloning. Our PCR-based method uses either bacterial artificial chromosomes or human genomic DNA as templates with {alpha}-satellite-specific primers. Here we demonstrate the production of fluorochrome-labeled DNA repeat probes specific for human chromosomes 17 and 18 in just a few days without the need for highly specialized equipment and without the limitation to only a few fluorochrome labels.

Exact Tandem Repeats Analyzer (E-TRA): A new program for DNA ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

Advanced user defined parameters/options let the researchers use different minimum motif repeats ... E-TRA, we used 5,465,605 human EST sequences derived from 18,814,550 ..... repeat rates of T-cells, embryo and testis were higher.

Repeated research of biodegradability of plastics materials in real composting conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dana Adamcová

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper was to verify information obtained by repeated research provide in 2011 and 2012 in real composting conditions and check information about biodegradability of plastics bags in real composting conditions. In both cases samples were placed into frames and inserted into one clamp within the compost pile to investigate the biodegradation. The plastics bags were obtained from chain stores in the Czech Republic and Poland. The shopping bags were made of HDPE with the TDPA additive (sample 2, PP with an addition of pro-oxidants (d2w (sample 1, 3 and materials certified as compostable (starch, polycaprolactone (sample 4, 5, 6, 7. Control sample (cellulose filtering paper, sample 8 was to check the potential of biological decomposition in the tested environment. At the end of the 15-week experimental period it was found that the polyethylene samples with the additive (sample 1, 2, 3 had not been decomposed, their colour had not changed and that no degradation neither physical changes had occurred (did not biodegrade. Samples certified as compostable (sample 4, 5, 6, 7 were decomposed. The results at the municipal compost facility demonstrate that the compostable plastics biodegrade and polyethylene samples with the additive did not biodegrade in compost.

Analysis of unknown cause subarachnoid hemorrhage with repeated negative angiogram

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujii, Mutsumi; Takasato, Yoshio; Masaoka, Hiroyuki; Ohta, Yoshihisa; Hayakawa, Takanori; Honma, Masato

2006-01-01

Seven hundred and fifty five cases of acute non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) were admitted to the department of neurosurgery of our hospital from July, 1995 to March, 2004. In 555 patients cerebral angiography was conducted but initial angiography was negative in 30 patients. Except 10 general condition poor patients, in 20 initial angiogram-negative patients were undergone repeated angiography. The cause of SAH could not be demonstrated in 13 cases. The SAH in perimesencephalic and non-perimesencephalic cisturns was seen in 7 and 6 cases, respectively. Occipital and/or neck pain on admission was statistically more common among patients with perimesencephalic SAH than those with non-perimesencephalic SAH (p=0.029), and the prognosis of perimesencephalic SAH was good. We conclude that repeat angiography should not be recommended in patients with perimesencephalic SAH. Patients with non-perimesencephalic SAH had a higher rate of complication. In the non-perimesencephalic group, 3 patients developed hydrocephalus and 3 patients had vasospasm, which were found by repeated angiography. Therefore, repeated angiography is recommended for better clinical outcome by early detection and management of serious complications in this group of patients. (author)

Conceptual and measurement issues in early parenting practices research: an epidemiologic perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Lorraine O; Kirby, Russell S

2010-11-01

Early parenting practices are significant to public health because of their linkages to child health outcomes. This paper focuses on the current state of the science regarding conceptual frameworks that incorporate early parenting practices in epidemiologic research and evidence supporting reliability and validity of self-report measures of such practices. Guided by a provisional definition of early parenting practices, literature searches were conducted using PubMed and Sociological Abstracts. Twenty-five published studies that included parent-report measures of early parenting practices met inclusion criteria. Findings on conceptual frameworks were analyzed qualitatively, whereas evidence of reliability and validity were organized into four domains (safety, feeding and oral health, development promotion, and discipline) and summarized in tabular form. Quantitative estimates of measures of reliability and validity were extracted, where available. We found two frameworks incorporating early parenting: one a program theory and the other a predictive model. We found no reported evidence of the reliability or validity of parent-report measures of safety or feeding and oral health practices. Evidence for reliability and validity were reported with greater frequency for development promotion and discipline practices, but report of the most pertinent type of reliability estimation, test-retest reliability, was rare. Failure to examine associations of early parenting practices with any child outcomes within most studies resulted in missed opportunities to indirectly estimate validity of parenting practice measures. Stronger evidence concerning specific measurement properties of early parenting practices is important to advancing maternal-child research, surveillance, and practice.

Microsatellites in varied arenas of research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K S Remya

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Microsatellites known as simple-sequence repeats (SSRs or short-tandem repeats (STRs, represent specific sequences of DNA consisting of tandemly repeated units of one to six nucleotides. The repetitive nature of microsatellites makes them particularly prone to grow or shrink in length and these changes can have both good and bad consequences for the organisms that possess them. They are responsible for various neurological diseases and hence the same cause is now utilized for the early detection of various diseases, such as, Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder, Congenital generalized Hypertrichosis, Asthma, and Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness. These agents are widely used for forensic identification and relatedness testing, and are predominant genetic markers in this area of application. The application of microsatellites is an extending web and covers the varied scenarios of science, such as, conservation biology, plant genetics, and population studies. At present, researches are progressing round the globe to extend the use of these genetic repeaters to unmask the hidden genetic secrets behind the creation of the world.

Early-Career Professional Development Training for Stakeholder-Relevant, Interdisciplinary Research

Science.gov (United States)

Rosendahl, D. H.; Bamzai, A.; Mcpherson, R. A.

2015-12-01

There are many challenges to conducting inter- or multi-disciplinary research because basic research, applied research, management processes, disciplines, and even sub-disciplines have been "siloed" for so long that many research and management professionals find it difficult to communicate common interests and research needs. It is clear that the next generation of researchers must overcome these disciplinary biases and engage in more open dialogue with other disciplines and the management community in order to be better positioned to collaborate, speak a common language, and understand each other's needs. The U.S. Department of the Interior's South Central Climate Science Center recently conducted a professional development workshop for 28 early-career researchers involved in climate-related research across the South-Central U.S. The participants consisted of graduate students, postdocs, and junior faculty representing 17 different natural and social science disciplines and seven Universities/Institutions. The workshop provided the participants with guidance and instruction on how to overcome the identified challenges in conducting "actionable" research and how to better navigate multi-institutional and multi- or inter-disciplinary research. The workshop was comprised of: (1) a series of instructional presentations organized into themed sessions; (2) two keynote addresses to provide a broader perspective; (3) a real-world case study activity; (4) individual and group projects/presentations; and (5) field trips. In addition, we purposely created informal opportunities for participants to network, which met the goal of facilitating interdisciplinary interactions. An overview of the workshop experience will be provided, including a focus on those aspects leading to its ultimate success and recommendations for how to develop and implement a similar early-career workshop for your own purposes.

The relationship of social support concept and repeat mammography among Iranian women.

Science.gov (United States)

Farhadifar, Fariba; Taymoori, Parvaneh; Bahrami, Mitra; Zarea, Shamsy

2015-10-24

Breast cancer ranks as the first most common cancer among the Iranian women. The regular repeat of mammography with 1-2 year intervals leads to the increased efficiency of early detection of breast cancer. The present study examined the predictors of repeat mammography. It was hypothesized that higher social support is connected with mammography repeat. A cross-sectional study was carried out among 400 women 50 years and older in Sanandaj, Iran. Data was collected by the questionnaire including information on socio demographical variables and measuring social support level. Data was analyzed by SPSS16 software. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the predictive power of demographic variables and dimensions of social support for repeat mammography. Women aged 50-55 years had three times odds of repeat mammography compared to women aged 56-60 years) OR, 3.02). Married women had greater odds of repeat mammography compared to single women (P women with higher social support was 0.93 times greater than the women with lower social support (OR, 0.93; 95 % CI, 0.91-0.95; P women are less likely repeat mammography than other Asian women. Identifying the associations between perceived social support and repeat mammography may offer detailed information to allow for future study and guide the development of interventions not only for Iranian women but also for similar cultural that received pay too little attention to date in the breast cancer literature.

Implementing an innovative intervention to increase research capacity for enhancing early psychosis care in Indonesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Renwick, L; Irmansyah; Keliat, B A; Lovell, K; Yung, A

2017-11-01

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE TOPIC?: In low- and middle-income settings (LMICs) such as Indonesia, the burden from psychotic illness is significant due to large gaps in treatment provision Mental health workers and community nurses are a growing workforce requiring new evidence to support practice and enhanced roles and advanced competencies among UK mental health nurses also requires greater research capacity Research capacity building projects can strengthen research institutions, enhance trial capacity, improve quality standards and improve attitudes towards the importance of health research. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS?: Delivering innovative, cross-cultural workshops to enhance research capacity to multidisciplinary, early career researchers in Indonesia and the UK are rated highly by attendees Supporting people in this way helps them to gain competitive grant funding to complete their own research which can improve the health of the population To our knowledge, there are no other studies reporting the attainment of grant income as a successful outcome of international research partnerships for mental health nursing so our finding is novel. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: This method could be implemented to improve networking and collaboration between UK academics and early career researchers in other lower- and middle-income settings This strategy can also strengthen existing partnerships among early career researchers in the UK to meet the demands for greater research mentorship and leadership among mental health nurses and enhance nurses capabilities to contribute to evidence for practice. Aim To strengthen research capacity for nurses and early career researchers in Indonesia and the UK to develop a local evidence base in Indonesia to inform policy and improve the nation's health. These strategies can strengthen research institutions, enhance trial capacity, improve quality standards and improve attitudes towards the importance of health research. Methods Four

Identifying future research directions for biodiversity, ecosystem services and sustainability: perspectives from early-career researchers

OpenAIRE

Hossain, S.; Pogue, S.J.; Trenchard, L.; Oudenhoven, van, A.P.E.; Washbourne, C-L.; Muiruri, E.W.; Tomczyk, A.M.; García-Llorente, M.; Hale, R.; Hevia, V.; Adams, T.; Tavallali, L.; De, Bell S.; Pye, M.; Resende, F.

2017-01-01

We aimed to identify priority research questions in the field of biodiversity, ecosystem services and sustainability (BESS), based on a workshop held during the NRG BESS Conference for Early Career Researchers on BESS, and to compare these to existing horizon scanning exercises. This work highlights the need for improved data availability through collaboration and knowledge exchange, which, in turn, can support the integrated valuation and sustainable management of ecosystems in response to g...

Preservice science teachers' experiences with repeated, guided inquiry

Science.gov (United States)

Slack, Amy B.

The purpose of this study was to examine preservice science teachers' experiences with repeated scientific inquiry (SI) activities. The National Science Education Standards (National Research Council, 1996) stress students should understand and possess the abilities to do SI. For students to meet these standards, science teachers must understand and be able to perform SI; however, previous research demonstrated that many teachers have naive understandings in this area. Teacher preparation programs provide an opportunity to facilitate the development of inquiry understandings and abilities. In this study, preservice science teachers had experiences with two inquiry activities that were repeated three times each. The research questions for this study were (a) How do preservice science teachers' describe their experiences with repeated, guided inquiry activities? (b) What are preservice science teachers' understandings and abilities of SI? This study was conducted at a large, urban university in the southeastern United States. The 5 participants had bachelor's degrees in science and were enrolled in a graduate science education methods course. The researcher was one of the course instructors but did not lead the activities. Case study methodology was used. Data was collected from a demographic survey, an open-ended questionnaire with follow-up interviews, the researcher's observations, participants' lab notes, personal interviews, and participants' journals. Data were coded and analyzed through chronological data matrices to identify patterns in participants' experiences. The five domains identified in this study were understandings of SI, abilities to conduct SI, personal feelings about the experience, science content knowledge, and classroom implications. Through analysis of themes identified within each domain, the four conclusions made about these preservice teachers' experiences with SI were that the experience increased their abilities to conduct inquiry

Parturition date for a given female is highly repeatable within five roe deer populations

Science.gov (United States)

Plard, Floriane; Gaillard, Jean-Michel; Bonenfant, Christophe; Hewison, A. J. Mark; Delorme, Daniel; Cargnelutti, Bruno; Kjellander, Petter; Nilsen, Erlend B.; Coulson, Tim

2013-01-01

Births are highly synchronized among females in many mammal populations in temperate areas. Although laying date for a given female is also repeatable within populations of birds, limited evidence suggests low repeatability of parturition date for individual females in mammals, and between-population variability in repeatability has never, to our knowledge, been assessed. We quantified the repeatability of parturition date for individual females in five populations of roe deer, which we found to vary between 0.54 and 0.93. Each year, some females gave birth consistently earlier in the year, whereas others gave birth consistently later. In addition, all females followed the same lifetime trajectory for parturition date, giving birth progressively earlier as they aged. Giving birth early should allow mothers to increase offspring survival, although few females managed to do so. The marked repeatability of parturition date in roe deer females is the highest ever reported for a mammal, suggesting low phenotypic plasticity in this trait. PMID:23234861

The effect of maternal and child early life factors on grade repetition among HIV exposed and unexposed children in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, J M; Rochat, T J; Houle, B; Stein, A; Newell, M L; Bland, R M

2016-04-01

Receiving an education is essential for children living in poverty to fulfil their potential. Success in the early years of schooling is important as children who repeat grade one are particularly at risk for future dropout. We examined early life factors associated with grade repetition through logistic regression and explored reasons for repeating a grade through parent report. In 2012-2014 we re-enrolled children aged 7-11 years in rural KwaZulu-Natal who had been part of an early life intervention. Of the 894 children included, 43.1% had repeated a grade, of which 62.9% were boys. Higher maternal education (aOR 0.44; 95% CI 0.2-0.9) and being further along in the birth order (aOR 0.46; 95% CI 0.3-0.9) reduced the odds of grade repetition. In addition, maternal HIV status had the strongest effect on grade repetition for girls (aOR 2.17; 95% CI 1.3-3.8), whereas for boys, it was a fridge in the household (aOR 0.59; 95% CI 0.4-1.0). Issues with school readiness was the most common reason for repeating a grade according to parental report (126/385, 32.7%), while school disruptions was an important reason among HIV-exposed boys. Further research is needed to elucidate the pathways through which HIV affects girls' educational outcomes and potentially impacts on disrupted schooling for boys. Our results also highlight the importance of preparation for schooling in the early years of life; future research could focus on gaining a better understanding of mechanisms by which to improve early school success, including increased quality of reception year and investigating the protective effect of older siblings.

Molecular analysis of the eTG trinucleotide repeat in South African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

-4 When amplified, this trinucleotide repeat is responsible for DNA instability and molecular pathology. A similar mechanism of trinucleotide repeat expansion has been described in fragile X mental retardation syndrome. (CGG):·· spinobulbar muscular atrophy (CAG)' and, more. MRC Human Ecogenetics Research Unit, ...

1st International Early Research Career Enhancement School

CERN Document Server

Klimov, Valentin; Rybina, Galina

2016-01-01

This book presents cutting-edge research focused on current challenges towards the realization of Biologically Inspired intelligent agents, or Cognitive Architectures (BICA). The chapters are written by both world-recognized experts (including Antonio Chella, Olivier Georgeon, Oliver Kutz, Antonio Lieto, David Vernon, Paul Verschure, and others) and young researchers. Together, they constitute a good mixture of new findings with tutorial-based reviews and position papers, all presented at the First International Early Research Career Enhancement School on Biologically Inspired Cognitive Architectures (FIERCES on BICA 2016), held April 21-24 in Moscow, Russia. Most works included here cross boundaries between disciplines: from neuroscience to social science, from cognitive science to robotics, and from bioengineering to artificial intelligence. A special emphasis is given to novel solutions to urgent problems that have been resisting traditional approaches for decades. Intended for providing readers with an up...

Early Avian Research at the Savannah River Site: Historical Highlights and Possibilities for the Future

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyers, J.M.; Odum, E.P.

2000-10-01

Avian biology was a major component of early research and baseline surveys. The focus of research shifted and the SRS evolved from open fields to forest cover. In the early years avian species richness and abundance increased with successional age of the vegetation from old-field to forest. During the early years resident game birds increased. More recent studies will help to understand the role of habitat in local and regional extinctions. A variety of survey techniques is needed.

Repeating and non-repeating fast radio bursts from binary neutron star mergers

Science.gov (United States)

Yamasaki, Shotaro; Totani, Tomonori; Kiuchi, Kenta

2018-04-01

Most fast radio bursts (FRB) do not show evidence of repetition, and such non-repeating FRBs may be produced at the time of a merger of binary neutron stars (BNS), provided that the BNS merger rate is close to the high end of the currently possible range. However, the merger environment is polluted by dynamical ejecta, which may prohibit the radio signal from propagating. We examine this by using a general-relativistic simulation of a BNS merger, and show that the ejecta appears about 1 ms after the rotation speed of the merged star becomes the maximum. Therefore there is a time window in which an FRB signal can reach outside, and the short duration of non-repeating FRBs can be explained by screening after ejecta formation. A fraction of BNS mergers may leave a rapidly rotating and stable neutron star, and such objects may be the origin of repeating FRBs like FRB 121102. We show that a merger remnant would appear as a repeating FRB on a time scale of ˜1-10 yr, and expected properties are consistent with the observations of FRB 121102. We construct an FRB rate evolution model that includes these two populations of repeating and non-repeating FRBs from BNS mergers, and show that the detection rate of repeating FRBs relative to non-repeating ones rapidly increases with improving search sensitivity. This may explain why only the repeating FRB 121102 was discovered by the most sensitive FRB search with Arecibo. Several predictions are made, including the appearance of a repeating FRB 1-10 yr after a BNS merger that is localized by gravitational waves and subsequent electromagnetic radiation.

What we have learned about scheduling elective repeat cesarean delivery at term.

Science.gov (United States)

Tita, Alan T N

2016-08-01

The optimal timing of delivery in the setting of various clinical conditions and scenarios remains one of the most common questions for obstetric providers. Over the past 5-10 years, the optimal timing of delivery at term, particularly for elective repeat cesareans, has been the subject of considerable investigation and discussion. There is an increasing consensus that when women opt for an elective repeat cesarean delivery, it should be performed at term rather than preterm. The recent redefinition of the "term" period into early term (37-38 weeks), full-term (39-40 weeks), late term (41 weeks), and post term designations (≥42 weeks) underscores observed heterogeneity in outcomes following delivery at term. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists currently recommends that elective repeat cesarean delivery be performed at full-term. Herein, the available data to support this recommendation regarding timing of elective repeat cesarean delivery are reviewed, including contributions from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units (MFMU) Network. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Kondratiev cycles and so-called long waves. The early research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J. Tinbergen (Jan)

1981-01-01

textabstractThis paper recalls some early work of the Dutch pioneers of long-wave research which anticipated many of the contemporary debates. Various explanations which have been advanced for the existence of long waves are reviewed, and the applicability of long-wave theories in a number of

[Analysis of variance of repeated data measured by water maze with SPSS].

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Hong; Jin, Guo-qin; Jin, Ru-feng; Zhao, Wei-kang

2007-01-01

To introduce the method of analyzing repeated data measured by water maze with SPSS 11.0, and offer a reference statistical method to clinical and basic medicine researchers who take the design of repeated measures. Using repeated measures and multivariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) process of the general linear model in SPSS and giving comparison among different groups and different measure time pairwise. Firstly, Mauchly's test of sphericity should be used to judge whether there were relations among the repeatedly measured data. If any (PSPSS statistical package is available to fulfil this process.

The Role of the Repeat in the Bear Feast in Traditional Khanty Culture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna A. Grinevich (Zorkoltseva

2012-09-01

Full Text Available This paper is devoted to a role of repeat in Khanty folklore. Songs of a bear feast have served as the source material for the research. The author traces the role of a repeat at different text levels: structure, lexical level, and plot. The repeat is proposed as a fundamental method of traditional Khanty arts.

Legal liabilities in research: early lessons from North America

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Birenbaum Shelley

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract The legal risks associated with health research involving human subjects have been highlighted recently by a number of lawsuits launched against those involved in conducting and evaluating the research. Some of these cases have been fully addressed by the legal system, resulting in judgments that provide some guidance. The vast majority of cases have either settled before going to trial, or have not yet been addressed by the courts, leaving us to wonder what might have been and what guidance future cases may bring. What is striking about the lawsuits that have been commenced is the broad range of individuals/institutions that are named as defendants and the broad range of allegations that are made. The research community should take this early experience as a warning and should reflect carefully on practices where research involving human subjects is concerned.

Public services in early modern European towns: An agenda for further research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Davids, C.A.

2010-01-01

Starting with a set of key questions formulated by Walter Prevenier in 1984, this article proposes an agenda for future research on urban public services in early modern European towns. The author suggests, first of all, a shift in research strategy toward a greater emphasis on actor-oriented

Mediators and moderators in early intervention research.

Science.gov (United States)

Breitborde, Nicholas J K; Srihari, Vinod H; Pollard, Jessica M; Addington, Donald N; Woods, Scott W

2010-05-01

The goal of this paper is to provide clarification with regard to the nature of mediator and moderator variables and the statistical methods used to test for the existence of these variables. Particular attention will be devoted to discussing the ways in which the identification of mediator and moderator variables may help to advance the field of early intervention in psychiatry. We completed a literature review of the methodological strategies used to test for mediator and moderator variables. Although several tests for mediator variables are currently available, recent evaluations suggest that tests which directly evaluate the indirect effect are superior. With regard to moderator variables, two approaches ('pick-a-point' and regions of significance) are available, and we provide guidelines with regard to how researchers can determine which approach may be most appropriate to use for their specific study. Finally, we discuss how to evaluate the clinical importance of mediator and moderator relationships as well as the methodology to calculate statistical power for tests of mediation and moderation. Further exploration of mediator and moderator variables may provide valuable information with regard to interventions provided early in the course of a psychiatric illness.

Early diagnosis and research of high myopia with primary open angle glaucoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan Guo

2014-04-01

Full Text Available People with high myopia are high risk populations to have primary open angle glaucoma. Clinically, we found that patients with primary open angle glaucoma and high myopia is closely related. So to understand the clinical features of high myopia with primary open angle glaucoma and the importance of early diagnosis, to avoiding missed diagnosis or lower misdiagnosed rate, can help to improve the vigilance and level of early diagnosis of the clinicians. In this paper, high myopia with clinical features of primary open angle glaucoma, and the research progress on the main points of early diagnosis were reviewed.

Findings of Visual Arts Research in Early Childhood and Primary Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marijana Županić Benić

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Arts research was introduced in the field of education during the 1990s by Barone and Eisner, but their methodology is rarely used because it is not considered to be consistent with traditional paradigms of the scientific method. This review identified only seven visual arts research studies in early childhood education and primary education. Four studies were conducted in early childhood education settings, and two of those studies used quantitative methods to investigate the effects of art on early childhood development. The three studies that were conducted in primary education used a case study approach to examine art projects in the community or the classroom. Participation in visual arts was associated with enhanced learning outcomes in other areas and the development of individual and social competences, but it was not found to facilitate the development of age-dependent abilities, such as visual or grapho-motor abilities. Visual arts also proved to be an effective method of communication for children in preschool and primary education institutions because it is easier for them to express their opinions and beliefs to adults with visual media than with words.

A Unified Model for Repeating and Non-repeating Fast Radio Bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bagchi, Manjari

2017-01-01

The model that fast radio bursts (FRBs) are caused by plunges of asteroids onto neutron stars can explain both repeating and non-repeating bursts. If a neutron star passes through an asteroid belt around another star, there would be a series of bursts caused by a series of asteroid impacts. Moreover, the neutron star would cross the same belt repetitively if it were in a binary with the star hosting the asteroid belt, leading to a repeated series of bursts. I explore the properties of neutron star binaries that could lead to the only known repeating FRB so far (FRB121102). In this model, the next two epochs of bursts are expected around 2017 February 27 and 2017 December 18. On the other hand, if the asteroid belt is located around the neutron star itself, then a chance fall of an asteroid from that belt onto the neutron star would lead to a non-repeating burst. Even a neutron star grazing an asteroid belt can lead to a non-repeating burst caused by just one asteroid plunge during the grazing. This is possible even when the neutron star is in a binary with the asteroid-hosting star, if the belt and the neutron star orbit are non-coplanar.

A Unified Model for Repeating and Non-repeating Fast Radio Bursts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bagchi, Manjari, E-mail: manjari@imsc.res.in [The Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc-HBNI), 4th Cross Road, CIT Campus, Taramani, Chennai 600113 (India)

2017-04-01

The model that fast radio bursts (FRBs) are caused by plunges of asteroids onto neutron stars can explain both repeating and non-repeating bursts. If a neutron star passes through an asteroid belt around another star, there would be a series of bursts caused by a series of asteroid impacts. Moreover, the neutron star would cross the same belt repetitively if it were in a binary with the star hosting the asteroid belt, leading to a repeated series of bursts. I explore the properties of neutron star binaries that could lead to the only known repeating FRB so far (FRB121102). In this model, the next two epochs of bursts are expected around 2017 February 27 and 2017 December 18. On the other hand, if the asteroid belt is located around the neutron star itself, then a chance fall of an asteroid from that belt onto the neutron star would lead to a non-repeating burst. Even a neutron star grazing an asteroid belt can lead to a non-repeating burst caused by just one asteroid plunge during the grazing. This is possible even when the neutron star is in a binary with the asteroid-hosting star, if the belt and the neutron star orbit are non-coplanar.

Early Career Researchers Demand Full-text and Rely on Google to Find Scholarly Sources

OpenAIRE

Richard Hayman

2017-01-01

A Review of: Nicholas, D., Boukacem-Zeghmouri, C., Rodríguez-Bravo, B., Xu, J., Watkinson, A., Abrizah, A., Herman, E., & Świgoń, M. (2017). Where and how early career researchers find scholarly information. Learned Publishing, 30(1), 19-29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/leap.1087 Abstract Objective – To examine the attitudes and information behaviours of early career researchers (ECRs) when locating scholarly information. Design – Qualitative longitudinal study. Setting – R...

Correlates of Bulimia Nervosa: Early Family Mealtime Experiences.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Debra A. F.; And Others

1993-01-01

Examined relationship of early mealtime experiences to later bulimia in 128 female college students. Found significant group differences among bulimics, nonbulimics, and repeat dieters on early meal experience questionnaire, with bulimic group reporting most negative and unusual experiences. Found significant differences among groups on depression…

Deployment Repeatability

Science.gov (United States)

2016-04-01

evaluating the deployment repeatability builds upon the testing or analysis of deployment kinematics (Chapter 6) and adds repetition. Introduction...material yield or failure during a test. For the purposes of this chapter, zero shift will refer to permanent changes in the structure, while reversible ...the content of other chapters in this book: Gravity Compensation (Chapter 4) and Deployment Kinematics and Dynamics (Chapter 6). Repeating the

Encouraging entrepreneurship in university labs: Research activities, research outputs, and early doctorate careers.

Science.gov (United States)

Roach, Michael

2017-01-01

This paper investigates how the encouragement of entrepreneurship within university research labs relates with research activities, research outputs, and early doctorate careers. Utilizing a panel survey of 6,840 science & engineering doctoral students at 39 R1 research universities, this study shows that entrepreneurship is widely encouraged across university research labs, ranging from 54% in biomedical engineering to 18% in particle physics, while only a small share of labs openly discourage entrepreneurship, from approximately 3% in engineering to approximately 12% in the life sciences. Within fields, there is no difference between labs that encourage entrepreneurship and those that do not with respect to basic research activity and the number of publications. At the same time, labs that encourage entrepreneurship are significantly more likely to report invention disclosures, particularly in engineering where such labs are 41% more likely to disclose inventions. With respect to career pathways, PhDs students in labs that encourage entrepreneurship do not differ from other PhDs in their interest in academic careers, but they are 87% more likely to be interested in careers in entrepreneurship and 44% more likely to work in a startup after graduation. These results persist even when accounting for individuals' pre-PhD interest in entrepreneurship and the encouragement of other non-academic industry careers.

Encouraging entrepreneurship in university labs: Research activities, research outputs, and early doctorate careers

Science.gov (United States)

2017-01-01

This paper investigates how the encouragement of entrepreneurship within university research labs relates with research activities, research outputs, and early doctorate careers. Utilizing a panel survey of 6,840 science & engineering doctoral students at 39 R1 research universities, this study shows that entrepreneurship is widely encouraged across university research labs, ranging from 54% in biomedical engineering to 18% in particle physics, while only a small share of labs openly discourage entrepreneurship, from approximately 3% in engineering to approximately 12% in the life sciences. Within fields, there is no difference between labs that encourage entrepreneurship and those that do not with respect to basic research activity and the number of publications. At the same time, labs that encourage entrepreneurship are significantly more likely to report invention disclosures, particularly in engineering where such labs are 41% more likely to disclose inventions. With respect to career pathways, PhDs students in labs that encourage entrepreneurship do not differ from other PhDs in their interest in academic careers, but they are 87% more likely to be interested in careers in entrepreneurship and 44% more likely to work in a startup after graduation. These results persist even when accounting for individuals’ pre-PhD interest in entrepreneurship and the encouragement of other non-academic industry careers. PMID:28178270

Brief Communication : Future avenues for permafrost science from the perspective of early career researchers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fritz, M.; Deshpande, B. N.; Bouchard, F.; Högström, E.; Malenfant-Lepage, J.; Morgenstern, A.; Nieuwendam, A.; Oliva, M.; Paquette, M.; Rudy, A. C A; Siewert, M. B.; Sjöberg, Y.; Weege, S.

2015-01-01

Accelerating climate change and increased economic and environmental interests in permafrost-affected regions have resulted in an acute need for more directed permafrost research. In June 2014, 88 early career researchers convened to identify future priorities for permafrost research. This

Reconfigurable multiport EPON repeater

Science.gov (United States)

Oishi, Masayuki; Inohara, Ryo; Agata, Akira; Horiuchi, Yukio

2009-11-01

An extended reach EPON repeater is one of the solutions to effectively expand FTTH service areas. In this paper, we propose a reconfigurable multi-port EPON repeater for effective accommodation of multiple ODNs with a single OLT line card. The proposed repeater, which has multi-ports in both OLT and ODN sides, consists of TRs, BTRs with the CDR function and a reconfigurable electrical matrix switch, can accommodate multiple ODNs to a single OLT line card by controlling the connection of the matrix switch. Although conventional EPON repeaters require full OLT line cards to accommodate subscribers from the initial installation stage, the proposed repeater can dramatically reduce the number of required line cards especially when the number of subscribers is less than a half of the maximum registerable users per OLT. Numerical calculation results show that the extended reach EPON system with the proposed EPON repeater can save 17.5% of the initial installation cost compared with a conventional repeater, and can be less expensive than conventional systems up to the maximum subscribers especially when the percentage of ODNs in lightly-populated areas is higher.

Maintaining confidentiality in prospective studies: anonymous repeated measurements via email (ARME) procedure.

Science.gov (United States)

Carli, Vladimir; Hadlaczky, Gergö; Wasserman, Camilla; Stingelin-Giles, Nicola; Reiter-Theil, Stella; Wasserman, Danuta

2012-02-01

Respecting and protecting the confidentiality of data and the privacy of individuals regarding the information that they have given as participants in a research project is a cornerstone of complying with accepted research standards. However, in longitudinal studies, establishing and maintaining privacy is often challenging because of the necessity of repeated contact with participants. A novel internet-based solution is introduced here, which maintains privacy while at the same time ensures linkage of data to individual participants in a repeated measures design. With the use of the anonymous repeated measurements via email (ARME) procedure, two separate one-way communication systems are established through ad hoc email accounts and a secure study website. Strengths and limitations of the approach are discussed.

The HIV and Drug Abuse Prevention Research Ethics Training Institute: Training Early-Career Scientists to Conduct Research on Research Ethics

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, Celia B.; Yuko, Elizabeth

2018-01-01

The responsible conduct of HIV/drug abuse prevention research requires investigators with both the knowledge of and ability to generate empirical data that can enhance global ethical practices and policies. This article describes a multidisciplinary program offering early-career professionals a 2-year intensive summer curriculum along with funding to conduct a mentored research study on a wide variety of HIV/drug abuse research ethics topics. Now in its fifth year, the program has admitted 29 trainees who have to date demonstrated increased knowledge of research ethics, produced 17 peer-reviewed publications, 46 professional presentations, and submitted or been awarded five related federal grants. The institute also hosts a global information platform providing general and HIV/drug abuse relevant research ethics educational and research resources that have had more than 38,800 unique visitors from more than 150 countries. PMID:26564944

Supervision, mentorship and peer networks: how Estonian early career researchers get (or fail to get support

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaana Eigi

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The paper analyses issues related to supervision and support of early career researchers in Estonian academia. We use nine focus groups interviews conducted in 2015 with representatives of social sciences in order to identify early career researchers’ needs with respect to support, frustrations they may experience, and resources they may have for addressing them. Our crucial contribution is the identification of wider support networks of peers and colleagues that may compensate, partially or even fully, for failures of official supervision. On the basis of our analysis we argue that support for early career researchers should take into account the resources they already possess but also recognise the importance of wider academic culture, including funding and employment patterns, and the roles of supervisors and senior researchers in ensuring successful functioning of support networks. Through analysing the conditions for the development of early career researchers – producers of knowledge – our paper contributes to social epistemology understood as analysis of specific forms of social organisation of knowledge production.

Space and place in researching male early high school leaving in Orange Farm Township

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vangile Bingma

2013-01-01

Full Text Available I reflect on the methodological processes underpinning a dissertation that investigated male learners' reasons for leaving high school early and the strategies they employed to negotiate everyday life. A qualitative case study was conducted with nine male early high school leavers between the ages of 18 and 25, as well as 12 stakeholders involved in the Orange Farm Township, south of Johannesburg. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, document reviews, and observations. Narrative analysis revealed complications related to the notions of space and place of the potential participants and the researcher. In the first place, the difficulty was not in identifying participants, but in establishing rapport to the extent that they agreed to participate in the research. Assumptions about space and place gave rise to expectations that had to be managed, and consequently the researcher had to rethink the methodological choices. In particular, participants' perceived real social positions and their relation to different social spaces had to be negotiated. It is suggested that relatively novice researchers, researching male early high school leaving in familiar spaces, can mitigate complications of space, place and stigma during fieldwork by using multiple sources of data and strategic, flexible interviewing techniques.

Pension Reform Act 2004 and its Controversies: Repeating or ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Pension Reform Act 2004 and its Controversies: Repeating or Learning from Past Mistakes? ... Journal of Research in National Development ... and discusses how the present pension reform will affect active employees when they retire.

Encouraging entrepreneurship in university labs: Research activities, research outputs, and early doctorate careers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Roach

Full Text Available This paper investigates how the encouragement of entrepreneurship within university research labs relates with research activities, research outputs, and early doctorate careers. Utilizing a panel survey of 6,840 science & engineering doctoral students at 39 R1 research universities, this study shows that entrepreneurship is widely encouraged across university research labs, ranging from 54% in biomedical engineering to 18% in particle physics, while only a small share of labs openly discourage entrepreneurship, from approximately 3% in engineering to approximately 12% in the life sciences. Within fields, there is no difference between labs that encourage entrepreneurship and those that do not with respect to basic research activity and the number of publications. At the same time, labs that encourage entrepreneurship are significantly more likely to report invention disclosures, particularly in engineering where such labs are 41% more likely to disclose inventions. With respect to career pathways, PhDs students in labs that encourage entrepreneurship do not differ from other PhDs in their interest in academic careers, but they are 87% more likely to be interested in careers in entrepreneurship and 44% more likely to work in a startup after graduation. These results persist even when accounting for individuals' pre-PhD interest in entrepreneurship and the encouragement of other non-academic industry careers.

Developing Research-Ready Skills: Preparing Early Academic Students for Participation in Research Experiences

Science.gov (United States)

Charlevoix, D. J.; Morris, A. R.

2015-12-01

Engaging lower-division undergraduates in research experiences is a key but challenging aspect of guiding talented students into the geoscience research pipeline. UNAVCO conducted a summer internship program to prepare first and second year college students for participation in authentic, scientific research. Many students in their first two years of academic studies do not have the science content knowledge or sufficient math skills to conduct independent research. Students from groups historically underrepresented in the geosciences may face additional challenges in that they often have a less robust support structure to help them navigate the university environment and may be less aware of professional opportunities in the geosciences.UNAVCO, manager of NSF's geodetic facility, hosted four students during summer 2015 internship experience aimed to help them develop skills that will prepare them for research internships and skills that will help them advance professionally. Students spent eight weeks working with UNAVCO technical staff learning how to use equipment, prepare instrumentation for field campaigns, among other technical skills. Interns also participated in a suite of professional development activities including communications workshops, skills seminars, career circles, geology-focused field trips, and informal interactions with research interns and graduate student interns at UNAVCO. This presentation will outline the successes and challenges of engaging students early in their academic careers and outline the unique role such experiences can have in students' academic careers.

Debiasing egocentrism and optimism biases in repeated competitions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jason P. Rose

2012-11-01

Full Text Available When judging their likelihood of success in competitive tasks, people tend to be overoptimistic for easy tasks and overpessimistic for hard tasks (the shared circumstance effect; SCE. Previous research has shown that feedback and experience from repeated-play competitions has a limited impact on SCEs. However, in this paper, we suggest that competitive situations, in which the shared difficulty or easiness of the task is more transparent, will be more amenable to debiasing via repeated play. Pairs of participants competed in, made predictions about, and received feedback on, multiple rounds of a throwing task involving both easy- and hard-to-aim objects. Participants initially showed robust SCEs, but they also showed a significant reduction in bias after only one round of feedback. These and other results support a more positive view (than suggested from past research on the potential for SCEs to be debiased through outcome feedback.

The HIV and Drug Abuse Prevention Research Ethics Training Institute: Training Early-Career Scientists to Conduct Research on Research Ethics.

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, Celia B; Yuko, Elizabeth

2015-12-01

The responsible conduct of HIV/drug abuse prevention research requires investigators with both the knowledge of and ability to generate empirical data that can enhance global ethical practices and policies. This article describes a multidisciplinary program offering early-career professionals a 2-year intensive summer curriculum along with funding to conduct a mentored research study on a wide variety of HIV/drug abuse research ethics topics. Now in its fifth year, the program has admitted 29 trainees who have to date demonstrated increased knowledge of research ethics, produced 17 peer-reviewed publications, 46 professional presentations, and submitted or been awarded five related federal grants. The institute also hosts a global information platform providing general and HIV/drug abuse relevant research ethics educational and research resources that have had more than 38,800 unique visitors from more than 150 countries. © The Author(s) 2015.

Early detection of coolant boiling in research reactors with MTR-type fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kozma, R.; Turkcan, E.; Verhoef, J.P.

1992-10-01

A reactor core monitoring system having the function of early detection of boiling in the coolant channels of research reactors with MTR-type fuel is introduced. The system is based on the on-line analysis of signals of various ex-core and in-core neutron detectors. Early detection of coolant boiling cannot be accomplished by the evaluation of the DC components of these detectors in a number of practically important cases of boiling anomaly. It is shown that the noise component of the available neutron detector signals can be used for the detection of boiling in these cases. Experiments have been carried out at a boiling setup in the research reactor HOR of the Interfaculty Reactor Institute, Technical University of Delft, The Netherlands. (author). 8 refs., 11 figs

34 CFR 97.123 - Early termination of research support: Evaluation of applications and proposals.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects (Basic ED Policy for Protection of Human Research Subjects) § 97.123 Early termination of research support: Evaluation of... the protection of the rights and welfare of human subjects (whether or not the research was subject to...

Expansion of protein domain repeats.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asa K Björklund

2006-08-01

Full Text Available Many proteins, especially in eukaryotes, contain tandem repeats of several domains from the same family. These repeats have a variety of binding properties and are involved in protein-protein interactions as well as binding to other ligands such as DNA and RNA. The rapid expansion of protein domain repeats is assumed to have evolved through internal tandem duplications. However, the exact mechanisms behind these tandem duplications are not well-understood. Here, we have studied the evolution, function, protein structure, gene structure, and phylogenetic distribution of domain repeats. For this purpose we have assigned Pfam-A domain families to 24 proteomes with more sensitive domain assignments in the repeat regions. These assignments confirmed previous findings that eukaryotes, and in particular vertebrates, contain a much higher fraction of proteins with repeats compared with prokaryotes. The internal sequence similarity in each protein revealed that the domain repeats are often expanded through duplications of several domains at a time, while the duplication of one domain is less common. Many of the repeats appear to have been duplicated in the middle of the repeat region. This is in strong contrast to the evolution of other proteins that mainly works through additions of single domains at either terminus. Further, we found that some domain families show distinct duplication patterns, e.g., nebulin domains have mainly been expanded with a unit of seven domains at a time, while duplications of other domain families involve varying numbers of domains. Finally, no common mechanism for the expansion of all repeats could be detected. We found that the duplication patterns show no dependence on the size of the domains. Further, repeat expansion in some families can possibly be explained by shuffling of exons. However, exon shuffling could not have created all repeats.

Psychological and physiological responses following repeated peer death.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Judith Pizarro Andersen

Full Text Available Undergraduates at a university in the United States were exposed - directly and indirectly - to 14 peer deaths during one academic year. We examined how individual and social factors were associated with psychological (e.g., anxiety, depression, somatization and physiological (i.e., cortisol distress responses following this unexpected and repeated experience with loss.Two to three months after the final peer death, respondents (N = 122, 61% female, 18-23 years, M = 20.13, SD = 1.14 reported prior adverse experiences, degree of closeness with the deceased, acute responses to the peer deaths, ongoing distress responses, social support, support seeking, and media viewing. A subset (n = 24 returned hair samples for evaluation of cortisol responses during the previous 3 months.Ongoing psychological distress was associated with a prior interpersonal trauma, b fewer social supports, and c media exposure to news of the deaths (p's25 p/mg compared to individuals with one or two prior bereavement experiences (who were, on average, within the normal range, 10 to 25 p/mg (p<.05. Only 8% of the sample utilized available university psychological or physical health resources and support groups.Limited research has examined the psychological and physiological impact of exposure to chronic, repeated peer loss, despite the fact that there are groups of individuals (e.g., police, military soldiers that routinely face such exposures. Prior adversity appears to play a role in shaping psychological and physiological responses to repeated loss. This topic warrants further research given the health implications of repeated loss for individuals in high-risk occupations and university settings.

Modern indoor climate research in Denmark from 1962 to the early 1990s

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, I; Gyntelberg, F

2011-01-01

Modern, holistic indoor climate research started with the formation of an interdisciplinary 'Indoor Climate Research Group' in 1962 at the Institute of Hygiene, University of Aarhus, Denmark. After some years, other groups started similar research in Denmark and Sweden, and later - after the Firs....... PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The review may be of interest to indoor climate researchers who want to know more about the early development of research on this multidisciplinary subject, as it emerged in a small country that undertook pioneering studies....

The leucine-rich repeat structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Bella, J; Hindle, K L; McEwan, P A; Lovell, S C

2008-08-01

The leucine-rich repeat is a widespread structural motif of 20-30 amino acids with a characteristic repetitive sequence pattern rich in leucines. Leucine-rich repeat domains are built from tandems of two or more repeats and form curved solenoid structures that are particularly suitable for protein-protein interactions. Thousands of protein sequences containing leucine-rich repeats have been identified by automatic annotation methods. Three-dimensional structures of leucine-rich repeat domains determined to date reveal a degree of structural variability that translates into the considerable functional versatility of this protein superfamily. As the essential structural principles become well established, the leucine-rich repeat architecture is emerging as an attractive framework for structural prediction and protein engineering. This review presents an update of the current understanding of leucine-rich repeat structure at the primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary levels and discusses specific examples from recently determined three-dimensional structures.

Funding opportunities for clinical investigators in the early stages of career development in cardiovascular research.

Science.gov (United States)

Mentz, Robert J; Becker, Richard C

2013-11-01

Contemporary cardiovascular research offers junior investigators the opportunity to explore the gamut of biomedical questions. Despite the recent reduction in the availability of funding mechanisms that have historically served as the primary pathways for investigators in the early stages of career development, there remain numerous traditional and non-traditional funding opportunities. This article highlights these opportunities in order to assist early career investigators in the development of a personalized research trajectory, which optimizes the potential for career success.

Does Dry Eye Affect Repeatability of Corneal Topography Measurements?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aysun Şanal Doğan

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the repeatability of corneal topography measurements in dry eye patients and healthy controls. Materials and Methods: Participants underwent consecutive corneal topography measurements (Sirius; Costruzione Strumenti Oftalmici, Florence, Italy. Two images with acquisition quality higher than 90% were accepted. The following parameters were evaluated: minimum and central corneal thickness, aqueous depth, apex curvature, anterior chamber volume, horizontal anterior chamber diameter, iridocorneal angle, cornea volume, and average simulated keratometry. Repeatability was assessed by calculating intra-class correlation coefficient. Results: Thirty-three patients with dry eye syndrome and 40 healthy controls were enrolled to the study. The groups were similar in terms of age (39 [18-65] vs. 30.5 [18-65] years, p=0.198 and gender (M/F: 4/29 vs. 8/32, p=0.366. Intra-class correlation coefficients among all topography parameters within both groups showed excellent repeatability (>0.90. Conclusion: The anterior segment measurements provided by the Sirius corneal topography system were highly repeatable for dry eye patients and are sufficiently reliable for clinical practice and research.

Does Dry Eye Affect Repeatability of Corneal Topography Measurements?

Science.gov (United States)

Doğan, Aysun Şanal; Gürdal, Canan; Köylü, Mehmet Talay

2018-04-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the repeatability of corneal topography measurements in dry eye patients and healthy controls. Participants underwent consecutive corneal topography measurements (Sirius; Costruzione Strumenti Oftalmici, Florence, Italy). Two images with acquisition quality higher than 90% were accepted. The following parameters were evaluated: minimum and central corneal thickness, aqueous depth, apex curvature, anterior chamber volume, horizontal anterior chamber diameter, iridocorneal angle, cornea volume, and average simulated keratometry. Repeatability was assessed by calculating intra-class correlation coefficient. Thirty-three patients with dry eye syndrome and 40 healthy controls were enrolled to the study. The groups were similar in terms of age (39 [18-65] vs. 30.5 [18-65] years, p=0.198) and gender (M/F: 4/29 vs. 8/32, p=0.366). Intra-class correlation coefficients among all topography parameters within both groups showed excellent repeatability (>0.90). The anterior segment measurements provided by the Sirius corneal topography system were highly repeatable for dry eye patients and are sufficiently reliable for clinical practice and research.

Hysteresis of magnetostructural transitions: Repeatable and non-repeatable processes

Science.gov (United States)

Provenzano, Virgil; Della Torre, Edward; Bennett, Lawrence H.; ElBidweihy, Hatem

2014-02-01

The Gd5Ge2Si2 alloy and the off-stoichiometric Ni50Mn35In15 Heusler alloy belong to a special class of metallic materials that exhibit first-order magnetostructural transitions near room temperature. The magnetic properties of this class of materials have been extensively studied due to their interesting magnetic behavior and their potential for a number of technological applications such as refrigerants for near-room-temperature magnetic refrigeration. The thermally driven first-order transitions in these materials can be field-induced in the reverse order by applying a strong enough field. The field-induced transitions are typically accompanied by the presence of large magnetic hysteresis, the characteristics of which are a complicated function of temperature, field, and magneto-thermal history. In this study we show that the virgin curve, the major loop, and sequentially measured MH loops are the results of both repeatable and non-repeatable processes, in which the starting magnetostructural state, prior to the cycling of field, plays a major role. Using the Gd5Ge2Si2 and Ni50Mn35In15 alloys, as model materials, we show that a starting single phase state results in fully repeatable processes and large magnetic hysteresis, whereas a mixed phase starting state results in non-repeatable processes and smaller hysteresis.

