WorldWideScience

Sample records for role-to-role connectivity profiles

  1. PDGFRα plays a crucial role in connective tissue remodeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horikawa, Shinjiro; Ishii, Yoko; Hamashima, Takeru; Yamamoto, Seiji; Mori, Hisashi; Fujimori, Toshihiko; Shen, Jie; Inoue, Ran; Nishizono, Hirofumi; Itoh, Hiroshi; Majima, Masataka; Abraham, David; Miyawaki, Toshio; Sasahara, Masakiyo

    2015-12-07

    Platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) plays a pivotal role in the remodeling of connective tissues. Emerging data indicate the distinctive role of PDGF receptor-α (PDGFRα) in this process. In the present study, the Pdgfra gene was systemically inactivated in adult mouse (α-KO mouse), and the role of PDGFRα was examined in the subcutaneously implanted sponge matrices. PDGFRα expressed in the fibroblasts of Pdgfra-preserving control mice (Flox mice), was significantly reduced in the sponges in α-KO mice. Neovascularized areas were largely suppressed in the α-KO mice than in the Flox mice, whereas the other parameters related to the blood vessels and endothelial cells were similar. The deposition of collagen and fibronectin and the expression of collagen 1a1 and 3a1 genes were significantly reduced in α-KO mice. There was a significantly decrease in the number and dividing fibroblasts in the α-KO mice, and those of macrophages were similar between the two genotypes. Hepatocyte growth factor (Hgf) gene expression was suppressed in Pdgfra-inactivated fibroblasts and connective tissue. The findings implicate the role of PDGFRα-dependent ECM and HGF production in fibroblasts that promotes the remodeling of connective tissue and suggest that PDGFRα may be a relevant target to regulate connective tissue remodeling.

  2. Non-myogenic Contribution to Muscle Development and Homeostasis: The Role of Connective Tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nassari, Sonya; Duprez, Delphine; Fournier-Thibault, Claire

    2017-01-01

    Skeletal muscles belong to the musculoskeletal system, which is composed of bone, tendon, ligament and irregular connective tissue, and closely associated with motor nerves and blood vessels. The intrinsic molecular signals regulating myogenesis have been extensively investigated. However, muscle development, homeostasis and regeneration require interactions with surrounding tissues and the cellular and molecular aspects of this dialogue have not been completely elucidated. During development and adult life, myogenic cells are closely associated with the different types of connective tissue. Connective tissues are defined as specialized (bone and cartilage), dense regular (tendon and ligament) and dense irregular connective tissue. The role of connective tissue in muscle morphogenesis has been investigated, thanks to the identification of transcription factors that characterize the different types of connective tissues. Here, we review the development of the various connective tissues in the context of the musculoskeletal system and highlight their important role in delivering information necessary for correct muscle morphogenesis, from the early step of myoblast differentiation to the late stage of muscle maturation. Interactions between muscle and connective tissue are also critical in the adult during muscle regeneration, as impairment of the regenerative potential after injury or in neuromuscular diseases results in the progressive replacement of the muscle mass by fibrotic tissue. We conclude that bi-directional communication between muscle and connective tissue is critical for a correct assembly of the musculoskeletal system during development as well as to maintain its homeostasis in the adult.

  3. The role of Long-Range Connectivity for the Characterization of the Functional-Anatomical Organization of the Cortex

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    Thomas R Knösche

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available This review focuses on the role of long-range connectivity as one element of brain structure that is of key importance for the functional-anatomical organization of the cortex. In this context, we discuss the putative guiding principles for mapping brain function and structure onto the cortical surface. Such mappings reveal a high-degree of functional-anatomical segregation. Given that brain regions frequently maintain characteristic connectivity profiles and the functional repertoire of a cortical area is closely related to its anatomical connections, long-range connectivity may be used to define segregated cortical areas. This methodology is called connectivity-based parcellation.Within this framework, we investigate different techniques to estimate connectivity profiles with emphasis given to non-invasive methods based on diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI and diffusion tractography. Cortical parcellation is then defined based on similarity between diffusion tractograms, and different clustering approaches are discussed.We conclude that the use of non-invasively acquired connectivity estimates to characterize the functional-anatomical organization of the brain is a valid, relevant and necessary endeavor. Current and future developments in dMRI technology, tractography algorithms and models of the similarity structure hold great potential for a substantial improvement and enrichment of the results of the technique.

  4. The role of long-range connectivity for the characterization of the functional-anatomical organization of the cortex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knösche, Thomas R; Tittgemeyer, Marc

    2011-01-01

    This review focuses on the role of long-range connectivity as one element of brain structure that is of key importance for the functional-anatomical organization of the cortex. In this context, we discuss the putative guiding principles for mapping brain function and structure onto the cortical surface. Such mappings reveal a high degree of functional-anatomical segregation. Given that brain regions frequently maintain characteristic connectivity profiles and the functional repertoire of a cortical area is closely related to its anatomical connections, long-range connectivity may be used to define segregated cortical areas. This methodology is called connectivity-based parcellation. Within this framework, we investigate different techniques to estimate connectivity profiles with emphasis given to non-invasive methods based on diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) and diffusion tractography. Cortical parcellation is then defined based on similarity between diffusion tractograms, and different clustering approaches are discussed. We conclude that the use of non-invasively acquired connectivity estimates to characterize the functional-anatomical organization of the brain is a valid, relevant, and necessary endeavor. Current and future developments in dMRI technology, tractography algorithms, and models of the similarity structure hold great potential for a substantial improvement and enrichment of the results of the technique.

  5. Role of sound stimulation in reprogramming brain connectivity.

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    Chaudhury, Sraboni; Nag, Tapas C; Jain, Suman; Wadhwa, Shashi

    2013-09-01

    Sensory stimulation has a critical role to play in the development of an individual. Environmental factors tend to modify the inputs received by the sensory pathway. The developing brain is most vulnerable to these alterations and interacts with the environment to modify its neural circuitry. In addition to other sensory stimuli, auditory stimulation can also act as external stimuli to provide enrichment during the perinatal period. There is evidence that suggests that enriched environment in the form of auditory stimulation can play a substantial role in modulating plasticity during the prenatal period. This review focuses on the emerging role of prenatal auditory stimulation in the development of higher brain functions such as learning and memory in birds and mammals. The molecular mechanisms of various changes in the hippocampus following sound stimulation to effect neurogenesis, learning and memory are described. Sound stimulation can also modify neural connectivity in the early postnatal life to enhance higher cognitive function or even repair the secondary damages in various neurological and psychiatric disorders. Thus, it becomes imperative to examine in detail the possible ameliorating effects of prenatal sound stimulation in existing animal models of various psychiatric disorders, such as autism.

  6. Cognitive Connected Vehicle Information System Design Requirement for Safety: Role of Bayesian Artificial Intelligence

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    Ata Khan

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Intelligent transportation systems (ITS are gaining acceptance around the world and the connected vehicle component of ITS is recognized as a high priority research and development area in many technologically advanced countries. Connected vehicles are expected to have the capability of safe, efficient and eco-driving operations whether these are under human control or in the adaptive machine control mode of operations. The race is on to design the capability to operate in connected traffic environment. The operational requirements can be met with cognitive vehicle design features made possible by advances in artificial intelligence-supported methodology, improved understanding of human factors, and advances in communication technology. This paper describes cognitive features and their information system requirements. The architecture of an information system is presented that supports the features of the cognitive connected vehicle. For better focus, information processing capabilities are specified and the role of Bayesian artificial intelligence is defined for data fusion. Example applications illustrate the role of information systems in integrating intelligent technology, Bayesian artificial intelligence, and abstracted human factors. Concluding remarks highlight the role of the information system and Bayesian artificial intelligence in the design of a new generation of cognitive connected vehicle.

  7. Attitudes toward homosexuality among young adults: connections to gender role identity, gender-typed activities, and religiosity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harbaugh, Evan; Lindsey, Eric W

    2015-01-01

    Individual differences in attitudes toward homosexuality have been linked to numerous personality and demographic variables. This study investigated the influence that gender role identity, involvement in gender-typed activities, and religiosity plays in this relationship. The sample included 194 undergraduate students from a Northeastern university. Analyses revealed that both males and females who held a more masculine gender role identity and individual commitment to religion scored higher on measures of homophobia and heteronormativity, whereas there was no association between spiritual meaning in life and attitudes toward homosexuality. Among males, but not females, more masculine gender identity and less spiritual meaning in life was associated with greater homophobia. The importance of the findings for research on the origins of attitudes toward individuals with a homosexual orientation are discussed, as well as the potential directions for future research on connections between gender role identity, religious affiliation, and attitudes toward gays and lesbians.

  8. Connecting metabolism and reproduction: roles of central energy sensors and key molecular mediators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roa, Juan; Tena-Sempere, Manuel

    2014-11-01

    It is well established that pubertal activation of the reproductive axis and maintenance of fertility are critically dependent on the magnitude of body energy reserves and the metabolic state of the organism. Hence, conditions of impaired energy homeostasis often result in deregulation of puberty and reproduction, whereas gonadal dysfunction can be associated with the worsening of the metabolic profile and, eventually, changes in body weight. While much progress has taken place in our knowledge about the neuroendocrine mechanisms linking metabolism and reproduction, our understanding of how such dynamic interplay happens is still incomplete. As paradigmatic example, much has been learned in the last two decades on the reproductive roles of key metabolic hormones (such as leptin, insulin and ghrelin), their brain targets and the major transmitters and neuropeptides involved. Yet, the molecular mechanisms whereby metabolic information is translated and engages into the reproductive circuits remain largely unsolved. In this work, we will summarize recent developments in the characterization of the putative central roles of key cellular energy sensors, such as mTOR, in this phenomenon, and will relate these with other molecular mechanisms likely contributing to the brain coupling of energy balance and fertility. In doing so, we aim to provide an updated view of an area that, despite still underdeveloped, may be critically important to fully understand how reproduction and metabolism are tightly connected in health and disease. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Working Sandwich Generation Women Utilize Strategies within and between Roles to Achieve Role Balance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Girdler, Sonya J.

    2016-01-01

    Increasingly, women simultaneously balance the roles of mother, parental carer and worker. However, individual role balance strategies among these working ‘sandwich’ generation women have not been thoroughly explored. Eighteen women combining these three roles were interviewed about their individual role balance strategies. Findings were identified through the framework analysis technique, underpinned by the Model of Juggling Occupations. Achieving and maintaining role balance was explained as a complex process accomplished through a range of strategies. Findings revealed the women used six within-role balance strategies: living with integrity, being the best you can, doing what you love, loving what you do, remembering why and searching for signs of success. The women also described six between-role balance strategies: maintaining health and wellbeing, repressing perfectionism, managing time and energy, releasing responsibility, nurturing social connection and reciprocating. These findings provide a basis for health care providers to understand and potentially support working ‘sandwich’ generation women. PMID:27305074

  10. Betwixt and between: Role conflict, role ambiguity and role definition in project-based dual-leadership structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebbers, Joris J; Wijnberg, Nachoem M

    2017-11-01

    Project-based organizations in the film industry usually have a dual-leadership structure, based on a division of tasks between the dual leaders - the director and the producer - in which the former is predominantly responsible for the artistic and the latter for the commercial aspects of the film. These organizations also have a role hierarchically below and between the dual leaders: the 1st assistant director. This organizational constellation is likely to lead to role conflict and role ambiguity experienced by the person occupying that particular role. Although prior studies found negative effects of role conflict and role ambiguity, this study shows they can also have beneficial effects because they create space for defining the role expansively that, in turn, can be facilitated by the dual leaders defining their own roles more narrowly. In a more general sense, this study also shows the usefulness of analyzing the antecedents and consequences of roles, role definition, and role crafting in connection to the behavior of occupants of adjacent roles.

  11. Role of substituents on the reactivity and electron density profile of ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Journal of Chemical Sciences; Volume 125; Issue 5. Role of substituents on the reactivity and electron density profile of diimine ligands: A density functional theory based study. Bhakti S Kulkarni Deepti Mishra Sourav Pal. Volume 125 Issue 5 September 2013 pp 1247-1258 ...

  12. Betwixt and between: Role conflict, role ambiguity and role definition in project-based dual-leadership structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebbers, Joris J; Wijnberg, Nachoem M

    2017-01-01

    Project-based organizations in the film industry usually have a dual-leadership structure, based on a division of tasks between the dual leaders – the director and the producer – in which the former is predominantly responsible for the artistic and the latter for the commercial aspects of the film. These organizations also have a role hierarchically below and between the dual leaders: the 1st assistant director. This organizational constellation is likely to lead to role conflict and role ambiguity experienced by the person occupying that particular role. Although prior studies found negative effects of role conflict and role ambiguity, this study shows they can also have beneficial effects because they create space for defining the role expansively that, in turn, can be facilitated by the dual leaders defining their own roles more narrowly. In a more general sense, this study also shows the usefulness of analyzing the antecedents and consequences of roles, role definition, and role crafting in connection to the behavior of occupants of adjacent roles. PMID:29081536

  13. Assessing the role of landscape connectivity on Opisthorchis viverrini transmission dynamics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yi-Chen; Yuen, Roy; Feng, Chen-Chieh; Sithithaworn, Paiboon; Kim, Ick-Hoi

    2017-08-01

    Opisthorchis viverrini (Ov) is one of the most important human parasitic diseases in Southeast Asia. Although the concept of connectivity is widely used to comprehend disease dispersal, knowledge of the influences of landscape connectivity on Ov transmission is still rudimentary. This study aimed to investigate the role of landscape connectivity in Ov transmission between the human and the first intermediate snail hosts. Fieldwork was conducted in three villages respectively in Kamalasai District, Kalasin Province, Phu Wiang District, Khon Kaen Province, and Nong Saeng District, Udon Thani Province. Bithynia snails were collected to examine parasitic infections, water samples were analyzed for fecal contamination, and locations of septic tanks and connections between habitat patches with observable water movement were surveyed. Euclidean distance, topological link and distance, and graph measures were employed to quantify the connectivity between human and snail habitats. The findings showed that snail patches with higher fecal contents were generally located nearer to septic tanks. The statistically significant results for the topological link and distance measures highlighted the importance of water in functionally facilitating Ov transmission. Graph measures revealed differences in landscape connectivity across the sites. The site with the largest landscape component size and the most mutually connected snail patches coincided with the presence of Ov parasite, reinforcing its higher risk for human to snail transmission. The site with the dissected landscape structure potentially limited the transmission. This study underscored the potential effect of landscape connectivity on Ov transmission, contributing to the understanding of the spatial variation of Ov infection risk. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Development and Validation of the Role Profile of the Nurse Continence Specialist: A Project of the International Continence Society.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paterson, Janice; Ostaszkiewicz, Joan; Suyasa, I Gede Putu Darma; Skelly, Jennifer; Bellefeuille, Lesley

    Although nurses have specialized in the management of incontinence, bladder, bowel, and pelvic floor dysfunction for more than 30 years, there is a lack of awareness and underutilization of their role. This article describes a 6-year project to define, characterize, and validate a role profile of the Nurse Continence Specialist. Data collection used a 2-phase, mixed-methods design. Phase 1 of the project resulted in a draft Nurse Continence Specialist role profile and Phase 2 led to validation of the draft profile. The result was a broad consensus about what constitutes the specific skill set for Nurse Continence Specialist specialization within nursing.

  15. Profile and Role of Woman Involvement in Dry System Pig Farming

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hartoko Hartoko

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available This research was purposed to study the profile and role of woman involvement in dry system pig farming (pig housing with mattress from grass, pig manure, vegetable waste and kitchen waste.  The research was carried out from August to November 2003.  Pig housing areas were located on eight villages of Kertek District in Wonosobo Regency (Central Java.  The method applied was survey with intensive observation.  Sample were randomly selected, involved 180 respondents (15 percent of total pig farmers, while the locations of the sample were selected based on purposive sampling method.  The result showed that respondents were in productive age, with low formal education level. Most of all are Moslems (98% and they have small family size.  The level of woman involvement in pig farming was high, approximately 85 percent.  They have other income source and they involve in pig farming to help their husbands in generating income.  Experience in the dry system pig farming was quite long (more than 10 years and skill come from imitating their neighbours otherwise of autodidact. (Animal Production 6(1: 23-29 (2004   Key Words: Pig, Dry System, Woman Profile and Role

  16. Towards A Model of Identity and Role Exit

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    Jason S. Milne

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Explanations of role exit often focus on how factors associated with a specific role that affect whether the individual will exit a role or not. Other research explains how identities affect our performance in a role. However, no one has yet to demonstrate the connection between role-set factors and identities, and role exit. Using data from a survey of 940 current and former soccer referees, this paper provides a model of role exit that involves a complex of processes that include role-set factors (structural and cultural factors associated with a specific role and identity processes. Specifically, this paper demonstrates that, other than role conflict, identity processes explain the relationship between role-set factors and role exit. The model provides a beginning method for understanding the connection between identities and role exit.

  17. Profiles of mental health care professionals based on work role performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markon, Marie-Pierre; Bamvita, Jean-Marie; Chiocchio, François; Fleury, Marie-Josée

    2017-12-01

    The worldwide burden of mental disorders is considerable, and on the rise, putting pressure on health care systems. Current reforms aim to improve the efficiency of mental health care systems by increasing service integration in communities and strengthening primary mental health care. In this context, mental health care professionals (MHPs) are increasingly required to work on interdisciplinary teams in a variety of settings. Little is known, however, about the profiles of MHPs in relation to their perceived work role performance. MHPs in Quebec (N = 315) from four local service networks completed a self-administered questionnaire eliciting information on individual and team characteristics, as well as team processes and states. Profiles of MHPs were created using a two-step cluster analysis. Five profiles were generated. MHPs belonging to profiles labelled senior medical outpatient specialized care MHPs and senior psychosocial outpatient specialized care MHPs perceived themselves as more performing than MHPs in other profiles. The profile labelled low-collaborators was significantly less performing than all other groups. Two other profiles were identified, positioned between the aforementioned groups in terms of the perceived performance of MHPs: the junior primary care MHPs and the diversified specialized care MHPs. Seniority within the team, delivering specialized type of care, and positive team processes were all features associated with profiles where perceived work performance was high. Overall, this study supports the case for initiatives aimed at improving stability and interdisciplinary collaboration in health teams, especially in primary care.

  18. The Role of Multicultural Media in Connecting Municipal Governments with Ethnocultural Communities: The Case of Ottawa

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    Luisa Veronis

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper aims to advance understanding of the role ethnic and multicultural media can play in connecting municipal governments and Ethnocultural and Immigrant Communities (EICs. Using an innovative mixed-methods approach and methodological triangulation, we compare the access to and use of multicultural media among four EICs—the Chinese, Latin American, Somali and South Asian—in Ottawa, Canada. Our cross-comparative study yields three main findings: 1 members of participating communities proactively and strategically use a variety of sources to access information about local services; 2 noteworthy differences exist in the access to and use of different types of media both across and within the four EICs, due to demographic and cultural differences; and 3 participants shared challenges and opportunities that multicultural media afford to better connect municipal government and EICs. The paper’s findings make important empirical contributions to the literature on the integrative potential of ethnic and multicultural media by strengthening the reliability of data, validity of findings, and broadening and deepening understanding the role multicultural media play in promoting collaboration between city governments and diverse EICs.

  19. Profile of patients with brain tumors and the role of nursing care

    OpenAIRE

    Magalhães, Kênia Cristina Soares Fonseca de; Vaz, Josiane Pinto Moreira; Gontijo, Pollyana Anicio Magalhaes; Carvalho, Gervásio Teles Cardoso de; Christo, Paulo Pereira; Simões, Renata Toscano; Silva, Karla Rona da

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT Objective: to describe the profile of 200 patients with central nervous system tumors (CNST), and the role of the nursing care. Method: prospective, quantitative and descriptive analysis of medical records of 200 patients with TSNC. Results: a total of 61% of our patients had benign CNST and 39% had malignant tumors. The extent of patient dependence, according to the Karnofsky Performance Status scale, was significantly greater for patients with malignant CNST (p < .05), indicatin...

  20. The LncRNA Connectivity Map: Using LncRNA Signatures to Connect Small Molecules, LncRNAs, and Diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Haixiu; Shang, Desi; Xu, Yanjun; Zhang, Chunlong; Feng, Li; Sun, Zeguo; Shi, Xinrui; Zhang, Yunpeng; Han, Junwei; Su, Fei; Li, Chunquan; Li, Xia

    2017-07-27

    Well characterized the connections among diseases, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and drugs are important for elucidating the key roles of lncRNAs in biological mechanisms in various biological states. In this study, we constructed a database called LNCmap (LncRNA Connectivity Map), available at http://www.bio-bigdata.com/LNCmap/ , to establish the correlations among diseases, physiological processes, and the action of small molecule therapeutics by attempting to describe all biological states in terms of lncRNA signatures. By reannotating the microarray data from the Connectivity Map database, the LNCmap obtained 237 lncRNA signatures of 5916 instances corresponding to 1262 small molecular drugs. We provided a user-friendly interface for the convenient browsing, retrieval and download of the database, including detailed information and the associations of drugs and corresponding affected lncRNAs. Additionally, we developed two enrichment analysis methods for users to identify candidate drugs for a particular disease by inputting the corresponding lncRNA expression profiles or an associated lncRNA list and then comparing them to the lncRNA signatures in our database. Overall, LNCmap could significantly improve our understanding of the biological roles of lncRNAs and provide a unique resource to reveal the connections among drugs, lncRNAs and diseases.

  1. Inferential Role and the Ideal of Deductive Logic

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    Thomas Hofweber

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Although there is a prima facie strong case for a close connection between the meaning and inferential role of certain expressions, this connection seems seriously threatened by the semantic and logical paradoxes which rely on these inferential roles. Some philosophers have drawn radical conclusions from the paradoxes for the theory of meaning in general, and for which sentences in our language are true. I criticize these overreactions, and instead propose to distinguish two conceptions of inferential role. This distinction is closely tied to two conceptions of deductive logic, and it is the key, I argue, for understanding first the connection between meaning and inferential role, and second what the paradoxes show more generally.

  2. The Role of Risk: Mentoring Experiences and Outcomes for Youth with Varying Risk Profiles

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    Herrera, Carla; DuBois, David L.; Grossman, Jean Baldwin

    2013-01-01

    "The Role of Risk: Mentoring Experiences and Outcomes for Youth with Varying Risk Profiles" presents findings from the first large-scale study to examine how the levels and types of risk youth face may influence their relationships with program-assigned mentors and the benefits they derive from these relationships. The study looked…

  3. Invasion of melanoma cells into dermal connective tissue in vitro: evidence for an important role of cysteine proteases.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dennhofer, R.; Kurschat, P.; Zigrino, P.; Klose, A.; Bosserhoff, A.; Muijen, G.N.P. van; Krieg, T.; Mauch, C.; Hunzelmann, N.

    2003-01-01

    Invasion of melanoma cells into the dermal connective tissue is a major characteristic in the complex process of metastasis. Proteases play an important role in tumor cell invasion as these enzymes are able to degrade most components of the extracellular matrix (ECM), and thus enable cells to

  4. Basic roles of key molecules connected with NMDAR signaling pathway on regulating learning and memory and synaptic plasticity

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Hui Wang; Rui-Yun Peng

    2016-01-01

    With key roles in essential brain functions ranging from the long-term potentiation (LTP) to synaptic plasticity,the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor (NMDAR) can be considered as one of the fundamental glutamate receptors in the central nervous system.The role of NMDA R was first identified in synaptic plasticity and has been extensively studied.Some molecules,such as Ca2+,postsynaptic density 95 (PSD-95),calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase Ⅱ (CaMK Ⅱ),protein kinase A (PKA),mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) responsive element binding protein (CREB),are of special importance in learning and memory.This review mainly focused on the new research of key molecules connected with learning and memory,which played important roles in the NMDAR signaling pathway.

  5. SOCIAL CONNECTIONS АND THEIR ROLE ARE IN EMPLOYMENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE

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    Никита Андреевич Манокин

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available The article is sanctified  to the sociological analysis of problems of employment of young people, in particular, to the use of formal and informal resources at  looking for a job. The concept of social capital and the main provisions of a network approach are the methodological basis of the research. The concept of social networks is based on the study of the diversity of the functions of social connections (networks and ways of their functioning. The main attention in the article is paid to social relations, defined by their role and importance in the process of employment Drawing on the results of regional sociological researches, an author  reveals the increase of meaningfulness of this resource in employment of the Tyumen young people, analyses the functional features of the used social connections, the main among them is a protective function. Causality of the kind of social connections is explained in the article the weakness of formal institutions of employment, although this thesis requires a deeper the further substantiation. The findings of this work, can be used for study the problem of youth employment in modern conditions and development of a regional strategy for the provision and regulation of youth employment.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12731/2218-7405-2013-10-42

  6. Metabolomic profiling reveals a role for CPT1c in neuronal oxidative metabolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jieun; Wolfgang, Michael J

    2012-10-25

    Carnitine Palmitoyltransferase-1c (CPT1c) is a neuron specific homologue of the carnitine acyltransferase family of enzymes. CPT1 isoenzymes transfer long chain acyl groups to carnitine. This constitutes a rate setting step for mitochondrial fatty acid beta-oxidation by facilitating the initial step in acyl transfer to the mitochondrial matrix. In general, neurons do not heavily utilize fatty acids for bioenergetic needs and definitive enzymatic activity has been unable to be demonstrated for CPT1c. Although there are studies suggesting an enzymatic role of CPT1c, its role in neurochemistry remains elusive. In order to better understand how CPT1c functions in neural metabolism, we performed unbiased metabolomic profiling on wild-type (WT) and CPT1c knockout (KO) mouse brains. Consistent with the notion that CPT1c is not involved in fatty acid beta-oxidation, there were no changes in metabolites associated with fatty acid oxidation. Endocannabinoids were suppressed in the CPT1c KO, which may explain the suppression of food intake seen in CPT1c KO mice. Although products of beta-oxidation were unchanged, small changes in carnitine and carnitine metabolites were observed. Finally, we observed changes in redox homeostasis including a greater than 2-fold increase in oxidized glutathione. This indicates that CPT1c may play a role in neural oxidative metabolism. Steady-state metabolomic analysis of CPT1c WT and KO mouse brains identified a small number of metabolites that differed between CPT1c WT and KO mice. The subtle changes in a broad range of metabolites in vivo indicate that CPT1c does not play a significant or required role in fatty acid oxidation; however, it could play an alternative role in neuronal oxidative metabolism.

  7. Metabolomic profiling reveals a role for CPT1c in neuronal oxidative metabolism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lee Jieun

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Carnitine Palmitoyltransferase-1c (CPT1c is a neuron specific homologue of the carnitine acyltransferase family of enzymes. CPT1 isoenzymes transfer long chain acyl groups to carnitine. This constitutes a rate setting step for mitochondrial fatty acid beta-oxidation by facilitating the initial step in acyl transfer to the mitochondrial matrix. In general, neurons do not heavily utilize fatty acids for bioenergetic needs and definitive enzymatic activity has been unable to be demonstrated for CPT1c. Although there are studies suggesting an enzymatic role of CPT1c, its role in neurochemistry remains elusive. Results In order to better understand how CPT1c functions in neural metabolism, we performed unbiased metabolomic profiling on wild-type (WT and CPT1c knockout (KO mouse brains. Consistent with the notion that CPT1c is not involved in fatty acid beta-oxidation, there were no changes in metabolites associated with fatty acid oxidation. Endocannabinoids were suppressed in the CPT1c KO, which may explain the suppression of food intake seen in CPT1c KO mice. Although products of beta-oxidation were unchanged, small changes in carnitine and carnitine metabolites were observed. Finally, we observed changes in redox homeostasis including a greater than 2-fold increase in oxidized glutathione. This indicates that CPT1c may play a role in neural oxidative metabolism. Conclusions Steady-state metabolomic analysis of CPT1c WT and KO mouse brains identified a small number of metabolites that differed between CPT1c WT and KO mice. The subtle changes in a broad range of metabolites in vivo indicate that CPT1c does not play a significant or required role in fatty acid oxidation; however, it could play an alternative role in neuronal oxidative metabolism.

  8. Managing migraine by patient profile: role of frovatriptan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cady, Roger K; Farmer, Kathleen

    2016-01-01

    For the last quarter of a century, triptans have been available for acute treatment of migraine but with little guidance on which of the different triptan products to use for which patient or which attack of migraine. In this article, we propose a structured approach to analysis of individual migraine attacks and patient characteristics as a means of defining and optimizing acute intervention. Assessment of patient and attack profiles includes the "5-Ps": pattern, phenotype, patient, pharmacology, and precipitants. Attending to these five components of information can assist in developing an individualized behavioral, pharmacological, and nonpharmacological comprehensive treatment plan for most migraine patients. This clinical approach is then focused on frovatriptan because of its unique molecular signature and potential novel clinical applications. Frovatriptan like all triptans is indicated for acute treatment of migraine but its role has been explored in management of several unique migraine phenotypes. Frovatriptan has the longest half-life of any triptan and consequently is often promoted for acute treatment of migraine of longer duration. It has also been studied as a short-term preventive treatment in women with menstrual-related migraine. Given that 60% of female migraineurs suffer from menstrual-related migraine, this population is the obvious group for continued study. Small studies have also explored frovatriptan's use in treating migraine predicted by premonitory symptoms as a preventive for the headache phase of migraine. By identifying patient and attack profiles, clinicians may effectively determine the viability of frovatriptan as an effective pharmacological intervention for migraine.

  9. The Missing Link: the Role of Floodplain Tie Channels in Connecting Off River Water Bodies to Lowland Rivers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rowland, J. C.; Dietrich, W. E.; Day, G.

    2005-05-01

    times in tie channel progradation rates. In a few instances Fly River tie channels have become filled with sediment following the increase in sediment loading. The precise role of tie channels in the ecology of lowland river systems has yet to be quantified, but given their critical role in connecting rivers with floodplain habitats it is likely they provide an important source of refuge, breeding habitat, and biomass production for many aquatic organisms. As restoration efforts increasingly focus on the improving or reestablishing connectivity between lowland rivers and their floodplains, consideration should be given as to whether tie channels are an important missing component of such systems.

  10. The Role of Multicultural Media in Connecting Municipal Governments with Ethnocultural and Immigrant Communities: The Case of Ottawa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luisa Veronis

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper aims to advance understanding of the role ethnic and multicultural media can play in connecting municipal governments and Ethnocultural and Immigrant Communities (EICs. Using an innovative mixed-methods approach and methodological triangulation, we compare the access to and use of multicultural media among four EICs—the Chinese, Latin American, Somali, and South Asian—in Ottawa, Canada. Our cross-comparative study yields three main findings: 1 members of participating communities proactively and strategically use a variety of sources to access information about local services; 2 noteworthy differences exist in the access to and use of different types of media both across and within the four EICs, due to demographic and cultural differences; and 3 participants shared challenges and opportunities that multicultural media afford to better connect municipal government and EICs. The paper’s findings make important empirical contributions to the literature on the integrative potential of ethnic and multicultural media by strengthening the reliability of data, validity of findings, and broadening and deepening understanding the role multicultural media play in promoting collaboration between city governments and diverse EICs.

  11. Role of turbulence fluctuations on uncertainties of acoutic Doppler current profiler discharge measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tarrab, Leticia; Garcia, Carlos M.; Cantero, Mariano I.; Oberg, Kevin

    2012-01-01

    This work presents a systematic analysis quantifying the role of the presence of turbulence fluctuations on uncertainties (random errors) of acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) discharge measurements from moving platforms. Data sets of three-dimensional flow velocities with high temporal and spatial resolution were generated from direct numerical simulation (DNS) of turbulent open channel flow. Dimensionless functions relating parameters quantifying the uncertainty in discharge measurements due to flow turbulence (relative variance and relative maximum random error) to sampling configuration were developed from the DNS simulations and then validated with field-scale discharge measurements. The validated functions were used to evaluate the role of the presence of flow turbulence fluctuations on uncertainties in ADCP discharge measurements. The results of this work indicate that random errors due to the flow turbulence are significant when: (a) a low number of transects is used for a discharge measurement, and (b) measurements are made in shallow rivers using high boat velocity (short time for the boat to cross a flow turbulence structure).

  12. Validation plays the role of a "bridge" in connecting remote sensing research and applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhiqiang; Deng, Ying; Fan, Yida

    2018-07-01

    Remote sensing products contribute to improving earth observations over space and time. Uncertainties exist in products of different levels; thus, validation of these products before and during their applications is critical. This study discusses the meaning of validation in depth and proposes a new definition of reliability for use with such products. In this context, validation should include three aspects: a description of the relevant uncertainties, quantitative measurement results and a qualitative judgment that considers the needs of users. A literature overview is then presented evidencing improvements in the concepts associated with validation. It shows that the root mean squared error (RMSE) is widely used to express accuracy; increasing numbers of remote sensing products have been validated; research institutes contribute most validation efforts; and sufficient validation studies encourage the application of remote sensing products. Validation plays a connecting role in the distribution and application of remote sensing products. Validation connects simple remote sensing subjects with other disciplines, and it connects primary research with practical applications. Based on the above findings, it is suggested that validation efforts that include wider cooperation among research institutes and full consideration of the needs of users should be promoted.

  13. Lipidomics profiling reveals the role of glycerophospholipid metabolism in psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Chunwei; Wen, Bo; Hou, Guixue; Lei, Li; Mei, Zhanlong; Jia, Xuekun; Chen, Xiaomin; Zhu, Wu; Li, Jie; Kuang, Yehong; Zeng, Weiqi; Su, Juan; Liu, Siqi; Peng, Cong; Chen, Xiang

    2017-10-01

    Psoriasis is a common and chronic inflammatory skin disease that is complicated by gene-environment interactions. Although genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses have been performed to investigate the pathogenesis of psoriasis, the role of metabolites in psoriasis, particularly of lipids, remains unclear. Lipids not only comprise the bulk of the cellular membrane bilayers but also regulate a variety of biological processes such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, immunity, angiogenesis, and inflammation. In this study, an untargeted lipidomics approach was used to study the lipid profiles in psoriasis and to identify lipid metabolite signatures for psoriasis through ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry. Plasma samples from 90 participants (45 healthy and 45 psoriasis patients) were collected and analyzed. Statistical analysis was applied to find different metabolites between the disease and healthy groups. In addition, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to validate differentially expressed lipids in psoriatic patient plasma. Finally, we identified differential expression of several lipids including lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), lysophosphatidylcholine (LysoPC), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylcholine (PC), and phosphatidic acid (PA); among these metabolites, LPA, LysoPC, and PA were significantly increased, while PC and PI were down-regulated in psoriasis patients. We found that elements of glycerophospholipid metabolism such as LPA, LysoPC, PA, PI, and PC were significantly altered in the plasma of psoriatic patients; this study characterizes the circulating lipids in psoriatic patients and provides novel insight into the role of lipids in psoriasis. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  14. What Managers Really Do? An Emprical Study about Managers’ Roles in Bursa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nilüfer Rüzgar

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available lthough many studies focus on roles and profiles of the managers in the literature, the roles and the profiles of the managers in Turkish business system has been remained unexplored. This study aims to reveal roles of managers from Bursa based on Mintzberg’s managerial roles categories: interpersonal, informational and decisional roles. According to the findings that managers prominently play interpersonal (leader and informational (monitor roles.

  15. Hydrological connectivity from glaciers to rivers in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau: roles of suprapermafrost and subpermafrost groundwater

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Ma

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The roles of groundwater flow in the hydrological cycle within the alpine area characterized by permafrost and/or seasonal frost are poorly known. This study explored the role of permafrost in controlling groundwater flow and the hydrological connections between glaciers in high mountains and rivers in the low piedmont plain with respect to hydraulic head, temperature, geochemical and isotopic data, at a representative catchment in the headwater region of the Heihe River, northeastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. The results show that the groundwater in the high mountains mainly occurred as suprapermafrost groundwater, while in the moraine and fluvioglacial deposits on the planation surfaces of higher hills, suprapermafrost, intrapermafrost and subpermafrost groundwater cooccurred. Glacier and snow meltwaters were transported from the high mountains to the plain through stream channels, slope surfaces, and supra- and subpermafrost aquifers. Groundwater in the Quaternary aquifer in the piedmont plain was recharged by the lateral inflow from permafrost areas and the stream infiltration and was discharged as baseflow to the stream in the north. Groundwater maintained streamflow over the cold season and significantly contributed to the streamflow during the warm season. Two mechanisms were proposed to contribute to the seasonal variation of aquifer water-conduction capacity: (1 surface drainage through the stream channel during the warm period and (2 subsurface drainage to an artesian aquifer confined by stream icing and seasonal frost during the cold season.

  16. The Role of Risk: Mentoring Experiences and Outcomes for Youth with Varying Risk Profiles. Executive Summary

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herrera, Carla; DuBois, David L.; Grossman, Jean Baldwin

    2013-01-01

    "The Role of Risk: Mentoring Experiences and Outcomes for Youth with Varying Risk Profiles" presents findings from the first large-scale study to examine how the levels and types of risk youth face may influence their relationships with program-assigned mentors and the benefits they derive from these relationships. The study looked…

  17. Latent Profiles of Perceived Time Adequacy for Paid Work, Parenting, and Partner Roles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Soomi; Almeida, David M.; Davis, Kelly D.; King, Rosalind B.; Hammer, Leslie B.; Kelly, Erin L.

    2015-01-01

    This study examined feelings of having enough time (i.e., perceived time adequacy) in a sample of employed parents (N=880) in information technology and extended-care industries. Adapting a person-centered latent profile approach, we identified three profiles of perceived time adequacy for paid work, parenting, and partner roles: Family Time Protected, Family Time Sacrificed, and Time Balanced. Drawing upon the Conservation of Resources theory (Hobfòll, 1989), we examined the associations of stressors and resources with the time adequacy profiles. Parents in the Family Time Sacrificed profile were more likely to be younger, women, have younger children, work in the extended-care industry, and have nonstandard work schedules compared to those in the Family Time Protected profile. Results from multinomial logistic regression analyses revealed that, with the Time Balanced profile as the reference group, having fewer stressors and more resources in the family context (less parent-child conflict and more partner support), work context (longer company tenure, higher schedule control and job satisfaction), and work-family interface (lower work-to-family conflict) was linked to a higher probability of membership in the Family Time Protected profile. By contrast, having more stressors and fewer resources, in the forms of less partner support and higher work-to-family conflict, predicted a higher likelihood of being in the Family Time Sacrificed profile. Our findings suggest that low work-to-family conflict is the most critical predictor of membership in the Family Time Protected profile, whereas lack of partner support is the most important factor to be included in the Family Time Sacrificed profile. PMID:26075739

  18. Latent profiles of perceived time adequacy for paid work, parenting, and partner roles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Soomi; Almeida, David M; Davis, Kelly D; King, Rosalind B; Hammer, Leslie B; Kelly, Erin L

    2015-10-01

    This study examined feelings of having enough time (i.e., perceived time adequacy) in a sample of employed parents (N = 880) in information technology and extended-care industries. Adapting a person-centered latent profile approach, we identified 3 profiles of perceived time adequacy for paid work, parenting, and partner roles: family time protected, family time sacrificed, and time balanced. Drawing upon the conservation of resources theory (Hobfòll, 1989), we examined the associations of stressors and resources with the time adequacy profiles. Parents in the family time sacrificed profile were more likely to be younger, women, have younger children, work in the extended-care industry, and have nonstandard work schedules compared to those in the family time protected profile. Results from multinomial logistic regression analyses revealed that, with the time balanced profile as the reference group, having fewer stressors and more resources in the family context (less parent-child conflict and more partner support), work context (longer company tenure, higher schedule control and job satisfaction), and work-family interface (lower work-to-family conflict) was linked to a higher probability of membership in the family time protected profile. By contrast, having more stressors and fewer resources, in the forms of less partner support and higher work-to-family conflict, predicted a higher likelihood of being in the family time sacrificed profile. Our findings suggest that low work-to-family conflict is the most critical predictor of membership in the family time protected profile, whereas lack of partner support is the most important factor to be included in the family time sacrificed profile. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  19. Evaluating the role of river-floodplain connectivity in providing beneficial hydrologic services in mountain landscapes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Covino, T. P.; Wegener, P.; Weiss, T.; Wohl, E.; Rhoades, C.

    2017-12-01

    River networks of mountain landscapes tend to be dominated by steep, valley-confined channels that have limited floodplain area and low hydrologic buffering capacity. Interspersed between the narrow segments are wide, low-gradient segments where extensive floodplains, wetlands, and riparian areas can develop. Although they tend to be limited in their frequency relative to the narrow valley segments, the low-gradient, wide portions of mountain channel networks can be particularly important to hydrologic buffering and can be sites of high nutrient retention and ecosystem productivity. Hydrologic buffering along the wide valley segments is dependent on lateral hydrologic connectivity between the river and floodplain, however these connections have been increasingly severed as a result of various land and water management practices. We evaluated the role of river-floodplain connectivity in influencing water, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and nutrient flux in river networks of the Colorado Rockies. We found that disconnected segments with limited floodplain/riparian area had limited buffering capacity, while connected segments exhibited variable source-sink dynamics as a function of flow. Specifically, connected segments were typically a sink for water, DOC, and nutrients during high flows, and subsequently became a source as flows decreased. Shifts in river-floodplain hydrologic connectivity across flows related to higher and more variable aquatic ecosystem metabolism rates along connected relative to disconnected segments. Our data suggest that lateral hydrologic connectivity in wide valleys can enhance hydrologic and biogeochemical buffering, and promote high rates of aquatic ecosystem metabolism. While hydrologic disconnection in one river-floodplain system is unlikely to influence water resources at larger scales, the cumulative effects of widespread disconnection may be substantial. Because intact river-floodplain (i.e., connected) systems provide numerous

  20. A Mediational Model Explaining the Connection Between Religiosity and Anti-Homosexual Attitudes in Italy: The Effects of Male Role Endorsement and Homosexual Stereotyping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piumatti, Giovanni

    2017-01-01

    This study aimed to better understand the relationship between religiosity and anti-homosexual attitudes in Italy by examining the mediation effects of male role endorsement and homosexual stereotyping. A sample of 5,522 Italian residents (age range = 18-74) was drawn from a cross-sectional national representative survey carried out in 2011. Measures included general religiosity, male role endorsement, homosexual stereotyping, social acceptance of homosexuality, and homosexual rights endorsement. Structural equation modeling was used to test the mediational effects of male role endorsement and homosexual stereotyping on the relationship between general religiosity and attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. Results showed that both male role endorsement and homosexual stereotyping partially mediated the relationship. In a model where religiosity and both mediators positively explained anti-homosexual attitudes, male role endorsement was the strongest mediator. Endorsement of gender role beliefs and homosexual stereotyping may thus exacerbate the connection between religiosity and anti-homosexual attitudes among Italians.

  1. Role of noise in the diode-laser spectroscopy of the spectral line profile

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nadezhdinskii, Aleksandr I; Plotnichenko, V V; Ponurovskii, Ya Ya; Spiridonov, Maksim V

    2000-01-01

    Questions concerning precise measurements of the spectral-line-profile parameters by diode-laser spectroscopic methods were examined. The instrumental function of a distributed-feedback diode laser (λ =1.53 μm), consisting of the additive contributions of the noise due to spontaneous emission, frequency fluctuations, and intensity fluctuations, was investigated. An analytical formula was obtained for the spectrum of the diode-laser field formed by frequency fluctuations. The spectral density g 0 of the frequency fluctuations, determining the width of the central part of the emission line profile of a diode laser, was found by two independent methods (by fitting to a Doppler-broadened absorption line profile and by finding the intensity of the residual radiation and the saturated-absorption line width). The parameters Ω and Γ of the spectral density of the frequency fluctuations, coupled to the relaxation oscillations and determining the wing of the diode-laser emission line profile, were determined experimentally. By taking into account the instrumental function of the diode laser, involving successive convolution with the recorded emission spectra, it was possible to reproduce correctly the spectral line profile and to solve accurately the problem of the 'optical zero'. The role of the correlation between the intensity noise and the diode-laser frequency was considered. (laser applications and other topics in quantum electronics)

  2. Applications of nutrient profiling: potential role in diet-related chronic disease prevention and the feasibility of a core nutrient-profiling system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sacks, G; Rayner, M; Stockley, L; Scarborough, P; Snowdon, W; Swinburn, B

    2011-03-01

    A number of different nutrient-profiling models have been proposed and several applications of nutrient profiling have been identified. This paper outlines the potential role of nutrient-profiling applications in the prevention of diet-related chronic disease (DRCD), and considers the feasibility of a core nutrient-profiling system, which could be modified for purpose, to underpin the multiple potential applications in a particular country. The 'Four 'P's of Marketing' (Product, Promotion, Place and Price) are used as a framework for identifying and for classifying potential applications of nutrient profiling. A logic pathway is then presented that can be used to gauge the potential impact of nutrient-profiling interventions on changes in behaviour, changes in diet and, ultimately, changes in DRCD outcomes. The feasibility of a core nutrient-profiling system is assessed by examining the implications of different model design decisions and their suitability to different purposes. There is substantial scope to use nutrient profiling as part of the policies for the prevention of DRCD. A core nutrient-profiling system underpinning the various applications is likely to reduce discrepancies and minimise the confusion for regulators, manufacturers and consumers. It seems feasible that common elements, such as a standard scoring method, a core set of nutrients and food components, and defined food categories, could be incorporated as part of a core system, with additional application-specific criteria applying. However, in developing and in implementing such a system, several country-specific contextual and technical factors would need to be balanced.

  3. Managing migraine by patient profile: role of frovatriptan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cady RK

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Roger K Cady, Kathleen Farmer Headache Care Center, Springfield, MO, USA Abstract: For the last quarter of a century, triptans have been available for acute treatment of migraine but with little guidance on which of the different triptan products to use for which patient or which attack of migraine. In this article, we propose a structured approach to analysis of individual migraine attacks and patient characteristics as a means of defining and optimizing acute intervention. Assessment of patient and attack profiles includes the “5-Ps”: pattern, phenotype, patient, pharmacology, and precipitants. Attending to these five components of information can assist in developing an individualized behavioral, pharmacological, and nonpharmacological comprehensive treatment plan for most migraine patients. This clinical approach is then focused on frovatriptan because of its unique molecular signature and potential novel clinical applications. Frovatriptan like all triptans is indicated for acute treatment of migraine but its role has been explored in management of several unique migraine phenotypes. Frovatriptan has the longest half-life of any triptan and consequently is often promoted for acute treatment of migraine of longer duration. It has also been studied as a short-term preventive treatment in women with menstrual-related migraine. Given that 60% of female migraineurs suffer from menstrual-related migraine, this population is the obvious group for continued study. Small studies have also explored frovatriptan’s use in treating migraine predicted by premonitory symptoms as a preventive for the headache phase of migraine. By identifying patient and attack profiles, clinicians may effectively determine the viability of frovatriptan as an effective pharmacological intervention for migraine. Keywords: frovatriptan, acute treatment, preventive therapy, early intervention

  4. The role of anxiety in sexual disorders: The connection between agoraphobic and obsessive compulsive simptoms and sexual disorders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Krevh

    2006-08-01

    Full Text Available Anxienty is closely related to sexual disorders, being their source, preserver, and consequence. Therefore, it represents an important obstacle in the course of a therapy. The role of anxiety in sexual disorders has already been widely investigated, but the question whether the above mentioned connection exists at a micro level remains unanswered. The present study focused on two specific anxiety disorders: agoraphobia and obsessive compulsive disorder. Two translated questionnaries were used: Mobility Inventory for Agoraphobia MIA (Chambless, Caputo, Jasin, & Gracely, 1985 and Padua Inventory PI (Sanavio, 1988. Participants were patients with sexual disorders who sought psychiatric help, and a group of students represented a control group. Results demonstrated a strong connection between agoraphobic and obsessive compulsive symptoms on one side and sexual disorders on the other. Among the possible explanations for this connection the circular model seems to be the most appropriate.

  5. Evidence for the social role theory of stereotype content: observations of groups' roles shape stereotypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koenig, Anne M; Eagly, Alice H

    2014-09-01

    In applying social role theory to account for the content of a wide range of stereotypes, this research tests the proposition that observations of groups' roles determine stereotype content (Eagly & Wood, 2012). In a novel test of how stereotypes can develop from observations, preliminary research collected participants' beliefs about the occupational roles (e.g., lawyer, teacher, fast food worker, chief executive officer, store clerk, manager) in which members of social groups (e.g., Black women, Hispanics, White men, the rich, senior citizens, high school dropouts) are overrepresented relative to their numbers in the general population. These beliefs about groups' typical occupational roles proved to be generally accurate when evaluated in relation to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Then, correlational studies predicted participants' stereotypes of social groups from the attributes ascribed to group members' typical occupational roles (Studies 1a, 1b, and 1c), the behaviors associated with those roles (Study 2), and the occupational interest profile of the roles (Study 3). As predicted by social role theory, beliefs about the attributes of groups' typical roles were strongly related to group stereotypes on both communion and agency/competence. In addition, an experimental study (Study 4) demonstrated that when social groups were described with changes to their typical social roles in the future, their projected stereotypes were more influenced by these future roles than by their current group stereotypes, thus supporting social role theory's predictions about stereotype change. Discussion considers the implications of these findings for stereotype change and the relation of social role theory to other theories of stereotype content. 2014 APA, all rights reserved

  6. Understanding the connection between self-esteem and aggression: The mediating role of emotion dysregulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garofalo, Carlo; Holden, Christopher J; Zeigler-Hill, Virgil; Velotti, Patrizia

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of the present study was to extend previous knowledge concerning the link between self-esteem and aggression by examining the mediating role of emotion dysregulation among offenders and community participants. A sample of 153 incarcerated violent offenders and a community sample of 197 individuals completed self-report measures of self-esteem level, emotion dysregulation, and trait aggression. Offenders reported lower levels of self-esteem than community participants, as well as greater levels of emotional nonacceptance and hostility. Bootstrapping analyses were performed to test whether emotion dysregulation mediated the association between self-esteem level and aggression. In the offender sample, mediation models were significant for three of the four aspects of trait aggression that were considered. Emotion dysregulation fully mediated the links that low self-esteem had with physical aggression, anger, and hostility. The same pattern (with the addition of full mediation for verbal aggression) was confirmed in the community sample. Our findings suggest that emotion dysregulation may play an important role in the connection between low self-esteem and aggression. Alternative models of the associations among these variables were tested and discussed. As a whole, the present results are consistent with those of other studies and suggest that it may be beneficial to include emotion regulation modules as part of prevention and treatment programs for violent offenders. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Crash Injury Risk Behavior in Adolescent Latino Males: The Power of Friends and Relational Connections

    OpenAIRE

    Vaca, Federico E.; Anderson, Craig L.

    2011-01-01

    The adolescent Latino male mortality profile is an anomaly when compared to an otherwise more favorable overall U.S. Latino population mortality profile. Motor vehicle crash fatalities bear a considerable proportion of mortality burden in this vulnerable population. Friend influence and relational connection are two contextual domains that may mediate crash injury risk behavior in these adolescents. Our study goal was to assess the role of friend influence over time and relational connections...

  8. miR-9a mediates the role of Lethal giant larvae as an epithelial growth inhibitor in Drosophila

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Scott G. Daniel

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Drosophila lethal giant larvae (lgl encodes a conserved tumor suppressor with established roles in cell polarity, asymmetric division, and proliferation control. Lgl's human orthologs, HUGL1 and HUGL2, are altered in human cancers, however, its mechanistic role as a tumor suppressor remains poorly understood. Based on a previously established connection between Lgl and Fragile X protein (FMRP, a miRNA-associated translational regulator, we hypothesized that Lgl may exert its role as a tumor suppressor by interacting with the miRNA pathway. Consistent with this model, we found that lgl is a dominant modifier of Argonaute1 overexpression in the eye neuroepithelium. Using microarray profiling we identified a core set of ten miRNAs that are altered throughout tumorigenesis in Drosophila lgl mutants. Among these are several miRNAs previously linked to human cancers including miR-9a, which we found to be downregulated in lgl neuroepithelial tissues. To determine whether miR-9a can act as an effector of Lgl in vivo, we overexpressed it in the context of lgl knock-down by RNAi and found it able to reduce the overgrowth phenotype caused by Lgl loss in epithelia. Furthermore, cross-comparisons between miRNA and mRNA profiling in lgl mutant tissues and human breast cancer cells identified thrombospondin (tsp as a common factor altered in both fly and human breast cancer tumorigenesis models. Our work provides the first evidence of a functional connection between Lgl and the miRNA pathway, demonstrates that miR-9a mediates Lgl's role in restricting epithelial proliferation, and provides novel insights into pathways controlled by Lgl during tumor progression.

  9. The dual role of cyclin C connects stress regulated gene expression to mitochondrial dynamics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Randy Strich

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Following exposure to cytotoxic agents, cellular damage is first recognized by a variety of sensor mechanisms. Thenceforth, the damage signal is transduced to the nucleus to install the correct gene expression program including the induction of genes whose products either detoxify destructive compounds or repair the damage they cause. Next, the stress signal is disseminated throughout the cell to effect the appropriate changes at organelles including the mitochondria. The mitochondria represent an important signaling platform for the stress response. An initial stress response of the mitochondria is extensive fragmentation. If the damage is prodigious, the mitochondria fragment (fission and lose their outer membrane integrity leading to the release of pro-apoptotic factors necessary for programmed cell death (PCD execution. As this complex biological process contains many moving parts, it must be exquisitely coordinated as the ultimate decision is life or death. The conserved C-type cyclin plays an important role in executing this molecular Rubicon by coupling changes in gene expression to mitochondrial fission and PCD. Cyclin C, along with its cyclin dependent kinase partner Cdk8, associates with the RNA polymerase holoenzyme to regulate transcription. In particular, cyclin C-Cdk8 repress many stress responsive genes. To relieve this repression, cyclin C is destroyed in cells exposed to pro-oxidants and other stressors. However, prior to its destruction, cyclin C, but not Cdk8, is released from its nuclear anchor (Med13, translocates from the nucleus to the cytoplasm where it interacts with the fission machinery and is both necessary and sufficient to induce extensive mitochondria fragmentation. Furthermore, cytoplasmic cyclin C promotes PCD indicating that it mediates both mitochondrial fission and cell death pathways. This review will summarize the role cyclin C plays in regulating stress-responsive transcription. In addition, we will detail

  10. Physics and the role of mind

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klein, Stanley A.; Cochran, Christopher

    2017-05-01

    This paper explores the role of the mind in the physical world. We begin with a brief introduction to distinct types of retrocausal phenomena connected with parapsychology and physics. We provide an introduction to laws of quantum mechanics (QM) that lead some to surmise connections between QM and psychic phenomena (psi). Next, we present our argument that verification of psi will require changes to QM. As a possible placeholder for these changes we introduce "Mind", from Cartesian dualism. This area of research points the way to connections between two fundamental issues in science: the mind-matter hard problem and the measurement problem of QM. Positive outcomes of carefully executed experiments could demonstrate a close relationship between these two problems, including the possibility that sentience plays an important role in the fundamental laws of physics. We focus on a version of Daryl Bem's seeing the future experiments, which should allow for discrimination between various interpretations of QM. Finally, although the authors are psi skeptics, we suggest methodologies that may enable psi phenomena to be acceptable to mainstream science.

  11. The role of the putamen in language: a meta-analytic connectivity modeling study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viñas-Guasch, Nestor; Wu, Yan Jing

    2017-12-01

    The putamen is a subcortical structure that forms part of the dorsal striatum of basal ganglia, and has traditionally been associated with reinforcement learning and motor control, including speech articulation. However, recent studies have shown involvement of the left putamen in other language functions such as bilingual language processing (Abutalebi et al. 2012) and production, with some authors arguing for functional segregation of anterior and posterior putamen (Oberhuber et al. 2013). A further step in exploring the role of putamen in language would involve identifying the network of coactivations of not only the left, but also the right putamen, given the involvement of right hemisphere in high order language functions (Vigneau et al. 2011). Here, a meta-analytic connectivity modeling technique was used to determine the patterns of coactivation of anterior and bilateral putamen in the language domain. Based on previous evidence, we hypothesized that left putamen coactivations would include brain regions directly associated with language processing, whereas right putamen coactivations would encompass regions involved in broader semantic processes, such as memory and visual imagery. The results showed that left anterior putamen coactivated with clusters predominantly in left hemisphere, encompassing regions directly associated with language processing, a left posterior putamen network spanning both hemispheres, and cerebellum. In right hemisphere, coactivations were in both hemispheres, in regions associated with visual and orthographic processing. These results confirm the differential involvement of right and left putamen in different language components, thus highlighting the need for further research into the role of putamen in language.

  12. Effective connectivity reveals important roles for both the hyperdirect (fronto-subthalamic) and indirect (fronto-striatal-pallidal) fronto-basal ganglia pathways during response inhibition

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jahfari, S.; Waldorp, L.; van den Wildenberg, W.P.M.; Scholte, H.S.; Ridderinkhof, K.R.; Forstmann, B.U.

    2011-01-01

    Fronto-basal ganglia pathways play a crucial role in voluntary action control, including the ability to inhibit motor responses. Response inhibition might be mediated via a fast hyperdirect pathway connecting the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) and the presupplementary motor area (preSMA) with

  13. Salience and conflict of work and family roles among employed men and women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knežević, Irena; Gregov, Ljiljana; Šimunić, Ana

    2016-06-01

    The aim of this research was to determine the salience of work and family roles and to study the connection between role salience and the interference of different types of roles among working men and women. Self-assessment measurement scales were applied. The research involved 206 participants; 103 employed married couples from different regions of Croatia. The results show that roles closely connected to family are considered the most salient. However, men are mostly dedicated behaviourally to the role of a worker. Women dedicate more time and energy to the roles of a spouse, a parent, and a family member whereas men are more oriented towards the leisurite role. The highest level of conflict was perceived when it comes to work disturbing leisure. Gender differences appeared only for work-to-marriage conflict, with men reporting higher conflict than women. The research found proof of only some low correlations between the salience of different types of roles and work-family conflict.

  14. Great Expectations: How Role Expectations and Role Experiences Relate to Perceptions of Group Cohesion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benson, Alex J; Eys, Mark A; Irving, P Gregory

    2016-04-01

    Many athletes experience a discrepancy between the roles they expect to fulfill and the roles they eventually occupy. Drawing from met expectations theory, we applied response surface methodology to examine how role expectations, in relation to role experiences, influence perceptions of group cohesion among Canadian Interuniversity Sport athletes (N = 153). On the basis of data from two time points, as athletes approached and exceeded their role contribution expectations, they reported higher perceptions of task cohesion. Furthermore, as athletes approached and exceeded their social involvement expectations, they reported higher perceptions of social cohesion. These response surface patterns-pertaining to task and social cohesion-were driven by the positive influence of role experiences. On the basis of the interplay between athletes' role experiences and their perception of the group environment, efforts to improve team dynamics may benefit from focusing on improving the quality of role experiences, in conjunction with developing realistic role expectations.