Hysteresis of magnetostructural transitions: Repeatable and non-repeatable processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Provenzano, Virgil; Della Torre, Edward; Bennett, Lawrence H.; ElBidweihy, Hatem

2014-01-01

The Gd 5 Ge 2 Si 2 alloy and the off-stoichiometric Ni 50 Mn 35 In 15 Heusler alloy belong to a special class of metallic materials that exhibit first-order magnetostructural transitions near room temperature. The magnetic properties of this class of materials have been extensively studied due to their interesting magnetic behavior and their potential for a number of technological applications such as refrigerants for near-room-temperature magnetic refrigeration. The thermally driven first-order transitions in these materials can be field-induced in the reverse order by applying a strong enough field. The field-induced transitions are typically accompanied by the presence of large magnetic hysteresis, the characteristics of which are a complicated function of temperature, field, and magneto-thermal history. In this study we show that the virgin curve, the major loop, and sequentially measured MH loops are the results of both repeatable and non-repeatable processes, in which the starting magnetostructural state, prior to the cycling of field, plays a major role. Using the Gd 5 Ge 2 Si 2 and Ni 50 Mn 35 In 15 alloys, as model materials, we show that a starting single phase state results in fully repeatable processes and large magnetic hysteresis, whereas a mixed phase starting state results in non-repeatable processes and smaller hysteresis

Revisiting the TALE repeat.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Dong; Yan, Chuangye; Wu, Jianping; Pan, Xiaojing; Yan, Nieng

2014-04-01

Transcription activator-like (TAL) effectors specifically bind to double stranded (ds) DNA through a central domain of tandem repeats. Each TAL effector (TALE) repeat comprises 33-35 amino acids and recognizes one specific DNA base through a highly variable residue at a fixed position in the repeat. Structural studies have revealed the molecular basis of DNA recognition by TALE repeats. Examination of the overall structure reveals that the basic building block of TALE protein, namely a helical hairpin, is one-helix shifted from the previously defined TALE motif. Here we wish to suggest a structure-based re-demarcation of the TALE repeat which starts with the residues that bind to the DNA backbone phosphate and concludes with the base-recognition hyper-variable residue. This new numbering system is consistent with the α-solenoid superfamily to which TALE belongs, and reflects the structural integrity of TAL effectors. In addition, it confers integral number of TALE repeats that matches the number of bound DNA bases. We then present fifteen crystal structures of engineered dHax3 variants in complex with target DNA molecules, which elucidate the structural basis for the recognition of bases adenine (A) and guanine (G) by reported or uncharacterized TALE codes. Finally, we analyzed the sequence-structure correlation of the amino acid residues within a TALE repeat. The structural analyses reported here may advance the mechanistic understanding of TALE proteins and facilitate the design of TALEN with improved affinity and specificity.

Y-Chromosome short tandem repeat, typing technology, locus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aghomotsegin

2015-07-08

Jul 8, 2015 ... Y-Chromosome short tandem repeat, typing technology, locus information and allele frequency in different population: A review. Muhanned Abdulhasan Kareem1, Ameera Omran Hussein2 and Imad Hadi Hameed2*. 1Babylon University, Centre of Environmental Research, Hilla City, Iraq. 2Department of ...

HESS Opinions: Repeatable research: what hydrologistscan learn from the Duke cancer research scandal

Science.gov (United States)

Fienen, Michael; Bakker, Mark

2016-01-01

In the past decade, difficulties encountered in reproducing the results of a cancer study at Duke University resulted in a scandal and an investigation which concluded that tools used for data management, analysis, and modeling were inappropriate for the documentation of the study, let alone the reproduction of the results. New protocols were developed which require that data analysis and modeling be carried out with scripts that can be used to reproduce the results and are a record of all decisions and interpretations made during an analysis or a modeling effort. In the hydrological sciences, we face similar challenges and need to develop similar standards for transparency and repeatability of results. A promising route is to start making use of open-source languages (such as R and Python) to write scripts and to use collaborative coding environments (such as Git) to share our codes for inspection and use by the hydrological community. An important side-benefit to adopting such protocols is consistency and efficiency among collaborators.

All-photonic quantum repeaters

Science.gov (United States)

Azuma, Koji; Tamaki, Kiyoshi; Lo, Hoi-Kwong

2015-01-01

Quantum communication holds promise for unconditionally secure transmission of secret messages and faithful transfer of unknown quantum states. Photons appear to be the medium of choice for quantum communication. Owing to photon losses, robust quantum communication over long lossy channels requires quantum repeaters. It is widely believed that a necessary and highly demanding requirement for quantum repeaters is the existence of matter quantum memories. Here we show that such a requirement is, in fact, unnecessary by introducing the concept of all-photonic quantum repeaters based on flying qubits. In particular, we present a protocol based on photonic cluster-state machine guns and a loss-tolerant measurement equipped with local high-speed active feedforwards. We show that, with such all-photonic quantum repeaters, the communication efficiency scales polynomially with the channel distance. Our result paves a new route towards quantum repeaters with efficient single-photon sources rather than matter quantum memories. PMID:25873153

Association of aromatase (TTTA)n repeat polymorphisms with central precocious puberty in girls.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hae Sang; Kim, Kyung Hee; Hwang, Jin Soon

2014-09-01

Precocious puberty is characterized by early activation of the pituitary-gonadal axis. Oestrogen is the final key factor to start the onset of puberty. The cytochrome P450 19A1 (CYP19A1) gene encodes an aromatase that is responsible for the conversion of androgens to oestrogen, which is a key step in oestrogen biosynthesis. The aim of this study was to identify CYP19A1 gene mutations or polymorphisms in girls with central precocious puberty (CPP). We evaluated the frequency of allelic variants of the CYP19A1 exons and the tetranucleotide tandem repeat (TTTA)n in intron 4 in 203 idiopathic central precocious puberty (CPP) girls and 101 normal healthy women. The genotype analysis of the CYP19A1 (TTTA)n polymorphism revealed six different alleles ranging from seven to 13 repeats. Among the six different repeat alleles detected in this study, the (TTTA)₁₃ repeat allele was only detected in the patient group and carriers of the (TTTA)₁₃ allele were significantly associated with an increased risk of CPP (OR = 1·509, 95% CI = 1·425-1·598, P = 0·033). Carriers of the (TTTA)₁₃ repeat allele were significantly younger at pubertal onset and had higher levels of oestrogen than noncarriers of the (TTTA)₁₃ repeat allele. Although nine polymorphisms were detected in exons of the CYP19A1 gene, no clinical significance was observed. In this study, carriers of a higher repeat (TTTA)₁₃ polymorphism in intron 4 of the CYP19A1 gene had higher levels of oestrogen. Those carrying the (TTTA)₁₃ repeat allele may have a higher risk of developing CPP. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Antipsychotic Selection for Acute Agitation and Time to Repeat Use in a Psychiatric Emergency Department.

Science.gov (United States)

Gomez, Seth; Dopheide, Julie

2016-11-01

Early recognition and treatment of agitated patients is essential to avoid violence in the psychiatric emergency department (ED). Antipsychotics have established efficacy in managing agitation, yet little is known about how the choice of initial antipsychotic impacts time to repeat use and length of stay (LOS) in the psychiatric ED. To describe the impact of initial antipsychotic selection on time to repeat use and LOS in the psychiatric ED. A chart review identified 388 cases in which patients were administered an antipsychotic for agitation in the psychiatric ED between July 1 and August 31, 2014. Time to repeat use and LOS were compared for intramuscular (IM) haloperidol, other IM antipsychotics, and oral second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) using the Kruskal-Wallis or Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test. Of the 388 cases, 31% (n=122) required repeat medications. Mean time to repeat use for IM haloperidol was 20.1±18.4 hours, which was not significantly different from mean time to repeat use in the groups receiving other IM antipsychotics or oral SGAs (P=0.35). The mean LOS was 29.7±28.7 hours for IM haloperidol, 30.3±36.9 hours for other IM antipsychotics, and 22.6±28.0 hours for oral SGAs. Significant differences in LOS between repeat and nonrepeat users of IM haloperidol and other IM antipsychotics were observed, but not among those who received oral SGAs. Mean time to repeat use ranged from 14 to 20 hours with IM haloperidol, other IM antipsychotics, and oral SGAs without significant differences in time to repeat use in the 3 different groups. Repeat users of IM antipsychotics had a significantly longer LOS in the ED compared with nonrepeat users of IM antipsychotics. However, patients who were initially administered oral SGAs did not have longer LOS in the ED even if a repeat dose was given.

The early research and development of ebselen.

Science.gov (United States)

Parnham, Michael J; Sies, Helmut

2013-11-01

Ebselen (2-phenyl-1,2-benzisoselenazol-3(2H)-one; PZ-51, DR-3305), is an organoselenium compound with glutathione peroxidase (GPx)-like, thiol-dependent, hydroperoxide reducing activity. As an enzyme mimic for activity of the selenoenzyme GPx, this compound has proved to be highly useful in research on mechanisms in redox biology. Furthermore, the reactivity of ebselen with protein thiols has helped to identify novel, selective targets for inhibitory actions on several enzymes of importance in pharmacology and toxicology. Importantly, the selenium in ebselen is not released and thus is not bioavailable, ebselen metabolites being excreted in bile and urine. As a consequence, initial concerns about selenium toxicity, fortunately, were unfounded. Potential applications in medical settings have been explored, notably in brain ischemia and stroke. More recently, there has been a surge in interest as new medical applications have been taken into consideration. The first publication on the biochemical effects of ebselen appeared 30 years ago (Müller et al.), which prompted the authors to retrace the early development from their perspective. It is a fascinating example of fruitful interaction between research-oriented industry and academia. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Research advances in indicators for early diagnosis of liver cirrhosis patients with renal impairment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LU Lifang

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The liver is closely associated with the kidney, and liver injury in various stages can cause various kidney diseases to varying degrees, which further lead to renal impairment. Such renal impairment in the early stage is often functional and can be reversed by drugs, otherwise it can progress to hepatorenal syndrome, cause acute renal failure, and even threaten human life. The indicators such as serum creatinine and urea nitrogen have a limited effect in the early diagnosis of renal impairment and cannot be used for early monitoring and diagnosis of liver cirrhosis patients with renal impairment. Therefore, early monitoring of liver cirrhosis patients with renal impairment has always been a hot topic in this field. This article summarizes the research advances in the indicators for early diagnosis of renal impairment.

Moderation and Mediation in Structural Equation Modeling: Applications for Early Intervention Research

Science.gov (United States)

Hopwood, Christopher J.

2007-01-01

Second-generation early intervention research typically involves the specification of multivariate relations between interventions, outcomes, and other variables. Moderation and mediation involve variables or sets of variables that influence relations between interventions and outcomes. Following the framework of Baron and Kenny's (1986) seminal…

Reduplication Facilitates Early Word Segmentation

Science.gov (United States)

Ota, Mitsuhiko; Skarabela, Barbora

2018-01-01

This study explores the possibility that early word segmentation is aided by infants' tendency to segment words with repeated syllables ("reduplication"). Twenty-four nine-month-olds were familiarized with passages containing one novel reduplicated word and one novel non-reduplicated word. Their central fixation times in response to…

College in the Media: The Relationship between Repeated Exposure and College Expectations

Science.gov (United States)

Nuñez, Roland

2018-01-01

Media consumption can influence viewer perceptions and attitudes. Recent research on media's effect on college students has failed to address gender differences. Using Mere Repeated Exposure Theory (traditionally used in marketing research), this study aims to answer three research questions regarding college media consumption and college…

Intermediality in early cinema studies: An interrogation of a widely used concept for research practice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dellmann, S.; Ruppin, D.; de Zwaan, K.

2012-01-01

The authors discuss the concept of intermediality for research in early cinema. After a general introduction to intermediality as research problem in media studies, the question is raised whether the concept of intermediality can be used in diachronic research designs and for media studies that deal

First-time versus repeat visitors at the Kruger National Park

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martinette Kruger

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The aim of this research is to segment visitors at the Kruger National Park based on the frequency of visitation in order to distinguish between first-time and repeat park visitors. Problem investigated: The Kruger National Park (KNP in South Africa is one of the world’s most renowned wildlife reserves. The KNP is in great demand because it is regarded as anall-inclusive holiday destination that provides tourists with a unique nature and leisure experience. As a result, the park attracts over one million visitors per annum and is one of the top five international tourist destinations in the country. For the KNP to sustain its visitor numbers, park managers should realise that both first-time and repeat visitor groups play a fundamental role in the overall competitiveness and success of the park, and they should strive to achieve a balance between first-time and repeat visitors. Therefore, the park management should know which attributes of the park attract first-time visitors group and which attract repeat visitors. Design and methodology and approach: A research survey was done at various rest camps inthe KNP from 26 December 2010 to 03 January 2011; a total of 436 visitor questionnaires were completed. Two-way frequency tables and chi-square tests as well as analysis of variance and Tukey’s multiple comparisons were used to analyse the data and segment first-time and repeat visitors based on socio-demographics and behavioural characteristics as well as travel motivations. Findings and implications: The results indicated that first-time visitors are long-haul visitors, are younger and pay for fewer people whilst repeat visitors are mainly motivated by escape and plan their trips well in advance. These differences indicate that the KNP should follow a two pronged marketing approach aimed at both visitor markets. This would greatly contribute to the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of the KNP.

The DREME Network: Research and Interventions in Early Childhood Mathematics.

Science.gov (United States)

Day-Hess, Crystal; Clements, Douglas H

2017-01-01

The DREME Network was created to advance the field of early mathematics research and improves the opportunities to develop math competencies offered to children birth through age 8 years, with an emphasis on the preschool years. All four main Network projects will have implications for interventions. Section 1 introduces the Network and its four projects. The remainder of the chapter focuses on one of these four projects, Making More of Math (MMM), in depth. MMM is directly developing an intervention for children, based on selecting high-quality instructional activities culled from the burgeoning curriculum resources. We first report a review of 457 activities from 6 research-based curricula, which describes the number of activities by content focus, type (nature), and setting of each activity. Given the interest in higher-order thinking skills and self-regulation, we then identified activities that had the potential to, develop both mathematics and executive function (EF) proficiencies. We rated these, selecting the top 10 for extensive coding by mathematics content and EF processes addressed. We find a wide divergence across curricula in all these categories and provide comprehensive reports for those interested in selecting, using, or developing early mathematics curricula. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Pragmatic Approach to Getting Published: 35 Tips for Early Career Researchers

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Glover, N. M.; Antoniadi, I.; George, G. M.; Götzenberger, Lars; Gutzat, R.; Koorem, K.; Liancourt, Pierre; Rutkowicz, K.; Saharan, K.; You, W.; Mayer, P.

2016-01-01

Roč. 7, 09 May (2016), s. 1-7, č. článku 610. ISSN 1664-462X EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 267243 Institutional support: RVO:67985939 Keywords : publishing * early career researcher * collaboration Subject RIV: EF - Botanics Impact factor: 4.298, year: 2016

A Network-Based Algorithm for Clustering Multivariate Repeated Measures Data

Science.gov (United States)

Koslovsky, Matthew; Arellano, John; Schaefer, Caroline; Feiveson, Alan; Young, Millennia; Lee, Stuart

2017-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Astronaut Corps is a unique occupational cohort for which vast amounts of measures data have been collected repeatedly in research or operational studies pre-, in-, and post-flight, as well as during multiple clinical care visits. In exploratory analyses aimed at generating hypotheses regarding physiological changes associated with spaceflight exposure, such as impaired vision, it is of interest to identify anomalies and trends across these expansive datasets. Multivariate clustering algorithms for repeated measures data may help parse the data to identify homogeneous groups of astronauts that have higher risks for a particular physiological change. However, available clustering methods may not be able to accommodate the complex data structures found in NASA data, since the methods often rely on strict model assumptions, require equally-spaced and balanced assessment times, cannot accommodate missing data or differing time scales across variables, and cannot process continuous and discrete data simultaneously. To fill this gap, we propose a network-based, multivariate clustering algorithm for repeated measures data that can be tailored to fit various research settings. Using simulated data, we demonstrate how our method can be used to identify patterns in complex data structures found in practice.

78 FR 65594 - Vehicular Repeaters

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-01

... coordinators estimate the effect on coordination fees? Does the supposed benefit that mobile repeater stations... allow the licensing and operation of vehicular repeater systems and other mobile repeaters by public... email: [email protected] or phone: 202-418- 0530 or TTY: 202-418-0432. For detailed instructions for...

The relevance of the school socioeconomic composition and school proportion of repeaters on grade repetition in Brazil: a multilevel logistic model of PISA 2012

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Eugénia Ferrão

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract The paper extends the literature on grade repetition in Brazil by (a describing and synthesizing the main research findings and contributions since 1940, (b enlarging the understanding of the inequity mechanism in education, and (c providing new findings on the effects of the school socioeconomic composition and school proportion of repeaters on the individual probability of grade repetition. Based on the analyses of empirical distributions and multilevel logistic modelling of PISA 2012 data, the findings indicate that higher student socioeconomic status is associated with lower probability of repetition, there is a cumulative risk of repetition after an early repetition, the school socioeconomic composition is strongly correlated with the school proportion of repeaters, and both are related to the individual probability of repetition. The results suggest the existence of a pattern that cumulatively reinforces the effects of social disadvantage, in which the school plays a central role.

Tevatron serial data repeater system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ducar, R.J.

1981-01-01

A ten megabit per second serial data repeater system has been developed for the 6.28km Tevatron accelerator. The repeaters are positioned at each of the thirty service buildings and accommodate control and abort system communications as well as distribution of the Tevatron time and energy clocks. The repeaters are transparent to the particular protocol of the transmissions. Serial data are encoded locally as unipolar two volt signals employing the self-clocking Manchester Bi-Phase code. The repeaters modulate the local signals to low-power bursts of 50 MHz rf carrier for the 260m transmission between service buildings. The repeaters also demodulate the transmission and restructure the data for local utilization. The employment of frequency discrimination techniques yields high immunity to the characteristic noise spectrum

Legitimation for Early and Rapid Internationalization: A Review of Research in International Entrepreneurship

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laine, Igor; Kuivalainen, Olli; Marinova, Svetla Trifonova

In this paper we respond to Cavusgil and Knight’s call for future research to address the question of born global firms overcome inherent liabilities to achieve legitimacy in foreign markets. To contribute to this call, we have systematically reviewed the extant international entrepreneurship...... literature. By analyzing existing evidence on building organizational legitimacy by early and rapidly internationalizing firms, our review helps to understand reasons and underlying mechanisms of successful legitimation of early and rapid internationalization thus ultimately explaining existence...... entrepreneurship....

Film repeats in radiology department

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suwan, A. Z.; Al-Shakharah, A. I

1997-01-01

During a one year period, 4910 radiographs of 55780 films were repeated. The objective of our study was to analyse and to classify the causes in order to minimize the repeats, cut the expenses and to provide optimal radiographs for accurate diagnosis. Analysis of the different factors revealed that, 43.6% of film repeats in our service were due to faults in exposure factors, centering comprises 15.9% of the repeats, while too much collimation was responsible for 7.6% of these repeats. All of which can be decreased by awareness and programmed training of technicians. Film blurring caused by patient motion was also responsible for 4.9% for radiographs reexamination, which can be minimized by detailed explanation to the patient and providing the necessary privacy. Fogging of X-Ray films by improper storage or inadequate handling or processing faults were responsible for 14.5% in repeats in our study. Methods and criteria for proper storage and handling of films were discussed. Recommendation for using modern day-light and laser processor has been high lighted. Artefacts are noticeably high in our cases, due to spinal dresses and frequent usage of precious metals for c osmotic purposes in this part of the world. The repeated films comprise 8.8% of all films We conclude that, the main factor responsible for repeats of up to 81.6% of cases was the technologists, thus emphasizing the importance of adequate training of the technologists. (authors). 15 refs., 9 figs., 1 table

Electrochemical detection of DNA triplet repeat expansion

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Fojta, Miroslav; Havran, Luděk; Vojtíšková, Marie; Paleček, Emil

2004-01-01

Roč. 126, č. 21 (2004), s. 6532-6533 ISSN 0002-7863 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA4004402; GA AV ČR IBS5004355; GA AV ČR KJB4004302; GA AV ČR KSK4055109 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5004920 Keywords : DNA triplet repeat expansion * PCR amplification * neurodegenerative diseases Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 6.903, year: 2004

Repeat migration and disappointment.

Science.gov (United States)

Grant, E K; Vanderkamp, J

1986-01-01

This article investigates the determinants of repeat migration among the 44 regions of Canada, using information from a large micro-database which spans the period 1968 to 1971. The explanation of repeat migration probabilities is a difficult task, and this attempt is only partly successful. May of the explanatory variables are not significant, and the overall explanatory power of the equations is not high. In the area of personal characteristics, the variables related to age, sex, and marital status are generally significant and with expected signs. The distance variable has a strongly positive effect on onward move probabilities. Variables related to prior migration experience have an important impact that differs between return and onward probabilities. In particular, the occurrence of prior moves has a striking effect on the probability of onward migration. The variable representing disappointment, or relative success of the initial move, plays a significant role in explaining repeat migration probabilities. The disappointment variable represents the ratio of actural versus expected wage income in the year after the initial move, and its effect on both repeat migration probabilities is always negative and almost always highly significant. The repeat probabilities diminish after a year's stay in the destination region, but disappointment in the most recent year still has a bearing on the delayed repeat probabilities. While the quantitative impact of the disappointment variable is not large, it is difficult to draw comparisons since similar estimates are not available elsewhere.

Quantum repeated games revisited

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frąckiewicz, Piotr

2012-01-01

We present a scheme for playing quantum repeated 2 × 2 games based on Marinatto and Weber’s approach to quantum games. As a potential application, we study the twice repeated Prisoner’s Dilemma game. We show that results not available in the classical game can be obtained when the game is played in the quantum way. Before we present our idea, we comment on the previous scheme of playing quantum repeated games proposed by Iqbal and Toor. We point out the drawbacks that make their results unacceptable. (paper)

[A case-control study of factors associated with repeat teen pregnancy based on a sample from a university maternity hospital].

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Andréa de Albuquerque Arruda; Coutinho, Isabela C; Katz, Leila; Souza, Alex Sandro Rolland

2013-03-01

Repeat teen pregnancy is a frequent issue and is considered an aggravating factor for increased maternal and fetal morbidity and social problems. The aim of the study was to identify factors associated with repeat teen pregnancy. A case-control study was conducted in 90 postpartum adolescents with more than one pregnancy (cases) and 90 adult women with a history of only one pregnancy during adolescence (controls). Statistical analysis used hierarchical logistic regression with 5% significance. Early sexual initiation (pregnancy (pregnancy, while partner change was inversely associated. Repeat teen pregnancy was mainly associated with reproductive and socioeconomic factors. Partner change appeared as a protective factor. Measures should be adopted during the postpartum period of teenage mothers in order to avoid repeat pregnancy.

Research Disclosure Procedures for the Kamehameha Early Education Project. Technical Report #21.

Science.gov (United States)

Omori, Sharon; And Others

This report describes research disclosure procedures and materials developed for the Kamehameha Early Education Program (KEEP) to fulfill the informed consent principle of the ethical guidelines of the American Psychological Association. A requirement for registration of children in the program is that parents attend one of two disclosure…

Perceived importance of attributes on hotel guests' repeat visit intentions

OpenAIRE

Emir, Oktay; Kozak, Metin

2011-01-01

Based on the empirical evidence in the related literature, we can emphasize that customer satisfaction and repeat patronage in the hotel industry has been well researched. Over the past two decades, many researchers as well as businesses have conducted surveys on visitors' satisfaction in order to measure customer perceptions of quality attributes of hotel or hospitality services. However, there is a lack of research paying attention to the empirical investigation of the self-perceived direct...

Research project management 101: insiders' tips from Early Career Scientists

Science.gov (United States)

Cristini, Luisa; Pabortsava, Katsiaryna; Stichel, Torben

2016-04-01

From the very beginning of their career, it is important for Early Career Scientists (ECS) to develop project management skills to be able to organise their research efficiently. ECS are often in charge of specific tasks within their projects or for their teams. However, without specific training or tools, the successful completion of these assignments will depend entirely on the organisational skills of individual researchers. ECS are thus facing "sink-or-swim" situations, which can be either instructive or disastrous for their projects. Here we provide experience-based tips from fellow ECS that can help manage various project activities, including: 1. Communication with supervisors and peers 2. Lab management 3. Field trips (e.g., oceanographic campaigns) 4. Internships and collaborations with other institutions 5. Literature/background research 6. Conference convening These are potential "life buoys" for ECS, which will help them to carry out these tasks efficiently and successfully.

Time-lapse seismic - repeatability versus usefulness and 2D versus 3D

Science.gov (United States)

Landro, M.

2017-12-01

Time-lapse seismic has developed rapidly over the past decades, especially for monitoring of oil and gas reservoirs and subsurface storage of CO2. I will review and discuss some of the critical enabling factors for the commercial success of this technology. It was early realized that how well we are able to repeat our seismic experiment is crucial. However, it is always a question of detectability versus repeatability. For marine seismic, there are several factors limiting the repeatability: Weather conditions, positioning of sources and receivers and so on. I will discuss recent improvements in both acquisition and processing methods over the last decade. It is well known that repeated 3D seismic data is the most accurate tool for reservoir monitoring purposes. However, several examples show that 2D seismic data may be used for monitoring purposes despite lower repeatability. I will use examples from an underground blow out in the North Sea, and repeated 2D seismic lines acquired before and after the Tohoku earthquake in 2011 to illustrate this. A major challenge when using repeated 2D seismic for subsurface monitoring purposes is the lack of 3D calibration points and significantly less amount of data. For marine seismic acquisition, feathering issues and crossline dip effects become more critical compared to 3D seismic acquisition. Furthermore, the uncertainties arising from a non-ideal 2D seismic acquisition are hard to assess, since the 3D subsurface geometry has not been mapped. One way to shed more light on this challenge is to use 3D time lapse seismic modeling testing various crossline dips or geometries. Other ways are to use alternative data sources, such as bathymetry, time lapse gravity or electromagnetic data. The end result for all time-lapse monitoring projects is an interpretation associated with uncertainties, and for the 2D case these uncertainties are often large. The purpose of this talk is to discuss how to reduces and control these

PeakSeeker: a program for interpreting genotypes of mononucleotide repeats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salipante Stephen J

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mononucleotide repeat microsatellites are abundant, highly polymorphic DNA sequences, having the potential to serve as valuable genetic markers. Use of mononucleotide microsatellites has been limited by their tendency to produce "stutter", confounding signals from insertions and deletions within the mononucleotide tract that occur during PCR, which complicates interpretation of genotypes by masking the true position of alleles. Consequently, microsatellites with larger repeating subunits (dinucleotide and trinucleotide motifs are used, which produce less stutter but are less genetically heterogeneous and less informative. A method to interpret the genotypes of mononucleotide repeats would permit the widespread use of those highly informative microsatellites in genetic research. Findings We have developed an approach to interpret genotypes of mononucleotide repeats using a software program, named PeakSeeker. PeakSeeker interprets experimental electropherograms as the most likely product of signals from individual alleles. Because mononucleotide tracts demonstrate locus-specific patterns of stutter peaks, this approach requires that the genotype pattern from a single allele is defined for each marker, which can be approximated by genotyping single DNA molecules or homozygotes. We have evaluated the program's ability to discriminate various types of homozygous and heterozygous mononucleotide loci using simulated and experimental data. Conclusion Mononucleotide tracts offer significant advantages over di- and tri-nucleotide microsatellite markers traditionally employed in genetic research. The PeakSeeker algorithm provides a high-throughput means to type mononucleotide tracts using conventional and widely implemented fragment length polymorphism genotyping. Furthermore, the PeakSeeker algorithm could potentially be adapted to improve, and perhaps to standardize, the analysis of conventional microsatellite genotypes.

Non-repeatable science: assessing the frequency of voucher specimen deposition reveals that most arthropod research cannot be verified

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shaun Turney

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Scientific findings need to be verifiable and grounded in repeatability. With specimen-level research this is in part achieved with the deposition of voucher specimens. These are labeled, curated, data-based specimens that have been deposited in a collection or museum, available for verification of the work and to ensure researchers are calling the same taxa by the same names. Voucher specimens themselves are the subject of research, from the discovery of new species by taxonomists to ecologists documenting historical records of invasive species. Our objective was to quantify the frequency of voucher specimen deposition in biodiversity and community ecology research through a survey of the peer-reviewed literature about arthropods, from 1989 until 2014. Overall rates of voucher deposition were alarmingly low, at under 25%. This rate increased significantly over time, with 35% of papers reporting on vouchers in 2014. Relative to the global mean, entomological research had a significantly higher rate of voucher deposition (46%, whereas researchers studying crustaceans deposited vouchers less than 6% of the time, significantly less than the mean. Researchers working in museums had a significantly higher frequency of voucher deposition. Our results suggest a significant culture shift about the process of vouchering specimens is required. There must be more education and mentoring about voucher specimens within laboratories and across different fields of study. Principal investigators and granting agencies need a proactive approach to ensuring specimen-level data are properly, long-term curated. Editorial boards and journals can also adopt policies to ensure papers are published only if explicit statements about the deposition of voucher specimens is provided. Although the gap is significant, achieving a higher rate of voucher specimen deposition is a worthy goal to ensure all research efforts are preserved for future generations.

Non-repeatable science: assessing the frequency of voucher specimen deposition reveals that most arthropod research cannot be verified.

Science.gov (United States)

Turney, Shaun; Cameron, Elyssa R; Cloutier, Christopher A; Buddle, Christopher M

2015-01-01

Scientific findings need to be verifiable and grounded in repeatability. With specimen-level research this is in part achieved with the deposition of voucher specimens. These are labeled, curated, data-based specimens that have been deposited in a collection or museum, available for verification of the work and to ensure researchers are calling the same taxa by the same names. Voucher specimens themselves are the subject of research, from the discovery of new species by taxonomists to ecologists documenting historical records of invasive species. Our objective was to quantify the frequency of voucher specimen deposition in biodiversity and community ecology research through a survey of the peer-reviewed literature about arthropods, from 1989 until 2014. Overall rates of voucher deposition were alarmingly low, at under 25%. This rate increased significantly over time, with 35% of papers reporting on vouchers in 2014. Relative to the global mean, entomological research had a significantly higher rate of voucher deposition (46%), whereas researchers studying crustaceans deposited vouchers less than 6% of the time, significantly less than the mean. Researchers working in museums had a significantly higher frequency of voucher deposition. Our results suggest a significant culture shift about the process of vouchering specimens is required. There must be more education and mentoring about voucher specimens within laboratories and across different fields of study. Principal investigators and granting agencies need a proactive approach to ensuring specimen-level data are properly, long-term curated. Editorial boards and journals can also adopt policies to ensure papers are published only if explicit statements about the deposition of voucher specimens is provided. Although the gap is significant, achieving a higher rate of voucher specimen deposition is a worthy goal to ensure all research efforts are preserved for future generations.

Evaluation of New Methodology for Health Hazard Assessment of Repeated Shock in Military Tactical Ground Vehicles

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Alem, Nabih; Hiltz, Ernest; Breaux-Sims, Arlene; Bumgardner, Bradley

2004-01-01

.... The research culminated with the development of a new HHA method for repeated jolt that is tailored for TGVs but is valid for most vehicles where the seated occupant is exposed to repeated (multiple) low-level shocks (jolt...

Temporal Alcohol Availability Predicts First-Time Drunk Driving, but Not Repeat Offending

OpenAIRE

Schofield, Timothy P.; Denson, Thomas F.

2013-01-01

Alcohol availability has been linked to drunk driving, but research has not examined whether this relationship is the same for first-time and repeat offenses. We examined the relationship between the business hours of alcohol outlets licensed to serve alcohol for on-premises consumption and misdemeanor-level (first offense) and felony-level drunk driving (repeat offense) charges in New York State in 2009. Longer outlet business hours were associated with more misdemeanor drunk driving charges...

Integrated and Early Childhood Education: Preparation for Social Development. Theme A: Relevant Provision for Early Childhood.

Science.gov (United States)

Axton, J. H. M.

Factors which influence child development are listed and briefly discussed. These factors are (1) mother's childhood, (2) mother's age, (3) care during pregnancy and delivery, (4) early neonatal factors, (5) birth interval, (6) effect of repeated infection and malnutrition on brain growth and intellectual development, and (7) home environment. The…

Repeatability of visual acuity measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

Raasch, T W; Bailey, I L; Bullimore, M A

1998-05-01

This study investigates features of visual acuity chart design and acuity testing scoring methods which affect the validity and repeatability of visual acuity measurements. Visual acuity was measured using the Sloan and British Standard letter series, and Landolt rings. Identifiability of the different letters as a function of size was estimated, and expressed in the form of frequency-of-seeing curves. These functions were then used to simulate acuity measurements with a variety of chart designs and scoring criteria. Systematic relationships exist between chart design parameters and acuity score, and acuity score repeatability. In particular, an important feature of a chart, that largely determines the repeatability of visual acuity measurement, is the amount of size change attributed to each letter. The methods used to score visual acuity performance also affect repeatability. It is possible to evaluate acuity score validity and repeatability using the statistical principles discussed here.

Statistical controversies in clinical research: early-phase adaptive design for combination immunotherapies.

Science.gov (United States)

Wages, N A; Slingluff, C L; Petroni, G R

2017-04-01

In recent years, investigators have asserted that the 3 + 3 design lacks flexibility, making its use in modern early-phase trial settings, such as combinations and/or biological agents, inefficient. More innovative approaches are required to address contemporary research questions, such as those posed in trials involving immunotherapies. We describe the implementation of an adaptive design for identifying an optimal treatment regimen, defined by low toxicity and high immune response, in an early-phase trial of a melanoma helper peptide vaccine plus novel adjuvant combinations. Operating characteristics demonstrate the ability of the method to effectively recommend optimal regimens in a high percentage of trials with reasonable sample sizes. The proposed design is a practical, early-phase, adaptive method for use with combined immunotherapy regimens. This design can be applied more broadly to early-phase combination studies, as it was used in an ongoing study of two small molecule inhibitors in relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

An Evaluation of the Research Evidence on the Early Start Denver Model

Science.gov (United States)

Baril, Erika M.; Humphreys, Betsy P.

2017-01-01

The Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) has been gaining popularity as a comprehensive treatment model for children ages 12 to 60 months with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This article evaluates the research on the ESDM through an analysis of study design and purpose; child participants; setting, intervention agents, and context; density and…

Progress in Early Childhood Caries and Opportunities in Research, Policy, and Clinical Management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Garcia, Raul; Borrelli, Belinda; Dhar, Vineet

2015-01-01

The 2014 Early Childhood Caries Conference encompassed evidence-based reviews on the state of the science regarding early childhood carries (ECC) epidemiology, etiology, prevention, and disease management. The purpose of this paper was to discuss the work presented at the conference and identify...... means to prevent and manage ECC. Analyses of studies indicate that some approaches, such as chlorhexidine, iodine, and remineralizing agents, have not shown consistent findings in preventing ECC. However, evidence exists to yield recommendations in some areas. There are useful risk assessment indicators...... opportunities in research, policy, and clinical management that may improve early childhood caries outcomes and lower costs of care. While great progress has been made since the 1997 ECC Conference, there remains a paucity of high-quality evidence from randomized controlled trials on what are the most effective...

Early Taste Experiences and Later Food Choices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valentina De Cosmi

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Background. Nutrition in early life is increasingly considered to be an important factor influencing later health. Food preferences are formed in infancy, are tracked into childhood and beyond, and complementary feeding practices are crucial to prevent obesity later in life. Methods. Through a literature search strategy, we have investigated the role of breastfeeding, of complementary feeding, and the parental and sociocultural factors which contribute to set food preferences early in life. Results. Children are predisposed to prefer high-energy, -sugar, and -salt foods, and in pre-school age to reject new foods (food neophobia. While genetically determined individual differences exist, repeated offering of foods can modify innate preferences. Conclusions. Starting in the prenatal period, a varied exposure through amniotic fluid and repeated experiences with novel flavors during breastfeeding and complementary feeding increase children’s willingness to try new foods within a positive social environment.

Alanine repeats influence protein localization in splicing speckles and paraspeckles.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Shuo-Hsiu; Chang, Wei-Lun; Lu, Chia-Chen; Tarn, Woan-Yuh

2014-12-16

Mammalian splicing regulatory protein RNA-binding motif protein 4 (RBM4) has an alanine repeat-containing C-terminal domain (CAD) that confers both nuclear- and splicing speckle-targeting activities. Alanine-repeat expansion has pathological potential. Here we show that the alanine-repeat tracts influence the subnuclear targeting properties of the RBM4 CAD in cultured human cells. Notably, truncation of the alanine tracts redistributed a portion of RBM4 to paraspeckles. The alanine-deficient CAD was sufficient for paraspeckle targeting. On the other hand, alanine-repeat expansion reduced the mobility of RBM4 and impaired its splicing activity. We further took advantage of the putative coactivator activator (CoAA)-RBM4 conjoined splicing factor, CoAZ, to investigate the function of the CAD in subnuclear targeting. Transiently expressed CoAZ formed discrete nuclear foci that emerged and subsequently separated-fully or partially-from paraspeckles. Alanine-repeat expansion appeared to prevent CoAZ separation from paraspeckles, resulting in their complete colocalization. CoAZ foci were dynamic but, unlike paraspeckles, were resistant to RNase treatment. Our results indicate that the alanine-rich CAD, in conjunction with its conjoined RNA-binding domain(s), differentially influences the subnuclear localization and biogenesis of RBM4 and CoAZ. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Repeat-aware modeling and correction of short read errors.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xiao; Aluru, Srinivas; Dorman, Karin S

2011-02-15

High-throughput short read sequencing is revolutionizing genomics and systems biology research by enabling cost-effective deep coverage sequencing of genomes and transcriptomes. Error detection and correction are crucial to many short read sequencing applications including de novo genome sequencing, genome resequencing, and digital gene expression analysis. Short read error detection is typically carried out by counting the observed frequencies of kmers in reads and validating those with frequencies exceeding a threshold. In case of genomes with high repeat content, an erroneous kmer may be frequently observed if it has few nucleotide differences with valid kmers with multiple occurrences in the genome. Error detection and correction were mostly applied to genomes with low repeat content and this remains a challenging problem for genomes with high repeat content. We develop a statistical model and a computational method for error detection and correction in the presence of genomic repeats. We propose a method to infer genomic frequencies of kmers from their observed frequencies by analyzing the misread relationships among observed kmers. We also propose a method to estimate the threshold useful for validating kmers whose estimated genomic frequency exceeds the threshold. We demonstrate that superior error detection is achieved using these methods. Furthermore, we break away from the common assumption of uniformly distributed errors within a read, and provide a framework to model position-dependent error occurrence frequencies common to many short read platforms. Lastly, we achieve better error correction in genomes with high repeat content. The software is implemented in C++ and is freely available under GNU GPL3 license and Boost Software V1.0 license at "http://aluru-sun.ece.iastate.edu/doku.php?id = redeem". We introduce a statistical framework to model sequencing errors in next-generation reads, which led to promising results in detecting and correcting errors

Low-Normal FMR1 CGG Repeat Length: Phenotypic Associations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marsha eMailick

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This population-based study investigates genotype-phenotype correlations of low-normal CGG repeats in the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1 gene. FMR1 plays an important role in brain development and function, and encodes FMRP (fragile X mental retardation protein, an RNA-binding protein that regulates protein synthesis impacting activity-dependent synaptic development and plasticity. Most past research has focused on CGG premutation expansions (41 to 200 CGG repeats and on fragile X syndrome (200+ CGG repeats, with considerably less attention on the other end of the spectrum of CGG repeats. Using existing data, older adults with 23 or fewer CGG repeats (2 SDs below the mean were compared with age-peers who have normal numbers of CGGs (24-40 with respect to cognition, mental health, cancer, and having children with disabilities. Men (n = 341 with an allele in the low-normal range and women (n = 46 with two low-normal alleles had significantly more difficulty with their memory and ability to solve day to day problems. Women with both FMR1 alleles in the low-normal category had significantly elevated odds of feeling that they need to drink more to get the same effect as in the past. These women also had two and one-half times the odds of having had breast cancer and four times the odds of uterine cancer. Men and women with low-normal CGGs had higher odds of having a child with a disability, either a developmental disability or a mental health condition. These findings are in line with the hypothesis that there is a need for tight neuronal homeostatic control mechanisms for optimal cognitive and behavioral functioning, and more generally that low numbers as well as high numbers of CGG repeats may be problematic for health.

Funding opportunities for clinical investigators in the early stages of career development in cardiovascular research

OpenAIRE

Mentz, Robert J.; Becker, Richard C.

2013-01-01

Contemporary cardiovascular research offers junior investigators the opportunity to explore the gamut of biomedical questions. Despite the recent reduction in the availability of funding mechanisms that have historically served as the primary pathways for investigators in the early stages of career development, there remain numerous traditional and non-traditional funding opportunities. This article highlights these opportunities in order to assist early career investigators in the developmen...

Fostering repeat donations in Ghana.

Science.gov (United States)

Owusu-Ofori, S; Asenso-Mensah, K; Boateng, P; Sarkodie, F; Allain, J-P

2010-01-01

Most African countries are challenged in recruiting and retaining voluntary blood donors by cost and other complexities and in establishing and implementing national blood policies. The availability of replacement donors who are a cheaper source of blood has not enhanced repeat voluntary donor initiatives. An overview of activities for recruiting and retaining voluntary blood donors was carried out. Donor records from mobile sessions were reviewed from 2002 to 2008. A total of 71,701 blood donations; 45,515 (63.5%) being voluntary donations with 11,680 (25%) repeat donations were collected during the study period. Donations from schools and colleges contributed a steady 60% of total voluntary whilst radio station blood drives increased contribution from 10 to 27%. Though Muslim population is less than 20%, blood collection was above the 30-donation cost-effectiveness threshold with a repeat donation trend reaching 60%. In contrast Christian worshippers provided donations. Repeat donation trends amongst school donors and radio blood drives were 20% and 70% respectively. Repeat donations rates have been variable amongst different blood donor groups in Kumasi, Ghana. The impact of community leaders in propagating altruism cannot be overemphasized. Programs aiming at motivating replacement donors to be repeat donors should be developed and assessed. Copyright 2009 The International Association for Biologicals. All rights reserved.

Late- versus early-onset geriatric depression in a memory research center

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carol Dillon

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Carol Dillon1, Ricardo F Allegri2, Cecilia M Serrano1, Mónica Iturry1, Pablo Salgado1, Frank B Glaser1, Fernando E Taragano21Memory Research Center, Department of Neurology, Hospital General Abel Zubizarreta, GCBA Buenos Aires, Argentina; 2Department of Neuropsychology (SIREN, CEMIC University, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaObjective: To contrast early-onset (<60 years and late-onset (>60 years depression in geriatric patients by evaluating differences in cognition, vascular comorbidity and sociological risk factors. Both patient groups were compared with normal subjects.Materials and methods: We recruited 76 patients with depressive symptoms (37 late onset and 39 early onset and 17 normal controls matched by age and educational level. All subjects were assessed using a semistructured neuropsychiatric interview and an extensive neuropsychological battery. Vascular and sociological risk factors were also evaluated.Results: We found a significant variation in performance between depressive patients and normal controls in most cognitive functions, especially memory (P < 0.0001, semantic fluency (P < 0.0001, verbal fluency, and digit-symbol (P < 0.0001. Late-onset depression patients scored lower and exhibited more severe impairment in memory domains than early-onset depression patients (P < 0.05. Cholesterol levels and marital status were significantly (P < 0.05 different between the depressive groups. Both depressed groups (early- and lateonset were more inactive than controls (P < 0.05; odds ratio: 6.02.Conclusion: Geriatric depression may be a manifestation of brain degeneration, and the initial symptom of a dementia. It is important to consider this in the treatment of patients that exhibit late-onset depressive symptoms.Keywords: early- and late-onset depression, geriatrics, cognition

Qualitative Shadowing as a Research Methodology for Exploring Early Childhood Leadership in Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Bøe, Marit; Hognestad, Karin; Waniganayake, Manjula

2017-01-01

This article explores qualitative shadowing as an interpretivist methodology, and explains how two researchers participating simultaneously in data collection using a video recorder, contextual interviews and video-stimulated recall interviews, conducted a qualitative shadowing study at six early childhood centres in Norway. This paper emerged…

"Disqus" Website-Based Commenting as an e-Research Method: Engaging Doctoral and Early-Career Academic Learners in Educational Research

Science.gov (United States)

Kilburn, Daniel; Earley, Jonathan

2015-01-01

This article presents an adaptation of established qualitative research methods for online focus groups by using the "Disqus" website-based commenting platform as a medium for discussion among doctoral and early-career academic learners. Facilities allowing Internet users to comment on the content of web pages are increasingly popular on…

Modern indoor climate research in Denmark from 1962 to the early 1990s: an eyewitness report.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersen, I; Gyntelberg, F

2011-06-01

Modern, holistic indoor climate research started with the formation of an interdisciplinary 'Indoor Climate Research Group' in 1962 at the Institute of Hygiene, University of Aarhus, Denmark. After some years, other groups started similar research in Denmark and Sweden, and later - after the First International Indoor Air Symposium in Copenhagen 1978--this research spread to many countries and today it is carried out globally by probably 2000 scientists. This paper recounts the history of Danish indoor climate research, focusing on the three decades from the early 1960s to the founding of the Indoor Air journal in 1991. The aim of this paper is to summarize what was learned in those earlier years and to call to the attention of researchers in this area the need of multidisciplinary research, mingling epidemiological fact-finding field studies with climate chamber studies and laboratory investigations. The review may be of interest to indoor climate researchers who want to know more about the early development of research on this multidisciplinary subject, as it emerged in a small country that undertook pioneering studies. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Results of repeated antireflux operations on hiatal hernias

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khubolov A.M.

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The research goal: to carry out the retrospective analysis of results of repeated antireflux interventions at the recurrent hernias of an esophageal opening of a diaphragm (HEOD. Material and methods. Results of surgical treatment of 38 patients with recurrence of HEOD in various terms after operation are studied. Results. At the most part of patients at repeated operations anatomic prerequisites to formation of recurrence of HEOD — migration of a fundoplication cuff, insolvency, an excessive tension of tissues when forming the gastric coupling, violation of technology of imposing of a cuff come to light. In this regard, proceeding from these references and the analysis of own research, it has been considered that plasticity of local tissues at recurrent HEOD, is insufficient for reliable elimination of a gastroesopha-geal reflux. Conclusion. The analysis of the results of antireflux surgical treatment of HEOD with a reflux-esophageal phenomenon has shown high efficiency of no tension plasticity, with use of a synthetic artificial limb. The fundoplication technique in antireflux surgery with no tension plasticity may be used as an operation of choice at recurrent hernias of an esophageal opening of a diaphragm.

The human early-life exposome (HELIX): project rationale and design.

Science.gov (United States)

Vrijheid, Martine; Slama, Rémy; Robinson, Oliver; Chatzi, Leda; Coen, Muireann; van den Hazel, Peter; Thomsen, Cathrine; Wright, John; Athersuch, Toby J; Avellana, Narcis; Basagaña, Xavier; Brochot, Celine; Bucchini, Luca; Bustamante, Mariona; Carracedo, Angel; Casas, Maribel; Estivill, Xavier; Fairley, Lesley; van Gent, Diana; Gonzalez, Juan R; Granum, Berit; Gražulevičienė, Regina; Gutzkow, Kristine B; Julvez, Jordi; Keun, Hector C; Kogevinas, Manolis; McEachan, Rosemary R C; Meltzer, Helle Margrete; Sabidó, Eduard; Schwarze, Per E; Siroux, Valérie; Sunyer, Jordi; Want, Elizabeth J; Zeman, Florence; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J

2014-06-01

Developmental periods in early life may be particularly vulnerable to impacts of environmental exposures. Human research on this topic has generally focused on single exposure-health effect relationships. The "exposome" concept encompasses the totality of exposures from conception onward, complementing the genome. The Human Early-Life Exposome (HELIX) project is a new collaborative research project that aims to implement novel exposure assessment and biomarker methods to characterize early-life exposure to multiple environmental factors and associate these with omics biomarkers and child health outcomes, thus characterizing the "early-life exposome." Here we describe the general design of the project. In six existing birth cohort studies in Europe, HELIX will estimate prenatal and postnatal exposure to a broad range of chemical and physical exposures. Exposure models will be developed for the full cohorts totaling 32,000 mother-child pairs, and biomarkers will be measured in a subset of 1,200 mother-child pairs. Nested repeat-sampling panel studies (n = 150) will collect data on biomarker variability, use smartphones to assess mobility and physical activity, and perform personal exposure monitoring. Omics techniques will determine molecular profiles (metabolome, proteome, transcriptome, epigenome) associated with exposures. Statistical methods for multiple exposures will provide exposure-response estimates for fetal and child growth, obesity, neurodevelopment, and respiratory outcomes. A health impact assessment exercise will evaluate risks and benefits of combined exposures. HELIX is one of the first attempts to describe the early-life exposome of European populations and unravel its relation to omics markers and health in childhood. As proof of concept, it will form an important first step toward the life-course exposome.

Repeat cesarean delivery: what indications are recorded in the medical chart?

Science.gov (United States)

Lydon-Rochelle, Mona T; Gardella, Carolyn; Cárdenas, Vicky; Easterling, Thomas R

2006-03-01

National surveillance estimates reported a troubling 63 percent decline in the rate of vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (VBAC) from 1996 (28.3%) to 2003 (10.6%), with subsequent rising rates of repeat cesarean delivery. The study objective was to examine patterns of documented indications for repeat cesarean delivery in women with and without labor. We conducted a population-based validation study of 19 nonfederal short-stay hospitals in Washington state. Of the 4,541 women who had live births in 2000, 11 percent (n = 493) had repeat cesarean without labor and 3 percent (n = 138) had repeat cesarean with labor. Incidence of medical conditions and pregnancy complications, patterns of documented indications for repeat cesarean delivery, and perioperative complications in relation to repeat cesarean delivery with and without labor were calculated. Of the 493 women who underwent a repeat cesarean delivery without labor, "elective"(36%) and "maternal request"(18%) were the most common indications. Indications for maternal medical conditions (3.0%) were uncommon. Among the 138 women with repeat cesarean delivery with labor, 60.1 percent had failure to progress, 24.6 percent a non-reassuring fetal heart rate, 8.0 percent cephalopelvic disproportion, and 7.2 percent maternal request during labor. Fetal indications were less common (5.8%). Breech, failed vacuum, abruptio placentae, maternal complications, and failed forceps were all indicated less than 5.0 percent. Women's perioperative complications did not vary significantly between women without and with labor. Regardless of a woman's labor status, nearly 10 percent of women with repeat cesarean delivery had no documented indication as to why a cesarean delivery was performed. "Elective" and "maternal request" were common indications among women undergoing repeat cesarean delivery without labor, and nearly 10 percent of women had undocumented indications for repeat cesarean delivery in their medical record

Repeated DNA sequences in fungi

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dutta, S K

1974-11-01

Several fungal species, representatives of all broad groups like basidiomycetes, ascomycetes and phycomycetes, were examined for the nature of repeated DNA sequences by DNA:DNA reassociation studies using hydroxyapatite chromatography. All of the fungal species tested contained 10 to 20 percent repeated DNA sequences. There are approximately 100 to 110 copies of repeated DNA sequences of approximately 4 x 10/sup 7/ daltons piece size of each. Repeated DNA sequence homoduplexes showed on average 5/sup 0/C difference of T/sub e/50 (temperature at which 50 percent duplexes dissociate) values from the corresponding homoduplexes of unfractionated whole DNA. It is suggested that a part of repetitive sequences in fungi constitutes mitochondrial DNA and a part of it constitutes nuclear DNA. (auth)

Topological characteristics of helical repeat proteins

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groves, M R; Barford, D

The recent elucidation of protein structures based upon repeating amino acid motifs, including the armadillo motif, the HEAT motif and tetratricopeptide repeats, reveals that they belong to the class of helical repeat proteins. These proteins share the common property of being assembled from tandem

Repeatability and correlations of dynamic contrast enhanced and T2* MRI in patients with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klaassen, Remy; Gurney-Champion, Oliver J.; Wilmink, Johanna W.; Besselink, Marc G.; Engelbrecht, Marc R. W.; Stoker, Jaap; Nederveen, Aart J.; van Laarhoven, Hanneke W. M.

2018-01-01

In current oncological practice of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), there is a great demand for response predictors and markers for early treatment evaluation. In this study, we investigated the repeatability and the interaction of dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) and T2* MRI in patients with

Practitioner Research in Early Childhood Education and Care: A 21-Year Review of the Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Shannon, Darbianne; Smith, Sara; Dana, Nancy

2016-01-01

Practitioner research has the potential to facilitate the ongoing knowledge and skill development of preservice and in-service early childhood education and care teachers. The purpose of this systematic literature review is to describe the landscape of practitioner research conducted in the United States. This study synthesizes more than 20 years…

The Impact of Repeated Freeze-Thaw Cycles on the Quality of Biomolecules in Four Different Tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Xiaoli; Wang, Min; Li, Lingling; Chen, Fang; Zhang, Yanyang; Li, Qian; Zhou, Junmei

2017-10-01

High-quality biosamples are valuable resources for biomedical research. However, some tissues are stored without being sectioned into small aliquots and have to undergo repeated freeze-thaw cycles throughout prolonged experimentation. Little is known regarding the effects of repeated freeze-thaw cycles on the quality of biomolecules in tissues. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of repeated freeze-thaw (at room temperature or on ice) cycles on biomolecules and gene expression in four different types of tissues. Each fresh tissue was sectioned into seven aliquots and snap-frozen before undergoing repeated freeze-thaw cycles at room temperature or on ice. Biomolecules were extracted and analyzed. Both relative and absolute quantification were used to detect the changes in gene expression. The results indicated that the impact of repeated freeze-thaw cycles on RNA integrity varied by tissue type. Gene expression, including the housekeeping gene, was affected in RNA-degraded samples according to absolute quantification rather than relative quantification. Furthermore, our results suggest that thawing on ice could protect RNA integrity compared with thawing at room temperature. No obvious degradation of protein or DNA was observed with repeated freeze-thaw cycles either at room temperature or on ice. This research provides ample evidence for the necessity of sectioning fresh tissues into small aliquots before snap-freezing, thus avoiding degradation of RNA and alteration of gene expression resulting from repeated freeze-thaw cycles. For frozen tissue samples that were already in storage and had to be used repeatedly during their lifecycle, thawing on ice or sectioned at ultralow temperature is recommended.

Early-stage detection of breakthrough-class scientific research : using micro-level citation dynamics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Winnink, J.J.

2017-01-01

The research presented in this PhD thesis describes ways of identifying at an early-stage, 2-3 years after their publication, discoveries in science that are expected to have a major impact on science. Bibliographic information extracted from those scientific publications is analysed to select

Repeatability of Objective Measurements of Linear Udder and Body ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The objective of this study was to estimates the repeatability of objective measurements on linear udder and body conformation traits and to evaluate the objectivity of the measurements in Friesian x Bunaji cows. Data from 50 (F1) Frisian X Bunaji cows collected between 2007 and 2008 at the Dairy Research Farm of the ...

The potential of infant fMRI research and the study of early life stress as a promising exemplar

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alice M. Graham

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI research with infants and toddlers has increased rapidly over the past decade, and provided a unique window into early brain development. In the current report, we review the state of the literature, which has established the feasibility and utility of task-based fMRI and resting state functional connectivity MRI (rs-fcMRI during early periods of brain maturation. These methodologies have been successfully applied beginning in the neonatal period to increase understanding of how the brain both responds to environmental stimuli, and becomes organized into large-scale functional systems that support complex behaviors. We discuss the methodological challenges posed by this promising area of research. We also highlight that despite these challenges, early work indicates a strong potential for these methods to influence multiple research domains. As an example, we focus on the study of early life stress and its influence on brain development and mental health outcomes. We illustrate the promise of these methodologies for building on, and making important contributions to, the existing literature in this field.

Scientific writing seminar for early-stage investigators in substance abuse research.

Science.gov (United States)

Guydish, Joseph; Masson, Carmen; Flentje, Annesa; Shopshire, Michael; Sorensen, James L

2016-01-01

There is little information on how to increase the scientific writing productivity of early-stage investigators in the addictions field. A scientific writing seminar is presented in this article, aiming to encourage manuscript writing and dissemination of addiction research, and outcomes are reported for 14 years of the seminar. In 14 years, there were 113 postdoctoral fellow enrollments in a 6-month writing seminar. Records of submission and publication rates of manuscripts were collected for 14 cohorts. Of the 113 participant enrollments, 97 (86%) submitted a manuscript for publication, and 87 participants (77%) published their manuscript. A scientific writing seminar may benefit writing productivity, but more research is needed to compare this training model with other existing models.

UK 2009-2010 repeat station report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas J.G. Shanahan

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The British Geological Survey is responsible for conducting the UK geomagnetic repeat station programme. Measurements made at the UK repeat station sites are used in conjunction with the three UK magnetic observatories: Hartland, Eskdalemuir and Lerwick, to produce a regional model of the local field each year. The UK network of repeat stations comprises 41 stations which are occupied at approximately 3-4 year intervals. Practices for conducting repeat station measurements continue to evolve as advances are made in survey instrumentation and as the usage of the data continues to change. Here, a summary of the 2009 and 2010 UK repeat station surveys is presented, highlighting the measurement process and techniques, density of network, reduction process and recent results.

Early-career researchers' views on ethical dimensions of patient engagement in research.

Science.gov (United States)

Bélisle-Pipon, Jean-Christophe; Rouleau, Geneviève; Birko, Stanislav

2018-03-07

Increasing attention and efforts are being put towards engaging patients in health research, and some have even argued that patient engagement in research (PER) is an ethical imperative. Yet there is relatively little empirical data on ethical issues associated with PER. A three-round Delphi survey was conducted with a panel of early-career researchers (ECRs) involved in PER. One of the objectives was to examine the ethical dimensions of PER as well as ECRs' self-perceived level of preparedness to conduct PER ethically. The study was conducted among awardees of the Québec SPOR-SUPPORT Unit in Canada, who represent the next generation of researchers involved in PER. Many themes were addressed throughout the study, such as definition, values, patients' roles, expected characteristics of patients, and anticipated challenges (including ethical issues). Open-ended questions were used, and all quantitative data were collected through statements using 7-point Likert scales. Between April and November 2016, 25 ECRs were invited to participate; 18 completed both the first and second rounds, and 16 completed the third round. Panelists consisted of nine women and seven men with various backgrounds (general practitioners and postgraduate students). The majority were between 25 and 44 years old. Panelists' responses showed PER raises important ethical issues: 1) professionalization of patients involved in research (with risks of patients becoming less representative); 2) adequate remuneration of patients; 3) fair recognition of patients' experiential knowledge; and 4) tokenism (engaging patients only for symbolic appeal). While the panelists felt moderately prepared to confront these ethical issues, they reported being uncomfortable applying for an ethics certificate for a PER project. If PER is an ethical imperative, it is vital to establish clear ethical standards and to train and support the PER community to identify and resolve ethical issues. Despite their overall

Prevalence and Determinants of Repeat Mammography Among Women from a Developing Country.

Science.gov (United States)

Salinas-Martínez, Ana María; Gaspar-Rivera, Jimena Estefanía; Juárez-Pérez, Oscar; Montañez-Sauceda, José Roberto; Núñez-Rocha, Georgina Mayela; Guzmán-de-la-Garza, Francisco Javier; Mathiew-Quirós, Álvaro

2017-04-01

Failures in repeat mammography decrease the potential benefits of screening; however, it is notable that the recent use of mammography is more frequently studied than repeat use. We estimated the prevalence and analyzed determinants for repeat mammography among women from Mexico, a developing country of Latin America. It was a two-stage study with an initial cross-sectional design (n = 1045) and a final case-control design that involved women of at least 45 years of age with no history of breast, ovarian, or uterine cancer. Case subjects were those with three or more mammograms in the last 5 years, with the last one carried out within the last two years (n = 444); control subjects included those who underwent ≥3 mammograms throughout their life with the most recent carried out >2 years ago (n = 444). Through interviews, we evaluated context-dependency, fulfillment of expected outcomes, self-efficacy, and risk perception, among other factors. We estimated the prevalence with 95 % confidence intervals (CI), and odds ratios (OR) using multivariate binary logistic regression. The prevalence of repeat mammography was 40.4 % (95 % CI 37.4-43.4). Self-efficacy demonstrated the highest effect on repeat use (OR 7.7, 95 % CI 4.7-12.6), followed by awareness context-dependency (OR 4.9, 95 % CI 3.3-7.2), the use of Papanicolaou testing (OR 3.5, 95 % CI 2.3-5.2), the fulfillment of expected waiting time outcome (OR 2.4, 95 % CI 1.2-4.7), and context-dependency related to self-referral/health provider referral (OR 2.4, 95 % CI 1.7-3.4), independent of risk perception, age, education, and positive emotional state of mind. The study showed a need for increasing the prevalence of promoting awareness of the determining factors of repeat mammography, which is a necessary component in the early detection of breast cancer.

Research on working property and early age mechanical property of self-compacting concrete used in steel-concrete structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Yongguang

2013-01-01

Background: Self-compacting concrete that has good working property is the prerequisite of steel-concrete structure. The early age mechanical property of self-compacting concrete is the important parameter when design steel-concrete structure. Purpose: This paper attempts to research the working property and early age mechanical property of self-compacting concrete. Methods: Test is used to research the working property and early age mechanical property of self-compacting concrete. Results: Self-compacting concrete that could meet the requirement of steel-concrete structure has been mixed and parameters of early age mechanical property of self-compacting concrete which is necessary for design of steel-concrete structure have been presented. Conclusions: Base on the results, this paper can guide the construction of self-compacting concrete in steel-concrete structure and the design and construction of steel-concrete structure. (author)

DNA-binding proteins from marine bacteria expand the known sequence diversity of TALE-like repeats.

Science.gov (United States)

de Lange, Orlando; Wolf, Christina; Thiel, Philipp; Krüger, Jens; Kleusch, Christian; Kohlbacher, Oliver; Lahaye, Thomas

2015-11-16

Transcription Activator-Like Effectors (TALEs) of Xanthomonas bacteria are programmable DNA binding proteins with unprecedented target specificity. Comparative studies into TALE repeat structure and function are hindered by the limited sequence variation among TALE repeats. More sequence-diverse TALE-like proteins are known from Ralstonia solanacearum (RipTALs) and Burkholderia rhizoxinica (Bats), but RipTAL and Bat repeats are conserved with those of TALEs around the DNA-binding residue. We study two novel marine-organism TALE-like proteins (MOrTL1 and MOrTL2), the first to date of non-terrestrial origin. We have assessed their DNA-binding properties and modelled repeat structures. We found that repeats from these proteins mediate sequence specific DNA binding conforming to the TALE code, despite low sequence similarity to TALE repeats, and with novel residues around the BSR. However, MOrTL1 repeats show greater sequence discriminating power than MOrTL2 repeats. Sequence alignments show that there are only three residues conserved between repeats of all TALE-like proteins including the two new additions. This conserved motif could prove useful as an identifier for future TALE-likes. Additionally, comparing MOrTL repeats with those of other TALE-likes suggests a common evolutionary origin for the TALEs, RipTALs and Bats. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Is MR imaging useful for detecting prostate cancer in cases requiring repeat biopsy?. Presidential award proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, Hirotoshi; Takahata, Akiko; Goto, Mariko; Masunami, Terutoshi; Yuen, Sachiko; Yamada, Kei; Nishimura, Tsunehiko

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in detecting prostate cancer in cases requiring repeat biopsy. Twenty patients with negative first prostate biopsy were evaluated by T2-weighted images (T 2 W), diffusion weighted image (DWI), and contrast-enhanced dynamic MRI at 1.5T prior to repeat biopsy. Eleven of the 20 also underwent MR imaging before initial biopsy. Cancer criteria were defined as an area of low signal intensity on T 2 W, high signal intensity on DWI, and early enhancement on dynamic MR imaging. We compared MR imaging findings with biopsy results. Prostate cancer was detected by repeat biopsy in nine of 20 patients. MR imaging demonstrated the cancer lesion in seven of the 9 patients whose biopsies were positive for cancer. MR imaging of 5 patients whose biopsies showed cancer also demonstrated cancer lesion previous to initial biopsy. Most cancers were detected in the anterior, apex, and far lateral areas. False-negative cases were low-grade cancers and had a few positive biopsy cores. In patients with repeat prostate biopsy, prior MR imaging may be valuable for detecting and localizing prostate cancer. (author)

Organization and Evolution of Subtelomeric Satellite Repeats in the Potato Genome

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Torres, A.T.; Gong, Z.; Iovene, M.; Hirsch, C.D.; Buell, C.R.; Bryan, G.J.; Novák, Petr; Macas, Jiří; Jiang, J.

2011-01-01

Roč. 1, July 2011 (2011), s. 85-92 ISSN 2160-1836 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LH11058 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50510513 Keywords : Satellite sequences * Potato genome * Repeats Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology

Repeating Marx

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fuchs, Christian; Monticelli, Lara

2018-01-01

This introduction sets out the context of the special issue “Karl Marx @ 200: Debating Capitalism & Perspectives for the Future of Radical Theory”, which was published on the occasion of Marx’s bicentenary on 5 May 2018. First, we give a brief overview of contemporary capitalism’s development...... and its crises. Second, we argue that it is important to repeat Marx today. Third, we reflect on lessons learned from 200 years of struggles for alternatives to capitalism. Fourth, we give an overview of the contributions in this special issue. Taken together, the contributions in this special issue show...... that Marx’s theory and politics remain key inspirations for understanding exploitation and domination in 21st-century society and for struggles that aim to overcome these phenomena and establishing a just and fair society. We need to repeat Marx today....

Long-term follow-up of early cleft maxillary distraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Young-Wook; Kwon, Kwang-Jun; Kim, Min-Keun

2016-12-01

Most of cleft lip and palate patients have the esthetic and functional problems of midfacial deficiencies due to innate developmental tendency and scar tissues from repeated operations. In these cases, maxillary protraction is required for the harmonious facial esthetics and functional occlusion. A 7-year old boy had been diagnosed as severe maxillary constriction due to unilateral complete cleft lip and palate. The author tried to correct the secondary deformity by early distraction osteogenesis with the aim of avoiding marked psychological impact from peers of elementary school. From 1999 to 2006, repeated treatments, which consisted of Le Fort I osteotomy and face mask distraction, and complementary maxillary protraction using miniplates were performed including orthodontics. But, final facial profile was not satisfactory, which needs compromising surgery. The result of this study suggests that if early distraction treatment is performed before facial skeletal growth is completed, an orthognathic surgery or additional distraction may be needed later. Maxillofacial plastic and reconstructive surgeons should notify this point when they plan early distraction treatment for cleft maxillary deformity.

A repeated carpal tunnel syndrome due to tophaceous gout in flexor tendon

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Hui; Chen, Qiang; Shen, Hui

2017-01-01

Abstract Rationale: Gouty tophi is a rare cause of CTS. We first report a unique case of repeated CTS with gouty tophi in flexor tendon. In the previous literature, the symptoms cases of CTS were gradually increased. Patient concerns: We report a 44-year-old male porter presented with mass on his left distal forearm combined a repeated carpal tunnel syndrome for 5 years. He felt numbness in fingers and his left palmar. The CTS symptoms had been eased through rest and dugs medication. It recurred twice. Diagnoses: Monosodium urate crystal deposits were found in surgery. Histologic findings confirmed the diagnosis of gout. Interventions: We removed partial of gouty tophus and retained the integrity of the tendon. Outcomes: Two years after the surgery, the patient had not experienced any symptom recurrence. Lessons: Early diagnosis and control of gout are necessary to avoid irreversible complications. The surgery combined with decreasing trioxypurine treatment can improve the treatment outcome of gouty tophus. PMID:28248892

Temporal alcohol availability predicts first-time drunk driving, but not repeat offending.

Science.gov (United States)

Schofield, Timothy P; Denson, Thomas F

2013-01-01

Alcohol availability has been linked to drunk driving, but research has not examined whether this relationship is the same for first-time and repeat offenses. We examined the relationship between the business hours of alcohol outlets licensed to serve alcohol for on-premises consumption and misdemeanor-level (first offense) and felony-level drunk driving (repeat offense) charges in New York State in 2009. Longer outlet business hours were associated with more misdemeanor drunk driving charges, but were not associated with felony drunk driving charges. The per capita density of on-premises alcohol outlets did not affect misdemeanor or felony drunk driving charges. The results suggest that temporal alcohol availability may be an impelling factor for first-time drunk driving, but other factors likely influence repeat drunk driving behaviors.

Temporal alcohol availability predicts first-time drunk driving, but not repeat offending.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Timothy P Schofield

Full Text Available Alcohol availability has been linked to drunk driving, but research has not examined whether this relationship is the same for first-time and repeat offenses. We examined the relationship between the business hours of alcohol outlets licensed to serve alcohol for on-premises consumption and misdemeanor-level (first offense and felony-level drunk driving (repeat offense charges in New York State in 2009. Longer outlet business hours were associated with more misdemeanor drunk driving charges, but were not associated with felony drunk driving charges. The per capita density of on-premises alcohol outlets did not affect misdemeanor or felony drunk driving charges. The results suggest that temporal alcohol availability may be an impelling factor for first-time drunk driving, but other factors likely influence repeat drunk driving behaviors.

Effects of early life adverse experiences on brain activity: Implications from maternal separation models in rodents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mayumi eNishi

2014-06-01

Full Text Available During postnatal development, adverse early life experiences can affect the formation of neuronal circuits and exert long-lasting influences on neural function. Many studies have shown that daily repeated MS, an animal model of early life stress, can modulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis and can affect subsequent brain function and emotional behavior during adulthood. However, the molecular basis of the long-lasting effects of early life stress on brain function has not been completely elucidated. In this review, we introduce various cases of MS in rodents and illustrate the alterations in HPA axis activity by focusing on corticosterone (CORT, an end product of the HPA axis in rodents. We then present a characterization of the brain regions affected by various patterns of MS, including repeated MS and single time MS at various stages before weaning, by investigating c-Fos expression, a biological marker of neuronal activity. These CORT and c-Fos studies suggest that repeated early life stress may affect neuronal function in region- and temporal-specific manners, indicating a critical period for habituation to early life stress. Next, we discuss how early life stress can impact behavior, namely by inducing depression, anxiety or eating disorders. Furthermore, alterations in gene expression in adult mice exposed to MS, especially epigenetic changes of DNA methylation, are discussed.

Organising, Providing and Evaluating Technical Training for Early Career Researchers: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

van Besouw, Rachel M.; Rogers, Katrine S.; Powles, Christopher J.; Papadopoulos, Timos; Ku, Emery M.

2013-01-01

This paper considers the importance of providing technical training opportunities for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) worldwide through the case study of a MATLAB training programme, which was proposed, organised, managed and evaluated by a team of five ECRs at the University of Southampton. The effectiveness of the programme in terms of the…

The Carbon_h-factor: predicting individuals' research impact at early stages of their career.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claus-Christian Carbon

Full Text Available Assessing an individual's research impact on the basis of a transparent algorithm is an important task for evaluation and comparison purposes. Besides simple but also inaccurate indices such as counting the mere number of publications or the accumulation of overall citations, and highly complex but also overwhelming full-range publication lists in their raw format, Hirsch (2005 introduced a single figure cleverly combining different approaches. The so-called h-index has undoubtedly become the standard in scientometrics of individuals' research impact (note: in the present paper I will always use the term "research impact" to describe the research performance as the logic of the paper is based on the h-index, which quantifies the specific "impact" of, e.g., researchers, but also because the genuine meaning of impact refers to quality as well. As the h-index reflects the number h of papers a researcher has published with at least h citations, the index is inherently positively biased towards senior level researchers. This might sometimes be problematic when predictive tools are needed for assessing young scientists' potential, especially when recruiting early career positions or equipping young scientists' labs. To be compatible with the standard h-index, the proposed index integrates the scientist's research age (Carbon_h-factor into the h-index, thus reporting the average gain of h-index per year. Comprehensive calculations of the Carbon_h-factor were made for a broad variety of four research-disciplines (economics, neuroscience, physics and psychology and for researchers performing on three high levels of research impact (substantial, outstanding and epochal with ten researchers per category. For all research areas and output levels we obtained linear developments of the h-index demonstrating the validity of predicting one's later impact in terms of research impact already at an early stage of their career with the Carbon_h-factor being approx

Validity and repeatability of inertial measurement units for measuring gait parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

Washabaugh, Edward P; Kalyanaraman, Tarun; Adamczyk, Peter G; Claflin, Edward S; Krishnan, Chandramouli

2017-06-01

Inertial measurement units (IMUs) are small wearable sensors that have tremendous potential to be applied to clinical gait analysis. They allow objective evaluation of gait and movement disorders outside the clinic and research laboratory, and permit evaluation on large numbers of steps. However, repeatability and validity data of these systems are sparse for gait metrics. The purpose of this study was to determine the validity and between-day repeatability of spatiotemporal metrics (gait speed, stance percent, swing percent, gait cycle time, stride length, cadence, and step duration) as measured with the APDM Opal IMUs and Mobility Lab system. We collected data on 39 healthy subjects. Subjects were tested over two days while walking on a standard treadmill, split-belt treadmill, or overground, with IMUs placed in two locations: both feet and both ankles. The spatiotemporal measurements taken with the IMU system were validated against data from an instrumented treadmill, or using standard clinical procedures. Repeatability and minimally detectable change (MDC) of the system was calculated between days. IMUs displayed high to moderate validity when measuring most of the gait metrics tested. Additionally, these measurements appear to be repeatable when used on the treadmill and overground. The foot configuration of the IMUs appeared to better measure gait parameters; however, both the foot and ankle configurations demonstrated good repeatability. In conclusion, the IMU system in this study appears to be both accurate and repeatable for measuring spatiotemporal gait parameters in healthy young adults. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analysis of repeated measures data

CERN Document Server

Islam, M Ataharul

2017-01-01

This book presents a broad range of statistical techniques to address emerging needs in the field of repeated measures. It also provides a comprehensive overview of extensions of generalized linear models for the bivariate exponential family of distributions, which represent a new development in analysing repeated measures data. The demand for statistical models for correlated outcomes has grown rapidly recently, mainly due to presence of two types of underlying associations: associations between outcomes, and associations between explanatory variables and outcomes. The book systematically addresses key problems arising in the modelling of repeated measures data, bearing in mind those factors that play a major role in estimating the underlying relationships between covariates and outcome variables for correlated outcome data. In addition, it presents new approaches to addressing current challenges in the field of repeated measures and models based on conditional and joint probabilities. Markov models of first...

Value of research and value of development in early assessments of new medical technologies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Retèl, Valesca P.; Grutters, Janneke P.C.; van Harten, Wim H.; Joore, Manuela A.

2013-01-01

Objectives: In early stages of development of new medical technologies, there are conceptually separate but related societal decisions to be made concerning adoption, further development (i.e., technical improvement), and research (i.e., clinical trials) of new technologies. This article presents a

Programmable DNA-binding proteins from Burkholderia provide a fresh perspective on the TALE-like repeat domain.

Science.gov (United States)

de Lange, Orlando; Wolf, Christina; Dietze, Jörn; Elsaesser, Janett; Morbitzer, Robert; Lahaye, Thomas

2014-06-01

The tandem repeats of transcription activator like effectors (TALEs) mediate sequence-specific DNA binding using a simple code. Naturally, TALEs are injected by Xanthomonas bacteria into plant cells to manipulate the host transcriptome. In the laboratory TALE DNA binding domains are reprogrammed and used to target a fused functional domain to a genomic locus of choice. Research into the natural diversity of TALE-like proteins may provide resources for the further improvement of current TALE technology. Here we describe TALE-like proteins from the endosymbiotic bacterium Burkholderia rhizoxinica, termed Bat proteins. Bat repeat domains mediate sequence-specific DNA binding with the same code as TALEs, despite less than 40% sequence identity. We show that Bat proteins can be adapted for use as transcription factors and nucleases and that sequence preferences can be reprogrammed. Unlike TALEs, the core repeats of each Bat protein are highly polymorphic. This feature allowed us to explore alternative strategies for the design of custom Bat repeat arrays, providing novel insights into the functional relevance of non-RVD residues. The Bat proteins offer fertile grounds for research into the creation of improved programmable DNA-binding proteins and comparative insights into TALE-like evolution. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Community perceptions of repeat HIV-testing: experiences of the ANRS 12249 Treatment as Prevention trial in rural South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Orne-Gliemann, Joanna; Zuma, Thembelihle; Chikovore, Jeremiah; Gillespie, Natasha; Grant, Merridy; Iwuji, Collins; Larmarange, Joseph; McGrath, Nuala; Lert, France; Imrie, John

2016-01-01

In the context of the ANRS 12249 Treatment as Prevention (TasP) trial, we investigated perceptions of regular and repeat HIV-testing in rural KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa), an area of very high HIV prevalence and incidence. We conducted two qualitative studies, before (2010) and during the early implementation stages of the trial (2013-2014), to appreciate the evolution in community perceptions of repeat HIV-testing over this period of rapid changes in HIV-testing and treatment approaches. Repeated focus group discussions were organized with young adults, older adults and mixed groups. Repeat and regular HIV-testing was overall well perceived before, and well received during, trial implementation. Yet community members were not able to articulate reasons why people might want to test regularly or repeatedly, apart from individual sexual risk-taking. Repeat home-based HIV-testing was considered as feasible and convenient, and described as more acceptable than clinic-based HIV-testing, mostly because of privacy and confidentiality. However, socially regulated discourses around appropriate sexual behaviour and perceptions of stigma and prejudice regarding HIV and sexual risk-taking were consistently reported. This study suggests several avenues to improve HIV-testing acceptability, including implementing diverse and personalised approaches to HIV-testing and care, and providing opportunities for antiretroviral therapy initiation and care at home.

The Use of Poetry in a Spiral-Patterned Methodology for Research about Love in Early Childhood

Science.gov (United States)

Cousins, Sarah

2017-01-01

Research about love in early childhood education and care is rare. Love is difficult topic to research and write about in scholarly contexts. In order to properly explore love in professional contexts, practitioner narratives on the topic were sought through individual, unstructured interviews. A spiral-patterned methodological approach was…

ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN THE LARGE-SCALE BIOSPHERE–ATMOSPHERE EXPERIMENT IN AMAZONIA: EARLY RESULTS.

Science.gov (United States)

M. Keller; A. Alencar; G. P. Asner; B. Braswell; M. Bustamente; E. Davidson; T. Feldpausch; E. Fern ndes; M. Goulden; P. Kabat; B. Kruijt; F. Luizao; S. Miller; D. Markewitz; A. D. Nobre; C. A. Nobre; N. Priante Filho; H. Rocha; P. Silva Dias; C von Randow; G. L. Vourlitis

2004-01-01

The Large-scale Biosphere–Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA) is a multinational, interdisciplinary research program led by Brazil. Ecological studies in LBA focus on how tropical forest conversion, regrowth, and selective logging influence carbon storage, nutrient dynamics, trace gas fluxes, and the prospect for sustainable land use in the Amazon region. Early...

Breaking the Cycle of Disadvantage: Early Childhood Interventions and Progression to Higher Education in Europe. Research Report

Science.gov (United States)

Guerin, Benoit

2014-01-01

The early years of childhood are crucial for the development of the cognitive and social-behavioural skills of an adult. Thus, they represent a unique challenge and opportunity to invest in children. Extensive research has shown that Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) is effective in tackling the inequality which can tend to spring from…

Day-to-day repeatability of the Pulse Time Index of Norm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Posokhov IN

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Igor N Posokhov,1 Aleksandra O Konradi,2 Eugeny V Shlyakhto,2 Oleg V Mamontov,2 Artemy V Orlov,3 Anatoly N Rogoza4 1Hemodynamic Laboratory Ltd, Nizhniy Novgorod, 2Almazov Federal Heart, Blood and Endocrinology Centre, Saint Petersburg, 3Department 65 Competitive System Analysis, National Research Nuclear University, Moscow, 4Cardiology Research Center, Moscow, Russia Abstract: The pulse wave velocity (PWV threshold for hypertensive target organ damage is presently set at 10 meters per second. New 24-hour monitors (eg, BPLab® and Vasotens® provide several PWV measurements over a period of 24–72 hours. A new parameter, ie, the Pulse Time Index of Norm (PTIN, can be calculated from these data. The PTIN is defined as the percentage of a 24-hour period during which the PWV does not exceed 10 meters per second. The aim of the present study was to test the new PTIN for clinical feasibility using day-to-day repeatability analysis. Oscillometrically generated waveform files (n=85, which were previously used for research studies, were reanalyzed using the new 2013 version software of the Vasotens technology program, which enables calculation of PTIN. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.98 and Cronbach's alpha was 0.97, indicating that the PTIN has excellent day-to-day repeatability and internal consistency. The present results show adequate repeatability, and PTIN assessment using the Vasotens technology appears to be feasible. Keywords: pulse wave velocity, ambulatory, 24-hour, monitoring, Pulse Time Index of Norm, arterial stiffness

Repeatable timing of northward departure, arrival and breeding in Black-tailed Godwits Limosa l. limosa, but no domino effects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lourenco, Pedro M.; Kentie, Rosemarie; Schroeder, Julia; Groen, Niko M.; Piersma, Theunis; Bairlein, F.; Hooijmeijer, Jos C.E.W.

2011-01-01

When early breeding is advantageous, migrants underway to the breeding areas may be time stressed. The timing of sequential events such as migration and breeding is expected to be correlated because of a "domino effect", and would be of particular biological importance if timings are repeatable

Training early career researchers

OpenAIRE

Ayris, Paul; Labastida i Juan, Ignasi, 1970-

2017-01-01

Research – blue sky and applied – is fundamental to the mission of research-intensive universities. As such, it is enunciated in the Mission Statements of such institutions. The University of Barcelona for example, a research-intensive university in the Catalan region, states that ‘The University of Barcelona is a public institution committed to the environment, whose mission is to provide a quality public service of higher education primarily through the study, teaching, research...

Firefighting and mental health: Experiences of repeated exposure to trauma.

Science.gov (United States)

Jahnke, Sara A; Poston, Walker S Carlos; Haddock, Christopher K; Murphy, Beth

2016-02-15

Firefighters must be ready to respond to a broad range of emergencies every duty day. In the course of many of these emergencies, firefighters witness events which have the potential to induce emotional trauma, such as badly injured people, deceased children, and individuals who are highly distraught. Previous research suggests that repeated exposure to these traumas (RET) may have negative impacts on the emotional and mental health of fire service personnel. Research on the mental health of firefighters has been limited to small surveys reporting the prevalence of specific mental health problems such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder among firefighters. Despite the likelihood that RET leads to negative outcomes in firefighters, data is lacking on how exposure impacts fire service personnel. The current study examines the experiences of firefighters related to RET. Using formative research methods, we examined the beliefs and experiences of firefighters and administrators from across the United States regarding the impact of RET on firefighter health. Study findings highlight the cumulative psychological toll of repeated exposure to traumatic events including desensitization, flashbacks, and irritability. Results of the current study suggest that RET is a significant concern for emergency responders that warrants additional research and attention. It is likely that the long term consequences of RET are closely intertwined with other mental health outcomes and general well-being of this important occupational group.

Analysis of repeated measurement data in the clinical trials

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Vineeta; Rana, Rakesh Kumar; Singhal, Richa

2013-01-01

Statistics is an integral part of Clinical Trials. Elements of statistics span Clinical Trial design, data monitoring, analyses and reporting. A solid understanding of statistical concepts by clinicians improves the comprehension and the resulting quality of Clinical Trials. In biomedical research it has been seen that researcher frequently use t-test and ANOVA to compare means between the groups of interest irrespective of the nature of the data. In Clinical Trials we record the data on the patients more than two times. In such a situation using the standard ANOVA procedures is not appropriate as it does not consider dependencies between observations within subjects in the analysis. To deal with such types of study data Repeated Measure ANOVA should be used. In this article the application of One-way Repeated Measure ANOVA has been demonstrated by using the software SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) Version 15.0 on the data collected at four time points 0 day, 15th day, 30th day, and 45th day of multicentre clinical trial conducted on Pandu Roga (~Iron Deficiency Anemia) with an Ayurvedic formulation Dhatrilauha. PMID:23930038

Research on the Risk Early Warning Method of Material Supplier Performance in Power Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Peng; Zhang, Xi

2018-01-01

The early warning of supplier performance risk is still in the initial stage interiorly, and research on the early warning mechanism to identify, analyze and prevent the performance risk is few. In this paper, a new method aiming at marerial supplier performance risk in power industry is proposed, firstly, establishing a set of risk early warning indexes, Then use the ECM method to classify the indexes to form different risk grades. Then, improving Crock Ford risk quantization model by considering three indicators, including the stability of power system, economic losses and successful bid ratio to form the predictive risk grade, and ultimately using short board effect principle to form the ultimate risk grade to truly reflect the supplier performance risk. Finally, making empirical analysis on supplier performance and putting forward the counter measures and prevention strategies for different risks.

simple sequence repeats (EST-SSR)

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Yomi

2012-01-19

Jan 19, 2012 ... 212 primer pairs selected, based on repeat patterns of n≥8 for di-, tri-, tetra- and penta-nucleotide repeat ... Cluster analysis revealed a high genetic similarity among the sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) breeding lines which could reduce the genetic gain in ..... The multiple allele characteristic of SSR com-.

Nifty Nines and Repeating Decimals

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Scott A.

2016-01-01

The traditional technique for converting repeating decimals to common fractions can be found in nearly every algebra textbook that has been published, as well as in many precalculus texts. However, students generally encounter repeating decimal numerals earlier than high school when they study rational numbers in prealgebra classes. Therefore, how…

Repeated Prescribed Burning in Aspen

Science.gov (United States)

Donald A. Perala

1974-01-01

Infrequent burning weather, low flammability of the aspen-hardwood association, and prolific sprouting and seeding of shrubs and hardwoods made repeated dormant season burning a poor tool to convert good site aspen to conifers. Repeat fall burns for wildlife habitat maintenance is workable if species composition changes are not important.

Early Career Mentoring for Translational Researchers: Mentee Perspectives on Challenges and Issues

Science.gov (United States)

Keller, Thomas E.; Collier, Peter J.; Blakeslee, Jennifer E.; Logan, Kay; McCracken, Karen; Morris, Cynthia

2014-01-01

Background and purposes The education and training of early career biomedical translational researchers often involves formal mentoring by more experienced colleagues. This study investigated the nature of these mentoring relationships from the perspective of mentees. The objective was to understand the challenges and issues encountered by mentees in forming and maintaining productive mentoring relationships. Method Three focus groups (n=14) were conducted with early career researchers who had mentored career development awards. Thematic analysis identified, categorized, and illustrated the challenges and issues reported by mentees. Results The range of mentee challenges was reflected in five major categories: 1) network—finding appropriate mentors to meet various needs; 2) access—structuring schedules and opportunities to receive mentoring; 3) expectations—negotiating the mechanics of the mentoring relationship and its purpose; 4) alignment—managing mentor-mentee mismatches regarding interests, priorities, and goals; and 5) skills and supports—developing the institutional supports to be successful. Conclusions Mentoring relationships created for academic training and career development contend with tasks common to many other relationships, namely recognizing compatibility, finding time, establishing patterns, agreeing to goals, and achieving aims. Identifying challenges faced by mentees can facilitate the development of appropriate trainings and supports to foster mentoring relationships in academic and career settings. PMID:25010230

Repeated mild closed head injury impairs short-term visuospatial memory and complex learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Hylin, Michael J; Orsi, Sara A; Rozas, Natalia S; Hill, Julia L; Zhao, Jing; Redell, John B; Moore, Anthony N; Dash, Pramod K

2013-05-01

Concussive force can cause neurocognitive and neurobehavioral dysfunction by inducing functional, electrophysiological, and/or ultrastructural changes within the brain. Although concussion-triggered symptoms typically subside within days to weeks in most people, in 15%-20% of the cases, symptomology can continue beyond this time point. Problems with memory, attention, processing speed, and cognitive flexibility (e.g., problem solving, conflict resolution) are some of the prominent post-concussive cognitive symptoms. Repeated concussions (with loss or altered consciousness), which are common to many contact sports, can exacerbate these symptoms. The pathophysiology of repeated concussions is not well understood, nor is an effective treatment available. In order to facilitate drug discovery to treat post-concussive symptoms (PCSs), there is a need to determine if animal models of repeated mild closed head injury (mCHI) can mimic the neurocognitive and histopathological consequences of repeated concussions. To this end, we employed a controlled cortical impact (CCI) device to deliver a mCHI directly to the skull of mice daily for 4 days, and examined the ensuing neurological and neurocognitive functions using beam balance, foot-fault, an abbreviated Morris water maze test, context discrimination, and active place avoidance tasks. Repeated mCHI exacerbated vestibulomotor, motor, short-term memory and conflict learning impairments as compared to a single mCHI. Learning and memory impairments were still observed in repeated mCHI mice when tested 3 months post-injury. Repeated mCHI also reduced cerebral perfusion, prolonged the inflammatory response, and in some animals, caused hippocampal neuronal loss. Our results show that repeated mCHI can reproduce some of the deficits seen after repeated concussions in humans and may be suitable for drug discovery studies and translational research.

Building human capacity through early childhood intervention: the Child Development Research Programme at the Tropical Medicine Research Institute, the University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, S P; Chang, S M; Powell, C A; Baker-Henningham, H

2012-07-01

Research conducted by the Child Development Research Group in the Tropical Medicine Research Institute has made significant contributions to the understanding of the importance of early nutrition and the home environment for children's development and the impact of psychosocial stimulation for disadvantaged and/or undernourished children. The work has provided critical evidence that has contributed to the increasing attention given to early childhood development in the work and policies of agencies such as the World Bank, World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF). This review concerns research which documented the impact of malnutrition on children's development and for the first time demonstrated the benefits and necessity of psychosocial stimulation for improvement in development. Subsequent research was critical in establishing the importance of linear growth retardation (stunting) as a risk factor for poor child development. A twenty-two-year study of stunted children has demonstrated benefits through to adulthood in areas such as educational attainment, mental health and reduced violent behaviour from an early childhood home visiting programme that works through mothers to promote their children's development. The group's research has also demonstrated that it is feasible and effective to integrate the stimulation intervention into primary care services with benefits to children's development and mothers'child rearing knowledge and practices. The group is currently conducting a study to provide information needed for scaling-up of parenting programmes through evaluation of a new approach to improving parenting through health centres and a modified home visit programme.

Recent Coverage of Early Childhood Education Approaches in Open Access Early Childhood Journals

Science.gov (United States)

Keskin, Burhanettin

2016-01-01

A content analysis of the coverage of the major approaches to early childhood education in the early childhood research journals, published between 2010 and 2014, that are early childhood research oriented and have free online access were investigated. Among 21 journals in early childhood education, two journals were selected for the content…

The "saying is repeating" effect: dyadic communication can generate cultural stereotypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Bratanova, Boyka; Kashima, Yoshi

2014-01-01

It has been long established that interpersonal communication underpins the existence of cultural stereotypes. However, research has either examined the formation of new or the maintenance of existing stereotypes. In a series of three studies, the present research bridges the gap between these phases by showing that newly formed stereotypes can spread through repeated dyadic communication with others. The stereotypic representation arose due to the audience tuning in to communication to a first audience. Further transmission to two types of subsequent audiences was simulated: a newcomer and an old-timer with an unknown attitude towards the target. A "saying-is-repeating" effect was obtained: the stereotypic representation was invariably transmitted to the newcomer, regardless of whether communicators personally believed in the bias; perceived group-level consensus moderated its transmission to the old-timer. These findings demonstrate that once a stereotypic representation is formed, it is likely to spread in a community and potentially become a cultural stereotype.

Male clients' behaviours with and perspectives about their last male escort encounter: comparing repeat versus first-time hires.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolff, Margaret M; Grov, Christian; Smith, Michael D; Koken, Juline A; Parsons, Jeffrey T

2014-01-01

Research on men who have sex with men suggests that condomless anal intercourse occurs more frequently in established sexual relationships. While comparable data regarding male-for-male escorting is unavailable, research implies that many clients seek emotional as well as physical connections with the men they hire. In 2012, 495 male clients, recruited via daddysreviews.com completed an online survey about their last hiring experience. Most participants were from the USA (85.7%), the UK and Canada (3.2% each). In total, 75% of encounters involved an escort hired for the first time; 25% were with a previously hired escort ('repeat encounter'). The client's age, lifetime number of escorts hired and number hired in the past year were positively associated with the last encounter being a repeat encounter. Cuddling, sharing a meal, drinking alcohol, taking a walk, watching a show and shopping were also positively associated with repeat encounters. Conversely, none of the sexual behaviours were significantly associated with repeat encounters. Repeat encounters were significantly more likely to include non-sexual behaviours alongside sexual activities, but no more likely to involve condomless anal intercourse. Moreover, clients' knowledge of escorts' HIV status was not significantly associated with engaging in condomless anal intercourse with repeat encounters.

Education for patients with chronic kidney disease in Taiwan: a prospective repeated measures study.

Science.gov (United States)

Yen, Miaofen; Huang, Jeng-Jong; Teng, Hsiu-Lan

2008-11-01

To investigate the physical, knowledge and quality of life outcomes of an educational intervention for patients with early stage chronic kidney disease. A comprehensive predialysis education care team can be effective in slowing the progression of chronic kidney disease. A single group repeated measures design was used to evaluate the effects of the intervention. Participants were recruited through health department community health screen data banks. A predialysis, team-delivered educational intervention covering renal function health care, dietary management of renal function and the effects of Chinese herb medication on renal function was designed and implemented. Data were collected at baseline, six and 12 months. Study outcomes included physical indicators, knowledge (renal function protection, use of Chinese herbs and renal function and diet) and quality of life. Data were analysed using repeated measure anova to test for change over time in outcome variables. Sixty-six persons participated in this study. The predialysis educational intervention showed significant differences at the three time points in overall knowledge scores, waist-hip ratio, body mass index and global health status. Knowledge measures increased at month 6 and decreased at month 12. The primary indicator of renal function, glomerular filtration rate, remained stable throughout the 12 months of follow-up, despite the relatively older mean age of study participants. A predialysis education care team can provide effective disease-specific knowledge and may help retard deterioration of renal function in persons with early-stage chronic kidney disease. The intervention dose may need to be repeated every six months to maintain knowledge effects. A predialysis educational program with disease-specific knowledge and information is feasible and may provide positive outcomes for patients. Topics on the uses of Chinese herbs should be included for people who are likely to use alternative therapies.