  15. Leveraging the Social Role of Dad to Change Gender Stereotypes of Men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Bernadette; Banchefsky, Sarah

    2018-04-01

    Trait stereotypes of men tend to be more fixed and negative than those of women. The current studies test whether stereotypes of men can be shifted through leveraging their social role as fathers. Trait attributes perceived to characterize women and moms were highly redundant, but those of men and dads were less so; moreover, men were perceived more negatively than dads, women, and moms (Study 1). Perceivers for whom the social role father was made salient rated men more similarly to dads, and no less similarly to men, and rated men more positively relative to a control condition (Study 2). Finally, among men, a threat to the category men resulted in greater opposition to benevolent social policies, but not if the social role father was primed (Study 3). Discussion focuses on positive consequences of increasing the psychological connection between men and fatherhood.

  16. The retail store managers' role: Evidence from Greece

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zairis, A.

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Despite the fact that the retail manager's role is determinant for a store's performance, and there is abundant wisdom about how to be an outstanding manager or what are the characteristics of a successful retail manager, there is no detailed description about the store managers' role or their actual work. Furthermore, the continuous developments in the retail sector have established different roles and created higher levels of responsibility for store managers. The aim of the present paper is to empirically investigate the role of retail store managers in Greece and identify any potential differences in terms of personal characteristics, tasks and various job-related factors. For the purposes of this research a survey was conducted focusing on the sectors of apparel/footwear and food, in an attempt to explore any potential differences within the two divisions. The results revealed the profile of the Greek store managers (male, over the age of 40, with a secondary level of education and more than five years of work experience and their multi-factor role. The three major roles that they perform were labeled as: sales oriented, supervisor, and customer experience oriented. The research also indicated that the two most popular sub-sectors in the Greek retail industry employ different profile managers. The issues of work experience, job satisfaction and security were also analysed.

  17. Heterogeneity of Systemic Oxidative Stress Profiles in COPD: A Potential Role of Gender

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonathan Maury

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Oxidative stress (OS plays a key role in the muscle impairment and exercise capacity of COPD patients. However, the literature reveals that systemic OS markers show great heterogeneity, which may hinder the prescription of effective antioxidant supplementation. This study therefore aimed to identify OS markers imbalance of COPD patients, relative to validated normal reference values, and to investigate the possibility of systemic OS profiles. We measured systemic enzymatic/nonenzymatic antioxidant and lipid peroxidation (LP levels in 54 stable COPD patients referred for a rehabilitation program. The main systemic antioxidant deficits in these patients concerned vitamins and trace elements. Fully 89% of the COPD patients showed a systemic antioxidant imbalance which may have caused the elevated systemic LP levels in 69% of them. Interestingly, two patient profiles (clusters 3 and 4 had a more elevated increase in LP combined with increased copper and/or decreased vitamin C, GSH, and GPx. Further analysis revealed that the systemic LP level was higher in COPD women and associated with exercise capacity. Our present data therefore support future supplementations with antioxidant vitamins and trace elements to improve exercise capacity, but COPD patients will probably show different positive responses.

  18. Profile of patients with brain tumors and the role of nursing care

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kênia Cristina Soares Fonseca de Magalhães

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: to describe the profile of 200 patients with central nervous system tumors (CNST, and the role of the nursing care. Method: prospective, quantitative and descriptive analysis of medical records of 200 patients with TSNC. Results: a total of 61% of our patients had benign CNST and 39% had malignant tumors. The extent of patient dependence, according to the Karnofsky Performance Status scale, was significantly greater for patients with malignant CNST (p < .05, indicating that these patients needed more support with their activities of daily living. Conclusion: patients with CNST need specialized care, with specific guidance regarding their disease and aspects of daily living after treatment. Thus, the nurse can function as a key element for the effectiveness of care provided to patients and family members with the aim of enhancing the quality of life of all those affected, directly or indirectly, by the disease.

  19. Subsidiary Role and Skilled Labour Effects in Small Developed Countries

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gammelgaard, Jens; McDonald, Frank; Tuselmann, Heinz; Dorrenbacher, Christoph; Stephan, Andreas; Mc Donald, F.; Dörrenbächer, C.

    This paper considers the proportion of skilled labour employed by subsidiaries in small countries in the context of the strategic role of subsidiaries. Strategic role is connected to autonomy and intra-organisational relationships and the mandates given to the subsidiary. In the paper, we draw on

  20. A ROle-Oriented Filtering (ROOF) approach for collaborative recommendation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghani, Imran; Jeong, Seung Ryul

    2016-09-01

    In collaborative filtering (CF) recommender systems, existing techniques frequently focus on determining similarities among users' historical interests. This generally refers to situations in which each user normally plays a single role and his/her taste remains consistent over the long term. However, we note that existing techniques have not been significantly employed in a role-oriented context. This is especially so in situations where users may change their roles over time or play multiple roles simultaneously, while still expecting to access relevant information resources accordingly. Such systems include enterprise architecture management systems, e-commerce sites or journal management systems. In scenarios involving existing techniques, each user needs to build up very different profiles (preferences and interests) based on multiple roles which change over time. Should this not occur to a satisfactory degree, their previous information will either be lost or not utilised at all. To limit the occurrence of such issues, we propose a ROle-Oriented Filtering (ROOF) approach focusing on the manner in which multiple user profiles are obtained and maintained over time. We conducted a number of experiments using an enterprise architecture management scenario. In so doing, we observed that the ROOF approach performs better in comparison with other existing collaborative filtering-based techniques.

  1. Profiles of Attribution of Importance to Life Roles and Their Implications for the Work-Family Conflict

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cinamon, Rachel Gali; Rich, Yisrael

    2002-01-01

    Cluster analysis identified 3 groups of individuals who differed systematically on attributions of relative importance to work and to family roles. Participants were 213 married computer workers and lawyers, 126 men and 87 women. Questionnaires gathered data on attributions of importance to life roles, work-family conflict, spousal and managerial…

  2. Mastering the leader role : how individuals in leader roles increase leader role efficacy and trust in subordinates, (re)construct leader identities, and attempt to craft leader roles that fit

    OpenAIRE

    Gjerde, Susann

    2018-01-01

    People have a psychological need to master their environment and the roles they enact (Ashforth, 2001). Individuals who take on leader roles are no exception. However, as the leader role is filled with complex, demanding, conflicting and ambiguous role expectations (Conger & Fishel, 2007; Denis, Langley, & Pineault, 2000; Levin, 2010) mastering the leader role may be particularly challenging. This thesis addresses three complementary approaches to mastering the leader role and deals with each...

  3. Interest communities and flow roles in directed networks: the Twitter network of the UK riots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beguerisse-Díaz, Mariano; Garduño-Hernández, Guillermo; Vangelov, Borislav; Yaliraki, Sophia N; Barahona, Mauricio

    2014-12-06

    Directionality is a crucial ingredient in many complex networks in which information, energy or influence are transmitted. In such directed networks, analysing flows (and not only the strength of connections) is crucial to reveal important features of the network that might go undetected if the orientation of connections is ignored. We showcase here a flow-based approach for community detection through the study of the network of the most influential Twitter users during the 2011 riots in England. Firstly, we use directed Markov Stability to extract descriptions of the network at different levels of coarseness in terms of interest communities, i.e. groups of nodes within which flows of information are contained and reinforced. Such interest communities reveal user groupings according to location, profession, employer and topic. The study of flows also allows us to generate an interest distance, which affords a personalized view of the attention in the network as viewed from the vantage point of any given user. Secondly, we analyse the profiles of incoming and outgoing long-range flows with a combined approach of role-based similarity and the novel relaxed minimum spanning tree algorithm to reveal that the users in the network can be classified into five roles. These flow roles go beyond the standard leader/follower dichotomy and differ from classifications based on regular/structural equivalence. We then show that the interest communities fall into distinct informational organigrams characterized by a different mix of user roles reflecting the quality of dialogue within them. Our generic framework can be used to provide insight into how flows are generated, distributed, preserved and consumed in directed networks.

  4. Social roles among recruits in Switzerland: Do social roles relate to alcohol use and does role change have an impact?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuntsche, Sandra; Astudillo, Mariana; Gmel, Gerhard

    2016-03-01

    Young men are likely to report high levels of alcohol use. Previous studies found a reduction in alcohol use when adopting adult social roles. This study examines the frequency of parenthood, partnership and stable employment among young men in Switzerland. It tests whether the alcohol use of those with adult social roles differs from those without and whether changes in social roles relate to changes in alcohol use. Data was available from 5025 men (20.0 years) at baseline (August 2010 to November 2011) and 15 months later. Changes in social roles and their impact on alcohol use were examined in multiple regression models. At baseline, 15.8% had a job and 4.9% a stable partner, and 1.5% had a child or were expecting one (30.5%, 6.1% and 2.2% at follow-up). Having a partner was associated with a significant decrease in annual frequency of drinking and weekly risky single-occasion drinking (RSOD) at follow-up. A higher number of social roles at follow-up was associated with a significant decrease in weekly RSOD. Apart from a significant decrease in weekly RSOD among those remaining in a stable partnership, role development was not found to have significant effects on alcohol use between baseline and follow-up. In Switzerland, an early engagement in permanent social roles is uncommon. Nevertheless, holding single or multiple social roles was commonly associated with reduced alcohol use, although not always significantly so. In western European countries, the engagement in adult social roles is postponed to later ages. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  5. Connecting Social Networks with Ecosystem Services for Watershed Governance: a Social-Ecological Network Perspective Highlights the Critical Role of Bridging Organizations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kaitlyn J. Rathwell

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available In many densely settled agricultural watersheds, water quality is a point of conflict between amenity and agricultural activities because of the varied demands and impacts on shared water resources. Successful governance of these watersheds requires coordination among different activities. Recent research has highlighted the role that social networks between management entities can play to facilitate cross-scale interaction in watershed governance. For example, bridging organizations can be positioned in social networks to bridge local initiatives done by single municipalities across whole watersheds. To better understand the role of social networks in social-ecological system dynamics, we combine a social network analysis of the water quality management networks held by local governments with a social-ecological analysis of variation in water management and ecosystem services across the Montérégie, an agricultural landscape near Montréal, Québec, Canada. We analyze municipal water management networks by using one-mode networks to represent direct collaboration between municipalities, and two-mode networks to capture how bridging organizations indirectly connect municipalities. We find that municipalities do not collaborate directly with one another but instead are connected via bridging organizations that span the water quality management network. We also discovered that more connected municipalities engaged in more water management activities. However, bridging organizations preferentially connected with municipalities that used more tourism related ecosystem services rather than those that used more agricultural ecosystem services. Many agricultural municipalities were relatively isolated, despite being the main producers of water quality problems. In combination, these findings suggest that further strengthening the water management network in the Montérégie will contribute to improving water quality in the region. However, such

  6. GENDER AND POVERTY: SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF FEMALE ROLE MODELS AND VULNERABILITY PROFILES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonella RISSOTTO

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available The contribution regards an analysis of gender-related role models and their relevance for poverty. Data were gathered using a semi-structured questionnaire. Poverty as a function of gender is interpreted in the present case in the light of the interrelation between economic disadvantages, inherent in the sy stems of integration, an d social exclusion, with special reference to the family and the labour market. From this point of view, the concept of dependence represents a strategic concept that may be broken down into the dimensions of: - economic (income source; - material (non economic help in the management of the family. It will be shown how gender models have a statistically significant weight in the distribution of a greater or lesser degree of dependence. Economic dependence and material dependence may be related back to two empirical typological indexes, wh ich summarize a set of semantically relevant indicators. Also an additional index of economic hardship has been constructed, which also summarizes specific indicators. In addition to gender profiles, the analysis takes into account specific categories of women, focusing attention on subjects that are potentially vulnerable to poverty (elderly women, women with precarious jobs and divorcees defining their specific profiles.

  7. Connectivity and functional profiling of abnormal brain structures in pedophilia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poeppl, Timm B; Eickhoff, Simon B; Fox, Peter T; Laird, Angela R; Rupprecht, Rainer; Langguth, Berthold; Bzdok, Danilo

    2015-06-01

    Despite its 0.5-1% lifetime prevalence in men and its general societal relevance, neuroimaging investigations in pedophilia are scarce. Preliminary findings indicate abnormal brain structure and function. However, no study has yet linked structural alterations in pedophiles to both connectional and functional properties of the aberrant hotspots. The relationship between morphological alterations and brain function in pedophilia as well as their contribution to its psychopathology thus remain unclear. First, we assessed bimodal connectivity of structurally altered candidate regions using meta-analytic connectivity modeling (MACM) and resting-state correlations employing openly accessible data. We compared the ensuing connectivity maps to the activation likelihood estimation (ALE) maps of a recent quantitative meta-analysis of brain activity during processing of sexual stimuli. Second, we functionally characterized the structurally altered regions employing meta-data of a large-scale neuroimaging database. Candidate regions were functionally connected to key areas for processing of sexual stimuli. Moreover, we found that the functional role of structurally altered brain regions in pedophilia relates to nonsexual emotional as well as neurocognitive and executive functions, previously reported to be impaired in pedophiles. Our results suggest that structural brain alterations affect neural networks for sexual processing by way of disrupted functional connectivity, which may entail abnormal sexual arousal patterns. The findings moreover indicate that structural alterations account for common affective and neurocognitive impairments in pedophilia. The present multimodal integration of brain structure and function analyses links sexual and nonsexual psychopathology in pedophilia. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Officiating Role Influences the Physical Match Activity Profiles of Rugby League Touch Judges and Referees

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pearce Leesa

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available This study investigated the effect of the officiating role on physical activity profiles of rugby league match officials during match-play. Physical performance indicators were collated from 23 match officials, resulting in 78 observations. Match officials were categorised into two groups: referees and touch judges. Microtechnology facilitated the quantification of total distance (m, relative distance (m⋅min-1, maximum velocity (m⋅s-1, the percentage of high intensity running distance (% total > 3.01 m⋅s-1, walking distance (5 m⋅s-1. Multivariate analysis modelled the main effect of the officiating role with follow up univariate analyses identifying significant differences. A significant effect was noted (V = 750; F(8, 66 = 24.71; p < 0.05 with referees covering a greater total distance (7767 ± 585 vs. 7022 ± 759 m, relative distance (90 ± 6 vs. 82 ± 8 m⋅min-1, jogging distance (3772 ± 752 vs. 3110 ± 553 m, and fast jogging distance (2565 ± 631 vs. 1816 ± 440 m compared to touch judges. Touch judges covered greater distances while sprinting (1012 ± 385 vs. 654 ± 241 m. Results provide important guidance in the development of training programs for match officials.

  9. Role theory: a framework to investigate the community nurse role in contemporary health care systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brookes, Kim; Davidson, Patricia M; Daly, John; Halcomb, Elizabeth J

    2007-01-01

    Nurses' perceptions of their role are influenced by societal attitudes, government policies and trends in professional issues. Dynamic factors in contemporary health environments challenge traditional nursing roles, in particular those of community nurses. Role theory is a conceptual framework that defines how individuals behave in social situations and how these behaviours are perceived by external observers. This paper reviews the role theory literature as a conceptual framework to explore community nurses' perceptions of their role. Three theoretical perspectives of role theory have emerged from the literature review: 1. social structuralism 2. symbolic interactionism and 3. the dramaturgical perspective. These philosophical perspectives provide a useful framework to investigate the role of community nurses in the contemporary health care system.

  10. Gender, life role importance, and work-family conflict in Indonesia: A non-western perspective

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kuntari, I.S.R.; Janssens, J.M.A.M.; Ginting, H.

    2017-01-01

    This study examined gender differences among profiles based on life role importance on work-family conflict. The sample consisted of 404 Indonesia working couples with children. We found four profiles based on their work and family role importance that is a Family, Work, Dual and a Low profile. More

  11. The role of personality and role engagement in work-family balance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Johanna Rantanen

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The relations between personality, role engagement, and a four-dimensional typology of work-family balance (WFB were examined within a community-based sample (n = 213 derived from the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (JYLS. The typology was formed based on both work-family conflict (WFC and enrichment (WFE experiences. The profiles of personality and role engagement differentiated the four WFB types – Beneficial, Harmful, Active, and Passive types. The Beneficial type (low WFC, high WFE; 48.4% was characterized by low neuroticism, high agreeableness and high conscientiousness. The opposite was observed for the Harmful type (high WFC, low WFE; 8.9%, which was also characterized by low family investment. In turn, high extraversion and high work and family investment characterized the Active type (high WFC, high WFE; 16.4%, whereas low extraversion and openness to experience as well as low work investment characterized the Passive type (low WFC, low WFE; 26.3%. Thus, rather than just being a unidimensional construct ranging from balance to imbalance, it is confirmed that WFB can also be seen as manifesting itself in multiple types, which are linked to meaningful differences in personality traits and role engagement.

  12. Aggression in Teachers is Related to Role Conflict and Role Ambiguity as Occupational Stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanchika, Masaru; Iwasaki, Shinichi; Konish, Akihito; Deguchi, Yasuhiko; Kobayashi, Yumi; Nakada, Akihiro; Inoue, Koki

    2015-12-01

    Aggression in the workplace is increasingly recognized as a serious problem, but there are few studies about worker aggression toward outsiders in the workplace. We investigated the association between aggression and occupational stress among teachers. This was a cross-sectional study of 1583 teachers, principals, and vice-principals. Aggression was measured using the Japanese version of the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BAQ). The survey respondents were classified into tertiles according to the BAQ score. The high BAQ group was defined as the upper tertile for the BAQ total score (BAQ total score 625). Occupational stress was measured using the Japanese version of the Generic Job Stress Questionnaire. Comparisons among the groups were performed using multiple logistic regression analysis. Of the 1583 respondents, 488 were included in the high BAQ group. After adjusting for demographic and occupational variables, high role conflict and role ambiguity were significantly associated with belonging to the high BAQ group. In subscales of the BAQ, high role conflict and role ambiguity related to high levels of hostility, and physical aggression. Occupational stress such as role conflict and role ambiguity was associated with aggression among teachers. It is necessary to reduce problems which relates to role conflict and role ambiguity for preventing teachers' aggression.

  13. The Information and Communication Technology User Role: Implications for the Work Role and Inter-Role Spillover.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piszczek, Matthew M; Pichler, Shaun; Turel, Ofir; Greenhaus, Jeffrey

    2016-01-01

    Management and organization research has traditionally focused on employees' work role and the interface between their work and family roles. We suggest that persons assume a third role in modern society that is relevant to work and organizations, namely the Information and Communication Technology User (ICTU) role. Based on role theory and boundary theory, we develop propositions about the characteristics of this role, as well as how ICTU role characteristics are related to boundary spanning activity, inter-role spillover with the work role, and work role performance. To this end, we first conceptualize the ICTU role and its associations with work and family roles. We then apply identity theory and boundary management theory to advance our understanding of how the ICTU role is related to criteria that are important to individuals and to organizations, namely self-selection into certain types of work roles and positive and negative inter-role spillover. The implications of this role for theory, research, and practice in management and organizations are discussed.

  14. TCP Throughput Profiles Using Measurements over Dedicated Connections

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rao, Nageswara S. [ORNL; Liu, Qiang [ORNL; Sen, Satyabrata [ORNL; Towsley, Don [University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Vardoyan, Gayane [University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Kettimuthu, R. [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL); Foster, Ian [University of Chicago

    2017-06-01

    Wide-area data transfers in high-performance computing infrastructures are increasingly being carried over dynamically provisioned dedicated network connections that provide high capacities with no competing traffic. We present extensive TCP throughput measurements and time traces over a suite of physical and emulated 10 Gbps connections with 0-366 ms round-trip times (RTTs). Contrary to the general expectation, they show significant statistical and temporal variations, in addition to the overall dependencies on the congestion control mechanism, buffer size, and the number of parallel streams. We analyze several throughput profiles that have highly desirable concave regions wherein the throughput decreases slowly with RTTs, in stark contrast to the convex profiles predicted by various TCP analytical models. We present a generic throughput model that abstracts the ramp-up and sustainment phases of TCP flows, which provides insights into qualitative trends observed in measurements across TCP variants: (i) slow-start followed by well-sustained throughput leads to concave regions; (ii) large buffers and multiple parallel streams expand the concave regions in addition to improving the throughput; and (iii) stable throughput dynamics, indicated by a smoother Poincare map and smaller Lyapunov exponents, lead to wider concave regions. These measurements and analytical results together enable us to select a TCP variant and its parameters for a given connection to achieve high throughput with statistical guarantees.

  15. The motivational theory of role modeling : How role models influence role aspirants' goals

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Morgenroth, Thekla; Ryan, Michelle K.; Peters, Kim

    2015-01-01

    Role models are often suggested as a way of motivating individuals to set and achieve ambitious goals, especially for members of stigmatized groups in achievement settings. Yet, the literature on role models tends not to draw on the motivational literature to explain how role models may help role

  16. Incubating a Space Strategy: The Role of Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-06-01

    Instruction in broad ranging subjects was given to “round out complete education as an Air Corps officer, especially where he will have close...development of space education ; and the internal connections within the military remain strong at ACSC, while the external connections, especially to...INCUBATING A SPACE STRATEGY: THE ROLE OF EDUCATION BY ELISABETH K. WHITE A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OF

  17. Are Universities Role Models for Communities? A Gender Perspective

    OpenAIRE

    Felicia Cornelia MACARIE; Octavian MOLDOVAN

    2012-01-01

    The present paper explores the degree in which universities could/should serve as role models for communities from the perspective of gender integration. Although the theoretical/ moral answer would be affirmative (universities should be in such a position that would allow local communities to regard them as role models of gender integration), the primary empirical analysis leads to another conclusion. A brief theoretical review (that connects gender discrimination, sustainable development, u...

  18. Mothers with depression, anxiety or eating disorders: outcomes on their children and the role of paternal psychological profiles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cimino, Silvia; Cerniglia, Luca; Paciello, Marinella

    2015-04-01

    The present paper aims to longitudinally assess the emotional functioning of children of mothers with depression, anxiety, or eating disorders and of mothers with no psychological disorders and to evaluate the possible mediating role of fathers' psychological profiles on children's internalizing/externalizing functioning using SCID I, SCL-90/R and CBCL/1½-5. The results showed maternal psychopathology to be strongly related to children's maladaptive profiles. Children of mothers with depression and anxiety showed higher internalizing scores than children of other groups. These scores increased from T1 to T2. Children of mothers with eating disorders showed higher and increasing externalizing scores than children of other groups. The data showed that fathers' interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety and psychoticism significantly predicted internalizing problems of the children. Moreover, interpersonal sensitivity and psychoticism significantly predicted externalizing problems. Our results confirmed the impact of maternal psychopathology on maladaptive outcomes in their children, which suggests the importance of considering paternal psychological profiles.

  19. Proteomics Analysis to Assess the Role of Mitochondria in BRCA1-Mediated Breast Tumorigenesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Concolino

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Mitochondria are the organelles deputed to energy production, but they are also involved in carcinogenesis, cancer progression, and metastasis, playing a role in altered energy metabolism in cancer cells. Mitochondrial metabolism is connected with several mitochondrial pathways such as ROS signaling, Ca2+ homeostasis, mitophagy, and mitochondrial biogenesis. These pathways are merged in an interactive super-network that seems to play a crucial role in cancer. Germline mutations of the BRCA1 gene account for 5–10% of breast cancers and confer a risk of developing the disease 10- to 20-fold much higher than in non-carriers. By considering metabolic networks that could reconcile both genetic and non-genetic causal mechanisms in BRCA1 driven tumorigenesis, we herein based our study on the hypothesis that BRCA1 haploinsufficiency might drive metabolic rewiring in breast epithelial cells, acting as a push toward malignant transformation. Using 2D-DIGE we analyzed and compared the mitochondrial proteomic profile of sporadic breast cancer cell line (MCF7 and BRCA1 mutated breast cancer cell line (HCC1937. Image analysis was carried out with Decider Software, and proteins differentially expressed were identified by LC-MS/MS on a quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometer Q-Exactive. Ingenuity pathways analysis software was used to analyze the fifty-three mitochondrial proteins whose expression resulted significantly altered in response to BRCA1 mutation status. Mitochondrial Dysfunction and oxidative phosphorylation, and energy production and nucleic acid metabolism were, respectively, the canonical pathway and the molecular function mainly affected. Western blotting analysis was done to validate the expression and the peculiar mitochondrial compartmentalization of specific proteins such us HSP60 and HIF-1α. Particularly intriguing is the correlation between BRCA1 mutation status and HIF-1α localization into the mitochondria in a BRCA1 dependent manner

  20. Are Universities Role Models for Communities? A Gender Perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Felicia Cornelia MACARIE

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available The present paper explores the degree in which universities could/should serve as role models for communities from the perspective of gender integration. Although the theoretical/ moral answer would be affirmative (universities should be in such a position that would allow local communities to regard them as role models of gender integration, the primary empirical analysis leads to another conclusion. A brief theoretical review (that connects gender discrimination, sustainable development, universities and local communities is followed by an empirical analysis that compares the management structures of 12 Romanian Universities of Advanced Research and Education (the best Romanian universities according to a national ranking with those of four local communities where they are located (as geographic proximity would lead to a better diffusion of best practices. Contrary to initial expectations, even in higher education institutions, women are underrepresented both in executive and legislative positions. Since universities are subject to the same major patterns of gender discrimination (such as role theory, glass ceiling and glass elevator as private and public organizations, they lose the moral high ground that theory would suggest. However, medicine and pharmacy universities that can be connected with the traditional roles attributed to women provide better gender integration, but glass escalator phenomena remain present even in these limited fields.

  1. Case studies and role play: learning strategies in nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cogo, Ana Luísa Petersen; Pai, Daiane Dal; Aliti, Graziella Badin; Hoefel, Heloísa Karnas; Azzolin, Karina de Oliveira; Busin, Lurdes; Unicovsky, Margarita Ana Rubin; Kruse, Maria Henriqueta Luce

    2016-01-01

    to report professors' experience in a public university of Southern region of Brazil using case studies and role play as learning strategies for nursing care of hospitalized adults. learning experience report from the Nursing Care of Adults I class of nursing undergraduate course. the development of case studies and role play considered health care needs from epidemiological profile of chronic noncommunicable diseases morbidity and mortality, nursing as an assisting method, and social aspects of hospitalized individuals. Role play planning was made by creating a stage in laboratory of practices and dialogues comprising students and professors interaction. case studies and role play encouraged students to active search for learning and brought theory closer to real health care situations.

  2. [Marketing role of corneal graft tissue donation to an eye bank and donors' socioeconomic profile].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farias, Roberta Jansen de Mello; Sousa, Luciene Barbosa de

    2008-01-01

    Penetrating keratoplasty has been the leading and the most successful type of transplant in the world, however corneal deficiency is a commom problem usually presented to corneal surgeons. Impact evaluation of the number of corneal graft donations to the Sorocaba Eye Bank after the implementation of a corneal graft procurement system; to draw the socioeconomic profile of corneal graft donors of the Sorocaba Eye Bank (SEB). Retrospective study on donations to SEB from its creation and after the development of media marketing. Prospective analysis of the socioeconomic profile of corneal graft donors by a questionnaire sent as letters to the families of the donors in a certain month. SEB began its work in 1971 by spreading need of organ donation through lectures in churches, shopping malls, community meetings, radio programs, television programs, etc. In the 70s, the number of retrieved corneal grafts was 1 or 2/month. Between 1984 - 1989 a procurement coordination team was trained to act in mortuaries and by 2000 they also began to work in public hospitals. In 1984 only 260 corneal grafts were retrieved. This number has been increasing to 2,778 corneal graft donations in 2004. The questionnaire was answered by 76 of the 93 donor families, with a response rate of 81.7%. Donor age had a mean of 65.1 +/- 14.7 y/o, forty-two (55.3%) were men. Educational level of the donor families was an important factor for organ donation, once 36.8% had concluded high school and 34.2% completed university. The great majority, sixty-three (82.9%) of the corneal grafts were donated through the efforts of the procurement coordination team. The role of the media and institutional credibility are mandatory for public commitment to organ donation. The proficiency of the procurement coordination team requires intensive training, as the results show that 82.9% donations were made thanks to their efforts.

  3. The role and meaning of vocations in the transition from education to work

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Christian Helms

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to explore current patterns of transition from education to work in the Dual System of VET in Denmark. First it will explore some of the significant changes that have taken place in the transition process. Then it will discuss two dimensions of the role of vocations...... and occupations in the transition process. One dimension is to connect the edu-cational system with the employment system. The other is to offer imagined future identities for young people entering vocational education. The last part of the paper will present some findings from two research projects on the role...... and meaning of vocations in the transition from education to work in the Danish dual system....

  4. [Connective tissue and inflammation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jakab, Lajos

    2014-03-23

    The author summarizes the structure of the connective tissues, the increasing motion of the constituents, which determine the role in establishing the structure and function of that. The structure and function of the connective tissue are related to each other in the resting as well as inflammatory states. It is emphasized that cellular events in the connective tissue are part of the defence of the organism, the localisation of the damage and, if possible, the maintenance of restitutio ad integrum. The organism responds to damage with inflammation, the non specific immune response, as well as specific, adaptive immunity. These processes are located in the connective tissue. Sterile and pathogenic inflammation are relatively similar processes, but inevitable differences are present, too. Sialic acids and glycoproteins containing sialic acids have important roles, and the role of Siglecs is also highlighted. Also, similarities and differences in damages caused by pathogens and sterile agents are briefly summarized. In addition, the roles of adhesion molecules linked to each other, and the whole event of inflammatory processes are presented. When considering practical consequences it is stressed that the structure (building up) of the organism and the defending function of inflammation both have fundamental importance. Inflammation has a crucial role in maintaining the integrity and the unimpaired somato-psychological state of the organism. Thus, inflammation serves as a tool of organism identical with the natural immune response, inseparably connected with the specific, adaptive immune response. The main events of the inflammatory processes take place in the connective tissue.

  5. The Role of Work-Nonwork Boundary Management in Work Stress Recovery

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kinnunen, Ulla; Rantanen, Johanna; de Bloom, Jessica; Mauno, Saija; Feldt, Taru; Korpela, Kalevi

    The aim of the present study conducted among 1,106 Finnish employees was to identify boundary management profiles based on cross-role interruption behaviors from work to nonwork and from nonwork to work. Adopting a person-oriented approach through latent profile analysis, 5 profiles were identified:

  6. Japanese anime and women's gender-role changing

    OpenAIRE

    Yu, Shunyao

    2015-01-01

    Feminism is a fast growing phenomenon in recent years. This paper started with the historical conflict of marriage and feminism, then researched the connection between anime and gender-role. Since Japanese anime was imported to China in 1980s, it has influenced the generation born in 1980s and 1990s in many aspects of their growth. These well-educated people perceived the Japanese culture and values through anime. This study connected gender stereotypes and marriage, and how Chinese well-educ...

  7. [Partiturogram: (new) tool in the evaluation of an opera roles].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Epron, J P; Coulombeau, B; Fussi, F

    2010-01-01

    The partiturogram is a tool that was defined in the 1990s by Franco Fussi. It aims to display all the music notes of an opera role as a histogram. Several parameters are then calculated in order to define the vocal profile of the role, as well as help the singer choose from various options. We have decided to use this tool to study Norma and Sonnambula, two roles which were specifically written for the same singer described as a dramatic soprano. Over time, both roles have been allocated to radically different voices. The partiturogram confirms the similarity of the vocal types of both roles, but gives no explanation as to the differences in the casting decisions. We have therefore established its limits, and we have submitted a study including new parameters in order to refine the characterization of roles.

  8. Current Opinions and Areas of Consensus on the Role of the Cerebellum in Dystonia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shakkottai, Vikram G; Batla, Amit; Bhatia, Kailash; Dauer, William T; Dresel, Christian; Niethammer, Martin; Eidelberg, David; Raike, Robert S; Smith, Yoland; Jinnah, H A; Hess, Ellen J; Meunier, Sabine; Hallett, Mark; Fremont, Rachel; Khodakhah, Kamran; LeDoux, Mark S; Popa, Traian; Gallea, Cécile; Lehericy, Stéphane; Bostan, Andreea C; Strick, Peter L

    2017-04-01

    A role for the cerebellum in causing ataxia, a disorder characterized by uncoordinated movement, is widely accepted. Recent work has suggested that alterations in activity, connectivity, and structure of the cerebellum are also associated with dystonia, a neurological disorder characterized by abnormal and sustained muscle contractions often leading to abnormal maintained postures. In this manuscript, the authors discuss their views on how the cerebellum may play a role in dystonia. The following topics are discussed: The relationships between neuronal/network dysfunctions and motor abnormalities in rodent models of dystonia. Data about brain structure, cerebellar metabolism, cerebellar connections, and noninvasive cerebellar stimulation that support (or not) a role for the cerebellum in human dystonia. Connections between the cerebellum and motor cortical and sub-cortical structures that could support a role for the cerebellum in dystonia. Overall points of consensus include: Neuronal dysfunction originating in the cerebellum can drive dystonic movements in rodent model systems. Imaging and neurophysiological studies in humans suggest that the cerebellum plays a role in the pathophysiology of dystonia, but do not provide conclusive evidence that the cerebellum is the primary or sole neuroanatomical site of origin.

  9. Examining Neuronal Connectivity and Its Role in Learning and Memory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gala, Rohan

    Learning and long-term memory formation are accompanied with changes in the patterns and weights of synaptic connections in the underlying neuronal network. However, the fundamental rules that drive connectivity changes, and the precise structure-function relationships within neuronal networks remain elusive. Technological improvements over the last few decades have enabled the observation of large but specific subsets of neurons and their connections in unprecedented detail. Devising robust and automated computational methods is critical to distill information from ever-increasing volumes of raw experimental data. Moreover, statistical models and theoretical frameworks are required to interpret the data and assemble evidence into understanding of brain function. In this thesis, I first describe computational methods to reconstruct connectivity based on light microscopy imaging experiments. Next, I use these methods to quantify structural changes in connectivity based on in vivo time-lapse imaging experiments. Finally, I present a theoretical model of associative learning that can explain many stereotypical features of experimentally observed connectivity.

  10. Role modeling excellence in clinical nursing practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, R N Beth

    2009-01-01

    Role modeling excellence in clinical nursing practice is the focus of this paper. The phenomenological research study reported involved a group of 8 nurses identified by their colleagues as exemplary. The major theme revealed in this study was that these exemplary nurses were also excellent role models in the clinical setting. This paper details approaches used by these nurses that made them excellent role models. Specifically, the themes of attending to the little things, making connections, maintaining a light-hearted attitude, modeling, and affirming others are presented. These themes are discussed within the framework of Watson [Watson, J., 1989. Human caring and suffering: a subjective model for health services. In: Watson, J., Taylor, R. (Eds.), They Shall Not Hurt: Human Suffering and Human Caring. Colorado University, Boulder, CO] "transpersonal caring" and [Bandura, A., 1997. Social Learning Theory. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ] "Social Learning Theory." Particular emphasis in the discussion is on how positive role modeling by exemplary practitioners can contribute to the education of clinical nurses in the practice setting.

  11. The role of microbiota in retinal disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    The ten years since the first publications on the human microbiome project have brought enormous attention and insight into the role of the human microbiome in health and disease. Connections between populations of microbiota and ocular disease are now being established, and increased accessibility ...

  12. Role of Flexibility in Sustainable Port Development

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Taneja, P.; Vellinga, T.; Ros, R.

    2012-01-01

    Sustainability has become a high profile objective in all aspects of our lives, including the development of our infrastructures. Flexibility can enhance sustainability endeavors, yet its contribution is not clear to most. In this paper we investigate the role of flexibility in sustainable port

  13. Forecast of solar proton flux profiles for well-connected events

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Eun-Young; Moon, Yong-Jae; Park, Jinhye

    2014-12-01

    We have developed a forecast model of solar proton flux profiles (> 10 MeV channel) for well-connected events. Among 136 solar proton events (SPEs) from 1986 to 2006, we select 49 well-connected ones that are all associated with single X-ray flares stronger than M1 class and start to increase within 4 h after their X-ray peak times. These events show rapid increments in proton flux. By comparing several empirical functions, we select a modified Weibull curve function to approximate a SPE flux profile. The parameters (peak flux, rise time, and decay time) of this function are determined by the relationship between X-ray flare parameters (peak flux, impulsive time, and emission measure) and SPE parameters. For 49 well-connected SPEs, the linear correlation coefficient between the predicted and the observed proton peak fluxes is 0.65 with the RMS error of 0.55 log10(pfu). In addition, we determine another forecast model based on flare and coronal mass ejection (CME) parameters using 22 SPEs. The used CME parameters are linear speed and angular width. As a result, we find that the linear correlation coefficient between the predicted and the observed proton peak fluxes is 0.83 with the RMS error of 0.35 log10(pfu). From the relationship between error of model and CME acceleration, we find that CME acceleration is an important factor for predicting proton flux profiles.

  14. The role of connectivity and hydrodynamic conditions in the configuration of ichthyoplankton assemblages in coastal lagoons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pérez-Ruzafa, Angel; Quispe, Jhoni I.; Umgiesser, Georg; Ghezzo, Michol; De Pascalis, Francesca; Marcos, Concepción

    2014-05-01

    Fish assemblages in coastal lagoons are constituted by species with different gilds and life stories including estuarine residents but also a high percentage of marine stragglers and marine migrants. Previous studies showed that different ichthyoplancton assemblages can be identified inside a lagoon, depending on hydrological conditions, but at the same time a high spatial and temporal variability haven observed. The proposed models to explain lagoon assemblages configuration based on probabilities of colonization from the open sea involves an important stochastic component and introduces some randomness that could lead to that high spatial and temporal variability at short and long-term scales. In this work we analyze the relationship between ichthyoplankton assemblages in the Mar Menor lagoon and the adjacent open sea in the framework of the hydrodynamics of the lagoon and connectivity between sampling stations using hydrodynamic models. The results, show a complex interaction between the different factors that lead to a highly variable system with high accumulated richness and diversity of species, and a large proportion of occasional visitors and stragglers suggesting that the mechanisms of competitive lottery can play an important role in the maintenance of communities of coastal lagoons , where environmental variability occurs in a system with strong differences in colonization rates and connectivity, not only with the open sea, but also between locations within the lagoon.

  15. A Functional Role for Antibodies in Tuberculosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Lenette L; Chung, Amy W; Rosebrock, Tracy R; Ghebremichael, Musie; Yu, Wen Han; Grace, Patricia S; Schoen, Matthew K; Tafesse, Fikadu; Martin, Constance; Leung, Vivian; Mahan, Alison E; Sips, Magdalena; Kumar, Manu P; Tedesco, Jacquelynne; Robinson, Hannah; Tkachenko, Elizabeth; Draghi, Monia; Freedberg, Katherine J; Streeck, Hendrik; Suscovich, Todd J; Lauffenburger, Douglas A; Restrepo, Blanca I; Day, Cheryl; Fortune, Sarah M; Alter, Galit

    2016-10-06

    While a third of the world carries the burden of tuberculosis, disease control has been hindered by a lack of tools, including a rapid, point-of-care diagnostic and a protective vaccine. In many infectious diseases, antibodies (Abs) are powerful biomarkers and important immune mediators. However, in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, a discriminatory or protective role for humoral immunity remains unclear. Using an unbiased antibody profiling approach, we show that individuals with latent tuberculosis infection (Ltb) and active tuberculosis disease (Atb) have distinct Mtb-specific humoral responses, such that Ltb infection is associated with unique Ab Fc functional profiles, selective binding to FcγRIII, and distinct Ab glycosylation patterns. Moreover, compared to Abs from Atb, Abs from Ltb drove enhanced phagolysosomal maturation, inflammasome activation, and, most importantly, macrophage killing of intracellular Mtb. Combined, these data point to a potential role for Fc-mediated Ab effector functions, tuned via differential glycosylation, in Mtb control. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Stability and Change in Adjustment Profiles Among Chinese American Adolescents: The Role of Parenting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Su Yeong; Wang, Yijie; Shen, Yishan; Hou, Yang

    2015-09-01

    Asian American adolescents are often depicted as academically successful but psychologically distressed, a pattern known as the achievement/adjustment paradox. In a sample of 444 Chinese American adolescents (54 % females), we identified three distinct patterns of adjustment in early adolescence, middle adolescence, and emerging adulthood: the well-adjusted group, which was the largest, exhibited high achievement and low psychological distress; the poorly-adjusted group exhibited poor achievement and moderate distress; and the paradox group exhibited relatively high achievement and high distress. More than half of the adolescents remained in the same profile over time. Adolescents with supportive parents were more likely to stay well-adjusted, and those with "tiger" parents were more likely to stay in the paradox group over time. The present study focused on the critical role of parenting in early adolescence, highlighting variations in Chinese American adolescents' adjustment in multiple domains over time.

  17. Expression profile and prognostic role of sex hormone receptors in gastric cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gan, Lu; He, Jian; Zhang, Xia; Zhang, Yong-Jie; Yu, Guan-Zhen; Chen, Ying; Pan, Jun; Wang, Jie-Jun; Wang, Xi

    2012-01-01

    Increasing interest has been devoted to the expression and possible role of sex hormone receptors in gastric cancer, but most of these findings are controversial. In the present study, the expression profile of sex hormone receptors in gastric cancer and their clinicopathological and prognostic value were determined in a large Chinese cohort. The mRNA and protein expression of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), estrogen receptor beta (ERβ), progesterone receptor (PR), and androgen receptor (AR) in primary gastric tumors and corresponding adjacent normal tissues from 60 and 866 Chinese gastric cancer patients was detected by real-time quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry method, respectively. The expression profile of the four receptors was compared and their associations with clinicopathological characteristics were assessed by using Chi-square test. The prognostic value of the four receptors in gastric cancer was evaluated by using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. The presence of ERα, ERβ, PR, and AR in both gastric tumors and normal tissues was confirmed but their expression levels were extremely low except for the predominance of ERβ. The four receptors were expressed independently and showed a decreased expression pattern in gastric tumors compared to adjacent normal tissues. The positive expression of the four receptors all correlated with high tumor grade and intestinal type, and ERα and AR were also associated with early TNM stage and thereby a favorable outcome. However, ERα and AR were not independent prognostic factors for gastric cancer when multivariate survival analysis was performed. Our findings indicate that the sex hormone receptors may be partly involved in gastric carcinogenesis but their clinicopathological and prognostic significance in gastric cancer appears to be limited

  18. On-Line Role-Play as a Teaching Method in Engineering Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cobo, Adolfo; Conde, Olga Ma.; Quintela, Ma. Ángeles; Mirapéix, Jesús Ma.; López-Higuera, José Miguel

    2011-01-01

    In this paper we propose adapting role-play teaching methodology to engineering studies. The role of a maintenance technician, a relevant job profile for engineering graduates is has chosen. The interaction is based on email exchange, with the instructor included in the simulation to help guide the activity and achieve learning objectives. In this…

  19. The Role of School Nurses, Challenges, and Reactions to Delegation Legislation: A Qualitative Approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lineberry, Michelle; Whitney, Elizabeth; Noland, Melody

    2018-06-01

    Passage of new laws, national standards regarding delegation, and the recommendation for at least one full-time nurse in every school have provided more visibility to the role of school nurses. Recent legislative amendments in Kentucky presented an opportunity to examine how the role of the school nurse is changing. Aims were to describe the (1) role of school nurses in Kentucky, (2) impact of school nurses, (3) challenges faced by school nurses, and (4) impact of budget cuts and legislation. Three focus groups were conducted. School nurses faced challenges of limited time and resources, communication barriers, and multiple documentation requirements. Nurses' greatest impacts were their availability, recognition of psychosocial problems and health concerns, and connection with resources. Nurses had not yet encountered many changes due to new legislation that expanded delegation of diabetes-related tasks to unlicensed school personnel, but some had concerns about possible negative effects while others expressed support.

  20. The emerging role of respiratory physiotherapy: A profile of the attitudes of nurses and physicians in Saudi Arabia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al Mohammedali, Zainab; O'Dwyer, Tom K; Broderick, Julie M

    2016-01-01

    Respiratory physiotherapy plays a key role in the management and treatment of patients with respiratory diseases worldwide, yet this specialty is not well established in Saudi Arabia. To profile the attitudes among physicians and nurses toward physiotherapists working in respiratory care settings in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted. A questionnaire was developed consisting of 23 items, which was distributed both electronically and in paper form to physicians and nurses working in hospitals and health-care centers in Saudi Arabia. Physicians and nurses working outside of Saudi Arabia, and other health professionals, were excluded from the study. A total of 284 questionnaires were returned (nurses: n = 158; physicians: n = 126). The majority believed that physiotherapists have the skills to be involved in respiratory care (79.9%, n = 226) and that physiotherapists are an important member of the Intensive Care Unit team (90.4%, n = 255). Most respondents ( n = 232, 82.9%) felt in need of more information regarding the role of physiotherapy within respiratory care; significantly more nurses than physicians believed they needed additional education ( P = 0.002). Specialized physicians were more likely than nonspecialized physicians to refer respiratory patients to physiotherapy ( P Saudi Arabia. The need for further education for physicians and nurses on the role of physiotherapy in respiratory care was highlighted; this would enable physiotherapy to develop and be further integrated into the respiratory care multidisciplinary team.

  1. The role of grid-connected, building-integrated photovoltaic generation in commercial building energy and power loads in a warm and sunny climate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Braun, P.; Ruether, R.

    2010-01-01

    For large commercial buildings, power load delivery limits are contracted with the local electricity distribution utility, and are usually fixed at one or more levels over the year, according to the seasonal building loads, and depending on the specific country regulations. Especially in warm and sunny climates, solar electricity generation using building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) can assist in reducing commercial building loads, offering peak-shaving (power) benefits on top of the on-site generation of electricity (energy). This on-site power delivery capability gives these consumers the possibility of renegotiating demand contracts with their distribution utility. Commercial buildings that operate during daytime quite often have an energy consumption profile that is well matched by solar radiation availability, and depending on the building's available surface areas, BIPV can generate considerable portions of the energy requirements. In this work we present the role of grid-connected BIPV in reducing the load demands of a large and urban commercial building located in a warm climate in Brazil. The building and adjacent car parking lots can accommodate a 1 MWp BIPV generator, which closely matches the building's typical maximum power demands. Based on real solar radiation data and simultaneous building electricity demands for the year 2007, simulation of the annual solar generation profile of this on-site generator showed that the 1 MWp BIPV system could account for around 30% of the total building's energy consumption. In addition to the energy benefit, maximum power demands were reduced due to a good match between midday air-conditioning cooling loads and solar radiation availability on both a daily and seasonal basis. Furthermore, we have simulated the effect of this considerably large urban-sited generator on the local distribution network load, and have shown that the 1 MWp BIPV installation can also offer considerable benefits to the local utility in

  2. Perceived Role Achievement and Role Expectation of Local ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    USER

    Keywords: Local governments, role expectations and role achievements, southeast .... Four point, five point and three point Likert- type scales were used to measure role ... (2009) reports that procurement of farm inputs for farmers is one of the.

  3. Keeping experience at the bedside: the emergency consultant nurse role.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Currie, Jane

    The consultant nurse concept has not yet been transferred to the military setting. The motivation for developing the role in the NHS was to improve the quality of patient care by strengthening professional leadership and extending the clinical career ladder. The consultant nurse may be defined as an expert in their clinical field, possessing expert leadership and visionary skills. The role is based on four domains: expert practice, professional leadership, education and research. Typically, the emergency consultant nurse spends 50% of their time working clinically, thereby providing senior clinical expertise and adding value to the clinical role. In a military context the consultant nurse role could be perceived as the coming together of the senior command and administrative role and the clinical role. The military has the opportunity to develop a senior clinical emergency nurse role encompassing elements of the civilian consultant nurse model, which may strengthen leadership, provide a central resource of expertise and raise the profile of military nursing. This has the added potential to provide inspiration for junior nurses and retain experienced emergency nurses in the clinical arena.

  4. A microarray of ubiquitylated proteins for profiling deubiquitylase activity reveals the critical roles of both chain and substrate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loch, Christian M; Strickler, James E

    2012-11-01

    Substrate ubiquitylation is a reversible process critical to cellular homeostasis that is often dysregulated in many human pathologies including cancer and neurodegeneration. Elucidating the mechanistic details of this pathway could unlock a large store of information useful to the design of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. Proteomic approaches to the questions at hand have generally utilized mass spectrometry (MS), which has been successful in identifying both ubiquitylation substrates and profiling pan-cellular chain linkages, but is generally unable to connect the two. Interacting partners of the deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs) have also been reported by MS, although substrates of catalytically competent DUBs generally cannot be. Where they have been used towards the study of ubiquitylation, protein microarrays have usually functioned as platforms for the identification of substrates for specific E3 ubiquitin ligases. Here, we report on the first use of protein microarrays to identify substrates of DUBs, and in so doing demonstrate the first example of microarray proteomics involving multiple (i.e., distinct, sequential and opposing) enzymatic activities. This technique demonstrates the selectivity of DUBs for both substrate and type (mono- versus poly-) of ubiquitylation. This work shows that the vast majority of DUBs are monoubiquitylated in vitro, and are incapable of removing this modification from themselves. This work also underscores the critical role of utilizing both ubiquitin chains and substrates when attempting to characterize DUBs. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Ubiquitin Drug Discovery and Diagnostics. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. The role of leadership in regional climate change adaptation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meijerink, Sander; Stiller, Sabina; Keskitalo, E.C.H.; Scholten, Peter; Smits, Robert; Lamoen, van Frank

    2015-01-01

    This paper aims to better understand the role of leadership in regional climate change adaptation. We first present a framework, which distinguishes five functions of leadership within inter-organizational networks: the connective, enabling, adaptive, political–administrative and dissemination

  6. Gender, multiple roles, role meaning, and mental health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, R W

    1995-06-01

    This paper examines gender differences in the consequences of combining spouse, parent, and worker roles for mental health. I suggest that work and family roles have different meanings for males and females, and that differences in the meaning of these roles may be partially responsible for why the mental health advantages of holding multiple roles are fewer for women than for men. Based on qualitative analyses of follow-up, in-depth interviews with 40 employed married parents who participated in a community panel study of mental health, I find that sex differences in the perceived relationship between work and family roles may help account for sex differences in distress by contributing to male-female differences in both the extent and nature of work-parent conflicts, attributions of responsibility for marital problems, feelings of guilt, and self-evaluations as parents and spouses. By identifying gender differences in the meaning of roles among individuals who have the same multiple role configuration, and suggesting how these differences can help explain sex differences in well-being; this research may expand existing theories about the mental health consequences of multiple role involvements.

  7. From Folktales to Algorithms: Developing the Teacher's Role as Principal Storyteller in the Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daniel, A. K.

    2007-01-01

    Whilst much thought has been given to the use of storytelling as a tool in the development of children's oral skills, little has been considered with regard to the role of the teacher as a model of good practice in storytelling, as principle storyteller in the classroom. In this paper I have tried to connect a pragmatic approach to classroom…

  8. A Diverging View of Role Modeling in Medical Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gurjit Sandhu

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Research in the area of role modeling has primarily focused on the qualities and attributes of exceptional role models, and less attention has been given to the act of role modeling itself (Elzubeir & Rizk, 2001; Jochemsen-van der Leeuw, van Dijk, van Etten-Jamaludin, & Wieringa-de Waard, 2013; Wright, 1996; Wright, Wong, & Newill, 1997. A standardized understanding of role modeling in medical education remains elusive (Kenny, Mann, & MacLeod, 2003. This is problematic given that role modeling is pervasively documented as an approach to teaching (Reuler & Nardone, 1994. Our study attempts to fill a void in this body of research by looking at what faculty are thinking, saying, and doing when they say they are role modeling. Individual semi-structured interviews with faculty members were conducted in the Department of General Surgery at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using qualitative methods for themes surrounding teaching and role modeling. Three major themes emerged from the data: (1 faculty members think they are teaching when they are acting professionally; (2 faculty members become aware of teaching opportunities and act on them; and (3 faculty members employ evidence-based teaching methods, but they are incorrectly labeling them as “role modeling.” As a whole, our findings should help distinguish between role modeling as roles and responsibilities enacted while doing one’s job well, and teaching as facilitated instruction that helps connect knowledge with action (Clayton, 2006; Fassbinder, 2007. Contributing to a better understanding of how teaching is separate from role modeling has the potential to improve the scope and quality of teaching, ultimately enhancing the learning experience for trainees.

  9. Life histories of female elementary teachers and their science/teacher role construction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramseur, Aletha Johnson

    The research conducted in this study focuses on life histories of female elementary teachers and their science/teacher role construction. Identity theorists argue that the self consists of a collection of identities founded on occupying a particular role. Who we are depends on the roles we occupy. These roles are often referred to as "role identities". In the case of these participants, many role identities (mother, wife, sibling, and teacher) exist. This study focuses primarily on their (science) teacher role identity. Literature on women's lives, as learners and teachers, suggest that women's experiences, currently and throughout history influenced their teacher role construction. There is however, little knowledge of women's lives as elementary teachers of science and the affect of their experiences, currently and throughout history, on their (science) teacher identity construction. Schools delineated by race, class, and gender relations, are similar to other sectors of society's, social and cultural spheres within which race, class, and gender identities are constructed. Using in-depth-interviews female elementary teachers were encouraged to actively reconstruct their life and work-life experiences focusing on family, school and science interactions. They addressed the intellectual and emotional connections between their life and work experiences by focusing on details of their past and present experiences and examining the meaning of those experiences. It was the scrutiny of these connections between their life and work experiences, the meaning derived from them and historical events, and the constraints imposed on their personal choices by broader power relations, such as those of class, race, and gender that informed why we teach, how we teach, and what we teach.

  10. Role Overload, Role Self Distance, Role Stagnation as Determinants of Job Satisfaction and Turnover Intention in Banking Sector

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kunte, Monica; Gupta, Priya; Bhattacharya, Sonali; Neelam, Netra

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: This study examined the relationship of the organizational role stress: Role overload, role self-distance, and role stagnation with job satisfaction and turnover intention with a sample of banking employees in India. Methodology: In this research, we used the RODS scale developed by Prohit and Pareek (2010) for measuring occupational role scale. The reliability of the scale came out to be 0.71. Findings: The majority of employees of all ranks, in both private and public sector banks, suffer from high role stress of all types. It was found that role overload and role stagnation are inversely associated with banking employees' job satisfaction. Private sector bank employees have more role stress and more unsatisfied than employees of public sector banks. Employees Turnover intention was found to be positively impacted by job satisfaction, contrary to many other studies. Possible reasons have been suggested. Job satisfaction was found to play a partial mediating role in the relationship between role overload and turnover intention with 40% mediation. Further, employees with longer tenure (work experience) have less role stress and are more satisfied. Originality: This study is unique in the sense there is hardly any study linking role stress to job satisfaction and turnover intention, specially in Indian context. PMID:29200554

  11. Role Overload, Role Self Distance, Role Stagnation as Determinants of Job Satisfaction and Turnover Intention in Banking Sector.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kunte, Monica; Gupta, Priya; Bhattacharya, Sonali; Neelam, Netra

    2017-01-01

    This study examined the relationship of the organizational role stress: Role overload, role self-distance, and role stagnation with job satisfaction and turnover intention with a sample of banking employees in India. In this research, we used the RODS scale developed by Prohit and Pareek (2010) for measuring occupational role scale. The reliability of the scale came out to be 0.71. The majority of employees of all ranks, in both private and public sector banks, suffer from high role stress of all types. It was found that role overload and role stagnation are inversely associated with banking employees' job satisfaction. Private sector bank employees have more role stress and more unsatisfied than employees of public sector banks. Employees Turnover intention was found to be positively impacted by job satisfaction, contrary to many other studies. Possible reasons have been suggested. Job satisfaction was found to play a partial mediating role in the relationship between role overload and turnover intention with 40% mediation. Further, employees with longer tenure (work experience) have less role stress and are more satisfied. This study is unique in the sense there is hardly any study linking role stress to job satisfaction and turnover intention, specially in Indian context.

  12. Role Performance and Role Valuation Among Occupational Therapy Students in Norway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tore Bonsaksen

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: The Model of Human Occupation describes roles as providing the person with a framework around which to organize daily occupations. Role performance and role valuation in young adults may be related to gender, but there are few research studies to date to support this view. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional design using a sample of 87 occupational therapy students in Norway. We used the Role Checklist to assess the students’ performance and valuation of roles, and a variety of statistical procedures were employed in the analysis. Results: Compared to the female participants, males performed roles in the community, social, and civic life area of participation more frequently. Otherwise, male and female participants were largely equal in current role performance. For most roles, we found associations between role performance and high valuation of the respective roles. Discussion: Gender appears to be a factor of relevance for our understanding of role performance. This study suggests that occupational therapists should consider the societal as well as the personal aspects of roles. In addition, occupational therapy interventions could aim toward improving congruence between the roles clients perform and the value these roles have for them

  13. PENGARUH ROLE AMBIGUITY DAN ROLE CONFLICT TERHADAP KOMITMEN INDEPENDENSI AUDITOR INTERNAL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angga Prasetyo

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to determine the influence of role conflict (role conflict against the commitmentof internal auditors’ independence, and know the effect of role ambiguity (role ambiguity ofthe Internal Auditor independence commitment. Data was collected through primary method byusing a questionnaire. Then performed the data analysis that includes classical assumption test,F test, t test, and analysis of coefficient of determination (R2. To analyze using SPSS softwareversion 16. Based on research result shows that role conflict has a significant negative effect oncommitment to the independence of internal auditors, and role ambiguity (role ambiguity has asignificant negative effect on commitment to the independence of internal auditors. While basedon simultaneous test (F test, role conflict (role conflict and role ambiguity (role ambiguity havean influence on the commitment of internal auditor independence.

  14. Taking into Account the Role of the Weathering Profile in Determining Hydrodynamic Properties of Hard Rock Aquifers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahamadou Koïta

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The present study aims at understanding the role of the structure and the geometry of the weathering profile on the hydrodynamic behavior of hard rock aquifers. We first described 2D geophysical cross sections of weathering profiles realized and validated on an experimental site. Next, we implemented five long-term pumping tests in wells drilled at various locations of these cross sections. Finally, we chose the appropriate analytical solutions to determine the hydrodynamic parameters in consistence with the structure and the geometry of the weathering profile. Results reveal that land covers, weathering type and thickness, presence of no flow boundaries, etc. are all factors that explain the flow regime, which appears therefore much less unpredictable. In other words, the 2D geophysical data are enough to locate the best permeable areas, or the areas where the structure of the aquifer without impervious boundaries and with leakage favor a good long-term behavior of the well. The values of aquifer’s transmissivity vary between 5.10−3 and 4.10−5 m2/s. The storage varies between 0.06 and 7.10−7. The variability of these parameters from site to site reflects the high heterogeneity of hard rock aquifers.