Molecular characterization of early blight disease resistant and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Potato early blight disease caused by Alternaria solani is one of the major factors limiting potato production worldwide. Developing highly resistant cultivars is the most effective way to control the disease. In this study, 20 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and 6 simple sequence repeats (SSR) primers were ...

A Mentoring Toolkit: Tips and Tools for Mentoring Early-Career Researchers

Science.gov (United States)

Flint, Kathleen

2010-01-01

Effective mentoring is a critical component in the training of early-career researchers, cultivating more independent, productive and satisfied scientists. For example, mentoring has been shown by the 2005 Sigma Xi National Postdoc Survey to be a key indicator for a successful postdoctoral outcome. Mentoring takes many forms and can include support for maximizing research skills and productivity as well as assistance in preparing for a chosen career path. Yet, because there is no "one-size-fits-all” approach, mentoring can be an activity that is hard to define. In this presentation, a series of tips and tools will be offered to aid mentors in developing a plan for their mentoring activities. This will include: suggestions for how to get started; opportunities for mentoring activities within the research group, within the institution, and outside the institution; tools for communicating and assessing professional milestones; and resources for fostering the professional and career development of mentees. Special considerations will also be presented for mentoring international scholars and women. These strategies will be helpful to the PI responding to the new NSF mentoring plan requirement for postdocs as well as to the student, postdoc, researcher or professor overseeing the research and training of others.

Twelve-year survival after multiple recurrences and repeated metastasectomies for renal cell Carcinoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Jue

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC presents a therapeutic challenge for clinicians because of the unpredictable clinical course, resistance to chemotherapy or radiotherapy and the limited response to immunotherapy. Patients and Methods We report a case of a 62-year-old woman who underwent nephrectomy for T4N0 RCC, clear cell type, Fuhrman grade 3/4 in 1999. The patinet subsequently had multiple tumor recurrences. Results The patient underwent eight metastasectomies, including multiple partial left nephrectomies, right adrenalectomy, a complete left nephrectomy, and distal pancreatectomy. She remains well and tumor free 12 years after initial diagnosis. Conclusion Repeated resections after initial metastasectomy can be carried out safely and provide long-term survival in selected patients with recurrent metastasis from RCC. The findings from our case indicate that close follow-up for the early detection of recurrence and complete resection of metastases can improve the results after repeated resection.

Usefulness of repeat coronary angiography 24 hours after balloon angioplasty to evaluate early lminal deterioration and facilitate quantitative analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

G.R. Heyndrickx (Guy); G-J. Laarman (GertJan); H. Suryapranata (Harry); F. Zijlstra (Felix); P.W.J.C. Serruys (Patrick); D.P. Foley (David); A.A. van den Bos (Arjan); J.W. Deckers (Jaap)

1993-01-01

textabstractBecause of the unavoidable occurrence of vessel disruption after successful coronary balloon angioplasty, the reliability of quantitative angiographic analysis in that setting has been questioned. For this reason and the suggested occurrence of delayed elastic recoil, repeat angiography

Early haemorrhage control and management of trauma-induced coagulopathy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stensballe, Jakob; Henriksen, Hanne H; Johansson, Pär I

2017-01-01

of trauma resuscitation using a ratio-driven strategy aiming at 1:1:1 of red blood cells, plasma and platelets while applying goal-directed therapy early and repeatedly to control trauma-induced coagulopathy. SUMMARY: Trauma resuscitation should focus on early goal-directed therapy with use of viscoelastic...... haemostatic assays while initially applying a ratio 1:1:1 driven transfusion therapy (with red blood cells, plasma and platelets) in order to sustain normal haemostasis and control further bleeding....

Developing Pre-Algebraic Thinking in Generalizing Repeating Pattern Using SOLO Model

Science.gov (United States)

Lian, Lim Hooi; Yew, Wun Thiam

2011-01-01

In this paper, researchers discussed the application of the generalization perspective in helping the primary school pupils to develop their pre-algebraic thinking in generalizing repeating pattern. There are two main stages of the generalization perspective had been adapted, namely investigating and generalizing the pattern. Since the Biggs and…

The Pentapeptide Repeat Proteins

OpenAIRE

Vetting, Matthew W.; Hegde, Subray S.; Fajardo, J. Eduardo; Fiser, Andras; Roderick, Steven L.; Takiff, Howard E.; Blanchard, John S.

2006-01-01

The Pentapeptide Repeat Protein (PRP) family has over 500 members in the prokaryotic and eukaryotic kingdoms. These proteins are composed of, or contain domains composed of, tandemly repeated amino acid sequences with a consensus sequence of [S,T,A,V][D,N][L,F]-[S,T,R][G]. The biochemical function of the vast majority of PRP family members is unknown. The three-dimensional structure of the first member of the PRP family was determined for the fluoroquinolone resistance protein (MfpA) from Myc...

Accuracy of velocities from repeated GPS surveys: relative positioning is concerned

Science.gov (United States)

Duman, Huseyin; Ugur Sanli, D.

2016-04-01

Over more than a decade, researchers have been interested in studying the accuracy of GPS positioning solutions. Recently, reporting the accuracy of GPS velocities has been added to this. Researchers studying landslide motion, tectonic motion, uplift, sea level rise, and subsidence still report results from GPS experiments in which repeated GPS measurements from short sessions are used. This motivated some other researchers to study the accuracy of GPS deformation rates/velocities from various repeated GPS surveys. In one of the efforts, the velocity accuracy was derived from repeated GPS static surveys using short observation sessions and Precise Point Positioning mode of GPS software. Velocities from short GPS sessions were compared with the velocities from 24 h sessions. The accuracy of velocities was obtained using statistical hypothesis testing and quantifying the accuracy of least squares estimation models. The results reveal that 45-60 % of the horizontal and none of the vertical solutions comply with the results from 24 h solutions. We argue that this case in which the data was evaluated using PPP should also apply to the case in which the data belonging to long GPS base lengths is processed using fundamental relative point positioning. To test this idea we chose the two IGS stations ANKR and NICO and derive their velocities from the reference stations held fixed in the stable EURASIAN plate. The University of Bern's GNSS software BERNESE was used to produce relative positioning solutions, and the results are compared with those of GIPSY/OASIS II PPP results. First impressions indicate that it is worth designing a global experiment and test these ideas in detail.

Exploring antecedents of consumer satisfaction and repeated search behavior on e-health information.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Yun Jung; Park, Jungkun; Widdows, Richard

2009-03-01

E-health information has become an important resource for people seeking health information. Even though many studies have been conducted to examine the quality of e-health information, only a few studies have explored the effects of the information seekers' motivations on the perceived quality of e-health information. There is even less information about repeated searches for e-health information after the users' initial experience of e-health information use. Using an online survey of information seekers, 252 e-health information users' responses were collected. The research examines the relationship among motivation, perceived quality, satisfaction, and intention to repeat-search e-health information. The results identify motivations to search e-health information and confirm the relationship among motivation, perceived quality dimensions, and satisfaction and intention to repeat searches for e-health information.

How do repeat suicide attempters differ from first timers? An exploratory record based analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vikas Menon

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Evidence indicates that repeat suicide attempters, as a group, may differ from 1st time attempters. The identification of repeat attempters is a powerful but underutilized clinical variable. Aims: In this research, we aimed to compare individuals with lifetime histories of multiple attempts with 1st time attempters to identify factors predictive of repeat attempts. Setting and Design: This was a retrospective record based study carried out at a teaching cum Tertiary Care Hospital in South India. Methods: Relevant data was extracted from the clinical records of 1st time attempters (n = 362 and repeat attempters (n = 61 presenting to a single Tertiary Care Center over a 4½ year period. They were compared on various sociodemographic and clinical parameters. The clinical measures included Presumptive Stressful Life Events Scale, Beck Hopelessness Scale, Coping Strategies Inventory – Short Form, and the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale. Statistical Analysis Used: First time attempters and repeaters were compared using appropriate inferential statistics. Logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of repeat attempts. Results: The two groups did not significantly differ on sociodemographic characteristics. Repeat attempters were more likely to have given prior hints about their act (χ2 = 4.500, P = 0.034. In the final regression model, beck hopelessness score emerged as a significant predictor of repeat suicide attempts (odds ratio = 1.064, P = 0.020. Conclusion: Among suicide attempters presenting to the hospital, the presence of hopelessness is a predictor of repeat suicide attempts, independent of clinical depression. This highlights the importance of considering hopelessness in the assessment of suicidality with a view to minimize the risk of future attempts.

The MRI appearances of early vertebral osteomyelitis and discitis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dunbar, J.A.T.; Sandoe, J.A.T.; Rao, A.S.; Crimmins, D.W.; Baig, W.; Rankine, J.J.

2010-01-01

Aim: To describe the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearances in patients with a clinical history suggestive of vertebral osteomyelitis and discitis who underwent MRI very early in their clinical course. Materials and methods: A retrospective review of the database of spinal infections from a spinal microbiological liaison team was performed over a 2 year period to identify cases with clinical features suggestive of spinal infection and an MRI that did not show features typical of vertebral osteomyelitis and discitis. All patients had positive microbiology and a follow up MRI showing typical features of spinal infection. Results: In four cases the features typical of spinal infection were not evident at the initial MRI. In three cases there was very subtle endplate oedema associated with disc degeneration, which was interpreted as Modic type I degenerative endplate change. Intravenous antibiotic therapy was continued prior to repeat MRI examinations. The mean time to the repeat examination was 17 days with a range of 8-22 days. The second examinations clearly demonstrated vertebral osteomyelitis and discitis. Conclusion: Although MRI is the imaging method of choice for vertebral osteomyelitis and discitis in the early stages, it may show subtle, non-specific endplate subchondral changes; a repeat examination may be required to show the typical features.

Characterization of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats sites in Streptococcus mutans isolated from early childhood caries patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jing; Li, Tiancheng; Zhou, Xuedong; Cheng, Lei; Huo, Yuanyuan; Zou, Jing; Li, Yuqing

2017-11-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the characteristics of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) sites in 45 clinical Streptococcus mutans strains and their relationship to the clinical manifestations of early childhood caries (ECC). Forty-five S. mutans strains were isolated from the plaque samples taken from sixty-three children. CRISPR sites were sequenced and BLAST was used to compare these sites to those in the CRISPRTarget database. The association between the distribution of CRISPR sites and the manifestation of caries was analyzed by Chi-Square test. Further, biofilm formation (by crystal violet staining) and the synthesis of polysaccharide (by anthrone-sulfuric method) of all clinical isolated S. mutans strains with both CRISPR sites and no CRISPR site were comapared. Finally, acidogenicity and acidurity of two typical strains were determined using pH drop and acid tolerance assays. Biofilm formation and EPS synthesis by two typical strains were compared by 3D CLSM (Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope) assays and the expression of gtf genes were evaluated using qPCR. We found that most of the spacers in the clinical S. mutans strains were derived from Streptococcus phages APCM01 and M102. The number of CRISPR sites in these strains was associated with the clinical manifestations of ECC. Moreover, we found that the biofilm formation and EPS synthesis ability of the S. mutans strains with both CRISPR sites was significant improved. An association was found between the distribution of CRISPR sites and the clinical manifestations of caries. The CRISPR sites might contribute to the cariogenic potential of S. mutans. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization and expression of the maize β-carbonic anhydrase gene repeat regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Tems, Ursula; Burnell, James N

2010-12-01

In maize, carbonic anhydrase (CA; EC 4.2.1.1) catalyzes the first reaction of the C(4) photosynthetic pathway; it catalyzes the hydration of CO(2) to bicarbonate and provides an inorganic carbon source for the primary carboxylation reaction catalyzed by phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxylase. The β-CA isozymes from maize, as well as other agronomically important NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME) type C(4) crops, have remained relatively uncharacterized but differ significantly from the β-CAs of other C(4) monocot species primarily due to transcript length and the presence of repeat sequences. This research confirmed earlier findings of repeat sequences in maize CA transcripts, and demonstrated that the gene encoding these transcripts is also composed of repeat sequences. One of the maize CA genes was sequenced and found to encode two domains, with distinct groups of exons corresponding to the repeat regions of the transcript. We have also shown that expression of a single repeat region of the CA transcript produced active enzyme that associated as a dimer and was composed primarily of α-helices, consistent with that observed for other plant CAs. As the presence of repeat regions in the CA gene is unique to NADP-ME type C(4) monocot species, the implications of these findings in the context of the evolution of the location and function of this C(4) pathway enzyme are strongly suggestive of CA gene duplication resulting in an evolutionary advantage and a higher photosynthetic efficiency. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Factors associated with early response to olanzapine and clinical and functional outcomes of early responders treated for schizophrenia in the People’s Republic of China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ye W

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Wenyu Ye,1 William Montgomery,2 Zbigniew Kadziola,3 Li Liu,4 Haibo Xue,4 Michael D Stensland,5 Tamas Treuer61Real World Analytics, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA; 2Global Patient Outcomes and Real World Evidence, Eli Lilly Australia Pty Ltd, West Ryde, Australia; 3Real World Analytics Capabilities, Eli Lilly GmbH, Vienna, Austria; 4Lilly Suzhou Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd, Shanghai Branch, People’s Republic of China; 5Agile Outcomes Research, Inc., Rochester, MN, USA; 6Neuroscience Research, Eli Lilly and Company, Budapest, HungaryBackground: The aims of this analysis were to identify factors associated with early response (at 4 weeks to olanzapine treatment and to assess whether early response is associated with better longer-term outcomes for patients with schizophrenia in the People’s Republic of China.Methods: A post hoc analysis of a multi-country, 6-month, prospective, observational study of outpatients with schizophrenia or bipolar mania who initiated or switched to treatment with oral olanzapine was conducted using data from the Chinese schizophrenia subgroup (n=330. Factors associated with early response were identified using a stepwise logistic regression with baseline clinical characteristics, baseline participation in a weight control program, and adherence with antipsychotics during the first 4 weeks of treatment. Mixed models for repeated measures with baseline covariates were used to compare outcomes over time between early responders and early nonresponders to olanzapine.Results: One hundred and thirty patients (40% achieved an early response. Early response was independently predicted by higher baseline Clinical Global Impressions-Severity score (odds ratio [OR] 1.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15–1.97, fewer years since first diagnosis (OR 0.94, CI 0.90–0.98, a greater number of social activities (OR 1.22, CI 1.05–1.40, participation in a weight control program (OR 1.81, CI 1.04–3.15, and high adherence

In situ detection of tandem DNA repeat length

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yaar, R.; Szafranski, P.; Cantor, C.R.; Smith, C.L. [Boston Univ., MA (United States)

1996-11-01

A simple method for scoring short tandem DNA repeats is presented. An oligonucleotide target, containing tandem repeats embedded in a unique sequence, was hybridized to a set of complementary probes, containing tandem repeats of known lengths. Single-stranded loop structures formed on duplexes containing a mismatched (different) number of tandem repeats. No loop structure formed on duplexes containing a matched (identical) number of tandem repeats. The matched and mismatched loop structures were enzymatically distinguished and differentially labeled by treatment with S1 nuclease and the Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase. 7 refs., 4 figs.

Automated genotyping of dinucleotide repeat markers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perlin, M.W.; Hoffman, E.P. [Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)]|[Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

1994-09-01

The dinucleotide repeats (i.e., microsatellites) such as CA-repeats are a highly polymorphic, highly abundant class of PCR-amplifiable markers that have greatly streamlined genetic mapping experimentation. It is expected that over 30,000 such markers (including tri- and tetranucleotide repeats) will be characterized for routine use in the next few years. Since only size determination, and not sequencing, is required to determine alleles, in principle, dinucleotide repeat genotyping is easily performed on electrophoretic gels, and can be automated using DNA sequencers. Unfortunately, PCR stuttering with these markers generates not one band for each allele, but a pattern of bands. Since closely spaced alleles must be disambiguated by human scoring, this poses a key obstacle to full automation. We have developed methods that overcome this obstacle. Our model is that the observed data is generated by arithmetic superposition (i.e., convolution) of multiple allele patterns. By quantitatively measuring the size of each component band, and exploiting the unique stutter pattern associated with each marker, closely spaced alleles can be deconvolved; this unambiguously reconstructs the {open_quotes}true{close_quotes} allele bands, with stutter artifact removed. We used this approach in a system for automated diagnosis of (X-linked) Duchenne muscular dystrophy; four multiplexed CA-repeats within the dystrophin gene were assayed on a DNA sequencer. Our method accurately detected small variations in gel migration that shifted the allele size estimate. In 167 nonmutated alleles, 89% (149/167) showed no size variation, 9% (15/167) showed 1 bp variation, and 2% (3/167) showed 2 bp variation. We are currently developing a library of dinucleotide repeat patterns; together with our deconvolution methods, this library will enable fully automated genotyping of dinucleotide repeats from sizing data.

The Significance of Isolated Reactive Treponemal Enzyme Immunoassay in the Diagnosis of Early Syphilis.

Science.gov (United States)

Caswell, Rachel J; Hathorn, Emma; Manavi, Kaveh

2016-06-01

The Treponemal test algorithm for syphilis screening is widely used. A diagnostic challenge between identifying early syphilis versus a false positive signal occurs in cases where the treponemal enzyme immunoassay (EIA) is reactive and confirmatory T. pallidum particle agglutination assay is negative. We investigated the diagnostic outcome of isolated reactive EIA in patients attending a sexual health clinic. Results of syphilis serology tests carried out at Birmingham Whittall Street Clinic between August 10, 2010, and November 31, 2014, were reviewed. Cases with isolated EIA were routinely invited for repeat syphilis serology. Outcomes of patients with isolated EIA were reviewed and the proportion with confirmed positive syphilis serology on their repeat test identified. The number of isolated EIA cases needed to retest to identify 1 case of early syphilis was calculated. A total of 121,724 syphilis screening tests were performed. Among the 1561 individual patients with reactive EIA sera, 316 (20% of total reactive tests) had isolated reactive EIA. Repeat syphilis serology results of 163 patients were reviewed; 106 patients remained with isolated reactive EIA, 50 had negative EIA test and 7 (4.3%) had confirmed reactive EIA. Of the 7 patients, 2 had evidence of early syphilis infection. The number of isolated EIA needed to retest to identify 1 case of early syphilis was 81.5 (95% confidence interval, 22.9-671.4). Routine recall of patients with isolated EIA sera is not warranted. Risk of acquisition or presence of early syphilis should be assessed independently and irrespective of a negative syphilis screening test or isolated EIA.

Repeatability of grasp recognition for robotic hand prosthesis control based on sEMG data.

Science.gov (United States)

Palermo, Francesca; Cognolato, Matteo; Gijsberts, Arjan; Muller, Henning; Caputo, Barbara; Atzori, Manfredo

2017-07-01

Control methods based on sEMG obtained promising results for hand prosthetics. Control system robustness is still often inadequate and does not allow the amputees to perform a large number of movements useful for everyday life. Only few studies analyzed the repeatability of sEMG classification of hand grasps. The main goals of this paper are to explore repeatability in sEMG data and to release a repeatability database with the recorded experiments. The data are recorded from 10 intact subjects repeating 7 grasps 12 times, twice a day for 5 days. The data are publicly available on the Ninapro web page. The analysis for the repeatability is based on the comparison of movement classification accuracy in several data acquisitions and for different subjects. The analysis is performed using mean absolute value and waveform length features and a Random Forest classifier. The accuracy obtained by training and testing on acquisitions at different times is on average 27.03% lower than training and testing on the same acquisition. The results obtained by training and testing on different acquisitions suggest that previous acquisitions can be used to train the classification algorithms. The inter-subject variability is remarkable, suggesting that specific characteristics of the subjects can affect repeatibility and sEMG classification accuracy. In conclusion, the results of this paper can contribute to develop more robust control systems for hand prostheses, while the presented data allows researchers to test repeatability in further analyses.

Work-Life Interferences in the Early Stages of Academic Careers: The Case of Precarious Researchers in Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Bozzon, Rossella; Murgia, Annalisa; Poggio, Barbara; Rapetti, Elisa

2017-01-01

This paper addresses the topic of work-life interferences in academic contexts. More specifically, it focuses on early career researchers in the Italian university system. The total availability required from those who work in the research sector is leading to significant transformations of the temporalities of work, especially among the new…

Use of repeat anterior maxillary distraction to correct residual midface hypoplasia in cleft patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, Sunil; Krishna, Shreya; Bansal, Avi

2017-12-01

The study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of performing a second, repeat anterior maxillary distraction (AMD) to treat residual cleft maxillary hypoplasia. Five patients between the ages of 12 to 15 years with a history of AMD and with residual cleft maxillary hypoplasia were included in the study. Inclusion was irrespective of gender, type of cleft lip and palate, and the amount of advancement needed. Repeat AMD was executed in these patients 4 to 5 years after the primary AMD procedure to correct the cleft maxillary hypoplasia that had developed since the initial procedure. Orthopantomogram (OPG) and lateral cephalograms were taken for evaluation preoperatively, immediately after distraction, after consolidation, and one year postoperatively. The data obtained was tabulated and a Mann Whitney U-test was used for statistical comparisons. At the time of presentation, a residual maxillary hypoplasia was observed with a well maintained distraction gap on the OPG which ruled out the occurrence of a relapse. Favorable movement of the segments without any resistance was seen in all patients. Mean maxillary advancement of 10.56 mm was achieved at repeat AMD. Statistically significant increases in midfacial length, SNA angle, and nasion perpendicular to point A distance was achieved ( P =0.012, P =0.011, and P =0.012, respectively). Good profile was achieved for all patients. Minimal transient complications, for example anterior open bite and bleeding episodes, were managed. Addressing the problem of cleft maxillary hypoplasia at an early age (12-15 years) is beneficial for the child. Residual hypoplasia may develop in some patients, which may require additional corrective procedures. The results of our study show that AMD can be repeated when residual deformity develops with the previous procedure having no negative impact on the results of the repeat procedure.

Repeatability of regional myocardial blood flow calculation in 82Rb PET imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knešaurek, Karin; Machac, Josef; Zhang, Zhuangyu

2009-01-01

We evaluated the repeatability of the calculation of myocardial blood flow (MBF) at rest and pharmacological stress, and calculated the coronary flow reserve (CFR) utilizing 82 Rb PET imaging. The aim of the research was to prove high repeatability for global MBF and CFR values and good repeatability for regional MBF and CFR values. The results will have significant impact on cardiac PET imaging in terms of making it more affordable and increasing its use. 12 normal volunteers were imaged at rest and during pharmacological stress, with 2220 MBq of 82 Rb each. A GE Advance PET system was used to acquire dynamic 50-frame studies. MBF was calculated with a 2-compartmental model using a modified PMOD program (PMOD; University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland). Two differential equations, describing a 2-compartmental model, were solved by numerical integration and using Levenberg-Marquardt's method for fitting data. The PMOD program defines 16 standard segments and calculates myocardial flow for each segment, as well as average septal, anterior, lateral, inferior and global flow. Repeatability was evaluated according to the method of Bland and Altman. Global rest and stress MBF, as well as global CFR, showed very good repeatability. No significant differences were found between the paired resting global MBF (0.63 ± 0.13 vs. 0.64 ± 0.13 mL/min/g; mean difference, -1.0% ± 2.6%) and the stress global MBF (1.37 ± 0.23 vs. 1.37 ± 0.24; mean difference, 0.1% ± 2.3%). Global CFR was highly reproducible (2.25 ± 0.56 vs. 2.22 ± 0.54, P = not statistically significant; mean difference, 1.3% ± 14.3%). Repeatability coefficients for global rest MBF were 0.033 (5.2%) and stress MBF 0.062 (4.5%) mL/min/g. Regional rest and stress MBF and CFR have shown good reproducibility. The average per sector repeatability coefficients for rest MBF were 0.056 (8.5%) and stress MBF 0.089 (6.3%) mL/min/g, and average repeatability coefficient for CFR was 0.25 (10.6%). The results

Praxis, Ethics and Power: Developing Praxeology as a Participatory Paradigm for Early Childhood Research

Science.gov (United States)

Pascal, Chris; Bertram, Tony

2012-01-01

The discipline and practice of participatory, practice-led research has grown rapidly in recent years and it is now widely accepted as making an important and serious contribution to the knowledge base of early childhood. Despite this progress recently we have come to understand that our worldview has needed to shift again in response to the…

Synthesis of IES Research on Early Intervention and Early Childhood Education. NCSER 2013-3001

Science.gov (United States)

Diamond, Karen E.; Justice, Laura M.; Siegler, Robert S.; Snyder, Patricia A.

2013-01-01

A primary purpose of early childhood education and interventions is to promote children's acquisition of knowledge and skills linked to later social competence and academic success. In this report, special attention is given to summarizing what has been learned about early childhood classrooms as contexts for development and learning, the kinds of…

The Enigma of Rapid Repeat Pregnancy: A Qualitative Study of Teen Mothers.

Science.gov (United States)

Conroy, K N; Engelhart, T G; Martins, Y; Huntington, N L; Snyder, A F; Coletti, K D; Cox, J E

2016-06-01

Rapid repeat pregnancy accounts for 18% of teen pregnancies and leads to adverse health, economic, and developmental outcomes for teen mothers and their children. Few interventions have been successful in reducing rapid repeat pregnancy. In this qualitative study we examined adolescent mothers' perceptions of their decision-making and behaviors that helped prevent or promote a rapid repeat pregnancy. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, INTERVENTIONS, AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 31 adolescent mothers, aged 16-21 years; 15 of these subjects experienced a repeat pregnancy within a year of their first child's birth and 16 had not. Two researchers used a grounded, inductive technique to identify emergent themes; interviews were subsequently coded accordingly. Counts were tabulated of the number of times themes were endorsed among those with or without a repeat pregnancy. Four overarching themes emerged from the interviews: intentionality regarding pregnancy planning, patients' degree of independence in making contraceptive choices, sense of control over life experience, and barriers to follow-through on contraceptive planning. Teens who had not experienced a rapid repeat pregnancy more often endorsed themes of intentionality in preventing or promoting a pregnancy, independence in decision-making, and feelings of control over their experience. Ambivalence and lack of decision-making about seeking another pregnancy were frequently endorsed by mothers who had experienced a second pregnancy. Decision-making regarding seeking or preventing a rapid repeat pregnancy is complex for teen mothers; techniques to help support decision-making or to delay pregnancy until decision-repeat making is complete might be important in reducing rapid pregnancy. Copyright © 2015 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Research progress in early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meng-sha SUN

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Alzheimer's disease (AD is a kind of central nervous system degenerative disease with higher incidence, which has been paid increasing attention. The pathogenesis is not yet clear though it has been studied a lot. The existing theories focused on amyloid β-protein (Aβ deposit, hyperphosphorylation of tau and cholinergic neuronal loss. There is mainly symptomatic treatment which cannot reverse disease course. So early diagnosis is particularly important for prevention and treatment of AD. The article will review recent advances in the studies of early diagnosis of AD. It may help accurately diagnose the process from mild cognitive impairment (MCI to early AD and give advice on prevention and treatment. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2018.03.011

Effect of repeated contact on adhesion measurements involving polydimethylsiloxane structural material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kroner, E; Arzt, E; Maboudian, R

2009-01-01

During the last few years several research groups have focused on the fabrication of artificial gecko inspired adhesives. For mimicking these structures, different polymers are used as structure material, such as polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS), polyurethanes (PU), and polypropylene (PP). While these polymers can be structured easily and used for artificial adhesion systems, the effects of repeated adhesion testing have never been investigated closely. In this paper we report on the effect of repeated adhesion measurements on the commercially available poly(dimethylsiloxane) polymer kit Sylgard 184 (Dow Corning). We show that the adhesion force decreases as a function of contact cycles. The rate of change and the final value of adhesion are found to depend on the details of the PDMS synthesis and structuring.

Conformational properties of trinucleotide repeats associated with human neurodegenerative diseases

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vorlíčková, Michaela; Renčiuk, Daniel; Fojtík, Petr; Zemánek, Michal; Kejnovská, Iva

2007-01-01

Roč. 24, č. 6 (2007), s. 745 ISSN 0739-1102. [The 15th Conversation . 19.06.2007-23.06.2007, Albany] R&D Projects: GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA100040701; GA ČR(CZ) GA204/07/0057 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50040507; CEZ:AV0Z50040702 Keywords : DNA conformational properties * trinucleotide repeats * fragile X chromosome Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics

Genus-specific protein binding to the large clusters of DNA repeats (short regularly spaced repeats) present in Sulfolobus genomes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Peng, Xu; Brügger, Kim; Shen, Biao

2003-01-01

terminally modified and corresponds to SSO454, an open reading frame of previously unassigned function. It binds specifically to DNA fragments carrying double and single repeat sequences, binding on one side of the repeat structure, and producing an opening of the opposite side of the DNA structure. It also...... recognizes both main families of repeat sequences in S. solfataricus. The recombinant protein, expressed in Escherichia coli, showed the same binding properties to the SRSR repeat as the native one. The SSO454 protein exhibits a tripartite internal repeat structure which yields a good sequence match...... with a helix-turn-helix DNA-binding motif. Although this putative motif is shared by other archaeal proteins, orthologs of SSO454 were only detected in species within the Sulfolobus genus and in the closely related Acidianus genus. We infer that the genus-specific protein induces an opening of the structure...

Coexistence of 3G repeaters with LTE base stations.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeo, Woon-Young; Lee, Sang-Min; Hwang, Gyung-Ho; Kim, Jae-Hoon

2013-01-01

Repeaters have been an attractive solution for mobile operators to upgrade their wireless networks at low cost and to extend network coverage effectively. Since the first LTE commercial deployment in 2009, many mobile operators have launched LTE networks by upgrading their 3G and legacy networks. Because all 3G frequency bands are shared with the frequency bands for LTE deployment and 3G mobile operators have an enormous number of repeaters, reusing 3G repeaters in LTE networks is definitely a practical and cost-efficient solution. However, 3G repeaters usually do not support spatial multiplexing with multiple antennas, and thus it is difficult to reuse them directly in LTE networks. In order to support spatial multiplexing of LTE, the role of 3G repeaters should be replaced with small LTE base stations or MIMO-capable repeaters. In this paper, a repeater network is proposed to reuse 3G repeaters in LTE deployment while still supporting multilayer transmission of LTE. Interestingly, the proposed network has a higher cluster throughput than an LTE network with MIMO-capable repeaters.

Repeatability & Workability Evaluation of SIGMOD 2009

KAUST Repository

Manegold, Stefan

2010-12-15

SIGMOD 2008 was the first database conference that offered to test submitters\\' programs against their data to verify the repeatability of the experiments published [1]. Given the positive feedback concerning the SIGMOD 2008 repeatability initiative, SIGMOD 2009 modified and expanded the initiative with a workability assessment.

Repeatability & Workability Evaluation of SIGMOD 2009

KAUST Repository

Manegold, Stefan; Manolescu, Ioana; Afanasiev, Loredana; Feng, Jieling; Gou, G.; Hadjieleftheriou, Marios; Harizopoulos, Stavros; Kalnis, Panos; Karanasos, Konstantinos; Laurent, Dominique; Lupu, M.; Onose, N.; Ré , C.; Sans, Virginie; Senellart, Pierre; Wu, T.; Shasha, Dennis E.

2010-01-01

SIGMOD 2008 was the first database conference that offered to test submitters' programs against their data to verify the repeatability of the experiments published [1]. Given the positive feedback concerning the SIGMOD 2008 repeatability initiative, SIGMOD 2009 modified and expanded the initiative with a workability assessment.

The scheduling of repeat cesarean section operations: prospective management protocol experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Read, J A

1985-03-01

There are benefits to patients and a busy obstetric service if repeat cesarean section operations are performed on a scheduled basis. Optimum management avoids prematurity and reduces the need for amniocentesis. Over a period of 20 months repeat cesarean sections were performed at Tripler Army Medical Center while a protocol with the following elements was used: (1) known last menstrual period; (2) landmarks: positive urine human chorionic gonadotropin test by 6 weeks, Doppler fetal heart tone by 12 weeks, date determination by examination before 10 weeks, fetoscope fetal heart tone by 20 weeks, and date determination by size before 30 weeks; (3) date determination by midtrimester sonogram(s); (4) normal third-trimester glucose screening; (5) biparietal diameter of 9.2 or 9.5 cm before scheduling. With two or more clinical landmarks and one date by sonogram or one landmark and date by two sonograms, elective repeat cesarean section was scheduled at 39 weeks if the biparietal diameter was greater than or equal to 9.2 cm (127). If dates by sonogram were less than dates by last menstrual period but greater than 1 week or if last menstrual period was unknown, dates by sonogram and landmarks corresponding to dates by sonogram were used to electively schedule, with biparietal diameters of 9.2 or 9.5 cm respectively required (28). If protocol criteria were not met or earlier delivery was indicated (e.g., vertical scar or diabetes), amniocentesis was performed (42), except when not possible, advisable, or refused when patients either elected labor (20) or were scheduled if three or more criteria for 40+ weeks were met (18). Of 225 patients (70.5%) scheduled by protocol (173), amniocentesis (34), or medical indication (18), 188 (58.9%) were delivered without labor. In the 147 patients (46.1%) delivered electively by protocol without labor or amniocentesis, there were no cases of respiratory distress syndrome and the mean birth weight was 3517 gm. With early care and better

FRB 121102: A Starquake-induced Repeater?

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Weiyang; Luo, Rui; Yue, Han; Chen, Xuelei; Lee, Kejia; Xu, Renxin

2018-01-01

Since its initial discovery, the fast radio burst (FRB) FRB 121102 has been found to be repeating with millisecond-duration pulses. Very recently, 14 new bursts were detected by the Green Bank Telescope during its continuous monitoring observations. In this paper, we show that the burst energy distribution has a power-law form which is very similar to the Gutenberg–Richter law of earthquakes. In addition, the distribution of burst waiting time can be described as a Poissonian or Gaussian distribution, which is consistent with earthquakes, while the aftershock sequence exhibits some local correlations. These findings suggest that the repeating FRB pulses may originate from the starquakes of a pulsar. Noting that the soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) also exhibit such distributions, the FRB could be powered by some starquake mechanisms associated with the SGRs, including the crustal activity of a magnetar or solidification-induced stress of a newborn strangeon star. These conjectures could be tested with more repeating samples.

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPRi) plasmids | Office of Cancer Genomics

Science.gov (United States)

CTD2 researchers at the University of California in San Francisco developed a modified Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) CRISPR/dCas9 system. Catalytically inactive dCas9 enables modular and programmable RNA-guided genome regulation in eukaryotes.

A repeated carpal tunnel syndrome due to tophaceous gout in flexor tendon: A case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Hui; Chen, Qiang; Shen, Hui

2017-03-01

Gouty tophi is a rare cause of CTS. We first report a unique case of repeated CTS with gouty tophi in flexor tendon. In the previous literature, the symptoms cases of CTS were gradually increased. We report a 44-year-old male porter presented with mass on his left distal forearm combined a repeated carpal tunnel syndrome for 5 years. He felt numbness in fingers and his left palmar. The CTS symptoms had been eased through rest and dugs medication. It recurred twice. Monosodium urate crystal deposits were found in surgery. Histologic findings confirmed the diagnosis of gout. We removed partial of gouty tophus and retained the integrity of the tendon. Two years after the surgery, the patient had not experienced any symptom recurrence. Early diagnosis and control of gout are necessary to avoid irreversible complications. The surgery combined with decreasing trioxypurine treatment can improve the treatment outcome of gouty tophus.

PSSRdb: a relational database of polymorphic simple sequence repeats extracted from prokaryotic genomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Pankaj; Chaitanya, Pasumarthy S; Nagarajaram, Hampapathalu A

2011-01-01

PSSRdb (Polymorphic Simple Sequence Repeats database) (http://www.cdfd.org.in/PSSRdb/) is a relational database of polymorphic simple sequence repeats (PSSRs) extracted from 85 different species of prokaryotes. Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are the tandem repeats of nucleotide motifs of the sizes 1-6 bp and are highly polymorphic. SSR mutations in and around coding regions affect transcription and translation of genes. Such changes underpin phase variations and antigenic variations seen in some bacteria. Although SSR-mediated phase variation and antigenic variations have been well-studied in some bacteria there seems a lot of other species of prokaryotes yet to be investigated for SSR mediated adaptive and other evolutionary advantages. As a part of our on-going studies on SSR polymorphism in prokaryotes we compared the genome sequences of various strains and isolates available for 85 different species of prokaryotes and extracted a number of SSRs showing length variations and created a relational database called PSSRdb. This database gives useful information such as location of PSSRs in genomes, length variation across genomes, the regions harboring PSSRs, etc. The information provided in this database is very useful for further research and analysis of SSRs in prokaryotes.

Factors influencing repeated teenage pregnancy: a review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Maravilla, Joemer C; Betts, Kim S; Couto E Cruz, Camila; Alati, Rosa

2017-11-01

Existing evidence of predictors of repeated teenage pregnancy has not been assessed rigorously. This systematic review provides a comprehensive evaluation of protective and risk factors that are associated with repeated teenage pregnancy through a metaanalytical consensus. We used PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, ProQuest, PsychINFO, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science databases from 1997-2015 and the reference list of other relevant research papers and related reviews. Eligibility criteria included (1) epidemiologic studies that analyzed factors associated with repeated pregnancy or birth among adolescents pregnancy, and (2) experimental studies with an observational component that was adjusted for the intervention. We performed narrative synthesis of study characteristics, participant characteristics, study results, and quality assessment. We also conducted random-effects and quality-effects metaanalyses with meta-regression to obtain pooled odds ratios of identified factors and to determine sources of between-study heterogeneity. Twenty-six eligible epidemiologic studies, most from the United States (n=24), showed >47 factors with no evidence of publication bias for each metaanalysis. Use of contraception (pooled odds ratio, 0.60; 95% confidence interval, 0.35-1.02), particularly long-acting reversible contraceptives (pooled odds ratio, 0.19; 95% confidence interval, 0.08-0.45), considerably reduced repeated teenage pregnancy risk. Among studies about contraception, the number of follow-up visits (adjusted coefficient, 0.72; P=.102) and country of study (unadjusted coefficient, 2.57; permuted P=.071) explained between-study heterogeneity. Education-related factors, which included higher level of education (pooled odds ratio, 0.74; 95% confidence interval, 0.60-0.91) and school continuation (pooled odds ratio, 0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.33-0.84), were found to be protective. Conversely, depression (pooled odds ratio, 1.46; 95% confidence interval, 1

Fetal Microsatellite in the Heme Oxygenase 1 Promoter Is Associated With Severe and Early-Onset Preeclampsia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaartokallio, Tea; Utge, Siddheshwar; Klemetti, Miira M; Paananen, Jussi; Pulkki, Kari; Romppanen, Jarkko; Tikkanen, Ilkka; Heinonen, Seppo; Kajantie, Eero; Kere, Juha; Kivinen, Katja; Pouta, Anneli; Lakkisto, Päivi; Laivuori, Hannele

2018-01-01

Preeclampsia is a vascular pregnancy disorder that often involves impaired placental development. HO-1 (heme oxygenase 1, encoded by HMOX1 ) is a stress response enzyme crucial for endothelial and placental function. Long version of the guanine-thymine (GT n ) microsatellite in the HMOX1 promoter decreases HO-1 expression, and the long maternal repeat is associated with late-onset preeclampsia. Our aim was to study whether the length of fetal repeat is associated with mother's preeclampsia, whether the length of fetal and maternal repeats affect HO-1 levels in placenta and maternal serum, and whether HO-1 levels are altered in preeclampsia. We genotyped the repeat in the cord blood of 609 preeclamptic and 745 nonpreeclamptic neonates. HO-1 levels were measured in 36 placental samples, and in the first (222 cases/243 controls) and third (176 cases/53 controls) pregnancy trimester serum samples using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The long fetal GT n repeat was associated with preeclampsia and its severe and early-onset subtypes. Interaction analysis suggested the maternal and fetal effects to be independent. Placental or serum HO-1 levels were not altered in preeclamptics, possibly reflecting heterogeneity of preeclampsia. Carriers of the long fetal and maternal repeats had lower placental and serum HO-1 levels, respectively, providing functional evidence for the association. We conclude that the long fetal GT n repeat may increase mother's risk for especially severe and early-onset preeclampsia. The fetal and maternal risk alleles likely predispose to different disease subtypes. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Research on Reasons for Repeated Falling of Tiles in Internal Walls of Construction

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, LiBin; Chen, Shangwei; He, Xinzhou; Zhu, Guoliang

2018-03-01

In view of the quality problem of repeated falling of facing tiles in some construction, the essay had a comparative trial in laboratory on cement mortar which is often used to paste tiles, special tile mortar and dry-hang glue, and measured durability of tile adhesive mortar through freezing and thawing tests. The test results indicated that ordinary cement mortar cannot meet standards due to reasons like big shrinkage and low adhesive. In addition, the ten times of freezing and thawing tests indicated that ordinary cement mortar would directly shell and do not have an adhesive force, and moreover, adhesive force of special tile mortar would reduce. Thus, for tiles of large size which are used for walls, dry-hang techniques are recommended to be used.

Implementation of repeat HIV testing during pregnancy in Kenya: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, Anna Joy; Weke, Elly; Kwena, Zachary; Bukusi, Elizabeth A; Oyaro, Patrick; Cohen, Craig R; Turan, Janet M

2016-07-11

Repeat HIV testing in late pregnancy has the potential to decrease rates of mother-to-child transmission of HIV by identifying mothers who seroconvert after having tested negative for HIV in early pregnancy. Despite being national policy in Kenya, the available data suggest that implementation rates are low. We conducted 20 in-depth semi-structured interviews with healthcare providers and managers to explore barriers and enablers to implementation of repeat HIV testing guidelines for pregnant women. Participants were from the Nyanza region of Kenya and were purposively selected to provide variation in socio-demographics and job characteristics. Interview transcripts were coded and analyzed in Dedoose software using a thematic analysis approach. Four themes were identified a priori using Ferlie and Shortell's Framework for Change and additional themes were allowed to emerge from the data. Participants identified barriers and enablers at the client, provider, facility, and health system levels. Key barriers at the client level from the perspective of providers included late initial presentation to antenatal care and low proportions of women completing the recommended four antenatal visits. Barriers to offering repeat HIV testing for providers included heavy workloads, time limitations, and failing to remember to check for retest eligibility. At the facility level, inconsistent volume of clients and lack of space required for confidential HIV retesting were cited as barriers. Finally, at the health system level, there were challenges relating to the HIV test kit supply chain and the design of nationally standardized antenatal patient registers. Enablers to improving the implementation of repeat HIV testing included client dissemination of the benefits of antenatal care through word-of-mouth, provider cooperation and task shifting, and it was suggested that use of an electronic health record system could provide automatic reminders for retest eligibility. This study

Novel expressed sequence tag- simple sequence repeats (EST ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Using different bioinformatic criteria, the SUCEST database was used to mine for simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Among 42,189 clusters, 1,425 expressed sequence tag- simple sequence repeats (EST-SSRs) were identified in silico. Trinucleotide repeats were the most abundant SSRs detected. Of 212 primer pairs ...

Role of memory errors in quantum repeaters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartmann, L.; Kraus, B.; Briegel, H.-J.; Duer, W.

2007-01-01

We investigate the influence of memory errors in the quantum repeater scheme for long-range quantum communication. We show that the communication distance is limited in standard operation mode due to memory errors resulting from unavoidable waiting times for classical signals. We show how to overcome these limitations by (i) improving local memory and (ii) introducing two operational modes of the quantum repeater. In both operational modes, the repeater is run blindly, i.e., without waiting for classical signals to arrive. In the first scheme, entanglement purification protocols based on one-way classical communication are used allowing to communicate over arbitrary distances. However, the error thresholds for noise in local control operations are very stringent. The second scheme makes use of entanglement purification protocols with two-way classical communication and inherits the favorable error thresholds of the repeater run in standard mode. One can increase the possible communication distance by an order of magnitude with reasonable overhead in physical resources. We outline the architecture of a quantum repeater that can possibly ensure intercontinental quantum communication

Great Excavations: Tales of Early Southwestern Archaeology, 1888-1939, School of American Research Press, 1995

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen E. Nash

1997-05-01

Full Text Available Great Excavations: Tales of Early Southwestern Archaeology, 1 888-1939, is an "intentionally selective" account of eight major archaeological expeditions to the Southwest in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It succeeds in achieving the goals set forth in the prologue. The reader is taken on an "armchair tour"  of early Southwestern excavations in the hope that the resulting "basic understanding of what the early archae­ologists did" will stimulate a desire to "learn more about the intriguing prehistory of the Southwest" (pp. xiii. As a student of the history of North American archaeology, I would be amiss to speak for Elion's "layperson" audience, but my suspicion is that her presentation will indeed stimulate those readers. As an archaeologist, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it may well be that Elliott's journalistic approach makes this book more enjoyable because she is able to remain above the level of detail that often burden archaeolo­gists' accounts of these expeditions. I must temper this statement by noting that Elliott's journalistic hyper­ bole and tendency to oversimplify complex research and analysis are at times discomforting.

Shedding Light: Private "For Profit" Training Providers and Young Early School Leavers. NCVER Research Report

Science.gov (United States)

Myconos, George; Clarke, Kira; te Riele, Kitty

2016-01-01

This research investigates the oft-criticised segment of the vocational education and training (VET) sector in Australia--private, for-profit registered training organisations (RTOs)--with the aim of gaining a clearer understanding of the approaches they adopt in training 15 to 19-year-olds who have left school early. Through a nationwide survey…

An Overview of Research Strategies and Findings (1971-1975) of the Kamehameha Early Education Program. Technical Report #66.

Science.gov (United States)

Gallimore, Ronald; Tharp, Roland G.

This report reviews the major lines of investigation of the Kamehameha Early Education Program (KEEP) for the period 1971-75. A brief introductory section describes the selection of initial research strategies, identification of problems, issues in research design (such as internal versus external validity) and problems pertaining to the process…

Repeatability of measures of inflammatory cell number in bronchial biopsies in atopic asthma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sont, J. K.; Willems, L. N.; Evertse, C. E.; Hooijer, R.; Sterk, P. J.; van Krieken, J. H.

1997-01-01

Airway pathology is increasingly considered to be a major outcome in asthma research. The aim of this study was to examine the intra-observer, within-section and between-biopsy repeatability, together with the implications for statistical power of a computerized quantitative analysis of inflammatory

Ocular surface sensitivity repeatability with Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer.

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Cecilia; Stapleton, Fiona; Badarudin, Ezailina; Golebiowski, Blanka

2015-02-01

To determine the repeatability of ocular surface threshold measurements using the Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer on the same day and 3 months apart. Two separate studies were conducted to determine the repeatability of ocular surface threshold measurements made on the same day (n = 20 subjects) and 3 months apart (n = 29 subjects). The Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer was used to measure corneal and inferior conjunctival thresholds using the ascending method of limits. The pressure exerted by the Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer was determined using an analytical balance, for both the 0.08- and 0.12-mm-diameter filaments. This calibration was then used to convert filament length measurements to pressure. Repeatability was determined using a Bland and Altman analysis. The pressure exerted at each filament length differed between the two filament diameters. The measured pressure also differed from values provided by the manufacturer. Repeatability of threshold measurements at the central cornea was shown to be good, with better repeatability for same-day measurements (coefficient of repeatability [CoR] = ±0.23 g/mm²) than for those 3 months apart (CoR = ±0.52 g/mm²). Threshold measurements at the inferior conjunctiva, in contrast, were poorly repeatable (CoR = ±12.78 g/mm²). Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometry is repeatable when performed on the central cornea on the same day and 3 months apart, but this instrument is not recommended for conjunctival threshold measurements.

Safety of Repeated Yttrium-90 Radioembolization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lam, Marnix G. E. H.; Louie, John D.; Iagaru, Andrei H.; Goris, Michael L.; Sze, Daniel Y.

2013-01-01

Purpose: Repeated radioembolization (RE) treatments carry theoretically higher risk of radiation-induced hepatic injury because of the liver’s cumulative memory of previous exposure. We performed a retrospective safety analysis on patients who underwent repeated RE. Methods: From 2004 to 2011, a total of 247 patients were treated by RE. Eight patients (5 men, 3 women, age range 51–71 years) underwent repeated treatment of a targeted territory, all with resin microspheres (SIR-Spheres; Sirtex, Lane Cove, Australia). Adverse events were graded during a standardized follow-up. In addition, the correlation between the occurrence of RE-induced liver disease (REILD) and multiple variables was investigated in univariate and multivariate analyses in all 247 patients who received RE. Results: Two patients died shortly after the second treatment (at 84 and 107 days) with signs and symptoms of REILD. Both patients underwent whole liver treatment twice (cumulative doses 3.08 and 2.66 GBq). The other 6 patients demonstrated only minor toxicities after receiving cumulative doses ranging from 2.41 to 3.88 GBq. All patients experienced objective tumor responses. In the whole population, multifactorial analysis identified three risk factors associated with REILD: repeated RE (p = 0.036), baseline serum total bilirubin (p = 0.048), and baseline serum aspartate aminotransferase (p = 0.043). Repeated RE proved to be the only independent risk factor for REILD in multivariate analysis (odds ratio 9.6; p = 0.002). Additionally, the administered activity per target volume (in GBq/L) was found to be an independent risk factor for REILD, but only in whole liver treatments (p = 0.033). Conclusion: The risk of REILD appears to be elevated for repeated RE. Objective tumor responses were observed, but establishment of safety limits will require improvement in dosimetric measurement and prediction

Safety of Repeated Yttrium-90 Radioembolization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lam, Marnix G. E. H.; Louie, John D. [Stanford University School of Medicine, Division of Interventional Radiology (United States); Iagaru, Andrei H.; Goris, Michael L. [Stanford University School of Medicine, Division of Nuclear Medicine (United States); Sze, Daniel Y., E-mail: dansze@stanford.edu [Stanford University School of Medicine, Division of Interventional Radiology (United States)

2013-10-15

Purpose: Repeated radioembolization (RE) treatments carry theoretically higher risk of radiation-induced hepatic injury because of the liver's cumulative memory of previous exposure. We performed a retrospective safety analysis on patients who underwent repeated RE. Methods: From 2004 to 2011, a total of 247 patients were treated by RE. Eight patients (5 men, 3 women, age range 51-71 years) underwent repeated treatment of a targeted territory, all with resin microspheres (SIR-Spheres; Sirtex, Lane Cove, Australia). Adverse events were graded during a standardized follow-up. In addition, the correlation between the occurrence of RE-induced liver disease (REILD) and multiple variables was investigated in univariate and multivariate analyses in all 247 patients who received RE. Results: Two patients died shortly after the second treatment (at 84 and 107 days) with signs and symptoms of REILD. Both patients underwent whole liver treatment twice (cumulative doses 3.08 and 2.66 GBq). The other 6 patients demonstrated only minor toxicities after receiving cumulative doses ranging from 2.41 to 3.88 GBq. All patients experienced objective tumor responses. In the whole population, multifactorial analysis identified three risk factors associated with REILD: repeated RE (p = 0.036), baseline serum total bilirubin (p = 0.048), and baseline serum aspartate aminotransferase (p = 0.043). Repeated RE proved to be the only independent risk factor for REILD in multivariate analysis (odds ratio 9.6; p = 0.002). Additionally, the administered activity per target volume (in GBq/L) was found to be an independent risk factor for REILD, but only in whole liver treatments (p = 0.033). Conclusion: The risk of REILD appears to be elevated for repeated RE. Objective tumor responses were observed, but establishment of safety limits will require improvement in dosimetric measurement and prediction.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for multiple pulmonary oligometastases: Analysis of number and timing of repeat SBRT as impact factors on treatment safety and efficacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Klement, R J; Hoerner-Rieber, J; Adebahr, S; Andratschke, N; Blanck, O; Boda-Heggemann, J; Duma, M; Eble, M J; Eich, H C; Flentje, M; Gerum, S; Hass, P; Henkenberens, C; Hildebrandt, G; Imhoff, D; Kahl, K H; Klass, N D; Krempien, R; Lohaus, F; Petersen, C; Schrade, E; Wendt, T G; Wittig, A; Guckenberger, M

2018-03-03

Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for oligometastatic disease is characterized by an excellent safety profile; however, experiences are mostly based on treatment of one single metastasis. It was the aim of this study to evaluate safety and efficacy of SBRT for multiple pulmonary metastases. This study is based on a retrospective database of the DEGRO stereotactic working group, consisting of 637 patients with 858 treatments. Cox regression and logistic regression were used to analyze the association between the number of SBRT treatments or the number and the timing of repeat SBRT courses with overall survival (OS) and the risk of early death. Out of 637 patients, 145 patients were treated for multiple pulmonary metastases; 88 patients received all SBRT treatments within one month whereas 57 patients were treated with repeat SBRT separated by at least one month. Median OS for the total patient population was 23.5 months and OS was not significantly influenced by the overall number of SBRT treatments or the number and timing of repeat SBRT courses. The risk of early death within 3 and 6 months was not increased in patients treated with multiple SBRT treatments, and no grade 4 or grade 5 toxicity was observed in these patients. In appropriately selected patients, synchronous SBRT for multiple pulmonary oligometastases and repeat SBRT may have a comparable safety and efficacy profile compared to SBRT for one single oligometastasis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Strategic Interviewing to Detect Deception: Cues to Deception across Repeated Interviews

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaume Masip

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Previous deception research on repeated interviews found that liars are not less consistent than truth tellers, presumably because liars use a repeat strategy to be consistent across interviews. The goal of this study was to design an interview procedure to overcome this strategy. Innocent participants (truth tellers and guilty participants (liars had to convince an interviewer that they had performed several innocent activities rather than committing a mock crime. The interview focused on the innocent activities (alibi, contained specific central and peripheral questions, and was repeated after one week without forewarning. Cognitive load was increased by asking participants to reply quickly. The liars’ answers in replying to both central and peripheral questions were significantly less accurate, less consistent, and more evasive than the truth tellers’ answers. Logistic regression analyses yielded classification rates ranging from around 70% (with consistency as the predictor variable, 85% (with evasive answers as the predictor variable, to over 90% (with an improved measure of consistency that incorporated evasive answers as the predictor variable, as well as with response accuracy as the predictor variable. These classification rates were higher than the interviewers’ accuracy rate (54%.

Big data from electronic health records for early and late translational cardiovascular research: challenges and potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Hemingway, Harry; Asselbergs, Folkert W; Danesh, John; Dobson, Richard; Maniadakis, Nikolaos; Maggioni, Aldo; van Thiel, Ghislaine J M; Cronin, Maureen; Brobert, Gunnar; Vardas, Panos; Anker, Stefan D; Grobbee, Diederick E; Denaxas, Spiros

2018-04-21

Cohorts of millions of people's health records, whole genome sequencing, imaging, sensor, societal and publicly available data present a rapidly expanding digital trace of health. We aimed to critically review, for the first time, the challenges and potential of big data across early and late stages of translational cardiovascular disease research. We sought exemplars based on literature reviews and expertise across the BigData@Heart Consortium. We identified formidable challenges including: data quality, knowing what data exist, the legal and ethical framework for their use, data sharing, building and maintaining public trust, developing standards for defining disease, developing tools for scalable, replicable science and equipping the clinical and scientific work force with new inter-disciplinary skills. Opportunities claimed for big health record data include: richer profiles of health and disease from birth to death and from the molecular to the societal scale; accelerated understanding of disease causation and progression, discovery of new mechanisms and treatment-relevant disease sub-phenotypes, understanding health and diseases in whole populations and whole health systems and returning actionable feedback loops to improve (and potentially disrupt) existing models of research and care, with greater efficiency. In early translational research we identified exemplars including: discovery of fundamental biological processes e.g. linking exome sequences to lifelong electronic health records (EHR) (e.g. human knockout experiments); drug development: genomic approaches to drug target validation; precision medicine: e.g. DNA integrated into hospital EHR for pre-emptive pharmacogenomics. In late translational research we identified exemplars including: learning health systems with outcome trials integrated into clinical care; citizen driven health with 24/7 multi-parameter patient monitoring to improve outcomes and population-based linkages of multiple EHR sources

Circular dichroism spectroscopy of conformers of (guanine + adenine) repeat strands of DNA

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kejnovská, Iva; Kypr, Jaroslav; Vorlíčková, Michaela

2003-01-01

Roč. 15, č. 7 (2003), s. 584-592 ISSN 0899-0042 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA4004201; GA ČR GA204/01/0561 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5004920 Keywords : DNA conformation * (guanine + adenine) repeats * homoduplexes Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 1.793, year: 2003

Effects of repeated collaborative retrieval on individual memory vary as a function of recall versus recognition tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Blumen, Helena M; Rajaram, Suparna

2009-11-01

Our research examines how prior group collaboration modulates later individual memory. We recently showed that repeated collaborative recall sessions benefit later individual recall more than a single collaborative recall session (Blumen & Rajaram, 2008). Current research compared the effects of repeated collaborative recall and repeated collaborative recognition on later individual recall and later individual recognition. A total of 192 participants studied a list of nouns and then completed three successive retrieval sessions in one of four conditions. While two collaborative recall sessions and two collaborative recognition sessions generated comparable levels of individual recall (CRecall-CRecall-I Recall approximately CRecognition-CRecognition-I Recall , Experiment 1a), two collaborative recognition sessions generated greater levels of individual recognition than two collaborative recall sessions (CRecognition-CRecognition- IRecognition > CRecall-CRecall- I Recognition , Experiment 1b). These findings are discussed in terms of two opposing mechanisms that operate during collaborative retrieval-re-exposure and retrieval disruption-and in terms of transfer-appropriate processing across collaborative and individual retrieval sessions.

Dental Fear in Children with Repeated Tooth Injuries.

Science.gov (United States)

Negovetić Vranić, Dubravka; Ivančić Jokić, Nataša; Bakarčić, Danko; Carek, Andreja; Rotim, Željko; Verzak, Željko

2016-06-01

Tooth injuries are serious clinical conditions. Some children experience dental trauma only once, while others are more prone to repeated tooth injuries. Repeated dental trauma occurs in 19.4% to 30% of patients. Pain and dental trauma are the most common reasons for fear and anxiety. The main objective of this study was to investigate how dental trauma, as well as repeated dental trauma affects the occurrence and development of dental fear in children. The study was conducted on a random sample of 147 subjects (88 boys and 59 girls) aged 5-8 and 9-12 years. Subjects in both age groups were divided into subroups without dental trauma, with one dental trauma and with repeated dental trauma. The validated Children’s Fear Survey Schedule – Dental Subscale was used on fear assessment. Results showed that only 12.2% of children without trauma, 33.3% with one trauma and 51.7% with repeated trauma were not afraid of injection. Older children had a significantly lower fear of injections, touch of an unknown person, choking, going to the hospital and people in white uniforms. Dentist was not the cause of fear in 65.5% of patients with repeated trauma. With each repeated injury of teeth, the degree of their fear of dental treatment was lower.

Erroneous Memories Arising from Repeated Attempts to Remember

Science.gov (United States)

Henkel, Linda A.

2004-01-01

The impact of repeated and prolonged attempts at remembering on false memory rates was assessed in three experiments. Participants saw and imagined pictures and then made repeated recall attempts before taking a source memory test. Although the number of items recalled increased with repeated tests, the net gains were associated with more source…

Can Mary Shelley's Frankenstein be read as an early research ethics text?

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, H

2004-06-01

The current popular view of the novel Frankenstein is that it describes the horrors consequent upon scientific experimentation; the pursuit of science leading inevitably to tragedy. In reality the importance of the book is far from this. Although the evil and tragedy resulting from one medical experiment are its theme, a critical and fair reading finds a more balanced view that includes science's potential to improve the human condition and reasons why such an experiment went awry. The author argues that Frankenstein is an early and balanced text on the ethics of research upon human subjects and that it provides insights that are as valid today as when the novel was written. As a narrative it provides a gripping story that merits careful analysis by those involved in medical research and its ethical review, and it is more enjoyable than many current textbooks! To support this thesis, the author will place the book in historical, scientific context, analyse it for lessons relevant to those involved in research ethics today, and then draw conclusions.

The role of temporal delay and repeated prospective memory cue exposure on the deactivation of completed intentions.

Science.gov (United States)

Walser, Moritz; Plessow, Franziska; Goschke, Thomas; Fischer, Rico

2014-07-01

Previous studies have shown that completed prospective memory (PM) intentions entail aftereffects in terms of ongoing-task-performance decrements in trials containing repeated PM cues which previously served as PM cues triggering the intended action. Previous research reported that PM aftereffects decrease over time, thus revealing a specific time course of PM aftereffects. In the present study, we tested two accounts for this pattern, assuming either that the decline of aftereffects is related to the temporal distance to PM task completion or may be a result of the repeated exposure of repeated PM cues in the ongoing task. In three experiments, we manipulated both the temporal distance to PM task completion and the frequency of repeated PM cues and demonstrated that aftereffects of completed intentions declined with repeated exposure of formerly relevant PM cues. In addition, effects of repeated exposure were not only limited to the repetition of specific PM-cue exemplars but also generalized to other semantically related PM cues within the PM-cue category. Together, findings show that decreased aftereffects of completed intentions are not related to the temporal duration of the subsequent test block, but crucially depend on the repeated exposure of the previously relevant PM cues.

Identification, variation and transcription of pneumococcal repeat sequences

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background Small interspersed repeats are commonly found in many bacterial chromosomes. Two families of repeats (BOX and RUP) have previously been identified in the genome of Streptococcus pneumoniae, a nasopharyngeal commensal and respiratory pathogen of humans. However, little is known about the role they play in pneumococcal genetics. Results Analysis of the genome of S. pneumoniae ATCC 700669 revealed the presence of a third repeat family, which we have named SPRITE. All three repeats are present at a reduced density in the genome of the closely related species S. mitis. However, they are almost entirely absent from all other streptococci, although a set of elements related to the pneumococcal BOX repeat was identified in the zoonotic pathogen S. suis. In conjunction with information regarding their distribution within the pneumococcal chromosome, this suggests that it is unlikely that these repeats are specialised sequences performing a particular role for the host, but rather that they constitute parasitic elements. However, comparing insertion sites between pneumococcal sequences indicates that they appear to transpose at a much lower rate than IS elements. Some large BOX elements in S. pneumoniae were found to encode open reading frames on both strands of the genome, whilst another was found to form a composite RNA structure with two T box riboswitches. In multiple cases, such BOX elements were demonstrated as being expressed using directional RNA-seq and RT-PCR. Conclusions BOX, RUP and SPRITE repeats appear to have proliferated extensively throughout the pneumococcal chromosome during the species' past, but novel insertions are currently occurring at a relatively slow rate. Through their extensive secondary structures, they seem likely to affect the expression of genes with which they are co-transcribed. Software for annotation of these repeats is freely available from ftp://ftp.sanger.ac.uk/pub/pathogens/strep_repeats/. PMID:21333003

Nonparametric additive regression for repeatedly measured data

KAUST Repository

Carroll, R. J.; Maity, A.; Mammen, E.; Yu, K.

2009-01-01

We develop an easily computed smooth backfitting algorithm for additive model fitting in repeated measures problems. Our methodology easily copes with various settings, such as when some covariates are the same over repeated response measurements

Quantum key distribution with two-segment quantum repeaters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kampermann, Hermann; Abruzzo, Silvestre; Bruss, Dagmar [Theoretische Physik III, Heinrich-Heine-Universitaet Duesseldorf (Germany)

2014-07-01

Quantum repeaters represent one possible way to achieve long-distance quantum key distribution. One way of improving the repeater rate and decreasing the memory coherence time is the usage of multiplexing. Motivated by the experimental fact that long-range connections are practically demanding, we extend the analysis of the quantum repeater multiplexing protocol to the case of short-range connections. We derive formulas for the repeater rate and we show that short-range connections lead to most of the benefits of a full-range multiplexing protocol. A less demanding QKD-protocol without quantum memories was recently introduced by Lo et al. We generalize this measurement-device-independent quantum key Distribution protocol to the scenario where the repeater Station contains also heralded quantum memories. We assume either single-photon sources or weak coherent pulse sources plus decay states. We show that it is possible to significantly outperform the original proposal, even in presence of decoherence of the quantum memory. We give formulas in terms of device imperfections i.e., the quantum bit error rate and the repeater rate.

Life as an early career researcher: interview with Catherine Martel.

Science.gov (United States)

Martel, Catherine

2016-03-01

Catherine Martel speaks to Francesca Lake, Managing Commissioning Editor: Catherine Martel obtained her PhD from the Université de Montréal and pursued a postdoctoral fellowship first at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York (NY, USA), then at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis (MO, USA), and obtained the Junior Investigator Award for Women from the Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology council of the American Heart Association. Her postdoctoral work is certainly groundbreaking and brings forward new considerations in the field: she discovered that the lymphatic vessel route, the network that runs in parallel with the blood vessels, is critical for removing cholesterol from multiple tissues, including the aortic wall. In 2013, she joined the Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology Early Career Committee, eager to bring a Canadian perspective to the group and get involved in council activities. Since 2014, she is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Medicine at the Université de Montréal, and a research scientist at the Montreal Heart Institute. Her research program now focuses on characterizing the physiopathologic role of the lymphatics in the initiation, progression and regression of atherosclerosis. Basic and translational research will allow her team to identify the causes of lymphatic dysfunction, and eventually target potential therapeutic strategies aiming at improving lymphatic function at the different levels of the atherothrombotic disease. You can follow her laboratory at @LaboMartel_ICM.

Deployment Repeatability

Science.gov (United States)

2016-08-31

large cohort of trials to spot unusual cases. However, deployment repeatability is inherently a nonlinear phenomenon, which makes modeling difficult...and GEMS tip position were both tracked during ground testing by a laser target tracking system. Earlier SAILMAST testing in 2005 [8] used...recalls the strategy used by SRTM, where a constellation of lights was installed at the tip of the boom and a modified star tracker was used to track tip

The effect of repeated melting of zircaloy-4 to the distribution of volatile constituents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johneri, E.; Wijaksana; Badruzzaman, M.

1996-01-01

The effect of repeated fusion on the composition and distribution of zircaloy volatile elemental constituents (especially Sn) has been investigated. The results showed that the higher the number of repeated fusion is, the more evenly distributed the constituents are, but the composition decreased until reached constant values. This phenomenon occurred due to the relatively faster diffusion movement of one element compared to the others. Further investigation needs to be done to find other proofs of the phenomenon. Moreover, continued research is in demand in order to answer technological problems regarding the zircaloy production and metal alloy production in general. (author)

The guanine-rich fragile X chromosome repeats are reluctant to form tetraplexes

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Fojtík, Petr; Kejnovská, Iva; Vorlíčková, Michaela

2004-01-01

Roč. 32, č. 1 (2004), s. 298-306 ISSN 0305-1048 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA204/01/0561; GA AV ČR IAA4004201 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5004920 Keywords : fragile X chromosome syndrom * trinucleotide repeats * DNA polymorphism Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 7.260, year: 2004

R-loops: targets for nuclease cleavage and repeat instability.

Science.gov (United States)

Freudenreich, Catherine H

2018-01-11

R-loops form when transcribed RNA remains bound to its DNA template to form a stable RNA:DNA hybrid. Stable R-loops form when the RNA is purine-rich, and are further stabilized by DNA secondary structures on the non-template strand. Interestingly, many expandable and disease-causing repeat sequences form stable R-loops, and R-loops can contribute to repeat instability. Repeat expansions are responsible for multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington's disease, myotonic dystrophy, and several types of ataxias. Recently, it was found that R-loops at an expanded CAG/CTG repeat tract cause DNA breaks as well as repeat instability (Su and Freudenreich, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 114, E8392-E8401, 2017). Two factors were identified as causing R-loop-dependent breaks at CAG/CTG tracts: deamination of cytosines and the MutLγ (Mlh1-Mlh3) endonuclease, defining two new mechanisms for how R-loops can generate DNA breaks (Su and Freudenreich, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 114, E8392-E8401, 2017). Following R-loop-dependent nicking, base excision repair resulted in repeat instability. These results have implications for human repeat expansion diseases and provide a paradigm for how RNA:DNA hybrids can cause genome instability at structure-forming DNA sequences. This perspective summarizes mechanisms of R-loop-induced fragility at G-rich repeats and new links between DNA breaks and repeat instability.

Cost calculations at early stages of nuclear research facilities in the nordic countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iversen, Klaus; Salmenhaara, Seppo; Backe, Steinar; Cato, Anna; Lindskog, Staffan; Callander, Clas; Efraimsson, Henrik; Andersson, Inga; Sjoeblom, Rolf

2007-01-01

The Nordic countries Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and to some extent also Finland, had very large nuclear research and development programs for a few decades starting in the nineteen fifties. Today, only some of the facilities are in use. Some have been decommissioned and dismantled while others are at various stages of planning for shutdown. The perspective ranges from imminent to several decades. It eventually became realized that considerable planning for the future decommissioning is warranted and that an integral part of this planning is financial, including how financial funds should be acquired, used and allocated over time. This necessitates that accurate and reliable cost estimates be obtained at all stages. However, this is associated with fundamental difficulties and treacherous complexities, especially for the early ones. Eventually, Denmark and Norway decided not to build any nuclear power plants while Finland and Sweden did. This is reflected in the financing where the latter countries have established systems with special funds in which money is being collected now to cover the future costs for the decommissioning of the research facilities. Nonetheless, the needs for planning for the decommissioning of nuclear research facilities are very similar. However, they differ considerably from those of nuclear power reactors, especially with regard to cost calculations. It has become apparent in the course of work that summation types of cost estimation methodologies give rise to large systematic errors if applied at early stages, in which case comparison based assessments are less biased and may be more reliable. Therefore, in order to achieve the required quality of the cost calculations, it is necessary that data and experience from authentic cases be utilized in models for cost calculations. It also implies that this calculation process should include a well adopted learning process. Thus, a Nordic co-operation has been established for the exchange and

Repeat profile analysis in an x-ray department

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bassey, C.E.; Ojo, O.O.; Akpabio, I.

1991-01-01

The repeat profile of an x-ray department in a developing country was analysed monthly between July 1989 and June 1990. Results showed an average repeat rate of 3.7% for the period of study. The main causes of film repetition were: equipment fault, 33.9%; radiographer's fault, 27.4%; film fault, 19.3%; processing fault, 10.8% and patient's fault, 8.6%. The average repeat rate in the first 6 months of study reduced by 50% in the last 6 months. This was due to the effectiveness of implementation of corrective actions. The overall repeat rate was found to correlate well with both the equipment fault and radiographer's fault with correlation coefficients, r, of 0.94 and 0.91, respectively. It is expected that a further reduction in the repeat rate will be obtained after the introduction of quality assurance programmes. (author)

Untraining Educational Researchers

Science.gov (United States)

St. Pierre, Elizabeth Adams

2016-01-01

The author argues that educational research curriculum that repeats formalized, scientized, pre-existing, methods-driven social science research methodologies stifle the present and future of educational research. Because such methodologies are too often disconnected from their onto-epistemological commitments, she argues for a reconnection with…

Counterbalancing and Other Uses of Repeated-Measures Latin-Square Designs: Analyses and Interpretations.

Science.gov (United States)

Reese, Hayne W.

1997-01-01

Recommends that when repeated-measures Latin-square designs are used to counterbalance treatments across a procedural variable or to reduce the number of treatment combinations given to each participant, effects be analyzed statistically, and that in all uses, researchers consider alternative interpretations of the variance associated with the…

Developing an Open Source, Reusable Platform for Distributed Collaborative Information Management in the Early Detection Research Network

Science.gov (United States)

Hart, Andrew F.; Verma, Rishi; Mattmann, Chris A.; Crichton, Daniel J.; Kelly, Sean; Kincaid, Heather; Hughes, Steven; Ramirez, Paul; Goodale, Cameron; Anton, Kristen;

Discovering and annotating fish early life-stage (FELS) adverse outcome pathways: Putting the research strategy into practice

Science.gov (United States)

In May 2012, a HESI-sponsored expert workshop yielded a proposed research strategy for systematically discovering, characterizing, and annotating fish early life-stage (FELS) adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) as well as prioritizing AOP development in light of current restrictions ...

Research reactor decommissioning planning - It is never too early to start

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eby, R.S.; Buttram, C.; Ervin, P.; Lundberg, L.; Hertel, N.; Marske, S.G.

2003-01-01

Whether an organization is in the process of designing, constructing or operating nuclear research reactors, past experiences prove it is never too early to start planning for the eventual decontamination, dismantlement and decommissioning (DD and D) of the reactor. If one waits until writing the Decommissioning Plan to seriously think about the DD and D activities, they have lost a key opportunity to be able to efficiently and effectively carry out the DD and D activities and will end up spending large sums of unnecessary funds during the DD and D. This paper will review all phases of research reactor decommissioning from characterization through planning, to eventual DD and D and license termination and highlight areas where early planning can significantly reduce the financial, safety and schedule risks associated with the DD and D activities. CH2M HILL served as the Executive Engineer for the Georgia Institute of Technology and the State of Georgia to oversee the successful DD and D of their tank type research reactor. CH2M HILL is currently serving as the DD and D contractor for the University of Virginia pool type UVAR and the low power CAVALIER research reactors and as the characterization and Decommissioning Planning contractor for the University of Michigan Ford Nuclear Reactor. Through these activities, an array of lessons learned have been compiled that will prove invaluable to the research reactor owner when they eventually face the DD and D challenge. As an example, in almost every case CH2M HILL has been involved in reactor DD and D, less than adequate up-front characterization has significantly impacted the ultimate DD and D process cost and schedule. Due to regulatory reasons, intrusive characterization may not always be possible prior to DD and D. However, a thorough understanding of the materials of construction and the quantities of additives or impurities present in those materials; e.g., cobalt in stainless steel, rare earth elements or

Development of analog watch with minute repeater

Science.gov (United States)

Okigami, Tomio; Aoyama, Shigeru; Osa, Takashi; Igarashi, Kiyotaka; Ikegami, Tomomi

A complementary metal oxide semiconductor with large scale integration was developed for an electronic minute repeater. It is equipped with the synthetic struck sound circuit to generate natural struck sound necessary for the minute repeater. This circuit consists of an envelope curve drawing circuit, frequency mixer, polyphonic mixer, and booster circuit made by using analog circuit technology. This large scale integration is a single chip microcomputer with motor drivers and input ports in addition to the synthetic struck sound circuit, and it is possible to make an electronic system of minute repeater at a very low cost in comparison with the conventional type.

RTEL1 Inhibits Trinucleotide Repeat Expansions and Fragility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aisling Frizzell

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Human RTEL1 is an essential, multifunctional helicase that maintains telomeres, regulates homologous recombination, and helps prevent bone marrow failure. Here, we show that RTEL1 also blocks trinucleotide repeat expansions, the causal mutation for 17 neurological diseases. Increased expansion frequencies of (CTG⋅CAG repeats occurred in human cells following knockdown of RTEL1, but not the alternative helicase Fbh1, and purified RTEL1 efficiently unwound triplet repeat hairpins in vitro. The expansion-blocking activity of RTEL1 also required Rad18 and HLTF, homologs of yeast Rad18 and Rad5. These findings are reminiscent of budding yeast Srs2, which inhibits expansions, unwinds hairpins, and prevents triplet-repeat-induced chromosome fragility. Accordingly, we found expansions and fragility were suppressed in yeast srs2 mutants expressing RTEL1, but not Fbh1. We propose that RTEL1 serves as a human analog of Srs2 to inhibit (CTG⋅CAG repeat expansions and fragility, likely by unwinding problematic hairpins.

Isolation of human simple repeat loci by hybridization selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Armour, J A; Neumann, R; Gobert, S; Jeffreys, A J

1994-04-01

We have isolated short tandem repeat arrays from the human genome, using a rapid method involving filter hybridization to enrich for tri- or tetranucleotide tandem repeats. About 30% of clones from the enriched library cross-hybridize with probes containing trimeric or tetrameric tandem arrays, facilitating the rapid isolation of large numbers of clones. In an initial analysis of 54 clones, 46 different tandem arrays were identified. Analysis of these tandem repeat loci by PCR showed that 24 were polymorphic in length; substantially higher levels of polymorphism were displayed by the tetrameric repeat loci isolated than by the trimeric repeats. Primary mapping of these loci by linkage analysis showed that they derive from 17 chromosomes, including the X chromosome. We anticipate the use of this strategy for the efficient isolation of tandem repeats from other sources of genomic DNA, including DNA from flow-sorted chromosomes, and from other species.

Comparability and repeatability of three commonly used methods for measuring endurance capacity.

Science.gov (United States)

Baxter-Gilbert, James; Mühlenhaupt, Max; Whiting, Martin J

2017-12-01

Measures of endurance (time to exhaustion) have been used to address a wide range of questions in ecomorphological and physiological research, as well as being used as a proxy for survival and fitness. Swimming, stationary (circular) track running, and treadmill running are all commonly used methods for measuring endurance. Despite the use of these methods across a broad range of taxa, how comparable these methods are to one another, and whether they are biologically relevant, is rarely examined. We used Australian water dragons (Intellagama lesueurii), a species that is morphologically adept at climbing, swimming, and running, to compare these three methods of endurance and examined if there is repeatability within and between trial methods. We found that time to exhaustion was not highly repeatable within a method, suggesting that single measures or a mean time to exhaustion across trials are not appropriate. Furthermore, we compared mean maximal endurance times among the three methods, and found that the two running methods (i.e., stationary track and treadmill) were similar, but swimming was distinctly different, resulting in lower mean maximal endurance times. Finally, an individual's endurance rank was not repeatable across methods, suggesting that the three endurance trial methods are not providing similar information about an individual's performance capacity. Overall, these results highlight the need to carefully match a measure of performance capacity with the study species and the research questions being asked so that the methods being used are behaviorally, ecologically, and physiologically relevant. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

5meCpG epigenetic marks neighboring a primate-conserved core promoter short tandem repeat indicate X-chromosome inactivation.

Science.gov (United States)

Machado, Filipe Brum; Machado, Fabricio Brum; Faria, Milena Amendro; Lovatel, Viviane Lamim; Alves da Silva, Antonio Francisco; Radic, Claudia Pamela; De Brasi, Carlos Daniel; Rios, Álvaro Fabricio Lopes; de Sousa Lopes, Susana Marina Chuva; da Silveira, Leonardo Serafim; Ruiz-Miranda, Carlos Ramon; Ramos, Ester Silveira; Medina-Acosta, Enrique

2014-01-01

X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) is the epigenetic transcriptional silencing of an X-chromosome during the early stages of embryonic development in female eutherian mammals. XCI assures monoallelic expression in each cell and compensation for dosage-sensitive X-linked genes between females (XX) and males (XY). DNA methylation at the carbon-5 position of the cytosine pyrimidine ring in the context of a CpG dinucleotide sequence (5meCpG) in promoter regions is a key epigenetic marker for transcriptional gene silencing. Using computational analysis, we revealed an extragenic tandem GAAA repeat 230-bp from the landmark CpG island of the human X-linked retinitis pigmentosa 2 RP2 promoter whose 5meCpG status correlates with XCI. We used this RP2 onshore tandem GAAA repeat to develop an allele-specific 5meCpG-based PCR assay that is highly concordant with the human androgen receptor (AR) exonic tandem CAG repeat-based standard HUMARA assay in discriminating active (Xa) from inactive (Xi) X-chromosomes. The RP2 onshore tandem GAAA repeat contains neutral features that are lacking in the AR disease-linked tandem CAG repeat, is highly polymorphic (heterozygosity rates approximately 0.8) and shows minimal variation in the Xa/Xi ratio. The combined informativeness of RP2/AR is approximately 0.97, and this assay excels at determining the 5meCpG status of alleles at the Xp (RP2) and Xq (AR) chromosome arms in a single reaction. These findings are relevant and directly translatable to nonhuman primate models of XCI in which the AR CAG-repeat is monomorphic. We conducted the RP2 onshore tandem GAAA repeat assay in the naturally occurring chimeric New World monkey marmoset (Callitrichidae) and found it to be informative. The RP2 onshore tandem GAAA repeat will facilitate studies on the variable phenotypic expression of dominant and recessive X-linked diseases, epigenetic changes in twins, the physiology of aging hematopoiesis, the pathogenesis of age-related hematopoietic

5meCpG epigenetic marks neighboring a primate-conserved core promoter short tandem repeat indicate X-chromosome inactivation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Filipe Brum Machado

Full Text Available X-chromosome inactivation (XCI is the epigenetic transcriptional silencing of an X-chromosome during the early stages of embryonic development in female eutherian mammals. XCI assures monoallelic expression in each cell and compensation for dosage-sensitive X-linked genes between females (XX and males (XY. DNA methylation at the carbon-5 position of the cytosine pyrimidine ring in the context of a CpG dinucleotide sequence (5meCpG in promoter regions is a key epigenetic marker for transcriptional gene silencing. Using computational analysis, we revealed an extragenic tandem GAAA repeat 230-bp from the landmark CpG island of the human X-linked retinitis pigmentosa 2 RP2 promoter whose 5meCpG status correlates with XCI. We used this RP2 onshore tandem GAAA repeat to develop an allele-specific 5meCpG-based PCR assay that is highly concordant with the human androgen receptor (AR exonic tandem CAG repeat-based standard HUMARA assay in discriminating active (Xa from inactive (Xi X-chromosomes. The RP2 onshore tandem GAAA repeat contains neutral features that are lacking in the AR disease-linked tandem CAG repeat, is highly polymorphic (heterozygosity rates approximately 0.8 and shows minimal variation in the Xa/Xi ratio. The combined informativeness of RP2/AR is approximately 0.97, and this assay excels at determining the 5meCpG status of alleles at the Xp (RP2 and Xq (AR chromosome arms in a single reaction. These findings are relevant and directly translatable to nonhuman primate models of XCI in which the AR CAG-repeat is monomorphic. We conducted the RP2 onshore tandem GAAA repeat assay in the naturally occurring chimeric New World monkey marmoset (Callitrichidae and found it to be informative. The RP2 onshore tandem GAAA repeat will facilitate studies on the variable phenotypic expression of dominant and recessive X-linked diseases, epigenetic changes in twins, the physiology of aging hematopoiesis, the pathogenesis of age-related hematopoietic

SU-F-R-35: Repeatability of Texture Features in T1- and T2-Weighted MR Images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahon, R; Weiss, E; Karki, K; Hugo, G; Ford, J

2016-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate repeatability of lung tumor texture features from inspiration/expiration MR image pairs for potential use in patient specific care models and applications. Repeatability is a desirable and necessary characteristic of features included in such models. Methods: T1-weighted Volumetric Interpolation Breath-Hold Examination (VIBE) and/or T2-weighted MRI scans were acquired for 15 patients with non-small cell lung cancer before and during radiotherapy for a total of 32 and 34 same session inspiration-expiration breath-hold image pairs respectively. Bias correction was applied to the VIBE (VIBE-BC) and T2-weighted (T2-BC) images. Fifty-nine texture features at five wavelet decomposition ratios were extracted from the delineated primary tumor including: histogram(HIST), gray level co-occurrence matrix(GLCM), gray level run length matrix(GLRLM), gray level size zone matrix(GLSZM), and neighborhood gray tone different matrix (NGTDM) based features. Repeatability of the texture features for VIBE, VIBE-BC, T2-weighted, and T2-BC image pairs was evaluated by the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) between corresponding image pairs, with a value greater than 0.90 indicating repeatability. Results: For the VIBE image pairs, the percentage of repeatable texture features by wavelet ratio was between 20% and 24% of the 59 extracted features; the T2-weighted image pairs exhibited repeatability in the range of 44–49%. The percentage dropped to 10–20% for the VIBE-BC images, and 12–14% for the T2-BC images. In addition, five texture features were found to be repeatable in all four image sets including two GLRLM, two GLZSM, and one NGTDN features. No single texture feature category was repeatable among all three image types; however, certain categories performed more consistently on a per image type basis. Conclusion: We identified repeatable texture features on T1- and T2-weighted MRI scans. These texture features should be further investigated for use

SU-F-R-35: Repeatability of Texture Features in T1- and T2-Weighted MR Images

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahon, R; Weiss, E; Karki, K; Hugo, G [Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA (United States); Ford, J [University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To evaluate repeatability of lung tumor texture features from inspiration/expiration MR image pairs for potential use in patient specific care models and applications. Repeatability is a desirable and necessary characteristic of features included in such models. Methods: T1-weighted Volumetric Interpolation Breath-Hold Examination (VIBE) and/or T2-weighted MRI scans were acquired for 15 patients with non-small cell lung cancer before and during radiotherapy for a total of 32 and 34 same session inspiration-expiration breath-hold image pairs respectively. Bias correction was applied to the VIBE (VIBE-BC) and T2-weighted (T2-BC) images. Fifty-nine texture features at five wavelet decomposition ratios were extracted from the delineated primary tumor including: histogram(HIST), gray level co-occurrence matrix(GLCM), gray level run length matrix(GLRLM), gray level size zone matrix(GLSZM), and neighborhood gray tone different matrix (NGTDM) based features. Repeatability of the texture features for VIBE, VIBE-BC, T2-weighted, and T2-BC image pairs was evaluated by the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) between corresponding image pairs, with a value greater than 0.90 indicating repeatability. Results: For the VIBE image pairs, the percentage of repeatable texture features by wavelet ratio was between 20% and 24% of the 59 extracted features; the T2-weighted image pairs exhibited repeatability in the range of 44–49%. The percentage dropped to 10–20% for the VIBE-BC images, and 12–14% for the T2-BC images. In addition, five texture features were found to be repeatable in all four image sets including two GLRLM, two GLZSM, and one NGTDN features. No single texture feature category was repeatable among all three image types; however, certain categories performed more consistently on a per image type basis. Conclusion: We identified repeatable texture features on T1- and T2-weighted MRI scans. These texture features should be further investigated for use

Toward an Integrative Framework of Indigenous Research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Peter Ping

2012-01-01

It has long been recognized that indigenous research should be helpful, if not essential, for an adequate understanding of local phenomena. The indigenous approach is consistent with, but extends beyond, the repeated calls for contextualizing management and organization research. However, the cha......It has long been recognized that indigenous research should be helpful, if not essential, for an adequate understanding of local phenomena. The indigenous approach is consistent with, but extends beyond, the repeated calls for contextualizing management and organization research. However...

On balanced minimal repeated measurements designs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shakeel Ahmad Mir

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Repeated Measurements designs are concerned with scientific experiments in which each experimental unit is assigned more than once to a treatment either different or identical. This class of designs has the property that the unbiased estimators for elementary contrasts among direct and residual effects are obtainable. Afsarinejad (1983 provided a method of constructing balanced Minimal Repeated Measurements designs p < t , when t is an odd or prime power, one or more than one treatment may occur more than once in some sequences and  designs so constructed no longer remain uniform in periods. In this paper an attempt has been made to provide a new method to overcome this drawback. Specifically, two cases have been considered                RM[t,n=t(t-t/(p-1,p], λ2=1 for balanced minimal repeated measurements designs and  RM[t,n=2t(t-t/(p-1,p], λ2=2 for balanced  repeated measurements designs. In addition , a method has been provided for constructing              extra-balanced minimal designs for special case RM[t,n=t2/(p-1,p], λ2=1.

ATXN2 trinucleotide repeat length correlates with risk of ALS.

Science.gov (United States)

Sproviero, William; Shatunov, Aleksey; Stahl, Daniel; Shoai, Maryam; van Rheenen, Wouter; Jones, Ashley R; Al-Sarraj, Safa; Andersen, Peter M; Bonini, Nancy M; Conforti, Francesca L; Van Damme, Philip; Daoud, Hussein; Del Mar Amador, Maria; Fogh, Isabella; Forzan, Monica; Gaastra, Ben; Gellera, Cinzia; Gitler, Aaron D; Hardy, John; Fratta, Pietro; La Bella, Vincenzo; Le Ber, Isabelle; Van Langenhove, Tim; Lattante, Serena; Lee, Yi-Chung; Malaspina, Andrea; Meininger, Vincent; Millecamps, Stéphanie; Orrell, Richard; Rademakers, Rosa; Robberecht, Wim; Rouleau, Guy; Ross, Owen A; Salachas, Francois; Sidle, Katie; Smith, Bradley N; Soong, Bing-Wen; Sorarù, Gianni; Stevanin, Giovanni; Kabashi, Edor; Troakes, Claire; van Broeckhoven, Christine; Veldink, Jan H; van den Berg, Leonard H; Shaw, Christopher E; Powell, John F; Al-Chalabi, Ammar

2017-03-01

We investigated a CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion in the ATXN2 gene in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Two new case-control studies, a British dataset of 1474 ALS cases and 567 controls, and a Dutch dataset of 1328 ALS cases and 691 controls were analyzed. In addition, to increase power, we systematically searched PubMed for case-control studies published after 1 August 2010 that investigated the association between ATXN2 intermediate repeats and ALS. We conducted a meta-analysis of the new and existing studies for the relative risks of ATXN2 intermediate repeat alleles of between 24 and 34 CAG trinucleotide repeats and ALS. There was an overall increased risk of ALS for those carrying intermediate sized trinucleotide repeat alleles (odds ratio 3.06 [95% confidence interval 2.37-3.94]; p = 6 × 10 -18 ), with an exponential relationship between repeat length and ALS risk for alleles of 29-32 repeats (R 2  = 0.91, p = 0.0002). No relationship was seen for repeat length and age of onset or survival. In contrast to trinucleotide repeat diseases, intermediate ATXN2 trinucleotide repeat expansion in ALS does not predict age of onset but does predict disease risk. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effect of repeated testing vs repeated practice on skills learning in undergraduate dental education.

Science.gov (United States)

Sennhenn-Kirchner, S; Goerlich, Y; Kirchner, B; Notbohm, M; Schiekirka, S; Simmenroth, A; Raupach, T

2018-02-01

Recent studies in undergraduate medical education have demonstrated the advantage of repeated testing over repeated practice with regard to knowledge and skills retention. The aim of this study was to investigate whether this "testing effect" also applies to skills retention in undergraduate dental education. In this prospective, randomised controlled trial, fourth-year dental students at Göttingen University Medical Centre participated in a training session on surgical suturing in winter term 2014/2015. Following this, they were either assigned to two sessions of additional skills training (group A) or two sessions of skills assessment with feedback (group B). These sessions were spaced over a period of 4 weeks. Skills retention was assessed in a summative objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) at the end of term, that is 6 months after the initial teaching session. A total of 32 students completed the study. With regard to suturing, OSCE performance was significantly better in group B than group A (81.9±13.1% vs 63.0±15.4%; P=0.001; Cohen's d=1.33). There was no significant OSCE performance difference in the two groups with regard to other learning objectives that were addressed in the end-of-term examination. Thus, the group difference was specific to suturing skills. This is the first study to demonstrate that in dental education, repeated testing produces more favourable skills retention than repeated practice. Test-enhanced learning might be a viable concept for skills retention in undergraduate dentistry education. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

RTEL1 Inhibits Trinucleotide Repeat Expansions and Fragility

OpenAIRE

Aisling Frizzell; Jennifer H.G. Nguyen; Mark I.R. Petalcorin; Katherine D. Turner; Simon J. Boulton; Catherine H. Freudenreich; Robert S. Lahue

2014-01-01

SUMMARY Human RTEL1 is an essential, multifunctional helicase that maintains telomeres, regulates homologous recombination, and helps prevent bone marrow failure. Here, we show that RTEL1 also blocks trinucleotide repeat expansions, the causal mutation for 17 neurological diseases. Increased expansion frequencies of (CTG·CAG) repeats occurred in human cells following knockdown of RTEL1, but not the alternative helicase Fbh1, and purified RTEL1 efficiently unwound triplet repeat hairpins in vi...

Germ-line CAG repeat instability causes extreme CAG repeat expansion with infantile-onset spinocerebellar ataxia type 2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vinther-Jensen, Tua; Ek, Jakob; Duno, Morten

2013-01-01

The spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA) are a genetically and clinically heterogeneous group of diseases, characterized by dominant inheritance, progressive cerebellar ataxia and diverse extracerebellar symptoms. A subgroup of the ataxias is caused by unstable CAG-repeat expansions in their respective ...... of paternal germ-line repeat sequence instability of the expanded SCA2 locus.European Journal of Human Genetics advance online publication, 10 October 2012; doi:10.1038/ejhg.2012.231....

Practical statistics in pain research.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Tae Kyun

2017-10-01

Pain is subjective, while statistics related to pain research are objective. This review was written to help researchers involved in pain research make statistical decisions. The main issues are related with the level of scales that are often used in pain research, the choice of statistical methods between parametric or nonparametric statistics, and problems which arise from repeated measurements. In the field of pain research, parametric statistics used to be applied in an erroneous way. This is closely related with the scales of data and repeated measurements. The level of scales includes nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio scales. The level of scales affects the choice of statistics between parametric or non-parametric methods. In the field of pain research, the most frequently used pain assessment scale is the ordinal scale, which would include the visual analogue scale (VAS). There used to be another view, however, which considered the VAS to be an interval or ratio scale, so that the usage of parametric statistics would be accepted practically in some cases. Repeated measurements of the same subjects always complicates statistics. It means that measurements inevitably have correlations between each other, and would preclude the application of one-way ANOVA in which independence between the measurements is necessary. Repeated measures of ANOVA (RMANOVA), however, would permit the comparison between the correlated measurements as long as the condition of sphericity assumption is satisfied. Conclusively, parametric statistical methods should be used only when the assumptions of parametric statistics, such as normality and sphericity, are established.

Factors associated with repeat induced abortion in Kenya.