  15. A potential role for CCN2/CTGF in aggressive colorectal cancer

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ubink, Inge; Verhaar, Elisha R; Kranenburg, Onno; Goldschmeding, Roel

    CCN2, also known as connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is a transcriptional target of TGF-β signaling. Unlike its original name ("CTGF") suggested, CCN2 is not an actual growth factor but a matricellular protein that plays an important role in fibrosis, inflammation and connective tissue

  16. Invasion by nonnative brook trout in Panther Creek, Idaho: Roles of local habitat quality, biotic resistance, and connectivity to source habitats

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benjamin, Joseph R.; Dunham, Jason B.; Dare, M.R.

    2007-01-01

    Theoretical models and empirical evidence suggest that the invasion of nonnative species in freshwaters is facilitated through the interaction of three factors: habitat quality, biotic resistance, and connectivity. We measured variables that represented each factor to determine which were associated with the occurrence of nonnative brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis in Panther Creek, a tributary to the Salmon River, Idaho. Habitat variables included measures of summer and winter temperature, instream cover, and channel size. The abundance of native rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss within sampled sites was used as a measure of biotic resistance. We also considered the connectivity of sample sites to unconfined valley bottoms, which were considered habitats that may serve as sources for the spread of established populations of brook trout. We analyzed the occurrence of small (<150‐mm [fork length]) and large (≥150‐mm) brook trout separately, assuming that the former represents an established invasion while accounting for the higher potential mobility of the latter. The occurrence of small brook trout was strongly associated with the proximity of sites to large, unconstrained valley bottoms, providing evidence that such habitats may serve as sources for the spread of brook trout invasion. Within sites, winter degree‐days and maximum summer temperature were positively associated with the occurrence of small brook trout. The occurrence of large brook trout was not related to any of the variables considered, perhaps due to the difficulty of linking site‐specific habitat factors to larger and more mobile individuals. The abundance of rainbow trout was not conclusively associated with the occurrence of either small or large brook trout, providing little support for the role of biotic resistance. Overall, our results suggest that source connectivity and local habitat characteristics, but not biotic resistance, influence the establishment and spread of

  17. Reduced modulation of thalamocortical connectivity during exposure to sensory stimuli in ASD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Shulamite A; Hernandez, Leanna; Bookheimer, Susan Y; Dapretto, Mirella

    2017-05-01

    Recent evidence for abnormal thalamic connectivity in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and sensory processing disorders suggests the thalamus may play a role in sensory over-responsivity (SOR), an extreme negative response to sensory stimuli, which is common in ASD. However, there is yet little understanding of changes in thalamic connectivity during exposure to aversive sensory inputs in individuals with ASD. In particular, the pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus is implicated in atypical sensory processing given its role in selective attention, regulation, and sensory integration. This study aimed to examine the role of pulvinar connectivity in ASD during mildly aversive sensory input. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to examine connectivity with the pulvinar during exposure to mildly aversive auditory and tactile stimuli in 38 youth (age 9-17; 19 ASD, 19 IQ-matched typically developing (TD)). Parents rated children's SOR severity on two standard scales. Compared to TD, ASD participants displayed aberrant modulation of connectivity between pulvinar and cortex (including sensory-motor and prefrontal regions) during sensory stimulation. In ASD participants, pulvinar-amygdala connectivity was correlated with severity of SOR symptoms. Deficits in modulation of thalamocortical connectivity in youth with ASD may reflect reduced thalamo-cortical inhibition in response to sensory stimulation, which could lead to difficulty filtering out and/or integrating sensory information. An increase in amygdala connectivity with the pulvinar might be partially responsible for deficits in selective attention as the amygdala signals the brain to attend to distracting sensory stimuli. Autism Res 2017, 10: 801-809. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. The roles of connective tissue growth factor in the development of anastomotic esophageal strictures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Haibin; Zhao, Lingna; Zhou, Zhihua; Wu, Yaoyi

    2015-08-12

    The aim of this study was to investigate the roles of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in the development of anastomotic strictures after surgical repair of the esophagus. Tissues collected from the patients were divided into three groups based on the results of endoscopy and clinical grading. Patients without dysphagia after esophagectomy were used as the control population. The protein levels of CTGF, TGF-β1, Smad2, and Smad4 were determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blot analyses, while the mRNA levels of the two growth factors were evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Compared with the control group, significantly increased (p tissues collected from the patients with stenosis were significantly up-regulated (p < 0.05) as compared with those from the control group. In addition, the levels of Smad2 and Smad4 protein were also significantly increased (p < 0.05) with the increasing severity of stenosis, and the protein levels were positively correlated with the levels of CTGF (r = 0.59, p < 0.05) and TGF-β1 (r = 0.63, p < 0.05). Inhibition of CTGF protein or mRNA expression may be a distinctive and effective therapy for the treatment of postoperative anastomotic strictures.

  19. Profiling Academic Research on Massively Multiplayer On-line Role-Play Gaming (MMORPG 2000-2009: Horizons for Educational Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Harold Castañeda Peña

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Whilst there exists a large body of publications around Massively Multiplayer On-line Role-Play Gaming (MMORPG, there is little profiling academic research on this type of game. This study aims at unveiling what, when, where and who constitute scholarly work in research about MMORPG. A 777-register dataset was configured with primary documents taken from 16 databases and two web-portals. The dataset was drilled down using specialized text-mining software. Findings revealed four main research interests that comprise the games themselves, gaming experiences, systems architecture and educational MMORPG. It was also found that research on this topic started out in 2002 and some milestones of emerging research were charted out. The most prolific organizations and authors were also identified in which the USA, Canada and Italy occupy outstanding places. It is recommended that research profiling studies be carried out to extend more informed literature reviews and support further research questions.

  20. Profiling Academic Research on Massively Multiplayer On-line Role-Play Gaming (MMORPG 2000-2009: Horizons for Educational Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Harold Castañeda Peña

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17227/01234870.38folios75.94 Whilst there exists a large body of publications around Massively Multiplayer On-line Role-Play Gaming (MMORPG, there is little profiling academic research on this type of game. This study aims at unveiling what, when, where and who constitute scholarly work in research about MMORPG. A 777-register dataset was configured with primary documents taken from 16 databases and two web-portals. The dataset was drilled down using specialized text-mining software. Findings revealed four main research interests that comprise the games themselves, gaming experiences, systems architecture and educational MMORPG. It was also found that research on this topic started out in 2002 and some milestones of emerging research were charted out. The most prolific organizations and authors were also identified in which the USA, Canada and Italy occupy outstanding places. It is recommended that research profiling studies be carried out to extendmore informed literature reviews and support further research questions.

  1. The Role of e-Portfolios in Supporting Productive Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Min; Tai, Mui; Lim, Cher Ping

    2016-01-01

    e-Portfolios are a form of authentic assessment with formative functions that include showcasing and sharing learning artifacts, documenting reflective learning processes, connecting learning across various stages and enabling frequent feedback for improvements. This paper examines how e-portfolios take up these formative roles to support…

  2. Setting Sight on Role Playing: To Accommodate or to Repudiate?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ika Apriani Fata

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available To set sight on role play by means to look at EFL teacher’s experience and students’ perspectives of role play (RP technique enactment in teaching speaking by using qualitative design. This research was a qualitative study. It was discharged at a Senior high school in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. It provided work for the instrument of observation sheet, field notes and interview guide, and also questionnaire. The methodology designated the combination of four mountainsides to expose in-depth the urgency of role play in which applied since 1936. The result of interview was exposed that the English teacher claimed that role play was a technique applied to promote speaking and it was corroborated by the result of field note. Likewise, regarding students’ perspective depicted that the students indeed agreed on themselves of the usefulness of role play to enhance their speaking skill and motivation. Thus, Students asserted that the learning was more fun and enjoyable through role play itself. It is merely found in this research study that role playing can accommodate students’ need and teacher’s side in English language teaching. Nevertheless, this article applies a small subject as the participant. Therefore, the researchers recommended to have a deep look at reasoning students’ point of view in terms of role play technique implementation in non-English class. And see ascertains how beneficial it is in terms of role play (RP in a large classroom.

  3. A role of valence particles number equal to 20

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, V.; Kumar, S.; Hasan, Z.; Kumar, D.; Pradeep; Koranga, B.S.; Kumar, S.; Negi, D.

    2012-01-01

    The importance of the N p N n parametrization was first demonstrated by Casten in connection with the role of the proton-neutron interaction in the growth of deformation away from shell closures, and there have subsequently been many developments in this theme. The symbols N p and N n are number of valence particles/holes of protons and neutrons, respectively (where nucleons are counted as holes beyond the middle of a major shell). The observables which reflect collective structure in the deformed mass region for even-even nuclei such as E(2 + ), R 4/2 ≡ E(4 + )/E(2 + ) and B(E2) have behaved smoothly with N p N n

  4. Roles of Communication Problems and Communication Strategies on Resident-Related Role Demand and Role Satisfaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savundranayagam, Marie Y; Lee, Christopher

    2017-03-01

    This study investigated the impact of dementia-related communication difficulties and communication strategies used by staff on resident-related indicators of role demand and role satisfaction. Formal/paid long-term care staff caregivers (N = 109) of residents with dementia completed questionnaires on dementia-related communication difficulties, communication strategies, role demand (ie, residents make unreasonable demands), and role satisfaction (measured by relationship closeness and influence over residents). Three types of communication strategies were included: (a) effective repair strategies, (b) completing actions by oneself, and (c) tuning out or ignoring the resident. Analyses using structural equation modeling revealed that communication problems were positively linked with role demand. Repair strategies were positively linked with relationship closeness and influence over residents. Completing actions by oneself was positively linked to role demand and influence over residents, whereas tuning out was negatively linked with influence over residents. The findings underscore that effective caregiver communication skills are essential in enhancing staff-resident relationships.

  5. Interactive network analysis of the plasma amino acids profile in a mouse model of hyperglycemia

    OpenAIRE

    Tanaka, Takayuki; Mochida, Taiga; Maki, Yukihiro; Shiraki, Yasuko; Mori, Hiroko; Matsumoto, Shirou; Shimbo, Kazutaka; Ando, Toshihiko; Nakamura, Kimitoshi; Endo, Fumio; Okamoto, Masahiro

    2013-01-01

    Amino acids are a group of metabolites that are important substrates for protein synthesis, are important as signaling molecules and play central roles as highly connected metabolic hubs, and therefore, there are many reports that describe disease-specific abnormalities in plasma amino acids profile. However, the causes of progression from a healthy control to a manifestation of the plasma amino acid changes remain obscure. Here, we extended the plasma amino acids profile to relationships tha...

  6. The geometric role of symmetry breaking in gravity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wise, Derek K

    2012-01-01

    In gravity, breaking symmetry from a group G to a group H plays the role of describing geometry in relation to the geometry of the homogeneous space G/H. The deep reason for this is Cartan's 'method of equivalence,' giving, in particular, an exact correspondence between metrics and Cartan connections. I argue that broken symmetry is thus implicit in any gravity theory, for purely geometric reasons. As an application, I explain how this kind of thinking gives a new approach to Hamiltonian gravity in which an observer field spontaneously breaks Lorentz symmetry and gives a Cartan connection on space.

  7. The Effect of Role Ambiguity and Role Conflict on Performance of Vice Principals: The Mediating Role of Burnout

    Science.gov (United States)

    Celik, Kazim

    2013-01-01

    Problem Statement: Role ambiguity and role conflict are considered issues that affect performance and lead to burnout. While numerous studies have analyzed role ambiguity or role conflict in relation to burnout or performance, few studies have studied all of these issues together. Since vice principals are expected to carry out a variety of…

  8. Role models for complex networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reichardt, J.; White, D. R.

    2007-11-01

    We present a framework for automatically decomposing (“block-modeling”) the functional classes of agents within a complex network. These classes are represented by the nodes of an image graph (“block model”) depicting the main patterns of connectivity and thus functional roles in the network. Using a first principles approach, we derive a measure for the fit of a network to any given image graph allowing objective hypothesis testing. From the properties of an optimal fit, we derive how to find the best fitting image graph directly from the network and present a criterion to avoid overfitting. The method can handle both two-mode and one-mode data, directed and undirected as well as weighted networks and allows for different types of links to be dealt with simultaneously. It is non-parametric and computationally efficient. The concepts of structural equivalence and modularity are found as special cases of our approach. We apply our method to the world trade network and analyze the roles individual countries play in the global economy.

  9. The effect of maternal role training program on role attainment and maternal role satisfaction in nulliparous women with unplanned pregnancy

    OpenAIRE

    Kordi, Masoumeh; Fasanghari, Maryam; Asgharipour, Negar; Esmaily, Habibollah

    2017-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: The maternal role is one of the most basic and important roles played by women during their lifetime. The process of the maternal role starts during pregnancy and to continue and develop after postpartum with the growth of suckling. However, unplanned pregnancy may jeopardize achieving the maternal role and reduce maternal role satisfaction. Therefore, the researcher conducted the present study to determine the impact of maternal role training program on attainment of role and r...

  10. Linking perceptions of role stress and incivility to workplace aggression: the moderating role of personality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Shannon G; Kluemper, Donald H

    2012-07-01

    Although research on workplace aggression has long recognized job stressors as antecedents, little is known about the process through which employee responses to stressful workplace demands escalate from relatively mild interactions into more intense behaviors. This study investigates the influence that employees' perceptions of role stress (ambiguity, conflict, overload) have on their aggressive behavior by affecting their perceptions of incivility, and whether these downstream effects depend on personality traits (neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness). Results supported moderated mediation, such that the indirect effects of perceived role ambiguity and role conflict on enacted aggression through experienced incivility varied according to individual differences in personality.

  11. THE PERCEPTION OF PHYSIOTHERAPISTS OF KARACHI IN THEIR ROLE TO REHABILITATE AND MANAGE OBESITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Sarfraz

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: Physiotherapists as providers of primary health care are well placed in promoting physical activity and lifestyles changes, but the role and practice of physiotherapist towards its promotion among obese individuals has not been fully investigated. The objective of this study is to examine perceptions of Karachi physiotherapists regarding their role in management of obesity, the learning needs for, and hurdles facing by them in the rehabilitation. Methods: It was cross-sectional survey that has been conducted among 100 Physiotherapists from three tertiary care hospitals & universities of Karachi from April to June 2013. There has been used Self-administered questionnaire and sampling was Convenient Purposive sampling in qualitative research. Descriptive statistics were calculated for all variables using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 17. Questionnaire was intended to determine physiotherapist’s perceptions of their role and consisted of questions about respondent’s demographics profile, practice and domains related to management of obesity and associated conditions. Result: In this study 93% of participants agreed that physiotherapists has role in the management of patients with obesity by developing exercise interventions.95% plays role in functional mobility and 94%in cardio respiratory training programme. In this study participants were found less aware about weight loss management. Barrier found in patient treatment is due to lack of patient motivation. Conclusion: This study revealed physiotherapist played important role in patient rehabilitation management with obesity, especially in a area of mobility and exercise prescription for conditions associated with obesity. In future there is need to take into account the different perspectives of physical therapy and with a larger sample size representing all four states of Pakistan.

  12. Role of nursing professionals in the Colombian health system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oneys del Carmen De Arco-Canoles

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The nursing professional is able to provide care to people and communities from the different roles he or she assumes in the health system and that affect the quality of life of society. Objective: To identify in the scientific evidence published between 2011 and 2017 the role of nursing in the health system. Materials and methods: The bibliographic search was carried out in the data bases SciELO, PubMed, LILACS and Science Direct. Complete articles were selected in Spanish and English that presented in their titles the descriptors: nursing, role of nursing, health systems, advanced professional practice. Results: Fifty published studies were selected, which studied the health systems in Latin America, seeking to orient the role of nursing between 2011 and 2017. Three categories of interest could be found: Internships in the field of hospitality, community-based practices and teaching and research management. Conclusion: Despite the importance of the role played by nursing professionals in Colombia, there is no differentiation of profiles and functions within the health team; therefore, it is necessary to delimit some functions, to recover fields of action, strengthen leadership, autonomy and humanization in the provision of services.

  13. Anomalous brain functional connectivity contributing to poor adaptive behavior in Down syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pujol, Jesus; del Hoyo, Laura; Blanco-Hinojo, Laura; de Sola, Susana; Macià, Dídac; Martínez-Vilavella, Gerard; Amor, Marta; Deus, Joan; Rodríguez, Joan; Farré, Magí; Dierssen, Mara; de la Torre, Rafael

    2015-03-01

    Research in Down syndrome has substantially progressed in the understanding of the effect of gene overexpression at the molecular level, but there is a paucity of information on the ultimate consequences on overall brain functional organization. We have assessed the brain functional status in Down syndrome using functional connectivity MRI. Resting-state whole-brain connectivity degree maps were generated in 20 Down syndrome individuals and 20 control subjects to identify sites showing anomalous synchrony with other areas. A subsequent region-of-interest mapping served to detail the anomalies and to assess their potential contribution to poor adaptive behavior. Down syndrome individuals showed higher regional connectivity in a ventral brain system involving the amygdala/anterior temporal region and the ventral aspect of both the anterior cingulate and frontal cortices. By contrast, lower functional connectivity was identified in dorsal executive networks involving dorsal prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices and posterior insula. Both functional connectivity increases and decreases contributed to account for patient scoring on adaptive behavior related to communication skills. The data overall suggest a distinctive functional organization with system-specific anomalies associated with reduced adaptive efficiency. Opposite effects were identified on distinct frontal and anterior temporal structures and relative sparing of posterior brain areas, which is generally consistent with Down syndrome cognitive profile. Relevantly, measurable connectivity changes, as a marker of the brain functional anomaly, could have a role in the development of therapeutic strategies addressed to improve the quality of life in Down syndrome individuals. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Cognitive profile in Duchenne muscular dystrophy boys without intellectual disability: The role of executive functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Battini, R; Chieffo, D; Bulgheroni, S; Piccini, G; Pecini, C; Lucibello, S; Lenzi, S; Moriconi, F; Pane, M; Astrea, G; Baranello, G; Alfieri, P; Vicari, S; Riva, D; Cioni, G; Mercuri, E

    2018-02-01

    The aim of our prospective observational study was to assess profiles of cognitive function and a possible impairment of executive functions in a cohort of boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy without intellectual and behavior disability. Forty Duchenne boys (range of age: 6 years to 11 years and 6 months) were assessed by Wechsler Intelligence scale and battery of tests including tasks assessing working memory and executive functions (inhibition and switching, problem solving and planning). In our cohort some aspects of cognitive function were often impaired. These included multitasking, problem solving, inhibition and working memory necessary to plan and direct goal oriented behavior. Our results support the suggestion that aspects of cognitive function could be impaired even in boys without intellectual disability and support the hypothesis that executive functions may play an important role in specific aspects of cognitive impairment in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. The role of tumor cell-derived connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) in pancreatic tumor growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennewith, Kevin L; Huang, Xin; Ham, Christine M; Graves, Edward E; Erler, Janine T; Kambham, Neeraja; Feazell, Jonathan; Yang, George P; Koong, Albert; Giaccia, Amato J

    2009-02-01

    Pancreatic cancer is highly aggressive and refractory to existing therapies. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) is a fibrosis-related gene that is thought to play a role in pancreatic tumor progression. However, CCN2 can be expressed in a variety of cell types, and the contribution of CCN2 derived from either tumor cells or stromal cells as it affects the growth of pancreatic tumors is unknown. Using genetic inhibition of CCN2, we have discovered that CCN2 derived from tumor cells is a critical regulator of pancreatic tumor growth. Pancreatic tumor cells derived from CCN2 shRNA-expressing clones showed dramatically reduced growth in soft agar and when implanted s.c. We also observed a role for CCN2 in the growth of pancreatic tumors implanted orthotopically, with tumor volume measurements obtained by positron emission tomography imaging. Mechanistically, CCN2 protects cells from hypoxia-mediated apoptosis, providing an in vivo selection for tumor cells that express high levels of CCN2. We found that CCN2 expression and secretion was increased in hypoxic pancreatic tumor cells in vitro, and we observed colocalization of CCN2 and hypoxia in pancreatic tumor xenografts and clinical pancreatic adenocarcinomas. Furthermore, we found increased CCN2 staining in clinical pancreatic tumor tissue relative to stromal cells surrounding the tumor, supporting our assertion that tumor cell-derived CCN2 is important for pancreatic tumor growth. Taken together, these data improve our understanding of the mechanisms responsible for pancreatic tumor growth and progression, and also indicate that CCN2 produced by tumor cells represents a viable therapeutic target for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

  16. Role of DNA profiling in forensic odontology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S Leena Sakari

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The recent advances in DNA profiling have made DNA evidence to be more widely accepted in courts. This has revolutionized the aspect of forensic odontology. DNA profiling/DNA fingerprinting has come a long way from the conventional fingerprints. DNA that is responsible for all the cell′s activities, yields valuable information both in the healthy and diseased individuals. When other means of traditional identification become impossible following mass calamities or fire explosions, teeth provide a rich source of DNA as they have a high chemical as well as physical resistance. The recent evolution in the isolation of DNA and the ways of running a DNA fingerprint are highlighted in this literature review.

  17. Strategic Spatial Planning's Role in Legitimizing Investments in Transport Infrastructure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olesen, Kristian

    This paper discusses to what extent spatial visions might play an important role in not only supporting, but also legitimizing the need for investments in transport infrastructures. Drawing on discussion of an ‘infrastructure turn’ in strategic spatial planning (Dodson 2009), this paper explores...... how the recently proposed vision of a Loop City for the Danish/Swedish Øresund Region has played an important role in legitimizing and building political support for a light railway connecting the outer suburbs of Copenhagen. It is not unusual for large investments in new transport infrastructures...

  18. Role Overload, Role Self Distance, Role Stagnation as Determinants of Job Satisfaction and Turnover Intention in Banking Sector

    OpenAIRE

    Kunte, Monica; Gupta, Priya; Bhattacharya, Sonali; Neelam, Netra

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: This study examined the relationship of the organizational role stress: Role overload, role self-distance, and role stagnation with job satisfaction and turnover intention with a sample of banking employees in India. Methodology: In this research, we used the RODS scale developed by Prohit and Pareek (2010) for measuring occupational role scale. The reliability of the scale came out to be 0.71. Findings: The majority of employees of all ranks, in both private and public sector banks,...

  19. Online and face-to-face role-play simulations in promoting social work students’ argumentative problem solving

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kati Vapalahti

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper reports on a teaching experiment in which social work students (n=38 practiced problem solving through argumentative tasks. A teaching experiment was carried out at a Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences in Finland in connection with a course concerning preventative work against alcohol- and drug abuse. This quasi- experimental study investigated whether role-play simulation conducted either online (15 students or face-to-face (14 students improved students’ problem solving on social issues. As a pre-test, the students wrote an essay after having watched a dramatization of problematic cases on elderly people’s use of alcohol. The students also attended lectures (30 x 45 min on the effect of substance abuse and preventive work, and after the role-play simulation they wrote another essay (post-test. Nine controls wrote an essay without participating in the role-play simulation. Lastly, the students filled out feedback questionnaires.

  20. The Role(s) of Process Models in Design Practice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Iversen, Søren; Jensen, Mads Kunø Nyegaard; Vistisen, Peter

    2018-01-01

    This paper investigates how design process models are implemented and used in design-driven organisations. The archetypical theoretical framing of process models, describe their primary role as guiding the design process, and assign roles and deliverables throughout the process. We hypothesise...... that the process models also take more communicative roles in practice, both in terms of creating an internal design rationale, as well as demystifying the black box of design thinking to external stakeholders. We investigate this hypothesis through an interview study of four major danish design......-driven organisations, and analyse the different roles their archetypical process models take in their organisations. The main contribution is the identification of three, often overlapping roles, which design process models showed to assume in design-driven organisations: process guidance, adding transparency...

  1. Functional profiles reveal unique ecological roles of various biological soil crust organisms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowker, M.A.; Mau, R.L.; Maestre, F.T.; Escolar, C.; Castillo-Monroy, A. P.

    2011-01-01

    1. At the heart of the body of research on biodiversity effects on ecosystem function is the debate over whether different species tend to be functionally singular or redundant. When we consider ecosystem multi-function, the provision of multiple ecosystem functions simultaneously, we may find that seemingly redundant species may in fact play unique roles in ecosystems. 2. Over the last few decades, the significance of biological soil crusts (BSCs) as ecological boundaries and ecosystem engineers, and their multi-functional nature, has become increasingly well documented. We compiled 'functional profiles' of the organisms in this understudied community, to determine whether functional singularity emerges when multiple ecosystem functions are considered. 3. In two data sets, one representing multiple sites around the semi-arid regions of Spain (regional scale), and another from a single site in central Spain (local scale), we examined correlations between the abundance or frequency of BSC species in a community, and multiple surrogates of ecosystem functioning. There was a wide array of apparent effects of species on specific functions. 4. Notably, in gypsiferous soils and at regional scale, we found that indicators of carbon (C) and phosphorus cycling were apparently suppressed and promoted by the lichens Diploschistes diacapsis and Squamarina lentigera, respectively. The moss Pleurochaete squarrosa appears to promote C cycling in calcareous soils at this spatial scale. At the local scale in gypsiferous soils, D. diacapsis positively correlated with carbon cycling, but negatively with nitrogen cycling, whereas numerous lichens exhibited the opposite profile. 5. We found a high degree of functional singularity, i.e. that species were highly individualistic in their effects on multiple functions. Many functional attributes were not easily predictable from existing functional grouping systems based primarily on morphology. 6. Our results suggest that maintaining

  2. The Romanian International Profile and the Trade Connections with Mercosur

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ionel Sergiu Pirju

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The main objective of this study is to analyze the international profile of the Rumania and its trade connections with Mercosur Organization. It is also presented the Romanian infrastructure of business, the income level in Rumania, a cross cultural profile of the two regions, the national politics and the degree of openness to the European Union profile. The way to select foreign countries and markets involves a complex process in which each country is evaluated, the cross cultural study is the one who entice the importance of proximity as a key factor that can ensure the success of commercial activities between the exporting country and the country of the destination of the goods. The statistic hypotheses is: European Union membership affects the trade of Romania and its extremely high uncertainty avoidance is reflected in the reduced international competitiveness.

  3. Friends of friends: are indirect connections in social networks important to animal behaviour?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brent, Lauren J N

    2015-05-01

    Friend of a friend relationships, or the indirect connections between people, influence our health, well-being, financial success and reproductive output. As with humans, social behaviours in other animals often occur within a broad interconnected network of social ties. Yet studies of animal social behaviour tend to focus on associations between pairs of individuals. With the increase in popularity of social network analysis, researchers have started to look beyond the dyad to examine the role of indirect connections in animal societies. Here, I provide an overview of the new knowledge that has been uncovered by these studies. I focus on research that has addressed both the causes of social behaviours, i.e. the cognitive and genetic basis of indirect connections, as well as their consequences, i.e. the impact of indirect connections on social cohesion, information transfer, cultural practices and fitness. From these studies, it is apparent that indirect connections play an important role in animal behaviour, although future research is needed to clarify their contribution.

  4. The role of silicon interstitials in the deactivation and reactivation of high concentration boron profiles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aboy, Maria [Campus Miguel Delibes, University of Valladolid, 47011 Valladolid (Spain)]. E-mail: marabo@tel.uva.es; Pelaz, Lourdes [Campus Miguel Delibes, University of Valladolid, 47011 Valladolid (Spain); Marques, Luis A. [Campus Miguel Delibes, University of Valladolid, 47011 Valladolid (Spain); Lopez, Pedro [Campus Miguel Delibes, University of Valladolid, 47011 Valladolid (Spain); Barbolla, Juan [Campus Miguel Delibes, University of Valladolid, 47011 Valladolid (Spain); Venezia, V.C. [Philips Research Leuven, Leuven (Belgium); Duffy, R. [Philips Research Leuven, Leuven (Belgium); Griffin, Peter B. [Stanford University, Stanford, CA (United States)

    2004-12-15

    Boron cluster formation and dissolution in high concentration B profiles and the role of Si interstitials in these processes are analyzed by kinetic non-lattice Monte Carlo atomistic simulations. For this purpose, we use theoretical structures as simplifications of boron implants into preamorphized Si, followed by low-temperature solid phase epitaxial (SPE) regrowth or laser thermal annealing process. We observe that in the presence of high B concentrations (above 10{sup 20} cm{sup -3}), significant deactivation occurs during high temperature anneal, even in the presence of only equilibrium Si interstitials. The presence of additional Si interstitials from an end of range (EOR) damage region accelerates the deactivation process and makes B deactivation slightly higher. We show that B deactivation and reactivation processes can be clearly correlated to the evolution of Si interstitial defects at the EOR. The minimum level of activation occurs when the Si interstitial defects at EOR dissolve or form very stable defects.

  5. Measurement-based performance profiles and dynamics of UDT over dedicated connections

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Foster, Ian [University of Chicago; Kettimuthu, R. [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL); Wu, Qishi [University of Memphis; Yun, Daqing [Harrisburg University; Rao, Nageswara S. [ORNL; Liu, Qiang [ORNL

    2016-11-01

    Wide-area data transfers in high-performance computing and big data scenarios are increasingly being carried over dedicated network connections that provide high capacities at low loss rates. UDP-based transport protocols are expected to be particularly well-suited for such transfers but their performance is relatively unexplored over a wide range of connection lengths, compared to TCP over shared connections. We present extensive throughput measurements of UDP-based Data Transfer (UDT) over a suite of physical and emulated 10 Gbps connections. In sharp contrast to current UDT analytical models, these measurements indicate much more complex throughput dynamics that are sensitive to the connection modality, protocol parameters, and round-trip times. Lyapunov exponents estimated from the Poincare maps of UDT traces clearly indicate regions of instability and complex dynamics. We propose a simple model based on the ramp-up and sustainment regimes of a generic transport protocol, which qualitatively illustrates the dominant monotonicity and concavity properties of throughput profiles and relates them to Lyapunov exponents. These measurements and analytical results together enable us to comprehensively evaluate UDT performance and select parameters to achieve high throughput, and they also provide guidelines for designing effective transport protocols for dedicated connections.

  6. The role of active teaching programmes in academic skills ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The role of active teaching programmes in academic skills enhancement of Grade 12 Learners in the Stellenbosch Region. ... The premise of this study focused on the holistic approach to the human body, mainly the connection between the brain and the body. Learners attend school as holistic beings and both the body ...

  7. Leadership in Ophthalmology: The Role of Physician-MBAs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pathipati, Akhilesh S; Tsai, James C

    2018-04-01

    As American health care evolves, an increasing number of doctors are pursuing MBAs. However, relatively little is known about how business training translates into their future careers. This study characterizes ophthalmologists who have completed MBAs and identifies opportunities for physician leadership in the field. Cross-sectional study. We identified 120 ophthalmologists who hold MBAs. We searched each individual's online profiles to collect information on demographics, training, and professional activities. Physician-MBAs in ophthalmology are 80% male; 80% are fellowship trained; and 28% are in primarily nonclinical roles and 55% participate in significant nonclinical activity. Hospital administration is most common (31%), followed by pharmaceutical administration (7%) and consulting (5%). Older ophthalmologist-MBAs were more likely to work in nonclinical roles, with 79% of those who completed residency before 2000 engaged in significant nonclinical activity compared to 30% of those who completed residency after 2000. The most common employers of physician-MBAs in ophthalmology are academic medical centers (43%), large group practices (30%), and private practices (13%). The majority of ophthalmologist-MBAs work in primarily clinical roles, although a sizable proportion hold nonclinical positions. Moving forward, we anticipate an increased role for physician leaders in health care administration, policy, and entrepreneurship. While formal management training is not necessary for these roles, a growing number of physicians have sought out MBAs to support their nonclinical interests. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. DIFFERENCES OF THE ROLE AMBIGUITY IN OFFENSE RESPONSIBILITIES OF TEAM SPORTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karamousalidis, G.

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this research was to investigate the differences of the role ambiguity in offense responsibilitiesfor athletes of team sports. As sample were used 421 athletes of basketball (n=125, handball (n=106, volleyball(n=78 and soccer (n=112. We used the role ambiguity questionnaire (Role Ambiguity Scale, Beauchamp et al.,2002 and referred to the athletes’ responsibilities in offense.The correlations of items were high and ranged from .57 to .75, p <.01 whereas from the one way analysis (oneway, Anova appeared some statistically serious differences in one factor of role ambiguity (ambiguity inrelation to the scope of responsibilities in offense, F (3,415 = 4,416, p <.005. The volleyball and the handballathletes had more well defined roles regardless the scope of their responsibilities in offense, in relation to thoseof soccer. On the whole we come to the conclusion that among team sports there are not any differences in roleambiguity in offense responsibilities, except in one factor. More researches are necessary in connection to othervariables.

  9. THE ROLE OF ENTERPRISE PORTALS IN ENTERPRISE INTEGRATION

    OpenAIRE

    Gianina RIZESCU

    2006-01-01

    Today’s enterprises are moving business systems to the Internet - to connect people, business processes, and people to business processes in enterprise and across enterprise boundaries. The portal brings it all together: business processes, departmental sites, knowledge management resources, enterprise management systems, CRM systems, analytics, email, calendars, external content, transactions, administration, workflow, and more. The goal of this paper is to present the role of the Enterprise...

  10. Brain disorders and the biological role of music.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Camilla N; Downey, Laura E; Warren, Jason D

    2015-03-01

    Despite its evident universality and high social value, the ultimate biological role of music and its connection to brain disorders remain poorly understood. Recent findings from basic neuroscience have shed fresh light on these old problems. New insights provided by clinical neuroscience concerning the effects of brain disorders promise to be particularly valuable in uncovering the underlying cognitive and neural architecture of music and for assessing candidate accounts of the biological role of music. Here we advance a new model of the biological role of music in human evolution and the link to brain disorders, drawing on diverse lines of evidence derived from comparative ethology, cognitive neuropsychology and neuroimaging studies in the normal and the disordered brain. We propose that music evolved from the call signals of our hominid ancestors as a means mentally to rehearse and predict potentially costly, affectively laden social routines in surrogate, coded, low-cost form: essentially, a mechanism for transforming emotional mental states efficiently and adaptively into social signals. This biological role of music has its legacy today in the disordered processing of music and mental states that characterizes certain developmental and acquired clinical syndromes of brain network disintegration. © The Author (2014). Published by Oxford University Press.

  11. Relations between mental health team characteristics and work role performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fleury, Marie-Josée; Grenier, Guy; Bamvita, Jean-Marie; Farand, Lambert

    2017-01-01

    Effective mental health care requires a high performing, interprofessional team. Among 79 mental health teams in Quebec (Canada), this exploratory study aims to 1) determine the association between work role performance and a wide range of variables related to team effectiveness according to the literature, and to 2) using structural equation modelling, assess the covariance between each of these variables as well as the correlation with other exogenous variables. Work role performance was measured with an adapted version of a work role questionnaire. Various independent variables including team manager characteristics, user characteristics, team profiles, clinical activities, organizational culture, network integration strategies and frequency/satisfaction of interactions with other teams or services were analyzed under the structural equation model. The later provided a good fit with the data. Frequent use of standardized procedures and evaluation tools (e.g. screening and assessment tools for mental health disorders) and team manager seniority exerted the most direct effect on work role performance. While network integration strategies had little effect on work role performance, there was a high covariance between this variable and those directly affecting work role performance among mental health teams. The results suggest that the mental healthcare system should apply standardized procedures and evaluation tools and, to a lesser extent, clinical approaches to improve work role performance in mental health teams. Overall, a more systematic implementation of network integration strategies may contribute to improved work role performance in mental health care.

  12. The role of connective tissue in late effects of radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gerber, G.B.

    1979-01-01

    Connective tissues not only serve as support, but also filter and censor the physical and molecular information reaching cells. The late change in connective tissues, i.e. fibrosis several months or years after the irradiation with 1000 rad or more, has been well known, and the dreaded sequel of radiation therapy, but connective tissues are affected already at much earlier time. The change in irradiated connective tissues may be distinguished in 3 phases after irradiation, the change in permeability within hours, damage to cell replacement systems within days and months and the late change of fibrosis, vascular damage and parenchymal atrophy after months and years. Glomerular sclerosis, tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis after the excessive irradiation of kidneys, accompanied by renal failure and hypertension, are usually considered as the consequence of vascular or tubular damage, but recent investigation suggested that the change in blood flow is correlated also with the increase in collagen, so that fibrosis may represent an important factor in the pathogenesis of renal damage. Radiofibrosis is considered simply as a result of the vascular damage due to the deficient or abnormal replacement of endothelial cells and/or due to arteriolo-capillary fibrosis. The late effects depend on early ones, and the endothelial cells would be only one. Other possible paths could depend on low fibrinolytic activity and immunological reactions. (Yamashita, S.)

  13. Development of newborn screening connect (NBS connect): a self-reported patient registry and its role in improvement of care for patients with inherited metabolic disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osara, Yetsa; Coakley, Kathryn; Devarajan, Aishwarya; Singh, Rani H

    2017-07-19

    Newborn Screening Connect (NBS Connect) is a web-based self-reported patient registry and resource for individuals and families affected by disorders included in the newborn screening panel. NBS Connect was launched in 2012 by Emory University after years of planning and grassroots work by professionals, consumers, and industry. Individuals with phenylketonuria (PKU), maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) or tyrosinemia (TYR) have been recruited through distribution of outreach materials, presentations at parent organization meetings and direct recruitment at clinic appointments. Participants complete online profiles generating data on diagnosis, treatment, symptoms, outcomes, barriers to care, and quality of life. Resources such as education materials, information on the latest research and clinical trials, recipes, interactive health tracking systems, and professional support tools are described. In addition, to examine the ability of NBS Connect to generate data that guides hypothesis-driven research, data pertaining to age at diagnosis, bone health, and skin conditions in individuals with PKU were assessed. The objective of this paper is to describe the development of NBS Connect and highlight its data, resources and research contributions. In September 2016, NBS Connect had 442 registered participants: 314 (71%) individuals with PKU, 68 (15%) with MSUD, 20 (5%) with TYR, and 40 (9%) with other disorders on the NBS panel. Age at diagnosis was less than 4 weeks in 285 (89%) of 319 respondents to this question and between 1 month and 14 years in 29 (9%) individuals. Of 216 respondents with PKU, 33 (15%) had a DXA scan in the past year. Of 217 respondents with PKU, 99 (46%) reported at least one skin condition. NBS Connect was built and refined with feedback from all stakeholders, including individuals with inherited metabolic disorders. Based on patient-reported data, future studies can be initiated to test hypotheses such as the relationship between PKU and skin

  14. The differential role of social networks. Strategies and routes in Brazilian migration to Portugal and the Netherlands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    M.J. van Meeteren (Masja); S. Pereira (Sonia)

    2013-01-01

    textabstractAbstract This paper draws on qualitative and quantitative data on the migration experiences of Brazilians living in Portugal and the Netherlands to reflect and expand upon the existing knowledge on the role of social networks in migration processes. We consider different migrant profiles

  15. Correlation-based network analysis of metabolite and enzyme profiles reveals a role of citrate biosynthesis in modulating N and C metabolism in Zea mays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Toubiana

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available To investigate the natural variability of leaf metabolism and enzymatic activity in a maize inbred population, statistical and network analyses were employed on metabolite and enzyme profiles. The test of coefficient of variation showed that sugars and amino acids displayed opposite trends in their variance within the population, consistently with their related enzymes. The overall higher CV values for metabolites as compared to the tested enzymes are indicative for their greater phenotypic plasticity. H2 tests revealed galactinol (1 and asparagine (0.91 as the highest scorers among metabolites and nitrate reductase (0.73, NAD-glutamate dehydrogenase (0.52, and phosphoglucomutase (0.51 among enzymes. The overall low H2 scores for metabolites and enzymes are suggestive for a great environmental impact or gene-environment interaction. Correlation-based network generation followed by community detection analysis, partitioned the network into three main communities and one dyad, (i reflecting the different levels of phenotypic plasticity of the two molecular classes as observed for the CV values and (ii highlighting the concerted changes between classes of chemically related metabolites. Community 1 is composed mainly of enzymes and specialized metabolites, community 2’ is enriched in N-containing compounds and phosphorylated-intermediates. The third community contains mainly organic acids and sugars. Cross-community linkages are supported by aspartate, by the photorespiration amino acids glycine and serine, by the metabolically related GABA and putrescine, and by citrate. The latter displayed the strongest node-betweenness value (185.25 of all nodes highlighting its fundamental structural role in the connectivity of the network by linking between different communities and to the also strongly connected enzyme aldolase.

  16. MicroRNA profiling in the dentate gyrus in epileptic rats: The role of miR-187-3p.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Suya; Kou, Yubin; Hu, Chunmei; Han, Yan

    2017-06-01

    This study aimed to explore the role of aberrant miRNA expression in epilepsy and to identify more potential genes associated with epileptogenesis.The miRNA expression profile of GSE49850, which included 20 samples from the rat epileptic dentate gyrus at 7, 14, 30, and 90 days after electrical stimulation and 20 additional samples from sham time-matched controls, was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The significantly differentially expressed miRNAs were identified in stimulated samples at each time point compared to time-matched controls, respectively. The target genes of consistently differentially expressed miRNAs were screened from miRDB and microRNA.org databases, followed by Gene Ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analysis and regulatory network construction. The overlapping target genes for consistently differentially expressed miRNAs were also identified from these 2 databases. Furthermore, the potential binding sites of miRNAs and their target genes were analyzed.Rno-miR-187-3p was consistently downregulated in stimulated groups compared with time-matched controls. The predicted target genes of rno-miR-187-3p were enriched in different GO terms and pathways. In addition, 7 overlapping target genes of rno-miR-187-3p were identified, including NFS1, PAQR4, CAND1, DCLK1, PRKAR2A, AKAP3, and KCNK10. These 7 overlapping target genes were determined to have a different number of matched binding sites with rno-miR-187-3p.Our study suggests that miR-187-3p may play an important role in epilepsy development and progression via regulating numerous target genes, such as NFS1, CAND1, DCLK1, AKAP3, and KCNK10. Determining the underlying mechanism of the role of miR-187-3p in epilepsy may make it a potential therapeutic option.

  17. Using Role Play to Debate Animal Testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agell, Laia; Soria, Vanessa; Carrió, Mar

    2015-01-01

    The use of animals in biomedical research is a socio-scientific issue in which decision-making is complicated. In this article, we describe an experience involving a role play activity performed during school visits to the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB) to debate animal testing. Role playing games require students to defend different…

  18. Multiculturalism and innovative work behavior: The mediating role of cultural intelligence

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Korzilius, H.P.L.M.; Bücker, J.J.L.E.; Beerlage, S.

    2017-01-01

    Innovative work behavior is a key organizational competence. Informed by a framework for describing the role of cultural competences as an antecedent for international business performance this study seeks to explicate the connection between individual multiculturalism and innovative work behaviors,

  19. Beneficial Role of Some Natural Products to Attenuate the Diabetic Cardiomyopathy Through Nrf2 Pathway in Cell Culture and Animal Models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sathibabu Uddandrao, V V; Brahmanaidu, Parim; Nivedha, P R; Vadivukkarasi, S; Saravanan, Ganapathy

    2017-10-27

    Diabetic cardiomyopathy, as one of the main cardiac complications in diabetic patients, is identified to connect with oxidative stress that is due to interruption in balance between reactive oxygen species or/and reactive nitrogen species generation and their clearance by antioxidant protection systems. Transcription factor the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) plays a significant role in maintaining the oxidative homeostasis by regulating multiple downstream antioxidants. The Nrf2 plays a significant role in ARE-mediated basal and inducible expression of more than 200 genes that can be grouped into numerous categories as well as antioxidant genes and phase II detoxifying enzymes. On the other hand, activation of Nrf2 by natural and synthetic therapeutics or antioxidants has been revealed effective for the prevention and treatment of toxicities and diseases connected with oxidative stress. Hence, recently focus has been shifted toward plants and plant-based medicines in curing such chronic diseases, as they are supposed to be less toxic. In this review, we focused on the role of some natural products on diabetic cardiomyopathy through Nrf2 pathway.

  20. Socioeconomic roles and welfare aspects of donkey ( Equus asinus ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Given the fact that donkeys contribute to valuable socio-economic activities in small holders agricultural sectors, they are under low welfare condition in developing countries. This is need assessment of the profiles, socioeconomic roles and welfare of donkeys in developing countries like Ethiopia. A total of 384 randomly ...

  1. Role models in pathology. A new look at an old issue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vance, R P

    1989-01-01

    Recent trends indicate that pathology is becoming a less attractive specialty to US medical graduates. This article discusses role models as an important but underutilized tool in medical education, and pathology education, in particular. Historically, the term role model has been used to describe a hero or a good teacher. Social scientists who study specialty choices in medicine, however, consider role model to be a much more heterogeneous concept. The information gained from these studies, therefore, needs to be sorted out carefully if erroneous conclusions about role models are to be avoided. For example, personality traits and attitudinal assessment studies encourage, unfortunately, either a totally passive stance toward recruitment, or a selective approach to those students who fit the specialty profile. However, there is no available evidence to support such approaches in pathology. Indeed, faculty role models have consistently been found to be influential recruiters into specialties that are not well known to the students (eg, pathology). Many different types of role models are present in pathology. Two important types are clinical consultants and physician-researchers. Positive faculty role models are an effective way to remove false impressions and negative assumptions about the practice of pathology, and they should be used more explicitly in recruiting efforts.

  2. Role of the right dorsal anterior insula in the urge to tic in Tourette syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tinaz, Sule; Malone, Patrick; Hallett, Mark; Horovitz, Silvina G

    2015-08-01

    The mid-posterior part of the insula is involved in processing bodily sensations and urges and is activated during tic generation in Tourette syndrome. The dorsal anterior part of the insula, however, integrates sensory and emotional information with cognitive valuation and is implicated in interoception. The right dorsal anterior insula also participates in urge suppression in healthy subjects. This study examined the role of the right dorsal anterior insula in the urge to tic in Tourette syndrome. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 13 adult Tourette patients and 13 matched controls. The role of the right dorsal anterior insula within the urge-tic network was investigated using graph theory-based neural network analysis. The functional connectivity of the right dorsal anterior insula was also correlated with urge and tic severity. Even though the patients did not exhibit any overt tics, the right dorsal anterior insula demonstrated higher connectivity, especially with the frontostriatal nodes of the urge-tic network in patients compared with controls. The functional connectivity between the right dorsal anterior insula and bilateral supplementary motor area also correlated positively with urge severity in patients. These results suggest that the right dorsal anterior insula is part of the urge-tic network and could influence the urge- and tic-related cortico-striato-thalamic regions even during rest in Tourette syndrome. It might be responsible for heightened awareness of bodily sensations generating premonitory urges in Tourette syndrome. © 2015 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

  3. Role Orientation and Communication Behaviors of Faculty Governance Leaders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Michael T.; Pope, Myron L.

    This study, part of the National Data Base on Faculty Involvement in Governance project at the University of Alabama, attempted to profile the role orientations of faculty governance unit leaders, and to determine if those orientations differed under conditions of communication apprehension (how a unit leader interacts with others) or were…

  4. Analyzing the role of networks in Middle East and North African ...

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

    2013-11-18

    Nov 18, 2013 ... ... and the role it played in entrepreneurs' success were supported by IDRC. ... entrepreneurs depend mainly on close connections, such as family and ... of the benefits of networking, particularly women entrepreneurs who ...

  5. Use of professional profiles in applications for specialist training positions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lundh, Andreas; Skjelsager, Karen; Wildgaard, Kim

    2013-07-01

    The seven roles of the CanMEDS system have been implemented in Danish postgraduate medical training. For each medical specialty, a professional profile describes which elements of the seven roles the specialty deems important for applicants for a specialist training position. We investigated use of professional profiles among the 38 Danish specialty societies in order to ascertain the use of the seven roles. We used information from the websites of the Postgraduate Medical Training Secretariats in March 2012. For each profile, we extracted information on how the seven roles were described, how the roles were ranked by importance, whether a score sheet was used by the appointment committee and whether the profile had been updated. Twenty-four (63%) of the 38 profiles described the contents for all of the seven roles and four (11%) described the contents only for some of the roles. Nine specialties (24%) described a clear ranking of the seven roles with the medical expert and scholar roles generally ranked as most important. Seven specialties (18%) used standardised score sheets as part of the application process. Four (11%) specialties had updated their professional profiles. The majority of specialties described the seven roles in their professional profiles, but the level of detail varied substantially. Few specialties described whether the roles were ranked by importance or provided specific guidelines for appointment committees on how the contents of the profiles should be interpreted. We suggest that specialties seek inspiration for updating their profiles, and that they use the contents from all specialties provided at a website. not relevant. not relevant.

  6. The impaired proprioception in Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome-Hypermobility Type/Joint hypermobility Syndrome: the rehabilitation role

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Filippo Camerota

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Hypermobility Type/Joint Hypermobility Syndrome (JHS/EDS-HT is an hereditary disorder of the connective tissue mainly manifesting with generalized joint hypermobility and skin hyperextensibility with an involvement of the connective tissue matrix proteins. Collagen alterations may influence the quality of movement in these patients but also movement has a role for the collagen quality: motion has a prevention role in the formation of contractures and adhesions. A poor sense of proprioception correlated with the collagenous connective tissues alterations could explain why people with JHS/EDS-HT become injured, having a lack of sensation of the joint at the end of the range. Rehabilitation approach may consider all these aspects.

  7. Role clarity and role conflict among Swedish diabetes specialist nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boström, Eva; Hörnsten, Asa; Lundman, Berit; Stenlund, Hans; Isaksson, Ulf

    2013-10-01

    To explore diabetes specialist nurses (DSNs)' perceptions of their role in terms of clarity, conflict and other psychosocial work aspects. A cross-sectional study was conducted among DSNs in a county in northern Sweden. The DSNs answered the Nordic Questionnaire of Psychological and Social Factors at Work (QPS Nordic) about psychosocial aspects of their work. Statistical analysis compared DSNs with a reference group of different health professionals. Correlations between role clarity, role conflict, and other variables were analysed. The DSNs perceived more, and higher, job demands, including quantitative, decision-making and learning demands, but also more positive challenges at work compared with the reference group. Role clarity correlated with experiences of health promotion, perception of mastery, co-worker support, and empowering leadership, while role conflict correlated with quantitative and learning demands. The DSNs perceived high demands but also positive challenges in their work. Their role expectations correlated with several psychosocial work aspects. It is important that DSNs should be presented with positive challenges as meaningful incentives for further role development and enhanced mastery of their work. Copyright © 2013 Primary Care Diabetes Europe. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Nonmechanical Roles of Dystrophin and Associated Proteins in Exercise, Neuromuscular Junctions, and Brains

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bailey Nichols

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC is an important structural unit in skeletal muscle that connects the cytoskeleton (f-actin of a muscle fiber to the extracellular matrix (ECM. Several muscular dystrophies, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Becker muscular dystrophy, congenital muscular dystrophies (dystroglycanopathies, and limb-girdle muscular dystrophies (sarcoglycanopathies, are caused by mutations in the different DGC components. Although many early studies indicated DGC plays a crucial mechanical role in maintaining the structural integrity of skeletal muscle, recent studies identified novel roles of DGC. Beyond a mechanical role, these DGC members play important signaling roles and act as a scaffold for various signaling pathways. For example, neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS, which is localized at the muscle membrane by DGC members (dystrophin and syntrophins, plays an important role in the regulation of the blood flow during exercise. DGC also plays important roles at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ and in the brain. In this review, we will focus on recently identified roles of DGC particularly in exercise and the brain.

  9. CP-violating profile of the electroweak bubble wall

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Funakubo, Koichi [Saga Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Physics; Kakuto, Akira; Otsuki, Shoichiro; Takenaga, Kazunori; Toyoda, Fumihiko

    1995-11-01

    In any scenario of the electroweak baryogenesis, the profile of the CP violating bubble wall, created at the first-order phase transition, plays an essential role. We attempt to determine it by solving the equations of motion for the scalars in the two-Higgs-doublet model at the transition temperature. According to the parameters in the potential, we found three solutions. Two of them smoothly connect the CP-violating broken phase and the symmetric phase, while the other connects CP-conserving vacua but violates CP in the intermediate region. We also estimate the chiral charge flux, which will be turned into the baryon density in the symmetric phase by the sphaleron process. (author).

  10. Role of Polyamines in Immune Cell Functions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rebecca S. Hesterberg

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The immune system is remarkably responsive to a myriad of invading microorganisms and provides continuous surveillance against tissue damage and developing tumor cells. To achieve these diverse functions, multiple soluble and cellular components must react in an orchestrated cascade of events to control the specificity, magnitude and persistence of the immune response. Numerous catabolic and anabolic processes are involved in this process, and prominent roles for l-arginine and l-glutamine catabolism have been described, as these amino acids serve as precursors of nitric oxide, creatine, agmatine, tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates, nucleotides and other amino acids, as well as for ornithine, which is used to synthesize putrescine and the polyamines spermidine and spermine. Polyamines have several purported roles and high levels of polyamines are manifest in tumor cells as well in autoreactive B- and T-cells in autoimmune diseases. In the tumor microenvironment, l-arginine catabolism by both tumor cells and suppressive myeloid cells is known to dampen cytotoxic T-cell functions suggesting there might be links between polyamines and T-cell suppression. Here, we review studies suggesting roles of polyamines in normal immune cell function and highlight their connections to autoimmunity and anti-tumor immune cell function.

  11. Friends of friends: are indirect connections in social networks important to animal behaviour?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brent, Lauren J. N.

    2015-01-01

    Friend of a friend relationships, or the indirect connections between people, influence our health, well-being, financial success and reproductive output. As with humans, social behaviours in other animals often occur within a broad interconnected network of social ties. Yet studies of animal social behaviour tend to focus on associations between pairs of individuals. With the increase in popularity of social network analysis, researchers have started to look beyond the dyad to examine the role of indirect connections in animal societies. Here, I provide an overview of the new knowledge that has been uncovered by these studies. I focus on research that has addressed both the causes of social behaviours, i.e. the cognitive and genetic basis of indirect connections, as well as their consequences, i.e. the impact of indirect connections on social cohesion, information transfer, cultural practices and fitness. From these studies, it is apparent that indirect connections play an important role in animal behaviour, although future research is needed to clarify their contribution. PMID:25937639

  12. Human Connections and Their Roles in the Occupational Well-being of Healthcare Professionals: A Study on Loneliness and Empathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge Soler-Gonzalez

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Human connections are key to the promotion of health and prevention of illness; moreover, illness can cause deterioration of human connections. Healthcare professional–patient relationships are key to ensuring the preservation of adequate human connections. It is important for healthcare professionals to develop their ability to foster satisfactory human connections because: (i they represent social support for patients; and (ii they prevent work-related stress. In this study we assessed the relationship between absence (loneliness and presence (empathy of human connections with the occupational well-being of healthcare professionals. The Scale of Collateral Effects, which measures somatization, exhaustion, and work alienation; the Jefferson Scale of Empathy; and the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults, were mailed to 628 healthcare professionals working in Spanish public healthcare institutions. The following explanatory variables were used to evaluate work well-being: (a empathy, as a professional competence; (b loneliness, age, and family burden, as psychological indicators; and (c professional experience, work dedication, and salary, as work indicators. Comparison, correlation, and regression analyses were performed to measure the relationships among these variables and occupational well-being. Of 628 surveys mailed, 433 (69% response rate were returned fully completed. Adequate reliability was confirmed for all instruments. The entire sample was divided into four groups, based on the combined variable, “occupation by sex.” Comparative analyses demonstrated differences among “occupation by sex” groups in collateral effects (p = 0.03 and empathy (p = 0.04, but not loneliness (p = 0.84. Inverse associations between empathy and collateral effects were confirmed for somatization (r = -0.16; p < 0.001, exhaustion (r = -0.14; p = 0.003, and work alienation (r = -0.16; p < 0.001. Furthermore, loneliness was positively

  13. Cancer diagnostics: The journey from histomorphology to molecular profiling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Atif A; Abedalthagafi, Malak

    2016-09-06

    Although histomorphology has made significant advances into the understanding of cancer etiology, classification and pathogenesis, it is sometimes complicated by morphologic ambiguities, and other shortcomings that necessitate the development of ancillary tests to complement its diagnostic value. A new approach to cancer patient management consists of targeting specific molecules or gene mutations in the cancer genome by inhibitory therapy. Molecular diagnostic tests and genomic profiling methods are increasingly being developed to identify tumor targeted molecular profile that is the basis of targeted therapy. Novel targeted therapy has revolutionized the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumor, renal cell carcinoma and other cancers that were previously difficult to treat with standard chemotherapy. In this review, we discuss the role of histomorphology in cancer diagnosis and management and the rising role of molecular profiling in targeted therapy. Molecular profiling in certain diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties may provide a practical and useful complement to histomorphology and opens new avenues for targeted therapy and alternative methods of cancer patient management.

  14. Data analyst technician: an innovative role for the pharmacy technician.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ervin, K C; Skledar, S; Hess, M M; Ryan, M

    2001-10-01

    The development of an innovative role for the pharmacy technician is described. The role of the pharmacy technician was based on a needs assessment and the expertise of the pharmacy technician selected. Initial responsibilities of the technician included chart reviews, benchmarking surveys, monthly financial impact analysis, initiative assessment, and quality improvement reporting. As the drug-use and disease-state management (DUDSM) program expanded, pharmacist activities increased, requiring the expansion of data analyst technician (DAT) duties. These new responsibilities included participation in patient assessment, data collection and interpretation, and formulary enforcement. Most recently, technicians' expanded duties include maintenance of a physician compliance profiling database, quality improvement reporting and graphing, active role in patient risk assessment and database management for adult vaccination, and support of financial impact monitoring for other institutions within the health system. This pharmacist-technician collaboration resulted a threefold increase in patient assessments completed per day. In addition, as the DUDSM program continues to expand across the health system, an increase in DAT resources from 0.5 to 1.0 full-time equivalent was obtained. The role of the DAT has increased the efficiency of the DUDSM program and has provided an innovative role for the pharmacy technician.

  15. A 'health broker' role as a catalyst of change to promote health: an experiment in deprived Dutch neighbourhoods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harting, Janneke; Kunst, Anton E; Kwan, Albert; Stronks, Karien

    2011-03-01

    Urban social entrepreneurs have been suggested to play an essential part in the success of local health promotion initiatives. Up to now, roles like these have only been identified in retrospect. This prospective collaborative study explored the possibilities of institutionalizing a comparable role for a 'health broker' in four Dutch municipalities as an additional investment to promote health in deprived neighbourhoods. The theoretical notions of public and policy entrepreneurs as well as of boundary spanners were adopted as a reference framework. Documents produced by the collaborative project served as input for a qualitative analysis of the developments. We succeeded in implementing a 'health broker' role comparable to that of a bureaucratic public entrepreneur holding a formal non-leadership position. The role was empowered by sharing it among multiple professionals. Although positioned within one sector, the occupants of the new role felt more entitled to cross sectoral borders and to connect to local residents, compared to other within-sector functions. The 'health broker' role had the potential to operate as an 'anchoring point' for the municipal health sector (policy), public health services (practice) and/or the local residents (public). It was also possible to specify potential 'broking points', i.e. opportunities for health promotion agenda setting and opportunities to improve cross-sectoral collaboration, citizen participation and political and administrative support for health promotion efforts. The 'health broker' role we developed and implemented reflects the notion of systematic rather than individual entrepreneurship. Such a collective entrepreneurship may create additional opportunities to gradually strengthen local health promotion efforts.

  16. Emerging roles for biomedical librarians: a survey of current practice, challenges, and changes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crum, Janet A; Cooper, I Diane

    2013-10-01

    This study is intended to (1) identify emerging roles for biomedical librarians and determine how common these roles are in a variety of library settings, (2) identify barriers to taking on new roles, and (3) determine how librarians are developing the capacity to take on new roles. A survey was conducted of librarians in biomedical settings. Most biomedical librarians are taking on new roles. The most common roles selected by survey respondents include analysis and enhancement of user experiences, support for social media, support for systematic reviews, clinical informationist, help for faculty or staff with authorship issues, and implementation of researcher profiling and collaboration tools. Respondents in academic settings are more likely to report new roles than hospital librarians are, but some new roles are common in both settings. Respondents use a variety of methods to free up time for new roles, but predominant methods vary between directors and librarians and between academic and hospital respondents. Lack of time is the biggest barrier that librarians face when trying to adopt new roles. New roles are associated with increased collaboration with individuals and/or groups outside the library. This survey documents the widespread incorporation of new roles in biomedical libraries in the United States, as well as the barriers to adopting these roles and the means by which librarians are making time for them. The results of the survey can be used to inform strategic planning, succession planning, library education, and career development for biomedical librarians.

  17. The expanding role(s) of eosinophils in health and disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobsen, Elizabeth A.; Helmers, Richard A.

    2012-01-01

    Surprisingly, the role(s) of eosinophils in health and disease is often summarized by clinicians and basic research scientists as a pervasive consensus opinion first learned in medical/graduate school. Eosinophils are rare white blood cells whose activities are primarily destructive and are only relevant in parasitic infections and asthma. However, is this consensus correct? This review argues that the wealth of available studies investigating the role(s) of eosinophils in both health and disease demonstrates that the activities of these granulocytes are far more expansive and complex than previously appreciated. In turn, this greater understanding has led to the realization that eosinophils have significant contributory roles in a wide range of diseases. Furthermore, published studies even implicate eosinophil-mediated activities in otherwise healthy persons. We suggest that the collective reports in the literature showing a role for eosinophils in an ever-increasing number of novel settings highlight the true complexity and importance of this granulocyte. Indeed, discussions of eosinophils are no longer simple and more often than not now begin with the question/statement “Did you know …?” PMID:22936660

  18. How Large Is the Role of Emotion in Judgments of Moral Dilemmas?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horne, Zachary; Powell, Derek

    2016-01-01

    Moral dilemmas often pose dramatic and gut-wrenching emotional choices. It is now widely accepted that emotions are not simply experienced alongside people's judgments about moral dilemmas, but that our affective processes play a central role in determining those judgments. However, much of the evidence purporting to demonstrate the connection between people's emotional responses and their judgments about moral dilemmas has recently been called into question. In the present studies, we reexamined the role of emotion in people's judgments about moral dilemmas using a validated self-report measure of emotion. We measured participants' specific emotional responses to moral dilemmas and, although we found that moral dilemmas evoked strong emotional responses, we found that these responses were only weakly correlated with participants' moral judgments. We argue that the purportedly strong connection between emotion and judgments of moral dilemmas may have been overestimated.

  19. Linking transformational leadership to nurses' extra-role performance: the mediating role of self-efficacy and work engagement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salanova, Marisa; Lorente, Laura; Chambel, Maria J; Martínez, Isabel M

    2011-10-01

    This paper is a report of a social cognitive theory-guided study about the link between supervisors' transformational leadership and staff nurses' extra-role performance as mediated by nurse self-efficacy and work engagement. Past research has acknowledged the positive influence that transformational leaders have on employee (extra-role) performance. However, less is known about the psychological mechanisms that may explain the links between transformational leaders and extra-role performance, which encompasses behaviours that are not considered formal job requirements, but which facilitate the smooth functioning of the organization as a social system. Seventeen supervisors evaluated nurses' extra-role performance, the data generating a sample consisting of 280 dyads. The nurses worked in different health services in a large Portuguese hospital and the participation rate was 76·9% for nurses and 100% for supervisors. Data were collected during 2009. A theory-driven model of the relationships between transformation leadership, self-efficacy, work engagement and nurses' extra-role performance was tested using Structural Equation Modelling. Data analysis revealed a full mediation model in which transformational leadership explained extra-role performance through self-efficacy and work engagement. A direct relationship between transformational leadership and work engagement was also found. Nurses' supervisors with a transformational leadership style enhance different 'extra-role' performance in nurses and this increases hospital efficacy. They do so by establishing a sense of self-efficacy but also by amplifying their levels of engagement in the workplace. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  20. [Role of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in proliferation and migration of pancreatic cancer cells].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bai, Yu-chun; Kang, Quan; Luo, Qing; Wu, Dao-qi; Ye, Wei-xia; Lin, Xue-mei; Zhao, Yong

    2011-10-01

    To explore the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in pancreatic cancer and its influence on the proliferation and migration of cancer cells. The expression of CTGF in pancreatic cell line PANC-1 cells was analyzed by real-time PCR and in pancreatic carcinoma (50 cases) tissues by immunohistochemistry. The ability of proliferation and migration in vitro of PANC-1 cells was tested by MTT assay, scratch test and Boyden chamber test after the CTGF gene was overexpressed by Ad5-CTGF or silenced with Ad5-siCTGF transfection. CTGF was overexpressed in both pancreatic cancer cells and tissues. Overxpression of CTGF leads to increased proliferation and migration of PANC-1 cells. The CTGF-transfected PANC-1 cells showed apparent stronger proliferation ability and scratch-repair ability than that of empty vector controls. The results of Boyden chamber test showed that there were 34 cells/field (200× magnificantion) of the CTGF-transfected overexpressing cells, much more than the 11 cells/field of the empty vector control cells; and 6 cells/microscopic field of the Ad5-siCTGF-transfected silenced cells, much less than the 15 cells/field of the control cells. CTGF is overexpressed in both pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, indicating that it may play an important role in the cell proliferation and migration in pancreatic cancer.

  1. Greening Australia's public health system: the role of public hospitals in responding to climate change.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Primozic, Lauren

    2010-05-01

    Climate change is one of the most important social, economic, ecological and ethical issues of the 21st century. The effects of climate change on human health are now widely accepted as a genuine threat and the Australian Government has initiated policy and legislative responses. In addition, in the 2009-2010 budget the Australian Government has committed A$64 billion to public health and hospital reform. But will this Commonwealth funding support--and should it support--the government's high-profile climate change policy? Does Commonwealth funding translate to an obligation to support Commonwealth policies? This article explores the role of public hospitals as champions and role models of the Australian Government's climate change policy and how this might be done without detracting from the primary purpose of public hospital funding: improving patient care.

  2. ROLE CONFLICT AND ROLE AMBIGUITY ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT INTERNAL AUDITORS: THE DETERMINANT AND IMPACTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agil Novriansa

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The bureaucratic reform at the local government level in Indonesia that was instituted in 2012 has turned local government internal auditors into an important part of government governance systems. The role of local government internal auditors has been expanded to include not only the area of audit oversight, but also the areas of anti-corruption-related and consulting activities. These fundamental changes may potentially induce role conflict and role ambiguity among internal auditors. The objective of this study is to examine empirically the determinants and consequences of role conflict and role ambiguity among local government internal auditors. More specifically, this study attempts to examine the extent to which formalization determines role conflict and role ambiguity; it further tests the impact of role conflict and role ambiguity on commitment to independence and job performance. Questionnaires were distributed to 248 local government internal auditors from 12 Regional Inspectorates in the provinces of Yogyakarta, South Sumatra, and East Java. A total of 176 responses were received, and 124 useable responses from the 176 responses were analysed to test the hypotheses. Using Structural Equation Modelling-Partial Least Square the results show that: formalization is negatively related to role conflict and role ambiguity; role ambiguity has a negative impact on commitment to independence; role conflict has a positive impact on job performance; and role ambiguity has a negative impact on job performance. These findings serve as important external validity evidence on the phenomena associated with role conflict and role ambiguity that occur in the public sector, especially among internal auditors at local government institutions.

  3. On-line role-play as a teaching method in engineering studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adolfo Cobo

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available We propose to adapt the role-play teaching methodology to engineering studies, trying to overcome obstacles like its exclusive association with fantasy games or its demand of social skills. We have chosen the role of a maintenance technician, a relevant job profile for engineering graduates. The interaction is based on email exchange, and the instructor is included in the simulation to guide the activity development and the achievement of the learning objectives. In this paper, our experience with this methodology, its implementation, results and student feedback are presented.

  4. Habitat connectivity shapes urban arthropod communities: the key role of green roofs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braaker, S; Ghazoul, J; Obrist, M K; Moretti, M

    2014-04-01

    The installation of green roofs, defined here as rooftops with a shallow soil cover and extensive vegetation, has been proposed as a possible measure to mitigate the loss of green space caused by the steady growth of cities. However, the effectiveness of green roofs in supporting arthropod communities, and the extent to which they facilitate connectivity of these communities within the urban environment is currently largely unknown. We investigated the variation of species community composition (beta diversity) of four arthropod groups with contrasting mobility (Carabidae, Araneae, Curculionidae, and Apidae) on 40 green roofs and 40 extensively managed green sites on the ground in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. With redundancy analysis and variation partitioning, we (1) disentangled the relative importance of local environmental conditions, the surrounding land cover composition, and habitat connectivity on species community composition, (2) searched for specific spatial scales of habitat connectivity for the different arthropod groups, and (3) discussed the ecological and functional value of green roofs in cities. Our study revealed that on green roofs community composition of high-mobility arthropod groups (bees and weevils) were mainly shaped by habitat connectivity, while low-mobility arthropod groups (carabids and spiders) were more influenced by local environmental conditions. A similar but less pronounced pattern was found for ground communities. The high importance of habitat connectivity in shaping high-mobility species community composition indicates that these green roof communities are substantially connected by the frequent exchange of individuals among surrounding green roofs. On the other hand, low-mobility species communities on green roofs are more likely connected to ground sites than to other green roofs. The integration of green roofs in urban spatial planning strategies has great potential to enable higher connectivity among green spaces, so

  5. Physician's emerging roles relating to trends in health information technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    David Johnson, J

    2014-08-12

    Objective: To determine the new roles that physicians will adopt in the near future to adjust to accelerating trends from managed care to outcome-based practice to health care reform to health information technology to the evolving role of health consumers. Methods: Trends and related developments concerning the changing roles of physicians based on prior literature reviews. Results: Six possible roles, traditional, gatekeeper, coach, navigator, informatician and one voice among many, are discussed in terms of physician's centrality, patient autonomy, decision-making and uncertainty, information seeking, satisfaction and outcomes, particularly those related to compliance. Conclusion: A greater understanding of these emerging roles could lead to more efficacious outcomes in our ever changing, increasingly complex medical system. Patients often have little understanding of emerging trends that lead to the development of specialized roles such as hospitalist and navigators and, relatedly, the evolving roles of physicians.

  6. The importance of role sending in the sensemaking of change agent roles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tucker, Danielle A; Hendy, Jane; Barlow, James

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to investigate what happens when a lack of role-sending results in ambiguous change agent roles during a large scale organisational reconfiguration. The authors consider the role of sensemaking in resolving role ambiguity of middle manager change agents and the consequences of this for organisational restructuring. Data were collected from a case study analysis of significant organisational reconfiguration across a local National Health Service Trust in the UK. Data consists of 82 interviews, complemented by analysis of over 100 documents and field notes from 51 hours of observations collected over five phases covering a three year period before, during and after the reconfiguration. An inductive qualitative analysis revealed the sensemaking processes by which ambiguity in role definition was resolved. The data explains how change agents collectively make sense of a role in their own way, drawing on their own experiences and views as well as cues from other organisational members. The authors also identified the organisational outcomes which resulted from this freedom in sensemaking. This study demonstrates that by leaving too much flexibility in the definition of the role, agents developed their own sensemaking which was subsequently very difficult to manipulate. In creating new roles, management first needs to have a realistic vision of the task and roles that their agents will perform, and second, to communicate these expectations to both those responsible for recruiting these roles and to the agents themselves. Much of the focus in sensemaking research has been on the importance of change agents' sensemaking of the change but there has been little focus on how change agents sensemake their own role in the change.

  7. Business Travellers' Connections to Home: ICTs Supporting Work-life Balance

    OpenAIRE

    Ladkin, Adele; Willis, Cheryl; Jain, J.; Clayton, W.; Marouda, M.

    2016-01-01

    This paper examines the role of information communication technology in enabling connections to home for work related travellers. Although digital connectivity for work related tasks are well researched, the use of digital technology for home communication is under-researched. The study draws on a qualitative study of UK-based organisations and business travellers to explore how these travellers use ICTs for personal use whilst ‘on-the-move’. The findings reveal that organisations are support...

  8. Role conflict, role ambiguity and job satisfaction: Perceptions of the Brazilian controllers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marilu Nuñez Palomino

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT From early times to the present, accounting literature has recorded several situations involving role conflict and ambiguity that cause tension among controllers. The theoretical framework was comprised of the seminal work on Role Theory by Katz and Kahn (1970, and empirical evidence regarding the evolution of the role of controllers in the enterprises. In this study, we used the structural equations technique, which allowed for non-rejection of the two study hypotheses, thus providing evidence that role conflict and ambiguity adversely affect job satisfaction among Brazilian controllers. The sample was comprised of 114 controllers. An electronic questionnaire was used to collect the data, allowing information about the respondents to be captured, along with their perceptions regarding levels of role conflict and ambiguity and job satisfaction. For this, the tools developed by Rizzo, House, and Lirtzman (1970 were used, as well as the Job Satisfaction Index presented by Tarrant and Sabo (2010. The results indicated that Brazilian controllers perceive role conflict and role ambiguity while they perform their duties. Job satisfaction of the controllers isaffected more strongly by role ambiguity than by role conflict. However, despite perceiving these two tensions, executives are moderately satisfied with their current working conditions.

  9. Methylphenidate Modulates Functional Network Connectivity to Enhance Attention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Sheng; Hsu, Wei-Ting; Scheinost, Dustin; Finn, Emily S.; Shen, Xilin; Constable, R. Todd; Li, Chiang-Shan R.; Chun, Marvin M.

    2016-01-01

    Recent work has demonstrated that human whole-brain functional connectivity patterns measured with fMRI contain information about cognitive abilities, including sustained attention. To derive behavioral predictions from connectivity patterns, our group developed a connectome-based predictive modeling (CPM) approach (Finn et al., 2015; Rosenberg et al., 2016). Previously using CPM, we defined a high-attention network, comprising connections positively correlated with performance on a sustained attention task, and a low-attention network, comprising connections negatively correlated with performance. Validating the networks as generalizable biomarkers of attention, models based on network strength at rest predicted attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in an independent group of individuals (Rosenberg et al., 2016). To investigate whether these networks play a causal role in attention, here we examined their strength in healthy adults given methylphenidate (Ritalin), a common ADHD treatment, compared with unmedicated controls. As predicted, individuals given methylphenidate showed patterns of connectivity associated with better sustained attention: higher high-attention and lower low-attention network strength than controls. There was significant overlap between the high-attention network and a network with greater strength in the methylphenidate group, and between the low-attention network and a network with greater strength in the control group. Network strength also predicted behavior on a stop-signal task, such that participants with higher go response rates showed higher high-attention and lower low-attention network strength. These results suggest that methylphenidate acts by modulating functional brain networks related to sustained attention, and that changing whole-brain connectivity patterns may help improve attention. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Recent work identified a promising neuromarker of sustained attention based on whole

  10. Teaching clinical interviewing skills using role-playing: conveying empathy to performing a suicide assessment: a primer for individual role-playing and scripted group role-playing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shea, Shawn Christopher; Barney, Christine

    2015-03-01

    This article provides a useful introduction to the art of role-playing in both the individual format and the group format using scripted group role-playing (SGRP). Role-playing can provide powerful learning opportunities, but to do so it must be done well. This article imparts guidance toward this goal. SGRP may greatly enhance the acquisition of critical complex interviewing skills, such as suicide assessment and uncovering domestic violence, in health care providers across all disciplines, an educational goal that has not been achievable to date. Although research is at an early stage of development, the hope represented by SGRP is tangible. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Interdependence of PRECIS Role Operators: A Quantitative Analysis of Their Associations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahapatra, Manoranjan; Biswas, Subal Chandra

    1986-01-01

    Analyzes associations among different role operators quantitatively by taking input strings from 200 abstracts, each related to subject fields of taxation, genetic psychology, and Shakespearean drama, and subjecting them to the Chi-square test. Significant associations by other differencing operators and connectives are discussed. A schema of role…

  12. Mediating Role of the Reward Network in the Relationship between the Dopamine Multilocus Genetic Profile and Depression

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liang Gong

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Multiple genetic loci in the dopamine (DA pathway have been associated with depression symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the polygenic effects of the DA pathway on depression remain unclear. We used an imaging genetic approach to investigate the polygenic effects of the DA pathway on the reward network in MDD. Fifty-three patients and 37 cognitively normal (CN subjects were recruited and underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (R-fMRI scans. Multivariate linear regression analysis was employed to measure the effects of disease and multilocus genetic profile scores (MGPS on the reward network, which was constructed using the nucleus accumbens (NAc functional connectivity (NAFC network. DA-MGPS was widely associated within the NAFC network, mainly in the inferior frontal cortex, insula, hypothalamus, superior temporal gyrus, and occipital cortex. The pattern of DA-MGPS effects on the fronto-striatal pathway differed in MDD patients compared with CN subjects. More importantly, NAc-putamen connectivity mediates the association between DA MGPS and anxious depression traits in MDD patients. Our findings suggest that the DA multilocus genetic profile makes a considerable contribution to the reward network and anxious depression in MDD patients. These results expand our understanding of the pathophysiology of polygenic effects underlying brain network abnormalities in MDD.

  13. Organizational role stress among medical school faculty members in Iran: dealing with role conflict

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brommels Mats

    2007-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Little research has been conducted to investigate role stress experienced by faculty members in medical schools in developing countries. This becomes even more important when the process of reform in medical education has already taken place, such as the case of Iran. The objectives of this study were to investigate and assess the level and source of role-related stress as well as dimensions of conflict among the faculty members of Iranian medical schools. Variables like the length of academic work, academic rank, employment position, and the departments of affiliation were also taken into consideration in order to determine potentially related factors. Methods A survey was conducted at three different ranks of public medical schools. The validated Organizational Role Stress Scale was used to investigate the level of role stress and dimensions of role conflict among medical faculty members. The response rate was 66.5%. Results The findings show that role stress was experienced in high level among almost all faculty members. All three studied medical schools with different ranks are threatened with relatively the same levels of role stress. Specific differences were found among faculty members from different disciplines, and academic ranks. Also having permanent position and the length of services had significant correlation with the level of role stress. The major role- related stress and forms of conflict among faculty members were role overload, role expectation conflict, inter-role distance, resource inadequacy, role stagnation, and role isolation. Conclusion The most role-related stressors and forms of conflict among faculty members include too many tasks and everyday work load; conflicting demands from colleagues and superiors; incompatible demands from their different personal and organizational roles; inadequate resources for appropriate performance; insufficient competency to meet the demands of their role; inadequate

  14. THE ROLE OF ENTERPRISE PORTALS IN ENTERPRISE INTEGRATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gianina RIZESCU

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Today’s enterprises are moving business systems to the Internet - to connect people, business processes, and people to business processes in enterprise and across enterprise boundaries. The portal brings it all together: business processes, departmental sites, knowledge management resources, enterprise management systems, CRM systems, analytics, email, calendars, external content, transactions,administration, workflow, and more. The goal of this paper is to present the role of the Enterprise Portal in internal and external enterprise integration.

  15. Use of professional profiles in applications for specialist training positions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lundh, Andreas; Skjelsager, Karen; Wildgaard, Kim

    2013-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: The seven roles of the CanMEDS system have been implemented in Danish postgraduate medical training. For each medical specialty, a professional profile describes which elements of the seven roles the specialty deems important for applicants for a specialist training position. We...... investigated use of professional profiles among the 38 Danish specialty societies in order to ascertain the use of the seven roles. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We used information from the websites of the Postgraduate Medical Training Secretariats in March 2012. For each profile, we extracted information on how...... the seven roles were described, how the roles were ranked by importance, whether a score sheet was used by the appointment committee and whether the profile had been updated. RESULTS: Twenty-four (63%) of the 38 profiles described the contents for all of the seven roles and four (11%) described the contents...

  16. Development and validation of the work-family-school role conflicts and role-related social support scales among registered nurses with multiple roles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Lijuan; Song, Rhayun

    2013-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop work-family-school role conflicts and role-related social support scales, and to validate the psychometrics of those scales among registered nurses with multiple roles. The concepts, generation of items, and the scale domains of work-family-school role conflicts and role-related social support scales were constructed based on a review of the literature. The validity and reliability of the scales were examined by administering them to 201 registered nurses who were recruited from 8 university hospitals in South Korea. The content validity was examined by nursing experts using a content validity index. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used to establish the construct validity. The correlation with depression was examined to assess concurrent validity. Finally, internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficients. The work-family-school role conflicts scale comprised ten items with three factors: work-school-to-family conflict (three items), family-school-to-work conflict (three items), and work-family-to-school conflict (four items). The role-related social support scale comprised nine items with three factors: support from family (three items), support from work (three items), and support from school (three items). Cronbach's alphas were 0.83 and 0.76 for the work-family-school role conflicts and role-related social support scales, respectively. Both instruments exhibited acceptable construct and concurrent validity. The validity and reliability of the developed scales indicate their potential usefulness for the assessment of work-family-school role conflict and role-related social support among registered nurses with multiple roles in Korea. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. On the role of visible radiation in ozone profile retrieval from nadir UV/VIS satellite measurements: An experiment with neural network algorithms inverting SCIAMACHY data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sellitto, P.; Di Noia, A.; Del Frate, F.; Burini, A.; Casadio, S.; Solimini, D.

    2012-01-01

    Theoretical evidence has been given on the role of visible (VIS) radiation in enhancing the accuracy of ozone retrievals from satellite data, especially in the troposphere. However, at present, VIS is not being systematically used together with ultraviolet (UV) measurements, even when possible with one single instrument, e.g., the SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CartograpHY (SCIAMACHY). Reasons mainly reside in the defective performance of optimal estimation and regularization algorithms caused by inaccurate modeling of VIS interaction with aerosols or clouds, as well as in inconsistent intercalibration between UV and VIS measurements. Here we intend to discuss the role of VIS radiation when it feeds a retrieval algorithm based on Neural Networks (NNs) that does not need a forward radiative transfer model and is robust with respect to calibration errors. The NN we designed was trained with a set of ozonesondes (OSs) data and tested over an independent set of OS measurements. We compared the ozone concentration profiles retrieved from UV-only with those retrieved from UV plus VIS nadir data taken by SCIAMACHY. We found that VIS radiation was able to yield more than 10% increase of accuracy and to substantially reduce biases of retrieved profiles at tropospheric levels.

  18. Keep on walk: the role of migration in Linearbandkeramik life

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela Hofmann

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Migration played a central role throughout the LBK culture. After summarising the motivations for migration in the earliest LBK, the article outlines how some of these factors remained relevant in later phases. Beyond continued westand eastward expansion, at regional and site levels migration to better one’s social position provided an alternative to patrilineal land inheritance. The main change between the earliest and later phases is the role of material culture after migration events. Initially a means of creating long-distance connections, it later stressed difference from other groups. This process of ethnogenesis is invisible genetically. Overall, migration emerges as a salient behaviour even in ‘sedentary’ Neolithic societies.

  19. Epistemological and Reading Beliefs Profiles and Their Role in Multiple Text Comprehension

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mateos, Mar; Solé, Isabel; Martín, Elena; Castells, Nuria; Cuevas, Isabel; González-Lamas, Jara

    2016-01-01

    Introduction: The aim of this study was to analyse the role of epistemological beliefs and reading beliefs in the comprehension of multiple texts which presented conflicting positions about a controversial topic (nuclear energy). More specifically, we investigated the influence of the multidimensional configuration of epistemological and reading…

  20. How Large Is the Role of Emotion in Judgments of Moral Dilemmas?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zachary Horne

    Full Text Available Moral dilemmas often pose dramatic and gut-wrenching emotional choices. It is now widely accepted that emotions are not simply experienced alongside people's judgments about moral dilemmas, but that our affective processes play a central role in determining those judgments. However, much of the evidence purporting to demonstrate the connection between people's emotional responses and their judgments about moral dilemmas has recently been called into question. In the present studies, we reexamined the role of emotion in people's judgments about moral dilemmas using a validated self-report measure of emotion. We measured participants' specific emotional responses to moral dilemmas and, although we found that moral dilemmas evoked strong emotional responses, we found that these responses were only weakly correlated with participants' moral judgments. We argue that the purportedly strong connection between emotion and judgments of moral dilemmas may have been overestimated.

  1. Role Perception among Faculty Members at Teacher Education Colleges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grobgeld, Esther; Teichman-Weinberg, Ariela; Wasserman, Egoza; Barchilon Ben-Av, Mercedes

    2016-01-01

    The goal of this study was to examine how faculty members at academic colleges of education perceive their role and to consider elements of their work that need to be included in a professional profile definition. All faculty of one college of education were asked: "What are the tasks/obligations of a faculty member at a college of education?…

  2. Partners expectations about the parenting role at the time of pregnancy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katja Guštin

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available The aim of our study was to explore what pregnant couples expect of their parenting role and how their expectations are related to partnership satisfaction. In accordance with the snowball effect principle and in cooperation with the School for Parents in Ljubljana, we included 90 couples, who were expecting a child, into our study. They filled out Survey concerning their expectations about parenting roles, where they evaluated how often they and their partners would be carrying out a given action in the first three years after the birth of the child and Relationship Satisfaction Survey (Gaultiere, 1995. We have established that men and women expect higher participation in the parenting role for mothers. It seems that women are taking over a part of the male parenting roles. Research results shows that higher relationship satisfaction is positively associated with stronger division of parenting tasks between the partners. We are assuming that men are the least active at routine chores in connection with their child, therefore their higher participation or equal participation of both partners has positive influence on partnership satisfaction.

  3. Connecting the Canon to Current Young Adult Literature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rybakova, Katie; Roccanti, Rikki

    2016-01-01

    In this article we discuss the respective roles of young adult literature and literary texts in the secondary level English Language Arts classroom and explore the connections that can be made between popular young adult books and the traditional canon. We provide examples showing how young adult literature bestsellers such as "The Book…

  4. The manager role in relation to the medical profession

    OpenAIRE

    Knorring, Mia von

    2012-01-01

    Background: Managers and physicians have two important roles in healthcare organisations. However, several studies have identified problems in the manager–physician relationship and more knowledge is needed to improve the situation. Using theories on organisation, professions, and role taking to inform thinking, this thesis addresses one aspect of the manager-physician relationship, namely how managers handle their role in relation to the medical profession. This was studied in the context of...

  5. Geomorphic effectiveness of a long profile shape and the role of inherent geological controls in the Himalayan hinterland area of the Ganga River basin, India

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sonam; Jain, Vikrant

    2018-03-01

    Long profiles of rivers provide a platform to analyse interaction between geological and geomorphic processes operating at different time scales. Identification of an appropriate model for river long profile becomes important in order to establish a quantitative relationship between the profile shape, its geomorphic effectiveness, and inherent geological characteristics. This work highlights the variability in the long profile shape of the Ganga River and its major tributaries, its impact on stream power distribution pattern, and role of the geological controls on it. Long profile shapes are represented by the sum of two exponential functions through the curve fitting method. We have shown that coefficients of river long profile equations are governed by the geological characteristics of subbasins. These equations further define the spatial distribution pattern of stream power and help to understand stream power variability in different geological terrains. Spatial distribution of stream power in different geological terrains successfully explains spatial variability in geomorphic processes within the Himalayan hinterland area. In general, the stream power peaks of larger rivers lie in the Higher Himalaya, and rivers in the eastern hinterland area are characterised by the highest magnitude of stream power.

  6. Broad-scale sampling of primary freshwater fish populations reveals the role of intrinsic traits, inter-basin connectivity, drainage area and latitude on shaping contemporary patterns of genetic diversity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carla Sousa-Santos

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Background. Worldwide predictions suggest that up to 75% of the freshwater fish species occurring in rivers with reduced discharge could be extinct by 2070 due to the combined effect of climate change and water abstraction. The Mediterranean region is considered to be a hotspot of freshwater fish diversity but also one of the regions where the effects of climate change will be more severe. Iberian cyprinids are currently highly endangered, with over 68% of the species raising some level of conservation concern. Methods. During the FISHATLAS project, the Portuguese hydrographical network was extensively covered (all the 34 river basins and 47 sub-basins in order to contribute with valuable data on the genetic diversity distribution patterns of native cyprinid species. A total of 188 populations belonging to 16 cyprinid species of Squalius, Luciobarbus, Achondrostoma, Iberochondrostoma, Anaecypris and Pseudochondrostoma were characterized, for a total of 3,678 cytochrome b gene sequences. Results. When the genetic diversity of these populations was mapped, it highlighted differences among populations from the same species and between species with identical distribution areas. Factors shaping the contemporary patterns of genetic diversity were explored and the results revealed the role of latitude, inter-basin connectivity, migratory behaviour, species maximum size, species range and other species intrinsic traits in determining the genetic diversity of sampled populations. Contrastingly, drainage area and hydrological regime (permanent vs. temporary seem to have no significant effect on genetic diversity. Species intrinsic traits, maximum size attained, inter-basin connectivity and latitude explained over 30% of the haplotype diversity variance and, generally, the levels of diversity were significantly higher for smaller sized species, from connected and southerly river basins. Discussion. Targeting multiple co-distributed species of primary

  7. Developing a forecast model of solar proton flux profiles for well-connected events

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, E. Y.; Moon, Y. J.; Park, J.

    2014-12-01

    We have developed a forecast model of solar proton flux profile (> 10 MeV channel) for well-connected events. Among 136 solar proton events (SPEs) from 1986 to 2006, we select 49 well-connected ones that are all associated with single X-ray flares stronger than M1 class and start to increase within four hours after their X-ray peak times. These events show rapid increments in proton flux. By comparing several empirical functions, we select a modified Weibull curve function to approximate a SPE flux profile, which is similar to the particle injection rate. The parameters (peak value, rise time and decay time) of this function are determined by the relationship between X-ray flare parameters (peak flux, impulsive time, and emission measure) and SPE parameters. For 49 well-connected SPEs, the linear correlation between the predicted proton peak flux and the observed proton peak fluxes is 0.65 with the RMS error of 0.55 pfu in the log10. In addition, we have developed another forecast model based on flare and CME parameters using 22 SPEs. The used CME parameters are linear speed and angular width. As a result, we find that the linear correlation between the predicted proton peak flux and the observed proton peak fluxes is 0.83 with the RMS error of 0.35 pfu in the log10. From the relationship between the model error and CME acceleration, we find that CME acceleration is also an important factor for predicting proton flux profiles.

  8. Circular RNA Profiling and Bioinformatic Modeling Identify Its Regulatory Role in Hepatic Steatosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Xing-Ya; He, Chong-Xin; Wang, Yu-Qin; Sun, Chao; Li, Guang-Ming; Su, Qing; Pan, Qin; Fan, Jian-Gao

    2017-01-01

    Circular RNAs (circRNAs) exhibit a wide range of physiological and pathological activities. To uncover their role in hepatic steatosis, we investigated the expression profile of circRNAs in HepG2-based hepatic steatosis induced by high-fat stimulation. Differentially expressed circRNAs were subjected to validation using QPCR and functional analyses using principal component analysis, hierarchical clustering, target prediction, gene ontology (GO), and pathway annotation, respectively. Bioinformatic integration established the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network so as to identify the mechanisms underlying circRNAs' metabolic effect. Here we reported that hepatic steatosis was associated with a total of 357 circRNAs. Enrichment of transcription-related GOs, especially GO: 0006355, GO: 004589, GO: 0045944, GO: 0045892, and GO: 0000122, demonstrated their specific actions in transcriptional regulation. Lipin 1 (LPIN1) was recognized to mediate the transcriptional regulatory effect of circRNAs on metabolic pathways. circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network further identified the signaling cascade of circRNA_021412/miR-1972/LPIN1, which was characterized by decreased level of circRNA_021412 and miR-1972-based inhibition of LPIN1. LPIN1-induced downregulation of long chain acyl-CoA synthetases (ACSLs) expression finally resulted in the hepatosteatosis. These findings identify circRNAs to be important regulators of hepatic steatosis. Transcription-dependent modulation of metabolic pathways may underlie their effects, partially by the circRNA_021412/miR-1972/LPIN1 signaling.

  9. Work-role transition: from staff nurse to clinical nurse educator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manning, Liz; Neville, Stephen

    2009-07-01

    This article presents the findings of a study describing Clinical Nurse Educators' experiences, as they recall their transition from staff nurse to the Clinical Nurse Educator role, within a New Zealand District Health Board. Nurse Educator roles influence clinical practice and professional development of nurses, and although designated as a senior role nationally, the complexities and size of the role are poorly understood. A qualitative descriptive methodology utilising transition theory as a conceptual framework underpinned the study. A sample of eight Clinical Nurse Educators from a New Zealand District Health Board were interviewed about their transition from experienced staff nurse to inexperienced senior nurse. Data were analysed using a general inductive approach. Participants found the Clinical Nurse Educator role was more complex than anticipated, with no preparation for the role and sub-optimal orientation periods being provided by the District Health Board. As a result, signs of stress were evident as the enormity of the role became apparent. Consequently, employers need to ensure that appropriate orientation programmes and mentorship are inherent in health care organisations.

  10. The smartphone’s role in the contemporary backpacking experience

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Silas, Everiin; Løvlie, Anders Sundnes; Ling, Richard

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this ethnographic study is to explore the smartphone’s role in the contemporary international backpacking experience. This paper will examine backpackers’ perceived changes in mediated relations and personal attitudes towards phone use in co-present situations pre-trip, on-trip, an......The purpose of this ethnographic study is to explore the smartphone’s role in the contemporary international backpacking experience. This paper will examine backpackers’ perceived changes in mediated relations and personal attitudes towards phone use in co-present situations pre-trip, on......-trip interviews were conducted primarily online through Skype. The findings suggest that there is an ideal of staying offline while traveling. Yet, backpackers report connecting daily with their smartphones and reveal a travel-time legitimacy for sharing updates and receiving attention on social media. After...

  11. Nearby CFTs in the operator formalism: the role of a connection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ranganathan, K.

    1993-01-01

    There are two methods to study families of conformal theories in the operator formalism. In the first method we begin with a theory and a family of deformed theories defined in the state space of the original theory. In the other there is a distinct state space for each theory in the family, with the collection of spaces forming a vector bundle. This paper establishes the equivalence of a deformed theory with that in a nearby state space in the bundle via a connection that defines maps between nearby state spaces. We find that an appropriate connection for establishing equivalence is one that arose in a recent paper by Kugo and Zwiebach. We discuss the affine geometry induced on the space of backgrounds by this connection. This geometry is the same as the one obtained from the Zamolodchikov metric. (orig.)

  12. Rehabilitation of muscle after injury - the role of anti-inflammatory drugs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mackey, Abigail; Mikkelsen, U R; Magnusson, S P

    2012-01-01

    junction, whereas contusion or overload injury can damage both myofibers and intramuscular connective tissue. The role of NSAIDs in muscle repair is complicated by differences in injury models used, variables evaluated, and time point(s) selected for evaluations. While the temporal pattern of the influence...

  13. Ethnic identity and mentoring among Latinas in professional roles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonzáles-Figueroa, Evelyn; Young, Angela M

    2005-08-01

    This study examined ethnic identity and mentoring (a known strategy to promote career success and advancement) in a sample of 103 Latina women with professional roles in the areas of business, academia, policy, and politics. Other variables examined included traditional gender roles and perceptions of professional success. Findings indicated that the women's ethnic identity was consistent with a bicultural profile; some received mentoring and, if given a choice, would prefer to be mentored by someone of similar ethnicity. This finding is critical and can allow researchers, service providers, and policy developers to apply culturally responsive strategies in communities and in organizations. Other hypotheses were not supported. A discussion of the findings, implications, and suggestions for future research are presented. (c) 2005 APA

  14. Epigenetics and gene expression profile in first-episode psychosis: The role of childhood trauma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomassi, Simona; Tosato, Sarah

    2017-12-01

    Childhood Trauma (CT) mediation of the epigenome and its impact on gene expression profile could provide a mechanism for the gene-environment interaction underling psychosis. We reviewed the evidence concerning epigenetic and gene expression modifications associated with CT in both First-Episode Psychosis (FEP) and healthy subjects. In order to explore the relative role of psychosis itself in determining these modifications, evidence about FEP and epigenetics/gene expression was also summarized. We performed a systematic search on PubMed, last updated in December 2016. Out of 2966 potentially relevant records, only 41 studies were included. CT resulted associated: in FEP subjects, with global DNA hypo-methylation and reduced BDNF gene-expression; in healthy subjects, with hyper-methylation of SLC6A4, NR3C1, KITLG, and OXTR; hypo-methylation of FKBP5, IL-6, and BDNF; increased IL1B, IL8, and PTGS gene expression; and decreased SLC6A4 gene expression. FEP showed global DNA hypo-methylation; increased methylation and reduced gene expression of GCH1; hyper-expression of MPB, NDEL1, AKT1, and DICER1; and hypo-expression of DROSHA, COMT, and DISC1 in comparison with healthy controls. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Role-Oriented Enterprise Systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holst, Philip; Beringer, Joerg; Winther, Jacob

    This paper examines the concept of role-­oriented enterprise systems by investigating motivations for and approaches to constructing and reflecting predefined organizational roles in user interfaces of packaged enterprise systems. The research is conducted as case studies of Microsoft and SAP......, constructed from interviews, documents, and examples of role-­‐oriented enterprise system packages from both vendors. The research indicates that the primary motivation of the vendors for including predefined roles is to complement a function-­‐centric approach with a user-­‐centric approach to the design...... of user interfaces of enterprise systems. The research furthermore identifies strategies of an embedded and an independent approach to modeling the role concept and a unified and a componentized approach to reflecting role aggregation in user interfaces....

  16. Mexican American Adolescents’ Gender Role Attitude Development: The Role of Adolescents’ Gender and Nativity and Parents’ Gender Role Attitudes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Updegraff, Kimberly A.; McHale, Susan M.; Zeiders, Katharine H.; Umaña-Taylor, Adriana J.; Perez-Brena, Norma J.; Wheeler, Lorey A.; Rodríguez De Jesús, Sue A.

    2014-01-01

    Gender development has long term implications for education and career endeavors and family formation behaviors, but we know very little about the role of sociocultural factors in developmental and individual differences. In this study, we investigated one domain of gender development, gender role attitudes, in Mexican American adolescents (N = 246; 51% female), using four phases of longitudinal data across eight years. Data were collected when adolescents averaged 12.51 years (SD = 0.58), 14.64 years (SD = 0.59), 17.72 years (SD = 0.57), and 19.60 years of age (SD = 0.66). Mothers’ and fathers’ gender role attitudes also were assessed in Phases 1, 3, and 4. Findings revealed that gender attitude development varied as a function of the interaction between adolescents’ nativity and gender. Among Mexico-born adolescents, females exhibited significant declines in traditional attitudes from early to late adolescence, but males’ attitudes were stable over time. U.S.-born females and males, in contrast, did not differ in their gender attitude trajectories. Examining the links between mothers’, fathers’, and adolescents’ gender role attitudes revealed within-person associations between mothers’ and adolescents’ gender role attitudes: on occasions when mothers reported more traditional attitudes relative to their own cross-time average, adolescents also reported more traditional attitudes than usual. In addition, fathers’ more traditional gender role attitudes were associated with daughters’, but not sons’, more traditional gender role attitudes at the between-person level. The discussion focuses on the interpretation of Mexican American adolescents’ gender role attitude development from a cultural ecological perspective. PMID:24777649

  17. Connection between subjective life satisfaction and mothers' relationships to their adolescents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katja Košir

    2002-02-01

    Full Text Available This study represents an additional research of the parental adjustment to psychological individuation of their adolescents and of the factors which are connected to the succesful adjustment. The intention of the study is to explore the connection between the subjective satisfaction with life at mothers of adolescents and the relationship with their adolescents. I was establishing the subjective satisfaction with life with Diener's Combined Satisfaction with Life Scale. For establishing the mothers' relationship with their adolescents I used The Questionnaire about the Relationship with Adolescent. I was also interested in how some demographic variables affect the mother–adolescent relationship and mothers' satisfaction with life. Satisfaction with life, the frequency and intensity of positive affects and satisfaction with various life domains are at adolescents' mothers significantly connected with some areas of relationship with adolescents. Mothers who express higher satisfaction with life assess their relationship with adolescent more positively and are more satisfied with their parental role. The frequency and intensity of positive affects are positively connected with openness in communication with adolescent and negatively with fear of loosing control over adolescent. Mothers who are on average more satisfied with various life domains are also more satisfied with their parental role and have less wishes about adolescent's change.

  18. Understanding the connection between self-esteem and aggression : The mediating role of emotion dysregulation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Garofalo, C.; Holden, C.J.; Zeigler-Hill, V.; Velotti, P.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of the present study was to extend previous knowledge concerning the link between self-esteem and aggression by examining the mediating role of emotion dysregulation among offenders and community participants. A sample of 153 incarcerated violent offenders and a community sample of 197

  19. Shift in social order – shift in gender roles? Migration experience and gender roles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tetiana Havlin

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Does gender matter in the context of immigration? What significance does it gain through time? Does transition from one gender role to another result in redistribution of family roles? These are the main questions which this paper addresses through scientific discourse and empiric research. In particular the paper deals with the question whether the transition from one gender role to another in the course of immigration triggers the liberalization of gender roles in the families of East-European immigrants (from Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Armenia in Germany. This is investigated through semi-structured biographical interviews with female immigrants to Germany conducted by the author in 2012-2014. The findings illustrate a specific shift of gender roles in the context of migration. On the one hand, willingly or through circumstances, immigrant women are more likely to be involved in the decision-making process, to adapt to a breadwinner role, and to undertake the communication functions with official institutions (often due to better language proficiency. On the other hand, men are more likely to be more engaged in the caregiver roles for offspring, to maintain native language in communication with children (from mother tongue to ‘father tongue’, and to fulfill housekeeping duties. These patterns are rather untypical for post-soviet gender roles, with their increasing tendency to the renaissance of traditional gender roles. The question of whether a shift in gender roles related to migration from one country to another leads towards the greater liberalization of gender roles still remains debatable. But migration experience reinforces the transformation of gender roles which initially are not only distinct but also unequal. Thus, migration can accelerate restructuring of the gender relationship. In turn, a new social order imposes – on immigrants – a demand for greater flexibility of gender roles in the family and for diversity in

  20. The role of anxiety in stuttering: Evidence from functional connectivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yang; Jia, Fanlu; Siok, Wai Ting; Tan, Li Hai

    2017-03-27

    Persistent developmental stuttering is a neurologically based speech disorder associated with cognitive-linguistic, motor and emotional abnormalities. Previous studies investigating the relationship between anxiety and stuttering have yielded mixed results, but it has not yet been examined whether anxiety influences brain activity underlying stuttering. Here, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we investigated the functional connectivity associated with state anxiety in a syllable repetition task, and trait anxiety during rest in adults who stutter (N=19) and fluent controls (N=19). During the speech task, people who stutter (PWS) showed increased functional connectivity of the right amygdala with the prefrontal gyrus (the left ventromedial frontal gyrus and right middle frontal gyrus) and the left insula compared to controls. During rest, PWS showed stronger functional connectivity between the right hippocampus and the left orbital frontal gyrus, and between the left hippocampus and left motor areas than controls. Taken together, our results suggest aberrant bottom-up and/or top-down interactions for anxiety regulation, which might be responsible for the higher level of state anxiety during speech and for the anxiety-prone trait in PWS. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the neural underpinnings of anxiety in PWS, thus yielding new insight into the causes of stuttering which might aid strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of stuttering. Copyright © 2017 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. The role of sports training and recreation at self-efficacy perception of adolescents

    OpenAIRE

    Ivančič, Hani

    2013-01-01

    In the following diploma the role of a sports training and a sports recreation for the perception of adolescents’ self-efficacy is presented. In the theoretical part the self-efficacy theory and its placement into adolescence are described as well as all three kinds of sports workout (sports training, sports recreation and sports education), connection between sport and adolescence and sport’s influence on the self-efficacy. In the empirical part the role of the sports training and recreat...

  2. Objective assessment of gender roles: Gender Roles Test (GRT-36).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández, Juan; Quiroga, M Angeles; del Olmo, Isabel; Aróztegui, Javier; Martín, Arantxa

    2011-11-01

    This study was designed to develop a computerized test to assess gender roles. This test is presented as a decision-making task to mask its purpose. Each item displays a picture representing an activity and a brief sentence that describes it. Participants have to choose the most suitable sex to perform each activity: man or woman. The test (Gender Roles Test, GRT-36) consists of 36 items/activities. The program registers both the choices made and their response times (RTs). Responses are considered as stereotyped when the chosen sex fits stereotyped roles and non-stereotyped when the chosen sex does not fit stereotyped roles. Individual means (RTs) were computed for stereotyped and non-stereotyped responses, differentiating between domestic and work spheres. A "D" score, reflecting the strength of association between activities and sex, was calculated for each sphere and sex. The study incorporated 78 participants (69% women and 31% men) ranging from 19 to 59 years old. The results show that: (a) reading speed does not explain the variability in the RTs; (b) RTs show good internal consistency; (c) RTs are shorter for stereotyped than for neutral stimuli; (d) RTs are shorter for stereotyped than for non-stereotyped responses. Intended goals are supported by obtained results. Scores provided by the task facilitate both group and individual detailed analysis of gender role, differentiating the gender role assigned to men from that assigned to women, at the domestic and work spheres. Obtained data fall within the scope of the genderology and their implications are discussed.

  3. Investigating the effect of role conflict and role ambiguity on employees' job stress :Articulating the role of work-family conflict

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iraj Soltani

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Psychologists and researchers of management sciences are of great interest in subject of stress and the major reason for this is its impact on psychological well-being and organizational consequences. They also recommend that preventing stress called destructive stress results from factors such as role ambiguity, role uncertainty, and organizational policies, and decreases both the individual and organizational performance. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of role conflict and role ambiguity on employees' job stress by explaining the role of work-family conflict. The statistical population of this study is comprised of 530 employees of Iran's central insurance. Using stratified random sampling and Cochran's formula, a sample of 118 employees was selected. We used a researcher-made questionnaire for data gathering. The Cronbach's alpha for this questionnaire was .88 and split-half reliability was .80, which represents for a reliable questionnaire. Furthermore, we used content validity and confirmatory factor analysis to confirm the validity of questionnaire. Data analysis was accomplished by structural equation modeling using the LISREL software v 8.7. Research results indicate that the effect of role ambiguity on work-family conflict is statistically significant (p-value = 62.40. Furthermore, the effect of role ambiguity on job stress was confirmed with significance of 1.83. On the other hand, the effect of role conflict on work-family conflict was not confirmed, because its significance value was negative. However, it was found that the job stress is influenced by role conflict (p-value = 2.35. And finally, the effect of work-family conflict on job stress was confirmed with the number of .93 for its significance value.

  4. Psychological effects of dog ownership: role strain, role enhancement, and depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cline, Krista Marie Clark

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to examine the link between multiple roles and depression and to attempt to provide a clearer answer to the question of what effect, if any, the role of dog ownership plays. Role strain and role enhancement theories are drawn upon to study this relationship. Ordinary least squares regression is used to examine a national sample of 201 adults in the United States. Findings revealed sex and marital status differences in the relationship between dog ownership and well-being, with women and single adults more likely to benefit from dog ownership. The findings presented here suggest that inattention to variations in marital status and sex may have been one factor in the inconsistency in the literature on pets and well-being.

  5. Large-scale cortico-subcortical functional networks in focal epilepsies: The role of the basal ganglia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva Výtvarová

    2017-01-01

    Significance: Focal epilepsies affect large-scale brain networks beyond the epileptogenic zones. Cortico-subcortical functional connectivity disturbance was displayed in LTLE, FLE, and POLE. Significant changes in the resting-state functional connectivity between cortical and subcortical structures suggest an important role of the BG and thalamus in focal epilepsies.

  6. Mexican-American adolescents' gender role attitude development: the role of adolescents' gender and nativity and parents' gender role attitudes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Updegraff, Kimberly A; McHale, Susan M; Zeiders, Katharine H; Umaña-Taylor, Adriana J; Perez-Brena, Norma J; Wheeler, Lorey A; Rodríguez De Jesús, Sue A

    2014-12-01

    Gender development has long term implications for education and career endeavors and family formation behaviors, but we know very little about the role of sociocultural factors in developmental and individual differences. In this study, we investigated one domain of gender development, gender role attitudes, in Mexican-American adolescents (N = 246; 51 % female), using four phases of longitudinal data across 8 years. Data were collected when adolescents averaged 12.51 years (SD = 0.58), 14.64 years (SD = 0.59), 17.72 years (SD = 0.57), and 19.60 years of age (SD = 0.66). Mothers' and fathers' gender role attitudes also were assessed in Phases 1, 3, and 4. Findings revealed that gender attitude development varied as a function of the interaction between adolescents' nativity and gender. Among Mexico-born adolescents, females exhibited significant declines in traditional attitudes from early to late adolescence, but males' attitudes were stable over time. U.S.-born females and males, in contrast, did not differ in their gender attitude trajectories. Examining the links between mothers', fathers', and adolescents' gender role attitudes revealed within-person associations between mothers' and adolescents' gender role attitudes: on occasions when mothers reported more traditional attitudes relative to their own cross-time average, adolescents also reported more traditional attitudes than usual. In addition, fathers' more traditional gender role attitudes were associated with daughters', but not sons', more traditional gender role attitudes at the between-person level. The discussion focuses on the interpretation of Mexican-American adolescents' gender role attitude development from a cultural ecological perspective.

  7. Malaysian aviation technologist promotion to managerial role: an empirical overview

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liew, C. L.; Abu Talib, A. R.; Jacobs, R. L.

    2016-10-01

    The Malaysian aviation industry has continued to march forward. With a turnover of RM23.7 billion in 2013, it is expected to grow higher especially after the Malaysian national aerospace blueprint was launched in 2015. The aviation related organizations currently have a workforce of approximately 13500. These organizations need to be managed by competent managers who have a strong background of technologist. Aviation technologist is one of the key components in the aviation maintenance industry as they are the future managers charged with the responsibility to ensure continuation of the organization's objectives and culture. The technologist role and manager's role are somehow different. The promotion of technologist to managerial roles is quite common but whether the technologist is able to take up managerial role effectively is yet to be fully understood. It is quite common that there was insufficient training for the technologist before being promoted to take up management roles. The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the role of technologists and managers in professional services industries such as MRO and to understand that there is a need within the industry to re-look into the perspective of a proper training to prepare them to take up management roles effectively.

  8. Always Connected at Work? : The Role of Information Novelty and Individual Needs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    De Jonge, Kiki M.M.; Rietzschel, Eric F.; Van Yperen, Nico W.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: As a result of new ICT developments, many workers are almost constantly connected to job-relevant information and co-workers, regardless of when or where they are working. Depending on workers’ psychological needs, constantly being connected may be perceived as favorable (e.g., when it

  9. Women And Leadership Roles

    OpenAIRE

    Parikh Indira J

    2003-01-01

    Women and Leadership Roles is culled from workshops conducted by Prof. Indira Parikh at the IIMA. From 1980 till date programmes exploring issues facing Women in Management are offered at the Institute. Issues surrounding leadership, work roles and authority are debated. The objectives are to explore the influence of the transformation of organisations on womens roles in the corporate world; to explore leadership roles and also individual life-spaces; to discover wholesome ways to actualise d...

  10. A possible role of the Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile in screening for autism: a proof-of-concept study in the specific sample of prematurely born children with birth weights <1,500 g

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Beranová, Š.; Stoklasa, J.; Dudová, I.; Marková, D.; Kašparová, M.; Zemánková, J.; Urbánek, Tomáš; Talášek, T.; Luukka, P.; Hrdlička, M.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 13, January (2017), s. 191-200 ISSN 1178-2021 Institutional support: RVO:68081740 Keywords : autism spectrum disorders * preterm children * screening * Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers * Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile Infant-Toddler Checklist * Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile Subject RIV: AN - Psychology OBOR OECD: Psychology (including human - machine relations) Impact factor: 2.198, year: 2016 https://www.dovepress.com/a-possible-role-of-the-infanttoddler-sensory-profile-in-screening-for--peer-reviewed-article-NDT

  11. The impact of within and between role experiences on role balance outcomes for working Sandwich Generation Women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Kiah L; Millsteed, Jeannine; Richmond, Janet E; Falkmer, Marita; Falkmer, Torbjorn; Girdler, Sonya J

    2018-03-15

    Women combining paid employment with dual caring responsibilities for children and aging parents, otherwise known as the sandwich generation, experience both benefits and costs related to role participation and quality of life. However, previous literature is inconclusive regarding the impact of this role combination on role balance. In the context of these mixed findings on role balance for working sandwich generation women, this study aimed to explore how within role characteristics and between role interactions are related to role balance for these women. This aim was achieved through the use of a questionnaire administered to 18 Australian working sandwich generation women. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation coefficients, with findings suggesting the women studied tended to experience neither role balance or role imbalance. Within-role characteristics, particularly within the mother and family member roles, were related to role balance. In addition, between-role conflict and role interactions involving either the home maintainer or family member roles had the greatest impact on role balance.

  12. Provider role attitudes, marital satisfaction, role overload, and housework: a dyadic approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helms, Heather M; Walls, Jill K; Crouter, Ann C; McHale, Susan M

    2010-10-01

    Treating the marital dyad as the unit of analysis, this study examined the within-couple patterning of 272 dual-earner spouses' provider role attitudes and their longitudinal associations with marital satisfaction, role overload, and the division of housework. Based on the congruence of husbands' and wives' provider role attitudes, couples were classified into one of four types: (a) main-secondary, (b) coprovider, (c) ambivalent coprovider, and (d) mismatched couples. Nearly half of all spouses differed in their attitudes about breadwinning. A series of mixed model ANCOVAs revealed significant between- and within-couple differences in human capital characteristics, spouses' perceptions of marital satisfaction and role overload, and the division of housework across 3 years of measurement. Coprovider couples reported higher levels of marital satisfaction and a more equitable division of housework than the other couple groups. Wives in the ambivalent coprovider couples' group reported higher levels of role overload than their husbands to a greater extent than was found in the other couple groups. As the first study to adopt a dyadic approach that considers the meanings that both spouses in dual-earner couples ascribe to paid employment, these findings advance understanding of how dual-earner spouses' provider role attitudes serve as contexts for marital quality, behavior, and role-related stress.

  13. From Metrosexual to Retrosexual: The Importance of Shifting Male Gender Roles to Feminism

    OpenAIRE

    Anderson, Katherine Noel

    2008-01-01

    The study of gender in feminism should not only concentrate on female gender roles and queer transgressions of established gender roles, but should also include an in-depth discussion on male gender roles as they exist in society. This paper focuses on the metrosexual and the retrosexual trends which have recently affected the male gender role in society. The emergence of the metrosexual in the 1990s through 2005 was a profound change in the traditional male gender role which allowed men to ...

  14. The connection between the primary care and the physical activity sector: professionals’ perceptions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karlijn E. F. Leenaars

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background To stimulate physical activity (PA and guide primary care patients towards local PA facilities, Care Sport Connectors (CSC, to whom a broker role has been ascribed, were introduced in 2012 in the Netherlands. The aim of this study is to assess perceptions of primary care, welfare, and sport professionals towards the CSC role and the connection between the primary care and the PA sector. Methods Nine focus groups were held with primary care, welfare and sport professionals within the CSC network. In these focus groups the CSC role and the connection between the sectors were discussed. Both top-down and bottom-up codes were used to analyse the focus groups. Results Professionals ascribed three roles to the CSC: 1 broker role, 2 referral, 3 facilitator. Professionals were enthusiastic about how the current connection was established. However, barriers relating to their own sector were currently hindering the connection: primary care professionals’ lack of time, money and knowledge, and the lack of suitable PA activities and instructors for the target group. Conclusions This study provides further insight into the CSC role and the connection between the sectors from the point of view of primary care, welfare, and sport professionals. Professionals found the CSC role promising, but barriers are currently hindering the collaboration between both sectors. More time for the CSC and changes in the way the primary care and PA sector are organized seem to be necessary to overcome the identified barriers and to make a success of the connection. Trial registration Dutch Trial register NTR4986 . Registered 14 December 2014.

  15. Maternal role satisfaction: a new approach to assessing parenting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohashi, J P

    1992-01-01

    There is a need to study the maternal role beyond the child's first year of life. This investigation, using a framework of Locke's expectancy theory, describes the expectations, surprises, values, and satisfactions experienced by 102 mothers of teens. Content analysis of written narratives describing surprises encountered by these mothers is also presented. Data were collected by questionnaire. Findings offer support for Locke's theory in two ways: (1) expectation for role was less important than value attainment in predicting the level of maternal role satisfaction, and (2) encountering at least one positive surprise was associated with a higher level of maternal role satisfaction. These variables are offered as a useful nursing approach to the assessment of the parenting experience. Knowledge of the satisfactions reported may be encouraging to mothers anticipating this stage of life.

  16. Teacher roles in Learning Games

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Magnussen, Rikke

    2007-01-01

    the roles as forensic experts who solve a series of murder cases. When teachers use this type of games, they have to adapt to new teaching situations and roles. This includes the fictional role in a game, but also the role as a supervisor for a group of students that play the role as professional experts. I...