Science.gov (United States)

Maina, Beatrice W; Mutua, Michael M; Sidze, Estelle M

2015-10-12

Over six million induced abortions were reported in Africa in 2008 with over two million induced abortions occurring in Eastern Africa. Although a significant proportion of women in the region procure more than one abortion during their reproductive period, there is a dearth of research on factors associated with repeat abortion. Data for this study come from the Magnitude and Incidence of Unsafe Abortion Study conducted by the African Population and Health Research Center in Kenya in 2012. The study used a nationally-representative sample of 350 facilities (level II to level VI) that offer post-abortion services for complications following induced and spontaneous abortions. A prospective morbidity survey tool was used by health providers in 328 facilities to collect information on socio-demographic charateristics, reproductive health history and contraceptive use at conception for all patients presenting for post-abortion services. Our analysis is based on data recorded on 769 women who were classified as having had an induced abortion. About 16 % of women seeking post abortion services for an induced abortion reported to have had a previous induced abortion. Being separated or divorced or widowed, having no education, having unwanted pregnancy, having 1-2 prior births and using traditional methods of contraception were associated with a higher likelihood of a repeat induced abortion. The findings point to the need to address the reasons why women with first time induced abortion do not have the necessary information to prevent unintended pregnancies and further induced abortions. Possible explanations linked to the quality of post-abortion family planning and coverage of long-acting methods should be explored.

Performance Comparisons of Improved Regular Repeat Accumulate (RA and Irregular Repeat Accumulate (IRA Turbo Decoding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed Abdulkadhim Hamad

2017-08-01

Full Text Available In this paper, different techniques are used to improve the turbo decoding of regular repeat accumulate (RA and irregular repeat accumulate (IRA codes. The adaptive scaling of a-posteriori information produced by Soft-output Viterbi decoder (SOVA is proposed. The encoded pilots are another scheme that applied for short length RA codes. This work also suggests a simple and a fast method to generate a random interleaver having a free 4 cycle Tanner graph. Progressive edge growth algorithm (PEG is also studied and simulated to create the Tanner graphs which have a great girth.

Analysis of CR1 Repeats in the Zebra Finch Genome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George E. Liu

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Most bird species have smaller genomes and fewer repeats than mammals. Chicken Repeat 1 (CR1 repeat is one of the most abundant families of repeats, ranging from ~133,000 to ~187,000 copies accounting for ~50 to ~80% of the interspersed repeats in the zebra finch and chicken genomes, respectively. CR1 repeats are believed to have arisen from the retrotransposition of a small number of master elements, which gave rise to multiple CR1 subfamilies in the chicken. In this study, we performed a global assessment of the divergence distributions, phylogenies, and consensus sequences of CR1 repeats in the zebra finch genome. We identified and validated 34 CR1 subfamilies and further analyzed the correlation between these subfamilies. We also discovered 4 novel lineage-specific CR1 subfamilies in the zebra finch when compared to the chicken genome. We built various evolutionary trees of these subfamilies and concluded that CR1 repeats may play an important role in reshaping the structure of bird genomes.

Measurement of repeat effects in Chicago’s criminal social network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul Kump

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The “near-repeat” effect is a well-known criminological phenomenon in which the occurrence of a crime incident gives rise to a temporary elevation of crime risk within close physical proximity to an initial incident. Adopting a social network perspective, we instead define a near repeat in terms of geodesic distance within a criminal social network, rather than spatial distance. Specifically, we report a statistical analysis of repeat effects in arrest data for Chicago during the years 2003–2012. We divide the arrest data into two sets (violent crimes and other crimes and, for each set, we compare the distributions of time intervals between repeat incidents to theoretical distributions in which repeat incidents occur only by chance. We first consider the case of the same arrestee participating in repeat incidents (“exact repeats” and then extend the analysis to evaluate repeat risks of those arrestees near one another in the social network. We observe repeat effects that diminish as a function of geodesic distance and time interval, and we estimate typical time scales for repeat crimes in Chicago.

Large Polyglutamine Repeats Cause Muscle Degeneration in SCA17 Mice

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Shanshan Huang

2015-10-01

Full Text Available In polyglutamine (polyQ diseases, large polyQ repeats cause juvenile cases with different symptoms than those of adult-onset patients, who carry smaller expanded polyQ repeats. The mechanisms behind the differential pathology mediated by different polyQ repeat lengths remain unknown. By studying knockin mouse models of spinal cerebellar ataxia-17 (SCA17, we found that a large polyQ (105 glutamines in the TATA-box-binding protein (TBP preferentially causes muscle degeneration and reduces the expression of muscle-specific genes. Direct expression of TBP with different polyQ repeats in mouse muscle revealed that muscle degeneration is mediated only by the large polyQ repeats. Different polyQ repeats differentially alter TBP’s interaction with neuronal and muscle-specific transcription factors. As a result, the large polyQ repeat decreases the association of MyoD with TBP and DNA promoters. Our findings suggest that specific alterations in protein interactions by large polyQ repeats may account for the unique pathology in juvenile polyQ diseases.

Large Polyglutamine Repeats Cause Muscle Degeneration in SCA17 Mice

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Shanshan; Yang, Su; Guo, Jifeng; Yan, Sen; Gaertig, Marta A.; Li, Shihua; Li, Xiao-Jiang

2015-01-01

SUMMARY In polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases, large polyQ repeats cause juvenile cases with different symptoms than adult-onset patients, who carry smaller expanded polyQ repeats. The mechanisms behind the differential pathology mediated by different polyQ repeat lengths remain unknown. By studying knock-in mouse models of spinal cerebellar ataxia-17 (SCA17), we found that a large polyQ (105 glutamines) in the TATA box-binding protein (TBP) preferentially causes muscle degeneration and reduces the expression of muscle-specific genes. Direct expression of TBP with different polyQ repeats in mouse muscle revealed that muscle degeneration is mediated only by the large polyQ repeats. Different polyQ repeats differentially alter TBP’s interaction with neuronal and muscle-specific transcription factors. As a result, the large polyQ repeat decreases the association of MyoD with TBP and DNA promoters. Our findings suggest that specific alterations in protein interactions by large polyQ repeats may account for the unique pathology in juvenile polyQ diseases. PMID:26387956

[Active miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements transposon in plants: a review].

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Bingjie; Zhou, Mingbing

2018-02-25

Miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements transposon is a special transposon that could transpose by "cut-paste" mechanism, which is one of characteristics of DNA transposons. Otherwise, the copy number of MITEs is very high, which is one of characteristics of RNA transposons. Many MITE families have been reported, but little about active MITEs. We summarize recent advances in studying active MITEs. Most the MITEs belong to the Tourist-like family, such as mPing, mGing, PhTourist1, Tmi1 and PhTst-3. Additionally, DTstu1 and MITE-39 belong to Stowaway-like family, and AhMITEs1 belongs to Mutator-like family. Moreover, we summarize the structure (terminal inverse repeats and target site duplications), copy number, evolution pattern and transposition characteristics of these active MITEs, to provide the foundation for the identification of other active MITEs and subsequent research on MITE transposition and amplification mechanism.

Population-based estimates of the prevalence of FMR1 expansion mutations in women with early menopause and primary ovarian insufficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Anna; Schoemaker, Minouk J; Bennett, Claire E; Ennis, Sarah; Macpherson, James N; Jones, Michael; Morris, Danielle H; Orr, Nick; Ashworth, Alan; Jacobs, Patricia A; Swerdlow, Anthony J

2014-01-01

Primary ovarian insufficiency before the age of 40 years affects 1% of the female population and is characterized by permanent cessation of menstruation. Genetic causes include FMR1 expansion mutations. Previous studies have estimated mutation prevalence in clinical referrals for primary ovarian insufficiency, but these are likely to be biased as compared with cases in the general population. The prevalence of FMR1 expansion mutations in early menopause (between the ages of 40 and 45 years) has not been published. We studied FMR1 CGG repeat number in more than 2,000 women from the Breakthrough Generations Study who underwent menopause before the age of 46 years. We determined the prevalence of premutation (55-200 CGG repeats) and intermediate (45-54 CGG repeats) alleles in women with primary ovarian insufficiency (n = 254) and early menopause (n = 1,881). The prevalence of the premutation was 2.0% in primary ovarian insufficiency, 0.7% in early menopause, and 0.4% in controls, corresponding to odds ratios of 5.4 (95% confidence interval = 1.7-17.4; P = 0.004) for primary ovarian insufficiency and 2.0 (95% confidence interval = 0.8-5.1; P = 0.12) for early menopause. Combining primary ovarian insufficiency and early menopause gave an odds ratio of 2.4 (95% confidence interval = 1.02-5.8; P = 0.04). Intermediate alleles were not significant risk factors for either early menopause or primary ovarian insufficiency. FMR1 premutations are not as prevalent in women with ovarian insufficiency as previous estimates have suggested, but they still represent a substantial cause of primary ovarian insufficiency and early menopause.

75 FR 20830 - Early Learning

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-21

... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Early Learning AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Department of Education... meetings and written submissions, is seeking input from State agencies responsible for early learning and... assistance providers, researchers of early learning, stakeholders who work with early learning and...

A repeating fast radio burst.

Science.gov (United States)

Spitler, L G; Scholz, P; Hessels, J W T; Bogdanov, S; Brazier, A; Camilo, F; Chatterjee, S; Cordes, J M; Crawford, F; Deneva, J; Ferdman, R D; Freire, P C C; Kaspi, V M; Lazarus, P; Lynch, R; Madsen, E C; McLaughlin, M A; Patel, C; Ransom, S M; Seymour, A; Stairs, I H; Stappers, B W; van Leeuwen, J; Zhu, W W

2016-03-10

Fast radio bursts are millisecond-duration astronomical radio pulses of unknown physical origin that appear to come from extragalactic distances. Previous follow-up observations have failed to find additional bursts at the same dispersion measure (that is, the integrated column density of free electrons between source and telescope) and sky position as the original detections. The apparent non-repeating nature of these bursts has led to the suggestion that they originate in cataclysmic events. Here we report observations of ten additional bursts from the direction of the fast radio burst FRB 121102. These bursts have dispersion measures and sky positions consistent with the original burst. This unambiguously identifies FRB 121102 as repeating and demonstrates that its source survives the energetic events that cause the bursts. Additionally, the bursts from FRB 121102 show a wide range of spectral shapes that appear to be predominantly intrinsic to the source and which vary on timescales of minutes or less. Although there may be multiple physical origins for the population of fast radio bursts, these repeat bursts with high dispersion measure and variable spectra specifically seen from the direction of FRB 121102 support an origin in a young, highly magnetized, extragalactic neutron star.

Effects of repeated growing season prescribed fire on the structure and composition of pine-hardwood forests in the southeastern Piedmont, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Matthew Reilly; Kenneth Outcalt; Joseph O’Brien; Dale Wade

2016-01-01

We examined the effects of repeated growing season prescribed fire on the structure and composition of mixed pine–hardwood forests in the southeastern Piedmont region, Georgia, USA. Plots were burned two to four times over an eight-year period with low intensity surface fires during one of four six-week long periods from early April to mid-September. Density...

Read length and repeat resolution: Exploring prokaryote genomes using next-generation sequencing technologies

KAUST Repository

Cahill, Matt J.

2010-07-12

Background: There are a growing number of next-generation sequencing technologies. At present, the most cost-effective options also produce the shortest reads. However, even for prokaryotes, there is uncertainty concerning the utility of these technologies for the de novo assembly of complete genomes. This reflects an expectation that short reads will be unable to resolve small, but presumably abundant, repeats. Methodology/Principal Findings: Using a simple model of repeat assembly, we develop and test a technique that, for any read length, can estimate the occurrence of unresolvable repeats in a genome, and thus predict the number of gaps that would need to be closed to produce a complete sequence. We apply this technique to 818 prokaryote genome sequences. This provides a quantitative assessment of the relative performance of various lengths. Notably, unpaired reads of only 150nt can reconstruct approximately 50% of the analysed genomes with fewer than 96 repeat-induced gaps. Nonetheless, there is considerable variation amongst prokaryotes. Some genomes can be assembled to near contiguity using very short reads while others require much longer reads. Conclusions: Given the diversity of prokaryote genomes, a sequencing strategy should be tailored to the organism under study. Our results will provide researchers with a practical resource to guide the selection of the appropriate read length. 2010 Cahill et al.

Read length and repeat resolution: exploring prokaryote genomes using next-generation sequencing technologies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matt J Cahill

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: There are a growing number of next-generation sequencing technologies. At present, the most cost-effective options also produce the shortest reads. However, even for prokaryotes, there is uncertainty concerning the utility of these technologies for the de novo assembly of complete genomes. This reflects an expectation that short reads will be unable to resolve small, but presumably abundant, repeats. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using a simple model of repeat assembly, we develop and test a technique that, for any read length, can estimate the occurrence of unresolvable repeats in a genome, and thus predict the number of gaps that would need to be closed to produce a complete sequence. We apply this technique to 818 prokaryote genome sequences. This provides a quantitative assessment of the relative performance of various lengths. Notably, unpaired reads of only 150nt can reconstruct approximately 50% of the analysed genomes with fewer than 96 repeat-induced gaps. Nonetheless, there is considerable variation amongst prokaryotes. Some genomes can be assembled to near contiguity using very short reads while others require much longer reads. CONCLUSIONS: Given the diversity of prokaryote genomes, a sequencing strategy should be tailored to the organism under study. Our results will provide researchers with a practical resource to guide the selection of the appropriate read length.

Read length and repeat resolution: Exploring prokaryote genomes using next-generation sequencing technologies

KAUST Repository

Cahill, Matt J.; Kö ser, Claudio U.; Ross, Nicholas E.; Archer, John A.C.

2010-01-01

Background: There are a growing number of next-generation sequencing technologies. At present, the most cost-effective options also produce the shortest reads. However, even for prokaryotes, there is uncertainty concerning the utility of these technologies for the de novo assembly of complete genomes. This reflects an expectation that short reads will be unable to resolve small, but presumably abundant, repeats. Methodology/Principal Findings: Using a simple model of repeat assembly, we develop and test a technique that, for any read length, can estimate the occurrence of unresolvable repeats in a genome, and thus predict the number of gaps that would need to be closed to produce a complete sequence. We apply this technique to 818 prokaryote genome sequences. This provides a quantitative assessment of the relative performance of various lengths. Notably, unpaired reads of only 150nt can reconstruct approximately 50% of the analysed genomes with fewer than 96 repeat-induced gaps. Nonetheless, there is considerable variation amongst prokaryotes. Some genomes can be assembled to near contiguity using very short reads while others require much longer reads. Conclusions: Given the diversity of prokaryote genomes, a sequencing strategy should be tailored to the organism under study. Our results will provide researchers with a practical resource to guide the selection of the appropriate read length. 2010 Cahill et al.

RTEL1 inhibits trinucleotide repeat expansions and fragility.

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Frizzell, Aisling; Nguyen, Jennifer H G; Petalcorin, Mark I R; Turner, Katherine D; Boulton, Simon J; Freudenreich, Catherine H; Lahue, Robert S

2014-03-13

Human RTEL1 is an essential, multifunctional helicase that maintains telomeres, regulates homologous recombination, and helps prevent bone marrow failure. Here, we show that RTEL1 also blocks trinucleotide repeat expansions, the causal mutation for 17 neurological diseases. Increased expansion frequencies of (CTG⋅CAG) repeats occurred in human cells following knockdown of RTEL1, but not the alternative helicase Fbh1, and purified RTEL1 efficiently unwound triplet repeat hairpins in vitro. The expansion-blocking activity of RTEL1 also required Rad18 and HLTF, homologs of yeast Rad18 and Rad5. These findings are reminiscent of budding yeast Srs2, which inhibits expansions, unwinds hairpins, and prevents triplet-repeat-induced chromosome fragility. Accordingly, we found expansions and fragility were suppressed in yeast srs2 mutants expressing RTEL1, but not Fbh1. We propose that RTEL1 serves as a human analog of Srs2 to inhibit (CTG⋅CAG) repeat expansions and fragility, likely by unwinding problematic hairpins. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Early onset scoliosis. What are the options?].

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Farrington, D M; Tatay-Díaz, A

2013-01-01

The prognosis of children with progressive early onset scoliosis has improved considerably due to recent advances in surgical and non-surgical techniques and the understanding of the importance of preserving the thoracic space. Improvements in existing techniques and development of new methods have considerably improved the management of this condition. Derotational casting can be considered in children with documented progression of a <60° curve without previous surgical treatment. Both single and dual growing rods are effective, but the latter seem to offer better results. Hybrid constructs may be a better option in children who require a low-profile proximal anchor. The vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib (VEPTR(®)) appears to be beneficial for patients with congenital scoliosis and fused ribs, and thoracic Insufficiency Syndrome. Children with medical comorbidities who may not tolerate repeated lengthenings should be considered for Shilla or Luque Trolley technique. Growth modulation using shape memory alloy staples or other tethers seem promising for mild curves, although more research is required to define their precise indications. Copyright © 2013 SECOT. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Contraceptive Use among Women Seeking Repeat Abortion in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AJRH Managing Editor

Compared with women seeking their first abortion, significantly more repeat abortion clients had ever used contraceptives ... findings, the level of repeat abortions in Europe, .... and contraceptive history, and post-abortion ..... working women.

Environmental stress induces trinucleotide repeat mutagenesis in human cells.

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Chatterjee, Nimrat; Lin, Yunfu; Santillan, Beatriz A; Yotnda, Patricia; Wilson, John H

2015-03-24

The dynamic mutability of microsatellite repeats is implicated in the modification of gene function and disease phenotype. Studies of the enhanced instability of long trinucleotide repeats (TNRs)-the cause of multiple human diseases-have revealed a remarkable complexity of mutagenic mechanisms. Here, we show that cold, heat, hypoxic, and oxidative stresses induce mutagenesis of a long CAG repeat tract in human cells. We show that stress-response factors mediate the stress-induced mutagenesis (SIM) of CAG repeats. We show further that SIM of CAG repeats does not involve mismatch repair, nucleotide excision repair, or transcription, processes that are known to promote TNR mutagenesis in other pathways of instability. Instead, we find that these stresses stimulate DNA rereplication, increasing the proportion of cells with >4 C-value (C) DNA content. Knockdown of the replication origin-licensing factor CDT1 eliminates both stress-induced rereplication and CAG repeat mutagenesis. In addition, direct induction of rereplication in the absence of stress also increases the proportion of cells with >4C DNA content and promotes repeat mutagenesis. Thus, environmental stress triggers a unique pathway for TNR mutagenesis that likely is mediated by DNA rereplication. This pathway may impact normal cells as they encounter stresses in their environment or during development or abnormal cells as they evolve metastatic potential.

Oxidative stress adaptation with acute, chronic, and repeated stress.

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Pickering, Andrew M; Vojtovich, Lesya; Tower, John; A Davies, Kelvin J

2013-02-01

Oxidative stress adaptation, or hormesis, is an important mechanism by which cells and organisms respond to, and cope with, environmental and physiological shifts in the level of oxidative stress. Most studies of oxidative stress adaption have been limited to adaptation induced by acute stress. In contrast, many if not most environmental and physiological stresses are either repeated or chronic. In this study we find that both cultured mammalian cells and the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster are capable of adapting to chronic or repeated stress by upregulating protective systems, such as their proteasomal proteolytic capacity to remove oxidized proteins. Repeated stress adaptation resulted in significant extension of adaptive responses. Repeated stresses must occur at sufficiently long intervals, however (12-h or more for MEF cells and 7 days or more for flies), for adaptation to be successful, and the levels of both repeated and chronic stress must be lower than is optimal for adaptation to acute stress. Regrettably, regimens of adaptation to both repeated and chronic stress that were successful for short-term survival in Drosophila nevertheless also caused significant reductions in life span for the flies. Thus, although both repeated and chronic stress can be tolerated, they may result in a shorter life. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Telomere length and early severe social deprivation: linking early adversity and cellular aging

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Drury, SS; Theall, K; Gleason, MM; Smyke, AT; De Vivo, I; Wong, JYY; Fox, NA; Zeanah, CH; Nelson, CA

2012-01-01

Accelerated telomere length attrition has been associated with psychological stress and early adversity in adults; however, no studies have examined whether telomere length in childhood is associated with early experiences. The Bucharest Early Intervention Project is a unique randomized controlled trial of foster care placement compared with continued care in institutions. As a result of the study design, participants were exposed to a quantified range of time in institutional care, and represented an ideal population in which to examine the association between a specific early adversity, institutional care and telomere length. We examined the association between average relative telomere length, telomere repeat copy number to single gene copy number (T/S) ratio and exposure to institutional care quantified as the percent of time at baseline (mean age 22 months) and at 54 months of age that each child lived in the institution. A significant negative correlation between T/S ratio and percentage of time was observed. Children with greater exposure to institutional care had significantly shorter relative telomere length in middle childhood. Gender modified this main effect. The percentage of time in institutional care at baseline significantly predicted telomere length in females, whereas the percentage of institutional care at 54 months was strongly predictive of telomere length in males. This is the first study to demonstrate an association between telomere length and institutionalization, the first study to find an association between adversity and telomere length in children, and contributes to the growing literature linking telomere length and early adversity. PMID:21577215

A Mentor Training Program Improves Mentoring Competency for Researchers Working with Early-Career Investigators from Underrepresented Backgrounds

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Mallory O.; Gandhi, Monica

2015-01-01

Mentoring is increasingly recognized as a critical element in supporting successful careers in academic research in medicine and related disciplines, particularly for trainees and early career investigators from underrepresented backgrounds. Mentoring is often executed ad hoc; there are limited programs to train faculty to become more effective…

Information technology-based approaches to reducing repeat drug exposure in patients with known drug allergies.

Science.gov (United States)

Cresswell, Kathrin M; Sheikh, Aziz

2008-05-01

There is increasing interest internationally in ways of reducing the high disease burden resulting from errors in medicine management. Repeat exposure to drugs to which patients have a known allergy has been a repeatedly identified error, often with disastrous consequences. Drug allergies are immunologically mediated reactions that are characterized by specificity and recurrence on reexposure. These repeat reactions should therefore be preventable. We argue that there is insufficient attention being paid to studying and implementing system-based approaches to reducing the risk of such accidental reexposure. Drawing on recent and ongoing research, we discuss a number of information technology-based interventions that can be used to reduce the risk of recurrent exposure. Proven to be effective in this respect are interventions that provide real-time clinical decision support; also promising are interventions aiming to enhance patient recognition, such as bar coding, radiofrequency identification, and biometric technologies.

Leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptors as markers of adult stem cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Barker, N.; Clevers, H.

2010-01-01

Molecular markers are used to characterize and track adult stem cells. Colon cancer research has led to the identification of 2 related receptors, leucine-rich repeat-containing, G-protein-coupled receptors (Lgr)5 and Lgr6, that are expressed by small populations of cells in a variety of adult

Repeat Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Trigeminal Neuralgia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aubuchon, Adam C.; Chan, Michael D.; Lovato, James F.; Balamucki, Christopher J.; Ellis, Thomas L.; Tatter, Stephen B.; McMullen, Kevin P.; Munley, Michael T.; Deguzman, Allan F.; Ekstrand, Kenneth E.; Bourland, J. Daniel; Shaw, Edward G.

2011-01-01

Purpose: Repeat gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery (GKRS) for recurrent or persistent trigeminal neuralgia induces an additional response but at the expense of an increased incidence of facial numbness. The present series summarized the results of a repeat treatment series at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, including a multivariate analysis of the data to identify the prognostic factors for treatment success and toxicity. Methods and Materials: Between January 1999 and December 2007, 37 patients underwent a second GKRS application because of treatment failure after a first GKRS treatment. The mean initial dose in the series was 87.3 Gy (range, 80–90). The mean retreatment dose was 84.4 Gy (range, 60–90). The dosimetric variables recorded included the dorsal root entry zone dose, pons surface dose, and dose to the distal nerve. Results: Of the 37 patients, 81% achieved a >50% pain relief response to repeat GKRS, and 57% experienced some form of trigeminal dysfunction after repeat GKRS. Two patients (5%) experienced clinically significant toxicity: one with bothersome numbness and one with corneal dryness requiring tarsorraphy. A dorsal root entry zone dose at repeat treatment of >26.6 Gy predicted for treatment success (61% vs. 32%, p = .0716). A cumulative dorsal root entry zone dose of >84.3 Gy (72% vs. 44%, p = .091) and a cumulative pons surface dose of >108.5 Gy (78% vs. 44%, p = .018) predicted for post-GKRS numbness. The presence of any post-GKRS numbness predicted for a >50% decrease in pain intensity (100% vs. 60%, p = .0015). Conclusion: Repeat GKRS is a viable treatment option for recurrent trigeminal neuralgia, although the patient assumes a greater risk of nerve dysfunction to achieve maximal pain relief.

Repeat Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Trigeminal Neuralgia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aubuchon, Adam C., E-mail: acaubuchon@gmail.com [Department of Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC (United States); Chan, Michael D. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC (United States); Lovato, James F. [Department of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC (United States); Balamucki, Christopher J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States); Ellis, Thomas L.; Tatter, Stephen B. [Department of Neurosurgery, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC (United States); McMullen, Kevin P.; Munley, Michael T.; Deguzman, Allan F.; Ekstrand, Kenneth E.; Bourland, J. Daniel; Shaw, Edward G. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC (United States)

2011-11-15

Purpose: Repeat gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery (GKRS) for recurrent or persistent trigeminal neuralgia induces an additional response but at the expense of an increased incidence of facial numbness. The present series summarized the results of a repeat treatment series at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, including a multivariate analysis of the data to identify the prognostic factors for treatment success and toxicity. Methods and Materials: Between January 1999 and December 2007, 37 patients underwent a second GKRS application because of treatment failure after a first GKRS treatment. The mean initial dose in the series was 87.3 Gy (range, 80-90). The mean retreatment dose was 84.4 Gy (range, 60-90). The dosimetric variables recorded included the dorsal root entry zone dose, pons surface dose, and dose to the distal nerve. Results: Of the 37 patients, 81% achieved a >50% pain relief response to repeat GKRS, and 57% experienced some form of trigeminal dysfunction after repeat GKRS. Two patients (5%) experienced clinically significant toxicity: one with bothersome numbness and one with corneal dryness requiring tarsorraphy. A dorsal root entry zone dose at repeat treatment of >26.6 Gy predicted for treatment success (61% vs. 32%, p = .0716). A cumulative dorsal root entry zone dose of >84.3 Gy (72% vs. 44%, p = .091) and a cumulative pons surface dose of >108.5 Gy (78% vs. 44%, p = .018) predicted for post-GKRS numbness. The presence of any post-GKRS numbness predicted for a >50% decrease in pain intensity (100% vs. 60%, p = .0015). Conclusion: Repeat GKRS is a viable treatment option for recurrent trigeminal neuralgia, although the patient assumes a greater risk of nerve dysfunction to achieve maximal pain relief.

Repeat Assessed Values Model for Housing Price Index

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Carini Manuela

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This study proposes an innovative methodology, named Repeat Appraised Price Model (RAV, useful for determining the price index numbers for real estate markets and the corresponding index numbers of hedonic prices of main real estate characteristics in the case of a lack of data. The methodological approach proposed in this paper aims to appraise the time series of price index numbers. It integrates the principles of the method of repeat sales with the peculiarities of the Hedonic Price Method, overcoming the problem of an almost total absence of repeat sales for the same property in a given time range; on the other hand, the technique aims to overcome the limitation of the repeat sales technique concerning the inability to take into account the characteristics of individual properties.

Korean Survivors of the Japanese "Comfort Women" System: Understanding the Lifelong Consequences of Early Life Trauma.

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Park, Jee Hoon; Lee, KyongWeon; Hand, Michelle D; Anderson, Keith A; Schleitwiler, Tess E

2016-01-01

Prior to and during World War II, thousands of girls and young women were abducted from Korea and forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese government. Termed comfort women, these girls and young women suffered extreme sexual, physical, and emotional abuse and trauma. Research on this group is not well-developed and people know little of the impact of this early life trauma on the lives of these women who are now in later life. Using snowball sampling, 16 older adult survivors of the comfort women system participated in semistructured qualitative interviews. Thematic analysis was conducted to gain an understanding of the trauma that these women suffered and how it impacted their lives. Results revealed the depths of the abuse these women suffered, including repeated rapes, physical beatings, humiliation, forced surgery and sterilization, and social exclusion. These early traumatic experiences appeared to reverberate throughout their lives in their family relations, their inability to marry and to conceive children, and their emotional and physical well-being throughout the life course and into later life. The experiences of these survivors illustrate the lasting impact of early-life trauma and can guide interventions with current survivors of sexual abuse or trafficking.

Repeatability and reproducibility of decisions by latent fingerprint examiners.

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Bradford T Ulery

Full Text Available The interpretation of forensic fingerprint evidence relies on the expertise of latent print examiners. We tested latent print examiners on the extent to which they reached consistent decisions. This study assessed intra-examiner repeatability by retesting 72 examiners on comparisons of latent and exemplar fingerprints, after an interval of approximately seven months; each examiner was reassigned 25 image pairs for comparison, out of total pool of 744 image pairs. We compare these repeatability results with reproducibility (inter-examiner results derived from our previous study. Examiners repeated 89.1% of their individualization decisions, and 90.1% of their exclusion decisions; most of the changed decisions resulted in inconclusive decisions. Repeatability of comparison decisions (individualization, exclusion, inconclusive was 90.0% for mated pairs, and 85.9% for nonmated pairs. Repeatability and reproducibility were notably lower for comparisons assessed by the examiners as "difficult" than for "easy" or "moderate" comparisons, indicating that examiners' assessments of difficulty may be useful for quality assurance. No false positive errors were repeated (n = 4; 30% of false negative errors were repeated. One percent of latent value decisions were completely reversed (no value even for exclusion vs. of value for individualization. Most of the inter- and intra-examiner variability concerned whether the examiners considered the information available to be sufficient to reach a conclusion; this variability was concentrated on specific image pairs such that repeatability and reproducibility were very high on some comparisons and very low on others. Much of the variability appears to be due to making categorical decisions in borderline cases.

Repeatless and Repeat-Based Centromeres in Potato: Implications for Centromere Evolution[C][W

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Gong, Z.; Wu, Y.; Koblížková, Andrea; Torres, G.A.; Wang, K.; Iovene, M.; Neumann, Pavel; Zhang, W.; Novák, Petr; Buell, C.R.; Macas, Jiří; Jiang, J.

2012-01-01

Roč. 24, č. 9 (2012), s. 3559-3574 ISSN 1040-4651 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LH11058 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50510513 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : repetitive sequences * plant satellite repeats * Arabidopsis thaliana * rice centromere * wild potatoes Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 9.251, year: 2012

An evaluation of Neuro-Physiological Psychotherapy: An integrative therapeutic approach to working with adopted children who have experienced early life trauma.

Science.gov (United States)

McCullough, Elaine; Gordon-Jones, Susi; Last, Anna; Vaughan, Jay; Burnell, Alan

2016-10-01

Research into the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions for older children who have experienced multiple forms of trauma within the context of their early development is scant. This article explores the effectiveness of Neuro-Physiological Psychotherapy (NPP): a wrap-around multi-disciplinary, neuro-sequential, attachment-focussed intervention for children and families who present with multiple, clinically significant, emotional and behavioural difficulties. In total, 31 young people and their adoptive parents took part in the study. Baseline measures were repeated and parents and children interviewed. An assessment of the parent/child relationship and child attachment was undertaken but not analysed for this article. Analysis of the repeated measures received statistically significant changes in behavioural regulation, metacognitive executive functioning and externalising and internalising difficulties, alongside an improvement in thought and social problems. An analysis of the parent interviews provided positive results in terms of the children's engagement in education, an absence of further mental health diagnosis or involvement in the criminal justice system. Further hypotheses are posited regarding the impact of the treatment and further research into the effectiveness of the model outlined. © The Author(s) 2016.

Theory-Informed Research Training and Mentoring of Underrepresented Early-Career Faculty at Teaching-Intensive Institutions: The Obesity Health Disparities PRIDE Program.

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Beech, Bettina M; Bruce, Marino A; Thorpe, Roland J; Heitman, Elizabeth; Griffith, Derek M; Norris, Keith C

2018-01-01

Mentoring has been consistently identified as an important element for career advancement in many biomedical and health professional disciplines and has been found to be critical for success and promotion in academic settings. Early-career faculty from groups underrepresented in biomedical research, however, are less likely to have mentors, and in general, receive less mentoring than their majority-group peers, particularly among those employed in teaching-intensive institutions. This article describes Obesity Health Disparities (OHD) PRIDE, a theoretically and conceptually based research training and mentoring program designed for early-career faculty who trained or are employed at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Reproducibility and Reliability of Repeated Quantitative Fluorescence Angiography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nerup, Nikolaj; Knudsen, Kristine Bach Korsholm; Ambrus, Rikard

2017-01-01

INTRODUCTION: When using fluorescence angiography (FA) in perioperative perfusion assessment, repeated measures with re-injections of fluorescent dye (ICG) may be required. However, repeated injections may cause saturation of dye in the tissue, exceeding the limit of fluorescence intensity...... that the camera can detect. As the emission of fluorescence is dependent of the excitatory light intensity, reduction of this may solve the problem. The aim of the present study was to investigate the reproducibility and reliability of repeated quantitative FA during a reduction of excitatory light....

Effectiveness of Early Entrepreneurship Education at the Primary School Level: Evidence from a Field Research in Morocco

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Hassi, Abderrahman

2016-01-01

The present research is designed to identify the appropriate and relevant objectives that need to be pursued through entrepreneurial activities targeting elementary school children. It assesses the effectiveness of early entrepreneurship education. To do so, children aged 11 and 12 attended an entrepreneurial program and completed two versions of…

Clinical oversight and the avoidance of repeat induced abortion.

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Jacovetty, Erica L; Clare, Camille A; Squire, Mary-Beatrice; Kubal, Keshar P; Liou, Sherry; Inchiosa, Mario A

2018-06-03

To evaluate the impact of patient counseling, demographics, and contraceptive methods on repeat induced abortion in women attending family planning clinics. A retrospective chart review of repeat induced abortions was performed. The analysis included patients with an initial induced abortion obtained between January 1, 2001, and March 31, 2014, at New York City Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan. The duration of involvement in the family planning program, the use of contraceptive interventions, and 18 patient factors were analyzed for their correlation with the incidence of repeat induced abortions per year of follow-up. A decreased rate of repeat induced abortions was associated with a longer duration of clinical oversight (r 2 =0.449, Pabortions. By determining the patient characteristics that most influence repeat induced abortion rates, providers can best choose the most efficacious method of contraception available. © 2018 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.

Recursion Of Binary Space As A Foundation Of Repeatable Programs

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Jeremy Horne

2006-10-01

Full Text Available Every computation, including recursion, is based on natural philosophy. Our world may be expressed in terms of a binary logical space that contains functions that act simultaneously as objects and processes (operands and operators. This paper presents an outline of the results of research about that space and suggests routes for further inquiry. Binary logical space is generated sequentially from an origin in a standard coordinate system. At least one method exists to show that each of the resulting 16 functions repeats itself by repeatedly forward-feeding outputs of a function operating over two others as new operands of the original function until the original function appears as an output, thus behaving as an apparent homeostatic automaton. As any space of any dimension is composed of one or more of these functions, so the space is recursive, as well. Semantics gives meaning to recursive structures, computer programs and fundamental constituents of our universe being two examples. Such thoughts open inquiry into larger philosophical issues as free will and determinism.

Food, growth and time: Elsie Widdowson's and Robert McCance's research into prenatal and early postnatal growth.

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Buklijas, Tatjana

2014-09-01

Cambridge scientists Robert McCance and Elsie Widdowson are best known for their work on the British food tables and wartime food rations, but it is their research on prenatal and early postnatal growth that is today seen as a foundation of the fields studying the impact of environment upon prenatal development and, consequently, adult disease. In this essay I situate McCance's and Widdowson's 1940s human and 1950s experimental studies in the context of pre-war concerns with fetal growth and development, especially within biochemistry, physiology and agriculture; and the Second World War and post-war focus on the effects of undernutrition during pregnancy upon the fetus. I relate Widdowson's and McCance's research on the long-term effects of early undernutrition to the concern with recovery from early trauma so pertinent in post-war Europe and with sensitive (critical) periods, a concept of high importance across different fields. Finally I discuss how, following a hiatus in which fetal physiology engaged with different questions and stressed fetal autonomy, interest in the impact of environment upon prenatal growth and development revived towards the end of the twentieth century. The new field of "developmental origins of health and disease", I suggest, has provided a context in which Widdowson's and McCance's work has regained importance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transactional effects among maternal depression, neighborhood deprivation, and child conduct problems from early childhood through adolescence: A tale of two low-income samples.

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Shaw, Daniel S; Sitnick, Stephanie L; Reuben, Julia; Dishion, Thomas J; Wilson, Melvin N

2016-08-01

The current study sought to advance our understanding of transactional processes among maternal depression, neighborhood deprivation, and child conduct problems (CP) using two samples of low-income families assessed repeatedly from early childhood to early adolescence. After accounting for initial levels of negative parenting, independent and reciprocal effects between maternal depressive symptoms and child CP were evident across both samples, beginning in early childhood and continuing through middle childhood and adolescence. In addition, neighborhood effects were consistently found in both samples after children reached age 5, with earlier neighborhood effects on child CP and maternal depression found in the one exclusively urban sample of families with male children. The results confirm prior research on the independent contribution of maternal depression and child CP to the maintenance of both problem behaviors. The findings also have implications for designing preventative and clinical interventions to address child CP for families living in high-risk neighborhoods.

Methods for analysing cardiovascular studies with repeated measures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cleophas, T. J.; Zwinderman, A. H.; van Ouwerkerk, B. M.

2009-01-01

Background. Repeated measurements in a single subject are generally more similar than unrepeated measurements in different subjects. Unrepeated analyses of repeated data cause underestimation of the treatment effects. Objective. To review methods adequate for the analysis of cardiovascular studies

TALEN-Induced Double-Strand Break Repair of CTG Trinucleotide Repeats

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Valentine Mosbach

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Trinucleotide repeat expansions involving CTG/CAG triplets are responsible for several neurodegenerative disorders, including myotonic dystrophy and Huntington’s disease. Because expansions trigger the disease, contracting repeat length could be a possible approach to gene therapy for these disorders. Here, we show that a TALEN-induced double-strand break was very efficient at contracting expanded CTG repeats in yeast. We show that RAD51, POL32, and DNL4 are dispensable for double-strand break repair within CTG repeats, the only required genes being RAD50, SAE2, and RAD52. Resection was totally abolished in the absence of RAD50 on both sides of the break, whereas it was reduced in a sae2Δ mutant on the side of the break containing the longest repeat tract, suggesting that secondary structures at double-strand break ends must be removed by the Mre11-Rad50 complex and Sae2. Following the TALEN double-strand break, single-strand annealing occurred between both sides of the repeat tract, leading to repeat contraction.

Repeated Intra-Arterial Thrombectomy within 72 Hours in a Patient with a Clear Contraindication for Intravenous Thrombolysis

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Mona Laible

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Treating patients with acute ischemic stroke, proximal arterial vessel occlusion, and absolute contraindication for administering intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA poses a therapeutic challenge. Intra-arterial thrombectomy constitutes an alternative treatment option. Materials and Methods. We report a case of a 57-year-old patient with concomitant gastric adenocarcinoma, who received three intra-arterial thrombectomies in 72 hours due to repeated occlusion of the left medial cerebral artery (MCA. Findings. Intra-arterial recanalization of the left medial cerebral artery was performed three times with initially good success. However, two days later, the right medial cerebral artery became occluded. Owing to the overall poor prognosis at that time and knowing the wishes of the patient, we decided not to perform another intra-arterial recanalization procedure. Conclusion. To our knowledge, this is the first case illustrating the use of repeated intra-arterial recanalization in early reocclusion of intracranial vessels.

In silico reversal of repeat-induced point mutation (RIP identifies the origins of repeat families and uncovers obscured duplicated genes

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Hane James K

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Repeat-induced point mutation (RIP is a fungal genome defence mechanism guarding against transposon invasion. RIP mutates the sequence of repeated DNA and over time renders the affected regions unrecognisable by similarity search tools such as BLAST. Results DeRIP is a new software tool developed to predict the original sequence of a RIP-mutated region prior to the occurrence of RIP. In this study, we apply deRIP to the genome of the wheat pathogen Stagonospora nodorum SN15 and predict the origin of several previously uncharacterised classes of repetitive DNA. Conclusions Five new classes of transposon repeats and four classes of endogenous gene repeats were identified after deRIP. The deRIP process is a new tool for fungal genomics that facilitates the identification and understanding of the role and origin of fungal repetitive DNA. DeRIP is open-source and is available as part of the RIPCAL suite at http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/ripcal.

Repeated tender point injections of granisetron alleviate chronic myofascial pain--a randomized, controlled, double-blinded trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Christidis, Nikolaos; Omrani, Shahin; Fredriksson, Lars; Gjelset, Mattias; Louca, Sofia; Hedenberg-Magnusson, Britt; Ernberg, Malin

2015-01-01

Serotonin (5-HT) mediates pain by peripheral 5-HT3-receptors. Results from a few studies indicate that intramuscular injections of 5-HT3-antagonists may reduce musculoskeletal pain. The aim of this study was to investigate if repeated intramuscular tender-point injections of the 5-HT3-antagonist granisetron alleviate pain in patients with myofascial temporomandibular disorders (M-TMD). This prospective, randomized, controlled, double blind, parallel-arm trial (RCT) was carried out during at two centers in Stockholm, Sweden. The randomization was performed by a researcher who did not participate in data collection with an internet-based application ( www.randomization.com ). 40 patients with a diagnose of M-TMD according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) were randomized to receive repeated injections, one week apart, with either granisetron (GRA; 3 mg) or isotonic saline as control (CTR). The median weekly pain intensities decreased significantly at all follow-ups (1-, 2-, 6-months) in the GRA-group (Friedman test; P  0.075). The numbers needed to treat (NNT) were 4 at the 1- and 6-month follow-ups, and 3.3 at the 2-month follow-up in favor of granisetron. Repeated intramuscular tender-point injections with granisetron provide a new pharmacological treatment possibility for myofascial pain patients with repeated intramuscular tender-point injections with the serotonin type 3 antagonist granisetron. It showed a clinically relevant pain reducing effect in the temporomandibular region, both in a short- and long-term aspect. European Clinical Trials Database 2005-006042-41 as well as at Clinical Trials NCT02230371 .

Snow, Ice, & Satellites: An Early Career Researcher's Experience with Twitter

Science.gov (United States)

Pope, A.; Scambos, T. A.

2014-12-01

As a doctoral student, I was lucky enough to be able to experiment with a variety of communication and outreach activities (classroom visits, museum events, science festivals, blogging, social media, etc.) to build communication skills and learn how to talk about my science without writing a journal article. More importantly, the wide range of experience helped me identify what worked for me. My favorite way to share my science now? Twitter. To many, Twitter is a frivolous platform for sharing snippets 140 characters or less. To me, however, it is how I can connect directly with the elusive "wider public" and share my science. Specifically, I use satellite imagery (mostly Landsat 8) to study glaciers around the world. I look at long-term change related to climate, and I also investigate new, innovative ways to use satellite imagery to better understand glaciers and ice sheets. Luckily for me, my research is very visual. Whether fieldwork snapshots or satellite data, images make for great, shareable, accessible tweets. In this presentation, I propose to share my experience of tweeting as an early career researcher. I will include successful strategies (e.g. particular #hashtags, creating new content, using story-telling, timely tweets), as well as some not-so-successful attempts. I will also talk about how I built my Twitter network. In addition to anecdotes, I will include evaluation of my Twitter activity using available metrics and analytics (e.g. followers, favorites, re-tweets, Klout score, etc.). While misunderstood by many in the scientific community, Twitter is a platform increasingly being adopted by researchers. Used correctly, it can be a great tool for connecting directly with an interested, non-technical audience eager to learn about your research. With my experiences and evaluation, I will show how both scientists and the networks that they join and create can benefit by using Twitter as a platform for science communication.

A Literature Survey for Earliness/Tardiness Scheduling Problems with Learning Effect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mesut Cemil İŞLER

2009-02-01

Full Text Available When a task or work is done continuously, there will be an experience so following times needs of required resources (manpower, materials, etc. will be reduced. This learning curve described first by Wright. Wright determined how workmanship costs decreased while proceed plain increasing. This investigations correctness found consistent by plain producers. Learning effect is an effect that, works can be done in shorter time in the rate of repeat of work with repeating same or similar works in production process. Nowadays classical production systems adapted more acceptable systems with new approaches. Just in time production system (JIT philosophy is one of the most important production system philosophies. JIT which is known production without stock stands on using all product resources optimum. Minimization problem of Earliness/Tardiness finishing penalty, which we can describe Just in time scheduling, appeared by inspired from JIT philosophy. In this study, there is literature survey which directed to earliness/tardiness performance criteria and learning effect processing in scheduling and as a result of this it is obtained some establishing for literature.

No research without publication: early mining

Science.gov (United States)

Nasution, M. K. M.

2018-03-01

In every college in Indonesia, Tridharma with three pillars: education, research and community service is the task of institutions and individuals within the educational institution. In this paper, we want to prove the implementation of research either by the institution or personally lecturers in Indonesia. Based on the data of scientific publications as research evidence derived from the indexing database, Scopus, it is found that less than 11% of colleges are proven to conduct research, not until of 17.08% lecturers who proved to conduct research.

simple sequence repeat (SSR)

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In the present study, 78 mapped simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers representing 11 linkage groups of adzuki bean were evaluated for transferability to mungbean and related Vigna spp. 41 markers amplified characteristic bands in at least one Vigna species. The transferability percentage across the genotypes ranged ...

Power analysis for multivariate and repeated measures designs: a flexible approach using the SPSS MANOVA procedure.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Amico, E J; Neilands, T B; Zambarano, R

2001-11-01

Although power analysis is an important component in the planning and implementation of research designs, it is often ignored. Computer programs for performing power analysis are available, but most have limitations, particularly for complex multivariate designs. An SPSS procedure is presented that can be used for calculating power for univariate, multivariate, and repeated measures models with and without time-varying and time-constant covariates. Three examples provide a framework for calculating power via this method: an ANCOVA, a MANOVA, and a repeated measures ANOVA with two or more groups. The benefits and limitations of this procedure are discussed.

Simple sequence repeat marker development and genetic mapping ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

polymorphic SSR (simple sequence repeats) markers from libraries enriched for GA, CAA and AAT repeats, as well as 6 ... ers for quinoa was the development of a genetic linkage map ...... Weber J. L. 1990 Informativeness of human (dC-dA)n.