  17. The Role of PPAR Gamma in Systemic Sclerosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andréa Tavares Dantas

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Fibrosis is recognized as an important feature of many chronic diseases, such as systemic sclerosis (SSc, an autoimmune disease of unknown etiology, characterized by immune dysregulation and vascular injury, followed by progressive fibrosis affecting the skin and multiple internal organs. SSc has a poor prognosis because no therapy has been shown to reverse or arrest the progression of fibrosis, representing a major unmet medical need. Recently, antifibrotic effects of PPARγ ligands have been studied in vitro and in vivo and some theories have emerged leading to new insights. Aberrant PPARγ function seems to be implicated in pathological fibrosis in the skin and lungs. This antifibrotic effect is mainly related to the inhibition of TGF-β/Smad signal transduction but other pathways can be involved. This review focused on recent studies that identified PPARγ as an important novel pathway with critical roles in regulating connective tissue homeostasis, with emphasis on skin and lung fibrosis and its role on systemic sclerosis.

  18. Semantics, Conceptual Role

    OpenAIRE

    Block, Ned

    1997-01-01

    According to Conceptual Role Semantics ("CRS"), the meaning of a representation is the role of that representation in the cognitive life of the agent, e.g. in perception, thought and decision-making. It is an extension of the well known "use" theory of meaning, according to which the meaning of a word is its use in communication and more generally, in social interaction. CRS supplements external use by including the role of a symbol inside a computer or a brain. The uses appealed to are not j...

  19. Cardiometabolic Features of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Role of Androgens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yanes Cardozo, Licy L; Romero, Damian G; Reckelhoff, Jane F

    2017-09-01

    Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder that affects reproductive-age women. Hyperandrogenemia is present in a significant fraction (~80%) of women with PCOS. Increased prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors is frequently observed in PCOS women. The present review aims to highlight the key role of androgens in mediating the negative cardiometabolic profile observed in PCOS women. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

  20. Anticipated Work-Family Conflict: Effects of Role Salience and Self-Efficacy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cinamon, Rachel Gali

    2010-01-01

    The current study investigated how male and female university students' self-efficacy and their role salience contributed to the variance in their anticipated work-family conflict (WFC). Participants comprised 387 unmarried students (mean age 24 years). Cluster analysis yielded four profiles of participants who differed in their attributions of…

  1. Mentoring relationships and the levels of role conflict and role ambiguity experienced by novice nursing faculty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Specht, Jennifer A

    2013-01-01

    This study explored the effect of mentoring on the levels of role conflict and role ambiguity experienced by novice nursing faculty related to their transitions into academe using a descriptive, comparative design. It also measured the relationship between the quality of mentoring experiences of novice nursing faculty and their levels of role conflict and role ambiguity using a correlational design. P. Benner's (1984) novice to expert model was utilized as a framework for successful role transition. J. R. Rizzo, R. J. House, and S. I. Lirtzman's (1970) role conflict and role ambiguity scale was used to measure the levels of role conflict and role ambiguity experienced by novice nursing faculty. Results indicate that participants (n = 224) who were mentored have significantly lower levels of role conflict (M = 3.57) and role ambiguity (M = 3.02) than those who were not mentored (M = 4.62 and M = 3.90, respectively). Also significant, the higher the participants' reported levels of quality of mentoring experiences were, the lower their levels of role conflict and role ambiguity were. The results of this study indicate that mentoring eases the transition of novice nursing faculty from practice into academe by decreasing the degree of role ambiguity and role conflict that they experience. © 2013.

  2. The role of estrogen in bipolar disorder, a review

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Meinhard, Ninja; Kessing, Lars Vedel; Vinberg, Maj

    2014-01-01

    hormones, e.g. estrogen, are fluctuating and particularly postpartum there is a steep fall in the levels of serum estrogen. The role of estrogen in women with bipolar disorder is, however, not fully understood. Aim: The main objective of this review is to evaluate the possible relation between serum...... estrogen levels and women with bipolar disorder including studies of the anti manic effects of the selective estrogen receptor modulator tamoxifen. Method: A systematically literature search on PubMed was conducted: two studies regarding the connection between serum estrogen levels and women with bipolar...... tamoxifen studies found that tamoxifen was effective in producing antimanic effects. Conclusion: These results indicate that estrogen fluctuations may be an important factor in the etiology of bipolar disorder and it is obvious that more research on this topic is needed to clarify the role of estrogen...

  3. The role of estrogen in bipolar disorder, a review

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Meinhard, Ninja; Kessing, Lars Vedel; Vinberg, Maj

    2014-01-01

    hormones, e.g. estrogen, are fluctuating and particularly postpartum there is a steep fall in the levels of serum estrogen. The role of estrogen in women with bipolar disorder is, however, not fully understood. AIM: The main objective of this review is to evaluate the possible relation between serum...... estrogen levels and women with bipolar disorder including studies of the anti manic effects of the selective estrogen receptor modulator tamoxifen. METHOD: A systematically literature search on PubMed was conducted: two studies regarding the connection between serum estrogen levels and women with bipolar...... tamoxifen studies found that tamoxifen was effective in producing antimanic effects. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that estrogen fluctuations may be an important factor in the etiology of bipolar disorder and it is obvious that more research on this topic is needed to clarify the role of estrogen...

  4. Sociophonetics: The Role of Words, the Role of Context, and the Role of Words in Context.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hay, Jennifer

    2018-03-02

    This paper synthesizes a wide range of literature from sociolinguistics and cognitive psychology, to argue for a central role for the "word" as a vehicle of language variation and change. Three crucially interlinked strands of research are reviewed-the role of context in associative learning, the word-level storage of phonetic and contextual detail, and the phonetic consequences of skewed distributions of words across different contexts. I argue that the human capacity for associative learning, combined with attention to fine-phonetic detail at the level of the word, plays a significant role in predicting a range of subtle but systematically robust observed socioindexical patterns in speech production and perception. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Topics in Cognitive Science published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Important non-parental adults and positive youth development across mid- to late-adolescence: the moderating effect of parenting profiles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowers, Edmond P; Johnson, Sara K; Buckingham, Mary H; Gasca, Santiago; Warren, Daniel J A; Lerner, Jacqueline V; Lerner, Richard M

    2014-06-01

    Both parents and important non-parental adults have influential roles in promoting positive youth development (PYD). Little research, however, has examined the simultaneous effects of both parents and important non-parental adults for PYD. We assessed the relationships among youth-reported parenting profiles and important non-parental adult relationships in predicting the Five Cs of PYD (competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring) in four cross-sectional waves of data from the 4-H Study of PYD (Grade 9: N = 975, 61.1% female; Grade 10: N = 1,855, 63.4% female; Grade 11: N = 983, 67.9% female; Grade 12: N = 703, 69.3% female). The results indicated the existence of latent profiles of youth-reported parenting styles based on maternal warmth, parental school involvement, and parental monitoring that were consistent with previously identified profiles (authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and uninvolved) as well as reflecting several novel profiles (highly involved, integrative, school-focused, controlling). Parenting profile membership predicted mean differences in the Five Cs at each wave, and also moderated the relationships between the presence of an important non-parental adult and the Five Cs. In general, authoritative and highly involved parenting predicted higher levels of PYD and a higher likelihood of being connected to an important non-parental adult. We discuss the implications of these findings for future research on adult influences of youth development and for programs that involve adults in attempts to promote PYD.

  6. Do employed and nonemployed Korean mothers experience different levels of psychological well-being in relation to their gender role attitudes and role qualities?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, H

    1998-06-01

    This study explored the association of gender role attitudes (GRAs) and the quality of roles with the psychological well-being among employed and nonemployed mothers in Korea. Evidence supports the thesis that employed mothers with more liberal GRAs will report higher levels of psychological well-being. All role qualities were expected to be related to women's psychological well-being regardless of work status. Maternal role was expected to be more important in determining a working mothers well-being, but wife role was in fact the most important. Among nonemployed mothers, both the maternal and wife role affected well-being. Participants were recruits from a variety of institutional settings in Seoul, Korea, in 1995. The sample included 700 mothers, of whom 263 were working mothers; 295 were nonemployed mothers. Most were highly educated and affluent. The first model included only social structural variables, which were unrelated to the relationship between employment status and well-being. Gender of children was the only significant variable. Nonemployed mothers with a son had greater well-being than those without a son. The model excluding all social structural variables showed that GRA was unrelated to employed mothers' well-being. But, inclusion of the interaction between attitude and group suggests that well-being was related to agreement with whatever their role was. A model that included role qualities found that roles as wife, mother, and employee were positively related to well-being. The role of wife was significantly related to well-being among employed mothers. The wife and mother roles were significantly related to well-being among nonemployed mothers.

  7. Role of Baby-Friendly Hospital Care in Maternal Role Competence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barabach, Lynn; Ludington-Hoe, Susan M; Dowling, Donna; Lotas, Marilyn

    The objective of this pilot study was to determine women's perceptions of their levels of maternal role competence at discharge from a Baby-Friendly hospital. A convenience sample of 30 women completed two self-report questionnaires: a demographic questionnaire and the Perceived Maternal Parenting Self-Efficacy scale. Women report that they perceived high levels of maternal role competence with a mean total score of 69.80 (standard deviation = 6.86) out of 80. As women experience breastfeeding in Baby-Friendly hospitals, maternal role competence may develop with appropriate support. © 2017 AWHONN, the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.

  8. The Role of Character Strengths in Adolescent Romantic Relationships: An Initial Study on Partner Selection and Mates' Life Satisfaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weber, Marco; Ruch, Willibald

    2012-01-01

    The present study investigated the role of 24 character strengths in 87 adolescent romantic relationships focusing on their role in partner selection and their role in mates' life satisfaction. Measures included the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths for Youth, the Students' Life Satisfaction Scale, and an Ideal Partner Profiler for the…

  9. Functional connectivity profile of the human inferior frontal junction: involvement in a cognitive control network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sundermann Benedikt

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The human inferior frontal junction area (IFJ is critically involved in three main component processes of cognitive control (working memory, task switching and inhibitory control. As it overlaps with several areas in established anatomical labeling schemes, it is considered to be underreported as a functionally distinct location in the neuroimaging literature. While recent studies explicitly focused on the IFJ's anatomical organization and functional role as a single brain area, it is usually not explicitly denominated in studies on cognitive networks. However based on few analyses in small datasets constrained by specific a priori assumptions on its functional specialization, the IFJ has been postulated to be part of a cognitive control network. Goal of this meta-analysis was to establish the IFJ’s connectivity profile on a high formal level of evidence by aggregating published implicit knowledge about its co-activations. We applied meta-analytical connectivity modeling (MACM based on the activation likelihood estimation (ALE method without specific assumptions regarding functional specialization on 180 (reporting left IFJ activity and 131 (right IFJ published functional neuroimaging experiments derived from the BrainMap database. This method is based on coordinates in stereotaxic space, not on anatomical descriptors. Results The IFJ is significantly co-activated with areas in the dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior insula, medial frontal gyrus / pre-SMA, posterior parietal cortex, occipitotemporal junction / cerebellum, thalamus and putamen as well as language and motor areas. Results are corroborated by an independent resting-state fMRI analysis. Conclusions These results support the assumption that the IFJ is part of a previously described cognitive control network. They also highlight the involvement of subcortical structures in this system. A direct line is drawn from works on the functional

  10. Deployed communication between the Role 3 and Role 1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parsons, Iain T

    2015-06-01

    The discharge summary is the most common method for documenting a patient's diagnostic findings, hospital management and arrangements for post-discharge follow up. After being discharged from hospital, patients are routinely reviewed without a discharge summary being available. A recent review revealed that a significant proportion of patients discharged from the Role 3 had no evidence of their admission on their permanent medical record. The aim of this audit was to assess the transition of discharge summaries from Role 3 to Role 1 during Op HERRICK 18. The intention was to review where errors in the transfer of discharge information between Role 3 and Role 1 might be occurring with a view to implementing improvements. Two audits assessed the delivery of discharge information. A re-audit was performed 1 month after a system was implemented. The transfer of discharge information was poor with only 1/40 (2.5%) summaries arriving from R3 to R1. Following implementation of a system the transfer of discharge information improved to 24/30 (80%). The adoption of a system to transit discharge information from R3 to R1 resulted in a drastic improvement. Ideally, a future electronic patient record system used by all facets of Defence Medical Services would limit the potential for future adverse events due to communication failure. Regular audits assessing the transfer of discharge information should form part of standard audit cycles in future contingency operations. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  11. From challenges to advanced practice registered nursing role development: Qualitative interview study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jokiniemi, Krista; Haatainen, Kaisa; Pietilä, Anna-Maija

    2015-12-01

    The aim of this study is to describe the factors hindering and facilitating the implementation of the advanced practice registered nurses role at Finnish university hospitals, and to examine the implications for its future development. A descriptive qualitative approach, using thematic individual interviews, was conducted in 2011 with a sample of 11 advanced practice registered nurses. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The advanced practice registered nurses role barriers had an impact on the role development needs. In turn, the facilitating factors helped encounter the challenges of the role, therefore having an impact on both the current role achievement, as well as contributing to the future role development. The factors hindering and facilitating the advanced practice registered nurses role need to be acknowledged to support the role implementation and planning of the future of the role. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  12. Relationship between cyberbullying roles, cortisol secretion and psychological stress

    OpenAIRE

    González-Cabrera, Joaquín (UNIR); Calvete, Esther; León-Mejía, Ana (UNIR); Pérez-Sancho, Carlota; Peinado, José M.

    2017-01-01

    Although cyberbullying is associated with different psychological problems, the role of biological markers of stress in cyberbullying has been relatively neglected. The aims of this study were: 1) to analyze the profile of cortisol secretion along the day in subjects involved in cyberbullying and 2) to investigate whether the predictive relationship between cyberbullying victimization and subjective symptoms of stress and anxiety are accounted for by cortisol reactivity. A longitudinal study ...

  13. Information Systems and Patient Empowerment: Role of Infomediaries in Health Decision Making

    Science.gov (United States)

    Permwonguswa, Sumate

    2017-01-01

    Information technology (IT) is playing a key role in health care improvement. IT artifacts enable better reach and access to health, allowing patients to manage care more effectively. Amongst various IT artifacts, a health infomediary is an online health platform that connects patients and providers with the purpose of sharing experience and…

  14. Back to the Future - Part 2. Post-mortem assessment and evolutionary role of the bio-medicolegal sciences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrara, Santo Davide; Cecchetto, Giovanni; Cecchi, Rossana; Favretto, Donata; Grabherr, Silke; Ishikawa, Takaki; Kondo, Toshikazu; Montisci, Massimo; Pfeiffer, Heidi; Bonati, Maurizio Rippa; Shokry, Dina; Vennemann, Marielle; Bajanowski, Thomas

    2017-07-01

    Part 2 of the review "Back to the Future" is dedicated to the evolutionary role of the bio-medicolegal sciences, reporting the historical profiles, the state of the art, and prospects for future development of the main related techniques and methods of the ancillary disciplines that have risen to the role of "autonomous" sciences, namely, Genetics and Genomics, Toxicology, Radiology, and Imaging, involved in historic synergy in the "post-mortem assessment," together with the mother discipline Legal Medicine, by way of its primary fundament, universally denominated as Forensic Pathology. The evolution of the scientific research and the increased accuracy of the various disciplines will be oriented towards the elaboration of an "algorithm," able to weigh the value of "evidence" placed at the disposal of the "justice system" as real truth and proof.

  15. Excelling in the Role of Advocate: A Qualitative Study Exploring Advocacy as an Essential Physiotherapy Competency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelland, Kerri; Hoe, Erica; McGuire, Michaela J.; Yu, Jane; Andreoli, Angie

    2014-01-01

    ABSTRACT Purpose: To explore the perspectives of leading advocates regarding the attributes required for excelling in the advocate role as described within the Essential Competency Profile for Physiotherapists in Canada (2009). Methods: We used a descriptive qualitative design involving in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted with leading Canadian advocates within the physiotherapy profession. Transcribed interviews were coded and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The 17 participants identified eight attributes necessary for excelling in the role of advocate: collaboration, communication, scholarly practice, management, professionalism, passion, perseverance, and humility. The first five attributes correspond to roles within the Essential Competency Profile for Physiotherapists in Canada. Participants identified the attributes of collaboration, communication, and scholarly practice as the most important for successful advocacy. Participants also noted that the eight identified attributes must be used together and tailored to meet the needs of the advocacy setting. Conclusions: Identifying these eight attributes is an important first step in understanding how competence in the advocate role can be developed among physiotherapy students and practitioners. Most importantly, this study contributes to the knowledge base that helps physiotherapists to excel in advocating for their clients and the profession. PMID:24719513

  16. Role Model, Hero or Champion? Children's Views Concerning Role Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bricheno, Patricia; Thornton, Mary

    2007-01-01

    Background: Claims that male role models can improve the behaviour and achievement of boys are familiar and persistent. However, research has not confirmed such a link; recent UK studies indicate that peers and relatives may be far more important to boys than their teachers. Given the seemingly relentless reference to male teachers as role models…

  17. Consequences of Team Job Demands: Role Ambiguity Climate, Affective Engagement, and Extra-Role Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mañas, Miguel A; Díaz-Fúnez, Pedro; Pecino, Vicente; López-Liria, Remedios; Padilla, David; Aguilar-Parra, José M

    2017-01-01

    In the absence of clearly established procedures in the workplace, employees will experience a negative affective state. This situation influences their well-being and their intention to behave in ways that benefit the organization beyond their job demands. This impact is more relevant on teamwork where members share the perception of ambiguity through emotional contagion (role ambiguity climate). In the framework of the job demands-resources model, the present study analyzes how high levels of role ambiguity climate can have such an effect to reduce employee affective engagement. Over time it has been associated with negative results for the organization due to a lack of extra-role performance. The sample included 706 employees from a multinational company, who were divided into 11 work teams. In line with the formulated hypotheses, the results confirm the negative influence of the role ambiguity climate on extra-role performance, and the mediated effect of affective engagement in the relationship between the role ambiguity climate and extra-role performance. These findings indicate that the role ambiguity climate is related to the adequate or inadequate functioning of employees within a work context.

  18. Consequences of Team Job Demands: Role Ambiguity Climate, Affective Engagement, and Extra-Role Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mañas, Miguel A.; Díaz-Fúnez, Pedro; Pecino, Vicente; López-Liria, Remedios; Padilla, David; Aguilar-Parra, José M.

    2018-01-01

    In the absence of clearly established procedures in the workplace, employees will experience a negative affective state. This situation influences their well-being and their intention to behave in ways that benefit the organization beyond their job demands. This impact is more relevant on teamwork where members share the perception of ambiguity through emotional contagion (role ambiguity climate). In the framework of the job demands-resources model, the present study analyzes how high levels of role ambiguity climate can have such an effect to reduce employee affective engagement. Over time it has been associated with negative results for the organization due to a lack of extra-role performance. The sample included 706 employees from a multinational company, who were divided into 11 work teams. In line with the formulated hypotheses, the results confirm the negative influence of the role ambiguity climate on extra-role performance, and the mediated effect of affective engagement in the relationship between the role ambiguity climate and extra-role performance. These findings indicate that the role ambiguity climate is related to the adequate or inadequate functioning of employees within a work context. PMID:29375424

  19. Consequences of Team Job Demands: Role Ambiguity Climate, Affective Engagement, and Extra-Role Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miguel A. Mañas

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available In the absence of clearly established procedures in the workplace, employees will experience a negative affective state. This situation influences their well-being and their intention to behave in ways that benefit the organization beyond their job demands. This impact is more relevant on teamwork where members share the perception of ambiguity through emotional contagion (role ambiguity climate. In the framework of the job demands-resources model, the present study analyzes how high levels of role ambiguity climate can have such an effect to reduce employee affective engagement. Over time it has been associated with negative results for the organization due to a lack of extra-role performance. The sample included 706 employees from a multinational company, who were divided into 11 work teams. In line with the formulated hypotheses, the results confirm the negative influence of the role ambiguity climate on extra-role performance, and the mediated effect of affective engagement in the relationship between the role ambiguity climate and extra-role performance. These findings indicate that the role ambiguity climate is related to the adequate or inadequate functioning of employees within a work context.

  20. Confidence in Attachment Relationships and Marital Status as Protective Factors for Self-Perceived Parental Role and In-Person Visitation with Children Among Incarcerated Fathers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laquale, Michele Giovanni; Coppola, Gabrielle; Cassibba, Rosalinda; Pasceri, Maria; Pietralunga, Susanna; Taurino, Alessandro; Semeraro, Cristina; Grattagliano, Ignazio

    2018-04-16

    The study aimed at investigating the role of confidence in attachment relationships and marital status as protective factors for incarcerated fathers' self-perceived parental role and in-person contacts with their children. Participants included 150 inmate fathers and 145 nonincarcerated control fathers who provided background sociodemographic information and completed two self-reports, the Attachment Style Questionnaire and the Self-Perception of Parental Role. A two-phased cluster analytic plan allowed us to highlight two profiles of self-perceived parental roles, with incarceration and low confidence in attachment relationships increasing the risk of the less optimal of the two profiles. Higher confidence in attachment relationships and having a stable romantic relationship increased the likelihood of incarcerated fathers engaging in frequent contacts with their children, while the profile of self-perceived parental role had no effect. Implications for practice are discussed, and suggestions for further research are provided. © 2018 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  1. Differentiating anxiety forms and their role in academic performance from primary to secondary school.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carey, Emma; Devine, Amy; Hill, Francesca; Szűcs, Dénes

    2017-01-01

    Individuals with high levels of mathematics anxiety are more likely to have other forms of anxiety, such as general anxiety and test anxiety, and tend to have some math performance decrement compared to those with low math anxiety. However, it is unclear how the anxiety forms cluster in individuals, or how the presence of other anxiety forms influences the relationship between math anxiety and math performance. We measured math anxiety, test anxiety, general anxiety and mathematics and reading performance in 1720 UK students (year 4, aged 8-9, and years 7 and 8, aged 11-13). We conducted latent profile analysis of students' anxiety scores in order to examine the developmental change in anxiety profiles, the demographics of each anxiety profile and the relationship between profiles and academic performance. Anxiety profiles appeared to change in specificity between the two age groups studied. Only in the older students did clusters emerge with specifically elevated general anxiety or academic anxiety (test and math anxiety). Our findings suggest that boys are slightly more likely than girls to have elevated academic anxieties relative to their general anxiety. Year 7/8 students with specifically academic anxiety show lower academic performance than those who also have elevated general anxiety. There may be a developmental change in the specificity of anxiety and gender seems to play a strong role in determining one's anxiety profile. The anxiety profiles present in our year 7/8 sample, and their relationships with math performance, suggest a bidirectional relationship between math anxiety and math performance.

  2. Differentiating anxiety forms and their role in academic performance from primary to secondary school.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emma Carey

    Full Text Available Individuals with high levels of mathematics anxiety are more likely to have other forms of anxiety, such as general anxiety and test anxiety, and tend to have some math performance decrement compared to those with low math anxiety. However, it is unclear how the anxiety forms cluster in individuals, or how the presence of other anxiety forms influences the relationship between math anxiety and math performance.We measured math anxiety, test anxiety, general anxiety and mathematics and reading performance in 1720 UK students (year 4, aged 8-9, and years 7 and 8, aged 11-13. We conducted latent profile analysis of students' anxiety scores in order to examine the developmental change in anxiety profiles, the demographics of each anxiety profile and the relationship between profiles and academic performance.Anxiety profiles appeared to change in specificity between the two age groups studied. Only in the older students did clusters emerge with specifically elevated general anxiety or academic anxiety (test and math anxiety. Our findings suggest that boys are slightly more likely than girls to have elevated academic anxieties relative to their general anxiety. Year 7/8 students with specifically academic anxiety show lower academic performance than those who also have elevated general anxiety.There may be a developmental change in the specificity of anxiety and gender seems to play a strong role in determining one's anxiety profile. The anxiety profiles present in our year 7/8 sample, and their relationships with math performance, suggest a bidirectional relationship between math anxiety and math performance.

  3. Do we have to Include HCI Issues in Clinical Trials of Medical Devices?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Lene; Christensen, Lars Rune; Sabers, Anne

    2017-01-01

    Digital devices play an important role in medical treatment and will in the future play a larger role in connection to cures of health-related issues. Traditionally medicine has been tested by clinical double blind, randomized trials to document the efficacy and safety profile. When it comes to t...

  4. Connecting Goals and Actions during Reading: The Role of Illustrations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orrantia, Josetxu; Múñez, David; Tarín, Julio

    2014-01-01

    The ability to integrate information that is separated within a text, such as connecting a character's action to a goal stated earlier in the text, is a critical factor in narrative comprehension. In the present study, we analyze the ability of 9- and 11-year olds to integrate such information. In addition, we examined the effect of…

  5. Semantic Role Labeling

    CERN Document Server

    Palmer, Martha; Xue, Nianwen

    2011-01-01

    This book is aimed at providing an overview of several aspects of semantic role labeling. Chapter 1 begins with linguistic background on the definition of semantic roles and the controversies surrounding them. Chapter 2 describes how the theories have led to structured lexicons such as FrameNet, VerbNet and the PropBank Frame Files that in turn provide the basis for large scale semantic annotation of corpora. This data has facilitated the development of automatic semantic role labeling systems based on supervised machine learning techniques. Chapter 3 presents the general principles of applyin

  6. Mitochondrial regulation of epigenetics and its role in human diseases

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Minocherhomji, Sheroy; Tollefsbol, Trygve O; Singh, Keshav K

    2012-01-01

    as the sole pathogenic factor suggesting that additional mechanisms contribute to lack of genotype and clinical phenotype correlationship. An increasing number of studies have identified a possible effect on the epigenetic landscape of the nuclear genome as a consequence of mitochondrial dysfunction....... In particular, these studies demonstrate reversible or irreversible changes in genomic DNA methylation profiles of the nuclear genome. Here we review how mitochondria damage checkpoint (mitocheckpoint) induces epigenetic changes in the nucleus. Persistent pathogenic mutations in mtDNA may also lead...... to epigenetic changes causing genomic instability in the nuclear genome. We propose that "mitocheckpoint" mediated epigenetic and genetic changes may play key roles in phenotypic variation related to mitochondrial diseases or host of human diseases in which mitochondrial defect plays a primary role....

  7. Gender-role conflict and gender-role orientation in a sample of gay men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Namok; Herdman, Kevin; Fuqua, Dale R; Newman, Jody L

    2011-01-01

    This exploratory study was designed to examine the relationship between gender role dimensions derived from the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) and the 4 dimensions of gender role conflict represented on the Gender Role Conflict Scale (GRCS) using a sample (N = 400) composed of exclusively gay men. Results from regression of 3 BSRI scores (femininity, social masculinity, personal masculinity) on the 4 subscale scores of the GRCS indicated that gender role conflict was most strongly and positively associated with the negative aspect of masculinity (social masculinity), accounting for about 11% of variability in social masculinity scores. In particular, the success-power-competition dimension of the GRCS was the major predictor of social masculinity in gay men. Gender role conflict was also strongly but negatively associated with femininity, accounting for approximately 10% of the variance in femininity scores among the men in the sample. Implications and recommendations for further studies are discussed.

  8. Facilitating pragmatic skills through role-play in learners with language learning disability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdoola, Fareeaa; Flack, Penelope S; Karrim, Saira B

    2017-07-26

    Role-based learning involves the process whereby learners acquire skills, knowledge and understanding through the assumption of roles within real-life settings. Role-play holds potential as an effective learning strategy for children; however, there is limited research on the use of role-play as a therapy method within the field of speech-language pathology. Children with language learning disability (LLD) typically present with difficulties in social communication, which can negatively affect their social and academic achievement. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of role-play as a therapy approach targeting the pragmatic skills of stylistic variation and requesting for clarification in learners with LLD. The use of combined positivist and interpretivist paradigms allowed for the implementation of an embedded mixed methods design. An experimental pretest-posttest design was implemented. Eight participants, who were learners with a diagnosis of LLD, were purposefully selected. Data collection was conducted over five phases, utilising the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (4th Ed.) Pragmatics Profile, discourse completion tasks, session plans and session records. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and were supplemented by qualitative data from session records. Results revealed improvements in stylistic variation and requesting for clarification post role-play intervention, with minimal changes in the control group. Limitations of the study have been reported for consideration when interpreting results. Role-play as a therapy approach targeting two pragmatic skills, stylistic variation and requesting for clarification, was found to be beneficial for learners with LLD. Recommendations for the implementation of role-play as a therapy approach were made.

  9. The Role of Mentoring, Coaching, and Advising in Developing Leadership Identity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Priest, Kerry L; Kliewer, Brandon W; Hornung, Marcia; Youngblood, R J

    2018-06-01

    A changing world calls for leaders with the capacity for collaborative, socially responsible forms of leadership. The development of this capacity is connected to the growth of one's leadership identity. This chapter addresses how mentors, advisors, and coaches play a role in helping students formulate and grow in their leadership identity, and therefore their capacity for exercising leadership. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. Role of Rifaximin in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scribano, Maria Lia

    2015-01-01

    Inflammatory bowel diseases are characterised by an altered composition of the intestinal microbiota, which may contribute to their development and maintenance in susceptible hosts. The involvement of bacteria in the inflammation has provided the rationale for a therapeutic manipulation of the gut flora through the use of antibiotics. However, the role of antibiotics has not been clearly demonstrated and their long-term employment is often restricted by an elevated number of adverse events. The use of rifaximin, which is characterised by an excellent safety profile thanks to its negligible intestinal absorption, appears to have some promise. Study results suggest that rifaximin could be useful in Crohn's disease, and a new gastroresistant formulation (rifaximin-extended intestinal release) has recently shown its efficacy in patients with moderate Crohn's disease. Less consistent data support the use of rifaximin in ulcerative colitis and in pouchitis, although the results of some studies have been encouraging. Further large controlled trials are warranted to confirm the role of rifaximin in inflammatory bowel disease treatment.

  11. The Role of Science Teachers' Beliefs in International Classrooms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    for educators. Within each of these areas there are specific explorations that examine important areas such as, the roles of beliefs in teaching and learning, the impact of beliefs on student achievement, and ways in which beliefs are connected to teacher actions in the classroom. Throughout all...... of these discussions, there is a focus on international perspectives. Those reading this book can use the research presented to consider how to confront, challenge, and cultivate beliefs during the teacher professional development process....

  12. Occupational role stress is associated with higher cortisol reactivity to acute stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wirtz, Petra H; Ehlert, Ulrike; Kottwitz, Maria U; La Marca, Roberto; Semmer, Norbert K

    2013-04-01

    We investigated whether occupational role stress is associated with differential levels of the stress hormone cortisol in response to acute psychosocial stress. Forty-three medication-free nonsmoking men aged between 22 and 65 years (mean ± SEM: 44.5 ± 2) underwent an acute standardized psychosocial stress task combining public speaking and mental arithmetic in front of an audience. We assessed occupational role stress in terms of role conflict and role ambiguity (combined into a measure of role uncertainty) as well as further work characteristics and psychological control variables including time pressure, overcommitment, perfectionism, and stress appraisal. Moreover, we repeatedly measured salivary cortisol and blood pressure levels before and after stress exposure, and several times up to 60 min thereafter. Higher role uncertainty was associated with a more pronounced cortisol stress reactivity (p = .016), even when controlling for the full set of potential confounders (p stress reactivity was not associated with role uncertainty. Our findings suggest that occupational role stress in terms of role uncertainty acts as a background stressor that is associated with increased HPA-axis reactivity to acute stress. This finding may represent a potential mechanism regarding how occupational role stress may precipitate adverse health outcomes.

  13. Connectivity-based parcellation of the human orbitofrontal cortex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kahnt, Thorsten; Chang, Luke J; Park, Soyoung Q; Heinzle, Jakob; Haynes, John-Dylan

    2012-05-02

    The primate orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is involved in reward processing, learning, and decision making. Research in monkeys has shown that this region is densely connected with higher sensory, limbic, and subcortical regions. Moreover, a parcellation of the monkey OFC into two subdivisions has been suggested based on its intrinsic anatomical connections. However, in humans, little is known about any functional subdivisions of the OFC except for a rather coarse medial/lateral distinction. Here, we used resting-state fMRI in combination with unsupervised clustering techniques to investigate whether OFC subdivisions can be revealed based on their functional connectivity profiles with other brain regions. Examination of different cluster solutions provided support for a parcellation into two parts as observed in monkeys, but it also highlighted a much finer hierarchical clustering of the orbital surface. Specifically, we identified (1) a medial, (2) a posterior-central, (3) a central, and (4-6) three lateral clusters spanning the anterior-posterior gradient. Consistent with animal tracing studies, these OFC clusters were connected to other cortical regions such as prefrontal, temporal, and parietal cortices but also subcortical areas in the striatum and the midbrain. These connectivity patterns provide important implications for identifying specific functional roles of OFC subdivisions for reward processing, learning, and decision making. Moreover, this parcellation schema can provide guidance to report results in future studies.

  14. Burnout Syndrome Profiles among Teachers (Perfiles del Síndrome de Burnout entre Profesores

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sheila Gonçalves Câmara

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Burnout Syndrome (BS is a psychological reaction related to chronic occupational stress, both interpersonal and emotional. This study assessed three discriminant profiles of BS in teachers according to psychosocial factors. Profile 1 represents teachers with or without BS; Profile 2 represents teachers with BS or without BS in reference to the dimension guilt; and Profile 3 represents Profile 1 and Profile 2. The sample comprised 679 Brazilian primary school teachers. The instruments used were: sociodemographic data questionnaire; Spanish Burnout Inventory; and Battery of Psychosocial Risk Assessment to assess role ambiguity, social support, self-efficacy, autonomy, role conflict, and overload and intention to leave the profession. Differences between the groups were assessed using discriminant analysis. Results show that the variables that compose the discriminant profiles (Profile 1 and Profile 2 were intention to leave the profession, overload, role conflict, and role ambiguity, with self-efficacy discriminating teachers without BS in Profile 1. Profiles 1 and 2 were discriminated by two determinant factors: role conflict, and intention to leave the profession. The results suggest a need for interventions on psychosocial stressors to prevent burnout.

  15. The role of gut hormones and the hypothalamus in appetite regulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suzuki, Keisuke; Simpson, Katherine A; Minnion, James S; Shillito, Joyceline C; Bloom, Stephen R

    2010-01-01

    The World Health Organisation has estimated that by 2015 approximately 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and more than 700 million obese. Obesity is associated with an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular events, stroke and cancer. The hypothalamus is a crucial region for integrating signals from central and peripheral pathways and plays a major role in appetite regulation. In addition, there are reciprocal connections with the brainstem and higher cortical centres. In the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, there are two major neuronal populations which stimulate or inhibit food intake and influence energy homeostasis. Within the brainstem, the dorsal vagal complex plays a role in the interpretation and relaying of peripheral signals. Gut hormones act peripherally to modulate digestion and absorption of nutrients. However, they also act as neurotransmitters within the central nervous system to control food intake. Peptide YY, pancreatic polypeptide, glucagon-like peptide-1 and oxyntomodulin suppress appetite, whilst ghrelin increases appetite through afferent vagal fibres to the caudal brainstem or directly to the hypothalamus. A better understanding of the role of these gut hormones may offer the opportunity to develop successful treatments for obesity. Here we review the current understanding of the role of gut hormones and the hypothalamus on food intake and body weight control.

  16. Targeting cancers in the gastrointestinal tract: role of capecitabine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Wasif Saif

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Muhammad Wasif SaifYale Cancer Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USAAbstract: Capecitabine is currently the only novel, orally home-administered fluorouracil prodrug. It offers patients more freedom from hospital visits and less inconvenience and complications associated with infusion devices. The drug has been extensively studied in large clinical trials in many solid tumors, including breast cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, and many others. Furthermore, the drug compares favorably with fluorouracil in patients with such cancers, with a safe toxicity profile, consisting mainly of gastrointestinal and dermatologic adverse effects. Whereas gastrointestinal events and hand-foot syndrome occur often with capecitabine, the tolerability profile is comparatively favorable. Prompt recognition of severe adverse effects is the key to successful management of capecitabine. Ongoing and future clinical trials will continue to examine, and likely expand, the role of capecitabine as a single agent and/or in combination with other anticancer agents for the treatment of gastrointestinal as well as other solid tumors, both in the advanced palliative and adjuvant settings. The author summarizes the current data on the role of capecitabine in the management of gastrointestinal cancers. Keywords: 5-fluorouracil, capecitabine, chemotherapy, adjuvant, advanced, colon cancer, gastric cancer, hepatocellular cancer, pancreatic cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, rectal cancer, anal cancer

  17. An Analysis of Student Affairs Professionals' Management of Role Conflict and Multiple Roles in Relation to Work/Life Balance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayo, Nicole Lepone

    2013-01-01

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

  18. Institutions, regulatory role and economic growth of national economies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mladen Vedriš

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available In the present time, characterized by the rapid disturbances in all time more connected global economy, territorially as well as structurally, the role of the state’s influence and responsibility with the adequate institutional addresses and procedures, defined in larger context, becomes the essential point not only of the further growth but also of the existing relations viability. It is simply because the encirclement does not function on the principle of status quo situation any more. Therefore, the role and significance of institutions, adequate regulatory role of these addresses, in the context of demand of permanent and stable economic growth, are of particular interest in the creation of this model. This analysis gains in importance studying the realized accelerated economic growth of states from some parts of the world, notably in the period after WW II. This question turned out to be exceptionally essential during the analysis of national strategies of accelerated economic growth (catch up strategy. On the other side of analysis are the transition period and the processes realized on the territory of the East and Central European states up to 1990 that were under the strong influence of the USSR. The attempts and mistakes in the quest for adequate balance of the market role were initially indoctrinated and led by the predominant conviction that the principles of Washington consensus will lead up to accelerated and efficient change of the entire structure of national economies and new frames for future behaviour. The problems that appeared very soon led to the establishment of significantly more balanced first the understanding and then to establishing significantly, more appropriate concept of balance and complementarity of market development with the permanently present role and responsibility of the state in this process and on this road.

  19. Policy statement--Role of the pediatrician in youth violence prevention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-07-01

    Youth violence continues to be a serious threat to the health of children and adolescents in the United States. It is crucial that pediatricians clearly define their role and develop the appropriate skills to address this threat effectively. From a clinical perspective, pediatricians should become familiar with Connected Kids: Safe, Strong, Secure, the American Academy of Pediatrics' primary care violence prevention protocol. Using this material, practices can incorporate preventive education, screening for risk, and linkages to community-based counseling and treatment resources. As advocates, pediatricians may bring newly developed information regarding key risk factors such as exposure to firearms, teen dating violence, and bullying to the attention of local and national policy makers. This policy statement refines the developing role of pediatricians in youth violence prevention and emphasizes the importance of this issue in the strategic agenda of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  20. Identifying the Role of National Digital Cadastral Database (ndcdb) in Malaysia and for Land-Based Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halim, N. Z. A.; Sulaiman, S. A.; Talib, K.; Yusof, O. M.; Wazir, M. A. M.; Adimin, M. K.

    2017-10-01

    This paper explains the process carried out in identifying the significant role of NDCDB in Malaysia specifically in the land-based analysis. The research was initially a part of a larger research exercise to identify the significance of NDCDB from the legal, technical, role and land-based analysis perspectives. The research methodology of applying the Delphi technique is substantially discussed in this paper. A heterogeneous panel of 14 experts was created to determine the importance of NDCDB from the role standpoint. Seven statements pertaining the significant role of NDCDB in Malaysia and land-based analysis were established after three rounds of consensus building. The agreed statements provided a clear definition to describe the important role of NDCDB in Malaysia and for land-based analysis, which was limitedly studied that lead to unclear perception to the general public and even the geospatial community. The connection of the statements with disaster management is discussed concisely at the end of the research.

  1. IDENTIFYING THE ROLE OF NATIONAL DIGITAL CADASTRAL DATABASE (NDCDB IN MALAYSIA AND FOR LAND-BASED ANALYSIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. Z. A. Halim

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available This paper explains the process carried out in identifying the significant role of NDCDB in Malaysia specifically in the land-based analysis. The research was initially a part of a larger research exercise to identify the significance of NDCDB from the legal, technical, role and land-based analysis perspectives. The research methodology of applying the Delphi technique is substantially discussed in this paper. A heterogeneous panel of 14 experts was created to determine the importance of NDCDB from the role standpoint. Seven statements pertaining the significant role of NDCDB in Malaysia and land-based analysis were established after three rounds of consensus building. The agreed statements provided a clear definition to describe the important role of NDCDB in Malaysia and for land-based analysis, which was limitedly studied that lead to unclear perception to the general public and even the geospatial community. The connection of the statements with disaster management is discussed concisely at the end of the research.

  2. Predicting Intentions to Read Suicide Awareness Stories. The Role of Depression and Characteristics of the Suicidal Role Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niederkrotenthaler, Thomas; Arendt, Florian; Till, Benedikt

    2015-01-01

    Research on factors that influence the intention to read suicide awareness material is lacking. To identify how social and state similarities between the featured protagonist of a suicide awareness story and the audience impact on the intent to read similar stories. Laboratory experiment with n = 104 students. Participants were randomly assigned to study groups. In the first group, the role model provided his personal story of crisis and was a student. In the second group, the content was identical but the model was socially dissimilar. The third group read about a topic unrelated to suicide. Depression, identification, and exposure intent were measured after the experiment. Conditional process analysis was carried out. In the group featuring a once-suicidal role model with high social similarity, depression in the audience increased the intention to read similar material in the future via identification with the role model; 82% of individuals wanted to read similar material in the future, but only 50% wanted to do so in the group featuring a dissimilar person. Exposure intention increases via identification when role model and audience characteristics align regarding social traits and the experience of depression. These factors are relevant when developing campaigns targeting individuals with stories of recovery.

  3. Passive mechanical properties of rat abdominal wall muscles suggest an important role of the extracellular connective tissue matrix.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Stephen H M; Carr, John Austin; Ward, Samuel R; Lieber, Richard L

    2012-08-01

    Abdominal wall muscles have a unique morphology suggesting a complex role in generating and transferring force to the spinal column. Studying passive mechanical properties of these muscles may provide insights into their ability to transfer force among structures. Biopsies from rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique (EO), internal oblique (IO), and transverse abdominis (TrA) were harvested from male Sprague-Dawley rats, and single muscle fibers and fiber bundles (4-8 fibers ensheathed in their connective tissue matrix) were isolated and mechanically stretched in a passive state. Slack sarcomere lengths were measured and elastic moduli were calculated from stress-strain data. Titin molecular mass was also measured from single muscle fibers. No significant differences were found among the four abdominal wall muscles in terms of slack sarcomere length or elastic modulus. Interestingly, across all four muscles, slack sarcomere lengths were quite long in individual muscle fibers (>2.4 µm), and demonstrated a significantly longer slack length in comparison to fiber bundles (p resistance to lengthening at long muscle lengths. Titin molecular mass was significantly less in TrA compared to each of the other three muscles (p < 0.0009), but this difference did not correspond to hypothesized differences in stiffness. Copyright © 2012 Orthopaedic Research Society.

  4. Role of connected mobility concept for twenty-first-century cities—Trial approach for conceptualization of connected mobility through case studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fumihiko Nakamura

    2014-07-01

    The author defined the idea of “mobility design” in the scope of urban transportation and explored the concept of connected mobility through case studies that the author has been involved in or researched. Although many important connections in and approaches to urban transportation have come to light, the process of actually working on such projects has uncovered many issues to address such as sharing and social capital. The ability to design mobility as a connected entity and pursue our research topics from that perspective will be vital to overcoming the issues highlighted above and helping the concept of connected mobility flourish.

  5. Facilitating social work role plays in online courses: The use of video conferencing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dale Fitch

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Role plays have served an instrumental role in social work education by providing opportunities for students to acquire interaction skills. This project tested various online video conferencing tools to facilitate role plays for students who live in different locations and who are unable to be at the same place at the same time. Key features of the technology included the ability to facilitate real-time interaction, compatibility with laptops and Wi-Fi connections, and the ability to record sessions for later viewing and feedback. Method: Case study design. Results: Students were able to use the videoconferencing software with minimal support. Video quality was not always ideal with contributing factors being the time of day students used the software. There were no distinguishable time and effort demands associated with the online video conferencing compared to classroom role plays. Some students found use of the technology caused them to feel disconnected from their peers compared to face-to-face encounters, while other students found the encounter more intimate in that the pressure to perform in front of others was not felt. Implications: Video conferencing is a promising tool to facilitate social work role plays. Future research needs to assess the acquisition of specific skills compared to traditional classroom students.

  6. Gender Role Conflict, Professional Role Confidence, and Intentional Persistence in Engineering Students in China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Xueyan; Wang, Xinhong; Zhang, Lin; Weidman, John C.

    2017-01-01

    In the current study, the relationship between gender role conflict, professional role confidence, and intentional persistence was examined using data from a survey of male and female Chinese engineering students. Intentional persistence was significantly associated with gender role conflict and professional role confidence; however, the pattern…

  7. Marital Processes Linking Gender Role Attitudes and Marital Satisfaction Among Mexican-Origin Couples: Application of an Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helms, Heather M; Supple, Andrew J; Hengstebeck, Natalie D; Wood, Claire A; Rodriguez, Yuliana

    2018-01-24

    Informed by dyadic approaches and culturally informed, ecological perspectives of marriage, we applied an actor-partner interdependence mediation model (APIMeM) in a sample of 120 Mexican-origin couples to examine (a) the associations linking Mexican immigrant husbands' and wives' gender role attitudes to marital satisfaction directly and indirectly through marital processes (i.e., warmth and negativity) and (b) whether the associations between spouses' gender role attitudes and marital processes were moderated by wives' employment. Although previous research has identified spouses' gender role attitudes as potential predictors of spouses' marital satisfaction, no study has examined these links in a dyadic model that elucidates how gender role attitudes may operate through processes to shape marital satisfaction and conditions under which associations may differ. We found that when spouses reported less sex-typed attitudes, their partners reported feeling more connected to them and more satisfied with the marriage, regardless of whether wives were employed. Our results suggest that marital satisfaction was highest for those Mexican-origin couples in which marital partners were less sex-typed in their attitudes about marital roles to the extent that partners' attitudinal role flexibility promoted spouses' feelings of warmth and connection to their partner. © 2018 Family Process Institute.

  8. The role of lasers and intense pulsed light technology in dermatology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Husain, Zain; Alster, Tina S

    2016-01-01

    The role of light-based technologies in dermatology has expanded dramatically in recent years. Lasers and intense pulsed light have been used to safely and effectively treat a diverse array of cutaneous conditions, including vascular and pigmented lesions, tattoos, scars, and undesired hair, while also providing extensive therapeutic options for cosmetic rejuvenation and other dermatologic conditions. Dermatologic laser procedures are becoming increasingly popular worldwide, and demand for them has fueled new innovations and clinical applications. These systems continue to evolve and provide enhanced therapeutic outcomes with improved safety profiles. This review highlights the important roles and varied clinical applications that lasers and intense pulsed light play in the dermatologic practice. PMID:26893574

  9. The role of family factors in explaining the women’s conflict of work and family roles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    سیدعلیرضا افشانی

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available This research aimed to investigate the relationship between family factors including socioeconomic status, family support, family attachment, family role overload, and family power structure with conflict of work and family roles among female employees in Yazd city. Research method was descriptive and correlational; and 323 female employees were selected by cluster sampling method. The work-family roles conflict scales, the perception of social support from family, the family involvement questionnaire, the family roles overload scale, and the scale of power structure in family were used in this study. Data were analyzed by SPSS and AMOS. The Findings indicated that socioeconomic status, family support to employed member, family attachment and family power structure had significant and negative relationship with work and family roles conflict. In contrast there were significant and positive relationships between family role overload with work and family roles conflict. Thus, family factors have a very significant role in amount of work and family roles conflict and also can play an effective role in reducing the conflict-induced pressure and stress.

  10. Burnout, quality of life and emotional profile in general practitioners and psychiatrists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vicentic, Sreten; Gasic, Miroslava Jasovic; Milovanovic, Aleksandar; Tosevski, Dusica Lecic; Nenadovic, Milutin; Damjanovic, Aleksandar; Kostic, Bojana Dunjic; Jovanovic, Aleksandar A

    2013-01-01

    Many studies confirm that psychological factors and burnout in physicians are interconnected. It is however not known, whether quality of life is another factor that plays a role in this connection.The aim of this study was to explore the correlation between quality of life and emotional profile with the level of burnout in physicians. 120 physicians participated in this study, i.e., sixty general practitioners (GPs) and sixty psychiatrists. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) were used to measure the job stress. The Quality of Life (QOL) and the Emotions Profile Index (EPI) were used to determine quality of life and emotional profile. Data were analyzed using methods of single and multiple correlation and regression methods. The QOL was higher in psychiatrists as a direct consequence of questions about finances and friendship. Analysis by gender showed that the growth of the burnout risk level (MBI) correlated with the growth of number of women who had stress coping problems. This research suggests that quality of life and individual factors represent a very significant role in burnout among physicians. Further researches in a bigger sample are required in order to identify key factors of quality of life related to burnout reducing, as well as for improvement of supervision strategies, including more the relevance of psychological profile of physicians.

  11. Role of veterinarians in recognition and prevention of animal abuse

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aleksić Jelena

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Since the Criminal law of the Republic of Serbia in 2005 as well as the Law on veterinary medicine, there has been an increasing number of cases that deal with raising criminal charges due to animal killing or torturing. There is also a significant number of forensic cases that are aimed at discovering criminal acts. Animal abuse is a social issue, which includes a range of behaviors of humans that are harmful to animals, starting from unintentional neglect to intentional cruelty. Types of animal abuse are different and they can include physical, sexual, emotional abuse, or neglect. Abuse and neglect of animals have a variety of forms and manifestations, but the end result is always the same - animal suffering. The connection between animal abuse, domestic violence, and child abuse indicates that there is a significant role of veterinarians in social contexts and in terms of stopping this vicious cycle by preventing, discovering and turning in suspects involved in these crimes. The help that veterinarians provide to public prosecutors is of great importance. This study shows the role of veterinarians in cases of possible animal abuse, as well as their role in processing that type of cases.

  12. The role of fruit consumption in the prevention of obesity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tetens, Inge; Alinia, Sevil

    2009-01-01

    The global obesity epidemic is associated with a sedentary lifestyle and diets rich in high-fat, high-energy foods. The potential role of fruit in preventing overweight and obesity is related to their relatively low energy density, high content of dietary fibre, and associated increasing satiety...... effect. The physical disruption of fruit is of considerable importance for satiety, as shown in studies in which fruit juices were less satisfying compared to sugar-equivalent intakes of purees and whole fruits. The potential role of fruit in the prevention of overweight and obesity may be connected...... to the dietary pattern of fruit intake, and with the possibility that fruit intake may substitute for other, more energy-dense foods. The majority of human prospective cohort studies in adults suggest a preventive effect of increased fruit intake oil body weight gain; whereas a few studies have suggested...

  13. Which wider social roles? : An analysis of social roles ascribed to voluntary sports clubs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Waardenburg, M.

    2016-01-01

    It has long been established that voluntary sports clubs (VSCs) are ascribed a prominent social role by governments. Several scholars highlight the ascribed social values in sport policy to voluntary sports clubs and their possible implications for these voluntary organizations. Most of these

  14. The effects of role stressors and emotional satisfaction on service quality: Moderating role of gender

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Handrio Adhi Pradana

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this research is to find out the effect of role ambiguity, role conflict, role overload,  and work-family conflict on emotional satisfaction, the effect of emotional satisfaction on service quality, and gender moderation on the effect of emotional satisfaction on service quality. This research was conducted in Dr. Moewardi General Hospital. The research design used in was survey research. The population of this research was all nurses of Dr. Moewardi General Hospital. The sample consisted of 106 nurses taken using purposive sampling technique. The independent variables were role ambiguity, role conflict, role overload, work-family conflict, and emotional satisfaction. The dependent variables were service quality and emotional satisfaction, while gender was a moderating variable. Methods of analyzing data used in this research were multiple regression, simple regression, and subgroup analysis before which the instrument tests were conducted including validity and reliability tests. A multiple regression examined the effect of role ambiguity, role conflict, role overload, and work-family conflict on emotional satisfaction. Simple regression examined the effect of emotional satisfaction on service quality and subgroup analysis examined the moderation of gender on the effect of emotional satisfaction on the service quality. The result of this research showed that: (1 Role ambiguity, role overload, and work-family conflict affected the emotional satisfaction significantly and negatively while the role conflict did not affect significantly the emotional satisfaction, (2 The emotional satisfaction affected positively the service quality, (3 Gender did not moderate significantly the effect of emotional satisfaction on service quality.

  15. CNS role evolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Payne, J L; Baumgartner, R G

    1996-01-01

    THE CNS ROLE has been actualized in a variety of ways. Flexibility-inherent in the role-and the revolution in health care consciousness tend to place the CNS at risk for criticism regarding value to the organization. At Vanderbilt University Medical Center, a CNS task force evaluated the current reality of CNS practice and recommended role changes to include the financial analysis of patient care. After incorporating a financial perspective into our present practice, we have embarked on an interesting journey of post-Master's degree study, that of the tertiary care nurse practitioner. This practice option could elevated the clinical and financial aspects of providing cost-effective health care to a more autonomous role form; however, the transition has been challenging. Since 1990, the American Nurses Association has recommended that nursing school curricula change to meet the needs of the health care environment and provide increased career flexibility through creating one advanced degree incorporating both CNS and NP functions. Swiftly moving past differences and toward similarities will bridge the gap for advanced practice nurses in the future.

  16. Dual Career Mothers' Role Conflict, Parental Roles, and Gender Roles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kinsella-Shaw, Mary; And Others

    The increasing numbers of married women working make the study of dual career mothers an important topic for the psychology of women. Such research is vital to helping women integrate careers with family life. A study was conducted to examine the extent to which gender role, number of hours worked per week, and number and age of children relate to…

  17. Role-Playing and Religion: Using Games to Educate Millennials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porter, Adam L.

    2008-01-01

    I have been experimenting with using role-playing and games in my religion classes for several years and have found that students respond well to these pedagogical tools and methods. After reviewing my experiences, I explore the reasons for students' positive response. I argue that role-playing games capitalize on our students' educational…

  18. Using Online Role-Play to Promote Collaborative Argument and Collective Action

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doerr-Stevens, Candance; Beach, Richard; Boeser, Elizabeth

    2011-01-01

    This article discusses how students use online role-play to collaborate and change real school policy. Playing different characters in an online role-play, students explore controversial aspects of Internet filtering and adopt a plan to change their school's policy. Through engaging in collaborative argumentation during their role-play, students…

  19. Commitment to Nonwork Roles and Job Performance: Enrichment and Conflict Perspectives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weer, Christy H.; Greenhaus, Jeffrey H.; Linnehan, Frank

    2010-01-01

    An extensive commitment to nonwork roles was negatively associated with the job performance of 182 women legal secretaries. In addition to its direct negative effect on job performance, nonwork role commitment had both a negative indirect effect (through emotional energy expended on nonwork roles) and a positive indirect effect (through resources…

  20. Bridging the Research-to-Practice Gap: The Role of the Nurse Scientist.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brant, Jeannine M

    2015-11-01

    To describe the emerging role of the nurse scientist in health care organizations. Historical perspectives of the role are explored along with the roles of the nurse scientist, facilitators, barriers, and future implications. Relevant literature on evidence-based practice and research in health care organizations; nurse scientist role; interview with University of Colorado nurse scientist. The nurse scientist role is integral for expanding evidence-based decisions and nursing research. A research mentor is considered the most important facilitator for a successful nursing research program. Organizations should consider including the nurse scientist role to facilitate evidence-based practice and expand opportunities for nursing research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. A study on impact of Job role stressors on Frontline employee role performance towards the customers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kasturi Naik

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Rapid developments in the Indian Economy post-liberalization in 1991 have prompted institutions like the World Bank to forecast that India would be the fourth largest economy in the world by 2020 (Budhwar and Bhatnagar, 2009. Following globalization this has attracted a large numbers of foreign investors and companies to India. HRM in India has evolved as a specialised function (Budhwar and Bhatnagar, 2009. According to Budhwar and Bhatnagar, 2009 India had a long history of labour legislation and industrial relations and there are many challenges to the HRM systems in India, due to the diverse nature of India’s society which is marked by regional, sectoral, socio-cultural and political variation. In such a climate it is extremely difficult to have a uniform HR system. According to Wheatherly and Tansik (1993 employees have to deal with the demands from superiors as well as the needs and wishes of customers. Because of such a boundary spanning role, the retail frontline employees are in dilemma whether to customize the retail services as per customers needs or to obey the organizational guidelines and procedures (Bitner, 1990. This dilemma often leads to job role stress. There are different types of job role stress (Pareek, 1993 of these the research under study deals with the two job role stressors prominent in retail industry job role conflict and job role ambiguity ( Kahn et.al, 1964. According to Heskett et al. (2003 front line employee’s behavior and perception affects the customer satisfaction and intent of buying behavior which in turn have impact on service productivity. There have been many studies conducted on job role stress and its impact on employee job performance but hardly any with respect to organized Indian retail sector.In the prior research studies it can be noted that employee point of view is hardly taken into consideration. Hence as an attempt to fill in this gap the research focuses on understanding how job role

  2. Facilitating pragmatic skills through role-play in learners with language learning disability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fareeaa Abdoola

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: Role-based learning involves the process whereby learners acquire skills, knowledge and understanding through the assumption of roles within real-life settings. Role-play holds potential as an effective learning strategy for children; however, there is limited research on the use of role-play as a therapy method within the field of speech-language pathology. Children with language learning disability (LLD typically present with difficulties in social communication, which can negatively affect their social and academic achievement. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of role-play as a therapy approach targeting the pragmatic skills of stylistic variation and requesting for clarification in learners with LLD. Method: The use of combined positivist and interpretivist paradigms allowed for the implementation of an embedded mixed methods design. An experimental pretest-posttest design was implemented. Eight participants, who were learners with a diagnosis of LLD, were purposefully selected. Data collection was conducted over five phases, utilising the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (4th Ed. Pragmatics Profile, discourse completion tasks, session plans and session records. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and were supplemented by qualitative data from session records. Results: Results revealed improvements in stylistic variation and requesting for clarification post role-play intervention, with minimal changes in the control group. Limitations of the study have been reported for consideration when interpreting results. Conclusion: Role-play as a therapy approach targeting two pragmatic skills, stylistic variation and requesting for clarification, was found to be beneficial for learners with LLD. Recommendations for the implementation of role-play as a therapy approach were made.

  3. Role of strangeness to the neutron star mass and cooling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Chang-Hwan; Lim, Yeunhwan; Hyun, Chang Ho; Kwak, Kyujin

    2018-01-01

    Neutron star provides unique environments for the investigation of the physics of extreme dense matter beyond normal nuclear saturation density. In such high density environments, hadrons with strange quarks are expected to play very important role in stabilizing the system. Kaons and hyperons are the lowest mass states with strangeness among meson and bayron families, respectively. In this work, we investigate the role of kaons and hyperons to the neutron star mass, and discuss their role in the neutron star cooling.

  4. Effects of professional development seminars on role conception, role deprivation, and self-esteem of generic baccalaureate students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lengacher, C A

    1994-01-01

    This study compared differences in role conception (professional, bureaucratic, and service), role deprivation, and self-esteem among baccalaureate students enrolled in specially designed professional development seminars. More than 100 students participated in the pretests, given on entry to the program, of which 63 completed both the pretest and the posttest given on program exit. The Corwin Role Conception Scale assessed role conceptions and role deprivation and the Coopersmith Adult Form Self-Esteem Inventory assessed self-esteem. Statistically significant differences were found within groups in bureaucratic role conceptions (P = .0009) and self-esteem (P = .0019) and between groups in professional role conception (P = .0057). No differences were found between or within groups for service role conception or role deprivation.

  5. The role of landscape connectivity in planning and implementing conservation and restoration priorities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deborah A. Rudnick; Sadie J. Ryan; Paul Beier; Samuel A. Cushman; Fred Dieffenbach; Clinton W. Epps; Leah R. Gerber; Joel Hartter; Jeff S. Jenness; Julia Kintsch; Adina M. Merenlender; Ryan M. Perkl; Damian V. Preziosi; Stephen C. Trombulak

    2012-01-01

    Landscape connectivity, the extent to which a landscape facilitates the movements of organisms and their genes, faces critical threats from both fragmentation and habitat loss. Many conservation efforts focus on protecting and enhancing connectivity to offset the impacts of habitat loss and fragmentation on biodiversity conservation, and to increase the resilience of...

  6. Uranium - what role

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grey, T.; Gaul, J.; Crooks, P.; Robotham, R.

    1980-01-01

    Opposing viewpoints on the future role of uranium are presented. Topics covered include the Australian Government's uranium policy, the status of nuclear power around the world, Australia's role as a uranium exporter and problems facing the nuclear industry

  7. Aggression Toward Gay Men as Gender Role Enforcement: Effects of Male Role Norms, Sexual Prejudice, and Masculine Gender Role Stress

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parrott, Dominic J.

    2009-01-01

    This study examined sexual prejudice and masculine gender role stress as mediators of the relations between male gender norms and anger and aggression toward gay men. Participants were 150 self-identified heterosexual men who completed measures of adherence to male gender role norms, sexual prejudice, masculine gender role stress, and state anger. Participants then viewed a video depicting intimate relationship behavior between two gay men, reported state anger a second time, and competed in a laboratory aggression task against either a heterosexual or a gay male. Results indicated that adherence to the antifemininity norm exerted an indirect effect, primarily through sexual prejudice, on increases in anger. Adherence to the status and antifemininity norms exerted indirect effects, also through sexual prejudice, on physical aggression toward the gay, but not the heterosexual, male. Findings provide the first multivariate evidence for determinants of aggression toward gay men motivated by gender role enforcement. PMID:19558440

  8. Open Access to Research Articles and Data: Library Roles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joseph, Heather

    2015-08-01

    Over the past decade, a handful of key developments have caused scholars and researchers to rethink not only the way they conduct their work, but also the way in which they communicate it to others. The advent of the Internet has provided unprecedented opportunities for immediate, cost effective global connectivity, opening up new possibilities for collaboration and communication. This has resulted in scholarship increasingly being conducted in the online environment, and a vast amount of new digital information being generated and made widely available to those interested in using it. Additionally, the Internet is a dynamic environment, with new channels for producing and sharing information in a myriad of formats emerging frequently.In higher education, the momentum of the burgeoning movement towards "open" sharing of information of all kinds continues to gain traction. In particular, advancements in the areas of opening up access to articles and reserch data are increasingly visible. In both of these areas, academic and research libraries are playing important, central roles in promoting the awareness of the potential costs and benefits of a more open research environment, as well as defining new roles for libraries in this digital environment.As this push for grater openness continues, these fronts are intersecting in interesting and potentially transformative ways. The Open Access and Open Data movements share fundamental philosophical commonalities that make collaboration a natural outcome. Both movements place a premium on reducing barriers to discovering and accessing pertinent digital information. Perhaps even more significantly, both explicitly recognize that enabling productive use of digital information is key to unlocking its full value. As a result of these shared priorities, there are a wide variety of common strategies that libraries can take to help advance research, presenting new opportunities for deeper collaboration to take place.This talk will

  9. The cerebellum: its role in language and related cognitive and affective functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Smet, Hyo Jung; Paquier, Philippe; Verhoeven, Jo; Mariën, Peter

    2013-12-01

    The traditional view on the cerebellum as the sole coordinator of motor function has been substantially redefined during the past decades. Neuroanatomical, neuroimaging and clinical studies have extended the role of the cerebellum to the modulation of cognitive and affective processing. Neuroanatomical studies have demonstrated cerebellar connectivity with the supratentorial association areas involved in higher cognitive and affective functioning, while functional neuroimaging and clinical studies have provided evidence of cerebellar involvement in a variety of cognitive and affective tasks. This paper reviews the recently acknowledged role of the cerebellum in linguistic and related cognitive and behavioral-affective functions. In addition, typical cerebellar syndromes such as the cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome (CCAS) and the posterior fossa syndrome (PFS) will be briefly discussed and the current hypotheses dealing with the presumed neurobiological mechanisms underlying the linguistic, cognitive and affective modulatory role of the cerebellum will be reviewed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Role of strangeness to the neutron star mass and cooling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lee Chang-Hwan

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Neutron star provides unique environments for the investigation of the physics of extreme dense matter beyond normal nuclear saturation density. In such high density environments, hadrons with strange quarks are expected to play very important role in stabilizing the system. Kaons and hyperons are the lowest mass states with strangeness among meson and bayron families, respectively. In this work, we investigate the role of kaons and hyperons to the neutron star mass, and discuss their role in the neutron star cooling.

  11. CDK5-A Novel Role in Prostate Cancer Immunotherapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) Specific Aims: 1. Effect of dinaciclib on androgen receptor (AR) S81 phosphorylation and function. 2. Effect of...circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire profiling as biomarkers for men with oligometastatic prostate cancer treated with...AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-15-1-0670 TITLE: CDK5-A Novel Role in Prostate Cancer Immunotherapy PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Dr. Barry Nelkin

  12. Ion channel profile of TRPM8 cold receptors reveals a novel role of TASK-3 potassium channels in thermosensation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morenilla-Palao, Cruz; Luis, Enoch; Fernández-Peña, Carlos; Quintero, Eva; Weaver, Janelle L.; Bayliss, Douglas A.; Viana, Félix

    2017-01-01

    Summary Animals sense cold ambient temperatures through the activation of peripheral thermoreceptors that express TRPM8, a cold- and menthol-activated ion channel. These receptors can discriminate a very wide range of temperatures from innocuous to noxious. The molecular mechanism responsible for the variable sensitivity of individual cold receptors to temperature is unclear. To address this question, we performed a detailed ion channel expression analysis of cold sensitive neurons, combining BAC transgenesis with a molecular profiling approach in FACS purified TRPM8 neurons. We found that TASK-3 leak potassium channels are highly enriched in a subpopulation of these sensory neurons. The thermal threshold of TRPM8 cold neurons is decreased during TASK-3 blockade and in mice lacking TASK-3 and, most importantly, these mice display hypersensitivity to cold. Our results demonstrate a novel role of TASK-3 channels in thermosensation, showing that a channel-based combinatorial strategy in TRPM8 cold thermoreceptors leads to molecular specialization and functional diversity. PMID:25199828

  13. Role-meanings as a critical factor in understanding doctor managers' identity work and different role identities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cascón-Pereira, Rosalía; Chillas, Shiona; Hallier, Jerry

    2016-12-01

    This study examines "identity work" among hybrid doctor-managers (DMs) in the Spanish National Health System to make sense of their managerial roles. In particular, the meanings underlying DMs experience of their hybrid role are investigated using a Grounded Theory methodology, exposing distinctions in role-meanings. Our findings provide evidence that using different social sources of comparison (senior managers or clinicians) to construct the meaning of managerial roles leads to different role-meanings and role identities, which are the source of the two established types of DM in the literature, the reluctant and the enthusiast. The contribution is twofold: our findings lead us to theorize DMs' identity work processes by adding an overlooked role-meaning dimension to identity work; and raise practical reflections for those who wish to develop enthusiast doctor managers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. The evolving role of paramedics - a NICE problem to have?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eaton, Georgette; Mahtani, Kamal; Catterall, Matt

    2018-07-01

    This short essay supports the growing role of paramedics in the clinical and academic workforce. We present a commentary of recent draft consultations by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in England that set out how the role of paramedics may be evolving to assist with the changing demands on the clinical workforce. Using these consultations as a basis, we extend their recommendations and suggest that the profession should also lead the academically driven evaluation of these new roles.

  15. The role of emotion in moral agency: some meta-ethical issues in the moral psychology of emotion

    OpenAIRE

    Rietti, Sophie

    2003-01-01

    This thesis aims to elucidate an apparent paradox about the role of emotion in moral agency. A number of lines of concern suggest emotion may have serious negative impact on moral agency. On the other hand, there are considerations that suggest emotion also plays a crucial role in motivating, informing and even constituting moral agency. Significantly, there is a strong connection between participant reactive attitudes and ascription of moral status as agent or subject. Nonemot...

  16. Chinook salmon use of spawning patches: relative roles of habitat quality, size, and connectivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isaak, Daniel J; Thurow, Russell F; Rieman, Bruce E; Dunham, Jason B

    2007-03-01

    Declines in many native fish populations have led to reassessments of management goals and shifted priorities from consumptive uses to species preservation. As management has shifted, relevant environmental characteristics have evolved from traditional metrics that described local habitat quality to characterizations of habitat size and connectivity. Despite the implications this shift has for how habitats may be prioritized for conservation, it has been rare to assess the relative importance of these habitat components. We used an information-theoretic approach to select the best models from sets of logistic regressions that linked habitat quality, size, and connectivity to the occurrence of chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) nests. Spawning distributions were censused annually from 1995 to 2004, and data were complemented with field measurements that described habitat quality in 43 suitable spawning patches across a stream network that drained 1150 km2 in central Idaho. Results indicated that the most plausible models were dominated by measures of habitat size and connectivity, whereas habitat quality was of minor importance. Connectivity was the strongest predictor of nest occurrence, but connectivity interacted with habitat size, which became relatively more important when populations were reduced. Comparison of observed nest distributions to null model predictions confirmed that the habitat size association was driven by a biological mechanism when populations were small, but this association may have been an area-related sampling artifact at higher abundances. The implications for habitat management are that the size and connectivity of existing habitat networks should be maintained whenever possible. In situations where habitat restoration is occurring, expansion of existing areas or creation of new habitats in key areas that increase connectivity may be beneficial. Information about habitat size and connectivity also could be used to strategically

  17. Sensitivity of marine protected area network connectivity to atmospheric variability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fox, Alan D; Henry, Lea-Anne; Corne, David W; Roberts, J Murray

    2016-11-01

    International efforts are underway to establish well-connected systems of marine protected areas (MPAs) covering at least 10% of the ocean by 2020. But the nature and dynamics of ocean ecosystem connectivity are poorly understood, with unresolved effects of climate variability. We used 40-year runs of a particle tracking model to examine the sensitivity of an MPA network for habitat-forming cold-water corals in the northeast Atlantic to changes in larval dispersal driven by atmospheric cycles and larval behaviour. Trajectories of Lophelia pertusa larvae were strongly correlated to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), the dominant pattern of interannual atmospheric circulation variability over the northeast Atlantic. Variability in trajectories significantly altered network connectivity and source-sink dynamics, with positive phase NAO conditions producing a well-connected but asymmetrical network connected from west to east. Negative phase NAO produced reduced connectivity, but notably some larvae tracked westward-flowing currents towards coral populations on the mid-Atlantic ridge. Graph theoretical metrics demonstrate critical roles played by seamounts and offshore banks in larval supply and maintaining connectivity across the network. Larval longevity and behaviour mediated dispersal and connectivity, with shorter lived and passive larvae associated with reduced connectivity. We conclude that the existing MPA network is vulnerable to atmospheric-driven changes in ocean circulation.

  18. Defining the Role of the Pharmacy Technician and Identifying Their Future Role in Medicines Optimisation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boughen, Melanie; Sutton, Jane; Fenn, Tess

    2017-01-01

    Background: Traditionally, pharmacy technicians have worked alongside pharmacists in community and hospital pharmacy. Changes within pharmacy provide opportunity for role expansion and with no apparent career pathway, there is a need to define the current pharmacy technician role and role in medicines optimisation. Aim: To capture the current roles of pharmacy technicians and identify how their future role will contribute to medicines optimisation. Methods: Following ethical approval and piloting, an online survey to ascertain pharmacy technicians’ views about their roles was undertaken. Recruitment took place in collaboration with the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK. Data were exported to SPSS, data screened and descriptive statistics produced. Free text responses were analysed and tasks collated into categories reflecting the type of work involved in each task. Results: Responses received were 393 (28%, n = 1380). Results were organised into five groups: i.e., hospital, community, primary care, General Practitioner (GP) practice and other (which included HM Prison Service). Thirty tasks were reported as commonly undertaken in three or more settings and 206 (84.7%, n = 243) pharmacy technicians reported they would like to expand their role. Conclusions: Tasks core to hospital and community pharmacy should be considered for inclusion to initial education standards to reflect current practice. Post qualification, pharmacy technicians indicate a significant desire to expand clinically and managerially allowing pharmacists more time in patient-facing/clinical roles. PMID:28970452

  19. Defining the Role of the Pharmacy Technician and Identifying Their Future Role in Medicines Optimisation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boughen, Melanie; Sutton, Jane; Fenn, Tess; Wright, David

    2017-07-15

    Traditionally, pharmacy technicians have worked alongside pharmacists in community and hospital pharmacy. Changes within pharmacy provide opportunity for role expansion and with no apparent career pathway, there is a need to define the current pharmacy technician role and role in medicines optimisation. To capture the current roles of pharmacy technicians and identify how their future role will contribute to medicines optimisation. Following ethical approval and piloting, an online survey to ascertain pharmacy technicians' views about their roles was undertaken. Recruitment took place in collaboration with the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK. Data were exported to SPSS, data screened and descriptive statistics produced. Free text responses were analysed and tasks collated into categories reflecting the type of work involved in each task. Responses received were 393 (28%, n = 1380). Results were organised into five groups: i.e., hospital, community, primary care, General Practitioner (GP) practice and other (which included HM Prison Service). Thirty tasks were reported as commonly undertaken in three or more settings and 206 (84.7%, n = 243) pharmacy technicians reported they would like to expand their role. Tasks core to hospital and community pharmacy should be considered for inclusion to initial education standards to reflect current practice. Post qualification, pharmacy technicians indicate a significant desire to expand clinically and managerially allowing pharmacists more time in patient-facing/clinical roles.

  20. Homage to Bateman: sex roles predict sex differences in sexual selection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fritzsche, Karoline; Arnqvis, Göran

    2013-07-01

    Classic sex role theory predicts that sexual selection should be stronger in males in taxa showing conventional sex roles and stronger in females in role reversed mating systems. To test this very central prediction and to assess the utility of different measures of sexual selection, we estimated sexual selection in both sexes in four seed beetle species with divergent sex roles using a novel experimental design. We found that sexual selection was sizeable in females and the strength of sexual selection was similar in females and males in role-reversed species. Sexual selection was overall significantly stronger in males than in females and residual selection formed a substantial component of net selection in both sexes. Furthermore, sexual selection in females was stronger in role-reversed species compared to species with conventional sex roles. Variance-based measures of sexual selection (the Bateman gradient and selection opportunities) were better predictors of sexual dimorphism in reproductive behavior and morphology across species compared to trait-based measures (selection differentials). Our results highlight the importance of using assays that incorporate components of fitness manifested after mating. We suggest that the Bateman gradient is generally the most informative measure of the strength of sexual selection in comparisons across sexes and/or species. © 2013 The Author(s). Evolution © 2013 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

  1. The Role of Nitric Oxide in Memory is Modulated by Diurnal Time

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephanie L. Gage

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Nitric oxide (NO is thought to play an important neuromodulatory role in the olfactory system. This modulation has been suggested to be particularly important for olfactory learning and memory in the antennal lobe (the primary olfactory network in invertebrates. We are using the hawkmoth, Manduca sexta, to further investigate the role of NO in olfactory memory. Recent findings suggest that NO affects short-term memory traces and that NO concentration fluctuates with the light cycle. This gives rise to the hypothesis that NO may be involved in the connection between memory and circadian rhythms. In this study, we explore the role of diurnal time and NO in memory by altering the time of day when associative-olfactory conditioning is performed. We find a strong effect of NO on short-term memory, and two surprising effects of diurnal time. We find that (1 at certain time points, NO affects longer traces of memory in addition to short-term memory, and (2 when conditioning is performed close to the light cycle switches—both from light to dark and dark to light—NO does not significantly affect memory at all. These findings suggest an intriguing functional role for NO in olfactory conditioning that is modulated as a function of diurnal time.

  2. A Theoretical and Empirical Study of the Core of the Psychosomatic Approach to Obstetrics and Gynecology : Meta-Competences, Clinical Roles, and POG Competency Profiles

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meijering, Frederik; van de Wiel, Henricus; Paarlberg, K.M.; Paarlberg, KM; van de Wiel, HBM

    2017-01-01

    The professional roles that are relevant for all clinicians are summarized in the CanMEDS model. Their relevance lies in the behavioral repertoire associated with the various roles; these behaviors can be used to deal with a variety of complex problems in a wide range of situations. The advantage of

  3. A study of role expansion: a new GP role in cardiology care

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background The National Health Service is reconfiguring health care services in order to meet the increasing challenge of providing care for people with long-term conditions and to reduce the demand on specialised outpatient hospital services by enhancing primary care. A review of cardiology referrals to specialised care and the literature on referral management inspired the development of a new GP role in Cardiology. This new extended role was developed to enable GPs to diagnose and manage patients with mild to moderate heart failure or atrial fibrillation and to use a range of diagnostics effectively in primary care. This entailed GPs participating in a four-session short course with on-going clinical supervision. The new role was piloted in a small number of GP practices in one county in England for four months. This study explores the impact of piloting the Extended Cardiology role on the GP’s role, patients’ experience, service delivery and quality. Methods A mixed methods approach was employed including semi-structured interviews with GPs, a patient experience survey, a quality review of case notes, and analysis on activity and referral data. Results The participating GPs perceived the extended GP role as a professional development opportunity that had the potential to reduce healthcare utilisation and costs, through a reduction in referrals, whilst meeting the patient’s wishes for the provision of care closer to home. Patient experience of the new GP service was positive. The standard of clinical practice was judged acceptable. There was a fall in referrals during the study period. Conclusion This new role in cardiology was broadly welcomed as a model of care by the participating GPs and by patients, because of the potential to improve the quality of care for patients in primary care and reduce costs. As this was a pilot study further development and continuing evaluation of the model is recommended. PMID:24885826

  4. Roles in Innovative Software Teams

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aaen, Ivan

    2010-01-01

    With inspiration from role-play and improvisational theater, we are developing a framework for innovation in software teams called Essence. Based on agile principles, Essence is designed for teams of developers and an onsite customer. This paper reports from teaching experiments inspired by design...... science, where we tried to assign differentiated roles to team members. The experiments provided valuable insights into the design of roles in Essence. These insights are used for redesigning how roles are described and conveyed in Essence....

  5. Social Workers' Perceptions of the Association Between Role Playing Games and Psychopathology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben-Ezra, Menachem; Lis, Eric; Błachnio, Agata; Ring, Lia; Lavenda, Osnat; Mahat-Shamir, Michal

    2018-03-01

    Whereas role-playing and table-top role-play games (RPGs) have been proven to have potential as therapeutic tools, playing RPGs is often stereotypically associated with social incompetence and psychiatric disorders. Knowledge regarding the stereotype and its implications is very scarce specifically among mental health practitioners. Therefore the present study aimed to narrow this gap in knowledge by examining the perception of Social Workers that are considered to be the forefront of mental health-care, in regard to the association between playing RPGs and mental health. A convenience sample of 130 Social Workers, recruited through social networks (e.g. Facebook, WhatsApp etc.), responded to an on-line survey dealing with their perception of their own knowledge on RPGs, the importance of such knowledge and the association between playing RPGs and mental illness. Results indicated an association between having higher knowledge of RPGs and lower perception of a link between playing RPGs and psychopathology. The study's findings emphasize the false stigma and its potential harmful implication on professionals' practice, especially in the context of intake process and primary diagnostic. The effect of familiarity is also discussed in light of the study's findings. • The perception of mental health professionals toward role playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons is understudied. • Social Workers' perception was measured in regard to the connection between use of RPGs and DSM-IV-TR psychopathology. • Greater knowledge of RPGs was found to be associated with lower perception of the connection between use of RPGs and DSM-IV-TR psychopathology.

  6. Cognitive Connected Vehicle Information System Design Requirement for Safety: Role of Bayesian Artificial Intelligence

    OpenAIRE

    Ata Khan

    2013-01-01

    Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) are gaining acceptance around the world and the connected vehicle component of ITS is recognized as a high priority research and development area in many technologically advanced countries. Connected vehicles are expected to have the capability of safe, efficient and eco-driving operations whether these are under human control or in the adaptive machine control mode of operations. The race is on to design the capability to operate in connected traffic ...

  7. The Potential Role(s) of Writing in Second Language Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Jessica

    2012-01-01

    Writing is often seen as having a minor role in second language learning. This article explores recent research that suggests that writing can have a facilitative role in language development. In particular, it focuses on three features of writing: (1) its slower pace, and (2) the enduring record that it leaves, both of which can encourage…

  8. Enhanced reality live role playing

    OpenAIRE

    Söderberg, Jonas; Waern, Annika; Åkesson, Karl-Petter; Björk, Staffan; Falk, Jennica

    2004-01-01

    Live role-playing is a form of improvisational theatre played for the experience of the performers and without an audience. These games form a challenging application domain for ubiquitous technology. We discuss the design options for enhanced reality live role-playing and the role of technology in live role-playing games.

  9. Regulatory roles and therapeutic potential of microRNA in sarcoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Hui Jun; Yang, Jia-Lin

    2016-01-01

    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are single-stranded noncoding RNAs involved in various biological processes, including cell differentiation and development. They play multiple key roles as tumour suppressors, oncogenes or both in particular cases. This review aims to summarise current findings of the expression of miRNAs and their role in clinical oncology. Current knowledge regarding the involvement of miRNAs in different sarcoma subtypes will be assessed, in conjunction with their potential application as therapeutic targets. Relevant articles in scientific databases were identified using a combination of search terms, including "microRNA," "deregulation," "sarcoma," and "targeted therapy". These databases included Medline, Embase, Cochrane Review, Pubmed and Scopus. Aberrant miRNA expression patterns have been identified in a range of sarcoma subtypes, and differences in miRNA expression profiles between malignant cells and their normal counterparts suggests that miRNAs play key roles in sarcoma development. The identification of unique miRNA patterns in individual tumour types could possibly be used as a diagnostic tool in sarcoma. Moreover, identification of these miRNAs provides novel targets for the development of therapeutic strategies in distinct sarcoma subtypes. miRNAs hold significant potential as diagnostic biomarkers, as well as therapeutic targets in sarcoma. Possible future clinical applications include the use of miRNA pathways as therapeutic targets or miRNA expression profiling as a means of patient selection. The involvement miRNAs will undoubtedly contribute to the advancement of future targeted therapeutic interventions in sarcoma, and further establishment of appropriate delivery systems is vital for their use in clinical settings. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. CELLULAR CONTROL OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE MATRIX TENSION†

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langevin, Helene M.; Nedergaard, Maiken; Howe, Alan

    2013-01-01

    The biomechanical behavior of connective tissue in response to stretching is generally attributed to the molecular composition and organization of its extracellular matrix. It also is becoming apparent that fibroblasts play an active role in regulating connective tissue tension. In response to static stretching of the tissue, fibroblasts expand within minutes by actively remodeling their cytoskeleton. This dynamic change in fibroblast shape contributes to the drop in tissue tension that occurs during viscoelastic relaxation. We propose that this response of fibroblasts plays a role in regulating extracellular fluid flow into the tissue, and protects against swelling when the matrix is stretched. This article reviews the evidence supporting possible mechanisms underlying this response including autocrine purinergic signaling. We also discuss fibroblast regulation of connective tissue tension with respect to lymphatic flow, immune function and cancer. PMID:23444198

  11. Cellular control of connective tissue matrix tension.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langevin, Helene M; Nedergaard, Maiken; Howe, Alan K

    2013-08-01

    The biomechanical behavior of connective tissue in response to stretching is generally attributed to the molecular composition and organization of its extracellular matrix. It also is becoming apparent that fibroblasts play an active role in regulating connective tissue tension. In response to static stretching of the tissue, fibroblasts expand within minutes by actively remodeling their cytoskeleton. This dynamic change in fibroblast shape contributes to the drop in tissue tension that occurs during viscoelastic relaxation. We propose that this response of fibroblasts plays a role in regulating extracellular fluid flow into the tissue, and protects against swelling when the matrix is stretched. This article reviews the evidence supporting possible mechanisms underlying this response including autocrine purinergic signaling. We also discuss fibroblast regulation of connective tissue tension with respect to lymphatic flow, immune function, and cancer. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. The role of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in mediating the relationship between central adiposity and immunometabolic profile in postmenopausal women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diniz, Tiego A; Rossi, Fabricio E; Silveira, Loreana S; Neves, Lucas Melo; Fortaleza, Ana Claudia de Souza; Christofaro, Diego G D; Lira, Fabio S; Freitas-Junior, Ismael F

    2017-01-01

    To analyze the role of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in mediating the relationship between central adiposity and immune and metabolic profile in postmenopausal women. Cross-sectional study comprising 49 postmenopausal women (aged 59.26 ± 8.32 years) without regular physical exercise practice. Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Fasting blood samples were collected for assessment of nonesterified fatty acids, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), adiponectin, insulin and estimation of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Physical activity level was assessed with an accelerometer (Actigraph GTX3x) and reported as a percentage of time spent in sedentary behavior and MVPA. All analyses were performed using the software SPSS 17.0, with a significance level set at 5%. Sedentary women had a positive relationship between trunk fat and IL-6 (rho = 0.471; p = 0.020), and trunk fat and HOMA-IR (rho = 0.418; p = 0.042). Adiponectin and fat mass (%) were only positively correlated in physically active women (rho = 0.441; p = 0.027). Physically active women with normal trunk fat values presented a 14.7% lower chance of having increased HOMA-IR levels (β [95%CI] = 0.147 [0.027; 0.811]). The practice of sufficient levels of MVPA was a protective factor against immunometabolic disorders in postmenopausal women.

  13. The Emerging Role(s for Kisspeptin in Metabolism in Mammals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew Wolfe

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Kisspeptin was initially identified as a metastasis suppressor. Shortly after the initial discovery, a key physiologic role for kisspeptin emerged in the regulation of fertility, with kisspeptin acting as a neurotransmitter via the kisspeptin receptor, its cognate receptor, to regulate hypothalamic GnRH neurons, thereby affecting pituitary–gonadal function. Recent work has demonstrated a more expansive role for kisspeptin signaling in a variety of organ systems. Kisspeptin has been revealed as a significant player in regulating glucose homeostasis, feeding behavior, body composition as well as cardiac function. The direct impact of kisspeptin on peripheral metabolic tissues has only recently been recognized. Here, we review the emerging endocrine role of kisspeptin in regulating metabolic function. Controversies and current limitations in the field as well as areas of future studies toward kisspeptin’s diverse array of functions will be highlighted.

  14. ROLE OF DIAGNOSTIC HYSTEROLAPAROSCOPY IN EVALUATION OF FEMALE INFERTILITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jayanthy

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available AIM To evaluate the role of hysterolaparoscopy in female infertility. SETTINGS AND DESIGN Patients with female infertility presenting to outpatient Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Kempegowda Institute of Medical sciences, Bengaluru were evaluated for infertility by hysterolaparoscopy and chromopertubation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Seventy consenting subjects excluding male factor infertility with normal hormonal profile and no contraindication to laparoscopy underwent ultra-sonography. Then all patients were subjected to combined hysterolaparoscopy including chromopertubation and the results were recorded. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED T-test. RESULTS We studied 70 patients comprising of 40(57.1% cases of primary infertility and 30(42.9% patients of secondary infertility. In our study most commonly found pathologies were PCOD, endometriosis and tubal blockage. CONCLUSIONS Results show that hysterolaparoscopy has a promising role in diagnosing and treating infertility. hysterolaparoscopy has emerged as a new hope for infertile couples before they proceed to time-consuming and expensive assisted reproduction techniques.

  15. Illuminating the multifaceted roles of neurotransmission in shaping neuronal circuitry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okawa, Haruhisa; Hoon, Mrinalini; Yoshimatsu, Takeshi; Della Santina, Luca; Wong, Rachel O L

    2014-09-17

    Across the nervous system, neurons form highly stereotypic patterns of synaptic connections that are designed to serve specific functions. Mature wiring patterns are often attained upon the refinement of early, less precise connectivity. Much work has led to the prevailing view that many developing circuits are sculpted by activity-dependent competition among converging afferents, which results in the elimination of unwanted synapses and the maintenance and strengthening of desired connections. Studies of the vertebrate retina, however, have recently revealed that activity can play a role in shaping developing circuits without engaging competition among converging inputs that differ in their activity levels. Such neurotransmission-mediated processes can produce stereotypic wiring patterns by promoting selective synapse formation rather than elimination. We discuss how the influence of transmission may also be limited by circuit design and further highlight the importance of transmission beyond development in maintaining wiring specificity and synaptic organization of neural circuits. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. The role of hERG1 ion channels in epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the capacity of riluzole to reduce cisplatin resistance in colorectal cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fortunato, Angelo

    2017-08-01

    The transition of cells from the epithelial to the mesenchymal state (EMT) plays an important role in tumor progression. EMT allows cells to acquire mobility, stem-like behavior and resistance to apoptosis and drug treatment. These features turn EMT into a central process in tumor biology. Ion channels are attractive targets for the treatment of cancer since they play critical roles in controlling a wide range of physiological processes that are frequently deregulated in cancer. Here, we investigated the role of ether-a-go-go-related 1 (hERG1) ion channels in the EMT of colorectal cancer cells. We studied the epithelial-mesenchymal profile of different colorectal cancer-derived cell lines and the expression of hERG1 potassium channels in these cell lines using real-time PCR. Next, we knocked down hERG1 expression in HCT116 cells using lentivirus mediated RNA interference and characterized the hERG1 silenced cells in vitro and in vivo. Finally, we investigated the capacity of riluzole, an ion channel-modulating drug used in humans to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, to reduce the resistance of the respective colorectal cancer cells to the chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin. We found that of the colorectal cancer-derived cell lines tested, HCT116 showed the highest mesenchymal profile and a high hERG1 expression. Subsequent hERG1 expression knockdown induced a change in cell morphology, which was accompanied by a reduction in the proliferative and tumorigenic capacities of the cells. Notably, we found that hERG1expression knockdown elicited a reversion of the EMT profile in HCT116 cells with a reacquisition of the epithelial-like profile. We also found that riluzole increased the sensitivity of HCT116 cisplatin-resistant cells to cisplatin. Our data indicate that hERG1 plays a role in the EMT of colorectal cancer cells and that its knockdown reduces the proliferative and tumorigenic capacities of these cells. In addition, we conclude that riluzole may be used in

  17. Family members facilitating community re-integration and return to productivity following traumatic brain injury - motivations, roles and challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gagnon, Alicia; Lin, Jenny; Stergiou-Kita, Mary

    2016-01-01

    This study explores the experiences of family members in supporting community re-integration and return to productive occupations of the traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivor in order to: (i) describe family members' supportive roles, (ii) determine challenges family members experience in supporting the TBI survivor; and (iii) identify supports that family members require to maintain and enhance their roles. This qualitative descriptive study involved 14 interviews with immediate family members of TBI survivors. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Family members expressed strong motivation and engaged in six key roles to support TBI survivors: researcher, case manager, advocate, coach, activities of daily living (ADL)/instrumental ADLs and emotional supporter. Personal and family stressors and challenges navigating the health care system were perceived as challenges in meeting demands of their supportive roles. Stigma also presented a barrier to successful community and vocational re-integration. Subsequently, family members desired more education related to the functional implications of TBI, to be connected to health care and community resources, and sought a greater family-centred care approach. Family members require on-going counseling and community supports to prevent burnout and allow for their continued engagement in their supportive roles. Further education on how to navigate the health care system, access community programs and rights to workplace accommodation is also warranted. Family members are strongly motivated to support survivors' return to productive occupation following a traumatic brain injury, but require counseling and community support to enable their on-going engagement and prevent burnout. Family members can be further empowered through the implementation of family-centred care. Family members requested further education on the long-term functional implications of TBI, how to navigate the health care system, how to access community

  18. The Role of Quality Labels in Market-Driven Animal Welfare

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Heerwagen, L. R.; Mørkbak, M. R.; Denver, S.

    2015-01-01

    In policy-making the consumption of specially labelled products, and its role in improving the welfare of livestock, has attracted considerable attention. There is in many countries a diverse market for animal welfare-friendly products which is potentially confusing and may lack transparency. We...... ask whether special quality labels that involve medium levels of animal welfare, as compared with labels promoting premium levels of animal welfare, have a role to play in promoting improvements in animal welfare. The Danish pork market is our reference case, but we also widen the context by comparing...... the markets for pork in three other European countries. Our findings suggest that in order to improve animal welfare through demand for welfare-friendly products it is important to maintain separate the market for products with strong animal welfare profiles from markets for products with medium levels...

  19. Beyond common features: The role of roles in determining similarity1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Matt; Love, Bradley C.

    2007-01-01

    Historically, accounts of object representation and perceived similarity have focused on intrinsic features. Although more recent accounts have explored how objects, scenes, and situations containing common relational structures come to be perceived as similar, less is known about how the perceived similarity of parts or objects embedded within these relational systems is affected. The current studies test the hypothesis that objects situated in common relational systems come to be perceived as more similar. Similarity increases most for objects playing the same role within a relation (e.g., predator), but also increases for objects playing different roles within the same relation (e.g., the predator or prey role in the hunts relation) regardless of whether the objects participate in the same instance of the relation. This pattern of results can be captured by extending existing models that extract meaning from text corpora so that they are sensitive to the verb-specific thematic roles that objects fill. Alternative explanations based on analogical and inferential processes are also considered, as well as the implications of the current findings to research in language processing, personality and person perception, decision making, and category learning. PMID:17094958

  20. Neuroticism modulates amygdala-prefrontal connectivity in response to negative emotional facial expressions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cremers, Henk R.; Demenescu, Liliana R.; Aleman, Andre; Renken, Remco; van Tol, Marie-Jose; van der Wee, Nic J. A.; Veltman, Dick. J.; Roelofs, Karin

    2010-01-01

    Neuroticism is associated with the experience of negative affect and the development of affective disorders. While evidence exists for a modulatory role of neuroticism on task induced brain activity, it is unknown how neuroticism affects brain connectivity, especially the crucial coupling between

  1. The Role of TOX in the Development of Innate Lymphoid Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seehus, Corey R; Kaye, Jonathan

    2015-01-01

    TOX, an evolutionarily conserved member of the HMG-box family of proteins, is essential for the development of various cells of both the innate and adaptive immune system. TOX is required for the development of CD4(+) T lineage cells in the thymus, including natural killer T and T regulatory cells, as well as development of natural killer cells and fetal lymphoid tissue inducer cells, the latter required for lymph node organogenesis. Recently, we have identified a broader role for TOX in the innate immune system, demonstrating that this nuclear protein is required for generation of bone marrow progenitors that have potential to give rise to all innate lymphoid cells. Innate lymphoid cells, classified according to transcription factor expression and cytokine secretion profiles, derive from common lymphoid progenitors in the bone marrow and require Notch signals for their development. We discuss here the role of TOX in specifying CLP toward an innate lymphoid cell fate and hypothesize a possible role for TOX in regulating Notch gene targets during innate lymphoid cell development.

  2. The Role of TOX in the Development of Innate Lymphoid Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Corey R. Seehus

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available TOX, an evolutionarily conserved member of the HMG-box family of proteins, is essential for the development of various cells of both the innate and adaptive immune system. TOX is required for the development of CD4+ T lineage cells in the thymus, including natural killer T and T regulatory cells, as well as development of natural killer cells and fetal lymphoid tissue inducer cells, the latter required for lymph node organogenesis. Recently, we have identified a broader role for TOX in the innate immune system, demonstrating that this nuclear protein is required for generation of bone marrow progenitors that have potential to give rise to all innate lymphoid cells. Innate lymphoid cells, classified according to transcription factor expression and cytokine secretion profiles, derive from common lymphoid progenitors in the bone marrow and require Notch signals for their development. We discuss here the role of TOX in specifying CLP toward an innate lymphoid cell fate and hypothesize a possible role for TOX in regulating Notch gene targets during innate lymphoid cell development.

  3. Efficiency of PRECIS Role Operators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahapatra, M.; Biswas, S. C.

    1984-01-01

    Describes research which measured the efficiency of role operators through frequency of appearances in PRECIS input strings for 200 abstracts related to taxation, genetic psychology, and Shakespearian drama. Frequencies of appearance of major categories of role operators, role operators in different subjects, individual main line operators, and…

  4. Influence of ownership type on role orientation, role affinity, and role conflict among community pharmacy managers and owners in Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perepelkin, Jason; Dobson, Roy Thomas

    2010-12-01

    Ownership of community pharmacies is increasingly being controlled by a relatively small number of corporate entities. The influence of this ownership type should not be ignored, because ownership has the ability to impact pharmacy practice. To examine the relationship between ownership type and community pharmacy managers with regard to role orientation, role affinity, and role conflict. This study consisted of a cross-sectional survey of community pharmacy managers in Canada by means of a self-administered postal questionnaire sent to a stratified sample of community pharmacies. Statistical analysis consisted of exploratory factor analysis with reliability testing on identified constructs. Frequencies, 1-way analyses of variance, and Scheffe post hoc tests were used to determine significant differences among groups, including ownership structure, on each of the constructs. A total of 646 completed questionnaires were received (32.9% response rate). Most of the respondents were males (60.8%), with slightly less than half of the respondents identifying their practice type as an independent pharmacy (44.6%). There were 5 multi-item scale constructs (professional orientation, business orientation, professional affinity, business affinity, and role conflict) arising from the data, which were analyzed against the pharmacy ownership structure (independent, franchise, corporate) independent variable. Analysis revealed significant differences for 3 of the 5 constructs; however, no differences were seen regarding the 2 professionally focused constructs. Community pharmacy managers/owners are generally oriented to their professional role; however, those working in a corporate pharmacy environment are less oriented to their business role when compared with those working in an independent or franchise pharmacy environment. Further research is needed to identify different practice cultures that may exist in various practice settings and the extent to which these cultures

  5. Connected vehicle impacts on transportation planning technical memorandum #2 : connected vehicle planning processes and products and stakeholder roles and responsibilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this project, Connected Vehicle Impacts on Transportation Planning, is to comprehensively assess how connected vehicles should : be considered across the range of transportation planning processes and products developed by Stat...

  6. Chinook salmon use of spawning patches: Relative roles of habitat quality, size, and connectivity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isaak, D.J.; Thurow, R.F.; Rieman, B.E.; Dunham, J.B.

    2007-01-01

    Declines in many native fish populations have led to reassessments of management goals and shifted priorities from consumptive uses to species preservation. As management has shifted, relevant environmental characteristics have evolved from traditional metrics that described local habitat quality to characterizations of habitat size and connectivity. Despite the implications this shift has for how habitats may be prioritized for conservation, it has been rare to assess the relative importance of these habitat components. We used an information-theoretic approach to select the best models from sets of logistic regressions that linked habitat quality, size, and connectivity to the occurrence of chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) nests. Spawning distributions were censused annually from 1995 to 2004, and data were complemented with field measurements that described habitat quality in 43 suitable spawning patches across a stream network that drained 1150 km 2 in central Idaho. Results indicated that the most plausible models were dominated by measures of habitat size and connectivity, whereas habitat quality was of minor importance. Connectivity was the strongest predictor of nest occurrence, but connectivity interacted with habitat size, which became relatively more important when populations were reduced. Comparison of observed nest distributions to null model predictions confirmed that the habitat size association was driven by a biological mechanism when populations were small, but this association may have been an area-related sampling artifact at higher abundances. The implications for habitat management are that the size and connectivity of existing habitat networks should be maintained whenever possible. In situations where habitat restoration is occurring, expansion of existing areas or creation of new habitats in key areas that increase connectivity may be beneficial. Information about habitat size and connectivity also could be used to strategically

  7. Uncovering a Dual Regulatory Role for Caspases During Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-induced Cell Death.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anania, Veronica G; Yu, Kebing; Gnad, Florian; Pferdehirt, Rebecca R; Li, Han; Ma, Taylur P; Jeon, Diana; Fortelny, Nikolaus; Forrest, William; Ashkenazi, Avi; Overall, Christopher M; Lill, Jennie R

    2016-07-01

    Many diseases are associated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which results from an accumulation of misfolded proteins. This triggers an adaptive response called the "unfolded protein response" (UPR), and prolonged exposure to ER stress leads to cell death. Caspases are reported to play a critical role in ER stress-induced cell death but the underlying mechanisms by which they exert their effect continue to remain elusive. To understand the role caspases play during ER stress, a systems level approach integrating analysis of the transcriptome, proteome, and proteolytic substrate profile was employed. This quantitative analysis revealed transcriptional profiles for most human genes, provided information on protein abundance for 4476 proteins, and identified 445 caspase substrates. Based on these data sets many caspase substrates were shown to be downregulated at the protein level during ER stress suggesting caspase activity inhibits their cellular function. Additionally, RNA sequencing revealed a role for caspases in regulation of ER stress-induced transcriptional pathways and gene set enrichment analysis showed expression of multiple gene targets of essential transcription factors to be upregulated during ER stress upon inhibition of caspases. Furthermore, these transcription factors were degraded in a caspase-dependent manner during ER stress. These results indicate that caspases play a dual role in regulating the cellular response to ER stress through both post-translational and transcriptional regulatory mechanisms. Moreover, this study provides unique insight into progression of the unfolded protein response into cell death, which may help identify therapeutic strategies to treat ER stress-related diseases. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  8. Transformation of children's mental health services: the role of school mental health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stephan, Sharon Hoover; Weist, Mark; Kataoka, Sheryl; Adelsheim, Steven; Mills, Carrie

    2007-10-01

    The New Freedom Commission has called for a transformation in the delivery of mental health services in this country. The commission's report and recommendations have highlighted the role of school mental health services in transforming mental health care for children and adolescents. This article examines the intersection of school mental health programs and the commission's recommendations in order to highlight the role of school mental health in the transformation of the child and adolescent mental health system. Schools are uniquely positioned to play a central role in improving access to child mental health services and in supporting mental health and wellness as well as academic functioning of youths. The New Freedom Commission report articulated several goals related to school mental health: reducing stigma, preventing suicide, improving screening and treating co-occurring disorders, and expanding school mental health programs. The authors suggest strategies for change, including demonstrating relevance to schools, developing consensus among stakeholders, enhancing community mental health-school connections, building quality assessment and improvement, and considering the organizational context of schools.

  9. Rural Elementary Teachers and Place-Based Connections to Text during Reading Instruction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waller, Rachael; Barrentine, Shelby J.

    2015-01-01

    Schooling can play a role in bolstering a sense of community, but research suggests that curriculum may serve to isolate teachers and students from their rural surroundings. In this qualitative case study, we asked if the literacy curriculum and instruction supported readers to make connections to their rural setting. We analyzed curriculum…

  10. The Role of the Pressure in the Partial Regularity Theory for Weak Solutions of the Navier-Stokes Equations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chamorro, Diego; Lemarié-Rieusset, Pierre-Gilles; Mayoufi, Kawther

    2018-04-01

    We study the role of the pressure in the partial regularity theory for weak solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations. By introducing the notion of dissipative solutions, due to D uchon and R obert (Nonlinearity 13:249-255, 2000), we will provide a generalization of the Caffarelli, Kohn and Nirenberg theory. Our approach sheels new light on the role of the pressure in this theory in connection to Serrin's local regularity criterion.

  11. Role Stress among Practicing School Counselors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Culbreth, John R.; Scarborough, Janna L.; Banks-Johnson, Angela; Solomon, Stacey

    2005-01-01

    Practicing school counselors (N = 512) were surveyed, using the Role Questionnaire (J. R. Rizzo, R. J. House, & S. I. Lirtzman, 1970), to determine levels of role conflict, role incongruence, and role ambiguity. Additionally, 8 characteristics of the participants' positions as school counselors were examined to determine what factors might affect…

  12. An underexamined inequality: cultural and psychological barriers to men's engagement with communal roles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Croft, Alyssa; Schmader, Toni; Block, Katharina

    2015-11-01

    Social psychological research has sought to understand and mitigate the psychological barriers that block women's interest, performance, and advancement in male-dominated, agentic roles (e.g., science, technology, engineering, and math). Research has not, however, correspondingly examined men's underrepresentation in communal roles, traditionally occupied by women (e.g., careers in health care, early childhood education, and domestic roles including child care). In this article, we seek to provide a roadmap for research on this underexamined inequality by (a) outlining the benefits of increasing men's representation in communal roles; (b) reviewing cultural, evolutionary, and historical perspectives on the asymmetry in status assigned to men's and women's roles; and (c) articulating the role of gender stereotypes in creating social and psychological barriers to men's interest and inclusion in communal roles. We argue that promoting equal opportunities for both women and men requires a better understanding of the psychological barriers to men's involvement in communal roles. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

  13. Fear of Missing Out, online social networking and mobile phone addiction: A latent profile approach

    OpenAIRE

    Fuster, Héctor; Chamarro, Andrés; Oberst, Ursula

    2017-01-01

    Fear of missing out (FoMO) is described as a pervasive, unpleasant sensation that others might be having rewarding experiences of which one is not part, as well as the desire to stay continually connected with what others are doing. It has been shown to play an important mediating role in predicting negative outcomes of heavy use of social networks. The aim of the present study was to analyze the different profiles found among users. 5,280 Spanish speaking social media users from ...

  14. The Regulatory Roles of MicroRNAs in Bone Remodeling and Perspectives as Biomarkers in Osteoporosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mengge Sun

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available MicroRNAs are involved in many cellular and molecular activities and played important roles in many biological and pathological processes, such as tissue formation, cancer development, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. Recently, it has been reported that microRNAs can modulate the differentiation and activities of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, the key cells that are involved in bone remodeling process. Meanwhile, the results from our and other research groups showed that the expression profiles of microRNAs in the serum and bone tissues are significantly different in postmenopausal women with or without fractures compared to the control. Therefore, it can be postulated that microRNAs might play important roles in bone remodeling and that they are very likely to be involved in the pathological process of postmenopausal osteoporosis. In this review, we will present the updated research on the regulatory roles of microRNAs in osteoblasts and osteoclasts and the expression profiles of microRNAs in osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture patients. The perspective of serum microRNAs as novel biomarkers in bone loss disorders such as osteoporosis has also been discussed.

  15. Balancing Life Roles to Achieve Career Happiness and Life Satisfaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peronne, Kristin Marie

    2000-01-01

    A study guided by Super's Life Span, Life Space approach included a survey of 119 women and 66 men about sacrifices made in life and work roles to achieve balance and satisfaction. Differences in sacrifices and satisfaction were related to the combination of life roles they occupied. (SK)

  16. Vascular manifestations of syndromic aortopathies: role of current and emerging imaging techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Westerland, O.; Frigiola, A.; Robert, L.; Shaw, A.; Blakeway, L.; Katsanos, K.; Kiesewetter, C.; Chung, N.; Karunanithy, N.

    2015-01-01

    Patients with connective tissue diseases such as Marfan's syndrome, Loeys–Dietz syndrome, and vascular Ehlers–Danlos syndrome comprise a small but important group of patients who present early with acute aortic syndrome comprising aneurysmal dilation, rupture, or aortic dissection. Cardiovascular pathologies are an important yet treatable cause of morbidity and mortality in these patients. Imaging plays an important role in initial diagnosis, surveillance, and identification of complications. Furthermore, these patients are prone to developing complications in other vascular territories. Effective screening and surveillance will allow early diagnosis and elective treatment thus reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with presentation with acute complications. In this article, we will provide an overview of the role of magnetic resonance and computed tomography angiography in the management of syndromic aortopathies.

  17. On whether mirror neurons play a significant role in processing affective prosody.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramachandra, Vijayachandra

    2009-02-01

    Several behavioral and neuroimaging studies have indicated that both right and left cortical structures and a few subcortical ones are involved in processing affective prosody. Recent investigations have shown that the mirror neuron system plays a crucial role in several higher-level functions such as empathy, theory of mind, language, etc., but no studies so far link the mirror neuron system with affective prosody. In this paper is a speculation that the mirror neuron system, which serves as a common neural substrate for different higher-level functions, may play a significant role in processing affective prosody via its connections with the limbic lobe. Actual research must apply electrophysiological and neuroimaging techniques to assess whether the mirror neuron systems underly affective prosody in humans.

  18. Novel roles for immune molecules in neural development: Implications for neurodevelopmental disoders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paula A Garay

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Although the brain has classically been considered "immune-privileged," current research suggests extensive communication between the nervous and the immune systems in both health and disease. Recent studies demonstrate that immune molecules are present at the right place and time to modulate the development and function of the healthy and diseased CNS. Indeed, immune molecules play integral roles in the CNS throughout neural development, including affecting neurogenesis, neuronal migration, axon guidance, synapse formation, activity-dependent refinement of circuits, and synaptic plasticity. Moreover, the roles of individual immune molecules in the nervous system may change over development. This review focuses on the effects of immune molecules on neuronal connections in the mammalian central nervous system—specifically the roles for MHCI and its receptors, complement, and cytokines on the function, refinement, and plasticity of cortical and hippocampal synapses and their relationship to neurodevelopmental disorders. These functions for immune molecules during neural development suggest that they could also mediate pathological responses to chronic elevations of cytokines in neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD and schizophrenia.

  19. Using Negotiated Joining to Construct and Fill Open-ended Roles in Elite Culinary Groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Vaughn

    2015-03-01

    This qualitative study examines membership processes in groups operating in an uncertain environment that prevents them from fully predefining new members' roles. I describe how nine elite high-end, cutting-edge culinary groups in the U.S. and Europe, ranging from innovative restaurants to culinary R&D groups, use negotiated joining-a previously undocumented process-to systematically construct and fill these emergent, open-ended roles. I show that negotiated joining is a consistently patterned, iterative process that begins with a role that both aspirant and target group explicitly understand to be provisional. This provisional role is then jointly modified and constructed by the aspirant and target group through repeated iterations of proposition, validation through trial and evaluation, and selective integration of validated role components. The initially provisional role stabilizes and the aspirant achieves membership if enough role components are validated; otherwise the negotiated joining process is abandoned. Negotiated joining allows the aspirant and target group to learn if a mutually desirable role is likely and, if so, to construct such a role. In addition, the provisional roles in negotiated joining can support absorptive capacity by allowing novel role components to enter target groups through aspirants' efforts to construct stable roles for themselves, while the internal adjustment involved in integrating newly validated role components can have the unintended side effect of supporting adaptation by providing opportunities for the groups to use these novel role components to modify their role structure and goals to suit a changing and uncertain environment. Negotiated joining thus reveals role ambiguity's hitherto unexamined beneficial consequences and provides a foundation for a contingency theory of new-member acquisition.

  20. Functional Connectivity and Genetic Profile of a “Double-Cortex”-Like Malformation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sprugnoli, Giulia; Vatti, Giampaolo; Rossi, Simone; Cerase, Alfonso; Renieri, Alessandra; Mencarelli, Maria A.; Zara, Federico; Rossi, Alessandro; Santarnecchi, Emiliano

    2018-01-01

    Laminar heterotopia is a rare condition consisting in an extra layer of gray matter under properly migrated cortex; it configures an atypical presentation of periventricular nodular heterotopia (PNH) or a double cortex (DC) syndrome. We conducted an original functional MRI (fMRI) analysis in a drug-resistant epilepsy patient with “double-cortex”-like malformation to reveal her functional connectivity (FC) as well as a wide genetic analysis to identify possible genetic substrates. Heterotopias were segmented into region of interests (ROIs), whose voxel-wise FC was compared to that of (i) its normally migrated counterpart, (ii) its contralateral homologous, and (iii) those of 30 age-matched healthy controls. Extensive genetic analysis was conducted to screen cortical malformations-associated genes. Compared to healthy controls, both laminar heterotopias and the overlying cortex showed significant reduction of FC with the contralateral hemisphere. Two heterozygous variants of uncertain clinical significance were found, involving autosomal recessive disease-causing genes, FAT4 and COL18A1. This first FC analysis of a unique case of “double-cortex”-like malformation revealed a hemispheric connectivity segregation both in the laminar cortex as in the correctly migrated one, with a new pattern of genes’ mutations. Our study suggests the altered FC could have an electrophysiological and functional impact on large-scale brain networks, and the involvement of not yet identified genes in “double-cortex”-like malformation with a possible role of rare variants in recessive genes as pathogenic cofactors. PMID:29946244

  1. Participant roles of bullying in adolescence: Status characteristics, social behavior, and assignment criteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pouwels, J Loes; Lansu, Tessa A M; Cillessen, Antonius H N

    2016-01-01

    This study had three goals. First, we examined the prevalence of the participant roles of bullying in middle adolescence and possible gender differences therein. Second, we examined the behavioral and status characteristics associated with the participant roles in middle adolescence. Third, we compared two sets of criteria for assigning students to the participant roles of bullying. Participants were 1,638 adolescents (50.9% boys, M(age)  = 16.38 years, SD =.80) who completed the shortened participant role questionnaire and peer nominations for peer status and behavioral characteristics. Adolescents were assigned to the participant roles according to the relative criteria of Salmivalli, Lagerspetz, Björkqvist, Österman, and Kaukiainen (1996). Next, the students in each role were divided in two subgroups based on an additional absolute criterion: the Relative Only Criterion subgroup (nominated by less than 10% of their classmates) and the Absolute & Relative Criterion subgroup (nominated by at least 10% of their classmates). Adolescents who bullied or reinforced or assisted bullies were highly popular and disliked and scored high on peer-valued characteristics. Adolescents who were victimized held the weakest social position in the peer group. Adolescents who defended victims were liked and prosocial, but average in popularity and peer-valued characteristics. Outsiders held a socially weak position in the peer group, but were less disliked, less aggressive, and more prosocial than victims. The behavior and status profiles of adolescents in the participant roles were more extreme for the Absolute & Relative Criterion subgroup than for the Relative Only Criterion subgroup. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. Executive function in paediatric medulloblastoma: The role of cerebrocerebellar connections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Law, Nicole; Smith, Mary Lou; Greenberg, Mark; Bouffet, Eric; Taylor, Michael D; Laughlin, Suzanne; Malkin, David; Liu, Fang; Moxon-Emre, Iska; Scantlebury, Nadia; Mabbott, Donald

    2017-06-01

    Executive functions (EFs) are involved in the attainment, maintenance, and integration of information; these functions may play a key role in cognitive and behavioural outcomes in children treated for medulloblastoma (MB). At present, it remains unclear which EFs are most sensitive to the treatment effects for MB and whether damage to cerebrocerebellar circuitry is associated with EF. We completed a comprehensive evaluation of EF in 24 children treated for MB and 20 age-matched healthy children (HC) and distilled these measures into components. Six components (C1-C6) were extracted from our model, reflecting dissociable constructs of EF: C1 = cognitive efficiency; C2 = planning/problem-solving; C3 = positive cognitive emotion regulation; C4 = working memory; C5 = negative cognitive emotion regulation; and C6 = mixed cognitive emotion regulation. Group differences were found for C1, C2, C3, and C4; the MB group showed poorer performance on EF tasks and made less use of positive cognitive emotion regulation strategies relative to HC. Compromise to cerebrocerebellar microstructure - cerebro-ponto-cerebellar and cerebello-thalamo-cerebral pathways - was evident in children treated for MB compared to HC. We found that cerebrocerebellar circuitry has a mediating effect on one component of EF following treatment for MB - working memory. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

  3. Role stress and turnover intentions among information technology personnel in South Africa: The role of supervisor support

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rennie Naidoo

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Orientation: High turnover of information technology (IT personnel is a major problem facing many global and local organisations. An increasingly important area of turnover research of IT personnel experiencing role stress involves examining their perceptions of supervisor support. Research purpose: This study aimed to examine the effects of role-related stress and supervisor support on job satisfaction, job performance and IT turnover intentions. Motivations for the study: It is important to assess from both a theoretical and a practical perspective the extent to which turnover can be explained by relational factors such as supervisor support. Research design, approach and method: An online voluntary survey yielded a sample of 163 respondents. Six constructs were measured: turnover intention, job performance, job satisfaction, supervisor support, role ambiguity and role conflict. A total of 158 usable responses were subjected to descriptive, correlation and regression analysis. Mediation and moderation effects were assessed using a multiple regression bootstrapping procedure. Main findings: Role ambiguity has a greater impact on job satisfaction than role conflict. Job satisfaction fully mediated the relationship between role stress and turnover intention. Supervisor support mediated the relationship between role stressors and job satisfaction and role stressors and job performance. There was no evidence in favour of a moderating role of supervisor support. Practical and managerial implications: Higher priority should be given to tackling role ambiguity. Supervisor support can increase job satisfaction, improve job performance and ultimately reduce turnover intentions, despite the presence of role stress. Contribution or value-add: Human resource managers and IT managers could use these results to improve job performance and staff retention.