Repeatability study of replicate crash tests: A signal analysis approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Seppi, Jeremy; Toczyski, Jacek; Crandall, Jeff R; Kerrigan, Jason

2017-10-03

To provide an objective basis on which to evaluate the repeatability of vehicle crash test methods, a recently developed signal analysis method was used to evaluate correlation of sensor time history data between replicate vehicle crash tests. The goal of this study was to evaluate the repeatability of rollover crash tests performed with the Dynamic Rollover Test System (DRoTS) relative to other vehicle crash test methods. Test data from DRoTS tests, deceleration rollover sled (DRS) tests, frontal crash tests, frontal offset crash tests, small overlap crash tests, small overlap impact (SOI) crash tests, and oblique crash tests were obtained from the literature and publicly available databases (the NHTSA vehicle database and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety TechData) to examine crash test repeatability. Signal analysis of the DRoTS tests showed that force and deformation time histories had good to excellent repeatability, whereas vehicle kinematics showed only fair repeatability due to the vehicle mounting method for one pair of tests and slightly dissimilar mass properties (2.2%) in a second pair of tests. Relative to the DRS, the DRoTS tests showed very similar or higher levels of repeatability in nearly all vehicle kinematic data signals with the exception of global X' (road direction of travel) velocity and displacement due to the functionality of the DRoTS fixture. Based on the average overall scoring metric of the dominant acceleration, DRoTS was found to be as repeatable as all other crash tests analyzed. Vertical force measures showed good repeatability and were on par with frontal crash barrier forces. Dynamic deformation measures showed good to excellent repeatability as opposed to poor repeatability seen in SOI and oblique deformation measures. Using the signal analysis method as outlined in this article, the DRoTS was shown to have the same or better repeatability of crash test methods used in government regulatory and consumer evaluation test

Within- and between-season repeatability of eggshell colouration in the great reed warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Honza, Marcel; Procházka, Petr; Požgayová, Milica

2012-01-01

Roč. 43, č. 1 (2012), s. 91-96 ISSN 0908-8857 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA600930903 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60930519 Keywords : Acrocephalus arundinaceus * eggs hell coloration * repeatability Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 2.020, year: 2012

Nonparametric modeling and analysis of association between Huntington's disease onset and CAG repeats.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Yanyuan; Wang, Yuanjia

2014-04-15

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with a dominant genetic mode of inheritance caused by an expansion of CAG repeats on chromosome 4. Typically, a longer sequence of CAG repeat length is associated with increased risk of experiencing earlier onset of HD. Previous studies of the association between HD onset age and CAG length have favored a logistic model, where the CAG repeat length enters the mean and variance components of the logistic model in a complex exponential-linear form. To relax the parametric assumption of the exponential-linear association to the true HD onset distribution, we propose to leave both mean and variance functions of the CAG repeat length unspecified and perform semiparametric estimation in this context through a local kernel and backfitting procedure. Motivated by including family history of HD information available in the family members of participants in the Cooperative Huntington's Observational Research Trial (COHORT), we develop the methodology in the context of mixture data, where some subjects have a positive probability of being risk free. We also allow censoring on the age at onset of disease and accommodate covariates other than the CAG length. We study the theoretical properties of the proposed estimator and derive its asymptotic distribution. Finally, we apply the proposed methods to the COHORT data to estimate the HD onset distribution using a group of study participants and the disease family history information available on their family members. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Allele Frequency Data for 17 Short Tandem Repeats in a Czech Population Sample

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šimková, H.; Faltus, Václav; Marván, Richard; Pexa, T.; Stenzl, V.; Brouček, J.; Hořínek, A.; Mazura, Ivan; Zvárová, Jana

2009-01-01

Roč. 4, č. 1 (2009), e15-e17 ISSN 1872-4973 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) 1M06014 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10300504 Keywords : short tandem repeat (STR) * allelic frequency * PowerPlex 16 System * AmpflSTR Identifiler * population genetics * Czech Republic Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 2.421, year: 2009

CGG repeats associated with fragile X chromosome form left-handed Z-DNA structure

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Renčiuk, Daniel; Kypr, Jaroslav; Vorlíčková, Michaela

2011-01-01

Roč. 95, č. 3 (2011), s. 174-181 ISSN 0006-3525 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA202/07/0094; GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA100040701 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50040507; CEZ:AV0Z50040702 Keywords : fragile X chromosome syndrome * Z-DNA * trinucleotide repeats Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 2.870, year: 2011

ACCA phosphopeptide recognition by the BRCT repeats of BRCA1.

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, Hind; Moreau, Karen; Dizin, Eva; Callebaut, Isabelle; Venezia, Nicole Dalla

2006-06-16

The tumour suppressor gene BRCA1 encodes a 220 kDa protein that participates in multiple cellular processes. The BRCA1 protein contains a tandem of two BRCT repeats at its carboxy-terminal region. The majority of disease-associated BRCA1 mutations affect this region and provide to the BRCT repeats a central role in the BRCA1 tumour suppressor function. The BRCT repeats have been shown to mediate phospho-dependant protein-protein interactions. They recognize phosphorylated peptides using a recognition groove that spans both BRCT repeats. We previously identified an interaction between the tandem of BRCA1 BRCT repeats and ACCA, which was disrupted by germ line BRCA1 mutations that affect the BRCT repeats. We recently showed that BRCA1 modulates ACCA activity through its phospho-dependent binding to ACCA. To delineate the region of ACCA that is crucial for the regulation of its activity by BRCA1, we searched for potential phosphorylation sites in the ACCA sequence that might be recognized by the BRCA1 BRCT repeats. Using sequence analysis and structure modelling, we proposed the Ser1263 residue as the most favourable candidate among six residues, for recognition by the BRCA1 BRCT repeats. Using experimental approaches, such as GST pull-down assay with Bosc cells, we clearly showed that phosphorylation of only Ser1263 was essential for the interaction of ACCA with the BRCT repeats. We finally demonstrated by immunoprecipitation of ACCA in cells, that the whole BRCA1 protein interacts with ACCA when phosphorylated on Ser1263.

Modeling intraindividual variability with repeated measures data methods and applications

CERN Document Server

Hershberger, Scott L

2013-01-01

This book examines how individuals behave across time and to what degree that behavior changes, fluctuates, or remains stable.It features the most current methods on modeling repeated measures data as reported by a distinguished group of experts in the field. The goal is to make the latest techniques used to assess intraindividual variability accessible to a wide range of researchers. Each chapter is written in a ""user-friendly"" style such that even the ""novice"" data analyst can easily apply the techniques.Each chapter features:a minimum discussion of mathematical detail;an empirical examp

Electromyographic analysis of repeated bouts of eccentric exercise.

Science.gov (United States)

McHugh, M P; Connolly, D A; Eston, R G; Gartman, E J; Gleim, G W

2001-03-01

The repeated bout effect refers to the protective effect provided by a single bout of eccentric exercise against muscle damage from a similar subsequent bout. The aim of this study was to determine if the repeated bout was associated with an increase in motor unit activation relative to force production, an increased recruitment of slow-twitch motor units or increased motor unit synchronization. Surface electromyographic (EMG) signals were recorded from the hamstring muscles during two bouts of submaximal isokinetic (2.6 rad x s(-1)) eccentric (11 men, 9 women) or concentric (6 men, 4 women) contractions separated by 2 weeks. The EMG per unit torque and median frequency were analysed. The initial bout of eccentric exercise resulted in strength loss, pain and muscle tenderness, while the repeated eccentric bout resulted in a slight increase in strength, no pain and no muscle tenderness (bout x time effects, P exercise. The EMG per unit torque and median frequency were not different between the initial and repeated bouts of eccentric exercise. The EMG per unit torque and median frequency increased during both bouts of eccentric exercise (P < 0.01) but did not change during either concentric bout. In conclusion, there was no evidence that the repeated bout effect was due to a neural adaptation.

Experiments and Research Programmes. Revisiting Vitalism/Non-Vitalism Debate in Early Twentieth Century

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bijoy MUKHERJEE

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Debates in the philosophy of science typically take place around issues such as realism and theory change. Recently, the debate has been reformulated to bring in the role of experiments in the context of theory change. As regards realism, Ian Hacking’s contribution has been to introduce ‘intervention’ as the basis of realism. He also proposed, following Imre Lakatos, to replace the issue of truth with progress and rationality. In this context we examine the case of the vitalism — reductionism debate in biology inspired by the works of Indian physicist-turned-biologist Jagadish Chandra Bose (1858–1937, in the early twentieth century. Both camps had their characteristic hardcores. Vitalists led by John S. Burdon-Sanderson and Augustus D. Waller accepted religious metaphysics to support their research programme, which ultimately degenerated. Bose worked more with the ideals of science such as Occam’s razor, large-scale systematization of phenomena and novel prediction. I argue that his religious metaphysics, instead of acting as a protective shield, helped him to consolidate his position and allowed further problem shift resulting in a research programme that involved consciousness too. His research programme remains relevant even today.

40 CFR 1065.305 - Verifications for accuracy, repeatability, and noise.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

..., repeatability, and noise. 1065.305 Section 1065.305 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... Verifications for accuracy, repeatability, and noise. (a) This section describes how to determine the accuracy, repeatability, and noise of an instrument. Table 1 of § 1065.205 specifies recommended values for individual...

Two tandemly repeated telomere-associated sequences in Nicotiana plumbaginifolia.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, C M; Wang, C T; Wang, C J; Ho, C H; Kao, Y Y; Chen, C C

1997-12-01

Two tandemly repeated telomere-associated sequences, NP3R and NP4R, have been isolated from Nicotiana plumbaginifolia. The length of a repeating unit for NP3R and NP4R is 165 and 180 nucleotides respectively. The abundance of NP3R, NP4R and telomeric repeats is, respectively, 8.4 x 10(4), 6 x 10(3) and 1.5 x 10(6) copies per haploid genome of N. plumbaginifolia. Fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed that NP3R is located at the ends and/or in interstitial regions of all 10 chromosomes and NP4R on the terminal regions of three chromosomes in the haploid genome of N. plumbaginifolia. Sequence homology search revealed that not only are NP3R and NP4R homologous to HRS60 and GRS, respectively, two tandem repeats isolated from N. tabacum, but that NP3R and NP4R are also related to each other, suggesting that they originated from a common ancestral sequence. The role of these repeated sequences in chromosome healing is discussed based on the observation that two to three copies of a telomere-similar sequence were present in each repeating unit of NP3R and NP4R.

Repeated Reticulate Evolution in North American Papilio machaon Group Swallowtail Butterflies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julian R Dupuis

Full Text Available Hybridization between distinct populations or species is increasingly recognized as an important process for generating biodiversity. However, the interaction between hybridization and speciation is complex, and the diverse evolutionary outcomes of hybridization are difficult to differentiate. Here we characterize potential hybridization in a species group of swallowtail butterflies using microsatellites, DNA sequences, and morphology, and assess whether adaptive introgression or homoploid hybrid speciation was the primary process leading to each putative hybrid lineage. Four geographically separated hybrid populations were identified in the Papilio machaon species group. One distinct mitochondrial DNA clade from P. machaon was fixed in three hybrid taxa (P. brevicauda, P. joanae, and P. m. kahli, while one hybrid swarm (P. zelicaon x machaon exhibited this hybrid mtDNA clade as well as widespread parental mtDNA haplotypes from both parental species. Microsatellite markers and morphology showed variable admixture and intermediacy, ranging from signatures of prolonged differential introgression from the paternal species (P. polyxenes/P. zelicaon to current gene flow with both parental species. Divergences of the hybrid lineages dated to early- to mid-Pleistocene, suggesting that repeated glaciations and subsequent range shifts of parental species, particularly P. machaon hudsonianus, facilitated initial hybridization. Although each lineage is distinct, P. joanae is the only taxon with sufficient evidence (ecological separation from parental species to define it as a homoploid hybrid species. The repetition of hybridization in this group provides a valuable foundation for future research on hybridization, and these results emphasize the potential for hybridization to drive speciation in diverse ways.

COMPARATIVE METABOLISM OF ARSENIC IN MICE AFTER A SINGLE OR REPEATED ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF ARSENATE

Science.gov (United States)

COMPARATIVE METABOLISM OF ARSENIC IN MICE AFTER A SINGLE OR REPEATED ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF ARSENATEMichael F. Hughes*1, Elaina M. Kenyon1, Brenda C. Edwards1, Carol T. Mitchell1, Luz Maria Del Razo2 and David J. Thomas11US EPA, ORD, NHEERL, ETD, PKB, Research Triangle Pa...

Analysis of a kinetic multi-segment foot model. Part I: Model repeatability and kinematic validity.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruening, Dustin A; Cooney, Kevin M; Buczek, Frank L

2012-04-01

Kinematic multi-segment foot models are still evolving, but have seen increased use in clinical and research settings. The addition of kinetics may increase knowledge of foot and ankle function as well as influence multi-segment foot model evolution; however, previous kinetic models are too complex for clinical use. In this study we present a three-segment kinetic foot model and thorough evaluation of model performance during normal gait. In this first of two companion papers, model reference frames and joint centers are analyzed for repeatability, joint translations are measured, segment rigidity characterized, and sample joint angles presented. Within-tester and between-tester repeatability were first assessed using 10 healthy pediatric participants, while kinematic parameters were subsequently measured on 17 additional healthy pediatric participants. Repeatability errors were generally low for all sagittal plane measures as well as transverse plane Hindfoot and Forefoot segments (median<3°), while the least repeatable orientations were the Hindfoot coronal plane and Hallux transverse plane. Joint translations were generally less than 2mm in any one direction, while segment rigidity analysis suggested rigid body behavior for the Shank and Hindfoot, with the Forefoot violating the rigid body assumptions in terminal stance/pre-swing. Joint excursions were consistent with previously published studies. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

47 CFR 80.469 - Maritime mobile repeater stations in Alaska.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Maritime mobile repeater stations in Alaska. 80... RADIO SERVICES STATIONS IN THE MARITIME SERVICES Public Coast Stations Use of Telephony § 80.469 Maritime mobile repeater stations in Alaska. (a) Maritime mobile repeater stations are authorized to extend...

RNA FISH for detecting expanded repeats in human diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Urbanek, Martyna O; Krzyzosiak, Wlodzimierz J

2016-04-01

RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a widely used technique for detecting transcripts in fixed cells and tissues. Many variants of RNA FISH have been proposed to increase signal strength, resolution and target specificity. The current variants of this technique facilitate the detection of the subcellular localization of transcripts at a single molecule level. Among the applications of RNA FISH are studies on nuclear RNA foci in diseases resulting from the expansion of tri-, tetra-, penta- and hexanucleotide repeats present in different single genes. The partial or complete retention of mutant transcripts forming RNA aggregates within the nucleoplasm has been shown in multiple cellular disease models and in the tissues of patients affected with these atypical mutations. Relevant diseases include, among others, myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) with CUG repeats, Huntington's disease (HD) and spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) with CAG repeats, fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) with CGG repeats, myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2) with CCUG repeats, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/frontotemporal dementia (ALS/FTD) with GGGGCC repeats and spinocerebellar ataxia type 32 (SCA32) with GGCCUG. In this article, we summarize the results obtained with FISH to examine RNA nuclear inclusions. We provide a detailed protocol for detecting RNAs containing expanded CAG and CUG repeats in different cellular models, including fibroblasts, lymphoblasts, induced pluripotent stem cells and murine and human neuronal progenitors. We also present the results of the first single-molecule FISH application in a cellular model of polyglutamine disease. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Community Mentorship Program: Providing Community-Engagement Opportunities for Early-Stage Clinical and Translational Scientists to Facilitate Research Translation.

Science.gov (United States)

Patino, Cecilia M; Kubicek, Katrina; Robles, Marisela; Kiger, Holly; Dzekov, Jeanne

2017-02-01

A goal of the Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute (SC-CTSI) at the University of Southern California and Children's Hospital Los Angeles is to train early-stage clinical and translational scientists (CTSs) to conduct research that improves the health of diverse communities. This goal aligns well with the Institute of Medicine's recommendations emphasizing community engagement in biomedical research that facilitates research translation. The Community Mentorship Program (CMP), created to complement community-engaged research didactics, matches CTSs with community mentors who help them identify and complete community-engaged experiences that inform their research. The CMP was piloted in 2013-2015 by the SC-CTSI Workforce Development and Community Engagement cores. The CMP team matched three CTSs (assistant professors pursuing mentored career development awards) with mentors at community-based organizations (CBOs) aligned with their research interests. Each mentor-mentee pair signed a memorandum of understanding. The CMP team checked in regularly, monitoring progress and addressing challenges in CTSs' completion of their community-engaged experience. Each pair completed at least one community-engaged activity informing the CTS's research. In exit interviews, the CTSs and CBO mentors expressed satisfaction with the program and stated that they would continue to work together. The CTSs reported that the program provided opportunities to develop networks outside academia, build trust within the community, and receive feedback and learn from individuals in communities affected by their research. The CMP will be expanded to include all eligible early-career CTSs and promoted for use in similar settings outside the SC-CTSI.

Handwriting in Early Childhood Education: Current Research and Future Implications

Science.gov (United States)

Dinehart, Laura H.

2015-01-01

Early fine motor writing skills are quickly becoming recognized as an important school readiness skill associated with later academic success (Dinehart and Manfra, 2013; Grissmer et al., 2010; Son and Meisels, 2006). Yet, little is known about the development of handwriting, the extent to which it is of value in the early childhood classroom and…

Transgenic Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat/Cas9-Mediated Viral Gene Targeting for Antiviral Therapy of Bombyx mori Nucleopolyhedrovirus.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Shuqing; Hou, Chengxiang; Bi, Honglun; Wang, Yueqiang; Xu, Jun; Li, Muwang; James, Anthony A; Huang, Yongping; Tan, Anjiang

2017-04-15

We developed a novel antiviral strategy by combining transposon-based transgenesis and the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated 9 (Cas9) system for the direct cleavage of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) genome DNA to promote virus clearance in silkworms. We demonstrate that transgenic silkworms constitutively expressing Cas9 and guide RNAs targeting the BmNPV immediate early-1 ( ie-1 ) and me53 genes effectively induce target-specific cleavage and subsequent mutagenesis, especially large (∼7-kbp) segment deletions in BmNPV genomes, and thus exhibit robust suppression of BmNPV proliferation. Transgenic animals exhibited higher and inheritable resistance to BmNPV infection than wild-type animals. Our approach will not only contribute to modern sericulture but also shed light on future antiviral therapy. IMPORTANCE Pathogen genome targeting has shown its potential in antiviral research. However, transgenic CRISPR/Cas9 system-mediated viral genome targeting has not been reported as an antiviral strategy in a natural animal host of a virus. Our data provide an effective approach against BmNPV infection in a real-world biological system and demonstrate the potential of transgenic CRISPR/Cas9 systems in antiviral research in other species. Copyright © 2017 Chen et al.

StaRProtein, A Web Server for Prediction of the Stability of Repeat Proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Yongtao; Zhou, Xu; Huang, Meilan

2015-01-01

Repeat proteins have become increasingly important due to their capability to bind to almost any proteins and the potential as alternative therapy to monoclonal antibodies. In the past decade repeat proteins have been designed to mediate specific protein-protein interactions. The tetratricopeptide and ankyrin repeat proteins are two classes of helical repeat proteins that form different binding pockets to accommodate various partners. It is important to understand the factors that define folding and stability of repeat proteins in order to prioritize the most stable designed repeat proteins to further explore their potential binding affinities. Here we developed distance-dependant statistical potentials using two classes of alpha-helical repeat proteins, tetratricopeptide and ankyrin repeat proteins respectively, and evaluated their efficiency in predicting the stability of repeat proteins. We demonstrated that the repeat-specific statistical potentials based on these two classes of repeat proteins showed paramount accuracy compared with non-specific statistical potentials in: 1) discriminate correct vs. incorrect models 2) rank the stability of designed repeat proteins. In particular, the statistical scores correlate closely with the equilibrium unfolding free energies of repeat proteins and therefore would serve as a novel tool in quickly prioritizing the designed repeat proteins with high stability. StaRProtein web server was developed for predicting the stability of repeat proteins. PMID:25807112

Differential Regulation of Strand-Specific Transcripts from Arabidopsis Centromeric Satellite Repeats.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Centromeres interact with the spindle apparatus to enable chromosome disjunction and typically contain thousands of tandemly arranged satellite repeats interspersed with retrotransposons. While their role has been obscure, centromeric repeats are epigenetically modified and centromere specification has a strong epigenetic component. In the yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, long heterochromatic repeats are transcribed and contribute to centromere function via RNA interference (RNAi. In the higher plant Arabidopsis thaliana, as in mammalian cells, centromeric satellite repeats are short (180 base pairs, are found in thousands of tandem copies, and are methylated. We have found transcripts from both strands of canonical, bulk Arabidopsis repeats. At least one subfamily of 180-base pair repeats is transcribed from only one strand and regulated by RNAi and histone modification. A second subfamily of repeats is also silenced, but silencing is lost on both strands in mutants in the CpG DNA methyltransferase MET1, the histone deacetylase HDA6/SIL1, or the chromatin remodeling ATPase DDM1. This regulation is due to transcription from Athila2 retrotransposons, which integrate in both orientations relative to the repeats, and differs between strains of Arabidopsis. Silencing lost in met1 or hda6 is reestablished in backcrosses to wild-type, but silencing lost in RNAi mutants and ddm1 is not. Twenty-four-nucleotide small interfering RNAs from centromeric repeats are retained in met1 and hda6, but not in ddm1, and may have a role in this epigenetic inheritance. Histone H3 lysine-9 dimethylation is associated with both classes of repeats. We propose roles for transcribed repeats in the epigenetic inheritance and evolution of centromeres.

Early literacy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Anders Skriver

2012-01-01

This paper discusses findings from the Danish contribution to the EASE project, a European research project running from 2008 to 2010 on early literacy in relation to the transition from childcare to school. It explores a holistic, inclusive approach to early literacy that resists a narrow...... and schools. The paper also draws on Gee’s (2001, 2003, 2004, 2008) sociocultural approach to literacy, and Honneth’s (2003, 2006) concept of recognition. Emphasizing participation and recognition as key elements, it claims that stakeholders in early liter- acy must pay attention to how diverse early literacy...... opportunities empower children, especially when these opportunities are employed in a project-based learning environ- ment in which each child is able to contribute to the shared literacy events....

Spectral-domain Optical Coherence Tomography Retinal and Choroidal Thickness Metric Repeatability in Age-related Macular Degeneration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hanumunthadu, Daren; Ilginis, Tomas; Restori, Marie

2016-01-01

: Enrolled patients underwent repeated SDOCT imaging using the Spectralis OCT (Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany). A single technician certified for clinical trials took 3 macular volume scans. Retinal thicknesses were calculated for each of the 9 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS...... was 34.7 μm (95% CI 33.7-35.7 μm). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that a change of greater than 31 μm in Spectralis SDOCT-derived retinal thickness measurement of the central macular subfield and 35 μm in subfoveal choroidal thickness is necessary to detect true clinical change associated with disease...

Telomerase Repeated Amplification Protocol (TRAP).

Science.gov (United States)

Mender, Ilgen; Shay, Jerry W

2015-11-20

Telomeres are found at the end of eukaryotic linear chromosomes, and proteins that bind to telomeres protect DNA from being recognized as double-strand breaks thus preventing end-to-end fusions (Griffith et al. , 1999). However, due to the end replication problem and other factors such as oxidative damage, the limited life span of cultured cells (Hayflick limit) results in progressive shortening of these protective structures (Hayflick and Moorhead, 1961; Olovnikov, 1973). The ribonucleoprotein enzyme complex telomerase-consisting of a protein catalytic component hTERT and a functional RNA component hTR or hTERC - counteracts telomere shortening by adding telomeric repeats to the end of chromosomes in ~90% of primary human tumors and in some transiently proliferating stem-like cells (Shay and Wright, 1996; Shay and Wright, 2001). This results in continuous proliferation of cells which is a hallmark of cancer. Therefore, telomere biology has a central role in aging, cancer progression/metastasis as well as targeted cancer therapies. There are commonly used methods in telomere biology such as Telomere Restriction Fragment (TRF) (Mender and Shay, 2015b), Telomere Repeat Amplification Protocol (TRAP) and Telomere dysfunction Induced Foci (TIF) analysis (Mender and Shay, 2015a). In this detailed protocol we describe Telomere Repeat Amplification Protocol (TRAP). The TRAP assay is a popular method to determine telomerase activity in mammalian cells and tissue samples (Kim et al. , 1994). The TRAP assay includes three steps: extension, amplification, and detection of telomerase products. In the extension step, telomeric repeats are added to the telomerase substrate (which is actually a non telomeric oligonucleotide, TS) by telomerase. In the amplification step, the extension products are amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using specific primers (TS upstream primer and ACX downstream primer) and in the detection step, the presence or absence of telomerase is

Structure of thrombospondin type 3 repeats in bacterial outer membrane protein A reveals its intra-repeat disulfide bond-dependent calcium-binding capability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dai, Shuyan; Sun, Cancan; Tan, Kemin; Ye, Sheng; Zhang, Rongguang

2017-09-01

Eukaryotic thrombospondin type 3 repeat (TT3R) is an efficient calcium ion (Ca2+) binding motif only found in mammalian thrombospondin family. TT3R has also been found in prokaryotic cellulase Cel5G, which was thought to forfeit the Ca2+-binding capability due to the formation of intra-repeat disulfide bonds, instead of the inter-repeat ones possessed by eukaryotic TT3Rs. In this study, we have identified an enormous number of prokaryotic TT3R-containing proteins belonging to several different protein families, including outer membrane protein A (OmpA), an important structural protein connecting the outer membrane and the periplasmic peptidoglycan layer in gram-negative bacteria. Here, we report the crystal structure of the periplasmic region of OmpA from Capnocytophaga gingivalis, which contains a linker region comprising five consecutive TT3Rs. The structure of OmpA-TT3R exhibits a well-ordered architecture organized around two tightly-coordinated Ca2+ and confirms the presence of abnormal intra-repeat disulfide bonds. Further mutagenesis studies showed that the Ca2+-binding capability of OmpA-TT3R is indeed dependent on the proper formation of intra-repeat disulfide bonds, which help to fix a conserved glycine residue at its proper position for Ca2+ coordination. Additionally, despite lacking inter repeat disulfide bonds, the interfaces between adjacent OmpA-TT3Rs are enhanced by both hydrophobic and conserved aromatic-proline interactions.

Discrepancy variation of dinucleotide microsatellite repeats in eukaryotic genomes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

HUAN GAO

2009-01-01

Full Text Available To address whether there are differences of variation among repeat motif types and among taxonomic groups, we present here an analysis of variation and correlation of dinucleotide microsatellite repeats in eukaryotic genomes. Ten taxonomic groups were compared, those being primates, mammalia (excluding primates and rodentia, rodentia, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles, insects, molluscs, plants and fungi, respectively. The data used in the analysis is from the literature published in the Journal of Molecular Ecology Notes. Analysis of variation reveals that there are no significant differences between AC and AG repeat motif types. Moreover, the number of alleles correlates positively with the copy number in both AG and AC repeats. Similar conclusions can be obtained from each taxonomic group. These results strongly suggest that the increase of SSR variation is almost linear with the increase of the copy number of each repeat motif. As well, the results suggest that the variability of SSR in the genomes of low-ranking species seem to be more than that of high-ranking species, excluding primates and fungi.

Distribution and evolution of repeated sequences in genomes of Triatominae (Hemiptera-Reduviidae inferred from genomic in situ hybridization.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastian Pita

Full Text Available The subfamily Triatominae, vectors of Chagas disease, comprises 140 species characterized by a highly homogeneous chromosome number. We analyzed the chromosomal distribution and evolution of repeated sequences in Triatominae genomes by Genomic in situ Hybridization using Triatoma delpontei and Triatoma infestans genomic DNAs as probes. Hybridizations were performed on their own chromosomes and on nine species included in six genera from the two main tribes: Triatomini and Rhodniini. Genomic probes clearly generate two different hybridization patterns, dispersed or accumulated in specific regions or chromosomes. The three used probes generate the same hybridization pattern in each species. However, these patterns are species-specific. In closely related species, the probes strongly hybridized in the autosomal heterochromatic regions, resembling C-banding and DAPI patterns. However, in more distant species these co-localizations are not observed. The heterochromatic Y chromosome is constituted by highly repeated sequences, which is conserved among 10 species of Triatomini tribe suggesting be an ancestral character for this group. However, the Y chromosome in Rhodniini tribe is markedly different, supporting the early evolutionary dichotomy between both tribes. In some species, sex chromosomes and autosomes shared repeated sequences, suggesting meiotic chromatin exchanges among these heterologous chromosomes. Our GISH analyses enabled us to acquire not only reliable information about autosomal repeated sequences distribution but also an insight into sex chromosome evolution in Triatominae. Furthermore, the differentiation obtained by GISH might be a valuable marker to establish phylogenetic relationships and to test the controversial origin of the Triatominae subfamily.

Weathering the empire: meteorological research in the early British Straits Settlements.

Science.gov (United States)

Williamson, Fiona

2015-09-01

This article explores meteorological interest and experimentation in the early history of the Straits Settlements. It centres on the establishment of an observatory in 1840s Singapore and examines the channels that linked the observatory to a global community of scientists, colonial officers and a reading public. It will argue that, although the value of overseas meteorological investigation was recognized by the British government, investment was piecemeal and progress in the field often relied on the commitment and enthusiasm of individuals. In the Straits Settlements, as elsewhere, these individuals were drawn from military or medical backgrounds, rather than trained as dedicated scientists. Despite this, meteorology was increasingly recognized as of fundamental importance to imperial interests. Thus this article connects meteorology with the history of science and empire more fully and examines how research undertaken in British dependencies is revealing of the operation of transnational networks in the exchange of scientific knowledge.

REPEATABILITY OF FRUIT QUALITY TRAITS OF CACTUS PEAR

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VALTÂNIA XAVIER NUNES

2017-12-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Repeatability analysis has been used to study traits in several crops, assisting in the definition of the minimum number needed to evaluate genotypes more efficiently and with less time and resource consumption. So far, however, no repeatability studies on cactus pear have been found in the literature. The objective of this study was to determine the coefficient of repeatability for cactus pear fruits traits and the minimum number of evaluations (fruit that can provide acceptable accuracy for the prediction of the true value. The experiment was conducted at the Federal Institute of Bahia/Campus Guanambi, with 150 fruits collected from three municipalities in the state of Bahia. The coefficients of repeatability were estimated by the methods of analysis of variance, principal components based on the covariance (PCCV and correlation (PCC matrices, and structural analysis based on the correlation matrix (SA. The analysis of variance showed that, except for fruit diameter, the effect of the production site (municipality was significant for all traits evaluated. The PCCV method was proven the most suitable for studying the repeatability of quality traits of cactus pear fruits. Seven fruits were required to determine, with 90% confidence, the traits length, diameter, fruit firmness, skin thickness, number of seeds, fruit mass, bark mass, pulp mass, pH, titratable acidity, soluble solids, SS/AT ratio, and pulp yield.

Early Career Researchers Demand Full-text and Rely on Google to Find Scholarly Sources

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Richard Hayman

2017-12-01

Full Text Available A Review of: Nicholas, D., Boukacem-Zeghmouri, C., Rodríguez-Bravo, B., Xu, J., Watkinson, A., Abrizah, A., Herman, E., & Świgoń, M. (2017. Where and how early career researchers find scholarly information. Learned Publishing, 30(1, 19-29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/leap.1087 Abstract Objective – To examine the attitudes and information behaviours of early career researchers (ECRs when locating scholarly information. Design – Qualitative longitudinal study. Setting – Research participants from the United Kingdom, United States of America, China, France, Malaysia, Poland, and Spain. Subjects – A total 116 participants from various disciplines, aged 35 and younger, who were holding or had previously held a research position, but not in a tenured position. All participants held a doctorate or were in the process of earning one. Methods – Using structured interviews of 60-90 minutes, researchers asked 60 questions of each participant via face-to-face, Skype, or telephone interviews. The interview format and questions were formed via focus groups. Main Results – As part of a longitudinal project, results reported are limited to the first year of the study, and focused on three primary questions identified by the authors: where do ECRs find scholarly information, whether they use their smartphones to locate and read scholarly information, and what social media do they use to find scholarly information. Researchers describe how ECRs themselves interpreted the phrase scholarly information to primarily mean journal articles, while the researchers themselves had a much expanded definition to include professional and “scholarly contacts, ideas, and data” (p. 22. This research shows that Google and Google Scholar are widely used by ECRs for locating scholarly information regardless of discipline, language, or geography. Their analysis by country points to currency and the combined breadth-and-depth search experience that Google provides as

Improvement of Repeated-Sprint Ability and Horizontal-Jumping Performance in Elite Young Basketball Players With Low-Volume Repeated-Maximal-Power Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalo-Skok, Oliver; Tous-Fajardo, Julio; Arjol-Serrano, José Luis; Suarez-Arrones, Luis; Casajús, José Antonio; Mendez-Villanueva, Alberto

2016-05-01

To examine the effects of a low-volume repeated-power-ability (RPA) training program on repeated-sprint and change-of- direction (COD) ability and functional jumping performance. Twenty-two male elite young basketball players (age 16.2 ± 1.2 y, height 190.0 ± 10.0 cm, body mass 82.9 ± 10.1 kg) were randomly assigned either to an RPA-training group (n = 11) or a control group (n = 11). RPA training consisted of leg-press exercise, twice a week for 6 wk, of 1 or 2 blocks of 5 sets × 5 repetitions with 20 s of passive recovery between sets and 3 min between blocks with the load that maximized power output. Before and after training, performance was assessed by a repeated-sprint-ability (RSA) test, a repeated-COD-ability test, a hop for distance, and a drop jump followed by tests of a double unilateral hop with the right and left legs. Within-group and between-groups differences showed substantial improvements in slowest (RSAs) and mean time (RSAm) on RSA; best, slowest and mean time on repeated-COD ability; and unilateral right and left hop in the RPA group in comparison with control. While best time on RSA showed no improvement in any group, there was a large relationship (r = .68, 90% CI .43;.84) between the relative decrement in RSAm and RSAs, suggesting better sprint maintenance with RPA training. The relative improvements in best and mean repeated-COD ability were very largely correlated (r = .89, 90% CI .77;.94). Six weeks of lowvolume (4-14 min/wk) RPA training improved several physical-fitness tests in basketball players.

Receptionist input to quality and safety in repeat prescribing in UK general practice: ethnographic case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Swinglehurst, Deborah; Greenhalgh, Trisha; Russell, Jill; Myall, Michelle

2011-11-03

documents or previous research. Yet it was sometimes critical to getting the job done and contributed in subtle ways to safeguarding patients. Conclusion Receptionists and administrative staff make important "hidden" contributions to quality and safety in repeat prescribing in general practice, regarding themselves accountable to patients for these contributions. Studying technology-supported work routines that seem mundane, standardised, and automated, but which in reality require a high degree of local tailoring and judgment from frontline staff, opens up a new agenda for the study of patient safety.

The absolute number of repeat operations for complex intra ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

abdominal sepsis, questions about futility of treatment frequently arise. This study focuses specifically on patients who required two or more repeat laparotomies and describes the spectrum of disease necessitating multiple repeat laparotomies ...

Assembly of Repeat Content Using Next Generation Sequencing Data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

labutti, Kurt; Kuo, Alan; Grigoriev, Igor; Copeland, Alex

2014-03-17

Repetitive organisms pose a challenge for short read assembly, and typically only unique regions and repeat regions shorter than the read length, can be accurately assembled. Recently, we have been investigating the use of Pacific Biosciences reads for de novo fungal assembly. We will present an assessment of the quality and degree of repeat reconstruction possible in a fungal genome using long read technology. We will also compare differences in assembly of repeat content using short read and long read technology.

Space and place in researching male early high school leaving in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

question the school systems' organisational components (Coleman, 1988), curriculum .... 2001:379) because of the value placed on a high-school certificate. Early school ..... Male early high school leaving in Orange Farm Township: A hidden.

A study on the repeatability of ultrasonic testing data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshimura, Seiichi; Fukumoto, Hiroshi

1980-01-01

Reliability improvement of ultrasonic testing data is strongly desired in ultrasonic testing working of nuclear power plants. This paper deals with the problems of the testing by the manual and the remote control apparatus, and with the factors which influence the repeatability of ultrasonic testing data. Following results are found in it. (1) In the testing by the manual, working time and posture influence the repeatability of testing data. (2) Glycerin in suitable for the couplant in the respect of the repeatability of testing data. In the case of using machine oil, the pressure to the probe necessitates to be over 0.2 kg/cm 2 . (3) In the testing by the remote control apparatus, working time, working environment and defect position does not influence the repeatability of testing data. (author)

The Effects of Repeated Experience on Children's Suggestibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, Martine B.; Roberts, Kim P.; Ceci, Stephen J.; Hembrooke, Helene

1999-01-01

Examined effect of suggestive questions on 3- to 5-year-olds' and 6- to 8-year-olds' recall of the final occurrence of repeated event. Found that relative to reports of children experiencing single occurrence, reports about fixed items of repeated events were less contaminated by false suggestions. Children's age and delay of interview were…

Non-radioactive detection of trinucleotide repeat size variability.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomé, Stéphanie; Nicole, Annie; Gomes-Pereira, Mario; Gourdon, Genevieve

2014-03-06

Many human diseases are associated with the abnormal expansion of unstable trinucleotide repeat sequences. The mechanisms of trinucleotide repeat size mutation have not been fully dissected, and their understanding must be grounded on the detailed analysis of repeat size distributions in human tissues and animal models. Small-pool PCR (SP-PCR) is a robust, highly sensitive and efficient PCR-based approach to assess the levels of repeat size variation, providing both quantitative and qualitative data. The method relies on the amplification of a very low number of DNA molecules, through sucessive dilution of a stock genomic DNA solution. Radioactive Southern blot hybridization is sensitive enough to detect SP-PCR products derived from single template molecules, separated by agarose gel electrophoresis and transferred onto DNA membranes. We describe a variation of the detection method that uses digoxigenin-labelled locked nucleic acid probes. This protocol keeps the sensitivity of the original method, while eliminating the health risks associated with the manipulation of radiolabelled probes, and the burden associated with their regulation, manipulation and waste disposal.

To be so bold: boldness is repeatable and related to within individual behavioural variability in North Island robins.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Ruchuan; Pagani-Núñez, Emilio; Chevallier, Clément; Barnett, Craig R A

2017-07-01

Behavioural research traditionally focusses on the mean responses of a group of individuals rather than variation in behaviour around the mean or among individuals. However, examining the variation in behaviour among and within individuals may also yield important insights into the evolution and maintenance of behaviour. Repeatability is the most commonly used measure of variability among individuals in behavioural research. However, there are other forms of variation within populations that have received less attention. One such measure is intraindividual variation in behaviour (IIV), which is a short-term fluctuation of within-individual behaviour. Such variation in behaviour might be important during interactions because it could decrease the ability of conspecific and heterospecific individuals to predict the behaviour of the subject, thus increasing the cost of the interaction. In this experiment, we made repeated measures of the latency of North Island robins to attack a prey in a novel situation (a form of boldness) and examined (i) repeatability of boldness (the propensity to take a risk), (ii) IIV of boldness, and (iii) whether there was a significant relationship between these two traits (a behavioural syndrome). We found that boldness was highly repeatable, that there were high levels of IIV in boldness, and that there was a negative relationship between boldness and IIV in boldness. This suggests that despite high levels of repeatability for this behaviour, there were also still significant differences in IIV among different individuals within the population. Moreover, bolder individuals had significantly less IIV in their boldness, which suggests that they were forming routines (which reduces behavioural variability) compared to shyer individuals. Our results definitively demonstrate that IIV itself varies across individuals and is linked with key behavioural traits, and we argue for the importance of future studies aimed at understanding its causes

Repeated Causal Decision Making

Science.gov (United States)

Hagmayer, York; Meder, Bjorn

2013-01-01

Many of our decisions refer to actions that have a causal impact on the external environment. Such actions may not only allow for the mere learning of expected values or utilities but also for acquiring knowledge about the causal structure of our world. We used a repeated decision-making paradigm to examine what kind of knowledge people acquire in…

Early history of IVF in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristina Janežič

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Background: The 1970s and 1980s represent the early era of in vitro fertilization (IVF research. This article is a concise review of the early history of IVF, focusing on the contributions made by Australian pioneers.Objectives: To research the history of the early days of IVF in Australia.Search Strategy: ‘IVF history’ was used as a search criteria in PubMed.Selection criteria: We selected articles that were dealing with Australian research on IVF in 1970–1980s and were also statistically sound where applicable.Data collection and analysis: We collected, processed, and analyzed the data, and summed up two decades of IVF research in Australia.Main results: The first ideas about introducing IVF research in Australia started in 1970. Years of trials and hard work bore success and the first baby was born in 1980. IVF procedures then spread quickly across Australia.Conclusions: Australia was a leading force in the early days of IVF and with many innovative approaches contributed greatly to the development of IVF as we know it today.

Topical Collection: Climate-change research by early-career hydrogeologists

Science.gov (United States)

Re, Viviana; Maldaner, Carlos H.; Gurdak, Jason J.; Leblanc, Marc; Resende, Tales Carvalho; Stigter, Tibor Y.

2018-05-01

Scientific outreach, international networking, collaboration and adequate courses are needed in both developed and developing countries to enable early-career hydrogeologists to promote long-term multidisciplinary approaches to cope with climate-change issues and emphasize the importance of groundwater in a global strategy for adaptation. One such collaboration has involved the Early Career Hydrogeologists' Network of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (ECHN-IAH) and the UNESCO International Hydrological Programme's (IHP) Groundwater Resources Assessment under the Pressures of Humanity and Climate Changes (GRAPHIC) project. This collaboration seeks to foster the education and involvement of the future generation of water leaders in the debate over groundwater and climate change.

Research on optical properties of dental enamel for early caries diagnostics using a He-Ne laser

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Jing; Liu, Li; Li, Song-zhan

2008-12-01

A new and non-invasive method adapted for optical diagnosis of early caries is proposed by researching on the interaction mechanism of laser with dental tissue and relations of remitted light with optical properties of the tissue. This method is based on simultaneous analyses of the following parameters: probing radiation, backscattering and auto-fluorescence. Investigation was performed on 104 dental samples in vitro by using He-Ne laser (λ=632.8nm, 2.0+/-0.1mW) as the probing. Spectrums of all samples were obtained. Characteristic spectrums of dental caries in various stages (intact, initial, moderate and deep) were given. Using the back-reflected light to normalize the intensity of back-scattering and fluorescence, a quantitative diagnosis standard for different stages of caries is proposed. In order to verify the test, comparison research was conducted among artificial caries, morphological damaged enamel, dental calculus and intact tooth. Results show that variations in backscattering characteristic changes in bio-tissue morphological and the quantity of auto-fluorescence is correlated with concentration of anaerobic microflora in hearth of caries lesion. This method poses a high potential of diagnosing various stages of dental caries, and is more reliability to detect early caries, surface damage of health enamel and dental calculus.

[Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats: structure, function and application--a review].

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Yujun; Li, Yanjun; Yan, Yanfeng; Yang, Ruifu

2008-11-01

CRISPRs (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats), the basis of spoligotyping technology, can provide prokaryotes with heritable adaptive immunity against phages' invasion. Studies on CRISPR loci and their associated elements, including various CAS (CRISPR-associated) proteins and leader sequences, are still in its infant period. We introduce the brief history', structure, function, bioinformatics research and application of this amazing immunity system in prokaryotic organism for inspiring more scientists to find their interest in this developing topic.

Project PHaEDRA: Preserving Harvard's Early Data and Research in Astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Bouquin, Daina; Frey, Katie; Henneken, Edwin; McEachern, Maria; McGrath, Alex; Guarracino, Daniel; Koch, Jennifer; Damon, James; Brownell, Eric; Smith-Zrull, Lindsay; Daina Bouquin

2018-01-01

Material originally produced during 19th and early 20th century by researchers at the Harvard College Observatory (HCO) was recently re-discovered in the HCO Astronomical Plate Stacks collection. This material helps represent the history of the HCO and acts as an irreplaceable primary source on the evolution of observation methods and astronomy as a science. The material is also relevant to the history of women in science as the collection contains logbooks and notebooks produced by the Harvard Computers, women who have come back into the spotlight due to the recent release of books like "The Glass Universe," "Rise of the Rocket Girls," and movies like "Hidden Figures". To ensure that this remarkable set of items is as accessible and useful as possible Wolbach Library, in collaboration with the SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS) and others, is working to catalog, digitize, and preserve the entire collection. The material is also being transcribed by volunteers through the Smithsonian Transcription Center in DC. The transcription will allow the collection to be full-text searchable in ADS and for the notebooks to eventually be linked to their original source material: 500,000 glass plate photographs representing the first ever picture of the visible universe. The novel workflow of this distributed repository and the significance of the PHaEDRA collection both stand to support the research of future generations.

Analysis of Loss-of-Coolant Accidents in the NIST Research Reactor - Early Phase

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baek, Joo S.; Diamond, David

2016-12-06

A study of the fuel temperature during the early phase of a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) in the NIST research reactor (NBSR) was completed. Previous studies had been reported in the preliminary safety analysis report for the conversion of the NBSR from high-enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to low-enriched (LEU) fuel. Those studies had focused on the most vulnerable LOCA situation, namely, a double-ended guillotine break in the time period after reactor trip when water is drained from either the coolant channels inside the fuel elements or the region outside the fuel elements. The current study fills in a gap in the analysis which is the early phase of the event when there may still be water present but the reactor is at power or immediately after reactor trip and pumps have tripped. The calculations were done, for both the current HEU-fueled core and the proposed LEU core, with the TRACE thermal-hydraulic systems code. Several break locations and different break sizes were considered. In all cases the increase in the clad (or fuel meat) temperature was relatively small so that a large margin to the temperature threshold for blistering (the Safety Limit for the NBSR) remained.

Intra-examiner repeatability and agreement in accommodative response measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Antona, B; Sanchez, I; Barrio, A; Barra, F; Gonzalez, E

2009-11-01

Clinical measurement of the accommodative response (AR) identifies the focusing plane of a subject with respect to the accommodative target. To establish whether a significant change in AR has occurred, it is important to determine the repeatability of this measurement. This study had two aims: First, to determine the intraexaminer repeatability of AR measurements using four clinical methods: Nott retinoscopy, monocular estimate method (MEM) retinoscopy, binocular crossed cylinder test (BCC) and near autorefractometry. Second, to study the level of agreement between AR measurements obtained with the different methods. The AR of the right eye at one accommodative demand of 2.50 D (40 cm) was measured on two separate occasions in 61 visually normal subjects of mean age 19.7 years (range 18-32 years). The intraexaminer repeatability of the tests, and agreement between them, were estimated by the Bland-Altman method. We determined mean differences (MD) and the 95% limits of agreement [coefficient of repeatability (COR) and coefficient of agreement (COA)]. Nott retinoscopy and BCC offered the best repeatability, showing the lowest MD and narrowest 95% interval of agreement (Nott: -0.10 +/- 0.66 D, BCC: -0.05 +/- 0.75 D). The 95% limits of agreement for the four techniques were similar (COA = +/- 0.92 to +/-1.00 D) yet clinically significant, according to the expected values of the AR. The two dynamic retinoscopy techniques (Nott and MEM) had a better agreement (COA = +/-0.64 D) although this COA must be interpreted in the context of the low MEM repeatability (COR = +/-0.98 D). The best method of assessing AR was Nott retinoscopy. The BCC technique was also repeatable, and both are recommended as suitable methods for clinical use. Despite better agreement between MEM and Nott, agreement among the remaining methods was poor such that their interchangeable use in clinical practice is not recommended.

Intra-rater repeatability of gait parameters in healthy adults during self-paced treadmill-based virtual reality walking.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Amri, Mohammad; Al Balushi, Hilal; Mashabi, Abdulrhman

2017-12-01

Self-paced treadmill walking is becoming increasingly popular for the gait assessment and re-education, in both research and clinical settings. Its day-to-day repeatability is yet to be established. This study scrutinised the test-retest repeatability of key gait parameters, obtained from the Gait Real-time Analysis Interactive Lab (GRAIL) system. Twenty-three male able-bodied adults (age: 34.56 ± 5.12 years) completed two separate gait assessments on the GRAIL system, separated by 5 ± 3 days. Key gait kinematic, kinetic, and spatial-temporal parameters were analysed. The Intraclass-Correlation Coefficients (ICC), Standard Error Measurement (SEM), Minimum Detectable Change (MDC), and the 95% limits of agreements were calculated to evaluate the repeatability of these gait parameters. Day-to-day agreements were excellent (ICCs > 0.87) for spatial-temporal parameters with low MDC and SEM values, gait performance over time.