  4. Roles of octopaminergic and dopaminergic neurons in appetitive and aversive memory recall in an insect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mizunami, Makoto; Unoki, Sae; Mori, Yasuhiro; Hirashima, Daisuke; Hatano, Ai; Matsumoto, Yukihisa

    2009-08-04

    In insect classical conditioning, octopamine (the invertebrate counterpart of noradrenaline) or dopamine has been suggested to mediate reinforcing properties of appetitive or aversive unconditioned stimulus, respectively. However, the roles of octopaminergic and dopaminergic neurons in memory recall have remained unclear. We studied the roles of octopaminergic and dopaminergic neurons in appetitive and aversive memory recall in olfactory and visual conditioning in crickets. We found that pharmacological blockade of octopamine and dopamine receptors impaired aversive memory recall and appetitive memory recall, respectively, thereby suggesting that activation of octopaminergic and dopaminergic neurons and the resulting release of octopamine and dopamine are needed for appetitive and aversive memory recall, respectively. On the basis of this finding, we propose a new model in which it is assumed that two types of synaptic connections are formed by conditioning and are activated during memory recall, one type being connections from neurons representing conditioned stimulus to neurons inducing conditioned response and the other being connections from neurons representing conditioned stimulus to octopaminergic or dopaminergic neurons representing appetitive or aversive unconditioned stimulus, respectively. The former is called 'stimulus-response connection' and the latter is called 'stimulus-stimulus connection' by theorists studying classical conditioning in higher vertebrates. Our model predicts that pharmacological blockade of octopamine or dopamine receptors during the first stage of second-order conditioning does not impair second-order conditioning, because it impairs the formation of the stimulus-response connection but not the stimulus-stimulus connection. The results of our study with a cross-modal second-order conditioning were in full accordance with this prediction. We suggest that insect classical conditioning involves the formation of two kinds of memory

  5. Social Role Theory and Social Role Valorization for Care Management Practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blakely, Thomas J; Dziadosz, Gregory M

    2015-01-01

    This article proposes that social role theory (SRT) and social role valorization (SRV) be established as organizing theories for care managers. SRT is a recognized sociological theory that has a distinctive place in care management practice. SRV is an adjunct for SRT that focuses on people who are devalued by being in a negative social position and supports behavior change and movement to a valued social position.

  6. The roles of viruses in periodontal diseases

    OpenAIRE

    C C Azodo; P Erhabor

    2015-01-01

    The roles of bacteria in the etiopathogenesis of periodontal disease are well-understand, but that of the virus found in the periodontal environment are poorly understood. The aim of this literature review was to report the roles of viruses in periodontal diseases. The roles of viruses in periodontal diseases were categorized into the role in disease etiology, role in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases, role in diseases progression and role in response to treatment. Clearer understandin...

  7. Tachyons: may they have a role in elementary particle physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Recami, Erasmo

    1985-01-01

    The possible role of space-like objects in elementary particle physics (and in quantum mechanics) is reviewed and discussed, mainly by exploiting the explicit consequences of the peculiar relativistic mechanics of Tachyons. Particular attention is paid: (i) to tachyons as the possible carriers of interactions; (ii) to the possibility of ''vacuum decays'' at the classical level; (iii) to a Lorentz-invariant bootstrap model; (iv) to the apparent shape of the tachyonic elementary particles and its possible connection with the de Broglie wave-particle dualism. (author)

  8. Youth Mentoring Relationships in Context: Mentor Perceptions of Youth, Environment, and the Mentor Role

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lakind, Davielle; Atkins, Marc; Eddy, J. Mark

    2015-01-01

    Youth mentoring is primarily understood as a relationship between mentor and mentee, yet mentors often enter into home, school, and other community settings associated with youth they serve, and interact regularly with other people in mentees’ lives. Understanding how and why mentors negotiate their role as they do remains underexplored, especially in relation to these environmental elements. This qualitative study drew on structured interviews conducted with professional mentors (N = 9) serving youth at risk for adjustment problems to examine how mentors’ perceptions of their mentees and mentee environments informed their sense of how they fulfilled the mentoring role. Mentors commonly characterized problems youth displayed as byproducts of adverse environments, and individual-level strengths as existing “in spite of” environmental inputs. Perceptions of mentees and their environments informed mentors’ role conceptualizations, with some mentors seeing themselves as antidotes to environmental adversity. Mentors described putting significant time and effort into working closely with other key individuals as well as one-on-one with mentees because they identified considerable environmental need; however, extra-dyadic facets of their roles were far less clearly defined or supported. They described challenges associated with role overload and opaque role boundaries, feeling unsupported by other adults in mentees’ lives, and frustrated by the prevalence of risks. Community-based mentoring represents a unique opportunity to connect with families, but mentors must be supported around the elements of their roles that extend beyond mentor-mentee relationships in order to capitalize more fully on the promise of the intervention. PMID:25866427

  9. Women's Roles and Vulnerability to Depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haussmann, Monika Johanna

    Research has confirmed the prevalence of depression in women, based on theoretical explanations that encompass genetic/endocrinological factors, the learned helplessness model, the cognitive model of depression, the effects of marital and occupational roles, and/or social discrimination. Women (N=215) completed a questionnaire which examined…

  10. A role for NGOs in international renewable energy project development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bartholf, T.R.

    1997-12-01

    An NGO is an international term for non-government organizations, often it is used in connection with non-profit, community-based and/or voluntary business activities. To be successful in supporting energy projects, these organizations generally exhibit certain characteristics: they are familiar with the end-use requirements; they are typically neutral to the technology; they emphasize training; they do not carry a large bureacratic structure, at home or in the field; they typically can adapt to do numerous functions; they can often attract other support. The author discusses several examples of such organizations who have been highly successful. The author sees a continuing role for such groups in developing renewable energy sources in the rural setting to include: continued development of new activity in rural areas; development of institutional framework for future market activity; an increased role in managing international development activities; more direct involvement with for-profit technical and financial organizations.

  11. Role of Matricellular Proteins in Disorders of the Central Nervous System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jayakumar, A R; Apeksha, A; Norenberg, M D

    2017-03-01

    Matricellular proteins (MCPs) are actively expressed non-structural proteins present in the extracellular matrix, which rapidly turnover and possess regulatory roles, as well as mediate cell-cell interactions. MCPs characteristically contain binding sites for other extracellular proteins, cell surface receptors, growth factors, cytokines and proteases, that provide structural support for surrounding cells. MCPs are present in most organs, including brain, and play a major role in cell-cell interactions and tissue repair. Among the MCPs found in brain include thrombospondin-1/2, secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine family (SPARC), including Hevin/SC1, Tenascin C and CYR61/Connective Tissue Growth Factor/Nov family of proteins, glypicans, galectins, plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1), autotaxin, fibulin and perisostin. This review summarizes the potential role of MCPs in the pathogenesis of major neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ischemia, trauma, hepatic encephalopathy, Down's syndrome, autism, multiple sclerosis, brain neoplasms, Parkinson's disease and epilepsy. Potential therapeutic opportunities of MCP's for these disorders are also considered in this review.

  12. Integrative RNA- and miRNA-Profile Analysis Reveals a Likely Role of BR and Auxin Signaling in Branch Angle Regulation of B. napus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hongtao Cheng

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L. is the second largest oilseed crop worldwide and one of the most important oil crops in China. As a component of plant architecture, branch angle plays an important role in yield performance, especially under high-density planting conditions. However, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of branch angle are still largely not understood. Two oilseed rape lines with significantly different branch angles were used to conduct RNA- and miRNA-profiling at two developmental stages, identifying differential expression of a large number of genes involved in auxin- and brassinosteroid (BR-related pathways. Many auxin response genes, including AUX1, IAA, GH3, and ARF, were enriched in the compact line. However, a number of genes involved in BR signaling transduction and biosynthesis were down-regulated. Differentially expressed miRNAs included those involved in auxin signaling transduction. Expression patterns of most target genes were fine-tuned by related miRNAs, such as miR156, miR172, and miR319. Some miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed at both developmental stages, including three miR827 members. Our results provide insight that auxin- and BR-signaling may play a pivotal role in branch angle regulation.

  13. The Relationship between Race and Students' Identified Career Role Models and Perceived Role Model Influence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karunanayake, Danesh; Nauta, Margaret M.

    2004-01-01

    The authors examined whether college students' race was related to the modal race of their identified career role models, the number of identified career role models, and their perceived influence from such models. Consistent with A. Bandura's (1977, 1986) social learning theory, students tended to have role models whose race was the same as…

  14. The role of the judiciary in Egypt's failed transition to democracy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Abat Ninet, Antoni

    2016-01-01

    This essay illustrates the inter-institutional dynamics and the fundamental role a constitutional court can play in a transition, the challenges when the court is heavily involved or alternatively when it plays a more reserved role. The essay deals with the role that judges and more precisely the...

  15. THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON THE TOURIST EXPERIENCE: TELLING YOUR STORY TO YOUR CONNECTED OTHERS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Burcu Selin Yilmaz

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The development of the Internet and improvements in information and communication technologies (ICTs allow consumers to share their opinions and experiences of products and services with other consumers through electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM, word-of-mouse communication. Tourism is one sector that has a very close relationship with the innovations in information technologies. Today, social media provide many opportunities for travellers to share their holiday experiences with their connected others. People share their opinions with connected others by sending e-mails, posting comments and feedback on websites and forums, publishing online blogs, and forming and joining communities on the Internet. Sharing their experiences with others contributes to the value of the experience and makes it more meaningful and memorable. In this study, following a theoretical discussion based on a review of the relevant literature, the researcher would like to demonstrate the role and importance of sharing the tourist experience with connected others in social media. By conducting structured interviews (online and offline with people who were chosen based on their holiday experience sharing habits, the contribution and role of storytelling in a tourism consumer’s holiday experience are explored. For new tourists, storytelling plays a serious role in addition to the holiday experience itself, and sharing experiences with connected others is seen as a vital tool for a fulfilling holiday experience. The results will demonstrate the contribution of storytelling to the tourist experience and provide a basis for further research on scale development for assessing the impact of storytelling on the tourist experience.

  16. Policy incentives and grid-connected photovoltaics system development in China

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang Jing; Xu Yugao

    2007-07-01

    China has made considerable progress in solar PV generation technology. However, compared with conventional generation technologies or even other renewables such as wind and biomass, grid-connected PV technology is in its early stage and has not reached an adequate level of economic performance. Therefore, policy incentives will play important roles in attracting more social investments to facilitate the development of grid-connected PV generation. This paper is focused on analyzing the role of incentive policies in enhancing the market competitiveness of grid-connected solar PV systems in the context of China with an economic model and some policy suggestions are given based on simulation modeling efforts. (auth)

  17. Restaurant Role-Play in Psychology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borya, Anthony

    2013-01-01

    Research methods is perceived as a technical and difficult topic by some students. Using role-play to teach it can make it more accessible, meaningful and engaging. Role-playing the familiar roles of customer and waiting staff at a restaurant and discussing the variables that may affect the size of tips can help students to learn some of the key…

  18. Role of tonic inhibition in associative reward conditioning in Lymnaea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vincenzo Marra

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Changes in the strength of excitatory synaptic connections are known to underlie associative memory formation in the molluscan nervous system but less is known about the role of synaptic inhibition. Tonic or maintained synaptic inhibition has an important function in controlling the Lymnaea feeding system and is known to suppress feeding in the absence of food or in satiated animals. Tonic inhibition to the feeding network is provided by the N3t interneuron that has inhibitory monosynaptic connection with the central pattern generator interneuron, the N1M. Here we asked whether a reduction in the level of tonic inhibition provided by the N3t cell could play a role in reward conditioning? Semi-intact preparations made from hungry snails were conditioned using a previously-developed one-trail chemical conditioning paradigm. We recorded electrical activity in a feeding motoneuron, the B3, at various time-points after conditioning. This allowed us to measure the frequency of spike activity in the N3t interneuron and monitor fictive feeding patterns that generate the rhythmic movements involved in food ingestion. We show that there is a reduction in N3t spiking at 1, 2, 3 and 4 hours after conditioning but not at 10 minutes and 30 minutes and the reduction in N3t firing inversely correlates with an increase in the conditioned fictive feeding response. Computer simulation of N3t-N1M interactions suggests that changes in N3t firing are sufficient to explain the increase in the fictive feeding activity produced by conditioning. A network model is presented that summarizes evidence suggesting that reward conditioning in Lymnaea is due to the combined effects of reduced tonic inhibition and enhanced excitatory synaptic connections between the CS pathway and feeding command neurons.

  19. The role of individual diligence in improving safety.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corbett, Angus; Travaglia, Jo; Braithwaite, Jeffrey

    2011-01-01

    This paper aims to be a theoretical examination of the role of individuals in sponsoring and facilitating effective, systemic change in organisations. Using reports of a number of high-profile initiatives to improve patient safety, it seeks to analyse the role of individual health care professionals in developing and facilitating new systems of care that improve safety and quality. The paper uses recent work in sociology that is concerned with the phenomenon of "sociological citizenship". The authors test whether successful initiators of change in health care can be described as sociological citizens. This notion of sociological citizens is applied to a number of highly successful initiatives to improve safety and quality to extrapolate the factors associated with individual clinician leadership, which may have affected the success of such endeavours. In each of the examples analysed the initiators of change can be characterised as sociological citizens. In reviewing the roles of these charismatic individuals it is evident that they see the relational interdependence between the individuals and organisations and that they use this information to achieve both professional and organisational objectives. The paper uses a case study method to investigate the usefulness of the role of sociological citizenship in interventions that aim to improve patient safety. The paper reviews the key concepts and uses of the concept of sociological citizenship to produce a framework against which the case studies were assessed. The authors suggest that a goal of policy for improving patient safety should be directed to the problem of how hospitals and health care organisations can create the conditions for encouraging the individual diligence and care that is needed to support reliable, safe health care practices. Improving the safety and quality of health care is an important public health initiative. It has also proven to be difficult to achieve sustained reductions in the harm

  20. Using zebrafish as a model to study the role of epigenetics in hearing loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Yingzi; Bao, Beier; Li, Huawei

    2017-09-01

    The rapid progress of bioinformatics and high-throughput screening techniques in recent years has led to the identification of many candidate genes and small-molecule drugs that have the potential to make significant contributions to our understanding of the developmental and pathological processes of hearing, but it remains unclear how these genes and regulatory factors are coordinated. Increasing evidence suggests that epigenetic mechanisms are essential for establishing gene expression profiles and likely play an important role in the development of inner ear and in the pathology of hearing-associated diseases. Zebrafish are a valuable and tractable in vivo model organism for monitoring changes in the epigenome and for identifying new epigenetic processes and drug molecules that can influence vertebrate development. Areas covered: In this review, the authors focus on zebrafish as a model to summarize recent findings concerning the roles of epigenetics in the development, regeneration, and protection of hair cells. Expert opinion: Using the zebrafish model in combination with high-throughput screening and genome-editing technologies to investigate the function of epigenetics in hearing is crucial to help us better understand the molecular and genetic mechanisms of auditory development and function. It will also contribute to the development of new strategies to restore hearing loss.

  1. Gender roles revised?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gustafsson, Jessica

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this chapter is to deepen the understanding of how mobile phone usage is related to gender in general and the negotiation of gender roles in particular. It will focus on how women in Kenya appropriate mobile phones and how the appropriation is influenced by prevailing gender norms...... but also in turn is influencing gender relations. Mobile phone use is strongly intertwined with everyday life and thus this chapter will approach mobile phone use, as practices or a site where gender roles are potentially negotiated, challenged but also reinforced. Geographically the study that constituted...... the basis for this chapter is set in Kenya, where family relations and gender roles is presently undergoing changes. The data was gathered in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya, an area, which is predominantly rural, but also home to the city Eldoret and its surrounding peri-urban areas. The situation for women...

  2. Concept mapping learning strategy to enhance students' mathematical connection ability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hafiz, M.; Kadir, Fatra, Maifalinda

    2017-05-01

    The concept mapping learning strategy in teaching and learning mathematics has been investigated by numerous researchers. However, there are still less researchers who have scrutinized about the roles of map concept which is connected to the mathematical connection ability. Being well understood on map concept, it may help students to have ability to correlate one concept to other concept in order that the student can solve mathematical problems faced. The objective of this research was to describe the student's mathematical connection ability and to analyze the effect of using concept mapping learning strategy to the students' mathematical connection ability. This research was conducted at senior high school in Jakarta. The method used a quasi-experimental with randomized control group design with the total number was 72 students as the sample. Data obtained through using test in the post-test after giving the treatment. The results of the research are: 1) Students' mathematical connection ability has reached the good enough level category; 2) Students' mathematical connection ability who had taught with concept mapping learning strategy is higher than who had taught with conventional learning strategy. Based on the results above, it can be concluded that concept mapping learning strategycould enhance the students' mathematical connection ability, especially in trigonometry.

  3. Drama and Role Playing in Teaching Practice: The Role of Group Works

    Science.gov (United States)

    Çerkez, Yagmur; Altinay, Zehra; Altinay, Fahriye; Bashirova, Elnara

    2012-01-01

    The research study aims to explore the essence of group work in drama and role playing for teaching practice inline with the nature of collaborative learning process. This research study has qualitative nature by capturing experiences of volunteer ninety pre-service teachers about group works, gained skills from drama and role playing in their…

  4. Perceived organizational support and extra-role performance: which leads to which?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zhixia; Eisenberger, Robert; Johnson, Kelly M; Sucharski, Ivan L; Aselage, Justin

    2009-02-01

    L. Rhoades and R. Eisenberger (2002) reported the meta-analytic finding of a highly statistically significant relation between perceived organizational support (POS) and performance but concluded that the reviewed studies' methodology allowed no conclusion concerning the direction of the association. To investigate this issue, the authors assessed POS and extra-role performance 2 times, separated by a 3-year interval, among 199 employees of an electronic and appliance sales organization. Using a cross-lagged panel design, the authors found that POS was positively associated with a temporal change in extra-role performance. In contrast, the relation between extra-role performance and temporal change in POS was not statistically significant. These findings provide evidence that POS leads to extra-role performance.

  5. Profiling Corruption Perception in Africa: the Role of Religion, Gender, Education and Age

    OpenAIRE

    Gbadamosi, Gbolahan; Bello, M.

    2009-01-01

    This study investigates attitude towards corruption and the role of gender, religion, education and age using a Nigerian survey data. It also seeks to establish how attitudes towards corruption relates to some other reported ethical measures such as Islamic work ethics, money ethic and corruption perception. Over 3800 questionnaires were administered with 1833 or about 48% response rate. Results revealed no significant gender differences in corruption but women reported being more religious. ...

  6. Role of environmental heterogeneity in structuring the macrobenthic community in a tropical sandy beach, west coast of India

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Sivadas, S.; Ingole, B.S.; Ganesan, P.; Sautya, S.; Nanajkar, M.

    In most ecosystems, community structure emerges as a result of the complex interaction between biotic and environmental variables. Sandy beaches connected to adjacent ecosystem like estuaries/creeks provide an opportunity to understand the role...

  7. Structural changes, roles and challenges

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2000-01-01

    Statnett is facing great challenges in a Nordic and European integrated power market, with increasingly mighty commercial players. In a competing market there are conflicts between the socio-economic targets for Statkraft's activities and the commercial interests of Statnet's customers and other players in the power market. In the light of development, the connection lines between the customers and Statnett should be changed. Another problem is the legal competence problem that arises when the Oil and Energy Department (OED) works out the general policy at the same time as it owns Statkraft and Statnett and is the appellate body for the development decisions taken by the NVE (the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate). When comprehensive changes in Statkraft's company organisation and ownership are considered, special attention must be paid to the competence problem and to the risk of the commercial producers increasing their impact on how Statnett manages its role as a systems operator

  8. Publication Services at the University Library Graz: A New Venture, a New Role

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ginther, Clara; Lackner, Karin; Kaier, Christian

    2017-01-01

    Establishing Publication Services in the library at the University of Graz did more than broaden the service portfolio of the library. A convergence of expertise at the library, needs of researchers at the university, and ongoing changes in scholarly communication also contributed to the evolution of the library's role and profile. The new…

  9. Potential Role of Activating Transcription Factor 5 during Osteogenesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luisa Vicari

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Human adipose-derived stem cells are an abundant population of stem cells readily isolated from human adipose tissue that can differentiate into connective tissue lineages including bone, cartilage, fat, and muscle. Activating transcription factor 5 is a transcription factor of the ATF/cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB family. It is transcribed in two types of mRNAs (activating transcription factor 5 isoform 1 and activating transcription factor 5 isoform 2, encoding the same single 30-kDa protein. Although it is well demonstrated that it regulates the proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, little is known about its potential role in osteogenic differentiation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression levels of the two isoforms and protein during osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells. Our data indicate that activating transcription factor 5 is differentially expressed reaching a peak of expression at the stage of bone mineralization. These findings suggest that activating transcription factor 5 could play an interesting regulatory role during osteogenesis, which would provide a powerful tool to study bone physiology.

  10. Potential Role of Activating Transcription Factor 5 during Osteogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vicari, Luisa; Calabrese, Giovanna; Forte, Stefano; Giuffrida, Raffaella; Colarossi, Cristina; Parrinello, Nunziatina Laura; Memeo, Lorenzo

    2016-01-01

    Human adipose-derived stem cells are an abundant population of stem cells readily isolated from human adipose tissue that can differentiate into connective tissue lineages including bone, cartilage, fat, and muscle. Activating transcription factor 5 is a transcription factor of the ATF/cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) family. It is transcribed in two types of mRNAs (activating transcription factor 5 isoform 1 and activating transcription factor 5 isoform 2), encoding the same single 30-kDa protein. Although it is well demonstrated that it regulates the proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, little is known about its potential role in osteogenic differentiation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression levels of the two isoforms and protein during osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells. Our data indicate that activating transcription factor 5 is differentially expressed reaching a peak of expression at the stage of bone mineralization. These findings suggest that activating transcription factor 5 could play an interesting regulatory role during osteogenesis, which would provide a powerful tool to study bone physiology.

  11. Exploring grade 3 teachers' resistance to `take up' progressive mathematics teaching roles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Westaway, Lise; Graven, Mellony

    2018-03-01

    This article addresses the question: Why teachers of mathematics have yet to `take up' progressive roles? Drawing on the philosophy of critical realism and its methodological equivalent, social realism, we analyse interview and observation data of four grade 3 teachers, with the view to identifying the mechanisms conditioning the expression of teachers' identities. In so doing, we show how post-apartheid changes in systemic roles of teachers create contradictory tensions for teachers as these bring their own mathematical learning and teaching experiences into contradiction with the new post-apartheid roles they are mandated to enact. We examine how this contradiction, together with beliefs about mathematics, pedagogy and learners, is expressed in the teaching of grade 3 mathematics. We maintain that the complementarity between teachers' beliefs and old systemic roles provides an explanation for why teachers of grade 3 mathematics have yet to `take-up' progressive roles. The implications point to the need for teacher development that creates enablers that lead to changes in classroom practices that align with policy-designated, progressive roles in teaching mathematics.

  12. Two Ways to Support Reflexivity: Teaching Managers to Fulfil an Undefined Role

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adriansen, Hanne Kirstine; Knudsen, Hanne

    2013-01-01

    A current challenge to public managers is the lack of a well-defined role. How can masters programmes prepare managers to live up to an undefined function? In this paper we argue that the lack of role description enhances the need for reflexivity and we show how it is done at Master in Educational Management (MEM). MEM provides the participating…

  13. Role Resources and Work-Family Enrichment: The Role of Work Engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siu, Oi-ling; Lu, Jia-fang; Brough, Paula; Lu, Chang-qin; Bakker, Arnold B.; Kalliath, Thomas; O'Driscoll, Michael; Phillips, David R.; Chen, Wei-qing; Lo, Danny; Sit, Cindy; Shi, Kan

    2010-01-01

    This article proposes a theoretical model of work-family enrichment and tests the mediating role of work engagement. The inclusion of work engagement extends prior research on work-family interface, and allows for examination of the effects of role resources (job resources, family support) on work-family enrichment. A two-wave survey was conducted…

  14. Strategic use of preference confirmation in group decision making : The role of competition and dissent

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Toma, C.; Gilles, I.; Butera, F.

    2013-01-01

    The present research investigates the moderating role of goal interdependence and dissent on individual preference confirmation in hidden-profile tasks. We propose that preference confirmation can be used strategically to deal with competition and dissent likely to arise in group decision making. In

  15. Functional roles for noise in genetic circuits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eldar, Avigdor; Elowitz, Michael B

    2010-09-09

    The genetic circuits that regulate cellular functions are subject to stochastic fluctuations, or 'noise', in the levels of their components. Noise, far from just a nuisance, has begun to be appreciated for its essential role in key cellular activities. Noise functions in both microbial and eukaryotic cells, in multicellular development, and in evolution. It enables coordination of gene expression across large regulons, as well as probabilistic differentiation strategies that function across cell populations. At the longest timescales, noise may facilitate evolutionary transitions. Here we review examples and emerging principles that connect noise, the architecture of the gene circuits in which it is present, and the biological functions it enables. We further indicate some of the important challenges and opportunities going forward.

  16. The ambiguous role of healthcare providers: a new perspective in Human Resources Management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panari, Chiara; Levati, W; Bonini, A; Tonelli, M; Alfieri, E; Artioli, Giovanna

    2016-05-26

    A strategic Human Resources Management approach, that overcomes anadministrative Personnel Management, is becoming crucial for hospital organizations. In this sense, the aimof this work was to examine the figure of healthcare provider using the concept of role, as expected behaviourin term of integration in the organizational culture. The instrument used to analyse the healthcareprovider figure was "role mapping". Particularly, semistructured interviews were conducted and involved to36 health professionals of four units in order to examine the behaviour expectations system towards thehealthcare providers. The analysis revealed that the expectations of different professionals relatedto the healthcare provider were dissimilar. Physicians' expectations referred to technical preparation and efficiency,while nurses and nurse coordinators required collaboration in equip work and emotional support forpatients. In all Operating Units, directors were perceived as missing persons with vague expectations of efficiency.Differences concerned also the four Units. For example, in intensive care Unit, the role of healthcareprovider was clearer and this figure was perceived as essential for patients' care and for the equip teamwork.On the contrary, in Recovery Unit the healthcare provider was underestimated, the role was ambiguous andnot integrated in the equip even if there was a clear division of tasks between nurses and healthcare providers. The "role mapping" instrument allows to identify healthcare provider profile and find possible roleambiguity and conflicts in order to plan adequate human resources management interventions.

  17. Wnt Signaling Cascades and the Roles of Syndecan Proteoglycans

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pataki, Csilla A; Couchman, John R; Brábek, Jan

    2015-01-01

    /planar cell polarity and Wnt/calcium signaling. Syndecans are type I transmembrane proteoglycans with a long evolutionary history, being expressed in all Bilateria and in almost all cell types. Both Wnt pathways have been extensively studied over the past 30 years and shown to have roles during development...... and in a multitude of diseases. Although the first evidence for interactions between syndecans and Wnts dates back to 1997, the number of studies connecting these pathways is low, and many open questions remained unanswered. In this review, syndecan's involvement in Wnt signaling pathways as well as some...

  18. The role of the pediatrician in youth violence prevention

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soon Ki Kim

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available School bullying has become a major social problem in Korea after the emergence of media reports on children who committed suicide after being victimized by bullies. In this article, we review the characteristics of bullying, and investigate the role of the pediatrician in the prevention of and intervention against bullying and school violence. Bullying can take on many forms such as physical threat, verbal humiliation, malicious rumors, and social ostracism. The prevalence of bullying in various countries is approximately 10% to 20%. In Korea, the prevalence of school violence is similar but seems to be more intense because of the highly competitive environment. From our review of literature, we found that children who were bullied had a significantly higher risk of developing psychosomatic and psychosocial problems such as headache, abdominal pain, anxiety, and depression than those who were not bullied. Hence, it is important for health practitioners to detect these signs in a child who was bullied by questioning and examining the child, and to determine whether bullying plays a contributing role when a child exhibits such signs. Pediatricians can play an important role in the prevention of or intervention against school violence along with school authorities, parents, and community leaders. Moreover, guidelines to prevent school violence, such as the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, KiVa of the Finish Ministry of Education, and Connected Kids: Safe, Strong, Secure of the American Academy Pediatrics, should be implemented.

  19. Muscles and their role in episodic tension-type headache

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bendtsen, L; Ashina, S; Moore, K A

    2016-01-01

    . Ibuprofen 400 mg and aspirin 1000 mg are recommended as drugs of first choice based on treatment effect, safety profile and costs. Non-pharmacological therapies include electromyographic biofeedback, physiotherapy and muscle relaxation therapy. Future studies should aim to identify the triggers...... of peripheral nociception and how to avoid peripheral and central sensitization. There is a need for more effective, faster acting drugs for acute TTH. CONCLUSION: Muscular factors play an important role in episodic TTH. Ibuprofen 400 mg and aspirin 1000 mg are recommended as drugs of first choice....

  20. The Perceived Importance of Role-Specific Competencies for Health Care Leaders Establishes the Need to Expand Role Theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babinski, Paul J

    2016-01-01

    This cross-sectional quantitative study was undertaken to determine the extent to which individuals who have differing health care leadership roles perceived the importance of selected leadership competencies in their specific roles based on their experience. A total of 313 participants responded to the health care questionnaire. Principal component analysis identified factor structure and Cronbach α at .96 supported the reliability of the factor analysis. Multivariate analysis of variance tested the 4 health care leadership roles to determine if an effect was present among the competencies. A subsequent analysis of variance test was conducted on the competencies to confirm an effect was present, and a Games-Howell post hoc test followed. These tests indicated that there was a significant difference in rating the perceived importance of specific leadership competencies by the health care leaders in each competency domain. The participants included in this study consisted of the chief executive officer (CEO), director of nursing (DON), operating room director (ORD), and director of radiology (DOR). Based on the Games-Howell post hoc test, a commonality existed between the leaders. The CEOs and DONs often indicated no significant difference in competency perception to one another in relation to the dependent variables, yet indicated a significant difference in competency perception when compared with the ORDs and DORs. Similarly, the ORD and DOR variables often indicated no significant difference in competency perception to one another in relation to the dependent variables, yet indicated a significant difference in competency perception compared with the CEO and DON variables. This study positively indicated that health care leadership's perception of competencies does differ between the various leadership roles.

  1. The Role of the Transcriptional Response to DNA Replication Stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herlihy, Anna E; de Bruin, Robertus A M

    2017-03-02

    During DNA replication many factors can result in DNA replication stress. The DNA replication stress checkpoint prevents the accumulation of replication stress-induced DNA damage and the potential ensuing genome instability. A critical role for post-translational modifications, such as phosphorylation, in the replication stress checkpoint response has been well established. However, recent work has revealed an important role for transcription in the cellular response to DNA replication stress. In this review, we will provide an overview of current knowledge of the cellular response to DNA replication stress with a specific focus on the DNA replication stress checkpoint transcriptional response and its role in the prevention of replication stress-induced DNA damage.

  2. The Role of the Transcriptional Response to DNA Replication Stress

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herlihy, Anna E.; de Bruin, Robertus A.M.

    2017-01-01

    During DNA replication many factors can result in DNA replication stress. The DNA replication stress checkpoint prevents the accumulation of replication stress-induced DNA damage and the potential ensuing genome instability. A critical role for post-translational modifications, such as phosphorylation, in the replication stress checkpoint response has been well established. However, recent work has revealed an important role for transcription in the cellular response to DNA replication stress. In this review, we will provide an overview of current knowledge of the cellular response to DNA replication stress with a specific focus on the DNA replication stress checkpoint transcriptional response and its role in the prevention of replication stress-induced DNA damage. PMID:28257104

  3. [The roles and the impacts of pharmacists in the management of medical devices at the hospital: A literature review].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrand, É; Painchart, L; Grimandi, G; Décaudin, B; Bussières, J-F

    2017-11-01

    Identify the training profile and the published evidences about the roles and the impacts of hospital pharmacists in medical devices. A literature review was conducted using Google, Google Scholar and Pubmed for 1990-2016 associated with a manual search conducted in three non-indexed pharmaceutical journals for 2000-2016. The analysis of training programs available did not allow us to identify a specific training profile. A total of 72 articles related to the roles and the impacts of the pharmacist were identified, 52 of which came from non-indexed journals. Those articles did not deal specifically about the roles and the impacts of pharmacist; however, articles were analyses for three spheres including the referencing of medical devices (n=36), the evaluation (n=19) and the distribution system (n=13). French pharmacists have many theoretical and practical training opportunities. There are a few articles describing precisely the roles and the impacts of hospital pharmacists in medical device. It appears urgent to better document this activity in professional and indexed literature. Copyright © 2017 Académie Nationale de Pharmacie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  4. Exposure to Workplace Bullying: The Role of Coping Strategies in Dealing with Work Stressors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Whitney Van den Brande

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Studies investigating both work- and individual-related antecedents of workplace bullying are scarce. In reply, this study investigated the interaction between workload, job insecurity, role conflict, and role ambiguity (i.e., work-related antecedents, and problem- and emotion-focused coping strategies (i.e., individual-related antecedents in association with exposure to workplace bullying. Problem-focused coping strategies were hypothesised to decrease (i.e., buffer the associations between workload, job insecurity, role conflict, and role ambiguity and exposure to bullying, while emotion-focused coping strategies were hypothesised to increase (i.e., amplify these associations. Results for a heterogeneous sample (N = 3,105 did not provide evidence for problem-focused coping strategies as moderators. As expected, some emotion-focused coping strategies amplified the associations between work-related antecedents and bullying: employees using “focus on and venting of emotions” or “behavioural disengagement” in dealing with job insecurity, role conflict, or role ambiguity were more likely to be exposed to bullying. Similarly, “seeking social support for emotional reasons” and “mental disengagement” amplified the associations of role ambiguity and the associations of both role conflict and role ambiguity, respectively. To prevent bullying, organisations may train employees in tempering emotion-focused coping strategies, especially when experiencing job insecurity, role conflict, or role ambiguity.

  5. Exposure to Workplace Bullying: The Role of Coping Strategies in Dealing with Work Stressors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baillien, Elfi; Vander Elst, Tinne; De Witte, Hans; Van den Broeck, Anja

    2017-01-01

    Studies investigating both work- and individual-related antecedents of workplace bullying are scarce. In reply, this study investigated the interaction between workload, job insecurity, role conflict, and role ambiguity (i.e., work-related antecedents), and problem- and emotion-focused coping strategies (i.e., individual-related antecedents) in association with exposure to workplace bullying. Problem-focused coping strategies were hypothesised to decrease (i.e., buffer) the associations between workload, job insecurity, role conflict, and role ambiguity and exposure to bullying, while emotion-focused coping strategies were hypothesised to increase (i.e., amplify) these associations. Results for a heterogeneous sample (N = 3,105) did not provide evidence for problem-focused coping strategies as moderators. As expected, some emotion-focused coping strategies amplified the associations between work-related antecedents and bullying: employees using “focus on and venting of emotions” or “behavioural disengagement” in dealing with job insecurity, role conflict, or role ambiguity were more likely to be exposed to bullying. Similarly, “seeking social support for emotional reasons” and “mental disengagement” amplified the associations of role ambiguity and the associations of both role conflict and role ambiguity, respectively. To prevent bullying, organisations may train employees in tempering emotion-focused coping strategies, especially when experiencing job insecurity, role conflict, or role ambiguity. PMID:29270424

  6. The role of the transcription factor SIM2 in prostate cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bin Lu

    Full Text Available Recent reports have suggested a possible involvement of Single-minded homolog 2 (SIM2 in human solid cancers, including prostate cancer. However, the exact role of SIM2 in cancer in general, and in prostate cancer in particular, remains largely unknown. This study was designed to elucidate the role of SIM2 in prostate cancer using a shRNA-based approach in the PC3 prostate cancer cell line.Lentiviral shRNAs were used to inhibit SIM2 gene and protein levels in PC3 cells. Quantitative RT-PCR and branched DNA were performed to evaluate transcript expression. SIM2 protein expression level was measured by western blot. Profiling of gene expression spanning the whole genome, as well as polar metabolomics of several major metabolic pathways was performed to identify major pathway dysregulations.SIM2 gene and protein products were significantly downregulated by lenti-shRNA in PC3 cell line. This low expression of SIM2 affected gene expression profile, revealing significant changes in major signaling pathways, networks and functions. In addition, major metabolic pathways were affected.Taken together, our results suggest an involvement of SIM2 in key traits of prostate tumor cell biology and might underlie a contribution of this transcription factor to prostate cancer onset and progression.

  7. Development of Brain EEG Connectivity across Early Childhood: Does Sleep Play a Role?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monique K. LeBourgeois

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Sleep has beneficial effects on brain function and learning, which are reflected in plastic changes in the cortex. Early childhood is a time of rapid maturation in fundamental skills—e.g., language, cognitive control, working memory—that are predictive of future functioning. Little is currently known about the interactions between sleep and brain maturation during this developmental period. We propose coherent electroencephalogram (EEG activity during sleep may provide unique insight into maturational processes of functional brain connectivity. Longitudinal sleep EEG assessments were performed in eight healthy subjects at ages 2, 3 and 5 years. Sleep EEG coherence increased across development in a region- and frequency-specific manner. Moreover, although connectivity primarily decreased intra-hemispherically across a night of sleep, an inter-hemispheric overnight increase occurred in the frequency range of slow waves (0.8–2 Hz, theta (4.8–7.8 Hz and sleep spindles (10–14 Hz, with connectivity changes of up to 20% across a night of sleep. These findings indicate sleep EEG coherence reflects processes of brain maturation—i.e., programmed unfolding of neuronal networks—and moreover, sleep-related alterations of brain connectivity during the sensitive maturational window of early childhood.

  8. Fear of Missing Out, online social networking and mobile phone addiction : a latent profile approach

    OpenAIRE

    Fúster, Héctor; Chamarro Lusar, Andrés; Oberst, Úrsula E.

    2017-01-01

    Background and aims: Fear of missing out (FoMO) is described as a pervasive unpleasant sensation that others might be having rewarding experiences of which one is not part, as well as the desire to stay continually connected with what others are doing. It has shown to play an important mediating role in predicting negative outcomes of heavy use of these networks. The aim of the present study was to analyze the different profiles found among users. Methods: 5,280 Spanish speaking social media ...

  9. Genome-wide strategies identify downstream target genes of chick connective tissue-associated transcription factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orgeur, Mickael; Martens, Marvin; Leonte, Georgeta; Nassari, Sonya; Bonnin, Marie-Ange; Börno, Stefan T; Timmermann, Bernd; Hecht, Jochen; Duprez, Delphine; Stricker, Sigmar

    2018-03-29

    Connective tissues support organs and play crucial roles in development, homeostasis and fibrosis, yet our understanding of their formation is still limited. To gain insight into the molecular mechanisms of connective tissue specification, we selected five zinc-finger transcription factors - OSR1, OSR2, EGR1, KLF2 and KLF4 - based on their expression patterns and/or known involvement in connective tissue subtype differentiation. RNA-seq and ChIP-seq profiling of chick limb micromass cultures revealed a set of common genes regulated by all five transcription factors, which we describe as a connective tissue core expression set. This common core was enriched with genes associated with axon guidance and myofibroblast signature, including fibrosis-related genes. In addition, each transcription factor regulated a specific set of signalling molecules and extracellular matrix components. This suggests a concept whereby local molecular niches can be created by the expression of specific transcription factors impinging on the specification of local microenvironments. The regulatory network established here identifies common and distinct molecular signatures of limb connective tissue subtypes, provides novel insight into the signalling pathways governing connective tissue specification, and serves as a resource for connective tissue development. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  10. Global imprint of historical connectivity on freshwater fish biodiversity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dias, Murilo S; Oberdorff, Thierry; Hugueny, Bernard; Leprieur, Fabien; Jézéquel, Céline; Cornu, Jean-François; Brosse, Sébastien; Grenouillet, Gael; Tedesco, Pablo A

    2014-09-01

    The relative importance of contemporary and historical processes is central for understanding biodiversity patterns. While several studies show that past conditions can partly explain the current biodiversity patterns, the role of history remains elusive. We reconstructed palaeo-drainage basins under lower sea level conditions (Last Glacial Maximum) to test whether the historical connectivity between basins left an imprint on the global patterns of freshwater fish biodiversity. After controlling for contemporary and past environmental conditions, we found that palaeo-connected basins displayed greater species richness but lower levels of endemism and beta diversity than did palaeo-disconnected basins. Palaeo-connected basins exhibited shallower distance decay of compositional similarity, suggesting that palaeo-river connections favoured the exchange of fish species. Finally, we found that a longer period of palaeo-connection resulted in lower levels of beta diversity. These findings reveal the first unambiguous results of the role played by history in explaining the global contemporary patterns of biodiversity. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

  11. Assessment of the Clinical Trainer as a Role Model: A Role Model Apperception Tool (RoMAT)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jochemsen-van der Leeuw, H. G. A. Ria; van Dijk, Nynke; Wieringa-de Waard, Margreet

    2014-01-01

    Purpose Positive role modeling by clinical trainers is important for helping trainees learn professional and competent behavior. The authors developed and validated an instrument to assess clinical trainers as role models: the Role Model Apperception Tool (RoMAT). Method On the basis of a 2011

  12. An Example of Inquiry in Linear Algebra: The Roles of Symbolizing and Brokering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zandieh, Michelle; Wawro, Megan; Rasmussen, Chris

    2017-01-01

    In this paper we address practical questions such as: How do symbols appear and evolve in an inquiry-oriented classroom? How can an instructor connect students with traditional notation and vocabulary without undermining their sense of ownership of the material? We tender an example from linear algebra that highlights the roles of the instructor…

  13. The roles of microRNAs on tuberculosis infection: meaning or myth?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harapan, Harapan; Fitra, Fitra; Ichsan, Ichsan; Mulyadi, Mulyadi; Miotto, Paolo; Hasan, Nabeeh A; Calado, Marta; Cirillo, Daniela M

    2013-11-01

    The central proteins for protection against tuberculosis are attributed to interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β, while IL-10 primarily suppresses anti-mycobacterial responses. Several studies found alteration of expression profile of genes involved in anti-mycobacterial responses in macrophages and natural killer (NK) cells from active and latent tuberculosis and from tuberculosis and healthy controls. This alteration of cellular composition might be regulated by microRNAs (miRNAs). Albeit only 1% of the genomic transcripts in mammalian cells encode miRNA, they are predicted to control the activity of more than 60% of all protein-coding genes and they have a huge influence in pathogenesis theory, diagnosis and treatment approach to some diseases. Several miRNAs have been found to regulate T cell differentiation and function and have critical role in regulating the innate function of macrophages, dendritic cells and NK cells. Here, we have reviewed the role of miRNAs implicated in tuberculosis infection, especially related to their new roles in the molecular pathology of tuberculosis immunology and as new targets for future tuberculosis diagnostics. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. [Multiple roles and health among Korean women].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Su-Jin; Jang, Soong-Nang; Cho, Sung-Il

    2008-09-01

    Most studies about multiple roles and women's health suggested that combining with paid job, being married and having children was more likely to improve health status than in case of single or traditional roles. We investigated whether there was better health outcome in multiple roles among Korean women coinciding with previous studies of other nations. Data were from the 2005 Korea National Health & Nutritional Examination Survey, a subsample of women aged 25-59 years (N=2,943). Health status was assessed for self-rated poor health, perceived stress and depression, respectively based on one questionnaire item. The age-standardized prevalence of all health outcomes were calculated by role categories and socioeconomic status. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the association of self rated health, perceived stress, and depression with multiple roles adjusted for age, education, household income, number of children and age of children. Having multiple roles with working role was not associated with better health and psychological wellbeing. Compared to those with traditional roles, employed women more frequently experienced perceived stress, with marital and/or parental roles. Non-working single mothers suffered depression more often than women with traditional roles or other role occupancy. Socioeconomic status indicators were potent independent correlates of self-rated health and perceived stress. Employment of women with other roles did not confer additional health benefit to traditional family responsibility. Juggling of work and family responsibility appeared more stressful than traditional unemployed parental and marital role in Korean women.

  15. The Valuable Role of Measuring Serum Lipid Profile in Cancer Progression

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farahnaz Ghahremanfard

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Serum lipid levels are not only associated with etiology, but also with prognosis in cancer. To investigate this issue further, we aimed to evaluate the serum levels of lipids in association with the most important prognostic indicators in cancer patients at the start of chemotherapy. Methods: In a retrospective cross-sectional study, using existing medical records obtained from 2009–2014, the data of all incident cancer cases in Iranian patients referred to the Semnan oncology clinic for chemotherapy were analyzed. Data on demographics, cancer type, prognostic indicators (e.g. lymph node involvement, metastasis, and stage of disease, as well as the patient’s lipid profile were collected. We used multiple logistic regression models to show the relationship between prognosis indicators and lipid profile adjusting for age, gender, and type of cancer. Results: The data of 205 patients was gathered. We found a significant difference in the lipid profile between different types of cancers (breast, colon, gastric, and ovarian. With the exception of high-density lipoprotein levels in women, which were higher than in men, the means of other lipid profiles were similar between the genders. There was a significant association between higher levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL >110mg/dL in the serum and metastasis (adjusted odds ratio=2.4, 95% CI 1.2–3.5. No significant association was reported between lipid profile and lymph nodes involvement and stage of the disease. Conclusion: Our study suggested a benefit of measuring serum levels of lipids for predicting cancer progression. Increased LDL levels can be considered a predictive factor for increasing the risk of metastasis.

  16. The evolution of sex roles in birds is related to adult sex ratio.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liker, András; Freckleton, Robert P; Székely, Tamás

    2013-01-01

    Sex-role reversal represents a formidable challenge for evolutionary biologists, since it is not clear which ecological, life-history or social factors facilitated conventional sex roles (female care and male-male competition for mates) to be reversed (male care and female-female competition). Classic theories suggested ecological or life-history predictors of role reversal, but most studies failed to support these hypotheses. Recent theory however predicts that sex-role reversal should be driven by male-biased adult sex ratio (ASR). Here we test this prediction for the first time using phylogenetic comparative analyses. Consistent with theory, both mating system and parental care are strongly related to ASR in shorebirds: conventional sex roles are exhibited by species with female-biased ASR, whereas sex-role reversal is associated with male-biased ASR. These results suggest that social environment has a strong influence on breeding systems and therefore revealing the causes of ASR variation in wild populations is essential for understanding sex role evolution.

  17. The patient's role in rheumatology care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brady, T J

    1998-03-01

    This article reviews narrative and empiric studies in rheumatology and related literature to explicate the patient's role in rheumatology care. In contrast to early conceptualizations, such as Parsons' sick role that emphasized compliance, current literature describes chronic disease patients as active participants in their care, rather than passive recipients of care. Active patients roles include participant in shared decision making, self-manager, and help and information seeker. All of these roles are colored by the individual's need to preserve a personally defined acceptable lifestyle. Suggestions for strategies that physicians and health professionals can use to engage and support these essential patient roles are also reviewed.

  18. The Role of Tourism in Regional Development (Case of Klaten District

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sujali Sujali

    2004-01-01

    Demand and supply approachs are used to develop the tourism. Based on the data we an know the profiles of the tourists. The tend to visis (the tourism of entertainments. Most tourists are adult and old. The greatest resource of the Original Regional Income (PAD is from local retribution. This include the income from (the tourism of entertainments and recreation which have low contribution. The role of tourism in Klaten regency should be kept increasing to support the Original Regional Income and development. To keep the tourism inreaseing the supported capital, engineering, and skills from the developers are badly neede. It is important to increase the role of Tourism Service and managing the tourism. It an be concluded that tourism hasn’t improved yet the regional income and economy. That is why the tourism should be kept increasing.

  19. The role of cybersecurity in world politics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladimir Tigranovich Tsakanyan

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to investigate a significant and increasing role of cybersecurity in world politics. Cybersecurity threats are one of the main national security, public safety, and economic challenges every nation faces in XXI century. Cyberspace is a defining feature of modern life. Individuals and communities worldwide connect, socialize, and organize themselves in and through cyberspace. The existence of numerous cyber security issues on various spheres of life naturally increase political interest in resolving them. The need for cybersecurity is growing ranging from particular cases to national and international - becoming the main problem of diplomacy and world politics. Based on the different national approaches, cybersecurity is seen as the instrument to gain national interests. All countries believe that cybersecurity is an instrument to achieve state’s national interest, since more of the modern theories are focus in the material gain. Meanwhile, some countries see cybersecurity as the tool to influence the adversaries’ perception. This condition build based on the enormous destruction power of cyberattacks. In contrast with the two main approaches, the national security institutions emphasize to the idea, not the material gain. The difference between these national security approaches is the way to use this instrument is used in order to gain the objectives. Indeed, cybersecurity has an important and special role in the world politics.

  20. Does the Role Checklist Measure Occupational Participation?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tore Bonsaksen

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: Among the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO assessments, the Role Checklist is one of the most established. In spite of its widespread use, no studies have examined role examples and their association with the three embedded levels of doing, as established in the MOHO theory. Method: A cross-sectional survey of 293 respondents from the US, the UK, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, and Norway produced 7,182 role examples. The respondents completed Part I of the Role Checklist and provided examples of each internalized role they performed. Responses were classified as occupational skill, occupational performance, or occupational participation. Results: Thirty-three percent of the examples were classified as examples of occupational participation, whereas 65% were classified as examples of occupational performance. Four roles linked mostly with occupational participation, another four roles linked mostly with occupational performance, and the two remaining roles were mixed between occupational participation and occupational performance. Discussion: The Role Checklist assesses a person’s involvement in internalized roles at the level of both occupational participation and occupational performance. There are differences among countries with regard to how roles are perceived and exemplified, and different roles relate differently to the occupational performance and occupational participation levels of doing. There are related implications for occupational therapists.

  1. A Contingency Approach to Organization Development Based on Differentiated Roles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    LaVan, Helen; And Others

    1981-01-01

    Studied differences in job satisfaction between professionals and administrators. Administrators (N=44) and health-care professionals (N=105) completed questionnaires addressing organizational climate, role conflict, role ambiguity, functional influence, and job satisfaction. Results found several differences and suggest that differential…

  2. Sexual Stratification and Sex-Role Socialization

    Science.gov (United States)

    VanFossen, Beth Ensiminger

    1977-01-01

    Data on sex-role values of a sample of college women are examined to ascertain the effect of family structure, social class, and religion on sex-role values, and to support a structural theory of sex-role socialization. (Author)

  3. Objective Work-Nonwork Conflict: From Incompatible Demands to Decreased Work Role Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haun, Sascha; Steinmetz, Holger; Dormann, Christian

    2011-01-01

    Research on work-nonwork conflict (WNC) is based on the assumption that incompatible demands from the work and the nonwork domain hamper role performance. This assumption implies that role demands from both domains interact in predicting role performance, but research has been largely limited to main effects. In this multi-source study, we analyze…

  4. CULTURE AND GENDER ROLE DIFFERENCES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angelica-Nicoleta NECULĂESEI (ONEA

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Culture influences thinking, language and human behaviour. The social environment, in which individuals are born and live, shapes their attitudinal, emotional and behavioural reactions and the perceptions about what is happening around. The same applies in the case of assigned/assumed roles in society based on gender. Cultural dimensions that reflect differences in gender roles, but also elements related to the ethics of sexual difference were highlighted by many researchers. The presentation of these issues from the interdisciplinary perspective is the subject of this article. Briefly, the article refers to: importance of communication in transmission of roles of those two sexes, cultural dimensions that reflect role differences invarious cultures, discrimination issues and ethics of sexual difference.

  5. Bellona and hydrogen - the role of mediation in technical change

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kristiansen, Beate

    2001-01-01

    The energy production and consumption is a major contributor to our environmental problems. The energy carrier hydrogen can be a part of the solution. In the thesis the Bellona Foundation's role in the process of technical change towards utilisation of hydrogen in Norway is investigated. Its role is analysed through the concept of mediation, which is based on seeing technical change as a social process. Mediators connect, or build bridges between, different actors, as well as between different types of knowledge. They establish new kinds of links and create new arenas of interaction for previously separated units. In addition, or through their work, they translate knowledge from one context or domain to another. They are also processing, interpreting and combining knowledge in new ways. Mediators bring together people with different competencies, and orchestrate their efforts often on a consensus basis. Bellona combines the different kinds of mediations, to influence the process of technical change at various levels and steps. They mediate mainly within the industry and between the industrial- and governmental domain. To some degree they also mediate between the experts and the public. But the direct contact with the public seems to be more or less absent in their hydrogen work. It seems like Bellona's mediator role fills an open space in the realm of technology policy making. Environmental oriented NGOs will perform or combine various mediating roles differently. To be able to make socially appropriate and sustainable technical change, probably other actors than the established traditional ones should be more involved. The possibilities for public participation should be strengthened, as well as the possibilities for mediation. (Author)

  6. Exploring the Roles of Social Participation in Mobile Social Media Learning: A Social Network Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norman, Helmi; Nordin, Norazah; Din, Rosseni; Ally, Mohamad; Dogan, Huseyin

    2015-01-01

    Social media is increasingly becoming an essential platform for social connectivity in our daily lives. The availability of mobile technology has further fueled its importance -- making it a ubiquitous tool for social interaction. However, limited studies have been conducted to investigate roles of social participation in this field. Thus, the…

  7. Fibroblasts in fibrosis: novel roles and mediators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryan Thomas Kendall

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Fibroblasts are the most common cell type of the connective tissues found throughout the body and the principal source of the extensive extracellular matrix (ECM characteristic of these tissues. They are also the central mediators of the pathological fibrotic accumulation of ECM and the cellular proliferation and differentiation that occurs in response to prolonged tissue injury and chronic inflammation. The transformation of the fibroblast cell lineage involves classical developmental signaling programs and includes a surprisingly diverse range of precursor cell types—most notably, myofibroblasts that are the apex of the fibrotic phenotype. Myofibroblasts display exaggerated ECM production; constitutively secrete and are hypersensitive to chemical signals such as cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors; and are endowed with a contractile apparatus allowing them to manipulate the ECM fibers physically to close open wounds. In addition to ECM production, fibroblasts have multiple concomitant biological roles, such as in wound healing, inflammation, and angiogenesis, which are each interwoven with the process of fibrosis. We now recognize many common fibroblast-related features across various physiological and pathological protracted processes. Indeed, a new appreciation has emerged for the role of noncancerous fibroblast interactions with tumors in cancer progression. Although the predominant current clinical treatments of fibrosis involve nonspecific immunosuppressive and anti-proliferative drugs, a variety of potential therapies under investigation specifically target fibroblast biology.

  8. Teaching Steel Connections Using an Interactive Virtual Steel Sculpture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moaveni, Saeed; Chou, Karen C.

    2015-01-01

    Steel connections play important roles in the integrity of a structure, and many structural failures are attributed to connection failures. Connections are the glue that holds a structure together. The failures of the Hartford Coliseum in 1977, the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City in 1980, and the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis in 2007 are all…

  9. Gender-role attitudes and behavior across the transition to parenthood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katz-Wise, Sabra L; Priess, Heather A; Hyde, Janet S

    2010-01-01

    On the basis of social structural theory and identity theory, the current study examined changes in gender-role attitudes and behavior across the first-time transition to parenthood and following the birth of a second child for experienced mothers and fathers. Data were analyzed from the ongoing longitudinal Wisconsin Study of Families and Work. Gender-role attitudes, work and family identity salience, and division of household labor were measured for 205 first-time and 198 experienced mothers and fathers across 4 time points from 5 months pregnant to 12 months postpartum. Multilevel latent growth curve analysis was used to analyze the data. In general, parents became more traditional in their gender-role attitudes and behavior following the birth of a child, women changed more than men, and first-time parents changed more than experienced parents. Findings suggest that changes in gender-role attitudes and behavior following the birth of a child may be attributed to both the process of transitioning to parenthood for the first time and that of negotiating the demands of having a new baby in the family. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

  10. ROLE OF MRI IN EVALUATION OF MRKH SYNDROME

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lalitha Kumari

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available : MRKH Syndrome is one of diverse spectrum of congenital mullerian duct anamolies ranging from complete absence to hypoplasia of uterus and upper 2/3rd of vagina owing to their embryological origin. This is the second most common cause of primary amennorhoea in young females who shows normal development of secondary sexual characters and endocrine profile with essential normal female phenotype & genotype (46 XX. Our study is to emphasis the role of MRI in diagnosis of this syndrome non-invasively without exposure to radiation. The excellent soft tissue anatomical details by MRI provides the diagnosis with accuracy along with information of adjacent viscera and other associated systemic anamolies.

  11. Does microglial dysfunction play a role in autism and Rett syndrome?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maezawa, Izumi; Calafiore, Marco; Wulff, Heike; Jin, Lee-Way

    2011-02-01

    Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) including classic autism is a group of complex developmental disabilities with core deficits of impaired social interactions, communication difficulties and repetitive behaviors. Although the neurobiology of ASDs has attracted much attention in the last two decades, the role of microglia has been ignored. Existing data are focused on their recognized role in neuroinflammation, which only covers a small part of the pathological repertoire of microglia. This review highlights recent findings on the broader roles of microglia, including their active surveillance of brain microenvironments and regulation of synaptic connectivity, maturation of brain circuitry and neurogenesis. Emerging evidence suggests that microglia respond to pre- and postnatal environmental stimuli through epigenetic interface to change gene expression, thus acting as effectors of experience-dependent synaptic plasticity. Impairments of these microglial functions could substantially contribute to several major etiological factors of autism, such as environmental toxins and cortical underconnectivity. Our recent study on Rett syndrome, a syndromic autistic disorder, provides an example that intrinsic microglial dysfunction due to genetic and epigenetic aberrations could detrimentally affect the developmental trajectory without evoking neuroinflammation. We propose that ASDs provide excellent opportunities to study the influence of microglia on neurodevelopment, and this knowledge could lead to novel therapies.

  12. Role of Akirin in Skeletal Myogenesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dingbiao Long

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Akirin is a recently discovered nuclear factor that plays an important role in innate immune responses. Beyond its role in innate immune responses, Akirin has recently been shown to play an important role in skeletal myogenesis. In this article, we will briefly review the structure and tissue distribution of Akirin and discuss recent advances in our understanding of its role and signal pathway in skeletal myogenesis.