Repeatability of cervical joint flexion and extension within and between days

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Xu; Lindstroem, René; Plocharski, Maciej

2018-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate within- and between-day repeatability of free and unrestricted healthy cervical flexion and extension motion when assessing dynamic cervical spine motion. METHODS: Fluoroscopy videos of 2 repeated cervical flexion and 2 repeated extension...

Analysis of genetic polymorphism of nine short tandem repeat loci in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Yomi

2012-03-15

Mar 15, 2012 ... Key words: short tandem repeat, repeat motif, genetic polymorphism, Han population, forensic genetics. INTRODUCTION. Short tandem repeat (STR) is widely .... Data analysis. The exact test of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was conducted with. Arlequin version 3.5 software (Computational and Molecular.

Repeated checking causes memory distrust

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Hout, M.; Kindt, M.

2003-01-01

This paper attempts to explain why in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) checkers distrust in memory persists despite extensive checking. It is argued that: (1) repeated checking increases familiarity with the issues checked; (2) increased familiarity promotes conceptual processing which inhibits

Research, development, demonstration, and early deployment policies for advanced-coal technology in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Lifeng; Gallagher, Kelly Sims

2007-01-01

Advanced-coal technologies will increasingly play a significant role in addressing China's multiple energy challenges. This paper introduces the current status of energy in China, evaluates the research, development, and demonstration policies for advanced-coal technologies during the Tenth Five-Year Plan, and gives policy prospects for advanced-coal technologies in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan. Early deployment policies for advanced-coal technologies are discussed and some recommendations are put forward. China has made great progress in the development of advanced-coal technologies. In terms of research, development, and demonstration of advanced-coal technologies, China has achieved breakthroughs in developing and demonstrating advanced-coal gasification, direct and indirect coal liquefaction, and key technologies of Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) and co-production systems. Progress on actual deployment of advanced-coal technologies has been more limited, in part due to insufficient supporting policies. Recently, industry chose Ultra Super Critical (USC) Pulverized Coal (PC) and Super Critical (SC) PC for new capacity coupled with pollution-control technology, and 300 MW Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) as a supplement

A family of DNA repeats in Aspergillus nidulans has assimilated degenerated retrotransposons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, M.L.; Hermansen, T.D.; Aleksenko, Alexei Y.

2001-01-01

In the course of a chromosomal walk towards the centromere of chromosome IV of Aspergillus nidulans, several cross- hybridizing genomic cosmid clones were isolated. Restriction mapping of two such clones revealed that their restriction patterns were similar in a region of at least 15 kb, indicati......) phenomenon, first described in Neurospora crassa, may have operated in A. nidulans. The data indicate that this family of repeats has assimilated mobile elements that subsequently degenerated but then underwent further duplications as a part of the host repeats....... the presence of a large repeat. The nature of the repeat was further investigated by sequencing and Southern analysis. The study revealed a family of long dispersed repeats with a high degree of sequence similarity. The number and location of the repeats vary between wild isolates. Two copies of the repeat...

Research in Early Childhood Music and Movement Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Stellaccio, Cherie K.; McCarthy, Marie

Because intuitive aptitude for music stabilizes at about age 9 years, the early childhood years are critical to the development of children's potential for comprehending and producing music. This literature review centers on studies that have expanded knowledge of how young children perform, perceive, and create music and thus develop their…

Repeated radiation injuries by fission products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasilenko, I.Ya.

1986-01-01

Attention is given to repeated radiation injuries during internal irradiation of theoretical and practical interest, particularly in case of the intake into organism of young products of nuclear fission (PNF). The results of experiments with dogs with repeated radioactive iodine injury the isotopes of which (131-135sub(I)) constitute a considerable part of PNF activity are discussed. The blood reaction and protein metabolism state have been studied. Observations for dogs have been continued for about 4 years. The doses for thyroid, gastrointestinal tract and liver subjected to the most intensive irradiation consituted in the first series of experiments after the first intake about 3;0.3;0.05 Gy, after the second - 5;0.5;0.08 Gy and in the second series of experiments - 3;0.3;0.05 Gy and 0.6;0.06;0.01 Gy, respectively. Hematologic factors,thyroid function, changes in exchange and immunologic reactivity have been studied. The dogs have been under observation for 5 years. It is shown in case of repeated intake of Isup(131) PNF into animals organism in quantity which does not cause during the acute period a clinically outlined sickness, substantial differences in the organism reaction as compared with the first intake of radionuclides have not been found. The presence of residual radiation injuries did not cause charging action during the acute period during PNF and repeated intake which in the author's opinion testifies to perfection of compensator mechanisms in case of intake of such quantities of radioactive products. At the remote periods blastomogenic action manifested which is estimated as a result of general biological action of radionuclides administered to the organism. The necessity in subsequent investigations for obtaining the data on organism reactivity, clinic and pathogenesis with the aim of prophylaxis and treatment of such injuries is indicated

Design and analysis of communication protocols for quantum repeater networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, Cody; Kim, Danny; Rakher, Matthew T; Ladd, Thaddeus D; Kwiat, Paul G

2016-01-01

We analyze how the performance of a quantum-repeater network depends on the protocol employed to distribute entanglement, and we find that the choice of repeater-to-repeater link protocol has a profound impact on entanglement-distribution rate as a function of hardware parameters. We develop numerical simulations of quantum networks using different protocols, where the repeater hardware is modeled in terms of key performance parameters, such as photon generation rate and collection efficiency. These parameters are motivated by recent experimental demonstrations in quantum dots, trapped ions, and nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond. We find that a quantum-dot repeater with the newest protocol (‘MidpointSource’) delivers the highest entanglement-distribution rate for typical cases where there is low probability of establishing entanglement per transmission, and in some cases the rate is orders of magnitude higher than other schemes. Our simulation tools can be used to evaluate communication protocols as part of designing a large-scale quantum network. (paper)

Repeated morphine treatment influences operant and spatial learning differentially

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Mei-Na WANG; Zhi-Fang DONG; Jun CAO; Lin XU

2006-01-01

Objective To investigate whether repeated morphine exposure or prolonged withdrawal could influence operant and spatial learning differentially. Methods Animals were chronically treated with morphine or subjected to morphine withdrawal. Then, they were subjected to two kinds of learning: operant conditioning and spatial learning.Results The acquisition of both simple appetitive and cued operant learning was impaired after repeated morphine treatment. Withdrawal for 5 weeks alleviated the impairments. Single morphine exposure disrupted the retrieval of operant memory but had no effect on rats after 5-week withdrawal. Contrarily, neither chronic morphine exposure nor 5-week withdrawal influenced spatial learning task of the Morris water maze. Nevertheless, the retrieval of spatial memory was impaired by repeated morphine exposure but not by 5-week withdrawal. Conclusion These observations suggest that repeated morphine exposure can influence different types of learning at different aspects, implicating that the formation of opiate addiction may usurp memory mechanisms differentially.

The case for applying an early-lifecycle technology evaluation methodology to comparative evaluation of requirements engineering research

Science.gov (United States)

Feather, Martin S.

2003-01-01

The premise of this paper is taht there is a useful analogy between evaluation of proposed problem solutions and evaluation of requirements engineering research itself. Both of these application areas face the challenges of evaluation early in the lifecycle, of the need to consider a wide variety of factors, and of the need to combine inputs from multiple stakeholders in making thse evaluation and subsequent decisions.

Vital signs: Repeat births among teens - United States, 2007-2010.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-05

Teen childbearing has potential negative health, economic, and social consequences for mother and child. Repeat teen childbearing further constrains the mother's education and employment possibilities. Rates of preterm and low birth weight are higher in teens with a repeat birth, compared with first births. To assess patterns of repeat childbearing and postpartum contraceptive use among teens, CDC analyzed natality data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) and the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) from 2007-2010. Based on 2010 NVSS data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, of more than 367,000 births to teens aged 15-19 years, 18.3% were repeat births. The percentage of teen births that represented repeat births decreased by 6.2% between 2007 and 2010. Disparities in repeat teen births exist by race/ethnicity, with the highest percentages found among American Indian/Alaska Natives (21.6%), Hispanics (20.9%), and non-Hispanic blacks (20.4%) and lowest among non-Hispanic whites (14.8%). Wide geographic disparities in the percentage of teen births that were repeat births also exist, ranging from 22% in Texas to 10% in New Hampshire. PRAMS data from 16 reporting areas (15 states and New York City) indicate that 91.2% of teen mothers used a contraceptive method 2-6 months after giving birth, but only 22.4% of teen mothers used the most effective methods. Teens with a previous live birth were significantly more likely to use the most effective methods postpartum compared with those with no prior live birth (29.6% versus 20.9%, respectively). Non-Hispanic white and Hispanic teens were significantly more likely to use the most effective methods than non-Hispanic black teens (24.6% and 27.9% versus 14.3%, respectively). The percentage of teens reporting postpartum use of the most effective methods varied greatly geographically across the PRAMS reporting areas, ranging from 50.3% in Colorado to 7.2% in New York State. Although the

t2prhd: a tool to study the patterns of repeat evolution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pénzes Zsolt

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The models developed to characterize the evolution of multigene families (such as the birth-and-death and the concerted models have also been applied on the level of sequence repeats inside a gene/protein. Phylogenetic reconstruction is the method of choice to study the evolution of gene families and also sequence repeats in the light of these models. The characterization of the gene family evolution in view of the evolutionary models is done by the evaluation of the clustering of the sequences with the originating loci in mind. As the locus represents positional information, it is straightforward that in the case of the repeats the exact position in the sequence should be used, as the simple numbering according to repeat order can be misleading. Results We have developed a novel rapid visual approach to study repeat evolution, that takes into account the exact repeat position in a sequence. The "pairwise repeat homology diagram" visualizes sequence repeats detected by a profile HMM in a pair of sequences and highlights their homology relations inferred by a phylogenetic tree. The method is implemented in a Perl script (t2prhd available for downloading at http://t2prhd.sourceforge.net and is also accessible as an online tool at http://t2prhd.brc.hu. The power of the method is demonstrated on the EGF-like and fibronectin-III-like (Fn-III domain repeats of three selected mammalian Tenascin sequences. Conclusion Although pairwise repeat homology diagrams do not carry all the information provided by the phylogenetic tree, they allow a rapid and intuitive assessment of repeat evolution. We believe, that t2prhd is a helpful tool with which to study the pattern of repeat evolution. This method can be particularly useful in cases of large datasets (such as large gene families, as the command line interface makes it possible to automate the generation of pairwise repeat homology diagrams with the aid of scripts.

Learning With Repeated-Game Strategies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christos A. Ioannou

2014-07-01

Full Text Available We use the self-tuning Experience Weighted Attraction model with repeated-game strategies as a computer testbed to examine the relative frequency, speed of convergence and progression of a set of repeated-game strategies in four symmetric 2x2 games: Prisoner's Dilemma, Battle of the Sexes, Stag-Hunt, and Chicken. In the Prisoner's Dilemma game, we fi□nd that the strategy with the most occurrences is the Grim-Trigger. In the Battle of the Sexes game, a cooperative pair that alternates between the two pure-strategy Nash equilibria emerges as the one with the most occurrences. In the Stag-Hunt and Chicken games, the Win-Stay, Lose-Shift and Grim-Trigger strategies are the ones with the most occurrences. Overall, the pairs that converged quickly ended up at the cooperative outcomes, whereas the ones that were extremely slow to reach convergence ended up at non-cooperative outcomes.

Gene conversion homogenizes the CMT1A paralogous repeats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hurles Matthew E

2001-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Non-allelic homologous recombination between paralogous repeats is increasingly being recognized as a major mechanism causing both pathogenic microdeletions and duplications, and structural polymorphism in the human genome. It has recently been shown empirically that gene conversion can homogenize such repeats, resulting in longer stretches of absolute identity that may increase the rate of non-allelic homologous recombination. Results Here, a statistical test to detect gene conversion between pairs of non-coding sequences is presented. It is shown that the 24 kb Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 1A paralogous repeats (CMT1A-REPs exhibit the imprint of gene conversion processes whilst control orthologous sequences do not. In addition, Monte Carlo simulations of the evolutionary divergence of the CMT1A-REPs, incorporating two alternative models for gene conversion, generate repeats that are statistically indistinguishable from the observed repeats. Bounds are placed on the rate of these conversion processes, with central values of 1.3 × 10-4 and 5.1 × 10-5 per generation for the alternative models. Conclusions This evidence presented here suggests that gene conversion may have played an important role in the evolution of the CMT1A-REP paralogous repeats. The rates of these processes are such that it is probable that homogenized CMT1A-REPs are polymorphic within modern populations. Gene conversion processes are similarly likely to play an important role in the evolution of other segmental duplications and may influence the rate of non-allelic homologous recombination between them.

Regulation of the transient receptor potential channel TRPA1 by its N-terminal ankyrin repeat domain

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Zayats, Vasilina; Samad, Abdul; Minofar, Babak; Roelofs, K. E.; Stockner, T.; Ettrich, Rüdiger

2012-01-01

Roč. 19, č. 11 (2012), s. 4689-4700 ISSN 1610-2940 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP207/10/1934 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60870520 Keywords : ankyrin repeat * EF-hand * familial episodic pain syndrom * TRPA1 Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry Impact factor: 1.984, year: 2012

Clinical validation of an epigenetic assay to predict negative histopathological results in repeat prostate biopsies.

Science.gov (United States)

Partin, Alan W; Van Neste, Leander; Klein, Eric A; Marks, Leonard S; Gee, Jason R; Troyer, Dean A; Rieger-Christ, Kimberly; Jones, J Stephen; Magi-Galluzzi, Cristina; Mangold, Leslie A; Trock, Bruce J; Lance, Raymond S; Bigley, Joseph W; Van Criekinge, Wim; Epstein, Jonathan I

2014-10-01

The DOCUMENT multicenter trial in the United States validated the performance of an epigenetic test as an independent predictor of prostate cancer risk to guide decision making for repeat biopsy. Confirming an increased negative predictive value could help avoid unnecessary repeat biopsies. We evaluated the archived, cancer negative prostate biopsy core tissue samples of 350 subjects from a total of 5 urological centers in the United States. All subjects underwent repeat biopsy within 24 months with a negative (controls) or positive (cases) histopathological result. Centralized blinded pathology evaluation of the 2 biopsy series was performed in all available subjects from each site. Biopsies were epigenetically profiled for GSTP1, APC and RASSF1 relative to the ACTB reference gene using quantitative methylation specific polymerase chain reaction. Predetermined analytical marker cutoffs were used to determine assay performance. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate all risk factors. The epigenetic assay resulted in a negative predictive value of 88% (95% CI 85-91). In multivariate models correcting for age, prostate specific antigen, digital rectal examination, first biopsy histopathological characteristics and race the test proved to be the most significant independent predictor of patient outcome (OR 2.69, 95% CI 1.60-4.51). The DOCUMENT study validated that the epigenetic assay was a significant, independent predictor of prostate cancer detection in a repeat biopsy collected an average of 13 months after an initial negative result. Due to its 88% negative predictive value adding this epigenetic assay to other known risk factors may help decrease unnecessary repeat prostate biopsies. Copyright © 2014 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Flanking Variation Influences Rates of Stutter in Simple Repeats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

August E. Woerner

2017-11-01

Full Text Available It has been posited that the longest uninterrupted stretch (LUS of tandem repeats, as defined by the number of exactly matching repeating motif units, is a better predictor of rates of stutter than the parental allele length (PAL. While there are cases where this hypothesis is likely correct, such as the 9.3 allele in the TH01 locus, there can be situations where it may not apply as well. For example, the PAL may capture flanking indel variations while remaining insensitive to polymorphisms in the repeat, and these haplotypic changes may impact the stutter rate. To address this, rates of stutter were contrasted against the LUS as well as the PAL on different flanking haplotypic backgrounds. This study shows that rates of stutter can vary substantially depending on the flanking haplotype, and while there are cases where the LUS is a better predictor of stutter than the PAL, examples to the contrary are apparent in commonly assayed forensic markers. Further, flanking variation that is 7 bp from the repeat region can impact rates of stutter. These findings suggest that non-proximal effects, such as DNA secondary structure, may be impacting the rates of stutter in common forensic short tandem repeat markers.

A COMPARISON OF PAIRS FIGURE SKATERS IN REPEATED JUMPS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William A. Sands

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Trends in pairs figure skating have shown that increasingly difficult jumps have become an essential aspect of high-level performance, especially in the latter part of a competitive program. We compared a repeated jump power index in a 60 s repeated jump test to determine the relationship of repeated jump test to competitive rank and to measure 2D hip, knee, and ankle angles and angular velocities at 0, 20, 40, and 60 s. Eighteen National Team Pairs Figure Skaters performed a 60 s repeated jump test on a large switch-mat with timing of flight and ground durations and digital video recording. Each 60-s period was divided into 6, 10-s intervals, with power indexes (W/kg calculated for each 10-s interval. Power index by 10-s interval repeated measures ANOVAs (RMANOVA showed that males exceeded females at all intervals, and the highest power index interval was during 10 to 20 s for both sexes. RMANOVAs of angles and angular velocities showed main effects for time only. Power index and jumping techniques among figure skaters showed rapid and steady declines over the test duration. Power index can predict approximately 50% of competitive rank variance, and sex differences in jumping technique were rare

Characteristics of intergenerational contractions of the CTG repeat in myotonic dystropy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ashizawa, T.; Anvret, M.; Grandell, U.; Baiget, M.; Cobo, A.M.; Barcelo, J.M.; Korneluk, R.G.; Dallapiccola, B.; Novelli, G.; Fenwick, R.G. Jr. (and others)

1994-03-01

In myotonic dystropy (DM), the size of a CTG repeat in the DM kinase gene generally increases in successive generations with clinical evidence of anticipation. However, there have also been cases with an intergenerational contraction of the repeat. The authors have examined 1,489 DM parent-offspring pairs, of which 95 (6.4%) showed such contractions in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL). In 56 of th 95 pairs, clinical data allowed an analysis of their anticipation status. It is surprising that anticipation occurred in 27 (48%) of these 56 pairs, while none clearly showed a later onset of DM in the asymptomatic offspring. The contraction occurred in 76 (10%) of 753 paternal transmission and in 19 (3%) of 736 maternal transmissions. Anticipation was observed more frequently in maternal (85%) than in paternal (37%) transmissions (P<.001). The parental repeat size correlated with the size of intergenerational contraction (r[sup 2] = .50, P [much lt].001), and the slope of linear regression was steeper in paternal ([minus].62) than in maternal ([minus].30) transmissions (P [much lt].001). Sixteen DM parents had multiple DM offspring with the CTG repeat contractions. This frequency was higher than the frequency expected from the probability of the repeat contractions (6.4%) and the size of DM sib population (1.54 DM offspring per DM parent, in 968 DM parents). The authors conclude that (1) intergenerational contraction of the CTG repeat in leukocyte DNA frequently accompanies apparent anticipation, especially when DM is maternally transmitted, and (2) the paternal origin of the repeat and the presence of the repeat contraction in a sibling increase the probability of the CTG repeat contraction. 43 refs., 1 fig., 4 tabs.

Gene expression profiles of the small intestinal mucosa of dogs repeatedly infected with the cestode Echinococcus multilocularis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hirokazu Kouguchi

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The data set presented in this article is related to a previous research article entitled “ The timing of worm exclusion in dogs repeatedly infected with the cestode Echinococcus multilocularis” (Kouguchi et al., 2016 [1]. This article describes the genes >2-fold up- or down-regulated in the first- and repeated-infection groups compared to the healthy controls group. The gene expression profiles were generated using the Agilent-021193 Canine (V2 Gene Expression Microarray (GPL15379. The raw and normalized microarray data have been deposited with the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO database under accession number GSE105098. Keywords: E. multilocularis, Microarray, Dog, Echinococcosis, Vaccine

Early career researchers and PhD students from the social sciences use of Social Networking Sites (SNS) for science communication: an affordances approach

OpenAIRE

Manco Vega, Alejandra

2017-01-01

This research aims to understand the different practices and strategies early career researchers and PhD students from the social sciences have in Social Networking Sites (SNSs) for science communication in one particular country: Brazil. Following this purpose, the central research question is which are the motives and rationale of the researchers for using social networking sites for science communication. Two sub-questions arise from this general research question: How do practices and str...

Huntingtin gene repeat size variations affect risk of lifetime depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Gardiner, Sarah L; van Belzen, Martine J; Boogaard, Merel W; van Roon-Mom, Willeke M C; Rozing, Maarten P; van Hemert, Albert M; Smit, Johannes H; Beekman, Aartjan T F; van Grootheest, Gerard; Schoevers, Robert A; Oude Voshaar, Richard C; Roos, Raymund A C; Comijs, Hannie C; Penninx, Brenda W J H; van der Mast, Roos C; Aziz, N Ahmad

2017-12-11

Huntington disease (HD) is a severe neuropsychiatric disorder caused by a cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeat expansion in the HTT gene. Although HD is frequently complicated by depression, it is still unknown to what extent common HTT CAG repeat size variations in the normal range could affect depression risk in the general population. Using binary logistic regression, we assessed the association between HTT CAG repeat size and depression risk in two well-characterized Dutch cohorts─the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety and the Netherlands Study of Depression in Older Persons─including 2165 depressed and 1058 non-depressed persons. In both cohorts, separately as well as combined, there was a significant non-linear association between the risk of lifetime depression and HTT CAG repeat size in which both relatively short and relatively large alleles were associated with an increased risk of depression (β = -0.292 and β = 0.006 for the linear and the quadratic term, respectively; both P < 0.01 after adjustment for the effects of sex, age, and education level). The odds of lifetime depression were lowest in persons with a HTT CAG repeat size of 21 (odds ratio: 0.71, 95% confidence interval: 0.52 to 0.98) compared to the average odds in the total cohort. In conclusion, lifetime depression risk was higher with both relatively short and relatively large HTT CAG repeat sizes in the normal range. Our study provides important proof-of-principle that repeat polymorphisms can act as hitherto unappreciated but complex genetic modifiers of depression.

Towards accurate de novo assembly for genomes with repeats

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bucur, Doina

2017-01-01

De novo genome assemblers designed for short k-mer length or using short raw reads are unlikely to recover complex features of the underlying genome, such as repeats hundreds of bases long. We implement a stochastic machine-learning method which obtains accurate assemblies with repeats and

How Prepared Are MSW Graduates for Doctoral Research? Views of PhD Research Faculty

Science.gov (United States)

Drisko, James W.; Evans, Kristin

2018-01-01

This national survey of PhD faculty assessed the research preparation of entering doctoral social work students on a wide range of research knowledge and related skills. The prior literature shows that PhD programs repeat much BSW and MSW research course content. This study shows that the trend continues and has perhaps widened. PhD research…

The Digitization of Early English Books: A Database Comparison of Internet Archive and Early English Books Online

Science.gov (United States)

Brightenburg, Cindy

2016-01-01

The use of digital books is diverse, ranging from casual reading to in-depth primary source research. Digitization of early English printed books in particular, has provided greater access to a previously limited resource for academic faculty and researchers. Internet Archive, a free, internet website and Early English Books Online, a subscription…

Early Detection of Sporadic Pancreatic Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Kenner, Barbara J.; Chari, Suresh T.; Cleeter, Deborah F.; Go, Vay Liang W.

2015-01-01

Abstract Innovation leading to significant advances in research and subsequent translation to clinical practice is urgently necessary in early detection of sporadic pancreatic cancer. Addressing this need, the Early Detection of Sporadic Pancreatic Cancer Summit Conference was conducted by Kenner Family Research Fund in conjunction with the 2014 American Pancreatic Association and Japan Pancreas Society Meeting. International interdisciplinary scientific representatives engaged in strategic facilitated conversations based on distinct areas of inquiry: Case for Early Detection: Definitions, Detection, Survival, and Challenges; Biomarkers for Early Detection; Imaging; and Collaborative Studies. Ideas generated from the summit have led to the development of a Strategic Map for Innovation built upon 3 components: formation of an international collaborative effort, design of an actionable strategic plan, and implementation of operational standards, research priorities, and first-phase initiatives. Through invested and committed efforts of leading researchers and institutions, philanthropic partners, government agencies, and supportive business entities, this endeavor will change the future of the field and consequently the survival rate of those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. PMID:25938853

Sustaining the Benefits of Early Childhood Education Experiences: A Research Overview

Science.gov (United States)

Gomez, Rebecca E.

2016-01-01

Over the past decade, there has been increased recognition of the short- and long-term benefits of high-quality early childhood education programs, but the systems needed to sustain these benefits throughout early learning transitions (and beyond) have not yet been fully implemented. In this article, the author discusses the importance of early…

The effect of emotional design and online customer review on customer repeat purchase intention in online stores

Science.gov (United States)

Dewi, D. S.; Sudiarno, A.; Saputra, H.; Dewi, R. S.

2018-04-01

The internet users in Indonesia has increased rapidly over the last decade. A survey conducted by Association of Internet Service Providers Indonesia shows that the internet users has reached 34.9% of total population in Indonesia. The increase of internet users has led to a shift in trading practice from conventional trade to online trade. It is predicted in the next years the number of online consumers in Indonesia will continue to increase, provide many opportunity for online business. The huge number of internet users is not necesarily followed by the high number of e-purchase. It is therefore become the interest of many researchers to investigate factors that influence the decision on online purchasing.This research proposes a model that assess the effect of emotional design and customer review to customer intention on e-repeat purchase. Online questionnaire is designed and is distributed randomly through google forms. There are 187 respondent filled the questionnaire from which only 162 respondents actually have experience in online purchase. These data are then processed by using statistical analysis. A model is developed by applying structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. This study revealed that customer reviews especially objective reviews has a significant effect toward repeat purchase. Whereas emotional design particularly visual attractiveness also shows a significant effect toward e-repeat purchase.

Selection pressure on human STR loci and its relevance in repeat expansion disease

KAUST Repository

Shimada, Makoto K.; Sanbonmatsu, Ryoko; Yamaguchi-Kabata, Yumi; Yamasaki, Chisato; Suzuki, Yoshiyuki; Chakraborty, Ranajit; Gojobori, Takashi; Imanishi, Tadashi

2016-01-01

Short Tandem Repeats (STRs) comprise repeats of one to several base pairs. Because of the high mutability due to strand slippage during DNA synthesis, rapid evolutionary change in the number of repeating units directly shapes the range of repeat

WE-H-207A-04: Impact of Lesion Location On the Repeatability of 18F-NaF PET/CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, C; Perk, T; Harmon, S; Perlman, S; Liu, G; Jeraj, R [University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Quantifying the repeatability of imaging biomarkers is critical for assessing therapeutic response. While {sup 18}F-NaF PET/CT has shown to be a repeatable imaging method, research has not shown which factors may influence its repeatability. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the location of the lesion impacts the repeatability of quantitative {sup 18}F-NaF PET-derived SUV metrics. Methods: Metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer patients with multiple bone lesions received whole-body test-retest NaF PET/CT scans. Malignant bone lesions of PET-defined volume greater than 1.5 cm{sup 3} were identified by a nuclear medicine physician and automatically delineated using a SUV>15 threshold. The maximum (SUVmax), average (SUVmean), and total (SUVtotal) SUV were extracted from each lesion. Atlas-based segmentation was used to divide each patient skeleton into 25 skeletal regions. Test-retest repeatability of each SUV metric was assessed with coefficient of variation (CV). Results: A total of 265 malignant bone lesions from 18 patients were identified by nuclear medicine physician. The largest proportion of bone lesions were localized to the spine (41%), with 41% of those lesions localized to the thoracic spine. One-way ANOVA showed that measurement differences differed significantly for all three metrics across locations (p<0.01 for each metrics). Overall, CV was smallest for SUVmean at 5.3%, followed by SUVmax at 11.5% and SUVtotal at 20.4%. Lesions in the pubis were consistently the most repeatable (CV(SUVmax)= 5.6%, CV(SUVmean)= 0.6%, CV(SUVtotal)= 2.9%). According to SUVmean, repeatability was poorest in the cervical spine (CV = 6.2%), whereas according to SUVmax and SUVtotal, repeatability was poorest in the ribs (CV(SUVmax)= 15.0%, CV(SUVtotal)= 29.8%). Conclusion: Location of the lesion affects the repeatability of {sup 18}F-NaF PET/CT, with the ribs and cervical spine having the lowest repeatability and the pubis having the highest

Relationship between quantum repeating devices and quantum seals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Guangping

2009-01-01

It is revealed that quantum repeating devices and quantum seals have a very close relationship, thus the theory in one field can be applied to the other. Consequently, it is shown that the fidelity bounds and optimality of quantum repeating devices for decoding quantum information can be violated when they are used for decoding classical information from quantum states and the security bounds for protocols sealing quantum data exist.

A study on radiographic repeat rate data of several hospitals in Jeddah

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Malki, M.A.; Abulfaraj, W.H.; Bhuiyan, S.I.; Kinsara, A.A.

2003-01-01

Radiographic repeat rate data in diagnostic radiology in King Fahad Hospital (KFH), King Abdulaziz Hospital (KAH), and Maternity and Children Hospital (MCH) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, have been studied. The study provided valuable information to suggest preventive measures to reduce repeats. The variables included in the study are exposure techniques, examination types, total number of films used, number of films repeated, the film sizes, gender, the age groups of the patients, and reason for repetition. The total number of examinations in all three hospitals is 6001 using 8887 films on 5412 patients. The average repeat rate was 7.93%, where the individual hospital repeat rates were 9.57% in the MCH, 7.84% in KAH and 7.44% in KFH. The repeat rate for children and infants was found to be undesirable. The quality assurance (QA) programme can effectively reduce the unnecessary exposure and can identify the cause of the exposure. The overexposure, underexposure and position fault were the foremost contributors for repeats and constitute 32.91%, 28.94% and 22.98% of the total respectively. The QA study identified that human error and equipment malfunction are the major contributors to these causes of repeats. The highest repetition rate was for pelvis, 13.64%, followed by skull, 11.59%, and abdomen, 10.41%. It is estimated that the total area of wasted film in all three hospitals is 74.3 m 2 . As per the average repeat rate, the cost of repeat films in the entire kingdom per year has been projected to be about US$1.82 million (SR 6.83 million) in the government hospitals only. Based on the findings of this study a set of recommendations have been prescribed for the radiology department to reduce the repeat rate and to improve the safety culture. (author)

A study on radiographic repeat rate data of several hospitals in Jeddah

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Al-Malki, M.A.; Abulfaraj, W.H.; Bhuiyan, S.I.; Kinsara, A.A

2003-07-01

Radiographic repeat rate data in diagnostic radiology in King Fahad Hospital (KFH), King Abdulaziz Hospital (KAH), and Maternity and Children Hospital (MCH) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, have been studied. The study provided valuable information to suggest preventive measures to reduce repeats. The variables included in the study are exposure techniques, examination types, total number of films used, number of films repeated, the film sizes, gender, the age groups of the patients, and reason for repetition. The total number of examinations in all three hospitals is 6001 using 8887 films on 5412 patients. The average repeat rate was 7.93%, where the individual hospital repeat rates were 9.57% in the MCH, 7.84% in KAH and 7.44% in KFH. The repeat rate for children and infants was found to be undesirable. The quality assurance (QA) programme can effectively reduce the unnecessary exposure and can identify the cause of the exposure. The overexposure, underexposure and position fault were the foremost contributors for repeats and constitute 32.91%, 28.94% and 22.98% of the total respectively. The QA study identified that human error and equipment malfunction are the major contributors to these causes of repeats. The highest repetition rate was for pelvis, 13.64%, followed by skull, 11.59%, and abdomen, 10.41%. It is estimated that the total area of wasted film in all three hospitals is 74.3 m{sup 2}. As per the average repeat rate, the cost of repeat films in the entire kingdom per year has been projected to be about US$1.82 million (SR 6.83 million) in the government hospitals only. Based on the findings of this study a set of recommendations have been prescribed for the radiology department to reduce the repeat rate and to improve the safety culture. (author)

Developmental Process and Early Phases of Implementation for the US Interagency Committee on Human Nutrition Research National Nutrition Research Roadmap 2016-2021.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleischhacker, Sheila E; Ballard, Rachel M; Starke-Reed, Pamela E; Galuska, Deborah A; Neuhouser, Marian L

2017-10-01

The Interagency Committee on Human Nutrition Research (ICHNR) is charged with improving the planning, coordination, and communication among federal agencies engaged in nutrition research and with facilitating the development and updating of plans for federal research programs to meet current and future domestic and international needs for nutrition. The ICHNR is co-chaired by the USDA Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics and Chief Scientist and the US Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Health and is made up of >10 departments and agencies. Once the ICHNR was reassembled after a 10-y hiatus, the ICHNR recognized a need for a written roadmap to identify critical human nutrition research gaps and opportunities. This commentary provides an overview of the process the ICHNR undertook to develop a first-of-its-kind National Nutrition Research Roadmap, which was publicly released on 4 March 2016. The primary audience for the Roadmap is federal science agency leaders, along with relevant program and policy staff who rely on federally supported human nutrition research, in addition to the broader scientific community. The Roadmap is framed around the following 3 questions: 1 ) How can we better understand and define eating patterns to improve and sustain health? 2 ) What can be done to help people choose healthy eating patterns? 3 ) How can we develop and engage innovative methods and systems to accelerate discoveries in human nutrition? Within these 3 questions, 11 topical areas were identified on the basis of the following criteria: population impact, feasibility given current technological capacities, and emerging scientific opportunities. This commentary highlights initial federal and some professional research society efforts to address the Roadmap's research and resource priorities. We conclude by noting examples of early collaborations and partnerships to move human nutrition research forward in the 21st century. © 2017

Who I Am: The Meaning of Early Adolescents' Most Valued Activities and Relationships, and Implications for Self-Concept Research

Science.gov (United States)

Tatlow-Golden, Mimi; Guerin, Suzanne

2017-01-01

Self-concept research in early adolescence typically measures young people's self-perceptions of competence in specific, adult-defined domains. However, studies have rarely explored young people's own views of valued self-concept factors and their meanings. For two major self domains, the active and the social self, this mixed-methods study…

Amyloid formation and disaggregation of α-synuclein and its tandem repeat (α-TR)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bae, Song Yi; Kim, Seulgi; Hwang, Heejin; Kim, Hyun-Kyung; Yoon, Hyun C.; Kim, Jae Ho; Lee, SangYoon; Kim, T. Doohun

2010-01-01

Research highlights: → Formation of the α-synuclein amyloid fibrils by [BIMbF 3 Im]. → Disaggregation of amyloid fibrils by epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and baicalein. → Amyloid formation of α-synuclein tandem repeat (α-TR). -- Abstract: The aggregation of α-synuclein is clearly related to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. Therefore, detailed understanding of the mechanism of fibril formation is highly valuable for the development of clinical treatment and also of the diagnostic tools. Here, we have investigated the interaction of α-synuclein with ionic liquids by using several biochemical techniques including Thioflavin T assays and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Our data shows a rapid formation of α-synuclein amyloid fibrils was stimulated by 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide [BIMbF 3 Im], and these fibrils could be disaggregated by polyphenols such as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and baicalein. Furthermore, the effect of [BIMbF 3 Im] on the α-synuclein tandem repeat (α-TR) in the aggregation process was studied.

Mechanism of Repeat-Associated MicroRNAs in Fragile X Syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karen Kelley

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The majority of the human genome is comprised of non-coding DNA, which frequently contains redundant microsatellite-like trinucleotide repeats. Many of these trinucleotide repeats are involved in triplet repeat expansion diseases (TREDs such as fragile X syndrome (FXS. After transcription, the trinucleotide repeats can fold into RNA hairpins and are further processed by Dicer endoribonuclases to form microRNA (miRNA-like molecules that are capable of triggering targeted gene-silencing effects in the TREDs. However, the function of these repeat-associated miRNAs (ramRNAs is unclear. To solve this question, we identified the first native ramRNA in FXS and successfully developed a transgenic zebrafish model for studying its function. Our studies showed that ramRNA-induced DNA methylation of the FMR1 5′-UTR CGG trinucleotide repeat expansion is responsible for both pathological and neurocognitive characteristics linked to the transcriptional FMR1 gene inactivation and the deficiency of its protein product FMRP. FMRP deficiency often causes synapse deformity in the neurons essential for cognition and memory activities, while FMR1 inactivation augments metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR-activated long-term depression (LTD, leading to abnormal neuronal responses in FXS. Using this novel animal model, we may further dissect the etiological mechanisms of TREDs, with the hope of providing insights into new means for therapeutic intervention.

Kinematic repeatability of a multi-segment foot model for dance.

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Sarah L; Sato, Nahoko; Hopper, Luke S

2018-03-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the intra and inter-assessor repeatability of a modified Rizzoli Foot Model for analysing the foot kinematics of ballet dancers. Six university-level ballet dancers performed the movements; parallel stance, turnout plié, turnout stance, turnout rise and flex-point-flex. The three-dimensional (3D) position of individual reflective markers and marker triads was used to model the movement of the dancers' tibia, entire foot, hindfoot, midfoot, forefoot and hallux. Intra and inter-assessor reliability demonstrated excellent (ICC ≥ 0.75) repeatability for the first metatarsophalangeal joint in the sagittal plane. Intra-assessor reliability demonstrated excellent (ICC ≥ 0.75) repeatability during flex-point-flex across all inter-segmental angles except for the tibia-hindfoot and hindfoot-midfoot frontal planes. Inter-assessor repeatability ranged from poor to excellent (0.5 > ICC ≥ 0.75) for the 3D segment rotations. The most repeatable measure was the tibia-foot dorsiflexion/plantar flexion articulation whereas the least repeatable measure was the hindfoot-midfoot adduction/abduction articulation. The variation found in the inter-assessor results is likely due to inconsistencies in marker placement. This 3D dance specific multi-segment foot model provides insight into which kinematic measures can be reliably used to ascertain in vivo technical errors and/or biomechanical abnormalities in a dancer's foot motion.

Artful Dodgers: An Arts Education Research Project in Early Education Settings

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, Nóirín; Maguire, Jackie; Corcoran, Lucie; O'Sullivan, Carmel

2017-01-01

Artful Dodgers is an arts education project developed by two artists and delivered in two early years settings located in two areas of urban disadvantage. It is a music and visual arts programme designed and implemented with early years teachers of children aged 3-5 years. It explored whether the provision of high-quality arts experiences could…

Automated detection of repeated structures in building facades

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Previtali

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Automatic identification of high-level repeated structures in 3D point clouds of building façades is crucial for applications like digitalization and building modelling. Indeed, in many architectural styles building façades are governed by arrangements of objects into repeated patterns. In particular, façades are generally designed as the repetition of some few basic objects organized into interlaced and\\or concatenated grid structures. Starting from this key observation, this paper presents an algorithm for Repeated Structure Detection (RSD in 3D point clouds of building façades. The presented methodology consists of three main phases. First, in the point cloud segmentation stage (i the building façade is decomposed into planar patches which are classified by means of some weak prior knowledge of urban buildings formulated in a classification tree. Secondly (ii, in the element clustering phase detected patches are grouped together by means of a similarity function and pairwise transformations between patches are computed. Eventually (iii, in the structure regularity estimation step the parameters of repeated grid patterns are calculated by using a Least- Squares optimization. Workability of the presented approach is tested using some real data from urban scenes.

The Role of Repeated Exposure to Multimodal Input in Incidental Acquisition of Foreign Language Vocabulary.

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Bisson, Marie-Josée; van Heuven, Walter J B; Conklin, Kathy; Tunney, Richard J

2014-12-01

Prior research has reported incidental vocabulary acquisition with complete beginners in a foreign language (FL), within 8 exposures to auditory and written FL word forms presented with a picture depicting their meaning. However, important questions remain about whether acquisition occurs with fewer exposures to FL words in a multimodal situation and whether there is a repeated exposure effect. Here we report a study where the number of exposures to FL words in an incidental learning phase varied between 2, 4, 6, and 8 exposures. Following the incidental learning phase, participants completed an explicit learning task where they learned to recognize written translation equivalents of auditory FL word forms, half of which had occurred in the incidental learning phase. The results showed that participants performed better on the words they had previously been exposed to, and that this incidental learning effect occurred from as little as 2 exposures to the multimodal stimuli. In addition, repeated exposure to the stimuli was found to have a larger impact on learning during the first few exposures and decrease thereafter, suggesting that the effects of repeated exposure on vocabulary acquisition are not necessarily constant.

Intraindividual variability of boldness is repeatable across contexts in a wild lizard.

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Laura Highcock

Full Text Available Animals do not behave in exactly the same way when repeatedly tested in the same context or situation, even once systematic variation, such as habituation, has been controlled for. This unpredictability is called intraindividual variability (IIV and has been little studied in animals. Here we investigated how IIV in boldness (estimated by flight initiation distances changed across two seasons--the dry, non-breeding season and the wet, breeding season--in a wild population of the Namibian rock agama, Agama planiceps. We found significant differences in IIV both between individuals and seasons, and IIV was higher in the wet season, suggesting plasticity in IIV. Further, IIV was highly repeatable (r = 0.61 between seasons and we found strong negative correlations between consistent individual differences in flight initiation distances, i.e. their boldness, and individuals' IIVs. We suggest that to understand personality in animals, researchers should generate a personality 'profile' that includes not only the relative level of a trait (i.e. its personality, but also its plasticity and variability under natural conditions.

Local chromatin structure of heterochromatin regulates repeated DNA stability, nucleolus structure, and genome integrity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peng, Jamy C. [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2007-01-01

Heterochromatin constitutes a significant portion of the genome in higher eukaryotes; approximately 30% in Drosophila and human. Heterochromatin contains a high repeat DNA content and a low density of protein-encoding genes. In contrast, euchromatin is composed mostly of unique sequences and contains the majority of single-copy genes. Genetic and cytological studies demonstrated that heterochromatin exhibits regulatory roles in chromosome organization, centromere function and telomere protection. As an epigenetically regulated structure, heterochromatin formation is not defined by any DNA sequence consensus. Heterochromatin is characterized by its association with nucleosomes containing methylated-lysine 9 of histone H3 (H3K9me), heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) that binds H3K9me, and Su(var)3-9, which methylates H3K9 and binds HP1. Heterochromatin formation and functions are influenced by HP1, Su(var)3-9, and the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway. My thesis project investigates how heterochromatin formation and function impact nuclear architecture, repeated DNA organization, and genome stability in Drosophila melanogaster. H3K9me-based chromatin reduces extrachromosomal DNA formation; most likely by restricting the access of repair machineries to repeated DNAs. Reducing extrachromosomal ribosomal DNA stabilizes rDNA repeats and the nucleolus structure. H3K9me-based chromatin also inhibits DNA damage in heterochromatin. Cells with compromised heterochromatin structure, due to Su(var)3-9 or dcr-2 (a component of the RNAi pathway) mutations, display severe DNA damage in heterochromatin compared to wild type. In these mutant cells, accumulated DNA damage leads to chromosomal defects such as translocations, defective DNA repair response, and activation of the G2-M DNA repair and mitotic checkpoints that ensure cellular and animal viability. My thesis research suggests that DNA replication, repair, and recombination mechanisms in heterochromatin differ from those in

Effects of repeated burning on woody vegetation structure and composition in a semi-arid southern African savanna

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gandiwa, E.

2011-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of repeated dry season annual hot fires on woody plants in a semiarid southern African savanna in Zimbabwe. Parts of the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) research fields in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe have been burnt annually in

Early repeated maternal separation induces alterations

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

These findings suggest that the long-term effects of MS on the expression levels of hippocampal reelin mRNA and protein depends on the age at which the stressed rats' brains were collected; reelin had important implications for the maternal-neonate interaction needed for normal brain development. In conclusion ...

Parsimonious Structural Equation Models for Repeated Measures Data, with Application to the Study of Consumer Preferences

Science.gov (United States)

Elrod, Terry; Haubl, Gerald; Tipps, Steven W.

2012-01-01

Recent research reflects a growing awareness of the value of using structural equation models to analyze repeated measures data. However, such data, particularly in the presence of covariates, often lead to models that either fit the data poorly, are exceedingly general and hard to interpret, or are specified in a manner that is highly data…

Highly sensitive detection of individual HEAT and ARM repeats with HHpred and COACH.

Science.gov (United States)

Kippert, Fred; Gerloff, Dietlind L

2009-09-24

HEAT and ARM repeats occur in a large number of eukaryotic proteins. As these repeats are often highly diverged, the prediction of HEAT or ARM domains can be challenging. Except for the most clear-cut cases, identification at the individual repeat level is indispensable, in particular for determining domain boundaries. However, methods using single sequence queries do not have the sensitivity required to deal with more divergent repeats and, when applied to proteins with known structures, in some cases failed to detect a single repeat. Testing algorithms which use multiple sequence alignments as queries, we found two of them, HHpred and COACH, to detect HEAT and ARM repeats with greatly enhanced sensitivity. Calibration against experimentally determined structures suggests the use of three score classes with increasing confidence in the prediction, and prediction thresholds for each method. When we applied a new protocol using both HHpred and COACH to these structures, it detected 82% of HEAT repeats and 90% of ARM repeats, with the minimum for a given protein of 57% for HEAT repeats and 60% for ARM repeats. Application to bona fide HEAT and ARM proteins or domains indicated that similar numbers can be expected for the full complement of HEAT/ARM proteins. A systematic screen of the Protein Data Bank for false positive hits revealed their number to be low, in particular for ARM repeats. Double false positive hits for a given protein were rare for HEAT and not at all observed for ARM repeats. In combination with fold prediction and consistency checking (multiple sequence alignments, secondary structure prediction, and position analysis), repeat prediction with the new HHpred/COACH protocol dramatically improves prediction in the twilight zone of fold prediction methods, as well as the delineation of HEAT/ARM domain boundaries. A protocol is presented for the identification of individual HEAT or ARM repeats which is straightforward to implement. It provides high

Research at Clark in the early '60s and at LLNL in the late '80s

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gatrousis, C.

1993-01-01

Tom Sugihara's scientific leadership over a period of almost four decades covered many areas. His early research at Clark dealt with fission yields measurements and radiochemical separations of fallout species in the marine environment. Tom pioneered many of the methods for detecting soft beta emitters and low levels of radioactivity. Studies of the behavior of radioactivity in the marine ecosystem were important adjuncts to Tom's nuclear science research at Clark University which emphasized investigations of nuclear reaction mechanisms. Among Tom's most important contributions while at Clark was his work with Matsuo and Dudey on the interpretation of isomeric yield ratios and fission studies with Noshkin and Baba. Tom's scientific career oscillated between research and administration. During the latter part of his career his great breadth of interests and his scientific open-quotes tasteclose quotes had a profound influence at LLNL in areas that were new to him, materials science and solid state physics

Perfectionism and negative affect after repeated failure: Anxiety, depression, and anger

OpenAIRE

Stoeber, Joachim; Schneider, Natalia; Hussain, Rimi; Matthews, Kelly

2014-01-01

Perfectionists have shown increased negative affect after failure compared to nonperfectionists. However, little is known about how perfectionists react to repeated failure. This study investigated the effects of two forms of perfectionism--self-oriented perfectionism and socially prescribed perfectionism--on 100 university students’ reactions to repeated failure (versus repeated success) examining three negative emotions: anxiety, depression, and anger. Results showed that socially prescribe...