  13. Dact gene expression profiles suggest a role for this gene family in integrating Wnt and TGF-β signaling pathways during chicken limb development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sensiate, Lucimara Aparecida; Sobreira, Débora R; Da Veiga, Fernanda Cristina; Peterlini, Denner Jefferson; Pedrosa, Angelica Vasconcelos; Rirsch, Thaís; Joazeiro, Paulo Pinto; Schubert, Frank R; Collares-Buzato, Carla Beatriz; Xavier-Neto, José; Dietrich, Susanne; Alvares, Lúcia Elvira

    2014-03-01

    Dact gene family encodes multifunctional proteins that are important modulators of Wnt and TGF-β signaling pathways. Given that these pathways coordinate multiple steps of limb development, we investigated the expression pattern of the two chicken Dact genes (Dact1 and Dact2) from early limb bud up to stages when several tissues are differentiating. During early limb development (HH24-HH30) Dact1 and Dact2 were mainly expressed in the cartilaginous rudiments of the appendicular skeleton and perichondrium, presenting expression profiles related, but distinct. At later stages of development (HH31-HH35), the main sites of Dact1 and Dact2 expression were the developing synovial joints. In this context, Dact1 expression was shown to co-localize with regions enriched in the nuclear β-catenin protein, such as developing joint capsule and interzone. In contrast, Dact2 expression was restricted to the interzone surrounding the domains of bmpR-1b expression, a TGF-β receptor with crucial roles during digit morphogenesis. Additional sites of Dact expression were the developing tendons and digit blastemas. Our data indicate that Dact genes are good candidates to modulate and, possibly, integrate Wnt and TGF-β signaling during limb development, bringing new and interesting perspectives about the roles of Dact molecules in limb birth defects and human diseases. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. Role of beach morphology in wave overtopping hazard assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, Benjamin; Brown, Jennifer; Bidlot, Jean-Raymond; Plater, Andrew

    2017-04-01

    Understanding the role of beach morphology in controlling wave overtopping volume will further minimise uncertainties in flood risk assessments at coastal locations defended by engineered structures worldwide. XBeach is used to model wave overtopping volume for a 1:200 yr joint probability distribution of waves and water levels with measured, pre- and post-storm beach profiles. The simulation with measured bathymetry is repeated with and without morphological evolution enabled during the modelled storm event. This research assesses the role of morphology in controlling wave overtopping volumes for hazardous events that meet the typical design level of coastal defence structures. Results show disabling storm-driven morphology under-represents modelled wave overtopping volumes by up to 39% under high Hs conditions, and has a greater impact on the wave overtopping rate than the variability applied within the boundary conditions due to the range of wave-water level combinations that meet the 1:200 yr joint probability criterion. Accounting for morphology in flood modelling is therefore critical for accurately predicting wave overtopping volumes and the resulting flood hazard and to assess economic losses.

  15. Emerging roles of the neurotrophin receptor TrkC in synapse organization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naito, Yusuke; Lee, Alfred Kihoon; Takahashi, Hideto

    2017-03-01

    Tropomyosin-receptor-kinase (Trk) receptors have been extensively studied for their roles in kinase-dependent signaling cascades in nervous system development. Synapse organization is coordinated by trans-synaptic interactions of various cell adhesion proteins, a representative example of which is the neurexin-neuroligin complex. Recently, a novel role for TrkC as a synapse organizing protein has been established. Post-synaptic TrkC binds to pre-synaptic type-IIa receptor-type protein tyrosine phosphatase sigma (PTPσ). TrkC-PTPσ specifically induces excitatory synapses in a kinase domain-independent manner. TrkC has distinct extracellular domains for PTPσ- and NT-3-binding and thus may bind both ligands simultaneously. Indeed, NT-3 enhances the TrkC-PTPσ interaction, thus facilitating synapse induction at the pre-synaptic side and increasing pre-synaptic vesicle recycling in a kinase-independent fashion. A crystal structure study has revealed the detailed structure of the TrkC-PTPσ complex as well as competitive modulation of TrkC-mediated synaptogenesis by heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs), which bind the same domain of TrkC as PTPσ. Thus, there is strong evidence supporting a role for the TrkC-PTPσ complex in mechanisms underlying the fine turning of neural connectivity. Furthermore, disruption of the TrkC-PTPσ complex may be the underlying cause of certain psychiatric disorders caused by mutations in the gene encoding TrkC (NTRK3), supporting its role in cognitive functions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd and Japan Neuroscience Society. All rights reserved.

  16. The role of matricellular proteins in glaucoma.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Wallace, Deborah M

    2014-07-01

    Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy affecting approximately 60million people worldwide and is the second most common cause of irreversible blindness. Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is the main risk factor for developing glaucoma and is caused by impaired aqueous humor drainage through the trabecular meshwork (TM) and Schlemm\\'s canal (SC). In primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), this elevation in IOP in turn leads to deformation at the optic nerve head (ONH) specifically at the lamina cribrosa (LC) region where there is also a deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules such as collagen and fibronectin. Matricellular proteins are non-structural secreted glycoproteins that help cells communicate with their surrounding ECM. This family of proteins includes connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), also known as CCN2, thrombospondins (TSPs), secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC), periostin, osteonectin, and Tenascin-C and -X and other ECM proteins. All members appear to play a role in fibrosis and increased ECM deposition. Most are widely expressed in tissues particularly in the TM and ONH and deficiency of TSP1 and SPARC have been shown to lower IOP in mouse models of glaucoma through enhanced outflow facility. The role of these proteins in glaucoma is emerging as some have an association with the pathophysiology of the TM and LC regions and might therefore be potential targets for therapeutic intervention in glaucoma.

  17. Completing the surrogate motherhood process: parental order reporters' attitudes towards surrogacy arrangements, role ambiguity and role conflict.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Purewal, Satvinder; Crawshaw, Marilyn; van den Akker, Olga

    2012-06-01

    This study investigated the attitudes of parental order reporters (PORs) towards their work with surrogacy arrangements and their experiences of role conflict and role ambiguity. A questionnaire was used to assess PORs' perceptions of their role in parental order [PO] applications, attitudes towards surrogacy arrangements and the legal process and the influence of role ambiguity or conflict. Questionnaires were distributed to all PORs employed by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in England. Thirty-three PORs participated (response rate 46%) who, on average, had each completed five PO applications (range 1-40). Positive attitudes towards surrogacy and the child's needs for openness about origins were found. Concerns about the inadequacy of preparation and assessment arrangements, overseas arrangements and non-regulation of surrogacy agencies were evident. PORs with high-role ambiguity were more likely to report less positive attitudes towards the emotional consequence of surrogacy on offspring. High scores on role ambiguity and role conflict were reflected in less positive attitudes towards the parties' preparation towards parenthood. These results have implications for training, policy and practice in this area.

  18. Doing mental health care integration: a qualitative study of a new work role.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith-Merry, Jennifer; Gillespie, Jim; Hancock, Nicola; Yen, Ivy

    2015-01-01

    Mental health care in Australia is fragmented and inaccessible for people experiencing severe and complex mental ill-health. Partners in Recovery is a Federal Government funded scheme that was designed to improve coordination of care and needs for this group. Support Facilitators are the core service delivery component of this scheme and have been employed to work with clients to coordinate their care needs and, through doing so, bring the system closer together. To understand how Partners in Recovery Support Facilitators establish themselves as a new role in the mental health system, their experiences of the role, the challenges that they face and what has enabled their work. In-depth qualitative interviews were carried out with 15 Support Facilitators and team leaders working in Partners in Recovery in two regions in Western Sydney (representing approximately 35 % of those working in these roles in the regions). Analysis of the interview data focused on the work that the Support Facilitators do, how they conceptualise their role and enablers and barriers to their work. The support facilitator role is dominated by efforts to seek out, establish and maintain connections of use in addressing their clients' needs. In doing this Support Facilitators use existing interagency forums and develop their own ad hoc groupings through which they can share knowledge and help each other. Support Facilitators also use these groups to educate the sector about Partners in Recovery, its utility and their own role. The diversity of support facilitator backgrounds are seen as both and asset and a barrier and they describe a process of striving to establish an internally collective identity as well as external role clarity and acceptance. At this early stage of PIR establishment, poor communication was identified as the key barrier to Support Facilitators' work. We find that the Support Facilitators are building the role from within and using trial and error to develop their practice

  19. Putting Role 1 first: the Role 1 capability review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hodgetts, T J; Findlay, S

    2012-09-01

    To quantify the risk for delivering care at Role 1 in the Land Environment (point of wounding to hospital care) on current operations and set the conditions for systematic change to enhance future capability. UK, US and Danish Army Role 1 Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) (1) Questionnaire study ofUK SMEs to determine capability gaps; (2) Questionnaire study of US and Danish SMEs to benchmark UK capability; (3) Semi-structured interviews of UK SMEs; (4) In-theatre evaluation of deployed Role 1. Thirty two SMEs completed the questionnaire (68% response rate), comprising 25 medical officers (20 in clinical appointments; five in command and staff appointments), six nurses and one medical support officer. Results of the entire review were collated as a cross-Defence Lines of Development analysis, separating the specific experience of 1 Medical Regiment's Hybrid Foundation Training (HFT), Mission Specific Training (MST) and deployment cycle from the analysis gained from questionnaire studies, SME consultation and documentary evidence. The review generated 77 recommendations and 38 sub-recommendations. The top six messages of the review were (1) To balance the expressed desire to increase the ratio of trained Team Medics with the reality of generating credible instructors with clinical experience; (2) To recognise that inadequate experience for Combat Medical Technicians in Primary Healthcare in the Firm Base undermines their operational preparedness; (3) To recognise that Current Regimental Aid Post (RAP) at contingency without power lacks the rudimentary infrastructure of a modern Medical Treatment Facility; (4) To recognise that inappropriate deployment of personnel with chronic disease or acutely limiting conditions is a consistent trend for 20 years that highlights continuing system weaknesses in applying protective medical grading; (5) To accept that General Practitioner manning requires re-evaluating as an Operational Pinch Point, reviewing all options to maintain

  20. The role of dopamine in human addiction: from reward to motivated attention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franken, Ingmar H A; Booij, Jan; van den Brink, Wim

    2005-12-05

    There is general consensus among preclinical researchers that dopamine plays an important role in the development and persistence of addiction. However, the precise role of dopamine in addictive behaviors is far from clear and only a few clinical studies on the role of dopamine in human addiction have been conducted so far. The present paper reviews studies addressing the role of dopamine in humans. There is substantial and consistent evidence that dopamine is involved in the experience of drug reward in humans. Dopamine may also be involved in motivational processes such as drug craving. However, given the inconsistent findings of studies using dopamine receptor (ant)agonists, the role of dopamine in the experience of craving is far from resolved. Recent theories claiming that dopamine signals salience and makes the brain paying attention to biological relevant stimuli may provide an interesting framework for explaining addictive behaviors. There is accumulating evidence that patients with drug and alcohol addiction have an aberrant focus on drug-related stimuli. Although there is some preliminary support for the role of dopamine in these attention processes, more studies have to be carried out in order to test the validity of these theories in human subjects.

  1. The evolution of sex roles in birds is related to adult sex ratio

    OpenAIRE

    Liker, András; Freckleton, Robert P.; Székely, Tamás

    2013-01-01

    Sex-role reversal represents a formidable challenge for evolutionary biologists, since it is not clear which ecological, life-history or social factors facilitated conventional sex roles (female care and male-male competition for mates) to be reversed (male care and female-female competition). Classic theories suggested ecological or life-history predictors of role reversal, but most studies failed to support these hypotheses. Recent theory however predicts that sex-role reversal should be dr...

  2. Role of periodontal pathogenic bacteria in RANKL-mediated bone destruction in periodontal disease

    OpenAIRE

    Mikihito Kajiya; Gabriela Giro; Martin A. Taubman; Xiaozhe Han; Marcia P.A. Mayer; Toshihisa Kawai

    2010-01-01

    Accumulated lines of evidence suggest that hyperimmune responses to periodontal bacteria result in the destruction of periodontal connective tissue and alveolar bone. The etiological roles of periodontal bacteria in the onset and progression of periodontal disease (PD) are well documented. However, the mechanism underlying the engagement of periodontal bacteria in RANKL-mediated alveolar bone resorption remains unclear. Therefore, this review article addresses three critical subjects. First, ...

  3. Social Roles, Basic Need Satisfaction, and Psychological Health: The Central Role of Competence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talley, Amelia E.; Kocum, Lucie; Schlegel, Rebecca J.; Molix, Lisa; Bettencourt, B. Ann

    2016-01-01

    The authors propose that competence need fulfillment within valued role domains (i.e., spouse, parent, worker) will account, in part, for associations between autonomy and relatedness need fulfillment and psychological health. Testing these assertions in cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys of women in two independent community samples, the findings are the first to formally examine whether the satisfaction of competence needs within social roles accounts for associations between other types of need satisfaction and affective outcomes as well as depressive symptomology. Evidence supporting the hypothesis was stronger when examining individuals’ affective health as compared to their depressive symptoms. Implications of the findings are discussed with regard to need fulfillment within social roles. PMID:22215698

  4. Social roles, basic need satisfaction, and psychological health: the central role of competence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talley, Amelia E; Kocum, Lucie; Schlegel, Rebecca J; Molix, Lisa; Bettencourt, B Ann

    2012-02-01

    The authors propose that competence need fulfillment within valued role domains (i.e., spouse, parent, worker) will account, in part, for associations between autonomy and relatedness need fulfillment and psychological health. Testing these assertions in cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys of women in two independent community samples, the findings are the first to formally examine whether the satisfaction of competence needs within social roles accounts for associations between other types of need satisfaction and affective outcomes as well as depressive symptomology. Evidence supporting the hypothesis was stronger when examining individuals' affective health as compared to their depressive symptoms. Implications of the findings are discussed with regard to need fulfillment within social roles.

  5. Crash injury risk behavior in adolescent latino males: the power of friends and relational connections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaca, Federico E; Anderson, Craig L

    2011-01-01

    The adolescent Latino male mortality profile is an anomaly when compared to an otherwise more favorable overall U.S. Latino population mortality profile. Motor vehicle crash fatalities bear a considerable proportion of mortality burden in this vulnerable population. Friend influence and relational connection are two contextual domains that may mediate crash injury risk behavior in these adolescents. Our study goal was to assess the role of friend influence over time and relational connections associated with crash injury risk behavior (CIRB) in adolescent Latino males. Waves I and II data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were used. Scale of CIRB, and three relational connections; school connectedness, parent connectedness, and expectation of academic success were developed and tested. Friend nomination data were available and the index student responses were linked to friend responses. Linear regression was used to assess the relationship of relational connections and friend CIRB on index student CIRB at wave I and II. Longitudinal analysis did not show significant evidence for friend influence among adolescent Latino males on CIRB. The best predictor of CIRB at wave II for adolescent Latino males was their CIRB at wave I. Relational connections were important yet exaggerated cross-sectionally but their effect was substantially attenuated longitudinally. The lack of friend influence on CIRB for adolescent Latino males may be specific to this demographic group or characteristic of the sample studied. Prevention strategies that focus on modulating friend influence in adolescent Latino males may not yield the desired prevention effects on CIRB.

  6. The effect of tannins on Mediterranean ruminant ingestive behavior: the role of the oral cavity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamy, Elsa; Rawel, Harshadrai; Schweigert, Florian J; Capela E Silva, Fernando; Ferreira, Ana; Costa, Ana Rodrigues; Antunes, Célia; Almeida, André Martinho; Coelho, Ana Varela; Sales-Baptista, Elvira

    2011-03-25

    Sheep, cattle and goat are domestic ruminants of significant economic interest in the Mediterranean region. Although sharing the same pasture ranges, they ingest different plants and plant parts and, consequently different levels of tannins. This suggests an ability to detect and adapt ingestion according to animal physiological limits of tolerance for plant secondary metabolites. This review will detail the effects of dietary tannins on feeding behavior, and the role of the oral cavity in this process, with focus on such ruminant species. The role of salivary protein profile in tannin perception in the oral cavity, and as a defense mechanism, will be discussed.

  7. Classification of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer by weighing gene expression profiles with connectivity information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ao; Tian, Suyan

    2018-05-01

    Pathway-based feature selection algorithms, which utilize biological information contained in pathways to guide which features/genes should be selected, have evolved quickly and become widespread in the field of bioinformatics. Based on how the pathway information is incorporated, we classify pathway-based feature selection algorithms into three major categories-penalty, stepwise forward, and weighting. Compared to the first two categories, the weighting methods have been underutilized even though they are usually the simplest ones. In this article, we constructed three different genes' connectivity information-based weights for each gene and then conducted feature selection upon the resulting weighted gene expression profiles. Using both simulations and a real-world application, we have demonstrated that when the data-driven connectivity information constructed from the data of specific disease under study is considered, the resulting weighted gene expression profiles slightly outperform the original expression profiles. In summary, a big challenge faced by the weighting method is how to estimate pathway knowledge-based weights more accurately and precisely. Only until the issue is conquered successfully will wide utilization of the weighting methods be impossible. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. The basic roles of manager in business organization Podstawowe role menedżera w organizacji gospodarczej

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katarzyna Cieślińska

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available The subject of the study is the presentation and analysis of manager’s role as the key person in the business organization. Beginning with defining the term “manager”, the author present the particular typologies of managerial roles, that takes into consideration different criteria. In the paper points out the conditions of managerial roles and probably the most important the leader’s role.

  9. How Large Is the Role of Emotion in Judgments of Moral Dilemmas?

    OpenAIRE

    Horne, Zachary; Powell, Derek

    2016-01-01

    Moral dilemmas often pose dramatic and gut-wrenching emotional choices. It is now widely accepted that emotions are not simply experienced alongside people's judgments about moral dilemmas, but that our affective processes play a central role in determining those judgments. However, much of the evidence purporting to demonstrate the connection between people's emotional responses and their judgments about moral dilemmas has recently been called into question. In the present studies, we reexam...

  10. Role of Ontologies for CPS Implementation in Manufacturing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Garetti Marco

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Cyber Physical Systems are an evolution of embedded systems featuring a tight combination of collaborating computational elements that control physical entities. CPSs promise a great potential of innovation in many areas including manufacturing and production. This is because we obtain a very powerful, flexible, modular infrastructure allowing easy (re configurability and fast ramp-up of manufacturing applications by building a manufacturing system with modular mechatronic components (for machining, transportation and storage and embedded intelligence, by integrating them into a system, through a network connection. However, when building such kind of architectures, the way to supply the needed domain knowledge to real manufacturing applications arises as a problem to solve. In fact, a CPS based architecture for manufacturing is made of smart but independent manufacturing components without any knowledge of the role they have to play together in the real world of manufacturing applications. Ontologies can supply such kind of knowledge, playing a very important role in CPS for manufacturing. The paper deals with this intriguing theme, also presenting an implementation of this approach in a research project for the open automation of manufacturing systems, in which the power of CPS is complemented by the support of an ontology of the manufacturing domain.

  11. Do women who choose to become surrogate mothers have different psychological profiles compared to a normative female sample?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pizitz, Todd D; McCullaugh, Joseph; Rabin, Alexa

    2013-03-01

    Surrogate mothers are routinely assessed for their suitability to function in the role of surrogacy. Such assessments often include psychological testing including the Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory-revised (MMPI-2). There has been a paucity of research detailing the personality structures of these women, especially with the MMPI-2. The current study examined the validity and clinical profiles of surrogate mothers (N=43) compared to a non-patient, normative reference sample of women (N=40) using their MMPI-2 results. This study examined between group differences among the 68 scales of the MMPI-2. Independent-sample t-tests were conducted for each of the scales, with those violating homogeneity of variance assessed with a non-parametric, Mann-Whitney U test. The findings demonstrated that surrogate mothers produce profiles with lower values than normative samples across several MMPI-2 scales. For this unique group, elevations were observed on scales that assess profile validity, views on traditional gender roles, repression, ego strength, social obligation and duties, and contained hostility, relative to the normative group. The findings provide an initial examination of the profiles of surrogate mothers on the MMPI-2. The findings revealed that the psychological suitability of surrogate mother candidates appear to be a composite of being both tough-minded and sensitive, sufficiently resilient to manage the role of surrogacy, and aware of the importance of emotional boundary-setting related to pre-natal attachment. Copyright © 2012 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. [The role of physical education teachers to support overweight and obese pupils].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jodkowska, Maria; Oblacińska, Anna; Tabak, Izabela; Radiukiewicz, Katarzyna

    2010-01-01

    School-based physical education (PE) is often proposed as a strategy for obesity prevention and treatment. Thus the role of PE teachers is crucial on this field. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception of PE teachers towards overweight and obese pupils aged 13-15 years, especially psychosomatic problems and support for obese adolescents in realisation of physical activity programme. A random sample of 185 PE teachers from 112 lower secondary schools in Poland were surveyed regarding their perception of pupils obesity and their support for obese adolescents. PE teachers observed many negative features among obese pupils: Two thirds of teachers (67% male and 74% teachers with work experience 6-10 years) observed decreased physical fitness and exercise capacity in this group of pupils. Body-related barriers in obese pupils and anxiety caused by weight related peer teasing were observed by respectively 30% and 20% teachers more often women teachers and teachers with shorter work experience. PE teachers were engaged in activities to support obese pupils: 90% of them assessed obese pupils by personal development, 70% conducted counseling and 20% cooperated with obese pupils' parents. Two third of teachers reported successes in their work with obese pupils. Their difficulties were connected with body-related barriers in pupils (24%), and aversion to exercise and physical efforts and location of PE lessons at school (9-16%). 1. The PE teachers can play an important role in preventing and combating obesity in pupils. 2. PE teachers should be motivated to organize interesting PE lessons, school sport and competitions for both normal and overweight pupils.

  13. The roles of planning in waterfront redevelopment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Galland, Daniel; Hansen, C.J.

    2012-01-01

    This paper delves into the different styles and roles that planning adopts in contemporary waterfront redevelopment. Traditionally, waterfront redevelopment practices have consisted of an array of plan-led and market-driven planning styles upon which the derelict areas of post-industrial cities...... have been transformed. Typical examples from North America and Europe generally tend to focus on the successes that these processes have generated in connection with large-scale and emblematic projects. However, less attention has been devoted to the efforts of a more recent generation of cities...... undergoing waterfront redevelopment, which often features different planning rationalities, forms of governance and competing interests. While the precise character of this newer generation does not yet seem defined, the rise of planning practices that combine previous planning styles has been key...

  14. Role of State Policy in Renewable Energy Development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Doris, E.; Busche, S.; Hockett, S.; McLaren, J.

    2009-07-01

    State policies can support renewable energy development by driving markets, providing certainty in the investment market, and incorporating the external benefits of the technologies into cost/benefit calculations. Using statistical analyses and policy design best practices, this paper quantifies the impact of state-level policies on renewable energy development in order to better understand the role of policy on development and inform policy makers on the policy mechanisms that provide maximum benefit. The results include the identification of connections between state policies and renewable energy development, as well as a discussion placing state policy efforts in context with other factors that influence the development of renewable energy (e.g. federal policy, resource availability, technology cost, public acceptance).

  15. Role Playing in Physical Education to Teach in the Affective Domain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samalot-Rivera, Amaury

    2014-01-01

    Using role playing during physical education provides limitless opportunities for intervention and for the demonstration of personal and social qualities. The purpose of this article is to provide easy steps for implementing role playing as a strategy to teach social skills to students in the physical education setting.

  16. The role of reserves and anthropogenic habitats for functional connectivity and resilience of ephemeral wetlands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uden, Daniel R; Hellman, Michelle L; Angeler, David G; Allen, Craig R

    Ecological reserves provide important wildlife habitat in many landscapes, and the functional connectivity of reserves and other suitable habitat patches is crucial for the persistence and resilience of spatially structured populations. To maintain or increase connectivity at spatial scales larger than individual patches, conservation actions may focus on creating and maintaining reserves and/or influencing management on non-reserves. Using a graph-theoretic approach, we assessed the functional connectivity and spatial distribution of wetlands in the Rainwater Basin of Nebraska, USA, an intensively cultivated agricultural matrix, at four assumed, but ecologically realistic, anuran dispersal distances. We compared connectivity in the current landscape to the historical landscape and putative future landscapes, and evaluated the importance of individual and aggregated reserve and non-reserve wetlands for maintaining connectivity. Connectivity was greatest in the historical landscape, where wetlands were also the most densely distributed. The construction of irrigation reuse pits for water storage has maintained connectivity in the current landscape by replacing destroyed wetlands, but these pits likely provide suboptimal habitat. Also, because there are fewer total wetlands (i.e., wetlands and irrigation reuse pits) in the current landscape than the historical landscape, and because the distribution of current wetlands is less clustered than that of historical wetlands, larger and longer dispersing, sometimes nonnative species may be favored over smaller, shorter dispersing species of conservation concern. Because of their relatively low number, wetland reserves do not affect connectivity as greatly as non-reserve wetlands or irrigation reuse pits; however, they likely provide the highest quality anuran habitat. To improve future levels of resilience in this wetland habitat network, management could focus on continuing to improve the conservation status of non

  17. How to interpret Methylation Sensitive Amplified Polymorphism (MSAP) profiles?

    OpenAIRE

    Fulneček, Jaroslav; Kovařík, Aleš

    2014-01-01

    Background DNA methylation plays a key role in development, contributes to genome stability, and may also respond to external factors supporting adaptation and evolution. To connect different types of stimuli with particular biological processes, identifying genome regions with altered 5-methylcytosine distribution at a genome-wide scale is important. Many researchers are using the simple, reliable, and relatively inexpensive Methylation Sensitive Amplified Polymorphism (MSAP) method that is ...

  18. A starring role for microglia in brain sex differences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lenz, Kathryn M; McCarthy, Margaret M

    2015-06-01

    Microglia, the resident innate immune cells in the brain, have long been understood to be crucial to maintenance in the nervous system, by clearing debris, monitoring for infiltration of infectious agents, and mediating the brain's inflammatory and repair response to traumatic injury, stroke, or neurodegeneration. A wave of new research has shown that microglia are also active players in many basic processes in the healthy brain, including cell proliferation, synaptic connectivity, and physiology. Microglia, both in their capacity as phagocytic cells and via secretion of many neuroactive molecules, including cytokines and growth factors, play a central role in early brain development, including sexual differentiation of the brain. In this review, we present the vast roles microglia play in normal brain development and how perturbations in the normal neuroimmune environment during development may contribute to the etiology of brain-based disorders. There are notable differences between microglia and neuroimmune signaling in the male and female brain throughout the life span, and these differences may contribute to the vast differences in the incidence of neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders between males and females. © The Author(s) 2014.

  19. Value Creation in the Internet of Things: Mapping Business Models and Ecosystem Roles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heini Ikävalko

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The increasing connectivity provided by the Internet of Things (IoT supports novel business opportunities for actors in overlapping service systems. Therefore, the co-creative nature of IoT business needs to be further studied. This article reports an empirical study on a European IoT initiative. It contributes to the understudied area of IoT ecosystem dynamics by describing different actor roles and activities in the IoT use cases, and their implications for value creation in IoT ecosystems. Our findings show how IoT ecosystem actors may take the roles of ideator, designer, or intermediary in different IoT design layers, and we recommend this perspective to better understand and describe ecosystem business models. We also discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of our findings.

  20. Identifying Role Diffusion in School Counseling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Astramovich, Randall L.; Hoskins, Wendy J.; Gutierrez, Antonio P.; Bartlett, Kerry A.

    2013-01-01

    Role ambiguity in professional school counseling is an ongoing concern despite recent advances with comprehensive school counseling models. The study outlined in this article examined role diffusion as a possible factor contributing to ongoing role ambiguity in school counseling. Participants included 109 graduate students enrolled in a…

  1. The role of phosphate conversion coatings in make-up of casing connections

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ernens, D; van Riet, E.J.; de Rooij, M.B.; Pasaribu, H.R.; van Haaften, W.M.; Schipper, D.J.

    2017-01-01

    Phosphate conversion coatings are widely used on (premium) casing connections for protection against corrosion. Next to that, in conjunction with the lubricant these coatings provide galling protection. The friction and wear that occurs during make-up and subsequent load cycling determines the

  2. Roles of Course Facilitators, Learners, and Technology in the Flow of Information of a cMOOC

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skrypnyk, Oleksandra; Joksimovic, Srec´ko; Kovanovic, Vitomir; Gas?evic, Dragan; Dawson, Shane

    2015-01-01

    Distributed Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are based on the premise that online learning occurs through a network of interconnected learners. The teachers' role in distributed courses extends to forming such a network by facilitating communication that connects learners and their separate personal learning environments scattered around the…

  3. BIOLOGICAL SEX, SEX-ROLE ORIENTATION, MASCULINE SEX-ROLE STRESS, DISSIMULATION AND SELF-REPORTED FEARS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    ARRINDELL, WA; KOLK, AM; PICKERSGILL, MJ; HAGEMAN, WJJM

    1993-01-01

    Given meta-analytic findings showing females to be generally more fearful than males on multi-dimensional self-report measures of fear, an empirical attempt was made to examine whether this outcome could be explained by psychological factors such as sex role orientation and masculine sex role

  4. Empowering Effective STEM Role Models to Promote STEM Equity in Local Communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harte, T.; Taylor, J.

    2017-12-01

    Empowering Effective STEM Role Models, a three-hour training developed and successfully implemented by NASA Langley Research Center's Science Directorate, is an effort to encourage STEM professionals to serve as role models within their community. The training is designed to help participants reflect on their identity as a role model and provide research-based strategies to effectively engage youth, particularly girls, in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Research shows that even though girls and boys do not demonstrate a significant difference in their ability to be successful in mathematics and science, there is a significant difference in their confidence level when participating in STEM subject matter and pursuing STEM careers. The Langley training model prepares professionals to disrupt this pattern and take on the habits and skills of effective role models. The training model is based on other successful models and resources for role modeling in STEM including SciGirls; the National Girls Collaborative; and publications by the American Association of University Women and the National Academies. It includes a significant reflection component, and participants walk through situation-based scenarios to practice a focused suite of research-based strategies. These strategies can be implemented in a variety of situations and adapted to the needs of groups that are underrepresented in STEM fields. Underpinning the training and the discussions is the fostering of a growth mindset and promoting perseverance. "The Power of Yet" becomes a means whereby role models encourage students to believe in themselves, working toward reaching their goals and dreams in the area of STEM. To provide additional support, NASA Langley role model trainers are available to work with a champion at other organizations to facilitate the training. This champion helps recruit participants, seeks leadership buy-in, and helps provide valuable insights for needs and

  5. Young Latinas and abortion: the role of cultural factors, reproductive behavior, and alternative roles to motherhood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaplan, C P; Erickson, P I; Stewart, S L; Crane, L A

    2001-01-01

    Latina women have often been portrayed as holding strong traditional family values leading to a greater propensity for rejection of contraception and abortion. Increasingly, the literature has consistently shown that Latina women use contraception effectively when available; however, much less is known about the prevalence of abortion and the factors related to its use in this population. In this article we examine Latinas' use of abortion and identify factors affecting its use among 1,207 ever-pregnant Latina women age 14-24 recruited at two federally-funded family planning clinics in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Only a small proportion of the young women in our sample (7.5%) had ever had an induced abortion. In multivariate analysis the variables significantly associated with past abortion included less traditional attitudes about women's roles, higher gravidity, shorter periods of sexual activity, and a higher number of lifetime sexual partners. We conclude that use of abortion among Latinas is driven by role orientation and reproductive variables.

  6. The Role of Work Identity in Women's Adjustment to Divorce.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bisagni, Gina M.; Eckenrode, John

    This study explored the role of employment as a focus of identity in women's divorce adjustment. Based on data from 40 semi-structured interviews, four salient aspects of the worker's role were measured: (1) meaningfulness; (2) social interaction/support; (3) productivity; and (4) positive distraction. Work identity was associated with higher…

  7. Role of etology in detecting environmental pollutants that affect changes in animal behaviour

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vučinić Marijana M.

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available A large number of chemical pollutants originating from industrial agricultural and urban through the direct or indirect disruption of endocrine gland and hormone function. That is why these pollutants are known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC. By disrupting endocrine function, the EDC change certain forms of animal behaviour. This is why a direct link can be established between etology, as a scientific discipline that studied the role, function, ontogenetic and evolutionary development of behaviour from the aspect of the animal's adaption to living conditions, and ecotoxicology. In this mutual connection, the role of etology is to identify changes in animal behaviour which will serve as the first bioindicator of the presence of EDC in a certain environment, and before the occurrence of organic changes that could have lethal consequences.

  8. Psychiatrists' Perceptions of Role-Playing Games.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lis, Eric; Chiniara, Carl; Biskin, Robert; Montoro, Richard

    2015-09-01

    The literature has seen a surge in research on the mental health impacts of technologies such as Facebook, video games, and massively-multiplayer online role-playing games such as World of Warcraft, but little is known regarding the mental health impact of non-video role-playing games, such as Dungeons & Dragons. The present study examines how psychiatrists' perceive role-playing games and whether they play them. Psychiatrists at a tertiary care centre in Canada completed a questionnaire assessing history of playing role-playing games and whether they associate them with psychopathology. Forty-eight psychiatrists responded. Twenty-three percent have played a role-playing game over their lifetimes. Twenty-two percent believed there was an association between psychopathology and role-playing games. A majority of psychiatrists who responded do not associate role-playing games with psychopathology. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.

  9. Tachyons: may they have a role in elementary particle physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Recami, E.; Rodrigues, W. A.

    1985-01-01

    The possible role of space like objects in elementary particle physics (and in quantum mechanics) is reviewed and discussed, mainly by exploiting the explicit consequences of the peculiar relativistic mechanics of tachyons. Particular attention is paid : 1) to tachyons as the possible carriers of interactions (''internal lines''); e.g., to the links between ''virtual particles'' and superluminal objects; 2) to the possibility of ''vacuum decays'' at the classical level; 3) to a Lorentz-invariant bootstrap model; 4) to the apparent shape of the tachyonic elementary particles (''elementary tachyons'') and its possible connection with the de Broglie wave-particle dualism

  10. Tachyons: may they have a role in elementary particle physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Recami, E.; Rodrigues Junior, W.A.

    1985-01-01

    The possible role of space-like objects in elementary particle physics (and in quantum mechanics) is reviewed and discussed, mainly by exploiting the explicit consequences of the peculiar relativistic mechanics of Tachyons. Particular attention is paid: (i) to tachyons as the possible carriers of interactions ('internal lines'); e.g., to the links between 'virtual particles' and superluminal objects; (ii) to the possibility of 'vacuum decays' at the classical level; (iii) to a Lorentz-invariant bootstrap model; (iv) to the apparent shape of the tachyonic elementary particles ('elementary tachyons') and its possible connection with the de Broglie wave-particle dualism. (Author) [pt

  11. Teacher's Guide to Canal. The Middlesex Canal: A Role Playing Exercise.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmes, Cary W.; Tedesco, Paul H.

    The document consists of a role-playing game and related teacher's guide designed to illustrate decision-making processes leading to the building of the Middlesex Canal in Massachusetts in 1793. The primary educational objective is to involve students in the decision-making process through role play. The game is designed to facilitate…

  12. Defining role models for staff orientation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kinley, H

    This article examines the need for a formal role model to help integrate new staff within a unit. While acknowledging the range of titles and functions ascribed to such a role in the literature, the author suggests that the essence of the role and its formal recognition has benefits for experienced staff and orientees alike.

  13. Distributed generation connected to the local network - a guide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2005-07-01

    This guide provides advice to the developers and operators of small distributed generation plant (including microgenerators) in the UK about the practical issues associated with connecting their plant and trading their output. Particular attention is given to sales revenues and how to access these revenue streams, including the mechanisms for purchasing Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs). The guide clarifies key terms, explains the wholesale trading system and provides an overview of sales opportunities (including ROCs and Levy Exemption Certificates (LECs)). Requirements on small distributed generation (including licensing, claiming class exemptions and metering) are described and the commercial aspects of connection (including the recent reduction in the barriers to connection) examined. Microgeneration (ie generators below 10 kW) issues are covered in their own chapter. The six appendices contain: background information about the industry; a list of purchasers of electricity from small distributed generators; descriptions of the generation, transmission and supply industries; information about industry standards and their governance; the role of government departments and institutions; and a glossary and other links.

  14. The role of peer physical activity champions in the workplace: a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edmunds, Sarah; Clow, Angela

    2016-05-01

    Peer health champions have been suggested as an important component of multilevel workplace interventions to promote healthy behaviours such as physical activity (PA). There is accumulating quantitative evidence of their effectiveness but as yet little exploration of why and how champions influence peer behaviour. The current study explores the role of peer physical activity champions (PPACs) in influencing colleagues' PA behaviour from the perspectives of both champions and colleagues. Seven months after the introduction of a workplace PA programme in 17 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), two focus groups were held with PPACs and four with programme participants. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Three overarching themes were developed: how PPACs encourage PA, valuable PPAC characteristics and sustaining motivation for the PPAC role. Both direct encouragement from PPACs and facilitation of wider PA supportive social networks within the workplace encouraged behaviour change. PA behaviour change is a delicate subject and it was important that PPACs provided enthusiastic and persistent encouragement without seeming judgemental. Being a PA role model was also a valuable characteristic. The PPACs found it satisfying to see positive changes in their colleagues who had become more active. However, colleagues often did not engage in suggested activities and PPACs required resilience to maintain personal motivation for the role despite this. Incorporating PPACs into SME-based PA interventions is acceptable to employees. It is recommended that PPAC training includes suggestions for facilitating social connections between colleagues. Sensitivity is required when initiating and engaging in conversations with colleagues about increasing their PA. Programmes should ensure PPACs themselves are provided with social support, especially from others in the same role, to help sustain motivation for their role. These findings will be useful to health

  15. Changing Instructor's Roles in Virtual Worlds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berge, Zane L.

    2008-01-01

    Berge's Instructor's Roles Model categorized the instructor's roles as pedagogical, social, managerial, and technical. Developed more than a decade ago, this model described changing roles for instructors as they transitioned from in-person classrooms to teaching online. Today, as virtual worlds emerge and are being used as educational platforms,…

  16. The operator's role and safety functions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Corcoran, W.R.; Finnicum, D.J.; Hubbard, F.R.; Musick, C.R.; Walzer, R.F.

    1980-01-01

    A nuclear power plant can be thought of as a single system with two major subsystems: equipment and people. Both play important roles in nuclear safety. Whereas, in the past, the role of equipment had been emphasized in nuclear safety, the accident at Three Mile Island and its subsequent investigations point out the vital role of the operator. This paper outlines the operator's roles in nuclear safety and suggests how the concept of safety functions can be used to reduce economic losses and increase safety margins. (auth)

  17. Hysteresis in magnetic materials: the role of structural disorder, thermal relaxation, and dynamic effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bertotti, G.; Basso, V.; Beatrice, C.; LoBue, M.; Magni, A.; Tiberto, P.

    2001-01-01

    An overview is given of the present understanding of hysteresis phenomena in magnetic materials. The problem is addressed from three approximate viewpoints: the connection between rate-independent hysteresis and micromagnetics; the modifications brought into this picture by thermal relaxation effects; the role of rate-dependent magnetization mechanisms, like eddy-current-damped domain wall motion

  18. Practice nurses and obesity: professional and practice-based factors affecting role adequacy and role legitimacy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nolan, Christine; Deehan, Ann; Wylie, Ann; Jones, Roger

    2012-10-01

    This qualitative study explored the professional and practice-based factors affecting the role legitimacy and adequacy of practice nurses in managing obese patients. There are strong clinical, financial and practical reasons for tackling obesity in UK general practice. Although practice nurses may seem to be in an ideal position to manage obesity, there remain questions about their role adequacy (sense of self-efficacy in responding to patients' problems) and role legitimacy (their perceived boundaries of professional responsibility and right to intervene). Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 22 practice nurses in Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham in South London. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed. Key themes were identified following coding of the data. Findings Factors that positively affected nurses' role adequacy and legitimacy were: their belief that obesity management was part of their chronic disease management and health promotion remit; their confidence in their own communication skills and ability to build rapport with patients; having attended training and being supported to take extra time for obesity management. Factors negatively affecting their role legitimacy and adequacy were: their low awareness and use of guidance; lack of knowledge of referral options; limited knowledge and use of non-medical and non-persuasive approaches; perceived lack of expertise in motivating patients, as well as in nutrition, child obesity and assessment; belief that there were some contexts in which it was more appropriate to raise the issue than others; lack of culturally appropriate materials and language barriers; belief that they had limited impact on outcome and that the patient is responsible for lack of success. Other factors negatively affecting their role adequacy and legitimacy included their ambivalence about the effectiveness of the interventions offered; perceived lack of priority for obesity management within practices

  19. The Observer’s Guide to the Gamma-Ray Burst Supernova Connection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zach Cano

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available We present a detailed report of the connection between long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs and their accompanying supernovae (SNe. The discussion presented here places emphasis on how observations, and the modelling of observations, have constrained what we know about GRB-SNe. We discuss their photometric and spectroscopic properties, their role as cosmological probes, including their measured luminosity–decline relationships, and how they can be used to measure the Hubble constant. We present a statistical summary of their bolometric properties and use this to determine the properties of the “average” GRB-SN. We discuss their geometry and consider the various physical processes that are thought to power the luminosity of GRB-SNe and whether differences exist between GRB-SNe and the SNe associated with ultra-long-duration GRBs. We discuss how observations of their environments further constrain the physical properties of their progenitor stars and give a brief overview of the current theoretical paradigms of their central engines. We then present an overview of the radioactively powered transients that have been photometrically associated with short-duration GRBs, and we conclude by discussing what additional research is needed to further our understanding of GRB-SNe, in particular the role of binary-formation channels and the connection of GRB-SNe with superluminous SNe.

  20. Assessing Women's Responses to Sexual Threat: Validity of a Virtual Role-Play Procedure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jouriles, Ernest N.; Rowe, Lorelei Simpson; McDonald, Renee; Platt, Cora G.; Gomez, Gabriella S.

    2011-01-01

    This study evaluated the validity of a role-play procedure that uses virtual reality technology to assess women's responses to sexual threat. Forty-eight female undergraduate students were randomly assigned to either a standard, face-to-face role-play (RP) or a virtual role-play (VRP) of a sexually coercive situation. A multimethod assessment…

  1. The role of lasers and intense pulsed light technology in dermatology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Husain Z

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Zain Husain,1 Tina S Alster1,2 1Department of Dermatology, Georgetown University Hospital, 2Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery, Washington, DC, USA Abstract: The role of light-based technologies in dermatology has expanded dramatically in recent years. Lasers and intense pulsed light have been used to safely and effectively treat a diverse array of cutaneous conditions, including vascular and pigmented lesions, tattoos, scars, and undesired hair, while also providing extensive therapeutic options for cosmetic rejuvenation and other dermatologic conditions. Dermatologic laser procedures are becoming increasingly popular worldwide, and demand for them has fueled new innovations and clinical applications. These systems continue to evolve and provide enhanced therapeutic outcomes with improved safety profiles. This review highlights the important roles and varied clinical applications that lasers and intense pulsed light play in the dermatologic practice. Keywords: laser, intense pulsed light, treatment, dermatology, technology

  2. Sex-Role Egalitarian Attitudes and Gender Role Socialization Experiences of African American Men and Women: A Mixed Methods Paradigm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heard, Courtney Christian Charisse

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess the sex-role egalitarian attitudes and gender role socialization experiences of African American men and women. A sequential mixed-methods design was employed to research this phenomenon. The Sex-Role Egalitarianism Scale-Short Form BB (SRES-BB) was utilized to assess sex-role egalitarian attitudes (King…

  3. Family Complexity and the Stress Process in Prison: How Sibling Living Arrangements of Minor Children Influence Maternal Role Strains

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Holly Foster

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper offers a life-course stress process perspective on maternal role strain as a ‘pain of imprisonment’ by engaging the concept of ‘family complexity’ in the context of mass incarceration I consider how the living arrangements of minor siblings (i.e., those living apart or together during maternal incarceration functions as a form of family complexity. When minor children live apart from their siblings, they may experience more isolation which may further serve as a stressor for incarcerated mothers. A positive association between siblings living apart and maternal role strain would support a process of ‘stress proliferation’ across the prison-family interface. I investigate these connections using survey-based data on mothers with multiple minor children (n = 80 collected in 2011 from a voluntary sample of respondents housed in a federal minimum security prison in the United States. Multivariate logistic regression results indicate that minor siblings living apart during periods of maternal confinement elevates role strain among mothers (odds ratio = 3.66, p < 0.05. This connection is indicative of an ‘inter-institutional strain.’ Finally, children’s age also increases maternal role strain, but this finding is explained by sibling living arrangements during the mother’s incarceration.

  4. Work Processes, Role Conflict, and Role Overload: The Case of Nurses and Engineers in the Public Sector.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bacharach, Samuel B.; And Others

    1990-01-01

    Study of five sets of work process variables and their relationship to role conflict and overload among public sector nurses and engineers found managerial strategies appropriate for minimizing role conflict not necessarily appropriate for minimizing role overload. Some work process predictors may be similar across professions, and managerial…

  5. Tools to Reduce Overload in the School Social Worker Role

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leyba, Erin Gleason

    2009-01-01

    This article addresses how school social workers can decrease overload in their roles. A two-step process of envisioning an ideal role is outlined: (1) indentifying priorities and activities that are effective or in need of expansion and (2) weeding out activities that could be done differently or no longer serve their purpose. The author…

  6. Factors that lead Generation Y nurses to consider or reject nurse leader roles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rose O. Sherman

    Full Text Available Objective: This study examined factors that lead Generation Y nurses to consider or reject nursing leadership roles. Background: Almost half of the current nurse leaders in the country are expected to retire by the end of the decade. Generation Y will soon comprise 50% of the nursing workforce and organizations look to them to assume leadership roles. Learning how to effectively recruit, motivate and retain Generation Y nurse leaders will be critical to the future of nursing. Methods: This was a qualitative study that used a ConCensus™ process approach to collect the themes and factors of importance to participants related to nursing leadership roles. Three focus groups were conducted during 2013 and 2014 with 32 Generation Y Registered Nurses, not currently in leadership positions and born on or after January 1st, 1981. Key findings: Feedback from current nurse leaders about their roles is primarily negative. The strongest incentive for Generation Y nurses to seek leadership roles is the potential to create meaningful change in healthcare. Fear of failure in the role and lack of work-life balance are significant deterrents to accepting a leadership role. Conclusions: Generation Y nurses do see the value and importance of nursing leadership in making a difference in patient care but have concerns about the level of support that will be available to them as they assume these roles. Attention must be directed toward providing resources and strategies to develop skilled Generation Y nurse leaders in order to promote effective succession planning. Keywords: Generation Y, Millennials, Nursing leadership, Succession planning

  7. Role-play as a pedagogical method to prepare students for practice: The students’ voice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ulrika Westrup

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available In this article we discuss how and why role-play supports students in gaining insights into complex leadership situations. We give voice to the students by illustrating their experiences in a role-playing activity involving a human resource management issue designed, performed, and evaluated as part of a management program. The results show that the role-playing supports the students by stimulating them to understand the issue from various perspectives, hence performing an overall change of perspectives. The role-playing exercise also enabled the students to create a collective understanding of the situation. The active social interactions and conversations of role-playing contributed to establishing a sense of community among the students. We argue that role-play could be a viable and forceful pedagogical method whereby teachers give their students the opportunity to prepare for practice. However, to implement role-play as an alternative method of learning requires that the method is a part of the institutional learning space.

  8. Gender role, sexual orientation and suicide risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitzpatrick, Kathleen Kara; Euton, Stephanie J; Jones, Jamie N; Schmidt, Norman B

    2005-07-01

    There has been interest in the relationship between homosexuality, gender role and suicide risk. Though homosexuals are more likely to identify as cross-gender, research has not simultaneously examined sexual orientation and gender role in assessing suicide risk. In the current study, the unique and interactive effects of sexual orientation and gender role were assessed in regard to suicidal ideation, related psychopathology and measures of coping. 77 participants were recruited from an undergraduate psychology subject pool (n=47) or from gay, lesbian and transgender student organizations (n=30) and assessed on measures of gender role, homosexuality, and psychopathology. Consistent with expectations, cross-gender role (i.e., personality traits associated with the opposite sex) is a unique predictor of suicidal symptoms. Moreover, gender role accounted for more of the overall variance in suicidal symptoms, positive problem orientation, peer acceptance and support, than sexual orientation. After accounting for gender role, sexual orientation contributed little to the variance in suicidal symptoms, associated pathology and problem-solving deficits. There was no support for gender role by sexual orientation interaction effects. The cross-sectional nature of the data limits statements regarding causality. Cross-gendered individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, appear to have higher risk for suicidal symptoms. Researchers and clinicians should assess gender role in evaluations of youth samples.

  9. What Brings People to Leadership Roles: A Phenomenological Study of Beef Industry Leaders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gordon, B. Lynn; Ellis, Jason D.

    2013-01-01

    Leadership has been deeply studied in the literature; however, little research exists studying the role of volunteer peer leaders in non-formalized leadership roles in membership-based organizations. This phenomenological study was designed to explore the experience of beef industry leaders in leadership roles. Twelve active beef industry…

  10. How Exposure toRole Model” Projects Can Lead to Decisions for More Sustainable Infrastructure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nora Harris

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A role model, whether an individual or a project, can inspire similar performance in others. This research examines such a phenomenon during the design process for more sustainable physical infrastructure. In this empirical study, engineering professionals (n = 54 were randomly assigned either a modified version of the Envision rating system for sustainable infrastructure, which was changed to include details from an exemplary role model project, or the current version of Envision, with no role model. Professionals given the role model version of Envision achieved on average 34% more points (SD = 27 than the control group (p = 0.001. A positive role model project appears to lead engineering professionals to higher goals for sustainability performance in their design decisions. This finding, and the corresponding line of interdisciplinary research, can be used in decision-structuring interventions, which are a relatively low-cost approach to support greater sustainability in physical infrastructure development.

  11. Women's role in adapting to climate change and variability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carvajal-Escobar, Y.; Quintero-Angel, M.; García-Vargas, M.

    2008-04-01

    Given that women are engaged in more climate-related change activities than what is recognized and valued in the community, this article highlights their important role in the adaptation and search for safer communities, which leads them to understand better the causes and consequences of changes in climatic conditions. It is concluded that women have important knowledge and skills for orienting the adaptation processes, a product of their roles in society (productive, reproductive and community); and the importance of gender equity in these processes is recognized. The relationship among climate change, climate variability and the accomplishment of the Millennium Development Goals is considered.

  12. Patient-provider connectivity and the role of e-health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmes, Suzanne C; Kearns, Ellen Hope

    2003-01-01

    Patient-provider connectivity (PPC) offers innovative approaches to control costs, improve quality, and sustain a healthy workforce. The application of e-commerce to health care is one facet of PPC and provides solutions to educating, informing, and more efficiently using scarce resources to sustain the nation's health. Technology is available to provide real-time access to clinical results, medical records, health-care providers, and other time-sensitive patient information. This is the first article in a series on PPC that explores the application of e-commerce to the health-care industry from the consumers' and providers' points of view and examines and assesses trends and data from various interdisciplinary sources and studies. Two models exemplifying PPC are explored including the Science Business & Education, Inc., proof-of-concept patient demonstration project, and the emerging application of peer-to-peer (P2P) technology. PPC promises to improve efficiency, facilitate communication between physician and patient, monitor compliance with medical regimens, and positively affect the quality of health care provided and the overall health of the patient. Future articles will address the growth of telemedicine, issues of confidentiality and e-risk, and other PPC applications.

  13. Comprehensive expression profiling of rice tetraspanin genes reveals diverse roles during development and abiotic stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Balaji eM

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Tetraspanin family is comprised of evolutionarily conserved integral membrane proteins. The incredible ability of tetraspanins to form ‘micro domain complexes’ and their preferential targeting to membranes emphasizes their active association with signal recognition and communication with neighboring cells, thus acting as key modulators of signaling cascades. In animals, tetraspanins are associated with multitude of cellular processes. Unlike animals, the biological relevance of tetraspanins in plants has not been well investigated. In Arabidopsis tetraspanins are known to contribute in important plant development processes such as leaf morphogenesis, root and floral organ formation. In the present study we investigated the genomic organization, chromosomal distribution, phylogeny and domain structure of 15 rice tetraspanin proteins (OsTETs. OsTET proteins had similar domain structure and signature ‘GCCK/R’ motif as reported in Arabidopsis. Comprehensive expression profiling of OsTET genes suggested their possible involvement during rice development. While OsTET9 and 10 accumulated predominantly in flowers, OsTET5, 8 and 12 were preferentially expressed in root tissues. Noticeably, seven OsTETs exhibited more than 2-fold up regulation at early stages of flag leaf senescence in rice. Furthermore, several OsTETs were differentially regulated in rice seedlings exposed to abiotic stresses, exogenous treatment of hormones and nutrient deprivation. Transient subcellular localization studies of eight OsTET proteins in tobacco epidermal cells showed that these proteins localized in plasma membrane. The present study provides valuable insights into the possible roles of tetraspanins in regulating development and defining response to abiotic stresses in rice. Targeted proteomic studies would be useful in identification of their interacting partners under different conditions and ultimately their biological function in plants

  14. Investigating the role of self-construal in the formation of entrepreneurial intentions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zampetakis, Leonidas A; Kafetsios, Konstantinos; Lerakis, Manolis; Moustakis, Vassilis

    2015-01-01

    Individuals may perceive themselves as independent and distinct from others or as interdependent and connected to others. Do these differences in self-construal influence entrepreneurial preferences and intentions to start a new business in university students? Few studies have examined the influence of cultural orientations on entrepreneurial intentions at the individual level of analysis. Two studies investigated the role of independent and interdependent self-construal within the theory of planned behavior (TPB). In the first study, results from structural equation modeling analyses found that chronic independent self-construal was related to attitudes toward entrepreneurship and moderated relationships between attitudes and entrepreneurial intentions. In the second study, participants primed with an independent self-construal had more favorable entrepreneurial attitudes, but not intentions than participants primed with an interdependent focus. This set of studies extends cognitive models of entrepreneurship by demonstrating the role of self-construal in the TPB model at individual level.

  15. Motivation within Role-Playing as a Means to Intensify College Students' Educational Activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burenkova, Olga Mikhailovna; Arkhipova, Irina Vladimirovna; Semenov, Sergei Aleksandrovich; Samarenkina, Saniya Zakirzyanovna

    2015-01-01

    This article covers college students' educational activity issues while studying a foreign language; analyzes special aspects of motivation introduction, their specific features. It also defines role and structure of role-playing. The authors come to the conclusion that introduction of role-playing in an educational process will bring it closer to…

  16. Connective Tissue Disorders and Cardiovascular Complications: The indomitable role of Transforming Growth Factor-beta signaling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wheeler, Jason B.; Ikonomidis, John S.; Jones, Jeffrey A.

    2015-01-01

    Marfan Syndrome (MFS) and Loeys-Dietz Syndrome (LDS) represent heritable connective tissue disorders that cosegregate with a similar pattern of cardiovascular defects (thoracic aortic aneurysm, mitral valve prolapse/regurgitation, and aortic dilatation with regurgitation). This pattern of cardiovascular defects appears to be expressed along a spectrum of severity in many heritable connective tissue disorders and raises suspicion of a relationship between the normal development of connective tissues and the cardiovascular system. Given the evidence of increased transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling in MFS and LDS, this signaling pathway may represent the common link in this relationship. To further explore this hypothetical link, this chapter will review the TGF-β signaling pathway, heritable connective tissue syndromes related to TGF-β receptor (TGFBR) mutations, and discuss the pathogenic contribution of TGF-β to these syndromes with a primary focus on the cardiovascular system. PMID:24443024

  17. P-glycoprotein binds to ezrin at amino acid residues 149-242 in the FERM domain and plays a key role in the multidrug resistance of human osteosarcoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brambilla, Daria; Zamboni, Silvia; Federici, Cristina; Lugini, Luana; Lozupone, Francesco; De Milito, Angelo; Cecchetti, Serena; Cianfriglia, Maurizio; Fais, Stefano

    2012-06-15

    Overexpression of the mdr1 gene encoding P-glycoprotein (Pgp) exerts a major role in reducing the effectiveness of cytotoxic therapy in osteosarcoma. The interaction between actin and Pgp has been shown to be instrumental in the establishment of multidrug resistance (MDR) in human tumor cells. The cytoskeleton linker ezrin exerts a pivotal role in maintaining the functional connection between actin and Pgp. We investigated the role of ezrin in a human multidrug-resistant osteosarcoma cell line overexpressing Pgp and compared it to its counterpart that overexpresses an ezrin deletion mutant. The results showed that Pgp binds at amino acid residues 149-242 of the N-terminal domain of ezrin. The interaction between ezrin and Pgp occurs in the plasma membrane of MDR cells, where they also co-localize with the ganglioside G(M1) located in lipid rafts. The overexpression of the ezrin deletion mutant entirely restored drug susceptibility of osteosarcoma cells, consistent with Pgp dislocation to cytoplasmic compartments and abrogation of G(M1) /Pgp co-localization at the plasma membrane. Our study provides evidence that ezrin exerts a key role in MDR of human osteosarcoma cells through a Pgp-ezrin-actin connection that is instrumental for the permanence of Pgp into plasma membrane lipid rafts. We also show for the first time that Pgp-binding site is localized to amino acid residues 149-242 of the ezrin Band 4.1, Ezrin/Radixin/Moesin (FERM) domain, thus proposing a specific target for future molecular therapy aimed at counteracting MDR in osteosarcoma patients. Copyright © 2011 UICC.

  18. Perceived role legitimacy and role importance of Australian school staff in addressing student cannabis use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gates, Peter J; Norberg, Melissa M; Dillon, Paul; Manocha, Ramesh

    2013-01-01

    The high prevalence of cannabis use by Australian secondary school students makes schools an ideal setting for the delivery of substance use prevention programs. Although efficacious school-based cannabis prevention programs exist, there is scant research investigating the perceived role legitimacy and role importance of school staff. As such, this study surveyed a sample of 1691 Australian school staff by utilizing Generation Next seminars which are attended by professionals working with young people. The self-completed survey identified that, despite elevated contact with students relative to other school staff, teachers reported the least role importance and legitimacy of all school staff. Further, teachers reported the lowest level of staff drug education training, which was an important predictor of an increased feeling of role importance and legitimacy among school staff.

  19. Role model and prototype matching

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lykkegaard, Eva; Ulriksen, Lars

    2016-01-01

    ’ meetings with the role models affected their thoughts concerning STEM students and attending university. The regular self-to-prototype matching process was shown in real-life role-models meetings to be extended to a more complex three-way matching process between students’ self-perceptions, prototype...

  20. The Emerging Role of the Cytoskeleton in Chromosome Dynamics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maya Spichal

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Chromosomes underlie a dynamic organization that fulfills functional roles in processes like transcription, DNA repair, nuclear envelope stability, and cell division. Chromosome dynamics depend on chromosome structure and cannot freely diffuse. Furthermore, chromosomes interact closely with their surrounding nuclear environment, which further constrains chromosome dynamics. Recently, several studies enlighten that cytoskeletal proteins regulate dynamic chromosome organization. Cytoskeletal polymers that include actin filaments, microtubules and intermediate filaments can connect to the nuclear envelope via Linker of the Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton (LINC complexes and transfer forces onto chromosomes inside the nucleus. Monomers of these cytoplasmic polymers and related proteins can also enter the nucleus and play different roles in the interior of the nucleus than they do in the cytoplasm. Nuclear cytoskeletal proteins can act as chromatin remodelers alone or in complexes with other nuclear proteins. They can also act as transcription factors. Many of these mechanisms have been conserved during evolution, indicating that the cytoskeletal regulation of chromosome dynamics is an essential process. In this review, we discuss the different influences of cytoskeletal proteins on chromosome dynamics by focusing on the well-studied model organism budding yeast.